September Birchbox 2015

September is Birchbox’s birthday month and thus is the theme of this box. They have turned 5 years old this month making them the oldest beauty subscription service out there. 

All of the products in this months box comes from the USA and they tell us where each product comes from. Therefore to start it off ‘hailing from NYC’ is the Beauty Protector body wash, the perfect size for taking away with you! I have had a product from the Beauty Protector and it was the detangler, which I loved so I have high hopes for this product.  Also from New York I have the Facial Polish from Laura Mercier, I have recently stated that I needed a facial polish and two come at once which is brilliant for me. Obviously Laura Mercier products are beautiful and I cannot wait to try it.  The final thing from NYC is the Citrus Neroli Detangler from John Masters Organics. It smells lovely; I went through a very bad habit where I would not put anything on my hair, even when heat styling, but recently I have been a lot better at it. 

Then hailing from Brooklyn is the Cheeky Lip Pencil in the colour Cray-Cray by Laqa & Co, I have never heard of this brand before and I was also very surprised at how opaque the lip crayon was as I thought it would be more like a moisturising lip crayon with a hint of colour. Not the case! 

Finally Hailing from San Francisco is by Benefit and it is the POREfessional Licence to blot. I wanted to try this product when it was first released but I did not want to spend so much money when I may not even like the product therefore I am so happy to receive it in this months Birchbox. 

The final product is a beauty bonus and it is the Birchbrush, a mini to the Tangle Teezer and very clearly a dupe I was pleasantly surprised to see it in my box. I love the size it is perfect to keep in my handbag for desperate needs! 

I loved this months box, what did you think?

ShannonKims 

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August Birchbox 2015

Another late Birchbox, which I am very sorry for! I have been slacking terribly when it comes to keeping up to date on blog posts and half of the time they are late, which again I apologise for! The august Birchbox featured heavily around emojis and is named the #beautyjunkie box. I will say straight off this is not the best box I have received and I was very disappointed in the make up items.

The first thing I noticed are the #beautyjunkie emoji stickers. Whilst cute I do not know what exactly I would use them for and feel that they would get stashed away in my drawer and never be seen again. 

The first bodycare product I received is the Ayurveda Scrub, it is an Indian Rose & Muitani Clay body scrub which I am looking forward to using. The next is the Huygens facial scrub, which I am happy to receive, as I have needed a facial scrub recently due to dry skin.  

Something that I have used, but unfortunately left at home so do not have photograph to show, is the Keblo clarifying shampoo. To be used once or twice a month, it was quite difficult to soap up and therefore I had to use double the amount. But it is supposed to be a gentle blend of ingredients to detox your hair and scalp. 

The final thing for skincare is the Overnight Success, which is overnight spot minimising patches, with tea tree and grape seed. I haven’t yet used it but I am currently having a bad skin week so these may be put to the test this week. 

The final two products are a blush and a bronzer. These two products I’m highly disappointed in, the sample sizes are extremely small and I do not understand how I could possibly use the bronzer from The Balm to its full potential. The blush is from Lord & Berry and doesn’t come in a proper box and instead is just a pan. The blush is slightly better in size but again is very small. 

Overall I have mixed feelings about this box, for a beauty box I am highly disappointed in the sizes of the make up pieces. I realise they are samples but they are very tiny ones! 

What were your thoughts on Augusts Birchbox? 

ShannonKims 

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Iconic Pro Palette by Revolution Review

The brand Revolution boasts brilliant make-up at affordable prices. It's well known for its wonderful palettes and the  products that are dupes of highend items that sometimes can be a bit tricky to afford.  The Iconic Pro Palette is a dupe for the Lorac Pro palette, I have a few Urban Decay Palettes so I did not want to spend a lot of money in order to get this one therefore I felt that the Iconic Pro Palette was the next best thing! 

The palette comes in a matte box making it feel more expensive than it is, the black matte packaging is very sleek and timeless and, (Although a nightmare to stay clean), I love the style. At £6.99 the palette come with 16 colours, there are so many neutral shades varying in colour and shade. The top 8 colours are all matte colours and the bottom 8 are shimmer colours. Some of the lighter shimmer colours are pretty similar but I’m not complaining because of the brilliant price and also the intensity of the colours. There are a few beautiful transition colours and I have loved experimenting with the shimmer again. 

The pigmentation of each colour is amazing and beautiful and the colours do not fall onto my cheeks and they blend perfectly together.  I love the size of the mirror inside, as it is perfect when travelling. 

