Roccabox - The Zodiac Edit Limited Edition Box

When this Limited Edition Roccabox landed on my doorstep, I was quite keen to see what was inside, as I knew there was to be a surprise Limited Edition box.  I was asked what sign I was, to which the answer I gave is Water.

The other boxes within this collection are Earth, Fire and Air and like this Water Edition, all feature some amazing products.

"Passionate, intuitive and sensitive, Water signs are deeply attuned to the waves of their own emotions and those of the ones around them. Often known as the healing force, Water signs are acutely emotionally intuitive and show great compassion and warmth in relationships. 

This zodiac edit focuses on ingredients with naturally occurring healing properties, vibrant colour palettes and captivating, radiance-enhancing products to reflect the artistic, romantic nature of the Water Sign".

Within this box, there is five beauty related products and an extra treat and as a box, it is really well thought out and planned and most definitely had my attention.  The first item that you can't help but notice is from The Beauty Crop with the Stargazing Eyeshadow Palette (£20).

Featuring 12 velvety and highly pigmented jewel tones shades, all of which have been inspired by the Milky Way and far away galaxies, so you will find names such as Neptune, Halo and Orion. With three different finishes - matte, metallic and glitter they are formulated without mineral oil and instead use Jojoba and Coconut Oil.

We all love a good highlighter and you can never have too many, so within this box from In Your Dreams is the Glitter Highlighter Cream in shade Deja Vu.

The cream formula of this highlighter comes with a really subtle hint of glitter and it is a buildable shade, so depending on the coverage you want, depends how much you can keep applying.  As well as using on your cheeks and brow bone, it can also be used on the lips and eyes too.

Two products from Vitamasques within this box but two different things entirely.  The first is the Hydroglow Cream in 'Rose Gold'.

Described as being a 2-in-1 daily moisturiser and primer, Hydroglow Cream comes with illuminating gold extracts.  As well as giving your skin that beautiful glow, it is enriched with Hyaluronic Acid, Pearl Powder and Vitamin C which together moisturise, hydrate and illuminate and it can be worn alone or underneath makeup.

The second Vitamasque product is the Gemstone Sheet Mask in Sapphire and it is no ordinary mask.

Designed to provoke serenity through skincare, this mask contains sapphire stone powder and lavender oil to promote that relaxation as well as to hydrate and repair. It also uses the natural extract of blueberry for helping collagen production, violet flowers for hydration and coming together these ingredients combine to create what is referred to as a 'multi-sensory' skin therapy experience.

The final product within this box is the Melusine Paris Magic Jade Roller and I was chuffed to see this in the box as mine has seemingly grown a pair of legs and wandered off.

As you might be aware, the Jade stone is one which soothes the mind and body whilst bringing peace and tranquillity to its user.  The Jade facial roller helps to reduce pores, dark circles and fine lines as well as boosting circulation and collagen production.  Jade is also renowned as a healing stone and daily use encourages lymphatic drainage which draws out toxins from the skin, boosting our natural detoxification process. 

The treat that I mentioned at the beginning of this post within this box is a product, which if you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen me mention on stories quite a lot.

From Horlicks, we have the hot malty goodness in a drink, but it is the chocolate version and I absolutely love it. Enriched with vitamins and minerals it is incredibly comforting and a great drink to have before bed.

This box and the rest of the collection are still available from Roccabox and if you like the look of it or the monthly boxes which I also share. Roccabox is a subscription service and there are further subscription offers available to choose from with boxes starting at just £10 per month plus P&P.

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

Too Faced Tutti Frutti Lip Glaze and Gloss with Swatches

Too Faced lip products are the one thing that has escaped me for some time but these Tutti Frutti Comfort Lip Glazes* and the Juicy Fruits Watermelon Candy Finish Lip Gloss are a whole lot of fun, one that I have really enjoyed playing with, wearing and now sharing on my blog.

I absolutely love the name of each of these three shades - Totally Smashed, A Melon Reasons and Takes Two to Mango, all of which are a play on words and as you might expect from Too Faced - fun!  The packaging is incredibly brightly coloured and eye-catching and inside, each tube replicates its box.

The Tutti Fruitti Comfort Lip Glaze comes in 12 different shades and whether you like your nudes, pinks, purples, oranges are even a blue, each shade you will find represented.  These Lip Glaze products are described as giving a candy-finish, high-impact lip glaze. This lip gloss is said to also deliver high-impact, fruity colour which is bursting with a juicy Tutti Frutti scent. The finish of each of these products ranges from being shiny and glossy to pearl, metallic and sparkly.

