Beauty Boxes

Beauty Boxes

Birchbox September 2014 Review

September 18, 2014

How am I still catching up on so many blogs? Where does time go? How is it Birchbox time again! Alas, this month’s box has arrive promptly and has a “Happy Days” theme. – a box to celebrate capturing nostalgic moments and making new ones. Before I start with the contents, it’s important to note that I had help from a very special individual. Not only was I given help to open this month’s box, but I also had help taking my photographs;

Meet Pickle – the new addition to the Hellbent For Lipstick “red camp” household – Gem has been making the epic long journey of approximately 30 seconds from her house to mine to lavish attention upon him and he has been ~~helping me to blog and work~~ – distracting me from everything important that I need to do.

With his incredibly useful *raises eyebrow* intervening, I finally managed to get my box open and see what it had inside!

Agave – Healing Oil Treatment – 4ml sample – £16 for full size

I’m building quite a collection of hair oils, which I don’t mind so much since they are really great for my hair. This oil promises to restore and transform unmanageable frizzy hair and is a little different to the current “Argan Oil” trend. Although the sample is small, I’ve found that I don’t need to use a lot of oil for my hair despite it’s length. It smells quite fruity – which I imagine would be a little sickly if too much was applied but it’s quite pleasant in small doses.

Benefit – It’s Potent! Eye Cream – 30g sample – £25.50 for full size

Gem and I make no secret about our love for Benefit so our excitement about receiving anything Benefit related in our boxes is often difficult to contain. The sample is gorgeous and although I already own this eye cream, it’s very welcome in my skincare collection. After a few sleepless nights thanks to Pickle’s arrival, this eye cream is pretty wonderful at perking me up!

Korres – Citrus Body Milk – sample – £9.50 for full size

At first glance I thought this was a cheaply packaged runny body milk but I was very wrong. When held the packaging is more luxurious and sturdy, housing a beautifully thick body milk that rubs into the skin, leaving a gorgeous “herby” scent. There is no overwhelming Citrus smell and it soaks into the skin very quickly, leaving it feel lovely and soft with no greasy residue. I’ll definitely be looking out for more things from this brand.

ModelCo – Lip Lacquer in “Morocco” – small sample – £15 for full size

I own a few “lip lacquer’s” or should I say “lip gloss'” from ModelCo. One striking thing about them is the scent. They all smell like sweeties which I adore. As for the colour of this gloss, it’s a sort of opaque nude. Definitely wearable, my only qualm with lip gloss’ is the stickiness they leave behind so I’d usually much prefer to go for a lipstick over a gloss. Alas, this will pop nicely in my handbag for a bit of colour when I don’t want to don any lipstick.

Beauty Blender & Blender Cleanser – Full Size – £26

What a surprise this was for Gem and I! After both of us missed out on the beauty blender a few boxes ago, we thought we’d never receive them but this month we were very blessed and over the moon! We’ve been wanting to try these out for absolutely ages. A lovely egg shaped sponge to help us apply our base with ease. Perfect for gigs where we have to lather on the foundation to cope with the heavy stage lights. With it came some blender cleanser – or rather a disc of “soap” for cleaning it, which is also very handy.

Urban Fruit – Perfect Pineapple – 35g snack pack – £13.20 for 6

I am a fan of Pineapple, as well as cramming as many of my daily fruit and veg “allowance” into my body, so this was a welcome extra. Pure pineapple coated in a little rice flour and at 100 calories per bag – it’s definitely a healthier alternative to a bag of crisps. I like discovering products like this, but £13.20 for 6 packets is a little overboard for me when there are so many great healthy treats available.

Birchbox – Happy Days Photo Clip – Lifestyle Extra

This is so adorable! It’s made it’s home on my desk in the office – currently holding the vaccination details for Pickle until I find a fitting picture to go here – by fitting picture – it will probably be a ridiculous shot of Gem and I drunk at a festival this summer! This fits wonderfully with the theme of the box and really tops the contents off nicely.

I have to say that Birchbox have really stepped up their game in recent months and each box keeps getting better. Their themes are fun and filled with lovable and usable brands and it’s definitely my favorite beauty box out of Glossybox and Love Me Beauty. So if you want to try Birchbox out, you can do so for just £10 plus p&p each month via their website – or you can opt for a 3 or 6 month subscription if you’re already hooked!

Totally hellbent for a box full of amazing treats and a tiny puppy to help me dispose of the packaging

-Pants

Beauty Boxes, Vegan, Vegetarian

The Vegan Kind Beauty Box

September 15, 2014

For those of you who are regular readers, you will know that The Vegan Kind is a monthly subscription box that delivers 100% Vegan and cruelty free snacks, lifestyle items and beauty products. You will also probably know that it’s one of my favorite monthly boxes and a huge part of this is down to the discovery of new Vegan products. When they announced they would be releasing a one off beauty box packed with cruelty free products I was so excited and have been waiting for it’s release ever since. Granted I’m a little late ordering this as Gem and I have been away but the most important thing is that it has arrived and it’s in my possession!

So enough rambling, I took this lovely box into the sunshine and captured the following treats in all their unedited glory;

Inika Black Caviar Eyeliner – (RRP £13.50)

***Swatch below*** A girl can never have too many black eyeliners right? I’ve fallen out with pencil eyeliners over the years since I discovered liquid and gel, but I’m willing to forgo my bad experiences of the panda look 5 minutes after application and give this a shot. It’s application is smooth and creamy and it promises to deliver an even colour that wears all day without smudging. (I’ll definitely be the judge of this!) Another great this to note about the Inika Eyeliner is that it’s formulated with natural plant products and should be suitable for sensitive eyes. A cruelty free eyeliner that’s doesn’t smudge, can be worn all day and won’t leave me teary eyes and bleak faced – a look which others mistake for misery and sadness and beauty bloggers rcognise as “eyeliner eye”. These are bold statements to live up to and I’m going to test the to their limits! Statement aside, at £13.50 I’m not sure I could be lured into purchasing this again even if it does turn out to be the best thing I’ve ever discovered.

