Memebox unboxing and review: Superbox #5

Hi fellow nomads,

Sorry if you’re sick of hearing about Memebox, if feels like that’s all I've written about for the past few weeks. What can I say, I have an addiction. It’s a problem. I've addressed it; let’s move on.

Superbox #5 was available a while ago and I skipped it after seeing a few scary orange cheek tints in boxes appearing at around that time. Given the strap line for the box was "a burst of colo(u)r!" I thought it wise to steer well clear. However, I then saw a reveal of the box contents online and kicked myself - it looked like a blinder. So when it came back in stock I had no hesitation in clicking the buy button (as I said, I have a problem). On the one hand this meant I didn't have the surprise of the box contents but on the other hand, I knew I’d love what I was getting.

So onto the box contents!

O& Designing Eye Collection

A very pretty looking palette of 6 eyeshadows, a brightening cream highlighter, a cream eyeliner and two tiny brushes. The sponge brush isn’t up to much but the tiny proper brush isn’t too bad; you could make it work in a pinch. The colours contained within the palette are great wearable basics and I really like the pairings they’ve got. Here are swatches of the colours on my arm:

I'd like to apologise for my swatches. Try as I might, my efforts are nothing sort of horriffic. If there were a prize for worst swatches ever, I think it would be safe to say I'd be a sure bet. If you can pick out from the picture above - far left is the eyeliner, next to it is the cream highlighter. Then it's each eyeshadow pair, working from top to bottom. If it looks like gaps between dark colours - look again. The lighter colours are in there somewhere!

Anyway, back to the products. I have to say these weren't the best formula in the world; the lighter colours were a touch on the chalky side and they were fairly shimmery which means they were only just work appropriate. Also, they’re not super pigmented so you do need to layer on a fair bit (even over a primer). This had the unfortunate result of quite a thick layer of product on my eyelid which did bunch up in places by the end of the work day. That said, I do still like the palette, especially the shade ranges it contains, and I will continue to use it. The outer case is plastic and feels very sturdy, and also contains a full size mirror. I will also experiment with layering the shadows over both the light and dark cream colours, and see whether that improves the result.

O& Easy Brush Liner

I moved over to gel liner a while ago and as such wasn't so interested in this product. But I gave it a try anyway and I actually really like it. It’s very easy to apply and gives a nice fine line which you can beef up as you wish. Once applied and dried it really doesn't budge and even my Bioderma couldn't’ remove all traces of it at the end of the day. This is so easy to just chuck in a bag and do on the move and it’s nice and compact so makes a great travel product. I’ll be using this a lot, I think.

Alicia Nail Polish – Cotton Candy & Road Cherry Blossoms

I love nail polish and was excited to see these in the box. They’re good size bottles in two very cute shades. I'm not normally a fan of pink (Cotton Candy) but this one is actually quite nice. I applied it straight away and whilst it does need 2 coats, the formula is quite easy to apply and lasted a good 4-5 days with only minimal chipping towards the last day. I do really like this polish and will be putting it into regular circulation.

The glitter I'm not so sure about, but that’s just because I don’t often wear glitter nail polish (especially not pink). I'm being slightly challenged in that conviction by the name of the polish – cherry blossoms, how adorable, because the glitter does look a bit like fallen cherry blossoms – and may take the plunge and do an accent nail using the glitter.

Macqueen Loving You Tint Glow – Lovely Pink & Vivid Pink

I wasn't so excited about these as I received a pink tint in my box by thefaceshop a couple of weeks ago which I've been using and enjoying. I didn't think I needed another two. But these products are just such an enigma! When you open them, the packaging is super cute (seems a little familiar...!). But then you look at the bullet and think woah, those colours are a bit scary. And then you apply them and think oh, nothing is happening. These have no colour whatsoever. How disappointing. And then you look at your lips a few minutes later and get another surprise, as a fairly strong colour has developed whilst you weren't looking. So overall I’d describe these products as a bit of a rollercoaster! 

