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