Look Fantastic Beauty Box

I am a huge fan of the site LookFantastic, there are so many amazing products that I drool over all the time and flirt with buying.  When an email arrived in my inbox to let me know there was a new beauty box to be had, I ordered it before I had finished reading the email - at a cost of £15.

The box, to look at is black in colour with blue and silver writing stating this is from LookFantastic, I was really eager to open my box and see what contents I had and I was definitely not disappointed!

All of that for just £15, no wonder it sold out so quickly! 

So inside the box we have Kerastase Bain Satin 1 shampoo and conditioner in these very cute and very handy 80ml bottles.  This product is said to present an innovative nourishing formula to protect your hair against the relentless return of hair dryness.

Caudalie Divne Oil for face, Body and hair is next and again in this cute 15ml glass bottle. I am already a massive fan of this and have used it before, but have almost run out, so I am chuffed to have a smaller, travel sized bottle handy.

Jurlique Herbal a Recovery Advanced Serum which is said to help combat fine lines, dullness and dehydration with a clinically proven antioxidant gel serum. Packaged inside the cutest 15ml bottle, this serum smells absolutely divine.

St Tropez Bronzing Mousse which needs to be applied with an applicator mitt for a streak free finish and stain free hands, is said to create a natural looking golden glow which lasts for days.  Admittedly this is the product I like least in the box because I am not the biggest fan of fake tan, but I will more than probably give it a go and see how I get on with it.

The final item for me is one I have been really wanting to try for ages. This Works Sleep spray, which is a deep sleep pillow spray which is said to cocoon you in a soporific mist. Using the soothing scents of Chamomile, Vertivert and true Lavender, the scents work together to calm the mind, acting as a natural sleep sedative to prepare you for sleep.

For just £15, you have to admit, this is one fantastic box, I am absolutely thrilled with it and think it is simply brilliant.  So many high end brands in a box, the sizes are all really decent sizes too, so you can actually get to test and try them before you buy.

I am so impressed with this box that the October one has been pre-ordered because one again, I fear it might just sell out very very quickly!

Did you get this box? Do any of the items stand out at you?

You Beauty Discovery Box - September Edition

Today is day 2 of my week long look at Beauty Boxes to see what they are like, what kind of content we get, how good they really are value wise and to ask whether or not we need them!

For the past few months I have been getting the You Beauty Discovery Box which you can see February, March, April, May, June, July and August with previous box contents. 

This month I had been undecided as to which products I was going to choose because I liked the look and sound of them all. Themed as being the Birthday Box, each subscriber was being give not the usual two extra treats, but three! Those three being:




Toni & Guy Volume Plumping Whip which is described as being the ultimate hair treat to give your locks all-day body and bounce from the roots. It is a non-sticky formula which lifts the hair for glamorous, voluptuous volume without any flyaways. This product is worth £7.19.

Two sachets of tea sachets which sounds amazing, a handy sponge for your make-up bag and a voucher for £25 with Hello Fresh.

Again, there is an accompanying magazine which is always nice to read, it gives you some further information about each product.

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:





I have been wanting to try products from both of these ranges, specifically the Perricone MD No Foundation, Foundation. Described as being the first advanced anti-aging, multi-tasking translucent foundation with non-chemical SPF 30 protection. With Alpha Lipoic Acid, DMAE, and Vitamin C Ester. Created to keep skin looking dewy and flawless, this multi-purpose foundation provides natural translucent coverage, corrects skin undertones, instantly smoothes fine lines and boosts skin's natural moisture throughout the day, all the while delivering antioxidant benefits. This is a sample size 7.5ml is and said to have a value of around £9.

The second item from Pixie is a Tinted Brilliance Balm and it is described as being packed with lip-loving ingredients, this glossy gel balm protects & hydates lips instantly. After the balm wears off, lips are left tinted with a flattering, personalized hue just for you (colour & intensity depends on pH level of lips). Twist-up crayon requires no sharpening. I got the shade Pretty Pink and it is very much the pretty pink shade and I am looking forward to trying it out. This is a 1.8 sample size worth around £5.

So for a £6.95 subscription, my box has a value of around £20 which is more than three times 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. 

Birchbox Happy Days September 2014

Birchbox is a popular favourite with bloggers and from the two boxes that I have had, I can see why. This month is themed 'Happy Days' and apparently September is the month that is filled with nostalgia. The start of the back-to-school season has us reminiscing about the happiest days of our lives and so on. Inside this box I am told I will find products that will help me look my best during my happiest days!

The first item in my box is a 4ml glass vial of the Agave Healing Oil Treatment. This oil claims to smooth and transform your hair, build resiliency and boost shine and colour. The Agave Oil is also free from parabens and phthalates and is also cruelty free. To use the oil the directions state that you should warm a 5p sized amount between the palms and smooth through damp hair evenly from mid-lengths to ends. Agave is a brand I have never heard of, but I am a big fan of hair oils and am looking forward to giving this a go. This sample is worth around £1

The next item is a 5ml sample of the ModelCo Power Lash Black Mascara. As an Australian brand, I don't really know that much about ModelCo so I am looking forward to giving this a try. This mascara claims to give full gorgeous luxurious lashes, with great length. The wand is said to be a unique shape to capture those tiny lashes for maximum impact and minimal effort. This sample is worth £13.

Next up a 3ml sample of the Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream from their Skincare range. The cream itself is a very light caramel shade, which includes cocoa extra to help boost microcirculation and fade dark under the eye circles. The inclusion of a daily peptide complex works to preserve the elasticity of the delicate under the eye area, whilst skin is hydrated and protected from free radicals! Whoa! This sample is worth £1.80.

