Review of Alessandro Hands!Up Paradise Apple Hand Cream and Green Tea Hand Peeling

Hello lovelies,

I'm making few small changes on my blog this year (you could call them resolutions). One of them is to talk more about hand care and cuticle care products. I use many brands, trying to find the Holy Grail. Today I'll share with you my opinion on two Alessandro products - Paradise Apple Hand Cream and Green Tea Hand Peeling.

I got these two products from UK e-shop zalando.co.uk from their beauty section. They've had the whole range of Alessandro hand care products so you can imagine how hard it was to choose scents to review.

Alessandro Hands!Up Paradise Apple Hand Cream - this hand cream belongs to the Fruit Bar range that has fruit scents. Paradise Apple smells really good and juicy...I'm always tempted to lick it :D

The hand cream comes in 75ml tube and it has milky white colour. It sinks in in few minutes but it leaves slightly tacky hands. I like to use the cream in the evening, then put oil on them and slip into cotton beauty gloves. That way I don't mind the tacky feeling.

I wouldn't carry this hand cream in my handbag because of the tacky feeling it leaves but I like to have it on my bedside table. If it wasn't for the great fresh apple smell I probably wouldn't use it very often.

Alessandro Hands!Up Green Tea Hand Peeling - this product too has a great smell. It smells like sweet fresh green tea, really lovely. It comes in 50ml tube. The consistency is thick oily substance with sugar crystals in it.

I didn't find any directions of use on the tube so I have used it as similar products. I have applied it to dry hands and rubbed it in like if I'd be spreading a soap. When I felt I've done enough I have washed off the product with warm water. My hands were feeling soft with oily layer on them. Again, it's good to just put on beauty gloves and leave the oils to soak in overnight.

I really like this product - the smell and the essential oils in it. The only thing that could improve is the amount of sugar in it. There is not enough to give a proper hard-core peeling my hands sometimes need. I just add more sugar into my palms to enhance the peeling effect.

Review of Mont Bleu Glass files decorated with Swarovski crystals

Hello lovelies,

Today I will review glass nail files from Mont Bleu. Month Bleu is a Czech company that produces not only nail files but also tweezers, nail scissors, bag holders, mirrors and much more, all beautifully decorated with Swarovski crystals, semi-precious stones and hand painted.

I use glass files regularly but up until now I've always used cheap ones that don't last very long (even they should last). Mont Bleu nail files are a different league - they are created from tempered glass. They are very sturdy and have this luxurious feel about them. They also come in a black velvet pouch.

They are super smooth yet they file very efficiently. I use them especially at the end of the filing to smooth the edges and prevent nail splitting.

I absolutely adore these nail files, the Swarovski crystals decoration is so pretty! Mont Bleu produces a lot of different colours and patterns so anyone can find their prettiest nail file!

Lol can you tell how I adore them? I made tons of pictures but selected just few so I wouldn't make the post too picture heavy :)

You can check out Mont Bleu nail files at their website and at their e-shop. Lovely people at Mont Bleu offered a 20% discount on all items (except already discounted ones)! Just use discount code BLOG

*These were sent to me for a review. I've expressed my honest opinion.

March 2012 Amarya Beauty box

Hi girls!

Just a quick post to let you know what was in my March Amarya Box:

•  John Masters Evening Primrose shampoo for dry hair - this is the main full sized item in the box worth £16. I'm still deciding whether I will be using this shampoo because I have a bit oily scalp and dry ends and don't want to get dandruff. I'll probably give it a shot since it's such a good organic shampoo. Further info: 'Made of pure coconut soap with herbal infusions of periwinkle, sage leaves, chamomile flowers and other natural ingredients, such as willow bark and burdock root, this aromatic shampoo contains no sodium lauryl sulfate or synthetic artificial colour.  Helps the hair to resist the stress of pollution, colouring and styling.  Best for dry or damaged hair due to colouring, styling or weather. '
   
• Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate by Ren - sample size 2ml - since this is an anti-ageing product, I won't be using it. Further info: 'A synergistic complex of pure, potent, 100% nature derived Vitamin A, Pro Vitamin A and Retinoid Analogue that combats the appearance of wrinkles, imperfections and age spots leaving the complexion visibly younger, smoother and brighter without the irritating effects of synthetic Retinol.'

