eyeshadow
August Birchbox
Birchbox August Beauty Box

For their August beauty box Birchbox have put together samples to tide you over on your summer getaway.

Wild About Beauty Creme Eyeshadow: I received a full-sized sample of Matilda, a dark metallic which can be worn on its own or over powder eyeshadow for a more dramatic effect. This is the highlight of the box for me, the shade is perfect!

Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect: This is a leave-in conditioning spray which protects against heat and sun damage. It sounds ideal for using before blow drying.

Supergoop! CC Cream: I received two little tubes of this CC cream, a more lightweight version of a BB cream which acts as both a primer and a foundation. I don’t think I have ever tried a CC cream, I’m not usually drawn into the latest skincare fad, but I’m interested to see what it’s like.

Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator: Such fancy words for an exfoliator! I love a good exfoliating cleanser so I was chuffed to see this in my box.

Nude ProGenius Omega Treatment Oil: A good oil is always a winner for me. This sounds fab, rich in omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9. I’m looking forward to using it.

The Proposal by Tamsina Perry: Don’t get too excited, it’s just the first chapter but I thought this was quite a cool and different lifestyle extra to receive.

I’m really pleased with this month’s box, especially the eyeshadow. What do you think? If you like the look of it and want to sign up, please feel free to use my referral link:http://birchbox.co.uk/?raf=674. The box costs £10 per month plus p+p.

Let me know your thoughts!



Birchbox – August Beauty Box

August Birchbox
Birchbox August Beauty Box

For their August beauty box Birchbox have put together samples to tide you over on your summer getaway.

Wild About Beauty Creme Eyeshadow: I received a full-sized sample of Matilda, a dark metallic which can be worn on its own or over powder eyeshadow for a more dramatic effect. This is the highlight of the box for me, the shade is perfect!

Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect: This is a leave-in conditioning spray which protects against heat and sun damage. It sounds ideal for using before blow drying.

Supergoop! CC Cream: I received two little tubes of this CC cream, a more lightweight version of a BB cream which acts as both a primer and a foundation. I don’t think I have ever tried a CC cream, I’m not usually drawn into the latest skincare fad, but I’m interested to see what it’s like.

Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator: Such fancy words for an exfoliator! I love a good exfoliating cleanser so I was chuffed to see this in my box.

Nude ProGenius Omega Treatment Oil: A good oil is always a winner for me. This sounds fab, rich in omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9. I’m looking forward to using it.

The Proposal by Tamsina Perry: Don’t get too excited, it’s just the first chapter but I thought this was quite a cool and different lifestyle extra to receive.

I’m really pleased with this month’s box, especially the eyeshadow. What do you think? If you like the look of it and want to sign up, please feel free to use my referral link:http://birchbox.co.uk/?raf=674. The box costs £10 per month plus p+p.

Let me know your thoughts!



read article

Christmas summary 2013

♥ Christmas had kind of lost its magic over the last 10 years or so. It just wasn’t special anymore, not like when I was a child. But this year, Christmas got its mojo back. Being a parent at Christmas is the ultimate feeling. Watching N’s face as he opened his presents, so full of intrigue when we put up our tree, it was just amazing. I love Christmas again!

♥ I took part in a Secret Santa with my mummy group. I got some awesome socks, a fab eyeshadow palette and a parenting book that has been on my “must read” list for a while. We did a Smile Exchange in the summer, which is basically the same idea but just not Christmas. I love putting together parcels for my swapees and love the element of surprise and anticipation in receiving a gift.

♥ I put our Christmas tree up as a surprise for the mister while he was at work. I even made my own decorations out of slices of dried oranges. I also made some gingerbread men out of salt dough and a salt dough print of N’s hand. The mister was really happy and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy :)

♥ I had already done my nails ready for Christmas but felt that Rudolph was looking a little lonely, so added Santa to keep him company!

♥ I had planned to do all my baking on Christmas Eve but I’d gone to bed ill so I had it ALL to do on Christmas Day. One of the things I baked were these amazing chocolate chunk cookies using a recipe from Crepes of Wrath. OMG they were amazing. I will definitely be making them again. Maybe as soon as I’ve finished writing this post...

