November Birchbox Review

This month's Birchbox is all about icons. In the little letter from the Birchbox team it says "we're getting our motivation from the icons that help us to be the best possible versions of ourselves". Other than a cute little postcard of beauty related quotes from people like Audrey Hepburn, i'm not really sure how "iconic"this box is, but i'm happy with the products I received nonetheless so i'm going to share them with you!

Laura Mercier Long Lash Mascara (Full Size RRP £18.50)-"This innovative stretch formula is smudge-free and lengthens lashes for a wide-eyed, fluttery look."

Weleda Replenishing Oat Shampoo (Full Size RRP £8.95)-"This gentle shampoo contains nourishing organic jojoba oil to smooth, reduce breakage and improve suppleness."

Molton Brown Ylang-Ylang Body Wash (Full Size RRP £18.00)- "Newly reformulated, deliciously scented body wash from this British heritage brand."

Chella Highlighter Pencil (Full Size RRP £15.95)- "Brighten and add glow to areas you wish to accentuate, i.e. brow bone, cheekbones and inner corners of eye."

English Laundry Signature For Her Eau de Parfum (Full Size RRP from £16)- "A divine delicate fragrance with elegant notes of quince, jasmine petals and musk."

Pukka Herbs Selection Of Teas (RRP £2.29)- "Try these delicious teas; Three Cinnamon, Elderberry & Echinacea and Earl Grey."

Birchbox  Pencil Sharpener (RRP £3)- "Caters to small and large pencils for precise, perfect application."

I can't really say too much about these products yet as I only received them yesterday, but this has been another great box in my opinion and i'm particularly pleased with the Laura Mercier mascara, which I used today and loved! I'm also intrigued by the Weleda shampoo as my hair could do with some nourishment as it's been quite dry lately. Finally, the extra goodie thrown in by Birchbox, the pencil sharpener, is so handy! I've been using a regular pencil sharpener for far too long and i'm glad i've finally got one specifically made for eyeliners/lipliners etc.

For more information about Birchbox you can visit their website here.
Do you subscribe to Birchbox?  What did you get in yours this month?

100+ Followers Benefit Giveaway! [CLOSED]

Hey lovelies,

I recently reached 100 followers on Bloglovin' and as a little thank you for your support i'm running a giveaway! I didn't want to just give away a MAC lipstick as I know a lot of bloggers have been doing this recently, but I also wanted to get something that would suit a lot of people.

So, up for grabs is the Benefit Easiest Nudes Ever kit, which contains two creaseless cream shadows and four longwear powder shadows, all in beautiful, natural, everyday shades, as well as helpful tips and tricks for creating eye looks. For more information on this lovely palette you can check it out on the Benefit website here.

This is a lovely kit and i'm actually quite jealous that I can't keep it for myself!
If you'd like to enter, simply fill out the rafflecopter below.

Please note: Unfortunately due to postage costs this competition is only open to UK residents.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Maybelline Dream Touch Blush Review

Hello again!

Today i'm going to be talking about a product that i've been using quite a lot lately and it's the Dream Touch Blush from Maybelline. Mine is in the shade Plum (#07), although the name of the blush isn't actually written anywhere on the packaging, only the number, so I had to find this out online which was a bit odd!
 

I assumed that as part of the "Dream" line, these blushes would be similar in texture to the famous Dream Matte Mousse, but I was very much mistaken. This is a cream blush, with quite a firm texture, which melts into the skin on application and blends really easily, giving a really natural finish. This said, I have tried using this with brushes also (the MAC 168 & 187 to be precise) and I find this gives me an equally natural looking finish. Personally I prefer using a brush as when you're working with your fingers it's slightly harder to build up the product evenly.

The colour itself is lovely, it's a very pinky plum shade with little particles of glitter in. Don't be alarmed however, the glitter isn't really visible on the skin and instead creates a slightly dewy look. The colour selection isn't great, there are only four shades, but I would love to try out more, particularly Peach (#02) which looks beautiful from photos i've seen online!

