This is my ‘Glossy Box’ June 2019 review. The Box actually landed on my doorstep last Friday, the same day I was notified of my ‘Sunshine Blogger Award’ nomination by ‘Our Favourite Jar’. So Friday 7th June 2019 was quite a ‘more exciting than usual’ kind of day!

The delay in writing this has been the rain! I needed to pick flowers from the garden to prettily illustrate this post and as I’d just had me ‘air done I didn’t want to get it wet! Also, I’ve been educating myself on certain subjects relating to my other Blog…I’m necessarily learning all about narcissism and narcissists and I’m not referring to fans of NARS unfortunately. So this review is a little later than anticipated…but it’s here now and away we go.

THE DISCLOSURES

The link to my full list of Disclosures can be found HERE. I review it every month and if/when necessary update it accordingly.

The main ‘Disclosures’ are:

• I am not an expert.
• I am not affiliated with Glossy Box or any related company/products.
• My thoughts are my own.
• The info is correct at time of writing.
• I pay for my Boxes too!

If you do take the plunge because of my reviews, I’d be so grateful if you’d apply my referral code (all subscribers get one, not just me)…https://www.glossybox.co.uk/referrals.list?applyCode=JANE-R8 when you sign up at Glossy Box. You will get 20% off your first order and I will earn £10.00 for a successful referral (correct at time of writing – 14.06.2019), refer to Glossy Box for additional info as subject to their Ts and Cs.

PREAMBLE

If you don’t know anything about Glossy Box, or want to know my take on it, feel free to click on THIS LINK for a previous relevant post.

Glossy Box’s own website is linked HERE if you want to have a look and see if it is for you…or not.

You can otherwise follow Glossy Box UK on Social Media.

Facebook @glossybox.co.uk

Instagram @glossyboxuk

Twitter @GlossyboxUK

You can follow me on Social Media too:

Facebook @boxofglossy and @breakupmakeupwakeup

Instagram @boxofglossy and @bmw_up2

https://boxofglossy.blog and https://breakupmakeupwakeup.com

I should explain that I also blog about relationship type things which is what the breakupmakeupwakeup stuff is all about- some of it is funny…some of it not so much! Check it out if you like.

Back to being Glossy.

THE JUNE BOX

Standard pink box. You know I love the boxes…but the themed ones are just more ‘special’…I mean, aren’t they! I sent all of mine to Mums on A Mission for Malawi, which you can read about in the link I’ve planted here.

This one will eventually be sent over to the Mums in time for their next shipment, in the meantime, I’ve got some new perfumes that need storing. So when the Box is empty this will be their new home.

MY PLEDGE

So as you’ll know if you’ve read my previous posts, I’m going to set aside one unopened and therefore un-reviewed item from each of my Glossy Boxes from May 2019 to April 2020 and give them to an appropriate charity, to be decided nearer to the time. The charity is more than likely going to be a Women’s Refuge or to benefit the homeless.

My intention was to save the most expensive item from each box but a lady who has been through both homelessness and horrific abuse jade.amber.888 (she has allowed me to give her Instagram handle by the way) advised me to select ‘practical’ over ‘expensive’. Which of course makes sense and I’m taking her advice on this.

JUNE 2019 – THE THEME

Well it IS technically Summer even though the season hasn’t told the weather yet, so I’m expecting a nice Summer theme? Yessss! Glossy Box are calling this a ‘Summer Soiree’. That sounds like my kind of Summer.

“This June, you’re invited to our Summer Soiree!

From the races to formal weddings, and garden parties to casual barbecues, summer is a time of celebration. That’s why we’ve filled our iconic pink box will all the essential beauty products you need to get ready for what every occasions lie ahead.

Our ‘Summer Soiree’ edit includes three gorgeous, highly-pigmented makeup products you can slip into your clutch and use on the go, as well as skincare and haircare that will help you get prepped and primed for the big day. You’re going to look stunning!’

So says Beauty Editor, ‘Elle Nash’

THANKS ELLE…AND OVER TO ME…

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

THE PRODUCTS

Five different products, hand picked by the Glossy experts greet us. Again some of us may have a variant on a couple of the products. I only get to test four because Hask’s Mask has been put aside to give to an appropriate charity in 10 Boxes time.

