September She Said Beauty Box

It's that time again! This month's theme was skincare September in the She Said beauty box. I did have some unfortunate issues this month with my box not arriving and having to have a replacement, meaning i received it almost 2 weeks late! However the customer service team over at She Said were quite good about it over Facebook so the matter was resolved eventually! Anyway, no need to dwell on the negatives, on with the products!

The first product was a full sized product of the amie "spring clean" cooling clay mask. This is supposed to be a refreshing and deep cleansing mask that draws out the dirt and impurities in your skin. I can definitely agree that this product was refreshing with hints of mint and lime, it reminded me a little bit of a mojito! Also the product had a lovely texture and consistency, it really glided nicely onto my skin and it felt thick and moisturising. You know some face masks go really dry and you feel like you can't move your face when you're wearing them? This wasn't like that at all, it felt like i was just wearing a moisturiser. Also i enjoyed seeing the results of this, it left my skin soft, smooth and definitely refreshed, although i'm not sure about the cleansed part. This 15ml sachet retails for £1.50 and you get a generous amount in there!

Next up was the DHC deep cleansing oil which is a make up remover from Japan. You simply dispense a few drops into dry hands and massage it onto your face to dissolve the dirt and make-up. I then use a baby wipe to clean it all off. I've been really enjoying this product as an alternative make up remover and i think i would repurchase it. It's really good at getting every last bit of make up off and doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy which is what you'd expect from an oil based cleanser. I've also noticed that a little bit goes a long way so at 30ml, it will probably last me for ages! This was also another full sized product in the box and it retails for £3.50. However if you wanted a bigger size  70ml prices at £9.50 and 200ml is £18.50.

This next product is a sample of the Ginvera green tea whitening marvel gel which is an exfoliator. The "whitening" part suggests that this product cancels out blackheads on the skin. Now i'm quite lucky and i don't suffer from blackheads so I didn't notice that quality in the product. However this product is also meant to leave your skin feeling smooth, fades pigmentation, prevents pimples, evens out skin tone and stimulate the skins metabolism so an all round wonder product. Being an exfoliator i expected the product to be fairly harsh in order to remove dead skin, however because it's a gel, this product was really gentle and easy to use. It really does leave your skin soft, smooth and clear. It's a shame we only received a small sample of this but the full size 60ml retails for £22.

When i saw Collection 2000 products in my box i was really excited. Being an avid fan of the famous lasting perfection concealer, i see the brand as good quality products at a really affordable price so i couldn't wait to try the "fix me up" long lasting make up fixer. However i don't really see much of a difference in my make up when i use this product. First off, it seems to come out in drops on my face rather than a mist which is strange. I do like the radiance it brings to my face, however i haven't notice that it makes my make up last any longer than usual which is disappointing! I'm not sure i really like the scent of it either. Personally, i wouldn't repurchase it, I think you can find better out there. This is another full sized product in the box though and 18ml retails for £5.99.

The other collection 2000 product was the Primed and ready smoothing make up primer. This reminds me a lot of the 17 cosmetics photo flawless primer in texture and application. It's meant to act as a base to your make up and minimise pores. This makes make up application easier and keeps make up in place throughout the day for a "flawless complexion." Again, this is ok i suppose. Nothing to shout about and i think you can find better out there. Sorry collection 2000 but i'm just not WOW-ed. Hats off to She Said Beauty though because this is another full sized product at 18ml and this retails for £5.99 again.

The bonus product this month was a small packet of "popchips" in sea salt and vinegar flavour. I'm not sure how i feel about receiving crisps in a beauty box but as a bonus product you can't complain! These were pretty tasty, a yummy snack on my lunch break and they only have 46 calories so they're not even a guilty treat. I don't know where you can get these from but at £1.89 a bag they're not particularly cheap!

So that's it for this month, i quite liked that there was a theme and it would be nice to see that again in future boxes. My favourite product this month was definitely the DHC cleansing oil and i'm tempted to repurchase it when it runs out.

I'm off to Bristol Fashion week today at the Mall Cribbs Causeway so be sure to check out #BFW12 on twitter for updates and a blog post will follow next week. I also have an exciting giveaway coming up on Monday(ish) too!

What did you think of this month's box? What was your favourite product?

Baby Skulls & FOTD

Hey guys, I hope you're all enjoying the glorious sunshine, finally it's beginning to feel like Spring/Summer! Today I thought i'd show you a lovely piece of jewellery I won through Vicky's Dixi giveaway as well as my everyday make up look. I was able to have a piece of my choice, so I went for the baby skulls necklace pictured below. Also, i don't tend to do make up close ups because I have a lazy eye which I feel ruins the pictures, so let me know if you like these sorts of pictures!

How adorable are the little tiny skulls? I love the Dixi jewellery range, it was so hard to just pick one thing! But I really love this piece because it can be easily teamed with almost any outfit, and i wear a lot of gold. One thing that did surprise me though, is this piece is very much a yellow gold, which I don't have any objections to, but it does feel quite bright!


