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

My bin overfloweth once again, hence we shall peek into the pages of The Bin Diaries forthwith.

Now that Samuel Pepys has left the room, let's contuniue. I've got a boatload of stuff to chuck out so let's rattle through them.

Sportsgirl Starry Eyed Glitter Eyeliner ¦¦ Ok this was fun for a hot second and then I realised I'm a grown ass woman pushing thirty, and glitter eyeliner has no place on my face. Also it's really old and gloopy and dried up.

Repurchase? Only if they invent time machines.

Sportsgirl Outline Metallic Eyeliner ¦¦ I was really keen on bright eyeliners back in the day, wasn't I? This one was never great quality and tended to peel off after a couple of hours so I'm not sad about binning it. Also it's ooo-old.

Repurchase? No.

Ducray Ictyane ¦¦ I picked this up in a French pharmacy and it was fantastic for my dry skin. Even though it's a thick cream, you use it in the shower to wash with and even though it foams up, it moisturises your skin at the same time. It's amazing stuff.

Repurchase? Yes!

a;t fox Tea Creams in Whitening Capsule Cream Jasoyup Herb Tea (purple), Lifting Cream Black Tea (pink), and Gel Cream Gyoolpy Tea (yellow) ¦¦ These were lovely creams, and who doesn't want to use cupcake cosmetics?! These sample sized creams came in a Memebox and I desperately wanted to track down some more when I visited Korea earlier this year. Sadly, time was not on my side but one day I would love to go and visit an a;t fox shop, which just happen to be tea rooms that also sell cosmetics. How cute?!

Repurchase? I wish!

NoTS 28 Remedy Acne Pore Deep Cleanser ¦¦ I don't really get acne so this was a little strong for me, but I got it in a Memebox so I used it up anyway. It was fine. I don't miss it.

Repurchase? Nope.

Atopalm Moisturizing Eye Repair Serum ¦¦ This one I do miss. It's an eye cream with a fairly high silicone content, so it really filled in any fine lines and gave a great base for concealer. 

Repurchase? I wish!

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel ¦¦ This is a variation on the usual Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising cream. It's a gel so it sinks in quicker but besides that does basically the same job. It's great if you live somewhere hot, but aside from that it's a fairly decent moisturiser. It's quite expensive and I've found others that do just as good a job, so...

Repurchase? Probably not.

Clinique Chubby Stick in Mega Melon ¦¦ This was a really lovely summery peachy coral shade with some shimmer in it. I really enjoyed wearing it; I think the lip chubby sticks are one of Clinique's best products.

Repurchase? Yes, if I were feeling rich enough...!

Garnier Caffeine Eye Roll-On ¦¦ These were all the rage a little while ago but sadly did nothing for me. I gave this a good go but noticed very little difference, unfortunately. In the bin it goes.

Repurchase? No.

That's all for this binful of a blogpost. What have you used up recently? Anything worth recommending?

-Rachel

IMATS London 2015

Are you heading to IMATS in London? It's on 10th-12th June 2015, and is at the Olympia exhibition centre in Kensington. Having attended last year, I thought I'd pass on a few tips that I found helpful myself...

Arrive early ¦¦ I arrived at 8am. This was a good time to arrive as the queue was present but manageable. Any earlier would have been ridiculously early (as it was, I left the house at 6am) and from 8am onwards the queue grew rapidly. 

Arrive via the overground train ¦¦ I hate, hate hate that little district line spur that goes up to Olympia. It’s infrequent, confusing, hot and stuffy and full of people all going the same way as you. As far as I’m concerned, the only sane way to reach the convention centre is via the overground. It often makes more sense if you’re coming from out of town, anyway.

Bring food and water ¦¦ The convention centre has got a couple of food venues but they are small and expensive. Also, if you have a special diet like me (gluten free), forget about them being able to cater for you. Unless you want to go big for lunch and opt for the Pizza Express just outside the convention centre, it’s best to bring your own packed lunch. There are a couple of places to sit down around the edges and eat, plus there's always the floor. And obviously, bring plenty of water. 

Write a hit list and prioritise ¦¦ Check online before you arrive and make a list of the stands you want to visit. Now put them in order of priority, bearing in mind which stands will be most popular. I’d go for NARS first, as their small stand quickly became a scrum, and then NYX where the queue was quite reasonable when we joined, but obscene later (although at least there was a system, unlike at NARS). 

Appreciate the art ¦¦ IMATS is not just for shopping. It’s a place for creative people to come and show off their skills – so take some time to appreciate them! Look at the demonstrations going on at all the stands, and take some time to watch one of the talks. There is some astounding skill going on, and everyone is super friendly and keen to talk if you have any questions.

