The chronicles of trying to be more woman - Episode 20 - welcome to my work essentials

I'm sure I'm not alone when it comes to work essential beauty items. Now this isn't talking about your handbag essentials like a make up bag (or two), some hand sanitizer, some hand cream and all the rest. No, not these bits. I'm talking about the items that live on my desk permanently and are replaced as and when required.

Let's begin with my must have.... Hand sanitizer. I have my small travel one everywhere I go but for my desk only 300ml will do. We all have read the many statistics about office and more importantly toilet hygiene. I may wash my hands thoroughly when I arrive in the office and every time I visit the ladies but I am well aware and have witnessed that a number of people don't live by the same rules. I still share banisters, door handles, taps etc with these people who fall into the "other" category so hand sanitizer is a must for office life. Plus whenever I have a cold I can feel a little cleaner and less like i am spreading the plague.....

Another must have which as I get older (you'd think I was 50 or something) I'm finding more and more need for is a good hand moisturiser. With this I've also become quite the moisturiser judge. I really don't want something that soaks in too quickly as usually that means the affects are short lived also. On the flip side I don't want a moisturiser which leaves me greasy meaning when i go to use my mouse that o leave a grubby greasy hand print. I need a good balance which is shockingly hard to find.

I don't generally wear cosmetics to work but in case I do or incase I put some on whilst at work I always keep you hand a handy pack of face wipes. They usually dry out before I finish the pack but it's always handy to have.

Lastly due to my eye surgery last year and having a mostly computer based job, I do have the need for eye drops. These are just false tears to wet my eyes in times of need. I find myself using them just as the director needs my help making it look like I'm crying every time he asks me a question. It's pure chance and in fact the other day he caught me in the act of moistening my eyes and stopped halfway through his sentence and let me finish. Hopefully that means he knows his presence doesn't reduce me to tears.......

Now to review the actual products:

Tiger, hand sanitizer - this handy large size bottle is great for my desk. Its how I want a hand sanitizer to be. It cleans and leaves a clean alcohol scent behind. 10/10 from me

Crabtree & Evelyn , hand cream - I received this as part of a recent choice from Latest In beauty. This is a small tube but you don't need much to cover/coat your whole hand. It is a little oily for my liking plus the scent is totally old lady, so I will not be purchasing this again however pricing ranging from £4 (they are having a sale at the moment) to £18 it is an affordable item.

Superdrug, eye drops - these are not as good/long lasting as the false tears I got after my surgery but these are more than half the price and do enough of a job for my current needs. I now have a choice to what eye drops I can use so I will experiment once this bottle finishes.

Primark, argan oil face wipes - the scent of these wipes is...strange. I cannot put my finger on it but it's neither pleasant not unpleasant. I am not left feeling moisturised after using these as the pack indicates however they do the job of removing makeup and face paint

Charlie, Pink - A teen classic but also really handy as a spray in the desk. This comes in handy at Christmas and summer work parties 

That's it for the work essentials. These or similar products are the constants for me. I have a make up bag but that will be another day and another blog article for handbag essentials.

Hope you enjoyed and feel free to comment/query.

Peace out. ☮䷊🕊

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 19 - The weekly list (which is becomming less regular)

Apologies to anyone who is actually keeping regular tabs on this blog trying to read some of my more regular updates, for which there havent been many. I'd say life got in the way but actually i have very little on my plate at the moment, especially in comparison to how it's been the rest of this year. Just had some time to myself so spent it with me, myself and I.


Well onto the main topic of this article. Let us begin with the new stuff:

 
I'm sorry to say that even over a week theres not much to show for it on the new side of things however these two newbies are massive winners for me so hopefully that makes up for the lack of variety.


Soaper Duper - Rich and creamy shea butter body wash
I am in LOVE with this body wash.This came with my cosmopolitan latest in beauty box which i am still yet to review however for sure this was the best item in the box. The smell is delicious but i struggle to put into words why i find the smell so enticing. This leaves a wonderful scent on your skin without making it irritated (for new readers, i have Psoriasis and Eczema so struggle to find body washes). The texture of this is light and comes out very fluid. I would love to buy this again but it is more expensive than i'd usually buy.

