Love Me Beauty Box May 14

Just like last month, Love Me Beauty's menu choices for May didn't get me particularly excited, either. But seeing as I did end up positively surprised last time around, I opted against skipping the month and chose the third Edition, as I found that one the most appealing. I'll be honest from the start and say that there was no element of positive surprise when I opened this box and for the first time since the very start of my subscription (almost a year ago!) I feel disappointed with the contents of my box.

1) Nail Girls | Nail Polish in "Nude Pink"

Full size: £13.50

This is probably my favourite product in this month's box. After getting rid of all the polishes in my collection that had become crusty and/or separated, I was left with a gaping hole in the "soft pinks" compartment, which this nail polish will fill nicely. I've never heard of the brand Nail Girls before, but I'm more than happy to give them a go. The brush is nice and wide and upon first inspection the polish seems to be nice and thick and non streaky. This product was featured in all three Editions.

2) Raw Skincare | Natural Lip balm in "Rescue Me"

Full size: £2.98

I didn't really fancy the mint or the ginger lip balm that was available in the other Editions (they're both tastes and smells that I don't really like), so I went for the deeply moisturising option instead. I always manage to lose my lip balms, so I'm happy to have another one to keep me going for a bit, especially seeing as Raw Skincare is yet another brand that's completely new to me. It has that typical natural lip balm texture, which is a little waxy and grainy, though it's fine once you've had a little bit of time to get used to it. I like that it's non-greasy, but I'm not sure it would really manage to rescue my lips if they were as dry as they get in winter, as it doesn't really feel all that moisturising.

3) GO Stationery | Pocket Notebook Set in "Meadow Bird"

Full size: £5.00

This product has actually genuinely annoyed me this month. While it's a nice design and I'm sure I'll find a way of using all three of the little notebooks, they just do not belong in a beauty box. I've always said that I like it when subscription services think outside the box a little bit, like when they included vitamin supplements for skin and hair, but this is just a step too far. If I wanted a notebook I'd go to WH Smith or Paperchase and I'd get myself a notebook. It's got nothing to do with beauty and is just a completely random space filler in this month's box.

4) Suti | Trial Pack in Cleanse Balm, Purity Balm and Fabulous Foot Balm

Half a trial pack / Value: £3.25

On to the next disappointment. I was really looking forward to trying this pack of three balms, but my excitement diminished when I saw the size of the samples. They're just so tiny! I reckon I'll get about 2-3 applications out of each, which isn't really enough to judge a product's efficacy. Suti actually sell this trial pack on their website, but on there it comes with two face oils and a moisturiser as well, so I feel a little cheated out of half of the products, especially as it's advertised as being the full trial pack on the card that came with my box. To be honest with you, I probably would have preferred to just have one larger sample than those three tiny little ones.

5) Tea Pigs | Tea in "Super Fruit"

3 Tea Envelopes / Value: £1.95

This is another product I'm really annoyed with this month. It's not the first time I've seen tea in beauty boxes and while I can see the connection if you're going for a "health and beauty from within" angle, it's okay if it pops up as an extra - but not if it's considered to be one of my beauty samples! Granted, I've wanted to try some Teapigs tea for a while, so I'm happy to finally have some to try, but I would have much preferred to have another cosmetic product in my box instead.

Total value: £26.68

This month's box gets a big fat, thumbs down from me. I can deal with the minuscule balm samples, but having not one but two products in my box that are completely unrelated to beauty has really annoyed me. Thankfully I'm really looking forward to using the nail polish once my nails have healed up a little bit, so that alone has made this box worth it for me. I guess we've been really spoilt with Love Me Beauty boxes over the last year. Every month there would be three to four full sized products and almost all of them were absolute hits, so it was only a matter of time before they started to not live up to their high standards. Box value has also been steadily decreasing over time and while I'm not one to only demand super high-end samples (not that I could afford to buy the products anyway), I do feel like I'm getting less bang for my buck lately. I really hope that Love Me Beauty will be back on form again next month.

Review: Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch

Remember when these were like the most hyped up beauty product around? I couldn't help but get swept up in the excitement and purchased the Maybelline Baby Lips in the pink version, "Pink Punch" last year in late summer / early autumn. But somehow, aside from one favourites post, it hasn't made it onto the blog until now.

The truth is that after using it religiously every day for a bit over a month the novelty wore off very quickly and I've barely touched it since. Don't get me wrong, it's certainly not a bad product! Although it feels quite hard at first it becomes surprisingly soft and smooth upon contact with the lips - the big bonus of that is that it doesn't turn into a melted, smooshy mess if you carry it around in your pocket.

The pigmentation is also pretty good for a balm type product and leaves a very prominent, shiny pink with obvious blue undertones. However it's not so pigmented that you can't apply it on the go without a mirror.

