Beauty Boxes

The Vegan Kind Beauty Box February 2015

March 4, 2015

One beauty box I’m keeping my subscription to, is The Vegan Kind Beauty Box. One of my biggest problems is spending hours reading ingredient’s lists and checking out companies when I receive samples from other boxes, just to make sure I can use them. There is none of that with this box as I know everything is already Vegan and it always opens me up to some great new brands!

Let’s take a peek inside this month’s box;

Fresh Therapies – Nourishing Natural Nail Polish Remover Wipes – 55g (RRP £7.50)

What a fantastic idea this is. Ten individually wrapped, nail polish remover wipes. Made with natural ingredients, no toxins and no chemical smell. It’s also suitable for Vegans, Children, Sensitive Skin and Pregnancy. £7.50 is a little pricey I think for only ten sachets, although they do have a 50ml bottle of nail varnish remover available for £8.99 which seems more reasonable. I know that this isn’t something you would use every day for taking off your varnish, but despite the price I think this would be wonderful for travelling. I remember last year cramming a bottle of remover into my bag on the way to Germany, just so I could do my nails on the ferry. Unfortunately said bottle leaked everywhere and I ended up with the tiniest drop left and having to borrow some off Gemma. The nail varnish pots are also great, but again prone to leaking if thrown into you bag. The individual pads are also pretty good the first time you use them, but since they are stored in the same pot I find they dry up really quickly. Since these are individually wrapped, you can just pop one in your bag and go!

Olivia Soaps and Balms – Chocolate and Coconut Body Butter – 50g (RRP £5.00)

I really love how cute the packaging is for this Body Butter. My first impression when I opened the lid and took a sniff though wasn’t amazing. It’s hard to explain but I really didn’t like how it smelt. However, after dipping a finger in I was somewhat surprised to discover that the butter was hard, but melted beautifully under my finger and once applied to the skin, it smelt absolutely gorgeous. It reminds me of a Bounty chocolate bar except perhaps somewhat less edible. The consistency is quite oily once applied, which is great if you have dry skin but probably not as good if you suffer with oily skin. Despite my initial reservations about the smell, I’m looking forward to trying this out after a shower for some extra pampering.

Premae Skincare – Mild Dermabrasion Face & Body Scrub – 20ml (RRP £5.00)

Made with Italian Olive granules, this can be used as a body or face scrub. I actually used this on my face this morning to text it out and it’s quite nice. It’s very mild on the skin and not something I would usually choose to use in terms of exfoliation, but it felt nice to apply – almost as though I was applying an exfoliating moisturiser. It doesn’t lather but wiped off beautifully with a face cloth. Although this says to use once or twice a week, I’m not sure I could use it instead of my usual face scrub. My dry skin needs something a little tougher but it’s great for a mid week pick me up.

White Rabbit Skincare – Comfort Cleansing Balm – 50ml (RRP £7.50)

The cosmetics gods must have heard me when I said I wanted to try more from White Rabbit Skincare since I also received a sample in this month’s #TVK16 which you can read about here. This cleansing balm can be massaged into dry skin before removing with a hand hot damp cloth. This reminds me a little bit of The Body Shop Chamomile cleansing butter. The smell is amazing and has a beautiful eucalyptus and lavender fragrance, which I adore. Once wiped off, it does leave the skin feeling pretty great I have to say.

Hedgerow Herbals – Bath Bags – 3x 10g (RRP £4.50)

These are essentially giant teabags for the bath. I actually don’t think I’ve ever come across anything like this before, but since I hate baths, I don’t ever buy bath products. These smell delightful though and have filled the whole TVK Beauty Box with such a calming aroma. I’m deeply saddened that I won’t be using them myself, but my general trick with bath treats is to force my partner to have a bath so I can sit on the toilet seat and enjoy them from afar. My favourite thing about these bags is that they are made from wild-crafted ingredients and each bag is bio degradable which means they can be composted.

I’ve really enjoyed the range of body related products in this box, so much so in fact that I hadn’t even noticed there weren’t any makeup items. Another great thing about The Vegan Kind Beauty Box is that it’s quarterly, so I don’t feel overwhelmed with products every month, it’s more than affordable and I’m more excited when I anticipate it’s arrival. I know they had put some feelers out as to whether people would like the service to become monthly and I always thought that I’d prefer a monthly box, but I’m really enjoying my guilt free spending with the 3 monthly boxes.

Have you signed up to The Vegan Kind Beauty box? What are you thought’s on the box potentially moving to a monthly service? I’d love to hear your comments down below.

Totally hellbent for guilty and cruelty free purchases

Pants

Beauty Boxes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Birchbox February 2015 Review

February 12, 2015

Birchbox have definitely topped my monthly beauty box list, pumping out box after box that hasn’t disappointed. I’m a little saddened that come March I won’t be renewing my 6 month subscription and it’s not because I’m no longer enjoyiny my boxes, but more that I have so much makeup I’m never going to use as well as the effort that goes into to checking every product to make sure it’s cruelty free. I eventually want to slim down my collection and use the money I’d spend out beauty boxes on brands that I really love but can never afford.

This month’s Birchbox has a love theme and is packed with lot’s of amazing products. Once again, they’ve excelled with their selection and there isn’t really a product I’m not that excited about.

