Thursday 26 June 2014

Box-Delux June Unboxing Review

Box-Delux is a subscription box company that send out a black box of luxury once a month. From Home and Lifestyle, to beauty, fragrance and Gourmet Foods. Boxdelux also offer a range of gifts and gift hampers where you can make your own hamper or select pre-made hampers- perfect for Birthday, Anniversary, Wedding or Christmas gifts.

Rolling subscription: £15 per month + £3.95 delivery or 1, 3 & 6 month options available.


I was in two mind about doing a review for this box. To be perfectly honest I was very impressed with my first 'Taster' box (see below)
Taster box
but when I signed up for a 3 month sub I felt the boxes decreased in contents and lacked imagination. This is my box from this month. 

There is no information given in the box regarding the contents and I've no idea if all boxes are the same for every subscriber. 

Contents include: 
FruitBroo Honey & Lemon fruit tea - add a little to hot water for a juicy fruit tea - £1.70

Purederm Eye Puffiness Minimizing Patches - contains 4 treatments - £2.95

Illuminum Sample Trumpet Flower (sorry very bad photo of this- its the thing in black!) - A very strong overpowering scent - £7 for 4 samples

Clipper Organic Instant Hot Chocolate 28g - a rich and luxurious instant hot chocolate- 80p
Priti NYC Polish in shade Nice Gal Peony Pink - £12
Chimpanzee Chocolate Espresso Bar - unable to find price for this. This would of been nice to try however this was actually one month out of date when I received it! Have emailed company and they will be adding an extra to my box next month - I have argued the fact that no product details are given so how will I know if an extra in included or not?


If you would like to try Box-Delux then sign up using code allsubs1 you can get a taster box for £10 and free P&P (instead of £18.95)



Birchbox UK June 2014 Unboxing

Finally my Birchbox has arrived!! Birchbox is a subscription beauty box where you receive 5 luxe beauty samples for £10 + £2.95 a month.

It seems the first box they sent me went missing so this is the replacement box. I have received different items than what was on my surveys to get originally but I'm happy with my products. This months theme is all about the World Cup - Global Strikers features products from around the globe.


First the item I was glad to receive - A Beauty Blender! This was one the products on my surveys that I was ment to receive originally, I'm so thankful that they managed to give me one in the replacement box. I have to say I was a little skeptical about this product. I've used plenty makeup brushes and sponges in the past and never found anything that applied my makeup as well and using my fingers! After using this I can now say without a doubt, if you do not have a beauty blender then GET ONE!! Its AMAZING!! My makeup has never looked so flawless. Definately an item I will repurchase. This Beauty Blender comes with a Cleanser to keep the beauty blender clean and retails for a whopping £26. This Birchbox is worth every penny for this item alone. A single Beauty Blender can be bought for £16.

Next is Shea Butter Hair Mask from Silk + Honey. It's part of a DIY kit for £55 which makes 1 x 200ml pot. 50ml sample received making this worth an amazing £13.75. This smells really nice and looking forward to trying this out on my hair. I just love a good hair treament. Unless I am really really 'wowed' by this treatment then I think its safe to say I will not be repurchasing. The first of the items different from my surveys.

Nail Lacquer by OPI from the Brazil Collection - not much to say about this. I'm not a polish fan but this is a lovely shade of red with a bit of a sparkle so I may just wear this! retails at £11.95 for a set of 4.

Naobay Body Radiance Lotion is a product I wasn't expecting from looking at my surveys. I'm so happy to have received it as it looks and smells like a lovely lotion and its natural and organic. A good sized 30ml sample given worth £1.68. Full size is £14 for 250ml.

Caudalie Vinoperfect SPF15 Day Perfecting Fluid. My surveys showed I was getting the Divine Oil but I'm happy either way. I'm just glad I got a chance to sample one of the Caudalie products. This is a very generous sample of 10ml. Full size is 40ml and costs £38 making this sample worth £9.50!


As a little extra this month all subscribers got this cute Brazil-Inspired Keyring.

My box comes to a total of £54! An excellent month for Birchbox! Was worth the wait in the end :)

If you would like to join Birchbox please sign up using my referral link - http://birchbox.co.uk/?raf=30654 and we will both get £5 worth of points to spend in the Birchbox E-shop.


My surveys showed I was originally getting: Beauty Blender, OPI Nail Lacquer, Caudalie Divine Oil, Yves Rocher Sheer Botanical Lipstick, COOLA Classic Face SPF 30.

Glossybox UK June 2014 Unboxing

I was really excited about Glossybox this month. Glossybox promised every box would have a minimum value of £45 and boy did they deliver!

This months theme is Summer is Here!

Here's a quick look at whats in my box.

