May GlossyBox - What did I find?

So the postman has just been with my May Glossybox - super quick delivery yet again.  Whenever my Glossybox arrives I am always full of anticipation as to what I am going to find within my box.  Naturally if you havent got your box yet and don't want to know what is inside, click away now.

So opening the outer box inside I found the lovely dusty pink box that we have all come to love and like getting.  Now this month it is the 2nd Birthday for Glossybox, so I have my hopes up for some pretty fantastic and something a little unexpected maybe?  Well this is what I got:

I love the Neon Pink Ribbon and the wrapping paper inside this box, so we are off to a good start!

Now the contents:

Givency Noir Courute Mascara - it is in a sachet so this had me intrigued until I opened it to find a miniscule version - said to be a multi-tasker that creates instant volume, length and curl and using an active complex bunch of ingredients it is said to nourish your lashes too... Hmm.... this would cost £22.50 full size price.

Caudalie Divine Oil comes next and it is inside a 15ml glass bottle which costs £4.05 should you wish to buy it.  This Divine Oil is said to be the "Ultimate beauty Elixir for your body, face and hair" and after using it will turn me into a Caudalie Convert.  It can be used on the body, face, hair and nail or added to a hot bath and even used as a massage oil.

Premae Harmony Balm  - said to be a skin protector and primer leaving you with a silky, dewy finish.  It uses antiseptic lemongrass and aloe vera to soothe breakouts and reduce excess oil.  A full size tub of this at 30ml will cost you £26.50, the tub in the Glossybox is a 10ml tub

Beautiful Movements Cosmetics - Formerly known as BM apparently.  This is said to be a new product and a multi-tasking one at that.  It is a Prime and Create Mixing Medium which is an addition to Kimberley Wyatt (Formerly of the Pussycat Dolls) collection and it can be used as a primer to give that matte, shine free base for make-up or mix it with foundation for an air-brush effect or with blushers, bronzers to create a creme tint or even eye shadow pigments to create liquid eye-liner.  This is a 2.5g product within the box and to purchase it is £20 for 20g

Finally we have (yet another) Nails Inc mini - Portobello is mine, eye-catching Neon Shade named after one of London's most popular roads.

As this is a birthday box there is something extra - a matchbox styled box of mini nail-files which I love.  These can quite easily be shoved into your handbags and are so useful to have.  The packaging matches the wrapping paper from within the box and the nail files match the ribbon - cute!

So there you have it - the May Glossybox - what do you think?

Unusually balanced - that's me!!

Unlike most people, I am quite new to the Balance Me range, until this particular product I was yet to actually try something from the range, despite seeing them everywhere.

Radiance Face oil tells you that it will "enhance skins natural lustre" and that it is 100% natural.  I also like that on the back of the box, as shown below you can read the following - "smooth away the years with our highly emollient, 100% natural face oil.  Skin lacking in lustre is enhanced with a rich, replenishing blend of naturally active and smoothing ingredients. Don't be afraid to use this if your skin is prone to congestion as oil on oil is extremely balancing, hydrating and comfortable to wear".

That little blurb on its own answered the question for me as to whether or not having combination skin; leading more to the oily side would work well with this oil.  Never in my life have I used a product like this on my skin, more through fear of expecting to turn into a bottle of vegetable oil and making my skin super shiny, however until you try it I guess you just never know.

Inside the box I was surprised to find how lovely the glass bottle looked, the oil itself is almost orange and reminded me a little bit of some extra virgin olive oil that I have in my cupboard.  This 30ml bottle comes complete with a little pipette that you use to dispense the oil onto your hands. The reason you drop it onto your hands is because your body's natural temperature helps to warm up the oil as the 'directions' show on the side of the box, which again you can see in the picture below. 

I like how clear the directions of use are and that it explains fully how to use this oil to get the full benefits such as massaging in circular motions and words such as toxins, circulation and boost cell renewal all catch the eye and attention as you read.

When you first apply this to your face, I was surprised, infact I was so surprised at how non-greasy it felt.  I had been expecting to find a mini oil slick on the palms of my hands but quite the opposite, as soon as you apply to your face it has absorbed itself in double quick time leaving nothing behind except glowing skin that was silky smooth to the touch. My skin hasn't broken out in any spots, it doesn't irritate my skin nor make it itchy, all of which has slightly surprised me, again having never used oil on combination skin I was waiting for something to go wrong - it didn't.  Usually around the time of my monthly visit I sometimes get one or two spots around my chin which annoy me because I'm not used to having them, using this product they didn't even make an appearance, again another thumbs up from me.

All of the ingredients within this oil are natural and you have no less than 8 base oils which includes:

• Amazonian Buriti Nut, Cameilla and Rosehip Oil all of which work to reduce redness and address uneven skin tones and minimise the visible signs of scarring. 
• Add to that Yarrow, Benzoin and Roman Camomile which work together to create a highly moisturising effect.  
• You will also find Sweet Almond Oil which smells divine and again helps to keep your skin feeling soft, smooth and moisturised and finally there is grape seed oil, again an ingredient that works with the other 7 and again has moisturising properties for the skin.

When I use this oil, I tend to use it first thing in the morning after getting out of the shower and before I go to bed having removed all my make-up and the days dirt and grime and before I add any extra moisturiser even though some days I feel as though my skin is not in need of anything else.  The smell is perhaps the one thing I'm not too keen on, I had hoped the sweet almond oil would be the dominant fragrance within this product but what you get is something quite herb like, and it isn't off-putting in any way and wouldn't stop me from using it.

