Sample Summary #13

1) Shiseido | Express Soothing Eye Mask and Wrinkle Resist 24 Eye Contour Cream

Full size: £59.00 for the eye mask / £54.00 for the eye cream

Rating: 2.5/5

This was a lovely little set of samples containing one application of a stick-on undereye mask, as well as a sachet of eye cream which lasted me a good week or so. The mask was an absolute pleasure to use and felt very cooling and hydrating while I let it work. Afterwards my eyes seemed a bit perkier and depuffed, but the effect had vanished the following morning. The eye cream was incredibly rich and left a greasy film under my eyes, so I could only use it at night. Otherwise my concealer would literally just slip straight off my skin. While they were both nice products, I don't think that the exorbitant price tag is by any means justified, hence the low rating.

2) Clarins | Moisture Rich Body Lotion

Full size: £30.00

Rating: 3/5

This was really lovely and moisturising without being sticky or greasy at all. While I personally prefer my body lotions to be scented, this might hold a certain appeal to those who don't like their body products to overpower their perfume - or those who simply have a sensitive nose. Just like with the Shiseido sample above, my only problem with this is the price tag. I just wouldn't be able to justify spending £30 on a tube of this when I can get great body lotions or butters for a tenth of the price.

3) Estee Lauder | Advanced Night Repair

Full size: £48.00

Rating: 5/5

Every time I get a sample of this somewhere my eyes immediately light up. This serum is simply magical. It never looks better than when I apply this before my moisturiser every night. It's smoother, softer and skintone is more even. I swear that one day I'll invest in a full size of this, but till then I will relish every last drop of my sample.

4) Neal & Wolf | Super Shine Spray

Full size: £9.50

Rating: 4/5

I wouldn't necessarily call this an essential, but it's a nice little product to have on special occasions. It's shiny without being glittery or sparkly and has an amazing fruity scent that lingers on the hair for a fair bit after application. It doesn't weigh hair down or make it greasy as long as you're not overly generous. I'm not sure I'd purchase the full size, as it's not a product that's missing from my beauty routine, but I'll thoroughly enjoy using up the sample I've got.

5) Redken | Colour Extend Conditioner

Full size: £13.75

Rating: 4.5/5

This was such a joy to use! It instantly restored my damaged, bleached hair and made it incredibly soft. I'd even say my hair felt stronger and a bit thicker after using this, I'm absolutely amazed. I'd say it's probably a touch too intense for daily application, but if used every other wash it works a treat. This is one I want to get my hands on for the full size.

6) Suti | Cleanse Balm, Purity Balm and Foot Balm

Full size: £28 for the Cleanse Balm, £23 for the Purity Balm and £16.50 for the Foot Balm

Rating: 4/5

I didn't expect to be quite as impressed with these little balms as I am, as the samples were quite small. The Cleanse Balm only lasted for four applications, but was coincidentally also my favourite out of the bunch. It dissolved make-up in a flash and left it feeling simultaneously cleansed, soothed and nourished. This is one I'll definitely be looking into purchasing a full size of! The Purity Balm works really great to deeply moisturise the skin. I apply it on my face at night and I'm not going to lie: It turns my face into an oil slick! Come morning, however, everything has been absorbed and my skin is wonderfully plumped and softened, but as it's so rich, one application every 2-3 days is usually enough.

The foot balm is my least favourite, as it takes a little bit of effort to work it in, but it's still a really, really lovely product!

Monthly Favourites: March 2014

1) Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

I don't know how I used to paint my nails without a quick dry topcoat - oh yeah, I didn't, cause I never had the patience to wait around for hours waiting for it to dry. After my OPI Rapidry turned into a thick, gloopy mess it was time to get a new one and this topcoat by Sally Hansen turns out to be a lot better than the OPI one. Nails are dry within about 10 minutes and rather than make the polish peel off like the OPI topcoat does, I feel like my polish lasts longer with it rather than without. Now with this in my stash I'm happy to paint my nails all the time!

2) Percy & Reed Dry Conditioner

The lid of this product keeps falling off, so I eventually just gave up and got rid of it altogether. Packaging fail aside, this is exactly what it claims to be - basically softness in a can when you don't feel like getting under the shower to wash your hair. It works great after a spritz of dry shampoo when you get that feeling that your hair's got a tad too much texture. You can read a bit more of what I thought of it in this post here.

