Beauty Boxes : Lust Have It February 2013

February's Lust Have It box is a little different to normal. In a spirit of honesty they sent an email last week explaining some changes to this month's box. One of the full-size products they wanted to include was so large and heavy that they couldn't put it in their new signature box, and they also had to leave out one of the products from the card due to the weight limit. There was to be 3 full-size products in total to make up for it. I was so intrigued as to what they might be!

The box finally arrived on Friday. The postie had put it in the letterbox instead of by the front door like normal, and unfortunately, being a 33oC day, the contents felt warm. Grrr again, Australia Post! I really hope the heat didn't affect them too much, though it can't have been too bad as the lipstick hadn't melted or warped. Moving on though, let's see what we got:

* Mancine Summer Tan Self-Action Tan in Dark, full size 250ml.
This is the large bottle that caused all the last-minute swapping surrounding this month's box, and unfortunately I have to say it's a product I probably won't use. I've received tanning products before and said I'd use them, but never do. Sometimes I get vain and want my legs to be a bit more tanned, but I always fall back on my good old Palmer's Gradual. Even then, I sometimes have to dilute it with moisturiser because even after one application it looks too weird with my pasty fair rose skin. I may well try it out, but I can't imagine going through a whole 250ml bottle of the stuff! So I was kinda disappointed to find that the product I'd been waiting for and which I had to miss out on my 5th sample for, is wasted on me.
The product is made in Australia and not tested on animals.

* Styli-Style L3 Timeless Lipstick in Spirit, full size.
I don't use lipsticks too much, but I'm in love with this colour! It's like a dusty rose pink with a touch of mauve, and quite sheer. I have swatched it below! It comes in a nice solid metal tube that I could throw in my bag and take everywhere with me. I can see myself using it often. This brand comes from the U.S.

* The Natural Source Camouflage Colour Nail Lacquer in Brown Plum, full size.
I just can't get enough nail polish! This one is a deep brick red tending to brown. I probably wouldn't have chosen it myself, but it might make an interesting base for some of the glitter nail polishes I've acquired lately.

* Lon Vitalite C9 Moisturising Hand Mask, 1 pr.
This looks like a really interesting product: like a cloth face mask except for your hands. I'm really looking forward to using it. My hands have been so dry in the heat, so I think they deserve a bit of pampering. The price seems very reasonable, $4.50 per pair, so I might buy some if I enjoy the pampering. ;)

Gunna Use It Right Now Rating: 75%
Summary: I'm in two minds about this box. While it was disappointing to only receive 4 products, I did like 3 of them, and LHI's upfront email went quite a way to make up for it. I can't help wondering though if they couldn't have thrown in one or two lightweight sachets as compensation, or if the box really was too heavy. Normally my box ratings depend on giving 0-2 points per product, and with only 4 in this one I'm afraid it only gets 5/10.

Rating: 5/10

Now for the lipstick swatch. This was taken under my daylight lamp. The colour is much more true-to-life in this shot (compared to my monitor settings anyway!). I think it will be fairly long-wearing as the lippie took a bit of rubbing to get off my arm!:

Beauty Boxes: Lust Have It, November 2012

The theme of this month's box is Summer-Ready and Party-Gorgeous! All the products are designed for primping and preening. Apparently there was a bit of controversy over last month's box. Many people didn't like the box, and quite a few unsubscribed. In their e-mail, LHI promised an extra special box this month to make up for it. Personally, I quite liked what I got last month, so extra bonus for me!

Let's see what we got:


✔ ModelCo Fibre Lashxtend Mascara, full size.
To my mind the best thing about this box, this full-size mascara isn't even in the shops yet! I was impressed with the ModelCo lip gloss I received a few months ago, so I'm looking forward to giving it a go. This product has the same handy mirror inlaid in the side too, which is a feature I really like.

✔ Evodia Roll-On Fragrance in Lime and Coconut, full size.
I gave this a try straight away. It has a sharp, tropical smell that really evokes heat and summer time. It lasted for a surprisingly long time, too. I love my perfumes, so I'm sure this will get chucked in my bag on many occasions!

