SoSusan Lip Love Bag

I said in a previous post I had been given a birthday present of another subscription box, well bag really (Thank You Dad). The first one sent out to me in February went missing in the post, they were very helpful (Gemma, Very good customer services) and a replacement was sent (it took about 3 more weeks to arrive) and it arrived the same day the March bag arrived.
I don't use make-up every day, but I like to sometimes. I recently cleared out a lot of the old make-up I had. I would be afraid to think of how old some of it was and it needed to go. I wanted to replace it with a more natural make-up but the prices are so high. I looked at SoSusan their subscription bag is a very good buy, you get 4 full sized beauty items and a limited edition bag for $20.95 a month with free shipping worldwide. You can put the bags on hold (I wish some of the other bags/ boxes did this) which is very good or cancel at any time. Its cheaper if you order a 3 month ($18.95 a month) or 6 month block subscription ($17.95 a month) you can still put bags on hold with these subscriptions. I was given a three month subscription and would like to keep it up for at least another three. I don't know how fast I will use everything so its nice been able to hold off bags (good for Holiday times also) without having to cancel the account.

The SoSusan products and the other companies products included in the bag are 100% Cruelty-Free,  Vegan, No Mineral Oil, No Parabens, No Phthalates, No Gluten, Hypoallergenic and Non-comedogenic.
I have put the contents of the bags below, I am still playing with the products so later this month or next I will do a review. I love the canvas bags and the packaging is  so cute. I am happy so far with what I have had. Because I had a replacement bag I was given a replacement product Seraphine botanicals - Conscious eyeshadow base (I love this and have been using it a lot). Really looking forward to this months bag :)

February Bag: The "I Love Challenges" Bag
Bag Contains : 

• Eco-Chic Canvas Makeup Bag (worth $12 / £12)
• LipoPout in "Cats" (worth $18.95 / £12.95)
• Omniblush by Jelly Pong Pong (worth $17.95 / £13.95) (Mine was replaced with a
  Seraphine botanicals - Conscious  (worth $20)
• Skin Salvation - Primer & Luminizer (worth $27.95 / £21.95)
• BONUS ITEM : Marshmallow Skin by Trifle (worth $18.95 / £13.95)

Bag Value : $95.80 / £74.85



March Bag: or The "I Love Spreading Kindness" Bag
Bag Contains : 

• Eco-Chic Canvas Makeup Bag (worth $12 / £12)
• Lip&Cheek Jam by Trifle (worth $22.95 / £17.95)
• Luminaire (worth $19.95 / £15.95)
• Crème Couture (worth $16.00 / £13.00)
• BONUS ITEM : Supercharged by Jelly Pong Pong (worth $22.95 / £17.95)

Bag Value : $93.85 / £76.85

My Little Bubble Box

This month's my little box theme is "My Little Bubble Box" I think the bubble bit is lost somewhere in translation, but its a fun box and has some very nice items.
Again a very nice box and also a little fabric draw-string mag with the beauty items and the mini magazine. The items were:
Bulle de teint or translated as beauty bubble (rrp 8.00) its a makeup sponge excellent for applying liquid makeup to give a airbrush finish and its simple to use. Wet sponge and squeeze, add a little foundation, concealer, blush whatever you want than dab dab dab onto skin adding more product as needed (a little at a time, better to build up). I needed a new one but they are expensive, although I have seen a few on ebay much cheaper may buy one to see the difference, so have been holding off buying one. Very happy with this and its not to big, good for concealer around the eyes.
A cute blue hairbrush (rrp £13.00) with "Be Cooler" on the back. One of the main things I like about this brush is its lightweight, so may be going in my out 'n about' bag, although not sure it could stand up to morning hairbrushing!
Bubble Blush Lip Tint from My little boxes own beauty range. A lip and cheek tint, its very pink but maybe as its a tint when on it will blend in.
Huygens body scrub (This is a Full sized Product rrp £12.90) , 99% natural ingredients (11,4% ingredients produced from organic farming), helichrysum italicum, sweet almond oil, fruit oils, limonene, spearmint, this smells like summer walking through a field should, without the smell of the animals and other things that a summers field really smells like!! A honey critus mix, it leaves your skin feeling really soft.
Givenchy Noir Couture volume mascara (sample size 4g, Full sized 8g £25.00) this mascara has the usual Givenchy packing very nice and chic, I have not used the mascara yet, but have read good things about it.
And lastly not forgetting a balloon with "BE wild!" on it, mmm...not sure about it, may just blow it up and let it off in the wind when I need a bit of inspiration.

My Little Box are a French company, their box costs £11 plus p&p and I think this month the products have more then covered that. For anyone wanting to subscribe they are billed monthly but you can cancel anytime via your account online.

Tip: Whatever box you subscribe to have a look online and on their facebook/ twitter/ instagram sites for codes before you subscribe, for extras and discounts

Glamour Magazine Free Gift

I confess I am always on the lookout for a bargain. Last week I found Glamour magazine had a balance me product as a free gift when you buy it. There is a choice of four different products, a Revitalising Hand and Body Wash rrp £6, Tinted Wonder Eye Cream rrp £11, Radiance Face Mask rrp £12 and a Limited Edition Lip Balm rrp £12 to choose from.
I got the tinted wonder eye cream, I've read good things about this product, so looking forward to trying it. And the magazine is only £2.00 so an excellent buy, plus I have a something to read later :)

