Glossybox Birthday edition

8th Aug 20198th Aug 20191 Comment

So this month Glossybox really excelled itself! With a special birthday theme, the packaging alone signalled this was going to be an awesome box!

The sparkly holographic packaging has a millennial pink and rose gold scheme, definitely a box to keep for storage.

Love this pink sparkly box!

Perfectly packaged birthday theme!

August Glossybox

And then… onto the products! As usual 5 products, 3 full size and 2 deluxe mini size. That’s one of the things I love about Glossybox, you do get actual full sized items and not just minis all the time.

The definite highlight of this box is the Huda Beauty Lip strobe which is £17. I got the shade Angelic, which is a gorgeous rose gold, very in keeping with the box theme! The gloss is designed to be worn for a full coverage finish with pink shimmer and gold reflections. It can also be worn on top of your regular lipstick for an added shine effect. I really like the colour and texture of this product. Unlike other lip strobes and toppers it has a good coverage on its own so you don’t have to layer two products.

Next we have the Furr Lashes Rose gold eyelash curler. This came at a great time for me as I was looking at my old Eyeko curler and thinking it was past it’s best! There’s not much you can say about this except it’s rose gold coloured again and it nicely curls your lashes. The eyelash curler is £15 to purchase.

A fab Beauty Pro eye therapy product is included in this box Eye Therapy under eye mask. A cooling eye mask to smooth your under eye area and revive puffy eyes. This has green tea and aloe vera extract with anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also made to reduce dark circles and brighten up your skin. I love eye patches like these as I always feel your makeup looks great after you’ve used them! They are £1.65 for the deluxe mini sample or £4.95 for the Full size product which is a really affordable price for this kind of product. I really liked using these, it was relaxing and my skin felt great and looked more rested.

Next I got an Imperial Leather Foamburst Ultimate Moisture Golden Amber and Coconut Oil. This smells amazing! It just makes me think of holidays with the coconut scent and I like these foam based products as they make my skin feel more moisturised. The amber oil is meant to repair and the coconut oil is to moisturise and hydrate your skin. It’s a perfect size for popping in your travel or gym bag, which is where mine will be headed! This costs £2 for the deluxe sized sample or £5 for the full sized product.

And finally another product I was in need of purchasing! The felt tip liner from Bang Beauty comes in a mirrored packaging and has a thin marker tip for precise eyeliner applications. It’s also waterproof (yay!) and designed to quick dry for a non smudging application that you don’t need to reapply. I haven’t put this to the extreme test yet as I’ve not worn it all day but I can say that it applies really well and doesn’t drag when applying like some others I’ve used. This product sells for £15.75 normally.

Altogether this months box is worth £51.40!

I subscribe to Glossybox for £8.50 plus postage and packing which in total is £11.75 so definitely well worth the subscription fee.

Next months has a ‘Delicious Beauty’ theme with food inspired beauty products which sounds very intriguing!

Have you had any great products this month?

Bath time goodies

1st Aug 20192 Comments

Baths seem to have had a resurgence lately with gorgeous collections coming out of Lush and every other post on my Instagram feed seems to have one more colourful bath than the next!

Goddess, Peachy and Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar from Lush

I’m loving the Peachy bath bomb which not only smells amazing, it also looks fab! Almost a shame to use it and it was a limited edition so not around for long. My other favourite is the Goddess bath bomb, which has notes of patchouli. It’s so relaxing and fragrant, perfect for a good soak plus it’s purple my favourite colour.

My other favourite right now, is the Unicorn Horn bubble bar, a colourful lavender and ylang ylang scented creation which turns your water a pastel colour. Perfect for a relaxing bath with a twist!

The GRL PWR Bubble bar was another favourite and great timing for it to be released with the Spice Girls recently going back out on tour!

There was a point when it seemed to me bath bombs were not in favour so much but with collections from Radox, Revolution and smaller brands making a breakthrough it seems their popularity has never been greater!

Do you have any bath bomb or product faves?

Lion King

23rd Jul 201923rd Jul 20192 Comments

As another Disney film gets re told in live action form, I just had to check it out.

The Lion King is one of our family favourites and was the live action I was most worried about not liking.

I needn’t have worried!

Lion themed sweets were the only snack …

From the opening sequence and the first bars of Circle of life you were literally transported to Africa and immersed in the landscape of the fictional Pride Rock.

Hakuna matata, what a wonderful phrase!

The film is beautifully done and although there are some scenes which are pretty identical to the animation, Circle of Life being one, there are some fun additions or little twists to others to make it stand alone and not be a carbon copy of the original.

Couldn’t resist joining in with the crew!

The heart wrenching Mufasa death scene only feels more difficult in this version -it suddenly seems much more real. Tissues at the ready!