Another astounding swatch - Vivid Pink on the top, and Lovely Pink on the bottom. Although to be honest, don't trust these swatches as I think they develop different colours on the lips.

I think Vivid Pink is the most interesting as it does give a very good colour on the lips and is long lasting. The swatch of that colour did stain my hand even using a makeup remover wipe, and does last well on the lips. Lovely Pink is rather more subtle but that’s good, because it’s sometimes more appropriate than Vivid Pink. I am still on the fence about these two but still enjoying trying them out for now.

Drww Mix & Match

This was an exciting product to unwrap but after that point has left me a little stuck. So this cardboard palette contains 5 multi-use cream pigments and a double ended brush. There is an empty well for you to mix and match those 5 pigments to create something unique to you.

I quite like the concept, but I can’t seem to get my head around the colour range just yet. I'm also not hugely keen on the packaging, which seems to me a bit.......high school. I'm rather scared to start slapping these colours on my face so I'm waiting until I have a day where I don’t need to see people (!) to try it out. I suppose it’s much less risky to give one of them a go as a lip colour, but I think they’re more designed for cheeks. Watch this space…

Etude House Face Designing Brightener in #1 Pink Beam

This highlighter comes in such a cute little pot with a tiny powder puff inside the lid. Unfortunately this exploded a bit when I opened it, despite being sealed, but no serious harm was done. I've been using this all week and applying it with a fluffy face brush rather than the powder puff, because this product is really quite sparkly. I love highlighters but I prefer more of a pearl finish than a glittery one, eg my Sleek face contour kit. This isn't discoball territory but it is rather sparkly so I'm having to use a very light hand. I like the fact that it has a bluey-purple undertone rather than a gold one, which is slightly more unusual, and the pot is cute and very portable. However, I think I’ll mostly be sticking to my Sleek except for perhaps evening wear.

The joy of this box is that it basically contains a whole face of makeup in one. I did try everything at once which maybe I wouldn't recommend, but I loved the range and variety of the products. Plus, I think this is great value. I'm thoroughly impressed with the box and if you get the chance, I’d definitely recommend picking this up.

Have a beautiful evening,

-Rachel

Memebox unboxing and review: Memebox by banila co.

Hi fellow nomads,

I was a bit nervous about receiving this box following the single brand box letdown that was thefaceshop box. However, I'm pleased to say Memebox have redeemed themselves in my eyes because I loved this box.

Let's dive right in to the contents, shall we?

Intense Care Moisture Balm SPF13 in 02 Soft Peach

Another scary looking bullet which translates to a very non scary lip. This looks terrifying when you open it but when applied, is actually very sheer and wearable. I like this because I don’t own an orange-toned lip tint - I seem to be wearing quite a few orange things on my face as well as nails and clothing (never thought I’d be saying that!) -  so this will be a welcome addition to my collection.

Friday Night 3D highlighter

I'm not sure whether this is a deliberate rip off of tribute to Benefit packaging, but it certainly looks very similar to me! This highlighter comes in a square cardboard box with a magnetic closure. Inside is a thin angled brush sitting on a little plastic platform, which you remove to get to the highlighter underneath. Packaging stealing aside, this is a fabulous product which I've loved using. It’s a cool toned highlighter, formed of a chessboard pattern of purple, blue and white highlighter cubes. The brush is actually really decent and enables you to apply your highlighter in a pretty precise way. The finish is more of a pearl than a shimmery finish, although I’d say it was really somewhere between the two. The result is that it’s work appropriate, but sufficiently different from my Sleek highlighter (all time favourite) to give it a run for its money. I've really enjoyed using this and would definitely recommend it to a friend.

