Weekly Book Round Up #55

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite supernatural authors. Her young adult stuff can be a bit hit and miss but I always love her adult novels. This is the second book in her new Cainsville series, and if you were left with lots of questions after the first book (Omens), then Visions goes someway to explaining all of the strange goings on in Cainsville. Olivia and Gabriel are back, and when the dead body of a girl who looks very similar to Olivia is left in her car, it can only be a threat. Meanwhile, Olivia has issues in her personal life to deal with, following the reappearance of her ex-fiance, James. I was hooked from start to finish by this book, I'm really hoping that this series isn't just going to be a trilogy!


Nicola's rating: 5/5

Clinique Chubby Stick in Roomiest Rose

I've recently been introduced to Cohorted which is website that encourages 'social shopping'. Every week they introduce four new cohorts for high end products, and the more people buy them, the cheaper they get! The other week I was having a little browse when I noticed that they still had a cohort open for a Clinique Chubby Stick. I've been lusting after these for ages but hadn't been able to justify buying one for myself, so I decided to go for it!

The shade is Roomiest Rose, and it's a gorgeous dark pink that really suits my pale skin tone! There is a slight shimmer to it, but nothing too overbearing. It's incredibly easy to apply and wear. It feels very comfortable on my lips, but I have to say, I didn't find it to be intensely moisturising. If you suffer from overly dry lips like I do, it might be best to wear a decent lip balm underneath.

I had heard that these have a bit of a mint flavour to them but I couldn't detect it. Nor was there any of that tingling sensation you sometimes get with these lip crayons. I'm definitely looking at expanding my collection of these now, hopefully Cohorted will have some new colours up in the coming weeks!

Have you tried any of the Clinique Chubby Sticks? 

Which colour is your favourite?

Weekly Book Round Up #54

I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but it certainly surprised me. Having absolutely loved The Shining Girls, which was at once terrifying and insanely compelling, I knew I was going to have to read Lauren Beukes's new novel. Based in Detroit, the story begins with Gabi investigating a serial killer who leaves behind disturbing half-animal, half-human corpses, while her daughter has launched her own vigilante project of hunting down paedophiles. I didn't find this book as scary or compelling as The Shining Girls, but I still really enjoyed it. The ending was really not what I was expecting, mixing in an almost supernatural element to what I had thought was a standard crime/thriller. 

Nicola's rating: 4/5

Birchbox - August 2014

Another month, another Birchbox and this month the theme is Away We Go! Having already been on my holiday this year, I'm a bit jealous of everyone else that's jetting off!

We've got a really good selection of products in this month's box, with lots of holiday sized samples to take away with you. I like that my box came with samples for hair, beauty and skincare, but some of them will definitely be more useful than others!

The first product I wasn't too pleased to see in my box was this leave-in conditioning spray from Number 4. I don't tend to use this sort of thing as my hair can get very greasy, so I shall be looking to rehome this with someone who actually uses hair products!

I've already tried this treatment oil from Nude. I decided to use it as an overnight treatment but it didn't sink into my skin at all and left it feeling really greasy. I won't be using this again!

One of the better products from this box is this exfoliating cleanser from Vasanti. I've already tried this and I love it. It's not a rough exfoliator at all, it has very small exfoliating particles in it that gently buff your skin to leave it shiny and resfreshed.

Sadly, this is another product that I will be looking to rehome! While I'd have loved to try this CC cream, the shade 'light to medium' is too dark for my skin tone. I wonder how many people can actually use samples like this. I'm sure there are lots of people out there who subscribe to Birchbox that are either too pale for it or their skin tone is too dark for it.

I also received the Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter. I've unfortunately yet to get the hang of highlighting, but I've already managed to swap this with someone for one of the Wild About Beauty eyeshadows so at least it's going to someone who will use it!

This month, the lifestyle extra was the first chapter of a book by Tasmina Perry. I think that this is a really good idea, lots of people read on their holidays and I'd definitely like to see more books in the Birchbox shop!

This month's box was a bit hit and miss for me. Not many of the products are ones that I'll actually use, but I'm hoping to do some swapping to get the ones I do want! Hopefully the September box will see Birchbox back on form again.


What did you think to this month's Birchbox?

You Beauty Discovery Box - August 2014

Another month, another You Beauty Discovery box! I was pretty excited to see the options for this month's box and it didn't disappoint!

The box came jam-packed with goodies, there were lots of extra little samples this month as well as the items I picked out from the shortlist.

The first item I picked was this cute little lipbalm from Rose and Co. I love anything with a cherry scent so I knew I would want this in my box! The balm itself doesn't have an overpoweringly cherry scent, it's more a hint than anything else. There isn't a lot of colour to the balm either.

I also picked out this Louise Galvin Sacred Locks Masque. I had a go with this yesterday and even though I didn't leave it in for the full 10 minutes they recommend, it has made my hair so shiny and soft! This is definitely going to become a weekly treat for my hair!

We also received two Jimmy Choo perfume samples, one for her and one for him. I didn't like either of them so they went straight in the bin unfortunately.

I tried out this Face D 3-Luronics serum this morning and it's probably the weirdest thing I've ever put on my face! It sinks in ever so quickly, you hardly have to rub it in at all, but it leaves a sort of rubbery layer on your skin. I found that it was quite difficult to layer my make up over as well. Not so keen on this really!

We also received a four-sided nail file. I don't tend to file my nails at all so this might be the incentive I need to start taking better care of them!

Another great value box for the £6.95 a month price tag! I can't wait to see what's on next month's shortlist.

Do you subscribe to You Beauty Discovery? What did you pick from this month's choices?

Weekly Book Round Up #53

I really wish these books didn't have such cringey covers! This is the sixth novel in Jess Haines's H&W Investigations series. This story picks up more or less straight after the end of the fifth novel, with Shiarra being held captive by Max, a sadistic vampire. Shiarra spends a large part of the book actively defying Max which results in a lot of punishment for her. Eventually she escapes, and teams up with some of Alec's vampires to rescue her friend Sara and the rest of Max's 'pets'. I didn't find that I enjoyed this one as much as the other books in the series, and I found the first part of the book quite difficult to get through. The ending and the final battle were much more entertaining though!

Nicola's rating: 4/5

This is the fifth book in a spin-off from the Vampire Academy books. It pretty much kicks off from the end of the previous book, with Sydney captured by the Alchemists and being tortured into confessing her 'sin'. Adrian is still with Jill and her guardians, until his mother arrives and takes him back to the vampire court, where he soon spirals into an alcohol fuelled depression after failing to locate Sydney through dream-walking. He does eventually get his act together and forms a plan to rescue Sydney. I found this book a really exciting installment to the series, a lot of big things happen which are obviously lining everything up for the final book, which I can't wait for. February seems so far away!


Nicola's rating: 4/5

Memebox Superbox #36 Pore Care 3

I'm starting to develop a bit of an addiction to Memeboxes. I've got several pre-ordered and I'm waiting eagerly for them to arrive! I was over the moon when the Pore Care 3 box was delivered last week, I couldn't wait to see what was inside!

The box was jam-packed with pore-busting goodies, and because this is a Superbox, they're all full-size! The first item that caught my eye was the Skin House Pore Control Powder Serum ($28). I haven't tried this yet as I've got a few serums that I'm trying to get through, but I tried a small amount on my hand and it has a pleasant cucumber scent.

The next item I picked out was the Lailly +36.5 Steam Pore Pack ($28). I love a good face mask so I was really pleased to see one in this box. It looks like quite a heavy duty mask so I might wait until I'm having a really bad skin day to break this one out!

The Secret Key Black Out Pore Clean Remover ($38) is a bit of a mystery product for me. I think it's meant to be used as a sort of toner/cleanser, so I'm quite intrigued to try it out. It's also the most expensive product from this box so I'm definitely going to find a way to use it!

Being a fan of the controversial Porefessional, I love a good primer. The Chamos Acaci Matte Pore Primer ($20) contains Salicylic acid which is meant to disinfect your skin to discourage breakouts, whilst hiding pores. The texture of this is very similar to the Porefessional so I'm sure I'll love using this!

 I was also really pleased to see this Tosowoong Deep Pore Foam Cleanser ($12) as my sample of the Liz Earle cleanser is starting to run low! I've never tried a foaming cleanser before so I'm really interested to see how this will work on my skin!

Finally, we have the Aqua Beauty Pore Zero Blackhead Remover ($34). This product contains an  all-natural essential oil which is massaged into problem areas with the silicone brush. I had a go with this last night and I really did feel that my skin felt brighter. I'm hoping with continused use I should start to get rid of some of my pesky blackheads!

Overall, this box came to $45.99 (including postage) and the contents are worth $160! I just love how Memebox provides such fantastic products for the prices you pay for the boxes.

Have you tried Memebox before?

Superdrug Haul - featuring Makeup Revolution, Barry M and Maybelline!

I've been keeping my eyes peeled and waiting for my local Superdrug to bring out their Makeup Revolution stands, so I was pretty excited when I popped in last week and spotted some of newer I ♥ Makeup palettes and lipsticks. Obviously, I couldn't just walk out without having a quick look at the Barry M stands as well...

 

I've liked the look of the Aquarium polishes for ages but hadn't thought to buy any. Mermaid and Pacific jumped out at me straight away, I'm such a sucker for blue polishes. Pacific has a gorgeous metallic sheen to it, and Mermaid contains shiny gold, green and blue particles. I can't wait to try it out as a top coat for some of my other polishes!

I also spotted some of the new Maybelline Baby Lips Electro shades. I went for Strike a Rose which adds a bright pink tint to my lips, and smells like sour skittles. I haven't tried on for long enough to see how moisturising it is, but it definitely feels comfortable on my lips.

After seeing some reviews of Colour Overdose from I ♥ Makeup on various blogs, I knew I was going to have to add it to my collection at some point! It's a really vibrant coral-red, and I love it! I wasn't sure it would suit me at first but now I'm head over heels for it. Just make sure your lips are well hydrated beforehand though, these lipsticks cling to any dry patches!

I also couldn't resist picking up the I ♥ Makeup I am in Love palette, I think these are a really clever idea. You've got six eyeshadows, 2 mattes and 4 shimmers, and a lipstick all in a nifty little palette with a mirror.

The top row of shadows are lighter pinks, the darker shimmery pink is just beautiful.

And here we have the bottom row, the darker shadow has little bits of purpley glitter in it but I couldn't catch it very well. I really like that matte pink as well, it's got much more pigmentation to it than some of the mattes in Makeup Revolution's other palettes.

Unfortunately, the lipstick lets the palette down a little bit. It's a very pale pink and it really washes me out so I probably won't be using it. If it had just been a little bit darker it would have been perfect!

Now that I know Makeup Revolution have a stand in my local Superdrug I'll definitely be popping in more often!