Prairie Pizzazz Subscription Box and an Exclusive Offer!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE…. There is a new subscription box on the block, I repeat there is a new subscription box on the block! As you know, I love a good subscription box and was beyond excited when I was offered the opportunity to get my hands on the launch box. What box I hear you say, well its from Prairie Charms, if you’ve not heard of them before they are an online jewelry  and gift shop. 

Its called ‘The Prairie Pizzazz’, its name this as it arrives in a pizza box which is pretty fun! There are different flavour 'toppings' each month to represent the 'theme' of surprises within the box. This months theme being ‘Festival’, which I was pretty pleased with!

So what was in my box? Well I was surprised by the amount, the box was filled to the brim with exciting bits and pieces! Here is a quick guide to what I received…

Dottie Rocks Custom Gold Foil Postacard Print

Pretty zigzag treat bags and some popping corn

Deep purple leather bow

Beaded bracelet

Nail vinyls

Gorgeous flower bobby pins

Pretty paper straws

Hair ties

Lilac flowered hair band

Flower print wire hair tie

Turquoise tassle necklace

Huge apologies for the lack of photos, I finally sort out the laptop issue when my camera then dies, no luck here at all! Anyways please take it from me all these items are gorgeous, and im seriously impressed by the quality.

The wonderful folk over at Prairie Charms are offering an introductory offer to Lipsticks and Lashes readers of £25 for the deluxe sized (full pizza) or £15 for their mini sized versions (a slice of pizza). The deluxe sized box will include all the items that they have included in my box and the mini sized version will include a sample of products, but these will of course will still be of full size. Both of these prices are including postage, which I thinks a good price for the amount of products you receive! 

So if you would like your very own box all you need to do is tweet the guys at Prairie Charms over on Twitter @Prairie_Charms and include in your tweet this hashtag: #LIPSTICKSANDLASHESPIZZAZZ they will then sort out your order! So what are you waiting for?!

Empties #4

I haven’t done an empties post in a little while so here is what I’ve been using up lately....

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation – this is my third tube of this foundation. I really do love it and find it’s not too heavy on my skin. I prefer a natural looking Foundation and this definitely ticks that box. However I’ve decided to be brave and try a new foundation, which is a big step for me, as a beauty blogger I am pretty rubbish at trying new products and shaking up my routine as when I find a product I love I tend to stick to it! I do have a funny feeling I may come back to this foundation though!

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer – I have received tube after tube of this stuff in various different beauty boxes and I am finally all ran out! I have to say I’m actually disappointed as I do like this primer. However I do love Benefits Porefessional primer a little more so I think that’s what I’ll be investing in next!

MAC Satin Taupe Eye shadow – I bloody love this eye shadow! It’s my perfect shade of brown and is the one I tend to wear day to day.  I have to admit I already have bought a replacement as I just can’t possibly be without it!!

Stila Smudge Proof Eye Liner – This eyeliner was one I received in a beauty and box and wasn’t sure at first as it’s a very solid black. It has really grown on me and has been a regular product in my make up bag however I think I will be replacing it with a cheaper alternative as I have used better eye liners.

Steam Cream – another product found in a beauty box (yes I subscribe to waaay to many boxes!), I was intrigued to try this as I have heard so much hype about it. It has a very strong herbal scent but once you get past that it’s been fantastic for my skin which is usually super sensitive at this time of year.

Revlon Professional Coconut Uniq One All In One Hair Treatment – BEST HAIR PRODUCT EVER!! I know that’s a ridiculously bold statement but as someone who dyes their hair regularly and suffers from crazy matted hair on a regular basis this stuff has been a miracle worker. It has really helped improve the condition of my hair.

Have you tried any of these products? How did you rate them?

The Fabyouless Card & a Giveaway!*

Today’s post is a little different, it’s all about Fabyouless* which is a discount card. They recently got in touch and asked if I’d like to work with them have one of their discount cards. Fabyouless is a UK savings card focusing of hair, beauty and fitness. All subjects you know that I’m a little obsessed with!

With a Fabyouless card you can enjoy thousands of offers from leading beauty salons, nail bars, tanning salons, hairdressers, spas, clinics, gyms and personal trainers nationwide across the UK.  These offers mean a guaranteed 25% off or 2 for 1 deal and your membership is valid for a year.

