July 2012 Glossybox

Hi Everyone! Hope you're well, I have been so busy working for the London 2012 Olympic games this has been my only chance to blog and show you what I received in my first ever Glossybox. Monthly beauty boxes caused a lot of hype in the beauty blogging world around this time last year so I'm aware I'm very late when it comes to trying them out for myself. I think I always put the idea off as I didn't want to be disappointed with what I receive in my box after waiting for weeks, but the beauty blogger in me decided to try Glossybox out, probably the best known of them all and as far as I know, the original beauty box. The original is always better than the copy! I placed my order and eagerly waited for the delivery to come.

It came three days after placing my order online which is pretty standard and opened it straight away. I couldn't believe just how small it was! I can't complain for only £10 + £2.95 postage and packaging but from photos Glossyboxes look alot bigger! Come to think of it, it would be a bad idea to make a bigger box as there are only miniature products  inside them. I absolutely love how it's wrapped so beautifully, it makes you that little more excited to open the box but still careful at the same time when untying the ribbon. I'm not that pleased with what I received as all the products don't seem as well thought out as some other peoples boxes and I hear people got given the infamous HD Brows palette. Jel.  


Collin Resultime Regenrating Collagen Gel £47.25/50ml - I like the idea of this being a regenerating collagen gel to make my crows feet lines a little less visible. I'm apprehensive that any type of collagen gels work to the degree which they promise so I'm excited to try and review this. It can be used daily as a serum or as a mask while I sleep. I'll report back if I find this to be good!


Awapuhi Wild Ginger Texturising Sea Spray £18.95/150ml - I absolutely love to use Paul Mitchell products, I really enjoy using the cleansing purple shampoo. I'd never seen the new Wild Ginger range, and this promises to create a tousled, beachy style by adding texture and body to hair. I love the look of loose waves, so I'm excited to tell you what I thought of it.


Monu Extra Rich Night Cream £36.95/50ml - I think that this more or less has the same effect as the Collin Reslutime Gel which I received. It's a luxurious treatment which intensively nourishes and firms while you sleep. As I mentioned I'm always sceptical as to whether firming creams work, so I'll test this cautiously. 


Jelly Pong Pong Lip Frosting £10.00/15ml - I haven't ever been keen on the idea of a lip frost, as I find the finished effect the look a bit old school and remind me of Year 3 and 4. But I love that this is multifunctional and can double up as a blush, and I absolutely love the way it smells.


Kryolan Satin Powder £4.95/3g - This was the only product I was a little excited about as I love having colourful eye make-up especially throughout Summer. I love the look of it and the colour is a rich burnt orange,so am really looking forward to trying it out.


Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin - This was a bonus product added to Glossybox this month, and after using Elizabeth Arden in the past and liking it I'm looking forward to trying the sample sizes of skincare.

Overall, I'm not too disappointed with what I received in my first Glossybox. I'm not giving in and will give it another few goes to wow me. What did you get in your Glossybox this month?


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July Favourites

So, it's that time of month where all beauty bloggers reveal their favourite finds from throughout the month. I admit that July has been a great month for me in terms of finding lovely products which I've been in turn obsessing over, and I'd love to share them all with you. This is my first monthly favourites post and it's a little picture heavy so I apologise in advance.

Sleep Rollers - You must have been hiding under a rock if you haven't heard of these little beauties. I bought them a few months back and ever since then I've worn them at every given opportunity as I love them so much. I'm planning to do a full review of these, as I know rollers and especially Sleep Rollers are a hair product that people are very apprehensive about. But they're great for me, and I've been using them all month to achieve big bouncy hair. 

Batiste Dry Shampoo for Dark Brown Hair - Sometimes you just can't be bothered to wash your locks, and have to sit through blow drying your hair with the annoying prospect of being unable to style your hair on the day it has been washed. I've been loving the dry shampoo from Batiste which adds a tone of dark brown to your hair, which is great if your roots begin to come through. (I'm slightly guilty of this now, my natural hair is blonde so it looks disgustingly grey against my dark brown hair. Eek!)

St Tropez Gradual Tan Moisturiser - In recently raved about the infamous Dove Summer Glow Body Moisturiser, but I've found an even better replacement. Sure, it may be a little on the pricey side, but for a gradual tanning product which delivers nicer, longer lasting results I can just about justify it. I am loving this stuff, and plan to write a full review on it soon.

