Birchbox June 2014 Global Strikers

Ok. So I know I'm running super behind with everything. Life's been getting in the way I guess. But with today off, I thought I'd try and use it to get all caught up. So be prepared for several posts today probably! 

First up, it's June's Birchbox. This came when it was world cup time in Brazil and it was celebrating some amazing global beauty brands. My box included products based on Brazil, some from France and some from America. So let's have a nosy!

France

Yves Rocher - Sheer Botanical Lipstick £9.90

This product is a sheer colour lipstick. It contains cherry oil and is very moisturising on the lips. It gives a very sheer wash of colour and I really like the packaging too. It's actually a really nice product and I'm comfortable with the lighter colour effect since I'm not really used to wearing lipstick anyway. 

Brazil Inspired

Birchbox Keyring

A cute wee extra. Might be handy for my new house keys! 

United States

Coola - Classic Face SPF30 Cucumber £26

Suncream for your face. And it smells like cucumber. Nice. It's been a handy sample size to have, especially since it's been so damn hot this last week. But there's no chance I'd be shelling out £26 for the full size. Nope.

Brazil Inspired

OPI Nail Polish - Full Size £11.95

This is a polish from OPI's Brazil collection that came out earlier this year. From what I can see I got the colour called 'Where did Suzi's Man-go'. This is a orange polish, not something I've really owned before and I would be unlikely to pick up at the beauty supply. But still, it's a nice summery colour and I'm sure I'll get it used up!

France

Caudalie - Divine Oil £18

Now, I've had this same sample size of this product before in another box at some point. And I've still not used all of it up! This is a oil that can be used on the face, body or hair to help hydrate. I've tried it in my hair, but I find that even a very small amount in the ends makes them look a little greasy, so I've preffered to use it on my face just before I go to bed. It's a nice product and has a nice spa like scent. It just seems to be taking me ages to get through! I would think if you used it on the body it would go quicker though, I might pop it in the spray bottle to use after the shower and see how that goes.

United States

Beautyblender and Blendercleanser Solid £16

Now this product is quite a cult one. And all us subscribers were very happy to be getting one on our boxes in June. I've seen this spoken about on many blogs and youtube beauty gurus seem impressed by it's ability to help apply your makeup and blend products flawlessly. I was keen to get trying it. And I was impressed it came with the cleanser to keep it clean as well, this stuff is great for cleaning brushes too by the way. I'm still not sure what I think of the blender though. I feel it does help blending everything into the skin well. it's just a bit of a faff because you need to wet it first. I'll keep trying to get used to it though, it's a good find.

I really liked June's box. Everything is useable and will get used so I always appreciate that. It was nice to have a different coloured bag everything came in too, I love putting stuff in those for when I go on holiday!

Glossybox April 2014 - Sweet Treats Review

 

Well, it's April time and another beauty box themed around sweet treats and sweet things. Weird coincidence huh? I did well this month, I forgot to take a photo of everything in the box. Go me. But no matter, there's at least photos of all the products! Let's investigate!

Emite Make Up - Lip Brush L312 (£17)

This is a slanted brush for lips to give more precision when putting on lipstick. As you know, I'm not really one for wearing lipstick, but I am trying my best to get involved in it so I'm sure this will help me on my way a little! 

Monu Spa - Warming Giner Massage and Body Oil (£25 for 100ml)

You can use this in your bath, or slather yourself in it before you hit the shower to help you leave with bathroom with super smooth silky skin. I love the smell of it, very ginger it and it does leave skin feeling quite nice. I've used it more in the bath than the shower though, I slid everywhere when I tried it in the shower! Be careful lovelies!

He-Shi Professional Tanning - Face and Body Gel (£7.95 for 50ml)

Let's start this with a confession. One you probably already know. I don't do fake tan. It's not something I've ever been greatly attracted to. So needless to say, I've not yet tried this product. I was debating using it a few days before I go on holiday to try it out just in case I look ridiculous! I'll aim for trying it on my legs before my face though! I'm afraid of that orange look. Classy.

