Category: make up

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

Birchbox x Oliver Bonas 

ramblingmads

September’s Birchbox is in collaboration with lifestyle brand Oliver Bonas. 

There was an option to select your box design and to add a candle as an upgrade. 

Inside the box are 4 sample size items and one full size, as well as some stickers and a discount voucher for Oliver Bonas.
R+Co High Dive Moisture & Shine Cream sample size (full size RRP £23) – this is designed to smooth flyaway hair and add shine. It can also be used as a leave-in conditioner. I like a double duty product and this smells pretty inoffensive. 
Manna Kadar Fantasy 3 in 1 Blush, Highlighter, Eyeshadow full size (RRP £15) – this is way too dark for me to use as a blush or highlighter but I think it would make a nice eyeshadow. 

Polaar IcyMagic Instant Eye Contour Energiser sample size (full size RRP £22) – roll on eye gel to refresh and revive tired eyes, bags and dark shadows. 

Dr PawPaw Original Clear Balm sample size (full size RRP £6.95) – this is a handbag hero – lipbalm, hand cream, split end soother, dry skin moisturiser. Shame they didn’t put a full size tube in the box, it’s not exactly pricey. 

Rouge Bunny Rouge Bronzing Glow Liquid sample size (full size RRP  £51) – this should be an added extra not a product, it’s piddly. This is way too dark for me too, although the suggested use is mixed with a little moisturiser or lotion, which presumably dilutes it. 

The candle is bergamot and mint and matches the box, I like the drawer design. It smells quite nice but the bergamot isn’t particularly distinct, which is a shame as I really like bergamot and buy perfumes that contain it. 

Overall this box was a bit uneven, good mix of products but too many tiny samples, which makes it feel less like a treat and more like I wandered around the beauty department and got given some handouts. The candle was a nice add on but it costs an extra £8, which seems excessive as Oliver Bonas isn’t exactly hard up as a company and could have been more generous. 

beauty, cruelty free, make up, skincare

A little high street haul

ramblingmads

I had to pop into town and obviously went to Superdrug and Boots for a few bits and bobs. 

From Superdrug; 

Make Up Revolution Fortune Favours the Brave designed by British Beauty Blogger. This palette is my favourite and my original got dropped and broke so this is a replacement. 

B. Individual eyeshadow pots – these were 49p each as they’re being removed from stock so hello bargain. 

Make Up Revolution Amazing Make Up Fixing Spray – another restock item. I use this to fix my make up in the mornings. Personally I find this lightweight spray works great but like most things it depends on your skin/make up. It also lasts for ages. 

Superdrug 4 way nail buffer – this is the best nail buffer around. I picked up 2 but one is already in use. Plus total bargain. 

B. Hydrated Hyaluronic Acid Facial Spritz – I haven’t used this before but I keep reading that this is really good for skin and because mine is so sensitive I thought a spray would be the best way as it won’t mean too much acid on my skin. 

B. Make Up Brush Cleanser – this contains a disinfectant and really gets my brushes clean. It’s my favourite cleaner and super easy to use. Restocking as my current bottle was struggling a little this weekend. 

From Boots; 

This was a total Soap & Glory shop – I think I might have a problem. 

Happy Glamper gift set – this has a lot of goodies and a shower proof jacket – which I unfolded and will now never be able to fold up again. There’s also face wipes, dry shampoo, folding hairbrush, lip gloss, eyeliner, hand sanitizer, body spray – all of which are just as useful in London as they would be camping or at a festival. 

Hand Food hand cream – a pump bottle makes this a lot easier to use, no trying to put a lid back on with freshly moisturised hands. 

Clean, Girls Body Wash – for that lovely soft clean feeling as I get out of the shower. 

So there you go, my little beauty shop. 

Any favourites in my basket? 

beauty, beauty boxes, birchbox, glossybox, make up, reviews

Box Round Up feat. Glossybox, Birchbox, Glitterati

ramblingmads

I am giving up on beauty boxes I think. I have ordered a Me Love Beauty bag but you pick the products so I can only blame myself if I don’t love it. 

Glossybox 

Another pretty box not in the usual livery. The blue is quite nice. Inside are a selection of beauty products – mostly make up and hair care. 

🍍Sportfx Time Out Mist + Fix

🍍Model Launcher Safari Sun Bronzed 

🍍Valquer Ice Hair Mask, Total Repair 

🍍Batista 2in1 Dry Shampoo & Conditioner Vanilla & Passionflower

🍍Rodial Suede Lips 

Birchbox 

Birchbox have gone with mermaids as their August theme. The drawer box is pretty in blue and purple. 

