Massive Beauty Hall

Hey Guys, 

Today I thought I would share with you everything I bought in February, if you follow me on Instagram you may have seen me post a quick shot of stuff I bought that day, but here is everything from the last month. Yes I did go a little beauty buying mad but because I'm moving out from my parents in the next month or so, I thought I'd enjoy a full pay check while I had it. 

First up foundations and concealers, I have been on the hunt for a new foundation for a while now so I bought these few: Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Concealer, Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation, Mac Pro Longwear Foundation and LOréal True Match Foundation. I'm still trying and testing to see if I really like them, but I do have a review of the True Match, which went up Thursday (here).

Next face powders all from MAC: Studio Fix Powder, Matte Bronzer, Soft & Gentle Highlighter. It's my first time buying these types of products from MAC and lets just say so far so good..

Natural Collection Blush in Sweet Checks, Natural Collection Crushed Walnut Eyeshadow, MAC 206 Angle Brush and ECO Tools Domed Bronzer Brush. I recently did a review on the Natural Collection Blushes and I simply love them (see here), I've also written a review about the eyeshadows ages ago (here), so these are to add to my collection.
The MAC brush I'm in love with and also the bronzer brush..there amazing..so far.

Lips, now I've been looking for a pinky nude for ages but I just can't seen to find one which is a little disappointing but I'm still trialling these three above: Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in Complex, Natural Collection Lip Gloss in Raspberry Ripple and LOréal in 102.

Eyeliners: MAC Coffe Eye Pencil, MAC Engraved Eye Pencil, LOréal Gelmatic Super Liner, Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl in Bronze and Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde.

Hair products, the hairspray is a repurchase and is the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to hairspray. LOréal TXT texture spray, this was bought actually in January but I thought I'd still add it in and finally Tresemmé Argan Oil Salon Sleek, review coming soon.

Couple of basics: Primark Tanning mitt and St Ives Apricot Scrub, I've heard good things about this so it's got to be worth a try.

Now these I think are one of my favourite purchases, there basically fake converse from Primark and at £4 I love them. I've never been a converse wearer but always liked the way they looked, so I thought I'd buy a cheap pair before investing in proper ones. I love these, I love the colour and I love the look.

So that's it for my massive haul, I know it's pretty big but from now on spending is going to be minimal. The only things I'm planning on buying this month is an eyeshadow palette from my previous wishlist (here) and the Rihanna MAC lipstick..it looks to die for and I need it in my life to feel complete haha.

If you see anything from above that you would like me to review then please leave me a comment and let me know! Otherwise I'll be back Monday for the next instalment of My Weight Loss Journey.

:)

February Favourites.

Hey Guys,

I cannot believe how quickly February went, I know it's a short month but it just disappeared. Not that I mind too much because March is going to be incredible, I can feel it, but more of that another day!

Anyways as the title suggests this is my February Favourites, I don't have too many favourites because I did a lot of buying new things this month. So I've been trying them out, which I didn't want to put in my favourites until there tried and tested! So here we go..

Neutrogena Spot Stress Control Daily Scrub, NIVEA Oil Free Day Cream, Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation, MAC 206 Brush, Real Techniques Angle Brush, Natural Collection Crushed Walnut Eyeshadow, Next Paradise Perfume. 

First up is some skin care favourites, my skin has been an absolute nightmare the last couple of months, breaking out all over the place yet really dry and oily at the same time. I really cannot keep up. Anyways this daily scrub has been a life saver it gives a deep clean, gets rid of dead skin yet doesn't dry my skin out, perfect. My skin is finally clearing up yet theres a lot of damage which needs all the help it can get. At the moment me skin feels really tight and dry, which is where my second favourite comes in, NIVEA oil free day cream. This cream is so velvety, light and refreshing. It glides on the skin and sinks in beautifully leaving no traces of oil or residue just feeling hydrated and drenched.

