Superdrug Haulin'

Hello Chaps!

I squeezed in this spot of shopping the week before last, but didn't get around to posting on it before I went away for Bank Holiday. I have a few posts lined up that I'm trying to catch up with. So without further ado, here's my Superdrug Haul!

Hair

Here are some minis of some of my fave hair products. I bought these specifically with the intention of taking them away with me. Mr BNH loves the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle, and believe me, if you knew how uninterested in products he was, you'd be shocked that he volunteered any kind of praise for toiletries! I decided to get minis of my current shampoo and conditioner too.

Skincare

Coco loco! I'm a chocoholic through and through, and especially love chocolate combined with other flavours. Chocolate and mint or chocolate and orange are two of my favourite chocolatey partnerships. I went through a phase of being utterly obsessed with hunting down mint chocolate products last year, especially lip balm. A lot of things disappointed me by being overly minty and I've not yet found a lip balm with the right balance of flavours, so I look forward to trying this out. Plus, I love Palmers! The chocolate orange mask just called out to me - I think it's a copy of a Montagne Jeunesse mask. I didn't even think twice before lobbing it into my basket, just gotta remind myself not to eat it. I've not tried a self-heating mask for a while so I'm looking forward to using it. I decided to pick up this Superdrug Vitamin E Night Cream as it was on offer, for around £2-3 I think. I decided against the Palmers one for now, as I'd just finished a mini tube of the Superdrug Vitamin E moisturiser with SPF15 and loved it. This stuff smells amazing, a lot like Palmers in actual fact. It's definitely got Cocoa Butter and possibly even a hint of coconut. It's a joy to use and is going to last me aaaages - I might have to give it it's own post. Looking at these bits, I have a feeling my face is going to smell deeeee-lish!

Make-up

I took advantage of a 3 for 2 offer and decided to pick up some Loreal Rouge Caresse lipsticks that I'd had on my wishlist for some time. I chose Cheeky Magenta and Lovely Rose - I wanted Dating Coral too but they were out, so I picked up the Lumi Magique Base/Primer instead, as I was curious about this product too. I'll give these their own reviews soon!

And finally...

On my way out of the shop I passed by the jewellery stand and honed in on this charming little pretty! It was only £2.99 and I really love the quirky, asymmetric heart.

 Have you tried anything from my haul? What did you think?

Sticky Kisses!

August Jolie Box

Hello Chaps!

It's time for another Beauty Box... I feel like they're coming out of my eyeballs at the moment. It's getting a tiny bit laborious doing these posts - not because I don't enjoy it, but rather because my dodgy internet connection means it's even more time consuming trying to write them. I should point out that by 'dodgy' I don't mean that I'm shadily pilfering someone else's wireless, just that my computer lives on the opposite corner of my house from the wireless router. I could probably do it on my MacBook Pro, but I'm not sure the old girl can handle it! Plus, all my blog folders are stored on my shiny new PC. Meh.

ANYHOO this post is all about the August edition Jolie Box. This is my third Jolie Box to date (I've been seriously lax about doing these reviews for aforementioned reasons) and this time I received a pretty box in various shades of pink and green.

 Is it just me or are the beauty boxes including naff cop-out self-branded gifts as filler? I also think it's a bit cheeky of Jolie Box to state that you will receive 4-5 samples. This basically means 4 samples and some cheap-arse toe separators with the Jolie Box logo on. Does anyone still use toe separators? I have fairly small feet and I find them excruciatingly painful to use, they force my toes far wider than they are ever meant to spread! I don't ever use them so they go in the bin. 

Everybody has some sort of a gripe with beauty boxes, and the reality is yes you are signing up for a monthly subscription where you don't know what you're going to get and yes you aren't going to get the same as Sally from round the corner who got 'much better' goodies. Both GlossyBox and Jolie Box bandy about the terms 'Deluxe' 'Luxury' and 'Exclusive' when sometimes your box feels anything but. Often it seems as if more thought goes into their box design!

