Joliebox December 2012

Hi everyone, hope you have all had a great Christmas! I've had a fantastic time with my friends and family and been very spoilt. I also hit the sales yesterday so will do a few posts over the next week showing you the bargains I managed to pick up.

I received my December Joliebox before Christmas but with all the Christmas festivities I am only just getting round to reviewing it.

The box has a pretty white and gold pattern and the bag inside is white with gold writing.

The theme for this months box is Party.

My first impression when I opened the box was one of disappointment, nothing in the box apart from the nail varnish and chocolate that caught me eye, unlike this months Glossybox - review here.  Also a few items that I have had in previous beauty boxes.

Bellapierre Shimmer Powder in Cadence

This is a pretty moss green colour, a full size item that retails for £5.49 here.

I have already received a couple of these powders in previous boxes - a Feel Unique Box and a She Said Beauty box.  Luckily they are different shades but it isn't very exciting to find a third one in a beauty box.

Doctor Duve Hand & Decollette Cream

Two sample size sachets, I don't know how much these contain but I would guess at around 5ml - it doesn't state the amount on the sachet just that they are not for resale samples.

200ml retails for a whopping £79 making the samples worth approx. £3.95 if they contain 5ml each.

I really don't like sachet samples, I think they are messy to use and that you can't determine whether or not a product is any good from a couple of uses - especially to then spend £79 on the full size.

I Love...Cosmetics Shimmer and Shine Lip Gloss

Full size item retails at £4.95 here.

Ok positive first this does smell yummy and it is a pretty colour, negative I stopped wearing glosses like this when I was 14! They sell these in my local Asda!

I will pass this on to my niece as I'm sure she will appreciate it!

Agua De Colonia Concentrada Alvarez Gomez

This is a 1.5ml sample, 50ml retails for £5.70 here making the sample worth 17p

I like receiving perfume samples in beauty boxes, it is nice to find a new perfume.  This however is Spains oldest perfume a blend of lemon, thyme, lavender, eucalyptus, geranium and rosemary.  I really don't like the smell at all, will pass this on to my mum!

Color Club Put a Pin in It

Joliebox have said this is a full size item but it contains 7ml and that is the size of Color Club mini polishes.

This is the best item in the box! It is a pretty rose gold colour and was one of two colours designed exclusively for Joliebox.  You can buy it from Joliebox for £10, which is pretty steep for a mini nail varnish!!

Olay Regenerist Skin Cream

This is a 7ml sample, 50ml retails for £9.89 here making the sample worth £1.38.

Joliebox lists this item as a cream but it looks like a serum to me, I don't really know what it is though as there is no english writing on the tube!

I am so disappointed with this months box, only one item (oh and the chocolate!!) that I am excited to try.  

Joliebox was my favourite beauty box once Feel Unique and Carmine went but the last time I was really happy with my Joliebox was July, I feel that the company has really changed - it used to be a lot of niche skincare products now its cheap lip gloss and tiny sachets.

I was also not happy to happy to read other reviews where they received an extra item - honey shower gel or body lotion.  I asked Joliebox about this on Twitter and got no reply, so I emailed them this morning.  Their reply was apologetic but that they sometimes give extra items to new subscribers, however the blog posts I read are from people that have been subscribed as long as I have! I feel if we pay the same amount then we should get the same contents.  Joliebox have offered to add 50 Joliepoints to my account but I feel it's not a good enough explanation - maybe their subscribers would be better subbing and unsubbing every month as their loyalty is not being rewarded.

I have now cancelled my subscription to Joliebox, I said I would give it to the end of the year to see if the boxes would get better but I feel they are getting worse!

Did you get this months box? What did you think?

Joliebox November

My Joliebox arrived on Friday and I was looking forward to seeing what was inside as I wasn't impressed with last months box so had my fingers crossed that this month would be better. Sadly I think it is worse!

Arrived in the black box and bag as usual.

The theme of this months box is Beauty in the City. 

Featuring favourite and up and coming brands from around the world.

