Basics Review

Happy 2014 to you, my dear reader. I hope all your New Year resolutions are going well. Today I am going to be reviewing a few basic products which I have purchased recently. I want to also create 2013 favourites but unfortunately some of my products are at university and I can’t review them until maybe next week (boo). So today instead I'm looking at a few bits and pieces that i may or may not like but I wished to share with you.

My first product has been out for a little while now, I think it was a new release in 2013 (or at least I hadn't seen it before then), this is the Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturizer(£4.99 190ml). I have found I am incredibly lazy with body moisturizers, body butters or body lotions. Purchasing this item was meant to be the solution to this problem. This product comes in a choice of 3 "scents" Cocoa, Aloe and Oat. Naturally I chose the cocoa butter which is meant to be non-greasy, Bonus. The smell is amazing. It reminds me of a body-wash I had as a kid, but it’s not too over powering and it won’t tamper with your perfume too much. I think the packaging is convenient for this product as well, with no lids and just a twist lock cap for easy traveling, and no leakage (so far). The actual product is a great idea, a quick and easy way to moisturize which absorbs instantly.

Unfortunately this isn't as efficient as other moisturizers I have used in the past. It helps and it does moisturize the skin but I prefer this as a top up product, meaning I might use body butter in the evening after having a shower but in the morning I may use this product to top it up when I don’t have as much time. It’s therefore not a solution to my problem but it smells nice and it is a nice thing to have when you have no time but feel really dry. I think with all those things in mind I would give it 6/10. Meaning I may repurchase this item, but I don’t think it will be missed if I didn’t.

The second product is the Nivea Express Hydration Primer (£3.99 50ml) from their Daily Essentials range. At £3.99 this is a very cheap primer, and honestly it isn’t the worst primer I’ve tried (ahem Rimmel). It works as a moisturiser as well as a primer and therefore in typical Nivea fashion, leaves your skin feeling beautiful, no debate. I am a strong believer in mouse primers like the L’Oreal studio secrets or even the Garnier 5 second perfect blur. I have never been a huge fan on the creamy gel like consistency primers. This unfortunately falls into that category. It minimalizes pores, to an extent but not as well as I would like. The product does very little to stop blemishes and imperfections showing through and does little to dark circles. As for keeping my makeup in place for longer, there isn’t any evidence to say it prolongs my makeup, but it make it any worse. Overall I think it’s a nice product, it’s another time saver product which sort of does its job half-heartedly. But although I’ve given this product a hard time, it does make my skin appear better, and if I use a better primer and a good concealer in those problem areas, it comes out well. I would give this product a 7/10 for its hydration and its skin improvement qualities. Had it been a primer on its own it would have got a lot lower score.

The Bourjois Bronzing Primer was an impulse purchase I decided I really needed for New Year’s Eve. I’ve only tried this product a few times and it can be a little tricky to get right, especially when trying to contour, but when done correctly it looks so natural and beautiful. I have found that it can be worn on bare skin, just to add a little bit of a bronze glow to a bare face, or on top of foundation or for the best result under foundation for a really seamless glow which appears to radiating from within. I have heard of others using it as a full face primer but I think it is a little dark for me. I’ve also used this as a contour on my temples and the sides of my nose, as it’s a little more subtle than some bronzers or contour powders. Apparently this product smooth’s, evens and matifies the skin which it does seem to. Overall I am very impressed with this product, it is a little difficult to apply and therefore I may not use it every day but I hope when I master the application process this will make its way into my regular makeup bag. I think I’ll give it 9/10 its only down side being the application process. But this is made easier if you apply less rather than more.