MeMeMe Cosmetics - Beat the Blues (£5.50)

I feel like I've already cover this. But here's MeMeMe producing another dupe for a Benefit product. And I actually like this one. It's meant to be great for creating shimmer and highlighting skin. I've been mixing it in with my foundation to create a subtle shimmer and dewy finish, as well as applying it under my blusher as a highlight. It's been pretty effective. Great buy for less then £6!

TRESemme - Instant Refresh Cleansing Dry Shampoo (£4.99)

I feel like I've gained like 6 dry shampoos thanks to boxes alone. Not sure I've bought one in ages. I don't use these a lot to help refresh my hair, I use them more for volume and helping boost my curls when I have curly hair. This one smells nice and does help with volume. Nice to get a full size product as well! 

Annoyingly, another half decent Glossybox. I've claimed my last free for May so hopefully that will be good. And it will be my last one. I need to make cut backs and overall I still feel that Glossybox is losing to Birchbox. Plus, Glossybox now officially costs more than Birchbox. But I'll review one more in May, so let's hope it's a good un!

Birchbox April 2014 Review - Good Enough to Eat?

Well, happy April Birchbox all! This month's box was featured around the idea of Good Enough to Eat. It featured delicious scents and foodie elements to tie everything together. Now, before we dive into what came in the box, I must first apologise. Normally, I take the photos of the items that come in the box, or with a nice background etc. This month, my Birchbox arrived like this:

 

Not too great for taking photos of. Great impression there! Had to contact their customer service regarding this, I was honestly really lucky that nothing in the box was damaged I guess! Anyhoo! on the photos of the products I managed to take!

Propercorn - Sweet Coconut and Vanilla (90p)

Let's start with the actual food! This sweet popcorn by propercorn was immense. And I liked the size of the packet, the whole lot was only 40 calories which I thought was awesome, so I'll be keeping my eye out for more of their stuff in this size. I don't think I could eat more than this amount of this flavour anyway, it is very sweet and a tad sickly, but a good sugar and sweet hit I' d happily enough again!

Color Club - Gala's Gems Nail Polish (£15 for a set of 4)

This month, we were emailed earlier in March by Birchbox asking us to choose which colour of 4 we would like from this collection of polishes. I liked this option, and I went for the shimmery pastel green colour that is called 'Breakfast At...'. It's really creamy and long lasting with a nice subtle shimmer, perfect for spring and summer I think. I've always liked Color Club polishes when I've come across them and this one is great as always.

Campos De Ibiza - Almendra Body Milk (£16.55)

Right, omg this body lotion smells like holidays. I can't place why this is. But it does. I used this once and I could smell it all day. It literally made me think of holiday and sun all day. Immense stuff. I've since then decided to keep it for when I go on actual holiday as it's a perfect size. The lotion itself is classed as a body milk, it is runnier than other creams certainly, but it is hydrating and like I say, it smells like being on holiday and the scent clings to your skin all day. I might treat myself to using this again tomorrow after going on about it there again! Doubt I would really pay the full amount for this, but it is lovely.

Lord & Berry - Couture Kohl Eye Pencil (£10)

A black eyeliner. Always useful I guess. But I feel like we've had a lot of these in boxes recently! This one is a mini size which is handy and Lord & Berry are a good brand so I'll let that slide. It is quite long lasting and goes on easily. I've yet to try it in my waterline though, it'd be great if it worked well there! I would probably stick to my Rimmel eyeliners though, they are cheaper and do last all day!

TheBalm Cosmetics - How Bout Them Apples? (£26 for whole Palette)

Last time we got a thebalm product I loved it. This time is exactly the same. This is a cream blusher/lip cream, I got the very pink colour called Pie. It's a great product for someone like me. I worry about putting on too much blusher sometimes and this is great for finding a good balance. I literally dip my finger in it like 3 times then just pat it over the apples of my cheeks and it just looks so subtle and pretty. Great product. 

Yes to Cucumbers - Facial Wipes (£4.99)

I've used these before having bought them myself once and I do like them a lot. Very refreshing and manage to get makeup off fairly easily. Again, due to this ones handy size these have been put towards my 'taking on holiday' pile. Just the right number of wipes to last a week on holiday! 

