Glossybox March 2016

My Little Box March 2016 Bubble Edition

This is my second My Little Box and I am so elated that I joined, this months box was once again Awesome! What makes this months box even more special is that for my Mum's birthday I bought her a 3 month subscription gift to My Little Box, so when this box arrived and it's theme was bubble with a balloon she was so happy. It couldn't have been anymore birthday themed if I had asked for it to be myself.

I am already wishing for Aprils box, but the My Little World magazine will keep me occupied until then.

I love that you get a little pouch in every box and this month it was designed with stars, which if you know me, then you will already know this is very me.

The first item I saw when I opened the box was this really cute hairbrush, one of the two lifestyle/fashion pieces. Now I must admit that when I saw the R.R.P of £13 I thought who on earth would spend that on this flimsy thing, well let me tell you I was so wrong. This hairbrush is designed to "cancel out bad hair days" and it really works, it is on par if not better than my Tangleteezer; I have even replaced my travel Tangleteezer with it. I love the 'Be Cooler' quote on the back too and it is super light.

The second lifestyle item this month was the only thing I was a little upset with, it was a beauty blender sponge, which is not to say this isn't a great lifestyle product for others it's just that I personally do not rate them. I think you can get better coverage with your fingers and or foundation brush, however I do know other woman that have the compete opposite opinion to me. This particular one retails at £8, which I think is a pretty comparable price to others on the market.

I love receiving my little beauty products in each box and this month was a Bubble Blush, Lip and Cheek Tint. I was a little shocked when I first opened it as it was rather bright, however when you actually put it on you find that one or two dabs is just enough to give a subtle glow. I have always liked tints as they seem to provide better coverage and last longer than traditional blushers. 

This Givenchy Noir Couture Volume Mascara is gorgeously designed with a diamond cut bottle and sleek silver panel for the logo on the side and another on top of the mascara wand. For £25 this mascara really does provide thicker more volumised lashes with a highly pigmented black to really make your eyes pop. This price for a full size bottle is in my opinion a great deal. 

The last item in this months box was an Essie Nail Lacquer, R.R.P £7.99. I have never tried an Essie polish before and with sound reviews I was keen to give this a try. I am not a massive believer of expensive nail polish as in all of my years experience I have never found a difference with the wear time to chip time. Most polishes chip after a few days unless you go crazy and wear rubber gloves whenever you touch water, but who in their right mind would do that? 

This particular colour is a gorgeous black with suitable glitter, you only seem to need one coat however the end result is very textured. Like sand has been mixed in with the polish, I have to admit I'm not a massive fan of that kind of look but it seems to be all the rage at the moment. 

I really enjoyed this box and I do believe they are still running their first box offer, so if you want to give this a go then enter the code FIRSTBOX to get yours for just £11 including P&P at checkout.

Thank you as always for reading.

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

Decoupage Box

I am always partial to a DIY gift, they are just so much more meaningful aren't they? They are from the heart and not only are thoughtful but you have worked hard to create it and can therefore say this had been 'Made with Love'.

Whats in my Handbag

I have read so many of these posts and just love them. I mean everyone loves to be nosey don't they? If you say you don't I'm sorry but you're lying! So after reading so many and finally getting a new bag I actually like, I thought it was about time I did my own.

Crobar Energy Bars*

As most of you may already know, I live a gluten free lifestyle and finding things such as protein bars can be incredibly difficult/. I mean trying to combine something that tastes nice as well as being healthy for you is quite difficult for us Coeliacs.

I was given the opportunity to sample these energy bars and must say when I first read that they are made of cricket flour, I thought ugh... Crickets?? I must confess I have never found any energy bars that I absolutely love and this is no exception to that, however it is a lot more bearable than most others I've tried. 

Crobar by Gathr are an upcoming new natural energy bar, that are completely gluten, soy and dairy free. The main ingredients are cricket flour, seeds, nuts and fruit which are all packed with goodness. 

I really love the design too, it really catches your eye.