London Butterflies – Bath Salt Scrub in Dead Sea Salt & Sweet Almond Oil – 34g – £35 for full size

At first glance I thought this was going to be bath salts, but as I re read the packaging and opened the lid – a sweet almond aroma greeted my nose and I saw this was in fact an actual scrub. When I tried a little on my hands I was more than impressed. At the £35 price tag though, I shouldn’t really expect any less. Although not the sort of scrub I would usually opt for, since it doesn’t resemble sand paper – it feel’s gently on the skin, but there’s still enough scrub to make it feel worthwhile. The best part is how beautifully oily it is. My hand was left feeling as though I’d just moisturised when in fact I’d simply used a pea sized amount of scrub and washed it off again. Probably not favorable if your skin is naturally oil, but for those of us with dry skin, I should imagine this is absolutely amazing.

theBalm cosmetics – Cindy-Lou Manizer – 0.57g sample – £15 for full size

I am such a fan of theBalm cosmetics. I love their quirky packaging and names and have also enjoyed using every product I’ve come across so far. This highlight is a welcome addition to my collection and although the sample is on the small side, I actually have two blushes in the same sample packaging that I haven’t even hit pan on and I use these for pretty much every makeup application.This is a shimmery highlight so probably not great for my every day looks but will work amazingly on stage. Another plus item that I am over the moon with. The application is smooth and the texture creamy, leaving a nice subtle sheen behind.

Cynthia Rowley Beauty – Eyeliner in Black – 0.8g – £11 for full size

Now this is a product I choked on my own words for. I scoffed when I pulled it out the box – seriously you have no idea how many pencil eyeliners I have and I never wear them. I find they smudge and are the culprit of the unwanted panda eye. I much prefer liquid or gel eyeliner which takes about the same time to apply and I’m confident won’t leave me looking like I’ve been playing with the corpse paint for my own amusement. This however, is more than an eyeliner. It applies almost like a gel liner, but with the precision that you admittedly do get with a pencil. I was expecting this to smudge and fall at the last hurdle, but nope, it made a stand and wouldn’t bloody budge. So much so that my usual regime of micellar water was my only hope for removing it. I’ll be reaching for this for a quick fix eye now that I know it’s reliability! It’s also worth mentioning that despite it’s stay put ability, it’s also very blend-able when you first apply it, which is perfect for smokey looks.

Liz Earle Beauty Co. – Botanical Shine Shampoo – 50ml – £10 for full size

Liz Earle is a brand that I admit I was a late bloomer to. After the whole hype with the cleanse and polish, I wasn’t sure I was ready to try it out for myself, afraid I’d just be disappointed. After procuring two cleanse and polish samples though, I was hooked and couldn’t believe how amazing it left my skin. I’ve been itching to get my hands on some more samples to try out ever since. This is a perfect next level Liz Earle sample for me, not only is the size a generous 50ml, but the shampoo is sls, which means I can actually use it instead of leaving it in my “mini’s I’ll never use or have to wait until my hair has faded to candy floss pink” pile. I’ve sworn by SLS free shampoo for such a long time now that there really is no going back unless it’s the day/week before hair dye day. I have high hopes for this though and will be putting it to the test very shortly. I also think that £10 for a full size product is almost affordable if you wash your hair as little as I do.

Wild About Beauty – Rose Water Illuminating Serum – 30ml – £22

I’ve not tried anything from Wild About Beauty before but I am a fan of serum. With dry skin, I clutch to any extra form of moisture I can, whether this be pre or post moisturising. This generous tube of illuminating serum can be smoothed over the skin and applied over base makeup to give a youthful glow thanks to it being packed with reflective pearls. Sounds promising and it feels pretty magical on my skin I have to say.

The Chia Co – Oats + Chia – Mixed Berry 1 sachet – £4.95 for 5 pack

I love Chia Seeds, I’ve had an obsession with pouring them in my smoothies and over my porridge for at least three to four years now. I also thrive off porridge oats, It’s the only cereal that I dare eat these days, mostly because I’m not a fan of soya milk cold on cereals but can’t taste it when it makes a creamy porridge bowl. The other great thing about these oats is that they’re Vegan – and made with coconut sugar (yes another obsession with mine). Not only is coconut sugar slightly better for you than normal sugar, it has a low GI.

What a stunning box, and best of all I can actually use everything without worrying about animal derivatives and how it’s been tested. I think this is up there with the best beauty boxes of all time (maybe not number one but definitely close). In fact it was so good, they should have called it “Panties Loves” instead of “Birchbox Loves”. Oh, I forgot to mention that they have now just released a post box friendly box that has all the same great samples in, but fits through your letter box!

If you’d like to subscribe to Birchbox, you can do so here for just £10 a month plus p&p.

What are you thought’s on this month’s box or did you get something different? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment below.

Totally hellbent for a cruelty free box packed full of things I can actually use

– Pants

Beauty Boxes, Lifestyle, Vegan, Vegetarian

Birchbox January 2015 – Women’s Health Edit – Review

January 22, 2015

I’ve been waiting for this box to come for a while now, ever since I found out this month’s box Birchbox would be in collaboration with women’s health. Gem and I are both gym nuts and I was hoping there would be some exciting products to get me back into the groove after a few weeks of sheer gluttony during the festive season. Because my box was so late this month, I’d already sneaked a peek at what was in the box, something I usually try to avoid, so it wasn’t that much of a surprise when it finally arrived.

