GlossyBox August 2017

August 1, 2017September 14, 2025 - Vicki 6 Comments

For those of you that aren’t aware of what GlossyBox is, it’s a subscription box and each month, you get a diverse selection of 5 beauty treats that includes niche, high-end and emerging brands. The products are quite often full size or deluxe samples, it is a great way of discovering new brands and getting a beauty treat right to your door each month.

So the August GlossyBox* is a collector’s edition, and it’s a beauty, the packaging is a sweet blue colour and has the text Girls Just Wanna Have Sun. As you may have guessed, the August theme is Summer, and I’m impressed with the contents as you get 3 full-sized products. I also like that the products included are not your typical Summer options, and I’m excited to try everything.

Essence Live Laugh Celebrate Palette

Long time readers of my blog will know I can’t say enough good things about this brand, Essence for me are the best affordable brand out there, their products are fantastic quality and their range is entirely Vegan. The most exciting product in this month’s box (for me) is the new Live Laugh Love Palette. This is a 4 pan customisable palette, and you can add your eyeshadows, highlighters and blushers to make your own perfect palette. So with the August GlossyBox you get the empty palette and 2 eyeshadow shades, a highlighter and a cute blusher so you can create a complete look.

The pans click in & out with a practical click-mechanism so you can interchange them depending on your mood / needs. The packaging is beautiful and fun, it feels very sturdy, and you have 20 eyeshadows, 3 blushers and 3 lip powders. With the palette and each pan costing only £1.50 each, you can make yourself a very affordable palette full of your favourite shades.

Model Launcher Cosmetics Safari Sun Bronzer £16.50

What Summer makeup bag is complete without that perfect bronzer? I have never heard of this brand before, but I’m loving the animal print look, it is so fun. This bronzer adds just enough warmth to the skin to give you that sun-kissed beach vibe, and it is talc free and mineral enriched, so perfect for even the most sensitive of skins. With this kind of multi tonal product I just swirl my brush across all shades ensuring I get a little of each colour then sweep it on where the sun would naturally hit.

Valquer Ice Hair Mask £14.99

Often when we are on holiday, our hair suffers the brunt of its drying effects, so I am happy to see a hair mask in this month’s box – got to keep our hair looking glossy and healthy. This hair mask is for use on damp hair, leaving it to work its magic for 3–5 minutes, then rinse with warm water (easy-peasy). This energizing mask has a cooling effect which is ideal for Summer, and it is also enriched with macadamia oil to hydrate and tame your dry holiday hair. I have never tried this brand, but I do like a good hair mask, so this is coming on holiday with me for sure.

Batiste Dry Shampoo & Conditioner Orange and Pomegranate £4.49

This isn’t your average dry shampoo – nope, Batiste have created a 2 in 1 Dry Shampoo & Conditioner which they say will refresh your roots and condition the lengths. I am an almost daily dry shampoo user, so I’m intrigued to see what difference the conditioner makes to how soft and clean my hair feels. The scent of this is 100% Summer in a can, it is so fruity and sweet. This is just a mini can, but they’re always very handy to take with you in your handbag or on holiday.

Rodial Suede Lips £22

I’m very partial to a lip crayon, they are my ideal no fuss lip option. This Rodial one is in the shade Big Apple and has a matte finish but don’t panic, thanks to the vitamin E in the formula it isn’t at all drying. I have to say, although I really like this product, I wouldn’t say it is your typical Summer shade. It is quite a deep mauve brown and I feel it is more of an Autumnal shade, so I might just keep it for my Autumn makeup switch up.

So all in all I am over the moon with this month’s box, it has some well-known brands included as well as a couple that are new to me. It is not often that I’m excited about every product, but I’m actually going to use all 5 beauty products from this box and not pass anything on to family or friends. So if you want this month’s box you best be quick as I think it will be a popular one.

Get your GlossyBox Monthly Subscription Here

*This GlossyBox is a PR Sample but the review and thoughts are 100% my own

GOSH AW17 Makeup Releases

July 31, 2017 - Vicki 4 Comments

I feel that not enough people talk about GOSH which surprises me because they’re one of my absolute favourite high street brands and the quality of their range is incredible. GOSH is sold in Superdrug and I guess because there are so many beauty brands fighting for our attention GOSH is a stand that most people overlook. Well I’m here to tell you that next time you’re in store you must stop and have a swatch and familiarise yourself with their range, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. As of July 26th the new GOSH AW17 Collection has hit stores so this is the perfect time to check out what this brand has to offer.

Their new range has a whole host of products for you to introduce to your makeup bag for the Autumn season. I have been trying a selection of products from this new collection and I have to say there are some stand out products that I’m really loving. So what have I been testing?

**Colour Corrector Kit 001* £11.99**

I’m not the most avid user of colour correctors and I’m always worried I put the wrong colour in the wrong place so it’s nice to see that GOSH have included a simple guide on the back of this kit just outlining where to place the colours. This kit has 5 colour correcting shades and I’m guessing that they balance any discolouration, combat any darkness as well as concealing blemishes. All 5 shades are creamy and easy to blend. Now I have this kit I have no excuses for not at least attempting to cover the redness around my nose or covering the dark circles under my eyes.

