LookFantastic Beauty Box - July

The July Lookfantastic box arrived a few days ago, which is really quick considering we are only just into July and it has a value of £50. This month we have six delightful products to try out, some of which come from my favourite brands and others I have yet to try something from, so here are the contents:

First up is a handy sized 10ml pot of Trilogy Everything Balm. I am a huge fan of Trilogy and have had this balm on my 'must try' list for some time now, so I am delighted to see it in this box. Described as being a multi-purpose balm it comes with the following information 

"Soothe, soften and condition skin anywhere on the face or body with Trilogy Everything Balm, the perfect multi-tasking beauty tool, ideally sized for travel. Helping to replenish, repair and soothe, it makes the perfect handbag-sized protectant.

Everything Balm combines antioxidant-rich certified organic marula oil and certified organic rosehip oil, both revered for their skin healing and preservative properties, as well as jojoba, olive, avocado, honey and vitamin E to deeply nourish your skin. Softening dry elbows, knees, hands and feet, Trilogy Everything Balm provides pure and natural skin care for baby and makes dry lips delicious again".

The second product is from another of my favourite brands Nuxe and this time it is the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse (7ml). Suitable for all skin types, the NUXE Huile Prodigieuse is described as a "Multi Usage Dry Oil is the perfect choice for your face-nourishing needs. After use, your face will be velvety soft and your skin will look healthier than ever before. If you decide to use this multi-use oil on your hair, it will quickly become more supple and full of volume and shine, without feeling greasy". Included is lots of vitamin E, which makes sure that the skin is repaired and softened. It also includes various plant oils, which are very efficient at removing any visible signs of stretch marks.

Monu are next with a 30ml Monu Fiji Facial Treatment Oil. I have tried a few Monu products to date and have always been really impressed with this. The Fiji Facial Oil is a soothing facial oil which has been formulated to nourish and protect the skin whilst preventing dehydration. This product uses a blend of rosewood oil and patchouli provide essential protection to soothe dry skin and stimulate your complexion.  It is also Paraben free.

I am always delighted to see a Balance Me product in any beauty box and within this one there is the fabulous Pure Skin Facial Wash. I have used this product before and had run out, so it is always handy to have a spare one around just in case. 

This face wash is perfect for Balancing normal/combination skin, calming congestion and preventing breakouts. This gentle cleanser removes make-up and impurities without stripping away skins moisture. Described as a "Super-fast and effective to use, this gentle, wash-off face cleanser effortlessly removes all make-up and impurities. To improve and smooth the appearance of congested, inflamed complexions we’ve blended together balancing grapefruit and petit grain, with soothing frankincense essential oils and calming spruce knot extract. We have also packed this skin-boosting cleanser full with anti-oxidant rich moringa and rice bran oils to help brighten and illuminate dull skin with every wash. Use in the morning to wake up and revive tired complexions, or in the evening for skin that feels squeaky clean no matter what it has faced".

Next is The Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo which is a brand I have never come across. The shampoo is designed to be used once or twice a month and is described as "Rid your hair of built up impurities with the Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo. Paraben and sulphate free, the detoxing shampoo is gentle in formula but tough on grime. Deeply cleansing, the blend of mild ingredients work to exfoliate your hair, rejuvenating every strand for purified, soft results. Can be used as little as once a month dependent on your lifestyle and even as an invigorating body wash for your skin. Suitable for all hair types" so this is a product I am really looking forward to trying out.

The final product in the box is a Lord & Berry Ultimate Lip Liner. Lip liners are one of those beauty products I should probably buy and use but never do. This is described as a nude version which is waterproof, infused with macadamia oil and waterlily extracts and is said to be highly blendable. Of all the products within the box, this is the one I am probably least likely to use, but as it is there, I might try it out eventually.

I think this month’s box is a great box, it is nice to see a mixture of products from some brands I know and recognise to some that I know little or nothing about.

What do you think to the July Box?

LookFantastic March Box

One beauty box that I am loving right now comes from LookFantastic, every month I have loved the contents this month is no exception.  The box costs just £15 and you more than get value for money for the items that are included and all of the brands that feature are available on the Lookfantastic website.

So the March box is here and this is what I found inside:

bliss Fatgirlslim - I quite like a few Bliss products, but this is one im not too impressed with the name of. That aside, this is said to make the skin look and feel firmer and more toned.  You apply it twice a day and massage it onto your skin for 20-30 seconds to simultaneously stimulate circulation and stimulate lymphatic drainage to improve body contour.

