Bellabox February 2015 - Harpers Bazaar Edition

I was super excited (like SUPER EXCITED you guys) when I found out that Bellabox had teamed up with three of Australia’s favourite magazines, Cosmopolitan, Harpers Bazaar and Elle, to create a package with products picked out by the magazines editorial team. Also included in this months box was also a copy of that magazines current issue, and I wish I could have purchased all three, but that was not the case. There were two days allocated for subscribers to be able to pick out which box they would fancy, otherwise you would get sent one at random. I was able to choose mine and the choice was quite easy. My subscription to Harpers Bazaar had just run out and I still had magazine subscriptions to the other two choices, so I went with Bazaar so I wouldn’t double up on mags for the month and would get this months Harpers Bazaar for free, woohoo

It is kind of clear that this theme was done in direct competition to the wonderful Parcel by Marie Claire, which is basically the best beauty subscription in Australia even if it’s only around four times a year. While there were quite a lot of products in this package, besides Burt’s Bees and Essie, the samples were so TINY, so it was hard to get a good feel for the product. Lets take a look shall we?

Essie Nail Polish in Dress to Kilt

I LOVE THIS COLOUR. I’ve been meaning to buy a lovely berry colour to dip my nails into now that autumn is coming up so being given this colour was great. I can see this being my constant Mani and pedi colour throughout the cooler months. Full Size

Indio Multi V Serum

This product retails at $139 for full size and that is the magic and wonder of a beauty box, trying products you really can’t afford to splash out money on if they don’t do the trick. This is marketed as a power serum that is jam packed full of Vitamins A, H and F that is to be used daily. I’m really excited to try this because I find serums super exciting and with a full retail price tag it better be good! Sample Size

Aveda Intensive Hydrating Masque

I haven’t really been able to get into the hype that is the pricey Aveda products. I’ve received a few samples of their products through different beauty boxes and haven’t really been wowed. Maybe that is only because they are the worlds smallest samples and it hasn’t really given me the best chance to give them a proper application. Full sized this face masque is valued at $79.95 and as the name suggests is meant to give your skin a big hit of hydration. This year I’ve also been doing a lot of reading up about skincare, the different types of ingredients used and how they affect your skin. While I adore the smell of lavender, in skincare products it has been known to be a skin irritant; and with one of the main ingredients being lavender in this masque, I’ll have to be extra careful when using it. The mask also contains aloe vera, which as we all know is super duper soothing, so the two ingredients kind of cancel each other out which is a bit disappointing. Sample Size

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream 

I already own one of these as I’m incredibly fussy about my cuticles, so I was happy to see one in my Bellabox as I know it’s a product that works really well and smells amazing. The product includes sweet almond oil and cocoa seed butter to help soften those cuticles. Full Size

Aveda Tourmaline Charged Hydrating Cream

I’m interested to give this product a try with its full size value being at $89.95, but I will definitely be doing a bit of research before putting this on my face. A quick read of Aveda’s descriptions says that it has a “combination of tourmaline, marine and plant extracts and 11 powerful antioxidants” to hydrate and protect skin. I’m still not sold on Aveda products but I do want to give this teeny tiny sample a try. Sample Size

Transformulas Marine Miracle Crème

Touted as a ‘face lift in a jar’, it’s probably something I don’t need considering I only have very small lines around my eyes and no other wrinkles at the ripe old age of 23. Might have to pass this one onto someone wrinklier to see if it properly works. Sample Size

Transformulas Lip Volume

Ever since I got this months Bellabox this is the sample I’ve wanted to use this most, but is also the one that I’m most scared to try. I have pretty plump lips already, not Angelina Jolie level, but my bottom lip has a lot going on and my top lip is okay, but could do with some plumping action. The thing I’m most scared of is having some crazy reaction or it working TOO WELL, so I’m waiting for when I have few days off in a row and don't have any plans to see people incase some terrible plumping accident happens. Stay tuned for this one. Sample Size

Kerastase Paris Nutritive Nectar Thermique

I am really excited to try this leave in hair treatment product after reading all the four and five star reviews online of people raving about it. To use you just apply it through the lengths and ends of towel dried hair before you use any heat stylers like hair dryers, straighteners and curlers and it will protect your hair from any damage. I’m a bit of a slave to my GHD so it will be interesting to see how my hair reacts to this product, and if it’s ah-mazing, I’ll have to run out and buy the full sized version. Sample Size

