April Birchbox

Birchbox 

This month's Birchbox is a lovely floral-themed box in collaboration with Rifle Paper Co, and has some great products in! 

You could upgrade your box this month by paying £4 extra to get the Moss Garden Notebook set from the Rifle Paper Co (worth £12), and seeing as I love notebooks I thought I'd get them. They're amazing quality and are really beautiful designs. 

The actual products are a great selection too - two makeup, one skincare, one haircare and one body product. 

I've already tried the Balance me tinted wonder eye cream as I was so excited to give it a go. It's basically an eye cream and under eye concealer in one and I'm really impressed with it! It basically cuts out a step in my makeup routine so will be perfect for days when I'm in a rush! 

Another new makeup product is the Benefit Dew The Hoola which is a liquid bronzer. I haven't tried this yet, but I like the powder hoola so I'm excited to try it out. 

I also got a Parlor leave-in conditioner, which is a bit weird as I've been looking for a new leave in conditioner for a while but there doesn't seem to be many available at the moment (they literally didn't have any in my local boots and superdrug!) so of course I was really pleased to get this in my Birchbox this month. 

The two least-exciting samples for me were the Cynthia Rowley eyeliner (which I will use but I already have a few black pencils) and the Foot care cream (but I probably should start attending to my feet ready for sandal season!!)

I really do enjoy my Birchbox subscription, and I'd definitely recommend it if you're not already subscribed! 

Current Skincare Favourites

I haven't done any beauty posts for a while, and I thought it was time I updated you on my skincare routine and favourites! These products are what I'm currently using. 

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish 

This is my favourite skincare product ever. After using it about 3 years ago to clear my acne, I've sworn by it ever since. It removes makeup, cleanses effectively and gently, and leaves me with clear 'normal' skin. I can't recommend this enough - I repurchase it over & over!! 

Malin + Goetz Vitamin E moisturiser 

This is a favourite that I discovered back in December. I had a little sample of it, and absolutely loved it! I was put off by the price (its £37) so didn't purchase the full size straight away, but I noticed that my skin wasn't looking as good and felt dry in places and oily in others. I purchased the full size and am still loving using it. It's a simple product thats really hydrating without leaving an oily finish and it helps keep my skin clear too. 

Kiehls eye treatment with avocado 

This is a pretty recent purchase, but is such a hydrating eye cream. It wasn't cheap, but as I've discovered with a lot of Kiehls products, it really works! It's a very thick texture but doesn't feel heavy on the skin, and I've been using it morning and night since I got it. 

Kiehls lip balm 

This is brilliant for very dry lips. I don't particularly like the taste/scent, but this really works wonders on very dry lips. I usually use this at night and notice a big difference in the morning. 

What are your current skincare favourites? 

December Birchbag

December Birchbox

I'm so happy that Birchbox have brought out another Birchbag this month. Back in July the products came in a clear plastic makeup bag (that I still use in my work bag) and I much preferred it to the usual box. December's products came in this gorgeous green velvet, faux leather a gold glitter clutch bag, which is perfect for Christmas parties. The bag just adds so much more value to the subscription price (£12.95 including P&P) 

The products this month are really good too! A full size lipstick from Model Co in a Christmas red shade (stiletto), two mini benefit samples (they're real liner and puffoff), a mini Ciate nail polish (iced frappe), an Elemis day cream, Roloxin face mask and a Skin&Co shower gel. 

There's not a single product in this month's bag that I won't use! I'm so happy to see luxury brands like Elemis, Ciate and Benefit in my box too! All the products are good sizes (lipstick is full size) so will last me well over the festive period. 

I'm super pleased with my Birchbag this month. I'd definitely recommend subscribing if you like the idea of trying new products each month. As with all subscriptions, some months are better than others, but I always like most of the products I get. 

Birchbox subscription would be a great Christmas Gift for a beauty lover, and they also have a home box, mens box, caudalie box  and selfridges box available! 

I definitely think Birchbox has been really good this year, and I'm excited to see what comes in my 2016 boxes! 

October Birchbox

I've been doing Birchbox videos for the last couple of months - but I thought I'd do a blog post for October's box. If you've followed me for any length of time you'll already know that I love getting my Birchbox each month and you always get really great products!

This month was another choose your box - I went for the Stylist Guest editor box as I liked the look of the 100% pure fruit pigmented lip glaze and the Rituals Yogi flow shower gel. The shade of the lip glaze I received is Rosehip which is a lovely dark pink shade, it's very moisturising though so I'd recommend using a lip liner with it! 

The rituals shower gel is Indian rose & sweet almond oil scented and smells amazing! I love getting samples of luxury shower gels!

The mini Bioderma is so cute! I already own and use Bioderma, so I'm going to be saving this handy little travel size incase I go away sometime! 

