Hello chaps!
I haven't been around for a while, it's true. I've still been beauty hoarding like my life depends on it... but I've been rather preoccupied. I know it's a paltry excuse! I won't go into details but I've had a really awful few weeks/months at work (and truth be told, I'm dreading going back after my few days off), plus, my health has taken a bit of a down turn too. I have a joint condition which gives me grief in the colder months, and after my horrible injury last year it's been especially painful. I've been waiting nearly 4 months for a rheumatology consultation, which is now less than two weeks away. I just wanted to do a bit of a catch-up before I attempt to resume normal service. I really enjoy blogging and feel great when I publish a post I've been planning, writing and working on for a while. But I've been practically hibernating over the winter. The apathy and exhaustion I feel at my job has kind of spilled over into my personal life. I need a holiday! I've got a few days off now but it's so grey out that it's not really helping me feel any less miserable :(
I have so so much I could have blogged about, and spent far too much money in the process of acquiring lovely goodies! So, for now, I will start with my Christmas themed manis and the awesome advent calendar my wonderful Mr BNH treated me to (as payment for helping him with doing his Uni project mind you!). We also celebrated 4 years together at the end of November with an extremely cold short break on the Isle of Wight, where he grew up.
Christmas Trees
Derpy the Snowman
I'd always wanted to try a beauty calendar and this seemed to good to pass up on. I'd also seen a Liz Earle one but deemed it too expensive at £100. I also had the customary Hello Kitty chocolate calendar too :P
LOOKIT THE PRETTY! (Hand included to help gauge size)
a naughty peek...
It originally cost £59.99 inc P&P (I believe) and amazingly, it's still available for half price on Latest in Beauty! So please snarfle up your own while you have a chance, you won't even have to wait 24 days to open it all! (I just told Mr BNH about the deal and he got a tiny bit sweary).
I can't remember what order they came in as I was too excited... I'm not going to write descriptions, as I'm sure you can tell what they are - if not check the LiB link above. So without further ado, I'll let the pictures do the talking! In no particular order...
This is just a fairly quick one to tell you how much I love this product:
I'm a bath bomb lover, but I'm certainly not an addict: I love LUSH for their goodies but it would be quite a pricey habit to keep that up every week. I see these fizzy lovelies as more of an occasional treat, but it's still not cheap to buy individual bath melts or bath bombs every other week. I was browsing Amazon (surprise surprise) when I came across Bomb Cosmetics. I saw some fair reviews for this packet of Bath Rocks and placed my order.
I was not disappointed - you get a fair amount of bath bomb chunks. Imagine boxes of broken biscuits or misshapen chocolate bars: they might not be perfect but they're still just as good. I wouldn't recommend eating these, however. I love the concept for several reasons - not only do you get to throw in a lump or two of desired sizes, but it's a cost effective way of getting your bath bomb fix, and they're pretty impressive. They might look a bit samey, but they're a total rainbow of colourful awesomeness, and they smell absolutely amazeballs. When you plop them in the water it's almost like a magical fizzy firework display, which, if you are simple like me, is very pleasing.
I don't think you can really see it in this picture, but the pale yellow one on the left was glittery. The one on the right was a broken lump of a bomb that was pink on the outside and yellow in the middle... fab. It might be a bit sad to get this excited over what is essentially a packet of broken bath bombs, but I've really enjoyed experimenting with the different sizes and colours. I've used one or two a fortnight for the last couple of months and still have around half a bag left. The picture below shows how pink the water went with just a tiny rock!
If you fancy getting your own box of Bath Rocks, try them from Amazon here like I did (currently £4.82), or check the Bomb Cosmetics Website where they are £5.99, or to find a stockist (you might find this option a touch more costly, however!)
I'm aware that my blog is drowning somewhat in a sea of beauty boxes, but I just don't want to give any of them up :(
I mentioned this before in my last Latest in Beauty flash box post - these Editor's Picks boxes always sell out super quickly because they are so cheap and awesome. This one was gone in less than 48 hours, so sign up for emails if you want to be first to know about the next one.
Please excuse my obscenely girly Hello Kitty bedding
So, lets have a nosey at the contents, oui? I'd actually popped a couple of these bits on my shopping basket on the LiB website before I got the email. Thank goodness I didn't check out before then!
Mirenesse Secret Weapon 24hr Mascara
I already received this in my last LiB box, which you can see here. I love a mini mascara, and this is ok, but not really worth the hype or the money in my .
Balmi Lip Balm in Blackcurrant
I have a confession to make: I positively despise anything blackcurrant flavoured. I was all set to give this away, but, when I opened it, the scent surprised me - my first reaction was closer to 'it's actually sort of pleasant' than my usual gagging reflex. It's almost like an artificially sweet/muted flavour, which hints at summer fruits as opposed to pure blackcurrant which is nasty. Another £4.99 value lip balm to add to my collection! Blackcurrant seems to be the only one of the five main flavours that Boots doesn't stock. I'd quite like to try the raspberry one too.
