28 April 2015

The GLAMOUR Spring Beauty Edit

Despite being an avid reader of beauty blogs since the age of fourteen - back when the term "blogger" wasn't really even a 'thing' - I've never tried a beauty box. There are countless subscription boxes around and I really like the idea of them; a selection of products for you to trial that you might not normally pick up, at a justifiable price point. Fabulous for the beauty-obsessed among us, and I'm not sure myself why I've never invested - but that changed after spying The GLAMOUR Spring Beauty Edit online.

Simply the fact that the products were chosen by Alessandra Steinherr whom I adore was enough to catch my attention, and the deal was done after seeing the products - all items that I would 100% pick up myself - and how eight out of nine were full-size. For £16.99? Sold.


Having trialled a few of the products for a while now I thought I'd give you a little run-down of my first impressions, with full reviews to come. Firstly the packaging is just lovely and very spring-appropriate, and upon opening I let out an audible 'ooh!' - solely because of spotting that I'd received the gorgeous pink-coral Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Longwear Nail Enamel (£6.99). Adorably called 'Pocket Aces', it was the shade I was hoping for over the muted beige or bright blue. It's the most stunning colour for toes, and is made even better with the addition of the Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat (£6.99). I've used it twice so far and I think it's the best topcoat I've used! Fast drying, leaves a glass-like shine, prevents chipping and has the most unique brush I've ever seen on a nail polish. Expect to see this little number in my upcoming April Favourites video!


From another drugstore brand we've got the Rimmel Oh My Gloss! Lip Gloss (£5.49), of which I've got the shade in one of my least favourite words - 'Snog'. Shudder. Regardless of the icky name, the product itself is rather nice. You get a pretty brown-toned and slightly shimmery nude that feels extremely comfortable on the lips after being applied with its beautifully designed wand, and if I ever do an Emily from Pretty Little Liars inspired makeup tutorial on my YouTube channel - here - I'd probably use this patted into the lip.


Next, there's the Model Co Crème Rouge Cheek & Lips in 'Just Peachy' (£14.00) and I think the amazing value of the box is apparent here - you'd be paying almost the entire cost just for this blush! I can't wait to try it out, which has nothing to do with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, promise...

I've wanted to try something from KIKO for such a long time, so I was over the moon to
see their Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 'Golden Brown' (£6.90) sitting inside my box. As the name would suggest it's a stunning deep brown with golden shimmer that reminds me of MAC 'Tempting' eyeshadow in cream form, and the longevity of these babies is meant to be very impressive. Another brand I was yet to try is Beauty UK, and after hearing Sam from Pixiwoo rave about their High Brow All-In-One Brow Definition Kit (£3.99) I couldn't wait to try it out. The shades are a tiny bit too warm-toned for me, but I can still achieve a very natural brow and you get mini-tweezers, an angled brush and a wax as well as three different shades. I think this kit is worth a purchase on its own, considering the price!

Moving onto skincare, every skin type is catered for with the NUXE Masque Crème Fraîche de Beauté (£18.50), which is a soothing and rehydrating mask for the face and eye contours. I’d liken this to the Origins Drink Up Overnight Intensive Mask (£23), as it delivers a deep shot of moisture to the face and leaves skin visibly plumper. I also received the BeautyLab GlycoWash (£32) with my box as I ordered on Mother’s Day which meant I got it for free as an extra, and I’ve been really enjoying using it in the mornings a couple of times a week. As I mentioned before, full reviews to come!

Our hair also gets pampered with this box with the inclusion of the Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating Mask (£7.65), which deeply conditions to improve elasticity. I’ve only used this once so far, but I can comment that it smells absolutely divine and made my ends feel much more nourished - with regular use, I think this will make a noticeable difference to the look and feel of my hair.

Last but not least we’ve got a fragrance sample of Elie Saab L’eau Couture Le Parfum (£47 for 50ml), which I’m absolutely head over heels for and will be saving up to purchase a bottle. It’s beautifully fresh, feminine and unlike any other perfume that I own!

