BeTrousse Beauty Box

BeTrousse Christmas Beauty Box (*) - RRP £19.00

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Christelle at BeTrousse to see if I would be interested in trying and reviewing one of their beauty boxes. I had never heard of BeTrousse before, but in the email I was informed all about the company and how they would like to work with me. Of course I was so happy to have been contacted and I couldn't wait to receive my beauty box to try. I did a little research about BeTrousse and found that they are actually a French company... but what really excited me if that all the products in their boxes are FULL SIZED! If you are a beauty box lover like myself, you'll know that its so rare that full sized products are included in boxes.

When my box arrived I actually couldn't believe how big it was - literally the size of a small shoe box. All the products were packaged lovely and the box was literally bursting full of things. I received seven, yes thats right, seven full sized beauty products to try and review. Admittedly I hadn't heard of a few of the products but with the company being primarily French I wasn't expecting to, but this didn't dampen my opinion at all. I was so impressed with both the range of products and the sizes of them.

In the Christmas box I received:
Charme D'Orient Relaxing Body Massage Cream
Saffron London Cracking Nail Polish
Skinetica Anti-Blemish
Tattyoo BeTrousse Tattoos
Forte Pharma UK TurboSlim ChronoActiv Tablets
Laboratoire Lda-Soins Expert Hydra Cream
Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Mud Mask

I am so thankful to BeTrousse for contacting me and giving me the opportunity to try this amazing box. If you look on their website they also give you the opportunity to order their past boxes, which look absolutely amazing too! (Link here) At the minute all their boxes are on offer for £9.00 each, they are usually anything from £15.00, so its definitely worth a look. The products included in the boxes themselves can range from £72.00 to anything over £130.00, so in my opinion it is such a good offer. I already have my eye on BeTrousse's Pretty Beauty box, which I will definitely be ordering in the next few days.

Have you tried a BeTrousse box before? Which one? What were your opinions?

17 Nail Polish Collection

I got this cute little nail polish set as a stocking filler from my parents at Christmas, and I absolutely love it. All of my family know I'm a bit of a nail addict so I seemed to get absolutely loads of nail-based presents, which in my books was the best! I've never really used 17 products before but these mini polishes looked such lovely colours and I couldn't wait to try them. I don't actually know the price or any details like that as it was a present, but I think 17 is a Boots product? I'm not sure anyway.

The photo above shows all the colours in the set, which is actually a really good range of colours in my opinion. I don't know all the names of the individual polishes, but when I find out I'll update this post and pop the names in a caption. I have such a hard time choosing what colour to paint my nails, as I like to make sure they kind of patch all the possible outfits I could be wearing. From this set I decided to try the nude coloured polish, which looks so creamy and luxurious in the picture.

The polish was a really good consistency and painted onto my nail really easily. The brush was just the perfect shape for my nail, which is always a plus, I hate having to wipe excess polish away where the brush has been to wide for my nail. The polish is quite thick so for this particular colour one coat would be fine for a good coverage, although I did actually apply two. It dried really quickly and looked quite matte which was obviously unlike the photo, but I think that's probably down to the nail set I sampled it on. I applied a clear topcoat after which sent the polish really shiny and made it look almost professional and flawless.

Even though I've only tried one polish up to yet I'm really impressed with the standards and the colour of the polish. I've only had it on for a day so far so we shall see how long it stays in good condition. I'll definitely be using this set again to try out more of the colours.

H&M Nail Polish 'Blue Bliss'

H&M 'Blue Bliss' - £2.99

H&M nail polishes are one of those things that I've been looking at for months now, but I've never been able to make my mind up about whether to try one. I've bought them in the past as little gifts for friends, but I've never really bothered to ask how they got on or anything. I wondered in a few days ago to actually buy something for a friend's birthday/Christmas present and saw this amazing sparkly blue colour and just had to have it. I'm obsessed with sparkly polishes and nails at the minute, so I tend to have sparkle on at least one nail every time I paint them. Blue isn't usually something I'd use for my nails but I thought it looked quite christmasy and would maybe fit well with some of my outfits over Christmas.

The polish itself is quite thick and even though it looks an amazing blue colour in the bottle, it is actually nearly clear when it comes out. I was quite disappointed about this and as you can see from the pictures it is very light. The pictures show one coat of the polish, which I guess is quite nice and subtle, but I only really bought the polish for the blue colour. In the end I think I applied about three coats of the polish to get the right amount of colour, which actually looked a lot better with the sparkles too. I haven't got a picture to show of this but no doubt there'll be one on Instagram soon. (my name is terribacon_)

I do like this polish and after the numerous coats it is really pretty and quite festive in a way. The glitter really catches the light and the blue kind of brings it out a lot more, so overall I'm quite happy with the outcome. I'll probably end up painting my nails again before Christmas because I'm absolutely obsessed at the minute.

Have you tried H&M polishes before? What is your favourite festive polish?

