April Bellabox

This is my third Bellabox. As always I was looking forward to it, but less so than the previous months. Bellabox was my first ever introduction to subscription boxes, but I've found the samples just don't quite meet my expectations. But onto the box!!

This was a Burts Bees special box. Considering I missed out on the Burts Bees in the March box, I was looking forward to seeing which item I received as a sample.

Hmmm. You're supposed to have 6+ samples in every box. I see 3. 4 if you include their bonus.
I'll list everything I'm supposed to have, and I'll put a star next to those I have.

Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. (8.5g RRP $7.95)
* Oppalac Gel Nail Polish (7.5ml RRP $ 22.95)

* Loreal Base Magique Primer  (15ml RRP $29.95)

* Vaseline Ultimate 10 Anti-Aging Body Lotion (225ml RRP $7.68)

Indigo Eye Rise (15ml RRP $67.20)

* Bonus - Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup (30ml RRP $25.95)

This is one box I'm not happy with. Regarding the samples I'm missing, they're supposed to be send at the end of April. But why would they give you a gel polish without first seeing if you have the ability to use it? And when I brought the topic up on their facebook page (like many others have) their response was 

Oppalac Gel Nail Polish - Pastel Polly

"In regards to your query about the nail polish at Bellabox we love our members to trial different types of beauty products. Gel nail polish’s are amazing as they last up to 14 days, as you can expect such longevity in a beauty product there is an extra step.. 1) you can buy the DIY kit available at Priceline, or 2) you can take your colour in to your local nail salon. Before we selected this product for our April box we had 2 staff members try both options. Sam took hers to her local nail salon, and Lauren used the DIY kit, both with amazing results!"

Ok....not quite the response I was hoping for. In getting a sample that I paid for, I don't expect to have to pay more money to be able to use the product. I understand how fantastic gel polishes are, I have had two gel manicures, but I would not be doing these at home, as trying to get the gel off is the biggest pain in the butt.

Maybe Bellabox could have asked members if they had the ability to, or were willing to spend the extra money to, try the gel polish, and could have only given the gel polish to these members?
Either way it is quite a pretty colour. It's called Pastel Polly. (sorry for the blurry photo).

I don't wear a lot of foundations. So I'm going to leave the Loreal Base Magique for a special event where I will wear a foundation and will need a primer.

The Vaseline Ultimate 10 Anti-Aging Body Lotion has a delicate floral fragrance. It absorbs in beautifully into my hands, and didn't leave any oily residue. The only thing I didn't like about it, is the fact it contains glycerin. I'm not sure what it is about a lot of the sorbolene moisturisers , but I believe it's the glycerine, that sets my eczema off. So this is not a product I will be buying.
I have however given the sample to my mother who adores it on her hands, it gives her hands a more youthful look. She says it makes her hands feel nice, and makes them look nice. It is something she would consider buying.

Last I have the Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup. Which is apparently a bonus, but it makes up the 6th product. Go figure. There is not enough in any of these for a full application; only a test swatch. Highly disappointing.












Do you have any of these products? What do you think of them? Let me know!!
L
xoxo

Felix Cat Food

This sample I was sent through facebook. This is a new product and I believe they were getting their product out to the market by giving away free samples.

I usually feed my two cats raw meat, along with specially formulated cat biscuits from the vet which is a complete meal and good for the teeth. Not many people know, but cats can get a build up of plaque and tartar and if it's not dealt with can turn into a gum infection and cat actually end up making your cat very sick. The biscuits I have are large enough to cover the tooth when the cat bites into it, that it scrapes the plaque away, essentially brushing the tooth. But I digress.

Felix apparently comes in single serve sachets that provides 100% of your cats daily needs. It says on the back of the pack..

"FEEDING GUIDE: 1 pouch per day per kg of body weight. Serve at room temperature. Clean, fresh drinking water should always be available. The adult maintenance averages are based upon moderately active cats at normal environmental temperatures. Individual needs vary and feeding should be adjusted accordingly as required to maintain your cat at a lean, healthy bodyweight"

Now onto how my two cats took to it. I have a fussy cat who doesn't like jelly to begin with. She took a few sniffs, looked at me and walked away. At least it was more than one sniff!! (I did give her biscuits back to her)
My other kitty is a greedy guts, because she's on medication that increases her appetite. She of course couldn't wait to get her nose into it, and it couldn't have been gobbled down any faster :P

Pros:

Easy single serve pack

Cons:

Only one of my cats loved it
Every single flavour has jelly

Ingredients:

Meat and meat by-products (pork, chicken and poultry, salmon), vegetable protein, vitamins and minerals, flavours, thickeners, sugars, colours.
Guaranteed Analysis: Moisture 80% max. Protein 13% min. Fat 3% min. Crude Ash 2.2% max. Crude Fibre 0.5% max.Linoleic Acid (omega 6 FA) 0.2% min.

Conclusion:

50% good reception. Not good enough for me to warrant going out and buying Felix. I think I'll stick with the raw meat. I know there's no additives  in the specific raw meat I buy either (like thickeners or sugar).

