Birchbox - January 2015

It's the first box of the year for Birchbox** and it kicks off being partnered with the go-to for all things health, fitness and well-being - Women's Health and a box titled 'Hit Refresh'. Inside the box are products that will help you start the year with your best foot forward! There is also a 'Hit Refresh' booklet which contains 12 bite-sized challenges with some tips. Each page has a hole which allows you to hang it up with perforated pages it allows you, should you wish you, the ability to pull out pages after completing them and I am determined to give some of them a go.

The first item in this month's box is a full size Stila Lip Glaze worth £15, in the shade  Glimmer which is a rosy pink shade to describe it.  As a twist up lip gloss which has a built in brush, it is quite a handy little item to have in your make up bag for a quick touch of gloss.

The next item is a 20ml sample tube of the Philip Kingsley Body Building Conditioner worth around £1.50. I have only ever tried the Elasticizer from Philip Kingsley, so I am looking forward to giving this a go.  This conditioner claims to transform lifeless locks and help seal flyaways due to the lustrous, wheat-protein conditioner.

The next product is a 5ml tube of HealGel Intensive worth £3.75.  I am a huge fan of HealGel products and have used this before which I have reviewed HERE.  As you only need a teeny amount at any one time to use it, this tube will last a good few weeks and it is perfect for that overnight or weekend away bag.

REN is one of my favourite brands and one I have been using for well over a year now, so I am always pleased to see a product from them in any box I get.  Within this box I have the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask which I have used once or twice from a smaller sample sized tube, so I am glad to see a 10ml version, which will at least give me 5-6 masks.  It is described as being a fast-working exfoliating treatment which improves texture, tone and combats congestion.  Has a value of around £6

The next product is one I haven't heard of before from Activbod and the product is called a Cooling Finish Lotion. It is a 20ml tube and is said to re-energise after a work-out as it is an invigorating menthol packed lotion. You use it by massaging it into clean skin and then you get a cool tingle. So I tried it out and there is most definitely a tingling sensation there.  This tube has a value of around £2.50

The final two products in this box are a Green Matcha Tea from Embrace which is apparently 100% natural with 10 times the antioxidents of a regular green tea.  You are told to take half a teaspoon and whisk it into hot water or cold water and you can also add it to smoothies and juices too.  On its own it is worth 99p



Then we have a Birchbox Pilates Band. It is said to tone, increase strength and improve muscle endurance with its resistance. So if anyone has a use for this and would like it, please do let me know as it isn't something I would use, but I did like to see it included because it does at least fit with the theme of the box. It also has a value of £7.99

So overall, I am really impressed with this month's Birchbox and I I really liked the theme, which for January is really appropriate. The box is worth around £37 which is great value for money when it costs just £12.95**.

Did you get a Birchbox this month?

Recent Beauty Discoveries

I thought I would kick my blog off in 2015 with something a little different.  It is about three products which I have started using within the last 6 weeks which have made a huge impact.  It is very rare that I use a product just a few times before I want to rave about them, but with these three, I just can't help it.

The first product from REN and it is a sample I was lucky to get my hands on when I spotted a chance online to sign up and 100 people would be chose.  The Instant Firming Beauty Shot is a liquid matrix of hyaluronans and phycocolloids which instantly life and firm leaving your skin looking dramatically smoother, lighter and more youthful. 

The serum is gel like, only it is a little runnier than your average gel, so you only need a small amount on the top of your finger to cover your entire face. When I used it for the first time, I was quite surprised to find that within half an hour of applying it, my face felt slightly tight and much firmer than usual and these effects lasted all day, 7 hours.

Whenever I get a new product, for the first few uses, I apply them when I am going nowhere, just incase I have a reaction of some kind, but to use it you simply apply it morning and evening under your usual moisturiser and you are good to go.  So both times I trialled it was whilst I was at home and used this product I got the same result, a much smoother and firmer feeling face, which isn't uncomfortable but it does leave your skin feeling amazing, something which I've struggled to photograph for the time being, the sort of before and after shots not quite working how I want them too.  Since using it at home, I have continued to use it and go about my daily routine I would normally and I have had no reaction, but my skin does continue to work with it really really well.

If you haven't guessed, I absolutely love this product, it has wowed me in just a few short weeks and it is on my list if products to buy though 30ml costs £36 but if used on special occasions and when you need a bit of a boost, this would last a very long time.

The second product is one most of you will be well aware of and probably use but Liz Earle is new to me and it is the Hot Cloth Cleanser.  Now I know many of you already rate this product, some swear by it and even give it that HG status, for me it just brilliant. 

