Empties: June 2012

Lush Gorgeous Moisturiser (sample size) - Smelled wonderful, but I don't think it had any effect on my skin at all. Plus it comes in unhygienic pot, which is a real shame for such an expensive product.
Avon Skin So Soft Hair Minimising Deodorant - Had no noticeable hair minimising properties at all. Not that good at eliminating smells, either. I have another one to get through as it was a 2-for-1 deal. Won't get it again.
Searo Nail Color Dry Spray - after buying this as an add-on to another purchase on e-bay, I was happily surprised to find that it actually works well. It cuts the drying time of my nail polish in half! I'm currently waiting for a replacement to arrive.
Daiso Japanese Wet Sheet Wipes in Mint (not pictured) - I had these at work for those sticky moments. They made me feel powdery dry and had a lovely subtle minty scent. Being Daiso, they were very cheap as well. However, I decided to buy a different brand this time; currently waiting for it to arrive.
Maybelline XXL Extensions Mascara in Black - started to go clumpy so I threw it away, but I'd had it for a long time and was happy with the lengthening effect.
Crabtree & Evelyn Body Scrub in Citron Honey & Coriander - loved this; reviewed here.
Ffid Coenzyme Q10 Cloth Face Mask - also loved this discussed here.
Mirenesse Eclipse Age Defence Daily Face & Neck Clear SPF Mineral Balm (mini size) - not even sure what this was supposed to be used for: moisturiser? sunscreen? primer? serum? Seemed to have no effect of any kind. Only lasted 2 applications, anyway.
De Cheri Hotel Soap AND Paradise Hotel Soap (second not pictured) - standard guest soaps from my collection.
Burt's Bees Peppermint & Rosemary Body Bar - had a very strong peppermint/menthol smell. It made my eyes water and more sensitive parts of my skin sting! I would definitely not get this again.
Paula's Choice Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum (sample sachet) - love this stuff, and I think it really works. I've already bought the full-size product and I'm using it as an eye serum.
Kerastase Nectar Thermique Leave-In Conditioner (sample sachet) - I had 5 of these from a beauty box and I think this is the second-last one.
Jurlique Calendula Face Cream - smelled nice, but! Was very thick and had to push it around my face. Did not notice any particular benefits, either. Would not get again as I felt my skin was stretching too much trying to rub it in.
Bloom Body Cream in Mandarine (not pictured) - only threw away because it was extremely old and smelled manky. Would get again for a treat.
Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid (sample sachet) - have already purchased the full-size product. I've only had one small pimple since using this. Looks like it may be my go-to exfoliant!

Beauty Boxes

I've been a very naughty girl. A bit before I went away on holidays, I came across the concept of beauty box subscriptions. Basically, you pay a subscription fee (either monthly direct debit or a year in advance) and each month you get sent a box with beauty products in it. Most are sample size but some (especially makeup) are full-sized, and the idea is you get to try a lot of different products for a small price instead of forking out a lot for something you might not like. A whole bunch of companies started offering these boxes in Australia around the same time. With some judicious googling, I found about 6 different ones. They all cost the same, and offer at least 5 products per month, so I read some reviews and looked at the brands they offer to whittle them down. In the end I couldn't decide, so I subscribed to Lust Have It and Glossy Box. Yeah, two, oops! I figured, I'll probably cancel the less-good one after a few months. In the reviews I read, that seemed to be an OK thing for people to do.

Aaaand guess what? I received my Lust Have It box last night! (It comes out at the start of the month and the Glossy Box one at the end of the month.) I seem to have subscribed during the cross-over period, because I actually received the November and December boxes at the same time! Double yay! I will just look at the first one today though, and the second one in a few days.

Now, I'm no beauty blogger! There are literally hundreds of great Australian beauty bloggers out there who'd do a much better job than me. I just feel like spilling my personal comments and excitement over receiving cool (and cheap!) beauty products.

So here's the November Lust Have It box:



Source: addtocartblog.com via ApartmentCat on Pinterest.


It contained:
RoC: Complete Lift Daily Moisturiser, 5ml tubes x3.
I used it this morning and it seems quite good. As for whether the active ingredients really work, I won't know for a while. I've used RoC brand before and thought that the packaging was boring and smelled a bit generic. I get the same impression from this product. For something that expensive, I'd like a more memorable experience. Plus I believe they still test on animals. So I won't buy it.

Nude By Nature: Lipliner in Chique Natural, full size item.
I've never used lipliner before, because a) I don't have a problem with lipstick bleeding; and b) don't often wear lipstick anyway. But I'll give this a go next time I have a nice occasion to go to.
14-JAN-12 edit: I still haven't opened this product, and I don't think I'll use it, after all. I might give it away to a friend.

Lancome: Tresor Midnight Rose, 1.5ml vial x2.
I put some of this perfume on this morning, and I really quite like it. At first it smells fruity, like berries, then a deep, musky fragrance kicks in. It's probably more appropriate to wear in the evening or special occasions. If I could afford it, I'd buy it again.
14-JAN-12 edit: I wore it at my wedding earlier in the week!

Hawley: 2-Step Nail Shiner Buffer.
Some of the reviews said this was a bit of a disappointing addition to the box. I'll definitely use it though. I like to paint my nails, but they peel easily and I need to rest them in between. I can use the buffer for those times.

Kerastase: Nectar Thermique Leave-In Conditioner, 10ml sachet x5.
I haven't used any of this yet, but I'm very glad it was included. When I was overseas, I just used the generic shampoos that the hotels provided, and now my hair is feeling really coarse and yakky. So I'll be giving this a go when I wash my hair tonight.
14-JAN-12 edit: I have used this, and it made my hair so soft and shiny, smelled good also.

Total Value: $60.70. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $45.75.
Rating: 7/10