January 2013: Glossybox and Birchbox

I got both my Glossybox and Birchbox (formally Joliebox) this week and here is what I got.

First up the Glossybox. The theme this month is detox, for January that is pretty much the best theme to have.  In my box I received:

1. A sample of Lacoste, Eau de Lacoste.  I don't usually like perfume samples as I'm a bit boring and stick to the same 2/3 perfumes.  I feel as though I have found my perfect scents and until I get bored of them I'm happy to stick to them.  However, having said that the Eau de Lacoste is a really nice clean scent, its not to sweet and I will be throwing in my weekend bag for next time I go away.

2. Next up is the Monu Micro Exfolioant.  This liquid is really light and the spreads easily on the skin and the tiny tiny particles offer a gentle exfoliation which I think is good for this time of year, especially as skin tends to be more sensitive due to the cold!

3. I also got the Murad Hydro Dynamic Ultimate Moisture for eyes which I'm looking forward to trying as I really like Murad products - especially the Essential C Cleanser and also their Water Resistent Sunscreen.  Both of these are lovely to use and my skin just really gets on with them.

4.A samples of Sanctuary of their Peptide Transformation Serum and the Thermal Rose Clay Mask which is a two step system which is meant to detox your face and promises to "...dramatically improve the appearance of your skin, without cosmetic injections."  I'm a bit uncertain on this.  I'm trying out the Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Mask and the Aesop Primrose Facial Cleansing Masque (I couldn't decide between the two and the lovely people at Aesop have given me loads of samples of both so that I can try them out), and for some reason they just appeal more to me, I think that this Sanctury Skin may be more suitable for my mum so she might get this to try out.

5. The BM Beauty Dewy Perfection Finishing Powder is a 100% natural mineral powder and has a nice texture.  I think I prefer this to the Bare Minerals as this just disappears into your skin with a lot less effort.  Thumbs up on this one!

Finally, I also got a Glossybox sleep mask which to be honest is lost on me as I hate wearing them.  Overall, the January Detox box is good, nothing exciting but definitely things that I am happy to try which is whole point anyway.

On to the Birchbox, this is the first box received from Birchbox after it took over Joliebox and I'm hoping that it will mean that we will get lots of lovely US products sent our way.  January's box has a Fresh Start theme:

1. I'm a fan of Fresh products and I'm more than happy with the Sugar Rose Lip Treatment I have received. I already have this lip treatment in Berry, Passion and Honey and just love the texture.  The product really a lovely texture, really helps with dry lips and the colours are lovely.

2. The KMS ADD VOLUME Volumizing Spray has a very strange texture, its really gloopy looking and a little unattractive. Having said that I like volumising products and if this does what it says then happy days.

3. Taaj is a brand that I've been reading more and more about so Creme Mains Delhicates Hands Cream is something that I'm more than happy to try.  The cream itself is very light in texture, it sinks into the sink almost immediately and doesn't have a strong scent.

4. Another eye cream I received this month is the Wei White Lotus Moisture Rich Eye Blend and first impressions are that the cream feels really thick and as a result I think it might feel heavy on my skin.  Perhaps this is one for the evenings.

Finally, I also received a Teapigs sample in peppermint.  I love this tea so this bought a smile to my face.

If you are interested in signing up for these boxes here are the links:
http://www.glossybox.co.uk/
http://birchbox.co.uk/

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Compulsive Shopping at Boots and Superdrugs

I put my hands up, when it comes to Boots and Superdrugs I become a compulsive shopper.  I go in for one thing and come out somewhat poorer after I do a crazy 'supermarket sweep' and buy all sorts of things that I probably don't need but WANT!

These brightly lit shops highlight all the nice things that are out there that I want to try out, and then there are the offers which suck you in and then proceed to suck your wallet dry!

I went to Boots yesterday for some hair dye.  I had a mantra in my head as I went in: "Just the hair dye" that I repeated in my head over and over again, alas it didn't help and the hair dye purchase that should have only cost approximately £7 became a shop of around £50. Why???

In the basket this time:

1. Garnier Olia Permanent Hair Colour in 4 Dark Brown - £6.99
I usually get this dye in  Iced Chocolate but decided that this looks like a warmer shade and I need warming up this winter!

2. Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil Skin Perfector - £7.99
Since coming back from Malaysia and Thailand  my skin has been really dry due to all the sun and sea as well as the central heating in the house since I got back.  I saw the advert for this product in a magazine and liked the fact that it has so many different types of oil in it and promises to nourish and illuminate my skin.  Can't go wrong!  First impressions are good, the smell isn't overpowering and the oil itself feels really light on but seems to make my skin feel lovely.

