Glossy Box January 2013

Yesterday saw the arrival of my first Glossy Box* for 2013 and it's another goodun'! At first glance, I was a little disappointed to see so much skincare for two reasons; firstly, I like a box that mixes it up and I always prefer getting make-up items to skincare, and secondly, I thought there was a high likeliness that there would be very little for me to play with since I'm so limited on what skincare items I can use due to being on the strict Jan Marini routine.  However, if you follow me on Twitter then you'll know that I'm now allowed to use masks from other brands, and this box was surprisingly mask heavy, so it's a total result for me!

This months box focuses on products that help with the new year detox, so it's lots of pampering treatments and treats for the skin.  You think this would've been the perfect excuse for GB to dump another body lotion in the box (I swear, I need never buy another body lotion again thanks to beauty boxes, and I don't even use them that often!) but thankfully they've managed to avoid that, and have instead included five products that are all to be used on the face.

As usual, my run through will be listed in order of my personal favourites first:

Sanctuary Spa Active Reverse Thermal Transformation Mask

This'll probably be the only time you'll ever find me happy to have a sachet sample included in a beauty box, but I have been eyeing this treatment for absolutely ages, just waiting to be given the go ahead to start using other products again.  Therefore, this arriving within days of me getting the go ahead is absolutely joyful as it'll save me risking the £27.50 that this retails at.  It's a two-step facial treatment; the first layer is a peptide treatment and the second is a Rose clay mask that warms the skin.  I love rose scented facial treatments (I'm binging quite severely on them at the moment) and I absolutely cannot wait to give this a whirl.

Monu Renu Flash Relax Mask

Another mask! This sounds rather interesting as it's a detoxing treatment that gives skin an instant facelift...apparently.  It certainly contains some goodies, such as vitamins C and B5 and Hyaluronic Acid so I can imagine this would make for a rather lovely pre-night out skin perk-up.  There appears to be enough for a couple of uses as the sample is a fairly generous 30ml, so I'm definitely looking forward to trying this.  Full price, this is £32.

Jason Lips Bee Healthier

Rather wonderfully named, don't you think? I'm always happy for a lip balm or lip treatment to feature in a beauty box as I can never have enough; I get through them at an astounding rate (I'll be doing a feature on my favourites soon) and I like to keep as many as possible dotted all over the place so I can replenish my lip moisture levels as often as possible.  I'll rarely get excited about a lip balm and tend to find them functional rather than rave-worthy, but I definitely like receiving them...certainly much, MUCH more than body creams! The sample included is full-size and retails at a cheap and cheery £1.99.

Vichy Normaderm 3in1 Cleanser

The main reason this falls so low in my list is due to the fact that I already have it, so obviously I'm not going to get excited about receiving it again, especially as I can't currently use it due to it containing scrubby bits, which is a big no-no in my current skincare routine.  It is a fabulous product though, so if you haven't tried it and got it in your Glossy Box this month then I recommend giving it a good go as both a mask and an exfoliator.  This was a decent sample size at 50ml and the full sized tube of 125ml retails at £11.

Premae Skincare Balance Rescue Face Tonique

This sounds absolutely beautiful and like something I would love to use, so I'm definitely sulking about the fact that I can't (whilst secretly trying to justify it's use; I'm thinking of incorporating it into a facial) as it's got some lovely sounding ingredients; sandalwood oil, lemongrass and rose water, all of which sound like they'd be a gentle and dreamy tonic to weather-beaten skin.  Again, it's low in my list due to the fact that I can't actually use it but it's definitely something I will try my hardest to find a way to use soon! Again, we got a fairly generous 30ml sample, and the full-sized 50ml retails at £27.50.

Glossy Box Sleeper Mask 

I really like the fact that we now appear to get monthly added extras from the GB brand itself, as it's a nice finishing touch.  This month we got a sleeper mask; I'm a bit weird about them as I love the way they look (and consequently I have several) but I'm too scared to use them as I'm worried that I'll end up tricking my body into believing it's night constantly and become some sort of Sleeping Beauty type without the beautiful dress and instead wearing PJs with holes in them.  Tad irrational, maybe, but there you go...

