My Little Box Review January 2015

I've always been slightly skeptical about monthly box subscriptions, but when I began receiving 'My Little Box', I thought I had finally found one to prove me wrong.

Alas, after three months I have found myself cancelling my subscription after a number of disappointments. December's box was extremely underwhelming- gift wrapping was displayed with rather dull gift tags, all tied together with sub-standard string and advice on a present for a friend was 'a ____ months supply of My Little Boxes' *yawn*.

January's box seemed the strongest to me (at the time). I received the 'energy' themed package and despite it's lack of originality, I was pleased with it's contents.

Fitting in with the 'new year, new you' theme, the box came with a cute calendar, a motivational poster, a gym bag and several beauty products.

Although I packed the calendar straight in my bag to pin up with work, I was more excited about using the gym bag for weekends away (as oppose to exercise). Bunging some of my clothes in my shiny new bag, I set off on the train but to my dismay, the zip broke only half an hour into me having used it. Considering there were only light clothes and I did not force the zip, I was very disappointed.

The beauty products slightly uplifted the aura of the box, with rich red Nailsinc polish, as well as Talika's photo-hydra day cream- pleasant smelling, if a little greasy. The highlight of the products was My Little Beauty's energising mist, supposedly meant to  refresh the face- it might have felt more like I was spraying Febreze in my face, but it was entertaining nonetheless.



What did you think of this month's box? Do you have any other boxes you can recommend? 

My Little Box Review November 2014

Investing in monthly packages seems a real rite of passage for the modern day beauty/fashion blogger, and I found myself in a slight conundrum as to whether I really wanted to invest my money in one. After a long search, I found myself adhering to the stereotype and signing up for a 'My Little Box', a monthly bundle filled with lifestyle, fashion and beauty products all with a French feel.

The Little Box may be au contraire, but the products you receive are trés chic. After last months impressive collaboration with American fashion designer and former princess Diane Von Furstenberg, this month's theme was My Little Cosy Box, apt for the chilly change in weather.

A My Little World magazine is included in each box, filled with interviews, lifestyle and fashion inspiration, beauty tutorials as well as pull-out recipes (French in nature, of course).

I look forward to the cute postcard-sized quotes that are often included with a debonair illustration, this months was all about time, and making the most of it.

Getting me all set for winter was Tsumori Chisato's small heated cushion, perfect as a little warmth in bed, or to heat the hands after a chilly afternoon outdoors. 

Aptly labeled with the phrase 'All you need is coffee', a tiny box encasing an espresso cup surprised me this month, along with beauty essentials I had been craving. For an intense smokey eye, Yves Rocher's deep cappuccino brown encapsulated the winter eye look. My Little Beauty volume and care mascara was also included, which (I was excited to see) came with an extra thick brush as well as Arcancil Paris' black eyeliner with waterproof features, perfect for battling that winter wind and rain. 

With beautiful packaging, and that magical French feel I know and love, My Little Box will never disappoint. 

Visit My Little Box here

Disappointment of the Month: Eyeko Liquid Eyeliner

I have always favoured liquid eyeliner as oppose to pencil but I often find it hard to get a flexible tip that I can use to create the cat eye I want. With this months Glamour magazine came Eyeko's liquid eyeliner, worth £12. Initially excited at trying out a new product for my eyes, I tested it out on my hand. 

With a felt tip-like end, the skinny nib ended up producing an impressively dark line on my hand. Despite my initial excitement however, the product disappointed when it came to applying it to my eyes. Lines were faded, it was hard to apply an even, thick coat and the brush kept running dry. All in all I was extremely disappointed and after leaving it on for a few hours, I even got small lines within the creases of my eyelids- very unflattering! 

For those looking for a more precise tip, I use liner that contains a thin brush, that way the look can be varied easily. 

Hair Dye Review: Blullini by Bleach London

I'm a big believer in experimenting with hair colour but just like a lot of people, I'm really not willing to commit to one colour, just in case I get bored or learn to hate it. Semi-permanent dye gives me the option to explore different shades without the worry that the look is here to stay. Having used Crazy Colour and Directions previously, I found BLEACH London products to be amongst my favourites. 

I purchased the blue/green shade Blullini, with the hopes that once faded, it would give me a nice minty pastel colour for my hair. BLEACH products come in a sizeable bottle and often contain enough for 2/3 applications (my hair is mid-length), although if you are looking for a particularly bright, intense colour experience I would attempt to use as much of the product as possible in one sitting. 

Instructions on the bottle say to leave on for 15 minutes, I left mine on for 20-25 and achieved a fabulous bright blue shade that I loved. For a pastel shade add a minimum amount to your hair and leave in for 5-7 minutes. Be aware that when using on a yellow/blonde shade, the colour may appear more green, which could be disappointing. After one week of washing, I still have a majority of the colour in, and have not achieved pastel just yet. 

