Collective Haul Part 2

Here it is!  The second part of my collective haul.  Just to refresh your memory, here was Part 1.  It took quite a while for all the other parcels to turn up (and then a little bit of time for me to type this up!)  Without any further ado, here are the newest additions to my beauty collection:

Alanna Renee:

As a mentioned in the first part of my haul, I went a little nail polish overboard.  However, I am completely happy with all of my nail polish purchases, especially these beauties from Alanna Renee.  I won't lie, I initially decided to purchase a couple because they were inspired by Harry Potter.  Then I saw if you spent $50, you got free shipping.  As a result, the following happened.  7 polishes (fitting number for Harry Potter though!)

L to R: Horcrux, Chocolate Frog, Butterbeer, Draught of Peace, Reptar, Hedwig, Patronus) 

These polishes are wonderful!  Depending on the shade, you can get away with one coat (Horcrux and Chocolate Frog), two coats (Butterbeer, Draught of Peace, Reptar) or three coats (Hedwig and Patronus).  They all apply smoothly; however, I will note that many of them dry quite rough.  This didn't bother me as I quite like the texture (similar to that of OPI Liquid Sand, but not as intense).  A topcoat would easily solve this issue though.

Swatches from Top to Bottom:

Horcrux- Love.  It's very intriguing, colour wise in direct sunlight.
Butterbeer- I wasn't too sure about this one, but oh wow!  I never thought I would like orange so much. This is one of those rough finish ones.
Chocolate Frog- Love the colours in this.  So easy to apply!
Hedwig- Another interesting polish.  It has white bar glitter, yellow glitter, brown glitter to break up the white base.  It does have a rough finish and I found it a bit hard to make the yellow glitter visible (and get on the brush)

Swatches from Top to Bottom:

Draught of Peace- If you've seen previous NotD from me, you know I love blues/aquas and this. is. stunning.  One of my favourite polishes full stop.
Patronus- I was a bit unsure whether to purchase this one, but I am so glad I did!  I was afraid it would be too white, but no! It is certainly a subtle light blue.
Reptar- Rugrats, a memory of my childhood.  I couldn't pass this up.  I wasn't aware until I bought it that the green colour is actually from the glitter.  The base is milky.  This looks pretty cool, but it does have a rough finish.

Mirenesse, Beauty Bay and Pretty Serious:

I had a $25 voucher from my VIP membership to use, so I had to take advantage of it.  I decided I was going to suspend my VIP membership for a couple months.  I'll have my final VIP kit for you soon.  I decided on the Magic Beads Cleanser.  It's so much fun and makes my skin feel and look great.  I also picked up the Beauty Call Touch Up Palette from their new collection.

Mirenesse Beauty Call Touch up Palette

The packaging is smaller and slimmer than I expected, but still quite practical if you aren't bothered about sticking a brush into the cream blushes.  There are creams and powders in this palette, but so far I haven't had any issues with that.  We'll see how it goes as I continue to use it.  Included in the palette (from left to right) is: concealer/foundation, three eyeshadows, a lip gloss, two lip/cheek creams and a 'contour powder.'  I personally consider the contour powder to be a highlighter.  It is shimmery and light, which I associate with highlighters.  I really enjoy everything in the palette.  The eyeshadows (as always with Mirenesse) are stunning.

From Beauty Bay, I needed to get another Mario Badescu Body Wash.  This is my holy grail body wash.  In summer especially, I get a few breakouts on my chest and back and this did wonders to clear them up.  Plus, it smells really clean!  My partner also loves it, which makes me feel better about spending $11 for body wash.

Edward Bess Back to Basics Palette

When I saw the Edward Bess Back to Basics palette, I had to add that to my cart.  After seeing reviews from Mishelle and Kate regarding this palette, I really wanted to have this.  This isn't the cheapest palette, but it is worth every penny.  All the components are of a superb quality and they work so well together (which you would expect from a palette).  My only issue was that bristles from the included brush got into some of the cream products which was annoying.  No fault of Edward Bess, just shipping.