Crickets are very high in protein and contain high levels of iron, therefore look like a reliable source of protein for the future.

I was lucky enough to be given two different flavours, they smelt nice and looked edible too. I was slightly worried incase I saw a cricket leg in there, needless to say that didn't actually happen!

The Peanut & Cricket Flour bar tasted kind of sweet, but also had a slight tangy taste to it and I could definitely taste a hint of peanut. That said I was able to eat it in one sitting, without having to pace myself as with other bars I've tried. This did actually fill me up and kept me going from mid-morning till my evening meal, which is pretty good going for me as I have a huge appetite.

The Cacao & Cricket Flour bar wasn't for me and although I didn't like it, I thought it would only be fair to get a second opinion. So I asked my close friend Christie from Christies Lifestyle to do a guest review for me.

"When Kim gave me the opportunity to try the Cacao and Cricket Crobar I was actually excited. I love my energy bars and health foods so I was curious to see what this had to offer. When I opened the bar I instantly saw the similarity in appearance between Crobars and Nak’d Bars which are a firm favourite of mine. Although sceptical of trying the ‘cricket’ flavoured bar, I really enjoyed how this tasted. I love the addition of chia seeds, not only are they loaded with nutrients, they fill the bar out a bit. They aren’t as sweet as nak’d bars and have different ingredients but I could happily eat this. I love the simple packaging and everything you need to know is written clearly on the back of the packet. Thank you Kim for letting me try this out, it was a pleasure to eat!"

If you are living a gluten free or dairy free diet and need a good energy bar I would certainly recommend these; and if I saw them in the grocery stores, then I would certainly grab a few. They are very handy for those rushed mornings when there's no time for breakfast.

You can check out their Facebook Page here, and here are a list of retailers or you can buy them direct here. You can even buy cricket flour on it's own, which might be a great alternative for making snacking foods to keep you filled up.

* I received these products for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased feedback, all my views and opinions are my own and have not been influenced in anyway. Please see my Disclaimer for more information.

Mini Beauty Haul

There are some amazing perks to getting your mum some subscription boxes, she gives you what she doesn't like/ won't use! So when I popped round for a cupper and she gave me all these goodies I couldn't wait to try them out.

First up is the MUA Power Pout Glaze Low Voltage Gloss in Allure, retailing at £3.50. You can check out my original review within my February Glossybox Post, I just love it. 

The rest of the products are all No7 and to be honest I am not a massive fan of No7, however was pleasantly surprised with these minis.

I was quite excited to try out the N07 Shine & Tint in Seduce, the formula is quite thick and sticky. This isn't a great combo for the windy weather, however ignoring that side effect the tint is very highly pigmented and does last for a fairly long time. 

I am now a big lover of lip crayons, I mean I cannot believe I have only just discovered them! The No7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Petal, is a very subtle pink colour. This is a perfect colour for everyday wear especially for important meetings where you have to extremely professional. 

I am constantly doing my nails and have so many polishes, so I would never turn down free samples. 

These polishes are pretty amazing and have got really good wear time. 

I await further freebies from my mother, as I have no doubt she won't like some more products. 

Have you had a beauty haul recently, leave your links below for me to check them out. 

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

February Lookback

February is a funny word isn't it... the more and more I look at it I think I've spelt it wrong.

This month has been abit of a nothing month, with nothing new to really report. The only really exciting parts of this month has been my new found love for the mylittlebox subscription and my new extensions.

#beyou Project*

So as you may already know when treaclemoon got in contact with me to try out one of their products I was very interested about their #beyou project in collaboration with Bulliesout. This is something that is very close to my heart because I hate bullying. I have known many people that have been bullied and as someone that has been bullied all through High School and even a little through A-levels and work, I know how hard it can be to deal with. 

There were many times when I thought ending my life or running away would be the answer, it was only when I saw some of my school friends being bullied that I began to stick up for myself and them. They gave me the strength to stamp down on it. 

