You Beauty Discovery Box February 2015

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I am a huge fan of You Beauty Discovery Boxes because they are not only amazing value for money but the actual concept is brilliant.  Most of us love Beauty Boxes and subscribe to them, most of the time not knowing what an earth you might find.  With You Beauty Discovery, every month you get a menu to choose from and then you also get one or two treats as well.

This month the list to choose from was again amazing and I was chuffed to find two products listed that I have wanted to try for some time and this is my box:

Every month within the box, which cleverly fits through your letterbox, is a little magazine to read and it is one I always read cover to cover.  This month we are told that the products we have had to choose from are for the Red Carpet, which is interesting as I was expecting a Valentines Pamper box theme, so it is nice to get something which is both unexpected and great at the same time.

The freebies or little treats this month are ones I really like too and they are and as you can see there was a mini box of Lindt chocolate (now eaten) and a sample of Bare Minerals Bareskin foundation.  I have never used anything from Bare Minerals, so I would I have liked a bigger sample to use so that I could have properly tried it.

The products that I actually chose this month was again a tough choice as there was quite a few that I loved the sound of and this month I had never tried any of the products in the box!  So I chose:

INFUSED Coconut Body Scrub which comes inside this beautiful gold 100g sachet, which is huge and packed full. It is described as a product which incorporates a natural blend of Robusta Seed Coffee and brown sugar that help to eliminate dead skin cells and impurities such as stretch marks, and dry skin.

It's natural oil base is enriched with coconut oil and healing clays that help to maintain moisture whilst removing impurities from the body.  A 200g sachet retails for £18.99 so this being half that size is worth around £9.50 which I think is a really generous offering and a review is coming soon.

Kiss The Moon Love - After Dark Bath Oil.  This is a little 3g vial of the product which is described as follows - A 100% natural beauty oils to help you prepare for a good night's rest, nourishing your skin and soul whilst you sleep.

This oil is made from a blend of coconut oil, combined with a generous helping of nutrient rich jojoba oil and white tea seed oil to leave the skin smooth and well-nourished.  To use, you simply squeeze two full pipettes into a still, deep, warm bath, or in this case 3-4 drops from the vial. For a more intense experience, massage lightly into skin before stepping in to the bath. Take three slow breaths and relax. Step out lightly moisturised from top to toe and ready for a perfect night’s sleep.

I have seen Kiss The Moon popping up all over my Instagram and Twitter timelines so curiosity has got the better of me.  To me, this oil sounds absolutely divine and I cannot wait to give it a try.  A 100ml bottle retails for £38 and my sample is worth about £1.15.

Now this box cost just £6.95 and look at the contents, isn't that just great value for money? I think so and I would love to know if you also subscribe and what you chose from the list!

Hugo Boss Woman Perfume

When it comes to perfume, I know what I like and what I don't like. Every now and again a fragrance will come into my possession and takes my by surprise and this is one of those fragrances. Hugo Boss Woman was sent to my Hubby to review and we decided that he could do he make version which you can find HERE and I would do the female version.

Hugo Boss Woman is not a scent I ever thought I would like, my last encounter with this brand of perfumes was a short lived affair with Deep Red, a scent which I liked until it hit my skin and then it smelt just awful. So I was slightly nervous about giving this go. 

The perfume comes inside this bright vibrant red box and inside is a rather rotund looking bottle which encompasses the box design by taking on-board he red and silver colouring,  Being a see through glass bottle, you can see the fragrance inside and it looks as though it is tinted red, but in actual fact it is just down to the clever design of the bottle.

Described as being "a fruity floral fragrance with an unconventional boyish twist. The scent is a contrast of feminine and unexpected masculine notes creating a contrast of tones and sensations. HUGO Woman is the scent for modern, stylish women who live life their way and follows the motto to invent yourself". 

The scent itself uses top notes of ripe boysenberry, sparkling Italian mandarin and Himalayan red grass. Top notes are those scents that are perceived immediately on application of a perfume.  The middle notes which are the ingredients used to make up the perfume, and can range from plant and flower extracts to fruity extracts and in this perfume we have Jasmine sambac and plush, darkly fruity black plum and Indian black tea.  So the base notes, which are perhaps the most important because they determine how long a fragrance will last, and most fragrances have similar base notes which often include sandalwood, amber, musk or vanilla. The reason being is because there are only a certain number of notes that will last long enough on the skin to form the base of a fragrance. So within this scent, those Base Notes are Sandalwood laced with cedar, warmed by feminine amber.

