Glossy Box

It's pretty exciting to get a box of beauty goodies through the post.

Glossybox sent me a couple of boxes to review.

They are beautifully packaged. There's box within a box, ribbon, tissue paper and shredded tissue. I'm keeping my boxes to put bits and bobs in - they look pretty on the chest of drawers in my bedroom.

On to the contents of the Glossybox. Each month you get 5 samples of beauty products. The brands and contents vary, but include make-up, skincare, haircare, perfume, bath products and nail products.

You can try these sample sized products in the comfort of your own home.

I liked the Kimia Exquisite Face Oil and the Dead Sea Magik Salt Scrub. The HD Brows Palette was worth £19.95 on its own, but unfortunately hadn't travelled well. I liked the Plum by Mary Greenwell perfume sample, but didn't think a perfume sample was all that special - it looked a bit cheap.

I loved, however, the Neal and Wolf Harmony Intensive Care Treatment. It's a gorgeous-smelling hair conditioner. It leaves my hair soft and silky. It also a full-sized product, worth £12.95.

The second box included more Dead Sea Magik Bath Salts (yay), Arbonne Foot Cooling Cream (again, yay), Monu Skin Perfector (a potential yay, haven't tried it yet), Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps (yuck, not my thing at all) and samples of Serge Lutens perfumes (they smell nice, but meh).

Facts and Figures:

Glossybox costs £10 plus postage and packaging (currently £2.95). There is no minimum subscription term.

You can earn free boxes by inviting friends and collecting 'glossydots'.

There will soon be  a quarterly Glossybox for men.


The Verdict:


So, is a Glossybox good value for money? Yes, if you would be buying this stuff anyway, it is great value.

But... there's always a but... it's not for me. Not every month, anyway. I'm not enough of a beauty product addict.

As a gift though, I think it's great. If you're stuck for Christmas present ideas, a subscription to Glossybox would make a great gift.

30 Years of Shirley Hughes' Alfie

Shirley Hughes' Alfie books are thirty years old!

I only became familiar with them when my sister-in-law read some Alfie stories to my youngest son earlier this year.

We were sent the beautiful collection 'All About Alfie' to review. We have read it to the boys as their bedtime story and they have also asked for it at other times. There are two stories as well as poems and gorgeous illustrations. They stories are wonderful and real. My boys (4 and 3) could relate to Alfie visiting an elderly relative and going on holiday.

We all really loved this book. It would make a lovely Christmas present for a pre-schooler.

All About Alfie is available from Random House for £9.89.

For more Alfie activities and downloads, visit www.alfiebooks.co.uk.

Scotch Pop-up Tape Handband Dispenser

Q:  What is the best thing since sliced bread?

A:  It's the Scotch Pop-up Tape Handband Dispenser by 3M.

I bought one of these last Christmas and it was a Godsend. It's the best thing ever invented.

Seriously. It's on a par with the PVR as a life-enhancing product.

It's a pop-up tape dispenser that your wear round your hand.

No more trying to find the end of the sticky tape. No more tearing up tape with your teeth. No more sore hands. No more trying to hold wrapping paper in place while you search for the tape.

Each time you need some tape, there it is. It works perfectly and is easy to re-fill.

I hope all the lucky bloggers who got one in their Meet, Greet and Eat goody bag are looking forward to wrapping their Christmas presents this year!

The Scotch Pop-up Tape Handband Dispenser is available from John Lewis, Boots, most supermarkets, Amazon and all good stationers. It costs around £3.70.

Babykind.co.uk

I was asked by Babykind.co.uk if I would like to review a few of their products.

They kindly sent two Buppy Pads and a selection of Earth Friendly Baby toiletries.

Babykind.co.uk are a family-run business, based in Wales. They specialise in cloth nappies, but sell a range of products for parents and little ones.

We are in the potty training stages, so the Buppy Pads (£8.99 each or two for £16.00) really appealed. They are fleece buggy/car seat pads with a hidden waterproof layer. You place them in the seat and they have given me complete peace of mind, particularly on long car journeys. They have a cut out for the straps to go through. They are machine washable.

My only quibble with them is that they just sit in the car seat, some sort of Velcro would stop them moving about would be an improvement, but my boys simply pull them straight before they get in the car each time. They say 'I'm adjusting my cushion'!

We were also sent bubble bath, shampoo & body wash and body lotion from the Earth Friendly Baby range. These toiletries use all natural ingredients.

Our favourite is the shampoo & body wash (£3.99). It comes in organic chamomile, organic lavender and organic mandarin. The gentle fragrances are soothing, particularly before bedtime. A little goes a long way and the bottle lasts for ages. We use it as bubble bath and to wash the boys' hair and skin. Andy and I also use it in the shower. We both have a tendency to eczema and this is really kind to our sensitive skin.

I can't recommend this product highly enough, we won't buy anything else!