I was pleasantly surprised to find my GlossyBox waiting for me when I arrived home tonight, so I can enjoy it (especially the Aussie-themed temporary tattoos!) over the public holiday.
Here it is:
Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser, 30ml sample size bottle.
I have to admit I was a little underwhelmed on first seeing this item. I calculated the cost of the sample size at approx. 65 cents, so it's hardly a luxury product! It seems like filler to me. Plus I already have so many body moisturisers to get through! But I gave it a go, and Man agrees that my shins feel very smooth! The almond oil makes it very rich, though it does take a little while to sink in. The scent has that typical Nivea perfumy smell which isn't too disagreeable.
Conscience time: Nivea is owned by Beiersdorf, a German company. Nivea is not tested on animals.
Sheer Cover SPF 15 Nourishing Moisturiser, sample-size 30ml bottle.
Just the other day I was thinking that I should get a plain SPF moisturiser (the only one I have currently is tinted). Now that I sit next to the window in my new job instead of in a basement, it's time to start using SPF products! So I can use this untinted moisturiser in conjunction with my BB creams in the morning.
10-FEB-12 edit: I later found out on Beautypedia that this product does not contain both UVA and UBA blocking ingredients. Highly disappointed! Not only that, but something I've been using has been giving me pimples, and considering how waxy the formula is, this is probably it. There's no way I would buy this product!
Sheer Cover Lip Gloss, full-size pot.
I prefer lip glosses and lip balms in a tube as they are a lot less messy and I don't feel like I'm contaminating the product. It's a pretty shade of pink though (Praline Pink), so perhaps I'll use it in the mornings and apply it with a lip brush.
Conscience time: I couldn't find out where Sheer Cover is made but it's distributed by Guthy Renker, a U.S. company. Sheer Cover is not tested on animals.
10-FEB-12 edit: I've been using this every morning and ... I don't like it. It tastes like wax and rubs off very quickly.
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex, 7ml sample bottle.
Now this is the fancy stuff! A full-size bottle of this (30ml) costs over $100, so we're looking at the big guns here! This is where beauty boxes get exciting. I could never afford to use a product this expensive on a regular basis, so it's fantastic to get to try it out. The gel has a nice cooling effect on my face and has a faint, pleasant citrus scent. It doesn't make my skin feel instantly smooth like the Clinique Turnaround Moisturiser from
last month's box, but I'll keep using it and see how it goes.
Conscience time: Estee Lauder is a U.S. company. It tests on animals where required by law.
Beautypedia Verdict summary
[full verdict here]:
This serum contains 3 up-to-date anti-ageing ingredients. However, their effect is purely theoretical - none have been actually proven to work. Therefore this product scores a Very Good rating, but not a Paula's Pick tick.
Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Fast Dry Nail Colour, full-size bottle.
Yes, I was excited to see this! It helps to make up for not getting one in last month's GlossyBox. The colour is a light pink called Petal Pusher - much better than the black I got in the ILoveThisBox. I can certainly wear this one to work. Handy!
Conscience time: Sally Hansen a U.S. company. It is not tested on animals.
Summary:
Some subscribers received a Kosmea exfoliant and/or an eyeliner instead of the nail polish and Estee Lauder product. Isn't it interesting that both GlossyBox and LustHaveIt are sampling Kosmea products?? Hmm! I'm glad I didn't get those - as much as I loved the Kosmea cleanser, the exfoliant is too similar; and I'm so not into blue eyeliner! Apparently I received the Estee Lauder because I'm over 26 years old in my profile. One time when being old is good, I guess!
It's getting harder to find other reviews of GlossyBox to compare to, as many people seem to have cancelled their subscriptions. To each his own, I say! There were a lot of complaints about the delivery, and I have to add my voice to them. It took 9 days for the box to arrive to me. All of this time, the tracking details showed it as sitting in the Australia Post Sydney despatch centre. It made me quite pouty to think that it wouldn't arrive by Australia Day. But AusPost came through in the end and there it was at the last minute.
The inclusion of the Estee Lauder really plumped up the value of the box - it's very much better than last month's GlossyBox; about on par with the other boxes.
Overall, I'm pleased with this month's box ... though GlossyBox is still on probation!
Total Value: $74.02. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $59.07
Rating: 7/10
17-FEB-12 edit: I am down-grading the score from 8 to 7 due to the disappointing Sheer Cover products.