In the box:

This month’s little booklet was filled with lot’s of great bite size challenges and tips which I really enjoyed reading! They certainly motivated me to get off my Christmas behind and back to the gym.

stila – lip glaze | £15 | full size product

This is the second lip glaze I’ve had from stila now, and I’ve not even opened the first one. I’m not a gloss person, it annoys me, my hair sticks to it and colours like this really don’t do much for my complexion. As glittery as this is, I don’t think I’ll be taking it for a spin on my lips any time soon. Not to mention there were talks about stila no longer being cruelty free a few year’s ago and it had been heard on the grape vine that they were potentially involved in some 3rd party animal testing. Despite their claims against this, I’m still not 100% sure I want to trust the brand.

Green People – Intensive Repair Shampoo | £11.95 | 30ml sample

This is actually a fairly decent sized sample as far as Shampoo goes, thankfully this intensive repair shampoo is for coloured hair which is great news. I get so many samples that I can’t use and my other half ends up with (he does have hair longer than mine!) because I almost exclusively use sulfate-free Shampoo on my vibrant locks. This is also Vegan and approved by the Vegan society which makes me one happy bunny. If it’s any good, I’ll definitely be looking at switching brands again.

Caudalie – Vinoperfect Radiance Serum | £45 | 10ml sample

I’ve literally just finished a massage oil from Caudalie which was truly spectacular and has lasted me month’s! This seem’s a fairly standard serum, to be applied pre moisturising. I’ll be adding it to my collection then! I can confirm that Caudalie state they do not test on, nor use animal products and in scouring their website, as I have to do when checking all products I came across this little snippet from their FAQs;

Also, please be aware that we continue to defend our Cosm’ethics and are always seeking to go one step further in our commitments. Hence, in 2012, Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas, the founders, decided to donate 1% of Caudalie’s turnover to ecological associations for the protection of the planet and the preservation of plant and animal species.

I definitely have no qualms about slathering this serum over my face morning and night now.

Korres – Citrus Showergel | £8 | 50ml sample

I actually have some Korres body lotion hidden in my enormous stash that I’m yet to use. It was clearly waiting for this showergel to come along so they could be used together. I really like the subtle scent to this though, although labelled as Citrus, it’s not too overpowering and has a fairly subtle sweet scent. This is another product that I believe is cruelty free, I know that there were huge issues with Korres and China some years back and they pulled out of various deals due to concerns about animal testing. Their customer service team also seem relatively happy to answer queries and have confirmed and provided lists of their alleged Vegan products to other people (widely available on the internet after a little searching) which includes their shower gels.

activbox – Cooling Finish Lotion | £12 | 20ml sample

As a sucker for piling on the weights in my Body Pump class, or trying out classes that involve way too many squats for my liking, this is definitely a welcome gift. I’m a huge fan of the Nip + Fab post workout fix and this is pretty similar by the looks of things. A menthol packed lotion for massaging into clean skin. Just what I need when I’m struggling to walk up and down the stairs the morning after the session before! After checking out some of their other products online, they come with a pretty friendly price tag so I’ll be trying this lotion out and perhaps spending some more time in Boots picking up the others.

Embrace Matcha – Green Tea | £24.99 | 1 sachet

I’m afraid, as English as I am, this is completely wasted on me. I really don’t like the taste of Green Tea and as much as I’ve tried, I just can’t get into it. The instructions do say that this can be added to a smoothies as well which I might consider – If I’m not feeling brave enough I know a few people who will welcome this though, but at a price tag of £24,99, I don’t think my circle of friends or I will be rushing out to buy any more. Pukka tea bags all the way!

Birchbox Pilates Band | £7.99 | Lifestyle Extra

This is pretty cute, and pilates has just been introduced as a new class to our Thursday gym time table, which we’ve been thinking of going to. Great for improving muscle endurance and it can be used at home! There are lot’s of tutorials and youtube videos should you fancy taking a peek and trying out a resistance band in the comfort of your bedroom whilst watching your favourite show.

Writing this review and really looking at all the products, I’m more impressed with this box than I was when first opening. There’s a great selection, albeit the stila lip glaze and I’m looking forward to trying out a few new brands. I think the collaboration with women’s health has been a great idea for January and has given me a little more motivation to pick up my gym back and get my behind back into gear. My subscription for Birchbox run’s out in March and I’m still not sure whether I’ll be renewing it. Not because the past few month’s haven’t been good – because they have been absolutely amazing and remained top of my list for beauty boxes, but I do find it a big effort to check every single product before using it.

If you feel like you want to take the plunge and subscribe to a box this month, I’d definitely recommend Birchbox. It’s just £10 a month plus p&p or you can opt to buy a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription which works out slightly cheaper. You also receive Birchbox points for completing surveys on the products you have been sent, which can be used to purchase lot’s of extra goodies from the Birchbox shop! To subscribe, just visit their site here.

Have you had this month’s Birchbox? What were your thoughts? If not has there been anything that’s kick started a new routine from to help with the transition from Christmas couch potato to spritely and enthused January go getter?

Totally hellbent for products to help with aching post squat thighs

– Pants

Beauty Boxes

Why I’m cancelling my beauty boxes

January 19, 2015

After what feels like forever, I’ve finally decided to cancel my Glossybox.

