Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Archive for November, 2012
Zoya and BM Beauty from Lucy Rose
12
6 years
As a vegetarian with sensitive skin, I am always looking for beauty products and retailers who specialise in products which are suited to my needs, and that means ethical, natural companies with high quality products. A couple of months ago during one of my searches, I came across a fantastic online organic beauty boutique called Lucy Rose, which stocks only the best organic skin care products and natural cosmetics. Their range of products is pretty impressive, covering everything from hair and skin to make up and nails, and they feature some brilliant collections too, including Inika, Faith In Nature, Burts Bees, and as mentioned in the title, Zoya and BM Beauty.
A few weeks ago, the lovely folks at Lucy Rose were kind enough to send me two wonderful products from their range, which go together for a festive look like bread and butter – Zoya’s ‘Rina’ Nail Polish, and ‘Emerald Showers’, a stunning mineral eyeshadow from BM Beauty. After getting to know the products and sampling Lucy Rose’s service for myself, I have decided that they’re too good not to share, so here are my thoughts on Lucy Rose and their products!
Zoya Nail Polish in ‘Rina’
When I first opened my parcel from Lucy Rose and found Zoya’s Rina inside, I literally gasped. I had been looking for a green glitter polish for a while and this one is just perfect, and so unusual. The green shade is a rich, bright emerald green, made up of small glitter flecks and bar glitter, some of which has an icy blue holographic undertone, giving it a 3D texture when on the nails.
I applied Rina over a navy blue polish to give it a deeper appearance, and as you can see, it worked incredibly well. It only took two coats of the Zoya glitter over one coat of the base colour to create a completely opaque glitter look. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Rina dries VERY quickly. Within a minute it was dry to the touch, and because it doesn’t need a top coat I could be on my way without worrying about it denting or smudging.
What I love about this glitter is that it doesn’t feel rough like other glitters when on the nails – it has a lovely smooth finish, but it still has incredible depth and catches the light really well for breathtaking sparkle and shine.
Zoya’s Rina is also extremely hardwearing. I’ve had it on for around three days now and the wear is minimal, but what else would you expect from a range which are said to be ‘the longest wearing natural nail polishes available’?
Rina is ideal for this festive season, and is available from Lucy Rose for just £10.50. All of Zoya’s polishes are vegan friendly and free of the big three toxins, and Lucy Rose also stock many other shades, which can be found here.
BM Beauty Mineral Eyeshadow in ‘Emerald Showers’
I have used BM Beauty mineral eyeshadows before and have always been impressed by their amazing quality, so when I received this I was a very happy bunny indeed. BM eyeshadows are oil-free and consist of 100% natural ingredients. They are also completely cruelty free, and as such are approved by BUAV and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Don’t you just love it when you find make up which is ethical AND high quality? I know I do!
As with all BM Beauty packaging, the eyeshadow comes in a sleek and simple 2g pot, which allows for mess-free, easy application. The shade I was sent is Emerald Showers, which you can see below.
Emerald Showers is exactly what it says on the tin… A gorgeous shower of emerald shimmer soft mineral powder. In the pot it looks quite dark, and it does have a grey undertone to it, but once on the skin it really comes alive with sparkle and bold, deep green colour. The powder is extremely highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way. It only takes a little dab and a sweep over the eyelid for a striking shadow look, which is represented in this swatch:
I wanted to try something a little different with Emerald Showers, to see whether it can be used as more than just an eyeshadow, and I was pleased to discover that it can! All I did was mix a little bit of powder with a few drops of water to create a gel eyeliner, which I then applied above my top lash line with an eye liner brush. This was the final result…
The gel dried very quickly which meant I had to make up a small batch for each eye, but that didn’t bother me as I only used a tiny bit anyway. I found it really easy to mix the right consistency, which made it even easier to apply. It glided straight on like any gel liner, and it went on really neatly as well so it was easy to create a fine flick at the outer corner of each eye! It didn’t smudge either because of the quick drying time.
I must admit, I was slightly worried that it wouldn’t last that long, but I was proven wrong. The eyeliner looked just as bold and neat after ten hours as it did when I first applied it, and only when I took my make up off (after fourteen hours of wear and no touch-ups) did I notice any fading. AMAZING! Using this as an eyeliner is a great look for the day time when you want a burst of colour, but not a daring shadow look, and I will definitely be trying this again!
You can view Lucy Rose’s full range of BM Beauty mineral eyeshadows here, and they cost £7.00 each, which is great value. Lucy Rose also stock many other BM Beauty make up products, which can be found on the make up section of their website.
