ROSE SECRET BOX: KOREAN MYSTERY BEAUTY BOX UNBOXING

ROSE SECRET BOX: KOREAN MYSTERY BEAUTY BOX UNBOXING

Unboxing Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, July 25, 2019

I've got over men alright, but there's one thing I haven't ever got over - the Memebox. Remember it, anyone? Korean beauty box that shipped worldwide? Best beauty box EVER? Came JAM-PACKED with beauty products, all full-sized, and in myriad themes and variants, from Superfood, Wine and Cheese, and Chocolate, to weird ingredients, colour- and scent-themed boxes, and regular monthly boxes. New here, and don't believe a WORD I say? Go here rightaway to check out ALL my Memebox unboxings. I bought more than 50 (60?) of the things in a span of about a year and a half.
The problem is that Memebox RUINED all other beauty boxes for me. I am no longer satisfied with half-baked samples. Don't give me random scrubs. Or pencil liners. Or old shite that won't sell, and you want to shill. Or anything that's not thoughtfully curated, but is haphazardly thrown in a box.
Rose Rose Shop, a Korean beauty retailer who ships worldwide, used to do sampler boxes. But the samples were small, and you also got things like fashion earrings, which I did not want. I did buy the one sampler - see here for my unboxing. Then, they stopped those.
Recently, RRS has been doing Mystery Boxes! This is their second season of doing these - I missed out on the first box. They promise at LEAST seven full-sized products, WITHOUT counting sheet masks. That was a deal-clencher for me. For $35, including FREE worldwide shipping, that's just about $5 per product! Plus, you also get samples and other things.
I ordered mine immediately, and was pleased to find that I got EIGHT full-sized products, including three makeup. In addition to those, I also got a bunch of samples, and four sheet masks. To know exactly what I received, go straight down!

Scroll down for the contents, review, and unboxing of the Rose Secret Box Season 2, a Korean mystery beauty box that ships worldwide.

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Space NK x Coach Summer 2019 Destination Beauty Edit Contents: Available Worldwide

Space NK x Coach Summer 2019 Destination Beauty Edit Contents: Available Worldwide

SpaceNK Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, May 07, 2019

Long time, no GWP! Space NK are kicking off the flurry of Summer 2019 goody bags with an amazing selection - this is the Destination Beauty Edit, containing a curation to keep you beautiful through this Summer, no matter where you are. This GWP is in collaboration with Coach, and features a neat wristlet purse from the brand, in addition to 27 beauty products. The whole thing is worth more than £400, and is yours if you buy for £185 on Space NK here, and check out with code BEAUTYGIFT. They ship worldwide, and this GWP is available internationally as well - hurry, as stocks are limited.

Scroll down for the contents of the Space NK x Coach Summer 2019 Destination Beauty Edit GWP.

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Cult Beauty Founders' Goody Bag GWP Now Available Worldwide

Cult Beauty Founders' Goody Bag GWP Now Available Worldwide

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Sunday, February 24, 2019

The first big gift with purchase of 2019 is here, and it is from Cult Beauty. The set is a 23-piece collection of products from "industry leaders worldwide", and comes with a £15 gift card (right in time for my birthday, haha).
The whole thing is worth more than £350, and is yours free with purchase of products worth £175. VIPs (customers who have spent £500+ in a calendar year on the website) get early access with code FOUNDERS19. All customers get access from Monday, 25 February, without any code, upon adding products worth £175 in your cart.
The products included cover makeup - there's a Shiseido lipstick in there, people - skincare, hair care, and bath and body, and there's a variety of new brands, not the usual suspects.
I'll tell you what's inside the goody bag, and what I'm buying!

Scroll down for the contents of the Cult Beauty Founders' Goody Bag GWP for Spring 2019.

