Monthly Summary, March

March (ⁱ/mʌrtʃ/ murrch) is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven monthswhich are 31 days long.

Empties

Three Garnier BB Samples - Light. I received these samples ages ago, tried it once and never bothered again as my skin was just too bad. My skin has been improving lately so I decided to give these another go. I wouldn't wear this for evenings out as I like full coverage for evening wear, I did, however, find them perfect for work. The only reasons I haven't re-purchased are a) because I'm trying to use up most of my current foundations before buying any more and b) because I want to try some of the other BB creams that are currently on the market, in particular the MUA one.

Pantene Pro-V Shampoo, Conditioner & 2 min Repair Masque samples, normal-thick hair.  These didn't wow me but they didn't do anything wrong either. I would probably re-purchase if they were on offer but wouldn't go out of my way to track them down.

ELF HD Powder. I swear by this stuff and panic when I'm running low. I use this everyday and find that it helps to combat my oily skin a little and my foundation hangs around for longer when wearing this. I have already re-purchased as I can't live without it.

Sample Size White-Glo Toothpaste from February Carmine Box. Originally I planned to use this alongside my usual sensitive toothpaste as I was worried that my teeth would play up if I switched to this. I then decided against being sensible and went straight into using this, thankfully my sensitivity didn't kick in while using. I could see that my teeth looked visibly whiter when using, and actually still do. My teeth also felt cleaner when using. Would I re-purchase? Yes, but just for special occasions. I do worry about my teeth and the fact that this made my teeth look whiter and feel cleaner made me worry that it may be stripping away protective layers. It probably isn't but as I said I am a worrier when it comes to teeth, they're too expensive to mess with!

Boots Softening Foot Lotion. I'm not going to lie, this has taken me about a year to use. I am absolutely rubbish at remembering/bothering to moisturise my feet, which is probably why they are so dry and horrible. As a result of using it so infrequently I don't feel that I can give a proper verdict. I wouldn't re-purchase because my feet didn't feel any nicer after using this, but who knows, maybe if used every day it may have worked.

Bionova Eye Wrinkle Treatment from December GlossyBox. This little sample actually lasted quite a while, a little goes a long way with this product. I do feel that my under eye area is smoother since using and wrinkles don't seem as visible. I wouldn't re-purchase simply because I wouldn't dream of paying £43 for the full size product.

Books

I finished the second of the Millennium Trilogy this month and am now onto the third, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest. I have really been enjoying this trilogy even though I found the first book quite slow starting. This book starts off a lot faster and held my interest in most places. Although I do find that the author sometimes goes into too much detail about irrelevant things for my liking, which leads me to day dream and not concentrate on the book. That aside I highly recommend this book trilogy.

Looking forward...

4.412 A BBQ at a friends house to celebrate her birthday.
5.4.12 Day off work followed by a works night out for one of my colleague's leaving dos, not sure where yet, probably Cardiff.
14.4.12 We're hoping to have a BBQ to celebrate my birthday the following week, depending on the weather.

20.4.12 My birthday :) I'm not sure what we're doing yet, I'm hoping to go away somewhere for the night, or possibly go to Jamie's Italian in Cardiff for a meal. I guess I need to make my mind up soon.

I can't believe how little I have planned next month, this excites me as I feel as though I haven't stopped the past few months. Hopefully I can get my house in some sort of clean state as it is currently a tip and relax loads!

What products have you used up this month? What book are you currently reading?  Do you have much planned for April?

Event : St David's Ladies' Night 29/3/12

I was lucky enough to be invited along to St David's Ladies' Night as a blogger yesterday. I didn't really know what to expect but I knew it involved bubbly, Pizza Express, discounts and fellow bloggers - I was sold!

I travelled to Cardiff with Joanna, we managed to get the earlier train so arrived quite early. We wandered around a few of the shops but resisted making any purchases, except for one small purchase in Bank which I blame entirely on Jo! It was a bargain though!

I'm not usually a fan of Paul's Boutique to be honest but I couldn't resist this lovely coin purse. Jo picked it up at first and I had to copy her! With the Ladies' Night discount it only cost £8, I couldn't leave it there!

