Bellabox June 2014... ICONIC

This year has gone so fast!! Is it just me??? It's late June & I'm reeling! Where has this year gone?! 

Bellabox June is here after a little supplier delay. Bellabox were great and emailed subscribers on the 10th to let them know in advance of said delay- points to them for that! It arrived on the 19th- so really not that that late. 

So this months theme is ICONIC BEAUTY- how good is themed everything?! I love it! 

I was home amazingly when this months box arrived, my little pal & I bolted to the sound of the doorbell & to my delight it was the mail man & not a religious door knocker- hallelujah! 

Pinot was equally as excited as me and offered great curiosity. 

This months Bellabox came with this months Instyle Magazine as one of the bonus products. They did this last year I think it was September with Cleo or Cosmo- ANYWAY I am a massive mag hag so I was thrilled to read a mag that I wouldn't normally have purchased. 

The Contents: 

- Herbal Essesnces Naked Shine Shampoo & Conditioner (Essentials)

- La Roche-Persay Effclar Duo (Luxe)

- Innoxa Lip Pencil (Colour)

- VO5 Give Me Moisture HotOil (Classic)

- Cedel Blow Dry Fastener (Essential)

Bonus:

Instyle Magazine

Nutrimetics Nutri Rich Instant Radiance Balm 

- Innoxa Lip Pencil:

Boasting long wearing waterproof qualities I found this liner to be really creamy, smooth and vibrant! Its generously pigmented which is what you need in a liner. It's a wind up and it glides on really well. 

- Herbal Essesnces Naked Shine Shampoo & Conditioner 

White tea and mint- that combo is really appealing to me! This formula is silicon, paraben & dye free...having a pain in the ass sensitive scalp these tick some boxes. The product is crystal clear- how do they do that!? 

- VO5 Give Me Moisture HotOil 

I used something like this by VO5 years ago- you basically heat the oil up (to make it 'hot oil') apply to hair, leave for a period (usually 10min) and follow with your normal washing routine. I always love a mask/ treatment as a pep up so it should be good to try again. 

- Cedel Blow Dry Fastener 

I love this product! This is something I already use and love! I discovered it earlier this year. I highly recommend it!!! It's a heat protecter spray but it also works as a blow dry fastener. I have no idea how it does it but it cuts my blowdry time by half! It's weightless and doesn't leave your hair feeling heavy/ tacky/ oily. If you didn't get this in your box, you should go get some! It's (big call) my favourite discovery this year so far. 

La Roshe-Posay Effaclar Duo:

I'm pretty happy with this- I sampled a similar sounding Avene on through Bellabox and ended up buying it because I liked it so much. This product offers 24 hr hydration but removes excess oil and blockages- it claims to unclogs sebum blocked pores in 30 days. This is right up my ally. Combination skin is really difficult to treat because whilst it can be oily its can also be dehydated. My skin is hetting congested lately because I am applyng too much moisturiser trying to rehydrate bt I'm replenishing to much oil at the same time. The texture feels good, look forward to really roadtesting this baby!

Nutrimetics Nutri Rich Instant Radiance Balm:

I took this sachet away for  weekend, It was really nourishing and my skin looked bright and felt soft in the morning. It smelt heavenly like apricot- good enough to eat.

Over all thoughts: 

For me this box was a bit hair focused but even still I really was happy to use everything in this box. I'verecieved a few RED lip products from Bellabox this year so it might be time to change my profile with them. 

I was lucky to recieve a full size replacement  of something I always use (always better than a dud product instead) 

Highlight: blow dry fastener & La Roche- Posay cream  

Lowlight: dont have one :) 

For those that don't know: Bellabox is a $15 'beauty discovery' subscription box delivered monthly. It is available to Australian residents.

What did you think of this months Bellabox? Did you get a different variation? What was in yours? 

Comments welcome below....

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Avon MEGA EFFECTS Mascara

I got Avon MEGA EFFECTS Mascara in Bellabox April I was so excited to try this out because I'd seen it arround a fair bit- that and the name 'mega effects' - ahh yes please!! 

