Beauty Blog

Glossybox time! I was particularly impressed with this months - the theme was 'City Chic' and even came with a little travel book with City guides and stickers! (I'm such a girl...)

Glossybox

Elizabeth Arden: Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant Fragrance Free

I am a huge fan of this cult product - I used to work for Elizabeth Arden and it's been their top seller for years. It sells itself as 'the worlds hardest working product' and it certainly is a wonderful multi-tasker. I use it, personally, on dry areas of skin such as elbows and knees, and also as a lip balm, intensive overnight moisturiser treatment and on cuticles. Thank you GlossyBox for this!

Nails Inc: St. James

Another win this month - I am not the hugest fan of Nails Inc, I don't get the cult following of their products as I think other products give better results at half the price, however this colour is perfect for my style and the size is great for popping in my handbag to cover chips and nicks on the go.

Juicy Couture: Couture La La

I always feel a little bit disappointed when I have a perfume sample in my Glossybox - the sizes are so small and you can usually get them free in a department store. I also usually don't like the scent anyway. This one isn't too bad though - a combination of 'bright, bold florals and sensual woods and musk'. Quite a grown-up scent that I'll probably pop in my handbag when I don't want to waste my usual, expensive perfume.

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics: Lip Blush

I *love* Jelly Pong Pong - their products are great fun and great mult-taskers. This is a lip stain with lip balm - it resulted in a sheer pink shade and because the texture is enriched with beeswax and cerasin it felt moisturising and nourishing too. The colour didn't last a particularly long time, but about right for this texture of lip product and the moisturising quality lasted a little while longer yet.

Tresemme: TRESemme Salon Finish Extra Hold Hairspray

Another item that I constantly use and need - hairspray! And again, the perfect size for my handbag on a night out! Hairspray is pretty self-explanatory... no need for a long review!

Beauty Blog

Christmas Glossybox!

After being very impressed with last months items I had high hopes for this box and I wasn't disappointed.

 

Beautifully packaged Glossybox

Seche Nail Laquer: Simplicity

Coming in 33 different shades, I was slightly disappointed to receive this very light peach, almost nude colour as I usually opt for reds or dark shades. The description claims that one coat 'leaves a strong pigmented and long-lasting colour...and satin smooth application dries quickly.' I'm very sceptical of claims like this so put it to the test: 

  

One coat - maybe the other shades will cover completely, with this colour one coat was definitely not enough. However I was pleased and surprised at how quickly it did dry. 

Second coat - I noticed a lot of dragging with this coat. The colour built up nicely however I had to be a lot more careful with the application and fill in a few sections with the brush after applying a full coat.

Final Coat - Again it was quite difficult to apply neatly, there was a *lot* of dragging and it took quite some time to get even. However once it was completed I was actually pleased with the colour: it's a very neutral 'grown-up' shade, despite being completely different to my usual colour choices, and makes my hands look longer!

Sleek Make-Up: True Colour Lipstick in Candy Cane

When I saw the colour name of this lipstick I was excited as I've been looking for a nice, pale pink lipstick. However, this definitely isn't it! It's a very, very bright pink, apparently designed to warm-up dull skintones during winter. Again, this is a shade I would never choose for myself, however for the purposes of research I did try it on - I really liked the application, it went on smoothly and left good colour coverage after one coat, and my lips felt moisturised due to the Vitamin-E formula. And in all honesty, I possibly would wear it again for a different look! 

Mary Greenwell: Lemon by Mary Greenwell Eau de Parfum

The one product in the box this month that I really didn't like. Apparently Mary Greenwell is 'a true British icon of style and beauty' - the one thing I can say I liked about this fragrance is that it reminds me of my Grandma's perfume (although whether that is a good thing in a 'new, modern scent' is debatable!) I shan't wear this in future.

Milk_Shake: Conditioning Whipped Cream

I haven't tried this product yet but I'm definitely looking forward to trying it! It smells divine and I'm hoping it will work wonders on my bleached-to-within-an-inch-of-it's-life hair! It is a 'leave-in conditioning foam with milk, wheat germ and casein proteins' and claims to be 'Ultra-niche and high-end' so I'm expecting great things from this product!