Currently available in Tesco for £4.33


Murad - AHA/BHA Exfoliating cleanser
I recieved this in my Latest in Beauty (my own picks) recently. I chose this as it was the best rated exfoliating cleanser in thier selection however i was unsure as it's been available as a choice for some time which indicates it was perhaps unpopular (average review doesn't reflect lots of reviews, just mainly good ones). I am happy to report that this didn't disapoint. My skin feels better after use and seems a lot clearer. Until i choose myself a decent moistouriser it is hard to judge enitrely how well this is working. I am however happy that i recieved another bottle of this cleanser with another box as reviewed here which means i get to use this for even longer. Sadly to say the full price product is fairly expensive meaning once these bottles are gone i may not purchase again. Saying that this has lasted me almost 2 weeks and this is a small bottle.....

£35 per bottle



Now for the empties:

Rosie for Autograph - Nuit Parfum
Recieved as a part of latest in beauty box I was excited to try this when it came however upon reciept i was sorely disapointed. My hope was to use this as an alternate perfume for work, which i did use however i really found the scent old fashioned and too flowery. I won't be trying this again but it would make a great present for someones nan.

Available at marks and spencers for £28

 

The Body Shop - Satsuma body wash
Smells beautifully fresh but doesnt leave much of a lasting scent. I've used this before and reveiwed this before because it is one of my favourites. Always an added bonus that The body Shop are against animal testing.

Not currently available online but is usually £5 in store


Aldi - Dentix 6 in 1 Mouthwash
I've reviewed this before but as always i was impressed with this mouthwash. This really leaves long lasting minty freshness but also makes my teeth feel great.

Absolute steal at only 95p


Rituals - Ritual of Sakura foaming shower gel
I tried this out in Belgium and didn't like it. I tried it again when i came back and i really don't like it. Not only do i find the scent inattractive but also this made me sting in.... lets say some sensitive areas... YES... there. This product is fairly expensive for an everyday product but also it irritated my skin quite badly. Never again. I also reveiwed this product here.

Available for £8.50 from the rituals site.


Well the Mr has no input this week so in the famous words of Looney Tunes "thats all folks".

Peace out ☮䷊🕊

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 18 - Not so Rockin' "Roccabox"

I'M BACK. I wasn't really gone very long but here I am again. This time its a new beauty box which unfortunately unleashed fresh disappointment.....


Recently I discovered a awesome new blog about beauty boxes called Which Beauty Box UK. Through it i've discovered more beauty boxes to try but also gained some more discount codes which rather than saving me money has meant I've bought even more beauty boxes! Through this blog i discovered Roccabox. This monthly box is £10 plus postage and packaging but through Which Beauty Box UK i used a 10% discount code.

If you have been on which beauty box UK before, or have since i've included the link above then you may be asking why did i chose this box? Well if you check out the September blog for Which Beauty Box UK you will see that the selection was AMAZING as were the prior selections for the months prior. I was so excited to give this a go especially as its a blogger edition based on ReallyRee suggestions....


So i began to unbox......

I was getting so excited.... then......

IS THAT IT?!?




Lets begin with what I did like....

Murad - Exfoliating cleanser
I actually picked this up recently in my Latest In Beauty box which I blogged about recently. Since i already had tried and tested this I wasn't wow-ed but it was nice to know I liked this and could put it to use.

Omorovicza - Deep Cleansing mask
This is also available on Latest In Beauty though i haven't picked it up as yet. I am looking forward to using this and have heard great things. It is however expensive so its not a product i'd buy again, but i like that i get a chance to try it.


That is it really for the items i look forward to trying.

I want to give the eyelashes a go as i'm wanting to experiment with lashes, however I just bought four sets of lashes to try so this is just another which will wait in line.

The last is the Pureology, Strength cure shampoo conditioner duo. I'm least excited about these since i'm fairly happy with my current shampoo, oil combo and wasn't really looking to replace/improve.


