July 2020 Look Fantastic Beauty Box - what was in it?

So back to the box format this month for the July Look Fantastic Beauty Box (last month's was in a clear plastic pouch). I liked that they mixed it up but I also love the boxes, they come in so handy so that's fine by me.

Again, the booklet was made digital this month which I fully approve of, and there was a small card explaining this. It's far more eco friendly.

First impressions
This month the box was orange and the filling was red. You always get that red folded shredding inside which can be reused for gifts. It is always exciting breaking the seal on the folded tissue paper, you never know what you're going to get!

What was inside? 
The items were a good mix including:
1. MYVITAMINS hair skin and nails, 30 capsules (you take two a day). Dated use by 10/2021 so plenty of time on these. I have had a look on the MY Vitamins website and these are actually out of stock (is that a good sign?). They are not available on the Look Fantastic website but interestingly there are collagen and beauty sleep versions from the same brand that range from £5 - £12 so quite a reasonable price.
Here's a good bit of science on the ingredients:

•  Zinc and biotin contribute to the maintenance of normal hair and skin
• Zinc and selenium contribute to the maintenance of normal nails.
• Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of the skin
• Zinc and vitamin C contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress

2. Thisworks - small 10ml tube of morning expert hyaluronic serum
3. Vegan blush brush - I'm looking forward to this.It's an eco-friendly vegan blush brush ideal for applying a beautiful dash of colour and definition to the cheeks. It looks like a great ethical company and they have their own facebook page @soecobrushes
4. MONU spa tub of rose and lemon enriched body cream - a decent size at 100ml I am going to enjoy using this, it's a great brand.
5. Sleek matte me lip balm - looks a nice colour but I am not big on lip colours so may not use thi. It will remain sealed while I decide and if it's a no it will go in the next ebay bundle of things I don't use. I don't ask a fortune for the bundles, usually around £1 per item but they always sell!
6. Madara deep moisture regenerating night cream - 25ml. I will keep this sealed for now as I have only just started a NEOM night oil which was quite expensive so I am going to see it through but I do usually use a night cream or oil as I think they have plenty of time to sink in and do their goodness so I will get around to using this once I'm over the night oil!!

Prices
Again, let's take a look at the price of this sub box. With a 12 month sub it is £13 per box (each month) which includes free postage. This month you got six items in the box. I'd estimate £35 product at RRP is included (that is a guesstimate as I am not sure of the exact prices).

Final thoughts
This was a nice box and well worth the money. I am happy with everything in there.

What's next?
I think my next post will be some budget beauty discoveries I have made whilst on lockdown. I have bought online from the Online Pound Store and SAVERS plus I have been to town so there are a few new things to talk about. I've managed to resist the summer beauty boxes that I normally buy as I won't be travelling but it hurt not to get the M&S one! Until then, take care!

Hard as nails - how I coped while my gel nails were growing out DIY during Covid-19

Warning - long waffle post - I just have too much to say about this...

During the March to July 2020 lock down era, I've been trying to keep my nails nice and long but it's been a traumatic time. I will explain why!

Back in February I finally took the plunge and made a decision that I wanted acrylic nails and went from quite long natural nails to almond shaped daggers within an hour! I wanted to try out an ombre nail and this was the only way I could do it as I didn't know any nail technician that would work on my natural nail. SO I had them done. I flinched when they used metal clippers to just "denail" the nails that had taken me months to grow and I'd put expensive treatments on them too, and avoided using nail polish as it had stained them in the past so my natural nails literally flew out of the window.
I went from this:

to this ... (I just couldn't grow my little finger out at this stage for some reason). 

Now don't get me wrong, I loved the ombre nails which went to a white tip so were a take on a French Mani but more modern. The shape was so different for me too. But when you can grow your own nails quite nice it does seem bad to just chop them off and glue on some plastic! Another thing to note was for two days, they were so sore, they felt bruised and bashed about because I do not treat my nails so roughly, I think they were in total trauma mode. It did go away after two days though and the nails lasted weeks without any lifting or issues and not too much regrowth. I painted over the top of them a few times to change the colour and they looked nice. The only thing about acrylics was how thick they were, I had to relearn skills and couldn't press buttons or open cans or do any regular things like pick coins up off the floor! They felt so thick and I missed how well my nails can scratch an itch (with or without gel). But the Acrylics did not get dirty and looked lovely and clear all the time so I liked that - you couldn't get dirt under them as the extensions were flat on the back. Bit gross but you really can't pick your nose with them (I know you shouldn't anyway!). 

Anyway, roll on to early March and I had the acrylics redone, with more pink and less white as I had the length reduced a bit but they had not grown a lot. I could feel people were talking more about lockdown and in the third week of March I had these removed at the salon and just opted for some pale pink nail gel polish. I couldn't cope with the idea of the acrylics growing out and had no way to remove them as they were fixed on so well. So on to the gels now.. they looked nice, I chose a nice pink and whilst they looked good they felt awful.