ANYHOO X 2 let' get on with it shall we?

Dr Bronner's Pure Castile Soap 'pillows'

I received a bottle of this mysterious stuff in a Glossybox a few months ago, which I still haven't used. Something about this stuff really bloody annoys me and I've not even tried it! I seem to have already made my mind up that it's a load of gimmicky nonsense. It keeps being touted as an 'A-list favourite' and somehow I can't quite imagine Victoria Beckham lathering up with one of these. I'm not even sure what the hell it's meant to be, hence why I keep referring to it as stuff! I HATE the preachy weirdness on the packaging as well. This stuff really pisses me off and I don't know why. I am not going to flannel wash myself just to try it. I'm really irritable just writing about it!! I got three samples in Unscented Baby Mild, 18-in-1 Peppermint and Citrus Orange. The paper packs are a nice touch but not very practical. What the heck do I do with these? Anyone? Please enlighten me!

Phil Smith Be Gorgeous Dry Clean Revitalising Dry Shampoo

Why can't you people give your products sensible short names!! I'm really moody tonight, sorry :( I'm about to run out of the mammoth-sized can of Batiste so this is a welcome product, as it's a fairly good size. I gave it a little spritz, and I like it so far. It doesn't look powdery or chalky, but if I run my fingers through my hair there is a slight powdery feeling residue. It's not as obvious to me as Batiste but I do have bleach blonde hair so whiteness wouldn't really show up on me anyway, unless I'm deliberately trying to disguise some root regrowth, hehe! It feels lighter than batiste too and smells great. Unfortunately, (and typical of my luck) I seem to have a faulty can, as the aerosol is a little stuck and is gently hissing away :(

So Susan Cosmetics Lip Cushion

What a pretty box! *yay for girly packaging* I know that's not the point of the product but *yay*

I love lip goodies so I was really excited to see this. I've never heard of So Susan, but I spotted their info on the side of the box claiming to have Cruelty-free, Green and Integrity commitments, which can only be a good thing.
When I initially opened the box I was un poco disappointed to see a tiny little pot, but the product is actually not a bad size. The gloss inside looks and smells exactly like the kind of thing you would have received with Shout Magazine when you were a tweenager. Once applied on the lips it does feel okay - It's pretty difficult to pick up any product using my finger, and even using a brush it only manages to build up the teeniest tiniest hint of colour as it's totally un-glossy, un-glittery and invisible. Unfortunately, it's nothing special formula wise, which is a shame, as the colour in the pot looked really promising.

So Susan Cosmetics Face Palette

Again, this looks lovely on the outside but smacks of teen magazine freebie on the inside. Also, mine was a little tatty and grubby on the inside before I'd even swatched it. The 'illuminating cream' and 'highlighting cream' are really just huge concealers to me. It would have been much nicer to have a cream shimmer/iridescent highlighter in the vein of Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme. When I've lost my summer colour I'll give them a go as concealers, as they're not too bad in consistency/coverage, and the swatches I did on the back of my hand stayed put for a while.
The 'eyebrow sculptor' is anything but - three brown shades, two of which were shimmery (yes, shimmery!) with not-too-brilliant colour payoff. The middle colour is more matte and is the only shade that could be used to fill in brows, but it was the least pigmented and very difficult to get a good swatch of. I'll give it a go with a decent angled brush. For the other two however, I think if used as eyeshdow in the crease and applied with a decent brush that might be a different story, as the coppery colour and the brown with iridescent green shimmer are lovely looking shades. The brush it comes with is completely useless as expected, but the tweezers were a surprise win for me, they made swift works of some very short hairs when I tried them. I won't be using the majority of the products in this palette for what they were intended for, which is a shame. I really wanted these So Susan products to be good, but first impressions tell me they are just a little bit too disappointing with nice ethics and pretty boxes. I'll give it a go though, with continued use I could see myself changing my mind.

