glossybox controversy

Right, here goes nothing.. I'm pretty sure most of you have probably witnessed a slight controversy regarding Glossybox on twitter lately but if not I thought I'd share the news here anyways. Basically they have taken the decision to increase the prices up to £12.95 after September. Which I'm slightly peeved about to say the least. Legally they have every right to do so as in the contract they stated 'subject to change' but come on.. it's not the best way to keep your customers just after launching. I was excited to be able to receive 5 deluxe sized samples per month for an all rounded price of £10, we all love free delivery. And worked out per year the subscription would cost £155, which I cannot justify on samples. Beforehand when it was at the cheaper price of £10 I thought that was fairly reasonable, swapping something else I may have bought like a new mascara to try out for instance. 

Not only that but to add even more fuel to the fire they decided to go from you having to collect 20 'glossy dots' (one dot per review you leave) you now have to collect 100, is that some sort of joke. I'm not being funny but that would take 20 months (and £259) if you were even disciplined to leave a review on absolutely everything received. And considering people signed up on that basis expecting a free box pretty soonish. That makes me feel more like an overworked reviewer for their site than a valued customer.

I know a few people were also slightly disappointed with this months box as a mini can of Batiste was included. Personally I really liked this months box and didn't see it as them just shoving a cheaper product in there for the sake of it but a way of people trying out Batiste if they hadn't already. I mean, I'm sure people would moan equally if they just included expensive samples of things you couldn't afford to repurchase. Though then again, I don't think I know of any beauty addicts that haven't tried it by now!

This months box

So overall I'm a bit gutted really that something with such promise and high hopes let its self down on really petty issues. I know that birchbox is really successful over in the states so it remains a fab idea. Personally if Glossybox still plan to increase the price to £12.95 I will most definitely unsubscribe simply because I can't really afford it and I think they've treated their customers poorly. 

However a similar service called Boudoir Privé will be launching very soon and I hope they will learn from the mistakes of Glossybox so that's worth checking out if you are interested - http://signup.boudoirprive.co.uk

Let me know your thoughts as always!

pre-release review: sleek caribbean collection

So moving quite swiftly on from yesterdays post that applied to only the moneybags of you all, today I will be reviewing another great collection by Sleek. And since we have been having weather identical to the Caribbean lately it's rather apt. I was actually lucky enough to go to the Caribbean a year or so ago and went to quite a few different islands and can definitely say Sleek have captured the colours and feel of the Caribbean perfectly.

Aruba Blush - £4.29

Yeah it really is a bright orange tangerine coloured blush. Don't let that put you off though because as I said a few posts ago you can blend the blush out to look completely subtle. Worth investing in if you are bored of the same old pink blush, as long as you use a light hand!

Bonaire Pout Polish - £4.29

I hadn't tried a pout polish by Sleek before but had heard lots of good things about them and it definitely didn't disappoint. The packaging is perfect and ahemm.. 'Sleek'.. perfect to pop in your bag for the beach. The colour is fairly sheer but has a subtle orange tint while on the lips, perfect with a tan. It has the moisturising feel of a lip balm (it's enriched with Avocado and Sweet Almond Oil) yet the sheen of a gloss.

Curaçao I-Divine Eyeshadow Palette - £6.49

Another fab eyeshadow palette by Sleek, after all that is what they are mainly famed for. If you like bright eyeshadows you most definitely love this palette. I love the burnt orange with gold shimmer, the pearly white colour and the olive green with gold glitter best. And to be honest the palette would be worth purchasing even if you only like half the colours, you could pretty much afford two palettes for the same price as one Mac eyeshadow. That's almost 24 eyeshadows instead of the price for one!

