Gellish Much?

I've been hearing about Gellish/Shellac nails for months now and when holiday time came it seemed the perfect opportunity to give it a go myself. I booked an appointment at my local salon where they have just started offering the treatment and are running a deal too good to miss. Mani/Pedi £20!! For that price I couldn't say no, unfortunately there were a few reasons that the deal was so good, 1. The Nail Tech is newly qualified and 2. The colours available were extremely limited. I think she had 5 all of which were a bit dated, frosty mauves and such, the red was really my only option. From the start I wasn't super impressed with the paint job.. no neater than I could have done myself but the whole process (hands) took about 40mins and I was impressed with the glossy finish and the promise of 3 weeks wear. I knew that I wouldn't get that long from it as my fingernails grow quickly and the re-growth would drive me mad but chip free for the duration of my trip was all I wanted. 

The pictures above and below are both 1 week in and I am distinctly underwhelmed. After only one day I could see wear and 3 days in my thumb and forefinger had both chipped. Bare in mind that I was on holiday.. no housework, washing up etc.. I was expecting more. 

In this instance it could well be a case of you get what you pay for but I wouldn't pay more after this experience. My regrowth was bad after a week and even the best nail tech couldn't avoid that so I won't be shelling out the big bucks for this kind of thing but my toes are lasting well and I would consider having this done again for a week away so as not to worry about repainting while on holiday. Having heard such wondrous things about gellish I thought I'd add my not so wondrous thoughts to the mix, I'm not saying don't try it I'm just saying manage your expectations.. it's not magic!

Miss BB

Revlon Lip Butters - The Swatch Post

Regular readers/viewers will know how much I was dying to get my hands on the Revlon Lip Butters. I bought the L'Oreal Caresse to put me on (comparison to come) but they are finally here in the UK and although they aren't entirely what i was expecting they did not disappoint.

I picked up 3 shades in America and another when out shopping today - you can't have an uneven number of anything, right? I believe only one from my collection is a US exclusive and that's Red Velvet. I'm pleased (for us brits) to say it's not my favourite though. I've been wearing a lot of pink lately and Strawberry Shortcake and Sweet Tart both appealed as daytime pastels. Lollipop, however will almost certainly be relegated to nights out for me. They all delivered so much more colour pay off than I had anticipated. I expected them to be a sheer wash more like a tinted balm. The buttery name just suggested balm to me... am I the only one? Well they are bone-fide lipsticks my friends so if that's not your thing I suggest you look elsewhere.  There are of course the bolder and more tame within the range but for the most part the pigmentation is strong but the formula feel moisturising and I like it. That's obviously what Revlon were inferring and I missed entirely.

For a full shade list outlining the UK/US availability click here

Although they are not tinted balms longevity wise they act like them so don't hold your breath for kiss proof colour here. You will be reapplying within 2 hours (maximum) and you will need to be checking for smudges with the brighter shades throughout the day. That being said I think I will still get a lot of wear out of these and potentially add to my collection. They feel nourishing and no matter what time of year my lips appreciate some love.

So.. the moment of truth, which is the winner? Why Lollipop of course! It's the first one I tried on and I fell in love instantly.  A beautiful, bright, glossy fuchsia that I just know will be my summer staple.

I know most of you will own at least one of these by now so.. what's your favourite?

Revlon Lip Butters can be purchased from Boots (link) for £7.99

*currently part of the 3 for 2 offer*

Miss BB

Maybelline Color Tattoos

I know I'm still yet to comprehensively blog about our trip to Las Vegas but I have a few products and swatches to share before my haul video goes live this evening. I will start with the Color Tattoos. I bought Bad to the Bronze over in America which is why the branding is slightly different and the Eternal Gold and Permanent Taupe I picked up today...

True to the hype the staying power is incredible and the pigmentation is equally impressive. Metallic pay off is always good but I am especially excited about the taupe.. when do you find cream matte shadows? Never! Unfortunately in my experience they aren't creaseproof but they're pretty damn close and that's good enough for me.

I'm sticking with the neutral palette for now as I know no matter how great the colours may be I just wont use them. It would seem we are not getting the full spectrum that the US has but I believe all we're missing is a pink and a disappointing white so perhaps not such hard luck after all.

