Tuesday 29 July 2014

My first Birchbox and what I got in my July box

Today's post is about the monthly subscription beauty box, Birchbox. I have never subscribed to a beauty box and after getting my first one I wish I had done it before now! I was very impressed with it and loved every thing I got in it. I love beauty products and getting them delivered to my door every month is so good! I actually bought my Birchbox with an offer which was on the Living Social website (link here). My Auntie was the one who emailed me the offer that she found out about through a friend and I am so grateful she did. I got 6 months subscription for £38 including post and packaging which is amazing as the original price is £77.70! Like I keep saying in previous posts I love a bargain and this definitely was a very good one! (Click here to go to the offer, sorry if its no longer on by the time you click this).


The box came just two days after I ordered it which I was very surprised by as it said on the conformation email I received that I could wait up to 5 days. The box came wrapped in a piece of cardboard which I thought was the actual box until I opened it, but no the box was inside. The box is just a simple cardboard box with a pattern inside the lid and base.


The products come in a little fabric drawstring bag which the Birchbox logo on. I like this as its not a plastic bag and it means I can reuse the bag for something else. 


Inside the box there is also a few informational cards. Some of the cards included are one about some of the products and one with all the products included in your box with the price of the full size version and how to use it. It also came with card telling me about the points system they have on their website. It says for everything you review you get 5 points.The points are worth money so when you get 100 points it means you have £10 to spend on the website to buy full size versions that you get in your box and other beauty and skincare products they sell. You also get points for every pound you spend which I think is a great idea. I worked it out and if I do the reviews for every product I get over the 6 months I will get 150 points so that is £15 to spend on the website!


It says on the website you get 4 to 5 samples but this box had an extra. It also had one full sized item. It is a random selection and not everyone gets the same things and this is what was in mine:
Compagnie de Provence Mediterranean sea hand cream
Balance Me wonder eye cream
Laqa and Co Lip Lube pencil in Bees Knees (Coral)
Benefit The Porefessional 
Soigne Nail Lacquer in Pomegranate (full sized)
 The Chia Co - Chia shot (extra one)

Overall I am very happy with it and I have already started using the products I got and I am liking them. I can't wait to receive the other boxes now and I will now be doing what I got in my Birchbox blog posts from now on. 

HOW TO GET POINTS ON THE BIRCHBOX WEBSITE
If you want to subscribe to Birchbox then click on this link
It gets you 50 points which is £5 to spend on the website and I get 50 points too for referring you to the website so everyone wins! 




Sunday 27 July 2014

Make Up Revolution Haul

So a few weeks ago I caved in and decided to buy a few bits from the new brand Make Up Revolution. Everyone in the blogging world are raving about it and all of the reviews I have read have been really good especially the eye shadow palettes. I love make up bargains so I wanted to try it myself. I ordered mine from the Superdrug website which was great because orders £10 and over get free delivery so I got quite a few bits. This is what I got...

Redemption Palette Romantic Smoked £4 

Single eye shadows 
Good Life £1
Promised Land £1
Insomnia £1 

Lipstick  - Encore £1

I will review these all separately in the next few weeks when I have used them a bit more (also in case you were wondering I made up the £10 by getting a Superdrug face mask for £2.59 which I will also review soon)



Saturday 26 July 2014

Nails of the week

This week I am using a new nail varnish I got delivered the other day. It was from Avon that I ordered a couple of weeks ago. Its one of their Nailwear Pro+ nail varnishes and I got it in the colour Habanero it girl which is a really pretty shade of orange. I paid £2 for it as it was in the sale but the original price is £6.00 so it was a  bargain.


I also decided to order a nail dotting tool. This was in the sale too for £1.50 but it originally was £3. I have wanted one for a while as I usually use either a cocktail stick or a chopstick to do my nail art but I find these obviously don't create the perfect dot. The tool I bought is really handy because it also has a thin brush on the end too and also comes in a plastic wallet.


The nails I created were quite simple, I just did flowers with the dotting tool on my ring finger and thumb. It is a really nice summery design.


I really like the nail varnish it goes on really smooth and is very glossy. The only down side is that it is not as opaque as I thought it would be and I had to do about 3 layers. It claims to last 12 days so I will update on this post when I see how long it lasts. Overall I really like my Avon purchases.

(Click Here for Avon website)

Thursday 24 July 2014

A little treat from The Body Shop

A few weeks ago I went for a day out with my Auntie and Nanna, it was really nice day spent looking round the shops and charity shops but unfortunately I didn't get much. One of the last shops we went in was The Body Shop. I wanted to go in as I knew there was a sale so these are the little bits I picked up...

This is a blueberry lip butter and it smells amazing! I love it as its so moisturising and makes a change from using vaseline like I normally would and it was only £3, such a bargain!

I also got a shower gel in the same scent which was also £3! I am saving this to take back to university and can't wait to use it. I would definitely recommend going to have a look in the sale (if its still on that is) as there are some really good bargains.

(Also if you were wondering I edited these photos using the PhotoFy app. I really love the cute little borders and designs.)


Saturday 19 July 2014

Nails of the week

This weeks nails came from a nail art book I got for christmas. The book is called Nail Candy By Donne and Ginny Geer. I think it was from Urban Outfitters as there is a sticker on the back. The design is called half moons and uses hole punch protectors or ring reinforcements (whatever you want to call them) to mask off part of the nail near the base so it create a half moon shape and reveals the colour underneath. Its really easy and you only need two colours.





 For my nails I used No7 Stay Perfect nail colour in Milan 70 (the sparkly pink) and a nail varnish that was free in a Company magazine in the colour Sky (the pastel purple)


  These are my friend's nails I did for her in the same design just different colours. I used Tanya Burr's nail varnish in Little Duck and a light pink Technic nail varnish.

