Thursday 19 December 2013

Birchbox - Dec 2013 Christmas edition





So this is the Christmas edition from Birchbox and i must say i was quite impressed. However again it wasn't overwhelming. Maybe we have been spoilt with Laura mercier these past two months to appreciate the contents fully. In looking at my box after some thinking, i came to the conclusion it was a far more cohesive box then its counterpart. It had items for haircare, skincare, makeup and nail item to jazz your look for the festive season. 


Contents :
Nail Rock - Glitter nail art kit
Twistband hair tie
Sin care - Party girl Facial serum
Alima pure - Luminous eyeshadow
Number 4 - Non aerosol hair spray
Aromatherapy Associates - Bath oil 

So my box was very generous and quite surprising. I wasn't expecting the serum or to receive quite decent sample sizes. This sin-care facial serum is always a nice option within a box to trial new skincare. Aromatherapy associates i really like there oils and only takes a small amount to gain great throws of scents. 

So the party items in the Nail rock kit (Mine was the golden glitter) i usually would find this quite messy and just go with adding a top coated glitter polish. However I'm willing to try something new and pamper myself for an evening doing my nails. Plus its a full kit so you will gain a few uses from this set. The Alima pure eyeshadow is a lovely almost duo-chromes of vanilla and golden tones to add to a lovely christmas look. Really multi functional use as you can use this as a subtle highlight for new year as well (If your going for a party look).

The twist-band is a really good item to have as an emergency in your bag. As you may find you need to tie your hair up when it gets too hot within a function, this will protect your hair. Unfortunately my hair is so thick it would not hold my hair as from previous experience. I will try this one to see if the band is better able to hold my hair on this occasion.  As with the Hairspray it offers a light and free coating on the hair, however it was in my opinion not going to offer my hair the hold it requires. 

So overall the box as i said was good and covers all the bases to help the party season go off with a bang, plus its great sample sizes. All the things we ask for in beauty box but just don't feel this years boxes went far enough to surprise. The gift card was useless as to spend $20 in a overseas shop then all the customs and expense that comes with it, really is not worth the hassle. Especially when you think they could have bulk sent them over to distribute in our boxes. So a better box then counterparts but could have had more wow factor. 



LoveMebeauty - Dec 2013




So lovemebeauty is the most amazing box i have subscribed too. It offers the choice to the subscriber of which box you wish to receive each month, so that you are not left with products you wont use. There is a equal amount of love for makeup brands and skincare. There will always be 2-3 products that wont change within each box then the last 2 will change to meet different needs. There are also perks to gain new samples within each months box, surveys, friend referrals etc. Amazing decent sized samples to gain an accurate feeling of how a product works for you. 


Contents of the box ; 
S5 - Restore cream
Rodial - Glamtox day 
Lord and Berry - Intensity Lipstick in "Glazed Pink"
Lord and berry - Lipliner in Romantica 
Headline colours - Quicksand colour 
Extra sample of Essential care - Facial wash


I really love that they do give you the options between 4 boxes. So you can have the option of products you would use, then you can be safe knowing what you will receive is too your needs. 

So this month the staple products within the box were the Lord and berry products plus the Nail polish. The nail polish was a lovely neutral brown colour along with the lipstick being a natural colour. As with the party season i usually will go with a heavy eye look then a light lip colour. The Romantica pencil gives the lip a lovely plum pink look. As with all neutral colours you can have the option to jazz them up.

So then we come to the extra products within the box that i choose. Which would be the S5 restore cream, which i did choose because within the winter my skin needs that hydration. All helps hydrate and i do need a hydrating skincare within this season. It was a nice treat to be given such a high end skincare to use. 

Then the second item came again from a high-end skincare brand. Rodial glamdox day can be used as a primer and also highly praised within the makeup artist world. It can also be used as a regular skincare item for plumping and hydrating purposes also preventing hydration loss. 

So im really impressed with this box as it has a great balance of skincare with makeup for this festive season. Plus what i love most is that your given the option of choice with this box. So no nasty surprises or items that don't meet your needs. I cant wait too see what 2014 brings, however i would love to see more brands added to trial. As the sample sizes are fantastic and also cater for a wide range plus a very nice treat with high end skincare brands included. 



