Saturday, 13 February 2016
Clinique Bonus Time 2016 with Debenhams
Friday, 17 July 2015
Latest In Beauty Awards Box 2015
Latest In Beauty always put together the most incredible beauty boxes and I've been a fan of the company for just over a year now. My first ever box, The Glamour Beauty Power List 2014, impressed me so much I've been an addict since and even though I haven't blogged about them all I've had quite a few boxes in the past year! When I spotted a tweet from the lovely Jaina from Which Beauty Box UK, about the Latest In Beauty Awards Box I knew immediately that I had to buy it!
Latest In Beauty's newest box allows the customer to select their own products out of 32 finalists which have been separated into 8 categories: Best Newcomer, Cult Classic, Body Beautiful, Green Award, Hottest Haircare, Skincare Saviours, Best Eye Makeup and Must Have Makeup. There are also 3 options: Box 1 (£8.99) contains 3 products, Box 2 (£12.99) contains 6 and Box 3 (£16.99) contains 9 products. Each individual awards box is designed to allow the customer to try some of the finalists before casting their vote in the Beauty Awards. The winners of each category will be announced after voting closes on the 26th July. A 'Winner's Box' will then be created and available to purchase shortly after the voting has ended!
Every Beauty Awards box purchased also counts as one entry into LIB's the amazing giveaway where you can win every full sized finalist which is word £875!
I decided to pick up Box 2 (I'm having major regrets about not opting for Box 3!) and added 6 of my favourite products to the box! You can see what I picked out below!
Skincare Saviour: The Body Shop's Wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil for Body & Hair (RRP: £8.00)
Must-Have Make Up: Burt's Bees Lip Crayon in Hawaiian Smoulder (RRP: £8.99)
Green Award: Burt's Bees Lip Balm (RRP: £3.69)
Best Eye Makeup: Eye of Horus Scarab Sapphire Goddess Pencil (RRP: £17.00)
Daniel Sandler Long Lasting Waterproof Eyeliner in Green Velvet (RRP: £9.25)
Skincare Saviour: Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream (RRP: £10.99)
The Best Eye Makeup category was amazing this year and it was so difficult not to add every finalist into my box! Competing against the Daniel Sandler and Eye of Horus liners was a full size Magnifibres Brush-On Lashes mascara and a Collection Fast Stroke Liner, both of which were so tempting! I tried to opt for products I was in need of mostly (hence the Burt's Bees Lip Balm which I adore!) so I did leave out a couple of categories but if you're not attempting to cut down on spending like I am I definitely recommend picking up Box 3! It's such good value for money.
Have you created your own Latest In Beauty Awards Finalist Box?
Let me know what you would pick in the comments below!
P.S: You can get free shipping this weekend when you spend £10 or more with the code: LIBJULY15
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
My Little Box | My Little Superbox (March 2015)
I'm pretty sure everybody has already seen what was inside this month's My Little Super Box but after falling in love with my first ever box (My Little Frenchie Box) last month I simply couldn't let March's box land on my doorstep without writing a blogpost - no matter how late it is!
I'm usually rather fickle when it comes to subscription boxes and I normally cancel my subscription every month and only decide to order the following month's box once I know what will be inside it. I know this defeats the element of surprise but as a student I really can't afford to waste £10-15 on a box that doesn't impress me. But, after falling completely in love with the Frenchie Box last month I don't think I can ever see myself cancelling My Little Box! Even though this is the most expensive subscription (in comparison to Birchbox/Glossybox etc.) at £14.95 inc. shipping it's completely worth every penny. I absolutely love all the little details and I almost get as equally excited about the amazing illustrations, the magazine and the little pouch that holds all the beauty bits as I do about the products themselves! So, enough gushing about how adorable the boxes are and let's talk about what's inside!
Beauty Products
Although this month's beauty products didn't impress me quite as much as last month's (how can you beat a By Terry eyeliner afterall?) I still loved each and every item included. I've noticed a couple of bloggers felt rather underwhelmed by the selection - and I suppose they're not the most exciting selection of products - but each beauty item is something I'll get so much use out of. And I'd much rather receive products I'll use daily than an obscure item that will just find it's way to the back of my beauty cabinet! One thing I've noticed about My Little Box is that they always include respectable and (often) high end beauty brands. So even though a conditioner and a hand cream might not be the most exciting products they add a touch of luxury to my beauty regime that actually leaves me feeling pretty darn super!
