Category: reviews

Christmas, lifestyle, reviews, upcoming

Christmas treats with Prestige Hampers*

ramblingmads

Growing up I always loved Christmas hampers, boxes of exotic treats that only came together at one time of the year. 

My dad used to buy them for his suppliers – not for us, but occasionally someone would send us one instead of buying individual presents or if we weren’t seeing them over the holidays. 

When Prestige Hampers, a Yorkshire based family business, offered to send me a hamper, I was thrilled. I received the Fabulous Christmas hamper. 

Although it’s still November just unpacking it made me feel all Christmassy (which is impressive as I struggle with the festive period). 

The team at Prestige are packing experts, once I’d unpacked it all I could not for the life of me get it all back in as neatly. 

The handmade wicker hamper is lovely and reusable – I’m already excited about deciding what to store in it! 

The contents itself is great. There’s so many treats in here. C has already got his eye on several of the goodies in it. 

This hamper includes a selection of sweet and savoury festive essentials along with three mini wine bottles, an individual Christmas pudding, jam and marmalade. 

Prestige provide a wide variety of options of gifts, everything from a bottle of wine, Christmas ham and of course the hampers. 

Right now there’s a sale on – and everything can be delivered in time for Christmas. 

Now excuse me, off to eat all these yummy treats….

*this post includes gifted items but all opinions and words are my own. 

beauty, beauty boxes, birchbox, reviews, Uncategorized

Birchbox x Vogue

ramblingmads

Underwhelming. That’s all I can think of to describe this box. 


From the rather ‘meh’ design (I couldn’t decide between the two rubbish designs so let Birchbox decide) – it’s y’know, pink. 

Then there’s the unoriginal content. Which considering that it’s in collab with a magazine at which there have been some big chances in line up and ideas, I expected more from. 


Inside is just not exciting me. 

Shall we…

In haircare, Bumble and bumble Prep (RRP £18)- not even remotely sure what I’m prepping for…oh it’s expensive leave-in conditioner. 

Then there’s Klorane’s dry shampoo (RRP £8) – could not be more excited *eyeroll emoji here*

Onto make up and first up it’s Benefit’s Hoola (RRP £24.50) a bronzer that makes it look like I haven’t washed my face (that’s all bronzers fyi – I am really pale). 

Now skincare – L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Hand Cream  (RRP £8 and up) which ok, I do actually like but good grief this sample is tiny. 

Finally, and in case you don’t believe that beauty boxes copy each other, a brush cleaner (Birchbox branded £5) just like last month’s Glossybox. Wow. This is the only full size item – I got mine for 99p on eBay. 

Next month we get to choose a lipstick shade but for 2018 I think I’m going to be choosing a new beauty box. 

If I were Vogue’s Lifestyle and Beauty Editor I’d be tidying up my CV right about now. If someone could direct Edward Enninful or Anna Wintour my way, that’d be dandy *wink emoji here* 

Now where’s my intern?? 

jewellery, reviews

Review: Martha Jackson Locket* 

ramblingmads

All my life I’ve loved jewellery, from my Nan’s earrings to my Mum’s eternity sapphire necklace. 

One of the earliest things I owned myself aside from a christening bracelet, was a little locket. It had tiny pictures of my grandparents in and was very much a child’s necklace. 

I’ve always loved lockets – the hint of a secret tucked away. They pop up in literature hiding clues to great secrets, passed down through generations. 

So when Martha Jackson asked if I’d like to review one of their gorgeous lockets, obviously I said yes. 

And isn’t it just a delight? 

I don’t wear yellow gold so this sterling silver one suits me perfectly. I can imagine wearing it with so many different outfits – silver goes with everything. 

I chose this one because the silverwork is so ornate and timeless looking. 

And of course it opens, with a space for a tiny keepsake or photo or if you’re feeling Victorian a lock of your love’s hair! 

The key charm hanging beside it fits the whole idea of a locket perfectly – you keep your secrets safely locked away. The charm is an added touch and you can pick your own out, which is a lovely way to personalise it. 

And at Martha Jackson you can even get your jewellery engraved – mine has my full first name (used only by my mum) on it. 

It really is beautiful and by no means the only lovely thing for sale at Martha Jackson. 

And the customer service is excellent, a definite bonus. 

And you’re supporting an independent business, which is always a good thing in my book. 

I’ve got my eye on a few things for Christmas, because having seen first hand how well made – that is a decent clasp and chain – and lovely the jewellery is, of course this little magpie wants more! 

