balm

UNBOXING: Birchbox May 2018 – Palm Leaves and Warm Breeze

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This month’s theme was Palm Leaves & Warm Breeze, saying ‘aloha’ to the first signs of summer.

No full-size products this month. We will use everything in the box. Well-curated but nothing particularly exciting other than the box, which is beautiful and definitely worthy of staying out on show.

DOUCCE: Luscious Lip Stain in Amber Rose, unknown size
Value: Approx £10 (not sure of sample size), full size 6g is £21

Image result for doucce lip stain amber rose

“This pigmented liquid formula applies matt, dries fast (so it won’t transfer onto anything and lasts for hours. Unlike other matte lip products, this long-lasting formula glides on smoothly for comfortable all-day wear”

BT INITIAL OPINION: A super flattering, fresh colour for oriental skintones. Formula is a little watery but the pay off is that is doesn’t ‘crack’ or dry too much like most matte lip paints. Tried the kiss test and it passed with flying colours 😀

GREENFROG BOTANIC: Geranium & Peppermint Botanical Bodywash, 50ml
Value: £1.49

Greenfrog Botanic Geranium and Peppermint Award Winning Soapberry Body Wash

“This organic formula is cruelty-free, vegan and completely free from chemical nasties! Brimming with moisturising alow vera and Saponin-rich soapberries, this gentle wash cleanses your skin whilst maintaining pH levels.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – The fresh scent is nice and the size will be great for a weekend away. This claims to be great for sensitive skin, eczema and psoriasis which would be the main plus point for us, but the sample is too small to verify these claims.

NATIVE UNEARTHED: Activated Charcoal Natural Deodorant Balm, 15g
Value: £1.99

Native Unearthed Activated Charcoal Natural Deodorant Balm

“This all-natural cream forgoes chemicals in favour of sweat-absorbing arrowroot, antibacterial coconut oil and soothing shea butter. Just smooth a pea-sized amount onto clean underarms to form an invisible shield.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Small sample but happy to try alternative product like this although it’s not that different to a pushup stick or roll on once applied.

CAUDALIE: Make-up Removing Cleansing Oil, 30ml
Value: £5.40

Caudalie

“This 100% natural blend of sunflower, sweet almond and grape oils is a must have afor all skin types. Just massage onto dry skin to dissolve make-up, add water and rinse away to leave your skin clean and soft.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – We love cleansing oils! Will be interesting to see how this compares with our enduring classic Shu Uemura cleansing oil (which actually works out cheaper).

EYEKO: Skinny Liquid Eyeliner, 1.2g
Value: £9.60

Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

“This easy-to-use pen-style applicator will have you lining and defining your eyes in a flash. This fade-resistant formula will last all day and night.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Black eyeliners will always get used and this one has a great reputation. Really surprised that the full size product is only 2g – super expensivo at £16. Let’s see if its performance justifies the high price tag when plenty perform well around the £5 mark.

OVERALL VERDICT:

We feel a bit conflicted with Birchbox at the moment. First of all, they got rid of Birch points and lifestyle extras and beauty tips. The quality of the boxes is very samey…on the one hand, they are mainly products we will use and are happy with. On the other hand, they are featuring high end brands less and being less exciting in general. Caudalie and Eyeko are solid brands but feature in boxes so often. In addition to this, there were no full size products. This was not so much the issue as some samples being too small as well (meaning that you can’t really tell if a product is worth buying). Whilst we’re not unhappy and have some great items to go in our travel washbags, Birchbox need to try harder.

Box price: £10.00 plus £2.95 shipping (rolling month by month subscription) – although we got this on a discount offer

Total value: £28.48

Note: We paid for this Birchbox with our own hard-earnt pennies

Like the look of Birchbox? Subscribe at www.birchbox.co.uk and you’ll get £5 off your first box! You’re welcome 😉

UNBOXING: Birchbox Feb 2018 – Beauty through the decades

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Image result for luseta coconut hair mask birchbox

Birchbox have been giving us the option to choose our box design or a product each month. Whilst we’re glad not to get the 80s box, we would prefer to have a choice of product than box design. The idea behind this month’s box was to celebrate timeless trends and experimental looks of their time.

THE BEAUTY CROP:  Eyeshadow Trio in Love You So Latte, 3g (full size)
Value: £7

Image result for THE BEAUTY CROP: Eyeshadow Trio in Love You So Latte

“This coffee-inspired collection contains three earthy tones. They’re packed with coffee extracts to reduce puffiness and brighten the eye area.”

