Unboxing Pink Parcel UK - July 2019 Edition - Turn Up The Heat Edit*

After all of the hassle and palaver that I had with the June edition of Pink Parcel, I'm pleased to say that July's both arrived on time and without incident.

It seems as though Pink Parcel are still trying to use up their old style packaging, so like in June, in July I received an original pink and grey box, which contained 3 boxes and the familiar fabric pouch.

I was a little bit short on night time pads so again I went for a sanitary pad box, like pretty much every box I've had recently I received a mixture of different brands rather than what I'd requested, as I've said before though I don't really mind different brands, I'm more concerned about the amount products in the box, and again despite reverting back to the old style, larger box, I still only got 23 items  and at the risk of repeating myself that's fine for me but not necessarily for anyone with a longer or heavier period.

Anyways I'm sure you've heard me complain about that before, so lets move quickly on to the most exciting part of the box, the treats! The theme of July's box is Turn Up The Heat, so it's all about the sun, summer and the heat, and it contains a variety of products to treat and pamper the skin.

As I said in the review of June's box I normally ignore the flyer's and adverts that tend to come in my subscription boxes and shopping orders, but like in last months box, the July edition of Pink Parcel also contained something that was worth saving from the recycling bin.

It was a fragrance card from Ted Baker featuring samples of 3 scents from their Ted's Sweet Treats range. The first scent Polly contains a mixture of mandarin, red berries, peach, amber, and vanilla.  Mia is another fruity scent and contains lemon, raspberries, and blackcurrants mixed with patchouli and golden amber, and the final scent Ella again contains fruity notes including bergamot, and cassis, but it also contains floral notes of orange blossom, jasmine and rose.

I wasn't expecting a lot but I actually liked all of the scents, they were surprisingly complex and not as sweet as I'd anticipated. My favourite was definitely Polly, which reminded me a little bit of Victoria's Secret Tease, which I got for my birthday and I love.

STYLondon Banana Setting Powder - 4.5g - Full Size - RRP £14.99

After receiving the lovely marble packaged lipstick in June's box, July's box contained another product from cruelty free, and paraben free, British company STYLondon, and this time it was their Banana Setting Powder. 

Now although it contains vitamin E, and natural minerals, despite the name it doesn't actually contain bananas. The banana refers to the slight yellow colour of this super fine face powder. It sounds strange I know but yellow powder has a been a make up artists secret for the longest time, and it's something that I've used on and off for over 15 years now. The yellow tint is designed to brighten the complexion and to eliminate redness as well as doing all of the other things a loose powder should do like mattifying the skin and setting make up.

As you can see from the picture below it's not a bright, bright yellow so you won't end up looking like a minion! Just dust it sparingly over your foundation with a puff or with what I prefer, a big fluffy brush, and on the majority of skin tones, you won't really see any yellowness, (apart from on your eyebrows so make sure you give them a brush through, just a more even, matte complexion.

In the before picture below I'm just wearing a very lightweight foundation. It evened my skin out but you can still see a bit of redness coming through especially on my cheeks.

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Before

After

Apply a dusting of this banana powder over the top though, and although it doesn't make a huge difference, my skin tone is more even, the skin looks smooth and matte, and the redness isn't anywhere near as obvious. Over the last week or so I've given this powder a good work out in what have been some pretty extreme conditions, and I'm actually pretty impressed with it. It wasn't the greatest powder that I've ever used for keeping the shine down, and it did need to keep reapplying it but given the temperatures I tested it in, I'm not going to hold that against it. I loved the slight baby powder scent, and I have to say it's one of the best powders that I've used for reducing redness and evening out my skin tone. It has a very fine texture, and as long as you apply it sparingly it makes a great finishing powder, for anyone with redness or an uneven skin tone. The STYLondon Banana Setting Powder retails at £14.99 for a 4.5g tub and it's available directly from the STYLondon website.

