There’s a new subscription service on the scene. I know what you’re thinking…not another one! Well BoxDelux is geared towards high end luxury and it’s not just about beauty but health, refreshment and homely pleasures too.
The folks at BoxDelux have teamed up with leading brands including Illuminum Perfumes, Skin Salveation, Teapigs, Nakd Bars and NUYU skin clinic to bring top brand luxuries direct to your door every month. Some of these names might sound familiar to you so it’s a great opportunity to sample such delights.
To maintain exclusivity, there will be a limited number of boxes available each month with no repetition of products and each item featured will be available to buy in the online shop at www.box-delux.com for a limited period only. What’s also exciting is each monthly box will have a different theme every month including support for Breast Cancer Awareness later on in the year with a percentage of the profits going to the worthy cause.
The first BoxDelux will be out in May featuring the Best of British, so it’s a chance to experience the finest products made at home plus there will be an exclusive £20 gift voucher for redemption in the BoxDelux shop.
Subscription prices which include delivery, are as follows:
1 month subscription £35
3 month subscription £105
6 month subscription £175
12 month subscription £350
Giftboxdelux from £100
If you are stuck for ideas for a birthday present then it’s worth remembering BoxDelux can be purchased as a gift subscription for any period mentioned above.
For more on BoxDelux or to join the service, visit their website www.box-delux.com. There is also a Facebook page and you can keep up to date via Twitter too. Let me know if this selection tickles your fancy.
Are holographic polishes yesterday’s news? I hope not. You see, Boots’ 17 has one to contend with the others and unlike Make-Up Store (and possibly GOSH to a certain extent), this doesn’t need a special base coat for the holographic finishing to show up in all its glory. Granted the comparison is not identical, but it ain’t a bad alternative and it’s only £3.99.
*PR sample
As you may have read on these pages, a couple of weeks ago I attended the United Make-Up Artists Expo where I met Siân Richards, the mind and force behind the London Brush Company.
Apart from creating a fantastic brush range, she also has a brush shampoo that’s been flying off the shelf since it went on sale. I went with my instinct and bought the large tub, ready to put it to the test when I got home.
Hand-made in sunny California, it’s a solid product in a pot made of natural ingredients (goat milk, essential oils and organic cleansers) and is either scented or without. I went for lemon but there is also lavender.
To use, wet the brush in warm water, gently swish it around the pot to pick up the product, then lather it in the palm of your hand before rinsing with water. You’ll find there is more than enough shampoo to thoroughly cleanse your brush without the need to re-swish.
I took all my brushes (66 of them – yes, I counted each one) and cleaned the lot in less than 20 minutes. There were brushes covered in stale foundation and ones dipped in dark eyeshadows and they didn’t stain the shampoo. Incredible! I’d still be scrubbing them to the early hours if I was using a conventional brush cleaning shampoo, not to mention emptying most of the fluid from the bottle.
Honestly it is so quick and effortless to use. With LBC’s brush shampoo, the product clings to the brushes, very little is needed and it lathers up brilliantly. This pot will last me ages. It is also reassuring to know the shampoo contains tea tree oil so it sanitises your brushes too.
If you’re a pro make-up artist always on the go, then this is something you need in your kit. Because the shampoo is solid and doesn’t contain any chemicals, it’s safe to pack in your luggage with no fear of spillages. This is one of the main reasons Sian came up with this product as she travels a lot.
Kind to the environment and kind to your skin, this is the kind of brush shampoo we’ve been crying out for. Try it – you won’t regret it.
Available in two sizes (1 oz and 2 oz) at £20 and £30 respectively, you can order directly from Precious About Make-Up.
Don’t forget you can keep up to date with London Brush Company via the Facebook page.
This week’s 20 Questions is all about Tanzina from MakeupAtoZ. This girl is an absolute doll – she’s stunning and so lovely. Blogging, studying, modelling and a make-up artist too, I don’t know she fits it all in! Mind you, I have seen a crazy side to her, which usually surfaces when Tanzina comes face to face with make-up. Oh well, I suppose that’s like most of us! I think it’s time you knew more about this lady…
Why did you start your blog?
Because I needed a reason to justify my obsessive beauty buying habits to myself! I joke (slightly), I guess I did start researching lots before buying products, dishing advice to friends and colleagues so I wanted a little platform where I could express my thoughts to the whole wide world.
How long have you been blogging for?
About a year and four months, for some reason it feels much longer than that but that may be because I was Youtube-ing about 3 to 4 years ago – I hardly posted anything so it’s really not worth mentioning. I might return back to it eventually.
