Oh it took me a hot minute to do these, but there is also a video *gasp*. This look was insanely easy and took me about 20 minutes, I've just been seriously procrastinating everything this month. But I'm hoping to get back on track for October and finally start doing stuff for my YouTube which has just been sitting there since I created it.
Anyway, this months LF box was amazing but it wasn't awful either. It was saved by the decent sized Caudalie eye cream and an eyebrow pencil that is actually good. But the two bath products are a miss because I never use the bath (#teamShower) and another cleanser. I have too many cleansers, it's insane.
The box art is nowhere near as nice as the pastel watercolour design from last year ( I can't believe the blog is a year old already!) but the design is nice and easy to stick on your nails. I was tempted to watermarble this design, however I would have spectacularly messed it up so I used a stamping plate.
Here is the video and it's under 40 seconds! Watch in me in like a years time doing 1 hour live steams lol.
Polishes/Tools Used:-
- Ciaté // White Heat (white)
- Barry M Liquid Chrome // Bright Lights (gold)
- Maniology // Plantation Tea (green teal)
- Avon Gel Shine // Top Coat
- MoYou London Plates // Princess 05 & 12
Not the greatest box art I've ever done but still way better than last months Look Fantastic offering. I was completely inspired by the red sand/orange sunset combo and set about to recreate that. The sea foam on my middle and ring fingers are actually from the Nicole Diary marble plate and I placed it strategically to look like waves as I don't actually have a stamp like that...over 100 plates and only a few with waves on them. Looks like I need to buy more.
I was also very happy to finally do the ombre of H&M colours that I wanted to do when I first got them and mentioned here when I swatched them. They blend so beautifully together and the dark burnt orange stamps really well on light colours. I'll have to use that in a future design.
Polishes/Tools Used:-
- Cuccio // Flirt (white)
- H&M // Cantaloupe (mustard), The Heat is on (orange), Sun on Clay (burnt orange),
- A-England // Camelot (black) - Avon Gel Shine // Top Coat
An early box review! I was also very lucky as I went home for two days and this box was due to arrive on Monday but it came Saturday so I didn't have to wait to go home again to get it. I love the bright orange shade this month and I think I'll have to do something with the Kiss My Peach duo I just got. But onto the products.
This is a nice brush. It's sturdy, beautifully made and soft. I don't use it on my face but I use it on my nails to brush off excess glitter and it works like a charm. Great item to start off with even if it is grossly overpriced. BellaPierre // Heatwave Highlighting Palette Full Size - RRP £????
Seeing as how this has been made exclusively for the Look Fantastic beauty box, it doesn't actually have an RRP because you can't buy it. I wouldn't have minded if it was a quality product but this thing is awful. There is barely any pigment, it's just chunky glitter pieces. This is the type of product you would find in a bargain bin for £1. It's even in that cheap plastic packaging. Even Barry M palettes come in the cardboard packing which looks nicer and is kinder to the environment. LF are stating this is worth £30....sure Jan.
I'm not the biggest fan of James Read products, the spray for the face made me break out in spots and I feel this would do the same. I've gotten into a good routine with skincare products and I'm not sure where this would fall as is not a moisturiser or serum so I would use it on top but then it feelds like there would be too many products...I'll give it a go on the weekends as I don't think I have the strength to go into work with an orange face if it goes wrong.
I've had one of these before in a Pink Parcel and it was a nice sheet mask. But sheet masks are all the same, they all hydrate and that's it. I've gone through so many different ones and I can't honestly say one of them has made a meaningful impact. I like using them but they're not worth £4.95 for one.
The full size of this also comes with gloss so you can wear matte or glossy lips but I've tried wearing this and it's not for me. I think this is probably the worst shade they have. It's this dark orange/peach/coral thing and it looks awful. I just think the whole matte lip trend is over in general. I was never a big fan and it makes your lips crusty in real life (we all know that front camera blurs...) This dries to a powdery matte finish that still transfers but does remove quite easy with some micellar water. Not a great product overall though.