It is the reason I want to do this post. I think so many people are shielded from bullying and don't always see it going on and if they do they turn their backs on it. 

The memories of my time at school are very far and few between, I think I have blocked so much of it out because it was such a hard and horrible time. The few memories I do have are snippets of my fights, I say snippets because my brain works in such a way that it plays back memories as if I am watching them on video so as to disassociate myself and not feel the pain. So one particular fight I remember was a great example of fake friends that don't do anything to help you, a girl started on me with several of her friends, I had to drop my bag and a few other things to try and fend them off. My friends I was with at the time didn’t even pick those items up for me they just stood and watched. 

This brings me to something I remember seeing on Facebook not so long ago, a video of a guy kicking an old homeless man just outside a co-op shop, and this video went on for quite a while! I was shocked at the vast number of people that just looked and walked away, if it was me I’d have tried to pull the guy off him or get in between them atleast. 

My point is that we shouldn't just stand and watch or walk away when we see someone in need being brought down or bullied in anyway. If you can help why don’t you? Is it time, is it inconvenient? Just take a moment to think about how you would feel if someone just walked past you in a horrible situation? 

We should all also never bully or belittle anyone. Why do it? Does it give you a tiny bit of satisfaction? or make you feel better about your life and self? Whatever your excuse it is unforgivable and shouldn’t have happened or be done ever! 

There are a couple of campaigns running against bullying, and #beyou is a great example of awareness and help to eradicate these horrible actions. I know that we can’t totally get rid of bullying, the same way as we can’t stop terrorism and all these other sickening things; but we can all do a little bit to help. Spread awareness, make someone happy by giving them a small compliment or helping them along their way. Whatever you do don't be nasty to others for any reason. 

At the end of the day, we are all the same, we all bleed the same, we all cry and feel the same. Don't let anyone bring you down!

  

If you yourself are a victim of bullying then you can get in contact with Bulliesout. 

No matter who you are always remember you are beautiful inside and out, you are important, you are worth it, being you is the best thing you can do. The people around you will always love who you are and wouldn't want you to change that. Never pretend to be something you're not, when people find out that you are not who you say you are they will be disappointed that you didn't show you from the very beginning. 

So #BEYOU!!!

If you would like to purchase any of the #beyou merchandise to show your support you can buy it here #beyou shop. 

* I received these products for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased feedback, all my views and opinions are my own and have not been influenced in anyway. Please see my Disclaimer for more information.

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.

What I did this Valentines

Following my Singleton on Valentines Day Post, I thought I would follow up with what I actually did. 

Mothers Day Gifts

With Mothers Day just around the corner I thought it would be good to share some of my gift ideas.

Flowers

A gorgeous bunch of flowers always goes down well and I have always loved Interflora. Their customer service and quick delivery are always extraordinary.

Gift Sets

Very have got a wonderful selection of gift sets and I just love this GHD Heat Protection Spray And Paddle Brush Gift Set, R.R.P £32.  

The Paddle brush is really gentle on your hair, although I find it a little large it is great for simple styling and the spray smells gorgeous and feels weightless. This is a perfect gift for any woman that regularly uses heat styling. 

Subscription Boxes

I am in love with Glossybox and Mylittlebox, these are great gifts as they give beauty lovers a chance to try lots of brands they may never have heard of before, and they are a gift that keeps on giving. 

The concept of the Glossybox is that each month you receive a box which has 5 beauty products in, which have been selected for the recipient, as they should fill out a little questionnaire to identify any special requirements. The box is £13.25 a month including postage and guarantees a minimum of £30 worth of products inside every box. 

I have reviewed a few Subscription box's which can be viewed here, just search Glossybox, My Little Box or whichever one you are looking for. 

       

       

The My Little Box is a similar cost at £14.95 including postage, in each box you get 2 lifestyle/ fashion products 3 beauty products and a little magazine. Each month is themed differently, check out my review of this awesome box here. 

Whatever you choose to get your Mum just remember to let her know how much she means to you and that you love her. 

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.