Another Little Mac Haul

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 I love MAC. I’m just putting that out there, the beautiful stands of well placed make up draw you in and captivate your attention. Not letting you leave until you have another perfect lipstick, in another of their black perfect bags and I cannot seem to help myself. I love my MAC store; it’s so pretty and always has amazing music inviting you inside. All the people who work there are so friendly and helpful and I always feel like they are willing to have a chat, unlike so many other people I have had the displeasure of being served by. 

I have four little things to show. The first is the MAC Fluidline in the colour Blacktrack and I have a post dedicated to this eyeliner, which you can see here. I had never used gel eyeliner before, so I bit the bullet and decided to buy it. Whilst I was worried I could become some crazy Goth girl as I’m not normally the most steady of people when it comes to eyeliner, I have been pleasantly surprised as I’m able to draw quite a thin line that makes my eyes pop. 

The Second is my favourite item I purchased and it is the MAC 217 brush. This brush is amazing for blending colour into the crease as it glides effortlessly along the hollow of my eyes. It also can be used to intensify a look by adding a darker shade to the outer part of the eye. I was extremely pleased to get this brush as I have a few of the MAC duo fibre brushes and love them! 


The last two products are lipsticks. I had wanted colours that were different to the ones that I reach for everyday. Generally I will stick to reds, or pinks but I never really use colours that have a nude shade or a plum shade. Therefore I decided to purchase Viva Glam II, which is a satin lipstick, and also Plumful a lustre lipstick. Each can be perfect for an every day look or they would both compliment a dark smokey eye on a night out. 

What was your recent purchase from MAC?  



ShannonKims 


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The Liebster Award

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I cannot believe this is my third award nomination. Thank you to Emma for nominating me for The Liebster Award. Now just as Emma did I am going to start with 11 random facts about myself.

Random Facts 
•I love water; whenever I go out for a meal I will always order a glass of water with ice. It’s my favourite drink and I hardly ever get anything else. 
•I love vintage fashion; I think it’s amazing how styles from the past slowly work their way back into our wardrobes. 
•I love the colour Rose Gold, I have a rose gold Festina watch that I cherish and wear everyday. 
•Sophie Kinsella is one of my favourite authors this is because her novels are so funny and true to a woman’s life! 
•Just like Emma I love Disney, I have almost every DVD and I went through a faze of collecting them like a mad woman. (I still would be in this faze had it not been that I caught up with the Disney Vaults – woops) 
•I have never had a filling (touch wood). 
•I love Doctor Who! And I miss Matt Smith so much; his scenes with Clara were just heartbreakingly beautiful. 
•I have been to Paris four times and I hope to go back as many times as possible. 
•I started reading fanficiton in 2008 and still read it to this day – that I feel is commitment. 
•I’m going to be 20 in April and am dreading it! 

The Questions

1.If you had to choose one food to eat for the rest of your life what would it be?
Indian Takeaway, it’s my absolute favourite meal to have! I love the combination of flavours and mixing them all together – now I really want an Indian takeaway, damn!  
2.What's your favourite high street shop?
Topshop, I love their jumpers, jeans and shoes. 
3.Where would you like to be in five years time?
A successful Writer or a Publisher. 
4.If you could invite four people to your dream dinner party, who would they be? and why?
Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Bilbo Bagins, Katniss Everdeen 
I realise most people would probably opt for real life people, but I wanted to change this to characters as I would love to be able to go inside each of their heads and understand each personality to the fullest. 
5.Who's your favourite Disney princess?
Belle or Ariel, I can never pick between the two. 
6.What is your biggest fear?
Being Unsuccessful.
7.What's your favourite thing about yourself?
My hair, especially when I curl it as it’s naturally long and brown. 
8.What's your favourite beauty product?
Lipstick – I just think it can dramatically change any look. 
9.Where's your favourite place in the world, and why?
Paris, it’s so amazingly beautiful. I would love to one day live there and write my books, over looking the Eiffel Tower. 
10.How do you recover from a bad day?
I turn on old school amazing songs, turn the volume up to the highest and just dance around the room. 
11.If you could travel to any part of the world right now, where would you go? and why?
Australia – it’s the furthest away and also seems like the most amazing place to visit and explore. 

