Tag: beauty

beauty, beauty boxes, birchbox, reviews, Uncategorized

Birchbox x Vogue

ramblingmads

Underwhelming. That’s all I can think of to describe this box. 


From the rather ‘meh’ design (I couldn’t decide between the two rubbish designs so let Birchbox decide) – it’s y’know, pink. 

Then there’s the unoriginal content. Which considering that it’s in collab with a magazine at which there have been some big chances in line up and ideas, I expected more from. 


Inside is just not exciting me. 

Shall we…

In haircare, Bumble and bumble Prep (RRP £18)- not even remotely sure what I’m prepping for…oh it’s expensive leave-in conditioner. 

Then there’s Klorane’s dry shampoo (RRP £8) – could not be more excited *eyeroll emoji here*

Onto make up and first up it’s Benefit’s Hoola (RRP £24.50) a bronzer that makes it look like I haven’t washed my face (that’s all bronzers fyi – I am really pale). 

Now skincare – L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Hand Cream  (RRP £8 and up) which ok, I do actually like but good grief this sample is tiny. 

Finally, and in case you don’t believe that beauty boxes copy each other, a brush cleaner (Birchbox branded £5) just like last month’s Glossybox. Wow. This is the only full size item – I got mine for 99p on eBay. 

Next month we get to choose a lipstick shade but for 2018 I think I’m going to be choosing a new beauty box. 

If I were Vogue’s Lifestyle and Beauty Editor I’d be tidying up my CV right about now. If someone could direct Edward Enninful or Anna Wintour my way, that’d be dandy *wink emoji here* 

Now where’s my intern?? 

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

Birchbox October 

ramblingmads

This month’s Birchbox just got dropped off, it’s a pretty box too. 

There are five beauty products in this box – two are fullsize. 

ModelCo Contour Stick RRP £8 – this is way too dark for me – it just makes me look like I haven’t washed. Shame as I picked it as my choice of ModelCo product this month.

 

Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash RRP £16 – this has a bit of a strange a scent probably because grapefruit and frankincense don’t really go. However it’s a good facewash – not too astringent but does leave skin nice and clean. 

Anatomical Grab Your Melons Shower Gel *Fullsize* RRP £1.50 – nice zesty morning shower gel. In collaboration with charity CoppaFeel this shower gel reminds you to check your boobs with a handy shower sticker. 

EcoTools Contour Perfecting Applicator *Fullsize* RRP £5 – essentially a beauty blender on a stick. Nice soft sponge designed to create and blend your contour. 

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner RRP £16 – essentially a skinny felt pen eyeliner in a nice solid black. Another way for me to end up with it smeared all over my face. 

A nice balance of products from the skincare and make up options. While I don’t think I’ll get much use out of the contour stick the rest will be handy. 

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

Glossybox October – Unicorn vs Mermaid 

ramblingmads

This month’s Glossybox is about those two Instagram faves Unicorns and Mermaids. 

I received the Mermaid box which is a pretty greeny/purple colour. 

Inside there is matching paper and ribbon which is lovely, and will be very recognisable in the photos I’ve taken. 

The beauty products inside are very much in keeping with the theme starting with the Make Up Revolution Mermaids vs Unicorns eyeshadow palette. This is lovely, with shades covering something of a rainbow from greens to blues, purples to pinks. 

Sleek Creme to Powder Blush in Amaryllis – this is really pink but I have been told I can pull off a bright pink blush. It feels very soft and silky, gliding onto skin. 

Lord & Berry Magic Brow in Brunette – once again a brow product I can’t use, way too blonde for this. 

Bang Beauty Dolce Pink Cream Colour – at first I couldn’t work out what this was, the packaging gave nothing away – it could be a lip gloss, blusher, highlighter, who knows. However it seems to be an eyeshadow, a bright cream eyeshadow. Which is a bit of a random item. 

Kawaii Brush Cleanser – I have a cheap eBay version of this and it is brilliant for getting my make up brushes super clean. 

I really liked this box – something of a return to form for Glossybox, which as you know, I have occasionally been furious with for their choice of products. 

You can also purchase a unicorn or mermaid jumper from Glossybox to go with the box. Unfortunately they’re a) £30 and b) the large is still quite small. So I won’t be partaking. 

beauty, cruelty free, make up, reviews

First Impressions: Urban Decay Naked3 Palette

ramblingmads

I rarely buy pricey make up products, partly because I’m a high street shopper and also because I’m often on quite a tight budget. 

But on my way to the Bloggers Blog Awards last weekend I popped into the Urban Decay in Kings Cross (I was really early to the station thanks to C – I think he just wanted me out of the house) and treated myself to the Naked 3 palette with the last of my birthday money. 

Now this palette isn’t cheap, at just under 40 quid it’s at the pricey end and about £30 more than the last palette I bought. 

It’s a selection of quite warm pinky tones, which I tend to wear for every day, make up free make up (if you know what I mean). I asked the sales assistant her thoughts and she agreed this was the one for me. 