♥ This Christmas was the first year ever that I have cooked Christmas dinner. I’ve always been to someone else’s house for – usually my parents’ – but I have now graduated to “proper grown-up” status as I have done a full-on Christmas spread for five people all by myself. Okay, so it was two adults, two children and a toddler, but hey, I still deserve a high-five as I was in the kitchen for pretty much the entire day. Apart from when we ate dinner, I didn’t sit down until gone 9pm. I well and truly earned that glass of wine!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

signature

♥ Bloglovin’ ♥ Twitter ♥ Instagram ♥ Facebook ♥

 

Catching Up

Christmas summary 2013

♥ Christmas had kind of lost its magic over the last 10 years or so. It just wasn’t special anymore, not like when I was a child. But this year, Christmas got its mojo back. Being a parent at Christmas is the ultimate feeling. Watching N’s face as he opened his presents, so full of intrigue when we put up our tree, it was just amazing. I love Christmas again!

♥ I took part in a Secret Santa with my mummy group. I got some awesome socks, a fab eyeshadow palette and a parenting book that has been on my “must read” list for a while. We did a Smile Exchange in the summer, which is basically the same idea but just not Christmas. I love putting together parcels for my swapees and love the element of surprise and anticipation in receiving a gift.

♥ I put our Christmas tree up as a surprise for the mister while he was at work. I even made my own decorations out of slices of dried oranges. I also made some gingerbread men out of salt dough and a salt dough print of N’s hand. The mister was really happy and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy :)

♥ I had already done my nails ready for Christmas but felt that Rudolph was looking a little lonely, so added Santa to keep him company!

♥ I had planned to do all my baking on Christmas Eve but I’d gone to bed ill so I had it ALL to do on Christmas Day. One of the things I baked were these amazing chocolate chunk cookies using a recipe from Crepes of Wrath. OMG they were amazing. I will definitely be making them again. Maybe as soon as I’ve finished writing this post...

♥ This Christmas was the first year ever that I have cooked Christmas dinner. I’ve always been to someone else’s house for – usually my parents’ – but I have now graduated to “proper grown-up” status as I have done a full-on Christmas spread for five people all by myself. Okay, so it was two adults, two children and a toddler, but hey, I still deserve a high-five as I was in the kitchen for pretty much the entire day. Apart from when we ate dinner, I didn’t sit down until gone 9pm. I well and truly earned that glass of wine!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

signature

♥ Bloglovin’ ♥ Twitter ♥ Instagram ♥ Facebook ♥

 

read article
This week I’ve been trying out one of the fab eye shadow duos from the new Ladies Who Lunch range by Smooch Cosmetics that launched this month (rrp £9.50).

There are six palettes in the collection and each features two complementary shades: The Wag, The Social Butterfly, Posh Tottie, Naughty School Girl, Trophy Wife and Morticia. I’ve been trying out Posh Tottie which has a pink shade and a violet shade.

Smooch Eyeshadow Duo – Posh Tottie Ladies Who Lunch
Smooch Eyeshadow Duo – Posh Tottie Ladies Who Lunch Collection
Smooch Eyeshadow Duo – Posh Tottie Ladies Who Lunch Swatch
Smooch Eyeshadow Duo – Posh Tottie Ladies Who Lunch Swatches

The eye shadow palette comes in a black cardboard box with white lace effect detailing. The palette itself has a rubberised feel to it much like the lipstick I reviewed here. It feels very sturdy and well designed, I’m confident that this won’t end up broken in the bottom of my handbag! It has a good sized mirror inside the lid which is great for touch ups on the go. It doesn’t come with any applicators, but that’s fine with me as I never use those diddy foam applicators that come with a lot of eye shadows.

The pink shade is the brighter of the two; it’s a pearlescent soft rose pink. The violet is the more sultry shade in the duo; it’s like a grey-toned lilac. While these are both definitely powder shadows, the pink shade feels almost creamy when applied and gives a dense look straight away. The violet has a more “dry” feel to it and needs building up quite a lot.

