July Degustabox Review + £7 off Discount Code

Hi beaut's...

I have a subscription box review for you all today but it's a subscription box with a difference.... it contains yummy food and drink, so say hello to Degustabox*. Degustabox works very much like how beauty subscription boxes work, for £12.99 a month (postage included within the £12.99 price) you will receive 10 to 15 surprise food/drink products, many that are completely new to the market! So if your a bit of a foodie like myself and you love subscription boxes your going to love this beaut's! 
This month we have a Summer themed box with a whopping 12 yummy food and drink items to sink our teeth into, I'm going to kick things off with the degustabox product of the month - Rowntree's Randoms 30% Less Sugar (£1.29), I love the original Rowntree's Randoms but the fact these are slightly less naughty is an added bonus, I love snacking on these whilst we have a movie night! Next up is a box of Ryvita Thins in Three Cheese Flavour (£1.89) , I always buy Ryvita Thins when I go shopping because their perfect for dipping in salsa but this new flavour sounds epic and I cant wait to try them! To make breakfast time slightly more tasty Degustabox have thrown in a box of the new Weetabix Additions in Coconut and Raisin flavour (£2.99), these are so tasty, I don't usually eat Weetabix because I find them quite bland but the Additions range is genius and makes for a super tasty breakfast!

Next up are a few savoury bits and pieces starting with 2 OLOVES Healthy Olive Snacks (99p each), these juicy olives have been seasoned with chili, garlic and oregano which makes them super tasty and the fact that they are already pitted and in a little handy pouch makes them the perfect snack. Then we have a jar of Maille Dijon Mustard (£1.99), I'm not a lover of mustard but the Mr loves it with steak or in sarnies so I can see this jar going quick! Theres also a Frylight Cooking Spray with Avocado Oil (£2.99) in the box this month, I always use Frylight when cooking but I've never tried the avocado version so I'm keen to give this a go and see if theres a taste difference.

Finally this month we have some drinks starting with a big bottle of Blossom Hill Spritz (£4.99), this is wine but with a fruity raspberry and blackcurrant twist which sounds right up my street. Next is a carton of Crafted Mango & Passion Fruit Juice (£1.80), this only lasted a day in our house because it was so yummy, its even one of your 5 a day too. Finally we got two bottle of Thor Dry Spritz, these are super yummy sparkling apple flavoured drinks that are blended together with natural ingredients, I loved these and would definitely repurchase them!

Degustabox have kindly given me a discount code for all of my beautiful readers, all you have to do is pop 039DB into the promotional code box and you'll receive a whopping £7.00 discount when registering making your first box just £5.99. And don't worry beaut's, theres no commitments with Degustabox meaning you can cancel your subscription free of charge before the 10th of any month, but I mean why would you cancel monthly surprise food treats ha ha!

What do you think of the Degustabox concept beaut's? I'd love to know your thoughts!

nopin

Love The Sales Beauty Bargians!

Hi beaut's!

We all love a bargain don't we, whether it’s a treat for myself and my ever growing beauty stash or something nice for my wardrobe, or even a gift for someone special, getting it on sale not only makes my money go further but makes me extremely happy too. However, it can be a real chore going through website after website of all the brands you are interested in to find the best deal until now.... A website called Love the Sales* holds every sale item from 100’s of retailers and 1000’s of brands altogether in one place, never before has it been so easy to go sales shopping. Whether it's beauty, fashion, electronics, home, garden, sports, gifts or anything else that takes your fancy, Love the Sales have it at the best prices. Anywhoo onto the bargains I got...
I'm a slight eyeshadow palette addict so when I saw that Love The Sales had the limited edition NARS and God Created The Woman Eyeshadow Palette with a £10 saving I just had to give it a whirl. This limited edition set comes with a 6 pan eyeshadow palette, an angled makeup brush and a mini NARS Pro-Prime Smudge proof Eyeshadow Base, so it's quite good value and you have the added bonus of trying a NARS brush and primer. Within the eyeshadow palette theres 2 metallic shades and 4 matte-shimmers all of which are on the neutral side of things which I like, even though this is a small palette it can be quite versatile and a number of day and night looks can be created. As I'm pretty new to NARS I was really unsure what to expect from the quality of their eyeshadows but all of the shades are really nice, they have plenty of pigmentation, blend well and last so long especially with the primer - which is the best eyeshadow primer on earth I swear, my eyeshadow literally doesn't budge an inch with the primer underneath, it's incredible. 
I'm loving makeup setting and priming sprays at the moment and Rimmels #Insta Fix & Go does both at the same time because it's a 2 in 1 priming and setting spray, you cant beet getting two products in one can you. I have to say pretty much straight away I loved this stuff, it works an absolute treat and keeps my makeup in place and looking cake-free most of the day. It also has the most gorgeous, refreshing cucumber scent which to be honest makes all the difference, other sprays I've used are un-scented so this makes a lovely change. 