I also received the Parlor smoothing blowout spray - a frizz fighting, heat protecting and styling spray that sounds like it'll be really good - I haven't tried it yet! A little extra this month is the English laundry no.7 fragrance sample, I've said before that I'm not too keen on fragrance samples, but when it's an extra I don't mind! 

The final product is a When travel mate sheet mask which is a moisturising mask intended for use when travelling and is supposed to lock in moisture. I've never actually used a sheet mask before so I'm excited to give this one a go! 

Another great box this month - I do like it when you get to choose some products yourself! 

Click here to subscribe to Birchbox!

July Birchbox.

July Birchbag 

Birchbox have done it again! Another amazing month! July's birch box comes in a bag, which is a clear clutch bag with a faux-leather pocket inside. It's such a lovely little makeup bag which is perfect for Summer (and you lucky people that are going on holiday - sadly I'm not). I hope that Birchbox do more of these bags as I was really impressed with it, and it also fit through the letterbox which meant I didn't have to go and pick up the parcel from the neighbours. 

I got a great selection of products too - Birchbox seem to have really upped their game this month! I got the pop beauty eyeshadow trio which is a gorgeous peachy brown shade (right up my street), the Benefit dream screen (an SPF - also really handy for the Summer), Cowshed cow pat hand cream which is a lovely hand cream and a great travel/handbag size, Unani aloe vera body treatment which I haven't tried yet but is for soothing sunburn, balance me congested skin serum which I'm very excited to try as there aren't many serums for congested skin, and the Barely prep, blog & blend sponge which is a like a baby Beauty Blender. 

I'm so pleased with my selection of products this month, and the value of the products is a lot more than the subscription price - Birchbox just keeps getting better and better! x 

Clarins Made to measure self-tan review.

Clarins Made to measure self-tan for face

There was a lot of talk of these Clarins self tanning drops last summer, but I never got around to trying them. As the warmer weather crept in a few weeks a go, I started thinking about my tanning routine again (before it went cold again!) I picked up these tanning drops to use on my face, as I don't have any facial tan, and using body tan breaks me out. I'd heard that these drops were really good, as you can tailor the shade and build it gradually. 

I'm currently using the Garnier summer body on my body, which is a gradual tan that I'm really loving. Gradual tan is great for this time of year, as it's not too intense and won't look silly if the next day you need to wear a coat again! 

These glow booster drops are super simple to use! I just add 3 drops to my everyday moisturiser in the evening (I use the Body Shop vitamin E moisturiser) and I get a lovely, even tan on my face. It isn't orange and isn't patchy at all. Also because you mix it with moisturiser, your face doesn't feel sticky, and it hasn't broken me out at all. I apply mine at night as it does take a little bit of time to develop but you can use it in the morning too. 

I've been using these for a few weeks now, and I've hardly used any. You really don't need a lot of these! I'd just recommend exfoliating 1-2 times per week to keep the tan looking even, and I apply these most nights (usually once the colour has built up I apply every other day or every 2). I use the Liz Earle exfoliator on my face, and I usually do this when I'm exfoliating my body at the same time! 

I'd definitely recommend these drops, and if you like the idea, you can also get them for body! x 

The Body Shop Vitamin E Queen of Moisture Collection | Mother's Day 2015

If you're struggling for ideas for Mother's day this year, I have just the thing for you today! The Body Shop vitamin E range has been best-selling for over 3 decades, and this Mother's day they have released a brand new Limited Edition The Queen of Moisture range. I have 3 out of the 4 products to share with you today, the only one I don't have is the Vitamin E Aqua boost Sorbet which is a moisturiser that gives 24 hour hydration and refreshes the skin. 

The first product is the Vitamin E Moisture Cream* in this special Limited Edition packaging. This is 100ml (limited edition size) and is a beautiful moisturiser. If you have dry or dehydrated skin this would be perfect as it gives so much moisture and hydration from the first use. This moisturiser can be used as a day cream, but I've also used it at night which leaves my skin feeling super soft and hydrated when I wake up in the morning. Older skin also needs much more moisture so this is perfect for mums and grandmas! My mum has tried this too, and she also loves it. The moisturiser has a very slight scent which smells clean and fresh. I personally have sensitive skin, and I haven't experienced any irritations from this moisturiser. It's no wonder it's one of the Body shop's best sellers! (They sell one every 14 seconds!)

I've also tried the new Vitamin E eyes cube*, which is a moisturising stick which you use in the morning to revive and refresh the under eye area. This also helps to combat dark circles, depuff and get rid that awful tired look! The packaging is really good, as because it's in stick form, it's easier to use than a pot, and is also super-quick (perfect for morning!). I get really dry skin around my eyes and a lot of the caffeine roll-ons are too harsh for me, but this one is really gentle and soothing. I've also found that it creates a great base for concealer and keeps my under eye area hydrated all day. This is £8 which is really affordable for an eye cream too! 

