Blogmas - Day Two: November Favourites'

Hi guys.

Its been a while since I did a favorites blogpost...in fact I have only ever done one favourites' post before and that was almost 12 months ago!  So as it is Blogmas and November has left us for another year I am going to show you what I have been loving for the month.

November was a big month for me trying what I already had as well as trying a couple of new products which I received from a few Birchboxes.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish: Let me start by saying this product is amazing!  I cannot believe I have never thought of trying this.  I received this sample in a Birchbox earlier in the year and I have used this ever since.  I have two samples and am almost out of my second sample.  Safe to say I will be purchasing the full size soon as my skin has never looked better while using this.  It is a thick cream which when applied to the skin, makes my skin tingle due to the eucalyptus oil which smells like heaven in a bottle.  I just squeeze a bit onto my hands and rub it onto my skin and with the muslin cloth that came with it, I wipe it off with hot water and my skin feels refreshed and clean.  It does remove make up but I tend to use this once I have taken off my make up and any residual make up left comes off with it.  I will have to go to my local Boots soon and pick the full size up.  You can purchase this at Boots.

Bioderma: I have mentioned this in my skincare routine earlier this year (you can find that blogpost here)  and during November I have been using this almost every day and night as I find it cleanses my face beautifully and gets rid of make up and impurities without causing stinging to the eyes and face.  I am about half way through the bottle and will be repurchasing when it is nearly empty.  You can buy the 250ml bottle at Boots but I bought this through Amazon 

Parlor Smoothing Blowout Spray: I don't normally use a lot of products in my hair but as I received this sample in a Birchbox, I decided to try this out and boy am I impressed.  This product smells fantastic and smooths and give my hair a shiney finish. I don't exactly know where to purchase this but I'm sure you can purchase this at Birchbox. 

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation in 10 Beige: I have recently done a blogpost on this foundation which you can see here.  This foundation gives me a full coverage without it feeling and looking cakey.  The scent is pleasant and doesn't linger once applied.  You can purchase this at Boots or Debenhams.

Chanel LE BLANC DE CHANEL Multi-use Illuminating Base: This base is one of the best I have ever tried.  It is so silky to apply yet is quite a thick feeling (I know that sounds weird but it is the only way  I can describe it)  The scent is so nice, it smells kind of fruity.  It gives the skin a nice glow while priming the face.  You can either use it mixed into your foundation or alone under it.  I have only used it alone but I will have to try it mixed into my foundation,  You can also pick this up from Boots and Debenhams.

Nuxe Reve De Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm:  Again I have reviewed this on my blog which I will link here.  I have started using this more this month as my lips have become so dry and  I know that it helps with dry, cracked lips.  My lips are still dry but not as cracked and sore.  I think this has become my holy grail lip balm!  You can purchase this from Marks and Spencer's or SpaceNK.

Real Techniques Brushes:  I have only shown three of my Real Techniques brushes to show them in my favourites' post but I am loving the range as a whole.  They are soft yet stiff when it comes to applying make up to the face.  You can purchase them from Boots and Superdrug.

Superdrug Eyelash Curler: Lastly is a boring product but a useful one.  I have been trying to use eyelash curlers more often and I didn't want to spend a fortune on them if I didn't use them often enough so I bought these from Superdrug which you can purchase in store or online here.  They help curl my lashes especially my left eyelashes as they seem to be all over the place and mascara can't seem to straighten them up unless I have curled them before hand.

That's it for my favourites' this month.  I will be doing a December favourites' post instead of a yearly one as I cannot remember what I have been loving this year (I really need to write this down or do a regular favourites' post, which I will try to accomplish in 2016).

What have you been loving this month?  Any recommendations?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

November Birchbox

Hi Guys.

It has been a while since I have posted a Birchbox blog post and even though I haven't posted one since the February/March Birchbox post, I still have been receiving them.  The only one I missed was the August box and that was some issues on receiving it from my end.

Anyway...this months Birchbox was a colab with a company called Skinny Dip who create quirky and cute accessories.  Sometime when Birchbox colab with companies, they let you choose your own samples or boxes, but this month subscribers could upgrade their box and get a phone case worth £12 for an extra £4 on top of your monthly subscription.  Skinny dip's website can be found here.http://www.skinnydiplondon.com/

The first product that I received was The Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream.

Birchbox says: Containing the brand's 'healthy hear molecule', OFPMA, this lotion creates a weightless shield that blocks humidity to leave hair smooth and sleek, whatever the weather.  I tend to have frizzy hair during the summer months so this product will have to wait until then...if the UK gets a hot summer next year.

