July 2013 Birchbox: Festival Ready

As you can probably tell, Birchbox has had a makeover! It's a nice change and I like how everyone seems to get different coloured bags. Anyway, enough with the packaging - let's move onto the products!

Carole Franck Phyto Moisturiser:

I have nearly finished my Dr Renard moisturiser so this is perfect timing. However, the product that you get is actually pretty small. I doubt that I will get more than 5 uses out of the sample given, but it will still be nice to try out, and will keep me going until I get around to purchasing another moisturiser.

Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle:

My hair is super tangly so I am excited to try this bad boy out. It's a nice sized sample so it should last me a good amount of time, but it is compact enough to travel with, which is going to be very important for me throughout the next year.

Green People SPF15 with Tan Accelerator:

Great timing! I'm off to Barcelona in the morning so I am looking forward to giving this a go. I have always been interested in gradual tanning products, as I have pale skin which I don't dare to fake tan, so this should be interesting to try out. Packed!

Colour Club for Birchbox Nail Polishes in Mod in Manhattan and London Calling:

In the box itself I received the green shade, London Calling, and was thrilled as it's a great bright colour for summer and I have always been a fan of the brand. However, when I opened up the mint green box inside the box itself, I was pleasantly surprised with another (!) polish in a gorgeous nude colour called Mod in Manhattan. I'm excited to try these out :)

ModelCo Define Black Eyeliner: 

I haven't really tried any products from ModelCo, but it is always useful to have a spare black eyeliner around. I haven't tried it yet so I don't really have anything to say about it, but I will be sure to test it and see how it performs. 

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Glossybox June 2013: Summer Looks

Hey guys! So, long time no see eh? Long story short, I've been enjoying the first real freedom I've had in a year - sleeping until midday, watching hours of youtube, finally catching up with the Kardashians... - and well, I haven't really felt like blogging, so I haven't! But today I am back with one of my last glossybox posts for a while (have to cancel when I move abroad!) 

So what products did I receive? Let's take a peek... 

Sheer Blonde Everlasting Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner: (£11.78 for both)

I am really excited to try this but thank god that I'm actually blonde or I might not have been so impressed. Could it be that Glossybox has finally looked at our beauty profiles, or was it just sheer dumb luck? Either way, these are perfect little tubes to take with me to Barcelona on Monday (eeeek!!) I shall let you all know how it goes!

MeMeMe Nail Polish in 'Pensive': (Full size, £5)

I have never tried a polish from MeMeMe so it will be interesting to give it a go. Nice colour but I have quite a few other mint shades so I would have preferred a more unique colour. Either way, it's a pretty colour and very suited to the season.

Figs & Rouge Coco Rose Tinted Lip Balm: (Full size, £4.95)

I already have far too many lip balms so I certainly didn't need anymore, but this smells divine and is really moisturising on the lips. It also comes in cute packaging, very summery! I am generally a fan of this brand so I am happy!

MONU Essential Care Facial Wash: (Full size, £15.95)
I have recived a lot of MONU products in the past from Glossybox and have none of them particularly impressive so I don't really hold high hopes for this. I'll give it a go and see what I think!

Helen E Eyeliner in Brown: (Full size, £8)
For me, brown eyeliner is an absolute staple so I am excited to give this a go. I am currently loyal to my MAC Stubborn Brown, but this looks like it has some potential. I'm excited to try this out and see how it compares.

Overall I am pretty impressed with my box. Every month I like to scowl the internet and see what others have received and this month I have got one of the best selection of product. Strangely, I actually haven't seen ANYONE else with the John Frieda hair products, which is strange, but many people did get some sort of hair product. Not bad Glossybox, but next month is your last chance to wow me so I hope you do!

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Guest Post: MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Natural in "Give Me Sun"

Hi guys :)

Am glad to be doing another post on Issy's blog and today I'd thought I'd do a quick review on the MAC mineralise Skinfinish Naturals, I personally love the one that I own in the shade "Give Me Sun", its a beautiful brown with orange undertones to it, a relatively medium pigmented powder that has lasted me for the longest time ever! I love using this as a matte bronzer

Texture / Application

It goes on relatively smoothly, I don't have any problems with it looking to chalky. The pigmentation is decent where its build able. The product has no scent at all 

As far as application goes, I apply it using my Eco Tools blush brush to my hollows of my cheek to bring warmth to my skin tone, I do find that I have to make sure I tap off the excess as sometimes too much product can leave quite a harsh contour line. 

How the product looks on

Overall Thoughts

I relatively decent bronzer,  I probably wouldn't need to purchase a bronzer anytime soon because I do switch back and forth between my NAKED FLUSHED palette bronzer which is a matte brown bronzer that is slightly less pigmented as this one. If you're looking for a decent matte bronzer perhaps give this one a go because its definitely worth the money as there is so much product within.This product has really got me thinking if I should get the MSFN in my shade because sometimes in the summer, a powder foundation is great to mattify everything. 

Overall Rating: 7.5 / 10 

Much love,

(♥)

Ashley

www.samantha-ashley.com

RiRi Woo

MAC RiRi Woo - £14

Being a huge fan of Rihanna, MAC, and matte red lips, I just knew that I had to get my hands on the new RiRi Woo lipstick from MAC. It's a classic matte red with slight blue undertones that has what MAC calls a 'retro matte' finish. This is however exactly the same as MACs existing shade, Ruby Woo, so you don't need to buy this if you already have that shade (unless you're a complete fan girl like me!) I suffer from terribly dry lips that make it almost impossible to pull off a matte lip without a lot of prep work, but I didn't seem to experience any problems with RiRi Woo, which is brilliant. The colour is very classic and will suit most, if not all, skin tones, and provides the perfect pop of colour. The wear of this was also fairly impressive. Without lipliner or reapplication, this lasted a good 3-4 hours (in which I ate and drank normally). I am really impressed with this and look forward to wearing a brighter lip more often!

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