Jolie Box Leather Hair Styling Lace

*Pffffffffffffffffft*

In all seriousness, my hair is too short for this nonsense. And there's no instructions. I want instructions and I'm too lazy to go on YouTube :P

All in all, this box was a little disappointing. When the best thing in your box is a broken dry shampoo, that's saying something. I'm not ready to cancel my Jolie Box subscription just yet, as my first two were pretty good, but this month's box was a real let down.

Are you subscribed to Jolie Box? What did you think of August's box?

Sticky Kisses!

Bank Holiday Weekend Beauty Buys!

Hello Chaps!

Hopefully you had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend like me. I spent mine in lovely Lymington visiting Mr BNH's family, with a day trip to Bournemouth. The weather was a tad pooey but we still braved a picnic and the tradition of crabbing on the quay. I didn't get that many pics, but here's a few:

Cleo being special ~ ducklings by the Quay! ~ feeding ze leetle duckleengs!

gold Olympic postbox ~ New Forest Cows ~ Lymington High Street

Mam-in-law's midnight surprise of 'pizza on toast' (amazeballs!) ~ Lulu's in Lymington: my favouritest shop ever ~ always stop here when I'm in Bournemouth for Nerds & pic'n'mix

I did pick up a few beauty bits while I was there too. Please accept my sincere apologies for the utter crapness of these 'artificial light' photos. I can only dream about fancy DSLR's for the time being!

GOSH Darling

GOSH 549 Holographic Hero Polish

Lancome Hypnose Mascara Sample

LUSH Phoenix Bath Ballistic

Natural Collection Eye Lines in Olive Green

Superdrug Simply Pure Oil Balancing Serum

I will talk about these all individually at some point soon(ish), but I can say I'm very excited to finally own and try a few of these, especially the Lush treat. I can't wait to run a bath with this baby!

Whilst I was away I did try the new Lady Gaga Fame perfume a few times. I was expecting it to be so weird and heady it would turn my stomach but it's actually very subtle and I really, really like it. I spritzed it on a card tester first, then on my wrists. I can still smell it on the cuffs of my parka and I can't get enough. I will attempt to describe it only once I have it in my posession ;)

I can't let go of this rather well-loved looking tester card yet... poor Mr BNH must think I'm indulging in some dodgily bad 'hint dropping' by constantly whipping it out of my pocket around him for a whiff, but truthfully, I really do just love it that much!

It's at a really good price in Superdrug at the moment (£23.99 for 30ml, £29.99 for 50ml), but I just can't justify spending £30 on perfume that I don't really need. If I'm still pining for it in a few months I'll ask for it for Christmas. Although saying that, part of me thinks I should be taking advantage of the introductory prices...

Have you tried Lady Gaga's Fame? Did you have a nice Bank Holiday Weekend?

Sticky Kisses!

Lovely little brushies of soft wonderment

Hello Chaps!

I've been trying to upgrade my brush collection recently - mine are mostly e.l.f., W7, QVS, Fearne for Boots or from kits with no real name. The poshest brushes I owned were a Clarins Kabuki, a Too Faced Flatbuki and my Real Techniques Blush Brush. I can't afford to splurge £30 on one brush, even if it is 'worth the investment'. I'll get round to it one day...

Anyhoo I'd been specifically looking for a decent set of travel brushes for a while but didn't want to spend a fortune. I finally settled on this set of 5 from Royal and Langnickel, which I bought for £15.07 via Amazon - though it's currently online for £14.81!

I thought the case was pretty fun and liked the fact that three of the brushes were double ended, so really I've got 8 brushes. They're so teeny weeny and sweet, they pack away in their case all snug and compact, and THEY'RE PINK! Bloody marvellous. Some people might think them tacky but not meeee!

Picture unceremoniously pinched from Amazon

The brushes themselves are gorgeously soft. Now I'm somewhat of a brush novice, so regrettably I am unable to provide you with comparisons - I hope you weren't expecting a list of possible M.A.C equivalents! I will attempt however to describe the pretties that are included in this pink pouch of joy.

