A Piercing, A Passing, A Primark Fail, And Pain! - 2 Weeks In LouLouLand

Hey peeps, it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, and what a few weeks they've been! I had every intention of posting sooner but with the events of the last week or so it's been a bit of a balancing act for some of us on social media, wondering whether it's okay to post or whether or not some people might see it as being a bit disrespectful. It all depends on your view of the monarchy I guess - To be honest I'm not a huge fan of the whole institution, and the pomp, and inequality of it all, but even I've shed the odd tear or two. I can completely understand people being indifferent or critical but for me that doesn't mean that you can't be respectful, the same way you should be if anyone has lost a loved one. Thankfully though today a sense of normality seems to have returned and it was nice to see the news readers wearing cheery colours this morning and long may that continue.

Anyways apart from that I've actually had quite a busy couple of weeks. After cancelling god knows how many times, on Monday 5th September I actually made it to the Metro Centre for the first time since December 2021!!

Unlike some people I know, I wasn't there every week, I only ever went to real shops about once a month, but an unenforced 9 month absence is something of a record even for me! It's been a crappy year health wise for both me and Mummy Lou, and it seemed like every time I was well enough to go she wasn't, and vice versa. Finally though the stars aligned and I made a trip to one of my spiritual homes.

I had two main reasons for going  - number 1 to get a birthday pressie for Mummy Lou, and number 2, to spend some of my own birthday money on something that I'd wanted for a long, long time..

No, I didn't get a tattoo, I got a piercing! After debating it for a long. long time, I eventually took the plunge and got my left daith pierced by the lovely Kelly at Doc Black Ink.

I'd been fancying another piercing for quite a while, and I loved the look, and slightly secretive aspect of the daith piercing, and even although there doesn't seem to be a lot of solid evidence, I was also intrigued by the fact that some people find that it helps with headaches and migraines, however I had once been told by someone else that my daith was just too small and tight to pierce, so I decided to pop into the shop, and get a second opinion.

After speaking to someone on the reception desk, and talking to Kelly, she said it should be fine to do, and it was, it was a touch awkward but she was skilled enough to do it without any problems, just one thing though when a piercer tells you that the process might be "a bit nippy" what they're probably trying to tell you is that it might hurt a bit, and I'm not going to lie, it did!

It was a combination of stinging and pressure, and it continued to throb for a good 24 hours or so afterwards, and even the slightest touch maybe me want to jump through the roof, thankfully though (touch wood) just over two weeks later now the pain has pretty much gone, and whilst I still can't sleep on it till it's fully healed, or wear ear pods (I've bought some cheap wireless headphones from Poundland that are actually pretty impressive!), so far so good. My ear seems a touch dry and flaky in patches, but I'm keeping it clean with saline spray, and looking after it so fingers crossed in 6 months or so, it will all be nicely healed and I can start buying some pretty jewellery for it!

I honestly can't recommend Doc Black Ink highly enough, they're are really convenient (they are upstairs in yellow mall opposite Primark), you don't need an appointment for piercings, it was really clean and hygienic, and all of the staff were really nice, and Kelly especially did a really good job of putting me at ease and making sure I was okay, so much so in fact that I'm already planning my next piercing or two, maybe another upper lobe / cartilage piercing, or maybe a helix? Let me know what you think I should get in the comments, and I'd also love your recommendations for places to buy nice daith jewellery x 

I went for my piercing straight away, and thankfully I was okay enough to do a bit of shopping afterwards. I picked up a few things for my mams birthday, and then I headed to another one of my happy places, Primark, and do you know what lovely readers, I left feeling pretty disappointed!

Maybe I just didn't really need anything but it was just an unsuccessful trip all round, the little people hadn't gone back to school so it was still stupidly busy and I'm being serious when I say there was virtually nothing in the entire store over a size 16! Just racks upon racks of 8's, 10's, 12's XS, S, and M's! Talk about a confidence destroyer! I saw a few things I liked but finding anything that I liked enough to buy in my size proved to be an impossible task, so I only ended up spending a massive £13.50, and that included £3 on a t-shirt for Mummy Lou! Disappointing but I thought I'd share my buys with you anyways.

Yes, I had to do it, I continued the ear theme of the day by picking up a set of 6 pairs of celestial style earrings for £3.50. The set contained 3 pairs of studs, including a pair of clear crystal like stars, a pair of plain circular blue crystal studs, and pair of gold tone triangle shaped dots. The set also included 3 hoop style dangly pairs including a pair with beads and blue crystal detail stars, a pair of crystal hoops with beads, and moons, and a pair of plain hoops (which can also be worn alone) with a chain and a star plaque charm.