Lust Have It January 2015

The infamous January Lust Have It box arrived on my doorstep this morning. There has been quite a bit of controversy surrounding this package and if you jump on their Facebook page you can see the uproar it created with their customers. Basically Lust Have It took the money out of everyone’s accounts the first week of January but then delivered the box a month and a half later due to hold ups with suppliers after the Christmas break. Not many people believed this, especially when they were getting deliveries from Violet Box and Bella Box on time as usual without any problems. But enough gossiping, its here now so lets take a look:

Colour by TBN Fluro Nail Polish in Sass Me 

This isn’t a colour I would usually wear on my nails and even though blue is my favourite colour, I don’t really lean towards fluro colours for my manicures. It isn't a great quality nail polish, feels a bit cheap and a quick google search of the brand shows some not favourable reviews. I might keep this product though because there is always an 80’s party somewhere on the horizon. Full Sized Product

Urban Skincare Co. Infuse Body Balm 

I have never heard of the Australian made and owned Urban Skincare Co. before I had opened this month’s parcel. This body balm is free from parabens and animal testing and enriched with vitamin C. When applied to the skin it absorbs instantly and doesn’t leave behind any stickiness or residue. After application my skin felt beautifully soft, hydrated and smelt wonderfully citrus-y. I don’t really have a negative thing to say about this gorgeous product. Full Sized Product

Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow in Mudcake 

I’m not a fan of loose powder products because I think they just get too messy and drop all over the place. I actually received another Marsk mineral eyeshadow (which are organic and free from animal testing) in a Lust Have It box last year, but it was an intense shade of black that I don’t really wear that often so I haven’t gotten around to using it yet; but I can definitely see myself using this one as I’m such a fan of beautiful brown shadows. It is a glittery brown colour that is not too intense or shocking and very light to apply and is kind of foolproof to not overdo it because you’re able to build the product up. Full Sized Product

Marsk Eyeliner in Pitch Black 

I always have and probably always will be a liquid eyeliner girl. I just love the way it looks and applies to the eyelid. I’ve never been a pencil girl because I haven’t been able to find one that applies smoothly and doesn’t grab and pull. Well thanks to Lust Have It, I’ve finally found one! This liner is beautiful and has a creamy soft texture, so when you apply is it creates a smooth line without bumps and gaps. It is also certified organic; Australian owned and is free from animal testing. What a gem! Full Sized Product

Inika Truly Organic Pure Primer

When having a sticky beak on the #lusthaveit hashtag on Instagram, I saw that a few subscribers got the Inika primer again in the January box that had already been included in the December box. I had my fingers and toes crossed that I would be one of these people and I was so excited to find this in my January box. Usually it’s a bit of a bummer to receive the same product twice in a row, but when it is one that you’ve become obsessed with and use every single time you apply your makeup it’s a great surprise that saves you a trip to the shops and some money in your pocket. You can find my original review of the primer right here Deluxe Sample

Designer Brands Chubby Lipstick Crayon in 409 Kiss & Tell Red 

I was surprised at how much I actually liked this crayon from Designer Brands. The colour is a beautiful bright, fire engine glossy red that is also hydrating. The packaging is great as well with the crayon coming in a windup tube so you’re able to use every last ounce. Full Sized Product

Extras:
A discount code voucher for Urban Skincare Co. and a $35 gift card to Hello Fresh

Overall I liked this box, despite receiving it over a month and a half late. I was more impressed that five out of the six product brands do not test on animals (the nail polish does not have the bunny stamp of approval), three out of the six are certified organic and five out of six of the products are from Australian companies.

Beauty Trial: Elsor

I received the Elsor introductory collection sample kit in a Violet Box back in September. It was something I had been meaning to try but got lost in my bathroom cupboard along with the stack of L’Oreal hairsprays that I am still slowing getting through from last years fashion week. After going on a cleaning spree at 3am one morning, as you do, I decided to pop all my little trial products in a pile and make it my mission to give them ago. Elsor prides itself on its HPT System of hydrating, protecting and treating to help improve overall skin health. It is “paraben free, science driven and nature derived”. Sounds pretty a-ok to me. In the introductory pack I received a cleanser, peeling gel, mas and day cream, all which ranged in different results.

