Have Yourself A Glossy Little Christmas: December Glossybox.

First of all, Apologies for the slightly grainy quality of the photography, this 4pm sunset malarky is not doing me any favours! 

Just a quick peek into this month's Glossybox, a 'Festive Celebration' box to "please the even the most critical of beauty connoisseurs". 

I recieved: 

Rituals Magic Touch Ultra Rich, Whipped Body Cream: 70 ml £5 

Seche Nail Laquer in Elegant: 14ml £9.95 

Sleek Makeup True Colour Lipstick in Stiletto: 3.5g £4.99

Lemon by Mary Greenwell: 100ml £90

Argentium Apothecary La Potion Infinie: 70ml £147

Bonus Glossy Pink Blush 

I was impressed by this box, I doesn't strike me as super festive, rather more chic than last years red affair. I like it though. 

The Seche polish jumped out at me immediately  I don't apply nail polish without a final coat of Seche Vite so I was intrigued to see how the colour range worked out. I'm not a huge fan of the shade but the application was faultless. Very tempted to peruse the rest of the range now!

I'm not at all bowled over by the Rituals body cream, I'm currently wading through a small mountain of creams and lotions so I'm afraid this might not get a look in for a while! 

I must admit, I did a little squeal when I saw the Sleek lipstick. I've been after a proper fire engine red for Christmas and this is the ticket, matte, bright and daring, It's perfect! 

Despite being less than enamoured by Mary Greenwell's Plum scent, Lemon is a whole different story. Fresh, clean and inviting it's been popped straight into my work bag. The perfect mid afternoon refresher! 

To be very honest, i'm not quite sure what to think of the Argentium potion. As I'm not desperately seeking anti-aging just yet I suppose i'm a little off the target market, but I'll get back to you once I've given it a go! 

Finally, the Glossy Pink blusher reminds me of Fleur Power from MAC. It's a nice bonus.

So, this month: 

Winner: Sleek True Colour Lipstick

Loser: Rituals Magic Touch Body Cream 

What did you get in your box this month?

Laura xx

Quick Gift Idea: Molton Brown Orion Gift Set

Just before I head out to go and get the Christmas Tree (exciting!) I thought I'd give you a heads up about a lovely little gift set from Molton Brown. I'm a particular fan of the small bath and shower gels as they make an indulgent post workout treat in my gym bag, but they'd make any Mum/Sister/Auntie or Grandma happy.

Described as London via the Stars, you certainly sample some of the star fragrances. 

For £36 you get six 100ml bottles (saving £24 if you bought them individually) showcasing some of MB's most famous scents. I'm pretty sure you already know my Paradisiac Pink Pepperpod addiction but I'm an all around fan. 

Find it here. 

Laura xx

Inside The Bathroom Cabinet.

Next to a woman's handbag, the contents of her bathroom cabinet are always telling. Here is a sneak peek into mine. Now, I'm only showing you the presentable shelf, it's really the only shelf that matters here.
 In many ways the contents of my bathroom cabinet are very similar to my handbag, slightly 'eclectic'. The other shelves contain a mixture of the obligatory smelly man things,  out of date suncream and paint tester pots. If I tell you I've been unwittingly carrying two cans of minestrone soup around in my handbag for the last few days, all should fall into place. If anything this post has shamed me into a sort out. 

In fact, this shelf is a major improvement on previous states. I've managed to slim it down to products that I actually use rather than things that look pretty but are largely redundant. 

Taking centre stage is my new love, the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Balm . Yes it's the choice of every blogger under the sun right now, but it's for a reason. This stuff is good. It cleanses without stripping and gently exfoliates without being abrasive when used with a flannel/muslin cloth. I've been mixing a little bit of the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant* in with it every other evening to just shift the slightly drier skin that the winter brings. You may have noticed the antithesis of the Emma Hardie Cleanser behind in the form of the Boots Botantics Microdermabrasion Polish. This is an abrasive mother. I use it probably once every two weeks if that. I tend to use a pea sized amount and just concentrate on the sides of my nose and forehead, I wouldn't dream of scrubbing away on any delicate areas with this stuff, you'd be red raw in no time. 

Colgate Max White One is quickly becoming my preferred toothpaste, it may all be psychological but I don't care. Whiter teeth will be mine! 

The other sneaky products hiding in the back are the Dermalogica Ultracalming Cleanser, my absolute stalwart if my skin is going mad. The N-Spa Melting Cleansing Gel is a top shout if you're on a budget, it working in a similar way to the Emma Hardie Balm Cleanser and is pretty well on the chemical nasties front to. If you want a similar affect but are watching the pennies, I'd suggest giving this a go. 

Finally, my little Clarisonic-a-like is still going strong, but is as elusive as ever. Keep an eye out in TK Maxx! 

What's lurking in your bathroom cabinet? 

Laura xx

Wednesday Wishlist: Whistles.

I'm having a bit of a Whistles moment right now. Simple. Chic. The grown up Zara. 

1. Josa Shoulder Detail Sweater

2. Burlington Bag

3. Becky Bead Bracelet

4. Mirabelle Filigree Ring

5. Mai Tai Court Shoes

6. Isobel Boucle Drape Jacket

Laura xx

Product Rave: Umberto Giannini Frizzi Range.

I admit it, I've been in a bit of a haircare rut. Berber Oil is still my first love, but when I was pleasantly surprised with the new Frizzi range from Umberto Giannini, I was more than ready to give it a whirl. 

The range landed on my doorstep at the perfect time, and was about to undergo the ultimate acid test. It just so happens that I decided to test this on one of the busiest working weekends of the year, with 12 hour days  (mostly spent in the drizzle) whilst running around like a mad thing. I think you'll find these are the perfect conditions for a giant fluffy mane. 

So why is this a product rave? Well, it put in a bloody good effort. It dealt with the 6am mist, 10am drizzle, hat hair and running around. Instead of hair befitting a Neanderthal, I got away with mild waves. Thumbs up. 

Product by product, the Shampoo & Conditioner are pleasant to use, smell fresh but don't lather particularly quickly, I'll continue to use them but will have to see if they actually make a proper difference. 

On this occasion the rave lies with the styling products. I was fairly dubious when I clocked the Day After Day After Day After Day Taming Spray. I've used the original John Freida version and it left my hair feeling flat and lifeless. I've done a quick ingredients check and the UG version appears to have less silicones  whereas the JF lists Polysilcone-9 as it's second ingredient. I'm not a scientist, I just know it left my hair feeling sleek and frizz free without feeling weighed down. 

The Miracle Worker Oil is also a lovely little product. It's evidently not as natural as the Berber but used sparingly after styling it definitely fought the frizz.

Overall, I'm really happy with the range. The true acid test has to be that I had to retrieve most of these products from the shower/bathroom cabinet to take a few snaps. They've already fallen right into my daily routine! 

Stars of the range? The Miracle Worker Oil & Extreme Taming Spray

Take it or leave it? If I had to go without, I'd probably sacrifice the S&C.They're lovely but I've used others with the same styling products and noticed no real difference. 

Hopefully the brown paper bag won't be needed from now on...

Laura xx