Maybelline Color Tattoos are available from Boots (link) for £4.99

*They're also part of the current 3 for 2 deal*

Miss BB

Your Skin Will Thank You...

I've talked about these lotions so many times in videos but I'm not so sure I've blogged about them and they really deserve some blog love. I love my Soap & Glory I really do but for an everyday lotion you cannot beat Garnier Intensive 7 days! You may be able to tell from my substantial collection that I am a firm fan. I do have a favourite but they all have their uses as you will see below.

My favourite has to be the Shea Butter for dry to extra dry skin. It smells delicious and it's quite possibly the best moisture hit you can get from the drugstore. It dries super fast too. Consider it the same hydration you would get from a luxuriously thick body butter but you can get dressed in 5 minutes instead of feeling sticky all day/night. I can't always be bothered to moisturise every night like I should but when I'm using this I can afford to skip a day. You really do feel moisturised for longer and for only £4.99 for 400ml you can't afford not to try it!

You can purchase the range at Boots (link) where they are currently running 3 for 2 on all skin care so there's never been a better time to buy!

Have you tried this? Do you love it?

Miss BB

My Spring Polish Picks

We switch a lot of things up as the seasons change, clothing and skincare are job one for me but I never really think about makeup let alone nails. This year I thought I would share my top picks for spring as it seems a popular 'thing to do' within the beauty community.

First up in wouldn't be Spring without Greens right? My favourites from my collection have to be 'Did it on em' from OPI and Khaki from W7. The Khaki has to be one of my all time favourite budget polishes.. it looks demure and classic but.. it's green! It's a great one for Autumn too. Did it on em is very bright and it's not going to be for everyone, from the new Nicki Minaj collection it's a recent addition for me which is in part why it was selected. I want to get some wear out of it as the warmer weather approaches.

Next are the blue tones. These two Models Own polishes are in my top 10 for sure.. Beth's Blue is possibly the most flattering shade of cornflower blue I've ever seen. It's honestly mesmerising to me when I'm wearing it. Utopia, which ok is closer to a grey or a purple, is what I consider to be a more wearable alternative to nude or white nails. It's still a big trend but not everyone can pull it off, Utopia is more delicate and timeless. Lastly I have chosen Fly, another from the Nicki Minaj for OPI collection. This is very different, a bold teal blue which I can only imagine will look amazing against tanned skin in summer but spring is when you start to think about injecting the colour back in and although blue isn't for everyone it's quickly become one of my favourites. I will warn you though.. it's also one of the worst I've ever used for staining my nails!

On to my third and final category.. pinks! I couldn't not mention Casting Call by Sally Hansen. Unfortunately I believe that at least in the UK this has been discontinued but my main reason for loving this is the formula and one would hope that the quality is consistent throughout the 'complete salon manicure' range. It's a gorgeous every day colour but I wont dwell because as I said.. it's no longer available. One of my favourites has always been Models Own Pink Punch. It's the brightest polish I own, practically fluorescent and I always think a super bright polish is the ultimate accessory to an all black outfit and I wear a lot of black!

At this time of year you're looking to inject colour in to your wardrobe but I'm a neutrals kinda girl and I find nail polish the easiest way to do it!

Miss BB

Get Cheeky with Miners

When I received the 3 new lipstick formulas from miners I also received these new cream stick cheek products. In general I don't get along with cream colour products so I didn't think I was going to like these but they are not what I expected them to be and I'm actually really enjoying them. 

None are so pigmented they look garish which is often the issue for me but it was the formula that won me over. They aren't at all greasy. They're almost dry, blendable but smudge proof.. really just totally different from anything else I've tried. I'm not sure how they'll fare over time, I get the impression they might dry out to an unusable state earlier than I'd like but I will have to get back to you on that one.

The only one real negative is that these are the only shades available so if this bronze/blush or highlight doesn't suit you there are no other options. I don't know if they plan to expand at a later date but I would imagine it will depend how popular they are. I expected to be comparing these to the old Eyeko Fat Balms but I found those sticky and unusable as cheek products where these are too dry to be multi-purpose for the lips as well.. swings and roundabouts I guess. 

