Lust Have It Winter EcoBox!

I was excited to find my Winter EcoBox waiting for me when I got home on the weekend. The Autumn box was definitely worth waiting for, and I was hoping that this one would be no exception. Again it came in the rather stinky 'eco' hessian bag. Not even the cat wanted to play with it (and she loves fuzzy things) so I threw it in the bin. But let's see what was inside the bag:

* The Natural Source Mayaltha Better Breasts Cream, full size 175ml.
This full-sized product promises to make me firm, soothed and strengthened. There's a long list of lovely-sounding ingredients in it. It smells faintly of citrus. I may as well give it a go! This product retails at RRP $49.95, so it is a very generous addition to the box.

* Grants of Australia Natural Toothpaste, sample sachets, 4 x 3g.
This is an interesting product, a little bit different. I hate using normal toothpaste - the mint is so strong and every brand in the supermarket is the same! I never got around to researching alternatives, and EcoBox has done it for me! As well as your standard Fresh Mint and Mild Mint, the other flavours are Mint & Aloe Vera and Orange & Cinnamon. I'll definitely try these out.

* Nutri Synergy NS-5 Cuticle and Nail Complex, full-size 15g.
I welcome this product, as my nails are always ragged and peeling, so I don't get to paint them as often as I'd like. It matches well with the nail polish also included in the box. The product contains aloe vera, Vitamin E and many other ingredients to keep nails healthy.

* Couleur Caramel Nail Polish in #45, 4ml.
I'm not sure if this tiny bottle is a sample size or full size. #45 is a metallic deep brick-brown which buffed up to a lovely shine. I painted it on my toenails and it only needed one coat. Couleur Caramel make a range of eco-friendly beauty products with ingredients from all over the world.

* Rosehip Plus Rosehip Oil Roll-on, full-size 15ml.
Rosehip oil is the ingredient of the moment! I have a few of them waiting in the wings now. It is good for keeping my skin soft and moisturised, so I'll definitely use this... eventually!

* Planet Eve Luxe Hand Creme, sample size 10ml.
Aside from smelling gorgeous, this rich hand cream left my hands feeling soft, and didn't react badly with my excema. I really love it. Unfortunately though, it's rather expensive at RRP $29.95 for 50ml. Oh, how I wish the sample tube was bigger!! It will have to go on my list of things to get when I'm treating myself.

* Savi Organics Soothing Cream, sample size 20ml.
I received the Savi Wellbeing Cream in the Autumn EcoBox, and this has the same divine smell. The Soothing Cream is especially designed for sensitive and inflamed skin. I wonder if that includes eczema? I'll let you know!


Summary: I'd never heard of most of the products in this box, so it was a good introduction to lots of new brands. I was slightly disappointed that there were no hair products this time, as I was about to go and wash my hair when I opened it! It was a little heavy on the skin/hand care side. With 3 (possibly 4) full-sized products, it's good value. I'll definitely use everything in this box, so I'm happy.

Beauty Boxes: Bella Box June 2013

My Bella Box came this week, just one day after my Lust Have It box! I feel so decadent! The theme for this month's box is "Girl's Night In, Girl's Night Out". I like the theme, and I think it is articulated well (as they'd say on Iron Chef!). So without further ado, on to the products!:


✔ EmerginC Vitamin C + Retinol Mask AND Hyper-Vitalizer Cream, sample sizes 3ml each.
I've received EmerginC products before (different ones) and really liked them. Unfortunately they're quite expensive, but they're definitely on my list of 'I'd buy it if I won Lotto' products. I love the innovative sachets as well, which are made of sturdy cardboard and stand up on their own. I'd like to try these soon.

✔ Toni&Guy Meet Wardrobe Creative Texturising Glue, full-size 100ml.
I had to laugh when I saw the name of this product - who wants to put glue in their hair?? (Although I think that's how dredlocks are made, so perhaps some people do...) I've become increasingly frustrated with my frizzy hair lately, but normally I'm too rushed or too lazy to do anything about it. Having lots of fun hair products to experiment with will hopefully motivate me to do something about it!

✔ Montagne Jeunesse Passion Peel-Off Mask, trial size 1 pc / 5ml.
This pomegranate and passionfruit peel-off mask sounds like fun. I haven't used a peel-off mask for years; they remind me of my teenage days! According to the packet, "you'll be amazed to see how many dead skin cells show up on the masque after use!" They must know I'm a girl who likes to see visible results. ツ Montagne Jeunesse is proudly not tested on animals.

✔ Simple Kind-To-Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes, sample pack, 7 pcs.
I've used Simple products before, and they are what they say they are - no-frills, perfume-free, good for sensitive skin. These are a basic that I'll definitely use at some point.

✔ Circa Home Everyday Soap in Vanilla & Cocoa Butter, full-size soap.
I was glad to see this soap in my box, with its pretty packaging and sophisticated scent. I received a Circa Home soap a few months ago (Lilac & Orchid that time) and it was long-lasting as well as delicious-smelling.

✔ Natio Nail Colour in Valentine, full-size 15ml.
This product isn't listed on the card, so perhaps it was a last-minute addition. It's a lovely deep red with slight orange overtones in the bottle, though they sweeten up to pink on the nail. My nails are in blech mode at the moment, they need a rest, but perhaps I'll do a Nails of the Week in a couple of weeks.

✔ StreetStar Cosmetics StreetGloss Lip Gloss in Sandy Pink, full-size.
Unfortunately when I unboxed this lip gloss, my first impression was that the tube looked really cheaply-made. The Maybelline gloss that I received a few months ago, which has a very similar design, compared much more favourably. It's a bit of a shame, because the product itself is actually great! I did a bit of a swatch to show:


The colour pay-off is great, and the crushed pearls are so shiny. The formula isn't sticky at all, and doesn't make my lips feel dry. It stayed on even after I drank a coffee. The company is all-Australian, based in Melbourne, so I'd love to see them do well. If they can use a tube of the same quality as the glamorous box it comes in, I think they'll have a real winner!

