beauty boxes, lifestyle boxes, my little box, reviews

My Little French Riviera Box

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So, you may remember a post about the missing My Little Box.

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It finally appeared today, over a month late. July’s box is due to arrive next week.

Anyway, now that it’s here – was it worth the wait?

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And the answer is… Not really.

These boxes are a bit hit and miss – and this one feels like a miss.

In terms of beauty products it contains

Kerastase Anti-frizz leave in hair milk.

Exclusive blue nail polish picked by designer Sarah Lavoine who curated this box and My Little Beauty body scrub.

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The lifestyle items are where this really falls down this month.

There are a pair of plastic sunglasses that will never suit me, I know there were several different pairs – perhaps they could have asked us to select them.

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There are also two plastic printed plant pot holders/covers that you can apparently use to store your make up.
These are really cheap looking and one of them has a hole in the bottom where the stitching is badly done. If this was what delayed the box to start with, I’d rather they hadn’t bothered.

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Frankly I’m underwhelmed, and since no real apology for all the hold ups and faffing about has been forthcoming, I’m not sure whether to continue with MLB.

Thoughts?

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healthy, lifestyle boxes, reviews, snackly, vegan kind

Snack boxes

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Doesn’t everyone snack from time to time? But what about snacks delivered to your door.

Graze has been delivering delicious treats for the last few years and their range is always expanding – from protein top ups, to granola, savoury, sweet, flapjacks and everything in between. I’ve sampled a few and I like a mix of sweet and savoury treats.

Snackly is a gluten free selection box

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Featuring a range of companies who cater to a gluten and wheat free diet.

The Vegan Kind again features a range of treats from different brands – from dairy free chocolate to maple water (odd but not repellant).

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They also include a lifestyle or beauty item – this month’s was a soy wax candle that smells like fresh sheets. Every three months they send out a beauty box filled with cruelty free beauty treats too.

Do you know about any other snack boxes? Have you tried any of the ones above?

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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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exercise, lifestyle boxes, reviews, yoga

Yogi Surprise – first box

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I have been trying to get back into yoga, it’s good for your body and also your mind, so I was delighted when Yogi Surprise started shipping internationally.

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A box of treats and yoga tools – hopefully this will inspire me to practise more.

Mind Over Lather – mat cleaning spray in lavender mint – this smells heavenly and will hopefully prevent that sweaty rubber smell yoga mats give off after a while.

Natural Fitness hemp yoga strap – yoga straps help you get into some of the asanas or poses that are a little trickier if you’re not super flexible. Unfortunately they can also be expensive, so getting one in this box is great.

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Bearded Brothers Fabulous Ginger Peach Energy Bar – the first ingredient is dates, which unfortunately means I will be passing on this – I find they overwhelm all other flavours and if I want to live on dates, I’ll buy Medjool ones from the little grocers on the corner.

Yoga Gangsters essential oils energy mist – I spritzed this on for the all important sniff test – it smells good but I didn’t feel instantly more energetic. Though apparently you should spray into the air and inhale deeply – I don’t think my asthmatic lungs will be too keen.

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Gaiam Yoga Gloves – these grippy gloves help you keep yourself from slipping on sweaty palms and can be used without a mat. Great for practicing on the go.

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Finally a beautiful bonus treat – a jade tree of life bracelet

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This was in a little cloth bag, and is worth more than the box cost.

Jade encourages love, inner peace, balance and harmony, while the tree of life represents knowledge and wisdom. All things I could do with.

If you want to win a yoga retreat, they host a monthly prize draw on their social media pages, all you have to do is take a selfie of you and your box that’s fun. I guess a yoga pose with box is what they’re after.

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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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ramblingmads

beauty boxes, my little box

The ‘My Little Box’ fiasco

ramblingmads

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One of the beauty boxes I’ve liked over the last few months has been French My Little Box. But things have gone somewhat awry.

The money for the boxes is taken at the beginning of the month and the box shipped about 2 weeks later. Except June’s box, for many, has failed to materialize.

An email was sent out about a week after the payments went out, saying there had been a delay with one of the items for the box and it would be a bit late. I’m not sure why they didn’t just substitute a different item.

A few boxes seem to have made their way across the Channel (for example – Which Beauty Box UK was able to review one a few weeks ago), however an awful lot of people (including me) have received nothing.

Emails to customer services go unanswered, there is no phone number, Facebook comments are ignored (the number of disgruntled customers would scare me if I was them), money has been taken out for July’s box in some cases, but nothing.

I know there was a strike at Calais, but an email to apologise, maybe the promise of an extra item in the next box, something to appease your customers would be great. Instead radio silence and pictures like this:

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on social media. The insensitive nature of a beach photo in the wake of the Tunisian tragedy aside, as someone who has worked in customer service for years, I can tell you this is not good.

This is how you lose your customer base, as they go to your competitors, and they have plenty (Birchbox, Glossybox, and many more).

On my account, and on many others, June’s box is ‘processing’, not that that seems to mean anything. One lady on Facebook said her account said ‘delivered’ but nothing has been!

They seriously need to look at their supply chain and work out where they went wrong, the switch from Royal Mail to Hermes doesn’t seem to have helped either, and fix it pronto.

***Update – got an email this afternoon from ‘Colette’, the customer services head apparently. Now the claim is that my box got lost in the post but they’ve dispatched another one. Recently MLB switched from Royal Mail (never had a problem) to Hermes (normally a good company) but they’re blaming their problems on the postal system. Still says ‘processing’ on my account so we shall see***

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life

Too darn hot…

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I am descended from warm blooded Nordic people (my dad looks like a grumpy Viking) and am not suited for this silly weather. Today it was as hot as last summer in Cyprus, but minus the handy swimming pool to cool off in.

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I need a paddling pool, is that weird? I remember being a kid and spending hours in the garden in my cossie, splashing about and running around.

That or I’m going to do a Monica and sit in the fridge, even if there’s no Netflix and OITNB in the kitchen. It’s too hot.

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adventures, challenges, exercise, life, refuge, upcoming

Regular update – sponsor me

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You are going to see a fair few of these posts over the next few months.

I am doing dreaded exercise but as it’s for a good cause, I am actually happy to do.

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Walk4 Refuge is in September but I want to exceed my fundraising target so please, sponsor me and help women and children fleeing domestic violence.

Www.justgiving.com/madeleine-walk4

Thank you. Your support means a lot.

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