The Cheek Of It is available from Miners online for £3.99 here

St. Ives For My Sahara Skin

 

After a week in the desert my skin is starting to resemble the Sahara so when I was asked to try a new look St. Ives scrub it seemed like perfect timing. I have chosen the Invigorating version which claims it will gently exfoliate to reveal smooth, radiant skin. I used to be absolutely obsessed with the Blemish Fighting apricot scrub - you know the one! - but my skin has become dry and dull in recent months and I just don't think that's necessarily the right choice for me right now.

One thing that's always popular is all natural skincare. St. Ives Apricot facial scrubs contain 100% natural exfoliants, as well as apricot - obviously - which is proven to hydrate and nourish the skin. Often we opt for quick fix products that can be damaging to our skin long term, with St . Ives scrubs you are getting the same clean feeling without stripping your skin of the moisture it needs.

I am looking forward to seeing how the scrub works for my post-vacation skin issues and will be trialling the scrub for 7 days before I share my results. Another thing to mention is that I've been without my Clarisonic Mia for more than a week and I will not be using it for the duration of this trial in the interest of a fair 'before and after'.

You can currently buy this on offer for just £1.97 from Superdrug

What are your thoughts on the new St. Ives?

Miss BB

*sponsored post*

Happy Snaps

 

I haven't had time to put together all of our photos for a post yet so I thought I'd share these few that I love. It's so hard to get nice photos together when you're on holiday alone so this was our solution. 

Miss BB

My Travel Toiletries..

Perhaps this is not the most conventional video but we bloggers are as much about hair and skincare as we are about the gloss on top so I guessed people would be interested in what made the cut in my travel essentials. I'm going to be honest and admit that what you see in this video is not entirely what I took. As with my travel makeup bag I came to pack and realised I was taking too much stuff so again and condensed but i had no time to re-film either so up they go. I will likely do a Vlog  on what I packed when I unpack at the other end so if you want to see that along with my other Vegas adventures be sure to check out our vlog channel (and subscribe of course - shameless plug). Anyway.. I don't usually like to post a video with no additional info or pictures but I'm not sure how great my wi-fi will be so needs must and I'm posting this here in case you didn't see it in your subscription box.. scheduled posting is know to be temperamental so this is a back up if you will.. I'm covering all of my bases! If you want me to go over what I did take in a blog post separately let me know.. I am going to have a lot of free time on the plane home to blog!

Without further ado.. here's the video...

Miss BB

My In-flight Essentials

I am typing this blog post from the desk in our Las Vegas hotel room. It's 10.15pm here but it's 5.15am UK time and I'm yet to get so much as a nap. I've been up for almost 24 hours and the shakes are setting in. We haven't done much yet as we're just wiped from the flight and would you believe it's bloody freezing out? We have a busy day planned tomorrow however so I will be retiring to our huge plush bed soon to fall asleep gazing at the absolutely epic view from our penthouse suite!!! More on that later, I haven't taken many photos yet but have of course vlogged my arse off!

I had a few requests on twitter for a 'what's in my carry on' type video but I feel I've kind of overloaded YouTube with Vegas at this point so I'm going to post it here n case you're all sick of my excited face. If you could see my face now... not so excited.. in fact I wouldn't want you to see my face right now! I did show everything I was taking and the bag etc in my Countdown vlog which you can watch here (skip to 11mins in if that's all you want to see) but I will give you a little run down here for those who prefer the old pictures and words approach.

I'll start with what's in my 'makeup bag' carry on. Some of this is just 'cause I decided I wanted it last minute and others are what I'd consider 'in-flight essentials'

Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc

YSL Touch Eclat in Shade 1

Stila eyeliner in sting ray

Urban Decay eyeliner in zero

MAC tinted lip conditioners in petting pink and soothing beige

Lancome mini Hyponose Drama mascara

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil sample

Steam Cream

Elizabeth Arden 8 hr cream & Lipbalm

Moa Green Balm

Benefit Dr Feel Good

Valentino Valentina perfume sample

I actually stayed makeup free during the flight and felt so much better for it. I didn't apply makeup 'til we were checked in and in our room. Right now my skin is thanking me. Flying leaves you so dehydrated, I reapplied my lotions and balms every few hours and felt fresh upon arrival.

So what else did I think I NEEDED with me on the plane..