As for a dupe, I can’t say much in comparison because I do not own the Lorac Pro palette. But from pictures and other reviews I have seen they are very similar. The colours are extremely similar and I am very pleased that I purchased the Revolution one at a fraction of the cost. 

What are you thoughts?

ShannonKims 

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August Favourites

August was a good month for new products!! I was lucky enough to try some new and exciting products (to me) and also relove some products I have spoken about in the past. August was a hectic month full of work, socialising and more work! So blogging unfortunately has had to take a back seat. 

The first product I want to mention is MAC’s Lightscapde Mineralize Skinfinish, it is the perfect powder highlighter creating a subtle, yet beautiful shine along the tops on my cheekbones. It really does look stunning and beautiful when shining in the light and might even be my favourite purchase of the month! 

The next product is something that I have mentioned in a few previous blog posts and it is the Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation. This foundation glides effortlessly onto my skin providing the perfect and flawless base without appearing too heavy or cakey. I love the idea of a lighter foundation that still provides coverage and this definitely is it! 

The next favourite of the month is the Iconic Pro Palette by Revolution, a dupe for the Lorac Pro Palette (not a product I own so cannot compare the two). The eyeshadows are super pigmented, do not fall down half of my face and also they blend well together. 

Next is the MAC 215 Brush, a different monthly favourite but something that I have been absolutely loving. The domed top allows me to both, pack colour onto the lid, but also smudge out any liner that I apply. It’s a super versatile brush and I’m so happy to have it in my collection. 

My final make up item is the Wetnwild Cherry Pickin Lipstick, I recently purchased this lipstick on a trip to Spain. I had been searching stores high and low for his particular colour and when I found it I may have done a little jump for joy (sad I know). It has been my favourite lipstick colour this month and if I could I have matched it with just about anything. A very bright and vibrant pink it will definitely be coming with me into the autumn months. 

One of my non-makeup favourites of this month is my current Shampoo & Conditioner. I have been using (and loving) the Coconut Milk Shampoo & Conditioner from OGX. I have seen this brand in a couple of my local stores and I really wanted to give it a try. I love it! It smells incredible and also makes my hair silky smooth and soft. 

The final favourite of the past month is the Texturising Spray from Batiste. I had seen Gabby use this spray in one of her videos and I just had to try it. Whenever my hair is freshly washed it does not want to do anything! It is almost ‘too clean’ and smooth, therefore it needs a bit of texture in order to allow me to style it. 

What were your favourites in August?

ShannonKims

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The Cosmetics Company Haul – Featuring MAC, Bobbi Brown & Smashbox

In a little store in street there is a wonderful world full of discounted and discontinued make up. It is a bloggers joy and it is my little world of heaven. The shopping outlet called Clarks village has discounted stores galore and when they opened a make up outlet store I knew I would be in love. The prices are brilliant and the products are even better. 

(The haul also includes three MAC products that I got in Debenhams but I had a £10 off voucher so I’m classing them as my discounted make up!)

Whilst I was excited to see they sold MAC I think I was more excited to see they sold Bobbi Brown! I have always avoided this stand in the department stores due to the price of all the items! Therefore I jumped at the chance to pick a few things up. The first product was the Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in the colour 24 Karat, it is a beautiful vibrant gold that lasts all day long! The next product by Bobbi Brown is a lipstick in the colour Baby Pink, normally I would avoid this shade at all costs but although it is called ‘Baby Pink’ the colour is far from it is a lovely pink with hints of dark undertones, which I love! 

Now for the MAC products the first product I picked up was the Paint Pot in the colour Tailor Grey, it’s a very smooth base allowing make up to glide perfectly onto it. I also purchased an Eye Shadow Quad in the colour Pink Freeze, I love all of these colours as they are very pretty and perfect for the upcoming Autumn months. There are two pink shades and also a bronze and a dark purple colour. I also picked up another Matte lipstick in the colour Please Me, it’s a beautiful rose pink colour. The final make up item from MAC is the Mineralize skinfinish in the colour Lightscapade, this product is the best powdered highlighter I have tried in a while! 

The final three items from MAC are make up brushes, the first is the 215 brush which is perfect for packing colour onto the lid and also smudging out eyeliners. The next brush is the 224 – the perfect brush for blending in the crease. And finally from MAC I got the duo fibre brush 187SH it is a shorter brush so perfect for taking away when travelling. 

The final make up product I got from the Cosmetic Company is the Photo Finish Foundation Primer – one of my favourite primers, I was so excited when I saw it in this discounted store as I had just ran out of it! 