Birchbox March 2016

This month's Birchbox is here, can you believe that is the third box already, the months are flying by. Spring will hopefully appear soon.
I liked this box it has a word puzzle on it, if you get all the names and mark them on the box, photo it you can enter the competition to win a large box of goodies. I don't want to mark my box :( I like it.
The box contents were good this month two full sized items and 4 sample/ travel sized items all in the little fabric bag inside the box.
The first full sized item was a colour enhancing lip balm (full sized £11) this is made by birchbox its their new Arrow Boost line which is paraben-free, cruelty-free and vegan. The Color Enhancing Lip Balm has a mild minty scent and the colour tint in the balm adjusts to your lips PH so the color is unique to you. My lip colour only had a tiny colour change, a little darker, which I was happy with. The balm was soft and I have been using it when I am out 'n' about as the weather has been cold and windy, it has stopped my lips from cracking, which is very good, It's now living in my purse and I am very happy with it. The other full sized item, was ModelCo - More brows (Full sized £13.00) its a tinted eyebrow gel that has little particles in it that thicken the brows, it does what it saids, although not sure what happens when it rains, it does not say if its waterproof,  
The sample products were The Works Pillow Spray in deep sleep (The sample was 5ml, Full sized 75ml £16.00), I love this product and have been using it every night, I may need to buy this soon. You spray it on your pillow to help you sleep, it has the essential oils of wild chamomile, vetivert and true lavender, it smells really nice (some lavenders remind me of cleaning products, this has a good lavender smell). I do seem to be sleeping for longer too. 
I got another Polaar product (had one in last months mylittlebox) this is a moisturising gel called IceSource a good sized sample (The sample was 25ml, Full sized 50ml £27.00) it has glacier water to cool and mattify the complexion, not sure of the mattifying effect but it smells nice and my skin was strangely cool and very smooth and soft, very nice. I love trying new products :) 
The last two products were both for the hair, I will use them soon - Philip B Drop Dead Straighting Baume (The sample was 15ml, Full sized 178ml £20.00) A silicone free treatment to shorten blow-drying time for any hair type, relaxing unruly hair (how did they know about my hair!!!) and Amika Nourishing Mask (The sample was 20ml, Full sized 250ml £19.99) with sea buckthorn berry and jojoba oil to soften and repair hair in minutes! 
I really liked this box, new products to explore and try I Love it :)


Note: If you want £5.00 worth of points with your first box email me (or use the contact form on the right) for a link, I currently also have a code for 50% off the first box which can be used with the link - just put the code in the promo code box before ordering.  So that's half price for the 1st box and £5.00 in points, don't forgot to review the products when you get them and that's up to another £5.00 worth of points to spend in their shop. 
Birchbox UK cost £10.00 plus 2.95 p&p monthly, you can cancel at any time via your online account. They are an American company, different countries receive different boxes and products. 

Diploma in Personal Nutrition

Trying to do new things this years and be healthier, decided to do a nutrition course (Diploma Introduction to Personal Nutrition) . As I have done other courses with the Shaw Academy the personal nutrition course seemed good (you can get discounts for their courses on places like groupon and wowcher), it was very well organised and had lots of information, plus interactive challenges each week like drinking more water and eating more fruit and veg (via twitter or facebook). You watch the live webinar (8 live & 2 recorded in total over 4 weeks), if you miss a session they record them and put them on their site 24 hours later. The advantage of attending the webinar live is you can ask questions and get answers (you can also email them) I really enjoyed this course, even happier I finished my final exams with a Distinction :)


I have just started a completely different course in Mobile Web Development, its 4 weeks I'll see how I get on :)

Shamrock Coaster

With St Patrick's Day approaching on the 17th March here's a quick shamrock coaster to make. I can't guarantee it will bring you luck (I hope it will) but it's quick and easy to make :)

INSTRUCTIONS: Chain 76.  Chain 3 to turn this will count as first treble crochet(UK)/ double crochet(USA) of first row.  Treble crochet(UK)/ double crochet(USA) in 5th chain from hook. Treble crochet(UK)/ double crochet(USA) in next 2 chains to complete bottom right solid square of row 1.  Continue following pattern for first row reading pattern right to left.  After  completing first row, chain 3 to turn to start next row.  Continue following pattern until all rows are  complete.  At end of row 25 fasten off

My Little Home Box

I am late in posting this as I have had many Internet problems hopefully they have been solved now.
My second box from "My Little Box" arrived. It's so exciting opening it to find what goodies were inside. I am not missing my yarn buying at all and seem to be making more and designing/ writing up more patterns.
The theme this month is "Home" the box itself has a pretty illustration on it. There's a sticker inside the packing for your front door with a "Don't forget" list also with cute illustrations of keys, phone travel card and lipstick!
Opening the box, you find everything is neatly tied with a ribbon, there was a blue frame with a double sized card inside with illustrater Kanako's drawings, very nice (frame and print £6.00). 
I love the small drawstring fabric bag it has little lip sticks and beauty items printed on it, inside it contained three beauty items. Mine were Noxidoxi Mask and Peel, a skin reviving mask and face scrub (this is a V.large 40gm sample rrp full size 50gms = €20.00)  Polaar Genuine Lapland Hand Cream which is highly concentrated with an arctic berries extract (This was a full sized product approx. €16.90) and from My Little Boxes own brand beauty range My Little Beauty Early Morning Perfecting Face Cream (This was full sized product approx .€10.00) 
I added the euro prices but most items are available outside of France, except My Little Boxes own beauty range which is currently available only in France.
We have used the handcream so far which was very good, the smell is mild but a I find it a bit sour (so my fav. shea butter handcream from L'Occitance is not been replaced yet) but I will use it.
The other lifestyle item was a linen type cushion cover (rrp. £10.00), I can't find a fabric/ wash label on the cover so not sure what is the fabric content. One side is cream with little triangles, the other side is blue with white polka dots, but with the opening down the middle on the blue side (I would use the blue side), I think I will upcycle it a little, maybe just add some nice buttons, I feel it needs something, I will play :)
Overall it was a nice box of items, not as good as last months box, but I will not be cancelling yet. 
I need March's box now :)