If you can wear cheaper earrings then to be honest you can't go past Primark. The jewellery section didn't really wow me this time around but I absolutely love sets of earrings like this because if you have multiple piercings it really takes the effort out of deciding what to wear, and who doesn't love moons and stars, just don't try and pierce your eyes with them! I've recently got lost in piercing Tik Tok and I can't believe there are people out there who try and pierce their own ears with Primark earrings! eeek!

The next thing that I bought it something again that I'd wanted for a long time. I used to have one of these years ago but alas it got into a fight with a cat and lost, no I'm not going to say how lol but I'd meant to replace it and I'd just never got round to it.

These things really are a godsend for some many reasons, first up they help you keep your bag more organised, fill it up, pop the things that you reach for most into the pockets, attach your keys to the lanyard, and because of the light colour you can find what ever you want straight away in even the darkest and deepest of bags.

If you're a handbag junkie like me, handbag organisers also make it really easy to move the contents of your bag from one bag to another. I do like to switch my bags up depending on my outfit or mood, and this makes the job so much easier just move the organiser from one bag to another, and you're good to go. This is actually a pretty decent size so if you use smaller bags then it probably wouldn't really work for you, but personally I love a good tote bag, so this one is currently entrenched in my Coach Chelsea Hobo with room to spare.

Finally I had a look through the beauty section, and again nothing really stood out but I did manage to pick up 3 beauty products, and 2 of these were reduced! First up a hair brush, and not just any hair brush, it's a Care Bear hairbrush! It's hard to believe but it's been 40 years since the Care Bears were first introduced, and when I was tiny (ok and maybe still now!) I was obsessed with the Care Bears, I had lots of cuddly bears, the wallpaper, the duvet set, the books, and countless rubber and plastic bears - I loved them! In fact I think I still have some of my collection packed away. 

I was and still am a huge fan, and I've bought quite a few bits to celebrate their 40th anniversary including some jewellery and t-shirts from Shein, but alas I think I missed out on most of Primark's offerings but I did manage to get this Cheer Bear paddle brush that was reduced to just £2.

Sticking with both the reduced and har care theme I also picked up this hair care kit from their Paradiso range that was reduced from £6 to just £3.

The kit included a gorgeous orange and pink marbleised tropical leaf design tangle teezer, wet brush style detangling brush. I have quite a few of these but they never come in wrong as they also make quite good cat brushes, and this is a particular pretty one.

The main reason that I bought this set though was from the hair mask, I am slightly obsessed with hair masks and I'm always on the look out for new ones. Packaged in an Ojon, Sol De Janeiro style tub, this one contains argan oil, as well as jojoba and coconut oil. I've got to be honest and say that on opening the tub I wasn't that impressed, I haven't tried it yet but it just resembles more of a thicker, fresh smelling conditioner rather than having a proper thick mask like texture, but you've never know appearances can be deceptive and it might surprise me, I'll let you know my thoughts in a future empties post x 

The final item that I picked up is something that you've seen before although not in this packaging or under this name. Understandably since I was last in Primark lots of things have changed and that included my favourite tea tree wipes, which are now named Clear + Cool Facial Cleansing Wipes. They are still biodegradable though, they are still just £1 for 2 packs and they still smell the same so it's just the name and packaging that seems to have changed. I don't really use these on my face i just use them as a general freshening wipe and here's a tip, if your NARS rubberised packaging has gone sticky, then these wipes are great for removing the sticky rubber, which is actually pretty scary when you think about it!

Whilst the Primark trip was a bit of a fail, I did manage to get my piercing, and my mams birthday pressie, and I enjoyed a normal shopping trip, which was something that I'd really missed. 

In the days that followed Mummy Lou had a nice birthday and although I had to cancel one family visit, I did manage to see some family members before the pain and exhaustion kicked in again and painkillers once again became my best friend. Alas that's the trade off anyone with chronic illness has, do something fun, good or even something that's considered normal and spend days recovering, that's just the way it is! Thankfully I'm now feeling a little bit more with it so I should hopefully be able to get another post or two up in the next week or so, including a long promised empties post x 

Thanks again for sticking with me and don't forget to leave me your piercing and jewellery recommendations and of course any questions that you have on my daith piercing or on my Primark haul x Thanks for reading and I'll see you soon x 

Collaborative / Partnered Post - Ways To Restore Your Hair To Its Crowning Glory*

Even though I'm not the biggest fan of having my photograph taken, I grew with a dad, who was a very passionate amateur photographer, so needless to say there are hundreds and hundreds of photos of little Louise! I often look through those photos, and the one positive thing that I always end up focusing on is my beautiful hair. It was long, just a tiny bit wavy, and super healthy! so what happened?