Notebook

Diary

Purse

Travel Wallet

Laptop

Headphones

Snack

Various Medicines

Hairbrush

Sunglasses

Wet wipes

Phone

DSLR (not pictured)

I didn't use my camera (shocker) or my laptop on the flight and I'd be tempted to pack them on the way home as my carry-on was so heavy but between them they are worth more than this trip cost so I'm nervous to part with them. I used a huge handbag from H&M purchased for this purpose and packed my regular handbag to use while I'm over here. 

So... for those of you that wanted to know what I was carrying on.. hope you found this interesting and I apologise for any spelling or grammatical errors.. I'm pretty much running on empty right now and am lucky to still be able to function at this level. I'm about to upload todays vlog so look out for that later today (UK time) and I'm hoping to have my first picture post for you as well. First full day in Vegas tomorrow... best get some sleep. Night xxx

Miss BB

What's In My Travel Makeup Bag?

Before I begin please understand that this is me traveling light! I filmed a video of what I initially planned to take away with me which I will post at the end and you can see how much I condensed this to what I am actually taking. I figured being the beauty junkie that I am I will probably be dropping a considerable amount of dollar on makeup so why am I taking half my collection with me? I pared it down to what I considered to be the 'essentials' but what I really couldn't reduce were the lip products. Otherwise if you've already seen that video I think you'll agree.. I did pretty well.

 

So.. here's the list...

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

Garnier BB Cream

Sample of MAC Studio Sculpt

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer

17 Shine Control Pressed Powder

Nars Multiple in Malaysia

Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer

Fashionista Blushes in Cinammon and Butterscotch

Miners Bronzer/Blush in Sunblushed

Mini Urban Decay Primer Potion

Unii Palette filled with MAC eyeshadows

Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Liner

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara

Daniel Sandler Baby Jet mascara

Miners Matte Factor Lip Paints in Warm Red and Peach

Benefit mini lip glosses in Nude Tone, Foxy Lady and So Frisk Me

MAC Viva Glam Nicki, Impassioned and of course.. Vegas Volt!

There will of course be other bits and pieces thrown in a clear plastic bag in my hand luggage but this is what's actually getting packed. I forgot to photograph the brushes I'm taking but they are exactly the same as in the video so if you're interested you can see them there. I'm taking my Sigma Make Me Blush kit plus a few other favourites. I might be taking a lot but as of right now (and I'm nearly 100% packed) I have only filled half of my case so I'm good for bringing home new things. I'm considering adding one of the Naked Palettes to my case too.. the second one has a fantastic brow colour for my hair right now and they're so slim.. how can I not pop one in? Exactly! In the photo below you can see my Toiletries bag (available here) on the right and a benefit makeup bag on the left. I haven't filled that bag, inside it is the bag I've shown you above which is less than half it's size so I potentially have a huge empty one to fill with new things. For anyone wondering these bags are old (I might have had them for 10 years) and called the Luscious Lana and Glamorous Gabbi, they did for a while make the same bags with updated pictures but as far as I can tell they don't anymore but if you're desperate there are lots going on ebay in both styles.

As you read this I should be somewhere in the sky, halfway to Vegas and hopefully over my in-flight nerves about now. I have a few videos and posts scheduled to go up in case i have no internet connection but all being well I will be inundating you with holiday snaps any time now. I have filmed my  ''what's in my toiletries bag'' so i will likely post that here when it's up too as I just don't trust scheduling videos on YouTube.. (nobody seems to see them) but in the meantime here's my makeup bag video..looking back now perhaps I didn't take out quite so much as I thought but still.. it's more!

And don't forget.. any Vegas must-do/see suggestions.. send them our way!!

Miss BB

Wella Q&A

Before Christmas I was asked to send in some questions to be answered by a style team at Wella. I received the video over a month ago and decided against posting it as they comically referred to me as "miss beauty budget", however I do think it was fairly informative and it was a nice opportunity to have some style "VIPs" answer my questions so.. here it is...

