My August 'Summer Nights' Birchbox

Hello Lovelies,

Today I wanted to share with you what I received in my Birchbox this month. The August Birchbox is my second Birchbox after I bought a six month subscription in July. When it arrived just over a week ago I was excited to see what was inside.

For this Month’s Box Birchbox have teamed up with InStyle and the theme for this month is Summer Nights.

As well as the Birchbox itself you also get a Birchbox Magazine that has short articles about various things including beauty, life and about some of the products that were in this month’s Birchboxes, which I think is a nice little extra.

Inside my Birchbox was…..

Bluemandarines SkinLife Energetic Cellular Cream - 10ml

This is a facial cream that claims to brighten, refresh and protect your skin and it can be used in the morning and in the evening. I haven’t heard of this Brand before, but will try this and if it does what it says it does then I’m sure I’ll like it.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - 40ml

This was a product chosen by InStyle and is a 'super-moisturising pre-shampoo treatment' that 'add elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine' and also ‘strengthens, nourishes and prevents breakages’. I don't think I have tried a hair treatment that you use before shampooing before, but my hair does feels like it could really use this at the moment, so I was pleased to see this in my Birchbox.

Gerda Spillmann Hydro Pearls Moisture Lotion - 10ml

This is a smoothing make-up primer and I do like using primers especially if I need my makeup to last a bit longer, so I was pleased with this and will definitely try it.

LaQA & Co. Lip Pencil in Ring of Fire

This was another one of the products chosen by InStyle and it is moisturising lip pencil that can be used all over your lips. Being a fan of red lip products I instantly loved this colour and although I would have liked to receive a full size one this size is perfect to take out and about with you. This smells slightly minty and I'm looking forward to trying this. 

Molton Brown Ylang-Ylang Body Wash – 30ml

This is the last product that was chosen by InStyle and it is a gorgeous smelling body wash. The bottle is quite small so I am not sure how many uses I will get out of it, but I think I will keep it for if I go away for a weekend or something as it is a perfect travel size.

Inner Me Beautify Me Vitamin Complex - 14 days supply

This is a supplement for your skin, hair and nails that contains MSM, Silica, Marine Collagen and Vitamin C, which together 'are the first natural steps to healthy skin, hair and nails'. I am not sure whether I will use these or not, I will need to read about them a bit first. I did really like the packaging though, because when you pull one side of the tablets out the other side comes out too.

Birchbox Gel Mask

This was a little beauty extra this month and I think it is always nice to get little extras.

Overall I am pleased with what I received this month and although I didn’t receive any full size products I think I will have to accept that unlike with Glossybox I probably won’t receive any full size products in my Birchboxes, although I hope they will surprise me in a future box :) I also like how the products come in little drawstring bags. 

What did you get in your Birchbox this month? Leave me your link as a comment if you have posted about yours.

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

NOTD - Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Passion Fruit

Hello Lovelies,

Today I wanted to share with you my NOTD, which is Barry M's Gelly Nail Paint in Passion Fruit. Barry M's Gelly Nail Paints have a high shine gel effect finish and I recently bought two of these, this one and Papaya which I blogged about here. 

I am not sure how to describe the colour Passion Fruit, other than it looks like a mix of bright red/pink/orange. Just like the Papaya one this Nail Paint is quite thick and applies really easily without any streaks and dries to a really glossy shiny finish. In the photo I have applied Rimmel’s Nail Rescue as a base coat and two coats of the Gelly Nail Paint, although it is thick enough that you could probably get way with just one coat. 

These Nail Paints are usually £3.99, but when I bought this Superdrug had on offer on some Barry M Nail Paints and I got 2 for £6. I think these are often in some sort of offer and I will definitely try some other colours. 

Have you tried any of these Barry M Gelly Nail Paints? 

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

My August 'Highflyers' Glossybox

Hello Lovelies, 

I saw some posts and tweets last weekend about what people had received in their August Glossyboxes, so before mine arrived I had an idea of what might be inside and I was looking forward to it arriving. Mine arrived on Tuesday and I thought I would share with you what I got. 

The Theme for this month's Glossybox is Highflyers and the products inside were chosen 'for the girl on the go' and they are from different places around the world, including the USA, Sweden, the UK and Brazil. The box wasn't a special one and was just the usual pink colour, with black tissue inside. 

