Bellabox November 2014 Unboxing

Bellabox is an Australian beauty subscription box which costs $15 AUD per month, and provides subscribers with at least 5-6 beauty samples to try out.

What was in my November Box:

COASTAL SCENTS Revealed Palette Sampler (Full palette RRP $34 AUD) Sample 4 shades
I haven't had a chance to try this out yet, but I think it looks great. I'm not much of a eye shadow person but want I do happen to wear it I like neutral/nude shade which these are so I am happy about that.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (RRP $9.95 AUD) Full size product
I have actually been thinking about buying a white eyeliner to brighten up my eyes with, so this came at a perfect time. I have used this yesterday as a eyeliner on my water line. My only issue it that this pencil is probably a bit big for that purpose, but it is something I can work around.

LE TAN Wash Off (RRP $14.99 AUD) Sample size
I don't really use tanning products because I have olive skin so I don't feel the need to, also I tend to get darker in summer naturally. I got the darker shade, which is fine for my skin colour. I did give this a quick try out the other day and it seemed alright, I do like that it washes off with water. I will probably do proper review later on.

PALMERS Multi-effect Perfecting Facial Oil (RRP $19.99 AUD) Sample size
I look forward to trying this out soon, I have only just started got into using facial oils so I am curious to see how this one goes.

ALLEGRA RHODES Hand and Nail Cream (RRP $32.95 AUD) Sample size 5ml
I love the smell of cherry blossoms of I think the smell is lovely. Sadly I think this sample is much to small to get a decent feel for the product. At the moment I think it is okay, but I wouldn't pay that much money for a hand cream.

COMPEED Blister Patch (RRP $12.95 AUD pack of 5) 1 patch
I have used these in the passed and they are great, so I don't mind getting this. My daughter actually had a blister on her foot the other day and I used this patch. These are much better to use on blisters than band aids, they cushion the blister and stay on longer.

Verdict:
I thought this box was just okay, the eye palette sampler and eye liner made this box passable in my opinion. I do enjoy getting Bellabox because it is cheap for a subscription box, and I like getting new things to try out.

The only thing that slightly disappoints me is the huge difference in variation of box values. For example this month some subscribers received Nail Gel light kits which is awesome, but not so awesome if you had a very low value box in comparison. It doesn't bother me so much that some people get amazing products some months, but it does annoy me when the other items in their box are also quite nice as well (some people with the nail kits also received 24K gold eye masks which are pricey too). I just think they should share the love around a bit more evenly, and I think other subscribers would prefer that too.

September Empties

Sorry again I have been a bit slack with my blog posts lately, life just gets in the way sometimes.

I'm going to share my my thoughts about the beauty products that I finished using during the month of September.

CUSSONS PURE Sensitive cucumber and aloe Body wash
I brought this on special and it worked like other body washes. It smells like cucumber, which was okay but not super appealing to me. 
Repurchase? I wouldn't mind buying this again in the future.

GARNIER BB CREAM Miracle Skin Perfector in Medium (Sensitive Skin)
When I first tried this product I was a bit disappointed because I had tried a sample of another BB cream and had loved that product. I later realised that that the other BB cream was designed for oily skin so that was probably why it worked a lot better for me. Apart from making me a bit shiny (nothing a little bit of powder can't fix) this is a decent BB cream.
Repurchase? Maybe I would buy a version for oily skin next time.

DOVE Beauty Moisture Facial Cleanser
I brought this on sale, but I think normally this is very cheap anyway. I don't like to use soap on my face, so I used this as my cleanser in the shower. For that purpose this worked fine, I never tried to take make up off with it so I can't vouch for it's effectiveness in that area.
Repurchase? Maybe.

LA Splash Mineral Blush in #22025 ring of fire
I am not a big blush fan, so when I received this blush in a beauty subscription box I was not happy with getting a dark red colour. Then when I saw that it had lots of shimmer I knew I was just going to end up throwing this in the bin, since I really dislike shimmer/glitter in most make up products.
Repurchase? No way, it is just not my sort of blush.

 BIODERMA Crealine H20 solution Micellaire
This is the first micellar cleansing water product that I have used, and I was so impressed  with it that I brought a full size version (by a different brand that was cheaper).
Repurchase? This particular brand is expensive, but I have brought a similar product.

MODELS PREFER BB Cream all in one skin perfector with MP aquaflex, in Light
I brought this when it was clearance for a couple of dollars, knowing that it would probably be too light for my skin since it was in the shade light. After trying it out even during the winter this just too light for me, so I can't really judge how it performs as a product.
Repurchase? I would consider buying this in a darker shade, just so I could at least give it a proper try.

 OGX Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner
These were little 60ml samples that I really loved the smell of. I think it made my hair feel slightly more softer.
Repurchase? Maybe but I think they are a bit for pricey for what they are.