Overall I absolutely love the Love the Sales concept and will certainly be using it a lot more in the future, especially at Christmas time he he. It's key to remember that Love the Sales work on real time, so offers are changing quick, so if you see something you want at a bargain price nab it quickly!

Have you tried the LovetheSales website beaut's? What did you think? I'd love to know!

nopin

Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette + Swatches!

Hey beaut's

I was casually browsing through my Instagram feed back in May, ya know as you do, and all of a sudden I saw a picture of something absolutely stunning that had been posted by Urban Decay... Yup, they've gone and done it again and added something else to the ever growing Naked franchise, say hello the the Naked Heat Palette. If you thought Urban Decay’s Naked palettes were hot before, brace yourself – because the newest addition is sweltering HOTTTTT!!!
The Naked Heat Palette* contains 12 all new eyeshadows in the most gorgeous warm tones, honestly beaut's this palette has me like a kid at Christmas I'm that excited about it! Within the 12 shades theres a mix of 7 mattes, 4 metallics and 1 pearl shimmer, of course their are some stunning amber-hued neutrals at the beginning of the palette - well it wouldn't be an Urban Decay palette without a cheeky neutral or two would it - then it leads onto some burnt oranges, copper tones and rich sienna's. I'm in absolute love with the shade range, theres plenty of shades and finishes to mix between day looks and evening looks, and even though this is a Summer release and aimed at being a Summer palette I feel like this palette will look BEAUTIFUL in Autumn too.  
The quality of all of the shades within the Heat Palette certainly meet the usual Urban Decay standard, I do already have three full size Naked Palettes in my collection along with a couple of the mini basics ones and I've always loved how the quality follows throughout all of Urban Decays palettes. The matte shades within the Heat Palette aren't chalky at all and pick up on the brush well and the metallics are so intensely pigmented, their honestly as soft as butter to swatch. 
Below is a list of the shade run down and some swatches!
Ounce - an ivory pearl shimmer shade perfect for brow bone & inner corner highlighting.
Chaser - a light brown with warm, peachy undertones and a matte finish.
Sauced - a soft terra-cotta with a matte finish.
Low Blow - a medium brown with warm undertones and a matte finish.
Lumbre - a stunning peach/copper metallic shade with a gold pearl shift.
He Devil - a burnt red matte shade with brown undertones.
Dirty Talk - a metallic orange toned burnt red with a real sheen to it.
Scorched - a metallic red shade with gold micro-shimmer within it.
Cayenne - a deep terra-cotta matte shade, it almost looks rusty.
En Fuego - a burgundy matte.
Ashes - a deep plum-brown matte.
Ember - an intense metallic plummy shade with a bronze shift to it.
As you can see the shades within the Naked Heat Palette are insanely beautiful and they certainly don't disappoint. The lighter matte shades do need a little building up but I find that happens with every single light nude matte shadow I own, the darker mattes though are pretty intense along with the metallics which have such good colour payoff and spread really well. The overall blendabilty, texture, pigmentation and staying power is amazing though, I love you Urban Decay!

As for the packaging, I love it! I mean how gorgeous is that warm, sunset design! The palette itself is made of heavy duty plastic which feels really robust, it's slightly different to my other Naked Palettes which are in tins, but I prefer the change. It also comes with a full size mirror within the lid and a double-ended brush which is always appreciated.