What surprised me the most about these three lip products is just how pigmented they are, not something I was expecting to find. As you can see from the tubes, each shade has a bit of sparkle and that shade you see is the one you get as it is applied to your lips.

The first shade, Takes Two to Mango is best described as being a warm-toned, medium orange with a sparkle finish.  The sparkle finish comes from golden flecks which are interspersed within the gloss.

I really like the applicator for these glosses, they pack on the shade without overloading and I found with Takes Two to Mango, that one swipe across the lips was enough to get really good coverage. It isn't sticky or tacky and it doesn't dry to a matte shade, it stays glossy and it is really comfortable to wear on the lips, though it does transfer.

Next up we have something for those, like me, who like a little less bright colour and something more nude/neutral if it can't be a mauve pink shade.  A Melon Reasons is A Watermelon Candy Finish Lip Gloss and again it has great pigmentation and colour payoff.

This shade is a nude peachy pink and it does have a very slight sparkle to it, though it isn't as obvious to see.  As it is a lighter shade, I find this one needs two coats on the lips and once it is there, again it is glossy and comfortable to wear without being tacky and sticky.  Unlike the other two lip glaze products, this one has an amazing fragrance of Watermelon, which you can also taste.

Finally, we have one of the brightest pinks I have ever come across. Totally Smashed is a very cool-toned, dark fuchsia pink with a sparkle finish.

This, like the orange, is definitely a very bright colour and running through it are flecks of gold which really make the pink pop.  This shade needs one swipe across the lips to get a real pop of colour and as with Takes Two to Mango, it lasts for a good few hours before you need to re-apply but I did find a slight staining to my lips, which was easy t remove with makeup remover.  

As always with my swatches, what you see below are totally unedited and it is just one swipe of the applicator on to my hand so you can see just how pigmented each shade is.

Swatched from top to bottom you can see Takes Two to Mango, A Melon Reasons and Totally Smashed.  You can wear each of these shades on their own or you can use them with a lipstick to really make that colour stand out.  I have worn A Melon Reasons a lot since it arrived through my letterbox and I have worn it alone and on top of a lipstick.

Each shade is priced at £16 and they are available from Boots* along with the rest of the Tutti Fruitti range.

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

Ecooking Spring Releases - Vegan and sustainable beauty + Giveaway

A brand that has featured on my blog a good few times now is the Danish brand, Ecooking, a brand that started on the kitchen table of the founder Tina Søgaard, to one that is now widely available online. I was very kindly gifted some of the new Ecooking Spring releases and a few extra for one of you for yourself!

The first product out of my box is the  Hand Soap With Scrub: Described as being "A hand soap with scrub that cleanses the skin and removes dead skin cells" it has a scent of citrus, Violet and White Pepper and smells absolutely delightful. Using Pumice, which if you didn't know, is a stone formed through volcanic eruptions and it is the fine granulate of natural lava stones exfoliates your skin. You will also find Amino acids which help the skin by boosting collagen production, skin elasticity and moisture regeneration. Cucumber Extract which is rich in amino acids, proteins and vitamin C. Aloe Vera for its calming and soothing properties and then the most interesting ingredient for me which is Volcanic Sand. Volcanic sand is used because it is enriched with thermal water and is rich in magnesium, and silica and calcium have rebalancing, cleansing and regenerating properties.

On the skin, the soap is one which doesn't dry out your hands, even though it is a hand scrub. Instead, given the number of times I am sure we are all washing and sanitizing our hands right now, this is surprisingly soothing.  As well as using on your hands, this product can also be used on your body and feet.

I have always been quite honest in that there is very few Micellar Waters that I actually like. From Ecooking they have released a Micellar Water and I have been using it for the last few weeks.  Described as being "An all-in-one face wash that efficiently removes dirt, make-up and eye make-up without drying out your skin" and it contains Aloe Leaf and Cucumber, which again are calming and soothing on the skin and then we have Vitamin C which helps to brighten the skin.

This Micellar Water comes as a spray, so to use it, there is a choice of spraying it directly onto your skin or onto your cotton wool pad, depending on your preference. For me, I have tried both options and much prefer to spray onto a cotton wool pad so that I have more control over removing my makeup. Impressively, this product removes everything in its path, including mascara, which is an added bonus if you are running low on eye makeup remover and because it is so gentle on the skin, it doesn't sting and nor is it drying.

