WaxBox - An Unboxing and Review

Hello Lovelies, 

Today's post is a post about an exciting parcel I received recently from the company WaxBox and I have to say it is the nicest smelling parcel I have ever received! 

WaxBox is a monthly subscription service but it's not your usual monthly box subscription of beauty products or food or even pet products, WaxBox is a monthly subscription service dedicated to wax melts and small candles. I think it's a fabulous idea and I couldn't wait to open my box which was the May WaxBox, as I said the box smelled beautiful, even our post lady commented on how nice it smelled when she delivered it. 

I'll show you what was in my May WaxBox and then tell you all the information you need. 

What Was In My Box?

The box the products come in is a standard cardboard box, it was well sealed and had my name and address on the front and the box had been posted with Royal Mail recorded delivery. I thought the box was adequate and well sealed, I'd rather a company just use a regular cardboard box than charge more because of packing costs so I found the box and packaging to be absolutely fine. 

My WaxBox* 

(my address label is removed for privacy reasons) 

The contents of the box were wrapped in Black tissue paper and there was a little sticker saying "enjoy" on it with a love heart which I thought was a nice touch. Stuck onto the inside of the lid of the box was a list of all the products inside, with the name of the company and a description of each product.

Once I'd removed the tissue paper the first thing I saw was an envelope with my name on. The products were safely encased in what I call "brown paper spaghetti like stuff" but I am pretty certain there is a "proper" name for this type of packing. 

Inside the envelope was a really nice note from the lovely lady Paula who had contacted me regarding me reviewing the box, I thought this was a really nice thing to do, a lovely personal touch. 

So now onto the bit you've all been waiting for, what products did I get in my box? I will list them below with the name of the company in bold then the name of the product and the description of the product from the information in the box and then the best bit, how it smells. Because this is an unboxing review post I have not yet burned the wax melts and candles but I will be checking back on my blog and You Tube channel to let you know how I got on when using them. 

Heart & Home - Fresh Linen Wax Melt - Refreshing, clean and pure. Wrap your senses in the comforting scent of freshly laundered sheets and fluffy towels. This wax melt smells lovely, it really is a nice fresh scent and does remind me exactly of fresh clean fluffy towels, this sort of scent is the sort of scent I would go for if I were buying a candle. 

Butterfly Scents - Red Velvet Cake - Sweet rich red velvet cake, full of chocolate goodness. This small wax melt smells divine, it has a gorgeous sweet smell and really does smell of cake, it has a vanilla scent to it but you can smell chocolate too and it has little pinky red sparkles on top, perfect! Again this is a scent I would go for when buying a candle. On the back of the business card in the packet there was a 10% discount code off your next order from Butterfly Scents, which I thought was a nice touch. 

Totally Tarty Licious - Raspberry Lemonade - Ice cold lemonade with sweet undertones of juicy raspberries. This has a lovely scent and is a mix of sweet and fresh and it really does smell of raspberries and lemonade, it's a lovely scent and one that's perfect for the time of year. I really like how there are pieces of red and white inside the pink candle too. 

Scented Heaven - Black cherry bomb/Cherry apple - Lovingly handmade soy wax melts. These smell amazing and exactly as the names would suggest they are heavily scented of cherry which is one of Simon's favourite candle scents. Now I'm not a connoisseur of scents but I could smell cinnamon too, these smell lovely and if you've been reading my blog for a while you'll know I love anything heart shaped so these were a definite winner for me, even though Simon appears to have claimed them for his own! 

Cali's Handmade Candle Co - Baby Powder - Smells just like the popular brand of baby powder. Our melts are hand poured in Yorkshire using natural soya bean wax and high quality fragrance oils. This is a lovely scent and does smell just like baby powder, I love scents like this one, nice and fresh and clean smelling, a really lovely scent and smells just like the description, lovely!

Country Candle Company - Amber and Lavender - A rich and sophisticated opening of citrus notes including bergamot, lemon, tropical pineapple and fresh apple mixed with nuances of rose and spicy highlights of black pepper. The herbal heart combines classic lavender with rosemary, sage patchouli and amber. The musky, sweet base closes with mossy notes. Being brutally honest as I always am, when I saw this I thought "oh no" because lavender is one of the scents I hate the most, I just don't like herbal type scents, they're just not me but to be fair when I opened this and smelled it, because it has the amber in and the other things too it isn't too over powering and smells quite nice, it isn't something I would perhaps choose myself but it isn't what I thought it would be and does smell quite nice and fresh and I'm interested to burn it and see how it smells. The shape of this is a bit like cubes of jelly which I liked and thought was useful because you can burn as much or little as you like. 