If you want to heat up your eyeshadow looks this Summer then the Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette is where the parties at! If your a collector of Urban Decay Palettes or just after some warm toned shades then you HAVE to add this beauty to your collection, you wont be disappointed trust me!

You can buy the Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette HERE for £39.50.

nopin

Joan Collins First Base Foundation and Fade To Perfect Concealer Review

Hey beaut's!

It's no secret that I'm a huge Joan Collins beauty fan, I've got quite a collection of her products now all of which I'm pretty obsessed with - especially her lippies, if you haven't tried them before you definitely need too, their lush. Any who.... enough about lippies, today I'm talking all about achieving a flawless base with Joan Collins First Base Foundation and Fade To Perfect Concealer.
The Joan Collins First Base Foundation* claims to be skincare in a foundation, offering a smooth, flawless complexion with a radiant, natural finish. It contains Re-Age Complex which charges the skin with youthful energy to help increase collagen levels as well as Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate and fill in fine lines, sounds pretty epic right? The formula of the foundation itself is gorgeous and I've been absolutely loving it so far, it has medium coverage that can easily be built up if needed, it smoothes over pores and fine lines whilst still feeling super lightweight and comfortable on the skin, it has a natural finish with a youthful glow that never looks heavy or cakey and I've not experienced any clinging to my dry patches either. The lasting power is pretty good on me, I get a good 8-9 hours worth or wear until I start noticing some slight wear on my chin area and it never goes oily, tacky or greasy through the day either. Also can we just appreciate how gorgeous the packaging is, the frosted glass bottle and gold accents look so sleek and chic, I love it!
The Joan Collins Fade To Perfect Concealer*  is said to be Dame Joan's magic wand, again it combines skincare with concealer, claiming to reduce dark circles, soothe irritation and calm puffiness around the eyes. What I love about this concealer is that it's super brightening, I do have the fairest shade 'Fair' which probably helps but I LOVE a bright under eye and this certainly does the trick, the light reflecting particles makes my eyes appear more awake and lifted around and not so drab and dull in the mornings . The concealer has a lovely creamy texture that's super easy to work with and blend, in terms of coverage I'd say it's medium, It's not as heavy duty as I'd like but it definitely has a certain amount of coverage there to tackle my dark under eyes.
Overall I've really been enjoying this duo, the foundation is my new favourite, it literally ticks all the boxes for me and I feel like all skin types could easily wear this beauty! The concealer is also fabulous for brightening up my eye area, and the formula is absolutely lovely! These two wont be leaving my makeup bag any time soon I can assure you! 

You can find the Joan Collins First Base Foundation HERE for £25.00 and the Fade To Perfect Concealer HERE for £18.00 HERE.

 nopin

Merci Handy Refreshing Face Mist Review

 Hey beaut's!

Facial sprays and mists are huge right now and I for one am a total addict of them, theres nothing more refreshing than a facial spritz when it's hot and in the UK recently we've been lucky enough to have some pretty hot and muggy days and my Merci Handy Face Mist has been a handbag essential for me!

The Merci Handy Face Mists are available in three different scents but I have the Hello Sunshine* scent which smells like summer holidays in a can, it literally smells like a mixture of suncream and tropical fruits, it's lush! The aim of this mist is to instantly
refresh and hydrate the skin at any time or place but especially when it hot and I've been obsessed with mine ever since I got it, it really does instantly freshen me up, its such a nice feeling.The mist itself is super, super fine, it's actually described as a soft water cloud and that's exactly what it is, never soaks my face at all meaning I can even spray it over my makeup without disrupting it, and it never leaves a film or sticky feeling on my face either which I'm happy about, and because the Merci Handy mists are free from parabens and alcohol they aren't  drying on the skin at all which is a major plus for me.
Overall I love this little facial mist, it's perfect for when I want to freshen up throughout the day and the smell is seriously divine. It's also such a cute little 30ml size too so it fits into my handbag or makeup bag with ease so I can have it with me at all times!

Have you tried any of the Merci Handy Face Mists? Which scent is your favourite? I'd love to know!

The Merci Handy Face Mists are available from selected TOPSHOP stores and online at Topshop.com for £4.50 each!

nopin

PUR Bare It All Foundation Review

Hi beaut's!

