Birchbox // August 2015

Always late with the Birchboxes these days, it’s nearly time to post the September one already! There’s no excuse for such a delay but I’ve been mega busy, with some exciting new changes in my life at the moment, all to be revealed soon hopefully. Now back to this wonderful Birchbox…

August’s Beauty Junkie theme delivered a colourful, emoji covered box, with my Birchbox featuring: Rituals Cherry Blossom and Organic White Rice Scrub, Lord and Berry Blush in Lotus, BioNike Defence Tolerance Cleansing Water, Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo, TheBalm Cosmetics Balm Desert Bronzer, L Erickson Grab & Go Ponytail Holder, with the Lifestyle item this month – lots and lots of funky emoji stickers!

Overall thoughts: Another mixed bag I would say. I absolutely love the rice scrub, it smells amazing, the texture is just right, not a bad thing to say about it! I like trying out new cleansing products so I hope the BioNike one doesn’t disappoint (not that I’ve heard much about this brand, with all the Micellar waters out on the market, there’s definitely some competition!). To my surprise, I have been absolutely loving the L. Erickson hair band. It’s not an item I would usually pay attention to, but as I was all out of hair bands this was the only one I could find to hand – and it’s actually amazing! It’s really soft but supportive and doesn’t feel like it’s pulling on my scalp at all, even when I have my hair in a tight pony … never thought I’d be getting so hyped up about a hair band haha!

 

 

 

Hair Care Haul

The summer months seem to have taken their toll on my weathered locks so it’s now in serious need of some tlc! Over the last weeks I spotted some bargains in Boots and Superdrug mainly, and just couldn’t help myself. Although I was mainly on the lookout for hair care products I stumbled across some styling products too (if you can class dry shampoo as a styling product, definitely a bare necessity for me!). My (mini) haul consisted of:

 

 

Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo

Aussie Miracle Shine Conditioner 

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Shine

 

 

Aussie Miracle Recharge spray 

TRESemme Breakage Defence Restructuring Treatment Masque

Aussie Dual Personality Coloured Hair Protection and Shine Serum

 

 

Pantene Pro V Expert Collection Advanced Keratin Repair Mask

 

COLAB dry shampoo in New York

L’Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil

 

 

 

Samy Fat Hair 0 Calories Amplifying Mist

Samy Fat Hair 0 Calories Amplifying Crème

 

VO5 Casual Control Dry Texture Spray

Urban Fudge - Crisp pear and sweet vanilla dry shampoo

Lee Stafford Shine head spray shine

 

 

And finally .. the L’Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Summer Saviour Nourishing Mask.

I’m really looking forward to trying out the Extraordinary Oil as I’ve heard wonderful things and the Urban Fudge dry shampoo, as it’s not really seen this brand around but my housemate swears by it so I thought I’d give it a go. I’m a big fan of Aussie products too, so will enjoy getting reacquainted with the 3 minute miracle as I haven’t used it in years!

Have you tried any of these products? Would love to know what you thought!

 

 

Birchbox // July 2015

So so late with this one, but couldn't not share the contents of my lovely Birchbox!  July's 'Make a Splash' theme Birchbox (which actually came in a bag) was the summer holiday prep edition. With four varieties in the mix: orange for St Tropez, pink for Ibiza, Green for Hydra and yellow for Somerset, I received the lovely pink one!

My 'Ibiza' bag contained: the Balance Me Congested Skin Serum, Unani Aloe Vera Gel, POP Beauty Eyeshadow trio in Peach Parfait, the Benefit Dream Screen, Jelly Pong Pong Glow Getter Luminiser Gel, and the Lifestyle item this month was a Pura Vida Headband in Aqua.

Overall thoughts: I really like the super handy clear bag, especially love it because it's pink (and coincidentally I've not long returned from a lovely holiday to Ibiza myself. Overall I think it was a good mix of products, particularly the luminiser gel (I'm really loving highlighter at the moment)and the Balance Me serum, which are my favourites from this box.

The Best Eyeshadow Primer in the World!

Firstly I must apologise for my disappearance! It's been an extremely busy summer for me, with holiday planning, going on said holiday, helping out with arrangements for a friend's hen do and of course, general life admin. Boy do I have some serious catching up to do! 

I've been meaning to write about this for a while as I've actually been using a sample sized version for over a year and oh my goodness has my life been transformed! Ladies, let me introduce, the spectacular, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion! 

This primer has changed my life and saved me so much time! It claims to give your eyeshadow 24 hour staying power and YES! It does exactly what it says on the tin. I have the Original, which is my favourite, as it's the most versatile in my opinion, as you can wear it as a base under any colour combination and also use it as a base for glitter (anywhere on your face like if you're going to a festival etc). The primer potion is also available in the shades Eden, Minor sin, as well as an anti-aging one, pore perfecting or the brightening & tightening version. I have tried Eden in store and it is the most gorgeous shimmery, champagne colour which I would love to wear on it's own, however as a primer I didn't think it would be suitable to wear under blue, green or berry shades.