Its not just me. Jaina who writes the blog Which Beauty Box UK has expressed her disappointment in this box also explaining how although she see's a theme (which i cannot even grasp this theme) this wasn't great for her.

I don't think i'll be trying this box again since i especially didn't like the lack of visibility you had. No previews and as its not that popular, instagram didn't help at all.

Sorry this article was a bit of a bummer but i hope you enjoyed or found it useful regardless.

Peace out ☮🕊䷊

The Chronicles of "Trying to be more woman" - Episode 15 - Latest in beauty with my latest in beauty box

I've been watching the Latest in Beauty website since my last delivery, adamant that I'd choose wisely this time keeping reviews, variety and product size in mind. I feel happy with my choices this month. My box is brimming with delights, each which excite me and none of which i felt even a tinge of disappointment with. Well without delay let me introduce you to this months box of delights:

As you can see I chose the following 9 items with my "Beauty Guru" subscription:

1. Burts Bees - Tinted lip balm in rose

2. Murad - AHA/BHA Exfoliating cleaner - really excited about this and am just waiting until I'm through my current cleanser before i give this a go

3. Natracare - Regular Tampons - guess why i wanted these and what I'll be using them for.....

4. Eisenberg Paris - Moistourising smoothing serum
5. Lord & Berry - Matte crayon lipstick in Chic - tried this out and I'm not entirely sure the colour suits me. Will try it out in front of my gal pals to see what they think
6. Nanogen - Root boost thickening hair treatment spray - no hair, do care 😭

7. Feather & Down - Sweet dreams pillow spray - intend to have the Mr try this. He used to suffer from insomnia and although he sleeps better it still takes him a while to drop off to sleep

8. Wellwoman - Wellwoman energy in Lime - never taken vitamins before let alone berocca type stuff. First time for everything

9. Cetaphil - Gentle skin cleanser, Moistourising cream, Moistourising lotion - why wouldn't i try this? Three products in one selection! YAY









Another yay in this box was A FREEBIE (as pictured on the right). I have tweeted Latest in Beauty my joy at the freebie and now i shall tell you blog reading folk. YAY i love a freebie!!!! Will give this a go and review another time.




 












Lastly i was impressed with two small things included in the box this week. Two things which they may not have intended to impress by, but none the less did impress little old me. Firstly...there was instructions on how to use one (well three) of my products and also a voucher for money off another product should i wish to purchase full size later. This is a small gesture but something i really appreciate.

So folks. That's all i have to say on these for now. To see individual reviews you will have to read future blogs (oh yeah; plugging my own blog) as and when i use the products.


Peace out 🕊☮

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 7 - Weekly, What I used

Little late so my apologies for that. Its Saturday night and I'm sat in the living room, fully reclined tip tapping away at this blog whilst re-watching Ru Paul's Drag race. Watching 4 episodes of season 8 reminded of my womanly fails so I thought now was an apt time to blog again.


So what did I use this week?

As you can see from the above there's a bit of a mish mash. Pictured is a combination of store bought, free samples, old and loved favourites and Latest In Beauty bits. Lets get this show in the road and do a bit of reviewing!


Pictures above are some of my dailies as well as a couple of one offs. Of the dailies I used some of the following:

 Aldi
Silk Body Wash - 85p STEAL. I loved this but the other half didn't. He found it a little greasy however this left my skin feeling lovely and soft and the scent was luxurious. I'll be getting it again for sure
Refreshing shower gel - Even better STEAL at only 65p and again another which my other half did not like. This is described as Eucalyptus and Grapefruit scented but really I could only smell dettol and I LOVED IT!

Nivea
Rich and nourishing body cream - Affordable £5.29, I carry this in my day to day bag. Good as a staple and Nivea is always great for sensitive skin.





Tisserand
Tea tree deodorant -  I bought this from a spa place in Hastings last weekend as my its don't often smell too fresh for too long. I really liked the scent but did it stand the test this week? On a night out this week it got its real first test of a fair bit of walking but also time spent in a warm London bar in non breathable materials. It didn't fair too well I'm afraid. Regardless I'll use this on days where i will remain fairly inactive (like today) but i won't be repurchasing.


New Look
Sunglasses - £3 from asos, bought and received this week. Been told by the surgeon to wear sunglasses til November (even on cloudy miserable days) so I'm trying my hardest to get some funky looking specs. I love these and so did my manager! The seal from authority lol.


Perfumes
Marks and Spencer
Nuit Parfum - Received from my latest in beauty box, please check out my review for this on my previously blog 


 

Philosophy
Amazing grace - Received as a freebie with my Latest In Beauty box. At £33 for the full price, full sized product its unlikely I'll be getting it. Big thing i want to mention about this however is that Latest In Beauty admitted to me that they only give samples with their first order and after that one maybe one. I feel quite duped by this.






Now for some of the new products which are pictured on the left.............





Primark 
Eye Makeup remover - No link I'm afraid as Primark don't actually sell anything online. At 90p i still wouldn't recommend anyone buys this! I brought it into the office and my colleague (who has her own blog which I'd recommend you check out http://riettezemakeupchapette.blogspot.co.uk/) immediately warned me that this burned her eyes but also made the skin around her eyes sore. This has the same affect for me I'm afraid. I reported this to Primark and they are looking into this!


Lavera
Firming day cream - This was my one freebie from Latest In Beauty this week. It was a tiny one use sample however I did like this. It was a thin cream that did the job and in the morning my skin did feel a little firmer.


Primark
Micellar water - £2 for the larger size this removes makeup gently and thoroughly but not for use on your eyes.


Regenerate
Advanced Toothpaste - See my previous blog for my review

Oh yes there was a his and hers moment this week with nose strips. I bought these for my other half as he has in the past stole mine (even though I've only used these once before).


Primark
4 One - step cleansing Aloe nose pore strips - £1 as you can see from the picture. These worked well but did leave a dusty residue. I wasn't wowed so I will keep looking for alternatives.

Charcoal & volcanic ash unclog pore strips - 90p for a pack of 3.  My other half has used this twice now. He likes them and we both think these smell GREAT. I'm annoyed that it is advertised for men as just with my past strips men can use any nose strips, not just those which are advertised for just men.




Lastly below is the Makeup which i used this week:

Of the above many of these are my usual. I have only had one decent cosmetic brush which I've had since I was 14 (AND NEVER BEEN CLEANED... Gross i know), the mirror in the far right bottom corner I've had since i was 15 from the National Gallery and the Gosh foundation though barely used I've had for some time also. There's also my MAC mascara, L'oreal Eye pencil, W7 bronzer and MaxFactor Eye luminzer which i have reviewed before on my blog.

The one new product was the Green People Lip crayon which I reviewed on my last blog. Please take a look for more information.

Well that's all I have for this week. Hope you enjoyed and if you have any questions on any of the above mentioned products, please comment.

Peace out! ☮🕊

The chronicles of "Trying to be more woman" - Episode 6 - latest in beauty with my Latest in beauty box

Let me begin by saying that I was disappointed when I opened this box. My colleagues could tell you that my face said it all. Partly this is my fault as if I had read measurements online properly then I would have realised these were all fairly small with the exception of the lip products which are all full size. My first order came with a bag, which I wasn't expecting for all future orders but what I was expecting however, was more little freebies like I got with my first order (got like 4 or 5 freebies!!!). I feel like for the first order they threw fistfuls of freebies in to entice the consumer and then by your second order... Nah...... I am on the top package out of the subscriptions so it's really disappointing to get 1 tiny sachet of moisturiser and that's it...... Oh well enough with the moans and on with the show!

The Latest In Beauty website isn't great. I find it it super slow and often I have to log in three or more times in the space of 30 minutes? Going from page to page is painful (but hopefully worth it?) The layout of the website however is really user friendly. As noted in my prior blog, I REALLY like that you build your own box. 

I love that Latest in beauty boxes always include a little postcard! I am a real sucker for a postcard and have a whole tonne from Paperchase which my and a Pal send to each other! Love that this one is a good comedic play on words. This month's postcard gives us "I came, I saw, I contoured". LOVE IT!!

