Glossybox February 2012 - Tingle and Shimmer

It feels like last month's Glossybox only arrived three weeks ago (mainly because it was only three weeks ago). Before I run down the contents of the February box, a quick review of the January box. My favourite product is definitely the Murad skin perfecting primer, which seems to suit my combination skin, and I've also used the black Eyeko eyeliner and the FAB body moisturiser a few times, but I probably wouldn't repurchase. As I said before, I will be saving the Clarins day and night creams for travelling.

The theme for the February Glossybox is, apparently, London Fashion Week, although that is pretty vague. The best thing about this box is the variety of the contents; makeup, hair, body and nail products are all represented. Overall, I'm pleased with the products I received, and I will definitely use four out of five.

1. DuWop Venom Gloss in buttercup (5 ml). This is a gorgeous, fruit-scented lip gloss in a subtle shimmery beige colour. I generally prefer pinks to peaches but the colour is very sheer and it seems to suit my skin tone. I put it on before reading the warning on the Glossybox info card ("please note the Lip Venom may cause a light tingling sensation upon application") and I would say it's more of a moderate tingling than a light tingling, but I quite liked it, and this is supposedly responsible for the "plumping" properties of the product. £16 for the 10 ml full size.

L-R: imPress nails, Como Shambhala shower gel, DuWop Venom Gloss, BM Beauty eye shadow, Paul Mitchell styling cream

2. imPress Press-on Manicure in totally busted (full size). I have never worn fake nails and although I like the bright orange colour my set from Impress come in, it isn't a colour I ever wear. Maybe in the summer I will give these a try--it seems like a relatively hassle-free and mess-free system--but I'll have to make sure I'm not wearing pink that week. £17.40. For some reason the full size is listed as "150 ml" on the info card; 150 ml of fake nails? Anyway, you get 24 nail covers in 12 sizes. Additionally, on the imPress website, they say that the product should cost around $5.99, so maybe Glossybox got this wrong...unless the US-UK exchange has changed drastically since I last checked!

3. Paul Mitchell Quick Slip (25 ml). I'm very fickle when it comes to styling products and tend to buy whatever is on special offer in Superdrug. This styling cream conditions and protects, although I have yet to test it out on my hair, which is very fine. I will probably use this when travelling. £14.25 for the 150 ml full size.

4. BM Beauty Pure Mineral Eyeshadow in wolf howl (1 g). I was excited when I saw this eye shadow, as I thought it was from Bare Minerals, my favourite skincare brand, but actually, it's from BM Beauty. I really like the colour, a rich, shimmery midnight purple, which blends out really nicely. I tend to wear a lot of greys and subtle purples on my eyes, so I'm really pleased with this product. £7 for the 2 g full size.

Close-up of the eye shadow and lip gloss.

5. Como Shambhala Invigorate Shower Gel (50 ml). I love the scent of this shower gel, which contains eucalyptus, geranium, lavender and peppermint. A posher version of Original Source products, perhaps! This will be great to use in the mornings, although I am still working through my Rituals foaming shower gel from the December Glossybox, so perhaps I will save my new sample for travelling. If I can wait until then. £20 for the 300 ml full size.

Total value of the products in this month's Glossybox: about £32. Over half of that value comes from the nails, however, which I am not hugely keen to try. As I like the other four products so much this month, I don't mind the lower value, although I think it's a shame they didn't plump for the full size eye shadow, which is only £7, or maybe a bigger sample of the shower gel.

Overall rating: 4/5. Three great products (#1, #4 and #5), one I will use and one dud isn't too bad. If Glossybox can keep this up for another three months, they might persuade me to keep subscribing after my self-imposed six-month trial period.