Meebox January 2018 Namaste Edit // Nail Subscription Box

No, that's not a typo in the title (although let's admit it, we've all been doing that for the past few days 😏), this is my very first Meebox and it was their 'Namaste' edit which was originally released back in January 2018. I actually received this box at the beginning of December as they had a sale for Black Friday and I'd been eyeing this box for a while...

I was a little upset though because by the time I discovered Meebox they had just ended their subscription service after around 2 years. Now they bring out a new edit every quarter with previous boxes available to purchase. Every box is now a one-off (and I noticed it's more expensive than the old subscription) but I couldn't resist the lure of those pretty pastel shades any longer and caved.

I actually really love this box; it's got a nice mix of everything and if I wasn't subbed to 5 other subscriptions I would probably start ordering one a month until I owned all the edits. But at £30 a pop

So yeah, maybe I won't 😂. Anyway, let's get into the edit shall we??

We have three full sized polishes in:

- Cuccio Colour // Crush In Lake Como (sheer pink creme) 13ml £4.95

- Nailberry L'Oxygéné // Stone (dark grey creme) 15ml £14.50

- Zoya // Lake (sheer mint creme) 15ml £9.95

I adore Cuccio and since diving into the world of nail polish outside of Boots & Superdrug, they have become one of my favourite brands. Crush in Lake Como is a beautiful shade but very similar to OPI Sweet Memories and It's a Girl. You need around 3/4 layers but it gives off that clear gel look. 

Nailberry is brand that I've been seeing around but the prices kind of put me off because you hardly ever see these on offer. I love the bottle shape as well and like Orly this polish is said to be 'breathable'. I have no idea what companies mean by this because nails are well dead; they're like hair strands but it's all apothecary looking and I have a thing for the apothecary aesthetics (it's how Kiehl's keeps stealing my money...). I haven't used this shade yet but it's a true dark grey and I think it will work perfectly for some basic marble nails.

Then last we have classic mint creme from Zoya. Like Nailberry this is an expensive brand but it appears to be a regular in like every nail box ever so I've already racked up quite a few (and I may have bought a few in the NPD boxing day sale...). I'm not a big fan of the bottle shape but I'll let it slide for this shade because it's my favourite Zoya shade I've received so far and the most versatile.

Looks I've done using these polishes:

- Lake Crush // Mint & Pink Ombre

- Christmas Doiles // Icicles & Snowflakes
- Under The Basic Sea // Mint & Pink Mermaid Nails
- Serene Forest // Pink & Green Forest Scene
- Wedding // #Clairestelle8 Valentines Challenge

Up next in the nail care section, we also have another three products:

- Leighton Denny // Hydra Flex Serum (12ml - £12)

- Cuccio Naturalé // Butter in Lemongrass & Lavender (42g - £5.95ish)

- Soap Dodger // Cuticle Balm (20g - £3.50)

At first I thought the Leighton Denny serum was a polish and when I unscrewed the cap and saw no brush on the end; just a snapped off piece of plastic I was like

Then I quickly realised that I am an idiot because I took off both lids and this is a pump action bottle. Not much is said about this serum. On the bottle is says "treatment for dry and brittle nails" which to me sounds like a nail strengthener which make your nails dry and brittle from repeated use....on their website though they describe it as a "moisturising treatment to boost moisture levels and leave a protective film over the nail". I will say it does feel moisturising and absorbs quickly with no shine. This is great to use in photos to keep the skin from looking crusty but not shiny. It also has this strange 'remedial' scent to it, kind of like Angostura Bitters. A great find though and I've been enjoying it.

Next up is some body butter and boy do I love me some body butter and it's Cuccio as well. Win win. Now, I can't find this particular scent for sale anywhere reputable however NailPolishDirect sell this size in some other scents for £5.95 so I'm gonna go with that. This is a rich and greasy butter that I like using before bed as otherwise fingerprints will be left everywhere. It has a light floral scent which is nice for once as I'm not a big fan of floral because they just assault your nose. This doesn't, it's more like someone a meter away walked past you with some flowers. 

