July

UNBOXING: You Beauty Box July 2017 – Come fly with me!

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The selection this month was so so, with only one stand out item. The Skin Chemists serum was an easy choice and we chose to augment this with the facial oil. Could the serum possibly be good enough to justify the skyhigh price?  The freebie sachet is pretty tiny so a bit of a meh inclusion but it’s just an extra.

SKIN CHEMISTS: Aqua Repair Facial Serum, 30ml
Value: £64 (although available for £39)

Image result for SKIN CHEMISTS: Aqua Repair Facial Serum

“Our SkinChemist 24 Hour Aqua Repair Facial Serum has been formulated to sooth and hydrate the skin for all day moisturisation. This serum would be the perfect product to use on the go for a quick zap of hydration. The main active ingredients include: Rose Water to calm and sooth the skin, Allantoin to moisturise and soothe and Aloe Vera to stimulate the healing process of the skin.”

BT INITIAL THOUGHTS: We love good skincare that’s compatible with combination skin, so love the trend towards serums and layering.  We couldn’t resist trying the serum right away. It sinks right in and isn’t sticky at all. Would recommend it being used before a moisturiser as we needed that extra hydration. Will report back on how much our skin likes it and whether it’s worth the splurge.

THE BODY SHOP:  Oils of life, 7ml
Value: £7.00

Image result for body shop oils of life 7ml

“A lightweight daily facial oil to intensely revitalise skin, instantly replenish moisture and revive radiance.  Made from 99% oils of natural origin, this lightweight, quickly-absorbed formula effortlessly melts onto skin leaving a non-sticky, velvety-soft finish.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – We weren’t totally happy to see this in the shortlist as it’s available as a sample easily from Body Shop stores. However we did want to try it out as from cleansing to night treatments, we do love a good oil…they tend work so well with combination skin so much better and contrary to what you’d expect. Oil cleansers actually reduce how oily our skin is. This is a particularly lightweight oil that does absorb pretty fast. Hoping it will also nourish as well. We’ll see if it can compete with the likes of Kiehl’s Midnight Concentrate.

EXTRA TREATS:

OMS (OhMySkin) : Sublime Enzyme – Exfoliate & Surface Mask, 3ml
Value: £1.74

Image result for OMS: Sublime Enzyme sample

“OMS’ natural formulation of Cacti & Wheat enzymes separate the old from the new, revealing an instantly brightened complexion.  OMS refines and perfects with each treatment, using no harsh acids, abrasive or microbeads. Concentrated vitamins and plant extracts leave the skin nourished, supple, firmed and uplighted.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Look forward to trying this out, but think we’ll need more than one sample to see if it really makes a difference.

OTHER OPTIONS:

The shortlist this month was:

  • Acqua Cacteen Hydrasoothe Cooling Spray
  • Physicool Cooling Mist
  • Vita Liberata Self Tanning Night Moisture Mask
  • Years Rich Shea Butter Soap, Jasmine or Vintage Rose
  • Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Air Soft Face SPF30
  • Aromatherapy Associates Support Breathe Bath & Shower Oil
  • Skin Chemists Aqua Repair Facial Serum
  • The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil
  • Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Water
  • Green People Age Defy+ 24Hr Brightening
  • Invisibobble Traceless Hair Ring, True Black
  • Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure, Jolly Jade
  • Bohemian Chic Minerals Pretty in Pink Eyeshadow

OVERALL VERDICT:

The Skin Chemists serum saved this box! The rest of the list was pretty uninspirational. It’s always nice to try a luxury product without paying to premium to see if it’s really worth the hype. Another worthwhile item in the list, or another freebie would have raised the bar. Still amazing value for the price and this remains our favourite subscription box where you get to pick the items you receive.

Box price: £6.95 inc shipping
Total value: £72.74

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

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

UNBOXING: Birchbox July 2014 – the one with a Porefessional (if you were lucky)

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This month’s theme was Sun, Sea & Sand…very loose theme we felt!

We forgot to cancel our second Birchbox subscription, so ended up with two of these boxes and are able to do a side by side comparison! They were slightly different and we do have a favourite. See what you think…

BOX A:

 

Weleda: Millet Nourishing Shampoo 18ml
Value: £0.85

“Keep hair in top condition this summer with this natural organic fortifying shampoo.”

BT INITIAL THOUGHTS: Weleda is a good brand that we’d like to try, but this isn’t really a useful sample size, other than for perhaps a night or weekend away. We don’t think it will be enough to determine how good the shampoo is, but at least it’s still useful!