Here is what I got this month.....

TRESemme Platinum Strength 60 Second Treatment Shot - 15ml

This is a rinse off treatment that should be used once a week or more if you feel your hair needs it, that claims to 'transform frizzed out and fried hair'. I haven't tried one of these before, but I was really pleased to see this, because my hair has felt a bit dry and heat damaged recently and this will be a lovely treat for it. This isn't a very big tube and because I have got quite long hair it will probably only last for one use, so it would have been nice to receive a bigger tube or a couple of them, but the tube I received is a full size one that retails at £1.49. 

Emite Make Up Eyelash Curler 

I use eyelash curlers everyday and the Glossybox Leaflet says these have been developed with professional make-up artists and I am looking forward to trying these. These are black and red and they come with three replacement rubber bits which I was impressed with. 

Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Eyeliner & Shadow 

I received a Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush in a previous Glossybox and love it, so when I saw this inside I was really pleased. It is 'creamy 2-in-1 crayon' that can be used as an eyeliner or as an eyeshadow. It doesn't seem to have the name of the shade on the pencil, but from looking at Jelly Pong Pong's website, I think this is Plum. I will try this although I am not sure how much I will use this shade and I saw some people got these in black, which I think I would have preferred. 

Eucerin Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm - 40ml

I have not tried anything from this range before and didn't know much about it. The Glossybox Leaflet says this is a 'multi-purpose balm' and is a 'cult product in the US'. This is fragrance free and has quite a greasy texture, so I think you could only use this on really dry skin. My hands do tend to get quite dry in the winter, so I will probably use this then. 

Oceane Makeup Remover Pen - 3 ml 

This product is not available in the UK at the moment and I haven't heard of this brand before. The packaging says this can be used to remove excess makeup from around your lips and eyes and the tip of the pen 'contains a liquid makeup remover' 'that does not dry out the skin'. I have not used anything like this before, but I will give it a try. 

Overall I was quite pleased with what I received this month and the sizes of the products, although some people did receive UrbanVeda products and I would have liked to try those. 

If you are interested in trying a Glossybox, you can find out more here: Glossybox.

What did you get in your Glossybox this month? Leave me your link as a comment if you have posted about yours.

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

NOTD - Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Papaya

Hello Lovelies,

Today I wanted to share with you my NOTD, which is Barry M's Gelly Nail Paint in Papaya. Barry M's Gelly Nail Paints have a high shine gel effect finish and I had been wanting to try them for a while. I bought this recently when Superdrug had an offer on some of Barry M's Nail Polishes, they are normally £3.99 each, but when I bought this I got 2 for £6.

Papaya is a lovely pastel peachy coral colour and I loved the colour as much when I applied it as I did in the bottle. This Nail Paint is quite thick and applies really easily without any streaks and dries to a really glossy shiny finish. In the photo I have applied Rimmel’s Nail Rescue as a base coat and two coats of the Gelly Nail Paint, although it is thick enough that you could probably get way with just one coat. 

Have you tried any of these Barry M Gelly Nail Paints? 

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

Another little Superdrug Beauty Haul

Hello Lovelies, 

So I decided to pop into my local Superdrug to see what offers they have this month and I ended up buying a few things. I don't know if you are the same, but it seems that when something is on offer it makes me want it even more and I can't resist a bargain! 

Here is what I bought.....

Firstly I got another Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser, because mine has almost run out and this was half price which was an added bonus. I have been loving this recently and blogged about it here. All of Superdrug's Naturally Radiant range is half price at the moment and I also bought the Brightening Eye Cream which was only £2.99. I haven't tried this before but I think it was recommended to me during a #bbloggers chat, so thought I would give it a try. 

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Micellar Solution is on offer at the moment and only £2.48 so I decided to get some more. I love this and included it in my June Favourites post here. I find this takes my makeup off really easily and feels really cooling when you use it. If you haven't tried it, what have you got to lose when it is only £2.48?! 

