Her Fashion Box - first ever box - March 2013

Seems like a week flies by without posting anything to my blog, and this week has been a big one for receiving my subscription boxes. Last month I only received both my usual boxes right at the end of the month, and then only a couple of weeks later I received my first Her Fashion Box and then both my Bellabox and Lusthaveit! Box on the next day! I guess they may be responding to some complaints about how late ladies have been receiving them in recent months, but also maybe feeling the pressure now that there is another player in the game? Time will tell if it keeps up in future months.

Her Fashion Box is a monthly subscription box that markets itself as not just providing beauty samples, but also fashion and homeware items. They offer three different options to choose from: Trendy, Classic or Feminine. I am definitely not a girlie-girl, so I was able to discount the Feminine choice pretty quickly, the problem was deciding between the other two. After a while I decided to go with the Classic option as I realised I'm not really all that trendy and classic items should continue to be wearable in future as well. ;p

This subscription box was originally being marketed as $49.95 per month, with the first box being offered at 50% off with a special code (there were a number of these codes available on the blogosphere, so it was pretty easy to get one for half price). They have since put the monthly price down to $39.95 per month, which is still pretty expensive as far as I'm concerned.

Okay, so let's look at what I got:

The size of the box is quite a bit larger than BB and LHI, which means it can fit a lot more goodies inside each month.

Upon opening the box, all items were packed in classic black tissue paper, and there was a really overwhelming floral fragrance which invaded my nostrils. I found this extremely off-putting as strong floral fragrances make my nose itch and some tend to give me a migraine after a while.

It was nice to see that the box was filled to the brim with items and included a glossy A5 magazine with info about each item. This is a great idea and certainly better than the short paragraphs of information provided on the small cards in the other boxes. A lot of time and effort has obviously been spent on the photography, layout and design of this mag; also probably a bit of money has been spent on it, so I keep flipping between being impressed by the quality of the mag and disgusted by the waste of my money.

Apparently each box contained pretty much the same items, with the point of difference being the fashion item/s in each box. The Classic box contained a chunky black and gold necklace in a striking Art Deco style. I quite like the necklace, but I imagine there are some more conservative ladies who were hoping for something a bit more subtle and classic. The magazine also showed the other necklace options and I was definitely glad I didn't choose the feminine box - I can appreciate it, but it's definitely not my style. I didn't mind the look of the trendy one, but it appears that the necklace the Trendies actually received was a fluoro spiky tribal looking thing which I would have chucked across the room in disgust.

The second fashion item in the box was a 'bonus' hair tie. If I had long hair I would probably wear it but since I have short hair, pretty useless to me at the moment (and for some years to come).

The source of the floral smell was a soap by the brand Circa Home in the fragrance Lilac & Orchid. Nicely packaged in a little box, the soap seems quite luxurious, I'm just never going to use it because of the smell. There are other fragrances in the range, most of which are floral fragrances. Probably the only one I would purchase would be the Vanilla and Cocoa Butter one.

It was nice to see three items from the Redken Diamond Oil haircare range - shampoo, conditioner and hair treatment. The samples are good sizes (30mL and 50mL) which means I can try them out for a few shampoos and get a better idea of how I like them. Look forward to trying these.

Next item is a pretty little pink box by Moxie Collection. This contains samples of their tampons, pads and liners. I'll use these, but doubt I'll change from my usual brand as I don't see the point in buying fashionable, expensive items for my time-of-the month when normal brands are already quite costly.

The next item is a boxed eyeshadow brush from Master Makeup by Dean Nixon. It appears different brushes were randomly distributed in each box. I was happy to receive the eyeshadow brush, although it is quite a lot larger than one I would normally choose for myself.

Finally there was a Maybelline NY ColorSensation High Shine Lip Gloss in the colour 80 Gleaming Grenadine. This colour is a bright red with a very fine golden glitter through it. I am happy to have received this colour and like to switch between lipstick and lipgloss on different days according to my mood. I look forward to trying it out.

So, my overall thoughts on this box... (I just re-read what I'd written and realised I sounded like a real grump!). Generally I was impressed by this box, but I'm not sure if I am keen to pay $40 for it every month. I feel I got my money's worth but, as with any sample box, there are many items included which I wouldn't normally spend my money on. I will give this box another try next month (actually I have no choice since they had already taken a second payment out of my account before they had even sent me my first box).