The collection is available from the 6th of July for a limited time only from Superdrug stores or  www.sleekmakeup.com

m2 beauté lash activating serum and rivitalizing gloss

For the past few weeks I've been treating my lashes to M2 Beauté lash activating serum and revitalizing gloss. I'm sure you will all agree that as a girl the longer the lashes you have the better and nothing is more frustrating than having high hopes of a mascara and it almost always failing to achieve long and lushious lashes. A few of you might of heard of the famous rapid lash but as it has had reports of changing peoples eye colour I've never fancied risking it. So I decided to try out the M2 Beauté eyelash range and so far I'm super impressed. I find that without mascara on they are a lot thicker and look darker, definitely a plus for the summer when you don't want to wear eye make up. You simply apply the serum exactly the same as you would a liquid eyeliner once or twice a day and then coat your lashes in the gloss the same as a mascara. The serum works on making your lashes longer and thicker and the gloss makes them healthy, glossy and strong. I've been using them for only a few weeks and can see really good results so far but once the tubes are used up will do a post of my final thoughts. The serum costs a whopping £123 and the gloss £46 which I know will put a lot of you off but trust me if you have a budget to afford that then I'd definitely recommend you go for it. Otherwise I'm deeply sorry for making you want something so much that costs a small fortune!

Eyelash Activating Serum - £123

Eyelash Revitalizing Gloss - £46

(The products were provided as PR samples)

Before

After

Hope you lot are enjoying the lovely weather!

new launch: bourjois intense eye shadows

Noir Fusain T10 - Brun Moka T9 - Vert De Gris T7

Bourjois have just launched a new line of 'intense eyeshadows' which I'm really impressed with. I had a swatch of them at an event I was at recently and there was such good pigmentation from barely swiping my finger over the shadow. They have different packaging to the standard eyeshadows that Bourjois sell too as they come in thinner pots and without the brushes (that no one uses anyway), I definitely prefer the much sleeker packaging. The only downside is they can feel a bit chalky as they are matte shades but definitely still worth checking out, I love the khaki colour with gold glitter. There are a load of new shades to have a look at that all cost £6.99 each.

Available from: Boots.com or Superdrug

elf studio conditioning lip balms

I hadn't ever tried any products by e.l.f before until some of the conditioning lip balms from their studio (slightly more expensive) line were sent my way. They cost £3.50 each so still fairly cheap but not quite cheap enough that you could buy a load of different shades which is a bit of a shame. I have to say that I'm not really a fan of the packaging, it's too bulky and considering you mainly use lip balm on the go it's impractical. I think if they went along similar lines of the Sleek pout polishes for the packaging I'd have been more of a fan as I find the e.l.f ones take up too much room in my make up bag just for a lip balm. However that doesn't take away from the fact that they are great lip balms, they both taste and smell of coconut (to me anyway) and soften my lips perfectly. The colour pay off is good too and I especially love the darker one as it gives my lips a berry stain effect.

Blissful Berry

Mellow Melon

www.eyeslipsface.co.uk

half price agent provocatuer eau de parfum

Recently I snapped up a half price 100ml bottle of Agent Provocatuer Eau De Parfum in the sale at Cheap Smells, it's my all time favourite perfume so I was obviously over the moon to get it so cheap. I had never used the website before but was happy to find that when I got to the checkout delivery was free! So that meant I got a 100ml bottle of my fave perfume down from an RRP of £60 for just £30 including shipping, and paid with paypal. It came in the post a few days later wrapped really well inside a box, happy days. I would definitely purchase from Cheap Smells again and they always seem to have discounted Agent Provocatuer perfume on there along with tons of other brands which is great. And if you haven't tried this perfume before definitely have a spray next time you are in Boots!

http://www.cheapsmells.com/productPaging.php?category=1&brand=Agent%20Provocateur

the liz earle ultimate men's collection

Father's Day is only a week away, and if like me you are completely useless at getting organised you are still probably wondering what to get for your Dad. I'm loving the idea of him having a proper skincare kit to use, because we all know that men need a push in the right direction when it comes to looking after their skin. All of the products come in a manly looking zip around organiser (wrapped in tissue which is ideal is you are bad at wrapping presents) along with a flannel and two muslin cloths inside so there will be no excuse for nothing less than radiant looking skin for your Dad from now on!