Budget in cash ¦¦ Decide on a budget before you arrive, and bring that amount in cash with you. There is one ATM inside the hall and, as you can imagine, there’s a big queue for it unless you go there at 8.30am. This way, you can only spend what you have with you and tada, you've stuck to your budget. If you prefer to work on cards, then most stands will accept cards but it may take longer to wait for a machine to become free/process the transaction/etc, by which point people around you may have started to tut. 

Pace yourself ¦¦ If you need to sit down, sit down. If you need some caffeine, visit a coffee stand. Be sensible and recognise if your body needs a break, and then take one. It's not worth ruining yourself or getting grumpy about things. It's supposed to be a fun day out! Similarly, pace yourself with your budget, too. Don’t get overexcited and spend too much in the first stall you see, meaning you can’t buy other products later.

Pack light ¦¦ Now is not the time to flaunt your Michael Kors gigantobag. Bring as little as you can possibly manage, thereby avoiding shoulderache and glares from others when you constantly barge them with your statement handbag.

Bring make up remover wipes ¦¦ Your hands will probably end up covered in swatches. Don’t be That Girl who asks the harassed looking staff of a stand for some makeup remover and cotton wool – bring some wipes yourself. It’s the only sensible way to do it.

Be nice ¦¦ We’re all makeupaholics together; enjoy it! This is the one place where almost everyone shares your love/passion/obsession for makeup so take full advantage of it. Get chatting to people in the queues next to you, share recommendations and tips, help each other out, and be friendly. There’s no need for elbows at dawn. It’s not that serious. Have fun and remember to enjoy your day!

Have you ever been to IMATS or any other convention/trade show before? What would be your top tips to share?

-Rachel

K-Beauty Shopping in Seoul

This was the product of a few short hours in Seoul, a product of a layover on our recent trip back from Australia. I was able to do a very short spell of shopping in the Myeongdong district  whilst we were staying overnight at the Seoul Royal Hotel. With temperatures of around -7C and no coats, we didn’t stay out long – although we wished we could have. We dived between shops to keep warm and I picked up a couple of bits, but we mostly enjoyed the sights and sounds of Seoul at night.

The next day we did have a few hours before our flight left to peruse the duty free offerings around Incheon airport. The cosmetics here were slightly more competitively priced, although there was a smaller range available (hardly any makeup, for example, largely skincare).

Tonymoly Petite Bunny Gloss Bar in 06 (furious bunny) ¦¦ This is one of Tonymoly’s iconic products, I think.  This is a orangey peach colour which is brightening and flattering to most skin tones. This has an amazing sherbet scent and lasts really well on the lips, leaving a stain behind once the gloss has worn off. It does also leave some glitter behind too, so if you're not a fan of that then beware.

Tonymoly Panda’s Dream Eye Patch ¦¦ This patch is designed to vitalize the skin around eyes that appear dark and dull due to various elements – basically I'm hoping this will help my dark undereye circles and/or bags. I know nothing is going to fix them, really, but I thought if anything is going to come close, it will be a Korean skincare product. I've got a pack of 10 and have used a pair already

Tonymoly Nutra Energy Mask Sheet ¦¦ I got this freeee when I shopped in Tonymoly. On the particular street on which I found myself, which was lined with beauty shops, freezing salesgirls stood outside waving free samples to entice shoppers. This one worked a charm and hooked me right in! I also got two smaller samples with my purchase; a sachet of Ferment Snail Cream and Whitening Capsule Essence. Both of which I look forward to using with joy.

The SAEM Green Pig Collagen Gella Pack ¦¦ This is a sleeping pack, which means you layer it on your face last thing at night, sleep in it, and then rinse it off in the morning. This actually contains 50% pig collagen which I personally don’t find skeevy, but I can see how others might. This has quite an oddly thick, half jelly-ish texture. Almost like blancmange. It’s quite hard to describe… The scent is pleasant though, and I've only had the chance to test this out for one night but so far I'm pleased with the results.

The SAEM Gem Miracle Black Pearl O2 Bubble Mask ¦¦ My face must have been a picture when the sales assistant showed me this product. First it goes on like a black gel. Standard. But after you've waited for a minute, it begins to turn white. This is because it’s producing teeny tiny oxygen bubbles! You keep rubbing it in and letting it bubble for a while, and then you rinse it off. The idea is that the bubbles help to deep cleanse your skin – I don’t know how true that is, but I thought it was such a cool idea that I was going to buy it anyway.

