Lust Have It August 2015-Birthday Box!

Morning Lovelies!

Now this is something you haven't seen for a while!  I resigned to Lust Have It for the month (i've missed all the excitement of getting a monthly box), what i've been seeing from LHI suggests their boxes are definitely worth the purchase, and it's Birthday month!  Happy 4th Birthday LHI!!!

Surprise, surprise, though, my shipping notification rocked up around the same time as my box.  So not everything has changed.

Look at it!  Firstly, they're still using the pink mesh bags.  I like these, not sure it i would if i received one each month, but i find them useful in small doses.  Secondly, look at the makeup!

There is also a competition on the reverse side of the info card, to win a year's subscription.

Red Carpet Kolour Body Glow-$49.95-full size

If you were a current subscriber you got a choice of colour for this (Light, Medium, Tan).  I got a random colour, but got the one i would have chosen anyway (light).  This was a sample in a previous VB, it is a body lotion that helps hides imperfections, evens out skin tones and claims to help hide wrinkles and cover age spots.  It is very shimmery, but does seem to help give my skin a lovely radiant finish.  Supposedly it is unscented, however (and i think i mentioned this last time) i find it has a beer-y smell.  Kinda yeasty (i have a feeling i've described it as smelling like a brewery).  However using it again today that smell hasn't bothered me, and it disappears quickly.

Reed Orange and Poppy Seed Scrub-$6.50-full size



This smells good enough to eat!!  I could smell it as soon as i opened the bag, and it smells exactly like orange-poppy seed cake.  This is a brand new brand to me, and looking at their website, they sell an amazing array of products, including an eczema cream (which i plan on buying in the near future).  From the website:

Full of grape seed oil t is easily absorbed making it a very moisturising oil as well as a mild antiseptic. High in antioxidnts protecting your skin against free radicals. Containing vitamin C, D and E. Vitamin C is essential to collagen production, helping smooth out fine lines. Vitamin D boosts elasticity and stimulates collagen production, reducing fine lines and sun spots. Vitamin E replenishes your skins moisture as well as blocking harmful UV rays which can lead to premature ageing.

I cannot wait to try this out once i use the scrubs i already have open, and there are so many products on that website that sound amazing!  http://reedstore.bigcartel.com/product/new-orange-poppy-seed-body-scrub

Mellow Cosmetics Baked Eyeshadow-$9.50-full size

Whoot!  Mellow!  Everything i have tried from Mellow has been amazing, and now i have 2 new products to play with.  First up is this Mellow eyeshadow in Peach.  It's beautiful!  Just by swatching i can tell you it is highly pigmented, it is super silky and soft, it goes on like a dream and blends flawlessly.  And it can be worn wet or dry!  The packaging isn't anything to write home about, but i'm willing to forgive that.  Plus this is one of those shades that will suit almost anyone, is a perfect highlighting shade and would be perfect as a base for other colours.

Mellow Cosmetics Mineral Auto Twist Liner-$8-full size




And Mellow #2.  In a previous VB we received a gel liner, which was in a little pot, this is an auto pencil.  This is 100% mineral based, is long lasting, non flaking, and doesn't contain parabens, preservatives or chemical dyes.  I got a navy liner, which is a gorgeous royal blue, and just like the gel liner, once set it doesn't budge (i have a very pretty blue line on my hand that i can't rub off).

Ulta3 Volume and Length Mascara-$6.95-full size


If you have read this blog for a while, you'd know how i feel about Ulta3.  Every product i've tried has been great, it's a relatively cheap brand, and it's good quality.  I can't tell you much about this, i have 4 mascaras on the go ATM (including 1 i'm in the process of reviewing), however i'll do a review once i get around to trying this.  By the claims it sounds great, it gives both volume and and definition, so i'm interested to give it a go.

Mellow Liner and Eyeshadow

RCK body lotion

There you go!  Honestly i think it's one of the best LHI boxes i've ever received, i'll use everything and i've discovered something new.  Whilst i'm not planning on going back to LHI full time (i've subscribed to The Parcel), it's definitely something i would consider.  They seem to have worked out most of the kinks that lead me to leave in the first place (although the main reason seems to still be a problem), and they are back on track with deliveries (i was surprised to received my box today, i only resigned a week ago and thought i'd be at the bottom of the list). 

Happy Birthday Lust Have It!!

Violet Box July 2015

Morning All!

*sob*  This is the last ever Violet Box  *sob*  We got an email last week saying that they were discontinuing sending boxes (if you have a longer subscription and have months left, you will get a box of goodies to make up for the missed months).  With the drop in the Aussie dollar, it's getting prohibitively expensive to get goods in (and as you know, a lot of VB stuff comes from America).  There will be a big sale coming up on the website too.