If you like a good Body Scrub, then this too was a Spring release and it is a product I have loved using. Using natural Sicilian salt to remove the dead skin cells and exfoliate the skin it also includes Sunflower oil, argan oil, shea butter & almond oil as well as natural kukui oil which together add intensive moisture and in turn helps to keep your skin smooth and soft. The final inclusion is Natural vitamin E which is a strong antioxidant which protects against free radicals and adds moisture.

This scrub is designed to be used once a week when showering and it can be used from neck to toes. I like that this scrub isn't overly abrasive on my skin, though applying a little pressure on those areas which need a little more attention, you can feel the salt on the skin.

When it comes to home tanning, it is not something I ever do, mainly through fear of leaving the house looking like an Oompa Loompa as I have a very pale skin tone. From Ecooking they have two tanning products.  The first is a Self Tanning Mousse and it is described as being "a fragrance-free and easy to apply, and it gives your skin a fantastic glow".  This tan contains hyaluronic acid, glycerin and cucumber which all work to ensure your skin is kept hydrated and then the main ingredient is DHA and it is this ingredient which is what gives the skin the tan colour and if you didn't know, DHA is derived from sugar beet and sugar cane.   The second self-tanning product is the Self Tanning Drops which described a product to help you to prolong your tan and are designed to be mixed with your normal creams.  These drops contain Hyaluronic Acid which helps keep your skin moisturised after using and they are a really lightweight texture and you only need a few drops at any one time. 

The final product I have to share with you is the Cleansing Scrub which is described as being a "mild and efficient 2-in-1 cleansing product that deep-cleanses your skin and removes dead skin cells".  Designed to combine both cleansing and exfoliation, this scrub contains Glycolic Acid to aid with the cleansing of the skin, Aloe Vera and Almond Oil which calms, moisturises and helps skin cells to regenerate.  On the exfoliation side, again we have Pumice, which is also used in the Hand Scrub above. Also included is Charcoal Powder which is an active coal granulate extracted from coconut shells. The shells are crushed and sieved, and the granulate is activated through steam. Finally, we have Olivine Extract which is rich in magnesium and contributes to stimulating metabolic cell activities and it, therefore, helps dull and tired skin.

You can find Ecooking products via Look Fantastic, Beauty Bay, Feel Unique and of course the Ecooking site too.

Competition

This giveaway is giving you the chance to win 4 products from the list above and the rules for taking part are listed below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules

– This giveaway is open to UK residents only
– One winner will be chosen at random via Rafflecopter
– Entrants under 18 must seek parental permission before entering this giveaway.
– There is no purchase necessary to enter this giveaway.
– Information you give when entering this competition will remain confidential and will not be passed onto anyone else.
– ALL entries will be checked and verified, with any incomplete, false or duplicate entries being removed from the giveaway entirely.
– Ecooking has kindly gifted me these products to offer it to one person as giveaway prize.
– The winner will be both be notified by the email address given and will have 48 hours to respond. If the winner/s don’t respond within 48 hours, an alternative winner/s will be selected via Rafflecopter’s randomiser.
– This is not a sponsored giveaway
– The item will be posted to the winner to the address that they have given to me via email within 28 days of replying - pending postal services at this given time.

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

A new complimentary live online skin consultation from Alpha-H!

If you read my blog regularly (thank you), you will have come across my love for Alpha-H skincare and their very many products - everything from Liquid Gold and Balancing Cleanser to Lip Perfector and the Vitamin Mist.  But today, I am sharing something quite new and exciting - The live skincare clinic.

This is a brand new and complimentary live online skin consultation from Alpha-H. 

During these times while we’re retreating to our homes, it is easy for feelings of isolation to creep in…but social distancing doesn't have to mean isolation and with this in mind, Alpha-H is pleased to be able to offer complimentary 20 minute face-to-face personalised skin consultations with their highly trained skin advisors via Skype or FaceTime. This helps to ensure that you, the client can receive advice that’s tailored to you from the comfort of your home - or to put it another way, Alpha-H is bringing to you a service which allows access to one-on-one skin advice that you would normally find in-store.

How do you get a Consultation?

To request a personal consultation, clients would need to follow the link THIS LINK and complete a simple consultation request form, select a preferred choice of contact and time slot and then one of the lovely skin advisors will get in touch to arrange a convenient time.  

As an added extra, you will also receive a 15% discount off of your first order following on from that consultation!

So if you have never tried Alpha-H skincare before, want some advice on which products would work for you, or just to find out why I am an Alphaholic - the term affectionately given to those of us who are fans of the brand, then this is a great introduction!

I would love to know if you do have the skin consultation 

and any feedback on how it went!

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