 

Balance Me: Wonder Eye Cream 7ml
Value: £9.34

“A light, hardworking formula to brighten the eye area and keep wrinkles at bay.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – This is a great brand, but we tend to find that eye creams don’t work as well as eye gels or serums on combination skin. We will still give this a try anyway.

 

Laqa & Co: Sheer Lip Lube Pencil, Bees Knees 2g
Value: £14 (full size product)


“A high-gloss pencil to add a pop of sheer, nourishing and wearable colour.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – We were really looking forward to trying out this chubby stick-esque lip tint. However, we were dismayed that Birchbox clearly ignored profiling as both the boxes we received had this colour tint, which was lighter than our own lips, rather than the dark pink that was going around and would have been much better. Sad pandas!

 

Gilchrist & Soames: English Spa Sea Kelp Extract Mineral Bath
Value: £1.91

“This delightfully foamy gel contains marine nutrient sea kelp to invigorate the skin.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Erm. This is like OK…the kind of thing you get at an OK hotel? Not really at all exciting, but it is at least useful.

 

Compagnie de Provence: Mediterranean Sea Hand Cream 30ml
Value: £0.85

“This luxe, hydrating lotion direct from Provence hydrates hands and leaves them silky-soft.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Again, just OK. Pretty indifferent towards this…but we’ll try it.

 

LIFESTYLE EXTRA:

ULTRADEX: Fresh Breath Oral Spray
Value: £3.65 (full size product)

“A handbag-friendly spray that kills harmful bacteria and keeps breath minty-fresh.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Lol. Breath spray? Really? This would be an OK extra if the other items had been more exciting.

 

BOX B:

Whish: Three Whishes Lavender Body Butter 22ml
Value: £2.13

“Not your granny’s lavender – this sweet-scented antioxidant-rich lotino nourishes skin.”

BT INITIAL THOUGHTS:

 

Balance Me: Wonder Eye Cream 7ml
Value: £9.34

“A light, hardworking formula to brighten the eye area and keep wrinkles at bay.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – This is a great brand, but we tend to find that eye creams don’t work as well as eye gels or serums on combination skin. We will still give this a try anyway.

 

Laqa & Co: Sheer Lip Lube Pencil, Bees Knees 2g
Value: £14 (full size product)


“A high-gloss pencil to add a pop of sheer, nourishing and wearable colour.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – We were really looking forward to trying out this chubby stick-esque lip tint. However, we were dismayed that Birchbox clearly ignored profiling as both the boxes we received had this colour tint, which was lighter than our own lips, rather than the dark pink that was going around and would have been much better. Sad pandas!

 

Gilchrist & Soames: English Spa Sea Kelp Extract Mineral Bath
Value: £1.91

“This delightfully foamy gel contains marine nutrient sea kelp to invigorate the skin.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – Erm. This is like OK…the kind of thing you get at an OK hotel? Not really at all exciting, but it is at least useful.

 

Benefit: The Porefessional 7.5ml
Value: £8.36

“An award-winning primer that magically erases pores and leaves skin velvety.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – A great sample that we look forward to trying! Have heard great things about this and given we have combination skin, this is bang-on target for us. Yay!

LIFESTYLE EXTRA:

CHIA SHOT
Value: £0.49

“Bonafide superfood, packed with health-boosting omega 3, protein and more.”

BT INITIAL OPINION – This is a nice little extra that we’re curious to try. Would never had thought about buying this, so a great inclusion!

 

OVERALL VERDICT:

Well we only ended up with two boxes by accident but am pretty surprised by the marked difference in the boxes…the actual value weren’t too far apart, but Box B was so much more exciting in general, not just because it had a Benefit item, but because the actual selection was a well-rounded box, whereas Box A came across as containing unimpressive small samples of no particular quality.

We used to like Birchbox because everyone got the same thing – our general feeling is it that it’s fair enough for people to get different things but that should be in accordance with their profiling (didn’t get lipglosses that suit our colouring). But the products that differ should be of equivalent quality/value – here, rather than a Porefessional, in box A we got an 85p moisturiser (the equivalent in Box was the handcream!) Terrible.

Considering both boxes – this was an average offering from Birchbox. Judging solely by Box A, this was a lame month. Judging solely by Box B, this was a pretty good month!

Box price: £10.00 plus £2.95 shipping (rolling month by month subscription)
BOX A total value: £30.60
BOX B total value: £36.23

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 worth of points! You’re welcome 😉