And last is my favourite product in the box. When I started receiving Rituals products several years ago in boxes I hated them. The scents were just awful, but their latest ones like the Ayurveda and Holi smell so good. I love this body cream and I'll be buying it as soon as I run out. It makes my skin feel so good and it layers well with my body oil and my skin has never looked better. And that's after using the Sol De Janiero Bum Bum cream for a month. That stuff is £44 and this £7 cream has beaten it hands down. If only Rituals had a similar scent. I just wish this stuff came in a 200ml size but it is more than worth £7 for 100ml.
// Box Value
// 6 Items // 4 Full Size // 2 Sample Sizes
// £48.72 Estimated Worth
Not as good as last month and the estimated value is quite low for an LF box but the "exclusive" highlighter has a stupid made up price of £29.99. Yeah no. This was a nice box for August though where the summer nights are starting to get darker (sad face) it's just a shame a few of the products were a bit lacklustre. But I love that Rituals cream so all in all, I'm pretty happy this month.
psst.. the sneak peak for September is a Molton Brown Shower Gel in Orange and Bergamot. I'm pretty sure they had a Molton Brown shower gel for their birthday edition last year as well. If they have the Eve Lom Cleanser it's obvious that they do the exact same box every year. Look out for a Mane & Tail hand cream and Parma Violets as well.
For the first year of my sub I never really liked Look Fantastic and seriously considered quitting; however I then stopped wearing makeup and focused more on skincare and now I really love the box and get annoyed when it includes makeup. I've enjoyed using all the products in this months box and I'm looking forward to next months; even if it does include a makeup brush but I can use that dust off glitter when doing my nails so it's all good.
I love Elemis products but they're way out of my price range so I always love receiving them in boxes. My favourite so far has been the pro-collegen marine cream (that stuff works miracles) and the Peptide night serum (it smells like pudding). This is the only product in the box I haven't used yet as I still haven't used up the Emma Hardie moisturiser from the last box (or was it May?? I can't remember). I'm looking forward to using this.
I'm surprised that one pack is full size for £6 as this was nice but I don't feel it's worth £6. After using my eyes didn't look any different but the eye area felt moisturised. I feel like this is one of those products where you have to continuously use them to see the benefits and I just don't have that kind of money.
I was super excited to see this because I love the bath & shower oils from AA; they just smell amazing and this smells just like the Revive shower oil and so I slathered it all over my body fresh out of the shower and loved the cool, refreshing feeling. After five minutes though my skin began to itch and feel incredibly tight. This is not a moisturiser and I had to apply my normal Body Shop body butter afterwards and I lost the great smell. On their website they say you can use this directly over tights which is weird but I think this is meant more as a mood lifter that you apply to pulse points. It smells amazing and I think 40ml is a great size if applying sparingly but too small for a full body moisturiser.
I have about 7 of those Magi-tone wipe cloths and they just don't work for me. I see these types of products like face wipes; they just drag the skin and don't remove all the dirt. This is just a microfiber cloth; there is nothing special about it. I like the mitt shape more than the standard cloth and I like using this to remove face masks or left over bits of my face scrub. I wouldn't pay £12 for this though when you can buy microfiber cloths for like a quid.
These are now completely sold out on Eyeko and Look Fantastic (who were selling 3 shades for £15) so I have a feeling they are discontinued. It's ok. I used it a couple of times but like I said; I don't really wear makeup anymore. I used this as an eyeliner and then smudged it for a smoky eye effect and it was relatively easy to use. I wouldn't purchase it though as it creases easily and the shade kind of looks like dirt.