Well, that's April's fun over. I have to say I really liked the box, I will actually use everything in it without an issue (and the popcorn has been munched already). I'm really enjoying Birchbox at the moment, so hopefully they can keep it up! Minus the damaged boxes of course! See you later guys!

Glossybox March 2014 Review

Welcome to March's Glossybox. This months theme was Beauty Blossom, meant to help us welcome in spring. Not to be my usual sarcastic self or anything, but it didn't feel springy to me. It annoyed me I'd forgotten to cancel my subscription. And they've just charged me again for April's one. I need to act quicker! Just not been impressed with much in this box for quite some time. Always seem to be giving it one last chance, but I think this needs to be the last one. In the box I have only used one product happily. Let's go through everything that was in it though, we might as well!

 Dove Hair Therapy - Intensive Repair 60 Second Treatment Shot £1.49 Full Size

This was the product I happily used. I like Dove treatments and intensive conditioners, so this was easy to get used up. It did help make my hair feel softer and smelt nice. Pretty good all round if you need a pick up for your hair. It lasts a good few uses as well so there's a bonus.

Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 week Tan Lotion - Full Size £37.50

So, I saw these in the box. It raged me a little. Sachets? Really? and of a product I would never even use in normal life. I think I've fake tanned like twice ever in my life. And even I know that these two sachets would be lucky to even cover an arm each. Might look a tad silly, no? Needless to say, I have not touched these. Seems pointless!

Mitchell and Peach Body Cream - Full Size £36

Here we have a body cream. Nice texture and really moisturising. But goodness me. The smell is something else. If you like incredibly floral scents then this is the one for you. But not for me, I found the smell overpowered my perfume and just was not to my taste at all. If you like flowery smells though, knock yourself out!

Bellapierre Cosmetics Shimmer Powder - Full Size £12.99

This is basically shimmery eye dust. It does have a good colour pay off, this shade is somewhere between rose gold and bronze. I don't mind this product at all, but I have had it before in a silver colour, and same now as then, if I wanted an eye dust I'd spend the extra to get a MAC pigment or less on a Barry M Dazzle Dust thingy. Nice, but not something I'd buy again.

Sleek MakeUP Pout Polish - Full Size £4.49

Finally, this is a basic tinted lip balm product from Sleek. I quite like sleek products but I wouldn't normally buy a lip balm from them. Especially for nearly a fiver. I'm so picky with prices these days. I got the kinda nude, peachy colour, it has some shimmer in it too. Handy it has SPF in it as well. I might keep it more until my holiday. You don't need much of the product though, so I'm guessing it might last you quite some time.

Well, it's official. Last month has to be the last one of these boxes. I can't justify being unhappy with something I'm spending money on regularly as a treat to myself. I need to be happy overall for it to be worth it for me. Someone remind me to cancel once the April one has been dispatched!

Birchbox March 2014 Review

So, welcome to March's Birchbox! This month was a collaboration edition with Lulu Guinness, so she had chosen two picks in the box so I'll you see those later on! I have to say, I was a little disappointed at the box design itself. I was kind of expecting a stripey box that would stand out from the normal birchboxes. But it was simply the usual box with a sleeve around it. I wanted a funky box I guess. But hey ho, time to look at the products inside!

Dr Brandt Pores No More Refiner - Full Size £39

So this product is meant to minimise pores and absorb excess oil. You pop it on before makeup and it should help makeup apply smoother as well basically. It is quite smoothing I found, but for the price there are plenty more primers out there that do a similar job.

Aroma Works Nurture Body Oil - Full Size £32.50

This oil is applied just after you come out the bath or shower and is meant to nourish your skin and leave you smelling nice. I felt it smelled mostly of verbena and lemon which was quite pleasant. I did use all the product up and it was nice to treat my skin to oil on occasion, but I definitely don't like oil enough to invest in the full price of this one!