The shades are quite highly pigmented with a mix of matte and glitter colours, going from day colours to more smoky night ones. 

Although the shades are quite small in terms of pan size I think this will last a while as it’s well packed and pigmented. 

The packaging is nice too and feels quite well made, with actual brushes not those weird sponge applicators, and they feel quite good quality. 

Also UD is cruelty free so that’s happy bunny time too. 🐇🐇

Overall I really like this and am happy with my purchase. I don’t know if I’d buy another Naked palette as the others maybe wouldn’t work so well with my skin tone but I certainly like the look of some of their lipsticks and other palettes. 

beauty, make up

Body Shop Birthday Buys

ramblingmads

It was my birthday last month and I treated myself to a few bits from The Body Shop’s make up range. Thank you for the Love Your Body Club discount. 

So what did I buy you ask? 

Lip & Cheek Velvet Stick – this might look rather odd, it’s a sort of purple/black in the stick but it’s designed to adapt to the unique pH of your skin to develop into a poppy shade that suits your skin with a matte finish. It also smells good too with a floral scent.

 At first I wasn’t sure about this but if you let it settle it really works – the soft reddish pink I got is really nice. 

Lightening Touch Universal Radiance – an illuminating highlighter which is super easy to apply (it has a built in brush) and leaves skin dewy. 

I really like this and can see it being used for brow bone and cheek highlighting. 

Lipscuff – this green stick contains lovely mint to buff away dead skin on lips and moisturise at the same time. 

My lips are super dry, especially in the winter so this is genius – a lip balm that’s also a scrub. 

Drops of Glow Lustre Finish Creator – a multi use illuminator – mix it with your favourite foundation or moisturiser to add all over glow, layer onto eyelids for extra sparkle or use like a highlighter. 

On days when I don’t wear make up this will be perfect mixed into my moisturiser to keep my skin looking healthy without needing foundation. 

Shade Adjusting Drops (lightening) – this is a pretty famous product, mix it with that foundation that’s just a bit too dark to lighten it and make it more wearable. 

Being quite pale I struggle to find foundations (and concealers) that are right so hopefully this will help level out the slightly too dark/orangey ones and make them more wearable. 

L-R: lightening drops, drops of glow, velvet stick, lightening touch. 

beauty, giveaway, haircare, reviews

Product Review: Xtiva Twist Curling Wand & Giveaway

ramblingmads

My hair has a life of its own, doing whatever it pleases. Styling it is an uphill struggle as its preferred style is dragged through a hedge backwards. 

So when I was offered the opportunity to review the Xtiva Twist Curling Wand, I said yes, hey anything’s worth a try. 

I wasn’t expecting the rather glamorous box that arrived, complete with the blogger fave, rose gold. 

Inside the box is, well, another box. But this one opens to ta-da! A handy carry case containing the magic curling wand itself. 

It’s matt black and looks very professional. So far so good. But how does it do on rebellious hair? 

Well, according to the user guide I need about 160° to curl my hair – you literally set the temp you want with these handy buttons. 

Now, vitally and not included in the user guide is this glove. Use the glove and avoid burnt fingers! I did not. Use me as a lesson. 

Now I have limited patience, especially with technology, but this heats up nice and quick. Word to the wise – do your make up after as your face gets quite hot with this wand. 

It’s super easy to use but unfortunately my hair decided not to play ball and the curls dropped out fast. But that’s my hair for you. I also tested this on my sister’s thick hair and they held beautifully. She refused to let me take any photos and wouldn’t accept bribes. 

I really think this is a clever tool with its easy to use buttons, the glove that stops your hand from burning  (I’ve never seen this included in the box before and my past is littered with curlers of all kinds). 

It doesn’t take hours to heat and on better behaved hair creates gorgeous curls. If my sister lets me curl her hair again I will get some Insta pics for you. 

And now  – Win the xtava Twist Curling Wand  

Good luck! 

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

Birchbox x Oliver Bonas 

ramblingmads

September’s Birchbox is in collaboration with lifestyle brand Oliver Bonas. 

There was an option to select your box design and to add a candle as an upgrade. 

Inside the box are 4 sample size items and one full size, as well as some stickers and a discount voucher for Oliver Bonas.
R+Co High Dive Moisture & Shine Cream sample size (full size RRP £23) – this is designed to smooth flyaway hair and add shine. It can also be used as a leave-in conditioner. I like a double duty product and this smells pretty inoffensive. 
Manna Kadar Fantasy 3 in 1 Blush, Highlighter, Eyeshadow full size (RRP £15) – this is way too dark for me to use as a blush or highlighter but I think it would make a nice eyeshadow. 

Polaar IcyMagic Instant Eye Contour Energiser sample size (full size RRP £22) – roll on eye gel to refresh and revive tired eyes, bags and dark shadows. 

Dr PawPaw Original Clear Balm sample size (full size RRP £6.95) – this is a handbag hero – lipbalm, hand cream, split end soother, dry skin moisturiser. Shame they didn’t put a full size tube in the box, it’s not exactly pricey. 