All-in-all, a pretty superb start to the year for Glossy Box! There isn't one product that I think is a cop-out (no body or foot creams anywhere in sight) and I feel like all these products, themed around 'detox', are well selected.  Hopefully this means that GB are back on course in delivering beauty boxes that are worthy of excitement and something to start looking forward to again.

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Glossy Box December 2012

After the excitement of beauty boxes died down a little, I decided I would only post about them if they excited me.  Here is a run down of the Glossy Box items for December 2012*.

Sadly, it's been a good few months since any of the boxes have piqued my interest but this Christmas edition is an absolute beaut, full of fab items that I'm definitely going to enjoy using.

As usual, I'm listing the contents in order of favourites.  

Sleek I-Divine True Palette 

I do love the Sleek palettes as they're always great quality, with a good colour selection and a very purse-friendly price tag.  This palette is definitely going to get plenty of use and abuse due to the inclusion of lots of wearable nudes, gentle washes and a few smoky shades.  I was absolutely thrilled to receive this and can't wait to give it a test run.  

Glossybox Blusher in Glossy Pink

I much prefer make-up items in beauty boxes and as I'm always on the hunt for a new pink blusher, it's safe to say this will get a thorough testing.  This was actually a bonus item and not part of the main contents, but I'm still happy to receive it, especially since I really loved the pink Glossybox lipstick that was included in a previous box.

Seche Nail Lacquer in Elegant

I already have a couple of the new Seche nail lacquers and I've reviewed Precious here.  In my original review I mentioned my dislike for the formula, but ever since I've been rethinking my initial reaction as the finish is so, so, sooooo smooth and glossy - it's almost gel like - so much so that I went out and bought the uber-famous top coat, so I can myself being a Seche convert.  I'm not sure about this shade as I'm not really an earthy nails kinda' girl, but I think I'll give this a go to see if it suits me.  

Anatomicals Lip Gloss in Strawberry Milkshake

The name is insane: "What a complete and utter glosser; I never fake strawberry milkshake fruity lip gloss tube."  Are. You. Kidding???  Who thought that was a good idea?! I get annoyed when companies use more than four words in a product title so this is a little bit ridiculous.  However, I haven't use any of the Anatomicals make-up products so I'll give this a go and see how I get on. 

Milk_Shake Conditioning Whipped Cream

I'm a sucker for anything that involves the word milk or references cream as a food rather than a skincare product, so I'm quite sold on this product just on it's name.  I assumed this was a body product but it's actually a leave-in hair conditioner that smells of whipped cream.  If this gives me soft, touchable hair that smells of sweet, whipped cream then I'll be a happy bunny.  

Rituals Magic Touch

I don't know why it is, but I struggle to get excited about Rituals products; I think it might be due to the fact that they've appeared in many beauty boxes and I've never come across a product of theirs (other than candles which are on my list) that have excited me.  This smells nice enough, contains rice milk (I do like me some milk) and from what I've read elsewhere, is a lovely body moisturiser so I'll give it a go and see what happens.  

I'm seriously happy with this month's box; I especially liked the silver box (makes a nice change to the usual pink even though I love pink) and I hope that this is a return to form for Glossy Box.  

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Glossybox: August 2012

I think I've mentioned this before, but the thing that really fascinates me about beauty boxes is just how different we all feel about them.  For example, last months box really didn't interest me at all which is why I didn't write about it, yet most raved about it.  This month, I'm loving the contents of the box, yet a lot of people completely disagree.  For me, I'm happiest when the contents lean towards more make-up/aesthetics and I think a lot of people prefer more skincare, so maybe that's why it is.  One thing's for sure, a beauty box review really does show just how different all beauty bloggers are.

This months box had an International Superstars theme, meaning that all products included are apparently beauty hits in their corresponding countries.  There are five products that work within this theme and an extra goody from the makers of Glossybox.

As usual, I'm listing in order of favourites:

Glossybox Lipstick in Glossy Pink

This is the extra goody yet it's definitely my favourite thing in the box.  It's one of those 'my lips but better' pinks with a good hint of red, so it leans slightly blue making it a universally flattering shade.  I like the texture, the formula and the shade so it's a definite winner for me.

