Category: skincare

beauty, make up, reviews, skincare

Libbie Club – July offers #treatyo’self

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I love new products, and as part of my summer of trying new items, receiving these goodies is a bonus.

Becca Beach Tint for cheek and lips – this says water resistant but without a swimming pool to test the theory in I can’t speak to that.

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The formulation is quite runny, even after giving it a good shake – but the colour is quite nice – a warm pink, which I would be more likely to use as a cheek tint/blusher than on my lips.

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Bioeffect Volcanic Exfoliator – made in Iceland (the country not the shop of many freezers!) this contains microcrystalline lava to leave your face free of dead skin cells and grime. Perfect to apply your summer look on to clean, fresh skin.

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Skin & Tonic London Steam Clean cleansing balm – made with organic ingredients, sustainably made and cruelty free. You smooth a little into your skin, soak the accompanying in warm water, drape over your face to melt it away, cleansing deeply. It also smells amazing.

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If you would like to treat yourself to any of these fab products (special offers all round) click here and buy them through Libbie Club. Go on treat yo’self.

*items provided by Libbie Club for promotional purposes – all opinions my own*

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Parks & Rec forever!

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beauty boxes, make up, reviews, skincare

You Beauty Discovery Box – July

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As always the USP is a chance to select two of the items for your box.

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I picked Lola Ultra Shine Nail Polish in Stone Grey and Hairy Jayne Hair Perfume in Citrus.

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Also in my box was a sachet of Emma Hardie primer SPF 30, Nairns Muesli Break oatcake snack pack and St Tropez Gradual Tan in Shower – a current bestseller.

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As always there are discounts on the brands included and a competition to win a goodie bag of products.

I’m quite impressed with this box, for £6.95 they send a nice selection of things and the option to select some of the items is always good, although you have to be quick, as some items are limited and go fast.

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beauty boxes, birchbox, make up, reviews, skincare

Birchbox – July Birchbag

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This month Birchbox has dispensed with boxes and has instead sent out clear plastic bags in a selection of colours.

To be honest they look cheap. Mine is pink (not my favourite colour) and I don’t see it getting used at all.

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However the items inside make up for it somewhat.

Benefit Dream Screen SPF 45 – sample sized. Benefit is one of my favourite cosmetic companies, I love their quirky packaging and product names. This sunscreen is formulated to absorb quickly, leaving your skin hydrated and protected.

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Balance Me Congested Skin Serum – a targeted spot shrinker and break out preventer. It contains chamomile, lavender and aloe.

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Unani Aloe Vera gel – useful as after sun or just to soothe irritated skin (from bites or the heat).

Pop Beauty eye shadow trio in Peach Parfait – summer smoky eyes, here we come. Instead of dark greys and blacks, it’s peaches and creams.

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Jelly Pong Pong – Glow Getter Luminizer Gel – a full size facial illuminator for a subtle glow – perfect for fresh summer skin.

Pure Vida lace headband in Aqua – a bit like pop bands, this is a stretchy lacy band, to be honest I only use these to keep my hair off my face when applying a face mask.

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A nice selection of summer themed products in a slightly disappointing package. 

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beauty boxes, latest in beauty, make up, nail polish, nails inc, reviews, skincare

Latest in Beauty – Capital Beauty Box

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This is absolutely jam packed with goodies, seriously, look at it!

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There are 10 items in the box, full and sample sized.

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Dr Organic Dead Sea Mineral Mask – this has popped up in several different boxes over the last few months, and according to my guinea pig/mother (she loves getting freebies from me) it’s lovely stuff. Will have to give this a go myself.

Colab dry shampoo in Paris – beauty writer and my guru in all things skin, Sali Hughes (buy her book – it’s fab) recommended the Colab dry shampoo ages ago and I picked up London in Superdrug, which is practically scent-free. Paris has a floral fragrance that reminds me of those So… and Impulse body sprays that were all the rage as teenagers. Still I’m sure my perfume will mask it.

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Hawaiian Tropic Satin Protection SPF 30 – I am a sunscreen obsessive, I have Northern European ancestry which means I am so white I’m practically translucent, and slather myself in sunscreen daily. I’ve used this one before and find it works quite well.

Carmex Moisture Plus lip balm in Berry. This has SPF 15, vitamin E and aloe vera. Carmex do make good products, so I reckon this will do the job.

Malin + Goetz trio – a travel sized cleanser, moisturizer and lip moisturizer, all in a handy travel bag. This brand is new to me, but the lip moisturizer in particular attracts me. I have very dry, prone to cracking lips and hopefully this will do the trick.

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I love perfectly peachy bath & shower gel – possibly the most disappointing item – a sachet of shower gel from a brand that I’ve seen for sale in Poundland –  not exactly too pricey to be more generous. It’s a special packet with advice from Coppafeel about breast cancer awareness – something I doubt most people would read as they shower.