For more of their products you can visit their website (the we developer in me raised it’s eyebrows at the irritating navigational ability of their site!) over at Inikacosmetics.co.uk

Furless ‘Must Have’ Stippling Brush – (RRP £8.50)

Oh Vegan Kind … you are the real Prince Charming. Plying me with chocolate and treats and saving the animals of the world and then you go and pull off a gesture like gifting upon me a Furless brush! I have longed for one of these brushes – just one – just to try – just to hold! Although I am contented with my Real Techniques brushes (do you have any idea how hard it is to find the perfect cruelty free makeup brush?) I have been lusting after the Furless brush range since forever. So why have I not invested in their brushes before? Probably something to do with the shipping starting at $66.90 AUD (that’s about £40 for us Brits depending on the currency rate). Thanks to The Vegan Kind, I can now experience just how beautiful their brushes are. There is only one word I need to describe this – soft – yup, the softest brush I have ever encountered! I can not wait to take this on tour with me and when I’m flush with cash, (or win the lottery) I might convince myself that £40 is worth it to support a cruelty free and Vegan brand.

To lust over all of their other things, you can do so here. Definitely not for the weak ‘walleted’.

White Rabbit Lime and Coconut Cleansing Water – (RRP £4)

There has been a bit of a mantra going on throughout this box – “Do Not Eat”. More on that later though. This gorgeous cleansing water is most definitely a great alternative to facial wipes or cleanser and toner. Not only are all the ingredients skin friendly and natural but it smells and absolutely treat! It took all my will power not to down it in one and I’m having to remind myself that this is for my face. It feels quite oily when used, but I quite like this in a product especially as my skin is dry (and my skin is hurtling towards Winter – when it could give the desert a run for it’s money!). It also leaves my skin feeling refreshed and clean which I don’t always get from a face wipe and even some cleansers and toners. This is definitely a brand I will be checking out!

Their etsy store can be found here.

Beautiful Movements Cosmetics Beauty Eyeshadow – 1g sample in “Adobe Brick” – (RRP £3.50)

***Swatch below*** This is the first of the two mineral eyeshadows in this box. Adobe Brick is a shimmery bronze which ordinarily I would have shied away from in favour of the classic neutral or black eye, but actually when tied with a green eyeshadow, you can make some beautiful smokey eyes with such a shade. Application wise it’s beautiful. Not too boring and brown but also not gold, thus the perfect “bronze” – I reckon this will look great with my gold Manowar top and teeny gold studded mini shorts (providing I lay off the pies for a while!) and will also get a look in when it comes to packing my stage makeup!

Beautiful Movements Cosmetics Beauty Eyeshadow – 1g sample in “Platinum Tiara” – (RRP £3.50)

***Swatch below*** Platinum Tiara is also a shimmery shade, this one is grey which is great since I absolutely love grey shadows as they are so versatile. I initially thought it may have been silver but on swatching the grey really shows itself, enough sparkly to add a pop to your eyes and this applies equally as well as “Adobe Brick”. I will be making a mental note to use more loose eye shadows from now on instead of allowing them to gather dust in my “collection” (*cough* hoard *cough*).

For more shades and other products you can visit them here. Take note if any one wants to buy me “Aquatic Galaxy” and “Emerald Showers” I would be very grateful!

Simply Soaps Orange Cocoa Bath Melt – (RRP £4.50)

Unfortunately, this is another product not for eating. It is -not- chocolate, despite it’s look/smell and it probably won’t taste very nice if I put it in my mouth. (Hurp de durp to all of you disgustingly minded people out there … yes Gemma, that includes you.) I bet if you enjoy baths that this would be absolutely amazing to use and I can imagine it being incredibly relaxing. Unfortunately I hate baths and the closest I get to submerging myself in that much water is the occasional swim in the pool and bathing CJ the pooch so I wont be getting to use this. I’m willing to donate this to a much worthier cause though for their enjoyment.

For more soapy products, Simply Soaps site can be found here.

Above are the swatches for the Inika Eyeliner and Beautiful Movements Eyeshadows

It would appear that The Vegan Kind beauty box has been an absolutely success. I’ve enjoyed this more than any of my regular beauty box subscriptions and I’m a little sad that it’s all over now. Although this is a one off, I really hope they look at putting together another beauty box. One of my biggest gripes about the standard beauty box is having to check all of the labels and products to see if I can use them, and then being sorely disappointed when I find out that I’ve ended up with useless items made from fish scales or goat hair. This way The Vegan Kind do all the hard work for me and I can enjoy all the fabulous bits and pieces they send via the postman!

If you want to get your hands on their one off beauty box, you can do so here for just £15.00 plus p&p. I strongly urge you all to purchase one, even if it’s just to encourage them to release another! (Ahem did I mention you get over £35 worth of stuff that didn’t hurt a single animal!)

To convince you even more of how much you need this box in your life, I’m just going to leave this picture here;

Surely this appeals to your inner Vegan? ^Photograph courtesy and © copyright of Four Jandals Blog

Until next time Vegan Kind Beauty Box (because there really should be a next time!)

Totally hellbent for not having to google all of the most ridiculous and random cosmetic ingredients!