ReBorn at New Look Cross and Pearl Necklace - If you read my blog you'll know that I recently bought this necklace for a bargain of only £6.00 at New Look in Westfield, London. Since then, I've been wearing it with pretty much everything. I love that it's so versatile and doesn't catch in my long hair either which is a huge added bonus. Read my full review on it here. 

Benefit Get Bent Mascara - I love Benefit make up, and I've never been disappointed when purchasing something. I love the packaging of this mascara and it looks lovely in my make-up bag when I could never usually find my mascara buried under everything. It gives my lashes great volume and the brush is angled which makes for great application.

Nails Inc in Love Potion - I'm a complete sucker for pale barbie pink nail polishes as I find that they really bring out a tan. Nails Inc have a great selection of colours, and this ticks all the right boxes. It's chip resistant, long lasting and very pigmented. I only need to apply one coat and I'm good to go.

MAC Lusture Lipstick in Jubilee - As I've mentioned in previous posts, I absolutely adore pale pink and nude lipsticks. Having accumulated quite the collection on lipsticks, I've been using MAC's Lusture lipstick which gives a lovely glossy finish and long lasting colour. 

Rescue Oil - It's almost time to put on my bikini and get tanning when I jet off on holiday in a few weeks time. EEEK! I've been doing some body prep and begun using Rescue Oil which contains the same ingredients as Bio Oil but is a fraction of the price. I'm planning to do a full review of this sometime soon so I can tell you just how amazing this stuff is!

Soap and Glory Flake Away - I adore Soap and Glory! The packaging, the smell, the price and of course the product. Flake Away is great as an exfoliator to prepare your skin for tanning, and it makes it unbelievably soft. It makes e that little less frightened to get my legs out when the sun shines.

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub - I am so addicted to this stuff, and find myself reaching for it at every given moment before I put my make-up on. I recently done a review on it here so take a read and see why I love it so much.

What were your favourite products from this month?


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Cosmopolitan Powder & Blush Brushes

Hello! I hope you're still enjoying this fabulous weather as much as me, although it's forecast rain tomorrow boooo! I suppose that was England's summer, just three days of lovely sunshine. I love Wednesdays, it's pure TV gold. Cherry Healy's 'How To Get A Life' is great on BBC3, and then of course Wednesday means it's TOWIE day! Hoorah! I mentioned in my mini haul post (read it here) that I'd purchased the Cosmopolitan Powder Brush. I sort of got bored of using my usual brushes from Real Techniques (which I'll review soon) so wanted to experiment using a cheaper brand and see the differences. I picked up the Blush Brush recently to add to my mini collection of Cosmopolitan brushes. Sad. I bought both brushes from Superdrug jut over a week ago for no more than £5.00 each which of course is an absolute bargain! Even though I've never heard anything about the brush range from Cosmopolitan I was still eager to try them out and judge for myself exactly what I thought.

I guess what drew me to them was the packaging. I love that these came in a metallic, pink and white pouch which you can zip open. I think like most people I fall in love with packaging before I even look at a product. On closer inspection I actually quite liked the look of the brushes too. They didn't look completely shabby and awful and for £4.69 each what did I have to loose? I trotted back home and decided to put the brushes to the test that evening as I was going out for some dinner with my friend Danielle.


Once I opened the pouch I looked at the brushes more closely and my heart sunk a little. The dreaded malting effect was happening before my very eyes. Some of the bristles on the powder brush were sticking out in awkward directions but I was still eager to try them. So after my foundation I applied my regular powder (read my review here) and I was actually really surprised at the results. It blended and applied my powder fantastically, although it didn't quite have the same airbrushed effect as my Real Techniques powder brush. It's a very thick and heavy brush which makes it great for picking up loads of product on the brush at one time and applying it without getting that awful chalky effect on the skin.

