You Beauty Discovery Box - December

The latest edition of my You Beauty Discovery Box has arrived and if you have missed out on any of the other boxes you can see then here -February, March, April, May, June, July, August September  October and November to see the contents. I have to say that I have been impressed with every box I have had!

As with every month so far, there are always a few extra treats inside each box and this month we got:

Yardley Hydrating and Enriching body lotion and I got Energising Peony as my sachet sample.  Said to be a light and easily absorbed body lotion with a quick drying silicone base formula making it perfect for everyday use.  Not sure how much of my body a sachet will cover, but will give it a go.

Christmas Mini bear from Lindt - already eaten as soon as I photographed it and a lovely little extra to have.

Hikers Foot Healer is not something i have heard of before so I was really intrigued.  Said to contain Tapioca Powder to help prevent rubbing from shoes and Borage Oil, Shea Butter and Grape Seed Oil to help nourish and repair the skin at the end of the day!

Then once again there was a huge choice range of products to decide between which you can see HERE and I went for the following:

COLAB London and Rio Dry Shampoo due, both cans are 50ml and have an RRP £1.99 each. Ever since I heard about these dry shampoos by Ruth Crilly from A Model Recommends, I have wanted to try them and when I saw the option with You Beauty, there was no doubt I was going to choose them as an option and I got both versions as part of one choice which is amazing. The samples I got are London which is in the black and silver can and Rio which is I the mint green/Jade and silver can.

The description given for these dry shampoos are "Introducing the new sensation in dry shampoo couture, where an instantly revitalised look comes to you straight from the can".

LONDON, a classic yet contemporary fagrance of bergamot, musk & magnolia.

RIO, a carnival of tropical notes with papaya, pineapple & a heart of cassis.

Wilkinson Sword Intuition Naturals Sensitive Care Razor, which is obviously a full sized product which has an RRP £6.99. Surrounded by a gentle creamy soap with visible ribbons,Wilkinson Sword Intuition Naturals Sensitive Care lathers and moisturises during shaving, leaving your skin naturally healthy looking and noticeably soft.

Whilst there was many other options I could have chosen this month, I did feel spoilt for choice which is always a nice feeling, I think I chose the items I will use the most. You can never have too much dry shampoo needing to be used and you always need to have a razor handy for party season and I've got exactly that.

So for £6.95 I have a box of products worth around £12 which doesn't make it the most expensive box I have ever had, but it is full of products I will use and need - perfect!

Do you subscribe to You Beauty? WHat do you think to my box? 

You Beauty Discovery Box - November

If you are an avid reader of my blog, you will know how amazing I think the You Beauty Discovery Box is and you can see what I got in the  February, March, April, May, June, July, August September and October boxes. 

My November box arrived a few days ago and this month I was decided what I was going to want as soon as I got the list of options through in an email. The one thing I love about this box is that for £6.95 you get such a good range of products to choose from and this month is no exception.

Starting with the free treats this month we have the follow items

There has been a lot of chatter around the skincare brand Merumaya lately, ive been seeing it everywhere and in my box I have two sachets to try - a Melting Cleansing Balm and some Iconic Youth Serum, the two together apparently forming a dream team for skincare.

Then we have Aduna Baobab Superfruit Powder which is a rich source of vitamin C. It can be blended into smoothies or sprinkled onto cereal, porridge or yoghurt.

The rest of the box is formed from a theme of gift-worthy goodies and they were as follows:

• Skin & Tonic cleansing balm
• Roques O'Neil Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts
• Rituals Hammam Delight Shower Foam
• Magnifibres Brush-on False Lashes
• Invisibobble 
• Green People Forest Brown organic eyeliner pencil
• Bourjois Cream blush 
• Argan Organics anti-wrinkle range

So for me there was definitely a fantastic choice of products to choose from and I opted for the following:

The first item was the Roques O'Neil Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts which I raved about HERE and as far as I am concerned you can never have too many of these sachets in your bathroom because they are an amazing product. If you have never tried them before and I urge to do so.