I'm quite surprised I like this foundation, because I want full coverage but I don't like my foundation being too thick. However I got this little tester out of my Boots Beauty Advent Calendar (See here) and my god I love it, so I bought the full size. It is thick but because of the mouse consistency it's still fairly light, well as light as a full coverage matte foundation comes. What I really like about this foundation is it's perfect for when you need full coverage for a long period of time, I really like using it when I'm going out or clubbing because I know I don't have to worry about shine or touching up. And whats perfect, it has no SPF so flash photography come at me.

This perfume is quite an odd one because I received it for my birthday years ago, I'm talking like 7-8 years ago, but never really used it that often. However because my staple everyday Calvin Klein ran out and Channel is too much for work I resorted to this whilst deciding what perfume to buy. Well it's safe to say I'm glad I did re-discover this perfume because it smells so fruity and sweet perfect for early spring.

These three favourites are more of an all in one kind of favourite, or a make-up look. What I've been doing all month is instead of my standard liquid eyeliner flicks I've been using this brown shadow or a matte black for my eyeliner, so it's a little smudgy but not heavy like using gel liner. I really like this look for day time because it just frames the eyes without looking too heavy, and it's really quick and easy in the mornings. I've also been using this colour and my MAC 206 brush to fill in my eyebrows, I got his from Alice over at BeautyByAlicee, I love her blog and would definitely recommend checking her out! I love this little combo for filling in my brows so there not harsh but still filled in and framing the face.

The last favourite is my Lush Shampoo bar (full review), this wasn't featured in the main image because it's not looking so new anymore and frankly quite wet and weird. Anyways I love this, it's supposed to stimulate hair grow and I really think it has. I have long hair anyways but it never used to grow past a certain point however since using this bar, since like Xmas, I've found my hair getting longer than it's ever been. This shampoo also makes my hair feel so thick and healthy I love it!

That's it for my favourites this month, I hope you've enjoyed this post and don't forget to follow my on Bloglovin' and leave me a comment of what you've been loving the last month!

Monthly Wishlist: One Thing On My Mind

Hey Guys,

Todays post is about something which hasn't left my mind for the last few weeks, investing in a smokey eyeshadow palette. Theres three in particular which have caught my eye and I've been debating which one I should invest in, in the very near future. I do admittedly want all three, however with each retailing between £35-£50, one of them will do for now. All three of these palettes I'm sure you've all heard of but I just can't decided. I've been reading reviews and theres such a split vibe about them.

Here are the three I'm debating about:
NARSissist
Smashbox Full Exposure
Urban Decay Naked 2

You can probably see my predicament right? So as well as this being my monthly wishlist I also want my readers help..WHICH ONE?

I'll give a few must haves for my palette: a range of brown tones, a matte black and a champagne colour. Now I've put them all together in a line and I feel the NARS palette may not have enough brown tones for me but I do like the range of different colours. I really like the Smashbox because of the split of matte and shimmer shades, then the Urban Decay has the warm brown tones I like. Oh it's such a hard choice!


If any of you guys have any of these palettes please let me know what you think, or which one I should get in the comments or even tweet me here! Or do you know of any other ones which I might like? please let me know.

I'm also thinking about doing a give away soon when I reach 250 Bloglovin' followers so when the time comes for my decided purchase I may even pick up two, one for the give away. Don't hold me to it but it's in the pipeline.

That's it from me today, any help would be much appreciated and I'll see you Thursday for a review :).

#2014BloggerChallenge: Highend Vs Highstreet

Hi Guys,

Firstly I'll start with, I'm sorry I missed the last topic for this challenge, however I'm just not a reader. I mean I read blogs and articles but not an actual book, I think the last book I read was about 2 years ago. So to be honest writing a book review is a bit of a lost cause for me because it's just not my thing.

Now that's out the way, the topic for this week is all about highend vs highstreet. The way I've interpreted this topic is to kind of give my opinion of whether or not more expensive products are better than a cheaper version.