Ancienne Ambiance Goddess Body Bath Salts in Rosa
I've already used some of this in a bath and I really liked it. The rose petals added a touch of luxurious glamour and I only needed a small sprinkle to create a beautifully fragranced soak in the tub. I love a bath with bubbles so I don't know if I'd purchase the full size at £20 for 300ml, but if I could find out where to get the small bottles pictured, I'd be tempted to try all of the other fragrances.
Promotional Code Alert: 10% off with the code LIB10
Chia Bia Omega 3 Seeds
I've not tried these yet, but I like the idea that you can sprinkle them in your salads, smoothies or yoghurts. It's quite a hefty sample as well and I could see this lasting for a few different servings.
Japonesque Beauty Fixation boxes
These exact three babies were in my basket at £1.00 each, so when I saw the email detailing the contents of the box I thought to myself: WIN! They seem like such handy little saviours - Nail Polish Touch-up, Make-up Remover Touch-up and Tinted Lip Conditioner. Each box contains 24 pre-filled cotton swabs, you simply snap one end which fills the other end with the liquid inside, ready to use. Genius! You can actually pick the lip conditioner and make-up touch up swabs to go in your Latest in Beauty Little Beauty Box - for £1.50, where you get three samples sent to you. If you're keen to try these then I'd recommend doing this as you get more for your money this way, and the usual choices are often just sachets so this is is a pretty beefy sample in comparison. All you have to do is text them for a code - simples! Do it now though, they sell out quick...
Good Things Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser
I wore this today as the only base under my make-up. I could tell it was mattifying, but by lunchtime, there was still the usual tell-tale sheen present on my forehead. I have combination skin, so, bizarrely, I still have dry patches peeking through (I don't understand how this is even possible, it looks ridiculous). Sometimes products like these just highlight and exacerbate the dry areas - I feel like I can't win. This product has been on my wishlist for a while, so I was pleased to receive this sample before diving into the full size and possibly not liking it. I'm umming and ahhing after a day's use, but I'll see how I feel when I've finished this trial size. You can get this alone for £1.50 from the luxury samples section of Latest in Beauty, if you've fancied trying it too.
Nelson Pure & Clear Purifying Daily Facial Wash
I'd been trying to think of where I know the 'nelsons' brand/logo from, when I eventually realised that I see it every day in my cupboard, on my bottle of homeopathic medicine that I keep for my migraines! I've used this wash a few times since receiving this box, but I don't feel ready to pass judgement on it yet. It doesn't really lather up, which is a good thing, but is also a little bit 'medicated' for my liking. I thought I'd put those days behind me, but I'll give it a shot.
And finally, here's some extras that I added at the same time:
Weleda Pomegranate Firming Samples, and Richard Ward Couture Hair Tri-active Serum With Argan Oil. Stocked up on another bottle as I seriously love it and it works out cheaper this way. I'm assuming it will disappear from the site someday :( you can no longer get the Weleda trio for an amazing £3 either.
I also received an additional sample of the Weleda Firming Serum - this was not advertised in the email. You can see that it is missing from the first, promotional photo at the top of the post, but is present in my box. I can only assume this was a freebie because I am extra special and show Latest in Beauty lots of love with my money... so thanks for returning the favour guys ;)
(If I am mistaken and it was included in anybody else's, then we are all special.)
Heed my instructions and you will save some money... I did my research and figured it out for you! So take advantage, beauty bargainista friends.
It's time again for the end of the month round ups - part one being faves from the last month. There are considerably less for September, as I went a tad overboard last time - there's nothing in the bath and body category either.
I simply cannot accept nor fathom that it's already October. I'm back in opaque tights, boots, and I even wore a scarf at work today, such was my feelings of chilliness. Not that I mind, because I prefer to dress for chilly weather, and the wasps go away. There are even Christmas bits popping up in shops already. I don't even want to do Christmas - can we just cancel it and have a takeaway curry instead? I feel physically sick at the thought of having to spend obscene amounts of time and money for unnecessary gifts (uh-oh, in full Scrooge mode now). Right now I'd rather go on holiday.
Hair
Joico K-Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor
Now, I don't want to say too much about this as I'm planning a lone review, but I'm really pleased I bit the bullet with this one!
Richard Ward Couture Hair Tri-Active Serum with Argan Oil
This stuff is amazing. Every time I've used it (on wet hair), my horrible, scruffy ends have become soft, light, and touchable. Works seriously well with the Joico Reconstructor. If you saw my last post, I mentioned the cost and the possibility of a fairly cheap sample from the Latest in Beauty website. As the full size is £27, and this bottle is half that amount for £8, I went ahead and bought another bottle of the little fudger already.