Stila Convertible Color Blush L: Lilium, R: Gladiola

I have wanted some Convertible Color blushes from Stila.  After seeing numerous reviews on them and swatching them a few times in Mecca, I finally caved and bought two.  Both are fantastic, but I cannot praise Lilium enough.  It's the perfect, natural looking blush for my skin tone.  Love.

Femme Fatale:

To continue my nail polish obsession, I placed an order from Femme Fatale. Originally, I was only going to pick up the mineral blush in Velvet Cupcake.  I had a sample ages ago and decided I really needed it in my life.  However, I hate paying for postage and if I have to, I want to get my money's worth.  So naturally, I need to pick up a couple nail polishes as well.  I chose Noble Garden from FF, which is beautiful green with multicoloured glitter in it.  I don't have enough bright greens in my collection.  I also picked up Hare Polish in Afterglow.  I really want some more Hare polishes, just waiting for a restock.

L to R: Hare Polish Afterglow, FF Mineral Blush in Velvet Cupcake, FF Noble Garden

Bellabox:

I unsubscribed from Bellabox, but I wanted to use my points before I said goodbye. My partner still has his Bellobox, but I wasn't sure if I would lose my points (not worth the risk haha).  We both picked up an item, then I added an ELF eye shadow brush to get up over $20.  My partner picked the OP Therapy Sea Mineral Wash.  He received this in one of his belloboxes and really liked it.  Multi-use products are perfect for him.  I chose The Suigo Ultimate Control Shampoo after reading many positive reviews.

Have you picked up any new products recently?

April Bellabox

I received my Bellabox late last week, but I haven't had a chance to post about it until now. I feel I am becoming a broken record when it comes to this subscription box. I will give it one more month....one more month....one more. You get the idea. Once again, I wasn't wowed by my box, but I didn't completely hate it either. Perhaps, my expectations are merely too high.

This box's theme was 'Innovative Beauty'. I like the theme, but let's see just how innovative these products are.

1. Cedel Dry Conditioner- I am a fan of the dry shampoo this brand makes, but I am not sure how well this conditioner will work. It is a mousse and my thin hair already gets weighed down and greasy quite easily. Also, this isn't that innovative. Leave in conditioners whether they be sprays or mousse have been around for ages. Calling it 'dry' doesn't really change that.

2. Avene Micellar Lotion- I am in love with the Bioderma version of this, so I will see how it compares. Again, this isn't something incredibly new.

3. Indio Facial Scrub- I love scrubs and I am definitely keen to see how awesome this one is since it retails for $56.

4. Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Colour in Kinetic Copper- I don't mind this colour. It will be nice for Autumn. Again, I have seen these around for a while now and I haven't felt the need to purchase one ever.

5. Proplenish Marine Collagen Sachets- I am not a fan of anything I have to ingest. I have passed this on to my partner because he said it looked cool. If I were subscribed to a health box, then I could consider this as a vitamin/supplement, but I'm not. Even though it is good for hair, skin and nails, I don't think it should be in a beauty box.

6. Lash Card- I don't know why anyone would spend money on this. If you struggle that much with mascara, I think you could find something around the house that you could use that would serve the same function.

7. Cellilux Glacial Mineral Gel- if I hadn't seen this is the men's Bellobox, I would have been more excited to see this. I am still keen to use this as I really enjoy masks.

After writing this post up, I feel I was actually fairly disappointed in the box. I am quite sure I will actually unsubscribe this time. I also just signed up for Violet box so it's as good a time as any to say goodbye.

March Bellabox

I will start this post by saying I really wanted to hate my box this month. I am currently subscribed to 3 subscription boxes (4 if you want to include the Bellobox) and I want to cancel some of them.

Since being subscribed to Bellabox, I have only loved one box (my first, October). I liked November, but December and January were utter disappointments. Unlike many people, I actually really liked my February Bellabox, but I decided if this month's was poor, I'd say goodbye. I believed that decision would reside in whether I received the Clinique lipstick. I didn't. And yet, I still really like my box. Darn!