I am usually pretty sceptical when it comes to these kinds of schemes especially when the card costs £49.95. However I spent a good bit of time checking out their website and reviews of their service online and I have to say I’m pretty impressed! Lots of big brands are affiliated and there are 5 beauty places affiliated in my local town alone and that’s impressive as I come from a small town where we are usually the last people to hear of things like this!

So to use your card all you need to do is hop onto their website and search where will accept your card and what offers they have on. You then contact the venue directly and mention your Fabyouless card when booking! Easy! 

My friends and I made a resolution this year to look after ourselves better and treat ourselves a bit more to a good pampering. So far this year I have had a few massages and I look forward to having more especially now I have this card which will make me feel less guilty about doing so!

The lovely folk over at Fabyouless have kindly offered a card to one of Lipsticks and Lashes lucky readers! If you would like a chance of winning a Fabyouless membership card just enter your details in the Rafflecopter below! This giveaway is open until the 23^rd April so Good Luck!!

Do you use any savings cards or websites like this?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Natural Skin Shop Review and Discount Code!

Firstly, hello! Sorry for the silence over here lately, lots been happening that I’m sure I’ll be filling you all in on soon. However it has meant my lovely blog has been taking a back seat but not anymore! I am back to blogging 3 times a week and I’m so excited to be back, boy have I missed it!

So today’s post is all about the Natural Skin Shop which is a website which sells a huge range of skin and beauty products, none of which are tested on animals (wahey!). I love their ethos and was super excited when they asked me if I’d like to try out some of their products out for myself. Here is what they kindly sent me...

Alpha Light Skin Bright Microdermabrasion – this stuff is meant to reduce marks and
Scars, uneven skin, age spots etc. To use it all you do is dampen skin with warm water and slowly massage onto your face for one-two minutes. They suggest using it once or twice a week and personally I have been using it twice a week. It’s been such a great find! I was a bit worried at first as my skin is a big mix of spotty, dry, sensitive and is constantly changing but my skins reacted really well to it. It really removes all the dry patches and leaves my skin feeling so lovely and soft, my skin looks so much healthier now. I will definitely be replacing it when I run out!

Primesse Anti-Aging Copper Complex – So I’m going to a bit of a shit sandwich here, hate saying negative things about products but my skin just didn’t react well to this one. The ingredients in this product are meant to help rebuild the skins barrier to lock in moisture, smooth out wrinkles and restore prime fullness. To use all you need to do is massage into face morning and evening. I really wanted to love this but it just made my skin so sticky! It didn’t seem to want to sink in and just left a tacky residue.

Arganistry Argan Hair Repair & Shine - I love this product soooo much! If you read this blog regularly you will know that I’m a fan of Argan Oil and that I’m quite good at trashing my hair with bleach on a regular basis. I am always keen to try new products out to see if they can help bring life back to my dry ends. This product states that it will sort out dry, damaged locks, split ends and frizzy locks. To use all you need is to pump a couple of drops into your hand and rub in to damp hair. Personally I just use it on my ends and find it really has put the moisture back in to it, so it looks lovely, smooth and healthy!

Over all I’ve been very impressed with the products I’ve received from the Natural Skin Shop and shall be purchasing from them again!

The lovely folk from the Natural Skin Shop are kindly offering ‘Lipsticks and Lashes’ readers $10 off any order with the promo code L&L10 that is valid now through May 31, 2015.

Treat your hair, treat yourself

Todays post is a GUEST POST!! I am so excited about this, I haven’t had a guest poster on ‘Lipstick and Lashes’ for a good 10 months. I have quite enjoyed having it as my own little space but I also love collaborating with other writers and spicing things up abit around here. When the gorgeous Nika emailed me asking if she could guest post, then made me giggle by sending this buzzfeed article entitled ‘If Disney Princesses had Wet Hair’ I was sold on the idea!....

Women often see their hair as a reflection of their identity because it represents them in public. For many women a bad hair day equals a bad day: when a woman's hair is too fine, too frizzy, too dry, turning grey or falling out, her self-esteem is affected. Is every day a bad hair day for you? Then it’s time to do something about that.

