Special Delivery #10 & Review | BioIonic Agave Oil Treatment

I've been looking for a hair oil for nearly a year now, after the hairdressers used Morrocanoil on my hair. I didn't purchase it as it was so expensive, and I would have wanted to try a small sample at home before any big purchases.

This is my can't-live-without hair product! After receiving a sample in September's Birchbox, I went ahead and purchased the full sized product. It's £27 for 120ml or 4oz, but I used my reward points to get £10 off.

The lightweight oil strengthens and moisturises hair, as well as building resilience. It doesn't weight my hair down and it actually feels like i've got more bounce in my hair! It makes my hair super shiny and soft. This oil is great at taming my frizzy ends and also works at detangling my locks!

I use a 5p sized amount of oil and rub it through the lengths of my combed, towel-dried hair. Then I'll either air dry it or use a hair dryer. It protects the hair from heat, so no need for extra protection. I would however use a bit of heat protectant spray if I was using a curling iron or straighteners, as they're obviously much hotter than a hair dryer.

The only bad point I have to say about this product is the cost of it. The price is so off putting, I waited until I could get £10 off before purchasing. I don't think I would have purchase it at the full price.

Have you tried this hair oil? What did you think?

Jenny xo

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A Beauty Blender Disaster!

So a few months ago in my Birchbox, I received a Beauty Blender. I fell in love with how the sponge blended in my under eye concealer without it caking. I washed it religiously after I had used it, and would leave it to air dry. A few months after owning the sponge, I noticed a few black dots, and I thought this was some mascara from my lashes that had landed on it after applying extra concealer.

I was so wrong. I carried on using the Beauty Blender thinking it was just mascara dots that I couldn't wash out. I started to notice that these dots were spreading around the blender, and I knew for a fact that these weren't mascara dots (I stopped applying more concealer after I applied mascara).

I did a Google search and I saw a lot of other people had the same problems. A YouTube video showed me one beauty guru's Beauty Blender was covered in mold, but she'd left hers in a plastic bag. Some people left their beauty blenders to dry in their make-up bags. But mine was left to air dry, so how did I get mold?

I honestly do not understand how it's happened!
Do you own a Beauty Blender or plan to own one? Have you had this happen to your blender?

Jenny xo

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Nail Art #12 | Halloween Edition

I am not a huge fan of Halloween and I hate all things scary, but I love all of the different looks that everyone creates. I love how you can transform yourself into different characters just by using a bit of make up and fake blood. Halloween is such a great time to get creative!

What are you doing for Halloween? Do you love it or hate it?

Jenny xo

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Special Delivery #8 | October's #CoppaFeel Birchbox!

This month's Birchbox is in collaboration with CoppaFeel, as it's breast cancer awareness month. Which also means many of the products are shades of pink!

Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm
This a gentle exfoliating cleanser, which leaves my face feeling refreshed and polished. There are tiny grains of oatmeal for gentle exfoliating, as well as the good stuff like chamomile and red mandarin. This cleanser is perfect for any skin type, including my sensitive skin.

KMS California Hair Play Playable Texture
I'm not sure what to make of this yet, and maybe I'm not using it right, but it does smell nice! This hairspray is super lightweight and isn't sticky, which means you can spray as much as you want without your hair feeling crunchy!

Shaveworks The Cook Fix
This is my new favourite product! It reduced the redness of my red bumps on my face, and had a tingly cooling sensation when applied. I applied it before I went to sleep, and when I woke up, noticed how the bumps were reduced in size and redness. Amazing product. I'll definitely be purchasing the full size of this for both me and my boyfriend.

Pixi by Petra Shea Butter Lip Balm in Honey Nectar
This is a super moisturising tinted lip balm. Like every girl out there, I've got a billion and one lip balms stashed away in handbag compartments. The lip balm formula contains shea butter and Vitamin E, which prevents future dryness. Although you should definitely exfoliate your lips to get rid of any flaky dead skin before applying this lip balm.

Lollipops Nail Lacquer
I've never heard of this brand before, and it's always nice to receive nail polishes in beauty boxes. This is an opaque, glossy, quick drying red polish. It's also free from parabens and presavatives.

I think this is a great and informative box. I love the 14-day planner that also shows you how to look out for signs of breast cancer, and although I felt I knew what to look out for, I didn't know about some of the other stuff like looking for nipple discharge and rashes. I love the little pink lipstick shaped pen too!

Good job Birchbox on another amazing box.
What do you think of this month's Birchbox? Love it or loathe it?

Jenny xo

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Special Delivery #7 | October's YOU Beauty Discovery box

Gold Collagen - Forte
An anti-ageing liquid beauty supplement for those in their 40s, it's designed to boost collagen production and boosting extra anti-oxidant support. It's supposed to support healthy looking skin, hair and nails, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, keep the skin hydrated and give strong protection against oxidative damage. I will be passing this onto my mom, who's in her 60s and definitely needs this more than I do. I think this is an expensive product for what is essentially a beauty supplement in liquid form, especially as you have to drink one bottle per day.

Cowshed Anti-Ageing Perfecting Night Serum
This is meant to be an all-in-one-anti-ageing treatment for busy women with busy lives. I do not have a busy life and I am also not in the age bracket that this serum is meant for. It's also meant to plump the skin and improve skin tone, reduce hyper pigmentation as well as providing intense hydration. I will try it, and if I like the feel of it I'd probably buy it for my older sister,

Illamasqua Glamore Lipstick in Cherub
The product I was most excited to receive was a product I had received in Glamour's July Beauty Box. Worth £18.50, this easily makes up for the price of the box, and I got a lovely warm coral shade.  When I first saw the shade, I was a bit iffy about it, but when I tried it on my lips, I was in love. Illamasqua say that their new nude shades of lipsticks work well with all complexions, it's super hydrating and has a satin finish. An absolute must for hand bags.

Crabtree and Evelyn Nail Lacquer in Petal Pink
I previously received this in a previous beauty box (I can't remember which). This is such a pretty sheer pink, and it's a shame it's so sheer. After applying atleast two coats, the colour is more noticeable. It's a subtle nail polish for those who aren't allowed to wear polish at work.

What do you think of this month's You Beauty Discovery Box? Did you discover any new products?
Jenny xo

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Special Delivery #6 | #greatlashbig

I actually received this mascara a few weeks ago after entering a Maybelline Twitter competition. I've never tried the original Great Lash mascara, even though I've heard everyone rave about how it's such an amazing mascara. Anyway, I wasn't sure what to expect from this new Great Lash Big mascara but  I do know that the brush is bigger than it's sibling, It is also supposed to condition the lashes.

I wouldn't say it's an amazing go-buy-it-now mascara. It's pretty average and gives me perfect natural looking lashes without clumping them all together. I don't like the fact that I needed two coats to achieve less than what I normally get from one coat of mascara.

I am a massive fan of most of Maybelline's mascaras, but this one just doesn't cut it for my needs!

What do you think of this mascara? Have you tried it?
Jenny xo

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All about my dog!

Initially, I wasn't fond of dogs, as my friends all owned dogs who were jumpy and excited. I've always seen chihuahua's in the handbags of celebs, but never did I think that i'd own one! Freddie's 100% chihuahua, and he's usually mistaken for a Jack Russell or a puppy. We adopted Freddie when he was around 2 years old, and he has changed our lives so much! We had to make sure we didn't bump into him when he was behind us, as he is so tiny. He's also got his own Instagram so everyone can keep up with his daily antics.

Grooming

I wash Freddie once a month, as they don't need to bath as much as other breeds. I use different flea-repellent shampoos and I have no preference, just as long as they lather up nicely. Following up from his monthly bath, he will also have his monthly anti-flea spot on gel. I cut the inside nails on his paws as they can grow quite long, and they curl round too. The longer these nails get, the harder it is to cut. They don't file down either unlike the other nails, so the human has to step in. I don't cut his other nails as I'm scared that I'll cut too far down and hurt him. He does file his nails down anyway when he is walking on the pavement and doing his moonwalk after his wee, so that's our natural way of filing down his nails.

Walking

Freddie is walked everyday at 9am if it's not raining and I don't have work that morning. I walk Freddie with a bunch of other people at the park, who all have their own lovely dogs. Freddie gets along with all of them as long as they don't try and eat his treats. This socialisation has really helped him behaviour wise. Before, I'd be wary of other dogs around him as he could snap. Freddie, and pretty much all small dogs, have small dog syndrome, where they want to look bigger to other dogs by growling and barking, but if he is off of the lead, he will be less aggressive.

Feeding

Freddie gets half a small bowl per meal. His meals are a variety as he is a picky eater. The first meal of the day, Freddie will usually get wet dog food mixed with dry kibble and a bit of warm water, to soften the kibble. (Freddie hates dry kibble and crunchy food) At dinner, Freddie will eat what we have for dinner, usually rice, meat and vegetables, again with a bit of water to act as a bit of sauce. Obviously we don't feed him the bad stuff. He's picky with his treats and has his favourites from his treat tin (Baker's Mini Bones are his #1 choice).

Personality
Freddie loves the fuss. He loves going up to people and getting attention, but if another dog tries to get in the way of his attention, he'll growl for them to back off, just so he can have all of the attention to himself. He loves to cuddle next to us as we watch TV. He loves to take all of his toys out of his toy box and bring them to us for playtime. He loves to sunbathe in the sunny spots of the house and garden.

Do you own any pets?
Jenny xo

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Special Delivery #9 | New Candle!

Hey everyone! Earlier this week I ordered a candle from my favourite candle company. I absolutely love Our Own Candle Company, and I love how affordable their candles are compared to Yankee Candles. I bought the small mason jar which costs £3.99, and has a 25-30 hour burn time, compared to Yankee's small jars which cost £7.99 and provides 25-40 hour burn time.

I had a hard time choosing a scent as they've got so many different smells, from Apple Pie to Banana Nut bread, I want them all! I went for Pumpkin Spice as that seemed very appropriate for Autumn, with Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte in stores, and pumpkins being sold everywhere for Halloween.

I am very tempted to buy some Yankee products for Christmas as they've got some cute products like reindeer tea light holders, but we'll see. I just wish Our Own Candle Company did those sort of products too.

Have you bought any candles lately? What's your favourite scent?
Jenny xo

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