Glossybox October 2017 | Review

Ok, that’s it. I am officially done with beauty sub boxes. There’s just way too much unicorn/mermaid nonsense going on in that universe at the moment for my liking.

Following on from Birchbox’s summer mermaid theme box – which at least had some fairly nice products in – Glossybox have leapt on the bandwagon.

Blame my bitter black heart but I am not a fan of ‘cute’ on grown women. I have no desire to be a unicorn, a mermaid or a Disney princess. I’m a grown-ass woman and that is not my vibe whatsoever! I’m not here for all this infantilising nonsense. Save cute for kittens – the campaign starts here!

So when my shiny, purple-green Mermaid emblazoned box landed, I did a huge eye roll. Would the contents be good enough to lure me around to the idea?

First of all, a Makeup Revolution palette would normally have thrilled me. I really do like their products and especially the eyeshadows, which are always amazing quality. But their Mermaids Vs Unicorns palette (huuuuuge eye roll) has never been one I’ve been tempted to add to my collection. It’s quite left field and features lots of mint green and purple shades, which are quite far out of my comfort zone.

Very occasionally I’ll go for a flash of navy along the lower lash line, but I’m unlikely to be rocking powder blue lids anytime soon (I guess you never know…) Some of the lilac shades and burgundy are quite pretty, and all the colours do complement amber eyes like mine well, so it might be an unexpected win.

The next item was Sleek Makeup Crème to Powder Blush. I’m not a big lover of blush in general and tend to wear just a sweep of bronzer day to day, but this bright raspberry shade is quite uplifting. It comes in a chic matte black compact that’s pretty identical to Nars packaging. The blush gives a natural, dewy finish and I like the innovative formula. It starts off as a cream, which makes it really easy to work with, but sets to a powder finish. I’m not sure the shade is right for me, but I’d be interested in this blush in more of a taupe shade.

Kawaii Enterprise Brush Cleaning Egg was the next discovery. There’s nothing better than nice clean brushes, so I was pleased to see this, although I already have a similar silicone cleaner so I may give this to someone else. You add a dash of brush cleaner or liquid soap then swirl your dirty brushes over it and it does a really good job of shifting all the stubborn dirt and leaving them pristine. Its low tech but it works well and it doesn’t take up too much space in your bathroom cabinet. I high recommend these little eggs!

Lord & Berry Magic Brow Perfect Eyebrow Pencil didn’t thrill me, though. I had a Lord & Berry brow pencil not so long ago in one of these boxes, and although it wasn’t terrible, it just didn’t wow me. Plus, I had pencils that need to be sharpened! The unique aspect of this (the ‘magic’ I believe they are referring to is a marbleised tip that features two different shades swirled together. This supposedly ensures that the tone is universally flattering as it mimics the natural colour variations in brows. This is quite a nice size to take out and about with you, so it will be useful for popping in my handbag if I need to touch up.

The final item was Bang Beauty Cream Colour. This isn’t a brand I’ve come across before, but I do like a multi-tasking product. The idea is that this can be used on eyes, cheeks and lips, and as a time-challenged working mum I like the idea, although I’m not sure I’d wear this pink shade on my lids.

The colour is really pretty thought with a flattering subtle gold sheen shot through it. The little pot with the silver lid feels sophisticated and expensive. It’s sort of the ideal thing for keeping in the car ready to pop on before you dash into a meeting. And as the brand is vegan and cruelty-free, there’s a lot to love here.

Despite a couple of good picks, I’ve gone off the usual suspects when it comes to sub boxes and cancelled my orders with both Birchbox and Glossybox. I’ll be looking to try some of the other contenders out there over the next few months, or dipping back in selectively if I see an especially good reveal for one of them!