Junes Powder Pocket

Before we even pour the tea out, I want to warn you that this is going to be a bit of a ranty post. If you've read my last months review of Powder Pocket then you'll know this isn't something out of the blue, I've been having some mixed feelings about the box of a month or two now. This month the box is late - the same goes for the last one too. Its meant to come in the month that it says, but yet again I'm getting it on the 2nd of the next month. This just bugs me so much when I see other subscription boxes arriving on time. 

The second thing thats driving me a little around the bend is the lack of full sized products. I know not every product can or will be full sized, I'm not looking for miracles. But like last month, theres not one full sized product in sight. And then my third and final note of annoyance - what the hell is up with the theme this month? Viva Brazil is a lovely idea, I get that its football month and everyone is going mad for it. But how do the products in any way fit this theme? Ah lads at Powder Pocket, your not having a good streak are you? I really love the people over at Powder Pocket, now don't get me wrong. I met some of them at the Irish Beauty Show and they were nothing but a treat! Its just.. Meh?

 Anyway, heres what came in this months box. You can judge for yourselves and tell me if I'm a whining aul' bat that needs to take a back seat. Or even you might agree with me, stranger things have happened!

I do love that they colour coordinated the Viva Brazil theme to the paper, ribbon and tiny cute little sticker. This is the one place I can and have never faulted this box, their presentation is to die for and I always love every single box in this way. I also really like the booklet that it comes with. Colourful, exciting and full of all the information about the products in the box along with a few other pieces that expand on some of the brands. I love having a flick through this and learning more about them all. 

There was a mixture of things this month. Something I was delighted to see was that Pixy was back in the box this month and had a lovely little lime body scrub in it. I did a review of these over here if your interested. They are great for a quick scrub in the shower while also being really moisturising. I'm a little dissappointed that the same brands keep appearing in this box as finding new brands to try is what beauty boxes should be all about. I'm very divided on this one, ha! This sample size is €1 while a full size product is €5.95. 

Keeping on the same rant, Shiseido is another brand thats popped up in this box before and while its really great to try out a product that would be too far out of my price range to every dream of getting to try out, its still annoying that its a brand I've seen and read about before from Powder Pocket. This is the advanced body creator super slimming reducer. If I'm honest I laughed at this when I read it. One because theres no amount of cream in the world to help me become slim (this is a funny thing, no one go all 'but your not fat!' on me now, ya here?) and second it all sounds a bit too gimmicky for my liking. This is a 12ml sample size, with the full 200ml size a loling €62.  

Something I was excited to see was Dr. Hauschka almond soothing bath essence. I'm a fan of the bath, I'm a fan of almond, how could this go wrong? It smells so damn good from the quick shinff I had when I first opened the box. Only thing that brought me down from my moment of joy was realizing that the full size 100ml bottle is 'from €22.49'. Well, better make this last then! This sample size is 10ml.

Another really exciting thing that I am delighted to have my paws on is the Body Shop super volume mascara. Its been years since I've used any make up by the body shop so I can't wait to give this a whirl and if I like it I might even pop in and have a look at what else they have to offer my face! This is €15.95 for a 10ml tube. I also love that there was a free eyebrow threading voucher in the box, I'll be using that for sure!

Lastly what I would call a really crappy sample, Nia intensive restoring moisturiser. Now I'm not a huge fan of moisturisers in general, but this isn't even going to get a look in with me. It smells really odd, somewhere between a herbal scent and I don't know what. Its not something that my nose would like having to deal with while it was sitting on my skin. This is really poor packaging as the bottom sticker on the little jar is half cut off and illegible. The only thing I can make out is that its a 4ml tub and its made in Ireland. Not a cool price either at €24.95 for a 50ml jar. Some will happily pay that for their moisturiser, but me? Not a hope.

 Overall I'm not really a happy bunny with this months box at all. I said last month I'd give them another try and see if Junes box was any better but now I've decided I'm going to cancel my subscription and head to Chic Treat Club in hopes that what they have will be better. (And lets face it, we've all seen the reviews of those boxes. I'm so jealous I didn't sign up to them from the beginning!) 