Cellu-Cup - £16

First thought when I saw this item was pretty much 'what the frack?!', it's rather odd. It's designed to help fight cellulite basically, and is used on soapy wet skin or after applying oil. You basically slide it back and forth over the area you are wanting to treat. Now, in all honesty, I have not yet tried this product. It seems so random. But, having booked a holiday this week, I guess trying anything to fight cellulite is worth at least a few tries. My other half has already raised his eyebrow at this tho! I'll be keeping it in the handy wee bag anyway, it's just so odd looking! But hopefully it might help!

Candy Rock

This was one of Lulu's picks. Her newest collection apparently took inspiration from this kind of design in rock. Fair enough, not that exciting, but I'll certainly get it eaten. No bother.

English Laundry No.7 for Her - Full Size £47

Now, if you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you'll know I detest perfume samples or sachets of things. If I can ask for one for no cost in a department store or Boots, then I don't feel it's a good item to get in a beauty box I pay for. Basically. Every time I review my box on the birchbox site I comment on this as well, but still, here's another one. This one is very vanilla scented, not really my kind of fragrance I have to say. Far too sweet. It's nice to try new scents I agree, but if I really wanted to do that, I'd go and hit Boots.

Benefit Stay Don't Stray - Full Size £20.50

Finally, onto the other of Lulu's picks in this box. This is Benefit eye primer called Stay Don't Stray. It can be put on your eyelid as well as under the eye to help any concealer stay in place. I've been using this since I got it and it's been pretty decent so far. I normally use Urban Decays Primer Potion and this is certainly close to as good as that. It is helpful it comes with an applicator so you can limit how much product you use, and I guess you might get more out of the bottle than you could with the potion. It certainly does it's job, but if my primer potion is still cheaper than this, I won't be swapping over as yet.

So there you have it. March's collab box. I have to say, out of the items in this one, I will use everything, but I really only like 2 products (candy doesn't count!). Above you can see everything else that came with the box, a voucher to try Benefit's 'gimme brow' at a benefit counter, the usual insert card, the box covering and a booklet of 'Life Lessons as told by Lulu Guinness'. I have to say I didn't really learn anything by reading it other than things about her new collection and that she likes red lipstick. Fair enough, onto April!

February Shopping Haul

Starting to think this might become a regular monthly feature at the rate I'm going! normally I don't have very many shopping trips and I do far less random trips to the shops now I've changed jobs and I no longer work near shops so that's been helping and I'm spending less! Win Win! But in February one of my oldest friends was having a birthday party, so a small shopping trip was called for. Mostly in search of a dress or outfit to wear. But of course, I never managed to get an outfit. Instead I came back with other stuff. We hit Glasgow to get some bigger, better shops than usual, but still no success! But here's what I managed to sneak away with!

 

Philosophy - Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie Shower Gels

 

 

First stop naturally was Boots. Where we all discovered these awesome bargains. I love Philosophy proudcts but very rarely will pay the high price that goes alongside them. However, Philosophy products on sale? I'm all over that. These were apparently from the Christmas range, and they were wait for it....£3.50 each. Holy Moly. And literally the apple pie one makes me hungry. Can't wait to get using these anyway! Yummy and a bargain, amazing.

 

Loreal Studio Line - Texturisng Spray and Heat Activated Wave Spray

 

I'd heard great reviews on this texturizing spray and thought I would have to try it on my curly hair days so I snapped it up. It was also buy 2 products for £4.50, so I found another one that took my fancy. Again, it's one to help with my curls, but I was curious and it states that drying my hair will still help keep waves and hopefully curls, so I need to get trying these both this weekend!

 

Forever 21 - Monochrome Scarf and Black Cardigan

 

 

Fairly standard for me. I needed another boring cardigan for work and I'm addicted to scarves. Pretty straight forward really. Plus the scarf is so soft it's loverly.

 

 

I also snapped up these accessories in Forever 21. Two funky hair bows and a chevron bracelet. I have a slgith thing for chevrons and I occasionally fancy bows in my hair at random times.  Not had a chance to use the bows as yet, annoyingly my job involves wearing a headset most of the time, so I'd probably end up knocking them around in my hair and looking silly. Save them for days off perhaps. I've worn the bracelet lots though so far, love it a lot. As far as I can remember the bracelet was £6.99 and the bows were around £4.

