Latest in Beauty

Beauty Boxes

Latest In Beauty – Glamour Beauty Edit 3 – 2014

March 4, 2014

I tried so hard to resist this box, I really did, but last week I caved and I am SO glad I did!

Welcome to the third Glamour Beauty Edit box by Latest in Beauty! I missed out of the first, but absolutely loved the second (reviewed here!) so really my resistance was futile.

The box contains seven products worth £45 which is a little less bang for your buck than the previous boxes, but certainly nothing to turn your nose up at!

Invisibobble

Initially I was very sceptical about these hair ties – I mean they look like those 90’s extendible keyring things – and was convinced they would get tangled in my hair but of course I was absolutely wrong! They held my long thick hair up in a pony with only one twist and slid out without any tangles whatsoever leaving absolutely no marks on my hair at all.

I think this will be an absolute godsend on tour when I have to straighten my hair in the morning and hope it will last throughout the day, usually I end up with a mark where my bobble has held my hair back whilst we are in transit and setting up, but with the Invisibobble I wont expect even the slightest kink!

Bonus marks for the colour!

Full size (box of three)

€4.95 from invisibobble.com

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm

I’m a big lip balm fan as I, like most people, suffer with unbearable dry lips in the colder months. I’ve had my eye on this one for a while but never got round to trying it! Made from 100% natural ingredients with a lovely tingly peppermint scent, I can see why there is so much hype about this product! It was instantly soothing on my chapped lips and has lasted out a good few hours so far. I also like how it adds moisture without feeling greasy, in fact the info card suggests using it for lipstick preparation!

Full Size

£3.69 from Burtsbees.co.uk

Cheeky Chat Me Up Nail Paint in Tongue ‘n’ Cheek

Well! I have to say this could be a contender for my new favourite nail polish brand! The pics above make it look a lot more red than it is, but in natural light it’s a very red-hued pink that is very glossy! It applied so smoothly (like I genuinely can’t express how easily this applies!), dried quickly and was completely opaque in one coat. This is a winning dream formula and frankly I can’t wait to try out some more polishes from Cheeky!

Full size

£7 from Urcheeky.com

Daniel Sandler Long Lasting Waterproof Eyeliner in Aqua Velvet

Well, this is certainly in my colour! I can’t say I’ve ever worn this shade as an eyeliner since having turquoise hair, but I will be giving it a try now! This is a bespoke shade created exclusively for the Glamour Beauty Edit, and it is BRIGHT! As you can see in the swatch it was a little uneven in application, so might take more than one sweep to get a solid line, however once it’s in place it’s really not going anywhere! It took a decent amount of micellar water to shift this off the back of my hand, so I expect it to last a damn long time on the lids!

Full Size

£9.25 from Danielsandler.com

Percy & Reed Abundantly Bouncy Volumising Mousse

I’m not really a mousse person, I find it makes my naturally greasy hair slick up (yuk!) and never seems to be strong enough to hold it up. This is probably the only product in the box I wont get much use from. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and tried it out, but really I couldn’t see that it did anything to volumise my locks even when following exact instructions. I think my hair is just too thick and long and heavy, or maybe I’ve just never really gotten the hang of using mousse? Either way it’s not for me and will be finding a loving home with my mum (who absolutely swears by the stuff!)

50ml Sample

200ml for £12 from Percyandreed.com

Rituals Zensation Organic Rice Milk and Cherry Blossom Foaming Shower Gel Sensation

Product names are definitely getting longer, but I digress, this is the surprise hit of the box for me! I wasn’t expecting to be excited about a shower gel but I can tell already this will be absolutely amazing! It smells divine and the texture is so light and foamy! I love that it’s so compact, so will probably throw this in my gym bag rather than lug around a bigger bottle that could spill!

Full size

£4 from uk.rituals.com

L’Oreal Paris Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara

I struggle to get hyped about mascara but I’ll admit I was curious about this one, in fact it was probably the deciding factor that pushed me over the edge into buying this box! I’m glad to say Miss Manga is an amazing mascara that gives longer thicker lashes and a hell of a curl! I think it’s down to the wand which is tapered at the tip making it perfect for lower lashes as well as upper! Miss Manga has won my heart and will be going straight into my everyday make-up bag!