First is the product that featured in the spoilers. I would of been happy to receive either of the So Susan products (Blush or Concealer). I have the So Susan Concealer Quad which retails for £17. This item alone is worth more than the cost of the box! This has 4 different shades which can be used alone or blended together to create the perfect colour for your skin.

Teez Trend Cosmetics Beautiful Flat Stiff Brush. Estimated value £15. Now I would never pay £15 for a makeup brush so I'm happy to have it included in my box. Just look at how pretty the handle is! A perfect addition to my collection. 

NailGirls is a brand a have a few varnishes from lately. I'm glad this is a clear polish as I'm getting a tat fed up of always getting pinks. This polish is a 3-in-1 Base, Topcoat & Nail Strengthener. Now this is a polish I will definitely use and you won't hear me say that very often! Sample 10ml recieved. Full size 15ml is £13.50.

Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier Eau Fraiche is a lovely fruity/floral scented perfume, perfect for summer. I sampled another perfume by Roger & Gallet in the British Beauty Blogger Dream Box. I received a 10ml sample, full size is £32 for 100ml.

Last is the product I was most intrigued by, mainly due to the fact I had no idea what it was! Embelleze Novex Brazilian Keratin is a hair food therapy.  Leave in damp hair for 15 minutes to give a deep conditioning treatment and rinse well before drying and styling hair. Can also be used as a daily conditoner. This is 100g, full size is £24.99 for 1kg!

Overall a great box this month, value of almost £47! I can't wait to see what next month brings :)




Sunday 15 June 2014

Urban Veda & Rituals Haul

This months You Beauty Discovery box included a magazine with a few discount codes for various brands featured in the box. I took full advantage of a few discount codes and ordered some things from Urban Veda 15% off and Rituals 20% off.


 My Urban Veda Haul!
 Cute reusable Urban Veda box that my products came in.


Contains: Purifying Day Cream, Protecting Night Cream, Exfoliating Facial Polish, Facial Wash, Hydrating Toner, Body Scrub & a Body Lotion.

This is actually a gift set with most of the products in the Purifying range included. 
(body wash excluded - which I already own anyway) 

RRP if sold separately is £75, but this set costs £55 so already a great saving - and then I got 15% off on top of that so got all this for just £46.75!

As an added extra I got a free sample of Radiance Day Cream 10ml

 My Rituals Haul!
 Laughing Buddha Rituals Gift Set £27.50
Contains: Happy Buddha Shower Foam 200ml, Fortune Oil Shower Oil 200ml, Touch of Happiness Body Cream 70ml & Good Luck Body Scrub 100g


Ayurveda Ancient Beauty Gift Set £16.50
Contains: Yogi Flow Shower Foam 50 ml, Brillant Bliss Shampoo 70 ml, Honey Touch Body Cream 70 ml & Himalaya Wisdom Body Scrub 40g.

If you spend over £40 (which I did) you will receive this cute Rituals Hammam beach towel for free! I also got a sachet of Honey Touch body cream (10 ml) which is free with every order this month.

I also bought a couple of little things as seen in the last picture - heres a closer look
Qi Gong Anti-perspirant spray 50ml - £3.50 
Organic White Lotus & Yi Yi Ren

 Hands Free Hand Hygiene gel 50 ml - £4
Organic Mandarin & Mint

With my 20% off my Rituals order came to just £41.20

Do you subscribe to You Beauty Discovery? Did you take advantage of any of the discounts this month?



Love Me Beauty June 2014

My lovely Love Me Beauty box arrived yesterday.  LMB is a subscription service where you get 5 samples/mini's for £10 + p&p. Each month you get an email to let you know the 'Boutique' is open! There are 3 menus to choose from so you know before hand what you will receive in your box. I choose menu 1 this month. It's LMB's 1 year birthday this month so they have included a voucher for £10 off a box from Flavourly. I think I will take advantage of the offer and order a box to try it out.

My box this month


MODEL CO SHINE ULTRA LIP GLOSS IN ‘FAIRY FLOSS’ RRP £12
I've used a model co lip gloss previously which I received free with a magazine a few months back. I like that it comes with a very handy mirror on the side of the tube.


BEAUTY UK EYE SHADOW PALETTE IN ‘EARTH CHILD’ RRP £3.99
A nice combination of colours, this palette is perfect for a natural day time look or a dramatic smoky eye for the evening. 


MONTAGNE JEUNESSE BRAZILIAN MUD FABRIC MASQUE RRP £1
The specially sourced clays are infused into natural bamboo fabric which makes this deep cleansing masque really easy to use. I have also received a similar mask from YBD this month too.


URBAN VEDA (10ML) PURIFYING DAY CREAM RRP £14.99 (50ML)

Huge Urban Veda fan! (haul post coming soon)
I already own the full size of this cream. This light and hydrating Purifying Day Cream contains detoxifying botanicals of cold-pressed pure Neem oil, healing Witch hazel and refreshing Spearmint which tighten pores and support healthy cell renewal. Leaves skin feeling refreshed.