Now onto the fun stuff.... The products.......

Exuviance 

Purifying Clay Masque - Not had a chance to give this a go as yet. Sample size i received was 10g which is a 1/5 the size of the full size product which will set you back £20.89. I'll give this a go over the weekend and review properly in my "what have a used this week" blog.

Marks and Spencers

Nuit Parfum - Sample size is 15ml which is decent as a travel perfume. Full size is 75ml for £28. The scent is slightly musky with floral tones (I feel so snobby for using the term "Floral tones") however it is a slightly old fashioned smell. My other half described it as "Granny".

Eucerin

Intensive Lip Balm - I received the full size product (10ml) which in store will cost you £6. I've tried this yesterday and today and although it goes on nicely and isn't sticky or greasy like some lip repair balms the effects are not long lasting. Comes off within 15 minutes. I also worry with these style applicators as they end up mucky around the top which traps in bacteria.

Natural World

Chia seed oil volume & shine anti gravity oil for fine hair - I know what you're thinking... they could have made the name more specific and elaborate! Joking aside I've used this product last night and really like the affect. I'm a fan of a hair oil as my scalp/skin being sensitive I struggle to find shampoos which are kind on my hair and skin. With fine hair you always run a risk with conditioners and oil sitting heavy in your hair, dragging it down and making it incredibly greasy. NOT the case with this product. This left my hair buoyant and soft from root to tip. I didn't have to use much (as I have very little hair anyway). The sample I have is only 25ml, but at a SUPER cheap £2.99 for 100ml, this is definitely something I will be getting. One improvement I'd make is that for both sample and actual product, they could do with a better dispenser. Perhaps a pipette would make application easier (I applied to fingertips and ran through my hair, however getting it out the bottle was messy).

PHB Ethical Beauty

Organic Lip Crayon (In Pink) - Product I received was the full size 4g in Pink. This pink is perhaps brighter than I'd usually go. Then again i don't usually use a lip liner anyway. Its nice to know this is Vegan 🍂 and a cruelty free product but its a pencil. Nothing to get too excited about. I tried this out for an hour and even after eating dinner, some of it was still there. I'll wear it on a night out sometime soon and let you know the full outcome then. At £8.95, its probably more than I would usually want to pay for a liner product however knowing that it is cruelty free I am more inclined to purchase.

Aurelia

Aromatic repair & brighten hand cream - The sample size is a small 7ml which is a suitable handbag size. It seems small but you only need a little per application. At £28 for 75ml, this would not otherwise have been on my radar. In the past I have spent a maximum of £15 on a hand cream. I'm not sold that you get your moneys worth for £28. You need very little per use, so 75ml would last me and my old lady hands a couple of months. It is however quite greasy even once rubbed in. The scent is strong and quite herbal-ly. The scent very much reminds me of Elemis Cleansing balm (please refer back to my blog on the balm). I would have considered buying this if the full size product were not so expensive.

The Green People

Instant definition lip crayon (Sangria) - Like with the lip liner I tried this out briefly last night before and during dinner. It didn't last too well but giving it the benefit of the doubt, I am trying it out again tonight. I received the full size product and I was dubious about the colour when I chose it, but am completely sold when I'm wearing it. Its quite a dry lipstick but it has a slight metallic sheen which I like. Currently on sale at £10 I'd consider re-buying this colour or trying out another 

Naveen

Firming mask - To be tried this weekend/next week. Review to follow on another blog. Could only find this on US sites? $34.50 for a pack of 6.

Regenerate

Advanced toothpaste - I cannot comment on the long lasting effects as I used it for the first time last night (and reverted back to my normal for the morning) but I did the like the scent and taste. Bad point would be that there was no cleansing burn, nor did it foam. I don't personally like non frothy toothpastes, but that is personal preference. I will review on this again when I've finished it.

That's all I've got for now folks. Follow my blog to keep tabs on the products which i haven't had a chance to test yet.

Peace out ☮