Well illness, and no doubt colouring, perming, and heat styling have all played their part, and whilst it can look okay sometimes, I still lose way more strands than I would like, and more often than not, it looks like a wavy, tangly hedge!

Sadly it’s not that uncommon for people to feel negative about their hair and how it looks, and feels. If you're having more bad hair days than good hair days, then it's probably down to the strength and overall health of your hair. Don't despair though if you're dealing with strands that just don't do what you want, or look the way you want, then there are some things that you can do to get your hair back in shape, and to make it healthy as it can be.

Don’t Expose Your Hair to Too Much Heat

This first one is pretty obvious, I don't know many people (both guys and girls!) that don't own at least a hairdryer and maybe a set of straighteners, or curlers! Whilst appliances now are way less damaging than they used to be (sticking your tongs in the fire anyone!), and there are now numerous products out there to protect your hair from heat styling, exposing your hair to too much heat can severely damage it and prevent you from being able to keep it healthy and looking how you want it to look going forward. You see those little flyaways that you get in the mid lengths and around your hairline? Breakage because of an obsession with hair straighteners!

I'm not telling you to give up your hair styling products completely, but do what I do now and try to use them a bit more sparingly, you really don't need to straighten your hair everyday, try have a few days off a week, let your hair dry naturally every now and then, and if you must use heat tools, try turning the temperature down a bit. Oh and whilst we're talking about heat, don't wash your hair in really hot water as that too can damage your hair, I'm not saying you have to end your shower with a cold rinse, just turn that heat down a bit for your hair wash at least!

Eat a More Balanced Diet

Another obvious one but you are what you eat and if you eat a healthy diet, then you should feel the benefits in all kinds of ways. Your body and your hair will certainly thank you and you’ll get the nutrients you require into your system as well. It’s as simple as that. So make sure that you’re always doing what you can to keep your diet as healthy and balanced as it can be with all of the major food groups, vitamins and nutrients covered. I'm not saying count calories, or deny yourself the food or drink that you love, just try to cover your food groups, and make sure your getting all your vitamins, and don't forget there are loads of specialised hair vitamins out there and multivitamins out there if you fancy giving them a try.

Leave Time for Hair Masks

I've reviewed a lot of hair products over the years, and as well as finishing products, shampoos and conditioners, I've also talked about and loved a lot of hair masks and deep conditioning treatments.

Washing and conditioning your hair is obviously something that’s very important but if your hair needs a bit of extra help then trying to integrate an intensive treatment or hair mask into your routine. Hair masks and the like can really help to repair and moisturise your hair in a way that regular shampooing and conditioning can't. There are loads of products out there that address all different types of concerns so have a little look at my Beauty Product Directory and all of my Trimming My Stash posts to find out more about some of my favourites, and some of the products that I've tried x

Explore the Benefits of Hair Transplants

I must admit I do tend to neglect the boys a bit on this blog, but this tip is especially for you. I think now more than ever, probably with the emergence of social media, and reality tv, men are now under the same pressure as women to look good, and they have their own set of insecurities, be that abs, or that perfectly natural thing, hair loss. If you’re a man who’s experienced male pattern balding there isn't a quick fix - obviously you can embrace it, there are loads of hot male celebs with little are no hair so there are some amazing role models out there but if you want to do something about it then that's fine too. and there are several things out there that you can look into . Hair transplants are more successful than ever before and the results can be very impressive. Be sure to check out these before and after pictures of hair transplants if it’s something you’re interested in and what to learn more about

Shield it From the Sun

Over the last couple of years, or so, most of us have probably haven't seen the sun that much, but with things hopefully getting back to 'normal', we can now start dreaming again of sunny beaches, and city breaks. Yes we probably all need that Vitamin D again but the sun can cause serious damage to your hair, especially if it's already coloured or over processed The more steps you take to keep your hair covered when the sun is out the better, so grab yourself a funky bandana, or a big straw hat, and a UV hair protector spray before you hit that beach or even that beer garden. It might not seem as important as protecting your skin, but your hair can get damaged as well over time if it’s exposed to UV rays so if you really want your hair to be your crowning glory then you should keep your sun exposure to minimum.

Hopefully putting some of these tips into practise will help bring back those good hair days, but if you're still struggling than maybe have a word with your GP, as some illnesses can lead to problems with your hair, and of course have a chat with your hairdresser, sometimes all you might need is a good cut and a pamper session to get you back on track x Wishing you many Happy Hair Days ! Now where's my Elasticizer...

*Collaborative / Partnered Post

Trimming My Stash - June 2020 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

So here we are, we're now more than half way through 2020, and I can safely say that for the majority of us, it's been a weird one.