Glossybox was my first subscription box, and to be honest I’ve had a good run, but lately I’ve found myself getting less and less excited by the service, and after one too many disappointing boxes I’ve decided to take a break from not only Glossybox, but also Birchbox, Love me Beauty and You Beauty Discovery.

One of the main reasons is that my subscription beauty boxes were racking up to nearly £50 a month, and although you generally get far more for your money how often do you really end up with things that you actually want or need? That £50 is a new Urban Decay palette with change left over for the MUA counter, or a half-decent trip to MAC.

I think there has just been one too many lipstick shades I’ll never wear, far too much by way of skincare samples that I’ll never get around to using, and worst of all a stash of dreaded perfume vials.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) my last Glossybox was actually pretty good, five full size products that all look very nice, however I would never have gone out and purchased any of them individually, so really I’m just bulking up my already overwhelming cosmetic stash with things I could probably live without.

There have been plenty of times where I’ve found wonderful products and brands that I now absolutely couldn’t live without – Laura Mercier Primer, HD Brows powder and Ciate nail polishes all come to mind right away – but they’ve certainly been outnumbered by perfume and skincare samples that I’ve got absolutely no interest in.

I don’t think I’m off the subscription box bug completely though, I’ve decided to keep my Pink Parcel subscription (mostly because of how handy it is – check out my review of this month’s PMT busting box here) and I might order the odd one-off box here and there, but having five or six boxes a month has really taken away the fun of it for me.

When I first started blogging about beauty products, it seemed that I could never get enough new things to try out but in truth it’s all just gathering dust (hypothetically…it’s all organised meticulously in Alex drawers of course…!) and taking up space that I could have filled with things I really really wanted.

If money and storage space weren’t an issue I’d probably keep them all, but both need a serious overhaul in truth so for now it’s bye bye boxes.

How do you feel about beauty subscription boxes? Have they become a bit jaded for you, or do you still wait by the postbox eagerly for your monthy surprise box of treats?

Totally hellbent for deciding what to spend the saved money on!

– Gem

Beauty Boxes

Pink Parcel Review

January 5, 2015

There seems to be a new subscription box popping up every five minutes these days, but I’ve yet to see anything else as genuinely useful as Pink Parcel. There’s no point in trying to dress it up into something coy or fancy – this is a period survival box and it is fantastic! You choose from your preferred type and brand of sanitary products (including most of the familiar names – Lilets, Tampax, Always etc) and they send you enough to cover you for the whole ordeal, including varieties in absorbencies and the choice of night-time specific products.

When you sign up you enter the dates for your lady cycle so the box is delivered a few days beforehand…you know…right around that time where you really do need to eat all the chocolate in the world-

-which is handy because as well as the actual essentials, the Pink Parcel also includes lots of treats that should damn well be counted as essential. The “for you” box contains different treats every month that should help lift the veil of rage/emotional distress/need to eat chocolate that comes with the ever charming time of the month.

My box contained six little treats; first up a Divine Caramel Milk Chocolate bar [£1.00 – 40g] that is genuinely divine and a Pukka Detox tea bag[£2.49 – 20 bags] which I LOVE. I’m a huge fan of Pukka teas and I always love the chance to try a new flavour! The Balance Activ PH Balances Feminine Wipes [£1.97] are an obvious but welcome addition, perfect for throwing in your handbang (and they are flushable!). I was super excited when I saw (or rather smelt!) the Flamingo Candles Pomegranate and White Fig Scent Melt [£2.00], it’s a really unique fragrance and I can’t wait to stick it in a burner – a perfect pick-me-up for PMT really!

Finally the really good stuff – the Max Factor False Lash Effect 24hr mascara [£11.99] is worth more than the standard monthly subscription alone, and although I can’t say I’ve ever been particularly drawn to this particular mascara, I certainly won’t turn down the chance to give it a try! I’ll admit that Made in Chelsea can be a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, so I was vaguely aware that Binky had released her own make-up rage, however I wasn’t expecting it to be priced so lowly! The Binky London lipstick in Romance [£2.95] is a gorgeous glossy and very pigmented red, the exact sort of shade I would choose for myself actually, and so was the perfect addition to this box of treats.

I’m definitely very pleased with my first Pink Parcel, and I think it’s totally worth every penny. The first box is only £5.95 including P&P, and further boxes are £9.99, also inclusive of P&P. When you consider what you would usually spend on “lady products” and then factor in the extra treats, I think it’s fair to say that you are definitely getting your moneys worth!

If you’d like a Pink Parcel of your very own you can subscribe at PinkParcel.co.uk.

Totally hellbent for a well timed and much needed monthly treat!

Gem

Beauty Boxes

Birchbox December 2014 Box Review

December 28, 2014

Birchbox is definitely going up and up in my estimations, after a good few month’s of rubbish Glossybox contents, they have come to the rescue and gifted upon me all things I enjoy. This month was mostly no exception and with the exclusive Sophie Webster design, brought a little sparkle to my day when it eventually arrived through the post!

Whats in the box;

Eslor Firming Collagen Day Cream – 10ml sample – £50 for full size

This is where the “mostly no exception” comes in. As much as I love the idea of slapping firming collagen day cream upon my self, I can not use this. Although eslor say their products are not tested on animals, this cream contains hydrolyzed marine collagen, which is extracted from fish. So that is all I have to say on this cream and I will be gifting it upon someone who will at least use it.

