Pink Parcel: June - First Review!

It's that time of the month (TMI?).. And now periods are made simpler for us thanks to the growing trend that is subscription boxes. Pink Parcel is marketing genius. I really wish I had thought of this first! For only £9.95 a month (or per cycle, whatever you prefer!) you will receive a discretly packaged box through the mail containing 25 tampons of your choice of flow and brand, along with a few little extras to make you feel more human during those few days when you turn into a hormonal mess. This is my first box, and I pretty impressed!

The box is laid out in three sections, 'for now' 'for later' and 'for you'. The tampons themselves come in two boxes of 10, and a drawstring bag with 5 in, designed to fit in your handbag. So cute! The packaging of everything is so clean and well designed, it's not über femmine or plastered in horrible words such as period or sanitary. Just how it should be.

The third section is some beauty and lifestyle treats, which is obviously the most exciting part! I've received Maybelline Baby Lips in Intensive care (value of £2.99), luckily one I haven't yet brought. I've also got Simple Kind to Skin+ Moisture boost Hydro Mist (value of £5.99), this is a refreshing facial mist, designed to refresh and moisturise even over makeup. Winner! I also have a travel size of Impulse in Very Pink (value of £1.20) which smells lovely, and a great size for handbags! 

My lifestyle extras were a Teapigs sample of chamomile tea (value of £0.60) which are whole flowers in a biodegradable bag and a mini bar of Montezuma's smooth milk chocolate (value of £0.85). Both of these I'm going to enjoy, probably together, while nursing the mother of all cramps. 

Overall, without the tampons included, the value of the Box came to £11.63. Which seeming when postage is included and you do get enough tampons for your cycle (minus the embarrassment of walking round Tesco with them shoved in your basket) is quite good value. You also have the flexibility of changing which brand your sent at any time, as well as changing plans from single flow to multi flow. Customer services (as I've already found out) are fabulous and there's already plans in place to add more brands as well as towels.

As fair as periods go I think I'm going to enjoy this one thanks to Pink Parcel! I love everything about it, from how it all looks to the fact that all the packing is recyclable (as well as FSC approved!) and of course what's in the actual box. I very much reccomend! 

Hannah x

Glossybox: June - Summer is Here

Welcome sunny June! So far it's been fabulous and Glossybox have got it right by theming this box with summer essentials! Lucky for me this was another free box paid for using Glossydots (their points system, gainable by completing surveys. Easy!) which makes it all that much sweeter!

So Susan Cosmetics Universal Blush

£18 for 4g. Full size received.

This is beautiful! It's defiantly my favourite thing this month, and that's why I had to start with it! (It's not all downhill from here though I promise!) I'm assuming by calling this a universal blush it's suitable for all skin tones, but the packing claims that it works with your skins chemistry to create a healthy flush. Sweet! For me it's a gorgeous rose gold hue, and I can't stop swatching it. I guess I'm going to have to get my life together today and do my face just so I can wear it somewhere other than the back of my hand! 

Teez Trend Cosmetics Beautiful Flat Stiff Brush

£15.20. Full size received.

This brush design is crazy! But it's great to get a useful brush in a box. Flat it is, stiff it is not. But I don't see why you would want it to be. The hairs are natural, which does bother me a little bit, I haven't as yet done research into how they source their bristles, but im hoping it's cruelty free. The rose gold feral is very pretty, doesn't quite match the handle design, but I can live with it! I'm looking toward to seeing how this plays against my real techniques brushes.

Nip+Fab CC Eye Fix

£9.95 1.8ml. Full size received.

I very nearly brought this a few months back and now I'm quite glad I didn't! It's a salmon pink toned cream concealer designed to hide dark circle and brighten the eye area. Sounds good to me, however the 1.8ml size seems a little small, if it lives up to its hype I can't see it lasting long! I haven't as yet tried anything from Nip+Fab either, so this might have to be reviewed at a later stage.

Schwarzkopf got2be Rise 'n Shine Soufflé

£4.07 for 100ml. Full size received. 

This is so bizarre! It's a styling moose like product that's for texture, volume and shine. Sounds great to me, and also smells fab! The rose gold packaging is up my street too (do I sense a theme here GB?). I think this might take a little experimenting with to get a good effect, I have quite fine hair so volume is always needed. But I'm definitely happy with this.

QV Skincare Skin Lotion

£6.06 for 250ml. Sample of 15ml worth £0.36

This is the only product I'm a little disappointed with. After so many great full size and useable products, the box is let down slightly buy this small lotion sample (at least it's not in a sachet I suppose!). With products like this you really need to use them a few times to see weather they work for you, especially with products for dry skin. I doubt this is going to go very far, a larger sample would have been better. 

Total box worth: £47.58

Foxybeauty raring: 4/5

Such a great box this month, very happy with the contents! It shows GB are upping their game, and I'm glad I'm a subscriber. And what a great box value! They did promise a value over £45, and with my box they have delivered! Happy days!

