Latest In Beauty Editor's Picks - The Autumn Collection

You know how obsessed with Latest In Beauty you are when you get an email about a new box and don't even look at what you're buying. Naughty Jade! Luckily I snatched up this box when I did, it's completely out of stock now! So did I like the box? Here are my thoughts... 

Melvita Nectar Bright Brightening Cream 

I used this product first and I'm not a fan. It's supposed to brighten your skin and give you a clearer complexion. The most I can say is it didn't really do a hell of a lot, and I think for the price it's a little bit of a waste of money. 

Would I buy this product? No. 

Melvita Nectar Bright Brightening Exfoliation Mask

After using the Brightening Cream I thought I would't like this. I woke up with some nasty spots covering my face in random clusters and nothing was working on my skin! I applied this as a mask, and immediately you can feel the exfoliating beads. I left on for about ten minutes, finishing off by rubbing it into my skin to exfoliate, and once I washed it off my face my spots have cleared right up. And I mean instantly. I was so happy, and they have really gone down since. 

Would I buy this product? Yes!

St. Tropez Instant Glow Body Lotion 

This was perfect for me last week as I had just had a tan done, and because the face is the part of the body the tan fades first, I was able to apply this daily so it still looked like my tan existed. I've heard great things about St Tropez and I'll definitely be using their products in the future after this. Might not come in useful this time of year though...

Would I buy this product? Yes!

Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation

This product claims to give you translucent coverage and is lightweight. Luckily I had a fake tan when I used it because it went orange (no need for the St Tropez that day!). I can't use it now my tans gone, it's so dark, and it's not lightweight at all. Such a shame. 

Would I buy this product? No. 

Richard Ward Volumiser Root Booster 

This worked so well for me. You simply spray this into your roots while your hair is wet and blow dry. Easy! I have mad hair until I style it, then it goes flat, so it was uber mad, then went all bouncy and full of life after it was straightened! I wash my hair ever other day and it was full of life the whole time. Love love love! 

Would I buy this product? Yes!

NSpa Exotically Creamy Coconut Shower and Bath Oil

NSpa has recently become a favourite brand of mine thanks to Latest In Beauty. This shower and bath oil is beautiful. It smells divine and leaves skin feeling clean and moisturised. Going to have to buy another bottle! 

Would I buy this product? Yes!

L'Occitane Repairing Shampoo & Conditioner

I needed a product like this in my life. I bleached my hair at the beginning of the year and since dying it back to brown it's felt dry and itchy. After using the Shampoo and Conditioner a few times I'm left with beautiful, thick soft hair. It's completely transformed my hair and I'm so happy I have my silky locks back. These are products that definitely do what they say on the tin. 

Would I buy this product? A million times yes! 

I've recently heard that Latest In Beauty do an advent calendar with different goodies in each window. They confirmed with me via Twitter that they will definitely be releasing another one this year that will be even better than the last. I'm so excited! 

Have you got your hands on a Latest In Beauty box yet? 

Beauty At Tori's

Tomorrow is my 20th birthday so I thought today I'd treat myself to a little pampering. My cousin, Tori, owns a cute little beauty salon in Kent so I thought I'd pay her a visit.

Tori provides all kinds of treatments, ranging from waxing to DermaCo skincare*. I've visited Tori for a number of treatments but today I treated myself to a Gelish Manicure and a fake tan!

For those that don't know, like me, Gelish is a brand of nail polish used in salons that basically aim to stay put! My friend, Fern, has already had a Gelish pedicure, so she clued me up on just how good it is (actually she showed me her toes from a few months ago and the polish is still there, unscratched, just grown out!). It took me some time to work out what colour I wanted on my nails, but I decided on "Welcome to the Mascarade" coated with a glitter polish (I can't remember the name, I had to Google the first colour!!). I'm in love with this combination, and it looks even better in real life. I think it looks like the night sky on my nails!

My tan was Sunless Solutions, shade 8. This was a lighter shade I've tried at Tori's, but I'm happy about that. It is the end of September, I don't need a really dark tan! I'm so so happy with the results. I look sunkissed, not orange in the slightest. It was such a quick process too. Unfortunately halfway through the development process I accidentally spilt a drop of tea on my hand, which rolled down my arm and made the BIGGEST white mark!! Luckily for me, when I showered the excess tan came off my skin and it's not even noticeable. I'm not going to lie I look fabulous!

