This is one of first times in recent memory where I’ve received my GlossyBox kind of early. Typically, it arrives at my door during the last few days of the month, leaving me to write a review a little late. I’m hoping this is a continuing trend- since I’m a tad impatient when it comes to receiving my Beauty Boxes.

This month’s theme is “Holiday Romance,” and features products to get those of us in colder climates looking and feeling flawless throughout the chillier months- from smooth, polished skin, to hydrated, healthy hair, all the way to bold and dramatic colors for the eyes.  I’ve been playing around with what I received for a few days now, and am eager to share the results.

What I Received:

The Aloe Source Jojoba Radiance Cleansing Polish

Mastey Color Protection ‘Color Protecting Leave-In Oil Treatment’

Vincent Longo Duo Eye Pencil (*FULL SIZE*)

Nicka K New York Professional Eye Shadow Brush (*FULL SIZE*)

Emite Makeup Micronized Eye Shadow in ‘Dams’ (*FULL SIZE*)

Product # 1: The Aloe Source Jojoba Radiance Cleansing Polish ($30)

Come November/December, my skin regime gets switched up a bit. My usual cleansers, typically for oily skin, get put aside to make room for more mild formulas since my face- especially in New England where I frequently go between the bitter cold outdoors to the often overly-heated indoors (usually in my office-) has a tendency to get a little dry. The first thing I noticed about this sulfate-free cleanser was how delicious it smelled, like a combination of different citruses. The second thing I noticed was the texture. This cleanser is loaded with jojoba microbeads that gently exfoliated my skin without stripping it down. Lastly, I noticed how much softer and smoother my skin felt after each use. This product is like a two-in-one, a gentle facial wash and an even gentler scrub.

Would I Purchase?: Yes! I loved the results I got with this cleansing polish. It buffed my skin painlessly and thoroughly cleansed my face without over-drying it. Plus, it smells yummy. The price is a little steep, but a little goes a long way, so if you use it sparingly- it will last you a long time.

Product # 2: Mastey Color Protection ‘Color Protecting Leave-In Oil Treatment’ ($25)

I’ve been soaking my hair with coconut oil a couple of times a week as an overnight/rinse-out treatment, and have seen phenomenal results from my scalp to my ends. I was curious about this leave-in oil, however- created especially for those with color treated hair- and I have been using it before styling as usual for the past few days. The oil itself is 100% vegan and free of harmful, drying, or color-fading chemicals. Another pro to this formula is that it doesn’t feel greasy to the touch, despite being an oil- and it smells strongly of berries, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s actually nice. My hair may not have been as frizz-free as I would have liked, but it looked so shiny and felt so soft after I applied the oil, and it stayed that way all day.

Would I Purchase? Yes! I think this would be a great extra step to add to my hair styling routine in the morning. This product, combined with my coconut oil treatment, means shinier, smoother, and more importantly- healthy hair- around the clock. Much like the jojoba cleanser I received, a little of this product goes a long way. A nickel-sized drop, give or take, should be enough to massage into your scalp and work down to your ends- and that’s coming from someone with impossibly thick hair.

Product # 3: Vincent Longo Duo Eye Pencil ($26)

Just when I was starting to come back around to being open to using pencil liners, I tried this duo eyeliner from Vincent Longo and was immediately put off of them again. Although this particular pencil was advertised as being the type to glide on, and, I quote: “prevents any tugging of the delicate eye area,” it was actually quite painful to use. Neither end of the liner applied easily, or evenly- and scratched my lids even when I wasn’t pressing down harder than I would have liked to get it to show up. As for the colors, the lighter shade- ‘Aura Chic-‘ barely showed up on my lids. It was a slightly shimmery flesh color that could be a beautiful highlighter for darker shades of skin, but on me, it just looked transparent. The darker shade, ”Rich Topaz,’ was a deep brown with no shimmer that showed up better than the lighter shade, but was still nothing WOW!-worthy. The only good thing about this liner, in my opinion, was that it was long-lasting. It stayed in place from morning until late at night without smudging or fading. Overall, though- it was disappointing.

Would I Purchase?: No. The colors, and especially the brutal application process- were hardly worth the costly price point of this liner. I’ll stick to my Urban Decay pencils and gel liners, which last just as long, are much more pigmented, and are less painful to apply.

Product # 4: Nicka K New York Professional Eye Shadow Brush ($5)

I’ve mentioned in the past that I’ve had the same makeup brushes for years. They’ve held up well through months and months of different products, color combinations, and sometimes questionable makeup choices. I tried this lightweight round eyeshadow brush recently just to see how it felt, and I was immediately impressed with how soft the bristles were on my eyelid (it’s made from pony hair, which may explain it.) My shadow applied neatly in just a couple of sweeps.

Would I Purchase?: Maybe. If I was ever looking to replace any or all of my brushes sometime in the future, I would definitely consider this brand since they seem to be well-made and durable, and for the price- which is a lot more reasonable than other brushes I’ve seen of similar quality- you can’t go wrong.

Product # 5: Emite Makeup Micronized Eye Shadow in ‘Dams’ ($27)

I was pretty anxious to play around with this black matte-finish eye shadow when I heard it’d be included in this month’s GlossyBox. I love a good smokey eye look in the winter, but black shadows I’ve tried in the past have had a lot of glitter/sparkle to them, sometimes making them hard to blend and resulting in them flaking down along my cheekbones throughout the course of the day/night. I’ve been blending this shadow with greens, golds, and purples to create dramatic and different looks- and I’ve been happy each time. The shadow is definitely dark and highly pigmented, so be sure to blend if you use it to avoid raccoon eyes- but it stays in place for all day/night wear and doesn’t flake all over the place.

Would I Purchase?: Yes! Although I think this black shadow will last me for a lifetime and a half (you don’t need a lot of it at all to create an effective smokey eye,) I’ve found a couple of other colors in Emite’s collection that are really, really pretty that I wouldn’t be opposed to taking a chance on purchasing- especially if they have the same pigmented, long-lasting formula as ‘Dams.’

Three products I enjoyed, one I liked but wouldn’t purchase just yet, and one Godawful eyeliner. Overall, November’s GlossyBox was a good one. I had said it after reviewing Ipsy’s November bag, too- but I’m looking forward to seeing what GlossyBox has planned for their final box of 2013!