Birchbox - Are they worth a go?

Birchbox

I've been looking at the Birchbox website for a few months now so when they had a promotion on Facebook for a free surprise box on your first Birchbox for a limited time only I finally had the push to order a one time only box. It took about a week or two for them to arrive but it has been worth the wait. As my surprise box I received the September box as well as the January box. The packaging is nice with them being draws so when you collect enough you can use them as storage and the designs on them are nice. In each box there are five items, when you order your box you fill out a basic questionnaire about the type of things you would like to receive in your box and about your skin type etc so they can put the right products in the box for you.

Opening up the draws you get to see the products for the first time. I've got a range of things from hair to skin care to make up in both of my boxes (the September box on the left and the January on the right). I'll start with the products from the September box then move onto the January box.

 In the September box I've received Whish Almond Body Butter (the left in the draw) the formula does three things; moisturizes with shea butter, raspberry butter and aloe, firms skin with seaweed extract then purifies with rice bran oil. I've got to say that it smells fantastic! It sinks into the skin almost instantly feeling cool and soothing with no trace of it still on the skin. The original cost of this product is £14.50. The next product in the draw (next to the body butter) is the NUXE Paris scented shower oil with golden shimmer, it looks almost like a liquid highlighter with plenty of shining flecks inside. After the first use my skin aready feels slightly softer and makes me feel like I've been pampered. Luckily non of the shimmers really stayed on my body which has happened before with shower gel with shimmer in it. This retails at £10. The next product I received is the ModelCo Creme Rouge cheek and lips in Just Peachy. It is a really light blusher which works well for the slightly pinched cheeks look and is very moisturising for the lips however I don't think it'll be something I'll be buying again as I prefer to buy proper lipstick and powder blusher (if I use any). This retails at £14. The next product is a Bioderma Hydrabio Micellaire Solution for; cleansing, taking off make up and hydrating the skin. The formula is light weight and removes even tough mascara easily without as much effort at usual baby wipes. This retails at £10.50. The last piece in the September box is Batiste Oomph My Locks Volume Spray. My sister loves the Batiste dry shampoo and this spray so I was glad to receive it in the draw knowing I wouldn't use the larger sizes and this is perfect for my make up bag for when I get ready for going out. It fades nicely in my black hair (it was a worry for me) and doesn't weigh it down like some styling products do in my hair. This retails at £4.29. Over all out of all the products in this Birchbox I would probably only buy the NUXE Paris shower oil again as it was so luxurious for once in a while kind of thing. Maybe the Bastiste Volume Spray but I think this smaller size can will last a while.

 In the January box I've got quite a lot of nice cold weather products to keep away dry skin and leave me with a slight glow. The first product is the Rituals Hammam Body Mud. Now this is a tough one for me to review as every time I use this product I'm not sure if I like it or not. I don't really have much dry skin only in the corners of my hands and considering this is for dry skin this is probably why I'm not sure on it. I have used it on my face as a mask before and found it was good at unclogging pores so I don't completely dislike it as I've found a purpose for it. This retails at £14. The next product I love! It's the Merci Handy New Wave Love & Hand Cream. Considering it's winter I haven't actually got any carry size lotions to top up my hands when the weather drops which is why I'm delighted to have this. The smell is fantastic and it doesn't leave any residue on my hands like some of the heavier weight lotions do. It retails at £4.90 which is very reasonable for it! The next product is another NUXE Paris, this one is a multi-purpose dry oil face, body and hair. This gives a very natural glow to your face when you put it underneath foundation, but doesn't make it last as long as it normally would. If you're having a minimal make up day then a few drops of this rubbed into your face makes it almost glow. This retails at £21. The second to last product is a Lord & Berry Conceal - It Crayon in Beige. I like the coverage with this concealer but as I have very pales since (porcelain) having a concealer in Beige wasn't what I would of hoped for, it is nicer but because it's a few shades too dark I think it makes my blemishes a bit more noticeable. This retails at £12. The last product in the January box is Beauty Protector, Protect & Detangle. This has many purposes; instant detangler, thermal protector, UV protector, Seals cuticle, smoothes hair, locks in colour, adds shine, weightless, non-greasy and conditions. It is very much an every day product, if you have thick hard to control hair then this is perfect for you, but if you also like to give your hair a little treat every now and then then it certainly does that. My hair hasn't felt so pampered since I don't normally do much for it, but a spray or two of this and it feels like I've had it in a mask. This retails at £18.50. Overall out of all the products I would defiantly buy the Merci Handy cream as my hands have never felt softer before and the winter weather hasn't phased through this hand cream. I think the only thing out of this box I wouldn't buy again would be the Lord & Berry Conceal-It Crayon as I did like it, but I found that I much prefer the liquid concealer.