3. Tangle Teezer in Purple - £10.99
I did think initially that this was a glorified horse hair brush, however, I used a friend's Tangle Teezer on holiday and wow, was really impressed on how gently it gets those knots out of your hair.  Move over paddle brush, there's a new boss in town.

4. Benefit They're Real Mascara - £18.50
Now, I really didn't need this, but I REALLY REALLY wanted it.  At the moment I have 4 mascaras on the go and even I know that this is excessive.  But... I really couldn't stop my hand from reaching out on to the special display that Boots had put up and chucking one in my basket :(

5. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 040 Rendezvous Rendez-vous - £5.00
I want it, no I don't want it, pick it up and then put it down and then pick it up! I did a lot of tooing and froing in front of the Revlon display yesterday and all because of this baby.  I've used Clinique chubby sticks in the past and have liked them but as I don't wear a lot of lip colour I don't like to spend a lot on lipsticks etc.  However, Boots have reduced a lot of Revlon products down to £5.00.  The Just Bitten sticks are usually £7.99 and I thought that I might as well try it.  As you can see from the picture I got a bright corrally orange (primarily because I don't own anything in this colour and fancied a change) and was pleasantly surprised on how pigmented the colour is when you put it on your lips.  Another positive is that it made my lips feel lovely and on the plus side it smells of peppermint, yum.


News Years Resolution: Only go into Boots/Superdrugs once a month!

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Wahaca

I really like Wahaca.  Just wanted to get that statement out of the way.  I've been a few times now and each time I've always found something new to try and I just love the fact that the food is so fresh tasting and I don't suffer from that heavy feeling in the tummy that you sometimes get when you have Mexican food.

This time the sister-in-law and I tried went to the Westfield Stratford branch and just found the overall service and ambiance really nice and chilled out. There is a great sunken eating area to sit in and the whole place just feels airy and light.

Favourites this time, foodwise was the tortilla soup and the sweet potato & feta taquito. Luckily our lovely waitress warned against ordering too much food as the quesadillas in particular were really filling.  Overall, we had a great evening and left fully stuffed!

Guacamole

Pork Pibil

Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas

Special: Salmon Salad

Sweet Potato & Feta Taquito

Tortilla Soup

Food: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Price: 4/5 

Ambiance: 5/5

http://www.wahaca.co.uk

CC Creams

If 2012 introduced us to BB creams then 2013 may well be the year for CC (Colour Control) creams. I jumped on the BB (Blemish/Beauty Balm) Cream bandwagon a little, kicking things off with the Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector, this was simply because this is the first one I came across in Boots and the price was really reasonable.  I really liked this product and although I tried out other BB Creams like a couple of Dr Jart+ BB Creams (Premium and Water Fuse) I have to admit that my favourite so far has been the Sanctuary Skin Perfecting BB Cream just because it makes my skin feel so nice.

CC creams are slated to be another multitasking wonder, as well as the usual BB cream promises, i.e. concealing, brightening, evens out skintone, a CC creams are meant to also tackle problems such as redness, skin texture and wrinkles!  Wow!  The CC creams are also meant to be lighter on the skin, often with BB creams you can really feel them sit on your skin and CC creams are meant to address this too.

CC Creams to look out for include:

1. L'Oreal Paris have come through with a CC cream which is part of their awesome Magique range of which I'm a fan already. Their CC creams includes ingredients such as b5 and vitamin E which you know will do your skin good.  The range has 3 creams paying particular attention to anti-dullness, anti-redness and anti-fatigue.
2. Clinique CC Cream slated to arrive in the UK around April.
3. Chanel CC Cream which is already available in Asia.
4. Nip+Fab CC Cream is already available on their website (www.nipadnfab.com) in 2 shades for £14.95.

Personally, I can’t wait to try some of these CC creams, what are your thoughts?

Wish List November 2012

I'm reaching the end of both my moisturiser (Clinique Moisture Surge) and my cleanser (Philosophy Purity) so the wish list is a little moisturiser and cleanser heavy, ah well decisions, decisions!

