Glossy Box | September 2012

The other day I got home from sixth form and was just sat in my room when there was a knock at the door. Oh, hello Mr Deliveryman here to give me my latest Glossy Box!

This month marks my year of being a Glossy Box subscriber and I have to say that I've had mixed feelings about them. Over the summer I found that there were a couple of boxes that really didn't live up to my expectations. As a result of that and a lack of money I unsubscribed for the month of August meaning that I missed out on the around the world box which really wasn't upsetting for me at all! I subscribed again and I'm quite happy that I did, this month's box was much more interesting and something to get a little bit more excited about than previous boxes - although I must say that it isn't my favourite box that I've received.

One major plus about this box is the actual box itself. The picture isn't very clear but it's mint green with pink and white doodles all over. It's so cute that I'm using it for storage in my room.

Lady Gaga Fame Fragrance: This is probably the most exciting product for me in the box. I've heard people say that they aren't too impressed by the scent of this but I'm quite a fan. I haven't actually tried it out properly so I don't know how it will smell on me but hopefully it'll be nice & I may have to splash on the full size!

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream: I've tried the Balance Me moisturiser and lip balm before and have quite liked both and this seems good too. My only issue with it is the fact that it has a scent, I'm not too keen on smelly products going on my face.

Maghrabian Hair Oil: I've never actually used a hair oil before so I'm quite interested to trying this out. The smell is lovely which is always a plus!

Vichy Idealia Day Care Cream: I'm always on the look out for new moisturisers and this one looks promising. It's a pink cream and smells lovely and well, moisturisery..

Rodial Glamoxy Snake Serum & 5 Minute Facial: Not the most generous samples ever as they are just two sachets of each but hey, still two uses I suppose. The serum is pretty self explanatory whilst the 5 minute facial is a clay mask. I'd never heard of Rodial before but may have to look into them more if they work well.

Do you subscribe to any beauty boxes? I'd love to know which ones and what you received!

Haul | Boots, Topshop, Superdrug

Leigh Ankle Grazer jeans | Topshop | £38

Set of 4 rings | Topshop | £4 (I think) in the sale

Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends shampoo | Superdrug | £1.69

Barry M Nail Paint in Coral | Boots | £2.99

Nivea Oil Free Moisturiser | Boots | £3.99

Maybelline Superstay 24hour foundation (Nude) | Boots | £9.19

Maybelline the Falsies Black Drama mascara | Boots | £7.99

Maybelline Colour Sensational lipstick (Sweet Pink) | Boots | £7.19

Natural Collection Bronze Powder (Sun Shine) | Boots | £1.99

Natural Collection Blush (Pink Cloud) | Boots | £1.99

Natural Collection Eyeshadow Duo (Mocha/Latte) | Boots | £1.99

Collection 2000 Colour Pout Lasting Lip Stain (Flirt) | Boots | £4.99

L'Oréal Paris Super Liner (Black) | Boots | £6.49

Models Own Nail Polish (Utopia) | Boots | £5

Models Own Beetlejuice Nail Polish (Copper Pot) | Boots | £5

This was originally going to be two hauls - hence the different backgrounds - but I figured it was easier just to pop them both together! I received quite a few offers on the makeup products but can't quite remember them all, I do remember that the Models Own nail polishes were buy one get one half price though which is a fab deal! Boots also have an offer where you receive 10 points for every pound if you spend over £15, meaning that on a shop that cost £22something I got 220 points, how great is that?!

Tag: How much is your face worth?

 I've seen this post done quite a bit but was always a bit meh about it, but then I saw that Louise at Sprinkle Of Glitter had done it so I took a look. Hers definitely shocked me and so now I'm interested to know how much mine will be. I don't use really high end, luxurious products like MAC but still, makeup is pretty expensive!

Apologies for the kinda scary photo, lighting+face+hair+everything=disaster today!

No7 Shine Free Make-Up Base - £11

Maybelline Superstay 24hour Foundation (Nude) - £9.19

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer (Light) - £3.99

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (Peach Glow) - £3.99

No7 Natural Blush Cheek Colour (Candy Pink) - £9.50

BM Beauty Summer Warmth Bronzer - £8

HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette (Foxy) - £19.96

ELF Eyelid Primer - £1.50

Natural Collection Duo Eyeshadow (Mocha/Latte) - £1.99

L'Oréal Paris Super Liner (Black) - £6.49

Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama Mascara - £7.99

Sephora Collection Super Nourishing Lip Balm - $5 (£3.17)

Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner (East End Snob) - £3.99

Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick (Sweet Pink) - £7.19

Total: £97.95!

I knew it was going to come to quite a bit, but honestly, I didn't expect it to be that high. Obviously I'm not using the whole product at that one time and they last me ages, but still, that's a lot of money to be carrying around on your face!

I hope that some of you will do this tag, it really is quite interesting to find out just how much all of your makeup adds up to. I now know why I always hate it when everything runs out at once!!

If you do this please leave a link in the comments, being the nosey parker that I am, I would love to know how much yours comes to!

Body Shop haul & review

If you read my last post you will know that I came across a pretty good deal recently on the Body Shop website - if you didn't see it I recommend checking the post out as the offer mentioned is still going! My goodies arrived on Friday morning and I'm super duper chuffed with them!!

I'd like to mention the fact that I am so happy with the service given, I placed my order on Tuesday evening and when given the two delivery options (£2.99 for standard or £4.99 for express) I chose standard as a) I'm rather poor this month & b) I really don't mind waiting an extra few days for my parcel to be delivered. I'd definitely say that unless you need your order super speedily then just go for standard. I received an email on Thursday evening telling me that my order had been dispatched and then hey presto, five minutes before I left for work the post man came a knocking and there's my big brown box of treasures! Bearing in mind that the email said to allow 5 working days for delivery I think that was amazing. Anyways, you probably don't care an ounce about the journey of my delivery so on with the haul!!

The products came in a box (as you'd expect with a delivery, duh!) and when I opened it they were in two separate brown paper Body Shop bags sealed with little stickers. I quickly delved in and opened up the products and oh gosh, what gorgeous smells hit me. That's one thing I love about the Body Shop, their products just smell so good!! The products I got were the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash, Tea Tree Blackhead Exfoliating Was, Tea Tree Face Mask, Mango Body Butter & Rain forest Moisture Shampoo (travel size). I haven't had the chance to use all of them yet but will give you my 'first impressions' of them all.

Firstly is the cleanser. It's just like any other cleanser really but has a quite strong tea tree smell. It rubs in nicely on your skin and does leave you feeling squeaky clean. I haven't used it to take makeup off yet but I can imagine it should work well for that. You only need the smallest amount so I can see that it will last a really long time.

The exfoliating wash again has the same smell which is actually surprisingly pleasant. The product is quite creamy and the beads are small and don't scratch at your face like some cleansers seem to do. It works great if you use it in the morning before applying makeup as it refreshes the face without being abrasive and leaving red marks!

The mask has the same scent as the previous items (what a surprise?) and from dabbing my finger in it too feels quite creamy and smooth, not as though it will leave your face feeling more clogged up post use than it did before! Again, quite a lot of product in the tub so it will hopefully last a long time!

The body butter is absolutely gorgeous, the smell is just so lush!! I keep opening it & sniffing as it's so delicious. It's a really strong scent but smells light and fruity at the same time if that's possible? Probably not but that's what it's like to me! I know that it will be really moisturising too as I have been using the coconut one for years and my legs will stay smooth for ages after using it! Also, some very sensible advice from my boyfriend: 'don't eat it!' - he did this once with one of his mum's apparently because it smelt nice...

Finally is the shampoo. This was just a freebie that they offered me at the virtual checkout so I thought, 'what the heck, might as well!' I'm probably just going to keep it in my drawer along with a load of other shampoo travel sizes and testers that I have as they're so handy to chuck in  your gym bag. It's for dry hair which is why I chose it as because my hair is so long I have to blow dry it for an age, meaning it gets quite dry so every moisturising product I can get it a lifesaver for me! It smells so beautiful but upon smelling it I just couldn't pinpoint what the scent was, but I just had the sense to actually read the label and it's pracaxi oil, manketti oil & honey & I now know that it's the honey that gives it its gorgeous scent.

(Clockwise from top) Tea Tree Blackhead Exfoliating Wash, Tea Tree Face Mask, Mango Body Butter.

I'm pretty happy with my haul & cannot wait to use all of the products more and more! Thanks to the offers it only came in at £16.50, such a super bargain!!

A quick bargain for you all..

Just a short post to let you know that The Body Shop is having an amazing offer on their website at the moment.

I popped over there to check the prices of a few things I was planning to pick up instore tomorrow and was greeted on the homepage by a fantabulous offer: £15 off when you spend £30 or more!!

That definitely swayed me to ordering it online, I'd rather save myself £15 and wait an extra day or two!

Also, when I proceeded to the checkout a banner flashed across the top of the screen: Free gift when you spend £5! Blimey Body Shop, you really are spoiling us. The free gift is a 60ml travel sized hair product of which you have a range of 7 shampoos and conditioners to choose from!

Using these offers meant my order only came to £16.50 + £2.99 p&p, how amazing is that?!

I thought I'd let you know about this offer as everyone loves a bargain and I'm not sure how long this offer is on for so if you love The Body Shop, head over to their website now!

Just in case you're interested I ordered the following products:

Mango Body Butter (200ml) £12.50

Tea Tree Face Mask (100ml) £9.00

Tea Tree Facial Wash (250ml) £4.50

Tea Tree Blackhead Exfoliating Wash (100ml) £5.50

Rainforest Moisture Shampoo (60ml) £2.00 - this was the free item

So from that you can see just how much of a bargain I got, in reality I only really paid for the Body Butter and the Facial Wash!

Happy bargain shopping :)

Review: HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette

If you read my July favourites post then you may well be aware that I've been using my new HD Brows palette recently and I've been absolutely loving it!

I received the palette in my July GlossyBox and mine is in Foxy, which is clearly aimed at girls with darker hair colours, therefore is perfect for me! It comes in simple yet gorgeous packaging, the design being sleek and sophisticated in the all-black, glossy case with white lettering. The packaging definitely gives it that 'up-market' feel and just reeks of glamour!

Inside are four shades; nude, warm brown, dark brown and carbon. These shades make the palette suitable to a range of people as they go from almost black to a much lighter brown. The nude shade is perfect to use as a highlight under the brow as well as to run around the edges to cover up any slight mistakes rather than slathering on the concealer!

For me the carbon shade is much, much too dark so I keep well away from that. I've found that the perfect colour for me is a mix of the two medium shades - warm and dark brown - however neither are too light or dark for me to use them individually. I tend to change what I use depending on my mood & what makeup I'm wearing that day, for example today I'm only wearing mascara on my eyes so I've gone for the dark brown on my brows, whereas if I were wearing a lot of eye makeup I would go for the lighter shade to balance everything out.

The brush that comes with the palette is surprisingly good. I never normally use the brushes given as they aren't always very good quality, however this one exceeds expectations. The bristles on the angled brush are solid enough that you can achieve a very defined look first time without having to go back and make corrections. Also the brush is thin enough to go all the way to the tips of your brows without them staying thick, giving a very feminine look. The rounded brush is slightly more flexible which works great when you're applying the highlight as you don't want it to be quite as precise.

(L-R) Warm Brown, Dark Brown, Carbon.

(Nude is just so nude that it wouldn't show up in the swatches, sorry!)

Another great thing about the colours is that they can also be used as eyeshadows, giving a great look if you'd rather have a matte finish to your eyes. When used on the eyes they blend superbly and last all day (even without primer!). I'd recommend using the three lighter shades as eyeshadow and then if you wanted to then use carbon as a liner along the upper lash line.

(T-B) Warm Brown, Dark Brown, Carbon.

(Nude is just so nude that it wouldn't show up in the swatches, sorry!)

Overall, I've really enjoyed using this palette and would definitely recommend it to all brunettes. If you have different hair colours then they also do the palette in Vamp & Bombshell. Each palette can be found here for £19.96, a little pricey but in my eyes it's definitely worth it!

Have you ever used any HD Brows products? If so what were they and would you recommend them?

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with HD Brows and they have not asked me to review this product. I am purely reviewing it because I've enjoyed using the products and am receiving no money or rewards/benefits for writing this review.

July favourites!

Makeup:

HD Brows eye & brow palette (Foxy) - I received this in my July GlossyBox and absolutely love it!! It is by far the best product I have used on my eyebrows, the staying power is amazing! Yes, it is slightly pricey, but I believe it is well worth it if you're anything like me and super high maintenance when it comes to your eyebrows.

Benefit posie tint - I used this all the time last summer on my cheeks but this month I've been using it on my lips and it works a wonder. The colour is a gorgeous hot/baby pink and stains the lips for hours. The perfect, bright colour for summer without the slightly thick feeling of lipstick or gloss. I tend to top it off with the rose Vaseline for a slightly glossy look and to stop my lips from drying out.

e.l.f. mineral blush (coral) - I've had this blush for a couple of years and have always liked it but put it away for the winter as I prefer a rosy pink cheek in the colder months. The other day I got it back out again and we've rekindled our love affair, it gives you a subtle glow and works amazingly with a tan!

Yves Rocher sexy pulp mascara (01 noir) - I'd never heard of this brand until I got it in a GlossyBox a few months back but this mascara is amazing! It gives my eyelashes such a long, full effect that lasts for ages. It doesn't go flaky like other mascaras that I've tried and the formula dries quickly and it is easy to remove.

Skin:

Soap & Glory hand food - An all time favourite for me! Lovely packaging, super moisturising without being greasy and a lush smell, what more could you ask for from a hand cream?

Nivea Sun invisible protection spray SPF30 - Sun cream is definitely a must have for summer and this is the best one I've found. I don't get on with cream ones as I always apply too much and end up looking like a snowman in the middle of July! This Nivea spray is great as it's completely invisible so if you don't fully rub it in who cares?

Hair:

I haven't actually been using anything really on my hair this month, apart from my L'oréal Paris Elnett Satin hairspray to secure buns. 

A method that I've been using to give me slightly wavy hair is after washing your hair, blow dry it upside down and then when it's about 95% dry, grab a hair tye, pull your hair to the nape of your neck and put it into a messy bun - don't try and get it looking nice, simply chuck it up. Leave it in the bun whilst you do the rest of your morning routine - teeth, face, makeup, etc. - and then once you've done everything else, release your hair from the bun and you should have slight waves/curls in your hair.

Scent:

Sephora scented spray (must almond) - I bought this whilst in Poland in February and loved it, but a few weeks after getting home I forgot about it and was using various other perfumes. I grabbed it at random the other day whilst in a rush and I've fallen back in love with it. The scent is light and lovely, and the pink packaging is gorgeous and small enough to fit in any sized handbag.

Music:

Frank Ocean - After watching Sammi's video and hearing her mention Frank Ocean I decided to check him out. I've absolutely fallen in love with his album Channel Orange and simply cannot stop listening to it!