Bellabox September 2014 Unboxing

Bellabox is an Australian beauty sample subscription box that costs $15 AUD per month. The theme of this month was a collaboration with blogger Gritty Pretty.

This month marked my 1 year of being a subscriber to Bellabox, and in that time I have really enjoyed getting my monthly treat of goodies.

What was in my box:

NEUTROGENA Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes (RRP $7.99 AUD) Sample size, 7 wipes
I like using facial wipes for those times when I am simply too lazy to wash my make up off, so I am sure I will use these. I haven't tried this particular brand of facial wipes before, it will interesting to see what they are like.

GLIDERS Hair Ties (RRP $4.95 AUD) Full size product, 5 hair ties
I have to admit I was not that excited to see these in my box, but I have long hair and a daughter so I guess they will come in handy.

1000 HOUR Lashes (RRP $9.95 AUD) Full size product
Fake lashes are not really my thing, so I won't be using these.

TONI & GUY Heat Protection Mist (RRP $15.99 AUD for 150ml) Sample size 75ml
I generally don't use hair products that much, but I will be using this once I am finished with my current hair heat protection. This is a great sample size which I am pleased with, I actually thought it was a full size product at first glance.

SLEEK Makeup Eye Dust (RRP $9.95 for 6.5ml) Full size product
I am not a big wearer of eye shadow, and when I do wear them I tend to go for brown or golden shades. This black eye dust which I am afraid is very out of my comfort zone, so I will be passing this on to someone else. 

GARNIER Perfect Blur (RRP $16.95 AUD for 22ml) Sample size 1.5 ml
I have been curious about this new primer so I am glad that I received this sample.

REVLON Colorstay Foundation (RRP $34.95 for 30ml) Sample size 1.5 ml
Luckily this is sample is actually in a shade that will suit me so I will be able to use it.

Verdict:

This month was a bit of a miss for me sadly. There was nothing that I found very exciting and some of the items such as the fake eyelashes and eye dust I won't be using at all.  However last month I had an amazing box so I guess with subscription boxes it is just the luck of the draw sometimes. Hopefully what ever box I receive in October will be more to my liking.

August Empties

I'm going to share my thoughts about the products I finished using or threw away during the month of August.

AVON Naturals Hair Care - 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner green tea and lime:
I generally don't really like using 2 in 1 shampoos and conditioner because I do not feel like that do a decent job at washing out my hair. This Avon one smelt nice but I didn't particularly like using it.
Repurchase: No

AVON Naturals Body Care - Shower Gel lavender and chamomile:
I brought this on sale and loved the smell of lavender. As far as shower gels go this was okay. 
Repurchase: Maybe. I would consider it if it was sale.

SEACRET Pure Body Lotion -
I thought this was okay as a body lotion. It felt light and non greasy, but I probably wouldn't try this again.
Repurchase: No. I prefer other body lotions.

WOT NOT Facial Wipes - oily/sensitive skin:
I really enjoy using Wot Not facial wipes, and I feel that I have the exact right amount of moisture that I like in a facial wipe. This is the oily/sensitive skin version but for me I don't have a preference between this or the original version.
Repurchase: Yes, Wot Nots are my favourite brand of facial wipes.

MARY KAY Fluid Eye Color - spring leaf:
I am not a big eye shadow wearer and did not really like this golden green colour either, as a result I have not been using this eye colour at all. I am getting rid of this product since I don't use it.
Repurchase: No.

AVON One Great Mascara - black:
I brought this when it was on sale for $5, and that price I just could not pass up getting a waterproof mascara. I thought it was okay, and would probably buy it again if it was on sale for $5 again.
I am throwing this out because I've had this open for 3 months already.
Repurchase: Maybe. If it was on sale I would think about it.

APPELLES APOTHECARY & LAB - Blackseed Shampoo rosemary, ylang ylang and lavandin super & Tamanu Conditioner rosemary, ylang ylang and lavandin super:
I really liked using these samples
Repurchase:  I would consider it however these are a bit pricey.

PANTENE Aqua Light - Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner:
I thought these were okay but nothing special. I  did like the fragrance.
Repurchase: No, I prefer other shampoos and conditioners.

BURT'S BEES Almond and Milk Hand Cream
I loved the scent and thought it was a great hand cream.
Repurchase: I would think about buying it if it was on sale.

HAPPY SKINCARE Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm:
This was the first cleansing balm I have ever used and I loved it. It made my skin feel of moisturised after cleaning my face. I have to admit I am a little sad when I finished this sample off, and now I want to try all the other Happy Skincare products out.
Repurchase:Ye, I will be buying this product soon. 

