After seeing countless YouTube unboxings (check out
Bunny/Grav3yardGirl for some of my favorites-her commentary will make your day, I promise!) I finally gave in and decided to order a GlossyBox. If you're not familiar with
GlossyBox, it's a monthly subscription box that delivers a curated set of luxury beauty samples to you for $21 a month. It's a bit more expensive than some of the other subscription beauty boxes out there, but I was impressed with the size and quality of the samples. I also believe that what samples you receive are determined by a beauty questionnaire you take when you sign up. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I received some different items than some of the videos I had seen before my box arrived.
My first impression when opening the package was that the box itself was so pretty and exuded a feeling of french boutique elegance. The box and paper inside were pink and grey/black and the contents were wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a bow. The May Box was the GlossyBox US 1 Year Anniverysary Celebration Box and contained six items, two of which were full-size items!
Epionce Intense Defense Anti-Aging + Repair Serum
The first sample was a little tube of this pricey Epionce serum. A full size will run you $136.00, making this sample worth about $18. Like I mentioned in my Birchbox Shop haul, I am relatively new to the whole serum scene.
I gave this a try today and so far I like it, but it's too soon to really see any results. The description touts that through botanical sources of Vitamins A, B, C, D and E the result will be more radiant skin. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.
Etre Belle Collagen & Aloe Vera Hydra Mask
Next was this pre-soaked cloth mask from Etre Belle. It is supposed to provide skin with extreme moisture to promote elasticity and hydration. While having a spa moment at home this afternoon, I decided to give it a try.
Basically inside the foil packet you'll find a cloth mask that has been pre-soaked with the formula. The mask has holes cut out for your eyes, nose, and mouth. You gently lay the mask on your face and press it down.
Note: at this point you will look a tiny bit ridiculous.
I left my mask on for about 15-20 minutes. It was definitely refreshing on this hot Maryland day! The scent was not overpowering and my skin felt better after use. The only somewhat of a con, if you could even call it that, was there seemed to be a lot of excess liquid in the pouch and on the mask. I'm sure this is just to preserve it in the packets, but if you're not careful it can make a bit of a mess when you're putting it on. These are listed at $39.50 for a pack of 10, making it $3.95 per mask.
European Wax Center The Exfoliate and Slow It Body Lotion
These are foil packets of products from the European Wax Center that go along with a card that was included for a free wax for first time customers. I was not the biggest fan of this inclusion for a coup of reasons.
First, I am not a big fan of foil packets. Second, there are no European Wax Centers here in Maryland, or even in D.C.
I will give them a try, but I doubt these will be products I would repurchase.
ModelCo Lip Duo Liptick & Shine Ultra Lip Gloss
The next item included in the box was the ModelCo Lip Duo Lipstick & Shine Ultra Lip Gloss which retails for $39 (I believe this is ful size). I received the Dusk Lipstick, a neutral berry color, and Striptease Gloss, which looks like a shimmery pink/peach color but goes on shiny and nude. I think these colors are flattering and would likely complement many different skin tones.
I am a big fan of the packaging of this product. It is quite substantial and would definitely travel well in a purse or makeup bag. It also has a mirror on the connector. However, because the applicator ends of the products are attached to the connector you can't put on the product and use the mirror at the same time which seems a bit backwards to me.
Nicka K New York Absolute! Perfume Stick
The Absolute! Perfume Stick was another full-size item included in this month's box. This was a solid perfume stick that you can twist up and apply to pressure points.
I receive the scent Dream 42, which was an orange/citrus scent. I am the first to admit that I am not a big fan of citrus scents, but I don't mind this one so much. I really love the packaging, both the cardboard tube it came in and the packaging of the stick itself. I think it will be a great scent for summer and I'm excited to try a solid perfume!
Sebastian Professional Volupt Spray
The last item in the box was the Volupt Spray by Sebastian Professional. It's a travel-sized volume-building spray gel. The full size will run you $19.95. The product notes say to spray on damp hair and then blowdry for increased volume or air-dry to enhance waves and curls. It has a clean scent and I'll definitely give it a try. There seem to be lots of volumizing products going around right now.
***
Overall, I was really impressed with my first GlossyBox. I thought that the samples were substantial, represented a wide variety of products, and were a good value for the subscription price. Not sure if I'm going to stick with every month yet (trying to spend wisely!), but I wouldn't be opposed to ordering it again in the future.
- Are you signed up for GlossyBox?
- Did you receive different items in your GlossyBoy?
- Are there other subscription boxes I should check out?
Let me know in the comments below!
They also offer the TBW University, which offers course on design and marketing among others. They've given me the opportunity to review the online recordings of The Blog Workshop 2013 Conference. This is a 3 day conference that helps bloggers improve their blogging abilities and their blog model. I'm excited to take part and will report back on what I learn!