I would describe Hugo Woman as being a mixture of both fruity and floral, one the first spritz the fruity scent is really dominant and it soon settles on the skin to become much lighter and more floral.  Infact, it has really good wear time because I can still smell it hours later on my way home from work, which is a good 8-9 hours later.  I had expected this to be a really heavy fragrance, the kind which makes your nose wrinkle as soon as it is spritzed, but it isn't at all, it is one of those fragrances I would want to wear in the springtime because it is so fresh smelling and floral

Overall I really really like this scent, I never expected to find myself saying that but I do and it is just lovely.  It is one of those scents I would put into the versatile category which means you could wear it as a day fragrance, for a night out, on a date or whenever you fancied because for me it meets the criteria of all the above.  This scent is available from Fragrance Direct and 30ml costs just £29.99

Have you tried this scent?

Shabby Chic from the flower Garden

Life for me at the minute is pretty chaotic and between work life, home life and blogging, it is sometimes really hard to find the right balance.  This month is super busy and we are only just into February and I am already exhausted. 

Coming home in an evening on the off chance I have no plans what-so-ever, I like to ensure I get time to sit back, relax, have a hot bath, read some blogs or my Kindle and generally wind down and leave my day behind.  So once dinner is out of the way, the bath is run and the bubbles are flowing, I like to ensure I have some mood music and some candles lit around the bath, perhaps a nice glass of chilled wine, a facemask and away we go.  Failing that, a nice lay down on the bed with my iPad to watch an episode of Brothers and Sisters in total peace and quiet is also good.  

Whichever way I choose to relax, a candle or two are always part of that process because I find them deeply relaxing and they help create a nice atmosphere.  Candles are one of my favourite items to be gifted, given or things to buy.  I was sent this Shabby Chic From the Flower Garden Gift set and it's such a lovely gift.

The set contains two votive candles nestled in these beautifully designed glass holders and a 50ml diffuser with fragrance notes of Cassis, Red Fruit, Jasmine, Lily, Rose and Musk.  The diffuser is really lovely, to use it you put the decorative flower head and reeds into the oil to absorb and diffuse the fragrance throughout your room, it is said to last up to 4 months and the scent really is just lovely, it isn't too overpowering but it is strong enough that you notice it.

The candles have a burn time of 10 hours which is really good and the scent that they give is again not too overpowering, but strong enough to be noticed.

I think this is a really lovely little set and it is still available from House of Fraser it would make a really lovely gift.

BBB Givenchy Beauty Box

When I read that the lovely Jayne from British Beauty Blogger had collaborated with Givenchy and Latest In Beauty for a box of iconic products, there was no way I was going to miss out because there are three products from the list that I had been wanting to try for some time now.

Now I love the design of the box, it is plain yet striking and inside is this lovely tissue paper which hides all the products and this little magazine which gives you some information on each product, something I found really useful as it is simply written, no jargon and contains everything you need to know.

So... this is what was in my box:

Givenchy Foundation (1 empty bottle for a 5 day foundation trial + FREE make-over invitation).

Finding the perfect foundation is the Holy Grail for the complexion, so when you take your empty bottle to counter to have it filled with the sample of your choice, you can also have a free make-over to get you properly started.

This is such a good idea because finding that perfect shade of foundation is often quite tricky.  I am sure we all have one which is alright or will do.  Here what Givenchy are offering is something I think many brands can learn from and I cannot wait to track down my participating counter to see what I am recommended.

Gentlemen Only Intense sample & Costume Blotter (1ml)

In a beautiful black organza presentation pouch with a blotter for testing at your leisure, Givenchy Gentlemen Only Intense is a woody, spicy and citrus blend that plays with the senses. It’s a modern twist on traditional cologne that’s all things sexy.