But in my Box are as follows:

• PRO PERFECTING COLLAGEN TOUCHE ECLAT PRIMER – from Avant
• DEEP CONDITIONING TREATMENT (hair mask) – from Hask
• FACE FORM CONTOURING PALETTE – from Sleek Makeup
• LIP CREME MATTE (lip creme) – from Modelco
• EYESHADOW CHUBBY STIX – from Meech N Mia

FIRST UP – PRO PERFECTING COLLAGEN TOUCHE ECLAT PRIMER – from Avant

We were put on notice last month that this little expensive baby weighing in at 30ml and costing an eye watering £85.00 (that’s £2.83 [with a three recurring] per ml) was coming to us.

The product description claims, sorry, but just YAWN, that it ‘reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles’, but don’t they all these days. Proof is in the primer!

You only need a ‘pea size’ apparently and it’s PH balanced…but I’m sitting here just looking at it thinking…’even if you are GREAT…could I ever justify actually purchasing you?‘

See the tube it’s in (and this is full size) is very simple but of a classy design (white with black writing) and the tube feels really, really light and all I can think is that would I actually pick this up in a high street shop and think, ‘…I can live with £2.83 per ml – at a full size cost of £85.00 for a Primer‘. I can see myself standing at a till waiting to be served having palpitations over parting with 8 tenners and a fiver for a little tube of creamy stuff which claims to do what most other (cheaper) ones do!

LETS GIVE IT A TEST

I’ve got a nice clean face, all cleansed and ready to be painted in makeup. I’ll also just add that I’ve used Iconic’s ‘Prep Set Glow’ for a bit of a healthy glow since the sun isn’t doing its job at the moment.

This primer has quite a watery, ‘easy to spread’ consistency. Given its price tag I’m following the instruction to a tee by only using a ‘pee-size’ amount of product, which does cover my face…if this is good, I want it to last…till I can re-mortgage the house and purchase it again! It sinks into the skin nicely, I’ll give it that. On with the foundation…

…I’m using a high street, fairly low end (£9.99 in Boots) foundation Bourjois ‘Healthy Mix‘ since if this primer does convert me something is going to have to give; can’t afford expensive Primer AND expensive foundation at the same time. It really doesn’t matter to you what colour foundation I’ve used because you skin and my skin are just not going to be the same tone, same undertone, in the same condition etc.

Now usually, I’m not a great fan of this foundation. I don’t use it all that often, but having blended it in and given it a few minutes to settle into my skin, I must admit that it looks 80% better than with other primers I’ve used, including Guerlain Meteorites Base which is also not cheap! So I am somewhat impressed.

For me, at least, £85.00 is A LOT of money to hand over for any make product…BUT…you may not feel the same – your budget may be different to mine. It does seem to give good results…my foundation…THIS foundation…looks soooo much more flawless and my face does look ‘less liney’…you’re going to have to decide for yourself on this one!

My foundation stayed flawless too throughout the day – the primer held it in place all right…and that’s following 8 hours of being out and about although not really exerting myself to any extent!

ITS CREDENTIALS

So this is ‘full size’. £85.00. 30ml. It’s a primer with shelf life once opened of 12 months.

AVANT ON SOCIAL MEDIA

They’ve kept it simple and generic:

Facebook, Instagram and tweet-tweet Twitter @avantskincare

DEEP CONDITIONING TREATMENT (hair mask) – from Hask

I’ve heard of ‘Hask’ but I’ve never actually purchased any of their products, so I’ve done a little bit of research for you all.

Their website looks ‘fresh’ and ‘clean’. I like it. Their products are stocked and sold in Superdrug, Boots, Morrisons and Waitrose and are made up of natural ingredients and oils steering clear of all the stuff that damages your hair and makes it fluffy like parabens and sulfates.

Now they also say that their products were designed to treat different hair problems. My hair was prone to being greasy (rather than dry). I’ve got the Coconut Oil variety for ‘all hair types’ but you may have the ‘Superfruit’ or ‘Macadamia Oil’ variety.