"A blissful cocktail of therapeutic Himalayan mineral salts to fortify the spirit. Like a natural Valium, these bath salts calm stress-based palpitations, balance energy flow and help combat insomnia. Add to this blood purifying and anti-inflammatory properties, and discover that heaven is just a bath soak away".

This is a 100g sachet which has an RRP £9.99.

The second item is one I have had my eye on for a while because I am a mascara fiend but have never got round to ordering and that is the Magnifibres Brush-on False Lashes which are said to give an instant false lash effect without the fuss. As a full sized product there is a RRP of £16.99.

So for a £6.95 subscription, my box has a value of around £27 which is almost 4 times the value for money - amazing.

What do you think to do this? Do you subscribe to these boxes? What would you have chosen? If you subscribe, link your post below so I can see what you got.

Beauty Boxes - Do you need them?

This coming week on my blog I am going to devote each day to a different Beauty Box. Why? Well they are a big part of the bloggers blogging life for me and they take me through a roller coaster of emotions each month/quarter when they are due to arrive or when I am notified by email I need to do some product choosing. But do we need them?

When I first stated blogging, I had only ever heard of Glossybox because some non-blogging friends has subscribed and they raved about how good it was, so I hopped aboard the bandwagon and now over a year later, I still subscribe.  Now there are more and more of these boxes coming onto the market and I have tried some amazing ones, many as a one off and some as I have mentioned I subscribe too.   Glossybox, Birchbox, Look Fantastic box, Wantable Box, You Discovery, My Little Box, Latest in Beauty, Love Lula Box, SoukSouk, Memebox, Fragrance Shop Discovery Club and Love Me Beauty to name all of the ones off the top of my head.  I have no doubt there are more, so if you subscribe to others, please do let me know.  

So why are they important to me? As I have said, it is all about those roller coaster of emotions when you know that something is on its way.  The one box I always know the contents of is You Discovery Beauty box because, unlike others, you get to choose two items from a list of products.  I am glad I get to do this with one box because, let's me honest, so beauty boxes have been shockingly bad and their contents really really awful, so knowing I am getting two products I have chosen, is a relief but still exciting at the same time.  The word excitement is also quite important with these boxes.  Not knowing what you are going to get within these boxes is exciting, even if your box turns out to be a bit rubbish, it is exciting until you unwrap it, the deflation afterwards is another emotion to deal with as well, the whole screwing up your top lip to form an impression of Elvis is something I have done on more occasions than I care to remember, but I still subscribe!  

The other reason I subscribe is because I love beauty products - whether they are for skincare, hair care, body care, foot care, face care, make-up, nail polish or beauty tools to name but a few things, I love them, want them and relish trying them out.  A lot of the products I have received over time are ones I probably would never have tried, had I not been sent it in a beauty box, on the reverse, I have come across products I would never use again.  So there is always a 50/50 chance with these boxes that you like or hate the enclosures.

My own experience with the boxes I have had, has been more positive than negative.  The brands I have come across, such as Caudalie, Rodial, Dr Jart+ and one of my holy grail products Dr Lipp Nipple Balm to name some of them.  

As always, people will have their own views on whether or not here boxes are worth the money we pay for them and how much better that money could be spent and I am genuinely interested in all of those views.  This week you will be seeing reviews on Birchbox, Glossybox, You Beauty, Look Fantastic Box and a new box which I was lucky enough to attend the launch of this week and I would love to know your thoughts on each and everyone of them and if there is a box you absolutely would recommend singing up too!

As for whether or not we need them, well probably not, but they are a bit of fun, you never know what you might come across and the rollercoaster of emotions you feel whilst waiting for the impending arrival is often worth every penny!  Do you agree?

So do you subscribe to Beauty Boxes? Do you have a favourite? 

Is there one you really want to try?

You Beauty Discovery Box - August Edition

For the past few months I have been getting the You Beauty Discovery Box which you can see February,  March,  April,  May,  June and July with previous box contents.  This month my sixth box has arrived and I have said I am just as impressed.

Whenever it is time to pick the contents of your box, there is always one item that goes really quickly, no matter how early I find myself logging in to select the products I would like to try, I miss the one I want to try most.  That said, I like this months box and this is it.

