Beauty Boxes: Bella Box May 2013

Once again I have to apologise for posting my review long after receiving the box! Life just gets in the way sometimes. So let's move straight into the What I Got part of the post:



❀ Lonvitalite C4 Coconut Milk Hydrating and Nourishing Facial Mask, sample 1 piece.
I am in loooove with cloth face masks and I've enjoyed the Lonvitalite products I've received before, so I'm looking forward to using this one soon! I like that the masks are colour-coded and numbered for various different skin concerns.

❀ Suigo Absolute Volume Keratin Treatment, sample size 100ml.
I haven't heard of Suigo before, but I'm impressed already with their generously-sized sample pot. Unfortunately my hair is extremely thick, not "fine [and] lifeless", so it doesn't really suit me. It could do with "shine and a light hold" though, so I'll give it a go anyway.

❀ Bloom Shadow Liner in Emerald Green, full size 0.4g
Yay, a Bloom product! This innovative wedge-shaped liner can be used for either precision lining or wide sweeps of colour. I have swatched it below and you can see the beautiful shimmering green colour with just a hint of gold. This is the sort of colour I would definitely wear! The pencil is a twist-up design, and unlike many cheaper designs, twists back down again too, to protect the tip. Lovely.


❀ La Roche-Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel AND Duo, sample sizes 3ml AND 15ml.
These products from the cult French brand are paraben-free and are designed to clear oily skin. Strangely enough, I have found my skin has been getting more oily over the last few years as I have gotten older, not less. So I'll certainly be using these products very soon!

❀ Manicare Duo Mascara Brushes, full-size pack of 10.
The pack contains 5 volumising and 5 curl-effect disposable mascara brushes. I suppose these could come in handy in certain circumstances - if you had a mascara that had a great formula but a terrible brush, for example. Or if you wanted to share your mascara with a friend. I can't really see any use for them myself, though. To be honest, Husband and I could probably put them to better use cleaning our computer keyboards or some other fiddly task.

❀ Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden Brightening Facial Illuminating Moisture Lotion SPF 15+, full-size 75ml.
This generously full-sized product retails at $19.95. Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden is a UK brand that is paraben-free and isn't tested on animals. The brightening effect appeals to me, however I'm a bit paranoid with my sun protection, and I prefer the SPF factor of my daytime moisturisers to be at least 30+. That way I'm more confident of the protection lasting at least until lunchtime. I'll probably use this on dull days so at least my skin will be bright, even if the weather isn't!

❀ BONUS: Nanoblur, sample sachet 2ml.
I saw this at Priceline a few months ago, and I tried it out on the fleshy part of my hand where I have a few wrinkles. It actually worked! Of course, the effect isn't permanent: the optical effect just reduces the look of wrinkles for a few hours, rather than actually getting rid of them. But it actually works! The irony of the situation is: I don't have wrinkles yet. Even when I'm very tired, it tends to come out as under-eye circles rather than wrinkles. So I have no use for this product (yet!). The other irony: it could be insulting if I offered this to a friend or relative! So I'm not sure what to do with it. It's nice though, to be given a product that I know works.


Summary: This month's Bella Box was quite generous and contained a good mix of products. I was excited to receive the Bloom and Lonvitalite products, and will certainly use most of the rest. Overall, it's not spectacularly exciting, but it's a good, solid offering.
Gunna Use It ASAP Rating: 62.5% (5 out of 8)

Beauty Boxes: Bella Box February 2013

Welcome to Bella Box February 2013! As always, my postman delivered it to me way after everyone else. I had to avoid reading beauty blogs since about last Wednesday so as not to accidentally see any reviews and ruin my surprise. Grrr Australia Post! Anyway, on to the box!:

Here we see:
❝ Nuixe Huile Prodigieuse - sample size 10ml.
According to the card, this is a non-greasy, multi-purpose oil that can be used on the face, body and hair. I'm intrigued and I'm looking forward to using it. It smells lovely too, like gardenias.

❝ Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Mermaid's Tale - full-size 14.7ml.
On first glance, this looked sadly similar to the Blue Lagoon colourway I purchased from Glitzology recently. I had to whip this on straight away just to be sure though. Plus I took a photo, see below!

❝ John Frieda Friz-Ease Dream Curls Perfecting Spray - sample size 30ml.
I love John Frieda products and I already have a few things from the Frizz-Ease range. I don't often rock out with my curls out, especially in the hot weather! But I'll definitely use it later on, I think.

❝ Batiste Dry Shampoo in Blush - travel size 50ml.
I just ran out of this last week! Yay, now I have more!

❝ U Skin Solutions Clean and Go Exfoliating Gel Cleanser - sample size {estimate 5ml}.
I've raved about my love of cleansers before, so I don't need to tell you that I'm looking forward to using this soon! It has a refreshing citrus scent. It also apparently has calendula, tea-tree oil and microfine bamboo beads for exfoliation.

❝ Banana Boat Sport SPF 30+, sample sachet 30ml.
BONUS PRODUCT - You can never have too much sunscreen, I believe, so I welcome this.

Summary: This is a well-rounded box with some nice products. There's a mix of everyday and luxe, things I needed and things I've never even heard of. I'll definitely use all of the products, and I've even used one already. So yeah, this is a good box.
Rating: 8/10
Gunna Use It Right Now Percentage: 85%

Now for the nails! This is one coat of Sally Hansen Mermaid's Tale, no topcoat. I probably would apply a second coat for better glitter payoff, but I was feeling lazy tonight. The glitter consists of sparkly greenish-blue hexagonal pieces and small dots in a medium blue jelly base. Yum!

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!

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: Bella Box July 2012

At last! I was starting to get a bit worried. The 20th of July and not one of my 3 beauty box subscriptions had turned up yet. Then last night, after an evening out with some girls from work (geez, that almost sounds like I have a life! ツ ) I found my Bella Box sitting on the couch when I got home. Phew!

This month's Bella Box box was slightly different to the previous ones I've received. There was no actual box this time. The items were tightly packed inside the outer cardboard packaging, with the smaller items inside a cute little makeup bag, which I just know I'll use. How do I know that? Because just yesterday morning I was rushing around my bedroom frantically trying to find a suitable carrier for some makeup items I wanted to take to work. But more on that in a future post. At least this time the items weren't rattling around inside the box - they were tightly packed so they couldn't move. And, boy, were there a lot of them! There were no high-end brands, but BB seemed to have made up for them in sheer quantity. So let's have a look:



You, Me & Everybody Shady Lady Daily Face Milk, full size 75ml.
Recently I've seen a few mentions of this brand doing the rounds of the beauty blogs, and I was curious about it, so I was glad to receive this facial moisturiser. I like the image of the brand, it seems fun and fresh. Most daytime moisturisers only come in SPF15, but I only ever use SPF 30 - I'm a bit paranoid about the sun - so I'm glad to see that this one ticks that box. I'll definitely use it after I've finished my current moisturiser (Nivea Face Veil, for the interested). The only niggling thing is that I couldn't find out whether it's tested on animals.
Conscience time: You Me & Everybody is part of Symbion, which in turn is part of the Zuellig Group. Those are some big hitters in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Some YM&E products are not tested on animals, but I couldn't get confirmation that this particular one isn't.

Carmex Moisture Plus SPF 15+ Lip Balm, full size.
I had to laugh when I saw this! Just the other day, I finished up a Carmex Lip Balm I'd received it in my December 2011 Glossy Box. It was such a great product - the first SPF lip balm I've ever used that didn't taste disgusting and kept my lips moisturised. I'd been planning on buying a replacement this weekend. Now I don't have to!
Conscience time: Carmex is a family-run brand from the U.S. From the website "No. We have never tested on animals – we test on our family members instead!"

Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Eye Cream, full-size 14g.
Neutrogena is on my 'no-buy' list because of their animal testing status. Even before that though, it was a brand I was never really interested in, so I've never actually used any Neutrogena products before. I'm already happy with the performance of my Paula's Choice Retinol Serum, so I will just put this aside and perhaps use it when my PC runs out.
Conscience time: Neutrogena is owned by Johnson & Johnson, who test their products on animals.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub, sample size 15ml.
This product isn't listed on the card, so I have only the information on the tube itself to go on. It's an exfoliating scrub and contains BHAs. I've read that things like BHAs and AHAs are only any good if they're in a leave-on product, not one that you wash off. But I'll put it in my queue to use anyway. It also has that annoying warning on the back that some products have: "If you experience dryness and irritation, use less frequently." I'm sorry, but if I experienced dryness and irritation, I'd stop using the product altogether! My skin is too precious for that. Just sayin'.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Night Renewal Cream, sample size 15ml.
I do love Palmer's products: the rich formulas are great for my skin (including my eczema!) and both the cocoa butter and olive oil variants smell great. However, for some reason this one has a 'fresh white lily fragrance' which is a bit off-putting. I don't like using highly fragranced products on my face, so I'll just have to see how I go with this one.
Conscience time: Palmer's is not tested on animals.

Ulta3 Nail Polish in Mulberry, full-size.
Ulta3 seems to be everywhere now! For $2.50 or less, they have better-than-expected staying power, so no wonder they're the biggest selling nail polish brand in Australia. When I first opened my box last night, this colour looked like a disappointingly drab purplish brown, I have to admit. But in natural light the gorgeous mulberry purple/marone really comes out, and I love it! I've been resting my nails this week, but I'm seriously considering this colour as my first choice when I break the drought.
Conscience time: I've heard conflicting reports as to where Ulta3 is from, and whether they test on animals.

Almay Get Up and Grow Mascara in black, full-size 6.2ml.
I'm all for longer, stronger lashes, so I'll put this in my queue to use once my current mascara goes off. (Cos let's face it, you never get to the end of a mascara before it goes off, do you?)
Conscience time: Almay is owned by Revlon, who do not test on animals.

Elgon Professional Primaria Nourishing Silk Hair Mask & Bath of Life Shampoo, sample sachets 15ml each.
This brand of hair products comes from Italy. The 15ml sachets may or may not be just enough to cover my long, thick, crazy hair. I'm always up for a bit of hair experimentation though, so I'm looking forward to using them.
Conscience time: Elgon Professional is an Italian brand. I could not find information about their animal testing status.

Givenchy Pi Neo for Him, sample sachet.
The included card instructed me to give this to my man, and tell him about the new BelloBox for men, which I duly did. He wasn't interested at all! He'll use face wash if I buy it for him, but that's about it. Plus, he's extremely wary of scents ever since the time he used a tester at a perfume party and somehow the chemicals reacted with his skin and made him smell like dog do-do! So, nice try at marketing your men's box, BB, but in this case it sadly didn't hit the mark.
Conscience time: Givenchy is a French fashion house with a fragrance and beauty arm. It is not tested on animals (which I have to say is a nice surprise, because in my experience, most perfumes are).

Summary: I think Bella Box really nailed this month's theme of Essential Beauty Buys. The range of products from different categories was good - skin care, sun protection, hair, nails and makeup. None of the products are from luxury brands, but the sheer number of products made up for this, with 9 products (10 if you count the hair sachets separately), and an impressive 5 of them being full-sized. This bumped up the overall value of the box to just over $80. There's only one product that I can't see myself using - the men's fragrance - so I'm glad to say that I'm very pleased with this month's Bella Box.

Total Value: $80.49. Cost of Box: $15.00. Benefit: $65.49
Rating: 8/10

Review of January GlossyBox Beauty Box

I was pleasantly surprised to find my GlossyBox waiting for me when I arrived home tonight, so I can enjoy it (especially the Aussie-themed temporary tattoos!) over the public holiday.