Hannah x

Product Review: Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Waterproof Gel Eyeliner

Sooo! Rimmel have a new gel eyeliner, and as an avid gel and liquid liner fanatic (will never been seen without my signature cat eye) not picking this up wasn't an option. And with product claims such as dramatic intense colour, non smudging, precise and waterproof with up to 24 hours of wear. All sounds fantastic, but at £4.99 from my local Sainsbury's it all sounded too good to be true.

But is it? The product is potted like most gel liners, in a clear plastic container with Rimmel's signature crown in silver on the lid. I can't help but think it feels cheap compared to Maybelline's glass jar, but then I remember how little I paid. Also the odd little "professional brush" is an odd shape, great for thick lines, not so great for fine ones. I'm sticking with my Pixel Point Liner brush from Real Techniques for now, which I also find a little think but that's another story.

The consistency is nice, however it doesn't apply pitch black, but not too far from it. Easy to layer though, if that's what you desire. Once dry, it doesn't budge, no water or finger rubbing is going to budge this. Fab-u-lous. So once on your good all day. Apprently. 

I've road tested this plenty of times now, on a usual non working day and also when working at night, so anything from 7 to 12 hours of wear. I believe that you could wear this all day and night if you wanted to, however 5 or so hours down the line it does start to flaw. It doesn't crumble as such but there is ever so little flaking, which does make your makeup look worn. 

But really, apart from that, so far I can't fault it. Of course my product is only a few weeks old, I expect it to start to dry after a while, so do expect an update somewhere down the line. It's incredibly good value, an does (mostly) do what it says on the tin (box).

Next on my list is a liquid liner, any suggestions?

Hannah x

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Gel Liner is available at Boots.com 

Glossybox: May - Superdrug Collaboration

Another month another Glossybox! We've been teased by GB for two weeks now about who will be this months collaborator, with clues as to which beauty retailer has worked with them. I should have guessed it was Superdrug, what with it being their 50th birthday and all the advertising surrounding their milestone. There were some guesses of L'Oreal and Selfridges (take note GB, that would be a people pleaser!) but alas, Superdrug it is. I can only assume some subscribers will be dissapointed with the high street content, but with a promise of at least 4 full sized products they were setting this box up to be a good one. 

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Original 6 effects Serum

£3.99 for 25ml. Full size received.

I must say this isn't a product I would usually pick up, I have a few oils for my tips and more than not I'm plumping up my roots. But this serum claims to eliminate frizz (that's a given!), protect from heat and humidity, smoother hydrate and tame. So it will be interesting to see what this does for me. It has a fairly pleasant clean scent which is good, as I don't like products that overpower my perfume or clash with the smell of my shampoo. So pretty happy with this! 

Simple Kind to Skin+ Illuminating Radiance Cream

£8.99 for 50ml. Full size received.

This was a nice surprise, I do use the odd simple product but mostly just moisturisers now. This product is supposed to work like an illuminator/highlighter under your foundation. It's unclear as to weather this is based on a moisturiser, so I doubt I'll be using this on it's own. It does look a little glittery however, which might put me off wearing it on my face. But I'm happy with this.

Eylure Volume 107 Lashes

£5.35. Full size received.

I love lashes. I'm pretty sure I've said it a million times, so it won't be a surprise to anyone that I love these. Such a beautiful shape and I adore Eylure's new packaging. It's sleek and simple,  just stunning. Not too much to report on these really I will definitely get some great use out of them! #winning

I Love Cosmetics Strawberries & Milkshake Shimmer & Shine Lip Gloss

£1.29 for 15ml. Full size received. 

Now onto the few items that didn't really float my boat. First being this lip gloss. It's good in the way it's a sheer pretty colour and not in anyway sticky, however the shimmer and strong scent put me off somewhat. I'm not saying this won't get used, as I'm pretty sure it will, over a lipstick maybe, or a no make up day. But it's a brand I haven't really heard of and worth very little. So bit meh on this.

Maybelline Colorshow Crystallize Nail Polish in Nearly Black

£3.99 for 7ml. Full size received.

Nail varnish isn't something I like receiving due to have next to no nails most of the time. All nail growth products excluded however! This looks nice though, don't think I've worn a black nail since I was in my teens however. Sadly this will probably be swapped or passed on.

Garnier Oil Beauty Lotion

£4.99 for 250ml. Sample of 10ml worth £0.20

We were lucky to get a few extra samples thrown into the mix too! This body oil come lotion does look interesting, hoping it will help the dryness of my legs! Hopefully 10ml will cover both of them..

Ghost Eclipse

£33 for 50ml. Sample of 2ml worth £1.32

This does smell great, a grown up but not too old woman floral scent. However perfume samples are getting up most peoples noses I think (no pun intended of course). It's good that's it's a middle of the road brand, rather than one I'll never be able to afford. 

Total box worth: £25.13

Not a bad box I think! With quite a good total value, maybe it takes collaborations for Glossybox to get it right. Although I hope not seeming the last one was in the summer of last year! I'm still fairly undecided as to my future with GB. I'd like to make it to their next birthday at least. There was only one other product I would have liked from the range this month and that was the Max Factor Facefinity primer. No doubt I'll end up buying it anyway..

How was your box?