[Prices according to the My Little Box information cards!]
❤ Kérastase Cristalliste Lait Cristal Conditioner (75ml) - Full Size (200ml) £20 / Sample worth: £7.50
This little product arrived just in time as I'd ran out of my usual (and pretty boring!) Herbal Essences conditioner. I'm overdue a haircut so I've been tackling a lot of dead, frizzy ends lately and I've noticed such an improvement after using this conditioner. It smells lovely and manages to leave my hair feeling silky and looking smooth. Somehow my split ends completely vanish after I use this and my hair looks healthy even two to three days after I've applied this! I'm really tempted to try the shampoo and other products in the range.
❤ Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream (30ml) - Full Size (75ml) £12 / Sample worth: £4.80
Who doesn't love a fancy hand cream? I've been using this on my nails and cuticles as they're feeling a little dry and brittle and they're looking much better after only one week of use! When applied to the hands it doesn't feel greasy and nourishes nicely. It doesn't beat my beloved L'Occitane hand creams but as it has a pleasant, subtle scent I really enjoy using this on my nails and the sample size is quite generous!
❤ My Little Beauty Lips & Cheeks Crayon - £10.50
I love multi-purpose products and matching my lip shade to my blush! My Little Beauty always have adorable packaging and this coral shade is perfect for Spring! I prefer applying this to my cheeks as I find it can be a little bit drying when directly applied to the lips from the bullet but I've found dabbing this shade lightly on the lips adds a subtle and really pretty flush of colour to the face!
My Little Beauty Lips & Cheeks swatch
Lifestyle
The lifestyle element is what attracted me the most to My Little Box but it's also the most hit and miss element of the subscription. I don't know what I would have done with the Laptop Case in September's box (my iMac will definitely not fit in there!) but I haven't stopped using the Phone Case from last month's box! This month I was thrilled by the idea of the T-Shirt and I love the design!
❤ Gat Rimon T-Shirt - £29
This T-Shirt was available in 3 different designs but I think the majority of UK subscribers received this R. Kelly inspired shirt. I really wanted the 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' version but I'm still happy enough with the t-shirt I received. The t-shirt itself is soft, really comfortable and appears to be great quality and luckily it fits me quite well - it's just a little bit oversized and a tiny bit too long for my liking! My only disappointment in this month's box is the One Size fits all element. After filling in a questionnaire (which included my clothing size!) when I subscribed last month I did expect the t-shirts to be available in S, M and L. I'm fortunate enough to be able to use this (I'm a size 8 but I feel like this would fit women from sizes 10-14 comfortably) but if I was a larger woman I would be rather annoyed about this aspect!
❤ Super Stickers - £4
I'm not entirely sure when or where I'll use the stickers included in this month's box but they're adorable and I love them anyway! (I'm such a child!)
Overall, I'm really happy with this month's box! I've been using the beauty products non-stop and I've worn my T-Shirt quite a few times, either on a casual day or for bed. If you were thinking about subscribing make sure you use the code FIRSTBOX as you'll get free shipping on April's box!
Are you subscribed to any beauty boxes?
What did you think of this month's My Little Box?
xo
xo
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
The Glamour Beauty Power List Box by Latest in Beauty
The second half of September has been a very busy month for me, so much so that I've had to ignore my blog for a little while! I had the best intentions of creating this post immediately after I'd received the new Glamour box by Latest in Beauty but I jetted off to Prague the same day it arrived (sadly I left my cable at home so I can't transfer my holiday photos to my computer!) Since then, I've been busy with moving back to University and readjusting to student life. Hopefully, now I've settled back into life in Leeds, I can get myself back on track and into some form of schedule as there are so many things I've wanted to write about this month but I simply haven't had the time.
When it comes to beauty boxes I know a lot of people think they're not worth the money. Subscription services like Birchbox vary so much in quality month to month I never stay subscribed to them for very long - I'm not exactly their most loyal customer but I certainly pick up a box if something inside catches my eye. However, I think the Latest in Beauty boxes are very different: no subscription is required and, in my opinion, they offer better deals. To be honest I thought the Glamour Beauty Power List box would have sold out by now but thankfully you can still get your hands on one if you haven't already! I ordered this box at the beginning of September when I first spotted it advertised in the October issue of Glamour Magazine. Even though this post has been rather delayed, it means I can actually review some of the products as I've had a chance to use them properly instead of just writing about my first impressions. So perhaps there's an upside to my laziness and lack of blogging!
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish
In my last post, Discovering Skincare, I mentioned how much I love this cleanser so how could I say no to another 30ml sample and an extra muslin cloth? I love everything about this cleanser, from the scent to the way it makes my skin feel and the size is perfect for travelling with as well. This size currently retails for £5.50 and you can find it here.
Eyeko Mascara Off Eye Makeup Remover Wipes
I haven't had a chance to try these wipes yet but I can imagine they will be perfect for travelling and they contain Olive Oil and Aloe Extract which hopefully will help avoid the dry, sore feeling I sometimes get after rubbing too hard with an ordinary make-up wipe. You receive 10 wipes and they currently retail for £6.00 here. (Which seems a lot of money for 10 wipes?!)
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
This primer is my favourite product in the box by far and can you believe that it's the first ever primer that I've used? You receive a 30ml sample which retails for £18.50 which is more expensive than the entire beauty box! I absolutely love this primer, it leaves my skin feeling silky and my pores are reduced in size and it definitely improves the staying power of my make-up. I'm trying to ration this and use it on special occasions or in the evenings as I simply don't want it to run out!
Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara
The box includes a full size sample of this mascara (12ml) and retails for £9.99. I've just finished my sample of Benefit's They're Real so this mascara had to compete with one of my all time favourites and it has actually impressed me quite a lot! It doesn't clump, it makes my lashes look longer and fuller and it holds a curl nicely. After one coat my lashes look lovely and suitable for daytime and you can easily apply more coats without sacrificing the separating, volumous effect for a more dramatic look. I only have one tiny complaint about this mascara and that is after a full day of wearing it I notice tiny black smudges on my upper eyelids.
Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence
Probably my second favourite product in this box is the 60ml sample of Philip Kingsley's Daily Damage Defence spray which retails for £7.50. I've been using it for about two weeks now and my hair feels soft, shiny and, considering how it desperately needs cutting, my split ends don't look that bad anymore. It detangles when I apply it to wet hair and I've also noticed adding a few spritz of this after drying my hair helps tame fuzz. I also really love the smell and apparently it's the every day equivalent to the famous Elasticizer!
James Read Sleep Mask Tan
I'll admit it, I'm too scared to try this product as I know if it ends in disaster I have to get up and go to lectures with my face looking bright orange. I'm sure that won't happen, I've read so many reviews about this and they're all positive so if you're looking for a subtle tan apparently this product works wonderfully! I'm not familiar with false tanning so I think I'm going to wait until term ends so I can test this out at home with only my parents around to see the results! This sample is 25ml but I was unable to find the price for this size. The full size contains 50ml costs £25.
Maybelline Stripped Nudes Lipstick
There are 5 shades of the Stripped Nudes lipstick so the only problem with this is that you might not receive a shade that will suit you. The full size lipstick costs £6.99 and I love the little lace pattern on the bottom of the lipstick! For darker complexions, I don't really think any of the shades will be that suitable but for lighter skin tones there are some lovely shades in the range. I received Sultry Sand (710) and to be honest I was rather disappointed at first as it made me look rather washed out and ghostly. The pigmentation was rather wonderful though, I naturally have pigmented lips and it covered them well! This product is the reason I'm quite happy I waited a while to create this post as I've been playing with this lipstick for a while and I've found that it looks amazing on top of other lipsticks! By adding just a little bit of this over my favourite pink shades I've managed to transform them all into my own, perfect nudes. I suppose this doing this is rather similar to adding concealer over lipstick but the Maybelline Stripped Nudes glide on the lips smoothly and add a lovely, subtle shine! I'm definitely going to be buying more shades from the range and even though this wasn't my ideal shade I've managed to make it work!
As well as receiving 7 products the Glamour Beauty Power List box also includes a 12 month digital subscription worth £15.99! Out of all the beauty boxes I've ever seen, this is by far the best value for money and I think I've discovered some new favourite products as well!
20% off Eyeko with GLAM20
20% off Philip Kingsley with PKGLAMOUR2014
A Free L'Oreal Paris Infalliable 24H Lip Colour with your next order at www.latestinbeauty.com with GLAMOCT14
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