I Nominate…


And My 11 questions are: 
1.What is your favourite book? 
2.What is your favourite TV series?
3.If you could be someone else for one day who would you be and why?
4.What is your dream job?
5.What is your biggest achievement to date?
6.If you could pick any old school song to dance to right now, what would it be?
7.What is your biggest hobby?
8.What is your favourite Disney film?
9.What is your earliest memory?
10.Who was your best friend in primary school?
11.Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? 

Thanks once again to Emma for nominating me. 

ShannonKims 


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Urban Decay Perversion Mascara Review

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There is nothing I like more than applying mascara and watching as my eyelashes grow in length, fluttering like an Oscar winning movie star. Or at least I like to think they do, however when reality sets in and they just look lovely and long I am still just as pleased - whilst a little disappointed I am not a movie star. 

Recently I purchased the Urban Decay on the Run palette and I have to say I have been very impressed with the majority of the products inside. For the last few weeks I have been putting the Perversion mascara to the test. I was slightly apprehensive to use this mascara as I absolutely love my Benefit’s They’re Real and also L’Oreal’s Telescopic mascara. I always worried when first trying a mascara as they are always so wet and do not help with separating the lashes or building any thickness. 



However, on first try of this mascara I was very impressed, it lengthened and thickened my lashes. I was even more pleasantly surprised that upon second testing it did the same thing. The brush is large and extremely different to the L’Oreal or Benefit ones, which focus on creating length. Unfortunately, the set back for me for this mascara is that because the brush is so big it means I get a lot of the product on the tops of my lids, the mascara is designed to last all day and fixing this problem is not easy! With most mascaras I can take a cotton bud and remove once it is dry but with this one I have to use a make up wipe which results in me wiping away my eyeshade making me the application of the eye make up pointless. 

I love the look this mascara is able to achieve, I do not like the look my eyelids end up becoming. For me this has become a bittersweet relationship but ultimately I will not be purchasing the full sized product. So sad, but true. 

What is your favourite mascara? Have you tried this one, if so what were your thoughts?

ShannonKims




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The Versatile Blogger Award

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This is my second award/nomination post, and I cannot thank Grace enough for nominating me. 

The Rules
Thank the person who gave you this award, and leave a link to their blog.
Tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.
Select 15 blogs/bloggers that you've recently discovered or follow regularly.
Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award.

7 Facts About Me 

•I recently saw Wicked and since this amazing opportunity I cannot seem to stop jumping around my room to the soundtrack and belting Defying Gravity at the top of my lungs capacity! 
•I’m in my First Year of University at Bath Spa, studying Creative Writing and Publishing and I absolutely love it! 
•I love the use of an exclamation mark and probably use way too many than I should, I seriously have to hold myself back when I am writing a blog post! <- woops, three already. 
•It’s currently raining cats and dogs. The wonderful sound of the pitter-patter takes me back to when I was young and we used to have a caravan at Lyme Regis. We would go almost every weekend and due to British weather it would rain the majority of the time. The sound of the rain again the window here reminds me of the caravan and all the wonderful times we had there. 
•I hate tea and coffee! It is just not for me, but I do love a good cup of green tea or a mug of hot milks. 
•I love crisps! They’re most definitely my favourite food to snack on; I wish crisps could be healthy and good for you because then I would probably never eat anything else ever again. 
•I love Paris; my room is completely themed for the Eiffel Tower both at Uni and also at home. I have been 4 times and truly hope to go back again some day. 

Now for my nominees 
Ami from http://www.perksofbeingami.co.uk

ShannonKims 

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The Amazing World of Vintage Fashion

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Vintage fashion is something that fascinates me to no end. I am amazed at the difference in fashion over time and also how things from the past have slowly worked their way back into our wardrobes. Fashion is one of the leading industries in the world and over the years we are seeing more and more young people wanting to venture into this crazy world. On the catwalks there are daring and outrageous looks, to chic and sophisticated ones that are completely timeless. But constantly past styles are being recreated and redesigned.

