Glossybox: July 2012

 Festivals was the theme for this month's Glossybox, with a nice mixture of products, although the Nuxe oil was a recurrence for me, as was the Monu product. Would I have taken any of these to a festival? Some of them for sure, but maybe not the Elizabeth Arden facial products- I have never washed my face at a festival and prefer to rely on good old make up wipes for a few days! I would however, take the perfume to keep me smelling lovely, the Paul Mitchell moisture spray to keep my hair refreshed, and also the lip gloss which smells amazing.
 Overall, a good box, but if I have to be picky then I would comment on the reappearance of a few brands/products. Luckily I can swap some with a lady I work with as she received different products, so I can't really complain, but I still wonder if we really get our money's worth every month. I would love to see some new, different products from other brands in the future, and also the opportunity to review previous box's contents, as these haven't been updated online for months. Anyway, little grump over, here are the products I got this month:

 Elizabeth Arden Cleanser, Serum and Skin Balance Lotion.
This will be a product I will be swapping with my friend, this brand has never really appealed to me in skin care terms and I don't really need it as I have lots of cleansers at the moment. Still, it was a nice product to get and would be really handy for taking on holiday and maximising your luggage space for more clothes haha!

Londoner N6 Urban Fragrance sample by Bex Londoner.
I love discovering new scents and this one is lovely- quite strong and musky for an EDT and it has good staying power. These scents are based on areas of London, N6 is inspired by Highgate Village and Hampstead Heath, and smells very herbal in a good way. I really enjoy getting the perfume samples, I take them when I travel so my perfume bottles are out of danger from being dropped, plus I can take a few and have them on rotation.

Nuxe Multi-Usage Dry Oil.
Another product I will be swapping as I already have an unused one from a previous box, and I have my Vo5 hair oil to use up first before I try this one out, although I have read very positive reviews! You can use this on hair, face, body etc, although I have also heard it can cause breakouts, so maybe approach with caution? I think I will stick to using this on my hair when I finally get round to using it.

Monu Night Renewal Complex cream.
I'm really enjoying this overnight moisturiser, I got a daytime one in a previous box and didn't really like it, but this one is much better. It's very heavily scented, very herbal, but I like that. So far nothing bad has happened to my skin, but no real improvements either, so maybe this will happen over time, but this is a nice cream and makes my skin feel soft and nourished. It's not tested on animals either, win.

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Gloss in Irish Cream Pavlova.
The scent of this reminds me of something from my childhood, but I cannot think of what! Maybe if I keep sniffing it then I will remember, and as it smells so good I don't mind doing that haha ;) This is a thick, bright pink lip gloss which does indeed smell like sweet pavlova. It's lovely worn alone or over my Collection 2000 matte lip creme, and feels very nourishing on my lips. The tube is quite big so will be lasting me for ages, this is my favourite product this month.

Paul Mitchell Moisture Hydrating Spray for face and hair.
Kind of like Fix Plus, but by Paul Mitchell. This is quite a nice product, ideal for the recent hot weather we've had in the UK. This did react with my hair spray, making my hair crispy, so it's best applied to clean/un-styled hair I think. It is refreshing, but I do avoid my face with it as I'm paranoid about products which could potentially cause spots. Nice hair product though and I will be taking this with me when I go on holiday.

 So, there are July's offerings! Did you get the same ones, or something a little different? What do you think of the products?

X.

June Favourites/ Items of the Month

I really enjoy reading 'favourites' posts and watching ones on Youtube, so I thought it was about time I shared my favourite products of the month with you! I might have had a few of these for over a month, but only just really used them properly, and I can't seem to get enough of them :)

Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask, Boots Coconut & Almond Hair Mask, Mac Melba blusher, Natural Collection lipstick in Raspberry, Mac Strobe Cream, Essie Sand Tropez, Benefit The Porefessional.

