Inside August's Birchbox

Inside August's Birchbox

Thursday, 11 September 2014

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L-R: Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Oil, Supergoop! Daily Correct SPF35 CC Cream, Chella Highlighter Pencil, Vasanti Brightenup! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator, Number 4 Super Comb & Protect Leave in Conditioner & Supergoop! Daily Correct SPF35 CC Cream.

L-R: Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Oil,Vasanti Brightenup! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator, Number 4 Super Comb & Protect Leave in Conditioner & Chella Highlighter Pencil.

L-R: Supergoop! Daily Correct SPF35 CC Cream, Chella Highlighter Pencil, Number 4 Super Comb & Protect Leave in Conditioner, Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Oil & Vasanti Brightenup! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator.

This post has been in the pipeline for weeks but for some reason or other I just hadn't got around to it however I got an email this morning saying that my September Birchbox had been dispatched and I thought I'd better get a wriggle on and share the delights of August's Birchbox before it was officially too late. 

Last month's Birchbox was all about Holidays, and whilst it doesn't look like I'll be heading off on my Hollybobs anytime soon. I did really appreciate the contents. So without further ado let's finally do this! 

Chella Highlighter Pencil

I actually clapped when I saw this. I have been wanting a highlighting pencil for a while and sometimes it's like the good people at Birchbox can actually read my mind, being in pencil form it is ridiculously easy to apply. with a really nice formula that is easy to blend. I'm a bit wary when it comes to highlighter but this is rather fabulous.

Supergoop! Daily Correct SPF35 CC Cream

There were 2 of the cutest and tiniest sample bottles I have ever seen. There are so adorable. Now as far as Supergoop goes I had genuinely no clue about this brand. Then after some googling I discovered that Supergoop, founded in 2006, specialises in lightweight, easy to wear sun screen and skin protection products. Now being a sensitive, fair skinned lassie sun screen is ridiculously important - for everyone not just me-. I haven't actually tried it yet, what with the current stream of drizzle not exactly lending itself to sun cream, but I will keep you posted. 

Number 4 Super Comb & Protect Leave in Conditioner

My hair is... difficult to say the least. At the best of times it does tend to err on the frizzy side of things, but in the summer my hair goes from difficult to clinically insane. The sun dries it out and the humidity makes it 10 times it's original size - and it's pretty big anyway, but this leave-in conditioner has been a total lifesaver. It has stopped the sun from drying out the ends of my hair and manages to exert some level of control over my wild and tangled mane. In love. 

Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Oil

Nude is a brand, established in 2007, that a specialises in natural, high perfomance skin care. Again it was not a brand that I had come across before. I have always had a bit of a phobia of serums. In the past I have been afraid to use serums due to the fact that I have combination skin that likes to break out. But this is lovely, it feels so nice against the skin and is really kind to the skin. I was so impressed.

Vasanti Brightenup! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator

I had never ever heard of Vasanti before but anything that promises a renewed and refreshed complexion is okay in my book. After giving it a whirl I can say in total honesty that it is amazing. It made my skin feel incredible and so clean. I will definitely be repurchasing. 

So that was August's Birchbox, unfortunately it's no longer available BUT September's is and it looks awesome. If you don't already subscribe (and strongly I recommend you do!) you can do so here. I'm sorry that this was so late August was sso hectic that I am still wrapping up all the loose ends. I promise that my August Favourites will be going up before the end of the week/weekend. Until then you can read about previous Birchboxes here and here and you can check me out on twitter, facebook, Bloglovin, instagram & pinterest. 

Love love love xxx

Inside July's Birchbox!

Inside July's Birchbox!

Monday, 28 July 2014

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I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and didn't suffer too much in the clammy, humid heat! On Friday I said that today's post would be all about How I met your Mother but, and I'll be really honest here, I am still way too pissed off about how it ended to talk about it, as sad as that is. So instead I will be telling you all about this month's magical box of make up delights that I received in the post from the wonderful people at Birchbox -I'm a subscriber, I didn't get it for free unfortunately! I actually got July’s Birchbox a couple of weeks back but haven’t had the time to write about it, but having given most of the products a thorough testing and July nearly being over I thought the time was ripe to share the contents of my Birchbox with you lovely people. 

(From left to right: Whish - Three Whishes Lavender Body Butter, Models Own in Magenta Diving, Benefit - The Porefessional, Laqa & Co Lip Lube in Menotaur, Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream and Filosofille Buffer)

Whish - Three Whishes Lavender Body Butter

I'd never come across the brand Whish before but I'm really glad I know about it now.  Containing all organic ingredients including: shea butter, raspberry butter, aloe vera, seaweed extract and rice bran oil the Body Butter promises to moisturise, firm and purify the skin, hence the name three wishes. I've only used it a couple of times but from what I can tell it actually works. It  has a lovely, thick, creamy texture and smells absolutely gorgeous. Normally I'm not a major fan of lavender, I find it a bit too old lady for me under usual circumstances but this smells beautiful and not at all like the elderly.  