-Pants

Beauty Boxes

Glossybox August 2014 Review

August 29, 2014

I know I cancelled by subscription to Glossybox, but I’ve still ended up with two boxes thanks to my hoard of Glossydots meaning they were free of charge. Since returning from festival season I’ve managed to come back to a Vegan Kind box, Birchbox and this month’s Glossybox so I’ve definitely been spoilt rotten.

We all know my track record with Glossybox has been a little rocky as of late and I’ve had a tendency to be severely disappointed with the contents, so this month I’m going to try and be a little more positive, so on with the contents we go …

Kryolan for Glossybox – Highlighter in “Cashmere” – 4.5g sample – RRP £12.95 for full size

I do love me a good highlight! Despite my reservations, the formula for this glides on beautifully and gives a lovely highlight – not to mention the packaging is sleek and wonderful. It reminds me a little of the elf studio range, of which I adore the square jars and the matte black lids. Kudos where credit is due though, I’ll be enjoying this.

Above: Left – Kryolan for Glossybox Highlighter in “Cashmere” swatch & Right – Essence Longlasting Lipstick in “Natural Beauty” swatch

Essence – Longlasting Lipstick in “Natural Beauty” – full size – £2.29

Essence is a brand I’ve heard a lot about recently and I’ve had to try very hard not to purchase anything myself since I’ve been trying to save money for festivals and the new arrival of a puppy (expensive stuff are puppies!). At first I winced at the colour but at second glance I’m pretty pleased with it. It’s a slightly pinker nude which goes well with my skin tone and I have been after a nice nude for a while now. The application seems Okay but I haven’t tested this out and about so I’m unsure of the longevity yet. I am looking forward to eventually trying a few more things out from Essence though … in time of course.

Figs & Rough – Mini Hand Cream – 20ml sample – £6.95 for full size

I’m a big fan of hand cream. I generally have one on my desk, in a few bags and by the side of my bed. I also have some next to the kitchen sink so I can top myself up if I’m downstairs. More hand cream is always welcome, and after trying some of their lip balm I’m a massive fan of Figs & Rouge. This hand cream is mango and mandarin and it smells so fruity and delicious. One thing I did notice after applying it was how instantly soft my hands felt. There was no sticky or oily residue and it didn’t feel as though i’d just creamed my hands, but they felt exceptionally smooth. I can’t see this tube lasting for very long at all!

Philip Kingsley – Elasticizer – 40ml sample – £38 for full size

This one is a little strange – I’m not quite sure what the desired effect is for this. According to the Glossybox info – this is a pre-shampoo treatment delivering unrivalled elasticity, manageability, bounc and shine without weighing down or coating the hair. Well I’m pretty sure my Shampoo & Conditioner also claim to do these things. My only qualm about trying this out, is that it’s a pre-shampoo, meaning you have to apply to damp hair and leave for 10-20 minutes. Not great if you are on a schedule or if it already takes you a good half an hour when washing your hair to complete your shower routine. Still I’ll give this a bash and see what I think. At £38 a bottle though I really am expecting a miracle.

Yves Rocher – Nail Polish in “Rose” – 3ml sample – £3.60 for full size

Okay, I know I said I was going to be positive about this box, but I definitely rolled my eyes at this one. First of all – pink? Another crummy pink nail varnish? As much as I’ve recently discovered the joys of pink lipstick, one thing I really can’t get into is pink nail varnish. It just isn’t for me. Tie this in with the pitiful 3ml sample and this is definitely the worst product from this month’s box. It applied Okay, but was a little streaky and probably not a brand I’ll be going out of my way to buy any time soon. For now it will be added to the “pink” pile awaiting a new home with someone who appreciates this shade of nail.

Lalique – L’Amour perfume sample – 2ml sample – £67 for full size

I’m generally pretty non chalonce about fragrance samples. I always think most samples I receive are nice but I’ve never had any that have made me instantly want to part with £70 to buy the full size. My vast and expanding fragrance collection generally comes from my two dads at Christmas, which I am eternally grateful for. One dad buys my the expensive designer stuff such as Jean Paul and Dior and the other picks me things up when he goes abroad based on how nice they smell, which is how I discovered Escada (one of my favourite brands). Despite that I do enjoy trying out these samples and they are pretty handy for throwing in a hand bag or taking to gigs. Lalique is actually more of my Winter scent – it’s pretty heavy, and the notes of Rosebud really makes an appearance. With a slight floral undertone, although heavy it’s not too over bearing but definitely more of an evening scent. I was also pretty enthralled by the sample vial. I’ve become heavily accustomed to spray samples so I was a little confused when nothing happened upon pressing the top down. The lid actually comes off and it has a few little holes in the top so this can be rubbed over the skin. A little different to the samples of today. I probably wont be purchasing this any time soon but I wouldn’t complain if someone bought it for me!

I think this month’s box has been pretty good overall. I wasn’t blown away, but I haven’t by Glossybox for a long while now. I was a little disappointed with the size and colour of the nail varnish, but overall I’ve enjoyed all but the varnish in the August box. If you’d like to try Glossybox out, you can do so for just £10 plus P&P here. I still have a few points left to use up, so we’ll see what next month brings.

Totally hellbent for coming back to reality with a host of beauty boxes from the post man

– Pants

Beauty Boxes

Stars and Stripes Glossybox July 2014

July 20, 2014

I have returned from hibernation! There are plenty of reasons why I took a little break from blogging and left HBFL in the very capable hands of Amie for a few weeks, but I shan’t go into them now for there are shiny treats inside this pretty stars and stripes box and playing with make-up is always more fun than waxing lyrical about mushy feelings!

