A different kind of beauty box

So I've had a subscriptions to both Glossybox and Birchbox(formally Joliebox) and cancelled because I felt I was wasting my dollar and the products simply weren't 'luxury'  - I was well and truely sworn off beauty boxes. However this one off Summer box caught my eye and I quickly snapped it up . Priced at £25 this Summer Selfridges box is perfect for those long summer days on the beach or for hazy evenings.  So I hear you cry out what's in the box?!?! 

HAIR - 
AQUA SPLASH BY TANGLE TEEZER:
First up is the AQUA Splash which is a much more water friendly version of the infamous tangle teezer.  The aqua splash is hallowed out and stands upright which allows water to drain quickly , this therefore makes it better suited for showering,swimming and the beach .  My only worry with the aqua splash is that it's a little chunky and may be a little more difficult to hold - I'm sure it will be fine though. 
BUMBLE AND BUMBLE SURF SPRAY :
I think this is what really drew me towards this box as I've been dying to try. Now I don't have a great track record with surf sprays so I didn't want to pay for the Bumble and bumble version if I didn't like it or it didn't work. I am really very excited to try this having heard such great reviews. 
JANE TRAN HAIR SLIDES AND CLIPS:  
These are in such pretty colours and will make a lovely addition to any hairstyle.  That's about it really what can I say about hair clips?

THE BODY WORKS -
MOLTON BROWN BLISSFUL TEMPLETREE BATH & SHOWER GEL: 
I really do love Molton Brown so this is a great addition. It smells delicious and is said to help prevent moisture loss often found in the summer months. I will certainly be taking this along to Canada with me .
ST TROPEZ INSTANT GLOW FACE LOTION & LANCASTER TAN MAXIMIZER :
Two tanning products is always going to please me(although at the minute I look like Casper) . St Tropez is a brand I love and use on a regular basis so I know I'll love the glow lotion. Lancaster however is a brand I've only ever really seen in France so I haven't used it before but I am very excited by an after sun which will  prolong your tan.
MODELS OWN - BUBBLEGUM NAIL VARNISH :
Not my kind of colour but maybe on the tootsies however I think I would have named it highlighter pink.

AND FOR THE FACE ... 
ERBORIAN BB CREAM : 
I've seen this about in Space NK and not really battered an eyelash but after reading the packaging I am rather interested. It claims to be '5 in 1 , total sheer, make-up-care cream 'baby skin' effect' intrigued? On first glance this BB cream is interesting because it's rather dark in comparison to other BB creams I've tried so I'll let you know how I get on.
CAUDALIE BEAUTY ELIXIR :
Does this really need any introduction? I think not . I find it really does refresh the skin, clears up any blemishes and my skin simply drinks it all up. I do have one big gripe... the smell I just don't know if I like it :S

MAC - Sunny Seoul

MAC Sunny Seoul £14.00


When I recently took a trip up to Newcastle I had two shops on my mind Space NK and MAC (Yes I was meant to be going Canada shopping but hey ) . From MAC I wanted to pick up a new pink lipstick and although I had a list of what I fancied  however I completely went of track n purchased this beauty instead.

Sunny Seoul is in the creamsheen+ Pearl formula - these lipstick finishes are combined with crushed pearls to give a high shine glossy finish- Perfect for summer!
Sunny Seoul isn't a bright in your face pink, instead it gives a pop of colour - more a wash of pink . This is the perfect shade for me as I find Pinks a little intimidating - give me a red or coral any day
The one thing I absolutly love about MAC lipsticks is the sweet vanilla artificial smell it just makes the product a delight to wear ! does anyone else agree? 

I apologize I haven't got the hang of lip photo's yet !

This week #5

Last week I didn't do a weekly round up because if I'm honest it wouldn't be worth writing about- I worked and slept pretty much ! I don't mind this so much I like seeing my friends at work and sleeping is always fun just not to write about.  This week has been a little more enjoyable - I do seem to be drinking a lot of tea however !

Product of the week-  

I recently purchases the Clarins creamy cleanser and it's been a pleasure to use so far . Wouldn't say I love it as much as the Emma Hardie Cleansing balm but it's certainly a close contender. 

Best read-

I'm still reading the hundred year old man which I'm really enjoying, but I've also enjoyed catching up with the blogs I love following. 

Listening to/watching- 

I've still not seen Gatsby :( I really am very sad about this.

Top 5 of the week- 

1. After one of my friends telling me she was slightly worried that I hadn't purchased anything for Canada, I went on a little spree and I think I'm nearly fully stocked up now. I might do a travel essentials post next weekend. 

2.  I was re-united with one of my best friends who is studying in Edinburgh. We had a lovely day of burgers,culture, Tea and cake.  What more can a girl want? 

