February 2015 Birchbox

February 2015 Birchbox*

I would wait until towards the end of February to talk about the beauty boxes from the month, but my Birchbox has arrived super early so... I'm here now!

Box Design.
Birchbox have decided to introduce the option of slimmer boxes that will fit through a standard sized letterbox, meaning no more 'sorry you were out' delivery cards. Samples in both the large and slimmer boxes will be exactly the same, but in the latter the drawstring bag has been replaced with tissue paper. 

In the box...
»» Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum
»» Cynthia Rowley Eyeliner in Black
»» T London Hand & Body Lotion
»» Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo
»» The Balm Cindy-Lou Manizer
»» The Chia Co. Oats + Chia

What I Think...
A nice box. I don't think I'm really wowed by anything, but that might change once I've tried everything. I don't wear eyeliner but it'll be finding its way over to someone who will use it very soon. The lotion and the shampoo will both come in handy & they'll absolutely be used, but I'm not excited by them.

The serum is really beautiful, Caudalie is a wonderful brand and I would expect nothing less from them. It's a shame the highlight is so tiny because I think it might be difficult to get a brush in there, but it looks gorgeous. And finally there's the lifestyle extra, chia oats. I know the oats would be a healthier option but when it comes to breakfast I'm definitely a toast person!

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Are you subscribed to Birchbox?
What do you think of the new slimmer box option?

xoxo

Five Things & Five Blogs I Love Friday | 2015 Edition #5

Happy Friday, we made it to the weekend! I'm going to be puppy-sitting again, or rather the puppy is going to be sitting on me as I try to research an essay and eat a lot of cake. But I get to stay inside and keep warm, so that's always a good thing! 

Hotel Chocolat
They got in touch this week asking if I'd like to send a box of chocolates to a blogger friend (which I said YES that would be amazing & I picked the beautiful Carly) and they very kindly sent a box my way too. How cute are all these little hearts? And I can confirm they taste even better than they look!

Good Reading Months. 
I made a good dent in my to-be-read pile by reading 15 books this month and I've done a little run-down on my book blog here.

Mac & Cheese. 
It's all I want to eat right now! 

Snow. 
I looked out of the window yesterday and outside looked like a snow globe. It was magical.

Lie-ins. 
Oh how I'm looking forward to my Saturday morning lie in tomorrow. I might even migrate my duvet to the sofa and work from there for the day instead of at my desk. I'm all about the comfort right now.

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Lady Liquor
A Branch of Holly
CarrieBrighton
Swedish Blue
Bed In The Kitchen 

Have you had a good week? 
Any exciting weekend plans? 

xoxo

Extraordinary.

Music is in shuffle mode. The first few beats of Seven Nation Army blare out. And I'm no longer sitting at my desk. Looming thoughts of modernism in twentieth century literature melt away.

Instead I'm here. My favourite 35mm camera in one gloved hand, a styrofoam cup of hot chocolate in the other. I'm a bit younger. A bit smaller. My hair a little longer. My few less things figured out. The sun is just about to rise and the world is beginning to wake from its slumber. The air is so cold it catches in my lungs. A palpable reminder of how grateful I am to be here, in this moment. To see the dawn of a new day when things could have been so different.

It's not possible to know exactly what the future holds. And I suppose all we can do is make the most of the moments we do have. To seek out new experiences. New thoughts. New meanings.
Life is what we make it. Let's make it extraordinary. 

xoxo

Things I've Used Up in January.

There was a time not too long ago when I didn't like using things up. When products were getting close to the end I would move on and try something different. Why? I have no idea. But now I can't imagine leaving tubs, jars or tubes almost finished. My ultimate aim is a small collection of products that I really like and I'm slowly getting there. 

Here are the things I've managed to finish over the past few weeks and after this I will take great pleasure in putting the empty containers in the recycling! 

Vichy Normaderm Night Detox
A little sample that came with an Escentual order. It's not meant for my skin type but I gave it a go anyway on blemishes. I didn't really notice a difference but I wasn't really expecting to either.
Repurchase? No.

Lee Stafford Treatment | £8.49 
A really nice hydrating conditioner that isn't too heavy and doesn't weigh my normal/oily hair down too much. I haven't done much looking into whether they're cruelty free as of yet, but if they are I would definitely contemplate repurchasing. Although I'm not particularly fussy when it comes to conditioners/hair treatments so I might be tempted to try something new.
Repurchase? Maybe. 

Weleda Pomegranate Eye Cream | £23.95
An eye cream that I wanted to really like but found that it didn't really do very much. It's nice and lightweight, just not very remarkable.
Repurchase? No. 

My Little Beauty Scrub
I don't think the My Little beauty products from My Little Box are available to purchase, which I think is a shame and I hope that it's something they're thinking of offering in the future. This was a fairly standard scrub though, nothing amazing, but I liked using it whilst I had it. 
Repurchase? No.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Perfume | £61
Over the last few years I have accumulated a lot of perfume, most of which don't even come close to my signature scent which is Stella by Stella McCartney. Daisy Eau So Fresh is one of the scents in my collection I do genuinely love. It smells like parma violets and it's very pretty but I think I'm either out-growing it or I'm just kind of over it. 
Repurchase? I have a slightly smaller bottle I'm currently using but after that, no. 

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Moisturiser | £16
This has been my favourite moisturiser for a long time. This was my second to last pot and it really does work wonders at hydrating dry areas and calming redness. I'd love to repurchase but I'm hoping to find a cruelty free moisturiser that I like just as much.  
Repurchase? No.

Yankee Candle Angel's Wings Candle 
I've been really pleasantly surprised by how long these small jars last. This was a lovely light scent, very sugary and sweet with a hint of floral in there too. 
Repurchase? A different scent, yes.

Have you used anything up recently? 

xoxo

Nota Bene #1

Nota Bene: a new place to note down some things from the week...

Ralphie.
This little guy is looking a bit tatty at the moment because he refuses to let me brush him. He's my chief email-replying-helper though so I forgive him.

Exercise. 
George at ASDA let me pick out some things from their new activewear line so I officially have no excuses not to get myself to pilates a lot more often. My wardrobe is mostly black and grey but when it comes to exercise clothes I'm all about the bright colours. I'm sure it's something to do with having to bribe myself to actually go and work out. Sizes run a little small but apart from that I'm impressed with the quality for the price so far.

Winter Sunshine.
The snow clouds have finally drifted away and I was awoken yesterday morning with winter sunshine streaming through the curtains. Winter is my favourite season, but I must admit that I'm quite eager for Spring to arrive.

Happy weekend! 

xoxo