January Favourites

Why January why?  Why do you have to go so fast?  How is it that February is just around the corner and this is my first ever monthly favourites?  Yes...that's right...I have never done a favourites post.  I decided not to do one in December or do a yearly favourites as I was a new blogger and now my little corner of the world wide web is nearly two months old.  I cannot comprehend the quickness time is flying!  I have seen a few bloggers approaching their blog birthdays and even though mine is 10 months away, it will sneak up on me quicker than I think.  Anyway, I best get on with what I am loving this month.

This month has seen a lot of products come into my life and I have quickly fell in love with them.  I have nine products which are worthy of a mention.  Most you will have seen and probably got and a lot of these products are products I wish I had been introduced to sooner as I cannot ever see then not in my possession!

Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Booster - OH MY GOSH!!!  This is probably THE product I am mostly kicking myself because this should have been in my life sooner.  A quick back story...I have combination/dry skin and my cheeks have been quite dry from the change of whether and travelling and this little beauty, within a night might I add, boosted the moisture in my skin and my skin was touchabley (if that is a word?) softer and since then, the dryness of my cheeks has reduced and I will be sad to see the end of this.  I may have to get a back up!

O.P.I Embrace the Gray from the Fifty Shades Of Grey Collection - I have had this collection for nearly a month now and this colour is the only colour I have reached for in this collection and this surprised me as I thought I would have been drawn to My Silk Tie (See review of collection here) as My Silk Tie was the one I was drawn to online.  It is a medium toned grey crème and has a really good formula.

Urban Decay Naked On The Run Palette - This palette is the perfect palette to travel with.  I has everything and it is the palette I have been reaching for on a daily basis, whether it be for a 'no make-up' make-up day or a full eye look.  I especially like the Perversion Mascara.  A full review of this palette can be found here. 

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation - My most worn foundation!  It is a light to medium coverage foundation that leaves you with a semi-dewy finish which has been perfect for my combination skin.  Another product which I am kicking myself for not having in my life before.

Macadamia Deep Repair Masque - This mask is to die for.  I have never felt my hair so soft and shiny until this beauty came into my life.  It smells divine although I cannot quite put my finger on what the scent is.  I use this about 1-2 times a week and my hair just feels better in quality.

Nivea Soothing Cleansing Mouse - I wanted a cleanser that I would enjoy using and this is the product.  It makes cleansing my skin so much easier and smells so fresh!  I have seen an improvement in my skin since using this on a daily basis.

Real Technique Brushes - The brush that is in the picture is a representative of the vast collection of Real Technique brushes and since having them in my collection, it has opened my eyes to the world of brushes and I must say there are a few that are slowly making their way into next months favourites.  If you want a blog post of my entire collection of RT brushes then comment down below and I will make that happen.

It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product - Another 'I can't believe this wasn't in my life before!' product.  This also leaves my hair more manageable and softer than just using a normal heat protection spray and although I have been using it every time I wash my hair, there is still loads left so I can see this lasting me a long time.

Ghost by Ghost - Well there isn't much I can say about this fragrance that I haven't already said here.  This has been my signature scent since I purchased it back in December and I can see myself not having this in my collection.

That's my favourites for this month.  I am sorry I haven't been posting a lot this week as Uni has been manic this week but posts should be back to normal now.

What have you been loving this month?  Any recommendations?

Bye for now.

Jess. X 

Birchbox January 2015 - Woman's Health Edition

Back in December on day 2 of Blogmas, I reviewed November's Birchbox and I was very impressed with the concept and the items which were included in the box that I decided to get a years subscription.  You can find my post of that box here where I will explain about the concept of the box and you can also see my view on the product (some of which could be reviewed now I have used them a bit more!)

I received my box in good time as I wasn't expecting it to land in my mail room at Uni until later this week...so far so good Birchbox!  I rushed back to my dorm room and opened it instantly and was very happy with the design of the box!  It is white and purple with the white part showing pretty patterns of sports and exercise equipment.  This months box has teamed up with Women's Health and is designed with health and fitness after the Christmas break to become healthier, all of which I am pleased about as I am starting the gym come Monday!

 Look at all the pretty stuff I got!  Out of all the items I received, I think I wont use 2 maybe 3 out of the 7 products and all will be revealed why further in the blogpost!









The first item is this sachet of Embrace Matcha Loose Green Tea.
What Birchbox says: 'Our new favourite superfood, Matcha is 100% natural with 10 times the antioxidants of regular green tea.'  I have only just got into drinking herbal tea and green tea is one tea that I haven't tried yet and one where I don't think I will try any time soon.  This sample may just go into my samples box and I may try it out, I may not do.
Price full size: £24.99

The next item is the only full sized item in the entire box and that is Stila's Lip Glaze in 'Gleam'
What Birchbox say: 'A coverted, suits-all-complexions colour - this sheer lip gloss is a cult classic for a reason!' 
I have never tried any products from Stila as I think they are a little over priced but my opinion may change after using this.
Price full size: £15




This product, I am sure a few people got back in November and this was the product I wanted but never got and I was very happy when I saw it in this months box.  This is Beauty Protector's Protect & Detangle Spray.
What Birchbox say: 'This sweet-smelling spray detangles, adds shine and protects from both UVA rays and heat damage.'
I loved the hair mask that I received back in November and am excited to try this out next time I wash my hair (which will be very soon!)
Price full size: £14

activbod is a brand I have never heard of and one that may get a bit of usage once I start the gym.  This is activbod's Feel Great Shower Concentrate.
What Birchbox say: 'Refreshing sea-minerals and green tea mingle with soothing almond oil for and energising post-workout shower.'
Like I said above, I have never heard of this product but that's what this box is for right?  I may just have to try this out after my first post-gym shower on Monday and do a review/first impressions as I can only see this sample as a one use only product.
Price full size: £5

This is another product that I was excited to see this month.  Lately, I have been on a skincare kick and have been trying to stick to a skincare routine (I will be posting my routine soon!) This cute little sample is REN's Glycolactic Radience Renewal Mask.
What Birchbox say: 'Radience in a tube!  A fast-working, exfoliating treatment that improves texture, tone and combats congestion.'
I have been back to Uni for a week now and my skin has just freaked out and like I said above, I have had to create a skincare routine to try and combat my freaked out skin so anything skincare related is good enough for me!
Price full size: £30

This is another product that might get stashed away in my samples box as I don't think I have any need for it.  This is Shaveworks 'The Cool Fix'
What Birchbox say: 'This genius cooling gel lotion treats ingrown hairs, razor bumps and redness after hair removal'
I never suffer with any other aforementioned hair removal conditions so this may not get used!
Price full size: £11


The lifestyle choice this month revolves around fitness and what this months box is about.  This is Birchbox's Pilates Band.
What Birchbox says: 'Tone, increase strength and improve muscle endurance with this stretchy resistance band.'
This is another product which may not get used but will have to see once I start going to the gym.  I may be able to incoporate it somewhere into my routine.
Price full size: £7.99

There are the usual cards with what they products are and how much the product is full size and a booklet of 12 mini challenges but I never read the cards unless there is something that is interesting on them :)

Overall this box has a pretty good selection of products which I will use.  I am pretty impressed with the fact of having a full sized product priced over the amount paid for the box has made it worth the £12.95 (with p &p) and there are a good number of products which I will used and enjoy happily this month and am looking forward to next months box.

Have you received a Birchbox this month and what do you think of your box this month?  How does yours differ to mine?

Bye for now.

Jess. X