 Click this link. It will take you to a very funny and cute cat video on facebook :)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=644500482271549


Do you have any pets? What pets do you have, and what are their names? The one in the image above is Autumn, and my other cat is Sophie.

L

xoxo

Hawley Illume Essencia Cuticle Conditioner

The Hawley Illume Essencia Cuticle Conditioner I received in my March Beauty EDIT is wonderful. I've wanted a cuticle cream or oil for some time now, but I'm rather strange in the fact I don't like getting my hands unnecessary greasy,  dirty or wet. So the thought of having to rub a cream in, is nice in theory but if it's not quickly absorbed then it's a no go. 

What I love about the essencia cuticle conditioner is that it looks and applies exactly like nail polish. You just unscrew the top, brush the oil onto your cuticles without the need to get anything else oily and hey presto! Amazing cuticles!

 It actually smells so amazing as well. I just adore it. And for the price of $3.70 on Beauty EDIT, I think I'm going to buy another when this runs out....although it will take a while! You really only need to dip it once for each hand.

This is what it says about the product on the Beauty EDIT website

"This cuticle conditioning oil has been developed with a hydrodynamic formula containing a blend of essential mineral oils. Almond oil provides an explosion of sweet almond fragrance, while being a skin smoother and softener, with the characteristic to reduce inflammation. Penetrates deeply to replenish cuticles and surrounding tissue to promote healthy skin and nail growth."

You can buy this on their website without having to subscribe to their boxes, although subscribers get free postage, I'm not sure about non-subscribers.

http://www.beautyedit.com.au/hawley-illume-essencia-cuticle-conditioner-3-7ml.html

Forgive the nerdy Avengers nails :p I was at supernova and just had to get them done! Once you get to know me more, you'll realise I love nail art so much!!

Also please forgive that they're a week old and starting to look a bit ratty. Sorry guys! Nail sin, I know....but I just can't bear to part with them yet :)

 Pros:
The nail polish brush applicator

Smells amazing

Price

Cons:

Takes a while to soak in if you don't want to rub it in

Ingredients:
Sweet almond oil, jojoba seed oil, rice bran oil and vitamin C oil. 

 

Conclusion:

I adore it. I have been using it every few days since I first received it, and my cuticles just seem to keep looking better. Plus, I just love the smell. It's nice to sit there watching tv smelling my cuticles hahaha

March Beauty EDIT (my first)

I got a new Beauty EDIT subscription :D

I received my first one on the 21st of March, as usual couldn't wait to open it and see what lovelies were inside!

There's a few differences between Bellabox (my first ever subscription box) and Beauty EDIT, but the two that stand out the most is price and the fact Beauty Edit actually allow their subscribers to specify a skin and hair type along with a specific style of makeup they'd prefer.

This of course had me very interested, as Bella Box does have a questionnaire about these things in your profile, but don't actually seem to cater the samples to your specific needs or wants (unlike Beauty EDIT).

I opened the packaging. And there wash a beautiful pink box. Upon opening the pink box I found a personalised  card that gave me a thank you discount and told you that the packaging was reusable and recyclable (a big plus) and that further information about each item can be found on my account on their website.

So the items I got were.... (and their full size price on the Beauty EDIT website)

Eye Majic Instant Eye Shadow - Gloriosa 2pk $3.95

Eye Majic Instant Eye Shadow - Fabula 2pk $3.95

Sasy n Savy Citrus Souffle Body Creme 120ml $46.00

Monteil Acti-vita Gold ProCGen Softening Lotion 200ml $69.99

Hawley Illume Essencia Cuticle Conditioner 3.7ml $3.70

GKMBJ Soothing & Nourishing Shampoo 280ml $19.95

GKMBJ Soothing Hair & Scalp Honey Moisturizing Conditioner 280ml $19.95

The ones I received in full size were the Eye Majic and the Hawley Illume Essencia Cuticle Conditioner. The rest were sample sizes. I also received a Tea Tonic Complexion Tea sample, which I can't seem to find easily on their website.

All in all I think worthwhile for my $20.

The EyeMajic. I received 3 individual ones of these (one full pack, and one extra). I am yet to try them, but they look like a good idea if they come off in all one go and don't flake off.

Both the GKMBJ Soothing & Nourishing Shampoo and the GKMBJ Soothing Hair & Scalp Honey Moisturizing Conditioner. I haven't opened these yet, so don't know what they smell like, but will do a full review when I do.

