Beauty – Everything's a story.

Fantastic Looking August

August 15, 2017 giastark

Yes, it’s that time again! I almost said that time of the month but… you know. It just sounded wrong somehow. Anyway, I thought it’d be nice to take a little break from all the serious writing I’ve been doing here recently and explore my oh so pretty beauty box. So let’s get to it.

Firstly – I’m starting to believe Lookfantastic can’t do wrong with their monthly box designs. It’s gooooooooorgeous blue with golden writing saying ‘Global Glamour’ in the middle of the lid. I love it a LOT.

Secondly – the products this month… There’s the mandatory Elle to keep up with everything that’s going on in fashion, beauty and the world of empowered women. As for the products, I’m actually actively using nearly everything in it at the moment. So I guess you could say it’s been a roaring success with me.

Korres, Moisturising Body Milk in Bergamot Pear. I love it. I love it soooooooooo much. It’s quite lightweight so it absorbs well, it smells incredible and leaves my skin so soft. I can’t wait to buy it again and buy it in other scents as well. LOVE IT!

Gatineau, Gentle Silk Toner. Another product that’s already half gone. I’m not sure if I love it because I didn’t currently have a toner already or because it’s actually that good. Probably the latter. It smells quite strongly of.. something. I can’t really put my finger on it, but it smells clean. Plus it’s a light pink colour. Very pretty.

Lottie London, Balm Ball Lip Hydrator in Strawberry Shortcake. It does actually smell a bit like strawberry shortcake. I’m quite impressed. I like the shape of it – it’s very cute and quite different from my other lip balms. I have been using it quite a bit since I got it. Maybe that’s more to do with the smell rather than the adorable shape of it though.

Lord & Berry, Magic Brow Pencil. You know when there’s the word ‘magic’ in a product name you expect it to be beyond this world and make you believe in fairy tales, witches and wizards? Just me? Well, let’s get one thing straight – it’s a brow pencil, not a magic wand. I do like it for what it is however. It suits my eyebrow colour and is very easy to use.

Mane ‘n Tail, Shampoo & Conditioner. I don’t know if it’s actually horse shampoo or not, but I like the smell of it. I think it reminds me of nettles. Or something else green and fresh smelling like that. It does what shampoo and conditioner are supposed to do – clean my hair and make it all soft and swooshy. As swooshy as my newly shortish hair can be, that is.

Skin79, Super Beblesh Balm SPF 30 PA++ BB Cream. I don’t have a clue what any of that means. But it comes in a pretty pink tub. It’s quite lightweight, making it perfect for those days when you don’t really need any (or just very light) cover, but want something to brighten your face up a little.

That’s it! It feels like a LOT. Once again I’m absolutely in love with a few of the products – yay for finding new favourites! And I didn’t dislike any of them. So that’s good.

Keep it up, Lookfantastic!

Beauty, Reviews, Unboxing

Fantastically Pretty in July

July 15, 2017 giastark

Hellooooooo! It’s time for another beauty box post. I feel like it’s only been a couple of days since my last one, but the arrival of all the new boxes begs to differ! I feel like I’m especially excited for the July ones as now I’m really thinking ‘I could use this on my wedding day,’ when rummaging through all the new products. (Less than a week to go now!) Here goes…

First of all – how pretty is this box! I can’t wait to take it into everyday use. I mean, I haven’t decided how I’m going to do that yet, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. If you have any ideas, let me know 🙂

Jelly Pong Pong, Bare Necessities Highlighting Pencil. It’s a 4 in 1 illuminator, waterliner, concealer and base. With its pretty pinkish hue I see myself using it for waterlining and maybe for some eye shadow/liner works.

MoroccanOil, Hydrating Styling Cream. It’s a leave in cream to eliminate frizz, add definition and shine, while argan oil conditions and hydrates the hair. I tried it out this morning and quite liked it. It smelled really nice and left my hair gorgeously shiny. And with that being one of my life goals, I was quite pleased. I don’t think it’s actually one of my life goals. But hey, let’s just go with it alright?