Tuesday 17 December 2013

Glossybox - Dec 2013 Christmas edition






So Christmas edition boxes time, usually means a box of wonder and joy. So did they deliver ? I tried glossybox again for this month to see what they had in store. I wasn't disappointed. 


Beautiful red Christmas box and very festive. With candy cane paper for packing and a white ribbon to keep it all neatly in the box. On the top the Glossy magazine with Kimberly Wyatt on the cover. Festive treasures is the title of the contents included. 


So the contents of the box are ;
-Maybelline : Brow drama sculpting mascara 
- Seche : Nail lacquer
- Sanctuary spa : Active resurface and ultra polish
- Beautiful movements cosmetics : Nude lip gloss 
- Wilkinson sword Intuition : Naturals Razor 


Amazing box for me and really love all the products. I haven't tried any maybelline brow mascara so this was a bit of a hit and miss for me. I don't use a pencil and like my brush and gel application. I love the colour tattoos as i find them so versatile as products. However its something new and not a repeat product.

The naturals razor is perfect as I needed a new one. Since my skin is now quite dry at winter to have a moisturising, plus something that won't make my skin react is a nice edition. Then with the sanctuary spa included it makes for a box of amazing skincare, especially when the elements are so harsh. However i do wonder about the timing as a lot of bloggers have pointed out, this would have suited a summer box more when tanning and dresses are in season. 

The Seche polish is a lovely gold/bronze colour. Perfect for the holiday season and a lovely brand of polish which is beautiful on application. Looks more beautiful in different lights as the gold and bronze interchange. 

The lip gloss is a lovely nude natural colour. I'm not usually a lip gloss kinda gal but this gloss is a lovely nude. I really nice to know its a natural brand too. Plus no sticky pay-pah lips as i call them. 

So I'm very impressed with this box, however for a Christmas box and after having a Glossybox last year in comparison it's pretty meh. Last year we recieved a makeup palette with Seche polish and it was spectacular. This year seems very meh in regards to being something special. I kind of expect a Christmas box to include a lot of makeup based products. Something to make your looks seperate from the normal daily looks. 







Monday 16 December 2013

Joico - Style and Finish new products


So when i was asked to review some of the New editions to the Style and finish range at Joico, i was more then happy to oblige. My hair struggles with products and with the technology involved within Joico's product to protect hair as well as get the best out of it. I knew i was dying to try the Power Whip and Power Hold hair spray. 

The style and finish range is described as ;

Our Style & Finish formulas
feature the latest and greatest breakthroughs in hair care and styling technology to meet every styling challenge head on, while actually improving and maintaining the condition of your hair.

Ethos of the company ;

Our company Mission and Core Values are expressed as such", says Jones, adding "our mantra says it all... 'All for the love of beauty'. From the stylist behind-the-chair who's passionate about revealing the potential of every person's individual beauty to the client who walks out of the salon and into the world with a bold new look and confidence, Joico gives you the power to transform hair and transform people.  Joico is a company whose purpose is to support the salon professional. Everything we do—from continually pushing the boundaries of technology to improve the performance of our products in the salon and at home, to exploring innovative ways to inform and inspire - is done with the stylist in mind. 


So firstly the Power Whip, described as :

A concentrated, whipped styling foam that creates maximum density and incredible volume that lasts even in high humidity. Plum Kernel Oil nourishes hair with incredible moisture without adding weight.
This creamy, luxurious feeling foam will lock your style in place for up to 72 hours. It will deliver an ultra-firm, flexible and touchable hold with incredible fullness, thickness and volume.


Sleek professional packaging with a helix in the corner to symbolise the nutrients. Very stylish addition to anyone's hair routine. Now the hair whip is ideal for my curly and uncontrollable hair. I find if I use a mousse then it will end up, overloaded and just crispy feeling. Or it will just run out over the course of the day so my ends and underneath will be so frizzy. I don't like to put so much in that it's obviously loaded heavy with product. I just would like to put enough in when it's drying so it then binds it for the day. This is why I like the holding rating on the products, this will give you the perfect product for whatever event. So if I was just wanting to hold my hair lightly for a daily effect then I can choose a lesser strength. This doesn't make my hair feel crunchy or loaded. I always put serum on before then the mousse, it still looks natural with this product. So I'm really happy with the power whip. 