One of my favourite things about vintage fashion are 50’s dresses, the style and shape completely suites my body – complimenting my curves and my small height. Generally the dresses will stop just below or just under the knee, which is the perfect length for my small legs, as anything mid-length completely swamps my body making me look ridiculous.

On a recent trip to the beach we took a detour to Molly’s Den in Bridport; under one roof there are hundreds of suppliers selling antique and vintage belongings. From furniture to vintage fashion the supply is limitless and never ending. Walking inside it appears as if you have stepped into Aladdin’s Cave. It’s amazing and for an instant you don’t know where to start, however, once you get looking you soon find time starts to fly by, as all the amazing objects take you into the wonderful world of the past.

As I said, I love anything Vintage so I’m constantly rummaging through the fashion rails looking for a bargain. I love the smell of the vintage leather jackets – that always seem to be out of my price range and the wonderful leather doctor’s cases that would look perfect walking down to my lectures. However, I have to remember I’m only a Uni student and I can’t afford all these wonderful things. But that does not stop me looking!

Finally after a while I found this wonderful Vintage 50’s dress. Amazingly it fits be like a glove, as if it has been designed for me alone. The quality of the dress is outstanding and a lot of care has been taken when making it. The Baroque pattern compliments the style of this dress completely, the navy standing out against the cream background and the inside lining has been darted to create an ascetically pleasing look. The price tag stated £12.00 not a bad price at all but I knew I could haggle them down and the lovely lady at the counter took the price of the dress down to £9.80!

When styling the dress I love to add a pair of dark Tights from Primark, Heeled Ankle Boots from F&F and my amazing Black Coat from F&F (stay tuned for a blog post on this coat).


Do you love vintage fashion? If so what has been your best buy so far?

ShannonKims
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To Wear or Not to Wear Foundation?

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Foundations are one of the most exciting products to purchase for myself, but they are also one of the most frustrating ones. I love to read an amazing review on a foundation and then go out and test it for myself. However, because I have incredibly pale skin it can become very difficult for me to find a foundation that matches my skin tone. Because of this I wanted to do my top 5 foundations but I have to admit it was difficult to pick 5 because I generally tend to only stick to a few. But some of the drugstore foundations I have chosen I love to use in the summer when I do not need as much coverage.



5. L’Oreal True Match
L’Oreal True Match has a full range of different colours to choose from, making it very easy to find the right one for you. However, I do wish we were able to take a sample home before purchasing it, just to make sure the colour is correct as it is almost impossible to return items to the drugstore in the Uk.Although I love this foundation I only like to use it in the warmer months as it has quite a luminous glow and during the winter I prefer to appear quite matte. 

4. No7 Beautifully Matte 
One of my favourite drugstore foundations No7 Beautifully Matte is perfect for both day and night as it lasts for a great length of time. No7 have a brilliant gadget where they hold a device up to your face and it reads your perfect colour for you. The foundation does what it says on the tin, it is matte and it lasts perfectly for a good couple of hours, making a staple in my make up collection.

3. L’Oreal Infallible 
Another drugstore foundation is the L’Oreal Infallaiable, it’s high coverage and once again has a great range of colours. It has a pump which I love on a foundation and blends seamlessly with both a brush and a beauty blender. The only negative comment about this foundation is after wearing for a great length of time it can start to oxidise.  

2. MAC’s Studio Fix
I have been using MAC’s Studio Fix for a while now and I always opt back to this foundation when I want a full coverage.  I like to apply it with a duo fibre brush as I feel it gives the best look and finish. I tend to use this foundations when I am going on a night out as I know my make up will stay in place all night and not move an inch off my face. 