So, what do you think? Am I being too grumpy?

May's Powder Pocket

Yet again I am really delighted with May's Powder Pocket box, purely because of the presatation and the range of things in the box. But I'm really sad that there is not one full sized product there. So its a bit of a woo colours! And then opening it to be let down. But first lets talk about my initial reaction. I was so excited to see that the box is a beautiful baby blue and all the ribbon and sticker decorations inside the box are so bright and summery. It just makes me happy inside! As I might have said just the once or twice *cough* I am such a sucker for gorgeously done packaging and this box always gets tiny butterflies in my tummy over it! This months theme is Sweet Treats and I just love how they have done that theme so well with just the colours alone! I hope they start to bring out more box colours, especially because their normal black box in the summer is a little bit of a downer - but not for clothes. You would only be able to pry my black tshirts and leggings from my cold dead hands. That, or trade for a decent sized piece of cake. We can talk. 

 Not only was I excited by the box but the leaflet that comes with every box is always packed full of beauty related pieces as well as explanations of what you have gotten inside your box. But what did I spy on the front page? Me, ha! I tweeted about the box a few months ago and Powder Pocket decided to print it! I felt very fancy and even had to tweet about it. How sad am I!? 

So onto the goodies that were in this months box. As I said earlier I was really sad to see that not one product in this months box was a full sized product. I don't expect all the products to be full sized, but I would like at least one or two as I have forked out my pennies expecting something exciting in return. It will be interesting to see what is in this months Chic Treat Club box, as they have had totally amazing boxes since launching and I have been pondering for a month or two now if I should change over boxes. We shall see!

The first thing I noticed in my box was the Nimue Exfoliating Enzyme. Despite this brand being way out of my price range I have tried some of their products (all gifted to me) and really do love their things. My favourite has to be their face masks. You can see one in my post here. But the one thing I don't love about this brand apart from the price? Their website! Its so hard to navigate and I feel they don't explain the products properly on the packaging either. All I want is a simple life, but Nimue have other ideas. This exfoliating enzyme is an ok 30ml sample size. It will be interesting to try this out and I will definitely report back if I feel the full sized 60ml bottle is worth it for €49. Holy god!

Next is Great Lengths Daily Moisture Shampoo. I've actually heard about this brand before so I am excited to try it out. That and my poor hair needs all the help it can get considering the harsh dying routine that I expose it to! After a quick sshhniff I can report that its quite pleasant, so fingers crossed it leaves my hair just as nice. You can use this with all hair types and it has all sorts of good sounding things in it. This is a 50ml sample with a full sized 250ml bottle costing €17.99.

  

I think my little heart skipped a beat when I saw Ciate Mini Nail Polish in the box. This one is in Ferris Wheel and is the perfect summer pastel baby blue. Think this is the best part of the box! A full sized nail polish is €10.95.

The last two things I'm not at all impressed with. I think Its a waste of space in the box and feel one decent sized sample or even full product could have been better. The first is a miniscule tube of Hollywood Eye Magic Eye Magic Serum. Anything with the words 'magic' or 'hollywood' send alarm bells off in my mind as gimmicky and not worth the money. I've heard nothing about this brand before and to be honest I'm not impressed with the presentation or the crazy price of €75 for a full 15ml bottle.  I doubt I'll use it.

The second thing is Kinvara Skincare Absolute Cleansing Oil. Again I'm not impressed with the presation of the sample sized bottle, but I do think the card that it came with is beautifully eye catching. This is €19.95 for a 100ml bottle and I'm not sure I will use this as my skin is combination leaning on oily. It claims to remove all types of make up and eye make up, so I might give it a go over my really stubborn mascara some day. 

Keeping with the theme of Sweet Treats, Powder Pocket also had a mini packet of love hearts in the box, which I thought was a nice touch. Over all I am kind of at a loss. I love the look of the box and the theme, but oh so sad about the lack of full, decent sized products. Could this be the push I needed to try out Chic Treat Club?

Have you gotten this box? What do you think of the contents this month?