PUR Cosmetics is a brand I keep hearing good things about in the beauty world, of course being the makeup addict that I am I was keen to try some of their products out, and I thought their new Bare It All 4in1 Skin Perfecting Foundation would be a great place to start, if a brand can make a good foundation I always have high hopes for the rest of their products he he.
The PUR Cosmetics Bare It All* is a 12 hour 4-in-1 demi-matte foundation which claims to cover imperfections and instantly perfect the skin while helping to correct problem areas over time so you can confidently bare it all, sounds pretty amazing right. The foundation is available in 6 shades, I got the shade Light which is the second lightest shade from the six and is described as an Ivory for beige skin tones, it is a smidge too dark for me but seeing as it's summer I can just about get away with it with some bronzer blended in, but in the winter I'd definitely need the lightest shade Porcelain for sure.
The formula of the foundation itself is nice, it's quite thick - not moussey- but a thicker liquid foundation I'd say, it has a medium to full coverage which leaves my skin looking super flawless, it's lightweight and breathable and never goes super dry or cakey on me, a little bit goes a long way so I can see my tube lasting me a while, it blends well with the PUR Skin Perfecting Foundation Brush (more on that in a mo) but it does set quickly so you have to work fast with this one, it lasts on me well too, I'm prone to having slightly dryer skin from time to time and seeing as this is a demi matte finish I never powder my skin after using it as I don't really need to and it's still held up amazingly, even in the heat we've had in the UK this past week. As this foundation combines high-quality skincare ingredients with complexion-perfecting pigments I do feel like it does something good to my skin whilst it's on, I definitely feel like my face is more smooth and plump and my pores look filled in, my skin just feels and looks so nice with this foundation on.
As I just mentioned I have been using the PUR Skin Perfecting Foundation Brush* to apply the Bare It All Foundation and I've been so impressed, I mean I'm a huge lover of oval brushes anyway but wowza this brush is crazy nice, I'm talking luxurious - works amazing - I'm in love with it - kind of nice! It's packed full of cruelty free synthetic micro fibre bristles that are so dense but super soft at the same time, it blends the foundation in so quickly, I'm talking seconds, and helps give such an airbrushed finish. I also noticed how well made this brush is, all of my other oval brushes bend just below the bristles and I always have to give that part of the brush extra support but this brush doesn't bend at all, it's literally my go to foundation brush now. 

Overall I really like this foundation, I think it's perfect for the Summer months because it stays put on me perfectly but in the winter I'll probably have to mix it with an illuminater to make it more dewy and less drying. The brush has really impressed me though, if your looking to try an oval brush this is the bad boy to try, it's bloody incredible!

You can find the PUR Bare It All 4in1 Skin Perfecting Foundation HERE for £29.00 and the PUR Skin Perfecting Foundation Brush HERE for £19.00.

nopin

Quick and Easy imPRESS Press-On Manicure

Hey beaut's!

If you've read my blog for a while now your'll probably already know that I bloody love imPRESS false nails, they have soooo many designs, lengths, shapes and pretty colours too choose from not to mention the application and removal process is so quick an easy, so I couldn't wait to give a couple more sets a whirl.
The first set of imPRESS nails that I couldn't wait to put on my nails where the Flash Mob* set. This set is made up of 30 nails in a gorgeous white design with an oval shape, theres some silver glitter nails to use as accents and even the cutest white nails with love written on them with a little pink heart, their so adorable. I have to say glitter press on nails are the way forward, I love having glittery accent nails but I'm always put off because it's so hard to remove glitter polish but these beauties save the day in that department. 
The other imPRESS set I got are the Next Wave* set, again this set has 30 different sized nails to play with in mix of hot pink, chevron and silver glitter accent nails in an oval shape in a one-step gel finish! Theres lots of different sized nails to pick from so you can mix and match to get the best fit and once stuck on these babies are super durable so you can get the longest wear out of them.
Both sets of these imPRESS nails where a great length and shape for me too, I naturally have short, square nails so something that's a little bit longer than my own nails in the same sort of shape works best for me. I'd definitely recommend imPRESS nails if you have shorter nails, their super easy to wear and you can actually do things with them on, not like other nails I've tried which have been far too long for me. Their glue free and damage free too meaning you can apply them and remove them anywhere within a couple of minutes, making them a holiday/festival must have!

