The Beauty Boxes : Bella Box April 2013

My April Bella Box arrived mid-week last week, and I'm afraid I've been a bit slack in sharing it. I've been a bit disappointed by Bella Box's offerings in the last few months, even to the point of considering a 'three strikes and you're out' policy. So I was particularly interested to see what was in it.
Let's have a look:


** Cellulix Glacial Mineral Gel, sample sachet.
I had no idea what this product was at first! I had to read the fine print on the back to find out. It's a mask that contains negatively-charged molecules, which draw out positively-charged bacteria and impurities from the skin. It sounds like interesting stuff and I'm looking forward to trying it. At RRP $69.00 for 60g, I wouldn't be able to afford to use it ongoing, but it's fun to try these things. Cellulix comes from Canada.

** Indio Facial Scrub and Multi-V Serum, 10ml sample / 15ml full-size.
Another deluxe brand, this time from Australia, Indio uses Dead Sea Salts and vitamins to keep the skin glowing and fresh. Aside from the healthy ingredients and luxe feel of the serum bottle, I'm just attracted by the pretty pastel-coloured balls suspended inside. I can be very superficial that way. I'm really impressed to receive a full-size bottle of the serum, which retails at $78.00 for 15ml.

** Bella Box Lash Card, pack of 10.
The Bella Box Lash Card is a new concept in makeup application. The curved edge of the card sits in behind your lashes while you're applying your mascara, resulting in a mess-free application. To me it seems like I might make more mess trying to hold the card in place with one hand while putting on my mascara with the other! But I'll definitely give it a try. I tend to smudge my mascara a lot, needing to swab it off with a makeup remover pen, then re-apply my eyeshadow (when I can be bothered!). Once I master the use of these, I can certainly see them being useful when preparing for a special occasion.

** Avene 3-in-1 Micellar Lotion, sample bottle.
This is another one of those products that I needed to read the fine print to find out what it does! The 3-in-1 lotion is a face wash, toner and makeup remover in one. According to the Bella Box card, you don't even need to wash it off, but I like to anyway, just in case. (Where does all the makeup and dirt go?) The Avene Eye Makeup remover is my go-to makeup remover, so I'm hoping for good things from this.

** Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Colour in Metallic Grey, full size bottle.
I was a little surprised to receive this, and not in a good way, I'm afraid. I don't read that many nail polish blogs, but I do read enough to know that magnetic nail polish was a short-lived fad about a year ago. Nobody's doing magnetic nails anymore! The trends at the moment are holographic glitter and jelly look - like the polish I got in my February Bella Box. Which was also Sally Hansen, coincidentally. I wonder why Sally Hansen supplied Bella Box with an up-to-the-minute nail trend one month, and a so-last-year fad polish a few months later? Unfortunately this just feels like one of the occasions where a supplier is trying to get rid of a dated product by dumping it on beauty box subscribers as a filler. On top of that, I don't even like the colour - I wouldn't even wear it without using the magnet, so I think I'll throw it away.

** Lady Gaga Fame Perfume, sample vial 1.2ml.
Now this is one product I was very happy to receive! I gave Fame the sniff test at Priceline when it first came out about 3 months ago, and I really liked it. I've been waiting for it to come on sale to buy some. Now I can put that off a little longer. The bomb-shaped bottle and unique black fluid disguise a hearty spicy-floral scent that immediately appealed to me.

Summary: This month's Bella Box was a solid offering with only one disappointing product out of a generous seven. There was an exciting range of skin care products (my favourite!) with several being from luxe brands. I'm happy to say that, in my opinion, Bella Box seems to be improving again.
Gunna Use It Right Now Rating: 70%

Beauty Boxes: Lust Have It January 2013

My January Lust Have It box finally arrived yesterday! I was starting to see reviews popping up on other blogs and was worried something might have happened to it. Despite living in a metropolitan area, I often seem to receive it a bit late. Never mind, it's mine now!
The first thing I noticed about the box is that it's bigger than normal. Exciting! Inside there was a special cardboard box with a magnetic closure. This must be the collector box that was promised late last year! It's beautiful, I love the colours, and it's a good size for storing lots of different things.

