December Joliebox (Boudoir Prive) Review: Christmas Edition

It’s here! After much anticipation, this Saturday, the first ever Joliebox landed outside my door. Joliebox is a well known and established subscription beauty box in France. As of December 2011, our beloved Boudoir Prive joined forces with Joliebox to bring us ‘Joliebox UK’, the new Boudoir Prive.

Now this is what I call a sophisticated beauty box. The box itself is smaller than the previous Boudoir Prive boxes, and the lid is no longer attached to the box, which I much prefer. Instead of the same old baby pink, the colour theme of the Joliebox is black with bright pink detailing

Everything about the box has changed, including the size of the samples, which are now much bigger, and the much appreciated lack of perfume samples. Inevitably, at first opening, some famous names grabbed my attention immediately; by then I was already impressed with my first ever Joliebox. Boudoir Prive sent an e-mail in advance reminding everyone to look out for a little surprise inside the box, underneath all the wrapping paper (bottom right photo). So make sure you do that before chucking the pretty box away!

OPI Gold Shatter Nail Lacquer

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the three little letters ‘OPI’ inside my Joliebox! I’ve been lusting over OPI polishes for absolutely ages, but could never find them to buy. This gold shatter polish is perfect for the festive season. On the photo, I’ve layered it over my Models Own ‘Emerald City’ glitter polish (and Deborah Lippmann ‘Razzle Dazzle’ on the ring finger) to create this beautiful festive effect. It reminds me of the green gift box with golden ribbon that you normally see under a Christmas tree for decoration!

Jane Iredale 24-Karat Gold Dust

(shade Rose Gold)

This is quite an interesting little pot. It is a rose gold shimmer powder that can be used on the cheeks, eyes, lips, body and even hair! It comes in the form of a loose powder, which I don’t find very practical, as it goes everywhere when you open the lid. The most interesting use of this powder I guess is applying it to the hair. I’ll try and do something creative with it and show you guys!

New CID Cosmetics i-gloss

(shade Baby Doll)

I’ve read a lot of great reviews about New CID Cosmetics, but nothing I read prepared me for ‘wow’ factor of this lip gloss when I opened it. Firstly it comes in a little plastic tube, very much like the Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss. The shade I got is an almost matte baby pink. When you turn the cap to unscrew it from the tube, a light comes on; embedded in the cap there are 2 LED lights, and on the back of the lip gloss tube there is a mirror. How clever is that?! Now I’ll never struggle again to touch up my lipgloss in the dark!

I wasn’t too happy with the formulation because it enhanced the dryness of my lips, but I guess the ‘tech-y’ part of this lip gloss has won me over already :-)

Yon-Ka Vital Defense

This is a 3 in 1 cream: anti-ageing, antioxidant and anti-pollution. It’s supposed to preserve the skin’s youthfulness, and in general terms, make the skin look radiant and healthy. The smell is quite fresh, a bit like an ointment. I liked that it was quickly absorbed by my skin and it’s not too greasy.

Mitchell and Peach Shower Wash

(English Growers)

I wasn’t too pleased with the strong lavender smell of this product. It almost smells like herbal tea, and that is not something I look for in a shower wash! I can see how the smell would appeal to someone who likes lavender, but unfortunately, this is not my cup of tea!

Joliebox Concealer Brush

(BONUS)

I was very pleased to see a brush in my Joliebox; it’s not something I’ve seen in any other beauty box. This is a concealer brush by Joliebox itself. It’s flat with a pointed tip and the handle is quite small, which is perfect for travelling. I don’t normally use a brush to apply concealer on myself, but I’ll give this one a try to see how I get on with it.

Kusmi Detox Tea

(BONUS)

The tea leaves smells delicious; it’s a mixture of maté, green tea and lemon grass. Not a smell I’d want on my body, i.e. the Yon-Ka cream, but rather in my cup. Be careful when opening the little pot because, as you can see from the photo above, the leaves go everywhere. Overall, I really like the looks and the smell of this product!

Vouchers and Discount Codes

As I mentioned above, underneath the wrapping paper there were two surprises. The first one was a voucher with 20% discount to use on a rental of any designer dresses or accessories from ‘Wish Want Wear’. The second voucher was a 15% discount on a miniature tin of Kusmi Tea.

I’m very pleased with my December Joliebox! It feels festive, christmassy and luxurious. The fusion of Boudoir Privé with Joliebox has proven to have been for the better, and I can’t wait for my January 2012 Joliebox! If you want to subscribe or learn more about Joliebox, click here.

What do you think of my December Joliebox: Christmas Edition? Are you a subscriber of Joliebox? What did you get in your box? Do tell :o)