This months box is themed "Summer Essentials" and it is designed to give me an insight into what the team at YBD thought should be on the shortlist for the Summer essentials and it became a mixture of protection, recovery, hydration, nourishment and camouflage! As I have said before, I love is how the box fits through my letterbox, it is packed really delicately and the box really study and it has never looked disheveled.

Within the magazine which comes with the box we given the opportunity to try some of the following products, the idea being you choose two and there will also be two little extra treats, so this month there are not two, but four and they included:

So we have two samples of Jimmy Choo perfume, one for him and one for her.  Eau De Parfam which is for her is described as:

"Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum expresses an aura of strength and beauty. Glamorous in attitude, confident, intelligent and with a sense of fashion and fun, the fragrance is a modern Fruity Chypre with warm, rich, woody depths".

And Jimmy Choo Man which has just launched is descirbed as:

"Jimmy Choo MAN has a powerful freshness set amongst a woody, aromatic fougère. The fragrance opens with crisp vivacity complemented with calming lavender notes. Mandarin essence tempers the citrus notes and blends with the subtle sweetness of fruity notes from honeydew melon".

Then we have FaceD 3-Luronics instant effect cream serum which is desgined to visible reduce wrinkles and expression lines from the first application - BIG CLAIM!! It then goes on to say:

Formulated with super lightweight molecules of hyaluronic acid that act in depth, obtaining an improvement of skin hydration over time:

• Hydration increase of 9% after 14 days.
• Elasticity increase of 9% after 14 days.

So I am looking forward to seeing how good this actually is, though I only have a sachet which contains 2ml.

The final free product is a 4 way nail buffer to file, smooth, buff and polish your nails, something you can never have too many of in my opinion.

So now to my choices, this month there was a choice of nine products which included: 

• ROSE & CO.
• CHERRY KISS LIP BALM, PEGGY SAGE
• NAIL POLISH (Nude COLLECTION), MARSK
• RICH LIST, MINERAL EYESHADOW, LOUISE GALVIN
• SACRED LOCKS TREATMENT MASQUE, JUSTBE BOTANICALS
• HYDRATING SERUM, GAZELLI
• TRIPLE YOUTH WITH WHITE OIL DUO, EUCERIN
• SUN FLUID MATTIFYING SPF50, EUCERIN
• SUN FLUID MATTIFYING SPF30, DANIEL SANDLER
• LONG LASTING WATERPROOF EYELINER (AQUA)

This is what I selected:

Peggy Sage Nail Polish Nude Selection.  I am always on the look out for a nice nude shade, not one which is cream or pearly white, they annoy me, I want nude.  This one is described as follows:

Natural-looking nails with a Nude Attitude!

Discover the very trendy natural and sensual Nude collection, perfect for discreet beauties and fans of elegant nude colours! A very fluid texture for easy application - and quick drying time. Hold lasts for up to 6 days and the colour retains its shine for up to 4 days.

The Louise Galvin Sacred Locks Moisture Masque which is described as follows:

The masque contains a naturally modified form of honey combined with wheat proteins and natural conditioning agents to immediately hydrate the hair, leaving it nourished, shiny and full of body.

Ximenia oil, also known as Seaside Plum acts as natural ‘silicone’ to smooth and treat hair without creating build up. The masque is a twice-weekly intensive treatment for hair but can also be used as a daily conditioner for moisture depleted hair.

It contains no SLS, Parabens, silicones, petrochemicals, polymers or synthetic fragrances and smells really fruity.

So for a £6.95 subscription, my box has a value of around £15 which is more than double the value for money and not a bad box.

What do you think to do this? Do you subscribe to these boxes?  What would you have chosen? If you subscribe, link your post below so I can see what you got.

You Beauty Discovery Box - July Edition

For the past few months I have been getting the You Beauty Discovery Box which you can see February,  March,  April,  May and  June with previous box contents.  This month my fifth box has arrived and I have said I am just as impressed.

Whenever it is time to pick the contents of your box, there is always one item that goes really quickly, no matter how early I find myself logging in to select the products I would like to try, I miss the one I want to try most.  That said, I like this months box and this is it.

