Category: beauty boxes

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Advent Calendars for beauty junkies

ramblingmads

As a kid all I ever wanted was a chocolate Advent calendar, but my mum, super healthy, no junk food, always said no. That’s not to say we didn’t have nice ones, there was the year my godmother sent beautiful chimney calendars, with little presents in the drawers every day. I still have my beautiful Maria Angel illustrated story calendar – which I use every year.

Last year my Mr brought home a wooden countdown calendar, which is very sweet and will be on display this year too.

But, beauty firms have started releasing advent calendars full of treats that any beauty junkie would be pleased to find every morning.

The ones I most have my eye on are L’Occitane’s (£39 with free delivery) and You Beauty Discovery (£59 with free delivery). I also quite want Lush’s 12 Days of Christmas (not an Advent calendar as such, but definitely on my Christmas list).

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You Beauty Discovery Advent Calendar

There are a lot of others, including a Jo Malone one(£250), but some are incredibly expensive. I suppose, depending on budget, you could ask for one as a Christmas gift, that you open on the run up.

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L'Occitane's Advent Calendar

Now I know Christmas isn’t about stuff, or presents, and that for people who follow Christian beliefs, sacred and holy. I was raised going to church, I still love the ceremony and go to Midnight Mass every year, but I think that after a year of working hard, doing our bit for the people we love, it’s OK to have a few treats. Especially in the middle of winter when it’s cold and miserable.

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Lush's 12 Days of Christmas

Which Advent calendars have you spotted? Will you be buying a beauty packed one?

ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, haircare

Repurchase!

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I very rarely repurchase anything from a beauty box unless it’s something I already use. However one item from September’s Glossybox caught my eye.

Maria Nila Luminous Colour Masque

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This hair mask is amazing, it smells fairly pleasant, and leaves my hair extra shiny and glossy.

There was an offer of 20% off purchases from the brand at Sally Beauty Supplies, which I took advantage of.

I also added a second item to my basket – Golden Blonde Colour Refresh. My hair often goes a bit dull during the winter months and I thought I’d give this a try, natural blondes need a boost too! It came with a little box of gloves to help me avoid dyeing my hands.

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I really like this brand – vegan, cruelty free, paraben and sulphate free, with ingredients like argan oil and pomegranate extract.

I will be back for more!

ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, glossybox, make up, reviews, skincare

October Glossybox

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Glossybox has really upped their game in the last few months, their boxes are all full size products, making it a total bargain.

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Inside this month’s box –

Nicka K Airbrush Blending Sponge – I’ve heard a lot about these magic blending sponge, which claim to create a flawless look with any liquid make up product.

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Talika Photo-Hydra Dry – hydrating moisturiser from French brand Talika, claims to leave your complexion hydrated and primed.

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Lanolips Golden Ointment Dry Skin Salve – lanolin, Manuka honey and vitamin E combined to tackle super dry skin, just a shame I’m allergic to lanolin.

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So Susan Haute Light Highlighting Pencil – blend over brow or cheek bones to boost radiance or along the inner rim of your eyes to make the whites pop.

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Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes Curl Mascara – cruelty-free with a unique brush to boost the curl in your lashes with dramatic volume and definition.

A nice selection, with the obligatory mascara, perfect for some skin TLC and added glow in the coming cold weather.

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beauty, beauty boxes, latest in beauty, reviews, skincare

Latest in Beauty Get the Gloss – The Cult Collection

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Another season, another great box from LiB, the second this year in collaboration with Get the Gloss.

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Inside there’s a nicely curated selection of products that have been everywhere this year.

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St Tropez Gradual Tan in Shower Lotion – I remember the old days of St Tropez, orange streaks and that weird biscuity smell. This in shower self tan has been raved about by bloggers and journalists alike. My own tan tester (and best friend) reported success. Might have to give my pasty legs a treat!

Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner Black – I love eyeko’s chubby colour sticks, but eyeliner is something I never quite get right. This is basically a felt tip and I have some success with similar liners before.

Ciate nail polish in mistress – as you know I’m a polish addict. Red isn’t really my preference so I’ll probably be passing this along to my mum (who used to pinch mine, but now can’t).

Dr Lipp Miracle Balm – this multi use balm (lips, dry bits) claims to last for hours with no sticky residue. We’ll see about that, nothing has yet kept my cracked lips moisturised for long!

Bee Good Youth Enhancing Lift and Brighten Eye Cream – I don’t really use eye creams – but before you gasp in horror, there’s a reason. I have had allergic reactions to eye creams in the past, which were extremely painful so now I stick to multi use moisturisers. But as this seems to be mostly natural ingredients maybe my skin will be ok with it.

Nude Skincare ProGenius Rescue Oil – this oil has been in so many beauty boxes this year, but I didn’t get on with it. I don’t think skin oils are for me.

Prismologie Pink O’Clock Hand & Cuticle Cream and Indigo Interlude Foot Cream – the tiniest tubes ever of hand and foot creams. However they do smell nice and I like to treat my hands and feet, they work rather hard.

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Are there any favourites in this box or something you’d like to try?

What are your cult favourites?

ramblingmads

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

Look Fantastic Beauty Box No. 1

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White and gold shiny box – wonder what’s inside!?!?
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Look Fantastic has curated a nice little selection for their subscriber box.

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Balance Me Radiance Face Mask

Monu Spa Firming Moisturiser

Percy & Reed Volumising No Oil Oil

Nuxe Hand and Nail Cream

Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser

Elemis Hydra-Balance Day Cream

Look Good Feel Better Eye Shading Brush

Some great brands included here, just a shame that none of them are full size.

Look Good Feel Better is a charity that supports women and teenagers struggling with the effects of their treatment, and its product range helps them do their valuable work.

Nuxe Paris is a brand I’ve become quite familiar with over the last few months so it’s nice to see a product from them, and a handbag sized hand cream is never a bad thing.

Your entire skincare routine in a box from cleansing to moisturizing, plus hair oil that doesn’t leave a sticky film.

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beauty, beauty boxes, birchbox, reviews, skincare

Birchbox – Stylist edit

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This month you can choose between two different boxes – the one curated by Stylist’s Beauty Editor or a Back to Basics box.

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I chose the Stylist box – I like reading the free magazine handed out at tube stations and I wanted to see what their beauty editor would come up with.

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Inside the box are six items, 3 exclusive to Birchbox and one that’s full size.

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100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze – with avocado and cocoa butters, this is a matte finish lip glaze and it’s 100% vegan too.

Bioderma Sensibio H20 – teeny little bottle of micellar water.

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Parlor by Jeff Chastain Smoothing Blowout Spray – frizz reducing, protecting against heat damage, this little bottle packs a punch.

Rituals Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel – rose scented gel that becomes foam in hot water.

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When Travelmate Sheet Mask – these are really big in Korea and Japan and have been making their way over to the UK this year.

English Laundry No. 7 Signature For Her – rose geranium, white flowers and musk perfume. It reminds me of the famous Body Shop White Musk scent of my teens.

If you would like to subscribe to Birchbox and would like £5 of Birchbox points to spend, click here to start your subscription.

ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, make up, nail polish, reviews, skincare

Cohorted October Box

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Having seen these boxes raved about all over the beauty blogosphere and social media I was really excited to get my hands on a Cohorted box. You cannot subscribe to them and they sell out super fast, so I felt rather pleased when I got the confirmation email.

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Then it turned up and wow am I not impressed. Previous boxes have contained some amazing products – including palettes and exclusive brands.

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The five items in this box really aren’t that exciting. All are however full size and the box has a value of £65.99 for £25.

