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(No, I didn't hibernate)

It's been a very long time since I last posted anything - three months to be exact! To those of you who have patiently stuck around, you have my sincerest thanks. My absence has been a mixture of work, university and life happening, all amounting in a lack of inspiration for my blog. 

Thanks to my leaving for a while, I feel that I can pick my blog back up, but with some changes…

Truth be told, I felt like I was writing because I had to write something, but I would like my blog to take a slightly new direction. Not to worry, I will still be posting the usual, but I'd like to think of some new ideas that could take place. :)

Currently I am unsure whether or not to post my typically Glossybox and Birchbox reviews. There are a lot of boxes sat on my windowsill. I may very well just sum up any boxes prior to February (we shall see...)

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Review | Birchbox November 2014

It's the season of chunky jumpers, warm fires and hot chocolate, therefore, this months Birchbox is 'Cosy at Home' and I cannot think of a more perfect theme. 

Normally I'm not a fan of the colder months - or at least being out in them - but I love being inside, eating winter foods, cuddling up to a hot water bottle and drinking tea (practically on tap). Of course, that's not possible being in halls at University, but a girl can dream (Christmas holidays… hurry up?)

Lord & Berry | Mini Bronzer

Full Size | £19

I've never had Lord & Berry products before, but I've definitely heard the name and the reviews. In general, most people find the brand to be amazing so I'm really expecting great things with this bronzer. Strangely, my flatmate and I were given the same bronzer and we are very different skin tones, so I'm interested to see hoe this looks on each of us. 

I can't deny that this is quite an expensive bronzer, and as someone with quite pale skin I find it difficult to find a good bronzer for everyday use (and one that isn't too ridiculously dark!) If all goes well, perhaps I will give you all my findings.

Beauty Protector | Protect & Detangle

Full Size | £14

It's very strange that Birchbox sent me a 'Leave in Conditioner' when I so desperately wanted to try one. My hair has suffered so much since being at University. I don't know if it's my shampoo, the water or how often I've been washing my hair… I get the feeling it's a combination of the three. Either way, this was desperately needed and I definitely noticed an improvement when I spritzed a little of this through damp hair. It might take a few more trials to determine whether I really like it. (But seriously, if anyone know of anything to improve my hair, let me know. This is an SOS, people.)

Weleda | Wild Rose Body Oil

Full Size | £19.95

I've received body oils in the past, and I've given them a go. They probably aren't really my thing. Hair oil? Yes. Body oil? Not so much. I'm the first to admit that I'm pretty lazy and adding oils to your skin is just another step to add to an already lengthy process. 

Saying that, this does smell really nice and I understand why Birchbox sent this out as one of their products this month. Winter symbolises pampering yourself a little (probably to make up for the fact people can't sleep in the sun all day), so I guess if rubbing a little oil on your skin makes you feel better, go for it. It's just not for me. Interestingly, this can actually be used on the face as well. I'm a little apprehensive to try this because it could lead to spots everywhere. So we'll see. 

Dr. Jart+ | V7 Balancing Toner

Full Size | £18 

My first thought? 

It's like science!! 

Yes, I'm that sad. But how cool is that applicator? It's like I'm applying scientific chemicals to my face and I find that pretty cool. I'm not even ashamed. 

Remember the comment above about me being lazy? Well, Birchbox got it right here because apparently this acts as a toner and it moisturises. That's a serious bonus, in my opinion. But I'm lazy and anything that makes my life that little bit easier is always a winner in my books. 

Can I also just point out that Birchbox gave this as a full-sized item? That's pretty generous and I don't know about you guys, but getting full-sized items is like Christmas to me. It's like getting a present from that really cool relative who always knows what to give you. 

English Laundry | Signature For Her

Full Size | £60

When they say 'inspired by classic county gardens', they mean it. This has a strong note of rose (and musk, so says the info card) and reminds me of cozy little cafe's and sipping tea. Honestly, on a student budget, I don't think I'll be splashing out £60 on perfume anytime soon, but for those who love floral scents, definitely try this one out. It's feminine and flowery without the (excuse me) grandmother scent that is sometimes associated with roses. 

Montezuma's | Mini Bar

Full Size | £2.39

I was probably a little too excited by being given chocolate in this box. I don't really eat a lot of chocolate and I can honestly say this stuff was great. I'd have probably been even more excited if it were dark chocolate, but there were no complaints here. The sample was a good size and didn't make me feel like a pig. I think it's probably been a good month since I ate chocolate. I feel my enthusiasm for it is justified…

Overall, this was a great box with some seriously high value products included. I'm really excited to try some of these products out and (perhaps) give some little reviews of the products individually. If there's anything you would like me to comment on further, drop me a comment below! 

Until then xx

Review | Birchbox October 2014

This months Birchbox is incredibly pink in theme with their awareness campaigne for Breast Cancer. It never really occurred to me that one little box could be so helpful in spreading such a large message. I honestly believe using Birchbox as a means to raise awareness is a wonderful idea. 

I really enjoyed this months box (not only for the theme) but for the colour - I like pink - and the products included. Some were a little on the different side, while some edge more on the traditional makeup box theme. Read on to find out why I loved this months box… 

Battle Of The Boxes | Glossybox vs Birchbox September 2014

As usual, I'm looking at which box I loved more out of Glossybox and Birchbox, granted my review and comparison is late (I'm trying - and failing - to catch up what I've missed lately). The September boxes were a mixed bundle of great products and slightly disappointing ones too. With these boxes, it is very hard to please a large number of people. My argument to that, however, is that the box-selling companies need to be a little more thorough with their assessments of their customers. If I could opt out of nail varnishes, I would. As that's not an option, I will continue to pass them over to other members of the family. One thing I will say is that in all honestly, I know exactly which box will come out on top this time. Here's why...

Review | Birchbox September 2014

After what has been probably five or six attempts to photograph my Birchbox, I have finally done it! You might ask, 'why so many?' Well, various reasons, actually. Bad lighting (as is usual for the UK), I lost one of the products for a day (yes, that happened), my camera battery died half way through, I forgot about some products, etc etc. I can only really laugh about my misfortune, otherwise I might have to cry… kidding (kind of).

I really liked this months Birchbox, it had a massive variety of products, most of which I haven't even had the chance to properly try out yet. Birchbox threw in a couple of extras to this box as well, which was a lovely surprise. Read on to find out more…

Battle Of The Boxes | Glossybox vs Birchbox August 2014

Another month, another subscription box.

If you read my reviews of August's Birchbox and Glossybox, you'll know that I wasn't overly impressed with them upon face value. Some of my opinions have changed since trialling the products, and I initially believed these would tie for 'most terrible box'. Since then, I have tried and tested many of the products. So which box will win overall for best box this month? 

Review | Birchbox August 2014

It's the second month I've received a Birchbox, and after the awesome box I was given in July, I was really excited to try another box. This month is my birthday (sure, it's the last day - the 31st - but I figure I'm allowed to treat myself this time) so one more Birchbox it is! After that, I may have to consider dropping my monthly subscriptions for the sake of University fees… 

Wild About Beauty - Powder Eyeshadow (£13)

I think it's obvious by now that I really love these kinds of eyeshadows. (03 Aine) Is a really pretty shimmery gold colour (though the photograph isn't a wonderful indication of that) and the powder itself is really soft and feels nice against the skin. I really love the imprint of the bumblebee in the eyeshadow, which gives it a little individual flair as opposed to your average pressed powder. These kinds of eyeshadows are amazing for sweeping all over your eyes, and this one in particular reminds me of Bellapierre's mineral eyeshadows.  