Vertumne a Venus - Moisturising and Regenerating Hand Cream

2ml sample - yes that's right a 2ml sample. It is made with all natural ingredients but I have no idea how you are supposed to know if you like a product or not from one application. 50ml retails for £30.90 here making the sample worth £1.24

Jane Iredale - Glow Time BB Cream

2ml sample - yes that's another tiny sample.  A full coverage BB cream with SPF 25. Again hard to decide if you like a product from using a teeny sample like this. 50ml retails for £34.95 here making the sample worth £1.40

Topicrem - Body Glitter 3D Effect

15ml sample.  The lotion gives a shimmery not sparkly sheen.  200ml retails for $14.83 approx £9.27 making the sample worth 70p

Dead Sea Spa Magik - Gentle Cleansing Facial Wash

25 ml sample.  I never thought this would be a brand that I would see in Joliebox, I have had quite a few products from this brand in other boxes but I always considered Joliebox more "high end" in terms of skincare.  150ml retails for £7.20 here making the sample worth £1.20

Yardley - Royal Diamond EDT

1ml sample.  We had this in another one of the beauty boxes and I actually really like the smell so this is my favourite product in the box.  50ml retails for £6.66 here making the sample worth 13p

Marvis - Classic Strong Mint Toothpaste

10ml sample.  It says the toothpaste comes in imaginative flavours to make brushing your teeth anything but routine.  Mint, imaginative? really? 75ml retails for £5.50 here making the sample worth 73p

This is by far the worst box I have had from Joliebox and I really don't know what has happened to the company, we normally get really good quality samples not teeny sachets and cheap brands.  The total value of this box adds up to £5.40!!! Considering we pay £12.95 including postage it is really not good enough.

I am going to keep the subscription for the December box as I am hoping they send us a brilliant Christmas box - fingers crossed!

I also ordered a second box this month to give to my friend as a gift, which to be honest I wish I hadn't done as I could have spent the money on a much better gift.

Did you get this box? What do you think? Do you agree that the Jolieboxes have really changed?

Joliebox October 2012

My Joliebox arrived last night, the theme of this months box is Pure and Natural.

Back to the black box this month.

The bag inside the box was really full this month and it is nice to receive two full size products. However......

Balance Me Balancing Face Moisturiser

10ml sample size, 50ml retails for £24 on their website making the sample worth £4.80.

I was so disappointed to see a Balance Me product in the box, I have had so many products from this brand...

Facewash as a freebie in Glamour Magazine - here

Eye Cream in Lux Box - here

Hand Cream in She Said Beauty - here

I have also had the body wash, lip salve and lip balm!

LOV Organic Herbal Tea Bags

The box contains 6 teabags containing a mix of white and green tea.

100g of this loose tea costs £10.70 on their website

20 teabags retail for £8.75 making the 6 bags worth £2.63

Personally I don't like receiving teabags in my beauty boxes! It would have been nice as a little extra but I don't think it fits under the definition of a beauty sample?!

You can use the code JOLIELOV for free UK shipping and a free miniature pack of teabags.

JASON Bee Healthier Lip Balm Stick

The first full size product in the box, this retails for £2.49 here.

This smells nice as it contains peppermint leaf oil and it feels quite moisturing but I have so many lip balms to use up that this will probably get chucked in a drawer somewhere waiting to be used up.

MOA The Green Balm

Sample size but doesn't say how much the tub contains.

Again a product that I have had twice before in beauty boxes! I received it in one of my Lux boxes and in a Latest in Beauty box.

I haven't used both of the other samples yet!

Ritessens Cleanser

The second full size product, I can't find any websites that sell this in the UK or find the price anywhere on the internet!

This is the best product in the box, although I am being careful not to try too many new products on my face at the moment as a lot of products are breaking me out.  As the tube is sealed I will stash this until my skin is behaving!

Overall I am not impressed at all with this box, Joliebox have been my favourite subscription box for months now and the only box I have on subscription now.  This is the first box that I have been disappointed with, I want to discover new products that is why I subscribe! I do not want to receive products that have been in other beauty boxes or given away as freebies with magazines.

Joliebox have always been the box that don't have the same brands that have been featured in other boxes so maybe that is why I am so disappointed in this box.  I hope next months is much better or that might well be the end of subscription boxes for me......

Did you get this box? What did you think?

September Joliebox Review

My September Joliebox arrived on Saturday, it doesn't seem very long ago that we got the August box as it was delayed due to the Summer holidays.

Apologies that the pics are a little dark today, we have had torrential rain all day - lots of the roads are flooded and the sky is dark and grey, very miserable!

A nice blue box, think these must be left over boxes from August!

This months theme is Runway Ready - London Fashion Week

Balmi lip balm in Blackcurrant

This is a full size product and retails for £4.99 at Boots

The balm contains SPF 15 which is really handy in a lip product. The balm is a lot smaller than I thought it would be but it applies smoothly and feels quite moisturising.

I Love...Mango Face Mask

This is a full size 15ml product, I can't find a price for this online as it is in the Whats' New section on their website but I am guessing it would be no more than £1.

Redken Align 12 Protective Straight Lotion

This is a 30ml tube, 150ml retails for £15.15 here making the sample worth £3.03

Two Twistband Hair Ties

I can't find these for sale in the UK, but they retail for $2 each here, making the pair worth approx £2.50

Dr Bragi Bio Marine Exfoliant 

2 small samples, no quantity marked on the sachets.  Joliebox class these as an extra.