This is an awesome box with four full size products and a generous 15ml sample, I adore the packaging and although it’s a tiny minuscule thing on the scale of importance I’m a little bit in love with the red filling!

Bellapierre Cosmetics Ltd Mineral Lipstick in Ruby

Wowza! I do so love a red lip so this was a perfect pick for me. I’ve used a few Bellapierre products before but nothing from their lip range, I think after this I’ll definitely be looking to pick up a few more. Ruby applies so easily, the texture is very creamy but doesn’t feel like it slips even after a few hours. The pigmentation is great and there is a gorgeous shimmer finish that isn’t too glossy. An amazing find that gives me a great interest in checking out the other shades in the range.

Full Size

£20 from bellapierre.co.uk

ABSOLUTE New York Perfecting Eyeshadow Primer

I’ve not heard of ABSOLUTE New York before but I’m already a big fan of this eye primer. It has a lovely texture and dries to a soft finish that gives a good smooth base for any colour. I can’t comment on longevity without giving it a few trial runs, but for application this is a great little find.

Full Size

$4.99 from Nicka.com

Carmex Lip Balm

I’m a sucker for lip balms and have a shamefully large collection, however I think I can definitely make room for one more pot with this little treat. Carmex is one of those classic brands that everyone has heard of but I’ve never been particularly tempted to try it out. I can see now though why it is a favourite amongst celebrities and make-up artists though, in one quick pat on my lips it made them feel smooth and moisturised, it is slightly greasy feeling but I don’t mind that so much. The menthol leaves a slight pleasant tingle so it might be worth some caution if you are very sensitive to such.

Full Size

£2.69 from Graftonsbeauty.co.uk

Color Club Nail Polish in Glossy Seal

I’ve dabbled with a few Color Club polishes but none as lovely as Glossy Seal. This inky teal-tinged blue is right up my street and surprisingly I can’t find a shade similar in my collection. The formula is a dream, application was quick and streak-free and one coat was enough for an even opaque finish. Love love love!

Full Size

$8 from Shopcolorclub.com

Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturiser

This was the least exciting product in the box at first glance, but one sniff of the gorgeous apple scent and I was sold! My only qualm is the SPF 15 seems kind of redundant in this sort of weather, I think I’ll hold onto this for the colder months when I can be a little less strict with keeping my facial SPF above 100.

15ml Sample

£35.75 for 50ml from Naturisimo.com

So overall a pretty amazing box for me personally, especially the cosmetic colour choices!

If you want a Glossybox of your very own you can pick one up for £10 (+P&P) from Glossybox.co.uk.

Totally hellbent for a beauty box full of things I will definitely use!

– Gem

Beauty Boxes

Birchbox July 2014 Review

July 10, 2014

Birchbox is my only long standing beauty box to come this month so I was hoping for something spectacular after I finally decided to cancel my Glossybox (we’ll see how long that lasts!)

I’d seen a few spoilers for this month, but nothing that was overly exciting – this theme for this box is Sun, Sea & Sand but I can’t say there were many products that instantly made me think of any of those.

Weleda – Nourishing Shamppo – 18ml sample | £8.95

I’m pretty sure I have one of these from a previous box lying around in one of my samples drawer. It’s natural and organic, but mostly it’s a tiny tube of Shampoo – which I don’t use often – and is marketed at “normal” hair (whatever that is?). It smells Okay and I suppose it will be useful to take on my travels to some upcoming festivals. I really don’t think there’s much more I can say on this one though.

Balance Me – Wonder Eye Cream – 7ml sample | £20

I rolled my eyes a little at this and had to bring myself back to reality with a hard shove. I’ve tried Balance Me products and actually, I bloody love them! So what’s my problem? It’s a decent sized sample that will last me a while and I was literally thinking a few days ago about which eye cream I’d treat myself to next.

LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil in “Menatour” – 2g | £14.43

Another brand I’ve received from Birchbox in the past, but last time I ended up with a vile pink colour – this is quite a bright purple colour. Usually being one to roll my eyes at a colour that isn’t red, I’ve recently branched out and tried experimenting with some other shades (thanks to Gemma’s latest Lime Crime obsession and Makeup Revolution’s crazy colours) so I’m pretty psyched to start using this. It glides on beautifully and is a pretty similar formula to the other Lip pencils available at the moment (Clinique, MUA, Rimmel etc). It has a gorgeous minty scent, is retractable but still the right size to throw into your bag.

Gilchrist & Soames – English Spa Sea Kelp Extract Mineral Bath – 40ml sample | £11.25

Ugh – I really don’t know what the hype is about this brand. I recently finished a previous sample of theirs (review coming in my empties later on) and I was not impressed. A lot of their toiletry products remind me of those cheap bottles you end up with in hotels. Anyway, directions for use is to pour under hot running water and enjoy a luxurious mineral bath. Unfortunately I hate baths and can not remember the last time I had one. It’s a shame as it smells quite nice and is a fairly decent sized sample. I’m guessing it will end up as “hand wash” when I’m at festivals or a self-catered hotel where they neglect to provide these things.

Whish – Three Wishes Lavender Body Butter – 22ml | £14.50

This is actually pretty cute. The packaging is quite retro in a modern kind of way – the ingredients all seem pretty natural and above board and since I’ve seen this brand reviewed on a few Vegan beauty blogs I think it’s safe to assume it’s … well … safe. It smells absolutely gorgeous, the consistency is lovely and again the sample size is pretty darn good. I really love lavender, but I know it has a bit of a bad rep and some people associate it with ageing, but I don’t care. Top trumps for this new brand discovery!

Ultradex – Oral Spray – 9ml | £3.65

This was the lifestyle extra and it helped pull me out of today’s little beauty box grump – Ultradex was formerly “retar DEX” – excuse my immaturity here but when I was a wee lass, this was advertised regularly and would give me and my ‘tween’ friends such a giggle. Blast from the past aside, it has a lovely Vegan stamp on the back and I can imagine it coming in hand for festival season, in between getting up and having the energy to brush my teeth in the morning, a little freshen up should make me feel the world of good.

I mentioned my little beauty box grump – I think as I opened this month’s Birchbox I was still feeling the hit from my rubbish Glossybox last month and struggling to get into the groove of things again. Having said that, after shaking myself a little and opening my eyes to this month’s contents, I’m rather pleased. I received a great eye cream from a trusted brand, discovered another, added to my growing collection of bright lip products and I can almost get over my growing irritation for Gilchrist & Soames and their public toilet soap dispenser products! Not to mention the tiny card telling me what I might expect to see in next month’s box (an adorable bag to squeeze my mini toiletries into) I have enjoyed the box thoroughly and I didn’t appreciate it enough until I started writing this review.

If you’d like to pick up a Birchbox, you can do so here via their website for just £10 per month and £2.95 p&p. What did you think of your box this month?

Totally hellbent for taking a second look at seemingly boring products and discovering their hidden beauty!

-Pants

Beauty Boxes, Make-up, Nails, Skincare, Travel

Glossybox June 2014 Review

June 16, 2014

This is the last of my beauty boxes to arrive this month, and Gem and I have been waiting on tenterhooks after a few spoilers were going around, but now the wait is over and I can finally see what is in my Glossybox!

The first thing I noticed, is that mine was prepared a little more shoddily than the usually impeccable presentation. My Glossybox (GB) sticker looked as though it had already been peeled off, and everything was just kind of “thrown in”. I know this has absolutely nothing to do with the contents, but one of the reasons I love GB so much, is down to the presentation and packaging.

That aside, let’s move onto the contents:

nailgirls – 3in1 base/topcoat & nail strengthener | Full Size Product | £13.50

I received a nailgirls in one of my boxes last month, unfortunately it was the most disgusting barbie pink that I am likely never to wear. The formula was amazing though which was a shame, so I’m pretty glad I’ve received another, this time more multi-functional product from them. I am running out of base coat (and at the rate I paint my nails it’s no wonder), so I was gearing up to look around and buy a new one. No need now though. Having base and top coat in one is going to be especially great for when I go away, knowing that I don’t have to fill my bag with lots of varnish. Because when you are on a 6 hour boat ride to a festival, you need to occupy yourself!

Teeez Trend Cosmetics – Beautiful Flat Stiff Brush | One Size | €19

This brush looked absolutely amazing, but from the moment I tipped the tip out of the box, my heart sank. There it was, the distinct sand coloured bristle that generally means some form of animal hair. I therefore narrowed my eyes and replaced this brush back into it’s box never to be used on my skin. Although my first impressions of the brush were that it looked fab, on closer inspection it is a mere spec on the horizon compared to it’s cruelty free counter parts and the bristles were quite stiff and and rough. I know it’s always difficult to know for sure if a brand is cruelty free, but for a company that thinks it’s Okay to use animal in their brushes, I don’t hold out any hope for the rest of their products. Glossybox take note.

Rituals … – QI Gong anti-perspirant spray | 50ml | £3.50 for 50ml

Moving onto a product that I am happy to use, Rituals QI Gong antiperspirant spray. A company who appear to be fairly transparent about their cruelty free products and state categorically that they do not test on animals, nor do they allow third parties to. Although they admit to using beeswax and lanolin (wool fat) I can live with these, although I know there a lot of Vegan’s out there who would disagree. Ever since I procured one a Rituals body wash, I’ve relished the chance to try more of their products. This is a perfect size for taking to festivals (of which my first is going to be a week on Thursday!!), it smells absolutely gorgeous – infused with “white lotus and Yi Yi Ren” it’s a light and subtle summery scent, with a slight musky undertone to it. This is definitely going to be packed and I can’t wait to use it.

QV Skincare – QV Skin Lotion | 15ml | £6.06 for 250ml

Really? Really Glossybox? Really? For anyone that is unfamiliar with QV as a brand, they are heavily regarded as one of the cheaper go to companies for Doctors when writing prescriptions for Eczema and dry skin conditions. It’s issued by a pharmaceutical company named “Ego Pharmaceuticals” so sticking with what seems to be today’s theme of cruelty free, the chances of this being animal friendly are probably very slim (thanks to my nursing knowledge of pharmaceutical companies *boo hiss*), I note that they seemingly appear to avoid any questions asked about whether the product is Vegan or Vegetarian through skipping through their website earlier. I have in fact tried QV Lotion before, due to my very dry and sensitive skin and it really didn’t help at all not to mention my sheer reluctance to use a lot of products issues by my Doctor. Anyway, as much as my skin is a pain in the backside at times I definitely prefer organic, natural products. I suppose it’s the thought that counts GB, and I should really presume that you were sending my this because you actually took note of my beauty profile. Although next time I want to test out pharmaceutical lotions and potions, I’ll stop by the Docs.