Electric Hair Electric Hydrate Shampoo – 30ml sample – £17.50 for full size

This smells amazing, and allegedly promises to repair damage and improve shine. I can probably squeeze two applications out of this little sample but it will be strictly saved for when my colours have faded and I’m left with cotton candy pink hair as I am a strict sulfate free Shampoo user these day’s as I do not enjoy the 5+ hours it take Gem and I to complete the mammoth task of dying our hair, thus like to delay the inevitable for as long as possible.

Eyeko Fat Eye Stick in “Smoke” – 4g product – £8 for full size

I do enjoy Eyeko quite a significant amount – my first product of their’s was the Skinny Eyeliner pen that I literally bled dry. This is a little thicker than that though and I’m glad I received the shade “smoke” which is a very blend-able black. Application wise this glides on like a dream, however the longevity of it is a little more disappointing with a tendency to smudge a little and give you those panda eyes. Having said that I’m sure a little bit of primer will go a long way with helping this problem out and even a little makeup setting mist to help with the corpse paint look.

Benefit Christmas Cracker High Beam – sample received – £19.50 for full size

First of all I have to say, if you do not own this already as a highlighter, you really do need it in your life. I have about three of these tiny samples in my collection and I haven’t even dented the first one. It’s my staple go to highlighter which I use on my brow bone and to highlight my cheeks. It blends beautifully and can be built upon as required. Best of all, once applied, you can guarantee it will see you through the night until you reach for your trust micellar water to wipe away your face. So in a nut shell, thanks for another Birchbox, I absolutely love it.

Models Own Velvet Goth Nail Polish in “Absinthe” – 14ml product – £5 for full size

I coerced Roode Gem’s partner into buying her the Velvet Goth set for Christmas last year. Neither of us are particularly into Model’s Own, for no reason other than we hadn’t really tried much of their stuff, but as soon as I saw the glittery matte goodness of this collection I knew she needed it in her life. After sampling the red on boxing day with a post Christmas, hangover fueled nail painting session in her living room I was so jealous. When Birchbox announced that we would be receiving these in this month’s box and we got to choose our own colour I was definitely over the moon. I don’t actually remember choosing Absinthe, which is an emerald green, but I obviously did because it’s now mine and I don’t mind one bit. I enjoyed swatching this so much for my photo’s that when I used my Birchbox points to purchase a Benefit push up liner a few day’s ago, I also picked up two other shades from the collection. I definitely recommend a really good base coat when applying these though as they are difficult to remove, but so worth it. I also love how a top coat can be applied to transform the Velvety consistency to a bright and shiny nail for a completely different look.

Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil – 2.5ml sample – £16.50 for full size

Oil seems to have been a pretty popular product this year, not that I’m complaining because I’ve become quite a fan, it’s incredibly multi functional and I find does wonder’s for my dry skin but is also great for a massage when the other half is helping me to de-stress! What I love about this sample is the pipette applicator, which makes applying it so much easier. Although this is only a 3.5ml sample I expect it to last a fair while too.

Sophie Webster Purse – £25

To top the box off and in keeping with the theme of course, this month’s box features this utterly adorable Sophie Webster purse. A perfect fit for throwing into a handbag or clutch and with a cute leopard print design I’m imagining this will go with pretty much any outfit I throw together.

Overall this month’s box has been another spectacular one. Birchbox are definitely in the lead as far as beauty boxes for for me at the moment and with an amazing 7 products, all of which I’m enthused about (with the exception of eslor of course) I really do feel I got my money’s worth this month. If you’d like to try Birchbox, you can sign up here via their website for just £10 a month plus p&p.

I’d love to know what your thoughts were on this month’s box or whether you are thinking about signing up – just leave a comment below to share.

Totally hellbent for glittery nails and benefit crackers

– Pants

Beauty Boxes

Glossybox December 2014 Christmas Box Review

December 17, 2014

I simply can not believe it is Christmas already. I also can’t believe that this box has been sat on my desk waiting to be reviewed for nearly two weeks now too. Time seems to be flying by and there simply aren’t enough hours in the day, but at least when it’s time for beauty boxes it feels like time pauses just for a moment as you lose yourself in the unveiling.

Glossybox are usually renowned for having spectacular festive boxes so I was super excited to find out what was in this month’s box, especially after the rumors of receiving some full size products.

TRESemme Nourish & Renew Tonic – 150ml full size product – £5.50 for full size

I’m not really sure what to make of this. It’s a solution you apply to your scalp and leave in, styling your hair as normal. It claims to help nourish the scalp and renew hair – I am already imaging how big this could potentially make my locks if I applied this though, given a) the amount of hair I have and b) my hair’s intolerance to liquid of any form. After trying it on a small section of my scalp, I can’t say I’ve noticed any real big difference other than my roots feel a little greasier in one spot and I can’t say I’m excited to try this out on my whole head as I imagine it would take a pretty long time to apply. Perhaps over the festive season I’ll put some time aside to give it a go properly and see how it fairs.