Damn, damn, damn – this is a reminder for all of you. This is not Glossy Box’s fault. I forgot to change my settings in ‘My Account’. Since I opened my account my hair has had the cr*p bleached out of it, professionally of course. I didn’t use a box…cause my hair would have fallen out with the amount of blonde it has in it. So I would consider it ‘dry’ and ‘damaged’ when previously it was virgin hair!

Had I changed the settings in ‘My Account’ I should have got the Macadmaia Oil version for ‘damaged hair’. Like I say my own fault here and a heads up for all of you to rmemeber to keep your details up-to-date. The ‘Superfruit’ version is also for ‘all hair types’.

Hask have got some hella interesting endorsements as well from leading hair stylists and they are also promoted on film and screen sets. Impressive little portfolio here they have. You can’t purchase their products direct.

I would have loved to have tested this product because my hair is feeling a little on the damaged side, but, I feel that it is the most appropriate this month to give to a homeless charity or women’s refuge. I will however purchase this item from one of the four stockists and give it a go. I’ll go for the Macadamia Oil one, again if I can find to be fair to the brand. I’ll give my review in a separate post.

THIS PRODUCT’S CREDENTIALS

You need to put plenty of product in your hair so that it’s all saturated of course, it is a mask, sooooo….to be expected. My hair is quite long so I’d probably use the whole pouch or three quarters anyway.

You get 50ml of product and I can also tell you that they do not test on animals and are additionally offended by any suggestion they would! Love companies with this mindset. Ought to be standard by now, but some are just not on board yet.

I can’t seem to find these actual masks being stocked in Boots, Morrisons or Waitrose…although all do stock Hask products…but what I can tell you is this. At time of writing (14th June 2019) these masks are on offer at Superdrug. Reduced from £2.49 to £1.66. I do not know how long this offer is going to be on for…so get yourself up to Superdrug quick smart if you want to snap some more up.

What do you think of this product – was it a good little addition? Let me know in the comments.

SOCIAL MEDIA

You can find ‘Hask’ on:

Facebook and Twitter @haskhair

Instagram – hask_uk

SLEEK MAKEUP – FACE FORM COUNTOURING PALETTE

I seem to have amassed a lot of these ‘Sleek Makeup Palettes’. I recall purchasing one and the rest have come my way from Glossy Box. They do seem to collaborate a lot with Sleek – or at least that is my perception. This time you either get the Fair Palette or the Light Palette. I’ve got ‘Fair’ and I am fair.

The brand was created in London in the mid-90’s. I know that Boots stock this brand…and it’s reasonably priced. What I don’t know is whether it is cruelty free – if the brand could clarify this on their website that would be good…apologies if I’m just blind.

In the palette you get:

• A matte contour powder.
• An illuminating highlighter.
• Shimmer blush.

The packaging is nice and sturdy as always, and compact

LET’S GIVE IT A TEST

So on top of the Avant Primer, Bourjois foundation, I’ve applied Iconic London creme highlight and contour in all the usual places. I’m therefore using this Sleek powder palette over the top. The highlighter is a really pretty shade BUT you really need quite a bit of product, it’s just soooo un-powdery…the product just goes to very little and its hard to get a brush to pick it up.

Same with the bronzer…and the blush…especially the blush (which I actually do not like a lot of…I don’t want to look like a painted doll), is barely there. I mean, when you compare it to the Annabelle Cosmetics Mineral blush (Rose), if you received it in place of the face mask from last month’s Glossy Box, there’s just no competition. They are like chalk and cheese. Little pigment to highly pigmented; requires A LOT of product to requires the tiniest amount of product.

This palette is a bit ‘Meh’ for me. It’s ok…it’s alright and that’s is really.

ITS CREDENTIALS

You get 20g of product and it lasts for 24 months. It’s £9.99 which is decent for a palette. Thing is with contouring I think once you find your go-to palettes it’s very hard to give another a go! If I’m out of Iconic London or Nars for example, only then would I contemplate any other palette. Although, a little moan here…the mirror fell out of my Iconic London palette after only the third time I opened it – just wouldn’t expect that from a brand like Iconic but there we go! Irrelevant moan over, which has nothing to do with Sleek or Glossy Box!

