Discover Darphin

As well as the regular monthly beauty boxes, Glossybox also offer the occasional 'Flash Box', a box that introduces you to the products of a particular brand, and is available for a limited time only.

In February the Flash Box feautred the French brand Darphin. There were actually two different boxes to choose from, each dealing with a different skincare issue: one contained products from the Expert Hydration Programme, and the other products from the Sensitive Skin Expert Programme. I was tempted to get both, as dryness and sensitivity are both problems I have with my skin. But I thought getting three beauty boxes in one month (including the regular glossybox) seemed a little excessive (!) so I settled on just the sensitive skin one. And actually, I tend to steer towards trying products for dry rather than sensitive skin so I thought I'd try something different this time.

The products really appealed to me from their description alone, even before they arrived - I like the fact that they are specifically designed to deal with a particular issue; and the fact that they try to solve this problem using the power of botanics - plants and essential oils.

The box was £10 + P&P for subscribers, which I thought was really good value, as you get very generous samples of this high-end brand; I've put the full size prices next to each:

• Intral Cleansing Milk (50ml) *£27/200ml
• Intral Toner (50ml) *£27/200ml
• Intral Redness Relief Soothing Serum (5ml) *£50/30ml
• Intral Soothing Cream (15ml) *£40/50ml

As you can see, all these products are from the same Intral range, and so are designed to complement each other - I've been using all four products together. The Intral range is 'ideal for sensitive skin prone to redness and irritations' and helps to 'repair and strengthen skin's natural barrier'.

Both the cleanser and toner contain chamomile and hawthorn extracts - and both smell wonderful. The cleanser feels really soothing to use, although I didn't find it great for removing make up as I had to rub it in quite a bit, which seems to somewhat defeat the object of using something for sensitive skin! But it works great on days when I don't have lashings of eye make up etc. Followed by the toner my skin feels soothed but also really clean, which is not always a sensation I get when using cream cleansers. I've then been using a few pumps of the serum, followed by some of the soothing cream on top. The whole regime makes my skin feel really hydrated and calm, and it still feels that way the morning after.

I have really enjoyed using these products; they're very pleasant to use, which isn't always the case with products geared towards sensitive skin. I also liked the fact that they don't just prevent irritation, they positively make the skin feel less sensitive.

Although these products really suit my skin, in reality the prices of the regular sizes are a barrier to me ever buying these again, because I don't have a huge disposable income. And think of how many lipsticks you could buy for £40 instead, haha! In all seriousness though, I think the products work so well together that it won't really be worth just buying one of the items to use. Apart from the serum perhaps.

So I will savour these samples until the last drop - mourn their loss for a little while - and then move on to something else!

March Empties

I accumulate so many cosmetics that I try to make a real effort to actually use things up. So I hope to, on a monthly basis, report on my 'empties' - and then either pat myself on the back or tell myself off accordingly! In the month of March I got through the following:

I use a lot of products without packaging so not everything I used is pictured above.

Lush Heavanilli and Fever massage bars -  Heavanilli smells like vanilla and cinder toffee - amazing! Fever is a sultry jasmine scent. I still have a couple of these in my stash - they are two of my favourite massage bars and Lush discontinued them a while ago.

Lush Vanilla Fountain, Hot Java and Winter Bath bath ballistics - I had a lot of baths in March, partly because it was freezing and partly because I was training for the Berlin Half Marathon so I had sore muscles a lot. Hot Java and Winter Bath are two great spicy soaks, Vanilla Fountain has the same scent as Heavanilli massage bar.

Lush No Name and Marathon bubble bar slices - another couple of spicy soaks. No Name came out for Christmas a few years ago (yes, I hold on to cosmetics that long - I'm a hoarder!). And I thought it only appropriate that I use a bubble bar called marathon when in training.

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel (500g) - this product is a bit of a love it or hate it thing: it has a very sweet candyfloss scent. I as a rule love anything sweet and pink so I do have a soft spot for this, although it's a shame that it's the least natural product that Lush makes.

Benefit BADgal Lash Mascara (4g) - I got this free with Glamour last year I think. I liked using it a lot, although I prefer Benefit's They're Real! Mascara which I've just started using. I actually have another sample size BADgal knocking about because Boots gave it away as a free gift when buying 2 Benefit products recently.

Aveeno Skin Relief (300ml) - I'm always stocking up on these when there's a 3 for 2 at Boots! This is an absolute staple, I use it daily on my legs which are prone to dry skin after a shower or bath. It works wonders and is much better than any other cream I've tried for dry, eczema-prone skin (eg. E45)

Lush 9-5 Cleanser (95g) - I got given this for free a while ago in-store. It was getting kind of old so I just needed to use it up. It's ok as a cleanser, but I wouldn't rebuy it. I much prefer Ultrabland, and actually also Starcraft cleanser which was one of Lush's January limited edition retro products.

B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful Tinted Moisturiser in Bedouin - I've been using this for a long time, and I'm gutted that it's run out! B Never don't exist any more so there's no chance of rebuying it. On the upside, there are a few BB creams that I've been wanting to try so I can justify buying them now that I've run out of my staple tinted moisturiser.

Oral B Pro Expert Toothpaste - saving the best for last - ahem! I've recently switched to this from Sensodyne as I felt Sensodyne wasn't doing much for my sensitive teeth... and this tastes much better too.

All in all I'm happy with what I've used up this month, particularly the bath bits. I think the next area of my stash I need to focus on is body creams. And scrubs. And the rest of course!

Glossybox: February 2013

I recently treated myself to a subscription to Glossybox. I just love the idea of getting a surprise box of goodies every month; and thought it would be a great way to try new products. I think £10 plus P&P per month is pretty reasonable. I mean, I used to regularly have Graze boxes delivered to work, and they cost nearly £4 each - and all you get is a selection of snacks that probably last five minutes! From that point of view, I think Glossybox is definitely value for money.

The box was lying on my desk waiting for me when I got into work this morning. What a great way to start a cold, grey Monday! Even the exterior packaging is very nicely designed - and once you open that you get to the pink Valentine's themed box inside, which is lovely: definitely one I'll keep and store things in. The box comes with a leaflet (pictured below), which tells you a little bit about the products and what their full size equivalents cost.

The products inside the box are:

You Need A Blooming Shower! by Anatomicals (150ml)

Moisturising Lipstick in Sienna by Helen É 

Eyeshadow Duo: Eyeshadow Palette in Bronzed Goddess by Modelco

A heart-shaped lollipop - CUTE!

Mineral Blush Powder in Terra Cotta by Micabella Cosmetics

Raspberry Soft Cream by Docteur Renaud (30ml)

I'm particularly looking forward to trying the Anatomicals body cleanser - it smells of rose and jasmine apparently, which are two of my favorite floral scents. 

I'm also excited to try the Docteur Renaud cream. It sounds quite unusual, and I'm not entirely sure what to expect. It's supposed to be good for dry skin, and for sensitive skin as it 'steers clear of harsh chemicals and additives'. My skin is both dry and sensitive, so I'm glad that Glossybox sent me a product that actually fits the 'beauty profile' they ask you to fill out on the website. The cream is a generous 30ml size - a full size of 50ml retails at £25.

I'm also intrigued by the Helen É lipstick - although not a shade I would usually be attracted to I'm interested to see whether it really is as moisturising as it claims.

I think that the product selection this month is a good mix. In terms of the makeup, if I'd had a choice I would have gone for different colours - but the products themselves are pretty high quality so I don't mind too much. Also, one of the joys of getting a box like this is that you get to experiment with things that are outside your regular routine.

I'll post mini-reviews of some of the products once I've tried them.