 This is the sample of the Porefessional I got in last months Glamour magazine, I had wanted to try out this for ages, so I was happy to see it in the miniatures offered by Benefit to Glamour readers. This is a flesh-coloured primer which blends into your skintone (I don't think it really gives any coverage), leaving my skin feeling smoother and ready for my foundation. Since using this my makeup has lasted longer and my skin has felt less oily throughout the day. I like everything about this primer, including the light fruity scent, and I can see myself buying the full size of this when this little one has run out. Thumbs up!

I'm a sucker for a mac product, I'll happily jump on any mac product bandwagon if I see it raved about enough. So when I saw this talked about on blog posts/videos, I knew I had to try it. I got the smaller 30ml version to see if I liked it. And I do! It's lovely to mix in with my foundation and it gives the skin a glow. You also don't need much, this little tube will last a long time. It's full of nice stuff like antioxidants and green tea, so it's good for your skin and I can confirm it hasn't made my acne any worse. It also makes my skin feel soft and moisturised, dry skin sufferers would benefit from this I feel. I can see this becoming a staple in my makeup bag and routine. Well worth parting with some cash for this if you haven't tried it.

 Loving this treatment mask at the moment, another great product from Liz Earle (yes, I am obsessed!). I got this as the free product when I bought the monthly skin care offer a while ago. It's a rich cream that you slather on and take off with a muslin cloth run under warm water. I apply this before showering and leave it on until just before I get out. It makes my face soft and feeling smoother, and also helps with any redness from my spots. I only use this once or twice a week, but my skin thanks me for it. Worth investing in, and I believe any skin type can use and benefit from this.

 Yay for Essie! I've got a little collection of this brand going on, but so far this shade is my favourite- a light nude that can be built up into a sophisticated shade. It's similar to Models Own Utopia, but less purple. The longevity of this is fantastic (a week with no chips and without a top coat) and I am hooked. It also looks good under some nail art. Love it.

 When I bought this I was initially disappointed, but then I discovered I was using the wrong brush to apply it, and now I adore this shade. Melba is a popular one, and for good reasons. It warms the face up without being orange and lasts very very well, even without powder on my skin. I love it and really recommend it! I'm keen to invest in some more mac powder blushes (purchased Posey cream blusher last week, which is lovely), so I'll keep my eyes out for some shade inspiration.

 This smells amazing! I can't eat coconut due to some weird intolerance, but I love the smell and also using products with it in as it really makes my skin/hair feel lovely. This is a great hair mask and helps with my dry ends where any bleaching and heat appliances fry them. You get a huge tub for... £1.89! Bargain! Find this in Boots.

 A lipstick for £1.99?! It must be crap! Umm nope, it's actually very nice, moisturising and sheer, but buildable! And in quite a few different shades too, thanks Natural Collection (Boots). This was the last Raspberry shade left in store so I snapped it up, and I'm very glad I did. I like finding cheap-but-good products that work and don't cause too much damage to my bank balance ;)

 What are your monthly favourites? Found anything worth trying out?

X.

The road to blonde-ness...

Ok, so I thought I'd share my story of a hair colour change and things I've discovered along the way that have made it a little easier, whether you've had a similar experience or are thinking about going down the blonde road, this hopefully might help you out info wise :) For reference, I've been dying my hair since I was about 14, and it's been a variety of colours including blue, red, black and blonde (not all at once!), so I'm no stranger to the dye bottle...

I'm in no way a professional when it comes to hair colour, so I went to my hairdressers and got lots and lots of highlights put through my hair, leaving me with quite a lot of my natural base colour left (a very dark brown). I've had this process done twice now, and each time less of this base colour remains. I wanted to go lighter gradually and help minimise the damage to my hair, but my end result will hopefully be a very light blonde/silver, which I plan to tint pinky lavender and fully leap onto the pastel hair bandwagon ;) I also get my hair cut each time I dye it, helping the ends out and making it grow much faster, regular cuts really do make your hair grow- I've learned not to fear the scissors!

Anyway, onto some products! These are my best ones and really make a difference to my hair in terms of condition and also the colour maintainence. I would recommend some of them to anyone with dyed hair (hair oil is a must have), not just blonde, but some are more suited to lighter locks (such as the toning shampoos and Directions dye).