So there we have it, the contents of The GLAMOUR Spring Beauty Edit. Personally I think this is the best box I've seen, for both value and the fact that it covers every base - you've got makeup, skincare, haircare, fragrance, nails - what more could you want? 

If things couldn't get better the box now has 15% off until midnight tonight - that's £14.44 instead of the original price of £16.99 - simply add the code GLAM15 at the checkout. 

Do you buy or subscribe to any beauty boxes?

Meg

14 April 2015

The Blogging Hiatus

Well, well, well. It's been a while since we've had a good catch up, hasn't it? Posts around these parts for the past six months plus have been sporadic, rushed and lacking in enthusiasm, I feel. And personally I don't think that's how blogging should be at all - it should be fun, a hobby (for most!) that allows you to fill your little corner of the world wide web with your musings and share the things you're passionate about in a creative and personal way. That's how it should be.

I just began this paragraph with 'Lately,' - then subsequently hit the backspace key slowly seven times after realising that my 'blogging rut' has been happening for quite some time now, and it isn't really a 'lately' sort of thing. It's not that I've lost my love for writing or my interest in social media, it's more that life has simply been practicing its little habit of 'getting in the way'. 


Firstly, I have a debilitating chronic illness that affects every moment of my life. That's a pretty big 'firstly', and it's also a pretty big wedge that gets unfairly driven between my goals and me achieving them. However, saying that, I have been lucky enough to progress a little in the past two months; January was diabolical, but February and March? Not too unbearable. I've been managing to get out a little more - still unable to leave the house most weeks but hey, progress is progress - and that in turn has given me a new lease of life. I've been enjoying that newfound freedom and my attention has turned to other projects aside from blogging, which brings me onto my second point...

YouTube. Oh, YouTube! I'm loving you right now. I'm having a little moment with you. If you hadn't already gotten the memo, I started a YouTube channel a few months ago - here - and as of right now, it's one of my most favourite things. Don't get me wrong, filming is a right struggle (understatement of the year) but it's an enjoyable struggle and the benefits absolutely outweigh the physical strain. It's incredibly rewarding and the most fun I've had in a long time. It takes up a lot of my time and energy, meaning that blogging has fallen by the wayside even more - "my bad, Blogger. Best, YouTube". When you're chronically ill it really takes that whole 'do less with more focus' thing to the extreme, as you physically don't have the strength to devote yourself to more than one or two 'projects' at the same time, let alone on top of maintaining your occupation if you have one, your relationships, your mental health and ensuring that you're getting enough rest. Being ill is a full-time job, and it means that you're often forced to prioritise when you sorely wish that you could do it all without a second thought.

Thirdly, I guess I've just been feeling a little uninspired. I haven't had the spare energy to blog, nor have I wanted to put together a quick and unimaginative post just for the sake of publishing a new post. That being said however, blogging still remains to be one of my passions and after having already lost some extremely big things in my life due to ME, it'd be a real shame to see another thing that I love be stripped away. Kinda feels like I've got all the ideas but not the spoons. I'm still a little unsure on how to ease myself back into blogging on this site, but maybe committing to one post a week and seeing how that goes would be the best idea? No pressure, just a goal to aim for.

Whatever happens, I hope you know how grateful I am for all of the support and love I've received since launching my blog just over a year ago. It makes my heart ache a little bit when I think of how my blog could be if I were healthy, but all of those feelings dissolve into nothingness when I focus on how much light blogging has brought into my life. Whether I start blogging on a weekly basis again or continuing focusing on YouTube or take a turn for the worst and end up doing neither, it's nice to know that I've made true friends through my little corner of the world wide web who will be there to cushion the falls and applaud the rises.

Are you also a chronically ill blogger - if so, how do you cope? Or if you're healthy but can't blog as much as you'd like to due to time restraints or other life-y things, do you have any tips on how to manage being a busy blogger that you'd like to share?

Meg

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