Glossybox October 2013 review!

The October Glossybox is themed on 'Dark Romance'. Ooh I thought, this sounds fun and interesting! Then I had a sudden second of dread, uh oh, does this mean a really dark nail polish and really dark lipstick I won't want?!

Well, let me show you what I actually did get!

I have to say, I needn't have worried about the dark polish and lipstick. There were none (although I would have expected it!). In fact, I'm not totally understanding the Dark Romance theme!

First up is a 20ml Monu Illuminating Primer. I'm happy with this as I always like trying primers and it's something I'll always use. 20ml is a good size to get a good feel for the product too.

Next we have a 20ml Premae Harmony Smoothie Lotion. This goes on as a primer but can be made into a BB Cream by mixing with foundation. I like Premae because they are allergy free, vegan and cruelty free, hooray! Definitely will be using this.

Glossybox September 2013 review!

This months theme in September is London! And it comes in a very cool box!

Up first is a 30ml Toni&Guy Shine Gloss Serum. I don't really use serum on my hair, but will give it a go as I need a bit more shine!

Next is a 3ml tube of Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips.
I have heard good things about this but not yet tried it, so I'm happy with this and it's great for the colder weather that's on the way!

Birchbox September 2013 review!

I really like this months Birchbox!
The theme for September is Backstage to Real Life! Inspired by London Fashion Week.

Let's take a look!

First up, a 40ml Aromatherapy Associates Revive Body Gel.
I like the sound of the gel, as I tend to favour oils and gels over creams when it comes to body products, so I'm excited to try this out.
It smells very 'aromatherapy', as you would expect. It is quite strong, but I don't mind the smell!

Up next, a 30ml Molton Brown Ylang-Ylang body lotion (to compliment the shower gel in Augusts box).
I like the smell, but I'm not sure about using it as a body lotion. It's a great scent for a relaxing bath, but I'm not sure I'll use the lotion!

Next is a very awesome 20ml bottle of Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water. I got the Sensibio, for sensitive skin (there is a combination skin variant too) and I'm very happy with this product!
I love the idea of micellar water and have wanted to try this brand for a while. Now I get to. Yay!

Lancome Blush Subtil Palette review!

I purchased the Lancôme Blush Subtil Palette a few months ago as I thought it was great that it was a 3-in-1 product. 

I'd been after a contour for a while so as soon as I saw the palette I got it! 

It is a blush, contour and highlighter in one. Genius. 

The palette comes in two colourways: 01 Rose Flush (the one I have) and 02 Nectar Lace.
Rose Flush is slightly pinker in colour and Nectar Lace is more of a deeper pink.
I have fair skin and the Rose Flush is just right and not too deep a colour for my skin tone.

Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson review!

I love Afternoon Tea.
I love the mini sandwiches, the fresh scones, the fabulous little cakes, the tea.
I love the ceremony and the history of it, it's such a uniquely British institution.

And what makes an Afternoon Tea even better? A themed Afternoon Tea!!!

There are a surprising amount of themed teas out there, from fashion to theatre, fairy tales to rock 'n roll.
Most of them are limited editions so you have to get in there quick before they disappear!

In this post I'm going to show you the Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson hotel in London.
I had this tea as a birthday celebration and the menu has since changed. I'm doing the post with the old menu because in a few months I'll be having the new version! Plus, it's always nice to see what has been before, even if you can't try it anymore, it's still fun to look at the cute cakes!

The Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea is served in the Courtyard Garden and is the perfect place for a Alice In Wonderland themed tea. There is a waterfall, topiaries, little pathways - it's like a magical secret garden!

The menu is also a combination of wondrous sounding food!
The sandwiches are rainbow coloured, there is a hot and cold lolipop and an exploding lolipop, plus a drink potion with 3 different flavoured layers!

First up, it's the rainbow sandwiches. There were Egg Mayonnaise on brown bread, Cucumber and Black Pepper on beetroot bread, Ham and Mustard on yellow saffron bread and Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese on green spinach bread. I'm vegetarian and the staff were great in substituting the ham and salmon sandwiches for more egg and cucumber sandwiches! They were delicious and I could have eaten another round easily!