If you like to try new things without committing to the full price of the product then I think Birchbox is worth a go, every month there will be different products with give aways you could win and the questionnaire makes such that you get things suited for you mostly. The one thing I would rate the highest has got to be the Merci Handy. It is worth every penny!.


If you want to start a subscription but are worried about the cost then use :

https://www.birchbox.co.uk/invite/61mnl

to get $5 off your first box!

Younique 3D Fiber Lashes vs Clinique High Impact Mascara

Younique 3D Fiber Lashes vs Clinique High Impact Mascara

In the hunt for the perfect long voluminous lashes you have to try a lot of different mascaras to see which one works best for you. So when Younique brought out the 3D Fiber Lashes they were a hit! In this I will be comparing them to my favourite mascara I've found gives me long lashes. In this first part I will be talking about the Younique mascara then I will talk about the comparison to the Clinique mascara. 

 The first thing you see when the box arrives is how nice the packaging is! There are two sets of instructions one on the box and a handy carry along set for when you want to keep the pouch with you. For applying to this mascara I've found it is easier to control the lashes and make sure they don't stick together if you already have a thin layer of regular mascara on else your natural lashes do then to clump together. The transplanting gel is a jet black colour and you do need to act fast between putting the first coat of the transplanting gel on and using the other wand with the actual 3D fibers on else it will dry and I would advise the first layer of the fibres to be a thin one else you can end up with too much on making them thick. After you've got your fibers on you lock them in and make the lashes look smooth by using the transplanting gel over the top again. If you want to make them look even bigger you can layer up by repeating the process until you're happy. I only used one layer as I did use two before and they were too clumpy for my liking (I prefer the more sleek natural yet longer lashes). I do find that the fiber brush always is packed with them and I have seen my sister using it before and some of the fibers actually dropping in her eyes! (ouch) so you can brush some of them off beforehand onto a cotton pad and always use the brush to collect them back again to use.

Taking them off is a bit of a challenge so I would recommend making sure you use actual make up remover and a cotton pad and be gentle! I've lost a few of my natural lashes being too rough trying to get this off! Baby wipes don't seem to do much against this mascara and I have had a shower and not removed them coming out they hadn't smudged at all! If you forget to take it off before bed you wake up looking like you've just put some fresh mascara on (I wouldn't recommend doing this but you forget occasionally). This is a bit of a tricky mascara to use with the chance of fibers falling in your eyes but when you do it a few times then you start to get the hang of it! I normally use the transplanting gel and have the fiber brush in my other hand ready to use straight away to make sure it will stick to the gel and the gel will still be wet. If you're looking for something new to try then I would defiantly recommend using this! It does take longer than regular mascara but if you're getting ready for a night out then this would be a perfect edition to add to your going out routine!. This is $29 per set but is worth the money.

Clinique High Impact Mascara is one of my favourite every day mascaras that I can also build on for a great going out look! It is a nice gel black and the wand (standard) is easy to use to separate lashes and it drys quickly. You can get a little smudges under your eye from this mascara if it is damp outside or it rains but apart from that it stays put. I like how big it makes my lashes look and how they stay separate all day. If you want a good lengthening and voluminous mascara then I would highly recommend this. It comes off easy with baby wipes or general make up remover. I got two of these in a set with make up remover at duty free on the way back from Spain June 2016 and this is currently the second one I have gone through. You can see how much I use it from how faded the writing has started to go on the tube. The mascara on its own cost $17.50.