Miss BB

My Favourite MAC Shadows

I don't normally do this but I've been scheduling my YouTube videos as kind of a test for my vacation time next week and I just don't trust the system to work so I will be posting a couple over here on my blog in the next few days as a back up. The first is today's, my favourite MAC shadows. I will do a separate post with swatches etc if you'd like but if you just want up close photos and names you can see all of that here. These are the shadows I put together to take away with me plus I ended up getting in to my others while I was at it so if you're interested in that kind of thing and not averse to watching a video rather than looking at pretty pictures... here it is...

Sorry if this was a frustrating post, I personally hate to see videos on a blog with no real textual content but for those that may have missed it and wanted to see.. I hope you liked it!

Miss BB

Lip Butter - The List

I have had the hardest time pinning down a complete shade list for the Revlon Lip Butters but I believe that what I have below is them all. 21 isn't an even number though so I can't help feeling I've missed something. Those marked in bold will be available in the UK the rest are US only. If you know otherwise please let me know and I'll update the list. I mainly compiled it so as to pick up the US exclusives while I'm over there but I'm assuming they are the less popular colours so I may not be so enamoured upon swatching.

Berry Smoothie 050
Brown Sugar 020
Candy Apple 035
Cherry Tart 070
Cotton Candy 045
Creamsicle 065
Crème Brulee 095
Cupcake 055
Fig Jam 030
Gumdrop 060
Lollipop 075
Peach Parfait 025
Pink Truffle 001
Raspberry Pie 010
Red Velvet 040
Strawberry Shortcake 080
Sugar Frosting 005
Sugar Plum 085
Sweet Tart 090
Tutti Frutti 015 

Macaroon 096

As always we have the raw end of the deal with these retailing at £7.99 rather than the $7.49 they're priced at in North America. Even with the current 2 for £10 deal in Boots (here) they're more expensive in the UK which sucks but let's face it we're still gonna buy them aren't we?

Have you picked up your lip butters yet? They are due to be in stores any day now and are already available online (here). Look out for an epic swatch post coming your way very soon.

Miss BB

Bikini Bootcamp - Weigh in #6

 

This will be the final weigh in!

Bizarrely this week I lost the lb I put on last week plus an extra lb and I've done little to no exercise and sacked off the diet completely! I have however been taking some rather unusual steps in an attempt to 'firm up' the body I am left with. I'm embarrassed to say I even stooped to wrapping myself in cling film to lose the extra inches. Now I've read all there is to read on the subject and am well aware that at most I will lose water weight for a very temporary period but if it can make the lotions and potions I'm smearing all over myself any more effective I'm all for giving it a go and even if it does absolutely nothing it feels like it's working so isn't that all that matters? So now I have just over 48 hours left and I'm looking for any last minute quick-fix going. Any suggestions? As of today I am fizzy drink free to avoid bloating and I'll be cutting down on carbs until I'm lying by the pool but

I will be doing a follow up 'get bikini ready' series when I return so any other hints and tips you want to share.. leave a comment! Anything from body brushing to sitting at the right angle I'm sure will be appreciated!

On a more positive note I am very excited to finally be going on holiday.. the kids are driving me nuts!

Miss BB

Bath and Body by Yardley

Recently I was invited to the launch of Yardley's new Bath and Body Skincare Collection. Unfortunately (as always) I was unable to attend but they generously sent me some samples to review for you. I'm going  to have to say straight out of the gate.. I am not a fan of rose scented products. I couldn't have been more disappointed when I opened the package to find 3 otherwise beautiful products that I really wasn't looking forward to using. I did of course try them out so as to let you know my thoughts on formula etc but I confess these were then passed on to my Mum who is not quite so picky about her toiletries. 

I will say I recently tested the Peony perfume and was pleasantly surprised, If I was to purchase from the Yardley range I would definitely be leaning toward that product line. 

Let's start with the packaging.. I really like that Yardley haven't felt the pressure to modernise their cult brand. They are still recognisable as the brand so many know and love yet they've updated to create a kind of classic/contemporary hybrid. The body wash created the luxurious lather you'd expect but didn't leave me feeling tight or dry, the body lotion come is a very convenient and mess free pump bottle and as with the hand and nail cream it's as moisturising as you'd want it to be. 

I'm not going to tell you these products are going to revolutionise your life but after so many years on the market they are still fantastic value for money and you know how we like that around here! 

They are what they are, soaps and lotions is the name of their game and where other brands are trying to modernise and change Yardley are moving forward with the old 'if it aint broke' ethos and I like that!