Patchology Moodmask The Good Fight Clear Skin Sheet Mask - 1 x 20ml Sheet Mask - Full Size - RRP £5

I love a good face mask and you pretty much guarantee that every Pink Parcel will contain at least one mask. July's box actually contained 2 masks and the first one comes from a new brand to me Patchology. Using their medical background the team at Patchology create products with the whole philosophy of "beauty at the speed of you". They want their products to do more, work faster and to deliver better results.

I haven't had the chance to try this mask yet, I've been a bit masked out lately but this one is specially designed for problematic skin, oily skin and skin with breakouts. It's designed to soothe the skin, and to both minimise imperfections and to prevent new ones forming. It contains antibacterial willow bark and tea tree, and peppermint to reduce inflammation and to slow down oil production. I will definitely be giving this a go in the next week or so, so I'll let you know my thoughts in a future Trimming My Stash post. This full size mask retails at £5 and is available direct from Patchology, and various other retailers including Cult Beauty and Space NK

Dr Botanicals Po Pomegranate Superfood Regenerating Sleeping Mask - 30ml - Travel Size - RRP £12 - 14

I guess you could call the next item in the box another face mask, but it's actually so much more than that. The eagle eyed readers amongst will probably remember this product from my review of the April 2019 Glossybox (read my post here if you haven't already). Normally I would be a little bit disappointed to receive a product that I already own but I'm a bit of fan of this one so I'm happy to have another one in back up.

As you would expect from the Dr Botanicals range this product is cruelty free, vegan, and certified by PETA. Whilst it is technically a face mask it's actually more of a night treatment in the form of a face mask. Containing pomegranate, sweet almond oil, grapeseed and shea butter, you simply apply a thin layer of this creamy textured product to your face, before bed two or three times a week and they you just go to bed as normal, no rinsing or cleansing required, and then in theory you wake up bright, smooth and hydrated skin.

Now I've been using this for about a month and a half now and as I say I'm a fan. Although my skin is changing as I age, I still quite an oily complexion so I'm actually a bit scared of a lot of night creams and night treatments, because I always think that they will be a bit too heavy for my skin and that they'll actually make the oiliness worse. The first time I used this I was a bit concerned as it felt quite thick, and creamy but it actually doesn't feel too heavy on the skin, and after apply a thin layer to my I was actually surprised at how quick it actually absorbed. I had images of my pillows been smeared with face mask, but that didn't happen, and pretty much all of the mask had absorbed within about 15-20 minutes leaving quite a matte finish. It has a slight fruity scent but nothing to strong or distracting.

On Application

10 Minutes After Application 

Next Morning 

My skin did feel a little bit tight whilst it was sinking in but when I woke up the next morning my skin just feel smoother to the touch and it looked fresher and cleaner and surprisingly more awake and alive then it normally does in the morning. As I say I've been using it a couple of times a week for about a month and a half and I definitely haven't noticed an increase in oiliness or breakouts, my skin just looks better. I'm really pleased to have another tube in my skincare stash, and I would definitely recommend it if your skin needs some TLC, or just a boost.  This is the 30ml travel size which retails at various prices between £12 and £14 and is available from both Beauty Expert and directly from Dr Botanicals. You can also buy the full 50ml size from retailers including Look Fantastic

Woo Woo Cranberry Wipes pH Balanced For Intimate Use - 12 Wipes - Full Size - RRP £2.25

Now I've got a bit of a love / hate thing going on with intimate washes and wipes, on one hand they aren't always that good for you, and I don't think women should be paranoid and worries about how they naturally smell, but on the other hand, I have a bit of a need to be clean down their complex, especially at that time of the month, so I do tend to use feminine washes especially during my period, and I've used various brands of feminine wipes in the past.

These wipes from Woo Woo, though have a much more modern feel than the ones that I've used in the past. Woo Woo are a brand that are focused on vaginal health, beauty and pleasure, and these intimate wipes are pH balanced to prevent irritation and other problems. They are designed to clean and soothe delicate skin and they contain both aloe vera and cranberry extract; they are also dermatologically tested, vegan and paraben free. Importantly for wipes they are also biodegradable, and flushable.

