June Glossybox

The June Glossybox arrived on my desk at work this week, and it never fails to cheer up my day! Nothing like a beauty treat on a dreary rainy day in the office. Here's the lovely items I received this month.

This month’s box revolves around the theme ‘Summer Looks’, which will be quite apt when the sun finally decides to show an appearance. Fingers crossed for a warm summer to set in soon eh?

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse OR

I love NUXE products, but have never tried their oils before, so I’m definitely excited to give this a go. It’s a multi purpose dry oil which you can use to either hydrate your face, illuminate the body or strengthen your hair.

Figs and Rouge Lip Balm in Cherry Blossom

I’ve wanted to try one of these lip balms for aaages! So I was happy to see it in this months box. It smells lovely, and feels super moisturising on the lips. And best of all, it’s 100% natural! It can be used on other areas to moisturise, a bit like Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour Cream, but I think I’ll use this just on my lips.

Monu Professional Skincare Hydrating Moisturiser

I’ve tried a couple of products from Monu before including a moisturising facial tanner which I enjoyed using. This product is a moisturiser with an anti ageing element thrown in. It includes an SPF which is essential for a moisturiser in the summer months, especially if you tend not to wear foundation when it’s warmer. It also offers to blur imperfections and correct skin tone. Sounds perfect, looking forward to trying this one.

Helen E Cosmetics Shimmer Eye Powder

I’ll be honest, I’m not a massive fan of loose eye shadows, I prefer pressed or cream based shadows. But, the colour and shimmer finish of this is lovely, so I’ll definitely be giving it a go.

MeMeMe Cosmetics Long Lasting Nail Gloss

I love nail varnishes, and you’d only need to take one look at my twitter feed or blog posts to guess that! So as you can imagine, I’m always happy to see a nail varnish in my Glossybox. I got the colour Wild which is a lovely deep purple colour. There may be a little shimmer to it, but I can’t confirm as not tried it out yet.

Green and Blacks Organic Dark Chocolate

And becoming more and more frequent is a Glossy extra. I love getting something a little extra on top of the normal 5 items, always makes the box feel a little more special to me! So thanks Glossybox for the chocolatey treat! :)

So that’s all for my Glossybox this month, looking forward to trying all these products out soon.

Anyone already use any of these items? What did you get in your beauty box this month?

 

Moroccan Oil Light - The new Ojon?

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been loving using the Moroccan Oil Light Treatment on my hair. Now, I am a massive fan of the Ojon oils, especially their Damage Reverse range and have been faithful to that oil for a long long time. Has this oil converted me? Possibly! Big words, I know.

I’d heard so much about this oil, but being Ojon faithful, I didn’t try it out for a long time. I can honestly say it definitely lives up to the hype. I got the Light version of the oil, as my hair is quite fine and I don’t like to weigh it down with too much product. You can use the oil on either dry or damp hair, I tend to use it on dry hair after styling just to give it that extra boost and shine. You only need a couple of drops in the palm of your hand, warm the oil gently by rubbing your hands together, then run your fingers through your hair concentrating on any problem areas.

The biggest difference I’ve noticed is how this seems to help the ends of my hair. I ombre my hair, so the ends tend to be very dry. I always thought that once your hairs damaged, that was it, you’ve had it, but I have really seen an improvement in the rehydration and my hair looks genuinely healthier! Another bonus is the smell, OMG, it smells amazing! It could actually become addictive applying this stuff it smells that good.

 Anyway, want to know about the slight downsides? For one, the price. I paid £12.85 for a 25 ml bottle, or you can get a 100ml bottle for £30.45. Ojon is a similar price at £22 for a 50ml bottle. Is it worth the higher price tag? Personally, I’d say yes. I use the oil a lot, and the bottle still looks like I haven’t even touched it. But obviously both these brands are competing with the cheaper argan oils, which you can pick up for around £5. Another thing I prefer Ojon for is you get a pipette to dispense their oil, but with the Moroccan, it’s just a bottle, so you have to be careful not to pour too much out. I’m sure you could get a pump to fit it though, so it’s not a major issue for me.

Overall, I’m really enjoying using this product and will definitely be repurchasing when the time comes. I still love my Ojon oil too though, so I’ll have to find space for both these products on my dressing table! Anyone else tried this oil? What’s your opinion? :)

May Glossybox

So it's that time of the month again, yep Glossybox time. I get so excited when my box arrives, and have found so many new loves through this beauty box, that it's definitely worth the subscription every month. 

