PRODUCT REVIEW: VIOLET BOX AUGUST 2014

Yesterday the *August edition of the Violet Box arrived at my doorstep, here are my thoughts;

 

 

What They Say:

Violet Box brands promises to every month include 4-6 premium beauty and lifestyle samples from well-known and trusted Australian beauty brands as well as exciting new International brands, one in particular is a revolutionary product currently trending in New York and has been featured in Vogue and on the Today Show!

RRP: You can subscribe to Violet Box for:

1 month – $22.95
3 months - $66.00
6 months - $130
12 months - $250

Available from Violet Box

 

What I Say:

As last month, this month’s box arrived in a the new box design with the lose slide lid, and this is what was included in this month’s box:
 

 
 

Evelyn Iona Lipgloss – Full Size (RRP: $20.50)

I have never heard of the brand Evelyn before so straight away I am excited. And when I then read that the product is certified organic, and preservative free too. I got the colour Susan, which is a lovely pale pink shade that gives the lips a nice colour with a fairly good colour payoff, while blended out, it can be applied quite sheer too. The colour is lovely, and I will certainly use it, but if I had to be picky, I would have preferred one of the darker shades as shown on the info card.



Foltene Eyelash Treatment – Full Size (RRP: $20.95/10ml)

This is a treatment to use on your eyelashes and brows to restore dry , thin fragile lashes that easily fall and promote natural growth. My lashes are ok, and don’t really fall out that often I feel, but I wouldn’t mind some fuller brows, as they were victims to over-plucking decades ago, and growing them out, just doesn’t seem to happen – so I am looking forward to putting this treatment to the test and seeing how effective it is.



Be A Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad – Full Size (RRP: $ 22.00)

It was mentioned as a teaser in last month’s box that the August box would contain this quad, so it is not a major surprise, although it is of course a nice addition. Going by the info card there were three shades, and I got the shade New York which contains grey shades. The colour in the compact are all lovely and complement each other perfectly. But again, if I had to be picky, I would have preferred to get the compact with the golden shades as shown on the info card, but again that is just me being picky, and really, I have plenty of the golden shades, but next to no grey shades, so it is probably not a bad thing after all..



Camille Beckman Glycerine Hand Therapy – Sample Size, 7.1g (RRP: 18.95)

Again a brand that I have never heard of, so that excites me. And being addicted to a good hand cream, especially during winter, I always welcome a new one. This one comes in a cute little black pot with a little silk rose glued to the lid, which is such a lovely touch. The cream is thick and rich, and very concentrated, so you only need to use a little, so even though the sample pot looks tiny, there’s enough for several goes, so it’s perfect to pop into the handbag.



Apelles Rosemary Body Bar Soap – Full Size (RRP: $5.95/100g)

I have heard of Apelles before but never tried any of their products, so I do welcome the inclusion of this soap in the box. The soap is a pure vegetable soap bar and it contains Australian essential oils of among others eucalyptus, rosemary and lemon myrtle, and ladder of which gives it the most refreshing citrus scent. I am personally not the biggest fan of soap bars, generally preferring liquid soap, but this one smells so nice that I cannot wait to use it.


So there you go, the contents of the August Violet Box. And yet again I am impressed with the contents of the box, containing a whole four out of five full sized products, and with a value of almost $70, and while the shades of the lipgloss and the eye shadow quad are not colours that I would probably have picked myself, they are still very wearable and far from so out there that I wouldn’t use them, on the contrary, they are very lovely, and it is just me being picky. And while I say I would have preferred the other shade, I am sure there are just as many box receivers out there wishing they had received the colours I did – and I do understand how difficult it would be to please everyone. But overall, Violet Box has impressed me yet again with an outstanding box with a nice variety of products.

*Product was kindly provided for consideration, and has reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.


What do you think of the products of this month’s Violet Box? Did you get this months’ box too? What did you think? And if not, would you consider subscribing?

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PRODUCT REVIEW - LUST HAVE IT - MAY 2014

It has only been about three weeks since the April Box arrived, and yesterday, the 27th May, the May Box arrived at my door step – so here are my thoughts on the May Lust Have It Box; 

What They Say:

Lust Have It boxes regularly contains products worth $60+ for only $19.95/month! Monthly box filled with 5 to 6 premium beauty samples. Delivered to your home or work each month for you to try.


