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BEAUTY BIRCHBOX

BIRCHBOX FEBRUARY 2019: LET LOVE GROW โ€“ REVIEW

Hey Everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well and that you had a lovely Valentine’s Day, no natter who you spent it with or what you did! I explored a lovely little town called Matlock with dad yesterday. We sat and watched the world go by whilst sharing a huge slab of white chocolate and raspberry cake. Anyway, it’s time for another Birchbox review and I’m really excited for this one! This month, we received some amazing products and I can’t wait to tell you about them! Before I begin, I’ve included some information about what Birchbox actually is, how much is costs and all that jazz below!


Birchbox is a UK beauty subscription service that sends beauty boxes to their subscribers containing 5 goodies every month. You donโ€™t have to worry about lifelong commitments or contracts. In fact, you can cancel anytime with a monthly subscription โ€“ no fuss whatsoever! The monthly subscription costs only ยฃ10 per month plus ยฃ2.95 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 so great for discovering new brands and products. I have been subscribed to Birchbox for a long time now and I stil look forward to receiving their boxes every month. Iโ€™ve gone on to buy lots of the things Iโ€™ve received 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 as they’re too pretty to throw away! If you want to try Birchbox for yourself, click here and use my referral link to get ยฃ5 off your first box!


This monthโ€™s box is all about celebrating love, which makes sense because after all, it’s February and that means Valentine’s Day is upon us once again! Birchbox have collaborated with the gifting gods from notonthehighstreet to remind us all about acts of thoughtfulness and kindness. I think it’s a lovely idea, especially as lots of us are feeling a bit down in the dumps after the January blues and could definitely do with a pick-me-up. Let’s see what’s included shall we? RRPs correspond to full-size items at birchbox.co.uk/shop.


LOC – Liquid Shimmer Shadow in Eclipse – RRP ยฃ8 (Full Size & Birchbox Exclusive)

If you’ve read my recent post about my latest makeup obsession, then you’ll know how much I love liquid eyeshadows. Powder formulas can get a bit boring so it’s nice to just sweep some shimmer onto my lid and be able to leave the house within five minutes – no blending necessary. It’s described to add a “subtle hint of colour” but I certainly wouldn’t call it subtle…as you can see from the swatch, she is PIGMENTED. I was expecting a sheer formula, perhaps something that needs building but this is on another level. I’m not complaining though, it just may disappoint those of you that were hoping for something more natural looking. It’s really smooth and buttery, making is easy to apply and shift around the lid until it looks exactly how I want it to. It dries pretty quickly and when it does, it’s going nowhere fast! Ten hours after application, it still hadn’t budged and it only came off with makeup remover.


Anatomicals – Shower Gel – RRP ยฃ4 (Full Size & Birchbox Exclusive)

This smells absolutely amazing! I already have a lot of love for Anatomicals. I’m a huge fan of their packaging too, I love how vibrant and eye-catching it all is, plus they know how to make puns like it’s nobody’s business. It’s like they’re a conveyor belt of beauty related humour and I love it! It makes a change from the boring packaging we see everywhere else, right?


Coco & Eve – Like A Virgin Super Nourishing Coconut & Fig Hair Masque – RPP ยฃ9 (Full Size)

I spend so much time thinking about skincare and makeup that I forget to about my hair! Given that I love to fry it with straighteners on a regular basis and I’m guilty of forgetting heat protectant on a few occasions, I should probably change this! When I’m straightening my hair, I’m usually in a rush to get out of the house so I don’t have time to faff about with sprays and creams. The idea of a hair mask sounds so appealing – you can even be doing something else whilst it’s on. For example, when you have those heavy duty baths/showers, where you have to wash your hair, shave and exfoliate (if you know, you know), you could apply this mask, leave it for 5-10 minutes whilst you’re faffing around with everything else! Meanwhile, the mask is repairing damage, improving texture and shine, deeply hydrating AND sealing split ends – one heck of a multi-tasker!


Luxie – 205 Tapered Blending Dreamcatcher – RRP ยฃ11 (Full Size)

Since I started wearing makeup, I’ve learnt that the key to flawless eyeshadow is blending. I can’t stress enough how important it is to have the right brushes for this though and the Luxie Tapered Blending brush is perfect for the job! It’s so soft and fluffy, great for creating seamless eyeshadow looks. It’s also vegan, cruelty-free and hypoallergenic. With brushes like this, it barely takes any effort to get the look you want.


Joliderm – Nose Patch – RRP ยฃ13.90 (Birchbox Exclusive)

Patches are some of my favourite skincare must-haves! I always have some in to target blocked pores, blackheads and impurities. Apparently these strips only take 10-15 minutes and then you’re able to “wave goodbye” to all the bad stuff immediately. However, I tried this patch last night and I just didn’t notice any difference, at all. I also noticed how expensive they were too. Had it been a great product, I might have repurchased them but I definitely won’t be. I’ve found cheaper alternative that are much more effective!


I’m really impressed with this month’s box. We received four full size products when typically it’s only one or two. There was such a variety, we had makeup, skincare, haircare and an beauty tool too! Although I was disappointed by one of the products, I’m okay with that. When you subscribe to something like Birchbox, you have to be prepared to receive something you might not like at some point and I guess that’s what happened here! I know that I will use everything else though, especially the makeup and the blending brush. Altogether, the products inside the February box are worth roughly ยฃ45, which is less than usual but still good value. The subscription itself costs only ยฃ12.95 per month! Are you subscribed to Birchbox or any other beaut boxes? Let me know in the comments. Check out last month’s Birchbox review!