3.   I also had a trip up to Newcastle with another bestie , which was fab ! I got stressed in boots about miniatures, purchased a lovely new mac lippy, introduced Stella to Space NK , and drank lots of tea ! Fenwicks currently have a pop up tea shed cute eh? 

4.  James and I planned a little holiday to Scotland when I get back to England. We wanted some were hotter but unfortunately  were saving for a house so Scotland it is. I'm still really excited as I have a few tricks up my sleeve :) 

5. And finally I'm seeing Beyonce a week today !!!

Top ten - Tools

So I have decided to do a little series of products featuring some of my favourite products,tools,foods and bakes. I don't know if this will work but hey we'll never know if we don't give it a go yer?
Today I thought we'd focus on some of my favourite tools be it brushes,hair or body  theres a mix of it all for today's post  :)

1.Real Techniques buffing brush : (£21.00 from Boots)
I am constantly recommending the real techniques brushes to my friends and family because they are a) cost effective and b) work fantastically. Words cannot express my love for this brush I use it every day without fail - it just allows you to blend the make up to blend flawlessly.I also find it applies the right amount of product and gives a great distribution   My only problem is that you can only pick this brush up in the core collection but at £20 it's still perfect !
2. Tangle teezer : (£10 from Space NK)
A brush which splits the crowd some love it , some don't. Personally I fell in love with this little brush as soon as my hairdresser used it - I didn't feel like crying after she used it , always a plus. My hair tangles so easily it's unreal I often find lumps of tat's and own numerous bottles of L'oreal kids detangling spray and this brush just makes the whole process a whole lot easier.
3. Real techniques stippling brush :(£11.99 from Boots) 
Another hit from Real techniques did I mention how much I love these brushes?  I find this particularly good at blending cream blushers,highlighters and bronzers but I do know that some people use it for foundation. I will warn you that this brush does require a little extra time and care.
4. Flannel: (£10 from Space NK) There seems a sudden rise in love for the flannel whether it's a muslin cloth, Primark flannel or a more expensive pick , I have em all. Now personally I prefer these Emma Hardie clothes as one side is slightly more abrasive and both sides serve a different purpose. It just feels that you are really giving the face a good clean with a flannel. 

5.Eyelash curlers : Now ladies I don't think I really need to talk too much about the benefits in which a good pair of  curlers can bring .
6.Denman dressing out brush: ( £4.29 from Boots)  Again another hair brush but for a different purpose - odd in the sense that it creates knots in order to back comb the hair. A great brush for under a fiver that I find essential for creating volume.
7. Urban decay brush (from Naked palette 2) I'd love to say that this brush is readily available - it isn't as it is part of the Naked Palette 2 . I just love the fact that it has a flat brush and a blending brush all in one which means it is the ideal travel brush. I'm always a little skeptical about brushes that come with products but I actually really love this one.
8. Body brush:(£6.00 from Boots) Perfect as Bikini season slowly emerges. Body brushing is a quick and easy way of riding the body of toxins. Doing regular body brushing can help loose pounds, boost circulation and the immune system . I just find this little brush is perfect you don't need to spend a lot to body brush. 
9.Real Techniques contour brush (£20 again from the Core collection) Another member of the core collection , it's not a tapered brush but I still find it works really well for contouring and applying bronzer.
10. Clarins spatula Finally a daft little tool that for some may seem silly and irrelevant. Yet I find it an incredibly handy little tool- you can use it instead of sticking your fingers in the pot ( no innuendo intended!) Additionally it's always handy to have a spatula near by for de-potting products into travel pots and what not.

So there we have it my top ten tools , hope you enjoyed this little piece. I think next week I'll do top ten lipsticks (if I can choose ten) . Lemme know your favourite tools and what you thought of this post .

Brand in the spotlight - Clarins part 1

Clarins is a brand which has been around for quite some time now but for me I've always seen it as a bit of an oldie brand - that was until the past year or so when I have been leaning towards Clarins for Tanning products and skincare bits . With this I thought I'd share my love for the brand and what I've been using recently !  

A Few quick facts : 

• Created in 1954 by Masseur Jacques Courtin who believed that a women's happiness was intrinsically linked to beauty. 
• 1987 saw the company to be the first French company to abandon testing on animals and by 1991 all ingredients of animal origin had been completely abandoned.  
• When I was having a spy on the Clarins website I came across this page The Courtin Arthritis foundation which aims to promote research into the most severe cases of arthritis. Clarins also support dynamic women. 