Although changes are still afoot with face masks becoming compulsory in shops in England this week (why wait so long? surely we should have been wearing masks from the beginning, very odd!), at last things are starting to look and feel a bit more normal. 

I had my hair done on Thursday (you cans see some before and after pics below) and I also managed to have a long overdue eye test on Saturday, and whilst I still don't feel like going to a city or busy shopping centre, the whole concept of going outside again is starting to feel normal again and I am starting to get out and about a bit more.

Before

After 

Even when everything else goes belly up though you can still rely on me for my regular empties posts, even if they haven't exactly been posted on time so far this year.

Marks and Spencer M&S Beauty Floral Collection Rose Moisture Rich Hand Wash - 50ml
Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner - 100ml**
Oh K! SOS Skin Calming Dalmatian Print Sheet Mask With Charcoal And White Tea - 1 x 23ml Sheet Mask
The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Softening Body Butter - 200ml
AVON Nail Experts Nail Moisture Mask - 30ml
Cussons Carex Fun Edition Antibacterial Hand Wash - Mr Bump - Tutti Frutti - 250ml
Hask Orchid & White Truffle Moisture Rich Deep Conditioner - 50g
L'Occitane Honey And Lemon Hand Cream - 75ml
Primark PS...Nail & Cuticle Oil Nourishing Treatment - 11ml

Total - 9 Items 

After a slight blip in May, I managed to pull it around in June, to have my most successful month of 2020 so far. I managed to finish 9 beauty products, unfortunately it was another make up free month, but I did manage to finish a nice mix of products including a couple of skincare items, lots of hand and nail bits, a body product and a haircare product, so all in all a pretty decent month.

1. M&S Beauty Floral Collection Rose Moisture Rich Hand Wash - 50ml

First up a hand wash, and this is the first of two hand washes, and numerous hand and nail products that I managed to finish in June. This hand wash is from Marks and Spencer Floral Collection, and it something that I received in a gift set a couple of years ago now. There isn't a lot of information on the packaging but according to the Marks and Spencer website, this product is both cruelty free and suitable for vegans, and it contains both shea butter and rosa centifolia extract.

It had a thin, gel like formulation that turned into a non drying, gentle foam when it was mixed with water. Due to the inclusion of real rose extract, it had a subtle green based, true to life rose scent. The scent was a touch old fashioned but it was still a very nice product to use. The packaging on this one does appear to have changed slightly but the product inside appears to be the same. Marks and Spencer still sell the same set that I got which contains a 50ml hand wash and a 50ml hand lotion for £5, and they also sell a larger 250ml size of the hand wash which retails at £3.50.

2. Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner - 100ml**

This next item was a skin product that I was sent for review from natural beauty site My Pure. You can read my original review from August 2014 here. I recently rediscovered this product in a forgotten toiletry bag and since it still smelled okay, and since there was so little left in the bottle I decided to finish it off. 

Trilogy are a New Zealand based ethical, natural, and organic skin care company. Containing aloe vera, geranium, lavender, and other rare flower waters, this product is deiced to hydrate, tone and revitalise the skin. There are so many reasons why I love this product from the gentle floral scent, to the brown frosted glass bottle to the fresh cooling and soothing effect it has on the skin. It's perfect for all year round skin toning and refreshening but thanks to the aloe vera content it's perfect after a day in the sun and it's even okay to use after hair removal. I have a lot of toners to use up but it is something that I would definitely consider repurchasing. As well as My Pure, it's also available for around £18.50 from various other retailers including direct from Trilogy, Feel Unique, and Look Fantastic.

3. Oh K! SOS Skin Calming Dalmatian Print Sheet Mask With Charcoal And White Tea - 1 x 23ml Sheet Mask

The next item is a skincare product and it's something that you might have seen in my previous post. This sheet mask from Oh K! came in the May 2020 edition of Glossybox UK, it's in a Dalmatian print design and it contained white tea, tea tree, gingko biloba and charcoal powder.

It looked a little bit scary on and not as cute as I'd hoped but it was nice and cooling and refreshing on the skin and it's something that I would definitely consider repurchasing. Price varies on this one between £2.50 and around £5, and it's available for a quite a number of retailers including direct from Oh K! and also from Feel Unique, Beauty Bay, and Look Fantastic.

4. The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Softening Body Butter - 200ml

It isn't exactly the season for all things pumpkin at the moment, but can you tell the weather that? You talk about changeable - one day it's warm and the next day it's freezing, I'm a typical Brit but you really can't win with the weather at the moment. Something that is always a winner though is a body butter from The Body Shop. I've been a huge fan of them since they were launched, and this one just so happens to be one of newest favourites.