Models Own Nail Polish in Magenta Divine

Now you will be surprised to know that before this month's Birchbox there was not a single Models Own Polish anywhere in my vast and unending nail polish collection. But what a way to start my obsession. Magenta Divine lives up to it's name (being both magenta and divine). It's a really pretty pink glitter. Usually I'm not a massive fan of glitter polishes because among other things they are impossible to remove but I really like this one. The glitter is really fine which means I'll be able to resist picking/chewing it off my nails however that does mean it takes quite a few coats to build up a decent layer of glitter. But overall I like it. 

Benefit The Porefessional Pro Balm Primer

I have wanted this for absolutely ages so when I saw it in my Birchbox I literally jumped (and squealed and clapped) for joy. The Porefessional Pro Balm promises to 'minimize the appearance of pores & fine lines for smoother-than-smooth skin' and it delivers. I used it underneath my make up for graduation (what with those pictures being kind of a big deal) and I thought it was absolutely amazing. It was really lightweight, felt really nice on the skin and kept my make up in place all day. I had an awful cold on the day I graduated and even though I was sneezing and having to wipe my nose pretty much constantly it kept my make up, particularly my foundation, in place all day. Winner. I found that it dramatically reduced the appearance of my pores and drastically increased my make up staying power. It is amazing and the packaging is gorgeous, so cute and vintage-y. I love it. 

Laqa & Co Lip Lube in Menotaur

Laqa & Co is yet another brand that I had never come across (I'm something of a noob to this make up stuff!) before but after trying it I really like it. Like the Clinique Chubby Stick that, probably, came before it, it is super moisturisng on the lips but has a matte finish which I LOVE.  It's really pigmented but really wearable. Now I am no stranger to a bold lip but even I was a little intimidated by the colour but actually it's a really lovely purple toned pink. I love it. It's been a staple in my handbag ever since. 

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream

Containing cucumber oil, witch hazel, lemon, chamomile and a whole host of other lovely natural ingredients the Balance Me Wonder Eye cream promises to brighten and revive tired eyes. Having gotten my hands on a sample of the eye cream before I was already a fan so I was over the moon when I saw this in there. Now I have really messed up sleeping habits, even though I have to be awake every morning by 7, at the latest, it is very rare that I get to sleep before 2:00 am so bags under my eyes were something of a permanent fixture. Whilst this doesn't completely get rid of them it does make a really big difference and it feels really soothing on the delicate skin under my eyes.  

Filosof Fille

The Filosof Fille buffer was included as the lifestyle extra this month. Again Filosof is another brand I knew very little about but after a quick google search I discovered that it is a French brand (duh!) specialising in beauty accessories that are good quality, affordable and redonkulously (yeah! I just said that) cute. This buffing bar is adorable and has made it's permanent residence in my handbag.

So that was July's Birchbox and I must say it was amazing. If you have yet to subscribe to Birchbox you can do so here. For all you bargain hunters out there *raises both hands...and a foot* there's  currently a deal on LivingSocial  where you can subscribe for 6 months for £30 plus £8 postage, which, including postage, works out less than half price. Bargain! All you subscribers out there what did you think of your Birchboxes. Let me know in the comments below or on twitter @lolarocknroses. I love hearing from you. If you do leave a comment I do reply so make sure you check back! 

Anywho I will be back on Wednesday for 2 Stars & A Wish #8. Until then check me out on twitter, facebook, BlogLovin, instagram & pinterest for your daily fix of me! If you need one that is ;) 

Love love love xxx

Inside my first ever BirchBox!

Inside my first ever BirchBox!

Sunday, 29 June 2014

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Happy Sunday! I thought I would sneak in an extra post this week because yesterday I got my first ever Birchbox and I am super excited about it! I have been wanting to subscribe to BirchBox for ages but couldn't justify a monthly spend of £12.95 when I was surviving week to week on just a tenner. Being back at work I decided the time was ripe to subscribe. Believe me I am so ridiculously happy that I did.

So I woke up yesterday morning to find this box of joy waiting for me and was absolutely delighted, so delighted in fact that in my haste I wound up kicking the door  and taking a massive chunk out of my toe. Ouchies! Whoever said beauty is pain was right. Luckily I recovered and quickly tore into my BirchBox, like a tiny child (or me) on Christmas morning, and this is what I found in there.

(How cute is the packaging?)

Benefit They're Real Mascara.

