She Said Beauty Box.

Quick post about the first She Said Beauty box that I received just a few days ago. I was really disappointed with the box so probably wont be ordering another one.

As it was the first box I figured they’d start with a bit of a bang but it wasn’t a bang, just a little squeak.

The box itself is a Tiffany blue colour, and not as sturdy as the Glossy or Carmine box. It’s magnetic, which means I don’t have the difficulty opening it like I sometimes do with Carmine, but it still feels a bit cheap.

Same presentation as the other leading boxes, tissue paper sealed with a sticker, wrapped and tied with a piece of ribbon.

IN THE BOX:

ORLY Manicure Miniature in Mint

COMFORT ZONE Good Night Kit

PREMAE Harmony Face Balm

AVEDA Smooth Infusion Trio

COLLECTION 2000 Cream Puff

* JING Flowering Dragon Eye Tea *

 Please excuse my hideous nails, I stressed and peeled off my shellac :(

As mentioned in my post, I’m constantly shellaced now so nail varnishes are of no use to me. I’ve luckily arranged to swap this, plus the Andrea Fulerton nail varnish from Carmine, with someone over on Beauty Box Swaps for the Clarins Day & Night creams from the January Glossy boxes – wahey! Loved the nail file, a bit too gritty for the handbag, but a nice touch.

There was a little bit of drama over the Comfort Zone Kit as a lot of people’s were dated two years ago. She Said have confirmed that it isn’t a sell by date but a manufacturing date, and that products are guaranteed for three years. Regardless of the date on it, it’s not a product I’d use as I’ve just gotten myself into a routine that has settled my skin.

The above goes for the face balm too, I wouldn’t want it to interrupt my routine at the moment. It’s for combination skin, and whilst I do have combination skin I’m dubious of using anything oily during the day as my skin produces a lot of oil on its own.

I did like the Aveda skin fusion trio, however I felt that the samples were too small to really do anything with. I have really short hair, but it’s really thick and the shampoo wouldn’t even be enough to do one rinse in my hair, and I need at least three(!).

The Collection 2000 was the worst item in the box. Don’t get me wrong I’m a huge fan of drugstore brands, but I felt that this was a bit too low-end for a beauty box. To be honest, I’d rather it wasn’t in the box at all.

The tea was a nice surprise as a bonus and although I’ve heard mixed reviews about it, I’m going to give it a try and judge for myself, as I love herbal teas. The ‘teabag’ is apparently a flower that opens up after you’ve brewed it, which I think is really cute. And at £1.50 a pop it’s got to be alright… right?

So yeah, that’s it. Overall emotion is disappointment. I won’t be ordering another one, but I have the most horrible feeling that I’m going to be jealous of everyone with the next box and regret unsubscribing. But hey-ho, that’s how it goes eh?

Anybody else highly unimpressed with She Said?

Lola ..x

February Carmine Box!

This months Carmine box was – in my opinion – a massive treat. I think a lot of people signed up after receiving a disappointing Glossy Box, and I think Carmine managed to pull the stops our for this one.

So...

IN THE BOX:

ANDREA FULERTON Nail Varnish in Julia. (Full size)

BALANCE ME Super Moisturising Body Wash (Full size)

STEAM CREAM Steam-infused moisturiser (Full size)

DIEGO DALLA PALMA Lipstick in shade 42

WHITE GLO Professional Choice Whitening Toothpaste

* YARDLEY LONDON Peony Fragrance *

As a few regular readers will know I’m newly converted to Shellac, having tried it at Christmas and been HOOKED since. Because of the shellac I kind of have no need for nail varnishes anymore as my polish lasts two weeks without chipping (if I’m not careless!) and keeps my nails long and strong. So the nail varnish, as nice as it is, wasn’t for me. I really loved the colour though and if I didn’t have the shellac I know I’d definitely use it! Worth £5.

My new shellac in 'Sacha'. Decided to get them cut down and go for something natural this time.

I’m quickly falling in love with all Balance Me products, having recently gotten the face oil in a beauty box and buying the Rose lip salve. I’m yet to use the body wash but this was probably my favourite item out of the whole box. I wouldn’t have discovered the brand if it hadn’t been for beauty boxes, which is part of the reason, I signed up in the first place. Retailing at £8 for 125ml I’d definitely repurchase. Yes, slightly premature since I haven’t used it, but judging by the other products I know I’ll love it.