The little glass pot reminds me of the MAC paint pots and feels very high-end, which is great considering these blushes retail for a very reasonable £6.49.

I'm surprised that I like this product so much as i've never really found cream blushes overly appealing, but this blush gives such a pretty, natural looking flush that it's been perfect as part of my everyday makeup routine for university and work. 

You can buy these blushes from Superdrug and Boots in the UK, although for some reason they refer to them as "Dream Soft Blush"?

Have you tried any of these blushes? 

Starting My MAC Palette!

Hey lovelies!

If you saw my blog sale bargains post you'll have seen that I recently bought a MAC eyeshadow palette. I only have three MAC eyeshadows so far but it's already becoming quite clear that i'm very much a neutrals kind of girl! I depotted two shadows that I already had, Wedge and Charcoal Brown and my boyfriend recently bought me All That Glitters (thanks Gavin!)

(From l-r Wedge, Charcoal Brown and All That Glitters)

Wedge: Wedge is a lovely warm-toned medium brown with a matte finish. It's a really lovely basic brown shade which I reach for all the time. I tend to use it either all over the lid as a base for a brown eye look or in the crease to add subtle definition. 

Charcoal Brown: I use this shade with a MAC 208 brush to fill in my brows. It's incredibly pigmented and matches my natural brow colour perfectly. I've tried all sorts of brow pencils and powders but this remains my favourite method of filling in my brows as it gives a bold, yet natural looking effect.

All That Glitters: There's a reason that this colour is so popular, it's absolutely lovely. It's a shimmery, gold tinted beige. I wear it on it's own all over the lid on days when I don't have much time and it looks absolutely lovely. Although it is shimmery, it has a lovely smooth texture and doesn't have any unsightly chunks of glitter in it! It also blends beautifully and because it is such a neutral colour you really can use it with anything!

You can buy MAC eyeshadows from maccosmetics.co.uk for £12.50, but they're only £10 if you buy them without the plastic casing and put them into a palette like this, so i'd definitely recommend investing in a palette.

What were your first MAC eyeshadows? Have you got any recommendations for colours that would complement the shades that i've already got?

December 2013 Magazine Freebies

If you follow me on instagram may have seen this photo from the other day. I've been religiously buying Vogue for almost three years now and the December issues never fail to disappoint. Kate Moss looks stunning on the cover as usual, but the real highlight for me has to be this beautiful shoot with Emilia Clarke (best known for playing Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones), photographed by Boo George. 

When I was younger I was very much drawn in by magazines purely because of their free gifts and although I rarely do this anymore I couldn't resist the allure of the free gifts that came with the December issues of Elle and Glamour! Elle came with a Benefit lipgloss mini and the shades available were Coralista (which I picked), Hoola or Dandelion. Glamour came with a free full size Kate Spade for Nails Inc polish in either black, gold, silver or red. I am a big fan of red nail varnishes so this was the obvious choice for me, but the other colours looked lovely too!

This colour in "Big Apple Red" looks really lovely and I can't wait to use it. Considering Nails Inc polishes usually retail for £11 the fact that this is full sized is a really great deal, particularly as Glamour only costs £2. 

This is a swatch of the Benefit Ultra Plush lipgloss in Coralista. I went for this colour as I love the look of the Coralista blush so I knew i'd like this too. The colour is a lovely bright coral, but as the formula is quite sheer on the lips it's very wearable and not too bold. The full size (here) retails for £14.50 and the mini is just under half the size, so for a product from such a reputable brand and a magazine as good as Elle, this is also an amazing bargain for just £4. 

I'd definitely recommend checking out your local WHSmith/supermarket/corner shop to see if they have any of these in stock as they really are worth the price and for three great magazines, a Benefit lipgloss and a Nails Inc nail varnish I don't think £10 is bad at all!

Have you picked up any of these magazines this month?