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Beauty Expert, LookFantastic Exclusive Beauty Box Collections Feb '19

Beauty Expert, LookFantastic Exclusive Beauty Box Collections Feb '19

Vegan Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, February 07, 2019

In February 2019, two exclusive beauty boxes are launching. These are not monthly subscriptions, but one-off seasonal curations that contain only full-sized products, and are worth a lot more than the asking price.
The first is the Beauty Expert Collection - The Vegan Edition, with fully #veganbeauty products.
The second one is LookFantastic's Rose Collection for Valentine's Day, where all products are rose-themed.
The Beauty Expert Vegan Collection costs £80 and is worth £180+, while the LookFantastic Valentine's Day box costs £60 and is worth more than £150. Both ship worldwide.

Scroll down for more information, spoilers, and contents of Beauty Expert and LookFantastic Beauty Collections for February 2019.

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ULTIMATE Cyber Week Deals & Codes + BARGAIN Beauty Sets Available Worldwide

ULTIMATE Cyber Week Deals & Codes + BARGAIN Beauty Sets Available Worldwide

SpaceNK Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, November 22, 2018

The biggest sales weekend of the year is here. I have ALL the Black Friday deals and steals, offers, and codes that are available worldwide. This blog and video channel take pride in being as inclusive as possible, so going forward, I will - as far as possible - include offers, products, and so on that ship worldwide.
So, no matter where you are around the globe, rejoice - here are ALL the Black Friday codes, deals, and offers that are available worldwide!
This year, I'm not doing a bazillion different Holiday Gift Guides - instead, I am listing the best bargain beauty gift sets, again, that are available worldwide. I've divided these into multi-brand, skincare, makeup, tools, and bath and body gift sets, and have also included gift sets for men. Let's make beauty 100% inclusive!
By the way, I just found that NuFace gift sets - including the rose gold edition of the device itself - are available for £118, at £40 less, here. You also get a whopping 25% off the LookFantastic Beauty Advent Calendar. More deals are further below. 
Please note that codes MAY change after Black Friday, for Cyber Weekend, as well as on Cyber Monday, so make sure you bookmark this page, as I'll be coming back here and updating the codes as they change over the whole of Cyber Week.
Enough rambling! Let's go jump into all the excitement, for this, right here is your ULTIMATE Black Friday 2018 Shopping Guide!

NOTICE: I had not noticed that this post was accidentally published instead of being saved to drafts on Thursday, while it was being written. Thankfully, none of the codes or offers was leaked, BUT you may have seen badly written notes for products and retailer names, which must have made NO sense. The error is regretted. 

Scroll down for ALL the Black Friday codes and offers available worldwide, and the best bargain beauty gift sets for Holiday 2018.

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Beauty Expert 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar 2018 Spoilers, Contents

Beauty Expert 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar 2018 Spoilers, Contents

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, October 12, 2018

Beauty Expert's Advent Calendar for 2018 is here. It contains 12 products, all full-sized, with a net worth of £450. The calendar costs £100 and ships worldwide.
The calendar is spa-centric, and primarily has skincare and bath and body products. Even so, there are two makeup products.
The packaging is beautiful, and indicates the luxurious brands included. Inside, you have 12 drawers. The material is sturdy, thick cardboard, and you can repurpose the box to store lipsticks, or makeup brushes. I use it to organise my makeup brushes. Very handy.
You can view my 2017 unboxing and review here. 

Scroll down for the contents and spoilers of the Beauty Expert 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar 2018.

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Decleor Beauty Advent Calendar 2018 Contents, Spoilers: Ships WW

Decleor Beauty Advent Calendar 2018 Contents, Spoilers: Ships WW

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, August 22, 2018

The FIRST Beauty Advent Calendar of 2018 to go on sale is from French brand Decleor!
Last year, the calendar sold out in two weeks flat, and fans of the brand as well as of French skincare will be chomping at the bit for this one. This year's advent calendar contains 24 products, like the last two years. The price has gone up from £60 in 2016, and £65 in 2017, to £80 in 2018, but the net worth of the contents this year is £258 - it was £233 last year, and £180 the year before that. BUY IT HERE!
Now, before I show you spoilers, a few other details. This one ships worldwide. Three products inside are full-sized. The calendar is themed "For December I Just Want To Glow".
You can view the 2017 Decleor Advent Calendar here, and the 2016 calendar here.

