Loom bands by rainbow braid

You may think the looming time has come to an end, actually it's just begining, more and more mums are getting together for coffee and looming, kids are having loom parties and loom sleepovers and some of us just like the bit of us time away from the hussle and bussle of day to day life to make something that matches tomorrows outfit.

Rainbow braid were kind enough to send me a 5400 refill pack during the school holidays and me, my daughter, my friend and her daughter all got together for a girl afternoon of looming, it was fun that we could all be involved and it wasn't important what level of looming we could manage.

This is what we managed to create from the pack i was sent and as you can see i still have some left that i just haven't got around to using up yet.
Of all the bands sent, 2 snapped, now normally from a £1 pack from anywhere i get at least 3-4 that snap but these are super stretchy and don't go weak even when reused, they worked on 3 types of loom and weren't too stiff to shape into any style.

We started off with basic fishtails which most people start with and are so easy to mix and match

43 bracelets later and we moved onto some different styles, 

The rose fishtails are really easy once you've done it once so they are a great mix for girls to play around with

Starbursts are time consuming but really easy and if you drop a loom it's so easy to pick back up again 

These are hex and flat hex bracelets, they took us around 45 minutes each and are definitely not the easiest to get the hang of but they are so pretty and really sturdy especially for the school playground when they get swapped and changed

And last we made bow rings which are much easier than they look and a lovely change from a normal band, the girls love them and i do too :)

If you want to know how to make any of the styles above drop me a message and i'll give you the video links.

I won't be going back to the £1 packs from markets and small shops after using these, the quality was far better and longevity just proves that bulk buying can really work out better in the long run.

Now we've nearly used all the bands up the girls want to start working on Frozen characters and other little charms they can attached to bags, coats and put around the bedrooms so i'm really excited to help out where they'll let me. 

Beauty Box reviews

This month i received both GlossyBox and BirchBox, my BB was again left on the doorstep but thankfully no one decided to steal it this time.

I have stuck with BB simply because it seems a fairly good way of finding out which products not to buy, Of the selection this month there are only 2 i'd use however, I've found they are great for reusing the boxes and putting all the larger samples together for girly Christmas boxes....or in my case, hen girl boxes. If you can spare the cash and want to get something new and unheard of every month then BB is great for that but for high end, larger samples i'd look at wantable or similar.

 Skin and co aren't a company i've come across before, i've not heard of truffles being used in face products but this has good reviews and goes on quite nice, it's not a life changer but a pleasant surprise, the sample isn't very big and it's expensive to buy full size but it's a nice luxury treat.

Korres is a company i know about through beauty boxes, it's also the same product just a different scent that i've had before and i don't like it much, the bottle is ideal for swimming but i don't find the gel lathers much, the scent is a little too much and it's very sticky, again great for christmas boxes because someone will like it i'm sure.

Benefit is a company most ladies have heard of, sadly it's not a favorite of mine, i want to love it but after trying a few products they are just a little too rich and too ingredient heavy which my skin doesn't agree with, the cream smells nice and did leave my eye area nice and soft but i found after 2 days use face got a little red and blotchy, don't let me put you off, give it a go yourself, i just have very sensitive skin. 

A lip gloss is pretty much just a lip gloss regardless of brand, model co make some lovely product that aren't too expensive and offer a good colour range but i'm just not much of a lip gloss girl, especially now the wind is taking over and my hair plasters itself to my face.

Another company i've not yet come across so well done BB for keeping my mind open, however i just do not get on with oils, many ladies swear by them so this product may be the bee's knees, i'm just not willing to try and find out, my hair is huge, damaged and gets greasy really quick and it hates oils :(

I love little food items in the boxes it's a great way to try something you would never normally try, dried fruit is very good for you and you've not had to waste any money trying it if you don't like it but i don't eat dried fruit, or mango's so these went into the bin, it's a shame as i'd love to be given an option so i can choose something i might like to try.

And lastly, the birchbox item, i love these little gifts, my daughter puts them all to good use :)

All in all, not my best box or my worst, it sounds pretty negative but there will always be months where it just wasn't for you and those that are right up your street.

News flash, Glossy box restores faith with free box and keep custom :)

This month was my first free box and i wasn't looking forward to it.

First i loved the box design.

Then this little tub came into view, it smells great, it's silky soft and although my hair doesn't like oils  this is more of a creamy mask and left me with smooth hair, it's a great product and affordable which makes a nice change.

Nails inc use to be big in my nail collection but sadly i don't find it lasts all that long on my nails unlike other brands so i've put it in a girly box for a friend who likes to experiment, i tried it on one nail and it seems to do the job but it scratches off easily, it's a good choice since i now know that it isn't for me without having to buy it.

Another Model co product, thankfully different to my other box, it's too greyish for my brows and i didn't find it easy to apply, the biggest downside for me was it's a little like mascara and left my brows hard and tough to wipe out but again not something i'd of though of buying so they are keeping us trying new things with this.

Ultrasun is a brand my parents swear by, they've used it for a long time and my mum gave me a tube this year, its goes on easy, it's thick and i can apply my make up over it without streaks, it's more expensive than i'd normally go for but it's nice to see a high end brand in a beauty box.

Lastly was these sample packets, i really don't like packets, there's always too much for one use but by the second use they've dried out or run all over my make up draws, 'acid peel' doesn't sound face friendly and i was concerned about trying it on sensative skin so i've not got around to trying these out yet but if anyone else has please let me know how you got on.

TJ x