Last but not least is the Vitamin E overnight serum-in-oil*. This works perfectly with the other products in the range, and is such a luxury step in an evening skincare routine! This is very similar to the Estee Lauder advanced night repair, but at £13 is just a fraction of the price. You can use this alone, or pair it with the moisturiser for extra hydration. The serum helps to indulge, replenish and recharge the skin whilst you sleep. The consistency of this serum is quite light and it sinks into the skin quickly, so you don't get that sticky feeling. I used to be afraid to use oils on my combination skin, but they do really work wonders, especially at night. When I've applied this, I rub any excess into the ends of my hair and my hands, which although isn't the intended use it works really well, and of course is better than wasting it! 

You can click on any of the links above to purchase any of these products, and of course they're available in-store too! If your mum is more of a hand-cream or bath kind of person, the Body shop do a wonderful selection of those too, as well as amazing gift ideas and gift sets! 

I hope you and your Mum have a lovely Mothers Day! x

*PR sample. These products were sent to me from the Body Shop, however all opinions are my own, and I would never promote any brand or product that I wouldn't buy myself. 

Favourite Face Masks.

I've mentioned these masks a lot over on my Youtube channel but I thought I'd dedicate a post to them!

Firstly, the Aesop parsley seed mask. This has been a favourite of mine for a long time now, it's perfect for blemishes, acne, blocked pores and oily skin. It also does wonders for the texture of my skin and just generally clears it up and leaves it looking fresh and healthy. The scent is very herby and smells 'healthy' if that makes sense, which is kind of a recurring theme for all of these masks!

The Eve Lom Rescue mask is a good all-rounder. It's the most expensive of the bunch, and I find it doesn't make a big difference for spots. However, it's really good for cleaning the skin, and is very effective at exfoliating the skin. The scent is herbal and quite strong, but I really like this one, I wasn't sure at first, but through determination to use it up (and not waste my money) I've actually grown to love it!

The origins Clear improvement mask and the Out of Trouble mask, are both excellent for blocked pores, breakouts, redness (from acne/breakouts) and improving skin texture. I alternate between these two regularly and can't pick a favourite really. They're both scented really herbal, which I find relaxing, and both make a massive improvement to my skin. If you're struggling with breakouts, I'd definitely recommend these.

Last but not least is the Origins Overnight Drink Up intensive mask. This one I use after I've used any of the other 4. You apply it to clean skin, and leave it overnight. I usually apply an acne cream in the evenings (more as a prevention than anything else) but I don't use that when I use this mask. The mask is basically a very intense moisturiser and leaves my skin feeling super soft and looking amazing. It doesn't break me out or anything either, and has a beautiful citrus scent. The only thing that might be a negative is that it can feel a little bit greasy on the skin, but I personally don't mind that as I love the results so much!

What are your favourite masks?

January Birchbox

As January is the month of new year's resolutions, with the majority of them being health and fitness relate, Birchbox this month have teamed up with Women's health magazine, and this month's box is all health themes!

Of course, if you've been here for a while, you'll already know I love Birchbox. But if you're new (hey! so pleased to have you!) you might not already know this. This month has a great selection of products, including a Stila lip glaze, which is a product I already love, but thankfully didn't already have this particular shade! It also contains a Heal Gel, which is a fantastic little healing balm. I had a really sore abscess on my face over the weekend (tmi I know), but this gel really helped to soothe and heal it, so I'm already really impressed with that. It also contains Caudalie Vinoperfect serum, which I've tried before and really liked, Philip Kingsley Body building conditioner, which I'm excited to try, Activbod cooling finish body lotion, which I think I'll be using in summer, when hopefully I'll have time to get back to the gym, and a sample of matcha powder, which I've always wanted to try. I really want to get into eating a bit healthier, so am going to look for some smoothie recipes or something to use this in.

The box also came with a pilates band, which is useful for at home workouts, which I will probably test out when I'm not either working, blogging or exhausted!

Overall, I'm really impressed with this month's box, and it's a great theme for January, so well done Birchbox, another great month.

You can get the products here, or click the banner below.

In other good news, my wifi is back, which means that my blogging schedule is unaffected! yayy! :) x  

*This post is not sponsored but may contain Affiliate links.

The Origins Wonder duo

If you've been watching my YouTube channel, it's probably no surprise that these two origins products have made their way into a blog post. I've used them in multiple videos, each time raving about how much I love them. I've also been recommending them on the beauty chats on twitter, so if you follow me there, chances are you've heard me mention these!

