Back To School // Clairestelle8 Challenge September 2019

I can't believe it's September again already. The mornings are already starting feel crisper and the nights are getting dark early :( Whereas I love the idea of fall and autumn scenes with all the warm colours and general cosy-ness; when you're alone in the middle of nowhere it's kind of hard to be excited about the upcoming season.

But it's September and that means...discount stationary. That's right, all the stationary is on offer right now and I can't because it's one of my main weaknesses; that and Cadburys jelly popping candy chocolate. I've already done a similar look to this one but I really love the scholar and artist plates so combined them for a bit more of a detailed look.

I was a bit upset that I smudged the pencil stamp a little and the MoYou polishes are just awful. I'm going to have to stop buying them because it always takes me several tries to pick up designs. I might start doing swatch posts on them so others can see how terrible they are at being stamping polishes.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Nailberry // Stone (dark grey)
- Nicole Diary // Born Perfect (white)

- MoYou London // Mint Condition (pastel blue), Coral Crush (coral pink), Into The Woods (dark brown)
- H&M // Cantaloupe (mustard)
- MoYou London Plate // Scholar 01 & 06, Artist 21

Maniology // Pineapple Whip Starter Kit Review

My first order from Maniology! (formerly Bundle Monster) And probably my last due to shipping & import costs. Seriously, I spent $24.50 in total on the starter kit ($15), sticky base coat ($6) and some nail wraps ($3.50) with the shipping being a flat rate of $10. It was shipped in by Royal Mail who kindly charged me 20% VAT and then an £8 fee for handling. Bringing my entire cost to around $45 for everything. I would really love to subscribe to their mani x me box but I can't afford that tax every month just to import it. I'll stick to Mani & Lola for the moment. As for shipping time, I ordered on the 7th August and it arrived on the 20th which isn't too bad for US delivery; especially when it's coming from Hawaii. 

But anyway, I love pineapples and I've been longing to try out this brand for so long and the rose gold crystal wraps are hella cute. I'll never use them though because they're too cute so I'll just try and copy them via the dreaded hand painting.

We'll talk about the kit first and then I'll eventually get round to doing posts for the others.

Pineapple Whip Stamping Starter Kit

RRP $15

In this you receive two full size stamping polishes, a square clear jelly stamper, a scraper, stamping guide and of course a stamping plate filled to the brim with cute pineapple designs. The box is actually really cute, sturdy and everything is packaged well for the price (especially if you are American and pay way less tax than we do). I also like how the tops of the stamping bottles have stickers on them that you can swatch the polish with both dark and light halves. They sell these separately in batches of 50 for $4 but it's easy to make your own (and cheaper if you live in the UK). Nice touch though.

The stamper I actually really love and I think it might be my new fave. It's super clear, soft and large enough to stamp 3 nails at once (although you would't be able to go right to the edge of the nail). I find it a bit ridiculous that MoYou London charge £9 for a crystal rectangular stamper (which isn't all that great) and this is way better. These go for $8.50 with a scraper on Maniology so it's well worth picking up one of these $15 sets for all the tools.

Maui Gold // Yellow Creme

$6

So the first polish; Maui Gold, is a bright yellow and I love yellow shades but this isn't the greatest yellow stamping. I'm really annoyed as well because the photos make it look so much better than it is in real life. It's kinda wishy-washy and streaky. You need two coats of this polish which I always find unacceptable in a stamping polish. I'd say it looks the best on very dark backgrounds as it stands out a little better. It's no where near as pigmented as the photos on the website though and doesn't do well with other bright colours so you need to stick to neutrals when using it.

Plantation Tea // Bright Teal Creme

$6

Next is Plantation Tea; a bright teal and this is more like it for a stamping polish. This stuff is opaque man. It stamps well on any colour but it does look the most striking on white but it's ready in one coat for just a regular ol' mani.

// Verdict

Overall I'm pretty happy with the stamping polishes and I wish I could afford to order some more as they do pretty well. However I'm impressed the most with the stamper; it's squishy, crystal clear and picks up detail well. Hopefully in the future when I have a higher disposable income I'll be able to order some more but if you're already in the US give them a go as they have cute new starter kits every month.

SWATCHES: China Glaze // Gone West Autumn 2019 Collection

Prairie Tale Ending // Beige Creme

I love this shade, it was one of the ones I wanted the most as these beige/clay cremes are so versatile. This one needs a minimum of 2 coats but applies well and has a super shiny finish even without top coat. 