It's been a little roller coaster of love, then hate, then love again, then hate once more. Bit of a pity. 

This product is a bit tricky to open- you really have to wiggle it back and forth to release the wand from the base. I heard that heaps of people experienced wand breakage so I was super cautious and luckily it opened up ok. 

Because the wand is not a conventional shape or style it takes a bit of practice, a delicate touch and patience- my first attempt was a mess! 

 But after a few uses I got the hang of it and was really happy with the results. 

The coverage is layerable so additional coats are no problem. The product doesn't set 'crunchy' it's actually quite soft and flexible to touch. The way the wand works I found it opened up the appearance of the eye area and gave a lift/ curling effect. 

A liddle look put together using this mascara: 

Unfortunatly after about 1 weeks use the wand snapped and the product can no longer be used- the wand is stuck inside the container. SAD FACE!

All in all I would love to use this again but would be scared to purchase based on the major design flaw of the package. 

Have you tried this product? What do you think? did your wand break? 

Nail Swag- leopard press on nails

This week I had bit of fun with press on nails! On a paper for uni mission at 8pm in Kmart I figured a quick peruse through the beauty section wouldn't hurt. Kmart have quite the range of glue on nail art! 
I found these ghettofab leopard print ones & at $5.00, how could I resist! 

These particular ones are so easy to apply. The little tab gives you something to hold making them really convienient to handle.

Step by step: 

1. Give your nails a light buff to create a slightly textured surface ( gives better grip)

2. Wipe over with nail polish remover on a cotton ball (removes oils, helps get better glue grip) 

3. Place a dot of glue on false nail 

4. Align an press over your natural nail

5. Optional- file down into prefered length & shape (I like shorter nails so I did this)

And thats it! 

Press on nails are really handy if-

• You want nail art but cant do it yourself/ afford it
• Dont want acrylics but want a bit of length for an occasion
• Have no time to go to salon 

These last one week 

Her Fitness Box April 2014 (received June)

Another two months behind schedule it's Her Fitness Box April- received in JUNE! 

I initially subscribed for 3 months and this is my third and final. Obviously from that you can tell I'm a disappointed customer as I will not be resubscribing again. Ever. See review 1 & 2 if your keen to see what was in the first two boxes. 

As my bf would say hershitnessbox and it is. Yet again. So disappointed. As a softballer, I'm going with the three stikes & your out rule. 

So anyway let me show you what was in it- let me say- in fairness, there is some good bits too- just a few misses & not enough value making it a bit of a rip off.

April box arrived on 4th June- looked like this in satchel: 

This months box (actually not a box but a bag). I quite like this months bag design, its really pretty in real life- it's a white calico bag with the design printed on the fabric. 

The spread: 

Breakdown by item:  

The cards: 

• Recipe Card:

Last month I didn't get a recipe card but it looks like hfb is doing them again: 

We are such chocolate faces in our house so I'll give the raw chocolate recipe a go for sure. 

 

• The fitness card: 

Anyone else got dejavu? 

Bridges and lunges again?! Are you serious?! I get that it's a slight variation but puhlease! You can't even come up with 2 exercises per month and not double up within 3 months!? PATHETIC! I could give you at least a dozen and I am in no way gym junkie. Ffs. 

The resistance band info is greatly appreciated and I really like that it coordinates with the fitness accessory & teaches you how you can use it. kudos hfb. 

• 4 page nutritional guide rrrp $10.95- it's literally 4 recipes- breaky lunch dinner- 1 day eating guide printed on paper and stapled rrrp $10.95 is absurd. 

Fitness accessories: 

• Sweat bands (not a typo) rrrp $20 

• Resistance band rrrp $14.95

Ok so it's not the 70's- NOBODY is hitting the gym nor pounding the pavement with this shit on their heads. 

Cheap. Nasty. Redundant. 

