Category: nail polish

beauty, beauty boxes, cruelty free, nail polish, reviews, skincare

#WBBSummer Edit

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When the Queen of beauty boxes, Jaina from Which Beauty Box UK, releases a beauty box of her own, it’s a must buy. 

This summer edit is gorgeous. The box itself is good quality, with a magnetic strip and a ribbon, gold embossing. Just lovely. 

Inside is a beautifully scented tissue paper wrapped bundle of gorgeous items from indie brands, most of which are vegan and cruelty free. 

Alphabet Bags Stay Wonderful Ombre Make Up Bag – RRP  £22. This make up bag is really pretty and a great size for all your holiday bits and bobs. 

Danglefoot Nail Polish in Atlantis (exclusive to the box) – RRP  £6.50. I love the polishes I already have from Danglefoot, so this gorgeous, sparkly teal polish is perfect. 

Saturated Colour Make Me Matte Lipstick Mattifier – RRP  £8. I am super intrigued by this nifty little tube. Applied over any lipstick it instantly mattifies it for a completely different look. 

Bloomtown Botanicals The Hedgerow Organic Hand & Body Wash – RRP £12. I love Bloomtown’s products and this smells heavenly as will I after using it. Blackberry and honeysuckle – almost good enough to eat. 

Make Feet Revive Lime and Lavender Foot Cream – RRP  £12. My feet ache after walking all day so this is actually making me super happy. With lots of essential oils and refreshing ingredients, I now have happy feet.

AA Skincare Green Tea and Aloe Vera Cleansing Wipes – RRP £3.30. I’ve used these wipes before, they’re super gentle on skin and lift grease, make up, grime with ease. 

PHB Ethical Beauty Refresh Gel with Seaweed & Mint – RRP £13.75. This is really nice, perfect for use on sunburn and bug bites, or just irritated skin. Cools and soothes and smells really good too. 

PHB Ethical Beauty Brightening Body Lotion – RRP £3.50. My sensitive skin prefers natural ingredients and this is packed full of them.

Gifts by Little Miss Popsicle Bath Fizzy – RRP  £3.25. I was disappointed this wasn’t edible, it looks so delicious. I don’t have a bathtub but will be taking this away with me hopefully to somewhere with one! 

Raspberry Sangria Candle Jar by Flamingo Candles – RRP £3.50. This is so yummy, I need to go make a jug of sangria and add raspberries to imitate this. 

So it’s pretty safe to say I love this box. Jaina has done a fab job, she really knows her stuff. I think the price (£37) is pretty fair for all the stuff packed into this box. I really hope there’s another. You can buy yours here and get 15% off with the code WBB15.  

beauty, beauty boxes, birchbox, haircare, make up, nail polish, skincare

Never-ending Summer with Birchbox 

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This month’s  Birchbox arrived today, all pink and purple, in collaboration with Millie Mackintosh (one of those famous for being famous types it seems). 

This month’s selection contains five items, three full-size. 

LOC x Millie Ultra Gloss Lip Pencil in Bohemian Rose – Birchbox in-house brand Love of Colour lip pencil in a glossy soft pink. 

John Frieda 7 Days Luxurious Volume – this was my pick between two products from John Freida. This is designed to boost volume from the next time you wash your hair with this in-shower treatment. 

Nails Inc in Abbey Road – a teeny bottle of baby pink polish.

High Definition Brow Define in Bombshell – enriched with waxes to boost the long-lasting brow pencil. 
Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Boosting Mask – sheet masks are a big thing at the moment and this one promises intense moisture for dry, tired skin. 

It’s an ok box, not the most exciting to come out of Birchbox and really the Nails Inc polish could be in a bigger size, I will probably lose this bottle at some point. It doesn’t feel hugely summery either – last month’s pineapple print was more so, some summer specific goodies like suncream would be more appreciated, all this pink feels Spring not Summer. 

Thoughts? Are you a Birchbox subscriber? What did you think about this month’s box? Let me know in the comments. 

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

M&S Best of British Beauty Box

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Good ol’ M&S jumping on the beauty box wagon with their Best of British box. It’s priced at £120, which is a lot but Sparks card holders can get it for £25 delivered free to your nearest store. Check out the Sparks app or the website for details.

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I had a gift voucher to use and since I only really buy underwear and Club sandwiches (except when my local shop stops stocking them :'() in M&S it seemed worth spending it on this box rather than more pants.

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The box has 13 products from British brands, and seems to have been launched to celebrate the new M&S beauty halls, stocking brands like Pixi, REN and Nuxe.