Next month will be crunch time for me to start culling at least one of my subscription boxes.

Bellabox - February 2013

Had a few payment issues in Feb so I only received my box on 1 March. Very frustrating.

Lots of items in this box - seven all up, although some of them are small samples:

1. Gatineaux Moisturising Range - Aquamemory Moisture Replenish Cream (15ml)

Always happy to try new moisturisers, this one is supposedly 'luxe' and 50ml is RRP $104 so this sample is quite good value. I look forward to trying it but I'm not sure I could justify spending that much on a moisturiser unless it is absolutely amazing.

2. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure - 121 Golden Rule

I was really hoping for the Eye of Horus eyeliner, but nail polish is okay too. Gold glitter polish, actually it isn't very gold, but it has good coverage of glitter in one layer (two layers is better). May purchase Mermaid's Tail if I see it around.

3. Natralus Natural Paw Paw Ointment

More pleasant smelling than Lucas Pawpaw Ointment and contains no petrochemicals. Good size for putting in my purse, Great for all sorts of skin conditions and sores.

4. Batiste Dry Shampoo - Floral & Flirty

I've been wanting to try a dry shampoo for a while but didn't want to pay for a full size container in case I didn't like it. Having tried it now I might actually buy it again - although I probably wouldn't choose this floral scent. Great for a quick freshen up between shampoos, will be brilliant during periods of Brisbane's Summer humidity.

5. John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo & Conditioner

Not sure I'll use these since I'm not even close to blonde. Might give these to my sister in law or try it when I'm desperate between colouring my hair.

6. U Skin Solutions Clarifying Cleansing Gel

The card says it is supposed to be Clean and Go Exfoliating Gel Cleanser, not sure if this is the same thing. This is only a tiny sample, possibly only a couple of days' supply so I'm not sure I'll get much of an idea how it works. Nevertheless I'll give it a go.

Overall even with a few items I may not use, I still believe I got my money's worth and now have the chance to try some products I might not normally purchase for myself. Looking forward to receiving this month's box on time.

BB Creams - Natio vs. Nude By Nature

BB Creams seem to be the 'wonder product' of the moment, and I recently received two different Aussie samples, which prompted me to compare them in this review.

The first sample was a small sachet of Natio Pure Mineral Skin Perfecting BB Cream SPF 15 which I received in my February Bellabox. When I opened the box I thought it was a pretty pathetic sample size that would get used up in one go... until I used it for the first time.

I quickly found out that you do not need to use very much product to cover your face. I was obviously a bit heavy handed and had to clean it off because it looked like I was wearing a mask. The next time I tried using only a small amount and it worked much better. In the end, this tiny sample ended up lasting me an entire week.

I was quite happy with the consistency and staying power of this product and it has a slightly herby fragrance, sort of like rosemary, not horrible, just unexpected.  The only slight issue I have is that it made my face look a bit shiny (but fortunately was not greasy). I obviously need to set it somehow, so suggestions on the best product to use would be quite welcome.

The second product I received was the Nude By Nature BB 5-in-1 Miracle Cream from my February Lust Have It! subscription box.

I found the consistency a little bit thicker, and thus a bit more difficult to apply to my face. Because it was so different from the Natio cream, at first I didn't like it and felt it made my pores more noticeable & didn't really feel like it was working for me. After using it for a week I've started to like it better. It has a matte finish and after the first hour or so, I don't even notice it on my face anymore.

Since this tube is larger than the Natio sample, it will take longer to use up. To sum up, basically, I found the Natio cream was easier to apply to my face but the finish was shiny; whereas the Nude by Nature cream was not as easy to apply but the finish was much better. It is good that BB creams save time in the morning, but I think I'd like to try one or two more brands before committing to a BB cream.

Lust have it! Box - February 2013

Week four of the month and I finally received the first of my two monthly subscription boxes (still waiting for my Bellabox to turn up). This month they emailed us beforehand to say that this month's items were too big to fit in their new collectible packaging so it got sent in a plain white box. Due to the weight of the parcel we also mised out on receiving our fifth product, although that will apparently be coming in next month's box. Here's hoping next month's box will be a mega haul of stuff!

I apologise for the overexposed picture, I haven't quite worked out the best lighting for my pictures yet.