So Susan Cosmetics – Universal Blush | Full Size Z £18

And a nice end to half and half box. A lovely “cruelty free” (alleged) blush. I do love my blush – not quite as much as Gem, but this is a welcome product to my collection. The colour is a gorgeous shimmery pink/peach and the pigment is perfect. A quick swatch and I’m very pleased and excited to test this out. The packaging is adorable and if that wasn’t enough, this blush supposedly reduces redness and offers UV protection – you know how much we thrive off UV protection here at “Gem and Pants land of pale”. I’ll definitely be looking out for more products from So Susan Cosmetics, given this one is such a hit. My one criticism is the lack of shade/name, but I can live with it.

Overall, 3 out of 5 isn’t bad. That’s over half of the products that I’ve enjoyed right? If I’m going to be honest, this month’s box has put me in a bit of grump. Although there are three fantastic products that I’m really pleased with, the QV lotion and brush have really irritated me. I am definitely siding with Birchbox at the moment who are offering a lot more high end brands and more for your money rather than Glossybox who seem to be offering me products I can either pick up from Superdrug or from the local Doctor. I am really torn as to whether I want to keep my subscription at the moment but perhaps it’s time too move on to better and more animal friendly pastures?

Have you had this month’s Glossybox? What were your thoughts?

If you are wanting to try Glossybox out, you can do so for £10 a month + £3.25 p&p here.

Totally hellbent for not smothering my face in goat hair

-Pants

Beauty Boxes

Birchbox Review June 2014 – Global Strikers

June 15, 2014

With a cheerful nod towards World Cup season, the June Birchbox has a “Global Strikers” theme and a cute bag emblazoned with the Brazil flag colours. I’m a huge fan of the World Cup, and in fact delayed writing this very blog post so that I could enjoy the England V Italy match fully (IE prepare many beers!). Unfortunately it was a loss for England, but I enjoyed every moment of it none the less!

Before kicking off (hur hur) the first impressions of what was in my box, I have to do a tiny whine and say that some people received a Beauty Blender in their boxes, which is a very desirable find in any box at £26! I didn’t get one, and of course that is the luck of the draw with beauty boxes, and it sort of took away from an otherwise great box knowing I -could- have received such a great item and didn’t!

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre

First up is a moisturiser from French brand Embryolisse (who I will admit I haven’t heard of before!). It contains shea butter, beeswax, aloe vera and soy proteins and can be used as make-up remover, repairing mask, after-shave care and as a baby-care product as well as being a moisturiser, so a very handy product! A quick swatch has left me with high expectations as it make my skin feel very soft!

5ml Sample

£12.99 from Birchbox.co.uk

Silk + Honey Shea Butter Hair Mask

The constant bleach/dye cycle I put my hair through means I need to use this sort of thing quite often to stop it going brittle and keep it in good condition, so I will definitely be giving this a try soon. When I looked this up on the Birchbox webstore I realised that this is the end product of a kit where you make this hair mask yourself, how awesome! I’m really into home-made beauty treatments so I think I’d definitely enjoy whipping up a batch.

Sample

£55 for the set from Birchbox.co.uk

O.P.I – Next Stop The Bikini Zone

I was very excited about possibly getting a mini-OPI polish when I saw the June Birchbox spoiler posts, I love the formula and I adore the tiny bottles (which look very cute lined up on display!). I got Next Stop The Bikini Zone from the Brazil Collection, a metallic purple with flecks of shimmer. It looks lovely in the bottle, but unfortunately I found it quite sheer and hard to build up colour on the nail.

In honesty it’s unlikely I will get much wear out of this particular shade as I tend to favour solid colours.

3.75ml Mini

£11.95 for 15ml from Birchbox.co.uk

Yves Rocher Sheer Botanical Lipstick in Marron Glace

Lipsticks are one of my favourite make-up items to find in beauty boxes as I rarely seem to end up with shades that I won’t wear! I actually adore this lipstick already, Marron Glace is a brown toned nude, very my-lips-but-better! It has a gorgeous scent from the infusion of cherry oil, and left my lips feeling amazingly soft and moisturised. Will definitely be looking for a few more shades from this line!

Full Size

£9.90 from Birchbox.co.uk

Naobay Body Radiance Lotion

Finally an organic body lotion from Spanish brand Naobay. Full of natural ingredients and with a lovely light lemon scent this will definitely be making it into my festival mini-products bag.

30ml Sample

£14.00 from Birchbox.co.uk

LIFESTYLE EXTRA: Birchbox Brazil Inspired Keyring

I do like the little lifestyle extras you get with Birchbox (but I totes like it best when it’s food!). This very summery keyring is quite cute and very fitting for a summer filled with World Cup excitement!

Overall I’d say this -is- a pretty good box, but I can’t shake being miffed that some people got a £26 Beauty Blender and I didn’t! If you’d like to get one of your very own, a monthly subscription costs £10 (+P&P) from Birchbox.co.uk!

Totally not hellbent for being green with envy!

– Gem

Beauty Boxes

Love Me Beauty June 2014 – Edition 1

June 13, 2014

I’ve been watching the front door like a hawk ever since I saw this months beauty boxes showing up on my Twitter and Instagram feed and the first to make an appearance was this amazing selection from Love Me Beauty!

Unlike other subscription boxes where you get sent a random selection, Love Me Beauty allows you to pick the exact box you want from three menus (though individual shades can still vary!)

This month I chose edition 1 and I love absolutely everything inside!

Model Co Shine Ultra Lip Gloss in “Fairy Floss”

I was never much of a gloss person, but I’m a big fan of the Model Co formula and have a few shades that I like to dip into now and again. I’d never have chosen this colour for myself, Fairy Floss is a lilac-tinged pink but it’s very sheer on the lips. It has a very light sweet fragrance and feels really rich without ever feeling gloopy. The packaging is well worth a mention, very sleek and stylish with a built in mirror that is SO handy for on the go application!