That’s everything that I got! Let me know if you have tried any of these items and what you thought of them! 

ShannonKims  

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Current Make Up Go To Look

This summer I have really been loving the minimal make up look. I used to absolutely love the flawless look (whilst I still do) I have realised less is more. Therefore, it is out with my heavy foundations and in with the lighter, subtle, but still a bit of coverage foundations. Don’t get me wrong I still could never, in my opinion, pull of the light coverage foundations – I just don’t get them. But I have opted for a lighter version. 

I have raved about this foundation for sometime now and I honestly still love it, a lot of foundations my skin will seem to get used to but luckily the Estee Lauder Double Wear Light is an exception to the rule. *Fingers Crossed* that it stays this way and I am able to continue to love it through to autumn and winter. 

I apply a small amount of this foundation; a little really does go a long way, under my Smashbox Primer (personal fav). I like to buff it into my skin using a real techniques brush. I then will take whatever concealer I feel my skin needs. For the days where I want to look properly polished I will take my MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, but for days when I want just a small amount of concealer on my blemishes I will take the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer – it’s a steal at £4.99. 

For powder I will apply a light dusting of my MAC powder, I like to still have a bit of a glow so do not cake myself in powder (like I used to). I then will take my Real Techniques Contour Brush along with Benefits Hoola Bronzer and create a slight definition on my cheek bones, my nose and any other places I would like to appear ‘sculpted’, on a daily basis this is very minimal, but when going out I love a good bit of contour! 

For my cheeks I have been loving the Benefit Dandelion blush (read my review on this blush here) and for a highlight I love my new one from MAC in lightscapade. (New MAC Haul coming up!) 

Moving onto eyes, I have really been liking the revolution eye primer, it provides a good tacky base to apply any eyeshadow on allowing the colours to be vibrant and the eyeshadows to last all day. The palette that I have been liking at the moment is the Iconic Pro Palette by Revolution, I wont talk too much about it as there will be a review coming but as a dupe for the Lorac Pro palette it’s a gooden. For my brows I have been loving the Revolution Arch & Shape pen, it’s almost exactly the same as the Soap and Glory Archery brow pencil but I much prefer it due to its ridiculously cheap price. 

Finally I will curl my lashes and apply my favourite mascara, which at the moment is the Roller Lash Mascara by Benefit. To finish the look and set my make up in place I will spritz a bit of the Smashbox Water Primer in an ‘X’ across my entire face. Apply a lipstick of my choice and done! 

ShannonKims 

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Kiko Haul

I love Spain, for two reasons, of course the first is the sunshine and the relaxing and the second is for the shopping and more importantly the make up shopping I can do there. In the town my uncle lives there are many lovely shops and Kiko just happens to be one of them. 

I hadn’t actually planned on shopping on this trip as it was so short, but me and my mum still managed to find the time to get a little bit in (all be it late at night). 

The Kiko store is amazing, big and bustling due to the newly released line and also the extensive sale going on throughout the store. 

I automatically headed towards the foundation and concealer section, as there was a particular item I wanted to try. The full coverage concealer is supposed to be a dupe for the Bobbi Brown concealer. It’s in the same little pot and it has super high coverage, perfect for those pesky spots! I bought the shade 02 as the 01 was way too yellow for my skin.

The next thing I picked up was a part of their new collection and it is the glowing potion. This perfecting potion comes in this beautiful glass bottle with rose gold accents – definitely the thing that caught my attention. I’m excited to test this serum, as I loved the Claudile one, but it is so expensive so if I can find one that is less money I feel it will definitely be worth it! 

The next two items I picked were lip products. I love the Kiko lip liners as they are so creamy and glide on effortlessly. The colour I picked up was 709, it’s a bright pink and I love it! I also got the lipstick to match; the Smart Lipsticks are my favourite in the Kiko brand as they are very opaque, creamy and cheap! 

The final make up item I purchased is the Radiant Touch Creamy Stick Highlighter (what a mouthful). I purchased the colour 100, which is a beautiful gold highlighter stick that I am very excited to try. 

The final two items that I purchased are nail products. Before going away I had an OPI gel manicure, which I loved and I wanted to be able to replicate it myself. Therefore, I picked up the French manicure nail lacquer; this is brilliant for French tips due to the tiny brush. It allows you to create a very thin line on the top of the nail. The final thing I purchased was the Gel look topcoat. A lot of brands have been coming out with the Gel look or gel topcoats and I am very excited to test this particular one out! 

I hope you enjoyed this haul, if you love Kiko what is your favourite product of theirs? 

ShannonKims 

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