One of my favourite songs from the animation Be Prepared, has some lines altered and cut. However it felt right for the movie and didn’t spoil it for me.

Men’s swim shorts from Shop Disney

The imagery is just amazing in the film and Hakuna Matata has a great update with references to the changes in Simba.

Seth Rogan and as Pumbaa and Timon are excellent as is the Lion Sleeps Tonight sequence.

Of course there’s a plethora of merchandise available, and we couldn’t resist a few wardrobe updates!

Boys Simba T-shirt Asda

Shop Disney, ASDA and ASOS have some fabulous clothes for kids and adults 💜 we loved these swim shorts for my hubby which have a 80’s inspired print and they’ll be making a debut on our holiday. For the little ones there’s so much cute stuff but this Simba shirt has been a real hit with my boy.

There’s also talk of a special Lion King key from Disney stores so I’m keeping an eye on the Shop Disney social media sites.

Timon was always there to motivate Pumbaa

July Glossybox Holiday Haul!

19th Jul 201915th Jul 2019Leave a comment

I was really excited for the July Glossybox which was summer holiday themed and features products to get you ready for your holiday.

July 2019 Glossybox

Five products are featured with skincare, haircare and makeup, another great mixture! There are perfect sizes mixed in here for popping in your suitcase or toiletry bag too.

Manna Kadar Cosmetics Bloom Mascara RRP £23

First up a full size Manna Kadar Cosmetics mascara in jet black. The first thing about this that struck me was the twisted packaging which I like. It’s designed with a cutting edge wand for fuller and longer length lashes. I have been trying some new mascaras lately so I will give this a go and add into another post for a full review.

Omorovicza cleanser, Palmers Body lotion and Boots face mask

Next we have a skincare trio with cleanser, gradual tanning lotion and a face mask.

The Omorovicza cleanser is not one I’ve heard of before and is a Hungarian brand. It’s fab for removing make up, being a foaming cleanser I find they’re usually good for that. This one is a travel size so will be great to take when we are on holiday.

The Palmers body lotion is called Natural Bronze and it’s a gradual everyday tanner. I’ll have to try this when my skin is not as flared up with my psoriasis. It does smell lovely though and I would love to try it properly.

The face mask is from Boots and I got the peel off one. I have to say it was fun using a peel off mask, a lot of the ones I’ve used lately have been sheet masks. It was fun peeling it off and it has tea tree and witch hazel, I had a few blemishes at the time and it has really reduced the redness and made my skin look brighter. I would definitely purchase again. At full size it’s just £3.50

And finally we have haircare with Moroccan Oil. This is an argan oil product for all hair types and helps with sun damage, conditioning and styling. I use it like a serum on wet hair before I heat style and on my dry hair to keep the lengths and ends looking healthy. I really love Moroccan Oil, it really does the job without weighing my hair down or making it look greasy. I hadn’t used it in a while as I’d been favouring John Frieda Frizz Ease but I think I’ll be making the switch back!

Overall the box is worth £58 this month so well worth the monthly subscription plan of £8.50 plus postage and packing.

The sneak peek for August was a sparkly Huda Beauty lip gloss which I am really looking forward to!

Toy Story 4

16th Jul 201915th Jul 2019Leave a comment

Toy Story goodies

So we are massive Toy Story fans in our house. Disney is a huge part of our lives and we were all mega excited to see the new Toy Story 4 movie.

No spoilers but it’s definitely different from any of the other movies and for some a bit emotional. One of my favourite things is the change in Bo Peep which has been well publicised, but I’ll leave it there if you’re still planning a visit! This post is all about some of the cool things we’ve picked up now that most of the Toy Story merchandise has dropped.

Primark Woody cushion

With a discerning 4 year old son and Toy Story mega fan, it was a great time to pick up some cute accessories for his bedroom. This cushion was only £7 from Primark and he loved it so much he insisted on using it as a pillow for his bed!

We also got some bedding and curtains for Daniels room, he’s now 4 and we wanted to make his room a little more grow up for him. Needless to say he loves it! The bedding and curtains are from Dunelm Mill and the curtains have blackout lining, perfect for little ones.

Toy Story Toddler bedding £14 , sheet £6

Toy Story Curtains £45 from Dunelm Mill

Boots UK offer

We picked up some suncream for the summer at Boots and got this free water bottle, featuring none other than Toy Story 4 star Forky. Possibly the most relatable item in the movie is Forky, the toy Bonnie makes from items in the trash. As a mum to a 4 year old we get some weird and wonderful creations brought home from nursery and I love this element of the film showing how creative children’s minds can be.

When the toys take a selfie!

Pizza Planet T-shirt from Primark

I picked up this Pizza Planet T-shirt from Primark for £6 for our family trip to the cinema . We went with a Pizza Planet theme as Daniel loves the aliens, his shirt is from ASDA. Phils is the traditional Pizza Planet logo and is from Amazon.