Scroll down for the full contents and spoilers of the Decleor Beauty Advent Calendar 2018. 

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Beauty Expert Collection Gold Edition Contents, Unboxing, Review: Ships WW

Beauty Expert Collection Gold Edition Contents, Unboxing, Review: Ships WW

Unboxing Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Beauty Expert's latest edit is their best ever! ONE product in here is far more than the worth of the entire collection, and has me gobsmacked. Everything about each of these brands screams LUXURY, and everything is ideal for this season.
For those who came in late, Beauty Expert ships worldwide - they have seasonal curations of cult must-have beauty products in "collections", in a nice wash bag. Everything is full-sized, and the collections are worth far more than their price-tags, and sell out within seconds, if not minutes, of launching. I have my previous Beauty Expert collections all unboxed here.
The latest is the Gold Edition. Gold obviously stands for luxury, and the moment I heard the name of the edit, I knew we would only see high-end products in here.
This is what Beauty Expert says about this collection:

Discover the power of Gold in this luxurious edit of Gold-infused and Gold-inspired beauty products. We’ve handpicked six premium beauty products that will make you feel instantly more glamorous and glowing with radiance. This capsule collection includes skincare, body care and hair care products, so you can add a touch of Gold to every element of your beauty routine.
With six best-selling beauty products housed in a premium cosmetics bag, the Beauty Expert Collection: The Gold Edition is the perfect way to add a little luxury to your everyday. We’ve also included a special extra addition to help you create a Cleopatra-inspired eye look.

Now, there are six full-sized products in here, and a little extra mini. A total worth of more than £300, and a price-tag of just £99.
The Beauty Expert Collection Gold Edition is available worldwide NOW right here!

Scroll down for the contents of the Beauty Expert Collection Gold Edition.

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Cult Beauty 10th Birthday Goody Bag Ships Worldwide: RUSH!

Cult Beauty 10th Birthday Goody Bag Ships Worldwide: RUSH!

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, May 30, 2018

WAIT till you even SEE what the latest free Goody Bag from Cult Beauty contains. TEN full-sized products, including a Huda Beauty eyeshadow palette, an Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit, and lots more!
For those who came in late, Cult Beauty is a retailer who ships worldwide; they carry a large range of skincare and makeup. They do seasonal Goody Bags as gifts with purchase every quarter, and these are HUGE value for the money. Not exaggerating here - the latest one is a whopping £240 in value, and contains ever so much free makeup!
This one is their 10th birthday Goody Bag, containing 10 cult classics - Cult Beauty says this one is their best Goody Bag yet! 
To get yours, go here, and buy products worth £170 - your Goody Bag is added to your cart automatically. Hurry - it should disappear in a few hours!

Scroll down for the full contents of the Cult Beauty 10th Birthday Goody Bag.

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Beauty Expert Spa Edition Collection Review, Unboxing

Beauty Expert Spa Edition Collection Review, Unboxing

Winter Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, March 28, 2018

International beauty retailer Beauty Expert - part of the same group that owns LookFantastic - comes out with seasonal beauty collections that are always thoughtfully curated, and contain full-sized luxury products.
You can see their Indulgence Collection here, the Radiance Collection here, the inaugural Rose Edition, here, and the Expert Collection, here. 
The latest curation is the new Spa Edition, containing six full-sized products from luxury brands, with a total worth of £229, though the cost price of the set is just £70.
The set comes in a nice gift bag, and contains everything you need to treat your face and body to some luxurious me-time over the Spring season.

Scroll down for the contents, unboxing, and review of the Beauty Expert Spa Edition Collection for Winter 2018.