Tokidoki Makeup Bag

I just had to show you one of my most recent purchases!
My Tokidoki makeup bag, yay!

If you have never heard of Tokidoki, let me introduce you!

Created by artist Simone Legno, what started out as artwork, became a range of amazing bags and accessories. I am so in love with Tokidoki bags! They were a seriously hot item when LeSportsac collaborated with them a few years ago.
I tried to collect as many as I could, but it was hard work as they were a USA only release. Hence painfully expensive eBay purchases over a couple of years!

They were a massive success and as the collaboration with LeSportsac ended, Tokidoki carried on releasing new bags and then clothing and then jewellery and then shoes and then cosmetics!

The addictive thing is, they release new designs all the time and each one is sooo cute, you have to get one of each design! The same characters appear on the merchandise, but with a different theme each time, there has been a Paradise theme, Pirates, Transport, Christmas, Rock Concert, Jungle and more!

I have 5 amazing bags and 3 pairs of shoes now, which I love dearly and hardly ever use because they cost me so much, oh well!

Not only do I have a bag addiction, but then Sephora went and collaborated with Tokidoki and released the cutest makeup, ever!

Again, USA only, so every time I went to America on holiday, I tried to pick up a piece of the collection.

I have a cute set now, which will be an upcoming post, but to just introduce you to the brand, or whet your appetite for the makeup posts, I want to show you my makeup bag!

Glossybox August 2013 Review!

August's Glossybox theme is High Flyers - products that can be taken on your travels and they have also come from other countries. Nice!

So first up, from the USA, we have a 40ml tube of Aquaphor soothing skin balm from Eucerin.
This is a balm that helps very dry skin and is gentle enough for use on babies. I do have really dry skin on my legs and this is a good size tube to be able to give it a good test!
Worth approx. £2

Next we have, also from the USA, a TRESemme Treatment Shot.
This little tube is to be applied to already shampooed hair and left on for 60 seconds, then rinsed. It's meant to help get you soft. smooth, frizz-free hair. I can't wait to see if it works!
Worth £1.49

Birchbox August 2013 Review!

August's Birchbox is a collaboration with InStyle magazine and themed on Summer Nights! This makes me think of warm, comforting, tropical things! Let's see if any of those are in this months box!...............

First up is a small bottle of Amber and Argan oil from Montibel.lo. This promises to nourish, moisturise, smooth and soften your hair. I haven't tried this yet, but will do, as I'm still looking to find an amazing hair oil that works for me!

Next is a tube of Bluemandarines Skin Life Energetic Cellular cream.
"This moisturiser contains concentrated peptides that stimulate and protect the skin stem cells".
Sounds good so I'll give it a go.

Next we have Gerda Spillmann Hydro Pearls. This is a primer that can be used alone if you have oily and combination skin, or used with your moisturiser if you have dryer skin.
I love primers so will definitely try this!

TONY MOLY Petite Bunny Gloss Bar

I love Tony Moly. They have such cute packaging.
I already reviewed the amazingly cool Latte Art Morning Pack and now it's time for some lip gloss!

Here is the Petite Bunny Lip Gloss Bar!

How cute is this little bunny?!

Zatchels V.I.P Event - Part 2 - Outlet Shop & Bags! Bags! Bags!

I recently had the chance to visit the Zatchels factory and also visit the newly opened Factory Outlet Store in Leicester - see my factory tour post here!

In this post I will show you all the lovely satchels and bags available in the shop for a discounted price!

The shop is located on 10 Charter Street in Leicester and is easy to locate and also has free parking, which is great.

The shop sells discounted satchels, barrel bags and saddle bags, as well as accessories like luggage tags and tablet cases. There is a grading scale used for all items which relates to the discount given, but all the items I saw, I couldn't really see any bad defects at all. They looked good and the discounts were great. You can see some of the prices on some of my photos if you look carefully!

Zatchels V.I.P Event - Part 1 - Factory Tour & New Designs Preview!

