July & August Empties

Hi everyone! Well can you believe it is the 1st September already, the year is flying by!

I forgot to do my empties at the end of July and only remembered when I went to put another empty bottle in the bag I keep my empties in so I thought I would do a combined post.  I still have £40 saved up from my empties to the end of June.

Ojon Damage Reverse Shampoo and Conditioner - You can read my initial review here. After using this shampoo and conditioner for a few months I do still really like it but I wouldn't pay full price of £41.50 now.  I have found some other products recently that I really like.

L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 60 Second Saviour - This makes my hair lovely and soft and is very moisturising. This retails for £4.99 in Boots. I would repurchase.

Percy & Reed Moisturising Shampoo - This is nice but at £14.00 for 250ml I wouldn't repurchase as there are cheaper products that I prefer.

All full size items so £4 in the pot.

Essential Care Organic Rose Moisturiser - I got this in my May Joliebox, it is a lovely moisturiser doesn't break me out and I can actually feel it tightening my skin when I use it. 50ml retails at £19 here.  I wouldn't repurchase though as I am loving the next product!

Layla D Honey Moisturiser - You can read my review here.  I really struggle to find moisturisers that agree with my skin but this is fabulous. Would definitely repurchase.

Elemis Pro Collagen Body Cream - this retails at £9.99 here for 50ml, the full size is a whopping £49 for 200ml on the Elemis UK website! This smells lovely but I don't notice any firming or lifting effects when I use it. I have a couple of these body creams through beauty boxes/swaps as it smells lovely but I wouldn't repurchase it.

Apivita Express Beauty with Honey Face Mask - You can buy a two pack for £5.72 here. This left my skin lovely and soft and plumped up! Would repurchase.

4 Sample Sizes thats £2 in the pot.

FAB Cleanser - Think I have had this in every single empties post! Nice product and I'm on my last tube of it now.  Full size retails at £13 in Boots. I would repurchase.

Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser - Full size of 200ml retails for £34 on the Murad website.  I loved using this! It made my skin squeaky clean! But I didn't realise how much it cost :( I would definitely repurchase if I could find it cheaper! 

Clarins Water Purify One Step Cleanser with Mint Essential Water- Full size retails for £13.88 here.  I like this, it removed my make up including my eye make up without stinging or causing breakouts and it smells lovely! I would repurchase.

Lancome Bi-Facil Sensitive Eyes Instant Cleanser - Full size of 125ml retails for £17.85 here.   I find it does take a bit of rubbing to remove my mascara with this, I have a full size that I am using but I wouldn't repurchase this.  Happy if it comes in a GWP set though!

4 Sample sizes another £2 in the pot.

Rituals Foaming Shower Gel in Sunrise - Retails for £6.90 here.  This is my last Rituals shower gel and I will definitely be picking more up! They smell gorgeous and are very moisturising.

Molton Brown Vitalising Vitamin A, B + C Bath and Shower - 300ml retails for £15.60 here.  This smells nice but personally I wouldn't spend that amount on bath and shower gel so I wouldn't repurchase.

Gorgeous by Gok Body Wash - This reminds me of Christmas as Ialways pick up a set when it's on offer! It smells so good and doesn't dry out my skin.  I think you can only buy this at Christmas as I can't find it on Boots website.  Will be repurchasing.

Champneys Watermint Body Scrub - This retails for £6 here.  Wow this is fab! The smell is a real pick me up and the scrub is great, not drying and just the right amount and size of beads. Definitely repurchasing.

3 full size and a sample is £3.50 in the pot.

Total of £11.50 added this month making £51.50!!

Mens Glossybox Niven & Joshua Edition

My husbands Glossybox arrived today (I forgot to cancel his sub, oops!) it is a Niven & Joshua edition box and is themed upon a simple four tier routine - clean, prepare, shave and protect.


The mens box is quarterly as opposed to monthly like the ladies box. This is the second box he has had you can read about the first one here

Before he opened the box I told him that I had read some spoilers on what was in the box and was he sure he wanted to open it as I had phoned Glossybox about returning it (more about that after the review!) but he read a spoiler online and decided he wanted to keep it and try out the products.