Summary: I was very happy with this months' Bella Box. There are 7 products (8 if you count the EmerginC products separately), and 4 of them are full-sized. I'll be using every single one of these products sooner or later, which I can't say about every box! There was a good mix of face, body, hair, nails and makeup products. Bella Box was definitely the stand-out this month.

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

Beauty Boxes : Lust Have It June 2013

I was so excited when my Lust Have It Box arrived two weeks earlier than normal! They sent an email advising that payments and postal arrangements would be occurring earlier in the month, so no-one would have to wait til the end of the month for their box. My May box came so late, it was already June, and I was too demoralised to even write a review at all. So I think it's a wonderful change. This month's box is again in the signature 'L' box. So far I've found uses for the other lidded boxes I've received, and I'm sure this one will be no different. The theme for this month is The Great Gatsby, so appropriate with the film having come out only a couple of weeks ago. I love the glamour and sophistication of the Jazz Age, so let's see what I got!:

❀ Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cherry Scent, travel size 50ml.
I like to have dry shampoo in the house for times when I'm really busy. It's not really a luxury product, but the cherry smell is appealing. The cherry more evocative of the 1950s than the 1920s I think! But it still has a touch of glamour to it.

❀ Pure Fiji Hydrating Body Lotion in Coconut, sample size {estimate 50ml}.
I was excited to see this one. I haven't forgotten the Pure Fiji Body Butter I received last year, so when I saw the logo again, I squeed! Pure Fiji products are on my wishlist of things I'd like if I want to splurge a little, and getting this little reminder pushed them up to the top again. I'm looking forward to using this luxurious lotion.

❀ Real Purity Natural Lipstick in Romantic Red, sample size {estimate 2g}.
The amazing blood red colour of this lipstick sample just screams 1920s! Unfortunately I don't have much occasion to wear bright red lipstick, but I do admire women who can rock a red lip. I want to step out of my comfort zone and try it one day. The disposable lipstick brush that was supplied will come in handy, too. It came with a 10% off coupon code for the Real Purity online store.

❀ Aromatherapy Associates Signature Bath and Shower Oil, sample vial 3ml.
The name Aromatherapy Associates sounded familiar to me, so I checked back through my tags and, yes, LHI provided a moisturiser and face mask from this brand last August. I have a good memory for beauty products, obviously! To be honest, I haven't used those products yet - they aren't suitable for my skin type so I put them near the bottom of the queue. The Bath and Shower Oil is much more appealing to me though. I opened the vial and, oh it smells divine! I'm planning on using it ASAP. I imagine if the moisturiser and face mask had come in resealable packaging instead of sachets, and I'd had a chance to smell them, I probably would have used them sooner. The smell of a product is half of its appeal to me. That's why I want to get cracking on this Bath and Shower Oil as soon as possible!

❀ Doctor Babor Biogen Cellular Ultimate Repair Gel-Cream, sample size {estimate 5g}.
I've never heard of this brand from Germany before, so I'll be interested to give it a try. Facial moisturisers are one of my weaknesses, and I'm curious as to what a gel-cream is! It came with an offer for a free cleanser with purchase from the Doctor Babor online store.

Summary: Overall I have to say this box was a little ho-hum. I was excited by the Great Gatsby theme, but I don't think the products themselves lived up to that expectation. None of the products were full-sized, and there were only 5, no bonuses. I know the guarantee is for a minimum of 5 products, so I'm not complaining. To have received a couple of full-sized products and/or some nice bonus products would have been much more consistent with the luxurious, glamorous feel of the 1920s. Having said that, there were some products that I really liked and will definitely use soon. There was a good mix of hair, makeup, body and face products.

Rating: 6/10
Gunna Use It Right Now Rating: 40%

Beauty Boxes : Lust Have It April 2013

I need to apologise again for the lateness of my box review! I received this box about 2 weeks ago, and the reason for the delay isn't because I didn't like it! I've just been very busy lately. I did like this box, and again it came in a beautiful patterned keepsake box, which I found handy to keep my fountain pens in. So without further ado, let's see what I got:


❖ Gosh Cosmetics Mono Eyeshadow in Aubergine, full-size.
Gosh Cosmetics comes from Denmark and according to the card, their eyeshadows come in a vast range of colours. It looks good quality and it does sound intriguing. Unfortunately, I already have several eyeshadows in dark purple shades (not least of which is the e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow I received in my LHI Autumn Eco box last month), so I don't think I'll keep this one. I would have preferred a nice light versatile neutral, personally.

❖ Rachel K Mineral Colour Control CC Cream, Original and Neutral Sample Sachets (2 of each).
CC Cream is the latest thing to come out of Asia, just when the West was starting to get used to the idea of BB Cream! I'm a massive sucker for Asian beauty products, and when I first heard about CC Cream last month (the CC stands for Colour Control), I wanted to get my hands on some badly. And here it is in my Beauty Box! I haven't heard of Rachel K before, but apparently it's a Singaporean brand started by former Miss Singapore Universe winner Rachel Kum. I tried the Original CC Cream this morning, and it seems similar to the BB Creams I've used, but with a few subtle differences. The cream is pink rather than tan, and seems to bring my freckles and discolourations back to my natural skin colour, without adding any new colour or glow. It's hard to draw any conclusions when each different brand and formula of BB Cream seems to have slightly different effects! I'll see if I can rustle up a proper review next week.

❖ Remedica Richesse Vanilla and Shea Body Butter, sample pot 50ml (estimated).
I have so many body creams, lotions and butters that I think my cupboard is going to burst at the seams! This is one of the nicer ones I've received, though. The formula is thick and luxurious, yet sinks in quickly without being greasy, and it has subtle nutty and citrusy scents to it. I will look forward to using this one!

❖ Pink Tiger Cosmetics Nail Tools: Buffer and Lint-Free Gauze.
I'm sure these practical tools will come in handy for keeping my nails neat and tidy. It's nice to receive, not just another nail polish, but some tools I can use for those times when I need to give my nails a rest.

❖ Be In Awe Cosmeceuticals Amala Clearing Serum, sample size 5ml.
I remember getting some Be In Awe products in one of my boxes last year, and they were to die for! The clearing serum is just what I need at the moment for my crazy breaking-out skin. I'll be putting my current moisturiser aside for a while to give this a go. Be In Awe is an Australian brand.