3) Melvita Rose Extraordinary Water

This is only a little sample, but I've been loving using this on a daily basis. I've been using it in place of a serum and just tapping it into my face with my fingers - and as soon as I do it's like my skin sighs a huge sigh of relief. It's extremely moisturising without being sticky or greasy. I'm guessing it's the hyaluronic acid in it that's doing all the miracles, but no matter what it is, I can see myself purchasing the full size as soon as my sample runs out.

4) Rimmel Colour Rush Balm

I've got two of these at the moment and you may have heard me go on about them on my blog before. The colour pay-off of these lip crayons is just spot on and it leaves a lovely stain on the lips that lasts for hours, even through eating and drinking. What I also really like about these is that the colours are glossy and balmy, but don't contain any glitter unlike similar products from other brands. The packaging could be a touch better, as the writing wears off really quickly, but apart from that these are pretty much the perfect lip product.

5) Murad Pore & Line Minimizing Hydrator

Even though I've been using this product for months it's never made it into my favourites. It's a bit of a quiet, modest worker in that you don't notice what good it's doing to your skin until you stop using it for a few days. It's hydrating, but feels incredibly light and layers well with any other skincare product I might throw at it. While it's not exactly on the cheap end of the spectrum a little goes a long way. I've been using this particular tube for about six months and I'm not even halfway through it yet. Click here to read a full review.

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!

Review: L'Oreal SkinPerfection Range

Believe it or not, but it's actually pretty difficult to find skincare for skin which just like mine is sort of "meh, alright, I suppose". At 24, I still believe that I'm too young to delve into anti-ageing skincare, but I also don't have any major concerns like acne or hypersensitivity. My skin isn't bad, but I wouldn't mind my complexion being a bit more even, my pores a bit smaller and my T-Zone a bit less oily.

With their SkinPerfection range, L'Oreal as a big brand have now finally, finally recognised that there's probably quite a lot of women just like me: 20-somethings who don't expect their beauty products to perform any miracles, just give us a bit of a boost. And we're not prepared to pay a fortune for it either.

I have two products from this range to talk about today, the Correcting Day Moisturiser and the Serum.

Admittedly, they had me a little bit with the packaging. It's pink, bright pink (-and that's why they call me Captain Obvious). And I don't know why, but there's something about beauty products packaged in cardboard boxes that makes me very happy.

The daily moisturiser is housed in a glass container with a metallic lid. Though it's quite heavy, so not ideal for transportation, it looks quite pretty on my desk. My one gripe is the clear sticker with the "SkinPerfection" writing on it, as it looks quite tacky and it would be much better to have the writing on the actual glass itself. But I suppose I'm nitpicking here.

Some time ago I would have been complaining about the pot being a little unhygienic, but to be honest that doesn't bother me anymore. Just make sure you've got clean hands before you rub them all over your face and you should be fine! To my utter delight it turns out that the cream inside is also pink!

The texture of this is absolutely spot-on for my skin. It glides on easily and absorbs quickly leaving my skin nice and moisturised all over, with absolutely no stickiness. I can apply make-up on top pretty much straight away and it won't slip about or leave any of those weird rolly bits.
The one downside of this one is that it doesn't have any SPF, so you'd have to apply that separately.

On to the serum: Have you noticed that it's also pink? It comes in a snazzy little pump, once again in a glass container, so not the most travel-friendly, but it looks nice on the bathroom shelf. And it's pink.

I found this serum to be surprisingly thick - it actually feels a lot more like a light moisturiser than a serum. It's got quite a silicone-y feel on the skin, so that might not be for everyone, but it sinks in nice and quick, so that you can apply moisturiser straight on top without having to faff about waiting for it to dry. It's actually got lots of little bits of shimmer when it comes out of the pump, but once you rub it into your skin the shimmer completely disappears.

I always find it a bit tricky to review skin care items, especially if I'm trying lots of new products at the same time, as I am now. It's just difficult to pinpoint what exactly is causing my skin to behave in a certain way. What I can tell you, however, is that while using this combo my skin is in utterly amazing condition. For some reason it just seems a lot smoother and more even than normal, like permanently wearing foundation - and that's despite the stresses of bringing up two little puppies! I actually went out for lunch without any make-up on today, would you believe it??