Full Size

£8.99 from Superdrug.com

I also received a free Dermalogica Starter Kit, but as this offer has ended I’ll be reviewing that separately!

Overall I’m really glad I decided to buy this box as it has some great products at a massive saving and I’ve discovered some absolute treasures!

These boxes are limited edition and have been available for a while so if you do fancy one I’d suggest heading over to Latestinbeauty.com to pick on up sharpish for a bargain price of £14.95 (+3.95 p&p).

Totally hellbent for should I? shouldn’t I? OF COURSE I SHOULD!

– Gem

Beauty Boxes

Latest In Beauty – The Glamour Beauty Edit Beauty Box 2

November 23, 2013

There’s just something about a pretty box full of squiggly bits of paper and beauty products that gets my heart racing!

This is the second limited edition box put together by Latest In Beauty and Glamour magazine, I missed out on the first so made sure I got right in there for round two.

First off the box itself looks very luxe, the presentation as a whole is just lovely. Inside there are seven treats worth an amazing £65, so with the box itself costing only £15 you are definitely winning.

HD Brows Eyebrow Palette in Foxy

This was the biggest selling point for me, I’ve been having some issues finding a brow kit and have heard great things about HD Brows, and this alone is worth more than the whole box.

Unfortunately I’ll have to continue my hunt for perfect brows, as these are also too dark for me. Luckily all four shades double up as lovely neautral eyeshadows so it will certainly get some wear!

Full Size

£19.96 from HDBrows.com

Maybeline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss

Was this the most hyped beauty product of 2013? Certainly one I read about on almost all of my favourite blogs, yet I’ve not actually tried one till now. I have a massive love for all things lip balm, but I think it was actually the packaging that put me off getting one of my very own.

As ever I should learn that looks can be very deceiving as this is an amazing balm with a very sheer wash of colour and a delicious peachy scent.

Full Size

£2.99 from Superdrug.com

Eyeko Lash Curlers

As far as eyelash curlers go I think there are only really good and bad. I find it hard to get excited about them, and really didn’t need another set! Still these fall firmly into the good category with a solid build and ergonomic handle. Lovely as the soft blue handles are though, they’re already picking up bits of dust so I think I’d rather have had a standard rubber grip.

Full Size

£12 from Eyeko.com

Benefit They’re Real!

As someone absolutely in love with all things Benefit, this was certainly a highlight for me. Another product that’s been hyped like crazy, this lives up to all the expectations.

A quick test left my lashes looking amazing – longer, thicker and more curved lashes with just one quick coat.

3.0g Sample

Full size £19.50 from Benefit.co.uk

Toni & Guy Glamour Firm Hold Hairspray

This struck me as the least exciting product in the whole box, but I was pleasantly surprised after a quick test. First up the smell is actually very lovely, something I never expect from hairspray! It gave a great hold on my long thick hair without feeling sticky or heavy, and my hair still felt soft and easy to comb my fingers through.

I do like to have a few small hairsprays to keep in my gigging bags or for festivals, so this will certainly get a longer road-test at some point!

75ml Sample

Full size £6.39 from Boots.com

Phillip Kingsley One More Day dry shampoo

Dry shampoo is the saviour of my poor coloured hair, but I’ve never ventured from the Batiste range with it’s bargain price, gorgeous scents and bright packaging. A quick spray of One More Day was in instant confirmation of price = results. My limp, unwashed hair was suddenly not only fresh but so voluminous I started to wonder if there was a blow dry somewhere in the tiny white can!

Definitely going to consider a re-purchase!

50ml Sample

Full size £13.50 from Philipkingsley.co.uk

Balance Me Radiance Face Oil

It took me a long time to come around to the idea that putting oil based products on my oily skin could actually work, but this is the final bit of proof I need to really open up to the concept.

A mixture of gorgeous natural oils in a handy roller-ball, just a quick test left my skin feeling amazingly soft, and not greasy at all.

Full Size

£15 from Balanceme.co.uk

Overall I have to say this box was worth every penny, but if you fancy one for yourself you’d best be quick! The last box sold out pretty quickly, and as this makes such an amazing christmas gift for any beauty lovers I wouldn’t imagine this will last long at this time of year!

Available from Latest in Beauty for £15 (+p&p).

Totally hellbent for a glamorous box of treats!

