bloomzy /

Review: Lulu Guinness March ’14 Birchbox

March 2014 Birchbox in collaboration with Lulu Guinness

It’s safe to say that I was very excited for this month’s Birchbox. I’m a fan of Lulu Guinness and couldn’t wait to see what the collab would bring. This box was based around LG’s cheeky and fun outlook, with 2 products picked by Lulu herself. Her choices? Her favourite Benefit eye primer, and the monochrome candy that inspired her Spring collection.
So what else was inside the March box?
Benefit – Stay Don’t Stray Eye Primer
Dr Brandt – Pores No More Pore Refiner
Aroma Works – Serenity Body Oil
English Laundry No.7 For Her
Stick o’ Rock (Candy Rock)
Molton Brown – Rhubarb & Rose Replenshing Hand Cream
Thoughts?
It’s certainly a cute box this month, and I’m pretty happy with all of the contents – minus the candy rock, which I don’t eat. However the fiancé gladly nabbed it off me, so no tears there. At first look it did seem slightly underwhelming though as I was hoping for something that cried out “Lulu Guinness” slightly more than this did. I think I would have liked to see maybe a LG colour coordinated box, or some fun items that linked to her designs? Still, the packaging of the box was adorable and very fitting. I’m more than happy with the Molton Brown addition as I’ve been meaning to find a handbag-sized hand cream, and I love Molton Brown products. The two primers seemed like a bit of overkill, although I know one is for your eyes and the other face. I’m still looking forward to trying them both though. I adore the scent of the perfume, and as for the body oil, I could take it or leave it. All in all, I’ve discovered some new brands and products that I’m looking forward to trying, which is why I subscribed to Birchbox in the first place, so I’m happy.
ETA: This month’s box also included a discount code to use at Lulu Guinness, and a coupon for a complimentary makeover featuring the new Benefit Gimme Brow!
You can subscribe to Birchbox here – using my link will give you (and me) £5 worth of points to spend.
bloomzy /

Tutorial & Review: Collection Eyebrow Kit

Collection Work The Colour Eyebrow Kit*

My eyebrows haven’t seen the light of day since I was about 10 years old. Due to having a full fringe (and loving it) I’ve never bothered with primping them either. For me, there just doesn’t seem much point. Did I just revoke my beauty blogger membership? Well Collection, and a wonderful MUA by the name of Francesca Neill, were about to change all that. Phew! Now you can stop screaming at your computer screen and wondering what’s wrong with me. Seriously though, if you’re like me and don’t want to touch your naturally gorgeous brows, don’t worry about it!

Collection will be releasing their new Eyebrow Kit in April, and I thought I’d show you how it works. I took inspiration from Francesca, who showed us how to use the kit at the Collection S/S 14 press day. It’s pretty simple and everything is laid out for you, making it super easy for a beginner like me to use it. I found that the shadow stayed on my brows all day and kept the shape and style after using this little kit. The shadows have are highly pigmented but blend well. Francesca even recommended paler ladies use the lightest shade for contouring – and she used it on me to show me how it would work. So if you want perfect brows in just a few easy steps, take a peek below and you’ll find out why this is for you! Please note I am a complete beginner so this is a very simple tutorial to show how the kit works, and to help anyone else out there who may want to have a go.


1. Use the angled end of the brush to apply the darker shadow to the middle/outer part of your brow.

2. Whilst still using the angled end of the brush, apply a lighter shade to the inner part of the eyebrow.

3. Use the other end of the brush to blend the shadow together and, if needed, to help shape the brow.

4. Finally use the clear brow mascara to define the brow and lock the look in place.

This can be done to match the natural shape of your brow, or to create a more angled & defined look. You can also use the clear brow mascara separately on your untouched brows, to define and shape them. It’s also important to remember that you should use the shadow/s best suited to your natural brow colour.

