Beyond Organic Skincare Review (Spoilers - It's Amazing!)

Hi guys, a very happy New Year to you all! I hope you have enjoyed the first week of the year, and are making the most of the first Monday of 2019. I've been so tired with working so much, but today I'm feeling motivated to get some blog posts written.

Just before Christmas, the wonderful team at Beyond Organic Skincare were nice enough to send me a few of their products to try out. I'd been on a bit of a hunt for local Cornish skincare, and immediately loved the look of their range of products!

Beyond Organic were founded in 2005 with a vision for organic, 100% natural skincare. They are popular all over the world, including Asia and Eastern Europe, and have been featured in True Health Magazine and Vegan Food and Living. As the population become more and more aware of what we are eating, drinking, and putting on our skin, more and more natural and organic skincare brands have been popping up, and Beyond Organic are definitely the guys to try!

A lot of the ingredients used in their products are food grade, meaning they are perfectly safe for your skin, and packed with over 190 biologically active compounds in each product, I knew it was going to work some magic (many of the products you would usually buy only feature up to 3 active compounds). 

I got sent a lovely range of products to try, including the Shine and Strength shampoo and conditioner. I was probably the most excited to give these ones a go, as I'm always on the hunt for new hair care, and my hair is really lacklustre and in need of constant TLC. I find many of the shampoos and conditioners readily available in the supermarkets just don't do what they advertise.

This lovely duo contains aloe vera, sea buckthorn, and natural oils, as well as having 0% sulphates, silicones, and parabens. I love the minimalistic, but still very cute packaging - it kind of reminds me of pictures we used to take in my photography class in college, and the packaging is completely recyclable. Both of these products are vegan, and along with every other product this brand has to offer, is fair trade and hasn't been tested on animals.

  

The shampoo is incredibly interesting because, unlike most shampoos where you wet your hair and then lather up, you have to add water to the product to lather it. I'm not overly sure if I quite got the hang of this method as I found I wasn't able to lather it properly, but my mum had no problems when she tried it. It did leave my hair feeling wonderfully clean and quite hydrated too. Oftentimes I'll wash shampoo out of my hair and it feels incredibly dry and brittle until I condition it. Definitely not the case here! The shampoo is 93% organic, and along with the conditioner, is formulated with botanical extracts to provide strength, shine, and moisturisation. 

I found the shampoo smelled quite sort of earthy and musky, which I totally expect from natural products - it just smells so healthy. I definitely preferred the scent of the conditioner which has more of a citrussy note to it, but the combination of both is a real treat, and both my mum and myself found that the scent lingered in our hair for ages. Truly a wonderful duo of hair care that leaves your hair feeling super clean, healthy, and happy. 

I also got to try out the cleansing set, as well as the Miracle Worker face cream. The Detoxifying Cleanser is 100% organic with loads of amazing benefits for your skin, such as coconut oil for deep cleansing, burdock for smooth skin and restoring skin tone, yarrow for its healing properties and to reduce pore size, and comfrey to help skin repair and reduce inflammation. It has a wonderful citrus lemon scent which isn't too overpowering, and left my skin feeling so baby soft and hydrated. My skin instantly looked brighter and happier, and the fact that it's an oil/balm is even better. I'm not overly keen on thick cream cleansers, and always find the oil ones work best. Unfortunately it does contain beeswax, so this particular product isn't suitable for all you vegans out there - but worry not! Beyond Organic have loads of natural vegan products for you to get your hands on! The cleanser also came with a lovely muslin cloth for washing the product off your face, and it's one of the best muslin cloths I have ever used - move over Liz Earle!

I absolutely loved the alcohol free Soothing Toner - it's so refreshing and gives you that instant little boost to wake up your tired skin. It contains rose and geranium for their hydrating, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties, and it really does smell amazing. It's so nice to spray a couple pumps onto your face, and I imagine it would be so nice in the heat of summer. It's 96% organic and vegan, and I highly recommend it. I use the cleanser and toner every morning and evening.

