November Empties

This month I've used up the following, all except the Chanel are travel/sample sizes:-

Cowshed Moody Cow Balancing Body Lotion - a light, non-greasy body lotion that smells gorgeous, has essential oils of rose geranium, linden blossom and frankincense. I think this was a magazine freebie. Repurchase? Yes, though I'll probably try some of the other scents by Cowshed first.

Crabtree and Evelyn Lavender Body Lotion & Hand Cream - these were OK, but smelt a bit too artificial for my liking. Repurchase? No.

Chanel Protective Base Coat - this was an impulse buy, it's a very sub standard base coat and no better than something from Barry M. Repurchase? No.

Cetuem SCR Gold Illuminating Mask - a fab exfoliating mask that I got from Boudoir Prive, featured in last month's favourites. Repurchase? Maybe, if I'm treating myself as it's pretty expensive.

Dermalogica Renewal Lip Complex - this was lovely to use but the full size is just way too expensive for me to justify buying! Repurchase? No.

REN Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask - I was expecting this to be like a peel-off mask but instead it was like applying fruity marmalade to your face, strange but made my skin feel clean and soft afterwards. Repurchase? Maybe.

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream in Light - I seem to be in the minority of people who don't love this. It just didn't suit my oily/combination skin and felt more like an average tinted moisturiser than a proper BB. Repurchase: No.

What are your beauty empties this month?

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Boudoir Prive - November 2011

Finally managed to rescue my Boudoir Prive box from Royal Mail, so here's what was in my November box:-



(1) Dead Sea Spa Magik Silky Smooth Body Lotion, 50ml travel size (full size 350ml - £7.70) - "this creamy and silky body lotion will leave your skin feeling deeply hydrated and nourished. It aims to improve elasticity whilst soothing and preventing dryness." This has a nice clean scent to it and does what it promises to do, a simple yet effective body lotion.



(2) Korres Wild Rose 24 Hour Moisturiser, 10ml sample (full size 40ml - £19) - "a 24 hour moisturising and brightening cream. The Wild Rose oil is a natural source of vitamin C and helps repair fine lines and uneven skintone." I have seen lots of great reviews for this and I've loved everything I've tried from Korres so this is a great sample for me to try before considering to buy the full size pot.



(3) Rahua Voluminous Shampoo and Conditioner, 2 x 10ml sachets & 2 x 8ml sachets (full size 275ml - £27/£28.50) - "create thick, glossy and bouncy hair with this 100% natural voluminous shampoo and conditioner. The lemongrass and green tea remove excess oils from the hair, whilst jojoba adds moisture and nourishment." Interested to try these, they sound amazing. I haven't had the best experiences with all natural haircare in the past so I'm hoping these will work for me.



(4) Vinies Ayurveda's Soul Luminous Skin Mask, 2 x 15g sample pots (full size 40g - £32.85) - "as featured on vogue.co.uk, enhance your complexion with gentle exfoliating and natural skin brightening ingredients to keep your skin glowing all day." I know what you're thinking and I thought it too, it's not the most appealing product I've seen! Erm yeah.... it smells really weird too. I'll try it, luckily you only need to leave it on for 3-5 mins!




(5) Studiomakeup Rich Hydration Lipstick in Tender Pink, full size (£12.25) - Not really my colour, but if you like nicely pigmented frosty pinks then you'll probably love this. The packaging is very sleek and has a cute click mechanism.

Summary: I know a lot of people don't like Boudoir Prive, but for me personally I really like them, especially the general quality of the items included. They always have products in their boxes that I want to try and will use, and I'm SO happy that this box doesn't have perfume samples in it!

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NOTD: Revlon - Facets Of Fuchsia

You've probably seen this nail polish a million times already but I still love it.