For me personally I'm very new to dabble in the higher end of beauty products because when I was a student it didn't even occur to me to buy like Mac or Nars, I just went straight to Boots to the Rimmel and Natural Collection stands. I've always been a cheap make-up user and have only really started using like Bourjois and Soap&Glory, which don't get me wrong not exactly pricy, but buying a £10 foundation never sat right with me. Although now I have a 9-5 job and the money I make is actually mine, I'm starting to branch out and spend a bit more on the products and experiment a little more. Like 8 months ago I had one foundation which I swore by, now I have about 4 or 5 with different coverages and different uses. You could go as far as saying once I left uni I went on like a make-up binge. Nowadays when popping into Boots I see myself browsing round the Mac counters and Smashbox stands more and more.

I think the main thing I'm getting at in the post is I am new to highend products so I can't really give a good enough answer to whether I think there better or worse however watch this space.

Although there is one thing I have definitely found an improvement in from using a pricier product, and that is make-up brushes. I never valued how a make-up brush could changed the way your make-up looked. My friend at uni always used MAC brushes and I just didn't see the big deal. It was only when I started blogging and saw people banging on about how important they are and swooning over one brush, I thought it was crazy, but no no no I was the crazy one!

The day I purchased a Mac 217 brush changed my life, I know big statement, but wow it was a real game changer. I'm a lover of a smokey eye but I could just never master it, until this god send of a brush came into my life. I then went on to purchase majority of the Real Technique brushes, and my make-up has never looked so flawless. Gone where the days of buying a cheap set in the Christmas sale, although I'm not saying some cheaper brushes don't do the job I'm just very happy with my slightly more expensive ones. It's also safe to say that I am converted to a higher end make-up brush.

That's it for this post, I know it doesn't have a great amount of substance to it but I think if I were to revisit this topic in say 6 months time I'd have a bit more to say. I may do that like a part 2. I can't wait to read everyone else's posts and see there take on the topic, I'm pretty sure I'll end up with a massive wish-list from them all!

Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' and Instagram where I tend to post what my make-up looks like (selfies) and my nails, as well as day to day rubbish haha.

Review Thursday: OPI Top This

Hey Guys,

Today I am going to give a review of this OPI collection I got for Christmas, my mum bought me this and I believe she bought it from TKMax, but I think I've seen it on nailpolishdirect too.
Anyways in the pack you get three full size OPI top coats, one normal glossy one, a glittery top coat called 'Snowflakes In The Air' and finally the one I've been lusting over for so long, a matte top coat.

This little set is so perfect as it holds my top three favourite nail effects. I love doing my nails, even though I have acrylics, I end up repainting every week because I enjoy it so much. I like to get quite inventive with my nails and end up going for the forth finger different colour/glitter effect. I'm a lover of bright pinks and oranges or masses of glitter, I'm a big glitter fan.

I've always wanted to buy a decent top coat, because I find drugstore ones never do a great job. However the price tag of one OPI top coat scares me a little so I just end up making do. I'm so happy I received this one and I've loved using it ever since. The bush is long and medium thickness which makes application really quick and easy, making any polish instantly glossy and protected.

Next up the glittery 'Snowflakes in the Air' is very a pretty silver based glitter with a holographic light hitting effect. The glitter itself is a mix of medium to fine glitter pieces although the polish is packed full of them. I haven't used this just yet because I also got a mini Mavala glitter in my Boots beauty advent, so I've been using that. However on the image below I've painted it on a nail reel on top of a white so you can really see the effect. The glitter itself when it hits the light is so pretty and I got this coverage in two coats. Although I personally tend to go for a higher coverage of glitter but I'm quite liking the glitter on white if I'm honest.