Lastly from the cleaning set, I received the Moisturising Day Cream, which I use every morning, containing sea buckthorn and rosehip. I found this product really does what it says on the tin, and makes your skin feel so healthy and hydrated. My skin felt much less dry and the pigmentation improved a lot over the course of the couple of weeks of using these products. The moisturising day cream is 90% organic and also vegan, and is just amazing. 

As well as the cleansing set and hair care duo, I also received the Miracle Worker Face Cream. Containing cocoa and shea butters for intense moisturisation and nourishment, rosehip oil to help skin remain youthful, tamanu oil to improve the appearance of scars, and soya oil for it's anti-inflammatory properties, it's one of my favourite products that I got to try. Another vegan product with 92% organic ingredients, this one truly is a miracle worker. I noticed my skin just looking so much healthier and stress-free, I had less and less spots, and I occasionally got a little whiff of the wonderful natural smells of the products. I use this product in the evening as my night time moisturiser, and I really love it.

All in all, I highly recommend Beyond Organic skincare for anybody - they have loads of other wonderful products available all the family for amazing prices, and deliver internationally, so you have no reason not to jump on the organic skincare bandwagon!

Have you ever tried Beyond Organic? What did you think?

I'll see you guys very soon, and thanks for reading!

Ciao for now, 

Katie x

What I Got For My 17th Birthday

It's been over a month since my birthday now (only 11 months until I turn 18, woo) and it's been a long time since my last blog post. I lost my mojo for a little while but now that it's back, I have a good few blog posts stirring away excitedly in my head.

I wanted to show you a few of the things I got for my birthday, however, I know a lot of people don't like posts like this, but I would just like to point out that I am in no way bragging. I was spoilt a lot this year by my friends and family and simply wish to appreciate that on my blog. 

I got lots of things this year, including some lovely candles, chocolate, a hair dryer and all sorts. A lot of what I got is homeware related so they will be featured in another post that I plan to do shortly.

Ghost Sweetheart is my favourite perfume by far, and has been ever since my big brother bought it for me years ago for my birthday. He's good with his girly presents, I'm telling you! My mum got me this as she knows it's my favourite, and I'm cherishing it so much that I haven't even used it yet. It's a very light, sweet fragrance that makes summer much more bearable (I'm definitely an autumn/winter person, I've been looking at Christmas on Pinterest - don't judge me!).

My wonderful boyfriend got me a little box full of Lush and The Body Shop goodies. I received a Smoky Poppy fragrance, a Strawberry and Pink Grapefruit Soap, and a Satsuma Body Puree from The Body Shop, and the Happy Hippy Shower Gel, Charity Pot Hand and Body Lotion, Bohemian Soap and Green Fun (which isn't pictured) from Lush. The Smoky Poppy fragrance smells absolutely divine, however I do think it's a little too heavy for the summer months, so I'm going to end up using this religiously come autumn. The soaps smell amazing too, my favourite being the strawberry one. You just can't beat the smell of strawberries! The satsuma scent is by far my favourite from the Body Shop, and I've been absolute loving the puree! The Charity Pot from Lush is so handy to throw in my handbag because it's so small and is perfect for when my skin is feeling a little dry. The soap and shower gel smell good enough to eat, and the green fun looks a little intimidating but I'm excited to try that out at some point. Extra points for the boyfriend for being such a sweetie!

I bought this necklace for myself as an early birthday present as I loved it so much. I'm really into elephants right now, anything elephant patterned will be in my basket! The chain is quite long so the charm comes right down to my chest which is my favourite length for necklaces, and I literally haven't taken this off since I bought it! This was from Accessorize if you guys are interested.

The Soap & Glory Supercat eyeliner was a present from my friend Eanna (hey babe!) along with a few other Soap & Glory products below. I own quite a few different eyeliners but this is the best one of the lot. It's so easy to use and is really pigmented so it comes out black as opposed to a weird grey colour you have to draw over and over again. Super cute packaging too!

I also got the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream and Body Scrub from Eanna. These smell like lime which is absolutely heavenly, and is such a good scent for summer. It's a burst of freshness in the mornings and makes you feel wide awake. The Body Scrub (top right) is so good at removing dead skin cells and dirt from your skin and leaves your skin feeling amazing and healthy. The Buttercream (bottom right) finishes off your skin perfectly and leaves it feeling silky smooth and smelling amazing. Fave body skincare at the moment!