Vera Valenti L'Ombre a Paupiere Margarita

There has been quite a bit of moaning about the inclusion of this bit of kit, yet I think it's really good! Granted, the colour payoff isn't great, but the shades included are pretty and easy to wear and for subtle daytime eye enhancement I think this is a pretty good inclusion.  Apparently it's a really cheap Spanish product and over here it retails at £3.85, but I'm hardly going to write-off a product based on the price alone.  The only thing I will moan about is the horribly cheap packaging - I had to literally break-in to mine as the plastic wasn't cut properly - but apart from that I think it's a pretty sweet palette.

Lipcote

There's not a lot you can say about this staple British product; it's got its reputation for a reason and I think it works as a good representation of affordable British cosmetics.  We all know what it does, so I won't go on!

All for Eve For the Eve Appeal Eve's Balm

There's rarely an occasion when a beauty box arrives that doesn't include some sort of multi-purpose balm and as you can see, this box is no exception.  It's not even remotely exciting, but multi-purpose balms will always prove useful to have around and I believe All for Eve is a pretty good brand, from what I can garner from other reviews.

Alessandro Pro White 

I like the idea of this product but I don't really need it, hence its place so low down in the list.  It apparently optically brightens nails so I suppose it'd be handy for those days when I'm going sans-polish.  However, I haven't gone without polish for well over a year, so I don't think this will be getting an outing any time soon.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

This would've gone at or near the top of my list as I've heard great things about this cult Japanese cleansing oil.  However, it broke me out big time and therefore it isn't the oil for me.  It worked well at removing make-up (including eye make-up) and didn't leave a film afterwards, but I can't use it any more as it broke me out at breakneck speed.  I think a lot of people assume that spot-prone skin types should avoid oils but that's definitely not the case.  Oils are great on oily skin, they just have to be the right kind of oils.  I've moved swiftly on to another cleansing oil that is so far fantastic, so I'll be reviewing that soon.

I really like the fact that Glossybox themes their boxes as I enjoy the concept.  This months box, to me, was a goodun', so hopefully I'll feel the same about next months box too.

Have a look here for more info about Glossybox subscriptions.

Disclosure: sent for the purpose of this review.  

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Selfridges Beauty Box: ACT NOW!

Image courtesy of BBB.  

To celebrate the arrival of The Beauty Workshop at Selfridges, they've launched a seriously sexy box of seven goodies such as a full-sized version of Stila's One Step Correct and Antipodes Avocado and Rosehip Face Oil, as well as deluxe samples from Omorovicza and the uber-famous EGF.

The value of the box is well over £100, yet it's on sale (in very limited quantities!) for £15 plus £4.95 p+p.  This is mind-blowingly good value, so get on it ASAP as these will inevitably sell out quickly.

Head here to purchase.

If you don't manage to get your hands on one, I've bought one to giveaway to mark my blog anniversary, so keep an eye out for that soon.  

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Betrousse Beauty Kit - The Must Haves and Competition! (NOW CLOSED)

I first wrote about Betrousse Beauty Kits last month, when I wrote about their Organic and Natural Beauty themed box.  This month, the them is "Must Haves" and the box currently costs £19, although it has a rather astonishing value of £131.  Betrousse are beauty boxes with a slightly different take, as all products are full-sized, there's no subscription and you know what you're getting before you purchase the kit.

The Must Haves box contained a good range of products and here's what was included, in order of my personal favourites:

LPG Aqueous Cellulite Detox Serum

I have absolutely no idea whether this works on cellulite or not as I haven't been using it long enough, but what I can say is that it's a really lovely, light yet deeply moisturising skin cream.  I've been using it on my legs (especially my dry knees) and it's made a big difference to the level of dryness.  It does leave skin with a slightly tacky feel, so it's not the best product to apply before going out, but it's perfect for before bed.  This retails at £41.

Pure Papaya Ointment

This is one of those basics that'll inevitably get repurchased.  It's the sort of thing that you can't really get excited about, but it has a job and it does that job well.  It's an all-in-one ointment that can be used for so many different things, although I use it as a lipbalm, a cuticle treatment and a spot-treatment for dry bits on my hands.  It's got a thick, balm-like consistency (think 8 Hour Cream) that soaks in after a few minutes, leaving skin feeling really nourished.  This retails at £9.99.

