Beauty – Everything's a story.

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. 🙂

Beauty, Reviews, Unboxing

A Fantastic beginning to April

April 9, 2017April 12, 2017 giastark

My goodness, the weather has been absolutely amazing! So sunny and warm and mmmmm. And I think that my April Lookfantastic beauty box design sums it up pretty well with a gorgeous sunny flower on it.

As usual, my Lookfantastic beauty box came accompanied with a travel sized issue of Elle magazine and Lookfantastic’s own little booklet about this box. The booklet also has a lot of beauty and skin care tips so if you usually don’t read the literature that comes with the boxes, I’d definitely recommend you read this one (it’s even got some healthy food recipes!)

Vitamasques, Pomegranate Sheet Mask. I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten this mask in most of my beauty boxes now, but as it’s a one time use thing I’m not really complaining. I love it that I don’t have to really venture to the world of face masks on my own anymore as I have my trusty suppliers who do the choosing for me.

Omorovicza, Cleansing Foam. I haven’t opened this yet as it’s sealed with a little foil bit, but I love the packaging and it’s supposed to be extremely gentle on the skin whilst thoroughly removing all impurities, ‘so your complexion looks just as good without having to wear an ounce of makeup’. Well, that sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it? Let me know if you’ve tried it and if it works like promised.

This Works, Perfect Legs Skin Miracle. As the weather has been absolutely gooooooorgeous this weekend I thought it’d be the perfect time to try out this leg perfector (so I wouldn’t blind everyone with my blue/white legs). Well, I tried it out but I don’t think it actually did much for me. Maybe I need to already have a bit of a tan for this little guy to be able to do its job? At the moment however I didn’t notice any miracle wow effect.

Alterna, Caviar CC Cream. As I’m used to see CC face creams, I was a bit surprised to see they also do them for hair. I was a bit worried it may make my hair crunchy or greasy, but it did neither of these things. It left my hair soft and shiny and smelling* nice.

*About the smell though, I think it is nice, BUT it smells exactly the same as something else that I can’t put my finger on. And unfortunately that something else is something that I didn’t really like, I think, as it makes me feel rather unpleasant. So I’m just trying to tell my nose that this hair cream is a completely different thing and that I shouldn’t associate it with that other thing from years ago that I didn’t like, but we’ll see how that goes. Silly scent memory.

Merci Handy, Hand Cleansing Gel. I absolutely love these hand gels. They don’t smell as ‘alcoholic’ as some other hand gels and leave my hands feeling really nice and clean. They’re also a really convenient size for flying when you’re trying to bring as few and small liquid bottles as possible. Love it!

Madara, Mini Smart Day Cream. I’m really running out of ways to describe the subtlest differences between face creams. I’ve tried this one once and it was nice. Absorbed quickly and without leaving my skin greasy. It also only had the faintest of scents, so if you don’t like strongly smelling face creams, that could be a definite bonus.

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Laura Geller, Balance And Brighten Fair. Looks like I left the best for last. But going through all of these products again, I do realise this one is my favourite product from this box. I used this instead of my usual foundation this morning and it’s got surprisingly good coverage. All things considered (it’s only a light finish foundation), it did a fantastic job on my dark under eye area as well. Very impressed. Also, it’s sooooooo pretty! It looks like a planet.

That’s it and I have to say I absolutely loved it. The box itself is gorgeous and the products inside are absolutely amazing. Definitely worth getting! I’ll go out in the sun now to read my Elle 😉

Beauty, Reviews, Unboxing

A Very Glossy Sunday

March 12, 2017March 12, 2017 giastark

Helloooooo! What a beautifully Glossy Sunday, don’t you think? Well, I do. What makes it so, you ask? A couple of days ago I received my March Glossybox and today I shall tell you all about it 🙂

I feel like I should explain why this post is going to be a bit different from my previous ones on the same topic. In this box there was one makeup item and four skin and hair care products. As much as I love the choice I now have when it comes to face and eye creams, I’m reluctant to open any new ones that I get that are actually sealed with foil. They’ll keep better when sealed (I hope) and I’ll be able to enjoy them for longer. So in this post I haven’t actually tried out all of the items that I got and as such it’ll be more of just me rambling a bit and less reviewing.

Sleek Makeup, Eye & Cheek Palette, RRP £10. I wanted to start this off with my most favourite item from this box and that’s the only makeup products out of the bunch. In February I, along with other Glossybox subscribers, had a chance to choose which palette I’d like to receive, out of the four they had available. I chose the All Day Soiree and boy am I glad I did. It’s sooooooo gorgeous, the pigments are great, the colours are amazing and it’s just so pretty! In addition to the amazing colours, the box itself is also very sleek looking (no pun intended), with magnetic closure and a very decent quality mirror. Love it! http://sleekmakeup.com/uk

oOlution, Eye Love, RRP £30. I haven’t used this enough yet to tell you whether it does what it says on the bottle. However I want to believe that it would erase my dark circles and puffiness and be a great antioxidant. It’s 100% natural and contains no palm oil. Yay, go nature! http://www.oolution.com/en/

This Works, in transit camera close-up, RRP £30 (for full-size). I usually really love This Works products, even though I’ve only tried out their sleep range and didn’t realise they did other stuff too. Well, now I know and even though I haven’t tried it yet (it’s one of the ones that’s sealed), I’m very excited to do so once I’ve finished my current primer(s). It’s supposed to ‘balance, plump and brighten skin, leaving it photo perfect’. Sounds good to me. http://www.thisworks.com/

Schwarzkopf Professional, BC Bonacure Oil Miracle Brazilnut Oil Pulp Treatment, RRP £3.95 (for full-size). When I first opened this little pot, I thought it was a scrub and in hindsight I guess it’d have been good to show you a picture of what it looks like as well but hey, I’ll try to do it next time. This hair mask/treatment smells amaaaaazing and I’m very excited to try it out. It’s supposed to give you smoother, shinier and more manageable hair – I mean, that sounds like exactly what I want! Plus the smell is just… yeah. http://www.schwarzkopf-professional.co.uk/skp/uk/en/home.html

Figs & Rouge, Hydra-Activ Smart Nutrient Vital Moisture Day Cream, RRP £28 (for full-size). Again, this is one of the ones that’s sealed so I haven’t tried it, but it promises instant lightweight and long-lasting hydration. It contains hyaluronic acid and vitamins A, C and E. I’m not sure what else to say – I’ll let you know what I think of it when I open it. http://figsandrouge.com/

That’s my March Glossybox. I guess I didn’t feel too excited about it when I first opened it and saw just two full-sized products, as Glossybox usually have more than that as far as I can remember. And they all looked very much the same. However, once I’d explored a bit further, I realised it’s actually a very well composed box. Like… A book that’s got plain covers but then takes you on an amazing adventure. Still very much a great value for money and a good way to discover new brands or re-discover old favourites.

Beauty, Reviews, Unboxing

Unboxing #14

February 25, 2017 giastark

Hi all! It’s been a few days since my last post and I thought it’s about time for another beauty box unboxing. I’m going to call them something else soon as I’m not so much unboxing – it’s more of a reviewing. However I do have a whole little series thing going on here with the title. I don’t know what to do? Also, I’m sure I’ll somehow lose track one day and that’s when I’ll regret not naming these something else. Like, mentioning what I’m unboxing in the title. Or just naming them something more suitable. I’ll consider changing it in the future. All recommendation are welcome. For now however – I shall be unboxing February’s absolutely beautiful looking Lookfantastic box.

First things to pop out of the parcel were the usual monthly Elle magazine and Lookfantastic’s own beauty box magazine. I have to say I love the feeling that a lot of thought and effort has gone into this box and the little magazine. It just feels like it all works so well together. Great job. When diving further into the Runway Ready box, I found A Really Great Face Cream, Something To Help Me Get To Sleep, A Muddy Mask, Icy Magic, Metallic Magic and Something I’m Not Too Sure About And I’ll Tell You Why In A Bit.

The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors + HA. I like it. It smells nice, it leaves my face super soft and I love the design of the bottle/tube/thing. I’d buy it again and that’s saying something, considering I’ve somehow accrued a small heap of face creams which will take me a while to get through. It’s infused with Hyaluronic Acid (I’m still having some trouble saying), Ceramides and Glycerin. Oh, I forgot to say that it doesn’t leave my face oily or feeling like I’ve got a ton of stuff on. Just nice and soft.

This Works Deep Sleep Stress Less. I love This Works products. I do find that they actually work – I mean, duh, it says so in the name. This little guy (I don’t know why so many of my beauty products are ‘little guys’, they just are, ok?) smells gorgeously of Eucalyptus and Lavender to help you ‘feel at ease and without stress’. It reminds of koala bears. And what’s better to put you at ease than thinking about koala bears? Definitely recommend.

Borghese Fango Mud Mask. I’m not going to lie, I actually forgot this came in the box, so I haven’t tried it yet. I’ve had a super busy month and haven’t had too much time to think about thorough skincare. Or pampering sessions. I feel like one of those is in order very soon. I also think I’ll need to invite my sister-in-law-to-be over and do a little girls spa day in. So if you’re reading this, let me know when you’re up for it. Clearly I’ll be providing the face masks.

Polaar Icy Magic Roll On. It’s definitely icy. And perhaps there’s a little bit of magic in there too? To be honest, as I have super dark circles under my eyes, I’ve not seen a huge difference compared to my usual eye cream. HOWEVER, as it’s got a metal roll on applicator that’s really cold, it does actually wake me up a little. And I love the application process. It also sinks in super quick so I don’t feel like I’ve ever used too much of it. Overall I like it.

Model Co Eye Lites Metallic Shadow. Now, I don’t think I used it correctly haha. It says ‘use over your normal eye shadow for an iridescent diamond effect’, but I used it on its own and then grumbled because it didn’t blend. That’s a true ‘head – meet desk’ moment. Should’ve read the instructions first! It was still beautiful, just a little awkward to get to look ‘right’. I’ll try it over some eye shadow next time.

Myvitamins Catwalk Queen. That’s the one thing I’m not sure about in this box. As much as it pains me, I realise that not every box can be perfect and I’ve been super lucky so far as I’ve loved almost everything I’ve gotten. These vitamins are supposed to be the perfect blend of vitamins, minerals and extracts which boost the natural appearance of your hair, skin and nails. That all sounds great. There’s a big BUT however (as I’d written this sentence I realised that my fiance will probably start singing the big butt song when he reads it). They smell and taste like paint. I do just swallow them whole with water, but I can’t get over the smell of them. It’s like wet wall paint. Not sure if that’s how they’re supposed to smell or not, but I haven’t really been taking them and I don’t think I’ll be getting any more.

This concludes my unboxing/review of the February Lookfantastic box. Some really great products and my overall verdict is that I loved it and that it’s oh so worth it. Brilliant way to try out new products and brands. As I’m still fairly new to the whole beauty and makeup thing, I haven’t heard of most of these brands and I’m finding new favourites with every box I get. Can’t wait to see what March brings!