The thing is just that it's not really that amazing at anything. It's neither the most hydrating lip balm I've ever used, nor is it the most pigmented. I'd say the Revlon lip butters perform better in both instances at the same time, though they do have an issue with melting in your pocket while this one will stay completely put. It's a decent, solid product and definitely worth the price if you're in the market for a cheap and cheerful new lip balm, but is it worth the hype? I just don't think so anymore.

Maybelline Baby Lips are available in six versions and retail at £2.99 each.

February Wish List

Striped Sweatshirt, Pull & Bear, £17.99 // 3D Globe Pendant Necklace, Urban Outfitters, £12 // Heart-shaped Print Pink Skirt, Romwe, £18.12 // Coins Bracelet, Asos, £6 // Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm, Nuxe, £9.50 // MOTO Faux Leather Fronted Leigh Jeans, Topshop, £42 // MOTO Folk Embroidered Hotpants, Topshop, £34 // Origami Animal Earrings, Love Hearts and Crosses, £10 // Pink Tribal Print Friendship Bracelets Pack, New Look, £6.99 // Geo Darling Boxy Tee, Forever21, £11.50

Slowly but surely the spring collections are seeping into shops (the first month of the year is over now, after all) and I'm all over them! I always struggle to find clothes I like in the winter months, as everything tends to be black and grey and really, really dull. 

And just because it's still winter doesn't mean I can't start looking for a new pair of shorts. That's what tights were invented for, after all!

I also couldn't help but sneak in a Valentine's themed item, either. The heart print Romwe skirt looks like it's the perfect cut to do an awful lot of swirling and swooshing in.

The Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm was featured on pretty much every beauty bloggers 2013 favourites and as I'm in dire need of an intense over-night lip balm ever since I finished my last tube of 8 hour cream, it's about time I give this one a go.

Two other items on this list are also completely down to other bloggers. First of all, we have those faux leather Topshop jeans. I've always wanted some leather trousers, but was a bit weary about pulling the look off. Then I saw these over on Lily's blog (click here for the post) and fell in love with the half denim, half leather design. Unfortunately, they seem to have sold out online, but you might be able to still find them in stores. Over on Sailboat (click here for the post) Jenny introduced me to Love Hearts and Crosses and I want pretty much everything from the site, but I settled with the Origami hummingbird earrings for now. The site seems to be slightly temperamental with direct links, but they're definitely still there, so you might just need to search for them manually.

The globe pendant necklace holds special meaning to me, as one of my goals for this year is to save some money to finally go travelling. It would be a constant reminder that I need to get out and see the world!

I've also seen a similar bracelet to the coin one above a few months ago, but then I couldn't find it anywhere and regret not having made a purchase when I had the chance. I'm not doing the same mistake twice!

Monthly Favourites: September 2013

1) L'Oreal SkinPerfection Serum and Moisturiser

I'm writing this post on yet another make-up free day - granted I'm not working today, but I've been out and about without feeling the slightest bit self-conscious about not wearing any foundation or bb cream. You can find my full review of these products here, so I won't be waffling on too long about these, but there's something about them that my skin just really loves. They hydrate without being sticky or greasy and just leave my skin in nice, peachy condition. I've actually got quite a bit of other skincare to try, but I'm scared of putting these away just in case my skin stops looking the way it does at the moment.

2) Percy and Reed Finishing Polish

I got this as a freebie with a magazine months ago and it's just been sitting in my drawer for ages. Now that I've started using it, however, I just can't get enough of this stuff! My hair is really dry and quite coarse, so after blow-drying and even after straightening I still get quite a bit of frizz and random strands of hair that just stick up. This stuff is perfect for smoothing my hair into a glossy mane where products like oil or wax would be too heavy. And a little goes a long way, so this tube is going to last me forever!

3) Nip+Fab Dry Leg Fix

When I received this in my last Love Me Beauty box I mentioned that I had quite a problem with stupidly dry skin just on my legs and nowhere else on the body - up to a point where the skin got itchy and flaky and I couldn't stop scratching it! I was a tad sceptical at first, but this stuff has really worked miracles on my legs. They're now back to being smooth and flake and bump free. As odd as it seems to have a special cream just for your legs, my regular oils and moisturisers have completely failed in that area, while this has given me some much needed relief.

4) Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch

After these were sold out in practically every drugstore I ever went to, I finally managed to jump on the Baby Lips bandwagon! This is an absolute joy to apply, it's such a buttery soft balm that instantly softens the lips and this shade in particular leaves a gorgeous hint of pink on the lips that looks incredibly flattering. I can now see how these can get pretty addictive!