The SAEM Global Eco Peach Hand Cream ¦¦ As soon as the sales assistant put this on my hand I did a little swoon. It is so peachy! This is a thick hand cream that sinks in quite quickly and delivers decent results. The packaging is super cute (if a little dodgy looking at the wrong angle) and the rest of my bumper pack of 5 is going in my present drawer. Except for this one… this one I'm keeping.

Tonymoly Luminous Goddess Aura BB Cream ¦¦ I've had a sample of this before and absolutely loved it. It gives decent coverage but somehow still looks really natural, contains a good SPF (37 precisely, as it happens) and is almost waterproof. This stuff just doesn't budge. Also, it doesn't stick to my dry patches or oxidise or anything like that. So I decided I may as well just buy the full size. Hurrah!

The SAEM Global Eco Mask Sheet (Bulgarian Complex) ¦¦ The kind sales assistant threw in three of these sheet masks with my purchase. I'm always happy to add new sheet masks to my collection. The back of the pack tells me that this mask “provides soothing rest to tired skin with its Bulgarian Complex developed by the SAEM, reflecting communion with all things natural”. Well!

Tonymoly Floria Nutra-Energy Mask Sheet ¦¦ I got this free with my BB cream purchase. I just love all the freebies I got handed out - and it seems to be quite normal. I wish shops here in the UK would start doing that, too.

Airstar Avenue wipes ¦¦ I entered a contest in the airport which was quite exciting and utterly unfathomable, and my prize was these wipes. I figured they'd come in handy on the plane, and so glady accepted them (although I was a bit sad I didn't win the car).

So those are all the things I bought from Seoul and Incheon Duty Free. I had an absolutely excellent time and even though I was in Korea for less than a day, I am keen to go back already. Everyone was so friendly, the sights were so interesting and the place was buzzing. When can I go back?

-Rachel

Linking up with Caity, Marcella, Michelle, Amanda & Bonnie for Travel Tuesday

Incoming: Cargo

Apparently, I stress shop. Therefore, the beauty halls of Debenhams were the last place I should have gone - but what's that they say about hindsight?

So in I went, stressed. Out I came, still stressed but slightly more cheerful and quite a bit poorer. My target was the Cargo counter, where I'd spied a new palette release. I'd been keeping an eye out for it after I spied it on Instagram, and as a new convert to the world of Cargo eyeshadow palettes, I was really quite keen to try it.

As luck would have it, they had it in stock on the counter. And, there was a gift with purchase running! So these little lovelies came home with me.

Cargo The Essentials Eye Palette ¦¦ Oh look, a neutrals palette. Do I need another of these? Moving on... This contains 7 mattes and 4 of their lovely multi-dimensional shimmery shades, plus one with a more modest shimmer, plus a black kohl eyeliner and a semi decent dual-ended brush. At first glance it appears there are a lot of very similar shades in this palette, but I've found there's definitely enough variety to work with and as always I love the colours, quality and assortment of these shadows. Another great job by Cargo - although I have to say, if I could only have one Cargo palette it would still be the Vintage Escapes palette. This only seems to be in stock on the counter (I can't find it online anywhere, and its name is very close to another of their products so I keep getting results for that instead) so if you're after this, you'll have to go in person.

Cargo Eye Shadow in Shanghai ¦¦ I wanted something a bit more exciting after all those nudes, so I picked up a single eyeshadow to go with the palette (and qualify me for the gift with purchase...). Shanghai is a beautiful purple with, I don't know, almost a brown undertone? It means it's not an obnoxious 80's purple and it co-ordinates with all the shades in the palette beautifully. 

Cargo Swimmables Water Resistant Blush in Los Cabos (GWP) ¦¦ I already have the full size version of this product, but it's what I wear on my cheeks every day during the summer so it will be handy to have a travel sized version of this. That's my rationale and I'm sticking to it!

Some dodgy swatches for your delectation - left, Shanghai eye shadow; right, Los Cabos blush.

Clarins HydraQuench Cream ¦¦ I got this as a free sample when I signed up to the Debenhams beauty loyalty card scheme. There was also a bonus points offer on at the time so I did quite well out of the whole deal, I think! I have dry skin and I'm always on the lookout for decent moisturisers. I've had the chance to use up this sample and I can say that it's decent, but I'm not sure I'd spend the money on it. A full size goes for £35 for 50ml and I've got to really love something to want to pay that much for it. As it is, I didn't.