I got my first bottle during a swap and as soon as I opened it , I started using it.  As i've said many times before, London is quite a polluted place to live and my skin needs all the help it can get to rid it of dirt and grime from going about my daily routine to and from work or just being out and about.  What I loved about this as soon as I tried it was the scent of the cleanser which you just know which make your skin feel incredibly clean.  After applying just two pumps to my face and then using the accompanying muslin cloth to remove all the dislodged dirt and grime, you can almost hear your skin breathe a sigh of relief as you wipe the cloth around your face.  What I love is that this cleanser is so gentle, you can open your eyes whilst using it to make sure you have removed all trace and when you have finished, oh my is your skin soft! Mine was a smooth as smooth can be.  It also has an impressed list of ingredients which includes Chamomile, Rosemary, Cocoa butter and Eucalyptus Essential Oils along with Cocoa Butter and Beeswax all of which are just amazing to the skin.

As a first time user to Liz Earle, this won't be my last because I adore this cleanser.

The final product comes from Jurlique and it is the Rosewater Balancing mist, which has found its way into my heart. 
 

"A daily hydrating mist featuring the relaxing scent of rose that restores and hydrates the complexion and is ideal for normal/combination skin types."

 

 

The mist is the only mist that rebalances and rejuvenates the skin in one fresh friendly sensation that soothes and smooth's.  It uses a combination of Aloe Vera and Rose to not only give this wonderfully relaxing scent but to also cool and calm the skin.  Add to that  Glycerin and Marshmallow which provide a refreshing boost to the skins natural hydration system, this mist is one which I have in my handbag and on my desk at work. 

When you hit that mid afternoon slump, a spritz of this on your face not only wakes you up, but it also gives your skin a bit of a kick too.  Going from a cold climate outside, to a hot heated one indoors plays havoc with my skin, so anything I can use to add extra moisture is always going to win favours with me and this product is a big hitter. It doesn't leave your face feeling oily but it does leave it feeling soft, smooth and hydrated, which is what it promises to do and it is perfect for my skin type which is combination leading towards the oily side. A 50ml bottle will cost around £17 for this mist.

So these three products are my new discoveries and ones which I love using right now and whilst each one of them is very different to the other, I like how they all do different things to make my skin look and feel good.

Have you made any recent discoveries like this? Do you use any of these regularly?

Magazine Freebies!

Every month I read reviews about magazine freebies and it is very rare I am excited enough to go out and buy them, though last month I did get the mini REN hot cloth cleanser which was fabulous. This month, I feel a little bit more spoilt for choice with the choices on offer, there are just so many good ones to get, plus my very friendly newsagent has been a little generous with some of the extra freebies which didn't seem to belong to any of the magazines for sale in his shop, so when he asked if me I would like them, how could I refuse?

So what did I manage to get my hands on?

Yes I think I have done pretty well this month with getting my hands on the whole Clinique set which comes from Glamour magazine. There are two Chubby Sticks in Super Strawberry and Woppin' Watermelon, a mini High Impact Mascara and a mini bottle of Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion+ though I seem to have two of these. All of these together are said to be worth £30 and given Glamour Magazine costs just £2 perhaps it would have been worth shelling out that extra £6? I had initially opted for the Chubby Stick in Woppin' Watermelon as I like the look of the colour, but as I was given both Chubby sticks plus the mascara and two Moisturising lotions, I am more than chuffed with this little haul!

With Instyle magazine comes a free Neal's Yard Geranium and Orange Hand Cream in a 50ml tube, which is worth £10 and given Instyle costs just £3.90 this in itself is an absolute bargain and I am a huge fan of Neal's Yard products and am yet to try a hand cream, of which I go through quite a lot, so I am hoping this is good.

The magazine I really wanted besides Glamour was Red magazine because they have a Rodial Stemcell Super Glam Balm Lip 10ml, a 7ml version in Marks and Spencer and Harrods which has an RRP £17, so this is an absolute bargain given I paid just £4 for the magazine!

In Cosmopolitan this month you can choose from four freebies from a brand called New CID Cosmetics, those freebies are a Black Mascara and three shades of their Lip and Cheek Tint, all together worth £60, I have the Mascara which I was given and the Lip and Cheek Tint in Rose Tint which is a shade I really like.

Marie Claire Magazine has a freebie from one of my favourite brands Balance Me this month and there is a choice of the Luxury Face Cream 15ml or Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm 40ml which together are said to be worth around £25. I opted for the Face Balm which I have had my eye on for some time and I can't wait to see what it is like. This Magazine usually costs £3.90 but if you go to Tesco it is just £2.50 which means even more of a saving for a fab freebie.

The one magazine I didn't buy was Elle which has a skincare travel set by Malin and Goetz and the kit contains a Grapefruit Face Cleanser 10ml, Lip Moisturiser 5ml and Vitamin E Face Moisturiser 10ml which together are worth £10, the only reason I don't have it is because someone had stolen all the freebies from the magazines on offer, but if you do want it, then Elle is £4.

The Lip Crayons I am really looking forward to using and this is how they swatch:

The Mascaras I am also looking forward to using and they look like this:

So there you have this months magazine freebies and the ones I was lucky enough to get.

Have you managed to get your hands on any of these freebies this month? 