Pricing, Subscription Choices & Delivery Info

The WaxBox is £10.00 plus £3.95 postage and packaging and the boxes are sent out via Royal Mail second class recorded delivery, the boxes are sent out between the 1st and the 7th of each month. To order this May box you must sign up before the 15th of May so you'll need to hurry scurry if you like the sound of this box but if you order after that date it will roll over to the June box instead so if you'd prefer a surprise maybe sign up after the 15th for the June box. The products inside the box will always meet the value of the box but more often than not they will exceed the value of the box. 

There are 3 different subscriptions you can choose from (shipping £3.95) these are -  

Monthly - £10.00 charged per month 

3 Months Prepay - £30.00 charged every 3 months 

6 Months Prepay - £55.00 charged every 6 months 

You can also purchase the subscription as a gift so if you know someone who loves candles this would be a great gift for them.

My Overall Thoughts 

I think the WaxBox is a really great idea, especially if like me you always go for the same scents when looking at candles and wax melts, I like that the products are small candles and wax melts too as I've only recently over the last 12 months been able to burn candles because of an accident Simon had involving fire so I only ever buy or look at small candles and wax melts anyway so the contents of the box are perfect for us but if you do like bigger candles the box gives you the opportunity to try scents and brands you might never have tried or heard of,  I wouldn't ever have picked up the lavender and amber melt but it does actually smell nice so it's good to be taken out of my comfort zone a little and try new things. I think the WaxBox is a great idea, a great way of trying out new scents and brands and if you're a candle lover this is right up your street, you'll love it and it would make a lovely gift for someone too so it's great you can buy a subscription as a gift for someone. I like that the postage is recorded delivery so you're not waiting for ages for your parcel to arrive too and the products were packaged well and safely and all the information you need is in the box, there is also a FAQ section here on the website. Overall I think it's a great box with lovely products inside and it's the most amazing smelling parcel you'll ever have delivered, whats not to like? My favourite pick from the unboxing is definitely the Red Velvet Cake and Simon's is the Black Cherry Bomb/Cherry Apple but we might think differently and love something else more when we've burned them, I'll keep you posted on my blog and You Tube channel. 

If you would like to sign up to WaxBox you can do so by clicking onto this link. 

WaxBox also have Twitter here, Instagram here, Facebook here and Pinterest here. 

Do you love candles? Let me know which product you liked the sound of most from the May WaxBox in the comments below. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always, 

Zoe x

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Bumble And Bumble All Style Blow Dry

Hello Lovelies, 

I suffer with really oily hair and have done since becoming pregnant with my youngest daughter who is now 18, I think it must have been a shift in my hormones at the time but I went from having normal hair to very oily hair and it has remained oily and the bane of my life ever since. 

I've tried many different shampoos over the years and recently I have found some that work really well for me (hair care routine post coming soon) but I have never really been able to use styling products on my hair because they all make my hair really oily. I have tried so many different products on my hair and in the past I used the Wella Luxe Oil on the ends of my hair and liked that but something changed, whether it is the oil or my hair I don't know but I can't use it anymore so I was despairing a bit because using a hair dryer and straighteners/wands on my hair without any sort of treatment to protect my hair bothered me. Then I saw the Bumble & Bumble All Style Blow Dry and I was intrigued.

Bumble & Bumble All Style Blow Dry rrp £23 150ml 

What Bumble & Bumble Say About The Product

Bumble and Bumble All-Style Blow Dry is the one-step wonder creme for healthy, fine and even oil-prone hair fights frizz, protects against heat damage, and has (invisible) microfine oil-absorbing powders to extend the life of your blow dry right from the start. 

What: This one-step wonder creme for healthy, fine and even oil-prone hair fights frizz, protects against heat damage, and has (invisible) microfine oil-absorbing powders to extend the life of your blow dry right from the start. 

Who: For healthy hair, even fine or oil-prone. When: On clean, damp hair before blow-drying. 

How: Work evenly through damp hair. Blow-dry, section by section, until dry using a flat brush for sleek looks or a round brush for more movement and bend. For pin-straight styles, finish with a flat iron.

My First Impressions & Thoughts

Because of my medical condition I struggle to style my hair, I can't blow dry it and my version of a blow dry is my hair being blasted off with the hair dryer and then straightened with hair straighteners, but when it has been blasted off despite being so thin (thanks PCOS) and poker straight it looks frizzy and unruly before it's been straightened and the ends look sort of bitty even though I have a trim every 5 weeks and my hair is in good condition. 

