Smashbox new releases!

I am no stranger to Smashbox, infact I adore their Primer and always have a spare tube of it in my make-up drawer in case I run out.  But I have recently been luck enough to play with some of the new releases which will hit the shelves and stores in January and I thought I would share them with you!

Starting with the Smashbox Double Exposure Palette which is just absolutely stunning.  Described as being the palette of possibilities, each of the 14 featured eyeshadows transform when mixed with water, this palette is all about mixing it up.  Unlike gremlins, you can add water and your shade will either amp up the vibrancy, becomes deeper, turns metallic or finds it sparkle meaning there is something for everyone and these shades are as I have said, stunning. 

Swatches from L-R = Silver, Mauve, Peony, Blanc, Quartz, Flushed and Veiled

When water is added to these shades Silver, Mauve, Peony and Blanc turn Metallic.  Quartz and Veiled amp up their vibrancy and Flushed becomes a deeper shade.

Swatches top - Midnight, Temper, Haze and Noir.  Swatches Bottom - Copper, Fig and Espresso.

When water is added to these shades, Midnight and Temper become Sparkly. Haze, Noir, Fig and Espresso become deeper. Copper turns metallic.

What I also love is that this palette comes with its own double ended brush which is domed on one side to absorb just the right amount of water for impactful colour and the other end is angled which allows you to create a precise line when wet or a diffused line when dry.  If that isn't enough, there is also a little how to use guide, which is really helpful and something I am glad to have.

If this sounds like a palette you would love, it will be priced at £37 and is available from 7th January

The Smashbox Step-by-step Contour Kit is a product I was really excited to get my hands on because I am not good at the Kardashian contouring, no matter how many easy guides I want and follow!  This little kit comes encompassed in this sleek black palette and includes shades to help you highlight, contour and bronze plus a specially designed contour brush and a how to guide. I have used my palette a few times, when ive been home alone and I am slowly getting the hang of it.

Swatches L-- Contour, Bronze and Highlight

This palette is available now and costs £35

The next products I absolutely love, I wasn't too sure about them at first, but boy have they grown on me and they are Always Sharp Lip Liner.  Why do I love them? Well they self sharpen for one and I got quite excited when I was first given a demonstration as to how they did just that, it is all about the twist!  Seriously, there is a hidden sharpener within the lid of the liner which re-sharpens the lip liner everytime you need to use it, one twist, no mess and a sharpe liner awaits you! 

From top to bottom - Melon, Rosebud and Violet

Now I am not the best person at remembering to line my lips, infact I tend to remember once I have already applied my lippie and am on my way out, you know when you have that one last look in the mirror? Yeah then.  These lip liners come in 12 different shades ranging from Nude Fair to Shocking Pink.  I have Rosebud, Melon and Violet and as you can see from the swatches, the colours are absolutely stunning ad you can actually wear them on their own!  Costing just £15 each, they are available now to buy.

The final products I have been playing with are the Be Legendary long-Wear Lip Lacquers.  They are described as being the new boundary-pushing formula which delivers maximum high-lacquered color with major comfort—all day long. They use what is referred to as a proprietary triplex of 1) vibrant staining pigments, 2) glossy-finish pearls and 3) conditioning vitamin E. What this means is that working together, all three of those leave you with a lovely vibrant, but lip conditioned finish, not at all like those horrid Apocalips but much better than the offerings from Revlon, infact, even if your lips feel a tad dry before applying these lacquers, once applied, there is no hint of dry skin or flaky looking lips and nor does it, when applied, leave your lips feeling sticky and tacky, instead, as the colour fades throughout your day, there will be a hint of colour left behind.

Top Swatch is Beet It and Bottom is Orange Crush

The Lip Lacquers come in 20 different shades and I have two of them in Orange Crush and Beet It, possibly neither shade I would ever wear, but from the shades available, there is something for everyone and I have my eye on Warm Rose and Rosewater which I've swatched and really like the look of.  These Lacquers are available now for £19 each.

So there you have a little insight into the new products I have been lucky enough to play with from Smashbox and seriously, if there is one palette you are yet to decide upon, give the Double Exposure one a little look, it is amazing!

What do you think to these new products? 

Have you tried any of them yet?

