Birchbox December 2013 Review

 

 

Another Christmas Beautybox offering. Hooray for Birchbox! They have the right idea anyway, something useful, and something sparkly! Only thing that's remotely annoyed me: new subscribers were given a bracelet from Baublebar. As existing subscribers we were given a $20 gift voucher to use on their website. Great, but hey, shipping costs more than the item I wanted to buy. Pointless. But still. Everything else wasn't too bad. Let's have a nosy at the items then!

 

 

yey! Aromatherapy Associates Revive Oil. Happy to this in a box. You can get this kind of thing in a gift set for like £10, so already I've almost made all my money back on this one product. That's what I like to see. And it's a great product, I like to put some on before I get in the shower then as you wash the essential oils seep out and smell divine and wake you up. I've been using it sparingly, but I love it.

 

 

Non-Aerosol Hairspray from No 4. Much better for the environment and it still keeps your hair in place. Great stuff! I used this mostly when I have curly hair and it helps keep the curl without being crunchy so a lovely product. But can't say I could afford the £19 price tag for the full size!

 

 

Classic Twistband, I have had these in a box from Birchbox before. They are really handy and don't crinkle your hair the same as regular hair bands. Another for my stash!

 

 

Party Girl Serum by Sin-Care. This is an expensive Serum (£46!) that helps brighten skin after too many parties. It's certainly nice, and goes on well before my moisturiser. But no way am I paying that price tag!

 

 

Sparkly Eyeshadow from Alima Pure. Love this over other colours at the moment. I have been applying a dark colour or even just a winged black liner, then gently patting this on the top and it just adds that little bit of sparkle that makes my day better. Subtle but sparkly.

 

 

Talking of sparkly. Wowza this is sparkly. You apply two coats of the polish then when it's still wet push your nail into the glitter pot then brush off the excess with a makeup brush. Its very glittery. Only thing I don't like is you can't really apply a top coat after so I tend to find the glitter falls off fairly easily and I wouldn't think this would last more than 2 days max. I only wore it for one evening at time. Good for an accent nail so it's easy to change I would say.

 

December Birchbox is definitely more up my street anyway. Glitter is what every gal wants for Christmas right?! (well, me anyway!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossybox December 2013 Review

 

Again, this month I was looking forward to a little Christmas Cheer and a slight improvement on Glossybox's part. Again, I'm not sure I'm convinced. In the past, boxes at Christmas are just more special, with some glitter and sparkle and exciting products you felt made you feel rewarded for just being a customer. But instead, this is what Glossybox offered in Decembers box.

 

 

This is without a doubt the single most random item I have ever received in a beauty box. Well, as far as I remember. If I needed a razor I would have gone out and bought one. Not something I can say I expected to get in this method. It's one that you only need water to use so it will be handy to use on holiday perhaps, but not much else really. This took up much of the box space and I would rather have had more make up than this to be honest.

 

 

And... they're back up to their old tricks. Samples of moisturiser. The actual product by Yin Yang Skincare is £20 for the full size. No thanks. The smell really put me off this stuff and I couldn't even finish one of the samples. I'm guessing I could have picked up these samples on a magazine page or in boots. Let's have a change please Glossybox!

 

 

Nude lip gloss by Beautiful Movements Cosmetics. Worth £12. Fairly standard lip gloss, and as a girly that doesn't really ever reach for lip gloss, I'm guessing this product will get passed onto someone who loves this kind of thing. More not for me.

 

 

Ahh, more comfortable now we have some nail polish haha. This is by Seche and I got the colour Irrestible, a very deep red with pinky undertones. It could be safe in one coat, I do like Seche polish, but this is not a colour I am ever really attracted to. Into the for sale pile this goes.

 

 

Finally, we have the smoky eyes colossal mascara from Maybelline. A lot of bloggers rave about some Maybelline mascaras so I was a little curious as to how this one would fare. It's meant to have black Kohl in it to make it more intense black colour. But I didn't find it amazing in anyway really. I needed at least 3 coats to get a black I was happy with, whereas my regular mascara only takes two. I'll use it up, but not something I would buy myself.

 

So, maybe I set my expectations too high. I maybe should have looked at recent Glossyboxes rather than thinking of the previous Christmas ones that were awesome. I was hoping Glossy would take from their previous awesome Christmas boxes, but nope. I have to say, I've now spent all my Glossydots on the January box, so I can then cancel my subscription after that. I've had Glossybox for years now but recently, I just don't feel it's worth it. I'd rather keep the money and hit Boots!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Latest in Beauty: The Glamour Beauty Edit

 

So, I went back for more. Last time Glamour joined forces with Latest In Beauty I snapped that box right up too and it is so insanely worth what you pay its crazy to not get right in there and buy one. Lots of items in here to get through! and believe it or not, this was only £15. Get following Latest in beauty on twitter so you know when the next one is released. That's how I found out!

