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

A Little Beauty Haul

Even when I was really busy with University last month I still found the time to do a little bit of shopping and I've acquired quite a few random beauty bits I'm really excited to talk about! Today's haul is one full of firsts as I finally bought a toner and an eyebrow gel and I honestly don't know how I've survived all this time without these two steps in my beauty routine! I was really intrigued by Maybelline's Brow Drama which could be an amazing dupe for Benefit's Gimmie Brow, but as my eyebrows are thick and pigmented enough on their own I opted for the translucent shade so I can't really make a full comparison. Nevertheless, I can't believe the difference a brow gel can make! Even when I'm wearing hardly any make-up I always reach for Brow Drama as it tames my unruly brows perfectly and thankfully it isn't clumpy and it doesn't make my eyebrows feel hard either. And at £4.99 it's such a steal!

I've never really been interested in toner but after finding a £20 gift card for ESPA in a magazine a few months ago I decided to try the Balancing Herbal Spafresh Spritzer. I'll admit when I'm being lazy I end up missing this step out in the morning but on the days I do use a this toner my skin feels refreshed, looks more healthy and the smell really wakes you up! The toner is suited for all skin types but it's specifically aimed for oily/combination skin and I definitely notice a reduction in oil throughout the day when I use this. The toner contains a mixture of peppermint (to refine pores), witch hazel and elderflower (which combat outbreaks and blemishes). I personally love the smell and I'm currently on the look out for a small bottle so I can keep this in my bag and use it as a hydrating mist throughout the day as I've heard it works wonderfully when applied over makeup! 

After hearing so much about the amazing Tangle Teezer brushes and accepting the fact that my current brush was destroying my hair and snapping it all the time I picked up the Original Tangle Teezer in Lilac to replace my old brush. I wasn't overwhelmed when I first used this brush but after a while I realised that my hair was significantly smoother (I used to have so many knots in my hair!) I'm still not certain if I understand the hype but I'm glad I decided to pick a Tangle Teezer up! 

My next purchase is a repurchase, just in a different scent! I always have to have a Burt's Bees lip balm in my bag and after my beloved Coconut and Pear balm ran out I decided to try something a little different and picked up the Blueberry and Dark Chocolate version. The balm itself works just as wonderfully as all the other Burt's Bees balms I've tried (I really recommend them!) and it definitely hydrates my lips but I'm not a fan of the scent at all. I thought the combination would be lovely but it's just a bit odd and so overpowering.

Every season I always purchase one of the VS limited edition body sprays and I absolutely loved the one I picked up last year (which is featured in my July Favorites!) This year they released 4 limited edition scents - Escape, Paradise, Beach and Surfside - and I actually picked up the mini versions of the other scents in the VS Semi Annual sale last week! Surfside, however, was definitely my favourite. It's a refreshing mix of passion fruit and driftwood and it reminds me of the drinking cocktails on the beach! I can't stop reaching for this during the day time and it's now my go-to summer scent! 

What have you been buying recently?

Let me know if you've tried any of the above products in the comments! 

Empties #1

Happy New Year everyone!

2014 is finally over and one of my favourite ways to get prepared for the New Year is to organise the things around me. After rummaging around in my bathroom and in make-up draw the other week I discovered that I had so many products lying around that were three or four uses away from being finished. I have to admit, when I know a product is running out I'm always excited to buy a replacement and I usually get so impatient to try something new I end up leaving so many products almost empty! So, just before Christmas I set myself the task of finishing said products in time for the New Year and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to create my first ever Empties post.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash - £6.50
I've been a huge fan of the original Soap & Glory scent for years now but after receiving the Sugar Crush exfoliator last Christmas I can't get enough of this zesty scent. This body wash is the perfect pick me up for when you're feeling sluggish and half asleep in the morning (which, let's face it, is every single morning if you're anything like me) and the combination of lime, lemon, kiwi, vanilla and coconut works wonderfully. It's also quite moisturising and after I've used up my current body wash I'll definitely be purchasing this again!

The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream - £11
My holy grail moisturiser! I can't live without this and I'm mentally making a note to pop down to The Body Shop today to pick up another one. My skin loves this stuff and it sinks into the skin so quickly.

Garnier Skin Perfector Oil Free BB Cream - £9.99
I mentioned this BB Cream all the way back in my July Favourites and the tube pictured above is actually my second one! It was the perfect, lightweight coverage for the warmer months and I used this religiously all summer but, as my tan slowly faded, it became too dark for my skin. I'm quite pale and even with a tan I had to use the lightest shade so I won't be purchasing this BB Cream again until next summer.

Bio-Oil 60ml - £8.99
Okay, so there's a tiny bit of Bio-Oil left but you need to use this so sparingly it's actually impossible to finish! I use this on any scarring I have from injuries/operations etc. and I also add a few drops to my bath to moisturise my skin. It also helps to get rid of scars from ingrown hairs so I often put a few drops on my legs after I shower! This product is a real multitasker and I always have a bottle in my cupboard just in case (it's currently being used to help get rid of a burn that I have on my hand from my curlers, ouch!)

Batiste Dry Shampoo Cherry 200ml - £2.99
Who doesn't use Batiste? It's not the nicest of dry shampoos I've ever used but it always gets the job done. I usually pick up the Tropical scent but I thought I'd try the Cherry this time and it actually smells quite nice! The packaging is pretty cute too!

Burt's Bees Rejuvenating Acai Berry Lip Balm - £3.69
I always have a Burt's Bees lip balm in my bag as they provide my lips with enough moisture to battle the harsh winter weather. The Acai Berry was quite a nice scent but I still love the Coconut and Pear one more.

Benefit They're Real (sample from Birchbox) - Full Size £19.50
I was never really impressed with Benefit's Bad Gal mascara so I was reluctant to splash out on They're Real when it was launched. I received this sample (which surprisingly lasted quite a long time) in a Birchbox a few months ago and I have to agree with everyone else: this mascara is amazing! The only problem, for me, is the price tag. It is pretty pricey at £19.50 and I still think the Volume 1 Seconde mascara from Bourgois might be better!

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Festival Beauty Essentials

Before I start rambling about festivals, I'd just like to say a huge thank you to everybody who has followed my blog so far! Yesterday, I reached 100 followers and I can't believe how wonderful everyone in the blogging community has been. I've talked to some lovely people, discovered so many amazing blogs to follow and I'm enjoying blogging more than I could have ever imagined. So, if you're reading this thank you so much and if I could I'd hug each and every one of you! 

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I know festival season is almost over but Reading & Leeds begins this Friday and, in a way of controlling my excitement, I thought I'd write a post on my festival beauty essentials! Of course I'll also be taking dry shampoo and a ridiculous amount of baby wipes with me but the items I've decided to feature in this post are the things that help me feel a little bit more glamorous and put together as I trawl through the mud in my pac-a-mac and eat an unsightly amount of fried food.