Lancôme Advanced Génifique ¦¦ Another sample. However, a completely different story with this one - despite the high price point of the full size product (£59 for 30ml!!!) I'm genuinely impressed with this product. It made a noticeable difference to my skin (brighter, more even toned, smoother, clearer) in just a few days and there are very, very few products that do that. I'm saving up already.

Do you stress-shop? What's been your most outrageous stress shopping purchase?

-Rachel

A Mystery Parcel from Boots

An unexpected parcel plopped onto my doormat this morning. I love unexpected parcels, especially when they're from places like Boots where I seem to spend most of my money these days.

Excitedly, I tore into the parcel to find a full size No7 Midnight Lash Mascara in black and a little note from the team at Boots which sweetly says, "We thought you'd like to try a little something on us. Hope you like it!".

I don't know whether it's because I have a ridiculous amount of points on my Advantage card at the moment (almost £90... yikes) or there's a big marketing push going on at No7, but whatever it is, I'm not complaining.

To whoever at Boots sent me the lovely mascara - thank you very much! You cheered up my day no end.

-Rachel

Incoming: Boots II

It happened again! The siren call of Boots is just too strong for me to resist.

This time I made it away with a mere 5 products, making good use of the ubiquitous 3-for-2 and No7 vouchers. I've had these for a little while now, so I can tell you what I think of each of these products. Let's go!

Bourjois Healthy Balance Compact Powder in 52 Vanille ¦¦ I've been searching for ages for a decent replacement for my beloved Une mineral powder foundation which is now no longer available in the UK. The parent company of Une is Bourjois, so it stands to reason that that's the first place I should look for a replacement. I've read lots of good things about this powder and I can report they're basically all true. This gives a beautiful finish, it doesn't stick to my dry patches and doesn't look cakey or old ladyish. I'm so glad I found this, it's a gorgeous product. It's £8.99 and available here

Bourjois Colorband 2-in-1 Eyeshadow & Liner in Mauve ¦¦ I was really expecting to love this. It was basically a done deal in my head. I thought this would be better than my No7 Shade and Define eyeshadow sticks, which I've raved about a lot. Well, it wasn't. It wasn't as long lasting as the No7 version, and it was too sparkly. The glitter transferred to above my eyes and looked messy, and after a while (to be fair, about 10 hours or so) any remaining colour had transferred into creases in my eyelid. The eyeliner part stayed put, though. This wasn't too expensive so I'm not mad about it, but I'm a little sad as I'd expected to love it so much. It's available here for £5.99.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque liquid lipstick in Viens si tu roses ¦¦ This is the newest iteration from Bourjois, following on from the very successful Rouge Edition Velvet lipsticks (which I didn't actually love that much). I decided to give this new range a go, as it's the gloss version and I figured that may work better for me. And it did! This shade is beautiful, very wearable, and I love it. It applies beautifully and wears well - it's not particularly long lasting, but crucially for me it wears evenly and leaves a very slight tint behind afterwards. This means I don't have to worry about the colour fading patchily or leaving the dreaded ring of colour, it just looks nice until it's not there any more. I can't wait for more colours of this, I'll be all over it. It's available here for £8.99.

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Mono Eyeshadow in Lumiere 502 Quartz Fume ¦¦ I previously picked up the single shade in a mid-brown, 106 Breaking Nude, which I absolutely adore so I got this to go with it. I actually think this isn't quite as good as the matte shade - it applies a little patchily and takes some working in to get it looking nice. However, it's an absolutely beautiful shade and with just a tiny bit of effort it looks stunning. Other shades in the range are available here, but this particular shade doesn't appear to be listed. It's still in stores, though, for a bargainous £5.49.

No7 Protect and Perfect Eye Cream ¦¦ Does it make me sound like an old lady if I keep going on about how much I love eye cream? Probably. Well, this is supposed to protect young skin, boost radiance and visibly improve fine lines. It comes out of the tube slightly tinted but that doesn't translate to anything noticeable on the skin, so it's not something you need to be particularly careful with applying or anything. So far I've thoroughly enjoyed it and it's my personal opinion that No7 skincare is vastly underrated. See also: their Hot Cloth Cleanser, and Protect and Perfect Day Cream.

Swatches L-R: Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder (you can't really see this, as funnily enough it's the same colour as my skin), L'Oreal Color Riche eyeshadow in 502 Quartz Fume, Bourjois Colorband eyeshadow and liner in Mauve, and Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque in Viens si tu roses

I am officially banned from entering any more Boots stores for a significant length of time. I really am such a liability. Are there any shops you simply can't walk past?