I’ve been using the pink all over my eyelids and the violet on the crease and outer corners to define. The pink also works well dotted in the inner corner of the eye to give a more “wide awake” look (something I need a lot of help with these days)! You can easily turn your look from day to night by applying more violet to create more of a smoky eye.

These eye shadows have good lasting power; I have found they’ve stayed put all day without creasing and that’s with only some foundation as a base. I imagine you’d get even better lasting power if you used an eye shadow primer too.

Disclosure: I was sent a Smooch Eye Shadow Duo for free for review purposes, however all thoughts and opinion remain my own.

REVIEW: Smooch Eye Shadow Duo Posh Tottie

This week I’ve been trying out one of the fab eye shadow duos from the new Ladies Who Lunch range by Smooch Cosmetics that launched this month (rrp £9.50).

There are six palettes in the collection and each features two complementary shades: The Wag, The Social Butterfly, Posh Tottie, Naughty School Girl, Trophy Wife and Morticia. I’ve been trying out Posh Tottie which has a pink shade and a violet shade.

Smooch Eyeshadow Duo – Posh Tottie Ladies Who Lunch
Smooch Eyeshadow Duo – Posh Tottie Ladies Who Lunch Collection
Smooch Eyeshadow Duo – Posh Tottie Ladies Who Lunch Swatch
Smooch Eyeshadow Duo – Posh Tottie Ladies Who Lunch Swatches

The eye shadow palette comes in a black cardboard box with white lace effect detailing. The palette itself has a rubberised feel to it much like the lipstick I reviewed here. It feels very sturdy and well designed, I’m confident that this won’t end up broken in the bottom of my handbag! It has a good sized mirror inside the lid which is great for touch ups on the go. It doesn’t come with any applicators, but that’s fine with me as I never use those diddy foam applicators that come with a lot of eye shadows.

The pink shade is the brighter of the two; it’s a pearlescent soft rose pink. The violet is the more sultry shade in the duo; it’s like a grey-toned lilac. While these are both definitely powder shadows, the pink shade feels almost creamy when applied and gives a dense look straight away. The violet has a more “dry” feel to it and needs building up quite a lot.

I’ve been using the pink all over my eyelids and the violet on the crease and outer corners to define. The pink also works well dotted in the inner corner of the eye to give a more “wide awake” look (something I need a lot of help with these days)! You can easily turn your look from day to night by applying more violet to create more of a smoky eye.

These eye shadows have good lasting power; I have found they’ve stayed put all day without creasing and that’s with only some foundation as a base. I imagine you’d get even better lasting power if you used an eye shadow primer too.

Disclosure: I was sent a Smooch Eye Shadow Duo for free for review purposes, however all thoughts and opinion remain my own.
read article
The December beauty box from Joliebox arrived yesterday and it’s much better than last month’s box. I am a happy Joliebox subscriber once again!

Joliebox December Beauty Box
Joliebox December Beauty Box 1
Joliebox Beauty Box 2
Joliebox December Beauty Box contents

The December Joliebox beauty box has a Party theme – although I think the theme should have been Spain, you’ll understand why in a minute. This month the design of both the box and the little drawstring bag has changed; it has a white and gold design instead of the usual black. The Menu card tells you what’s in your box and this month’s issue of Joliemag features Fiona Leahy.

There are seven products (or eight if you count the duplicates separately) in this month’s box, plus some bonus Lindt chocolates, yummy!

Color Club “Put A Pin In It” Nail Polish – This is one of two shades that were exclusively designed for Joliebox/Birchbox members. Put A Pin In It is a frosty rose gold shade and looks very pretty.

Natural Honey Body Milk – I’ve never heard of this brand before, the language on the bottle is Spanish so that’ll explain why! It smells nice, like shea butter, and I get through body lotions like there’s no tomorrow so I’'ll make good use of this.

