These are a few of my favourite things

Hello dears :)

It's that time again!

♥ Illamasqua Beguile Pure Pigment

This is BEAUTIFUL. Can be layered over absolutely anything for a bit of added sparkle

♥ Kerastase Chroma Reflect Conditioner

This gives me super soft and silky hair whilst maintaining my colour

♥ VO5 Hot Oil Elixir

A lovely pre-shampoo treatment to restore and soften hair

♥ Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm

My lip saviour. Never will I stray from ye again.

♥ Champneys Miracle Balm
A lovely moisturising balm that I've been using on my cuticles. A snip at £5 a pot. My cuticles have never been in better condition!

♥ Dove Intensive Nourishment Hand Cream

This smells amazing, has a great consistency, is travel sized and has worked wonders on my hands.

♥ MAC 224 Brush
I finally picked this up in Selfridges at the beginning of the month and I've been using it with my MAC Studio Finish Concealer. A match made in heaven and a flawless finish. Convert!

♥ MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC15
I couldn't not put this in, as I feel it's finally starting to work well for me paired with the 224 brush!

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Which products have you been loving this month?

NOTD: Classic French Manicure

Oh my dears, I am so pleased with myself. Why I hear you ask? Well I've managed to do a French manicure, no mistakes, no drama, no hassle. Pleased as punch. This never happens!

Products used

Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Base Coat

China Glaze White on White

Bourjois Rose Lounge

Rimmel Pro Super Wear Extra Shine Top Coat

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I've managed to achieve a super shiny salon finish too as I buffed my talons to within an inch of their lives with my Models Own multi way buffery thing.

Are you a fan of the classic French mani? Do you find it easy or do you get in a bit of a pickle?

Review: Living Nature Deep Cleansing Mask

Morning petals!

I was recently sent a couple of samples of Living Nature's Deep Cleansing Mask to try. They describe this product as a weekly ritual of deep purification to restore your skin's health and balance. I'm really into my skincare and whilst I've got my skincare regime perfected, a face mask isn't something that I tend to use, although I know I probably should! Read on to see what I thought :)

Product

Living Nature say: Made with ultra-purifying Hallo Clay, our Deep Cleansing Mask will detoxify the skin, leaving it clear and balanced, with pores refined. Antimicrobial Manuka extract helps cleanse and heal and Active Manuka Honey nourishes and repairs.

I say: Upon opening the sachet, I squeezed out the mask to find what I thought to be too much for my face, however as I applied, I found that there was no excess which was nice. I hate wasting things. I could smell the clay, which I expected with it clay being a key ingredient, but it wasn't a strong scent. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the mask had a subtle citrus scent to it which I really liked! Unlike other masks that I've tried, I found this got to work incredibly quickly and I could feel that familiar tightening effect, which I quite like - call me weird if you like! I left it on to work for 20+ minutes whilst I was in the shower and when it came to rinsing off, I found it didn't come off that easily, so I ended up using a muslin cloth. My skin was left smooth, soft, bright and clear. Thumbs up from me!

Application

Living Nature say: Apply liberally, avoiding eye area. Leave for at least 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water. For best results, apply after Vitalising Exfoliant or Cleansing Clay Peel, and follow with Hydrating Toning Gel. For acne-prone and oily to normal skin.

I say: I applied this roughly with my fingers all over my face, avoiding the eye area as instructed. I left it on for 20+ minutes whilst doing other tasks and then rinsed off. Or tried to. As I mentioned above, I found it didn't come off that easily with just water alone so I used a muslin cloth soaked in warm water to remove the product. A minor gripe, but it hasn't put me off. I really really like the fact that the mask comes in individual sachets. This means no product wastage and perfect for travelling with!

Obligatory photo of me in the mask. Sorry!

 At least it wasn't green and I didn't look like a witch ;)

Price: £18.40

Size: 10 x 5ml sachets - which makes it £1.84 per sachet. Not bad!

Available from: Living Nature and My Pure

Ratings

Product: 10/10

Price: 10/10

Packaging: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

Purchase: When pay day rolls around, I'll definitely be treating myself to this!

