Taylor Swift & My January Glossybox

I hope everyone is well! Some of you may be expecting this to be my post about my January Glossybox. My beauty box post technically won't exist this month because I was actually so disappointed with my box this month I didn't want to review the products. 

I'll actually start off with a just overview of my box before I crack on with the rest of this post.

January's theme was 'Back to Basics' and as much as I love the idea, the contents were pretty basic and didn't excite me in as much as I hoped. Inside my box was:

| YU-BE | Moisturising Skin Cream | £13.50 for 33g | 

| BALANCE ME | Super Toning Body Wash | £10.25 for 250ml |

| THE VINTAGE COSMETIC COMPANY | Floral Slanted Tweezers | £8 each |

| ANATOMICALS | Puffy The Eye Bag Slayer Wake-Up Under Eye Patches | £6 for pack of 3 |

| BEAUTYUK | CC Cream, Shade 10, Natural | £4.99 for 25ml |

My favourite product was the tweezers, I've been meaning to buy a new pair for a while when I saw them inside my box I was overjoyed. The pattern is adorable and they're definitely essential for your make up bag. 

I was looking forward to using the under eye patched because I have fairly noticeable bags and my under eye areas can get a little dark sometimes. Since I don't sleep for as long, or even as often as I should do, I thought maybe they were the answers to my prayers. I didn't notice a difference at all. My eyes felt a little more refreshed after using, but not any more than they usually do after being awake and cleansing my face. I left them on for half an hour and I feel like nothing happened at all.

Here's a before, after and during. I tried to take photos in the same positions to ensure a more accurate comparison. But I've noticed the lighting in the photos are different and it looks like the dark circles and bags have been reduced, but in reality, my eyes looks exactly the same after as they did before.

The rest was just underwhelming for me, I wasn't actually intended to receive the CC Cream at all. My little product card and the online surveys I can take all mention the Montagne Jeunesse Passion Peel off Masque & Blemish Mud Masque, which I will actually purchase soon to try.

The CC Cream is the lightest colour available yet is still too dark for my skin after blending. 

The box has had a make over, also. The box itself seems more sure of itself but I feel Glossybox took more time re-designing their packaging than focusing on the products this month. I'm just so grateful I got this box using my glossydots and didn't have to waste my money on something I feel so negative towards. 

I can't help but feel like all I've done is complain, let's hope next month's box is better.

Anyway, onward with the rest of the post.

I have been listening to Taylor Swift since I was about twelve. I remember first seeing the Love Story video on one of music channels on television and instantly became hooked. I bought her album Fearless and would listen to nothing but that on repeat. Like most girls back in 2008, my ringtone was Teardrops on My Guitar and her lyrics were plastered over my bebo.

So over a week ago, at about eight in the evening on Monday the 3rd of January, when my friend Jess told me she had a spare ticket to Taylor's show I jumped at the opportunity. 
Within half an hour I had my travel booked and everything printed out. Just over twelve hours later I was on my way to London, literally squealing to myself with excitement.

Jess and I in front of the stage.

I've been to a fair few gigs in my life but oh my, this show was out of this world. Our seats were on the floor about eight rows from the stage. Having been my first Taylor Swift show I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Taylor's outfits were incredible and I was so envious that I was not in possession of any of them. She both looked and sounded absolutely flawless. The night was so perfect. 

One of my favourite outfits of the night.

The set and how awesome it was is literally indescribable, there were ballet dancers, whose costumes were so spectacular. Taylor was carried through the crowd to a second stage and from there she was flown over the crowd. Confetti fell at multiple occasions and sparks flew. 

One of my favourite photos.

Videos were shown, of her journey to where she is now and other things, obviously to keep the audience entertained when she was getting changed. But it's just amazing to observe how far someone has come when they love what they do, it just shows that hard work can pay off.

We also had a special guest, Danny O'Donoghue from The Script. Who came onstage with Taylor and they sang 'Breakeven.' 

Taylor and Danny form The Script.

Taylor spent a lot of time thanking the crowd for everything they've done and it looked like she really really meant it. Just seeing how much fun she was having onstage helped the crowd's energy as well. 

I am so gutted there were only five dates in London on this leg of the tour and that I only attended one. I honestly recommend to go to a show if you can. I was constantly entertained and had the time of my life.

Myself and Betsie.

I also got to bump into my friends Betsie and Michael again, who also last minute got tickets and decided to come. Which was lovely because I haven't seen them for months.

Jess also attended the two shows before the one I went to and bought the top I'm wearing, she let me wear it and I fell in love instantly. 


Right, I think I may have remembered everything I wanted to cram into this post. 
I'm still working on my time keeping and regular posting haha.


Are any of you fans of Taylor Swift? Have you been to one of her shows?
Did you receive January's Glossybox and what did you think?
I'd love to hear what you think.

