February Glossybox product reviews: Rituals body lotion, Figs & Rouge balm, MeMeMe Beat the Blues, Miners lipstick & Micabella eyeshadow

Hello lovelies! 

February 2013 Glossybox

Sophie here, I thought I’d update you on my love affair with Glossybox. This will be a review of February’s products, I realise we’re in April now but I wanted to use them for a while first so I can do a properly informed review. If you want the full story then be sure to check out my previous posts – All AboutGlossybox for everything you need to know and The Big Skincare Review for my thoughts on my January box!

Last month’s box was Valentine’s themed, all pretty in pink instead of the usual, which was really nice as it arrived a few days before Valentine’s day. Here’s what I got inside:

From left to right: Rituals Magic Touch Cherry Blossom & Rice Milk body cream; Figs & Rouge balm in Rambling Rose; a cheeky lolly; MeMeMe Beat The Blues highlight in Pearl Pink;  Miners Cosmetics lipstick in Dreamer; Micabella Cosmetics Mineral Eye Shadow Shimmer Powder in Deep Secrets.

I feel a monster post coming on so feel free to skim or skip to the ones you’re interested in!

First up: Rituals Magic Touch Cherry Blossom & Rice Milk body lotion                    

Rituals Magic Touch Cherry Blossom & Rice Milk Body Cream

Rituals body cream swatch

What does it do? This is a Rituals best seller. Like most body lotions, it promises to nourish your skin and leave it silky smooth and soft.

What’s in it? This product contains rice milk which is known for its soothing qualities, cherry extract to make it smell delicious, and antioxidants which are always invited to the party.

  

How does it smell? Really rather lovely. Kind of sweet but not in a sickly way, I’d describe it as quite deep and rich. You can definitely pick up the cherry but it doesn’t smell at all artificial.

What’s it like? I’ve been using this product after I shower: massaging it into my skin after I’ve dried off. The texture is creamy, velvety and really soft. The bottle describes it as ‘rich’ and ‘whipped’ and I’d definitely agree. The swatch above shows the product just as its come out of the tube, and to the right of that is where I rubbed it in a little; I doubt you can even see where I rubbed it in as it sinks straight into the skin like a dream! A little goes a long way with this product, it spreads across the skin really well and is almost instantly absorbed, meaning you’re not left feeling sticky or greasy which is a huuuuge plus for me. You also really pick up the scent as you apply it which is lovely.

Does it work? I wouldn’t say it’s changed my life but my skin definitely feels lovely after using it, nice and soft and moisturised. It’s a really gentle product so I especially like to apply it to my legs after shaving, as the rice milk seems to soothe them. You do pick up the occasional whiff of the product throughout the day if you applied it in the morning, which I really like.

How much? £15 for 200ml from rituals.com (click here) or £5 for 70ml (click here) if you want to give it a little try first. I got the 70ml version in my Glossybox and £5 off a £25 Rituals spend.  

All in all: I like it. It’s a thousand times better than the Duck Island body lotion I received in my January Glossy (reviewed here), mainly due to the much nicer smell and the way my skin absorbs it so readily. As it spreads so well, a little goes a long way and I haven’t yet run out of my 70ml tube despite using it a good few times a week, so I think the price is reasonable for a 200ml bottle as it should last for a long time. I’m really glad that this came in my box, it’s a lovely little product and I’ll definitely think about repurchasing.

Figs and Rouge Balm in Rambling Rose                                                                                     

Figs & Rouge Organic Balm in Rambling Rose

Lips: Figs & Rouge Balm in Rambling Rose

What does it do? This balm will nourish, soothe and hydrate dry areas – put it anywhere you like!

What’s in it? Seed oil, fruit butter, fruit oil and flower oil seem to be the main ingredients. The balm is organically produced and petroleum free.

How does it smell? As you’d expect, it’s quite natural smelling due to the natural ingredients. It smells deliciously of rose and something else I can’t quite put my finger on but reminds me of my childhood and makes me very happy.

What’s it like? Fantastic! The consistency is impossible to describe but I really love it. It feels kind of textured at first, but then when you rub it in it melts into buttery softness. It sinks into the skin almost immediately without even a hint of stickiness -  it does last slightly longer on the lips but feels lovely. Sorry about the awful picture, I just took a quick one to show you how it looks on the lips, please ignore the rest of my face! It’s pretty much invisible, it doesn’t alter the colour of your lips but just leaves the slightest hint of shine.