Hannah x

Glossybox: April - Sweet Treats

Another month, another Glossybox! April brings us "sweet treats" apparently, very spring... This months dispatch day was Friday 11th, and I got my box on Monday 14th, so not too bad. This month will be interesting, as I caved in and brought Birchbox p too, so expect another review after this as well as a 'Box Off' comparing the two. But let's get on with this one shall we!

Emite Make Up Lip Brush (L312)

One size £17.

This was the first item I saw in the box, a lip brush from Emite. I've had two other Emite products in the past (in the last 10 months), which have been good, but would have preferred a brush from a better known brand. I'm not sure how much use I'll get from this as I normally apply lipsticks straight from the stick, but it may be good as a soft angle brush. I'm not too sure how I feel about this, but it does feel soft and feels good quality, so it will get some use.

TRESemmé Instant Refresh Cleansing Dry Shampoo

£4.99 for 200ml. Sample of 100ml worth £2.49

I do love a bit of dry shampoo, it helps with those messy second day hair days, but TRESemmé isn't a brand I've used before. I've dabbed in their shampoos and conditioners but haven't loved them. The large salon sized bottles are fab, but when talking to hairdressers, they've told me to stay clear. It's handy that this is a travel size, so will be great to take on holiday with me (eventually!) it will be interesting to see how this holds up against other dry shampoos. It will definitely get used, so relitively happy with this.

Monu Spa Warming Ginger Massage & Body Oil

£25 for 100ml. Sample of 30ml worth £7.50

This oil does look interesting, and smells quite nice due to the ginger. However I can't believe how expenise this is! I have a Champneys facial oil which I brought for much less, which will be the bench mark to meet here. I don't use oils very often though, so his isn't something I would have wanted to try or pick up before. It's a fairly decent sized sample when you consider the full size, and worth a fair amount.

Unica Cosmetics Radience Plus

£12.95 for 50ml. Guesstimate sample of 5ml worth £1.29

This I find truly laughable. GB have stated that this sample was specially made for their boxes but hasn't got a size on the packaging. I can assure you, it's very small, so I've guessed that it's about 5ml. It's an anti aging face cream for fine lines and wrinkles. Something a girl of 22 doesn't have! I'm starting to think that filling out the questionnaire about my skin type and preferences was a waste of time. But surely my age must have given something away... Safe to say my mum will benefit from this months box. That's if she can find enough to cover her face...

MeMeMe Cosmetics Best the Blues in Pearl Pink

£5.50 for 12ml. Full size product.

This is probably the best item in the box, a liquid highlighter/illuminator from independent brand MeMeMe. Again another brand that I've seen in the last 10 months. I've never been sure about the brand, it came across as a bit cheap when Superdrug stocked it a while back, but I've had very little experience if it. I've also not used liquid highlighters before, so maybe this will be a nice easy introduction to them. Can also be applied mixed into foundation to make a dewy skin effect.

Over this box was worth £33.78, so three times the cost. I'm not sure I'm overly happy with the contents, most of it I will use but nothing really that excites me. I'm worried that Glossybox aren't sourcing enough brands to make each box different and exciting. A few months ago We were recently asked to fill out a questionnaire to discover what we expected from out boxes. I think it may have gone unnoticed. I hate to speak ill of Glossybox, but they need to do something drastic to keep us subscribers interested. I won't be quitting just yet, cause apparently they have a collaboration coming next month, and sadly I want it. I'm so weak.

How was your box?

Hannah x

No Money March: The Magazine freebie!

March has been great for magazine giveaways, feels like I'm a child again when every magazine would do it every month (as well as cereal boxes and comic books). And still being rather immature I can't resist seeing freebies, and being lured in by a hair serum or lipgloss by simply spending a few quid.

I've found that this month there has been some great offers, I personally got hooked by Glamour with the option of 5 different products from Model Cosmetics - that's one way to sell magazines! If Lea Michele's gorgeous face didn't tempt me (sorry guys, I'm a bit of a Gleek!) the price did at only £2 with a product worth up to £16. I'll take 3 please...

Model Cosmetics Shine Ultra Lip Gloss in 'Berry Pink' and 'Striptease'

Found for £12 each on Model Co website, Glamour claims them to be £15.

These lip glosses were the first I picked up, I'm on a bit of a lip thing at the moment, and these looked good. On one side they have a mirror which is dead handy! Although seeming how sheer these glosses are I really doubt you'll need it. Berry Pink is obviously the pink shade, it has a little colour payoff and nicely enhances lipsticks of a similar colour. Striptease is much a peachy nude that it's practically skin coloured, but as you can see, very little payoff. But I don't mind, they both smell beautiful and aren't too sticky. So far I've enjoyed using these.

Model Cosmetics Lip Enhancer Illusion Lip Liner in 'Nude'

Found for £16 on Model Co website, same as Glamour's claim.

I wasn't going to pick anything else up, but once I realised this would make a good post I convinced myself to get one more thing. Seeming I'm a little wary of any old mascaras and I have enough eyeliners to colour my body in, I opted for this. Model Co claim this to be a one shade suits all lip enhancing liner, for fuller looking lips. I didn't think it would match my lips, bit it really is close and dose kind of work! It does look a little freaky if your not used to using lip liners like me, but I'm pretty glad I took the punt on this one.