I haven't had a chance to try these properly yet, as I only just got my period this morning, but I have opened the packet and they have a lovely fruity scent. As per usual I'll let you know my  thoughts in a future empties posts. If you fancy trying them for yourself, you can pick up a pack of 12 wipes for £2.25 from Superdrug.

May Beauty The Incredible Pore Strip With Charcoal - 2 Pore Strips

I first became aware of May Beauty way back in 2015 when I was sent their The Incredible Face Mask to try. You can read my full post here but they are basically those super painful but super effective charcoal peel off masks.

Their products seem to be all about the pore, and this is their version of the pore strip. I don't think there are many teens, or beauty obsessives that haven't tried at least a version of these at some point, I certainly know I have and I remember the huge buzz when Biore first brought them to their UK.

These is something slightly gross, but slightly addictive about pore strips. All you do is dampen your skin and apply the strip sticky side down to your nose, I normally find that dampening it down helps it stick better. Then you just wait about 15 or so minutes until it dries. these particular ones are infused with charcoal so the white topside ends up going black when it gets wet, and do your fingers if you touch it.

When the strip feels dry to the touch you just pull it off, I didn't find this one too painful but depending on how sensitive your skin is, and how well it's stuck it can be a bit ouchy! Then all you do is wash your face and marvel at the blackheads and impurities that the strip has removed. I've actually had way worse ones that this in the past but look carefully and you can see the tiny little white specks that were once in my nose!

I can definitely see myself getting addicted to these things again, and thankfully I have another strip in this pack to use. I can't find a price online for this 2 pack but Pink Parcel give a recommended retail price of £10 which sounds a touch steep. If you go direct to May Beauty though you can buy a pack of 12 for £17.

Joe & Seph's Toffee Apple & Cinnamon Popcorn - 7g Bag 

I love popcorn, be it hot and buttery from the cinema, from packets I've popped in the microwave and hot and fresh from my popcorn maker. You can buy bags of sweet and savoury popcorn pretty much anywhere now but in my opinion their aren't many brands that come close to Joe & Seph's - in their case, you really do get what you pay for. 

They do a huge range of amazing flavours, using good quality ingredients and you don't get any of those little bits floating around in the bottom of the bag. Some of their caramel flavours in particular have really stole my heart but the apple and cinnamon is a nice change. It really is a taste sensation combining toffee, apples and cinnamon, basically apple pie and toffee in one bite. I can't find a price for this particular size but the 80g size retails at around £4 directly from Joe & Seph's.

Teapigs Snooze Sleepy Tea - 1 x 3g Tea Temple

Finally the customary hot drink, and July's box included a tea bag from one of my favourite artisan tea, and infusion brands Teapigs.

Packed in a biodegradable mesh tea temple, instead of a conventional tea bag, you don't get any dust with Teapigs you only get whole pieces of fruit and spices, and leaves. and this particular bag just contains apple pieces, chamomile flowers, and lavender flowers. This caffeine brand is designed to be drank before bed and it's designed to encourage and aid sleep. I'm a bit scared of lavender in food but as someone who struggles with their sleep I'm definitely going to give this a try. Teapigs teas and infusions are available from various retailers, and this particular product is also available directly from Teapigs, where 2 tea temples have a recommended retail price of £1.75, so this bag essentially retails at 88p. You can also pay a packet of 15 bags from £3.99.

Now as per usual I've seen a bit of criticism about this box, but personally I can't find any real problem with it. The value is definitely there and the products inside are all decent, and as you've probably already realised I'm a bit of a fan of both the STYLondon Banana Setting Powder and the Dr Botanicals mask. I definitely think the boxes are more beauty orientated than they used to be but I'm okay with that - if you aren't don't subscribe or cancel it really is that simple. The majority of subscription boxes are a risk, and thankfully for my July's Pink Parcel was a risk that paid off. Let me know your thoughts on this box in the comments and don't forget to check out Pink Parcel to find out more and don't forget to use my referral code PPLT2153 if you subscribe.

*This Post Contains Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Unboxing Pink Parcel - March 2019 Edition - Spring Clean Edit*

Well it's that time of the month again, you know the one, sleepy, pained, and craving chocolate time - great just what I needed, but since I'm trying to have a more positive outlook on life, that time of the month also mean that it's Pink Parcel time.