If you’re looking for a new colour correcting kit then this one contains 5 shades but is still super compact and easily fits into your makeup bag, it also has a mirror in the lid which is great for makeup emergencies on the go.

GOSH Metallic Eyeshadow Palette 005 To Party in London*

GOSH release some fantastic palettes and this new Metallic palette is beautiful. You get 9 metallic and pearl finish eyeshadows that range in colour from subtle pinks and warm browns to more bold shades like the gold and purple toned blue. Although these shadows are mostly metallic they’re not glittery or scratchy to apply, they have a smooth buttery consistency and are all very easy to blend. This is one of my favourite products from the collection because all the colours are so wearable and pretty.

Primer Plus Skin Adaptor Anti Pollution*

This is a fantastic anti pollution primer that adapts to your skintone to give you a healthy, even-toned glow. The product comes out of the tube looking white but once you apply it to your skin it actually changes to a flesh colour – it is beauty magic! I would compare it too a tinted moisturiser, it gives you a nice amount of coverage whilst feeling hydrating and lightweight on the skin and it also leaves your skin looking smooth & beautifully radiant. This primer is formulated with CityGuard+ which is a combination of anti-pollution ingredients and oak extract to keep the skin hydrated and protected so it is a great product to keep your skin looking fresh, radiant and the perfect product to combat the rising effects of free radicals and pollution on our skin. I really like this and it is nice to have something in my skincare regime that helps protect my skin from things like pollution which can cause premature aging.

Eye Shadow Primer in 001 Nude*

I’m terrible at remembering to apply an eyeshadow primer, mostly because I don’t wear powder shadows on a daily basis. This one from GOSH comes in a cream crayon which makes it so easy to apply. The formula is creamy and it makes a nice neutral base for your shadow to adhere too and I would say this did make my shadow look more intense so that is always a plus. I’m not going to say it’s a groundbreaking or must have product but if you’re someone who swears by using an eyeshadow primer then this is an affordable, great quality high street buy.

Brow Shape & Fill*

This is a 2 in 1 brow product with an angled eyebrow pencil on one end and a powder on the other. I have to admit for about a week I had no idea the powder was in the other end of the pencil. You have to unscrew the end and voilà there it is. I have very dark brows and the shade 03 dark brown was a perfect match for me. The angled pencil made it very easy to outline your brows and get a nice precise shape and the powder end is for filling them in. Although for me the sponge was a little big so I made a bit of a mess but the colour was a great match.

**24h Pro Liner in 001 Black* £7.99**

This is an intense black eyeliner with a very slim precise nib, so it is perfect for getting really close to the lash line. Oh and there is a handy smudger on the other end which is great for creating that smoky eye look. This pencil has a nice soft feel to it which makes it easy to apply and not drag across your eye. It is also waterproof so once in place it will not budge. A really great liner to have & for £7.99 you can’t really go wrong.

This is an exciting collection from GOSH and there are quite a few more products which I haven’t tested. Including a growth serum for your brows, mattifying powder, strobe & glow kit and quite a few more. So make sure you pop into your local Superdrug and check out the whole collection & get swatching.

The two standout products that I have are the eyeshadow palette and the Primer Plus Skin Adaptor. These will be getting a lot of use over the coming weeks. What do you have your eye on from this latest GOSH Collection?

*This post contains PR samples.

YSL Beauty Travel Minis

July 28, 2017July 28, 2017 - Vicki 6 Comments

OK so not much gets me more excited than beauty minis, I know it is an exciting life I lead but you have to admit they’re just so flipping cute. When this bag of YSL Travel Minis * arrived on my doorstep I was ecstatic. I have a birthday trip booked for September and this set will be perfect to take with me, so I am saving everything for that.

For me when I was growing up, YSL was so well-known for its Black Opium scent, it is such a cult perfume and I’m sure everyone knows at least one person that wears it. Well included in my oh so sweet bag of minis is that iconic Black Opium fragrance and also their latest addition to the Opium family, Black Opium Floral Shock.

Black Opium Floral Shock Eau de Parfum

I would say it is a modern more youthful twist on an iconic scent. Not only have YSL updated the scent but the pretty black glitter encrusted bottle has also had a revamp. The bottle is just as luxurious as the classic version but it now has subtle frosted pretty pink hues but it still looks just as glam rock!

Top notes – Bergamot Essence, Pear Accord, Freesia Accord
Heart notes – Orange Blossom Absolute, Golden Gardenia Accord, Solar-floral accord
Base notes – Coffee Accord, Sandalwood Accord, Vanilla

The fresh mix of fruity and floral scents work really well together and the addition of coffee is unusual but gives the scent a warmth that is quite sexy, while the vanilla and sandalwood offer both sweetness and luxury. I am in love with it and I think if you find the original a little too heavy and heady, this Floral Shock version will feel more fresh and youthful but still with that edginess you expect from YSL Opium.

YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer Blurring & Illuminating Primer

This is a lightweight primer with a nice gel consistency, formulated to smooth and blur pores and wrinkles which I have to say is a pretty accurate description. It is such a nice base for your foundation and is enriched with four nourishing oils—corn oil, apricot kernel oil, passiflora oil, and rice bran oil—to leave skin feeling incredibly soft without a greasy residue.

