Category: reviews

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

Latest in Beauty – Glamour Spring Beauty Edit

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I don’t get all the Latest in Beauty boxes, unlike most, they’re not monthly as such.

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But I have bought a couple of the ones curated by Glamour magazine’s beauty editor.

The good thing about LiB is that you can see what products are going to be in the box before you order, so if there’s nothing that interests you then there’s no obligation to buy.

Inside this box is:

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Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Masque – I have wanted to try Moroccanoil for a while as I’ve heard good things but they’re quite pricey so this is great.

Rimmel Oh My Gloss lipgloss in My Eternity. I don’t often bother with lipgloss and I’m not sure about this shade on me, but it’s sparkly and not too gloopy.

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy nail polish in light turquoise. Not a pastel shade = result in my book.

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Diamond Topcoat – now I don’t need to buy topcoat. I just wish ‘colour’ was spelt correctly.

BeautyUK High Brow all in one brow definition kit – my eyebrows are basically ignored, they don’t need much work.

Model Co Creme Rouge lips and cheeks in Just Peachy – I do like a product with more than one use.

Kiko long lasting stick eyeshadow in a bronze/gold shade. I prefer eye crayons to powder so this will probably get a lot of use.

Nuxe Paris Masque Creme Fraiche 24hr Soothing and Rehydrating Fresh Mask – I think I will be slathering this on, smells nice and would give my skin a treat.

Elie Saab le parfum sampler – a quite strong scent. Might have to let it sit and simmer.

Free 12 month subscription to Glamour magazine – print and digital. Plus entry into a prize draw for over £500 worth of products. This is the USP of the Glamour boxes, a free subscription.

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

March Birchbox – Habitat

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New month, new beauty box from Birchbox. This one’s in association with homeware store Habitat.

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Again it’s the slimmer letterbox size, although as it was delivered by courier that didn’t really matter.

Inside there was a selection of goodies.

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A massive packet of Serenity Skincare Dead Sea Bath Salt, I don’t have a bath, I live in a flat with a tiny bathroom, but my feet will get a nice long soak.

Sample size Benefit They’re Real! mascara. I like Benefit and this is one of their new products.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (sample) a pre-treatment for hair.

Lord & Berry Bronzer – I don’t really use bronzer, it looks a bit odd on my very pale skin.

Catherine Malandrino eau de parfum sampler – not sure whether I like this yet, but will wear it for a bit to see if it’s a grower.

Birchbox & Habitat notebook – a tiny red notebook, perfect to pop in your handbag and scribble thoughts and ideas in.

Chapter sample of Penny Vincenzi’s new book A Perfect Heritage. Funnily enough I picked up a copy of this the other day. I enjoyed her book No Angel, and this one, set in the world of beauty companies as three women vie to run a prestigious cosmetics firm seems to be just a good. I do like a decent doorstep novel.

All in all an eclectic selection of goodies. Wonder what next month will bring?

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beauty, beauty boxes, herbalife, make up, reviews, skincare

Herbalife Skin – results kit (sample size)

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I’ve been doing the Herbalife weightloss/get healthy program since January, I lost half a stone in a month so far and am really enjoying learning about better ways to eat and coming up with healthy recipes that still taste delicious.

So I asked my lovely friend & nutrition coach Kayleigh about their range of skincare goodies. Her skin looks amazing and she regularly posts #MintMaskMondays selfies on Instagram and Facebook.

I decided to start with the sample size Results Kit.

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It comes in a little pot (above) and contains five products in the range. Though sadly no mint mask for me.

Soothing Aloe Cleanser – aloe is a substance Herbalife are very keen on, and it is very good for you, inside and out.
Daily Glow Moisturiser – for all skin types.
Firming Eye Gel – for all skin types
Hydrating Eye Cream – for all skin types
Replenishing Night Cream – for all skin types

I don’t currently use eye creams, mostly because when I have done so my skin has become itchy and irritated. Hopefully this won’t do the same.

I’m going to give these a go and if my skin seems happier with them, invest in some full size products.

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

Beauty box review – Love Me Beauty

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Another beauty box in my quest for the perfect one.

I filled in a beauty questionnaire intended to make the ideal selection, but there was a definite mis-fire amongst this little lot.

A fullsize Nails Inc. polish in bruton lane, which is a pastel shade (and if you read my post about nail polish, you’ll know they’re not my favourite).
Mirabella lip gloss in Muse, which is baby pink in the bottle, so will be used sparingly.
Cailyn eyebrow gel in Cocoa. Now I told them I’m blonde, which is my natural colour so a dark brown gel would make my very pale brows look silly.
Organic Surge Perfecting Face Polish (sample size) this says it’s suitable for sensitive skin, which I have, and contains rosemary and lemon essential oils, which means it smells amazing.
Monuspa Conditioning Bodywash (sample size) for all skin types – this contains honey and essential oils, and again smells delicious.

The goodies come in a little cloth bag inside a frankly enormous box. Their USP is that if you refer a friend with a unique code on their site you get credits towards products in your next box and so will your friend.

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adventures, crafty stuff, friends, reviews

Make It Craft Fair 27 Feb – 1 March

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This Saturday just gone Cal and I went to a craft fair with my friend Ruth, her husband and their little girls.
Held in a huge tent at Farnborough airport, the fair featured dozens of suppliers, workshops, talks, try-it-yourself stations, with dozens of different crafts represented, from knitting to woodwork, metal sculpting to lace making.