It contained:


* Lush Cosmetics Emotional Brilliance Eyeliner in Motivation, full size.
A product from Lush's New Emotional Brilliance Range, and a full-size one, no less! Of course I'd heard about Lush's Cosmetics range when it first came out a few months ago. It was all over the beauty blogs, and I subscribe to their emails, too. I was very curious, but at RRP $24.95 a go, a little hesitant. Especially because you're supposed to choose the colour by spinning the wheel! I'm just not that spontaneous! Yet this gorgeous blue colour and its name appeal to me. I really could do with some 'Motivation' right now. And I've been wanting to experiment with liquid eyeliners (I bought a brown one from Daiso recently which I haven't shown you yet). To sum up, I was excited to see this product!

* Nude By Nature BB 5-in-1 Miracle Cream in Medium Tone, full-size.
As I mentioned in my last post, I'm a bit suspicious of Western BB creams, but I'm glad to get to try another one. And this is a full-sized tube. It's much more generous than Bella Box's 5ml sachet (I know I promised not to compare different brands of box, but sometimes I just can't help it.) The medium tone will probably be too dark for my fair skin, but as it's summer I just might be able to get away with it.

* Lust Have It branded Kabuki Brush.
This brush looks very beautiful and I'm looking forward to trying it. Lately I've started applying my morning BB Cream/Foundation with a brush instead of my fingers. The main advantage to this is it saves time in the mornings - I don't have to go into the bathroom and wash my hands before finishing my morning routine. Whether or not I use less product or there are other advantages, I'm not sure yet! It's also fun to use a brush - I feel more grown up and sophisticated. =)

* Klorane Pomegranate Shampoo & Conditioner for Colour-Treated Hair, sample sachets 10ml each.
Well, I don't know if it's a coincidence, but this product is just suited for my constantly-dyed hair. Plus, I love pomegranate in all its forms. I'm really looking forward to trying these.

* Avene Clenance Gel Cleanser, Cream Exfoliant and Anti-Shine Moisturiser, sample bottles ___ml each.
Again, I'm happy to receive these three generously-sized sample bottles. I was really impressed with the Avene eye makeup remover, so I'm looking forward to trying some of their other products. The Clenance range is for sensitive skin; even though my skin isn't particularly sensitive, I appreciate products that don't have too many chemicals.

Summary: I was thrilled when I opened up this month's box - two full-sized makeup products, some relevant hair products and a generous sampling of skin things. Even though there are 5 products listed on the card, some are grouped together so there's actually 8 separate items. There was no splitting up of products to make the offering seem more generous like has occurred in the past (this month's Bella Box being the most recent example I can think of. This actually makes it seem more generous rather than less, in my opinion. The value of this box is somewhat over $55, which is very good for recent boxes.
In short, I really love this box!


Gunna Use It Right Now Percentage: 75%
Box Rating: 9/10

Things I Took on My Holiday, Part 1!

I've recently gotten back from a week-long holiday to Queensland. I'd never been to the tropics before, so I didn't really know what to expect! Sun, heat? snakes, crocodiles...? Plus a wedding to attend while I was up there! I tried to plan for every possible contingency! Husband was of the opinion that I over-packed, but I disagree. In fact, I needed to buy more products while I was there!

I've decided to split this post into 3 parts to try and prevent too much photo-spam.

