beauty, beauty boxes, love me beauty, make up, reviews, skincare

Love Me Beauty – The Sundown Edit

I haven’t done an order from Love Me Beauty for a while. But I heard they had a few of the soon to be in Debenham Kat Von D products, so I thought it was time to have a look at their boutique again. 

Every month you get 60 credits to use and you pick your products. Recently they’ve scaled back the options and shrunk everything down to sample size, which is a bit disappointing when everything used to be fullsize. 

You can buy top up credits if you want more treats from the selection. 

I picked five items which arrived in a stripy make up pouch. Gone are the boxes. 

Omorovicza Budapest Copper Peel – this two part at home facial uses minerals from the healing waters of Hungary. Combining a blue copper paste and a lactic acid activator. My skin’s not too happy at the moment, between commuting on London’s Underground and the cold brewing in my head, so hopefully this will strip out some of the gunk and cheer it up. 

Aromatherapy Associates Hydrating Rose Skin Toner – refreshing and cooling to tone the skin after cleansing. I haven’t been using toner recently but I read a few articles recently from beauty writers I trust and look up to saying it’s a good step to look after skin so using this tiny bottle for a bit to see the difference before committing. 

Omorovicza Budapest Deep Cleansing Mask – this Hungarian brand seems to be the pick of the boutique and this clay mud mask is full of minerals to deep cleaning skin. 

Kat Von D Studded Lipstick in  Magick – a pinky nude tone with a hint of sparkle, this is quite a nice everyday shade. The tube is studded and looks quite fun in my collection. 


Kat Von D Ink! Liner – I am so rubbish with eyeliner but this superfine pen is supposed to be one of the best on the market and easy peasy to use.  


Swatches

I really liked this selection and the new edit style of options in the boutique. 

It will be interesting to see what the next selection is and whether they bring back full size items. 

Do you subscribe to Love Me Beauty?? Thoughts? Let me know in the comments below. 

Uncategorized

Ignorance on the internet

TW/CW: rape, sexual violence, domestic abuse 

I try to avoid debating certain topics online but sometimes you just get dragged in. 

A blogger had posted a twitter poll about rape – whether it was always a violent act. I pointed out that by definition (legal and literal) it always is. 

The original poster and some random jumped on this, insisting it isn’t.  I used to work for a charity that supports rape victims, I’ve had training, spoken to survivors and read around the subject. I do know a lot about this topic.  None of it is cheering. 

The law is very slow when it comes to sexual and domestic violence. Rape in marriage has only been illegal since 1992 in the UK. Rape convictions are ridiculously low and the government’s endless cuts often end with victim services disappearing.  

Coercion is something that is only just being added to the statute books. This includes forcing someone to have sex with you with threats. 

Which is violence – pure and simple. Whether it is a threat to the person themselves, their children, other family members or even something like saying they’ll burn the house down- the spectre of violence is there. 

Saying, oh rape isn’t always violent, it can be – what, gentle?? Is ignorance, bordering on rape apology. 

It’s a bit like saying murder doesn’t always leave a dead body. It’s willfully ignorant.  

Then they (Twitter persons) said but the victims might not see it as rape so somehow that makes it ok?? Now that is rape apology. 

A victim may not immediately know they’ve been raped but they usually do know something wasn’t right. And even if they don’t seek help straightaway most do eventually. 

Rape isn’t about sex – it’s about power and control – having sex with someone without their consent is rape. Full stop. Even if they consented earlier, but withdrew it, even if you’re married to them, even if they’re drunk or wearing a short skirt. 

There is no way to claim rape isn’t an act of violence – there really isn’t.  Someone is violated (from the same root word) and their consent taken away. 

There are a lot of books written around the subject, a lot of research undertaken, and none of that ever suggests or states anything else. 

Basically if you think you want to discuss this topic, or any other, educate yourself first, do some actual research and not just ask Twitter. 

beauty, beauty boxes, make up, reviews

Little Known Box – Face Firsts

This month’s box is all about trying new things as it’s a new season (autumn!)

Peeks Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in shade Quick Sand. This is a matte brown-y colour which to be quite honest is not really my thing. It would probably be good on someone with a darker skin tone but not on my ridiculously pale face. 

Lash Unlimited Strip Lashes – another dud for me, I have naturally long, very pale lashes, so I’ve never bothered with falsies, but I do think they can look amazing.  

Nanshy 4-in-1 Marvel Blender – this is more my speed, I’ve really got into using a sponge blender so a spare is always welcome. 

Siskyn Skincare Oils Frankincense & Jasmine Night Facial Oil – this scented oil is a blend of 18 botanical oils to soothe, replenish and rejuvenate skin while you sleep. I am starting to get quite into oils – especially the new generation that neither dry you out or leave you looking like an oil slick. 

Epic Blend Vegan Lip Balm in Wild Berry – petroleum and gluten free lip balm. Added to my stash already. 

books, fun stuff, lifestyle boxes, reviews

The Bookish Box – Literary Ladies 

September’s Bookish Box has arrived and it’s all about the ladies. 