1.       Antipodes – Juliet Skin Brightening Gel Cleanser - £24.99 for 200ml

2.       L’Occitane Almond Shower Gel - £16.99 for 250ml

3.       Alpha-H Liquid Gold - £31.50

4.       Origins A Perfect World BB Cream - £27.00 for 50ml

5.       Origins Vitazing Moisturiser - £27.00 for 50ml

6.       Origins Never a Dull Moment face cleanser - £17.99 for 150 ml

7.       Origins Make A Difference Plus + Moisturisers - £33.00  for 50ml

8.       Phyto Phyto volume Actif Volumizer Spray - £15.50 for 125ml

Soap and Glory Makeup

Boots strikes again!  Honestly, I need to avoid that shop as much as I can as I ALWAYS find things to buy in there, whether they are needed or not.

This time, I thought I'd take advantage of the 2 for 1 offer and try out some of the make up from the Soap and Glory makeup range.  As I'm more than a little obsessed with eye makeup the products I thought I would road test are:

 1. The Daily Double (All-day colour lidshadow and liner pencil) I got this product in two colours, the Velvet Pink/Brownie and Fresh Cream/Green Light.

I really like these double ended pencils, they are nice and chunky and the consistency of the product is smooth and once set doesn't shift.  I found that the lighter colour on both pencils works best with a little bit of nude eyeshadow brushed on top.  The colours can be blended but you have to move fast as once set the makeup is on until you wash it off.  I think that these pencils are perfect for everyday wear.

Top: Velvet Pink/Brownie
Bottom: Fresh Cream/Green Light

2. Arch de Triumph (Two step shaping & highlighting crayon for instantly beautiful brows), in  Taupe/Buff.

The darker shade on this double sided pencil (Soap and Glory do like their double sided pencils) has a chalky consistency that you can use to shape your eyebrows.  I have a small bald patch on one of my eyebrows because of childhood chicken pox and have to 'colour' my eyebrow in. This product is a little hard going to put on and scratches and pulls on your skin when you apply it.  Compared to the No.7 brow pencil that I currently use, the Soap and Glory pencil definitely takes longer to put on but, because of this you do have a little more control. It all depends on how much patience you have.

The highlighter on the other side of the pencil is a lovely shade and is really easy to blend and 'clean up' your brow.  It looks scary bright when you first put it on, but a little goes a long way and once blended it really merges with the skin so that your brows look freshly 'done'.

3. Lidstuff (4 shades of fabulous flawless-finish, super colour 8-hour wear eyeshadow), in What's Nude

Clockwise from top left: Vanilla, Pink T, Mudhoney and Aubersheen

This palette is the star product of all the bits I bought.  Although the packaging is a little too chunky for my liking and the lid feels like its going to break off, the eyeshadows themselves are lovely.  The texture is lovely and smooth and the pigments are really strong and perfect for a nude finish.  Apart from Aubersheen the eyeshadows are matt, which I really like as it means that when I wear this with liquid eyeliner I can get a really clean line.

Aubersheen, Mudhoney, Pink T and Vanilla

Overall, I'm really pleased with my buys so maybe I shouldn't be too annoyed with my Boots addiction.

Review: Bourgois Queen Attitude Mascara and Khol Kajal

I had such high hopes for the new Bourgois Queen Attitude range, I bought the mascara and khol kajal eyeliner expecting dark strong pigments and good staying power.  Unfortunately this wasn't what I got.

1. Bourgois Queen Attitude Mascara in noir:  The main problem with this product is the brush, it hurts!  Now, I've been applying mascara for years with all sorts of different brushes and this is the first one where I can feel the bristles scratching my eyes.  Another issue is that the product itself is clumpy, something you don't expect from a newly opened mascara.  The colour itself is a nice true black, none of that grey finish that you sometimes get and the mascara did manage to hold up my eyelashes a little.  However the finish wasn't even and I found it quite awkward trying to get  mascara on the eyelashes on the outside edge of my eye (as you can see from the third picture below).

2. Bourgois Queen Attitude Khol Kajal Eyeliner: I think the packaging of this product is lovely, I like the old school Khol design and I had visions of it being like the khol eyeliners my mum used to use back in the 70's. However, this khol eyeliners is not highly pigmented, it smudges, won't set and the worse thing about it is that it melts.  I tried it on 2 days running and on both days I ended up with panda bear eyes. Unlike a lot of proper khol eyeliners this product has no staying power on your water line and rather than getting a good amount of colour on one sweep, you have to go back over your eyeliner a few times to get an almost satisfactory colour.  Such a let down!

Overall:

Upheld Promise: 1/5 - literally only because of the true black shade of the mascara.

Packaging: 4/5

Price: 0/5

Effectiveness: 1/5