Finally a Naobay product in the box again! This is perhaps my favourite product this month as it smells like fruity heaven. Honestly they need to make a drink of this product. I used to be obsessed with micellar water and went through the Garnier one like water but then I became a fan of the Korean 2 step cleansing method and I don't have any use for it anymore but I've been using this just to refresh my face in the morning and it's just lovely. I have nothing but good words about this product. It's just a shame that Naobay is so difficult to get hold of the UK.
// Box Value // 6 Items // 4 Full Size // 2 Travel Size // £58.24 Estimated Worth
A great box this month with interesting and varied products and not one sample size in sight! Please take note Birchbox, you are after all the same price...I'm not sure if I would buy anything from this box but it was nice to try out. The micellar water I'm torn on though because it smells and feels so good but £10 is a lot for a face refresher. I've decanted it into a spray bottle to take on the go with me as well to use it up. I have no complaints this month though which is a rarity!
Man, it's so weird to be doing an unboxings again, it's been almost a year. Anyway, I did a video if you prefer to watch those instead or keep on scrolling for the text version!
I will update this post later on in the month as well, detailing how I got on with the products. So make sure to check the 'Recently Updated' tab at the top of the page.
Anyway, I think my attitude towards boxes have definitely changed since I was last blogging them as I'm no longer mad at Look Fantastic. They used to inflate their box prices and always include the same type of products but all this year I've been super happy with every box. June's is no exception. I know some may be angry at the tiny samples, however when you have 6 box subscriptions, I'm quite grateful for the samples because I get through them quicker, I get to try more items faster and it's fun. Plus this months box has a pretty decent value for only £13 with most products being on the more expensive side as well.
Described as an eye cream for those with sensitive itchy eyes, I'm looking forward to using this now the hayfever season is well underway. Right now I can't live without my Piriton and my eyes are always the most affected so this was actually a really good inclusion for this month considering so many of us suffer from hayfever. It also gives 24 hour hydration and eases redness and discomfort; just what the doctor ordered.
Peeling Mask // Ecooking
15ml Sample - RRP £11.10 (0.74 per ml based on 50ml for £37)
Oh man I love this brand. I've tried so many other sample products from them before and I've loved every one. The packaging is also really cute and I love the glass jars; I'll probably recycle them into glitter/rhinestone jars. Anyway, this mask actually has a really low pH value of 3.5 (so it's super acidic), therefore your face will probably feel like it's burning and go red but they say this is supposed to happen so it's all good. I would recommend a patch test though if your skin is sensitive. Ecooking say to use this for only 4-6 minutes at first and then gradually increase it up to 10 as you use it more. It smells a little like PVA glue but I can't wait to give it a try.
EGF Serum // Bioeffect
3ml Sample - RRP £25 (8.30 per ml based on 15ml for £125...)
Such a tiny sample, however, at £125 for 15ml I'm not really mad because that's a great sample size for the price of the product. Bioeffect also only recommend using 2-4 drops so this will last quite a while. They have some bold claims about what this can do for anti-ageing properties so I'll be keeping an eye on my skin over the month.
Surf Spray // Bumble & Bumble
15ml Sample - RRP £2.40 (0.16 per ml based on 125ml for £20)
You could've received a volumising spray instead but I'm glad I got this one as my hair doesn't need anymore volume. I'm worried about how much this may dry my hair out however it feels soft and isn't too sticky. They only problem is that it isn't very inclusive as B&B state its for those with straight/wavy fine/medium hair and I have thick, course semi-afro hair. I'll give it a try though.
Soap has come a long way since ye olden days and I'm looking forward to giving this one a go. It has a light, pleasant and calming scent and feels very waxy. Korres says it's glycerin based so it should be ultra moisturising. It can be used for both face and the body so we'll see how it goes.
And then last but not least is a tiny sample from Filorga. I'd say this is my least favourite item in the box mainly because I'm not a fan of Filorga. Look Fantastic love including them in the box but they just don't do anything, to me they're just overpriced creams. Filorga say this can either be a day or night cream and has anti-ageing properties to tone and firm but most products from them all look the same and are pretty vague about what they do. This will be used in a few days though so I'll report back soon.