Then there's the Sasy n Savy Citrus Souffle Body Creme. It said for all skin types, and is made in Australia. This has a very light citrus sent to it. A lot of the time moisturisers and perfume will set my hayfever off but this is beautifully scented. It readily absorbed into the back of my had and has left my hand feeling beautiful and soft and not at all greasy or sticky like some other moisturisers do. If it wasn't for the price tag , I would be buying this. (120ml $46.00 on the beauty EDIT website)



Monteil Acti-vita Gold ProCGen Softening Lotion. This is made in Germany. I don't even quite know what to say towards this one. This is something that I would never have bought for myself. It says "Nice soft lotion with 24k gold leaf particles make the skin velvety-soft to the touch. The ProCGen complex has an intensively hydrating effect and restored skins natural balance. The skins structure is stabilised, it regains vitality and resiliance. The gold particles have a soothing effect and ensure a radiant look. The skin is perfectly prepared for subsequent care products. Alcohol free."
It looks very watery, and has a tiny hole to stop you pouring out too much at one time. It has almost no smell, and just two drops on the back on my hand not only did my whole hand but started to go up my wrist as well, so a little goes a long way. The back of my hand does feel velvety smooth. I have a 10ml tester. This one may be worth the price (200ml $69.99on the beauty EDIT website)

Next was the Hawley Illume Essencia Cuticle Conditioner. I've written a review on this over here. But if you want a quick review now, it smells delicious! I love the brush applicator, and I love how it makes my cuticles feel. All in all this one is something I will buy again.

The extra! This is one of the many teas on offer from Tea Tonic. The one I was given is called "complexion tea" and is both organic and caffeine free. It just smells delicious! The ingredients are red clover, nettle, dandelion leaf, calendula and burdock. I've only ever heard of dandelion leaf before, which is used as a caffeine free coffee substitute.
I am yet to try this one, but I think I'll be brewing it up tonight :)

Beauty EDIT comes every two months, which gives plenty of time to go though and try everything out without feeling rushed (unless you subscribe to more than one brand of box :p).

You do have a minimum of two boxes ($40). You can check it out here

http://www.beautyedit.com.au/join.html/

Bondi Chai

There is nothing better than receiving snail mail :)  Especially when there's something yummy inside!
I just couldn't wait to rip this open and have a look.

I adore chai latte, the smell, the aroma and the break from what ever you're supposed to be doing.

I tried the cinnamon one first. Problem was that I was a little stressed out and didn't read the pack properly, even though it says very clearly "just add milk"  I just added hot water. Oops. I was really looking forward to it too! (I was also debating whether to put this up here or not...Hahaha But we all make mistakes after a long day) I tried to fix it by adding some milk...  It wasn't terrible. It just wasn't so good either.

I certainly wasn't going to make that mistake again! The next day I tried the vanilla and honey with milk. It was much nicer than I expected! I'm usually much more of a spicy chai lady than a vanilla chai lady. But yum! The aroma and taste were devine. The only problem is, there wasn't enough of it!

But you can get your own free sample by filling out this form
http://bondichai.com.au/request-a-sample/

At the time of writing, they also have a competition to win a year's supply of chai lattes. All details can be found by follow the link below.
http://bondichai.wbml.com.au/cafeinasachet

 Pros:
It dissolved straight away in the warm milk and didn't leave any undissolved residue at the bottom of my mug

Made with real tea

Gluten free

Low in caffeine

Less than 1g of fat

The sugar content is apparently no higher than white tea with a teaspoon of sugar
It's Australian made and owned

Cons:

You want more than one mug :p

Ingredients:
Vanilla honey-sugar, whey powder, skim milk, black tea extract (3%), honey powder, flavours, natural colour (caramel III) ginger.

Club cinnamon - sugar, whey powder, skim milk, black tea extract (3%), honey powder, flavours, natural colour (caramel III) ginger, star anise.

 

Conclusion:

I think I'm actually going to switch. Looking at the list of ingredients on my previous chai it includes sodium caseinate, emulsifiers and anticaking agents, which I can tell you now did absolutely nothing! I have to scrape the powder off the bottom of the tin unless I want it to come off in a big chunk into my milk :(

Totally switching to a much easier (and seemingly healthier) way of getting my delicious chai hit.

A little about me

Hi everyone!

Seeing as this is my very first post I'd thought I'd take the time to introduce myself and this blog. I'm a fashion student in her early 20s. I'm a bit of a geek, I grew up climbing trees and playing computer games.

So how did I get into fashion? I was taught cross stitch from a young age, which progressed to sewing. As a teenager who cannot afford to buy the clothing she wanted to wear it's either learn to make it yourself or go without and I wasn't about to go without. It's only when I was in my late teens I started becoming interested in makeup and beauty. Still not having a proper job I discovered the wonderful world of sampling! Which leads me to this blog.

This is my space to share my opinion on the wonderful and sometimes not so wonderful items that are sent my way to try. Some things I love so much that I'd like to be able to buy everyone, and others I wouldn't even take a second look at. But isn't that the beauty of samples! Trying things out before you do spend money on them and, hopefully not, find out that's it's just a waste of money.

While most of my items will come from subscription boxes,  some won't.

If you're wondering what a subscription box is, it's a box that you pay a small amount to purchase (usually enough to cover shipping and handling) and it's filled with samples to a set value for you to try every one or two months. Everyone's samples are different. I will make sure to let you know where each sample has come from, and where you can buy the box from if you're wanting to receive these yourself.

I am not paid for any of my opinions, nor am I associated with any of these companies, so you are sure to get my true and honest opinion.