My Little Box by Fleur de Force

I know it's really late for this December My Little Box review but as the saying goes, it's better late than never. Here we go, December My Little Box in collaboration with YouTube star Fleur de Force. 

I didn't enjoy this box as much as I did the previous ones because half the accessories that came with it went to other people. Don't get me wrong, this box was useful and it was perfect for christmas but I would rather keep the stuff to myself thank you very much.

Everyone got a set of fancy masking tape, a roll of black and white gift wrapping string and a pack of fancy gift tags. The masking tape were perfect as I've run out of washi tape over the holiday season. 

I have misplaced my headband/ear warmer that's why I have no individual photo of it. I got the peachy coloured one. It has hints of gold and it looks lush. I don't recommend it an ear warmer if it's too cold, it simply cannot replace a hat during those cold winter months. If you're staying indoors and want to look stylish, it's perfect.

COWSHED Wild Cow Invigorating Body Lotion 100ml 

This item retails for £18 and it's perfect for the cold weather. It's packed with natural ingredients, like shea butter to help hydrate and moisturise the skin. This body lotion has a hint of lemongrass and ginger and it smells refreshing.

L'OCCITANE Creme Precieuse Immortelle 

This item retails for £45 for 50 ml and it's another winter must have. It has triple action to help the skin appear younger, firmer and smoother. How I wish my box came with a full size one but I'm still happy I was able to try this Creme out. 

MY LITTLE BOX My Little Beauty Lipstick 

This lipstick is from My Little Box's own brand, My Little Beauty and is available on My Little Corner for £15. It's not available to ship to the UK yet but My Little Box has said they are hoping to ship here soon. I wasn't really impressed with the colour to be honest. It looked very pink but once applied, it just looked like a lip balm. 

I would rate this box 7/10, not bad but not as good as the other My Little Box's that I've received. This subscription service is still better than most out there and if you want to know how to subscribe, visit their page HERE. 

Princess xx

My Last Birchbox

If you have been following my blog, you would know that I have recently stopped my Birchbox subscription because I don't like the idea of receiving tiny samples anymore. This article is all about my last Birchbox which I received in December 2014.

Birchbox has teamed up with Sophia Webster for this months' box. I must admit, the December box looks amazing especially with the free, stylish coin purse. 

The first item is the ESLOR Firming Collagen Day Cream 10 ml 

This anti-ageing cream is made from hydrolysed marine collagen and other nutrient-rich botanicals to help lock in the moisture and improve the skin's elasticity.  The best thing with this product is that it's made without any parabens. It's quite thick and smells like a bar of soap. 

VASANTI Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvinator 20g. This exfoliating cleanser is enriched with Papaya, Aloe and Micro-crystals to help get rid dead skin. This reminds me of the Neutrogena exfoliating cleanser, same micro-crystals but Vasanti smells a lot nicer.

ELECTRIC Hydrate Shampoo 30 ml. This nourishing and revitalising hair bath helps to hydrate dry and stressed out hair. Make sure you massage it onto your scalp and root area. The only thing I don't like about this shampoo is that it's too small a sample for my hair - my hair is about 105 cm long. I know, I know, it's really long so I need a lot of product to keep it healthy.

MODELS OWN Nail Varnish 14 ml.  This is the first time (correct me if I'm wrong) that Birchbox has offered subscribers to 'customise' the contents of their box. I picked this colour because I don't really fancy the other colours. I had to use a black base coat for this to work as I don't really fancy a slightly black, glittery nail varnish.

EYEKO Fat Eye Stick 4g. This item is perfect for creating that smokey effect.  The only problem I have with this eye stick is that it's not waterproof and it does not stay on for a long time.

BENEFIT High Beam Luminescent Complexion Enhancer. It came inside a cute benefit christmas cracker. What is it? It's basically a highlighter, and a really good one at that. Just a small amount on the right areas can make a huge difference with your look.

It's been 2 months since my last Birchbox and I can tell you that I'm not really missing it. I look at the spoilers, unboxing, reviews and I'm happy with my decision to cancel my subscription.