BT INITIAL OPINION: First of all, what does this have to do with beauty through the decades? It’s totally contemporary! Having said that, these shades are really wearable and will suit everyone. Had never heard of the company before – not sure how Birchbox come up with the RRPs when they are exclusive to Birchbox…

MODELCO: Green conceal & correct, 2.1g (full size)
Value: £14

Image result for MODELCO: Green conceal and correct

“A green concealer counteracts redness for a more even complexion.”

BT INITIAL OPINION: A crayon is a great format for application, we do feel a bit divided about plastic pencils though as you get so little product and so much waste. We don’t use green concealer daily as we tend not to go for full coverage base, but do have slightly flushed cheeks so will probably give this a whirl when we want to go for a fully made up look.

PERCY & REED: Quite Frankly Flawless Finishing Polish, 30ml
Value: £2.40

Image result for PERCY & REED: Quite Frankly Flawless Finishing Polish

“This lightweight styler is packed with horse chestnut to keep your do in place without leaving it stiff or greasy, and sunflower wax for a gentle injection of moisture. ”

BT INITIAL OPINION – This brand is one our beauty box discoveries…we’ve come to love it for performing well at a reasonable price. Not a high value product, but we appreciate the good-sized sample and look forward to trying this product out.

LUSETA:  Coconut Milk Hair Mask, 30ml
Value: £3.84

Image result for luseta coconut hair mask

“A nourishing treament designed to repair and restructure.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Yesss, more luxe products like this (hair masks, pamper items) to test please. Can’t really track this down anywhere other than Birchbox though. Hope it performs.

PIXI:  Shea Butter Lip Balm in Pixi Pink, 4g (full size)
Value: £8
Image result for PIXI: Shea Butter Lip Balm in Pixi Pink

“With nourshing ingredients like shea butter and vitamin E treating lips to a healthy sheen.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Pixi! This had to be good right? We were pretty disappointed at first use – it has a strange opaque, yet not opaque pigmentation that is on the pale side (it looked chalky on our lips and definitely wouldn’t look good on dry lips). After a little more use, taking care to apply enough colour, we came to like the fresh bright candy pink colour. It’s quite flat and not very moisturising though.

OVERALL VERDICT:

Three full-size products, you’re spoiling us Birchbox! This was quite a strong if not-exciting box. However, quite suspicious and fed up of the trend of featuring brands that are only available through the Birchbox shop (with inflated prices to boot).

Total value: £35.24

Box price: £10.00 plus £2.95 shipping (rolling month by month subscription) – although we got this on a discount offer

Note: We paid for this Birchbox with our own hard-earnt pennies

Like the look of Birchbox? Subscribe at www.birchbox.co.uk and you’ll get £5 off your first box! You’re welcome 😉

UNBOXING: You Beauty Sep 2017 – CEW Award [Goodbye to You Beauty Box]

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We liked the shortlist this month so much that we upgraded to a gold box containing 4 products and the usual freebies. These are extra good value at £10.95 (usually £6.95 for 2 items), but they rarely have 4 products we really want to get. Unfortunately it was a double-edged blade as it came with the news that You Beauty Box were coming to a somewhat abrupt end, handing over to Latest in Beauty which used to provide a good beauty box service, but was always at a different price point and increasingly poor value.

We would like to take the time to reminisce on the great service that You Beauty Box has provided over the years. They have always been the BEST VALUE subscription beauty box at £6.95 including delivery. They often had fantastic brands and products to choose from, frequently offering products that were valued in excess of £30 individually (sometimes in excess of £60!) and you were able to subscribe or unsubscribe at any time. Each box came with discount offers from the shortlisted brands. This was a highly underrated box. Whilst you knew what you were getting each month (no surprised), we all enjoyed researching the shortlist and getting up at 7am to make our selections 😀

It was apt for this final month that all brands in the shortlist were either finalists or winners of as 2017 CEW Beauty Award.

MAX FACTOR:  False Lash Effect Epic Mascara, 13.1ml
Value: £11.99 (full size)

Image result for MAX FACTOR: False Lash Effect Epic Mascara

“Zoom-action tip captures and magnifies every detail of every lash for an epic lash fan.”

BT INITIAL THOUGHTS: We went for this one purely due to economic reasons as decent mascaras never come cheap and it’s one of the two items we definitely would use every day (that and brows) before going out. A decent black mascara is never going to be unused. We started with Max Factor 2000 calorie mascara (which was a classic back then) way back when we were teenagers and have been tempted away by the likes of Lancome Hypnose and Rimmel Exaggerate, so it will be nice to revisit Max Factor and check out how they are doing with their mascaras these days.

BEAUTY KITCHEN:  Seahorse Plankton 5 Minute Miracle Mask, 60ml
Value: £10.00 (full size)

Image result for BEAUTY KITCHEN: Seahorse Plankton 5 Minute Miracle Mask

“Get glowing with a 5-minute micro-facial with this 100% natural multi-action miracle mask.  Kaolin Clay gives an instant detox, while seahorse plankton delivers some serious plumping and firming.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – This was a quirky inclusion that we had never heard of it before. Happy to see if it can compete with other natural masks like Lush. It’s this kind of product that we buy beauty boxes for…to discover quality brands we don’t usually come across with cult products that might work well for us. Seahorse Plankton is Beauty Kitchen’s top secret ingredient, we need to examined the ingredients list to see if we can figure out what it might be.

NEAL’S YARD REMEDIES:  Wild Rose Beauty Balm, 15g
Value: £12.00

Image result for wild rose beauty balm

“This bestselling beauty balm nurtures all skin types for a glowing, radiant complexion. With vitamin and antioxidant-rich wild rosehip seed oil, a true multi-purpose beauty must have.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – You Beauty have delivered again with a cult classic. We’re not fond of rose, but this multi-purpose product has such a great reputation, as does Neal’s Yard in general, we’re happy to give it a try. It’s risk-free at this price.

Here’s a quick article on 15 different uses for this balm 🙂 http://thechalkboardmag.com/15-ways-with-wild-rose-beauty-balm

DR ORGANIC:  Moroccan Glow Body Polish, 200ml
Value: £8.99 (full size)

Image result for DR ORGANIC: Moroccan Glow Body Polish

“This exotic organic oil is blended with a proprietary selection of bioactive and organic ingredients and natural microparticles of volcanic lava to create and all over body polish, designed to prepare the skin for a flawless, even tan.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – This product is meant to be used in preparation for self-tanning treatments, but it’s basically an exfoliator. We don’t actually use self-tan but we do suffer with skin that doesn’t shed itself that well, leaving cracked or flaky skin even though our skin isn’t dry. This means we need to exfoliate well, extensively and regularly to keep our skin loooking good. Dr Organic is a good brand and this exfoliator was an amazing deal at full size so we picked it up to see if it could compete as a natural equivalent to microdermabrasion (which contains marine-polluting microbeads).

EXTRA TREATS:

Image result for WELEDA: Jardin de Vie 'Grenade' Sensuality perfume sample

 

WELEDA:  Jardin de Vie ‘Grenade’ Sensuality perfume, 1.5ml
Value: £0.66

“‘Grenade’ (French for Pomegranate) is authentically natural, free from parabens and phthalates and made with sustainably sourced essential oils to awaken all senses. This fragrance transports us to an exotic Persian garden. Orange provides an intense fruity top note, whilst oriental davana adds a layers of sophistication and mystery, complimented by the soft, warm balmy aroma of vanilla.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – When you think of Weleda, you don’t think of perfumes so we were surprised to find this in the box. The fragrance smells a bit confused, it is very fruity – like a scent for a body lotion, but with heavier notes to in. On first application we actively don’t like it, but will wear it for a while and whether it ages a bit better.

 

AUSSIE:  3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor Deep Treatment Sachet, 20ml
Value: £0.40

“The much loved reconstructor has miraculous conditioning properties. It’s hair rehab that repairs, soothes, nourishes, untangles and restores silkiness to locks that are in need of a little love.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – What’s with the reconstructor talk? Here comes the science…we do all know by now that damaged hair doesn’t ACTUALLY get repaired don’t we? Having said that, we’ve used this before and it is a good deep conditioner. Hair rehab indeed.

OTHER OPTIONS:

The shortlist this month was:

  • Yes To – Coconut Ultra Moisture Conditioner 280ml
  • St.Tropez – Gradual Tan Tinted Lotion 50ml
  • Dr Organic – Moroccan Glow Body Polish 200ml
  • Benefit – gimme brow volumizing eyebrow gel (in shades Light – 01 or Deep – 05) 1g
  • Beauty Kitchen – Seahorse Plankton 5 Minute Miracle Mask 60ml
  • Neal’s Yard Remedies – Wild Rose Beauty Balm 15g
  • Max Factor – False Lash Epic Mascara 13.1ml
  • Bioderma – Hydrabio Cream 2x5ml
  • This Works® – sleep plus+™ hair elixir 5ml

OVERALL VERDICT:

This was a good value box, not because the items are hugely expensive but because several of the items we will use as staple products, not just nice-to-haves to try out. We are SO sad this is our last You Beauty box, it has been a steady favourite of ours and we have been active ambassadors for this box. We love researching all the products on the shortlist every month to figure out what we wanted to pick. There will certainly be a You Beauty Box-sized gap in our lives now…