I used the Blush Brush to apply both my bronzer and my blush. If you read my blog then you'll know only recently I have dipped my toes into the sea of blushes (???) and I'm currently using a Model's Own beige colour called Peach Blush. I find that my bronzer and blush compliment each other well and suit my skin tone perfectly. The Blush Brush made application a dream as it is angled so I can really apply it why it wherever I like while I make the fish face. I was surprised at how much product the brush picked up even using a very light hand when picking it up with my brush. I'm really shocked that I didn't have any stray hairs falling down my face, but these brushes sadly won't be replacing my usual brushes. I do like them though and for such a cheap price I really can't argue I think both brushes were my absolute bargain of the week! I think I'd use these brushes as something I have in my handbag when I go out and need a touch up. They aren't particularly compact however I always have huge bags so it shouldn't be a problem. 

What are your favourite make-up brushes?


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My Ultimate Beauty Product - Palmers Cocoa Butter

Hi Everyone! Hope you're enjoying this gorgeous weather here in the UK just as much as I am. I even chose  to wear shorts and a bandeau top today it's that lovely! It's finally Summer at last, hooray! I'm so happy everything that comes with having Summer is finally here, late nights in a beer garden, sunbathing, shopping and watching the new Summer films. I finally went to see Magic Mike last night and throughout the entire 110 minutes, I just couldn't stop drooling over Channing Tatum. He really is just the definition of perfection and is the most perfect human being ever (besides David Beckham of course, who nobody can top). With all the nice weather it's obvious all you lovely girls are going to want to show a bit more skin, so I'll be talking about the ever-great infamous Palmers Cocoa Butter, a product which has been a staple in my bathroom cabinet for as long as I remember.

I first started using Cocoa Butter when I was about 13. I was at my friend Rachel's house when she opened a bottle of it and applied it to her legs. The first thing I said was "What's that smell?!", she showed me it and voila! Ever since then I've been hooked on it. I use it everyday, sometimes twice a day as an all over body moisturiser. It promises to relieve dry skin, tone and reduce marks. I hear it's popular with pregnant women and I've heard a few people swear by it for reducing the appearance of stretch marks. Regardless of whether I agree with that I still absolutely adore this product and I have no intentions of changing to another moisturiser anytime soon.


Firstly, I'd like to tell you about all the different ways you can buy Palmers Cocoa Butter. There are of course different sizes in a 250ml and 400ml bottle. I always buy the 400ml bottle as it lasts me alot longer and I get very upset when I run out (just a tad sad I know, but the stuff is just amazing). Another great thing about the Palmers range is that it is available in a bottle or a pump. I don't particularly get on with the pump as it sometimes gets stuck and it all gets very messy, so the bottle is fine with me. A 250ml bottle costs around £3.90 so if you're new to this product, definitely purchase this size incase you may not like it. A 400ml bottle costs me £5.25 from Boots. It's not only Cocoa Butter that Palmers sell, they have a huge range of other products which you can see here.

The packaging is nothing special, just plain white with a pale blue sticker. It's nice to have something a little more understated than the rest of my products in my bathroom cabinet which still screams "Use Me" everytime I see it. But what the product does just outweighs everything. It smells absolutely unbelievable, really chocolatey and rich. I find the scent really stays on my skin all day. If you don't like fragranced products this definitely isn't for you as it's such a strong smell. The texture is really thick, so a little really does go a long way. Because of this it can be a problem if you're in a rush to get changed and you need to wait for it to sink in. This is my go to moisturiser simply because it makes my skin feel amazingly soft and supple. It's a butter which means it's more of an intense moisturiser so if you suffer with dry knees, ankles and elbows it's a real godsend as the results are pretty much immediate. Thanks to Palmers my skin feels really pampered and well looked after every morning. As the weather is getting warmer, the shorts are coming out which means more Cocoa Butter hurrah! 

What are your holy grail body butters and moisturisers? Is there anything even better than Palmers Cocoa Butter?


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Topshop Lipstick in Pillow Talk

I bought another lipstick. Yes, another one. I really need to stop this ridiculous obsession some time soon, I haven't even opened some and the pile gets bigger and bigger by the day, quite literally. Being new to Topshop make-up and being super impressed by the 'Head Over Heels' blush, (read my review here) I was really excited when I picked up this lipstick. I've heard so many rave reviews about the lipsticks in the Topshop range, and especially 'Pillow Talk' known for its great colour pay-off and ultra moisturising qualities. I'm a complete sucker for pale pinks and nudes so this ticked the box with my name next to it.


