GLOSSYBOX USA April Premiere

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me for the purposes of review. I am not affiliated with the company or brands, nor was I paid for this review. My review is honest and completely my own opinion.

Like many other bloggers, I'd received the premiere US GLOSSYBOX earlier this month. GLOSSYBOX offers a monthly subscription of 5 travel-sized beauty products. I'd seen some of their boxes on blogs and YouTube from girls who received them in other countries, so I was interested in trying a box myself. However, I've read many say that this box is not a true representation since it contains full-sized products in celebration of its US premiere, and future boxes will contain travel-sized products.

The packaging is really nice and you can tell a lot of thought went into presentation.

A welcoming letter that includes information such as:

• Currently available in 19 countries
• Previously has partnered with prestigious companies such as CLARINS, Laura Mercier, Lancome, NARS, Dermalogica, and Shiseido in other markets
• Members will create their beauty profile and will receive a customized box for a monthly fee of $21
• GLOSSYBOX will always offer a minimum of five products

The box itself is very nice and sturdy. I like that it's simple looking (pale pink on the outside) because I'll definitely keep it and put it to use (I love boxes, for some reason, hehe).

It contained a cute trend guide but somehow didn't include trends for the US...a bit strange for a US box, don't you think? (I suppose we're supposed to fill that out ourselves in the blank pages at the end...but I think of my style as being my own and not totally representative of the entire country.)

The goods...these are all full-sized products (except for the Erno Laszlo samples).

C.O. Bigelow Lavender & Peppermint Shampoo. I've heard of this brand before and seen some of their products at Bath & Body Works, but apparently this product was made exclusively for hotels, and was so popular that the company now sell its on their website. I'm not a big fan of peppermint scents (I prefer fruity or floral scented hair products), but this is small enough to give a try for a few weeks.

Cargo EyeBronzer Eye Shadow. Oops, sorry I forgot to include a swatch, but this is a shimmery bronze powder eye shadow (think golden copper). I suppose this seemed an obvious choice since it's almost summer but truthfully, after taking a quick look at the website I would have rather had a pretty blusher (also I couldn't find this product on their website, hmm). I'll still give this a try though.

Kryolan High Gloss Brillant Lip Shine in Toffee. Call me silly (and nothing more offensive than that, keke) but I didn't recognize this brand (may have seen it before but didn't really pay attention to it). This is a professional makeup brand but the color seems a bit boring to me. It's a light, pinky beige (beige-y pink?) nude shade, and maybe it just doesn't seem that appealing because of the season. It's a safe color that anyone can wear and I'll probably appreciate it more in the winter or whenever I feel like having the nude lips look. Honestly, for spring/summer, I would have chosen a more noticeable color like Sunrise or First Love, or a more fun and bold color like Apricot and Marilyn from their website selection.

Basq Cucumber Tea Eye Gel. At first I was intrigued since I'm always looking for effective eye care treatments, even though I hadn't heard of this brand before. However I opened it and was immediately put off by the strong methol scent. It's really strong (great if you want to clear your nose, jk). Definitely not what I would associate with cucumber tea. I'll still test it out to see if it actually works well, but the scent is a big downer.

OPI Nail Lacquer in Kiss Me On My Tulips. This was the best item in the box, to me. It's a cool tone (blue based?) hot pink shade but actually looks more vibrant on my nails than in the bottle. I think it can be universally flattering and it even looks more warm with my skin tone.

What do you think of GLOSSYBOX? I'd received this after I came back from my trip so there was a newere May box (but it's no longer available). The May box looked more intriguing to me since it has AmorePacific hydro gel and Burberry lip mist! (As well as Phyto hair mask, Zoya nail polish, and Marvis toothpaste which I would pass on if I could.) I'm curious when their June box will be available and what will be in it.

Truthfully monthly subscriptions aren't really for me, because I usually have a product line up in mind of what I want to use for the next...ohh, months at a time, especially when it comes to skin care. (If I really want to be truthful, I probably have enough to last me for the next year, haha, and that's both skin care for my face and body.) Cosmetic products and nail polishes are nice though because I can use them anytime, without disrupting my skin care routine, especially since I'm usually trying out skin care for at least a month to see if it's really working for me.

Did anyone else get the April premiere box or the May box? I would love to know what your thoughts are on these products or brands!