SOCIAL MEDIA

You can find these guys on:

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – @sleekmakeup

LIP CREME MATTE (lip creme) – from Modelco

Modelco’s June contribution to the Glossy Box is a Matte Lip Creme in colour ‘Peachy Nude’. Now I do love a lippy. I do love a Matte. I do love a nude…BUT nudes don’t necessarily love me. Any hint of dry lips and me and a nude are not going to get along. However, I have continued using ‘Naturaline (Natural) Lip Treatment’ by Beauty Kitchen from the May 2019 Glossy Box which I reviewed and then gave a final verdict on (in the link here) and as a result my lips are in pretty good condition.

Let’s learn a little bit about Modelco. Well, they are an Australian company, Vegan and cruelty-free. They launched the first available to buy heated eyelash curler in 2002 and tan in a can thereafter. I’ve never tried a heated eyelash curler I know this because I would have burnt my eye out by now if I had.

Are heated eyelash curlers any good? Are they dangerous? Any experiences anybody with a heated eyelash curler? Please comment below and let me know you’re ok.

Co-founder Shelley Sullivan has worked with top models and listened to all of their gripes and suggestions and favourites when it came to makeup and her creations have been inspired by this information is what I can glean.

The brand has had some key collaborations too including with Elle Macpherson which is impressive. I’m liking the sound of this product. I hope it’s as good as I hope it’s going to be.

The Lip Creme included is described as ‘highly pigmented’ (it needs to be as a Matte), dense, non-sticky and also long lasting. Slap it on, wait one minute and you’re good to go…no blotting or dabbing – only they put it a bit more eloquently than that.

LET’S PUT IT ON

So, the colour is really pretty…and it smells good too! I’ve used a Bare Minerals Gen Nude lip liner in colour ‘Borderline’ which matches this quite well. The applicator is ok, the consistency IS thick and pigmented. It goes on evenly and the coverage is great. I’m really, really, really impressed with this. I don’t usually get on great with mattes in a liquid type formula as they tend to show every crack…but this one is REALLY nice.

This is an absolute winner for me and I’d love to try their other shades, which include…well I don’t know, because I can’t find any Lip Creme Matte on their site at all. Glossy Box states that this is Model Co’s latest launch…so perhaps Glossy Box got their hands on it before even Model Co did!

CREDENTIALS

Glossy Box has this retailing at £15.00. The Model Co site doesn’t appear to stock any of their own Lip Creme mattes?! That can’t be right? But it does appear to be the case.

I’ve had a look at the Boots website (which are apparently a stockist) but they don’t appear to have this lip creme (just lashes). Hmmmm. Lookfantastic only have the £16.00 lip lacquer, which does look pretty to be fair; but it’s still not the Lip Creme in matte. Anyway, you get 4ml of product and it has a 12 month shelf life.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Modelco’s Social Media is…

Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – @modelco

EYESHADOW CHUBBY STIX – from Meech N Mia

Eyeshadow #054 is very, very, very pretty. It looks a bit rose-gold metalic to me. It can be used alone or blended in with other colours. It claims to be highly pigmented. I hope it is. I really hope it is.

Their website claims that these eyeshadow Stix, which come in 7 different colours (named by numbers…#051 through to #058) are:

• Convenient
• Textured
• Blendable
• Colour payoff (meaning you only need a little product)

I love the idea of pencil eye shadow, but it is all going to depend upon the quality of the product…and how well they sharpen…I’ve got an Estee Lauder makeup-pencil sharpener which just eats and destroys everything and anything it believes to be lacking in quality. Some of my lip pencils look like a dog’s used them as a chew toy.

As I flick through the ‘meechnmia’ website…one of their loose eyeshadows hits me…oooooooooooh! This is totally unrelated to this month’s Glossy Box, but you gotta look at this colour…

I mean, I love it…and on the right face (not mine) this would look incredible. It looks so pigmented and bold – someone send me a pic of them rocking this colour eyeshadow please!