Finally my most anticipated top coat, the matte one. I've been wanting this for way too long, I'm talking like a year! About a year ago I started to see matte finish nails on Instagram and absolutely loved the idea although when having a look on the internet I couldn't find any for the life of me. I eventually found a few colours on Ebay from China but when they arrived they didn't turn out quite like I wanted. Until Barry M released there Matte finish colours which when I tried I fell in love! (see post here). After I tried these I was like I have to get me a matte top coat because I have so many colours which I'd love to try as a matte finish. When I unwrapped this on Christmas Day and I was so happy, I couldn't believe my mum even remembered I wanted it.

The application is as easy as a normal glossy top coat, with the brush easy to use and comfortable to hold. On application it comes out as a liquid and almost like a normal top coat until it dries and it's completely matte. I love the finish it gives and the durability is so long, although this could be because I have acrylics and they don't tend to chip. One thing I really love about this top coat is that it makes my nails feel so soft, because sometimes with normal top coats they can feel a bit grippy, this one is so velvety. Below is an image of the matte and normal top coat on top of a black from Barry M.

That's it for review Thursday I hope you've liked this post. If your a nail addict like me then this set is a must have. Although it's just top coats, do not underestimate the power of top coats! I feel they finish the nails off so nicely compared to not wearing any and just make the nails so much smoother. If you do like seeing nail pictures then I'm a regular guilty Instagramer for this you can follow me here. Anyways that's it from me, I'll be back soon :).

Review Thursday: Bourjois Blush Exclusif

Hey Guys,

Today I am going to review a blusher, this blusher is a stable in my everyday makeup bag for the last few months and I thought it was worth a mention, this blush is the Blush Exclusif by Bourjois. It retails at £7.99 and you can find it here.

The blush itself contains pH reactive pigments and is suppose to adjust to the perfect blush for your skin tone. A self adjusting blusher I hear you say? now that is something I had to try!

The tin itself has very little information about the product so after a bit of research online I instantly had a few queries. 1. Would the colour adjust differently from wearing foundation to bare skin and 2. Wouldn't the pH in the air effect the colour in the pot?.

As you can see from the image above the top of my blusher has reacted to the pH in the air, so when you scratch away the top surface it's white.
The formula itself is a cream to powder texture with a fairly matte finish. Although its not incredibly cream like some blushes can be, it's quite a dry cream, if you know what I mean. As it's not a wet creamy consistency I find it lasts for ages on the skin and stays in place all day.

I apply mine with the Real Techniques Blush Brush and finds it applies really easily and it's super blend-able, which is good because as it does adjust to your skin you don't want to risk putting too much on. The swatch below shows how the colour can change from my hand to my finger tips and how on my fingers it's a really deep fuchsia however on my hand it's more what I would call soft Barbie Pink.

The bottom line is I really like this blusher and I love wearing it on a daily basis for a fresh natural flush to the cheeks. It's especially good because I'm quite fair so most blushes can be a bit bright. I would definitely suggest this to anyone who may be in school and can't wear too much make-up or someone who may struggle to find the perfect blush!

I hope you've enjoyed this post, I've also uploaded a picture of me wearing this blush on my Instagram here (see me). I'd like to just quickly thank everyone who's followed me or read my blog I've hit over 150 followers and omg it's amazing! so thank you thank you thank you!

Don't forget to come back Monday for the next post on my weight loss journey where I'll be talking about what food I eat! If you've missed the previous posts you can catch up here: Part 1: Part 2.

Review Thursday: Lush Shampoo Bar

Hey Guys,

I can't believe it's Thursday again! They come and go so quick. Todays review is going to be about the Lush Shampoo Bar. Now I bought this for my friend for Christmas and really wanted it for myself, so then much to my surprise I received this off my other friend! Yay.

Now Lush describes the bar as:

"A solid bar with cinnamon, clove and nettle to stimulate and reset your hair to its former glory. We've jammed this unpreserved, unpackaged shampoo bar with as many stimulating ingredients as we can find to get the blood flowing, balance the scalp, and boost hair growth."

If you don't like cinnamon this definitely isn't for you because the smell is strong and it lingers in your hair, if like me, you don't use much conditioner the smell stays put. I personally like cinnamon so I quite like the spicy scent.