❖ Goldwell Dualsenses Ultra Volume Conditioner, sample size 75ml.
It's unusual to receive just a conditioner sample, not a set of shampoo and conditioner, but this 75ml bottle is a very generous sample. It should be enough for a few applications, even on my crazy long hair! This formula is designed to give fine hair volume, and I don't really have a need for that with my thick, boofy hair. The watermelon and bamboo scent does sound very enticing, though.

Summary: This month's box was a solid mixture of makeup, face, body and hair care products. I had a good feeling about it. It was unfortunate that one of them I had little use for, but that was just my colour preference rather than anything intrinsic to the product. On the other hand, receiving the CC Cream was very exciting! Overall, I do like the April box.

Rating: 8/10
Gunna Use It Right Now Rating: 67%

My First Lust Have It ..Eco Box..!

In a fit of excitement, I decided I needed even more beauty sample goodness, so I subscribed to Lust Have It's Eco Box. A separate subscription box to LHI's monthly service, the Eco Box is a little more expensive ($24.95), is released quarterly (with the seasons!), and contains only products that are not tested on animals, and are organic and made locally where possible. Yes, the Eco Box is a little more expensive than the normal monthly box, but it promises a larger selection of products, with more full-sized offerings. The box was larger than the monthly subscription box, and impressively hefty. The products were packed in a hessian bag, which fits with the Eco theme, but I think I'll just throw it away as it's a bit smelly. Nevertheless, I was excited when I pulled my products out!

Let's see what I got!:

❀ Savi Wellbeing Body Cream, sample size 20ml.
This organic body moisturiser smells divine - calming with a slight hint of citrus. The Australian botanicals really come out in the scent. I was instantly transported back to the time I had a holiday in Daylesford and went to a day spa. *sighs* My skin felt really soft afterwards. If only the sample bottle was bigger! I know I'll tear through it in no time! The product is made in Australia.

❀ Pretty Serious Nail Polish in Tux, full size 11ml.
Tux is a black nail polish with green micro-glitter. I don't really like very dark nail polishes, but I thought the glitter would redeem this for me. However, when I tried it out, I could only see the glitter from very close up. Otherwise it just looks plain black. That was a little disappointing. I don't wear black nail polish normally, so I think I'll give this one away. It was pretty long-lasting and I do like the brand's image though, so I might check out their other colours. Pretty Serious is an Australian brand.

❀ e.l.f. Cosmetics Mineral Eyeshadow in Royal, full size.
Mineral makeup products are supposedly easier on the skin than the alternative, though I personally don't see much of a difference - except in the price: I'm so cynical! ;) This eyeshadow is a beautiful shimmering purple colour; I don't have anything quite like it. Powder eyeshadows can be a bit scary for the spillage factor, but there's a sensible dispenser in the lid that should make using it much easier. I'm happy with this one and will definitely use it.

❀ Alfaparf Milano Anti-Frizz Oil Shampoo, Anti-Frizz Mask and Absolute Oil, sample sachets and 10ml bottle.
I'm always happy to try a new hair product, though the full sizes are sadly out of my price range. I tried the absolute oil on my hair earlier this evening, so it's a bit early to tell if it works, but it sure smells good and has a satisfyingly thick texture. It contains Prickly Pear oil, with moisturising properties, and all the products are paraben- and colourant-free. Alfaparf Milano comes from Italy.

❀ McArthur Complete Skincare Cream, full-size 250ml.
The drawcard of this product is that it contains 60% Mc Arthur Pawpaw Extract (TM), though neither the bottle nor the enclosed flyer explain how this is better than normal pawpaw extract. Call me cynical, but I'm put off by the near-miraculous claims and untenably complicated application instructions. It also has a really strange smell - citrus and lavender and something else that I can't quite describe. Having said all of that however, I love this product. Why? Because it doesn't make my eczema flare up! I can't count the number of hand creams I've had to throw away after only a few uses. Thankfully this comes in a nice big pump pack. This product is made in Australia and does not contain parabens.

❀ Wotnot Facial Wipes, full-size.
By an amazing coincidence, I was planning to buy some facial wipes the very day that my box arrived, as I noticed I was running low. I'm pleased to see that these contain organic aloe vera and rosehip oil. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into them. Wotnot is an Australian company.

Summary: I was happy with my first Lust Have It Eco Box. There was a good mix of skin care and cosmetics. The only disappointment was that the nail polish colour was not to my taste. I really liked everything else - and it's not often that I have so few negative comments about a beauty box!
I really like the idea of the Eco box. I don't have to worry about getting that pang of guilt when I open a box and see a product from a brand that tests on animals. I also like the idea of getting a larger box at longer intervals. I'm starting to get to the stage in my beauty box career that I want quality just as much as quantity. I'm happy to wait a bit longer if I know I'm going to get a larger proportion of full-sized products, in a more-thoughtfully put together box.
My only question now is ... so when's the Winter box coming out???

P.S. Today's photo was taken with my new camera that I received for my birthday. I hope you'll notice the difference in image quality from now on!

Bella Box March 2013

I'm not too much in the mood for writing at the moment, but I wanted to share my March Bella Box items with you before too much time passes! I received the box over a week ago, so I'm very slack. Here it is:


❖ Ocean Essence Coconut Body Milk, full (travel) size 20ml.
I'm a bit surprised to find that this body lotion doesn't have much of a smell to it, of coconut or anything else. If anything, it smells faintly of cough medicine. I'll probably use up the tube all in one go anyway. The Body Milk is paraben-free. The RRP for this 20ml travel size tube is $4.95.

❖ SimuOlive Hydrating Shower Gel, sample size 50ml.
I don't have too many shower gels, but I like using them as a change from soap, so I'll probably crack this open soon. The extra-virgin olive oil in this product is well-known for its moisturising properties. This brand is made in New Zealand and not tested on animals.

❖ Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Toilette, sample vial {size not specified}.
I do love a perfume, and this one is floral and romantic just with a hint of spicy sophistication. I have never sampled a Guerlain perfume before. 'Little Black Dress' is well-named, I think. I can see myself wearing this to a special dinner or an afternoon at the art gallery.

❖ DB Designer Brands Lip Pencil in Nude, full size.
I don't use lip pencils, so I won't even be opening this. I don't wear lipstick that often, and when I do, I just tend to whack it on before I leave the house, and don't bother re-applying. I just switch to lip gloss or balm for the rest of the day. So having a coloured line on my lips for the rest of the day would look a bit weird! DB is a bit of a cheapie brand anyway, so I'm not too fussed that it's a product I won't use.

❖ Yes to Carrots C Me Shine Lip Gloss in Playful Nude, full size.
I already have a Bloom lip gloss in exactly the same shade as this, so I don't see the point in even opening it. My Bloom one still has plenty of life in it, so perhaps I'll give this away. If it was a more interesting shade (according to the card there were 4 different shades) then I might want to give it a go. Yes to Carrots is not tested on animals.

❖ BONUS PRODUCT - Swisse Active Energy Bar, 60g.
It's nice to get a bonus product, and I'll probably eat this soon as I'm starting to exercise more now that the hot weather is mostly gone. I don't mind getting food as a bonus item. It's probably more likely to appeal to a wider range of subscribers (not counting allergies, etc.) than some of the other bonus items I've received before. I've seen the bars at Chemist Warehouse and might be more likely to buy them now if I like the sample.

Summary: This month's box was a bit boring in my opinion. I was really only excited by the Guerlain perfume. Though there was a fairly good mix of different products, there are 2 that I definitely won't use, so that was quite disappointing. Bella Box has been a bit hit-and-miss lately, and I'm starting to re-think my subscription. There's always the fear, though, that as soon as I unsubscribe, I'll miss out on something really amazing! Hmmm!

Gonna Use It Right Now Score: 33%
Rating: 6/10

Her Fashion Box March 2013 Review -- a New Box!

I'm a sucker for a beauty box, as I'm sure you've figured out by now. About a month ago, I read on the beauty blogs that a new box was starting up. Her Fashion Box is a larger (and more expensive!) box than the others. It was advertised as having a jewellery and/or accessory included every month, but the main pull was that it's customised. There are 3 styles to choose from: Feminine, Classic and Trendy. This feature would be very attractive to the cynical beauty box subscriber, I imagine. The kicker for me was the 50% off coupon for trying out the first box. I signed up!

My first Her Fashion Box finally arrived today and I now I'm rushing the review to you!
(So therefore apologies for the single, slightly meh photo.)

Here are the contents:


❐ Feminine Necklace - the first accessory item for the month is a silver filigree collar-style necklace. I love this! It's absolutely gorgeous. I certainly prefer it to the necklaces included in the Trendy and Classic boxes, confirming my thoughts that I'd chosen the right box for me. However, I'll probably only wear it on special occasions, so it won't get a huge amount of wear, unfortunately.

❐ Redken Diamond Oil Shampoo, Conditioner and Treatment, sample sizes 30-50ml.
These generously-size samples contain Interlock Protein Network technology to strengthen damaged hair. I've never hear of this line of products before, and I believe they're new to Australia. As my hair is constantly dyed, this is right up my alley. The RRP of the full size products is $22.50 to $35.50 - I wouldn't have bought them on a whim, so it's good to try them in my box.

❐ Maybelline ColorSensation High Shine Lip Gloss in #20 Glisten Up Pink, full size RRP $15.95.
This girly pink is certainly appropriate for the Femnine box. However, I've read at least one review of a subscriber who received the same colour in her Classic box, so.... The last few lip glosses I received were red-toned, so I might put this in my high-rotation basket or perhaps take it to work.

❐ Master Makeup by Dean Nixon Eyeshadow Brush, RRP $30.00.
I've never heard of this brand, and I don't think many other people have either. It's yet another brand masterminded by a makeup artist who wanted the world to have better (in this case, more affordable) makeup tools. Call me cheap, but I'm the kind of girl who doesn't think a $30 eyeshadow brush is really affordable, sorry! But still, I'm grateful to have such a product in my box.

❐ Moxie Collection Sample Box.
This cute sample box contains 2 tampons, 1 pantyliner, 1 standard pad and 1 night-time pad. I like the luxe way this has been packaged, but pads are hardly glamorous! I remember receiving a box of Moxie tampons in an early beauty box and being quite disappointed.

❐ Circa Home Everyday Soap in Lilac & Orchid, 125g, RRP $9.95.
I find it a little amusing that this soap is labelled 'everyday', as I certainly wouldn't pay that much for soap I'd use every day. But! It smells divine and I'm really looking forward to using it.

❐ BONUS PRODUCT - Gold Bow Ponytail Holder.
I love this adorable hair elastic with a gold metal bow. Again, I definitely prefer this to the offerings in the Classic and Trendy boxes. I can see myself wearing this to work quite a lot!
Instead of a card, the box came with a mini-magazine with information about all of the products. The necklaces were featured with suggested outfits just like in a fashion magazine, with prices and brands for all of the garments (though no prices or brands were listed for the jewellery items themselves, interestingly).


Summary: So, what did I think of the debut Her Fashion Box? First though, I'll answer the question I'm sure you're all dying to know - how much did it cost?? Well, the full price would have been $49.95, but as I mentioned in the beginning, I had a half-price voucher so this set me back $24.95. Since then though, I've heard that future boxes will be $39.95. Even still, that's a lot for me, especially with no guarantee that I'll like the jewellery item in the box.

So, this box contained 9 items all up (though in my mind I would group the shampoo and conditioner), including a bonus first-box item. First up, do I think it was worth the money? Well, without RRPs for the jewellery, it's hard to say. But the necklace is heavy and seems well-made, in the latest style, so I would expect to pay $20-$25 in a place like Diva or Equip. Assuming that, then yes the outright value of the box certainly tops $40, possibly even $50. Secondly, does the box have the 'wow' factor? Well, that's harder to answer. Some of the products are pretty mundane - shampoo? tampons? soap? - and none of the brands are really high-end. The makeup and beauty products were the same in each type of box, as far as I can tell from the few reviews that are already up. So does that mean the jewellery will be the only customised items?? Seems a bit odd to me. However, I did think they were spot-on with the different styles of jewellery items. Personally I was a bit sad that there was no moisturiser or cleanser, my particular weaknesses.

