Category: beauty

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

My Little Flower Book – April’s My Little Box

ramblingmads

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This month’s My Little Box has winged its way across the Channel in the guise of a book of flowers, or at least a box pretending to be one.

The box would make a great storage place for keepsakes or make up.

The floral theme continues inside. MLB have collaborated with French fashion house Balzac for this box and included a cute floral print lingerie bag – perfect for your smalls when you travel, or even at home.

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Also in the box is a tiny pop up garden, perfect for a windowsill or perhaps your desk. Seeds included, a simple, clever way to bring some greenery inside.

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Onto the beauty bag with three items designed to make you look and smell lovely.

L’Occitane Pivoine Flora Shower Gel – I love L’Occitane, and this peony scented gel smells delicious.

Nails Inc polish – there’s no name on this bottle, usually named for London streets, but it’s a purple-grey colour which looks better on nails than it does in the bottle.

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My Little Beauty Rosy Mornings Detoxifying Mask – another yummy smelling product from the in-house beauty brand. Packed with vitamin C and designed to brighten complexions, I’m looking forward to treating my face to this colour changing mask.

There’s also the My Little World magazine, with interviews, beauty tips and themed articles to enjoy while the weather makes its mind up.

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beauty, beauty boxes, look fantastic, reviews, skincare

#LFBlooms Look Fantastic April edit

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The April Look Fantastic box has arrived, and I’ll tell you now, I’m going to be squeaky clean.

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Rituals Miracle Hand Scrub – with Ginseng and Gingko Biloba, this scrub moisturises and conditions dry and damaged hands. As someone with soft hands from regular moisturising this won’t be used much but I know someone else in my house with hands like sandpaper…

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Bloom and Blossom Bath and Shower Gel – this paraben, sulphate and synthetic fragrance free shower gel leaves you clean and soft. I’ve had this before but it’s a nice shower gel so I don’t really mind.

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask – argan, avocado, rosehip, sweet almond oils with vitamins this hair mask leaves you with shiny, happy hair. Cruelty free and no nasty chemicals. I’d not heard of this brand before, but I love a hair mask so will be soaking my hair in this come the weekend.

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Tanworx Tan Maintainer – use as a base for fake tan, with natural ingredients for soft and smooth skin. Now, I am super pale and fake tan looks terrible on me so this will be passed on.

Balance Me Super Toning Body Polish – ground walnut spheres help exfoliate away dead skin cells to help skin glow.

Myvitamins Blackcurrant Flavour Performance Effervescent – 20 effervescent vitamin pills, one a day. We don’t get enough vitamins most of the time and this contains a mix of B vitamins to boost your daily intake.

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There’s a discount voucher for the Look Fantastic website on the brand Living Nature.

The regular Beauty Box magazine has lots of new products and tips, as well as a breakfast granola recipe. As well as a copy of the latest edition of Elle magazine.

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

Latest in Beauty Clinique British Beauty Blogger Edit II

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Jane aka British Beauty Blogger is back with her second Clinique edit for Latest in Beauty, following the success of last year’s box.

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This may already have sold out – so keep an eye out for a restock. It costs £17 with free P&P.

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There are eight Clinique products in the box. Two are full size.

💋Clinique Take The Day Off makeup remover for lids, lashes & lips.

💋Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion +

💋Liquid Facial Soap (mild)

💋Superprimer Universal Face Primer

💋Aromatics in Black or White (I got Black)

💋For Men Face Scrub

💋Chubby Lash Fattening Mascara in Jumbo Jet (full size)

💋Sweet Pots Sugar Scrub & Lip Balm in Red Velvet (full size)

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Also in the box – £10 discount voucher for clinique.co.uk, voucher for complimentary consultation and mini pot for sample of 5 day foundation that matches your skin tone.

The sweet pot was a surprise, this is Clinique’s new product and often beauty brands don’t want to give their best goodies away, especially at a reduction.

I also really like the little extra of the empty pot to get a free sample at a Clinique counter in the right shade, instead of the pot luck of some beauty boxes.

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The Mr was also included, with the face scrub, something I added to the bathroom counter for him to use. Not that he’s noticed yet!

The perfume is right up my alley too, no alcoholic tang but a rich, dark floral punch. Might have to splurge on a bottle with my £10 off.

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

April Glossybox

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For me this box is make or break. I’ve been fairly disappointed with Glossybox recently so I needed April’s to knock it out the park.

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Let’s delve in and see whether this box has done enough.

This month sees an impressive four out of five products full size – a return to some of the most pleasing boxes.

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Next Make Me Beautiful Lip Chubby in Cherry Red – RRP £8. I didn’t even know Next did make up and I am impressed with the quality of this lipstick crayon. It’s packed with natural plant oils and waxes to keep your lips glossy. It’s a gorgeous red colour, only needing one swipe to deliver a pop.

