Love Me Beauty Box August 2014 | Unboxing

My favourite time of the month has arrived again. Time for all the beauty boxes to arrive all at once!

I'll start this month with Love Me Beauty as it was the first to arrive.

I opted for option two this month, anything that revolves around eyebrow/liner products is a must for me, so lets get to the unboxing.....

I have to admit, when i opened the box it didn't really look exciting like last months box, it looks quite empty with there only being four products this time but the quality of the products i've received really makes up for that.

Mirabella - Lip Luster Liner in "Charming" - £10.50

I've never used a lip liner....ever. After realising they don't just have to be used to line the lip but can also be used to colour fully i couldn't wait to give this a go.

The colour is lovely and it's nice and matte which is what types of red i go for anyway. I can see myself using this regularly.

"Sheer, brilliant lip liner is easy to blend and layer. Aloe Vera keeps lips soft and application comfortable. Long wearing shiny finish creates the perfect base for lip gloss formulas."

A La Carte - Smudge Proof Eyebrow Definer in "Blonde" - £23.00

New eyebrow products are always exciting although i keep going back to my old faithful rimmel pencil as i don't seem to fall in love with anything else, until this came along.

I forgot to swatch this one but its a really nice light brown colour. I was abit worried that the blonde shade wouldn't be dark enough but as it was the same shade in each box i didn't really have a choice. Its lovely and natural and after a little bit of practice with the application my brows look fabulous. It stays on all day and unlike a pencil there's no worry about smudging it down your face!

"Precision, skinny tip pen for painting individual hairs. Water-based, smudge-proof for eyebrows, eyeliner or semi permanent body art. Its the perfect natural and transparent colour for tinting or filling in brows."

Oriflame - The One Eyeliner Stylo in "Black" - £8.45

I loooooove this. Eyeliner pens are my favourite liners and this one is so good. Its dark, glossy, goes on so easily and i can do my cat flicks to a tee. It also doesn't budge on my greasy lids throughout the day but is easy enough to remove on a night. What more can you ask for?

"Deliver vibrant colour magnitude, delicate felt tip supplies one smooth, precise line with no dragging or creasing."

Marsk - Mineral Eyeshadow in "Foiled again" - £14.49

I'm still learning when it comes to eyeshadow, everytime i try it takes me back to year 7 at school when it was the in thing to rock a bright blue eye. (cringe)

This is a loose powder but it has the little holes to dispense the powder through rather than it being a free for all once the lid comes off.

It's a gorgeous colour and its nice and pigmented however, i found that applying it dry it just dusts right off so its probably better to use it with a wet brush but i'm yet to try it.

"100% Natural, mineral based loose powder that are strictly cruelty free and available in a range of striking shades that offer endless colour possibilities for a professional makeup effect. Featuring a creamy texture, these highly pigmented powders are easily blendable and offer you the ability to create depth and intensity around the eye"

Verdict

Total of box - £56.44

So yet again another great box that i'll make use of everything from, i can't fault it and for the price you pay for the box the value is amazing.

Can't wait to see how it measures up to the other boxes.

If you want to purchase a Love Me Beauty Box you can do so Here

New Years resolutions - Complete!

For 2014 i set myself two big (to me) challenges to complete.

CHALLENGE 1.

Last year i started running and to keep me on track i decided to register for the Leeds half marathon on 11th May 2014. 13.1 miles to anyone that isn't familiar with race lengths.

I had a tough old time finding the right running shoes, but thats a whole different story. But thank god for my Asics GT 2000 trainers that have stuck with me the whole way.

Training was tough. Starting from running 5k a week to upping the mileage to be able to comfortably run 10k took time. I took part in the Wakefield Hospice 10k with my friend Kate to get the feel of what a race would be like and we completed it in 56 minutes.

After completing the 10k it was time to start getting sponsored for the big race. I managed to raise just short of £600 for the RNIB which is a charity for the blind. My Grandad has recently been registered as blind so it meant alot to me to run for a charity that does so much to help him.