♥

Are you a fan of Living Nature? Which face masks are you currently rating?

*PR sample

Saturday Summary

Hello dears :)

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♥ Driving

♥ Lie-ins

♥ Discount codes!

♥ Sale emails - hello cheeky clothing orders :D

♥ Having amazing chats with old friends

♥ Revamping my blog - what do you think of the new look?

♥ My sister bringing over her adorably cute kitten, Gizmo:

Sorry it's a bit blurry, I took it on my Blackberry!

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Listening to:

Ed Sheeran's +

Watching:

001. X Factor

002. Downton Abbey - so glad it's back!

003. New Glee!

Buying:

Clothes

Jewellery

Reading:

Blogs

A few fab faves:

001. A Daisy Chain Dream

002. All That Glitters & Sparkles

003. Amy Antoinette

~*~

How has your week been?

How much is my face worth?

I've been meaning to do this post for absolutely ages. I think I was scared at the prospect of seeing the final total! I know I spend a ridiculous amount of money on make up, but how much actually goes on to my face on a daily basis? Let's find out!

These are the products I tend to reach for most on a daily basis. I do switch up my blushes, lippies and shadows but other than that, everything stays the same.

Missha BB Cream - £11.46

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19

MAC Studio Fix Concealer - £13.50

Illamasqua Brow Cake in Gaze - £14.50

MAC Powder Blush in Well Dressed - £17.00

Urban Decay Primer Potion - £14.50

NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Grand Palais - £23.50

Maybelline Gel Liner - £7.99

Illamasqua Masquara - £15.00

Dior Addict Lipstick in Model - £22.00 (although I used £10 of my Debenhams Beauty Card points so it only cost me £12!)

Kryolan Anti-Shine Powder - £12.20

Total = £155.84

Eek. Wow. Scary when you think how much money is on my face on a daily basis! However these products are worth each and every penny and are great value for money as they last forever! And I'm sure I once heard Trinny & Susannah explain that if you divide a product's price by the number of times used, that's how much it costs each time you use it. So there you go!

♥

Have you ever done a post like this? Link me up :)

NOTD: Leopards are out in force

You guessed it kids, another leopard print mani!

When I have zero inspiration, this is my fall back design because I find it so quick and easy and it's different every time as I can simply switch up the colours. This week I tried a couple of my new Bourjois polishes.

Products used

Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Base Coat

Bourjois Bleu Model

Bourjois Magenta Show

Models Own Nail Art Pen - the new one, which I highly rate!

Rimmel Lycra Pro Clear Polish

♥

The green polish is a 3 coater which is a shame, but something I anticipated - don't you always find these sorts of colours always need 3 coats? Maybe it's the formula. Anyway, I digress. Lovely colour, lovely polish.

What do you think?

Got the munchies?

Morning dolls :)

I know I'm probably the last person to try a Graze box, but I took the plunge a few weeks ago after being given a code for a free box and here we are! 

I've had a few boxes now and I thought it was about time I shared them with you! Keep reading for a special treat :D

The stats

- You get 4 snacks per box along with a useful leaflet with the nutritional breakdown

- You can choose to receive a nibble box or a nutrition box (more on this here)

- Each graze box is nutritionally tailored for you

- You can browse and rate items so Graze will not send you things that you don't like. Once you've tried something, if you didn't like it you can 'bin' it or you can let them know if you like/love it so they know when to send it again
- You can put your boxes on hold if you're going away - I've just done that, you simply tell Graze when you're away and they'll set postpone your next box until you're home again :)
- All of that for just £3.49 each (inc delivery)!!

What's inside my box?

This snack box contains Belgian dark chocolate buttons, almonds, flame raisins and cherries - a lovely combination that I really enjoy munching on at my desk!

This snack box contains spicy thai rice crackers with aromatic kaffir lime leaves - not my cup of tea so I had to bin this selection. But that's the beauty of the Graze rating system!

This snack box contains banana, coconut and jumbo raisins - I'm not a fan of banana but the coconut and raisins are lush! There's another snack box that contains coconut and raisins though so I've binned this combo in favour of the other one

This snack box contains rustic rolled oat flapjack with honeycomb and milk chocolate, Graze flapjacks are the best! So, so yummy and are perfect for tea breaks!