Lastly from Eanna, the Hand Dream Super Cream. Not going to lie, this stuff is amazing. It makes my hands feel so soft and fresh, and really picks me up when I'm not feeling quite right - bad skin day maybe). I always have this in my handbag and find myself using it even when I don't need it just because I love it so much!

Similarly to Soap & Glory, my mum bought me the Along Came Betty One Pot of Polish, which is really similar to the body scrub by S&G. This stuff smells like apricot which I find is much nicer in the evenings as it's not such a fierce scent like the lime, so it's better for winding down with. I also find it's got smaller particles in it so it's less harsh on the skin, which again I find nicer in the evenings as it feels nice rather than something I have to do.

Another thing from Along Came Betty I received is the Pure Pores Face Mask. I haven't actually tried this yet, but I'm really excited to - I plan to have a facemask tonight while I watch Desperate Housewives, so we shall see!

The Glam Guide by Fleur De Force was probably my favourite present out of the lot! I've been wanting this for ages and mum took notice! I absolutely love this book, it's so handy for little hints and tricks, and is written so beautifully. Definitely go and buy it if you haven't already!

I got the Made In Chelsea perfume from my dad. This perfume smells really lovely and I've been wearing it a lot, even though I've never seen Made In Chelsea! The bottle is so cute too. The only thing I find is it doesn't last very long so it's more like a body mist, but other than that, I love it!

Lastly, I got the Lush Comforter Bubble Bar and the Brightside Bubble Bar, which is bright orange. I haven't used either yet but I'm really excited to!

I got all sorts for my birthday this year. I got a gorgeous notepad, a hairdryer off my brother, my ear pierced off my other brother, lunch out and lots more, and my mum made my day really special, so a huge shout out to my mum for some amazing presents, a delicious cake, and some balloons that say "Happy 6th Birthday!" on them.

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know if you have used any of these things before!

See you soon!

Katie xo

June Glossybox

I'll be honest, I wasn't particularly impressed with this month's Glossybox. It was The Festival Edit, and I didn't really feel like any of the products really benefitted me as I'm not going to any festivals this year, and it's rare that I show any skin, winter or summer. 

The products featured in this month's Glossybox include the Monu Spa Rosewood Reviving Mist, a spray to use to set your makeup or keep you refreshed through the day, Glossybox Flash Tattoos, Halo Fragrance Free Facial Wipes, Kueshi Anticellulite Booster, a cream to reduce the look of cellulite, and Essence Gel Nail Polish in a gorgeous bright red.

The first thing I tried was the Monu Spa Rosewood Reviving Mist. I wanted to know how it work as a makeup setter as I'd never used anything except pressed powder to set my makeup, and I was really interested to see if the liquid would ruin my makeup - it did not!

Glossybox says: This skin pick me up never leaves my desk. It's perfect for dull, stressed or flushed skin thanks to the zesty blend of essential oils including lemon, rosewood and geranium. Mist over the face to refresh and set make-up or spray all over to hydrate skin after a bath, shower or swim.
My Review: I was quite intimidated by this product, but was soon overcome with love when I used it. The smell wasn't quite appealing to me as I thought it was too musky, but it stopped my makeup from going cakey and clumpy through the day, kept my face cool and made me feel refreshed. I'm not sure if I love it enough to purchase it, but it's definitely a worth while little product. The full size version of this is £11.95 and is available here.

Next up was the Glossies Flash Tattoos. I haven't actually tried these yet, so what do you guys think of the fake tattoo trend going on at the moment?

Glossybox says: We're always working to ensure our Glossies are a step ahead when it comes to trends, so we've designed these exclusive faux tattoos. Make like the A-listers and wear them stacked around your wrists with a few bangles or apply them somewhere different such as above the ankle. I'm obsessed with mine!
My Review: I think the idea is really cute and I love the designs that were included in them, and I think I'll try a few next week when my summer holidays start! They're worth £6.50, which I think is quite expensive for fake tattoos, but there you go. They're shiny and nice, so who cares!