My brothers friend Bijan was my training rock throughout the whole journey. He kept me going through all the painful stitches, the uphill climbs, the hot & cold weather and anything else that got in our way. I couldn't have done it without him, it really does make a massive difference to train with someone rather than going at it by yourself.

I completed the half marathon in 02:03:21 and i believe Bijan was about 10 minutes faster. I kept a steady pace throughout and didn't walk once. I think i've set a pretty decent time to beat next year. 

 CHALLENGE 2.

Tough Mudder!

Probably the more exciting of the two challenges and definitely my favourite one to take part in. I kept my running training up for this whilst also doing a lot of kettlebell workouts for strength although nothing could really prepare Team Diamond for what was to come.....

Tough Mudder is a 10-12 mile obstacle course designed to test all-around strength, stamina, teamwork, and mental grit. Tough Mudder is Probably the Toughest Event on the Planet. Probably.

Team Diamond consisted of

From left to right - Carrieanne (Beauties Unlocked), My brother Mike, My good friend Sam, and Myself.

The course was MASSIVE. Other the Yorkshire moors it wasn't going to be easy. There were alot of up and downhills. There was alot of mud. And there were some tough obstacles to overcome.

Below is the course map

 The below images are a few of the standout obstacles for me personally. They are also taken from the official Tough Mudder website as it might have proved a bit difficult to take a camera round with us, haha.

Everest

Conquering Everest takes major grit and teamwork. Sprint up this quarter-pipe obstacle and enlist the help of other Mudders℠ to pull you over the beastly summit. Everest is coated in mud and grease, a combo that might send you right back from where you came. Suck it up and keep climbing. The view from the top is worth it.

 

Hangin' Tough

This obstacle holds the title for the lowest completion percentage. You’ll need a strong grip and precise coordination to conquer it. Swing Tarzan-style across a series of hanging rings spaced 1.2 to 1.8 meters apart and suspended over a pool of muddy water. For those of you who talk a big game, this obstacle will show you just how tough you really are.

Obstacle Stat: Only 30% of Mudders℠successfully complete Hangin’ Tough.

Arctic Enema

This obstacle arguably takes the most mental grit of them all. Some athletes use ice baths for recovery, but your muscles aren’t going to be relaxed after a swim in this freezing skip. Climb right into the floating iceberg abyss—don’t overthink it. When you’re submerged, find the mental and physical strength to swim through the ice, under a wooden plank and pull yourself out on the other end. You’ll come out feeling like shrink-wrapped leftovers straight out of the freezer. Emphasis on the shrink

Electroshock Therapy

Run through a field of live wires that sure as hell don’t tickle. Watch out for hay bales and deep sinkholes, or you will face-plant into some electrifying mud. Some Mudders℠ try to stealthily wind their way through the wires, while others barrel forward to get through as quickly as possible. Just keep your eye on the prize: this is the last obstacle you face before you cross the finish line.

Mud Mile

Slosh through a series of waist-deep mud pits and try not to lose your shoes in the process. Balance and coordination are key if you want to make it through this mud-run obstacle without face-planting…but what’s the fun in that? Real Mudders℠ eat mud for breakfast.

 It was an amazing experience and all four of us can't wait to take part again next year and become MUDDER LEGIONNAIRES.

All Mudders are rewarded with a tough mudder headband & a t shirt. The headbands change colour for each course you complete so you don't just end up with a million orange headbands.

There's also a pint of delicious Ginger Grouse Ginger Beer waiting for you as you cross the finish line.

The pictures below do not do any justice as to how muddy we actually got, one of the obstacles close to the end results in jumping into water which washes pretty much most of the mud off you.

 

So that's my resolutions done for my fit 2014. I'm also taking part in the Leeds Abbey Dash in November and then it's on to planning next year's challenges.

Bring it on.