Category: reviews

netflix, reviews, tv

Orphan Black is Back

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This past weekend one of the cleverest shows on TV returned to British screens. Orphan Black starring the incredibly talented Tatiana Maslany as most of the characters (they’re clones, it’s pretty vital to the plot) and weaving a story of intrigue, science gone awry, conflict and family.

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I caught up with the first two seasons on Netflix and season three was dumped almost whole on BBC Three, showing in blocks of episodes (catch up over on the iPlayer) over the week.

This show is not as well known or loved as it should be, it’s well written, the acting is fantastic, the storyline’s gripping and it is easy to devour in chunks.

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Without giving away any spoilers, the third series is revealing itself to be even more brilliantly labyrinthine, as Sarah and her ‘sestras’ try to find out where they come from and what was set in motion before they were ever born.

Are you a fan? Or do you have recommendations for me?

ramblingmads

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

My Little Fashion Box

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You would think after the palaver this summer with boxes going awol, MLB would have switched back to Royal Mail, but no, so the boxes are still filtering out. September’s almost over, and fashion weeks have drawn to a close.

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September’s box is themed around fashion week with the box illustration of the infamous Front Row (Frow in fashion speak according to the press).

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Inside is another of in-house artist Kamako’s illustrations, the fold out magazine My Little World and a host of fashionable goodies.

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Nail decals designed just for MLB, not something I would use, but I have a friend with a thing for nail art so she’ll probably love these.

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A gorgeous patterned scarf. I love scarves, I own hundreds, they’re the best accessory. You can wear them so many ways, I got the blue one but there is also a black one in some boxes.

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Then there’s the beauty products. As always there’s a French slant to them. 

La Roche-Posay Effacler K(+) – according to the beauty bloggers I follow, this stuff relieves greasy skin, clears up spots and leaves you less shiny. I have combination skin so hopefully it’ll leave me with an even skin tone during the shinier moments.

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Kerastase Couture Styling Laque Noir – a water-free, fuzz busting, humidity preventer. Which would come in very handy for those mornings where you need less stresses in your tresses.

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My Little Beauty Red Dingue de lui – lip stain, from their in-house brand. It’s a rich cherry red colour, with serious staying power (I can’t scrub it off my hand!).

All of this is wrapped in MLB’s swanky packaging, printed bag, ribbon, box.

Now if only they could sort out their deliveries.

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beauty, beauty boxes, love me beauty, make up, reviews

Love Me Beauty – bit of a wobble

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Love Me Beauty has revised its boutique again, the second time in as many months.

Now you get 60 credits and items are either 10 or 20 credits each – and apparently there is a way to add more.

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I stuck with the 60 member credits. It doesn’t allow you to select much. Most of the 10 credit items are things like a LMB nailfile. However there are a few gems.

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I got a Ciate mini nail polish and Lord & Berry crayon lipstick for 10 credits each and then Monuspa Rosewood Revitalizing Mist and a Lord & Berry Twistick lipstick for 20 credits each.

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Bit disappointing when you used to be able to get more under the old system for the same money. There were lots of Lord & Berry lip items and nail polishes, hopefully next month will have more variety.

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They’ve also dispensed with boxes and the items arrived in a little canvas bag inside a padded envelope, not as glam as some beauty subscriptions.

LMB has the possibility of being really fantastic, the ability to pick your products is great but a little more effort to make things seem special would be even better.

ramblingmads

beauty boxes, nail polish, nails inc, reviews

Nailbox – Spooky September

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I skipped August’s nailbox while I tried to use up some of my existing nail polishes, and September’s box arrived today.

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Slightly confusingly it’s Halloween themed, despite it being September, but I suppose if you’re planning an All Hallows’ party, this would give you plenty of time to practise your designs.

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As well as three polishes, there’s a set of nail design brushes, and a base coat from Nail Apothecary.

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The polishes come from a range of brands, including my fave Nails Inc, and they’re all full size. For £15 this is a good range of nail items.

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

Latest in Beauty – Heart Beauty Essentials

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Latest in Beauty loves the radio as it’s collaborations with Capital FM and Heart demonstrate.

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This beauty box in conjunction with my Dad’s favourite station (he always has it blaring away in the van) is jam packed.

Bloom & Blossom Bath and Shower Gel

Dirty Works 4-in-1 Face Wipes

Kitsch Prima Ballerina Hair Ties

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Lola Electric Purple Nail Polish

Nuxe Creme Moisturizing Cream

Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Mask

Roger & Gallet Lait Sorbet Bois d’Orange Body Lotion

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Rimmel London Provocalips

Philosophy the microdelivery peel

Urban Veda Hydrating Toner

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Also included are discount vouchers for some of the brands included.

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I think I will be making use of all of these goodies, most of the brands are already in my beautifying arsenal.

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

Birthday splurge

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Yesterday I had a meeting in town and as I was in Central London I thought I’d pop into Selfridges and spend some birthday money (the rest is reserved for shoes).

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I get serious shopping envy in Selfridges, there’s so many gorgeous things but my budget doesn’t stretch as far as I’d like.

I decided to hit up the Beauty Hall. So many gorgeous things. I made a beeline for the Clinique counter, I fancied a new chubby stick for eyes.  After scribbling a few testers on my hand, I picked shade 04 Ample Amber, a soft golden colour, perfect for all over eyelid glow or a hit of gold on my lash line.

While I was there I also picked up the face wash that goes with my sonic cleanser – a great way to get my pores scrubbed out. I also got two freebies – a chubby stick for lips in Super Strawberry and a sample of their superprimer.