Price: £53.85

Included in the collection:

Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser 100ml

Sensitive Shave Cream 100ml

After-Shaving Moisturiser 50ml

Face and Body Wash 200ml

Face Scrub 75ml

2 Pure Muslin Cloths

Towelling Cloth

Travel Case

http://uk.lizearle.com/mens-skincare/ultimate-mens-collection.html

new launch: sleek mediterranean collection

I was recently sent a few pieces from the new Sleek Mediterranean Collection that launched a few days ago to show you all. I really like how summery and inspired by bright beautiful colours the collection is. It's limited edition so make sure you pick up what you like the look of in Superdrug stores soon.

Monaco Eyeshadow Palette - £6.49

As with all Sleek palettes the eyeshadows are incredibly pigmented, including the matte shades. I'm loving how fun and colourful all of the colours are, they are obviously not colours that you would wear everyday but would look fab with a tan in the summer. I personally prefer all of the green, blue and neutral colours to the left of the palette.

 Santorini Blush - £4.29

 The bright fuchsia colour may scare most people off but the shade actually just adds a beautiful flush to the cheeks. You can wear it as heavy or blended out as you like and it looks very different than it first appears in the pan and natural if you just apply small amount, but if you fancy a bright pink cheek it's perfect for that look too.

www.sleekmakeup.com

guest post: rachel phipps shows us her lush haul!

hello beautiful people. I've decided to ask a few great bloggers to help me out with some guest posts for the next few weeks. I'm excited about it as not only will you be able to find some great blogs from it but I've been a bit lazy and these kind of posts are great when I haven't got anything else coming up. Though saying that I have about ten half finished posts to get on with and tons of products to talk about. Anyhow, my first guest blogger is the lovely Rachel Phipps so I will shut up now and let her do the talking..

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Hi everyone! I'm Rachel from rachelphipps.com, and I've agreed to share my latest Lush haul with you all. I love Lush products; the smells, the paging and the fact that everything is completely natural so it is kind to my uber sensitive skin. 

Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub

I've been looking for a really good, extra grainy shower scrub for a while now so I thought this one looked really good when I first saw it on Lush's website. It's a pretty blue colour but it smells a bit like cleaning fluid, but only slightly - not the most pleasant Lush scent I've come across. However, once you start washing with it the scent becomes more pleasant and nice to wash with. I works and scrubs really well and leaves your skin well moisturised. The only downside is that it is rather salty, so if you have any open cuts or sores using this scrub on them will sting quite a bit. It's £7.35 a pot and I will be buying it again. 

Jasmin & Henna Fluff-Eaze

This is my all time favourite hair mask, and this is my second repurchase since I was originally set a tub by the lovely ladies in the Lush press office. It smells beautifully of jasmine, makes the room where you're sitting when you leave the mask on smell amazingly of jasmine, and the smell lasts on your hair for a couple of days, even if you wash your hair every single day like I do. The mask claims to de fluff, but it does not really do this to my hair. However, what it does do is make it cleaner, softer, silkier, easier to manage and cleans out any product residue that may have been collecting around my roots. It's £10.90 for a tub and with my medium length hair I get 3-4 treatments out of a pot. 

Sweet Lips Sugar Lip Scrub 

I suffer really badly from dry lips, so after reading about using an exfoliating scrub on your lips on several different blogs, I decided to give this one a try. I wasn't sure at first, but after a few uses I found that my lips were smother, softer and less prone to chapping. I also had to use lip balm much less often and my lipstick went on much easier and stayed on much longer. At £5.00 a pot you could probably do the same job with a homed sugar scrub, but regardless I will be buying this again, and trying out the bubblegum and mint versions as well!

Big Blue Bath Ballistic

I love the clean, fresh ocean like smell of this bath ballistic, and the beautiful bright shade of blue it turns the bath water. The smell also lingers on your skin and in the bathroom for ages afterwards. It is not as moisturising as some other Lush bath ballistics, such as the Butter Ball for instance, but the pieces of seaweed that are relaxed claim to soften your skin. I love this ballistic and will be buying it again (and it's only £2.99) but the seaweed is awkward to clean out of the bath and I'm not sure it does much for you! 

What did you buy in your last trip to Lush? Have you tried any of these products - what did you think of them?

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Thanks Rachel! Let me know what you guys think of guest posts and if you enjoyed this one..