REVLON ColorStay Ultimate Lipcolor 095 Royal Rasin
I brought this at a Revlon Factory sale before I had really got into make up, and this with the lipstick that made me like lipsticks. I use to be a lip balm/gloss person but after trying this and seeing how long it stayed on, I started buying lipsticks. I am not a big fan of this particular colour since I think it is a bit too dark for me. This is been thrown out because it is getting too old.
Repurchase? I would probably buy a different shade

NUDE BY NATURE Nude Oil with Tamanu Oil
I think this is the first oil that I used regularly on my face so I can't really compare it to other facial oils. I thought it was fine, and over time my skin did improved but that might have also been because I was getting into a better skin care routine at the time.
Repurchase? Maybe, but I would like to try other facial oils first. 

RIMMEL LONDON Lasting Finish Nail Polish 061 Exotica
This was an alright nail polish. I am only throwing this out because I have had it for so long that it starting to go clumpy.
Repurchase? Yes, if there was a shade that I liked. 

MAYBELLINE Colossal Volume Express Mascara
I thought this was okay but nothing special.
Repurchase? No, I prefer other mascaras.

SUKIN Protein Hair Treatment
I am a big fan of Sukin skin care products so I was excited about using one of their hair products for the first time. I thought this worked okay, but I couldn't see much difference in my hair. However to be honest I do have pretty nice hair at the moment and I don't see much of a change with using any kind of hair treatments.
Repurchase? Possibly, if I was inclined to buy a hair treatment product I might lean towards this because it is organic.

September favourites

Sorry everyone that I have not posted anything for the last few weeks. On a personal note my father passed away last month. I was either too busy with my family or was simply not in the mood to post again until now.

In keeping up with my monthly favourites posts, here are my favourite 3 products for September 2014.

SHANGHAI SUZI Lipsticks:
Honestly for this post I was tempted to just photograph my entire collection of 7 Shaghai Suzy lipsticks, because during September I was obessed with them. These lipsticks are amazing and are also very affordable at $12.95 each. I love wearing lipstick and consider these to be better or equal to lipsticks that are more expensive. I am planning to write up a detailed review on these lipsticks soon.

GARNIER Micellar Cleansing Water
At first I thought the idea of miceallar cleansing water was a bit silly, but after trying a sample of the Bioderma version I became a fan. It is more than just ordinary water and is great to take off make up with (however some waterproof mascaras can be a bit tough to remove). I like that you don't have to rinse your face after using this, so I tend to use it when I am lazy and need to wash my face before going to bed. I found the Bioderma and Garnier versions to be comparable so I think I will stick to the Garnier product since it is cheaper.

PALLADIO Brow Fix
This is a clear wax eyebrow fixing pencil that I received in a Lip Factory subscription box. Before this eyebrow pencil I never bothered eyebrow products, but now I use this product almost every single time I leave the house. I think that it makes my eyebrows look neater, and that it is great that it only takes a few seconds to apply with hardly any effort.

Memebox Beauty Splurge with Lisa M Pullano Review

Memebox is a a Korean beauty box company that sells themed boxes of make up, skin care and hair products. You what ever purchase boxes you like so you are not locked into a subscription. This is my third box from Memebox and I have really been enjoying getting goodies from them.

This box was a collaboration between a beauty you tuber Lisa M Pullano and Memebox, which was priced at $23 USD plus shipping costs. The collaboration boxes tend to be naked boxes so that buyers know what they will be receiving, which I personally like so I can decide if I should buy it or not. 

So what was in my Beauty Splurge Memebox
1. IT'S SKIN Macaroon Lip Balm 9g  ($10.50 USD) Full size
Mine came in the 03 Grape flavor which I am pleased with. I like the scent and the balm goes on clear. The packaging is pretty cute too, it looks just like a macaroon. I will be keeping this balm even when I have finished it all up because I just love the look of it.

2. IT'S SKIN Babyface Petit Blusher 7g ($11 USD) Full size
The packaging of this blush is just adorable, with its cute little face and the puff inside. I received mine in the shade 02 Pure Lavender, which unfortunately for me is not flattering for my skin tone. I have olive skin so this colour either doesn't show up or if I apply it heavily it looks very weird. I could see this working for someone with very pale/fair skin. I have given this to my three year old who uses it to do her doll's make up. 

3. HOPE GIRL Milky Balm Lipstick 3.5g ($22 USD) Full size
I have tried Hope Girl lipsticks before and I thought they were okay but nothing special. They do not last for 10 hours as they claim. Mine came in the shade 11 Pink Pops, which at first I was not that happy with since light pink lips often does not suit me. I gave it a try and it looked okay, well better than I thought it would anyway.  I find these Hope Girl lipsticks to be quite sheer, but the colour is can be built upon.

