GLOSSYBOX - DETOX BEAUTY BOX JANUARY 2013

This month's beauty box was all about detoxing after the Christmas break and adopting a healthier lifestyle. I really like the new leaflet style sheet instead of the regular card that comes inside the box, as I feel it gives you a lot more information about the theme and the products themselves. I feel the products inside really fitted in with the theme and I have really got along with most of them. 
Elemis Fresh Skin, Skin Flow Exfoliating Face Wash, Full-size 100ml £12.00 -  I have seen this line in my local Superdrug before and was tempted, but have never picked anything up. I have tried products from Elemis's regular line and have been impressed with those, so this caught my eye straight away. The fresh skin range is catered to teens to mid-twenties and is good for deep pore cleansing. I really like the fruity scent, it reminds me of the Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask. I find this nice for a deep pore cleanse, it's not too harsh on the skin and leaves my skin brighter and softer.
Duck Island Limited Body Lotion, Full-size 2X250ml £24.95 - I had never really heard of this brand before, but was interested by the mandarin and bergamot scent. I find a little goes a long way, as the moisturiser is quite rich. I normally prefer quite floral or almond scented lotions but this formulation is quite nice after it has absorbed into damp skin. I'm not sure I would buy the full-size version though. 

Jason Lips Bee Healthier Lip Balm, 4.5g £1.99 - I have heard a lot of good things about this brand so I was keen to try them out. Which is the best thing about beauty boxes, discovering new brands! Jason use a lot of natural ingredients, I'm not the biggest fan of the scent (Aloe & Beeswax) but I find it really cooling on the lips. It took me a while to figure out that you twist the top of the tube for more product instead of the usual bottom. (Blonde moment!) It's great for this weather, I would like to try more from the brand, recommendations please! 
Monu Warming Aromatic Mask, Full-size 100ml £24.95 - I have been impressed with other Monu products that I have received in Glossyboxes, so it was nice to see another product from them. Another product suited to the weather to hydrate the skin and wash any impurities away.  I found the packaging quite hard to read due to the colour of the product inside. The texture of the product is really moisturising and I found it nice and calming on my skin due to the lavender scent. I use this when my face needs a pamper.

Premae Skincare Balance Rescue Face Tonique, Full-size 100ml £17.50 - Another brand which I haven't really heard much about. This toner contains lemongrass, sandalwood oil and rose water and is also alcohol free. I don't think much of the packaging, but I found it nice and refreshing on my skin. I love the sample size as it's great for travel, but I much prefer a toner with a spray dispenser. 

This months box also came with a handy 'Glossy Dreams' eye mask which was a nice addition to the Detox themed box. What did you think of this month's products?

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD REBRANDS ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET

Images: uk.lifestyle.yahoo/stylebistro/glam

Vivienne Westwood has teamed up with the English National Ballet for their new campaign in a chance to rebrand and broaden the appeal of dance. In the images a cast of dancers have been loaned her Spring/Summer 13 collection looks. The imagery aims to celebrate a fusion of modernity and tradition, the clothes were chosen to underline an unconventional-yet-classical image. The campaign which a Westwood spokesperson described as 'a perfect collaboration of English tradition' - was formulated with the help of creative agency The Beautiful Meme. I feel the images are quite moody, which helps to add drama and movement to the clothes, showing you behind the scenes, instead of what we just see on the stage. The ballet has also created a new logo and website to help rebrand themselves. The company's new logo representing speech marks and pointe shoes, is designed to show that 'everyone in the company, from young dancers to the outreach team, has something to say.' What do you think of the campaign? 

FLORENCE ITALY - SALVATORE FERRAGAMO MARILYN MONROE

At the end of last year I went to Florence, Italy. Whilst I was there I visited the Salvatore Ferragamo Store and Museum. The major exhibition that was on in the museum at the time was all about Marilyn Monroe's life, half a century after her death. It was great to see a lot of Marilyn's most famous worn garments up close. As well as a lot of her shoes, Salvatore Ferragamo being her favourite brand. The museum is relatively small, but there was lots to see in all sorts of different medias including, photography, video, clothing and memorabilia, etc. I enjoyed learning a lot more about her life and the people around her, including the fashions of her time. It was definitely worth the entrance fee and one of the stand out memories of the trip. The exhibition has been extended until April 1st 2013, so it was obviously a hit with many people!

END OF YEAR BEAUTY EMPTIES - STARTING A FRESH

The start of a new year means finishing old products and starting a fresh with some new ones, either gifted at Christmas or bought in the January Sales. These are the products I have been enjoying using up most recently...

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub, (Old Packaging) 450ml £8.00 - This is a product that I had bought ages ago and had forgotten about, until the blogger hype which bought it back to my attention. I do love the texture of this scrub but do however prefer the scent of The Breakfast Scrub. But it is definitely worth the price tag as it lasts for ages. Would I repurchase? Yes, I got one in the 'Best of All' set. So it will be good to see if the formula has changed along with the packaging.

