Glossybox October 2013 Review

Glossybox, which usually comes very near the end of the month, shipped and arrived about a week and a half early this month! I don't know why it happened, but it was a nice surprise! For $21/month, you get 5 deluxe-sized beauty samples. Occasionally, you get full sized items. It's a great sub because you get to try some higher-end brands. October's box didn't have a regular theme, but was a collaboration box with Byrdie, which I had never heard of, but is apparently a beauty blog/website. Their collaboration boxes are usually pretty good though, so I was hopeful!

Like all collaboration boxes, this one was not their standard pink box.

Opening the box

The first product I spied was a full size tube of Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes Mascara ($23). This promises it "lengthens, curls and magnifies for an intensified look proven to increase lash volume by 752% instantly". Seems like a weird number, but if it does what it says and gives me an intense long, voluminous look, I'll be super happy! I'm usually a sucker for interesting packaging, but I don't like this packaging. I thought at first it was a case that held the tube, which would've been cool, if not a little bit frivolous, but turns out it's the tube itself. It's bulky and kind of gets in the way. The brush is different than any I've seen before. It has 2 sides with different types of bristles - 1 softer, dense side to add volume, and 1 firmer, sparser side to separate and add length. The difference is easy to see in the sample they provide to explain the brush, but when it's coated in mascara, it's not as easy to see. Thankfully, using their tip to brush it lightly against the tube, you can feel a difference. Hopefully the mascara's great! EDIT: I used this tonight and it's easy to get too much product on your lashes with this brush. It really needs to be wiped off well. Plus, the firmer side didn't really separate as promised - it just added more product and made my lashes thicker and more coated. The results were ok when I tried again being a bit more careful about how much product was on the brush, but I've seen better.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes Mascara

The other makeup product in the box was a full size tube of Balance Me Shine On Tinted Lip Salve in the color Super Soft Beige (~$19.43). Expensive lip gloss! Glossybox has it listed at $16.50, but links to the Balance Me site to buy it, which is where I got the price. I used Google to change the money from pounds to dollars, so I'm not sure why the discrepancy. Anyway, it doesn't look like this comes in any other colors, but that's ok. When I initially saw it, I was like, "eeeh, brown...", but it's very sheer, so it turned out to be just fine! It's very wet feeling at first, but it isn't sticky at all and seems to soak in a bit with time. I liked it.

Balance Me Shine On Tinted Lip Salve

Swatch of the lip salve

Next up was a deluxe sample of Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream ($12.60). This is supposed to be super hydrating and reduce signs of aging. It smells like cucumbers, which isn't my favorite scent, but it's not terrible. I really like getting these nice deluxe samples of face creams. I don't know which box sent it to me (I think either Glossybox or New Beauty Test Tube), but I discovered my new favorite cream - Osmotics Blue Copper 5 - from a deluxe box sample that actually lasted long enough for me to try it for several weeks. You really need at least a week to see if it works well with your skin. Sometimes I don't have an irritated reaction for several days if a product isn't good for me, but you wouldn't be able to tell with a foil packet.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream

Our next deluxe sample was a really adorable bottle of Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Au The Vert (~$7.75). Again, it's nice to see a deluxe sample rather than the standard mini vial - and what a cute bottle! The scent isn't bad, but it's not my favorite. I think I could wear it if I was in the mood for something different than my usual taste, but that's not terribly often. It's apparently unisex and is considered a "Citrus Aromatic Floral" with notes of Italian bergamot, pepper, and green tea.

Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Au The Vert

My last item appears to have been slightly variable for people. Some people got a Sesha Skin Therapy Renu  Exfoliating Gel that sounds really cool and I kind of wish I got, and others, like me, got a Sesha Rejuvenating Anti-Wrinkle Mask ($9). I'm assuming I got the mask because I think in my profile I might've said my only skin concern is preventing signs of aging or something like that - this product bluntly states on the package "For Mature Skin". I'm not really sure I'm old enough for that designation yet. Anyway, this mask is a one time use mask that is supposed to make your skin look younger.

Sesha Skin Therapy Rejuvenating Anti-Wrinkle Mask

October 2013 Glossybox

I don't think this was a bad box, but nothing has really wowed me so far in it. I was initially very excited about the mascara, but it was a bit of a let down. The lip salve is good and I'll definitely try everything else, but eh. For a collaboration, I'm not as impressed as usual. The overall value of this box was $71.78, which is great. I just wish it were things I was a little more excited about. Last month spoiled me.


If you get Glossybox, did you get anything different? Did you get that exfoliating gel? Is it awesome? If you'd like to sign up, here's my link. Again, the link at the top is a non-referral link if you'd prefer.

(And just a disclaimer: I bought this box myself and was not compensated for this review in any way. All opinions are my own. The final link is a referral link, but I also included a non-referral link at the top.)