Compared to the 3D fiber lashes it is defiantly a tough one. I love both of them, Clinique being my every day and bottom coat for the Younique one and the Younique one being more of a going out or heavy eye make up day. I can say that since I've brought the Younique one I haven't brought any fake eyelashes to wear for going out as I use this instead! It does have a good finish as well just like the Clinique one but it does last a lot longer and is a lot harder to get off! I can't say that one is better than the others but I will let you decide from the photograph instead. 

http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1606/5416/makeup/mascara/high-impacttm-mascara?cm_mmc=GoogleBase-_-ShoppingFeed-_-Makeup-_-Mascara&gclid=Cj0KEQiA5vXEBRChycOl36LPn5EBEiQAJV2-bNgX5BH10WfHfuBFC_TZMhA9JXdb1xS4pmYjKxlYbmQaAppd8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CNG8iP3uhdICFaSL7QodTwcNFw#/shade/Black

https://www.youniqueproducts.com/LisaDSmith/products/view/US-11101-03?gclid=Cj0KEQiA5vXEBRChycOl36LPn5EBEiQAJV2-bIiIay7euwslrvtBZamL_wqHI0V85--VWgMLpqpFVMcaAovQ8P8HAQ#.WJ3gx2-LTIV

Clinique on the left and Younique on the right.

Lime Crime Velvetines - Review and Swatches

Lime Crime Velvetines 

These matte liquid lipsticks are different to other ones I own, they seem to have an almost moosey texture to them before they dry down to matte. I have a little trouble making sure these aren't streaky as they dry quite quickly and you can feel them on your lips even after they've fully dried. The first set I brought of them was the blue set at the top. In this set there are the shades Cashmere (the shades closest to my palm), Shroom (in the middle) and Bleached (the shaded closest to my shirt). Cashmere is a light purple colour, Shroom is close to the colour of True Brown K in the Kylie Cosmetics range and Bleached is almost a really bright light pinky orange shade. Both these sets cost $60 originally but reduced to $44 when I purchased them. 

The second set I brought was the True Love set with the shades Saint (top shade), True Love (in the middle) and Cupid (bottom shade). All three of them would be perfect for a Valentines day look matched with the cranberry eye shadow and eyeliner. My favourite out of the shades has to be Saint as it's the darker shade out of the three as a brown purple colour. True Love is more of a bright vibrent almost neon pink mixed a bit with orange and Cupid being the most natural out of all of them. If you're looking for a lipstick to go perfectly for Valentines day without going for a red then this is the perfect set for you! The formula must be slightly different with this set as it wasn't as thick as last time but still has the almost moose like texture. I don't think I am going to buy any more from them, they do have some nice colours but I'm not keen on the formula they use. 

If you want to buy any from the website I'll link it below.

https://www.limecrime.com/en-us/categories/sets-bundles 

First Impressions - Oval Brushes

Oval Brushes

Oval brushes, or artist brushes, are made from thousands of different size strands to create a dense seamless brush. Watching YouTubers like Laura Lee I have wanted to purchase a set to see for myself if they are as good as they look and are raved about. Most companies now have a set or a few of these brushes from unbranded ones like the ones I purchased or Mac and Anastasia Beverly Hills so prices range from under $10 to over $300 for a set. Since I only really purchased these for the blog I thought I would just get some cheap unbranded ones from eBay as they should be relatively the same as the branded ones and a lot cheaper! These have a 2 year warranty, which is really good as I have had a friend who brought a Mac one and it snapped while she was using it then it took a while to be able to afford a replacement.

First use of the brushes was they seemed to absorb some of the foundation (it's a shame but happens with other brushes as well) but feels smooth. I used the largest brush for my foundation and I did find that getting into the harder to reach places (inner corners of my eyes then along my eyebrows) I had to change to the smaller brushes. I dabbed foundation over my face then used this brush to provide full coverage and blend it in to my skin ready for the next steps. For my contour I used my usual Sleek medium contour palette with the brush in the centre of the photograph to shape under my cheek bones to make it more defined. I didn't find that it worked that well so I had to use my usual Zoeva 112 Face Curve brush to make it really pop. I found these brushes really hard to do smaller details like the contouring (I'm not sure if it is just because it was a powder contour so I will try it again with a cream in a later post) or eye shadow as I couldn't blend very well with it.

