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

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.

The Birchbox has arrived (well, 2 of them, one for me and one for my daughter)

Well, welcome to our blog. I am D and my daughter is F. We decided after watching all the numerous YouTube videos about Birchbox, Glossybox and Ipsy that we would take the plunge and get one. Today is the day that our chosen one (Birchbox) has arrived. I am guessing that I will be taking care of the blogging side of things, and my daughter and I will be doing videos to go with when we open our boxes.

I have seen lots of vids where people aren't happy with what they have got, so I am going into this with a totally open mind. I am a complete novice with regards to makeup and the suchlike at the age of 39, so my daughter is going to help me get myself looking like a human being.

My beauty regime so far consists of Pond's Cold Cream as a cleanser, French rose water as a toner and Avon's 40+ Anew moisturiser. Yep - I am that advanced!


As for having a shower, it is Avon shower gel and yep, you guessed it, Avon shampoo and conditioner. F thinks I should experiment a bit more as I don't wear any makeup, and I don't dye my hair either. I think this is going to change very soon. I use E45 cream as a body moisturiser with a little essential oil mixed in for fragrance (currently bergamot oil).

I couldn't even tell you what F's routine it - she has that much stuff it is unreal. No amount of coercion will get me to wear makeup on a daily basis or throw tons of stuff on my face and body, but I definitely need to branch out now that things are starting to get wrinkly.

I was all proud when I found Birchbox and signed up both myself and F for it. Should have known she already knew about it! What she doesn't know is that I have signed myself up for Glossybox to see what it is like. If it is any good - she is getting one too. There are loads out there to try, but as I am a beginner, I shall start right there - at the beginning.

We have a YouTube channel and will be uploading our unboxing video soon - the little pink box is sitting there taunting me like you wouldn't believe! Well, brown box as I couldn't resist a peek, but you know what I mean - I have promised my daughter I won't post a picture yet. 

I LIED! 


So, if you want a laugh and watch an old fart being told what to do by her daughter with regards to the beauty department - please keep your eye out for us - videos will soon be coming (apparently I have to shame myself by showing my current regime too - yep, I am going to open myself up for constructive criticism too!)

We would love to hear what everyone who got a Birchbox this month thought of theirs, ours are going to be opened later on today so you won't be spoiling it if you let us know.

D&F