The items received are as follows:

1. Summer Tan by Mancine Self-Action Tan - Dark

This is the large full size product that caused all the troubles for this month's box. As with the bronzing powder from last month, fake tanning (or even sun tanning) isn't something I've ever really embraced, so I doubt I will use this product myself. Nevertheless I will give it a try and may review it at a later date.

2. Styli-Style L3 Timeless Lipstick - Colour 1513 Eternal Flame

Another full size product, this isn't a brand I've heard of before and I was expecting it to be like many other pale, tinted moisturising lippies in the marketplace. I was, however, quite pleasantly surprised that it is more pigmented and has a subtle gold shimmer. It pretty much lives up to its claims as being long-lasting and moisturising, so I am very happy to have received this product.

3. The Natural Source Camouflage Colour Nail Lacquers - Colour Lilac

These nail lacquers are free of synthetic colourants and made from sand and horsetail plant. There were a range of colours sent out, and I was pleased to not receive the chocolate brown or gluggy red colours which some of the other ladies received in their boxes. I really like this colour, so much so that I had only last week bought a China Glaze polish in EXACTLY the same colour! I have been very happy with this though, so far it has not chipped at all after two days, so I'm interested to see if it does last up to ten days.

4. Kerastase Paris Nectar Thermique

This is the product that didn't fit in - I look forward to trying it out next month.

5. Lon Vitalite C9 Moisturising Hand Mask

I've never even thought to purchase something like this, I don't even use up all the hand cream samples that I get sent. I will certainly give this a try on one of those days when I feel the need for some pampering.

The total RRP of this box is over $65, so on the whole, even though I may not use the tanning lotion, I still feel I got value for my $15 outlay.Beauty,

LHI! Eco Box - Summer 2012

Hi all,

This is my first post/review, so please forgive me if I muddle things up a bit. Pictures will be added later!

I actually received my first LHI! Eco Box before Christmas, but I’ve only just had a chance to finish uploading this post (I moved house and then got sick). Since I live in Brisbane it wasn’t really a surprise as to what the contents would be since bloggers in the southern states got theirs the week before me, however I would like to add my 2c as well. I have some issues with skin sensitivity and fragrances, so I’m really looking forward to trying out some of these Eco items. I’ve not really heard of many of the brand names before which is great, as the whole point of receiving these samples is to try out new products.

Here are the contents of the box:

1. The first item could be either the Earthly Body Hemp Seed Hand and Body Lotion or the Hemp Seed Glow Oil – I received the Hand and Body Lotion.

This product smells really lovely and fruity (contains Orange Blossom and Orange Peel extract), and since it is water based, it has a nice smooth texture and really soaks right into the skin very quickly without leaving a greasy residue. I’ve been looking for a good non-greasy body lotion recently, so I’m looking forward to trying this out – it is a good size (88mL) so I should be able to get a good idea of what the long-term effects will be.

2. Dr. Hauschka Melissa Day Cream

I have been having some problems finding a good day cream recently – certain products have been either too fragranced and makes my face and nose itch, or they are too greasy and make my face come up in little lumps (sort of like heat rash). This one so far seems to be quite good, but I’ll need to try it for a couple of days before I make my final judgement. Apparently Melissa is another name for lemon balm, and it smells quite lemony.

3. World Organic Juniper Berry Cleansing Face Wash

Again, this product smells really yummy – almost good enough to eat! – seems to be a good texture. I look forward to using this in conjunction with…

4. World Organic Almond Seed Face Exfoliant

I really love the packaging of these two products!
I generally need to be a bit careful with exfoliants, especially if they have lots of texture in them – organic or not. I’ll get back to you about how this product works on my skin.

5. De Lorenzo Elements Mudslide Strong Hold Paste

I recently got my hair cropped short for the first time in years, so once again I’ve been looking for some hair products to style my hair properly. Some products I’ve used have been too thick and I ended up with chunky blobs of product through my hair, but this one seems to be a good creamy texture that might just work on my hair. The smell is really quite strong, I’m not sure what it reminds me of but it has fig and basil leaf extract in it.

6. Kuu Konjac Deep Cleansing Konjac Sponge

This is a natural face cleansing and bath sponge. It really is quite unusual, but they have apparently been used in Japan for over 1500 years. I’ll certainly be interested in giving this a go.

