Blogger Beauty Box - December

The Blogger Beauty Box is, like the name suggests a beauty box which is created by a Blogger who goes by the name of Vix and she blogs over at Vix Meldrew. The Blogger Beauty Box began back in August of this year and I am chuffed to have finally got my hands on one and it costs just £10 per month. I have the gigantic December box to share with you and it is amazing.

Inside this box is 7 different items with the dominant theme of skincare and nails with many of the brands being absolutely new to me and I am really excited to give them a try.

Elegant Touch Nail Guards - These nail guards act as a protective barrier and are designed to be worn under not only press-on nails but also gel manicures & acrylics. These nail guards prevent glue damage to the natural nail and are really thin and to use them, you simply apply the sticky strip to your nail and then file to shape you need before applying your preferred finish. These nail guards are said to last for up to 14 days and also easy to remove. Each pack contains 36 nail guards in 9 sizes and retails around £2.95.

House of HoHoHo Christmas Nails by Elegant Touch - A collaboration between House of Holland and Elegant Touch to create some unique and fun press on nail designs ready for the Christmas season. These nails are easy to use attach to the nail easily by using the enclosed glue. They dry in just 5 minutes and are said to last for 10 days. Each pack contains 24 nails in 10 different sizes, a nail file, bottle of glue and full easy to read and follow instructions. Available in several designs they retail around £8.99.

AcuRegen Rose Body Oil - The oil caught my attention as soon as I opened the box. The body oil looks similar to Olive Oil and contains rose petal pot pourri in a pump dispenser bottle to make it easier to use. The oil can be used in the bath, as a body oil or you can add it to your body lotion. Ingredients such as Rose Oil which has renowned purifying and detoxing properties, Argan Kernal Oil which is not only hydrating but also helps regulate sebum secretion and is extremely moisturising and finally Geranium Oil which is said to deliver nerve tissue support for boosted skin balancing. Priced at £32.99 I am really looking forward to giving this a try.

Seascape Island Apothecary Soothe Body Butter - Seascape is part of a locally produced skincare range which hails from Jersey. This Body Butter is full of natural ingredients and essential oils which includes Lavender to relax and calm, Ylang Ylang to balance the mind and Mandarin to rejuvenate the skin. Contains Jersey Beeswax, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Rosehip Seed Oil, Grape Seed Oil and Sweet Almond Oil rich in Omega 3, 6 and vitamin E to help reduce stretch marks and repair damaged skin. This butter smells absolutely incredible and feels so lovely on the skin. It contains no parabens, no silicones, no SLS, no petroleum, no artificial colours, no artificial fragrances and retails at £22.00

Anubis Effectivity Gold Mask and Caviar &Pearl Peeling - I have never come across this brand before, so it is always exciting to discover something new. Anubis comes from Barcelona. The Caviar & Pearl is a described as being a nourishing and revitalizing exfoliator which is specifically forumalted to deeply nourish and regenerate. It states it will reduce wrinkles, brighten skin and to smooth and soothe. To be used after cleansing your face, it has to be left for up to 10 minutes before being rinsed off. The Gold Mask which is another anti-aging product from this brand is an intensive rejuvenating gel mask which is said to leave your skin with an intense glow. As before, you apply to clean skin and leave for up to 15 minutes before rinsing. Both of these masks retail between £10-£20 depending on where you choose to shop.

Finally nestled inside a cute linen organza bag are two lip products by Dusty Girls which is part of the MooGoo brand. MooGoo make skincare for people who have skin problems and/or very sensitive skin and their makeup range uses the sample principles of the skincare range which you can read more about here and here.

Dusty Girls Sun Shower – Natural Mineral Lip Gloss. This is a clear gloss to add shine and create silky smooth lips. This gloss hydrates and softens your pout with natural moisturising oils and soft micas. It can be purchases for just £9.00.

Dusty Girls Argyle Pink Lip Shine - A gorgeous soft shade of pink with a subtle light reflecting shimmer to enhance your natural smile. We use a blend of nourishing ingredients such as Apricot Seed Oil, Watermelon Seed Oil and Sweet Almond Oil to make application a breeze and to ensure you are left with a perfectly polished pout with every pop! We steer clear of synthetic dyes and Carmine, both of which are commonly found in many generic lip products to get a more vibrant colour, however most people aren’t aware that Carmine is in fact, boiled beetle wings (cringe). Instead we use natural micas for a beautiful, long lasting pigment and a clear conscience. Priced at £9.50 and can be found here.

So there you have the December Beauty Blogger Box and as you can see it is packed full of amazing products with new brands to discover. If you like the sound of Beauty Blogger Box and want to try it out for yourself, you can find information right here.