Alas it's only usually in store from around September to October / November time but if it comes back this year I'm definitely going to be picking up a few for my stash.

Containing shea butter, sesame seed oil, cocoa butter, madagascan vanilla extract and pumpkin, this body butter has a lovely creamy texture, that does take a little while to sink in but it leaves the skin feeling silky soft, and smelling delicious. If you aren't a fan of traditional pumpkin spice fragrances that can often be too cinnamon, ginger and clove heavy, then this is a nice alternative with a sweet, and creamy vanilla scent, with just a hint of fruit and spice (Have a read of this post to find out more about it x). I love, love, love this fragrance, I have a little bit of shower gel left and then I am officially out of my vanilla pumpkin fix - fingers crossed it makes another appearance this year x

5. AVON Nail Experts Nail Moisture Mask - 30ml

Next up another hand product, and this time it's something from AVON. Designed to smooth, and hydrate the hands, and to help prevent a build up of rough and dry skin, this cream contained cocoa, shea and mango butters.

This was basically a lilac coloured, hand cream, with a fresh almost aquatic, cucumber like scent. The instructions said just to massage into the hands and nails and to apply cotton gloves and leave them on overnight for the best results. I found that it took around 20 minutes to soak in, at first it felt slightly tacky but that feeling gradually went away leaving the skin soft, and smooth.

I've got to say that I expected a little bit more from this product. The texture wasn't as thick as I was expecting, and it was definitely had more of a hand cream like feel rather than something hard working, intensive and mask like. It was okay but I probably wouldn't repurchase. I'm not sure whether or not this this product has actually been discontinued - I can't find it online, and it isn't in the latest AVON brochure that I have either (Campaign 11 July 2020). If you fancy giving it a go though, there are a few floating around on eBay UK and who knows it may appear in a future catalogue.

6. Cussons Carex Fun Edition Antibacterial Hand Wash - Mr Bump - Tutti Frutti - 250ml

I've tried quite a few of the hand washes from the Cussons Carex Fun range now, including Love Hearts, and Mr Tickle Sherbet Lemon and whilst I've liked them all, this Mr Bump Tutti Frutti one is by far my favourite, and that isn't just because I used to be so clumsy that my mam used to call me Miss Bump!

It has all of the antibacterial properties that you'd expect from Carex, all bundled up in a lovely fruity scented, pale pearlised blue gel. As well as its mouthwatering aroma, it also produced a lovely gentle foam that left the hands feeling squeaky clean but not dry or stripped.

I originally bought this particular hand wash quite a while ago now in Poundland. Finding specific hand washes still seems to be nigh on impossible at the moment but last time I checked this particular one was available on Superdrug online.

7. Hask Orchid & White Truffle Moisture Rich Deep Conditioner - 50g

The next product was another Glossybox item, and I received this on in the April 2020 box. You can read a full review of this Hask mask here, but in short I liked it, the smell was quite strong, but it left my hair feeling detangled, soft and sleek. Unfortunately it isn't the easiest of products to get hold of but in my opinion it's one worth tracking down if you can x

8. L'Occitane Honey And Lemon Hand Cream - 75ml

I try not to use the word hate too often, but I really, really don't like honey! I suffered from a lot of sore throats as a child, and since one of my uncles used to keep bees, my mam always had a ready supply of honey to add to hot orange squash to soothe my throat.

It is really good for you but I just can't stand the sickly sweet scent and taste. I can just about manage it in salad dressings, and in Toblerone's but I'm never going to be one of those people that can eat it by the spoonful. You'll probably find it a bit strange then that 2 of my favourite hand creams of all time contain honey!

Originally released in 2007, this shea butter based hand cream contains honey from Provence, and real fresh lemon extract. It had a lovely thick and creamy texture, and with it's slight yellow colour it was almost custard like. It took a little while to absorb but it left my hands feeling silky smooth and protected. From what I gather when it comes to the scent this product had one of those love it or loathe it type fragrances, but despite my hatred for honey it was a scent that I fell in love with.

It was quite a strong scent but in my opinion it wasn't an out and out honey scent, instead for me it had a warm and comforting, slightly sweet scent with just a touch of zesty lemon. My grandma always used to have a packet of honey and lemon Lockets on her bedside table, and this scent in someways reminded me of her.