*this post contains gifted or sponsored items but all words and opinions are my own. 

books, reviews

Review: Illuminae – Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

ramblingmads

First, survive. Then tell the truth. 

I’m not the biggest fan of science fiction/speculative fiction but as I really enjoy Kristoff’s other books (Godsgrave may be my book of the year) I was intrigued by this.

I took part in the #Ninjabookswap organised by the team behind Ninja Book Box recently and my lovely box of goodies contained this book. Which was fantastic. 

Taking place mostly in cyber space, in the comms system of two spaceships trying to outrun their deaths, Illuminae charts the corporation war that destroys an illegal mining operation and murders hundreds of people. 

Following that come other disasters including an infectious disease that turns people into murderous zombies and a rogue AI system that may or may not have gone insane. 

I really enjoyed this “found documents” style novel. Pieced together by the mysterious Illuminae from hacked data and downloaded reports, this is cleverly printed up to resemble the documents and “thoughts” of AIDAN, the AI system during the Kerenza evacuation and what followed. 
I have book two ready to go and book three on order – it’s that good. 

 

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

Birchbox October 

ramblingmads

This month’s Birchbox just got dropped off, it’s a pretty box too. 

There are five beauty products in this box – two are fullsize. 

ModelCo Contour Stick RRP £8 – this is way too dark for me – it just makes me look like I haven’t washed. Shame as I picked it as my choice of ModelCo product this month.

 

Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash RRP £16 – this has a bit of a strange a scent probably because grapefruit and frankincense don’t really go. However it’s a good facewash – not too astringent but does leave skin nice and clean. 

Anatomical Grab Your Melons Shower Gel *Fullsize* RRP £1.50 – nice zesty morning shower gel. In collaboration with charity CoppaFeel this shower gel reminds you to check your boobs with a handy shower sticker. 

EcoTools Contour Perfecting Applicator *Fullsize* RRP £5 – essentially a beauty blender on a stick. Nice soft sponge designed to create and blend your contour. 

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner RRP £16 – essentially a skinny felt pen eyeliner in a nice solid black. Another way for me to end up with it smeared all over my face. 

A nice balance of products from the skincare and make up options. While I don’t think I’ll get much use out of the contour stick the rest will be handy. 

books, reviews

Review: The Red Thread – Dawn Farnham

ramblingmads

I was kindly sent this in exchange for my honest review. 

The Red Thread is book one of the The Straits Quartet – set in colonial era Singapore. 

The author lived in modern Singapore for many years and has written several books sit in the country’s past. 

I found it quite hard to get into this book to begin with – which follows Charlotte McLeod as she travels from Scotland to be with her brother who has been appointed to head up the first police force in the British colony. 

It also tells the story of two young men, Zhen and Qian, who travel at the same time from China in search of success and fortune. 

Their paths will cross with Charlotte’s with explosive personal results. 

There’s some quite raunchy sex scenes so maybe don’t leave this lying around if you’ve got young children who are learning to read (it happened to my friend with a different book). 

Anyway, back to the book. 

Once I got into the plot a bit more it picked up a pace and was really easy and pleasant a read. 

There are some sad moments and as I said some very sexy ones. The story is peppered with real people and sits into a historical narrative, including Raffles, who founded modern Singapore, but has already returned to England as Charlotte arrives. 

I enjoy historical fiction that gives context as the plot unfolds, as this does, rather than giving a history lesson before the story. 

Although one day I am getting a time machine and going back to tell all these daft women living in tropical climates to throw away their petticoats and crinolines asap and swap them for sensible native dress. 

The ending seems quite final – so it would be interesting to see where the story picks up in the next book. 

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

Glossybox October – Unicorn vs Mermaid 

ramblingmads

This month’s Glossybox is about those two Instagram faves Unicorns and Mermaids. 

I received the Mermaid box which is a pretty greeny/purple colour. 

Inside there is matching paper and ribbon which is lovely, and will be very recognisable in the photos I’ve taken. 

The beauty products inside are very much in keeping with the theme starting with the Make Up Revolution Mermaids vs Unicorns eyeshadow palette. This is lovely, with shades covering something of a rainbow from greens to blues, purples to pinks. 

Sleek Creme to Powder Blush in Amaryllis – this is really pink but I have been told I can pull off a bright pink blush. It feels very soft and silky, gliding onto skin. 

Lord & Berry Magic Brow in Brunette – once again a brow product I can’t use, way too blonde for this. 