Bare Minerals Purifying Facial Cleanser (RRP £15 for 60ml)

Bare Minerals Purely Nourishing Cream (£10 for 30ml)

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lip gloss in Hypnotist (£16.99)

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Ciate Nail Polish in Serendipity (£9)

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Peter Thomas Roth Lashes to Die For Mascara – Black (£15)

I’m not a huge fan of Bare Minerals – the products I’ve tried before haven’t been anything special. I also think they’re a bit overpriced.

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Sparkly nail polish – no thanks. I went off this when I reached my teens. Then there’s yet another mascara, every beauty box seems to have one of these – obviously a cheap and easy option.

Overall really not impressed – I don’t see quite what the fuss is about Cohorted if this is what is on offer.

Anyone had a Cohorted box before?

ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, perfume, reviews, skincare, you beauty

You Beauty Discovery Box – October

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Every month I um and ah about whether to cancel this box. Then there’s a really good one (like September’s skin care special) and I stay. When it’s good, the £6.95 is totally worth it, a bargain in fact but then there’s month’s like this.

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I really struggled to pick my two samples, as I didn’t really like any of them. Nothing jumped out at me, waving and shouting. It was all a bit meh.

In the end I went with a product I will inevitably use and one I will try.

Roger & Gallet Gingembre Rouge body lotion and perfume samples – I slather body lotion on my dry legs every morning after a shower and I tend to be fairly indiscriminate about what I use. The scent is inspired by Zanzibar and has hints of ginger – though it smells very floral to me.

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The other item I picked was Kore’s Foaming Cleanser, Pearl Revitalising Toner and Pearl Gentle Exfoliator Trio. Kore is not a brand I’ve come across before – from Australia, free from animal testing and parabens.

Also in the box:  The White Company’s Day and Night perfume samples and Vichy Dermablend corrective foundation samples in shades 15 (opal) and 25 (nude).

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Not overwhelmed by this month’s box. If November’s is as naff, I think I’ll be speaking with my purse and saying sayonara to You Beauty. 

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

Love Me Beauty – are you alright?

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I don’t know what is going on at the LMB offices but I received a second box in as many weeks and it’s not October’s.

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The items come from the September boutique and some of them I’ve received before. That’s not to say it isn’t a nice surprise.

Inside the far too big box are two Lottie London nail polishes, a Lord & Berry Twistick lipstick, MonuSpa facial primer and Reviving Mist.

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I wonder why they sent me a second selection – maybe their new system is struggling a bit.

Anyone else had weird experiences with Love Me Beauty?

ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, haircare, make up, my little box, reviews, skincare

My Little Fashion Box

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You would think after the palaver this summer with boxes going awol, MLB would have switched back to Royal Mail, but no, so the boxes are still filtering out. September’s almost over, and fashion weeks have drawn to a close.

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September’s box is themed around fashion week with the box illustration of the infamous Front Row (Frow in fashion speak according to the press).

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Inside is another of in-house artist Kamako’s illustrations, the fold out magazine My Little World and a host of fashionable goodies.

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Nail decals designed just for MLB, not something I would use, but I have a friend with a thing for nail art so she’ll probably love these.

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A gorgeous patterned scarf. I love scarves, I own hundreds, they’re the best accessory. You can wear them so many ways, I got the blue one but there is also a black one in some boxes.

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Then there’s the beauty products. As always there’s a French slant to them. 

La Roche-Posay Effacler K(+) – according to the beauty bloggers I follow, this stuff relieves greasy skin, clears up spots and leaves you less shiny. I have combination skin so hopefully it’ll leave me with an even skin tone during the shinier moments.

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Kerastase Couture Styling Laque Noir – a water-free, fuzz busting, humidity preventer. Which would come in very handy for those mornings where you need less stresses in your tresses.

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My Little Beauty Red Dingue de lui – lip stain, from their in-house brand. It’s a rich cherry red colour, with serious staying power (I can’t scrub it off my hand!).

All of this is wrapped in MLB’s swanky packaging, printed bag, ribbon, box.

Now if only they could sort out their deliveries.

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