Category: reviews

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

September Birchbox

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A fellow September birthday, Birchbox is now five!

And to celebrate there’s a box full of birthday treats. All of which hail from the US – where Birchbox was born. Subscribers can also pick their beauty box design.

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Bliss Lemon and Sage Body Butter – this smells quite light and pleasant, contains coconut oil and vitamin E.

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Laqa & Co Cheeky Lip Pencil in Humble Brag – a 2-in-1 item in quite a hot pink, probably more likely to be on my lips than my cheeks.

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John Masters Organics Citrus Neroli Detangler – this smells almost good enough to eat – but teamed with the next item should leave your hair shiny and tangle free.

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The Birchbrush – a handbag sized tangle teezer style brush

Beauty Protector Beauty Wash – this very cute body wash will be useful in my washbag.

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Benefit the Porefessional: License to Blot – one of Benefit’s newest products this little blotting stick promises to keep your complexion shine free for up to 6 hours.

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Birchbox have also launched an app – on Apple and Android, and entered all subscribers in a draw for a trip to New York City. Finally, if you can get to Selfridges in Oxford Street, you can build your own Birchbox for £15 up till the 27th September.

This is a nice selection of items, in the last few months Birchbox has definitely upped its game.

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beauty, beauty boxes, latest in beauty, make up, reviews, skincare

The Glamour Beauty Power List 2015

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Once again Latest in Beauty has teamed up with Glamour magazine for a beauty box featuring a selection of great skincare and beauty items. And this box is enormous.

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Curated by Glamour’s Beauty Director, Alessandra Steinherr, this box combines a selection of this year’s hottest brands and products.

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Garnier Miracle Sleeping Cream – I had this in another beauty box earlier this year and it’s rich, smells nice and leaves skin soft and hydrated.

Nails Inc Nailkale Super food Base Coat – I have incredibly brittle finger nails, they crack and peel all the time, meaning despite my love of nail polish I am reluctant to paint them too often. Hopefully this new strengthener from one of my favourite brands should help.

Rimmel London 60 Seconds Super Shine Nail Polish – you get 1 of 3 colours, which annoyingly, you can’t choose yourself. I got a pinky-red called Glaston-berry from the Rita Ora range.

Philip Kingsley Geranium & Neroli Elasticizer – I’ve used the original, which is unperfumed, this one smells yum. This pre-shampoo mask was originally created for Audrey Hepburn and leaves your hair soft and shiny.

Kiko Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush – I like Kiko’s eye pencils, and while I usually use powder blush, this is very light and soft. Again you can’t select the shade you’re sent, and I have a peachy tone, which I quite like as anything too pink doesn’t suit me.

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Top - Revlon lipstick. Bottom - Kiko blush

Eyeko Mascara – I’m really fussy about mascara and haven’t tried this one before. It’s in a squeezy tube, which is a bit different, and comes in two shades (you can’t select!)

Vita Liberata Self Tanning Moisture Mask – as summer draws to a soggy close the pale and interesting among us (including me) heave a sigh of relief at the end of the golden bronzed tanned Instagram snaps. This facial tanner could help you extend the glow you picked up on your summer hols or in the park, but probably won’t make a difference for me.

Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick – I’m not a massive lipstick fan, the colours never quite look the same on, or last long, but this is a very red shade, (one of three you could receive) which I quite like. Might hold onto it for party season.

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beauty, beauty boxes, reviews, skincare

September You Beauty Discovery

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This month is the skincare edition and all of the items are skin friendly.

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As always you can select two items for your box and this month they’re full size.

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I picked AA Skincare Professionals Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel. This multi use product is suitable for all skin types, removes make up, soothes and cools tired eyes. I rarely buy eye cream or gel as I’ve had some bad reactions but my recent bout of insomnia has left me looking like a sad panda so hopefully this will help make me look less like I have black eyes.

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The other item I picked is Urban Veda Sandalwood + Botanics Soothing Day Cream. I’ve been trying different moisturisers on the days when I’m going make up free – my favourites are still currently Lush’s Celestial and Garnier’s Rose Water day cream, but I like the sound of this one and it smells nice.

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Also included in the box is a sample of Linwoods Milled Chia Seed, a soft make up sponge and a sample of Body Shop’s new Oils of Life facial oil. There is also a Body Shop Love Your Body Club membership card and as always discounts on all the brands available to select from. All this for £6.95.

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This is a better box than some have been in the last few months so I’m quite impressed. It’s nice to see full size items and a focus on a particular theme.

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beauty boxes, latest in beauty, libbie club, reviews

September Libbie Club Offers

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This month’s Libbie Club offers are a mix of skincare and a make up item.

Caudalie is a French brand that seems to be everywhere this year, they make masks, moisturizers and other things to make your skin glow. This month Libbie Club is offering the Instant Detox Mask.

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The packaging is nice, and looks good on the shelf and the product is super easy to use. It also doesn’t smell too terrible. Which matters to me.

Also in the box is Mio’s The Activist body oil. Again this smells good, is easy to use and absorbs without leaving a greasy mess.

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Finally, a mascara. I am really, really fussy about mascara. I like the packaging on this but am not so sure what exactly makes this a must have. Teeez Desert Metals Mascara – no animal derivatives and claims to be smudge proof and long lasting.

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I have 5 free samples of the Caudalie mask – if you’d like one, let me know.