DR. HAUSCHAKA Lavender Sandalwood Calming Body Wash:
I love the smell of this body wash, it was a nice body wash.
Repurchase:No. The full size product is expensive and I don't think it is worth spending that much on it. 

REFRESHED Lemon Myrtle Exfoliating Natural Soap
I like using exfoliating soaps and I also enjoyed the scent of this soap.
Repurchase: Maybe.

VASELINE Anti-ageing body lotion:
I have used a couple of samples of this product before. It smells nice, but I don't really think I am at a stage where I need an anti-ageing body lotion.
Repurchase: No.

PALMER'S Cocoa Butter Formula:
I used this a lot when I was a younger and using this reminded me of that time.
Repurchase: Maybe

August favourites

I have decided that I am going to try and do a top 3 of my favourite beauty products for each month, so I'm going to share some of my favourites from August.

1.AVON Ultra Color Absolute Lipstick in 'caring coral'
The lipstick itself is nothing special. It is okay as far as lipstick go but what I like the most about this lipstick was the shade. I tend to always buy lip colours in dark pink or red, and this was one of the first lipsticks I brought trying to get away from those particular shades. I brought this on sale, but I wouldn't have paid the full price $19.99 (go and buy a Shanghai Suzy instead, cheaper and nicer in my opinion).

I probably liked this shade a lot during August because at the start of the month I went out shopping one day wearing this lipstick, and I got hit on by a guy telling me that this was a 'knock out' lipstick on me. Well the guy was a bit creepy but I was recovering from surgery at the time so it was nice to have someone say I looked nice. 

2. HAPPY SKINCARE Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm
This is was a sample of this cleansing balm, and seriously I loved it so much. It isn't the best cleanser for a full face of make up but for everyday use I thought it was great and left my skin feeling very moisturised.

I am the kind of person that doesn't like spending too much money of cleansers because I would rather spend it on makeup instead. However I think this cleansing balm has really won me over and I would now be willing to spend $34 on a cleanser.

3. SERAPHINA Happy Go Lovely Body Custard
I am not normally a big body lotion person but I have really been enjoying this organic one from Seraphina. This cream has a lovely thick texture and keeps my skin moisturised. It smells like roses and candy mixed together which I love.

I received this product in my Winter beauty Native Box which you can read about here Whilst this is a lovely product at the price of $50 for 250ml it is very expensive in my opinion, and I would not be willing to pay that much for it.

What were favourite beauty products last month?

P.S Expect to see Shanghai Suzy lipsticks in my favourites for September, they are amazing!

Memebox Scentbox #4 Floral Unboxing

Memebox is beauty product company that sells themed boxes of Korean make up and skincare. Unlike beauty subscription boxes you only purchase the boxes that you want to receive.
I should point out that the boxes go on sale but the shipping dates may be a month of two away. Honestly it is a bit annoying having to wait such a long time to get your memeboxes, however there are a few that are ready to ship straight away.

This is the first Memebox that I have ordered and I was pretty excited, after looking at various unboxings of their past boxes on the internet.

What was in my box:

SALLY'S BOX Friendly Cherry Blossom Hand Mask 6g x 2 (RRP $2 USD)
I have never tried a hand mask before so I am looking forward to giving this product a go. I will just need to find a spare 10 to 15 minutes when I won't be using my hands.
I adore the scent of cherry blossoms so I am sure I will enjoy the scent from this mask.

ESTHE Shower Cologne 100ml (RRP $26 USD)
Randomly selected from Rosy Glow, White Musk or Floral Dream.
My shower cologne came in the scent Rosy Glow which of course smelt like roses. I thought it was a nice appealing fragrance. You are suppose to spray this on your body after you have a shower.
I've tried this product over the past week and it doesn't feel like it is worth $26 to me. The packaging looks a bit cheap, the smell is nice but it only seems to last for a couple of hours.

L'OCEAN Feromonika Perfume 10ml ($12 USD)
Randomly selected 04 Delos Coral, 05 Los Fresh, 10 Paros Rose
I received the frangance 04 Delos Coral which I quite like. It smells like flowers but I was a bit confused about the name since I normally associate corals with water. I find that unlike the shower cologne this perfume lasts for a few hours.
I really like the size of this product and I will keep in handbag for when I am out and about.

SECRET KEY Perfume Hand Cream 30g ($10 USD)
Randomly selected from petit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
My hand cream was petit No. 4. I am terrible with describing scents but it does smell floral. This hand cream is meant to be moisturising while having a long lasting fragrance.
I thought that perhaps this would still have a strong smell to it once it was rubbed in, but I didn't think it was any different to any other scented hand cream in that aspect. It was an okay hand cream, but nothing special.