When I first saw this I found the concept of essentially using a bar of soap on your hair as shampoo very odd, however when using this it's not as strange as you'd think. You can either lather it up in your hands and then apply it to the roots or wet it and rub straight onto your hair. I find just lathering it up in my hands does the trick fine. It lathers up really well and easy to distribute all over the hair just like a liquid shampoo.

Theres also no tingle to the scalp, which I thought there may be as it's suppose to stimulate the roots, but I'm quite glad theres not.

What does the shampoo actually do? Yes it cleans the hair leaving no residue, so it does the shampoo job, but does it do what it claims? Now my hair grows fairly quick using normal shampoo but I really do feel like this has accelerated my hair growth. I've also noticed that after use my hair feels thicker and more lively, even with naturally thick hair this product make it's feel healthier. However the one thing I have noticed is it leaves my hair feeling a little dry but because I use a leave in conditioner after washing the moisture locks back in.

I wash my hair every other day so I only use this product once or twice a week because I also use purple shampoo before going out on the weekends.

The only downfall I can think of is when it comes to storing this product in between washes it is a little tricky. I found you can't leave it in the shower because the product will just wash away and you can't put it into a air tight container because the outside dries into a thick gel..its strange. So I've found a old conditioner mask pot which has a flip lid so I can protect it from running water but not keep it air tight.

Anyways thats about it for my review, I hope it was useful. I really like this product and would definitely recommend it. Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' for updates and come back at the weekend for the next instalment of the #2014bloggerchallenge!

Review Thursday: Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer

Hello all!

How are we this Thursday? My week so far has been manic which I don't expect to change any time soon, but hey I like it that way!

Todays post I'm going to be giving my review on this Seventeen concealer.

I bought this concealer by accident to be honest, I was browsing my local Boots one day and picked it up just to have a look, then bumped into someone I knew and the next thing I know I've been to the checkout and it's on my receipt. However accidental purchase for the win, I love this concealer! 

The packaging isn't amazing but it's not bad and this little compact cost me £5.49, which I thought was quite a lot for number 17 brand. Nevertheless it's small and easy to carry about, it also has a fairly big mirror which really works for me. 

On the pot the product is described as 'heavy duty under eye concealer' and is suppose to 'wage the war on under eye circles'. The product itself is really thick and creamy with quite a dry formula until it hits the skin an melts slightly. The concealer works wonders by covering up any dark circles and leaving a dewy brightening effect.

The colour I got was in 'fair' which is a great colour match for me. The colour itself is fairly peachy but not overly pink. Which for me is good because my skin is quite pale and I don't have much redness at all. The colour of the concealer really matches my foundation too which is perfect. 

Previously I've never actually applied under eye concealer because to be frank I never knew you could do that. I know blasphemy. Till the beauty blogging world showed me the errors of my ways I now never leave the house without it!

When I first applied the product I though it was a bit light for my skin and made my dark circles looked worse. Although I found this was because I wasn't putting too much on as I was using a brush. So now I apply this product with my forth finger straight from the pot and blend out under my eyes. This works really well for me as my fingers melt the product which helps it blend and erase my dark circles.

Overall I would definitely recommend this product, the bad side is theres only two shades, medium and fair.  However if your lucky enough to get a good colour match then do go try it, I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Has any one else tried this concealer and love it as much as me?

Boots Beauty Calendar Days 1-7.

Hey Guys,

As promised I'm going to post what I've received so far in my Boots Beauty Calendar!

Although I have been loving my little beauty product each day, I'm not sure Boot's have thought some of the design bits through properly. Some of my doors have come open early so I've had to Sellotape them down, but I haven't peeked! Another design fault it the products are pretty hard to get out, some of mine are still lodged in and with the perfume samples you loose half by trying to get them out. Other than that I love it!

I'll continue posting everyday on my Instagram but I'll be back next week with what I get this week. Exciting!