-Rachel

L'Oréal La Palette Nude Review & Giveaway

So I've been stalking these palettes in my local Boots for what seems like forever, and they're always out of stock. I'd just about given up hope of laying my hands on the lovely looking La Palette Nude in Rosé, and then I heard that L'Oréal were releasing a new palette. It was called La Palette Nude in Beige, and seemed right up my alley. I own no Naked palettes as I just can't bring myself to spend the money on them, so I thought a drugstore alternative would be fantastic.

I called into my local Boots on the offchance that they might have this new Beige palette in stock. To my shock, they did (!) and there were even a couple that hadn't already been opened and fingered (!!) (seriously though, why do people do that? That's what the tester is for. Ugh) and even more unbelievably, they'd restocked the Rosé edition as well. So I grabbed one each, and then thought I'd get one of the new ones to give away as well.

L'Oréal La Palette Nude in Beige (bottom palette)

I like the sleek and minimalist nature of the packaging, and the shadows applied beautifully. They blended easily and whilst some have said they lack pigmentation, I think that's ok for a drugstore palette because at just £15 vs almost £40 for a Naked palette it represents a much more affordable price bracket and b) it's probably more aimed at novices than pros, which means it's much more foolproof. I'm really enjoying using it, and it works well for my level of competence...

L'Oréal La Palette Nude in Rosé (top palette)

I also really like this palette; it's the same great quality as the shadows above but the shades it contains are a little bit more interesting. What I've particularly loved is using both palettes together, which gives you an excellent range of looks. I particularly like the subtle purple colours which contain some shimmer - they're really, really pretty on the eyes.

I know L'Oréal have released an extremely similar sounding palette in the US, but having looked at some US bloggers posts about it, it seems quite different. I don't have the US version so I can't compare quality, and I can't find anyone else who has either. So it's a bit of a mystery.

And finally, if you'd like to win one of the Beige variants of this palette; no less than the nice unopened one in the picture above, please enter using the widget. It's open internationally, runs for two weeks, and is open to all. The usual giveaway blurb applies. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

-Rachel

Incoming: Boots

I may have accidentally fallen into Boots a little while ago, and these products somehow made their way home with me. I've had time to try them now and I can report back on the new products I've found which I love, and the ones that left me cold. These are all included in the current 3-for-2 offer running most of the time at Boots, which means I have exactly six products to share with you.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet lipstick in Frambourjois ¦¦ I’d heard good things about this range of lip products and thought I’d chuck it in the bag for my 3 for 2. I found this slightly tricky to apply – you definitely need a mirror to put this on and you will definitely need to reapply as it does that thing where it wears away in the centre, leaving a ring of colour around the outside of your lips. Not attractive. So, the colour is beautiful and I’d think would be flattering on plenty of different skin tones. It’s just a bit of a pain to apply and wear. This retails for £8.99 and is here.

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Sultry ¦¦ Here’s your ubiquitous chubby stick type product in a matte formula. This particular shade is apparently very popular, as I got the very last one in the display. It’s a fairly strong shade, but gives a lovely hit of colour in a non-shocking colour. I think if you want a bold lip but don’t want to go for a shocking colour, this is a fantastic option. It wears well and has a lovely minty scent. It's £7.99 here.

L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick by Color Riche in Nude Ballet ¦¦ I kind of hate the packaging of this but the application and formula is lovely. I was just an idiot and picked the wrong shade for me – this completely washes me out and makes me look like a corpse. However, this would be fantastic for those with a little bit of colour in their faces aka those not completely vampiric. This is £8.99 here.

No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder in Coral Flush ¦¦ I do love No7 products and this blush is a great option. It’s a solid basic blush which won’t wow you by any means, but does the job solidly, day in day out. This shade of pink works very well for my deathly skin tone, and the product lasts well throughout the day. It’s hard to go overboard with this product which is great for those of us who are makeup novices, slightly heavy handed, or apply our blush in the dim gloom of the early morning. Or, all three. It's £8 here.

Seventeen Phwoarr Paint in Fair ¦¦ I’d heard this was a good under eye concealer and it’s certainly a thick product which matches my skin tone very well, with a nice salmon undertone to cancel out dark circles, but it’s just too thick for me. I have really dry skin, and this just dries to scales under my eyes which looks even worse than the dark circles that were there before. I'm still working with this but so far I'm not in love. It's £5.49 here.

L'Oreal Color Riche Mono Eyeshadow in Breaking Nude (Matte) 106 ¦¦ I so rarely buy single shadows because compared to a palette, they’re just boring. However, I wanted to buy a single matte cool brown colour to use as a crease/blending colour with any other palette that needs it. This is a brilliant shade, well pigmented and blends easily. I love it and it’s helping me work with palettes I just couldn't find a way in to before. It's also £5.49 here.