 Left to Right: L.Vida Milk Choco and Hope Girl Pink Pops lipstick

4. L.VIDA Nail Polish LC-32 Milk Choco 10ml ($6 USD) Full size
I haven't tried this nail polish out mainly because I am not really into the colour. I am sure I will probably use it in the future. I do like the little flower on the nail polish, and I have used it as a hair tie for my daughter.

5. TOSOWOONG Makeon Mermaid Waterproof Gel Eyeliner ($11 USD) Full size
This came in the shade #05 Maple Syrup, which I think is okay but not a colour I would normally use. I haven't used this as makeup yet, however I have put some on my hand before a shower. In the water it stayed put, and it was only when I tried to rub it off that it finally smudged. I was pretty impressed with that test so I think it will be a very good quality eyeliner.

Swatch in natural light : Top to bottom; Maple Syrup eyeliner, Hope Girl Pink Pops done heavily, Hope Girl Pink Pops lightly applied.

 6. LAILLY 36.5 Steam Pore Pack 50g ($34 USD) Full size
This was the product I was most excited about and I have to tell you all that I love this Steam Pore Pack. I have used it twice already still it has arrived and I am very impressed. It is probably too early to determine if has improved my skin but after every use my face feels so nice and clean. This is suppose to make your face feel warmer and tingly, which it does slightly. When I watched this off with cool water, it really felt warm in a good way. I had never had an experience like that before with skin care, and I thought it felt amazing.

 Left to Right: Lailley Steam Pore Pack and Insobeau Power Z Cream

7. INSOBEAU Ultra Skin Power Z Cream 80ml ($46 USD) Full size
This is an anti wrinkle face cream, which smells really nice and is very nourishing. I am really happy that it is free from parabens, alcohol, mineral oils, artificial colouring and fragrances. Since I prefer products that are free from nasty chemicals.
The only thing that was disappointing about this product is that it will expire in 3 months time, which is a shame because it is a large jar and I won't be able to finish it all by within that time frame. In most cases I use the expiry date as a guideline but with this since does not contain a lot of artificial ingredients that tend to preserve products, I will probably throw it out when it passes the expiry date.

VERDICT:
I mainly brought this box because I wanted to try the Steam Pore Pack because I thought it sounded interesting, and I have pretty much loved all of my other items too. It is a bit of a shame that the Babyface Blusher does not suit my skin tone, but I guess that is the risk you take with buying these boxes. It is only a minor disappointment for me, because everything else is the box is usable.

I am really happy with this box and I would highly recommend it since it has a good mix of make up and skin care. As I write this review the Beauty Splurge box is out of stock, but occasionally Memebox restocks sold out boxes.

AFFILIATE LINK:
If you want to check out Memebox, I would appreciate it if you used my affiliate link here
Using that link will give you the discount of;
- $5 off an order above $100
- $10 off an order above $150

For the month of October 2014 you can use this code to get $5 off  your order 3R9U

*Disclaimer: 
This post contains an affiliate link. If you use this link it will help me earn memepoints, which I will be using towards purchasing more Memeboxes. Thank you. 
I brought this box with my own money, my opinions are my own.

Memebox Superbox #60 back to school by Hope Girl Review

This box was my second purchase from the Korean beauty product box company Memebox. Memebox sells themed boxes of Korean makeup, skincare and haircare products. Most of the time the contains of the box are a surprise but for the 'back to school' box the products that were going to be inside were shared. With standard shipping this Superbox #60 cost $23.99 USD however with a discount code and with me using up some memepoints I only paid $15.99 USD. It is currently still for sale at Memebox and everything is full sized.

I have to admit I mostly brought this box because I really wanted to try a Korean CC cream, because I have heard that their CC creams are so much better than the ones made in western countries.

So what was in my box:

1. HOPE GIRL Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil 02 Brown 1.9 g (RRP $18 USD) Full size
I am yet to actually try this out as an eyeliner but I have done a swatch on my hand and I am very impressed that it hasn't smudged when I wipe at it. I think this will be a long lasting eyeliner. This eyeliner also came with an eyeliner sharpener. I actually need to buy one with a bigger sharpener hole for my brow wax pencil, so I was pleased to get since it fitted perfectly in this one.

2. HOPE GIRL Milky Balm Lipstick Grapefruit 3.5g (RRP $22 USD) Full size
The packaging for this lipstick is so adorable with the leopard print, even my three year old loves it. The box's information card claims that this lipstick will last for up to 10 hours. I have worn this a fair bit lately and it lasts okay but it does not last for 10 hours. I would probably say it would last for 3 hours before needing a touch up (assuming that you haven't been eating) which I think is fine for a lipstick.