It Radiant CC Brightening Cream / IT Radiant CC Cream / IT Radiant CC in Melting Pact

This is a 3 step product with a cream base, a whitening cream, and then the colour product in a little pot. This was quite a ritual to apply and whilst the finish looked really good, it was just quite a palaver. I would wear this if I had a lot of time to spend on doing my makeup (or even just my base!), but I thought one of the selling points of CC cream is that it is just a one step does it all product? So whilst this had good results, I'm not sure I’ll be using it very often.

The Great Love Extra Bold Eyeliner in Brown

Eyeliner/shadow pens seem to be quite popular at the moment and I was pleased to find this in the box. It’s got a fairly thick stick of matte brown shadow on one end and then a similar sized sponge on the other end for blending. I liked the colour of this, a cool toned dark brown, and it applied very smoothly. You do have to be careful with the sponge though, as it’s quite a sturdy sponge so you can end up buffing away most of the colour if you’re not careful. What I like about this product is that it works well both as a liner and a shadow, even if the chunky pen does make it a little tricky to use as a highlighter alone, nonetheless you could do your whole eye with this one product if you liked. It is great for travelling, and it’s also very intriguing to cats….

Marbling Shadow in Gold Brown

A very generous eyeshadow came up next in the box, and it appeared in packaging rather reminiscent of a certain MAC, no?! Aside from that, this is a generous sized eyeshadow which appears brown in the pan but actually applies as more of a gold or copper colour. It’s quite shimmery but not glittery, is well pigmented and blends easily.

Here is a swatch of it by itself, and over the eyeshadow pen. It looks great in both, I think!

I love that there was so much makeup in this box, and that all the products in this box were very wearable neutrals and complimented each other nicely. I also like that the whole face was well represented across the box. Whilst I’d still hesitate to buy a single brand box from Memebox again, this has gone a long way to allaying my fears. Never say never!

Until next time,

-Rachel

Mini Review Mondays: L'Occitane Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner

Hi fellow nomads,

If you travel a lot, it can be a bit of a pain constantly decanting your big shampoo and conditioner bottles into little ones, which tend to be prone to splurging all over the inside of your suitcase. Sometimes it's nice to get a proper travel set, and feel like you're treating yourself whether you're on holiday or away on business. Alternatively, it's a good way to try a slightly more high end brand without shelling out for full size products.

That's why I picked up this duo as deluxe sample sizes from the Latest in Beauty website.

I've been trying it out while I've been travelling for the past month and overall my impressions have been very good. 

The shampoo smells absolutely delicious and reminds me of summer holidays. It's a herbal, faintly citrus-y smell and it's very luxurious. It foams well, cleans your hair thoroughly, and leaves a good bit of volume behind it as well. I really enjoyed using this shampoo and would definitely buy it myself again, should the opportunity (or budget) arise. It's £16 for 300ml so I'd save it for a splurge.

The conditioner had the same scent as the shampoo and was generally very nice to use. I have very long and fairly damaged hair and this did an ok job of moisturising it - however, after a couple of washes I did have to substitute in something more heavy duty, such as my Aussie 3 Minute Miracle. I think for people with normal and/or shorter hair, this would work very well and it's always nice to use both shampoo and conditioner from the same range.

Overall I thought these products were great, especially the shampoo, and even though the conditioner wasn't quite heavy duty enough for my hair I think it would work really well for others. The smell of these products is so divine, it't s a treat to use them.

If you want to find out about these yourself, I'd recommend picking up a sample from the Latest in Beauty website as well. This duo was a very reasonable £3 ordered direct, and there was a promo on for free shipping at the time. It's still available on their website both as a standalone sample and also as part of a set: the Mini Hair Essentials set for £11 along with an amazing Richard Ward serum and a Percy and Reed hairspray, which is also very good. Alternatively it's in the Mini Mothers Day set, also for £11, which comes with a bath oil and some face oil. I'd like to point out that nobody is paying me to say this - I just really love this website!

That's all for this Monday, I hope you're all enjoying your Mondays and if you're in the UK, enjoying your rainy bank holiday...!