Skin Pep Hydra Boost Pure Haluronic Acid Serum – 15ml sample – £8.99 for 15ml

Admittedly this is a bit of a boring product for me. I have serum stock piled in my drawer’s like no tomorrow so yet another sample isn’t overly welcome. If this wasn’t enough to put me off, the Skin Pep website is something of a pharmaceutical wannabe company which frightens me a little. After trawling through their products I couldn’t see clearly whether all their products were tested on animals but a few select products which had FAQ sections stated their products were not tested on or contained any animal products. ~~Having said that I’m still a little apprehensive about using brands who don’t have an open policy on animal testing.~~ Edit: Thankfully I’ve been kindly informed of the black banner across the top of the Skin Pep website that clearly states “Pep Cosmeceuticals products are not tested on animals”. I think in my desperate frenzy of ingredient checking, I completely bi-passed this! Despite these qualms, there seems to be a lot of positive feed back for this product in particular especially for people who tend to suffer with dry skin that worsen’s during the colder month’s (yup, that’s me!) so this will be one for the “Winter Serum” pile.

anatomicals zap! zap! zap! gets that chap day and night spot stick – 3.5ml full size product – £3.00 for 3.5ml

anatomicals are a brand that I’ve really grown to like. I own quite a few of their products, including their head ache balm which has done wonders for my severe migraines. Although I don’t often suffer with spots I don’t mind receiving this so much as it’s a handy something to have stashed away for the hour of need. Judging by their previous wonder products, I hold high hopes that next time I’ve indulged in too much junk food and my body is paying me back that this will get me out of a spotty situation.

bellapierre cheek and lip stain in “coral” – 5 gram full size product – £12.99 for full size

Another product to add to an ever growing pile of cheek and lip stains (do you see a theme here?). I’m glad I ended up with Coral from the range as it’s one of my favourite go to colours besides red. The consistency of this is quite nice for applying to lips but I found after swatching it wasn’t so great for blending, thus I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to try this out on my cheeks when I have so many other’s (the balm’s palette for one) to use. One thing worth mentioning here though is it does contain bees wax. I’m actually Okay with this, providing it’s sourced ethically. I know there are a lot of Vegan’s who are high and mighty about products from bee’s such as wax and honey, but a lot of bee keepers really nurture their bees and are at least doing their bit to preserve a species on the brink of disappearing and I fully thrive off bee’s, I think they are absolutely beautiful. That aside, I’m sure I’ll put this to good use once Summer come’s round and I lay my moody, dark red’s to rest until the following Winter.

all that jazz nail varnish in “Sofie’s – I own the runway” – 15ml full size product – £9.95 for full size

Now this is a brand that I have seen around but have never really been that interested in. The packaging is pretty underwhelming when you compare it to me current fav’s such as Ciate and Nails inc and I now have such a vast collection of varnish that I find it hard to get super excited about them. Having said that, the glittery purple hue of the bottle made for a promising colour so I was pleasantly surprised when I swatched it and there was not a purple spec in sight. This is actually shimmer green and definitely not purple which is fine by me because I lack a variety of green’s in my collection and it is absolutely perfect for the festive period. I don’t think I would spend £9.95 on this, but I probably wouldn’t spend that on any brand of varnish, but it’s welcome upon my nail varnish rack and I vow to use this at least once before the end of the year.

So that concludes the Glossybox Christmas box. I’m not ashamed to say that I was disapointed by the contents of this month’s box. I’ve held onto my subscription hoping they would win back my love with this box but it just doesn’t do it for me. So much so that I’ve cancelled my subscription (again!) and have promised myself to use the £13 I’ll be saving a month to buy a product that I actually want. If you do like what you see though, you can subscribe to Glossybox for £10 a month plus postage and packaging via their website here.

What do you think of this month’s box? Are you a Glossybox subscriber or thinking of becoming one? I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below.

Totally hellbent for finally breaking free of my first ever Beauty Box

– Pants

Beauty Boxes, Vegan, Vegetarian

The Vegan Kind Beauty Box November 2014

November 19, 2014

When Gem and I were at the West Midlands Vegan Festival a few weeks back, the lovely people at The Vegan Kind were excited about the launch of their quarterly beauty box. Having already picked up the first one, I couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to subscribe! This box was delivered along with my #TVK13 which you can read about here. This latest box will be released quarterly and will contain a host of Vegan cosmetics – perfect for the cruelty free beauty enthusiast!

Here’s the first ‘official’ The Vegan Kind Beauty Box;

Organic Surge Million Dollar Balm – 30ml (RRP £14.99)

I seem to be building quite a collection of Organic Surge products as of late. This glorious multi-tasking skin soother can be applied to dry areas anywhere, which is great for the looming mid-winter “dry-patch”. The balm is very thick and does take some coaxing out the jar, but once melted a little between fingers, covers the skin nicely. I’ve used this a few times on my elbows and it seems to have done the trick. My only bad point is the scent. It’s not bad, it’s just not pleasant and a little clinical which does remind me a little of bathing patient’s in an array of medicinal moisturisers. Despite this I have every faith in this being a nice nifty dry patch banishing tool for the heating infused winter months.

www.organicsurge.com

Freya Luna Skin Support Facial Steam Bath – 5g (RRP £1.56)

Wow this sachet smells amazing. What a lovely unexpected surprise though and something totally new and different for me to try. This beautiful fragrant sachet contains a blend of lavender and chamomile – simply empty into a bowl of hot water and use to steam your face for 8-10 minutes. Now all I need is 10 minutes piece and quiet without a puppy charging around!