In conclusion, I'm going to wait and see. Boxes can either go all out with their first offering, and then taper off from there, or start slow and improve over time. I'm hoping Her Fashion Box will prove to be the latter. I'll stay subscribed for now and see what's in the next box. At nearly 3 times the price of all the other beauty boxes on the market though, the company has a lot to prove.

(Belated) Christmas Gift Share!

I can't believe Christmas was a month ago already! I'm probably the last blogger on earth to share my Christmas receipts, but as I mentioned in my last post, the flu got me down for a long time. I'm grateful for everything I got though, so I wanted to share it. The photos also feature Kapibara-san, whom I've had for years, but he just felt like posing in the photos, so who was I to stop him?

[above] From my parents-in-law I received a Cellex-D Eye Serum. I've never used this brand before, and I'm looking forward to giving it a try.

From my Mum I received a Sukin Body Lotion, and three Max Factor mini Nailfinity nail polishes, in Opal, Boji and Onyx. These weren't actually Christmas gifts - sometimes Mum gets gifts with purchase, etc. that she doesn't use and passes them on to me. I used the Boji on Christmas day and it came out a nice lavender/taupe colour.

From Husband I received an Almond Candy Milkshake Body Butter and an Etude House Shini Star Lip Balm. I must confess, these are things that I bought and then gave them to him to wrap and give to me. A friend told me that she does this a lot, to make sure she gets presents that she really wants. Thankfully Husband is very good at coming up with gift ideas on his own, but sometimes a girl's needs can be very specific. I doubt he'd know intuitively that I was pining away for something from Etude House's collaboration with the K-pop band SHINee.

It was a complete indulgence buy. Saving Husband the trouble of having to think of more stocking fillers for me made me feel much less guilty about buying it! The pot is so adorable, and the scent I chose is Onew / Peach. (Onew is the one on the right in the band photo.)

[below] I also received these gifts packs. The Palmer's Purse Essentials was from Husband. He thought of this one by himself and I'm very happy with it. I love Palmer's and I'll definitely use all of these products - soon! Also in the picture is a pair of earrings he gave me (again, a self-purchase).
The other gift pack is the Burt's Bees Head to Toe Kit, which I received in the Kris Kringle I have with my group of friends. There's a little bit of everything in this pack. Another one that will go to good use.

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: Bella Box November 2012

Both of my beauty box subscriptions came pretty late this month. I was really hanging out for them! The theme of this month's Bella Box is Soiree Season Staples, and I think they have done quite well. I was very happy with the box, except for one slight hiccup, which I'll detail at the end!

So here is the November box:

✽ Bioderma Sebium H2O Cleansing Water, sample size 20ml.
I was very impressed with the last Bioderma product I received, so I'm looking forward to using this cleansing water. It's formulated for oily and combination skin, which is perfect for me.

✽ 4Me Nail Polish Remover Pads, full-size 30 pads.
A basic but essential product if ever there was one! I've been painting my nails a lot again lately, so these will come in handy. I can see myself keeping them at work in case I get a multiple-chip issue and the whole lot needs to be removed straight away. (It happens to me quite a lot!).

✽ Swisse Hand Cream with Vitamin D and Pomegranate, sample size 30ml.
I'd noticed recently that the Vitamin company Swisse had put out a range of skin care products, and I was curious. The packaging design, while not exactly pretty, certainly stood out from all the rest. This hand cream is free from parabens and many other nasties, and is not tested on animals. I have to be really careful with hand creams due to my ezcema, and I really hope this will be one of the few I can use.

✽ Palmolive Luscious Strawberry Smoother Body Wash, sample size 50ml.
I would really rather have had the mango version of this, as I already have a bottle of the strawberry. But these things can't be helped. I was thinking of reviewing it, so perhaps this is a sign that I should!

✽ David Jones Beauty Radiant Moisture Day Cream, 30ml.
It's exciting to see another new product in the box! I'm very interested to see that David Jones have put out a store brand of skin care (and cosmetics too, I believe). I only use products with SPF in the morning, so this will be a night cream for me. The product is made in Australia and not tested on animals.

✽ B by Bloom Collecta Colour Cheek Tint in Barossa Valley, full-size 5g.
I was very excited to get a Bloom product in my box! As I've mentioned before, I have a bit of a soft spot for Bloom and can sometimes feel a little down that I don't have more of their products. (True beauty saddie, me?) I already have a Bloom Cheek Tint, but it's in a very different colour to this beautiful reddish pink. So now I have two. Yay!

✽ Rose-Hip Vital Rosehip Oil, full-size 30ml.
I love, love, love rosehip oil! It helps to sooth my eczema, and makes my skin feel so soft and plump when I apply it to my face. I'm very glad to know I have another bottle to fall back on when my current one runs out.

Summary: This month's box is very impressive! Seven products, three of them full size. I love the Bloom cheek tint and the rosehip oil, and the nail polish remover pads and cleanser will come in handy. There's a good mix of different types of products. The value of the box is comparatively good. There was only one disappointment, as I mentioned before. Whenever I open a beauty box, I always make sure to examine the products first, and then look at the card later. When I did that this time, I noticed it mentioned a bonus necklace. Oooh, that sounds good! But wait, I didn't notice the necklace in my box ... I searched the contents again ... no necklace! I was quite upset and thought I'd have to email the company to tell them they'd forgotten my necklace. Then I read the card again and realised that the necklace is free with purchase from the Bella Box online shop. The item isn't a bonus with the box, it's a bonus when you make an additional purchase, and yet it's listed on the card in the same manner as all the other products as if it were part of the box. I was angry then, and I felt a little misled.
But if I take a deep breath and put aside this quibble, I actually really liked the November box. My issue was with the marketing, not with the products or box themselves. So I'm giving it 9 out of 10!

