Latest in Beauty Summer Collection
My LIB Box arrived and gosh was I excited! It's in a beautiful neat and crisp white box with hot pink accents and the way it was packaged inside really did appease my organised mind.
As always it came with an information card describing all the products as well as a list of offers from some of the included brands. Then we we're into the goodies!
Toni & Guy Volume Plumping Whip
A good sized pot of mousse with the standard instruction of scrunching into towel dried hair and then blow drying. Having long straight hair I'm sure I'll get use out of this as I'm constantly looking for ways to stop it looking so weighed down. However, I am always disappointed with the smell of Toni & Guy products; I find they all have the same not particularly great but inoffensive scent especially compared to other hair-styling brands.
Hawaiian Tropic Satin Protection Ultra Radiance Sun Lotion SPF 30
For once, a sun cream without that obvious scent! This subtly smells of coconut and doesn't feel greasy on the skin as some sun lotions can. It is very easily absorbed, however be aware that a little really does go a long way. I also found it quite moisturising which is good if you're on holiday and spending a lot of time either in the sea or a chlorine filled pool.
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
I'm always a bit wary of oils as sometimes it can feel like I'm prepping my skin for frying, however, this product I surprisingly really liked. I found it actually sunk nicely into the skin rather than sitting in a greasy film so was quite softening and moisturising for my face. More impressively it removed make up, especially around the eyes, so gently and with such ease that my eyelashes are definitely going to thank me as when removing heavy or dark shadow and liner I can be prone to losing a few. I'm not sure I would use this all the time, as I do still prefer the texture of other cleansers, however when I'm wearing a lot of make up I will definitely turn to this.
Velvotan Tanning Mitt
This has a very soft surface which feels gentle on the skin and I look forward to using it pre-holiday. On my teeny-tiny hands it does feel quite large, but I'm sure this will come in handy when trying to reach my back.
Magnifibres Brush-On False Lashes
I've seen a lot of products like this floating around on YouTube and blogs recently so I was excited to have one to try myself. I had a little play this morning and whilst it feels a bit alien to be putting little white flecks of what looks like cotton near my eyes, I did notice I then used a lot less mascara helping my lashes look less crunchy and more fluttery and separated. I also didn't have any issue with the white making the mascara look any less black which is something I had worried about. I plan on doing a full review on this with side by side comparisons soon.
Bourjois Cream Blush
Each box contains one of three shades and I was very pleased with my option of 01 Nude Velvet which offers the perfect subtle flush. I'm always conscious of blushes because I find with my fair skin and freckles they can sometimes go a bit funny looking. However, this was super easy to apply (I used my fingers) and just made me look healthy. Consistency wise, whilst it feels creamy in the pan, it very quickly turns to a powder texture when applied to the skin. The packaging also makes a very staisfying magnetic click when closed. Only down side is, as you can see, my mirror came with a bit chipped off which is surprising considering how well this box was packaged.
Illamasqua Glamore Lipstick
You can see swatched above both the shade I received in the lipstick (Starkers) and the cream blush previously mentioned. Oh my, I think I've found my perfect nude. It's dark enough not to wash out my face and erase my lip line but light enough to still not look too brown and muddy. I also love that its not overly peachy as some nudes can be as I find they can then make me skin and teeth look very yellow. The formula is moisturising and leaves a natural looking finish which is neither shiny or super matte.
Illamasqua's website is great for looking at more swatches and I definitely recommend taking a look. By far my favorite product of the box and great that this is worth £18.50 on its own therefore more than the whole box itself.
Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan BB Skin Perfector
Oh dear, this is a product I really can't see myself using. As you can see my fair skin tone definitely doesn't need a medium shade tan. It is way to dark and I had to show it on my hand because on my face it really does look comical. Overlooking this, as you can see it does blend out evenly without any streaks and isn't too orange in tone. The finish is matte as it claims to be and thankfully it does also wash off very easily just by using soap and water. The scent I don't like as I find it lingers and smells a little elderly, however in terms of tanning, I'm sure this does an excellent job as long as you're a darker shade to start.
Crabtree & Evelyn Nail Laquer
The box comes with either the red or pink variation (called 'petal pink') of this polish and I was thrilled when I spotted the pink. It looks the perfect subtle baby shade that for some reason I seem to be missing from my collection. However, like many paler colours, when applying it is so annoyingly sheer and thin that on some nails it took 5 coats to reach the pictured level of opacity. Having, said that, the thin consistency does mean it dries quickly between layers. I know will persevere with this as I'm in love with both the flattering shade and the glossy finish, but I really do wish light shades would be made to be more opaque as no-one wants to be able to half see white tips poking through.
Overview
Best Products - Illamasqua Lipstick, Bourjois Cream Blush
Worst Product - Rimmel Instant Tan
This is definitely a box worth purchasing because of the range of good quality products, many suitable for everyday use. Unlike subscription boxes containing a majority of mini or samples sizes, I find LIB boxes really are a good deal. You can buy it on the website here for £16.95 including p&p.
Lara xo
