It's a week before Christmas and my Boxycharm has arrived. The last couple of boxes haven't arrived until the end of the month, so I'm glad this one made it through the Christmas chaos.

The theme this month is Glitz & Glam, umm could Glitz mean that it's a box full of glittery stuff? Or the Glam meaning a box of high-end glamour?  No, alas, that is not the case, in fact, this box on first opening looks a little disappointing. But, I will hold judgment until I've had a good look at everything.

Real Her - Blush Kit

This is a Blush trio which comes in a nice cardboard palette with a protective sleeve. The packaging makes it feel quite well made and on the higher end of the cosmetics spectrum. It is paraben, gluten, and cruelty-free. 

Inside there are three circular, domed blushes in the shades of Fearless, Limitless and Unstoppable. The palette also incudes a small mirror in the lid.

• Fearless is a pretty, shimmery pink what works well with my pale skin and gives a healthy glow to the cheeks.
• Limitless is a deeper pink, coral shade that also works for me and would probably suit most skin tones.
• Unstoppable would work more as a bronzer for me but would work well as a blush for deeper skin tones. 

They all have good colour payoff and the two lighter shades lasted a good five hours for me before needing a touch-up. The retail value of this palette is $32 USD.

Crown Brush - Deluxe Blush Brush

This Brush is a synthetic brush that can be used with powder or cream blush. My first thoughts were it was very soft, but also quite small, for a blush brush. To see what I mean, here is the brush lined up with three of my other blush brushes.

L-R: Royal & Langnickel Moda Pro, Royal & Langnickel S.I.L.K. Pro Blush, Ecotools Tapered Blush and Crown Deluxe Blush

It has quite short bristles that are densely packed, unlike the other brushes I love to use which have longer bristles and are not so dense. To me, it actually feels and looks more like the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Now, I'm not saying that this is not a blush brush, nor am I saying it isn't any good, but I personally don't see myself using it for this purpose. Time will tell what I do use it for. Retail value $12 USD.

Bellapierre - Pro Concealer Palette

This is promoted as a professional palette but feels and looks quite cheap, if I'm honest. Inside you will find three colour correctors in orange, green and purple. They are cruelty-free.

The orange will correct dark circles, the green will counteract redness and the purple will conceal sallow skin. They have quite a greasy feel to them and I am not a fan of the smell, which to me resembles wax crayons. I doubt that I will be making use of this palette. Value $29.99 USD.

Tarte - Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara

I got a deluxe sample size of this mascara in a Sephora lash box a while back and was impressed with it, so, I'm pretty pleased to receive this full-size version in my Boxycharm. I have used this quite a lot and find that it is a great mascara that both lengthens and thickens my lashes. It goes on nicely without clogging and lasts all day on me. It is also easy to remove, so all the things I love about a mascara. Retail value $23 USD.

Pretty Vulgar - My Lips Are Sealed Lightweight Liquid Lipstick

Anyone who reads my blog will know I am not a fan of liquid lipsticks, but they are usually matte and very drying. The shade I received was 106 - Secret sabotage which is a metallic nude shade. On me, it looks more coppery, but is quite creamy and comfortable to wear. I prefer to use this over another shade as it is a bit too metallic to use on its own for a woman of my age. This is more for the younger peeps out there. Retail value $24 USD.

So, there you have it my December 2017 Boxycharm. At first, I was disappointed, but once I opened everything and started using it, I was much happier with it.

The hits for me are the blush palette and the mascara. The misses are the concealer palette and the brush, but overall, I've got more than my money's worth. The total value of my box was $121 USD. Having only paid $21, even if I only use the blush and the mascara, that's $55 of product, so I'm not complaining.

Can't wait for the January box now!