Overall these are nice brushes, they are fun to use every now and then but I wouldn't just use these brushes on their own. Maybe it will just need some getting used to but I will give them a go and update you later on with if there is a hack to using them better and getting a better pay out.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162232918981?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=461210339886&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Valentines Day 2017 Make Up Look and Products I Used

Valentines Day 2017

Valentines day is a time of love and when you're going out for Valentines day there is a lot of pressure to get the right look. From clothes to make up it takes at least two weeks to decide what look you're going to go for. Me and my boyfriend have been together for over two years so when it comes to events like Valentines day it's one of the rare moments I like to put in a lot of effort with how I look and what I will look like on the day/night. First to help you decide what you're doing on Valentines day, if you're going out for a meal at a restaurant then it's all about getting the right dress to suit the restaurant theme with the dress matching the eye shadow look and the lipstick where as if you're going to a more casual day/night you'll be looking for the perfect outfit to match where you're going and want a more bolder make up look to make you really stand out.

This blog is going to be on what me and my boyfriend will be doing and how I decided what to wear and how I will be doing my make up with the brands I'll be using. This is the first post I will be doing where I won't be really reviewing the products as I have used them before or they are new and will all be future blog posts.

To start off with I'll go through what I will be wearing and why I chose to wear this. We have decided to have a picnic at Rutland Water (a nature reserve/ reservoir near where we live) if the weather is as nice as it was last weekend then while we're there we are going to have a skate around the water as well. As it gets nippy up there I chose my outfit according to the temperature there; jeans, my new jumper and Converse as any other shoes (like ballet pumps) wouldn't work while skating. This is a simple yet nice outfit and with the jumper being a darker toned pink it goes with the whole valentines (pink or red usually). If I have enough time before packing up to go for the picnic I want to curl my hair to make it look nicer.

Onto the make up part... since I know what I will be wearing I know the colours for my eye shadow (pink to match the jumper) for my foundation I will use my usual Maybelline Better Skin foundation (in Light Beige) with Benefits Porefessional primer underneath to make the foundation go on smoother. For eye shadow I am going to use Huda Beauty Textured Shadows Palette Rose Gold Edition as I've tested the look before and liked how it looks so to start off with I used the shade 'Bae' with my Spectrum C06 blending brush to start off with all over my lid as a base shade to set the primer then I used the shade 'Shy' over my crease towards the outside of my eye to give it some depth. Using the Spectrum brush again I packed on the shade 'Flamino' in the outer corner of my eye towards the centre part of my eye then a dash of the shade 'Maneater' with my Zoeva 226 smudger brush  to blend it in to make the crease pop. For the inner corner of my eye I used the shade 'Moon Dust' as it really stands out. When you pick up this palette you know you have to use at least one of the textured shadows as that's what makes the palette so unique so I smudged a bit of the shade 'Angelic' in the middle of my eye up to the crease then used the blending brush again to just gently make it look smooth. For my lashes I used my usual Clinique high impact mascara as I know it makes my lashes look long and stops clumping. For my eyebrows I used Kylie Cosmetics Kyliner Creme Gel Eyeliner in Black with the brush which comes with the kit as I find it makes my eyebrows easy to shape and look nice and natural. In the photographs I have used my Sleek Medium contour kit as well for my jaw line and to make my cheeks look more defined but I didn't use as much as normal as I wanted to make it look more natural. I then used my Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette to make my face have a nice glow on my cheeks. I might add blush on the actual day but I don't use it that often so I didn't use it for creating the look to start off with. I didn't go with eyeliner like I normally do as I wanted it to look natural and less bold as I would save that for the night time look. I didn't go with lipstick as picnic food can get messy and I wouldn't want to have to top it up.