Alas the entire honey and lemon range was discontinued a few years ago now, I stocked up on this hand cream before it disappeared, and I think I might have another one somewhere - fingers crossed anyways! If you like the idea of the honey and citrus mix though, then just a quick heads up to keep an eye out for next months trimming my stash post because I'm on the verge of finishing something you just might like ;)

9. Primark PS...Nail & Cuticle Oil Nourishing Treatment - 11ml

Finally another hand and nail based product, and it's a cuticle oil from Primark. I posted a full review of this product way back in December 2019 which you can read here. Basically for the price it's a pretty decent product, it moisturising, it soaks in and it has a pleasant vanilla / coconut based scent.

I haven't been to Primark since December and as much as I'd love to go, as I said before the idea of going to a big city or an enclosed shopping centre doesn't really appeal at the moment. Despite that, and the fact that I have a few different cuticle products to use up, I would definitely consider repurchasing this particular product on my next Primark trip, whenever that may be!

So they were my June empties, it was my best month of the year so far, and I finished a few nice products so overall I'm pretty happy. Fingers crossed though that I can equal or even better June's total in July. If you have any questions on any of the products that I mentioned in this post then please leave me a comment and let me know, and I'll see you soon with my thoughts on the June edition of Glossybox UK.

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links
**Press Sample

A Late Unboxing Of Glossybox UK - April 2020 Edition - Blossom, And A Nails Of The Day*

Hi guys, I hope you've all had a good weekend x I've got another unboxing post for you today, and today I'm unboxing the April 2020 edition of Glossybox UK.

I have to admit that I was a little bit disappointed when the traditional pink and black box turned up on my doorstep. I really love getting my Glossybox every month but to coincide with the Blossom theme of April's box I was hoping to receive a lovely floral designed box but alas it was just the traditional pink and black box with pink tissue paper, and black paper shred, all tied together with a black ribbon. 

Ah well, at least the information leaflet in its gorgeous, pastel floral design, lived up to my flowery expectations. The purpose of the information booklet as per usual was to tell you just exactly what's in the box (more on that later), and it's also there to tell you a little bit more about the box theme.

The theme of April's box was obviously Blossom, and the box contained 5 products designed to help you "bloom into a beautiful flower" including floral scented skincare, lip care that's full of botanical extracts, and perfectly seasonal pastel coloured cosmetics.

Nails Inc Nail Polish  - Blossom Kisses - 14ml - Full Size - Est. RRP £11 

Speaking of pastel coloured cosmetics, the first item in the box was a full sized Nails Inc nail polish in the shade Blossom Kisses.

Pink is one of the classic nail polish shades and Blossom Kisses is a gorgeous slightly dusky, cool toned pink shade. There is no shimmer, and no sparkle it's just a classic cream polish.

As per usual with full sized Nails Inc polishes, Blossom Kisses, has a lovely, wide, slightly curved brush. Perfect designed to fit to the contours of the cuticle, depending on the width of your nails, you can paint most nails in just one swipe. I have chunky fingers but quite slim nails, so the brush is actually slightly wider than my pinkie finger, so I did need to be a little bit careful with my application technique on that one.

I own a lot of Nails Inc polishes, and I did actually find this polish a little thicker and gloopier than normal. The coverage even after 1 coat was pretty decent, you could still see the odd brush stroke but it was pretty self levelling. With careful application I probably could have got away with just one coat on most nails but in these pictures I'm wearing two coats.

From a distance I think it looks pretty good and very glossy but look more closely and you can see a little bit of bubbling. I know that bubbles can sometimes occur when you don't give your polish enough time to dry between coats but I don't really know what wrong here it did seem to dry quite quickly, and I left nearly 10 minutes between coats, so who knows. 

The wear time to be honest wasn't amazing either, it had started to chip in less than 2 days, and after 3 days I was missing 4 whole nails worth. As per usual when testing or reviewing a polish I didn't use a top coat which more than likely would have improved the wear time.

I really loved the colour, it's a perfect Spring / Summer colour but for some reason I just don't think that the formulation was up to Nails Inc's usual standard, it seemed thicker and it didn't seem to wear that well. I can't find this particular shade online bar on eBay so I think it was exclusive to the April edition of Glossybox which may explain the difference in quality, so I can only give an estimated value of around £11 which is the usual retail price for a basic full sized Nails Inc polishes.

Avant Skincare Gentle Rose Beautifying Face Exfoliant - 50ml - Est. £92

Next up the product that was teased in the March edition of Glossybox UK, and it's another product from high end skincare brand Avant.

Thanks to various subscription boxes I've managed to try quite a few products from Avant now (have a look at my Beauty Product Directory above to read some reviews), and so far so good, I've liked pretty much everything that I've tried so far.

Under their tagline 'combining nature with science', this is a product from their Age Nutri Revive range. It is a facial exfoliant which is designed for all skin types, it's designed to nourish the skin from within, and to combat imperfections, including large pores, uneven skin tone, fine lines and dryness. Designed to gently slough away dead skin, according to Avant it leaves the skin smoother, healthier looking and with an improved texture.

