YOU Beauty Box: The Cult Beauty Edit: May 2016

This months You Beauty Discovery Box is titled 'The Cult Beauty Edit' and the reason given for the title is that all the products chosen are favourites but less ordinary beauty products on the market. Im not too sure that fits with what I think a 'Cult Beauty' product is, but there are some fabulous brands to choose from. 

As always there are some treats inside this months box and the three this time is a sample size hair tie pack from Popband. Popband is a product ive used before and find quite handy to have. Made from stretchy Elastic, it is designed to leave your hair kink free after wearing. The second is a sachet of Verso Super Facial Serum which contains a high dose of Retinol 8 to encourage healing and strengthening of the skin. Finally there is a £15 Anne Semonin gift card.

This month I did dither a bit between choices, one I had definitely decided I wanted to try and then that left me wanting to try two others and I am still not sure I made the right choice. Anyway, the first choice was SHOW Beauty Pure Treatment Oil - This rejunventaing Pure Treatment elixir restores your hair's luster and shine, leaving it strengthened, deeply nourished and infinitely desirable. Often called ‘liquid gold’ by beauty experts, Argan Oil penetrates the cuticle to strengthen and enhance the elasticity of hair. It can be used daily and is designed to be used on freshly washed hair.

My second choice was between the Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick and the Rodial Stem Cell Cleaner. I chose the Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick and it came in shade Hibiscus - Break free of dull, muted shades and lace your lips in high-definition colour with NEW Revlon Ultra HD™ Lipstick. This advanced new lipstick formulated with Revlon’s wax-free high-definition gel technology allows for true colour clarity in one smooth coat. The secret is in the clear gel base that provides a weightless feel with a smooth, even application. Just one coat of the deliciously scented, silky, moisturising formula and lips are instantly enriched in weightless colour.  Now sadly, this is not a shade that I can pull off, it is too coral for me, beautiful though it is and I am determined to try more shades. RRP £7.99

So those are my selections for May and yet again, You Beauty offers great value for money at £6.95 per box including p&p and the contents of this box have a value of around £58.

Hugo Boss Bottled Unlimited

If you mention the words Hugo Boss and aftershave together I automatically get a shudder down my spine. Not in a good way! Since my first foray into Hugo Boss aftershaves (shudder) with Dark Blue which to be blunt was awful they have actually released a number of good scents for men such as Just Different and Man. Trying to put my prejudices to one side, Rachel (Beautyqueenuk) asked me to get my sniffing tackle around Bottled Unlimited by Hugo Boss.

At £60 for a 100ml bottle this bottle, the fragrance launched in 2014 sits in the medium bracket in terms of affordability so I was expecting good things from this in terms of not just fragrance but also staying power and evolution of the notes.

Without boring you with the marketing blurb I’m going to launch straight in. These are the notes for Hugo Boss Bottled Unlimited:

• Head: Iced Violet Leaves
• Heart: Pineapple
• Dry-down: Sandalwood, musk

From this I would have expected a light floral fragrance with the slight bite of the citrus from the pineapple. To be honest, I can’t recall another fragrance that I’ve tried over the last year with a citrus heart note - just seeing this made me more curious as to what it would smell like, and whether indeed it had the decent base on which to act as a hard-wearing aftershave.

So, on with the sniffing….

Spray one and you think wow, this is strong, and by spray three (I spray quickly) you are thinking “seriously, can an aftershave be this strong”. The strength of the fragrance as it leaves the bottle is like an unexpected slap to the face…..from Floyd Mayweather which makes it pretty hard to bring your senses to bear on it. It took thirty seconds until I had my senses back and could indeed detect a strong floral scent, it wasn’t as subtle as I had expected, this was much stronger and it wasn’t for a good fifteen minutes until this dried down a little and the light citrus from the pineapple came through. It is lovely as it's as though the fragrances melted into each other. 

It takes around an hour until this starts to lighten, it’s really noticeable to me as I move around but it loses some of it’s heavy top notes and becomes slightly lighter, yet with a warm finish on the nose. The sandalwood is light so not to overshadow the floral and citrus and the blend is simply amazing.

This lasts for well over ten hours and I think will appeal to those who light their fragrances light and citrus to those who prefer a heavier and warmer floral. With it being so strong a little really does go a long way with only three sprays needed at the start of the day. It’ll last for ages even when worn for day-wear, nights out or those special occasions. Go on, treat yourself to a bottle of Hugo Boss aftershave (no shudder anymore) and take a closer look at Bottled Unlimited by Hugo Boss.