Okay, now for the make up. So on my face today I wore:
17 Photo Flawless Primer
Foundation: Este Lauder Double Wear in Shell (Applied with the Real Techniques Stippling Brush)
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in "Light 2"
17 Oversized Animal Bronzer
HD Brows Kit (Ash)
MUA Clear Mascara (To set my brows)

Urban Decay Naked Palette: Sidecar over the lid with Buck in the crease and Virgin on the brow bone
17 Eyeliner in black
17 Peep show mascara
Revlon Lip Butter in Cupcake
What do you think of the cute necklace? And what everyday make up do you wear?

17 Cosmetics Goodies & A Giveaway! - CLOSED

Some of you may have participated in the 17 Cosmetics twitter party last month using #17cosmetics to talk about make up and music. At the end of the party, i, along with a few other girlies, received an exciting tweet stating that I had won a goody bag, so i thought i'd share with you guys some of the products i received and my thoughts on them. As you can see, there's a lot of make up!

*Warning - this is probably going to be a long'un, but if you stick it out there may just be a giveaway at the end!*

FIRST UP - Face Products:

Miracle Matte Foundation: I was sent this in my shade, soft ivory (by the way, i think it was really considerate for them to ask what our individual colourings and preferences were, so big thumbs up for communication/customer service). I've only used this once or twice so far and i'm really impressed with the quality for such an affordable price. If you like a good matte finish, this is what you want. So really good for me right now with my current spotty/oily skin combo. Plus it has SPF 15 which is always a bonus. (RRP £5.99 from boots).

Photo Flawless Skin Primer: This is a colourless skin primer which can be applied before foundation to prolong wear and minimise pores. I've really enjoyed using this product because it's so light, it feels like it disappears as soon as your rub it into your skin. It also left my skin feeling really soft and smooth. I didn't notice much difference in prolonging the foundation, but i'm not sure i've used it enough yet to tell the difference. (RRP £6.99 from boots).

Blush and Glow: I chose the "In bloom" blush which is half baby pink blush and half a deep red-y pink. The two mixed together on my cheeks give me a healthy looking pinkness. I will say, this blush is extremely pigmented which i think is probably a good thing, but too much on the brush will make you look like a clown! But if you're only using a little bit per application then i imagine it will last a long time! I can't believe how affordable this blush is too. (RRP £3.99).

Instant Glow Bronzing Powder: I was really excited to try this product because it's absolutely HUGE and it looks so pretty with the animal print, but i was slightly disappointed because as you can see, it turns out the print is just sprayed onto the product. It's also not very pigmented which is a shame. I will say though, you do get a lot for your money! (RRP £5.49)

NEXT - Nail Polishes:
Magnetized Nail Polishes in Blue and Green: As you can see, i am far from pro at this right now! I actually received 4 of these, I also got grey and purple which i may just be giving away if you keep reading! If anyone has any tips on how to get the magnetized effect, please help me! Otherwise, i really love the colours! (RRP £4.99 each).

NEXT - Lips:
Supreme Shine Lipstick: This product feels so much more expensive than it really is, especially because of the packaging. I was sent the shade "Pink Posey."

As you can see, this is a lovely deep rich pinky colour, more on the purple/plum side of the spectrum. The lipstick is super pigmented and feels really moisturising upon application. It is VERY bright, so i'm not sure it's an every day colour, but great for nights out :) (RRP £4.99)
Berry Crush Lip Stain: This is a double sided stick, one end is a Vitamin C balm, non pigmented and non-perfumed but really hydrating. The other side of the stick looks like a felt tip pen which you apply straight onto your lips.

Boy, when they said stain, they sure meant it! I was really impressed with how long lasting this product is. I put it on for a night out, and it was still there when i got home with no re-applications! I would REALLY recommend this product for long lasting colour! (RRP £4.99)

LASTLY - Eye Products:
Perfect Definition Eye Liner: I've been using the body shop eye-liner since Christmas and it's good enough, but it has the price tag attached. It also smudges really easily so i am totally converted to this eye-liner by 17. I love the definition you get when you use this product, almost as much as i love the price tag. (RRP £2.89).
Peep Show Mascara: I thought i'd leave this one until last for dramatic effect because it was the whole point to the party - to celebrate the release of 17's new peep show mascara. The hype has definitely lived up to it's purpose, I think this mascara is brilliant. It has lengthening fibres which i have to say, really do work. I'm always looking for mascara's that actually work, and this one really does make my lashes look a lot longer. I don't know how, i'm not sure about the science behind lengthening fibres, but i'm not going to complain! (RRP £6.29 but currently on offer for £4!!! That's right, £4!! GO GO GO!)

Now for the moment, i hope you've all been waiting for... It's GIVEAWAY time!
So there are a few other bits i decided to give away to one of my readers  to share the joy. 

These are the items up for grabs: The Spring Fling Spring Brights Palette, Starry Eyes in Neptune and 2x magnetised nail polishes in grey and purple.

If you'd like to get your mitts on these goodies, all you have to do if follow on GFC and leave a comment below with your email address. Simples.
For an extra entry, you can:

• Tweet about the giveaway, "@kfh34163 is giving away some 17 cosmetics goodies [insert link here]" and let me know in the comments that you have done so.
• You can follow me on bloglovin' - again let me know if you have done this.
• OR you can just tell me a joke because i like to laugh.

Giveaway closes Tuesday 1st May at 9pm GMT and is open to UK residents only.

*DISCLAIMER* 17 Cosmetics did not ask me to do this review, I was just pleased with my winnings.