A Little Beauty Haul

Hello Lovelies, 

I recently went for a shopping trip with Hayley from Haysparkle and Dee from Dee's Beautiful Life and I have already posted about what I bought from Lush here, but today I wanted to share with you the make-up bits I treated myself to. 

  No girlie shopping trip would be complete without a visit to MAC and after swatching lots of beautiful things I decided to get the Limited Edition Viva Glam Rihanna Lipstick, which I have been wanting for a while. It is a gorgeous shade of red with a frost finish and the packaging is different to the usual black packaging, which I think is nice. The proceeds from the sale of these lipsticks go towards helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, so if you buy one, not only are you getting a gorgeous lipstick you are also helping a good cause. :)

In MAC I was also colour matched for their Pro Longwear Foundation and left with a little sample in the shade NC15, which I am looking forward to giving a try. 

We spent a while browsing the make-up stands in Superdrug and I spotted this MUA Luxe Palette in Pretty Edgy. I have wanted this palette for a while after seeing a couple of reviews of it, but my local Superdrug never has it in stock and it was only £8 so I couldn't resist getting it. The case is black with gold studs on the top, with a large mirror inside and the eyeshadows are gorgeous. I'm really looking forward to experimenting with this. 

I also got some MUA Matte Lipsticks in the shades Pouty Pink, Wild Berry and Scarlet Siren. I already had one of these in the shade Peachy Keen and really like it, so I thought I would try some of the other shades. Hayley recommended Wild Berry and I have already worn that shade a couple of times and love it. These are only £1 and an absolute bargain! If you haven’t tried them yet then make sure you do!

Have you tried any of the things I bought? What do you think of them?

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

Christmas Beauty Box Swap - My Box from Hannah

Hello Lovelies,

Back in November I organised a Christmas Beauty Box Swap and everyone who wanted to take part was randomly paired with someone and I was paired with Hannah from The Makeup Times. We had planned to send the boxes before Christmas so everyone would have them by Christmas, but unfortunately Hannah didn't send mine until the middle of January. I am not sure of the reason it was sent late, but Hannah did say she had added a couple of extras to make up for the delay, which was nice of her.

My box was wrapped up and inside all my the things inside were wrapped individually, which I think was a really lovely touch and I did the same with the things I sent to Hannah. 

I hadn't tried anything from Elf until the end of last year and so far I have been impressed with the things I have tried, so I was pleased that Hannah had chosen me some things from Elf. She chose a Duo Powder Eyeshadow in Mocha Swirl, a Lip Stain in Berry Blush, an Eyeliner & Shadow Stick in Smoke/Black, a Blush in Innocence and a Nail Polish in Mango Madness. These are just the sort of colours I would choose for myself and I'm excited to try them. 

Also included in my Box was a gorgeous Ted Baker 'I Wanna Be Loved By You' set which includes a beautiful makeup bag, a hand cream, a body spray, a lip balm and a candle, which all smell really lovely and I'm looking forward to using them.

She also chose for me some No. 7 Blissful Body Wash and a bath bomb, which both smell lovely and I am looking forward to using these and as a little extra Hannah also included a Chocolate Orange and who doesn't love a Chocolate Orange! :)

I really enjoyed organising this Beauty Box Swap and taking part in it. I will probably organise another one for Christmas this year, so if it’s something you would be interested in, follow me on Twitter, Bloglovin or GFC and watch out for a post around November.

Did you take part in a Christmas Beauty Box Swap? If you did leave me the link to your post about it, because I love seeing what other people received and sent.

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

Elf Mineral Eyeshadows

Hello Lovelies,

Today I wanted to share with you a little bargain I discovered just before Christmas and that is Elf's Mineral Eyeshadows. These are normally £3.00, but I ordered these when Elf had a 50% off offer so I got them for only £1.50 each!

I decided to try two shades and I got Celebrity which is a gorgeous shimmery champagne colour and Confident which is a really lovely shimmery brown.