Some of Barry M's Nail Polishes were 2 for £6, so I decided to try a couple of the Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints. These nail polishes have a high shine gel effect finish and I have been wanting to try them for a while after seeing lots of good reviews of them. I bought Papaya which is a lovely pastel peachy coral colour and Passion Fruit which is a gorgeous colour, but I'm not sure how to describe it other than it looks like a mix of bright red/coral/pink/orange. I can't wait to try these and think they are perfect colours for summer, so I'm hoping the sun stays around for a bit longer :)

On the way to the till I noticed that the Fudge Urban range was on offer and better than half price and a few days earlier I had seen Fudge Urban Sea Salt recommended in a magazine, so because it was only £3.47 I decided to give it a try. It says it can be used to create 'messy out of the surf sexy beach hair' or used before you blow dry to create extra volume and natural texture and it has a lovely coconut smell, so I'm really looking forward to trying this. I also picked up some Fudge Urban Iced Raspberry and Vanilla Hair Spray, which was on offer for £2.47. I have seen a few beauty bloggers mention this and say that it smells really nice, so I thought I would try it. It says it gives you 'soft to touch hair and 24 hours of hold' and it has anti frizz properties, which are both things I like from a hair spray, so I think I'll enjoy using this and the smell of ice raspberry and vanilla is a lovely bonus :) 

Are you like me and can't resist an offer? I'd love to hear if you have found any good offers recently?

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

My First Birchbox - July 2013

Hello Lovelies, 

I have been subscribed to Glossybox for a while now, but hadn't tried a Birchbox before. At the end of July there was an offer on Facebook, where you could buy a six month Birchbox subscription for the price of a three month subscription which meant it was only £38.85 for six months and so I couldn't resist trying them. The first Birchbox I received was the July one, which had a 'Jet Set' theme and I was really excited to see what was inside.

As well as the products I also got a Birchbox Magazine, which has little bite size articles, about a variety of things from what to read and watch this month to jet set tips, to make up tips, recipes and information about the products that which were included in the July Birchboxes. I really liked this and the short articles means it nice to pick up and just have a flick through. Also included was a card telling me about the products in my Birchbox, a little card welcoming me to Birchbox and a card saying that for next month's box Birchbox have teamed with Instyle.

I had expected the actual box to be a bit bigger but I think that is because I was probably comparing it to Glossyboxes. What I really liked about this compared to Glossyboxes was that inside the box the products were in a cute little drawstring bag.

Inside my Birchbox was.....

Blanc Cachemire Protective Day Cream - 15ml

I had not heard of this Brand before and this Day Cream is described as a 'lightweight moisturising cream' that absorbs quickly into your skin. I normally use moisturising creams for oily/combination skin and it doesn't say anywhere what skin type this is for, but I'm looking forward to trying it and hope it is as lovely as the Birchbox Magazine says it is. 

Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle Leave in Conditioner - (I can't see anywhere what size this is)

Again I had not heard of this product, but a leave in conditioner that is also a heat protector is always handy. The bottle says this is a 'thermal protector' and 'uv protector' that seals cuticles, smoothes hair, locks in colour, adds shine and is weightless and non-greasy, which sounds good to me. If it does all these things I will love using it and as a bonus it smells lovely :)

theBalm cosmetics InStain Long Wearing Powder Staining Blush in Swiss Dot - 0.5g

When I first saw this I was a bit disappointed by the size, I think the full size products Glossybox sometimes contains has spoilt me. However the packaging is so cute and I guess with it being so small it will be perfect to take out and about with you, and the colour is gorgeous so I'm looking forward to using this. 

Laura Geller Beauty Inkwell Gel Eyeliner in Purple - 2.5g

I haven't tried a gel eyeliner before, but I have wanted too for a while and so I was pleased to see this. I don't normally wear purple eye makeup but I think getting products in Birchboxes and Glossyboxes is a perfect chance to try things you wouldn't normally, so I will definitely try this and think it will be a lovely colour in autumn and winter. It comes with a brush in the end, which I really liked. This is the only full size product in this month's box and it is always nice to get a full size product. 

Weleda Skin Food - 10ml

This is a deeply nourishing moisturiser for dry and rough skin. I haven't tried this before but the size is a perfect size to keep in my handbag, and a product like this always comes in handy, so I am sure I will use it. 