First and most important - sun protection! [above]
I already had the Cancer Council sunscreen and the small sample from one of my beauty boxes, but the other sunscreens I bought especially for the trip. Husband and I both tried the SunSense Sensitive Skin formula and agreed that we didn't really like it. It was extremely thick and left a white residue on our skin that took about 5 minutes to rub in! The SunSense Invisible Tint Facial Sunscreen was pretty disappointing as well. The cream was tinted yellow, but unlike the brand's Invisible Tint Anti-Ageing Sunscreen (which I love), it left no tint on my skin whatsoever. I ended up using it on my arms/body instead, and used the Nivea Facial Veil combined with my BB Cream on my face. I didn't use as much sunscreen overall as I thought I was going to - I didn't end up going swimming as much as I would have liked, so didn't need to re-apply as often.
I have to admit, this is perhaps one area where I did over-pack a little. I'm glad I did though, because the new products turned out to be not what I wanted/needed, so I had other products to fall back on.

Face Care [above]
Knowing that heat and humidity can make skin break out, I made sure to bring very light products, like the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel. I gave the Avene Eluage Eye Contour Cream sample a go as well. I did notice my dark circles reduced over the course of the week, but I'm not sure if this was due to the cream, or getting more sleep! I also brought along the Witchhazel Blemish Stick, but thankfully didn't need to use it. (Though it came in handy for Husband at one point!)

Hotel Room Haul! [above]
One of the things I look forward to when travelling is the free products you usually get in the hotel room. (Does that make me a true beauty junkie??) This place supplied shampoo, conditioner and body lotion, and we received a second set of each part-way through, as we were there for 8 nights. They were pretty standard products, with no distinct smell to speak of. The body lotion was a very thick formula with a white residue that took a lot of rubbing to sink in (much like the sunscreen above!). I didn't want to just abandon it though, so I mixed it with my own White Tea and Ginger Body Lotion which is detailed next.

Body Products [above]
Months ago I bought a couple of gift packs to stash away especially for the trip (beauty junkie, moi?). One of them consisted of these White Tea and Ginger scented products, and they were quite lovely to use. The Shower Gel in particular was a good substitute for the sneeze-inducing hotel soaps (though I couldn't help snaffling 2, as you can see here!) I also used the Body Lotion to mix together with the hotel brand to reduce the white residue and add a fresh scent. And of course, Aloe Vera Gel is a must for after-sun care!


Stay tuned for part 2!

Beauty Boxes : Lust Have It Box July 2012

My Lust Have It box for July arrived a couple of days ago. I'm not feeling the blogging inspiration today, so I'll just do a quick summary. It again came in a lust-have-it-branded makeup bag, but in a perky bright orange colour this time. Just looking at it cheers me up!

I'd also like to mention before I get started - my Beauty Basket subscription. Remember I received a Beauty Basket last month? I was really starting to wonder why I hadn't received one this month. No payment was taken out of my account, no email communication, nothing. So yesterday I finally went to their site to figure out what the deal was. It turns out - you have to log on to their site and manually purchase the basket every month.


last month's Beauty Basket

After the less-than-inspiring package I received last month (Lindt chocolates aside), and the less-than-encouraging feedback I've read about their service, I decided not to bother. In my mind, half the convenience of the beauty box subscription is that they arrive on your doorstep like magic each month, without you having to do anything. (I know! I'm lazy! But it's a part of feeling pampered, don't you think?) Plus, I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I'm building up quite a large stash of products now, and it's probably best if I stick to just two boxes. (*gasp!*)
Now on to the box at hand!:


my Lust Have It goodies!

I received:

✌ Baby Foot - it's a set of exfoliating socks that you wear for a couple of hours, and then over the next few weeks, all the dead hard skin on your feet eventually comes off. (See illustration on postcard at the bottom of my photo.) I was quite chuffed to receive this because a) I'm really slack with taking care of my feet, and I'd rather use something occasionally that gives them a really thorough treatment, than having to pay attention to them every day; and b) Celeste from Becoming Beautiful recently reviewed a very similar product from Tony Moly and I've been intrigued by it. The included postcard had a 20% discount offer for purchases before the end of August, which I may take advantage of.

✌ Matrix Deep Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner - these paraben-free products are formulated to smooth rough, frizzy hair, which is exactly what I need. It's annoying when hair products come in a 15ml sachet which isn't enough for even one application on my long, thick hair. This bottle and tube though, will be good for a couple of washes.

