Get Glowing with Glossybox

Do I have too many beauty products?  In my humble opinion, no.  Although I often find myself mumbling to myself “We’re gonna need a bigger boat” when trying to find the space for new arrivals.  But if you’re looking to curb spending too much dough on beauty goods, subscription services are the most bang for your buck.  You receive multiple products for the price of one while discovering new brands.  So when I saw a message pop up from my friend Jeanette from Mama Banana’s Adventures telling me about snagging my first box for only ten bucks, I was all in.

Glossybox ships out 6 luxury beauty products in every box and at least 4 of the products are full size.  The normal price for each box is $21 but is valued at a minimum of $76 but often far exceeds that total.  If you buy a three-month subscription, you can get the box for only $19.50 a month.  I look at it this way:  I can buy a mascara and a lipstick and it can easily add up to or exceed $21.  Check out Glossybox here.

My first box arrived and was covered in a beautiful tropical print.  A luscious scent of coconut was in the air before I opened the lid.

When I popped the top, the products were wrapped beautifully.  These peeps put some noteworthy effort into wrapping these boxes.  It feels like a present to yourself.  Treat yo self!  I was super stoked to see the amount of products in the box.  Here are my first glossy goodies:

Aerin Beach Cream

Repeat after me:  Hydration.  Hydration.  Hydration.  If you want to fight the signs of aging or you just don’t want to look like a shriveled prune, you’ve got to moisturize your skin.  And I’m not just talking about your face.  While the sun can give you a healthy glow (please wear your SPF!!!), it also can zap the moisture from your body’s skin and hair.  Yes, your hair also craves hydration.  So anytime I receive a new moisturizer to try out, I’m eager to give it a whirl.

Aerin’s Beach Cream is a moisturizer that can be used on your skin as well as in your hair.  I was a bit perplexed when I first squeezed a bit of the product onto my hand since it was a bronze shade.  I thought it would leave a strange hue on my raven locks.  As I massaged the cream into my skin, it had a soft floral scent, almost a clean scent, that left a very light shimmer without a bronze color.  It absorbed into my skin without leaving it feeling sticky or greasy.  I then ran a small amount of the product through the ends of my hair and it left a subtle shine without turning my hair into an oil slick.  I would definitely only use a tiny amount of this product on my hair since my hair is baby fine and gets weighed-down easily.  This is the perfect moisturizer to give you a hint of shimma shimmy.  And it doesn’t hurt that the packaging is purdy.

One caveat:  I am looking to see if Aerin tests on animals.  Aerin is owned by Estee Lauder, however I have reached out to see if Aerin specifically is cruelty-free.  Aerin is not sold in China but I am waiting on a response form the company as to whether or not they do perform animal testing.  For example, Urban Decay is owned by L’Oreal but part of their arrangement is that Urban Decay remains cruelty-free.  I’ll update information on Aerin when I receive a response.

Luseta Beauty Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner

I love the scent of coconut in the summer.  Wait.  Who am I kidding?  I love the smell of coconut all year round.  But when the temperature rises and the swimming pool calls to you, the scent of coconut completes your tropical experience.  Luseta Beauty’s Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner is aimed at nourishing damaged hair.  It has a healthy pH level.  I started paying attention to pH levels in my skincare and haircare last year.  Look for products with pH levels between 5-7 for less harshness or damage.  This duo smells so delish and left my hair feeling soft and smooth without leaving a heavy residue.  These are sulfate, phosphate and paraben free.  Luseta Beauty is also cruelty-free.  Yay!

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser

I wear a pretty hefty amount of makeup so makeup removal and cleansing is one of the most important steps in my skincare routine.  I follow the Korean skincare regimen and I do a double cleanse.  I start with an oil based cleanser and then wash my face again with a foaming, water-based cleanser.  I am very picky about my cleansers as I like to use a cleanser with a healthy pH level (there’s that pesky pH nagging me again).  La Roche-Posay says that their cleanser has a healthy pH level and contains the good for your skin ceramide-3 and niacin amide.  While this product left my skin feeling clean, it left my skin feeling slightly parched.  It is geared towards those with normal to oily skin and I have skin on the drier side.

Another bummer is that I just found out that La Roche-Posay is not cruelty-free.  So unfortunately this is a no-go for moi.

Dr. Paw Paw Multipurpose Soothing Balm

This stuff is flipping fantastic!  Years ago, my friends used to look at me like I was a total weirdo when I would be out and about and use a hand lotion in my hair to reduce frizz.  For as far back as I can remember, I would often reach for lotions for quick fixes such as to get matte lipstick off of my lips, smooth my hair and to give my cuticles some hydration.  So when multipurpose balms started becoming popular it was as if the beauty universe read my mind.  Dr. Paw Paw’s balm really is soothing.  I’ve tried it on my skin, lips and hair.  It absorbs easily and isn’t greasy.  I would imagine that this would work really well on a sunburn…which you wouldn’t get if you wear an SPF…………EVERYDAY!  Oh, and did I mention that Dr. Paw Paw is cruelty-free?  Yes.  Yes, it is.  Fabulous!

NCLA Clean Up Your Act

Painting your nails.  Some find the process a form of relaxation.  Others loathe attempting to create a perfect manicure yet end up with nail polish all over the place.  I have a movement disorder that causes tremors so painting my nails pretty much never happens.  But a pen that could take away polish blunders is good thing.

NCLA is a cruelty-free brand that creates high-quality goodies for your nails and hands.  The Clean Up Your Act pen separates itself from other eraser pens on the market by having replaceable tips.  If you’ve ever used a nail polish eraser pen in the past, you’ll often find that the polish can end up getting gunked up the tip, even after wiping the excess off with a tissue.  This pen comes with three tips so it has a longer life.  When used with a gentle hand, it helps clean up any mistakes that otherwise may have had you removing it all and starting from scratch.  Spare yourself the extra nail polish fumes and the raised blood pressure and just use this pen.

Doucce & Glossybox Blush Duo Palette

This is pretty neato.  Doucce Cosmetics has collaborated with Glossybox to create a limited-edition blush duo.  The packaging is a sleek, shiny black case with a silver Glossybox symbol.  I was a bit confused when I first opened the palette and saw a blush pan that was magnetized but did not fill the entire case.  But then I read that Glossy members got to choose an additional shade that would be sent out with the August box.  How fantastic!

They included their Freematic Blush in the shade Summer Sunset.  It’s a gorgeous peachy-pink shade that creates a soft glow without chunks of glitter.  The blush was subtle yet buildable and had long staying power.  I’m excited to get my little paws on the additional blush next month.  Oh!  And Doucce Cosmetics is cruelty-free.  High-five, Doucce!

So far, I am really impressed with how many goodies Glossybox sent out.  Here’s hoping next month is stellar.