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?

Glossybox - June 2014

After a bit of a disappointing start to my 3 month subscription to Glossybox, I was hoping that the June box would be an improvement! Unfortunately, I'm still not impressed with the selection I've received.

One of the things I was most excited about this month was the option to receive a So Susan product, and I was hoping I would get the blusher! I actually received the concealer quad which can also be used for contouring. I don't really use concealer and contouring is way out of my league beauty wise, so this will be rehomed. 

I also received this Novex hair cream. I'm not really sure what this is meant to be used for, I think it might just be an extra conditioning treatment but it's not something I will use. The majority of the writing on the packaging isn't in English either which doesn't really help!

The other item in this month's box that I'm pretty disappointed with is this perfume from Roger and Gallet. Perfume is a very personal thing so I think it's always a bit risky sending out a sample this big in a beauty box. This is way too floral for me and I really don't like it. Hopefully someone I know will want it!

Bad stuff aside, I was pretty pleased to see Nail Girls in the box. I would have preferred a coloured polish but I don't actually own any base coats so I'm itching to give this a try. I think this is meant to be a base and top coat, as well as a nail strengthener so it's a pretty good multi-tasker!

The final item in this month's box is this eyeshadow brush from Teeez. I don't have many brushes so new ones are always welcome. I'm really excited to try out some different looks with this!

Overall, only 2 out of the 5 products in this month's box will be kept. The rest will be given away to whoever wants them. Looking at this month's Birchbox, Glossybox just doesn't compare in terms of quality. There might have been smaller samples in Birchbox, but at least they're all items I will actually use. 

What did you think of this month's Glossybox?

Glossybox - April and May 2014

I seriously have a beauty box problem. I had an email from Glossybox a couple of days ago offering the coveted May box along with a free box if I subscribed for three months. So here I am, I've been suckered back in to Glossybox for the next 3 months!

The free box turned out to be the April box which not many people were impressed by, and I can see why. The box looks empty when you open it, and the products inside really aren't all that impressive. The Monu massage oil will probably come in handy, as I will do anything for a back rub and the ginger scent is quite nice. 

I'm pretty disappointed by the MeMeMe highlighter. I'm not really into them as a brand, I tried a tint from them before and really didn't like it, so this will be going straight in the up for grabs album! 

Dry shampoos aren't really my thing either, so this will probably also end up being given away, along with this lip brush from Emite. I already have plenty of brushes so this isn't something that I really need. 

 

The Unica cream is something that I am willing to try, but it's such a small sample I'm not sure I'll get much of an idea of how good the cream is for my skin. 

Now that the most disappointing bit is over, onto the May box. This box is a collaboration with Superdrug as it's their 50th birthday this year. I've seen a lot of really good boxes on various blogs so I was quite excited to see what I would get in mine!

To get the bad stuff out of the way, the bronzer. Not my kind of thing at all. I tend to stick with just being pale all year round as I just can't be bothered with fake tan, so this will be given away.

I'm also less than impressed with this nail candy thing. Nail art is something that I've just never managed to get my head around, but I know plenty of people who do it and are actually good at it so I'm sure I'll be able to fling this in their direction!

Another set of false eyelashes for my collection that will sadly never get used. I've just never managed to get the hang of these but hopefully someone I know will be able to give them a good home. 

Finally, something I can actually keep! I love Simple and I hadn't realised that this was a product that Glossybox were including in the May boxes, so this was a really good surprise! I can't wait to try it out.

We also received a full size lipstick from B. I got the shade Petal, and it's a lovely soft pink and promises to be moisturising as well so it sounds perfect for me.

There were also two bonuses in the box in the form of a sample of Ghost's fragrance and a sachet of Garnier's body oil. The perfume smells really nice, it's got some lovely fruity tones to it which I love so I'll be keeping this! I've also heard a lot of good things about this body oil and it's a really decent sized sachet so I'm pretty pleased with it.

Overall, I feel like I haven't received amazing boxes from Glossybox. These definitely haven't convinced me to carry on with my subscription after my 3 month-stint ends, but I'm quite excited to see what the June and July boxes hold! 

Duty Free Treats!

While I managed to resist the MAC and Benefit stalls on the way to Corfu, I couldn't resist a couple of the in-flight treats on the way home! I managed to nab a DKNY perfume set and a gorgeous set of OPI polishes as a post holiday treat.

I absolutely love the DKNY Be Delicious fragrances. I already had a bottle of the Red Delicious, but my original green Be Delicious had run out, and I'd wanted to try the Fresh Blossom scent for ages so I couldn't let these pass me by! Not only are the bottles super pretty, the scents are divine. Be Delicious smells exactly like crisp apples, whereas Fresh Blossom has a much more subtle floral scent, yet it still has a hint of that fresh fruity fragrance we've come to expect from the Delicious range.

How pretty are these? I've never tried OPI polishes before, and these cute mini bottles were just calling to me!

Here I've swatched Tickle My France-y, Passion, and Charged up Cherry. Tickle My France-y is a lovely mink shade which is most visible on my little finger in the picture below. Passion is a barely there pink. I've swatched it with two coats below and it seems to mainly be a 'your nails but better' shade. Charged up Cherry is a vibrant cherry pink, it's really eye-catching!