-Rachel

The Bin Diaries Part IV: Products I'm Throwing Away

Hi fellow nomads,

Welcome back for another instalment of the hit series, The Bin Diaries. What delights await us in the bin this week? Read on to see what I finished, what I loved, and what I threw away because I just couldn't bear it any longer.

As you can see we have some old favourites back in the bin as well as some new faces. Let's see who's time is up today, starting with:

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Frizz Remedy Street Art Design Edition

My hair is pretty long and has been damaged by a lot of colouring (and colour stripping…). So the ends are a bit ruined. Therefore I use this most days as my regular conditioner which keeps it in good enough order. It smells delicious and do miss this when I stop using it.

To buy or not to buy: To buy, again and again.


Clinique take the day off makeup remover for lids, lashes and lips

This is one of those makeup removers with 2 layers that you have to shake before using. I really enjoyed this makeup remover, it dissolves all your makeup with minimal fuss. It’s pretty good with the waterproof stuff, too. It does leave an oily residue behind on your face, but if you’re using this as part of a Clinique 3-step then you’ll be toning right after this anyway, problem solved.

To buy or not to buy: To buy. 


Wilko Minty shower cream

Another flavour of the shower cream that I always seem to have – I've spoken about this before here and here. I’d like to echo those sentiments again. This is a decent shower gel that does the job well for small monies. That’s all.

To buy or not to buy: To buy (of course… Like there hasn't been one in almost all of my other empties posts).

No7 Stay Perfect Base Coat

I used this as my base coat for a solid 6 months but sadly it’s gone all gloopy on me and it was difficult to get the product out properly because of the length of the brush/shape of the container. It was a decent base coat, while it lasted.

To buy or not to buy: I tried a nourishing base coat from Essie instead, to try and fix my awful nails. However, I wouldn't rule out buying it again especially as No7 often have good offers on.


Maybelline Babylips in Quenched

I was fairly disparaging about this when I got it, but oh look, I've managed to use it all up. To be fair I use lip balms like they’re going out of fashion, so it’s not such a big achievement, but this turned out ok in the end.

To buy (again) or not to buy? Nope. I have other lip balms which I prefer.


Philosophy the microdelivery exfoliating facial wash

Another sample size of this great product. I’ve mentioned before that I really enjoyed this, and have been using it every other morning in the shower. It’s done a great job, but it can be a little rough on delicate skin if you’re not careful.

To buy or not to buy: I'm not averse to buying this at the moment, but I think I'll be looking for a chemical exfoliant next.

Tesco make-up concealer in 01 Fair

This is shameful. Oh so shameful. I bought this about twelve years ago (no, you didn’t read that wrong) when this was one of about three makeup items I owned. I used this for everything, from covering up my spotty teenage skin to concealing undereye circles (mixed half and half with my moisturiser). It was pretty good, and very good value at the time, but this is just so old, it could attend secondary school all by itself. For reasons of hygiene and embarrassment this is going in the bin.

To buy or not to buy: Pretty sure this stopped being sold, ooh, at least a decade ago


Lancaster Suractive Retinol Deep Lift

This did nothing for me, unfortunately. I applied this to my eye area as directed but it didn’t help at all. In fact, it ended up sitting on top of my skin and balling up on my face – yuck! Also I didn’t like the smell of it. This is a pretty old sample which may explain it. 

To buy or not to buy: A definite not to buy.


Aromatheraphy Associates Revive Morning bath and shower oil

This smells absolutely divine. I can’t explain to you how good this smells, except that it smells like the best spa you can ever imagine. Totally decadent, and a little goes a long way so even though this is a teeny sample size, it lasted quite a long time. I’d recommend using this in the bath to get maximum value, as in the shower it just seems such a waste pouring it straight down the drain. This made my skin smell beautiful and I wish I could afford a full size bottle…

To buy or not to buy: To buy (I wish)


That's it for this suspense filled diary entry, see you soon for more confessions from my bin...

-Rachel