You can purchase the Yardley range online here

Miss BB

Battle of the Body Scrubs

It's like a civil war up in here today. Soap & Glory vs Soap & Glory. A battle to the body scrub death if you will. The two products pitted against each other are Some Like It Hot Thermal Scrub (SLIH) and Pulp Friction Foamy Fruity Scrub (PF). 

First the facts...

Pulp Friction

£8.00

250ml

Some Like It Hot

£8.00

200ml

Ok so first and foremost SLIH is more expensive ml to £ and I can only assume that's because of it's extra 'thermal properties'. Well.. that's the reason I bought it and that's the reason i was willing to pay what I consider to be a good chunk of money for a body scrub. I bought it when I was pregnant and suffering from unusually dry, flaky patches of skin so I felt I could justify the cost at the time. I generally enjoy anything that claims to be thermal and this was no different but unfortunately the thermal effect lasted less than 20 seconds so it was effectively then just a regular body scrub. It's made up of very fine grains of exfoliant and it does the job but I was disappointed by the lack of heat. 

The PF on the other hand didn't claim anything special and so I guess I was more open to the fact it was just a scrub. It foams, yes but how much do you really want a scrub to foam? this had larger grains and as a result i perhaps didn't feel as smooth as with the SLIH but you do get more for your money here and it's still effective as a body scrub.

Ultimately neither of these products really rocked my kasbah and for £8.00 I expected more. I wouldn't be in a rush to try another scrub from Soap & Glory though I've heard great things about their breakfast one. I prefer it in a tube as I generally scrub in the shower and a tub can get messy and there's the chance of dropping it. These aren't bad don't get me wrong.. I just.. expected more from S&G.

Thoughts?

Miss BB

Maybelline Color Tattoos are HERE!!!

I'm blogging from my iphone right now 'cause I couldn't contain my excitement. I haven't got all the info yet but Maybelline Color Tattoos have arrived! They weren't priced and the testers were untouched so I have to assume they're brand new. I'm not sure if the 3 shades shown are all that will launch or just a tester display but I thought I would swatch them and let you know they're here. I will of course update with more info once I have it and if you know more please leave a comment! I saw them in my local superdrug but they don't appear to be online as yet.

In other launch news I saw the Revlon Photoready airbrush foundation but I did not see the Lip Butters (sob) ...have any of you seen them in stores yet?

Eternal Gold, On and On Bronze, Turquoise


EDIT

These will be £4.99 each and most stores should have them but the displays may not be up yet so if you're desperate phone around or ask in store and you may be lucky enough to get them before they're officially launched!

Glossybox - The Harrods Edition

I've had mixed emotions about Glossybox since I subscribed to their service last June. There have been some really great boxes and some that just.. well they weren't so great. I would always advise that when signing up for a beaty box of any kind you have to be prepared to lose your money. You have no idea what they might send and you might hate ALL of it. Saying that I have heard recently that if you return and entirely unused Glossybox they will refund you by way of "glossy dots" on your account which you can use towards a free box. Not quite as good as a traditional refund but still.. more than I expected from a brand that's not known for it's great customer service. Anyway.. on to this months box..

This is what I would consider to be one of the best Glossyboxes I've received. It will still be my last but if every box I'd received had been like this one I don't think I'd have ever complained. I've heard mixed reviews of the Harrods themed box with many annoyed that the products are not exclusive to the store but I know that SK-II is exclusive even if nothing else is. I think teaming up with one brand or one department store etc is a fantastic idea for the beauty box providers and hope to see more of it in the future. It creates more buzz and I thin this might be the first box that hasn't been over-hyped. I mentioned that I had signed up for the box in a recent video and some people volunteered to ruin the surprise for me (I'm not bitter at all) so I did check out some posts ahead of receiving it this month and have seen the alternatives others received. Having said that I'm happy with my selection. 

It's a toss up as to which my favourite sample is, Either the  SK-II Anti-ageing cream (yes I'm only 26 but as they say.. prevention is cheaper than the cure!) Or the Clarins Extra Firming Body Cream. I've been trying my hand at DIY body wrapping this week.. cling film and all so any firming cream/cellulite treatment is very welcome and having read reviews this one is a goodie! After last months big hoohaa about the half empty Clarins samples I had to check this one out before I posted and although it's not 'full' I wouldn't say it's half empty and 30ml is still a very generous sample size.The SK-II moisturiser is 15ml but the consistency is thin so I think I'll get a lot of use from that one pot.

