Favourites from the Boxes 2012 - Part 1

I've been subscribed to various beauty subscription boxes for just over a year now, so I thought I'd do a feature on the favourite products that I've received in 2012. It was a tough job, but I managed to whittle it down to 12. Here are the first 6; Part 2 is coming soon!

P.S. The photos were schlurped from the original photos I took when I originally received the boxes, so the quality isn't the best on some of them. I apologise for my laziness!

❤ Pure Fiji Coconut Milk and Honey Body Butter, Bella Box, June -- this generously-sized sample pot was a clear favourite. The creamy honey with a hint of tropical coconut smell made me swoon whenever I screwed off the lid. Unfortunately the product is a little expensive - RRP $29.95 - but it's definitely on my wishlist!
❤ Carmex Moisture Plus SPF 15+ Lip Balm, Bella Box July -- I've raved about this product before, I know! But it's the only SPF lip balm I've tried that didn't taste/smell disgusting. Plus I really like the product story: the brand is run by a family who give the products out to friends to test. Cute!

❤Tigi Catwalk Session Series Styling Cream, Lust Have It, August -- it was a toss-up between this product and the John Frieda Frizz-Ease serum - they both work really well on my crazy hair. The Tigi won out though, because I received a full-size tube. I smooth it on my hair before twisting into a bun, and the fly-aways on the sides of my head, and it makes a huge difference to my look.
❤e.l.f. Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Cherry Tart, Bella Box, October -- e.l.f. is a cheap and cheerful brand, but this product just appealed to me somehow. Maybe it's the twist-and-click tip or maybe the colour. I started using it straight away and I use it just about every day. It's a pretty shade of pink, and adds shine without being glittery or sticky. (I have no problem with glittery at all, but some days that's just not what I want!)

❤Mirenesse Ace of Base Concealer, Lust Have It, September -- I'd heard great things about this product, and it's not half-bad. The colour is less yellow than many other concealers I've seen, and it suits my skin tone well. It doesn't provide complete coverage, but it evens out my dark circles and and the red marks on my nose quite well. I use it on days when I need an extra boost, or when I can't be bothered with a full face of makeup.
❤Montaser Cosmeceuticals Renitence Eye Revival Cream, Lust Have It, October -- Montaser is an Australian brand that use a combination of native plant botanicals and the latest scientific ingredients in their products. Unfortunately it's way too expensive for me (RRP $79.90 for 30 mls), but that just made me savour it even more while it lasted. The cream made my under-eye area feel smoother, but the best part for me was the smell. Have you ever smelled or tasted wattle seed? It's absolutely divine - like a cross between caramel and coffee with a dash of cream. I also had my first ever taste of wattle seed ice cream this year ... I was in heaven! Sadly I will probably never get to use this product or anything from the Montaser line again, but the great thing about beauty boxes is that I at least did get to try it once.

Stay tuned for Part 2 in a couple of days!

Beauty Boxes: Lust Have It December 2012

Yes, I've been completely neglecting my blogs lately, but I'm not one for long apologies, so let's see what I received in my final Lust Have It box for the year. I found it on my doorstep on the Friday before Christmas, which was quite a relief as I was worried it wasn't going to come before Christmas, and I'm sure no-one would want that!

Here's the pic:

Here we see:

❏ Catwalk by Tigi Sessions Series Finishing Hairspray, sample size 80ml.
I received a Tigi frizz-control product a few boxes ago, and I was happy with its performance. I have a huge can of hairspray though I hardly ever use it. It'll be good to have a smaller size can.

❏ Baji Rose and Kakadu Plum Face Mist, full size 110ml.
With a beautiful rose smell, this face mist also contains bush essences and aloe vera. Face mists are one of those products that I used to find mystifying, but now use all the time. I like to give myself a spritz at the end of my lunch break at work, to give myself a little pick-me-up for the afternoon. This will definitely get used! Baji is Australian owned and made, and is not tested on animals.

❏ Everyday Minerals Cheek in Nature's Sweet Side, 4.8g. {I assume it's full-size.}
The options for Everyday Minerals products were an eyeshadow, a base or a blush. I received a blush in a pinky coral. I've only just started out with using cream blushes. I have a few powder and pressed powder blushes, but I'm too scared to use them. I'm worried I'll look like a throwback to the 80s! There's no time like the present to try something new, though. Everyday Minerals comes from Texas, U.S. Products are not tested on animals.

❏ Pelactiv Hydra Daily Defense Moisturiser, full-size 50ml.
I'm quite impressed to get a full-sized tube of this moisturiser, which retails at $69. I saw this brand advertised in a magazine not long ago and was curious about it, so I'm happy to see it in my box. The moisturiser contains Australian plant botanicals, as well as vitamins and seaweed extract. Pelactiv is Australian-made and is not tested on animals.