Overall I spent £6 for £46 worth of product! Nicely done I think. And what's great is that these aren't the only freebies availble this month! 

Company Magazine - Company branded Mascara, with feature from our very own blogging princess Zoella! Only £2.60

Marie Claire - Neal's Yard Remedies lip gloss, 15ml worth £9.50. Also a free Ganier Skin Oil sample on the inside. £3.50 I believe...

Elle - Percy & Reed Wonder Balm for Hair. 75ml, worth £18! And again, a free Ganier Skin Oil sample on the inside. Might get this one myself.. £4.00

Lots of lovely stuff to be bad, but remember we're nearing the end of the month now so it's time to get in there quick. It's great what a couple of quid can get you, and don't forget the magazine itself! Can't put a price on catching up with the latest in fashion and beauty ;) here's to next months magazines!

Anyone know of any other freebies I should know about?

Hannah x

Glossybox: March - The Beauty Blossom box

It's that time of the month again where I expose my Glossybox for you all. This month brings big changes in the way our boxes have been delivered. Some subscribers were complaining about the previous courier (not me, my lady was lovely!) so GB responded by moving to Royal Mail tracked which has, sadly, bumped up the price of P&P. They claim to have taken on a lot of the extra cost, and only passing a small amount of that onto us, but I can't help but feel this might effect our products in the long run. But we shall see! I can only guess that this is the reason dispatch day was 3 days later than last month. This change does make Glossbox more expensive than it's nearest competitor.

On the plus side this was my free box, paid for using Glossdots, the reward points scheme achieved by filling out surveys and inviting friends. And how fortunate it happens to be No Money March! Let's start shall we...

Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan Lotion

£37.50 for 150ml. Sample of 6ml worth £1.50

This is the biggest disappointment of the box (sorry for starting on a downer!), two 3ml sachets of fake tanner. Anyone who knows me well knows that I don't naturally tan due to being so fair, but I actually like it that way. So this won't get used. Not to mention that 6ml probably won't cover a leg let alone my whole body. This might be the only occasion where I would have preferred the perfume samples, annoyingly from my favorite brand, Juicy Couture. Safe to say these will get passed onto a friend, defiantly not my cup of tea. I've now read that is supposed to be for your face... Yeah. I know. 

Dove Hair Therapy Intensive Repair 60 second Treatmeant Shot

£1.49 for 15ml. Full size

I'm not disappointed as such by this, as I do have dry hair and always looking for the next big fix. However, it's an item I can easily find in my nearest supermarket, so nothing high end or unheard of. That and my last box included shampoo and conditioner samples for dry hair, so a change up would have been nice. I will use this, and if it works that's great, but I haven't discovered anything new from this item.

Mitchell and Peach Body Cream

£36 for 180ml. Sample of 40ml worth £8

Body lotion isn't a great love of mine, if you've read my previous haul you'll know that I've only just started using moisturisers to combat my dry 'pole' skin. This has a typical floral smell, and I'll probably end up using this as a hand cream, if at all. The full size has quite a hefty price tag, so I'm guessing it's a good product and because of that I'll stick this in my handbag and it might get used. It's a great sample size however!

Sleek Makeup Pout Polish in 'Bonaire'

£4.49 for 10g. Full size

This was the spoiler for the month, so we all knew that this would appear in our boxes, but of course, a totally surpise as to which colour. I pulled this out and panicked. It looks bright orange, not a pastel pink or nude that I was hoping, and It's part of the limited edition Caribbean collection (apparently). Luckily it comes out really sheer, which I wasn't expecting seeming the one I brought a few years ago in 'Powder Pink' has a great colour payoff. But for me, it's not a bad thing, I don't think I'm quite ready for orange lips just yet! It's a really nice smooth lip treatment which is super moisturising, it does have quite a strong scent however, which seems to be the same across the range. It's fun and I'll get good use from this!

Bellápierre Cosmetics Shimmer Powder in 'Coral Reef'

£12.99 for 2.35g. Full size

I'm pretty tired of creams, lotions and hair products so getting two makeup products in a box is always great. This is very shimmery loose powder pigment, designed to do anything you want it to, from being used like a normal eyeshadow to mixing in with a lipgloss to create a new shade. I love this colour, it's a metallic bronze which will look great with some similar coloured neautral shadows. They remind me of Barry M's dazzle dust, but somewhat more grow up.

Overall my total box value was £28.47. Which isn't bad. However, some people received a terribly expensive facial serum (selected for those interested in anti aging products, fair enough!), which I think is a little unfair as we all pay the same but get a different overall value. I'm not too bummed out by this box, I will use most of it... Eventually. But after January's drama I thought GB might have upped their game more than this. I do think that the products did fit the theme well however!

I sound pretty moans today, sorry everyone! What did you get in yours?