Campfired Up! // Dark Red Creme

I've never been a big fan of red polish (or red lipstick) but I really love how this is more on the deep burgandy side of red. It's also ready in one coat and I think a watermarble design with this shade and Prairie Tale Ending would be a stunning autumn look.  Also, due to it's strong pigmentation, it works perfectly as a stamping polish.

Lawless & Flawless // Pink Jelly with Gold/Pink shimmer flakes

I kinda wish this was a little bit lighter but the tiny flecks of gold and pink really make this polish special. Each and every coat just adds more depth and it kind of reminds me of Picture Polish flaky/creme polishes. When I first bought this set I though this was a creme and was kind of upset when I realised it was a shimmer but once I got it on my nails and loved it.

Take The High Rodeo // Mauve Shimmer

I think this is my least favourite out of the collection, the flakes need to be a little bit more sparse like Lawless & Flawless. it's also more of a rose shade and rose doesn't look that good with my skin tone. A second coat makes this more wearable for me but it's not something that I would reach for to wear by itself.

Cattle Drive Me Crazy // Midnight Blue Metallic

This is so deep and so rich I didn't even realise it was a metallic polish. It has zero streaks or brush strokes that many metallics are plagued by. This reminds me heavily of Ciaté's Eclipse and looks beautiful with a holo polish and plenty of top coat. Only one coat is needed from this polish and stamps well.

Buffalo Bills, Bills, Bills // Mahogany with gold shimmer

This deep brown shade glimmers with golds shimmer in the light and if it hits it just right; you get a hint a green. This is a perfect fall shade that you could wear with one coat but I prefer two.

Gold Mine Your Business // Gold Holo Shimmer

I was surprised to find splecks of holo in this polish as at first it just looks like a regular gold shade. It needs around 3 coats but instead of being a yellow gold it's a little darker and has more of a 'rusty' feeling which is really in keeping with the Gone West theme. This would be a great shade for Christmas and New Year parties.

Cowboy, Bye // Deep Purple Holo Shimmer

And we finish with my favourite shade in the collection and the reason it caught my eye in the first place. This shade is more stunning in person than the photos let on. It reminds me of the night sky in an Arizona desert; it's just beautiful and the shade in the collection you need the most. Something new pops out at every angle. I'm considering buying another bottle just for display.

// Verdict

One of the first collections I've bought in full this year but I'm a sucker for anything Wild West related and the interesting mix of creams and shimmers have made this a fantastic autumn collection. I'm not a huge fan of the China Glaze brush and general formula however these were for the most part easy to apply and none of them had that awful matte finish. I highly recommend this collection, especially Prairie Tale Ending and Cowboy, Bye. I will say though, don't trust the promotional photos as they depict the shades much lighter than they are.

China Glaze - Gone West Collection

FabFitFun Autumn 2019 Review UK // Beauty Box

I completely forgot to post the summer box...or rather I wrote up my review and then never took any photos. I could post the review however it is a wall of text and well I don't think people will be too happy if I just stick random memes in place of product photos so this time I made myself take photos as soon as the box arrived.

FFF only started shipping to the UK with their Spring box this year and this now marks my third box and it's without a doubt my favourite sub. There is nothing like it in the UK and it's so great to be able to try out so many new brands and products. Also, I can now have post delivered to work so no longer do I have to pray that Yodel will not throw my box in a ditch somewhere and claim it's been delivered.

Without going into too much detail (because you can go overboard with this sub) you basically receive 7-9 full size products every month and there are 5 different categories that you can pick an item from (3 if your a seasonal sub, the other 2 will be picked for you randomly) and then you get 3 items that everyone receives in the box. Also, if you like some of the other items in the categories you can "add them on" for between $7-$15. Still with me? Ok cool, lets take a look at Autumns mammoth box.

For us UK'ers the straightener was pulled and then the teeth whitening system was pulled for everyone due to "discrepancies". I was never going to pick that anyway but seriously wanted a new straightener to replace my decade old babyliss pro 230. So I was upset that we could only choose between the scarf, yoga mat and mystery item. Seeing as how I have many yoga mats and Zara do beautiful plush scarves every winter for around £20 I went for the mystery item and boy did my gamble pay off.

