Birchbox August 2017

I'm back with a look at August's Birchbox. This months Birchbox theme was mermaid vibes therefore the box is a beautiful scaley/mermaid design, and the products which have been included in the box are picked with the mermaid theme in mind.

The first product in my Birchbox for August is the A05 brush from Spectrum in the colour 'Bomb Shell" which is a two toned pink shade - I love it. This brush is suitable for contouring with it's angled brush shape and I know I will make a lot of use out of this.

I also received a eyeshadow stick from the brand LOC. The shade is called 'Rock Steady' which is a shimmery brown shade and will be perfect for creating an easy smokey eye look.

The next product in my Birchbox was from a haircare brand called N4 and is a Sugar Texturing Spray. This will be a good product for helping to create and enhance beachy waves in my hair.

The penultimate item in my box is from Nuxe and is their Huile Prodigieuse multi purpose oil. I've heard a lot about this product, and what's great is that you can use this on your hair, body and face. From what I've seen it gives you a lovely golden glow.

Lastly, I received a small sample of the Vita Coco Coconut Oil. This is a product that I already use anyway, I religiously use this once a week as a hair mask before washing my hair. I absolutely love this product and swear by it as it's not just hair you can use it for. I was chuffed to bits to find this in my Birchbox this month!

I hope you enjoyed looking at what was in my Birchbox this month!




CarrieFi x

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Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Nose Stips Review

Today I have another review for you all! In this post I will be reviewing the Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Nose Strips.

I've wanted to try using Pore Strips for some time now because I feel that my pores are extremely blocked and would like to un-block them if possible! Finding Pore Strips that I wanted to try was such a hard choice, I did think about using the Biore Pore Strips but I was so spoilt for choice that I just went for the ones that caught my eye first, and they just happened to be the Boots ones.

The Boots Pore Strips I bought contain Tea Tree and Witch Hazel and also Charcoal to help draw out deep down impurities & excess oil. The process of using the Pore Strips comes in to different stages and two different Pore Strips essentially.

Step 1 involves washing your face prior to placing the strip on your nose, it's important that your nose is slightly damp and has had heat directed to it otherwise the strip simply will not stick, which is one of the teething issues I have faced using this product. Once the strip is on your nose it must be left there for about 15-20 minutes to allow for the Pore Strip to draw out the dirt. Me personally, whenever I have used these Pore Strips and I have removed them I haven't had much come out of my pores which is extremely disappointing given that I did expect more.

After following the first step my nose felt a little icky from having the strip on my nose so it's good to clean the excess off. It's then that you should use the second Pore Strip in the pack for 30 minutes on your nose which is meant to moisturise your nose as the first Pore Strip can really dry your skin out which feels unpleasant. However I found the second one really hard to keep on my nose and for me, it just kept falling off which was a bit of a pain so I tend not to use this.

Overall if I'm going to summarise this product, then I would say that actually I'm not blown away by it. While the idea is good and gives you the hope of removing the blackheads from your nose, the reality is very different, and for me it just hasn't worked. I would perhaps like to try the Biore Pore Strips and see if they are any better, but I do wonder if any of these Pore Strips work and is it all just a hype instead? I'm not sure, but I am keen to keep exploring!

Please let me know if you have tried Pore Strips, what your opinion is, and what one's you think may be the best - I'd love to know!




CarrieFi x

My Perfume Storage

Recently I was looking for something which I could store all of my perfumes bottles, and for it to be a stand out piece on my chest of drawers. When I started looking on Amazon for a perfume display there was lots of choice, but I wanted something that was perhaps copper and looked quite simple.


Eventually I came across this Copper Mirror Plate, however in the flesh it looks more rose gold to me, however that's not a massive issue because I love Rose Gold even more! The Mirror Plate is everything that I wanted to display my perfume bottles. It looks elegant and really stylish, and just makes my perfume collection look more neat and tidy - I'm chuffed to pieces with it.

I don't know if I can necessarily class myself as a home decor advisor, and nor is that what my blog is usually about, however, I really love the look of this little set up and so if this post inspires someone, then that's great!


I feel that it's also important to point out that if you don't like the look of the Copper/Rose Gold colour you can also purchase this in Silver so you have two options based on what your preference is.


Let me know what you think of this storage idea!





CarrieFi x

Boots Haul August 2017

Sometimes there's nothing better than going into Boots and having a good look through the aisles for some beauty goodies, and, last Friday that's exactly what I did. I had a few gift cards that needed to be used and there wasn't anything in particular that I needed or wanted but it was great to have a good look through the store and pick up some products that I possibly wouldn't have thought of using before.

Of course, there were some good offers on throughout the store so I made the most of these too. Soap and Glory indulgent body products were on a 3 for 2 offer, so I decided to pick up a Calm One Calm All bubble bath, the Original Pink Shower Jelly and the Sugar Crush Hand Sanitiser.