Hannah x

No Money March: The £10 MUA haul

So I thought I would start the month with a haul. I know your probably thinking "it's no money month Hannah, what are you doing?!" But it's fine, it's a £10 only haul, enough to get my fix and be satisfied for the rest of the month instead of blowing upwards of £60 on my usual hauls! I decided to dedicate this challenge to Makeup Acadamy (MUA) as I've been meaning to check them out recently after hearing they had upped their game. That and it's beautifully cheap! 

Sadly the Superdrug Store I visited had an MUA display which looked like it had been ramraided, which was a shame as there wasn't all the testers and many products out of stock. But I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to another store before closing time, so I did the best with what was there.

MUA Pressed Powder in Shade 4

£1

There was only the 2 darker shades of the 4 in the range left, so I thought 4 would make a good contour shade. As I'm really pale most bronzers look like dirt on my face, so I thought this light and blendable powder might work well. And at only a pound, it's a risk I'm willing to take! It's got a really nice texture, not chalky at all, so I imagine it would be great as an all over face powder.

MUA Blusher in 'Candyfloss'

£1

I thought it would be rude not to try out the £1 blushers, but as there was only a few shades left I didn't have much choice. However this pink is really beautiful! Similar texture to the pressed powder, but not as much pigmentation. It is buildable though, and I prefer subtle blush anyway. Such a steal at only a pound.

MUA Power Pout Tint and Balm in 'Broken Hearted'

£3

I've got a slight 'chubby stick' obsession at the moment, so I couldn't help myself when it came to choosing some lip products. This has a similar minty scent to the Revlon balm stain, but doesn't tingle. I only swatched this in the store on my hand so when I put it on today I was pretty shocked by how crazy pink it is! But I'm quite enjoying the bold lip look though, maybe this is a turning point for me. It applied really nicely and I'm happy with this! 

MUA Lipstick in Shade 13

£1

This. Is. Gorgeous!! Such a beautiful colour, I'm so glad I picked it up. There was a very limited selection of the £1 lipsticks, and I nearly picked up a nude shade. However the colour range is lacking mid tones, so some of the colours are quite varied. If that makes sense... I would have liked to have seen some more natural pinks. This colour however swatches quite brown, but there are pink tones that lift it and it's translates so beautifully on my lips. I was really annoyed to find I had picked up a used product, even though it did have un removed packaging. But thinking back it was slightly open, so I assume someone had done it carefully to make it look like it was still new. So I've had to take the top off, and waste some product. Bummer. But it's fine, for £1 I can repurchase whenever!

MUA Undress Your Skin Illuminating Foundation in Porcelain

£5 for 35ml

I've heard really good things about this foundation, and at £5 it's not a big deal if it doesn't work. But quite surprisingly the lightest shade 'porcelain' is such a good match for me. I've only just used it today so I don't feel like I can make many more comments on it, but I really don't like the tube. It's quite big, and hard to control the amount of product dispensed. Knowing me, this will end up on my bedroom carpet. Give me a pump any day! But there is more product than a usual 30ml foundation and it's half the price. Winner! 

MUA Colour Blast Eyeshadow Tint in Diamonds

Free! Usually £3

This I'm well happy with! It happened to be the last day of an offer which gives you a free eyeshadow tint when you spend £6 or more. Awesome! But, again most of them had gone. I was lucky that this was the last sealed one of its shade, and it's so beautiful! A rose gold pink, which is right up my alley at the moment. Will work as a nice base for some Naked 3 shades. 

If your adding up my total as you go along, you may have realised this all comes to £11. However! I had £2 in super drug rewards which I used, so I only really spent £9! Should have picked up another lipstick.. So the lesson here is that you can curb your cosmetic cravings and get good quality items for very little cash. Has anyone else found MUA products that have surprised you?

Hannah x

No Money March

Most tough months for normal people are January or February. For me it's march this year! Due to certain reasons it can be different every year but where I'm still studying I have a mixture of jobs some of which are seasonal. It sounds odd but I can't wait to have a full time job!

But anyway, No Money Month is my way of trying to spend as little as possible to try and survive the month! I plan to post little ideas on how to save rather than splurge. Some people give up chocolate for lent, but I'm giving up splurging!! I don't think I can go a whole month without getting my makeup fix, so I'm just going to find cheaper ways to satisfy my addiction, and I'm bringing you all along with me. 

I hope to do a couple of posts a week for this blog series, so make sure you follow me with bloglovin to keep up!

Hannah x

E.L.F Haul -They had an offer I could not refuse!

Long post alert! Eyes Lips Face (otherwise known as E.L.F) is one of those brands everyone knows of, and most have in their makeup bag. I however, do not! Thanks to a cheeky 50% off and free delivery offer, I now have a lot! The brand is known for their budget products, starting only at £1.50, and a fair few are cult items (most of which were out of stock..). So the brand has a good reputation, sadly not as cheap as it would be in the states, but I did save a good £20! Nothing to sniff at there!

   

Lipstick in 'Seductive' & 'Classy'

£1.95 each

It annoys me how website pictures never quite capture the true colour of products and these aren't an exeption. Buying makeup online will always be risky though, but these colours are nothing like I thought they would be. 'Seductive' swatches a lot more lilac then it looks in the packaging, and 'Classy' is much more peach. I find that there's a bit of resistance when trying to wind up the product and a slight scent that I can't put my finger on. I'm a little disappointed here, but at 98p, it's not a huge loss if I don't suit them.

Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in 'Summer Nights' & 'Pink Unbrellas'

£2.95 each

These are nice but a lot more sheer than I expected, I had to apply quite a bit of pressure for a decent swatch. I'm hoping these will soften a little bit with use. They remind me a little of the Revlon balm stains in the way they have a slight minty effect, but feel a lot thicker on the lips. 'Summer Nights' is similar to 'Demure' (Revlon Lacquer Balm), but more shimmery, which I personally don't like. I think because I'm such a fan of Revlon's answer to the chubby stick, I compare other immitations to them. But again, just under a £1.50 each Isn't much to pay for an experiment.

All Over Colour Stick in 'Persimmon'

£1.95 each

This is crazy shimmery! The colour I wanted was out of stock, so I ordered this one to see what the crack was about! It claims to be suitable for eyes, lips and as a blush or highlight. At this time I'm really unsure as to how I would use this, I think I will just have to have a play and see what happens.

Liquid Eyeliner in 'Black'

£1.95 each

I'm currently using a dead expensive liquid liner which I don't plan to repurchase, so I've started my hunt for a replacement. It would be nice if this performs well, as it's a lot cheaper! I'm looking for a good pigment, lasting power and easy application, as well as other things such as drying time and transferring. Only a little pressure! 

Eyelid Primer in 'Sheer'

£1.95 each

This has such rave reviews from many American bloggers, and I think it's only a dollar out there too. I can't wait to try this out! I don't tend to have many problems with eye shadows slipping or anything, but it would be interesting to see how things could improve by using this, as everything I've been told is good. I think I have the highest expectations with this product out of all of them, so 

Custom Compact + Custom Eyes in 'Wisteria' 'Truly Pink' 'Mocha' & 'Driftwood' 

£1.50 each, combined total of £7.50

I love how crazy cheap this is! With discount it was just £3.75, for 4 shadows of your own choice in a magnetic compact. Which I think is really awesome, as once you've used up the powder you can swap it out for another, as well as having them all in one compact place. I'm not sure if I would have purchased this at full price, but totally irresistible at less than a pound a shadow. With a nice colour payoff these are a total steal and I can't make any complaints at this point. I wish there were more shades in the range though.

Blending Eye Brush, Eye Crease Brush, Eye Shadow Brush, Defining Eye Brush and Brushing Bronzing & Blending Brush.

£1.95 each

I don't own many brushes so this was the perfect time to try a few out without breaking the bank. I picked up these 5 as I don't own many shadow brushes, and it really is time to walk away from the cheap applicators. I'm slightly worried as there is some movement, as if there isn't enough bristles in the fennel. But I'm open to these and looking forward to seeing if they work for me.

Natural Lash Kit and Individual Lash Kit both in 'Black'

£1.95 each

I caved and brought some lashes too! Surprising after my last post hey, but I've wanted to try individual lashes, but couldn't justify spending a fiver on something I might fall out with. But with discount these were just under a pound each. I don't really think I could go wrong! I must giggle at the natural lash kit, as these don't look natural in the slightest! But they are fabulous, and I love them. There, justified! 

Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder in 'St Lucia'

£3.95 each

I've thought about contouring for sometime now, but no where near brave enough to dive into cream products. So this looked perfect, a blush and bronzing powder today in the lightest availble shades! Now all I have to do is learn how. The bronzer is very pigmented, which makes me a little nervous! But this will be a fun learning curve. 

Mineral Lip Liner in 'Peachy' and Mineral Eye Liner in 'Midnight'

£3.50 each

And I didn't even order these! What I can only assume was a free gift, are these two mineral liners (I nearly purchased two of the cheaper lip liners, kind of glad I didn't). Both are twist up, and made from an 100% mineral formula, with no chemical additives, chemical dyes or parabens. Looking forward to trying these out, and you can't complain about a freebie! 

Overall I'm happy with my little haul, I managed to buy 20 items for a little over £20 which is pretty incredible. Most of my products are from the cheaper end of the range, so I'm not expecting miracle products, however it would be nice to find a few gems in what I've purchased. I was a bit gutted that most of the cult products were out of stock, and I will purchase these at somepoint, but I think it may be worth visiting one of the few E.L.F stores. However I wanted to try a broad range of products, and that's why I didn't just buy those cult items.

I plan to road test these out over the next few weeks and do some future posts, maybe one with all the products I liked and one with all the ones I didn't. Hopefully this will be of interest to you guys!

Hannah x

Falsies: are we risking our health? The false eyelash dilemma.

I love a great pair of lashes, and 2013 saw false lash sales rocket due to the trend. Obviously false lashes are nothing new, historically made popular by Twiggy in the sixties, but there has been boost in recent years due to celebrities rocking out pairs on their appearances. My sister, who is almost mid way through college, has recently starting wearing them on the daily, buying cheap pairs in bulk from china on eBay with larger bottles of glue, which has got me wondering. How safe are they?