Urban Decay had a stand set up in the centre of St David's where they were giving make-overs. Jo and myself both opted for a smoky eye using the original Naked palette.

After a little wander around we went over to Pizza Express where the upstairs was designated to us bloggers. It was lovely to meet Megan and Mikhaela, the ladies behind the event.

We were also greeted by plenty of wine, the most amazing Elderflower water and a cute guy ;)

After a little mingle we were able to help ourselves to a pretty good Pizza Express buffet. I was quite restrained, I wanted it all!

We were given very generous goodie bags, we couldn't quite believe our eyes when we realised that we each had a £25 St David's voucher! We also received a Cath Kidston tote bag, a lovely pair of knickers from Boux Avenue and lots of samples to try.

After our food and drinks it was time to get down to business and shop! As part of Ladies' Night the shops are open until 10pm and most offer good discounts. It would be rude not to take advantage, especially with our gift cards! Our first stop was Boux Avenue. We all signed up for loyalty cards which meant that we got another goodie bag!

We then headed over to John Lewis, which is where we ending up spending pretty much the entire evening. A group of bloggers can have a whole lot of fun in John Lewis! We received jam packed goodie bags in there too.

Jo popped her NARS cherry which got us all quite excited! She decided not to go for Orgasm, which I felt would have been quite apt for the occasion! (lame but I couldn't resist)

Charli had a Bobbi Brown make-over...

I bought a Chanel lipstick...

I had such a lovely day, massive thanks to Megan for inviting me to this event, I cannot wait for the next one!

Here are a few more random photos from the day...

My outfit - Primark blazer, sheer blouse & sunglasses, New Look jeans, Peacocks sandals.

Joanna

Megan

Joanna and me

Charli and Leanne

Lowri and Gemma

March 2012 buys - New Look & Primark

I feel like I haven't posted a haul for so long, which is a good thing as I need to cut down on my spending! I have picked up a few bits throughout the month, essentials only though! I haven't been very far so have only been shopping in New Look and Primark (as usual).

I did forget to take photos when I bought my things so apologies if some of it looks a little grubby!

New Look

Slouchy Chain Moccasin £19.99. I bought these for work, I like to wear comfy flats as I work 8:30 - 5:30 and just find the day way too long to be wearing heels! I've been wearing these for about a week, I still have plasters on my heels at the moment as they are a little uncomfortable there. They are slowly breaking in though and will be really comfy soon.

High Waisted Supersoft Skinny Jeans £22.99. I bought these to wear when I went to watch the rugby. I have pink jeans, beige jeans, moron jeans, etc but no plain blue jeans! I wanted to wear my rugby shirt and think that blue jeans look better with the iconic Welsh jersey! These jeans are super comfortable and wash well, I've been practically living in them since buying them.

Primark

Floral Sunglasses £2.00. These were an impulse purchase as I was totally unprepared for the sun when I went shopping Saturday. I couldn't see a thing walking around town so decided to pick up these bargains to help me see a little better!

Beige blazer £20.00. I went into Primark looking for one of the famous pastel blazers, I wanted either pink or mint green, unfortunately my store didn't have any in :( I saw this and decided it was a much better option as the colour is a lot more versatile. It was left in my shopping bag in Spencer's car all weekend so is quite crumpled!

Twin pack of Cotton Wool pads £1.00. Not really a lot to say about these. One of those things that fall in my basket while waiting at the checkout on almost every visit.

Pink Jersey Pumps £6.00. These are so cute and so comfortable, I couldn't leave them there for the price. I've already worn them and managed to get them filthy which I didn't realise until I uploaded the photo! I'm not sure how long they'll last but for £6 who cares?!

Canvas shopping bag £1.50. Since the VAT has been introduced on carrier bags on Wales I seem to buy a canvas bag when ever I go into Primark. I decide that I don't want to pay 5p for a throw away paper bag so instead pay £1.50 on another canvas bag! This one is cute though.

What have you been buying lately? Have you managed to get hold of a Primark pastel blazer?

