Rambling on about books, baking and beauty…
This month’s Buddy Box from The Blurt Foundation has arrived and it’s a green fingered box.
I love growing things, I’m just not very good at it.
There’s a clever little grow your own kit, adding that to my windowsill garden right now, a cute pot plant pin, cactus shaped rubber, vanilla scented soap, herbal tea and postcards.
Although summer is drawing to a close my plants are still blooming so this feels a timely little treat as the evenings begin to get longer.
I honestly think I’m done with Glossybox. This month’s collaboration with Red Magazine just isn’t good enough.
Also where is my bonus MUA palette?? Last month Glossybox sent out an email saying that people had received the wrong palettes so a replacement would be included in this box. But nope.
Too Faced Better than Sex mascara. You know my feelings about mascara in beauty boxes. I am not going to repeat them.
Revlon Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat – eh. Not feeling particularly thrilled by this.
Radial Smokey Eye Pen – what is the point of filling out a beauty profile if almost every month they send another eye liner.
The Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Lip Balm – this may be the only thing in the box I get much use of. Even though I have 9 million lip balms.
Just completely underwhelmed.
It’s a Birch-drawer this month, which I prefer to the boxes – they’re really reusable too. The top is decorated with a pastel geometric design which I like.
Inside is possibly my favourite Birchbox collection ever.
Starskin Eye Catcher mask – a bio-cellulose mask with coconut juice and liquorice root to brighten, smooth and de-puff. My eyes often need a little love by the end of the evening so these little pads will come in a treat.
Nuxe Prodigieux Shower Oil – this is very nice, I’ve had it before, it’s fab on freshly shaved legs in the shower.
Nailtiques Protein Formula 2 – keratin, protein and calcium to bond the layers of nails to stop them splitting and peeling. Which is something that happens to my stressed out nails desperately need.
Model Co Highlighting Trio – slightly sparkly, this cream highlighter gives you a glittery glow on cheekbones, brow bones and eyelids.
Amika Bombshell Blowout Spray – volumizing, smoothing and texturising in one, with sea Buckthorn Berry oil antioxidants to strengthen and repair. My hair is a law unto itself – but maybe this can tame it. I’d like some volume and less madness please.
As a bonus for introducing a friend to Birchbox (not 100% sure who) I got a dinky little bracelet, embossed with ‘Imagine’
There was also a voucher for a photo box from Lalabox – a photo printing app which sends out your snaps in a gift box.
The drawer/box will be reused too, like previous ones, to store various bits and pieces, and I wish they did it every month, they’re much nicer than the boxes.
After a few slightly lacking months which have seriously had me thinking of cancelling the box, this was a really good selection of bits. So Birchbox is on notice – next month’s will make or break it.
Look Fantastic is celebrating its second birthday, conveniently in the same month as I celebrate my 30th.
Inside the box are six mini treats to celebrate.
Argan Liquid Gold BB Cream – infused with argan oil and 24 carat gold this has a clever formula designed to adapt to your skin tone for a healthy glow.
BareMinerals Mini Moxie Lipstick – packed with Vitamins A, C and E, Omega Fatty Acids and Abyssinian Oil to nourish your lips while delivering a hint of colour.
Lord & Berry Mini Luminizer Stick – doubling as a concealer, this super silky formula blends into skin to leave a radiant look.
Bliss Lemon and Sage Maximum Moisture Cream – Coconut oil and Vitamin E improve skin tone and Sodium Hyaluronate locks in moisture. Plus it smells nice.
Christophe Robin Purifying Shampoo – chemical free with Jujube Bark and Cherry Flower Extracts to remove dry skin and flaking.
Gatineau Collagene Expert Eye Pads – designed to refresh and revive tired eyes with Collagen, Glycerin and Allantoin.
Not a bad bunch really. A bit of everything in a box. And after the week I’ve had this is a real treat. Now I’m off to pamper myself.
Katie, the heroine of Jenny Downham’s book is 17 and fed up. Her whole life seems to be falling apart, her parents have split up, her brother has learning disabilities, her mum is taking over her life and now her gran, a woman she doesn’t know, has arrived in her life and needs her help.
I seem to be reading a lot of family sagas recently and this is one of the better ones. Flicking between Katie’s present and her grandmother Mary’s past, family secrets are coming to life and changing things – perhaps for the better.
I really liked the writing, the plot’s involving but doesn’t bash you over the head with cleverness or shout “look at me, I’m a plot twist!” like some things I’ve read recently, nor is it overly predictable.
Katie’s personal story does at times feel a little unnecessary and awkward, I’m also a bit puzzled at times as to when the ‘modern’ part is set as some very old-fashioned opinions seem quite present, or maybe that’s just me.
Five new products this month and I’ve only seen one before.
