Roccabox - August 2017

This months Roccabox is a collaboration with Em Sheldon, the multi award-winning blogger behind Emtalks. If you have never come across Roccabox before, it is a Beauty Box which comes together by collaborating with bloggers (or Influencers if you prefer) who then create a box of products which they love. For me, in a world saturated with Beauty boxes, Roccabox it makes it a little bit different to any other beauty box I have subscribed too and it is an intriguing concept that has introduced me to some amazing products, brands and some new bloggers!

This month we have five products to try and the first item out of the box is the Miss Patisserie Sea Salt Bath Melt RRP £4.50 – Described as being a fresh, sea salt scented bath melt with nourishing cocoa and shea butter to moisturise deep into the skin providing your body with vital antioxidants and minerals.

Each Cupcake Bath Melt is sprinkled with detoxifying salts and decorated with cosmetic grade shimmer to help you glow even more! This is a Cruetly free Vegan brand and this Bath Melt smells just absolutely incredible, I literally cannot wait to throw it into the bath.

Next up is a travel sized Elemis Hydra-Boost Day Cream 15ml – Described as being a super-nourishing, anti-oxidant rich day cream helps provide continuous hydration and moisturisation to leave skin feeling nourished, smooth and supple.

Elemis is a brand I haven't used a lot of products from, but I have liked using this cream. It has a rich luxurious formula which absorbs into the skin quite quickly and it leaves no trace behind.

If you like your tanning products then next from the box is the St Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Face Sheet Mask – Within the sachet you get one mask and it is described as being a revolutionary tanning infused Face Sheet Mask is the easiest way to tan your face- for a natural, healthy glow to suit your skin tone.

If you are a fake tan phobe like me, this mask gives you the chance to control the depth of tan you want by determining how long to leave the mask on for, a concept I quite like the sound of.

Coming next we have Smashbox Always on Liquid Lipstick in Drivers Seat – Sample Size (4ml is £19) – I am loving liquid lipsticks right now and this one is described as being an 8-hour, liquid matte lipstick that’s specifically formulated to be comfortable and not dry out your lips.

Upon application, it doesn't budge or feather but if you have any sort of dry skin on your lips, then this is a lipstick which will cling, so it is worth exfoliating well beforehand.

Finally we have Nails Inc NailKale in Claremont Street Full Size is 14ml RRP £15 – I already have a number of Nails Inc nail polishes within my collection as I like the formula and this one is a fresh bluey-green shade which boasts nourishing superfood ingredients for gorgeously healthy nails. 

Nail Kale is the first nail care range formulated with kale, it nourishes protects and strengthens the nails allowing your nails to absorb it. On the nails, you will need at least two coats of polish.

So this month brings an intriguing box of products that I have either used, want to try or have never come across. You can subscribe to Roccabox for just £10 per month (plus £3.95 p&p) and can cancel it at any time. For more information and to sign up, everything you need to know is here.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

3INA UV COLLECTION

3ina is a brand that if you haven't yet come across it then you need to. The tagline "Beauty without expression is boring" could not be more perfect. The range of makeup is for everyone whether you like your brights, bolds and even your neutrals and right now I have some of the very new UV Collection that I have enjoyed playing with.

Back in the day when raves were my thing, well in fairness still are, UV makeup was a thing of dreams and now 3ina have brought those dreams back to life. The UV Collection contains a selection of lipsticks, nail polishes, eyeshadows and more. I have three products from that collection and here are they are.

The Fluoro Cream Eye-shadow in shade 400 (RRP £10.95 each)

Now if you fear colour then this is really not for you, but it is a lot of fun. Shade 400 is a bright fluorescent yellow shade, think Stabilo highlighter and you are on the right path.

Packaged inside a glass pot with black lid, inside the cream eye-shadow is incredibly bold and bright and I can't help but love it, even though it is unlikely I will ever wear it, well other than around the house! It applies to the lids incredibly well, possibly one of the smoothest applications I have ever done. If fluorescent yellow is not for you but it is something you want to try, then this eye-shadow also comes in 2 other shades which are neon yellow and neon orange.