And then we have the spearmint balm from Soap Dodger. I had never heard of this brand but loved this balm so much after the first use that I went straight on the website on the packaging which took me to 'Ard As Nails. I have to say that brand name in the voice of Jason Statham as well. Whilst there I ordered some of their cuticle oil and two polishes which will be swatched on here soon. I love this balm though. It smells beautiful, it's great value and it's homemade in the UK. 

And then last we received some scissors:

- The Vintage Cosmetic Company // Nail Scissors (£7.50, currently on sale for £4.50)

I'm always on the look out now for 'tiny Russian scissors' (thanks Cristine) and these are some nice rose gold scissors but they're not tiny enough for my liking. They are sharp though and actually cut through things which sounds like I'm joking but they're are a lot of nail scissors out there that can't do the simplest of things.

//------------------------------------------------------------------------//

Cost £30

7 Items

Estimated Worth - £58.35

Whew! And that's it! What a long post. I didn't think I'd write that much about it. I really enjoyed this box though and it hurts that they no longer have a subscription service as they really seem to try and include a lot of indie brands and interesting nail art items. I love Mani & Lola however they don't seem to stray from Zoya and other 'mainstream' brands all that often. Also, it was nice to receive quite a few nail care items and tools. Other Meebox's include stamping plates and nail wraps; I like that they mix it up. Another little thing is that they add swatch sticks so you can see the colours straight away. It's a nice little touch.

Please check them out. Each box is £30 (although a couple are £35) and that includes p&p. On their website they state that they ship to the US but it's an extra £15. 

Meebox

Spotlight Sunday // Sally Hansen Moisture Rehab Review

Lets introduce a new segment to blog shall we! Welcome to Spotlight Sunday where each Sunday I'll be reviewing a product in depth whether it be a polish, some tools, hand cream or some other nail-related product. 

I found this in my local B&M bargains (sort of a pound or dollar store type place) and it there were a few boxes lying on the shelf in the makeup section with a £3.99 sticker on them. I decided to give one a go as I'm becoming a bit obsessed in my quest for the best cuticle oil and I think I may have found it.

I'm so impressed I went straight back a few days later and bought the rest of them. These things seem to retail online between £3.99 and £9.95 so I got a bargain...B&M's living up to it's name. That said, I found Amazon are now offering the same price with prime delivery so I may order a few more from on their; I don't have to go out in the cold then.

When I bought this I thought it was a "moisture infused" base coat as the instructions say to apply to the nail directly; not to the cuticle. But then it says to massage in, so I was a little confused. When I took it out to try it's actually a cooling gel consistency and sinks into the skin and nails faster than you can say "lives in a pineapple under the sea". This actually shocked me as all the other cuticle oils I have take a good 5 minutes to absorb and always leave everything I touch with greasy fingerprints.

This applies quite wet but after around 30 seconds has disappeared but the nail and cuticle feel intensely hydrated. I suffer from very dry cuticles that are always cracking and peeling, no matte what I do but after application my skin feels soft and the peeling has almost disappeared. 

The formula itself is said to be concentrated with Black Orchid, Acai & Algae extracts and I was expecting a nice sweet smell but it doesn't really have a scent. It also only comes in a 10ml size and you can go through this rapidly. After a week a quarter of the bottle had gone which is crazy when my 1.8ml nail oil pen from the Body Shop is still going after 6 months....but then again it doesn't leave my nails feeling the same as this does.

My favourite aspect about this product though is that it doesn't leave any greasy shine after application. After I've done my nails the cuticle always feels crusty thanks to the acetone used during clean-up, but when I apply my oils it makes my finger super shiny; not great for taking photos. Due to the absorption rate of this though, I'm assured my cuticles are moisturised and there is no shine to interfere with my photos.

I have a feeling though this is a product that may have been discontinued though for it to be turning up on the cheaper sites like Fragrance direct which is a shame because I love it. Sally Hansen do a pink one called Nail Rehab which I'm guessing is similar. I just wish they did big refill bottles of this stuff because I love it.

PLACES TO BUY*:

Fragrance Direct // £3.99

Boots // £9.95

Amazon UK (with prime delivery) // £3.99

Superdrug // £9.95

Feel Unique // £9.95

Wilkos // £8.45

*none of these links are affiliated, just ones I found off google.