Pink Parcel

When I was asked if I would like to review the Pink Parcel and Teen Parcel, I jumped at the chance.  Both items are subscription boxes that are specifically designed for woman and teens during their monthly cycle. The idea being that your box arrives before your period is due and inside it will be tampons and sanitary towels that are obviously essential items and as an added extra there are some products which aim to put a smile on your face, almost like a hug in a box.

With Pink Parcel you subscribe at £5.95 for your first box and then subsequent boxes are £9.99 which includes delivery.  Once signed up you firstly pick the products you want, either tampons or sanitary towels and then which brand and absorbency you need and there is quite a selection to choose from.  Once that has been decided, you type in the date your period is due each month and then how long it lasts.  Once that is all done your box will arrive 3-5 days before the start of your period which means you have your products in plenty of time.

Once it does arrive, the box is really discreetly packaged and the Postie will have no idea what it is and it fits perfectly through my letterbox.  Once inside the box you will find three smaller boxes which are categorised as: for now, for later and for you.

• For now is a small drawstring bag which contains some hygiene products, in my case tampons. You can use this to put in your handbag and carry around the products discretely. I have the bag already in my handbag and because of its size, it is really handy for putting into one of the inner pockets that usually just has a spare lip balm or perfume sample in it. 

• For later contains more sanitary products. I received 25 tampons which is more than enough. If you need more tampons/ towels you can email pink parcel and they will send out extra for you next month.

• For you contains some really thoughtful items and I was really chuffed with the contents of mine:

As you can see from the photo there is quite a variety of products to be had - Tea Pigs chocolate flake tea, two pairs of false eyelashes, Doisy and Dam Goji and Orange organis dark chocolate bar, Gluco Tabs in Juicy Raspberry flavour and then two beauty products which are - 30ml Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream and a 15ml tube of ROC Multi Correction Anti-ageing cream.

Then we have Teen Parcel which I loved as soon as I opened it and I think it would make a great gift for mother to daughter or even big sister to little sister, I know that for some the whole issue of menstruation is an embarrassing subject so this is perfect.

The Teen Parcel box is lovely and pink in colour and again discreetly packaged so that no one will have a clue what it is. Again as with Pink parcel you  subscribe or subscribe as a gift at £5.95 for your first box and then subsequent boxes are £9.99 and this includes delivery.  Then you pick the products you want and again it is a choice of either tampons or sanitary towels along with which brand and absorbency you think is needed.  What I love is that there is a big selection to choose from and there is something for everyone. Once all your selections have been made, your box will arrive 3-5 days before the start of your period which means you have your products in plenty of time.

Once the box arrives inside are three different stages to the box which again are - For You, For Now and For Later.  

• For now - Again there is a beautifully designed grey and white spotted pouch which has a few tampons in for now and again the pouch is designed to be kept in your bag.

• For later - There are two boxes which contains more tampons, or sanitary towels if that was your option, there should be enough to see you through your period for that month, this is calculated based on the dates given during the sign up process.

• For you - perhaps the most exciting part of the box and the one I couldn't wait to open, this is the content:

Firstly how fabulous are the contents? I was really happy to see that they are perfect for a teen to have and want to use and my friends daughter has already claimed the entire box and it's content because she was so pleased with it.  But as you can see there is

• Tea Pigs Chocolate Flake Tea Sachet
• A Mini Packet of Haribo
• A Binky  London nail polish in shade Blue a Stargazer plus a 10% discount code for a future purchase of products from Binky London
• Three Clean and Clear products from the advantage range which includes - Spot Control Cleasner in a 125ml tube, Spot Control Moisturiser in a 40ml tube and a 10ml tube of Fast Clearing Spot Treatment

The final item inside a pink drawstring bag is a rope bracelet in pink which has a bow charm on it and is a really nice addition to the box.

Both of these boxes are absolutely fantastic and I just love the concept it is brilliant. I love how refreshing it is not to have to think about your period and that there is a little something too make you smile inside too, of course the content of the 'for you' box changes every month to add a little more excitement to the whole concept. Teen Parcel again is just a lovely concept and one I have enjoyed sharing with both my god daughter and friends little girl, both of whom are a little too embarrassed by their monthly cycles, which is quite sad in many ways, but thankfully, this is discreet enough for them to not to have to feel it is a subject they need to mention too often.