ASOS Beauty Calendar 2016 - reveal

Happy 2017!

I know we’re in 2017 but, I thought I would kick off the month by rounding up all the products I received in my ASOS Beauty Calendar last year – I was sharing a lot of the pictures over on my Twitter and Instagram, but it was such a lovely calendar to have that I had to share it on my blog. I will have to make a mental note to myself to share this in November this year but until then, here are my thoughts about the calendar and a full list of everything I received.

2014 Round Up - Popular Posts

Considering we are approaching the New Year I thought now would be an appropriate time to round up my most read posts of the year. I've never done this before, but after realising that people actually read my blog, I was super intrigued to know what sorts of posts were popular. I've compiled a list of the top 10.

1. Smashbox Liquid Halo HD Foundation Review + Photo Finish Primer 

2. The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil Review

3. Introducing BeZonter Christmas Crackers 
4. October Book List 

5. Book Review: The List
6. Cleansers On The Go 

7. Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant Review 
8. Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama 24H Gel Liner (Black) Review 

9. December Book List 
10. September Birchbox 

So that's it for my final post of 2014! I'd like so say a huge thank you to all of you who read my blog! It means so much to me looking at my analytics and statistics and seeing that people are actually engaging with my blog. I'm not one to focus on numbers or followers, so it actually means the world to me that I see the amount of reads or clicks on links increasing. This has been happening since the second half of the year and has really shown me that putting the effort in will get you results. I'm even impressed at my bloglovin' stats - I don't promote my bloglovin so much but I've managed to increase it by over 50% since March this year. 

Anyway enough numbers for now, but I really do want to say a massive massive thank you for taking the time to read my little space on the internet. I'm really looking forward to 2015 and where I will take this blog. For me I just love writing, so it will always be about creating enjoyable and relatable content, and I'm really excited for how I'm going to go about that in 2015! 

What are your most read posts of the year? Link them below as I'd love to have a look! 

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November Birchbox

So my November Birchbox landed on my doorstep about a week ago (let me not even go into the drama that I went through to get the box, Yodel are the worst ever). So I thought I’d show you the goodies that I was given this month.

The theme for this month is Cosy at Home and we all know I’m all about cosiness. This month I got try the Montezuma’s Organic 54% Cocoa Milk Chocolate. I’m always eyeing this up in Tossed so it was nice to finally try it. I’m too used to eating crap chocolate, so for me it wasn’t as delicious as Cadbury’s bar, but it was still damn good. 

The next thing I tried was the Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip Plumper Rio, sample boxes are so hit and miss when it comes to lip colours so I wasn’t expecting anything I can use. I personally wouldn’t wear this shade because it looks like foundation lips. Silly old me tried this on inside forgetting it was a lip plumper and spent 5 minutes wondering why it was stinging so much. 

I’ve written a couple of posts on cleansers and I was surprised to find a full size cleanser from Dr. Jart+ V7 Cleansing Foam. I was surprised for two reasons, one it was full size but also because I stay away from foam cleansers, for me they always make my skin feel stripped. I used this on the day I got the box and I’m not going to lie, it felt like I was using those soap bars that instantly make everything dry and I HATE those bar soaps. Honestly the minute the water went into contact with the cleanser I just felt that dreaded dryness. I’m going to give it another go, but honestly? I’m wishing they had given me one of the other products. 

I also received the Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Mask for hair and I’m looking forward to trying that to see if it can give my weave some life! Another full size product was the OPI Turn on the Haute Light – I absolutely love this name! To be honest when I saw it I was like ‘ooh this is nice but nope wouldn’t ever suit me’ but I painted my nails with it the next day and actually wore it out and I liked it. I think it would look lovely on the tips of red painted nails. The last thing I got was the Weleda Sea Buckthorn Body Oil, I am yet to use it but it definitely sounds perfect for winter! 

Not going to lie nothing in this box really tickled by fancy but it will be nice to try out these products.

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October Birchbox

I know what you're thinking, why are you so late with getting this up. But my box was late getting to me! The postman (or lady) decided I obviously didn’t want my box and delivered it to someone else (I don’t know this for sure). So the lovely people at Birchbox sent me another one, and this time it made it to me! I actually ended up with two because after I got my replacement, I also got sent another one, so I e-mailed them asking if they wanted me to return it and they said I could just keep it. I'm just going to give it to a friend haha. As it's been a while since I got it, I have used some of the products for a bit now I thought I'd comment on if they worked or whatever, rather than just give you a run down of what's in the box.

For October, Birchbox teamed up with the charity Coppafeel to give us a dose of pink and a guide on what to look out for when you check the boobies for lumps. So with that came this lovely pink pouch, which I just love because it can be re-used! The theme for this month is actually “Work It” to help us 9-5 people out there keep motivated. They actually included a 14 day checklist for things to keep you going which I thought was super cool, and in order to make you use it one of the samples was Birchbox Pink Lipstick Pen, super cute and handy. So moving on to the beauty bits we have.

