Category: beauty boxes

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

Glossybox Edible Edit

ramblingmads

For a box called the Edible Edit in conjunction with comedian Bella Younger’s Instagram alter ego Deliciously Stella, there’s not even a tube of fruit pastilles inside. 

Instead there’s a range of beauty products (mostly skincare) which contain Edible ingredients, just don’t take a nibble.  

Nip & Fab Kale Fix Moisturiser – with kale, watercress and almond oil to enrich and protect skin and aloe vera and shea butter to soothe and smooth. 

The Balm Meet Matt (e) Trimony Single Eyeshadow – in an aubergine (eggplant for my US readers) shade this teeny, tiny sample shadow is velvety soft. 

Vitamasques Manuka Honey Face Mask – Korean sheet masks were a big thing in beauty last year and it looks set to continue as a trend. This one is infused with the most expensive honey you can buy to nourish and love your skin.  

Unani Illuminate Milk Cleanser – full of natural skin loving oils to purify and protect your skin as they remove make up. 

Hairon Zero Crease Hair Tie – not entirely sure how these fit the theme but there you go.  I actually hate these hair ties, for some reason they get snared and tangled in my hair, so my sister will be getting these.  

This will be my last Glossybox for a while as I need to save a little money and use up my stash, which is getting out of control. 

beauty, beauty boxes, lifestyle boxes, make up, my little box, reviews

My Little Christmas Box 

ramblingmads

Look how festive this box is. With its green ribbon and candy cane. And it’s jam packed. 

There’s a Kanako art print with a message from the artist, My Little World magazine and loads of lovely treats. 

My Little Beauty Smokey Eye Duo – smokey eye make up has moved away from the greys and deep colours to these softer tones. Haven’t really had a play with these yet but I do quite like them together. 

Gingerbread candle – cinnamon and ginger are some of the smells of Christmas so this ties perfectly into the season. 

Cuff bracelet – gold tones with a hint of festive forest green.  I quite like this, it looks good next to my new velvet dress. 

Courrèges Hyperbole perfume – This perfume shares it’s name with one of my favourite words. It’s not a particularly heavy scent (although that might just be because I have a cold and can’t smell anything properly!) 

Kusmi Tea Tsarevna blend tea – this Russian blended black tea with orange peel, liquorice, vanilla and spice to give a whiff of Christmas. 

Tiptree Salted Caramel sauce – hands off! This is mine! I think this will be the perfect addition to my Christmas Day dessert. I love the mix of sweet and salt in this sauce and since I’m not having Christmas pudding (yuk!) I will add this to my sticky toffee pud instead. 

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Flipbalm Juicy Watermelon – I love lipbalm, especially in the winter months when my lips feel very dry and prone to cracking.  Plus this is a really cute pot. 

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

Birchbox Merry & Bright 

ramblingmads

This month’s Birchbox has arrived. Instead of the classic box they’ve sent a pop top style box, which they claim can be used as a keepsake box. However it is smaller than the usual box and I can’t really work out what I’d keep in it. 

Inside are five beauty items – they tie into the colour scheme rather neatly. 
💋Ciatè London Fierce Flicks Eyeliner (fullsize RRP  £15) – felt tip style eyeliners are my preferred kind, mostly because I can’t quite handle gel and I have never managed to get a decent line from a kohl pencil. 

💋Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara (RRP £23) – I’m not entirely sure what makes this specifically a smokey eye mascara but there you go. 

💋Benefit Cosmetics Benetint  (RRP £24.50) – teeny tiny Benefit samples I’ve had a few. I used to love benetint but I haven’t used it in years. 

💋Leighton Denny Nail Polish in Just Perfect (fullsize RRP  £12) – this is a really baby pink polish which I really don’t see getting used. Which is a shame as these are good quality polishes. 

💋Amie Skincare New Leaf Deep Pore Exfoliating Polish (RRP £5.95) – this uses rice proteins to exfoliate away dead skin cells rather than nasty plastic beads so yay. Plus this range gets on well with sensitive skin – I just wish it was a bigger bottle. 

This box was a bit mixed, it’s nice that the colours all tie together and I will definitely get some use out of most of the contents which is nice, especially considering the very hit and miss year Birchbox has had. 

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

Glossybox December 

ramblingmads

The seasonal Glossybox has arrived all white and gold. 

Inside are five fullsize products. 

MDMFLOW Semi-matte lipstick in Vamp – subscribers were invited to pick their choice between two shades for this month’s box. I went for this plum shade over the nude option as I quite like a statement lip. Wearing glasses means no matter what I do with my eye makeup it doesn’t really show but a bold lip pops  every time. 

Essence Light Up Your Face Luminizer Palette – other bloggers have said that Glossybox used to be packed full of high end cosmetics – well now it’s full of budget options like this. Essence is stocked in Wilko and this is £3. It’s also really too dark for my skin. If I used this, my face would just look dirty. 

Collection Cosmetics Define & Perfect Eyebrow Powder – another budget choice and another that seems aimed at someone else. This is just frustrating. I’ve told them I’m blonde and that includes my eyebrows but no – more brunette products. Having said that this is a nice slim brush but the rattling noise it makes worries me. 