Tuesday 15 July 2014

My Lipstick Collection - High street and High end

Today I thought I would share my lipstick collection. I don't have many but my collection is slowly growing and I find myself wearing lipstick a lot more than I used to.

 Cheap Lipsticks

                             
(from top to bottom, left to right in rows)
MUA - Nectar Shade 16 - Coral 
MUA - Lilac Belle - Matte lilac
MUA - Shade 13 - Bright red
MUA - Bare Shade 14 - Pink toned nude
All are available at Superdrug for £1 each

High street and high end lipsticks

(from top to bottom, left to right in rows)
Barry M - Not sure off the name as it has worn off - Red - Available at Superdrug or Boots £4.49
Urban Decay - Bang  - Orange toned red - Available at Debenhams £15
MAC - Brave - Pink, would describe it as my lip but better colour - Available at Debenhams £15
Models Own - Fushia full  - Bright hot pink - not actually a lipstick but it is is the consistency of lipstick and is very opaque -  I got this for free at a Models Own stand in London so not sure if they are available anymore or how much they are

Lip Crayons

(from top to bottom, left to right in rows)
Light coral
Hot pink
Pale Pink
Red
I got these in a set for christmas, you can buy these separately from boots for £4.99 but not sure if they do these exact colours as they have no names on them. 


Most recent lipstick purchase


Make up Revolution - Encore - Medium pink - Superdrug £1
(full review on this coming soon)





Sunday 13 July 2014

OOTD 3

On saturday I went out for lunch and then spent some of the day in my garden as it was such a nice sunny day and living in England we don't get many so I was making the most of it and this is what I was wearing...



Top - Primark £4
Skirt - New Look - £12.99
Shoes - Primark £8



Sunglasses - Primark £1
Necklace - H&M £5.99
Earrings - New Look (don't know price as they were a birthday present)


This weeks nails

So this weeks nails were inspired by a blog I found on the Company Magazine website (link to blog here) It was really easy to do and I used two pastel colours to make it a summery design. Hope you like it...




I used sellotape and a pair of pinking shears to cut the tape and then mask of half of the nail so I could paint half in another colour. You could do the pattern to all the nails but I just decided to do it on my ring finger and thumb.

These were the nail varnishes I used


Tanya Burr nail varnish - Little Duck
No7 Stay perfect nail colour - Lucky Lilac
George nail strengthener and top coat - Clear 


Wednesday 9 July 2014

OOTD 2

So this is what I was wearing yesterday hope you like it...



Top- New Look - (bought a few years ago in the sale) 
Skirt - Vintage shop in Huddersfield - (can't remember exactly how much this was I think it was about £2 or less)

Hat - H&M - £7.99
Necklace - H&M - (Christmas present)
Shoes - Primark - £8


(Love this photo)

These photos were kindly taken by my best friend Michelle who I think is a great photographer.













Tuesday 8 July 2014

Benefit Hoola Bronzer Review

This is one of my most recent splurges which I decided to treat myself to for passing my first year of university. 


It is something I have wanted for a while as a bronzer is not something I had owned before. After hearing and seeing so many good reviews about it I knew I had to have it. It retails for £23.50 and I got mine at the Benefit counter in Boots but it can also be bought on the Benefit website and Feel Unique. (click on links down below)

It is a completely matte bronzer and is the perfect shade of brown not orange toned at all. Before I bought it I asked to try it on as I was worried it wouldn't look right on my skin tone but the girl at the counter was telling me how it is the perfect shade for all skin tones as it can be applied lightly or you can build up the colour. She also said it is good for contouring or just adding an all over bronze to the skin.




 I have also discovered it makes a great crease colour as it is matte and blends well so adds a nice depth to the eye like a matte eye shadow would.


Overall I would definitely recommend it and although it is quite expensive I feel like the box will last along time as you don't need much. I love the way bronzer looks and would like to try some other brandssome time.

Which is your favourite? and which would you recommend to try? I would love to know so please leave a comment 






Monday 7 July 2014

DIY: Make up organiser

So today is something a little bit different. Recently I had a sort out of the place where I keep my make up, hair accessories, moisturisers and hand cream etc and I moved alot of it and got rid of some stuff so I had more space. Before I kept all my make up it a big make up bag but I didn't like that I couldn't see what I had so first decided to have a look on line at make up storage and saw some acrylic make up drawers which I really liked but didn't want to pay loads. As I was searching I came across some make up organisers that were made out of boxes. They were really simple decorated boxes with dividers in so I decided to give it a go and here is the result...

Before

After


This is how I did...
You will need:

  • 1 Cereal box
  • Ruler
  • Pen
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Patterned and plain papers
  • Cardboard
  1. First open both ends of your cereal box and then measure and cute the sides in half so you have two halves.

2. Next get rid of one half and then lay out the box (the outside facing up) and decorate the edges and and bottom with patterned or plain paper of your choice.


3. After that glue the corners together to make a tray and trim the ends if they are too tall.


4. Then cover the inside with paper. (thinking about it now I probably should have done this before I glued the box together)


5. Then make the dividers from cardboard. Do this by measuring the length and width of the box and trimming a little more off so it fits in the box. Then cut slots in the cardboard and slot them together along the centre piece of cardboard. You can choose how big you want each compartment.


6. Finally sit the dividers in the box. You don't need to glue them in as they should stand up in the box on their own.





I think its a great way to see all your make up and separate everything. I put my lipsticks in one, foundations, concealers and mascaras in one, eye shadows and bronzer in another two, powder and blushers in one and eye liners and other things in the last one. I also just have a pot at the side with lip crayons, pencil eye liners and lip glosses.