🐚Spectrum Collections A05 Brush

🐚LOC One and Done Shadow Stick in Rock Steady

🐚Number 4 Sugar Texturising Spray

🐚Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR Multi-Usage Dry Oil Shimmer

🐚Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Paper Mask 

Crown & Glory Glitterati Box

This was a new one for me. Accessories instead of beauty – but to be honest I just wasn’t that impressed. Sorry C&G, I’ll still buy your flower crowns though. 

🌟Glitter Passport Cover

🌟Glitter Bag Charm 

🌟Hair Charms 

🌟Hair Flair

🌟Super Sparkle Pots 

So there you go, three boxes for the month. If anyone can recommend a really good beauty box that doesn’t cost the earth and isn’t regularly disappointing, please tell me. 

beauty, beauty boxes, lifestyle boxes, make up, reviews, skincare

Hello Summer! Pink Parcel Summer Edit 

ramblingmads

I had a very brief subscription from Pink Parcel a while ago but I am still on their mailing list so when the Summer Edit popped into my inbox I decided to place an order. 

A huge box arrived, carried to my door by the invisible postman (I never see him but parcels arrive and someone rings the doorbell and I once heard a man whistling). Inside was a flamingo print canvas bag full of goodies. 

I love flamingos – this bag is very me 

Scrub Love Coconut Affair Coffee Scrub – I’m not personally a fan of coffee scrubs probably because I don’t like coffee, but my fiance loves coffee in all forms so this will be his to use. 

Barnaby Cross Gemmotherapy Face Mask – not exactly sure what gems have to do with face masks but this seems to be a plant based sheet mask. 

Figs & Rouge Combat Cream- this is designed to eradicate blemishes, which is handy as my skin can be a bit reactive. 

Malibu SPF 30 Lotion – sun cream is an essential in my skincare arsenal. 

Spa To You Konjac Sponge – I am really not that keen on these sponges but some people love them. 

Your Tea Face Scrub – this has tea in it which is new, and claims to be gentle enough for sensitive skin. 

Colorsport 30 Day Brow Tint – dark brown shade so not for me. 

Pink Parcel For Now Tampons 

Beauty Papier Green Tea Blotting Paper – shiny t-zones be gone with soothing green tea extract. 

Stylondon Henna Tattoos – just no. 

Bic Soleil Razor 

Elegant Touch Nails (Colours vary)

Sass Intimate Purifying Cleanser – there’s a whole rant I could do about this. 

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

Burt’s Bees Deep Cleansing Cream 

Jelly Pong Pong Eye Shadow Duo

Sportfx Sport Stamina Mascara

Amie Deep Pore Exfoliating Polish 

Bonnie XO Lipstick 

Pink Parcel make up bag 

Dr Paw Paw Original Balm (not pictured as it rolled under the bag!) 

Candy Kittens sweets – 2 sweets! 2 sweets! 

Estella Bartlett bracelet – this is pretty. 

Joe & Seph’s Coconut & Chia Popcorn (which was supposed to be Not.Corn made with sorghum) – leave out the chia seeds and this is s nice coconut popcorn. 

Yuyo Mint Tea

Yuyo Zing Tea

We Are Tea Soothe for tummy relief

Make up close ups 

Bit of a mixed bag (quite literally). Some of these things I will definitely use but others will be going to new homes. 

beauty, cruelty free, make up, reviews, skincare

Review: Arbonne Cosmetics 

ramblingmads

As you may be mildly sick of me mentioning, I went to the Allergy & Free From Show recently. 

One of the brands I discovered there is Arbonne – a Swiss beauty company that makes cruelty free, vegan friendly make up and skincare. 

After a little test session with friendly make up artist and rep Sarah my lovely mum bought me a foundation and a blush. Sarah kindly threw in a primer for me too.

I love make up but the combination of sensitive skin, eczema and rosacea means I have to be super careful with what I use on my face to avoid breakouts and flare ups. 

Sarah explained the ingredients and ethos used by Arbonne – from their website; 

Ingredient Policy

Transparency and honesty. For over 35 years, this has been the hallmark of our product integrity. From the beginning, Arbonne has developed products by combining the best of nature with leading science. Our mission is to always improve and evaluate our ingredient policy as an ever-evolving standard of excellence. This means we continuously challenge ourselves to do better and better.

We formulate without

animal products or by-products | artificial flavors | artificial sweeteners | benzene | bisphenol-a | carbon black | formaldehyde-donating preservatives | hydroquinone | mineral oil | parabens | petrolatum | phthalates | sodium laureth sulfates (SLES) | sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) | synthetic dyes | talc | triclosan | triethanolamine (TEA) And so much more …

A lot of the things I avoid are absent from these products which is great for me. 

The foundation I chose is in the lightest shade of the range, quelle surprise, Alabaster, a gentle medium coverage liquid foundation that sinks in without looking chalky or leaving a residue. 

The blusher is in a light shade called Ballet – it seems a little pale in the pot but once on its peach undertones appear, making my skin look warm. 