Swatches L-R: No7 Natural Blush, Seventeen Phwoarr Paint, L'Oreal Mono Eyeshadow, L'Oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick, Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet lipstick

Have you tried any of these before? Do you ever fall into Boots/drugstores and come out with a random assortment of new things to try?!

-Rachel

The Bin Diaries Part X: Products I'm Throwing Away - The One With All The Beauty Box Stuff

Tell me I'm not the only one who likes looking through other people's rubbish?

Actually, maybe don't answer that. I'll pretend it's normal.

Without further ado, welcome to another gripping instalment of The Bin Diaries. This entry features products which came to me via various beauty boxes so this entry shall henceforth be known as The One With All The Beauty Box Stuff*.

Mise en scene Perfect Repair ¦¦ I used this regularly on my hair as an intensive conditioning treatment and it was fantastic. I think it may even have been better than my beloved Aussie 3 minute miracle... It's a Memebox Origin Product (MOP?) so I can't get hold of it again, but it was very good indeed.

Repurchase? If only I could!

Soy Bio + Fermented Lumpoule ¦¦ This is kind of a serum type thing (at least that's how I used it, anyway) and it was fine, but I didn't notice a dramatic difference to my skin. Meh.
Repurchase? Nah

Drww Multi-Action Smart Cream Gel ¦¦ This was an excellent moisturiser that's a gel format but actually moisturises your skin. I loved this moisturiser, especially in hot weather, and would highly recommend it. It's a MOP which is sad as I do really like it.
Repurchase? If I could, I would!

Eve Lom Rescue Mask ¦¦ This is a clay based mask done right! It worked well and didn't break me out. It's still not my favourite mask, and it's really quite expensive for what it is, but I enjoyed using this little sample. It came from Latest in Beauty, and is available to buy in the UK unlike all the MOPs.
Repurchase? Probably not

Essential Care Creamy Coconut Cleanser ¦¦ This came in another Latest in Beauty Box (the BBB Dream Box) and was a decent product. It was gentle on the skin and removed make up well. This was good but not excellent, I think.
Repurchase? Maybe... 

Etude House Missing U Hand Cream (Panda Story) ¦¦ This hand cream is basically the cutest thing ever. It's a MOP, hence the cuteness overload. This hand cream was ok, but not particularly thick. It smelled pleasantly peachy but please, can we talk about the fact it's in the shape of a panda?!
Repurchase? Probably not, as it wasn't quite strong enough for my super dry hands

Banila co. Claypatra Mineral Salt Clay Pack ¦¦ I was certain I'd love this clay based face mask as my favourite face masks are clay based. However, this was far too drying and also broke me out, somehow. I got two uses out of this tiny pot and my skin was worse than before both times. Another Memebox product, but I'm not mad I can't get hold of this one again..!
Repurchase? Nooo.

Dear by Enprani Dreams Come True Bounce Cheese Cream ¦¦ After I got over the weirdness of the cheese cream thing, this was a good moisturiser. I have dry skin and this was nice and thick. I wasn't hugely keen on the babypowder-esque smell but I used this right to the bottom regardless. A lot of people rave about this and whilst it was very good, I don't think it's quite holy grail status. Another Memebox product (this is getting to be quite the theme)
Repurchase? No, unless I find it for a good price and can get hold of it easily

Steamcream ¦¦ This beautiful tin houses a lovely thick cream that smells of lavender. It's a fantastic cream and I raced through this huge tin. I much prefer this to the cheese cream (!) and luckily this is available in the UK. I got it via a Latest in Beauty box, in case you're interested.
Repurchase? Yes!

Pure Smile Neco Punch Point Pads ¦¦ These are going in the bin unused because I just can't with these. You're supposed to put them on areas of need, kind of like a targeted sheet mask. They're infused with some lemongrassy smelling gel liquid which is really slimy, and they just end up slipping straight off my face. Plus there's the fact you look totally ridiculous wearing them, and they do nothing for my skin. Can you guess they're a MOP?!
Repurchase? Never ever ever.

So there's my bin. I hope you enjoyed seeing all the good, great and awful products I've received in beauty boxes, and has made me realise the frustration in subscribing to a beauty box that sends you products you'll never be able to buy yourself. Surely that's the point of beauty boxes? To find you new products to love, and buy again and again?

Maybe that's just me...

Until next time, fellow rubbish nosey parkers!

-Rachel

*Guess who's been watching too much Friends on Netflix..!?

