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Review: Birchbox ‘World Cup’ June 2014 Beauty Box

Birchbox ‘World Cup – Brazil’ June 2014 Beauty Box

This month’s box had a lot to live up to after last month’s Harper’s Bazaar collaboration box. 
I was actually surprised when the ever enthusiastic delivery guy (can you feel the sarcasm leaking through you screen?) turned up with my box, due to a lack of correspondence from Birchbox themselves. Still, I’m not going to complain about a box turning up without a dispatch email when it could have easily been the other way round. Opening up my box I didn’t really know what to expect. I hadn’t seen any mention of a theme, and honestly, my heart dropped a little when I saw the green and yellow. I’m not a football fan and lately every brand out there is trying to be included in the World Cup glory. 
The branding was clever with this box, but I wasn’t drawn in by the theme.
Inside my box was…
Embryolisse – Lait Crème Concentre
Silk + Honey – Shea Butter Hair Mask
OPI Nail Polish – Next Stop…The Bikini Zone (The Brazil Collection)
Yves Rocher – Sheer Botanical Lipstick in #21 Litchi
Naobay – Body Radiance Lotion
Birchbox – Brazil Inspired Keyring
Thoughts?
I’m not one to judge a book by it’s cover, however my dismay at the month’s theme did translate to the products slightly. I don’t really know where to start. Maybe I should talk about the products I’m happy with first. The reasonably sized Silk + Honey Shea Butter Hair Mask is certainly something I will use and enjoy, so I’m more than happy to have it in my box. I was excited by the Yves Rocher Lipstick, but when I tried it on it was no different than a lip balm, as the ‘tint’ of colour wasn’t present. I was also a bit sad that the YR logo had scratched off my tube slightly, making me think these were seconds. The OPI polish is a lovely shade, and certainly something I’d wear, but I have a love hate relationship with OPI. I’ve found some of their polishes to be poor quality, but I have high hopes for this one. The Naobay lotion, and the Embryolisse moisturiser are items I could take or leave. I already have a bunch of moisturisers and sample size lotions, so these will just go into my ever-evergrowing pile. Finally, the keyring. Maybe I’m a buzzkill but it reminds me of the tacky souvenirs found at so many British seaside resorts. I do see the fun in it though so I can’t hate on it, I just won’t be using it.
Overall I’m a bit disappointed in this month’s box, and if it wasn’t for the quality of the
previous boxes I’ve received I would be unsubscribing. Here’s hoping next month’s Birchbox gets back to form!
You can subscribe or buy the ‘World Cup’ box at Birchbox.
Using my link will give you (and me) £5 worth of points to spend in the store.
bloomzy /

Let’s Get Naked Ladies!

The Lacquer Lab Naked Ladies Collection
Nude polishes make me feel all gooey inside. I’m a big sucker for a subtle shade and an ultra chic nail. Say hello to The Lacquer Lab and their new Naked Ladies collection. They are seriously trying to woe me with these shades and swatches.
The Naked Ladies collection is made up of 6 nude shades: Venus, Nymphette, Kleopatra, Nude Maja, Dita and Pamela. If those names aren’t enough to tempt you then maybe the polishes will. With 2 pearlescent shades and 4 luxe-crème shades, you’re spoilt for choice. The Lacquer Lab have stayed with their large bottles, meaning plenty of product. Don’t forget they’re also cruelty and toxin free, and made right here in Great Britain! The polishes will retail at £7 each, and £35 for the whole collection.
If you’re new to the brand don’t forget to check out my review of their polishes.
The Naked Ladies collection is available from today at The Lacquer Lab.
Use code: FREEUKSHIP20 for free shipping in the UK on orders over £20.
bloomzy /

