Beauty & Brows: Beauty Box Battle: JUNE

OLA. So its that time again- the beauty boxes have arrived and I'm all excited. I do apologise for it being quite a while since my last post- I have been super busy with work and upping my gym sessions that I have been merely too pooped to post.

This month has been a corker with some right crackin products but there have also been some super disappointing flops and oh my... have the tables turned this month! I have already explained the beauty of beauty boxes (like what I did there?) in my last post so I'm going to jump straight into it and I hope you enjoy.

Third place goes to...

GLOSSY BOX.

Yes I am also super shocked. We all thought it would be Love Me Beauty for a second time in a row judging by last months results. Yes the box is glossy, baby pink and beautiful with a nice little read inside but some products were so bad it had to take third place.

1. Nail Girls- 3 in 1 base/topcoat and nail hardener. Full sized: RRP £13.50

This I like alot and will continue to use. At first my reaction was 'Hmmm do I really need a product like this when I am happy with my nail varnishes'? Answer was YES. This is far from a pointless product and gives any standard nail polish that dreamy salon gel nail look. It does what it says on the bottle and my nails do feel much more harder and polished than they ever had before. It has prevented chipping dramatically and my nails still over a week later are brightly coloured, protected and shiny. Usually after a few days of showers my colour starts to fade but not with this bad boy.

2. Got2B- Rise 'n Shine Souffle- Full Sized: RRP £4.07

This is rubbish. I wanted to swear but I shall not because that is not very lady like. I love the name because it reminds me of food and food is good but it does not do anything it claims to do. It smells lovely- fruity and summery. That is its one positive. It is a big tub as well and will last a very long time because you don't need to use a lot of product at all but because it doesn't work- who cares how long it would last?

I have short fine hair and really want a hair product that will add texture and volume without being greasy so when I saw this in my box I was pleased. But when applied to my roots and hair, I got zero texture and a tiny bit of volume at the roots which had flopped within 2 minutes. My hair felt super smooth afterwards but I had no volume. Flat hair is sad hair Glossybox and this gets the thumbs down.

3. Teeez Trend Cosmetics- Beautiful Flat Stiff Brush- One Size: RRP 19 Euros

THIS IS ONE SEXY BRUSH. I love this- not going to lie. Just look at it. It oozes sex appeal- so so pretty. This is meant for eye shadow but I don't wear eye shadow so I thought I would try it with some concealer. It worked great and is also the perfect size for contouring. Nice pretty little brush that's for keeps.

4. Roger & Gallet- Fleur de Figuier Discovery Ritual Shower Cream, Body Lotion and Eau Fraiche Fragrance- Sample Sachet Sizes (Not sure of the RRP for these and quite frankly not worth working out)

Not impressed once again. We all love a pamper so when I got what is practically a sample set of shower cream, body lotion and perfume I thought great! The Shower cream was creamy as expected (obv) but smelt awful and as soon as I stepped out of the shower the smell had disappeared. That was a good thing in this case however but you get my point. The body lotion was exactly the same. Far from long lasting as you would expect. I then left all my hope in the perfume as it came in one of those spray bottles I love because you usually get a lot from them for a sample. Welcome grandma Sarah! Eugh- I love old people, don't get me wrong, love love love them- but this smelt like something off Bolton market- Eau de stale.

5. So Susan Cosmetics- Concealer Quad- One Size: RRP £20

This beauty disaster is what nailed the coffin shut on Glossybox this week. For £20 you would expect something brilliant and you would expect it to at least conceal minor blemishes like it says on the instructions. This does not.

It comes in four shades so perfect for mixing and should be an all around pleaser, however instead of being a lightweight formula that it claims to be, it is sticky, greasy and almost impossible to get out of the tray! This could be an amazing contouring kit because it has all the shades you need including a full on white shade- but its so difficult to get any product out of the tray and onto your face that I was actually scared I was going to cause some serious damage to my skin. I think its an absolute outrage that Glossybox decided to promote this product- its vile. The only good thing to come of this is the fact that I know to stay well away from this 'concealer/contouring kit'.