Ostraly Moisturising Tea Tree Oil Cream

In this month's box, you either got Tea Tree or Lanoline.  I was kind of hoping for the Lanoline as I'm not a fan of the smell of Tea Tree (I don't mind it on my face as a necessity, but not as something I want my whole body to smell of!) but in fairness, the scent in this isn't too overwhelming and as a general body cream, this moisturises effectively whilst soaking in super fast.  I think this'll also be a godsend when I go on holiday as an after-sun.  Retails at £18.80.

Bacti Control Instant Antibacterial Sanitiser 

Not the sexiest of products, but definitely in keeping with the functional, must-haves theme!  There's not a lot to say about this other than the fact that it contains Aloe Vera and Pro Vitamin B5 which I like as it stops your hands feeling too dry from overuse (I'm a bit obsessive with hand sanitiser application) and it soaks in quickly without leaving any trace.  The two downsides are that, firstly, it has quite a strong, chemical smell that might not be to everyone's taste, but secondly, and most importantly, the packaging leaks which is not what you want from something you're supposed to carry around.  Priced super cheaply at £1.30.

OceAnge Night Cream 

The only reason this falls into the bottom of my list is because I haven't had a chance to give it a full test as I'm currently using a skincare routine that really appears to be really working for my skin (more info soon!) and I don't want to do anything to change that.  What I can say is that this does seem to be a product that has received mostly positive reviews, and the packaging is pretty lovely too.  This costs £60.

So as you can, all products in the must-haves box have kept their theme and provided everyday functions.  I really like the idea of Betrousse as I do think they're kind of like a reaction to what people are always complaining about regarding beauty boxes (the samples are too small, the contents are often disappointing, etc) and I also find the French to English translations of all the product information on the site rather endearing.  Betrousse are now also on Facebook, so head on over to say hello!

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Betrousse have very kindly offered me another of these Must Have boxes to giveaway to one of my blog readers, so if you fancy trying out the above products for yourself, here's how to enter:

To be eligible for entry, you must be a follower through Google Friend Connect.  To do this, click on the box on the right hand side where it says "Join This Site".  Once you've done that, just leave a comment on this post telling me which product you find of most interest from the Must Haves kit and why.  

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Bloglovin' to keep up to date with everything Beauty Geek!

UK only and the competition closes at midnight on Sunday 19th August 2012.  

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Betrousse Beauty Kit

My box took a bit of a battering in transit unfortunately.  

There's a new playa' in the world of Beauty Boxes and it goes by the name of Betrousse.  However, they've taken the idea of beauty boxes and put their own, unique spin on it, making it a service that I definitely think will appeal to a lot of people.

The idea of the Betrousse Beauty Kit is that you receive a selection of full sized products, all contained in a themed box.  However, you don't subscribe and instead you pay for each box when it comes in stock and only if you like the look of the contents.  You also save a considerable amount on the RRP of the products featured in the box, and to give you an idea, the contents of the box in this review is valued at around £70 (give or take a pound or two depending on what options you end up with) yet it you were to purchase it, it would set you back £17 which is a huge saving.  The small catch is that the p&p is unclear and I believe depends on where you live and due to the heaviness of the packages. I'll find out more and report back.

I was sent the Organic and Natural Beauty Kit to review which contained five full sized products, which I'll list in order of favourites.

Forest People Luminous Serum Eye and Lip Contour 

This is a beautifully rich oil that contains Borage and Rosehip Oil aimed at reducing puffiness and fine lines.  I love rich eye products, especially ones that feel deeply moisturising yet don't feel as if they flood the eyes.  I've literally only just started trialling this (interestingly it's got a very similar feel to my custom eye treatment) so I can't report on any results, but it's right up my street and the fact that it's rich in Omega 3 seals the deal for me.  This has a value of £31.

Froher Aloe and Honey Mist 

This is a very light, moisturising mist for the hair that you spray on after washing, but before styling.  The packaging states that it's a comb-out mist, but I'm wondering if that might've been lost in translation as my understanding of the instructions for this is that you spray it on and then brush it through.  It's very light, leaves hair feeling brilliantly smooth and moisturised and works well on my fine hair without weighing it down.  It also smells beautifully fresh and I think the best way to describe it is as a leave-in conditioner, however, I use this as well as conditioner and it doesn't make my hair any heavier.  Valued at £10.99.