I think one of the main reasons people love the lipsticks is the packaging. It has a theme which runs across the entire make-up range and it's so girly and pretty. I love the box everything comes in and I actually keep them (upright if you may ask so I can see which colour I'm choosing. Sad I know) in a box on my dressing table. The lipstick itself is pretty standard, nothing too fancy just plain white made with metal. I like the way it clicks into place so easily when you're finished with it. I notice these kind of things as there's nothing worse than when lipstick lids fall off in your make-up bag. 

I have a big thing about how products smell so was a bit disappointed that this smelt of absolutely nothing. I'm so glad that it doesn't reek of chemicals and what have you like others do though (cough cough MAC) but for only £8.00 I'm so not complaining. There's nothing worse than when you have dry cracked lips and your lipstick gets stuck inbetween the cracks of your lips. I'm wincing at just the thought of it. But I religiously use Lush's Bubblegum Lip Scrub (read my review here) and Pillow Talk sits perfectly on top of my lips all day without that dreaded crackle effect. 

For it's colour and texture I'd give this a definite 10/10. It's so creamy you wouldn't believe and glides onto my lips like a dream without it being too sheer to have to apply two or three coats (even though I do as I love to wear statement lips). Because of this, its a really versatile colour as you can build it up by applying more. Pretty self explanatory. It has a slight gloss to it also as it is a velvet moisturising lipstick. So an added bonus too! 

Have you tried Topshop's make-up range? What's your favourite product? I'd love to know.


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Nails Inc; Malibu The Cocktail Collection in Malibu Mojito

Hello! Hope all you girls living in the UK are starting to enjoy what now appears to be Summer. In London there's forecasts of up to 30 degrees finally during the week! It's about time too, we've had rain every day of July so far. Whether you are going on holiday or not this year I have a great product which is guaranteed to cheer you up whatever the weather. I have a real bad habit of changing up my nails ever two or three days, and in Summer I go especially crazy. I love using block colours in bright fluorescent shades which are a lot more practical than in Winter when I tend to go for warm reds, browns and greys. Booooring. 


I've always liked Nails Inc as a brand, they have such a huge range of colours and each and every polish is long lasting, chip resistant and highly pigmented. Malibu as in the alcoholic drink (yum, Malibu. I love it with pineapple or cranberry) teamed up with Nails Inc to bring the 'Cocktail Collection' which has beautiful colours as you can imagine. I own so many orange nail polishes, so to buy another for £13.50 would really have been silly. I settled on this aqua blue shade which I think is totally gorgeous. They really stand out and make me feel Summery in a flash. 

£13.50 for a nail polish means it's a little on the pricey side however I can assure you it's so worth it. The bottle is lovely, simple and compact which is a godsend if you're sick and tired of weird shaped bottles. This colour goes on in one stroke. No sheer patches, nothing. It's amazing quality and the colour pay-off is great. I only used a top coat and the results were great. I've had to take off my acrylic nails to let my nails 'repair' themselves as they're wrecked beyond relief, so excuse my awful cuticles and equally awful painting. But you can just see how fabulous it looks after just one coat of colour. The brush is nice and thick too which makes application a lot easier than your standard brush. I really recommend this if you want to brighten up your look - it will look amazing with a deep tan. Real or fake it doesn't matter to me! Let's just hope this weeks forecast is right and we get the English Summer we desperately need!

Have you seen the Malibu Cocktail Collection? Which is your favourite shade?


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Bargain Of The Day: Re Born at New Look Cross & Pearl Necklace

Shirt - Primark


Hello everyone, hope you're well! The weather's finally getting a bit better, hooray! I won't speak too soon as it will probably start raining within the hour. I've just come home from Westfield in Shepherds Bush, London and bought a couple lot of uneccesary things which have no doubt made a huge dent in my bank balance. Life goes on. I was in New Look armed with two baskets worth of clothes, bags and goodness knows what else when I came to the jewellery. Re Born isn't a brand I'd ever seen stocked at a New Look branch before but the stand immediately caught my eye. They have amazing jewellery and everything is so well thought out. I picked up some great bits, 2 rings, 3 necklaces, some earrings and an ankle charm bracelet. Not checking the prices (I never do when I've been paid, it takes the fun away and makes me feel guilty all the time) I was so shocked when I got to the tills as to how cheap their stuff is. I spent under £25 on all of those bits alone which was great (although I more than made up for it with the clothes, shoes and bags. Oops.). By far my favourite piece I picked up from the Re Born brand was this long pearl and cross necklace.