✔ GKMBJ One Minute Treatment, sample size 30g.
I wasn't sure what to make of this product at first - what's that name all about?? All it says on the tube is "Hair Care Products", and I had to check on the card to see what it actually was! I'm all for hair serums, so I'll try this soon.

✔ Aviva Inspires Skin Glow Light Tan Extender, sample size 30ml.
I don't really need this product, as I rarely use self-tanner. Occasionally I get self-conscious enough about my pasty white legs to slap on some Palmer's Gradual, so I'll keep it for those times.

✔ Star & Rose Hologram Tweezers.
These tweezers are very cute, but they're not as good as the ones I already have, I'm sorry! I'll probably keep them for craft projects. This product feels a bit like a filler or bonus item to me, not a core item. I like things I can use up! Not things which most girls probably already have.

Summary: Lust Have It promised a great box this month, and in the light of that, I was a bit disappointed. It's an ordinary box, not a great box. There are no bonus products, only 2 out of 5 full-size products, no luxury brands. If I hadn't read that this month's box was going to be extra special to make up for last month's then I probably would have been satisfied and not so disappointed! That's just how the cookie crumbles, I guess.

Total Value: $58.69. Cost of Box: $14.95. Benefit: $43.74
Rating: 7/10

Shop Til You Drop Beauty Pages: June 2012

NOTE: The following post is just a short summary of the items I found useful in this month's magazine. For the full Beauty Pages, I encourage you to purchase the magazine!


Front Feature:
Backstage Pass: New York Fashion Week
* BIG LASHES - instead of false lashes, add 3 or more coats of mascara, letting it dry between each coat. For big, spiky lashes, hold the mascara brush vertically and sweep it across from above. Finish by brushing it through to neaten and create little points.
* LOUD LINER - Try a bright eyeliner all along the upper lid,
teamed with big lashes and a pale lip colour.
* RUBY LIPS - bright red lips with nude eye treatment looks youthful and fresh. Use a high-coverage foundation, and especially use concealer around the mouth to provide a smooth backdrop. Use a sharp-edged brush to apply the lipstick. Blot and apply a second coat for extra long wear. A blue-based red will make the teeth look whiter.

Feature: Summer Skin that Lasts Forever
Self-Tan Your Face: * Using a small amount of self-tanner on the face will brighten your skin and cover winter redness. It also means that using heavier/more foundation isn't necessary.
* Don't use a tanner for the body, use a special formula for the face. Exfoliate and moisturise your face beforehand. If your skin feels tight, moisturise with a creamier formula and wait until the feeling goes away.
* Dilute the tanner with moisturiser and apply with a sponge. Make sure to blend carefully around the hairline and extend down to the decolletage area.
Covetable Products: Palmer's Olive Butter Fomula Natural Bronze for Face SPF 15, $9.95 ;
Le Tan Instant Face Tan, $7.99



Feature: The Bun Is Back
Buns We Love: Tips:
* Use smoothing cream or lightweight mousse to smooth your hair before styling.
* For a polished look, mist with hairspray at the end to prevent any stray hairs coming loose.
* Or spray the hairspray on before styling, then brush it through.
* Accessorise with a hairband or pin; it wil hide any lumps as well.
Buns We Love: Ideas:
* Comb your hair into a deep side part before styling for a different look.
* Plait your hair before twisting into a bun - when undone, you will have wavy style.
Uses for Dry Shampoo:
Use in the ends of hair for a textured finish. Use instead of mousse to add volume without the stickiness. Spray on if you have used too much hairspray to break it up and stop your hair from looking stiff.




Final Note:
Shop Til You Drop have changed the whole format of their magazine this month. The beauty pages are much shorter now, and they're blended into the lifestyle section. I'm really disappointed by this, and I'm not sure that I'm interested in doing the beauty pages feature anymore. (I've only been doing it for a couple of issues so far.) Lately it's the only section of the magazine I've been interested in, so if it remains the way it is in this issue, I don't think I'll bother re-subscribing. Maybe I'll do a monthly wrap-up of my favourite blog posts instead. Hm!

NOTE: All images are from Pinterest.