This product retails at £30 for a 30ml bottle from the Balance Me website which isn't cheap but when you are only using 3 - 4 drops per day, it is certainly going to last quite a while.  I have no hesitations when it comes to recommending this facial oil, I love how it makes my skin feel, I love the pipette application because it is so different to the products I would usually use and makes applying it a little lore fun. A great face oil that does leave your skin feeling soft and smooth to the touch whilst leaving your skin glowing.  For me this would be a definite re-purchase.

Which balance me products do you use?

Have you tried any face oils?

Bellapierre cosmetics

Bellapierre cosmetics is a mineral brand of make-up and I don’t know about everyone else but it seems Mineral based cosmetics are the upcoming thing to try and to use.  I was recently sent a lovely gift package of products to try and I have no previous experience with any of them nor the brand itself, so it was something I was really looking forward to and something I have really enjoyed.

Here is a very brief introduction to Bellapierre cosmetics and you can read more about them and their products HERE:

So In my lovely gift bag, which in itself is stunning, I find myself with:

• HD Makeup Primer
• 5 eye shadow palette
• Compact Mineral Foundation in Ultra and it has a 15 SPF
• Compact Mineral Blush in Desert Rose
• Compact Mineral Blush in Peony
• Three make-up brushes - an angled blusher brush, a foundation brush and an eye-shadow brush

The HD make-up primer comes in a beautiful jar, is paraben free and it has been developed to treat dryness, fine lines, excess oil,enlarged pores and is suitable for all skin types.  When you apply it to your face it simply glides on and makes your skin feel really lovely and smooth to touch and it is really easy to apply.  All you need is a small amount of primer on your fingertips and then you gently rub it into the skin paying particular attention to your T zone, fine lines and wrinkles. Then simply wait for 1 – 3 minutes before applying your foundation.

The Bellapierre 5-in-1 mineral foundation has the same properties as concealer, SPF, finishing powder and setting powder, so you no longer need a different product for each job; this does it all.  It comes in 10 different shades and I have got the lightest shade there is because I am quite pale skinned. It suits my skin perfectly and on the Bellapierre website is that you can look at all of the shades and choose the one that closely fits your own skin tone.

When it comes to using this foundation, the use of the brush is brilliant, you only need the smallest amount of powder  and as you apply to your face using circular movements of the brush you get a really great coverage, so much better than some of the high street brands that I have tried in the past.

The compact mineral blush in Desert Rose is talc free and it comes in this really pretty compact case with a mirror and a puff.  I love the fact it has a push button to open the compact and that the puff has its own little compartment.  The colour itself is simply stunning, it gives such a lovely colour to your face and it doesn’t fade at all through the day, it remains on your face as though you have just applied it.  Application is really simple and straight forward too, using the angled brush, you swirl it into the compact to collect the blusher and apply it to your cheeks and t-zone as you would do with any other blusher you might have and use.  This blusher is available in four different shades.

The body and face bronzer comes in the same compact to the blusher, again with a mirror and a puff.  It also contains Jojoba which in itself helps to soften and soothe the skin.  Again using the angled brush you complete the exact same actions with this product as you did with the blusher and you apply a small amount of the bronzer powder onto your cheeks, forehead, chin and nose. This product is also available in four different shades.

The 5 eye shadow palette is really something special, I love the palette and all of the colours, it is a sleek design which fits so easy into my make-up bag, it combines a mirror and application brush.  As you can see from the photo, there are 5 different shades in this palette and they are:

• 001 Snow Flake, 
• 003 Champagne, 
• 009 Bronze: Go Natural
• 008 Lava, 
• 055 Diligence

All of these shades are stunning as you can see from the swatches and they really pick up the light when you are wearing them.  There are a further five palettes in this range.

The applicator brush is really easy to use, though I only tend to use it to touch up my eye make-up rather than carry the eye brush around with me which came as part of this gift set.  The description given of these brushes is as follows:

Bellapierre Professional makeup brushes are essential for flawless makeup application! Whether you use pressed or loose mineral makeup, we have an extensive collection of professional quality brushes to choose from! We have a variety of different types of makeup brushes for all different types of makeup applications, such as for blush, concealer, powder, eyeliner, eye shadow, and other brush sets with multiple brushes. Quality brushes allow you to apply your makeup easier, faster, and also make the experience more comfortable since they are made in specific shapes and sizes for whatever job is at hand.

Bellapierre have their own make-up brush and accessory range and I absolutely love the three that I have.  The foundation brush which is housed inside a plastic holder is made from 100% Natural hair and is a tapered brush head making it ideal for applying foundation to the nose and eye area.  As you can see the black handle really does add a nice finish to this brush and its rounded shape makes it very easy to grip onto.

The angled Blush Brush which again is a similar style and made from 100% natural hair,is great for contouring and all over cheek application.

The final product is the eye shadow brush which is brilliant, it makes applying eye make-up a simple and easy process.  As with the other two brushes, it is made from natural hair which creates a silky soft tapered brush head.

Finally, if you do go look on the official website, one of the best sections is the Tips and Advice section which you can see HERE the smoky eye part is exceptionally helpful!

Have you ever tried anything from this range? 

What do you think to it?