USA --> UK; International Box Swap with Conk's Canister

Constance of Conk's Canister blog is one of the first bloggers I started speaking to when I first joined Twitter and the fabulous blogging world back in February and is one of the people who has always been there for a chat or to help with tips and advice when needed, so it was obvious when deciding to do an international box swap that she would be my first choice to swap with! We set a budget and got shopping for lots of lovely beauty and lifestyle things to send to one another, including a few special requests (Sephora makeup and Jolly Ranchers for me, and Tanya Burr lipgloss for Constance)...

Doing box swaps is something I've seen loads of, and I couldn't wait to start putting my own together with Constance. I have to admit, I was quite nervous to start with as there was so many things I wanted to include in my box and no where near enough budget to do so - why not check out what I send over to Constance in America on here amazing blog here. But, what awesome things did Constance send to me...

I literally couldn't believe all the amazing things Constance sent over to me, and was overwhelmed by the variety of everything she sent, as well as the adorable and thoughtful notes and card that came with each item explaining why it was sent over. So, what did I get...

Cooking Equipment

Southern Fried Cooking Book
This was such a thoughtful thing to send over! Constance mentioned in her note that living in Mississippi, Southern Fried food is something that is a staple in any Southern States kitchen. There are so many recipes and things in this book that I didn't even know you could fry - and I'm really excited to try some. Of course, once I was settled in my new flat, I tried cooking up some good old Southern Fried Chicken and courgettes (zucchini in America) which weren't up to the standard of proper American fried food, but I was pretty proud.

American Measurement Cups
These were also incredibly thoughtful of Constance as something I had completely overlooked when I first flicked through the cooking book until I read the note attached to these two sets of measuring cups was that American and UK measurements in cookery are different, so these definitely came in handy when I made my fried chicken and courgette batter. I can definitely see myself using these in baking things in the future and they will save me a lot of time having to google weight conversions if I want to use an American recipe!

Sweets & Snacks
Needless to say, most of these were eaten as soon as I got them as I was too excited by all the things we don't have over here in the UK, and they were all so yummy - I literally felt about nine years old again experiencing sweets and snacks that made your mouth pop and your senses go wild!

Cracker Jacks
I'm a massive fan of popcorn, so I was excited to try some sticky American popcorn - although I've never had popcorn that's had flavoured nuts in it as well, which was actually a really nice flavour combination - hopefully I'll be able to track some down in the UK or even make my own!

Jolly Ranchers
I've never tried Jolly Ranchers before, but when I was asking about at what kinds of things to try from America, these were suggested a lot as something completely different to anything we have here in the UK as hard boiled sweets go. They are also a favourite of one of my all time favourite YouTubers, so I had to give them a go - and was shocked at the size of the bag Constance sent me that I even have a few in the bottom of the bag left over! They are so ridiculously yummy, and I think they have recently been brought over to the UK in fake form with less additives! They have such a strong flavour, which I wasn't expecting, and Grape flavour was definitely a new experience for me. I'm so glad I've got to try these now, though I can see them lasting me a long time!

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Fun Dip
Fun Dips are similar to Dib-Dabs that we have here in the UK, something that I used to love to snack on when I was young, although something I've not had in over a decade so it was like being thrown back to my childhood - just with stronger flavours, and once again the introduction of a Grape flavoured sherbet which was really yummy.

Pop Rocks
You can't go wrong with popping candy - and I'm not sure how America does it, but it has a much stronger pop and lasts a lot longer that the Space Dust we have here in the UK - everything American sweet wise seems to be like a better, more flavourful, more exciting version of what we have here.

Chiclets
I have never seen these before, or even heard of them, but Constance noted that they were something she had a lot when she was younger, so I was excited to try them. It's hard to compare them to anything we have over here as they have a very unusual flavour from what I'm used to, but really tasty at the same time - they remind me of fruit flavoured chewing gum with an M&M crust if you can imagine that.

Jelly Beans
I am a massive fan of jelly beans, although I am quite picky of which flavours I will eat, so Pete was incredibly happy that I actually shared anything with him that I was sent in my box. There's nothing quite like eating Jelly Beans knowing they have come straight from America to my doorstep!