Maybe it's because I'm a bit down and a bit grouchy at the moment but this box didn't bring the joy that I'd hoped. I've never done this before but after receiving the box I had a few, not exactly complaints but a few concerns that I needed addressing. When you've sung the praises of something and recommended it to as many people as what I have, you feel responsible I guess, and I felt that I needed to share a few of my concerns with Pink Parcel - They responded and they've apologised and they've taken my comments on board and promised changes. I'm pleased with their response and we'll just have to see what if anything changes in the months to come.

Like February's box , March's box is the new compact, brighter and fresher version, the box is noticeably smaller than it used to be and as a result the contents has changed, instead of the 3 boxes and one pouch, you know only get two boxes and one pouch. I know I mentioned last month that I'd received a mixture of brands and a few less pads than I had done in previous months, and this was something that unfortunately continued on in to March's box. Last month I received 25 pads of varying absorbency's, and 5 pantie liners, but this month I only got 23 items in total, and I only received 5 "normal" pads! Now Pink Parcel have apologised and offered to send me some more products if I needed them, thankfully I have plenty spare, so I didn't take them up on their offer. Apparently the new compact box is to blame, and we should be receiving slightly fewer items than normal but there should still be enough. They are going to look into this though and hopefully brands and amounts should be sorted in the next month or so.

As I said last month I don't mind the mixture of brands but if you're not receiving enough products to last your period then it kind of makes the whole box a bit pointless. Fingers crossed that this issue get sorted out sooner rather than later.

Anyway as much as I love Pink Parcel, for the convenience of having sanitary products delivered to my door, it's the the little "Wants" box that I really look forward to. This month it's the Spring Clean Edit, and it's all about cleaning out the beauty cupboard, and introducing some cleaner ingredients into our beauty routines. Sounds good? and by and large it's a good one this month but I again I was left feeling a little bit disappointed. Why? well out of the 8 items in the "Wants' box I've had 5 of them before in previous Pink Parcels. I can't complain about the quality of the products but like January's box most it all felt like a bit of an afterthought, Am I being too harsh? Let's see...

Dr. Botanicals Cr Charcoal Superfood Mattifying Face Mask - 30ml - Travel Size - £12

Now the first item in the box, thankfully was one that I hadn't tried before. Each box contained 1 of 3 products from Dr Botanicals, Since I already tried the other options of the exfoliating body bar, and the rose facial oil, I was really pleased to receive something different.

Dr. Botanicals are a UK based natural skincare brand, that are PETA certified, and are vegan, and toxin and paraben free. Containing active charcoal powder to buff away the dead skin cells, this mask also contains shea butter, sweet almond and grape seed oil, jojoba and sunflower seed wax to nourish, and hydrate the skin, and to leave a smoother, even, and more mattified complexion. 

I do love a face mask and since my skin is pretty oily, I thought I'd give this a go straight away. Now given my all be it limited experience of the brand I thought that this would smell amazing, unfortunately it didn't - it had quite an oily scent, you could definitely smell the sunflower oil! I also expected it to have a thick clay mask type texture, but it actually felt more like a cream mask feel. It was pretty easy to apply but the key is to apply a thin even layer. After applying it to cleansed skin you then left it for 5 -10 minute, there was a slight warming sensation but it wasn't uncomfortable or irritating. If you aren't a fan of masks that dry hard, and crack then this one might be worth a try, it didn't crack, set solid or feel uncomfortable, it just seemed to set particularly in areas where it was applied more thinly. I used a muslin cloth and warm water, and washed it off in circular motions, at this point I could feel a slight grittiness to the mask but it was easy to remove and it didn't cause any irritation. My skin was left looking slightly pink but it felt very clean and hydrated. As time progressed my skin just got softer, and softer, it looked and felt moisturised, and my skin looked fresher and more even. Did my oiliness disappear? Well no not really but my skin definitely felt and looked better. I've used this mask about 3 times now and my skin definitely looks a lot clearer.

