Review: Glossybox March 2015 Edition

This is box two of a six month subscription to Glossybox. 

For those of you not aware of the concept, Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription box containing 5 hand picked beauty samples wrapped in a signature pink box. 

Some of these samples may actually be full size products.

Glossybox

The excitement of opening the box

Look what's in the box

This box did not disappoint and contained 4 full sized products and 2 sample products.

I was pleased to see that some thought had been given to the age appropriateness of the box contents.

The box contained:-

Naobay Moisturizing Peeling

Naobay Moisturizing Peeling (full size - £13.71) an organic peeling milk from Spain which uses particles from the acai tree to remove dull dead skin cells.  

It has a lovely citrussy fragrance and although the milk is quite thin, buffs the skin nicely.  

Naobay stands for Natural Organic Beauty And You and their products contain no artificial ingredients.

Lash Princess Volume Mascara

Lash Princess Volume Mascara (full size - £3.30).  

The mascara has a cobra head shaped wand which grabs each lash to create length and 'dramatic volume'.  

Essence is Europe's number 1 cosmetic brand (according to Euromonitor International in 2012).

They strongly disapprove of testing on animals and believe in total transparency when it comes to ingredients which are listed next to the product on the website.

Dove Youth Vitality Shampoo

Dove Advanced Hair Series Youthful Vitality Shampoo & Conditioner (sample sizes of both. 

Full sizes retail at £5.99 for 250ml).

I found the shampoo and conditioner very light compared with my usual shampoo and conditioner (Elvive Fibrology) but, sadly, not conditioning enough for my long hair.  

Full marks though for popping in product samples suitable for older subscribers.

ncLA Nail Varnish in Santa Monica Shore Thing

ncLA nail lacquer in "Santa Monica Shore Thing", a neon pastel green (full size £13 for 15ml).  

The lacquer is free of toxins and quick dry but I have to say I'm really not sure about the colour. 

ncLA, who are a high end beauty brand based in Los Angeles, want to offer a "little bit of Californian love on your fingertips" and pride themselves on their collaborations with niche fashion labels and Glamour Magazine in 2012.

Carmex Moisture Lip Balm in Berry Sheer Tint

Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm (full size -£4.49 for 2g) - this is a sheer tint in Berry which contains "superfood" ingredients such as Vitamin E, aloe and shea butter.

Cult product it may be but this is the third lip product in two boxes (with the promise of a full size Lord & Berry Crayon Lipstick in the April box) and I wonder if Glossybox are in danger of focusing on lip balms to too great a degree. 

his lip balm will be staying in its packaging for the time being.

I estimate the value of the box to be at least £35 which, again, is certainly good value given the £10 cost of the box.

Am I happy?  

Aside from one or two niggles (I'm not sure Dove is a brand I would have expected to be included, good though it is and I'm not a fan of the nail colour), I'm still content.  

Everything arrived in pristine condition and nicely packaged.  I'm looking forward to the April box.

Glossybox can be contacted at www.glossybox.co.uk, on Twitter at @glossyboxuk and on Facebook as www.facebook.com/GlossyBox.co.uk

*This is a completely independent review;  The Glossybox subscription is my own purchase.

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20 Things That Make Me Happy.......

I am currently trying to "embrace happy" in a bid to focus on all that is wonderful about my life. Those who know me probably think this is akin to putting a paper party hat on grumpy cat but I am not daunted!

#Embrace Happy - Go On - Have A Go!

Others are writing their lists of happiness and here is mine.  It probably contains a hefty amount of  "odd & weird" but, as the late Queen Mother once said of her wrinkles, "I would hate to have lived so long without anything to show for it".

1.  Words - particularly the clever use of words and those who use them.  Step forward Stephen Fry, Steven Moffat (the writer of BBC's Sherlock") and Richard Curtis ("Blackadder").  How can you resist  "I tweak the nose of fear and put an ice cube down the vest of terror"? (the wonderful Hugh Laurie as Prince George).  

Prince George in Blackadder Goes Forth

2.  Self help books.  I've read many - from Tony Robbins to the Abraham Hicks books.  I love anything about the Law of Attraction and 'pop' Quantum Physics.  I suspect some of the latter aren't quite accurate and when I interrogate the Husband on the subject, he usually just shakes his head and sighs.

3.  Cookery books. I've decided the amount I cook is inversely proportional to the number of cookery books I have.  I have The Hairy Bikers (complete set),  Lorraine Pascale (signed!),  Marco Pierre White (signed!), Gordon Ramsey, Jamie Oliver, Madhur Jaffrey, Ainsley Harriott and a million books on cooking for kids.

