The naming and shaming is going to have to wait - Birchbox time!

Well, it is here. Actually, it has been for a week now but waiting for my 17 year old daughter to get her bum into gear as she wanted to do an "unboxing" vlog has just driven me mad so I thought I would go ahead and just get on with my blog. I was going to do a "naming and shaming" of my very old and horrendous beauty products but I have epilepsy and it isn't under control. It hit really hard last night, and this morning so I am making the most of being made to stay in bed.

Yep, I am VERY late to both the #bblogging scene and also the beauty box scene so I thought I would just jump in head first and order 3, this being the first. What struck me is how lovely it looks. Very natural and compact once out of the packaging. Whilst opening the outer packaging, a lovely magazine popped out:-

That was a totally unexpected surprise! Even more so that it mentioned one of my favourite bands, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. I am generally more of a metal fan, but they have a real charm about them. Anyway, more about the magazine. There is a little bit of something for everybody in it, fashion, beauty, music, holidays, lifestyle - you name it. Lovely. 

So - the box is opened and I am greeted by the following. I am not going to turn the SHHH.. card over in case anyone has subscribed for next month's box for the first time as I don't want to spoil the surprise.

This month's theme is "Jet Set" and it doesn't fail to live up to the name at all. Just look at what was waiting for me when I got into the gorgeous pouch waiting for me! 

For someone getting their first box I was like a kid at Christmas! I don't think my expectations were low, but I thought it was an awful lot of product for my money. Talking of products, let's move onto them.....

This caught my eye immediately. I must admit, I did a quick and dirty effort with my nails this morning only for them to be smudged when I had a seizure but I really hadn't got the inclination to start again, so please excuse the state of them. The reason that it caught my eye is that I am in a wheelchair and forever looking for the perfect hand cream as BOY do my hands take a battering and get dry. The only problem is that I hate my hands feeling greasy so am generally in a catch 22 position.

It smells absolutely divine and sinks in so quickly, moisturising my hands without leaving them greasy - I half expected the Hallelujah chorus to go off! Going to finish the tube as a little goes a very long way, but I think this is one for the wishlist. 

Just to add insult to injury, I have the world's most untameable hair. It is red, frizzy and no amount of straighteners, curlers, wands or blow drying will tame it into submission. I haven't had a chance to use this one yet, but it promises to protect and detangle, keeping my hair silky and glossy. If it does it will be a world first as I have spent a small fortune trying to keep my locks tamed - I really can't wait to use this. As I have to have my showers and baths supervised, I think I might just book myself in for a soak this afternoon if my husband isn't busy. 

At first glance, this gel eye liner had me a bit baffled. I am not one to use gel eye liners in the first place but being the beauty Luddite that I am, this one had me quite flustered. I had no idea how to even get into it, let alone try it. 

See - it wasn't that hard!! (after a few goes!). Even though I won't be using this, it has already gone to a very good home - my daughter's friend. She has pink hair and loves experimenting with her makeup and looks amazing in this. I am assured that it goes on incredibly well and lasts for quite some time. My eyes are a little crepey so I wouldn't feel confident giving this a try just for the sake of it, but maybe as my confidence increases, I might just give it a go one day.

This little box definitely had me intrigued for sure.......

This was a total case of "OMG" when I opened it! I am currently thinking of changing my skincare routine and have been looking for the perfect moisturiser. This smells absolutely divine, soaks into the face really quickly and leaves a finish that is almost as if a really good quality primer has been put on it.

It is pricey for a full size jar and I am not going to run out and buy the first sample that I am sent, but I know where to get it if nothing else comes my way.

(just to say, I am lucky and have normal skin, sometimes dry due to the combination drug therapy I am on)

Last but not least of my beauty samples - a powder blush sample. I got it in Swiss Dot.

It comes in a gorgeous little magnetic case, perfect for a small handbag on a night out. It was very tempting an although I haven't got any nights out planned, I just had to give it a whirl...

HOLY PIGMENT OVERLOAD!!! I think I went a little OTT with my first application. It is going to have to be applied very gently to get the required colour and it really does have staying power. I put this on a couple of hours ago to take the pictures for this blog entry and have washed my hands a couple of times since, and it was still there. I ended up using Pond's Cold Cream to finally remove it. Long wearing it sure is, you just have to layer it up as there is no way to layer down, other than to remove and start again. I love the colour I was sent and it is going nowhere. 

Finally, onto my lifestlye product - Chia. I have to be honest, I had never heard of this beforehand and was quite surprised as I am a vegetarian, borderline vegan. I was really grateful to the magazine that was with my Birchbox as I wouldn't have had a clue what to do with it. It was lovely to see a vegetarian and a vegan option in there too, as a lot of people aren't quite sure what to do with vegans where I am from! This is definitely going to be saved for the weekend for ........

One of these! (although I am going to up the banana and use almond milk instead of using honey and ordinary milk). It looks absolutely gorgeous. Definitely not going to waste at all. 

So there it is, my first Birchbox! The one thing I didn't see coming was my husband wanting to commandeer the gorgeous little bag that my things came in for his "nails". I was starting to wonder about the man I had married until he got that misty look in his eyes that he only gets when he is thinking of his shed. Yep, he wants to keep his metal nails in it! I am going to try and old on to it for a little longer though, I have told him that he can have it when I have used up everything in it (which at the rate I am going will be by the middle of next week).