Rapunzel, let your hair down! (Image source flickr.com)

How to take care of your hair?

The first step on that road is to dedicate some time to your precious hair, and take god care for her. When you are drying your hair, make sure that you don’t use the hottest setting on your hairdryer especially if you're pairing it with another hot tool, like a flat iron. Taking care of longer tresses requires frequent trims (every six to eight weeks) and conditioning the ends every other day to prevent dry out. As for brushing your hair, it’s better to choose a natural hair brush, because it’s less damaging. Your hair is its most fragile when wet, so avoid excessive brushing or combing until it's most dry.

Do not flat iron on a daily basis. (Image source flickr.com)

Hair products

It is very important to choose hair product that matches your hair type. As for shampoos, no matter what your hair type is, you should try using shampoos that do not contain sulfates or parabens. Curly hair probably needs frizz-minimizing and softening shampoo. Straight or oily hair needs a gentle shampoo designed for daily washing. For colored or treated hair use a shampoo that's fortified with extracts or amino acids, because treating your hair is essentially damaging it. Dry hair probably needs shampoos with glycerin and collagen to help restore moisture into the hair. It is the same principle when you are choosing a conditioner. For full recovery of your hair you can try products with Moroccan oil. It softens hair, helps hide split ends, and adds shine. Basically, it's a miracle product, especially if you have dry, coarse, or damaged hair.

DIY hair care

If you think hair care is expensive and not everyone can afford that, guess again! There are some great hair care products in your own kitchen. DIY hair masks are becoming even more popular, because they are healthy and contain only natural ingredients. A true hair care miracle is a raw egg, and it works with all hair types. You can combine it with yogurt, olive oil or honey. Dairy products also work great for dull hair, they give shine and softness to your hair. A lemon juice and olive oil mixture will moisturize skin on your head. To add body to hair, reach for an unlikely beauty beverage: beer!

Your friend can be your hairdresser too (Image source flickr.com)

Hair diet

Healthy diet is an important factor for healthy hair. To have stronger hair, consume eggs, milk and dairy products, fish, nuts, carrots, dark-leaf vegetables, legumes and grains. Also, make sure you intake minerals and vitamins.

There is no excuse for neglecting your hair, especially when it’s so easy to take good care of it. Beautiful and shiny hair always leaves good impression, which is why proper hair care is important.

 

- You can find Nika on twitter here, and I can’t wait for her to start her own blog!

Chemist Direct Haul

I haven’t done a good old haul post in forever! I haven’t had a massive shopping blow out in ages, don’t get me wrong I still am a shopaholic but my spending has been a little here and there rather than one big haul!

So when Chemist Direct recently got in touch and offered me £50 to go mad and purchase whatever I would like in their online store, I got ridiculously excited! They have a huge range of beauty, hair, body and health products at pretty bargainous prices. I spent an evening browsing the site and ended up with £569.75 worth of items in my shopping bag. Whoops! I ended up going on a bit of a cull and getting it down to £60.50 with postage and packaging.

So here is what made the cut...

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Natural Bronze Tanning Lotion – I love the smell of this stuff and I don’t know about everyone else but I’m feeling ridiculously pale and pasty this winter so anything that will add a hint if colour is a must for me right now!

Bare Minerals Nude Beach Glimmer Eye shadow – I have used this shadow before and recently ran out. It’s such a pretty shade, I may do a separate review on this at some point.

Garnier All in One Skin Perfector BB Blemish Balm in Medium – lately I have been using BB creams instead of foundation, I find it a lot lighter on my skin and can’t wait to give this one a whirl!

Carmen Copper Curling Tongs – I’ve recently had 3 inches chopped off my locks so it now rests on my collar bone. I really like the messy hair look, you know that tousled beachy hair style, and I’m hoping these curling tongs will help me achieve that!

Beckhams Signature for Her 75ml EDT Spray – this could have gone terribly wrong as I had never smelt this scent before, but I wanted a new perfume so I thought id risk it! Cue, sigh of relief when it arrived and smelt lovely! I’m not sure this scent would be for everyone as it’s quite a musky manly one but I quite like that about it!

OPI Muppets Most Wanted Gaining Mole-Mentum Nail Lacquer – such a pretty colour!