 

 

Face oil by balance me. It's so nice to get a product from these guys that's not a moisturiser! This has a rollerball which is really handy too. I've been using it before bed and it smells nice and feels nice on the skin, I'll keep using up anyway!

 

 

Philip Kingsley One more Day Dry Shampoo. Hands down the best dry shampoo I've tried. It's not something I use lots and lots, but this one really leaves your hair feeling soft and normal. With no white stuff either. Lovely stuff.

 

 

Toni and Guy Hairspray. It's a great size to take on holiday and doesn't leave your hair sticky at all.

 

 

Eyeko Eyelash Curlers. These come with lovely velvet like handles which are at a different angle from other curlers I've used and once you're used to it, they are a breeze to use and get the job done well!

 

 

Benefit's They're Real Mascara. Some people love this so much. Other people say it flakes off and annoys them, but myself, I never had any issues with that at all. I'm enjoying using this along with the new eyelash curlers and feel my lashes look great with it. Not sure if I'd invest in a full size one as yet, I have so many more to get through first!

 

 

Hd Brows: Again, another really talked about piece of kit. I have to fully admit, I never much bothered about my eyebrows and filling them in until recently. And this kit has led the way forward really. I use the second to lightest shade and just feel it makes my brows look more defined without the coloured in look. Shame there's no tweezers in the kit though. That would be all you need for brows then really.

 

 

Maybelline Baby Lips. I love this product, already owning the cherry one it's nice to have another. And minty fresh at that. This is a handy good product, it doesn't really last for 8 hours but it does work in general and it's affordable.

 

So, yea. Next time there's a glamour edit available get your paws on this lot. Totally worth the money! and it's only an occasional spend, as well as you know what's coming in the box which helps you know if its worth it for you.

 

This post was not sponsored. I bought this with my own money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birchbox November 2013

 

So, welcome to another late review. ahem. This is the Birchbox from November. Some immense items. Some already gone! Let's just get right to it!

 

 

Getting started with the random items first. This is bust oil. Uh-huh. I totally needed that? I had no idea it was an item I could need to be honest! I had a mess about with it for a few tries, but not a product I ever thought about buying really, think I'll put this to one side. ahem.

 

 

Random item number 2. A selection of tea. Apparently it's quite nice. If you drink tea. Which I do not. Slight backfire there. Not sure I can update this section in my beauty profile though!

 

 

We're back to perfume samples again. Nooooo! This is from English Laundry. It smells very floral. Bout all there is to say about that!

 

 

A funky pencil sharpener from Birchbox. Very handy, these types of random things I appreciate! Win!

 

 

This is a highlighter pen. Pretty handy. And very subtle colour on the skin. Nice to try something different in this case anyway!

 

 

Weleda Oat shampoo for dry and damaged hair. Well, I definitely have dry and damaged hair, so this was worth a shot. I didn't really appreciate the smell and it left my hair feeling quite odd. Not sure if its a more clarifying shampoo? I used it up anyway, but its around £8 a bottle, I don't tend to spend that much on shampoo anyhoo.

 

 

Finally, this is why Birchbox is so clearly leading the way at the moment. Hello, Laura Mercier. A very generous sample of the Ambre Vanilla body crème. Oh my goodness. I am not a fan of vanilla normally, but holy crap this stuff was gorgeous. I savoured it for ages, using it only on my arms. And I felt like I could smell it at all times of the day. Just immense. I now lust after the full size. I stare at it in Harvey Nicholls. Then I remember I can't afford it. My birthday's not til next November, but I might ask for this. oh yes.

 

In general, the Laura Mercier made this box for me. Simple really! I do like the fact that if Birchbox gives you random things like samples or tea, you also still get a good number of decent items. I'll be sticking with Birchbox I think. So expect more reviews! yey!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late as Always! November Glossybox Review

So, naturally, after the disaster that was the October Glossybox, I was intrigued to see if it would get worse in November. It was definitely better, but still not very impressive on the whole. Well, let's have a quick nosy at the treats in the box.

 

Now, we all know I love me a good nail polish. But I am definitely snobby when it comes to the brand of the polish. Apparently this Quartz polish from B Cosmetics is worth £12, but there's better brands out there for less. It is a nice colour, a kind of grey/silver with silver flecks, and the brush is quite wide, making it easy to apply, but it's just not for me. This is available for sale on my blog sale section if you fancy it at all. Perhaps that says it all!

 

 

A selection of serums from Vichy, plus a moisturiser. Nothing exciting here really in all honesty. They all have quite a strong fragrance, so avoid if you are sensitive to this. I do appreciate these more than the sample sachets, but it's still only 3ml to try and decide if I'd want to use the product more. I think I'll skip it.