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LookFantastic Beauty Egg Collection Easter 2018 Contents, Spoilers + DISCOUNT CODE

LookFantastic Beauty Egg Collection Easter 2018 Contents, Spoilers + DISCOUNT CODE

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, March 15, 2018

Remember the amazing Beauty Egg Collection from LookFantastic for Easter 2017? I had unboxed it here.
Their 2018 collection is here, and the eggs look fabulous. There are seven beauty products, just like last time, and there's a total worth of more than £200. Like last time, it contains mostly skincare and haircare products.
What is the LookFantastic Beauty Egg Collection? It is an assortment of beauty products that LookFantastic has been releasing for Easter for two years now, packaged in individual eggs, all collected in a beautiful repurposable box.
Like last time, it comes in the same gorgeous hatbox packaging, with a similar colour scheme. This one is HUGE, people - make sure you have enough storage space before you buy.
This one is priced at £65. I have a code for you further below, towards the end of this page, which will bring down the costs even more.

Scroll down for the contents and spoilers of the LookFantastic Beauty Egg Collection Easter 2018, and a discount code.

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LookFantastic Beauty Box February 2018 Unboxing, Review

LookFantastic Beauty Box February 2018 Unboxing, Review

Unboxing Cosmetopia Digest   Thursday, March 01, 2018

As expected, February's LookFantastic Beauty Box has a Valentine's Day design, with a pink-red-gold colour scheme, and a product booklet featuring red hearts. The box is themed Beauty Rendezvous, and contains products that you would need for your "rendezvous". Tryst, if you like!
There are six products in the box, and the Elle UK magazine for the month is also included. They've recently taken to popping the mag inside the box itself, having increased the size of the beauty box. This actually makes the products inside seem smaller!

Scroll down for my review of the LookFantastic Beauty Box for February 2018.

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Cult Beauty The Creators Goody Bag GWP Has Amazing Full-Sized Makeup

Cult Beauty The Creators Goody Bag GWP Has Amazing Full-Sized Makeup

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Cult Beauty's Spring 2018 Goody Bag is here! This is "The Creators'" Goody Bag - it contains products from the best beauty innovators. There are a whopping seven full-sized products in here, and the bag, which contains a total of 17 products, is worth more than £300. It comes free with purchase of £150 or above on Cult Beauty's website. They ship worldwide - free!

Scroll down for the contents of the Cult Beauty The Creators Goody Bag for Spring 2018. 

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Beauty Empties January 2018 + Project Pan Challenge

Beauty Empties January 2018 + Project Pan Challenge

Soap and Glory Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, January 30, 2018

January 2018 marks the start of my 12-month Project Pan challenge. This is a group collab on YouTube, wherein six beauty YouTubers have set themselves individual targets for finishing up products in their stash. These targets vary; in my case, I've chosen the rather ambitious figure of 118 beauty products to be used up in 2018! Of these eight NEED to be makeup products; the rest can be skincare.
The other vloggers participating in the collab are Ashley DeVino, Kirstie of Behind the Scenes, Krista Burtner, Kathleen of Rented Fashion, and Tina Maughan - do check out their channels!
In January, I've managed to use up 14 products, which means I only have 114 products to go in 11 months. Unfortunately, none of these is makeup, but hopefully I can get some cosmetics used up over the next few months.

Scroll down for the beauty products I used up in January 2018, and for my thoughts on each.

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LookFantastic Beauty Box January 2018 Unboxing, Review, Contents

LookFantastic Beauty Box January 2018 Unboxing, Review, Contents

Unboxing Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, January 29, 2018

A New Year means taking stock of everything, beauty box subscriptions included. I've decided to keep just the one subscription box this year, and it is the LookFantastic Beauty Box.
Why? For starters, it's just £12 or so per month, since I'm on a long-term subscription. For another, I don't pay upfront; only each month when the box ships out. For a third, there are some nice perks, such as a discount on the amazing Advent Calendar. Fourthly, on an average, the boxes are quite nice, and come with extras such as the Elle Magazine.
So let's take a look at LookFantastic's first beauty box for 2018. They've revamped the box design - a nice periwinkle blue and mint green combo. The product leaflet has also undergone a makeover.

Scroll down for the contents of the LookFantastic Beauty Box January 2018.

