Glossybox v JolieBox

I signed up for a 3 month subscription with JolieBox which as you may know was bought by the US beauty box giant Birchbox recently.  I decided to go for the JolieBox as I wanted to compare their offerings to the Glossybox which I have been receiving for over half a year now and have had mix results with.  First impressions of the October JolieBox were positive overall.  The box itself is a little smaller than the Glossybox and comes with a nice little bag to hold everything together which is quite cute.  The box also has a menu which lists everything in the box and also includes loads of offers to JolieBox subscribers and a little magazine which is nice.

The October JolieBox has a Pure and Natural theme and contained:

1. Jason Bee Healthier Lip Balm Stick - initially, I wasn't too excited about this, but when I took of the lid and smelled the product I was pretty much won over, the lip balm smells lovely and minty, which for me is a bonus as I can't stand sweet smells.  The lipbalm itself is not too sticky and in fact feels dry when you first put  it on, however, I liked the tingly feeling I got on my lips and I like the fact that it wasn't gloopy like some lip balms.  I'm looking forward to using this in the winter months.

2. Ritessens Exfoliating Cream - a creamy face scrub with really fine grains to help exfoliate your face.  This is recommended for daily use and I think it will be fine for this as the scrub is quite delicate when you compare it to some other scrubs.  The smell is lovely and rich - very spa like.

3. LOV is Beautiful Organic Tea - a herbal tea with white and green tea with mango, pineapple and apricot.  I love this tea, it smells amazing and my sister and I are totally addicted and can't wait to buy some more.  The JolieBox came with a free shipping voucher so will definitely make use of this.  To top things off the tea also has proven skincare benefits according to the spiel on the JolieBox menu so all boxes are ticked :)

4. MOA The Green Balm - a multi-purpose balm which I guess I will use in the same way that I use Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour cream, i.e. on lips, elbows, feet, knees(!).  A nice travel sized pot which will fit comfortably in my handbag and will be useful for the winter months.

5. Iroisie Ultimate BB Cream - I haven't had a chance to try this yet, but as I love BB creams on the whole I'm looking forward to trying this.

6. Wen Cleansing Conditioner - I haven't heard about Wen before and on taking the plastic cover off the tube was hit with a minty smell, so far so good.  Will use this when I next wash my hair and will Tweet what I think.  The Conditioner can either be used as an intensive conditioner or as a leave in conditioner for the ends of your hair.  Again, as with a lot of the products in the October JolieBox I think this could be perfect for the coming winter months.

7. Twistband Hair Tie - I've read about these on various blogs and look forward to trying it out.  I think to be honest I will probably use it to put my hair up for when I go to bed as I'm not sure that I like the look of it enough to go out with it.

8. Nailgirls Silver Nail Polish - a vegan friendly nail polish, the silver shade that I received is nice, the colour I achieved with one coat was pretty good.

In summary, I was quite impressed with the JolieBox, I got a quite a lot for my tenner and most of the products are ones that I would use and l don't think much will get wasted.  I will see how the 3 month subscription pans out and see whether its worth keeping one or both my JolieBox and Glossybox subscriptions.

JolieBox - http://joliebox.co.uk/
Glossybox - http://www.glossybox.co.uk/ 

October 2012 Glossybox

The October '12 Glossybox has a DIY beauty theme which is supposed to create the ultimate 'home spa' experience.  I think that a few face masks etc would have probably been a bit more appropriate than a lipstick and BB cream, but overall I'm pleased with my box so I'm not complaining!

This month's box contains:

1. Anatomicals Don't just clean it woman, scrub it body scrub - lovely fruity smelling body scrub that I've put away to take on holiday with me in December. 

2. Olay Regenerist 3-Point Treatment Cream Fragrance Free - another Olay product (got one last month too), again passed on to mum.  She's starting to do well out of my Glossyboxes!

3. Skinetica Anti-Blemish solution - just in time as I've had a couple of breakouts so will try this out and see how we go.  I've never heard of Skinetica so looking forward to trying this out. 

4. Yves Rocher Moisturising Cream Lipstick - an absolutely lovely colour for my Indian skintone and it feels lovely on the lips.

5. Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm - I was so excited when I saw this in the Glossybox as I've read about Dr. Jart's BB creams for a while now and the general consensus seems to be that its a good product.  Unfortunately the colour sent to me is just too 'grey' for me which is a real shame as the texture and consistency seem to be really nice. 


What did you think of your Glossybox this month?

Dishoom - Shoreditch

3 of us went along to Dishoom last night for the soft opening of the new branch of Dishoom in Shoreditch.  First impressions were great, the courtyard was quirky and welcoming, the inside was quite spacious and casual with great authentic Bombay style.

Foodwise, we have been to the Covent Garden branch a few times so knew what to expect, but we have to say that a special mention has to go to the Lamb Raan Bun which is the Chef's Shoreditch Special which was just melt in the mouth amazaballs!

Chilli Cheese Toast - so simple but so good



Lamb Raan Bun, Okra Fries and Bhel (just in picture)

Gunpowder Potatoes - tasty, Chicken Ruby Curry which just didn't
compare to the amazing Lamb Raan Bun

Other dishes ordered:

Chole Chawal - too salty and a little dark looking
Dishoom Calamari - cooked to perfection and just lovely
Sheekh Kabab - we thought this was good until we had the Lamb Raan Bun which just blew us away.
Kachumber Salad - not that special
Roomali Roti - great, thin, elastic bread which is perfect to mop up the sauces and wrap around bits of food.