I don't often wear lashes, mainly just for nights out or special occasions, and on the odd night at work. I love how they open up eyes and add that finishing touch to your makeup. But they aren't something I would wear everyday. After all they've invented plenty of mascaras that can do decent job of making your natural lashes long and voluptuous, and also I'm worried about damage to them. 

Your eyelashes are designed to protect the eyes from harmful particles and act like feelers to alert the brain to close the eyelid if an object is coming towards the eye. Pretty cool! There's around 70 - 150 lashes on your top lid alone, and the curve of them and the lid helps harmful particles and sweat slip away from the eye. So they are pretty important to the well being of your eyes. I know from experience how eye infections feel and as a contact lens wearer, eye hygiene is dead important! So how can false lashes effet our eye health?

Most false lashes (if you haven't come across them yet!) are thin synthetic strands fixed along a strip, which is then glued to the eyelid, just above the lash line. The glue used is usually liquid latex (water, latex and ammonia) more often used for special effects makeup. It dries with a rubbery consistency, which makes it great for easy removal. What's not too great about it is that if you use to much glue on your lashes, or don't allow to dry to a tacky state it can seep into your lash line and cause irritation as well as bonding your natural lashes to your false ones. Meaning that when removing the falsies, you own lashes may be pulled out too. Everyone's lashes are different, but pulling them out can stop them renewing, ending up with sparse lids. 

Worse than loosing lashes is the risk of infection or allergies which in severe cases can lead to blindness. I've had conjunctivitis and a surface infection before (due to dirt trapped under a contact lens) and I know how horrible they are, as well as annoying to treat. Luckily mine were nothing serious, neither cause by lashes however. False lashes aren't designed like the bodies natural ones and therefore don't protect the eye as well against foreign bodies. This is what can cause infections, by effecting the eyes surface or blocking tear ducts. Believe me, something you don't want to experience! By wearing falsies frequently you are opening up your eyes to infection for long periods of time, increasing the risk of pulling out your own lashes, and more likely to irritate sensitive skin by reapplying glues everyday. 

So, you may be really put off wearing them ever again now, I apologise! But there are ways to ensure safe lash use! 

Do: Use minimal glue, and allow to dry to a tacky state before application. Use good quailty glues, and check ingredients of new brands, just in case your allergic. Cut lashes to fit, one doesn't fit all, so they will need trimming to insure a proper fit. Try self-adhesive lashes such as Eylure's Ready to Wear pre-glued range (£5.25 from Superdrug). 

Don't: Sleep in falsies. Place the strip ontop of your natural lashes, place them just above. Avoid doubling up, this will increase risks. Don't wear everyday, try to minimise the time wearing them. Use mascara after applying, this can also pull out natural lashes on removal.

Don't be scared to wear falsies, as long as they are applied correctly and worn for a suitable amount of time you'll be fine, after all they are fabulous!

Foxy x

*This post is not sponsored! written out of interest*

It's Haul O'clock! Whoops!

Ok, so I may have picked up a few things, and yes, I know it hasn't been that long since my last haul, but I'm an addict. There I've said it. I knew I needed a few things but ended up picking up some other stuff. And I'm now I'm filing for a self restraining order against town centre. Bit I thought you might be interested in what I've been looking at recently!

Vaseline Spray & Go body moisturiser in Aloe Fresh

£4.99 from Superdrug

I've been pole dancing for fitness for the last 3 and a half years, and been ignorant to body care on the grounds that mositurising can effect my grip on the pole. Now I'm this far down the line I've realised that my skin is drying out somewhat and this is effecting my grip too. Damned if I do, damned if I don't!  So I wanted a product that was quick and easy (as I have no attention span and quite lazy) as well as quickly absorbed so I wouldn't be left with slippery skin. This product seems to fit the bill, I've only used it for two days so far, but I will write up a full review. 

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

£9.99 from Boots

I do have a collection of brushes, but not of great quality. I've wanted to join the Real Techniques party for sometime, so I've started off slowly with their foundation brush, as I'm getting fed up with getting product all over my fingers. Also it would be great to have a better finish!

Soap & Glory No Clogs Allowed Super self-heating deep pore Detox Mask

£11.50 from Boots

Currently I'm trying to battle teenage black heads from where I used to ignore my skin, which I regret so much now! But apparently washing my face wasn't on my lost of priorities, so now I've got to fix it. With this I hope to get a deep cleanse by using it once a week, I'll probably review this too. I picked this up on reccomendation from Estée (Essiebutton) on YouTube, so I hope it will do the trick!

Revlon Colorburst lip Lacquer

£7.99 from Boots (available from Superdrug from February 18th)

I already have a few of these if you can remember from my last haul, but the store didn't have a full selection. I'm not overly impressed but the colour range, there's quite a lot of bright colours across the matte and lacquer range which really don't suit me, or I think are unwearable, which is a shame cause I really love the product. I only have 1 matte, again as the colours don't suit me. But I picked up Provocateur, Coquette and whimsical. I'm hoping they will grow on me! 