I’m sure it was the Steamcream that was responsible for the February box selling out so quickly. The quirky tins were really cool and I love mine. I’m not sure how true it is but apparently Streamcream is the sister company of Lush. Even if it it’s not true I love the fact that this cream is made of steam and absorbs really well into my skin. It’s not the cheapest of moisturisers, it now retails at £12.95 (they’ve apparently hiked the price up from £10), but it definitely earns a place in my handbag.

I was really sad when I tried the lipstick today, as it really doesn’t suit me. You know when you eat a spag-bol that has a little too much oil in it and your lips go a funny colour? Yep, that. No offence to Diego Dalla Palma, as the lipstick smells amazing and you can instantly tell that it’s really moisturising, but the colour just wasn’t for me. The sample was really cute and if the colour was better suited to me then I’d buy the full size in a heartbeat!

I have a complete obsession with teeth. I feel really uncomfortable when I look into people eyes (not because I’m lying!) so I’m always looking at peoples’ mouths, and inadvertently their teeth. I get SO jealous when I see people with lovely pearly whites – even though I know my teeth aren’t yellow – so this product gave me a big toothy grin. Probably the last thing you’d expect in a beauty box, the White Glo toothpaste did receive mixed reactions but I personally quite like it. I can’t really see a difference in my teeth yet but I do like it so I will probably switch to this toothpaste once the sample is finished.

 

Last but not least the cute little bonus perfume put into the box. The Yardley London Peony fragrance smells really nice, if floral perfumes are your thing. Now as a bonus ‘gift’ I loved it – simply because I love free stuff. But also because it does smell nice. Carmine did well putting this in as a gift, but I’m glad it wasn’t in place of a sample or product. Would I purchase it? Probably not. I did appreciate the sentiment though.

Overall I’m really pleased with this box, I think Carmine hit the nail right on the head and got one over on GB!

Lola ..x

February Glossy Box! ..

Before you read this post you have to promise not to judge me!

I have developed an addiction... to beauty boxes! I currently have three here that I’m about to blog about, and I’m still waiting for another one to arrive. It’s a habit I need to get under control, simply because I wont be able to afford to EAT pretty soon! BUT when you see all the amazing goodies I’ve been getting you’ll understand why.

First up is GlossyBox. Now there’s a lot of comment about Glossybox going around the blogosphere/twittersphere/[insert sphere here] about their boxes and they’ve been slated quite a bit. My box arrived later than a lot of the existing subscribers so I had a chance to see what people had gotten before I received mine. Suffice to say I was disappointed. I stopped using press-on nails when I was I got to double figures, so why would I want them now? 

However, when I did finally receive mine I was pleasantly surprised.

IN THE BOX:

BECCA Beach Tint in Watermelon
DR BRONNER Lavender Hand Sanitizer
AWAPUHI BY PAUL MITCHELL Wild Ginger Treatment Oil
BM BEAUTY Pure Mineral Eyeshadow in Pink
COMO SHAMBHALA Invigorate Shower Gel

The Becca Tint is undoubtedly my favourite in the box. It’s the full size product, worth £20 on it’s own. It’s a gorgeous pinky colour and actually smells like watermelon, which is great. I don’t really wear colour on my lips as I haven’t really found one that suits me (hopefully the Nivea one does!) but I wear a little bit of this on my lips underneath my Molton Brown Lip Saver for a bit of a soft pink hue.

I know a lot of people complained about the hand sanitizer but I think it’s okay. Granted it’s not a luxury item but it’s practical, and I think it’s a bit more chic than the usual hand gels. It’s the full size and worth £3.99, so it’s not all bad – right? I’m not overly keen on the lavender scent as it’s quite strong, but this’ll definitely be a handbag staple. Would definitely buy again, but in a different scent!

Love, love, love the Paul Mitchell oil. It’s a sample size at 25ml, but worth about £6.50 since the full size 100ml retails at £25.95. I think it’s less like a hair oil and more of a serum, but it makes my hair super soft and smooth when I apply it. I mainly use Moroccan Oil for my hair so I probably wouldn’t repurchase it.

