Bellabox November 2015

Laqa & Co. Cheeky Lip in Cray Cray

I have received a couple of Laqa & Co. products across beauty boxes since I started subscribing to them and they have all been absolute perfection; so this product was no different. I received the shade Cray Cray that is a bright orange colour that comes in a twist up stick that you can apply to both lips and cheeks. I started off applying it to my lips and it glided on and was a beautiful bright shade perfect for spring. I wasn’t sure how it would go on my cheeks because it was bright orange, so I applied two little dots on the apples of my cheeks to start off with. I started blending it upwards toward my cheekbones and was blown away by how easily it blended in with my existing foundation and concealer. The colour, which went from being bright and punchy, turned into a beautiful glow like flush of colour on the cheeks and teamed with the matching lips was absolute perfection. I’m so in love with the combo and never thought matching my lips to my cheeks could be so well done. This is such a ripper of a product and I will for sure be tracking down the other shade to add to my makeup stash. These little sticks are perfect for anyone who loves multitasking products that can save them a little bit of space in their overfilled makeup bag. Full Size. $35. Cruelty Free.

NYX Baked Eyeshadow in Snowstorm

Like Laqa & Co. Nyx is a brand that you will already find floating around in my bathroom. Their products are affordable, cruelty free and rival products from more high-end brands. This baked eyeshadow is such a creamy dream and applies so beautifully. I received the shade Snowstorm that is a light champagne colour and on my very fair skin will make a wonderful eyeshadow base. For dames with tan and darker skin this will make a wonderful highlighting shade. Full Size. $9.95. Cruelty Free.

Ulta3 Felt Tip Eyeliner

I love a classic black winged eyeliner look, so I go through liquid liner pens like nobodies business. So I was very excited to try out this one from Ulta3 since it retails for only $6.95! If I could find a Holy Grail liner pen for under $10 I would be saving big bucks when it comes to doing my eye makeup. Some liner pens that black very rarely come out black and more like a deep grey. But this one is one of the most intense glossy black shades I have seen. It applied like a dream and I was able to get in really close to the lash line to ensure that there are no gaps. It was also sturdy enough to create a nice sharp flick at the end and I was really impressed by it. But that is only half the battle. With these felt tip pens they are all champagne dinners and romantic walks on the beach at first but after a month things can go south very quickly. I am yet to find a felt tip liner pen that stays sturdy and sharp as long as the liquid product lasts in the tube. They all start to get a bit worn on the tip and no longer can you create that sharp flick. So this one from Ulta3 is so far a 10/10 for me, but that next challenge is seeing how long the pen lasts! Full Size. $6.95. Cruelty Free.

Sebamed Liquid Face & Body Wash

I have seen the Sebamed brand scattered throughout various pharmacies when I’m trying to find cough syrup or panadol but have never really picked it up and checked out the packet. The liquid face wash is PH 5.5 balanced for sensitive skin that is prone to blemishes and other skin irritations. It is soap and alkali free and unlike other cleansers it claims to give a deep clean but still be extremely moisturizing to the skin. I haven’t tried this yet because I’ve pretty much got my skincare routine down pat at the moment, but I will be keeping this little sample incase my acne flares up again and I need something to calm it, as the product does sound really great. My skin has also loved cleansers that have been PH 5.5 balanced in the past like the La Roche Posay Effaclar Cleanser, so this one will be sticking around ‘in case of emergency’ style. Also in regards to animal testing, the Sebamed website states that they do not test in the manufacturing process but can not guarantee that the ingredients from suppliers are cruelty free, so I take that as they do. Deluxe Sample. Tests on Animals.

Body Babes Coffee Body Scrub

I haven’t tried this coffee scrub yet but it looks so promising. It’s made with 100% natural ingredients like Arabica coffee beans, sea salt, vitamin E, and sweet almond and orange oil. All the coffee scrubs I’ve tried so far have left my skin feeling beautifully smooth and smelling delicious, even though my shower is left looking like a Starbucks got knocked over. I can’t wait to give this one a try and I believe the way to get the best results is to just go in using it as a fun body scrub and not some miracle product that will make your cellulite and stretch marks disappear which they all claim to do.  Sample Size. Unsure of animal testing policy.