The Halo Fragrance Free Facial Wipes was one thing that I wasn't particularly excited about, as I'm pretty sure all face wipes essentially do the same thing. I always buy really cheap facial wipes and they always work perfectly for me.

Glossybox says: Perfectly proportioned to tuck anywhere, these facial wipes are fragrance free so they're suitable for anyone with sensitive or sunned-out skin. I keep a pack in my make-up kit, desk drawer, and my handbag!
My Review: This was a travel size product and I don't think there was anything special about these wipes if I'm honest. The packaging was really cute but they do exactly the same as Wilko's own facial wipes, nothing more, nothing less. I found them really handy for wiping little bits of makeup I had missed the night before but I'm not going to purchase them. 50p for 100 in Wilko's does me fine! The travel size is available in Tesco for £1.20.

I was quite intrigued when I saw the Kueshi Anticellulite Booster in this box, as I had never seen anything like it before. 

Glossybox says: This lightweight cream combines a hard-hitting mix of natural ingredients and antioxidants to stimulate blood circulation, in turn toning your skin and fighting off any dimples. Massage into your legs twice a day for summer-ready pins.
My Review: I have no idea if I have cellulite. I mean, I probably do, most people do, but it's not something I fuss about as I never get my skin out. Literally never. It was 29 degrees today and I was wearing black skinny jeans and a sweater. I think I'll keep this handy when I start to become more comfortable with my body, but until then, no review! This was a full size product, which is available for £14.55.

I love nail polish and am constantly after new colours, so I was very happy when I saw the Essense the Gel Nail Polish in my June Glossybox. However, I saw that it was a Gel Polish, which I had never used before, so I was also quite nervous to try it.

Glossybox says: Meet our latest nail obsession, This innovative nail polish has a long-lasting gel formula, for an amazingly shiny manicure that endures all week. Apply it as you would any normal nail polish, and invest in Essence's Gel Nail Polish Top Coat for a pro finish!
My Review: I've never used a gel polish before, but I now LOVE them. The finish was so shiny and gorgeous, and I only needed 2 coats to completely cover my nails. It's been 3 weeks since I painted my nails and most of them still look almost-presentable! I got the red colour as opposed to the green or blue, but I don't think it suits my skin for the summer time, so I'll probably wear it a lot around Christmas time. This was another full sized product which is available here for £1.91, bargain!

All in all, I wasn't amazingly impressed with this box although a few of the products were quite good. I'm excited for next month's box as it has been designed in collaboration with a celebrated fashion illustrator (fancy!), and marries French style with the best of French beauty inspiration. So exciting!

See you soon!
Katie xo

P.S  If you haven't already entered my massive giveaway, you can do so here!

Lush & Superdrug Haul

So recently, I went shopping with my friend and spent my entire weeks wages on niceness. I went to Lush, Superdrug, Shoe Zone and New Look, as well Costa for lunch. Here's what I bought, along with some mini reviews of each thing.

Okay, so first off is Lush! Now, I'm going to be honest, before this shopping trip, I was a complete Lush virgin. I had never tried a bath bomb or a lip scrub or a bubble bar or anything, but I always wanted to just go in there and really have a look and pick some things up that I think I'd like - so that's what I did! I bought 6 bath bombs and a lip scrub. I absolutely love relaxing in the bath with my laptop watching youtube videos and reading blogs, so I was in desperate need of bath bombs.

The first bath bomb was the Twilight bath bomb. It's a gorgeous pink colour with tiny little stars in it and cost £3.35. This was by far my favourite one. It made the water a gorgeous deep purple colour with light shimmer in it, and was really twilighty. It smelt like a comfort smell which was quite floral and sweety like, and it produced lots of bubbles! The water was so moisturising, I couldn't stop feeling my legs! Definitely going to get this one again.

The next bath bomb was the Dragons Egg bath bomb. I was so excited to find this one because I absolutely love gold and I was told it makes your bath a golden orangey colour. It cost me £3.35 and I think it was worth it. My bath turned a gorgeous sunset orange colour with lots of glittery goodness. It smelt really lovely and fresh and found it left the water feeling smooth and quite moisturising. 