Hot Makeup, Large Bronzer. I did NOT realise how pigmented this was so I just swished it on, as you do, and my jaw dropped when I then looked like I’ve spent a full week frying in the sun. So yes, I shall endeavour to be a bit more light handed with it in the future. Other than the huge colour pay off (which is actually a good thing), it did look nice with a gentle shimmer.

Cowshed, Chamomile Refreshing Toner With Spritz Cap. Love it. I used it to remove the excess bronzer I’d swooshed on and it was SO refreshing. It felt almost minty. Will definitely bringing that with me for the day after the wedding.

Mimitika, Sun Cream. Well it’s something that I’ll always need and even though the pot is quite small, I think it’s going to last me a loooong time. So the compact size just makes it easier to travel with. It’s meant specifically for face, has high protection (SPF 50) and promises to enhance tanning.

Regenerate, Toothpaste. I mean… Again something that most of us probably use. This one is very glittery looking though. As in, it looks like something unicorns use to brush their teeth. It doesn’t really taste of anything. But you know, I’ll probably use it as it’s convenient travel size. Plus it’s so shiny!

Imedeen, Advanced Beauty Shot. It tasted verrrrry lemony. I didn’t mind getting it in my box, but I wouldn’t buy it myself as I don’t see much point in it to be honest. I mean, I love fruit anyway so I’m already getting my vitamins and stuff. It also didn’t smell nice.

That’s it! That’s my July Lookfantastic beauty box. Overall I loved the contents of it, except for a couple of smaller additions. But hey, I can’t like everything in every box. I got a couple of things I’ll be taking with me when getting ready for the big day and some things I’ll be using the day after.

I call that a success.

Beauty, Reviews, Unboxing

Glossy June

June 27, 2017June 27, 2017 giastark

Hellooooooooooooo people! It’s time to find out what I got in my June G-g-g-g-glooooossy box. I must say, you’re in for a treat this month.

Sleek Makeup, Power Plump Lip Crayon, in Notorious Nude, RRP £5.50. It’s so tingly! Holy cranberries haha. You may remember me saying that nude lip colours don’t really suit me, but funnily enough this one does. One might even say that it’s beauuuuuutiful. Also, it being a lip crayon it’s super easy to apply. Plus the tingling. It’s great! Would definitely recommend.

111 Skin, Space Defence Bright Eye Lift Gel, RRP £110 for full size. It’s an eye cream. And judging by the price it’s one helluva eye cream. I tried it for a couple of days and really liked everything about it – it was lightweight, absorbed really well and smelled nice. However my eyes have been super sensitive for the past few weeks (possibly because I’ve tested so many eye creams lately?), so I’ve stopped using anything on or around my eyes for a while. I’ll definitely go back to it once my eye situation has sorted itself out though.

Manna Kadar Cosmetics, Sheer Glo, RRP £22.50 for full size. It’s an illuminator or highlighter or whatever you want to call it or use it for. I used it all over my face (mixed with foundation) one day for that extra glow and dewy look and I must say it worked. It left my face only gently shimmering/glowing, no full on scary alien look. I don’t think I’ll be using this as a highlighter though as I’m just not that good at blending creamy products. If anyone would like to give me tips on that, I’d love it!

Batiste, Stylist Oomph My Locks XXL Volume Spray, RRP £4.29. Errhhhh, here we go again Batiste. It’s the exact same product I’ve already got from two other beauty boxes recently and I’m sorry but I just do not like it at all. It leaves my hair dull, sticky and covered in thick white powder no matter how little I spray and how hard I try to hide it and brush it out or rub it in. Is it me? Am I doing something wrong? Well, as it is at the moment I’ve got 3 bottles of it now (1 full and 2 travel sized ones), so if anyone would like a bottle, let me know!

Himalaya (Since 1930), Purifying Neem Face Wash, RRP £3.29 for full size. So for those of you who, like me, just heard of ‘neem’ for the first time – apparently it’s a herb. An awesome one at that. And that’s what you can expect of this face wash. It cleanses. Awesomely. Woosha-woosha.