Detox Night Cream // Grown Alchemist

40ml Full Size - RRP £86

I have heard so many good things about this brand and everyone on the FFF forum boards is obsessed with GA products and they pretty much hate the UK right now because they all got Murad & Kate Somerville as their mystery products and we got this GA night cream. I couldn't be happier but I won't start using this for a while as I just recently started a new jar of Origins Night-a-mins. The latter is my favourite night cream so I'm excited to see how this ridiculously priced cream stacks up against the £30 Origins one.

EDIT 07/04/2020
I've been using this on and off for about 4 months now and honestly; save your money. It's not worth it. It has a strong cologne-like scent (it reminds me of this one my uncle has been wearing for the past 25 years) and I'm convinced it causes me to break out in spots. In the morning I don't look refreshed, I look exactly the same as I did the night before.

I'm half-way through the tube now as I keep stopping and starting to let my skin calm down to really test if it's causing breakouts. I also found this brand recently in TK Maxx and this exact product was selling for £9.99 (with no actual RRP listed, just TK's 'our price'). Looking at the ingredients, there is nothing listed that should cause the extortionate price tag. They're charging La Mer prices but using Garnier ingredients. I feel this brand is like SkinChemists and 111Skin; hiking up the prices to make them appear to be a 'luxury' brand.

Once I've finished using it completely, I'll be writing a full review over on my new skincare blog where I only post once I've finished the entire product.

EDIT 11/06/2020
I have now finished the tube and have a full review here.

This was the round where I pretty much just wanted everything and it was only $10 to add-on stuff. Seeing as how I spent some $$$ in the add-on sale though I limited myself to just one extra product. 

Lunch Tote // Kate Spade

One Size - RRP £???

This is quite an old Kate Spade product and first hit the market in 2016 I believe. Right now you can't actually buy it but there are similar ones that went for £28 but again are no longer sold. I don't really care though because I love the fact that I can get lifestyle items in a box. I would never really buy something like this so it's a nice random surprise to be like "yes, I'll add this in my box". A lot of people on the forum have been complaining that it's far too small to fit any actual food in but I don't know how much they like to eat but this tote is more than big enough for lunch. It fits my Sistema lunch cube with room to spare and that can hold more than lunch...sometimes I think I put too much food in it. It's also insulated which is great for picnics.

ADD-ON

Detox Pads // NassifMD

Full Size 60 Pads - RRP £36.67 (with current conversion rates)

Throughout the entire customisation period (it lasts for around 5 days) I kept adding this on, then taking it off then adding it back on again before finally just leaving it as an add-on and I'm so happy I did because these pads are well worth $12 ($2 tax). This appears to be a brand you can't buy in the UK either so I'm happy I got a chance to try them out and I hope they turn up in an edit or add-on sale so I can buy some more. The pads are huge; about the size of your palm and so I cut them in half to maximize usage. I've only used them for a week now but my skin is looking firm and supple with less breakouts. I'm really impressed.

Originally I had both the Pure C vitamin C powder added and the Lava Magik but after some research I dropped the Pure C as apparently it only works with certain skin creams and is highly acidic. As for the earrings; my ears aren't pierced so they were an immediate pass.

Lava Magik // The Better Skin Co

60ml Full Size - RRP £26.08  (with current conversion rates)

Briefly available at Asos this is again a US only brand but has rave reviews. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting with this product. I was aware it was a face scrub but some reviewers said it felt like scrubbing your face with sandpaper. It's described as a "triple threat" though as a cleanser, scrub and mask. It comes with a fancy little applicator spoon as well to scoop it out. It's a lovely dark pink/salmon shade and has a fruity yet vanillary scent that I really love. It has very fine granules that do feel like sand but I don't find it too harsh. The scent is just so good though. Another fantastic addition.

I knew straight away what my selection would be for this round because bleh to eyeliner, towel wraps and gels.

2 in 1 Grinder // Epare

RRP £17.89 (with current conversion rates)

I love lifestyle products and I have been meaning to buy a new salt & pepper mill for ages but everytime I go in TK Maxx I get distracted by the stationary and nail products. This is a really sturdy, well made manual grinder and now I can't wait to go to TK Maxx again and buy some fancy salt and pepper to stick in it. 

For me this was the least exciting round and it took me a while to decided what to choose. I originally had the eye masks but I never use them so I made myself pick something else that I would use.