The Chia Co Chia Shots - White - 8g

I hadn't heard of this before and didn't know what it was until I read about it. It is superfood that is 'packed with health-boosting omega 3, protein and more' and 'Chia is the richest plant based source of Omega 3, fibre and protein'. There is a recipe on the card attached to this sample and also some recipes in the Birchbox Magazine, and it says it can just be added to cereal, porridge, yogurt or smoothies, so I will definitely use this to try it, but not sure how yet.

Overall I am pleased with what I got in my July Birchbox, although I would like to see some bigger products in the next box I get. 

What did you get in your Birchbox this month? Leave me your link as a comment if you have posted about yours.

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain

Hello Lovelies,

Woo hoo it’s Friday!

Today I wanted to share with you one of my favourite lip products and that is my YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in shade Rouge Vintage (No. 5). I bought this at the end of last year after seeing a couple of reviews of them and instantly loved it.

I’m not really a huge fan of lip gloss mainly because I don’t like the sticky feel that some have, although I do have quite a few and I do wear them, just not every day. I prefer lipsticks and lip stains, I particularly like lip stains because I like how the colour stays on your lips longer. YSL’s Glossy Stains are lip stains that are also glossy and that don’t feel sticky when applied, so a perfect choice for me.

I love the packaging of this and think it looks like the luxury product it is. The applicator is the perfect shape to allow you to apply this evenly and easily and it feels lovely when applied to your lips. I love red lip products and although this looks more pink in the tube it is a gorgeous shade of pinky red, that looks more red in some lights and it lasts really well. When the gloss wears off ,your lips are left stained with the colour, which I think is really nice and definitely something I like from a lip product.

 This photo was taken inside.

 This photo was taken outside.

L’Oreal have brought out a dupe for these which I have also tried and love using probably as much as this and I reviewed L’Oreal’s GlamShine Stain Splashes here.

I’d love to hear if you have tried this if you like them as much as I do.

Thanks for reading :)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Nyss x

A little Superdrug Beauty Haul

Hello Lovelies,

At the beginning of last week I noticed Superdrug were offering free delivery on any online order, so I decided to have a browse and I ended up buying a couple of things. I really like reading posts like this, so I thought I would share with you what I got.

Here is what I bought…..

I am a big fan of Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion and when Palmer's brought out a skincare range I really wanted to try it. So when I saw that they were on offer (I think they all had a third off), I thought what better time to try a couple of things. After talking to some beauty bloggers on Twitter I decided to try the Cocoa Butter Formula Purifying Face Mask and the Cocoa Butter Formula Daily Cleansing Gel. When they arrived I was a little disappointed, because I had hoped they would smell like the Cocoa Butter Lotion and they don't. I haven’t tried these yet, but after hearing other people’s opinions and reading about them online I am looking forward to using them.

I also got the Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lip Balm, I haven’t used this before, but I needed a new lip balm, so I thought I would try it and the fact is was on offer as well was an added bonus. It smells just like the Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion, which I was really pleased about and it feels really moisturising when you apply it.

Lastly I got a couple of MUA's Nail Polishes, one in the shade Natural Days, which is a baby pink colour and one in the shade Red Fever, which is a lovely deep red. Recently I have been really liking MUA’s Nail Polishes in Bright Coral and Amaretto Crush, so I could't resist trying a couple more. I think these are excellent value at only £1 and hopefully these will apply as nicely as the other MUA Nail Polishes I have tried.

Have you tried any of these or any other things in the Palmer's Skincare range?

I think Superdrug have some really good offers and I’m going to visit my local one at the weekend to see what offers they have this month :)

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

My Helicopter Swing Chair

Hello Lovelies,

Today is a bit of a different post, because I wanted to share with you one of my favourite things at the moment and that is my Helicopter Swing Chair.

I bought this at the end of last summer, but didn’t use it until this summer and it is one of the best things I have ever bought. The chair itself hangs from the base and swings freely forwards/backwards and left/right. It is so comfortable and when you are laying on it even when you are not moving it swings very gently, which is so relaxing :) It’s also perfect for catching some sun, because you can move the chair to face the sun as the sun moves throughout the day without having to move the whole thing.

The sun stays in my garden until about 7pm at the moment and I've been making the most of it. Laying on this for an hour or so after work reading a magazine or listing to music is a perfect way to relax :) 

Hope you are all enjoying the sun.

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x