Hope you all are having a good weekend :)

Review Thursday: Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipsticks.

Hey Guys,

This week I bring you a review of Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipsticks. I bought the red one back in summer then the pink one joined me just before my graduation a couple of weeks ago. I really really love these lipsticks and don't actually have a bad word to say about them so if you want a happy nice review then your in the right place.

I really like the square packaging, although it's just plastic they look really nice and sleek. I love that they have some of the colour in the bottom so you can identify them really easily. On the packaging on one side they have all the standard cosmetic details, a blank side, the Rouge Edition writing like you can see above and then finally a embossed Bourjois side which I really like.

They kind of smell like waxy crayons but not strong, so to me it just smells like lipstick. The colour of the stick transferred to lips is very true and the colours are good in pigmentation. The formula is very creamy and glides onto the lips but doesn't smudge so theres no need for lipliner. The colour is slightly glossy but not so like lipgloss so a pleasant shine which lasts for ages and ages. What I've found really great about these is that they're very handbag friendly, the lids don't fall off and they don't melt in heat like some creamy lipsticks can.

Let me go into a little detail about the separate colours. I'm sorry to say I don't have any swatches because the lighting just didn't pick up a very true colour but like I said before the stick colour is true to life.

Firstly the red, this is 10 Rouge Buzz. I bought this back in July and was my staple summer red, I love the orangy red tone. It's very bright, not too daring and easy to wear, I think a lot of skin tones what suit this shade. The slight shine it has doesn't make it too intense like some matte shades can and when it starts to wear off (after I would say a good 5 hours) it fades quite evenly and still carries a slight tinge. Although it's winter this is a must have for summer but I might try wearing it with an all black outfit.

My second colour is this dusty pink which is 17 Rose Millésime (which was featured in my November Favourites). I love this shade, it's such a wearable day and night colour. It's like a your lips but better but a bright version. I like that it can make a smokey eye pop or an everyday look brighten. Since I bought this shade it has never left my handbag. I will say that I'm not sure if it's for everybody because of the tone of pink, but if it's for you it's a big winner. For me I don't feel like I suit peachy pinks so this is a nice alternative.

I got mine from Boots and Superdrug where most Bourjois stands tend to have most of the shades. The rouge editions also have a shine series which contain a quarter gloss within the formula but I've never used any as I reach for the Bourjois Colour Boost range instead. Anyways you can get hold of these for £7.99 which is pretty good for what I would say is a high quality drugstore lipstick with good results.

That's it for my review on these Bourjois lipsticks, I hope you've enjoyed reading and it's come of some help to you. Have any of you used the Rouge Edition lipsticks, what were your thoughts?


Also I've been posting everyday over on my Instagram of what I've been getting in my Boots beauty advent calendar, I'll also be posting at the end of the week a round up of what I got so follow me on Bloglovin too!

November Favourites.

Hey Guys,

November is quickly forgotten for most but for me it has been my best month of the year, so many good things have happened and I'm sad yet excited for December to make an appearance. As November is behind us it's only right to show you what I've been loving throughout the month. Although most of my picks are quite general and not very specific just because I loved everything in November even down to my hangover the day after graduation haha.


Midi Rings/ Primark. Costa Coffee Club Card. Bourjois Rouge Edition/ 17 Rose Millésime. Bourjois Colour Boost/ 06 Plum Russian. Orly Nail Varnish/ Naughty. 













Like I said above my favourites are quite general but lets get going.

Starting with Costa. I have just been really loving Costa recently, I've always favoured Costa over Starbucks, not really sure why. Just on a cold day I love popping into Costa picking up a Hazelnut Latte and having a sit down for a while. I feel Coffee shops especially around this time of year, they just feel really charismatic. I remember in collage first year before we started going to pubs we would always go to Cafe Nero in our free periods, sit in the same place, have the same drink and just chatter the day away.