www.freyaluna.com

Freya Luna Happy Feet Footbath – 40g (RRP £4)

Similar to the above facial steam bath and equally as fragrant, this sachet contains enough for 2-3 foot-baths. I’ve been thinking about getting a new foo spa for a while, so perhaps this will spur me on (not that I need any encouragement to shop). I can’t help but hope this is going to be a miracle cure for the morning after a Dakesis show whilst I’ve been stuck on my feet.

www.freyaluna.com

B. Lip and Cheek Tint in “prom” – (RRP £7.99)

This isn’t my first B. lip product and the ones I currently have stashed in my collection are all pretty nice. They apply well and longevity wise, they definitely stand up to the task. This lip and cheek colour is just as great to apply, although not usually a colour I would go for I reckon I can pull off a dusky pink shade on my lips. As for a cheek colour, it’s a little thick and difficult to blend when applied but a perfect color for blush – perhaps I just need a little more time and patience to perfect it!

www.bisforbeautiful.co.uk

Fairy Pants Candy Cane Lip Balm – (RRP £3.99)

I am absolutely head over heels for this lip balm. What better way than to bring some Christmas cheer (it’s not that far away now beauties!) than with this minty vanilla balm. Not only does it smell absolutely amazing, but it makes your lips feel so soft and beautiful. This is definitely taking pride of place in my handbag. I’ve already got my eyes on their banoffee pie and sticky toffee pudding lip balm!

www.fairypants.co.uk

Overall I’m quite thrilled with the contents of this box, although there are a few things I wouldn’t normally use, I’m quite excited about trying something new and having some pamper time. (One can but hope anyway).

If you’d like t0 try The Vegan Kind beauty box, you can do so here for just £15 every 3 months plus p&p. Have you subscribed to this box? What are your thoughts? Are you thinking of subscribing soon? If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts below.

Totally hellbent for cruelty free pamper time

– Pants

Beauty Boxes

Glossybox October 2014 Review

October 29, 2014

It’s not secret that Glossybox and I have had our ups and downs over the last 6 months and despite cancelling my box I’ve somehow still ended up subscribing. Thankfully they’ve managed to win me over with this month’s Pop Art theme which has been absolutely fantastic and well worth my monthly sub.

This first thing that’s a little different about this month’s box, is that the product card you usually receive is now online. Great if you can keep your crummy hands off opening the e-mail until your box arrives, but unfortunately I peeked because I couldn’t help myself. There was also no glossy mag but I’m all up for saving the environment so I don’t mind.

NUXE – CRÈME FRAÎCHE® DE BEAUTÉ MASK – £19.50 for 50ml – Full Size Received

The first thing I checked was whether this was cruelty free and it seems to be after confirming with their FAQs. This is billed as a 24 hour moisturising mask which helps to soothe and reduce redness. The instructions say to leave the mask on for 10 minutes and then either rub it into the skin or wipe off with toner, so I’m quite excited to try this out. After trying a little on my hand although the smell is a little less than desirable my hand did feel quite soft afterwards, although I opted for rinsing it off under the sink. I’ll definitely be giving this a go sometime next week to see how my face gets on with it.

Website: uk.nuxe.com

ÊTRE BELLE COSMETICS – LIPLIFT PEEL – €12.95 for 15ml – Full Size Received

Again my research tells me this is not tested on animals and should be cruelty free. Brilliant news because I’m super excited to give this a whirl. I often get dried lips, especially in Summer and Winter so have a quick fix like this will really help. Simply massage onto the lip area and rinse. No nonsense, no fuss and hopefully lovely smooth lips!

Website: etre-belle.co

SO SUSAN COSMETICS – FLUTTER MASCARA – £14.95 for 4ml – Full Size

I do already own this mascara I have to admit and it’s been sat unopened in my “mascara” drawer (issues I know!). I’ve enjoyed all the So Susan products I’ve acquired over the past few months so I’m hoping this one will be no exception. The price is a little steep and I’m pretty good at avoiding paying full price for pretty much everything so I’m not sure that this is something I would actively seek out to buy but it’s been bumped up my “mascara to open next” list by quite a few so I’ll see how it goes!

Website: sosusan.com

CIATÉ LONDON – PAINT POT – £9 for 13.5ml – Full Size

One of the reasons this month’s box was so appealing was definitely this full size beauty. Both Gem and I have quite a collection (obsession) of these and they are definitely one of our favorite brands of nail varnish. The finish and look is so perfect and the longevity of the colours beats a lot of other products I’ve used in the past. I’d not owned a nice blue from Ciate so this gorgeous bright and bold colour named “Skinny Jeans” was a more than welcome addition to my collection. I’ve had it on my nails since it arrived and I’ll be hard pushed if I’m going to change it for another few days I’m so in love. Gem received a lovely green in hers which I also want!

Website: ciate.co.uk/glossy-box

YVES ROCHER FRANCE – QUELQUES NOTES D’AMOUR – £33 for 30ml – 5ml Sample Received

I’m always pretty so so about receiving fragrance samples. The reality is that even though they may smell nice, I never really repurchase them with the exception of Katy Perry which I instead asked for as a gift. Still, providing they smell nice, they are quite handy for when I go away, for festivals and gigs. This fragrance is quite pretty though and is a pretty great Autumnal smell with notes of damascus rose, guaiac wood and patchoul it’s not too heavy and very wearable for the day. £33 seems pretty reasonable for this though and it might be something I’d think about repurchasing at some point when I can justify it.

