This month’s Dollibox just popped through the door with five full size products for £10.
Bubble T Hand Cream in Lemongrass & Green Tea – paraben and SLS free, this hand cream is lightly scented and keeps hands soft.
Pixi Lip Blush in Youth – the best way to describe this is felt tip for your face. Unfortunately this shade is way too girly pink for me, I prefer a darker tint. (4 possible shades)
Little Ondine Nail Polish in Red Red Wine – these are super clever nail polishes, paint on, peel off when you want to change. With only three ingredients (water, resin, colour) it’s nail friendly too. (3 possible shades)
Pop Kajal Pen Eyeliner in Inky Purple – a dual ended pencil to deliver a splash of colour to your lash line. Coloured liner is big news this year.
The Hippy Bee Collection Plane Perfect – coconut oil that you can take on a plane as it comes in under the allowance. Use it pretty much anywhere, probably my favourite multi use item.
So Glossybox loves Valentine’s Day, with a special edition, themed box.
Five beauty products that are apparently designed to be our beauty soulmates. Randomly this may be the cheapest item selection I’ve seen – only one item tops £10.
Nicka K New York 24hr Waterproof Eyeliner in Dark Brown – I rarely, if ever, wear eyeliner, but when I do I go for black, so this pencil won’t get much use.
MUA Power Pout Glaze Low Voltage Gloss – there’s already been several complaints I’ve seen about this item, ranging from the low cost of it, people want items in their beauty boxes they otherwise couldn’t get, and also the rather bizarre way it’s been promoted. In the January box GB said you’d receive an email soon to select your shade, but it turns out that the email was supposedly sent in December, and not everyone (including me) received one.
Now as I don’t have a flux capacitor handy I don’t know how I’m supposed to pick a shade, but never fear, the intern will pick one not remotely based on your beauty profile – so I received a brown gloss. I’m a pale skinned, natural blonde, what use is this to me.
The Vintage Cosmetic Company Floral Slanted Tweezers – because you can’t possibly already have tweezers.
Naobay Protective Hair Mask Volume Conditioner – I don’t know about you but I usually do a hair mask before washing my hair, but this apparently goes on after and rinse off. I don’t have time to faff about, so this probably won’t get used much.
Wilkinson Sword Intuition Razor – last February I got a razor in Glossybox, and look, the same thing a year later. Never mind how rude it is to assume we need to shave our legs (FYI you don’t, it’s a personal choice and I have friends who don’t), but a £7 razor doesn’t scream beauty treat to me.
Wow, is this box underwhelming. What is happening to Glossybox? Is this just stuff cluttering up the stockroom?
February’s Birchbox is here, and refreshingly, it’s not Valentine’s themed.
Instead, following on from January’s Best Year Ever, comes the encouragement to “Shine Like a Diamond”.
Ins
ide the box are six items, two full size, designed to help you do just that.
Spectrum Collections Tapered Powder Brush – full size. Prettiest brush I own, with it’s mermaid blue and purple, super soft bristles and baby pink handle.
Birchbox are creating their own in-house beauty brand Love of Colour (LOC) and subscribers could choose between a silvery Champagne Problems or copper Perfect Cents, in their One and Done Shadow Stick. I often wear bronze tones so opted to try something different and went for the silver.
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster – a vitamin C complex designed to soothe fine lines. Not sure about the name though!
Cochine Water Hyacinth & Lime Blossom Hand & Body Lotion – a floral scented lotion.
theBalm cosmetics Frat Boy Blush/Shadow – a rosy pink blusher that also doubles as eye shadow, should you want pink eyelids!
Derm Eyes Make-Up Remover Wipes – this is a bonus item, but seriously, one wipe, that’s a bit rubbish.
One lucky subscriber will also receive a £200 diamond necklace, which seems a little strange considering how many people buy the boxes, and surely not that random as they’re tailored to the buyer, especially when you choose a product.
Apart from those little quibbles, this is quite a nice box selection.