And they were BENDY!!! Shockingly so. I'd got the length and the shape I wanted but by the time I got home I had broken two of them beyond repair. This was due to the nail drill used on my natural nail so it was a big gulp for me as lock down began and I needed to grow out my entire nail. I have super long nail beds so to grow out a full nail has literally taken me from March to July and I still have a bit left of the pink gel on some of my nails. It just won't come off and I really don't want to ruin my natural nails now with drying acrylic soak off so I'm happy to grow it all out and cover up in the meantime!

This picture shows me trying some regular OPI polish - a glitter topper to try and save the lovely length.

So what did I do?
I turned to home gel. I hadn't used my lamp for ages, but it worked just fine when I used it.  like this and boy has it seen some use. It has largely been a success but with a few frustrations along the way! I would say that this lamp is worth the money for sure. I reverted back to pretty square shaped nails as these tend to break less for me. I had a couple of short nails but had a look through my collection and the Boots nail lamp I use (SENSATIONAIL)

After the fiasco with the salon nail gel and the frequent bendy breakages I decided to take matters back into my own hands. Literally. I had discovered that the gel glitters offer incomparable strength to the colours so I was painting a base of gel colour (I've been using cashmere from Amazon) then topped with this Bluesky silver explosion glitter also from Amazon (priced £6.95 currently and lasts ages) actually I have bought the silver glitter polish twice as I lost it once and really can't live without (I have found it since though, it had rolled under the bed!!). Another gel product I have bought twice, highly recommend and could not manage the home mani without, is this box of sticky remover wipes, they are fab, each comes sealed so they are great value for money and I use them to wipe each nail top layer and it removes all the tack. At £10 for 200 the Mylee gel polish prep and shine wipes - they are such good value. I reviewed them ages ago and came back for more they were so good.

SO layering the cashmere and silver really works, see for yourself... (my fourth nail looks bent but it's just a trick of the light on the photo!).

Now one last touch, to make them extra special... is a regular Barry M nail polish I bought from Superdrug - it is a limited edition and yes, I am that person who finishes WHOLE bottles of nail polish (as if that's not a skill I'm putting it on my CV!!) ...but you could easy find something similar from drug store / boots ranges. it's a holographic multi colour micro dot regular polish.It adds further rigidity to the nail I find.

And finally one last product I have used I bought on a whim in M&S in January sales and it's the Leighton Denny gel polish converter that you use to sandwich regular polish so you do a base and top coat with this and it's quite a flexible clear coat that you cure with the gel lamp. The polish comes in a kit with some cleanser in a bottle (which I don't really use). It's currently selling for £18 on the nail polish direct website but I paid less than that for the one I bought in the sale.

So, all in all I am very grateful I bought home nail gel kit ages ago and hardly used it at the time but I have been really using it a lot lately. It's not as good as a salon nail job, but I won't use the nail drill as I think it is harmful and clearly made my nails paper thin. I just hope they grow back strong like before but the tips are still bendy so I am still waiting.

What problems did I have? 

I have struggled a bit with PEELING I do cap the ends off when using the polish but it just doesn't seem to work on all ten nails. I must have an oily nail bed, plus I'm not dehydrating the nail and using a nail drill so I don't expect it to grow out. Plus, I can't leave them alone when the cuticle ends starts to lift, I'm my own worst enemy!! I have found thin layers work best as the thicker layers just act like vinyl and peel off or even flap off when you use your hands too much.

So right now I have seven nails all perfect (left hand 100%, right hand 20% good lol) It takes me five minutes to fix though so it's OK, I'm in control and could go fix them any time as I have all the tools I need to hand. I didn't really want permanent glitter nails but I'm stuck with them for now because I need the hardness the glitter provides. The only thing to note is that when I put solid glitter nails on my natural nail (not gel) they break really easy as the nail gets too hard with it and with the gel they seem to be hard but without the brittleness so that is good. I will just use the Leighton Denny top coat I linked above with glitter in the future as it doesn't seem to stain my nail at all. Plus, I don't really need to soak them off, I can get the polish off like Vinyl if I want to they just peel and they don't take my natural nail with it so it's good and bad I suppose. The other positive is that the gel nail polish does not smell like regular polish so it doesn't make my husband complain so much (it's just the machine beeping after 30 seconds he objects to now!!).

Final thoughts
Looking at the three bare nails I currently have, I can see some trauma to the nail where the nail drill has been. But they are hard and as I'm waiting to redo them on the gel lamp with the cashmere and silver glitter, I'm not worried they will break. I've given them a layer of OPI nail envy original to cheer them up while they wait. It's clear, so I'll just stick the nail gel on top of this when I get round to it. I've also been using lots of nail oil by CND solar oil and big bottle of £3.99 (and 3 for 2!)  Barry M nail and cuticle oil that I slap on a few times a day. It makes my cuticles, well, cute. :-)

Future plans
So now nail bars are back open, what are my plans, after this fairly long 'recovery journey' ? It's so tempting to go and get nice nails done but I don't think I can cope with that nail drill so I will be resisting "that place" again. I think I'd rather save the money and spend it on a few more shades to use at home. I like being independent and in control but I don't like how the home gel doesn't last. I want my cake and I also want to eat it, clearly! SO I will hold off getting any more gel nails or acrylic for that matter... on last question, will my natural nails EVER be this long again?  Thanks for reading. I'll review my Look Fantastic Beauty Box next. Till then x

Latest discoveries...

Mango Madness

I bought a set of four hand gels from the Body Shop recently and am currently working through the Mango fragranced gel.

First impressions
The gel is very easy to use and I keep mine on my desk at work. I like that this gives a fruity burst and helps eliminate germs on the hand.

Bottle style
The bottle has a flip top lid and it is easy to squeeze out a small dot, you really do not need to use a lot to get a proper application.

In use
It feels very cold and wet for around 5 seconds then totally dries only leaving the scent behind.

Beware

If you have any cuts and bruises on your hands this gel will find them and they will sting as with all alcohol based cleansing gels.

What is it?
This is a way of cleaning your hands without rinsing in water. It does not replace soap and water which is the best way to wash hands but it does provide a solution if you are unable to get to a sink.

Price and availability
This bottle of mango came in a set of four little bottles each sized 60 ml and different fragrances. I know I also have coconut. The set was bought from a Body Shop Outlet Store and was around five pounds. I have seen the coconut style ones for sale on the Fragrance Direct website for as little as 99p per bottle. The retail price for a single 60 ml bottle is £2.50 on the Body Shop website but they do usually have offers on so you will probably find a discount code to get it a bit cheaper.

My thoughts
I try to use this to reduce the germs and colds i get from work (I blame the air conditioner) and from the kids. I still get ill even though I use this stuff but maybe not so much as I would do if I did not use it. I like the fruity scent of this bottle and it is not at all sticky on the hands once dry. It is also not drying on the skin as some gel cleansers can be.

Final word
I find this gel to be really gentle on the skin and it makes my hands smell lovely. I will definitely be back for more!

My thoughts on Nailtiques nail polish remover...

I think I have tried every nail polish remover on the market by now! I have to say that some are better than others, and some don't work at all! Some are really cheap but you have to question whether they are effective and place that over the price paid.

The discovery
I got a mini bottle of the Nailtiques acetone free nail polish remover in a mini kit from the Look Fantastic website recently. The set was so good I bought it twice in fact! It was a good introduction to the brand which I now look out for online as I liked all three items in the kit.

In use
The bottle was around 30 ml although you get a larger bottle if you just buy it on its own. I use this remover with cotton pads although I have since discovered some lint free removers on Amazon that work far better, use less remover liquid and do not leave any residue fluff on the nail. I drench a pad then wipe away from the nail to avoid rubbing polish in to the nail bed and getting it on my skin and cuticles.

Price
It is easy to find this product online. A 173ml bottle is £5.53 on Beauty Bay. Looking around it is widely available and priced between £4 and £6. I paid £8 for my mini which also came with a nail oil and a mystery polish.

My thoughts
I did use a lot of this remover in one sitting, too much really but I didn't want to scrub, I just wanted the polish to slide off the nail easily. I didn't really mind using a lot but it meant my little bottle only lasted for a couple of manicures.

Handy for travel
The smaller bottles are pretty useful when travelling so I will probably buy another pack with them in as I like the mystery polish you get in the pack plus a nail oil too.

Final word
I would buy this again in the midst of a bigger order but would not seek it out individually as it works well but so do other products that are a little cheaper. I would be happy to receive it in a set again though and the little bottles are great for removing polish on the move.

Konad nail stamping set

Konad branded items were the first polishes and stampers I bought when I first got in to nail art and specifically stamping. This set, I bought from Amazon a few years ago and it got me in to the stamping using the plates I bought.

What?
Perhaps I am confusing you already, let me take a small step back. Stamping on to nails is a very effective nail art but it requires a few supplies namely: etched plates, stamping pads, scrapers and special polish. You use these together to stamp a design on to the nail.

This set
This set is a double ended stamper and scraper. It is handy because sometimes you only want to stamp a single image (like a leaf) on to the end in which case you'd use the small end. Or alternatively a full pattern on to the whole nail so you would use the large end. You use the scraper on the plate to remove excess polish from your image before picking up the design on to the padded stamper.