Total Value: $56.42. Cost of Box: $15.00. Benefit: $41.42
Rating: 9/10

Beauty Boxes : Lust Have It October 2012

The theme for this month's Lust Have It is Luxe and Luscious Lust-Haves. Like Bella Box, they are looking at the Cancer Council's Pink Ribbon campaign, and have packed the smaller items in a pink organza bag for that reason (bag not shown, but trust me, they were!). Here's what was in this month's box:


Photo by AntwanR.Here we see:

❖ Waxaway Ready-To-Use Sensitive Wax Strips, sample pack of 2.
I've always been terrified of waxing. I've tried going to a salon, and I've tried doing it myself at home, and every time it's been painful, confusing and a failure. I'm a staunch shaving girl and I don't think anything will make me change. Except for beauty product samples! So I will give these a go and you never know.

❖ Elizabeth Arden Red Door Aura Eau de Toilette, sample vial 5ml.
A lighter version of the iconic Red Door perfume. I received a sample of the original in my I Love This Box (now sadly defunct) box at the start of the year. This version is very similar, but lighter with more floral overtones. It still has that classic elegance, but doesn't make my eyes water. ﭢ Having tried it out last night, I definitely noticed the shorter staying power of the eau de toilette as compared to an eau de parfum. I do really like this perfume, though. It would be good for a garden party or daytime wedding.
Elizabeth Arden is not tested on animals.

❖ Say It With Scent Hand and Body Lotion in Lavender, sample size 30ml.
The rate of hand creams in my beauty sample boxes has dropped off a bit lately - and quite frankly I was kinda glad. I need to be really careful about what I use on my hands because I have eczema, and this one, while it smells lovely, would not be suitable for me, I think. Such a shame. I love the pretty tube. I think I'll set it aside and slip it into a friend's Christmas present.

❖ Star & Rose Confetti Soap Petals, full-size box of 3.
These soap flowers are way too pretty to use! They're the kind of thing you'd get in a gift hamper, not for solid, down-home everyday use. I'm going to put them aside for a gift as well. (Though I'll have to make sure I give them to someone who I'm pretty sure doesn't read the blog! ahahha)

❖ Montaser Cosmeceuticals Renitence Eye Revival Cream, sample size {not given but estimate 5ml}.
I'm feeling a bit of a glut of eye creams at the moment. I'd never heard of this brand, so I had a look at their website. They're an Australian company that use a combination of Science, native Australian plant botanicals and dead sea minerals to create anti-ageing products. While the mustard-yellow colour of the cream is a bit disturbing (I opened up the pot for the photo), it has the most divine and unusual buttery caramel smell. Mmmm!
The full-size product is not in a pot. It seems to be a pump pack. Montaser products are not tested on animals.

Summary: I'm a bit on the fence with this month's box: not excited, but not horribly disappointed either. Just like last month, none of the products were full size. (Well, the soap flowers are, but they just strike me as being a bit of a fluffy filler product, so I'm leaving them out of that statement.) Unfortunately that brings the value down a bit, but that isn't what's niggling me about this month's box. It suffers a little from a lack of makeup products, I think. The "Luxe and Luscious" theme could have done with a bit of indulgent cosmetic pampering. I do really like the perfume though, and I'm looking forward to using the eye cream.

Total Value: $44.28. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $29.33
Rating: 7/10

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 September 2012

I'm a little late reviewing the September 2012 box. What can I say - I've been busy! So, this time the pack came in a pretty silver makeup bag. I have about 5 now, I think, all in different colours, and I've been using them to store my samples in. Handy! Here is this month's haul:


Here we see:

♥ Aum Gentle Facial Foam Cleanser, sample size 20ml.
I've sampled quite a few facial cleansers lately but I always like to have more. I love washing my face and feeling it squeaky clean. This smells divine, like lavender and ylang ylang and I can't wait to use it! It is not tested on animals.

♥ YSL Opium Vapeurs de Parfum, sample vial 1.5ml
This perfume is so new it's not even in stores yet, so I feel quite special being able to sample it. In fact, I even wore it to the wedding I attended recently. I really like the spicy smell - it's not as intense as Chloe, but not as floral as Lola.

♥ Davroe Colour Senses Ends Repair, sample size 50ml
I liked the Davroe detangler that I received a while back, and this end-repairing serum for coloured hair suits my hair profile perfectly. It's Australian and not tested on animals.

♥ Morrissey Hand & Body Lotion, sample size 40ml
I reluctantly broke the seal to smell this lotion - the bottle is so sophisticated-looking I didn't want to ruin it! It has an unusual scent of blood orange and lime that I quite like. Morrissey is Australian, not tested on animals, and paraben-free.

♥ Mirenesse Ace of Base Concealer, sample size 1.5g
I was excited to be able to try the Mirenesse Concealer. My current Smashbox Concealer is a bit yellow for my skintone, but this has a much pinker hue. It's a winner! I took it with me on holidays and tried it out a few times, not least of all for my wedding makeup look. Yay!

Summary: Despite the very low value of this month's box, I actually really like it. There's a good mix of product samples: face, body, hair, makeup and perfume. Facial cleansers and perfumes are two of my big weaknesses, so I did squee a bit when I saw them! And I was very impressed with the Mirenesse concealer. I have to say that I also loved the colours of the different bottles and vials - don't they look lovely against the background of the silver bag? Unfortunately all of this month's items were sample-sized, resulting in a very low box value compared to past boxes. I've taken a couple of points off for that, but even still, it scores a decent 7 out of 10.

Total Value: $27.21. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $12.26
Rating: 7/10

Bloom Haul!!

My Bloom haul arrived from OzSale last weekend!! I'm really trying to save money (honestly!) but when I saw a Bloom sale on Ozsale, how could I resist? I was talking only a few posts ago about how much I love Bloom, but seem to have a disproportionately low percentage of Bloom products in my stash.
This is what I got!:

❦ Orange Blossom Refreshing Facial Mist - I like to use a facial mist at work to freshen up after lunch. I'd been thinking of getting a replacement for my Trilogy one, which is getting a bit low. Perfect!