So what's so good about them? I'll start with the Origins Ginzing eye cream. This is a little gem, and I use it in the mornings to wake up tired eyes. I have to get up early monday - friday, which is definitely not one of my favourite things to do, and I usually have some form of puffy eyes or dark circles! This eye cream somehow manages to get rid of all that, and leaves my under eye area feeling moisturised and awake. The other thing I love is that it makes the perfect base for concealer. As it's so hydrating, the concealer applies beautifully, and I get a finish which makes my skin look healthy and radiant. It is expensive, but I know that I'll just have to repurchase it when this one runs out!

Onto the Origins Vitazing moisturiser, this is a tinted moisturiser, which isn't something I've used much of. I find a lot of moisturisers can leave my skin looking and feeling greasy, and making my foundation loose about half of its longevity. This moisturiser doesn't have any effect on that, and just leaves my skin with the perfect healthy glow, and a great base for foundation or BB cream. I've used it every single day since I got it, and am so obsessed with it now! Again, it's not cheap, but I know that I'll definitely be repurchasing it, as I haven't found anything this good!

Another thing to mention perhaps is that I have sensitive  combination skin, with both oily and dry patches, and neither of these products have caused any skin irritations or break outs.

Thumbs up from me!
x

Liz Earle Limited Edition Orange Flower & Chamomile Hot Cloth Cleanser

I've been using the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish for years now, and I always go back to it even when I try other things! I picked up this limited edition Orange Flower and Chamomile scent a few months ago for the first time, and seeing as I've just purchased another 3 backups, I thought I'd better mention it!

The only difference I've found with this Cleanse & Polish is the scent, this one is slightly more scented and has a fresh scent, which I prefer to the original.  The cleanser itself works exactly the same, I just prefer the scent of this one.

The packaging is also slightly different, which I think makes a nice change to the original mint green packaging, and the flowers on the bottle make it a bit more exciting.

I wasn't sure about the scent at first, but it really grew on me as I used it. When I went back to my original version, I really didn't like it as much, which is why I went and purchased some back ups. I don't know how 'limited edition' it is, but I presume it won't be around forever.

So if you didn't like the original scent, or are a loyal Cleanse and Polish user fancying a change, I'd highly recommend this version. It's also exactly the same price, and still comes with the muslin cloths.

I'm sure you all know about the Cleanse & Polish, as I think most bloggers have reviewed it at some point, but if not: it's an amazing cleanser that effectively cleanses the skin without stripping or irritating it. It's perfect for sensitive skin, and is great for acne prone skin too. My mum also uses it and loves it too! It's also quite affordable and has no 'bad' ingredients, and is generally a great cleanser. It also works really well with the clarisonic.

Hope you're all having a lovely day, if you didn't see it yesterday, be sure to watch my new video! xx

September Birchbox

I'm a little late with this month's Birchbox, although I'm doing better than last month! As usual I'm really impressed with the box- I honestly haven't been disappointed with any of my boxes! The theme for September is Happy Days which is nice as September seems to be the month of new starts as most of us are back to uni/work school and it kind of feels like a second January sometimes!

All subscribers received the ModelCo Lip Laquer, but Birchbox gave us the option to choose the shade. If you're subscribed to Birchbox, keep your eye on their instagram account, as that's usually where these kinds of things are announced. I chose the shade 'Viva' which is a nice pale nude-ish pink colour (the kind of shade I usually go for!). It has a gorgeous sweet scent (very similar to the Tanya Burr lip glosses), and is a very cute sample size!

I also received the Agave Healing Oil Treatment which will come in super handy as I've just gone lighter so have quite a bit of bleach in my hair now, which makes it quite dry. I love a good hair oil as I do struggle with frizz, but I end up using them on a daily basis as I have thick hair which can be quite difficult to manage. I haven't tried this one yet, but I'm excited to do!

Two skincare products in my box this month are the Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream and the Premae Mild Dermabrasion Face & Body Scrub. I do love my skincare as you probably all know, so I'm always happy to see skincare in my Birchbox, especially from some of my favourite brands. I haven't tried these two products yet, but I've tried other skincare from Premae and Benefit, which I've been really impressed with, so hopefully I'll love these products too!

I also received the Korres Citrus Showergel. I've tried the matching body lotion before as it was in a previous box, which I really liked, so I'm happy to have received the matching shower gel. Citrus scents I find are great for in the mornings as they really wake me up, which I definitely need, especially for my 6:30 starts that are way too early for me! (I'm definitely not a morning person!)

Last but not least are two lifestyle extras. I love these little extras that Birchbox add in, it's a bit like getting free gifts! The little photo clip is super cute, and I'll definitely make use of it! (there's also a full set available from the Birchbox shop)The Strawberry Urban Fruit looks good, and I'm back on my strict diet, so it'll be a better lunchbox choice than a biscuit!

I'm really impressed with the box this month, and there's nothing in there that I won't make use of, which I find to be really consistent in Birchbox!

Hope you're all having a lovely week so far! Happy October too, it's officially Fall/ Autumn! x