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November Book List

A recap of what I've read this month:-

Ariel by Sylvia Plath - This is, in my opinion, Plath's best collection of poems. It's a slim volume which I have read many times and probably will read many times more in the future. My favourites in this are 'Daddy', 'Lady Lazarus', 'Death & Co' and 'Wintering', although the entire collection is really quite amazing. The Giver by Lois Lowry - The classic YA dystopian novel that I have been meaning to read for such a long time. Really enjoyed it and I can certainly see why it has heavily influenced so many new YA dystopia books. I would have loved to have read this as a kid. Down And Out In London And Paris by George Orwell - An inspired novel which is part-fiction, part-non-fiction (of Orwell's actual time spent in Paris and London) and part-amusing/depressing social/economic narrative of what it's like to be poor. Although poverty is certainly not sugar-coated in the book (it's really warts and all), there is a sort of romantiscism surrounding it, like this very humbling sense of making do with what you have and making the best out of it.

Understanding Power by Noam Chomsky - An extraordinary and eye-opening book that discusses US foreign policy and politics, the Middle East, labour and social movements, mainstream media propaganda techniques, the military-industrial complex and so much more. I am a great admirer of Chomsky's words and would recommend this to as a starting point for anyone interested in his books. Payback For Revenge by Alex Markman - Boring crime-fiction/thriller with bland characters. Won it on Goodreads and wanted to give the author the courtesy of finishing his book, but otherwise probably would have given up on it. Divergent by Veronica Roth - Great YA dystopia, one of the best ones I've read recently and much more focused on the action/adventure side of the story than the typical romance of the others. Can't wait to read the second book when it comes out next year.

The Guardian Review Book of Short Stories 2011 - This was a freebie with The Guardian weekend newspaper which came out recently. A good mix of contemporary short stories covering a range of genres which have elements of politics, history, romance, religion, current affairs, the environment, science-fiction etc. I mainly picked it up because Margaret Atwood had contributed a story to this collection (entitled 'Underbrush Man'), and particularly enjoyed Audrey Niffenegger's 'Moths Of The New World' and Rose Tremain's 'The Closing Door'. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - I'm about 3/4s of the way through this book and although it's quite an epic, slow-paced story, I am enjoying it so far.

Add me on Goodreads for more books & short reviews :)

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Bodhi Ylang Ylang Incensa Sensual Gift Set, Jasmine Falls & Mint The Bath & Shower Therapies

I was introduced to Bodhi through my first Amarya organic beauty box earlier this month, and instantly fell in love with the brand's ethos and their heavenly scented products. Bodhi (meaning 'enlightenment') are an English company who make their products with organic and natural ingredients ethically sourced from sustainable origins and blended with 100% pure essential oils. They have a strong ethos of living in harmony with nature which is reflected in the way that they do not use any 'nasties' in their products: no petrochemicals, sulphates, parabens, phthalates, glycols, PEGs, DEAs, synthetic polymers, synthetic fragrance or colours, palm oil (which is a major eco-disaster ingredient) and animal ingredients. Likewise, their products are tested on humans and not animals. I was very keen to explore more of their wonderful sounding 'botanical therapies' and was kindly sent these four products to try out.


One of my favourite essential oils is Ylang Ylang, so I was more than excited to try out the Ylang Ylang Incensa Sensual Gift Set, which compromises of a full size (250ml) Body Moisturiser and a full size Bath & Shower Therapy. The packaging of this is absolutely gorgeous; very simple and understated but quietly expensive looking at the same time. A matte orchid designed sleeve is wrapped around a thick two-tone brown cardboard box which is made from recycled materials and would be handy to reuse. When I first saw this gift set, I thought that it would be perfect to give to someone who appreciates the finer things in life and who perhaps doesn't like the tackiness of typical Christmas marketed goods.

The Ylang Ylang Incensa scent is created with its title ingredient, Patchouli, Honeysuckle, Neroli and Pink Peppercorn, all blended together to create a heady mix of Oriental inspired luxury. The Bath & Shower Therapy was a delight to use with a little going a long way and my bathroom instantly filled with this glorious scent. Combine with some candles (unscented, you won't be needing any more fragrance!), a glass of wine and a good book, and you have the perfect 'me time' remedy to soak away any stress or worries. It's almost a sin to use this in the shower, but you can if you're rushed for time and the formula works just as well with a shower poof. Personally though, I will be keeping this strictly for long and indulgent bath times. After I had sufficiently turned into something resembling a wrinkled prune, I used the accompanying Body Moisturiser which has organic shea butter, kukui nut and coconut oils, and lathered it all over. It sinks into the skin very well, is light and non-greasy and the scent lingers for hours afterwards. Perfect for people who don't like or don't wear much perfume but still want to smell really nice.



Having already tried the Jasmine Falls Body Moisturiser, I wanted to use it combined with the accompanying Relaxing Bath & Shower Therapy and achieve that same fragrant effect. Jasmine Falls is a blend of Jasmine, Lavender and Vetyver and like the Ylang Ylang Incensa, it's potent and heady in a very good way. As promised, it was a lovely relaxing bath and luxurious to use.

For something completely different to my relaxing and sensual favourite floral blends, I tried the Refreshing Mint The (accent on the e there, my Mac keyboard is playing up) Bath & Shower Therapy which I would recommend using just in the shower for when you need waking up first thing in the morning! The peppermint, marjoram and frankincense in this really refresh and awaken you and I can see why people use it after going to the gym.

Summary: I would recommend Bodhi to anyone who wants to indulge in proper luxury baths with products made from the finest and most natural ingredients. They are expensive but you're paying for some serious quality here. Plus, their products do go a long way and would be perfect for when you want to treat yourself (and someone else) to something extra special. They also have a range that caters for (IMO) everyone, including more typically male friendly scents such as Pep Noir.

The full range of Bodhi products are available online from their website where they offer free UK standard delivery, free gift wrapping service and a free 40ml travel size gift with any purchase.

Disclaimer: Products sent for consideration by brand.

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NOTD: Nails Inc - Embankment

This is one of my favourite shades for the current 'vamp' trend that's come around again. It's a deep burgundy red with a very subtle amount of shimmer mixed in. I think Nails Inc may have discontinued it by now as I bought it ages ago, but they have similar colours.

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Another fab giveaway win!

I won a giveaway from the lovely Karen who writes AussieGirlBlogs (her blog is great for having all of the latest beauty related sales and offers in one place, saves me so much time when I'm splurging or buying gifts online!). I received a Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast lip balm which smells amazing, good enough to eat! I also got some sample sachets which my sister has run off with. I was excited to try the ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick - I've been wanting to try these out for ages, they're intensely glossy and have a minty flavour to them, swatch below. I think I'll be getting some more of these in the future:-



And I also received this ELF Smoky Eyeshadow Palette:-





The shadows all swatch really nicely so I'm looking forward to playing with these. The purple shade in particular is gorgeous and I think these palettes would be great as little stocking fillers. Thank you Karen for a lovely giveaway!

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Goodbye Glossybox?

So this month's Glossybox was once again surrounded by a bit of drama, judging from Twitter et al. Here's what was in my November box, named the Christmas Gift-Guide Part 1...



(1) Arbonne FC5 Cooling Foot Creme, 15ml sample (full size 118ml - £19) - "moisturising, non greasy foot creme hydrates rough, dry skin and soothes, cools and comforts tired feet". Erm yeah. A 'cooling' foot cream is probably one of the worst beauty care items one could receive during the winter months. Not sure about anyone else, but my tootsies are currently wrapped under two pairs of woolly socks and they're still sometimes cold!



(2) Dead Sea Spa Magik Dead Sea Bath Salts, 250g bag (full size 1kg - £5.50) - "fantastic for alleviating dry skin conditions as well as a natural exfoliant, also remarkably improves skin texture." Now this makes more sense for a November box. Personally, I don't really use bath salts, I'm definitely much more of an aromatherapy/ bath oil or Lush bubble bar/melt kinda girl. Happy that it's 100% natural though and it's a good size to try out with.



(3) Monu Skin Perfector, full size 50ml (£16.25) - "a weightless cream that instantly smoothes imperfections and enhances natural radiance." This is for smoothing fine lines so more suited for mature skin. I asked my mum if she wanted it and she's already tried this before and wasn't a fan.