She Said Beauty's December Box

She Said Beauty Box: December Edition - £9.00 (plus p+p)

It seems so long ago since I got my last She Said Beauty box, so long that I'd literally forgot all about it. It appeared in the post this morning and its always such a nice feeling to get... plus I love surprises! This month's box includes seven products altogether, with one being full sized and two being a little Christmas treat. In previous boxes I've had a few more full sized products so in that aspect its a little disappointing, but I'm not going to sit here and complain. Now, onto the box...

This month's box includes:
YaNa Kiss Savon Nior or Ghassoul Clay Mask
Minivita Baobab Baby Oil

Dr Duve Anti Aging + Firming Eye Cream

Technic Nail Varnish in 'Tawny Port' - Full size.

Dr Duve Skin Boosting Cream
Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask - Full size.
JING Whole Leaf Teabags

After reading a bit about each product I'm yet again impressed this month and I think there's a really good mix of products in the box. I'm really fond of clay masks and creams so I guess this is definitely the box for me seeing as they take full priority this month. The Technic nail varnish looks such a lovely purple colour and I'm really looking forward to trying that soon, seeing as my nails definitely need a bit of TLC. The little Christmas treat of Amie's clay mask is a really nice thought and I think that will be the first thing on my list to try. The tea bags are a really different idea too! I'm actually going to use these today I'm that excited to see what they're like.

There will no doubt be reviews to follow, so keep your eyes pealed if there's anything you like the look of. Did you receive your She Said Beauty box this month? What products do you love?

My Christmas Daily Want #1

Models Own Wonderland Set - £20

I've loved Models Own for so long now, ever since my lovely freebies at the Clothes Show Live last year. I only tend to buy them when they're on sale though, or when I really want to treat myself (or my nails.) This set looks absolutely perfect for Christmas, it looks really icy and cute! I can just see my nails painted in these for all the parties and family get-togethers I seem to have over Christmas. 

Latest In Beauty - October Samples

Little Beauty Box - £1.50 

This little box is something that I've blogged about for a while now, but I always seem to blog about how disappointed I am with it. I know for £1.50 there's not going to be massively amazing samples in it, but I always hope that the samples are going to be better. The good thing about this with Latest In Beauty is that you can actually choose three samples you would like to try, so you do know what you're getting. When it came to ordering my samples for this month I was wondering whether it would be worth it, but as usual I went ahead anyway. I chose Beauty Fixation Nail Polish Touch-ups, Sanctuary Spa Active Reverse Facial and Green People Sun Lotion.

I was actually happy that I chose these samples and it was a big bonus that there was something I hadn't tried before. I didn't think much of it when I ordered the samples, but when they arrived today I was so so happy. The first thing that caught my eye was the Nail Polish Touch-ups, just because its something that I ALWAYS need when I'm doing my nails since I can never keep the polish off my fingers. You literally snap one end of the cotton bud and the nail polish corrector is fed onto the bottom bud, so you can mop up any mistakes. Absolutely genius! I can't wait to use these and write a proper review for you all.

The sun lotion is actually something that I definitely won't be using, seeing as it's October and freezing, but I'm going to put it away for next summer. You never know when little sachets of sun lotion may come in handy on holiday, especially to just use on your face. The Active Reverse Facial looks pretty interesting and at the minute I'm a little obsessed with products like this, and trying them out. It says that after one use you will feel a change in your skin, making it brighter and tauter, apparently. No doubt this will be used and reviewed soon too.

Since I've cancelled my Glossy Box subscription, I may be turning to little cheap boxes like this more often for new things to try. What do you think to the samples?

Nail Varnish Bargains

1. Plum Raisin 2. Emerald 3. Cocoa Motion 4. Racing Rubies

I thought I'd share some little bargains I've bought over the past few days, and yes, it is more nail varnish. I can't get enough and in my post a few days ago I said how I couldn't find any nice colours at the minute. Well, I happened to stumble across some gorgeous colours when I didn't even expect to or really have the money on me (thank you Mummy!)

The first two, Plum Raisin and Emerald, were from good old Tesco. Months ago I did a little review of some other Tesco polishes, which you can find here, and I was really impressed with the colours and the quality. For 99p you really can't go wrong and I tend to take the little polishes on holiday with me in case I want to change my colour quickly. I wanted some darker shades and was instantly drawn to the dark purple and black colours, which both a hint of sparkle and shine to them. I've only used them for the swatches above, but the quality seems as good as ever and it took two coats to get a full colour.

The second two are Maybelline Express Finish polishes. I got these from my local Discount UK, which is like Home Bargains or any other discount shops, and was actually really surprised with the selection they had. Usually you find your normal low-end, cheap make-up, but I was shocked when I found brands such as Maybelline, Nivea, Sally Hansen and Revlon - I was in heaven! These two polishes were £1 each, which is an absolute bargain compared to the £4.00 price tag in Superdrug. They are completely the same product, there's obviously just not as much choice colour wise.

I absolutely LOVE the Maybelline polishes. I painted both my fingers and toes in Cocoa Motion and as soon as half my family saw, they wanted in on the action too. So now the ladies in my family all have nails coloured in either that or Racing Rubies, so we all match. I'd urge anyone to root through your local discount shops for little gems like these! A £3 saving on a drug store polish is an absolutely amazing bargain for me, and I'm definitely thinking about going back to get my hands on some Sally Hansen goodies.