Well, not quite everyone it turns out.....

4.  Martha Stewart.  Now I know Martha might have conceivably been a bit of a naughty girl of late, however, her guide to entertaining is a thing of beauty, not least for the stunning photography.  I also have her guide to Halloween which involves making life sized witches and cats out of balsa wood and putting them in the garden.  It loses a bit of the effect if you don't live in a hugely atmospheric ramshackle American mansion so I normally just add an additional pumpkin.

5.  Cats - particularly their attitude (often very bad, as far as I can see).  My last cat, Samson, was a rescue cat - vastly overweight and terrified of the outdoors.  He would only eat Felix, occasionally deign to try a freshly cooked fish finger and spend most of the day annoying the Husband by trying to sit on his computer keyboard.  He would also join in with conference calls, once howling so loudly during a call to the head office in Canada that a colleague asked where the cat was.  I have no idea whether Samson's contribution to the meeting was minuted.

6. Red Wine - they say that the mystic compound it contains (resveratrol) has anti ageing properties and, in his book on heart health, Christiaan Barnard, the South African surgeon who carried out the first heart transplant in 1967, recommended a glass of red wine a day.  We try to be good in this house by having the statutory two days off (minimum) per week, having been thoroughly terrified by the Health section in the Daily Mail - which leads me to....

7. The Daily Mail  - particularly the Mail Online.  Especially the comments - which often resemble the letters sent to Private Eye, and frequently Viz.  Nobody does outrage like us Brits.  In fact you can tell when the online editorial team are having a slack day because they'll post a piece about parent & toddler car spaces in supermarkets, immigration,  or the property market just to wind everybody up. If it's a really slow day of course, they will just post another picture of Kim Kardashian's bottom. It is de rigeur to always insert the following into any online comment you make - "yes but how much is their house worth?".  Please don't let the side down.

8.  Peanut Butter  - the ultimate comfort food - straight from the spoon or in a sarnie.  The Husband is scandalised that I will butter the bread and then put the peanut butter on.

9.  Halloween - I love Halloween.  The dressing up, the excuse to put fake spiders webs all over the house just to annoy the already existing spiders and their webs, scaring the kids, playing spooky sound effects and eating food which features jelly snakes and chocolate eyeballs.  I love the traditions - I think there's an odd one about peeling an apple so that the skin comes off in one go, throwing it on the floor to see what letter shape it makes and that will be the initial of your future husband. Apparently I should have married someone called Xavier or Zachary.  Whoops.

Mr Bones joins us every Halloween

10.  Christmas - I love that everyone is in a good mood from, roughly, early September onwards.  I don't like shops playing carols then. but as soon as the clocks go back and Bonfire night is out of the way, the twinkly lights start appearing and the December editions of the women's magazines feature groaning mounds of  immaculately photographed food,  it is quite alright in my book to hear "Fairytale of New York" on repeat.  I love the whole Festive Season with the exception of wrapping presents.  I can only wrap square things.  You are unlikely to receive an umbrella or a tennis racquet from me.

11.  Comping - entering competitions is definitely a favourite hobby of mine and I have won a fair bit over the years I have been comping (since 2010).  I have won hotel stays, spa days, an entire kitchen of electrical gadgets, shoes, clothes, perfume, toys - you name it, we've enjoyed it.  Like anything, you need to put the work in to see the rewards, though.  I am always amused when friends give comping a go, enter five competitions and then moan that they 'never win anything'!

12.  John Lewis - I could spend hours in John Lewis, fondling the crockery, plumping the cushions and daydreaming in the espresso bar.  Our local store in Cardiff has a wall of clocks which Ieuan loves to visit and their 3rd floor cafe was one of the first places we were brave enough to take the kids to eat.   The staff all look happy and are really helpful.  It's like entering some sort of parallel retail reality. Which works.

13. Poirot (starring David Suchet) - I adore Agatha Christie.  Her Poirot short stories are almost forensic in their execution - each perfectly formed logic puzzles.  You could argue that her character development is occasionally thin on the ground but her stories are so clever it is very easy to overlook this.  David Suchet will always be the definitive Poirot for me as he brings out the character's OCD tendencies superbly.  In the same way, the late Joan Hickson will always be "Miss Marple" to me as she made the character slightly annoying in the way that some old ladies can be, rather than some of the later, more saccharine portrayals.

David Suchet as Hercule Poirot

14. Art Deco - you can keep minimalism, any sort of "industrial" installation and red brick.  No, give me the white beauty of an Art Deco house (and preferably afternoon tea at Claridges).  If Kirsty and Phil want to find me a nice one in the Vale of Glamorgan, that's fine by me - although the Husband has an irrational fear of the kind of manly jumpers which Phil insists on wearing.

15. Cake Stands - there is nothing like a beautifully ornamental three tier cake stand full of cupcakes and dainty pastries.  And a large pot of good strong tea. Needless to say, these are best served in a nice hotel, lest the Husband starts thinking I've gone a bit "Hyacinth Bouquet".  I fear it may already be too late.

www.vintagedorset.co.uk

16. Reality TV -  leaving aside the fact that it is very difficult to avoid it when switching the TV on, I have to confess a shameful and guilty pleasure in watching programmes like Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity.  My argument that these are clearly "social experiments examining human interaction" really doesn't wash with the Husband who generally sits through them with me whilst wearing the expression of a stunned mullet. Curiously he generally has an almost 100% recall of who was doing what to whom and why.  I never a clue. Largely because I haven't put my hearing aids in.

17.  Candles - I bought a Yankee Candle advent calendar last Christmas and spent a happy December lighting a new candle each day.  There is nothing more romantic than candlelight (although I'm very fond of fairy lights too).  At the end of the day, there's something relaxing about lighting a candle and breathing in the scent you have chosen to remind you of your home.  My parents view this as thinly veiled pyromania.  I call it "creating an atmosphere".

I love candlelight

18.  Faux Fur - what's not to love.  Cuddly softness which hasn't hurt an animal and which encourages extra snuggles from the kids. I found a fabulous faux fur jacket at TK Maxx which makes me feel strangely powerful. If you want to channel your inner Joan Collins, a bit of faux fur never hurts.  And lets face it, you'd never argue with Joan, would you?

19.  Fitflops - since I left my marketing job in 2007, my ability to wear heels has vanished, largely because I have lived in either Fitflop sandals or their version of the Ugg boot.  They are supremely comfortable, tone your legs and, best of all, you can run in them.  I say run.  Actually I mean lumber indelicately after the kids whilst bawling "come back here you little pair of menaces".

20.  Family - I love them all dearly; my daughter (who thinks she's a puppy), my son (who think's he's Spiderman) and the rest of our mad family unit who give me endless support and keep me sane (ish). They are all, to quote the great philosopher Peter Andre, slightly "insania". Where would I be without them? Somewhere on a beach in the Maldives with Daniel Craig, that's where.

Ieuan and Caitlin

Don't forget to "embrace happy" today!

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I've moved to www.motherdistracted.co.uk

To all my lovely followers,  this is just to let you know (if you hadn't already spotted it), that my new address is no longer www.motherdistracted.blogspot.co.uk.

It is:  www.motherdistracted.co.uk.

I am in the process of updating my bloglovin account currently HERE so it may be a day or so before updated posts appear on this and other sharing platforms.

I also have a new blog email address at linda.hobbis@motherdistracted.co.uk.

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!

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Barefoot SOS Cream May Help Newborns Most At Risk Of Developing Eczema

When she was much younger, Caitlin suffered from mild eczema on her torso and arms.

As she has got older, these patches now tend to occasionally to appear behind her knees, in her elbow joints and on the back of her hands.

I have to make sure we avoid face painting where possible and, at the very least make sure that we wash it off thoroughly in an hour or so.

Our GP instilled in us, very early on, how important a role moisturisers play.

We are no stranger to Doublebase, Diprobase and Oilatum!

Barefoot SOS Cream

I was interested to read recently that a new study has identified how a simple test at birth could identify newborns at risk of eczema. 

Happy after face painting but what's it doing to her skin?

According to this recent study, led by consultant paediatricians of University of College Cork and Trinity College Dublin, a simple, non-evasive test measuring water evaporation from the skin of new born babies could help identify those most at risk of developing eczema.

The Baseline Allergy study group measured water evaporation in the skin of nearly 2,000 babies in Cork University Hospital and monitored them until 12 months of age.

Infants who had a high value for transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and a combination of a filaggrin mutation (the gene most commonly associated with eczema) and allergic parents were seven times more likely to have eczema at 12 months, despite having no visible skin barrier defect or eczema at the time of measurement before they left the maternity hospital.

Further studies are required, but the report indicated that early identification of those at risk opens up the possibility of preventing eczema through the application of effective moisturisers, such as Barefoot SOS Face & Body Rescue Cream, during the first year of life.

We now try to stick to the obligatory glitter tattoo!

It is thought that the prevention of eczema may also prevent the development of asthma and food allergy, which are strongly associated with eczema because the allergens get through the broken skin and cause the development of allergies. 

According to The National Eczema Society, food is thought to be an eczema trigger in around 30% of young children (babies and under-fives). 

Foods that cause most reactions in young children are eggs, cow's milk, fish, peanuts, soya and wheat. 

It can be very hard to pin down the culprit, but once established by either a GP test or by guided food elimination the results can be very rewarding. 

Parents are advised to keep the baby’s diet well rounded during the process by working alongside a Nutritional Therapist. 

Combining suitable moisturisers, such as Barefoot SOS Face & Body Rescue Cream, with the right foods and diet can make a noticeable difference in the management of eczema. 

Barefoot SOS Dry & Sensitive Face & Body Rescue Cream is a multi-award winning cream which helps sufferers of all ages with extremely dry, sensitive, irritated or uncomfortable skin and those prone to eczema and psoriasis.

It is dermatologically tested and contains a natural, nurturing complex of active botanical ingredients including Stellaria (Chickweed), Purslane Bioferment and Burdock Extract, blended with other natural moisturisers and nourishing oils, such as Macadamia, Evening Primrose and Jojoba, to deliver comfort, hydration and protection to dry and problem skin. 

It is suitable for even the most sensitive skin, including babies. 

There are two ranges available: Dry + Sensitive, a premium skin treatment designed to help people with dry, irritated or uncomfortable skin, or those prone to eczema and psoriasis, and Repair + Renew, a superior skincare range based around rosa mosqueta from Chile to treat mature or dry skin. Barefoot SOS is free from paraffin, parabens, SLS, artificial colours and at least 98% naturally derived. 

I tried the Barefoot SOS Dry + Sensitive Face & Body Rescue cream and found it reassuringly thick yet absorbent, with a pleasant smell.  

I find that household cleaners often irritate the skin on my hands and the cream was very soothing. 

Caitlin suffers from the same sensitive skin on her hands and Barefoot certainly reduced the redness of her mild eczema very quickly.

There are a range of Barefoot products including a barrier cream, a dry scalp treatment shampoo and conditioner.  

If you would like to try the cream for yourself,  I have one 50ml tube worth £5.95 to giveaway.  Just complete the Rafflecopter widget in the usual way.  UK entrants only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Further information:  Barefoot SOS products can be found at www.barefoot-sos.com, and on Twitter at @barefootsos.

*PR samples were sent for the purpose of this post.

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5 Books I'm Planning To Read Next

I already have a huge pile of books to read by the side of my bed (currently including "Deliciously Ella", "At Home With Madame Chic" [Jennifer L. Scott], "The Everyday Supermodel" [Molly Sims], "Why Quantum Physicists Do Not Suffer" [Greg Kuhn] and "Choosing The Simply Luxurious Life"
[Shannon Ables].

I cannot resist the lure of Amazon. There is something, well, relaxing, about perusing your wish list and adding books about your latest passions. There is also something cleansing about removing those items that you eventually admit you will never really read or use.

Whenever I am asked what I would like for a present, a book is always top of my list.  My Mother's Day present was a copy of "Nourish: Mind, Body & Soul" by Amber Rose and Sadie Frost.

These are the next 5 tomes I'm planning to add to the structurally unsafe bedside literary mound.

Hardcover £11.89, Kindle Edition,£5.69 - Amazon.co.uk

Gretchen Rubin's new book is about habits, working on the theory that almost everyone wants to be "better" in some way - slimmer, smarter, better looking, more interesting, more productive - and when we try to improve ourselves, we want proof that what we are doing is working. "Better than Before", aims to show us how to turn vicious cycles into "virtuous cycles". We can do this by starting and supporting the habits that will turn us into who we want to be. The book offers specific tools and a blueprint for getting back on track.

Which bad habits would I like to change?  I'd love to stop eating so many sugary foods and to be calmer in the face of any provocation from my two little menaces.  

Hardcover £11.89, Kindle Edition £9.71 - Amazon.co.uk

I must confess I often think about the amazing three weeks (yes a short stint I know) as an au pair to the three children of a French diplomat in Paris. I was nineteen and, standing alone on the Champs-Elysees I had never felt such freedom. I've been a little bit obsessed with all things French, and particularly Parisian, ever since.

"How To Be Parisian" is a deconstruction of the French woman's views on culture, fashion and attitude, written by Bohemian free-thinkers and iconoclasts, Anne Berest, Caroline De Maigret, Audrey Diwan and Sophie Mas. The book is a witty guide to Parisienne savoir faire covering topics such as first dates and parties, how to make your boyfriend jealous and the right way to approach weddings and the gym. They also share their address book in Paris for where to go at the end of the night, for a birthday, for an smart date and even for vintage finds.

Hardcover £4.99, Kindle Edition £4.71 - Amazon.co.uk

This is a collection of essays from Oprah which have been previously featured over the past 14 years in O, The Oprah Magazine in the "What I Know For Sure" column. They are organized by theme - joy, resilience, connection, gratitude, possibility, awe, clarity, and power and offer a rare glimpse into the heart and mind of one of the world's most extraordinary women, while providing readers a guide to becoming their best selves.

I often find that it is useful to keep an encouraging and positive guide book to hand for times when I am not sure if I am doing the right thing, or if my thoughts and emotions are running away with me. This one promises to be such a book since Oprah is undeniably a force to be reckoned with in the face of adversity.

Hardcover £6.49, Kindle Edition £6.02 - Amazon.co.uk

This is about a woman called Rachel who catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She has even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses and calls them ‘Jess and Jason’. She sees their life as perfect and wishes that she could be that happy. Then one day she sees something shocking in the few moments that the train is stationary. This changes everything and now Rachel has a chance to become a part of Jess and Jason's lives. She'll be more than just the "girl on the train".

I'm not a big fan of chick lit (if such a genre still exists) but I do love a good thriller and this one has excellent reviews.

Paperback £15.58 - Amazon.co.uk

I love the idea behind this book - creating family friendly art and craft projects to fit in with the changing seasons. Caitlin adores crafts but, as readers of this blog will know, it's something I struggle with and I find inspiration generally eludes me!

In The Artful Year, there are art activities, crafts and recipes to help make each season special. These projects will help you and your family to create memories and mementos and you'll develop creative growth in your children and yourself, whilst having lots of fun! The book includes: • Arts and crafts, using the materials, colors, and themes of the season • Decorations to make as a family • Favorite seasonal recipes that are fun for children to help make (and eat) • Ideas for celebrating the holidays together • Suggested reading lists of children's picture books about the seasons and holidays The Artful Year is a fun and active resource for crafting and celebrating around the year!

With the long summer holiday not too far off on the horizon, this book could prove to be very useful ammunition against boredom, bickering and incarceration due to inclement weather!

I can already feel my fingers itching to hit the "buy with one click" button!

What's on your list? 

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Advertising Won't Help Your Hotel If Your Service is Fawlty

It baffles me sometimes that hotel chains will spend vast amounts on TV advertising campaigns without management ensuring that the hotels they hope will benefit are ready to receive visitors. 

As a case in point, this morning I visited a local South Wales hotel in a chain currently running such a campaign for a meeting.

Advertising Won't Help If Your Service Is Fawlty.

The hotel, three star, rather large and not unattractive, architecturally speaking, was a deserted wasteland of several reception areas. 

There was little signage to welcome visitors, no marketing literature and, even more irritatingly, hardly any staff.

One of the toilets in the ladies was already out of order. 

There were no menus to be had and it was not clear whether non-residents could order food. 

There were a couple of menus marked "Room Service" on the tables. 

There was no information about WIFI, even though there was a free, open network to be connected to. 

I eventually tracked down a menu behind reception where I was asked to return it because it was the only one they had.

My companion and I ordered coffee, produced with maximum froth and minimum coffee from a machine. 

The diet coke was clearly made up from a diluted syrup. 

The tuna sandwich I ordered was, however, tasty and nicely presented, but I could only pay cash at the bar. 

Had I wanted to use a card, I would have had to go to reception.

Around midday the place became packed but there was no increase in staffing. 

The one lone lad behind the bar kept vanishing so visitors were milling around unsure what to do. 

What a wasted sales opportunity!

My point is, had I been considering actually staying at this particular hotel, I would have rapidly changed my mind. 

The frustrating thing is that the whole experience could have been so much better with just a little thought. 

We had chosen this particular hotel as it seemed to be the only one suitable in that area for a relaxed meeting and some coffee. 

The irony is that the hotel advertises 7 meeting rooms and conference facilities.

In my previous, pre-marketing career, I did my fair share of pub work and retail jobs. 

I am well aware that working with the public is not always particularly enjoyable, but surely getting the right systems in place will help the staff to do their jobs and make their work-life more enjoyable? 

This is not a matter of cost, but it is a matter of involving the staff and using customer feedback.

I also think (heresy though it might be to say it) that many of these places would benefit from maturer staff at management level who have had more experience of life's challenges and can relate a little better to older guests and customers.

I am sure there are many in the 50+ age group who would be only too willing to step up to the plate.

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Silent Sunday - Mother's Day 15/03/15

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