Verdict:
To be honest I am a bit disappointed with this box. I just feel like this theme had great potential with all the different type of beauty product out there which have foral scents, and instead this box had two items for the hands and two fragrances. I would have preferred it if there was more variety in the type of products that was included.
I am sure I will use all the items in here, but compared to what was in the other scent boxes I feel like I made the wrong choice in choosing the Floral scent box.

Lip Factory August 2014 Unboxing

At the start of  September I received my August Lip Factory box (this is an US box and I live in Australia so I always get it a bit late). Lip Factory is  a subscription box that costs $22 USD for those in the US and $32 USD for most other countries (including shipping).

What was in my August Lip Factory box:

CULT Nail Lacquer (RRP $12 USD)
My nail polish came in the shade 'centre of attention' and I love it. It is such a beautiful mix of different sized pink glitter bits which I like. Glitter in my nail polish is pretty much the only way I like to wear glitter these days.

LA SPLASH Mineral Blush (RRP $15 USD)
I am not big on blushes. When I do wear them I like them to be natural looking and sadly this is just a bit too over the top for my tastes. This came in the shade #22025 Ring of Fire which is a red with shimmer. For me it is too dark and I am not a fan of having shimmer on my face (except maybe when wearing eye shadows)

The top line is what the blush looks like straight out of the pot. Below is what it looks like with me blended in gently with my brush (after taking a lot of it off my brush). So it can be made more workable for me, except I still dislike the shimmer.  This photograph was taken in natural light but I don't think it really captured how shimmery this blush is.

LA SPLASH  Lip Lacquer (RRP $9 USD)
I normally get excited about lip glosses, but one look at all the glitter that this one contained and I was put off. This is probably something I would have loved when I was a teenager, but these days I dislike glittery lip glosses. I tend to end up with glitter all over my face. 

PINK POWDER PARLOR Lipstick (RRP $11 USD)
I adore lip products so I got excited seeing that there was a lipstick but unfortunately for me I don't think this colour will be very flattering on me. My lipstick came in the shade 720 which is a light pink. I will re home this lipstick to a friend that I think it will suit. Although the packaging is simple, the lid make it feel like a good quality product with some resistance when you take the lid on and off (I don't think the lid would accidentally fall off).

MEDUSA'S MAKEUP Stick It Eye Primer (RRP $8 USD)
I was delighted to find this eye primer in my box this month. I am not a big eye shadow user, but I am trying to wear them more often. I was actually thinking of buying an eye primer so this product came at a great time for me.  I am looking forward to testing this primer out.

RED CHERRY False Lashes (RRP $2.50 USD)
The fake lashes I received were #110 which black and made from 100% human hair. I don't wear false eyelashes because I can never seem to put them on properly and also I am a little concerned that might fall off. I think I will pass these on to a friend.

Verdict:
Despite the fact that there is only two products this month which I am excited about (the nail polish and eye primer) I still think this is a pretty good box. If I had received a lipstick in a colour I could wear, or a lip gloss in a different shade, or blush in a lighter shade with no shimmer I would have been over the moon this month. I guess it just one of the things that you have accept with subscription boxes that they can be a bit hit and miss.

This box is full of full sized products that come to the value of $56.50 USD. Since I am from Australia where make up products are usually more expensive then in the US I think Lip Factory has great value. I want not familiar with any of these brands which is another reason I love subscription boxes, because I get to discover new items and brands. I have currently unsubscribed to Lip Factory to have a bit of a break. However I am sure I will use their services again in the future since they have on the whole been my favourite beauty subscription service so far.

Disclaimer: This box was brought with my own money. My opinions are my own.

July Empties

Opps it seems that I am a bit behind with my empties posts, but better late than never I guess. So let have a look at the products I used up in July and my thoughts about them

ORGANIC CARE Normal balance shampoo and ORGANIC CARE Normal balance conditioner (full size)
I am a big fan of organic hair  products, they are affordable and make my hair feel great. I also get eczema on my scalp so I find organic product to be more gentle and less likely to flare up my skin issues.
Repurchase: Yes and I have brought this shampoo and conditioner many times.

AVON Naturals Body Care Cherry Blossoms (full size)

I got this pretty cheaply when it was on sale, I just had to grab it because I love cherry blossoms. This smelt nice, and was okay for a shower gel.
Repurchase: If it was on sale I would consider it.