Aprils Powder Pocket

 Its starting to feel like Spring and this months Powder Pocket is on the ball with their theme, 'the weekender'. I'll be honest, I have been thinking weather or not to continue on with this subscription box. Not because I find the quality poor or the customer service lacking, I just wonder if theres bigger and better things out there for me to spend my money. But after seeing the contents of this months box I am very glad I decided to keep it. Theres so many great things and three full sized products too! 

Its becoming a regular thing for me to comment on how gorgeous the packaging is and this month is no different. I always think no matter how crappy the contents of something, if its presentation is top notch then its half sold in my opinion. The greeny blue tissue paper makes me think Spring has sprung and is just lovely. Yup, Powder Pocket peoples, your doing it right!

The first thing that caught my eye was that there were 3 full sized products in this months box, very impressed girl here thanks very much! I love brushes so much and have heard nothing but rave reviews about Blank Canvas so I was delighted to get their E26 blending brush! Oh man its so soft and pretty. I'm going to have loads of fun doing my make up with this brush and it might even give me a little nudge to invest in more of them. It never hurts to have lots of brushes, no sir! This one costs €6.99.

The next full size product is a Bia Beauty stop the clock eye gel. Every month Powder Pocket seems to have one Irish brand in it and I really love it. We've seen Pixy, water wipes and more. I love that they support and work with such amazing Irish brands while also giving everyone who subscribes to their box the chance to try out something that could be new to them but is local and well, Irish! (pause for moment of feeling proud to be Irish!) Anyway Bia Beauty is from Cork and I have tried some of their products before, they are nothing but lovely. I can't wait to try out this eye gel and see if its as great as the rest! A 15ml bottle costs €16.95.

The last full sized product is Etre Belle Cosmetics longlasting eyeshadow pen.  I've never heard of this brand before so I was excited to get it. That and who doesn't love a new piece of make up to play around with!? I got mine in a lovely dark grey colour with a hint of shimmer through it. Dark smoky eyes are something I've really been getting into wearing the past few weeks so this is just perfect for me! This costs €9.95.

The 2 sample products that were in the box were the eva professional mystic diamond elixir for your hair to help give it shine and regenerate it. I'm all for putting oil in my hair recently, hoping that it might make it soft and solve the never ending story of split ends. This costs a mad €25.99 for a full size 100ml bottle. I will use this up and its a lovely treat to be able to try out, but I highly doubt I'll be forking out for the full size!

The last sample was a La Roche Posay anthelios ultra light fluid SPF50.  I'm a big fan of la roche posay so I was happy to find this in my box, but I'm awful for not using any spf products so maybe this might give me the kick up the arse I need to start using some! A full 50ml size costs €19.95. 

I haven't got a bad word this month to say about the box. I am in love with the make up brush and also really can't bang on enough about all the Irish brands that keep coming up month after month in Powder Pocket. Theres nothing I like better then finding new Irish brands to try out or seeing old favourites coming up.

March Powder Pocket

Were back again and all of a sudden March is nearly over. Where are the months going, I'm going to blink and it will be the middle of the Summer next. This is my 3rd month with Powder Pocket and I have to say, the most disappointing one I've gotten so far. Now don't get me wrong, its still a pretty fab box but I'm just getting pissy cos' I saw the Chic Treat Club box and now my middle name is jealousy! 

This months box theme is very 'Spring clean' your skin! And what better way to bring in a bit of Spring time feel then with gorgous baby pink tissue paper and a fab cover of their mini mag. This months box is so girly and I'm lovin' their packaging as normal. I also want the flower crown that girl has on the front mags cover, thanks I'll be waiting by the door for the postman ;)

Although it was at the bottom of the box, the packet of Water Wipes caught my eye first. They are also in this months Chic Treat Box so I was a little excited to get to try them out. I used to be a massive face wipe fan but then I caught onto the wonders of taking the time to cleanse and tone my face. I will try these out and report back if they are any good or just fit for a quick wipe of the hands. They are an Irish brand which surprised me as I've never seen them before. These are the sensitive make up remover ones that are €3.49 and can be got in places like Tesco.

In the first Powder Pocket box I got, there was a sample of a Ginvera product, so I was surprised to see another this month. Ginvera BB cream is something I'm looking forward to using as I've tried to stay clear of the BB and CC creams up until last month. Sure why not join the craze? A full size of this is €21 for 25ml.

  

Now heres where it starts going a bit down hill. A sample of Ghost Ghost the fragrance was not something I was happy to see in my box. You can go into any chemist or Boots and ask for one of these for free. As it happens I already own a full size of this and like it but I'm not impressed that Powder Pocket tried to flog this off as one of their products in the box this month. If it becomes a habit I might try my luck with Chic Treat Club instead as their boxes look amazing. A full size perfume is €34 for 30ml. 

Hmmm, Lavera 2 in 1 hair and body wash. Right, well I can't say anything thats a 2 in 1 for face and body is something I trust. I might use it as a body wash but its not going near my hair. I want to go and look this up to see whats in it and then see if any bloggers have reviews of it before I go to the shower with it. Bit ifie. You can get this for €6.42 for a 200ml bottle.

Lastly I got a Shiseido perfect rouge lipstick. It was such a lovely treat in last months box to be lucky enough to get a product from this brand but the repetition of the same brands is a little annoying. Don't get me wrong, I'm still delighted to get a full size product worth €27 in the shops. I am bit jealous of subscribers who got a red lipstick though, as I'm not sure if I will use this colour. 

I know some of you will think I'm splitting hairs with some of the negative comments at this months box but I feel I'm allowed give out a bit when I'm forking over my few bob every month and hoping for some fancy treat samples (that I can't get for free in the shops might I just add!) 

Hope everyone is having a great Sunday and also happy mothers day to you all!  

Februarys Powder Pocket

Holy god your all thinking, the woman is late with this sure its half way through March now! Well boys and girls I can say with a hand over my heart that life just gets in the way sometimes and thats whats been happening since I got my box from the lovely post man last week. But oh mammy have I been enjoying the contents so far. I also got to meet some of the lovely Powder Pocket people at the Irish Beauty Show in the RDS on Monday. They were great craic and its so nice to be able to put a few faces to the brand. So come here till I all about the box. The excitement!

For February's box the theme was very much focused on the theme of glamour as it was awards season. Gold tissue paper, a fancy light bulb sticker and the part that I loved the most, the powder pocket on the top of the box is gold too. Its such a simple detail but I'm mad on the details and packaging. Nice work lads and ladies, top marks. And as you can see Dodie my cat was very interested in seeing what was inside too!

I opened the box and out popped Marilyn Monroe with some pink bubble gum, the stunner. I loved the booklet this month and the layout is much better then the hard to work,read and fold one that I had a fight with last month. Have a look at it over here. 

I am totally delighted with all the bits in this months box, I opened it and let out a little happy sigh of utter contentment. I was as if the ladies and gents at Powder Pocket read my wish list and did their best to accommodate it! My nails over the past while have been getting worse and worse, so you can imagine my excitment when I found a lovely full size Jessica brilliance top coat. I have only ever drooled over this brand and at €13.95 for this, I was delighted to have my paws on it.

Keeping on the nails, Manicare 4 step file and shine was the next thing I set my peepers on. This is such a handy everyday thing to have and you can throw it in your handbag on the go for those emergency moments, This is only €2.50 but I think the packaging and product itself looks a lot more expensive. 

Reading about the Herra protect hair perfume got my attention as it was one of those potentially out there products that could only be considered a bit of a princess product - does nothing much but is fancy at the same time. The sample that came was hard to use and if I'm honest a bit of a waste. However I liked the packaging and have never used a sample like it before. A full size costs €29.50 and I don't think it would be anywhere near my wish list. But I'd love to see a few bloggers review it just to hear their thoughts.

The last two things were a lovely surprise. I spotted a lovely little bottle of The body shop shea shower cream. I'm a big fan of the body shop and an even bigger fan of their shea butter products so I couldn't have been more happier. I have yet to use it but its on the menu for my next pamper night. A full size 250ml is €8.85.

The last surprise I got was a lovely Shiseido benefiance pure retinol eye mask. I have known of this brand for years but their things are so expansive that I wouldn't dream of going near them, so getting the change to try something fancy from them is a big treat! For a pack of 12 these yokes will set you back a crazy €63. They must be doing something right if people are forking out that kind of money, I'll be sure to do a review of this one! 