I liked the strawberry sticker and the coloured tissue paper :)

I was very surprised with my box. I hadn't read any reviews of the exact box I received, which has been a first, especially since it takes so long for the box to arrive in WA.

Here are my contents. I just opened this upon arriving home from work so I don't have too many opinions (well, fact based opinions :) on the products themselves.

The contents

I received the Ocean Essence Coconut Body Milk, which feels really light and the smell is very subtle. My experience with coconut has always been overpowering. I also received the Ocean Essence Pink Diamond Face Mask. I am really intrigued by this. The card doesn't provide a lot of information, so I am going to do some research on it.

I received Glamourflage Lip Balm in Daisy Delight (Cherry). I have never heard of this brand, but I love love love the texture of this balm. It applies so smoothly. I have never experienced another tin lip balm like it. There isn't really any colour payoff, which is slightly disappointing since it is one of the two colour items in the box.

Next up is a DB lip pencil in pink. I received a DB eyeliner before with this packaging and I am not a fan. It is far too long and although I like the fact it has a sharpener in it, it isn't aesthetically appealing to the eye. With my hatred for the packaging placed aside, I don't mind receiving this. I don't own any lip pencils and this is a really nice colour so maybe it will inspire me to use lip liners or confirm that I don't need them.

My favourite item is the Clinique High Impact Mascara. I received a sample last year with a gift with purchase and I loved it!  It makes my eye lashes look amazing.  That one was in shade 11 Brightening Black, so I'm intrigued to see how shade 01 Black compares. I used it again today and I may like it more than Benefit They're Real, which I didn't think possible. I will definitely be experimenting with them both to confirm this.

There was a bonus product, a Swisse Active Energy Bar; however, since it contains milk and possibly traces of egg I can't eat it and neither can my partner because of our vegetarian diets. I will pass it on to someone at work.

All in all, I think I do like my Bellabox. This hasn't been my favourite, but I feel I received products that I will use and I feel I got a good deal for the price. It looks like I'm with you for at least another month, Bellabox.

Bellabox January and February 2013 + Order

So, I know this is late.  Like really late.  I've begun to lose interest in my beauty box subscriptions.  Scratch that, mainly I've lost interest in bellabox after some pretty disappointing boxes.  I still love my LHI Eco and Mirenesse VIP box (stay tuned for that post soon), but if this upcoming bb box isn't great, I'm out.

Anyway, onto a brief recap of January, then an order from the bb shop and finally the February box.

I do get a little excited when I see the box waiting at the door.

January's Contents

I like that the theme was Australian brands and I'm happy I didn't get the really bad box, but I was still not wowed by these contents.  My partner had received the Swisse Body Wash in one of his belloboxes, so this was boring and I just gave it to him.  The Aloe is okay.  I'm fair skinned and burn when the sun peeks through a cloud.  Though still boring.  To be honest, I still haven't used the FOA lipgloss.  It hasn't even tempted me.  I didn't even open the Natio sachet.  Medium.  No way.  I have tried the Fair in the store and I've been really tempted to purchase it, but I love my current BB cream (more on that later).  Wotnot wipes.  Yea, they're wipes.  Nothing really exciting or innovative about them.

Left: Purchases Right: Freebies

I used my bellabox points during one of their sales to pick up the Bioderma Sebium H2O, ulittle beauty Natural Shine Hair Serum and Byron Bay Detox Foot Patches (to get free shipping).  Unfortunately, they didn't have the Bioderma in stock (and it took ages to get it in stock) so they sent some freebies to make up for it.  By the end of the experience, I was more excited by the freebies (more exciting samples than I'd been receiving in my bellabox).  Anyway, I was happy with how they handled the situation.  To be honest, their customer service maintained my subscription a little longer.

February Box

I did think the card and heart tissue paper was a lovely touch.  Again, I was pretty excited to see what was beneath it.

Meh.  Not too bad.

