Bellabox September 2015

The past couple of months I have been pondering whether or not to renew my Bellabox subscription when it runs out in January. When I first started getting Bellabox I was so impressed with all the different types of products that all seemed so exciting and new. But recently I have found the past few months to be quite repetitive and lackluster, until this month that REALLY excited me. To be honest I didn’t have high hopes this month after having a stalk through the #bellabox hashtag on Instagram and seeing photos of boxes full of left over products from last month as well as completely random items like ovulation tests.  This box contained such a variety of different products and I rediscovered brands that had slipped my mind and found others that excited me and made me want to run out and buy all their products.

Jurlique Purely Age-Defying Firming Treatment Mask

This mask is a firming paper mask for the face and neck that uses botanical extracts like Beech Tree Bud, Pueraria Lobata and Willow Bark to assist collagen deficiency, reduce the appearance of age and dark spots and lift hydration. I used to use Jurlique products so much when I was first starting university and was utterly in love with their Lavender hand cream. I loved their products and would purchase them for family members at Christmas who then fell in love with them as well. I loved the whole natural and soothing aesthetic that the brand presented and thought it was a great Aussie brand to get behind. Then I found out that Jurlique sell in the Chinese market and by doing so have their products tested on animals over there as it is part of the regulatory standards for the Chinese beauty industry. I was so disgusted. I immediately stopped buying any Jurlique products, as did my family because I found the whole thing so incredibly shady.  Even on their website they continually backflip on their animal testing which you can read about here. A lot of great brands including Dermalogica and Urban Decay have refused to sacrifice their animal testing policies to enter the Chinese market, so Jurlique could have easily too. As a company that says they are the leaders in natural skincare, I don’t think it is very natural to pour your products into poor defenseless bunny eyes. TESTS ON ANIMALS. Deluxe Sample.

Red Earth Australia Lip Nectar Intensive Therapy Lip Salvation in Pomegranate

When I was growing up I remember my mum using pretty much only Red Earth makeup. I was obsessed with the single eyeshadows and remember them being so beautiful and sparkly in the gorgeous silver tins. Then the brand kind of disappeared off the map until this year when they have delivered a bit of a brand overhaul. I’m so excited for this because I think Red Earth are such a great Australian company that produces quality products. At first this lip product does come across as a bit thick and sticky, but once applied to the lips it thins out and leaves lips feeling SO hydrated and plump and also gives a nice long-lasting subtle pop of shimmery colour. I received the shade pomegranate, which isn’t pomegranate, but instead a really light natural pink that’s kind of your lips but better. I was so excited when I received this lip product in my Bellabox and jumped straight onto their website to have a bit of a sticky beak and was so impressed. The products and packaging are absolutely stunning and give off a bit of a Charlotte Tilbury vibe with the glamorous gold and I really want to try the Secret Potion Illuminating Skin Fluid, as it looks absolutely gorgeous. Next I jumped to the FAQ’s to double check that they are still a cruelty free company, and they are! I’m so excited to have some Red Earth back into my life and will definitely be purchasing more products from them in the future. Cruelty Free. Full Size $22.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

I’ve heard so many people rave about this product because they find it to be a dupe for the very expensive Bioderma. I was going to pick this up once my last bottle of Bioderma ran out a few months ago but I found a cruelty free Australian alternative in the Swisse Micellar Water and have been so chuffed with it. Still I was excited to give this one a go and to finally try it out and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! It removed all my makeup and left my skin feeling cool and refreshed without being irritated. It was a nice product and I have to say compared to Bioderma I would actually prefer this. But I still prefer my Swisse version between the three as it is free of a lot more nasties than the other two, is Australian made and Cruelty free. While the Garnier one is good, I would recommend the Swisse version overall. TESTS ON ANIMALS. Full Size. $6.95.

Milk & Co. by Lindy Klim Hand Quench

I am so in love with this hand cream it is absolutely beautiful. The smell is so delightful and reminds me of musk stick lollies. I put this straight on my hands because they were quite dry and a little bit flaky and it instantly treated them and left me with beautifully soft hands in mere seconds. Hand Quench contains cocoa, shea butter, sesame oil, vitamin E as well as lots of other nourishing ingredients. In other hand products these ingredients can sometimes feel quite heavy and leave you with really greasy hands, but this formula is so light and absorbs instantly so you can open door handles with ease and not have your hands sliding about. This Bellabox also included a discount voucher for the range that I will definitely be using, I want to run straight out and buy the full size of this delight! This is the first product that I have tried from the Milk & Co. range and I am beyond impressed. All their products are free from animals testing and parabens, are made in Melbourne and all the packaging is recyclable. I love nothing more than supporting amazing local brands and this is one we should all get behind. Cruelty Free. Sample Size.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

This water gel is incredibly lightweight and the tiniest amount of this goes the longest way. It leaves skin feeling refreshed and is really cooling. At first I thought this was Neutrogena’s way of creating an updated moisturiser until I read that it is to be worn on its own or under your regular day creams, so it must be like a serum to offer an extra boost of hydration if you suffer from really dry skin. It’s an interesting concept and it does feel lightweight and also absorbs into the skin really nicely so I could see it working well with other products. Though it was nice enough it didn’t really impress or wow me and I would rather skip an unnecessary skin care step and use a more multitasking moisturiser. TESTS ON ANIMALS. Sample Size.

BONUS

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E

I feel like every Bellabox I receive comes with a sample sachet of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter. It is okay because they are a bonus and aren’t taking the spot of a bigger product but I feel like its become a bit boring and stale and some different Bonus sachets could be used. But nonetheless this will get used and I don’t want to sound like a spoiled brat because it is a bonus after all! Cruelty Free. Sample Size.