Lux Box - April

New beauty box on the block this month - Lux Box.  I tried to resist temptation but signed up the day before subscriptions closed.


My first box was delivered this morning.......

Hard to describe the colour of this box - quite like it though!

Packaged like all the other boxes.

Six good sized products.

Couldn't believe it though - I have had nearly all these products in other beauty boxes!!

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream.  Retails at £14 for this 10ml sample.

This is the only product that I haven't received in another beauty box. I like the products from Balance Me and I'm really getting into natural products at the moment so I'm looking forward to trying this out.

Steamcream.  Full size and retails at around £10.

I had this in my last ever Carmine box (boohoo miss Carmine) it's a really nice light cream that can be used on both your face and body. I love the designs on the tin.  I have two unopened tins so will add this third one to the pile!

MOA The Green Balm.  

This is a 100% natural balm that can be used for anything from cleansing to putting on cold sores! I have one of these from a Latest in Beauty box, I've never really used it as not really sure what to do with it - I'll have a good read on their website.

The pot doesn't say how much it contains, I'm guessing around 5ml, making the sample worth £1.66.

Eldora False Lashes in H101. These are £4.25 on Eldora's website.

Again I received these in a previous Carmine box.  I don't really wear false lashes and I'm building up quite a collection - may have to start wearing them soon.

BM Beauty Eyeshadows.  These are 100% natural mineral eyeshadows.

I got the shades Her Majesty and Marble Sparkle. Her Majesty is  pink with a gold sheen, Marble Sparkle is shimmery grey. These are both 1g sample pots and 2g full size products retail at £7 each making these worth £3.50 each.

I got Her Majesty in Februarys Glossybox and swapped it so this one will probably be up for swaps too, but I would like to try some different colours.

Right then my impressions on LuxBox - there are so many beauty boxes in the market now that they need to stand out from the competition to win new customers and to keep existing ones.  

I think if you don't subscribe to any other boxes then this is a really good box.  As most people I know subscribe to more than one box then they will probably have received at least one of the items in a previous beauty box.

The same brands seem to be repeating in the boxes and I think that if a box is featuring a brand that has been in a competitors box then the person in charge of buying should make sure that the product is different.

As I posted at the weekend I will only be keeping one other box than Glossybox (I have a 12 month subscription) and I don't know if LuxBox will be it :(.

Did you get a LuxBox?  What did you think of yours?

April Beauty Budget Challenge - Week 4

At last the final week of the challenge!  I had £10.90 left over from week 3 plus £10.00 budget for week 4 and I made £33.50 on eBay so did quite well in the week until I got told about an amazing bargain on Glossybox!

Firstly Glossybox currently have an offer on their 12 month subscription to get two boxes free, making the subscription £100 plus postage and packaging.

But, then TopCashBack have £50.50 cashback on a 12 month subscription! If you are not yet signed up to TopCashBack here is my referral link

Go through TopCashBack to Glossybox, click on the 12 month subscription then enter the code WELCUM30OFF, reducing the cost by 30%! Meaning free postage and packing.

Pay the one off fee of £100 then sit back and wait for your cashback to appear :)

 

Could not resist this bargain so totally blew the budget this week! Worth it though I think!

I have realised from doing this budget that I have so much stuff that I buy and don't use, I will be cancelling all my beauty boxes except Glossybox and one other lucky box - haven't decided which one yet.....

 I have a skincare regime that my skin is happy with and it does get unhappy and spotty now when I use anything else, I have enough shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and shower gel to last me easily until Christmas and the boxes tend to not include many make up items - or shades that I wouldn't really wear so I am going to put the money towards make up that I do want.  Or to put it another way, every box cancelled is a pink MAC lippy.....

UPDATE!!!! I can't add up! I didn't blow the budget = £10.90 from week 3, £10 from week 4, £33.50 from eBay spent £100 but got £50.50 cashback.  Which means I have £4.90 left. Hardly going to pay off my credit card though.....

Glossybox - April

Got home to a lovely surprise today, my April Glossybox. Was a little confused as to what I had been buying (erm this does happen a bit more than it should do!) and didn't realise it was my Glossybox as this month it came in a plain brown box, rather than the usual patterned box.

The actual Glossybox box this month is made from 100% biodegradeable material and is filled with ethical goodies.

I have been really good this month and avoided all spoilers so I was really excited to see what was inside....

Wowzers! Thats a full box!

Caudalie Vinosource SOS Thirst-Quenching Serum - a newly launched ultra concentrated serum.  This is a 10ml sample and 30ml retails at £29.00, making this sample worth £9.67

Inika Cosmetics Organic Eyeliner in Peacock Blue - wasn't too excited by the shade name as I have quite a few blue eyeliners but this is really different than anything I own and its a really gorgeous shade of blue.  This is a full size product and retails at £11.75

Monu Collagen Cream - I have tried a few products from Monu and not been overly impressed.  This is for dry/very dry/dehydrated skin I have combination skin and I think this might be a bit too heavy for me.  I do have dry shins though so may use it on those! Or pass it on to my Mum ;) Another full size product and this retails at £17.50

Figs and Rouge Lip Balm - I got one of these in another beauty box which I really liked.  This is a different scent/flavour and I love cherries so really pleased with this. Another(!) full size product retailing at £3.29

Burts Bees Milk and Honey body lotion - will add this to my pile of body lotions! Its sealed which is good as I know it won't go off while its waiting to be used up. This is a 70g tube and the full size retails at £9.99, making this sample worth £3.68 

I really like this box, I will use everything in the box - will give the Monu a go, it says on the back of the tube it smooths fine lines and I need all the help I can get!  

Can't believe the contents total £45.89! 

I have a second box on the way, looking forward to seeing whats inside.

Have you had your box yet? Did you get different items that I got?

Origins - Earth Day

On Saturday 21st April Origins were running a in-store promotion entitled - Visit Origins to Recycle the Earth.  This was to honour Earth Day which this year was on 22nd April. 

Earth Day is a campaign where the global community comes together to take steps towards protecting and preserving the Earth.  You can read all about Earth Day on their website - its a very interesting read.

For the Origins promotion I had to take in an empty cosmetic container/tube/pot etc and in return you got a good sample size (50ml) in return.

I got to my local Boots just before 9am and there was already a little queue at the Origins counter!

I filled in a card with some personal details and what kind of skincare I was looking for, popped my empty tub of Olay night cream in the recycling bin and the lovely lady gave me my sample of A Perfect World moisturizer.

This is what it says on the Origins website:
 

This lightweight moisturiser contains world-famous Silver Tip White Tea, Vitamins C and E plus French Maritime Pine and UVA / UVB sunscreens.
Designed for everyday use, this oil-free moisturiser builds an invisible bubble of protection around skin to help minimise the appearance of damage including lines, wrinkles and age spots.
Helps delay the appearance of premature signs of aging. So you can enjoy your youth. Today and tomorrow.
Sunscreens including Octisalate, Avobenzone and Octocrylene provide esstential broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection.

Oh just realised that 50ml is full sized! It retails at £32.00 on their website!

This is a nice lightweight moisturiser and will be perfect for the daytime.


She also booked me in for a free facial so I'll be going back on 4th May for a bit of pampering.

Did you manage to pick up a free Origins moisturiser?

Swimathon for Marie Curie

On Sunday 29th April my sister Megan and I will be completing the Swimathon distance challenge as a relay team.  We have chosen the longest distance challenge of 5K, this means we will each have to complete 100 lengths, we cannot be in the water at the same time as each other and the maximum time we have to complete the challenge is 2 1/2 hours.  We are aiming to complete it in under 2 hours.

Swimathon is the worlds biggest fundraising swim and has so far raised over £36m for charity since its start in 1986.

The distance challenge raises money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.  Marie Curie Nurses work through the night or during the day to provide end of life care for patients, and emotional support for their families at what can be a difficult and exhausting time.

Last year the charity cared for over 31,000 terminally ill people in their own homes and in their nine hospices. The care is always provided completely free of charge.

 

You can read more about the Swimathon Distance Challenge and Marie Curie Cancer Care on the Swimathon website.

 

If you would like to sponsor us we would really, really appreciate it and every single penny counts.  This is the link to our fundraising page http://my.artezglobal.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=370882&langPref=en-CA

 

I will let you know how we get on this Sunday and next year we will be aiming to swim the 5K distance challenge as individuals!

 

 

Aprils Beauty Budget Challenge - Week 3

I'm a bit scared this week! I know I have bought quite a few things and I haven't totted up how much I have spent!

I started the week with a budget of 61p due to my overspend in Week 2. I made £78 on eBay this week (woohooo) plus I have listed some more items that end next week.

First up a mini haul from MUA at Superdrug, I did the banking for work this week and couldn't resist popping into Superdrug to see what they had.  These are the first MUA items that I have bought.

Lipsticks in shades 6 and 12. £1 each.

Eye Primer £2.50 with a free eyeshadow! So I picked up the shade Pearl. Extreme mascara in Black £2 and a brunette eyebrow pencil for £1. Total cost £7.50

Nails Inc in Connaught Square and Park Lane. £11.00 inc postage from eBay.

OPI minis in L-R Planks a Lot, French Quarter for your thoughts, Strawberry Margarita, My Address is Hollywood.  £6.76 inc postage from eBay

Erm more sparkles! Models Own polishes in Juicy Jules and Ibiza Mix. £8.

Beneefit Smokin' Eyes kit - received in a swap that was included in last weeks spends.

Plus

£31.95 on my TK Maxx Haul

and

I eventually gave into temptation and signed up to the first Lux Box, they had an offer for £2.50 off the first box so it came to £10.45

Gees spent a lot this week...let me just add it all up.

£67.71! Get in! I have £10.90 left over!

Although I did list the items on eBay to pay off a bit of my credit card and not to spend on more stuff!