Despite the creature from the black lagoon impression, the first item in the box was a huge win as far as I'm concerned. I'm not the biggest fan of the scent, and I'm not sure my flannels or muslin cloths will ever full recover, but I can see a definite improvement in my skin so I'm going to keep using, and then "I may" even consider repurchasing - high praise indeed! This is a generous travel size which retails at £12 from various retailers including Beauty Expert, and Look Fantastic.

Phase Zero Make Up Shimmer Eye Shadow - Mush-a-boom - 1.8g - Full Size - RRP £3.50

Next up another new item, and it was a make item. I'm always pleased to see a make up item in a subscription box, and especially an item from a new to me brand. I don't know too much about Phase Zero but from what I can gather they are cruelty free seem to be associated with former subscription box site Love Me Beauty. I've had a little look at the range online and it seems to be pretty affordable and they seem to have some nice looking products.

March's Pink Parcel contained an eyeshadow from the range in one of two formulations, and the one I received was one of their shimmer eye shadows in the shade Mush-a-boom.

It's a loose pan shadow, and the Love Me Beauty site sell palettes to store your shadows in but if you have a MAC palette with a spare slot like I have, stick a magnet on the back and you're good to go, if not it should be safe enough in the moulded plastic packaging.

The colour I received is the fabulously names Mush-a-boom, which describes it perfectly. It's one of those gorgeous mushroomy, silvery taupe shades. If you love shades like MAC Satin Taupe or even  Smoke And Diamonds, then you'll love this, and I love this! The shade is so, so wearable, and it feels absolutely gorgeous, smooth, creamy, velvety and very pigmented.

Not the best picture of it on my face as per usual, but it's a dream shadow to work with it applies really easily and it's easy to blend, a touch of fall out but nothing to serious. Obviously you can team this up with other shades but I've been wearing it on it's own for the last week and for the price I am so impressed with the feel and the wear time. I'm definitely going to be having a closer look at this brand in the near future. If you fancy trying this shadow out (seriously why wouldn't you), then you can buy it directly from the Love Me Beauty website.

Skin Chemists London Rose Quartz Youth Defence Lip Plump - 8ml - Full Size - RRP £29.99

Next an item that appeared in the September 2018 edition of Pink Parcel (watch my unboxing here), and I'm not going to lie it's something that I'd completely forgotten about!

From a UK based brand with over 50 years of skincare research and knowledge, this product promises a fuller lip, without the pain. Designed to hydrate the lips and boost fullness, it's a lip gloss, a lip plumper, and a balm all in one. 

It contains Volulip a unique ingredients that is designed to stimulate the production of Hyaluronic Acid, which has a plumping effect and peppermint oil to boost circulation.

With a sponge, doe foot applicator, it has an almost liquidy, balm like, gloss texture. The first thing you notice though when you open the tube is the scent, and ultimately the taste, it has really distinctive smell and taste that reminds me a bit of peppermint mixed with Germolene or any other antiseptic - not great but it would certainly hide it if your breath didn't smell too sweet!

As you would expect from a lip plumper you do experience a little bit of a tingling sensation but it isn't too much and unlike some products it certainly isn't painful. It looks like a translucent pink in the tube but it hardly adds any colour to the lips themselves. 

I don't know if I can see too much change in the volume of my lips but what I can see if a really pretty slightly glossy. my lips but better look. It has the look of a gloss but with a bit more hydration and hardly any stickiness. Obviously you could wear this over a lip colour but personally I like it on it's own, and even though I already owned this, I am pretty pleased to have rediscovered it thanks to March's Pink Parcel

What's In It For Me Body Cleanser - 50ml

From September to October and an item that I received in October's Pink Parcel (click here to watch my unboxing) x Again I don't know too much about this brand but from what I'm managed to find out, What's In It For Me is part of the Anatomicals stable.

This shower gel promises to enliven and invigorate and contains aloe Vera, witch hazel, grapefruit, peppermint and rosemary. 

