The Melt Crowd

I am a huge fan of candles and melts, there is always something burning when I am at home and I love discovering new scents.  The Melt Crowd subscription box is one of those products everyone needs to try, especially, if like me you love candles and melts.

At just £10 per box, for which you will get 8 melts and an oil burner in your first box to get you on your way, this is an amazing opportunity to try something new.   These melts are hand poured and have a burn time for up to 30 hours, which in itself is quite impressive.  To compare their size, they are the same size as my lens cap for my Canon DLSR.

The January box arrived through my door a few days ago and I just love each scent that was included within the box and upon opening it, the combination of those 8 scents was just amazing and this is what I found.

Coconut - I absolutely love anything coconut.  Food, drinks and the scent.  This melt fuels that love with its fresh scent and if you love coconut bites, then you'll love this.

Crystal Mountain Water - This is such a light scent that it takes a few seconds to get used to and then once you do, it is a lovely fresh scent that is perfect for a cold dark gloomy day.

Orange and Lemongrass - This is one of those scents that comes with a punch and smells every bit as the name would suggest, the scent of lemongrass being slightly more dominant it is one amazing smell.

Cinnamon and Mandarin - This is Christmas in a melt.  The Mandarin manages to calm down the scent of cinnamon which I often find too over-baring, but this is just lovely and again, perfect for winding down.

Strawberry Jam - This is perhaps my least favourite of the 8 melts, whilst it does smell of strawberries, I am not too sure it gives the same fresh scent the other melts have but it does remind me of Strawberry Laces which I rather like eating.

Pink Denim - Powdery fresh with a hint of florals this is the perfect spring scent and one which I adore.

Baby Powder - If you love the scent of Johnson's Talcum powder, then you will love this scent because to me it is identical.  I love scents like this which are clean and it more than reminds me of my childhood.

Whisky - I dont think ive ever seen a scent like this nor smelt one like it.  It smells exactly as I thought it would and reminds me of a coffee my grandma used to make which had a hint of whisky in it. It isn't over-powering but the scent of whisky is most definitely present.

I am thoroughly enjoying my first Melt Crowd Box, it is a joy to discover some new scents and I think the idea is just brilliant.  Now only is it a nice treat for yourself, but it would make a great gift for a friend, relative and even just because you want to gift someone.  Each box has an RRP£18.95 and the cost to you is just £10 which is an absolute bargain and I love that your first box includes an oil burner, which means, if you don't have one, the box isn't wasted.

Have you tried The Melt Crowd?

Top 5 Lipsticks of 2015

A post about my five favourite lipsticks of 2015 is not a post I ever thought I would be writing, but lipstick has become a huge part of my make up routine and it is something I wear every single day, unless I am at home doing very little.

Over the past year, I have managed to try quite a few different lipsticks and these are the five that I have used and loved the most.

As you can see there is an amazing mixture of brands with the inclusion of Dior and Chanel, plus the well known and much loved MAC, Highstreet favourite Topshop and a brand I haven't seen much about, but it is one I really like and that is RMK.

With lipstick, it has taken me an age to move away from my trusted nude pink shade. I am not quite ready to branch out into red, I simply don't think it is the shade for me at all, but I am hoping some of these might surprise you.

Dior Addict Fashion Night was an instant love for me. Nestled inside a stunning silver case with Dior clearly visible, this lipstick it is described as being a visibly soft but medium-dark berry pink with a mixture of a lighter fuchsia and violet pearl. It has semi-sheer color coverage. It boasts of using a hydra-gel core with a top coat effect for sensational mirror shine. The lipstick isn't at all drying on the lips and glides on effortlessly and it lasts a good 4 hours before the need to re-apply.  Priced at £26.50, I think it is worth every penny.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick - I have shade 62 which is Monte Carlo and I have to say the outer packaging is much more exciting than that which cases the lipstick. I know it is Chanel, but surely they could make it a little more attractive! Described as being a semi-sheer, pinked red with subtle pink shimmer lipstick, this is as close as I get to something being a red lipstick on my lips. The colour is stunning as is the formula which is so incredibly hydrating on the lips because it is enriched with Meadowfoam Oil derivative to protect and maintain hydration for up to 8 hours.  As you might expect, when applied  it glides effortlessly on the lips, where it remains for around three hours before I feel the need to re-apply.