Bella Pierre Shimmer Powder “Antiqa” – This is a dark purple-brown shade and is super shimmery. I think it will work really well with my green eyes and will create quite a dramatic look.

I Love… Cosmetics Shimmer and Shine Lipgloss – There’s always one product in a beauty box that doesn’t impress and this is it. Pale pink and smelling of sweets, I’ll probably give this to my 3 year old step-daughter.

Olay Regenerist Skin Cream -  I did think this is a bit random as Olay is such a well-known brand, why do they need to put their product in a beauty box?! And it appears to be a Spanish version. I don’t mind, I like moisturisers!

Doctor Duve Hand and Decollete Cream -  You get two sachets of this cream; one for your hands and one for your decollete perhaps? With the freezing cold weather these are perfect for my poor dry chapped hands.

Agua de Colonia Concentrada Alvarez Gomez – More Spanish stuff! It’s a really sweet, citrus fragrance. I quite like it, though not as a perfume. I might sprinkle it on my duvet to make my bedroom smell sweet.

I think it’s quite a good mix this month and (almost) back to Joliebox’s usual standards. I’m really pleased with the Bella Pierre Shimmer Powder and the Color Club Nail Polish.

Joliebox costs £10.00 per month plus shipping and they have now introduced a referral scheme so if you fancy trying it out please feel free to use my referal link http://joliebox.co.uk/?raf=674

What do you think of this month’s box?

signature

Joliebox – December Beauty Box

The December beauty box from Joliebox arrived yesterday and it’s much better than last month’s box. I am a happy Joliebox subscriber once again!

Joliebox December Beauty Box
Joliebox December Beauty Box 1
Joliebox Beauty Box 2
Joliebox December Beauty Box contents

The December Joliebox beauty box has a Party theme – although I think the theme should have been Spain, you’ll understand why in a minute. This month the design of both the box and the little drawstring bag has changed; it has a white and gold design instead of the usual black. The Menu card tells you what’s in your box and this month’s issue of Joliemag features Fiona Leahy.

There are seven products (or eight if you count the duplicates separately) in this month’s box, plus some bonus Lindt chocolates, yummy!

Color Club “Put A Pin In It” Nail Polish – This is one of two shades that were exclusively designed for Joliebox/Birchbox members. Put A Pin In It is a frosty rose gold shade and looks very pretty.

Natural Honey Body Milk – I’ve never heard of this brand before, the language on the bottle is Spanish so that’ll explain why! It smells nice, like shea butter, and I get through body lotions like there’s no tomorrow so I’'ll make good use of this.

Bella Pierre Shimmer Powder “Antiqa” – This is a dark purple-brown shade and is super shimmery. I think it will work really well with my green eyes and will create quite a dramatic look.

I Love… Cosmetics Shimmer and Shine Lipgloss – There’s always one product in a beauty box that doesn’t impress and this is it. Pale pink and smelling of sweets, I’ll probably give this to my 3 year old step-daughter.

Olay Regenerist Skin Cream -  I did think this is a bit random as Olay is such a well-known brand, why do they need to put their product in a beauty box?! And it appears to be a Spanish version. I don’t mind, I like moisturisers!

Doctor Duve Hand and Decollete Cream -  You get two sachets of this cream; one for your hands and one for your decollete perhaps? With the freezing cold weather these are perfect for my poor dry chapped hands.

Agua de Colonia Concentrada Alvarez Gomez – More Spanish stuff! It’s a really sweet, citrus fragrance. I quite like it, though not as a perfume. I might sprinkle it on my duvet to make my bedroom smell sweet.

I think it’s quite a good mix this month and (almost) back to Joliebox’s usual standards. I’m really pleased with the Bella Pierre Shimmer Powder and the Color Club Nail Polish.

Joliebox costs £10.00 per month plus shipping and they have now introduced a referral scheme so if you fancy trying it out please feel free to use my referal link http://joliebox.co.uk/?raf=674

What do you think of this month’s box?

signature

read article
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
© Quite Frankly She Said. Design by Fearne.