I highly recommend the product for anyone looking for true colour stay, and for those who don't mind some slight fade. This is what my hair looked like just after applying the colour: 

This is what my hair looked like a week later : 

If you have any questions feel free to ask me, I have used quite a few of their colours as well as other dyes and can recommend many! 

#5daylipstickchallenge

I'm ridiculously excited to complete the 5 day lipstick challenge I saw on blogger Allie May Redmond's page a little while back. I'm a huge fan of rouge, but other than nights out I can be a little afraid to reach for the lippy as I have extremely bright colours. 

From Left to Right: Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Laquer in Nude Eclipse// No7 Stay Perfect in Grace// Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in 380 Dark Night// Barry M  Matte Lipstick in 54 Coral // Saffron in 25 Blue 

I don't have particularly expensive taste when it comes to lipstick, however I do find of all of the lipsticks, it's No7's Stay Perfect that usually wins when it comes to lasting colour and layering. I will be reviewing each product on their texture, longevity, appearance and colour.  

Day One: Barry M

Day Two: Saffron

Day Three: Rimmel Moisture

Day Four: No.7

Day Five: Rimmel Apocalips

Beautiful Bodysuits

No faux pas wardrobe is complete without a snazzy bodysuit, and whether you are opting for sultry evening wear, or looking for a top to wear with jeans, bodysuits are the way forward.  

Celeb inspiration comes from the wonderful Katy Perry, who wore a candy themed bodysuit complete with multicoloured swirls around the bust- eye-catching! Kate Moss went racy in a nude bodysuit with embellishments covering her assets, and a white ring-leader blazer for a (slightly) more conservative look.Leigh-Anne Pinnock of Little Mix grunged her sheer panelled bodysuit with leather-look hotpants, a chunky chain and a striking red bomber jacket. Jennifer Lawrence kept it classy with a fabulous slate sheer gown with a plain black sleeveless bodysuit. 

Bodysuits provide a sexy, fitted alternative to an evening top, the quirkier the better! 

From Left to right: ASOS// Missguided//Black Milk

My  Poison Ivy bodysuit is from aliexpress, the t-shirt version can be found at Black Milk for $60 AUD. 

I'm Obsessed with... House of Holland Nails

It's official: false/stick on nails are my everything. 

Why bother growing out your nails when you can bite them down in a frenzy and stick over ready-made, pristine ones to cover up the horror that is your beauty regime?! I'm just kidding. 

But seriously, why fork out a fortune on acrylics when you can purchase unique and comfortably fitting nails for a lot cheaper? House of Holland have the most exquisite range at the moment and definitely fulfil my faux pas needs. 

My three favourite ranges are Geek Chic, Tweed and Sweet Tooth, all of which were at the fabulous price of £8.00-£9.00 on the official site. 

Compared with the heavily advertised Elegant Touch Express nails that contain what is fundamentally double-sided tape, the House of Holland nails have staying power when combined with a standard nail glue.

Look at those disgusting hands..

I use nailene ultra quick glue and have found my nails often last two weeks or more! With the amount of typing I do though, I do often get tired of the tinkling noise it makes... so if you are looking for pretty over practicality, House of Holland is your best option!

I LOVE HOUSE OF HOLLAND

Disappointment of the month: Lipcote Lipstick Sealer

I've been a fan of lipstick for a long time, especially adventurous shades but when it comes to having lippy with that staying power, I often wind up disappointed. 

The closest thing I've come to a long lasting lip colour would be Revlon's range of Just Bitten Kissable and Colorburst matte balm. The stains are long lasting, but do have a slight fade factor that tend to look undesirable. 

In my quest to find a solution, I stumbled upon Lipcote, a lipstick sealer that is applied and claims to be the secret to 'kiss proof lipstick that lasts'. 

How to apply

Applying my lipstick, instructions told me to blot after a coat and repeat several times before evenly brushing Lipcote on and slightly beyond my lipstick. After holding your mouth open until drying, reap the results! or not..

I'm an expressive person, so moving my mouth in any way made it feel as if my lipstick was cracking, almost like the effect of a dry face mask. After being half way through a date I stared into the reflection of my phone to see that my lipstick was indeed peeling off- not attractive. 

Let me tell you ladies, Lipcote is not the answer to long lasting lips, and if you know what is, TELL ME! 

Have you tried out Lipcote? what did you think? 

Oh Hey There

I've wanted to set up a fashion blog for a long time now and with a few minutes to spare, I thought I would squeeze in some writing time. 

I'm passionate about high fashion and indeed high street fashion, but most of all, the quirky pieces that arent really seen around a lot, hence 'faux pas' being part of the title of my blog. 

With a mixture of style and beauty to be incorporated in my posts, I do hope you enjoy what I have to say and I would love you to share your thoughts and your blogs too, would be great to read! 

Ciao x