Scratch that, I've had a better idea! Please allow me to copy and paste this wonderful summary from the Amazon listing. It might be me being a lazy mare, but then again, who's to say I'm not just being efficient? I've got a pile of ironing waiting for me, so shush. Besides, they explain it far better than I do:

1) Powder Brush that can also be used as a blush brush with tapered soft bristles that are ideal for applying powder or sweeping colour across cheeks.

2)Double ended Angled Brow/Sponge Smudger, add colour and shape brows with ease, with this angle shaped brow brush, and use the sponge smudger for that smoky eye look, this shape is ideal for the corners of the eyes.

3) Foundation, supple synthetic hairs follow the curves of the face while applying just the right amount of foundation. Ideal for cream or liquid product.

4)Double Ended Lip/Shadow, achieve smooth even application with this rounded lip shader. The shadow brush is ideal for applying and or blending eye shadow. The smaller size makes it perfect for adding a highlight at the brow or accent eye colour.

5)Double Ended Angle Eye Fluff/Blender, angle eye fluff shape and short rounded hairs make this brush a great tool for applying shadow. On the opposite end is a blender which is ideal for blending shadow in the crease of the eye, or adding that smoky eye effect with this firm pointed brush.

I had to include this as well, because it made me titter:

Directions

Use to Apply Cosmetics

Why, thank you kindly for clearing up the matter entirely, I should have been utterly lost and dumbfounded without this crucial piece of advice!

Yeah I know, sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.

Anyway, onto the opinionated bit.

I'm bursting to say that I really love these! Maybe it's because I'm used to using pretty bog-standard brushes for my everyday face, but these are soooo soft and lovely. They're synthetic hairs, but they are so silky and fluffy it really doesn't matter (if you're bothered about that kind of thing, I personally prefer synthetic). I can't compare it to M.A.C, Sigma or the like, but I am really pleased to own these now. The eyeshadow brushes pick up the perfect amount of product and do an excellent job at applying/blending smoothly. The powder brush makes it very easy for imbeciles like me to blush, contour or set foundation without looking like the Joker. And, not one brush has shed!

The brushes are cut beautifully, they really are small but perfectly formed. It's funny how a good brush turns applying make-up into a pleasure, rather than a chore. I can't stop stroking them, because I am apparently some kind of brush pervert now? Mmmm, you feel so good on my face... 

Yep OK I'll stop now (I get it)... I went too far.

The only tiny thing that irks me about this set is the 'Sponge Smudger' which actually more closely resembles a hoof stick for cuticles. I've not tried it for creating a smoky eye look yet - it just seems wrong to me! One other thing that is not at all a criticism, is that I found it odd trying to use a blush/foundation brush with a short handle after using full sized ones every day!

Here's a bit more blurb from the listing describing the brushes.

Royal & Langnickel Cosmetic Brushes are used throughout the world by True Professionals. We choose to use the finest quality hairs available to ensure the most luxurious feel and precise application. Each hair has specific characteristic, resiliency and spring making them ideal for certain make-up applications. When it comes to a superior synthetic hair we typically use a multi diameter filament to provide the most effective application of both liquid and powder make-up.

I'm visiting the future Mother-in-Law this bank holiday weekend, and I'll be taking these babies with me - they hardly take up any room in my travel bag :)

Have you ever tried Royal & Langnickel brushes before? What brush can't you live without?

Sticky Kisses!

NOTD - Kleancolor Chunky Holo Candy

Hello out there!

I'm back to brights! I thought I'd share this sexy-ass polish today... it's called Chunky Holo Candy made by Kleancolor. Now I'm a Brit and this polish is from the USA so I purchased mine through the wondrous portal of eBay. Kleancolor have what seems like millions of gorgeous shades to choose from, and a bedazzling array of glitter polishes. I can't for the life of me remember where I first saw this shade but by golly I wanted it and I'm very pleased to now have it in my collection. It cost me around £6-7 including postage.