Then I decided to check out the Birchbox build your own birthday pop-up. As you do.

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I couldn’t resist building a box – picking 6 samples and getting two bonus items exclusive to subscribers. I picked what I think is a good mix of goodies.

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I wandered about eyeing up the Tom Ford counter (gorgeous packaging) and trying out some new perfume ideas. If I had the cash, there would have been such a splurge!

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happy mail, lifestyle boxes, reviews

Happy Mail – the alternative to all those bills

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Every month the lovely Katie at I Heart Homes ships out little bundles of joy, or Happy Mail.

There are three price tiers, including postage, £10, £15, £25.

I subscribe to the lowest tier, as it fits through my letterbox and that matters when your post gets delivered in the rain and parcels left outside the door get soggy.

Each month the boxes are themed, and all the little treats are associated with the theme. For example August’s was ‘Time for Tea’.

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June's Birds & Bees box
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July's day at the beach

September’s upcoming box is ‘A Trip to Paris’, and I can’t wait for it to arrive.

To subscribe, or buy past boxes or any of the lovely things in the shop, visit the website.

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beauty, beauty boxes, fashion, glossybox, haircare, make up, reviews

Glossybox Style Edition

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September is a month of Fashion Weeks all over the globe in glamorous locations (New York, London, Milan, Paris…) and Glossybox have themed this month’s box for the most stylish month in the fashion calendar.

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The box is beautifully decorated, and features five full size items to get you ready for the new fashion season.

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Pink and khaki grey are the colours for this autumn and the whole box, including the wrapping, is on this trend.

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Maria Nila Luminous Colour Hair Masque – sulphate and paraben free, 100% vegan, doesn’t smell too bad, suitable for coloured and natural hair, a treat from Sweden. I currently have this soaking into my newly cut hair, which needs a boost to look its best. This also comes with a 20% off voucher for the whole range.

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Invisibobble traceless hair ring – I’ve had long hair, short hair and am the queen of the ponytail at any length. In the last few years more and more companies have produced metal-free, hair friendly bands. These claim to leave no kinks in the hair, or cause any breakage. Definitely something my hair can appreciate. There are three in the box.

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Nails Inc polish in Uptown, there is another colour in some boxes. This is a dusky pink shade, though pink always seems like more of a spring colour. I am however a massive Nails Inc fan so this will be added to the mix.

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Bellapierre Cosmetics Shimmer Powder in Whesek. This greyish powder, with its hint of glitter, is perfect for autumnal smoky eyes.

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Marsk Eyeshadow Brush Pro to complement the shimmer powder, I like the wide, fan shape of this brush for sweeping colour over my lids, plus the brush is super soft.

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This box is incredible value – approximately £60 worth of products for £12.95.

There’s also a £15 voucher for invite only fashion brand Best Secret and a sneak peek of one of next month’s products.

really like this box – it’s very generous and features several brands I already use. The box itself is gorgeous and as sturdy as always – making it perfect for storing your make up or wrapping up for a friend’s present (obviously not an empty box!)

Will you be donning this season’s shades and looking totally on point?

ramblingmads

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

Birchbox Birthday at Selfridges

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As part of their ongoing birthday celebrations Birchbox have teamed up with Selfridges to offer you the chance to build your own box.

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For those unable to get to Oxford Street before the 27th, Birchbox has put together a special edition box available on their website for £20.

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Featuring 8 fabulous products, including four full size treats, this is a seriously great collaboration.

Cowshed Knackered Cow Relaxing Bath & Shower Gel – with a blend of lavender and eucalyptus this smells heavenly and I like the cheeky name.

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Eyeko Fat Eye Stick in Gilt – use this as shadow or liner, smooth and with a hint of glitter, this will make your smoky eye pop.

Nuxe Crème Fraiche de Beaute Mask – this is a brand beloved by beauty boxes and it’s not hard to see why. With plant proteins and white blossom, this hydrating, moisture-packed mask is quick and easy to use.

Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo & Conditioner – travel sized, volume boosting, builds thickness and body, and gets rid of those annoying flyaways.

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Regenerate Enamel Science Advanced Toothpaste – an unusual item in a beauty box, and while I’m happy with my usual toothpaste, if you’re looking to boost your teeth’s whiteness then this could be the one.

Soigne Nail Lacquer in Petale de Rose – this very soft pink polish from French brand Soigne, is very pretty but more spring than autumn.

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Wild About Beauty Lip Pencil Duo in Fiona – this lip liner and lipstick pencil duo are soft and creamy. The colour isn’t quite ‘me’ but would work well on someone a little darker than my vampire-like visage.

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Top - Eyeko crayon in Gilt, middle and bottom - Wild About Beauty lipstick and liner

This is a nice collection of products, and worth over £80 if bought separately.

ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, haircare, reviews, skincare

Look Fantastic 1st Birthday Edition

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Look Fantastic’s beauty box keeps popping up in my news feed on Facebook – so I thought I’d have a look.

They’re celebrating a birthday and the box is decorated with hundreds of thousands.

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Inside there are eight beauty samples, from a range of brands.

TanWorx Tan Maintainer

Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash

Caudalie Moisturizing Sorbet

Codage Paris Scrubbing Cream

Sebastian Penetraitt Shampoo & Conditioner

Caudalie SOS Serum

Phyto Hair Mask

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There are also lots of discount vouchers for the brands in the box and also partner brands, brilliant if like me you’re a shopaholic and love a bargain!

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The box is £15 and is available now.

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