The info card is different to every single other one that has ever come out.  The front states "In order to comply with the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Information Standards) Regulations 1991 Violet Box publishes product ingredient information on this card.  For tips on how to use these products please visit the Violet Box blog (www.violetbox.com.au)". Seems strange to change it now, when it's the very last box. 

 Mr. Bean Coconut Coffee Scrub-$17.95-full size

This has been something that has been promised for a while now.  It didn't rock up in time for it's original box, so here it is.  It's supposed to help cellulite, stretch marks, dry skin etc.  It's made out of ground coffee beans, pink rock salt, demerara sugar, cacao, coconut oil, vit e oil and coconut essence.  Honestly, it sounds like it belongs in my kitchen!  It smells very strongly of coffee, so if you don't like the smell i'd stay away.  I'm interested in trying it out, but i'm not overly excited about it.

 Urban Skincare Co Resurrect Hair Wash and Recovery Conditioner-$26.95 each-sample size

These promote healthy hair and great hydration.  They both contain ginger root to help boost your hair etc.  They smell amazing (everything i've tried from this brand smells amazing).  We're going away next school holidays, so i plan on keep these to go away with.

 Tarocco Body Wash-$18-sample size

So, you can buy something roughly this size in the US for $4USD.  The brand is known for olive oil beauty products.  From the website:

"In the town of Rapsi, in the provence of Francofonte,Sicily my great great grandfather Gesualdo Di Naro was about to make a special discovery. A farmer, he owned several orange and olive groves throughout the territory. One day walking through his fields he found an orange with a unique red color, sweetness and flavor. Tarocco (also know as "Blood Orange" and "Red Orange"), the first name given to it, meaningbeautiful in Sicilian dialect, was his discovery.

This fruit, rich in antioxidants, has been used by my family in the same way we use everything from our lands, internally and externally. It will leave your skin soft, replenished and toned."

This smells like orange, but also faintly medicinal.  Again, going away for our trip.

 Starlooks Lip Pencil-$9.95-sample size

Doing some background research on this i found something interesting.  Starlooks do a range of 'Perfect Size' cosmetics, around 3/4 the size of the full size.  Last months lipgloss was one, and this is another.  This retails for $ 6USD, and is a product in it's own right (not just a sample).  It's a lovely brownish pink, and goes on so smoothly.

Etat Libre D'Orange 'Like This'-$199-sample size

I completely forgot to photograph this, sorry.  It's a 1.5ml sample of perfume, worth close to $3.  The full size is so expensive!  I can find it for $185, which isn't much of an improvement on the $199 price given by VB.  It's notes are :
Head Notes - Tangerine, Ginger
Heart Notes - Immortelle, Neroli, Rose, Pumpkin Accord
Base Notes - Vetiver, Musk, Heliotrope


I like it, it's a very grown up scent (a woody floral, i suppose), and will enjoy the sample.

And that's it!  The end of VB!  Only 1 full size product, although 2 of the products can be bought in the same size.

I'm really going to miss VB.  Australia is lacking in the beauty box department, and whilst i've signed up to a new one (for me, i've signed up to The Parcel), none could match VB for the range of products.

Farwell Violet Box!

Essence Hidden Stories

Morning all!

Essence have a new trend edition!  It's called Hidden Stories, and is a collection based on dreamy, floaty, ethereal colours.  There are some products in the collection i'm not all that interested in (coloured hair sprays, the pixie dusts etc), but i've picked up a few of the ones i love.

This is how the weather looked the day i took all the photos.  They're a bit dull, sorry.

Cream Highlighters in 01 Rose in Wonderland and 02 Enter Wonderland-$6.15

These are gorgeous highlighters, they leave an extremely fine sheen on your skin.  01 is a pink based highlighter, 02 is a lilac based one.

Lipglosses in 01 Rose in Wonderland and 02 Mauve-llous Fairy-$3.70

These are your typical Essence lipglosses.  They smell like blackberries, aren't overly sticky, and make gorgeous lipstick toppers.  01 is clear with a silverish glitter, 02 is a mauve with pink and mauve glitter.

Soufflé Eyeshadow in 03 Mauve-llous Fairy-$6.15

I love these eyeshadows.  03 is a silvery purple, in some lights it looks silver and in some purple. 

Nail Polish in 01 Enter Wonderland and 03 Mauve-llous Fairy-$4.10

The nail polishes in this collection all had different finishes.  01 is a matte lilac cream, 03 is a mauve with pink, purple and blue glitters.

It really is a pretty collection, full of light colours and sparkles. 

Available at both Target and Priceline.