This review is not pretty so be prepared!!

Same colour box as last month with a clear sticker over the top (not on straight, that really bugs me - I know, I know)

This was stuck on the inside of the lid (again not straight, attention to detail GB!)- pre-shave oil, sounds good.

The box felt really light and this is why - its half empty! I actually looked around in the straw at the bottom for the rest of the samples!

Baxter of California Oil Free Moisturiser.

A lightweight moisturiser that quickly absorbs leaving skin smooth with a shine-free matte finish.

He received two 5ml samples, on the index card the full size 120ml retails for £20.00 so the samples are worth £1.67.

I found it for £10.95 here at lavish choice making the sample worth 91p

Nickel Super Clean Face Scrubbing Gel.

Designed to eliminate a dull complexion, an irregular texture, shiny patches and smooth your skin.

This is a 15ml sample, full size 125ml retails for £16.00 making the sample worth £1.92

I found it for £13.60 at Feel Unique making it worth £1.63

Yu-Be Vitamin Enriched Cream.

Yu-Be is extremely effective at combating severe dry skin and soothing minor skin irritations.

Its also a teeny sample. 3ml.  Full size is 33g and retails at £12.00 making the sample worth £1.09.

I found the sample on sale at Bath and Unwind for £1.01

Zirh Shave Gel.

A clear non-foaming shave gel making it easy to maintain sideburns (yes it really does say this, yes I did nearly spit my cup of tea out with laughter!) and avoid irritated areas.

This is a 5ml sample, full size is 100ml and retails at £13.50 making the sample worth 68p

I found the full size for sale at £8.95 on Lavish Choice making it worth 45p

A second item from Zirh - Clean Fash Wash.

A legend amongst oily skin face cleansers for men with its unique and effective formula.

Again its a 5ml sample, full size is 250ml and retails for £15.50 making the sample worth 31p

Looking online I could only find it around the £15 price as stated on the index card.

Molton Brown Black Pepper Bodywash.

A black peppercorn scent with bergamot and oakmoss.

This is a decent size 30ml sample, full size is 300ml and retails at £18 making the sample worth £1.80.

Unless you want to buy it off ebay then everywhere else is around the £18 mark.

and lastly, Marvis Mint Toothpaste

A uniquely fresh peppermint (?? when did it become unique that toothpaste is peppermint flavoured!) flavoured toothpaste that gives a long lasting pleasurable taste sensation.

Honestly who writes these??!!

10ml sample, 75ml retails at £5.50, sample is worth 73p

Checking online this looks like its standard price.

So the box adds up to the grand total of £8.20 (or £6.84 if you use my prices).

The box however cost me £17.95!

I contacted Glossybox by writing on their FB page that I was unhappy with the box and asked if someone could please contact me to let me know how to return it for a full refund. After a few hours and no reply from Glossybox on my post, I posted on the Mens Glossybox page asking how I could go about getting a pre-paid returns label to send the box back.

I got a quick reply asking me to contact customer services by telephone who would be more than happy to refund me for the box.

I called Glossybox customer services on the number provided and yes they would be more than happy to refund me providing I pay in full for return postage.  I explained that I wasn't happy with this as me returning the box would be quite expensive (around £4) and that I was very unhappy with the value of the samples in the box to which she proceeded to inform me that we pay for the service and not the value of the samples.

I then commented on my post on the Mens Glossybox page saying that I was still unhappy and the situation remained unresolved.

Mens Glossybox deleted my post, which was a polite post requesting help. Then blocked me from commenting on their Mens page.

I find this disgraceful customer service.

That I have paid £17.95 for a box of samples that are not even worth half of the amount paid has really annoyed me. I don't appreciate being ripped off and I certainly do not appreciate being fobbed off.

To anyone thinking about subbing to the mens box I'd say don't bother - go down to Boots with your £17.95 and pick up a load of goodies for your other half as thats what I'll be doing in future.

What do you think? Did you get this box?

UPDATE 20.06.12

I would just like to say thank you everyone for these comments and all the retweets!

I'm glad he kept the box so that I could show you all what you actually get for your money, and tell you about my experience with GlossyBox.

Looking at all these comments I can see that I am certainly not the only person who has had a problem with Glossybox customer service.

Thanks again for reading my blog and don't forget to enter my giveaway ;)

Aprils Empties!

Yay its bank holiday weekend! Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine :)

Used up quite a few items this month, I am putting £1 for every full size item and 50p for every sample size item in my money box.  I started in March and have £9.50 so far.

Full size Rituals foaming shower gel in Zensation - organic rice milk & cherry blossom, I love the Rituals foaming gels and this is my favourite scent.  Will absolutely definitely be repurchasing (once I use up the other three bottles I have!)

Full size Balance Me super moisturising body wash - this left my skin lovely and soft but I really don't like the smell it has patchouli in and the scent is very heavy.  I got this in one of my Carmine boxes, I wouldn't repurchase it in this scent but I have one in Rose Otto and that smells much nicer, like turkish delight! 

Sample size Molton Brown Heavenly Gingerlily bath and shower gel.  I got this in my Harrods Glossybox and I love it! A little goes a long way and the smell is divine. 

So thats £2.50 into the pot.

Sample size Decleor Phytopeel, natural exfoliating cream.  I received this in my last Feel Unique box, I really like this product.  You spread it over your face wait for it to dry then rub it off! It leaves my skin super soft.  The full size retails at around £25 so its not cheap, but my skin looks much better after using it and I have a few on the shelf that I have received in swaps so don't have to splash the cash just yet!

Two sample size FAB cleansers - my skin loves these cleansers which means I do too! I have a stash of these that I have received in swaps, I am down to my last three tubes now and will be purchasing the full size when I'm down to my last tube.

Full size Soap & Glory scrub your nose in it - I love the smell of this, I leave it on for a few minutes as a face mask and it leaves my skin lovely and soft.

That's another £2.50 in the pot.

Sample size Soap & Glory flake away - this smells good enough to eat! I think this is my favourite body exfoliator.

Sample size Dead Sea Spa Magik silky smooth body lotion - I received this in one of my beauty boxes, I use it on my shins and it doesn't irritate them.

£1 in the pot.

Sample size Lulu Timebomb flashback night cream - I received this in one of my Carmine boxes. Its quite light for a night cream which I quite like, it doesn't irritate or clog my sensitive skin. I was actually quite surprised by how much I like this product!

Sample size Yon-Ka Anti-Pollution Vital Defense cream - I received this in my December Joliebox, its a very small sample which makes it hard to judge whether or not you like a product.

Sample size Sisley Sisleya global anti-age cream - Received this in a Latest in Beauty box, a little goes a long way which is good as the full size product retails at a whopping £260 for 50ml! I liked it but I didn't like it £260 worth!

Thats £1.50 in the pot.

I wouldn't normally include toothpaste in my empties, but I got these in my Carmine box.  I have used this brand before and I wasn't too impressed with the whitening power BUT these toothpastes are brilliant, my teeth were much whiter after using and I'll be buying the full size.

Another £1 in the pot.

Sample size Ginvera green tea BB cream - I got this in a Latest in Beauty Little box. I have tried a few BB creams and not been too impressed with the coverage, but I like this one! The smell is awful but the coverage and colour is really good.  Its probably just a touch too dark for my pale skin but would be fine in summer.

50p in the pot.

Full size Prada Candy - My lovely hubby got me this for Christmas after I loved the sample in my first ever Feel Unique box.

Sample size Thierry Mugler Womanity - love the tester packaging! 

Sample size Yardley Peony - got this in a Carmine box, its actually really nice a lovely spring scent

Sample size CK Euphoria 

Sample size CK Shock

Another £3.00 in the pot.

Thats £12 in the pot for April.  Must moisturise more in May!

Ding, Ding Round 2 Harrods Glossybox!

Couldn't resist ordering an extra Glossybox this month with it being the Harrods edition, hubby phoned work to say it had been delivered (well trained!) but looking online I could see that lots of people who got theirs on the same day had the dreaded body lotion box (I'm convinced they send them out in batches)....