If you want AN AMAZING concealer that is also cheaper and lasts 3 to 4 months buy MAC Studio Fix Concealer. I have sworn by it for the past 4 years. An all time winner for me. Covers up the nastiest of blemishes and is great for under eye bags and dark circles.

I have roughly worked out this box to be worth around £57 but if you take off all the products I wont be using it isn't as good as it seems.

So now my rant is over we shall move onto second and third place. These two boxes overall were fantastic boxes so it was very very difficult for me to make a decision. I decided to base my decision in the end on the box that had the overall winning item inside. Seems fair to me.

And Silver goes to.... (drum roll please)

LOVE ME BEAUTY

BOY OH BOY was I pleased with Love Me Beauty this month. This was ever so close to first place but just came short this month. They also were the only box to wish my Happy Burthday- Thank you :)

This month when I went online to choose my box I was pleasantly surprised. I got a real choice of different products in each box this time unlike last month. My faith has been restored and I hope they keep this up. Every product was a hit.

1. Montagne Jeunesse- Hot Spring Sauna Mask- RRP: £1.

I am no stranger to these as I am sure anyone reading this also isn't. They are a steal for £1 and perfect for one of those nights where you just need a quick refreshing pamper. This heats up your face opening up your pores to give them a good squeaky clean! Thank you Love Me Beauty- From both me AND the fiancé.

2. Urban Veda- Purifying Daily Facial Wash- RRP £7.99

Minty freshness in a tube! This is wonderful- To look at the tube it is quite small but don't be fooled- you only need a tiny amount each time applied to a wet face. You actually feel like your pores can breath and within five minutes my skin felt smooth, oil free and SUPER TIGHT. It helps treat pesky blackheads and cleans your face to leave a lovely complexion. If you are into your face washes I highly recommend this.

3.Beauty UK- High Brow Kit- RRP £3.99

I am not going to lie- The main deciding factor to choosing the box I did was because this option had a brow kit inside. Sucker for good brows as you know. And I wasn't disappointed. This beats the Collection 2000 kit I have previously raved about and is within the exact same price range. WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER. As an added bonus with this kit you also get a set of mini tweezers so I would say more value for your money compared to Collection 2000s.

There are four great shades inside to highlight those brows and colour them in to HD perfection. The brown shades are much deeper that the Collection 2000 kit. The brush is perfectly angled to create those arches and as long as you tap off your brush before applying, there are no stray bits of powder on your face. Happy days indeed.

(The photo at the very end of this blog post shows my brows created by this kit)

4. Model Co- Eye Define Pencil in Black- RRP £9

This is a good black eyeliner which includes a very handy pencil sharpener incorporated into the lid... but for £9 I can't help but feel the quality should have been much better. Its not a complete flop at all because it works and is useable (unlike some of Glossyboxs choices) but my only problem is that it is not soft enough to work with and deep enough in colour. It is quite a hard pencil so to get a very dark smoky eye you would have to press on very hard and for a long time and even then you don't get a good Jet Black line. A good smokey eye needs a pencil that can be smudged to give that sultry look. You unfortunately wont get that from this.

(The photo at the very end of this blog shows this eyeliner being used on myself and you can see I couldn't get the jet black look most of us would love and expect).

5. NYX Cosmetics- Nail Polish in 'Blue Exotic'- RRP £3

This was my favourite product in the box- Even trumping the brow kit because the colour is just so DELICIOUS. For £3 your onto a brilliant bargain. This is meant to give that salon gel finish without needing to leave the house and oh it did. There is an element of glitter to this polish which I was initially concerned about (because I am not a glitter and sparkle girl) but when applied it isn't obvious at all and gives it a great shimmer and shine. One coat does plenty and the colour is radiant, long lasting and I had only a few minor chips entering the second week of wearing it. MASSIVE THUMBS UP.

Overall retail value of this box was £24.98 and all products useable- VERY PLEASED. Keep it up Love Me Beauty.

So a well deserved first place again goes to...