Are you a lover of press on nails beaut's? Which design is your favourite? I'd love to know!

You can find these imPRESS False Nails in Superdrug nationwide from 26th July for £7.99.

nopin

Pamper in the Shower with the Orb Spa Shower Head!

Hi beaut's!

Seeing as I spend at least 10 minutes of every single day in the shower it would be nice to think 'arhhh lets hop in the shower and feel slightly pampered' instead of lets hop in the shower and have a quick scrub, shave my legs and then get out again feeling exactly the same as when I went in, well less hairy of course ha ha. Well now I think I've come across something that makes my shower experience feel slightly more like and pampering beauty routine, with the Orb Spa Shower Head!
The Orb Spa* is the worlds first battery operated vibrating, massaging, exfoliating, water-saving, soft water shower head, it's literally a beauty routine in a shower head and I love it! The centre of the shower head called the Vibra (turquoise part) is actually detachable and can be hand held, this has three operating modes which go from light to more intense, you simply have to press the power button at the back of the shower head once for cleansing, twice for exfoliating and three times for massaging. Using the Vibra for facial cleansing is lovely, I simply hold the Vibra in my hand and massage it around my face on mode one, over time this has really made a difference in my skins appearance, it's helped remove dead skin, unclog pores whilst also removing makeup and excess dirt and oil, it's the deepest cleanse my skins ever had I think! To exfoliate and massage the skin with the Vibra you can either use it hand held or it can be popped back into the centre of the shower head with the water running. The exfoliating mode is great for fake tan lovers because it's going to deeply exfoliate the skin and help remove old tan or prep for new tan, it's also great for dryer skin gals like myself who really like to polish off those dead skin cells. The massaging mode is amazing, it just feels so nice and relaxing, exactly what you want after a long day at work that's for sure. This mode is also fab for cellulite treatment if you massage the Vibra in circular motions around your thighs and bum.
 What makes this shower even better than it is already is that it's a soft water shower head, shockingly hard water is supplied to over 60% of homes in the UK, and is known to prematurely age skin, dehydrate hair, and aggravate skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, meaning your shower could be doing more harm than good. But because the Orb Spa is a soft water shower head it features a unique combination of metals which are concealed within the handle, these metals remove the hard minerals within the water turning it into softer, more soluble water that gives you healthier skin and glossier hair.

If you like to feel really pampered whilst in the shower then this shower head will make all the difference, I think my favourites settings are the massage setting and the cleansing setting. The cleansing setting just makes my skin feel incredible afterwards and has helped in the long run and the massaging setting is...well its lovely, you could even use dry for massaging and help friends and family that are in need of a stress buster, it's great!

You can find that Orb Spa Shower Head FOR £128.00  HERE

nopin

Joan Collins Class Act Lash Growth Treatment Review

 Hey beaut's!

It's no secret that I'm a huge Joan Collins beauty fan, her lippies are some of my favourites and I have a few of her other makeup bits and pieces which I love too. Something I was yet to try for her was one of her treatments - her Class Act Lash Growth Treatment to be exact! I was so intrigued by this, can a product really make my lashes grow, would they look full...Time to get testing!

The Joan Collins Class Act Lash Growth Treatmentis a peptide booster containing extract of laminaria (seaweed), plvetia (sea algae) and lemon flavenoid which promotes growth and fullness. The clear gel is paraben free and suitable for all skin types and claims to give you thicker, fuller and longer lashes in just 30 days, pretty cool right! To use the gel you simply brush it onto your lashes from root to tip either in the morning as a base before you apply your mascara or you can pop it on clean lashes in the evenings before bed which is what I've been doing most days, although on the odd occasion I have worn it as a mascara base when I've forgotten to use it the night before.

