Joliebox December

Joliebox December 2012
Monthly Subscription: £10 + p&p

I had been hoping for something spectacular as this was the last ever Joliebox (before becoming Birchbox) so was sadly a little disappointed that this was pretty much the same as the others.

Bellapierre Shimmer Powder
I received the Refined, which is quite a dark shade. Good brand to get in the box, but I don't use pigment often unfortunately as I find it too messy.

Dr Duve Hand & Decollete Cream
There were 2 sachets, so I tried this on my hands first and it was nothing special.  The following night I used the 2nd sachet on my chest and neck.  The following day I had a breakout of pimples on my neck.  Could have been coincidence, but I would be unlikely to use this again.

I Love... Cosmetics Shimmer and Shine Lip Gloss
This version is called "Strawberries and Milkshake".  The smell is really nice, but it feels very gloopy and tacky, and you can't see any colour at all, just a shine.  Personally I prefer more colour in my glosses.

Agua de Colonia Concentrada Alvarez Gomez
I was a little wary of this fragrance at first, but I actually really liked it!  It is quite fresh, but doesn't smell like anything else I own.  It claims to be unisex, so I thought I would test it and gave it to my partner to try.  Luckily, he enjoyed it too!

Color Club Nail Polish
This range of colours is based on social networking sites.  I received "Insta-this" which I thought was based on Instagram, so surprised by the bright blue as I would associate that more with Facebook.
Once I put it on I was very surprised by how, um.... 'blue' it was.  It's not really for me, it was completely unnatural, but I imagine it would appeal to some people.  I gave mine away!
I am wearing a top coat in the photo, but it actually had quite a nice matt effect before I put that on, so you could easily go without a topcoat if you want that effect.
One major flaw is that it chipped quite badly after just one day of use, so I had to remove it completely by the 2nd day.

Color Club Insta-This Nail Polish

Olay Regenerist Skin Cream
Strangely none of the writing on the packaging was in English, so I had to guess this was a night cream!
I was quite surprised at first because I was expecting a cream, but what came out was actually a gel with sparkles in it.  It seems a little scary, but I have not woken up with a shiny face each day, you can't see the sparkles at all when you have it on!
i got quite used to the gel texture and prefer this to a cream as I have oily skin, so I may buy a full size version of this.

Yon-Ka Pamplemousse Moisturiser
I have read about Pamplemousse quite a lot so was very excited to receive this, but unfortunately I received a version for dry skin.  It did make me wonder what was the point of filling out the Joliebox beauty profile, as I did say I have oily skin on there!
I really love the smell of this, but as it is the dry skin version i have used it more as a night cream than a daytime moisturiser.  My partner keeps using it on his dry skin as he loves the smell too, so I may have to let him keep this one and buy my own!

Lindt Lindor Chocolate Bars
A nice little bonus for Christmas, and the fact there were 2 was wonderful because my partner and I got to have one each!  I love the Lindor balls, and the bar was just the same but softer.  It was so delicious, but huge... one was far too much for me, I felt overindulged!  More of these please!!

GlamGlow Tingling & Exfoliating Mud Mask

GlamGlow Tingling & Exfoliating Mud Mask
Approx price: £40 - £50

I hate feeling left out, so when seeing this product advertised as "Hollywood's best kept secret" I really felt like I needed to get involved!

The list of benefits seemed incredibly impressive:
- Skin Collagen Synthesis for a noticeable 3 day glow.
- Brighter, radiant skin in minutes.
- Leaves skin noticeably soft and smooth.
- Multi-level resurfacing exfoliation.
- Penetrates into the deepest layers of the skin to soften fine lines and wrinkles. 
- Tightens, tones and lifts the skin. 
- Relives dark circles and minimises pores. 
- Absorbs impurities without removing natural oils.
- Helps protect against everyday environmental aggressors. 
- Suitable for all skin types, all ages and for both women and men.
- Contains no artificial colours or fragrances.
- Cruelty-free, and suitable for vegans

The ingredient list also sounds delicious and exotic:
Contains:
Volcanic Rock, Volcanic Mineral Ash, French Sea Clay, Purified Clay, Real Pieces of Green Tea Leaf, Green Tea Seed Oil, Grape Seed, Chamomile Flower, Marigold Flower, Cucumber, Ivy, Herb Leaf, Lavender Oil.
- Teaoxi™:
Patent Pending formula is GLAMGLOW's continuous time-release technology, delivering fresh Super-Squalene, EGCG Super-Antioxidants and polyphenols directly into the mud from real pieces of Tea Leaf. Super powerful Teaoxi™ is responsible for brightening the complexion, protecting against free radicals, hydrating and balancing the oil levels in the skin.
- Volcanic Minerals:
Pulverised into Micro Pumice, these ancient rock minerals give multi-level surface exfoliation and stimulate microcirculation, helping to detoxify and awaken the skin, reduce puffiness, under-eye circles and smooth fine lines while softening the skin’s texture to reveal younger looking skin.
- French Sea Clay: 
Dredged off the coast of Southern France and when combined with Teaoxi™ a tingling sensation is created, triggering 12 hours of Collagen Synthesis for a noticeable wrinkle deduced 3-day glow. French Sea Clay absorbs impurities and toxic substances reducing pore size and helping to look younger by reducing the appearance of age.

But is it worth the hype (and the money?!)

Firstly, the smell of tea is delicious, but then I love tea! If you are not keen, be warned, it is very strong! But if you like it, you will find it delicious.

Application is advised via a foundation brush, so I just got a cheap one from E.L.F. and it worked great, and stopped too much being applied with fingers, allowing for even application.

I didn't notice too many tea leaves on my face, it seemed quite sparse.

I am quite disappointed that I felt no tingling sensation, as promised.  My skin started to tighten as the mask dried, but then all masks do that, so nothing special there.

The exfoliation part comes when you remove the mask, you wet it and massage it into your face.  I could really feel the grains on my skin.  So the amount of exfoliation you get depends on how much work you put in, it is not automatic.

Looking in the mirror afterwards I was sad to say I could not see any difference in my skin at all, other than the fact that it was a bit more red, probably due to the exfoliation.  Maybe you have to use it long term to actually see a difference?

My partner used it with no problems, so it is great for men too.

Overall, I don't think it is worth the money for what it does.  The smell is delicious, but I don't think it is worth the price when I can't see any visible difference in my skin.