The first time I used the all style blow dry I worried so much my hair would look oily straight away because it usually does when I use a styling or heat protecting product, so I used a small amount of the product just on the ends of my hair after combing through and before drying with the hairdryer. The product is a white coloured product and is quite a thick product in constancy, if it were a body cream it would be a cross between a lotion and a body butter if that makes any sense at all? The product was easy to distribute through my hair and smells lovely it has a nice fresh scent to it. 

The first thing I noticed after using the product for the first time was how smooth my hair looked after it had been dried with the hair dryer, it wasn't frizzy and the ends didn't look bitty at all, my hair also seemed to take less time to dry.  My hair looked so much smoother and also shiny, my hair is blonde so shiny isn't something I am used to my hair being at all. And when it came to straightening my hair it didn't need much straightening at all, I was really pleased and it didn't look oily, but although I was happy I worried the oil would come throughout the day and the day after and it would look terrible, but it didn't! The day after my hair looked fine and I was able to have the ends straightened over and that was me done. This is unheard of for me, usually by using my current shampoo and conditioner I can get away with not washing my hair the day after but I can't have my hair down it always has to be up. 

The next time I used the all style blow dry I used more of the product and again brushed my hair through after washing and then distributed the all style but this time I distributed it all through my hair and not just on the ends, my hair looked so much better after it had been dried with the hair dryer and when it came to straightening my hair it didn't have to be sectioned off first it was fine with just being straightened over a little bit, I was so impressed, this cut down the time it took me to have my hair washed, dried and styled by a lot which for me is important. The next day my hair didn't look oily at all and I was able to wear it down again, and then the day after that I used a small amount of dry shampoo on my crown area and wore my hair up and then washed it the day after. I also noticed that my hair stayed straight all day, although my hair is long and very straight it does have a tendency to kink out at the ends but it didn't do that and my hair stayed the way it looked straight after it had been straightened all day, I was so impressed, never before have I had results like that from a hair treatment or styling product.

Overall Thoughts & Would I Re Purchase?

I am super impressed with the Bumble & Bumble All Style Blow Dry it has made such a difference to my hair, it looks so much healthier and shinier and it doesn't go greasy quickly meaning I can go 2 days without washing my hair which for me is unheard of, so now if I wash my hair on a Monday I can go Tuesday and Wednesday without washing and then wash it on Thursday, I do have to have my hair up on the Wednesday and by Thursday it resembles an oil slick but I really don't care because it has made my life a lot easier in terms of washing my hair and the time it takes to dry and straighten it the oil slick head by Thursday is soooo worth it! 

Although this isn't what I would call a cheap product I do think it's well worth it and if you're like me and suffer with oily hair I'm sure you'd agree, both myself and Alicia use this and we have had our current tube for around 5 weeks and we have around a third of the tube left, I wash my hair 2-3 times a week depending on how I wear my hair (if I wear it down more it needs washing 3 times) and Alicia washes her hair every day, not because she needs to but because she likes to. So the tube lasts well and I use less shampoo because I'm not washing it as much and less electricity when styling so it's a win win situation. 

You can pick up a sample of the all style blow dry from any Bumble & Bumble counter and I would definitely recommend you do especially if you suffer with oily hair but this is suitable for all healthy hair types (not damaged or very damaged) so if your hair is frizzy or like me your hair looks a little lot unruly when it's been dried off with the hairdryer I'd definitely get a sample and give this a whirl because it's a great heat protector and if you do blow dry your hair it keeps the style and even if like me you just have your hair dried off with a hair dryer and then straightened it stays in place all day. 

I would most definitely re purchase this product it does exactly what it says on the tin and is the first hair styling product I have tried that does, writing a blog means I get to try a lot of hair products but this is something else it really is fantastic and I would 1 million percent recommend it. 

If you do want to purchase the Bumble & Bumble All Style Blow Dry you can buy it online from the Bumble & Bumble website and Boots priced at £23.00 for 150ml or you can buy a smaller tube from Look Fantastic priced at £12.00 for 60ml. 

Do you suffer from oily hair? Do you have any products you can recommend to me or have you tried the all style blow dry? Let me know in the comments. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always, 

Zoe x

NOTD Essie Sunday Funday

Hello Lovelies, 

Today I have a NOTD post for you, today's NOTD or nail of the day is Essie's Sunday Funday, a lovely coral colour with a hint of shimmer running through it, a perfect spring/summer shade. 

Sunday Funday was part of Essie's Summer 2013 collection and I have had it since it's release and it is still lovely to apply and not gloopy at all. I love the brush on the Essie polishes it is a nice wide brush making application much easier. I applied 3 coats of Sunday Funday allowing each coat to dry fully in between and then I applied 1 coat of my holy grail top coat, the Orly Glosser top coat (available to buy here) giving my nails a lovely opaque and very glossy finish. 