 

 

A perfectly nice eye shadow, with a nice texture. From a brand I've never heard of. (Emite Make Up) In the most boring colour ever and it's meant to cost £17? Again, not for me. Let's move on.

 

 

Another nail related item here. Again, you'd think I'd appreciate. But again, not. I am in love with my fast dry top coat, the HK Girl one right now and nothing could ever come close. I might use this on clients, but I could guarantee it would never dry as quick as my super duper top coat.

 

 

This time we've got a hand cream. It's mostly cocoa butter so it smells nice. This will definitely get used. Probably the best product in the box. Now, looking at what everyone got in their November box it does look like Decembers might continue on this same iffy level. Here's hoping not. I'll get into that next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tara's Talons Polish Club

 

Well, finally! A UK Indie Polish maker is onto a winner! Let me introduce you to the Polish Club from the lovely Tara of Tara's Talons. The basic idea is for only £10 a month, Tara will send you 2 limited edition polishes, one 5ml size and one 10ml size. This was my first time using polish from this brand and I was really impressed! It's great value as well! and nice to get something different every month that's just nail polish related.

 

 

The 5ml bottle I got was called Autumnal. It's a blue tinged kind of silver colour. A wee bit hard to describe! It looks really classy and shiny and with 3 coats it's opaque.

 

 

Secondly, I got a very very glittery polish called Oktoberfest! This has stars, bar glitters, hexes in all sorts of colours - red, black, great, silver. Naturally, I paired it with Autumnal and made a funky mani! I popped this on instagram and Tara noticed it and it's not my entry to her lovely Blog competition! Please go and vote for it at www.tarastalons.co.uk (shameless plug over!) here's the finished mani - look at the shine! I was really impressed with these two and I like the fact that the two polishes work well together as well.

 

 

 

If you guys fancy getting your polished paws on one of these pop on over Tara's site.

 

 

 

 

 

Birchbox October 2013 - Beauty Buzz

well, hellooooo Birchbox. You are winning. This month's box was immense. This has to be one of the best beauty boxes I've received since the beginning of me signing up. I am honestly so impressed. It obviously helps that October's glossybox was such a disappointment - but there is a visible gap of wonderfulness between it and Birchbox. The last few boxes have been pretty on the money, and October's really stood out. So, the theme was Beauty Buzz  - showing us celeb beauty favourites and samples with buzz. On with the show...of products.

 

 

The nipple balm is making a show in all the boxes right now, but I am more than happy to have 2 of these, they will get used! Great lip balm that's amazing to apply before bed and inject your lips with some much needed moisture. Great stuff.

 

 

Slightly random, but hey a gal can always use more toothpaste. Especially one in a handy travel size. This is getting saved for holidays but according to the info it kills bacteria, lifts stains, whitens teeth and freshens breath. Win win.

 

 

The multi-purpose cream that is Egyptian magic. You apply this between your hands until it turns to more like an oil, then spread over the skin or the ends of your hair. I've not tried it on my hair (too loyal to mythic oil!) but I did use it on my knees and elbows after a bath and it absorbed easily and felt loverly. Try and let it soak in overnight, it does wonders.

 

 

This ickle pot is an overnight face mask by Akane. It smells amazing. Apples, lots of apples. You put this on before bed and leave overnight and wash off in the morning. It really does feel like a face mask, you get that tightness in your skin as it starts to work, but I happily left it on overnight and it washed off easily and gave my skin a boost. Will keep using it anyways!

 

 

Lip and Cheek tint from The Balm Cosmetics, this is called Stainiac. It's a great wee product for using as a blush or as a lip stain. It's not at all sticky and just gives a subtle pink tone for blush. Another winner.

 

 

I do love me some kms. I've had this brand in a few boxes and have come to really like it. And this must have been chosen for me according to my beauty profile - so I was impressed with that alone! This moussy foam is used to help encourage curls and waves and since I have curly hair - it was right up my street. I learned the hard way though, that despite what the card says, putting it on towel dried hair - this must be done after you comb out your hair! otherwise you cannot get a brush through it! Second time lucky though, it worked well, but I felt it left me with more waves than curls, so I found that a tad strange look, I'm used to the curls making themselves known!

 

 

Finally, wowza. Some Laura Mercier. Now here is a brand I have always wanted to try but could never afford. Bloggers all over love this product, so I was always tempted but there's no chance I could cough up the £34 odd to get it. But, it is indeed lovely. I got the shade Nude and it suits my skin perfectly. It applies easily and blends well. I would love to invest at some stage, but the month before Christmas is perhaps too difficult a time! This makes me look forward to the November box - apparently we are getting more Laura Mercier. Whoop!

 

So, in summary. Immense October box Birchbox. Well done.