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Swatches

Leighton Denny Expert Nails Miracle Mist – RRP £12. This spray promises to dry your nail polish in seconds. Less time waving your hands around like an idiot while waiting for it to dry.

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Studio 10 Brow Lift Perfecting Liner – RRP £22. A double ended brow pencil, one side brow definition, the other a highlighter. Once again I wonder what the point of filling out a beauty profile was, as this pencil is great for brunettes, but less us for blondes.

Swiss Smile Whitening Toothpaste – RRP £28.95. A tube of toothpaste that costs almost thirty quid!?!? What!! Unless it delivers a Hollywood smile in a few days, why would you bother.

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The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil – RRP £28. This is the only sample sized item in the box. It’s a bestseller, infused with three restorative oils to leave you with a radiant and nourished complexion.

I am impressed with one, possibly two of the items but the rest is a bit of a miss – toothpaste really!?!?
 

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If you want to sign up to Glossybox – click here.

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

Birchbox x Rifle Paper Co.

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This month subscribers could pick their preference for the box design – a collaboration with stationary firm Rifle Paper Co.

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There is a Benefit product in every box, one guess what I got? Yes, mascara, again. Very disappointing considering all the options out there.

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Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Mascara in Beyond Black – RRP £19.50.

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So Susan Lip Dome in Melon – RRP £10. This is a full size lipstick crayon in a pinky red, packed with hyaluronic acid and goji berries to nourish and protect.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse facial oil – RRP £17. Six essential oils, plant oils and vitamin E to add hydration and a glow to skin.

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Parlor by Jeff Chastain Detangling Leave-in Conditioner – RRP £17. Spray evenly onto damp hair, comb through to give hair an extra layer of shine and heat protection.

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Kueshi Foot Care Cream – RRP £12. Sweet almond oil, royal jelly, tea tree oil, a luxurious mix for dry, tired feet.

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As annoying as getting another mascara is, this box has a nice mix of products, and a bonus discount from Rifle Paper Co.

If you want to sign up – click here and get £5 of points for the Birchbox shop.

beauty, beauty boxes, make up, perfume, reviews, skincare

Cohorted April – Beauty Powered by You

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I decided to give Cohorted’s new beauty box a go, having been massively disappointed the last time.

Worth £93, this box is £35 including postage, making it one of the more expensive beauty boxes around.

The postman dropped it off bright and early, it’s a big box so I hope he has his van, he’s normally on foot.

Inside are fullsize products from five brands, some more familiar than others.

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First up MAC’s Patent Polish Lip Pencil – RRP £17.50. I received the shade ‘Clever’ which is rather nice light red, happily not orangey, but with pink undertones. It feels like lipbalm and is super easy to apply. Available in 14 shades.

Gold Elements Nail Care Kit – RRP £29.49. Four products make up this kit;

Hand & Nail Cream
Cuticle Oil
Nail File
Buffing Block

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These are all useful things and caring for your hands and nails is important as they get pretty battered throughout the day.

Miss Patisserie Bath Melt – RRP £3.99 for one. These little cupcakes are not for eating, made with Shea and coconut butter, each one contains antioxidants and minerals, decorated with detoxifying salts and cosmetic grade glitter.

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Body Shop White Musk Libertine EDT Perfume 100ml – RRP £24. Containing cruelty free musk, this is a modern twist on a Body Shop classic, sweet and classic.

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MDM Flow lipstick in Panther – RRP £18. Bizarrely, inside the box guide the whole article is about a shade called Milkshake but I’ve got a completely different one, which is a horrid neon pink.

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Not the best box in the world – who needs two lipsticks in one box, and the bath bomb won’t get any use, although it would make a nice addition to a birthday gift. The nail kit seems quite an impressive inclusion, most boxes would only put one item in, not the whole kit.

Might give this another go at some point – bit too pricey for every month.

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

Latest in Beauty Build Your Own Box

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I rather love Latest in Beauty’s fabulous curated boxes and they have these build your own boxes you can put together yourself – perfect for presents or pampering yourself.

You can choose a number of different products ranging from skincare to candles from their shortlist, picking either 3, 6 or 9 items. There’s a mix of full and sample sized items for your box and new items are regularly added.

Here’s my pick.

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In no particular order;

💋Beauty UK High Brow All in One Brow Definition Kit – permanently on a mission for the best brow products for blondes, so I thought I’d give this a go. It’s designed for a variety of brow colours, and hopefully the blonde will be blonde enough.

💋teeez Head Over Heels Nail Lacquer in Frosted Gleam – super sparkly nail polish is one of my secret pleasures and this fits the bill. Cruelty free and promises to be chip free for three days.

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Sparkly

💋Burt’s Bees Lip Gloss in Spring Splendour – one of the downsides of buying online is it can be hard to tell exactly what shade you’re choosing. This is a bit pinker than I thought but my sister will love it.

💋Korres Bergamot and Pear Body Milk – this is more or less my favourite body lotion going so any time I can get some more, I will.