If you're familiar with the classic Chanel necklace which has the small CC logo connecting the pearls together, then you'll see that this is quite similar. However it's only a fraction of the price at only £6.00! I've always known New Look to be quite good with their prices but that just takes the biscuit. I love layering different pieces of jewellery, and I always wear a long necklace every day without fail. I've added to my already huge collection with this lovely piece that I'm so chuffed with. It's different to your average pearl necklace and as crosses seem to be ultimate thing shops are pinning to their items this looks even better.

Get yourselves down to New Look and grab yourself a bargain! A versatile piece which can be dressed up or down depending on what it's worn with.

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James Brown Scandalous Collection; Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner

Hi Girls! Yes I am a complete hair treatment whore buff so I do know my bit when it comes to choosing products or even better, experimenting with new ones! I do really love everything from James Brown as he is hairdresser to none other than Kate Moss herself, so styling my own hair at home should be a doddle. I've been using this range for about a year now, and have never strayed to trying anything different as I love it too much. Out of the five different ranges from James Brown, the Scandalous range is by far my favourite out of them all. I own about ten bottles of all different products just from Scandalous alone, so might post a haul-type blog telling you about it in more detail (when I have more time, I'm so short of time. There aren't enough hours in a day!). All products have a set objective to them, for example there is a Volumising collection, Moisturising, Colour Care and so on. I chose to buy the Glossing products again after trying them last year and really enjoying them, I got upset when they finished *sobs*

Moving swiftly on, I really do love this product. It's a high-end hair product brand at a lower price budget. All Shampoos and Conditioners range from £4.99 to£6.99 and depending on the length and thickness of your hair, can last you ages. I'm a hair extension wearer and my natural hair comes just underneath my shoulders, plus I always shampoo my hair twice if it's feeling particularly greasy with product build up. At 250ml, a bottle of this stuff lasts me 3 weeks, and I was my hair 3 times a week (Some people find this repulsive but it's just how my hair works. Bore off). If your hair sometimes looks dull and lacks shine then this is defintiely a must have product. 


"No style will look good if your hair is dull and lifeless. So we've created this shampoo to restore the natural shine. Milk proteins and murumuru butter deliver extraordinary glossing results leaving hair as smooth as glass. This rich, fragrant shampoo will revive even the most lacklusture hair."
Glossing Shampoo


"This conditioner is a huge hit with women who have sharp bobs and long styles. Even dull, tired hair is left sleek, smooth and unconditionally glossy. The special blend of red seaweed extract and kukui nut oil infuses hair with shine and creates a silky, sleek texture"
Glossing Conditioner 

I can't rate this product highly enough. The scent of a shampoo and conditioner is just as important to me as what the product actually does to my hair, and this is one of the best smells on the market (apart from Aussie 3 minute miracle, yum). People tend to find that it wears off after a day or so with other brands, however this lingers for two days, no problem. Even after styling with hot rollers, hairspray, gel, mousse, you name it. It's consistency is quite thick so a little really does go a long way and it lathers up like a dream. I find that by adding small bits of water to places I need to the most really makes it sudsy and lather up really quickly. If I'm ever in a rush or need a quick fix (which lets face it, is every day) then this is a total godsend. The milk proteins in the shampoo are what adds the gloss to your hair, and when i say gloss i mean gloss. If I'm on a night out and I style my hair using a glossing and finishing spray, I find there's no need for it when I use this. 

It leaves a salon fresh mirrored effect on your hair, however I don't find it effective if you like volume in your hair like I do. To still achieve volume when I use the glossing shampoo and conditioner I blow dry my hair by lifting it straight up from the crown and dry underneath (if that makes any sense). The conditioner contains small micro beads of shimmer (very similar to Loreal's Sparkling Nutri Gloss Shampoo) and so in turn leaves an enviable shimmer on the mid-lengths and ends of the hair. Amazing.

All in all, I can't recommend the James Brown Scandalous GLOSS range highly enough, it works wonders for me every time I use it. Have you tried it before? What did you think?


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