RMK Deep Rose - RMK is a Japanese brand that I came to love via a makeover in Selfridges last year.  They have so many amazing products just waiting to be discovered and this lipstick has been one of my best finds. Packaged inside a silver bulky case, which is really light, this lipstick is described as being a deep rose shade, much like its name. It isn't quite purple, but is on the route to being there and is perfect for those people who are wanting to move away from the pinks and onto purple lips.  It applies really easily onto the lips and stays there for a good 4 hours before you need to apply. It is moisturising and it does give a real pop of colour and it costs just £19.50.

MAC Lipstick - I do love a good MAC lipstick and having become a tad bored with Creme Cup and Fanfare, I decided I needed something new in my life and when bored at St Pancras waiting for your family to get off the Eurostar accidents happen and I found myself in MAC.  The shade I went for is one that is totally out of my comfort zone but one I adore and that Amorous. A satin finish lipstick, Amorous is again moving towards the purples, but is more of a mauve/plum shade. It applies smoothly and gives more than a pop of colour to the lips and it is not at all glossy and nor is it matte, for me it is just right. Priced at £15.50 I think this is an absolute bargain and it is my new favourite MAC.

The final lipstick in my most loved 5 of 2015 is from Topshop.  I am quite new to the Topshop make up range, but do love a good old stroll around BeautyMart touching and swatching everything, it is the bright lights of the sign which draw me in.  I love the simpleness of the packaging and the fact it is such good value for money. The lipstick I chose is Lovestruck, not a shade I had intended on buying, but I loved it.  Described as having a creamy finish, Lovestuck is again a pinky/rose shade which is really pretty and once applied it lasts for around 4 hours, which seems to be the norm for me and lipsticks these days.  It is hydrating and doesn't leave the lips feeling dry, but if you do have dry lips then it does cling to them, so always exfoliate before applying.  For just £8 this is an absolute bargain and well worth the money.

Having seen all of these lipsticks this is how they look swatched and the top photo is with the flash and the bottom without.  Starting from Left to Right we have Dior, Chanel, RMK, Mac and then Topshop and I am sure you won't be surprised to find that the two which stand out the most for their pop of colour is MAC and Topshop, though I love them all.

Do you have a favourite lipstick of 2015?  Are there any brands you think I should be looking at?

MaxFactor Colour Corrector Stick Primark Dupe!

I am a huge fan of Colour Correcting products and adore the Makeup Revolution palette, upon which ive just hit pan on green *cries*. I find they work well with my skin to correct and conceal, more so with the redness I have on my cheeks, for which I do need the green. It took me a long time to accept that putting something green on my face would not leave me looking like Grotbags (remember her) and infact it would work.

The idea of using green to correct redness is a blessing as it neutralises redness whether that is blemishes, blochiness and in some cases a broken vein. You simply apply it to the area you want to correct, gently blend, add more if required and then finish off your make-up. 

Primark often has some hidden little gems and I was surprised to find they did colour correcting sticks, even better they had been massively reduced, so I bought one of each and this is what they look like - notice the similarity?

Yes, to me, they are the exact same colour corrector stick that is sold by MaxFactor, only the Primark versions are a whole £8.50 cheaper, should they work!  The swatches show the Primark crayon at the top and MaxFactor at the bottom, even colour wise they are similar, the only real difference is the formula and for me, the Primark crayon is much softer, though both blend like an absolute dream.

Do they work? Yes, I find it hard to choose who wins between them, both do an amazing job at concealing the redness but given the difference in price, then I would opt for Primark every time, purely to save £8.50.

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!