Wantable. Beauty Box

I have to be honest, I've never delved into the world of beauty boxes before, making me all the more excited to try Wantable.'s offering! They're based in the US but they now offer international shipping with a shipping charge of only about £4. Like the other beauty boxes each box contains 5 products, but the best part is that they're customised to your taste and they're all full sized products. Upon signing up, you can choose whether you want a Beauty, Accessories or Intimates box. I, being the addict that I am, chose the beauty option and proceeded to customise my box. 

My final choices were: 
Love- blush, lashes, eyeshadow and tools 
Like- brows, eyeliner, lip colour, complexion products, nail polish and bronzer 
Dislike- highlighter
and I got 3 of my loves and 2 of my likes - a pretty successful box, I would say and I have to say, being greeted by 'Hello, Knockout!' was a pretty nice touch!

 GlamNatural Creme Blush in 'You Make Me Blush'* - $32 (About £19)
The first thing I noticed about this was that it is insanely pigmented. You literally only need a tiny bit and blend it (quite quickly mind you, it could be prone to staining) and voilà- you're left with rosy cheeks. The whole philosophy of GlamNatural is that their products contain no water, leaving you with a really concentrated pigment. It's very long lasting and can look really beautiful, provided you haven't been too heavy handed with it. You can see from the swatch above just how pigmented it is, so you need to be careful with application.

Be A Bombshell Eyeliner in 'Espresso'* - $14 (Around £8)
I've never tried brown liquid liner before but upon trying this I've been really impressed - the fact that it comes out at a soft colour, rather than insanely pigmented, turns out to be an actual positive for it, making an eye look seem not so intense as black may look. Although it seems watery to apply, the second after I swatched in on my hand it wouldn't rub off. It wouldn't even budge! I had to use makeup remover and then it came off with ease, but it's pretty smudge proof which is definitely a plus for me (I have the tendency to rub my eyes. A lot.).

Golden Rose Sexy Black Mascara* - $12.99 (Around £7)

I love trying out new mascaras so this was the perfect thing to receive, particularly because of its differently shaped wand! I've never been particularly adventurous with wand types so I'll give this a go, but I can say that on first impressions it's quite volumising. 

Michael Marcus Prime Brush* - $38 (Around £23)
I have to be honest and say that I'm kind of over these kind of pointed brushes, I much prefer stippling brushes/sponges/my fingers, as I find them to be a lot less streaky. That's not to say that I won't be giving this a good go, perhaps it could be one for concealer in those hard-to-get-to areas.

FACE STOCKHOLM Nail Polish in 'Want-A-Blue' (Exclusive to Wantable.)* - $12 (Around £7)

First off I need to give serious kudos to whoever chose this colour as it's just a truly beautiful periwinkle blue - thinking Essie Bikini So Teeny without the shimmer. On top of the amazing colour, the formula is so creamy and an opaque paint job can be achieved in as little as 2 coats. I've been sporting it on my nails ever since I got it and I'm yet to spot a single chip (note: I am wearing a top coat) and its thin brush made application so easy! I think this is love. 

Sorme Treat & Tint Skin Perfecting BB Cream in 'Light Honey'*

I was lucky enough to get an extra mini sample in my box which I'm excited to try out, however I hope I don't fall in love with it as it's quite hard to track down!

Overall I'm really impressed with my Wantable. box, with a value of well over $50 when it's sold at $38/$40 depending on which subscription you decide to get. If you're looking for a beauty box which is truly worth the money, I can wholeheartedly say that Wantable. is the one for you. You get full sized products and products that are suited to what you want, not just what is available to the company, which is something that I haven't seen before. 

If you want to have a look at their website or even sign up for a box, go check them out here!

January Favourites

The first month of 2014 is already over and boy am I glad to see it go! It's been a slow and stressful month which has been filled with exams and rain- not a good combo- but these have been the products that I've been using all month!