This sample has a value of around £10

Lil' "Wet" Brush - This is my first dealing with Wet Brush, though I have seen them mentioned quite a lot on other blogs, so I am quite looking forward to see how well it works. This is a handy travel sized brush, so it has gone straight into my handbag. Even though this is a mini version of the classic Wet Brush it is still described as being fierce on knots and tangles but a big pussy cat on scalps! It has what are called IntelliFlex™ bristles to ensure snag-free brushing as they bounce back to their original form after every brush stroke and the SofTips™ on the ends of the bristles  gently massage your scalp to stimulate circulation.

This brush costs £7.99

Lord & Berry Line/Shade Kajal and Eyeliner Pencil in Travel Black - I am told you can never have too many black eyeliner pencils, though as I dont wear eyeliner I will have to accept the majority rule. This Lord & Berry Couture Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil is described as being silky and smooth and it creates a semi-matte look, whilst the highly pigmented formula gives a rich colour for ultimate definition.  It has also been Ophthalmologically-tested and is suitable for those with sensitive eyes.

This eyeliner is worth around £5

Cowshed Lippy Cow Natural Lip Balm - I am a huge Cowshed fan, particularly of their bath range, not only do the product names make me laugh, they are insanely good. One thing I have never tried is their lipbalm and as a lipbalm addict I am always happy to add to my collection. This product contains no parabens, no petrochemicals and is free from sulphates, artificial fragrances and colours. It is suitable for vegetarians and has not been tested on animals. It does contain the essential oils of linden blossom to protect and nourish, rose geranium to help rejuvenate, and ylang ylang to stimulate circulation.

This balm is available online from Look Fantastic for just £5.00

NudeStix Magnetic Colour Gift in Gilt - This is my first look at Nudestix and there are 8 different shades in total. In my box I have the shade Gilt which is a really pretty light gold shade, something I would refer to as a champagne. For me it is a brilliant multi-purpose stick in that it can be used as all over the lid, in the inner corner and even on the inner lower lash line and it gives a really lovely natural colour, I absolutely love it.

This product is available online from Look Fantastic for £24.00

The Final item in my box is by Nuxe and it is called the Nuxellence Detox, Detoxifying and Youth Revealing Anti-Aging Care cream - what a mouthful that is.  This is described as being an innovative anti-ageing treatment that uses 10 patents to recharge your skin and detoxify cells overnight. It is suitable for all skin types and ages. This nightly detox also helps to promote cell renewal, allowing you to wake up every morning with a refreshed, youthful glow! Full of natural ingredients Nuxellence Detox helps to smooth wrinkles, plump skin and brighten your complexion.

This 15ml sample has a value of around £14.

So there you have it, the contents of my March Lookfantastic box and I absolutely love, it is possibly the second best box there has been and as usual there isn't a product I don't like in the box, I like them all and cannot wait to try them out.  

What you think about this month's #LFBeauty Box. Which product would you be most excited to try out?

December Look Fantastic Box

It's no lie that I have been so impressed with the Lookfantastic Beauty Boxes that I have literally crooned across a few posts, namely with the boxes for September October, November and now I bring you the December offering which is slightly earlier than I was expecting, but here it is.

The box is always so well presented and everthing is neatly packaged so that there is no wriggle room and nothing falls out of place. Inside my box, whilst I had seen a few spoilers are the following items:

• Macademia Healing Oil Infused Comb. Full size, £6.00
• Ole Henriksen’s Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil 15ml - £23.50 
• Pure Gold Collagen Drink  £3.50
• Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel 15ml £8.85 
• Murad Essential-C Cleanser 45ml £7.65. 
• Bourjois Intense Smoky Eyeshadow Palette. Full size, £7.99
• Lord & Berry H2ohhh designer Lip Gloss. Full size, £12.00
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So it would seem that the total value of this box is in the region of £69 which I think is pretty impressive given one item in the box alone is worth £23.50 and there are three full sized items. I am really pleased to see a mixture of skincare, haircare and make-up within a box and especially with amazing brands like these.  

You can never have too many wide toothed comb and this Macadamia Healing infused one has caught my attention because the well known Macadamia Oil has somehow been formulated within the resin on the comb, so that when you brush your hair, not only should it be easier to detangle but also treat your hair without leaving any residue behind - the mind boggles with that one!