Reve De Provence Organic Bar Soap

There were two options given out in this themed kit, Argan or Lavender and I got Lavender.  I'm not a fan of Lavender generally, but this soap, whilst definitely strong-smelling, wasn't as intrusive as I expected it to be.  The arrival of this was timed perfectly as I've just run out of hand-soap in my bathroom, so whilst this isn't a product to rave about, it's functional, generously-sized and completely natural.  Both soap bars cost £4.99.

K Pour Karite Hair Mascara

I liked the idea of this but unfortunately this is the first of the two products I couldn't review as the shade I was sent is black and as I'm blonde, I can't really do much with it.  The idea of this is that it delays the frequency of hair appointments as you can fill in your roots with this instead. I have no idea if it would work, but I'm quite intrigued by it!  It costs £12.95.

Lothantique Bath Salts

This was another product where you'd either get one of two things; either bath salts or a bath and shower gel.  I got the bath salts, but as I only have a shower in my home (I miss bathing sooooo much!) I couldn't really put these to the test either.  The only thing I can say is that you get a huge amount (600g!) and this is priced at £9.

This is definitely a really interesting spin on beauty boxes which I feel addresses a lot of the issues people have with beauty boxes generally.  You get to see what you're getting, you get to decide whether you want to purchase the kit and all the products are full-sized.  It's a really good idea all round and I definitely like the concept.  There are several kits available to purchase at the moment so have a look at Betrousse and see what you think.

Disclosure:  kit was sent for the purpose of this review.  

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Glossybox: June 2012

This months box is, quite possibly, my favourite beauty box to date although I'm aware that the fact that the contents leans heavily towards make-up rather than skincare is going to divide bloggers, so it'll be interesting to read what everyone else thinks.

As always, in order of favourites, here's what's in this months box:

Vichy Dermablend Ultra Corrective Foundation Starter Kit

This is a weird one to start with as it's the most 'sampley' one of all the products included, but I'm most excited about this for two reasons; firstly, there are six shades included in the starter kit, including the annoyingly elusive Porcelain which I just can't seem to find anywhere! Therefore I've had to mix Opal (the next shade down) with a lighter concealer to get the perfect match, as mentioned in my Custom Blend post.  I'm really keen to see if Porcelain matches my skintone as if it does then I'll definitely be purchasing it as you can't beat Dermablend for coverage.  The second reason I'm excited about the inclusion of this starter kit is because a lot of people subscribe to Glossybox and if any of them are prone to nightmarish skin like mine, I think they'll find Dermablend a godsend which will mean they can use this kit to find their perfect shade;  definite winner for me.

HD Brows Precision Tweezers

I'm so impressed that these tweezers are included in a beauty box: considering they cost £19.95, they've more than paid for the subscription without taking the other products into account.  I'll most likely use these for eyelash application or fiddly nail art since I'm very cautious about going anywhere near my eyebrows (OK, I occasionally pluck a stray hair hear and there, but I'm prone to 'once-I-start-I-can't-stop' syndrome) and having had a quick fiddle with these, they're definitely sturdy, easy and feel as though they're good quality.

Paul Mitchell The Conditioner

I've read fantastic things about this leave-in conditioner but I've never got around to trying it, so I'm looking forward to seeing if this lives up to expectations.  Apparently it's great for hair like mine (fine but lots of it therefore prone to flatness with frizz at the ends) so I'll give this a whirl and report back with my thoughts.

BM Beauty Summer Warmth Bronzer

This is a pure mineral bronzer that looks like a good shade, although I think it's likely to be a bit too shimmery for me.  Add to that the fact that it's a loose powder which will make it rather messy and I think I'm unlikely to use this as a bronzer.  However, a shimmery, strong bronze is one of my favourite colours for my eyes (anyone with blue eyes should definitely try out bronzes that lean warm and orange as it really makes the blue stand out) so it's likely this will get used as an eyeshadow.

Glossybox Serie Exclusive Pro Beauty Brush

I feel a bit mean sticking this in last as I haven't given it a proper testing yet and I may be pleasantly surprised, but being the brush maniac I am (I seriously cannot explain just how excited I get by a good quality brush; it's very strange) I can immediately tell that this isn't going to be a winner for me as it feels a little scratchy, the bristles don't move as easily as I'd like and I can pretty much guarantee it'll be prone to splaying.  I'll do my best to give this the benefit of the doubt, but first impressions don't look good.  The one thing I do think this could work quite well for is a highlighting brush, so I'll give this a go and see how I get on.

All in all this is a real winning box for me as there isn't one product that I'm not looking forward to trying out, one way or another.  I love the fact that this box is so heavily make-up focussed and the theme is "Sexy Summer" which I think has been perfectly encapsulated in this box.  Recently I've found myself a little bit underwhelmed by beauty boxes in general (I assumed it was the beauty blogger in me as I spend so much of my time surrounded by all things beauty) but this months box has sparked a bit of excitement, which is great!

Disclosure: my Glossybox subscription is complimentary for the purpose of this review.

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GlossyBox: May 2012

This month, Glossybox became a year old which is quite astonishing and proves how this year has flown by, as I remember the launch really clearly and it does not feel like a year ago!  Anyway, Happy Birthday Glossybox and here's to the first of many.  

This month's box contents was pretty good, and including a few products that I'll definitely be using.  As usual, here's the contents in order of my favourites first:  

Murad Clarifying Mask

I've been eyeing up various new masks that are aimed at treating spots as I'm now getting a couple from the heat (I always get them when the sun comes out as I start trying out new sunscreens) so this couldn't have arrived at a better time.  Murad have a pretty good reputation for spot-fighting so it'll be interesting to see how this delivers.  

Uniq One All in One Hair Mask 

This product interests me because, as the name suggests, it appears to promise to achieve quite a lot so I'm intrigued to try it out...once I figure out how to use it! I'm not sure if I'm supposed to use it like a mask (in the shower after shampooing) or like a serum before styling.  I've lost the insert that came with the box so I'll have to get my Google on to find out how to get it working....

Eldora Handmade Lashes 

If these had appeared in any of last year's boxes then their presence would've been a bit of a dud, but now I'm au-fait (sort of) with false lashes these will definitely get some use.  The ones I was are B126 - whatever that may mean - and they look quite natural and I'm intrigued to see how they are on the eye as the length focuses on the middle rather than the outer corners, like most lashes I'm used to.  

Glossybox Handheld Mirror (Bonus Item)

To mark the occasion, Glossybox included a handheld mirror which is actually really lovely! It feels sturdy, and has a standard mirror on one side and a magnifying mirror on the other side.  

Noble Isle Summer Rising Bath & Shower Gel

This does smell really nice but it's the sort of scent I'd prefer to smell on a man as opposed to myself.  It's got a strong, masculine aroma that is really appealing and I'll probably end up using this as a hand wash, or I'll donate it to my Dad.  

Lolita Lempicka Perfume Samples X2

Perfume samples.  Grrrrrr.  I'm really not a fan of the inclusion of these as I do think these are the sort of things that we can happily and easily pick up ourselves at pretty much any department store/chemist.  To be honest, neither of these scents are terrible but then again nor are they particularly exciting.  I have to love a perfume immediately and want to keep smelling it to consider buying that, and both these are fairly sweet, gentle and feminine but also quite 'meh'.

To be fair this is a pretty good box.  I could definitely have done without the perfume samples and I would've liked a bit of make-up, but the majority of the items I'm happy with and I'm especially happy to see that there was quite a variety throughout the boxes this month, with others getting things from Weleda, HD Brows and the fabulous Apivita.  I personally like the lucky dip approach of this as then it's a bit more of a surprise when it arrives.  Beauty box creators are never going to please everyone and there will always be those who say "I wish I'd got this rather than that", but I think as long as the mix is different each month and new brands are added regularly, with a good mix of the known and the unknown then Glossybox should definitely be celebrating their 2nd birthday this time next year.

Glossybox (S) costs £10 plus £2.95 p+p.  

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