Dark Romance - October Glossybox Review

I've been so MIA these past few weeks! Alas, I have returned with a review on the October Glossybox, the box that has caused fury and disappointment amongst the (b)blogging society. At first I was pretty content with my box, wondering what everyone was complaining about. But after putting these items to the test I can see where it all went wrong...

Beauty Boxes

I've been seeing lots of posts on Blogger, Twitter and Instagram with mixed reviews about beauty boxes. Some, I think can be a little bit harsh and biased towards that particular person. For those who don't subscribe or purchase one off boxes but are considering it, I thought I'd give you my honest opinion about them. Others may disagree with my thoughts but it does give you guys an idea of what to expect if you are thinking about it.

I first heard of beauty boxes on the Glamour Magazine Instagram profile. They posted a photo of the Latest In Beauty Glamour Editor's Pick so I had a look on their website. The box came with loads of goodies that looked appealing to me. It only cost around £14 and, as I was off sick from work for a while, I thought it would be great to experiment in my free (crippled) time. I was so happy with the box that I stalk the website daily for more, and over the past month have purchased another two boxes.

The great thing with Latest In Beauty is that it isn't a subscription. You can purchase any of the boxes on offer whenever you like, subject to availability. These boxes are perfect for me as you can see what you're buying, plus there is usually a selection of 5-6 boxes available at any given time to choose from. I've not purchased a box worth more than £15, and they often come with P&P included. You can also create your own boxes by purchasing items that are on offer separately, but this usually costs a little bit more depending on the items. The packaging for these boxes are relatively plain but they do come packed with shredding so your products don't get damaged on their way to you.

I can't find fault in Latest In Beauty boxes. If you don't like the products in the box, you don't buy it. Simple!

Editor's Pick Products by Latest In Beauty (August 2013) 

On top of buying Latest In Beauty boxes, I also have a rolling subscription with Glossybox. I first heard of Glossybox after typing in "Sites like Latest In Beauty" into Google. I had heard mixed reviews about Glossybox online, so I hit the Hashtag option on Instagram and had a little look at what was on offer in the current box. Needless to say it sold me straight away and I've just received my third box.

Glossybox offer 5 treats a month for £10 + P&P. Before you start you create a beauty profile and I guess this counts towards what products you receive, as I know some people receive different samples.  The packaging changes each month (so far for me anyway) and the products are padded with shredding, covered in matching tissue paper and beautifully wrapped in a ribbon. I'm obsessed with the aesthetics of things, so this really does make me smile! You also receive a little book, more recently a magazine, with information on your items and the brands associated.

Beautiful Packaging by Glossybox (July 2013)

The nice thing is that some of the treats are full sized. You get a few smaller samples (including perfumes and oils) but you are given enough to use each a few times over. Most of the samples are new brands, new products from well known brands or foreign companies so there's quite a range. And what is even better is that after trying the products, you go into your account on Glossybox.com and fill out a review form. You get points for each form you fill in and when you reach 1000 points you get your next box free!

The obvious issue with Glossybox is that it is a surprise, which I enjoy, but others may not. I like opening the boxes up to surprise gifts. It's like having a birthday each month (that you pay for...)! You can choose your subscription and if you pay in bulk for a year it works out a little cheaper. I'm currently sticking to a monthly plan, just in case I don't really like it after a few months. A lot of the comments are of people slating the items they receive in the box, but after getting my latest one (which a lot of people hated for some reason) and totalling up how much the items together actually cost, it was triple the price I paid for the box anyway. I for one can't complain with that.

I've not tried other boxes, but I might branch out into Burchbox very soon! I've heard fantastic reviews about their boxes. I hope that this is at least a little bit useful for those thinking of buying a beauty box.

Glossybox July

Last month I signed up for Glossybox just to give it a go and see what all the fuss is about. Needless to say, I was very happy with what I got!

The box was beautifully wrapped, with paper shredding, tissue paper and a little ribbon keeping my products nice and snug. The box was bright and fun, I almost don't want to throw it away! The effort put into the packaging itself is worth the £10 a month! But what did I think of the products...?

Ila Face Oil for Glowing Raidiance

I was a little bit disappointed with the size of this product when I received it. It was only a small sample, which I imagined I would use up in one application. However, I was amazed by the fact that the tiniest drop you put on your finger spreads over a large surface area, I barely used 4 drops to cover my entire face. I still have most of the bottle left even after 4-5 applications.

I am very pleased with the product. As well as it's smooth application, it leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth and radiant. I'm left with comfortable feeling skin, no grease and no tightness. This is really difficult to find with a common brand, but this product ticks all the boxes!

My only concern is the smell. It has a very strong fragrance, not a bad one, but for people like me who's noses are uber sensitive, it can be overwhelming. The smell does fade so it does get better for me!

Will I buy this product? In all honesty, no. It's a fantastic product, however it costs £75 that I don't really have to splash on a face oil!

Coola Organic Suncare Rose Essence Tint spf 20 

I have never heard of Coola before so I wasn't sure what to expect from the sun cream I received. I used this a couple of times whilst I was in my garden in the sun. It had quite a nice, soft fragrance that wasn't overwhelming for me. It did apply quite difficult for me, I had to use quite a bit to cover my skin, and it did come out a little too dark for my skin tone. It didn't make my face greasy, dry or tight and felt very comfortable on. I didn't burn in the sun either!

Will I buy this product? I won't buy this product, only because I wasn't happy with the shade and the application. It did work perfectly fine once on though.

Inecto Refreshing Dry Shampoo

I love a dry shampoo! Whenever I buy/receive a dry shampoo I'm over the moon. They are the best invention ever! (Rant over!) I tried this product immediately as, shock horror, I couldn't be bothered to wash my hair before physiotherapy. My hair originally was very greasy, tangled and frizzy, which is usually only fixed with a good ol' wash! After spraying the shampoo into my roots, it was easy for me to brush the product through my hair. It smelt amazing (I love coconut) and gave my hair the feeling it only gets after a wash and blow dry! Simple yet effective!  It gave my hair instant oomph too, it was no longer flat and boring, it looked bouncy and full of life, retaining my natural wave without the need to styling afterwards! Love love LOVE!

Will I buy this product? 100% YES!

Alterna Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist 

This was an exciting new product for me to use! I always love the way my hair looks after a day at the beach, and to achieve that look without actually driving 40 miles away is fantastic! The first time I used this I was disappointed. My hair tends to fall into the style I create fast and stays there all day. However, after spraying my hair with this mist, all of my waves fell out of place and my hair fell straight! So I thought I'd give it another try. This time using a lot more of the product, unfortunately using half of the bottle. But I saw MUCH better results. My hair looked as though I had spent the afternoon at the beach, and even had a scent of sea air! My waves were held into place much better this time which gave me a lot more confidence throughout my day as I knew my hair wouldn't 'unstyle' itself!

Will I buy this product? No sorry! Used too much product to get the result I wanted! The beach experience is much better anyway!

Ciate London Nail Polish in Island Hopping 

So who wouldn't like this nail polish? JUST LOOK AT IT! It's adorable. The little bow, the cute bottle design, what's not to love? And look at how it applies. Granted my nail painting skills aren't fantastic, but the colour applies evenly with just one layer. For me, it dried within 50 seconds, which was fantastic as I didn't have to wait around to put on a top coat. It's great if you want to paint your nails but you are running late, it is so easy to apply. For me, application is one of the biggest issues with nail polish. I am so happy with this product. At only £9 for a bottle, I'm definitely stocking up!

Will I buy this product? Definitely!

If you want to purchase any of these products, click on the headings above!

Do you get a monthly Glossybox? What did you get in your box?