My Little Box: My New Subscription Love

I've recently been casting around for a new subscription box to fall in love with. I wanted something a little different, something like Stitch Fix or Wantable, but in the UK our options are a little bit limited. I deliberated for a while and ended up deciding to try out My Little Box, largely based on an unboxing I saw on someone else's site. It contains a mixture of beauty type products and lifestyle items, with some artwork and crafty things thrown in for good meausre. I liked the look of every single item in the box, which is unusual for me, so I went for it.

I ordered late in the month so my first box, the February box, came fairly recently. I've had a chance to try all the things in it so I'll let you know what I thought of each of them.

The box itself is very cute, and decorated nicely. I will definitely be keeping this for storing away useful bits and pieces.

Upon opening, the contents of the box are all wrapped up in printed ribbon. The first item is a beautiful illustration with a pithy quote on it. I really like this and it's definitely the kind of thing I'd be happy to frame and put up on my wall. It's printed on good quality card, too, which is a nice touch. I know a lot of subscription boxes which feel like everything has been cost cut, so it's nice to have a bit of luxury here and there.

Straight into the beauty products, which came in this lovely cotton drawstring bag. I think I'll use this to pack delicate things in when I travel.

By Terry Crayon Khol Terrybly in Bronze Generation ¦¦ This khol pencil is supposed to be waterproof, super soft and ultra-precise and is in a very dark brown flecked with bronze glitter. Well, one out of three aint bad...  This is worth a stonking £23.50....! I've never tried anything by By Terry before, mostly due to the crazy price tags of the items. So I'm looking forward to trying something from a brand which people rave about. Also in the box is an offer for a free appointment at the By Terry Counter In Harrods, but as I'm not London based I think I may struggle to take advantage of this.

Verdict: The pencil does apply like a dream because it's so, so soft, and the colour was beautiful. Unfortunately, it didn't last well in my waterline at all and bits of glitter fell down onto my face. I much preferred it as a traditional eyeliner (although it wasn't super waterproof when used this way, either). Because it's so soft, the sharp tip vanishes almost instantly so you'll need to sharpen this frequently, and for the price I'm surprised it's not a twist-up auto-sharpening situation. I'd be disappointed with this if I'd paid full price for it, but I'm pleased I got the chance to try it in my box.

L'Oreal Super Liner Brow Artist Shaper in Dark Brunette ¦¦ This is a 3-in-1 product which has a coloured pencil for filling in, a brush to shape, and a clear wax pencil to fix the brows in place. It's worth £5.49 and is widely available from Boots, etc.

Verdict: In my opinion, brows are tricky to get right and I'm forever hearing people whinge about a lack of decent high street options. I think this does a really good job, for the price, and I'm impressed. The colour is a little bit too dark for me, but I just use it sparingly. Better that than too warm, which is usually what you find. I liked that this did everything in one nifty pencil, and it lasted well throughout the day as well.

DHC Blotting paper ¦¦ This contains 100% natural hemp fibres to absorb excess oil (or 'glow') and keep shiny faces under control. This is a nice portable size and the packaging's cute, too. Worth £4, these only seem to be available online.

Verdict: I don't really suffer from excess shine, but I've put these in my bag-in-a-bag just in case. Having said I don't get very shiny, these do pick up oil when I use them so maybe I'm just oblivious?! I love the packaging which is cute and dispenses the sheets neatly, and I like that they're not powdered, either.

My Little Beauty Complexion Enhancer ¦¦ This is from My Little Box's own beauty product line, which you can't get hold of outside of France (it's €12 on their website). It's  a lightweight complexion enhancer with apricot kernel oil and anti-oxidant rich edelweiss extracts. It's got a delicate peach tint designed to bring your skin to life. Sounds like just what I need at this time of year...

Verdict: I'm a little on the fence about this, because I like the idea and the product looks like it's going to be great, but I don't particularly notice a difference on my face and I am suspicious that this may have broken me out a little. That said, I like that it's subtle and I will keep using it. Also, the packaging is adorable.

Here's how they look and/or swatch. You can see how soft the By Terry crayon is by the sharp point I made just by drawing that line!

There are also some bonus lifestyle type products in the box, which are basically the cutest things ever.

Pot of messages ¦¦ This is an adorable glass jar with 28 messages rolled up inside it. I've been reading one a day since I received it and I love the idea, it's very inventive. Messages have ranged from those which I want to frame ("Les vraies Parisiennes sont celles qui ont toujours rêvé de Paris" - true Parisians are those who always dream of Paris) to those which I frankly disagree with ("My aim? To have enough time on my hands to waste!") but regardless, I love the concept. This is allegedly worth £6.50 although it's not for sale anywhere, so I'm not sure how they've worked that out. 