Then we come to the Power Hold Hair spray :

A fast-drying, ultra-fine mist aerosol hairspray with firm to ultra-firm hold. Opal Powder creates tremendous shine, and special silicones contribute to a smaller particle size for a non-sticky fixative. hair is 5.5 times more thermally protected to 450°F. Colour-safe.
This firm to ultra-firm, layerable hairspray will give your hair a long- lasting, firm yet flexible finish that isn’t hard feeling. Plus, it will increase your shine by 170% and protect your hairstyle from humidity by 89%, (even after three days).


Now the finishing spray is probably the product I would use regularly as it just illuminates them last stragglers. Its a light spray and again if your like me and have really uncontrollable hair, I use serum first. Then this hair spray will definately give you a light feeling and hold. It smells amazing and also leaves your hair seperated even with the heavy hold rating.
So I'm so impressed with the Joico products as they definately remind me of salon quality. Giving you that hold with your hair still feeling light and bouncy. 



Friday 13 December 2013

My beauty Compare website and Discount codes




So I recieved an email regarding the release of a new website called mybeautycompare.com. Which for a blogger is heaven and anyone whom has trouble narrowing down perfect beauty products. 

About us ;

MyBeautyCompare.com finds the best beauty products for YOUR profile. It combines the world’s premier beauty price comparison site together with your beauty profile to deliver personalised best product matches for YOU.

Women are finding it increasingly difficult to find a unique source for unbiased and personalised recommendations and have drawers at home full of untouched beauty products. They are currently overwhelmed by the amount of information available by the media, beauty counters, spas and the net and as busy students, working professionals or mothers, who has time to go through it all? Don’t you instead find yourselves turning to your friends for advice?

MyBeautyCompare.com is your global network of beauty friends providing unprecedented personalised recommendations. Enter your beauty profile and we match this with 1000s of unbiased recommendations from real women who share your beauty bio and deliver instant results through our price comparison site. We offer over 150, 000 products across skin care, makeup, body, hands and feet, hair and fragrances covering from mass to prestige and salon brands. Furthermore we provide a forum to help resolve your beauty dilemmas through our qualified experts.

MyBeautyCompare.com is your best friend for beauty, we find the perfect products for you so you don’t have to, helping you look and feel beautiful!

Then it formulates a personalised product list for your requirements. So while you maybe on the hunt for that perfect foundation for dry skin, let mybeautycompare do all the work. 

Then it will take those products and compare the best price for you and where to purchase. Also offering the latest discounts and offers suited to your needs.  Beauty lovers can I get a hallahlujah !! Finally a website that can tailor to our needs and no more hoarding products. 

As a Christmas bonus and hello to my readers,  they have kindly given me 3 discount codes for you to all use. So happy Christmas shopping. 

-Debenhams: code: DD46 starts 11th and ends 15th dec
-beauty expert code: TENOFF ends17th dec
-look fantastic code SPARKLE10 ends 17th dec





W7 - Makeup and Nail polish





W7 cosmetics widely known as a brand that is affordable and quality product range. I was kindly sent some products to do a review on. As I heard the boxed powders were affordable dupes to some more expensive counterparts. I've decided to buy some to review aswell. So there will be a part 2 for face and box powders from W7.


So I was sent to review mostly eye products from the range, plus a nail polish. 
   
I was kindly sent Rock and roll , Glitter eyeliner in black , Stardust in silver , Magic eyes mascara in black, Eyelid primer and finally a beautiful red glitter polish. 

The Rock and roll eyeshadow is a rollerball mechanism. It is a beautiful brown colour with micro shimmers. So I will do a natural eye, then run the rollerball over my lid to add the shimmer. Perfect for the party season and these come in a range of colours. So if you want to add some zing to a favourite matte shade then use this product. 

The stardust glitter is a mix of different sized glitters, at first I was not too sure about this as a pigment. It seemed very chunky and could be irritating, if not stuck down properly or if you have sensitive eyes. I personally would use this in a special effect look around the cheeks etc. I just don't feel very comfortable to put such a chunky glitter on my lid. I will of course to see and give it the chance to prove me wrong. So il use a mixing medium as a adhesive then pat it on top. 