Once again I can't say for sure what's causing my skin to be the way it is right now - it could be one of these products, it could be both, it could be a combination of everything, or maybe something I wouldn't have expected at all. Nevertheless, these two just feel completely right for my skin and are an absolute pleasure to use.

Sample Summary #10

I've had the pleasure to sample lots of pretty awesome products lately, which unfortunately also means that my beauty wish list has expanded by about thirty feet. Oh well. You ready for it?

1) L'Oreal EverRiche Shampoo

Full size: £5.99

I had a feeling that my hair might like this shampoo and I wasn't wrong at all. My hair was always pretty dry, but ever since it's been bleached it needs a lot of intensive care and moisture. A lot of shampoos won't make a difference in the state of my hair - it's something I remedy with conditioners, oils and intensive masques - but this one genuinely made my hair a lot smoother and more manageable without weighing it down at all. And it's only about £6 per bottle, while there's usually some sort of 3 for 2 deal on at Boots or Superdrug, so it's definitely going to be something I plan on purchasing soon!

2) Lancome Teint Miracle Foundation

Full size: £27.50

The shade of my sample above is 03 and I knew before even squeezing anything out of the tube, that it wouldn't match my colouring one bit - and I was right. It looked disasterously orange on me, so I waited till I had a day off to try this one on. And it's such a shame that the colour is so far off, as the texture of this foundation is absolutely lovely. It's very runny out of the tube, but dries to a perfect matte finish on the skin, lasts all day and feels lightweight throughout. Unfortunately I gave this one more go trying to match it to my skin with some lighter powder, but eventually had to give up and just bin the sample.

3) Kerastase Elixir Ultime Masque

Full size: £23.95

I was going to treat myself to a pot of this a while ago, but eventually decided to go for a more budget friendly alternative and spend my money on... erhm... can't remember. Seems like that might have been a bad decision, because this stuff is AMAZING. Seriously. Best hair masque I've ever used in my life. My hair was soft, swishy, smooth but still voluminous - I'm running out of adjectives to describe this stuff, but it's just awesome and I've decided I need it in my life.

4) Dermalogica Ultracalming Relief Masque

Full size: £39.10

Next stop on the rave train! Dermalogica have never let me down in all fairness and I've loved every single product I've ever tried. This sachet couldn't have come at a better time - I've been battling a nasty cold for what seems like forever now and the area around my nose and my mouth is red raw from excessive tissue use. This applied smoothly, didn't sting even on the sore areas and soothed and calmed my skin instantly. Admittedly, the price tag on this is very steep, so if I ever did purchase the full size, it would be more of a special occasion treat rather than an everyday skincare staple.

5) Kerastase Homme Capital Force Shampoo

Full size: £12.24

Not much I can say on this one, really. I'm not a man, so I gave this sample to my boyfriend and his comments were as enlightening as "Well, it washed my hair". Thanks. This is aimed at densifying hair with everyday use, so there isn't really much to observe after just one use. Other than that it got my boyfriend's hair clean.

6) Melvita Rose Body Milk

Full size: £16

After so much excitement to finally sample something from Melvita, this body milk was a bit of a let down. The smell was very pleasant - rosy, but not too strong or obvious. The texture, however, was a bit too runny and thin for me, providing my skin with almost no moisture. Then again, it's no secret that I'm no fan of runny body lotions or milks, so maybe if you prefer something lighter on the skin than a heavy duty body butter, then this is for you.

7) S5 Purity Serum

Full size: £44

I was a tad worried originally that this might be a little too harsh for my skin, as I don't really suffer from any breakouts, just a bit of oiliness around my T-Zone. Turns out that my fears were unfounded and this has seriously transformed my skin. I'm trialling quite a lot of new skincare at the moment, so it's a bit tricky to be able to put my finger at which product is doing exactly what, but I'm pretty sure this has helped immensely in getting my skin to the state it's at right now. Ever since I started using this serum I've not had a single blackhead and the oiliness on my T-Zone has gone down significantly - all without irritating the more delicate skin on my cheeks. 

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!

Beauteco Box August 13

This month's Beauteco Box offered a little less choice than the previous boxes. The three full sized products were exactly the same in each of the three boxes, while the two sample sizes offered a little more choice depending on skin type or preference. What I loved about this month's box was the bright yellow and blue colour scheme within the packaging - so bright and summery! Anyway, I opted for choice number 3 from the Beauteco boutique.