Sebamed: Anti-Dry Day Defence Cream

I love receiving little products like this in Glossybox - as I travel around so much I adore sample sizes of moisturisers and make-up products and this one is perfect. An intensive moisturiser designed for sensitive skin, a little went a really long way and left my skin feeling deeply moisturised.

Bonus - Glossybox Blusher: Glossy Pink

A really nice shade of blusher - because I'm so pale I'm very particular about blushers and rarely wear them. This looks quite heavily pigmented in the pot but had a really nice texture and looked quite flattering when I sampled it

Beauty Blog

It's Glossybox time!

As we are in the run-up to Christmas, this months theme was 'Stocking Fillers' and I was really impressed with the items this time!

Glossybox Stocking Fillers

List of Products

Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm

I adore BB Creams; they are little lifesavers allowing me to look bright and made-up during the day without the heaviness of a full foundation, and I was excited to find this in the box as I've just run out of my current one!

The description says it is a 'cult product' in Korea, and that it prevents streaking due to controlling sebum production to prevent sweat. Well: I had a busy day today and it has stayed on well, lasting several train and tube journeys and a dance audition, so I can't fault that claim at all! I feel tired but my skin still looks alright! It was slightly dark in the tube but blended well and gave nice, light coverage.

Burberry: Body - Eau de Parfum

I have to confess I'm not a huge fan of Burberry at the best of times, and, in my opinion, this is definitely one to add to the list. I had high hopes given that the scent is described as an 'effortlessly sensual, feminine fragrance with an eclectic combination of green absinthe, rose and cashmeran.' I envisaged the aroma of an opium den with hints of a turkish garden... however it was heady, overpoweringly floral and rather 'old-fashioned' to my mind. Like something my great-grandma would have worn! Not something I'll be wearing again. However the little sample is beautifully packaged and presented - it's a shame the scent doesn't live up to first impressions. 

Alison Claire Natural Beauty: Mango Body Butter

I loved this product - lovely texture; very rich and silky: a little went a very long way and the smell was so divine I wanted to eat it! The only problem is that it is only a sample size so won't last forever and I can see myself using this every day!

Nails Inc: Kensington Caviar Top Coat

Shown here over the top of yesterdays paint-job (my current favorite varnish from MUA at Superdrug - £1! One whole English pound and it's fabulous!) I don't usually use top coats - I hate applying nail varnish so much I don't see the point in adding to the rigmarole. However this was easy to  apply, dried quickly and looks nice and glossy. Whether it makes the colour last any longer than it usually does remains to be seen...

Dermalogica: Daily Microfoliant

I am a fan of Dermalogica - I like their quirky products and even the made-up names (microfoliant?!) don't annoy me as much as you might suppose. This was a little odd to me at first: a powder that, when it is mixed with water becomes a soapy paste that is used in the same way as a regular exfoliator. But, it worked! My tired, morning skin was much brighter, my make up when on smoother and the beginnings of dry, winter skin were banished immediately. Lovely.

If you enjoyed reading this post, why not check out my previous Glossybox Beauty Blogs?

xx

Beauty Blog

Those of you who have read my blog in the past may remember that I used to write Glossybox and Beauty reviews.

Well I stopped ordering Glossyboxes in order to save money for new costumes (priorities!) but I recently decided to treat myself to a new, three-month subscription and my October box arrived this morning!

 I've missed these beautiful little presents!

This months box also contributed towards Cancer Research

List of products - the theme was 'home pampering: escape from Winter weather'

Anatomicals: Don't Just Clean it, Woman, Scrub it - Body Scrub

A cute package and a lovely, pink grapefruit scent. I used this in my morning shower and although it lathered up nicely I had to use quite a lot and the grains are very fine: I prefer quite a coarse grain in my body scrubs. The product is described as having 'a bravura sense of charm and wit' - well I can't say as I thought quite that much of it, but it was a nice, gentle product that I will use through the winter to keep my skin polished.