I was disappointed with the eyeshadow mainly because it’s PINK, but also because I’d filled out my beauty profile and stated that I usually wear natural makeup. It’s slightly annoying that I’d gone through that process only to be sent something that I obviously wouldn’t use. Admittedly it looks better swatched than it does in the pot, but it’s still not for me. Full size eyeshadow is 2g and retails at £7, making this sample worth £3.50.

The Como Shambhala shower gel is the only product in the GB that I haven’t used. It’s really thick and has notes of mint and lavender but it’s not something that jumped out at me. 50ml sample is worth about £3.30 since the full size is £20/300ml, which is a bit too pricey for me.

I personally think that this box was pretty decent, it was worth about £37 and considering I paid £12 inc. postage I don’t think that’s too shabby! However, I do think it’s unfair that my box was this good and worth so much when others had boxes worth £14. Obviously I understand that GB will never be able to please everyone, and whilst I’m really pleased it’s not fair that the people who didn’t receive the Becca didn’t get something of equal value.

Did anyone else get a GB? How did you feel about yours?

Excited about the March box? Glossy Box and Harrods! [Insert 100 exclamation marks!] Seen a few spoilers and I’m tres excited. Was tempted to order two, but I wont overdo it!

Are you getting a March box?

Lola ..x

I would be eternally grateful if you used my referral link if you plan on subscribing! Eternally! xx 

..FREEBIES!..

I just have one more assignment for uni to finish and then I’ll have a bit more time to blog. I’ve got so much to update you all on – received the best Carmine and Glossybox boxes, ever!

I’m also going to be having a BENEFIT giveaway very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

This post is all about the freebies though, as I’ve found a few FREE and highly discounted items that I just can’t keep to myself. Unfortunately one of them expires today and I don’t want you to miss out ladies!

Until yesterday I hadn’t heard of Half Price Perfumes but it’s a website with lots of discounted beauty products. I’ve got a code for one freebie and all you need to do is pay the £1.99 postage. Okay, they’re not entirely free since you have to pay the P&P, but you do get a free sample sachet of Fudge Oomf Conditioner!

I’ve ordered mine and I’m really excited to receive a Nivea Super Moisturising Lipstick in Big Berry. Waxy Nivea chapsticks are a staple in my makeup and handbag so I can imagine that this lipstick will be ‘super moisturising’! Click here, add it to your basket and enter code ‘FREENIVEALIPPY’ at the checkout. Don’t even think about it, just do it! Offer runs out today!

Now this one isn’t entirely free but there’s a massive discount. For those ladies lucky enough to be ‘toffee shade’ then this is perfect for you as it’s only available in that shade – BOO! Click here, add it to your basket and enter code ‘99PMAXFACTOR’ at the checkout. Really wish they had it in more shades, but I suppose that’s why it’s on offer. If anyone does buy this then let me know what it’s like!

I did have a whole list of free things from Half Price Perfumes, including a Revlon lipstick and a Bourjois eyeshadow(!) - both for free, but having just checked them it seems that too many people have used the codes and so the promotions are over. Sorry ladies! Next time I find out about these things, you guys will be the first to know!

However, there are some free Clinque products up for grabs in the April Cosmopolitan magazine, which is out in shops now. You get two free products out of four up for grabs – a mini mascara, 30ml Moisture Surge, a lip gloss and a facial scrub. The Moisture Surge cream is available in Boots - £30 for 50ml, so £3.50 for the mag is well worth it. Will hopefully pick one or two up later on today!
I've heard that some places mightn't have it until 1st March, so make sure you look out for the gorgeous Holly Willoughby on the cover!

Nivea are doing free samples of the new Nivea Q10 Pore Refining Day Cream. You can order your sample here.

Last of all, I’ve found a free Calvin Klein lip gloss, all you need to do is pay the £2.95 P&P. Click here, choose your shade and add to the basket, then enter code ‘BCKLG’ during the checkout process. I picked mine in ‘dazzle’ as it looks as if it’ll be clear. It retails for £12 on this website, but is generally between £7 and £14 elsewhere, so a decent saving!

Calvin Klein, Dazzle.

More of these to come, I promise to keep you all informed. ;)

Not really a freebie, but Body Shop are offering 40% off orders online over the next couple of days. Perfect for Mother's Day or just a treat for yourself! Couldn't really pass up the offer so I treated myself to a new primer and a lipscuff. Excited.com right now!

Let me know if you do decide to take advantage of any of these! I'm really looking forward to the Nivea lipstick!

Lola ..x