The next item I received is a 20ml jar of the Premae Mild Dermabrasion Face and Body Scrub. A scrub which contains olive granules to smooth the skin is said to be gentle enough to be used on both the face and body whilst buffing away dead skin cells, blemishes and trapped dirt. It cream itself has a really nice consistency, imagine your favourite cream with added bits into it, once on the skin it feels really soft until your begin the process of massaging the skin, it is then that the exfoliating particles come into being and whilst you most definitely know they are there, they are still gentle on the skin. This sample is worth around £5.

The last beauty item in this month's box is a very small sample of the Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip Plumper in shade Rio. I am a big fan of Jane Iredale and I have featured the products on my blog before. This lip plumper contains Spearmint and peppermint oils, in combination with ginger root extract, gently stimulate circulation making lips fuller, faster. Shea butter, sunflower oil and aloe vera soften and hydrate and the essential oils of lemon and tangerine help to exfoliate dead skin cells. I love the size of this lipstick, it is something that would be perfect if you were unsure whether or not the colur you wanted was right, but rather than pay out for a full sized version, you have a sample sized to play with. That said, this shade is a little too much on the brown side for me. This sample is worth around £3.

This month we received  two Lifestyle Extras; the first item is a Birchbox Happy Days Photo Clip and the second item is a packet of Urban Fruit Perfect Mango Pieces. I really like the photo clip, it is something a little bit different, it fits with the theme of the box and I quite like the green coloured cube.  The fruit snack is also something as an addition, again it is a little bit different and is something I wanted to try, and by the time you read this, I have! 

If you were interested in purchasing any of this month's samples in the full size, you can do so through the Birchbox shop and if you have never subscribed to Birchbox and would love to do so, I have a £5 off offer for you, just use the code BBX5QUEEN - Enjoy!

Are you a subscriber to Birchbox?

#whatnormalfeelslike

I have said it before, but will say it again. Breast cancer is an issue that is close to my heart. My best friend from my early school days died from the disease when she was in her early 20's and three current friends have it. Everyone it seems knows someone with the disease, has had the disease or is undergoing treatment from the disease.

CoppaFeel! aims to stamp out late detection and misdiagnosis of breast cancer by ensuring that people know that signs and symptoms of breast cancer, know what their boobs look and feel like normally, check their boobs regularly throughout their lifetime and have the confidence to seek medical referral when they detect abnormalities. Currently 5% of diagnosed cases are already at stage IV with breast cancer being the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women under 30 in the UK (181 new cases diagnosed and 12 deaths annually). CoppaFeel! strives for a country where no one dies of breast cancer because of late detection or misdiagnosis. The charity receives no government funding and relies solely on voluntary donations. 

To celebrate the launch of #whatnormalfeelslike, CoppaFeel!s new advertising campaign, the breast cancer awareness charity are opening an exciting pop-up in London’s Brick Lane in association with bath, body and beauty brand I Love…

Visitors to the pop up will be able to create their own campaign style shot in the ‘Boob Booth’, a specially created photo booth to capture your bare-chested beauty. All those that dare to bare will take home a CoppaFeel! goody bag full of beauty treats from I Love… and Balmi.

Lynda Matthews Head of Marketing for I Love… commented ‘I Love... are delighted to be collaborating with CoppaFeel! on this very special Pop-Up. As a brand, I Love appeals to young women and anything we can do to support the incredible work Kris and CoppaFeel! are doing to encourage breast cancer awareness is a positive thing. We want to get that conversation started to ensure that we can help women in the future feel confident about going to their doctor if they feel that something may be wrong. This is the first step in making that happen.’

Open from 18th-21st September, it will exhibit original imagery from the campaign, which features seven bare-chested women, each body painted with the word that best describes how their boobs feel to them. Shot by British photographer Rankin and using words such as ‘squidgy’, ‘spongy’ and ‘bobbly’, the campaign calls on women to reclaim the vocabulary surrounding breasts and learn #whatnormalfeelslike for them. The cult East-London nail salon WAH Nails and Barry M will also be on hand, giving exclusive, complimentary CoppaFeel! inspired manicures Thursday and Friday.

On the Saturday and Sunday, Paul Mitchell and Vintage Hair stylist will be there creating classic up-dos.

The #whatnormalfeelslike campaign was born after months of research and conversations with women across the UK. The research showed that women age between 18-30 struggle to find words to describe their boobs beyond big or small.The reason being is that the sexualisation of boobs has led to women only thinking about theirs in terms of size. Therefore the purpose of this campaign is not only to inform young women that there are other words they can use to describe their boobs but to also help women reclaim the vocabulary so that they know #whatnormalfeelslike for them.

Kris Hallenga founded CoppaFeel! after being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at the age of 23. One in eight women will be diagnosed with the disease at some stage in their life and CoppaFeel! aims to get the message out that the sooner we get checking, the sooner we get to know our boobs and are able to spot any changes.

Kris says; ‘We want to make it normal for girls to talk about their boobs. Society and the media think of breasts in a sexual way but by creating this campaign we want to give boobs back to women and encourage them to think and talk about them in terms beyond size. The more normal it is to talk about boobs, the more likely women are to check themselves regularly and spot any changes early.”

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coppafeel.org
Twitter: @CoppaFeelPeople
Instagram: http://instagram.com/coppafeelpeople 
Website: http://coppafeel.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ILoveCosmeticsLtd 
Twitter: @IloveHQ
Instagram: http://instagram.com/iloveofficial 
Website: http://www.ilovecosmetics.eu