Now I am no stranger to the modern icon that is Benefit They're Real mascara, I was already quite the fan when I opened my BirchBox and saw this languishing in there (you can imagine how excited I was!) There is a lot of divided opinion when it comes to They're Real, it seems to be the Marmite of mascaras. You either love it or you hate it with no inbetween. Having said that it is the number 1 selling mascara in the UK and for good reason. Personally I love it. I think it's the ultimate multitasker: curling, lengthening, volumising, lifting and separating the lashes (lifting and separating makes it sound like a bra? No? Just me? Okay.) Whilst the brush does look something like a medieval instrument of torture it is precisely this that means even the shortest and most hard to reach lashes get a coating of mascara. The only slight issue I have with this mascara is the formula which dries a bit rubbery and takes hours to take off. Other than that I love it and am so glad I've got another one. 

Silk + Honey Shea Butter Hair Mask

I had never come across Silk + Honey before, but after a quick Google search I discovered that it is an all natural brand specialising in luxury, DIY products. From what I can gather the products arrive in self assembly kits containing all the ingredients to create them youself. The range includes a Shea Butter Hairmask, an Anti-Aging Hand Cream, a Natural Lip Gloss & a shimmering Body Cream.  Anyway BirchBox have cut out out the middle man and sent a 50 ml sample of the ready made hairmask. I haven't tried it out yet but the consistency is really think and creamy and it smells like roses. It does have an expiration date so I'm sure I will be posting a review soon. 

O.P.I Nail Lacquer in You're So Flippy Floppy from The Brazil Collection

My love of O.P.I Nail Lacquers is no secret, in my vast and never ending nail polish collection I have 14 from O.P.I. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I found this in my BirchBox. I was over the moon. You're So Flippy Floppy is a really lovely, glittery, sunshine yellow, textured polish that instantly conjures the image of the exotic and tropical sands of Brazil. Whilst yellow is not the first colour I would usually reach for when I do my nails this one is really summery and pretty and I'm sure I will be trying it out soon. I'm hoping to get some swatches up on instagram during the week so keep an eye out for those. 

Caudalie Vinoperfect Broad Spectrum SPF15 Day Perfecting Fluid

Caudalie is a french brand that I haven't really come across before and is another luxury brand that uses all natural ingredients in their products  I received a 10ml sample of their Vinoperfect Broad Spectrum SPF15 Day Perfecting Fluid  which according to my estimate is roughly worth £9.50 ( I could be wrong. Maths is not my thing). Containing extract of Grapevine Shoot, Cassia Angustifolia Seed (I'm not too sure what this is, I'll be honest) and a whole list of other lovely natural ingredients this multitasking moisturiser has an oil free formula that promises to moisturise, correct and perfect and acts as a really good primer for makeup (according to the website that is.) Now I haven't tried it on my face yet so I can't say if it actually does all that it says it will. However I have swatched it on the back of my hand and I can tell you that it feels really nice on the skin and smells lovely. It also has the appearance of a tinted moisturiser (it isn't but it looks like one) and acts as a really subtle highlighter leaving dewy looking skin. I can't wait to test it out for real. 

Naobay Body Radiance Lotion 

Another brand that I had never heard of before - honestly this BirchBox has opened up a whole new world of beauty to me! - But after some quick click work I found out that Naobay is short for Natural And Organic Beauty And You which I kind of love, and once again specialises in products made primarily from natural and organic ingredients. Containing Shea Butter, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil and Aloe Vera the Body Radiance Lotion promises to repair and protect from 'external aggressions' (that's a direct quote from the website btw) whilst intensely hydrating the skin. I tested it out this morning and what I can say is that it is really moisturising and smells really lemony which was quite refreshing, it does err on the side of lemongrass which makes me think of Thai food, so maybe not the best scent for a moisturiser. But the full size packaging is really cool. 

BirchBox Brazil Key Ring

As an added extra I got this Brazil inspired flipflop keyring. Apparently Birchbox had a Brazil theme this month due to some kind of sportsing event taking place.I'll be honest I am useless when it comes to all things sports related but how cute is this flip flop keyring?  It's already on my keys. I love it. 

I'm not sure if you can still subscribe for the June Birchbox, I'm gonna assume you can't what with it being the 29th and there being only one day left of June. But if you want to subscribe for next month, and I stongly recommend that you do, then you can do so here.

I hope you've enjoyed my sneaky, secret post this week, I loved my BirchBox and couldn't wait to share it with all of you. Anywho I will be back tomorrow with the third in my Hopeless Romantic series - yes it's now a series - where I will be listing my favourite book couples. If you haven't yet you can check out the first two Hopeless Romantic posts here and here. Until then I am all over every possible social media site so feel free to check me out on twitter, facebook, BlogLovin, instagram & pinterest. 

Love love love xxx