I think this is a really lovely addition to the box and having a hubby who also blogs means that I can pass this scent onto him and he can form an opinion as to whether or not he likes it  To my knowledge he own no aftershave from or by Givenchy!

Dahlia Divin sample & Gold Blotter (1ml)

We've presented this in a golden organza bag with a golden blotter so you can spritz and pop it in your handbag. Every time you open your bag, you'll get a sumptuous waft of Dahlia Divin, with sparkling floral and fruity notes. The dry down is worth the wait, becoming a true sensual, skin scent.

Now this is a scent I have been wanting to try for some time now and I like to try perfumes away from shops so that I can get a real feel for what it smells like and this is a scent I really like especially because for me, the scent of Jasmine is really noticeable and it is my favourite scent right now.

Hydra Sparkling Nude Look BB Cream (2ml)

If you’re a regular reader of BBB, you’ll know I love BB creams. Hydra Sparkling Nude Look BB is another level – smoothing, perfecting and hydrating with an impressive SPF30 for skin protection. The texture is fluid, easily blendable and gives your complexion a veil of coverage that looks like your own skin, but better.

I have shade 02 Medium Beige which I have swatched below and it is slightly too dark for me, but it does, when mixed with my Boots Foundation, it works much better and worked really well as a concealer, covering my dark circles brillianty, though I know this was not what the use was intended for.  So this is one product I would love to try in a different shade.

Hydra Sparkling One Minute Glow Powder (0.5g sachet)

I have recommended this gorgeous cleansing powder over and over again. Tip a little into the palm of your hand, add a tiny bit of water and massage the paste gently over your skin. Your complexion will feel thoroughly cleansed and smooth.

I haven't tried this yet but I am intrigued to try it because it is a formula I wasn't expecting and curiosity is getting the better of me.

Hydra Sparkling Luminescence Moisturizing Cream (1x 5ml tube)Hydra Sparkling is all about creating hydrated and luminous skin and you only need to use this once to notice a difference in skin softness. The texture is cooling and gel-like so it feels light on the complexion. Hydra Sparkling uses a Givenchy exclusive complex containing five molecules to boost and maintain moisture levels. (for normal to Combination Skin).

This is another product I have wanted to try for a while now because I like the sound of the gel-like formula.

Mini Le Rouge Lipstick (shade 202 Rose Dressing - 1x 1.5g)

The joy of a mini-lipstick! Givenchy Le Rouge gives intense colour that feels velvety and light. One stroke is all you need for full impact, but you can build to your preferred intensity. Le Rouge is a grown-up lipstick with plenty of character and infinite sophistication.


This is shade 202 Rose Dressing and it is absolutely stunning, I just love everything about it, from the box it is encased inside to the actual shade which I have swatched below and the formula is so smooth it simply glides onto the lips and what is even cuter is that wrapped around the lipstick, whilst in its box are two sheets of blotting paper.

Phenomen’Eyes Mascara: The Iconic Reinvented (4g)

As if Phenomen’Eyes Mascara isn’t iconic enough, our hero of the Givenchy/BBB edit is the next generation formula of this amazing mascara. More length, more curl and more definition – it’s a huge launch for 2015 and we’re convinced you’ll love what it does for your lashes! There’s a new signature design, too, that matches the stylish reinvention of Phenomen’Eyes that coats each lash in dramatic black with not one clump in sight.

Now this is the one product I really really wanted to try, the wand alone is just magnificent, it looks like a weapon of torture and I absolutely love it and now want to buy the actual full sized version.

The final item in my box was this Givenchy Purse which is super cute and heart shaped. Now there was to be a choice of this purse or a notebook and I would have been chuffed either way.  So the purse, which is shown below is perfect for coins if you don't want to carry them around in your purse, especially for a night out.

So there you have it, the BBB Givenchy box collaboration with Latest In Beauty in its entirety and I think it is a brilliant box and totally worth the £18.95 that it costs.  There is a great mixture of products in this box to try and the samples are big enough so that you can use them more than once to try them.

Before I got this box, I hadn't used a single item from Givenchy as I never thought it was for someone like me, but my opinion has totally changed and I feel as though it is a brand I should really attempt to discover more about, after it is a classic brand.

Did you get your hands on this box? What do you think to it?