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New Additions To My Make Up Bag

I've recently been shopping and picked up a few new things for my make up bag. Some of these items I have seen reviews for and have been desperate to try, and some just a spur of the moment purchase. I love trying new products out and seeing how they vary from what I was previously using.

I purchased:

| SLANTED KABUKI BRUSH | The Body Shop. |

| SHEER MATTE FOUNDATION | NARS, Siberia. |

| CREAMY RADIANT CONCEALER | NARS, Vanilla.|

| THE SCULPTING POWDER | Kevyn Aucoin, Medium. |

| PERFECT LIGHT LOOSE POWDER | No.7, Translucent. |

SLANTED KABUKI BRUSH

£16, The Body Shop.

This will actually be my first ever kabuki brush and I only use it to apply my powder. I love The Body Shop brushes and instantly had high expectations for this one. I wasn't let down at all. The bristles are super soft and feel great against my skin. I actually bought this originally with my bronzer in mind but found much better use for it. The powder brush I had before was certainly a lot smaller and often gave the effect that I had caked it on. I find this brush gives my powder an even distribution and helps my skin look as natural as possible with minimal effort. The brush is only a few inches tall and whilst it looks fairly hefty can fit into a make up bag or hand bag with ease. As much as I love this brush, I don't believe it's worth the price and I would definitely suggest picking it up in a sale. It's a fantastic brush, I'm just sure there are far better alternatives out there.

SHEER MATTE FOUNDATION, SIBERIA, LIGHT 1.

£30.50 for 30ml, NARS, Space.NK.

I popped into Space.NK with the intention of trying out the Sheer Glow foundation, when I discovered this one. My skin can get a little oily sometimes and I decided trying to mask it with a matte finish rather than draw attention to it with a glow would be the better option for me. I don't understand why I haven't bothered to purchase this foundation sooner. I was a little put off by how sheer it is but I sooner realised that isn't a bad thing. The coverage is light/medium, but buildable and still looks natural after using a fair bit. I love how easy to blend this foundation is and how close to my actual skin tone the shade is. I would definitely suggest buying the pump (it's about £3) to go with this as getting the liquid from the bottle may be a tad difficult without one. This foundation would be perfect for an everyday 'no make up' make up look. It's breathable and so light on the skin, I sometimes forget I even have any on.

RADIANT CREAMY CONCEALER, VANILLA, LIGHT 2.

£21 for 6ml, NARS, Space.NK.

They certainly weren't lying when they decided to call this concealer 'creamy.' The texture is so rich, creamy and applies with ease. The coverage is medium to high, depending how much you apply and is definitely buildable. This concealer has been the easiest concealer I've ever tried, when it comes to blending. It takes minimal effort and the results are still amazing. I find it perfect for my dark under eye circles and any other blemishes I may have. The price is a little steep, but I love the finish it gives and how it makes my skin look and feel so I really don't mind at all. 

THE SCULPTING POWDER, MEDIUM

£35 for 3.1g, Kevyn Aucoin, Space.NK.

Out of everything in this post, this is my absolute favourite. Contouring has become a huge thing recently and I've been attempting to master it. Whilst still not there, this powder has been a huge help. It's a fairly unique colour, brown, with undertones of grey and red to help simulate the colour of the natural shadowing that occurs on the face. My skin is awfully fair and I was so worried this colour would look so ridiculous on me, but this colour is perfect for people with fair to medium toned skin. This powder actually leaves a better finish than any bronzing powders used whilst contouring due to the fact it is such a similar colour to the natural shadowing on your face. The powder is soft and silky and only a minimal amount is needed, otherwise it can look too dramatic. It blends really well, so you don't look like you've just drawn a brown line on your face. In my opinion, this powder is expensive, but because you only need a tiny amount, it will last for a really long time, so it's definitely worth the money. I would recommend finding a stockist and getting an artist to help you apply it, to see what results you can create with this powder.

 PERFECT LIGHT LOOSE POWDER, TRANSLUCENT

£10.50 for 20g, No.7, Boots.

I decided to try this powder because I'm constantly running out of powder and wanted one to last me a fairly long time. I usually buy a pressed powder and even though I find them more messy, I opted for a loose powder this time. With very few colour options I went for the translucent one. I've found I can never really find a powder that is the perfect shade for me. I was impressed with this product. It's soft and silky to touch and feels so light once applied to your face. I've found it gives me great shine control and keeps my skin smooth and matte. 

I suggest discarding the little sponge that comes with the powder because it can often make it look like you've put too much on. I apply this with the kabuki brush I mentioned earlier in this post and it gives me a light, consistent, natural coverage.

I'm extremely happy with my purchases, have you had any new additions to your make up bag? Have you tried any of these products?

If not, which items are you most interested in trying out?

Also, feel free to give me suggestions of any products you think I might like. 