I don't know what Urban Decay have put in this formula but it is absolutely amazing! I apply the primer at 8am, followed by a a couple of eyeshadows from my Naked 1 palette and it remains absolutely flawless all day, without the need to top up if I decide to go for dinner straight after work. It is absolutely ideal for festivals as your eye make up will stay on whatever the weather. It is also super handy for anyone who is extremely busy and doesn't have time to top up make up during the day. 

The original primer dries clear so make sure you apply it evenly before it's too late. My only grievance with this product was that it comes in a squeezy tube and I always seem to squeeze out too much which gets a little annoying, However, I shall suffer no more! As Urban Decay have revamped their packaging to incorporate a handy doe-foot applicator like they have in the sample sized primers. I'm just gutted that I only bought mine a few months ago so have loads left and won't be repurchasing this for a while. If you haven't seen the new version yet, here it is:

So if you haven't yet tried it you must go and seek it out! I really don't know where I'd be without it, or how I've managed to go for so long before finally giving in to the Urban Decay craze!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

After seeing it receive so much praise in the blogging world I knew I just had to try out the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer ... and boy have I been missing out! It's brilliant! For a bargain price of £4.19 I wasn't sure what to expect but was pleasantly when it lived up to the hype.

Not quite sure about it's "16 hour coverage" but it definitely lasts throughout your average 8 hour working day which suits me just fine. With 4 shades to choose from (a relatively limited selection) I chose number 1 - fair, which was actually a pretty good match for me so added bonus points there. 

The Lasting Perfection Concealer provides great coverage and blends seamless and I'll definitely repurchase this when it runs out. Great colour, great coverage, great lasting power and a very affordable price - generally not a bad word to say about it. It has a handy doe foot application which is easy to use and then I generally just blend with my finger. I still cannot believe good it is and it's less than a fiver! If you haven't yet tried it out - GO GO GO!

Birchbox // May 2015

This month's Birchbox incorported a creative 'Free Your Mind' theme where you got the opportunity to decorate your own box as May's design came as blank white canvas full of lovely patterns.

My May Birchbox contained: the Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser, WAH London Nail Polish in Red, Parlor by Jeff Chastain Moisturising Sea-salt Spray, Jelly Pong Pong Caribbean Sun Bronzer Duo in Matinique, Absolution Youth Activator Mask, Number 4 Lumiere d'Hiver Reconstructing Masque and as a bonus, a set of colouring pencils was included - to decorate my box :)

Overall thoughts - reasonably pleased! (last month's box was difficult to live up to so I had pretty high expectations haha :P). I'm most looking forward to trying out the Caudalie tinted moisturiser and the sea-salt spray - which will be a perfect size to take away on holiday this summer.

Product Road Test #1

Having a sort out of my make up station over the weekend reminded me just how much stuff I seem to acquire and store without actually using, especially since I've been subscribed to Birchbox. To try and keep this under control, each month I'll be doing a product road test, trialing 4 products (predominantly Birchbox items) where I will include a make up item, skin care item, hair product and an additional random beauty product. At the end of the 4 week trial I'll post a " To buy or not to buy" review post with thoughts on whether or not the products worked for me.

In this first installment I'll be experimenting with:

The Green People Intense Repair Shampoo, Caudalie Vino Perfect Radiance Serum, London Butterflies Bath salt scrub and the Calvin Klein Delicious Pout lip gloss in Sparkle. I've already used these a few times this month, with a mixed bag of thoughts, so stay tuned to find out more! :)

Spring Wish List

Hello lovelies!With Spring in full swing, there are a few items I've seen floating around on the high street that I would love to get my hands on, so I thought I would share them with you. As much as I love high street stores for clothes, shoes and accessories I can't help to stray towards department stores to raid MAC or Urban Decay stands as I love them so much! So here's what's on my Spring wish list:

1. The most gorgeous Winged Tote Bag from Topshop, which can be found here. They have it in a few colours but the black is definitely my favourite.

2. MAC Mineralize eyeshadow quad in a Glimmer of Gold.(I've been naughty and actually bought this quad already as they were so beautiful and I just couldn't resist). Can be found here.

3. River Island Bikini. Love this set! It looks like it gives your a fair bit of support as both the top and bottom look quite structured. This combo really remind me of the Triangl bikinis but are definitely a more budget friendly version. The top can be found here and bottoms here.

4. Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter eyeliner. These are all absolutely stunning but I think my favourite is the probably the Midnight Cowboy which is the gold glitter. I'm already a cult follower when it comes to the UD eye products so needless to say these were bound to make their way onto my radar at some point. These gorgeous eyeliners seem like the perfect way to take a look from day to night with an added glam factor. The eyeliners can be found here.

5. Waterfall Blazer - New Look. I love waterfall blazers as they can be worn as smart or casual, day night, perfect addition to any outfit. I really like this cream one but the red is lovely too, really summery. The blazers in a variety of colours, can be found here.

Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm

With so much hype over lip crayons/colour balms I thought I would treat myself to a lovely new addition to my make up collection. With so many brands to choose from, after careful deliberation I opted for this Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm in Demure, which is a sheer, shimmery pinky-peach shade.

The colour balm is lovely, with a smooth texture and a gorgeous glossy finish, which I absolutely love. It leaves my lips feeling really tingly straight after application so I think it's got lip plumping properties. It tastes a little minty too, not sure how I feel about that though. In terms of wear, pretty similar to what you would expect with all glossy lip products - the lasting power isn't great, especially if you're eating and drinking, so regular re-application becomes necessary. I like to wear it over a matt lipstick to give it that oomph of shine, also helping to maintain the lip colour for longer. With so many shades to pick from it was difficult to choose my favourite, but I figured that as the 'nude' of the collection it will be perfect for any season, and as I usually wear heavy eye make up I can incorporate this into more looks.

Now I just have to fight the urge to buy every single colour in the range as they are all so beautiful!

Birchbox // April 2015

This month's theme was Royally Good, celebrating the due arrival of the second royal baby, available in two designs, in pink and blue.

My lovely blue April Birchbox contained: a Laura Mercier Mascara, Lola Barcelona Nail Polish in Garcia, Percy & Reed London - Soothed, Sealed and Sensational Volumising No Oil Oil, Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, Pommade Divine Nature's Remedy Balm, with the Beauty bonus this month - Inner me, energize me vitamins.

Overall impressions - what a brilliant box! Really cheered me up after the let down of last month. I've heard so much about the well loved Liz Earle Cleanser so I was super excited when it arrived in my Birchbox! Definitely the item that caught my eye the most, closely followed by the Laura Mercier Mascara which I'm also eager to try out. Overall I think there's a great combination of products this month all of which I can see myself using - something's that's a bit of rarity!

Hopefully next month's turnout will be just as great :)

NOTD // Models Own Hyper Gel

Hello lovelies! For my latest nails of the day I have been trying out a recently purchased Models Own Hyper Gel gel effect polish in Lilac Sheen. As I was madly in love with my Hyper Gel Turquoise Gloss I bought a 10 piece set containing a gorgeous variety of colours (you'll see the rest in my haul). 

The first to try out from the set if this lovely pastel lilac shade, perfect for Spring time.

 Having high hopes after being so impressed with my last Hyper Gel I was extremely disappointed with this one! Surely you would think the formula would be the same across the range? Unfortunately apparently not! The consistency was nowhere near as thick and I had to apply 3 coats to achieve an opaque finish, which of course added to the application and the drying time. Managed to go for a few days without chipping, but nothing above average. Although I love the colour (and would wear the polish based on that) I was really hoping it would be easy to apply and have the anticipated shiny gel-like finish which it was kinda lacking. Nevertheless, I will work through the set and hope for the best.

Has anyone else found this problem with some of the shades from the Hyper Gel range?

Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream // My Holy Grail

Ladies (and gents), may I present to you the mother of all high intensity creams - the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Skin Protectant. Oh my wow! This cream is absolutely amazing! I have been using it for many months now and it's powers seem to get better and better. I have dry skin and find it difficult to find a face cream that locks in moisture really well and doesn't cost an abominable amount. Usually retailing around £20-25 is it definitely in the higher price bracket, however Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour gift sets tend to be on promotion several times a year offering a great selection of usually 5 products for a great price. Having read reviews and received recommendations I decided to try out this wonder for myself.

Positives

-Perfect for dry skin (absorbs slowly and thoroughly)
-When applied before bed, my face feels extremely soft and smooth in the morning
-Using the cream a few times a week made a significant difference to the condition of my skin
-Best moisturiser I have used in potentially forever!
-A little goes a long way so the product lasts for ages

Negatives

-The scent doesn't appeal to me whatsoever
-The sticky balm like consistency is hard to apply until it warms up from heat of your skin


P.S As you may have figured out, as lovely as this is, it really wouldn't be suitable for oily skin as it is so rich.

Overall I am very impressed and will definitely be repurchasing this product when it runs out. Great first and lasting impressions with just a couple of points that didn't make it totally perfect for me.

Have you tried the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Skin Protectant?

Birchbox // March 2015

 

This month Birchbox collaborated with Habitat to create a gorgeous box bursting full of colour, with a special 20% off voucher for Birchbox subscribers.

 

 

 

 

 

My March box contained: the Benefit BADgal Lash Mascara (so glad I got the one I chose!), Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris fragrance, Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, Serenity Skincare Dead Sea Bath Salt and the Tan Organic Self Tanning Oil. The Lifestyle items month were a Birchbox & Habitat Exclusive Notebook and chapter 1 of 'A Perfect Heritage' by Penny Vincenzi.

 

 

Overall thoughts - A bit disappointing to be honest. Although I was really looking forward to trying the Benefit mascara, apart from that and the Elasticizer the rest of the items don't particularly appeal to me. Such a shame, but hopefully I'll get some more suitable items next month.