The primer is quite gel like but blends down smoothly leaving my skin even and ready to apply my make up. 

I am definitely going to keep using these products and potentially re-purchase, although I also have my eye on some of the skincare Arbonne produces. 

If anything catches your eye – do contact Sarah and check out her Instagram too for some amazing make up looks. 

beauty, lifestyle, make up, reviews, skincare

Lately I’m Loving…Skin Special

ramblingmads

I’ve not done a post like this before but I see a few on blogs I read so I thought I’d share my favourite products of the moment. 

Superdrug Vitamin E Spray On Body Lotion – I am really lazy, and hate mornings, so any shortcut that does the same trick is fine by me. This moisturiser in a can is great – especially for doing the backs of my legs as it sprays upside down too. 

Superdrug Vitamin E All Over Body Cream – in the evenings this is perfect for smoothing over tired, dry skin. It’s also really good at soothing my eczema after being irritated all day by clothes. 

Soap & Glory Rushover Dry Shampoo – I try not to rely on dry shampoo too much but I’m still lazy so… this was a total bargain at the time, and there’s always offers on S&G. This is also a great dry shampoo, slightly fragranced with the signature scent, no dandruff-like residue, no sticky roots. 

Ladival Sun Protection Factor 30 – this is my current go to sunscreen, as a very pale blonde my skin needs all the protection. This spray is super easy to apply, doesn’t smell funny, absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a tacky residue. 

Superdrug Simply Pure Micellar Water – Micellar Water is something I use daily to lift the top layer of grime and make up before a thorough cleanse. This one is inexpensive and doesn’t smell weird or contain alcohol. Plus it’s cruelty free and hypoallergenic. 

Bio Oil – my mum swears by this and I’ve started using it on some of the odd scars and marks. It takes a while but it seems to help them fade. 

Nip+Fab Kale Fix Make Up Removing Pads – I use these when I’ve got slightly heavier make up on that the Micellar Water alone won’t start to budge. 

L’Occitane Vervaine Agrumes Eau de Toilette – this is my favourite summer perfume, a mixture of verbena, orange and lemon essential oils and grapefruit extract. It’s light and fresh, and the essential oils mean it stays on the skin for longer. 

So those are my current favourites – any that you love too? 

Let me know what you’re loving below. 

beauty, beauty boxes, glossybox, make up, reviews

Glossybox – Hello Summer

ramblingmads

I know, I know, I said I was done with Glossybox but I kept seeing increasingly good boxes on other blogs and I just couldn’t resist. If they kept this gorgeous sunburnt pink as well it would be so good.

Inside are five summery beauty bits, four of which are fullsize. 

☉Bellapierre Cosmetics Banana Setting Powder – I am so fascinated by this, the yellow powder is designed to offset redness and discoloration on pale skin and add highlights to darker skins. 

☉Spectrum Collections Small Fan Brush – partnered with the setting powder, this brush evenly distributes the powder with cruelty free, synthetic bristles that are super soft. 

☉Monu Professional Skincare – Monuspa Soothing After Sun Lotion – a generous 100ml ‘sample’ of this summer essential. Try as I might I always get burnt somewhere. 

☉Cute Balms Macaroon Tint Balm in Crushed Berry – a fruity smelling balm for lips and cheeks. This is most likely going to be added to my collection of lipbalms I keep forgetting I have and then I buy more. 

☉Papanga Spiral Hairbands (pack of 3) – try as I might I can’t seem to get on board with these, they may not tangle other people’s hair but they snare up might like nobody’s business. 


I rather liked this box – but I will only be sticking with this subscription if the quality remains high. I cannot afford more crappy boxes of cheap and unwanted make up. 

beauty, beauty boxes, ethics, make up, reviews

The Pip Beauty Box

ramblingmads

This new beauty box, named after the founder’s canine chum, is all about championing cruelty free beauty. 50p from each box has been donated to Cruelty Free International. 

Inside are five cruelty free and vegan friendly beauty treats. 

Bloomtown Botanicals Nourishing Mini Soap (RRP £1.40) – made in small batches with plant oils and butters, this vegan friendly Soap comes in a whole range of scents. 

Akamuti Green Clay Face Mask (RRP £2) – sundries green clay that you mix yourself to make a purifying face mask that is suitable for sensitive and problem skin. 

Saturated Colour Lip Vinyl Liquid Lipstick in Frisky Fuchsia (RRP  £7) – a deep pink shade in a liquid lipstick – something of a recent beauty trend. 

PHB Ethical Beauty Black Mascara & Nearly Black Eyeliner (RRP £24.70) – both award winning formulas that complement each other. Made with botanical oils and water resistant, suitable for sensitive eyes. 

There are discount codes in the box for PHB and Saturated Colour. 

For a first beauty box this is well balanced in terms of skincare and make up – and fullsize items to boot. 

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.