Princess xx

Birchbox Points Haul

I have been a Birchbox subscriber for 2 years. I loved receiving my boxes every month. I love discovering new brands, new products every month but then I met Memebox and My Little Box. Those boxes were the game changer for me. Memeboxes gave me full size korean products and My Little Box gave me beauty products and accessories. I was no longer happy with receiving tiny samples from Birchbox. I knew I had to end it and I did. I received my last Birchbox last December and used all my points to buy a few items I like.

I had £50 worth of points to spend on the Birchbox eshop. I was going to get another English Laundry Perfume set but I didn't want to spend an extra £20 to get the set. So I got 3 items instead. The Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Powder, the  Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer SC-3 and  the Yves Rocher Pure Light & Luminous Foundation Second Skin Effect Rosy Fair

   

I was lucky enough that Birchbox had free shipping for orders over £30 and I had a 20% discount code. I paid £2.80 in total for all those products. I think I got a very good deal don't you think? 

For Those of you who want to try the Birchbox subscription services, it's £10 a month plus £2.95 shipping fees. If you want to save money, you can get a 6 month subscription for £50 and £2.95 per month shipping fees. With every month's box, you get 12 points for you to spend on the birchbox eshop. For further details on the subscription services please click HERE.

For this month, Birchbox is giving away a beautiful bracelet from Stella & Dot worth £19, just enter the promo code TRINKET at checkout and it's all yours.

Princess xx

My Morning Routine

How many of us get up very early in the morning and go to work without taking care of our skin? I was akways thankful that I inherited my father's good skin. I took skin care for granted for years until I had a massive hormonal imbalace in 2014 that gave me adult acne. Now I've learned my lesson and started to pay more attention to skin care and this is my morning routine today (I mix and matcheveryday depending on what my skin needs). 

My morning routine is slightly quicker than my night one but it doesn't mean I cut corners, I just leave out other 'ingredients' to make it faster. 

I always start my routine by washing my face with a facial wash/foam/soap. Today, I'm using Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser to boost my skin for that radiant look. What I do is massage the cream on my face for about 2 minutes then rinse my muslin cloth in hot tap water and gently polish off the cream. 

I then use my Dr. Jart Water-Act Skin Mist GMO-free Toner. This toner is perfect for oily people like me. It's very light, feels like water. I just spray it directly on my face and pat it on until dry.

Next I used Etude House Moistfull Super Collagen Ampoule Essense. I love this product and it's my go to essence when I'm feeling lazy to experiment. Just a few drops goes a long way.

For the serum, I'm using The Yeon Jeju Hallabong Mild All In One Serum. This is one of first korean skin care products I've ever used and I love it. I use this at least once a day simply because it smells lovely, it's light and it doesn't irritate my skin.

My skin has been off lately and needed a bit of sparkle. Diamond Illuminator Ampoule is just the product I need to give me that sparkle I need. Just a few drops on the face and neck is all I need for that immediate glow. 

This next step is one that I always forget. Eye Cream. Today i'm using Clinique's All About Eyes Cream. Just dab a little bit of cream on the eye area and wait for a minute or two, long enough for the cream to be absorbed by the skin.

I'm almost done, I promise. For my cream, I'm using Shara Shara Sake Ceramide Sake Cream. It's quite thick this cream so I used just a little of it. It smells gorgeous and the pot looks lovely don't you think? 

For my last step, I'm using my Tonymoly's Aqua Aura BB Cushion to achieve that dewy look for the day..

8 steps in 20 minutes - not bad considering I'm always in a hurry in the morning. 

Princess xx

Get your Geek on - my monthly Pops

For geeks and nerds out there that loves vinyl figures, I present you my new Pops for this month. I have discussed the subscription service Pop In A Box a while back. 

My growing collection of Pops

This time I have opted to get 2 Pops instead of 1 and I got figures from one of my favourite shows - Game of Thrones. I got Cersei Lannister and The Hound. Sweet!

Pop In A Box has recently increased postage prices to £3.50 for 1-6  Pops. Same prices for the subscription though. 1 Pop for £8.49, 2 Pops for £16.88, 3 Pops for £25.17, 4 Pops for £33.36, 5 Pops for £41.45 and 6 Pops for £49.44. Not bad if you're a collector of anything cute.

