Degustabox August

This months Degustabox came a little late to me and was sadly a little bashed about. I contacted the company who were happy to replace the damaged item but I didn't feel the need and was just letting them know so they could chase up their courier.

As usual the box came wrapped in brown paper. Inside there was bubble wrap and each glass product was also well lined.

Each box comes with the card which has the details of the products printed on it. On the reverse of the card there are recipes using some of the items from the box. This month we also got a leaflet for Berry White. New to the box this month is Degustabox Fridge. This is a coupon for an item that they couldn't include due to it being chilled. This months coupon is for a 4 pack of MOMA muesli yogurts worth £2.99 which can be redeemed at either Waitrose or Sainsbury's. I don't have either of those stores near me but Degustabox do say that this is an added extra and that it is on top of the value of your box.

Brioche Pasquier Pain au lait £1.69 and Croissants £1.79

I have actually tried these before and I am a big fan of this brand. These products have long shelf lives considering they are baked but they don't have the artificial taste of long life baked goods. I warm these in the oven for 4 minutes and they are lovely and soft and nice with butter. These are also really reasonably priced considering they are 8 packs. A great thing to get in my box.

Mexican Dave's Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips £1

I love tortilla chips however I haven't heard of this brand as they are only just in the supermarkets! I have already eaten these and they are lovely but perhaps a little more than lightly salted in my opinion. For £1 this is a huge bag and great value for money.

Fever Tree Tonic Water and Ginger Beer £1.69

These were the non alcoholic option this month and actually the product that arrived damaged to me as one of them had leaked. I haven't heard of this brand and these are not really something I would pick up at that price but I look forward to trying the ginger beer, maybe as a mixer.

Caribbean Twist Strawberry Daiquiri £2.50

This is the alcoholic option this month and one I was happy to see. I have bought Caribbean Twist before and always enjoyed it. Over ice this is the perfect drink for a BBQ or summer picnic. It's also low alcohol at 4% so lovely to have one for a little treat. These are really affordable and various lovely flavours are available.

Berry White Organic Drinks Peach & Goji Berry £1.59

This is an organic drink with no added sugar and no artificial preservatives. I like the idea of this but I'm not keen in the flavour I got. I see from the booklet that lemon and ginger is also available and that's a flavour I would definitely be keen on trying.

Cawston Press Apple & Pear juice £1.89 for 3

This is a juice carton aimed at kids and so not something I would usually purchase however I will try it. These are not from concentrate and have no added sugar.

Dr. Oetker Edible Wafer Cupcake Cases £2.50

I don't actually do a lot of baking and so wouldn't usually pick these up but I think they are such a good idea! Theses cases can be eaten with your cupcake and don't need a tray for baking. These are fairly expensive considering there aren't many in the pack but such a good idea and something I'm totally up for trying.

Schwartz Flavour Shots £1.39 for 2

These flavour shots are such a great idea and definitely something I would buy because I'm useless when it comes to mixing herbs and spices. These are available in 8 varities and I got Mexican fajitas and Spanish paprika chicken.

Lindt Hello A Tiny Little Something Just For You £3.49

I ate all of these before I had a chance to take a photo of how cute they looked! Inside the lovely tin there are 10 milk chocolate hearts, individually wrapped in cute pink foil. These tasted delicious as you would expect from Lindt are were the perfect wee treat. These are expensive would you get high quality for your money and these would be lovely to add to a gift.

 

Another great box full of lovely things that I am excited to try!

For £3 off your first box, use the code: R5PO6

http://bit.ly/DBhomepage - website
http://bit.ly/DBUKfacebook - Facebook
http://bit.ly/DBUKTwitter - twitter

*PR sample

 

 

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10 Minute Makeup by Boris Entrup

A very quick post today and one I have been meaning to write for a long time! I actually picked up this book when it came out but just kept forgetting to post about it!

10 Minute Makeup is published by DK and retails at around £9.99. The books features 50 makeup looks and is full of high quality pictures, step by step guides and plenty of tips.

I haven't actually recreated any whole looks from the book but I love to look through it for ideas and it is also great for reference. It is so easy to use and each little step has a photo which makes everything so clear. This book would be fantastic for beginners as the start of the book has a section about building a kit and all the basics required for makeup application.

Makeup books are not actually something I am interested in and this is the first one I have had but I enjoy looking through it and have found some useful tips.

What is your favourite makeup application book?

 

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Natures Inspiration Clay Mask and Lip-balm - Review

Blogging takes up an awful lot of time and, no matter how organised I try to be, sometimes it slips away! I moved house a few months ago and things got lost and misplaced! Whilst looking through the photos on my iPad recently, I realised I had never actually reviewed these products despite using them often for the last 4 or 5 months! So finally, here is my review!

Rhassoul Moroccan Clay Mask £10* and Peppermint Lip Balm £4*

Firstly the mask. This is a powder clay mask which needs to be mixed with water to create a paste. I am never really a fan of these because they are just so messy and I usually end up losing most of it down the sink. The instructions for this mask say that a floral water can be used instead and so I decided to take that advice. I chose a floral water that is in a spray applicator bottle. This worked so well as I could control how much I was adding and not flood the powder! Using this method I found it easy to mix the powder into a paste. I applied to my face and left for between 5 and 10 minutes.

As it dries the mask becomes tight on the skin. I use a cloth to wash this off and it comes away nicely. Underneath my skin feels soft and refreshed. I use this mask fortnightly and it keeps my skin looking bright and feeling soft.

I have recently read on the website that the high mineral content of his mask means it is great for drawing oil from the scalp. I am looking forward to experimenting with using this mask on my hair - more info to follow!

 

I love a lip balm, especially a peppermint one and so I began using this straightaway and have been using this ever since. I always have a few balm on the go at one time, usually one next to my bed for night time and a few in my bag. This is one I use for daytime use. The texture of this is very similar to Vaseline and lubricates the lips. I wouldn't say this absorbs into the lips as such and that is why I don't use it at night. What I do like is that this is lovely to refresh my lipstick. Especially with the Revlon Matte Balms, after a few hours of wear they look quite dry and so a little of this helps to moisten them and adds a shine to my lips without removing the colour!

 

These are lovely products which have slotted into my routine and have been getting regular use.

To see more from the range, visit the webiste:

naturesinspiration.co.uk

*PR samples

 

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Bourjois Delice de Poudre Duo - Bronzing Powder and Highlighter - Review

I love Bourjois products and particularly like their bronzing makeup. As soon as I heard of the launch of this contour kit, I began searching for it and soon came across it in Boots for £7.99.

I use the bronzer of this everyday and so was keen to try this new duo product in the range.

Firstly the packaging is almost identical to the bronzer; a stiff card flip case. Inside, the cake of the product is made to look like blocks of chocolate; again mirroring the bronzer. However this time you have 2 brown blocks and 2 white!

Both shades have the gorgeous chocolate scent that we have come to expect from bourjois bronzing products.

When I purchased this I could only see one shade available and so I am not sure if more are available. I would say these are fairly versatile shades which could be worked with on a variety of skin tones. I myself am fairly pale and these are really perfect for me. The bronzer needs a light hand so as to not be too muddy looking but is a lovely warm colour for my complexion.

I use the bronzer with my Real Techniques contour brush which is perfect because it is small enough to get into the product without touching the highlight. The bronzer is easy to build up and blend out to contour cheek bones and give a warm glow.

I take a small Models Own blush brush for the highlight and apply to all areas where the light hits my face. If you like a highlight without too much shimmer then you will love this one. It is a gorgeous colour and not glittery at all.

This palette is so easy to work with and I have been using it daily since purchase. I would definitely say there is still a place for my original bronzer though and I will continue to use both. With my bronzer I like to use a large brush and sometimes apply allover my face for a summer glow and you couldn't do this with the contour bronzer as the pan is too small.

One thing I have noticed about my bronzer is that it tends to develop a shiny layer over the top which needs to be scraped off in order to get any product on the brush. I have no idea what causes this but I hope it doesn't happen to this duo!

Have you tried this product?

 

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Male Grooming - Lush Dirty Styling Cream - Review

Dirty Styling Cream £6.99*

A few months ago my boyfriend reviewed a few lush products for my male grooming posts. Among the products he was kindly sent was this styling cream. At the time he didn't review this one because he hadn't got around to properly using it and wasn't able to go into detail. Since those posts he has been using this daily and is so taken with it that I have decided to do a quick review!

This is unlike other hair products that Lewis uses and hence took a little getting used to. As described this is a cream making it a lot thinner than the waxes that he usually uses. At first this was an issue because he didn't really know how to use this to get the best result however it soon became what he liked about it so much.