Smartphone case ¦¦ A classy mini pouch for me to keep my phone, cards, tickets etc. I've been using this to keep my phone, earphones and travelcard contained and stylish while I travel around, and I think the case is so, so pretty. Again, allegedly worth £16... *Shrugs*

There was also a sticker that says 'Geek is the new sexy' with another cute illustration on it, and a magazine which contained some well researched and interesting articles, which I wasn't expecting!

Overall, even though some of the products in the box didn't fully work out for me, I love my new subscription anyway. It's unusual and the contents are varied, it seems that a lot of thought goes in to the theme, and everything feels very personal. Cute notes, things tied with ribbon... lovely.

You can pick up My Little Box via their website. It's £14.95 including P&P and is usually delivered towards the middle of the month.

-Rachel

Memebox: We Broke Up

Here follows a sad tale of love, obsession, and poor treatment. No, I'm not talking about the 50 Shades of Grey film. I'm here today to talk about the sad end of a relationship. Memebox and I have broken up.

Here's the deal. Back in December 2013, when things in my life were all sorts of wrong, I heard about this cool Korean beauty box. The more I heard about it, the cooler I thought it sounded. I threw caution to the wind and bought my first box, and then the affair started.

My first box was full off the COOLEST THINGS. A tea bag which you dissolve to make a tonic for your face? The perfect skin blurring primer? Amazing smelling herbal shampoo and conditioner? I was smitten.

The boxes that followed were a mixed bag, and I found some products which I'd go on to use to death (like this eyeliner) and others which I gave some severe side eye (like this eyeshadow and liner combo).

Finally, after my obsession got a little carried away and the amount spent on Memeboxes in my tracker spreadsheet reached an alarming amount, I hit the pause button. The boxes had been slowly declining in quality and frankly, the novelty had worn off. I had a giant stash of serums and cleansers and BB creams and I only have one face.

Then Memebox started sending me boxes for review, which was very nice of them. I still gave them just as honest reviews as I had before, but with the boxes came strings. I was enrolled in an affiliate programme, which was fine as I didn't really do anything with it. They sent me some discount codes to give to my readers, which was also nice. They would give me a heads up as to what I was going to receive and when, so I could track the parcel and plan my posts.

But then things started to go downhill. They ran some poorly organised competitions, which were a nightmare to try and set up, follow and comply with. Boxes began turning up out of the blue. They started setting rules (sorry, guidelines) around timings and content of reviews - and if there's one thing that's guaranteed to raise my hackles, it's telling me what to do. I'm a hobby blogger, for goodness sake. They then changed the affiliate programme to a third party type situation, which I didn't bother signing up for because I never used the first one. It felt like the rules kept changing, and I struggled to keep up.

By this point, I wasn't buying any new Memeboxes myself. With my slow-blogging approach to updating, it felt like every second post was a Memebox post as it was and I didn't want this space to become a Memeblog. I was beginning to feel beholden to produce the content and I didn't like that one bit.

None of these things were the worst thing in the world - you want to send me some free pretty things? Things which I love and had been raving about for months? Certainly nothing to get upset about. But a month ago, they announced they were ceasing all international shipping. What?

Now, there are many conspiracy theories going around the forums but I haven't really been reading enough to comment. Here's why I'm confused.

The K-beauty trend is just beginning to explode across the globe. Lisa Eldridge is leading the charge and by the looks of it, it's going to be huge. So why abandon such a large market just as it's taking off? Why would you expend so much time and money reaching out to foreign bloggers, shipping them free products from Korea (I think I got maybe 6 free boxes? At a guess) and running a seemingly complicated affiliate system. All to just throw in the towel?

I feel bad for the customers who had stockpiles of rewards to spend on boxes and had to use them in under 3 weeks (during which time there was hardly anything left to buy), and I also feel bad for those international customers who wanted to cash out their rewards but due to Paypal transfer fees and shoddy exchange rates to their local currency were left with a fraction of what they'd saved. 

It's a shame it had to end on such a bad note, really, and has left quite a sour taste in the mouth for many people. That's not a great way to build a brand, and it could have been handled so much better.

So from now on, there will be no new Memeboxes around here. I have a feeling some of you may be quite pleased about that, actually! Instead, I'll be slowly working my way through my stash and hopefully finding plenty of new products to love.

Ultimately, I'm not mad because what it has left me with is a love for Korean beauty products and that is the silver lining I'm taking from this baffling situation.

-Rachel