July Glossybox

It's always a jolly day when my Glossybox arrives on my work desk. This months box is based on American beauty products named Stars and Stripes. I love a different look box, and this one doesn't disappoint. Now I must admit, after venturing to America myself last year, and sampling some of their beauty products, I think there could of been better choices, but overall I liked the items this month.

Bellapierre Cosmetics Ltd - Mineral Lipstick

This lipstick immediately stood out to me (it might be something to do with my lip product obsession!). This mineral lipstick includes natural waxes and mineral pigments which makes applying this a dream, it slides on to your lips perfectly. A perfect red shade for the summer, and of course includes, everyones favourite friend in a product... SPF!

ABSOLUTE New York - Perfecting Eyeshadow Primer

I am always sceptical at trying new eyeshadow primers as I have tried so many and then gone back to my trusty NARS or Urban Decay products. However, all items deserve a shot! I'll certainly be giving this a go, and with such a reasonable price tag, I hope it's a keeper!

Carmex - Lip Balm

I defy anyone to say they've not tried this cult classic! I always have a little pot or tube of this stuff around. It's brilliant, reasonably priced, and gives great results. I always apply a little underneath my lipsticks or glosses to give that added softness.

Color Club - Glossy Seal

I'd never heard of this brand before, but so glad it arrived this month. This nail polish is really great. One coat gives a lovely opaque finish with lots of shine without the need for a top coat. The wearability was great, lasting days before chipping. I would normally choose brighter colours for the summer months, but this colour really reminds me of being on a boat in the gorgeous blue sea while on holiday, so guess it could be durable for summer too. Lovely product. 

Juice Beauty - Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer

As soon as I get a bit of a tan on my face in the summer months, my skin gets really dry, so I'm always on the lookout for new moisturisers and products to help. I really like the sound of this particular one, green apple makes it sound fresh and inviting. I'm definitely going to give this a thorough test and hope to see good results. 

So that's it for my Glossybox this month, and with 4 full size products in the box, I'd say it's been a good one. Anyone else get anything different?

Colourful Summer Nails

As you may have noticed by my recent tweets and blogs, I've become obsessed with nail varnishes recently. I can't seem to stop myself from buying them! 

I saw a deal on Wowcher a while back for five Essie nail varnishes for £15. Bargain I here you say? Essie polishes are normally £7.99 each!

Top to Bottom - Cascade Cool, Fear & Desire, Bikini So Teeny, Mojito Madness and Off the Shoulder. 

The website that was offering this great deal was Cosmetics By Candy. They were really quick to arrive and featured mostly colours from last season, but still perfect for this summer. I tried so hard to get my hands on Bikini So Teeny last year but it was sold out everywhere. 

L - R - Cascade Cool, Fear & Desire, Bikini So Teeny, Mojito Madness and Off the Shoulder. 

The colours that arrived were gorgeous and exactly what I'd buy in the shop. I couldn't wait to try them out. The above nails were painted with 2 coats. The colour is really opaque and gives great shine even without a top coat. 
I'm totally obsessed with Essie polishes, and on this website, even without the deal I got, they sell some for £2.99.  Really amazing value.

Who else is an Essie fan? Favourite colours?

Polka Dot Nails

I heard about these new nail varnishes from a friend recently when she'd picked some up in Boots. They are the Maybelline Color Show Polka Dot varnishes. They come in four great colours, and are super cheap and easy to apply.

L-R Shooting Stars, Speckled Pink and Rainforest Canopy

I popped in to Superdrug who were doing a 3 for 2 offer at the time and picked up three of the colours. The fourth colour which is a dark chalky colour has been sold out at all my local stores since these have been released. I'm definitely looking to get hold of that colour when I can.

L-R Rainforest Canopy, Speckled Pink and Shooting Stars

The above finishes were achieved with only 2 coats each. They are really easy to work with and didn't chip at all on me using a Sally Hansen top coat. I think they look great.