I also picked up the Big Blue bath bomb, which is an absolutely gorgeous blue. It retails for £3.35 and smells divine. It had lots of arame seaweed in it (which is rich in vitamins minerals including iodine which help to regulate the metabolis) which was kind of gross at first, but I got used to it and it made my bath a bit of a novely! I felt like I was sat in the sea on a warm summer morning. Pure bliss. The smell was quite subtle but still strong enough for it to make a difference and make my nose tingle with delight. It didn't stain my bath or my skin, which I was quite scared it would do, although there was lots of seaweed left at the bottom of my bath after the water had drained, not that that's not easy to get rid of. I felt like it made the water really smooth and quite moisturising and my skin felt amazing when I stepped out the bath.

Butterball was another I picked up at £2.65. I've heard a lot of people really liked this one, but honestly, it scared me a little bit. It didn't change the colour of the water, but it left like an oily residue in the bath which was quite moisturising but made me feel a little.. dirty? I don't know. I know oil is good for your skin but it was just a little strange. It smelt really light and fresh which I liked, and it was quite nice to have a break from all the colour explosions! I think I will buy this again, but not very regularly.

Think Pink was an absolutely gorgeous bath bomb at £2.65. It made my bath literally bright pink and smelt really florally and yummy. It felt really moisturising on my skin which is always helpful, and it had tiny confetti hearts inside which made my bath very cute. I will definitely buy this again, just because it's pink to be honest!

Space Girl was one that I've wanted to try for ages, and at £2.35 I couldn't resist. I was really excited to try this one but was actually quite disappointed with it. It made my bath a light purple and it wasn't very glittery at all. It also made me feel quite itchy. I think the only good thing about this was the smell as it reminded me of Palma Violets, but im not too bothered as it was only £2.35

Lastly, I picked up the Bubblegum Lip Scrub for £5.50. My lips are always really dry and quite flaky which makes applying lipstick a tedious job which ends up looking horrible, and a lip balm alone just doesn't work, so I asked about the lip scrubs and was hooked. I didn't like the price very much, but considering everything from Lush isn't tested on animals and is natural, it's worth it. They had two other flavours but I absolutely loved the smell of the bubblegum one so picked it up. I've only actually used this once, but it made my lips so soft that I haven't needed to use it regularly. Everyone says the taste is addicting, but I think the smell is definitely the best bit. You can't use this on the go though because you will look like a loon who has had one-too-many doughnuts.

We then went into New Look as I was in dire need of some new jeans because my last pair had died, so I picked up two pairs of black jeans (I look weird in blue). I got the high waisted super skinny jeans which have rips in the knees. I hadn't really seen the hype in the new ripped jeans trend but I thought I may as well hop of board, and I actually really like them. I feel very confident in them as they're high waisted so they sort of suck my belly in a little bit and gives me a hint of a figure. They were £22.99. The other pair were just a plain black pair of skinny jeans which were £12.99 which are really comfortable and that's all there is to say.

I also went to Shoe Zone as my work shoes that I got from Primark at Christmas are completely dead, so I picked up a pair of plimsole type shoes, which are honestly the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. They're better than fluffy socks and slippers. I also picked up some simple lace up shoes as it was 2 for £8. I'm quite impressed with both of them considering how cheap Shoe Zone is.

I didn't intend on buying anything in Superdrug, but I honestly just couldn't resist picking up Zoella's Fizz Bar for £5. I've wanted to try it since I saw it on the shelf, and I finally convinced myself to buy it. Yay! I haven't used this yet as I've been trying all the lush bath bombs, what do you guys think of it?

I also picked up 3 face masks. I really want to get a nicer face mask, but as I was tight on money by the end of this shopping trip, I picked these up as they were 3 for 2. I got the Yoghurt Smoothie Mask, the Manuka Honey Peel-Off Mask, and the Superfruits Exfoliating Mask.