Lucy Rose won the ‘Best Retail Website 2011′ award at the Natural Beauty Awards last year, and I’m inclined to agree that they really are the best online natural beauty product shop that I have ever come across. Not only do they sell top quality products, but they also provide outstanding customer service which goes above and beyond what you’d expect. They love their freebies, and you get great deals left, right and centre on their website! They offer FREE postage on all UK orders, FREE samples with every order, FREE live help and expert beauty advice, and you can even join their beauty club to earn reward points with each purchase. I also noticed that they’re currently offering free gifts with some items, and 5% off your first order if you sign up to their newsletter too, which is also a bonus.
If you want to discover Lucy Rose’s wide range of products for yourself and put together a beautiful festive look, you can have a browse of their website here.
Happy Shopping!
Naomi x
*I was sent the above two products by Lucy Rose for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own*
6 Fashion Trends I Wish Would Fizzle Out
39
6 years
by Naomi in Fashion
I’m not usually one for caring about what other people are wearing, but this year there seems to have been an influx of fashion trends which, for various reasons, I find really irritating! I have tried my best to ignore them, but they are everywhere, and have been for months now. My sister backs me up on most of these too, so I don’t think it’s just me being irrational. So, without further ado, here are six fashion trends I wish would fizzle out…
1. Toms Shoes
There’s something about Toms shoes that disturbs me, especially when worn by a man and paired with ankle grazers, and it’s the ability to see the veins on top of the feet and, as my sister’s boyfriend put it, ‘the outline of the big toe’. I’m funny about feet and I have the same issue with flip flops – I just don’t want to see those shapes, it’s obscene! The fold in the canvas at the toe looks ridiculous too, like a pair of slippers or something. Not only that, Toms are horrifically impractical and an absolute rip off. £35 for a piece of canvas which, quite frankly, won’t last 5 minutes in the UK, what with all the rain. I don’t think so…
2. Moustache Print
At first I thought the trend for moustache print was quite quirky, but now that it’s everywhere it has lost its charm rather quickly. Okay, it’s alright for Movember, but it’s gone a bit overboard now. Last week I saw a mannequin in a shop dressed in moustache leggings, a moustache top and a moustache cardigan – a bit heavy on the moustache methinks! I just don’t get it, I mean, you wouldn’t walk round with a beard or a goatee emblazoned across your chest, so why a moustache?
3. Nerd Glasses
Whenever I’m in town I seem to be surrounded by teenage girls wearing nerd glasses. It wouldn’t be so bad if they actually needed them for poor eyesight, but most of the glasses I see don’t even have lenses in! I’m sorry, but it’s not cute and it’s not clever – the only person that can pull them off in my eyes is Johnny Depp, so please let’s all leave him to it.
4. Tiny Shorts
It’s now almost winter, the country is flooding and it’s freezing cold, yet there are STILL people walking round in tiny shorts, so short that they might as well be denim underwear. Chafing and potential hypothermia are not good for your health, so girls, for your own good please stop wearing them!
5. Leggings as Trousers
Don’t get me wrong, I love leggings and I wear them myself with long tops or short dresses, but leggings should not be worn as trousers. They’re in the same realm as tights I reckon, not skinny jeans. There seems to be a trend at the minute for wearing leggings with a thong underneath, and a short top and jacket on top… Believe me when I say that clearly seeing someone’s bum cheeks through stretched leggings is not a pretty sight!
6. Nude Shades
I don’t actually have an issue with nude shades – I quite like peaches, creams and pale pinks, they just don’t suit my skin tone. I am a big lover of colour, so whilst this trend for nude tones exists, I am finding it extremely difficult to find new clothes in colours I want to wear. Boo hoo.
So, there you have it, six fashion trends which I hope will disappear soon! Sorry if this post is especially ranty – it’s meant to be a bit of fun and isn’t intended to offend!
Which fashion trend would you love to see fizzle out? Do you disagree and think any of these trends should be here to stay?
Naomi x
Freebie Alert! Models Own with More Magazine
6I know we all love a good freebie, so I thought I would let you know about a great one I found today whilst browsing the supermarket! Every copy of this week’s More magazine (Issue 774) comes with a FREE Models Own nail varnish or lip gloss, worth £5.00 each. The magazine only costs so £1.50, so you are getting a VERY good deal! Even if you buy four copies to get every freebie, you are still only spending £1 more than ONE of these freebies is worth – amazing, right? Oh and don’t be put off by the low price tag of the magazine… I know some cheap magazine freebies are ‘limited editions’ which aren’t actually up to scratch with the rest of the brand, but this is the real deal.
