Glossybox Halloween Edition

It is one of my favourite times of the year coming up and I just wish we celebrated it as much as they do in the USA - Halloween!  One day, I really hope to be in somewhere like Salem so I can see Halloween done properly.

However, just because we don't get all excited over pumpkins and ghouls doesn't mean we can't have fun and this month Glossybox queried whether your box would be a trick or a treat! Well as yoou can see, mine is most definitely a trick, but I am pleased to say nothing jumped out to give me a fright, there was nothing inside that was dead or decaying, in fact, quite the opposite, its a really good box this month!

As well as being a trick box, this month Glossybox is also Cruelty-Free and it is made up of 5 makeup products of which 4 of them are full-sized.

The first product within my box is the Luna by Luna Translucent Powder and it comes all the way from New Jersey.  This cruelty-free setting powder is designed to set your makeup and keep your skin looking smooth for hours.

The powder is really lightweight and so well milled that it doesn't even feel as though you have applied anything.  It comes with an accompanying powder-puff but I prefer to use one of my brushes or my beautyblender in its place.

Next, we have a stunner from MUA, whom I am really loving right now and it is the Luxe Bronze & Sculpt Contour Kit. Vegan Friendly as well as being Cruelty-Free, this 2-in-1 compact is just stunning. 

Inside the gold compact, the powders are both really lightweight and easy to work with. With two different shades, one which has a hint of shimmer to highlight the areas of your gave which naturally catch the light and the other, a slightly darker shade being perfect for sculpting and defining your features.  I love that there is a mirror in the lid making this a perfect item for being on the go.

The third product is from ThisWorks and it is one I have used many times before and actually really like it.  The In Transit Camera Close Up is a bit of a multi-tasker and one of those products which is handy to have in your stash.  

 It can be used as a mask, a moisturiser and even a primer.  Packed with a blend of repairing plant oils, Hyaluronic Acid and Starflower Oils as well a hint of caffeine, this product works to banish signs of fatigue, boost hydration and prep your skin.

I love a Sleek iDivine Palette and this is one I don't have in my stash.  Sleek is one of my favourite highstreet makeup brands and this Au Naturel palette just calls my name because it is an incredible variety of natural shades.

There are 4 shimmery eyeshadows, 2 with a satin finish and the rest of the palette is matte. On the top row, we have Nougat, Nubuck, Cappuccino, Honeycomb, Toast and Taupe. Then on the bottom row, we have Conker, Moss, Bark, Mineral Earth, Regal and finally Noir. it is a really pretty palette and I am looking forward to giving these shades a try.

The final item in this months Glossybox Halloween Edition comes from Illamasqua and it is the Antimatter Lipstick in shade Energy. If you have never tried anything from Illamsqua then there are some amazing products that everyone needs to try.

The Antimatter lipstick range caters for everyone and has quite an extensive range of shades to choose from. Energy is best described as being a vibrant violet shade and it has a very creamy formula and is enriched with Vitamin E which gives it a balm like feel. I really like how these lipsticks feel on the lips as I have a few others from the range.

So, that is my Glossybox Halloween edition 'Trick' Box and I happen to think it is just brilliant.  Everything in this box will be used at some stage, including the lipstick for one or two Halloween Parties coming up.

If you like the look of this box then you can grab it right here for just £10 but, if you are a first time subscriber, then use the code October to get it for just £7.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Talika Lipocils Expert 70 Year Limited Edition

When a product has a 70 Year Limited Edition announcement, the first thing I want to know if 1) have I tried it and 2) If not, why not! If a product has been around for THAT long and we are talking just slightly older than my Gran, then I need to try it.

The product in question is the Talika Lipocils Expert 70 Year Limited Edition (£39) an eyelash growth and pigmentation gel. The story has it that Danielle Roches, a nurse in the Department of Ophthalmology in a Paris hospital during World War II, was helping to heal burn victims when she made a lucky discovery. After formulating a plant-based cataplasm, due to lack of medicines, she discovered the balm had a surprising secondary effect: it stimulated the growth of patients’ eyelashes and eyebrows.   In 1948 she started to market the "eyelash conditioning cream". This legendary product gave birth to Lipocils Expert, a serum that not only helps lashes grow longer but also brings out natural pigmentation and curl.

So, to celebrate Talika's 70-year anniversary, the brand revisits its Lipocils Expert best-seller with a very Parisian limited edition design, illustrated by Florence Balducci.  I am the first to admit that I was drawn to the product for its packaging, it is just stunning and given I am going to Paris in a few weeks time, I am a bit obsessed right now.

Powered by four patented complexes including the exclusive Legendary Botanical Complex (a natural blend of Witch Hazel, Apple, Nettle, Chestnut and St. John’s Wort) and anti-aging Peptide Expert this formula works to lengthen, curl and darken lashes within 28 days, correcting sparseness, brittleness and lack of curl, shine and resilience. The end result being that you should expect longer, stronger and fuller lashes with improved shine and overall health.

The one oddity about this entire product is the brush, it is a sort of mascara wand, brow spoolie come doe foot applicator all in one and its purpose is to coat your lashes using the doe foot applicator and then brush it through with the brush.  It looks weird but honestly, it makes sense when you do use it.  

Designed to be used day and night, on makeup-free eyes. It doesn't irritate or sting, it doesn't have a chemical scent, it doesn't feel heavy or gloopy and of course, if it gives you long luscious lashes, it is worth every penny!

You can find this Anniversary edition right here at SpaceNK for £39.