Lipcote – my mum uses this to secure her lipstick but I found it unpleasantly tacky last time I used it. But I am going to try it again as I think I eat an awful lot of lipstick. 

Revlon Nail Enamel in Valentine – an old school vampy red polish in Revlon’s iconic bottle. 
This box was a bit hit and miss. All the products are fullsize and I like the colours of the polish and lipstick but the rest is a bit ‘meh’. Hopefully next year there will be a better mix of items, and not just the cheap end of the range. 

beauty, beauty boxes, look fantastic, make up, reviews, skincare

#LFXmas 

ramblingmads

Look Fantastic’s December box has arrived and it’s rose gold decor lines up with one of the big trends for 2016. 

The new issue of Elle was also included – The feminist issue – because feminism only matters once a year *eyeroll* 


Inside are six beauty products collated for the party season. 

💋Illamasqua Hydra Veil Primer – part primer, part hydrating moisturiser, this is designed to create a flawless base for your make up. While I am pretty wedded to my Soap & Glory primer at the moment, I might just try this out – just a shame it’s such a tiny pot. 👎

💋Philip Kingsley Elasticizer – this has been in dozens of beauty boxes this year and has never made any difference to my hair. 🙁 It’s supposed to give my hair a boost and make it shiny. But no. 👱

💋Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash – with grapefruit oil to gently cleanse the skin and keep skin happy. 🍑

💋Bubble T Bath Bomb – why don’t I have a bath tub? Why? Sadly this is completely wasted on me. With Hibiscus and Acai Berry, Goji Berry, vitamins A and C, this is a super soak for party weary body and soul. 🍒

💋Skin Republic Caviar and CoQ10 Face Mask – yes this contains fish eggs but 2016 beauty trends have included some weird things (like snail gel). It also contains Vitamin E, Witch Hazel and CoQ10 to fight blemishes and boost skin health. If you can get your head around smearing fish eggs on your face. 🐟

💋Mellow Cosmetics Lipstick in Madness – a matte formula in a rather nice red, although not as deep red as I’d like. Long lasting with smooth application full of pigment and polish. 💄

All in all I quite like this box even if the elasticizer and bath bomb are more miss than hit. 
 

beauty, beauty boxes, make up, reviews, skincare

Bow’s Beauty Box 

ramblingmads

“Brown paper packaging tied up with string – these are a few of my favourite things” so sang Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music. 

This new beauty box, curated by two bloggers, just launched on etsy, is very well wrapped in brown paper and string with a candy cane as well. 

Inside this neat little package are five beauty items.

– technic Colour Mix Cream Corrector Palette  – I’m never sure what colour corrector to buy in the shops but this palette has eight different colours to correct a multitude of sins.  

Pure Potions Skin Salvation Intensely Moisturising Ointment – suitable for sensitive and stressed out skin (conditions including eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis etc). My angry skin might just have found a new friend. 

Earth Conscious Natural Deodorant in Spice – this coconut oil based, cruelty free, organic deodorant smells like Christmas and is a bit too strong for me. But if you’re allergic or irritated by conventional products, this might work for you. 

Dr Botanical Japanese Orange Superfood Facial Oil – a vegan oil for your face, designed to renew and refresh tired skin. Smells fairly nice too. 

 Mitimo Natural 512 Avocado Seed Facial Essence Mask – Korean skincare has blown up in 2016 and sheet masks like this are everywhere. Infused with Avocado seed, aloe vera extract and other skin loving ingredients, this mask is designed to deep cleaning skin and leave you looking all fresh faced and shiny. 

For a brand new beauty box put together without the backing of a big firm this is a great start. At the moment they don’t have a subscription plan but considering they’re all sold out, that’s presumably in the plans. 

beauty, beauty boxes, look fantastic, make up, reviews

#LFSparkle Look Fantastic Party Edit

ramblingmads

This festive looking box of beauty treats landed on my doorstep on a very dreary day to sparkle things up. 

As well as the 5 listed beauty items, there was a nail file and a copy of this month’s Elle. 

Look Good Feel Better Angled Blending Brush – LGFB looks after women who have been diagnosed with cancer and helps them feel better about their changing appearance. This brush is super soft and angled enough to get eyeshadow into the crease. 

Model Co Blush Cheek Powder – a peachy toned blusher that once blended leaves you with a gentle flush. 

Sebastian Professional Volupt Spray – a non sticky formula designed to boost your hair’s volume without making it greasy or stiff. 

Bloom and Blossom Revitalising Foot and Leg Spray – perfect for those days when you’ve been clomping around all day in heavy winter boots. This spray refreshes tired feet and alleviates water tension with a blend of Horse Chestnut Seed and Yellow Sweet Clover. 

L’Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil – with Avocado and Grape Seed Oils, this nourishes hair and protects against the environments stresses and damage. Essential for winter and pollution. 

Monu Recovery Balm – lots of lovely skin friendly oils and peptides in this cold weather fighter. Refreshing and reviving cold nibbled skin and leave it healthy and hydrated. 