NYX COSMETICS NAIL POLISH 15ml RRP £3
Not a huge nail polish fan but seem to be getting polishes in every box lately, so I should maybe start using some. I've received a Pastel Lavender shade which is quite nice. For some reason it looks pink in this picture.



As an extra for being subscribed for 3 months (technically this is my 4th box in my 1 year subscription) I have an extra product. 

JELLY PONG PONG 2-IN-1 EYELINER & SHADOW in BROWN. I normally go for black eyeliners so this will be nice to use for a change.



Overall this box is worth £23 (not including the voucher and extra) - I'm glad they have gone back to more beauty related products rather than lifestyle like last month.









Saturday 14 June 2014

You Beauty Discovery June 2014

I received my You Beauty Discovery box last Wednesday but have been feeling quite unwell this week so didn't get around to writing an unboxing post. After last months box being so popular and a lot of items selling out early on the 1st day of release, I decided to stay up til after midnight on 1st June so I could make my selections. But it took me until 1 am before getting my order through. The site went down caused by all the people trying to make their selections...I was getting more and more tired but prevailed and got there in the end.

My first choice was Her 300 Trecento Revitalising Hair Treatment - 75ml £11.25. 

In just 300 seconds (5 minutes) natural plant extracts including Shea Butter, Olive and wheat protein penetrate the hair to rebuild, strengthen and moisturise from within. TheTrecento Treatment creates a protective layer to restore resilience, strength and elasticity to minimise frizz, enhancing health and shine.


 I love hair products but don't often find the time to do pre-shampoo treatments. I used this on my day off work last week and did notice a slight improvement to my hair.


My second choice was the Face Contour & Tightening Cream by Transformulas - 15ml (currently on sale at Debenhams for £11.09 down from £36.99) 

Potent ingredients help lift, define and sculpt; the appearance of the face looks instantly elevated and more refined, giving the skin a more silhouetted, lifted look.



I'm still young so not in desperate need of a lifting cream however this one really intrigued me so thought I would give it a try anyway.

Extras this month are a Pink Expandable Face Cloth which I think is a nice touch and a Montagne Jeunesse - Dead Sea Mud Spa Mask. The face mask is a fabric mask infused with dead sea mud and pressed sea kelp. I've only just recently been introduced to fabric masks and really enjoy using them.



Also included as usual is a little magazine with details on the products featured that month and a few discount codes. I've made good use of the discount codes for Urban Veda and Rituals (haul post to follow soon)

Overall a very good value box, around £25 of products for only £6.95

Thursday 12 June 2014

Earthzest Organics Chocolate Orange Lip Balm Review

Today I would like to introduce you to Earthzest Organics. A recently launched family-based company in Southend-on-Sea run by Jackie Callow. She is committed to providing affordable, cruelty-free, totally organic skincare products to suit all skin types, even those with sensitive skin. The products range from moisturisers, body butters, cleansers, toners, bath salts, lip balms and many more!

I first found out about Earthzest on ebay a few weeks ago while searching for organic lip balms. I came across Jackie's ebay shop and from there found this little treasure of a lip balm.


Chocolate Orange Lip Balm 15ml - Retails for £7

Vegetarian, Vegan, 100% Organic & synthetic-free!


A mouth-watering chocolate orange scent - really does smell like Terry's choc orange! I love the texture of this lip balm. A solid balm which instantly melts in to an oil like substance upon contact with the skin, resulting in a glossy look on the lips without being sticky. My lips felt moisturised and hydrated after using.

This lip balm contains only the following ingredients: Cold-pressed Cocoa Butter, Carnauba Wax, Shea butter, cold-pressed Jojoba Oil, cold-pressed Sweet Almond Oil & Sweet Orange Essential Oil. 
All of these ingredients are Soil Association certified organics plus the Cocoa & Shea butters are also Fair Trade certified


As and added little treat Jackie included samples of Shea & Lavender Hand & Body Butter & 
Moisturising Serum For Dry & Mature Skin. I'm in love with the hand butter - it smells so amazing and has similar consistency as the lip balm.



Earthzest also have a Peppermint Lip Balm which is next on my to buy list, along with the Argan & Coconut Hair Conditioning Cream - ooh I do love my hair treaments!

Wednesday 4 June 2014

S/S Green Beauty Swap

A few weeks ago Ria at NatuRiaBeauty organised a Spring/Summer Green Beauty Swap. I was paired up with the lovely Sandra at Beauty Balm. We chatted a little over email about likes/dislikes and agreed on a budget. My parcel arrived yesterday and I love everything she has chosen for me! I'm still in shock over how much products she has given me! Lots of WOW's and OMG's when opening. You can see what I sent Sandra HERE.

(Warning - photo heavy post)

My box of goodies.