Overall, in my recent nail obsessions (seriously, I'm buying far to many nail varnishes recently) I really enjoyed using these polishes. They are a cute edition when looking for something a little quirky and different on your nails.

Has anyone tried these? What's your opinion?

June Glossybox

The June Glossybox arrived on my desk at work this week, and it never fails to cheer up my day! Nothing like a beauty treat on a dreary rainy day in the office. Here's the lovely items I received this month.

This month’s box revolves around the theme ‘Summer Looks’, which will be quite apt when the sun finally decides to show an appearance. Fingers crossed for a warm summer to set in soon eh?

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse OR

I love NUXE products, but have never tried their oils before, so I’m definitely excited to give this a go. It’s a multi purpose dry oil which you can use to either hydrate your face, illuminate the body or strengthen your hair.

Figs and Rouge Lip Balm in Cherry Blossom

I’ve wanted to try one of these lip balms for aaages! So I was happy to see it in this months box. It smells lovely, and feels super moisturising on the lips. And best of all, it’s 100% natural! It can be used on other areas to moisturise, a bit like Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour Cream, but I think I’ll use this just on my lips.

Monu Professional Skincare Hydrating Moisturiser

I’ve tried a couple of products from Monu before including a moisturising facial tanner which I enjoyed using. This product is a moisturiser with an anti ageing element thrown in. It includes an SPF which is essential for a moisturiser in the summer months, especially if you tend not to wear foundation when it’s warmer. It also offers to blur imperfections and correct skin tone. Sounds perfect, looking forward to trying this one.

Helen E Cosmetics Shimmer Eye Powder

I’ll be honest, I’m not a massive fan of loose eye shadows, I prefer pressed or cream based shadows. But, the colour and shimmer finish of this is lovely, so I’ll definitely be giving it a go.

MeMeMe Cosmetics Long Lasting Nail Gloss

I love nail varnishes, and you’d only need to take one look at my twitter feed or blog posts to guess that! So as you can imagine, I’m always happy to see a nail varnish in my Glossybox. I got the colour Wild which is a lovely deep purple colour. There may be a little shimmer to it, but I can’t confirm as not tried it out yet.

Green and Blacks Organic Dark Chocolate

And becoming more and more frequent is a Glossy extra. I love getting something a little extra on top of the normal 5 items, always makes the box feel a little more special to me! So thanks Glossybox for the chocolatey treat! :)

So that’s all for my Glossybox this month, looking forward to trying all these products out soon.

Anyone already use any of these items? What did you get in your beauty box this month?

 

Spring Nails

Even though it's still majorly cold outside, we've seen the beginnings of some sunshine in the past couple of weeks which has certainly got everyone hoping that Spring is finally here.

I've been rethinking my nail polish colours recently to match the brighter weather and get ready for Spring. Pastels are always a popular choice for Spring, and look so pretty with any outfit. 

Here are just a few of the colours I've been enjoying wearing recently. From left to right we have, Essie - Mint Candy Apple, Essie - Miss Fancy Pants, Sally Hansen - Pink a Card, Rimmel - Pear Drop and Essie - Play Date. I'm a big fan of Essie nail varnishes as they do the loveliest colours and seem to last the longest on my nails without chipping.

This is how the colours look with 2 coats of colour and a clear top coat. The colours from the thumb clockwise are, Mint Candy Apple, Pink a Card, Miss Fancy Pants, Play Date and Pear Drop. I use Sally Hansen's Insta Dry or OPI's Rapidry top coats as I hate waiting for my nails to dry and these both work really well for me and don't chip for days.

Recently I picked up this Rock Your Colour top coat in Disco Gold from Rimmel which adds a glittery finish to your nail colour. I think it looks really great and adds that extra sparkle to any colour. Picture above layered over Mint Candy Apple.

I have been buying so many nail varnishes recently, there seem to be so many new formulas released at the moment. What's your favourite spring nails? 