Coming soon—Face of the day and maybe a health and fitness diary.  

farewell 2013

So its the end of another year, 2013 will soon enough, be just another memory. So it is of course the time of year we start thinking about next years new year resolution. So what will it be this time? fitness, stop smoking, eat better or even just say yes more. So why not all of these. Why not instead aim to make 2014 the best year of our lives.
2014 will be the year that I will be moving to the USA. I want to iron out all my kinks before I go. I want to stop spending as much money on things I wont be able to take with me in 6 months. I want to be fit enough to make the most of my time there. I want to make every day count. I want to be tidier, and better at keeping to my routines. Mainly I want 2014 to be the year I buckle down at uni and work my ass off to get what I want. I feel I'm stuck in a rut and maybe I need to give myself a kick up the bum. Maybe a new year is what I need.
So.... starting from here I am going to be posting a lifestyle or a beauty entry at least once a week. On this blog I will be posting about my preparation for my trip, fitness, food and maybe reverting back to my roots with a good old beauty review.

I wish you all the best ending to 2013 and I hope 2014 brings you everything you could wish for.

GlossyBox Summer Sale package 2013 -April/July boxes

This is a weird one guys. I was planning to do this on my youtube channel (you can watch my newest video here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbydT8G7o10  please subscribe)  but it arrived really late and I just wanted to do a blog post as I thought my anger might overwhelm the video. I have settled down a lot since then so now its time to review the boxes. So I guess it seems strange to do a Glossybox review at the end of the month instead of half way through, but this is no ordinary Glossybox. This is the Summer Sale package. The boxes were £12 plus the usual £2.95 for postage. I chose to order these boxes as I began subscribing to Glossybox in may and therefore missed the April Pearl Lowe box. I had seen reviews on this box and I was really excited to try it hoping to receive a Sleek Blush/ Essie Nail Varnish/ Illamasqua Eye pencil. The box itself looked beautiful. So I ordered the box on the 23rd August and it arrived this morning on the 31st August. Normally they are much quicker than that but I wont get caught up in that again.

The boxes arrive packaged separately as they normally would which makes me happy as I have no storage in my room at the moment so i'm using the outer glossy box in my drawers for a little extra storage. But looking at first at the April box. I love the design so much for this box, if i had received the April box through my normal subscription i would have ordered another just to own another of these boxes. But anyway we're not here to assess the overall design we wanna know what we got.
List of products recieved
Richard Ward Couture Hair Optimiser Style Reviver. Hundred and 150 ml for £19.00 (£6.34)
Yves Rocher France. Nutritive vegetal 24 hour comfort nourishing cream. 50 mL for £13.50. (£4.05).
Nip+Fab dry skin fix body butter in mango. 200 mL for £9.95. (£2.49).
sun sense daily face SPF. 75 g for £18.50. (£2.47).
Etre Belle collagen and Aloe Vera Hydro mask. 10 masks for €25.95. (€2.56/£2.19).

Total box value = £17.54.


Looking at the products there is very little variation in the type of product I have received. There is a lot of skin products but absolutely no make up of any sort, making this box very uninspiring. I feel that make up and nail varnishes of things that make Glossyboxes really exciting. When there is of variety in the products, you can't help but feel slightly ripped off.

The first products went to look at is the Richard Ward couture hair optimiser style reviver. The leaflet says "the ultimate multitasker: Richard Ward couture hair has been designed to your head every styling need, giving you effortless achievable and long-lasting results. With absolutely fallen in love with the lightweight optimiser style reviver spray with wheat protein and Kukui oil from the Couture hair range! Not only does it counteract phrase and increase shine, but it also creates amazing volume without the typical residue or stickiness."
This is very simply spray on product to hold a particular hairstyle. I do have something very similar to this from the July glossybox which I feel suits my hair type better. This could maybe be an interesting product but the big thing that jumps out at me is on the front of the bottle it says normal/fine hair. This is not me. Before purchasing my glossybox I filled out along the survey saying what sorts of products would be best for me, in this survey I explained I had thick hair. I didn't write it down I ticked a box. Does that not then mean that they would try to send me products which are not for thin hair, it makes no sense to me. I may try this product just because for £19 for the original size I would expect this product to be good. But looking more at the product the size of the bottle is fairly decent, this would be good for taking on holiday or just throwing into your bag if you're away for a weekend. Packaging is a little dull and wouldn't jump out on the shelf at me.