Skincare - 

First up is the Clarins Extra- comfort cleansing cream(£25 for 200ml) which I picked up after my Emma Hardie cleansing balm ran out and after reading Caroline Hirons review .  Although I love love the Emma Hardie balm I fancied something a little lighter for summer especially as I'm away in a hotter country for two months. This is certainly a lot creamier and doesn't remove make up as well as the balm but it does leave the skin feeling soft and clean .  Another Cleanser is the Water comfort One-step cleanser (£19.50 for 200ml) which smells divine and is a lovely cleanser for freshening up so I tend to chuck it in my gym bag or after work. Next up is the Daily Energizer cream(£21 for 30ml)  which is recommended for those of us in our 20's who don't really require anti-aging but still want to retain moisture and radiance - so far so good . Lastly of the skincare front we have the Clarins Beauty Flash balm (£29 for 50ml) this claims to be the perfect pick me up for tired and stressed skin which is ideal for me. It retains the radiance of skin, tightens and smooths making a better surface for make- up application. I find when I apply this my make up tends to last longer and just looks a little more polished . 

Now I feel that this has become a rather long post so I'm going to leave it on the skincare aspects and do Part 2 next week which will be all about Clarins tanning products. 

Bye for now and have a lovely rest of the day ! 

The 5 product, 5 minute face ...

So recently I've been working non- stop a mixture of early mornings and split shifts make me grumpy and leave me longing for an extra 10 minutes in bed rather than doing my face. With that I've been reaching for 5 products that will leave me looking a little more human than zombie in 5 minutes or so. These are just the products I use of course it will be different for everyone. 

Dr Jart + water fuse BB cream:  This is great for in the morning because it gives a subtle glow to the skin whilst covering a multitude of sins. You don't necessarily need any concealer which is also great as it cuts out another process(note: I do still need a corrector)  I really like that this BB cream has advanced water bead technology which helps to keep the skin hydrated , dewy and healthy - no one will ever know how little sleep you have had.
Bobbi Brown Creamy concealer(warm ivory):  I'm hitting pan on this ( isn't it always the case that everything starts to go when you are saving) but it is really great at covering any dark circles.  I tend to warm it between my fingers and pat under the eyes and were ready to go.
Chanel Les beiges No 30 :  In the morning I tend just to use a bronzer to give colour to the skin with a touch of contouring. It's a toss up between Nars Laguna and this bad boy but as the Chanel is new I'm tending to reach for it. I find that for the morning this gives more of a subtle colour and just suits my skin a little better.

YSL Volume effect faux cils and No 7 eyelash curlers:    This mascara just opens the eyes beautifully and the lashes don't clump together too much - one coat and were good. I do think it's good to curl the lashes in the morning (if you can be bothered)  because it just adds to the wide eyed look. 

Korres Pomegranate lip butter:  I'm a little bit weird in the sense that I don't like the colour of my lips without anything on them but I can't be bothered with lipstick so I just pop some of this on for a teeny bit of colour but it's still really nourishing. The colour is a coral pink which sits very pretty.  

 

Three is a magic number

When it comes to face masks three is the magic number. This method of applying fcae masks is popular with the likes of Anna from Viviannadoesmakeup and skincare guru Caroline Hirons( who's blog is a must if you are a lover of a good skincare routine) .  'the triple threat facial' is time consuming but it feels amazing, relaxing and really targets a number of areas rather than attacking one specific issue. Tools are also essential to this process - my tools of choice an old flat foundation brush and a flannel from Primarni.

Step one :  A clay mask 

For step one I don't use anything particularly fancy but it works beautifully and is readily available .  I use Neutrogena's visibly clear 2-in-1(£3.50) as a mask as it unclog's the pores and deep cleans the face...PERFECT!!  I leave this one for about ten minutes to let it really do it's thing and so that all the grime and crap comes away. 

Step two: The exfoliating mask

Clinique turnaround instant facial masque(£30) claims to turn back the years whilst microdermabrasion works to reveal the radiance , smoothness and tone. Now I'm not sure I look more youthful after using this but the skin certainly does look smoother and has that glow we are all lusting after. This mask smells delightful and uno it really does help remove those last traces of dirt.  Yes this is an expensive buy but I'm a believer that you should spend money on your skin . Just a little note DO NOT get this in your eye it will hurt and you will cry.

Step three: The Hydrating overnight mask

If you are a regular beauty blog reader you will have heard of the Origins drink up-intensive mask (£20) as basically it is a dream - smells like peaches and leaves the skin glowing and hydrated. You simply slap this on before bed and leave it to do it's 'thang'. It's also perfect when your feeling a little worse for wear , hungover or generally need a perk ( James has been known to pat this on of a night).  I honestly don't think I'll ever stop re-purchasing this bad boy.