I'm not big on morning shower, so I normally stay away from invigorating scents but I thought I give this ago and have a nice shower to try and wake myself up a bit! If you love citrus scents but you want something a little bit different I'd definitely recommend that you give this a go. There is no orange or lemon in it, instead you get a huge hit of citrusy, tangy grapefruit! I'm not a fan of eating grapefruit, and a bit of the juice mixed up with a bit of vodka is about all that I can manage but I do love the smell of it, and this stuff smelled pretty good! I can't find this particular size anywhere online but you can buy the full 250ml size from various retailers including Fragrance Direct. 

Magnitone Wipe Out The Amazing Microfibre Cleansing Cloth - Est. RRP £7.50

Next up something that I've tried quite a few times already, from July 2018's Pink Parcel, and from the 2017 Look Fantastic advent calendar, the pretty fabulous Magnitone cleansing cloth.

The idea is pretty simple, but very clever, these cloths remove make up with just water, no cleanser, no balms or creams, just warm water! I have no idea how they work but they do, and if you want to remove your make up in a greener way then these cloths could be something to try. They are machine washable, and reusable. These cloths retail at around £14.99 for a pack of 2, so I would estimate the price of this cloth at around £7.50,

Bandzee Suffragettes Edition Hair Bands - Full Size - £6.95

Now apparently this is a bonus item,  read into that what you will,  did they have some leftover from June's box when they first appeared? Who knows but the product is decent and their message is an important one.

Basically Bandzees are gentle, no snag, no break, elastic hair ties, made from the same type of elastic that goes in your undies! I've had a few sets of these now and whilst I prefer a tighter ponytail for daytime, I love these for sleeping in they are really comfortable to wear, they don't knot the hair, and you can also use them as wristbands.

This was a limited edition set that celebrated the anniversary of Women's suffrage in the UK. I can't find this particular set online anymore but the Pink Shop sells sets of plain Bandzee's for £6.95

Squirrel Sisters Natural Energy Bar - Raspberry Ripple - 2 x 20g - Full Size - Est. RRP £1.20 - £2.49

You always get something to eat in every Pink Parcel, and whilst I was initially disappointed at the lack of chocolate, these certainly hit the spot.

Founded by two sisters, Squirrel Sisters is a health and wellness company that produces yummy treats like this. Containing dates, sultanas, cashew nuts, almonds, goji berries, and raspberry powder, the packets contains two chewy, nutty and fruity bars, that are raw, vegan, gluten free, and contain no added sugar.

Bars like this are never the most appetising things to look at but the taste more than made for it. Packed in a squirrel designed, cardboard tray, the packet contained 2 soft yet dense fruit and nut bars. They weren't too sweet and they just tasted really natural, you could taste the nuts and the sweetness and tartness of the fruit. They were really good and unlike a lot of snacks they were really filling. You can buy these in packs of 16 from the Squirrel Sisters website, and you also buy individual bars from various retailers including Morrisons, Ocado, Amazon, and Holland and Barrett x My advice though would be to shop around I've a found a huge variation on prices on these x They are currently on offer in Morrisons for just £1 if you fancy giving them a try.

Lyons No.3 Rich & Full Bodied - 100% Fresh Ground Coffee In A Bag - 1 x Bag

Finally the tea bag or in this case the coffee bag. Now I've definitely had one of these in a box before but surprise, surprise it wasn't me that used it! The idea is brilliant though instead of tea, your bag contains ground coffee, simply brew as normal and you get a steaming cup of fresh coffee. If I put this in the kitchen I may never see it again, so I think I'll keep it safe so I can give it a go. I've had a look online and I can only find these on Amazon where 18 bags retails at around £7.97.

Okay, on reflection I probably was a touch harsh, yes I received fewer sanitary products, and a lot of the products were repeats but the value was certainly there and the products inside were decent and I've definitely discover a few new loves. People and companies make mistakes, but it's how they put them right that matters, I've brought up a few concerns with Pink Parcel, and hopefully they'll take those concerns on board and make things better, they've already told me that April's box will be their best ever so I guess we'll have to wait and see x Let me know your thoughts on this box in the comments and don't forget to check the Pink Parcel website for more information x 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links