I used the yoghurt smoothie mask first, which had cocoa butter, vanilla and honey in it and is for normal to dry skin. It smelt just like vanilla yoghurt which I think is really lovely, and was very thick. I had no idea if you're meant to use the whole packet but I did so I had quite a lot on my face. You leave it on for 10-15 minutes but I left mine on longer because it felt so nice and my nails were wet as I had just painted them. It left my face feeling so soft and clean, which I think it lovely, considering they were so cheap. I recently used the Manuke Honey Peel-Off Mask, which was really weird. You literally peel it off. I felt like someone out of a film who is dressed up as someone and has like a rubber mask on, if you know what I mean? I haven't used the Superfruits one yet, but I'm excited to!

For lunch we went into Costa on the second floor of Waterstones (ahhh, books <3) and I had the mango and passionfruit fruit cooler, the mozerella and pesto sandwich panini thing and a chocolate twist. So delicious.

Have you guys tried any of these things? Let me know!

See you soon!
Katie xo

Monthly Favourites | May

Hey guys! 
Sorry that I haven't posted in a little while, I'm working on a couple of posts but they're taking quite a while so I do apologise for that.
May has been a good month beauty wise. I got my first glossybox and spent a lot of money of things that I really wanted for myself, and although most of my favourites are just things from last month's favourites, I have a few new ones.

The first thing in this month's monthly favourites is my Rita Ora for Rimmel London nail polish in shade Daisy Days. I bought this in early May and have loved it to pieces ever since. It really makes me feel brighter and summery, and I even think it makes my hands look slimmer! I don't need too many coats to get a good colour coverage and I've found it lasts a long time before chipping. This is definitely a staple polish for me this summer!

Rita Ora for Rimmel London - Daisy Day 450

Next is my Argan Oil heat defence spray. I am so bad with protecting my hair from heat, and have only really started using heat defence properly in the past few months, even though i've been curling, straightening and drying my hair for years. No wonder my hair is frazzled! This spray smells absolutely gorgeous and it makes my hair a lot less frizzy after blow drying. I love the packaging of this product as it looks really fancy and expensive, even though it isn't. I haven't used many heat defence sprays so I don't know how this one sizes up to the big brands, but I definitely like it.

Argan Oil Heat Defence Spray

Garnier Micellar Water is amazing. I bought this a few weeks ago and have been using it every single day before my cleanser, toner, and moisturiser to remove my makeup, and it works like a dream. I use this by putting a small amount onto a cotton pad and wiping it over my face and lips. I use an eye-specific water for my eye makeup as I have quite sensitive eyes and I'm used to it so I'm boring.

Garnier Micellar Cleaning Water

I used to use a hairspray that I bought in a pound shop which really did hold my hair, but made is crispy and gross and just not how you want your hair to feel. I swapped it for the TRESemme salon finish firm hold hairspray and it is so so so much better. It keeps my hair in place without it becoming too hard and crispy, and it controls my flyaways really well. Love love love it!

TRESemme Salon Finish Firm Hold

Next is Batiste dry shampoo. I'm not going to lie, I've only used this a couple of times as I bought it not long ago, but I really really love it. I have the cherry flavour which smells gorgeous, and it makes my hair look so much fresher and more alive. I know a lot of people don't like that it can leave white flakes in your hair, but that doesn't really bother me as I have light hair anyway. I really want to try a different brand of dry shampoo just to compare, but this does me just fine!

Batiste Dry Shampoo - Cherry

I've also really been loving the face masks by Superdrug. This, again, is more of a late May purchase, but I cannot tell you how much I love face masks. They feel so amazing, and superdrug do such a massive range of flavours, skin types and mask types so there's so many to try. They're 3 for 2 at the moment so I definitely recommend them if you don't want to go ahead and buy a branded face mask.

Superdrug Superfruits Exfoliating Mask

Lastly, but definitely not least, is the body shop cocoa butter lip care stick. I suffer from horribly dry lips, and was told the cocoa one was the most moisturising so I took the plunge, and it has made such a difference to my lips. I put this on in the mornings and evenings, and anytime during the day when I feel like a need a top up. I'm not keen on the smell of this as I don't particularly like anything cocoa scented on my face or body, but I can look past it because the formula is so creamy and so nourishing. I think it was quite expensive for a lip balm, but the body shop is an amazing brand and the balm definitely does what I want it to do!

The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Lip Care Stick

So that's my May favourites. What have you been loving this month?

