January Beauty Box Battle: IM BACK.

So contrary to popular belief I am still alive. Its been 3 long months since I last posted and I have really missed it. I feel like a virgin blogger again. I do have a really good excuse however for my hiatus.

 

I AM WITH CHILD.

 

 Yes there is a little baby in my belly and me and the dad are over the moon. We cannot wait to meet our little one.

 

But sweet zombie jesus- the past 4 months have been absolute hell hence why I went MIA.

 

Pregnancy and motherhood is obviously a wonderful thing but making a baby isn't easy. I haven't even got to the giving birth stage yet but morning, sorry ALL DAY sickness, has made me think maybe an only child wouldn't be so bad. For four months looking at a computer screen has been almost impossible- It has felt like I have been on a boat every second of the day and the water has been VERY choppy. Bleugh.

 

Look- poor me. Clinging onto the couch to stop the room spinning. Feel sorry for me.

 

 

Also- pregnancy makes you bloat like a bitch. However the boob bloating I can't complain about- instant boob job- The man is pleased. I am not sporting a baby bump yet- I just look like I have ate all the pies. Not a good look. This is how I feel at the moment, minus the empty wine bottle.

 

 

Have to say I am rather jello of this bunny- I would kill for a bottle of wine- or any alcoholic beverage. I will even take a pint and I don't even like beer. I am quite certain I shall be getting the alcohol withdrawal shakes soon.

 

We have only purchased one piece of baby clothing so far- Buying neutral is rather boring when you see all the cute baby boy and girl outfits around- Once we know the sex in 3 weeks I am pretty sure the bank card is going to cry.

 

 

I would like this top also. I think its awesome. Peek a baby.

 

 

But now I am feeling MUCH better so expect to hear a lot more from me in the next few months- I have a lot of catching up to do. Anywho- enough of the pregnant woman moaning- We shall leave that with my now slave- sorry other half. Here is what I have been up to over the last few months.

 

I bought some new shoes. Cute huh.

 

 

I went to my first baby shower and made a baby boy gift box with lots of goodies inside. Cannot wait to plan mine!

 

 

 

#Babyshowercupcakes

 

 

I bought some pre-natal pilates DVDs to keep fit. The women scare me though- make some right weird noises throughout.

 

 

I humiliated my other half when he fell asleep. Silly loo roll head.

 

 

I took photos of my pooch with her head stuck in the Jaffa box. Fool. Obviously there would be none left inside.

 

 

I made chocolate cornflake cakes and my other half ate all 12. Ta. I am a domestic goddess in training.

 

 

 

I bought a shed load of glitter and made my own mothers day sparkly gifts. I'm a good girl. 

 

 

 

I would just like to put this out there also- who the fudge puts their child in a corn outfit. Call the NSPCC pronto. I might stretch to a pumpkin outfit at Halloween though. That's acceptable right?

 

 

So I hope you can accept my excuse- the baby stopped me blogging- I can't be blamed.

 

And since I have beauty boxes quite literally coming out of my ass its time for the beauty box battle review for January. Enjoy lovely people.

 

SECOND PLACE- BIRCHBOX.

 

 

 

January's theme was all about Women's health but although the idea is great, it failed to wow me. No it's not the hormones making me grumpy- The products inside just weren't that fabulous in my opinion. Let me explain.

 

1. Lifestyle extra- Pilates Band- £7.99

 

 

Birchbox gave me no instructions on how to use this contraption- Just what is it. WHAT DO I DO WITH YOU. I can fit it over my head like a headband. That's as far as I have got.

 

2. Stila Lip Glaze- In 'Glitter EF'- Full size- £15

 

 

When I saw this I got really excited- Whenever I am browsing the net researching beauty products Stila is a name that comes up quite often. I once bought a Stila Mascara after reading reviews online but it was a complete flop. And when I tried this lip glaze- It was also a big fat flop. It has a lovely baby pink shine to it and the glitter looks lovely- BUT it feels disgusting on your lips. SO sticky. In fact so sticky your lips may get glued together permanently. Not for me.

 

3. Green People- Intense Repair Shampoo- Sample size- £11.95 for full size.

 

 

This shampoo was alright- Nothing special. I love the fact its a 'green' product and free from nasty chemicals but it did not lather up easily so it was gone super quick and it did dry my locks out quite a bit. This is expected from a protein shampoo but I didn't feel any difference to the strength of my hair either so a lose- lose product really.

 

4. Caudalie- Vinoperfect radiance serum- Sample size- Full sized £45.

 

 

This I LOVED. See I can be nice. Birchbox have sent me this brand before so I was very pleased. This oil-free serum claims to even skin tone, boost radiance and moisturise all in one. I used this before my primer as part of my morning routine and it certainly does what it says on the tube-My skin felt and looked lovely and fresh and it worked well with my oily skin. Winner.