🌹M&S Pure Super Grape Day Cream

🌹Leighton Denny Britz & Glitz Nail Colour

🌹Pixi LipLift Glossy Lip Plumper

🌹Eyeko Black Magic Mini Mascara

🌹REN Wake Wonderful Night time Facial

🌹Percy & Reed Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Balm

🌹M&S Rosie for Autograph Amazing Radiance Cream

🌹M&S Rosie for Autograph Nuit Parfum Eau de Parfum

🌹Joan Collins Timeless Beauty Class Act Lash Growth Treatment

🌹Rodial Stemcell Super Food Cleanser

🌹Look Good Feel Better Eye Shading Brush

🌹Nails Inc 45 Second Top Coat with Kensington Caviar

🌹Studio 10 Age Reverse Perfecting Lipliner

There’s a great assortment of products from haircare to nails, skincare to make up. It’s a rather packed box, but I don’t know if it’s worth the full £120. Most of the products are full size, which is nice as so many boxes have the tiniest possible sachets, which aren’t exactly worth getting a lot of the time.

Will you be indulging yourself in M&S Best of British beauty box?

beauty, beauty boxes, nail polish, reviews

Nailbox February – Retro Disco Nails

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This month’s Nailbox arrived and it’s full of bright colours and sparkles in a retro disco theme.

Inside the box are four colours to make your nails pop.

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Rimmel lasting finish in Wedge of Lime

Essie in flowerista

Nicole by Opi in Sky’s the Limit

Eye Candy London in Juicylicious

Then to make your nails into disco balls of sparkles Eye Candy London 3D nail wraps.

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

January Glossybox

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The postman was a bit late with this box, so I’m playing catch up.

January’s Glossybox is announcing “the year of more”. Unfortunately this box is “more of the same”.

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Year of more

I’ve had at least three of these products before. Considering the palaver I’ve had with GB recently, I could really have done with a box full of goodies I’ve not encountered before.

Unani Dermo Defense Face Mask (full size) – herbal-based mask, nourishes and hydrates skin, especially sensitive skin.

Teeez Cosmetics Oasis Gem Lipstick (full size) in Coral Onyx – a matte coral colour lipstick.

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Lipstick swatches

Madara Cellular Repair Serum (travel size) – boosts hydration and radiance with a cell repairing bio-complex.

Angele Paris Red Nail Lacquer (full size) – if this was a lipstick then I’d love the colour but I’m not sold on it as a nail colour.

Glossybox Eyeshadow in Glossy Mauve (full size) – GB has been developing their own range – this purple shade is part of that.

Randomly there’s an extra lipstick, maybe an apology for messing me around – a Yves Rocher in a mauve/brown shade I would never buy.

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The box

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beauty boxes, nail polish, nails inc, reviews

January Nailbox

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Coming at the end of January means most beauty boxes have to look forward, and Nailbox is no exception. This month’s is all about Valentine’s Day with three pinky shades in the box.

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With their own brand orange sticks and a fancy treatment from Nail Apothecary, this box is a little too girly for me, and I’m a beauty blogger!

The orange sticks take me back to being a kid, my mum always seemed to have one out. Luckily my cuticles are virtually non-existent.

The gold flecked ridge filler is a nice addition to the box, I have a ridge on my thumb from smashing it in a door years ago, which means polish looks a bit odd sometimes.

The polishes are just too much pink for me to deal with. The Sinful Pro Shine in Baby Doll is my least favourite colour ever. Reminds me of Pepto Bismol.

The Seche Rendezvous is better, but still unlikely to get used much, and the Nails Inc Alexa collection Hearts look very pretty but seem very determined to stay in their bottle with the brush coming out heart-less.

Not the best box so far, for me anyway, but if you’re into pink, this is your dream box.

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The Love Hearts win me over, I love sweets. :)🍬🍭

What do you think? Are you Little Miss (or Mr) Pink? Let me know in the comments below.

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beauty, beauty boxes, jewellery, love me beauty, make up, nail polish, nails inc, reviews, skincare

Love Me Beauty – a cautionary tale

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It was Christmas Day, I was digesting an enormous lunch watching The Second Best Marigold Hotel (it was OK) from around the Christmas Tree at the out-laws, when my phone alerted me to the renewal of my LMB points and so off I went to see what the boutique could offer me.

While they have added lots of new products to the line up, you still need to get those bonus points (££) to get much.

And as it was Christmas, I thought, oh I’ll get some bonus points, they’ll last me. They did not. I spent them all.