Does it work? Yes! I really love this product. You may or may not know how much I struggle with dry lips, most balms dry them out even further. After struggling for years to find a balm that doesn’t, Glossybox have given me two in two months! (This one, and Jason Lips Bee Healthier which I raved about here). This makes my lips feel soft and lovely, and really hydrated. I’ve used it as a base for lip sticks and glosses and it really helps prevent them from drying out my lips, but I also think it looks really pretty just on its own. I’ve had a bit of a dry nose recently due to blowing it so much in the cold weather, and one application of this sorted me right out!

How much? £3.49 for 8ml from Lovelula. Some flavours are also available from Boots but are more expensive at £4.99. I got the full sized version in my Glossybox which I’m really rather chuffed about.  

All in all: This is a gorgeous little product and I love it. It’s one of the few balms ever to not make my lips even drier, it eats dry skin for breakfast and smells like angels bringing you bouquets of roses. The price is really good as a little goes a long way so it’ll last, and it’s all pure and natural and organic and lovely. It also comes in various other flavours – I’m really glad I got Rambling Rose but I'm definitely tempted to try the others too.  The packaging is also really pretty and vintage-esque so it’ll be a nice little addition to your purse or makeup bag. I will, without shadow of a doubt, be repurchasing this product and definitely recommend you give it a try (or at least give it a smell, mmmm).

MeMeMe Beat The Blues in Pearl Pink                                                                                       

MeMeMe Beat the Blues Highlighter / Illuminator in Pearl Pink

MeMeMe Beat the Blues Pearl Pink swatch

What does it do? This is designed to illuminate and highlight your complexion, giving you that lovely healthy dewey glow.

What’s in it? The ingredients list is quite difficult to read against the pale pink of the product, and even more difficult to understand! However, as it’s makeup rather than a skincare product and I don’t have sensitive skin, I’m not overly concerned with what’s in it (obviously do check if you have sensitive skin, though).

 What’s it like? I was over the moon to find this in my Glossybox as I’ve been dying to try it ever since I discovered and subsequently lusted after Benefit High Beam. I’ve only ever swatched High Beam and not used it properly, so I can’t do an in-depth comparison but I do think this is an excellent dupe. It’s the same pearly, iridescent pink as High Beam and about a quarter of the price at £5.50. (High Beam will set you back around £20, thumbs down.) The only reason I hadn’t tried this sooner is that the Plymouth branches of Superdrug decided to stop selling MeMeMe. The product comes in a little pot with a brush in the lid like a nail polish, and the consistency is quite thin so it’s really easy to blend in, but still buildable. 

Does it work? Yes it does. It has the most beautiful effect on the skin – it really makes it look fresh and glowing and lovely. I tend to keep the focus on my skin for daytime and keep my eyes fairly bare, so I use this product pretty much every day on my cheekbones, brow bones and bridge of my nose, as highlighters also have the effect of sculpting the face by bring out areas they are applied to. The swatch picture shows how it looks straight from the brush, and then how it looks after being blended in a little. Sometimes I apply to my cheeks straight from the brush, but I apply it to the back of my hand then take some up on my fingertip if I want to be a little more precise or use a little less product. You can use the brush in the lid for application but not blending as it carries too much product, but it blends so well it doesn’t really matter whether you use your finger or another brush (I use fingers for quickness). Don’t be put off by the pink – you can see from the rubbed in swatch that it comes out only slightly pink toned. Obviously on your face you’d be blending it in a lot more and it would mix slightly with your foundation – once you’ve done this it gives a lovely subtle shine that picks up beautifully in the light.

How much? £5.50 for 12ml from mememecosmetics.co.uk (click here!) which is cheaper than I thought. Glossybox / MeMeMe were kind enough to give me a full sized bottle and 20% off my next one! 

All in all: I love this product, it’s become an everyday essential of mine. It has a gorgeous effect on my skin and is really easy to use. The price was a really pleasant surprise, I was expecting it to be closer to £10 than £5! I definitely definitely recommend trying this if you’re after a nice highlighter / illuminator, it’s brilliant at creating a subtle glow when you blend it into foundation but is very buildable if you wanted a more dramatic effect for the evening. I haven’t given its Benefit counterpart a proper try yet, but I’m thinking about ordering a sample so I can do a proper comparison – let me know if you’d like to see that!

p.s. If you like products like this then you’ll love this MeMeMe collection. For £15 you get this Pearl Pink highlighter, an Oyster Gold highlighter resembling Moon Beam (or maybe Sun Beam?) by Benefit, and two dupes for Benefit’s Benetint and Posietint cheek / lip stains, all for less than one of the Benefit alternatives!