❏ Glasshouse Fragrances Hand Creme in Marseille Gardenia, sample size 5ml.
I have a few soaps from this range, and I really love the sophisticated floral scent. Unfortunately most scented creams react badly with my eczema, but I usually can't resist using them anyway if the smell is enticing enough. The product is made in Australia and not tested on animals.

❏ Lust Have It Exfoliating Glove.
The rough fabric on this mitt has a very effective exfoliating result. The instructions advise to use it 1 to 2 times a week.

❏ BONUS PRODUCT -- Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette, sample vial 1.2ml.
I'm always excited to receive a perfume sample, and Marc Jacobs is the really good stuff! It must have been a last-minute addition, as it's not pictured on the card. I've become such a girly that I wear perfume nearly every day now, and I've collected enough now that I can choose different ones to suit my moods and outfits.

Summary: So far I've resisted comparing boxes from different companies in my reviews, but this month I just can't help it. Whereas December's Bella Box {review here} had one wham-in-your-face product with average products filling up the rest of the box, Lust Have It have produced a consistently pleasing box. There are a generous number of products, and three of them are full-size (including a high-end brand). I like all of the products and I'll use them. For this reason, I do prefer the LHI box to the Bella Box this month so I'm giving it 9 out of 10.

I would also like to make a comment on Lust Have It's marketing strategy. It's changed recently. Previously, I'd only receive emails when my credit card had been charged and my box had been posted. After a while, it started to feel, well, a little impersonal. While Bella Box sent emails which mostly consisted of "hey, it's [insert occasion here] soon, buy some stuff from our online store", at least they were communicating. In the last month or so, LHI have really stepped up in this department. They now send a regular newsletter which has interesting content with tips and further information about the products in the boxes. They also have a YouTube channel with even more in video form. I can't stress how much this has changed my perception of the LHI brand. I feel more connected and have a more positive perception of the brand. I just ... like them more!

I can't be bothered working out the total value of the box. It's Christmas, for pete's sake!
Rating: 9/10

P.S. : I have many posts planned for the new year, and perhaps a few changes too, if I'm feeling brave enough. Happy New Year and see you very soon!

Beauty Boxes : Lust Have It August 2012

After four months in a row of receiving my Lust Have It goodies in a makeup bag, this time the subscription came in a proper box again. It was slightly larger than normal, the type of flimsy cardboard box that you might see at party supply places, though it was wrapped in a nice wide black ribbon. The tissue paper inside was plain white too. I just get the feeling that not as much effort was put into the presentation of this month's box, but what's inside is more important, so let's have a look:



It contained:

tanGo Tanning Glove
Well, for a start, this isn't a glove, it's a plain square cloth. On the card, it's pictured with the other tantalising tanGo products that we didn't receive. It's made of that soft microfibre material that some of my face washers are made of, and that's what I'll use it for. I think this would be more appropriately listed as a bonus product. The RRP of $29.95 seems a little high to me.

Bioderma Atoderm Cream, sample sachet 8ml
This comes from the same folks that brought us the H2O Makeup Remover, which many beauty bloggers were calling a holy grail product. I'm expecting it to be good! It's for very dry skin. Thankfully I don't have a dry skin problem, but I may as well give it a go anyway.

Tigi Catwalk Session Series Styling Cream, full-size 150ml
This stuff looks a lot more usable than the Tigi Bedhead Manipulator that I got a while back, which was a sticky, blue mess. This looks like something I would use regularly, as my hair is pretty frizzy. It's full-size, which makes me happy.

Aromatherapy Associates Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser and Hydrating Face Mask, sample size 5ml each
I love rose, so I'm sure I'll love these. Again, these are for dry skin and my skin is normal to oily, so I hope I don't have any breakouts.

Wet n Wild Nail Polish, full-size
I don't know what the name of this colour is, but it reminds me of the nail polishes I had when I was a kid. It's a pretty iridescent colour. I haven't been in the mood to paint my nails lately, but this polish might bring me out of hibernation.

Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick in RD305, sample size 2.5g
I've been wanting to try Shiseido products for a while, but the price range made me hesitate. So I was happy to see a Shiseido product in my box, but disappointed at the same time, because the product is one that I'm least likely to use. There's already a lipstick in a very similar colour in my 'Probably Won't Ever Use' box. I know that many people love lipstick and they have to cater to people with many different tastes and preferences, but it just leaves me feeling ... meh.