Want to try Birchbox for yourself? Click here and use my referral link to get ยฃ5 off your first box! (affiliate link)

N xxxx

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MONTHLY FAVOURITES

FEBRUARY 2018 FAVOURITES

Hey guys,

February was going to plan until the snow hit and threw me off a bit but it’s definitely given me some much needed time to get back to regular uploads! Let me know what you guys think about my new schedule (Tuesdays and Fridays at 6 o’clock). Today I’m going to be talking about my February favourite and as usual, Iveย got a good mixture of things this month including some makeup and some lifestyle bits and bobs so let’s get into it!


C1E1F479-18F5-4389-8CBB-A6AA8DCB4412-2.jpgPLANTS

Right this is a strange one but for some reason during February I experienced a real urge to have some more greenery in my life! I’ve always loved plants, indoors and outdoors and I love how fresh and clean they can make a room look and feel. I’ve been wanting to get some plants for my flat at university for quite some time now and I just never got round to it. I’m a huge fan of artificial plants because, as someone who is living in two places all year round, I don’t always have time to water and keep real plants healthy. I’ve been buying flowers regularly at uni and those have really brightened up the windowsill in my kitchen however I just felt like the living room was also in some need of green! I bought these guys (above) in various shops around Nottingham, all are artificial except the one at the back left. All cost me under ยฃ10 each which is also fab and makes me want more!ย I have a few artificial plants back in my room at home which is ideal as I’m not able to tend to them whilst I’m at uni and even though they aren’t real they still look it and add such a nice pop of green to my bedroom! I have a post specifically about Homesense and another of my favourite homeware shops so click here if you want to see more!

Wilko – Cream Potย / Homesense / Primark


SS18_voyager-living_05-1-1068x1770Dunelm’s Voyager Range

TROPICAL PRINTS

Speaking of tropical prints and my new blog post coming up soon *cough cough* ย (I wonder if I’ll break any records for self-promo in this post?!) I thought I would include one in my favourites. This is a trend I am more than happy to welcome into my home as I love plants and all things green and turquoise which seems to be the key features of many tropical prints out now. The above image shows off some of Dunelm’s new Voyager range which is just FABULOUS and I am obsessed with it. It features so many quirky and bold coloured items and I want it all! What do you think of this trend? Do you love it or hate it? Let me know in the comments below.

SHOP THE RANGE HERE!


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Processed with VSCO with c1 presetURBAN DECAY NAKED ILLUMINATED SHIMMERING POWDER

I know I’ve already reviewed this product, so I’ll put a link underneath this and keep it short! I’m a huge fan of natural looking highlighters and a shimmering powder is definitely my kind of product. I love that it’s light and doesn’t look chalky whatsoever. I also really like the packaging too, it’s so pretty and elegant looking. I’m so exited to wear this during Summer for a natural glow whilst in the sun and on holiday!

HERE’S MY MORE DETAILED REVIEW!

BUY IT HERE*


Processed with VSCO with c1 presetANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS MODERN RENAISSANCE PALETTE

Again, I’ve reviewed this product so I’ll keep this short and sweet and there will be a link underneath this too.ย I’ve been using this palette every single day over the last couple of weeks and I’m loving it!ย I’m enjoying using pinks, reds and oranges at the moment so this palette is perfect for these looks. I tend to use Burnt Orange and Raw Siennaย in my crease and then I warm it up using Realgarย and Venetian Red.ย I darken the outer corner with Cyprus Umber and I put Vermeer or Primavera all over my lid to add some glam.ย Also, the quality of this palette is unreal and I recommend it to everyone that asks me what my staple products are!

YOU CAN READ MY MORE DETAILED REVIEW HERE

YOU CAN BUY THE PALETTE HERE


Processed with VSCO with c1 presetINTERIOR DESIGN MAGAZINES

I’ve been buying interior design magazines for a long time and it never occurred to me to put them in a favourites post as they’re just part of my normal routine. I’ve got a few on the go at the moment which I’m always flicking through to gather inspiration for my blog or for my scrapbook. I enjoy reading about the latest trends and the way that people choose to style different items of furniture and decor. I will be starting a new series this Friday (I mentioned this briefly earlier) where I will be discussing interior trends and crazes so keep your eyes peeled for that! These magazines will definitely help with these posts.ย If any of you have suggestions as to what interior magazines I might like, do let me know as I’m always looking for new ones to look at.


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Processed with VSCO with c1 presetKIKO ARCTIC HOLIDAY BAKED BLUSH INย 01 MARMOREAL BISCUIT

Another plug it seems – I’ve reviewed this item before too! I really enjoyed using this over Winter and I seem to be using it even more now it’s Spring. It leaves such a healthy glow and adds the perfect amount of colour on my cheeks. I’ve always loved KIKO products, mainly for the quality but also the prices are so reasonable. Unfortunately this blusher isn’t available anymore however they still offer a huge variety of blushers and they often bring out baked products so keep an eye out for those. It might be worth checking out other brands too as baked products seem to be really popular at the moment.

READ MY REVIEW HERE

CHECK OUT KIKO HERE


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THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

Dude. This film is INCREDIBLE. I’ve never been so glued to a screen in my life. The music, the colours, the story, the talent, everything about this film is truly inspiring! The whole way through I wanted to sing and dance. As someone that used to go to singing lessons for years, songs like these were something we looked for every week and I wish these had been available for my teacher and I to work on for a show! I strongly recommend going to see this in the cinema before it’s no longer available as there’s nothing like a couple of hours to zone out and enjoy something as good as this! make it a treat and get some sweets or popcorn and really enjoy yourself because it’s such a beautiful feel-good film so make the most of it!


So there we have it, all the things that have made me enjoy February that extra bit more! I would love to know what you guys have been loving so feel free to mention anything in the comments! If you didn’t see my January favourites post you can read that here!

N xxxx

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*Anything marked with an “*” are either sponsored or affiliate links, however all opinions are my own