Have you tried Talika before?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

T3 Cura IonAir Hairdryer

I adore my beauty gadgets and I love finding new and exciting products which make my life much easier, especially when it comes to hair care. T3 is a brand I am quite fond of and the travel hairdryer (reviewed here) is something that has been with me on holidays in the UK and around Europe for a good few years now and now there is a big sister to use at home in the T3 Cura IonAir Hairdryer and having seen it at the launch party and having it as part of my life for a good few months, it is fair to say that drying my hair has become less of a chore and much more of a joy.

The biggest draw for me when I heard all about this hairdryer was its promise to 'Fight the Frizz' and give your hair that frizz free finish.  I have a lot of hair, or so I am told and the one thing about blow drying my hair at home which really annoys me is the amount of frizz and static it creates, now yes my hairdryer is around 10 years old and I probably should have bought a newer one, but the old saying 'If it ain't broke' springs to mind.  Anyway, having been given a demonstration with the T3 Cura on my hair at the launch event, not only was I sold, I wanted the hairdryer there and then.

What I love about this hairdryer, science aside is how light it is.  One thing about blow drying your hair is that you don't want arm ache a couple of minutes into the task and if your old hairdryer is anything like mine, you need to hands to pick it up and use it anyway and it only has two heat settings - scalp burn or barely warm.  This hairdryer has so much more:

• Wide airflow dries hair 75% faster
• Negative ions smooth hair
• 2 speeds and 3 heat settings
• Fights frizz and delivers shiny, beautiful results
• 1875W, nine-foot cord and quiet operation

With having IonAir technology and innovative digitally-controlled heat this hairdryer is a delight to use. It has an ergonomically designed handle which makes it easy to hold, the one downside for me, however, is that the buttons are little too touch responsive and it took me a while to get my hands into a position where I wasn't constantly pressing the wrong button.  There are two speeds which you can use between three settings - Low, Medium and High plus the option of a cool shot.  Now it is incredibly quiet, I am used to a hairdryer which sounds like a Eurofighter Typhoon preparing for take-off, with this, there is barely any sound and I can now dry my air without waking everyone else!

Whenever I dry my hair, I apply my lotions and potions, section it with clips and grab my paddle brush and begin the laborious task of drying my hair as best I can. It comes with two different concentrating nozzles, the Drying Concentrator quickly drys hair evenly with minimal effort and heat damage, whilst the Styling Concentrator easily smooths hair in sections. So depending on how much time you have when it comes to drying your hair, depends on which nozzle you use (I am used to having one and I don't even know where that is).  As for frizz free, well yes it does an incredible job and had I not been shown first hand and then had a go myself, I would have been rolling my eyes, but it does.  The Negative Ions from a powerful built-in generator smooth the hair cuticle and it is this action which gives your hair the soft, frizz-free results and I am absolutely delighted with it.

It costs £195 (here) and having looked around online I think it is an absolute bargain and I am absolutely chuffed with it.


*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Beauty Advent Calendars Abroad feat. NARS

Whilst here in the UK we have quite an extensive list of Beauty Advent Calendars (see my post HERE) there are some that are available in the States that excites me quite a lot.

The first being NARS Uncensored Advent Calendar which is just amazing and it retails for $150 and is jam-packed with amazing NARS makeup. Looking absolutely stunning in bright red-studded packaging, I literally just want it.

THE NARS HOLIDAY 2018 COLLECTION. All attitude. No limits. Uncover your inner rebel with a covetable collection inspired by the iconic punk fashion of the 1970s. Stud your style with daring shimmer and shine; spike it with explicitly bold shades for a look that’s authentic. Irreverent. Always relevant. Inside you will find some of the following:

Mini Dragon Girl Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, Mini Orgasm Blush, Mini Bound Velvet Lip Glide, Mini Rita Audacious Lipstick, Via Veneto Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner, Anita Audacious Lipstick, Mini Let’s Go Crazy Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, Dolce Vita Blush, Mini Laguna Bronzing Powder, Medium Roseland Velvet Lip Glide, Siouxsie Spiked Audaction Lipstick and a Hanamachi Kabuki Brush!  The rest of the contents I will leave as a surprise!

Sephora Once Upon A Castle Advent Calendar for Holiday - I have had a Sephora Advent Calendar before and thought it was incredibly cute and this year.  With 24 doors to open, it is full of Sephora own brands.

So inside you will find Masks, Lip stains, blushers, lip liners, hair bands, bath fizzers and more and it costs $45 but sadly we cannot ship it to the UK because Sephora don't seem to like us very much!  I am going to Paris in just a few weeks and hopefully, I will get a chance to go into Sephora and see this in all its glory!

The OPI Nutcracker - This is one Advent Calendar you can grab if you go to Sephora in France! Again, I am hoping to see this in the flesh!

Opi has put together a Calendar which features 25 mini nails polishes in some amazing shades such as Alpine Snow, Black Cherry Chutney, Dazzling Dew Drop, Ginger's Revenge, Princesses Rule and Suzi and the Arctic Fox - I mean just how amazing are some of these names?  The Calendar retails for €80,00 here.

QVC Beauty - Not too long ago, here in the UK, QVC promised an Advent Calendar which didn't quite work out and I was slightly gutted because it was amazing value for money.  Over in the States, they have this amazing offering.

As you can see, this is quite the line up on brands which includes Dr Jart+, Kate Somerville, Elemis, It Cosmetics, L'Occitane, Skinfix, Sigma, First Aid Beauty and more. The price is also amazing because it is just $64.95 here.

Now these Advent Calendars, especially NARS would be some I would love to be able to explore more!  Would you love to have any of these?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here