Miner’s Cosmetics Lipstick in Dreamer                                                                                    

Miners Cosmetics Lipstick in Dreamer

Miners Cosmetics Lipstick in Dreamer swatch

What’s it like? This lipstick is much more glittery than the pictures pick up, in both the stick and the swatches. It’s a very very cool toned pink with purple undertones, much cooler than it looks in the photos. Swatching it lightly gives a really pretty sheer colour, and it’s easily buildable and blendable to get a stronger colour.

Does it work? NO. It looks pretty to swatch but this does not translate onto the lips at all. It also feels quite creamy and soft on your arm but really plasticy and horrible on the lips. Everything dries my lips out so that’s to be expected but this is much worse than other lipsticks – instantly drying even with a balm underneath. I hate to use the word chavvy but that’s the only way I can describe it – you know that cool pink, frosted type colour? That’s how it looks no matter how much or little you use, no matter how much you blend it. Blergh!

How much? £3.99 for 4g supposedly, but I can't seem to find it on the Miners site!? The best I can do is this Amazon link for £4.99 if you REALLY want to try it (you probably don't).   

All in all: This was the only product in my Feb Glossy that I really really disliked. I definitely won’t be using the rest of it let alone repurchasing! I really can’t describe how horrible the colour is, but even if you’re a fan of frosty pinks I just think it looks and feels really cheap. Not impressed!

Micabella Cosmetics Mineral Eyeshadow / Shimmer Powder in Deep Secrets        

Micabella Cosmetics Mineral Eye Shadow in No. 53, Deep Secrets

Micabella Mineral Eye Shadow, Deep Secrets swatch

What does it do? It’s a shimmery eyehsadow.

What’s in it? This is made of 100% ‘mica’ which is a natural crystal / mineral.

  

What’s it like? This really is the most beautiful eyeshadow, and no matter what I do I don’t think the photos will ever do it justice! It’s a stunning medium bronzey-gold, I’d describe it as an antique gold colour, and the light picks up tiny particles of copper, bronze, gold and silver toned shimmer. The powder itself is soft and velvety to touch, and can be blended out for a subtle shadow or layered up for a bolder, more solid colour (see swatch). You could apply this with your finger if you wanted a softer look, or a damp brush to really bring the colour out (both swatches were applied dry). As it’s a loose pigment, I definitely recommend tapping off your brush and taking care not to pick up too much product as it’s more difficult to get an even finish if you start off by applying a large amount to a concentrated area, especially if you wanted a softer look. Having said that, it is definitely blendable and if you take a little care with it, you can achieve a beautiful smokey effect just with this one product by starting out with a little, blending it out, then gradually layering closer to the lashline. The colour really is beautiful and very highly pigmented, and will look stunning against all eye colours.

How much? £14.95 for 2.5g from micabella.co.uk, (click here!) Glossybox gave me 1g in my box, plus a special discounted price of £8.99 for the full sized eyeshadow for a limited time.

All in all: This really is a beautiful product, I love the fact that it’s made entirely of a natural mineral and the colour payoff is excellent. There’s a lot of ways to work with it as it’s a loose powder, and can give a really pretty subtle look or a more dramatic colour when layered up; I can’t wait to wear it in the summer as I think it will look amazing with a tan. Unfortunately it is quite pricey, although I suppose it depends on how much you usually spend on eyeshadows as it’s probably a similar price to Mac or BareMinerals making £8.99 a really good deal, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted!  I think for the quality and fact that its pure crystal the price is justified – I’m not sure I would use enough of it so often as to warrant me buying another pot as I’ll probably save it for the odd occasion rather than use it regularly. I think I’ll see how I get on with my current pot, though I’ll definitely miss it once it’s gone!

And finally I got a little Glossybox heart lollypop for Valentines Day! Looking a little worse for wear now - it still hasn’t been eaten as I don’t like them, but I thought it was cute all the same! 

So that concludes my February Glossybox products review! Thank you for reading which ever bit you read, and if you read it all the way through then well done, you’re the best person ever. Do let me know what you thought of your Glossybox in Feb and what products you got in there, or what you think of these products if you’ve used any of them!

Kisses and hugs

Sophie xxx