This post is written by Beautykinguk who also happens to be my Hubby.

Precious Petals BBB Box

Anyone who reads my blog will know I am a huge huge fan of L'Occitane, Melvita and Erborian, whom, if you didn't know, are all from the same L'Occitane group. So when I was offered the chance to review Jane from British Beauty Blogger latest collaboration I was in there like a shot and it is just a fantastic beauty box.

Firstly the actual box is just stunning. If you like your floral designs, then this is perfect for you and it is one of those boxes you will keep for storage and not chuck in the bin! Inside you are greeted with a beautifully packaged box with the contents hidden behind tissue paper. One part of these boxes that Jane does do, that I love, is the little booklet. It is all well and good to throw products in a box, but I am nosey and want to know why it has been included because in my mind and in a draft post, I have made my own dream box filled with products I adore. Anyway, the products which have been chosen are referred to as being 'best petal-inspired' and this is what we have:

L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream 30ml - If you have never used a L'Occitane Hand Cream before, then you are in for a real treat because this one is just divine and perfect for your handbag. It is Shea Butter infused making it the perfect moisturiser for those dry, dehydrated hands and it has a beautiful sweet flowery Cherry Blossom scent that I absolutely love. RRP £8

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil 75ml - For me, this is the best ever shower gel, I am yet to try one I love more than this. A best seller for L'Occitane, you need just the smallest amount for the most amazing lather, once the scent hits warm water, the almond scent comes to life and it leaves your skin feeling super soft, hydrated, moisturised and smelling good enough to eat. RRP £7

L'Occitane Divine Cream 8ml - Again, another favourite of mine and one which is an absolute treat. A lovely luxurious feeling cream, it is not only hydrating as it contains hyaluronic acid, it smells as the name suggests 'divine' and is everything you need in a cream. RRP £14

Melvita Damask Rose Floral Water 28ml - This is one product from Melvita that I haven't tried, but right now, I am all over face mists and floral scented products. Using Damask Rose, the scent is truly stunning, like walking into a florist that only sells fresh roses, for me that is the scent. This is the perfect size for transporting in your handbag so that you can spritz it as and when you feel like it. Perfect for hydration and as a tip, on a really hot day or in the Summer, put it in the fridge for around half an hour before you need to use it - perfection! RRP £3

Melvita L'Or Bio 17ml - This body oil from Melvita is one I adore. Primarily a blend of Argan Oil, Kendi Oil and Buriti Oil, your skin is instantly soft and smooth to the touch but what wins it for me is the stunning scent - using lemon, orange, bergamot, fig, jasmine and a slight hint of vanilla it is the kind of fresh scent you expect in a perfume for the Spring and Summer, it is just so lovely. As an oil, you dont have to worry about it leaving your skin feeling greasy because it doesn't, the texture is really lightweight and it absorbs quickly. RRP £6.50

Erborian CC Cream £15ml - Erborian has become one of those brands that I cannot get enough off, it is simply brilliant. This CC cream isa really clever little thing because it adapts to your skintone to give a much more natural coverage. It contains Centella Asiatica which is a small green plant that helps to moisturise and soften the skin. If you have never tried a CC cream, then this is definitely worth picking up because it is amazing. RRP £17

Erborian Carmellia Essence 3ml - Again if you feel your skin is in need of hydration, products such as this from Erborian are the greatest ever finds and this bottle is a perfect introduction. I use mine at night when ive had a hectic week, have been travelling around London and feel that my skin needs a hydration shot. It has 73% content of Camllia Oil followed by flaxseed, coconut, argan and grapeseed oil so as you can imagine it is deeply nourishing and is said to accelerates cell renewal and improves elasticity, helps to fight skin ageing and protects the skin barrier. RRP £6

Once you have tried these amazing products and you find something you want to supersize and purchase the full size, inside the box is a £10 off voucher for each of the featured brands and as an extra, you will find a postcard that gives you the chance to share your thoughts on the box, send it back to Latest In Beauty, the postage is paid and you could be in with a chance of winning a £250. The Precious Petals box can be purchased at Latest In Beauty priced at £20 with free p+p. With the contents amounting to £61.50 if bought separately it really makes it excellent value for money.

Spa & Massage - Massage Made Easy for The Busy

One treatment I have been looking forward too is a Swedish Massage, it has been a while now since I have been for a massage and it was perfectly timed. Based in Belsize Park here in London, right opposite the tube station, you will find Spa and Massage. Spa and Massage aim to make having a massage easy, especially for the busy. With a chain of five spas across central London - Belsize Park, Fitzrovia, Chiswick, Earls Court and Queensway and being open from 10am until 11pm seven days a week, they offer a walk-in, no appointment necessary service. 