 

MAC - Black Grape Pressed Pigment and Amber Lights Eyeshadow

 

 

It's not a proper shopping trip to Glasgow without going into MAC really. I was only aiming to buy one more eyeshadow for my palette and somehow this pigment caught my eye. It's so shimmery. It spoke to me. Love them both. I have a feeling my MAC collection will just keep growing. Ahh well. What can you do?

 

Lush - Popcorn Lip Scrub and Celestial Moisturiser

 

 

In my aim for this year to wear lipstick more often, I thought I better start taking better care of my lips, so I headed right towards the lip scrubs when we hit Lush. And this one smells amazing, good thing you can eat it. I decided to go back to an 'old faithful' moisturiser I used to use a while ago that my skin seems to love. More than I would normally spend on a moisturiser, but my skin has been crying out for something decent, I thought it was worth a try going back to something I used to really like.

 

Shopping trip over. No outfit bought. I hit the internet shopping when I got home and found a dress though, so hooray!! but hey, it was a good day and I got some things I'm looking forward to using!

 

Empties - February 2014

So, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and get on with this empties malarkey! I love watching these videos on YouTube, so I thought I would do one every so often on the blog to show you guys what products I've been loving just that much that I've used them up totally! Let's face it, essentially this is a post about my rubbish. But hey, it might be interesting! Only a few products this month that were worth showing here, so I'll need to collect more for next time I guess! So, let's get a start on the products! Apologises in advance for the pictures, they were slightly rushed!

 

Lush - Snow Fairy Showergel/Shampoo

 

 

It's official, I am addicted to this stuff. Every time Christmas comes around, I hit Lush to treat myself to this beauty. I've been buying it for years anyway! It does take me a while to get through a bottle, mostly because I like to actually use this as a shampoo. It used to state on the bottle that it was a showergel/shampoo but there's no mention on this more recent packaging. But still, I love to use it on my hair. It makes it smell like candy floss. What's not to like? I find the scent lingers on my hair as well, more so than it does if I were to just use it as a shower gel anyhoo. Top product, more to come as soon as I can buy it again I would think!

 

Givenchy - Noir Couture Mascara Sample

 

 

I recently discovered this again, after getting it a Glossybox a while back and never using it. Just decided I would try and get it used up! It's got a weird wand with different sections on it and I found that this helped with volume on my lashes. It did begin to flake a little by the end of the day, but it did make my lashes look good all of my working day, so I stuck it out and got it used up. I would never pay the full price for this whatsoever though, so although it was a decent mascara, I have cheaper ones that do the same really.

 

Macadamia - Nourishing Leave in Cream

 

 

This is a leave in texturizing cream from macadamia. This means mostly that it smells insanely yummy. Like most macadamia products really! I used this on days I wasn't going to straighten my hair, so it would help give my curls texture and help them last a little longer. Since this ran out I've switched to a tigi product for my curls and they are both performing similarly so I'll maybe investigate if I can find a cheaper alternative when that runs out. I only tend to wear my hair curly on my 2 days off a week, so it will take me some time to get through my current product, but cheaper is what I'll look for next! Well, why not?

 

Urban Decay - All Nighter Make Up Setting Spray

 

 

Now, this product has taken me forever to use up. I honestly cannot remember when I bought it originally. It took me some time to start using it every day, I literally used to save it for nights out so it would help my makeup last all night, rather than using it to help it last all day as well. But hooray for youtubers using it in tutorials and I swapped to using it every day. I think it does help my make up last that bit longer, and I notice less creasing etc with my eyeshadows than I do when I've not used the spray. Really good product, I would buy again if I could afford to do so and now Urban Decay have lots of different versions of this spray so I'll need to investigate which one will suit me best first. At the moment I've done my usual and swapped to a cheaper alternative for now to see how it works for me. I couldn't really argue paying £3 for a similar product from MUA. Worth a shot I say!

 

That's it then! I hope this is actually interesting to you guys, please let me know if you want to see these posts more regularly and I'll do my best to remember and save my empty products to show off!