Glossybox Merry Metallics

This month Glossybox have treated us to quite the beauty of a box with a varied mix of products inside. There is no denying that the festive season is upon on and by the time this review goes live, we will be looking towards 2020 and saying goodbye to 2019 - how quickly did that come about by the way?

Promising to give your routine a touch of glitz and glamour, the Merry Metallics edit is filled with full-sized products which features everything you need to see in the new year looking absolutely fabulous!

The first product out of the box comes from Lasplash Cosmetics with their Golden Gatsby 3D Faux Mink Lashes.  Can any look be truly complete without long, flirty and fluttery lashes?

Designed to help you channel your inner 1920's flapper girl, these cruelty-free false lashes are quite stunning and all you need is your lash glue and you are good to go.  I am really picky when it comes to false lashes, I tend to prefer ones which are pre-glued, though these ones are really easy to work with.

The second item out of the box comes from Original Source with the Sweet Rhubarb and Raspberry Shower Gel.

This shower gel is described as being packed with 4 essential oils which are designed to leave your skin glowing as well as scented with the fragrance which reminds me of Rhubarb and Custard sweets.  What's more, this bottle is recyclable and the product is vegan.

A brand I got to know through beauty boxes is Bellapierre and within this box we have the Liquid Eye Shadow Eye Candy in the shade Venus which is just stunning.

Liquid Eyeshadows seem to have been quite the thing to use during the whole of 2019 and this one definitely does deserve a mention.  Extremely pigmented, it has an easy to use applicator wand which allows for easy application and once in place, it doesn't move or crease, which is definitely a huge plus point.  I love the shade, it is definitely one which is within my comfort zone being a bronze colour and whilst it is pigmented with shimmer, it isn't something which irritates my eyes like some brands have done.

If a loose powder pigment is more your product, then we have another brand that I have again got to know via Glossybox and that is Steve Laurant.

This glittery multi-purpose pigment powder is very much the formula that you can use on your eyelids for that shimmery look, it can also be used wet and applied along the lash line for a sparkly eyeliner, or if you are wanting to really make your look pop, a little dabbing above the cheekbones for a beautiful highlight.  The one thing I will say is that you only need a small amount to create an impact.  Again, this shade sits within my comfort zone of colours because again, it a bronze shade with a slight rose gold hue.

The final item within the box comes from L.O.V and it is the Lipaffair color and care lipstick.  I have the nude shade and actually quite like it.

Described as being a lipstick which boasts a unique blend of pigments, the texture is quite creamy and it applies nice and evenly without dragging or pulling over the lips.  Enriched with Kendi Oil and Hyaluronic filling spheres which help to smooth your pout, it is also said to visibly plump the lips too, though this isn't something I have noticed.  It definitely does give really good colour payoff and it lasts a good 4-5 hours because it has totally disappeared and needs to be re-applied, but overall, I really like the shade.

Again for me, this is another really good box from Glossybox and one which fits with the Merry Metallic theme, though I think it is more of a New Years Eve than a Christmas Eve box for helping to create that wow factor look. 

As always you can subscribe to Glossybox right here and if you use the code BQUEEN20 you can get yourself 20% off that first box!  

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

Polaar | Arctic Beauty Secrets

I love discovering new beauty brands and the latest one to land in my lap comes from Polaar, a brand which has quite the story to tell and it looks just as good as it sounds.

The Polaar adventure began 30 years ago with a lovely story which goes like this:

During his Arctic expeditions, Daniel Kurbiel discovered the unique ability of native plant life to survive in extreme weather conditions thanks to their natural active ingredients. With this knowledge, Daniel joined forces with Karine Roche to found Polaar - a range of hard-working skincare using concentrated ingredients from these plants to strengthen, purify, and protect your skin in all seasons.

So having been kindly sent The Genuine Lapland collection box, I was keen to get to know these products and try them out.

The first one to catch my eye was the Polaar Genuine Lapland Cream which comes packaged inside a beautiful tin which fastens tightly to keep the freshness.

