Glossybox February 2013 Review

Welcome to my first - and only - review of Glossybox.  I've read a lot about this sub, and the thing that struck me the most is how amazingly terrible their customer service is.  Have a problem with a box?  Issue with your payment?  Guess what, you're SOL (surely out of luck, geez.  This is not that kind of blog).  Also, the products have never seemed worth the price (it's one of the more expensive beauty boxes, at $20/mo).

But then, I saw reviews on the January box.  It was amazing!  Curated by the Man Repeller blogger, it looked so perfect.  So I thought maybe... just maybe, I'd give them a chance.  Then, I found out that their February theme was "International Beauty".  Well, sign me up!  My degree is in International Relations, and I have always loved studying international standards of beauty.  So I signed up.

Big mistake.  This box was full of items easily available here in the US.  And the one item that was "new" to me was so gross that I immediately threw it on my trade list (thankfully, I have found someone who was willing to trade, and that thing is OUTTA HERE as of tomorrow morning!).  So hear ye my tale of woe.

Come on in and check out my box o'crap!

I'll go from most to least favorite.  My most favorite thing about this sub is the box.  No, seriously, it's really pretty!

Pink!  

It's going to be a great gift box.

Ok, on to the products.  I have to say, the packaging is really cute.

That pink ribbon is quite possibly my second favorite item.

As far as the box contents, the first item is by Da Vinci Cosmetics.  Just from their website, I'm already slightly skeptical.

"At Da Vinci Cosmetics you are not just a customer you are part of our natural mineral cosmetics family industry and do not forget we are 100% natural and American."

Those are their italics.  Also, whoa, run-on sentence.  They claim to be American (in an International Beauty Box, no less), but the English on their website is not what you'd expect from a successful business.  Grammar flaws and faulty syntax are all over the website, and they're also shilling for representatives to push their products.  Weird.  The product I received from them is a highlighter in the color Harmony.

A highlighter?  Really?   Eyeshadow, maybe.  This is definitely too dark to be a highlighter on my super-pale skin.  And if I didn't already have a loose pigment eyeshadow in pretty much this exact shade, I might be excited.  But for a mis-classified product, from a company with a pretty terrible website... I just don't know. It's on my trade list, so let's see if I get any bites on it.

Next, we have an item from a highly valuable, upscale European brand, Bvlgari.  They're Italian, and known for their watches ($6000), their colognes ($80), sunglasses ($500) ... Wow!  Yay!  Maybe I got something nice?  Perfume sample?

A Bar of Soap?

  A bar of soap?  A BAR.... of SOAP? In an International BEAUTY box? There's so much I could say about this. But I won't.  Because 1) It actually does smell very good, and 2) It might make a nice gift.  So yeah.

A bar.... of soap....

Moving on!

Eyeliner!  Well, this is looking promising.

Next we have the LiSi Cosmetics Gel Eyeliner in Star Ruby.  Why do my subs keep sending me gel eyeliners?  Is it just a thing this month?  If you remember from my Ipsy review, I got a black gel eyeliner this month as well.  And as you know if you've read any of my other reviews... I'm a klutz.  I pretty much need my eyeliner in pencil or liquid pen form, or it will go everywhere.  Ergo, I've decided gel liners aren't my thing.  And this color is definitely not my thing.  It's a dark reddish/purplish/brownish color.  Thankfully, I have found someone to trade with me, and I hope it will be very happy in its new home.  Don't worry, this is not the "gross" item.  We still have a few left to go before we get there!

Oh, and LiSi is an American company.  *sigh*

At least this next item is international.  Unfortunately, that is the best thing I can say about it.  It's from Nail Rock, in the UK.

Oh... um.  Hmmm.

I don't even know how to classify this pattern.  I was going to say "gold and black cheetah", but that's not cheetah print.  Or leopard.  In fact, the closest animal I can think of is a giraffe.  So... gold and black giraffe print?  On my nails?  Who, exactly, thought this would be a good idea?

I don't even know what to do with these.  I honestly don't know a single person that would want them.

And last of all, the moment you've been waiting for...

It looks like such a sweet, innocent foil packet

Made by a Korean company, it's a Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew SNAIL Hydro Gel Mask.  Yes.  Snail.  They're not even trying to hide it.  Apparently, "snail slime contains natural healing and regenerative power when applied to skin." (from the product description on the website)  Honestly, I don't want to know about the extraction process.  I don't want to know how they collect it.  And I certainly don't ever want to use it.  Thankfully, I was able to arrange a trade with a wonderfully adventurous lady for the either/or product in this month's box, skin care samples from Evologie (a French company).

So, let me sum this up.  Snail Slime.  Bar soap.  Shiny gold giraffe nails.  And two products from American companies.  (Don't get me wrong, I love supporting American companies, but that just wasn't the point of an International box).

Good grief.  Obviously, I am never getting one of these boxes again.  And since I've heard so many bad things about their customer service, I don't even think it's worth contacting them.  Thankfully, I have a voice through this blog, and can share my experience with you.  Feel free to share your Glossybox stories in the comments below!

Love, Leigh

Disclaimer:  I paid for this box myself (much to my chagrin).  Glossybox did not request that I review this box, nor was I compensated for it.  All opinions are honest and my own.