Summary: As you can probably tell, I'm not very enthused by this month's box, though I can't really figure out why. It's actually a very good box: the mixture of different types of products is good (face, body, hair, nails, makeup), and the value is very high. So I'll give it the score that it probably deserves, rather than the score I feel like giving it.

Total Value: $108.72. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $93.77
Rating: 8/10

Another Haul!

I placed a little bit of an order on Catch of the Day and it arrived late last week. It was the last haul before my self-imposed spending ban (which I'm already hanging out for the end of!). I was a bit all-over-the-place with what I bought, I can't really explain it! But anyway, here we see:


* Joico Renu Age Defy Shampoo
* Tigi Rockaholic Livin' The Dream Conditioner
* Beautician's Secret Cleanser, Moisturiser and Body Sculpt Set


* Spoilt Rotten Ginger and Green Tea Shower Gel, Body Lotion and Body Mist set. I bought this and the Beautician's Secret set to take with my on my holiday in a few months. Thinking way too far ahead? Just an excuse to buy something? Perhaps a bit of both....


* Shampoos again with Revlon Just Tinted Nail Enamel in Mystic, a sheer berryish pink. If I can ever figure out how to take decent photos of my nails, I'll show you what it looks like on!


* Elizabeth Arden Shimmer Powder. The main reason I got this is that it came with a Kabuki brush. I have a pressed powder already from Daiso that I was using one of those fuzzy puffs to apply with. Not only was it streaking and coming straight off, but the puff started to smell manky really quickly. I decided I needed a proper brush to apply it with! The Shimmer Powder was half price and it came with a lovely kabuki brush - a bonus! It cost half of what a decent kabuki brush normally costs on its own. The packaging was gorgeously sophisticated as well.


Although I'm on a spending ban, don't worry, I still have plenty of reviews up my sleeve. There'll be more in the next couple of weeks!

December Glossybox Beauty Box

A couple of days ago, I received my December Glossybox Beauty Box. I was pleasantly surprised, as I wasn't expecting it to come before Christmas. The cat seemed intriged by it, too!:



Source: Uploaded by user via ApartmentCat on Pinterest.

Here it is:


Source: Uploaded by user via ApartmentCat on Pinterest.


It was packaged in an impressively sturdy cardboard box. There was a candy cane, just like the Lust Have It box, but a full-size one this time! It contained:

Tigi Bed Head Manipulator, full size jar.
I was thinking of getting a new hair product, but this gloopy stuff isn't it. I touched my finger to it and got sticky stuff everywhere - and it was also hard to wash off! I can't imagine using this, and I don't know anyone that might use it, so it's pretty much useless.

Clinique Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturiser, 7ml jar.
Clinique is a brand I've wanted to try, but haven't due to the exhorbitant price tag. A quick sniff revealed practically no smell .... boring! I don't think 7mls is really enough to determine whether it has a beneficial effect. I have so many face creams now that I don't know when I'll get around to using it. So it's interesting, but not thrilling.
Beautypedia Verdict Summary: Does what it says on the box to some extent, however is unnecessarily expensive and the jar packaging results in contamination and lessening of effects.
28-JAN-12 edit: I've been using this every night for the last couple of weeks, and I think my skin feels noticeably smoother. I'm still aware that the jar packaging is not good for the product though, so I wouldn't buy a full-size jar.

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Creme, 50ml tube.
Yes, now this is something I really want! I love John Frieda products, and I've been thinking of buying an anti-frizz serum as my hair's been particularly crazy lately. I'm looking forward to trying it.
28-JAN-12 edit: I used this a few times on humid days and I have noticed the difference. It's not perfect, but much better. It smells good, too.

Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balm full size tube.
A lip balm, little bit boring. I already have so many, I don't need more! But this is the first SPF lip product I've tried which didn't smell or taste disgusting. In fact, it smells lovely and made my lips lovely and soft. So I may well get it again.

Auscreen Sunscreen Lotion, 30ml tube.
Sunscreen? Hardly a luxury item! I already use this brand. I guess it's good to have a small size tube to carry in my handbag.

Summary: Although I was excited by the Frizz-Ease, overall I was pretty disappointed. The sun protection products will come in handy, but they're hardly exciting. Apparently some of the other subscribers received a perfume sample or a full-size Sally Hansen nail polish in their boxes. Also disappointing was the value of the products - a benefit of only $35 compared to $45 and $54 for the Lust Have It boxes I've received. I've decided to give the boxes a 4-month probation period, so hopefully it'll improve next month. According to recent reviews, the I Love This Box box is pretty good.

Total Value: $50.87 Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $35.92
Rating: 5/10