And here we are…my first beauty box review post of 2021! I was slightly disappointed with December’s Glossybox as they usually go all out with a festive theme and then January is all about detox and pampering…this time both December and January seemed to focus more on skincare and not so much on make-up, which I know a lot of people were very happy with, but personally, I would have liked a little something sparkly! Anyway, let’s get to the good stuff and see what was in this month’s box.

Continue reading “January Glossybox 2021”

Another month, another beauty box review. My Birchbox subscription was actually due to end last month but due to a big f**k up on their part, they gave me a month free. I absolutely loved December’s box and I knew January’s wouldn’t live up to the same standard…as predicted, it is very pamper heavy and not a lot of make-up but still a good box all the same. There was a decent mixture of skincare, hair products, body products and a make-up item and the box design is nice and minimalist with the theme of a fresh start.

Continue reading “January Birchbox 2021”

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a very lovely Christmas and New Year. I spent the time at home with the fam and it was very quiet but also so nice not to have to rush around trying to fit everything in to those few days. I received some lovely gifts, gave some lovely gifts, ate far too much and celebrated a birthday (celebrated is far too strong a word – I tolerated my birthday), rode the horses, walked the doggies and had a very jolly festive period. And straight into lockdown. I for one totally agree with these measures and think it should have been imposed sooner seeing as so many people clearly couldn’t or wouldn’t stick to the rules, however, it does make January a bit more rubbish than usual and it’s already the worst month of the year before adding Covid into the mix.

Continue reading “New Year New Me? Absolutely Not!”

Well, as I have already written my Birchbox post, this will be my last beauty box review of the year! I know a lot of people feel that this year has dragged but I feel like it has disappeared in time at all! I was super excited about my December Glossybox as I always think beauty boxes go all out and last year’s box included some crackers such as glam false eyelashes and metallic eye shades…but I am a little sad to admit I was slightly disappointed with this month’s box. Don’t get me wrong, if I had received it any other month, I would have loved it…I just didn’t feel it had the wow factor for a December Box, although the box design itself is a gorgeous glittery festive scene! Before I give any more away, lets see what I received this month.

First of all, and my favourite product in this month’s box is the Nailberry Naail varnish in “Strawberry Jam” (RRP £15). I LOVE this brand, it’s definitely my favourite and if they weren’t so expensive I would have one of every colour! This is a dark red-pink shade and is perfect for the festive season, I’ll be adding a touch of glitter on top too! These polishes apply so evenly, just one coat is often enough (although I will always add two) and they last well too – especially considering I am always out and about on the farm and messing around with horses! I can’t recommend these nail polishes enough and I am so happy with the colour of this one!

Ok, moving on to the only make-up product this month which is Sport Fx Sport Stamina Mascara (RRP £7.99). I do love getting mascaras in beauty boxes as I am always on the hunt for THE one, however, I am just not a fan of waterproof formulas as I always find it a struggle to remove without feeling like I am causing damage to my lashes. However, I wanted to give it a try and to be fair, it did give me some volume and there was absolutely no smudging even at the end of the day. Unfortunately, as predicted, I struggled to get the stuff off and it took a couple of attempts before it was completely gone. This is not something I’ll be using every day, however, if I know I’m going to have a sweaty gym session or it’s forecast to rain, I may well bring it out again.

Next up is skincare and I received the Symbiosis Glycolic Acid + R.N.A Overnight Rejuvinating Eye Serum (RRP £102). This isn’t a brand I have heard of but this is definitely a product that is right up my street. I haven’t actually used it yet as I want to finish my Beauty Pie Super Retinol eye cream before starting another but this claims to firm skin, address blackheads, dullness and excess oil as well as targeting fine lines and wrinkles. I’m very happy to have received this and can’t wait to give it a go.

Next up and another eye product (are you trying to tell me something Glossybox?) is Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Mask Packette (RRP £4 for one set). I love this type of eye mask so this was another product I was very happy to see! I actually often use eye masks in the morning if I am super tired (usually because I am woken up ridiculously early by the dog escaping the kitchen and jumping on my bed). I found that these stayed in place well and definitely left me feeling more awake and bright eyed! The morning puffiness was also definitely reduced after using these and I can safely say I will be looking to stock up on these beauties!

Last but not least, I received the Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Original Solid Formula (RRP £3.65 for 100g). I don’t know if there was a mix up, my GB card says I should have received an emery board but I’m not going to lie, I’m much happier having received the balm. I love Palmer’s products…I was originally a bit of a snob and refused to buy this brand as thought it was just cheap but I am now a convert after trying a number of hair and body products from previous beauty boxes. I haven’t tried this balm before but the formula is really nice and moisturising and will be perfect for the cold months when dry skin is a particular issue. It also has that signature Palmer’s scent which I love.