Late night study sessions = dark under eye circles = Origins GinZing Refreshing eye cream to the rescue! Slightly tinted to counteract the darkness and then some, as well as feeling really refreshing and making my eyes look a lot more vibrant.
For that added coverage, I've been relying on the Make Up Forever Full Cover concealer which has really been the best thing to help me look presentable when I go out. I apply it with my fingers then blend it in with the EcoTools Airbrush Concealer brush, which makes it really look flawless.

I've been wearing the Urban Decay Eyeshadow in 'Sin' (the lighter pink shade) to add some brightness to my eyelids and give a bit of shimmer. It has a great formula and is just a dream to blend!
The Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner in 'Black' has been great for adding a bit of a dramatic line when I've gone out this month, staying on the hole time without a smudge in sight.
To add some colour to my cheeks, I've loved applying the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in 'Thankful'. It's a beautiful shade which adds a flush to my face, with an instant healthy glow.

To keep my hands looking presentable, I've loved the Nails inc. nail polish in 'Old Bond Street' which is a lovely, deep violet colour. Battling against the cold has taken a toll on my hands, so this Nivea Smooth Nourishing hand cream has been a welcome visitor! It's so moisturising and rich but not greasy, making it easy to continue going about my everyday activities. 

Sephora Haul

I'm coming at you now with Part 2 of my Paris haul, this time it's the Sephora Edition. I was only in Paris for 4 days, yet I can't even count the number of times I walked up and down the aisles of Sephora (note to any of you Paris goers: while the Champs-Élysées branch is massive, the one on Rue de Rivoli is still quite large, yet much less busy and easier to shop in!). I had planned what I wanted to buy before I went, making it less likely for me to go crazy and buy everything in sight (although just one thing was a little impulse purchase). 

 Starting with the most exciting purchase, I caved and bought a NARS palette, the At First Sight palette. Even though I already have a mini of the Laguna, that didn't stop me from buying this, complete with a Deep Throat blusher, Laguna bronzer and four eyeshadows which, surprisingly, work well together. I can't want to experiment with this little bad boy!

 Make Up For Ever is a brand whose makeup I've never tried before, yet this Full Cover concealer has been on my list for months! So when the cashier handed me a 20% off voucher when she found out I was a foreign customer, I knew that this was next to be purchased. This is definitely a high coverage product, concealing those pesky little spots and scars that have been driving me crazy. It's a well-loved addition to my life!

I've never tried the BeautyBlender makeup sponge before, but this Sephora 3D Precision Sponge was an impulse purchase while waiting to pay. I've tried it a couple of times and I'm quite impressed, but the fact that it is white makes my inner obsessive writhe every time I use it to blend foundation- I can see that it will be tough to clean.

 

I have a rollerball of this perfume, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb and it smells beautiful, literally it could be one of my favourite perfumes ever. And that means a lot coming from me, the owner of 30+ perfumes. It smells amazing and the bottle is something I'm proud to put on my shelf- you'll definitely be hearing more about this!

I'm not sure if this counts as a purchase, but as a new member of the Sephora rewards card, I was able to choose a free nail polish from their own line. I chose this salmon-pink colour in 'Have U Ever' and as I type, I am sporting it on my nails. It may not be the most winter-appropriate colour but I am determined to test out its 5 Day Shine claims. 

I know this wasn't the largest haul ever but I'm very satisfied with my purchases, makeup from Sephora and skincare from City Pharma, I am a very happy girl!  

On another note, I have quite a few exams coming up so I'm sorry if I'm a bit AWOL over the next couple of weeks, studies call!

Empties #2

 Due to my hoarding of empty products, there is now an entire drawer in my room full of empty bottles/pots. So without further ado, my empties!

Sephora Favourites Super Stars 2013

 Every year around Christmas Sephora come out with a range of value gift sets, and they always have their 'Super Stars' set containing best sellers from the year. This year's set retails for $75 but is valued at around $280! It contains 12 items, some full sized and others very generously sized. They have products from the likes of Smashbox, NARS, Urban Decay, Origins and more, but unfortunately, it's now sold out online, but you might be able to find it in-store.