Not only does it help give your skin a soft focus finish but it also has subtle, tiny golden shimmer flecks which gives your skin luminosity and radiance. This is such a good product for people like me whose makeup tends to start looking a little dull after a while or whose makeup sinks into their fine lines. This is a really good primer for a special event or night out as it keeps your makeup looking fresh, flawless and in place for hours.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick

How sweet is this mini YSL Lipstick! The packaging is beautiful and has the YSL logo embossed on their iconic gold packaging. The shade is 52 Rosy Coral and it is a vibrant pink, it’s a lovely flattering shade and it brightens up any makeup look. It’s the perfect Summer holiday shade. It’s a lovely lightweight, hydrating formula which feels very comfortable on the lips and has an easy to wear satin finish. I also really like that the Rouge Pur Couture range has SPF15. I’ve never tried a YSL lipstick before so this is a very exciting addition to my makeup stash. With this in my makeup bag I feel like a sophisticated woman who has her shit together.

YSL Top Secrets Lip Perfector

This is a product I’ve also never tried from YSL. It is a 3 in 1 product and can be used as a primer, lip treatment or a lipbalm. It has a really comfortable non greasy formula and it gives the lips a nice glossy finish. It is clear and works well both under your lip colour as a nice smooth base which helps prolong the wear time of your lipstick or on top to give it a subtle glossy finish. I am for sure taking this away with me to Amsterdam as my fancy lipbalm!

What are your favourite mini products and do you have a drawer full of them just incase you need them for a trip?

To shop for your own YSL Minis and Gifts head to www.yslbeauty.co.uk

*This post contains PR samples

FeelUnique Beauty on the go Kit

July 26, 2017July 26, 2017 - Vicki 1 Comment

Introducing Powered By Feelunique*

The passionate beauty experts at Feelunique have used their unrivalled knowledge to create Powered by Feelunique, a brand new own-label initiative that underscores commitment to innovation, quality and value. Powered by Feelunique launches with a stellar line-up of carefully curated Beauty boxes and Beauty on the Go kits. Every product included in these special edits has been hand selected in-house and given the Powered by Feelunique stamp of approval.

There are currently 3 boxes to pick from & this cute pink one is called their Everyday Essentials Kit. Ideal for anyone that’s constantly on the go or if you just like to be organised and have all your beauty essentials in one place. I really like this concept and have to say the contents although not super duper exciting, they are very practical and include all those bits & bobs you need but can never find (usually because they’re all loose in the bottom of your handbag). Not anymore, all your essentials will now be in this extra stylish pink cosmetics pouch ready for when a beauty emergency arises.

Everyday Essentials Beauty on the go Kit*

This kit includes,

Pink Nail File – This mini nail file is a beauty essential must have.
Hair Clips – Is there a better invention than the humble Kirby grip? No, no there isn’t. Keep these within arm’s reach to avoid any hair disasters.
Tweezers – Not the most glamorous of tools but certainly an essential piece of grooming equipment for keeping brows trim and tidy at any time or place.
Mini Hair Brush – Whether you’re rushing off to a last minute meeting or heading out after work this travel sized brush is perfect for looking polished 24 hours a day.
Pink Mirror – This handy pocket mirror is essential for avoiding any lipstick on teeth scenarios and other makeup mishaps.

NEW Everyday Essential Kits from feelunique

Bright Pink Bag – Keep all of your everyday essentials together in this buttery soft pouch and with a pink this bright you won’t be able to lose it!
Palmer’s Coconut Oil Formula Lipbalm – With ethically and sustainably sourced coconut and Tahitian Monoi Oil you can nourish dry lips on the go whilst keeping your beauty conscience in check with this moisturising lip balm.
Popband London Essentials – These are hair ties that double as a fashion accessory. So when you’re not using them to keep your hair out of your face you can wear them on your wrist & style it out.
NUXE Reve de Miel Crème Mains et Ongles – Our hands are the biggest indicator of ageing so give them a daily dose of TLC with this deeply conditioning cream.

FeelUnique #iamready

I really like those Popband hair ties as they don’t leave that dreaded dent / kink in your hair and their super gentle so these won’t snap or pull at your luscious locks. A hand cream is a must have for me too. I get terribly dry hands so I’m counting on this luxurious NUXE one to keep my hands soft and nourished.

The other Beauty On The Go Kit has all your travel essentials for surviving a flight and that kit is just as handy as this one. Seen as I am not jetting off anywhere exotic this Summer this Everyday Essentials Kit is perfect for my day to day needs. I’m going to pop in a small can of dry shampoo and a hand sanitiser too, just to tailor my kit to specific needs but apart from that I think it has a well rounded selection of beauty tools and products which I reach for on a daily basis.

Feelunique Beauty On The Go Kit

Which of the two kits takes your fancy? Are you a fan of the Travel Essentials Kit or the Everyday Essentials Kit? Both are £15 each and you can snap one up on www.feelunique.com

* This post contains PR samples

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