BIRCHBOX <3

Well well well. Can these be beaten I wonder? They always seem to get the right mix of products and throw in that one extra special item that wins you over. I also love this months theme which is World Cup - 'Global Strikers'- I now am the proud owner of a lovely Brazilian themed draw string make up bag. OR should I say my little pup is... (No animals were harmed in this blog- She likes hats)

Read below to see why this box won my heart and how Birchbox knocked the ball right out of the park.

1. Lifestyle Extra- Brazil inspired key ring

Considering this is a little fun extra surprise I am not going to go all crazy and slag it off because its not beauty related. Its a key ring and I gave it to my friend who collects them. That is all.

2. OPI Nail Lacquer- The Brazil Collection- Sample Size- Full Size RRPs at £11.95

This is the only item that failed to please. I think they got my order wrong to be honest as everyone else seemed to get a bright Brazilian themed colour. I got a dark/pink glittery purple. Disgusting. I'm not Barbie. OPI are a great nail brand and its great Birchbox are promoting the brand but I also gave this away to my little sister because the colour just put me off completely. For all those who got a cute colour- I'm slightly jell. Please don't rub it in my face.

Now lets get onto the sexy stuff....

3. Caudalie- Vinoperfect SPF15 Day Perfecting Fluid- Sample Size- Full Size RRPs at £38

Now I am very particular about what I put on my face because I am scared to death that products will do more harm than good and turn me into a Pepperoni Pizza. That said, I took the plunge with this product and all is well! This is a light oil-free moisturiser that is meant to hydrate, brighten and even skin tone. Being obsessed with primers I thought I would put this to the test and it passed with flying colours. I wore this on a night out which is the ultimate test and my skin stayed oil free and radiant looking all night long. My only vice is this: Its incredibly difficult to spread and I have a sneaky suspicion this could be a product that runs out very quickly and not cost effective so I wont be changing my primer for this. Nevertheless, its a lovely moisturiser to use every now and again!

4. Naobay- Body Radiance Lotion-Sample size- Full Sized RRPS at £14

Who likes my PJ bottoms? Cool huh?

Anyway this is what a body lotion should be! It glides across your skin like a dream and the scent lasts ALL day. No lie. What makes this stand out from other good body lotions that are long lasting is that it made me smell like Lemon Sherbet. Perfect. Although my dog did become a bit of a pest sniffing me all day but hey, I smelt delicious. Its like beautiful smelling liquid cocoa butter.

5.The Balm Cosmetics- How 'Bout Them Apples? Cheek and Lip Cream- Sample- Full pallet RRPs at £26

This was my second favourite product from Birchbox this month. I love the fun branding and despite being a very small sample- Its a lip and cheek stainer so very little is needed per application. It adds a bright long lasting pop of colour to your cheeks and lips however I shall just be using this on my lips because I looked too much like a doll on my cheeks as my shade is very bright pink. This would be great for fancy dress though if you ever were to dress as a doll I suppose. I also used this for a night out and it doesn't dry up your lips or skin lasting hours before you need to touch up. A great product to carry around in your handbag to go from day to night make up.

(The photo of myself at the end shows this product on my lips and cheeks however I did powder over my cheeks to turn down the brightness).

Now onto the winning product.....

6. Beauty Blender and Blender Cleanser Solid- Full Sized- RRP £26

If this was the only item to turn up in my box I would of still got a fantastic bargain for my money. I am not going to lie- I am a lazy girl and I normally slap my foundation on with my hands unless its a special occasion. Applying with a brush always takes me more time that I don't have in the mornings (Sleep is far more important).

This egg shaped sponge is super easy to use and spreads foundation on super quickly. I now have no excuse. The tip of the egg is perfect for getting into those difficult areas around the nose and forehead and the sponge is oh so soft on your skin. This also comes with a cleaning soap which is amazing and simple to use.

This beauty blenders main claim to fame is that it gives your foundation a flawless finish. And they weren't lying. My troublesome skin was super flawless and my hands were clean for once. I am so impressed. This is one special product which is why the box wins. With beauty boxes its not about quantity, its about quality and Birchbox know this oh so well.

I have roughly priced this box to be worth £51- Wowzers.

Congrats Birchbox- I look forward to Julys box.

So there you have it- The boxes tried and tested.

I hope you all loved my blog and peace out till next time.