Birchbox March Review

 Maybe beauty boxes just aren't for me. Maybe I'm too picky and don't like surprises as much as I think I do? I see other blogs with their reviews of beauty boxes with well-known brands and high end samples. Me? I seem to end up with all the rubbish that no one wants to get!

I thought I'd change to Birchbox after being super impressed with what I had seen on other blogs. This is my second box. The first one was a bit meh. This box was even more of a disappointment. Looking at the menu for this month I was so really intrigued, there were products from This Works and LanoLips and last month featured The Balm and  Ole Henriksen. So why do I end up with sachets and toothpaste?!

ARROW Colour Enhancing Lip Balm

 It's cruelty-free, paraben-free and vegan! It's one of those lip products which adjusts to the PH of your lips so the colour is unique on you. It's very easy and turned out a pretty pink colour on me. Probably wouldn't pay £11 for it though...

ModelCo More Brows

Apparently a full size product(?!) It;s tiny! I'll give this a whirl as I've never used a gel on my brows. It's probably not going to stop me using the brow kit I use every single day!

Polaar Night Cream

A sneaky tube that looks like it will have a decent amount of product in but is actually half empty. However it will be useful to take travelling.

Indeed Labs Hydralauron Moisture Boosting Mask

Hydrating sheet mask with Hyaluronic acid which I'll definitely use. I will probably save this for next I have a long flight and my skin needs a boost!

Amika Nourishing Mask

A sachet?! A sachet of hair mask... I don't really understand what I've spent my money on this month!

Regenerate Enamel Science Advanced Toothpaste

Really?! REALLY?! I treat myself to a beauty box each month because I want TREATS not boring old toothpaste! Just why is this even in my box?! 

I think what disappoints me most is I receive products from brands I've never heard of. And they're not brands bloggers are talking about either. I know the whole point of these boxes is to try something new blah blah  blah but the sort of things I'm getting I wouldn't actually even want to purchase (i.e. expensive toothpaste).

I think I may say goodbye to Birchbox and move onto another box after only two month. So please send your beauty box suggestions my way!

What did you think of this months Birchbox? What products did you receive! Let me know in the comments or tweet me @_bowsandbuttons

Hayley x 

Top 5 Money Saving Tips

Here are my top five money saving tips... because let's face it you're probably wasting money on things you don't need when you could be saving to go somewhere sunny and far away!

1. Get Yourself a Lunch Box!

Apparently having a packed lunch is seen as uncool is the adult world... I have no idea why! When I've been at work in the past and pulled out my packed lunch, a sense of confusion has washed over the faces of my colleagues. WHY? Because everyone seems to think it's better to go out and spend money on lunch? I mean it may seem like such a simple thing but believe it or not, you're at work to earn money! It confuses me when people go out and unnecessarily spend a lot of money on lunch when you could get up 10 mins earlier (or even do the night before) and make a nice little lunch for yourself! It also means you can spend your lunch break doing something productive or that will help you destress. Work out how much money you spend on lunch a week and you'll soon see where a lot of your money is disappearing!

2. Stop Buying Coffee out All the Time

Yes, it's nice to do every now and then but if you're doing this every single day think how much money you are spending in a week! Treat yourself to a funky flask, make it at home and take it with you! Tip: You can even buy a Starbucks one and fill it yourself, pretends it's Starbucks and no one will ever know!

3. Compare and Bargain Hunt!

Shop around and find the best buy! This applies to a lot of things; food, cosmetics, insurance etc! I find this particularly with beauty products, even if it is just comparing between Superdrug and Boots!  A lot of the time Superdrug have "better than half price" deals and if there's products you always use it's worth stocking up. It may take a bit of extra time to shop around but in the long run you'll end up making quite saving! Plus nothing feels better than getting a good bargain, right?!

4. Set Yourself a Realistic Budget

I'm not the best at doing this myself but I recommend doing it in some shape or form! Knowing what you have to spend on what will help you not to overspend. Make sure you have enough money set aside for the important (and boring) stuff i.e. bills and rent but then make a plan of what to do with the rest of your pay check. I think it's important to set aside a little bit for treats but also to make sure you're saving! Even if it's £50 you can put away it's better than nothing! 

5. Treats! And Knowing the Difference Between "Want" and "Need"

One thing I've taught myself to do is not to spend money aimlessly or just because I feel like it! Instead reward yourself, for example, if you're at Uni tell yourself you can treat yourself to one thing off your wishlist once you complete a piece of work or that if you work with no breaks in the morning, go out in the afternoon and treat yourself to a coffee. Also one thing that's helps me save money is thinking about what I want and what I need! Instead of impulse buying, think before you buy. This sounds a bit odd but after working in retail over Christmas, people have seem to got a bit credit card happy now they can use contactless and a lot of people laugh and say it feels like they're not spending money! Just ask yourself, do I really need this? If the answer is no, put it back and walk away...it's all about self-control!

What are your tips for saving money? Let me know in the comments or tweet me @_bowsandbuttons

Hayley x 

Disney Wishlist : February

 ❀ Evil Queen Tee Shirt ❀ Lion King Tsum Tsum ❀ Minnie and Mickey Luggage Tag ❀ Tsum Tsum Notebook ❀ Marie Mug ❀ Valentines Stitch ❀ Lion King PJ set ❀ Minnie Mouse Tea Cup and Sauce ❀

Above are a range of the cutest Disney products I've discovered online and when shopping recently. Every time I go into Primark they seem to have new adorable Disney PJs, these Lion King ones are no exception!

 I absolutely love the Evil Queen t shirt and think Stitch would be perfect to add to my collection of Disney things. Plus I have no idea why I don't currently own any Disney mugs!

Have you seen any good Disney finds? Let me know in the comments or tweet me @_bowsandbuttons

Hayley x