The Fluoro Eye Pencil ( RRP £8.95 each)

When I first saw this in my package, I was confused as to why there was a black eyeliner, until I read the press release.  This is not just any black eyeliner, but one with a bit of a twist, in fact one with a lot of  twist.  

Applying as you would do any other pencil eyeliner, which in this case is smooth, creamy and effortless, under the UV light it really comes to light and has a Colbalt Blue tint to it, one which really stands out and captures your attention. Such a clever idea and one that I wish had been around when I was in my teens!

The final product is The Fluoro Top Coat ( RRP £6.95 each). 

A Top Coat which can be used on its own or on top of your existing nail polish and in normal everyday light, you don't notice any difference, but put it under a UV light and you have what is almost a neon white/blue tint which is incredibly bright and a lot of fun and it works with absolutely any polish and is the product I have used the most, just to amuse myself with a UV torch.

What I also love about this polish is that the brush is short and fat, so one swipe of the nail is enough to ensure you have great coverage, but until you shine it until a UV light, you won't notice any mistakes, so one to watch too!

This is such a fun range of products and it doesn't stop with these three.  Also within the range you can find a blush palette, nail polish and lipgloss if you are daring enough to give them a go!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Sister & Co. Skin Food

Sister & Co. Skin Food is a company that has been on a personal journey. One which started with constant skin break outs which drove the owner Sophie insane, but when given some advice from a local lady who told her to wash her face once daily in the raw coconut oil her family produced at home and was simply blown away by how quickly my skin cleared up.  With that advice in mind, just a few months later Sister & Co. Skin Food launched with Sister & Co. Coconut Oil, the original product.

I have four products from the range to share with you today and honestly, they are all just incredible. Starting with the Raw Cacoa and Coffee Sugar Scrub which smells just amazing and if like me you adore Coffee Scrubs, I have no doubt you will love this one. Using ground robusta coffee beans with a particularly high caffeine content alongside antioxidant-packed raw cacao butter, cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil, sweet almond oil and Sister & Co. Coconut Oil which makes this scrub not only nourishing and softening for the skin, but it also uses Raw organic coconut sugar and pink Himalayan salt which work to remove away dead skin cells before finally using both Sweet orange and peppermint which help to uplift and energise the senses.  

On the skin, I was surprised, given the ingredients, how soft this was on my skin, it does an incredible job at removing dead and dry skin-cells and the scent is just that perfect tonic for a pick me up with both the orange and peppermint. 

Soap is a product likely to not excite many people, but just sometimes it is a little more special. This Bamboo Charcoal Deep Cleanse Detoxifying Soap Bar is perfect for those, like me who have combination or oily skin or have blemish-prone skin and it can also be used on both the face and the body. 

This soap is formulated with porous activated bamboo charcoal which works to lift toxins and impurities from your pores which then encourages smooth, clear skin. It is also blended with shea butter, coconut oil, sweet almond oil and olive oil which really hydrates the skin and doesn't dry it out. this soap adds softness and hydration to skin rather than drying it out.

When it comes to lipbalms, I am a bit of an obsessive and this Raw Coconut Lip Tonic with Rose Otto and Cardamom.  This lipbalm is incredibly nourishing and hydrating on the lips. Using a combination of Sister & Co. Coconut Oil and virgin avocado and almond oils with raw shea butter and pure beeswax. 

Then there is the infusion of delicate and soothing Bulgarian rose and sweet cardamom. It is a non-greasy formula which I really like and it smells just amazing.

The final product I have been using comes from the Mother & Baby range, before anyone gets excited I am still only a mum to three kitties!  This Dream Cream is a 100% natural balm which is made using certified organic ingredients. 

Described as being a gentle and nourishing multi-purpose balm it uses a blend of raw shea butter and cold-pressed apricot and sweet almond oils alongside lavender and chamomile. You can literally use it as a lip balm, nipple balm, hand cream and on stretchmarks as well as your baby's nappy rash, cradle cap and any dry, flaky skin patches.

There are so many products from this brand that I really want to try an with over fifteen products now sold at stores such as Liberty, Fenwicks, Space NK it is also sold online via ASOS, Feelunique, BeautyBay I would really recommend giving them a try!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Love Me Beauty - August

The August Edition of Love Me Beauty has arrived packed full of some pretty amazing brands and from them, some incredible products that I have been really excited about trying. As with previous months, the items are packaged inside a cute little cosmetic bag. 