This product is fragranced with the Dirty perfume and Lewis really likes the smell of it.

He says that it being a cream means that it isn't at all sticky when applied. As the product dries it becomes easy to style your hair and then sets to a strong hold but without being sticky.

As I have mentioned before, Lewis reckons that any product over £1 is overpriced. This hair cream is £6.99 which I explained to Lewis is totally justifiable due to the natural and fair trade ingredients. He agreed that the price is reasonable and he would repurchase because a little goes a long way and the 100g tub is lasting him a long time. He also likes the pot return because he is a big fan of recycling!

*PR sample

 

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Therapi - Honey Skincare - Hydrating Facial Toner - Review

Honey is becoming more and more common in beauty products and is becoming something of a staple for me. I was recently invited to trial this product from Therapi Honey Skincare; a company I hadn't heard of but was keen to research.

Whilst reading up on Therapi Honey Skincare I came across their companies aims which I thought were lovely. Therapi aims to create the best natural and organic honey skincare products, which benefit not only the user but also the natural world in all its diversity and splendour. They also donate 5% of their profits to bee conversation projects. Now that's what I call a feel good company!

Orange Blossom No.2: Hydrating Facial Toner Balancing, for Normal Skin 75% Organic £25*

Anyone who reads my blog will know that I am a sucker for fancy packaging, and this product is about as fancy as I have seen! The box is lovely, well branded and very thick and expensive feeling. However the bottle is my favourite part. There is just something so nice about a glass bottle! The writing on the bottle has been kept to a bare minimum and the bottle is a lovely frosted glass. The whole thing just screams classy, tasteful and high quality. It looks lovely on my dresser and would also make a gorgeous gift.

 

ORGANIC ORANGE BLOSSOM HYDROLAT AND CALENDULA EXTRACT

An instantly hydrating facial tonic. Naturally balancing orange blossom water and soothing botanical extracts of calendula petals deliver a burst of moisture to tone and revitalise the skin.

 

This product has a very strong scent. It's floral and fruity but also has that herby smell that you only get from organic skincare. I like this scent but if you don't like perfumed skincare then you may find this a little overwhelming.

The bottle is fitted with a spray applicator which I really love in a toner. I spray this directly onto my face and then use a cotton pad to rub over my skin. Were it a particularly hot day I may use this to spray my face without the cotton pad. This leaves my skin feeling lovely and hydrated and provides a lovely base for my moisturiser or serum.

I have also used this to make clay masks with powders. It works really well as the spray means no mess and the product provides an extra boost of hydration to the mask.

This is a high quality product which would be really lovely as a gift or just as nice to treat yourself to! It is also available for dry and oily skin.

To purchase or to view more products from the range, visit the webiste:

therapi.com

 

*PR sample

 

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Rimmel Brow This Way - Brow Styling Gel - Review

I'm a sucker for a new product, even when it's not something I would usually use! I saw this in Boots and I just had to pick it up and give it a go! This was on introductory offer at the fantastic price of £2.99 however when full price it is only £3.99 so won't break the bank.

I have tried brow mascaras, felt pens and powders in the past but always reverted back to my trusty pencil, also from Rimmel. I find that any other brow products take far longer to get right and I just don't have the paitence or the time when I'm trying to get ready for work in the mornings. With all that being said, it's easy to see that I just picked this up due to how new it was!

I bought this product in dark brown which is the perfect colour for me. From what I could see, and certainly in my local store, only two shades were available; this and a lighter brown. This will limit the amount of people who could buy this and perhaps they will widen the range in the future. My sister has very dark brows and uses a black/brown to fill them in. This certainly wouldn't be dark enough for her.

As you can see, the gel is applied using a mascara wand. I wasn't sure how this would really work for me as my brows are fairly thin. I found this easy to apply to the largest area of my brows but slightly more difficult where they tailed off. I ended up using the tip of the wand to get the fine end however this applied too much product and left them too dark. This product is easy to apply to hairs but doesn't sit well on the skin meaning I couldn't use it to fill in sparse areas and had to use my trusty pencil.

When I had eventually evened out the product and was happy with the result, I went out for the day. The weather was very hot and sweaty and this product stayed put and didn't smudge at all! I was very impressed.

I will use this again for nights out but I can't see myself repurchasing simply because the application just isn't right for my eyebrows. I was however impressed at it's staying power and can as myself using this alongside a pencil to get the perfect brows.

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