Otherwise log on to Libbie Club and treat yourself to this month’s goodies.

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lifestyle boxes, reviews, waxbox

Waxbox – September

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So soggy season has started, it’s rained pretty much every day and I am seriously thinking about cranking up the heating. Good thing out boiler was serviced last week.

One of my favourite things about the days getting shorter is being able to light candles and use my wax melter (a birthday present from last year) to fill the flat with warmth and delicious smells.

As you all know I’m a fan of subscription boxes (mostly because I’m lazy) and Waxbox is perfect for those long winter nights heading our way in the Northern hemisphere.

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For £15 a month a box of specially selected candles and wax tarts arrives at your door. You can pay monthly or 3 months in advance.

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This was my first box and it’s been packed with care. There’s even a card addressed to me welcoming me to their service.

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Inside is a lovely smell, made up of different fragrances.

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Pomegranate natural wax melts

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Soy wax melt in Raisin Bread

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Baked Apple wax melt

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Angel Whisper wax melt

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Frosted Forest candle tin

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The products come from different brands, most of which have their websites printed on the packaging so you can check them out and try other scents.

In terms of scent – the baked apple smells like Christmas and will most likely be used to perfume the depths of a wet English winter. The pomegranate one isn’t particularly strong but I think it’s one that deepens as it melts.

Angel Whisper is a subtle smell, I think I can detect jasmine in there, it’s quite a clean smell too.

I don’t like raisins very much and I don’t like the scent of raisin bread much either.

The frosted forest candle is a lovely green colour but not as strong a scent as I thought it would be once I got the lid off.

I look forward to seeing what other scents Waxbox sends out in the next few months.

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Remember to never leave lit flames unattended and never let children play with fire.

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beauty, beauty boxes, latest in beauty, perfume, reviews

Latest in Beauty – The Perfume Society

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LiB has teamed up with the Perfume Society to bring you three curated boxes of scent. I picked the Little Treasures box but you can also get Florals and Florientals and Designer Discoveries, depending on your preferences. The boxes are £12.95 each.

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The scent that caught my eye and swayed me to pick this one was L’Occitane’s new The Vert Bigarade, which I tested in their store. The full size bottle is £45 and as it’s my birthday next month, is on my splurge list.

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There are some scents I’ve never heard of tucked in here as well as brands like Yardley and Liz Earle.

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The Perfume Society has included postcard guides to the included scents, of which there are ten.

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This is a really good way to sample new scents and there’s also a discount voucher to join the Perfume Society. 

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beauty, beauty boxes, birchbox, make up, reviews

Birchbox for Brides

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Wedding season is almost over but I know at least two brides who still have a bouquet to toss before Christmas, and these make fab gifts.

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Birchbox has teamed up with Benefit cosmetics for three boxes – for the hen do, the wedding day and the honeymoon.

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Each box features a range of samples from Benefit’s glamorous range of make up and a little bonus gift.

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To be honest, even if you aren’t getting hitched anytime soon these are great, especially if you’re a Benefit fan.

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beauty, beauty boxes, latest in beauty, make up, reviews, skincare

Latest in Beauty – Time to Shine

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This little box of goodies is currently in LiB’s summer box line up.

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Bourjois Cream Blush shade 02 – their cream to powder foundation is super easy to apply and this is a pink colour that would definitely pop on the cheeks, especially with a smoky daytime eye.

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Pixi lip stain (left) Bourjois blush (right)

Pixi Lip Blush in Youth – looks and feels like a felt tip in a bright, slightly sheer pink. Pixi has become a cult beauty brand this year and these lip stains are very popular.

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Essie nail polish in peak of chic – not so sure about glittery polish at my age, I certainly loved it years ago.

Elemis Spa @ Home Treat Your Feet footcream – with Shea butter and jojoba oil, this smells lovely and soothes hot tired feet.

Melvita Bio-Excellence Youthful Day Cream – with fruit extracts this cream promises to deliver healthy skin.

James Read Sleep Mask Tan – a self tan that you smooth on before you sleep to moisturise and give your skin a summery glow.

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beauty, beauty boxes, love me beauty, nail polish, nails inc, reviews, skincare

Love Me Beauty – revamped

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My last LMB box went AWOL in the post so I was a bit fed up with them.

Anyway, they’ve revamped their website and how you select your goodies. You used to get only a few points and there was quite a limited list to pick from. Now you have 9 points and they’ve expanded the list of options.

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This is what I picked.

Model Co Shadow Sticks – set of 4

Nails Inc Gel Effect in Beaufort Street

Love Me Beauty Nail File

Bellepierre Cosmetics eye shadow in Storm and Whesek

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I chose quite a few eye shadows mostly because I didn’t like the skincare options, and as most items are 2 points, I got the nail file as it was the only 1 point item. All of the items I picked are full size and for £13 including P&P that’s incredible value. This is still not my favourite box but as they improve their product list and make it easier to use their site, hopefully it will get better.

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adventures in post, fashion friday, reviews

T-Post – get a free tee

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As you may have realized, I love getting things in the post, I miss letters and postcards. Technology may be really useful but things brought by the postman are always going to give me a little thrill.

T-post is an unusual service from Amsterdam, they send you a collector’s edition T-shirt every month and at the moment you can try it for free (€3 for postage).

I received mine last week. You tell them your size and off it goes.

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Visit the website and try your free tee today.

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