 

5. Korres- Citrus Shower Gel- Full sized- £8.

 

 

This shower gel was also lovely- Although I didn't get much of it- The other half stole it. Shame on him. The citrus was super refreshing and hydrating- Just what you need after a nice hot shower.

 

6. Activbod- Cooling finishing lotion- Sample size- Full size £12

 

 

I am going to be completely honest- I haven't managed to use this yet because I haven't worked out a good sweat in a long time- Got to keep the baby cool you see. But I have tried it on my hand and you definitely get a lovely cooling sensation and its not greasy in the slightest. I shall save this for when the post baby bod workouts begin!

 

7. Embrace Matcha- Green Tea- One sample- Full box £24.99 

 

 

I still have this. We are not a tea drinking household. I shall save this for a guest.

 

FIRST PLACE- GLOSSY BOX.

 

 

 

This box was much, much better winning first place. Here is why.

 

1. MeMeMe- Eye Line Pencil in Clay- Full sized- £4

 

 

For a £4 eye liner this really is a treat! Its not really a soft eye liner so it isn't great for smudging but if you want a sharp, strong look its fab and it is really long lasting- The liner is also a super dark grey shade which I do not already have. Another great addition to the collection.

 

2. Nicka K New York- Colorluxe Powder Blush- Full size- $8.95

 

 

I do like my bronzers and blushes so smiled when I saw this. Its a great shade for the Summer and comes with a soft, powder puff applicator. It lasts all day and is really easy to apply. I can't wait to team this up with my Summer dresses!

 

3. Jelly Pong Pong- All Over Glow- Full sized- RRP £10.

 

 

I REALLY wanted to love this but I am not too impressed. I love a good highlighter- its all about the contouring! However a good highlighter blends in with the rest of your make up when brushed over or rubbed in. This didn't blend in well at all leaving a very obvious sparkly silver line above the brows and is therefore a flop. Soz.

 

4. Kueshi Natural & Pleasant Cosmetics- Revitalizing face toner- Full sized- RRP $10.70

 

 

Great face toner. Hence why it has now all gone. First of all it's pink. Secondly it smells like jelly tots. Perfect.

 

5. Naked Lips- Organic Lip Balm Superfruits- Full sized product- $5

 

 

Not really a fan of this lip balm. Its not sticky which is great however it didn't prevent my lips from becoming chapped which is super important for me. I shall still be sticking with my cherished Vaseline pots. Smells like fruit though. That's always nice.

 

So there you go- January's beauty box battle is complete. I hope you enjoyed my hormonal ramblings.

 

Its good to be back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Beauty Box Battle: December

Hello lovely people and happy new year to you all- I hope you all had a fab one and spent lots of time with your family and friends and got super messy. Now its back to work- how dreadful. I was getting used to the shorter working week. Vote me for Prime Minister and I'll sort that out. Oh and free make up for all!

So my new years eve consisted of champers, Jaeger and lots of food. Perfecto. Although I am feeling like one little bloated bubble right now.

 

 

Have you set yourselves any new years resolutions???

 

The new years resolutions I have set myself are as follows:

 

- Avoid kebabs and eat more greens

- Cut out the diet pop and drink good old H20

- Keep up the exercise and grow a booty like Kim K's

- To develop my blog and find more time to post

 

So far so good - I have not stepped foot in a kebab shop. I hope your proud.

 

I have also jazzed my blog page up now I have a laptop- no more struggling to blog on an I Pad- What a mare that was! Dedication indeed.

 

I also plan to post about different topics this year- I love make up and beauty obviously- But I also love fashion, photography and lifestyle. Keep your eyes peeled.

 

I also dressed my dog up in a scarf. She loved it. Said she felt like a superstar. #Cute.

 

 

So lets crack on with the battle. I was super excited for my Christmas boxes as I had a feeling I would be spoiled- I was definitely not disappointed. The beauty box Santa was an absolute babe to me.

 

Second place goes to.... GLOSSYBOX.

 

 

 

 I do always look forward to Glossybox's actual box- They are always designed so well and pretty to look at. I loved what was inside my December box as well- It just wasn't as good as Birchbox's. Its as simple as that. Here is what the Glossybox's elves made me.

 

1. Bellapierre Cosmetics- Cheek & Lip Stain. Full sized product. RRP £12.99.

 

 

A two in one make up bag hero. I really liked this lip and cheek stain. It has a creamy consistency and gives a lovely warm pink hue to both your lips and cheeks. I found it didn't sit very well on my lips when they were dry due to this horrid weather however it worked perfectly on the cheeks and stayed put all day.