1.Nars Sheer Glow
The Nars Sheer Glow foundation is my current favourite, it has medium to full coverage and lasts throughout the day. It has excellent range of colours, as I am not the lightest shade – which is a breath of fresh air I must say, to know I’m not as pale as a vampire for once! The only negative thing I can say about this foundation is there is no pump! And it drives me crazy, as every shop I visit is sold out, come on Nars get it together!!

What is your favourite foundation?

ShannonKims





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Rolling On By With Benefit's New Mascara

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Mascara is fast becoming a common theme on my blog, as I’ve never had so many all at once! A general rule of mine is to completely use a tube of mascara before starting another as bacteria can cling to the brush and then create a home for itself inside the tube (nice little image there). Unlike make up brushes, which we can clean daily, cleaning a mascara wand is not so simple as it will take all the product away.

As with a lot of bloggers I purchased the latest Elle magazine that contained a sample of the new Benefit mascara. I swear by Benefit’s They’re Real – it’s my most loved and most purchased mascara and it made me question if they would be able to match the quality with this new one. The brush is curved as you would expect from the name and it suggests you perform a ‘rolling’ action with the wand, it’s small and precise allowing you to get to every lash top and bottom. 

On first application I love it, it lengthens the lashes and provides the thickness I require. When I apply the next coat something seems to go wrong, you have to be very careful at this stage as the lashes can end up clumping together and creating an all round mess! Sometimes applying this mascara goes perfectly well and my lashes look amazing in length and thickness. However because there are times when it can clump and make my lashes look like the disastrous spider legs we all hate, I have to say I do not think I will be purchasing the full size (no matter how cute the packaging is) and instead I will stick to my ever trusty They’re Real. 

Have you tried this mascara? If so what were your thoughts on it? 


ShaannonKims 

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The Very Inspiring Blogger Award!

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The Very Inspiring Blogger Award!
Mondays can be fundays as this blog post will highlight. As my blog has started to progress over the past few months I have been given a few wonderful opportunities. My latest bit of news is that the wonderful Amy has nominated me for ‘The Very Inspiring Blogger Award’! So thank you very much!
Here are the 7 facts about myself!

Musicals are my all time favourite things. I love to rock out to them in my bedroom and whenever I am sad or down putting a musical on in the background instantly has the cababilty to lift my mood – and me off the floor to dance around like a mad woman.

Baking is one of my favourite pastimes and in particular cupcakes! I have a very special chocolate frosting recipe that tastes amazing! (even if I do say so myself) I love the combination of flavours that can be made in a simple and small cake.

I am a bookworm through and through –

Which is pretty apt as I want to be a writer (another fact) I love how writing and reading a novel can take you away to a fantasy land full of mythical beings, allowing you to forget for a small moment where you are and in that time I can be blissfully happy

I love lipstick! It is my favourite make up item as I feel it can dramatically change any look. A natural make up look can become suitable for the evening with just a swipe of MAC’s Russian Red or any smokey eye can be toned down with a nice natural nude!

I love photography! I am a budding photographer, in my spare time there is nothing I enjoy more than taking my camera out into the grounds of my University to try and capture some wildlife at it’s best. I also really enjoy taking photos for my blogs, I love setting up the scene for my make up or gadgets and then taking an expert shot that seems natural.

A poor student!

Those were my 7 facts about me!

I would like to nominate...

All you ladies have to do now is think of 7 facts about yourself and nominate 15 people to do them too!

ShannonKims

xx

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Defying Gravity at Bristol Hippodrome

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Yesterday evening I was given the opportunity to join Elphaba as she defied gravity – and boy did she do it with style. For 11 years I had been begging my mum to take me to see the musical ‘Wicked’ as time flew by and opportunities came and went we were unable to see the musical until this very week. Receiving the tickets at Christmas felt like all my dreams were coming true and lucky for us the ‘Wicked Tour’ had decided to grace Bristol with its presence, meaning that we only had to drive for an hour to get there. 


My mum decided that we should make a night of it so we promptly booked a room at the Holiday Inn for both my dad and us. To say I was surprised by the hotel is an understatement, I had no idea how posh and swanky it would be, our room was massive and the next morning we had an all you can eat buffet breakfast! 