Second kind of general favourite is dark nail varnishes. I've never been into dark colours on my tips because I feel they looked strange against my pale skin but this year I've really got into them. I think with nail varnishes, when I was at uni, it tended to be black or pink. Now though you can get so many nice navy tones and burgundy shades it's like a winter wardrobe has opened up for me in the nails department.

Jumper £14.99/ Black Dress £29.99/ Red Dress £19.99

My third general favourite is H&M. I've never been a big shopper there because they don't really cater for the bigger figure, but now I've lost 2 stone I'm loving it! I got my graduation dress, a red dress and a orange christmasy winter jumper (as you can see above) which I've already started wearing to death. I love going in there now knowing theres a chance the cloths will fit, such a good feeling.

 My final general favourite is midi-rings, mine are just sets from Primark which cost about £1.50 each pack. When midi-rings first came out I though it was a bit of an odd trend but I've been loving them. I especially love my moustache one!

Whats a monthly favourite without a couple of lipsticks, my two this month are both from Bourjois. First up in from the colour boost range which essentially are a chubby stick dupe, a very good dupe at that. I love the Bourjois ones there so glossy, pigmented and not drying. I especially love this dark plum colour with is perfect for the winter months. I like that because it's glossy the deep colour doesn't look too vampy just a nice almost fresh winter lip colour.

My second Bourjois colour is from the Rouge Edition. I already own a bight reddy orange and loved the formula so I recently picked up a dusky pinky tone. What I like about this colour is it's not bright or dark it's just a nice everyday colour which turns everyday make-up looking a bit brighter.

Well thats all my favourite from the month. What have you been loving in November and what are you looking forward to in December??

Also quick mention I got the Boots beauty advent calendar and will be posting everyday on my Instagram (click me) with what I got, I will also do a round up at the end of the week on here.  

Did you catch my posts from the weekend well you can catch up here:

The Christmas Tag.

Latest in Beauty Glamour Edition Box: Unboxing and Reviews.

Handbag Therapy.

Latest in Beauty 'The Glamour Beauty Edit' Box Opening and Reviews.

Hey Guys,

I never been a subscriber or ever purchased a beauty box, purely because I can't afford it right now, but it's something I've always been interested in. When I saw this box on my friends Instagram I had buy it because it contained three products I've always wanted to try. I've had this box for nearly 2 weeks now and haven't touched any products yet because I wanted to not only show you whats in the box but also a review from first time use kind of thing. Whilst giving these reviews I'm literally testing as I write.

The box I bought was from 'Latest in Beauty' which is designed to let you try before you buy kind of deal. Although this box they have created by pairing up with GLAMOUR magazine and have picked the ultimate party must haves to get you through the party season. If you want to check them out you can here. This box cost me £14.95 +P&P and it's products are worth £65 what a steal!

The box itself is a lovely sleek black box with gold trimmings with all the products nested on a shredded paper layer, all sealed in a lining of tissue paper with a gold sticker. Worst description ever, but what I'm trying to say is the packaging is really nice and presented beautifully.

Once you've opened up the tissue paper all the products are laid out waiting for you, theres 7 products in total which is a bargain for the price you pay. There are also two cards in there one which is a note from Alessandra Steinherr (Beauty Director, GLAMOUR magazine) and a short run down of what the box contains. The other card is special offers of the products in the box if you wanted to go on and buy full size ones. Heres what the box contains and my initial thoughts...

Toni&Guy Glamour firm hold hairspray 75ml I haven't used this one yet because I'm not a big everyday hair spray user but the packaging is like a caramel colour which is nice. The smell of the spray is surprisingly pleasant as I find some just smell like plastic and vodka mixed together. I normally use hairspray for when I curl my hair and I tend to spray it on my hands first then scrunch into my hair. When I spray this on my hand it doesn't feel sticky which is a good sign and the smell left is kind of fruit and soapy. Overall I'm quite excited to use this on my hair and I'll get back to you on how it goes.

Philip Kingsley One More Day dry shampoo 50ml This is a little smaller than the hairspray bottle but a very good handbag size for on the go. The packaging is white with reddy brown writing and it doesn't really smell of much unlike normal drugstore dry shampoos. As soon as I sprayed it on my roots I noticed it does leave a light residue, which actually works for me because I'm blonde so it makes my roots less dark. It takes a while to work into the hair to reduce the lightness it leaves, so far I wouldn't recommend for people with darker or coloured hair. It does say what is says on the tin nevertheless and leaves the hair looking and feeling fresher. For me though I'm sticking to my trusty favourite Girlz Only Dry Shampoo (review here) for now.

 Maybelline Baby Lips in Hydration I'm quite fond of the Baby Lips from Maybelline and already own Peach Kiss and Intense Care. I really like the pink on blue packaging for the Hydration stick and the smell reminds me of gummy bears or those kind of gummy sweets. The product is clear with no tint to the lips like some of it's sisters in the range. It glides on nicely to the lips and it's not too waxy which is nice although I'm not sure about the smell now it's on the lips. It's a nice little product to hydrate the lips especially through the winter months and it's fun packaging is cute too.

balance Me extra care radiance oil 10ml This is a product which is very new to me, I've never used a face oil before. It says it's suppose to 'smooth away the years' and you apply it morning and night either before moisturising or leave alone to give the skin back it's radiance. It has a rollaball applicator and the smell isn't the most pleasant but has that organic product smell, hard to describe but it's not offensive. Application is easy although for me it takes a while to sink into the skin and feels a little greasy. I'm not sure what one application will do so I'll have to get back with a proper review after a few uses. 

The next few products are the reason I bought the box and have been so excited to use! 

Eyeko Lash Curlers Lash curlers are a big tool in my make-up bag although I've never spent much on them just £1 from Primark! They've always done the trick and I thought why would more expensive ones work better, surely theres not too much difference. These curlers are silver with blue silicone rubber pads and blue velvet handles. On first use they feel a bit smaller to what I'm used to and the handles feels odd but a good odd. The curl they give is really nice and they don't pinch like my Primark ones. Overall a nice tool which does feel nicer than my cheap Primark ones and these are not too bank breaking either at around £10-£12.

Benefit they're Real mascara 3.0g I have always been a Maybelline falsies gall and really enjoy using it although this is a mascara I've always had my eyes one. I've never purchased the Benefit one because mascaras can be very touch and go to finding the right one for you, so I wasn't going to risk buying this at around £17 for it not to work. I'm a little in limbo with this one as it's really nice, drys quickly, easy application and the results are amazing although I would say at this point it's just as good as my Maybelline the faslies. I'm going to have to do more experimenting with these to see which comes out on top but I can definitely see why people love this Benefit mascara so much. Although my dad at dinner did ask if I was wearing false lashes so I suppose that kind of says something haha.

Last but not least this is the main event for me and the main reason I bought this beauty box!

HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette in Foxy I have had my eyes on this for so so long but could never part with my money to get it, I know it's only around £20 but for me that's quite a lot. I got sent the 'Foxy' palette and from sight it's looks perfect for me. What I really like is that it's designed for brows but can be used for a smokey eye and all the shades are matte. These days I find most palettes contain mostly shimmery shades and little matte so this is great. The shadows to touch feel quite creamy yet with a powder consistency and highly pigmented. Although once touched with a brush they are like a thick powder constancy. On my eyebrows I used the light brown colour and loved the results. I also used them to create a kind of smokey eye although the colours are very pigmented so not really suitable for the day but when I do a night time look this is my first point of call. I am so happy I've finally got this in my life. 

Heres a look I created using all the products from the box..

I hope you've enjoyed my unboxing and quick reviews of each product. I will be reviewing a few of the products in full so don't forget to follow my blog on Bloglovin for that. Also if you follow me it gives me a chance to check out new blogs and which I love doing!

I would love to hear in the comments below if any of you have used any products mentioned above and what you think of them?