This months box is themed "You Travel" and it is designed to give me an offer of a range of travel-friendly beauty must-haves - to go! As I have said before, I love is how the box fits through my letterbox, it is packed really delicately and the box really study and it has never looked disheveled.

Within the magazine which comes with the box we given the opportunity to try some of the following products, the idea being you choose two and there will also be two little extra treats, so this month they included:

So yes, there are infact three little extras which are:

Agent Provocateur Fatale perfume sample, everyone knows I am a big fan of these and this one says "Are you ready to flirt with danger? Fatale, the new fragrance from Agent Provocateur, has dark glamour, seduction and a sensual hint of danger".  It is quite floral and fruity at the same time, a scent I would perhaps favour for evening over daytime.

Next comes something for my mister Beautykinguk and that is the New Pro Moisture Shave Cream from Dove.  It is said to have been designed to provide men with a more enjoyable shave experience!

The final extra is the Egyptian Magic all purpose skin cream.  I have been wanting to try this for some time now, it is one of those products on my life of something to get a sample of to see if I like it, well voila I have it.  It is described as being the celebrity favourite all purpose skin balm with super moisturising benefits which combines the healing powers of six natural ingredients and is bursting with antioxidents to nourish and protect the skin.

So now to my choices, this month there was a choice of nine products which included: Tanorganic Self Tan Original, Tanorganic Oil Arganic Body Oil, L'oreal Paris Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara, L'Occitane en Provence repairing shampoo and conditoner duo, Green People Sun Lotion Tan Accelerator with SPF 15, Dr Bronner All-One Hemp Lavender pure castile soap, Balm Balm Rose Geranium Lip Balm, Archeia Rose Rejuventating Cream, Abahna White Grapefruit & May Change Bath Gel.

This is what I selected:

Starting with Balm Balm Rose Geranium Lip Balm which comes in a cute little pot, it is 100% Organic, Soil Association Certified Multi Purpose Rose Geranium Balm and has a delightfully uplifting, feminine fragrance.

It uses a combination of Shea butter, sunflower, beeswax, jojoba, and calendula rose geranium essential oil, gently melted together to create a solid balm to soothe, moisturise and nourish your lips or anywhere else that might need a little tlc.

Secondly the mascara I think most people are talking about and a product you can never have enough of is the L'Oreal Paris Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara.  It is described as follows:

Mega Volume Miss Manga features a 360° fleible cone shaped brush for mega volume on top and bottom.

The 360 degree flexible brush enables easy application and mega volume on top, while the conical shape captures the lower lash for mega volume on bottom.

The result…Big Manga eyes.

So for a £6.95 subscription, my box has a value of around £15 which is more than double the value for money and not a bad box.

What do you think to do this? Do you subscribe to these boxes?  What would you have chosen? If you subscribe, link your post below so I can see what you got.

You Beauty discovery Box - June Edition

For the past few months I have been getting the You Beauty Discovery Box which you can see February,  March , April and May with previous box contents.  This month my fifth box has arrived and I have to admit, this was the first box I wasn't feeling all that bothered about, last months CEW(UK) box was superb and I really struggled to decide which options I wanted, so I wasn't so confident this box would be as good. Then it arrived!

This months box is themed "Beauty Hereos" and when I got my email to let me know my options for selection was now ready, I logged straight in with excitement to make my choices and I wasn't feeling too bothered about any of them, nothing grabbed my interest, but then I decided to pick things I haven't used but would more than likely use, a sort of compromise with myself to try brands ive heard of but don't go out of my way to use.

As I have said before, I love is how the box fits through my letterbox, it is packed really delicately and the box really study

Within the magazine which comes with the box we are told that for June's box they have titled it beauty heroes, those products which stick to their promises and deliver on them and the range features beauty and skincare products. So as a dedicated subscriber, I have been given the opportunity to try some of the following:

Urban Veda Daily Purifying facial wash, Transformulas Face Contour & Tightening Cream, Cowshed Slender Cow Extra Firming Body Butter, Herbacin Hand Cream for Protection and Care, Rituals Zensation Organic Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom Foaming Shower Gel Sensation, Her Haircare 300 Trecento Revitalising Hair Treatment, L'Oreal Infallible 24hr Lip Colour in Timeless Rose or Flawless Fuschia.