The walk down to the Bristol Hippodrome was filled with adrenaline, excitement and also a little apprehension. I'd been waiting so long to see this musical that I worried it would not be able to match my expectations. I had grown up surrounded by Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth’s version of the musical and I worried the leading duo would not be able to recreate it as well as the originals had done.

The Hippodrome glowed a bright green light, illuminating our pathway towards the theatre. It seemed the entire city was in celebration for opening night as the fountains just across the road had also been set with a green glimmer. Saying goodbye to my dad we went into the theatre where the atmosphere was electric, I could immediately tell everyone was excited for the show. Merchandise was being sold everywhere with customers throwing money to the cashiers and I have to say I was one of them. 



I purchased the Souvenir Brochure with the Original Cast Soundtrack, which I had wanted for a very long time. I make it a tradition to buy the Souvenir Brochures when I see a musical just as I did when I saw Les Miserables, Phantom, Cats and many more. To add to the two items I also picked up an amazing t-shirt that has the quote ‘Never Apologise For Talent’ which I think is so correct and a lesson for us to live by and finally the original programme. 


Onto the show itself; sitting in our seats, I am only a few rows from the front. My mum and I love to sit in the stalls as it means we have a perfect view of the stage. The curtain is down and it shows a huge map to the Emerald City and above our heads a dragon waits patiently. 


As the opening music begins to play shivers run up my spine as ‘No One Mourns the Wicked,’ blares out from the live orchestra. I cannot help but grip my mum’s hand with joy and as the rest of the musical plays I realise that all my fears were stupid. My expectations have been exceeded and then some. Ashleigh Gray who plays the Wicked Elphaba had a voice so powerful and amazing that I grinned like a mad women when she hit the final note of Defying Gravity. One of my worries had been that Ashley could not match the level Idina Menzel had set but boy oh boy did she! She was fantastic and I truly wish to see her in theatre again some time. 

Although I knew the majority of the songs I did not know the story completely and I was pleasantly surprised to find out the plot is before the Wizard of Oz and also during and then after. Because of this they are able to explore the story of both witches and Emily Tierney amazed me with her wit and brilliant acting as Glinda. Those who have seen the musical will understand me when I say her ‘Toss Toss’ was on point! And her little quirks in the songs were brilliant. Both Emily and Ashleigh worked amazingly together and bounced off each other with their humour.

Overall, the show was amazing and I loved every single second of it. For the opening night the only problems encountered was a second cut out of microphones during the group performances but this did not affect any of the songs at all. I feel truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to go and I cannot thank my mum enough for taking us. I only hope that I am able to watch the musical again in the future as it is definitely one I would love to be able to go back and see again and again and again. 








What are your favourite musicals?

ShannonKims 
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The Eye Liner Difference

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A look can dramatically change by adding eyeliner. It’s not a surprise therefore, that I have been wearing eyeliner everyday for the past week and have been loving the effects. It makes my eyes appear bolder and brighter, and adds definition to the face when I wear a simple make up look. 


I recently purchased Mac’s Fluidline in the colour Blacktrack. I have been eyeing these gorgeous little pots for a long time and at only £15.50 I thought I would give it a try. I apply it with a small Liner brush from Real Techniques and I love the effect I am able to get from this brush. It's very versatile as I can create a very thin line across the top of my lids or a thicker line for an intense look. 

Each day I use natural eye shadow colours that provide some definition but do not look too heavy, I apply the eyeliner to create a winged look. I then add a dark red lipstick to compliment the look. The focus is therefore on the lips and the eyes.


Using this eyeliner is very easy, so do not be put off if you cannot do it on the first time -  it’s all about practising!

What are your feelings on Eye Liner? And which is your favourite? 

ShannonKims 
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New Custom Domain

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Hi All! 