Yves Rocher France: Instant Anti-Wrinkle Moisturiser - Hydra Vegetal

A nice sized product that fits perfectly into my travel toiletries bag. The texture felt more like a good quality serum as I applied it and definitely left my skin feeling moisturised and smooth.I couldn't say whether it instantly smoothed wrinkles though, as I don't have any! It's not as rich as the moisturisers I usually use, but it is a nice, light product and I will use it while travelling as it felt quite refreshing.

Skinetica: Anti Blemish

I have dry/combination skin and do get small blemishes and spots every now and then, so I was happy to receive this product. I expected it to smell like tea-tree however it was a very light, slightly medicinal but inoffensive scent. I used a cotton-tip to apply to a small skin blemish and it stung slightly (which I always presume to mean it's working!) It also made my skin feel quite tight but it says 'results in 2-3 days' so we'll see.

Green People: Organic Self-Tan

Now I rarely, if ever, use fake tan - my one or two forays into this area of a beauty regime have had interesting consequences and I prefer to embrace my pale and interesting look. However, for the purposes of research I did use a tiny amount on the back of my hand (so I may end up with a biscuit-coloured left hand tonight!) The scent initially reminded me of play-doh however it's now developed into a sort of peach/tea aroma, which is unusual but not unpleasant. It had a nice texture and the little I used went an alarmingly long way! The packaging says the colour will develop over several hours, so again, we'll see how it goes!

 

Sally Hansen: Complete Salon Manicure - 340 Black Platinum

I love having painted nails: I love the look of my hands with a slick of colour on my talons, however I *hate* the process of painting them! I have to say, I was quite disappointed with this product. It is described as being '5 steps of a manicure in one bottle: base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, colour and top coat.' Well I suppose it may be, but I don't think they intended it to take five coats to build up a solid colour!

 

 

Four coats and some patches are still uneven!

The colour went on smoothly, though, and I liked the shaped brush which allowed me to apply the varnish quickly and accurately. It also dried quite quickly, which is handy when I had to put so much on!

If you enjoyed reading this blog, why not have a look at my previous Glossybox posts?

xx

Beauty Blog

It's Glossybox time! What a wonderful way to start this grey, dull Monday morning!

I was especially excited for this Glossybox as there was a lot of hype surrounding it: in our last box we received a card reading "Expect the Unexpected" and instructing you to go on-line each day over a period of time (you can see the card a little in the second picture, here) you would be given a letter, the letter was to be added to the Facebook group and combined with everyone else's letters to reveal a word that would give a clue to the identity of the 'exclusive, special edition' box. 

Now, my confession is that I forgot and didn't complete the clue - but the box itself was a collaboration with Harrods and contained products found in the store. On first sight I was slightly underwhelmed with the size of some of the products, as we are used to larger versions, even of the 'sample sizes' - however there *are* six items in this box and several of them are considered to be luxury products, which makes up for the smaller size of a couple of things!

Gorgeous white box and Harrod's mini magazine

List of Products

Valentino - Valentina: Eau de Parfum

Described as: "A daring and addictive, oriental, floral fragrance. A true feminine classic, twisted with the pure insolence of Italian ingredients." When I first sprayed this perfume (on the inside of my left elbow) I noticed a very light fragrance that, for me, wasn't particularly appealing. However, once the head notes had evaporated, the scent developed into the promised 'oriental, floral fragrance' which is much more to my liking. It is a rich, quite heady perfume - possibly not one that I would choose myself as I am not usually a fan of florals, however it would be nice for the evening and the tiny sample size makes it perfect for popping in a small bag on a night out.

Lancome: Hypnose Drama Mascara

A small sample size of a decent mascara product. Having worked for Lancome, I know that this is a nice product which delivers good colour and coverage for the lashes. The thickening effect is quite nice although the lengthening doesn't deliver as much as I would personally like in a mascara. However a couple of coats, applied to the outer lashes, does create a nice 'cats eye'  look, which is what I aim for with my beauty products, and the size is perfect for my small make-up travel bag.