See you soon!
Katie xo

May Glossybox

Hi guys!

I am so excited to be writing this post because I finally got a subscription to Glossybox!! For those of you who don't know, Glossybox is a beauty subscription company who send you a box of makeup/haircare/beauty products and samples for you to try out. It's really great for people, like me, who want to broaden their knowledge of all things beauty and you can find some really gems in these little boxes.

My first Glossybox box!

I'll start off talking about the packaging of the box before the products, simply because I'm so impressed! The box itself came in a  black cardboard packaging with the Glossybox logo on it, which was really really cute. I love when companies spend that little extra to deliver things to you in style. Glossybox always sends you an adorable little pink box with the logo and 'Glossybox' written on it, and it's so simple and minimalistic but I love it so much. Inside the box has the Glossybox logo and the products are sat on top of black tissue paper, which is then enveloped in a very simple and elegant white tissue paper, sealed with a logo sticker and a pretty ribbon. I am literally in love with the packaging, I'm going to keep every box on my bookcase. The box came with a little card which explains what the different products are and how to use them, which I think is a lovely idea. Thanks Glossybox!

Glossybox interior and this month's products

The 5 products I got this month were the Zerreau Beauty Towel Off Shampoo Foam, an alternative to dry shampoo, the MeMeMe Enchanted Eyes Dual Ended Eye Wand which is a double ended blue eyeliner, the Etre Belle Aloe Vera Ultra Moisturising Gel which hydrates and moisturises your face, the Collection Cosmetics Field Day Lipstick in a gorgeous light pink, and the Nails Inc. Nail Polish.

I started with the shampoo first, as I was planning to wash my hair anyway so it was the perfect time to try it. This product is essentially dry shampoo in foam form. Instead of spraying in your hair and brushing it through, you squirt some into your hands and rub it into your roots and ends. It's perfect for when you're in too much of a rush to wash your hair properly, but not so much of a rush that you just need to spray and go. 

Towel Off Shampoo Foam - Zerreau Beauty

Glossybox says:  Apply the foam directly to your scalp and massage it in to lift dirt and grease. Immediately remove the foam by towel drying - voila, your hair looks freshly washed again.
My Review:  The packaging of this product is really lovely and sleek which I like, but I think they could maybe spice it up a bit as it is a little bit plain. The foam smells of a light apple scent which is absolutely gorgeous for this time of year, and definitely makes your hair feel and smell really fresh and crisp! MMMM. I found I had to use quite a few pumps of the product to really cover my hair (I have quite a lot), but that's to be expected from a foam. After towel drying my hair, I found that it did look noticeably cleaner and brighter, but maybe not as much as I was expecting. I think this product is a really cool idea and definitely different, and although I do like it, I wouldn't buy it. It isn't tested on animals which is an amazing plus, and it's alcohol free too! It retails for £7.95 and is available here.

The next product I tried I was really excited for and was the moisturising gel by Etre Belle. I thought this was a mini product at first but when I checked again, realised that Glossybox had given us 3 full sized products this month! 

Aloe Vera Moisturising Gel - Etre Belle

Glossybox Says:  For a healthy glow, apply a sufficient amount to your face and neck in upwards motions to hydrate and soothe your skin.
My Review:  The packaging of this gel is really cute and comes in a little opaque tube, which I always prefer to a pump as you can see how much product is left and get it out yourself. It's really stylish and has a gold detailing on the lid and the brand name. The gel itself is a gorgeous green colour and smells very fresh and light. It reminds me a little bit of Johnson's baby lotion, but not as strong. I used the gel in place of my moisturiser, but I think I might use it as well as my moisturiser to see how much of a difference it makes. I found this product to really hydrate my skin and make my skin feel brighter and more awake instantly, which I loved, but found it left my face feeling a little bit sticky. I don't know if I didn't rub it in properly or if that's just how the product worked on my skin, but it was quite strange. It made my skin feel quite a bit tighter, which the product aims to do too. I think I need to use this product a few more times before I can make a firm decision on whether I like it or not. This product retails for £15.93, which personally I think is quite steep for only 40ml, but if you've got the money to spend, might be a nice little treat for your skin now and again. It's available here.