I wanted to update you on this exciting development I have made for my blog as I recently changed the URL to a custom domain. Changing it from shannonkims.blogspot.co.uk to www.shannonkims.com, this change is the first of many for my blog as it will be evolving over then next coming weeks. Moving on to this custom url has been an exciting leap forward for me, my blog is an aid in helping me to write constantly. It keeps my thoughts flowing and my brain active, providing the writing material I need. 


However, with this change there comes a few disappointments, unfortunately I have lost all of my comments and +1’s I received in the two years of having my blog. Hopefully this will not cause too much of a negative impact but it did cause me to deflate slightly after having such a high of buying a new domain. If you would like to comment on my posts then please feel free to do so! 

I have many plans for the future of my blog, starting with uploading a post every weekday. I will be testing this idea for a week to see if it is beneficial, I also played with the idea of uploading every other day and may opt for this idea if I decide every weekday does not work. Please let me know what you thoughts on this are and which one will work?

The look of my blog will be completely changed very shortly and you will be able to see my blog have a different face. I’m hoping the look will be chic and classic, nothing too in your face. Instead I am looking at creating a very simple but also very beautiful blog. 

I hope you will all like the changes being made on my blog. 


ShannonKims 

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Birchbox February 2015 – Looks Can Be Deceiving

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This month I was extremely excited to receive my second Birchbox as the first was amazing and exceeded all of my expectations. However on ripping off the packaging I have to admit I was disappointed; gone were the vibrant colours and patterns and we say hello to what seemed like budget packaging. The very simple cardboard lid with the Birchbox logo in white lettering hides the plain white box underneath. Looking back on it now, I wish I wasn’t so quick to judge – as humans we do this all too often; judging what is in front of us before we have the chance to open it up and realise what is on the inside. 


And oh what was in the inside? A wonderful and exciting range of products, in fact there were so many amazing things that I genuinely cannot contain my joy – eeeekkkk. 

First thing I spot as I open it? ‘Friends with Benefit,’ an amazing and exciting look into what we can expect in the March Birchbox and I have to admit this month has got my expectations high for next month! The little note says if we like make-up we do not want to miss next month, as we are able to pick a sample from our friends at ‘Benefit’! 

There’s the generic piece of card that has all the products on it and if you are like me you throw it to the side until you want to know what a product does. Next comes ‘Birchbox loves’ a small selection of postcards highlighting some of the products in the box and what they can be used for! 

Then onto the products themselves, once again they are inside the cute pouches and this month it has neon green accents. Opening it up I can see I am going to love this month – which I do. I really do. 

First is Electric Hair Shampoo that hydrates and moisturises, it retails at £17.50 and claims to boost moisture and restore shine. 

Next is Staniac by theBalm Cosmetics, this cute little item is a stain for both lips and cheeks. It claims to be long lasting and retails at £10. Although the smallest sample in the box I am super excited to try this item. 

Another sample is the Radiance Serum by Caudalie and I have to admit that I couldn’t wait to try this product and absolutely love it. It claims to be complexion correcting which I believe it is and says that skin will be glowing thanks to this radiance boosting, oil-free formula. Retailing at £45 it is the most expensive item in the box. 

Next is the full sized product by Eyeko, which is the Fat Eye Stick. It is a deep brown colour that has specks of gold glitter in it. It states that it is an easy way to do a smokey eye; it can be used as eyeliner along the last line and also blended and smudged for a statement look. The product retails at £16 and comes in a set of 3. 

The next product is Vita Coco Coconut Oil, I was very pleased to receive this product as I have wanted to try coconut oil for a very long time. The size of the product is amazing and I am sure I will be able to get many uses from it. On the little card it says it can be used as a moisturiser, hair treatment, a smoothie ingredient and more! It retails at £10.99 

The final product is from London Butterflies and is the Bath Salt Scrub, I have heard so many things about this product and am very pleased to be able to try it. Retailing at £35.00, it claims to renew the skin and lock in moisture with the Dead Sea salt and almond oil ingredients. 

I am so pleased with this months box and super excited for the next. I will be trying all of these products out for the remainder of the month so make sure to keep checking for blog posts.


What did you get in your Birchbox this month? 


ShannonKims 




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