This month Glossybox has been up and running for 2 years, so the box was themed around parties. Lot's of vibrant colours and packaging, I loved it. Here's the products I discovered in this months box:

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara

I love trying new mascaras and think minis like this are a great way to trial them. I have so many mascaras on the go at the moment, but I can't wait to try this. This promises curl, volume and instant lift, I hope it's all true! 

Caudalie Divine Oil

Caudalie used to be one of my favourite skincare brands, but recently I haven't been using their products as much. So needless to say I was very excited to get this oil in my box this month. It's multi purpose so you can use it on your body, hair and face. A new love possibly?

Premae Harmony Balm

I've never tried any products from Premae before, but I've heard about their skincare. This product acts as a moisturiser and a primer, which leaves the skin with a silky dewy finish. It also promises to reduce excess oil in the skin and soothe breakouts. I'm hoping it lives up to the hype. 

Beautiful Movements Cosmetics Prime & Create Mixing Medium

A lovely new product from the former BM Beauty range. This is basically a clear aloe vera based gel which will turn your favourite blushes, bronzers, eye shadows etc in to beautiful cream creations. Or you can use it alone as a primer. Again, this is promising!

Nails Inc in Portobello

And finally I received a small Nails Inc nail polish in the gorgeous colour Portobello. I love this coral colour for summer and it's a perfect addition to my summer nail collection which (weather permitting) I'll hopefully be delving in to soon.

This month Glossybox also included some cute handbag sized nail files which was a lovely addition. They've gone straight in my bag for those nail emergency's! :)

What did you get in you beauty box this month?

Mini Boots and Superdrug Haul

I headed in to town to celebrate a friends birthday last friday and ended up having an hour to kill before meeting her. Only one place for it... Boots! So after some browsing (and a majorly long time at the new Ojon stand) I picked up a few items.

Burts Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme

I am really enjoying using this hand creme since purchasing it. It is an incredibly thick formula, therefore more of a night treatment for your hands. It smells gorgeous (reminds me of Christmas for some unknown reason), and i've really noticed a difference in my hands. I smooth this over just before bed time and wake up with lovely soft hands! Perfect.

Essie Nail Polish in Splash of Grenadine

I fell in love with this colour as soon as I saw it. It's so pretty, I had to have it. I think it'll be perfect for an autumn pink as it's a darker plummy shade. I applied two coats and that seemed perfect. I wore this for 4 days, and didn't even chip even without a top coat. I can see myself wearing this colour a lot this autumn.

Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Hair Serum

I was very excited to see Ojon finally had a stand in Boots. After talking to the rep and trying some products out, myself and my friend were sold on this brand. I've been wanting to try there products for a long time, so this was a welcome opporutnity. I have written a full review with my thoughts on both these products, so if you would like to read more on these, you can do so here.

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover

This product truly is a wonder. We've all been at the point where our nail varnish is chipping, but we just can't be bothered having to sit down with nail polish remover and several cotton pads to take it off. Well this makes life soooo much easier. As it says in the title, this product is truly 'magic'! You basically put your finger in the hole, twist it a couple of times, pull it out, and hey presto... no nail varnish. I literally had my nails "varnish free" within 30 seconds! Wow!

MUA eyeshadow 
Lastly, i just picked up this eyeshadow from MUA. I wanted a really bright white colour for the inner corners of my eyes for a particular look I wanted. I got this in Shade 1, Pearl. It's such a bright shimmery colour and really brightens up the eye area. And for a £1 who can argue?

So that's it for my mini haul this time. Really enjoying using all these products at the moment. Have you tried any? What are your thoughts?

Ojon Damage Reverse Review

I've heard a lot about Ojon products and always wanted to try them. So I was very excited when Boots announced they would be stocking Ojon and a counter appeared in my local store.

Ojon oil originally comes from a nut which is grown on the Ojon tree deep in the rainforest. I like products which have a story behind them, it gives it personality, and I enjoy using them even more. You can read the Ojon story on their website here.

I went shopping with a friend and was very excited to see that Ojon finally had a stand in Boots. It's been on the website for a while now, but nothing beats browsing the products in person. We got talking to the lady on the counter who suggested some products from the damage reverse collection.

We tried the damage reverse oil on our hair and the results were instantaneous and it smelt so good! The oil was £22, but she offered us a free hair treatment worth £18 with our purchase, so we snapped up the offer.

I have been using the oil religiously every day and it really seems to tame and add shine to my hair. You take a couple of drops of oil in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together to slightly warm the oil, then apply it mostly to the ends of your hair.

You can use it as often as you like, and it doesn't leave the hair looking greasy at all. You only need a couple of drops of this product, so even though the initial price may seem steep, you won't be running out of it any time soon.