Soothing Refiner and Cleanser - RRP $28 USD

I loved, loved, loved this! It was so refreshing and felt great on the skin. It was a gel like cleanser that took me a bit of getting used to, but after double cleansing with it my skin felt incredibly clean and soft to touch. Unlike other cleansers this didn't leave my skin feeling dry, tight or irritated and I would recommend this to anyone after a more soothing cleanser that still does the job. 

Botanical Peeling Gel – RRP $38 USD

If you want to freak yourself out in the bathroom, just apply this product all over your face. You are meant to apply this gel, wait the allocated time, rub your face in circular motions and then simply wash it off with some warm water. Sounds good in theory, but this is not how it went down.

 Let me set the scene. I’m in my bathroom and I’ve just finished drying my face off from the wonderfully refreshing cleanser. I have high hopes. My standards are set high. The greatest hits of Cheap Trick are playing in the background. Obviously I’m having a great time. I apply the peeling gel all over my face and wait the recommended 5-10 minutes before I peel it off. Which is singing along to ‘Surrender’ about 3 times. So I start rubbing my face in circular motions and this stuff is going everywhere. There are big pieces of the peel flinging itself in every direction. It’s in my hair. Between my boobs. All over my bathroom mirror. Messy stuff. Then I go to rinse it off, thinking it would come off with a few splashes of water. What a fool I am. I’m gently trying to wash it off but it isn’t budging. It has liquefied and is now all over my eyelids, on my mouth and through my eyelashes. It is not coming off my face. No one is home, so I have to blindly stumble through the house, being extremely careful not to get any of the peeling gel in my eyes until I find a washcloth. Find one, stumble back to the bathroom realizing how I’d be a terrible blind person, and try to get it off. IT STILL WON’T COME OFF. Until I go in scrubbing extremely hard with almost very hot water. I finally get all of the product off my face, and my skin is so sore and irritated that I’m pretty sure I cast some sort of black magic spell I heard while watching Charmed onto the product and it’s makers. This whole dilemma took me half an hour, when it should have take 15 minutes.

Chlorophyll Lifting Mask – RRP $38 USD

This lifting mask is a thick green gel that is quite difficult to apply evenly to the skin because it sticks in certain places and is hard to spread evenly across the face. When I first applied this I thought I was having some sort of allergic reaction, which is exactly what you want with skincare right? You are meant to leave this on until it dries and as I sat on the couch in my trackies and ugg boots, I found it hard to watch my choice educational programming of Gypsy Sisters because my eyes were stinging and watering so much from the smell of the mask. I didn’t have any of the product in my eye, in fact it was far far away from my eyes, but the smell is SO strong it makes it really difficult to keep the product on. 1 minute in and I was tempted to wash it off because I couldn’t handle the stingy and watery eyes, but instead I just toughed it out like the good bloke I am. After about 5 minutes, the very distinct smell goes away and after another 5 minutes the product finally dries and your skin and goes extremely tight and cold. Just like Amal Clooney at the Golden Globes. This was a lot easier to wash off than the peeling gel and after I dried my face my skin felt amazing. I honestly thought I would have washed it off and my face would be red, angry and swollen from everything that it has gone through. Instead it was incredibly soft and not at all angry like I thought it would be.

Firming Collagen Day Cream – RRP $85 USD

This product smells like my evil grandmother; similar to the Estee Lauder perfumes from the 90’s that she used to wear that smell strong and overbearing. I could carry on about my distaste of certain family members and terrible smells but I wont. Even though the smell of this product is powdery and heavy, once you smooth the day cream onto your skin it is actually quite lovely. I wouldn’t say it is firming, more like a lovely cream that gives you that soft as a baby’s bum feeling, which is why I don’t think I’d pay $85 for it.

Overall this was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster and some of the products were a bit difficult to use, but after going through the routine my skin for the next week never felt better. It was a tiny bit red from scrubbing off the peeling gel but my skin was smooth, bump free and looked absolutely beautiful. I don’t know if I could use this routine consistently as it takes quite a lot of time, but the results were absolutely marvellous and it was nice to be using products that are naturally derived and free of parabens and sulphates.