It's a gorgeous, almost neon coral jelly that sways from pink to orange depending on the light, stuffed to the hilt with stunning iridescent glitter, which sparkles from pale greenish  gold to full on rainbow aurora borealis.

I'm deeply aware that (like all my NOTD's) this is a shockingly bad paint job. I'm terrified of my cuticles. I just can't deal!

Look at them shine! 

(another reference for any fellow Boosh fans out there!)

I really love this polish. I tend to go after more unusual shades or effects and this is just perfect in this sunny weather (the tiny slice we've been granted here in Blighty anyhow) as the bright daylight really brings this polish to life. I've yet to try it over black polish but from swatches I've seen it gives a similar effect to Essie's luxeffects Shine Of The Times (which I have but haven't used enough as my first try was rather underwhelming). I'd also like to try Chunky Holo Candy over China Glaze's Flip Flop Fantasy, which is the most neon polish I own, but that could have eyeball melting consequences.

I have a little collection of Kleancolor Nail Lacquers growing now. You can usually find good sets on eBay but the shipping will sting you a little. The best deal I've seen is here at Joy's Cosmetics where you can pick your own six colours! I'm trying to get a shortlist down as I don't think I definitely don't have space for the whopping 24 bulk deal! Although I've just seen there's an option for 12... that could work. If you fancy ordering US stuff like NYX in bulk, visit her eBay shop for amazing value deals where you pick your own! I'm about to go and add everything to my watch list.

Sticky Kisses!

Accessorize Eyeshadow Palettes - Lovely Day & You Are Everything

Hello folks!

Following my earlier post about MUA eyeshadow palettes, it's clear that I did catch the palette bug!

I'd heard about these coming out (which was ages ago, I know) and knew I had to get them. Look at them! They are so pretty...

I initially went to my local Superdrug the day they came out, with the intention of buying the Lovely Day palette. I hadn't really seen the other one - You Are Everything - so when I arrived at the Accessorize stand, I was rather stuck! I couldn't decide which palette was nicer. I did compare them side by side and they were both gorgeous. I focussed especially on the purple shades in each to try and come to a decision as I'm a bit purple eye mad lately, and made up my mind to just get both of them. There were the last two palettes on the stand, so I told myself it was simply fate and they were waiting patiently for me to take them home and love them. Which I dutifully did.

I have to say, I am so taken with Accessorize's packaging: roses, leopard print and gold butterfly motifs are some of my favourite things! They really are beautiful palettes inside and out. They may be cardboard but they are very sturdy - the middle chunk that houses the pans is a durable plastic that's easy to clean excess from (which I foolishly failed to do before pics...). They fasten with elastic a bit like a journal - one of my first impressions was that they looked like they could easily have been a pretty paperchase notebook!

Both palettes contain a whopping 32 shadows - £8.95 seems a real bargain for such a wide variety of lovely shades. I reckon it's well worth one palette (for less than the price of one M.A.C eyeshadow) or indeed getting both. They're certainly a lot larger than the MUA or Sleek palette sizes and I don't regret getting both at all.

Now, 64 eyeshadows is a lot more swatching than I have motivation for so I'm just going to leave you with some pics.

Lovely Day

You Are Everything

I already own an Accessorize single merged eyeshadow in Golden Caramel, which I absolutely adore. After my MUA palettes I thought I'd give these a go, and they are not too dissimilar in formula and colour payoff. I've been impressed by the few that I've swatched so far - most are shimmery but some are nearly matte. A few of the shades appear as dupes in both palettes too. 

Out of the two, I think I might prefer the You Are Everything palette a little bit more for a few standout colours, though the Lovely Day one has more muted, wearable shades. I'm wondering if these palettes are limited edition, as I can't seem to find them on the Superdrug website and I haven't seen them in store since.

I managed to get these on the last day of Superdrug's 3 for 2 deal, so picked up an Accessorize Merged Blush in Wowzer as my free item. It's very pink and definitely lives up to it's name! 

I should note that it's swatched quite heavily in the last photo!