Full price: £21

The second product is Lord & Berry Silhouette Neutral Lip Liner.

Birchbox says: Smudged lippie and wobbly lines will be a thing of the past with this neutral liner!  Apply it before sweeping on your favourite shade for a super precise lip with no unsightly bleeding.  The best part?  Its translucency means that you can use it with any and every shade of  of lipstick.  Mwah!  I am not a bit fan of lip liners just because I can never find the right shade for the lipstick I would be wearing so I am hoping this will save me from making a lip mistake and mismatching my liner to my lipstick.

Full price: £9

The next product is the Cowshed Cow Pat Hand Cream.

Birchbox says: This cheekily-named nourishing hand lotion is packed with rejuvenating essential oils - Grapefruit to uplift and Coriander to soothe - leaving skin moisturised and toned.  I have used this ever night since I received it and so far I am impressed.  My hands have been super soft considering the amount of hand washing I have to do at work and the weather changing to winter so it is a lot colder during the day and night and so far since using this, my hands haven't been dry or sore.

Full price: £8

This next product is Delarom Creme Acquaconfort.

Birchbox says: When your complexion feels a little sorry for itself, this rejuvenating cream uses almond, apricot oils and vitamin E to nourish and soothe dehydrated skin from first use - divine!  A brand I have never heard of.  My skin is not normally so dry it needs something like this but with the winter months coming I may have to bring this out and give it a try if my normal moisturiser doesn't cut it.

Full price: £34

The fifth product I received is Pure & Light Organic Revitalising Facial Exfoliation.

Birchbox says: An incredible 32 active ingredients, from arctic oat to antioxidant-packed berry-extracts, are packed into this gentle exfoliate that leaves skin smooth, radiant and glowing.  Exfoliation is one thing I need to start doing once a week but I have yet to find a good one to use so maybe Birchbox has helped me out with giving me this product.

Full price: £25

The final product is L. Erickson Grab & Go Ponytail Holder

Birchbox says: Whether you're sweeping hair off your face to apply make-up or just want to switch up your 'do halfway through the day, you'll never be caught short with this handy, metal-free hair-tie in your bag.  I have so many hair-ties that this wasn't really welcomed although it was nice to be given another one in case all mine snap or get lost and on the plus side, it is metal-free which tends to be the hair-ties I buy so who knows if this one will be the one I purchase from now on?

Full price: £11.50 for a set of 15

This months box has mixed reviews from me I think as some products I wouldn't normally use or think about purchasing so hopefully I will enjoy the products I wouldn't normally used or purchase.  I cannot believe that I have had my subscription for almost a year and I have to say I have enjoyed the wide range of products I have been introduced to and some have been good and some have been bad, some I have wanted to used and purchase for a long time and some I have been introduced to and been really impressed with.  

I do however think that I may try a different subscription box come January as well as  renew Birchbox and compare the difference between the two boxes .

Have you got any suggestions for a new subscription of beauty boxes?  What products have you been loving in your boxes this month? 

Bye for now.  

Jess. X

Blogmas day 2: November Birchbox review

I have watched Youtube videos for about two years now and have noticed how beauty boxes have become more popular over the years and they have become my favourite thing to watch.  I like to see what samples and full size products they get.  From brands I have heard of to brands I have never heard of, from high end brands to those you can get at the drug store,I have always wanted to get my hands on some of the brands.  So this is the whole reason why I decided to delve into the phenomenon called beauty boxes.

There are many different kinds of beauty boxes, Glossybox, Birchbox to name a few and so when I watched the November Birchbox unboxing I knew I had to have it.  And with an email from them ( I had already created an account waiting for January to come) I got an email with a £5 off my first box, I knew I had to take full advantage of the offer so I ordered one straight away.

Another reason why I got the November box was because I wanted to sample the box before committing to a years subscription as if I didn't like it or it wasn't for me then I would waste my money.

I was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed opening the box and looking at all the brands I had only heard of and never actually been able to sample or buy them.

The concept of beauty boxes is simple.  Birchbox.co.uk says "Birchbox delivers luxe beauty and lifestyle samples every month, hand-picked just for you!"  And I agree with them  They have three different subscriptions; the monthly box where you pay £10 plus p&p, A six month subscription where you pay £50 and pay p&p each month or the twelve month subscription where you pay £90 plus p&p each month.