There were some products I loved in this box and some I didn't care much for.  I love the Frizz-Ease curl perfecting spray.  My hair is naturally wavy/some times there's ringlets (it's weird) and this has helped tame it a bit, but I can see if you don't have any curl that this would be really disappointing.  I also loved the U Skin Solutions Clarifying Cleansing Gel.  I was disappointed that I didn't get the exfoliant, because I prefer that to cleanser, but wow! I love this stuff.  I only got three uses out of this, but the smell is to die for.  I may use my remaining bellabox points to get this.  The other products...whatev, except the eye liner.  Now, that was exciting.

I have been lusting after Eye of Horus products for a long time now.  I was really hoping that I received the Bronze eye liner, but in the end, I'm happy to receive the charcoal obsidian pencil.  I don't have any sparkly black eyeliners, so this has been a nice addition.

L: Normal Swatch, R: After trying to smear it off

I've seen a fair bit of hate on this product and how it smudges.  I haven't experience that at all.  Above are two swatches.  One that I left alone and the second that I tried (really hard) to smear, but nothing really happened.

I have my fingers crossed that March will be excellent, but I'm not holding my breath.

Bellabox November Edition

This is a bit late, but this week has been so full out.

So, I really like my Bellabox this month. I think I got the better of the two main boxes circulating. I did not want the glitter eye liner and I didn't receive it, yay!!

Anywho, this was what I received. Since I have had the box for a few days, I have been able to test out some of the products.

1. Bioderma Sebium H2O Cleansing Water- I haven't tried this yet, but I am super keen to (just haven't worn any makeup yet).

2. Skimiso Pore Beauty Nose Pack- I enjoy using pore strips though I don't think that they too much, so we'll see how these go.

3. Dr LeWinn's Facial Polishing Gel- I used this last night and I really liked it. It's quite gentle, but smells really nice and feels good on the skin.

4. Dr LeWinn's Skin Perfect Primer and Dr LeWinn's Skin Perfect Foundation- I haven't heard too much about this, but I will definitely give it a try.

5. 4me Nail Polish Remover Pads- I used these and really like them. They will be fantastic for travelling and I would definitely consider purchasing them again.

6. Swisse Hand Cream- This smells fantastic. The formula seems a bit thick, but it soaks in nicely.

7. Palmolive Mango Body Butter Wash- yuck, mango. I will be sending this to my mom.

8. B by Bloom Colour Cheek Tint in barossa valley. I don't mind this. I am not a big fan of cream blushes. However this colour is pretty sweet and it blends in well.

What did you think of this month's box?

Bellabox October 2012 and Lust Have It Eco Box

This past Wednesday, I received my first Bellabox and LHI Eco Box!  Two beauty boxes on the same day!  Talk about a great way to start a Wednesday and what an amazing entrance into the world of beauty samples delivered to your door!

I'll start with Bellabox since that was the first box I subscribe to.  The theme was 'Pretty in Pink Party' in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Without further ado, here is what was in the box beneath the black paper....

Estee Lauder Resilience Lift Instant Action Lift Treatment, 30mL $100
I am excited to try Estee Lauder; however, I'm not sure that I need any lifting and firming for my 20s skin.

Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Extra Radiance Renewer, 30mL $74
I'm really looking forward to trying this.  I love Clinique products, especially their moisturising gel.  The description provided says it promotes cell maturation, turnover and removal without causing the slightest irritation to your skin.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Colour in Petal Pusher, 9.17mL $13.95
This colour will be interesting.  I love it in the bottle, but I am not a big fan of light, flesh coloured nail polish on my fingers.

Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm--Sheer Pink Tint, 2g $8.99
This is fantastic!  I love it on my lips.  The pink tint is subtle and looks more like your lips, just a bit better.  I will enjoy using this.

DKNY Fresh Blossom Eau So Intense, 100mL $135
I am very critical of fragrances.  I am a brand loyalist and I tend to stick with what I like for quite some time.  For several years, I have been a Burberry Beat lover.  With that said, I really do like this fragrance.  Who knows, maybe I'll allow another fragrance to join my crew.