Now I am already sold on what an amazing idea this is. Whenever I want a massage or feel the need for a massage, I want it at my convenience and sometimes, I might have a spare hour to fill and want a bit of pampering, with this service, you can absolutely do that, plus there is an offer on on-site consultations for physiotherapy.

Walking in to the parlour I was greeted with this amazing orange scent that was burning, a scent which is completely calming and it smells just divine. I was immediately welcomed and offered a drink before being introduced to Crissa my masseuse for the next hour. I had opted for a Swedish massage. A Swedish massage aims to relax the entire body and this is accomplished by rubbing the muscles with long gliding strokes in the direction of blood returning to the heart. Additional techniques include circular pressure applied by the hands and palms, firm kneading, percussion-like tapping, bending and stretching.

Each massage uses one of their organic aromatherapy oils and they use essential oils extracted from herbs, flowers and fruits to naturally enhance well-being. Mine happened to be Lavender which I absolutely love the scent of and more so its description which is "This relaxing blend of English lavender promotes a sense of inner peace and harmony while easing nervousness, and irritability. Additionally lavender helps support the respiratory system, aid in natural detoxification, and promotes restful sleep".

Once I had time to sit back and relax whilst taking in my surroundings, I was led through to my treatment room, which had the lights nicely dimmed with mood music playing in the background, at a level that you noticed it, but not so that it took over the atmosphere of the room. Crissa showed me the treatment bed and where she would like me to lay for the treatment and them left me to get undressed.  It is worth noting that for most massages, you will be asked to remove all of your clothes except underwear - for some massages I have left my bra on and for others I have removed it, for this treatment it was removed.

Having got myself comfy on the treatment bed with my face through the specially designed hole, towel over my backside, my treatment began.  I was asked how much pressure I would like and what I was used too, so I opted for whatever Crissa felt was needed as she is the professional.  So starting with my shoulders, I had mentioned they had felt sore for the past two weeks and the same with the bottom of my back, but everything else was fine, other than sore feet from a lot of walking - we are talking 20k steps per day for the last week alone.  

Starting with my shoulders, which where rubbed with differing kinds of pressure being applied and even with the hardest of pressure, I could feel those knots and aches disappear and my shoulders become less tense and more relaxed. Moving from my shoulders, Crissa made her way massaging up and down my spine, paying particular attention to my lower back which always aches.  Then to my arms and again massaging my hands and fingers right to the tips - pure bliss.  Then my legs and feet.  I am usually not a fan of anyone going anywhere near my feet and anyone who reads my blog will know I detest it, but this was just heaven.  I think because my feet have been so tired and ached, it was just heaven, again I could feel all the stress and tension simply melt away and by this point I was pretty much on another planet drifting off to sleep I was so relaxed and at ease.  

Once the back part of my treatment was complete, I turned over onto my front and again my feet and my legs were given another once over from the front before Crissa worked her way up my arms, back to my shoulders and then to a head massage to finish off the treatment, by which point I am convinced I had drifted off and was well on my way to snoring.

The entire treatment was just heavenly. I was very comfortable and at ease with the massage and fully knew what to expect. The treatment bed was warm and comfortable and my aches, pains, tension and stress have all disappeared. For the first time in months I can shrug my shoulders without wincing and sit down without the need for 3-4 cushions behind my back for support, Crissa is clearly exceptionally amazing at her job.

The service I received at Spa and Massage was exceptional. It was welcoming, informative and the best Swedish Massage I have ever had. What's more is the pricing is just amazing;

• 30 minutes - £39
• 60 minutes - £59
• 90 minutes - £79
• 120 minutes - £99

Add to that there is a choice of massage - Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Sports Massage, Thai Massage, Reflexology Massage and a Foot Massage not forgetting pregnancy massages and even a signature 4 handed massage which sounds more divine than I can imagine.

So as you can see, this really is amazing value for money and for me it offers something that little bit different, especially for Londoners and those of us who reside here, being able to pop in unannounced for a massage and not have to pay an exorbitant amount of money is really something special and the service you get is just as good as a high end spa, if not better because everything is tailored to you.  For me, Spa and Massage is a service well worth looking into and trying, especially for a last minute or unexpected treat.

Does this sound like something for you?

This treatment was offered to me in return for a review, but all opinions are my own.