Cheetos
Once again, these are similar to some crisps we have here in the UK, like a cross between Cheesy Wotsits in flavour and Nik Naks in texture and look. They were really yummy, as they tasted like Wotsits, but I really am not a fan of the texture of those as they feel like I'm eating dust, so I loved that I could get my mega cheesy taste with a much nicer texture to eat. They are so good, and a much stronger cheese flavour than we get here - American snacks are literally the best.

Beauty
I've done swatches for everything I was sent over beauty wise so you can see what the colours and pigments are like - there isn't one thing in this collection that I don't love!

Makeup Bag
I was sent over a beautiful pink makeup bag with rose detailing on the front which is such a convenient size for travelling, and I've already used it on a few occasions as a makeup bag - it's just so girly and pretty, I love it!

Sephora Eyeshadow Brush
I love this eyeshadow brush, it's really soft and make applying a base layer of eyeshadow really easy, as well as being really good for blending - I've been using it almost every day, especially when I want to try a smokey eye look.

Sephora Blusher in Rose Pop (no.18)
This is very different from other blushers I have, as pink tones are not something I usually go for, although now that I'm actually starting to get a tan living in the South rather than the North of England, the pink tones are really complimenting my skin tones, especially when used as a highlight over bronzer. It's a really pretty pink colour and has a strong pigment, so it will last me ages.

Sephora Eyeshadow in Truffle (no.96)
There is something I have noticed about Sephora products is that they are all really easy to blend colours. I really like this eyeshadow as smokey eye looks using browns and golds rather than greys is something I've really got into this summer, and this is a perfect smoked brown colour for doing such looks.

Sephora Cream Lip Stain (no.14)
I love the maroon colour of this lip stain - it's really easy to apply and such a beautiful rich colour. I'm really impressed as well at how long lasting it is. I'm not a massive fan of lip glosses, but this matte lipgloss dries really quickly and doesn't feel like a lipgloss as all.

Sephora Nano Lips Lipliner in Lovely Lilac (no.10)
The maroon-purple pigment in this lipliner is such a fabulously close match to the cream lip stain Constance also sent me (above) and is so easy to use. It has a really strong pigment which makes it really easy to get a solid line with just one pass. I love this colour and am so happy to have been introduced to a maroon colour that goes with my summer colours, unlike the other maroon lip colours I have that are very much winter tones.

Wet'n'Wild Megaslicks Balm Stain in Red-Ioactive (no.160A)
I am really impressed with the pigment and shine in this lip balm stain. I've seen so many lip stain pens and crayons in the UK, but none that are as shiny as this one. I've always wanted to try the Wet'n'Wild makeup products as they certainly haven't disappointed. Constance picked a colour that is so pretty and that is one of my favourite colours to wear in the summer.

Wet'n'Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Palette in Comfort Zone (no.738)
This is a perfect palette for summer, with two distinct looks, one a bronzed day look and the other a transformation to a gold smokey night look. It's a really convenient palette to take around with you and really nice colours for an all time look. I was really impressed with the pigmentation and the glitter in these eight colours. I also love the fact that each set has an imprint of where you should use each colour to create a great look.

Elf Lip Balm Tint in Grapefruit (no.22133)
I wear a lot of lip balms as opposed to lip sticks or stains during the day in the summer, and this is a really pretty tint colour for all day, as well as being really moisturising. I haven't ever heard of Elf makeup before, but I'm impressed.

Covergirl Matte Lipstick in Guavalicious (no.400)
I absolutely love this lipstick! Being an avid watcher of America's Next Top Model, of course I have heard of Covergirl Cosmetics, and have always wanted to try some of their products. Despite being a matte lipstick it has a little shine to it, which I like as it's got a shine without just rubbing off easily. It's such a pretty pink colour and perfect for summer.

I want to say a massive thank you to Constance of this amazing box swap and introducing me to some incredible American beauty products and foods, amongst other things, including such sweet notes for each gift! Don't forget to check out Constance's blog here and see her post on the UK Box I sent over to her. Let me know in the comments below if you have ever done a box swap and what kinds of things you learned about a different cultures products...