Lee Stafford- Bleach Blondes Toning Shampoo & Conditioner (available at most high street chemists, Boots, Superdrug). These are toning treatments, and are bright purple in colour. You're only meant to use the shampoo once or twice a week to avoid ashy tones (but I love those, so I mix it with regular shampoo whenever I wash my hair), but I think you can use the conditioner whenever you like. If you use these (particularly the shampoo) on silver/lilac hair you can maintain this colour much more easily and if you leave it on for five minutes + you can add more purple tones to the hair. These products help keep your blonde hair looking bright in between visits to the hairdresser. I find them to lather up and moisturise my hair well, and they smell like cake to me- always a good thing!

Pro-Voke Touch Of Silver- Daily Maintainance Shampoo (available from most high street chemists). This is another purple toning shampoo, which you can use daily if you wish. I prefer the Lee Stafford version and it lathers better than this, but I know people who absolutely swear by this product (we had complaints in our shop when we ran out of this from lots of older ladies!). I think this does work better on naturally light hair though, which is why it's probably favoured by the blue rinse brigade... ;)

John Frieda- Full Repair Conditioner (get this at Boots, Superdrug, larger supermarkets etc). LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS RANGE! Ahem, anyway... totally buy this, even if your hair isn't dyed but you suffer from dry ends (this works a treat). I have the conditioner and the hair mask, and I'll be buying both again after they've been emptied. It's a long while since I've found a conditioner that works so well for my hair and doesn't make it greasy or heavy. This stuff smells lovely too, and has a heat protector element included. Win!

VO5 Miracle Concentrate Elixir (find in Boots, large supermarkets etc, the individual hot oil treatments are really good too). Everyone needs some hair oil, it just makes my ends feel lovely and it doesn't add any grease to my hair. Apply a few drops after towel drying and before you blow dry to get lovely soft hair. Completely recommend for any hair type, but will really help over-dyed/styled hair's appearance and feel. 

La Riche Directions Silver Dye/Toner (Semi-Permanent). Find on Amazon/ebay, 'alternative' shops such as Blue Banana etc. This stuff has a cult following, I've seen it described as a toner, even though it says 'dye' on the bottle. This only works on pre-lightened (bleached) hair, not on dark shades. It can help cancel out yellow tones and make hair appear whiter/silver depending on how long you leave it on for. This can also help make pale blonde hair extensions go silvery white (please don't bleach them!!). A very good product for the upkeep of very pale blonde/platinum shades or those who bleach their hair or roots. This stuff doesn't have a harsh smell either, or stain my hands :)


That's all for now, I hope you found some of the info useful. I'm really looking forward to getting my pale hair and putting some pink in it, if you're doing the same thing then let me know, do you use any of these products or know of any good ones?

Also, hello new followers! Nice to have you on board, thank you very much! :D

X.

what I bought today

Shorts: Levi's via Urban Outfitters, Initial Necklace Pendant: as before, Barry M Liquid Eyeliner in Black, Essie polishes in Watermelon, Turquoise & Calicos, Mink Muffs (haha, as shown above), Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes toning shampoo & conditioner, Maybelline Super Stay 10 hour tint gloss in Endless Ruby.

 Didn't find any shoes today so I've ordered the Topshop ones I liked online as I tried another version on in a different colour, so fit wise they should be fine :) I have wanted some black cut offs for ages, but after no success in finding some old Levis to customise in any charity shops, I caved and bought some from UO. I'll be hunting down some studs to put on the side/back pockets, as ready studded ones are so expensive, there were some for £85 in UO, who is going to pay that amount??? Crazy. 

 I also popped into Boots and got a few things, my old eyeliner is nearly dead so a backup one was a must have and I wanted another Essie polish (I sense a little addiction developing here...) I went for a weird shade, I seem to gravitate towards ugly, sort of natural shades, but I love 'em! This one's name made me chuckle too...it looks a little like a plummy chocolate on the nails and took two coats. I rather like it, it gives my nails quite a sophisticated look ;)

 I also picked up a lip stain product, I am loving stuff like this at the moment, so much easier to wear and apply than a normal lipstick, plus it's nice to layer under lipsticks and helps them wear off so much better, this one is lovely and I may do a little post on my lip stain collection.