Toy Story 4 Fan Club!

It was one of Daniels first trips to the cinema and he sat pretty well. You can tell by our faces how excited we were!

Have you seen Toy Story 4 yet?

I’m so looking forward to the Lion King coming up now and now the trailer for the live action Mulan has dropped too it’s an exciting time for Disney fans!

My favourite live action adaptation so far has been Jungle Book so I’m hoping that the Lion King can live up to that!

Quick makeup, it’s all about the base

10th Jul 201910th Jul 20196 Comments

IT Cosmetics Your Skin but Better CC Cream in Fair

You know what it’s like, sometimes you just need to put on a quick face to do the school run or pop out for a few errands. As much as I love applying my makeup sometimes you just want a more natural look that’s easy to apply.

For a quick makeup day I love this IT Cosmetics, Your Skin But Better CC Cream for my base.

I got a sample of this a few weeks ago and I am loving it. At first I thought the shade, I’m using the Fair shade, was too light and would wash me out. However on applying it truly is as it says, “your skin but better!” giving a good coverage and evening out skin tone.

It’s also got factor 50 SPF so no worries about forgetting that in the warmer weather as the summer goes on.

If you are suffering with facial psoriasis as I do from time to time, it’s very good at covering red patches without drying out my face so ideal if a full coverage foundation makes your skin feel dry. It really does have a hydrating feel which I’ve never had with any foundation.

My go to Primer from Makeup Obsession

Hot 🥵 sticky summer days call for a primer that’s got your base covered! I love this Obsession Makeup primer for a non sticky matte finish which keeps my makeup in place all day. I’m usually busy with appointments and work so I need a good base to get me through and keep everything in place. I don’t want to be reapplying!

My other fave is Obsessions Mega Conceal and Baking Powder. I use shade 4 in the concealer and it’s perfect for dark under eyes, something i always struggle with. The formula is so creamy and gives great coverage thanks to the unique applicator.

The translucent powder is so fine, I like to apply mine with a Real Techniques contour brush to give some control over where I apply. It really helps set my concealer in place and areas where I might normally get shiny.

One of my favourite blush palettes is this Pinky Promise one from, you guessed it, Makeup Obsession! I just love their products right now! A great range of shades depending on your mood.

Finished off with a good mascara and I’m good to go.

I’m currently working through a few mascaras at the moment so will give full verdicts on that in another post.

Getting the basics right for a quick base has been my saviour for feeling my best when I leave the house.

Let me know some of your favourites for a basic makeup look.

Spice up your life

28th Jun 201929th Jun 20191 Comment

Why is the world going crazy for the Spice Girls?

Don’t worry this isn’t a negative post – I was front and centre at the show a few weeks ago in Sunderland, singing along at the top of my voice!

Spice World 2019 at Sunderland Stadium of Light

It’s amazing to me that a girl group who last toured back in 2007 still holds such a dear place in the hearts of us 30 somethings that grew up with their music.

The Spice Girls were built around Girl Power and friendship, two decades on from their debut in 1996 and its still the core of their performances.

Theres been much debate over whether Posh was a spoil sport not joining them on this tour, and as much as I missed her ( yes I am a massive VB fan) I understand her reasons. However it certainly doesn’t spoil the show and I loved seeing all the old footage of SpiceWorld and photos from the height of their fame with Victoria still featured.

Geri was so emotional at the Wembley show given that last time the girls were there she missed it due to having left mid way through their world tour. Even resulting in an apology for leaving the first time around. It really highlighted that friendships, especially ones that have been as long as theirs, have ups and downs but a simple apology is sometimes all you need to weather the storm.

I was about 13 when the Spice Girls burst into the music scene, and I think they were probably one of the first experiences I had of feminism.

I know there will be many people who don’t view the Spice Girls as feminist and to that I say there’s no one way to be a feminist.

The Spice Girls pioneered a movement in the Nineties which reintroduced and created a modern form of feminism. One which emphasised that being a feminist was to be worn as a badge of honour.

The Spice Girls represent to me a time when you were proud to stand up and be a girl, unafraid to be yourself. In those five characters they created we all saw ourselves and were one or a mix of a few, you didn’t need to be perfect you just needed to be you. Bringing a generation of girls (me included) into their world and believing we could achieve anything we wanted to put our minds to.

They spread the word that women are strong and confident; that women are stronger together and friendship and love are key to your life, something we should all hold dear .

So there will always be comments like, they can’t sing, they’re too brash, loud, annoying but for me the Spice girls will always be my first real experience of feminism.

Something I think in the modern world we forget, real women fix each other’s crowns.

And friendship really can last forever ♾