Box price: £10.95 inc shipping
Total value: £44.04

Note: We paid for this You Beauty Box with our own hard-earnt pennies

Like the look of You Beauty Discovery? Sadly they have ceased to offer this service, it held top spot for Best Value beauty box for the entire time it was running, next best value box that we recommend is Pink Parcel www.pinkparcel.co.uk

UNBOXING: You Beauty Box July 2016 – The Jet Set Edit

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YOU Beauty Box: The Jet Set Edit for July

It’s definitely the summer box! And although we don’t use tan products ourselves, we appreciate that the extra treat being a generous tube of ST Tropez In-Shower tan means we’re off to a good start. Illamasqua? Rodial? Alpha-H? Squee, you’re spoiling us this month!

We did get up early to order some Alpha-H liquid gold as we have yet to try this classic product, however it was already sold out. It seems like they only had a few bottles :-/

ILLAMASQUA: Precision Ink Liner in Abyss, 3ml
Value: £21 (full size, although the product sold has now gone down to 1.8ml vs the old 3ml…sneaky!)Image result for illamasqua ink liner

“Precision ink creates perfect lines with its long-lasting water-proof formula  The high percentage of pigment in the water-based formula proves ultimate pay-off. Also makes a great nail art pen.”

BT INITIAL THOUGHTS: Not sure how this is water-based but dries waterproof or how it can last long enough to use as a nail art pen, but we jumped at the chance to pick one of these up!  We absolutely love Illamasqua and use liquid liner every day.  We usually pick up whichever pigmented one we can get on a deal so it’s so exciting to get to use a premium product like this.  Fingers crossed it doesn’t disappoint us!

RODIAL:  Stemcell Super-food Glam Balm Multi, 25ml
Value: £27.50

Image result for RODIAL Stemcell Super-food Glam Balm Multi

Something weird has happened this month and not everything in the shortlist is featured on the featured image or the information booklet. We guess they received some extra products last minute?

BT INITIAL OPINION – Rodial is one of those brands you see in Space NK that sounds absolutely lovely but you can’t justify the money just to try it out. We like hard working products, so basically a multipurpose balm from Rodial is right up our street…

EXTRA TREATS:

ST TROPEZ: Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion in Medium, 50ml
Value: £3.63

Image result for Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion in Medium

“Gradual Tan In Shower Golden Glow Lotion lets you gradually build a deeper golden glow as part of your daily shower routine. This streak-free and easy to apply lotion is also ultra-hydrating and won’t transfer.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Self-tan isn’t for us (or tanning in general), but St Tropez has a very establish (albeit with a premium price tag) reputation. This is a great freebie considering sometimes we get tiny sachets and will make a lovely gift for a friend.

OTHER OPTIONS:

The shortlist this month was:

  • Resultime – Regenerating Collagen Gel, 15ml
  • Illamasqua – Precision Ink Liner in Abyss, 3ml (full size)
  • White Rabbit Skincare Lime & Coconut Cleansing Water, 30ml
  • Aethic L’Air Bien Tubes in-flight Face and Hand Cream, 30ml (full size)
  • Carmex Peach & Mango Burst, 10g (full size)
  • Hawaiian Tropic Satin Protection SPF 15, 200ml (full size)
  • M&S Rosie for Autograph Nuit Parfum, 15ml
  • Philip Kingsley Swim Cap, 50ml
  • Rimmel London 60 Seconds Super Shine Nail Polish By Rita Ora in Glaston-Berry, 8ml
  • Alpha-H Liquid Gold, 50ml
  • NUXE Huile Prodigieus, 10ml
  • Rodial STEMCELL Super-Food Glam Balm Multi, 25ml
  • Balance Me Congested Skin Serum, 7ml
  • Bloom & Blossom Bath and Shower Gel, 50ml
  • INIKA Organic Eyeliner in Black Caviar

OVERALL VERDICT:

What a fantastic selection this month! We wish we had made it on time for the Alpha-H but as we login as soon as the selection is live, having discussed with other enthusiast we’re all pretty sure they had next to none of these. It was a tough decision between the items we chose and the Aethic L’Air Bien Tubes and the Resultime Collagen Gel, however the cult brands won out and we feel like we’ve received some extra lovely treats this month. You spoil us You Beauty…thumbs up!

Box price: £6.95 inc shipping
Total value: £52.13

Note: We paid for this You Beauty Discovery Box with our own hard-earnt pennies

Like the look of You Beauty Discovery? Sign up here http://www.youbeautydiscovery.co.uk