NYX Powder Blush

£6 from Next

After hearing that NYX are now being stocked in next I had to check it out but picking up a few bits. The selection my nearest store had was rather limited, but I'm hoping the massive store being built near me will have more once it's opened. I've seen the powder blush being used a lot by other bloggers so I thought it would be a good one to grab. This shade is called Peach (?!).

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil

£5 from Next

These looked interesting and they only had palette eyeshadows, not singles. I thought these would be great as eye baces, so I picked up Milk and Yoghurt (only just realised that!) I'm wearing yoghurt today under my neutral shadows.

NYX Mega shine Lip Gloss

£6 from Next

I love this already and I'm not a huge gloss girl, it smells lovely and the texture is very smooth, with a nice colour pay off as you can see from the swatch. I almost picked up another, but restrained! I think I'll enjoy this.

NYX Matte Lipstick

£6 from Next

This is the colour Tea Rose, I thought it was pretty. There's not much else to say! But seeming Revlon only did one matte balm that I liked, I was drawn in by these. Whoops!

So that's all for his haul! Have you got any of these items?

Foxy x

Glossybox: Febuary - The Valentines Box

   

There has been much anticipation this month for the the valentines edition of glossy box, mostly due to the unhappy uproar from subscribers over last months 'leftovers' boxes. Glossybox reached out after receiving many messages and responded by saying the following months box will be makeup themed. Brill. I love makeup. I'm not even ashamed to say that I'm slightly addicted. GB have also sent out a survey to subscribers, asking us what we expect from boxes. So hopefully they will take all feedback into account. Let's start with what I liked most!

Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara Waterproof

£8.99. Full size product.

I'm a little excited about this, I've seen many adverts lately for this latest release from Maybelline. I really don't have the want or need for a new mascara, especially after the Miss Manga disappointment. So I wasn't heading out to buy this anytime soon. But! This boasts two wands, one for top lashes and one smaller wand for the bottom. Sparks up the debate on weather you should even apply mascara to bottom lashes! (I do...). It's for big eyes, in a waterproof formula, I'm hoping this will wow me! Some other subscribers received the Master Khol Kajal eye liner, but I do wonder, as it was only december's box that featured a Maybelline product, are we scraping the bottom of the barrel? But anyway, this I am pleased with.

Ciaté London Paint Pot in 'Plastic Fantastic'

£9 for 13.5ml. Full size product

Another appearance from Ciaté in the space of a year, I received a true red polish from them in July's box last year. I'm not a huge nail varnish fan, my nails don't grow very well, and I only rarely have acrylic nails done, so polishes are very rarely used. This photo doesn't do the colour any justice, its like a dark raspberry pink, but is think this is quite wearable. I've put this in my like pile due to being a decent brand, and it's a little luxury I wouldn't buy for myself.

NV Chunky Eye Crayon in 'Sugarplum'

£5 for 4g. Full sized product.

NV are a fairly new indepent brand, who not long ago followed me on twitter! If it wasn't for that I wouldn't know of them, but because of that I've become curious. I'm quite glad this has appeared in my box, and as pointed out by GB, it's NV's first appearance. I haven't yet tried anything else from their range, but luckily there was a discount code included. This is a chunky crayon designed for eyes but safe to use on lips and cheeks. Mine is a pretty pink with hues of purple and light shimmer. From the swatch I did I can tell it's really soft and creamy. It claims to not crease, but we will see about that!

Lindt Lindor Treat Bar

£0.79 for 38g (also available as a multi pack). Full size bar.

An extra treat from GB this month, a Lindor chocolate bar from Lindt. And yes I've already eaten it. It wasn't going to last long as it's my favourite. It's nice to have a little extra, obviously fitting with the valentines theme. The last two items didn't really tickle my fancy.

Nougat London Sparkling Body Shimmer

£14 for 250ml. Sample of 100ml worth £5.60

This is quite frankly awful. I don't think I've worn body shimmer since I was 12, and even then I don't think I liked it. However this is a decent sized sample, and I suppose I'll find some use for it. It smells nice enough, weather it's luxury is yet to be decided, the packaging doesn't scream it. Such a strange product to include, and according to the magazine all subscribers received this product. Ugh!

Giovanni Eco Chic cosmetics Chic ultra-moist Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair mask.

£7.99 for 251ml of shampoo and conditioner. Samples of 7.4ml x2 and 10.35ml. Aproximate value of £0.80

I can't stand sachets, and this has three of them. A shampoo, conditioner and hair mask designed to moisture infuse dry and damaged hair. Hmm. I would have preferred little bottles as it makes the product easier to use. But I only use one hair brand and that's Aussie, which is about half the price of this, which does the same thing. I will use this, as I very much doubt anyone will want to swap with me! And a value of 80p in total is a bit of a joke.

Total box value: £30.18

Overall I liked 3 out of 5 products, which is pretty good going I think. You can't always get 100%! It's a great improvement from last month, however I thought the theme could have been a little more prominant, some reds and rose scents perhaps. Only 2 items were makeup, which is a little disappointing, I was expecting a lip product, which I know some people got from Maybelline. But overall I'm happy. Here's to hoping next months box is awesome!

Foxy x