So lets get down to the nitty gritty, does this actually work?? In all honestly I've found pro's and cons, I've been using the gel for a month now and to me the length of my lashes look pretty much the same as before, they might be a smidge longer but definitely nothing major has happened in the length department. However I have found that my lashes seem a lot stronger than before, usually I'd just touch my eye and lose an eyelash but since using the gel I've lost no lashes to my knowledge, woohoo. I've also noticed that a sparse area of lashes I had right in my inner corner have grown up and filled out loads and I honestly put this down to the gel, because before that area wasn't growing at all. I think if your looking to really look after and nourish your lashes this is a nice treatment to use, I'd also recommend it for sparse areas because of the improvement I've noticed however, if your thinking about getting this for length alone I'd give it a miss because as I said before I've not noticed anything in the length department.

You can find the Joan Collins Class Act Lash Growth Treatment for £20.00 HERE.

Have you tried the Joan Collins Class Act Lash Growth Treatment beaut's? What did you think? I'd love to know!

nopin

Accessorize Love Lily Gift Set Review

Hi beaut's!

Summer is here which means I can wear fruity, floral scents until my little hearts content, one scent I've been loving a lot recently is Love Lily by Accessorize, I've actually been a huge lover of this perfume since the beginning of the year and now Accessorize have launched a gift set and added a Love Lily body lotion which I just had to get my paws on!
The Love Lily Gift Set* comes with a 75ml bottle of the Love Lily eau de parfum and a 100ml tube of Love Lily Body Lotion, both of which have a fresh, floral, fruity fragrance that opens up with juicy top notes of raspberry and orange, invigorated with a zesty accord of bergamot. At the heart of the fragrance is Muguet (lily of the valley) combined with Jasmine which work together to add a fresh and floral depth, then aromatic musks and sweet vanilla are united at the core of the fragrance. 
As I said before Love Lily is a super fresh scent with hints of light sweetness which is perfect for everyday wear because it isn't too strong or overpowering, the fragrance has really good lasting power despite being quite lightweight and I can always smell the vanilla notes within it on myself throughout the day. It's definitely a girlie scent and reminds me of scents that I bought when I was younger when Britney Spears had about a million perfumes to choose from he he, that being said even now that I'm older I can still appreciate a gorgeous scent when I smell one and this really is right up my street. I love the bottle too, it's fuss free but still pretty and delicate with it's hexagonal glass shape and flower cap, it looks super cute on my dressing table. 
The body lotion works just like any other standard body lotion really, it nourishes and moisturises but wearing the perfume and the body lotion together really intensifies the scent, I'd probably use this if I was going out in the evening for a more full on scent.

If your looking for an affordable, lightweight, fresh scent this Summer then Love Lily might just be for you, this is actually my second bottle of this perfume so as you can probably tell I bloody love it he he!

 You can find the Love Lily Gift Set for £12.00 from The Fragrance Shop HERE

nopin

Burt's Bees '#BringBackTheBees' Coconut & Pear Lip Balm

 
Hey beaut's!

Did you know that we rely on bees for nearly 1/3 of our entire food supply? So when bees are in trouble we are too! So this Summer Burt's Bees are getting involved and are helping #BringBackTheBees by teaming up with International supermodel Winnie Harlow. To raise awareness of this serious issue Burt's Bees have given their popular Coconut & Pear Lip Balm a limited edition face lift, for every purchase of the limited edition Coconut & Pear Lip Balm Burt's Bees will plant 5,000 bee-friendly wildflower seeds, how amazing is that! 
The Burt's Bees Coconut & Pear Lip Balm* is lovely, it's a super moisturising lip balm which combines juicy extract of vitamin-rich pear with creamy, hydrating coconut oil. The light formula, with shea butter, gives my lips a huge dose of moisture leaving them smooth and soft whilst also preventing any chapping or flakiness. As I expected the smell and taste of this lip balm is so good, just like coconuts with a tiny hint of pear, yum! Not forgetting that it's also 100% natural and contains no phthalates, parabens, petrolatum or SLS.
So if your after a new lip balm or just a bee lover in general why not grab yourself one of these lip balms up, it's for such a good cause after all! You literally cant go wrong with a Burt's Bees lip balm either, their my absolute favourite brand for lip balms because they actually work on the surface of the lips as well as deep down.

You can find the Burt's Bees '#Bring Back The Bees' Coconut & Pear Lip Balm for £3.99 HERE, and for more information about this campaign you can find Winnie Harlow's video HERE.

nopin