Savage Beauty

Glossybox is a monthly beauty subscription box, which contains a combination of five deluxe sample-size and full-sized beauty products. It is normally priced at £10 + £3.25 p&p, but you can receive 20% off your first box 'here'.


This month, the theme of the boxes was Halloween. Each subscriber received a 'trick' or 'treat' box, and I received the latter! The surprise element and the design of both boxes completely drew me into subscribing.

So, what was in my box?

First up, every box contained a *full-sized* Illamasqua 'anti-matter' lipstick which is priced at £20! The 'treat' box contains a dramatic pink lipstick, in the shade 'Nebula'. This lipstick is incredibly pigmented, non-drying with a super creamy texture. Normally, this shade would not be my cup of tea. However, I've found if dabbed lightly onto the lips, it can work well with an every-day look.

Each box also contains a *full-sized* Sleek 'i-Divine' eyeshadow palette, which is priced at £8.99! I received the palette called 'Oh So Special', which comes in an array of twelve warm-toned mattes and shimmer shades. The shimmer shades are incredibly pigmented, my favourite shade including a rose-gold called "organza", whilst the mattes swatch well.


Next, is a *full-sized* LunabyLuna translucent loose setting powder, which is priced at £17! This is a brand I have never tried before, but I'm a lover of loose setting powders. When applied the powder is soft and fine, and worked great at setting my make-up.

Each box contained a *full-sized* 'strobe and glow kit' from Make Up Academy, which is priced at £5! This is a strobing balm and powder, used to highlight the cheekbones. I love a blinding highlight, and this just didn't meet my expectations. It had little pigmentation and so, I will be passing this on to my Mum. But, it was nice to test out!

Lastly, the boxes contained a 20ml deluxe sample size of This Works 'in-transit camera close-up' moisturiser. The full-sized product is 40ml, priced at £35 which means that this deluxe sample is priced at £17.50! I haven't tried this product yet, nor have I tried any products from This Works, but look out on my Instagram for a more in-depth review!


Overall, I am incredibly impressed with this month's Glossybox. The total value of this box is £68, which is fantastic considering that the price of this box was £10. I am very happy with each product. Even though I wasn't a fan of the MUA highlighter, I'm sure my Mum will love it!

Have you received this month's Glossybox? What did you think of the items. Let me know in the comments!

XO Zoe

Birchbox is a monthly beauty subscription box which is priced at £10 + £2.95 p&p. It contains around five beauty products, ranging from make-up to luxury skincare brands. This month, Birchbox added an extra perfume sample to every box, too! After a looong break, a promo code for a free LOC lipgloss trio worth £20(!!!) reeled me back in.

So, what was in my box?


Every box contains a Beauty Pro Thermotherapy face mask. I received the silver foil mask, containing vitamin C and green tea extracts. These are self-heating and intend to even your skin-tone, whilst boosting moisture. The masks are priced at £5.95 each, so already we're getting our money's worth.

My box also contained a unique product by Daily Concepts. This is a two-in-one charcoal sponge and soap, which is used to exfoliate your skin. Charcoal is great for removing impurities, and getting rid of pesky blackheads. This is a full-sized product and it is priced at £6.00.


I bagged a hair mask by a unfamiliar brand called Amika. Unknowingly to me, this product is highly rated across beauty websites for improving the condition of your hair. I'm definitely looking forward to testing this, as I have long, dry hair. The full-sized version is priced at £20/250ml, meaning that the sample is worth £1.60/20ml.

Next up, another hair product by Number 4... which is a repeat product! I have received this product in previous Birchboxes. This is unfortunate as Birchbox is advertised to help you discover new products! Although, I will admit that I think this is a great heat protection spray, as it leaves my hair feeling super soft. The full-sized product costs £26.25/200ml, suggesting that the 30ml sample-size is worth around £4.


Finally, some make-up in the form of Winky Lux. This is a warm-toned strobing balm, used to highlight the cheekbones. But sorry, it's a no from me! This "highlighter" contains zero pigmentation, and has little effect. The balm is priced at £15/7g, making the sample worth £3.20/1.5g. No matter the cost, it is not worth the money.

To summarise, I liked the variety of beauty products in this box. I obviously was disappointed that there was a repeat product and I didn't like the strobing balm, but I'm incredibly happy to try the sheet mask, hair mask and charcoal sponge. Overall, this box is worth around £20.75, not including the free LOC lipgloss trio, which I received as a free gift when I subscribed (promo code: here). But, you're definitely getting your pennies worth!

Are you subbed to Birchbox? If so, what did you think of this month's box... let me know in the comments!

XO Zoe

I have officially have six months to go until I qualify as a registered nurse. The thought of wearing a blue uniform, being attached to a set of drug-cupboard keys and having a whole load of responsibilities... is terrifying.


As a student nurse, having a good level of confidence is key. It's important to ask questions, advocate for patient's care and grab learning opportunities. This requires feeling comfortable with raising your voice in front of others. But, I know that it's much easier said than done.

There's No Stupid Questions
Before I started my training, I had never stepped foot in a clinical area. In retrospect, this had set me back from my peers. Everything was new and scary and sterile. In my first year, I remember googling what "DNACPR" meant, because apparently the medical world loves it's abbreviations. I did have fantastic nursing mentors, but I had zero confidence in myself to say "wait a minute... what does this, this and this mean?".

If you're unsure of something, it is important to ask someone about it. Asking some questions can feel silly, but speaking out will enhance your confidence over time. The more you do it, the easier you'll find it. And, remember that there's no such thing as a "stupid question" in the nursing universe. Believe me, I have asked some pretty daft things.

Exhibit A during first placement:

Me - How do you turn this blood pressure machine on?

Nurse - Well, there's a large green button that says 'ON'
Exhibit B during second placement:

Me - Why is it called a convoy?

Nurse - Um, it's called a convene...

Seek Opportunities
During my first placement, I let a huge learning opportunity slip because I was too nervous to ask if I could observe. I was so disappointed in myself, and I promised myself that I would start speaking up when I was presented with learning opportunites. As students, we have the luxury of supernumerary status and it's so important to take advantage of this.

Before starting placement, I now make a list of clinical areas which I'd like to spend a day or two at. This list will not only make you look super proactive, but it will help you to find it easier to discuss future learning opportunities with your mentor. I feel that gaining experience in so many different areas whilst on placement, and constantly meeting new people, really did excel my confidence.


Embrace Yourself
Super cheesy, right? But learning to embrace yourself, and all the crippling nerves that come with it, is so important. Confidence comes with time, and it certainly didn't happen overnight for me. I still get a huge lump in my throat when it's time to phone placement to introduce myself, and you're completely wrong if you think that I'll ever be the first to speak during a lecture.

Embracing the qualities that make you, YOU, allows you to build on them. Over the past few months, I've kept a "reflective" journal. I'll either write one thought from my day or a complete essay, but it helps me off-load and identify areas in my life which I need to work on. Turns out, my confidence is still one of those areas which I need to build on...

There is also a ton of helpful books out there for student nurses, which emphasise the normality of lacking confidence and how to work on it! The Student Nurse Handbook by Bethann Siviter is one of my favourites.

Thank you for reading my post! Share your thoughts in the comments.

XO Zoe