// Box Value // 6 Items // 2 Full Size // 4 Samples // £68.10 Estimated Worth
Overall, not a bad box, the serum is heavily appreciated, it's not everyday you get to try skincare that costs over £100 and the Ecooking mask and eye creams will be used immediatly. I think Look Fantastic should reduce their box size though to maybe that of the Birchbox size, it seems they're going more down the sample route and whereas that doesn't bother me (it is only £13 a month after all) the size of the box and all the waste packaging does bother me. Anyway, I'm looking forward to next months as I love Elemis! The sneak peak for July is their hydro-balance day cream.
I finally managed to get up this months Look Fantastic nails! I was wondering what to do for this month but then in the box magazine they had this skyscraper ombre thing going on and I thought city sunset mani! It didn't turn out perfectly because I don't have any skyscraper stamping plates so I freehanded it...that's right I'm entering the world of freehand. Acrylic paint just makes it so much easier.
I also really enjoyed the curation this month. The conditioner only lasted twice because I have butt length hair but it left it smelling fruity and fresh and the lip liner makes a beautiful nude lip shade. I mix it with lip balm for a nude lip. The other items I haven't used yet but I love the Polar night cream so I was super excited to receive another item from them. I was going to do a full review this month but I think I'll start next month with that stuff again. I'll just leave it at; this was a good month.
How I did it:
I started off with one coat of white polish; any will do, it's just so the ombre needs less coats. I used two and then topped it off with top coat. I used black acrylic paint to create the skyscrapers and Golden Hour for the highlights as the highlights on the box was rose gold this month.
Polishes/Tools Used:-
- Cutex Care + Color // Catch The Sunset (bright coral pink)
- Essence The Gel // Orange To Go (bright orange)
- Essenge The Gel // Pumpkin Spice (dark orange clay)
- Ciaté // Golden Hour (rose gold)
- Crafts 4 All Acrylic Paint // 753 Black (black)
What's this? The Look Fantastic box up early??? Well I've got a lot of stuff on later this month so I thought I'd take a day out to get some posts scheduled. I was a bit unsure of what to do with the box initially (although it's one of my favourite designs to date; every box should be like this). Then I saw the magazine and knew I had to do a cute leaf print on paper look.
The box itself was a little lacklustre. I would've preferred a conditioner over shampoo but the lipstick shade is quite nice for once. I thought it was a bright red but it's this nice rusty/copper/rose shade. The serum, mask and moisturiser will get used straight away but the bath salts will go into my storage box for the special day that I finally can afford a place with a bathroom big enough for a bath lol.
Surprisingly I couldn't match the shade of the box as I only have 3 brown shades...for shame. Guess I need to buy more. I stuck a matte top coat on as well but I'm glad I took photos before that as it really ruined it.
How I did it:-
I started off with 2 layers of Loom Mates then stamped on the white squares. Well, they're actually rectangles that I painted over to make them blindingly white. I can't freehand for shit. I then used the silver and a line from Holy Shapes to outline the 'paper'. Then using a multi-tude of greens (and a purple) I stamped on the leaves using the Overprint and Tropical plates.
Aaannnndd I finally got round to doing this months Look Fantastic nails. I really thought I was going to miss it this month due to Uni deadlines but I got them done. Hopefully I'll be a little more organised next month. I was also trying to figure out how I could do this design without going to abstract.
I'm pretty pleased with the outcome; it's not exactly like the box but without a printer I don't think I would've got exactly there. I'm also very happy with this months contents as well! Apart from the Morphe (which I gave away immediately; I can't stand that brand) every other product was pretty good. I haven't tried The Ordinary serum, Madara Face mask or Omorovicza Cleanser yet but I love EOS balms (they're my favourite) and the Rituals hand balm is actually very nice. At £13, I couldn't have bought them any cheaper.