As I was looking on the Birchbox website and browsing the shop, I came across a nail varnish that I just couldn't pass up on, so I am now waiting for my Color Club Blue Insta This. It is going to get one heck of a road test with my nails so I can't wait to see how it holds up to my normal GOSH nail varnishes. I always use Sally Hansen's Double Duty base and top coat but yet the longest I can get is about 4 days. Here is hoping it is going to be a bit longer, and I adore the colour.

I don't have anything else to compare this to with regards to beauty boxes, but one thing I am sure of - I am NOT disappointed in the least. All I can say is bring on August if this is anything to go by!

xoxox

I am going to name and shame (myself) on this one

I had a bit of a blank as to what to blog about today until I looked in my makeup drawer (looking for something else, I hasten to add) and realized just how much stuff I had that was out of date, out of fashion and just plain unused.

So, the nails are getting painted (my hands look terrible in photos as I use a wheelchair and they are a mess) and I am going to have a complete clear out and then go for a wish list (which my husband will NOT be seeing!).

Typing with wet nails isn't as hard as I thought either, I was just glad to find ONE decent base coat and ONE decent colour in there - thank you GOSH. Think there are going to be some OPI colours on my wish list, and I will link up to one that I have got coming in the post.

So, one dressing table getting a quick tidy and then I am going to out myself at a complete and utter hoarder of completely unnecessary items!

D xoxox 

Urgh, today is the day...

That I am going to bare my face to the world via the medium of YouTube. If I am going to do this, I am going to get it out of the way. I have been procrastinating, and procrastinating a little longer.


F wants to get her Birchbox "unboxing" blog done so I am going to start our channel off with my current daily face routine, post shower. Me slathering moisturiser onto my legs probably violates terms and conditions so you won't have to see that! Just the face to start with.

I know I showed a quick snapshot of what I use daily but will go into a little more info now.

First up - Pond's Cold Cream and this one specifically. It is so cheap compared to what I can get locally and worth the wait from the US. A good slather of this over the face and then gentle removal with cotton wool pads. I use the large square ones and generally don't tend to skimp on buying them as the cheaper ones just drag over my 39 year old skin like sandpaper. 

Then I go onto French rose water for a toner - again Amazon is my friend and I use this one. A little goes an awfully long way and it isn't astringent in any way. My skin is very sensitive and can't cope with anything with alcohol in it either. It does take a minute or so to dry but is more than worth it for me.

Then, it is on to my trusty (for now) Avon 40+ day cream. I use this morning and night as mentioned in my last post as the night cream is too heavy for my skin. I ordered my Vitamin K Swanson cream yesterday and it has already been dispatched which I am really pleased about. The spider and thread veins that I have been going on about are going to be unveiled today. If I drank I would have a large vodka before doing the video but I am teetotal.

Once a week, I do give my skin a treat. I was given this little recipe by my beautician as I can't afford a really good facial every month. I asked her what I could do to keep my skin looking as good as I possibly could in between my 3 monthly appointments and she actually uses this one herself.

What she told me to try (bearing in mind, she knows my skin and I am only imparting what she said - she is the professional and I am just old with dry skin!) is the following.

Go to the chemist and buy a small pill pot, the little green ones with a screw lid. You need something small and watertight. Then, you will need some glycerine - I use this one, and finally your French rose water. Mix a teaspoon of glycerine and rosewater in the small pot (the teaspoon of glycerine was NOT as easy as I had anticipated!) and then shake for all you are worth. Oil and water generally don't want to be best friends but you can get them to mix.

The, pop it on your face for about 10 minutes. As the glycerine is a humectant, it is not advisable to put it near your eyes but it is fine for the rest. I was bit weary of doing this one given my reaction to just plain old Nivea (HUGE breakout of spots), but it worked a treat. So once a week my poor husband has to spend the night with some crazy woman who has her hair scraped back into a pony tail and has a tacky face. Fortunately it is worth it in the morning as my skin feels amazing. 

Glycerine

Pond's Cold Cream (US version)

French rose water

Current face cream

 (just a quick disclaimer - this is what works for me and I am in no way qualified to give advice, I am just showing what I use and hopefully getting some ideas back from people with similar skin to me)

Beauteco Box....

Just to give you a little more insight into my life, I am disabled. I have uncontrolled epilepsy so as up until a week ago I had no idea that monthly beauty boxes even existed (yes, I have been living under a stone seemingly), I thought I would start out with 3 to see which one or two would suit me best. My Birchbox is sat waiting for F to come home and open hers with me, and yes, it is killing me not to be able to have a peek yet.


My Glossybox is on its way so having had a good trawl through the internet, starting to follow a few beauty blogs on here I found another one that I thought would be a great try - BeautecoBox

This one seems quite new and is undergoing a re branding and is a little different from the ones that I have come across so far. I was definitely up for it as it isn't quite the "surprise" box that you get with the others, this one you actually get to choose which one you would like, and they are full size items.


I sat there, tab open, debit card in hand and went to sign up. Sadly, I couldn't. I live in the Isle of Man and on the drop down menu for "County" (which is a mandatory field)  - you guessed it, no Isle of Man. The Isle of Wight was there, but nope, I wasn't.


They had a contact address which I sent an email to and BOY was I taken aback by their customer service. They are going to amend their drop down menu and are prepared to sort something out for me in the meantime so that I can subscribe. I am genuinely looking forwards to this one too.


As I am new to all this I thought if I gave 3 of them 3 to 6 months to see which came out the overall best for me (or two) I would keep them on, same for F. I would love to hear of any different ones out there in the same price range that people have tried as I am always open to suggestions that is for sure.