❦ Scented Soap in Brown Sugar & Fig - it was about time to restock on soap again, and this sounds divine!

❦ Mini Soaps in Light Floral, Fresh Citrus and Unscented - more soaps, you can never have enough! If your bathroom cabinet is full, then put them in your clothes drawers!

❦ Face Care Pamper Pack - contains 2 sachets each of Sweet Almond Cleansing Oil, Apricot Kernel Face Scrub and Ginseng Moisturiser. I love samples so much I'm willing to pay for them!

❦ Hand Care Pamper Pack - contains 2 sachets each of Hand Wash, Cuticle Oil and Hand Cream. I've purchased the Pamper Packs before years ago, but these ones have new and different products in them. Yay!

❦ Lip Stain in Rhubarb - lately I've been wanting to add more lip colour to my life, but I just can't be bothered re-applying lipstick all day long. Lip stain to the rescue! Rhubarb is a lovely ruby red that I can see myself using a lot (review soon??).

❦ 10-piece Brush Set with Mirror - very excited about this! It comes in a plastic carry case which folds out, and with tips for using each piece on the back. Perfect for a brush noob like me! I'm Definitely taking this on holiday with me.

Beauty Boxes: Bella Box September 2012

The theme of the September Bella Box is Spring in Your Step and I think we've all been waiting for Spring to come! Even despite my hayfever, I've still been looking forward to it. ッ I'm going on holidays in a few weeks' time too, so I'd be very pleased to have some samples I can take with me.
Let's have a look at this month's Bella Box:


It contains:

♫ Bioderma Sebium Foaming Gel, sample size 10ml
Bioderma is popping up again and again in my beauty boxes. I don't think we have to worry anymore that we won't be able to obtain their products here in Australia! I always like to try new facial cleansers - I just love it when my face is squeaky clean! The snap-off top is not resealable, so it'll be staying in my shower, not coming with me on holiday.

♫ Bioderma Sebium AKN Purifying Corrective Care, sample size 5ml
Whether it's a coincidence, I don't know, but these two Bioderma samples are good for oily and blemished skin, so they're right up my alley. Pimples can get worse in the tropical climate I'm heading to, so this one's going in my travel bag.

♫ You, Me & Everybody Sumptuous Skin Mousse, full size 75ml
I've never seen a moisturiser in an aerosol can before! While it's probably not very environmentally friendly, I'm still curious. Apparently it's a fragrance-free mousse good for dry skin. Holidays are a time for trying something new, so this one joins the facial moisturiser in my suitcase!

♫ Savoir Faire Concealer Kit, series of samples
I've heard of this concealer testing kit before: it did the rounds of the beauty blogs a few months ago. People were a bit mystified as to why SF would include concealers in three vastly different colours in one kit instead of putting them out in separate kits, and I'm wondering why, too! The lightest concealer may just be light enough for me, but it still looks too yellow. The others are suggested to be used for contouring. My makeup routine is never that elaborate! On the other hand, I've never used a finishing powder, and I'm curious. A holiday isn't the time when I want to spend time mucking around with a fiddly new product. But when I get back and I'm nice and tanned ... maybe??*
* (Just kidding: I pretty much have a phobia of getting sunburnt and I'm taking a big supply of sunscreen with me!)

♫ U-Haircare USPA Beehold, sample size 30ml
This gel adds body and helps retain curl in wavy hair, plus 'humidity resistance' (which I assume is anti-frizz?) - just the kind of thing I'll be needing in warm weather. I was going to take my sea salt spray with me, but this sample will be more convenient. Nice. It smells good, too.

♫ Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream, sample size 3ml
Eye creams, hmm! I have a bit of an ambiguous relationship with them. They're usually expensive (check), come in unhygienic pots (check), and don't do what the claims say (judgement pending). The lid wasn't done up properly and it smelled really generic and boring. On the bright side, it was nice that a 3ml sample came in a pot (a cute and reusable one, too!) rather than a sachet. I will put it in my eye cream queue. I haven't decided if I'll take it on holidays, yet.

Summary: I don't mind this box at all. It has a mix of face, body, hair and cosmetics. The face products were right for my skin type, which is nice. It's probably coincidental, but almost all the products were in white, green and blue packaging, which added a fresh, spring feel. The value is OK, not spectacular but nothing to complain about either.

Total Value: $47.66. Cost of Box: $15.00. Benefit: $32.66
Rating: 7/10

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

Collective Haul, I believe it's called

These are some things that I've bought/acquired in the last month or so. I've really been trying hard not to spend too much money at the moment, so the haul is small. ツ


Here we see:

❥ Styli-Style Twist & Seal Eyeliner in Turquoise ... I got this for a costume party I'm going to later in the month. I won't reveal yet what my costume will be, but I'll just say that I'm going All Out with my makeup! I've really got to get on with solving my face photography issues before then! =7
I bought this from FishPond. Known mainly as a book seller, I quickly discovered that this site sells beauty products, too! Joy! The purchase was a test really, to see if the site is any good before I go throwing too much money at it. Perhaps I'll do a site review soon.

❥ Mirenesse Absolutely Smooth Primer x4 [not pictured] ... I was so happy with the performance of this primer, that when there was another big sale on Ozsale, I got a bundle of 4. They should last me a really, really long time!

❥ Palmolive Strawberry Soother Exfoliating Body Wash ... I got this sample size bottle for free. Whee! There's a story behind it. I was at my local supermarket, where there was a sample stall set up, as you often see. The stall was giving away roast potatoes or some such thing, and there was a huge rush of people all going for their free potatoes. I wasn't hungry so I walked straight past, only to notice a second stall tucked away behind it with (joy!) beauty products! I loitered around for a while amongst the fruit and veg, and I noticed that everyone was ignoring the poor girl. I felt sorry for her, so I went over and let her give me her spiel, which she did with the appropriate amount of enthusiasm. Then she let me choose a free sample! It made my day.

❥ Doro Sen Gan Charcoal Clay Wash ... that's all I know about this product. The rest of the text is in Japanese. I bought it from Tokuya in the city. I was looking for a new shower hat and, well, you know, beauty products just seem to jump into my basket. I'm sure you can relate.