In use
This is a simple kit to use, with the help of some YouTube videos I managed to get it working. They are easy to clean up with a bit of normal nail polish remover and some cotton wool pads.

Availability and price
You can still pick up the sets for just under £10 on Amazon although I bought mine a few years ago.

My thoughts
I have moved on from this style stamper and scraper now for a few reasons. I have a giant pad that picks up a bigger design and I find it a lot easier to use especially with the picture plates which have a whole image on them rather than the individual nail patterns as my nails are quite long so the stampers in this set are not really big enough if I want a full design on my nails. You can also buy clear stampers which help with placement of the design on the nail and with this one it's a bit of guess work!

Final word
For the money, it's OK but most will prefer the clear stampers if they want to be more precise. Some stampers don't pick up the design and I did get this one to work properly so that definitely goes in their favour!

Pictures
These were all done using this stamping set in 2015 but I have moved on a bit now and use a bigger stamp which copes better with my longer nails!

Nail oil.. going cheap!

In the quest for long, strong nails, the purchase of all nail oils and cuticle products has become an endless venture for me. I do like to keep these little bottles of oil all over the place so when I spotted the Poundland range of makeup and beauty items also make an oil it went straight in the basket.

What is it?
Nail oil helps to keep nails flexible and the nail bed healthy which is important in the growth pattern of the nail. It also keeps skin around the nails and the cuticle nice and supple and less likely to turn in to a hangnail which is then tempting to pick or nibble at!

Description
The packaging on this make up gallery nail oil is pretty simple with a clear glass round bottle and the product visible inside. In the lid is a built in brush as with nail polishes and you unscrew it to use it.

In use
This is the simplest product ever to use. You just dip in the brush and apply liberally on and around the nail, then massage in to the nail bed well to keep the cuticles nice. You can use this as many times as you like in a day and I like to reapply a few times and then I have other similar products by my bed for the night time nourishment.

Price
Just a pound from the shop with the same name! (Poundland).

My thoughts
This product works just fine and has no nasty smell to it which is good. My only observation is that it is a little runny when compared to the thicker oil in my Sally Hansen nail oil which also sits on my desk - almost empty. This bottle will last ages and this is even with regular use. I would definitely buy another to replace it when I am finished as you can't go wrong at that price. I don't think that it really matters that this is a bit more runny than the more expensive cuticle oils.

Final word
I like this product a lot for the price paid it definitely fits in to the budget beauty category but why pay more when this does the trick quite well? This is always available when I have visited the store and I think a lot of people will not be bothered to buy it or use it as they see no need for it in their lives but for me it is essential and if you like to take care of your nails it helps with the drying nature of remover and restores moisture to the nail.

The photo is of my nails to show it does promote growth.

This is da Bomb!

I do like Benefit make up although it can be a bit expensive I like to try out most of their lines. I got a blusher set just before Christmas that had a lot of their blushes and bronzers included, with the SugarBomb blush also in this set.

Gravitation
What was interesting is that this is the one I go for most often out of all the choices of blush. All the colours are wearable but I think I gravitate towards SugarBomb as it's a multi tasking speedy item.

What is it?
Four complementing shades of rose, shimmering pink, soft plum and sumptuous peach blend together perfectly to give cheeks a natural looking bright but soft look.

In use
I use a small blusher brush so as not to overwhelm the pan and push the powder in to another area. I find it blends in to the skin well and adds a rosy touch with not too much sparkle on the skin. I was doubtful in the beginning that the four shades would be complementary and work together but actually, they do if you swirl your brush around them. It is impossible to pick up just one shade with the style of brush you need to use, although the Boots web page suggests "for an extra candy pop of color, apply your favorite of the four shades to the apples of our cheeks..." perhaps this is easier with the full sized product.

My thoughts
I did wonder whether this blusher was four of the other products jumbled in to one pan but it seems that this is not the case and that they are actually unique shades in their own right to make up the SugarBomb pan. I think it'd be quite cool to have a product made of four existing shades. I would say this is a speedy blush as it does a bit of everything at once, rather than a painstaking contour although I can use my Hoola that is also in the same palette to do the little bit of contour to aid the look of cheekbones (due to total lack of cheekbones lol).

Price and availability
At Boots, this retails for £23.50 and you get 12g of product. Lots of department stores and online shops sell the Benefit brand and at the moment this product is pretty easy to get hold of.

Final word
I do think this set was great value for money when you look at the unit price of the SugarBomb on its own but then you do get more grammes for your money if you buy it individually. I like the choice of the palette but have to say that the SugarBomb product is my favourite when rushing in the morning. I will review the other shades in the coming days and weeks and try not to keep saying "this one is my favourite..." lol.