For the evening we haven't decided what we will be doing so I am going to wear my a simple black dress with grey tights then my Converse again, I will bring my outfit from the day with my so I can change if we have plans which involves being outside again. For my eyelook I will make it more dramatic by adding my usual Maybelline Master Ink eyeliner and a dash of silver glitter eyeliner to really make my eyes pop.

I hope everyone who reads this has an amazing Valentines day and likes my Valentines look. I know it is simple but my boyfriend tends to like the more natural look so I like to make it look as natural but to the outfit as possible. Leave me a comment to let me know what you do for Valentines day and what look you did!. 

SiliSponges - Are They Worth The Hype?

Molly Cosmetics Shipping
Packaging

 Molly Cosmetics SiliSponge

SiliSponges, they're everywhere now a days with Molly Cosmetics already on their 10th restock of the product! They promote their product with the fact you only have to use half as much product to which you normally use with a regular beauty blender or brush. Obviously foundation is expensive and if this little silicone sponge can make it last longer its worth a purchase! So what is is made from? The inner material is made from silicone and the outer shell is thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) which makes it resistant to oil and grease. Wanting to try this out for myself I then wondered... If it's just silicone surely you can buy it on eBay for cheaper? Molly Cosmetics SiliSponge costing $14.90 on sale for two isn't an every few months cost when you can get beauty blenders for around $5 each. I found a person from Hong Kong (where Molly Cosmetics is based) selling them for $2 so I ordered one just to compare to the official SiliSponge.

First Impressions of the eBay SiliSponge 

Molly Cosmetics Silisponge (top)
eBay replica (bottom)

 The eBay SiliSponge arrived first as I didn't need to be on a waiting list for it so about 2 weeks later it arrived in the post. Not having the Molly Cosmetics SiliSponge to compare to straight away I thought it was a bit firm for my liking but putting a single pump of my foundation on the small silicone blender actually managed to cover my entire face where one pump would usually be almost half my face a little down my neck from blending. The eBay SiliSponge not only felt a little harder than I expected but has a ridge around it where they moulded the two pieces together to make it which seems to collect some of the foundation and isn't easy to get it off without using your finger. Cleaning is easy though with a dab of soap and running it under water (just not hot enough to do any damage to it).

 First Impressions of the Molly Cosmetics SiliSponge

Both Molly Cosmetics Silisponges

Both Molly Cosmetics Silisponges

Around two weeks after the first eBay SiliSponge arrived the little Molly Cosmetics bag was waiting for me at home when I finished work, I could tell instantly from seeing Jeffree Stars review on the product and their little logo on it. Excited I opened it seeing both the SiliSponges in their separate bags. As soon as |I felt these SiliSponges I could tell the difference between the Molly Cosmetic and eBay one as the Molly Cosmetics isn't as hard as the eBay one is and doesn't have exactly the same shape. The Molly Cosmetics one hasn't got as sharper on the edges as the eBay one is and has a bigger service area and has more of a flat back rather than the eBay one has more of a rounded back making it harder on the skin when you're smoothing the foundation on the skin. It spreads the product on the skin a lot smoother but there isn't much difference with both of the SiliSponges apart from the Molly Cosmetics is softer on the skin, easier to control and doesn't collect foundation around the edges like the eBay one does. 

Over View Of Both Products

All in all both of the SiliSponges work as they should, giving an even spread of foundation onto the skin looking more flawless than with a brush or beauty blender. I'm not sure how long these will last for as this is the first time using them but on the website Molly Cosmetics wrote 'Keep away from sharp objects like your tweezers or brow scissors, and it will last for a very long time!'



If you fancy trying it out for yourself you can find them in the links below:

https://www.mollycosmeticsshop.com/collections/silisponge

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silicone-Gel-Powder-Puff-Clear-Makeup-Blending-Cosmetic-Sponge-Foundation-Tools/201780842266?_trksid=p2047675.c100012.m1985&_trkparms=aid%3D777003%26algo%3DDISCL.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160608105753%26meid%3D2b786a571284474c89397be2e9a76ac9%26pid%3D100012%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D201757335515