Website: yves-rocher.co.uk

RIMMEL LONDON – BB CREAM MATTE – £6.99 for 30ml – 8ml Sample Received

This is probably the least exciting out of the box. I’ve not really got on with BB creams since they became such a trend. Mostly because even when opting for the lightest shade, they still turn out a tad orange. Although I received a sample in “light” it’s still a little too dark for my skin but there is less of an orange undertone to this one. I reckon this is destined for my summer skin drawer where it should give me better coverage when I become a victim of tanned when daring to brave the sun for more than 5 minutes. In terms of application, I’m not sure how impressed I am with this. It’s a little heavy and I have the feeling it may dry my skin out if I use too much of it. Having tested it on my hand, it does give a pretty nice matte finish so a good dose of moisturiser may help with the heaviness when applying – unfortunately they only have this in Light and Medium, but a shade or two lighter would have been perfect for my skin!

Website: uk.rimmellondon.com

This month’s box has definitely made up for a bunch of bad ones and I love the theme, the box and the contents to go with it. I’ll still be subscribing for now and crossing my fingers that the next few month’s are equally as good.

You can subscribe to Glossybox for just £10 per month plus postage and packaging here. You can also buy 3, 6 and 12 month subscriptions which are perfect for gifts especially around this time of year!

Have you received the Pop Art Edition yet? If so, I’d love to know what you received and what you thought!

Totally hellbent for a little art with my makeup

– Pants

Beauty Boxes

Glossybox September 2014

September 22, 2014

Glossybox have fallen into my bad books lately. Not only have I received some terrible customer service but also I’ve found the past two boxes a little lacklustre. Considering I was singing their praises to the high heavens till recently, I still have hope that they will be pulling out some awesome boxes again but for now I can’t say that I’m particularly impressed.

The September 2014 Glossybox is designed by Karen Millen, and though I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever stepped foot in one of their stores, I do like the London imagery that covers the box this month.

Inside there are two full size products and six samples along with a £25 off voucher for Karen millen stores when you spend £150 (unlikely).

ModelCo MORE BROWS Fibre Gel

The first full size product is a brow gel from ModelCo in light/medium. I saw the preview video with Binky from Made in Chelsea before the box was shipped and I was quite excited about this product, but I can’t say I’m particularly taken with it in person. I’ve tried these wand applicator brow gels before and I find them messier and less precise than my usual powders and pencils. Honestly this is likely going to end up in the back of a drawer somewhere unused because it’s just not enough to tame and shape my rather sparse brows, if you’ve naturally got a thicker brow though it would probably work a lot better for you!

Full Size

£14.95 from www.modelcocosmetics.com

L’Oreal Professionnel Mythic Masque

Next up is a replenishing and nourishing hair mask from L’Oreal. I was initially quite looking forward to trying this, but when you have to towel dry your hair before applying then get back in the shower to rinse it off? Who has time for that! It smells delicious and I have seen good things about this all over the web, so maybe I can convince myself that going through the bother of drying only to condition once more is a good idea (or more likely I’ll just apply it to wet hair >.>)

75ml Sample

£17.99 for 200ml from www.lookfantastic.com

SkinPep Enzyme and Acid Peel & Dark Circle Eraser

I do love getting products from lesser known companies but with only one sachet of eye-cream and two 3.5ml sachets of the face peel, I’m not sure if there’s enough product to really get a feel for them. The full sizes come at a pretty penny so it would be nice to get a slightly bigger sample to decide if you want to invest further or not. I really don’t feel that even a bundle of such sachets constitutes a place in Beauty Boxes if I’m honest, does anyone else feel this way and prefer to get at least a decent sized sample of even very high end products?

2x 3.5ml sample and 1x 2ml sample

£89.99 and £44.99 from Skinpep.com

Nails Inc Westminster Bridge matte Top Coat

The only thing I really got excited about in my September Glossybox was this lovely matte topcoat from one of my favourite brands, Nails Inc. I’ve been wearing quite a lot of matte nails recently, but with a topcoat you can turn every polish you own matte! It’s a full size bottle which will last for absolutely ages, the brush is so easy to use and it dries pretty quickly for those of you (like me) who are always in a hurry to get your nails finished. Best product by a mile!

Full Size

£12 from NailsInc.com

Vichy Normaderm Night Detox and Hydrating Care

I’m a big fan of Vichy skincare and even though these tiny samples are only 3ml, because they come in tubes rather than sachets you can likely get a few uses out of each one and thus a better feel for the products. The addition of both a day and night cream means these are perfect for throwing in an overnight bag for any impromptu adventures. I’ve not tried either of these creams before but both are products I’d be interested to purchase so even though I’m usually pretty meh about small skincare samples I’ll let this one slip just this once!

2 x 3ml samples

£12.00 for 40ml and £15.50 for 50ml from Boots.com

So overall I have to say this isn’t one of the best boxes I’ve received by a long shot, very heavy on the skincare samples and only one product that I can really get excited about. I’ve not seen many reviews for alternative products this month though, did you get anything different in your box?

Totally hellbent for Nails Inc saving the day

Gem