Inecto Pure Coconut Oil Conditioner 6 pack – err yeah, 6 whole bottles, I know that seems a little excessive bit I find coconut conditions work wonders on the dry ends of my locks!

Have you tried any of these products?

Glitterati by Crown and Glory - Januarys Box

I get ridiculously excited when this box comes through my door! I am a huge fan of Crown and Glory and love all their products. The Glitterati box costs £20 including postage and packaging and this months is filled with around £85 worth of products!! A wonderful bargain if you ask me!

This month’s box didn’t fail to please, the first item I pulled out was the Glitter Scallop Crown in a gorgeous pastel purple colour. I think I am going to backcomb my hair for mass volume and have this crown as the finishing touch. Next up is the Marabel Feather Headband in bright blue. This is the only thing I pulled out of the box and thought ‘WTF?!’ I think it’s a little hideous!

The glitter snap clips in orange are really pretty and are currently holding back my fringe. It’s at that awkward stage where it’s too long to be classed as a fringe but too short to sit nicely with rest of my hair. I really really need a haircut! Also being completely dippy this is the reason there is no photo of the clips as I completely forgot to take them out of my hair when I took the shots! Complete dippy moment!

The jewelled ribbon gemstone band is in purple and so 70’s, I love it! I’m going to use it to sparkle up boring outfits. Finally there is the not a lotta Rosie bobby pins in white, peach and pink made from felt. They are too cute!

Also as it’s my birthday this month, the lovely folk at Crown and Glory threw in a fab birthday card and an extra pressie for me! I received this amazing spikey silver glitter crown. It kind of reminds of the statue of liberty! Hehe! Its £35 if you were to buy it in the shop so I couldn’t believe it!

Glitterati by Crown and Glory - Decembers Box

I caved! I re-subscribed to Crown and Glory’s Glitterati Box! (I blame Kezzie’s naughty influence for this ;) !) I was too tempted to see what Christmas delights would be in the December box so I couldn’t resist! And boy, am I glad I did as it is all amazing!

Here is what was in my December box…

1.    Medium glitter hair bow in starry sky – I have wanted one of these for AGES, and I have been wearing it non-stop since it arrived!

2.    A Christmas wreath crown – this hair crown is filled with pinecones, mushrooms, red and white flowers and pieces of fir tree, it is so pretty but is the only piece in the box that I’m unsure of wearing as it’s not really my style.

3.    Metallic blue wired head band – which is 80’s tastic – I am in love!

4.    ‘Everything is going to be fine’ key ring – CUTE!

5.    A purple Christmas cracker – inside was a fab glitter Christmas holly clip – I shall be wearing this a lot in the lead up to Christmas day!

For now I am going to stay subscribed to this gem of a box for a while longer, I adore crown and glory, they create the most beautiful and fun hair pieces and for £20 I think it’s a steal considering what you receive!

Revlon Professional Uniq One Coconut All In One Hair Treatment

I am so excited to be sharing this product with you all! It is my complete miracle product and I have to admit I am a little in love with it! It has completely altered my hairs condition and has made it look and feel so much healthier. Meet Revlon Professionals Uniq One Coconut All In One Hair Treatment...

 

 

This product states it has ’10 real benefits’, so let me talk through each one and the effects it has had on my hair...

1.    REPAIR FOR DRY DAMAGED HAIR – Massive tick against this one! I get my hair cut every 8 weeks, in weeks 6-8 due to my hair being coloured a lot and very fine my locks start to get ratty and knotted – the hobo look ain't cool! I can’t straighten it at this point as it’s too frizzy. However I am currently on week 10 (I am too poor to get my hair cut at the moment) but you would know! It’s in fab condition, not drying at all and I keep getting complements on how nice it currently looks!

2.    SHINE AND FRIZ CONTROL – IT makes my hair look sleek, healthy and glossy which all equal a very happy Gemma!

3.    HEAT PROTECTION – added bonus! I hate using tons of different products on my hair so love that Uniq One does it all!

4.    SILKINESS AND SMOOTHNESS – See no.2

5.    HAIR COLOUR PROTECTION WITH UVA AND UVB FILTERS – Everyone keeps asking if I’ve coloured my hair again lately, it’s not been dyed for nearly 3 months, this spray has definitely helped to maintain and brighten the colour.