✌ Mirenesse Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine - I like the pinkish-nude colour of this lip gloss sample, and I love the design of Mirenesse packaging. I can't tell you yet whether it's self-renewing or lasts all day, but I can tell you that it smells horrible. Sort of like plastic and chemicals. Which is a real shame because their primer and face mask both smell divine and really warmed me to Mirenesse products. The jury's out as to whether I'll actually use this.

✌ Avene Gentle Eye Makeup Remover - oops, I bought a full-size bottle of this on sale from Chemist Warehouse a couple of weeks ago! Though I haven't started using it yet. If I do end up liking it, then it'll be very handy for travelling and sleeping over at friends' houses (which we sometimes plan, but never get around to!).

✌ Avene Ystheal+ Anti-Ageing Cream - I remembered getting some Avene products in my Bella Box a few months ago, but I'm relieved to see this is a different product in the Ystheal line. (And no, I haven't started using those yet, either!) It's formulated for dry skin, so not my type, but I'll try it anyway with caution. Not only do I have oily skin, but I have a great honker of a pimple on my chin at the moment!

Summary: Overall it wasn't a bad box. There was a good mix of skin care, makeup and hair products, with all the brands being medium to high end. The Baby Foot is a new type of product (as far as I'm aware!) and I'm looking forward to using it.

Total Value: $62.56. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $47.61
Rating: 8/10

Quick & Dirty Haul

Hello! I'm just popping in very quickly to show you some things I picked up at Chemist Warehouse last night. I just happened to notice a new bargain stand while I was waiting for my prescriptions, and boy was I glad I checked it out!
(Excuse the shocking photo, I took it on my ipod.)


I got the Kosmea Eighth Natural Wonder Serum. They were only $15! So I had to get 2. I've read some great reviews of this product, and it went on my "one day when I'm rich" wishlist. When I saw them for less than half price, I couldn't resist! (Besides, my spending ban is over, anyway. =D ) I also got the Avene Eye Makeup Remover, because I'll be needing a new one soon, and I'm sure $15 is a good price for this brand.

I'm also waiting for a parcel to arrive from YesStyle with some exciting things in it. I hope it comes tomorrow!!

Beauty Box: Bella Box May 2012

I have to admit, I'm a bit boxed-out at the moment. With all the recent highs and lows lately - takeovers, shutdowns, great boxes, terrible boxes - I'm just feeling a bit ambivalent about it all. Right into the middle of this mess walks my May Bella Box. This is the second Bella Box I've ever received, so normally I'd be quite curious to see whether it's the same standard as the first one. However, it's unfortunate - any box that follows up the amazingness of last month's "we're not like GlossyBox, really!" LustHaveIt box is inevitably going to be a letdown. Still, I'll plough into it! Here it is:



Avene Eau Thermale Ystheal Emulsion Moisturiser AND Eluage Eye Contour Cream, sample size 5ml and 2 ml respectively.
It's nice to try some skin care products from a more high-end brand to see if they really work. I couldn't afford to purchase full-size products from this brand, so this is where beauty boxes really come into their own! The 2ml/5ml tubes should last longer than your ordinary sachet, and it was nice to get two of them. However, having read the reviews on Beautypedia, I'm not expecting too much from these products.
Beautypedia Rating Summary: Moisturiser [see full here]: This formula has no Vitamin A, and not enough Vitamin E to be effective, so its anti-ageing effects are minimal. Straight face ('OK') rating.
Beautypedia Rating Summary: Eye Cream [see full here]: Anti-ageing ingredients are present in such tiny amounts as to be ineffective. Formula is almost identical to facial moisturiser, however eye moisturiser is much more expensive. Straight face ('OK') rating.
Conscience time: Avene is a French company. Avene do not test on animals but are owned by Beiersdorf, who do conduct animal testing.