Fudge Urban Hair Art Sprays – spray in hair colour that washes out. I remember having something similar in the 90s. I got Violet Haze, which I don’t see myself using (not exactly office appropriate) but it could be fun for a party.

MUA Mega Volume Mascara – I like MUA but I am very fussy about mascaras so this probably won’t get used by me (my mum hasn’t bought one in years, I keep her supplied).

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Nails Inc Gel Effect Nail Polish in Soho Place – a turquoise polish from my favourite nail brand, named after one of my favourite areas of London – it’s a win!

And finally, possibly the box’s star item.

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MUA Eyeshadow Palette in Poptastic – 12 different coloured shadows, which considering I promised to stop wearing the same colour every day is going to come in handy (I am that lazy, making complex make up decisions first thing is too much).

What did you think? Have you bought this box? Do you think you will? Comments please.

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beauty boxes, make up, reviews, skincare

You Beauty Burt’s Bees Limited Edition

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Came home from the office to find this beaut waiting for me. The You Beauty Burt’s Bees Limited Edition box and it’s a good ‘un.

Seven products and all but two are full size – only £19.95!

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Peach & Willow Bark Deep Pore Scrub

Orange Essence Facial Cleanser

Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream

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Lip Crayon in Hawaiian Smolder

Hydrating Lip Balm with Coconut & Pear

The two sample size products are;

Facial Cleansing Towelettes

Intense Hydration Night Cream

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There’s also a £10 coupon for the Burt’s Bees website.

I’m a fan of the natural ingredients Burt’s uses, and have been eyeing up their website for a while. Looking forward to ordering some more goodies with my voucher and treating my skin with these lovely products.

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

Latest in Beauty – The Glamour Summer Edit

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As you may have noticed I’m a LiB fan, and especially of their Glamour collaboration boxes. This took a while to get here, but it’s packed with great brands for the summer.

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Nails Inc is one of my absolute faves, and a full size gel effect polish is a huge yes, there are three shades and I got Kensington Passage – a vivid pink that’ll really pop on my toes in the sandals I haven’t bought yet!

Vita Liberata is a brand that seems to be everywhere this summer – I don’t normally bother with fake tan as I just go orange but this bronzer powder and brush set are a great idea and claims to leave you with a natural looking glow for up to a week.

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L’Occitane shampoo & conditioner with essential oils. I’ve had these before and they’re great travel size products. Lightly scented and leaves hair shiny.

Bourjois Colour Boost lip crayon in Fuchsia Libre (3 varieties available). Has SPF 15, says it’s waterproof and hydrating. Might be a dupe for my beloved, but pricey Clinique chubby sticks. I haven’t road tested it yet.

Balance Me Super Toning Body Polish – if I’m honest body polish sounds like a fancy way of saying body lotion that you wash off. My legs need a boost before I expose them so I’ll give this a go as other products from this range have been quite pleasant.

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Pixi Glow Tonic – I rarely use toner, still not entirely convinced it has a point. This is alcohol free and hypoallergenic, both are a bonus in my book.

Caudalie Divine Oil for body, face & hair. I’ve tried to like face oils but my skin breaks out, however my hair adores them (my hairdresser was impressed at how healthy my hair has become after using argan oil while it’s wet), so this will end up on my hair not my skin.

Eucerin SPF 50+ Sun Fluid Mattifying for face. Suitable for sensitive skin. I am very keen on good sunscreen, but apparently anything over SPF 30 is the same. Also most SPFs are tested on animals and until I can determine whether this was, I might just stick to the ones I know are not.

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Seekers of the Sun temporary tattoos – another box that thinks we’re all still six and want to adorn ourselves with these ridiculous things! They look good for about five seconds. However I did see on Instagram that someone has used some to make nail art and that sounds intriguing.

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All in all a good mix of full and sample sized items, they’re are also discounts available for all the brands included. Will definitely be having a play with most of this box.

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

Glossybox – The Festival Edit

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Sadly I think my days of sleeping badly in a collapsing tent in the muddiest field, trying to avoid needing the look and craning my neck to watch tiny figures on a distant stage may be behind me. I like a hot shower and a proper bed too much.

Glossybox is getting into the festival spirit in this month’s box. Which *spoiler* is a bit disappointing to me.

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There’s no special box or paper, just the standard pink and black.

Inside is a Hello Fresh voucher worth £25 – something that I probably won’t use as I can cook confidently enough and know how to shop on a budget.

The products themselves are a little disappointing.

Kueshi Anticellular Booster – what every woman needs, a reminder that you, like most of the population, might have cellulite. It’s a full size bottle too. Might use it just as leg lotion but I never believe the magically rids you of cellulite claims!

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Next up is Halo Fragrance Free Facial Wipes – these are quite useful as they’re handbag sized and claim to be suitable for sensitive skin.