•  Lip Calm By John Masters Organics - this is a full size lip balm and it's actually very nice. It has citrusy smell and it moisturises good. Retail value £6. Further info: 'Soothing, moisturising and invigorating all in one delicious and aromatic treatment. Made of the finest in organic ingredients, Lip Calm not only protects your lips from weather, it rejuvenates your spirit.'

• Organic Daily Face Oil by Inlight - sachet sample 1ml. I'll be definitely trying this sample, I love face oils on my dry skin! Further info: ' 100% Organic 100% GM Free WINNER - 'Best Facial Oil' in the Natural Health Beauty Awards 2009.
  Suitable for all skin types including the most sensitive or delicate. Easily absorbed, an excellent daytime moisturiser and protector during the winter. Ideal as a base for make-up. An excellent aftershave for men as well. With the goodness of Jojoba & Evening Primrose Oils - nourishing, rich in Vitamin E, antioxidant. Rose Hip Oil - rich in essential fatty acids and transretinoic acid to regenerateskin and promote healing. Blue Mallow & Lavender - soothing and anti-inflammatory'
  
  
  

Overall it's a good box but I liked the February one much much more because it had Zoya polish in it..and you all know how much I love nail polishes ;) But I'm glad I'll be able to try the Inlinght oil and the lip balm and I'm curious about the shampoo as well.

If you will subscribe to Amarya, please send them email with your name, date you joined, my name & date I joined and email (Lucie Hanuskova, lucisek.beluha@googlemail.com, 17/10/2011) as the person who referred you, and if you'll stay subscribed for 12 months, we will both get FREE 13th MONTH box! The condition is to stay subscribed for a year and since I have the year membership, I will definitely stay subscribed. Also it's a very good deal to get a year's membership - you'll get Santaverde gift set worth £56 and 120 Amarya points worth £12 in their e-shop!!!
 

Review of the first ever She Said Beauty box

Hello lovelies!

The first ever She Said Beauty box arrived!!! I am not disappointed :) This March box is currently sold out so if you'll decide to subscribe, you'll get the April box. The box cost £11.95 per month (incl. postage) and if you'll refer your friends who will subscribe via your referral link, you can earn free boxes. Also if you'll subscribe now, you'll get introductory 25% discount! Please use my referral link: https://www.shesaidbeauty.com/invite/FACGF


So let's have a look at the box: the outside carboard box is in fuchsia pink colour, basically the same like with Glossybox except the colour of course.

After opening the box, lovely turquoise coloured box showed up :) i like the colour but it doesn't go with my other stuff so i won't be using this one for storage.

Lovely packed, the ribbon and sticker has become pretty much standard for beauty boxes. But still a very nice touch to it.

Woohoo! That's my box! It's a very nice for the first box and it includes good mix of products from makeup, nails to skincare and hair care. And a lovely tea on the top!

AVEDA smooth infusion trio - 3-piece pack contains Shampoo, conditioner and Style-Prep Smoother to ensure you get that salon feel at home.

 

Orly mini nail polish in Black out & nail file - I'm very happy about getting another Orly mini and I'm also happy to get black colour. I haven't tried it yet but is it will be well pigmented, I can use it for nail art and stamping :) Nail file is also very handy. It a bit too rough but it will be good when I will want to file down longer nail. On the card it says that full size costs £5 and it's 5.4ml - that is not true. Miniature has 5.3ml and full size has 18ml.