3. HOPE GIRL Nude Skin Color Control Cream SPF30 40ml (RRP $31 USD) Full size
This was the item I was most excited about and I have to confess I am loving this. I have never used a CC cream before so I was a bit surprised that it came out white, since I thought it would be a bit like a BB cream. It does start off making your face look quite white but after a couple of minutes the colour adjusts. I have olive skin so while I think this works well for me at the moment, once I get my summer tan it will probably be too light for me. The coverage is light but it does even out the colour of your skin. I like that it includes a SPF of 30+ which means I don't have to apply a separate sunscreen which is good.

4. HOPE GIRL Nail Travel Bling Bling Set 09 Neutral Aura 5g x 3 (RRP $14 USD) Full size
I haven't tried these out yet because these colours as nail polished does not really excite me to be honest. I think I will eventually try them out, mainly because I like the nail design that they have suggested on the back of the pack which uses all three shades.

5. HOPE GIRL Teen Teen Star Mineral Eye Shadow BR01 Real Brown 3g (RRP $10 USD) Full size
There were 4 different coloured eye shadows that we could have received, and I got the Real Brown colour which is a bronze like brown. I prefer my eye shadows in brown and gold shades so this will be used in the future. 

This is a swatch of the CC cream, the lipstick and the eyeliner.
The white cream is what the CC creams looks like straight out of the pump, beneath it is the BB cream rubbed in.
The lipstick is a sheer orange red.
The eye liner swatched twice. The bottom one is what it looks like after I have tried to rub it off. 

Verdict:
For someone who is still quite new to Korean cosmetics and Memebox I thought this was a great box to get to start off my collection. I am pretty happy with this box, and it was a much better Memebox experience for me than my first one the Floral Scent box which I thought was disappointing. I have been using the CC cream most days, and the lipstick has been getting a bit of a work out too. 

Dr. Hauschka Rose Nurturing Body Wash*

The people at Dr. Hauschka kindly sent me this 200ml bottle of their Rose Nuturing Body Wash, which retails for $26 AUD.

First off I have to say I love the scent of this body wash, like the name suggest it smelt like roses and people who like floral fragrances will probably enjoy this. Occasionally after a shower I could faintly detect the scent on my skin still. I have also tried a sample of their Lavendar Sandalwood Calming Body Wash previously and that smelt amazing too.

Another thing I was impressed by was finding out the Dr Hauschka products were all organic, are dermatologically tested for sensitive skin and they do not test on animals. They are also free from; preservatives, mineral oils, parabens and silicone. Followers of my blog might already be aware but I prefer to use organic products, I think they better for the environment and are more gentle on my skin.

As far as body washes goes this particular one works fine and lathers well. I am prone to developing eczema on some parts of my body, and after using this product for a few weeks now my eczema has not flared up so I think this body wash is very gentle on my skin.

Overall I think this is a lovely body wash, it smells nice and does what you would expect a body wash to do. The only negative is the price at $26 AUD, which I think is a bit on the expensive for a body wash. I would consider purchasing this again as a treat for myself or a present for someone. However at that price I'm afraid this will not be my everyday to go to body wash.

*This product was sent for my consideration. This post is my honest opinion.

Violetbox September Unboxing

Violetbox is an Australian beauty sample subscription box which is priced at $22.95 AUD a month to received at least 5-6 samples. I have really been enjoying Violetbox because they tend to have more full sized products in their boxes than other Australia monthly beauty subscription boxes.

What was in my September Violetbox:

POLISHED LONDON Nail Enamel (RRP $8.00 AUD) Full size
My nail polish came in the shade Buckingham Blue which is a lovely teal colour. I brought a blazer in this exact colour the other week so now I can match my jacket to my nails yay.

GIRLACTIK Eyeshadow (RRP $23.00 AUD) Full size
My eye shadow came in a baby blue shade called Dreamy. I'm not a huge user of eye shadow and I don't think this blue would suit me so I will be passing this on to someone else.

STARLOOKS Ultra Olive Gem Pencil (RRP $21.50 AUD) Full size
I am really loving this olive eye pencil. I normally only do black or brown eye liner but I think with this product I am willing to give olive a go. I haven't given it a proper test drive, but after doing a swatch on my hand I'm so excited by it. I love the micro glitter and how it looks kind of golden.

FOLTENE Nail Treatment (RRP $29.95 AUD) Full size
I've seen other people complain about getting this product because it is boring but I don't mind it. I have used this a couple of times, but I would probably have to make a bigger effort of applying this regularly to see if it does make my nails stronger.

SCANDALOUS Fabulously Flirty Dry Shampoo (RRP $16.95 AUD) Full size
I've never actually used dry shampoo before, so I was pleased with getting this go I can finally give it a go.

Verdict:
I was really happy with my box, 5 full sized items is always something to get excited by in my opinion. I will be using or trying everything in this box except for the eyeshadow mainly because I feel like it will be wasted if I keep it. Once again I think Violetbox has done an awesome job, and I look forward to seeing what will arrive in my October box.