NOTD: It's Black, It's White

Well hello my Gorgeous Loves. I hope you are all well. I didn't know what to do with my nails on Wednesday evening so I thought I would give my Nail Rock Nail Wraps that came in my November GlossyBox a go. Please see that post here :)

These are in the design Nail Rock Black And White Stripes Designer Nail Wraps, Link :) - £6.65 From nailrock.com

These were pretty easy to apply. I removed the nail polish that was already on my nails with nail polish remover that contains acetone. I then used a cuticle pusher to push back my cuticles and gently went over the tops of my nails with my nail file. I shaped the ends of the nails with the nail file also. I selected the wrap sizes that I felt fitted best with the size of my nails. I did not trim any wraps prior to application, although you can do this if you need to. I then placed the rounded edge nearest my cuticles and smoothed it over my nails, spreading the wrap in an outward motion. If you get creases you can lift the wrap and smooth it back over again. I do have a couple of creases in my nails as you can see in the photos, but that is because I was rushing and it was late at night. I used my nail scissors to snip off most of the excess wrap. I folded the rest underneath the end of my nail firmly and filed the end of the nail to remove this excess.

When I initially received these in my GlossyBox I wasn't that bothered about using these, but I have to say I am pleasantly surprised. As I mentioned in my November GlossyBox post I would have preferred a different design, but I still think this is quite fun. These were much easier to apply than the one other time I used nail wraps (not from Nail Rock) that needed to be heated with a hairdryer to apply. The sizes of these wraps come in nice sizes that fit almost perfectly to my nails. They do make my teeth go on edge a bit when I touch material or something, but I got used to that after a couple of hours wear. I think they are great for an instant nail design that you don't have to wait to dry. For that reason alone I will definitely need to get some in the new year when I have some money. They have started to chip after two days wear, but only slightly at the ends. I have been very busy though so if you are more careful you may get another day or two from them before chipping commences. To remove them you just need to peel away from the nail edge which I have yet to do so I can't say if this is easy.

Have you tried any other Nail Rock designs? Do you recommend any other nail wrap brands?

Love to you all

November GlossyBox

Hi Beauties. Four weeks till Christmas and I have hardly done any Christmas shopping, EEK! I am never this behind, but oh well it will get done I guess. I am just clueless this year on what to buy certain people. Anyway, today's post is about showing you what I received in my November GlossyBox. The box is named 'The Christmas Gift-Guide: Part 1'. Part 2 will be the December GlossyBox. The idea is for you to try out products that you may want to put on your Christmas wish list or that you may want to buy as gifts for others. So here are my first thoughts.

 

 Left To Right: Arbonne FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Creme, Link :), Deadsea Spa Magik Bath Salts, Link :) & Etro Set Of 5 Fragrance Vials (Ambra, Etra Etro, Heliotrope, Musk & Vicolo Fiori), Link :)

Arbonne FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Creme - £19.00 for 118 ml

The Information:

A soothing, lightweight creme that moisturises hands, leaving a healthy appearance and skin feeling smooth, supple and refreshed. Suits all skin types. Use as often as needed.

Key Ingredients:

Fresh kiwi cells; Moisture Fresh Complex of cucumber, birch leaf, watercress, clover blossom, St. John’s wort; rose geranium botanical plant, lemon verbena botanical plant, safflower oil, sunflower oil, vitamins A and E.

This has an okay scent to it. I will use it for sure as I use hand creams a lot now, but I don't have much more to say about it at the moment. There is blue pen on my tube which is nothing disastrous, but it's just not good presentation.

Deadsea Spa Magik Bath Salts - £5.35 for 1000g

The Information:

2011 Beauty Awards winner. Fantastic for alleviating dry or flaky skin conditions as well as a natural exfoliant. Deadsea Bath Salts remarkably improve skin texture. Helps to improve and soften the skin. Refreshes, relaxes, soothes and produces a feeling of well being. No additives. 100% Natural Sea Salts.

The Holland & Barrett link I have added is 15p cheaper than the link that GlossyBox gives, but every penny counts right? I was a little sceptical before trying this product. The reason is because I had already tried the Deadsea Spa Magik Salt Brushing sachets that I received in my September GlossyBox and when I exfoliated with them I found the chunky granules uncomfortable to use on my skin. Please see that review in my 'September Empties' post here. Also I am not a fan of gritty bath salts lying on the bottom of my bath. Anyway I gave the Deadsea Spa Magik Bath Salts a try on Friday by running them under my bath water. They dissolved into the water so no gritty layer to lie on and they actually made the bath water feel silky smooth. Not like an oil, but just a nice smooth layer to the water. I did not have that oily film on my skin when I got out of the bath. My only negative on these is that once you open the packet you have to put the salts into another container or like me wrap an elastic band around the pack and make sure not to knock it over.