 My mum bought me the initial pendant, I spotted it ages ago and it was originally £16 (UO WHY YOU SO PRICEY??) every time I went in I would check if it was still there or if it was discounted, but no luck. Today however I didn't bother checking, paid for my shorts and my mum appeared with the necklace and insisted on treating me, what a lovely person!

Hoping my shoes and hair dye arrive soon! I'm also waiting for a book on vintage hair styles so I can practice for when Goodwood Revival comes around, should be a pro by then ;)

X.

On a Sunday IIII

 

 A day late but oh well! This Sunday we had the most amazing weather, so me and mum went on a epic trek on Dartmoor- all this about a mile from my house- definitely the best part of living where I do. Also took some shots of my mum's crocus in bloom in the sun and a nice little photobooth pic for you ;)

 Went to make a hair appointment today, need a trim and I want my ombre ends done. My usual hairdresser had a new receptionist who was very unhelpful and didn't seem to understand that I work and cannot come in on certain days- and those were the days she kept offering me, despite me telling her clearly that I wasn't available! In the end I went somewhere different and got an appointment no problem, this Wednesday, I'm a bit nervous as I hope it goes ok, they didn't seem to understand the concept of 'ombre' (I thought all places would have an idea as it's meant to be a massive hair trend??) but I will be taking a picture with me, so hopefully my hair won't go wrong! Always get nervous going to the hairdressers, maybe I have a phobia haha.

Had a panic yesterday and thought my Pentax had broken as the light meter wasn't working! Turned out to be a flat battery- felt a bit silly but at least I don't have to get it repaired...ANNNNND I made £100 on ebay selling mostly charity shop finds! Most impressed with myself ahaa.

 Back to work tomorrow and I have Slimming world- hopefully I'll get my half a stone target this week :)

X.

Glossybox: Feb 2012 LFW Edition

Duwop venom gloss (full size), Impress press on manicure (full size), Paul Mitchell quick slip (sample), BM Beauty pure mineral eyeshadow (sample), Como Shambhala invigorate shower gel (sample).

 Normally I wait a week to test everything etc, but today I was really bored and tried everything out today instead. To be really honest, this is another 'meh' box, and I am really considering terminating my subscription when I get to my free box. The venom gloss is surprisingly nice, not too gloopy on the lips- for me it feels like a heavy lip balm, it really tingles though so be warned!! The press-on nails are not really my thing or colour (neon pink, yuk), but I will try one out and see how it fares- can always give them to someone else ;) The eyeshadow is ok, it fades well, leaving a nice sparkle (reminds me of Beautymarked by MAC), but again, not such a friendly colour, as I'm into my neutral shades (can't win all the time though). The shower gel smells lovely, I'm coming to the end of my Rituals one, so it's nice to receive another brand to try. The Paul Mitchell quick slip is a little strange, it smells nice when you squirt a little onto your hand, but when using it after a while it develops a really odd after-smell, still, it left my hair feeling soft and in no way greasy, so I'm pleased with it.

I wish Glossybox would do a little q&a thing for everyone, where you could specify what you like, in terms of makeup shades and skin tone etc- their Beauty profile is a little bit crap in my opinion, and I don't think I've ever received any products that suit my skin or hair type/tone based on the answers I gave them. Considering their service is very popular I think they could bother to get it right more often and listen to what their customers want...

 Overall, this box is ok- nothing really grabs me, but it's nice to get some new products I haven't heard of before. I just don't know how much longer I'm going to carry on with this- £12 a month soon adds up, and to be really honest, I don't need endless pots of samples (however good) just lying around, especially the ones I can't/don't like using. I would honestly rather save up and buy more expensive products that I am actually going to use regularly and that I really want. Once I have collected enough Glossydots to get a free box then I think I will be unsubbing as I've said. This did brighten up my day though, and I enjoyed testing everything out :)

X.