If the wrist bands had a zip or something I could see why it would be valuable but it's doesn't. What are they thinking. And claiming it's worth $20. Get stuffed. This is pointless filler crap. I think that very few people will actually love these. I could be wrong... the quality is ghastly.
I'd love to know in the comments section what other subscribers thought of the sweat set? 

I got 2 wristbands from cotton on body for $4.95 and they are far better quality, softer, better looking. 

I'll find them and add a picture here... Yep

The resistance band is actually quite good! I'm super happy to have it as I'm trying to increase my flexibility for polefit. I recently bought an equally good one on eBay last month for under $5.00 though so claiming $14.95 cost when it came in a clear plastic unbranded sleeve just like my eBay one seems a bit like hooey to me. 

The 'deluxe' samples: 

• White glo tooth paste rrrp $4.99- full sized- happy with that even though not fitness related. Also had toothpaste in box 2. 
• Vital green single serve rrrp $1.40 - not quite deluxe? I do enjoy adding these types of products to smoothies so it should be good to try
• Luv Sum- super berry nut crunch rrrp $3.60. a bit like a bounce ball- YUM 
• H2Coco Coconut Water $2.95- not bad, but again a repeat- we had a coconut water in box 1.  

The usual promo stuff that they include: 
- $10 voucher for Atleta Active- *edit 6/6* just realised it expired 31/5- box came on 4/6 ...bummer was going to have a look-see 
- $30 Hello fresh- been meaning to try them so I will use this, also fyi 'the iconic' is giving these out at the moment if you shop there
- Info on white glow toothpaste

Highlight: lov som ball 

Lowlight: sweat set 

Does this even look like $40 worth? Looking at it I wanna say IS THAT ALL!?!

hmm the value on the card is $73.70 but the inflated prices on the sweat band, booklet and resistance band bring that total down.

 

Not in my opinion. I feel pretty well ripped off. The concept is a good one however hfb put cheap crap in their boxes and do not deliver on the value promised. To be honest I've had better value in my other subscription boxes and they are half the price.  

The thing that has probably made hfb box so frustrating is that they change their website to suit what they are doing. For example- When I first subscribed the value was listed as 'over $110' I was under the impression that that is what I was paying for and would be what I could expect each month. But here I am getting $73.70 as told by them. 

You can't get people to join under the proviso that they will get $110 value and then remove it from your website so you don't have to honor it!

That is so unfair and so wrong! 

I basically feel I've been duped by a false advertising scam. 

Here it is- in black and white- $110 value- that's what I signed up for and not what was then delivered. 

Essentially my 3 month $100 subscription bought me 3 bags of promo material and a few cheap rubbish accessories. 

If they put good quality items the box would have been much better. 

So thats that! Hfb 3 month subby done and dusted. To sum it up- late, poor quality, lacking substance. 

What do you think? Are you a hfb subscriber? Does this box look like value to you? Am I perhaps being a little unreasonable? What's your 2c?? 

Comment below!

Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara

Mascara is one of my beauty bag ESSENTIALS! I've been using Benefit 'They're Real' lately & thought I should share a liddle review/ rundown. I'm a more is more kinda girl when it comes to lashes but I tried to apply 'the normal amount' for this post so all is neutral, fair and reflects reasonable result of the product. 

Benefit 'They're Real' 

Looks like... 

This is a really good mascara, the formula is really dark BLACK giving the desired lash drama without needing to coat it heavily (also known in my camp as 'spiders legs lashes'). This product has one of those plastic hard bristle brushes so it combs through well. There is also a little spike on the end for catching tiny corner lashes and pushing up on side lashes to create fluttery wings. 

Claims: They're Real! The mascara that's beyond belief - it lengthens, curls, volumises, lifts & separates.

Pro: staying power is awesome, no flakes, transfers or smears. You'll need a good remover. 

Con: the formula sets quite firm so you if you let it dry completely between coats it can be funny to build and layer upon. A few minutes dry time between coats tops will be OK for buildable coverage. I sometimes like to swipe a fresh lick of mascara after work before meeting my partner or having a meal with my girlfriends- that didn't work well with this formula. 