I found it to be again a rich, buttery metallic baked formula, which is best applied with a light hand and built up very slowly as desired - I find the Real Techniques Blush Brush is good at achieving this. I happen to love very pink cheeks so don't mind this bright shade at all, but due to the shimmer I don't think I'd use a highlighter with it. I love the swirls of lilac running through it as well, the merged items are so gorgeous to look at, it's become very popular in the wake of M.A.C's mineralized skin finishes. I can see this lasting forever, I've had my merged eyeshadow for a few months and have barely made a dent in it! I can't find this on Superdrug's website either :(

I have a few other bits from the Accessorize range - 6 polishes, a lipgloss tube and a mascara, but I'd love to pick up some more. They have such tempting nail polish colours...

Did anyone else pick up the Accessorize Palettes? What would you recommend from the Accessorize range? 

Sticky Kisses!

NOTD: Accessorize Pink Spice

Hello Chaps!

I snarfled up a few lovely polishes from Accessorize a while ago, when Superdrug had about a million deals on their website and they were reduced to around £2. I had to cut down the amount I'd plopped into my basket to a measly three and this was the one I was most excitedly anticipating.

It's called Pink Spice (love the name) and it's a duochrome from their illusion range, which shines from gold to deep pink through orange.

When I applied it, the colour was much deeper than I expected it to be, essentially appearing to be just a metallic polish in a pretty berry shade. This first picture is my attempt to demonstrate this! All pics are three coats with Seche Vite topcoat.

It wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, although still a lovely colour. I wanted it to be a bit more extreme, like the product listing photo from Superdrug's webpage, at the top. After many attempts, in the little window of light we call the Golden Hour, I managed to get a few pics of the polish in full effect:

It's not very dramatic, but the above photo shows the duochrome effect from pink to orange, and below shows it looking more bronze.

This was after four days wear, which I was impressed with, apart from a few chips to the corners of my nails, it still looked good. However I am very fickle and have a short attention span so decided to paint Deborah Lippmann's Razzle Dazzle over the top as I thought the colours were quite similar (when it looks plain). I got this mini polish in last Christmas' Glossybox. It's halfway between two of her other shades, Bad Romance and Ruby Red Slippers.

I don't know what's wrong with me at the moment, I've taken a complete departure from summery shades and am instead steering to darker colours more suitable for wintery months! Note to self: apply eye-wateringly bright polish before we run out of 'summertime' asap.

Overall I do think Pink Spice is a beautiful polish but I wasn't as overly wowed as I wanted to be. I'm thinking of trying some Models Own Beetlejuice polishes instead - Pink Cocktail looks like a dupe. I've nearly bought the Mini Set and Indian Ocean so many times, one day I'll cave! I do love the range of lovely colours in Accessorize polishes and will probably be adding to my collection in time!

Has anyone else tried this Pink Spice and/or Models Own Pink Cocktail Beetlejuice? How do they compare?

Sticky Kisses!

Wishlist (daydreamlist more like)

I absolutely love reading these kinds of things on other blogs, so I thought I would attempt to do my own! Hope this makes sense/you like! :)

1. Coral Key Hole Back Deer Print Summer Dress 

£24.00 from Lavish Alice

I saw this dress on the gorgeous Sailor Jennie and promptly hotfooted it to the website. It's been a while since I've looked at clothes online (I'm always hunting for beauty stuff!) and now I can't stop thinking about a few bits I've seen. The majority of stuff on websites like this isn't for me but the gorgeous colour, beautiful love heart cut-out and whimsical print of gambolling deer with minty bows made me dribble a little tiny bit. (okay, a lot.)

2. Joico K-Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor Treatment for Damaged Hair 150ml £14.95 with free delivery from feelunique

I keep reading rave reviews of this and I'm a sucker for anything that might tame my evil mop of over-processed nightmares that is allegedly my hair.

3. Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Line Smoothing Eye Cream 15g

&

4. Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Night Renewal Cream 75g

£6.95 each from Superdrug

I really love Palmers Cocoa Butter range for the body and I'm eager to try out their facial skincare line. I'm in need of a new eye cream and night cream so these would be lovely please :)

5. Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation Soft Beige 30ml

£8.99 from Boots or Superdrug (both currently offering 3 for 2)

I had a few samples of this from magazines in this shade and it was spot on for when I've got a bit of colour. I really liked it, along with Bourjois' 10 Hour Sleep Effect it's one of the best high street foundations I've tried.

6. Real Techniques Stippling Brush

£11.99 from Boots

I'm trying to upgrade my make-up brushes and this is one I'm desperate to own. I have the blush brush which is totally amazeballs, soft, easy to clean and brilliant at application, so I'm expecting to be equally satisfied with this one! Then I'll be targeting the core collection. I'm currently using the e.l.f. Studio Stipple Brush but I find it's such a bugger to keep clean/in a decent condition.

7. Avon Supershock Mascara in Black

£8.50 from Avon website

This is another product I've heard good things about. I love volumising macaras as I'm quite lucky to have naturally long lashes, so I'd like to see if this does anything to give them a bit of fatty-boom-boom oomph. I think we have a new rep in the area as I'm currently in posession of an Avon catalogue for the first time in donkey's years, where the mascara's on offer for just £5! So I might have to take advantage of it... (not that I need any more)

8. M.A.C Lipstick Costa Chic (Frost)

£14 from M.A.C

This is just one of many shades I've been lusting after. It was a struggle not to make a collage full of lip products to be honest! This one is a 'frosty light coral'. On a quick side note, isn't the word 'frost' weird? Say it out loud. Frost. Creepy.

9. Look Beauty Nail Pop in Mink

£5.00 from Superdrug

I saw this on a colleague recently and I thought it looked fab. I'd also like Nails Inc Porchester Square which is a similar colour. I have Barry M's mushroom but Mink is a slightly more purple toned shade.

10. Cream Floral Capped Sleeve Shift Dress

£36 from Lavish Alice

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that I think this is one of the most gorgeous shift dresses I've ever seen. It's such a me dress, except slightly more grown up than my usual style. The sad part is... they don't have it in my size! Waaaaaaaahhhhhh! :'(

To console myself, I saved a copy of the close up pic of the print when browsing on my iPhone and saved it as my home screen wallpaper. Still not quite as good as owning the real deal though... sniff.

11. High Beaded Gladiator Sandals - Pink

£30 from Topshop

I saw these in a magazine, I want them in the mint green version too! Bit expensive but soooo pretty.

12. LUSH A Token To The Forest Gods Toner & Steamer

£1 per tab from LUSH

I keep seeing these at the till point when I go to get my LUSH fix. Next time I'll pick one up as it's only a quid. Not keen on the tea tree one though... funnily enough! I need to get back into using my steamer and this might make me look forward to digging it out.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my mini wishlist. I wish I was enjoying it all in real life! This is just a tiny tiny fraction of things I'm coveting. I feel a bit poo now knowing I could never get all of these... so if any mysterious benefactor fancies cheering me up I'm happy to provide my dress and shoe size ;)

Sticky Kisses!

August Glossybox - International Superstars Edition

Hello Chaps!

It's time for the ever predictable and completely overdone GLOSSYBOX REVIEW!

 

The theme this month was 'International Superstars', to tie in faintly with the Olympics, I think. This box claims to include 'Hero products' from around the world, including products that have cult status in their own countries.

From Glossybox: Glossybox Lipstick in Glossy Pink (suggested retail price of £9.50)

There was another little Glossybox extra this month - apparently they've branched into their own cosmetics? I received a lipstick in the shade Glossy Pink. It's quite a dusky, rosy pink. The colour isn't the usual kind I'm drawn towards but it does actually suit me. I think they were aiming for a one-shade-suits-all kind of colour. It feels a tad drying and grainy in texture, but the colour lasts ages, even staining a little. If this were available to purchase, I wouldn't.