I splurged on crafty bits, from buttons, to gorgeous purple yarn and other little bits. I also bought a new cutting tool and a build it yourself 3D advent calendar for Cal and I to work on together (he makes minature planes and things).

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It was really interesting to see all the different crafts people do, and to see some wonderful examples. I bought a felting kit to make some Easter bunnies (new skill or giant mess?).

It was also lovely to catch up with my friend, we went to school together and now she runs her own knitting business emhttp://etsy.com/tippingknits or http://facebook.com/tippingknits

Her girls are very cute, aged 5 and 3. We bought them a cookie each – it was the size of her youngest daughter’s face, and they seemed to enjoy themselves a lot more than that. I also took on a new opportunity (more on that to come).

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

Beauty box review – Birchbox

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I rarely get called wonderful so it was rather nice coming home to find a parcel in my letterbox doing just that.

Inside was February’s Birchbox. I had opted for the slimmer letterbox size, and as you can see above, it was packed with beauty goodies (and a sample packet of oats + chia porridge, not pictured).

There were discount codes and vouchers for beauty products.

The products themselves were a mixture of sample and full sizes.

I had filled in a beauty profile on the site, which should mean that the items in my box are tailored to me.

I received: a sample of Benefit High Beam, which is a product I already use so this was a little bonus bottle.
T London Darjeeling Bath & Shower wash, perfect size for my washbag and holiday travels.
Fullsize Eyeko London Fat Eye Stick in gilt – I like an eye crayon, easy to use and no mess.
Electric Hairdressing Hydrate Shampoo, again perfect size for my washbag. Finally Caudalie Paris Radiance Serum – I don’t use serums much so this will be fun to try out.

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books, challenges, reviews

#5books7days – round up

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So over on Instagram and Twitter this week I’ve been taking part in a readathon #5books7days which has been really enjoyable.
My five books were:
A real variety of books. Fantasy, autobiography, classic crime, and finally a book written by a friend of mine.

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I haven’t read with purpose since uni, when I read for class or essay writing. Nowadays I read whatever takes my fancy, and sometimes I pick the wrong book. Life’s too short to read books that don’t hold my attention.

This was a really fun reading challenge, and I managed to make a tiny dent in the mountain of unread books, unfortunately it seems to grow while I sleep.

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beauty, lush, reviews, skincare

Lush goodies

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Got back from meeting my sister to find a box of treasure waiting for me. Lush treasure at that.

Ordered myself some treats and essentials.

Celestial – this is my favourite moisturiser and thank goodness this came today as I ran out this morning.

Prince Charming – a favourite shower gel, smells delicious.

Happy Happy Joy Joy –  this conditioner is scented with neroli, rose,  grapefruit, rosewood and orange flower, smells gorgeous and should leave my hair soft, shiny and smelling delicious.

Whitewash – a Lush Kitchen exclusive, a shower smoothie packed full of skin loving aloe vera and coconut oil. Smells scrummy, as will I.

After Tango – another Lush Kitchen exclusive, a fresh foot mask for tired feet, contains natural pumice, avacado, asparagus and other good things. My worn out feet need a treat, and this is the one.

Can’t wait to pamper myself.

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books, reviews

Book Review – Hope in a Ballet Shoe

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Michaela DePrince is currently a dancer with the Dutch National Ballet, before that she was a ballet student in America, and before that she was an orphan in war-torn Sierra Leone.

As a little girl I wanted to be a ballerina, and although that never worked out, I still do the positions on Underground platforms and try to see as much ballet as I can afford.

Michaela wanted to be a ballerina too, but her journey would be long, hard and at times painful.

If you’ve seen the documentary First Position, you’ll recognise the teenage Michaela, one of the few black ballerinas around. She’s got a beautiful smile and dances wonderfully.

Her book takes you from the tragedy of her early years, orphaned by age 4, sold to an orphanage by her uncle, she witnessed the murder of her pregnant teacher and had to flee along with the other children to neighbouring Guinea. Throughout it all she clung to the dream of looking like the ballerina on the front of a magazine she found in the street.

She and her best friend were adopted by a white couple from America, became sisters and began to dance.

Her story is inspiring, heartbreaking and ultimately full of hope and joy.
I stayed up late reading it, not wanting to put it down, desperate to know whether she achieved her dream.

Written with her adoptive mother’s help, Michaela’s story is brilliant for reminding you that thinks can be achieved and if you work hard dreams happen.

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books, reviews

#5books7days

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Over on instagram and twitter @lotte_le (@lottelovesbooks) is hosting a reading challenge. #5books7days is the perfect reading challenge for me.
Some weeks I can read a dozen books, others I struggle to read one.
As a kid I read everything I could get my hands on, and if there wasn’t anything to hand, cereal boxes or the sports page of my dad’s paper (while he was reading the inside) would do.
As I’ve got older I’ve slowed down a little, I no longer have multiple books on the go at one time. Perhaps my uni days of juggling dozens of books, essays, articles and trying to read for pleasure (I was a lit student, under and post grad) wore me down.
Anyway, my first pick for #5books7days is:

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So far, really enjoying this. It’s a bit weird and full of mystery, but I think that’s what makes it so interesting.

Are any of you readers? Take part in any reading challenges?

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