This is not the cautionary tale – this is – do not shop online while under the influence of vast quantities of turkey, just don’t. I could not for the life of me remember what I’d bought so this box was a bit of a surprise when I opened it.

LMB have returned to their silver boxes, I preferred the rather fancier cream and black they sent out a few months back. But I digress. “What was in the box?” I hear you cry. Well here’s what my roast potato enduced memory wipe kept from me.

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A handbag sized make up bag – I actually need this, daft as it sounds, woman of a million make up bags.

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More like a few bits of make up, plasters and paracetamol

Lord & Berry Fluid Delicate Make Up Remover – did I mean to pick this? I have no idea. Blame the parsnips. But make up remover is always useful.

Percy & Reed Foaming Treatment Mask – I like P&R but they are not cheap so getting their products this way is a bargain. I probably did indeed select this.

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Cailyn Mineral Eye Polish in Snow – I have no idea, probably picked out by the stuffing. This is very light, almost invisible eye shadow. My sister would like it, but it’s not very me.

Dr PawPaw Balm – I read an article raving about this Aussie lip balm/chafe balm/grumpy skin balm. The gravy remembered that and put this in my box. I’ll add it to the thousands of lip balms in my life.

Nails Inc in Colville Mews – I love Nails Inc, I love nail polish. Can I blame the fact that I picked a colour I already have on the cranberry sauce?

Roques ONeil Therapie Restore Aura Spray – something I definitely need I think. Spray onto face when frazzled, or opening boxes you have no memory of buying.

LMB have also added a range of jewellery items to their shop, and yep, you guessed it, my Christmas dinner coma picked out a few bits there too.

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Pink quartz earrings – these look like upside down traffic cones. Therefore I love them. Also could probably stab someone with them. Pink quartz is a healing crystal and there’s me with my unicorn horn stabbing people earrings…

Gold necklace with green stone. Pretty self explanatory.

Pointy silver bracelet – again, says exactly what it is. Although when I first looked at it I wasn’t sure if I wore it on my wrist or my neck.

Green thread bracelet with bobbly silver charm – it’s a really good thing I don’t write the descriptions on the website.

Did your food coma induce you to buy anything you don’t remember this Christmas? Or is it just me?

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beauty, beauty boxes, make up, my little box, nail polish, reviews, skincare

The Box That Missed Christmas

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My Little Beauty’s My Little Magic Box has been off on its adventures. The December party season themed box has only just made it into my hands.

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I’m rather glad it turned up and to be honest I was so busy over Christmas I barely noticed. Hope you a great time box.

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Inside the box, the boat has been well and truly pushed out for the festive season.

My Little World – the in-box magazine is magazine format once more, thank goodness, and I hope it stays that way.

On to the goodies.

The very chic make up bag inside the box, not the usual cloth drawstring, but one you might pop in an overnight bag.

Heat retaining mittens – the funny thing is I was walking to the bus stop in minus 2 the other day and I wished I had some gloves. How funny that these then arrive! I love the navy blue and gold, a theme throughout the box, and they’re really cosy. As someone who’s always tapping away on her phone, mittens are more use the full gloves and as we’re having a bit of a cold snap, these will see a lot of use.

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The other mitten has bonded with my hand

Kusmi Tea – Anastasia blend. Made in France, these teas definitely have a Russian bent, this one is named after the famous Romanov princess, and is a blend of China and Ceylon teas.

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Rituals Honey Touch Body Cream – rich and nourishing, with honey and rose.

Vice-Versa nail polishes – continuing the blue and gold colour scheme.

Nars blush in Orgasm – naughty Nars with your cheeky names.

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It would have been nice to have had this box in December but it will all come in use in this bitter January. I’m actually wearing the mittens as I type this!

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beauty boxes, nail polish, nails inc, reviews

Nailbox December

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Nailbox’s latest dropped into my lap this Christmas Eve with Spring shades for 2016.

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Lilacs, and Nails Inc’s Blossom polish.

Plus a nail art pen, and randomly, a set of tweezers, for brows, not nails! It’s called Nailbox chaps, don’t dilute the brand!

I like the shades of purple and the Blossom (aka Bloomsbury Way) would look great over the top or even on naked nails!

Won’t be rocking these shades till after the sun comes back, spring flourishes don’t really match with the almost constant deluge outside.

If you want to see my Christmas nails, you’ll have to pop over to Instagram to find out!

Merry Christmas.💅⛄🎁❄🎀🎅🎄🌞

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