Overall good brush, no clumps, great definition due to strong black shade and application was quick and easy every time.

Rating: 4/5 

Buy again: yes

Recommend to a friend: yes
RRRP: $38 Available at Myer 

May favourites

Hi Pretties! Hope your well!? I've decided to start a little monthly favourites blog. Basically here you'll see the stuff that's really rocked my socks each month- beauty and otherwise. As my first favourites post I'll do a bit more 'life' than beauty per say so you can continue getting to know me a bit. 
I'd love to know if this is even interesting or if I should zip it- feel free to feedback your comments at the bottom. 

My boys (loves of my life) will always be my top faves, but my partner would hate for me to put a pic of him on the blog. Puppy cuddles have been plentiful around our home in May- our little bear has been such a snuggle bug and I just can't get enough! The weather has been delightful and Pinot sure knows how to catch some morning rays.

Girly catchup have made May heaven, Offspring Nights and a trip to Mudgee have really reminded me of how lucky I am and how important it is to have lady loves of your life. Mine are always armed with wine from pity party to celebration and are always willing to go in for extra scones. With my ladies more is more- in the best possible way. 

 

The cooler weather has really gotten me in the mood for scarves! In May I've pretty much lived in this Witchery grey marle Pom Pom number. It's so lush, big, soft and comforting to wear. I bought it last year but I saw it again in-store so I think its been repeated. You can have a look here.

My next favourite for May is Skechers! If your a 90's kid you might remember the ads with the slogan 'it's the S' for me it's the S, T, U,V, W,X,Y, Z, L, O, V, E! I've pretty much been an unmotivated sloth who'd rather do anything but exercise (ironically when I have gone to the gym I've had smashing sessions- so I really don't know what the problem is). A sure fire way to get myself fired back up is new gym gear & as a shoe lover, trainers do the trick. This pair have memory foam lining and they are awesomely grey marle like a t-shirt. Coming from the Flex Appeal range they move and contour as you walk/ train. They are my new gym buddy: 

In line with my no training, desert has been on the radar! Why is it that being unfit goes hand in hand with noshing deliciously fattening foods? Uh honestly though I've been loving an array of sweet treats- I give you below macarons, sticky date pudding, tart tatin and lemon slice. (Not shown: triple choc brownies, chocolate ice-cream, numerous blocks of Lindt strawberry, birthday cake, scones with the lot & the delicious rose water cupcake I inhaled all before the photo op). May sure has been the sweetest month! 

 

Being mostly a beauty blog I'd better touch upon the skincare & cosmetic products that have been my go-to this month. 

I've become obsessed with my new Mary Kay lipgloss pot that I received in May Lust Have it! So creamy and such a heavenly shade- see obligatory trout pout below: 

Skincare wise I've been loving Korres Milk Cleansing Emulsion- way less stripping & smells amazing.This particular one leaves your skin squeaky clean and feeling soft and fresh.I'm not normally a huge cream cleanser fan but this one changed my mind. I'm a huge Korres fan, infact I'll have to do a Korres post sometime. 

In winter I shower at night to avoid freezing in the morning- Bioderma cleansing water in the mornings has been a godsend- I avoid freezing facet water as much as possible (except of course hand washing!) Basically this stuff is a liquid cleanser that you swipe over with a cotton ball, it's incredibly effective and gentle at the same time- I used a similar Garnier and Clarins one in the past- it definitely measure up and above. 

Finally, I've been trying out a few hair oils/ hair treatments in May after my hairdresser used one on me that I liked- I was finally convinced that it might be OK to put oil in my hair (self confessed greasy-hair-o-phobe) & I can definitely see the benefit. I've sampled a Peter Thomas Roth oil & a Living Proof anti frizz cream and ended up buying a Schwartzkopf 'oil miracle volume amplifier'. It's basically made my hair feel lighter, softer and more manageable- all wins. 

So that's May favourites- (first favourites ever) - let me know what you think! Has anyone else been a sweet toothed fatty?

What made your month of May 2014 bliss?

Something new something old? 

Comment below!