Balance Active Formula Dragon’s Blood Range

Balance Active Formula Dragon’s Blood Range is the new kid on the block and it features three products which I have been using over the past few weeks. Those products are a Lifting Serum, Lifting Cream and Eye Lift Balm all of which work together to in essence provide the ideal all-in-one skincare range. Admittedly I jumped at the chance to try these because of the words 'Dragon's Blood'. I love products which sound slightly weird, have odd ingredients and capture the imagination and if you are a regular reader of my blog, then you will know that Bee Venom, Snake Venom and other such ingredients have excited me a lot.

These products all contain Dragon’s Blood Extract and 3% Liftonin™-Xpress, an innovative active and break-through ingredient that helps the skin look instantly lifted and tightened. It absorbs fast and cools the skin on application. Naturally Dragon's Blood isn't the blood of a Dragon, but it is the sap from the Croton lechleri tree which is also known as the ‘Dragon’ Tree when translated. The resin or sap in question is red hence the term Dragon's Blood and it forms protective film on skin to protect against environmental aggressors.

The first of the three products is Dragon's Blood Eye Lift Balm – This balm claims to instantly lift and tighten the skin around the eye area, whilst reducing fine lines and wrinkles. The balm itself is a lightweight and non-greasy formula which is easily applied to the under-eye area both during the morning and the evening. I don't (thankfully) yet have any wrinkles around my eyes, but the formula is incredibly hydrating and refreshing.

The Dragon's Blood Lifting Serum is my favourite product of the three - Again the serum contains Dragon's Blood Extract and 3% Liftonin-Xpress to leave skin looking firmer and lifted. Helpfully the serum comes inside a bottle with pipette which makes using it much easier. I distribute the serum onto the palm of my hand and apply it to my face and neck before using my moisturising cream both in the morning and the evening.

The final part of this skincare trio is the Dragon's Blood Lifting Cream - Again featuring Dragon's Blood Extract and 2& Liftonin-Xpress, the skin feels smoother and appears lifted and tightened. This has become the final part of my skincare regime and is applied both morning and evening after using both the Eye Lift Balm and Lifting Serum.  The cream is really lightweight and absorbs easily into the skin without leaving behind any greasy residue.

As someone in my 30's taking care of my skin has already be one of my top priorities, to be honest even in my teens I was taking care of my skin.  The three of these products together work incredibly well and when I saw the price, I was incredibly shocked because at £3.99 they perform just as well as similar products with similar ingredients and right now you can purchase all three of these for just £1.97 right here.

All products are light-weight and non-greasy, suitable for all skin types and parabens free.

The Useful Christmas Gift Ideas for Bloggers

Have you got a friend who is a blogger, or is one of your friends a blogger and you are currently scratching your head debating what you can buy them to make life a little easier?  Well I have a great list right here that could just help you!

One item that most bloggers will own is a camera, now whether that is a Compact, an SLR Camera, a Bridge Camera, the cult must have Olympus Pen, the Nikon CoolPix, a Fujifilm Instamax or even just an iPhone camera, all of these terms will be words you have come across in your lifetime of blogging. There is no doubt a camera is a must have item for any blogger and if you are thinking of buying one for yourself or someone else, you will be forever in someones favour.  This gift idea list is mainly centered around items for cameras with a few extra add-ons, it might be that you cannot afford to buy a new camera, but can buy something extra to make that unwanted and unloved camera because loved and very much wanted again.

1. Bloggersphere Magazine - This magazine is an internationally distributed print publication written by bloggers for the blogging and social media community. It is split into six main sections (each edited by an influential blogger): beauty, fashion, food, travel, lifestyle and photography. I really enjoy reading this magazine and whilst it is now available to buy in some WHSmith stores and online, you could buy a subscription as a gift right here.

2. Amzdeal Portable Camera Photo Studio Box Light Lighting - Days without natural light are a constant pain in the backside for bloggers and it used to drive me insane until I got one of these portable studio boxes. I love that it comes with an array of backgrounds, a tripod for your camera, the studio tent, two lights and a hand carry case for it all to be stored in, so even if you are short of space, this is a great product to have and it can be found here.

3. Anker Astro Portable Charger - This is quite possibly the best item I have ever bought for my iPhone. If you are social media crazy and can't go a few minutes without tweeting, Instagramming, watching and recording for Periscope or even Snapchatting then your phone battery is not going to last the day.  This portable charger is ideal for carrying around with you and you can find it here.

4. Hama Star 61 Tripod - If you Vlog and Youtube, a tripod is a must have item, if you take photos then a tripod is a great item to have, I am not too sure that I could now take any photo without a tripod and get the look I am wanting for my photos and if it is something you have been debating buying but don't want to splash out lots of money, this one is a bargain and is right here.

5. Queen of Blogs Mug - Whether you drink tea, coffee, hot chocolate and so on, a mug can be a great gift and this one more so with it's apt slogan 'Queen of Bloggers' which I also think goes well with my blog name and would also make a great secret santa gift.  Found on Amazon right here.