SHE mascara (full size)

I received this mascara in the colour brown from one of my subscription boxes. To be honest I was not that pleased when I first got it because my eyelashes are black, so I thought brown mascara was a bit pointless. I tried it anyway and I didn’t think it was anything special. The brown colour was not as bad as I thought it would be on me, but naturally it didn’t make my eye lashes stand out as much as black does.
Repurchase: No, I didn't think it was anything special, and I personally prefer waterproof mascara.

SUKIN Facial Moisturiser (sample)
I am fan of Sukin products. Sukin are Australian owned and made, carbon neutral, organic, paraben free, vegan and do not test on animals; so what is there not to love about them. I thought this facial moisturiser was good and I really liked the smell as well. After using this product I went out and brought a whole bunch of Sukin products.
Repurchase: I already have a full sized bottle stored away.

HERBAL ESSENCES Shampoo and HERBAL ESSENCES Conditioner (sample)
I thought these samples were okay, they smell really nice. These products are paraben and colourant free which I liked.
Repurchase: Probably not.

CLEAR Nourishing Shampoo (sample)
I thought this shampoo was okay, but I prefer to use organic or at least paraben free hair products.
Repurchase: No

ROMY Body Wash and Shampoo in Eucalyptus Lemongrass & Lime (samples)
I loved the smell of these Romy products and I quite liked them. I love how Romy doesn't use nasty chemicals in their products, but for me I think their products are a bit out of my price range. 
Repurchase: Maybe if I found them on sale.

 

ESLOR Soothing Refiner & Cleanser, Soothing Cream, Replenishing Scrub and Comforting Mask (samples) 

On a whole I really enjoyed using these samples of an expensive brand that I probably would not have had a chance to try out otherwise (I received these in a subscription box). The comforting mask was my favourite, I have never tried a mask that nice before and you could tell it was expensive product. I also really like the scrub as well especially that it didn't contain micro beads (rubbing your face with plastic beads is gross in my opinion).

Repurchase: Sadly the full sized products are expensive so I don't think I will.

GAIA Foaming Cleanser (sample)
I really enjoy using Gaia products. I find they work well and they are Australian and organic. This cleanser smells lovely and I like how it foams up.
Repurchase: I already have a full sized bottle of cleanser. I've purchased Gaia a few times before and I probably will again in the future.

MARY KAY Botanical Effects Mask (sample)
This sample was tiny I barely had enough to cover up my entire face. I thought it was okay but it is hard to tell with only one try if it makes a difference or not.
Repurchase: No.

Leibester Award for blogging

I've been nominated for a Liebester Award for blogging by Jane from the blog Little White Truths , so thank you Jane. You can check out her blog here and the post in which I was nominated http://littlewhitetruthsblog.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/leibester-award-for-blogging-ive-been.html

1. Do you struggle with being 'visible' in social media? (I do!)

Yep me too I think my facebook page for my blog has 2 likes (1 of them is me ha ha).
People seem to be reading the posts that I share on social media (eg reviews on subscription boxes) but as far as likes on my page or followers on BlogLovin I'm not doing so well. 

2. When and why did you start blogging?

I started in July of this year.
I have been micro blogging on another site and occasionally I would do a post about something beauty related. While I would get views and earn a $1 or something off  the post I just felt like people on that site just didn't really 'get' my love of make up. So I decided I would start a beauty blog so that they might be appreciated. Partly also so I could have an excuse to buy beauty products.

3. Any tips for new bloggers?
I am still trying to figure this whole blogging thing myself so I feel a bit wary about giving advice.
Perhaps I would suggest that you should try and be honest in your reviews. I dislike really blogs where every single product they review is 'amazing.' I just tend to think they are not been completely honest and I probably won't read their posts as often anymore. 

4. How long do you spend on your blog each day (including thinking about it)?
 It depends on what else is happening in my life. I might think about it briefly when I am doing my make up, or going shopping. I spend more time thinking about it when I decide to write up a post, which I should probably like to do more often.  When I am trying to write a post it probably takes an hour to write it out.

5. Do you have a beauty 'idol'? Eg I love Emma Watson - she always looks great and can carry off the natural look well.
I don't think I have a beauty 'idol.'
I do really like  Kitsch Snitch's blog, I love all the bold lipstick colours that she wears.

6. What's your favourite quote, whether related to beauty or not?

My favourite quote is 'be the change you want to see in the world.'
My favourite beauty related one is 'on a bad day there is always lipstick.'

7. You can take three products/tools to a desert island: what would you take?
- Lip balm because I am prone to dry lips
- Sunscreen because it is important to take care of your skin.
- A hair brush since I have long hair, it would probably be practical.

8. What are your interests (leaving aside the focus of your blog)?
I'm a qualified Social Worker so I'm interested in social justice issues.
I also have a degree in Psychology so mental health is important to me too.
Lately I have been exploring and reading up a bit about theories on morality.

9. What's your favourite cosmetics brand?
That is a bit of a hard one I tend to think that some brands do great with some things and not others. However if I had to pick one that I thought was overall my favourite I would have to say Relvon.
I am a little bit in love with Shanghai Suzy's lipsticks at the moments too.

10. What's your best beauty tip/s?
Use sunscreen, the sun's rays can be very damaging to your skin.
I haven't always followed this advice but lately I have been very good putting on sunscreen daily even during winter. My mother has a lot of pigmentation on her face due to sun damage.

11. Are you a fashion-minded lass as well, or are you mainly into the cosmetics side of things?
I am mainly into cosmetics at the moment. When I worked I was more into fashion. Being a stay at home mum at the moment, I don't really go out that much that I need to buy a lot of new clothes all the time.

Now I am suppose to nominate 6 other bloggers who have under 200 followers and give them 11 questions for them to answer.

I nominate:
Beautiful Temptations
The Magic of Mascara
My Memebox Addiction
Kate & Darcey
Budget Conscious Beauty Mumma
A Smiling Filipinina

My questions for them are:
1.  Why did you start your blog?
2.  What is your favourite beauty product?
3. What beauty product do you dislike the most?
4. Do you subscribe to subscription boxes? If you do which company is your favourite?
5. What has been your most disappointing beauty purchase?
6. What is your favourite skin care brand and  your favourite make up brand?
7. What is your favourite blog to follow?
8. What is your best beauty tip?
9. How would you describe your make up style?
10. If you could go on holiday anywhere in the world where would you go?
11. What place have you visited that you would like to return to?

Lust Have It August Box Review

Lust Have It are an Australian beauty sample subscription company. I subscribed on and off to their Women's Beauty Box which costs $19.95 AUD per month, for at least 5 beauty samples.

August was Lust Have It's birthday box so I have been looking forward to seeing what I was going to get, since usually companies do something more special for their anniversary editions. Sadly I didn't get my box until the 1st of September but I guess it was only a day late.

What was is my box:

BIO ELIXIA Body Shaper Stretch Mark Diminishing Cream (RRP $39 AUD for 125ml) Full sized product
I do have a few stretch marks (I've had a baby) so I will be using this product. To be honest I don't think my stretch marks are that noticeable (my partner told me that he didn't even think I had any). I wonder if this cream will do anything to reduce scars which is something I am a bit more concerned about since I have recently had surgery.

ELEVEN AUSTRALIA Miracle Hair Treatment (RRP $24.95 AUD for 125ml) Full sized product
This was the sneak peek product for the birthday box, and lots were subscribers were excited about this treatment. I do not buy many many hair products, so the only time I use hair treatments is if I have received one in a subscription box. I am kind of interested in seeing what this product like to see what all the fuss it about.

ESSENZZA FUSS FREE NATURALS Facial Cleansing Wipes (RRP $6.95 AUD for 25 wipes, RRP $2.50 AUD for mini wipe packs) Full sized pack and mini wipe pack
I like getting facial cleansing wipes for those moments when I can not be bothered doing a full cleansing routine, or when I am wearing waterproof make up.Essenzza's wipes are parabens or sulphates free, which is appealing to me. These wipes are textured on one side so these sound different to most other wipes in the market.

BIODERMA Crealine H20 (RRP $29.99 AUD for 250ml) Sample size
This cleaning solution seems to be very popular among beauty bloggers so I am glad that I have finally received a sample of this product. I am looking forward to trying this out.  


MARSK Eyeshadow Brush Pro-Line (RRP $28.95 AUD) Full sized product
I always get excited about receiving make up brushes in subscription boxes, especially since I don't have much of a collection at the moment. This brush feels a bit light, but I am sure I will be using this a lot in the future.

There were also bonus discount vouchers that were included in the August box. 

Verdict:
I think the the August box was great value and I will be using every item that was included except for the vouchers. Most of the items are full sized products and in turn I think I got great value for the $19.95 that I paid for this box. This is not an outstanding box to me but I think it is a good box.

I have unsubscribe to Lust Have It at the moment. I just feel like I have so many products and samples that I need to get through.

Disclaimer:
I brought this box with my own money and therefore my opinion is my own.