Another stand out from this months box has to be the Lancome mascara. I've tried very few high end mascaras because I struggle to find something that makes my lashes do.. anything and £20+ is a lot of money just to make them black so I can't wait to try this. When I first read about Glossybox this is what I thought it would be about. High end makeup samples that you either can't get or daren't ask for in stores. If every month I'd received this kind of selection I'd have been over the moon.
Somewhere along the line a really great concept was lost and I hope someone picks up on that!

I'm not going to go through everything I got because these posts are out there in the masses now, I just wanted to give my 2 cents on my favourites from the box. I didn't post on Februarys because it led me to cancel my subscription.. I didn't really have anything good to say so as they advise.. don't say anything at all. I did however film a video about it last week so if you are interested here it is...

One last thing.. I got an 'exclusive' 20% off code for all products here at Harrods.com

I'm not sure if it's a use once delay or if everyone got the same code but I don't intend to use it so if you think you might then here it is... GBK2WTLMM

Be sure to mention in the comments if you've used it or tried to for future ref 

Miss BB 

Light Up Your Smile!

Occasionally a product makes the blogging rounds and from what I can see this is one such product right now. The company contacted me and asked me to review their whitening toothbrush, I obviously did a little online (*cough* google) research and discovered many other recent blogger reviews. It would seem they are a unanimous hit and having used this toothbrush for a week so far I'm pretty pleased with it too.

The basic premise is that a blue light in an otherwise regular toothbrush "not only cleans teeth, but also whitens them and counteracts bacteria which are the source of plaque and gum diseases". Online it states that you can achieve a whitened effect with the use of an ordinary toothbrush which I would agree with however the company did recommend I use it with a whitening formula for optimum results (obviously).

Whiter teeth is always something I am looking to achieve and as they say, every little helps! I wanted to give it a go with regular toothpaste first to see what the toothbrush did alone and I believe I've seen an improvement, though I didn't record before and after's so can't be sure. As of next week I will use it with a whitening paste and of course report my progress in a few weeks time. I'm looking forward to seeing the other bloggers results after prolonged use too, that's the beauty of the beauty community!

Blue Illume is available online now here and you can get free delivery if you like their Facebook page

Miss BB

Go Wild!

Last week I received this very nicely packaged pr sample in the post. I'd never heard of the brand Wild before and was interested to trial something and see what you guys had to say about them. So many times I've reviewed something totally new to me only to find that lots of you have been using the products for years so do let me know if you've 'gone wild' yourself! 

The founder of Wild is Valerie Outram, she is passionate about creating fair-trade opportunities and empowering the people of Africa to create a sustainable income from the world around them. The ingredients are all natural and locally sourced and the packaging is just beautiful. The attention to detail is fantastic for a small company with such a strong convictions. They could've opted for clean lines and really pushed the 'all natural' gimmick home but instead they gave us something that appeals on an aesthetic level as well as making us feel like we're being socially responsible.

The body butter is comparable to The Body Shop for quality and I'm not going to go working out grams as opposed to ml but I'm pretty sure there's more of this. I received the Hydrating butter with Shea and Cape Chestnut. I'm not a massive chestnut fan but the shea scent kept me interested. I love the smell of shea butter and my dry winter skin appreciates the moisture more than ever right now. 

If you order a body butter (£14.50) and a soap (£5.25) you also get a cute fabric bag rather like the one mine was packaged in. A lovely gift that anyone would appreciate, I'm sure. I love that the soap is carved, it gives it a really 'homemade' feel. In truth I wasn't so excited about reviewing a bar of soap but they insisted I take it and I'm glad I did. It's not your conventional skin drying formula, far from it! They are made with natural hydrating ingredients that leave you feeling clean but moisturised when you hop out of the tub. 

The brands mission statement is "Our aim is to be kind to Humans, Animals and the Environment" and well.. you can't say fairer than that!

You can purchase Wild products online here

Miss BB