 So many little parcels! Its like Christmas all over again!

 I just love how beautifully wrapped these are.

Wow is all I can say!


Dr. Organics Manuka Honey Cuticle & Nail Solution &  Dr. Organics Rose Otto Lip Serum - 
I love Dr.Organics so was very pleased to see some products from this brand. I've never tried the Manuka Honey range but it smells great, my nails are definitely in need of some TLC. I was pleasantly surprised by the Rose Otto Lip Serum. Rose scents are not high on my list of things to buy, however this doesn't smell of rose at all, more of raspberry scent which is very nice - good call Sandra! 


I'm a huge Pure Thoughts fan, can't wait to try these. Green Clay & Tree Tea Natural Facial Soap, Honey & Oats Natural Handmade Soap and Tangerine & Jojoba Whipped Shea Body Butter. I also gave Sandra the body butter, this one is so lovely I wanted to keep it for myself, I'm glad I received one too :)


This was actually the first thing I opened and was taken away by how gorgeous it smells. Amazing is not a strong enough word. Sea Salt, Apple & Elderflower Tealights and a lovely handmade glass candle holder from LSA International.


I love love love white chocolate! Berry Scrumptions! are a husband & wife team based on an Aberdeenshire farm that grow their own Strawberries & Raspberries for their chocolate. Glen Ample Raspberries with White Belgian Chocolate tastes so goodwill definitely be looking into buying more of their products. 
Fairtrade's Divine White Chocolate bar - always a fan of Fairtrade products.



I recently bought the full size Urban Veda Purifying Day Cream after trying a sample. It is great to have the Daily Purifying Facial Wash & Purifying Exfoliating Facial Polish to use along side the day cream. 



A'Kin Lavender & Anthyliss Leave-In Conditioner - I've never tried anything from A'kin before, excited to try this conditioner. I really like leave ins. I can see this bottle lasting a while - a little goes a long way.



Kintyre Honey and Sea Salt Soap by ZingOrganics smell heavenly. These little soaps are so cute I don't want to use them, just too cute! 


Deep Steep Foot Stick in Candy Mint - Love foot products. This is going to be really handy for my tired feet after a long day at work.

Weleda Skin Food - Really liking Weleda right now, this is perfect for my dry hands.

Elemental Herbology Facial Detox Purifying Facial Mask - A brand I've not used before. Looking forward to some pampering with this.


Le Soft Perfume 'Zazou' is a solid perfume stick with a lovely soft citrus fragrance. I'm in love with this! I really am... can't stop smelling it. Even the packaging is lovely.



Lucy Annabella Argan & Bergamot Treatment Oil - Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow is what I kept saying over and over when I opened this! I love argan oils and Lucy Annabella Organics is a brands I have yet to try but have wanted to for ages! 



Coco Lip Balm by SW Basics - made with only 3 ingredients, Cocoa Butter, Coconut oil & Beeswax.  This lip balm is very moisturising. Will be looking into buying more from this brand.

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in 'Watermelon' - who doesn't love Burt's Bees? A lovely flavour and really like the colour on my lips.



Lots & lots of samples!

Collagen Mask Pack 100% cotton face mask - I've seen these on a few blog post, looking forward to trying this (such a cool invention)

Nourish Balance Essential Moisturiser - I tried the Golden Glow Face Shimmer by Nourish in a box from Lastest in Beauty in January which I really enjoyed using. Excited to try out the moisturiser.

Love love love hair care products! - John Masters Organics - Lavender & Avocado Intensive Conditioner Citrus & Neroli Detangler.  Love John Masters hair care.
Giovanni Eco Chic Hair Care - 2Chic Ultra-Moist Conditioner, Deep Deep Moisture Hair Mask & Leave-in Conditioning & Styling Elixir. Never heard of this brand, my hair is going to look stunning after using these.

Aurelia - Cell Revitalise Day Moisturiser & Night Moisturiser - Wow really love the look of these samples, going to try them out soon.
Kimberly Sayer - Light Cleansing Lotion - Great for my skin type.
Madara Moon Flower Rose Beige Tinting Fluid - A perfect shade for my light skintone.
Caudalie Overnight Detox Oil - Love Caudalie, and love overnight face products!
Pai Geranium & Thistle Rebalancing Day Cream - smells amazing!



Last but not least a lovely Heart Keyring, and a packet of Pedigree Cheesy Bites for my doggies! Will need to keep these well hidden from Willow - She managed to get hold of a box of Gravy Bones Yesterday! Cheeky Doggie.


Sandra I have to say you are amazing! Clearly gone way over budget. I absolutely LOVE everything you have chosen for me. Can't wait to try all these out. There is a few brands I've never used before so it's great to be able to test them out. I can see me having a lot of fun the next few days trying everything - pamper sessions here I come!


That's an understatement!