Dove Hair Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo
I picked this 250ml bottle up from the 99p store, as well as the Intensive Repair Shampoo. I've had samples for both the conditioners and was fairly impressed so for 99p each I decided to grab these. I wasn't expecting to like a 99p shampoo so much but this one felt lovely to use. I once went to an awful hairdresser whose only decent piece of advice was this: "a good shampoo will make your hair feel as though it's already been conditioned when you wash it out" and for me, this one delivered. I don't know if it might create build-up over time, but it's a great starter for a real pampering wash, like this trio here.
Skincare
Origins Super Spot Remover
I have a few bits from an Origins order that I'll probably feature soon, but this was one of the items I was desperate to use. I've heard good things and this has made a visible difference to various skin nasties after just a couple of uses. It's definitely a treatment rather than prevention, but it wasted no time in calming down a few nasties. The bottle is tiny but I'm hoping it will be a case of 'a little goes a long way' with this - I'm pretty clumsy so I will have to be extra careful not to squeeze too much out.
Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream
Received in my GlossyBox, I can feel this really firming my under eyes when I use it. I have had constant hereditary dark circles since I was a child, so I don't expect miracles for the 'just had my nose broken in a fight' look, but it certainly perks them up a bit.
Make-Up
Rimmel Volume Flash Scandaleyes Mascara in Extreme Black
I was considering giving this it's own post but thought I may as well tuck my thoughts in here. I love mascaras with big fat brushes. A lot of people would disagree with me over the fact they can be quite tricky to get into those tiny/inner lashes. I'm quite lucky in that my natural eyelashes are quite long to begin with, so I love a bit of volume to beef them up. To me, most mascaras have the same effect on my lashes, hence why I like a big beefy brush to thicken them up a bit. Scandaleyes isn't too dissimilar from Maybelline's False Lash Effect, or at least the one's I've tried anyway. Maybelline seem to produce a new one with ever more ridiculous claims every week - Cat Eyes! Smoky Eyes! Winged Eyes! Squid Eyes!* Here's a pic of my startled looking eye after an every day application:
*note: one of these Mascara names has been fabricated for my own cynical amusement.
I wouldn't necessarily repurchase right now as there are just thousand of mascaras out there, waiting to be tried. I have a favourite for everyday, but that's another story for another time kids.
Real Techniques Brushes, Assorted
I love the word assorted, it makes me think of biscuits, which isn't really difficult to be honest, as I am almost always thinking about biscuits. ANYWAY these brushes have been elevated to Holy Grail status, I treat them as if they were my own children (they're just getting ready for bathtime in the above pics) and love them more than I could ever have possibly envisaged loving a make up brush collection. They bring me pure joy every time I use them. It's true love peeps! You can't ever come between us!
e.l.f. Professional Shine Eraser Oil Absorbing Aheets
It is a sad fact my dears, that I am afflicted by the old oiliness. By lunchtime I'm looking to mop up some of that excess shine, and these do the trick rather nicely. I got two packs when e.l.f. held a 50% off sale, which meant they were ridiculously cheap, even more so than their original price of £1.50. They're cheap, they do what they're supposed to do - what' not to like? Will definitely be repurchasing.
L: Willow, R: Platinum Tiara
L: Platinum Tiara, R: Willow
Love & Beauty by Forever 21 Lip Gloss in Pink/Coral
This caught my eye (as so many pretty things do) whilst queuing for the tills at Forever 21, I was drawn to the lovely pop of pink and when I saw it was only £2.40, I was sold. It reminds me a little of a M.A.C lip glass or dazzle glass, because it smells fab, and the formula feels nice to wear, as well as not having too wishy-washy a colour. It can be built up, and has the perfect amount of shimmer.
Natural Collection Eyeshadow in Willow
I thought I liked last month's shade, but I love this one. It's a gorgeous cool-toned neutral, and reminds me a bit of M.A.C's Naked Lunch. It's buildable and smooth and works really well all over the lid.
Bare Minerals Eye Shadow in Platinum Tiara
I got this in a GlossyBox, and hadn't tried it until recently. I get a little bit precious with fancier products, I hate having to take the packaging off, or spoil the pristine pan of product, as if it's spoiling it somehow. I'm glad I bucked the trend and used this, as it's a perfect accompaniment to Willow. I used my beloved RT brushes to create a smokey eye for a couple of nights out in September. Platinum Tiara looked great in the crease, and I brought it down under the outer third of my lower lashline with my detailer brush - the colours really made my Hazel/Green eyes pop!
Well, I think that's everything. I feel I should have popped my new Balmi in there as well as I'm somewhat besotted with the charming little blob, so you can just pretend.
Have you tried/do you want to try any of my September favourites? What have you been loving lately?
P.S. One last thing... this is really random, even for me, but it just came up on my iPod's shuffle playlist, and I wanted to share my nostalgic singalong with you. I've got a bit of a soft spot for these guys' back catalogue, and I feel this one often gets overlooked amongst all the old corkers, so... enjoy the cheese, and tell me if you remember this!
(Sorry, it's the only version of the original video and track I could find)