I kept seeing this advertised everywhere but from talking to other beauty bloggers it seems to be very new.
The box costs £30 and you can get free P&P (normally £5) throughout February with the code MCFEB.
There are thirteen items in the box, some of which are full size. You fill out a beauty profile on the site and the items are tailored to your answers.
The items are skincare, hair care and make up, meaning you get a nice selection of everything from their catalogue – it’s a surprise till it arrives, which is a good touch, so if you want to try it out without spoilers, click here and read the rest of the post later.
I asked for help with my sensitive skin, hair that’s gone slightly limp and to restore my glow. Getting older and living in smoggy London isn’t great for skin. Here’s what they sent me.
Skin:
Sanctuary Spa Warming Detox Charcoal Wash – designed to open the pores, draw out imperfections all without drying out skin. You only need to use it once a week too.
Balance Me Restore and Replenish Cream Cleanser – massaged into skin this contains collagen and hylauronic acid to plump up skin, add moisture, and remove dead skin cells.
Alpha-H Liquid Gold – glycolic acid that revs up skin cells, stimulates collagen and shifts spots. Apply before bed three days a week for brighter skin.
Merumaya Youth Preservation Moisturiser SPF15 – antioxidants, Euchin oil, SPF to fight off free radicals, wrinkles, age spots and helps keep skin healthy.
Caudalie Vinosource Moisturising Sorbet – soothing and hydrating Shea butters shield skin from dryness, attempts to age and flare-ups.
St Tropez Gradual Tan in Shower Lotion – apply like shower gel, wait a few minutes, rinse. On light skin this builds up into a natural tan and for dark or black skin it works like a foundation, perfecting scarring, bruises or unevenness.
Starskin Behind the Scenes Balancing Bio-Cellulose Second Skin Face Mask – sheet masks have been a big thing for a while now (pro-tip don’t answer the door while wearing one), this particular one soothes and calms angry skin, breaking down spots and shrinking pores.
Hair:
L’Oreal Professional Infinitum Extra Strong Hairspray – strong hold, dries instantly, no residue and no weight. What more does hairspray need to do?
L’Oreal Professional Dual Stylers by Techni Art Loss & Pump-Up – soothes frizz, downs those pesky flyaways, doesn’t leave hair looking greasy. A dual action gel-cream (there’s a tube within a tube) that gives mega volume without frizz.
Tresemme 7 Day Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner – with keratin to keep hair from drying out or frizzing up, and the conditioner acts as a heat barrier for styling too.
Face:
Benefit the POREfessional – a primer full of vitamin E but oil free so it works on all skin types.
Rimmel 24hr Supercurler Mascara – the brush is shaped to give extra curl with a formula that allows you to do ‘no make-up make up’ or build layers for real va-va-voom.
Caudalie Polyphenol C15 Anti-Wrinkle Eye & Lip Cream – backed with antioxidants and vitamin C to tighten under-eye skin and smile lines round the mouth. Store in the fridge for maximum effect.
I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a box with a lot to offer.
I'm going to use up all my old make up before I buy new make up, said no woman ever
The only thing I’m not crazy about is the white on pink packaging. But that’s not a huge issue (except for blog photos!)
Any thoughts? Are you buying a beauty drawer from Powder?
Those of you who’ve been following me for a while know that about 18 months ago I had a breakdown, my depression and anxiety went into overdrive following an incident at my then job.
I spent most of the last year and a half on long term sick leave while I fought with myself and mental illness. I went to CBT and group therapy. Neither seemed to help.
I found the right medication with the help of some super dedicated doctors and started blogging as a means of getting outside of myself, even on days when getting out of bed was impossible.
Thursday was #timetotalk a nation wide initiative aimed at breaking the silence around mental health. It’s still taboo, treatment is patchy on the NHS and the media paints everyone with a mental health issue as a danger to the public.
We might be nuts but we’re mostly harmless. In fact people suffering from a mental illness are more likely to harm themselves than you. Which means they (we) need support and empathy all the more. Our own brains are against us. It can be absolutely terrifying when you’re at war with yourself.