Etro Set Of 5 Fragrance Vials (Ambra, Etra Etro, Heliotrope, Musk & Vicolo Fiori) - Please see the link above for various prices/sizes

The Information:

Introducing Etro's fashion. These five fragrances celebrate the most superior notes of the Etro fragrance lines. 

Ambra

I could not see a link to Ambra on the House Of Fraser website? This fragrance is not bad. It has a slightly foreign feel to it.

Etra Etro

This captivating fragrance is spicy, rich and warm. It is softened by floral and vanilla undertones and notes of sandalwood, amber and musk which adds to it's sensuality. Floral/fruity scent.

I would say this has a slightly sweet scent.

Heliotrope

Heliotrope and Vanilla becomes a revitalising infusion mixed with Bitter Almond and spicy Coumarin. The effect of this is a jolt of energy and clarity to the senses that is both uplifting and revitalising. Floral/fruity scent.

This is sweet. To me it has a smell a bit like cake. I do like it.

Musk

A light yet very long lasting harmony made up of fresh, clean-smelling notes (Bergamot, Grapefruit) and more intense notes of Musk & Wood. The fragrance is mild but reveals a strong and immediately recognisable personality. Woody/musk scent.

This is a woody, earthy scent. It's quite nice.

Vicolo Fiori

The fragrance celebrates the delicate Blue Bell. The delicate flower is surrounded by the uplifting fruity note of mandarin and the warmth of Ylang-Ylang. The fragrance is light and up-lifting. Floral/fruity scent.

This is a nice scent. Sexy, yet subtle.

These fragrance are suitable for all skin types.

Left To Right: Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps (Black & White Stripes), Link :) & Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, Link :)

 

Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps (Black & White Stripes) - £6.65 Per Pack

The Information:

The new Nail Rock designer nail wraps range is designed to last up to 7 days on nails and 8 weeks on the toes. They won't chip or stain the nail, require no drying time and deliver on trend style in just 15 minutes. 

 

I tried nail wraps a long time ago (not from Nail Rock), but they had to be applied by heating them with a hairdryer. I found it hard to get them to fit properly and they started peeling away the next day. I found them really irritating, but these do not need to be heated. You just trim them to size, stretch over the nails, wrap under the end of the nails and file away the excess. I hope I do like these wraps. I will try them, but I am not overly excited by this design. I think it looks a little 'Beetlejuice'. I would have preferred an animal print or spots.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - £14.00 for 75 ml/£52.50 for 500 ml

The Information:

Intensive, super-moisturizing pre shampoo treatment for all hair types. Adds elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine. Provides UV protection after washing, helping prolong the life of colour treatments. Visible results after one application that improves with continued use. Fragrance free. 

 

Application:

Dampen hair and apply Philip Kingsley Elasticizer in sections. Work in with your fingertips. Rinse well. Follow with appropriate shampoo, conditioner and scalp toner.

- For Fine & Medium Textured hair apply sparingly through your mid lengths and ends
- For Coarse, Wavy, Curly or Frizzy hair use more generously through your hair’s length

 

When to Use on Unprocessed hair:

- For Fine & Medium Textured hair, use once or twice a month
- For Coarse, Wavy, Curly or Frizzy hair, use once a week When to Use on Processed hair
- For Fine & Medium Textured hair, use once a week
- For Coarse, Wavy, Curly or Frizzy hair, use twice a week 

Do NOT use Elasticizer for THREE days before and THREE days after chemical processing!!

I think that there are shampoos and conditioners that already do the things that this product is meant to do so why do we need another product in our hair washing routine? I already received a smaller sample of this in my September Feelunique Beauty Box which I have not yet tried so I can not say if it is worth trying. Here is a link to that post, Link :)

Overall I am not blown away by this months box. The hand cream, bath salts and perfumes are nice, but there is not a stand out product for me this month. I am also gutted that I did not receive the Illamasqua Freak perfume :(

GlossyBox are also introducing a GlossyBox for men so if you are interested on more information on that please see the link here. The first box for men will be shipped in December. I am thinking of getting this for my boyfriend, but I don't get paid until next week so I have a few days to think about it. The first 100 subscribers to the men's box receive a special gift.

What products did you receive in your November GlossyBox? Were you happy with what you received? Will you be subscribing if you haven't already?

Love to you all

August GlossyBox

Hey Gals. Other than a little make-up shopping I haven't been up to much this weekend. I hope you are all having fun though. Today I want to share with you what I received in my August GlossyBox. So here goes.