The Ole Henriksens Pure Truth Oil is described as being an anti ageing treatment which uses 100% concentrated Rosehip Oil which activates the skins natural reparative ability with potent antioxidents and essential fatty acids to reveal your skins youthful state. 

You can spritz this to your face and neck and it works to quickly penetrate into the deeper layers of your skin to help heal, nourish and hydrate your skin. It claims that this should help reduce visible lines and that skin immediately appears brighter and more radiant and it smells absolutely amazing!

Murad Essential-C Cleanser contains Vitamins A,C and E as well as various other vital ingredients which should add moisture back into the skin. 

It also rejuvenates your skin whilst promoting a healthy and beautiful complexion by using Allantoin and Sodium PCA. The product smells so fruity too!

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel uses the natural exfoliating fruit enzyme of Papaya and Pineapple which contain nourishing milk protein, anti-oxidant rich vitamin E and Marine algae to moisturise, repair and protect the skin. 

This peel smells amazing, I have used it once before, some time ago and it feels amazing on the skin, so cannot wait to try that again.

Pure Gold Collagen I have had in another beauty box and it remains untouched. But for those wanting to know what it is, essentially it is a liquid food supplement that improves the skins appearance from the inside out. The special blends of hydrolysed collagen,vitamins and minerals is said to reactivate the formation of collagen to give you brighter,plumper and more youthful skin.

Bourjois Intense Smoky I am a huge fan of Bourjois products, and they are definitely one of my favourite high-street brands so when I saw this little trio in my box I was quite chuffed. It contains 2 eye shadows and a liner and also includes a mini brush to apply it with. On the back of the palette are instructions for use, so one shade is a light shade for going above the crease on your eyelid, the darker shade going below that and then to define the liner is found with shade 3. The shades on this palette are not ones I would use, having blue eyes, purple most definitely is not a shade I can get away with, though to look at, it is stunning. I am just more of a nude eye kind of girl.

The final product is a Lord and Berry clear lipgloss which is a full sized product. There isn;t much to really say about a lipgloss other than it thankfully isn't a sticky one once applied and it can be used on its own or over lipstick, lip balm and so on.

I thought this was a brilliant box and I am really happy with the included content and cannot wait for January's Box!

I’d love to hear if you bought this box and what you thought of it?

November Birchbox Cosy at Home

Novembers Birchbox** has arrived and oh my it is a good one!  Cosy at Home November 2014 is about nights in, wrapping up and staying warm at home.  With that in mind, the amazing team behind Birchbox have put together an edit of products which have been specially chosen for a pamper night in!

 

This month there are five different products to try, one of which is full sized and one I cannot wait to try.

Dr Jart+ is a brand most people will associate with BB cream, I know I do and that is where my experience starts and ends.  In this months box there is this Water-Act Skin Mist which is designed to boost skin's internal moisture levels with an anti-oxident infused facial spritz.  You use it after cleansing by gently spritzing your face from a distance of 20-30cm with your eyes closed.  This has an RRP £18.

Weleda Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash follows and this is a 20ml sample and it smells absolutely amazing.  Said to be a nutrient loaded moisturising in-shower wash which is infused with sandalwood, davana and neroli.

Lipglam Natural Lanolin Lip Balm is next and this is a fats actin balm that delivers moisture for up to 8 hours - ooh watch out Elizabeth Arden!! It uses 100% natural ingredients and when on the lips it is so soft and smooth you don't know it is there and it makes a greast base before applying your lipstick!

Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Hair Mask comes in these two cute little  tubs and is designed tog rejuvenate and protect your hair.  It combines argan oil, honey, amber and crush pearls (wow) and is designed to be used after shampooing by simply applying it to the ends of your hair, leave on for 5-10 minutes if you have oily hair and up to 20 if you have dry hair.  I am definitely looking forward to trying this, it smells divine and is a lovely pastel pink colour.  

Lord and Berry Mini Bronzer is the last item in the box and in shade Sunny it looks like this, almost like an eye shadow for a palette. Said to be super fine and matte, this bronzer helps to create a healthly glow for a burst of radiance.

If all of that wasn't enough, there is one little treat in the box by way of chocolate - yippee and it is a Montezuma Mini bar, an indulgent treat of creamy milk chocolate made from the finest organic cocoa beans and it tastes absolutely amazing!

So that is October's Birchbox, isn't it fantastic?  Did you get your Birchbox this month?