Yay! Only one body lotion, praise again to the beauty gods!

As you can see this box looks a lot fuller than the first box I received.

It says on the card - present this card at Molton Brown in Harrods and receive a complimentary hand & arm massage, along with a little bag of treats! Now I don't live anywhere near London, so if you would like me to send you this card in the post let me know. First come, first served!

My lovely assistant in work purchased this perfume last week, it smells gorgeous and the full size bottle is very pretty.  This is a 1.5ml sample.

More Molton Brown, different scent this time - I love the sample I got in my first box, so I'm pleased to get another bottle.

Anti-ageing moisturiser, I have a little obsession with the Sisley cream that I received in my YOU Latest in Beauty Box and while I love it I can not justify spending hundreds of pounds on a cream - so when one of the lovely ladies on Beauty Box Swaps put up a post asking who wanted to swap their SKII for the Sisley I was straight in there!

I was really pleased to find this in my box as I've heard good things about it and have wanted to try it for a while, its a 2ml sample.  Can't wait for the next night out with the girls so I can try it out!

This is a 4ml sample and while I'm pleased to try it out I do wish companies wouldn't put oil samples in a sachet, little tubes/tubs/vials would be much easier to use.  I'll probably decant this into a little pot so that I can get more than one use out of it.  I would have liked a bigger sample too, as I don't know how my skin will react using it once or twice.  A weeks worth would be much better!

And last, but not least the body lotion! I'm actually secretly pleased to get this again as I loved the one out of my first box and have already used it all! Ssshhhh though don't tell the beauty gods!

I actually like the first box I received more than this one.  I would have loved to get one of the perfume samples in the minature bottles and yet again Glossybox are facing criticism for the variety in the boxes!

I would have loved to try the Ojon too, but that leads onto another post.........!

Did you order more than one box?  What was your favourite item?

Glossybox - The Harrods Edition

So I firmly planted myself on the sofa this morning with a cup of coffee, a magazine, a supply of biscuits and chocolate philidelphia refusing to move until the postman had been - well when I saw him walking down the drive with a pink and brown package in his hand I ran to the door and opened it before he even knocked!

It was the much hyped up Glossybox - The Harrods Edition, in a lovely glossy white box (I love how Glossybox change the colour of their boxes every month!)

I was so excited about opening it, but also dreading it - what if I got a box full of body lotions?

Gorgeous ribbon and look at the cute little sticker!

Yay! Only one body lotion! Praise the beauty gods!

Narciso Rodriguez, Molton Brown, YSL, Burberry and Clarins 

I personally love perfume samples and this smells lovely, wish it would have been a bigger sample though - 1ml will only last me a day.

This smells gorgeous, really luxurious - perfect for a relaxing bubble bath with a book and a glass of wine. Good size sample too 50ml.

This is one of the products that I really wanted to find in my box (along with the Ojon but I'm hoping thats in my second Glossybox, couldn't resist an extra one this month!). 

Its a small 5ml sample but on reading the instructions you only need one drop after cleansing, before you apply your moisturiser - trying it on my hand a little goes a long way, its really easily absorbed and my hand feels nice and soft.

I'm really looking forward to using it properly and I think I will get a good week or maybe two out of this sample.

Mini Burberry Lip Mist - I was looking forward to getting one of these lipsticks but I got it in shade  No.202 Copper and I can't really pull off this colour.  Will be up for swaps.  How gorgeous is the pattern on the lippy though!

And the dreaded body lotion! Oh well it is Clarins and it says extra firming -so will definitely be using it!

So 4/5 is not bad at all, I'm pleased with this months box and I hope you are too! If you haven't signed up, be quick as I am sure this month will be a sell out!

Please use my referral link if you are not yet signed up
http://www.glossybox.co.uk/invitation/MzUxODk=?utm_source=Customers&utm_medium=link&utm_term=MzUxODk=&utm_campaign=Refer-a-friend/

Have you received your box?  What did you think?