Next up is the lipstick. I'm quite bad with lipsticks as, although I think they look amazing on, I can never seem to make it look neat. Maybe my lips are just a funny shape but quite often they make me look really strange, so I was quite sceptical when I decided to try this one.

Field Day Lipstick in Tulip 2 - Collection Cosmetics

Tulip swatch

Glossybox Says:  Prepare your lips by gently exfoliating them to create a smooth surface, followed by a dash of lip balm. Apply one coat of lipstick, then blot with tissue paper before applying a second coat to build up and seal in colour.
My Review:  I think the packaging of this collection looks quite cheap and tacky, although it does use nice summery colours. I really loved the colour of this product, 2 Tulip, as it's a gorgeous summery pink which I thought would look lovely with loose wavy hair and a floaty white dress. However, on me, the colour looks a bit hideous. I look really plastic and I think my skin tone is just completely wrong for this colour and I would need something slightly darker. I also found that it didn't go on well as the pigmentation wasn't amazing, and it took me a little while to cover my lips completely. I then blotted my lips and applied a second coat and found it wasn't all that buildable. Overall I'm not very impressed with this lipstick which is a complete shame because the colour is so pretty. If you have very light skin this might be a perfect colour for you, and for only £2.99, it's worth a try to see for yourself. You can find the product here.

Eyeliner was next on my list, and I wasn't quite as excited when I saw this in the box. I am really not a fan of any colour eyeliner other than black because I'm really boring and not adventurous at all, but I thought, I'm getting this Glossybox so that I can broaden my makeup and beauty knowledge and try more things, and considering blue eyeliner is a key trend for spring, I decided to give it a go anyway.

MeMeMe Enchanted Eyes Dual Ended Eye Wand - Light Blue

MeMeMe Enchanted Eyes Dual Ended Eye Wand - Dark Blue

Wand swatch, left - light blue, right - dark blue

Glossybox Says:  For a decadent line of colour, start at the inner corner of your eye and delicately drag the pencil outwards in one smooth sweep.
My Review: The packaging of this product is really simple and has two clear plastic lids so you can see which colour is at which end. I found both colours to be extremely pigmented and was surprised at how much I liked them. The darker of the two looked like a very grey blue, which would be perfect for a summery smokey eye and the lighter blue was very electric and reminded me of the video to Last Friday Night by Katy Perry! I think this colour would look really cool on a night out or at a dress-up party, and would really pop if it was paired with coloured mascara, such as pink! I think I'll use the darker of the two more often as I'm not confident enough to rock the electric blue on a day to day basis. The eyeliner was really easy to remove with a simple micellar water, so I wasn't left scrubbing blue off of my eye. Thumbs up from me! The eyeliner retails for £6.95 which is really good considering you get 2 in 1, and is available here.

Last but not least, the nail polish. I have started painting my nails a lot more than I used to, so I was really happy when I saw I had received one. 

Nails Inc. Nail Polish - shade unknown

Glossybox Says: Apply one thin coat in three strokes on top of a base coat and leave to dry before applying a second coat.
My Review: The packaging of this nail polish is really simple and cute and I don't have any complaints on that. The colour of this polish is a very light red toned purple. Although I don't think it will be a great summer colour, I think I'll wear it a lot in the transition into Autumn and possible early springtime. I love the brush in the polish as it makes the application really easy and is quite thin so you don't end up putting loads of paint on my nails. I didn't get any paint of my fingers (which I always do!) so I am really in love with the brush. The paint dried really really quickly which I wasn't expecting, and I also found that the paint was quite pigmented, so I only needed two coats to get a good coverage on my nails. I'm really excited to use this product more and I think I'm going to check out the collection and see what other colours Nails Inc. have! I don't actually know what colour this polish is as it's only a sample size, but you can see the collections here. This full size of this polish retails for £14.

Overall I'm quite happy with my Glossybox and I can't wait until next month to see the next lot of goodies I receive! Beauty boxes are so much fun, especially when you have no idea where to start when it comes to beauty and makeup. Do you like Glossybox or have any other beauty box subscriptions? Let me know!

See you soon!
Katie xo