6. Blog Planner - The Badass Blog Planner is Your guide to defining your purpose, creating clarity, and building a year of killer content. This Planner includes worksheets to evaluate and plan blog content, social media posts, products and services, email newsletters, marketing, advertising, your budget, and website design. No more late-night post idea panic or stressing over social media! I think this sounds like pretty a pretty good read and a quite handy go to guide to have and it is available right here.

7. Foldio - The Portable Studio Box, Foldable Light Box for Smartphone Photography.  This is quite possibly one of the coolest items I have come across to date.  I am sure everyone uses Instagram and if you are short of space within your home, then this could just become your best friend.  It is a Smartphone version of the portable studio already mentioned within this post and is impossibly cute, an amazing idea (why did I not think of this) and could quite possibly be a huge game changer with Instagram.  It can be found right here.

8. Camera Light - I was given this light 6 months ago and it is an item I use all of the time in the darker months.  If you need to add just a bit more light to your photos and don't need the whole set up of a studio, this light does just that. Readily available right here.

9. Notebooks - As a blogger I can never ever have too many notebooks. I have notebooks of all shapes and sizes and I find them handy for list writing, idea jotting, blog post details and often when I am on the go and think. My current favourite notebook happens to be this Happy Jackson Green A5 Thoughts And Doodles Notebook which I think it is perfect for what I need it for.

10. Blog Backgrounds - Whether you use the outdoors for that perfect photo shot or props inside, did you knwo your local hardware and DIY store might be a little treasure trove of ideas and help too? Wallpaper samples, Floor Tiles and even Wooden Floor Samples can really help bring those photos to life and it is always worth going to look.

So there you have it.  My helpful guide to useful gifts for bloggers, which contain all of the items I think would be useful.

As a blogger reading this, what items would you want to see on a gift list?

*collaboration

Inner-Soul Organics

Inner-Soul Organics is one of those brands that I just love from the very first try and the fact they are British with products made right here in the UK makes me want to champion them ever more. Inner-Soul Organics offers luxurious skincare for face, bath, body, anti-aging and maternity, created with fine quality, organic, botanical extracts but what I love more is that they have a service that allows you the customer to have your own unique skincare range designed and created just for you. Inner Soul Organics skincare products are also suitable for use as part of vegan and vegetarian lifestyles and we are against animal testing and you can find out more about them right here.

I was sent two sample pots to try and test and I absolutely loved both of them, especially the Rose and Lemon Tender Cleanse Balm.  I am a real fan of cleansing balms, there is just something really relaxing and satisfying about using them to melt off the days make up, dirt and grime to leave you with a fresh, clean feeling face, particularly for me living here in London.  

To use the Roses and Lemons Tender Cleanse Balm, you apply in light sweeps all over the face and neck and when doing this, I use one of my muslin cloths as I find they work really well with. With this balm you are advised to concentrate on the sides of the nose, the dip of the chin and forehead and then to remove, simply moisten the cloth and remove excess balm. Now as you can imagine, it smells absolutely divine and is packed full of amazing ingredients such as:

• Mango and Virgin Coconut Butters are at the heart of our cleansing balm to gently cleanse away dirt without stripping skin of its natural oil content
• Extracts of organic Kiwi Seed, Aloe, Calendula and Rose Hip de-stress and soothe skin and also deal with fine lines and wrinkles by encouraging production of new collagen cells and quenching skin with vitamin C
• Red Raspberry seed acts to boost skin's natural immunity, protecting against free radicals and irritations
• Squalane, Evening Primrose and Spilanthes Acmella will hydrate and leave a beautiful glow on the skin
• Sublime Rose de Mai and Rose Absolute calm and tighten, smoothing away fine lines, whilst Lemon and Bergamot deeply cleanse and reduce dark spots

The True Balance Day Time Moisturiser is a cream which feels incredibly luxurious on the skin and you only need a small amount because as soon as it comes into contact with the skin it absorbs itself leaving behind soft, smooth and really hydrated feeling skin.  As with the cleansing balm, this cream is packed full of amazing ingredients such as Ylang Ylang which has a soothing effect and its balancing action sorts out over-dry as well as overly-oily skin by balancing the secretion of sebum and there is also the inclusion of Apricot, Lemon and Thistle which moisturise and mattify the skin.

What I found with this cream is that the scent is really long lasting and you can smell it for a good few hours after application and it leaves behind no greasy residue.

These sample pots are a really generous size and have really impressed me into wanting to try a few more products from the range. The Cleansing Balm was my favourite of the two and it is just an absolute delight to use and anything which leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean definitely deserves the thumbs up.

Have you ever tried anything from Inner Soul Organics?