I love Tori's salon. She's done so well for herself over the last year or so with her business. She even produces her own products, Beauty By Tori**. I've had this Cucumber Night Cream for a few months, but despite testing out other products this one is always the night cream I come back to. It smells divine and I wake up with healthy looking, plump skin that radiates throughout the day. It even helps reduce my spots and blackheads. Magic!

If you ever visit the Kent area and fancy a treat, I recommend visiting Beauty At Tori's. I know I sound biased because she's my cousin, but her treatments are fantastic and her staff are always friendly and they are very well trained. I never leave disappointed!

Fancy it? You can visit her webpage here, or like her page on Facebook here!

*Find a full list of treatments here.

** Find a full list of products here.

Beauty Boxes

I've been seeing lots of posts on Blogger, Twitter and Instagram with mixed reviews about beauty boxes. Some, I think can be a little bit harsh and biased towards that particular person. For those who don't subscribe or purchase one off boxes but are considering it, I thought I'd give you my honest opinion about them. Others may disagree with my thoughts but it does give you guys an idea of what to expect if you are thinking about it.

I first heard of beauty boxes on the Glamour Magazine Instagram profile. They posted a photo of the Latest In Beauty Glamour Editor's Pick so I had a look on their website. The box came with loads of goodies that looked appealing to me. It only cost around £14 and, as I was off sick from work for a while, I thought it would be great to experiment in my free (crippled) time. I was so happy with the box that I stalk the website daily for more, and over the past month have purchased another two boxes.

The great thing with Latest In Beauty is that it isn't a subscription. You can purchase any of the boxes on offer whenever you like, subject to availability. These boxes are perfect for me as you can see what you're buying, plus there is usually a selection of 5-6 boxes available at any given time to choose from. I've not purchased a box worth more than £15, and they often come with P&P included. You can also create your own boxes by purchasing items that are on offer separately, but this usually costs a little bit more depending on the items. The packaging for these boxes are relatively plain but they do come packed with shredding so your products don't get damaged on their way to you.

I can't find fault in Latest In Beauty boxes. If you don't like the products in the box, you don't buy it. Simple!

Editor's Pick Products by Latest In Beauty (August 2013) 

On top of buying Latest In Beauty boxes, I also have a rolling subscription with Glossybox. I first heard of Glossybox after typing in "Sites like Latest In Beauty" into Google. I had heard mixed reviews about Glossybox online, so I hit the Hashtag option on Instagram and had a little look at what was on offer in the current box. Needless to say it sold me straight away and I've just received my third box.

Glossybox offer 5 treats a month for £10 + P&P. Before you start you create a beauty profile and I guess this counts towards what products you receive, as I know some people receive different samples.  The packaging changes each month (so far for me anyway) and the products are padded with shredding, covered in matching tissue paper and beautifully wrapped in a ribbon. I'm obsessed with the aesthetics of things, so this really does make me smile! You also receive a little book, more recently a magazine, with information on your items and the brands associated.

Beautiful Packaging by Glossybox (July 2013)

The nice thing is that some of the treats are full sized. You get a few smaller samples (including perfumes and oils) but you are given enough to use each a few times over. Most of the samples are new brands, new products from well known brands or foreign companies so there's quite a range. And what is even better is that after trying the products, you go into your account on Glossybox.com and fill out a review form. You get points for each form you fill in and when you reach 1000 points you get your next box free!

The obvious issue with Glossybox is that it is a surprise, which I enjoy, but others may not. I like opening the boxes up to surprise gifts. It's like having a birthday each month (that you pay for...)! You can choose your subscription and if you pay in bulk for a year it works out a little cheaper. I'm currently sticking to a monthly plan, just in case I don't really like it after a few months. A lot of the comments are of people slating the items they receive in the box, but after getting my latest one (which a lot of people hated for some reason) and totalling up how much the items together actually cost, it was triple the price I paid for the box anyway. I for one can't complain with that.

I've not tried other boxes, but I might branch out into Burchbox very soon! I've heard fantastic reviews about their boxes. I hope that this is at least a little bit useful for those thinking of buying a beauty box.