(4) Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps, full size (£6.65) - "requires no drying time and delivers on trend style in just 15 minutes." I have tried nail wraps before and they are a pain-in-the-ass to apply gimmick. You also have to use an acetone based nail polish remover with these and nothing destroys natural nails faster than acetone does, surely most people know that by now? Plus the design I've been sent is just not my style.



(5) Serge Lutens Eau De Parfums in L'Eau Serge Lutens and Vitriol d'Oeillet, 1ml each (full size 50ml - £78) - these perfume samples are scents for both men and women (I'm guessing these were included because Glossybox are launching their Mens box soon). They smell awful!

Summary: Well...I know that beauty boxes are often a mixed bag (or rather box) of products and it's unlikely that you'll receive boxes every time where you love absolutely everything. But this box is just not for me at all - a cooling foot cream for November, anti-aging/fine lines cream, ugly nail wraps and unisex perfumes, that's 4 out of 5 that I wouldn't even bother trying out. I'm sending it all back for a refund and cancelling my sub. I may or may not sub again to receive the Christmas box and will likely be basing this decision on whether their returns service is hassle free etc. But for the time being, my thoughts are that I probably won't be a customer of Glossybox in 2012.

Did you receive a Glossybox this month?

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DIY Natural Beauty: Honey and Sea Salt Scrub

I am a little obsessed with body scrubs. I use them a couple of times a week to keep my skin in a good shape and find them especially effective for helping with dry winter skin. This all natural DIY scrub is so easy to whip up.

You will need:-
- A pot of honey (any runny type will do)
- A bag of salt (you can either use super cheap table salt or for a tougher scrub, I used the bigger sea salt crystals, which are still really cheap)
- A fork or similar tool to stir with
- A container of some sort to hold the scrub

To make:-

1. Pour some honey into the container. It's best to make this in small amounts fresh, as and when you want to use it.
2. Add some salt to the honey a little at a time and stir in. How much salt you want to add is up to you but you want to aim for about two parts honey to one part salt roughly (add more salt if you want it more scrubby).
3. When you're happy with the honey/salt ratio, give it a really good stir with the fork and you're done.
4. Apply to wet or dry skin and rinse off. Hello exfoliated skin!

I find this is also great to use as a face scrub, and would recommend trying it out on a bit of your body first to see how you like it.

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Carmine Box - November 2011

My Carmine box arrived today! This month's box is themed on Fame and Fortune, with each product being linked to a celebrity. I don't personally care that much about celebrities so here's what was inside:-



I still think their product leaflet is the best designed out of all of the beauty boxes.



(1) Lulu's Time Bomb Flashback Night Cream, 15ml sample tube worth £9.50 (full size 45ml - £30.75) - "extremely powerful anti-aging time machine does all the work to prevent aging while you get a good night's rest." Not sure that I need an anti-aging cream in my 20s but I'll give it a go, it smells nice.





(2) New CID Cosmetics i-pout Light Up Lipstick in Belle, full size (£15) - "a revolutionary and incredibly wearable lipstick, equipped with a built-in mirror and light for perfect application in absolutely any circumstance." I burst out laughing when I opened this, a daft gimmick seriously. The lipstick itself is good though, the colour sent, Belle, is a nice everyday pink which has a pretty glossy finish and decent staying power. But yeah, the light up aspect is just silly.




(3) Dainty Doll Eyeliner Pencil in Shake Your Tail Feather, full size (£10.50) - "contains skin-loving vitamins and is just oozing with colour." The colour looked quite promising on the pencil itself, a deep emerald shade is portrayed but on the skin it's looks more blue and doesn't suit me at all (much better for blue/green eyed people instead). It's quite a hard pencil which you really have to press hard with so this was disappointing, certainly not something I would pay full price for.



(4) Neom Organics Real Luxury Body Lotion, 50ml travel size (full size 240ml - £23.50) - "this organic product from an award winning brand is packed with fragrances of lavender, jasmine, basil and more." Now this is really nice, I've been wanting to try something from Neom Organics for ages. The lotion is gorgeous, similar to Cowshed and Bodhi.