I thought I would share some of the things that have helped me find some balance again. Please be aware that these do not replace the advice of your doctors/therapists etc. I am not an expert in the field and this is all based on my own personal experience of surviving two mental breakdowns in my life and battling depression and anxiety for over ten years.
Depression makes you unbelievably selfish. You just stop caring about anyone or anything else around you. Eventually you stop caring about yourself. You couldn’t care less if you never got out of bed again. You stop eating, washing, wear the same pyjamas for days on end. But sometimes you don’t have a choice.
My boysies
We got Algernon and Justin last May, they’re part emotional support, you cannot be depressed around them, and part un-selfish device. They need to be fed, fussed over, talked to, cuddled and spoilt all the time. They were joined by three girl rats, sadly Peaches and Cream crossed the rainbow bridge but Custard still rules the rat house.
Boss Rat
Pets force us to think about something outside of ourselves – I’m not saying go out and buy an animal to make yourself better, but for me, these little balls of fur have been such a great joy.
I can’t always articulate why I am having a bad day, depression steals my words and anxiety stops me from locating them. But books are always there. On the days when crawling into a novel was too hard, there were graphic novels/comics, poems and declaiming speeches from Shakespeare (I knew my degree would be useful one day). Other people’s words when mine failed.
Adult colouring books were huge in 2015, and I was there, scribbling away, mostly mandalas, but finding the edge taken off my anxiety by the repetitive nature of the activity and the colours. No wonder little kids seem so happy when they colour in.
Blogging helped me immensely, it distracted me from the war in my head. Same with Instagram and twitter, though I had to step away from Facebook and its barely controlled anger, I explored more of the things I enjoy, finding my way back to me.
Going back to work, just not that work. I tried to go back to my old job, I’d been there five years, but there was no support, I was treated like I’d been off with the flu, not a serious illness. So I left again, this time for good. The relief was amazing. Then I started temping, and while I now know that’s not for me, it gave me back a lot of confidence.
A "cookie"
Finding the funny – above is what should have been chocolate chip cookies, I honestly have no idea what happened, but instead of panicking about how I’d messed up, I took a photo, sent it to my best friend and reminded her of previous baking fails. Then I laughed, proper deep belly laughs. Because life is ridiculous and none of us are getting out alive.
Lean on others – I’ve been really lucky, the Mr has been the most amazing support. And I know it hasn’t been easy for him. Lean on the people who love you, whether it’s a friend, family member, your mum, partner or Samaritan. Let them take the strain for a moment, don’t be afraid of letting others in.
Asking for help is probably the hardest thing you can do. But it is also the most liberating. We fight our monsters in silence, but it is OK to say “I can’t do this anymore” and ask for help. I cried in my doctor’s office as I finally admitted I couldn’t cope and needed help. I am so glad I did. I’m honestly not sure if I would be here now if I hadn’t.
The new look box from You Beauty (they’ve dropped ‘Discovery’ from the title) has arrived.
The black and pink box is quite chic and packed to the brim. Along with the two selected items from the shortlist there’s several extra treats.
From the shortlist (The Rested & Radiant Edit) I selected Benecos Sea Buckthorn and Orange Hand Cream which smells delicious. My other pick was Aurelia Refine and Polish Miracle Balm, designed to brighten tired skin.
Also in my box were 4 bonus items.
Philip Kingsley Geranium and Neroli Elasticizer – this is a product I’ve used before, and this limited edition smells amazing. Use it before shampooing on damp hair to revive and strengthen hair.
Real Techniques Deep Cleaning Brush Gel – I’m always keen to see useful extras like this, while I do have other brush cleaners, I’ve heard good things about this particular one.
Vita Liberata Self Tanning Night Moisture Mask – not for me as my super pale skin doesn’t appreciate me trying to tan, a look I can create with make up anyway.
Eyeko Travel-sized Black Magic Mascara – bonus item for renewing my subscription following the new look and website.