A'kin Rose & Geranium Pure Creamy Cleanser & Toner in One, sample size 30ml.
I was very happy to get this. A'kin is one of my favourite brands! Their products don't have parabens or synthetic fragrances. The cleanser smells divine and I'm looking forward to using it. I've been thinking of changing my skin cleansing routine, so this has come at just the right time. Very happy.
Conscience time: A'kin is an Australian company, founded by an individual. It is not tested on animals.

Bobbi Brown Extreme Lengthening Mascara,sample size, 3g.
I received the exact same product in my February GlossyBox, but I don't mind. I've been using this mascara every day and really liked the way it separates and defines my lashes. Even though it doesn't get the best review on Beautypedia, I still thought it was better than the Maybelline one I'd been using before. I'd been starting to wonder what I was going to do when it ran out/got manky - go back to a cheaper brand or lash out and buy the expensive but good Bobbi Brown one?? Now I have a replacement tube, the dilemma has been put off for a few months longer.
Beautypedia Rating Summary [see full here]: Product receives a 'straight face' (OK) rating. Does not lengthen or darken any more than other, similar products.
Conscience time: Bobbi Brown is a U.S. company. They do not test on animals but are owned by Estee Lauder, who do conduct animal testing.

Silk Oil of Morocco Lip Gloss in Moroccan Ruby, full-size.
Apparently the boffins-that-be have now realised that Moroccan Argan Oil is good for more than just your hair, so they've put it in this lip gloss. This is almost exactly the same colour as the Model Co. lipgloss I received in my LustHaveIt box, even down to the long, slim shape of the tube! I feel a comparison review coming on!
Conscience time: Silk Oil of Morocco is an Australian brand. It is not tested on animals.

Sebastian Professional Volupt Shampoo, Volupt Conditioner and Potion 9 Wearable-Styling Treatment, sample sachets 10ml each.
I have never heard of this brand before, though apparently they've been around since the 1970s. They are only sold in salons though, so that might be why. It's nice to try some new hair products; I do like hair products. So we'll see what these are like.
Conscience time: Their website was really vague. Some sources say they have been bought by Proctor and Gamble, who do test on animals.


Summary: This month's BB lived up admirably to the rigours of recent box craziness. Some of the products I was very happy to have (A'kin Cleanser; Bobbi Brown mascara) and I didn't hate any of them. There was a good combination of skin care, makeup and hair products. Getting more than one sample in a couple of the categories added to the overall goodness. The value of the box was on the high end. My only concern is that- just like last month - the products weren't cushioned in the box and were rattling around inside. However, overall I liked this box.

Total Value: $80.98. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $66.03.
Rating: 8/10

Review of GlossyBox March Beauty Box

Hot on the heels of the last Beauty Box comes the March Glossy Box. To be honest, I had been disappointed by their last few boxes, so I was coming into it a little biased. Sorry to say, but true to expectations, I was highly disappointed.



Here's why:

First off, I opened up the box and it smelled strongly of perfume. Not a bad smell at all, and I was excited that maybe there was a perfume or nice smelling item in the box. But none of the products smelled like that scent. Obviously GB have sprayed some kind of perfume on the inside of the box, for some unknown reason. It was confusing and disappointing. Next off, I was disappointed when I saw the products themselves, and I'll explain why below.

Proactiv Cleansing Body Bar, 150g bar
I received the Proactive Deep Cleansing (Facial) Wash in last month's GlossyBox and hated it. It irritated my skin and the menthol in it made my eyes water. Judging by the Beautypedia review of this product (see below), this product is no better. There were quite a few complaints about last month's products among beauty reviewers, so why did GlossyBox include another Proactiv product in this month's box? I was really annoyed by this. Not only that, but it says on the packaging itself: "If dryness occurs, reduce application use." If dryness occurs, shouldn't you be stopping it altogether??
I'll give the soap a go, but I'm going to chuck it at the first sign of any problems. So mad.
Beautypedia Rating Summary [see full here]: Frowny face rating: product drying and is highly fragranced, which is irritating to the skin as well.
Conscience time: ProActiv is a U.S. company founded by two dermatologists. It does not test on animals.