Violet Box January 2015

Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel

I love a good face peel so as soon as I saw this product I was pretty eager to try it. Marketed as a protein peel, you apply it all over your face, neck and bust with damp hands. Then massage in circles until bits of skin start to come off with the face peel. I haven't had a chance to give this product a try yet, but my love of face peels has popped it high on my to do list. This is a deluxe sample, but the full sized bottles are priced at $67, so it's a great chance to give a pricier product a try on the cheap. Deluxe Sample

LonVitalite 24K Active Gold Eye Mask

These cloth eye masks are soaked in a serum solution that includes Vitamin B3, mulberry extract, grape leaf essence and "pure whitening essence milk". Lets all play the "one of these things are not like the others" game, because that last ingredient sounded a bit dodgy to me. I've used the LonVitalite C1 mask, which as serial killer as it made me look, left my skin feeling pretty sensational. I gave these to my mum to give them a whirl after a glass of wine last night. During the 20-minute process of having to leave them on your eyes, her biggest concern was having to sit still that long and not being able to watch the news. When the 20 minutes was up, that was the least of her worries. One eye had essentially swelled shut and the other one was heading down that path. My mum is one of those people that gets a pimple once a decade and her skin care routine is a splash of water and a good helping of Clinique moisturiser, so her skin isn't sensitive at all. Can't say I would want to give these a try after witnessing some eye swelling; lets just blame it on the pure whitening essence milk. Deluxe Sample

The Cosmetic Kitchen Raw Chocolate Clay Mask- RRP $24.95

Look what has popped up again in a beauty box! It's the raw chocolate mask from The Cosmetic Kitchen that I received in my December Lust Have It. I still haven't tried out the first mask I received because I can never get to the avo in time before someone eats it, but I’m still excited to try this product. I'm going to make plans to go out and buy some avocado so I can whip these masks up and finally give them a whirl as they contain my two favourite things: free from animal testing and chocolate. Full Sized.

Emite Makeup Precision Eye Pencil - RRP $24.95

I was actually really excited to receive this pencil in my Violet Box. Besides the retail price being $24.95, which is the entire cost of the subscription service a month, I was won over as soon as I saw the shade. It is a cream colour that will be perfect for the waterline. Once I tried to waterline my eyes with a pure white Rimmel pencil to give myself that big doll eyed look, but the white looked just too unnatural. I'm excited to try this one out to hopefully achieve a more natural look. Full Sized.

Mellow Cosmetics Blush in Peach - RRP $14

I'm pretty dedicated to my blush routine of Daniel Sandler's 'Cherub' and Benefits 'Dandelion', but I was still pretty excited when I saw this blush at the bottom of all the bright pink paper in my Violet Box. The shade of the blush is Peach, but in reality it looks like Peach and Hot Pink had a baby, adopted it out and it was raised by a lot of glitter. I wouldn't wear this shade in the daytime for fear of looking a bit RuPaul, but I am going to dedicate this beautiful shimmery blush to my nighttime routine to add a bit of sparkle to my face. Its texture is also not powdery at all. I mean obviously it is a powder, but it has a cream like texture and is beautifully soft.  When applied it gives a sheer wash of colour that is buildable, so there is no chance for you to over do your blush. Mellow are also free from animal testing and parabens, so this brand is all over it. Full Sized

Overall I was really happy with this box, even if it is a few weeks late. Violet Box included three full sized products and two deluxe samples so it was absolutely great value for money and had some products that I was really excited to try out. Another gem from the Violet Box team. 

Bellabox January 2015

Bellabox Makeup Pouch

When I first saw this pouch my first thought was “What on earth am I supposed to store in this? It’s tiny! Bobby pins? Tic Tacs?” I thought this was just filler that Bellabox threw in to fill up the box. But then I thought of the perfect use for this little beaut, and that is keeping all my liners of the eye and lip variety in one place. It is the PERFECT size for liners and makes it easier to grab the pouch out of your bathroom cupboard without trying to swim through lots of other products to find the little guys.

Laqa & Co Lip Lube in Bees Knees

I already owned this exact lip lube in the exact same shade, but I was so chuffed to find it in my Bellabox. This is one of my favourite lip shades of all time because it is just so flattering on fair skinned girls. It also has a minty fresh scent and it also stays on for a long time so there is no need to constantly reapply when you’re out. I’ve also nearly used up all of my first tube, so getting one for free in this months Bellabox keeps a cool $25 in my wallet.