Budget Caviar Manicure

While in Superdrug picking up some last minute holiday essentials with my friend, we spotted the MUA Nail Constellations. 

These are the perfect budget solution to Ciate's Caviar Manicure. I picked them up in the colour Gemini to test, and I must say, they didn't disappoint. The price difference is amazing, MUA costing a mere £3 compared to Ciate's £18! Although with Ciate's version you do get a matching nail varnish, which you don't with MUA. But any nail varnish works great with these beads. 

I chose to use an Essie nail polish in the colour Bahama Mama. I was really impressed with how easy this manicure was to apply. I envisioned a messy affair, but it was reasonably quick and easy! 

I started by painting my nail with the nail polish, then sprinkled the Nail Constellations all over my nail until it was completely covered. I shook off the excess then moved on to the next nail while it dried. After a couple of minutes, I pressed slightly on the beads to ensure they were all stuck fast.

I really love the finished result, I think they look great, and for the price, it's fantastic! I sprinkled the beads on to my nail over a bowl, that way you can pour the unused beads back in to the bottle. There's enough beads for dozens of applications. I will definitely be purchasing some other colours, they look great for the christmas party season!

Has anyone ever tried either the MUA or Ciate version? One things for sure, I'm definitely sold on the Caviar Manicure.

August Glossybox

Yay.... Glossybox time! I absolutely love Glossybox day, it's so exciting to see whats in the box and if there's any gems you discover and want to use permanently! Last couple of boxes haven't disappointed. I must admit, I was slightly half and half on this box! Here's what was in it...

Alessandro Pro White Nail Varnish

I haven't actually tried this product yet, as I'm still wearing a nail colour but am excited to try it. I love wearing nail varnish and often find my nails 'off colour' when I come to remove it. This nail varnish promises to brighten and whiten tired nails when used regularly. I'm definitely hoping it works well! 

Lipcote Lipstick Sealer

I actually really like this product, and used to own it years and years ago. It's basically a sealant to apply after your lipstick to ensure it lasts. Now, these days i haven't felt as much of a need considering so many of my favourite lipsticks or lip stains actually stay for a long time anyway, but certainly looking forward to using this product again. 

Glossybox Lipstick

I must admit, after the Glossybox brush we received a couple of boxes ago (I had brush hairs all over my face with first use), I was sceptical! Yet I actually really love this lipstick. The colour is called Glossy Pink, and that is a spot on name. It's a lovely colour, feels really moisturising and the packaging looks really nice. Will definitely be using this soon. 

Vera Valenti - L'ombre a Paupiere Magarita

This particular item is what was really disappointing for me. As soon as I saw this product, it reminded me of something I used to buy from the market when I was 11. It looks really cheap and although the eyeshadow colours are OK, they aren't very pigmented making them incredibly hard to apply. Not a fan if I'm honest, bit disappointing. 

All for Eve for the Eve Appeal Balm

I think this product is actually quite nice, it is quite compact with a little mirror and is really moisturising and easy to apply. The thing I'm not sure about; the smell! It's hit or miss, a lot of people may love it while to me it smells a bit 'off'.  Saying that, I think it's great that they raise funds and awareness for gynaecological cancer. Any products that are supporting charities are great products in my opinion. This has been in my handbag since Glossy day! :)

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

This is definitely the winning product for me, hands down! I've never been a fan of oil based cleansers, always preferring cream based, but this truly has me hooked. Just one application removed all my make up (including all mascara traces) leaving me feeling really refreshed! Love it! And this size is perfect for travelling. I'm going away for work next week and this will be perfect! No more carrying make up removers, cleansers etc etc. Just this, then a good toner and moisturiser! Perfect! Definitely my fave item!

So all in all, a mostly positive box for me this month. What did you get in yours? I'm disappointed i didn't get the imPress nails though like some did. Did you get the same items as me?