Disney Archives - Nina Louise

Hey Everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well! It’s been a busy month for me! I’ve been planning all of my Blogmas content for this year and I cannot wait for you to see it. The November Birchbox only encouraged the festive fun to continue, just wait until you see the box! Before I begin, I’ve included some information about what Birchbox actually is, how much it costs and all that jazz below! If you already know all of this, feel free to carry on scrolling.

Read my review of the October box here

*This post contains affiliate links

About Birchbox:

Birchbox is a UK beauty subscription service that sends beauty boxes to their subscribers containing 5 goodies every month. You don’t have to worry about lifelong commitments or contracts. In fact, you can cancel anytime with a monthly subscription – no fuss whatsoever! The monthly subscription costs only £10 per month plus £2.95 P&P! You can edit your beauty profile on their site to ensure you get sent products that are suitable for your skin/hair type and personal preferences. Birchbox is great for discovering new brands and products. I have been subscribed to Birchbox for years and I still look forward to receiving their boxes every month. I’ve gone on to buy lots of the things I’ve been sent because I have loved them so much. Every box you receive is beautifully packaged, some months are designed and inspired by artists and companies. I use some of the boxes to store makeup in too!

Get £5 off your first Birchbox with this link or just use the code: “Nina Louise” at checkout! (affiliate link)

This month’s box is in collaboration with Disney, who they also teamed up with last November for the release of The Nutcracker and The Four Realms (read that review here). However, this time we’re celebrating the well anticipated sequel, Frozen II. As a Disney lover, I think this is a fabulous festive design! I can also see why it was chosen, as female characters from Frozen represent strength and beauty – very fitting for a beauty subscription box! However, for those that don’t particularly love Disney, I can imagine this probably felt a little too childish and may struggle to relate to the theme. It’s probably going to be fairly hit and miss with the subscribers. That doesn’t mean that the contents should be dismissed though as there some lovely products in this box! Let’s take a look at what’s inside, shall we? RRPs correspond to full-size items at birchbox.co.uk/shop.

Lise Watier – Rouge Gourmand Lipstick in “Gingerbread” – RRP £23

Although the sample is tiny, I am a big fan of the Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand lipstick! During the colder months, I tend to search high and low for hydrating lip products that aren’t glosses as the wind and my hair tend to clash with that. This lipstick offers hydration without the stickiness and that’s exactly what I’m looking for! It contains castor seed oil which apparently means it will never settle into fine lines. I hate when my lips are dry and a lipstick only makes them look worse so fingers crossed, this one will come to the rescue and keep them looking moisturised throughout Winter! It’s also worth mentioning that this also actually plumps the lips too – yes please!

Bodyography – Lip Pencil in “Heatherberry” (Full Size) – RRP £11

I think I have a slight addiction when it comes to lip liners! I seem to get through so many of them. In my opinion, they really complete a makeup look and they completely transform the appearance of my lips! The Bodyography Lip Pencil has such a beautifully soft formula. I hate when lip liners are dry and this one seems to simply glide on. It’s so easy to outline and fill in my lips with and so far, I haven’t noticed any feathering or bleeding which is always a good sign. I can definitely see this becoming a new staple of mine. I’d also never come across Bodyography before, who believe in “beauty with a conscience” and are actually cruelty-free, paraben-free and sulphate-free!

INC.redible – Flower Power Hydrating Sheet Mask (Full Size) – RRP £5

I blooming (pardon the pun) love the INC.redible Flower Power Hydrating Sheet Mask! This is exactly what my skin needs a this time of year; nourishment and hydration! A real multitasker, the mask also smoothes, refreshes and protects the skin too. It’s packed with goodness featuring ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, collagen and vitamin E! After giving it 15 minutes, I was thoroughly impressed with the results. My skin felt absolutely amazing. I didn’t personally experience any negative reactions but if you have sensitive skin or if you feel any tingling, Birchbox have advised you to remove the mask immediately!

Sebamed – Clear Face Cleasing Bar – RRP £4.69

I am a huge fan of this brand and their blemish busting skincare. It would’ve been nice to have been sent a full sample of the Sebamed Cleansing Bar as the sample is tiny! However, I still enjoyed using it and I am definitely considering purchasing the full sized version. The bar contains lots of ingredients to combat pimples and blackheads which help to reduce breakouts and keep skin clear. This couldn’t have come into my life at a better time as my skin seems to be going through a rough patch at the moment. I’m currently putting this to the test and I want to give it a little more time so I’ll keep you updated. So far so good though!

Number 4 – Jour d’automne Blow Dry Lotion – RRP £26

I’ve received a few samples from this brand through Birchbox before and so far, I’ve loved everything! However, I don’t actually blow dry my hair very often so I doubt that I will get much use out of the Jour d’automne Blow Dry Lotion. For the sake of the review, I did still give it a whirl and I was pleasantly surprised! Not only did it offer thermal protection but it also helped my hair to dry so much faster. I have long and thick hair so getting it to dry is usually a fairly lengthy and frustrating task. Anything to make that process quicker gets a yes from me! On the occasions that I do decide to pick up the hairdryer, I will definitely be picking this product up too.

I really enjoyed the November box. In my opinion, the design is gorgeous and I think it will be a big hit with the Disney fans among the Birchbox subscribers. I also loved the products! I know I will use a majority of them and I can see myself repurchasing some too! However, I do think that Birchbox could have been slightly more generous with the sample sizes. That being said, we still got to try out £69.69 worth of beauty products that we otherwise may not have come across! Are you subscribed to Birchbox or any other beauty boxes? Let me know in the comments.