BONUS

Bic Soleil Glow Razor

Oh Bellabox, you’re always perfect with your product timing. Having a razor as a bonus product is perfect now we are in the warmer months. I used this razor to defuzz my legs the same day I received this box and it did a pretty darn good job. Though I’m not really too fussy with razors as I find they all kind of do the same thing and that women get way ripped off when it comes to shaving products. I used to use the Olay Shaving Mousse for my legs which retailed at $8 but then one day I was walking past the men’s section and they had pretty much the same product for $3. So girls, save your shiny sand dollars and switch over to men’s shaving products. They are a hella lot less expensive and I find that they actually do a better job. Full Size. $7.50.

Carefree Ultra Thins Regular

Bellabox have definitely upped their Bonus items. Instead of getting the same Palmers or Garnier samples we are now getting products we would use. Like razors and sanitary items. These items would have been a bit of a bore as main items but in the bonus section they are bloody amazing and save a trip ducking out to the shops. Deluxe Sample.

Lust Have It October 2015

For the third or fourth time I have unsubscribed to Lust Have It. I feel the company goes through up and down cycles and the past two months have been a bit of a downer. They’re again behind on shipping and when that happens I unsubscribe for a month here and there until their products and shipping are back up to their usual standards. This month is a reflection of one of their down cycles with recycled products, late shipping and food products that expire in a month. There was also no product card so I wasn’t able to see descriptions, information or prices. So for now I will be unsubscribing until they get their act together, because when they have a good month it’s a REALLY good month, but for now it will be au revoir and I’m sure I’ll be back in the future with more Lust Have It reviews.

Hair & Me Hair Rejuvenation Treatment

Hair & Me is already a staple in my bathroom cupboard and I had literally just run out of it mere days before I received my Lust Have It. It is a great pre shampoo oil treatment that is 100% Australian made and cruelty free; which I know for an absolute fact since the company is owned by my old hairdresser Jess. She used to look after my locks when they were super duper blonde and needed a lot of care. She is wonderfully skilled and also a pretty rad chick, which is especially awesome because it’s good to support local businesses that have a lot of love go into them and are ran by lovely people. I use this treatment a few times a month when my hair is feeling blah or a bit angry from heat styling. You apply it from roots to ends and leave it on for a minimum 30 minutes. I sometimes end up leaving mine on for up to two hours because as soon as I get home I wipe off my makeup, apply this treatment and then wander around the house watching TV and cooking dinner while it sits nicely in my hair brewing away. It is full of 100% raw certified organic coconut oil, sweet almond oil, macadamia oil and jojoba oil and free from lots of nasty skin irritating ingredients. I love using this because it is super gentle but effective and because it is full of natural and organic ingredients it doesn’t irritate the dermatitis behind my ear and even helps soothe it a little bit. The only negative about oil treatments though is that you really need to give your hair a bit of elbow grease when shampooing to make sure you get out all the oils, so a double shampoo should take care of it nicely. Once dried my hair is soft and feels beautifully healthy. Hair & Me is a staple in my bathroom for a reason, it is a great local product that leaves my hair feeling amazing. Full Size. Cruelty Free.

Flormar Glittering Star Eyeliner in 505

While this does apply nicely and is pigmented it just doesn’t look that nice. I received a purple shade and the glitter in it is harsh and scratchy. While under good lighting it can look sparkly but most of the time it just looks chunky and almost scab like.  It is scratchy when you apply it and the pencil states that it is not to be used inside the eye, which I assume refers to using in the waterline and tight lining. This is possibly because of the chunky glitter which did feel quite irritating when I swatched it on my hand, so I can’t imagine how it would go with sensitive eyes. I don’t think I’ll be keeping this product at all.  Full Size. Cruelty Free.

Lust Have It Natural Highlighter in Sunset Strobe

I wasn’t even aware that the Lust Have It brand included their own makeup line but according to the packaging it is cruelty free, vegan and made in Australia. I was so excited when I read this and had such high hopes but then I was just left disappointed. As a gal whose foundation shades are either 0.5 or porcelain there is no way I can use this, it could even go as a bronzer for me, so this highlighter definitely caters for darker skinned ladies. The compact is gorgeous and it comes with a really great mirror so it is very purse friendly. So for the packaging it gets an A+. When I went to swatch it the formula did feel a bit chalky but when I swiped it on my arm it went on really smooth. The colour is really beautiful and it is a nice subtle shimmer that doesn’t seem too chunky like some other highlighters. I’m so disappointed that I can’t use this, but if they made this in much fairer shades I would pick it up in a heart beat. I will be passing this one on though. Full Size. Cruelty Free. Vegan.

