October favourites

I Absolutely cannot believe that we are at the end of October! It makes me so sad but so happy at the same time because it means CHRISTMAS! 

Here are a few little bits and bobs that I have been loving throughout the month of October! 

Firstly, as I absolutely love to get into the festive spirit of course I have dived, literally head first into the halloween bits. 

One of my favourite things about Halloween is the yummy snacks, I honestly could eat them all year! The Mr Kipling toffee terror whirls and the chocolate and slime bars are amazing! Both great with a cup of tea. I am also a big fan of the Jaffa cake bars in lemon and slime and zingy orange. They are yum. 

Following the halloween theme, I totally adore my new little candle burner from yankee. I decided to get a tart burner as I am always wanting to try out new scents and I thought this would be the cheapest way to do it. 

This month I have been loving three tarts; fireside treats, candy corn and ghostly treats. All three of them smell very sweet but also have that smokey October sent to them. Perfect to burn when you're doing work at your desk. 

Super excited to try the winter ones of the next few months.

Another candle I've been loving is Zoella's Lets Glow candle. This is a much lighter scent but great for relaxing and chilling out. 

As it's been getting a bit colder and my wardrobe has been more darker colours I have loved having more of an opportunity to wear my Topshop boots. They are so comfy but still a great height and just look good with a causal or more smart outfit. 

Had to mention my amazing Lisa Simpson pyjama leggings from Primark. They are just so comfy for a cold evening when you get home and just want to chill out. 

Also this super super cute phone case which I got from ebay for 2.99. It's dinsey, what more needs to be said? Also I've also worn this jumper quite a bit over October. It's pretty thick and the hearts just add some nice detail. 

Finally a few beauty/skincare products. Over the last few months I've been really enjoying the Bourjois bronzer. It's just great to add that bit of colour to your face in the transition between summer and winter. As my skins really pale it's just nice to brighten my face up a bit as my summer tan fades. 

Lastly, I've been enjoying using these two products on my face each morning and night. The Liz Earle cleanse and polish hot cloth cleanser is a really nice warm wake up for your face. It just makes your face feel really clean and it's great to help with spots. 

 Similarly, I've been using this Body shop, tea tree skin clearing toner. It's really refreshing to wipe onto your skin before you go to bed and gives you a really natural and clean feel to your skin and it's also great for spots. 

Those are what I'm really enjoying this month. I would love to hear about what you have all been loving too.

Love 

Alice May 

XXXX 

Birch box

So recently I received my second ever beauty box! It was only in the past few weeks in which I stumbled across the concept of beauty boxes and of course I had to jump on the bandwagon. 

My first beauty box, you beauty discovery is mentioned in a previous post, this post will feature Birch Box.

So this box is a monthly beauty box in which you pay £10 for the box itself and £2.95 for packaging, obviously paying £12.95 in total. 

This months Birch Box had a special Lulu Guinness theme, a designer who had picked a few items for the box. The sleeve of the box therefore was decorated in a Lulu Guinness style which I thought looked very smart. 

 

The box itself comes with some leaflets and vouchers explaining the products and giving certain money off vouchers. 

The products come in this cute little pull string back and are nicely packed away. 

And here is what I saw when I opened the little bag. 

This month I received 6 items in my box which I thought was a really decent amount of products for me to test and try. 

Firstly, I got this Lulu Guinness designed stick of rock, I'm not really a big fan of rock but it has a heart with Lulu Guinness running through the middle which looks pretty cool however I'm not really sure if I will eat this. 

Next I recieved a sample of the perfume English Laundry. Most people hate perfume samples but I find they are quite handy to put into your handbag on a night out or something, however you can get them in most shops for free. 

Next I got this Korres, citrus body milk, this is quite a big sample and body butter is always something that is needed so in looking forward to trying this one out. 

I was really impressed with my next sample product which was the Benefit, stay don't stray eye primer. I absolutely love benefit and have not actually tried this product properly so I'm really pleased that this was in the beauty box. 

Another great sample was this Dr. Brandt, pores no more pore refiner. This is normally a really expensive product in full size and therefore I think the sample is great to test out and again to slip into your make up bag. 

Finally, I recieved this Molton Brown, Rhubarb and Rose, hand cream sample and I have to say it smells absolutely amazing. I love rhubarb and this is like the dream smell. I may even consider purchasing it after this. My item however was damaged when it arrived as I had a faulty plastic tube. I contacted Birch box and straight away they sent me out a replacement of the sample by first class post. I was really impressed with this quick service. 

Overall, I am really impressed with my Birch Box, although it is slightly pricey I am certainly going to keep it going for the next few months to see what else arrives at my door. I just love having little packages to open. 

If you're interested, take a look at my older post on the other beauty box I ordered and compare the two, both at different price scales. 

Alice May 

Xxxx

e.l.f Haul

So a few months ago a brand new e.l.f store opened in Cardiff and last weekend I thought I would buy a few things.

I've previously bought some elf products online as they are always really good value and a pretty decent brand. However, the store is really nicely designed and laid out in one of the arcades in the city centre. 

They have plenty of space and plenty of items, if I had more money I would of definitely bought more than I did but luckily I will be able to pop in anytime now! 

Firstly, I bought the elf mineral infused primer. I've previously seen this mentioned on a few blogs and I was really keen to give it a try. It was priced at £6.95 which is a bargain and it is quite a good sized bottle. 

The primer is a really nice consistency and makes your skin feel so smooth and lovely once you put it on. The pump mechanism is really handy as in one pump you get the perfect amount needed for your face. So far I am really impressed with it and would certainly buy it again. 