Going to try really hard to stick to the £10 budget for the final week, plus will not spend any money I make this week or the £10.90 left over from this week and will pay it off my credit card like a good girl :)

TK Maxx Haul

I have been reading lots of blogs/FB posts about great finds people have had in TK Maxx, the store by me has always been a bit rubbish (although to be fair I hadn't been for AGES) so yesterday on my way home from a Lush Workshop - will be doing a blog post on this, it was amazing can't wait to share it with you!! - I took the route home that passes TK Maxx and went in to have a little lookie around......

Look at all these fantastic goodies I picked up!

Essie hydrating mask for nails, claims to increase nail hydration by 33% in 5 minutes.  It contains 3 lots of 10 masks. Bargain £3.99

Essie Intense Hydration Treatment.  50% more nourished nails in 5 days. Bargain £3.99

Color Club Glitter Vixen Polishes. Could not resist the immense sparkle of these! I have not tried Color Club polishes before and I'll do a nails post to show you these sparkles! Absolute bargain £7.99

They had packs of three Stila items for £7.99!! So I picked up two packs.

Dual Lip and Cheek Cream in Gladiola

When I opened the compact I thought the colour was really not for me but it is a gorgeous colour and looks great on my cheeks - this will be fab for my holiday.

Eye Mousse in Copper - look how cute the pot is :)

Love this colour! Again will look fab in the summer with a tan (or when I go a shade up from milk bottle white!!)

Eye Liner in Sapphire

Highly pigmented soft liner, I got the Eyeko Midnight Blue  in one of my beauty boxes but I prefer this one.

Shine Lip Colour in Sarah, love the design on the case

A little bit disappointed with this as its very sheer but will do for work! Plus it just glides on and smells gorgeous.  It contains SPF20 too so I like that it will protect my lips,

Demi Creme + Shine in Demi Tulip

LOVE the colour of this!

Mulit-effect Mascara in Brown. 

I have not tried their mascara before but I like the shape of the brush and I don't currently have a brown mascara so this will do nicely thank you very much.

Well this haul of goodies came to an absolute steal at £31.95!!

I've done this post first because its time to tot up how I've done on week 3 of the Beauty Budget Challenge.............

Have you got a TK Maxx near where you live?  Have you picked up any bargains recently?

Surprise (AMAZING) Swap!

Hi All, hope you are all having a good weekend.  I'm having a great weekend, got lots of blog posts to do but I'm starting with the most amazing secret swap box that I received today from the lovely Nardine over at lipsticknhandbags.

As you know I am part of the beauty box swapping group over on Facebook, every month or so Nardine and I send each other a box full of surprises that we think the other person will like.  We started off with glossyboxes filled with goodies but last month ended up with big cardboard boxes full of stuff and well this month Nardine has truly outdone herself, I am truly amazed, overwhelmed and touched by how much thought and effort she puts into getting together goodies that she knews I will love. I must apologise for the awful photos - the light is bad, my camera is rubbish - I really need to save for a new one.

So first up I opened the huge cardboard box to find these fantastic goodies for my doggie Henry, hes a naughty dalmatian and I am going to take the book to work and read it in my lunch times.  She has also sent him a harness which is brilliant as he is a very strong doggie.

Henry says "woof, thanks for the treats, woof!" 

She also packed these goodies into the main box;

Full size shampoo and conditioner, great for my coloured brunette hair

I had no idea what this plastic shaker was when I opened that box, but its a facemask! How cool! Can't wait to try it :)

Body wash and lotion, cherry blossom, peach and white jasmine scented, they smell gorgeous.

Wowzers! Cannot wait to have a play with this.

I'm off on my hols soon and these will be coming with me

This book will be coming too :)

 Next in the box was this bag from River Island - I love it!

Will be using this from tomorrow morning.  She filled the bag with the following goodies!

Naughty Nardine! My WW leader will not be pleased with you, I however am pleased! There was another egg but sadly it never made the photo......

Necklace and lipgloss

Hairclips and bracelets

Bottle stopper - how pretty!

Booklight - this is so handy, I read in bed all the time so now I don't have to annoy hubby with the side lamp!

A black clutch/purse with white feather detail - she knows I love bird print and I love this!

And as if that wasn't enough!! A glossybox decorated with 3d doggie stickers!!

Look theres Henry!

  

Shampoo, Conditioner and Volume Mousse - great sizes for my hols.

Perfume

I'm a sucker for lip balms, I keep them on my desk in work and use them throughout the day.  Can't wait to try these two.

Bath salts, smell lovely.

ELF Blusher in tickled pink

Ojon hair serum

Andrea Fulerton nail polish

Versace perfume

Urban Decay tinted moisturiser

Love this lip crayon! Bright pink, been wearing it this afternoon :)

MAC Eyeshadow mousse, the colour is perfect for me

My first Kleancolour nail polish!

Will be painting my nails this colour tomorrow!

A lovely card and a lovely keepsake

Right back at ya Nardine!

I honestly am overwhelmed by this amazing box, I will use every single thing thats in it! There is one thing I'm not happy about though..............this has ruined it for every single beauty box I'm subscribed to! They could never in a million years beat this box!! ;)

I just want to say a huge thank you to my friend Nardine and I hope you love the box I am sending to you, even if its half as much as I love this box I know I'll have done a good job :)