Category: reviews

beauty, lush, reviews, skincare

Lush goodies

ramblingmads

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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

ramblingmads

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?

ramblingmads

adventures, beauty, beauty boxes, my little box, reviews

My Little Box – review

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As well as the Glossybox reviewed yesterday I subscribed to My Little Box, again only on a trial basis. The first one came this morning.

My Little Frenchie Box

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Designed by model and designer Ines de La Fressange it includes a mini magazine, a cute red, white and blue selection of goodies – a phone case, inspirational bon mots in a bottle and a cloth bag of beauty products – L’oreal Brow Artist Plumper, By Terry Kohl crayon, exclusive face tint, DHC Oil Blotting Paper.

Unlike Glossybox, My Little Box asks you to complete a questionnaire about your preferences, colouring, skin type so you get a tailor made selection of items, which means everything is picked for you and then you don’t end up with things you can’t/don’t use, which was the issue I had with Latest in Beauty boxes.

So far, quite pleased, although the eyebrow tint is probably not going to get much use as mine are very pale blonde and the tint would be too dark.

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beauty, beauty boxes, glossybox, make up, reviews

Glossybox review

ramblingmads

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Yesterday I received my first Glossybox. Having previously bought a few Latest in Beauty, which contain a mixture of full size and mini products, most of which I ended up not using and giving away.
Glossybox is a box of full size surprises. This is the February box and contains

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A Wilkinson Sword HydroSilk razor, Marsk mineral eye shadow in grey, Royal Apothic tinted lip butter in coral, So Susan Rose Quartet for lips and cheek, B. All waterproof mascara and a mini pack of Love Hearts sweets. All beautifully packaged like a present.

Cheaper than Latest in Beauty boxes, but with fewer products, these boxes are clearly a promo product for the brands featured, which apart from the razor, I’d never heard of.

I will probably use most of the products, minus the mascara, due to my very sensitive eyes. I like eyeshadows and the lip/cheel tint is hypoallergenic.

The packaging is cute and the box sturdy enough to be reused.

My plan is to subscribe for three months and if I don’t use the products to cancel my subscription.

Do you subscribe to any beauty boxes? Want to recommend a product. Write me a comment below. 🙂

ramblingmads

books, neil gaiman, reviews

Book review – Trigger Warning

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Full disclosure, I am a massive Neil Gaiman fan and wrote my MA dissertation on his work.

Trigger Warning is his third collection of poems and short stories, all but one have been published elsewhere before being collected.

Personally I found that disappointing, I have other collections containing these works, including two that have been published as standalone illustrated tales – The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains and The Sleeper and the Spindle.

I think it’s a good collection for someone who’s not as familiar with Gaiman’s work as I am or who wants to read some of his short stories after reading some of his longer works.

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