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.