On to the nails though. I started out with a white base coat then sponged on a few layers of Fresh Blue, Bohemian Rhapsody, Orchid Chic and Jam Sesh in a diagonal pattern. After a layer of top coat, I then layered on the white stripe using Blanc, followed with a matte top coat.
It actually took me a while to find a white polish that was sheer enough to create that layered looking effect. I thought Alpine Snow by OPI would be perfect as it's milky AF and needs around 7 coats to become opaque; but no, it turned out to be one of the best white stamping polishes I've used...who'd have thought? I've finally found a use for it.
Polishes/Tools Used:-
- NYC Expert Last // Fresh Blue (primary blue)
- Jessica // Bohemian Rhapsody (dark denim blue)
- MoYou London Polish // Orchid Chic (purple)
- Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear // Jam Sesh (lavender)
- Essie // Blanc (white) - Barry M // Matte Top Coat
- Born Pretty Plate // Geometry L001
I'm finally doing some nails again! I've been stuck in bed for the past week thanks to a cold. Yey winter. Anyway, today is the first day I've been better and could get to my office (where I keep all my polish) and I've got so many nail designs to catch up on. I thought I'd combine the Clairestelle8 challenge with this one as well.
This isn't my favourite LF box however I'm always happy to see Erno Lazslo products in boxes as they are way out of my price range but I'm getting a little sick and tired of Phillip Kinglsey hair products. Also, eyelash curlers scare the bejeezus out of me so they're not going anywhere near my eyes lol.
I was going to attempt my first watermarble design with this box however, I have so many other things to catch up on that I didn't have the time so instead I cheated and used a watermarble stamping plate.
How I did it:-
I started off with two coats of Vintage Tee and then stamped on various designs from the BP-L061 plate. All the designs were tripled stamped starting with Must Have Mauve, then Ella of a Girl and finally Golden Hour. Before Golden Hour though, I applied a matte top coat.
Polishes/Tools Used:-
- Nails Inc Fashion Fix // Vintage Tee (baby pink)
- Morgan Taylor // Must Have Mauve (...mauve)
- Morgan Taylor // Ella of a Girl (light pink)
- Ciaté // Golden Hour (rose gold)
- Barry M // Matte Top Coat
- Born Pretty Stamping Plate // BP-L061
The Look Fantastic January box is finally here! It's quite funny, last years LF January box was also spectacularly late with many on social media getting a bit 'angry' shall we say. Back then I still had my beauty blog and dubbed it "LF January Gate". However, this year I wasn't particularly bothered as I don't have the blog anymore and I actually really love this months contents as just about everything will get used. Well perhaps not the baking powder as I don't really wear make-up anymore but I can give it go!
On to the nails though! For this months I decided when I first saw the box design that I would attempt my very first reciprocal gradient....yep we're going into 'real' nail art territory here. If you're not familiar with a reciprocal gradient (I wasn't a few months ago), it's a gradient design with striping tape applied on top and then the same gradient sponged in the other direction so when you peel off the tape you get this neat effect.
For my first attempt; I'm quite happy as it turned out much better than I thought it would. However, I used a stamping polish as one of the shades and it dried far too quickly and when I was removing the tape, the lines became a little jagged. Also, to save time I did two fingers at a time which gave the polish to much time to dry. You really do need to remove the tape as soon as you've finished stamping or the lines don't blend into each other well.
Also, when adding the silver detail; I messed up big time. It kind of makes me cringe a little, but the show must go on. I'd definitely attempt this again though as it was quite fun. I kept going back and forth between this and my programming assignment so I wasn't just waiting around for everything to dry. In the end, it took me a good two hours and that was just one hand....people who do both are actually crazy.
But anyway, here's a nice gradient* shot to finish.
*I learnt through researching how to do this that blending colours together is actually called a gradient and an ombre is block colours on each nail but from the same colour family....I'll be a pro one day...