I really love coral shades on my nails for the spring and summer and this is a beautiful colour, it does have a very subtle shimmer running through it which if you look very closely you can see in the photograph. I've been a big fan of Essie polishes for many years now and will continue to purchase them, I can get a lot of wear from an Essie polish and Sunday Funday lasted for 6 days on my nails before it started to chip, I actually took a photograph of my nails on day 6 just a couple of hours before they chipped. 

As you can see there is a gap round the base of the nail where I've had some re growth but the nail polish isn't chipped at all, please also excuse my cuticles they were in dire need of sorting out in this photograph, but it does show you how well the polish lasted on my nails. 

I really like Essie nail polishes, they apply well and with my Orly glosser top coat I do get a good amount of wear time from them, and they have an extensive shade range which is great, there is definitely something for everyone. 

 Essie polishes can be bought in store at Boots and Superdrug but if you, like me shop online and would like to purchase Sunday Funday online you can find it online at Superdrug, Boots and Nail Polish Direct. 

Do you like Essie polishes? Which is your favourite? 

Thank you for reading, much love as always, 

Zoe x

My Spring Fashion Wishlist

Hello Lovelies,

If you're a regular reader of my blog or a regular viewer of my You Tube channel you'll know that I do 99% of my shopping on line, I have a medical condition which is very restricting meaning going shopping is difficult so on line shopping is an absolute god send for me. Today I have just a few of the things I've seen whilst browsing on line that I quite fancy for spring.

1. ASOS Curve Black off the shoulder t shirt £12.00, I really like this t shirt, it comes in White too and I think it would look great with skinny jeans and converse.

2. River Island White clog sandals  £35.00. I love these sandals and think they would look lovely dressed up or down, I could put these with so many outfits and being White they'd go with everything. 

3. Dorothy Perkins pastel poppy print joggers £24.00. I am in love with these trousers, unfortunately my size is out of stock at the moment it could be because there has recently been a money off event so I am hoping they will come back in stock soon, they'd be perfect for my holidays or shopping days or lunch out with friends, so versatile and pretty too.

4. Accessorize pretty flower necklace  £6.00. I love statement necklaces and this is so pretty and only £6.00 which is a great price and especially for Accessorize, it may be tiny in the flesh (hopefully not) but I love it and it would go with so many things, I love statement necklaces they jazz up a simple outfit nicely and this one is super pretty as it's name suggests.

5. River Island Coral long line vest top  £6.00 (2 for £10) I really like the longline vest tops from River Island, I have a few of them and they are great for wearing with skinny jeans or even leggings, I have a few of them and they wash and wear really well, I was hoping this would go nicely with the pastel poppy joggers but even if they don't become available in my size this is still nice for the spring and summer, I love Coral. 

6. Topshop mid stone Joni jeans £36.00. I bought my first pair of Joni jeans a few months ago and I really like them, they don't give after I've had them on for an hour like so many other skinny jeans I've tried and they come up to a nice point on my waist, I struggle with clothes that fit to my tummy area because of my illness and can find them uncomfortable but these are great. They are expensive but if I figure if I get a lot of wear out of them it's not so bad. 

7. New Look Lime Green wrap front sleeveless top £14.99. I really like this top and think it would look lovely with the skinny jeans, I think it would be quite flattering too with the low neck and loose fitting style, it also comes in 8 other colours so if this is a bit bright for you there are other options.

8. Next Bright Pink linen mix cardigan  £24.00. I love cardigans like this and wear them with a pair of skinny jeans with a vest top and statement necklace and it gives a really nice look, the reviews on the website say this is more of a neon pink than bright pink so if neon isn't your thing it may be too much, I personally don't mind bright colours in the spring and summer and think this would add a lovely pop of colour to any outfit.

9. New Look Stone metal trim ankle strap sandals  £7.99. These sandals are lovely and such a great price too, and they come in a variety of different colours and at £7.99 I can afford to have a couple of pairs to maybe match some to an outfit, I chose the stone ones as I find nude coloured shoes go with a lot but like I said at that price I could maybe go for a couple of coloured pairs too, these are a wide fit but in previous experience I haven't noticed much difference in the wide fit shoes from New Look, I don't have wide feet and the ones I've tried before have been ok, and for the price they're definitely worth a try. 

So they are a few things I've had my eye on over the last week or so while I've been doing a spot of on line window shopping. Do you do your shopping on line and if so do you have any recommendations of websites for me? I'm always on the lookout for new places to shop. My lovely friend Emma has recently introduced me to Yours clothing, she has some lovely pieces from there so I am off to check them out now. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always, 

Zoe x