Dermalogica Clean Start All Over Clear Toner, Fullsize 120ml £9.84 - I received this sample product in one of my Glossyboxes. I had never tried Dermalogica products before, but I really enjoyed this toner especially because of the spray bottle it comes in. This toner helps to control shine and keep breakouts away and I really saw a difference with using this. Would I repurchase? Yes, I am using another sample I received in another Glossybox. (Yes I wasn't too pleased to receive the same product twice, but I received some good customer service.) 

Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Gel, 10ml £13.00 - This product is a little life saver in a bottle. I love Origins skincare, the brand has to be one of my favourites at the moment. You might think the price is a bit steep for the size of the bottle, but it lasts months as you only use a tiny amount. You just tab the gel on any breakout areas and you can really feel it working, I wish I had known about this years ago. Would you repurchase? Yes, I already have. I wouldn't be without it. 

V05 Plump me up and Refresh me quick Dry Shampoo, Both 2ooml £3.59 - V05 dry shampoo is my favourite go-to hair product recently. For me it beats batiste and other high street brands - my favourite being 'Refresh me quick' as I prefer the scent. It does what it says on the tin and is perfect for lazy day! Would I repurchase? Yes I need to restock. 

Soap & Glory Rich and Foamous Body Wash, 500ml £6.50 - This product smells heavenly! All Soap & Glory products smell gorgeous, but this shower gel wins for me so far. I know some people much prefer Soap & Glory's original scent, so it can be a love or hate product. I have reviewed this product in full here. Would I repurchase? Yes, another bottle is currently in my shower.

Philosophy Marshmallows for Toasting Body Lotion, 60ml - I received this product as part of a set last Christmas, but can't find it online anymore. The scent of this product is very sickly sweet, but it was really moisturising and great on any dry patches. The size was also good for travel. Would I repurchase? Maybe would like to try a different scent in the range.

Lush It's Raining Men Shower Gel, 100g £4.25 - I like Lush shower gels, but I think they are quite expensive for how much product you get inside. This scent smells lovely, just like the Honey I washed the kids soap. You can also use this product in your hair like a shampoo, but I just prefer to use it on my body. Would I repurchase? Yes, it would be more cost effective to buy a bigger bottle next time though.

Lush Sweetie Pie Wobbly Jelly £3.10 - This was a rather different product to have in my shower. I loved the scent of cherry and coconut and it was just like jelly so it was quite tricky not to drop it in the bath/shower. I crushed a bit of the product into a shower puff and it soon lathered up when adding water. You can again use this product in your hair and also freeze or chill it if you like. Would I repurchase? Yes, I would like to try other scents in the range.

Bumble and Bumble Creme De Coco Shampoo and Conditioner, 50ml Prices from £5.95  - These products were my first experience of Bumble and Bumble. I was very pleased with the results, they left my hair super soft. The scent won me over as coconut is probably my favourite for hair products. This combination is great for dry or dull hair, they improve flexibility and minimise frizz. Would I repurchase? Yes, I have my eye on the Shine range next.
Umberto Giannini Rock 'N' Roll Hairspray, 200ml £5.61 - To be honest I'm not very fussy when it comes to hairspray and don't use it on an everyday basis. This product is good, my favourite part being the scent as it is not harsh as some other hairsprays. I wouldn't say it's the best hairspray I've used but it does hold volume and is good for up-do's. It doesn't leave hair dry and crispy and in my view it's really affordable! Would I repurchase? Maybe, but I want to try something else first.

A lot of these products I have loved and repurchased. Have you tried out any of these products?

BUSINESS CARDS - MOO.COM

As part of one of my modules at University, I had to create Business Cards which displayed my own personal details and potrayed my individual style. I chose to get them printed with the online company Moo.com, I was very impressed with the overall service and received my Business Cards before the estimated arrival date. I create the 'Luxe' Business Cards which are 3x thicker than the original ones and I am really pleased with the quality and weight of the cards. For 50 cards it cost me £23.99. On the back of them I included my Degree course, phone number, mobile number, email address, my blog URL and a QR code which connects to my blog as well. In the meantime, I have also ordered some Postcards and MiniCards and I am equally impressed with the quality of those. I would really recommend Moo.com for their service as well as their quality of prints. If you know of any other online stores which do something similar that you have been impressed with, let me know!

CLOTHES SHOW LIVE 2012 - NEC BIRMINGHAM

Last month I attended the Clothes Show Live at the NEC in Birmingham. I have visited the show a couple of times in the past, but I hadn't been in a few years so I was looking forward to seeing how the event had progressed. I went on the last day of the show so there was a lot of bargains to be had (which I would really recommend). I didn't think much of the clothing stalls, there didn't seem to be as much variety as years before and not as many well known brands. But of course the beauty hall impressed me the most. My favourite stalls this year were Models Own, Bomb Cosmetics and Bourjois. I picked up a fair few beauty goody bags including some good magazine deals from Elle and Company. I really liked the theme of the main show this year which was set around London Fashion Week hosted by Henry Holland and Grace Woodward, which featured over 250 outfits. Visitors and fans of Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model were also given the chance to see the show's finalists walk the catwalk in the latest designer collections. I think the Clothes Show can be very overwhelming and frustrating with the vast amount of people that visit every year. But it can also be a very enjoyable day and you can pick up some great beauty deals! 

What were your Clothes Show highlights?