The black glitter Eyeliner I had expected a splotchy and uneven application. However il admit I was wrong and this eyeliner was very easy to apply. Very pigmented but with the glitter can come across charcoal looking. So I would place a black below this, then apply the glitter on top so it's colour is striking. It is excellent for party and going out looks or too jazz up a natural look. I found this to be the product that shocked me the most. I would purchase more colours.

The red nail polish also shocked me too. Expecting to have to layer this at least twice to gain a sufficient coverage. I found one coat gave me quite a pigmented layer with only a second needed for touch ups. It didn't chip easily which again surprised me and came off easily. I must say the quality of these products has improved since I last used W7.


So into the Magic eyes mascara which reminds me of another brands tube. 
It is a good mascara that offers a brush to seperate lashes. It does not clump but I would leave time between applications. As with every mascara I've used, I would defiantly recommend this step. It allows proper setting and drying time. This is a good affordable mascara for daily use. 


Primer magic eye primer is a creamy white primer. I must admit I did catch a wiff of a almost chemical smell. It applies so easily and absorbs into the eyelid. 
Eyeshadows blend well but it's not particularly tacky so it's more of a primer to lay a base. I would choose a tackier primer for heavy pigments and glitters. For a just eyeshadow primer it's perfect and a nice texture too. 

W7 can be found on fragrance direct or any number of reputable sites online. I would recommend investing in the box powders as you will see from my next review and also the Eyeliners, Nail polishes and shadows. 



Tuesday 10 December 2013

YouBeauty Discovery box - Nov 2013



YouBeauty box has been the beauty subscription I've most enjoyed recently, plus feel gives the most amazing value for money. At £6.95 including postage with a choice of your samples rather then a pre-picked box. This maintains that you choose what you love, no one assumes what you may like. The pick of samples is vast, from tanning products including the mitt to haircare products plus tools.


This month was centred all around party glamour it seemed. It was very apparent that the products were aimed, at getting ready for the Christmas and new year party season. 


As well as the 2 samples that come within each box, this month they were 
Flash by Jimmy choo
Green and blacks (Raisin and Hazelnut chocolate)

My contents ; 
Awpawai hair duo 
Becca illuminating shimmer 



I think out of all the beauty boxes I've subscribed to, YouBeauty consistently offers me new and exciting samples. 
No repeats and defiantly no sparcety in sample size. I wish that all beauty boxes had this quality. 




Monday 9 December 2013

Soap and Glory - Girl O Whirl Christmas set



So in the run up to Christmas when we all are looking for the perfect gifts, why not look at Soap and glory's offerings. This year they released a selection of gift ranges from their cosmetics line. So I'm am reviewing the Girl O Whirl set, which has a selection of the Soap and Glory cosmetics within a glossy black casing. Now this will be a picture heavy review as I want to show you the full beauty of the set. 


So Soap and glory discribe the set as ;
A cornucopia of colour, a stack of glamour, a bundle of bestselling beautystuff. Any way you apply it, colours that’ll give any girl the gift of gorgeous. 


This beautiful set includes ; 

- 6 Lid Stuff™ eyeshadows

- 6 Supercolour fabulipsticks™ 
- Thick & Fast™ Super Volume mascara 
- Sexy Mother Pucker™ gloss stick in Nudist
- Glow All Out™ luminising face powder 
- Solar Powder™ multi-shade bronzer
- Eyeshadow brush 
- Lip brush
- Blusher brush


Eyeshadows and Lipsticks
I will go through the eyeshadows and lipsticks first (swatches included). 
The fabulipsticks come in 6 shades, which are a perfect mix of nude through to a red shade. 
Top shades are : Naked beige, Guavarama and Red my lips
Bottom shades are : Missing pink, Perfect day and Man trap 
Now they are creamy and highly pigmented. It has a lip brush included for application, which is soft considering I do find applicators redundant in kits. This brush is suitable if you wish to travel and not bring additional tools.