7. Aphrodite Make Your Eyes Pop!

Pure mineral eyeshadow/shimmer – mine was a subtle golden Champagne colour.
I do like a bit of glitter eyeshadow every now and again, and this one seems to be good because you can just use a little bit to have a tiny bit of shimmer, or you can use a lot to really stand out from the crowd. This will probably get a lot of use, and they have given quite a lot in the pot so it should last for quite a while.

I am really very happy with my first Lust Have It! Eco Box, I will probably stay subscribed with this for a while – great products in good size samples.

Lust have it! Box – January 2013

Today I received my third monthly Lust Have It! box. Previous boxes have been of varying quality, so I was interested to see what I got this time.

These are the items I received in my January box:

1. Nude by Nature BB 5-in-1 Miracle Cream. I received mine in the colour Medium.

I haven’t tried any BB creams yet, although apparently they are the ‘big thing’ in beauty at the moment. The 50mL tube is a great size to be able to work out whether it is a suitable product  for me (rather than the single use sachet that I received in my January Bellabox). Medium seems to be the perfect colour for me.

2. Face of Australia Bronzing Loose Powder & 3. Lust have it! Kabuki Brush

I’ve never really been into bronzing powders (or creams) but I’m happy to give this a try.

4. GKMBJ Lactic Hydrating Shampoo & Fortifying Honey Creme

I haven’t tried this brand before, so I look forward to giving it a go. I have been a bit poor for a number of years so I have been using cheap supermarket shampoo and conditioners which aren’t exactly the best for my hair. I would love to start using hair products that are better for my hair so hoping that these samples will work for me. Hopefully I can get more than one use out of them to get a good idea of the product.

5. Amuse Nail Lacquer

The colour I received is Turquose Ink. I quite like the colour, but I found that one coat is a bit transparent so you need to apply at least 2 or 3 coats to get good coverage. I found the final result is a bit streaky. Apparently the RRP of this is $13.95 – I would have hoped for better results from a nail polish of this price range.

Overall I am really happy with the contents of this box. I also like the pretty little collectible box it is now packaged in (last month’s plain box was a bit of a letdown) and as much as the previous cosmetic purses were useful, you only need so many of them.

I hope to review some of these products shortly.

Cheers and have a great Australia Day!

Bellabox – January 2013

This is now the fourth Bellabox I’ve received. A work friend recommended it to me and I had been mostly happy with the contents of my previous boxes, but as has been the general consensus, it appears that this month’s boxes have many different variations, resulting in perceived discrepancies in quality and price.

While I am relatively happy with what I received in my box and feel I have still received value for the $15 I spent on the box, I think it comes back to the saying ‘the grass is always greener…’.

Here is what I received in my box:

1. You, Me and Every body Cool it Aloe Vera Gel.

I actually just bought a huge tube of a competing brand of Aloe Vera gel, so perhaps I might do a comparison review in future. This gel smells quite nice, and you can never have enough Aloe Vera nearby in case of emergencies. I might take this one to work and keep the other one at home.

2. Face of Australia Purifying Cleansing Wipes

I previously received these same wipes in my November Lust Have It! box. Even though they will come in handy, it is unfortunate to receive the same sample twice in only a couple of months. I notice some of the other boxes received WOTNOT wipes, so even if I’d received those at least I could have tried more than one brand. I don’t necessarily blame Bellabox for this, but I do think Face of Australia should be more aware of what samples they are giving to each competing brand – there are many of us who subscribe to more than one beauty box.

3. Natio Pure Mineral Skin Perfecting BB Cream SPF 15 – Medium

My first BB cream sample. It is a pity it is only a small sachet that I can only try once, but I suppose it will still give me an idea of whether I like it or not.

4. Swisse Body Wash

When I first opened the Bellabox I could smell a really fresh, citrus fragrance and immediately wanted to know what it was. I received the Swisse hand cream in my first Bellabox (Oct 2012) and quite enjoyed it, so I look forward to trying this out.

5. Mode Cosmetics Nail enamel – Hot Stuff

I was sort of hoping I wasn’t going to receive one of these fluorescent nail polishes, but at least it is hot pink and not orange (I DETEST fluoro orange!). Still, I had to apply it to my thumbnail just to see what it looked like.

Extra item – Echidna wall sticker. This item was included to advertise their Bella Baby subscription service. It’s cute, but I have no particular use for it – my sister-in-law is having a baby soon so I will probably give it to her for the nursery.