Confident

Celebrity 

I haven’t used many loose eye shadows like this so wanted to give them a try and I am really glad that I did, because I love them. They are really smooth to apply and easy to blend. When I use them I use a primer underneath and they last for most of the day. I love both of these colours and how shimmery and sparkly they are, which I wear just for everyday but they are also perfect if you are going somewhere special or for a night out. Although if you don’t like shimmery eyeshadows these might not be for you.

These are available in quite a few shades and I definitely want to try some other shades, so next time Elf have an offer I may order some more.

Have you tried any of these?

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

My December 'Winter Wonderland' Birchbox

Hello Lovelies, 

Today I wanted to share with you what I received in my December Birchbox. The theme for this month's box is 'Winter Wonderland' and the Birchbox Team have chosen products for this month’s box that are perfect for this busy time of year when you want to look your best with a bit of added sparkle.

 

Inside my Birchbox was…..

There were chosen to help you sparkle:

Number 4 Non-Aerosol Hair Spray - 43ml

This hair spray gives you flexible ‘crunch-free’ hold and because it is a non-aerosol hairspray it is better for the environment. I do use hairspray so will give this one a go and see how it compares to my current favourite.

Nail Rock Nail Glitter in Blue - 10ml Nail Polish & 5g Glitter

In this set there is a nail polish and a pot of fine glitter. I love nail effects like this although I am not so keen on the shade I received. I saw that some people received this in pink and I think I would have preferred that colour. Does anyone fancy swapping?

Twistband Hair Tie

This is a hair band that claims to not leave any creases in your hair when you tie your hair up and my hair is always left with creases and bumps when I tie it up so I'm looking forward to trying this. I think these are a good idea but not sure how they fit in the category of ‘sparkle’ other than the colour is slightly metallic looking?

These were chosen to help you shine:

Sin-Care Party Girl Serum - 5ml

This is a detoxifying serum that you apply before your moisturiser to brighten your complexion and it claims to assist 'in reducing signs of skin fatigue due to indulging in late nights and alcohol'. I like the sound of this and am looking forward to giving it a try. 

Lamilou Body Milk with Coco Butter and Rose Water - 30ml

This body milk has a delicate rose scent and I really like the smell of it, although I wouldn't have said it is a winter scent? I will use it though and little samples like this are always useful.

Alima Pure Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadow in Paris

This is a gorgeous shimmery mineral eyeshadow that is a light brown/taupe colour and is just the sort of colour I would choose. I can't wait to try this. 

Also included in this month's box was a $20 gift card (approx £12) for Baublebar, which is a fashion jewellery website that is now available in the UK. I haven't browsed their site before so now I have this gift card I have a perfect excuse to :)

Overall I am quite pleased with what I received this month :)

If you fancy trying a Birchbox, you can find more details here.

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

Another little Elf Haul

Hello Lovelies,

I was really impressed with the things I got in my Elf Haul earlier this month, which I posted about here, and so when I saw Elf had an offer of 30% off and free postage when you spent over £25 I couldn't resist trying some more things and I thought I would share with you what I got. 

The first things I chose were four Luscious Liquid Lipsticks in the shades Pink Lemonade, Ruby Slipper, Nude Pink and Raspberry. In my first order I got one of these Liquid Lipsticks in Pink Lemonade (I posted about this here) and loved it so much I got another and I really wanted to try some other colours and I'm looking forward to using these. These are only £1.50 and I think they are amazing value for money. 

Pink Lemonade - Nude Pink - Raspberry - Ruby Slipper 

Recently I have been looking for an eyeshadow that I wear  as an everyday eyshadow and I decided to try two of the Baked Eyeshadows, I chose Toasted and Bark. These were £3.75 and look really shimmery and I am looking forward to trying these. 

Bark - Toasted 

I also got a Baked Blush in Passion Pink that was also £3.75. This is a gorgeous pink/nude colour with a darker pink running through it with a little bit of shimmer in it. Before I chose to order this shade, I looked at some swatches on other Blogs and this looked like a gorgeous colour and I am excited to try this. 