What is your favourite bargain buy?

Alessandro Pro White Nail Polish

Alessandro Pro White Nail Polish - £7.85*

When I first saw August's International Glossy Box I was actually a bit unsure whether I would both like and use any of the products, just for the fact that I'd never heard of them before. This product is one of those that I was wondering about, but I decided to do a bit of research before I tried it.

Alessandro International is a German website that offers a wide range of nail polishes and products, as well as things for hand and nail care and nail art. While looking round their website I found a section on UV nail and gel nail products, which was really good. It's safe to say I was actually really impressed with the products they had to offer. They have an absolutely huge range of nail polishes in some amazing colours, it was quite hard to look without wanting to order any.

Anyway, moving onto the Pro White. This nail polish is supposed to brighten up your nails and cover up any yellowing that you may have on them. To be honest my nails have never ever had a yellow tint to them, and if they did it wouldn't matter because 99% of the time I have them painted anyway. It isn't often that I have plain nails but at the minute I can't seem to find a colour I like, so I took this opportunity to try Pro White.

I cleaned up my nails with some nail polish remover and quickly tidied them up, then applied a coat of Pro White onto them. It was really quick to dry, which is always good in my books, so I applied another coat to see if it amplified the results. I did one hand first to compare to my natural nails, and to be honest I wasn't overly impressed. I expected the results to be really good, but the painted nails looked more purple and blue than gleaming white. The polish actually has a slightly purple tint when it's in the bottle, so I'm guessing this is a factor towards it, but overall I was slightly disappointed.

I painted them yesterday and looking at them this morning they do look very clean and shiny, but there is still a slight blue colouring to them. I'm thinking that maybe it may take a few days to see the effects overall? Anyway everything about the polish was really impressive and the brush is the perfect size to spread over the nail in one application. There's nothing I hate more than the brush being too big and it spreading polish onto the sides of your fingers. I think I'm going to give my nails a few days to be able to gleam, then maybe think about painting them if I don't see results.

Have you tried Pro White before? What do you think of it?

Impress Press-On Manicure: Overall Result

So as you all know, I was so happy and excited to try these nails. They were amazing to apply and looked like I'd had them done professionally, at work I got so many compliments on them which made me super happy. BUT, that was just about the only good thing these nails had to offer, as things started to go down hill from there. The picture above was taken two days ago and since then I've had to soak my hands and take off the nails, as I couldn't cope with them anymore. The nails themselves were really good in staying shaped and in good condition, it was just the actual bond between the nail and my own nail that I didn't like. Obviously the nails aren't supposed to be amazingly secure with the bond only being a small sticky pad, but I was some how expecting more.

With in the first two days, two nails had fallen off on each hand, which sparked doubts. This happened at work none the less, which resorted in me sticking them back on with nail glue when I got home - something I did not want to have to do. It all went downhill after that, and it seemed like nails were falling off and constantly having to be glued back on. When I took these off the skin around my nails was also really dry and needed a good moisturise, so to be honest I was a little disappointed.

Overall I'd say the quality of the actual nail is a lot better than the application. I know they are not meant to be a permanent thing and only last for a week, but I was expecting more than a day or two before they started to fall off. They are the easiest thing to apply though and I'd say if you plan on not doing anything too strenuous or that involves your hands too much - they're perfect for you!

Has anyone used these before? What results did you find?

Review: Impress Press-On Manicure

Impress Press-On Manicure - Broadway Nails (£7.99)

I've been tempted to get my nails done for a long time now, but I'm always unsure because I have a slight habit of biting the skin around my nails when I'm tired or stressed. I didn't see much point in having my nails done until they had healed, so I decided to give these a go. I keep seeing them advertised and I'm a sucker for trying anything new, so I finally caved in and decided to try them.

I've used packet nails before and the glue absolutely killed my nails. It left them dry and messy, and my actual nail layer peeled for weeks, so seeing something that didn't involve glue instantly drew me. They sort of reminded me of those dress-up nails you have when you're a little kid, so obviously I was sceptical to see if they actually worked.

To my amazement they were exactly what it said on the pack... 'fast and easy.' Probably the easiest thing I've ever done in my life. In the little bottle-shaped holder you get 24 nails in all different sizes, so it was really easy to match each up to my nails. Then all you do is literally peel off the tab underneath the nail, line it up with your cuticle, push and slide it down and hold it for a few seconds. That's it... lovely, nice nails in literally two minutes! Amazing! Apparently these nails last for up to a week, so I'm going to test out this method and see how they last. I work in retail and at the minute its all heavy-duty lifting and carrying sorting out the big sales, so hopefully these nails can withstand the strain.

On first impressions, I love them! They are quick and simple to do, there's no messy glue involved, and they look really lovely too. The ladies at work were actually asking me where I had got my nails done, so that was a bonus. The nails also some in a range of different colours and styles, which if these hold out I'll definitely be trying.

Have you used Impress before? How did you find them?