GlossyBox July 2014

In celebration of Independence Day the theme for the July GlossyBox was Stars and Stripes and showcases a selection of American brands. As much as I love their regular pink boxes (which remind me of the Sex and the City shoebox-style DVD collection), GlossyBox did an American flag inspired redesign of the box this month that looks rather cool! Here's what I received in mine:

1.) Mineral Lipstick by Bellapierre (Full size, £20). This glides on nice and creamy but, just my luck, I got the Mandarin shade which is much too orange for my pale skin. The case also feels like light cheap plastic to me, I do like the quilted design on it however.

2.) Perfecting Eyeshadow Primer by Absolute New York (Full size, $4.99/£2.92). This oil-free primer can be worn by itself to neutralise redness and brighten eyes, or alternatively applied under eyeshadow to prolong staying power and improve vibrancy. 

3.) Carmex lip balm (Full size, £2.69). This is very similar to my Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm; both contain beeswax and have the same menthol scent. It feels nice on my lips but I find the Burt's Bees one more convenient as it's in a tube rather than a pot.

4.) Color Club nail polish in Glossy Seal (Full size, $8/£4.69). Glossy Seal is a deep blue colour created especially for this box. It comes in a 15 ml container, a decent size that should last quite a while.

5.) Pur Minerals Dirty Girl Detoxifying Mudd Masque (15 g sample, full size is 120 g and costs £18). Designed to unclog pores, cleanse and exfoliate skin. You simply apply this facial mask to clean skin, leave for 5 - 20 minutes, then rinse.

As you can see, out of the 5 products I received this month 4 were full size. I am mostly happy with what I got - it feels particularly exciting to have an exclusive nail polish to add to my makeup collection - but I must admit I am slightly disappointed that the most expensive item is the only one that I won't be able to use, as without the lipstick the value of the rest of the contents amounts to around the same as what I paid for it. There's always that risk with mystery subscription boxes like this, so if that concerns you I would suggest checking out my You Beauty Discovery reviews as they allow you to build your own box each month.