Beauty | Estrid Razor Subscription Review*

We’re at the end of February and WOW what a month it has been! I might be a little biased, but February has always been my favourite month of the year considering it’s my birthday month! In fact when this post goes live (28th February 2021) I have just celebrated on the Wednesday 24th prior. It was a weird one being in lockdown and all, but I managed to have a somewhat lovely day! I’ve said in the past I find my own birthday to be a time of high anxiety for me, so in some way being in Lockdown actually allowed me to enjoy it without the pressure of doing ‘something’. My family were amazing and made the day special by decorating nicely, putting out balloons and buying an incredible cake for me. I got some lovely pressies and some lovely memories to go with them! But enough about that, onto this weeks post featuring a very exciting new product in my life that was very kindly gifted to me a couple of months ago, giving me some time to properly try it out before sharing my true opinions!

Unless you've been living under a Instagram free rock for the last couple of months then you might have seen this brand featuring on a few accounts. Estrid is a 100% vegan 5 blade razor, designed for people who are after easy pain-free hair removal. When I was asked if I wanted to try one of these razors out for myself I jumped at the opportunity. So what did I really think of it?

First of all I need to talk about the packaging. I am OBSESSED with how chic, simple and stylish it is. I love brands that aren’t afraid to actually speak with their customers on a fun quirky level and this brand certainly does that. It reminds me a little of Glossier in colour, but also very unique in the format of how they style their writing. I was sent the complete starter kit in pink which included one steel razor, two replacement heads and one moveable razor holder that attaches to any smooth surface. Everything came in a letterbox friendly box and the box had everything completely separate which made it feel super luxe. 

It was super easy to put the razor together for the first use and I found the perfect spot for the wall holder to. With only being used to using a normal razor, I was a little surprised to the weight of this one. I thought this would be an ongoing problem for me as I did find it weird to use for the first time but you soon get used to the weight and pressure that you need to apply. 

So does it work better than other razors? Honestly? yes and no! Yes, it works. And yes it looks nice, is better for the environment and looks impressive. However like mentioned above I do find the weight a little annoying as it tilts forward. With that being said I am 100% converted and don’t think I could look back now. I love that you can replace the heads helping the environment a little and I love that it comes with a holder and blade covers which are super important. Another positive is that there is a colour for everyone if pink isn’t your thing! 

So there we have it! Have you tried this razor? What are your thoughts on it! I love how quickly something can come into your life and change a whole routine for you. Let me know your thoughts! 

Until next time

Beauty | GIFTED - Tweezerfile Tried and Tested review!

I've been loving writing again recently, and it certainly gives my brain something else to think about than the news these days! Today's post features this unique product that I had never even thought about or considered up til now, the Tweezerfile. Honestly, now we're onto lockdown number 3 and with the beauty industry being closed for the foreseeable we are all looking to home DIY treatments to get our fix. 

Personally I have always opted to leave my brows and am happy my school days went by with 0 over plucking. When they do need a tidy though I often think about the need to keep my tweezers looked after. Normally I would purchase a new pair, but now this product has a come into my life my tweezers will have a longer life! 

Tweezerfile is a beauty tool that sharpens and renews your tweezers giving them an extra lease of life. I've been using this product for a couple of months now and have really noticed a difference in how easy it makes the plucking process. 

The product itself is super easy to use and requires little effort. You place the tweezers either side of the tool and slide it up and down on the file applying some pressure whilst doing so. After that you're done, simple! The team at Tweezerfile gave me a few tips on eyebrow tweezing, which I will share below! 

"Work from the inside, over to the outside then underneath i.e. first pluck the hairs between your eyebrows, then pluck the hairs above your arch, to properly define it. Next, take out any hairs that are on the outside of your end mark. When you have done this, pluck under your brow. This is where you can determine how thick or thin your brows are. Be really careful to keep the plucking underneath consistent in both eyebrows!

In fact, make sure you don't do one eyebrow and then the other. Instead do a few hairs on one eyebrow and then even it up on the other side. Stop regularly and check that they are coming out even. 

To make your plucking most efficient, stretch your skin tight and pluck from as close to the root as you can get. This makes it far less likely that you will break a hair and leave it too short to grab with your tweezers. Also, pull the hair in the direction it grows, to make it easier to pluck. 

Finishing touches: It's likely the skin around your eyebrows will be inflamed and sore once you have finished, so have a soothing cream to hand. 

Available in two beautiful colours, coral and petrol blue. Available via Tweezerfile.com and from Amazon. 

Web: https://www.tweezerfile.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tweezerfile/"

That's all for today's post. Until next time x

Fashion | AD|GIFTED - Happy Valentines With Gaston Luga

Welcome to my first fashion post of 2021! I have been wanting to get more OOTD style photos for a while now but the weather, lockdown and loungewear had me completely uninspired. When Gaston Luga approached me and asked if I wanted to collaborate with them again on a Valentines campaign I couldn't think of a better opportunity to get up and dressed again. I was honoured to pick from a selection of backpacks and I love that I can share the love with this one!

The brand Gaston Luga is one that I have been aware of for a while now. In fact despite doing a campaign with them back in November 2020, I have actually purchased a couple of bits for presents. GL pride themselves on the great quality, design and Vegan products. I have had so much use out of my previous design that I was lucky to try so knew that I wanted to share the love with my brother for all of his support last year. I sent him the list of bags available and he picked his favourite, the Práper in black. This bag will be the perfect size for all of his work documents, laptop and feels comfortable when on the shoulder. My favourite feature is the adjustable hook fastening on the front as it allows you to adapt depending on what you need to carry. Like most of the Gaston Luga backpacks, this one also includes a hidden pocket on the back which is perfect for your valuables. This makes it the perfect travel bag too, when we are eventually allowed to, as it can fit in keys, passports and any other documents you want to keep safe. Gaston Luga makes it super easy to purchase from and offer free shipping and also free returns incase you encounter any problems. As hard as it is for me to part with this bag I know that my brother is going to absolutely love it and I can't wait to surprise him with it later today on our daily walk! (That will make exercise that little bit better!) A side note as well before I let you know how you can get yourself a backpack for 25% off, but if you are looking to gift someone a backpack like me then you will be happy to know it all comes presented in a matte black box, monogrammed dust bag and tissue paper. 

Gaston Luga were kind enough to give me a discount for 15% with the code BellaMomento15 which can be used on the entire range. As a special Valentines day offer the website is also currently offering 10% off everything until 16th February 2021. Combined with my offer code you can receive 25% off a bag of your choice! 

I always feel so honoured when brands put their trust in me to share incredible products like the bag featured in this post, so I am happy to share this one with my brother! Make sure you give the website a look as there is honestly some lovely bags available which are guaranteed to turn heads on your daily exercise. 

Until next time, x

This post features gifted products. All opinions, images and wording are my own and are as always 100% honest. 

Beauty | GLOSSYBOX X HEAT MAGAZINE

SURPRISE!

I bet you weren't expecting to see me randomly on your Wednesday considering my normal publish day is Sunday 9am! But here I am with a mid week post featuring another Glossybox post. At this point I should probably reach out for some sponsorship considering I think I featured them on about 2/4 of my January posts but I'm just a big fan what can I say! 

I know this box is long gone and is no longer on sale, but I thought it would be good to show what other products Glossybox have on offer besides their monthly subscription box. This box was actually one of my Christmas gifts from my parents and I have been holding back from posting as I was waiting to hear back from the Glossybox team due to one of the products being missing. I will say that the Glossybox customer service has always been incredible and even though the product missing was no longer available to send to me, they refunded for that amount which was wonderful. So let's have a look into what was included in the Heat X Glossybox Christmas Edit.

First of all I have to talk about the gorgeous box cover that this special came with. I haven't had a special limited edition box from them before so don't know if this is a normal thing, but I loved that it made the box seem different and a little bit more exciting than usual. Unlike the subscription boxes, this box didn't come with an information booklet. Again, I'm not sure if this is normal for limited edition boxes but it did seem a little unusual considering. The box included 10 full sized products (or in my case 9) from high tech skincare to a strong glitter red lipgloss! So let's see what's in the box...

• Tony Moly Red Wine Mask Sheet
• Barry M Nail Varnish in Pure Sunshine
• Luxe Blush Brush in Rose Gold
• Beauty For Real Metallic Eyeliner
• Sport FX Highlighter
• Mudmasky Blue Light Protection Mask
• GOSH Copenhagen Catchy Eyes Mascara
• Incredible Red Hot Ready Glitter Lipgloss
• Upcircle Pamper Kit

I loved the range of products included inside this box. It was nice to receive different products to the ones I have had in previous subscriptions over the last couple of months. I think I might have found a few products I will be using daily too, like the Blue Light Protection Mask, makeup brush and will be repurchasing the Tony Moly Red Wine Sheet for sure! 

Was there anything in this limited edition box that you would like to try/have tried that you love?

Until next time, 

Beauty | Glossybox January 2021

It's time for another one of my favourite beauty blog posts, it's a Glossybox unboxing and with it being the first one of 2021, I am super excited to share it. This blog has turned into a little Glossybox shrine over the last couple of weeks and I won't lie, I'm not mad about it!  (Don't worry though things will be turning back to its normal structure in February and I already have some wonderful posts coming your way that I have worked hard on!) 

January's box was themed around 'Starting Afresh' and with it being the start of a new year it couldn't come at a better time. For me January is the month when I truly attempt to strip back all of my makeup (lol at the fact I hardly wear any these days) and make skincare the focus of my mornings and evenings. The products inside this month's box truly reflects that so let's take a look inside shall we...

The classic pink and black box, ribbon and tissue paper are all back for January and if you have been reading before you will know how much I love it when the boxes are stripped back to their classic image! I love to reuse my boxes for other things down in my studio, and with the colour theme being pink and white they fit in perfectly and come in super handy too.

Up first is the Saint Luxe Clear Brow Gel. Saint Luxe is a brand that was first introduced to me through Glossybox and the products I have tried in the past were brilliant so I was excited to give this a try. I know I mentioned that I haven't been wearing makeup in my day to day over the last couple of months, but I often apply something in my brows to make me feel like I've got things together! The brush on this product is small and easy to apply evenly. It makes the brows stay in place whilst looking fuller, it's brilliant! Next was a E Cooking Moisturing Serum. This product claims to be good for all skin types and ages, which is quite a big claim! I don't think I have been using this enough to give an overall review on the differences, but I like the texture and scent of this. I also like how it makes my skin feel instantly moisturised after application. I'm looking forward to how I get on with it. Then there was a Beauty Pro Avocado Infused Sheet Mask. I love a sheet mask and am always excited to receive new ones through these boxes as they make for the perfect pamper night treat. I haven't tried a sheet mask from this brand before, but I am looking forward to using it this week. Next up, the Mudmasky Serum Infused Eye Mask. I am extremely excited to try this mask as its a product that has sold out on the Glossybox website after having great reviews! To use this product you apply delicately under the eyes and wait for the mud to do it's job. If the claims are true I expect to see changes up to 12 weeks! Finally, a product that I was happy to see included in this month's box as I always enjoy when there's something different. The Daily Concepts Reusable Makeup Remover Daily Reusable Rounds. I have tried, and used already, a couple of different reusable makeup pads but haven't found any that I love. I am hoping these will be the change to that. 

The little extra product included in this month's box was something that made me laugh, not sure if that was the intended reaction! Glossybox are looking out for their subscribers and included a Hand Sanitiser Gel! Where were you last March when you were properly needed! It's in a perfect small size and feels really moisturising on the skin. Thanks Glossy!

So there we have it, January 2021's box! I still can't believe we are talking about being in 2021. It's my birthday next month and in 2020 it was the last celebration my family and I were able to properly celebrate together. Looking forward to lots of together time this year! What was your favourite product included in this month's box? For me it has to be the brow gel or avocado sheet mask! 

Until next time

Beauty | ICONIC London Gift Set Review

In an attempt to minimise the sound of everything that's going on in the world right now, I thought I would throw it back to a good old makeup review. I love making these posts and know how comforting they can be to read, plus it's always handy having an honest unpaid opinion if you're going to be buying something!

ICONIC London is a makeup brand that I discovered through hundreds of influencer ads on Instagram. When Harrod's beauty opened up in Lakeside, which you can read about HERE, I was excited to see a whole stand of ICONIC products and I was impressed! When Boots.com started uploading their Christmas gift sets in October I instantly saw that ICONIC had pulled one together that featured all of their best selling products in full size for the price of just one highlighter, so sent it to my family as a gift idea. I went back onto the link a few hours later to see it sold out and didn't hold much hope. Much to my surprise my dad had gone onto the link right away to purchase it and I'm so chuffed to have got my hands on it! 

First of all the little gift set comes in this gorgeous pink and rose gold makeup bag which is the best size for travelling, remember when we could do that! Sometimes makeup bags that come as part of a gift set can look a little cheap, but I would probably buy this on its own if it was being sold somewhere. When looking at the most known ICONIC London product it has to be the Illuminator, and honestly this was probably the product that most made me want this gift set. The product is applied using a little pipette and is easy to blend onto the skin with your fingertips. I've also found that a little goes a long way with it so I know it's going to last me a while which is good. The set also included a Prep, Set & Glow spray in the shade Original. This gives you the best glow once you have finished applying your makeup. I also enjoyed applying it on it's own to make my skin look awake on the days when I wasn't wearing anything but skincare between Christmas and New Years! Then I was excited to see The Brow Silk Kit which includes the formula in a compact container with mirror and toothbrush shaped brush. Again this product was one I had seen lots of influencers use over the last year and was always sceptical to how easy it was to use. The brush initially surprised me as it seems supersized compared to the size of your brows, however this isn't the case and it works perfectly capturing all of the hairs. Next was a product I hadn't actually heard much about, but after a couple weeks trying now am obsessed with. The Triple Threat Mascara in Black, has a long compact plastic brush that catches every single lash possible! I have only applied it on my top lashes but love the length it gives them. The only negative thing about it is that it's not waterproof. As someone who can sometimes get watery eyes, it's been an emotional year lol, this can be a problem and when I say this mascara runs.... it runs trust me! Perhaps I should save this one for happy occasions only! Finally, the Sheer Blush in Power Pink is the perfect cream blusher. You apply this with soft fingertips onto the cheeks mainly, but it also looks super pretty dabbed onto the lips for a sheer neutral lip. I was initially a little bit shocked when I first swatched it as it is very bright, however when applied it can be easily blended.

So there we have it, the ICONIC London gift set from Boots. I am so chuffed that I have this gift set as I genuinely had been wanting to try all of these products for so long now but never could justify spending the money on myself for them. I already know that the mascara, highlighter and glow spray will be staples in my, very little and neutral, makeup routine now so would highly recommend them! 

I hope you enjoyed this little throwback to how blogging used to be for me in ye old days!  It's so exciting trying new makeup and writing this post and giving everything a proper test brought back my passion for this kind of blogging again. So expect more of this style this year!

Stay safe and take care. 

Until next time x