Here it is:


Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser, 30ml sample size bottle.
I have to admit I was a little underwhelmed on first seeing this item. I calculated the cost of the sample size at approx. 65 cents, so it's hardly a luxury product! It seems like filler to me. Plus I already have so many body moisturisers to get through! But I gave it a go, and Man agrees that my shins feel very smooth! The almond oil makes it very rich, though it does take a little while to sink in. The scent has that typical Nivea perfumy smell which isn't too disagreeable.
Conscience time: Nivea is owned by Beiersdorf, a German company. Nivea is not tested on animals.

Sheer Cover SPF 15 Nourishing Moisturiser, sample-size 30ml bottle.
Just the other day I was thinking that I should get a plain SPF moisturiser (the only one I have currently is tinted). Now that I sit next to the window in my new job instead of in a basement, it's time to start using SPF products! So I can use this untinted moisturiser in conjunction with my BB creams in the morning.
10-FEB-12 edit: I later found out on Beautypedia that this product does not contain both UVA and UBA blocking ingredients. Highly disappointed! Not only that, but something I've been using has been giving me pimples, and considering how waxy the formula is, this is probably it. There's no way I would buy this product!

Sheer Cover Lip Gloss, full-size pot.
I prefer lip glosses and lip balms in a tube as they are a lot less messy and I don't feel like I'm contaminating the product. It's a pretty shade of pink though (Praline Pink), so perhaps I'll use it in the mornings and apply it with a lip brush.
Conscience time: I couldn't find out where Sheer Cover is made but it's distributed by Guthy Renker, a U.S. company. Sheer Cover is not tested on animals.
10-FEB-12 edit: I've been using this every morning and ... I don't like it. It tastes like wax and rubs off very quickly.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex, 7ml sample bottle.
Now this is the fancy stuff! A full-size bottle of this (30ml) costs over $100, so we're looking at the big guns here! This is where beauty boxes get exciting. I could never afford to use a product this expensive on a regular basis, so it's fantastic to get to try it out. The gel has a nice cooling effect on my face and has a faint, pleasant citrus scent. It doesn't make my skin feel instantly smooth like the Clinique Turnaround Moisturiser from last month's box, but I'll keep using it and see how it goes.
Conscience time: Estee Lauder is a U.S. company. It tests on animals where required by law.
Beautypedia Verdict summary [full verdict here]:

This serum contains 3 up-to-date anti-ageing ingredients. However, their effect is purely theoretical - none have been actually proven to work. Therefore this product scores a Very Good rating, but not a Paula's Pick tick.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Fast Dry Nail Colour, full-size bottle.
Yes, I was excited to see this! It helps to make up for not getting one in last month's GlossyBox. The colour is a light pink called Petal Pusher - much better than the black I got in the ILoveThisBox. I can certainly wear this one to work. Handy!
Conscience time: Sally Hansen a U.S. company. It is not tested on animals.

Summary:
Some subscribers received a Kosmea exfoliant and/or an eyeliner instead of the nail polish and Estee Lauder product. Isn't it interesting that both GlossyBox and LustHaveIt are sampling Kosmea products?? Hmm! I'm glad I didn't get those - as much as I loved the Kosmea cleanser, the exfoliant is too similar; and I'm so not into blue eyeliner! Apparently I received the Estee Lauder because I'm over 26 years old in my profile. One time when being old is good, I guess!
It's getting harder to find other reviews of GlossyBox to compare to, as many people seem to have cancelled their subscriptions. To each his own, I say! There were a lot of complaints about the delivery, and I have to add my voice to them. It took 9 days for the box to arrive to me. All of this time, the tracking details showed it as sitting in the Australia Post Sydney despatch centre. It made me quite pouty to think that it wouldn't arrive by Australia Day. But AusPost came through in the end and there it was at the last minute.
The inclusion of the Estee Lauder really plumped up the value of the box - it's very much better than last month's GlossyBox; about on par with the other boxes.
Overall, I'm pleased with this month's box ... though GlossyBox is still on probation!

Total Value: $74.02. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $59.07
Rating: 7/10
17-FEB-12 edit: I am down-grading the score from 8 to 7 due to the disappointing Sheer Cover products.

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