Dead Sea Spa Magik - Shower Gel (£7.15)

Normally I'd be a little annoyed about getting body wash, it's just one of those samples I feel a bit 'meh' about. This shower gel, I'll make an exception for though. It smells amazing… kind of like the seaside, and I'm actually very excited to try it. Just as a side note: I do hope that the full size is a massive bottle, call me cheap but £7.15 is pretty expensive for soap. Then again, I would gladly pay for Soap and Glory (if you don't know, it's not cheap), so maybe I'm being hypocritical? Oops!

Sarah McNamara 

Miracle Skin Transformer Hydroactive Microderm (£25)

Miracle Skin… hmmm, I could definitely do with some of that. Apparently, this is a facial scrub and when I tested it, the grains felt very tiny, which was nice as it didn't feel like a cheap sand scrub. This is much more beneficial to the skin as it will clean the skin more deeply and (providing you're gentle) exfoliate the skin very well. I'm really excited to try the product, and judging from the price, this promises to be a really great product. (fingers crossed!)

Tommyguns

Weather Protect Dew Drops Serum (£6.50)

Normally I'm not the 'hair gloop' kinda girl, but this makes my hair feel amazing. So far, I've only used this through wet hair but it can also be used to smooth flyaways. Personally, I've found it makes my hair insanely smooth, to the point that it's so sleek I can hardly tie it up! So if you're looking for something that's going to make your hair unbelievably soft, try some of this. It's not often I find things I would actually buy from samples, but I can safely say that I will be getting another bottle of this stuff, it's awesome.

Resist Me - Liaison De Parfum (£105)

I'm not going to lie, I find this utterly horrible. Resist Me? I could resist you any day. I was really excited by the appearance, as I thought the tester itself was much cuter than all of the others. The scent though is so strong that I certainly won't be wearing this. It reminds me of the perfume an old lady would wear… granted, this is a Eau De Parfum, so it's much stronger than a Eau De Toilette, but none-the-less I probably wouldn't recommend this perfume to anyone. As I said, it's a shame because the packaging gave me really high hopes.

Lifestyle Extra - The Proposal by Tasmina Perry (£7.99)

I've heard this title around quite a lot lately, but haven't really looked into the story much. I guess Birchbox went along the lines of 'summer reading' and luckily I can have a taster of the book so many people have been raving about. 

Overall, this box was pretty good. I personally preferred last months box (but then who wouldn't, that LAQA Lip Lube was amazing!) The sample sizes have been really decent, large enough to get an idea of the product, at least. I really liked all of the products… well, except perhaps that perfume! 

I think with the Birchbox, I have to mull over the products a little longer to decide whether I like the box. At first I was very disappointed, but as I tried the products, I realised this was in fact a really lovely collection of samples. :) 

And that's everything!

Tell me in the comments below what you thought of the box! 

xx

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Battle Of The Boxes | Glossybox vs Birchbox July 2014

For those of you who have been reading my blog a lot recently, you'll know that not only did I get the July Glossybox, I also purchased the July Birchbox. The only logical thing to do in this instance is, well, compare them. 

I will try and remain as unbiased as possible in this review, however, please remember that this is my very first Birchbox and my 9th (9th!!!) Glossybox. It is a given that I would have more Glossybox loving tendencies due to my loyalty to the box, but I will remain as neutral as possible. Please also feel free to comment your preference, as I'd love to know).

Review | Birchbox July 2014

It comes in a bag. So cute!!

As you might be aware by now, I am a regular subscriber to Glossybox and haven't really deviated away from them since first subscribing. There have been moments where I've questioned whether to maintain my subscription and I've always hesitated. This month, I got my Glossybox free thanks to the accumulated Glossydot reward scheme. I figured, as I hadn't paid for a Glossybox this month… well, why not a Birchbox?

So this is my first time getting a Birchbox and although I've been following them on social media a long time, I didn't really know what to expect. Would it be mostly skincare? Makeup? A mix of the both? Who knows! 

I'm a massive fan of getting large amounts of makeup in my boxes so seeing so much skincare made me uncertain about the products, but I quickly changed my mind. Read on and you'll see why...