1) Arran Aromatics | Lavender and Tea Tree Facial Wash

Full size: £12.95 for 100ml

I'd never ever heard of this brand before, but the timing on this one was pretty good, as my beloved Organic Surge cleanser (which I also got in a Beauteco Box) is slowly coming to an end. I'm a bit on the fence about this cleanser containing loofah, as it might be a little bit harsh for a daily cleanser, but we shall see and find out. Now, the smell of this is something else. I'm already not a fan of the scent of tea tree oil, but combined with lavender it seriously packs a punch. Oddly enough, while I don't find it particularly pleasant, it doesn't put me off trying this either. It smells like it means business and I'm quite excited to find out if it can live up to my expectations.

2) Lord and Berry | Intensity Lipstick in Peach Gleam

Full size: £12 for 3.5g

I've heard of Lord and Berry before and seen a few of their products dotted around random blogs, but never really felt the urge to try any of their stuff. This lipstick goes on buttery soft and feels very comfortable, but it's the shade I've got a bit of an issue with. "Peach Gleam" isn't peach at all. I was expecting a light, milky orange, but what you get is a very heavily yellow based nude, which reminds me a lot of Benefit's Lady's Choice. It's not an ugly colour by all means, but it's nothing what it looks like on their website online.

3) Lord and Berry | Kissproof Lip Colour in Blossom

Full size: £7.50 for 1.2g

Another Lord and Berry product and this one is a lot more true to the shade you can see in their online catalogue. I'm really not a fan of lip liners, but this can also be used all over the lips for a long lasting colour, so I think I'll be using it that way instead. The term "kissproof" is not far fetched in this case, as I've been struggling all day to get the swatch off my hand - it really stays and stays and stays! Blossom is a dark, dusky lilac, which I imagine will look gorgeous on dark skin tones.

Left: Lord and Berry Intensity Lipstick in Peach Gleam | Right: Lord and Berry Kissproof Lip Colour in Blossom

4) S5 | Purity Serum

Full size: £44 for 30ml / Sample value: £14.67

I went for the Purity serum out of the choice of three targeted serums, as my skin's been really oily lately (possibly due to the heat). Well, shame on me for not reading properly, as this one's aimed at blemish-prone skin, which is not exactly the same thing. I'll give this a little try, but I do worry that it the salicylic acid it contains might be a little too harsh for my skin. Maybe I'll just save it for really bad skin days.

5) Melvita | Body Milk Rose

Full size: £16 for 200ml / Sample value: £2.40

I've really wanted to try something from Melvita ever since I've heard Jane at British Beauty Blogger rave about pretty much everything they produce. I find the smell of roses incredibly comforting, but I feel that the scent is soft and light enough even for people who aren't quite as enthusiastic about roses. Can't wait to get in the shower and give this one a little go!

Total value: £49.52

With three full sized products in each box, value for money is never really going to be an issue with this beauty box company and once again I feel like I've more than made my money's worth (which wasn't the case with Birchbox and the reason I cancelled my subscription). However, I feel that with the two full sized make-up products it would have been much nicer to have a choice of shades in the three boxes. As nice as it is to try out some new make-up, I don't think either of those colours will be particularly flattering for my skin tone. On the plus side, I've got four new brands which I've never tried before to play around with, which is pretty exciting! I'm still in love with Beauteco Box and my subscription stays until at least the next month.

Beauteco Box July 13

Seeing as last month's Beauteco Box completely blew me away and managed to reignite my excitement for sample boxes, I couldn't wait for this month's choices to roll around. It's a little unfortunate that I already own quite a few of the products that came in this month's boutique (namely the Neal and Wolf Harmony conditioner and the Artdeco eyeshadow base and eye liner), but nevertheless I still made a choice that I was very happy with.

1) Neal and Wolf | Elevate

Full size: £11.95 for 200ml

Neal and Wolf were kind enough to send me a few of their items to trial a while ago, those this is not one of them. I'd never used anything by the brand before, but every single one of their products has seriously impressed me so far, so while I'm a bit gutted that I don't get to try a new brand with this month's box, I'm more than happy to give another Neal and Wolf product a go. This was one of the two products available in each of the three options.