First up is the Murad Time Release Blemish Cleanser which it says on their website is a new product. This retails at £29.00 for 200ml. The tube that I received however say Time Release Acne Cleanser. I assume that this is still the same product. I would have thought that it's the same product, but with a slightly different name now, but as it's meant to be new I'm a little confused? It is meant to be an extra gentle cleanser which is clinically proven to increase cell turnover, reduce blemishes and diminish wrinkles, minimising the signs of ageing while keeping your skin smooth, supple and glowing.

I will definitely try this as I am always looking to improve my skins condition. I don't get a lot of spots. Usually I only get one or two around that time of month, but if it helps with anti-ageing and keeping my skin supple and smooth then that's a good thing. I think it's the first product I have seen that is aimed at people with slightly more mature skin that still have blemish irritations. It saves on using two products I guess.

Now we have the Ahava Mineral Body Lotion which usually retails at £22.00 for 250ml, but is currently on sale until 31st August 2011 for £19.80. It is said to be a richly moisturising lotion that absorbs into the skin quickly, effectively hydrating, nourishing and protecting the skin. The website says to apply it every morning. I suppose they are saying that it needs to only be applied once a day, but I am a twice a day girl when it comes to moisturising as I shower twice a day. I will give this a go too as I am always looking to find the best body lotions for my oh so dry skin. 

Here we have the Jumbo Jet Mascara from Daniel Sandler. It claims to be the only mascara a woman needs when she wants high-performance, luscious lashes. That's a pretty big claim in my book. It also says that after one stroke of the brush lashes CAN appear thicker and longer. I don't want a CAN, I want a WILL please. When looking at Daniel Sandler Cosmetics on GlossyBox's website you have to go the link saying buy to find out where to buy his products. The page is a little all over the place so I almost missed this link. There were quite a few places to buy from, but I chose feelunique.com to take a look as I have ordered from them before and it retails there at £11.80 reduced from £14.75 for 15ml with free delivery. On feelunique.com it also says it will give a false lash effect.

I tried this mascara yesterday and I have to say I wasn't overly impressed. One coat was not enough for me. I had to apply three to get somewhere near the consistency I like to get from a mascara. I would not pay £11.80 for this mascara let alone £14.75. The tube and brush look really big and so I was maybe too hopeful in expecting big lashes. They didn't seperate nicely and I found that the amount that came out onto the brush was a very thin amount. My lashes looked a little bitty. By that I mean they didn't fan into a nice shape they stuck together in some areas and had some small clumps which looked about to flake off. I took a bus ride straight after application and by the time I got off the bus my eyes looked black underneath where my watery eyes had made it run. I know it does not claim to be a waterproof mascara, but if you have watery eyes like me or have hay fever AVOID or do not apply to lower lashes. As you can probably tell I would not recommend this product.

The website for KMS California says coming soon so I'm not sure how much this retails at? Here is the information about it though. This is the KMS California Colorvitality Shine & Shield. It says this is a light-weight smoothing creme that fights frizz and provides heat protection while promoting natural movement and shine. It is infused with lilac and ginger, plus antioxidants, UV filter and IOPS technology for colour protection and condition. I have no idea what IOPS technology is, sorry? I have a friend that colours her hair a lot so I think I will give this to her to try.

These Rebel Nails Nail Wraps in the style of Cream/Green Giraffe retail at £7.99. They claim to be easy to apply with no chipping, fading or wear. They are meant to give an amazing professional finish with a self adhesive flexible covering. They can be used on natural, acrylic or gel nails. These come in various designs for both finger and toe nails. Unfortunately these are for toes. I won't gross you out, but I do not have a full size toe nail on my left foot. I had an ingrown toe nail many years ago which I had minor surgery on, but it never grows fully. I have tried applying false toe nails before, but I always catch it as my toe nail is not flat and it's just way too painful to risk so I will be passing these on to one of my friends.

I have only used nail wraps once on my fingers. They were not this brand, but I have to say I hated them. They were a pain to cut to the correct size and they started peeling away at the edges after a day or two. These are not something that I would buy again. I couldn't wait to get them off.

I will be happy to try out the cleanser and body lotion from this box, but overall I would say this is my least favourite of the GlossyBox's so far. I believe that next month they will be upping the price as they will be adding a delivery charge. It's a little annoying as other beauty boxes are not doing this, but I will continue my GlossyBox subscription for now as I like the surprises.

What did you receive in your GlossyBox? Did you like what you got? Will you be continuing with your subscription with the added delivery charges?

Love to you all