Are there any that you really want to try?

REN V-Cense!

REN skincare products are not something I have ever gone out of my way to try, even though many Bloggers rave about how brilliant they are.  A few weeks ago I was invited to attend a new product launch at the REN HQ here in London and I went along with the lovely Kimberley from Kimberleysbeautyblog to see what all the fuss was about.

Once inside REN HQ we got plenty of time to mingle with other bloggers and the lovely RN Staff as well as meet David Plenter who is the REN Global Brand Ambassador who then gave us a wonderful presentation into the world of REN and he spoke so passionately, it was hard not to want all of the products.

The reason for the event was to introduce to us the V-Cense collection which we got to test and try out as David was talking to use.  He was also very brave asking if anyone had any questions throughout his presentation, which with a room full of bloggers is no mean feat, but he handled everything wonderfully.   As David spoke to us all, we were able to test out some of the products mentioned which I found really helpfully, especially I was new to trying any REN product.

The V-Cense range is described as being an "innovative range of clean skincare designed to banish urban grey and combat fatigue".

Within this range there is the V-Cense Youth Vitality Day Cream which is described as being:  "A multi-active day moisturiser that prevents and minimizes the signs of premature ageing. Its complex of actives intensely hydrates, protects against free radical damage and smoothes fine lines and wrinkles while boosting skin energy and elasticity. Skin stays hydrated, protected and glowing."

Next comes the V-Cense Revitalising Night Cream which is said to "Hydrate and rejuvenate your skin overnight, waking to a radiant and healthy reflection. Frankincense Revitalising Night Cream contains bio-actives that moisturise, nourish and help combat the signs of premature ageing".

We also got to try out the REN Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser which is described as being"A rich and velvety lotion formulated to clean the skin from urban dirt and to remove make-up. Tannins from Centifolia rose petals soothes, tones and revives the skin while triglycerides from cocoa butter leaves it nourished and supple".  This product also comes with a Muslin cloth.

The final product we got to hear about is the REN V-Cense Flash Rinse 1 minute facial, yes you read that right.  This product is a gel-rinse that is designed to instantly revitalize and rejuvinate the skin after just 1 minute and last for 72 hours! It aims to neutralize ‘urban grey’ (especially good news for us living in London), remove blackheads, eliminate dead skin cells, reduce the signs of fatigue, diminish the signs of wrinkles and overall leave skin looking firm, toned and smoothed. Short term it is said to brighten your complexion, even skin tone and it also has an instant firming, toning and lifting effect.  To me, this all seems quite impressive and exciting for a product only being used for 1 minute and it is out in March 2014.

As soon as I saw all of these products and was lucky enough to try them, I wanted them as well as most of the products from the Moroccan Rose Range which smell absolutely amazing.  Amazingly, the wonderful people at REN had prepared an amazing goody bag ina lovely REN Tote bag for those of us who attended and here are the contents:

I was totally excited to see all of these products within my bag, especially two sachets of the 1 minute facial which I was itching to try having listened to David talk about it so passionately because it does sound simply amazing.

Have you tried any REN products? Do you have a favourite?

BBBBox 2 - What Was In My Box?

I was unlucky not to get my hands on the first BBBox which Jane, the lovely lady behing the British Beauty Blogger Blog put together and when I saw how fantastic it was, I was slighty gutted.  I was therefore delighted that there was going to be a second BBBox and there was no chance I was going to miss out on it.  It cost just £22 with P&P very reasonably priced at £5.95 and for your money there was a box packed full of lovely products to get excited about, all of which Jane herself picked and chose.

In my box was the following:

• Alterna Bamboo Range 48 Hour Sustainable Volume Spray
• Bourjois Eyeliner
• CND Vinylux Nail Polish & Top Coat
• Indeed Labs Hydraluron
• L'Occitane Angelica Cleansing Gel
• L'Occitane Angelica Face Toner
• L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream
• La Roche-Possay Redermic Dermatological Anti-Wrinkle Treatment
• Mandara Spa Tropical Blooms Softening Bath Milk
• Maybelline Rocket Mascara
• Rituals Car Fragrance
• REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask and Invisable Pores Detox Mask
• Rouge Bunny Lip Gloss Gleaming Temptation in Uncaged Tigress
• Urban Decay Moondust Eye Shadow in Zodiac
• Roger & Gallet Bois d'Orange Huile Sublime
• Vichy Idealia Smoothing and Illuminating Cream
• Washi Hot Cloth 

And a lovely little Union Jack stocking which can be used to house some of your products, perhaps to give them as a gift to someone (you will not get that from me).

I was really excited to find the Indeed Labs Hydraluron and Washi Hot Cloth, both of which are nestled quite nicely on my 'Want To Try' list and I was also chuffed to see the two REN products and La Roche-Posay which also feature on the 'Want To Try List'.

Did you get your hands on this box? 

Does this box contain any product that you would love to try?