Comfort Zone Good Night Kit - Give your skin a good night with Comfort Zone Renight Recover Cream, the latest antioxidant with vitamin infusions for the skin. I won't be using this product as I already have my night skincare so no review here. Samples have 6ml (Renight recover Cream) & 4ml (Renight Recover Complex). £52.95 for 50ml cream

We Are Faux Eyelashes - these eyelashes are supposed to be handmade from high quality synthetic fibre. Mine are really beautiful thick lashes. They look like they are really good quality and they retail for £9.

Collection 2000 Cream Puff lip colour - Enriched with a hyper-moisturising, vitamin-rich formula, the creamy colour hugs lips to give your pout the perfect powdery finish. This is not really a product that I would expect in a beauty box just because it is quite cheap-ish drugstore product. I'm pretty sure there will be lots of rants about this but overall it's nice product. The colour is not for me, I got Fairy Cake 3, but I swatched it on my hand ad it was extremely pigmented and creamy. RRP £2.99

Jing Flowering Dragon Eye Tea - A light and fragrant green tea wrapped around a pot marigold in the base, an arch of pure jasmine blossoms and globe amaranth flower which blossoms above when infused. I am very excited about this bonus item! I love tea and I always wanted to try something like this! I just have to get some glass jug to see the flower blossom and possibly take pictures :) RRP £9, you can use 15% off code 20111606 at http://jingtea.com/tea/type/flowering/dragon-eye

I like the box despite some items that I won't use and I will definitely stay subscribed. Don't forget to fill in the beauty profile so they can (hopefully) tailor the box according to your needs.

Once again, if you'd like to subscribe, now is the right time as 25% discount still applies. Please use my referral link: http://www.shesaidbeauty.com/FACGF

Carmine Beauty box February 2012 - Review

Hello girls,

My Carmine finally arrived! I was really excited to see great selection of products (again!) for nails, face, body, and also some very generous full-sized products. Let's have a look what February Carmine box contains:

My box includes:

•  Andrea Fulerton Nail Varnish
•  Steamcream - Steam-infused skincare
•  Diego Dalla Palma lipstick sample
•  White Glo - Professional Choice whitening toothpaste
• Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash
• Yardley London - Peony fragrance 

Andrea Fulerton Nail Varnish - Nail polishes were developed by celebrity nail technician Andrea Fulerton.

I've never tried this brand before although I saw it in Superdrug. In my box I got shade Naomi, darker red jelly-ish shade, exactly my kind of colour! I'm very happy I didn't get brown or beige shade :) The formula was kinda good for drugstore brand; there are 2 coats in the picture. I could easily do with three for better coverage. But it's a jelly finish, those are not usually opaque. The polish is full size (5.5ml) and retails around £5.

Steamcream - Steam-infused skincare - a lightweight, all-in-one moisturiser featuring nourishing oils - that can be used literally from head to toe.

I LOVE THE TIN!!! It's gorgeous light metal tin with leopard print on it. I saw somewhere another print - planet Earth from space and on the website there are so many different tins. Absolutely gorgeous! I haven't heard of steamcream before despite it being the big thing now (I don't really care much about skincare). The cream is very light, it has strong lavender smell which is not really my kind of smell but I'll give it a chance. It soaks fast to the skin and it leaves on my skin like a creamy film. I will be using it for a while to makeup my mind. It is a full size (75g) which retails for £10.50 - That is very reasonable price for 75g cream, especially if you'll use it only on your face.

20% off using carmine20 at steamcream.com ( exp 30th April 2012)

Diego Dalla Palma lipstick sample - From one of Italy's top brands, this sophisticated, intense pigment lipstick provides the perfect touch of long lasting colour.

This is the first time I've heard of this brand and unfortunately the shade of the lipstick is not 'my colour' so I won't be even trying it.

White Glo - Professional Choice whitening toothpaste - From Australian brand that makes formulas for coffee and tea drinkers, just a drop of this whitening toothpaste will leave your pearly whites in absolute mint condition!

