Category: beauty

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

Latest in Beauty – Glamour Spring Beauty Edit

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I don’t get all the Latest in Beauty boxes, unlike most, they’re not monthly as such.

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But I have bought a couple of the ones curated by Glamour magazine’s beauty editor.

The good thing about LiB is that you can see what products are going to be in the box before you order, so if there’s nothing that interests you then there’s no obligation to buy.

Inside this box is:

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Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Masque – I have wanted to try Moroccanoil for a while as I’ve heard good things but they’re quite pricey so this is great.

Rimmel Oh My Gloss lipgloss in My Eternity. I don’t often bother with lipgloss and I’m not sure about this shade on me, but it’s sparkly and not too gloopy.

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy nail polish in light turquoise. Not a pastel shade = result in my book.

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Diamond Topcoat – now I don’t need to buy topcoat. I just wish ‘colour’ was spelt correctly.

BeautyUK High Brow all in one brow definition kit – my eyebrows are basically ignored, they don’t need much work.

Model Co Creme Rouge lips and cheeks in Just Peachy – I do like a product with more than one use.

Kiko long lasting stick eyeshadow in a bronze/gold shade. I prefer eye crayons to powder so this will probably get a lot of use.

Nuxe Paris Masque Creme Fraiche 24hr Soothing and Rehydrating Fresh Mask – I think I will be slathering this on, smells nice and would give my skin a treat.

Elie Saab le parfum sampler – a quite strong scent. Might have to let it sit and simmer.

Free 12 month subscription to Glamour magazine – print and digital. Plus entry into a prize draw for over £500 worth of products. This is the USP of the Glamour boxes, a free subscription.

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

March Birchbox – Habitat

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New month, new beauty box from Birchbox. This one’s in association with homeware store Habitat.

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Again it’s the slimmer letterbox size, although as it was delivered by courier that didn’t really matter.

Inside there was a selection of goodies.

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A massive packet of Serenity Skincare Dead Sea Bath Salt, I don’t have a bath, I live in a flat with a tiny bathroom, but my feet will get a nice long soak.

Sample size Benefit They’re Real! mascara. I like Benefit and this is one of their new products.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (sample) a pre-treatment for hair.

Lord & Berry Bronzer – I don’t really use bronzer, it looks a bit odd on my very pale skin.

Catherine Malandrino eau de parfum sampler – not sure whether I like this yet, but will wear it for a bit to see if it’s a grower.

Birchbox & Habitat notebook – a tiny red notebook, perfect to pop in your handbag and scribble thoughts and ideas in.

Chapter sample of Penny Vincenzi’s new book A Perfect Heritage. Funnily enough I picked up a copy of this the other day. I enjoyed her book No Angel, and this one, set in the world of beauty companies as three women vie to run a prestigious cosmetics firm seems to be just a good. I do like a decent doorstep novel.

All in all an eclectic selection of goodies. Wonder what next month will bring?

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beauty, beauty boxes, herbalife, make up, reviews, skincare

Herbalife Skin – results kit (sample size)

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I’ve been doing the Herbalife weightloss/get healthy program since January, I lost half a stone in a month so far and am really enjoying learning about better ways to eat and coming up with healthy recipes that still taste delicious.

So I asked my lovely friend & nutrition coach Kayleigh about their range of skincare goodies. Her skin looks amazing and she regularly posts #MintMaskMondays selfies on Instagram and Facebook.

I decided to start with the sample size Results Kit.

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It comes in a little pot (above) and contains five products in the range. Though sadly no mint mask for me.

Soothing Aloe Cleanser – aloe is a substance Herbalife are very keen on, and it is very good for you, inside and out.
Daily Glow Moisturiser – for all skin types.
Firming Eye Gel – for all skin types
Hydrating Eye Cream – for all skin types
Replenishing Night Cream – for all skin types

I don’t currently use eye creams, mostly because when I have done so my skin has become itchy and irritated. Hopefully this won’t do the same.

I’m going to give these a go and if my skin seems happier with them, invest in some full size products.

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

Beauty box review – Love Me Beauty

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Another beauty box in my quest for the perfect one.

I filled in a beauty questionnaire intended to make the ideal selection, but there was a definite mis-fire amongst this little lot.

A fullsize Nails Inc. polish in bruton lane, which is a pastel shade (and if you read my post about nail polish, you’ll know they’re not my favourite).
Mirabella lip gloss in Muse, which is baby pink in the bottle, so will be used sparingly.
Cailyn eyebrow gel in Cocoa. Now I told them I’m blonde, which is my natural colour so a dark brown gel would make my very pale brows look silly.
Organic Surge Perfecting Face Polish (sample size) this says it’s suitable for sensitive skin, which I have, and contains rosemary and lemon essential oils, which means it smells amazing.
Monuspa Conditioning Bodywash (sample size) for all skin types – this contains honey and essential oils, and again smells delicious.

The goodies come in a little cloth bag inside a frankly enormous box. Their USP is that if you refer a friend with a unique code on their site you get credits towards products in your next box and so will your friend.

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beauty, charity, give and make up, refuge

Give and Make Up

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Every week in the UK 2 women are murdered by their current or ex-partner. A woman will experience 35 incidents of domestic abuse before she calls the police.

Fleeing violence and abuse is a really difficult thing to do, even more so when children are involved. Refuge is a UK based charity that helps women to find a safe place for their children and themselves.

Every Christmas I donate to their present drive, you follow a link on their website to a John Lewis (department store) gift list and select which gifts you want to buy. I usually buy two presents for women and two presents for children.

Most women fleeing abusive relationships leave with little or nothing. Often just the clothes on their backs.