LeviosA earrings from J&Co Jewellery – silver feather studs

Kimmy Scmidt magnet from Jar of Buttons “Females are strong as hell” 

Pride & Prejudice tea from First Edition Tea Co – citrus and roasted mate tea

Katniss Arrow Pen & Highlighter holder from Nonies Custom Creations 

Thrones of Glass watercolour bookmark from Lexy Olivia 

The Bookish Box Bookworm highlighter & Matilda sticky noted

Appraising Pages Hermione t-shirt 
Chapter sampler from The Call by Peader O’Guilin 

Some really lovely things in this box, really impressed at how the team behind this box find so many lovely literary things every month. 

adventures in post, fun stuff, jewellery

Happy Flair – plants are friends

Happy Flair is a super cheery box of bits and bobs from the team at Punky Pins, one of my favourite indie jewellery and accessories companies. 

You can opt for pin only or full flair, which obviously is very me.  Each month’s box is themed and slipped through the letterbox by the postman. 

This month’s is full of all things green. I love my plants, mostly cacti and succulents, and clearly the Happy Flair team have the same taste in plants. 


Inside the box are stickers, a postcard, pin, necklace, patch and a note card. Each box is different but this may just be my favourite. 

fashion, fashion friday, wardrobe

Fashion Friday: big shoulders are back! 

Flicking through Glamour the other day I saw one of my fashion nightmares amongst the endless pictures of overpriced (and often unappealing) clothes. 

I have the shoulders of a shot putter (gold –  year 10 girls shot putt – thank you) or a rugby player (I was very into that as a sport aged 14, excellent for dealing with teenage angst). 

In other words they’re broad. I avoid shoulder pads like the plague and spaghetti straps look lost floating somewhere between where my neck ends and my arm begins. 

The Mr just about pulls these off (ice hockey pads)

Bold shoulders are not a good look if you’re broad – I don’t want to draw attention to them thanks. Even more so as I start looking at wedding dresses. Yes I could probably carry a sheep slung round my shoulders like my ancestors may have done, but that’s not really what I’m going for if it’s all the same. 

Those awful 80s shoulders

I am very lucky I think that I was a baby in the 80s and missed shoulder pads in everything, my skinny shouldered mother on the other hand just looks odd with pointy jackets on, her current slim, tailored look suits her better (apparently one of the benefits of getting older is you stop caring about fashion and instead go for quality and cut that suits you.  Bring it on I say.)

Even Dolce & Gabbana couldn’t convince me

After a summer of the cold shoulder top – also not a friend of the broad of shoulder, do we really need a winter of mad looking clothes that scream, hello I’m good with a discus. If you’re me, anyway. 

fun stuff, gardening, happy mail, lifestyle boxes, reviews

Buddy Box – Plant Life

This month’s Buddy Box from The Blurt Foundation has arrived and it’s a green fingered box. 

I love growing things, I’m just not very good at it. 

There’s a clever little grow your own kit, adding that to my windowsill garden right now, a cute pot plant pin, cactus shaped rubber, vanilla scented soap, herbal tea and postcards. 

Although summer is drawing to a close my plants are still blooming so this feels a timely little treat as the evenings begin to get longer. 

fun stuff, life

30 Years Young

Happy Birthday to me.  

Thank goodness my mum dropped the tradition of ringing the birthday person at the time they were born – 6am in my case. I would not be pleased. 

Despite this being a ‘big’ birthday, I’m keeping it low key – dinner with the Mr and Sunday lunch with my parents to come. No wild parties, too old now, way past my bedtime. 

Do you have any birthday traditions? I did but since I moved out of my parents’ house a few of them have fallen by the wayside.  Like birthday breakfasts – my mum used to buy pain au chocolat for birthdays. I also didn’t have a cake, mostly because I forgot to buy one. 

challenges, charity, exercise, fun stuff, refuge

#Walk4Refuge 

Sunday saw me hobbling around London raising money for Refuge. Here’s some photos. 

Tower Bridge
From the modern to the ancient
Tower of London
City Hall, Walkie Talkie, Gherkin
Shakespeare’s Globe
Tate Modern & Millennium Bridge
City of contrasts
Goodie bag
Number
The route
Medal

You can still sponsor me (all money goes to Refuge) here: https://walk4.everydayhero.com/uk/madeleine 

beauty, beauty boxes, glossybox, reviews

Red x Glossybox 

I honestly think I’m done with Glossybox. This month’s collaboration with Red Magazine just isn’t good enough. 

Also where is my bonus MUA palette?? Last month Glossybox sent out an email saying that people had received the wrong palettes so a replacement would be included in this box. But nope. 

Too Faced Better than Sex mascara.  You know my feelings about mascara in beauty boxes. I am not going to repeat them. 

Revlon Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat – eh. Not feeling particularly thrilled by this. 

Radial Smokey Eye Pen – what is the point of filling out a beauty profile if almost every month they send another eye liner. 

The Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Lip Balm – this may be the only thing in the box I get much use of. Even though I have 9 million lip balms. 

Just completely underwhelmed.