Love Me Beauty Box September 13

Beauteco Box have had a bit of a rebrand and are now known as Love Me Beauty. The same concept still applies of choosing your favourite out of three different options or "menus" each month before getting your box of samples delivered to your door. They have however moved from a guaranteed 3 full sized products each month, to only two and are a little less focused on all natural and organic brands.
To be completely honest with you I'm not overly surprised. This month's box still features four full sized products, which is UHM-AZING, but I was wondering how long they'd be able to keep that up for. Two full sized products a month is still pretty awesome and as long as they keep up their three choices, that means I can automatically choose not to get a box full of duds.

1) Matriskin | Collagen MP Serum

Full size: £96.90 for 30ml / Sample value: £24.23

I was gonna start off by saying that this is the product that I would have quite happily left out of this month's box, but couldn't, as it was one of this month's "star products", which means that it's featured in each of the three menus. I was gonna. Then I looked up how much a full sized vial of this costs.

A HUNDRED POUNDS????? I even struggled to find a website that ships this to the UK - in the end I found it in the Birchbox e-shop (oh, the irony!). I might be swimming in serums at the moment and I might not be concerned about filling my wrinkles and expression lines, but for that price, I am sure as hell giving this a go!

I'll be honest though and admit that the serum itself is not overly inviting. It's an extremely sticky clear liquid with a very strong pharmaceutical scent. After all that, this stuff better give me the skin of a supermodel.

2) Murad | Osmolyte Tonic

Full size: £10 for 15ml

This spray-on toner is this month's "star product" number two. At first I thought it was another sample sized item, but as it turns out, Murad actually sell this little 15ml bottle as a full size! My first experience with Murad products was absolutely dire and if it wasn't for a continuous supply of samples, I would have given up on this brand a while ago. Turns out it's a good job I didn't, as I've since discovered quite a few gems by them (the last one being their hydro-dynamic eye cream, awesome stuff!).

I had no idea what an osmolyte is until I went on the Murad website and it turns out that it contains taurine! Anyone who's battled their share of monstrous hangovers will appreciate a bit of taurine to bring you back to life, but I've had no idea that it's good for your skin as well. I've had a little spritz this morning and it feels quite pleasant on the skin, drying quickly and without any strong scent attached to it.

3) Nip and Fab | Dry Leg Fix

Full size: £10.25 for 100ml

Now this is a product I was very, very excited about receiving. If I was just browsing through a shop it would have never occurred to me to buy a lotion specifically for my legs. After all, that's what body lotion is for - surely, my legs are part of my body, no?

BUT, my legs have been misbehaving lately. For some reason I simply cannot figure out (and I spent a long time thinking about it, trust me), the skin on my legs has become really dry, flaky and as a result unbearably itchy. Nowhere else, just my legs. I thought it might have been my razor, shaving cream, washing powder, or sun lotion, but it wasn't. And I was still left with flaky bits of skin on my shins that would turn into angry red bumps when scratched - really not a good look.

Fingers crossed, this might be the solution I've been praying for. I applied a little bit today after my morning shower and it already feels a bit better. I don't want to jinx it, but if this stuff is the answer to my randomly dry legs problem, then be certain that you'll hear about it (A LOT) on my blog.

4) Anatomicals | Eye Gel

Full size: £4.00 for 15ml

I've never tried anything from Anatomicals, because for some reason I always thought they were a really expensive brand, which they're not. I think it might be from the time when I lived in Germany, as I know their products cost a lot more over there than they do here in the UK.

This product is another reason why I love being able to pick my favourite out of three boxes. The other two both featured a full sized cleanser, and I've got so many of those at the moment that I've got no idea how I'm gonna get through them all. But when it comes to eye cream, I literally just ran out of my old one, so this couldn't have come at a better time!

I love the quirky packaging of this cream and the light gel texture that feels lovely and refreshing on the skin.

5) Essential Care | Lip Silk

Full size: £5.50 for 4.5g

Lip balms are another product I've got more than enough of at the moment. Two months ago I didn't have any and now I own about ten! Nothing to worry about, however, as I'm an expert on losing lip balms (and pens and lighters), so I'm sure my selection will dwindle in due course. 

This is one I can see myself falling in love with very easily. It doesn't leave any colour on the lips, just a slight sheen, and feels incredibly moisturising without being at all greasy or sticky. I've actually kept reapplying over and over ever since I got my box this morning!

Total value: £53.98

Call it Beauteco, call it Love Me Beauty, I'm still in love with this beauty box subscription service. I actually feel that last month's box was the weakest so far (read my post on it here). As much as I loved the idea of two Lord & Berry lip products, they turned out not to be my colours AT ALL and just got buried in my stash after two or three half-hearted attempts at wearing them.

This month we're back with a box full of products that I know I'm going to use not just out of guilt or because they're "kinda there", but because I want to try them. I already can't wait for next month's box!