Which brings me to Give and Make Up. Set up by blogger Caroline Hirons in partnership with Refuge, this is a scheme that encourages us to donate unused make up and cosmetics (all those lotions and potions) to women who had to leave everything behind and have nothing.

http://www.carolinehirons.com/p/give-and-makeup.html?m=1

This is currently only in the UK but it is worth seeing if a similar scheme exists where you are. I have loads of sample size and full size creams I’ve never used and several unused make up palettes cluttering up the place that I will be sending along to Refuge.

Put a smile back on the faces of women who desperately need something to smile about.

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

Beauty box review – Birchbox

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I rarely get called wonderful so it was rather nice coming home to find a parcel in my letterbox doing just that.

Inside was February’s Birchbox. I had opted for the slimmer letterbox size, and as you can see above, it was packed with beauty goodies (and a sample packet of oats + chia porridge, not pictured).

There were discount codes and vouchers for beauty products.

The products themselves were a mixture of sample and full sizes.

I had filled in a beauty profile on the site, which should mean that the items in my box are tailored to me.

I received: a sample of Benefit High Beam, which is a product I already use so this was a little bonus bottle.
T London Darjeeling Bath & Shower wash, perfect size for my washbag and holiday travels.
Fullsize Eyeko London Fat Eye Stick in gilt – I like an eye crayon, easy to use and no mess.
Electric Hairdressing Hydrate Shampoo, again perfect size for my washbag. Finally Caudalie Paris Radiance Serum – I don’t use serums much so this will be fun to try out.

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beauty, make up, nail polish

Nail polish – my beauty addiction

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So, pretty much every time I go to somewhere like Boots or Superdrug, regardless of what I actually need to buy, I come home with at least two more nail polishes. There is a large box of them in my wardrobe/dressing room/beautifying corner. Most are Barry M or Nails Inc, with a few random ones (usually freebies from magazines or gift sets, sometimes beauty boxes) thrown in for good measure.  I had a clear out recently off all tge manky, dried out ones.

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The thing is, I don’t paint my fingernails, it chips too quickly and my nails are pretty brittle to start with. So all these lovely colours only get used on my toenails and only get seen in the summer flip flop months.

I have to have painted toenails at all times and redo them every fortnight, changing colour each time. I don’t like feet and one of my toes is bent from being broken and reset badly when I was 19. Even wrapped up in thick socks and my knitted Ugg boots (which I love for their warmth and don’t care that they’re rather ugly) my toes need that pop of colour, they look sad and naked without it. And I know it’s there!

I don’t really like pastel colours, I prefer bright jewel tones, they contrast quite nicely against my really pale skin. I’m the same with clothes, I will pick the emerald, sapphire or royal purple every time.

Which means I get really fed up when new colours come out and they’re weedy pastels. Like Barry M’s new speedy dry colours, all pastels – boring.

I’ve also got quite into matte finish polishes too, sometimes it’s more interesting than a gloss finish.

Just whatever you do, make sure it’s completely dry before you put socks on, take it from me, fluffy toes are not a good look!

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beauty, lifestyle, make up

Beauty confessions – eyeliner

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I am 28 years old and I don’t have they eyeliner knack.

Every time I try to line my eyes, something goes wrong. They end up a complete mess, I’ve tried pencils, brushes, ones like crayons or felt tips, tried different tips and techniques, always a bit squiffy.
Sometimes just plain smeared or like a very drunk spider dipped in ink drew them.

A former colleague of mine, who always had the most incredible winged kohl, told me the trick was to start on the outside corners, draw an outline, then fill it in, making it even as you go. Tried that, didn’t work.

So I’ve basically stopped bothering, I have so many eyeliners lining around. But at the moment, even though it would make my eyes look less droopy (I have a muscle weakness in one eyelid) and more pronounced behind my glasses, I give up.

Any suggestions out there? I need an utterly foolproof method.

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beauty, lush, reviews, skincare

Lush goodies

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Got back from meeting my sister to find a box of treasure waiting for me. Lush treasure at that.

Ordered myself some treats and essentials.

Celestial – this is my favourite moisturiser and thank goodness this came today as I ran out this morning.

Prince Charming – a favourite shower gel, smells delicious.

Happy Happy Joy Joy –  this conditioner is scented with neroli, rose,  grapefruit, rosewood and orange flower, smells gorgeous and should leave my hair soft, shiny and smelling delicious.

Whitewash – a Lush Kitchen exclusive, a shower smoothie packed full of skin loving aloe vera and coconut oil. Smells scrummy, as will I.

After Tango – another Lush Kitchen exclusive, a fresh foot mask for tired feet, contains natural pumice, avacado, asparagus and other good things. My worn out feet need a treat, and this is the one.

Can’t wait to pamper myself.

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adventures, beauty, beauty boxes, my little box, reviews

My Little Box – review

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As well as the Glossybox reviewed yesterday I subscribed to My Little Box, again only on a trial basis. The first one came this morning.

My Little Frenchie Box

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Designed by model and designer Ines de La Fressange it includes a mini magazine, a cute red, white and blue selection of goodies – a phone case, inspirational bon mots in a bottle and a cloth bag of beauty products – L’oreal Brow Artist Plumper, By Terry Kohl crayon, exclusive face tint, DHC Oil Blotting Paper.

Unlike Glossybox, My Little Box asks you to complete a questionnaire about your preferences, colouring, skin type so you get a tailor made selection of items, which means everything is picked for you and then you don’t end up with things you can’t/don’t use, which was the issue I had with Latest in Beauty boxes.

So far, quite pleased, although the eyebrow tint is probably not going to get much use as mine are very pale blonde and the tint would be too dark.

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