MIA

I was looking forward to uploading some new videos and products views but alas my laptop has slipped into a coma. So I will be MIA for quite sometime, but you have a huge mass of videos and reviews to look forward to upon my arrival back into the blogging universe. Speak in the future. Rottentouch x

March Glossybox

I can't believe it's already been a month since my last Glossybox review, this year is flying by so quick its a little scary. This months box has a travel theme and comes with a little travel book which includes short snip its of info on what to do in some of the best cities and countries in the world.

 

Tresemm'e Salon Finish Extra Hold Hairspray

This is the biggest thing in the box, this couldn't have come at a more perfect time as i've just run out of hairspray. It claims to have 24 hour humidity control, so is perfect for using on holiday in hot countries (wishing i was on some hot tropical island). This hairspray is number 4 (extra hold) which is perfect for me as this is the strength that i always use. This product does exactly what it claims to, although i couldn't test the humidity control (we have snow!!) it did keep my hair up and looking good all day, which is pretty impressive with the wind we get around these parts. This is a 100ml sample but the full sized 500ml product retails at £4.69

Nails Inc~ Bruton Street

Next i picked out a mini nails inc polish, my first thoughts are that this really isn't a colour that I'm going to wear a lot. However i have a very similar illamasqua polish that i received in the illamasqua nails and eyes box. I compared the two products and have to say that they perform equally well. They are both long lasting and have a similar thin consistency which allows quick drying time. The illamasqua polish comes off slightly better as it dries a little quicker and works out slightly cheaper per ml. This is a 4ml sample polish, the full sized 10ml retails at £11. I would also recommend the Illamasqua polishes which are £13.50 for 15ml and come in some amazing colours and finishes.

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Stain~ Lip Blush

I have to say that on first thought i loved this colour but unfortunately it is one of those tones of red that makes me look like a clown. On the plus side the product performs well and does feel really moisturising once on the lip. I really like the packaging of this product and its really easy to use, also its a cruelty free product *fist pumps*. I applied this on the back of my hand to test the staying power (didn't want to be a clown for a day) and i was really impressed with the results especially as it rained all day. This is a full sized 2.5g product which retails at £12

 

Juicy Couture~ La La

When i saw this in the box i was pleased and disappointed at the same time, i really like getting fragrance samples as i live in the countryside and they really aren't easy to get hold of unless you order them from eBay. However i have tried some juicy couture samples before and have always thought they smelt like a baby prostitute, really not for me. But i have to say i was pleasantly surprised with Couture La La. It doesn't have the same sweetness as other juicy couture fragrances but has a fresh floral scent which is a little more mature than their previous teenage targeted perfumes. This isn't one that i would rush out to buy but its definitely wearable and pleasant, plus my boyfriend asked me what smelt so good which is always a plus. The retail prices are... £30 for 30ml, £40 for 50ml and £55 for 100ml

 

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Skin Protectant

I saved the worst until last, this product is supposed to refresh skin, hands and chapped lips and can also be used to shape brows. It also claims to be fragrance free, now unless i got a dodgy product it is definitely not fragrance free. This product smells so vile that i wouldn't even think about putting it on my face or lips. I applied a small amount of the product onto the back of my hand (after a great deal of squeezing the tube because it wouldn't come out). It felt very sticky and not moisturising or soothing at all, the full sized 50ml product retails at £25. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, as an alternative i would suggest any of the Betty Hula moisturising products as they are multi purpose, natural and smell amazing.

 

Overall I'm pleased with this box, even though i wont be using all of the products it was nice to try out some new brands. I will probably purchase a Jelly Pong Pong lip product in a different colour because i was really impressed with the quality and I'm always looking for new cruelty free products. I will continue using my Juicy Couture sample and may possibly buy a small bottle.

The contents of marches box are worth £20.80 which isn't bad but not as good as the content worth of Luxbox.