Yves Rocher France is a brand that I feel I have heard of but I have never owned anything from this brand. I issue that this brand is fairly open markets just from the name and from the price. According to the leaflet this moisturizer contains ash tree sap extract, macadamia oil, Shea butter and organic witch hazel water. The product is meant to make your skin feel soft and subtle for 24 hours. And it's free from parabens and colouring which can only be good. Now as I have only just opened these boxes I haven't really tested it, but as I am writing I am testing things on my hand just to see how they feel. First things first the smell, there is an overpowering smell of this product, it smells fairly natural and I think most people could bear this. The product blends very easily into the skin and makes the skin feel very soft and smooth. But you can almost feel the product there is still after rubbing it in. Looking at the packaging the package says that this cream is meant for dry to very dry skin which is a problem I don't have, for this upsets me a little, But I feel I will use this product, I just probably won't repurchase it.

Third products is the Nip+Fab mango smoothie dry skin fix body butter. Again a dry skin product, but I'll let them off because I am quite excited about this one. I am a big fan of body butters, I regularly get the body shop body butters and I am very happy I received mango instead of the other options of pistachio or coconut. nip+fab are a brand I have used in the past, I have used their bust fix cream (which is rather embarrassing, but who wouldn't want better boobs). I know this is a slightly more expensive brand but is available in Boots sot his product will be easier to buy in the shops. The leaflet says this product includes the ingredient "Aquaxyl" which improves skins water reserve. Yeah i'm clueless too. Looking at the size and quite happy with this, yes I would have preferred it to be bigger but then who wouldn't. This size is very portable and manageable, so I don't mind too much. The mixture is very light and blends into the skin beautifully leaving no residue or stickiness. The smell is very delicate and if I'm honest isn't as strong as I would like. I enjoy the body shop body butters because they really do smell like what they are supposed to smell like and when you apply its people will comment on the fact that you smell like strawberries. I couldn't see anyone commenting on the fact I smell of mangoes after applying this but if its subtlety that you want then this will be the product for you. I think I'll quickly get through this tub, but I won't be repurchasing this product.

Next is the Sunsense daily face SPF cream. This cream has SPF 50+ in it and is apparently oil free. I am all for suncare products as it is so important to protect your skin from the suns harsh rays. I am however not so impressed with this sample. The packaging is like a sort of capsule with a break away tip which means the packaging cannot be resealed. 10g is rather a lot to use in one sitting and therefore i will have to hope for a really sunny few days or waste half the product I don't want to waste it on an average blustery day. The instructions on the leaflet do not mention this but the packaging suggests this is a sheer tint with a matt finish. I am not sure what to make of this. I am also deeply offended by the fact the packaging says in big letters on the back "FREE SAMPLE".  I cannot say if i would buy this as I haven't tried it but so far i'm not impressed.

The final item from the April Glossybox is the Etre Belle collagen and Aloe Vera hydro mask. The staff at Glossybox explain this is a "Deeply restorative and moisturising mask with collagen and aloe vera. Improves the skin's natural elasticity, providing optimum skin hydration. The perfect bundle don't remedy to achieve fresh and even looking skin." So this is looking a little better. I enjoy using facemasks as a special treat once in awhile. This mask is a kind of material mask you apply to the face (and who would want to look like a psycho for 15 minutes). Again this is a difficult one for me to try but I will update this blog as soon as I do. I look forward to using this on a pamper evening. The packaging seems a little unclear of the instructions so thankfully the glossybox leaflets tells you exactly what to do.

So overall the April box has been very disappointing to me. I was expecting brands such as Essie, Illamasqua and Sleek. But instead I received a lot of things I didn't really want, and that didn't fit my skin type or hair type. I'm just hoping the July box can redeem itself.

So the July box is this lovely blue and coral coloured box just as it was the last time I reviewed it. (http://chicpicnique.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/july-glossybox-and-miss-glossybox-alike.html) which doesnt go with my room but hey thats what paint and wrapping paper is for (the next Glossybox is a union jack to that will be equally as annoying).

Products included.
Alterna Haircare Bamboo style Boho Tousled texture mist. 125ml £23.00 (£4.60)
Coola Organic Suncare Collection. Mineral Face SPF 20 Unscented. 50ml £29.99 (£4.20)
Inecto Pure Coconut Refreshing Dry shampoo. 150ml £2.49 (full size)
Ila Spa Face Oil for Glowing Radiance. 30ml £75.00 (£4.38)
Ciate London Paint Pot in Island Hopping 13.5ml £9.00 (full size)

Total = £24.67

Having recieved the Alterna Haircare Bamboo tousled texture mist before and having nothing new to say on the subject means i can skin this particular product. The review i wrote previously in linked above. I don't mind having a bit more of this as I think its a decent enough product.

So when I opened my Glossybox and spotted the Coola mineral sunscreen, I wont lie, my heart sank. I had a very similar product in my previous box. although unlike the previous Coola product i received, this is not tinted and this is also unscented. Much better. I am still a little skeptical as the previous Coola sample made me break out and my skin hasn't been right since then. I might pluck up the courage to use this soon enough but for now no thank you.



I quite like the Inecto Pure cocnut Refreshing Dry Shampoo,but who doesn't like a good dry shampoo, especially a handbag sized dry shampoo. I cant say too much as i have fairly clean hair at the moment but it doesnt leave me with a grey scalp which is always a good sign. I am a big fan of coconut so the smell makes me happy. what else can I say. the price is a little high, over a pound dearer than the Batiste equivalent but this is probably better for your hair. I'm cheap so I dont think I'd choose this over a cheaper product but hey, its better than a kick in the teeth.





Okay so dry oils, been there done that ought the t-shirt and donated it to charity. This one is just mental. this is of course the Ila Spa Face oil. £75 for 30ml!!! just no. I can honestly say i will never be buying this off my own back. But the product is lovely (as it should be). I have only used a little on the back of my hand but where I rubbed it in there is a definate radiant glow. It is so smooth and smells beautiful this will be my luxury product until it runs out. I may consider repurchasing if the product was under £25 but as it stands not a chance. Heaven forbid I should spill it.



So the product i am probably most happy with is the Ciate London Paint Pot in Island Hopping. I thought at first it would be the same as my Rimmel Cocktail colour in Shirley Temple but it is a lot more colourful and rich. Island hopping is a glittery orange/red colour with golden glitter. orange being my favorite colour I love this. it dries so quickly aswell and I know from previous experience that Ciate lasts for a while without chipping.  this will get plenty of use.




Summary

Two boxes together equal £42.21 (box cost £14.95 so bonus value of £27.26) so the value of the products add up to nearly 3 times the value of the box. My problem with these two sale boxes is that there was only one product that really excited me even then it was one I had received before. I expected so much more and maybe that was the problem, but I am planning to test these sale boxes again so I can really tell if they are just an overall dud or that I just received a bad batch. the March "city chic" box is on its way to me and this really will be the decider for the Sale Glossyboxes. only time will tell.

Glossybox august 2013

 So it's that time of the month again, time for the monthly glossy box review. This month is a real doozy. I have already seen some of the glossy box reviews from this month, and I can see that most people have received the same products (give or take a few). I'm very happy with this month box and feel that I will get plenty of use are each product. This is the first box that I have been really happy with, the products are more diverse and varied, with an item for hair care, skin care, make up, beauty and make-up removal.

The first product received was the Emite Makeup eyelash curler. This particular product has a retail value of £20, that within one product means you have already received double the value of the box. Although I don't normally use eyelash curlers and my current set came from a cracker I can see the appeal with these. The handles metal and feel sturdy, the whole thing feels pricey and as though it's built to last. I'm not a big fan of curling my lashes reassert received very little difference, but I have tried these curlers and feel they make more of a difference than my old cheap pair did. I like the way these curlers also came with three spare buffers so the product should last a long time.

The second product in the box was the Oceane make-up remover pen. I haven't tried this on my face yet but instead used it to remove some swatches from the back of my hand. I thought this was a useful tool and it removed the product nicely. My only issue is that the nib of the pen is a little thick. Having tried in the past the simple make-up remover pen I feel that that is easier to remove small imperfections due to the fine point of the pen. This pen however contains three spare pen nibs which is useful as my simple brand product didn't last long as it got dirty very quickly. I think I enjoy using this product, it seems kind on your skin and virtually odourless.

The next product I received was the Jelly Pong Pong two in one eyeliner and shadow in black. Finally a product in a normal colour I am so happy with this. I might actually use this on a normal day. I have heard of people receiving yellow eyeliners and green eyeliners and just colours you generally would use, but black works for everyone. I have seen online though that some other colours were available, mostly pinks and blue's, which could work with it being an eyeshadow but pink eyeliner doesn't sound the prettiest to me, but I could be. I haven't really heard of Jelly Pong Pong much, I did receive their waterproof mascara in a previous glossy box and I did like it. This may be a brand that I will have to seek out and try some of the products from. This eyeliner/shadow is highly pigmented and I could see myself wearing it on a night out, taking it with me on a day where I might want something a little more sultry for the evening but don't want to be carrying too much makeup around with me. The travelling this product will be brilliant as it works as a two in one.



The Urban Veda neem and botanics purifying day cream isn't something I have ventured into using too much I've tried it on small areas of my skin as I am always little cautious about putting brand-new products all over my face. This day cream claims to be pore refining mattifying and specifically for oil prone skin. When applying this to the back of my hand it feels lightweight and cool on my skin. The skin also feels soft and smooth. The polls also look fairly reduced and the lines in the back of my hand have disappeared. Having finally tried this I feel I will use this on my face as a moisturiser.

Leaving the best till last as usual, my TRESemme keratin smooth sixty second shot. I tried this on my hair last night not expecting anything amazing from it. I wash my hair and then followed the instructions after conditioning I then placed the product on my hair avoiding the roots, I then wash it off and left my house to dry naturally, I did go to sleep with slightly damp air which may have made it slightly more frizzy than it would have been originally but this morning I cannot stop stroking my hair, it is so soft. I will be definitely repurchasing this product. I've used similar things in the past such as the VO5 hot oil shots, but none have made my hair this nice. I will talk about my hair type and my issues with my hair in another blog as that's quite a complicated subject but I would definitely recommend this product for those that have frizzy hair that they can't control most of the time.
Overall I am so happy with all my products and feel that everything has a use and has a place in my make-up drawer. I really hope that glossy box keep producing boxes like this. I'm currently in the market for another subscription box as I am not sure I am going to keep up my subscription to my miss glossy box. But if you have any suggestions of a good UK based subscription box I would be very happy to hear your comments.
Thank you for reading and I hope to see you all soon.
Love you all.

July Glossybox and Miss Glossybox alike!

Whoopsy maybe a little late with these, to be fair my Miss Glossybox didn’t arrive till two days ago but never the less, cracking on. 

Firstly I will review my Glossy Box. The July Glossybox was a beautiful turquoise design with orange starfish and coral on the outside. I always love the Glossybox boxes and keep them for my continuously growing makeup and beauty collection. In fact at the moment I have to use the boxes which my glossy boxes are delivered in as storage as my collection is becoming so vast, moving on. I have sampled the majority of the samples from this box and I feel I prefer this box to some I have received in the past. The products are as follows.

• Alterna Hair care Bamboo Style Boho waves Tousled Texture Mist 25ml £4.60
• Coola Organic Sun care Collection Mineral Face SPF20 Rose Essence tint 7ml £4.20
• Pukka Ayurveda Radiance Serum 10ml £6.40
• Anatomicals Spray Misty for me Facial Spritz 100ml £6.00
• Ciate London nail polish in "107 Pocket Money" 13.5ml £9.00

Total £30.20

I can’t believe that I received triple the value of the box this month, and in all honesty I can see myself making some repurchases.

The Alterna Hair care Bamboo Style Boho waves Tousled Texture Mist (mouthful) comes in a convenient little spray bottle and it will be handy for traveling. I used this on my hair over the weekend and I was happy with the end result. I used rather a lot of the spray as I have extremely thick hair and it advises you spray the product from root to tip on damp hair and then style with fingers. I am guessing as there is no clue on the instructions that you leave your hair to dry naturally, which I was willing to do as it was so hot, but I will not be doing that when this heat has died down. The style I was lest with seemed nice, it wasn’t too frizzy and I had some curl in it, but my hair is naturally curly. I did eventually decide to curl my hair Carrie Bradshaw style and this product helped the curls hold for several days. Overall I like this product for the summer and it will be great for those days when you’re on holiday and don’t want to hot style your hair but I won’t be using it at home much.

I tried the Coola Organic Sun care Collection Mineral Face SPF20 Rose Essence tint as soon as I received my Glossybox this month. It’s like a bb cream or a light foundation but with SPF 20. Yes I know a lot of foundations have SPF in them but those will always be a foundation first. This concept make reapplying sun cream to your face easier as you don’t smear your makeup and you don’t end up looking like an umpalumpa after adding more. In concept this product sounds brilliant, but in reality… I broke out big time after using this product. It’s lovely to apply, you can barely feel it on the skin and I have heard others saying it’s a great high end sun cream brand. But if this was the cause of my break out, it’s a no go for me and I’m sorry, I so wanted this to work out between us L

Moving on to the Pukka Ayurveda Radiance Serum (yay a shorter name). I have been wearing this under my moisturiser every day this week. It is very pricy at £32 for 50ml but holy jingo does it work. My skin feels beautiful and soft and also somewhat tighter after using this. I have been using as little as possible to make sure this product lasts and if I come into a little bit of money soon I will be repurchasing it. It has ingredients such as Aloe-Vera and Manuka honey which apparently refresh and brighten your skin. The smell may annoy some people as the honey is very potent but I don’t really have a problem with it.

As many of you might have heard or indeed felt for themselves, here in Britain we are experiencing something of heat wave. 32 degrees may be nothing to some countries but here where a nice day generally consists of anything above freezing, we are struggling to cope. This next product has been my saviour in this heat wave and has quickly become my handbag staple. I can say now it will be short lived and will disappear to the back of my cupboard within a few weeks but for now I carry it everywhere. This is of course the Anatomicals Spray Misty for me Facial Spritz. The Glossybox team themselves admit this product to be their “current obsession”. Its ingredients include lavender and peppermint to calm and rehydrate. A few sprays of this in this hot weather and your feeling cool for at least an hour. Best thing is as long as you don’t spray it too close to your skin it doesn’t smudge your makeup. Easily my favourite product this month and for £6.00 it’s fairly accessible if I run out.

The final product in my Glossybox was a bottle of Ciate London nail polish in Pocket Money. I adore the bottle design for this particular nail varnish company. I have never before purchased a Ciate nail varnish as £9 is usually a little more than I like to pay. The colour is lovely, a sort of coppery beige neutral colour. I do feel it is very similar to my Revlon “endless possibilities” nail varnish but slightly darker. The polish glides on nicely and sets fairly quickly and after painting one coat on my toe I don’t feel I need to paint another on top which is a major bonus. It’s quite shiny but I would still put a top coat on to really boost the appearance. But overall I like this polish and I do see why you would pay £9 for this.

Moving on to my “Miss Glossybox”. I won’t review this in as much detail as the products are pretty simple and I haven’t been able to review them all just yet. I haven’t quite made up my mind about this “box” just yet as it is only my second month receiving it. I wouldn’t even call this a box as honestly it’s a bag. A pretty cheap one at that, but good for gift giving. The products were as follows.

Miss Patisserie Starlight Macaroon Bath Fizzy 50g £2.00

Glossybox False eyelashes and glue (no price. Closest equivalent £4.00)

Kiss Nail Wrap £5.99

Beyoncé Midnight Heat 2ml £1.20

VO5 Plump it up dry backcomb spray 200ml £3.69

Total £16.88

Over double the price of the box.

So the Miss Patisserie Starlight Macaroon Bath Fizzy smells beautiful, when I opened the bag I thought it was a packet of fudge or pick and mix as it is packaged in a striped pick and mix style paper bag. I have not used this yet as it is much too hot to marinate in a hot soapy bath but the bomb looks interesting with star shaped confetti and pink and white smelly goodness. I look forward to using it.

The Glossybox False eyelashes and glue honestly to me look hideous. I am a girl that will rarely wear falsies anyway as a good mascara can do just as much sometimes. But these are too thick and too long. I have visions of not being able to open my eyes all night due to the weight or the fact my bottom lashes will tangle in the thick lashes and never come loose. These may go in my fancy dress box or be donated to someone who is a lot braver than I am.

The Kiss Nail Wrap was a nice surprise as nail wraps are generally quite expensive. The only let down is the design. Cause I’ve always been a pink tiger print with diamonds kinda girl… I could maybe see myself using one on my ring finger or again for fancy dress but honestly so far the Miss Glossybox isn’t looking so good right now. I can’t tell you how well they work. I so want to and if it was any other design, I probably would know by now.

Also included in my Miss Glossybox was a teeny tiny sample of the Beyoncé Midnight Heat Perfume. It is a gorgeous smell and this will take pride of place in my handbag next to my Travalo. I just wish there was a little more in the sample maybe a 4ml sample in a little glass bottle or in a small spray bottle but maybe I’m asking too much.

The final item in my Miss Glossybox and the final item in today’s reviews is the VO5 Plump it up dry backcomb spray. I was so happy when I saw this. It’s not a product I have looked at before and I have never considered it before but when I read what it was, I’m not going to lie, I squealed. A spray which works like backcombing, without actually backcombing. We all know back combing is bad and harmful to your hair but we all do it. I found this works really well. I am a bit in love with it too. I will be using this again and I think this has made my Miss Glossybox, and has convinced me to give them another chance and continue on to the September/October box. But in truth if it fails to deliver then I may have to say goodbye miss glossy hello birchbox.

X

New Name?

I recently found out that my old name "NixiPixie" was taken by another popular YouTube beauty blogger so I decided it was best for me to change my name. So I came up with the Name "ChicPicnique". I decided this new name was the little push I needed to really get my blog on the radar. I will be creating videos for YouTube and posting reviews and blog posts on this blog, hopefully every week. Now I just need to push myself to make that first and scariest video. I hope you can join me in this journey and help me along the way and I will be seeing you all very soon hopefully. :) x

Okay so this is a wee bit late but I've been super busy with Park Life, hot air balloon's. But anyway here we are and is it really time for the June Glossy box already. Wow this year is flying.
So this month my Glossy box was the usual pink, but no matter as I love these boxes so much. Nestled inside my box was a leaflet explaining this was the summer looks Glossybox. The leaflet gives you a few ideas for the summer and then tells you what's in your box. but in true excited child at Christmas child I skimmed this and rushed to reveal the treats inside.