Neal and Wolf | Harmony

Full size: £12.95 for 200ml

This is the second product that was available in all three boxes. I own one of these babies already, but I'm starting to run low and I love it so much it's actually made it into last month's favourites (here). It's an absolute god send for parched and damaged hair like mine and I would repurchase it in a heart beat. I'll get a review up soon for those who may be on the fence, but till then just trust me - it's amazing.

3) Pukka | Radiance Serum

Full size: £32 for 50ml / Sample value: £6.40

And finally, this is the third item that came in each of the three box options. There may have been a bit of a situation when I pulled the protective foil off the tube and squirted serum everywhere - whoops! It's quite runny and has a very strong medicinal smell; you can really, really smell the manuka honey in there. Pukka is not a brand I've ever purchased anything from, so I'm quite excited to give this a go.

4) Eve of St Agnes | Refining Bamboo Exfoliating Polish

Full size: £18 for 50ml / Sample value: £5.40

Eve of St Agnes had a sample in the last Beauteco box and to be honest with you I didn't think their body balm really was that great. This sample, however, seems a little more promising. The exfoliator is thick and balm like and looks smooth from the outside, but is jam packed with tiny granules on the inside. And we all know I love a good and proper scrub! The scent is not entirely my cup of tea, but I'm still keen to see how my skin will react to this one.

5) Artdeco | Clear Lash & Brow Gel

Full size: £9.75 for 10ml

Yaaaaay, I'm so happy to see Artdeco pop up in this month's boxes! Growing up in Germany this was basically our version of Mac at slightly more affordable prices. I love their foundations and their huge colour spectrum, as well as their magnetic palettes which you can fill with every eye shadow / blusher / concealer / lip colour combo imaginable. It's a shame they're so hard to get hold of in the UK. I already own the eye shadow base that came in one of the other boxes as well as a few of their eye liners - and they're all pretty good! This one looks quite promising - I'm currently using MUA's clear mascara to hold my eye brows in place and it's not quite strong enough, so hopefully this will do the trick. One word of warning, though: Don't put it near your nose, it literally smells like PVC glue.

Total value: £46.45

So, have Beauteco box done it again? I'll be honest and say that I was a little disappointed that two of the main products this month are from a brand I already know with a product I already own. But, as I've already said, they're very, very good products that I'd happily repurchase anyway, so while the novelty factor isn't quite as high as it was last month, I still feel like I got a brilliant box. Once again, they're all products that I will use (probably till I can't squeeze another drop out of them) with impressive value for money. I'm already eagerly awaiting next month's offerings.

Crystal Clear No Shine Serum Review

Following my review of the Crystal Clear Deep Cleanse Gel, I now have another goodie from the same brand to tell you about. The No Shine Serum is a light serum aimed at oily and spot prone skin. My skin is more normal to combination, but I've been using this in the mornings on my T-Zone only, as this is the area of my face where I get quite a bit of shine from time to time.

The serum is light, but creamy and sinks into the skin immediately, leaving it feeling beautifully refreshed. It also has a zingy citrus smell, which I just adore in any beauty product and is particularly great as a pick-me-up in the mornings.
While I struggled to come to grips with the Deep Cleanse Gel at first, this is a whole different story. My skin loves this stuff. I've used it on my cheeks a few times and while I didn't get any obvious skin benefits from using it, it didn't dry them out either, like some products aimed at oily skin can.
On my T-Zone, however, it's doing an amazing job. Just like it promises on the packet, it keeps oil and shine at bay, which means that my make-up lasts much longer during the day. And instead of just sliding off my face in the afternoon, I just get this sort of dewy look whenever I use this serum - shiny, but in a very, very good way. As for impurities, I don't really get that many, but I have noticed a bit of an improvement where I sometimes get hormonal breakouts at "that time of the month".

The price may be a bit of an issue for some. At £42 for 50ml it doesn't come in cheap, but then most serums wouldn't. 50ml will last for quite a while, as you only really need to use this in the mornings.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this serum to any skin type that gets shiny in places, but particularly for oily skin and those suffering from acne, this is a god send.
Pretty impressive!

Birchbox April 2013

There seems to be a reoccurring theme that whenever I get a delivery, it ought to be either just as I'm about to head out for a run, or just as I'm stepping into the shower. So, naturally, this month's Birchbox arrived just as I was leaving the door and I was way too excited to just leave it, so off came my trainers and my jacket and my headphones and god knows what else.