💋balmi Super Cube Lip Balm in Roseberry SPF 15 – talking of favourites, this lip balm ranks all time high in my book. Not too scented/flavoured, with SPF and in a clever little pot, keeps my lips happy.

💋Paul Mitchell Dry Wash – waterless shampoo or dry shampoo is big business these days, and I’m always looking for a good one.

💋Manuka Doctor Purified Bee Venom & Manuka Honey Skincare – three sachets of skin care – a mask, serum and filler with manuka honey and bee venom.

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Don't let the bees get you!

💋Sanctuary Spa Luxurious Body Butter – my dry, thirsty skin laps up moisture all day long, this is the perfect size to pop in my bag for moisture on the go.

💋Puriskin Therapy Resurfacing Formula – a super lotion for sensitive skin, targeting blemishes, bruises, burns and other damage. As queen of the mystery bruise and with skin so sensitive that a change in washing liquid brings me out in a rash, this seemed like it might be worth a try.

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What are your thoughts? Will you build your own box? Let me know in the comments below.

ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, haircare, reviews, skincare

March Blogger Beauty Box

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Arriving just as March winds give way to April showers the Blogger Beauty Box was delivered by my rather chirpy postman.

Packed full to the brim and for the insane bargain price of £10 this is a box designed by a blogger for other bloggers.

Inside is a whole range of beauty goodies.

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March goodies

Top row L-R
❤Faust’s Potions Limited Edition Travels to my Elephant vitamin and herbal supplement drinks for day and night.
❤New Zealand BeeBio Active Manuka Honey Eye Crème with Bee Venom
❤Sass intimate Perfect Skin Concentrate
❤MOA Aphrodite Facial Oil
Miniatures L-R
❤Jr naturorganics Mandarin & Chamomile Balancing Moisturiser
❤Maya Black Gold of the Sun Confident Styling & Curling Crème
❤Merumaya Mud Marvels Mask

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There’s such a mix of products here, from full size to samples, haircare, skincare and the supplement drink (money from which benefits The Elephant Family charity).

There’s a focus on natural products which is always good, being able to pronounce the ingredients makes me more confident about what I’m using.

While I have a bit of a problem with Sass’ range of intimate body washes (your vagina is self-cleaning and doesn’t need douches or other PH unbalancing products), this is probably quite useful for relieving ingrown hairs anywhere.

Then there’s the bee venom – I actually read about this the other day. A popular product in the Antipodes, this encourages collagen production by mimicking the effects of a bee sting – minus the actual sting and a dead bee on your conscience.

I think I’ll be having a play with everything here, and definitely signing up for next month’s box here.

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beauty, beauty boxes, haircare, love me beauty, reviews, skincare

Love Me Beauty – March

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This month’s Love Me Beauty ‘box’ arrived – it’s not a box as such. But here’s what I picked from the Boutique.

For £13.95 a month you get 60 credits, which you can top up if you want more products.

🍓Tangle Teezer Blow-Styling Full Paddle Brush (20 credits)

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🍓Caudalie Make-Up Removing Cleansing Oil (15 credits)
🍓Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips (20 credits)
🍓Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream (5 credits)

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I needed a new hairbrush and this was an excellent way to get one without breaking the bank.

The Dr Lipp balm is an essential item, use it on dry lips, dry corners of your nose, elbows, hands, and anywhere else that needs some TLC.

Do you subscribe to Love Me Beauty? Thoughts? Drop me a note in the comments.

ramblingmads

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

My Little Bubble Box

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This month’s My Little Box has arrived and it’s already causing a stir online – some subscribers aren’t very impressed.

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The problem with theming every box you send out is that sometimes the contents only seem related very tenuously. And that seems to be the crux of the complaints I’ve spotted on social media.

For a box themed around bubbles this is curiously lacking in them. There’s a rather sad looking deflated balloon – think ‘Eeyore has a birthday’ where a mini bottle of bubbles would have made more sense.

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Anyway, on to the box contents we’re really interested in – the beauty bits.

Firstly there’s a mini make up sponge and a little blue hairbrush.

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Always nice to have some tools, I use a very similar sponge daily so spares are more than welcome and with my mind-of-its-own hair I can never have too many hair brushes.

Inside the little cloth bag are three beauty products designed to help you glow.

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🎈Givenchy Noir Couture Volume Mascara – hand bag sized, perfect for touch ups on the go.

🎈My Little Beauty Bubble Blush Lips and Cheek stain – I thought this was nail polish at first but it’s a lip and cheek stain in a matt pink.

🎈Huygens Paris Body Scrub – citrus scented mini tube of scrub to help ready your skin for the post-tights spring we keep hearing rumours about.

As always there’s the in-house magazine My Little World, which not only profiles the box contents but also features articles on Creme Eggs, emojis, Pop Art and a cute fashion spread.

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Did you get a Little Bubble Box? What did you think? Let me know in the comments. 🎈🎈

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