 

2.  Tresemme Renewal Hair and Scalp Nourish and Renew Tonic- Full sized product. RRP £5.50.

 

 

Another full sized product. Happy days. This is a scalp treatment that you can use everyday. I have been using this but I haven't noticed anything different if I am completely honest. But that could be because I have never had any scalp problems- I produce enough oil in my hair each day to keep a chippy going for a week- My scalp is therefore always nourished. Nevertheless I love Tresemme as a haircare brand and will continue to use this.

 

3. Anatomicals- Zap! Zap! Zap! Gets that Chap, Day and Night Spot Stick. Full sized product. RRP £3.79.

 

 

Love this handy little spot killer. One side is for the day and one side is to use at night. It murders spots. It makes them shrivvle up and due. That is all to say. It really works.

 

4. All that Jazz- Professional Nail Lacquer. Full sized product. RRP £9.98. 

 

 

 

Christmas is all about sparkle- Sparkly nails are a must. I will be using this all year around because its that sexy. Its not thick enough to be used on its own but add it to your favourite polish as a top coat and voila- You have a lovely pink/purple sparkle.

 

 5. SkinPep Hydra Boost- Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum. Sample sized. RRP for full size is £24.99.

 

 

This isn't the first time Glossybox have sent me a product from this brand and I fell in love with the acid peels they previously sent me. They were fantastic. This hydra boosting gel however doesn't seem to be in the same league. I have finished the bottle and used it everyday but I just didn't notice any difference to my skin. There was no skin glow for me like it claims. Boo hoo.

 

So there you have it- fab box overall as you can see and four out of five products were full sized. Winner.

 

Now I will run through our winners products- BIRCHBOX.

 

 

 

1. LIFE STYLE EXTRA- Sophia Webster Purse. RRP £25.

 

 

So the lifestyle extra this month was this lovely purse. However I got a lovely purse from my mama this Christmas- Soz Sophie- Your not being used just yet.

 

2. Eslor- Firming Collagen Day Cream- Sample sized- Full sized £50.

 

 

Love this day cream- it smells divine and this doesn't make me break out in spots which is fabulous but I still find the cream to be quite 'sticky' for such an expensive product- that's my only beef. My skin does seem more plumped also which is what I like to see. Wrinkles are the devil and they shall not win me.

 

3. Electric Hair- Electric Hydrate Shampoo. Sample sized. RRP for full sized £17.50.

 

 

WOW. I need more of this shampoo and I need it now! Its actually amazing. The bottle says this product is used on photo shoots and if its good enough for a model its good enough for me. I got about 3 uses out of this and my hair was sleek and shiny after one use. I highly recommend this to everyone. Your hair definitely feels like its had a trip to the salon. Salon hair is the best hair.

 

4. Benefit- Christmas Cracker- High Beam. Sample sized. Full sized RRP £19.50.

 

 

You all know I am a sucker for anything Benefit and this is a product I haven't had the pleasure of trying as of yet. It was a very small sample but you only need to use a tiny bit at a time. I am getting more and more into my contouring so this high lighter is a fantastic addition to my collection. It has a lovely shine to it as you can see below in the un-edited photo and the camera loves it on those brow bones.

 

5. Models Own Nail Polish in 'Obsidian'. Full sized product. RRP £5.

 

 

What I also think is brilliant about Birchbox is that you get some control over what you receive every now and again. For the December box I got a lovely email telling me I could choose which Models Own polish I would like in my box- Perfect. This left me a very happy chappy as I am a bit of a control freak. I chose a black sparkly shade as I love the 'colour' black- its my fave.

 

As with the 'All that Jazz' polish that I received from Glossybox, this polish cannot really be used on its own but it makes a lovely top coat. Below I added it over a midnight blue polish.

 

 

 6. English Laundry- Signature for her. Sample sized. Full sized RRP £60.

 

 

I adore perfume. Always have and always will. I have never heard of English Laundry before as a brand but the scent is lovely- Its very fresh and I have now run out of it all. Damn.

 

7. Eyeko- Fat Eye Stick in 'Smoke'. Full sized product. RRP £8.

 

 

This was my favourite product this month.

 

This is perfect for creating those smoky eyes. The chubby stick is so soft and rich in colour and you can smudge it out super easily.  For £8 its an absolute bargain. When this runs out I shall be buying again without a doubt. Now all I have to do is master the smoky eye. I will do this.

 

 

Congrats Birchbox- you win again.

 

Until my next post- Peace out make up lovers.