July Empties

I've managed to get through another bumper crop of empties this month, with some of them being more successful than others!

I've been on a bit of a body lotion rampage and managed to get through three samples in July. The Bee Kind lotion had a slightly lemony/honeyish scent to it that I really liked, but I found that it didn't really sink into my skin very well. I really loved the Naobay and Whish lotions though. The Naobay had a lemon scent which is great for this time of year, and the Whish was a lavender scented lotion which I expected to hate but actually really loved! Both of these were great for my skin and sank in really nicely.

This sample of Glamglow's Supermud Clearing Treatment lasted for 3 or 4 applications and did a really good job of cleansing my skin. Unfortunately I can't really afford the full size, but if you fancy a splurge I'd say it's worth it! I've been using the Blanc Cachemire moisturiser for a while now but I found that it really didn't work well with my make up. It made my skin quite greasy so I was really glad to finish it up! I didn't really get on well with the L'occitane Repairing shampoo and conditioner either. They irritated my scalp and made my hair greasier than normal.

I was really sad to finish up my sample tube of Lancome's Hypnose Drama mascara. It's been my favourite mascara for a really long time so I decided to bite the bullet and splash out on a full size tube. I'm really glad I did because I absolutely love it! I also finished up one of my many samples of the Porefessional. I'm using this every day at the moment so once all of my samples have run out I might end up buying a full size tube.

I've also made headway through my massive shower gel collection! This Dove shower gel was the last of the christmas smellies! It's a really nice nourishing shower gel, just what you'd expect from Dove really. The Anatomicals shower gel was from a previous Love Me Beauty box and even though rose isn't really my kind of scent, I actually really liked this shower gel. I probably wouldn't repurchase it, but it made a nice change from my usual fruity showers!

What did you use up this month? Have you tried any of my empties?

Beauty Box Buys - July 2014

This month has seen me finally make a decision about which beauty boxes I'm going to cull. I've decided to cancel Glossybox and Love Me Beauty, which means I'm left with Birchbox and You Beauty Discovery. I'm also planning on getting more Memeboxes in future!

Glossybox 

My two favourite items from this box had to be the Mary Kay mascara and the Bellapierre lipstick. Whilst I would have preferred the red lipstick, the pink suits me really well and I really like the formula! I also love that it's quite a high end product compared to what we normally receive in Glossyboxes, retailing at £20 here. The mascara was a real surprise, as I expected it to not be great quality. Having tried it though, I really like it. It really lengthens and adds definition to my lashes, and it's another high end product! You can find it here for £16.

Birchbox 

Birchbox had some great brands this month, but my two favourites were the Whish body lotion and the Balance Me Eye Cream. The Whish body lotion was another surprise for me, as I'd expected to hate it! Lavender is really not my kind of thing but it is drowned out by the other gorgeous ingredients included in this lotion. It sinks into my skin much quicker than your average body lotion, and leaves a lovely scent behind. The only UK stockist for Whish at the moment seems to be the Birchbox shop, but having a peek at their US website has me drooling over the different flavours available! I'd love to try the blueberry one! You can find it here for $24. The Wonder Eye Cream from Balance Me has done wonders for my puffy eyes! It's meant to work really well for fine lines around the eyes as well but I don't really have nay of those (yet!) so I can't comment on how well it deals with those, but it's certainly a nice refreshing eye cream to use in the morning before I put the rest of my make up on. You can find it here for £20.

You Beauty Discovery 

This month's YBD was a bit odd, what with the men's shaving cream. I went for the L'occitane shampoo and conditioner but I found that they made my hair quite greasy. My other pick for this month was the Miss Manga mascara from L'oreal. Whilst I haven't been blown away by it, I still think it's a really nice daytime mascara. You can find it here for £8.99.

Love Me Beauty 

Clearly mascara has been a theme for this month's boxes! This So Susan mascara is unlike any of the other mascaras I own. The wand has a very small brush which means that I can nab the tiny lashes at the corner of my eye, whilst also providing a decent coverage. I also really like the cute tube with the hummingbird design, it's adorable! It's here for £14.95. I also really love the Ofra eyeshadow from this month's box. It's a lovely soft pressed shadow and you should know by now how much I love a shimmery eye! I can't seem to find a UK stockist for these but they retail for $15. 

What do you think to my beauty box picks for July? Would you buy any of these products?

May Empties

 Due to going on holiday this month, I managed to get through some of the many samples I had piling up, as well as some of my usual products!

This Redken conditioner came with the April LoveMe Beauty box and I loved using it! It had a fantastic cranberry scent and left my hair silky soft. It's intended for those with coloured hair (mine isn't) so I can't comment on whether it prolongs your colour or not, but still a lovely product. 

Repurchase: Yes, if I dyed my hair again, and could find it online!

 Simple face wipes are a regular repurchase for me. I know they aren't the best thing for your skin but these ones are so soft and they remove my mascara really well. 

Repurchase: Already have.

This Gilchrist and Soames shower gel came with a Birchbox a while back, and I took it with me on holiday as an alternative to some of my more floral ones in case Luke wanted to use it. It had quite a neutral scent, which wasn't unpleasant and meant we were both happy to use it, but with a full size bottle priced at around £14 I probably won't be repurchasing.