(5) Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink in Taupe, full size (£22) - "this soft semi-permanent ink will add the perfect definition to your brows by allowing you to draw in individual hairs, also doubles up as an eyeliner." I was worried that this might be the wrong colour for me as my brows are dark brown/black but this worked for me after applying a couple of strokes. It stays put but when I think of semi-permanent make-up I think of treatments which last a couple of weeks, not just hours. Bit strange. I think it's OK, but nothing more than that really. Seems very expensive for what it is.

Summary: My first impressions were that I was disappointed with this box, none of the products really grabbed my attention. The first box was just so fantastic that this felt like a big let down, even if it still is incredibly good value for money and has three full size make-up items in it. I think a lot of people will like the novelty of the light up lipstick and I can appreciate that, it's just not something I go in for myself really, though I do like the lipstick itself. My favourite item overall is the Neom Organic Body Lotion and I'll probably use everything else as well, except the Dainty Doll eyeliner which is frankly rubbish IMO. I'll give Carmine another month's try to see if they do anything special for December but I'm a bit 'meh' about them at the moment.

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NOTD: Leighton Denny - Sex Kitten

This was the Leighton Denny nail polish that I received in last month's Glossybox. The application was a PAIN because the polish is so thick and gloopy, it was a nightmare to try and apply thin coats, and it was awfully streaky. I'm not sure if all Leighton Denny polishes are like this formula wise, but I can't say that I'm impressed . Although I'm happy that I received this colour over the others that were sent out, I'm still not sure whether I like it or not. Maybe it will grow on me?

P.S I will be posting details about my Christmas giveaway tomorrow so keep your eyes peeled! :)

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Tried & Tested: OPI Nail Envy

I wear a lot of nail polish and as a side effect, my nails aren't exactly in a brilliant condition. They're not awful looking, but they're not exactly pretty without polish on either. I'm not one to go for the long, talon nails look, but I do like strong nails that look healthy. With the onset of Winter, I've noticed my nails getting weaker and starting to split a little at the sides so I decided to pick up a mini size bottle of OPI's bestselling nail strengthener, Nail Envy, to try out. I must admit that I'm incredibly sceptical of these kinds of products because I think the secret of having great skin, hair and nails is mostly down to a good diet, beauty starting from the inside etc, so I was interested to see if this would actually make any difference.

OPI's Nail Envy has a protein and calcium rich formula to fortify and harden weak, thin or brittle nails, and the original one that I tried dries to a clear, natural finish. For the main course of treatment, you apply two coats on the first day and then apply one coat every other day for the rest of the week. After seven days, you need to remove all of the Nail Envy with an acetone free remover and then you can repeat the process the next week and so on. One point to remember is that Nail Envy doesn't act as a base coat, so whilst you're using it, it's best to avoid dark nail polishes that could stain.

Verdict: I've been using this for about three weeks and it does seem to be working, kind of. My nails feel stronger than they ever have before, but as they grew longer, I did notice that they began to split again a bit at the sides which is the main problem that I had in the beginning. Other than that, I was genuinely surprised by how much stronger my nails felt. Especially on the last day of the week, before removing all of the coats, my nails felt like hardened plastic and looked incredibly shiny. I'm not sure if I would personally purchase a full size bottle of this yet, but you're interested, I would recommend getting the mini size first before splurging.

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Olive love

One of my favourite make-up finds from last month was the Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof eyeliner from Glossybox. I love wearing olive/khaki shades and wanted to see how it compares to two other similar items that I already had; Urban Decay's 24/7 eyeliner in Stash and Smashbox's Creamy Eyeshadow Plus in 18.



The Stila liner is beautifully pigmented with a deep olive green and chunky gold. It's completely smudge proof and stays put for hours, yet is easy to remove with a good make-up remover. Urban Decay's Stash is a very similar shade but more subdued, with a finer gold undertone to it. It has medium staying power and is a little smudgy. Although a much different shade but still in the olive family, the Smashbox creamy eyeshadow stick is much lighter. It's the worst for its staying power, and smudges almost straight away if not worn with primer underneath. Out of the three, the Stila liner definitely wins hands down as a new firm favourite in my make-up bag, a perfect change to wearing black liner every now and again.

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