Passion Pink 

I have been wanting to try a concealer palette for a while, because I like the idea of being able to mix some different shades to find your perfect shade and Elf had one that was only £3.75 so I decided to try it. I chose the lightest shade of the Complete Coverage Concealer Palette, although these don't look that light so if you have really fair skin they might be too dark for you. They look a bit more yellow toned than the photo shows and I normally go for pink toned concealers so not sure how I will get on with these, but I will try them and I am hoping the colours match my skin tone if not I might have to try them next summer when I have a bit more colour. This comes with a mirror in the lid and a little brush which I think are nice little extras.

I also got a Eyelash & Brow Wand because it was only £1.50 and I like to brush my eyebrows with one of these and the one I have at the moment is quite old, so I thought I would replace it. 

Elf have some Lipsticks that are only £1.50 so I decided to try one of these and I chose the shade Posh which looks like a berry red colour, which is the sort of colour I like wearing at this time of year and I am looking forward to trying this.

Posh

Lastly I ordered a Duo Eyeshadow in Butter Pecan, these both have a bit of shimmer in them and I think they will look lovely on their own and nice together and this was only £1.50 so I couldn't resist trying this.

All the prices I mentioned above are the normal prices, but when I placed this order I got 30% off these prices, so these were even more of a bargain. Elf seem to be having lots of offers like this at the moment, so if you want to try any of these or anything else keep a look out for future discount offers. 

Have you taken advantage of any of Elf's discount offers recently? What did you order?

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

My November 'The Glossy Wishlist' Glossybox

Hello Lovelies,

I received my November Glossybox yesterday and wanted to share with you what I got this month. I have always been really pleased with what I have received in my Glossyboxes but the last two months I haven’t been as excited.

The Theme for this month’s Glossybox is 'The Glossy Wishlist' and I think Glossybox chose the products for this month's box from things on their wishlists for this time of year?

Here is what I got this month…..

Vichy Idealia Life Serum – 2 x 3ml and Vichy Idealia - 1 x 3ml

I haven’t tried these before but I have used other things from Vichy and really liked them, so I was pleased to see this inside my box. They are described as ‘an all-round skin saviour’ and I am really looking forward to trying these. I really liked that these came in a cute pink drawstring bag and in fact it is probably my favourite item this month.

Emite Make Up Micronized Eyeshadow in Dams - 1.48g

This eyeshadow is suitable for sensitive eyes and gives an ‘even and lasting result’. I always like when I receive makeup items in a Glossbox and I think I would have been more happy to see this if I had received a different colour, because I don’t really wear black eyeshadow much, but I may try using this as a smoky liner.

Yves Rocher France Cocoa & Pistachio Nut Hand Cream - 75ml

Hand cream is something I seem to have a lot of and never use up, so I wasn’t so pleased to have received this. However it smell really nice so I will probably use this and just hope it is a hand cream that absorbs quickly, because I really don’t like ones that leave your hands sticky. I may keep it on my desk at work so I remember to use it. 

Elegant Touch Rapid Dry for Nails -125ml

This spray claims to dry your nail polish in 60 seconds as well as condition your cuticles. I already have this product and don’t use it that often, because I've never been that impressed with it. However after talking to some bloggers on Twitter who recommended it I will try and use it more to give it another chance and at least now I have another one when the one I already have runs out.

B. Long-lasting Nail Polish in 180 Midnight - 8ml

This claims to be a long lasting nail polish that has a ‘high-shine finish’ and at the moment I paint my nails at least twice a week because I find having them painted makes them grow better and I love trying new nail polishes. Initially when I saw this I wished I had received a different colour, because it is not one I would normally choose, however after looking at some swatches of it online I am coming round to it more and I guess the whole point of things like Glossyboxes is you get to try things you wouldn't normally and you might like them.

Overall I wasn't that excited with this month’s Glossybox but I think that is partly because after reading what other people received I would have preferred to receive some of the other things included in Glossyboxes this month or the eyeshadow and nail polish in different shades. 

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

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

My June Favourites

Hello Lovelies,

I love reading what other people’s favourite products are and think it’s a good way of discovering products you may not have tried, so today I am going to share with you the beauty products I loved using in June.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub – I absolutely love the smell of this, it smells like sweet lime and it leaves your skin feeling smooth and moisturised. I use this a couple of times a week and it makes my skin feel softer and I think also look brighter. I also always use this before shaving and it definitely makes my legs smoother than if I shaved without using it first.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Micellar Solution – I love how when you use this it genuinely feels like you are just using water on your skin. I use it with a cotton wool pads to remove my eye makeup and if you hold the pad on your eyes for a few seconds it removes your eye makeup without having to rub at your eyes and it leaves your eyes and skin feeling refreshed. I don’t have much of this left, but I will definitely be repurchasing it.