Glittereyes Pressed Glitter – new to the UK Glitter Eyes is a range of glitter in 30 colours, nontoxic, waterproof and easily removed even though it’s designed to stay put once applied. I am a glitter fiend and must have gone through a hundred pots of the old school Barry M Dazzle Dusts so this is right up my street.
Amygdala Beauty have a range of single note solid perfumes which can be blended together or worn alone. Solid perfume is such a brilliant idea and I have a dozen kicking around.
Fairypants Vegan Lip Balm in Peach Bellini bring on the lipbalms! This one is yummy.
Bardou Immaculate Spray Dry Shampoo. Right confession time, I am on the hunt for the perfect dry shampoo – one that isn’t too scented, doesn’t leave a weird dust and actually makes my hair matte and not in need of a wash. So I will try this and then throw it across a room in fury if it’s not the one.
PHB Ethical Beauty Natural & Organic Black Eyeliner. I must be in a confessing mood today – I can’t line my eyes to match to save my life. One always looks great and the other just a sad mess. But I persevere.
Quite happy with the range of items this month, a little bit of everything, and all of it that will get at least one use (I’m looking at you dry shampoo).
Do you subscribe to Little Known Box? Would you like to? Tell me about your beauty confessions.
Inside TVK’s latest box are seven cruelty free beauty products.
Vitala Spa Chakra Balancing Compassion Bath and Body Oil – full of natural extracts and essential oils, designed to soothe skin and leave it smooth and supple. My skin doesn’t like oils so passing this on to my mum.
Figs & Rouge evAcalm Perfect Calm Moisture+ AM PM Cream – specifically for use on dehydrated and sensitive skin, to reduce redness and calm stressed out skin. Maybe this will help with my rosacea and grumpy hot face.
Spectrum CollectionsTapered Finishing Brush – these brushes are gorgeous. Hair free but super soft and gentle.
The Konjac Sponge Company French Pink Clay Facial Puff Sponge – made from biodegradable vegetable material this cleans your skin without needing cleansers. I’ve used a different one of these sponges and wasn’t that enamoured.
Weleda Almond Sensitive Skin Travel Size Body Wash – almond oil soothes stressed out skin, with shea butter and other skin loving ingredients. This smells pretty nice and as it’s for sensitive skin I’ll pop it on the shower shelf.
Weleda Almond Sensitive Skin Travel Size Hand Cream – to accompany the body wash this hand cream is perfect to pop in a handbag or overnight bag.
Sheila’s Natural Products Face Cream Deluxe Sample – this is a bonus item containing ingredients designed to appease eczema and acne. I’m always looking for the best moisturiser so maybe this will be it.
As always 20p from every box sold is donated to Dr Hadwen Trust, the funder of non-animal research in biomedicine.
My bathroom has benefited a lot from this box. I have a sort of theme going on, with a blue floor, green and white tiles (nother my choice as we rent) but I have tried to make it a nice place to be.
There is a huge seascape on the wall outside, a canvas selected by the Mr who grew up by the sea and I’ve decorated the bathroom with shells and little wooden boats, much like these.
Those pink shrimps (a pick’n’mix fave) lasted about two seconds.
I’m very into colour schemes (blame it on the wedding planning) and my dream bathroom would be nautical blue and white, like this box.
If you’re looking for cute ways to liven up your home, join me browsing ihearthomes for ideas and homeward treats.
Because it’s summer all the lifestyle/stationery boxes seem to be off to the beach.
Boxcitement has gone a little further and is exploring what’s beneath the waves.
🐋fluro coral pendant
🐳anchor notebook with pen
🐬photographic print in mount
🐟note cards and envelopes
🐠Dead Sea salt pamper kit
🐡nautical badges
🐙mylar stencil to decorate with
🐚starfish confetti
🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀
the box’s contents are rather lovely and I can definitely see them getting some use. Here’s some close ups.
I’ve already put the shell print up on the wall and the notebook has slipped into my bag for notes on the go. The badges will go on one of my bags, perhaps the beach bag that never gets a day out.
This was one of the books in my recent Illumicrate and the first one I read.
Laure Eve wrote a letter included in each box that explained some of her influences – including the film The Craft (so good) but I also get a sense of The Heathers (also very good – I like my teen movies dark).
The Graces seem to lead a charmed life and attract many devoted followers, but rumours still dog the family. Rumours about curses and terrible events.
New girl in town, and our narrator, who calls herself River but never reveals her real name, is drawn to the three Graces – Summer and her older siblings’ twins Thalia and Fenrin. But she has secrets too and hers could ruin everything.
I really liked the writing and the clever narrative structure, hinting at things but keeping the big reveal till the end.
I often say that YA writing is some of the most interesting, freer than adult literature to explore ideas and stories. And this is a great example of that.
A sequel will be released in 2017, and I will be looking out for it.
ramblingmads 