Full Size

£12.00 from modelcocosmetics.com

NYX Cosmetics Nail Polish in Pastel Lavender

Another shade that I don’t think I would have picked for myself, but actually I think it will probably get some wear as it almost perfectly matches a very pretty 50’s style dress I bought last year (and nothing is more satisfying then colour matching nail polish for a special occasion, right?)

The formula is lovely, and impressively fast drying for a none-fast-dry polish. I’ve not tried many NYX products but this has made me very curious about the rest of the range!

Full Size

£3.00 from nyxcosmetics.co.uk

Montagne Jeunesse Brazilian Mud Fabric Masque

Everyone loves a good face mask, right? This one includes purple Brazilian mud, acai berries, avocado and a whole host of yummy natural ingredients and is Vegetarian Society approved. However a scan over the ingredients shows that it includes Lactoperoxidase which is of milk origin. I’m a heavily vegan-leaning vegetarian and I haven’t drank animal milk for probably a year or so now, so I’m not so sure I am comfortable putting it on my skin either. It’s a dilemma, and one I will have to think about long and hard. I really like the sound of this mask but I don’t in honesty think I can use it without being full of mega-guilt at poor Daisy and her cow friends.

Overall I really like the ethics of this company, and an accompanying pamphlet talks all about their animal friendly ethos and green ways (including their own wind turbine!) but then I can’t quite understand why a company that says “Animals are our friends – that’s why we don’t bash bunnies or add bits of animals” consider milk an animal-friendly additive!

Full Size

£1.49 from montagnejeunesse.com

Beauty UK Eye-shadow Collection in Earth Child

This tiny little palette is adorable and full of earthy neutral shades that should suit every skin tone. The shadows are all very creamy for such a budget product, but do need to be built up a bit as they are not very heavily pigmented. In all honesty I don’t think the formula is a scratch on MUA or Make-Up Revolution’s similarly priced offerings, but I do like the tiny size which makes it perfect for travel or festival make-up bags.

Full Size

£3.99 from beautyukcosmetics.com

Urban Vega Purifying Day Cream

I’ve tried this day cream before and my skin really got on with it, so this sample size is a nice reminder to go out and purchase some more! With neem oil, witch hazel and spearmint this really is a great choice for us ladies of slightly oilier skin, and also did wonders for my disgustingly oversized pores. It’s also worth noting that it is free of parabens and SLS and is Vegetarian Society approved! The only reason I didn’t rush out to repurchase this before is the lack of SPF, which makes it a little redundant for me in the summer months.

10ml Sample

£14.99 from urbanveda.co.uk

Bonus – £10 Flavourly Voucher

For those inclined to try gourmet specialities this looks like a great food subscription service, but as there is no vegetarian menu (at least not that I can see!) this isn’t for me! Still £10 off brings the price of a box down to only £10, and it’s great to be able to try out such things at half price!

Find out more at flavourly.com

Overall another awesome box from Love Me Beauty, if you’d like one of your very own all three menus are still available for £10 (+P&P) from Lovemebeauty.com!

Totally hellbent for so many full size products!

-Gem

Beauty Boxes

Love Me Beauty Review – May 2014 – Edition 1

May 20, 2014

I promised myself last month that I would cancel my Love me Beauty subscription, but the problem with knowing what you are getting, is that sometimes you want it even more. I just couldn’t resist keeping my subscription for another box when I saw the cute little notebooks in this edition. The one thing I adore about this box, is how carefully packaged it is. As you can see above, the products are placed so neatly, that it really does things to my OCD – being so organised and neat excites me more than it should!

Lord & Berry – Smudgeproof, waterproof eye liner in “#720 Sand” – (RRP £8.50)

I have to admit, I was less than interested in this when pulling it out of the box. I have an array of pencil eyeliners and only break them out when I can’t be bothered with the liquid liner. Admittedly I judged way too harshly, although I have brown eyes, I still wear brown eyeliner when I pair it with green eyeshadow and after swatching this, it’s beautiful. It’s more of a gold-brown and and it applied so well, when I tried the “smudge test” it didn’t budge. I am impressed at the longevity of this, especially since my pencil eyeliners have a habit of travelling down my face and am definitely going to use this next time I’m going for a smokey green eye.

Lord & Berry website

Raw Skincare – Natural Lip balm in “Hint of Mint” – (RRP £1.98)

A girl can never own enough Lip balms, especially with Summer fast approaching. This reminds me of Burt’s Bees, but with less of my favourite Peppermint tingle once applied. It feels nice, it’s natural and it will do the job. That’s all I can say on this one, although if I could make one improvement, it would be the addition of an SPF. Another addition to this years festival packing for when my lips are sore and in need of a little TLC.

Raw Skincare website

Tea Pigs – “Chocolate Flake” Tea bags – (RRP £0.65 per tea bag)

I say this everytime I get tea samples – I’m English, I love tea! This flavour (along with the notebooks) swayed me towards picking Edition 1 this month, having spent some time browsing the Tea Pigs website, I know that this can be supped upon with a dash of milk and all the best tea is taken with milk. I can’t wait to try these out and if I enjoy them, I’m definitely going to spend less time browsing their website and more time loading up my cart and actually making it to the checkout!