I'm so excited to try some good whitening toothpaste! I drink black tea everyday over the autumn and winter and I'm starting to see it on my teeth. I'll be testing it from today :) The toothpaste sample has 24g. 100g toothpaste with toothbrush included retail for £4.07 in Boots.

Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash - Exquisitely fragranced in the name of spring, these natural body washes will leave your skin velvety smooth and smelling like heaven.

This is another full-sized product in the box. The body wash has 125ml and has rose smell, just like Turkish delights. I'm currently in love and fully stocked up with rituals Foaming shower gels so I will probably swap this product for something else (I like the nail polishes and the toothpaste everybody ;) The value of this body wash is £5.88

For 10% off Rose Otto or Super Moisturising Body Washes visit balanceme.co.uk and use code CARMINEWASHES2012 (exp 30th April 2012)

In addition, I got Yardley London - Peony fragrance sample as an extra. I'm actually really pleased that fragrance sample is a bonus and not counted as an item because I always felt a bit cheated. I don't really like most fragrances so it was always one product less for me.

February box is really awesome so if you are not subscriber but you would like this box, you can still get it at Carmine website. If you would like to subscribe to Carmine (or buy 1 one-off box), please use mu referral link: http://www.carmine.co.uk/0dcO3

Westfield London haul & February Glossybox Review

Hi girls :)

Yesterday I've visited Westfield White City in London and got so many new things! My first stop was Inglot store. I never know where to look first because there are so many colours everywhere. I didn't plan to buy anything, just to look around but there was this young male sales assistant who was really knowledgeable and didn't stop talking :D He showed me almost everything and I ended up buying loose powder in shade #11 and Cream Concealer in shade #34.

My next stop was LUSH where I picked up the legendary Lemony Flutter (I love it by the way!). I had 5 black pots which I could exchange for fresh mask but I don't like to use their face masks so I've asked if I could get some discount towards the Lemony Flutter (not whole £5.75 of the mask price) but I was said it is not possible :(

I also visited Superdrug and Boots in case they would have some bottles of Max Factor Fantasy Fire but they didn't. But what they did have was the White Barry M Foundation which will be great for making some of my foundations a bit lighter to suit me better. I also got a very generous sample of No.7 BB Cream for Dry/Normal skin.

My next purchase was Bliss duo including 200ml Daily Detoxifying Facial Toner and 197ml Fabulous Foaming Face Wash at Debenhams. This was an amazing deal! RRP was £46.10 and I purchased it for £13.83!!! I had a look on Bliss stand and the Foaming Face Wash alone was sold for over £18!

It wouldn't be me if I wouldn't pick up some nail polishes, right? I got KIKO glitter polish #231 which was on sale for £1.50 and then shade #254 for regular price.

My last and longest stop was at Twinings tea bar. I love tea so I've spent there about an hour chatting about tea and tasting different types. I bought three loose teas - Yunnan (black), Traditional English (black) and Gunpowder Green and Mint (Green tea and Mint) and small tea infuser.

 So that's all my purchases :)

When I was visiting House Of Fraser, look what I found at Deborah Lippmann stand - Mermaid's Dream! This is just one coat and I wanted to buy it straight away (despite the £14 price tag) but they didn't have any left :(

February GlossyBox

And here is my February GlossyBox! I wasn't overly impressed with this one...quite disappointed actually. The only thing I'm keeping is the Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap in Hemp Citrus Orange. My Paul Mittchell item is for curly hair and since I have very straight hair, this is a miss. Next item is DuWop Venom Gloss - I don't wear lip glosses so this one goes to swap box too, I won't even try it. Then there was a BM Beauty loose eyeshadow in kind of a lighter 'sweet sienna' shade. Very nice but I have sweet sienna which is much better pigmented. Last sample is INVIGORATING Lotion from COMO Shambhala. Too much of lavender in it :-/ (yes, I'm fussy about smells :D)

Despite being dissapointed with this box, I'm not complaining because I had it for free by redeeming 1000 Glossydots.