HERE WE GO

I thought this would be the star of the box. I was so looking forward to trying this and the colour looks really rose gold and pretty. But it’s not for me. I’ve got hardly anything to say about it…because…

…firstly, the pencil is really hard. I feel like I’m poking a stick in my eye whilst applying it. I can’t see any colour no matter how hard I press. Even on the back of my hand when I really press down, I still can’t see any colour.

I thought this was meant to be really pigmented and it was ‘Colour Payoff’. Have I been sent the wrong product. Honestly, I’m really sorry, but NO. There’s actually nothing on my eyelid to blend.

What do you all think? Am I missing something here?

CREDENTIALS

You get 2.2g of product which has an 18 month shelf life. This retails at £12.99 on their website.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Their social media should you wish to say hello and show them some love is:

Facebook and Instagram @meechnmia

Twitter @meechnmia1

OVERALL OPINION OF THE JUNE 2019 GLOSSY BOX

The Theme

Summer theme cause we’re all pleased the Summer is here. So a soirée is just the way forward. I think I could soirée in SOME of this month’s offerings, I’ll give it an 8.

The Box

Standard signature pink box gets a 5.

The Product Mix

So this month we got primer, contour palette (…hmmmm), hair mask, lippy, eyeshadow stick.

To be fair, for me, just the one item didn’t fit in this month. The contour palette and that’s for two reasons…

• I got the Barry M palette in last month’s box (although it didn’t work for me for the reasons already stated in my May review) although granted I got the cream kit and this month’s was A powder kit…soooo…and…

• Every time Glossy Box and Sleek put an item in the box it’s a blinkin palette! I mean Sleek do other products right? Yes they do, I just checked. I’d be happy to try their other products, but what I don’t need is another Sleek palette in my life…for at least two years.

THE SUCCESSES

The Avant Pro Perfecting Collagen Touche Eclat Primer was a big hit. It made a very, very average/less than average foundation look flawless – it’s just going to be a matter for you as to whether it is worth £85.00…ouch! I’m going to be keeping this aside for special events or when I feel particularly crappy and need a good old boost.

Modelco Lip Creme Matte I thought was a winner. The colour was pretty. It goes on evenly with a thick layer. Pigmented. Doesn’t feel heavy, doesn’t crack and it lasted for 5 hours without a touch up. I’d be interested to see if there are any other colours in this range. I love this and I’d definitely try other products with pleasure.

THE ‘NOT SO’ SUCCESSES

Sleek’s Palette was exactly what I expected. Nothing about is surprised or overwhelmed me. I find you have to use A LOT of product for any of it to show. The blush was so negligible that I actually topped it up with the Annabelle Cosmetic minerals blush from May’s Glossy Box as I just couldn’t get a hint of colour.

The big loser though is Meech N Mia’s Eyeshadow Chubby Stix. I just couldn’t get any colour AT ALL, even on my hand. I’m reading what Glossy Box say about it in their booklet which is…

…boasting a rich and creamy formula, it glides on effortlessly…(the colour pay-off is amazing)…

I just don’t get it…sorry!

NEXT MONTH’S GLOSSY BOX

So next month, July 2019, we can expect what appears to be a Morrocanoil hair treatment which multitasks as a conditioner, styler, finisher and also repairs sun damaged hair…sadly we’ve had no sun so it might be able to help me with my bleached mop instead.

But Glossy Box…whilst this does sound nice…we did have a hair treatment in this month’s box…soooo…hmmm.

Well, I’ve had a look at the Moroccanoil website, and this product seems to have been winning awards left, right and centre since 2010. It appears that you can only purchase their products in participating salons or on websites such as ‘Lookfantastic’ where a 25ml bottle (which is what I believe is coming to us in July) retails at £13.45.

NEXT REVIEW COMING JULY 2019

So…thank you all for stopping by…it’s been a pleasure….and I hope you come here again next time I post and to comment.

This is still new to me…so any comments, suggestions, criticisms, praise, opinions, likes, dislikes, keyboard warrior stuff…please go ahead and write it all out below.

Til next month…be Glossy!