SKII - Skin Signature

An anti-ageing moisturiser: I was a little disappointed at first with the size of the pot, however the product does fill the entire container, and it is a perfect size for popping into a toiletries bag when travelling. The cream applied smoothly and  easily, and left my skin feeling very soft indeed and lightly moisturised - the instructions say to then lightly tap the skin to allow the cream to penetrate deeper: I definitely felt more awake after this, and my skin was glowing, although whether this was down to the moisturiser or the blood rushing to my cheeks, I couldn't conclusively say :P

Clarins: Extra-Firming Body Cream

I haven't yet used this all over my body (I don't think there's enough product in the tube to cover my butt!) however the texture is rich and luxurious and the cream itself smells lovely. I used this on my arms and it did feel like a nice treat, although I don't notice any difference in the 'age' or 'firmness' of my skin - possibly with repeated use the product would be more effective.

Molton Brown: Vitalising Vitamin AB+C Bath and Shower Gel

I have used Molton Brown products before, and know that they are good quality shower gels: they are a slightly oily consistency which creates a good lather and smell beautiful. This one is a light, fruity scent and left my skin gently perfumed - I'm not sure which fruits exactly were included but rather than 'vitalised' I felt very relaxed and calm.

Shu Umera: Cleansing Beauty Oil

This was the one product I was slightly disappointed with: having heard a lot about Shu Umera I was keen to try it out. I only used a tiny, tiny amount of this, given the small sample size, which maybe affected the results - if I had used more, maybe it would have been better. I followed the instructions for cleansing, however I can't say that this worked better than any other cleanser I have used in the past. My skin did feel soft, as promised, however it also felt quite tight (as I have dry/combination skin - I followed this with the SKII moisturiser) The texture and scent were nice, though, as you would expect from a luxury product.

If you enjoyed reading this blog, why not check out my other Glossybox reviews, here...

Beauty Blog

It's that time again - the monthly Glossybox has arrived, full of beautiful products for me to try! This month was a London Fashion Week edition containing make-up and multi-tasking products.

Beautiful Glossybox packaging

List of products

Products inside the box

Como Shambhala: Invigorate Shower Gel

A sample size of a shower gel that contains Eucalyptus, Geranium, Lavender and Peppermint essential oils - the scent is slightly overpowering at first but it definitely woke me up! The gel created a rich lather and left my skin smelling lovely.

Awapuhi by Paul Mitchell: Wild Ginger Treatment Oil

I'm always a little wary of hair serums as I often find they make my hair look greasy rather than shiny so I only used a little of this product on the ends and lengths of my hair. The consistency was not as runny as serums I've used in the past, and it actually felt quite moisturising even on my skin. The scent is beautiful and when I blow-dried my hair it certainly seemed shinier than usual. Maybe I could be a convert?!

Dr. Bronner: Lavender Hand Sanitiser

I'm so happy to find this in my Glossybox: I travel so much, coming into contact with so many germs and it's not always practical to be constantly washing my hands (especially as I have a mild allergy to detergents often found in cheap soaps) This smells beautiful, so much nicer than the usual hand sanitiser products, as it contains Lavender essential oils. This was a full sized product, and as it only costs £3.99 from the website, I can see this being a product I will buy again.

BM Beauty: Pure Mineral Eyeshadow in Noir

I'm not a fan of loose eye-shadow powders: I find them fiddly and messy, and if the lid breaks in my make-up bag, then all hell can break loose. However, I like the colour, and as a product that I keep at home, I may get some use out of it. It's heavily pigmented so the colour is vivid, and I would probably mix a little of this with water to use as a liquid eyeliner substitute.

Becca: Beach Tint Watermelon

Again, not usually a fan of lip and cheek stains: when I wear lipstick, I usually favour Rockalily Roulette Red. As a lipstain, I didn't like the application of this - I added a line to my lower lip and used my index finger to blend it, which was fiddly, a little messy and didn't give the sharp result found in lipsticks. However, the colour is actually quite nice, and for a casual, dress down day it would work quite nicely. It claims to be waterproof too, which is nice to know. I haven't used it as a cheek-stain yet, but I think the colour would work nicely with my skin tone so I shall give it a try in the future.

Becca: Beach Tint Watermelon - colour on lips in natural light

If you liked reading this blog, why not check out the review of my very first Glossybox, here...