Review: Illamasqua Shattered Star Marquise Nail Polish

Illamasqua Shattered Star Marquise Nail Polish, from the Glamore Collection*

Orange nail polish isn’t really something I’ve gone out of my way to wear. So when Illamasqua sent me their new Shattered Star Marquise Nail Polish, I internally thanked them for helping me to try something new and fun. There are actually two other shades in the Glamore collection; a champagne, and a pink – both of which are glitter polishes, like Marquise. Illamasqua claim that Marquise is highly pigmented, chip resistant and has a multi-dimensional glitter finish. Well I have a little something to say about that…
Subtle triangle nail art and swatch, using Illamasqua’s Marquise
Pros:
+ Highly pigmented
+ Chip resistant
+ Applies easily
+ Love the packaging
+ Long lasting
+ Opaque in one coat

Cons:
– Could dry quicker

Notes:
As you guessed, I don’t really have anything bad to say about this polish. Yes it does everything it claims to, and it does it with flare. Application can be something which a lot of brands go wrong on. Thanks to a good quality polish and brush Illamasqua has it down to a t. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, I’ve never been a fan of orange polishes. Illamasqua may just have changed that though as Marquise is a gorgeous, highly pigmented glitter polish that looks amazing on. I really like the other shades in this collection (Trilliant & Fire Rose), but for me, Marquise is just so striking that it stands out from the rest. I can’t explain exactly how the glitter can have a multi-dimensional finish, because I don’t even fully understand that myself, but it does! It’s something unlike any other glitter polish I’ve used before. No it doesn’t dry in an instant, but then it doesn’t take a lifetime either; it just takes about as long as any other standard polish. I love Illamasqua for their high quality, highly-pigmented make-up products and this polish lives up to all of those. For £15 it may seem like a lot, but a little goes a long way (it’s opaque in one coat), and it really is worth paying for this kind of quality.
Marquise is currently out of stock on Illamasqua‘s website, however it is also available in-store.
bloomzy /

Tutorial: How To Remove Any Nail Polish Easily

I often get friends and readers asking me how I remove my nail polish so easily. The trick I use is one I learnt years ago from a friend, and I actually thought it was well known. People still seem surprised and thankful when I tell them though so I thought I’d make a tutorial.
You will need:
A sheet of tinfoil
A pair of scissors
A couple of cotton pads
1 x bottle of nail polish remover
A Step by Step Guide

 

1. Cut 5 thin (nail width), long strips from the tin foil.
You’ll only need 5 as you can re-use them on the other hand.
 
2. Cut the cotton pad so you have 10 nail size pieces.

 

 

3. Soak a cotton piece in nail polish remover, and squeeze off the excess.

 

4. Place the cotton pad on your nail and wrap the tin foil around it, and repeat for each nail.
Make sure you fold the tin foil at the tip, so it’s secure and won’t come off.


 
5. Leave these on for around 5 minutes for regular polish, and 10 minutes for glitter.
Times may vary depending on the polish, but I find these usually work fine.


 

6. Once removed you’ll have polish-free nails, and can start on the next hand.
With more stubborn polish a little may be left around the edges.
You can easily remove this though by using the cotton pad to wipe it away.
 
7. Wash your hands free of any nail polish remover and use a hand cream.
Make sure to pay attention to your nails and rub the cream in around the cuticles.
 
There you have it, my super easy nail polish remover tutorial. I have yet to meet a polish that doesn’t remove with this method. This wipes away even the most stubborn glitter nail polishes.
Have fun!
bloomzy /

Review: The Lacquer Lab Nail Polish

The Lacquer Lab Pool Party, Clarissa Explains It All and Joy Ride polishes*
The Lacquer Lab is a new nail polish brand about to make big waves in the beauty industry. I immediately fell in love with their colour collection, and their simple yet stylish branding. It also caught my eye that their polishes are high quality whilst being free from toxins. I was sent a trio of their polishes to try out, and here’s my review!
Swatch of Joy Ride, Clarissa Explains It All and Pool Party in natural light.
Swatch of Joy Ride and Pool Party together, under artificial light.
 