Repurchase: Probably not.


I also took this sample of Balance Me's Super Toning body wash. This had a really weird consistency, it was incredibly thick and reminded me of honey! The scent was a mix between floral and herby, with the ingredients including juniper, bergamot, geranium and lavender. We both enjoyed using this shower gel, as with the Gilchrist and Soames one, the scent was quite unisex.


 Repurchase: No. We have so much shower gel at home already! 

I also took a couple of these Herbal Essences minis with us. I love Herbal Essences, the cute colourful bottles and the amazing scents are right up my street and I'd forgotten how good they are! After using these on holiday I can definitely see myself picking up the bigger sizes.

Repurchase: Yes.

I received this sample of Caudalie's Divine Legs lotion with this month's You Beauty Discovery box, and decided to save it until after my holiday. Initially I was quite wary, especially as it looked very dark when it came out of the sachet, but I actually think that this is a great beginners tanning lotion. It left my legs subtly tanned and wasn't at all streaky. Plus, it washes off easily.

 

Repurchase: At £26 a bottle, probably not.

This Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Hair Healer Leave-In Conditoner (What a mouthful!) was also in the You Beauty Discovery box, and a post-holiday treat. It was incredibly easy to use, I just combed it through my hair after washing and left it. The next day my hair felt nourished and conditioned, it was a really lovely way to pamper my hair after it had been exposed to chlorine, sun, and the sea!

Repurchase: This is only £5.99 for a 200ml bottle, so I probably will at some point.

Finally, I finished up this sample of Betty Hula's Secret Wonder Oil. I've been using it on stretch marks and have seen a slight improvement. I could have done with a bigger sample to really get a feel for the product, but I found that the rollerball was great for applying it as it meant less greasiness overall.


Repurchase: Maybe.

I can't believe how much stuff I got through this month! Have you tried any of these products? What did you think to them?

Birchbox - May 2014

I know I said that the April Birchbox was my last box, and I did unsubscribe, but then I saw the amazing things that everyone was getting in the special Harpers Bazaar collaboration box and I knew I was going to have to resubscribe!

I think you'll agree, a pretty impressive range of products! The item that really pushed me into subscribing again was the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish sample. I've heard so much about this from other bloggers that I just couldn't pass up the chance to give it a go! This came gorgeously wrapped up with a muslin cloth and instructions on how to use the product to get the most advantage from it, and I can't wait to give it a go!

Next up is this cute little bottle of bath and shower oil from Aromatherapy Associates. I've already had a bath with this and it smells divine. It's a gorgeous scent that definitely made me feel invigorated. I felt like it would probably be really nice to use if you have a cold, as it felt lovely when I breathed it in. The scent also lingered on my skin after my bath as well which was a nice bonus!

A couple of months back we received the Beauty Protector hair oil from Birchbox which I really loved, but unfortunately I knocked the bottle onto my bathroom floor and it smashed! Thankfully, the shampoo and conditioner in this months box are in plastic bottles so clumsy people like me don't waste them! I can't wait to give these a try, if they're anything like the hair oil then I'll love them.

I have been loving how much Benefit has been in the past few Birchboxes! I'm really pleased to add a sample of 'They're Real!' to my collection. This is a must-have mascara and I absolutely love it. It really does add volume and definition to your lashes, and if you haven't tried it yet, then you really need to! The only slight downside to it, is that it's notoriously difficult to remove.

 

This polish is absolutely gorgeous. I think this shade is called Cerise, and it's a lovely berry pink shade. I was super impressed with the application, the brush is a great size and the polish was incredibly easy to work with. It's also really high shine as you can see below, that's two coats without a top coat.

Birchbox have really blown me away this month. The April box was good, but this is even better! Obviously the boxes won't always maintain this standard, but I can't get over what a fabulous selection of products there is this month. Not only have you got make up, you've hair care and skin care, as well as a nail polish. I'm sure some people will be a bit grumpy about the lack of a lifestyle extra this month, but the fact that Birchbox have included both a shampoo and conditioner more than makes up for that for me! I'll be staying subscribed for a bit longer it seems...

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win TheBalm's 'How 'bout Them Apples?' blush palette HERE!

April Favourites

 Compared to last month, I've spent a bit more on beauty products, but not an awful lot. I've been quite lucky this month with beauty boxes that have provided me with the majority of my favourites, and I was hoping to have my How 'bout Them Apples? palette to add to this post but it didn't arrive in time!

First up had to be the Iconic 3 palette from Make Up Revolution. I have been absolutely loving this palette all month. I really wanted to get my hands on Naked 3 by Urban Decay when it first came out, but just couldn't bring myself to splash the cash! For £4 this is a fantastic dupe and I've been loving the looks I've been able to create with it. Now I just have to stop myself from picking up all the others in this range!

Love Me Beauty has been good to me this month, by introducing me to two of my favourites! This Neal and Wolf shampoo smells absolutely divine and has left my hair feeling silky and looking super shiny. I've also been loving the Betty Hula Wonder Oil. In preparation for my holiday I've been using this regularly, and I have definitely seen a difference in my stretchmarks. They are gradually fading, but I'm not sure I have enough in this sample to get them fully gone. I might have to break out the Bio-Oil! 

My final favourite for April is the Rimmel mattifying BB cream. I received this sample in the March You Beauty Discovery box and I've been wearing it to work pretty much every day this month. It provides a really nice lightweight cover, and lasts all day. On hotter days I've been applying a powder over the top to just give it a little bit of help, but I don't think it really needed it. This is a great product, and for only £6.99 it's a bargain. My sample tube is probably going to last me ages as I only need a tiny amount at a time!

Have you tried any of this month's favourites? Have you got any suggestions for me to try out for next month?

Lush Cambridge Visit

I wasn't aware until one of my fellow bloggers (Jade) pointed it out, that Lush is very blogger friendly and frequently invite bloggers to come into their stores for consultations. I had my consultation with Freya, who was incredibly friendly and very knowledgeable about the various ingredients and products that Lush supply. We talked about my hair and skin types, so that Freya was able to recommend products that would be most suitable to me. 

I'm quite embarrassed to admit this but before my consultation I'd never actually used any of Lush's products before. It was really interesting to try out the face masks and bath bombs, and get more of an idea of the brand itself. I had great fun setting off Fizzbanger in a bowl of water, experimenting with exfoliating shower gels, and smelling different shampoos!

I was lucky enough to be given a few small samples to test out. I was given Daddyo and Veganese to try out on my hair, and a sample of Love Lettuce.

Daddyo was recommended to me as a brightener for for blonde and silver toned hair. My hair is sort of between brown and blonde, and since using this shampoo I have definitely noticed that some of my natural highlights have started to look brighter and more obvious, without looking brassy. Veganese was suggested as a soother for my dry scalp. It contains rosemary and lavender which are both herbs that contain soothing properties. My scalp has been slightly less itchy, but I think I'd probably need a more extended period of usage before seeing proper results.


Love Lettuce is a gorgeous face mask containing seaweed gel, honey and almond oil, and almond shells to exfoliate. It has a slight lavender scent, but it isn't overpowering. I used this on a Friday night after showering, and found it incredibly soothing. These face masks need to be stored in a fridge to keep them cool and fresh, and it definitely felt refreshing when applying! After 10 minutes I gently removed it with a damp cloth, and was left with gorgeously soft skin. I can't wait to use it again! 

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to visit Lush and learn more about their products. I will definitely be trying out a few more of their face masks, and I'd like to get my hands on some of their snazzy bath bombs too! Thanks for inviting me to your store guys!

Are you a Lush addict?

Special Edition Christmas Glossybox

I wasn't really sure about getting this box after Glossybox revealed what would be in it. I'm still not 100% sure that I shouldn't have just saved my pennies to be honest!

The box is beautifully presented. I love the glamorous black and gold design, and the pretty Glossybox ribbon!

 

I'm going to start with my least favourite item and work my way up, so I'll start with the Be a Bombshell bronzer in Tanorexic. That sentence says it all really. This is listed as a blusher on the card, which is disappointing. I'd have much preferred a blusher. Also, is it just me, or is it slightly insensitive to name a bronzer 'Tanorexic'? This will probably be binned. I don't know anyone that would use it, and I certainly won't be. This is full size, and is worth £9.95

 

Next up is the Absolute! perfume stick. This is a very strong floral scent and I'm pretty sure this is going to end up in a present for my grandmother! Not my sort of thing at all. This is worth £9.50.

I received the EuPhidra lip gloss in a very sheer looking shade. It's got quite a bit of glitter to it though, which I didn't manage to pick up very well in the pictures unfortunately. I like the scent too, it's quite a strong vanilla. This is full-size and worth £11.90.

I received the Butter London nail lacquer in Tee Total. I'm not really impressed by the shade to be honest. It's just a very plain chocolate brown, not something I'd have normally picked for myself and not a colour I would associate with Christmas. Here I've applied two coats, and it's still quite streaky. This is full-size and worth £12.

Lovely bit of Christmas tree bokeh going on here :)

I also got the Philip B African Shea Butter shampoo. I'm quite excited to try this out as shampoo is a hair product that I won't just put on a shelf and forget about. It doesn't seem to have a particularly powerful scent, but I have a slight cold so my nose is a bit bunged up haha! 

 

Finally, we have the So Susan Luminizer. I really like this, it's very shimmery and will look gorgeous on the skin. I've swatched it on my hand and a little really does go a long way, which is good as my sample seems to be more or less empty. This is full-size and is worth £25.

I had a bit of a job capturing the shimmer but you can sort of see it.

Well as I've written this, I've sort of talked myself into disliking the box more than I originally thought I did! The box just doesn't really feel like a particularly Christmassy box to me, and to have 'full-size' samples that are pretty much empty is a bit of a swizz. I'm hoping that the standard December box is a little bit more impressive, and I'm not sure that I'll be bothering with any more of the limited edition boxes. After December's box, I should have enough Glossydots for a free January box. Depending on what that's like, I might very well cancel and sign up with either Birchbox or Love Me Beauty. People seem to be a lot more satisfied with those!