6.    EASIER BRUSHING AND IRONING – My hair can be a knotty mess but since using this it’s been so much easier to brush.

7.    INCREDIBLE DETANGLING – No 6 & 7 go together in my world and this stuff is magical! I am no longer ripping my hair out when trying to brush it and as a result of this it now feels and looks a lot thicker!

8.    LONG LASTING HAIRSTYLE – I don’t really do much with my hair in terms of styling, I either blow dry it straight or its up in a messy bun. I would say it looks a lot tidier for longer if that makes any sense!

9.    SPLIT ENDS PREVENTION – Normally I would look like I need a haircut and you can spot the frizzy ended result of split ends a mile off with my locks, but not this time! It’s still looking pretty sleek!

10.  ADDS BODY – As someone who suffers from fine flat hair, it is a massive pain, but since using this I have noticed it has a little more oomph to it which is a fantastic bonus!

I am also a sucker for coconut scented products and this smells divine! I can still smell it in my hair hours after use which I love.

It’s also so easy to use, I just spray it into damp hair then blow dry and style like usual. No need for any other products as this one covers all bases!

Its costs £13.99 and a bottle goes a long way. This spray conditioning spray has definitely become a daily staple for my hair.

Have you tried this product before? Do you love it as much as I do?

Argan Dew Miraculous Argan Oil

The kind folk at Argan Dew kindly sent me a ton of their Miraculous Argan Oil hair treatment samples to try a while back. Without really paying much attention, for the past 6 months this product has become a daily part of my hair prep each morning! As I reach my final sachet I thought id share my love for this product with you all!

Now as you will know if you are a regular to my little space on the internet here, my hair is fine which I hate! Mix fine hair with dry ends and the outcome is a tangled, matted nightmare! However since using Argan Oil regularly my hair is in such a better condition and so much more manageable.

To use this product all you need to do is pair a couple of drops (you really don’t need much, hence why my samples have lasted so long!) into your hands and massage into damp hair. I apply it from my midlengths to the ends of my hair. You then just style as normal!

On pay day I am going to be treating myself to a full sized bottle which is £24.95, I think this is pretty reasonable when you think how long it will last you!

What’s your go to hair rescue product?

Links I Love #3

Bride-to-be whose fiancé died just days before their wedding has a heartbreaking photo shoot in her dress 'to say goodbye'. So beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.

 

Cats in fancy dress. You’re welcome.

 

 

 

These beautiful photographs have been taken at night, they are local landmarks to me and are just WOW!

 

 

Homeless People Were Asked To Write Down A Fact About Themselves. I LOVE this. I have worked with homeless people and some of their stories are fascinating. Bad times can hit anyone at anytime and its so important to remember that. Everyone has a story.

One Couple's Brave Decision To Live Small Results In A Brilliantly Designed Home. I love the rage for small homes, this is one of the best ones ive seen!

10 Smart Moves Every Twenty something Should Make. I think everyone in their twenties should read this! Its so spot on! I am fully behind the travelling point!

5 regrets of the dying. Something i think everyone should read, gets you thinking.

This gentleman has Cerebral Palsy and uses a type writer to create art, so incredible!

Glitterati by Crown and Glory - Octobers Box

As a huge fan of Crown and Glory, when I found out they ran a subscription box, called The Glitterati, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven! This is definitely my favourite subscription box that comes to my door but due to my lack of funds and a want to save, I am going to make this my last box for a while! My inner Accessory Queen is sat in the corner sulking right now and I’m in a little shock that I am actually going to do this!

Because of this I was kind of hoping this box would be a bit of a letdown to justify my decision. But no, it’s perfect, it’s Halloween themed and just beautiful!

This month’s treats included a black rose crown which is just stunning, a gorgeous animal print hair scarf. Also included was a hair band which has devil horns on it and two bronze feather clips. My personal favourite has to be the black glitter bat hair clips. They shall be worn on Friday for Halloween! Eeeek!

All these items equate to over £50 worth of goodies, so for £20 including postage it’s a bit a bargain! Sigh, I am in hair accessory heaven!