This month's theme is "In Bloom" and considering the warm weather that's suddenly hit us yesterday and caused all the trees on my road to magically explode into pink fluffiness, it couldn't have been a better choice!

1) Gerda Spillman | Renaissance Age Serum

Full size: £69 / Sample value: £6.90

Whoops, looks like a had a little silly moment and took a picture of the back side of the sample. But don't worry, the front is fairly unspectacular, so you're not missing much. I'm feeling much less rebellious against anti ageing products these days, so even though it is minuscule, I'll happily give this serum sample a go. It smells absolutely divine, but unfortunately it's going to have to wait on the back-up shelf until I've used up my current serum. And at almost £70 for the full size it would have to be beyond amazing for me to purchase it after the sample runs out!

2) La Societe Parisienne De Savons | Savon Maya

Full size: £8.50 / Sample value: £8.50

This was the first item I spotted as I opened the drawstring bag and it got me beyond excited. Just look at how gorgeous the packaging is! Then I realised it was soap.

Now, nothing against soap, but I'm just not a person that tends to appreciate it. I use shower gel in the shower and hand wash to wash my hands. Soap is slippy, harsh on the skin and always leaves this mucky, slimy residue on the soap dish. Having said that the scent of this one is absolutely beautiful, so it would be a shame to just leave it laying around. Nevertheless, this is more of an item I'd gift to my nan instead of buying it for myself.

3) Mirenesse | Glossy Kiss

Full size: £17.50 / Sample value: £17.50

This was the other product that stood out to me right away as I opened my box this month. I've never heard of Mirenesse, but pencil lip products are having a big moment right now and I'm excited to give this one a go. It's a full sized product, so I'll be getting plenty of use out of it. The colour I got (14. Perfect Kiss) is also really, really pretty. A fire-engine red studded with a light gold shimmer, absolutely gorgeous! From a quick swatch I can see that application is soft and very glossy, so this seems to be a winner!

Random side note: I keep accidentally writing "Glossy Kill" instead of "Glossy Kiss". Just to show what's on my mind these days...

4) Weleda | Skin Food

Full size: £8.95 / Sample value: £1.19

Considering what an institution Weleda has become, especially concerning natural skincare, I'm almost ashamed to say that I've never tried any of their products. Skin Food seems to be one of those cult creams, which I've heard loads and loads about and finally I get my mitts on a sample to try it for myself!

I do, however, struggle a little with multi-purpose balms like this, as I never know what to actually use them for. Give me a choice of options and I'll sit there fretting and eventually go without anything. I'm thinking of trying this on my feet, as my heels are pretty much the only dry skin area I have at the moment.

5) Green & Spring | Relaxing Conditioner

Full size: £16 / Sample Value: £2.67

I love the design of this little bottle, it's so cute! In this box you'd randomly get either the shampoo or the conditioner and I have to admit that I'm a little peeved, as I much prefer using the same brand shampoo and conditioner together. But oh well...

The scent of this is a tad strong for my tastes - you can really, REALLY smell the lavender and the rosemary that have gone into the product, but I imagine it would leave a beautiful lingering scent on the hair after washing. This is another product that will certainly get used up.

Lifestyle Extra: Birchbox | Paname Paris Mirror

Full size: £7.50 / Sample value: £7.50

Oh, c'mon. You gotta be kidding me. This is literally one of the worst compact mirrors I have ever seen in my life. It weighs about a gram and doesn't even have a lid! If I put this in my handbag it would get ruined within seconds. I don't know who they're trying to fool with the supposed £7.50 price tag, but yeah, good luck selling a mirrored badge for that price. I absolutely hate it when beauty boxes make their own shoddy tools and try to sell them as luxury beauty samples. At least Birchbox had the decency to include this as an extra instead of one of the actual five samples. But I would have much rather received a single tea bag or something, rather than this rubbish. Rant over.

So, my second Birchbox has been full of ups and downs to be honest with you. The only real highlight is the lip crayon, though I will certainly use every single product and I really like the fact that they're all brands I haven't tried before. The inclusion of two full sized products is also a bonus.

The soap on the other hand was a bit of a disappointment, even though it was one of the two full sized products and the mirror... let's no longer talk about the mirror.

The total value of this box comes in at £44.26 for those of you who are interested.