• Nuxe Huile Prodigiuse OD- multi purpose dry oil for face body and hair.
• Figs and Rouge Coco Rose lip balm
• Paul Mitchell curls full circle leave in treatment and ultimate wave
• Monu professional skincare hydrating moisturiser with SPF 15
• Q:Balance Body spray

so lets get on with the review.

So with the Nuxe dry oil, the packaging is glass and a little clumpy almost like a nail varnish pot, a little awkward for me to take on holiday. But my real issue with this is that I received the Caudalie Dry oil in last months glossy box, why they thought I needed another I do not know. This one has split as it has glitter resting on the bottom of the glass jar. I'm guessing the glitter adds radiance and shine to the oil which could be nice for summer and in the evening. referring back to the instructions it explains you spray it on to the area you wish to use it on. I open the bottle. "spray" how do you do that with no spraying top. Hmmmm. So i pour a little in my hands. "oops should have shook it first" tonnes of the oil spills onto my hand. not impressed. I try to distribute the oil into various areas of my skin and run a little through my hair. I'm afraid I'm not impressed. my hair looks greasy, there is fine glitter all over my hands making my hands feel dry and uncomfortable. I think if I use this product again I will find a small spray bottle to apply it and maybe only use it on my legs which is where is appears to go on best.

Secondly my Figs and Rouge lip balm. I am in love with this packaging. It looks like a proper paint tube. I will enjoy throwing this into my handbag. my only issue being that this style tube means that there is absence of an applicator. The instructions say that you can apply with fingers or straight from the tube. neither the less I try it. the lip balm is the same colour and texture as the barbie icing tubes I used to get for cake decorating. the balm is easy to apply even without an applicator, it doesn't feel to sticky and it seems hydrating, also it smells of rose so I'm happy. I am very impressed with this item and will certainly use it. 

Next the Paul Mitchell curls range. I used a small amount of this on my hair when I washed it last night. the instructions for both tubes say apply to damp hair, which I don't really like as it appeared I was putting a lot of product on my hair. I normally prefer to put as little product in my hair as possible as it makes my hair healthier. But regardless I followed the instructions, blow drying my hair with a diffuser (which I hate by the way) until my hair was dry and then I scrunched the curls and I'll admit I'm happy with the results. My hair is naturally curly so I'm guessing this product for me just did a small amount of gentle nudging, and kept it in place but I do like this product and I might have to take it on holiday for when I'm air drying my hair, hopefully I'll get similar results that way too. the product size is handy and I look forward to finishing it Ha ha.

My Monu moisturiser looks honestly good enough to eat. I'm very excited about this one. unfortunately the excitement is not reciprocated as the product does not seem to want to meet me. I cannot seem to manage to get the stuff out of the tube. eventually after banging a bruise into the back of my hand a small glob comes out. honestly this stuff glides on the skin like silk. rubs in fairly easily but still goes a long way. There is a very   light fragrance which just smells clean and fresh so nothing overpowering. my skin feels very hydrated and smooth and honestly i have nothing bad to say about the product. my only issue is the packaging and for that reason i wouldn't buy the full size version of this product, especially at £29.95. But i am happy I received this product as it saved me buying a travel sized moisturiser for my holiday next month. 

And last but certainly not least is the Q body spray in Q:Balance. Well how much can I say on this. the packaging is very sophisticated looking. When buying body sprays for my handbag I tend to end up with the "so..." range or "charlie" which i feel are quite childish almost. this is a small "ish" can of 100ml which is a little larger than the cans i usually have in my handbag but for travelling this could be useful. The Iris and Mimosa fragrance is very delicate and i could see myself wearing this as it wouldn't overpower a perfume. The spray is also meant to work well as a deodorant which is always handy.   

So i hope that you found this blog entry handy and informative. I have also subscribed to the Miss Glossybox which i will review for you when that comes in a months time.

I hope to soon be doing videos on my youtube channel and i shall keep you posted on that one. 

See you all soon xoxox