– Gem

Beauty Boxes, Hair

Latest in beauty samples

September 3, 2013

So far I’ve done a really good job of resisting the Latest in Beauty little beauty boxes. Unfortunately, when it comes to having shiny things pushed through the letter box, resistance is futile.

This is my first and probably not my last, but my main reason for indulging was the Amie face mask. I keep seeing this brand everywhere, and I think it’s only right that I give something that has the same name as me a whirl! Plus it’s not often I see other people spelling my name correctly.

I now have the following to look forward to:

Aveda invati solutions for thinning hair – Shampoo & Conditioner
TRESemmé split mend – Shampoo, Conditioner & leave in treatment
Amie cooling clay mask

More updates on the Amie mask when I try this out!

The little beauty box can be purchased for a lovely £1.50 that is added onto your phone bill. You get a choice of three products, my Aveda product was a “mystery sample” since I like to live on the edge a little.

Totally hellbent for products that have my name on it!

– Pants

Beauty Boxes, Hair, Skincare

Latest in Beauty – Little Beauty Box

July 18, 2013

I love my beauty boxes, but sometimes waiting a whole month for the next one can be so tedious! Latest in Beauty offer two different types of box that offer some much needed “ooooh a shiny box” in between Glossybox and Birchbox deliveries.

Firstly are their LIB collections, themed sets of pre-determined products where you can see exactly what you are going to get before ordering. The collections are usually somewhere between £7-£20 depending on the nature of the theme, but often sell out very quickly! Amie got her hands on the Glamour Beauty Edit which you can read about here.

Second is the package than popped through my letterbox this morning, the Little Beauty Box.

The Little Beauty Box consists of three small samples, and as with the LIB collections you get to see what you will receive in advance, in fact you get to pick which products you want before committing to the box. There is no recurring subscription as payment is taken via a premium text message for £1.50.

Here’s what I chose.

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate

With an ingredient list that is almost entirely natural essential oils I had to give this a shot. The concentrate is a aromatic oil intended for use as part of the evening skincare routine, and proclaims to clear toxins, reduce puffiness, boost circulation, encourage cell renewal and aid lymphatic drainage.

It smells gorgeous and is a generous 2ml vial of sample, so enough for a few nights at least.

Lavera Liposome Intensive Cream

Again, it was the organic, natural ingredients that drew me towards picking a wrinkle cream that I don’t really need. I received three 1ml sachets, yet somehow they aren’t nearly as exciting as the lovely packaging from Liz Earle.

Curiosity made me open one straight away and the rose scent is just gorgeous, it did feel a little too greasy for my skin, however I will be donating these to Amie’s somewhat dryer skin where I think they will find a happier home!

Aveda Invati Exfoliating Shampoo & Thickening Conditioner

You can opt for one of your samples to be a surprise, and with nothing in the third option making me particularly excited that’s what I went for.

These cute little 10ml tubes smell absolutely amazing, and if my hair takes a liking to them I just might have to go for a full sized based on that alone!

You can order a LIB little beauty box here for £1.50.

Totally hellbent for smelling like a herb garden thanks to my organic picks!

– Gem

Beauty Boxes, Make-up

Me, Myself and my boxes …

July 11, 2013

I blame Gemma.

For a long time, I have tried to resist the temptation of beauty boxes.

A few months ago, Gemma gave in and purchased her first. Unfortunately, she gave me a demonstration of how she opened her box when it came. She had even resealed the package with the bow so I could satisfyingly pull the ribbon apart to reveal a selection of surprise beauty products. Not only was the ribbon pulled, but so were my makeup and obsessive compulsive brain cells being pulled – and tugged – and shook – and prodded, until eventually the sensible part of my brain gave in with that ever familiar, parent style, eye rolling look, that say’s “*sigh* go on then.”

Alas, completely unsatisfied at having to wait for my next Glossybox I was sucked into purchasing the Glamour beauty edit edition of the Latest in Beauty Box.

I’m not sure what did it for me, it could have been the adorable pink vintage style tweezers, or the excitement of adding yet -more- dry shampoo spray to my “miniature festival collection”, or most likely the miniature Benefit The POREfessional. What I do know, is that it was delivered to my house and now it’s mine!

Totally hellbent for “oops did I just purchase that?”

– Pants