You Beauty Box January 2016

The January You Beauty Discovery Box has arrived and it has had a bit of a makeover. No longer called You Beauty Discovery, it is instead called You Beauty Box. I am hoping the changes to come are not too drastic because I like this box the way it was, but we'll see. It currently costs just £6.95 per month and that includes postage and packaging.

Anyway with the makeover, there is no enclosed magazine but the shortlist for January is dedicated to recovering from festive over-indulgence, resuming a best-practice skincare regime and rejuvenating our make-up bag. Everything on the list has been carefully selected with renewal in mind.

As always there are two treats within this box. The first is a sachet of snail gel which is always welcome. I am a huge fan of snail gel and my skin also loves it. The second item is a packet of Perfection Gel Cushions which promise instant relief and comfort for the ball of the foot. I am not too sure I will be needing these in January, they are definitely a more December party time need for me.

My two choices this month are a make up item and a skincare item. There was a great choice to choose from and in the end this is what I chose:

ModelCo. Shine Ultra Lip Gloss - I am not usually a fan of Lipglosses, they are never an item I choose, I never buy them and I never want them. I was drawn to this one within the selection because it is marketed as being non-sticky and for me one thing I dislike about Lipglosses is the sticky feeling. Add to that, this one is pink and it has a mirror, it is quirky enough for me to want to try it.

My second choice was from Bee Good, now I love this brand and I love this 2-in-1 Honey & Propolis Cleanser whch I have already featured on my blog here. Bee Good are a British brand and one that should be championed much more than they currently are. The Cleanser is gentle and effective, it smells amazing and it comes with its own muslin cloth, which is a huge plus point for me. If you have never tried a Bee Good product before, then I definitely think you should.

So there you have my January Box. I think it is a great box and I liked the choices I had to choose from. I am now looking forward with interest to the changes that are being made!

LookFantastic January 2016

LookFantastic is the first Beauty Box through my door this January and it is aptly titled 'The Detox Edition'.  Most of my friends are on some sort of detox currently, so this is totally on message.  The box is described as being filled with special delights and delectable treats to keep your skin looking healthy and your complexion glowing.

So the first product that appears in the box is by Kebelo. This isn't a new brand to the Lookfantastic Beauty Box as the shampoo featured in the July box and whilst I quite like it, I would have liked to have seen something else. The Shampoo a clarifying shampoo and is designed to be used once or twice a month and is described as "Rid your hair of built up impurities with the Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo. Paraben and sulphate free, the detoxing shampoo is gentle in formula but tough on grime. Deeply cleansing, the blend of mild ingredients work to exfoliate your hair, rejuvenating every strand for purified, soft results. Can be used as little as once a month dependent on your lifestyle and even as an invigorating body wash for your skin. Added to that is the Kebelo Revitalising Conditioner which helps control frizz hair leaving it soft, smooth and manageable. Using ingredients such as Quinoa, Amaranth and Chamomile, the conditioner provides nourishment and hydration.

Bellapierre is the only make-up brand in this months box and again, LookFantastic have some amazing brands on their site, so I would love to try something other than Bellapierre which has featured a lot! The product in this months box is a Shimmer Shadow and I have shade Earth and it takes on a rose gold glow which is really pretty and perhaps one I would use more as a highlighter than an eye shadow.

Dr Lancer is a brand I have heard of but have never used products from. The product in my box is called 'The Method: Polish' which is quite intriguing. Described as being a gentle skin-resurfacing treatment it uses pure minerals which are combined with magnesium oxide and sodium bicarbonate crystals to exfoliate the skin's surface, combating dullness, removing the build-up of debris and stimulating cell renewal for a refreshed, youthful-looking complexion. It is fortified with pumpkin and pomegranate extracts, the anti-ageing polish works to break down dead skin cells, whilst brown sea algae replenishes moisture and boosts collagen production to reveal a smooth, supple complexion and healthy glow.  This I am looking forward to trying because it is something I would not be able to afford to purchase at full price!

Next comes Nuxe, a brand I really like. In this both we have Nuxellence Detoxwhich is described as being an innovative anti-ageing treatment that uses 10 patents to recharge your skin and detoxify cells overnight. Packed with natural ingredients (including passionflower, poppy and silk tree), Nuxellence Detox helps to smooth wrinkles, plump skin and brighten your complexion. Its secret power lies in repairing your skin’s mitochondrial DNA, the DNA that’s responsible for the energy supply in cells. This will regenerate your skin and improve its radiance within no time.  

The final item in the box is from Darphin and I am excited by this becayse it is a brand I have been wanting to try for ages now.  The product in question is the Azahar Cleansing Micellar Water. Described as being a gentle cleanser which is suited for all skin types as it is dermatologically and ophthalmologically tested, as well as being alcohol, fragrance and soap free. It cleanses and removes all traces of make-up and impurities, whilst providing a comforting and soothing feeling. Now I am yet to find a Micellar water I like, it is one of those products which I am not bothered about and can live without, but I am interested to see whether Darphin can change my mind.