Skin Magic Tea

I wrote about the Skin Magic Tea in the September review for Lust Have It which you can find right 

here. Because of this I wont go over it again but this tea bag was included due to a little bit of a stuff up the previous month. In September we were supposed to receive 6 teabags in our beauty bags but only received 1. People complained and LHI stated all over social media that they would send out the remaining 5 in the October bag. The October bag arrives and again, only 1 teabag shows up. So there are still 4 teabags floating around somewhere that we all need to receive and since I’ve unsubscribed I probably won’t get a hold of them. Sample.

Atkins Endulge Chocolate Candies

I was a bit annoyed/confused/disappointed when I saw these in the bag because I’m not subscribed to a food subscription service but a beauty one. I’ve also never really followed any form of diet, especially Atkins, because we should all just eat what we like in moderation, drink lots of water and do a decent amount of exercise and we will be fine. But I was actually super curious at these Atkins Chocolate Candies when receiving them and I do have a massive sweet tooth. They are incredibly low in carbs and sugars and are meant to be a healthier alternative to M&M’s. Before tasting them I thought it would be like when I tried the Loving Earth milk chocolate that all the #fitspo #greensmoothie Insta famous girls like to devour and I couldn’t even make it through one bite it was that foul. I did try the Loving Earth Caramel chocolate though and that is at least edible and pretty tasty but it is not chocolate. These Atkins alternatives not only look exactly like M&M’s but also taste pretty much 95% exactly like them, to the point that if you mixed them in with their non-healthy counterparts I probably couldn’t tell the difference. Then I read the back and that’s where it got a little bit whack. You can only eat one packet a day and anymore than that will have a laxative effect. The ingredients also look pretty ratchet and a bit nasty, so I don’t think I’ll be buying these in the future. The packets Lust Have It sent out also expire December 2 2015, so we are basically getting products that would have been on a discount shelf anyway. No thank you. Full Size.

Flormar Nail Enamel in 403

I admit that I was kind of bummed to be getting nail polish only because I have SO much. When you’ve been subscribed to beauty boxes for over a year you begin to accumulate hoards of certain products and nail polish is one of them. I wish once you reached the amount of product you needed with a certain item that you could log onto your profile and say you don’t want to receive it anymore. Anyway this polish actually ended up being a really pleasant surprise. Red is my favourite colour for lipsticks and polishes so I was of course won over instantly when I saw the beautiful bright, vibrant, glossy red shade. Then I applied it straight onto my toes and I was blown away. It was so pigmented and one dip painted all ten toes with ease. It went on so easy and the formula is amazing. Unlike the eyeliner I was so impressed with this.  I’ve never heard of Flormar before today but it is a really popular brand in Turkey especially for their nail polishes, which I can see why.  It is also budget friendly and cruelty free and overall I’m pretty stoked with it. Just one coat applied the most amazing colour which some of my other expensive polishes struggle to do. Full Size. Cruelty Free.

Bioderma Sensibio Light

I’ve stopped using Bioderma since I switched to cruelty free products and haven’t looked back since I’ve found really great alternatives. The Sensibio crème is a moisturiser for sensitive skin. It is really lightweight, absorbs instantly and has no smell. I’ll eventually use up this little tube but only as a backup to the moisturiser I’m using now. There are so many amazing cruelty free brands out there that it is unnecessary to use ones that test on animals. Sample Size. TESTS ON ANIMALS.

Mecca Maxima Beauty Loop Spring 2015: Level One

Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face Superscreen SPF 50+

WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE? This sunscreen is just downright amazing. It is by far the most lightweight sunscreen I have ever; tried to the point that it feels more like a light moisturiser instead of a sunscreen. It doesn’t even smell like sunscreen and instead has a really delicate fresh scent. This SPF 50+ protects from both UVA and UVB rays and goes PERFECTLY under makeup. The rate that this absorbed into my skin was also astonishing; it was like I hadn’t even applied it. If you’re one of those people that don’t wear sunscreen daily because you don’t like the heaviness, greasiness or the way it leaves your makeup looking, then I’m urging you to pick up a tube of this and try it for yourself. I thing it might be my favourite product of 2015! I’m beyond excited to pick up a big tube of this for the summer. Cruelty Free.

Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Eye Treatment

I’ve received a few samples of this Clinique product before and like all the other times, this has again done nothing. While it is lightweight it doesn’t feel hydrating and it doesn’t do anything that couldn’t be achieved by using your normal moisturiser in its place. This is one I would definitely skip if you were looking to splurge on an eye treatment. TESTS ON ANIMALS.

Josie Maran Cosmetics Pure Argan Milk Treatment

I was so excited to receive another Josie Maran product in my beauty loop because the last product sample I received was the Argan Oil SPF 47+ Daily Moisturiser and it was seriously amazing. So my hopes were high but they were quickly dashed. This is meant to be used as a daily serum after cleansing and before moisturizing to nourish and hydrate the skin for a ‘luminous lit-from-within glow’. The product is very runny and once applied to my face it just felt greasy instead of hydrated. I would pass on this one only because I’m probably not the best skin type to use this as it would be better suited to someone with dry to very dry skin.Though it did work really nicely with my moisturiser. Cruelty Free.

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil

I’ve heard all the rave reviews of Bumble and Bumble products but never got around to trying them until now! Ah the wonder of sample boxes! This is a hair serum that you brush through damp hair to add shine, reduce frizz, tame fly aways and protect from heat styling and UV rays. I sprayed and brushed through a generous amount of products through my hair and let it air-dry. My hair felt so glossy and nice but I loved this product because it protects your hair against the harsh sunrays and it also smells amazing. What I don’t love about this product though is the fact that Bumble and Bumble test on animals, so it is one product I will most definitely be not repurchasing. But it has now motivated me to find a similar cruelty free product to protect my hair from UV rays. NOT CRUELTY FREE.

Bellabox October 2015

This is the second month in a row that Bellabox has completely knocked it out of the park! The 'Bellabox Turns 4' birthday box was jammed packed full of lots of goodies that I just couldn't wait to try! So lets dig in shall we?

Coastal Scents Eyeshadow Sampler

I was so happy to receive the little sampler from Coastal Scents as they are such a great brand. Not only is Coastal Scents cruelty free but they ensure all their suppliers are too! The shadows are so cheap but are amazing quality! They are smooth as butter and so pigmented and I’m absolutely in love with the shades I received. I received four very neutral wearable shades, which I was absolutely stoked about and they are: Nude (a gold cream colour), Amber Bronze (a beautiful rich chocolate brown), Platinum Blue (a gun metal grey) and Opal Black (a deep glittery platinum grey). This little quad is actually really great as it features day to night colours and if this was full sized in a compact I would definitely buy it. I’ve been wearing Nude all over my lids every single day and it’s the perfect shade to wear on its own, as a transition colour or if you have deeper coloured skin it would be a perfect highlight shade. Then I either use the Amber Bronze in the crease or wear it on its own as a beautiful rich chocolate shade. The colours are all so easy to use and are really bendable. The ONLY issue I have with these shadows is the fallout you get from the more glittery shade that is Opal Black; when you apply it you get really bad fall out underneath the eyes from the big chunks of glitter. If you were working with this shade I would recommend doing your eye makeup first before doing your foundation and concealer, as it will be easier to clean up and keep neat. I received a palette from Coastal Scents in a Violetbox earlier in the year, I love it so much and it gets a lot of use. The shadows are really affordable and amazing quality for what you get, so if you can’t afford to splash out on a palette from Urban Decay, these are a great alternative. Cruelty Free. Deluxe Sample.

Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Nourishing Facial Water

At first I thought this was a micellar water but then on second glance I realised that it was a moisturizing water to be used all over the face after cleansing and toning. Every product that I’ve tried from Burt’s Bees has left me jumping with joy at how wonderful they are and this is no exception. The water doesn’t have a scent and when applied onto a cotton pad and wiped all over your face it leaves skin feeling hydrated and very refreshed. I don’t have dry skin so I won’t see the massive benefits that others could, but this is a nice little pick me up for skin especially with hot weather. Sample Size. Cruelty Free.

Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Omega Repair Shampoo and Conditioner

Back when I had platinum blonde bleached locks for about six months in 2012, Schwarzkopf was the only brand I would use to keep my hair from becoming absolutely wrecked. My hairdresser at Toni & Guy on Little Collins Street recommended it to me to help protect my hair from the harsh treatments and it worked an absolute treat! When I coloured my hair brown later on in the year I had probably about 80% less damage than I expected to, it kept it in a really great condition. I’ve always had a really great experience with Schwarzkopf hair products and the Essence Ultime range that was created in collaboration with THE Claudia Schiffer was no exception. Before using this Shampoo and Conditioner the only other product I had tried from this range was their Omega Repair BB Cream that was used as a leave in treatment on damp hair after showering. I absolutely loved that and it kept my hair feeling incredibly healthy, so I had really high expectations for the Shampoo and Conditioner and of course it didn’t disappoint. Full of Omega oil like the other products in the range, it left my hair feeling incredibly cleaned, deep conditioned and silky smooth. Some deep conditioning or oil treatment products can leave my hair feeling really heavy or greasy but this one did the exact opposite and left it feeling bouncy and full of life! Unfortunately though this will be the last time I use their products due to the fact that the Schwarzkopf brand do test on animals. Sample Size. TESTS ON ANIMALS. 

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub

I’ve always had a positive experience with Neutrogena products and their cleanser and oil free moisturiser were the first skincare products my mum bought me when I hit my teens. This grapefruit foaming scrub was pretty darn amazing, smells identical to the Body Shop pink grapefruit range and left my skin feeling quite wonderful. It didn’t foam up too much so it wasn’t at all stripping on the skin and on the scrub side of things it was not at all harsh. It was just a really gentle but deep cleaning cleanser in all honesty. Once I rinsed it off my face my skin wasn’t aggravated or red from the scrubbing and instead was left feeling nice, clean but not at all tight and dry like some foaming cleansers and scrubs can leave skin feeling. This would be a really great budget face wash for anyone suffering from oily and breakout prone skin as it contains salycylic acid to treat spots. But there is one very important factor.. Neutrogena test on animals. The brand has such great products and animal testing is so unnecessary, so if they stopped it they could really be an all over amazing brand. But unfortunately I don't see that happening at all in the future. Sample Size. TESTS ON ANIMALS.

QVS Shine Control Tissues

These little tissues pack a serious punch when it comes to oil control. I trialed these on a particularly hot day and they removed the shine from my t-zone in a flash. I will be keeping this little packet in my car for touch ups on the go since they are kept in such a handy little dispenser. Full Size. $6.99. Animal Testing Policies Unknown.

BONUS

Macadamia Natural Oil Luxurious Oil Treatment

I was actually really happy to receive this little treatment sachet in my Bellabox and probably would have been happy with this as one of the main items. The Macadamia Natural Oil brand is one that I’ve wanted to try for quite a while but never seem to pick it up when I see it. I love receiving hair treatments and oils in beauty boxes as well because it’s just nice to have something to give yourself a bit of a pamper session with, and if its terrible you aren’t really wasting a full sized tub of the product, just a couple of little sample sachets instead. The Luxurious Oil Treatment can be used to style hair or as a leave in treatment. I haven’t had a chance to try this out yet but I will definitely be reporting back about how I went with this because it is a cruelty free brand and sometimes it’s hard to find good quality cruelty free hair treatments. Sample Size. Cruelty Free.

U by Kotex Sport Ultrathins

Like shampoo and conditioner, pads and tampons are something that beauty boxes can’t go wrong with chucking in as an extra item. It’s something you never really remember to buy until you go scouring the bathroom cupboard cursing the period gods as it feels like you’re being kicked in the uterus. So cheers for having our backs/reproductive systems covered Bellabox. Deluxe Sample.

Hello Fresh $35 Voucher

I’ve received so many Hello Fresh vouchers in beauty boxes and magazines since the company was launched but I just haven’t gotten around to using them. Hello Fresh is kind of like a Bellabox but for foodies. You spend around $60 and they deliver recipes and the food you need to make them right to your front door. You can choose from different boxes and they cater for lots of diets including vegetarian. When I cook I like more comfort food style cooking, and when I looked on the website it was more Masterchef than Mac and Cheese, so I will probably give it a miss and pass the voucher onto one of my more foodie friends.