GLOSSYBOX: NOV 14

Hi beauties and welcome back today for another beauty filled post. I received my Nov 14 GlossyBox a little while ago, but I am only just showing it to you now as I have been mental busy so apologies.

LOLLIPOPS MAKE UP EYE PENCIL BLACK "GOODBYE MOON"

A retractable deeply pigmented, long lasting eye pencil. A creamy formula that is easy to blend for a smoky effect. Contains Vitamin E.

I like the pencil's packaging. It's cute with a pale pink hue much like the GlossyBox itself, but with a wild animal print. It is retractable and the formula feels creamy. It is black, but I would say more of a mid-toned black as I have seen darker black eye pencils. I think it would work well for a smokey effect arond the eyes though.

BURT'S BEES LIP SHINE WINK

A 100% natural, sheer colour with a wax formula that glides on for a sweet and super shiny glassy finish.

The finish is very glossy on the lips and feels very nourishing. I have the pink shade wink which looks very natural. These are sheer lip glosses though so I wouldn't expect much colour pay off. Perhaps more so with the red/plum shades of pucker or smooch? The scent is a little too sickly sweet for me.

H20+ FACE OASIS HYDRATING TREATMENT

An oil free moisturising gel for deep hydration while minimising the appearance of fine lines. Can be worn for 5 mins as a masque and also kept in the fridge prior to application for a cooling sensation.

Sounds soothing so I am looking forward to trying this.

MONU REFINING CAPRI FACIAL OIL

An invigorating, warming facial oil to balance oily skin, soften and decongest pores.

I am a little dissappointed that once again I have been given a product meant for oily skin when my GlossyBox profile clearly states I have dry skin. I will however try this product.

NATURAL WORLD COCONUT WATER HYDRATION & SHINE WEIGHTLESS HAIR OIL

A luxurious hair oil to add shine and hydration to the hair. This lightweight formula leaves no oily residue.

Hopefully this will be a great hair treat!

So far I am not blown away by this GlossyBox, but these are only my first impressions.

Which products did you receive in your Nov 14 GlossyBox? Do you have any favourites? Let me know in the comments below.

For more information on the UK Glossybox click here and for the US GlossyBox click here.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

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Melvita Argan Oil

Hi loves. I have a product review for you today of the Melvita Argan Oil. This was sent to me for free to review.

Melvita relaunched a selection of their beauty oils on the 17th January 2014 and I have been testing out the Argan Oil.

Product information:

Argan trees grow exclusively along the Moroccan coastline, in the regions of Essaouira and Agadir. The nuts from these trees yield an oil that is exceptionally rich in essential fatty acids and sterols. For centuries, it has been renowned for its repairing properties.

Unroasted argan oil is a true beauty secret held by Berber women. It is also traditionally used to massage joints and to care for the nails and hair.

Melvita Argan Oil

First cold-pressing organic oil.

Colourant and preservative-free.

No chemical solvent.

Intransigeant quality inspection.

High level of active principles.

Controlled extraction process.

Certified Ecocert Fair Trade (EFT).

Melvita's Argan Oil has 100% concentration to ensure maximum benefits. No other oils or fragrances are added and it is not diluted. Melvita Argan Oil provides the user with healthy, supple skin that is protected, softened and moisturised. This anti-ageing oil is suitable for all skin types, but especially ideal for dry, damaged, fragile skin.

Application: 

Apply to face or body, massaging gently to penetrate the skin. Apply to irritated areas to soothe the burning sensation.

My thoughts:

I have been loving using oils a lot more recently on both my face and body. I did however use this mostly on my body. My skin felt very smooth, supple and nourished from using this product. I do like the simplistic pump glass bottle packaging as it adds to that 100% pure, organic image. I do think I would prefer however a spray bottle. It's not a problem with the pump I just think that change would make application a little easier and quicker as you could spritz it all over then just rub it in. There was no greasy feeling with this product. Just smoother, healthy looking skin. I thoroughly enjoyed using this oil.

 Melvita Argan Oil ~ £22.00 for 50ml

There are many relaunched oils available from Melvita. If you have a skin concern or just love to nourish yourself to feel at your best why not check out this link to see which Melvita oils will cater to your skincare needs.

The Melvita range is also available at Whole Foods, selected John Lewis stores and online, BeautyMART at Harvey Nichols and feelunique.com

I hope you have enjoyed this review. Please let me know your favourite oils along with how you use them in the comments below.

Love to you all

Facial Skincare Reviews

Hi beauties. Today I am going to get straight into this post as I have many facial skincare reviews for you.

Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover ~ £17.00 for 125ml

Winner of the SHE Magazine Beauty Awards 2011 for Best Eye Makeup Remover. This 50ml bottle I won in a charity raffle at work. I really like this make-up remover which can be used on lids, lashes and lips. It easily removes any stubborn makeup without stinging sensitive areas such as the eyes. Suitable for contact lens wearers although I can't imagine removing my make-up with my lenses in. I simply give the bottle a shake, apply to a cotton pad and rub gently on the area to remove all traces of make-up. The lid design now appears to have changed, but I have not heard that the formula is any different.

Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream ~ £18.50 for 100ml

Suitable for all skin types. I picked up this product with an issue of Glamour Magazine. This is a cream exfoliator that is fragrance free. I used this in the shower twice a week after my face wash. It worked well enough, but I wouldn't say that it made such a difference that I would buy it full price.

Dermalogica Age Smart Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque ~ £34.50 for 74ml

I received this product in my October 2011 GlossyBox. I really did enjoy using this masque. I applied this in quite a thick layer to a cleansed face and neck 1-2 times a week and left it on for 15 mins. When I washed it off with a soft flannel and warm water my skin felt really smooth and pampered. This masque is meant for ageing, stressed and damaged skin. My skin was plumped, glowy and youthful looking after using this product.

Dermalogica Total Eye Care ~ £37.90 for 15ml

I received this sample size at an event. The product had a skin tone shade to it, but when absorbed into the skin that disappeared. I did like applying this product that contains SPF15 because of the texture. I don't really suffer with dark circles so I can't comment on how it affects those. I don't really have bad fine lines yet either. The puffiness that usually appears however around my eyes I did not find reduced by this product.

Coola Organic Suncare Collection Mineral Face SPF 20 Rose Essence Tint ~ Various prices and sizes on Amazon

I received this product in my July 2013 GlossyBox. I didn't love the rose scent of this product when applying it, but I didn't hate it either. Once applied I never really noticed it anyway. This gave a lovely healthy looking glow to my skin, but it was just a tad too orange for me. Water resistant (40 mins).

Caudalie Divine Oil ~ Choice of size and price

I received this product in my May 2013 GlossyBox. This product was divine indeed. I did try it on my hair and body, but I loved savouring it for the evenings to smooth over my cleansed face and neck. I massaged it in thoroughly inhaling the scent which made me feel deeply relaxed.

Vichy Idelia Life Serum ~ Various stockists

Vichy Idelia Smoothing and Illuminating Cream ~ Various stockists

These Vichy products I received in my November 2013 GlossyBox. They felt nice enough on my skin when applied. Very glowing, healthy and youthful in appearance. Once the product had sunk in thoroughly though I wouldn't say that I noticed any dramatic difference.

So that's all of my latest facial skincare reviews. I hope that you found at least one of them useful. Let me know your favourites and why in the comments below. Have a great Sunday!

Love to you all 

Rana Argan Oil Review

Hiya my loves. Sorry I haven't blogged until now this week, but I hope you are all doing well. I have done a little shopping so expect a Primark haul to come. I also saw my Mum on Friday which was great and spent time with my fella today. What have you all been up to this weekend?

Now on to today's review post :)

RANA Argan Oil ~ £9.00 for 30ml or £23.00 for 100ml

I was gifted with this product at the Bloggers Love London Fashion Week event. I was excited to try this product out so I will start with some information about it:

RANA Argan Oil is 100% pure, natural and organic. Free from additives or any other chemicals other than argan oil straight from the argan fruit making it suitable for sensitive skin. Nicknamed the 'miracle oil' due to it's mass benefits. Here are some examples of the benefits of using RANA Argan Oil:

 

Makes skin feel smooth, plump and healthy looking.

Gives hair a healthy looking shine, whilst at the same time repairing damaged, dry hair back to its full goodness.

Helps nails become stronger and shinier.

Relieves the appearance of acne.

Helps to reduce the signs of stretch marks and scars.

Reduces the signs of ageing.

Can be used on men for pre and post shaving.

Can also be used on baby's and children to soften skin and help prevent or alleviate the signs of rashes.

Great to use on all different types of skin conditions and issues.

Be advised that this product is made from argan nuts so if you are allergic to nuts then it is advised to not use this product!

My thoughts:

Face & Neck:

I absolutely love to use this product on my face and neck at night and when I am at home during the day not wearing make-up. Because it is an oil I would not use this product before applying make-up. This feels so nourishing on my face and neck. After cleansing my skin I use about four pumps to cover my face and neck. I massage it in in circular motions, really working it into my skin. I have very dry skin and I think it really works well at keeping it moisturised, plumped, smoothed and pampered. It does feel like a treatment when I apply this at night. I don't really have lines or wrinkles that are that noticeable yet and I don't suffer too much with spots, but overall the skin on my face looks more even and youthful. 

When my Mum saw me on Friday she asked me what I had been doing to my skin because I looked so young. I wasn't wearing any make-up at the time so this was a lovely compliment. I also got asked for ID in Morrisons the other day which made me so happy. Now I am not saying that it is all down to this product, but I do think my skin is looking and feeling better and more even because of it. 

Hands & Nails: 

I have tried this as a quick spritz on my hands and it does soak in really well. My nails are usually painted and pretty strong already so I haven't really noticed a difference in them as yet. 

Hair:

I sprayed some on the ends of my hair to treat it one night. Because it's an oil it did make the ends look like there was product there so I would say it may work during the day for those with curls or afro hair, but to me it's more of a night time treatment to wash off the next day. 

Body: 

On my body it felt nourishing too, but there was a layer on my skin that didn't soak in as well as some creams I have used. It didn't feel greasy like other body oils I have tried, but as I could feel it on my skin I wouldn't use this during the day on my body if I were to wear fitted trousers for example. I did this with another product before and spent the day at work with oil patches on my knees. I would say for those who like fake tan this is most likely a no no. As the skin on my face looks more even though I think it could work well for stretch marks.

I would totally recommend this product for reducing the signs of ageing, nourishing the skin and making it look more even. A great multitasker, but even if it only works for one skin issue I still think it's worth it.

There are are range of other products also available at RANA which you can check out in this link!

What benefits have you found for your skin using RANA Argan Oil? Have you tried any other products from the RANA range? Let me know with your thoughts in the comments below.

Love to you all

GlossyBox Turns 2

Hey everybody. Happy Friday to you all. I feel like this week has completely run away from me, but I wanted to sit down today and find time to blog. I have my latest GlossyBox treats to show you :)

 

GlossyBox has turned 2 this month and so there are some great treats in this box!

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara No1 Black Satin, Currently £20.25 for 8g

Curl. Length. Volume. Care. Meet your secret weapon for sweeping healthy lashes. 

  Leave texture at the base of the lashes while keeping the brush horizontally. Extend the texture to the end of the lashes towards the exterior of the eye with the round shape of the brush in order to lengthen and curve the lashes. Start the same steps again and again to intensify the desired result.

I love trying out new mascaras, but I have just opened a new one so this will be next in line for a trial.

Caudalie Divine Oil, Price varies on size 

 The Beauty Elixir for your body, face and hair, the Divine Oil offers everything you need to make your skin positively exquisite.

 Divine oil can be used on the body, face, hair, nails, added to a hot bath, or used as a massage oil.

I prefer dry oils as they massage into the skin nicely without leaving a greasy residue. Multitasking products are always handy too.

Premae Harmony Balm, £27.50 for 30ml

 Harmony Creme Balm is absorbed, leaving a dewy feeling on the skin. The balm spreads wonderfully and is an excellent skin protector and primer, making it easy for applying foundation with a silky finish.

 Apply sparingly over the face and neck twice daily after cleansing and toning.

Face creams are always something I love to try out too so I will see how this fairs.

Nails Inc. Portobello Nail Polish, £11.00 for 10ml

Portobello is a very flattering neon coral shade that suits every skin tone.

I am going to paint my nails with this either today or tomorrow so I will show you what I think of it in a post very soon.

Beautiful Movements Cosmetics Prime & Create Mixing Medium, £20 for 20g 

  When combined with mineral powders and pigments, this amazingly versatile product will allow you to create dozens of different make up finishes. 

• Use alone as a primer to give a matte, shine free base for flawless make up application.
• Mix with mineral foundation and concealer powders for an airbrush effect and maximum coverage with a matte finish.
• Mix with powder blushers and bronzers to create a cream tint for eyes, lips or cheeks.
• Mix with eyeshadow pigments to create liquid eyeliners and intense eyeshadow finishes. 

I am going to enjoy experimenting with this product.

My other 2 bonus products are some cute handbag sized nail files and a sample of Green & Blacks Organic Dark Chocolate which I have never tasted so yum.

I have been with GlossyBox since the beginning and I can't imagine life without my monthly treats from them now. Happy 2nd Birthday GlossyBox! You are ageing beautifully :)

For more information on GlossyBox UK click here and for the US GlossyBox click here.

Which products did you receive in this month's box? Are you happy so far? Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all