RRP:

Lust Have It Box (monthly) RRP: $19.95, Eco Box (quarterly) RRP: $29.95 – but if you use my unique code LIFESTYLE at the checkout on the Lush Have It website, you are eligible for $5 off your first box from Lust Have It, and at the same time you’ll also be supporting Beauty & Lifestyle Hunter, as I will get a few dollars too if someone subscribes using this code. 
Available from Lust Have It 

What I Say: 
Last month’s box arrived in a clear makeup bag, and I was under the impression that would be the new style for a while, but obviously not, as this month’s box arrived in a plain black postage box! I am really not complaining or too fussed about this as I have so many of those boxes floating around now – but Lust Have It must have felt bad about it, as they had enclosed a card saying that the cosmetic bags are still on the way to them, and they didn’t want to delay the boxes so ‘in place of the new packaging , they’ve included a $20 gift voucher for you to redeem against any of their subscription boxes other than the women’s box, or on the Chloe Morello and Bridal Boxes, where you may actually use it once time on each of those products if you like….’ Big tick of approval Lust Have It, that is a lovely gesture, turning a delay into something nice!

Taking a break, off to check out the other boxes.. and you can too, right here


Back again....So this is what was in the May Lust Have It Box..

 

Mary Kay Lip Lacquer in Pink Pagoda – Full Size (RRP $22/4g)

This lip lacquer promises intense high shine lips with a smooth jelly finish and a stay-true colour. It also promises to moisture the lips, and stay put. I really like Mary Kay products (and recently went to one of their product launches which you can read all about here), so I am quite excited about this lip lacquer, and I love the little retractable lip brush that comes with it. The Pink Pagoda is a bright Fuchsia shade, and it is a little on the bright and bold side for me, but it is good to be pushed out of your comfort zone from time to time!

 

Coral Colour Eyebrow Definer Pencil in Dark Brown – Full Size (RRP: $7.95)

I know what a difference it does when I do my eye brows, but when I am in a hurry, it is the last thing on my mind – but I do like the sound of this, as it promises to blend easily and be long lasting too, so I look forward to testing it out.



Appelles Rosemary Body Bar – Full Size (RRP: $4.95/100g)

I have to be honest and admit that I am not the biggest fan of soap bars – I simply find them messy after a while and hence much prefer liquid soap. But this soap does smell quite nice, supposedly of rosemary, although I detect a bit of a citrusy scent too. And I love that it is made with certified organic ingredients that promises to cleanse the skin without drying or stripping the skin, while helping to reduce epidermal stress – so I may just have to put this one to the test.



The Cosmetic Kitchen Pure Mineral Blush in Strawberry – Full Size (RRP: $34.95/6g)

I have really taken a liking to mineral makeup lately, so I applaud the inclusion of this full sized one from the Cosmetic Kitchen. I love that it is highly pigmented, and talc and bismuth free. I got the colour strawberry which is a lovely dusty rose shade, which is really wearable, so I cannot wait to try this one out. My only criticism is that the jar is difficult to open, and as loose minerals can be rather messy, it can easily turn into a right mess trying to get the lid off!

 

Sasy n Savy Vitamin Enriched Facial Recovery Masque – Sample, 20ml (RRP: $50/100ml)

This mask is intended for normal to oily skin types and claims to deep cleanse and draw out impurities, and as I’ve had a few breakouts lately, this is perfect timing, and perfectly suited to my skin. And such a nice change to get a treatment product than a moisturiser suited for dry skin that I am unable to use, so I cannot wait to give myself a mini facial testing out this mask!


So there you have it, these are the goodies in the May Lust Have It Box, and I am quite happy with the contents, as I will actually be using every single product, although the soap bar doesn’t excite me that much, but as that is also the cheapest item, it doesn’t bother me too much! I in particularly really like the inclusion of the full sized Mary Kay Lip Lacquer and the Cosmetic Kitchen blush, as well as the Sasy n Savy mask – so all in all, I find that this is a great box, which is well worth its value.

*This product was kindly provided for consideration, and it has been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.


If you are considering subscribing, don’t forget that you can get $5 off your first box by using the unique code LIFESTYLE at the checkout on the Lush Have It website

What do you think of this month’s Lust Have It Box? Are you subscribing, or considering subscribing? Any products you are particularly keen on? And as always, if you’d like to see full reviews of any of the products, do let me know..