There are two nail varnish shades to choose from (Raspberry Crush and Nude Beige), and two lip glosses (a pink and a red). The freebie I went for was Raspberry Crush, a gorgeous raspberry pink which I actually had my eye on a couple of months ago – I’m glad I didn’t buy it at the time now! I haven’t yet tried Raspberry Crush on my nails, but it looks like it has a lovely creme finish and I can’t wait to give it a go.
The magazine also comes with a free Miss Selfridge Lucky Gift Card, which gives you a surprise discount in store, between £1 and £500. There are also several other exclusive discounts in the magazine, such as 20% off at boohoo.com, Rock N Rose, Essensuals Hairdressing and Motel, and 25% off a spray tan at the Tanning Shop. Oh and a couple of free drinks too.
The magazine itself might be a little bit trashy, but who cares when you’re getting a bargain as brilliant as this?! The next issue of More goes on sale on the 27th of November, so you have 4 days left to get your Models Own freebie.
Naomi x
Ciaté Mini Mani Month
31To celebrate receiving my first pay cheque from my new job, earlier this month I treated myself to one of this festive season’s highly sought after beauty products – Ciaté’s Mini Mani Month! I first heard about the Ciaté Mini Mani Month from my mum, who had seen it on QVC with a special price of £31.20. At first I thought that was a lot of money to spend on what was essentially a glorified advent calendar, but after doing some research I realised three things… 1) £31.20 is a VERY good price as the Mani Month is/was being sold elsewhere (Selfridges etc) for a lot more, 2) £31.20 is also VERY good value considering the contents of the box, and 3) I HAD TO HAVE IT! So, rather excitedly, I placed my order with QVC, and a few days later this is what I received…
The Mini Mani Month comes in a luxe, on trend Aztec-style print box. It’s hard to tell from my photographs but the box is actually quite large. It’s about A4 sized (maybe slightly bigger), and a few inches thick. It opens out like a book to reveal 24 windows inside, each of which hides a gorgeous nail treasure to be discovered on the corresponding day! There’s also a small funnel slotted inside the box, to be used with the Caviar pearls which the Mani Month features.
The back of the Mani Month box shows 21 of the 24 nail colours that the calendar contains. The other 3 are secret shades made especially for the Mini Mani Month, which adds an extra touch of excitement to opening the doors, as you don’t always know what you’re getting. I have actually watched a couple of video reviews of this, but I managed to avoid seeing the surprise colours so I still don’t really know what they are, and (hopefully) won’t until I open whichever days they’re behind!
I am yet to open any of the doors (I’m being a good girl and saving it for its intended use as an advent calendar!) so I can’t comment on the shades, but looking at the picture there seems to be a wide selection of different colours and finishes, including four bottles of Caviar pearls. Each bottle of varnish is a mini 5ml version of a classic 13.5ml Ciaté Paint Pot, and the Caviar Pearl bottles each contain 10g of pearls. Full-size Ciaté Paint Pots retail for £9, so these mini versions are worth around £4 each. At the price I paid for this, however, they work out at £1.40 each – what a bargain!
Throughout December, I will be revealing the shades behind each door in a weekly Ciaté Mini Mani Month round-up post, so if you want to know more about the nail shades inside, please keep an eye out for those. I’ll try to include as many swatches as possible too!
Unfortunately, the Ciaté Mini Mani Month is no longer available on the QVC website, and I’m struggling to find it for sale anywhere else in the UK other than on eBay, so if you want one of these for yourself you might struggle to find one I’m afraid! However, my American readers may be pleased to know that it is currently available on the Sephora website for $58.
Naomi x
Bubbles & Butters Bath and Body Range
8Bubbles & Butters are a new and exciting bath and body company whose fun, vibrant image matches their lively range of products and scents. The company currently have three main ice cream-inspired scents in their range – Feeling Hot Hot Hot Mango, Scream If You Wanna Go Strawberry and Crazy For Chocolate, but they will soon be introducing a Nice Ice Baby Vanilla scent. The Bubbles & Butters collection of products features four body must-haves – bath bubbles, shower bubbles, body butter and lip balm.
I was recently very kindly sent a box full of Bubbles & Butters products to review, and after a couple of weeks of bubbly, buttery pampering, I am ready to share my thoughts on the range!