Monuspa Rosewood Reviving Spray – I’ve never really been a fan of spray on face mists – I find they leave your skin a little greasy, although I like the concept. Will probably give this a try and see what happens.

Essence the gel nail polish – I wouldn’t have minded the mint one but I got a red/coral colour that won’t get much use. Essence is a bargain beauty brand found in Wilkinson’s, a lot of bloggers have been raving about it, but I’ve yet to test out their products myself.

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Finally, oh yes, more temporary tattoos – including the Glossybox logo should you want to brand yourself. I now have quite the collection of these, destined to never be used, as most beauty boxes seem to be flogging them this summer.

I’m fairly disappointed, Glossybox for me started out so promising but the last few have been pretty mediocre. Unless this improves, it may well be adios Glossybox.

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beauty, beauty boxes, reviews, skincare

You Beauty Discover Box – June

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My May box went AWOL in the post so skip forward to this month’s box.

This is one of the cheaper beauty boxes at £6.95 a month, so it doesn’t contain as much as others.

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You pick two of the items to be included.

I chose Sanctuary Spa’s Luxurious Body Butter and Amie’s Morning facial wash & moisturiser.

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The other items I received are ;

Urban Fruit Smashing Strawberry snack pack – this is something I buy quite a lot, dried strawberries, that taste yummy.

Clipper tea – red berries and green tea bags. Clipper teas are very nice but this is supposed to be a beauty box.

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Good to go anywhere wipes – sanitizing wet wipe, absorbent dry tissue, cleansing wet wipe trio.

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Inside their guide to your box are discount vouchers for each of the brands I could have picked from.

To be honest this wasn’t a great box – the items were a bit scatter shot and confused. Hopefully if my May box ever arrives it’ll be better!

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

My Little Provence Box

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After a delay in posting (don’t ask) my May MLB is finally here. Here’s my thoughts.

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Provence in France is supposed to be a beautiful place. Blue skies, fields of lavender, so it’s no surprise that My Little Box has taken inspiration from it.

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However I have my reservations about this box.

Provence is the home of cult beauty brand L’Occitane and this box feels like an homage to that company, and having recently had a sample box from L’Occitane, this felt a little repetitive (although not everyone will feel this way).

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As always the box is beautifully presented (above are my unboxing pics). Inside is a slightly confused selection.

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There have been a lot of blogger and Facebook complaints about this box, and how MLB seem to be a bit muddled about who their box is aimed up – not for the first time.

The stickers in the My Little Super Box caused the same moans, this time it’s magnets. I will most likely give them to my friend’s little girls to play with, although they are very nice, I don’t need more fridge magnets.

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Most of the actual beauty items are L’Occitane, Verbena soap, Verbena body lotion, Mer & Mistral body wash, Rose hand cream. They also included a My Little Beauty eye shadow crayon. They come in a themed mini canvas bag.

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Eye crayon - a brown with a little shimmer

The lifestyle item is a gold cuff bracelet with two shades of blue thread so you can personalise it (check out their Instagram for ideas).

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MLB are always pretty generous with the box contents – for £10 this box is worth about £40. There is also a L’Occitane voucher (that ran out on May 31st).

There is, as always, a copy of their My Little World magazine. However they’ve changed the format and now it opens out like a poster, which makes it harder to look through. There’s also a cute illustrated quote card, which will find a home on my wardrobe inspiration wall.

All in all, not thrilled with this box, I prefer a wider selection of products, not an advert for one company. Hopefully June’s box will do better. Still fancy a trip to Provence though!

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

June’s Birchbox – Step Outside with French Sole

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This month’s gimmick was select your box design. I went with the pick ‘n’ mix pattern.

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To be completely honest I am not impressed with this month’s selection.

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Temporary tattoos! I last wore these age 6 or 7. I am far too old and more likely to get a real one than wear these.

Another mascara – I think I get one of these every other month. I can’t even use them. There were other make up items hinted at, but no, another mascara.

Oil is an ingredient in much of the rest of the box.
Nude ProGenius treatment oil – applied after cleansing to boost skin’s hydration.
Beauty Protector Protect & Oil – hair oil that claims to protect against UV and heat damage.

English Laundry No. 7 For Her – perfume sample – adapted from a men’s fragrance, this is quite musky and a little too heavy for me.

Cowshed Body Lotion in Knackered Cow – contains essential oils of lavender and eucalyptus.

ModelCo Powerlash Black Mascara – another mascara, hot on the heels of the last one.

STYLondon Temporary Metallic Tattoos – nope, not even going there.

Bonus lifestyle item – a shoe bag designed by French Sole in matching design to the box. What a disappointing item – don’t see it getting much use.

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Not shown - temporary tattoos - they seem to have run away!

Birchbox seems to vacillate between good and pretty poor. This wasn’t my favourite by a long shot. I think they’re not entirely sure who their customers are – which is weird considering you do a questionnaire on the site.

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