Beautypro, Black Diamond, RRP £4.95 for 3. It’s one of those black face masks that you get to peel off! Omg I was so excited to try it and it was great. Just as disgusting as you’d expect. And so satisfying to take off. Yes, I’ll be buying more of this little beauty. Definitely recommend. Just go buy it already. Oh, I forgot to say that it’s got activated charcoal to deep cleanse and balance oil and is to be used at least once a week. Alright, now you have all the info so gogogogo get it!

This was my box and I loved it (mostly). Some brilliant new finds and additions to my bathroom drawers and makeup bag. Makeup drawers actually. I only really use my makeup bags when I’m travelling. Hmm. So many questions, so little brain power to ponder.

Beauty, Reviews, Unboxing

What a Fantastic June

June 20, 2017June 21, 2017 giastark

Helloooooo. I’ve had a bit of a down day and it’s really warm so I’m about to go to bed, but I wanted to share my Lookfantastic June box with you first. Writing sometimes works as an odd pick-me-up for me and I hope this is one of those times. Plus this month’s box is so beautiful it’s difficult not to feel like there are better things waiting ahead just around the corner!

Hailey Baldwin For ModelCo, Super Lips Lipgloss in Beige. This is a hydrating lip gloss as you may have guessed from the name. Well, the lip gloss part anyway. I absolutely love the smell of it, it smells like some kind of sweets – I have no idea what sweets exactly but I like it. I also like how it applies and even the texture and finish. It’s weird because it feels like it should be sticky but it’s not. The only issue I have with it and why it doesn’t get full marks from me is that I don’t think I suit nude colours much – they seem to wash me out a little and I was unfortunate enough to get my sample in beige. It looks alright when I only put on a tiny bit of it, but any more and I look a bit scary haha. I’d love to check out what other colours they’ve got though.

Bellapierre, Shimmer Highlighter in Exite. It’s very shimmery. Also I’ve only just read the product description for the first time and found out that it’s a highlighter for cheekbones, Cupid’s Bow, inner corners of the eyes and other features. I thought it was an eye shadow. Teaches me to actually read what I’ve got, I guess! In any case it’s sure to highlight what ever it is you need highlighting as it’s sooooooo shimmery. Not too overpowering though. I mean, it’s buildable but … I’ll just shut up now. It’s nice.

Balance Me, Balancing Face Moisturiser. It’s a hydrating face cream enriched with neroli oil, spruce knit and bergamot oil. It’s supposed to give a naturally beautiful glow to skin. I haven’t actually used it on my face yet, just sampled it on the back of my hand, but it absorbed nicely and didn’t feel greasy which is great especially in the summer when you usually need something a bit lighter for the day.

Monu, Rosewood Reviving Mist. I can DEFINITELY get behind this hydrating facial mist at the moment. With it being so warm outside, it’s brilliant to cool down a little with a nice refreshing spritz in the face. It contains a blend of lemon, rosewood and sandalwood. I approve!

First Aid Beauty, Facial Radiance Pads. From what I can gather these are like wet wipes but in cotton pad form. Quite cool actually. They contain a blend of lactic and glycolic acids to ‘refresh and revitalise tired complexions’. I haven’t tried them on my face yet, but I’ve poked them with my finger and they look like they’d do it promises on the box. I mean, they’re wet cotton pads so I think we can all agree that we’re not setting them expectations that they couldn’t fulfil.

Kerastase, Shampoo. I got the ‘exceptional nutrition shampoo for normal to slightly dry hair’. I haven’t tried it yet but it’s a cute little travel size bottle so perfect to pop in your suitcase for a long weekend away!

That’s it my dears. I’ve covered everything in my box and even though what wowed me most about this box was the actual box itself (it’s sooooo preeeeetty!), it was still full of great additions to my makeup and skin care collection 🙂

I’ll spritz some of that face mist now to hopefully cool down enough to get to sleep!

Beauty, Reviews, Unboxing

May Glossy be your day!