Get £5 off your first Birchbox with this link or just use the code: “Nina Louise” at checkout! (affiliate link). You can also get a free Pixi Glow Mist with the code: “MIST” at checkout!

N xxxx

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Hey Everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well! I’m still stunned that summer is almost over. It feels like it took forever to get here and now it’s already coming to an end! Since moving back home, I’ve been working hard on lots of new content for my blog and for instagram – don’t forget to follow me over there too! You can find all my social media linked at the end of every blog post. I’m back with another favourites post for you and I’ve included a real variety of things this month – makeup, clothes, skincare, a game (I know) and a TV series. Let’s take a look at what I’ve included, shall we?

*This post contains affiliate links and gifted items

Reflex Light Palette – Pixi

I’ve already written about this palette here, so I won’t go into too much detail. This palette is amazing! At first I wasn’t sure about an entire palette of just shimmer shades, and then I swatched them. These are potentially the most pigmented shimmers I’ve ever used. This is the kind of product that makes you do a double take when you use it. Also, when I wear any of the shades, people always ask me what I’ve got on my eyes so I can’t be the only one that’s mindblown by them. I cannot recommend this palette enough.

CYCLING-STYLE SHORTS

I honestly never thought I would jump on the whole cycling shorts bandwagon but here I am. In fact I’ve leapt and I am now fully on board and here’s why. I’m a baggy t-shirt kind of girl and these shorts go perfectly with anything oversized, longline or baggy. They’re so comfy and given that they’re also black, they go with just about everything. I’ve paired them with crop tops too and they actually look really cute! On a more nerdy note, they’re actually really practical (don’t laugh at me). When my boyfriend and I went to Paris during that ungodly heatwave in July, I literally wore cycling shorts every day. I even wore them to Disneyland because I knew they would be the comfiest option plus they kept me cool! I highly recommend grabbing a pair if you’re unsure. These were £1.50 in Primark!

P.S. I’ve written an entire post about this entire outfit as part of my new “Updating My Wardrobe” series here!

Tea Tree Skin Clearing Clay Mask – The Body Shop

Since going on holiday, my skin has improved a lot and I feel a lot more confident without makeup. However, this doesn’t mean that I’m not still battling with the occasional blemish. The trouble with a lot of anti-blemish skincare is that it can be quite drying and during the summer, that is not something that my skin needs. This tea tree mask is amazing at targeting spots whilst also not drying my skin out – the perfect combination! It stops my spots getting angry or irritated and usually they’re gone the next day.

Bye-Bye Miss American Dry Moisturiser – Anatomicals

I’ve spent a lot of time in the sun this summer, particularly when I went to Paris during their record breaking heatwave (it reached the mid 40s) and then again in Spain where of course, it was also very scorchio (The Fast Show should have taught you that reference). Since arriving back in the UK, I’m doing my best to keep my skin hydrated and moisturised at all times as firstly, I need this tan for as long as possible and secondly, it definitely needs some TLC after catching all of those rays. This moisturiser from Anatomicals is one of my absolute favourite body care products. It smells of cherries (one of my favourite scents) but it also sinks in really quickly without leaving me feeling sticky for the rest of the day. You also get a lot (200ml) in one tube so it lasts such a long time!

Disney Magic Kingdoms

Yes I might be 21 and sharing a game in my monthly favourites but I’m okay with that! I went to Disneyland last month with my boyfriend and once we’d come home, it felt like I’d just dreamt it all and none of it had actually happened. In an attempt to stop the withdrawal symptoms, I downloaded the Disney Magic Kingdoms game and have been totally addicted ever since. When I say “addicted” I mean I spend hours on it! Basically the aim is to create your own little park by unlocking characters and completing quests. It’s surprisingly entertaining!

Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser – Superdrug

I’ve already written a blog post on this skincare range (check it out here) so I’ll keep it short and sweet. This is one of the best cleansers I own. It smells like a spa day, it feels soft and gentle and it takes my makeup off in seconds. I don’t use makeup wipes because they just made my skin worse and they’re also terrible for the environment as they’re not biodegradable. I switched to using cleansers and it’s been a total game changer. My skin barely has any breakouts anymore and it looks so much better than it did before I started using this product. I’ve been using it a lot this summer as it’s so hydrating and literally leaves my skin glowing. I love it!

13 Reasons Why – Season 3

I know this is a controversial series. Some say it’s too triggering and some say it needs to be seen and heard. I actually agree with the latter. Personally, there’s a lot in this series that I can relate to and that makes some scenes quite difficult to view but I think I would rather see a TV series exploring these issues than ignoring them. The series always has trigger warnings and they’ve even created a website where viewers can find local resources and helplines. They even have a mini series called “Beyond The Reasons” which allows the cast and the team behind the series to explain why they made certain creative decisions as well as discussing their own feelings on the themes explored within the show. I’m really enjoying it and I think they’ve made a lot of effort to keep a very important conversation going, as well as remaining sensitive and responsible with their content.

The cast are incredible, given that most of them are young adults playing extremely intense roles. When they’re being interviewed, you can see just how invested they are in their roles. Some of them deliver such powerful and convincing performances that, as a viewer, I often wonder if they have actually been through something similar to their character. It’s just a very real and gritty series that I think lots of people needed. I’m just so impressed with the whole thing.

What have your favourite things been this month? I’d love to hear about them so let me know in the comments! I’ve put links to all of my social media down below and I’d love it if you would come and say hi!

N xxxx