Rouge Bunny Rouge Bronzing Glow Liquid sample size (full size RRP  £51) – this should be an added extra not a product, it’s piddly. This is way too dark for me too, although the suggested use is mixed with a little moisturiser or lotion, which presumably dilutes it. 

The candle is bergamot and mint and matches the box, I like the drawer design. It smells quite nice but the bergamot isn’t particularly distinct, which is a shame as I really like bergamot and buy perfumes that contain it. 

Overall this box was a bit uneven, good mix of products but too many tiny samples, which makes it feel less like a treat and more like I wandered around the beauty department and got given some handouts. The candle was a nice add on but it costs an extra £8, which seems excessive as Oliver Bonas isn’t exactly hard up as a company and could have been more generous. 

beauty, reviews, skincare

Skincare Review: Oyster Brightening Eye Serum

ramblingmads

I have terrible dark shadows under my eyes and when I haven’t slept very well they look more like bruises. 

So when the team behind this British skincare company got in touch and asked if I wanted to try their brightening eye serum I said yes. 


With skin friendlies like Hyaluronic acid, co-enzyme Q10, Pentapeptides and green tea, I found this to be quite gentle on my sensitive skin, which is really important to me.  

You only need a tiny bit twice a day patted gently under the eye and along the brow bone. 

It smells quite pleasant too – with lavender, grapefruit and mandarin.  

While I don’t think anything will completely erase my dark circles, except maybe several nights of proper sleep (I wish), this was nice and cooling – and my skin felt soft and smooth after using this for several weeks. 

You can buy the serum from Amazon or visit the website.  

*while I was gifted this item all opinions are my own*

beauty, cruelty free, make up, skincare

A little high street haul

ramblingmads

I had to pop into town and obviously went to Superdrug and Boots for a few bits and bobs. 

From Superdrug; 

Make Up Revolution Fortune Favours the Brave designed by British Beauty Blogger. This palette is my favourite and my original got dropped and broke so this is a replacement. 

B. Individual eyeshadow pots – these were 49p each as they’re being removed from stock so hello bargain. 

Make Up Revolution Amazing Make Up Fixing Spray – another restock item. I use this to fix my make up in the mornings. Personally I find this lightweight spray works great but like most things it depends on your skin/make up. It also lasts for ages. 

Superdrug 4 way nail buffer – this is the best nail buffer around. I picked up 2 but one is already in use. Plus total bargain. 

B. Hydrated Hyaluronic Acid Facial Spritz – I haven’t used this before but I keep reading that this is really good for skin and because mine is so sensitive I thought a spray would be the best way as it won’t mean too much acid on my skin. 

B. Make Up Brush Cleanser – this contains a disinfectant and really gets my brushes clean. It’s my favourite cleaner and super easy to use. Restocking as my current bottle was struggling a little this weekend. 

From Boots; 

This was a total Soap & Glory shop – I think I might have a problem. 

Happy Glamper gift set – this has a lot of goodies and a shower proof jacket – which I unfolded and will now never be able to fold up again. There’s also face wipes, dry shampoo, folding hairbrush, lip gloss, eyeliner, hand sanitizer, body spray – all of which are just as useful in London as they would be camping or at a festival. 

Hand Food hand cream – a pump bottle makes this a lot easier to use, no trying to put a lid back on with freshly moisturised hands. 

Clean, Girls Body Wash – for that lovely soft clean feeling as I get out of the shower. 

So there you go, my little beauty shop. 

Any favourites in my basket? 

beauty, beauty boxes, birchbox, glossybox, make up, reviews

Box Round Up feat. Glossybox, Birchbox, Glitterati

ramblingmads

I am giving up on beauty boxes I think. I have ordered a Me Love Beauty bag but you pick the products so I can only blame myself if I don’t love it. 

Glossybox 

Another pretty box not in the usual livery. The blue is quite nice. Inside are a selection of beauty products – mostly make up and hair care. 

🍍Sportfx Time Out Mist + Fix

🍍Model Launcher Safari Sun Bronzed 

🍍Valquer Ice Hair Mask, Total Repair 

🍍Batista 2in1 Dry Shampoo & Conditioner Vanilla & Passionflower

🍍Rodial Suede Lips 

Birchbox 

Birchbox have gone with mermaids as their August theme. The drawer box is pretty in blue and purple. 

🐚Spectrum Collections A05 Brush

🐚LOC One and Done Shadow Stick in Rock Steady

🐚Number 4 Sugar Texturising Spray

🐚Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR Multi-Usage Dry Oil Shimmer

🐚Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Paper Mask 

Crown & Glory Glitterati Box

This was a new one for me. Accessories instead of beauty – but to be honest I just wasn’t that impressed. Sorry C&G, I’ll still buy your flower crowns though. 

🌟Glitter Passport Cover

🌟Glitter Bag Charm 

🌟Hair Charms 

🌟Hair Flair

🌟Super Sparkle Pots 

So there you go, three boxes for the month. If anyone can recommend a really good beauty box that doesn’t cost the earth and isn’t regularly disappointing, please tell me.