As well as being cruelty free, it's also paraben free, and carbomer free, it contains rose extract, which is an anti oxidant to help calm the skin, and minimise redness, as well as softening and smoothing, and Vitamin B5 which helps the skin to retail moisture.

It has a gel like texture, and it's white in colour with a slight iridescence and shimmer, and it contains lots of tiny, fine white particles.

It quite simple to use all you do is massage it in to damp, cleansed skin. The first thing you actually notice is the smell, it has a gorgeous real rose scent, and then you notice just how well those tiny little particles do their thing. After adding a little bit of water and massaging your face in circular motions, it produces a gentle foam, it isn't scratchy or uncomfortable but you can feel a the exfoliating action.

Before

On Application

After

You could just splash your face with warm water to remove it, but I used a muslin cloth or a flannel, and warm water. The exfoliating particles as I say are quite small so they do tend to hang around a bit even after rinsing, so you probably see a few stray ones in the after picture.

My skin is quite easily sensitised and it does go pink quite easily no matter what the product, and this one was no different. There was no soreness, dryness or irritation, my skin just felt really clean, soft and smooth, and it almost felt as though I'd used a moisturiser or a serum.

So my Avant love in continues, this was another lovely product from them, it smells beautiful, and it leave the skin super soft and smooth. I've been using this about 3 times a week but it's definitely gentle enough for even me to use once a day. The only drawback as per usual with Avant is the price, Glossybox quote a pretty spendy £92 for this size. I can't actually find this 50ml tube anywhere online, I can only find a slightly larger 60ml size but it's actually packaged in a jar rather than a tube, for the same RRP of £92. If you fancy trying this one for yourself it's available from various retailers including direct from Avant, Look Fantastic, and Beauty Expert.

SPORTFX Raspberry And Rhubarb Recovery Lip Balm SPF 15 - 8g - Full Size - RRP £4.99

When you think about beauty must haves, lip balm has to be pretty high up there on most people's lists. I own loads of them but the weird thing is I very rarely seem to finish them, so either I don't use them as often as I think I do, or I just use so many at once that I just have a load of half finished ones that ultimately end up in the bin.

Anyways in case you haven't already realised the next item in April's box was a lip balm from a brand called SPORTFX.

SPORTFX is a make up, skincare, activewear and lifestyle brand that is specifically designed for the active woman, be that in the gym, the office or on the dance floor. All of the beauty products in the range are paraben free, and contain vitamins and SPF.

This lip balm is also dermatologically tested, it contains SPF 15, natural oils including almond oil, as well as shea butter, aloe vera, and vitamins C, E, and F.

The balm comes boxed, and it comes in slightly odd looking, almost a chunky T shape, style container. It features a clear, twist off lid, and inside is a large round dome shaped, deep pink sold balm.

It has a lovely slightly perfume based, fruity scent and taste. It feels hydrating and softening on the lips but it isn't greasy, sticky, or slimy. 

As well as adding moisture to the lips it also add a lovely, subtle rose pink tint, that you could easily wear as a more subtle alternative to lipstick or gloss.

I did find it a little bit awkward to apply, the dome was quite chunky, so you do need to be a bit careful especially if you have thinner lips, it wouldn't be as bad if it was a clear balm but being slightly tinted you are in danger of getting it onto the skin. I actually found the easiest way to apply it was to apply it with my mouth open - not a good look but it works.

If your lips are super dry and flakey, this particular balm probably won't be quite enough for you, but if you are after a lovely, moisturising non greasy, balm with a slight tint, that's perfect for everyday wear then this could be one to try. Like most lip balms I can't guarantee that I'll end up finishing this one but I'm definitely going to try and do my level best to try and use this one on a more regular basis. If you don't like the idea of the Rhubarb and Raspberry scent, this particular balm is also available in two other varieties Peach Bellini, and White Coconut for around £4.99 from various retailers including House Of Fraser, USC, Sports Direct and of course directly from SPORTFX.

Rituals The Ritual Of Sakura Softening Rice Scrub - Organic Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom - 70ml - Deluxe Mini - Est. RRP £4.60

Now, if you are a regular reader of LouLouLand, then you should know by now that I'm a bit of a body scrub junkie, I love a good scrub, so for that reason I was really pleased to receive a shower scrub from Rituals in April's box.

I'm a huge, huge fan of Rituals entire range of Far Eastern inspired body care range but far my favourite range from them is without a doubt, The Ritual Of Sakura..