I also saved some money with the Soap and Glory face masks I picked up, these are the new masks that I've heard lots about. I picked up What A Peeling Purifying Peeling De-Clog, Speed Plump Miracle Moisture, The Fab Pore Pore Refining, and the Bright and Beautiful Radiance Boosting masks.

The other products I picked up aside from Soap and Glory were; an Impulse spray, I haven't used an Impulse spray for years, so it was a definite throwback to see one and use one again! I also saw the L'Oreal Blemish Rescue Clay Mask and knew I needed to try it, I really suffer with blemishes on my skin and it would be good to clear it up! The other L'Oreal product I purchased was the Lip Paint Matte in Dead Lip; this is such a lovely nude shade and looks really good on lips.

The Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Gel Oil found its way into my basket, I really wanted to try this product because I have extremely dry skin, especially on my legs which gets very itchy so I like to use intensive products to try and alleviate this problem. I wanted to try Invisibobble's as I've heard many good things about them, especially that they are very good at keeping your hair healthy and that the bands don't feel too tight on your hair. One item that I picked up which is a necessity for me is the Carmex Lip Balm, I love how moisturised Carmex makes my lips feel so I always need to have it.

Last but not least in my Boots Haul were just some plain hair grips! Not very exciting, however I'm forever losing them and need them for my hair occasionally.



CarrieFi x

August Beauty Wishlist!

I'm back again for August's Beauty Wishlist! Keep reading to find out what's on my list.

The first product is the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. I've loved this product for a long time, however I'm beginning to run out of my current bottle, and I need some more!

Staying with skincare, there's three products that I've come across that are new to me that I want to try out. I really want to try the Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks, I've never used an eye mask before and I'm intrigued as to how they can help my eye area. Another skincare product that has caught my attention is the Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray. This spray helps to inject moisture back into your face which I really love the sound of. My skin can get quite dry sometimes, especially after cleansing it. The Charlotte Tilbury Instant Magic Sheet Mask has also made it on to my wishlist this month. I'm not normally a fan of sheet masks but the word 'magic' sells it to me, and I've never been disappointed by Charlotte's products before!

While we're on the subject of Charlotte Tilbury, I've added the Filmstar Bronze and Glow to my wishlist, I really love the look of this palette, it looks so luxurious, and having seen the product applied, I love the finish it gives. The other highlighter product I have my eyes on is the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish, again I really like the finish this has on other people's faces when they've worn it.

I've been thinking recently of changing up my foundation and perhaps even trying a new brand! The MAC Studio Fix Fluid has lots of good reviews that I've seen and also is said to last really well throughout the day, which is so important to me.

Last but not least, the last item on my wishlist is the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray; I've loved my shorter hair, and especially when I put waves in it. The Surf Spray would be great to add a bit more texture to that.


I hope you enjoyed reading this month's beauty wishlist!





CarrieFi x

My Current Skincare Routine

 
A skincare routine has always been something that I've had good intentions of following but have struggled to maintain consistently.

For me, I feel it's important to use products that I'm excited about which will in turn encourage me to better look after my skin. I also think it's important to understand what's achievable on a daily basis; for instance, in the morning I don't have enough time to do much with my skin so I need to ensure that I bear that in mind. In the evening however, I have lots of time so I am able to really pamper my skin and that's when my routine really matters.


In the morning the main focus for me is knowing that my skin is clean and moisturised before I apply my makeup. To do this I use a Simple face wipe. Using a face wipe to clean my skin in the morning takes no more than a couple of minutes and is just so easy. After I have done this, I then use my Nivea Soft moisturiser. I really love this moisturiser because it's so refreshing on my skin and wakes me up perfectly for the day ahead. After I have done this, I will then go ahead and apply my makeup.


Once the day is done and I am home in my comfies, it's time to bring my skincare routine to life. I start my using my Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, this is the best at removing stubborn makeup especially eye makeup that just will not budge. After I am happy that my makeup has all gone, I use the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish to clean my face and get rid of any grime that may still be on my face after removing my makeup. I then use the Liz Earle Tonic Spritzer to tone and pump any moisture back into my face. Once that has dried I will then moisturise my face using the Benefit B.Right Face Cream (click this link for my review!). I also like to use an eye cream, my favourite being the Clinique Pep Start eye cream. I just love the way it works into my eye area.


The only other skincare items I use but not everyday are the Clinique Pep Start face scrub, I normally use this once or twice a week. I use a face mask every week, and depending on how my skin feels it will either be the Origins 10 Minute Rescue mask or the Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Mask. Lastly, I have recently started to use the Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Charcoal Pore Strips as well to hopefully reduce any blockages in my pores!


I hope you found this little insight into my skincare interesting!



CarrieFi x