❥ Vitamin E Collagen Vitamin Essence Mask ... I bought this at Tokuya, too. Again, few details, but much happiness. The fruit pictures on the front make me think it might contain fruit essences. I'm building up a stock of cloth face masks now, but I just couldn't help myself. It was a fun trip.

Beauty Boxes: Bella Box August 2012

I received the August Bella Box about half-way through August (apologies again for the late review!) This month's theme is 'Go Green', pampering yourself while staying eco-friendly. Sounds good to me!



◆ Luk Beautifood Lip Nourish, full-size
Apparently this brand of lipstick is so new, they haven't even had a chance to whack a label on it yet, so I don't know what the shade is called. It's a deep but sheer, shimmery cocoa-plum. I don't normally wear lipstick, so I baulked at first, but it's so sheer that it might be a good introduction to colour for me. The lemon and mint scent is nice and zingy, too.

◆ Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner, sample size 45g pot
I've discussed my ambiguous attitude to Lush previously, but at least they don't test on animals! This body moisturiser smells lovely, though difficult to describe. (Is it the argan oil?) I'm looking forward to trying it.

◆ Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion, sample size 29ml
I used to use the Aveeno hand cream, and it was dull but worked well. I'm expecting the same from this. Aveeno products are tested on animals.

◆ EmerginC Phytocell Moisturiser and Kombucha Cleanser, 3ml each
I received the same products in my Lust Have It box in April. A girl doesn't forget these things! They were quite good products, so they won't go to waste. But I also remember that I received 2 moisturiser sachets in the LHI box, whereas here there's only 1 of each. Hm!

◆ Aurora Spa Rituals Rose Otto & Nettle Clarifying Shampoo and Burdock & Rose Revitalising Conditioner, sample size 50 ml each
These bottles are at least enough for a couple of applications on my long, wild hair, and with rose in the ingredients, they smell absolutely wonderful. These babies are coming into the shower with me! They are Australian-made and -owned, and not tested on animals.

◆ Phytocare Citrus Burst Daily C, 3.7g sachet x2
Keeping your insides beautiful is important too, and these Vitamin C sachets will go a long way towards that, I'm sure. The daily dose is 1-2 sachets, so this will give me a small taste.

Summary: This month's box was quite passable. There were two body products, but they were balanced out with some cosmetic, hair and face care content. It was also a good mix of new/indie brands and familiar faces. I probably would have listed the Vitamin C sachets as a bonus product but, meh. The value was all right, nothing to complain about. There was only one full-sized product (the lipstick), which was a little disappointing. The thing that really irked me about this box was the ""Bonus Product"", a You Me & Everybody Bodhi Me Hand Wash. This wasn't included in the box because it was too big: it comes for free with purchase from the Bella Box online store. I'm sorry, but I think that's a little bit cheeky. It's a bonus when you buy extra stuff from the store, not the core subscription box. Surely they could think of a less sneaky way to encourage people to buy stuff from the store, like free shipping or a discount code. And it's only a hand wash, for sheesh sake! RRP $5.99! I didn't bother. So they get a point off from me for that. Otherwise, I'm happy.

Total Value: $48.59. Cost of Box: $15.00. Benefit: $33.59
Rating: 6/10

Empties August 2012

I don't have so many empties this month. I was too busy to pamper myself much, or make a conscious effort to use up samples like I have in past months. Nevertheless, here's what I did use up:

My Beauty Diary Mexico Cactus Mask [not shown] - this was the first in my box of 10 that I got from YesStyle. It had a lovely fresh green smell and was very relaxing to use. I'm looking forward to using the rest.

Dermalogica Sheer Face SPF15+ Moisturiser (sample sachet) - it smelled nice, faintly like lavender, but I prefer 30+ in my sun protection moisturisers. I kept saving it for days when it was really cloudy or I wouldn't be going outside much. I'm a bit paranoid about the sun! I won't get the full-size of this one.

Natural Selections Escapism Beauty Bars in Wild Berries & Alpine Tulip [not shown] - This was the first in a packet of 2. It smelled lovely and I'm very glad I have another one stashed away.

Pure Scents Soap in Chamomile Tea (sample size) [not shown] - this was very tiny and quite old (moisture had seeped into it), so I didn't get much of a chance to experience it before it disappeared down the drain.

Aloe Vera Hotel Guest Soap - just another tiny hotel soap. I can't even remember where I got it. The performance was standard.

True Solutions All Day Tinted Moisturising Cream SPF30+ (sample size) - this was a very generous sample size bottle, and it lasted for ages. I used it a lot on the weekend, when I didn't want to bother with full foundation or BB Cream. The formula was a little thick, but I really liked the tint: it gave my skin a lovely glow. The full price is very expensive I believe though, so unfortunately I'll probably give it a miss.

The Body Shop Body Scrub in Pink Grapefruit - I've had this for a very long time and finally decided to use it up. It had a lovely zingy scent which really woke me up, and had lots of scrubbing power. I can't remember if it was a full-size or a gift-size, but I wish the container had been bigger!

Pure Fiji Coconut Milk and Honey Body Butter (sample size) - Oh My Gosh. The smell of this was absolutely divine. I almost swooned whenever I unscrewed the lid. Then when I could smell it on my skin after applying it (and it lasted a while), it made me feel happy and calm. It was nice and thick and had good moisturising effect as well. I know I'm going on, but honestly this stuff is in my Top 5 Best Smelling Products! (Don't ask me what the other 4 are right now, because I only just made that up!) Sadly, it's pretty expensive ($29.95 for a 250ml pot), but next time I feel like a treat, this is what I'm ordering.

So there's my August wrap-up. My posts haven't been very regular lately, and I apologise for that. I've been very busy at work and focussed on other things. Poor blog: neither of my beauty boxes for August are up yet, let alone any reviews. I've got a bit of catching up to do! So there'll be a bit of posting spam for the next week or so until I get back into regular posting. See you soon!

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P.S. I realised after I edited the picture that I haven't finished the Dove Soap yet. Oops! I will talk about that next month after I've actually finished it.

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!