I've tried quite a few products from the line now, including the Magic Touch Body Cream, and the Shower Foam, and I've fallen in love with the heady, almost sexy fruity, floral scent. There are actually 2 different body exfoliators in the Sakura range, and this one is officially described by Rituals as a shower scrub.

Containing cherry flower, and rice extracts, and volcanic pumice, this product has a clear gel base, with tiny white and black particles suspended within it. This is product is really a 2 in 1 shower gel, and exfoliator. When you massage it into damp skin, it produces a light foam crammed full of tiny exfoliating particles. 

It isn't the roughest of scrubs but the inclusion of the natural pumice gives it a nice scrubby feel. The foam rinses away fairly easily but like with the Avant scrub, because the particles are so small, they have a tendency to hang around a bit, but it's nothing that a good blast of the shower won't fix.

Despite my own personal preference for chunkier sugar and salt scrubs, this one actually really surprised me. The scrub particles are quite small but I did actually feel as though I'd used a grittier scrub, my skin felt smoother, and softer. The smell might be a little bit too strong for some people (you could smell it the minute you opened the box) but I personally love it, and I've been using it alongside my other Sakura products for a full immersive, scented experience.

As I say there are two scrubs in the Sakura range, the other one which has a slightly different texture and comes in a tub is a little bit more widely available than this particular one. The only place that I can find this shower scrub is direct from Rituals where the full 150ml size retails at £9.90. Glossybox quote a price of £4.60 for this 70ml size.

Hask Orchid & White Truffle Moisture Rich Deep Conditioner - 50g - Full Size - Est. RRP £3

As I said earlier in this post, one of the main purposes of the information leaflet is to give you a little bit more information about the products in the box. Apart from a few odd price estimates I've always found the leaflet to be really useful and fairly accurate, April's though did contain a bit of an error. According to the leaflet I should have received a Sanctuary Spa Nourishing Rose Petal Hydrogel Face Mask, but I didn't, instead I got a Hask hair mask. These things happen and I know I'm not the only one to have received something different over the last few months, I can imagine it's been very difficult for Glossybox containing to pack and deliver boxes during the pandemic so even though I'm a bit miffed because I'm loving hydrogel masks at the minute, I'll let them off this time.

I've had a few Hask products from various subscription boxes over the years, but I haven't actually managed to use that many of them, but since I thought that my poor hair deserved a little bit of a treat, I thought I'd try it out.

I think that Hask are a US based hair brand, all of their products are 100% cruelty free (although not vegan) and they are also free from sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, aluminium starch, drying alcohol, artificial colours, and silicones.

This particular mask is from their Orchid & White Truffle range for dry, and damaged hair. It contains amino acids, orchid extract, white truffle extract, lanolin, and pea proteins, and is designed to soften, and replenish extremely dry hair, and to control frizz.

The sachet contains a fairly thick but not dense or heavy, white cream, with a strong warm, sweet, almost musky floral scent.

You apply it to clean, wet hair, so I used it after shampooing. It was easy to apply to spread and work  through the hair even with fingers, but you can also comb it through for more precise application and even distribution. The instructions advise to leave it for around 10 minutes before rinsing it away with warm water. It was pretty easy to rinse it away under the shower, and my hair immediately felt smoother, and almost slick to the touch.

After towel drying it seemed easier to comb, there were less tangles and it felt smoother. I left my hair to dry naturally as I do 90% of the time, and when it was dry it definitely felt softer, and less tangled, but because it was so soft it did look a touch fluffier and frizzier.

It was actually a really nice treatment it felt luxurious, and the scent lingered on the hair for a good few hours afterwards. It was also surprisingly economical, the tendency with a sachet is always to use it all but even on my well below shoulder length hair, I managed to get 3 generous uses out of one 50g sachet.

I've had a little look online at usual Hask stockists including Superdrug, Waitrose, and Cloud 10, and none of them seem to stock this product. The only place that I can find it online is on eBay and on a website called British Online Supermarket, where it retails for £4.75 which is a little bit steep, when you consider that Hask hair masks usually sell at around £3.

So what did I think about April's box? Well compared to March's and February's boxes, I've got to say that at first glance it didn't look that exciting but personally for me it was one of the best all round boxes that I've had in a long time. I pretty much liked everything in it - I loved the scrubs, the lip balm smelled and tasted lovely, I loved the colour of the nail polish, and even though I didn't get the face mask that should have been in my box, I really liked the Hask hair mask. I'll definitely use all of the products again and everything in the box also fitted in perfectly with the fruity, floral blossom theme.

Let me know your thoughts on this box in the comments, and don't forget to click my link to find out more about Glossybox UK. Thanks for reading, don't forget to enter my giveaway, and I'll see you soon with my May empties post x

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