I’m very impressed with the new You Beauty box. The old one had got a bit lacklustre so this is a brilliant return to form. I hope they keep it up.
Is this a box you receive? What did you pick from the shortlist?
This is January’s box, but it was doing the rounds in the delivery world so only just made it’s way to me.
This box is a little more restrained than the December Christmas lunch made me do it one (which apparently was my funniest post – thanks for the feedback).
The cream and black box is back, one of the classiest designs around, as is the the LMB The Journal (in house magazine) which is a nice addition.
With my membership points I selected four items, three beauty products and a cute bit o’ bling.
Percy & Reed Invisible Dry Shampoo – I love dry shampoo, but I hate the grainy white residue that looks way too much like dandruff. P&R say theirs doesn’t do that. I am building a fair collection of products from this brand and love the results I’ve had so far.
Lord & Berry Magic Brow in Wonderful – a double ended brow tool/product. One end is a brush to tidy up those stray hairs that I don’t have! The other is a marble effect pencil to fill in. I’ll probably use this in conjunction with my Clinique brow pen.
Omnisens Fresh Cleansing Tonic Water – teeny glass bottle with something a little different from the micellar waters currently riding high. I was intrigued and this seemed like a good way to try it out.
I’m a bit of a magpie, so the jewellery in the LMB boutique is a terrible distraction. I picked the rose gold quartz bracelet, combining my love of rose gold with rose quartz, a healing crystal.
Are you a Love Me Beauty subscriber? What did you pick from the boutique?
I don’t post about this often but it’s been on my mind recently and it’s weighing me down.
I love the theatre and I love ballet, have done since I was tiny (expelled from ballet lessons aged 7 for wanting to do ‘real dancing’ not endless good toes, bad toes, expelled from drama class at 13 for being “too dramatic” – I kid you not).
But since meeting the Mr a serious question has arisen – why are so many arts spaces hostile to the disabled?
My Mr broke his back aged 21 falling from a window at a party, he had extensive spinal surgery and rehab, he now uses a wheelchair to get around as he is paralysed from the waist down (yes he can still have sex before you ask, no I won’t explain in detail).
He wasn’t a massive theatre goer before we got together 6 years ago, he’d been to a few musicals and some live comedy. I took him to his first festival, first Shakespeare play and first ballet.
Some arts venues are brilliant, super accommodating and helpful (the Lyric Hammersmith, whatever the Hammersmith Apollo is now called, the O2, and a few West End theatres can’t do enough), others are a bit of a pain (Barbican, with its annoying registration process for example) and others are just downright obstructive.
We went to Sadler’s Wells a few years ago to see Matthew Bourne’s Gothic Sleeping Beauty, he’s my favourite choreographer, and I was delighted. The Mr booked the tickets and while they were a bit useless about it, we did get sorted in the end.
Christmas 2014 – Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands is at Sadler’s Wells. I want to go, the Mr says he’ll book, a Christmas present.
We don’t go, because SW have decided people lie about needing a wheelchair space and they want proof – a very particular proof, that even Government agencies don’t ask for, before they’ll make any booking.
We complain, it’s a really obnoxious policy and the access manager isn’t much better. We can’t find the document they want, and no other, even a note from his GP will do.
Who lies about needing a wheelchair space? They’ll look incredibly stupid when they turn up and have to stand, as chairs are removed to make room. You just refuse them then or ask them to pay the full value, or whatever.
It’s a policy I’ve never come across before or since. But it basically says “ballet is not for you” to anyone ringing up.
Ballet gets a lot of stick for being elitist, something many companies and venues are trying to change so to have the dance venue in London behave like this is extraordinary.
This Christmas just gone Sleeping Beauty was back, we didn’t even discuss going, we saw Bill Bailey in the West End instead (he was brilliant and the theatre’s assistance excellence) but I did ring Sadler’s Wells and they still have this mad policy in place. Way to tell disabled dance fans you don’t want them cluttering up your audience.