Truffle Therapy Face Toner // Skin&Co Roma

200ml Full Size - RRP £24.45 (with current conversion rates)

I got the Truffle cleansing oil in the Summer box as I picked the mystery item (the guarateed value was a lot lower last time though) so I decided to pick the matching toner for this box. I use toner everyday and it's something that gets used quickly. I do love Aromatherapy Associates but I never use those rollerball products; I always forget. This has a very light earthy scent to it but I haven't finished up my current toner yet so I don't have any views on it. Still happy with the selection though.

EDIT 07/04/2020
I now have a full review here after using the product completely. 

ITEMS EVERYONE RECEIVES

The final three items can be found in every box and they were good ones this box.

Body Souffle // Human + Kind

200ml Full Size - RRP £16.45

I've tried this body cream in a previous Birchbox and it was alright. Not the greatest scent, kind of like watermelon and grass; a bit too outdoors-y for my tastes but I go though body moisturiser like water so this is another product that will get used up quite quickly. I like these practical items as well because everyone needs body lotion.

Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair // Aveda

100ml Full Size - RRP £25

I received a 40ml version of this is a Look Fantastic box once and it left my hair feeling super soft. I always tend to buy hair products that are tailored for damaged hair as my hair needs all the moisture it can get; it absorbs moisture and leave-in product like crazy. This is a leave-in treatment and I tend to use about a walnut size on each half of my hair so this tube will last quite a while. 

Juice Cleanse Exfoliating Sugar Cubes // Harper + Ari

4oz Full Size Jar (8 cubes) - RRP £13.04 (with current conversion rates)

Holy hell these sugar cubes were made by Jesus. I'm annoyed because this is another product that is only available in the US. These beautiful cubes smell like sour fizzy apple gummy bears; it's intoxicating. You only get 8 cubes in this jar but they go a long way. I used an entire cube on my first go but you can get away with half to cover your entire body. The cubes are squishy; kinda like blue tack and then you rub them over your body in the shower. The best part is that they don't disintegrate upon immediate contact with water; it takes about a minute for them to fully dissolve allowing you to have a really good scrub. Your skin smells amazing afterwards and is super shimmery thanks to the tiny shimmer pieces. I can't get enough of these and I really hope they turn up in the box sales.

// Box Price £50 + £9.78 (for the Add-On Pads)

// 9 Full Size Items

// £245.58 Estimated Box Worth

This sub man; it's insane. I don't get how so many complain about it saying the products aren't exciting. I loved this box and yes it wasn't very "fall like" however I don't care as I got £250 of products for £50. There is no other subscription available that allows this amount of customisation than FFF and that is their real strength. The winter box will be the final box of my annual subscription (it passed so quick) and I have no hesitations about renewing. It costs £202 upfront (or well it did conversion rate wise when I subbed in Spring) for an annual UK subscription and it's so worth it. 

FabFitFun
// Seasonal // 
$49.99 per box + $10 Shipping* + $10 Tax
// Annual //
$179.99 (4 Boxes) + $40 Shipping* + $40 Tax

*UK Subs do not get charged any import tax, only VAT. 

For those wondering about shipping times, I received a shipped notification on 17th August and it was delivered on the 21st. They started shipping on the 8th August but they give themselves a month long window to ship all the boxes so the box could've been shipped anywhere between the 8th to the 7th September. 4 days is fantastic for US to the UK and I've never had to wait outside of the given time frame for my box.

Little Cactai // Clairestelle8 August 2019 Challenge

I've been wanting to do this look for so long, I've just never had time. For context, I bought a plant pot from TK Maxx about a year ago with this design on it and every time I looked at it I would think "that would make great nails". Well the time finally come and I loved wearing these. My peel off basecoat held up strangely as well for 3 days of wear. Considering I expect a mani to last about 6 hours with my peel base, the polish gods were clearly shining down upon me.

How I did it:
I started off with just 1 coat of Don't cry over spilled milkshakes and then 1 coat of sweet memories. I then mixed some acetone with Giant Peach to give it that glazed painted look. Using the cactai design from Explorer 33 I stamped first using Little Pickle and then followed it up with Dragon and deliberately stamped it a little off.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- OPI // Don't cry over spilled milkshakes (sheer white)
- OPI // Sweet Memories (sheer pink)
- Sally Hansen Hard as Nails // Giant Peach (peach/pink)

- MoYou London // Little Pickle (bright lime)
- A-England // Dragon (forest green holo)
- MoYou London Plate // Explorer 33