The Shaveworks The Cool Fix was something I was really looking forward to because ingrown hairs are a pain and I was looking into getting Tend Skin, when this came along. But I think as this suited to preventing ingrown hairs, it didn't meet my needs as such. So will have to continue using before I make up my mind. The KMS California HAIR PLAY Playable Texture was a meh product for me, I've only used this once. I'm a bit weary of hair products that say texture because ever since I used a sea salt spray in my weave and it turned into a dry mess. So I only stick to what I know.

One thing I was super excited for was the Balance Me Cleanse & Smooth Face Balm because I really thought the eyecream I received from Balance Me in July's box was great!  I do enjoy using this cleanser, can't say I have seen any sort of improvement in my skin but it hasn't broken me out. The only thing is the smell, I know Balance Me is super natural and all, but goodness this thing just smells so funky. It only lingers for like a few seconds upon application, but urgh it is not something I am getting used to at all. I do love using it because of the tiny grains it has, my other balm is Lush's Ultrabland but it super smooth, so this is nice for those days when I want to remove the nitty gritties.

I'm always looking to add to my nail varnish collection so the Lollipops Voyage a Paris Nail Varnish was perfect for me! I own a few reds but this one is still different from the other ones I own. I love the colour as it's a very bright red. Looks gorgeous on the toes as well as the fingers! So I received Pixi by Petra Shea Butter Lip Balm in Honey Nectar as my lip product, I was really hoping for the other colour because I just knew this wouldn't suit my skin tone and I was right.

I'm super excited for my November box, I've read that the theme is based around being cosy and I'm all about that life..!

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September Birchbox

Man oh man I loved this months Birchbox. I know I said that about last box but nope this box tops it. Seriously. In my first review/unboxing of the July Birchbox (which was my first one) I mentioned how I subscribed because of The BeautyBlender and guess what only just ended up in my box this month?! Oh what a sweet miracle, the beauty deities were definitely looking down on me this month!

The theme this month was 'Happy Days.' I personally couldn't give a crap about the theme, but the box was pretty! They also gave you the chance to pick one of your products, it was between a mascara and a lipstick/lipgloss and maybe something else. So basically this month was quite different to what I have seen from the past two boxes.

Anyway on to the goodies!

Apologies for the photos, I think my camera may be dying :(

Korres Citrus Showergel - I'm loving these shower gels because it means I'm always stocked up for the gym! I am yet to try this but I am excited to try something by Korres.

Agave Healing Oil Treatment - I am super excited for this! I have seen my hair Youtube Crush talk about Agave oil that she uses on her natural hair, and I have been intrigued by it. So imagine by surprise when this was in my box. It is meant to be so good for hair and this one smells divine! I am yet to use it on my weave or my hair but I shall definitely be doing so!

Beautyblender + Blendercleanser Solid - The star of the show! I think this is the full size blender and it came with the soap which, I've already used to clean the beautyblender and my brushes! I've tested out the Beautyblender and I can safely say that I see what all the fuss is about, it makes my foundation look like my own skin and is just very flawless. Oh to love a make up item!

Benefits It's Potent! Eye Cream - Another eye cream! I still haven't used up my Balance Me Eye Cream because I am lazy at incorporating it into my morning routine. But everyone says this is really good, so looking forward to trying it.

ModelCo Powerlash Black Mascara - This is the product I chose when they gave us the option of choosing something. I have tried this and so far I think it's okay. I am looking forward to trying it out some more, I do like that it's a smaller size because it's easier for putting in my make up bag.

There were two other bits I got which was the Birchbox Photo Clip, they had collaborated with Photobox, hence the Photo Clip. Not sure I'll actually get any use out of this as I don't ever print photos, but it's pretty. I also got a fruit pack by Urban Fruit (as shown in the last picture) in Magnificent Mango. I don't like mango so I gave it to my mum and she really liked it!

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So that's it for my September box. I'm definitely enjoying the beauty box samples so far, I am also getting through a fair bit of the samples so expect an empties post soon with mini reviews!

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August Birchbox

So this months Birchbox has made me very happy! I was already able to get a sneak preview from Adrienne’s post – but the contents of mine were actually a bit different.

The Proposal by Tasmina Perry - I received a sample copy of Tasmina Perry’s novel ‘The Proposal’ I’ve actually read a couple of her books before, Private Lives is enjoyable. I thought this product was a bit of a waste of a sample but it did remind me that I do love a good Tasmina Perry book!

Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Oil - This was the item I was super excited to receive was this. If you read my Month wishlist you would know that I have wanted to try this out for a while. Well since it landed I have been using it and I have to say…so far I’m not seeing any results. The claims on the website say that people get hydrated within 6 and 24 hours, obviously I don’t have the tools to measure hydration but I’m not seeing any difference in my skin. So am I feeling a little bit glad that I didn’t shed out £58 for this? Yes. However I might be singing a different song when I have finished using the tester.

Dead Sea Spa Magik Refreshing Bath Shower Gel - I’m not really sure what this item is meant to do. I mean obviously I know what a shower gel is meant to do, but I thought it would have some miraculous claim for it to be included in the box. The only thing special I can see about it is that it’s blue and shimmery. It reminds me of mermaids for some reason. I’ve looked up the brand and they actually do see to do a range of stuff I plan to try, but as for this shower gel? It’s handy for the gym and doesn’t irritate my skin.

Vasanti Brighten up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator - I really like this product. It’s different to other face exfloliaters that I own. The particles are small and gentle so I don’t feel like I’m doing much damage to my skin. They recommend using it 3 to 5 times a week, which it is gentle enough for. I really can’t say that it has brightened up my skin but I do enjoy using it and will see what results it brings!

Wild About Beauty Powder Eyeshadow in Paradise - I’m not a person that buys eyeshadow, I am terrible at applying it. Even when I follow a tutorial I look like I’ve just thrown things at my eye in the dark. This shade is gorgeous and I do look forward to trying it at some point.

Number 4 Lumiere D'Hiver Super Comb Prep & Protect - I don’t really have much to say about this product. It’s not something I feel l can really comment on honestly as I’d only ever use in my weave. I did use it in my hair after I went for a swim and can’t say it did anything spectacular. It was pretty handy having a leave-in conditioner as it just meant I sprayed this in and let my hair air dry!

So that’s all for the August Birchbox! I’m really happy with my second box, I don’t see anything being a keeper right now but who knows what it will be like after I use them all up.

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July Birchbox

So last month I finally subscribed to a beauty box! I know there are loads of beauty boxes, I always read blogs where they have been sent the monthly boxes so I knew there were many to choose from, but in the end I settled for Birchbox. I obviously was totally because in June they put Beautyblender in the box! I’ve wanted to try one, but I totally missed out there. Anyway after looking etc I decided that was the one for me. I ordered at the end of July and so managed to get the July box.

If you don’t know much about beauty boxes the low down is they are a box with 4-5 sample size products, though some boxes do give out full size products or only do full size products. I personally love the idea of sample size boxes because it just gives me the perfect chance to try out things that I typically wouldn’t pick out.

You would have probably already seen a lot of posts about the July box already but here is what I got in my box! P.S some of them I have already used so will say what I think about them.

It comes in this cute little box. The boxes have been used by people to create cute little craft projects, so I’ll save mine in hope that one day I shall also do something crafty with them! 

Compagnie de Provence Hand Cream Mediterranean Sea - I’m glad I got a hand cream in this because after running out of my Avon one I was looking to try something and this popped up on my door step just in time. So far so good, it isn’t anything special so for me I don’t think it will be a purchase. 

Soigné Nail Lacquer in Pomegranate - This nail varnish is such a pretty colour! It also has really lovely packaging. I’ve already used it once and really love the colour pay off. I typically tend to apply one layer of nail polish because I’m lazy. I have to say this has a scent that I assume is supposed to smell nice, but I couldn’t stand it! Also I’m not sure if this is because I only applied one layer, but after I had a bath the next day this nail varnish got a funny texture. I’m not sure how to explain it other than the temperature of the water burning the nail varnish? Oops have just read it’s best to apply this with two thin coats! 

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream - I love that I got an eye cream because I was contemplating purchasing one. I have quite sunken eyes, so I tend to always look tired. And after getting comments at work about how tired I look, and I know the eye area is a dead giveaway, I knew it was time to get some eye cream to bring some radiance to it. So I’m trying this out and see how I find it. So far so good, except for the fact that I keep forgetting to use it! My morning skincare routine is so ingrained in me, that anything that tries and worms its way into the fold, quickly gets forgotten. But I will preserve. 

Laqa & Co Sheer Lip Lube In Bees Knees in Coral - I’m not going to lie this colour does nothing for me. I was hoping if I got received this product I would get a darker shade, but alas no. I personally don't feel that colours like this go well with my skin tone, so this is something I will not be using. 

Benefit POREfessional - I’m so excited to try this! This is my first time ever trying something from Benefit. I’m yet to try this because I don’t wear foundation every day, and recently I haven’t been wearing it at all. I’m super lazy in the mornings and if I took to putting foundation on, I’d be there forever trying to get it right. I have been wanting to try out POREfessional for a while so I’ll feedback to you! 

The Chia Co. Chia Shots - My final thing was chia shots! I do like chia seeds in my smoothies and on food and I’ve ran out, so these are handy! I like having a beauty box with a twist. I’m very happy they didn’t send me VitaCoco, awful stuff. 

So these are the contents of my box - hopefully you will see some reviewed on the blog! 

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