Again as with previous boxes, with this subscription you get some extra treats and mine came in the form of an expandable face cloth from YBD and a Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Mud Spa Facemask which I cannot wait to try.

So what did I choose?

Urban Veda Daily Purifying Facial Wash which comes in this 20ml tube, perfect for putting in your weekend bag and it is described as follows:

Naturally formulated to cleanse and purify.

In Ayurveda (Indian medicine), Neem is renowned as an excellent antibacterial tonic to help treat blackheads, excess sebum and clear toxins. Neem oil works in synergy with botanical extracts to reduce shine, while naturally astringent herbals & antioxidants help to minimise pores and clear complexion.

I have read quite a few reviews on Urban Veda products and liked the sound of this, so am looking forward to giving it a try.

My second option was the L'Oreal Infallible Lip Colour and I went for Timeless Rose which has an RRP of £9.99 and is described as follows:

L’Oreal Paris Infallible 24H lip Colour in 110 TIMELESS ROSE provides all day colour that lasts up to 24 hours.  A high concentration of pigments combined with Hyaluronic Gel to create an amplified colour that does not fade, bleed or transfer for an unbeatable finish and a renewed feeling of comfort. 3 Lip-Luscious actions:

1. All day long lips feel smooth.
2. All day hydration for endless replenishing comfort.
3. All day just-applied look for colour that does not fade.

I really do like the shade of this, it is so so pretty and I like the balm on the other end, which I wasn't expecting to find, this feels really moisturising when you apply to the lips.

So for a £6.95 subscription, my box has a value of around £14 which is double the cost of what I paid.  I actually do really like this box, all the contents I will use, so for me I think it makes really good value for money.

Next month the attention will be dedicated to Summer Holiday - quite excited already!

What do you think to do this? Do you subscribe to these boxes?  What would you have chosen? If you subscribe, link your post below so I can see what you got.

You Beauty Discovery Box - May Edition

For the past few months I have been getting the You Beauty Discovery Box which you can see February,  March and April with previous box contents.  This month my fourth box has arrived and I have said I am just as impressed.

This months box is themed "CEW(UK) Beauty Awards" and when I got my email to let me know my options for selection was now ready, I logged straight in with excitement to make my choices and I am so chuffed I got the products I really really wanted to try and surprisingly some of my choices were already sold out.

As I have said before, I love is how the box fits through my letterbox, it is packed really delicately and the box really study

Within the magazine which comes with the box we are told that for May's box they have joined forces with CEW(UK) in celebration of the holy anticipated CEW(UK) 2014 Beauty Awards. So as a dedicated subscriber, I have been given the opportunity to try both the finalists and winning brands which included:

Philip Kingsley - Elasticizer, Percy & Reed – Eau My Goodness Shine & Fragrance Spray, Oriflame – Tender Care Protecting Balm, Margaret Dabbs – Foot Hygiene Cream, Manuka Doctor – Mini Hero Kit, LOLA Make Up – Finishing Brush, L’Occitane en Provence – NEW Almond Milk Concentrate, GLAMGLOW – YOUTHMUD Tinglexfoliate Treatment & SUPERMUD Clearing Treatment, Fake Bake - 60 Minutes Self-Tan Liquid & Professional Mitt, Elemis – Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Dr.Organic – Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Treatment Serum, CHEEKY – Nail Paint in Tongue ‘n’ Cheek, Carmex – Moisturising Lip Balm, Burt’s Bees – Facial Cleansing Towelettes with White Tea Extract, Batiste – XXL Plumping Powder - Just how much choice is there - WOW

Again as with previous boxes, with this subscription you get some extra treats and mine came in the form of Charles Worthington - Moisture Seal Hair Healer Leave-In Conditioner, a sachet of Caudalie – Divine Legs and a sachet of Lizi’s – Naturally Toasted Granola in Treacle and Pecan flavour.

Then comes my actual selections.  

