February 2012 Glossybox

My first impression of this months GlossyBox was slightly disappointing. Not only were there no products that really interested me, but there were also no fully-size products. It's not as if GlossyBox ALWAYS have full-sized products, because that isn't the point, I'm just a little disappointed when there isn't any to be seen.
I'm always constantly telling myself; 'don't just a book by its cover' or in this case 'don't knock it till you've tried it' ...  I was ready to try out the products in no hurry, I was still using up the January GlossyBox products (and what a box that was!)...

DUWOP Venom Gloss - Full Size 10.4ml for £16

OK, this item had me panicking for a while. This was the first item I tried and I wasn't expecting anything special as it was a 'Lip Venom' - a plumping Lip Gloss in other words.  I hadn't even noticed the small print at the bottom of the leaflet which explained how this Lip Venom may cause a slight tingling sensation.. SLIGHT?!
I'm not sure whether I have really sensitive lips, but this product REAALLYY made my lips tingle - almost to the point of pain. It wore off after an hour or so but I was glad to see the product actually worked. My friends even said my lips looked a lot bigger than usual. Overall, I really liked this product but I haven't gone back to it just yet..
7/10

DR BRONNER Magic Liquid Soap - Full Size 59ml for £1.99


This product also puzzled me - and still does! I wasn't sure what this soap was supposed to clean, whether it was the face, hands of even clothes (stupid, I know, but I washed a top with it hahaha)... The thing which I like about this, is the smell.. It smells like marzipan but only before washing, because afterwards I couldn't smell anything - not even a clean smell - which had me wondering if it was actually working.
There was no directions on the label as to what you had to do with it; a liquid soap is NOT easy to understand by any means!
It's totally organic and the packaging had been used from recycled materials so this was also quite appealing. Overall, I wouldn't repurchase as it's a bit of a shitty product, but for £1.99 I guess that's what you pay for.
2/10


PAUL MITCHELL Super Skinny Relaxing Balm - Full Size 200ml for £15.25


I was a little bewildered with this item too (it needed instructions)... I just presumed it was a product which you squirting onto your hair before blow drying.. I have yet to determine if I was wrong. It's very water-based and dried pretty easily into my hair. I haven't seen much difference in my hair but I will leave it to test a little longer.
Overall, not amazed by it. It hasn't really done much, and it's not thick enough to be a mask.
2/10


BM BEAUTY Pure Mineral Eyeshadow - Full Size 2g for £7


I have to admit, I was pretty surprised at this eyeshadow. I had no great expectations due to the other products being a flop. I've only used this once (as an experiment) but the colour really isn't for me. It looks pretty pink in the flesh but once applied, it turns quite glittery with a gold shimmer - which was surprisingly flattering. I do have one issue, which I've already addressed and that's the colour. Pink? Not for me...
4/10

COMO SHAMBHALA Invigorate Body Lotion - Full Size 300ml for £20


I'd never heard of this brand before, same with the other items I received - so as usual, I wasn't optimistic. This was the last item I tried because it just didn't 'pop' out for me. I'd received body lotion in my last Glossybox so this was a little repetitive as I had by no means finished my other bottle. The only thing I really like about this product is the smell. It reminds me of when I was smaller and was suffering with a chest infection/cough and my mum would rub some VIX on my chest. I think that's what it's called... It smells really strongly of Lavender and some other strong smelling plant (maybe Jasmine)... And was too overpowering to wear in the morning before going out, so I applied it at night.. On my chest... As if I were a little girl again.. With a chest infection..
Overall, I didn't see the point in having such a strong aromatic smelling product unless used for medical purposes. 
4/10

Naked Skin launched in Superdrug

When I received these products, I must admit, I hadn't really used (or really heard of) Naked products before. This doesn't put me off a brand at all as I feel it has room for a place on my shelf. I can't comment too much on the previous Naked products but the Naked brand has branched out and has launched its first skincare range, Naked Skin into Superdrug stores.

The first thing that caught my eye and pretty much won my heart, was that it's 97% natural - which can only mean one thing for me.. Good skin! Not one of the new products in the range contains sulphates, parabens or petrochemicals - which sound highly unappealing anyway! These products are also vegetarian and vegan friendly so they suit all and are ideal for sensitive skin (as the review will tell you)...

Naked Skin Bare Faced Cheek Softening Face Wash £4.49 for 200ml
Ok, where to start?
This products is amazing. I've used it for over a week now, every night and have seen a dramatic change in my complexion.
I'm always suffering from redness in the cheeks and cleansers always seem to make this worse but this really does cleanse deeply without tingling or reddening.
Before applying onto a damp face, it squeezes out like a gel cleanser but once rubbed onto the face, it creates a foam which cleanses deep into the pores. I would find the next day, my spot appear reduced or completely gone! I actually had a jolly good bum wiggle when all my under-the-skin spots had actually GONE over night! I use this also in the morning to clean away any greasiness from the night before that may have formed.
If you like strong smelling products, this is for you, because by no means is this a non-perfumed smell. It's completely natural, but the 'natural' is a bit too much for my nostrils. It smells like mint and aloe vera but reasonably strong.
I also found it didn't really create any greasy areas but perhaps made my skin quite drying in places but I would highly recommend this product to anyone with sensitive and oily skin.
9/10

Naked Skin Perfect Getaway Cream Cleanser £4.49 for 200ml
I've been using this product when trying to remove makeup at night and find it does a really good job without irritating my skin. It doesn't smell quite as strong as the Face Wash but I feel it doesn't do such a good job. I normally take off most of my makeup with this and then use the face wash after to eliminate any stubborn makeup that won't budge.
Perfect Getaway cleanses and moisturises my face without too much oil being produced after (I find moisturiser brings out all the unwanted oils in my face GRR) and is great for a 2-in-1 as I don't really need a moisturiser after.
My skin has been a lot less spotty and black-head-y (yum) which makes me feel so much more confident.
All-in-all I think this product is great for people with dry and sensitive skin, but the two products together really counteract each other!
7/10

Will I be repurchasing? YES! If I don't find any other cleansers that meet my criteria like these two have, then certainly! My skin looks spotless and oil-free without too much drying. PERFECT!

The new Naked Skin range also includes:

Naked Skin Blinking Lovely Eye Make-up Remover £4.49
Naked Skin Looking Good Soothing Eye Gel £7.49
Up Tone Girl Toner £4.49
Thirst Aid Moisturiser £7.49

Have you heard or tried any of Naked's products before? What can you recommend?

To visit and follow Naked go to NakedBodyCare.com, their facebook page and their twitter page.
Their products can be found nation wide in Superdrug stores, online and on www.kmiclub.com

Champneys Review

I was sent a reasonably big package last week with all these goodies in! I've been having problem finding the right skin care routine for me and as soon as I saw these I hoped they would solve my problem.
Champneys are affordable yet luxury products and I had such positive feedback on my other Champneys products last time, so couldn't wait to try these out!

Illuminating Beauty Balm 30ml for £12 *

Anything with the word 'Illuminating' in automatically attracts my attention so this, I thought, would be a great product to try out. Although I did not see any dramatic affects at first, my skin had started to look more radiant over a week or so, but I more or less used this as a moisturiser.
The actual cream itself has a pearly-look to it and little product is needed to fully cover the face. It doesn't feel that luxurious on my skin, which is slightly off putting, but I have noticed my grey-ish looking skin has been developing a more brighter complexion. 
I wouldn't go as far to say that this product is worth £12 as I didn't feel nor entirely see my skin appearing a whole lot better.

4/10

Collagen Intense Repair Serum 30ml for £15*

This product has been by far my best 'night time' product. I normally use a normal moisturiser or night cream before bed (so I don't have dry skin in the morning) and this has been working wonders. I'm not entirely sure if it's causing breakouts just yet (because I've been using lots of NEW products lately and I seem to have horrid under-the-skin spots).. But this has been keeping my skin SO moisturised and smooth without any greasiness. I've also been trying to cope with horrid dry patches on my neck and face and a dab of this sees it off in a few days.

This also claims to brighten skin, which I can feel in my skin (if that makes sense) but doesn't necessarily show.

For a good application and softer skin this product is a go-to for me.

7/10

Mediterranean Bliss Shimmering Body Oil 75ml for £10*

This is probably my least used Champneys products, purely because I don't tend to use body oils in the winter, although I think I should. I like to use body oils because I find these lock in a lot more moisture than the regular moisturiser from boots but I just can't bear to have oil underneath layers of jumpers etc. The other downfall to this product is that it's shimmering. I don't have a problem with shimmering products because I believe these actually compliment the skin a lot more, but the fact it transfers every so slightly to my clothing is a put off. By all means, I think I'll be lathering this on in the summer, but for now, it's a no-no.
The orange shimmering oil applies very well (once shaken effectively) and looks very much like instant tan, but more natural and sun kissed.
For now, I'll be saying no no no.. But in the summer, I don't see why not!
7/10

Conditioning Cleansing Milk 200ml for £7*

I was slightly worried when I saw this product was for normal to dry skin, as I am neither. Yes, I can have the odd dry patches of skin, but this does not label me as a sufferer of dry skin. Quite the opposite infact. I was, however, right. It isn't the product for me at all.. It was so moisturising and gave me gloriously smooth skin, but after a few hours I started leaking oil. Not pretty.
For any dry skin sufferers, this product may be just for you.

I applied this with a cotton wool pad and removed my makeup with it and then washed the rest off with warm water. It look my makeup off like a dream but the after effects left me greasy.
Taking into account how this gave me such supple skin, I would recommend this to normal to dry skin sufferers and to definitely stay away from if you are prone to greasy areas.

5/10

Citrus Blush Shower Gel 200ml (unknown price)*

I received this shower gel on its own but I think it's normally partnered with the Citrus Blush Body Lotion or the Exfoliating Kit from the Citrus Blush Range.

I really love this product because of the smell and the regal feel of it standing there in my shower. I've never really been a lover of shower gels for the way they make my skin feel, but mostly for the smell. Luckily this product smells divine, otherwise I wouldn't rate it so highly.

Although it's relatively hard to push the product out of the tube, it's no biggy. I'm so glad it's lasting as long as it is, because it's making my bathroom smell of oranges, but a little bit of it goes a long way - which is always a bonus.

7/10