So there you have it. The January LookFantastic box which costs just £15 a month and it is, as you can see, packed with a wide range of products, all of which are really nice sizes so that you can get more than one try out of them.

Libbie Club for January

As we start 2016, it is the perfect time to taking time to stop, relax and wind down before the stresses and strains begin all over again. The Libbie Club January Box is designed to be all about relaxation and pampering and with that theme in mind, three products have been chosen.

The first product is Maddi Alexander's Rose Soaking Salts. These salts are infused with pure rose, cardamom and pink pepper, these mineral-rich combination of sea salt and epson salts will purify and restore your skin and can help stimulate cell regeneration.  I am a huge fan of bath salts and these ones are just divine.  They smell absolutely wonderful, are deeply relaxing and they leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and moisturised.

As always with the Libbie Club, I have an offer for my readers. For these bath salts you can save 50% and get the Maddi Alexander Bath Duo (Salts and Oil) for just £14!

The second item in my box is DHC Deep Cleansing Oil which I have been wanting to try for ages. This product is a water-soluble oil cleanser which contains a rich blend of rosemary leaf oil and hydrating olive oil, they work together to remove make-up, dirt and excess oil without making skin feel greasy. As someone with combination skin, which tends to be oily, I wondered how this would work with my skin and I shouldn't have worried because it works absolutely amazingly well. There is also an additional infusion of antioxidant vitamin E tackles the build up of free radicals that occurs throughout the day, something that when living in London, is vital.

Again, The Libbie Club have a fantastic deal on this product if you are wanting to try it and it is buy one 70ml DHC Cleansing Oil for £11 and get a travel size DHC Cleansing Oil completely free here.

The final item in the box is this stunning Eye of Horus Goddess pencil in shade Sahara Nude. This pencil is a beautiful pale nude shade which will add a sumptuous highlight to the eyes. Highly pigmented the Goddess Pencil can be used for blending and shading onto the entire eyelid or applied delicately along the waterline. Literally gliding smoothly onto the eyelid without pulling or dragging, it is also waterproof.  When used it helps to make the eyes look brighter and you more alert.

The Libbie Club deal with this product is a free sharpener with every purchase the Eye of Horus Sahara Nude Goddess Pencil for just £15 here.

I think this is a great box for the start of the year and I am enjoying using all three products so far. What do you think?

Foreo Iris Illuminating Eye Massager

The older I get, the more I look at products which claim to starve off the wrinkles, eliminate the grey, fill in frown lines and eradicate fine lines. Now I know that there isn't a product that can or will reverse the signs of ageing, but there are products out there which can help.

I am a huge lover of my Foreo Luna, I find my skin loves and responds to it so well as a cleansing device that then I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Foreo Iris Illuminating Eye Massager*I couldn't wait to give it a try. One thing I love about Foreo products is that they charge by USB and once charged, it is unusual that you would need to do this again for at least 4-5 months, even if you use it everyday. 

In typical Foreo style, the design of this device is quirky and it stands out, ordinarily, you might not even know what it is from a first glance and this is what I love about the brand. The Iris is an eye massager which is ultimately designed to make your eye cream work better by improving its absorption whilst at the same time reducing the appearance of puffiness and dark circles, whilst smoothening crow's feet, fine lines and wrinkles for revitalised eyes. It does all of this by using innovative Alternating T-Sonic™ technology which gives this device two different working motions. The first is a gentle 'Pure Mode' which is designed to replicate the feeling of a manual massage and the second is a 'Spa Mode', which combines tapping and delicate pulsations for a professional beauty treatment experience. 

I prefer the second working motion and when I apply cream with my fingers to my eye area, I have used the tapping motion ever since I had my first facial over 2 years ago. The difference with using the device is that it makes a simple job even simpler to do and I also find it incredibly relaxing. The usage time is around 1-2 minutes per eye and it works really well with either a serum or a cream.  Aside from using the Iris with my eye creams, if I have eye strain or a headache, just using the tapping mode of this device is actually quite soothing, so for me, this is an added bonus.

The iris has been crafted from premium, ultra-hygienic silicone that is gentle to the delicate eye contour area, it is fully waterproof and easy to clean. Add to that, it can be used on the go making it an essential travel item so you can refresh your eyes on the move.

Naturally I love the Iris and find it really useful and enjoy using it.  To purchase it is priced at £119 the Iris comes with a 10-year guarantee and is available from their Foreo here or Look Fantastic and it is available in three different colours.


*this post contains PR samples/Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise