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 boxes, latest in beauty, libbie club, reviews

September Libbie Club Offers

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This month’s Libbie Club offers are a mix of skincare and a make up item.

Caudalie is a French brand that seems to be everywhere this year, they make masks, moisturizers and other things to make your skin glow. This month Libbie Club is offering the Instant Detox Mask.

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The packaging is nice, and looks good on the shelf and the product is super easy to use. It also doesn’t smell too terrible. Which matters to me.

Also in the box is Mio’s The Activist body oil. Again this smells good, is easy to use and absorbs without leaving a greasy mess.

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Finally, a mascara. I am really, really fussy about mascara. I like the packaging on this but am not so sure what exactly makes this a must have. Teeez Desert Metals Mascara – no animal derivatives and claims to be smudge proof and long lasting.

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I have 5 free samples of the Caudalie mask – if you’d like one, let me know.

Otherwise log on to Libbie Club and treat yourself to this month’s goodies.

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netflix, tv

Netflix obsession – The Good Wife

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Netflix has a terrible hold on my ability to get anything done. “Just one more episode” which of course means entire days can go by before things (like the hoovering) gets done.

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I have watched some great films and TV shows – like Orphan Black, Orange is the new Black, Wet Hot American Summer and my current binge watching obsession – The Good Wife.

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Starring the luminous and doe eyed Julianna Marguiles as Alicia Florrick, who goes back to work as a lawyer after her husband goes to prison. She chooses to stand by her man, but as the show evolves her confidence grows and she learns how to stand on her own two feet. The title is a bit annoying as the whole show is about the things she is, lawyer, mother, sister, employee, mentor, and woman as well as being a wife.

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Alicia has a great jacket wardrobe

The cast is fantastic – featuring actors like Christine Baranski, Alan Cumming and Michael J. Fox. The writing is great, and while it’s a legal battle per episode, much like most police procedural shows, the overriding storylines keep it together and allow the characters to grow with the show.

My dad wanted me to be a lawyer (he still does) but shows like this are the closest I think I’ll ever get somehow.

What’s your current go to binge watch?  

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lifestyle boxes, reviews, waxbox

Waxbox – September

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So soggy season has started, it’s rained pretty much every day and I am seriously thinking about cranking up the heating. Good thing out boiler was serviced last week.

One of my favourite things about the days getting shorter is being able to light candles and use my wax melter (a birthday present from last year) to fill the flat with warmth and delicious smells.

As you all know I’m a fan of subscription boxes (mostly because I’m lazy) and Waxbox is perfect for those long winter nights heading our way in the Northern hemisphere.

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For £15 a month a box of specially selected candles and wax tarts arrives at your door. You can pay monthly or 3 months in advance.

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This was my first box and it’s been packed with care. There’s even a card addressed to me welcoming me to their service.

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Inside is a lovely smell, made up of different fragrances.

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Pomegranate natural wax melts

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Soy wax melt in Raisin Bread

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Baked Apple wax melt

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Angel Whisper wax melt

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Frosted Forest candle tin

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The products come from different brands, most of which have their websites printed on the packaging so you can check them out and try other scents.

In terms of scent – the baked apple smells like Christmas and will most likely be used to perfume the depths of a wet English winter. The pomegranate one isn’t particularly strong but I think it’s one that deepens as it melts.

Angel Whisper is a subtle smell, I think I can detect jasmine in there, it’s quite a clean smell too.

I don’t like raisins very much and I don’t like the scent of raisin bread much either.

The frosted forest candle is a lovely green colour but not as strong a scent as I thought it would be once I got the lid off.

I look forward to seeing what other scents Waxbox sends out in the next few months.

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Remember to never leave lit flames unattended and never let children play with fire.

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beauty, books, instagram, make up

Who do you get your beauty advice from?

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I don’t really buy magazines, I resent spending my money on adverts and pictures of hungry women in over-priced, ugly clothes.

I do buy Glamour, which in the UK often covers issues that affect women, like politics and women in sports, not just celebrities and clothes I would never be able to afford.

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Via @GlamourUK on Twitter

And I do read Sali Hughes’ beauty column in The Guardian’s Weekend magazine on Saturdays. I like Sali, she’s no-nonsense, writes about products that she’s tried and that work from a variety of brands and prices.

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Via @salihughes on twitter

Last year she published a book Pretty Honest, which expanded on her columns and explored issues around the cosmetics industry and skincare.

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Via google

Her website features fun interviews with women like Caitlin Moran and Marian Keyes, who I admire as writers and women. I follow Sali on Twitter and Instagram too, where she talks about more than just make up.

In fact it’s one of the two books hanging out in my wardrobe/lady space/hoard. The other is The Goddess Guide, which is purely aspirational.

I also quite like the weekly free magazine The Stylist, and in terms of their beauty advice – the column Trend on Trial is probably the most interesting. Three of their beauty staffers test out the new catwalk make up trends to see how wearable they are in real life. Often to hilarious effect. Worth reading online if you don’t live in the UK (or if you do but don’t see the vendors on your travels).

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I also stalk nail trends on instagram, as well as people I admire and want to copy their style. There’s also twitter, pinterest, tumblr and facebook, and I do spend a bit of time ogling pretty things when I should be doing more active or important stuff.

So where do you get your inspiration from? Is there a blogger, instagram account or beauty writer you refer to?

ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, latest in beauty, perfume, reviews

Latest in Beauty – The Perfume Society

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LiB has teamed up with the Perfume Society to bring you three curated boxes of scent. I picked the Little Treasures box but you can also get Florals and Florientals and Designer Discoveries, depending on your preferences. The boxes are £12.95 each.

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The scent that caught my eye and swayed me to pick this one was L’Occitane’s new The Vert Bigarade, which I tested in their store. The full size bottle is £45 and as it’s my birthday next month, is on my splurge list.

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There are some scents I’ve never heard of tucked in here as well as brands like Yardley and Liz Earle.

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The Perfume Society has included postcard guides to the included scents, of which there are ten.

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This is a really good way to sample new scents and there’s also a discount voucher to join the Perfume Society. 

ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, birchbox, make up, reviews

Birchbox for Brides

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Wedding season is almost over but I know at least two brides who still have a bouquet to toss before Christmas, and these make fab gifts.

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Birchbox has teamed up with Benefit cosmetics for three boxes – for the hen do, the wedding day and the honeymoon.

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Each box features a range of samples from Benefit’s glamorous range of make up and a little bonus gift.

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To be honest, even if you aren’t getting hitched anytime soon these are great, especially if you’re a Benefit fan.

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beauty, beauty boxes, latest in beauty, make up, reviews, skincare

Latest in Beauty – Time to Shine

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This little box of goodies is currently in LiB’s summer box line up.

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Bourjois Cream Blush shade 02 – their cream to powder foundation is super easy to apply and this is a pink colour that would definitely pop on the cheeks, especially with a smoky daytime eye.

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Pixi lip stain (left) Bourjois blush (right)

Pixi Lip Blush in Youth – looks and feels like a felt tip in a bright, slightly sheer pink. Pixi has become a cult beauty brand this year and these lip stains are very popular.

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Essie nail polish in peak of chic – not so sure about glittery polish at my age, I certainly loved it years ago.

Elemis Spa @ Home Treat Your Feet footcream – with Shea butter and jojoba oil, this smells lovely and soothes hot tired feet.

Melvita Bio-Excellence Youthful Day Cream – with fruit extracts this cream promises to deliver healthy skin.

James Read Sleep Mask Tan – a self tan that you smooth on before you sleep to moisturise and give your skin a summery glow.

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beauty, beauty boxes, love me beauty, nail polish, nails inc, reviews, skincare

Love Me Beauty – revamped

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My last LMB box went AWOL in the post so I was a bit fed up with them.

Anyway, they’ve revamped their website and how you select your goodies. You used to get only a few points and there was quite a limited list to pick from. Now you have 9 points and they’ve expanded the list of options.

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This is what I picked.

Model Co Shadow Sticks – set of 4

Nails Inc Gel Effect in Beaufort Street

Love Me Beauty Nail File

Bellepierre Cosmetics eye shadow in Storm and Whesek

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I chose quite a few eye shadows mostly because I didn’t like the skincare options, and as most items are 2 points, I got the nail file as it was the only 1 point item. All of the items I picked are full size and for £13 including P&P that’s incredible value. This is still not my favourite box but as they improve their product list and make it easier to use their site, hopefully it will get better.

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adventures in post, fashion friday, reviews

T-Post – get a free tee

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As you may have realized, I love getting things in the post, I miss letters and postcards. Technology may be really useful but things brought by the postman are always going to give me a little thrill.

T-post is an unusual service from Amsterdam, they send you a collector’s edition T-shirt every month and at the moment you can try it for free (€3 for postage).

I received mine last week. You tell them your size and off it goes.

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Visit the website and try your free tee today.

ramblingmads

beauty, ethics, haircare, lush, skincare

Lush – a treat for the senses

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Popped into my nearest Lush before dinner with the boyfriend (GBK – yum!) and picked up a few bits.

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I was completely out of my favourite moisturiser – Celestial, and am using my last shower gel from the stash (Glogg which smells like Christmas) so I got a few  bottles, two of the new scents. Yuzu and Cocoa smells like chocolate oranges and is bright, citrus yellow. The Comforter (pink) reminds me of Snow Fairy but less bubblegum.  Shampoo I Love Juicy is another staple product for me.
Then I picked up the super Sun Block – the perfect product for a lazy person who needs a lot of sun protection.
Finally I sniffed a solid conditioner bar – The Plumps (another bright pick purchase) which promises to reduce my flyaway hairs while giving bouncy, healthy hair.
I always come away from Lush with a smile – the staff are lovely. For some reason my card and the chip & pin machine were disagreeing and the manager patiently sorted it out for me. Then he gave me a free pot of BB Seaweed fresh face mask for the hassle, which was totally unexpected and really sweet. Go team Lush Brent Cross!

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