Collection’s Eyebrow Kit will be available from 9th April in Boots and the 16th April in Superdrug for £3.99.

bloomzy /

Review: Witch Blemish Stick

Witch Naturally Clear Blemish Stick*

Witch is a well established skincare brand in the UK, and I’ve been using their products for years. For over 40 years, Witch have been using witch hazel as the main ingredient in all of their products. A naturally clever ingredient that helps cleanse, soothe and tone skin, leaving it perfectly balanced.  The Witch Blemish Stick claims to fight the bacteria that causes spots, getting to work instantly. I’ve used their blemish stick previously but not for several years, so this was a long awaited reunion. 
Pros:
+ Easy to use
+ Simple, cute packaging
+ Main ingredient is natural
+ Didn’t dry my skin out
+ Good price point
+ Works well
Cons:
– Strong medicinal smell, when first applied (gone after about 10secs)
Notes:
This product worked the same as I always remember it working. I felt a spot coming under the skin so I popped some of this on and it brought it out. Luckily though this products helps you skip that awkward, gross stage where your spot is all inflamed and gets a head. Instead it goes straight to the calming down stage, where the spot is beginning to fade. It’s a good product and does what it says. Of course it’s not a miracle worker and won’t rid you of spots entirely. Once you realise that, you’ll also realise that this product is worth adding to your collection. This is usually priced around the £2 – £3 mark (depending on where you purchase it), which isn’t bad at all.
You can purchase the Witch Blemish Stick at Superdrug and Boots.
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: Little Mix Collection Jade Lipstick

Collection x Little Mix Collaboration – Jade’s Lipstick*

You all know by now that red is my signature lip colour.
In fact it got to a point where it felt odd for me to wear another colour.
So I took a plunge and decided to try out this lipstick from the Collection Little Mix range.
I loved the look of it and it gave me that push I needed to try something different.
Swatch on hand in natural light, and on lips in artificial light.

Pros:
+ Creamy formula
+ Soft and smooth
+ Good application
+ Didn’t dry my lips out
+ Great price point

Cons:
– Packaging could be better

Notes:
I was very, very surprised with this lipstick. I didn’t think it would be easy for me to switch to wearing colours other than red, but I really liked this one. It has a red-brown base, and came out as a darker neutral shade on my lips. It applies easily and has a very creamy texture to it, so it feels quite hydrating. I have found in the past that cheaper lipsticks dry my lips out, however this didn’t dry them out at all. It didn’t last through a meal, but then I’ve come to realise that only a miracle can make that happen. However I didn’t use a seal on top as I wanted to see how it stayed by itself first. 
I am really won over by how good this lipstick is, and at only £2.99 it’s a steal! 
You can buy Jade’s Lipstick at Superdrug and Boots.
bloomzy /

Review: Birchbox February 2014 – New Subscription!

You may have thought I’d sworn off beauty boxes forever – especially after this debacle.
Well as the title of this post confirms, you’d be wrong – last week I started a new subscription with Birchbox.
I’d been wanting to start up a subscription again but didn’t know which beauty box brand to choose.
The answer was really there all along though as Birchbox have impressed me in the past.
Inside my box was…
Nail Rock – Nail Glitter
Beauty Protector – Protect & Oil 
Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner
Urbanveda Radiance Exfoliating Facial Polish
Gilchrist & Soames The London Collection Shower Gel
Green & Black’s Dark 70% Mini Chocolate Bar
Thoughts?
Birchbox didn’t resort to the usual Valentine’s theme, which I appreciate.
Instead they’ve released a box full of genuinely good products that I can’t wait to use.
They included one full size product – Nail Rocks, which retails at £6.99 – great value.
Also included is a 1.2g Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner (usually 2g for £12), which works out about £7.20.
With those two products alone you have made your money back, with a little bit of pocket change too.
Both are products I’ve been wanting to try for ages, and am very excited to receive in my Birchbox this month.
I can take or leave the shower gel, as it’s useful to have travel size, but it won’t get used all too often.
The hair oil falls under the same category as the shower gel, useful but really only for travelling.
I’m looking forward to trying the facial polish as it’s a product I’ll definitely be happy to use.
And finally, who is ever going to complain about receiving chocolate? It’s always a good thing!
I loved this box and can’t wait for next month’s special collaboration with Lulu Guinness!!
You can subscribe to Birchbox here – using my link will give you (and me) £5 worth of points to spend.