Tea Pigs website

Nail Girls – Nail Polish in “Nude Pink” – (RRP £13.50)

First of all, this polish doesn’t have the shade written on it anywhere and I had to consult the trust Love me Beauty card to tell me that this was “Nude Pink”. Despite the ridiculously girly pink colour, it applied really well and even though I swatched this with two coats, I only really needed one. I doubt I’m ever going to paint all my nails with this colour, but it may come in handy for some Nail Art and I think teamed with some pastel colours this could look really pretty if you are that way inclined. Unfortunately despite my vast collection of Varnish, my heart will always belong to the dark shades – probably very reflective of my soul ;o).

Nail Girls website

GO Stationary – Pocket Notebook Set in “Vintage Ditsy” (RRP £5)

The red polka dots are what did it for me when deciding that Edition 1 was the box for me this month. These notebooks are so adorable – both Gem and I are a sucker for stationary anyway so when these showed up, we were all over them. The paper inside is plain and not ruled, which is fine since being an adult I have almost fine tuned my ability to write in a straight line and if things do go a bit pear shaped, I have no frowning teacher to shout at me. I’m also pretty pleased with the price, since it’s fairly reasonable for three beautiful books. I can’t wait to drop these in my various handbags ready to scribble in.

Go Stationary website

I’ve really enjoyed the variety of this box and I’m still trying to bring myself to cancel my subscription. As per usual the “I’ll just wait and see what’s in the next boxes” still reigns supreme and I admitted I have a serious problem long ago!

If you’d like to check out Love me Beauty, each month they release three boxes for you to select one of. Head over the Lovemebeauty.com to get your’s for just £10.00 + p&p each month.

Totally hellbent for “just one more box” and eventually kicking that habit – one day –

-Pants

Beauty Boxes

Glossybox May 2014 – Summer Beauty Edit With Superdrug

May 16, 2014

Glossybox have been massive teases this month, dropping loads of hints about their upcoming collaboration (we all guessed it would be Superdrug though, right?) but boy was all the suspense worth it! This is hands down my best box ever with a whopping five full sized items and two samples! I’ll use absolutely everything and can honestly say there’s nothing I would change.

Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer

This alone is worth more than the cost of the box! I wear as much SPF as possible once the sun comes out and having an extra SPF 20 in a primer is an absolutely magical notion for me. Combine this with my foundation (SPF 15) and my moisturiser (SPF 20) and I don’t even have to worry about extra suncream unless I’m planning on being out in direct sunlight for a long time! A quick swatch blended in smoothly and quickly and left a lovely base for make-up, I can’t comment on how much it affects longevity yet but it definitely helped application!

Full Size

£10.99 from Superdrug.com

Maybelline New York Great Lash Mascara – Very Black

This is a classic iconic mascara and I can’t believe I still haven’t ever tried it! I wont be opening it just yet as I’m still working through my L’Oreal Miss Manga and Rimmel Scandaleyes Rockin’ Curves at the moment. Mascaras don’t have much of a shelf life so I like to use only one or two at a time, this is definitely on the top of my list to open next though! A lovely addition to the box and another full size item!

Full Size

£4.00 from Superdrug.com

GOSH Cosmetics Velvet Touch Eyeliner in Blueberry Ice

I can’t say I’ve ever tried a frosted lilac eyeliner before, but the texture of this was so lovely when I had a quick swatch on the back of my hand that I had to try it on my eyes IMMEDIATELY! The result was a beautiful shimmery silverish shade that I think would actually make a lovely highlight for beneath the brows! This blends out wonderfully into a pretty shimmery eyeshadow too. I think I’ll be seeking out a black GOSH eyeliner based on the quality of Blueberry Ice.

Full Size

£4.99 from Superdrug.com

B. Sheer Conditioning Lipstick in Flamingo

Okay so when I said earlier that I wouldn’t change anything, I -might- have preferred this in a less girly shade. Flamingo is a very shimmery frosted pink, but it’s so creamy and feels so soft on the lips I find it hard to even complain that I would have preferred something a little more vampy. The very pigmented yet somehow sheer lipstick is enriched with Vitamin E, shea butter and aloe vera which explains why it feels absolutely divine on! Another product that has made me definitely want to seek out different shades in the range.

Full Size

RRP £6.99 but currently available for £3.49 from Superdrug.com

Vaseline Spray & Go Coco

I pulled a bit of a face last time there was a Vaseline product in a Glossybox, as I tend to think of it as a very boring brand. Well I’m eating my words now, this is an amazing product that I’ve instantly decided I don’t want to live without! Spray on moisturiser that actually leaves your skin soft and smelling delicious? Whodathoughtit?! The coco butter scent is to die for and I can see this being perfect for the gym bag or even festivals…or you know everyday. I’m a little bit in love.

Full Size

£4.99 from Superdrug.com

Garnier Oil Beauty Lotion

The first bonus product (aka sample size product!) was a generous 10ml sachet of oil-infused nourishing lotion. Despite having greasy skin I’ve become quite the convert to body oils, and with an infusion of argan, macadamia, almond and rose oil I’m quite sure I will enjoy this as much as the more expensive offerings I’ve tried of late.

10ml Sample

£4.00 for 250ml from Superdrug.com

GHOST Fragrances Eclipse

Ahh yes, perfume samples, the bane of every beauty box. WELL. This one is -gorgeous- and I couldn’t be happier to have found a new scent to lust after! Fruity-floral with a lovely romantic warm scent this would be perfect for the gorgeous weather we are currently having in the UK and I’ll be popping off to Superdrug very soon to pick up a bottle!

2ml Sample

£33 for 50ml from Superdrug.com

I can definitely see this box selling out with the amount of gorgeous full size products inside, so if you want to get your hands on this amazing box head over to Glossybox.com where you can purchase one of your very own for only £10 (+P&P)

Totally hellbent for the best beauty box ever ever ever

-Gem