In each box you get 5 products ranging from small sample sizes to full size products.  You also get a lifestyle product which are usually sample sizes.  The box is a simple brown and cream box that occasionally changes depending on what they occasion is or if someone has designed the box.  The November box was their signature brown box.  Inside the box is some cards, some welcoming me to the Birchbox community and some with hints and tips printed on the back of some nice pictures which I will be putting up on my dorm walls. Amongst the cards was a list of products I got and how much they are full sized.

Now onto my box.  Like I said above I was very happy with my box this month and I hoping that this will continue when I purchase the twelve month subscription.  Inside my box was six items, five beauty related and one lifestyle.  I am going to describe them in order of what is on my card and describe my reaction and thoughts on them.  Some products I have tried already and some I have yet to sample.







Disclosure:  I am not being paid to review this product and have not been sent this item for free.  All thoughts are my own and I have paid for this out of my own money.  

My first product is a nail product.  Reverence de Bastien Top Coat.  The price of this is £16 full size and in the box, they have included a full size product.  I have yet to try this but have been on the hunt for a new top coat as my old one is getting kind of gross.  There will be an individual review on this later.



The next product is a haircare product.  Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Hair Mask.  The cost of this product full size is £16 and in the box I got two small sample size tubs filled to the top with the hair mask.  I had my hair cut short in September as I wanted to reinvent myself as I was starting university and starting my new life so a hair cut was in order.  I was told by my hairdresser that my hair was a combination of oily at the roots and dry down the shaft and my ends.  She put a hair mask on and the results was amazing.  I was told to use a hair mask from time to time but I have never gotten around to finding one so I was pleased to see that I had been sent a hair mask sample and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really liked it.  The smell was amazing and the card says "...this luxurious mask packed with argon oil, honey, amber and crushed pearls"  The texture of the hair mask is very thick but once it hits the water it thins down into a nice, spreadable consistency.  I left it on my hair for a good 15 minutes and once I had washed it off, I noticed a difference immediately.  My hair felt smoother and softer and that was while my hair was damp!  Once my hair dried, my hair felt healthier and smoother.  I would definitely buy this product full size!



Another product I was curious to learn to use was the Lord & Berry bronzer in Sienna.  The price of this in full size is £19 and they included in the box a small sample.  I haven't used this product yet but have swatched it as when I looked into the pan, it looked a bit too dark for my pale skin tone but once I swatched it, I found that it could be the perfect bronzer for me to experiment with as I have never used bronzer before.



Another full size product that was included (yes we was all spoilt this month with full size products) was a lip balm.  Pixi by Petra Shea Butter Lip Balm is a brand I have never heard of before or seen in any shops.  The price of this full size lip balm is £8 and it is a nice tinted lip balm which give a nice red colour pay off.  It leaves my lips feeling soft and smooth especially in this cold, harsh weather Britain has at the moment.  I think I might have to stock up on this at some point if I can't find somewhere that sells it near me.



I know I said I was going to describe things in order but I feel that the lifestyle choice is not a good product so I am going to talk about that one first.  The lifestyle choice this month in my box is a packet of six capsules called Drinkwel.  It is a multivitamin which is described as a product to use before and after a night of drinking alcohol.  I don't drink alcohol that much and when I drink it is large quantities, I am fortunate enough not to suffer the next morning.  I will however, be trying this out on New Years eve/day as last year I was a bit worse for wear so I may do an individual review in the near future.



I went a bit make-up crazy in September and spent a crazy amount of money of items that some would think I didn't need but I felt that I could justify the items I bought.  One of which was a new foundation (review to follow) and after a few weeks of wearing it I found that it clung to my pores and dry areas and even after getting a new moisturiser, it still wasn't right.  I was in need of a primer and didn't want to be spending lots of money on primers that might not work on me so when I opened the box to find a Dr. Jart+ Pore Refine Recover Primer, I screamed a little inside.  I was so happy that I was given it and although I haven't had chance to try it fully, I swatched a little on my hand and I feel that a little goes a long way.

I have heard that Dr. Jart+ is new to the UK and new to Birchbox (the gave everyone a full sized Dr. Jart+ product) the price for the full size product is £18.  I will have an individual review later.  I am very excited to see how this product fairs.



All in all this box lived up to my expectations and have decided I am going to get the twelve month subscription so expect more unboxings to come in 2015.  Speaking of 2015,  I cannot believe how fast this year has gone.  I started University in September and am already a sixth of the way through my degree.  Graduation is slowly creeping up and I know that it is two and a half years away but if this semester has flown by then the next two and a half years will come faster than I want it to.

I think that is it for now.  Keep a look out for Blogmas day 3 and if you have any suggestions on what I can include throughout Blogmas or for any other blog post, feel free to comment below.

Bye for now.

Jess. x