May 14, 2017May 14, 2017 giastark

Uhmmm… yeah, that was a bit lame. I’d apologise but it’s my blog so hahaaa! Aaaaanyway. Let’s get to it. This’ll be a short overview of what I received in my May Glossybox and what I think of (most of) the items.

Ruby, Powder Blush in Coral, RRP €14.99. I liked it a lot. I recently realised I had quite a few blushes, but only one powder blush and I don’t really know how to use the cream ones so this is a great addition to my makeup bag. http://shopruby.ie/

Lavera Naturkosmetik, Hand and Cuticle Cream, RRP £4.95 for full size. Good little hand cream. Doesn’t really smell too strongly, but what little scent it’s got is pleasant. Doesn’t leave my hands greasy either which is good. I also like the test size of 20ml. Means I won’t get bored of it before I use it up. Oh, and it’s vegan. https://www.pravera.co.uk/

Dr. Pawpaw, Dr. Pawpaw Original Balm, RRP £6.95. I haven’t opened it yet so I don’t know if it’s as good as it claims to be. But it can apparently be used almost everywhere on your body (on lips, skin, hair). I’m not sure where else you’d want to use a cream, so I think this covers pretty much everything. It’s also vegan-friendly. https://www.drpawpaw.com/

Scrub Love, Active Charcoal Body Scrub, RRP £13.95 for full size. Well, it is an excellent scrub – it’s very bitty and you can really feel it working. However, the smell of it isn’t for me. I couldn’t smell it much once it was on my skin, but when I first took a sniff as I opened the bag, I almost didn’t want to use it at all. Like I said, when I got over the scent it was very good, leaving my skin sooooo soft. It’s also 100% natural and vegan/vegetarian-friendly. https://www.drpawpaw.com/

ModelLauncher, Brow Duo Pencil, RRP £10.50. Well, for starters it didn’t look totally horrendous on me which is great. Even though the colour isn’t quite what I’d usually go with, it didn’t look unnatural. Not sure how it managed it, but go me! It’s also quite easy to apply. Will keep using it, I think. https://modellaunchercosmetics.com/

Overall another good box from Glossybox. Thank you! 🙂

Beauty, Reviews, Unboxing

Let’s try to Gloss over that…

May 1, 2017May 1, 2017 giastark

… I forgot! I completely forgot to tell you about my April Glossybox. I’m pretty sure that at one point I actually convinced myself that I’d already written about this but nooooope. Oh well. I still want to let you know what I got as this box contained one of my new favourite makeup products. Here goes!

Merci Handy, Love and Hand Cleansing Gel in Hello Sunshine, RRP £2.90. Another one of these little hand gels. You’ll hear no complaints about it from me though as I love them and they’re so handy! (No pun intended) Love it and definitely recommend. https://en.mercihandy.com/

ModelCo, ModelCo Contour Stick, RRP £17 for full size. So far I haven’t found much use for this as I really really really suck at contouring apparently. I understand the concept and watching the videos and tips it looks simple enough. However when I try it on my face I just can’t blend out the harsh lines. I’m probably not using the right tools for it and will be looking into it more. We’ll see. https://www.modelcocosmetics.com/

Elgon, Deliwash Cleansing Conditioner, RRP £14 for full size. This is a two in one conditioner. A conditioner that cleanses. Quite cool. It worked quite well for me but I’m glad that I read the instructions first – it didn’t lather almost at all so if I hadn’t known about it beforehand I’d have probably emptied the whole thing in one go and still not been any the wiser. It left my hair clean, soft and without any irritations that my scalp is so prone to these days. I’d consider buying it again. http://www.elgoncosmetic.com/

Sport FX, Definition Duo Eyeliner Pencil, RRP £9.99. I now own a brown eyeliner! Whoop! And it’ll be forever sharp! Another whoop! So many exclamation marks! Eeeeeeshk! So, yeah, it’s an eyeliner. You know how I am with eyeliners. Not so good. I quite like the idea of a brown one though. It’s not so harsh and is a bit more forgiving, I think. I have used it once and I still couldn’t really master it, but I’ll keep on practising. http://www.sportfx.com/

Rodial, Glamolash Mascara XXL, RRP £24 for full size. Here’s what I promised you in the very beginning of this box. My new (almost) favourite mascara. It gives me the longest and thickest lashes. Beauuuuuuuuuutiful. It’s perfect in almost every way. There’s just one minor drawback. It’s kind of difficult to remove. At least I had some trouble with it. It came off in kind of bits. Or maybe I’m just used to mascaras that are super easy to remove and they’ve spoiled me. Regardless of any issues I may or may not have with the removal process, I still absolutely LOVE it. It’s just so pretty! Would definitely recommend and buy again. http://www.rodial.co.uk/

To sum up – it’s another good box from Glossybox. Definitely worth it and I’m planning on keeping my subscription going for a while yet 🙂

Beauty, Reviews, Unboxing

You Beautiful Thing

April 17, 2017 giastark

This month I thought I’ll try out You Beauty Box. It is another monthly subscription box, HOWEVER, there’s quite a big difference between this and other boxes that I’ve tried so far. You see, usually it’s a surprise what I get in a box. With this one though, you get to choose what you want from a pre-selected list of options. It depends on your subscription type how many products you get to choose and there are some other little bits to it as well. You can get more info about the different subscription options on their website.

I decided to go all out and go for their Gold membership, which means I got to choose 4 items and got 2 extras on top of my chosen ones.

Jurlique, Rosewater Balancing Mist. That’s the first thing I went for as I love face mists and body mists and anything misty, really. Plus I’m really liking the rose theme this spring as well. It’s a ‘light and hydrating mist rich in Rose Essential Oil and powerful botanicals to refreshen and enliven skin and senses’. I’ve used it quite a bit now and I find it lovely. I like the scent of it and how refreshed it leaves me feeling.

Balm Balm, Tea Tree Lip Balm. Ok, I may have been swayed towards this one by my fiance’s great love for anything tea tree. However I’m very happy with it, it leaves my lips soft and ‘fresh’ feeling. Is that a thing? Anyway I do like it. Plus it’s 100% organic!

Bee Good, Youth Enhancing, Smooth & Prime Serum. As if I didn’t have enough face stuff, I went for more. I’ve always loved Bee Good products and the little line ‘Made by British Bees’ as that just has me picturing a field of wild flowers with bees hard at work buzzing and bumbling away. It’s suppose to even skin tone and deliver intense hydration to skin. I’ll see if that’s true once I get round to using it, but bees wouldn’t lie, would they?

SKN-RG England, Organic Cellular Repair Moisturiser (Normal/Combination). At this point I panicked and didn’t know what else to get. Sooooooo I went for yet ANOTHER moisturiser. I don’t know what I was thinking. However, I’ve tried it out and it is great. It’s quite light so it leaves my skin soft and not overly greasy. I quite like it. Plus it’s vegan, so if you’re after skincare that would suit your lifestyle then this could be it.

The Organic Pharmacy, Marigold & Comfrey Hand Cream. That’s one of the extra items that I got in my box. I love it. It smells great (but not too strong), isn’t too greasy (I have somewhat dry hands though, so if you don’t suffer from that, it could be a bit too much I think) and it’s a nice size, too. Not too small so it’ll last me for a while but not too big so I won’t get bored of it before it runs out. Perfect!

Pip & Nut, Coconut & Almond Butter Squeeze Pack. To be honest, I don’t know how I’m going to use it yet, so I haven’t opened it. It says you can spread it on a banana, swirl it into porridge or simply squeeze straight from the pouch. I don’t know guys… I guess I’ll have it in my porridge or something. I don’t think I’d want it straight and I usually just have my bananas as they are. Will see. If you have any ideas on the different uses of coconut & almond butter, let me know.

That’s my box and I’m quite happy with it. I do like choosing my own stuff at times and if you’re after specific type of products to try out, then I think that You Beauty Box would be a great option to go for. 🙂