Thats all from me for now. I hope everyone is doing well and having a good week. I see that there have been a load of new people following me through BlogLovin' - so a big hey and welcome to all of you! Its lovely to know that so many of you are subscribed to my blog and like my rambly tangents of posts. If you fancy being able to keep up with them all you can follow me on Bloglovin' over here or indeed you can keep up to date by following me on the GFC at the top right hand corner of the page. 

Gossip: The Irish Beauty Show

Yesterday I toddled off to the Irish Beauty Show in the RDS armed with my camera and some high hopes. Oh the excitement, so many companies, beauty things and new jems to find was overwhelming! And I was not disappointed either, meeting loads of people and getting to have great chats with everyone. Heres who I met and what bits I picked up. This is a really pic heavy post, sorry about that but I wanted to show everything!

First place I spotted was Graham Anthony, they had an offer on and I came away with a new foundation for a fiver, bargain! I'm not too familiar with the brand so I really wanted to get something and try it out, you never know when love might strike! I'm going to be slapping it on my mug and writing a review for you all in the coming future. 

At the second stand I approached I was met with the most distressing part of the show, Pro Impressions. I asked the person in charge if it was ok to take a few photos of the stand to show on my blog, which none of the other companies and stands had any issue with. But the man there refused saying that it was an English company and with me being Irish it was pointless as no Irish people would buy from across seas. He was also worried I would write something negative. He came across as really aggressive and I wasn't going to mention anything but after telling a few friends they suggested I talk about it considering how upset I was. So, I guess you don't need pictures to write a 'bad' review. I don't think I'll be getting anything from their site, for obvious reasons.  

But from most negative to most positive in a few short moments, I rounded the corner and my set my peepers on Honey House Natural. I got nattering to all the lovely people at the stand, in particular Angela Rohrer who was so knowledgeable on the brand. I was blown away by the products and bought a bundle of goodies to try and was kindly given a gorgeous Bee Bar Lotion to try out. Oh my goodness I couldn't wait to get home to try them! They are an American company that have broken into the English market and are now looking to bring their products to us here in Ireland. Fingers crossed it happens soon because I have a mother, granny and bundle of friends who I showed my bits to and they were near blows arguing over who got to try what! I'm going to be doing a full review of them soon. Hold onto your knickers people, these lads are ones to watch out for! 

Next I wondered over to the girls at the Baby B Browne stand. They were really chatty and helpful and I was lucky enough to be given bottle of their medium tan for face and body. I'm a tan virgin so this will be one very interesting post to write up once I've either become a tanned beauty or (more likely) I'll have done something wrong and end up like a streaky orange. I wouldn't trust me with a gorgeous tan product like this, fair play Baby B Browne! A few giggles for you coming soon!

I couldn't have been happier then when I found the Waxperts stand. Bloggers have been raving about this brand and I was almost throwing my pennies at them begging to have a go of all their things. (what can I say, we all know I'm a bit mad) I got talking to Trish who was nothing short of a ray of sunshine. She told me all about Waxperts ingrown hair pads, their wax and their lovely exfoliating gloves. She kindly gave me a few bits to try out and I can't wait to. I also want to give Himself the option to try out some as Trish was telling me men use them on stubble rash with great results. Unisex brand anyone?

Next I found myself in front of Victoria H Organics. This is a brand new Irish business that has just started and I got to talk to the lady herself all about it. Everything is hand made and hand packaged, organic and the range is huge for something that is only new and all done by hand. I was so impressed with it and come on, who could say no to products that look that good! I was lucky enough to be given a  gorgeous lavender bath creme brulee bath melt, it smells as good as it looks and I will definitely be reviewing it after I've tried it out. Another new Irish brand to watch out for!   

One of the last stands I went to before my poor feet gave up on me was Pixy Natural Skincare. I got talking to Jayleigh (I hope I haven't butchered her name, If I have I'm so sorry!) She was a tonic and was so helpful talking about all the products they had on offer and a general natter on all things beauty. I'm a massive fan of Pixy as I love supporting good Irish brands so I was happy as anything having a goo at the full range. I bought a lovely Honey bath bomb and was kindly given some Cellulite body oil to try out. I meant to pick up a face mask but it went out of my head entirely. I guess I'll just have to go shopping for it (How awful, not!) I admitted something awful to the people at the stand and I think its only fair I tell you all as well. I was cleaning out my bag the other day and found about 2 (ok, 5) of Pixy lip balms in the bottom. Obsessed is not the word. I can't wait to try out the bits I got and report back!

So there you have it, my day at the Irish Beauty Show. I got to meet some really lovely people and was so lucky to be given some things to try and nab a few lovey things too. I can't wait for next years show and to try out  everything I got at the show. Me-oh-my I am going to be one purtty lady! I also want to mention the lovely girls at the Jessica stand who answered all my questions and the same for the lovely girl at the Pink Distributions stand who was full of information for me. And finally Tara and Michael at the Powder Pocket  stand, they were fab craic and I love their beauty box so uber much, thank lads!

Make sure and have a goo at my Twitter page, I tweeted for the whole day and have some extra photos up there that aren't here. One includes a lovely naked but sadly painted guy. Meow ;) Check it all out Over Here. and sure maybe follow me too!

The New Irish Powder Pocket Beauty Box

Going from a really negative box review to a really positive one is not something that happens often but it seems this week just keeps getting better and better! As you might have read, I unsubscribed from Glossy Box and instead was treated to a new beauty box by the Mr (Isn't he the best?!). This is the Brand spanking new Irish beauty box Powder Pocket and I think its going to be massive round these parts. Already blogs and the aul Twitter is going wild raving about this subscription and I can see why. 

The presentation of the box is a huge part of the whole experience for me. Give me something wrapped up nice, throw a bow round it and but it in a box and I'm sold! And its as if the good people of Powder Pocket read into my little head, down to the sticker with my name on it, eeakkk!! Oh it was all too much. The outer box is gorgeous too, really eye catching. I can't say anymore other then 20 out of 10 for the visual goodness that my eye feasted on. Nom nom nom.

The first thing that caught my eye when I opened the box and got of the beauty of it all was the Pixy Natural Skincare soap. Pixy is a relatively new Irish brand that has been coming up through the beauty world over the past two years and was really delighted to see that it was included this month. I have actually one or two of their products before and reviewed one here. I'm not a big fan of this citrus scent but my granny has her eye on it so I'm sure it wont go to waste! Full size for this is €3.99.

Next I couldn't help but drool over the La Roche-Posay thermal spring water. I love this brand and have been getting to grips with some of their products over the past few months. This was a new one for me and after reading the little leaflet with it I was spraying it all over the place thinking I was just great. Full size of this is €9 for a 150ml bottle.

I'm slowly accumulating a large collection of hand creams, I mean they are coming out my ears at this stage! But I can never say no to them so that might have something to do with it. Lavera basis sensitiv hand cream nabbed my attention and I really can't wait to use this little beaut. Full size €5.24 for 125ml tube.

I was a bit dubious of the Ginvera green tea marvel gel as gel and me don't go together very well. Its just sticky and messy and no no no. But after reading a little about it I'm going to give it a whirl! Full size €27.

Lastly I didn't even notice the gorgeous Benecos natural kajal black eyeliner! I only bought a new eyeliner the other day and now I'm raging I did as this looks so nice. When I read that this is a natural and vegan cosmetic I was thinking it was going to be very pricey but at only €4.66 I think I might have a look at the rest of their range! 

Lastly I wanted to talk about their leaflet that lists all the products in the box, its like a mini poster and took me a bit by surprise when I had to open it up. Its a great novelty but in coming months might turn out to be an annoying thing to have to wrestle with, we will see. There was a page on the inside with the title 'what's trending in 2014' and who did I spot that had added their piece, none other then the lovely GlitterMamaWishes! I might have gotten a little excited seeing her featured!

I'm really delighted with this new box, I can't wait for next months now! Are you going to get this box or do you have another beauty box? As always have a great day :)