 

Next I picked up several make up brushes, I was really in need of a new foundation brush I also got a eyeshadow brush. Both of these were £3.95. 

The foundation brush I chose was the angled foundation brush. I'm still not to sure on my opinion of this, I find the brush quite firm and hard to blend make up with on my face. However, I'm continuing to try it and will see if it softens up. 

I also got the eyeshadow 'c' brush, this a really good petite size perfect for eyeshadow palettes. However it is also quite a hard and firm brush to use where as I prefer something a bit softer. 

One of my top items which I bought was this moisturising lipstick in the colour coral cutie. At only £3.95 this lipstick is a really nice creamy sort of texture. I am also a massive fan of the orangey summer colour which is not to full on and adds a nice nautural summer look to your lips! 

I also got the elf contouring blush and bronzer which was also £3.95 in the colour Turks and Caicos. I really love the size and shape of the set and it also comes with a mirror which is always handy. 

I really like the blush as it is a nice light and nautural colour for the cheeks however I found the bronzer quite heavy and dark, although in the summer months I think I will get more use out of the bronzer shade. 

Finally, I had to pick up one of these eyeshadow sets for £10. This is the baked eyeshadow palette which I got in the colour California. 

The palette consists of ten different eyeshadow shades which works out at only a pound per colour which I think is amazing. Although in comparison to the naked pallete the eyeshadow is not as soft, the colours are still really pigmented and they are blend nicely together to create a lovely effect. I love all of the brown and shimmery shades and I think it is a great palette to have on a budget perhaps whilst you are saving for the naked one. 

Overall, I am really impressed with elf cosmetics and I think at the price they are it is a great brand to test and try out perhaps before buying more expensive versions of things. 

Alice May 

Xx 

You Beauty Discovery Box

So today was a very exciting day for me! After reading several blogs about beauty boxes I took the plunge and decided to subscribe to a few boxes this month to give them a try, and my first one arrived today!

So basically, there are several beauty boxes which are monthly subscriptions of a box containing several beauty samples for you to try out. This specific beauty box is one of the cheaper few and is only £6.95 per month. 

For this particular beauty box you recieve about four or five small beauty smaples, you can actually select two of these samples online before the box is delivered to you so that you have a brief idea of what you are getting. However, because I was new this month and only subscribed half way through the month a few of the top products were taken but it was still very exciting when my beauty box arrived this morning. 

So here is the picture of the box itself, I think it's a pretty simple but sweet design, this box is a bit smaller than the other beauty boxes that I have seen but that was expected as this was the cheapest beauty box at £6.95 unlinked the bigger brands at £12.95.

When you open the box you have a little leaflet which tells you details about the products which are inside your beauty box, it also contains vouchers and money off codes for the products inside the box if you want to purchase them. 

I think the box is nicely presented and packed with lots of shredded tissue paper so that nothing is damaged on the way. 

So in my first months beauty box I got; 

Some Vintage Cosmetic Comanpy toe separators, although these are really cheap, they do come in handy and I could do with getting rid of my old ones so quite happy with these.  

I then got some tea bags from Dragonfly tea, I've never tired this brand of tea before and I really enjoy trying new flavours of tea so I am looking forward to trying these. The flavours are Moroccan Mint which is a green tea and Cape Malay Chai, so they both sound very interesting. 

Next is one of my selected products which was the Paul Mitchell, dry wash spray. It's quite a good size sample at 50ml. I thought it would be a nice alternative to my usual dry shampoo so I am looking forward to testing this. 

Lastly, another one of my selected items was the Dr. Lipp, original nipple balm for lips. This again is a good size product, possible full size for a lip balm. I have tryed it out and at first I found it to be quite thick and sticky which I don't usually look for in a lipgloss however I  willing to give it another try with lipstick etc. 

Overall, I have been really impressed with my first beauty box. Especially as this box is so so cheap I will definitely be staying subscribed for the next few months or so to test out more goodies before making up my mind.

I also have recently subscribed to Birch box which should be coming soon so I will post about that one shortly. There are also a few other beauty boxes I am keen to try however I am trying to budget and therefore I am testing them slowly to rule out which ones will be becoming a fixed subscription. 

If you haven't ever tired a beauty box I really recommend at least a tester month! 

Alice May 

Xxx

February favourites

It's the end of the month, already the year seems to be absolutely flying by... 

However, I must say that I am rather keen for spring to be here. 

As my posts have been rather absent this month, I thought I would share with you the things that I've been really enjoying over the past month. 

Firstly is this valentine haze candle from paper chase. I got it as a valentine gift and have been burning it ever since. It has a really sweet smell and I think the little hearts look adorable. Such a cute little gift for someone who is as candle mad as me! 

Secondly is my Benefit, Hello Flawless foundation. In these cold months my skin gets really dry and I find this foundation really hydrating and fresh. It's also a fab colour match for my very pale skin and gives me a natural sort of glow!

I'm really happy with my purchase of a vintage Polly pocket necklace from etsy, I love anything that's a bit quirky and weird and this just fits my child like persona perfectly. 

I also have been having the best nights sleep in my super cosy my little pony pyjamas from primark. The fact that they are leggings just makes them so comfy! 

I also tryed out a cute little nail pattern I found on Pinterest for valentines day and I think it worked out pretty well, I love doing all sorts of nail patterns so if anyone has any cute ideas please let me know! 

Finally, I've really been enjoying these bare minerals loud and clear lip sheers. I find they are really hydrating for your lips but also add a nice subtle base coat to create a more smooth look under a bolder colour. 

Hope you all had a nice nosey on my favourites, send me some links to yours! 

Alice May 

Xxxx