This is a lovely mix of items, I can definitely see them getting used every day more or less. Just a shame  so much is teeny sample size. 

beauty, beauty boxes, birchbox, reviews

Birchbox x Tatler – what a disappointment 

ramblingmads

Ok, firstly I love the peacock feather design and the fact that they seem to be sticking to the drawer version of the box. 

But oh boy are the contents awful. It feels a bit like they were clearing out some old stock and threw some random bits together. 

💄Amika Dry Shampoo 

💄Nuxe Creme Prodigeuese moisturiser 

💄Beauty Protector Blonde Shampoo

💄OCC Lip Tar Primer 

💄Bbrowbar Brow Pencil in Cinnamon Spice 

Yes, you read that right, two different types of shampoo. In the same box. Clearly the hair care stock pile needed a clear out. 

Then there’s yet another moisturiser. Yes I guess it’s useful but hardly a luxury treat. And I pretty much get one every month.  

The eyebrow pencil is completely the wrong shade – way too dark, the blonde shampoo is at least in the right direction. 

Finally the Lip Tar Primer – I use a lipbalm under my lipstick but this gloop doesn’t fill me with confidence. According to the lovely women in my WhatsApp group it’s a complete nightmare to use and a waste of time. 

So thanks Birchbox for a box full of random stuff from your storeroom. I filled in a beauty profile questionnaire but it seems that it was thrown directly into the bin. 

To be completely honest Birchbox has been flailing around for a while now. I don’t know what’s going on in their HQ but they definitely need to pull their socks up as there are plenty more beauty boxes out there just waiting to steal their customer base. 

beauty, beauty boxes, my little box, reviews

My Little Goodnight Box 

ramblingmads

Winter nights are dark and full of dreams – plus this week there’s a Super Moon (like Superman but made of cheese, right?)

MLB’s dreamy navy and silver (one of my favourite combinations) box holds a nice selection  of nightly delights. 

There’s an art print by regular illustrator Kanako, My Little World magazine, a padded sleep mask, which is super soft. 

I love this moon ring dish – it’s really pretty and rather sweet. 

Inside the star spangled bag are three beauty treats. 

– My Little Beauty Makeup Remover Jelly – Garnier Pureactive 3in1 (wash, scrub, mask)                                                                   – Yves Rocher Secrets D’Essences Accord Chic perfume 

And a sticker to add to my collection. 

I really liked this box – MLB have been really strong recently and long may it continue. 

beauty, beauty boxes, ethics, reviews, skincare, vegan kind

TVK Beauty Box Nov ’16

ramblingmads

The box costs £18.95 from The Vegan Kind and comes every three months. There is also a monthly snack box with one beauty/body treat. As always 20p from each box sold goes to the Dr Hadwen Trust – the UK’s leading non-animal medical research charity. 

Inside this box are 7 items. Several are fullsize and I have a serious issue with the size of one of them…

Maggie Anne Gel Effect Nail Varnish (RRP £10.50) – fullsize. When will ‘nude’ nail varnish die? I would love to have received a fun, seasonal colour one, but no, another nude. Having said that it seems OK – goes on smoothly, with a nice finish. 

Human+Kind Body Scrub (RRP £13.50) – fullsize. This is a big bottle of body scrub and one I will be putting aside for the Mr as I really don’t like the scent. But I do like the natural ingredients and lack of evil microbeads. 

Inecto Naturals Little Saviour Coconut Hand and Nail Cream  (RRP £1.00) – fullsize. I like coconut and I like handcream. So I like this. 

PHB Ethical Beauty Peach Lip Liner (RRP £8.95) – fullsize. Matte lip liner in a slightly weird Peach colour. Hello the 90s. Really not sure about this. 

Dr Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Body Wash (RRP £2.99) – fullsize. I generally use argan oil on my hair after I wash it – it got rid of all my stress induced split ends like magic. So I will give this a go even though I’ve found other oil based body washes don’t leave me feeling clean or fresh as much as the bubbly ones. 

Amie Naturally Kind Morning Dew Matte Finish Moisturiser 10ml (RRP of fullsize item £4.95) – what is with the teeny tiny bottle? I don’t think you get much of a test run from something this small and at just under a fiver it’s hardly an exclusive premium product. That said, it’s a decent moisturiser for the price but nothing particularly fancy and no SPF.

Faith in Nature Watermelon Shampoo Sample  (fullsize RRP £5.50) – this is even more of a joke, have the Glossybox team taken over TVK? This is a tiny sachet of shampoo, good for one wash. Which isn’t a great way to test out whether this is for you. And again this is about average for a high street product.  What made me laugh the most was the fact that on the box insert card it raves about the gorgeous packaging – I wouldn’t know from this 7ml sample. 

All in all this was an ok box. Nothing too special- obviously the USP is that this is a cruelty free, vegan friendly collection, and in that sense it fulfils its brief. However all of these brands have been in the box before and some of the products are on the basic side. It would have been nice to see some little known and indie brands included.