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser – everytime I use this it leaves my skin feeling really clean and looking brighter and I recently reviewed it here. There are some other things in the range I want to try, but as I don’t really need them I am waiting for them to be on offer again.

MUA Undress Me Too Palette – I read lots of positive reviews about this before I bought it and I have to agree with them. The eyeshadows are quite pigmented and I love all the colours. I sometimes use just one colour and sometimes use two or three together, which I think makes this Palette really versatile. I used this a lot in June and I’m sure I will continue to. It doesn’t always last all day without an eyeshadow primer or base but for only £4 I think it’s really good value.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant – I received this in my March Glossybox and wasn’t quite sure how I would use it, because although it says it is a multi-tasker, it has the texture of a thick lip balm and so I don’t think there are many things I would use this for. However I do use this on my lips and it leaves them really soft and moistured. I had really dry lips at the start of June and this really helped and I have been using it pretty much most days since.

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle – this is probably my favourite powder highlighter. I love how subtle it can be if you only apply a little, which I think makes it perfect to wear everyday. I have loved this since I got it, but when we had some sun at the start of June I managed to tan a little and have been using this a lot since, because I think it looks lovely when I have a bit of colour, especially when its sunny too.

Maybelline’s Mega Plush Mascara in Black – my favourite mascaras for a long time have been Maybelline’s Falsies Mascaras, but during a bblogger chat someone recommended this to me and at the time it was on offer in Tesco for only £6, so I thought I would give it a try. It has a gel-mousse formula which claims to leave your eyelashes feeling softer and not hard like other mascaras do and I have to say that it does. It gives my eyelashes extra volume and length and it hardly feels like you are wearing any mascara. I will definitely be repurchasing this when it runs out.

Have you tried any of these?

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

Beauty Swap with Clare from A Bit of This and That

Hello Lovelies,

Today I wanted to share with you what I received in a recent Beauty Swap I took part in. 

I had seen bloggers post about these in the past and always thought they looked a great way to meet other bloggers and a good opportunity to try products you might not always buy for yourself. So when Hannah from Hannah Marie Beauty asked if anyone was interested in taking part in one, I jumped at the chance. Hannah allocated everyone who took part in the beauty swap a partner and I was paired with the lovely Clare from A Bit of This and That and we were set a limit of £10. Then it was down to us to get to know each other a bit and let each other know the sorts of things we like.

This being my first beauty swap I wasn’t quite sure what to choose and so looked at some beauty swap posts to see what sort of things people had included and I also looked at Clare’s blog to see what sort of things she liked. After getting to know a bit what Clare likes, I decided to send her things I hope she would like but also things I love using. I did go a little over our £10 limit, but I hope Clare enjoys using the things I sent her as much as I do. If you want to see what I sent Clare you can look at her post here.

I was really excited to see what Clare had chosen for me and my package arrived this week. This is what was in my package :) 

MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder 

I was really pleased when I saw this because I love highlighters and particularly powder ones. I have been meaning to try this for a while, so looking forward to using it. 

Sleek Shimmer Blush in Rose Gold

I actually already have this, but I love Sleek Blushes and this shade it is one of my favourite ones. I love the colour and how shimmery it is, so I was really happy when I saw that the Blush Clare had sent me was Rose Gold.  

Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bulletproof Beige

I have not tried these yet, but have seen some reviews of them, saying how good they are, so I am excited to try this. I swatched this straight away and it's a gorgeous shimmery champagne colour, it feels really creamy and I will definitely wear this.

There was also a lovely card from Clare inside.

Thank you Clare for my lovely things :)

I loved taking part in this Beauty Swap and hopefully will be part of some more in the future.

Have you ever taken part in one? If you have leave me your links in the comments box if you posted about them, because I’d love to see what you got.

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x