From Germany: Alessandro Pro White (RRP £7.85)

Described as an optically brightening polish to neutralise discolorations on the nail. I imagine this is the same principle as a purple toner to neutralise brassiness in bleached hair, but for your nails! I'm quite pleased about this, as although it might not seem very exciting, it's definitely something I could do with in my ever-expanding arsenal of nail care products! I haven't tested it properly yet, but it's definitely a polish and not a liquid treatment that dries. Probably a no-brainer, but it's not to be used as a topcoat! Alessandro also make a glitter version, which is... intriguing! I've wanted to try their products for a while - if this product is any good I might have to sample some of their pretty polishes.

From Japan: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (from £3.50 for 30ml)

I used this to take off my make-up before swimming, when I arrived home to my Glossybox delivery last night. It's okay at the job - it feels a bit strange totally wrong to rub it into a dry face of make-up, but as I washed my face I saw signs of it running down the sink. I really, really cannot get behind the products that wash your full face of make-up off, it makes me cringe! I can't even bear to do it with Cleanse & Polish, I never feel like my face is truly clean, so I ended up using a face wash after this anyway. I've decided to use it as an eye make-up remover, so this 30ml bottle should last me a while that way!

 From Great Britain (Woop woop!): Lipcote (RRP £3.99)

The original lipstick sealer! I had a bad experience with a Boots 17 imitation of this over ten years ago (it dried my lips out and dried itself out), but I've never tried the original. It looks fancier than I remember, and I'm looking forward to road-testing it with various lippies. The fragrance does smell quite strongly of alcohol - it reminds me of those dodgy complimentary shots you get given after a meal on holiday.

From Spain: Vera Valento L'ombre à Paupière Margarita (RRP £3.85)

This is the real let-down of the box for me. It hardly needs saying but it manages to simultaneously look like:

a) something your Gran had circa 1967

b) those crappy beginner make up sets from Argos in the shape of flowers or a butterfly

c) something you'd find at the very bottom of the bargain basket at a dodgy market stall

I know I'm being a bit harsh here, but I'm sure others were thinking the same. I was so disgusted I was ready to shove it straight in the charity bag, but I was tempted to keep it just to try the top two minty shades. When I opened it the mirror (behind the applicator) fell out. I swatched a few shades, the lighter neutrals were very wishy washy, as I was expecting. However they were softer and not as chalky as I imagined they'd be. I might give it a few tries, and if I don't get on with it I'll pop the colours I do want in my Z palette. I'll be making sure to hide this in a box out of sight! Poor ugly little palette, I feel 

bad for being so mean now. 

From the wonderful U.S. of A.: Broadway Nails imPress Press-On Manicure (From £7.99)

This is definitely the winner of the box for me! I've wanted to try these since they've come out, and browsed the styles both online and in store. I love the idea of peel and stick falsies that don't damage the nail, but was concerned about the staying power for the price. I'd seen that these were in the box when I checked instagram before I got home to my own box. I couldn't believe my luck when I got the style I'd been lusting after most! Holla! is a metallic neutral pink with a gorgeous lace design overlay, and is slightly more expensive at £8.99. They might be a little tacky for some but personally I love them. I also love the fact they're packaged in a sturdy, nail polish-esque box! Much less hassle than those plastic layers that flick falsies everywhere (that just could be me though, I am exceptionally clumsy). I did check that a few sizes matched my difficult to fit nails (they are quite small) and thankfully there were suitable ones. I'm really looking forward to wearing these - if they last a satisfying length of time I'd like to try some of the other patterned/animal print ones like Lovestruck, Over The Moon, TGIF, Dancing Queen and Starstruck. I don't fancy the plain ones as much, I might as well just paint my nails!

So all in all another good Glossybox for me, I know that it's pot luck and you can't have it all, but I was pleased with most of these products. I'm glad that more make-up and nail products are appearing in them though.

What did you think of August's International Superstars Glossybox? Were you happy or disappointed?

Sticky Kisses!