The products I received were…
Scream If You Wanna Go Strawberry Bath Bubbles
Crazy For Chocolate Shower Bubbles
Scream If You Wanna Go Strawberry Lip Butter
Crazy For Chocolate Body Butter
I really love Bubbles & Butters bright and quirky packaging – it’s modern and eye-catching, and would definitely stand out on any shelf! The shower bubbles come in a classic, large squeezy tube, the bath bubbles and body butter both come in chunky screw top tubs, and the lip balm has a clickable lid and looks like a miniature version of the bath bubbles. The bright colours and scent names are just so fun as well, and bring to mind spontaneous, carefree summer days – just what we all need reminding of during the cold winter months!
Here’s what I think of each product…
Scream If You Wanna Go Strawberry Bath Bubbles
Scream If You Wanna Go Strawberry Bath Bubbles is a gorgeous bright red and has a very strong strawberry scent. In fact, it smells just like a strawberry ice lolly, and looks a bit like a melted one too! At first I didn’t think the packaging was practical for a bubble bath, but it’s actually quite easy to control how much bubble bath you pour, and it doesn’t make a mess of the tub. I find it is best to add a fairly generous glug of the bath bubbles to the bath water a few minutes before turning the tap off, as the bubbles foam up really well, extremely quickly. The bubbles give the water a delicate pink tinge, and the strawberry scent lingers in the air too, which is lovely. The bath bubbles have a wonderful moisturising effect on the skin, which softens without leaving a horrible soapy layer behind like some bubble baths do. Overall, Scream If You Wanna Go Strawberry Bath Bubbles is a great example of a quality bubble bath, and at £6.00 for 450ml it’s a nice little treat for you and your skin.
Crazy For Chocolate Shower Bubbles
The Crazy For Chocolate Shower Bubbles is my favourite Bubbles & Butters product out of the ones I have tried, and I have used it almost every day since I received it. It isn’t brown like you’d expect, but a clean-looking white shade, and has a rich, sweet scent of cocoa. The gel is very creamy and lathers into masses of moisturising bubbles quicker than any other shower gel I have ever used! Because of its impressive lathering abilities, a little goes a long way with these bubbles, so a £2 coin size is enough for your whole body. After using Crazy For Chocolate Shower Bubbles, I always find that I can smell the chocolate scent on my skin for a long time, and if I use it in the bath with the Strawberry Bath Bubbles the scent layers to form chocolatey, strawberry goodness! The Shower Bubbles cost £4.00 for 250ml – I feel are purchase coming on!
Scream If You Wanna Go Strawberry Lip Butter
This lovely little lip butter is the perfect size for your pocket, make up bag or handbag. It is a delicate pink colour and smells just like McDonald’s strawberry milkshake – yum! I’m a sucker for lip balms and this is a great one. It doesn’t leave any colour on the lips, but it does make them shine and, most importantly, it smooths and softens your lips whilst also protecting them from the elements. Luckily, it isn’t waxy or greasy, so it doesn’t make your lips feel horrible. Bubbles & Butters Lip Butters cost £2.00 for 4 grams.
Crazy For Chocolate Body Butter
Last but not least, Crazy For Chocolate Body Butter. As I’ve mentioned before, I am quite the hoarder of body butters so I know what makes a good one, and this most definitely is. It is whipped to creamy perfection and smells richly of chocolate, just like the Shower Bubbles, so they compliment each other really well. The butter massages in evenly and quickly, leaving no greasy residue behind, whilst locking in oodles of moisture which lasts all day through. In sum – I love it! All of the Body Butters in the range sell for a fantastic £6.00 for 275ml.
Every skin treat in the Bubbles & Butters range is top-notch – they look great, smell good enough to eat (I don’t advise you do, though) and, most importantly, they do their job and they do it well! I love how affordable each product is, and they really are brilliant value for money. Overall, Bubbles & Butters are a breath of fresh air in a sometimes rather dull area of beauty, and I can’t wait to try their new vanilla scent when it is launched! If you’d like to know more about Bubbles & Butters, you can visit their website here. Their products are currently not available from the website, but they are opening an online shop very soon, so keep an eye out! However, you can find Bubbles & Butters in some large Tesco stores, or online at The Bath and Body Shop.
Which Bubbles & Butters product would you most like to try?
Naomi x
Dielle Nail Colour in ‘Bliss’ and ‘Imperial Crown’
6
6 years
by Naomi in Nails
As an avid nail painter with a penchant for nail art I am always on the look out for new and exciting nail varnishes to add to my collection. So, when Rosalie from Dielle UK offered to send me a couple of her beautiful nail colours, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. A few weeks ago, after a short wait, I received a beautifully packaged little parcel from Ros in the post, and was instantly wowed by the bold brightness of Dielle’s colours.
Dielle translates as ‘Modern Goddess’, and the brand aims to provide sophisticated nail shades which look as amazing on the nail as they do in the bottle, and which help to enhance every woman’s natural beauty and inspire confident self-expression. All of Dielle’s nail varnishes are free of toxic ingredients, including the big three, and come in a wide range of impressive colours. Every bottle contains 12ml of varnish, which is a generous size, and they retail for £12.00 each. Dielle also support charities that work with women and children in Haiti, so every nail colour you buy will not only benefit you and your nails, but will go towards helping others.
The two shades I have been lucky enough to try are ‘Bliss’, an eye-catching azure glitter, and ‘Imperial Crown’, a pretty purple with an undertone of pink. Over the last couple of weeks I have tested and enjoyed both colours, and here’s what I think of them…
Bliss
Bliss is one of the latest colours to be added to the Dielle collection, and also a limited edition. As mentioned before, the bulk of Bliss is made up of a fine azure glitter, which to me invites images of a tropical ocean – pure ‘Bliss’! It has larger flecks of gold and silver glitter running throughout too, which gives it an amazing depth when on the nails.
The varnish itself has a fantastic consistency so it smooths on easily and not too thickly, and the glitter is distributed evenly and not at all sparsely. As such, Bliss looks fabulous over Imperial Crown after just one coat, but I always add one more coat for an even bolder look. What really impresses me about Bliss is how quickly it dries… Without fail, it is completely dry to the touch in less than one minute, so it is almost impossible to smudge. I know, it seems too good to be true, but every time I use it it dries quick as a flash!
This is how two coats of Dielle’s Bliss looks over Imperial Crown…
Isn’t it stunning? You can really see from the photo above how the glitter sits evenly and doesn’t clump together into a lumpy mess, and how fantastically it shines. I love it!
‘But isn’t it a pain to remove?’, I hear you cry. The answer? NO! No it isn’t! What makes Dielle’s glitter a cut above the other glitters out there is that it comes off as easily as a normal varnish, so there’s no need to spend hours scrubbing at your nails with countless cotton wool balls and gallons of industrial strength nail varnish remover. Hallelujah! The glitter flecks don’t rip the cotton wool to shreds either, which means fluff free nails.
Overall, Bliss is a very high quality glitter which gives a burst of shine and colour, without the worry that it will be stubborn to take off – definitely worth the £12.00 price tag!
Imperial Crown
Imperial Crown is a regal plum purple with strong dusky pink undertones, and is part of Dielle’s Brights collection. I’m a sucker for purple varnishes, as my regular readers will know, and Imperial Crown is one of the more charmingly feminine purples in my collection, and is quickly becoming one of my go-to purples. The varnish has a high shine, creme finish too, which looks luxuriously classy and just so happens to be one of my favourite nail varnish finishes.
Like Bliss, Imperial Crown is very smooth and also very creamy, so it applies easily and evenly. Two thin coats is plenty enough for a completely opaque look, and as you can see below, the colour looks identical on the nail to how it looks in the bottle, which is a rare thing I find. Imperial Crown dries quickly too, which makes me think that’s a positive trait which runs across the whole range!
I didn’t comment on the lasting power of Bliss as glitters are notorious for sticking around, but even without Bliss over the top Imperial Crown lasts for a good few days before showing any signs of wear.
Overall, Imperial Crown is an extremely high quality varnish, which looks absolutely gorgeous both on the nail and in the bottle, and given its lasting power and large bottle it is great value for money too. Both varnishes have an incredibly luxe feel to them, which is difficult to match with a cheaper high street varnish.
I definitely plan on adding more Dielle nail colours to my collection in the future – I’m officially hooked! And I hope you’ll try the range too. If you’d like to check out Dielle’s full range of nail colours, you can do so by visiting their website, or by following Dielle on Twitter and Facebook. Oh and you bargain hunters out there may be pleased to know that Dielle are currently running two amazing offers… 25% off Classy Christmas Cheer shades, and 40% off Lustre Gel Coat, so now’s your chance to try a high-end product at a low price!
Naomi x
*I was sent these Dielle Nail Colours by Dielle for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own*
Avon Brochure 2 – The Pink Kiss Sale
0
6 years
by Naomi in Order Avon
Welcome to the latest UK Avon brochure, Brochure 2! Brochure 2 is a special one as it brings you Avon’s January Sale early with their Pink Kiss Sale. Click the image below to be taken straight to this exciting brochure.
The Pink Kiss Sale offers up to 75% off your Avon favourites – from make up and bath and body to jewellery and designer watches, it’s all discounted and it’s all amazing value for money. As usual, I will list my Brochure Highlights below, but believe me when I say this brochure is a highlight in itself!
What to look out for…
- Page 2 – Buy one choose TWO free on all Avon hand creams.
- Page 12 – ALL Ultra Colour Rich Lipsticks just £2.99 each, choose from shimmer, satin and metallic finishes.
- Page 14 – Glimmerstick Eyeliners for only £1.99 each, and SuperShock Max Mascara for a bargainous £3.99!
- Page 22 – Your Special Pink Kiss Offer! Spend £9.95 across the brochure and take advantage of incredible savings on selected fashion items, including Avon’s gorgeous Sassari Cape and French Connection sunglasses.
- Page 38-39 – Buy one choose one half price on all pyjamas, slipper boots, robes and other nightwear.
- Page 57 – Introducing Avon’s NEW Petal Impressions Nailwear Pro+ nail varnish, in six pretty floral shades, just £3 each (RRP £6).
- Page 78-79 – Buy one choose one free on all Colortrend lip gloss and lipstick.
- Page 121 – Avon Breast Cancer Crusade socks, baking set and pin badge, all £2 and under with proceeds going to charity.
- Page 129 – Introducing NEW Soft & Smooth Facial Hair Removal Cream, with an introductory price of £2.50 (RRP £4).
- Page 138-143 – 5 for £4.99 on Senses Soap and Shower Gel, Bubble Bath and Naturals hair products.
- Page 144-147 – 3 for £4 on Naturals kid’s and bath and body products, Simply Delicate and On Duty Deodorant.
- Back Page – Dazzling Diva Mascara better than half price at £2.99!
And of course, there are many, many more fantastic bargain offers to be found – the whole brochure is one big sale!
If you would like to place an order with me, you can visit my Personal Online Brochure here, or by clicking the brochure image above, and either submit your order through the brochure or via email at . Postage is charged as standard second class Royal Mail prices, and orders will be posted on or after December 4th 2012. Visit my Order Avon From Me page for more information.
Happy Browsing!
Naomi x
BeTrousse Pretty Beauty Box GIVEAWAY!
117
6 years
by Naomi in Giveaways
Hello everyone!
I am very happy to announce that BeTrousse have kindly donated yet another BeTrousse box for me to give away to one lucky winner, and this time you have the chance to win their latest beauty kit, the Pretty Beauty Box, which I reviewed yesterday.
The Pretty Beauty Box is their biggest and best box yet, as it contains NINE full size products, worth a total of £122! The products inside the box are…
Clockwise from the top:
Papier Poudre Gift Pack of 3 Booklets
Cupcake Organic Frankincense & Orange Day Cream
Yves Rocher Organic Refreshing Gel Cleanser
Arganti 100% Pure Argan Oil
Saffron London Cracking Nail Polish
Vera Valenti Eyeshadow in Pink
Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Volume Gloss in Pink
Kesari Radieuse Anti-Age
Essyta Cosmetics Body Moisturising Lotion
Amazing right? If you want to know what I think of everything in the box before you enter, you can check out my review here.
If you’d like to enter to win a BeTrousse Pretty Beauty Box, please follow the rules below:
Mandatory:
Follow Bewitchery, either as an email subscriber or WordPress follower: +1.
Comment with the blog name/email you follow with.
Optional:
‘Like’ BeTrousse on Facebook here: +1
‘Like’ Bewitchery on Facebook here: +1
Comment with your Facebook name.
Follow BeTrousse UK on Twitter here: +1
Follow Bewitchery_ on Twitter here: +1
Comment with your Twitter name.
Tweet about the giveaway: +1 (this can be done daily)
PLEASE TWEET: ‘Check out ’s giveaway to win a @BeTrousseUK Pretty Beauty Box! http://wp.me/p2ctcs-wB’
Blog about the giveaway: +4
Comment with a link to your blog post.
Invite a Friend to Enter: +5
Comment with your friend’s name, and if they enter you gain 5 extra entries.
That’s 15 potential entries in total, plus an extra one for every day you Tweet about the giveaway! Once you have earned all of your entries, please comment below with the information detailed above. Please note that all entries will be checked before the winner is chosen.
Unfortunately, this giveaway is open to UK residents only (sorry!), but I’ll hopefully be launching an international giveaway very soon. The giveaway closes on the 4th of December, and the winner will be notified within 24 hours. The winner will then have 24 hours to provide a postal address via email – failure to do so will mean a different winner will be chosen at random. I will then pass your details on to BeTrousse who will ship your Pretty Beauty Box out to you, from France, as soon as possible.
Good luck!
Naomi x
PS. You can find BeTrousse online at…
Website: http://www.betrousse.co.uk
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Betrousse/171316132911121
Twitter : https://twitter.com/BeTrousse
Google+: https://plus.google.com/101335812317013293785/
Youtube : http://www.youtube.com/user/betrousse
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/betrousse/
BeTrousse Pretty Beauty Box
8As part of the BeTrousse beauty panel, every time BeTrousse bring out a new, exciting beauty kit, I receive one to review. In October BeTrousse launched their latest box – the Pretty Beauty Box, and earlier this month I happily received mine in the post. I had already seen on the BeTrousse website that the box contained NINE full size products, rather than the usual five, so I was really looking forward to trying this box out for size. Here is what I was met with when I opened the Pretty Beauty Box…
As you can see, the box is packed full of a wide range of products. In the past I have complained about there being too many face creams and not enough make up in the previous BeTrousse boxes, so I was very happy to see some make up and nail products in there this time. The products in the box are worth £122 in total, but the box costs just £19.
Above, you can see (clockwise from the top):
- Papier Poudre Gift Pack of 3 Booklets
- Cupcake Organic Frankincense & Orange Day Cream
- Yves Rocher Organic Refreshing Gel Cleanser
- Arganti 100% Pure Argan Oil
- Saffron London Cracking Nail Polish
- Vera Valenti Eyeshadow in Pink
- Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Volume Gloss in Pink
- Kesari Radieuse Anti-Age
- Essyta Cosmetics Body Moisturising Lotion
As with all BeTrousse boxes, BeTrousse have provided full-sized products so that you can feel the full effect of each item before deciding whether to repurchase it or not. As such, I won’t do full reviews of everything until I have used them for a bit longer, so for now I will tell you my first impressions of each treat.
Papier Poudre Gift Pack – 3 Booklets – £7.95
Papier Poudre are little booklets of blotting papers, with each sheet being covered in a fine layer of absorbent powder, which gives a matte make up look after use. I used to have something like this when I was a teenager but hadn’t seen them around for years, so when I found these in the box I was very happy to see them! The pack contains three booklets, with a different shade of powder in each booklet – Rachel, Rose and White. I have tried these out already and they do their job perfectly, removing excess oil and shine from the face whilst adding a touch of powder. A great little product and something a bit different for BeTrousse!
Cupcake Organic Frankincense & Orange Day Cream – 30ml – £16
This Frankincense & Orange Day Cream by Cupcake Organic has to be one of the best things I have ever received in a BeTrousse box. For starters, I love the name of the company, the packaging is so bright and cute, and the glass pot gives it a luxurious feel. The cream itself smells absolutely ‘divine’ (to quote the company’s tagline), and it has a firm yet creamy texture which instantly softens the skin. The cream claims to protect and repair dry skin, which I have on my hands, so I will be using this a lot over the coming weeks and writing a full review in the not so distant future.
Yves Rocher Organic Refreshing Gel Cleanser – 200ml – £11
I’m yet to try Yves Rocher’s Refreshing Gel Cleanser properly so I can’t really comment on its quality, but it has a nice smooth texture and a light, fresh scent of Aloe Vera. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Yves Rocher as they produce natural, organic cosmetics which I prefer to use, so I’m expecting good things from this. The cleanser is suitable for the face AND eyes too, which is a bonus as all-in-one products lessen the clutter of bottles in the bathroom!
Arganti 100% Pure Argan Oil – 60ml – £10
Arganti’s Argan Oil is another product I was very pleased to see in this box as it 100% pure. I have tried Argan hair oils in the past but they were all combined with other plant oils, so I have been keen to try some pure Argan oil to see if it lives up to the hype. However, Arganti’s packaging isn’t the best (the bottle looks like a medicine bottle), and the oil smells horrible too (although I suppose that’s unavoidable). Having said that, I am looking forward to giving this a proper try, so watch this space for an Arganti review!
Saffron London Cracking Nail Polish – 14ml – £0.75p
BeTrousse are a little bit behind with this Nail Polish as the nail crackle trend has mostly been and gone, but as I said before it is nice to see a nail product in the box. The packaging may look simple and slightly cheap, but I actually quite like the classy contrast between black and gold. I have a few Saffron London polishes already and, for a cheap range, they are pretty good quality, so hopefully this will be the same.
Vera Valenti Eyeshadow in Pink – 10g – £2
To balance out the amazing-ness of the Cupcake Organic Day Cream, Vera Valenti’s Eyeshadow is the worst thing I have received in a beauty box. The packaging looks and feels very cheap and tacky, and the eyeshadow is really bad quality. It is chalky and one of the shadows actually broke up into tiny pieces and powder the first time I used it. Most of the colours are also far too pearlescent for my liking, but I must say I do quite like the purple shades in this palette.
Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Volume Gloss in Pink – 10ml – £13.90
When I found Yves Rocher’s Sexy Pulp Volume Gloss in the box I instantly thought ‘YAY! Make up!’ Make up is one of the things that BeTrousse have been lacking, and this gloss has definitely made up for it. The gloss is a lovely shade of orangey pink, and has a fantastic shine to it. It isn’t sticky (although you can feel it on your lips) and it is extremely long-lasting… Even after eating the colour and shine are still visible. Expect a full review of this soon, too!
Kesari Radieuse Anti-Age – 30ml – £47
I wasn’t especially excited about Kerasi’s Radieuse Anti-Age at first as I’ve received several other anti-aging creams in my BeTrousse boxes in the past, and I don’t really think I need them yet! However, this one is really delicate and light and has a nice, nutty scent and colour. I’ve used it a few times on my face and neck and it is absorbed quickly and has a smoothing, softening effect. As far as anti-aging creams go, this is one of the best that I have sampled so far.
Essyta Cosmetics Body Moisturising Lotion – 250ml – £13.50
Last but not least, Essyta Cosmetics Body Moisturising Lotion. I’m a sucker for good moisturisers, and this is undoubtedly a good one. It has a pleasing scent and, like the Kerasi Radieuse Anti-Age, is lovely and light and easily absorbed. The lotion comes in a nice big bottle as well, which is always good.
If you like the look of the BeTrousse Pretty Beauty Box, keep an eye out tomorrow for details of a very special giveaway that I am running with BeTrousse! Alternatively, it is available to order via the BeTrousse website for just £19.
Which products in the Pretty Beauty Box do you like the look of?
Naomi x
*I was sent the BeTrousse Pretty Beauty Box by BeTrousse for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own*
Nails by AB
15A few weeks ago I was asked by Amy of Nails by AB to review a set of her gorgeous false nails. Amy is a trained beauty therapist and her new business, Nails by AB, specialises in creating personalised designer nails which are painted according to your own specifications, and then posted out to you. Having seen some of Amy’s designs on Twitter I was hugely impressed so, of course, I jumped at the chance to try some of her nails for myself. The design I asked for and swiftly received was a set of bang on trend owls.
The nails came very nicely packaged in a drawstring bag, and a handy little tube of nail glue was also provided.
This stunning owly set contains 18 nails (9 pairs of differently sized nails), so you’re guaranteed to find a complete set that fits you in amongst them. A set of 18 owl nails costs £8.50 (including UK postage), which is incredible value for money considering the amount of effort that goes in to painting them! However, if you want a smaller set (which usually costs less) Amy will ask you to measure the width of your nails upon ordering, so that she can choose, tailor and shape your nails specifically to fit you. How great is that?
As I’m sure you can tell from my photographs, the quality of these nails is excellent. The design is simple, yet really carefully and neatly painted, and the colours used are really bold. I absolutely love these little owls, they’re just so cute, and it is obvious that Amy has a real talent for nail art!
Both my sister and I have tried these nails on and we both agree that they are very comfortable. The nails themselves are made of plastic, which is thin enough to be flexible and look like a natural nail, but not too thin so that they break easily. The glue that is provided keeps the nails on for a good while (basically until you decide to take them off), so if you want your nails to last longer than just a night out, these will.
The photographs below were modelled by my sister. She has far shorter nails than me so I thought it would be a good idea to show that the nails stay put even on short nails…
The Nails by AB range features many quirky, bespoke designs, including the latest Moustache Nails which cost £9.50 a set and celebrate Movember, with £4.00 of the proceeds being donated to the Movember charity. However, Amy is more than happy to paint a set of nails to your own design if you have something specific in mind. Nails by AB nails start at £6.50 a set, but only go as high as about £10.00, which is so worth it when you consider what you’d pay for a salon manicure.
If you would like to order some pretty little nails from Nails by AB, you can do so via Amy’s website, on eBay (under nailsbyab), through the Nails by AB Facebook page, or even through the Nails by AB Twitter account. Payment can be made through PayPal or Credit/Debit Card, and once payment has cleared your nails should hopefully be in the post to you within 2-3 days, sent FREE by second class post.
Nails by AB’s products and service are top class, and it is obvious that so much care and passion is put into Amy’s work, so please help to spread the word about this nifty little company!
Naomi x
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