♥

I think the Graze boxes are fab, I get a lovely mix of savoury and sweet in each one. They're perfect for work as I'm snacking on healthy things when I get hungry before or after lunch, and thanks to the way the Graze boxes are nutritionally tailored, the snacks balance your sugar levels so you're fuller for longer. I've been eating healthily for absolutely ages now but these will really keep you away from those pesky vending machines and prevent you from ordering a sneaky cupcake with your mid morning coffee!

♥

If you'd like to try a box, click HERE to try one for free! You'll also get your next box for half price! I've popped the code in the left sidebar too so you can use it later if you don't want to now :)

Are you a fan of the Graze boxes?

Saturday Summary

Oh happy Saturdays my little sugar puffs!

Source

Look where I've been this week :)

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♥ Being home alone has its perks. Namely sole control of the TV remote :D

♥ Spending the afternoon watching Jane Eyre. I really want to go and see the new film.

♥ Moving seats at work

♥ Reading Billy Connolly's Route 66

♥ Fresh, country air

♥ Cruising around Lake Windermere

♥ Relaxed evenings in a pub

~*~

Listening to:

001. Dappy - No Regrets 

002. Jay Z & Kanye West - Otis

003. The Kooks - Is It Me

Watching:

Billy Connolly's Route 66

Reading:

Marie Claire
Billy Connolly's Route 66

Buying:
Coffee

Blog discovery of the week:

sleep.wake.hope

~*~

I hope you've all had a beautiful week :)

Would you like to see some holiday snaps?

Ding Dong, Avon Calling!

Crikey, I think I'm showing my age with that reference ;)

After seeing Nicola from Pixiwoo use a gorgeous blush and highlighter from Avon, I wasted no time popping over to their website to purchase. I picked up a few other things as well and got a free gift with purchase.

What did I get?

Supershock Max Mascara - £7

I haven't made my mind up about this yet, but it doesn't seem to be anything special but I need to give it a good road test before I review it

Colour & Contour Blush Duo - £5

The blush in this is a beautiful dusky rose shade. But where this product really shines is the highlighter. It's beautiful! Look:

I'm also wearing the lippie, gloss and mascara in this pic :)

Nailwear Speed Dry Nail Enamel in Strawberry - £3.50

This is a lot more pink than I thought but a beautiful shade nonetheless

Pro Luscious Pout Lip Colour in Pink Crush - £6

Yes I know, another pink lippie but I thought I'd try it. In the lid there's a separate gloss:

Nailwear Pro Polish in Sequined Turquoise

This was one of the freebies with my order, a beautiful green-blue shade with a whole tonne of glitter inside. Reminds me of glittering Aegean seas. Or something poetic like that ;)

Anew Clinical Thermafirm Face Lifting Cream

I also received a small sample pot of Avon's 'facelift in a jar'

♥

I managed to save a whopping £10 on the RRP of the products that I purchased which was quite a save! I also got free shipping which I think was because I went to Avon via the Nectar card website. I'm pretty chuffed with my mini haul :D

~*~

Did you know you can now sign up to Avon's A-list and collect points with your purchases? There are tiers of points and the higher you get, the more special offers you're entitled to, including some serious product discounts. As a member of the A-list, you're also entitled to a special birthday offer and a speedy online checkout. What more reason do you need to pop along for a little splurge?

NOTD: Leopard Print Brights

Hello possums :)

I've got a colourful leopard print NOTD for you, inspired by the very creative Milly from Pearls & Poodles!

Products Used

L-R: Collection 2000 Fruit Salad, Primark Yes Cyan!, GOSH Wild Lilac, Miss Sporty Gold, e.l.f. Black

Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Base and Top Coats

Dotting Tool

♥

I have so much love for the Primark polish, such a shame they're discontinuing their make up range - the polishes are fab! Anyway, what do you think? Do you like to embrace the brights?

Speed Review: Glossybox

Hello lovelies

I thought I'd wait to give my two pence worth on GlossyBox until I'd had a few boxes. I've had four now so I think now is as good a time as any to give you an insight into the boxes I've received.

What's it all about?

Source

For those of you not familiar with GlossyBox - where on earth have you been? - the concept is that you pay £10 per month to receive a box of 5 premium brand samples, with some of them being full sized products which means we're getting an amazing bargain. From this month, we now have to pay an added £2.95 in P&P fees. Sigh. Am I the only person that hates paying P&P? To be fair though £2.95 is nothing when you can be receiving £50+ worth of products.

How does it work?

Once registered on the GlossyBox website, you can complete your Beauty Profile so you can receive products you're interested in. You receive your GlossyBox in the second half of every month

You can review each item to receive GlossyDots which you can rack up until you have enough to claim a free box. Currently, one product survey rewards you with 20 GlossyDots and 1000 GlossyDots gets you a free box. So that's 50 products to review in 10 boxes before you receive a free box.

The GlossyBox

Ok so once a month, you get a box delivered to your door, first class recorded delivery no less! I'm super impressed by the packaging, even the outer box is gorgeous. The actual GlossyBox is a pale pink box containing 5 gift wrapped samples. You get a card explaining the idea of that particular month's box, and a breakdown of what's in your box on the reverse side.

Once you've undone the ribbon and tissue paper, you can see the products. 

May's GlossyBox

This was the first GlossyBox and the one that had everyone talking

NARS Orgasm Illuminator was a big hit for a lot of people, but it didn't work for me. Very nice to have been able to try it though as it was my first foray into the world of NARS, and it hasn't put me off.

The All For Eve lipstick was a source of contention for many, but I understand that GlossyBox did indeed donate to The Eve Appeal so they didn't lose out on the charitable profits of the lipstick. Again, unfortunately this lipstick is not for me. This did not deter me however from getting the next box.

Also in my box were a few skincare and haircare bits. The one product that stood out for me was the Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Color Hold Rapid Repair Spray. It gives my hair a much needed conditioning boost on the go and is perfect to pop in my handbag, where it's been living for a few weeks now!

June's GlossyBox

This was the box that was a let down for some. I usually wouldn't say no to a mini Batiste, but I couldn't stand the smell of the original formula. The mini OPI DS polish was nice, but I have to confess, I've misplaced it. Whoops! I've tried BioEffect before so it was nice to have another sample of that. The perfume isn't one I'd usually go for but I was pleasantly surprised. I've got a ridiculous amount of body products and I'm sorry to say the O-Mega Body Buff is languishing in a drawer in my bathroom right now.

July's GlossyBox

I'm pleased to say, GlossyBox were right back on form with the July box!

 I received some Nouveau lashes, and a sample of Xen-Tan in dark, which I'm still too scared to try considering my skin has never encountered fake tan before! Have you tried this? If so, please let me know how you got on with it :)

I was sent an Illamasqua lipgloss, and a Ciate paint pot. I will confess I ended up swapping the gloss and polish with Terri but at least we got products we wanted in the end ;)

 I received Weleda's Pomegranate Body Oil, which despite the strong scent, I actually really like.

I think July's box was my favourite so far!

August's GlossyBox

I think the August box is a Marmite box. Love it or hate it. I wasn't wowed by it.

Rebel Nails - this design is vile. I'm sorry but it's not my cup of tea.

The Ahava body lotion smells amazing and it's a perfect travel sized item so it's coming on holiday with me. However I have no use whatsoever for an Acne cleanser, when I haven't indicated to GlossyBox that I have bad skin...

Daniel Sandler Jumbo Jet Mascara. Well, who doesn't need another mascara? I like it, but it's nothing special. I certainly wouldn't pay £14.85 for it which I do believe is the RRP.

♥

Overall, I think whilst a good idea and good value for money, GlossyBox can be a bit hit and miss. Sometimes there are great products, sometimes not so great. I also think it's down to personal preference though, and as I've mentioned, I've received products that I have no use for or have disliked, but then I can't expect to like everything. It's a great opportunity to try brands from the higher end of the market.  Providing GlossyBox keep this up, I'll be repurchasing :)

What are your thoughts on GlossyBox?