Pros:
+ Opaque in one coat
+ Easy and good application
+ Great collection of colours
+ Stayed on for 5 days without chipping
+ Fair price point
 
Cons:
– Started to crack after 5 days of wear
 
Notes:
For a new nail polish company I am impressed. The Lacquer Lab have managed to create a high quality, pigmented polish, with amazing coverage. These tick all the boxes: opaque in one coat, easy to apply, good brush and stays on for days. My only con is that whilst it didn’t chip, it did start to crack after wearing it for 5 days. For me that’s not a massive problem though as I change my nail polish once (sometimes twice) a week – 5 days is also quite impressive compared to some brands. At £7, these are more expensive than ‘drugstore’ brands, but I think are fairly priced for the quality of the item. You won’t find this kind of high quality polish from cheaper brands, in fact it’s difficult to find from even more expensive brands. The Lacquer Lab has won me over with their polishes.
You can purchase these shades and more at The Lacquer Lab.
bloomzy /

Review: Collection Work The Colour Nail Polish

Collection Work The Colour – Raspberry Pink & Sonic Blue*

I can never have too many nail polishes. In fact last week I received 5 new ones to add to my collection. 2 of those were these lovelies from the new Collection range coming out in April. The new Work The Colour range by Collection will feature 24 new nail polish shades. I was lucky enough to receive a manicure with a couple of the colours during the press event. So I thought I would give my views on the new polishes and colours coming out soon.
Swatch of Raspberry Pink & Sonic Blue.
Along with swatch on nails of Baby Blue & Fairy Dust (layered).

Pros:
+ Opaque in one coat
+ Great range of colours
+ Applies easily – good size brush
+ Love the new packaging
+ Good price point

Cons:
– Chipped after a day or so
Notes:
I am so excited by this range because the shades and colours they have coming out are wonderful. There’s a great variety of colours, and the polish itself isn’t too bad. The polishes apply easily, mainly thanks to a very good brush. Apart from the shimmer/glitter polishes in the range, these are opaque in one coat – two coats gives an even better colour pay off. The colours were pretty much exactly what you see in the bottle, although the raspberry pink looks slightly red when photographed. Unfortunately though these chipped after a day or so, but I am putting that down to the top coat that the manicurist used. It wasn’t bad, but I think we all have our own tried and tested ones that we love. I think these would last fine with a better top coat. Priced at £1.99 these won’t break the bank and will easily work their way into your collection.
The Collection Work The Colour Nail Polish range will be available in Superdrug from 9th April.
They will also be available in Boots from 16th April.
bloomzy /

Review: Hair Styling & Nail Art at Cheeky Parlour, Shoreditch

 Manicure & Nail Art, and Up-do created by the lovely people at The Cheeky Parlour
For my birthday celebrations I knew I wanted something a little special. I didn’t want to go over the top but I wanted to be pampered, and look good too. For me, that meant someone styling my hair for me, as I find it such a task myself. So Anna & I returned to our new favourite haunt – The Cheeky Parlour.

Cheeky Fix Me Up

Last time we went we both had a manicure and nail art – remember? The parlour has been renovated since then and looks even better. This time we went for the ‘CHEEKY fix me up’ hair & nail combo. This entitled us to a file & paint manicure, a blow dry/up-do and a free drink. Anna went for a blow dry, with big luscious curls, which looked amazing on her. I went for an up-do partly due to the weather, and partly because I just wanted to…ok? My stylist asked me what kind of up-do I would like and I told her “Anything with plaits.” Since my hair is so short I didn’t expect anything amazing but it turned out wonderfully.  She did French Plaits down both sides and secured the rest in a big fluffy bun – impressive! Then it was time for our manicures – I had given my nails a fortnight rest from polish in preparation. Anna decided on a gorgeous mocha nail polish, and went matte. Yes you get to decide matte or shiny! I went for black, because black goes with everything duh. I also added some gold polka dot nail art. I went for shiny, of course, to accentuate the sparkly gold of the polka dots even more. All during this time we sipped on cocktails, and laughed about all kinds of nonsense.

Final thoughts?

For only £25 the CHEEKY fix me up combo is definitely worth the money! I can’t say I’d do it every Friday night, but I’ll definitely be going back again, for sure. The combo is perfect for a night out, and I love treating myself every now and again to a manicure. If you’re looking for something a bit more special, they now offer make-up and pedicures as well.
Visit The Cheeky Parlour for more info and a list of beauty treatments.