FeelUnique Beauty Box February 2012 - Review of the last FU box

Hello girlies :)

New month, new beauty boxes! Yay! It's time to review FeelUnique's February Beauty Box. This one was really good, I think most people will like it :) Unfortunately this was last FeelUnique box :( FU Beauty box service is finishing and I am really really sad :(

So what was in the box?

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - 'Improve or maintain the quality & behaviour of your hair with this amazing cult treatment loved by the beauty industry! Great for over-processed, dry and damaged hair, the more frequent use of this intensive treatment formula wills the more restorative the result!' I've tried this product before and I can remember my hair was nice and smooth. Don't know what the big hype is about but it's quite good treatment. Sample size has 40ml valued at £5.95 (full size 150ml, £22.30)

Elemis Lime and Ginger Hand and Body Wash - 'This fresh hand and body wash is a beautiful exotic fragrance of lime, vetiver, petitgrain and ginger essential oils, combined with plant extracts of thyme, nettle and chamomile, in a soya, wheat and milk protein base. This skin friendly formula is deep cleansing, whilst the rich creamy lather is super gentle, leaving your skin feeling fresh, clean, soft and nourished.' I won't be trying this shower gel because I don't like the scent. So I can't really tell you anything about it except that it has 100ml which values at £6.13 (full size 300ml, £18.40).

Decleor Phytopeal Face Peel Cream - 'A soft cream formula which exfoliates and smoothes the epidermis. It gently absorbs and eliminates impurities, and does not contain exfoliating particles, the gentlest and most natural way to renew your skin' I've got quite generous 15ml sample but haven't tried it yet. I personally prefer peelings/exfoliators because my dry skin gets flaky every other day.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse - 'Multi-usage dry oil for face, body and hair.' There has been a big hype about this dry oil since it first appeared in the GlossyBox. It smells lovely, almost like Johnson's Baby Oil I use. I've tried it on my hand and it felt the same too except it absorbed faster. Sample has 10ml, value of £2.83 (100ml costs £28.30).

Leighton Denny mini nail polish in Diamond Ivory - this shade is for french manicure. I will try to use it in a manicure and review it in a separate post. Mini size has 4.6ml which values at £5 (full size 12ml, £13.25 at FeelUnique.com)

Kokorico by Jean Paul Gaultier - this is an extra sample we got in our boxes, it's a 1ml perfume sample in a black vial with pump. The scent is very spicy, woody. 50ml retails for £31.05


There is a 10% discount code for all these products featured in the box, just use code BBFEB10B at the checkout. Expires 18/03/2012


I will miss you FeelUnique boxes!!!

February 2012 Amarya Beauty Box - Review

Hi girls :)

Thank you for all the previous lovely comments! The 'Reply' to the comment function finally works so I'll do my best to reply to all comments :) I'd also appreciate if you would let me know if you like the new blog layout with big pictures :)

Now to the February Amarya box - I really, really like it! It's probably because it contains full sized Zoya polish hehe :D And also if you subscribe to Amarya and send them email with your name, date you joined my name (Lucie Hanuskova) as the person who reffered you, we will both get FREE ONE MONTH MEMBERSHIP!  How cool is that?!

So what was in my box?

Essential Care Organic Avocado Replenishing Cream -  'A sumptuous aromatherapeutic night or rich day cream with nature's finest contribution to smoothing out lines and promoting skin regeneration'. Apparently this is a full sized item, it has 15 ml and retails for £6. Very nice price I think. It comes in a plastic tube, it's a vegan product, not tested on animals and free from chemicals. The cream is light and absorbs fast and it smells like lavender. I don't like lavender but I really like description and formula of the cream so I'll give it a try :)

There has been also a small sample of Essential Care Organic Rose Moisturiser (1.5ml) - 'Treat your skin to the best that nature can offer. A luxurious, antioxidant light-textured day-cream which is fully absorbed leaving the skin soft and velvety smooth. Deeply moisturising with shea butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil, aloe leaf, and the essential oil and hydrolat of damask roses. The cold-pressed plant oils, naturally high in antioxidants of vitamins A & E, and sea buckthorn help counteract the ageing and collagen-destroying effects of 'free radicals' and sunlight.'