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Anti-Haul Q1 2018: Ten Beauty Products I'm Not Buying

Anti-Haul Q1 2018: Ten Beauty Products I'm Not Buying

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Friday, January 26, 2018

I've never done an anti-haul post before; primarily because I hadn't gone through a phase where I've found a bunch of products that were meh - until now.
There's are several reasons I find myself underwhelmed by these products. For starters, there's the launch pace. I mean, brands are churning out products at such a rate that
For another, there's the rationale behind some of these - if it ain't broken don't fix it, but a number of these products seem to do just that; compete with their own existing, successful lines.
Another reason is that I've never been attracted to some of these trends. Everyone seems to be hopping on to some of these trends right now, without bothering to research whether their usual clientele even goes in for those trends.
Inferior quality is also why I'm avoiding at least two of these products.
With two others mentioned here, I'm staying away because they will not suit me; either shade-wise or skin type-wise.
Whatever my reasons - you'll know them in detail in a minute - the fact is that brands need to sit down and rethink their launch pace, their raison d'etre, their target market's preferences, the necessity - and type - of a new product, and packaging.

Scroll down for my first anti-haul of the year; here are 10 beauty products I'm not buying this year.

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SNP Sheet Masks for Hydration in Dry Weather

SNP Sheet Masks for Hydration in Dry Weather

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, January 22, 2018

I first came across Korean brand SNP thanks to Memebox, back in their halcyon days. The brand stands for "Shine Nature Purity". The sheet masks were gentle and soothing, and they did not break me out at all. Through 2016, I did not use too many sheet masks, because of my battle with huge nodular cystic breakouts.
Recently, I rediscovered SNP and found that they have some neat sheet masks which are actually out of the common, given the ingredients!

Scroll down for more on the SNP sheet masks from Kollshop.

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Beauty Products Used Up in December 2017

Beauty Products Used Up in December 2017

Skin care Cosmetopia Digest   Monday, January 01, 2018

Heigh ho. 2018 is here. It's been a mixed year for me, with the first half being really nice. I got over acne and started scar revision. I got back on YouTube. But then I was laid up with allergies from October, Dad got bitten by a snake, and Gramps's horrible disease (I don't even want to say the c-word) has reared its ugly head again. It makes me weep to think about Gramps.
For 2018, I only wish for good health and happiness for all my loved ones and readers. That's the most important thing.

Scroll down to see the beauty products I used up in December 2017, and for my quick thoughts on each. 

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Best Beauty Products of 2017: Skincare Favourites

Best Beauty Products of 2017: Skincare Favourites

Vitamin C Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, December 19, 2017

I spent the major part of the last weekend ruminating over my wardrobe - as everyone, from my Mum and Gran to my friends, keeps telling me, it is boh-ring, old-maidish, and predominantly black. So I went out hunting for new outfits and came home with two - both black.
Mum came to see for herself, and lost it. She has now taken matters into her own hands. Apparently, for her Christmas present for me, she's taking me shopping in the last week of the year (I forsee getting half my hair pulled out in the mad crowds), and will CHOOSE my outfits. I also forsee some rather colourful rows.
She is right, though. From the time I started dressing myself, I've been choosing outfits that actually make me seem older, not younger. My favourite kind is the classic-length shift dress, and I own a few dozen of these in BLACK alone. I can see why she wants to take drastic action, although there is no way I can explain why I gravitate towards the same kind of clothes so much.
Before the chaos due to erupt during the wardrobe-revamping process, let's get this year's Best of Beauty series out of the way. I've started with skincare; stay tuned for makeup posts!

Scroll down for the first in my Best Beauty Products of 2017 series - this one is all about my skincare favourites!

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Beauty Products Used Up in November 2017

Beauty Products Used Up in November 2017

Zelens Cosmetopia Digest   Tuesday, November 28, 2017

How are you coming on with your Holiday shopping? Mine is all done, and I even did my wrapping over the weekend, which is the part I hate the most. Now to get out the tree and decorations.
Thanks to a bad anaphylactic reaction which landed me in hospital in late October, I haven't used up too many products in November - just very essential skincare; no retinols, far milder Vitamin C than the 30% I'm used to, no facial oil... you get the picture.

Scroll down for more on my November 2017 beauty empties.

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