Review : MUA Out There Plumping Lip Gloss - Pink & Nude

Today I'm going to be sharing my thoughts with you on two lip glosses that the lovely people over at MUA sent to me for review purposes. There have been quite a few reviews of these around the blogosphere so I do apologise if you're bored of seeing it by now!

 

I received pink and nude. Pink is a gorgeous vibrant colour and nude is a brown-y nude colour.

As you can see from the swatches these lip glosses are quite thick. They apply nicely and aren't sticky.

 Pink

Nude

As you can see the colour pay off on both lip glosses is very good. The nude is lighter than my natural colour lip, this isn't a colour I would usually pick up but I do like the result of it.

The lip glosses do tingle a lot on initial application, the sensation does fade after a while. I didn't notice a change in the plumpness of my lips when wearing these glosses.

Would I recommend...

If you are looking for a vibrant lip gloss with great colour pay off for a reasonable price then yes. If you are looking for a wonder product that will give you gorgeous plump lips then no.

MUA Out There Plumping Lip Gloss £2.00.

Also available in selected Superdrug stores.

*Disclaimer : MUA Kindly provided me with these lip glosses for review purposes. Despite this all opinions are 100% honest and my own.*

Review : March JolieBox

The much anticipated full size first JolieBox arrived on Friday. The promise of all full size items had me quite excited, did it live up to expectations?

My box...

The contents...

 Yardley Luxury Body Wash in English Lavender 200ml (full size) £3.50

JolieBox say : A luxury body wash to cleanse and nourish the skin. Available in three floral scents.

I say : Thankfully I'm one of the few people that actually like lavender scents so I was quite happy to see this in my box. I used this in my shower today and found that it foams very well and leaves the skin feeling soft. The scent doesn't linger too much but there is definitely a subtle lavender smell after use.

 Davines Authentic Moisturising Balm 75ml (full size) £9.99

JolieBox say : A natural and conditioning balm to be used on face, hair and body. Contains ingredients such as jojoba and sesame oil.

I say : I remember a few people received this in another beauty box a while back and I was quite disappointed that I didn't receive it as I was very intrigued by it. One product for face, body and hair sounds quite interesting. I've tried this on my hands so far, it is lovely and moisturising and has a beautiful, strong scent.

Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Plum 0.8g (full size) £9.50

JolieBox say : This skinny eyeliner pencil provides precise definition and intense long-lasting colour. Available in six different shades.

I say : I was disapointed to receive this shade as I have already received it in a previous beauty box (January Carmine). I guess this is the downside to subscribing to more than one beauty box. I do like this eyeliner and the packaging despite how strange it looks. I'm sure I'll be grateful for the long handle if I get down to the bottom.

I was a bit shocked at the state of the nib, I swatched it without looking and it really scratched my hand! Good job I didn't use it on my eyes before realising!

LCN Nail Polish 331 Free Your Mind 8ml (full size) £5.50

JolieBox say : A fast drying polish available in four on-trend pastel shades.

I say : Initially I was disappointed at receiving a white polish as I already own one white polish and as far as I'm concerned once you have one white you don't need another. Then I saw the beautiful shimmer and all was forgiven. I haven't tried this yet but am looking forward to using it. It looks beautiful.

JolieBox Mirror - A dainty company mirror that will fit perfectly in your make-up bag. This will be taken along on a few nights out I'm sure.

We also received a JolieBox magazine which was a lovely little extra. It is so nice to see the people behind the box!

Overall verdict:

• We received four full size products and a compact mirror.
• The total box value is £28.49.
• The products received this month are more what I'd expect from GlossyBox than JolieBox, in the sense that they are all brands that I have heard of and some that I'd tried. I usually enjoy receiving brands that I've not heard of before.
• All the products will get used, except for the eyeliner and that is only because I already own one.
• For me personally this is the least exciting box I've received so far, which is odd considering that it is the only box with all full size samples.

Subscribe to JolieBox for £10 per month + £2.95 P&P.

Are you a JolieBox subscriber? If so, what did you receive this month?