Ok so Joliebox have had some unhappy customers this month judging by some of the comments on their Facebook page, yes I think that the box is definitely one of the lowest value boxes that we have received BUT I judge a successful box not on the value of the contents but on whether or not I would use them and I would use everything in this box.

So, for me this is another good box from Joliebox!

Did you get this box? What did you think?

Joliebox August Review

My Joliebox arrived on Saturday whilst I was out enjoying a few drinkies with Hubby and the naughty Yodel delivery man left it on the doorstep in the rain! Luckily the inner box was fine.  The boxes this month were designed by Timai Hua.

I got the Road Trip box

There are several different box designs this month but the contents are the same.

I always forget to read the Joliemag as I am too busy playing with the contents. As it's a typical rainy bank holiday here today I am going to grab a cuppa and sit and read it.

The card is double sided - one side listing the contents and the other side telling you a bit more about the products in the box.

Three Dr Bronners Pure Castile Soap "pillows"

I got unscented, citrus orange and peppermint.  I don't know how much each pillow contains but 236ml retails for £5.49 and there is currently 15% off at Big Green Smile.

I have a bottle of this from a previous beauty box and I use it to clean my make-up brushes. One of the suggested uses is to clean your teeth with it, I really don't think I could clean my teeth with soap! You can find some more of the suggested uses here.

Phil Smith Be Gorgeous Dry Clean Revitalising Dry Shampoo

It is always handy to have dry shampoo in the cupboard and I have ran out so this well timed!  It is full sized and retails for £2.99 in Sainsburys.

So Susan Cosmetics Lip Cushion

The packaging says 3g of product, but the pot is tiny compared to the box so maybe this is sample sized? When I try and find So Susan cosmetics it takes me to Jelly Pong Pong so I presume they are one and the same.  The lip cushion retails for £6 here. 

The lip cushion is a lovely pink colour but contains quite a lot of glitter!

So Susan Wide Awake Palette

A second item from So Susan, this palette is lovely! Joliebox describe it as pocket sized but it definitely wouldn't fit in my pockets ;) 

This is a full size item and retails for £15 here.  I don't think I would use the eyebrow sculptor colours on my brows as they have quite a lot of shimmer. Will be lovely as an eyeshadow though. The tweezers are really handy too.

Looking at the pic on the jolly pong pong site the colours look different so I don't know if this palette is an old version or being rebranded?

The palette does have a really good sized mirror too but look what happened when I tried to take a pic! Naughty husband.

Leather Hair Styling Lace

I am trying to grow my hair after having it cut into a short bob in May so will keep this for when I have long luscious locks!

Again another great box from Joliebox full of items I am looking forward to using.

Did you get this box? What did you think?

Joliebox July Review

Doesn't seem two minutes since the June box arrived on my doorstep due to the problem with delivery. This month Joliebox have changed their carrier and it was delivered on time by courier, hopefully this means all the delivery issues they have had are a thing of the past!

Back to the black box and bag this month.

They put extras in this months box to make up for the delivery problems with their birthday box.

First up was a choice of two Etat Pur products.

I got the Biomimetic Skincare B09 - Express purifying mask. 

Yippee! This was the product that I wanted out of the two available.

This is a full size 50ml product and retails at £7.50 on their website.

Jane Iredale Tantasia.

A gradual self tanner for the face and body.

This was the product I was least excited about in the box, the sample is tiny so I don't know how I would judge if I liked it or not? It smells great though!

Full size retails for £23.30 here.

Two mini nail polishes from Nailgirls.

These polishes are inspired by the Olympics and come in bronze, silver and gold.

I got bronze and gold which I was pleased about as I'm not that keen on silver varnish. 

I can't find these on their website and I'm not sure what ml the samples are, but their full size polishes retail at £10.50.

Wen by Caz Dean - A sweet almond and mint cleansing conditioner.

 This is a one step cleansing conditioner full of natural herbs and botanicals.

I'm excited to try this out - although I'm not sure how well it will work as both a shampoo and conditioner. I can't remember the last time I used a 2 in 1 as they are not conditioning enough for my hair.

This is a very generous 60ml sample and the full size of 480ml retails for £24.95 on their website .

Extras! Cute toe separators! 

Everyone got a different extra in their box from items in previous boxes.

I was made up when I opened my box and saw this RMK face base as I LOVE IT!

Again another great box from Joliebox, I am looking forward to trying everything apart from the fake tan so its a definite thumbs up from me!

What do you think of this months box?