Neom Happiness Travel Candle - 'it's the new uplifting spring/summer scent from NEOM. Essential oils of White Neroli, Mimosa and Lemon are blended to create a crisp spring garden scent. This candle is especially good for relieving tension whilst giving a little perk up. All Neom candles, hand poured in the UK, are 100% natural and high in essential oils to provide an aroma-therapeutic treatment.'  it's a really lovely candle and I was over the moon to get a candle but unfortunately I can't stand the smell :( So I swapped it for another Zoya polish :D Candle retails for £13

Zoya Avery - I was secretly wishing for a long time that we get Zoya polish in our box...YES! Avery is pale peach shade from new Feel collection. Can't wait to swatch it! Retail price for the Zoya polish is always around £10

So this month's box was great for me! Nice face cream and full sized Zoya polish! What else could I ask for? :D

If you've missed on this month's box don't be sad, Amarya boxes are great every month! So once again, if you subscribe to Amarya and send them email with your name, date you joined my name (Lucie Hanuskova) as the person who referred you, we will both get FREE ONE MONTH MEMBERSHIP!

What was in my January 2012 Glossybox?

Hi girls!

I sometimes don't have that much time to blog about all the beauty boxes because if I want to describe every product, it takes quite a lot of time. I'm sure most of you have already seen what is in the Glossybox so I won't be doing elaborate descriptions.

I really like this month's Valentine's Day themed Glossybox! Look at the bright fuchsia pink matte box, lovely heart details and roses on the card :) I am not a Glossybox ambassador so I haven't received any roses or free box but I don't regret subscribing...I just have to hope I'll get some roses from my boyfriend who by the way HATES buying flowers because according to him 'they don't last'!

I had fill size of Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Plum which is quite self-explanatory ;) Plum is a nice dark brownish plum colour, pigmentation is ok, it smudges easily which is good for creating a bit of a smoky look. On the other hand is you want your eyeliner to be precise you might not like a bit of smudging.. The packaging of the eyeliner is abit weird though...why the long silver end??? Don't know..
Enter GLOSSY in the comments box to get a free gift with any purchase. Expires 01/03/2012

Weleda One-step Cleanser & Toner - I haven' tried this product yet so I can't review it but so far I liked Weleda products so fingers crossed  I like this one too ;) £5 off your next order plus free P&P when you spend £15 at www.weleda.co.uk  Enter promotion code GLOSSY

Orly mini polish in Ruby - lovely vampy red colour, I will be trying this one soon :)

FAB Gentle Body Wash - a moisturising, irritant-free everyday cleanser ideal for even the most sensitive skin. I haven't tried this product yet but I'm looking forward to it, I've heard great stuff about FAB products.

Murad Skin Perfecting Primer 5ml - this is a very lovely product! It is like a makeup but it kind of soaks into your skin and leaves it nice and smooth. Look at the swatch below. I'm not sure yet if I'll purchase full size but I'll really think about it. Get 33% off at www.murad.co.uk with code GLOSSYPR

If you would like to subscribe to GlossyBox, please use my referral link and discount code GLOSSYTUBE2012, STYLISTDEC1411 or AFFGLOSSY50OFF to get 50% off: http://www.glossybox.co.uk/invitation/MjIzNzE=?utm_source=Customers&utm_medium=link&utm_term=MjIzNzE=&utm_campaign=Refer-a-friend/

I will be updating on current Beauty box discount codes here on my blog. Alternatively send me an email and I can let you know if there is any discount code.