The eyeshadows I've used before from a lid stuff quad palette. However I don't have these shades, so it was nice to have more to experiment with. 
Top shades : Vanilla, Wild blue and Smokin
Bottom shades : Minky , Dandy plum and Black gold 
Now Vanilla is embossed with the Soap and glory logo (as is like the quads, one shade being embossed). From my experience of the quad which was very creamy, blended well however I found a shade or two a little chalky. These shades seen to be more buttery and extremely pigmented with only a little swatch needed. Wild blue and Black gold are the most pigmented of the set, which was lovely as the blue is beautiful. A very unique shade indeed, then paired with smokin or Black gold could be an amazing smokey eye look. The colour choices are perfect for the season, plus defiantly give you more then one look. 


Beauty powders
The bronzer (Solar powder) and luminising (Glow all out) powder within the kit are just like the boxed versions. 

Solar powder is the bronzer side and a subtle bronzer with slight shimmer when applied. It can easily be built up using the darker half of the powder if you feel it's too subtle. 
Glow all out is the luminizer powder included. Now it looks quite heavily white on the swatch, but this is a heavy to show how it appears. You would not use this much in reality and only need a small amount. It can be used multi purposely for highlighting the cheeks, nose and Cupid's bow. It's not powdery and does blend well to a shimmer finish, help bring out that seasonal glow. I do like this powder as it is easy and blendable. 


Additional extras
The added extras in the kit you will find the brushes needed for eye, lip and powder finishes. They are soft and perfectly usable tools for the application of the products intended for use.

Sexy Motherpucker : Gloss stick in Nudist 
I use this gloss stick as a handbag essential, they are hydrating and offer a hint of colour. Perfect for winter also as they offer the perfect shade to look natural. 

Thick and fast Mascara : is soap and glory's mascara that offers thick and Volumous lashes. A bristled ended brush that seperates and coats lashes, leaving no clumps. A perfect way to finish a look off. 

The contents :

So all in all this impressive kit will give a loved one, a full set of makeup introducing them to Soap and glory. Also offer them quality and the perfect travel case (the plastic holding is not fitted, so can be removed easily).

I do wish that the Cat-eyeliner had been included as this truely would have made it the set to beat. However as whole this set won't disappoint, the colours are pigmented and a mix of usable products.  Very impressed at this years gift offerings from Soap and Glory. 



Do you like Soap and glory's Christmas offerings this year ? 


Sunday 8 December 2013

Top brands and Websites for Christmas




So I have decided to do a few posts before Christmas of natural brands and also bespoke gifts made by talented and inspiring ladies. I will be doing more posts in the run up to christmas but here are a few sites to get you started and also my favourite places to purchase beauty items. 

1. Nourish Skincare 


One of the most amazing finds for me this year. I want to express my gratitude to Nourish for allowing me to review there amazing natural products. 
I love there mini kits and I think they will make excellent presents for those dear to you and if you rather natural products. 

2. Basil and thyme bespoke gifts -


A lovely bespoke company whom offer a beautiful and friendly service. Catering to any need and with the Christmas selection looking delightful. I will be purchasing some Christmas pudding and snowball bath bombs for stocking fillers. 

3. Nima Brushes - 


Nima brushes I had reviewed and would find these to be a lovely addition to an avid makeup users collection. 


4. Bagza Character bags - 


One of the most beautiful handmade products ive come across but what makes Bagza character so special is Jackie whom runs and makes the bags. Jackie has now started making baby wear so check out her facebook and email her any orders or enquiries you may have.
Facebook 

5. (Affordable) BH cosmetics / BeautyUK / MUA / Barry M  -

     







6. (Mid-range) MAC / Urban decay / NARS / Stila  - 






















7. (Top-range) Tom ford / Charlotte tilbury / Sigma Brushes / Chanel / Dior 





































8. Escentual.com













One of the most reliable and well priced sites for beauty and gifts I've used this year. Always wonderful customer service and good loyalty points schemes just been introduced. Sign up to be made aware of 1/3rd off sales and offers. 
Website : Escentual.com

9. Soap and Glory 


Via boots or online stores. 


Just don't forget to have fun and enjoy the season with those you love.
Its the thought that counts and ultimately if you wish to, then make gifts yourself to show that personal touch. 




Where have i been ?

Many of us use makeup as we have a passion or or it is nessesity of our daily life. For me it is a mixture of things. It is one of those ...