Cajun Shrimp is a shocking hot pink which would look great if I'd managed to get any sort of tan in Corfu at all! Malaga Wine and Lincoln Park After Dark are much more autumnal shades, a gorgeous deep crimson red, and a purple so dark it's almost black. I was really impressed with the formula of these polishes. They were incredibly easy to apply, and I didn't find them to be streaky at all.

I can definitely see myself broadening my nail polish collection to include some more OPI polishes, these miniatures have given me a great introduction to the brand!

Are you a duty free fiend? What's your favourite thing to pick up in airports?

Birchbox - March 2014

First up, I have to admit to having never heard of Lulu Guinness before Birchbox announced their collaboration with her for the March box. I am absolutely loving the stripy packaging though. This month's box has mainly quite small samples, but there's some pretty good stuff!

I'm really pleased to see some more Benefit products in this months box. This is the Stay don't Stray primer in light/medium which is perfect for my skin tone. This is meant to be used for both eyeshadows and concealers, but I will mainly use it for eyeshadows. I'm pretty excited to get cracking on this, I'm sure there will be a mini review along at some point!

We also have the Pores no More Pore Refiner from Dr Brandt. I'm looking forward to giving this a go as I've been loving Benefit's Porefessional from last months box! This looks to be a very similar colour and texture to the Porefessional too, so I'm quite interested to see if I can spot any differences between the two products. 

Also in the box is this Serenity body oil from Aroma Works. Body oils aren't really my kind of thing, and the smell of this is quite strong so I think I will most probably be looking to rehome this with someone! I also have a bit of an issue with things being sent out in glass bottles. I've never had one break on its way to me, but the Beauty Protector hair oil from last month's box was unfortunately smashed on my bathroom floor last weekend when I was cleaning! I was quite upset because I'd actually been really enjoying using it so I think more plastic bottles in future please Birchbox!

 

 

I was pretty excited to see Molton Brown in the box, but then I saw that it was a hand cream. I've got so much hand cream at the moment I don't know what to with it all! However, this is definitely going in my keep pile because it smells FANTASTIC. This is rhubarb and rose, which is quite an unusual pairing, but I've just rubbed a small amount into my hands and it's just lovely. It's also left my skin feeling super soft, and absorbed really quickly.

We also received a small sample of English Laundry's No.7 for her perfume. I'm really not sure about this scent. It's listed as having top notes of pear and jasmine blended with gardenia, vanilla and sandalwood. I think it's probably the pear and sandalwood that's putting me off. It smells a little bit like nail polish remover! Perfume is a very personal choice though, and inevitably some people will love this scent and some people will hate it!

Finally as the lifestyle extra, we received a stick of rock. I love the black and white stripes and the way it ties in with the theme of the box, but this will probably find its way to the husband as it's not really my cup of tea!

Overall, I'm really pleased with this box. The samples are small, but I still think I'll be able to get a good idea of whether I'll want to repurchase the products from the sizes we've received. My least favourite items are the body oil and the perfume, simply because I don't like the scents! I will definitely be rehoming them though, so they won't go to waste!

What do you think of the March Birchbox?







February Favourites

I can't believe how fast February has gone! I'm really enjoying the first signs of spring though, we're starting to have a few more sunny days here in the UK and flowers are starting to pop up! And it's my birthday in March so obviously this is my favourite month ;)

 

 

 

 

First up is this gorgeous hair oil from the February Birchbox. I really wasn't expecting to like this as I've never used a hair oil before, but I've just been applying a small amount of this to my hair when I get out of the shower and it has made a massive difference! My hair is now silky smooth and fantastic to style as well. A full size bottle of this will set you back £16, and it's available here.

I've also fallen completely head over heels with the new Barry M Silk collection! They just scream spring to me, and I am 100% in the mood to start digging out some pastels. These are £3.99 each, and are available at Boots and Superdrug. I've got full review of these bad boys here.

I've been loving this gentle cleansing milk from La Claree. This came with the February Love Me Beauty box, and initially I was a bit sceptical. However, after using it for a few weeks, I've had my mind changed! This removes make up and grime really well (apart from mascara) and leaves my skin feeling refreshed and smooth. I've not had any breakouts since using this, and my skin seems to just drink it up! What more could you ask for? This retails for about £19 for a 150ml bottle, and is available here.

Next up and also from the February Love Me Beauty box is this dry conditioner from Percy & Reed. This is another product that I was initially unsure about, as haircare isn't really something I tend to go for! I'm normally just a shampoo and conditioner kind of girl. But this is just so easy to use, I've just been spraying a small amount on my hairbrush in the morning and it just adds a gorgeous shine to my hair on days when it's looking a bit dull. You can get this here for £12.

Pretty much every day since I bought it, I've been wearing Katy Perry's Killer Queen fragrance. I absolutely love it. I already did a quick review of it earlier this month which you can find here. It's such a gorgeous perfume, and the bottle is super awesome too! You can get this from Boots and Superdrug, and the 100ml bottle costs around £30.

Finally, the Garden of Eden palette from Sleek. I knew as soon as I saw this palette that I'd absolutely have to get my hands on it! I love the range of gorgeous earthy colours, the browns and pinks are perfect, and the greens are simply stunning. You can see my full review of it here. This palette is £7.99 and is available from Sleek's website here.

Phew! Quite a few favourites this month! I'm so pleased that I'm getting introduced to products that I wouldn't normally choose for myself through being subscribed to beauty boxes, and those products are becoming firm favourites. Have you tried any of my February faves? If you have, what did you think of them?