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Festive Lush Favourites

Firstly, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas or alternative. I certainly did! My Christmas wasn't exactly jam packed with excitement but getting the time to spend time with my family was enough for me. I got a few presents, which I love and I'm grateful for having such generous family and friends. The best part was most definitely the roast dinner my dad cooked for us all. OH I don't think I've ever eaten so much in my entire life. My dad sure does know his way around a kitchen. It was perfect, then we all sat around to watch Toy Story 3. My older brother and family then left and the rest of the evening was so lazy it's unreal, but it's nice to relax and have a glass of wine and finish your book. 

ANYWAY, I digress.

Secondly, I'm aware I'm stupidly stupidly late with this post. I've noticed many other people have uploaded similar posts to this weeks ago. I've just been so preoccupied with other things I actually haven't been able to get down to my nearest Lush store. 

I was actually finishing my Christmas shopping with my dad, last week when I dragged him inside the store because I've been meaning to indulge.

I didn't go crazy, mind. I picked up a few of my favourite products at this time of year. (They're all so delicious smelling I can't handle it.)

ON WITH THE POST...

SNOW FAIRY SHOWER GEL

£6.85 for 250g

I adore Snow Fairy, genuinely, the only things wrong with this product is the fact it's limited edition and not at all edible. I'm actually kicking myself that I only bought the 250g bottle. I'm definitely going to have to purchase some online if it's still up. Stock up for the rest of the year. This shower gel is so incredibly sweet, both you and your bathroom will end up smelling like sweets for hours. Not that that's a bad thing at all. It's one of the things that actually makes me love this product so much. The scent isn't overpowering after you've used it, it's noticeable and lingers for a while, compared to other products I've used. It's a bubblegummy, candyflossy, pear droppy, sweet shoppy smell and I love it. The texture of the gel is thick and creamy and only a small amount is needed for it to lather rather nicely. If you're not a fan of sweet scented things, I would definitely stay as far away as possible from this product. It even has a hint of sparkle. What more can you want at this time of year?

SNOWMAN BATH BOMB

£2.50 each

This little snowman is adorable. He has a lovely vanilla scent to him and he turns your bath water a pinky colour when you use him. The main ingredient in making him is cocoa butter and he's incredibly moisturising. I find myself getting out of the bath with lovely soft skin. The scent doesn't linger for too long on your skin after you've used it but it does give an enjoyable bath time, full of flavour. The photos of this snowman on the website are a little misleading because the products are handmade and aren't going to look perfect, but he's definitely still super cute. 

STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT BATH MELT

£3.30 for 40g

This is one of my favourite products I bought the other day. It's COVERED in glitter and when you pick it up will get all over your fingers. Since it's a bath melt, I suggest not to hold it for too long otherwise it'll start to melt a little in your hand. I love using this little star, it turns the bath water a lovely aqua blue colour and the glitter makes my bath time feel so magical. It's a quite refreshing smell, of limes and ginger, which always makes me feel fresh after I've used it. It's extremely rich and creamy in moisture and I've definitely noticed how amazing my skin feels after using it. Some glitter sticks around after using it, so I'd take a minute or so to properly clean your bath. I've found the scent stays on my skins for a while, which I love. I  find myself constantly sniffing my skin because I smell so good.

MAGIC WAND BUBBLE BAR

£4.95 each

I loooovee this so much. It's a solid version of Snow Fairy, the shower gel. Besides the smell, the best thing about this bubble bar is that it's reusable. I think I've managed to get about five to six baths out of this before, but it depends how sparingly you use it. It comes on a stick, which in my opinion, isn't strong enough to support the weight of the head. You swish it about in you bath and it turns the water a lovely light pink colour. It just smells so heavenly. I find the smell it leaves on your skin and in your bathroom lasts so much longer than any of the products I've bought recently. As fun as swishing the wand in your bath is, to get the optimum use out of this, I would suggest running it under the tap.

CHRISTMAS PENGUIN BUBBLE BAR

£2.95 each

This little penguin shares the same problem as the little snowman, the photos on the website are misleading and the product itself isn't as perfect as you'd like it to be. I'm pretty sure I've lost this little guy's nose somewhere and I feel awful about it. Obviously the appearance doesn't really matter since you're popping them in the bath anyway. He has a lovely citrusy, almost menthol smell to him, extremely refreshing. When you've crumbled this bar under running water, your bath will turn a lovely pale blue colour and a load of bubbles will form. This bubble bar leaved my skin feeling soft and hydrated. I've found the scent doesn't linger for too long after use. 

I'm really frustrated with how long it actually took me to finally get to lush, and how long it took me to put up this post. I definitely need to organise my time keeping.

Did you get anything from Lush for Christmas, or a little treat to yourself?

Have you tried any of these products and what are your opinions?

I'd love to hear what you think.

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