Cersei Lannister

The Hound

See how cute they are? Well, I don't know about The Hound but Cersei looks fab. For those who want to know more about Pop In A Box's services please click HERE. 

Princess xx

How was your Valentines Day?

I woke up this morning to the sound of someone knocking on the door.  There was this lady holding a vase with a bunch of red tulips and asked if I was the lady on the list. It's me, the flowers are for ME!! I love tulips too. I didn't think I'll get anything today because the other half has been ill for 2 days and couldn't get out. I have also been constantly around him for 2 days and I didn't see him order them online. I feel so lucky to get my favourite flowers and a nice card on Valentines from a sick man. 

My Perfect Valentines

He knows how to pick cards too.. Ain't it pretty? He gave me the red and white ceramic figurine for last year's Valentines day. We didn't go out today but we had a great time watching TV and playing with the cats. It's the perfect date in my opinion. Whatever you did today, be it with you other half, family, friends or pets, I hope you had a blast.

Princess xx

My Honest Skin Mini Haul

I think everyone who knows about Memebox and does not live in the US, Korea and China got very upset when they, Memebox, announced that they will no longer cater/ship to our respective countries. It's a sad moment but life has to go on and we have to find somewhere else to get our KBeauty fix. I found the Honest Skin website mainly because I was looking for the Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Clay Mask that everyone has been talking about. I was lucky enough to have been able to buy it on a discounted price and reasonable shipping fees. Back to my mini haul...

ELIZAVECCA Milky Piggy Carbonated Clay Mask 100g

This is a creamy clay mask that bubbles up a few minutes after application. The bubbles clean and unclogs the pores while the clay clarifies, tightens and tones the skin. It also dries out blemishes and helps prevent  pore congestion. This is more suitable for someone who has combination to oily skin. 

TIP: Apply the mask fast as it will start to bubble up in a few minutes. Make sure you avoid the eye area and wait for the fun to begin. You will feel some tingly sensation whilst the mask is bubbling away. After 5 minutes, rinse the mask with lukewarm water. Make sure you massage your face while washing and just do your normal skin care routine afterwards.

TONYMOLY Aqua Aura UV Moist Cushion SPF50+ PA+++

I finally caved in and bought a cushion just to see why everyone wants a cushion. Turns out that cushions provides cleaner application to give you that smooth, dewy soft glow. This Tonymoly cushion provides long-lasting UVA and UVB protection to help fight premature aging and wrinkles. The main ingredient for this product includes Alaska glacier water, Aloe Vera, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Chamomile Extract and Elder Flower Extract. 

TIP: Apply after your normal skin care routine. Use the puff and dab on themoist pad lightly - the puff soaks up a lot, then tap away. Concentrate on one area at a time and blend away for a smooth 
silky finish. 

 

NATURE REPUBLIC Original Power Hydro Ampoule 

I wanted to add ampoule to my routine but I found that they are too expensive so when I found one at a reasonable price, I had to get one and try it. This moisturising ampoule contains hyaluronic acid that supplies moisture to the skin. 

TIP: This ampoule is quite thin so apply it after your toner. If you're like me, apply it after the essence because I use Cellbydate Essence which is a lot thinner than the ampoule. Use 2-3 drops on your fingers and apply on your face. Gently pat your skin after to enhance absorption.

FREEBIES!!

BANILA CO. Miss Flower & Mr Honey Cream

This cream is made of black yeast honey ferment 42% niacinamide adenosine. It helps provide the skin with moisture and nutrition for long hours. Apparently, black honey extract provides silky glowing skin. Use as a last step of your skin care routine. It smells so 
nice - like honey.

THE FACE SHOP Mango Seed Cleansing Butter 

SKINFOOD Broccoli Cleansing Foam 

MISSHA Signature Real Complete BB Cream

I know there were rumours about Honest Skin sending fake Elizavecca Masks, I can tell you this, not only do they sell authentic products, they also make sure that your order is well packed and they give ample amount of samples. 

Princess xx