Inside my "I didn't choose the glam life, the glam life chose me" bag is a collection of five products from Kat Von D and Buxom, two brands I have not yet tried despite the hype but two brands I have on my list to go and search out.

The first item out of the bag is the Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick and I have shade Cathedral. Encased inside this black studded bullet with the KVD Monogram, which I absolutely love, the shade Cathedral is described as a being a ‘matte coco rose’ shade and one that I wanted to search for from the entire range, so I am very chuffed right now.

The KVD lipsticks are infused with an antioxidant complex that leaves lips feeling soft, and it has a Crème Brûlée scent to the formula which is a subtle sweet scent. One swipe across the lips, even though this is a mini 1.2g version, is enough to add a pop of colour and true to its description, it is soft and creamy and is also a Coco Rose shade which is very wearable.

Next we have the Kat Von D Setting Powder and again it features the monogrammed KVD initials on the lid which really captures your attention. The powder is describe as being a silky, non-drying setting powder and it is formulated with Micro-Blurring Technology™ to softly diffuse pores for a velvety-matte, selfie-ready finish. 

Translucent in shade it is undetectable on all skin tones, so everyone can lock down and mattify their makeup. The setting powder is incredibly finely milled and is fast becoming my favourite setting powder, easy to use and apply there is no white powder left on the skin once applied and if like me you have combination/oily skin, it really does help with that matte effect.

The final Kat Von D item in this months bag is a sample 4.5ml vial of the new Saint perfume. I hadn't expected to like this scent at all but it has grown on me and I now absolutely love it. 

Sitting within the Floriental family, Saint features top notes of clary sage and mirabelle; middle notes of jasmine, almond blossom and lily-of-the-valley and the base notes are vanilla, cedar, peach and musk.  It is a really sweet scent but not so sweet it gives you a headache after a few hours of applying.  Once it has dried down on the skin, for me the scent of Mirabelle (plum) is the most dominant and I actually like it a lot.

When Buxom launched into Debenhams a few months a go there was a lot of hype and promotion about the brand which was described as being the fastest selling makeup brand in America. Having already been in the UK before, this was quite the re-launch and until now, it had not crossed my path.  Within my bag this month I have two products.

The first item from Buxom Cosmetics Full is a best seller in America and it is the Lip Polish in shade Dolly has been recently launched in the UK. Described as being a Shimmering Mauve and it uses a unique peptide and hyaluronic acid booster which helps to support natural collagen and give lips a volumised look all without irritation. 

The added inclusion of vitamins A and E also work to keep the lips soft, supple and hydrated. I am always unsure of products like this which can give that tacky and sticky feel to the lips, something I find really off-putting but thankfully Dolly did not disappoint. This is the kind of shade you can wear on its own or over your favourite lipstick for that added shine.

The second item from Buxom Cosmetics is also a U.S. best-selling item and it is a volumising mascara which claims you will get big, outrageously full lashes with curves to spare. This mascara has a vitamin enriched, clump resistant formula which deepens, darkens and thickens lashes. 

It has an plastic hourglass shaped brush I really like. The brush works to evenly coat the lashes from root to tip and I like how it works to separate the lashes which adds definition. Vitamin enriched and both smudge and clump resistant, I found this mascara to be incredible long-lasting once applied and this is a product I would definitely purchase full sized.

So there you have the August Edition of Love Me Beauty which has been my favourite edition yet and if this is something you need in your life (you do) then here is an offer for you:

Love Me Beauty Offer:

Sign up today and use my exclusive code beautyqueenuk20 to get a 20% discount off your first order

www.lovemebeauty.com

Last month I mentioned that there had been some changes at LMB HQ and just to re-cap - Whilst you will still get 60 credits for your £10, there will no longer be any limited edition edits, which means products will remain available to purchase for as long as they are in stock. I personally think this is a really clever move as it means there will be more choice on products and you can continue to keep buying that one product you really like, without paying the full whack!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise