Author: ramblingmads

I am a thirtysomething from London, with a cat, a husband, bookshelves which keep threatening to crush me under their load and chronic health conditions. Basically your average over stressed millennial. Welcome.
beauty, beauty boxes, glossybox, make up, reviews, skincare

November Glossybox

ramblingmads

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This month’s Glossybox features five full sized beauty goodies from well known brands.

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Eylure Natural Lashes – I don’t wear false lashes, despite how blonde I am, I have long lashes that sometimes get caught in my glasses, but I know these are very popular with a lot of my friends for making their eyes pop.

MUA Eyeshadow Palette – I love MUA’s gorgeous, affordable range and this palette from natural shades to smoky is brilliant for the tawny eyed look that I keep seeing on blogs and in magazines.

Emite Diamond Heart Primer – primer has been something I’ve only recently started adding to my routine, and I’m always on the lookout for the perfect one.

Royal Apothic Body Lotion – this is designed to be massaged into damp skin after a shower to lock in moisture, something that my skin craves, especially as the temperature drops.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick – infused with vitamin E and avocado oil, this lipstick is designed to provide moisture and a pop of colour. There are four shades available and I received Pink in the Afternoon.

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beauty, beauty boxes, my little box, perfume, reviews, skincare

My Little Sweet Box

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This month MLB managed to get delivered in plenty of time! Hooray.

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It’s also a tin for treats as opposed to a box, rather sweetly decorated too.

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Inside are baking themed goodies, including jar labels and a cute apron, as well as some beauty treats. They’ve teamed up with food blogger Mimi Thorisson.

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The beauty items are mostly skincare;

* Dr Pierre Ricaud Neck & Decolletage Lifting Cream – this little pot of cream plumps and perks skin cells.

* Yves Rocher Sensual Fragrance – a rather warm and sexy scent in a tiny bottle of perfume.

* My Little Beauty Sweet Hand Cream – marshmallowy sweetness in a rich and soothing cream.

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lifestyle boxes, reviews, waxbox

Waxbox November

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I think I might have to pause this subscription box, I’m drowning in wax.

However there are some rather yummy scents in this month’s box, so we’ll see.

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As always the wax is handpicked and packed by the lovely Paula and features a range of candle and wax companies – many of whom are small businesses.

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Wax and Wicks Toffee Latte melt – based in Yorkshire, not to be confused with wicknwax, these three dinky melts are made of soy wax and smell rather nice, a subtle sweetness.

Luxurious Melts, from Warrington, also use soya wax, the crème brulee mini tarts are quite pleasant, with a hint of marshmallow.

Butterfly Scents Mandarin & Berries wax melt is glittery and smells amazing, like a little shot of summer.

The Bridgewater Candle Company votive candle is possibly my favourite scent in the box. Definitely going in my front room to freshen it up.

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Wax Scentsual’s Avensus is quite a fresh, ocean scent. Perfect for the bathroom.

Regent House’s Wish Upon a Star wax granules are something a bit different. Pour into the burner and melt.

Finally a hint of Christmas in the peppermint mini melts from Wales’ Busy Bee Candles, which I added it to my current marshmallow melt, delicious.

ramblingmads

life, paris

Paris is burning

ramblingmads

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Tonight terrible things have happened in Paris, a city I love, the land of my ancestors.

Gunmen opened fire across the city including the Bataclan nightclub where people were attending a gig. This is the latest act of mass violence in the last few years in France.

I can’t tell you why this happened or how to stop it. But we have to love furiously, we have to stand together and say no more. Because if we don’t evil does, evil that sits in the hearts and minds and pushes people apart.

So hold your loved ones tight and hold on to the community around you, stand up and say ‘no more’.

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ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, birchbox, haircare, make up, reviews, skincare

Birchbox x Skinny Dip London

ramblingmads

This month Birchbox has joined forces with accessories brand Skinny Dip London. Confusingly there are no items from Skinny Dip in the box, you could however add a phone cover from their range for an extra £4. The boxes feature a shell print design from Skinny Dip.

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Inside there’s six beauty products from a variety of brands. Let’s take a look inside.

Ren Wake Wonderful Night-Time Facial – this works while you sleep, leaving you with plumped up, radiant skin in the morning. I’ll be giving this a go to relieve tired winter skin.

Lord & Berry Silhouette Neutral Lip Liner – I’m not really a lip liner kinda girl, I don’t really wear lipstick, but this doesn’t need matching to your lipstick of choice as it’s translucent.

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Cowshed Cow Pat Hand Cream – I loved the Cowshed body lotions that I’ve tried and winter means hand cream becomes more essential than ever. This one contains grapefruit and coriander essential oils, and smells quite pleasant.

Number 4 Lumiere d’Hiver Super Comb Prep & Protect – like a hair oil, you spritz this on towel dried hair, comb through and style. Strengthen and repair tired hair while detangling and taming flyaways. Not sure it’ll come between me and my argan oil though.

Delarom Crème Acquaconfort – with almond and apricot oils, vitamin E this facial cream nourishes and soothes dehydrated skin and perks it up.

L.Erickson Grab & Go Ponytail Holder – metal free hair tie, designed to avoid getting tangled in your hair.

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ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, reviews, skincare, you beauty

November You Beauty Discovery Box

ramblingmads

This month I was a bit disappointed by the choices offered by YBD. There were three shades of wands to hide grey roots, which luckily I don’t yet have to worry about, a Gin & Tonic perfume spritz, eye gel, facial oil and bubble bath.

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I picked the eye gek and bubble jelly, but for some reason I’ve been sent a facial oil instead, as well as the bubble jelly.

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The bonus items are a bit lacking – a sample sachet of shower gel (which we had two months ago) and a sheet mask sample.

To be honest this month’s box was poor altogether. I hope their December one, the last of the year, has a bit more zip to it.

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blogging, life, upcoming

All quiet on the blog front

ramblingmads

Sorry it’s been a bit sparse in terms of posts recently, I’m busy trying to find a new job and have been at a host of interviews, with more to come this week. Fingers crossed I get something soon so I can do my Christmas shopping and get back to blogging more regularly.

There are a few posts to come over the next week or so, keep an eye out.

If you want to see what I’m up to in between posts, Instagram is my current favourite social media hangout.

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ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, haircare, make up, reviews, skincare

Look Fantastic Beauty Box No. 2

ramblingmads

The second gold and shiny beauty box from Look Fantastic was delivered this morning. A text from Royal Mail let me know it had arrived (I didn’t know RM did that, I do now).

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Inside the pretty box, beneath the layer of tissue paper lies this month’s selection of beauty goodies.

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There’s more variety in this box than there was in the skincare fest last time.

There’s a festive bent to the box this month, with Look Fantastic’s pick of a Ruby Red mineral lipstick from Bellapierre. The perfect shade for the season.

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Also in the box – Korres Guava Shower Gel – vitamin enriched, lightly scented, creamy-foam gel.

Ole Henriksen Empower Foaming Milk Cleanser – travel sized, this cleanser promises to protect against free radicals with the power of Arctic cloudberries, which is packed with vitamins. All I can say is that it smells inoffensive and left my skin soft.

Dr PawPaw Tinted Ultimate Red Balm – a limited edition balm that can be used for lips, cheeks and touch ups. Containing pawpaw extract, olive oil and aloe vera.

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Ren V-Cense Youth Vitality Day Cream – a moisturiser that hydrates, smoothes and boosts skin energy and elasticity.

Kebelo Enriching Masque – designed for naturally dry hair, this contains argan oil and a host of happy hair ingredients that mimic natural hair oils and nourish your hair to keep it shiny and healthy.

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