And that’s it for this month and this year for my beauty box posts! I was particularly excited with the nail varnish in this month’s box and cannot wait to try the eye cream! Unfortunately the mascara isn’t really my thing but I’m still going to keep hold of it as I’m sure it will come in handy. I was disappointed not to receive more make-up/ festive/ sparkly products this month…I did feel like it was very skincare heavy and personally, I felt like this was more of a January box. However, I was still very happy with the products I received and the vast majority were full sized so I’ll get lots of use out of them. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this month’s box too! If you would like to get in on the action, you can get 20% off your first subscription with this code https://www.glossybox.co.uk/referrals.list?applyCode=KIRSTY-R25.

Until next time,

Kirsty x

*All prices correct at time of writing.

And here we are…December already, I really don’t know how this has happened and I am not ready! But anyway, as I said in my last post, I was very much looking forward to December’s box as they always pull out all the stops and this year absolutely did not disappoint. First of all, this month’s box is actually a bag…and a very nice deep green, quilted velvet bag (heart eyes). There is also a good mix of make-up, hair products and skincare, plus a little hand sanitiser which is obviously very relevant right now. But lets just get to the good bit…the contents!

First up and something I haven’t used before is the LAPCOS Charcoal exfoliating and cleansing pad (RRP £10). I was looking forward to using this and it claims to draw out dirt and toxins as well as removing make-up. Unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to expectations and I found it very flimsy and disintegrated quickly. It did remove my make up but I get the feeling if I had a full face on, it may not manage to get rid of it all. Underwhelmed but still glad I tried it.

Next out the bag is a very pretty set of Birchbox exclusive rose gold eyelash curlers (RRP £12). I already have a set of curlers but these are so pretty that they will definitely be going in my make-up bag…I’m a sucker for rose gold. I also love the deep red shade of the handles. Oh and yes, they work well!

Moving on from the tools, I was very happy to receive a cute little tube of HAAN Hand Sanitiser (although with a name like Morning Glory I initially thought I had received something very different!) I really like the fact that this is a spray as I often find with the liquid sanitisers, you end up with a big glob that is difficult to get rid of. This also smells much nicer than your usual hand sanitiser and it doesn’t dry my hands out. WIN. At £5.95 you can’t go wrong and they come in a variety of nice colours.

One of my favourite hair brands also featured in this month’s box and that is Percy & Reed. I haven’t come across a product that I haven’t liked and this month I received the Up, Up & Away Root Lift Mousse (Full size RRP £15). I have very long, flat hair so this is exactly the type of product I need! Needless to say, I love it! I apply this to damp hair before blow drying and it gives me a big dose of volume without leaving my hair hard or crunchy. It also smells great, like all their products…I love it!

Moving on to make-up we have a very pretty eyeshadow palette. I received the Chella La Vie Neutral Eyeshadow Palette (RRP £19.95) which consists of four neutral shades, two shimmer, two matte. I absolutely do not need another eyeshadow palette, but I still absolutely love this! The shades are all fab and go well together, I’m in love with the shimmery gold! The pigment is strong and the shadows blend well so I’m a happy chappy with this one!

Last but certainly not least is Eyeko Eye Do Liquid Eyeliner (RRP £9) and this was something else I was very happy to see as my current liner has just gone in the bin. This applied really well and most importantly, stayed put all day! I also like the thickness of the nib as it was super easy to get the thickness I wanted as well as the pointed cat eye tip!

Ans that’s it for this year (how though?!). Birchbox have definitely gone out with a bang and although I have been slightly disappointed with some of the more recent boxes, this absolutely smashed it out the park! My favourite items were the Percy & Reed mousse and the Chella La Vie palette, and athough I was disappointed with the cleansing pads, I’m still glad I got to try them out! I will get use out of everything else in the box and am absolutely keeping hold of that snazzy little bag! I’ll be back soon with my Glossybox review…I’ll be interested to see how it compares!

Until next time,

Kirsty x

Okay so who doesn’t receiving edible treats as gifts? You don’t? Please leave now. For those of you who are still with me, let’ get to the good stuff. Whether as a gift on it’s own or as part of a hamper, food and booze is always a winner in my eyes, although I’m usually full of regret by January when I struggle to do my trousers up.

Continue reading “Gift Guide – Food and Drink”

At times like this, it is so important to shop small and local when you can! We have lots of super talented bodies here in the Scottish Borders so I’m dedicating this post to the small, local businesses around me. Again, I will mainly focus on those that I have had personal experience with and goodies that I would love to either give or receive as a gift at any time of year.

Continue reading “Gift Guide – Shop Local”

Another day, another gift guide and this time I’m looking at all things home related! I’m currently in the process of moving house yet again, and it’s even more difficult than usual due to this virus! The flat we are moving out of hasn’t been let yet and the house we are moving into still needs the electrics finished and is currently full of heaters and pipes! Far from ideal. We are also moving into a teeny cottage so it is very sad seeing all these lovely things that I want to put in it but most definitely don’t have the space. Anyway, that doesn’t mean you lot can’t fill your houses with lots of lovely goodies, so here are some of the bits I’ve come across that I’d love to have myself or I think would make a great gift for somebody.

Continue reading “Gift Guide – Home”