The cream is formulated to be used on either your face and body. It uses a unique mix of three berries – arctic raspberries, cloudberries, and lingonberries all of which are known for their antioxidant properties, and all are rich in vitamins A, C, and E. On the skin, this cream not only nourishes and pampers dry skin but it also leaves behind a protective layer of hydration.

What I particularly like about this cream is that it doesn't have an overly thick texture, it glides onto the skin smoothly and absorbs quickly.

The second product from the package is the Polaar Genuine Lapland Handcream which comes packaged inside a squeezy metallic tube.

I am a huge fan of hand creams and without question, it is a product I always have on my desk, in my handbag and beside the bed. This particular hand cream, like the cream above, is enriched with Arctic Berries. Its job is to deliver a cocoon of moisture and protection to the hands to soften, replenish and relieve. 

When I use a hand cream, I want something that absorbs quickly without being greasy and I want something which isn't oily. From Polaar we get a hand which ticks both of those boxes and it leaves my hands not only feeling soft and smooth, but also hydrated and without too much of a fragrance.

The final product within this trio is the Polaar Genuine Lapland Lip Balm and like hand cream, for me, a lip balm is a must-have beauty product and it is something I go through quite a lot of.

Again, it will come as no surprise that this lip balm, like the two products before it has a formula which is infused with a vitamin-rich blend of arctic raspberries, blackberries and lingonberries for powerful antioxidant protection against wind, cold temperatures and pollution.  Alongside the berries, this lip balm is also packed with Shea butter, Beeswax and Coconut Oil, all of which come together to repair dryness, moisturise and comfort the skin.

This balm has a slanted tip, so the application is really easy.  Once on the lips, it absorbs really quickly, much quicker than some other balms I have tried.  It is non-greasy and has little fragrance to it.

As a brand, Polaar has other collections available which include Northern Lights, IcyMagic and Eternal Snow to name just a few and you can find them all here from lookfantastic.  The range is cruelty-free, vegan and contains no mineral oil or alcohol.

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

MOR Precious Pomegranate Giftset

With a newly renovated bathroom comes the excuse and excitement to open new products and make the bathroom look all pretty, I promise there is a post coming about the changes soon.  As a brand, I have featured MOR a few times on my blog, here with a beautiful candle and again here with the Marshmallow range.

Recently added to the bathroom from MOR is the Precious Pomegranate Giftset (£35) and it smells just as divine as the name might suggest. Packaged inside a beautiful red tin with fetching black bow, you will find a Pomegranate Hand & Body Wash and a Pomegranate Hand and Body Milk.

Discover a fragrant Orchard. Rich with fruity perfumes and bursting with ruby pomegranates and blackcurrant berries, it's a paradise of deliciousness to delight and pleasure your senses.

The one thing about MOR as a brand is that their descriptions of the product scents have always been absolutely spot on and this range is no different.

The hand & body wash is blended with oils of Blackcurrant, Rosehip, Neroli, Apricot and Hazelnut Seed to nourish the body and it also contains Ginger Root, Mango and Peach extract known for their skin conditioning properties.  As soon as the wash is released onto the skin, the boldness of the Blackcurrant is not something you can miss and it is so fresh a scent that you cannot help but really enjoy it.  It lathers slightly when in contact with the water and in doing so, it leaves the skin slightly scented with the fragrance after use.

The hand & body milk is the perfect accompaniment to the wash, again it is blended with oils of Blackcurrant, Rosehip, Neroli, Soybean, Sweet Almond and Macadamia Seed for silky-soft skin and alongside this comes Mango and Peach extracts known for their skin conditioning properties before the final inclusion of nourishing SheaButter to hydrate body.  What I really like about this body milk is that it is much more of a lotion than a milk, it isn't as runny as I had expected it to be, but once on the skin, it absorbs quite quickly and without being greasy or tacky on the skin, it leaves behind a beautiful fresh scent of berries. 

This Precious Pomegranate gift set would make a lovely gift for anyone who not only loves luxurious products in their bathroom, but it makes a nice alternative to what other brands have to offer.  You can find MOR products readily available online from sites such as Lookfantastic and Feelunique.

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