Beauty Boxes: Lust Have It May 2012

I always seem to get my beauty boxes after everyone else, wah! It's because I can only get to the post office to pick them up on Saturdays, so they're sitting in the lovely lady's back room, unloved and untouched, for up to five whole days! Ah well, at least I have my LustHaveIt box now. And boy, have they gone all out this time!

As I mentioned last month, LustHaveIt took over the failing GlossyBox last month, and everyone's been waiting to see what would happen this month. Last week I received a reassuring email from LustHaveIt, explaining again the changes and what's going to happen. They've been very open and honest about the whole thing, which is fantastic, because GlossyBox were pretty much the opposite! Even on the card in the box itself, they address some of the concerns that subscribers had about future boxes' quality and service being compromised. They've really gone all out to assure us this will not be the case. And here it is:



Yup, there are 7 (count em!) products in this box! 8 if you count the shampoo and conditioner as separate products. Wow! They are:

ModelCo Shine Ultra Lipgloss in Showgirl Red, full size.
Wow, the packaging of this lipgloss looks so glamorous with its slimline shape and mirror on the side. It makes me feel glamorous just holding it! The boxes contained a range of lipglosses and lipsticks, and I definitely prefer the lipgloss. It seems insanely red in the tube, but it goes on quite sheer, so it would be good for everyday use as well as a night out. I can see myself using it soon.
Conscience time: ModelCo is an Australian brand started by an individual. It is tested on models, not animals (to quote the website!)

Evo The Therapist Calming Shampoo and Calming Conditioner, sample size, 50ml each.
I received the Evo Moisture Mask in one of my first beauty boxes and I loved it, so I'm looking forward to trying these out. I have so much crazy hair, that I love trying out new products to see what works for me.
Conscience time: Evo is a U.S. brand (I think). It is not tested on animals.

Bioderma Crealine H2) Makeup Remover, 20ml sample size.
I was so happy to see this in my box! Just the other day one of my favourite beauty bloggers was saying in her latest weekly youtube video that she swears by this makeup remover. I'd been wanting to try it out, but not sure where to get it from. Now it appears right here in my beauty box! However, I'm disappointed to find that they do test on animals, so I'm kinda hoping it won't be that good!
Conscience time: Bioderma is a French company, I believe. They do test on animals (source is other bloggers).

Calvin Klein Sheer Beauty Perfume, vial size 1.2ml.
This perfume is quite nice, though it doesn't really do that much for me. It smells like a garden in Spring. It might be best put aside until warmer weather.
Conscience time: Calvin Klein is owned by Unilever, which do test on animals.

Lush Soap in Lust, sample size 50g {estimated}.
The whole box smelled like this soap when I opened it up, which added to the excitement. It's deep and musky and sexy; the name is a perfect description! I'll definitely use this, but maybe only at night before bedtime!
Conscience time: Lush is a U.K. company. It does not test on animals.

Caron Laboratories Bump eRaiser Medi Paste, full size 30ml.
A cream for eliminating ingrown hairs after waxing or shaving. I've never had an ingrown hair, but perhaps one of my friends might find it useful?
Conscience time: Caron is an Australian company, it does not test on animals.

Nicole by OPI Ultimate Trendsetters Nail Lacquer in {shade name not given}, sample size 3.75ml.
This is a lovely purple glitter in a clear base. I have to admit, after buying the Ulta3 red glitter earlier in the week, I was glad to get another one in a colour I prefer! And this has glitter in 2 different sizes, which makes it even more glam and fun.
Conscience time: OPI never used to test on animals, but they were bought out by Coty, which do.

Summary: This box blew me away with the number and types of products. Good work there, LustHaveIt! It's got so many things I like: hair products, nails, perfume, skin care. There's only one product that I don't think I'll use, which is really saying something. I wasn't very happy with some products from companies that test on animals, but sometimes that's the way the cookies crumbles when you subscribe to a surprise box service. The value was pretty standard compared to many boxes I've received before, but not the worst. Overall I really loved this box.

Total Value: $56.51. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $41.56
Rating: 9/10

December 'Lust Have It' Beauty Box

As I promised last week, here's the December Lust Have It beauty box that I received:



Source: addtocartblog.com via ApartmentCat on Pinterest.

It came with tinsel packaging and a cute mini candy cane! It contained:

Glasshouse Fragrances: Marseilles Body Bar, full size.
This soap smells lovely: floral and old-fashioned. I've been using it since I got it, and it has a nice, creamy texture. I wouldn't pay $12.95 for a soap though, not even a handmade one! Lately I've been getting my soaps from Inner Earth Soaps on Etsy, and been very happy with them.
14-JAN-12 edit: I finished the soap today. Loved it from start to finish. Still not spending that much on soap, though!

Evo: Great Hydrator Moisture Mask, 50ml bottle.
Good, another hair product! Since I started growing out my hair (over 18 months ago, now) I've realised the importance of using quality hair products. So I'm interested in trying new ones. I used this the other day, and it made my hair noticeably smoother. It also had a fragrance that I really liked - perfumy and musky, unusual for a hair product. I would buy this again, I think.

LimeLily Cosmetics: Waterproof Eye Pencil in Jet, full size.
I wouldn't normally buy a black eye pencil. I prefer neutral shades, and sometimes brights if I'm feeling funky on the weekend. But a black pencil might go well with some of the darker brown and purple eyeshadow shades that I have, so next time I've got a special occasion, I might give it a go.
14-JAN-12 edit: Still haven't opened this. I probably won't use it and might give it away.

Kosmea: Purifying Cream Cleanser, 20ml tube.
I used this to clean my face the same night I received it, and it was lovely! My skin felt smooth and plump afterwards, it smelled gorgeous, and it's an Australian brand, too. Next time I feel like lashing out on a cleanser, I'll definitely consider this one.

Lash Republic: False Lash Set in Babydoll (daytime), full set.
Um, I've never used false eyelashes before, and never really considered it seriously. But why not give it a go, considering these were practically free? (The set retails at $25.00) I've read that you can use just a couple of lashes at the corner of each eye instead of the whole set; that might be the way to go for me. I can't even apply normal mascara without making a mess, so it should be interesting. I found a tutorial on YouTube, and it doesn't seem hard, you just need to practice. Just got to wait for a special enough occasion!
14-JAN-12 edit: Still haven't tried this and am re-thinking whether I will or not.

Moxie: Regular Tampons, pk 8.
I've seen this brand around before, but passed them by because they're a little more expensive than the others, and when it comes to this sort of product I figure, why pay more? But it's nice to have the chance to try them out. And they come in a cute little tin.

Summary: This month there were 6 products instead of the normal 5. I'm not sure if that's because it's Christmas, or because a couple of the products might be judged to be a bit iffy by the subscribers. Tampons are hardly a luxury product after all, and I don't think too many people wear false eyelashes! Some of the other products though, were pretty good.
Total Value: $69.45. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $54.50.
Rating: 6/10
14-JAN-12 edit: I might even rate this a 5/10, now that I think about it.