Food: 4/5 - just a little on the salty side

Service: 5/5

Price: 5/5 - 50% off due to the soft launch so it was a bargain!

Ambiance: 5/5 - toilets are brilliant too!
www.dishoom.com

September Superdrugs Haul

I put my hands up, this post is coming out a little late as I didn't have the chance to write it up before now.  I went in looking for the Sleek contour palette after seeing it on so many blogs and then was intimidated by the TOWIE colour combo and ended up with a basketful of other stuff (I may go back for the Sleek contour palette when I'm feeling braver!!).

1. Garnier Skin Naturals Dark Spot Corrector - £7.49
On the box: Fades discolourations for even skintone, this includes dark spots, age spots and blemish marks.
I bought this in the hope that it would compare favourably to Philosophy Miracle Worker, which I have been using on my old acne scars, but which is much more expensive.  I love Miracle Worker, but if this does the job too, I would be over the moon and have more money in my pocket to boot!

So far I've really liked using it, its really light and absorbs very quickly and it has a much more pleasant smell than the Miracle Worker.  Will use it for a few more weeks to get an idea if it does the job with the dark spots.

2. Collection 2000 Shimmer Shades Blush in 1. Way to Glow - £4.19
On the box: 4 complementary, shimmering shades for a subtle, radiant glow.
Very similar in finish to Clinique Fresh Bloom in 03 Almond Blossom which is way prettier to look at, however,  the Collection 2000 is a tiny bit more sparkly and a little more flyaway so you have to be that little bit more careful putting it on.

3. St Ives Naturally Clear Apricot Scrub - £1.99*
On the box: Effectively lifts away surface oil and dirt that can lead to blackheads and blemishes.
I used to use this years ago when I was at university and thought that I would try it out again.  It is very coarse so you need to go easy on how much 'scrubbing' you do.  However, it does leave your skin lovely and soft.

4. Bourgois Healthy Mix Serum, Gel Foundation in 56 - £10.99*
On the box: 16 hours radiance boosting even revived complexion.  Vitamin rich fruit therapy.
This product is genius, it does take a minute to sink in properly, but I really like this as it means that it gives me a chance to spread it across my face in a really thin layer.  Once set, the final finish is really soft and natural.  I'm a big fan already.

5.L'Oreal Paris Lumi Magique Base Pure Light Primer - £9.99
I'm using this as a highlighter  its a little too bright for my Indian skin but soon tones down with a bit of powder on top.  Have had a couple of people comment favourably on it when I'm wearing it so will definitely keep using it.  I definitely prefer it to something like Moonbeam by Benefit which is similar but almost florescent on my skin.

6. Sure Long Lasting Protection Mineral Fresh with Natural Mineral 48 hour anti-perspirant.- £1.63*
No alcohol and the smell isn't offensive, nor does it linger.  I've been using this for a while and will continue to do so.  The only bug bear I have with it is that if you don't shake it like crazy before application you WILL get white powder everywhere.

7. Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Deep Pore Treatment Toner - £4.35*
On the box: Visibly clearer skin in as little as 12 hours.
I haven't had a chance to try this yet but will let you know what I think.  I've bought it more as a toner than anything else as my skin does feel a little congested at the moment.

8. Garnier Nutrisse Permanent Hair Dye - £5.10*
I love this hair dye, I've only come back to dying my hair myself for the past few months (I had white hair from the age of 14) and so far I love this dye as the smell isn't too offensive and it leaves my hair lovely and soft.

9. VO5 Plump Me Up Dry Shampoo - £1.69*
On the box: boost body and grip whilst refreshing your style.
I bought this as I wanted to try something different from the usual Batiste Dry Shampoo which I like but I find the smell just too strong.  So far this has been a hit, giving my hair that extra bit of grip that I need to keep my hair in place when I pin it up.

10. Maybelline New York Volum' Express Lift-Up Volume & Lift Mascara in Black - £6.19*
This is the only mascara I come back to time and time again. I have quite long eyelashes anyway so its easy for them to look a bit OTT with some mascaras, this product is perfect as it pushes my eyelashes up and gives then just enough curl.  There is hardly any clumping, even towards the end of the tube and the brush is just the right shape for my eye.

11. Maybelline New York Dream Fresh 8 in 1 BB Cream with SPF 30 in Dark - £7.99*
I shouldn't have bothered with this, I couldn't find the exact right shade and ended up going for dark which is too dark and orangey (?),  The consistency of the product is a little runny and it streaks.  Not a fan!

and finally...

12. Nivea Daily Essentials Facial Cleansing Wipes - £1.49*
I bought these just to try them more than anything.  I usually use Simple wipes, but as these were on offer I thought it would be a good time to give them a go.  They do feel a little more 'cleansing' then Simple wipes but as I tend to use wipes as back up rather than my usual cleaners I haven't had a chance to use more than one for now so more on these later!

What do you think of the products above?

Are there any that you love or hate?

*prices as at Superdrugs on 13th September 2012