What do you enjoy most about blogging?
Definitely the people and the community that exists in the blogging world. It definitely didn’t exist in the Youtube world for me, and it was amazing to find like minded individuals who are just so lovely. I’ve made some amazing blogging friends that I can actually say have made it into my very closest circle of friends.
What frustrates you most about blogging?
Myself! I feel like I never do enough posts, the backlog seems to never disappear and I end up getting really annoyed at myself. Sometimes I have to take a step back and tell myself, breathe Tanzina, no one is going to hate you if you don’t blog today.
What do your family and friends think of your blog?
They support me, and I do find them turning to me more and more often for beauty/hair advice which is always reassuring. Some are keen readers, some are more laid back but it’s nice to know that the support is there.
How frequently do you post?
I try to post three times a week, sometimes more sometimes less. I’m balancing my final year of university currently, so it’s hard to find a balance but I’m learning to stop beating myself up about it so much.
What’s your day job?
Currently I have decided to take time off work and just concentrate on University as it is my final year.
How many bottles of nail varnish do you own?
For a beauty blogger I would say I don’t have that much. Around 30? Which is really good in my books (just please agree and make me feel better).
Do you set yourself a budget, or do you buy on an as-and-when basis?
Well I tend to splurge and go crazy sometimes (Sheenie has had front row seats to witness this at UMAe!), but actually other than that I am really really good. Recently I did a bit of a big splurge but previous to that the last time I bought makeup was October time which I am really proud of. I did buy like two eyeliners in between, but I think I showed amazing restraint. So I wouldn’t say I have a budget, and it is more as and when basis but I do stick to months of spending bans on beauty products which is something I like to boast about.
What is your favourite make-up brand, and why?
You can’t ask that. That’s my answer. I can pick like particular brands for particular things like Urban Decay for eye shadow, MAC for lipsticks, (new find) NYX for lip liners but as a whole I find this question poorly constructed and invalid hehe.
Do you ever leave the house without wearing make-up?
Yes definitely. I’ve had this mantra in my head for years that I won’t let myself get addicted to any makeup item, so that I can brave going bare. I’m not a foundation wearer (except for shoots) because I’ve witnessed how addictive it can be. When I find myself getting too attached to something, I try to break the habit. Currently in love with under eye concealer which I desperately need! But I do go makeup free to Uni a lot.
What’s your favourite beauty treatment to indulge in?
Massage! All over massage or back, shoulder and neck. What could be better?!
Tell us about the best holiday you’ve been on.
It was a spontaneous trip to Paris for a few nights a couple of years back. I met up with my aunt from Canada in France, my favourite aunt who I only get to see every few years or so and it was just amazing. I’ve been Paris a few times but that was my favourite.
What would be your ideal day off?
A day lazing around at home with my family with no Uni stress, no workloads absolutely nothing to do with my time, and then slowly and leisurely getting ready for like a meal somewhere pretty in the evening. That would be perfect, a slow paced day with no stress!
What is your favourite TV show?
I have quite a few, but rather randomly I am currently enjoying Catfish the programme, which is about when someone talks to someone online, has a relationship with them and usually finds out the person was nothing like what they expected.. such as they think they were talking to a man but it was woman. Rather bizarre and fascinating.
What music do you enjoy listening to?
I definitely have a wide range in taste I like a bit of everything, country, pop, rock, soul, R&B, house it’s a mix. But I adore lyrics, if something has good lyrics in it I will obsess over it. Hence why my friends think I have a depressing taste in music, I do not! It’s just slow songs seem to be more poetic. I do study English after all.
What is your favourite food?
Indian/Bengali food. It truly is the best.
Where would you most like to go in the world? (money no object)
Maldives. I’d get a room hut thingy on the beach for a few months, all inclusive of course and just run away for a while. What better way to run away if not in luxury. I would love the peace.
Which 3 guests would you invite to dine with you and why?
This was such a hard question, the one I was dreading most! But I know now! The person I marry and my parents in about 20 years time. A) Because I’m nosey like that and want to know who I marry will be like (doesn’t everybody?! And that way if I don’t like them when I do meet them for the first time I can run in the other direction) and B) I want to see how my parents grow up, whether they’re happy how stressful their lives have been and then go back and make sure any problems they told me they faced – I eliminate them.
Tell us a secret…
Although I live by myself in London in my flat (and I have for three years) I still owe my parents two phone calls a day. Even if they’re in the house together they feel the need to have separate phone calls. I dread to miss a phone call because they come down on me like a ton of bricks! I guess I’m still their little baby which is nice in a way!