As soon as I saw one of them there was no doubt it was going to go in my box and it starts with Lola Make-up Finishing Brush which has the following description:

"This multi-purpose brush is designed to create a natural and airbrushed look.
It can be used to perfect and blend powder or liquid formulations.
Ideal for buffing face primers or foundations to a flawless finish".

This is obviously a full sized product which has an RRP of £17. This brush won the Best New Beauty Tool or Accessory Award.

The second choice of mine was Dr Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Treatment Serum which comes with the follow description:

Produced with the finest Moroccan Argan Oil, this sumptuous but light hair treatment is instantly absorbed into the hair, resulting in a silky smooth finish with brilliant shine.

With the heavenly scent of Patchouli, Cinnamon and Rosewood and the combination of African organic extracts including Kukui, Moringa and Sacha Inchi Seed Oils, this bioactive formulation leaves hair beautifully conditioned.

This is a 100ml tube which you can purchase from places like Holland and Barratt and it has an RRP of £14.99

So for a £6.95 subscription, my box has a value of around £32 which is amazing value for money!

What do you think to do this? Do you subscribe to these boxes?  What would you have chosen? If you subscribe, link your post below so I can see what you got.

Next month the attention will be dedicated to Beauty Hero’s - quite excited already!

You Beauty Discovery Box - April Edition

For the past few months I have been getting the You Beauty Discovery Box which you can see here and here with previous box contents.  This month my third box has arrived and I have said I am just as impressed.

This months box is themed "Organic and Natural" and when I got my email to let me know my options for selection was now ready, I logged straight in with excitement to make my choices and I am so chuffed I got the products I really really wanted to try.

As I have said before, I love is how the box fits through my letterbox, it is packed really delicately and the box really study:

Within the magazine which comes with the box we are told that the April shortlist (of products) has been inspired by the arrival of a new season and the prospect of the first glimpses of sunshine.   So with the theme of Organic and Natural the choices between the products included Steamcream Moisturiser, Melvita Moisture-replenishing Night Nectar, Melvita ultra-nourshing Cream, Inka Mineral Eyeshadow, Green People Vita Min Fix 24 hour Cream, Fom London Body Contouring Cream, Essential Care Creamy Coconut Cream, Dr Organic Dead Sea Mineral Eye Rescue Rollerball, Clayspray Glow Red Clay with Cacao Masque and Clayspray Brightening White Clay with Ginseng Masque.

Again as with previous boxes, with this subscription you get some extra treats and mine came in the form of a 9Bar fruity bar which is said to be a delicious blend of dried fruits and seeds and is both gluten and wheat free.  The second little extra is an Antioxident face cream from The Organic Pharmacy and it comes in a little sachet containing 3mls, the other options members might have got is a Gel or a serum.

Then comes my actual selections.  

As soon as I saw one of them there was no doubt it was going to go in my box and it starts with Clayspray Glow Red Clay with Cacao Masque for glowing, healthy and radiant looking skin it comes with the following description:

"The Glow Red Clay Masque instantly adds a boost of radiance to dull skin. The mineral rich formula includes iron to activate circulation, silica to boost collagen, alongsidenourishing cacao, which is rich in anti-oxidants to rejuvenate. The restoring clay exfoliates and repairs the skin’s surface revealing a glowing and healthy looking complexion".

This can is a 30ml can which you can see HERE on the Feelunique website and it has an RRP of £15.

The second choice of mine was Clayspray Brightening White Clay with Ginseng Masque which comes with the follow description:

"For crystal clear, brightened, and renewed complexion. Exfoliates, repairs and renews. Removes dead skin cells, revealing a fresh new skin surface with energising ginseng to brighten, for an immediate replenished and healthy look.

Formulated with a pure blend of white clay, it has an almost whitening effect, and also contains energizing ginseng and natural spring water".

This can is a 30ml can which you can see HERE on the Feelunique website and it has an RRP of £15.

So for a £6.95 subscription, my box has a value of around £32 which is amazing value for money!

What do you think to do this? Do you subscribe to these boxes?

Next month the attention will be dedicated to the CEW(UK) Beauty Awards and I am already looking forward to seeing the options already!