Eau Thermale Avene Thermal Spring Water, 50ml can
I have heard of this product before and was pretty unimpressed. It's basically just spring water in a can that you spray on your face. I'm sorry, but is their spring water so much better than any other spring water? I'll give this a go, but I'm highly dubious. I would have much preferred to receive the Avene Cleanser and Toner set that other subscribers received. At least that's actual product, not just water in a can. Next!
Beautypedia Rating Summary [see full here]: Frowny face rating: it's just water, surely something with actual soothing ingredients in it would work better?
Conscience time: Avene is a French company. Its animal testing status is not divulged.

Nougat London Tuberose & Jasmine Nurturing Hand Cream, sample size 10 ml (estimated)
Nougat London is a U.K. fashion brand who seem to have branched out into bath and body products. There's a slight thrill in knowing that they're sold in Harrod's and shops throughout Europe. But are they available in Australia? Who knows? This small hand cream sample smells quite nice, but you know how I feel about tiny samples!
Conscience time: Nougat London is a U.K. company. I couldn't find information about their animal testing status.

KMS California Free Shape Hot Flex Spray, 30ml bottle
This is a heat protectant spray for the hair. I very rarely use heat styling on my hair, so this product isn't much use to me. It smells really good though, like berries, so I may give it a go just for that!
Conscience time: KMS California is a U.S. company. Their website was so annoying I couldn't be bothered trying to find out any further information about them.

Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Cream, 10ml tube
This is the one product in the box that I was unreservedly happy to receive. I'd been wanting to try Dr. Hauschka for a while, but I can't afford their products. Even though I've already received a few cleansers lately, I'll put this to the front of the queue. Although, the Beautypedia verdict for this product is not so good, so now I'm in two minds about it!
Beautypedia Rating Summary [see full here]: stern face rating: contains nut shells which can be abrasive, and is overpriced.
Conscience time: Dr. Hauschka is a German company, it does not test on animals.

Bonus Product: Power Balance Bracelet
Really?
Don't we all remember about a year back when the Power Balance Bracelet was exposed as a sham? And now here it appears in my GlossyBox? WTF? It's like someone had a warehouse full of these things taking up space and wanted to get rid of them. Unbelievable. I am so mad.


That's it for the products. But wait, I have more to whinge about.
The product card was enormous, about 3 times the normal size. Here's a photo of it:



Then I realised why this was. There are 18 products listed on the card! Ever since GlossyBox started, they've had a reputation for distributing different products to different subscribers, with some inevitably feeling left out. This time they haven't even bothered to try and disguise this, and just published one card with all the products on it. Plus discount cards to purchase the items you didn't get in your box. I'm sorry, but that's an insult. There are certainly some products that I would have much rather received than my selection (the De-Coy Panda Eyes Pen; the Body Shop Chocomania Body Butter; the Thin Lizzy Concealer; the Pome Wonder Serum). Then again, there were some I was glad I didn't receive (the Coconut Water; the Dencorub Heat Gel - yes, Dencorub! It's supposed to be beauty products, for eff's sake! I can't imagine how I'd feel if I'd received those.)

Not to mention the added disappointment when you see what amazing luxury products the U.K. subscribers received in their special Harrod's sponsored boxes this month. (Here's one example; subscribers received different products, but all the ones I saw seemed to have several luxury brands in them.)

But the straw that broke the camel's back was this -

no pricing! Normally the full product size and price are listed on the card, so you know how much the box is worth, and how much you'd expect to pay if you wanted to buy the product again. But not here. So I have no idea how much this box was worth. Sure, I could probably google all those details, but I just can't be bothered. I shouldn't have to, anyway.

Summary: I've received 4 Glossy Boxes now, and that's the probation period over.I'll write up an overall evaluation of all the boxes in the next few days, but I'm sure you can already guess what my verdict is.

Total Value: $??.??. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $??!.??!
Rating: 2/10