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Zatchels new Factory Outlet Store and also take a 'behind-the-scenes' tour of their factory.

In this post I will show you photos of the product-making process and also give you a sneek-peek of a new up-coming collaboration and new satchel designs!

When I arrived, everyone was greeted by owners Dean Clarke and Brian Brady, as well as their Creative Director and stylist to the stars, Gemma Sheppard!
We were then led on a tour around the factory.

Firstly, as we entered the factory, you see a floor covered in multi-coloured leather.
It is piled up, ready to be hand-made into brand new bags!

As we made our way around, we saw the machines used to cut the bag pieces from the leathers. They are placed by hand and the machine then cuts around the template.

Here's some neon pink waiting to be cut.

The parts that are cut are then loaded up on trolleys, ready to be made into Zatchels!

Hello Kitty ready to be assembled!

Each Zatchel is hand made, something owners Dean and Brian are passionate about. While they could use less people and more machines and save money, they are adamant that their bags are hand made and have a personal touch. 

When you order a Zatchel, it is made from scratch! Leather is cut and then sewn together, just for you.

Braintree Clothing Summer Outfit

I know I'm mainly a beauty blogger, but with the amazing summer heat we are having (and the fact I am about to book a holiday, at last!) I just had to share with you some items from Braintree Clothing!

I've put together a collage of my favourite items from their website and have called my collection: Golden Summer Days!

click image for a larger view

I picked a lovely tunic for daytime and a throw for if it gets chilly on these summer evenings, plus a beautiful bag and gorgeous golden accessories!

Here's a closer look at the items I chose:

click image for a larger view

The 'Solstice Tunic' is gorgeous and I think it would make a great daytime summer dress, but would also dress up well for an evening out and make the transition into autumn too. I love it!
The 'Holly Brook Throw' comes in 3 colour choices, is made of Hemp and Cotton and is perfect for an extra layer when it gets chilly or breezy!
The 'Frilly Carry All' bag is made from 55% Hemp and 45% Cotton and comes in 6 colours!

click image for a larger view

The 'Shikali Cuff' is made from recycled brass and hand-beaten!

The 'Bibaka Bangle' is a trio of handmade bangles which are linked with a brass ringlet and logo.

The 'Valentines Bracelet' features a cotton cord bracelet and hand cast brass heart.

I'd wear the bangle and bracelet for daytime and add the lovely cuff for evenings!

Those are my picks for a summer outfit! I think the items I chose could make both a daytime and evening look. I love the tunic so much and the accessories are gorgeous too!

You can take a look at Braintree Clothing  and see their other items for sale here - www.braintreeclothing.com

They also have a code for 10% off at the moment, it's valid until the 21/07/13 - use the code BLOGGER10 and enjoy a saving!

I hope you enjoyed my outfit choice and my post on clothing! More to come!

From Me, For You xoxo

Glossybox June 2013 review!

Here is the June Glossybox! The theme is: Summer Looks!

So first up is a Monu Hydrating moisturiser. I haven't used it yet, as I'm trying one from my June Birchbox haha, but think this may be a little rich for me, as my skin is combination. We shall see!

Then we have a tiny cute little Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR shimmering dry oil.
A combination of plant oils and Vitamin E, this promises soft skin and can be used anywhere - body, nails, hair etc. Would be good for nights out on holidays I think!

Next is a lip balm by Figs and Rouge. I got coco rose, which is a nice pastel pink colour with glitter shot through. Once on the lips, it is a nice shimmery pale pink, which I like.

Then we have a full size MeMeMe nail varnish in 'Pensive', a lovely summery duck egg blue-ish colour.
I'm loving this shade!

Lastly, a Helen E eye shimmer in a dusky pink colour.
This is very shimmery, good for a night out I think, but I'm not over fond of the shade.

So there it is, Glossybox for June! I'm 50/50 on this one. While I love the MeMeMe nail colour and like the lip balm and Nuxe - I would have liked the Gosh mascara and full size conditioner in other box variants more!

What did you think? Did you get the June box? Like your contents - or are you coveting other items?!

From Me For You xoxo

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