 

Speak again soon. Rottentouch x

March Glossybox~ The Travel Edition

Hi everyone, my march glossybox came in the post this morning and I filmed a quick un~boxing video for you. I will be uploading a follow up review in the next couple of days once I have given the products a good testing. Speak soon. Rottentouch x

My Very First Video

So i said it would be done eventually, that's right i have put myself out there in the big wide world of youtube. I started out with a birthday haul video because I've always loved watching other vloggers do the same. It wasn't to difficult for me, i do talk to myself fairly often so talking to a camera felt pretty natural. Although olliecat was having a funny 5 minutes diving in boxes and knocking things over which was pretty distracting. I hope you guys enjoy watching it (don't be too harsh, i know the quality and lighting arent the best) Speak soon. Rottentouch x

 

 

February Lux Box

This is the second LuxBox I have received and I feel like I now know enough about the company and the boxes to do a review. Luxbox are definitely more focused on featuring natural and organic products in there boxes which I love, secretly being a hippy at heart. As far as I know none of the products in the boxes are tested on animals and most of the products I have received have cruelty free logos. They also include more full sized products than other boxes I have previously subscribed to (lets be honest sample sachets are usually pretty pants). Most of the brands used are not particularly well known which could be a pro or con depending on the product you end up with. The only real downside to this company is that they aren't brilliant with dispatch dates, February boxes don't arrive until march and are often a little later, but most of the products I have received are well worth the wait. The box is the same price as most others out there (£12.95 including postage) and features 4-5 products each month.

Balm Balm~Ylang Ylang One Note Fragrance

This comes in a nice sized easy to use spritz bottle and is 100% natural and organic. What I like about this fragrance is that it can be used with other single note perfumes to create a different scent. My first impressions of this are not good, it is very heavy and has a sickly sweet tea tree scent, however after 15 minutes or so it fades to smell more like incense which makes it wearable. The fragrance doesn't last very long at all so I don't imagine the product being a good buy unless you really love the scent. The RRP is £15 for 12ml which is similar to the cost of designer and high street perfumes. I would recommend Naughty Alice by Vivienne Westwood as an alternative as it also contains Ylang Ylang.

 

Vintage Cosmetic Company~Retractable Lip Brush
I love this little Vintage Cosmetic brush it looks stylish and expensive, the lid of the brush also doubles as a brush meaning that you can use a short or long brush. It is a really good size to pop in your handbag and the lid means that you wont get any icky bag fluff in the bristles. The bristles are made of natural hair and feel really nice and soft. The RRP is £7 which is a bargain for a brush of this quality.
 

Inika~Creme Colour for Lips and Cheeks in Rosehip
The colour of this is a beautiful deep red, it could easily be used for a retro pinup or gothic look. Inika cremes are hypoallergenic and contain vitamin E which is an antioxidant, so its a treat for your skin too. I didn't think this colour would work well as a cream blusher as it was so pigmented but i found the creamy texture easy to blend. The RRP is £22 which is pretty expensive but when you consider it is a lip and cheek colour it seems better value.

Colour Me Beautiful~Lip Pencil in Crimson
The crimson colour of this pencil is a perfect match for the Inika creme colour. The product goes on smoothly and blends in quite well. I found it was really easy to build up and get the depth of colour you need to match your lipstick. The RRP for this one is £7.50 which I think is a reasonable price for a good quality lip pencil. The only negative i have is that there are no ingredients listed on the product or online so for all i know it could be made of bunny hearts and squirrel tears.
 

Murad~Pomegranate Exfoliating Mask
I'm not a lover of sample sachets but considering the retail price of 6 sachets for £25 (which seems a steep price for an exfoliating mask) i will give it a go. The Murad mask contains lots of good things like antioxidants and fruit enzymes that are really good at stripping away dead skin cells. It also contains ingredients that moisturise and nourish the skin afterwards, hooray for sensitive skin. It also doesn't have any exfoliating beads which can sometimes irritate sensitive skin types. This has a nice fruity smell as you would expect from the name. As a cheaper alternative i would reccomend the Amie Spring Clean Mask, it leaves the skin feeling super soft and is lime and pepper scented so its perfect for both ladies and gents.

 

Here are the swatches of the lipliner and 2 in 1 colour creme. I would advise using lipcote ontop of the colour creme. Due to its creamy consistency it rubs off and fades easily. I found the lipliner very easy to use, precise thin and thick lines were simple to create.

 

 

                              The overall cost of the contents of February's Luxbox is £55.60
                                                        not bad for a £12.99 beauty box.

So i hope you enjoyed my first review of a luxbox,

 i plan to stick with this box so you will be seeing more in the future.

Thanks for reading

Rottentouch

Codes
BBLUX~15% off at Balm Balm (until march 31st 2013)
LUX25~25% off ar Murad (until march 31st 2013)
CRIMSONLUX~15% off at colourmebeautiful (until 14th march 2013)