Bang Beauty Dolce Pink Cream Colour – at first I couldn’t work out what this was, the packaging gave nothing away – it could be a lip gloss, blusher, highlighter, who knows. However it seems to be an eyeshadow, a bright cream eyeshadow. Which is a bit of a random item. 

Kawaii Brush Cleanser – I have a cheap eBay version of this and it is brilliant for getting my make up brushes super clean. 

I really liked this box – something of a return to form for Glossybox, which as you know, I have occasionally been furious with for their choice of products. 

You can also purchase a unicorn or mermaid jumper from Glossybox to go with the box. Unfortunately they’re a) £30 and b) the large is still quite small. So I won’t be partaking. 

beauty, cruelty free, make up, reviews

First Impressions: Urban Decay Naked3 Palette

ramblingmads

I rarely buy pricey make up products, partly because I’m a high street shopper and also because I’m often on quite a tight budget. 

But on my way to the Bloggers Blog Awards last weekend I popped into the Urban Decay in Kings Cross (I was really early to the station thanks to C – I think he just wanted me out of the house) and treated myself to the Naked 3 palette with the last of my birthday money. 

Now this palette isn’t cheap, at just under 40 quid it’s at the pricey end and about £30 more than the last palette I bought. 

It’s a selection of quite warm pinky tones, which I tend to wear for every day, make up free make up (if you know what I mean). I asked the sales assistant her thoughts and she agreed this was the one for me. 

The shades are quite highly pigmented with a mix of matte and glitter colours, going from day colours to more smoky night ones. 

Although the shades are quite small in terms of pan size I think this will last a while as it’s well packed and pigmented. 

The packaging is nice too and feels quite well made, with actual brushes not those weird sponge applicators, and they feel quite good quality. 

Also UD is cruelty free so that’s happy bunny time too. 🐇🐇

Overall I really like this and am happy with my purchase. I don’t know if I’d buy another Naked palette as the others maybe wouldn’t work so well with my skin tone but I certainly like the look of some of their lipsticks and other palettes. 

adventures in post, boxcitement, fun stuff, lifestyle boxes, reviews, stationery

#Boxcitement: Free Spirit 

ramblingmads

(Let’s pretend it’s still September for 5 mins) 
Boxcitement’s Free Spirit box is a delight. Full of bright colours and fun shapes. 

Inside the box was all these goodies. 

A wall mountable mini mirror – yay! I really like this, unpacking it made me smile. 

This cute charm bangle – it makes a nice jingle when I walk. 

Raindrop planner clips, these are the cutest things, which I will use to keep various post-its together. 

Personal picnic kit – recyclable cutlery and a cute napkin. 

Art print that is also a planner calendar. 


Memory notepads – to jot those ideas down! 
Teeny backpack pouch and feather keyring. 

Overall I really like this box – especially the mirror and bracelet, less so the single use (but thankfully recyclable) picnic kit. The stationery items are right up my street – paperclips and notepads yes please! 

beauty, giveaway, haircare, reviews

Product Review: Xtiva Twist Curling Wand & Giveaway

ramblingmads

My hair has a life of its own, doing whatever it pleases. Styling it is an uphill struggle as its preferred style is dragged through a hedge backwards. 

So when I was offered the opportunity to review the Xtiva Twist Curling Wand, I said yes, hey anything’s worth a try. 

I wasn’t expecting the rather glamorous box that arrived, complete with the blogger fave, rose gold. 

Inside the box is, well, another box. But this one opens to ta-da! A handy carry case containing the magic curling wand itself. 

It’s matt black and looks very professional. So far so good. But how does it do on rebellious hair? 

Well, according to the user guide I need about 160° to curl my hair – you literally set the temp you want with these handy buttons. 

Now, vitally and not included in the user guide is this glove. Use the glove and avoid burnt fingers! I did not. Use me as a lesson. 

Now I have limited patience, especially with technology, but this heats up nice and quick. Word to the wise – do your make up after as your face gets quite hot with this wand. 

It’s super easy to use but unfortunately my hair decided not to play ball and the curls dropped out fast. But that’s my hair for you. I also tested this on my sister’s thick hair and they held beautifully. She refused to let me take any photos and wouldn’t accept bribes. 

I really think this is a clever tool with its easy to use buttons, the glove that stops your hand from burning  (I’ve never seen this included in the box before and my past is littered with curlers of all kinds). 

It doesn’t take hours to heat and on better behaved hair creates gorgeous curls. If my sister lets me curl her hair again I will get some Insta pics for you. 

And now  – Win the xtava Twist Curling Wand  

Good luck!