Flamingo Candles | The Melt Crowd June 2016

#TheMeltCrowd

I know it's a huge blogger cliché, but I absolutely adore candles. It must run in my family as my Mum is just as obsessed as I am and I can guarantee that at least 2 will be burning every evening without fail. When I discovered The Melt Crowd from Flamingo Candles, a subscription service where Wax Melts are delivered directly to your door, I literally squealed with excitement. After reading rave reviews from two lovely bloggers, BlondeAmy and TheDiaryofaBeautyAddict, I was sold and I placed my order straight away, impatiently waiting for June to arrive!

How much does it cost?

For £10 a month Flamingo Candles deliver 8 EcoSoya Soy Wax melts to your door (you'll find no nasty chemicals here) with an additional melt added to celebrate your 3rd, 6th, and 9th month as a subscriber. With your first order you also receive a free Wax Burner so all you need to do is add a tealight and your good to go! Every month 8 melts or more will be delivered straight through your letterbox so you don't have to be in for the parcel to be delivered. Boxes with 8 melts have a RRP of £18.95 (£2 each per melt plus an additional £2.95 for delivery) so it's certainly great value for money and the added excitement you feel before the box arrives just adds to the value for me. The scents also vary every month and often feature The Melt Crowd exclusives that you can't buy online!

What's in June's Box?

Before I even opened my June edition of The Melt Crowd I could tell it was going to transport me away to a tropical paradise. The scents were already bursting out from the box before I opened the lid and with one sniff I could already detect so many fresh and fruity fragrances. With Summer officially starting in June, this month was packed with vibrant, exotic scents to celebrate the warmer weather and to fuel those dreams of spending summer nights in the Maldives, relaxing by the ocean with a cocktail in hand. But it's not all about fruity fragrances, there's definitely quite an exciting mix of fragrances this month. Four exclusive scents are included: Beach Please, Peach, Gin & Tonic and Chilli & Coriander, alongside the dessert inspired Lemon Curd and Cheesecake Crunch, the iconic summer cocktail Pina Colada and a special WILD fragrance, which is Flamingo Candles' 90s inspired range, in the scent Strawberry Millions.

Pina Colada | When I think of summer I can't help but start singing that famous song... if you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain... Pina Colada is a true iconic holiday cocktail and Flamingo Candles have nailed the scent. It's not too sweet or sickly as the mix of pineapple, orange and grapefruit is balanced with a rich coconut and vanilla base. I love this one and I'll definitely be burning it the night before my holiday!

Beach Please | A special edition for June, Beach Please is fresh and zesty and reminds me of the ocean. This one would be perfect for the bathroom and it's a welcome addition besides the majority of fruity, sweet scents.

Peach | Peach is rather self-explanatory and it's another exclusive this month. I was worried that this would smell rather artificial but thankfully it doesn't and instead it has a lovely refreshing sweet peach scent that I can't stop smelling. It's not as complex as Pina Colada or Beach Please but it's just as wonderful.

Gin & Tonic | An exclusive added to celebrate World Gin Day on the 11th of June, Gin & Tonic has a very zesty and punchy gin aroma. I'm a big fan of gin so I was really excited to smell this and I'm very impressed, it's a very clean, clarifying scent. It's a fragrance that is hard to put into words but just think about an uplifting mix of lemon, lime, herbs and gin and you'll have Flamingo Candles' Gin & Tonic!

Lemon Curd | Lemon Curd has a very strong scent which I'm hoping will weaken a little once lit. I'm not a big fan of lemon scents in general so I don't love this but it is quite a nice scent. It's very refreshing, definitely very lemony and it is part of the High Tea permanent collection.

Cheesecake Crunch | It takes a lot of self-restraint to not bite straight into this melt! It honestly smells amazing and so more-ish, it's definitely not one to burn if you're feeling peckish or you might end up devouring an entire cheesecake before you realise it. If you hate sweet, dessert inspired scents you won't like this but I adore them and I can't get enough of Cheesecake Crunch!

Chilli & Coriander | When I first read the name of this melt I wrinkled up my nose and hesitantly gave it a sniff. I don't really enjoy eating Chilli or Coriander at all so I really expected to hate this one but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm very intrigued to see how this smells in a room once it has melted but for now I'm torn. It's very fresh, herby and woodsy but it's also rather weird... but in quite a good way. I like it, I think... I'll have to update you all after I've used this!

WILD Strawberry Millions | The WILD range from Flamingo Candles cast you back to the 90s, full of nostalgia and retro vibes. I do enjoy actually sitting down and smelling the Strawberry Millions melt, it's ridiculously sweet with a sherbet-like strawberry scent, but I'm not sure if it's something I would want my entire room to smell like. It's definitely one I need to burn to fully make up my mind on. 

Overall I'm really pleased with June's melt selection. There are a few instant hits that I know I'll absolutely love but I'm most excited to try some of the more unusual scents. I think I love the concept of The Melt Crowd as it definitely forces me to try fragrance I wouldn't necessarily choose myself. My favourite? It's a difficult decision but I think I'd have to go with Cheesecake Crunch, closely followed by Pina Colada! 

Will I be continuing my subscription?

Absolutely! Due to moving house at the start of July I've been forced to suspend my account for the moment as I have no idea which address I would send July's box to but as soon as I'm settled in my new home I'll be reactivating my account immediately! I'm already eagerly awaiting August's box and by then I'll definitely be in need of more melts. I never usually stay loyal to subscription services, I always feel that they're very hit and miss between each month, but after reading reviews of The Melt Crowd for the past year it seems like they're very consistent with their quality! 

The only tiny, negative thing I have to say about my experience of The Melt Crowd subscription is honestly so petty I'm not even sure why I'm mentioning it. The paintwork on the wax burner I received had sadly been chipped quite a bit on the inside and I was a little bit disappointed that I received a plain black burner instead of one of the prettier cream and blue burners other subscribers had received. Complete and utter #firstworldproblems right here, I know. I'm still so thrilled with my introduction to Flamingo Candles!

If you're a candle lover, you simply have to try The Melt Crowd. You also receive a 20% off discount code for the Flamingo Candles website every month in case you find a favourite scent you just have to stock up on. Let me know if you've joined The Melt Crowd already and if you haven't which scent from June's box do you like the sound of the most? 

My Little Box | My Little Dream Box (April 2015)

When this little package from overseas landed on my doorstep a couple of days ago I couldn't contain my excitement, the delivery of My Little Box is quickly becoming the highlight of my month. This month's theme was the Dream Box and it has to be the most beautiful subscription box I've ever received - just look at the illustration on the front of box! Kanako is one amazing artist and I've definitely started keeping all the little illustrations in the box for my room. 

Similar to last month, I received 3 beauty products in the Dream Box. The first was a My Little Beauty Nourishing Hair Mask (£7) which I used this morning and it smells divine! It's left my hair feeling so soft, it looks incredibly healthy and shiny and it also looks adorable in my shower (which is obviously very important!) so the product gets a big thumbs up from me! The second product was a Tinted Lip Balm from Loved by Lou Lesage (£8) and as I love red lips I was really excited to receive this. It looks very opaque in the pot but this is actually quite sheer and a great product to add just a hint of colour. It has a gel-like consistency and although it doesn't feel that nourishing it's a nice little product to pop in your handbag! 

The final beauty product varies between individual boxes and, sadly, I really had my heart set on receiving one of the perfume sticks from Sabe Masson. With a £20 value it was definitely the star beauty product in my eyes - the packaging was absolutely gorgeous and the idea of a perfume stick sounds so handy for travelling! It's quite hard to find here in the UK which is such a shame as I'd really love to try it. The product I received, however, is still lovely and I suppose that disappointment has to be expected when you take the risk and subscribe to a beauty box! I received the Cowshed Wild Cow 100ml Body Lotion (£6 for this size) and Wild Cow is a refreshing and invigorating mix of lemongrass, ginger and rosemary. It's unlike any other scent I own and it's definitely growing on me so there's always a silver lining to every disappointment! 

Cutting open the adorable foam cloud was heartbreaking but the surprise inside was definitely worth it! It contained this pretty Bonne Etoile necklace by jewellery designer Delphine Pariente (£20). Personally, I like wearing this as a bracelet but I can also see myself putting the pendant on my own gold chain when the thread becomes old and worn! Every month My Little Box manage to include such thoughtful and unique lifestyle pieces and I know this is something I'll always treasure. necklace 

The final lifestyle item is a rotable stamp and ink pad and the inner stationary addict inside of me squealed when I used this (yes, I was that girl in primary school with every scented gel pen!) The stamp includes some lovely phrases in French and English, a cute To Do sign and cute symbols and numbers. It's great for stamping on notes and on the back of envelopes and I might even find some way to use this in my blog photography!

What do you think of this month's My Little Box?

Also, let me know what you've been dreaming of in the comments below! (I'm currently dreaming about visiting Croatia!) 

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