The product we got free was from the same line, but was a restorative hair treatment. You use this around once a month when you feel your hair really needs a boost. On initial look, you don't seem to get too much of it, I'd say enough for around 4 treatments. When it's rocking in at £18, I'd say it's a little pricey for what it does.

You take a teaspoon size at a time, and rub it between your hands until it melts completely in to an oil. You then distribute it throughout your whole hair including the scalp. Leave it on for 20 minutes, then wash your hair as normal.

Myself and my friend had different experiences with this product. I have quite thin, naturally straight hair and I actually really liked the finished result this product gave me. I felt my hair was shiny, had more volume and looked in generally good condition. I must admit, it was a nightmare to washout. I shampooed my hair 3 times, then used a small amount of conditioner. I didn't use a styling product afterwards, just my Unite 7 seconds detangler.

I asked my friend to write her thoughts on the product as her hair is much thicker than mine, here is her review:

I have long, thick hair that is extremely prone to frizz so I was excited to try the Ojon damage reverse restorative hair treatment. My first thought was that it was a little bit awkward to apply from the tub, and having such thick hair, it took a fair while to get complete coverage. I applied it to my hair and scalp and waited the 20 minutes as directed. After the allotted 20 minutes had past, I thoroughly rinsed my hair in the shower followed by a shampoo and condition. I left my hair to dry naturally over night. In the morning, I felt like my roots were a little greasy (similar to what you might have after a couple of days without washing your hair) but the ends of my hair were really well conditioned and soft. Although I did spend quite some rinsing out the treatment, I’m assuming because of the thickness of my hair I may need to rinse for even longer. Hopefully this will eradicate the greasy roots. I am definitely going to give it another whirl!

So I think our collective review for the restorative treatment is that we will definitely be finishing these pots and trying it again, would we repurchase? Hmmm... i'm not too sure yet.

In regards to the oil, yes, definitely love it and would purchase it over Argan oil any day.

Has anyone else tried any products from the damage reverse range? Or any Ojon product at all? What's your thoughts?

August Glossybox

Yay.... Glossybox time! I absolutely love Glossybox day, it's so exciting to see whats in the box and if there's any gems you discover and want to use permanently! Last couple of boxes haven't disappointed. I must admit, I was slightly half and half on this box! Here's what was in it...

Alessandro Pro White Nail Varnish

I haven't actually tried this product yet, as I'm still wearing a nail colour but am excited to try it. I love wearing nail varnish and often find my nails 'off colour' when I come to remove it. This nail varnish promises to brighten and whiten tired nails when used regularly. I'm definitely hoping it works well! 

Lipcote Lipstick Sealer

I actually really like this product, and used to own it years and years ago. It's basically a sealant to apply after your lipstick to ensure it lasts. Now, these days i haven't felt as much of a need considering so many of my favourite lipsticks or lip stains actually stay for a long time anyway, but certainly looking forward to using this product again. 

Glossybox Lipstick

I must admit, after the Glossybox brush we received a couple of boxes ago (I had brush hairs all over my face with first use), I was sceptical! Yet I actually really love this lipstick. The colour is called Glossy Pink, and that is a spot on name. It's a lovely colour, feels really moisturising and the packaging looks really nice. Will definitely be using this soon. 

Vera Valenti - L'ombre a Paupiere Magarita

This particular item is what was really disappointing for me. As soon as I saw this product, it reminded me of something I used to buy from the market when I was 11. It looks really cheap and although the eyeshadow colours are OK, they aren't very pigmented making them incredibly hard to apply. Not a fan if I'm honest, bit disappointing. 

All for Eve for the Eve Appeal Balm

I think this product is actually quite nice, it is quite compact with a little mirror and is really moisturising and easy to apply. The thing I'm not sure about; the smell! It's hit or miss, a lot of people may love it while to me it smells a bit 'off'.  Saying that, I think it's great that they raise funds and awareness for gynaecological cancer. Any products that are supporting charities are great products in my opinion. This has been in my handbag since Glossy day! :)

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

This is definitely the winning product for me, hands down! I've never been a fan of oil based cleansers, always preferring cream based, but this truly has me hooked. Just one application removed all my make up (including all mascara traces) leaving me feeling really refreshed! Love it! And this size is perfect for travelling. I'm going away for work next week and this will be perfect! No more carrying make up removers, cleansers etc etc. Just this, then a good toner and moisturiser! Perfect! Definitely my fave item!

So all in all, a mostly positive box for me this month. What did you get in yours? I'm disappointed i didn't get the imPress nails though like some did. Did you get the same items as me?