Klorane Shampoo with Oat Milk, 200mL $9.95
I have heard of good things about this brand.  I haven't tried this or the conditioner included, but I will certainly give you some feedback once I get a chance to do so.

Klorane Conditioning Cream with Pomegranate, 150mL $9.95
The rose colour of this conditioner is so great.  A nice addition to this 'pink' box.

Bourjois Smoky Pencil 72 Dark Purple, 0.89g $20
I'm not a big fan of purple; however, recently it has been growing on me.  I do love Bourjois, so I will definitely try this pencil out soon.

Since this post is already so long, I will share my Lust Eco Box in a separate post.

How did you fare this month with your beauty boxes?  Any products you love or hate?

Beauty Boxes: Men's Edition

I was late getting into the beauty box craze and I am currently awaiting my first box.  After much deliberation, I decided on subscribing to Bellabox.  However, after seeing reviews of Lust Have It (LHI) Eco Box, I have also subscribed to that.  Again, anxiously waiting that box as well.

As a result of my interest in these boxes, I have also convinced my partner to sign up to one.  We went with Bellabox's Mens' Edition.  Of course, that arrived before any of mine.  Karma. 

Opening the Mens' Bellabox

We were both surprised to see how much was in it.  Definitely worth the $30 fee.  It was sweet being exposed to new brands and products, which makes me want my box even more.

All the items in the box

Here is a list of everything that was in this quarterly installment:

• Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm Squeeze Tube, 10g---This was full size and has a retail value of $5.99
• Z Zegna Eau de Toilette, 1.2g---Full size (100mL) retails for $110
• American Crew Precision Shave Gel, 7.4mL---Full size (150mL) retails for $24.90
• Lancome Men Age Fight Anti-Age Perfecting Fluid, 1mL---Full size (100mL) retails for $110
• USPA Supernatural Men's Sandalwood Cleanser, 30mL---Full size (250mL) retails for $28.95
• USPA Supernatural Men's Bambusa Facial Scrub, 30mL---Full size (150mL) retails for $34
• Faulding Multi Mens Energy Formula, 60 Tablets---This is full size and retails for $14.99
• Bioderma Sebium Foaming Gel, 10mL---Full size (200mL) retails for $24.95
• Bioderma Sebium AKN Purifying Corrective Care, 5mL---Full size (30mL) retails for $24.95
• Avene Soothing Moisture Mask, 5mL---Full size (50mL) retails for $38.95
• Nivea for Men Skin Energy Face Wash Q10, 15mL---Full size (75mL) retails for $7.99
• Nivea for Men Skin Energy Moisturiser Q10, 15mL---Full size (50mL) retails for $13.87
• Emerginc Multi-Fruit Cleanser, 3mL---Full size (240mL) retails for $63
• Emerginc Protocell Face Cream, 3mL---Full size (50mL) retails for $140
• Sranrom Shower Gel, 75mL---Full size (200mL) retails at $22

My partner has tried a fair few of these already and has some winners and losers and in-betweeners. 

Winners:

• Carmex Lip Balm (He now uses this daily.  I am stunned.)
• Z Zegna (He really likes it, but I find it slightly over-powering.  I'm trying to introduce fragrances to him now since he is keen on getting one)
• Nivea Moisturiser (Smells nice and 'it feels like it works,' according to him)
• Sranrom Shower Gel (Smells really good, environmentally friendly)
• USPA Supernatural Men's Sandalwood Cleanser (He really likes it and I like it because he now cleans his face)

In-betweeners:

•  Nivea Face Wash (Not as good as other things.  Nothing special)

Losers:

• American Crew Precision Shave Gel (Smell didn't work for him neither did the feel of it)
• Emerginc Multi-Fruit Cleanser (Smell really bad and not as good as the other cleansers included)

I will update again once more products are tried and tested. 

Again, I'm really looking forward to getting my own box this month and my partner is slightly sad that he has to wait until December-ish to get his next box.