SkinnyMint 6-Day Teatox

When I saw this in the box I let out a disappointed sigh. During my university studies I spent my time working in the teashop T2. At least 4 times a week I would have women come in and ask me for weight loss teas, and the girls I worked with would always have this problem as well. Weight loss teas are not healthy for you. They damage your body and can give you a nice little trip to the hospital because they contain ingredients which act as a diarrhetic and the sudden weight loss you see is from the loss of hydration in your body from constantly going to the toilet. Weight loss teas like SkinnyMe Tea and all the other Instagram famous diet teas are so extremely dangerous and promote negative ways to lose weight. The only way to lose weight is through healthy eating and exercise, not from buying teas off Instagram. SkinnyMint tea claims to be an all-natural alternative to boost the metabolism and lose weight, and while the ingredients seem to be all natural, I just can’t give this one a go. I’ll stick with my treadmill and fruit salad. The only thing that can get rid of toxins from your body are organs like your liver. So take good care of it with a great diet and stay away from gimmicks. There are teas that can help with bloating and uncomfortable tummy situations, but try to stay away from any tea that promotes weight loss.

Wen by Chaz Dean Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner

I’ve received a sample of this in a different beauty box last year and absolutely loved it. The cleansing conditioner aims to replace your shampoo, conditioner, deep treatments and detangling sprays by creating a product that does it all. You just wash your hair once all over with the product and rinse it out. Then apply it the second time, only concentrating on the ends and leave it in for the rest of the shower. Then just rinse it out before you hop out with cool water and it leaves your hair feeling soft and smelling amazing. I also get a really annoying patch of dermatitis behind my left ear, and when I use this it doesn’t flare it up at all. Such a great little product that works to hydrate the hair working with the natural oils of your lovely locks.

WOTNOT Facial Wipes for Oily/Sensitive Skin

These facial wipes are 100% natural and are great at removing makeup for people with sensitive skin. They are great wipes to keep in your bedside table for crazy late nights or in your gym bag to freshen up after a sweaty session. While these are great, my heart will always belong to my trusty Simple wipes.

Garnier Moisture Match

This tiny sachet was an added bonus in this months Bellabox and was quite light and not too heavy on the skin. The sample was too small though to see how it felt all over my face which was quite disappointing.

  

Lust Have It December 2014

I decided to give Lust Have It another shot after seeing a few Instagram posts with them featuring some really great products. Unfortunately even though they are including better products, their time management is still incredibly off. That is why I’m writing about the December box in January because the December box didn’t arrive until January, and the January box still hasn’t arrived. As usual the Lust Have It parcel comes in one of their fantastic mesh cosmetic bags that went straight to a good use. I’m collecting mine to divvy up the makeup in my bathroom and this one was used to house lip products.

LonVitalite C1 Cloth Mask

I have been wanting to try a cloth mask for quite a while, so I was crazy excited when I saw this LonVitalite mask in the December Lust Have It. It claims to be whitening, pigment toning and a moisturising mask; which would be just perfect for me because I still have a lot of pigmentation and redness on my skin from when I had terrible acne. I don’t know how much a mask could do to correct that, but it will be interesting to see the difference.

Designer Brands Extend-A-Brow

If there was ever a product to creep me out, this is it. This brow product is essentially hairs in a tube and is in a little lip gloss type packaging. You just swipe it across your brows to apply tiny little hair like fibers to plump up sparse brows. I can’t see how often I would be using it as I already have a pretty good brow routine down pat, so I might have to pass it on to a friend who isn’t as creeped out by tiny little fiber hairs.

Inika Pure Primer

The great thing about beauty boxes is that they force you to try products that you would not have gone out and purchased yourself, and I am so thankful for that. Without Lust Have It I wouldn’t have had the chance to try this primer that is vegan, certified organic, halal certified and not tested on animals. This smells amazing and is great on sensitive skin. I actually stopped using my beloved Stila primer in favour of this one and it just creates the most perfect base for foundation ever. You could have a giant hole in your face and this baby would probably cover it up. As much as I love my Stila primer for the colour correction, the magic that the Inika primer works on my skin is just too amazing. A new favourite for me.

The Cosmetic Kitchen Raw Chocolate Clay Mask

I am so excited to use this mask. It contains pink Australian clay and raw cacao powder and to apply it to your skin you just add mashed avocado olive oil and water. Sounds pretty tasty to me. I'm so used to constantly eating chocolate (I had easter eggs for breakfast this morning), so maybe having to put it on my face will give me some self control 

The Cosmetic Kitchen Raw Cacao Chocolate Rock Salt

I don’t take that many baths only because I’m way too tall for our bath, but this vegan, not tested on animals and proudly Australian product sounds way too delicious to pass up. They smell so amazing; I might just have to jump in the bath with my chocolate clay mask on to test them out.