 First is the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream in the shade 'Light'. I'm lucky that this shade works with my winter skin, but to be honest this was a bad idea. So many people have darker skin, they could have at least put Light/Medium or Medium, or perhaps even had a choice of 3 Superstars sets with Light, Medium and Dark. Anyway, getting onto the actual product, this claims to:

• PRIME: Wear alone, or under your favorite foundation to create a smooth canvas
• PERFECT: Tinted formula in 5 shades evens out skin for a flawless finish
• HYDRATE: Improves skin moisture in 4 weeks.
• PROTECT: SPF 35 guards against UVA/UVB rays
• CONTROL OIL: Minimizes shine with no chalky finish.

Quite ambitious claims but I'll see how true they are! This is a full-sized product, normally retailing at £27. When you think about it, this kit was $75, which is about £45, so it's really great value for money.

 Next is the mini NARS Duo 'Orgasm/Laguna'. This is an amazing product, small enough to fit in my handbag. The pigmentation is really great, and the colours are beautiful- review to come soon!

 There was a duo of the Urban Decay eyeshadows in 'Sin' and 'Mushroom'. The little container is full sized but each shadow is half, but that's more than enough for me! It's a great little duo, compact and the colours work really lovely together- it's a whole eye look in a small container.

Then there is the full sized Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in 'Black'. This is such a good eyeliner, making it easy to just slightly define the upper lash line or to go full out cat-eye. The longevity is great and, after just shaking it, it's ready to go!

 I've never really been a lipstick kind of gal, being too scared to pick the brighter shades but the nude shades would just wash me out, so I was really glad that this was a pre-picked shade, 'Dolce Vita' NARS lipstick. It's full-sized and is so creamy, the formulation is really nice.

 I don't really do anything with my brows, I leave that to the lady at the salon who waxes them! I have quite thick brows, not really needing to be filled in, but they are pretty wild. This is a deluxe size of the Anastasia Clear Brow Gel, and it's such a nifty little product that I comb through by brows to keep in check- no crispiness, no messiness, simple!

 This is a really interesting product, the Too Faced Better Than False Lashes mascara. It's a two-part product, which literally makes you look like you're wearing false lashes. It works by putting that white stuff, nylon fibres, onto your lashes, then the black mascara over it, really lengthening them. 

 I've never tried this Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb perfume so I, being an avid perfume collector, was excited to try this out. It comes in a handy little roller-ball form and smells incredible- I literally roll this all over my body just so everything smells like it!

 I've wanted to try the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray for a while but couldn't really justify spending so much on it, so I was really pleased to find a mini size of it in the box for me to try. 

 I've wanted to try this Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil for I don't know how long! It's only a mini size, but I use it for everything, nourishing the ends of my hair and even as a serum before my moisturiser.

 I'm a fan of Origins products and really wanted to try their Ginzing range, so to find a full-size of this Ginzing eye cream was great. It's really brightening and moisturising, making it perfect for my dark under-eye circles.

 I always hear about Deborah Lippman nail polishes but have never really had any inclination to try them out, due to their steep prices, but this nail polish in the shade 'Cleopatra in New York' is really beautiful both alone and on top of other colours. In the picture above, you can see I used it as an accent nail over the Barry M Matte Nail Paint in 'Mocha'.

Top-Bottom: Smashbox Photo Ready BB Cream 'Light', Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Eye Liner 'Black', Urban Decay Eyeshadow 'Sin' and 'Mushroom', NARS lipstick 'Dolce Vita'

This post was a long one so well done to those of you who got through to the end! These were just mini reviews of the products but I will be doing full reviews on some of the ones which particularly caught my eye.

September Favourites

 This month has symbolised the beginning of Autumn and the beginning of another school year -cries- so I have kept the make-up to a minimum and haven't really tried new things this month. Nevertheless, here are my favourites!

August Favourites

 This month I've battled the 40+ degree weather of Italy and had some really incredible experiences, so you could say it's been a pretty great month! I have a few products that I have been using through all of this month.