Glossybox La Mer Special Edition Box

As collaborations go, this is one that I have been so excited about since the information dropped into my email inbox. I have hankered after using something from La Mer for years and whilst I don't have the bank balance to stretch quite this far Glossybox have given me the opportunity to try not just one but SIX products! I think we can all agree that Glossybox knows how to do a collaboration and having missed out on a few previous boxes which include NARS and Harvey Nicholas, I am glad I have got my hands on this box more so because it sold out in record time.

La Mer is a brand I am sure we have all seen and heard of. Created by Dr Huber in the 1950's. Dr Max Huber was an aerospace scientist that suffered a horrific accident - a routine experiment exploded in his face, covering him with severe chemical burns. Neither science nor medicine offered sufficient promise of help, so Huber decided to help himself. Twelve years and 6,000 experiments later, he perfected the crème that would help give skin a dramatically smoother appearance - Crème de la Mer. Dr Huber believed the sea was a miraculous resource and sea kelp, with its endless ability to regenerate itself, its nourishing properties and the powerful way it retained moisture, held promise and hope. A truly remarkable story behind the brand.

The special edition Glossybox contains 6 of their cult products and gives you everything you need for a complete La Mer skincare routine and inside the box, you will find:

The Cleansing Micellar Water 30ml - I have been wanting to try this Micellar water ever since I saw it on sale in Fabled towards the end of last year.  Described as being a cooling cleanser, it uses positively charged water molecules to micro-emulsifies makeup (even waterproof) and sweeps away impurities and pollutants while delivering the hydration and soothing synonymous with La Mer.

Now having had the opportunity to try it, it is, as I expected it to be just absolutely incredible and the best Micellar water I have tried to date and there have been quite a few.  I love how soft it is on my skin and it is simply amazing at removing absolutely everything from my face, whether or not I have worn makeup. If like me you double cleanse, then you use this as the first step and I am now really wanting the full sized bottle, which is priced at £70 for 200ml.

The Treatment Lotion 5ml - Described as being 'liquid energy' this rich and silky hydrator awakens the complexion and drives moisture into the skin to improve visible texture and even the appearance of skin tone.

It also helps any products you apply on top to penetrate the skin's surface layer more efficiently. Designed to be used after cleansing and before any other products. This was the one product I wasn't too sure about, but unsurprisingly I actually really liked it, but not as much as other products in the box, I just think I need more guidance on how to get the best out of using it. A 150ml bottle is priced at £100.

The Eye Concentrate 3ml - The eye area is one of the first places to show signs of ageing and fatigue and the Eye Concentrate is said to help combat this.

Using Radiant Ferments that infuse the skin with energy and a calming cocktail of Sea Algae and anti-irritants to help soothe and balance as well as helping to minimise the appearance of dark circles, surface discolorations and unevenness. I have used this a few times now and it is incredibly light textured and really easy to apply and a little really is the key. Soothing and cooling on the skin, I love that needs very little help to absorb into the skin. Priced at £115 for 30ml it is an eye cream of dreams.

The Revitalizing Hydrating Serum 5ml - This was launched in January of this year and is La Mer's newest serum.  Tiny micro-droplets help the skin attract and hold moisture whilst delivering the key active ingredients - green, brown and red algae, deep within the skin's surface layers.

Said to leave the skin looking plumped with lines appearing softer, you need just a few drops.  Designed to be using after cleansing but before the application of moisturiser and your SPF.  This is one of the samples I wish was a little bigger than it is because I really suspect it will make such a huge difference to my skin, I have already used pretty much all of this after 8 days of using it and the love affair is definitely growing. A full sized version at 30ml is priced at £145.

The Intensive Revitalizing Mask 15ml - In just 8 minutes this mask will detox your skin leaving it brighter, fresher and plumper.

The trio of Miracle Broth, Vitality Ferment and Purifying Ferment help to promote skin turnover, drench the skin with moisture, neutralise free radicals and protect your complexion from stress and pollution.  If you need a more intensive treatment, this mask can be left on the skin overnight.  So this is possibly the best mask I have tried as an overnight treatment EVER!  Oh, my,  my skin felt absolutely incredible the following morning after using this just once, it was soft, smooth and moisturised more than I have ever known my skin to be and again, this mask is one I feel I need in my life.  A full sized version is priced at £115 for 75ml.

The Moisturizing Cream 7ml - A cult product if ever there was one, thanks to the Miracle Broth that makes it so effective at hydrating and soothing the skin. Designed to be tailored to your own skin for example - if you have oily skin then use it once a day whereas those with dry skin can use it twice a day and those like me with combination skin, rather than apply it to your entire face you simply use it on the dry cheek area only.

To active the Miracle Broth you simply warm between your fingertips until the cream feels as though it is melting and it looks transparent, it is then you pat it onto your skin. Again, finally being able to try a cult product has been amazing and I have just loved using this too. I love the texture, I love how it feels on my skin and I love how it makes my skin feel after using it. Priced at £115 for 30ml this is the cream of dreams.

Putting all of these products together you have a 6 step skincare regime from one of the world's most luxurious brands and using some of the most well known and sought after products.  I love the story behind the brand and the science that goes into each and every product and for me, it has been such a brilliant insight and journey into a brand that I have fallen in love with and one I want to get to know a lot more about.

A fantastic box I am sure you will agree with the combined price of all the products coming in at £118!

Use the code FABGLOSSY

*this post contains PR samples/AF Links unless indicated otherwise

Erborian Black Cleansing Oil

Erborian is a brand that just intrigues and excites me, I adore it and so does my skin. The Erborian skincare brand, its name derived from 'Herbs of the Orient', was born back in 2007 when two women, both experts in the demanding world of cosmetics happened to meet. Blending the power of Korean textures and ingredients with French sensoriality and know-how, there is a whole host of new products hitting stores and I have a few of them to share with you.

The product that grabbed my attention as soon as I saw it was the Black Cleansing Oil. Korean women see Charcoal as the ultimate do-it-all ingredient and over the last 18 months, it has become an ingredient that has appeared in a lot of beauty products. In food and pharmaceutical products it is known for detoxifying the body by absorbing toxins, it can be taken regularly to purify the air by neutralising odours and in cosmetics, it is renowned for being incredibly tough on excess sebum and for those of us who have combination/oily skin, it is just an amazing ingredient. 

Binchotan is a type of charcoal which is made from evergreen oak wood and once it is carbonised, charcoal is known for its detoxifying, purifying and mattifying properties and thanks to its miraculous absorption capacity, it is amazing within skincare.

So the Black Cleansing Oil is as you might see from the photographs black and it is unlike any other cleansing oil that I have used. Not only is it black in colour, I had expected it to be quite thick and gloopy, but it isn't at all. It has a real silky texture which when it comes into contact with water transforms into a light emulsion, it is here that the complex of 7 herbs and the presence of charcoal do their thing.  On the skin it is incredibly gentle and as a first cleanse it is just incredible at removing EVERYTHIING - make up, dirt and grime it just washes off and it also rids the skin of its impurities and excess sebum.

Whenever I cleanse, I am a double cleanse kind of girl and after using this as the first cleanse my skin is soft, smooth and feels so so clean and as though it can breathe. Nourished and supple to the touch, I love how well it works, how much my skin and I love it. I cannot rave about it enough.  If you need a new cleanser then this is it, if only to kill your curiosity as to how good it might be!

Priced at £24 for a 190ml it is one to watch out for right here.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise