PRODUCT REVIEW: BELLABOX JULY 2018

PRODUCT REVIEW: BELLA BOX JANUARY 2018

Can you believe it, we are already a full month into the new year. How time is flying. But it also means the arrival of the January Bella Box... Let's have a look at what's inside the box...

Karen Murrell Lipstick - Full Size - RRP: $30 / 4g
I am already a huge fan of Karen Murrell, and absolutely love these all natural lipsticks that are loaded with nourishing ingredients and so lovely to wear. I was lucky to get one of my fave shades, Rymba Rhythm, which is a gorgeous red shade that I just love to bits.

Blaq Meteor Shower Scrub - 50g - RRP: $24.95 / 200g I have heard a lot about this body scrub that contains activated charcoal to detoxify the skin, as well as meteor dust to leave the skin iridescent, so I cannot wait to put it to the test. It sounds amazing.

Swisse Blood Orange Brightening Facial Serum - 4ml - RRP: $29.99 / 30ml I haven't sadly tried many products from Swisse, so look forward to trying out this serum which contains among others Sicilian blood orange, olive leaf and licorice root extract along with vitamin B3 and jojoba oil, and promises to brighten the skin and give it a luminous appearance. Sounds pretty good to me.

Essenzza Fuss Free Naturals Natural Activated Charcoal Sheet Mask - Full Size - RRP: $4.95 / 1 mask, 30g This mask contains activated charcoal to give the skin a deep clean and minimise the pores along with hyaluronic acid to leave the skin bright, fresh and glowing. Sounds just what my blemish prone, dull skin needs. Bring on pamper night.

1000 Hour Instant Brows - Full Size - RRP: $9.99 / 1.4g This is a brush-on tinted mascara eye brow mascara that helps quickly and easily create a fuller brow with just a few strokes, while looking very natural. This is my preferred type of brow product as it is simply so easy to use, so I cannot wait to put this one to the test.

Bonus products - Palmolive Oil Infusions Body Moisturiser with Rose & Macadamia Oil, 2 x 12ml These are great bonuses, and between the two sachets there is hopefully sufficient cream for the full body. They promise to deeply hydrate the skin while repairing it ad leaving it lightly fragranced. I am yet to try them, but can only imagine that they will have the most gorgeous rose scent so I can't wait to put them to the test.


So there you go, the first Bella Box of 2018, and I have to say that I am very impressed. The Karen Murrell lipstick alone, and I was happy. But add up all the other items, and it makes for one incredible box, also as I will actually look forward to using every single product in the box. Also worth mentioning is that is also a discount voucher for $ off any Karen Murrell lipstick from Priceline, and one you've tried the one in the box, you'll immediately fall in love with it, and be sure to want more.

So all up it is a massive Wow from me Bella Box, you finished 2017 with one bumper of a box, and you've made sure to start off the new year in style too. I's so excited to see what the rest of the year will bring.

Bella Box - RRP: $17.95 ($15.00+ $2.95 P&H) on a subscription plan, billed monthly, but you can cancel anytime

Available from Bella Box

* Some products may have been kindly provided for editorial consideration, and have been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy, and reviews are 100% honest and based on personal opinion and experience. Note that The Beauty & Lifestyle Hunter is not a professional or expert, so please do not substitute these opinions as professional advice. Also note, this post may contain affiliate links, which means you pay no extra, but I get a small commission fee if you click through and buy something. And if so, thank you much for your supporting the running costs of my blog. xx

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PRODUCT REVIEW: BELLA BOX OCTOBER 2017

PRODUCT REVIEW: BELLABOX MARCH 2017

Today I'm very excited to share with you my very first Bellabox. I have, needless to say, tried heaps of other beauty subscriptions over the years, but never Bella Box, though I've always been intrigued and so tempted, so when I was offered the opportunity for a colab, I naturally couldn't resist finding out what all the hype was about.

Now, I am sure you're probably already familiar with Bella Box, but in case you're not - it is a monthly subscription box, where you get 5+ samples delivered each month, with a value guaranteed to exceed the cost of the box! Perfect if you want to try out new products, and keep up with the latest and greatest, without having to fork out big money for full sized products, you may essentially not like, or that you perhaps would never have come across otherwise.

Well, enough of the babbling, let's get onto what was in this months goodies, which came in a little turquoise box with white dots. The box is rather sturdy, and would be great to use for other little knickknacks, but as I've often said before about beauty boxes, I don’t care much for the outer, its what's inside that counts! And here it is..

The theme of the items all go under 'Raw Beauty', and is all about body and skincare to treat the skin without any nasties.


Sukin Hydrating Facial Masque - 50ml (RRP: $15.95 / 100ml)

I love Sukin products. They are efficient, and super gentle and so affordable too. And this moisturising mask will be a perfect mask as we head into winter and the skin will need some more moisture. It contains among others mango seed butter, avocado oil and olive fruit extract, which all sounds pretty good to me, so I can't wait to try it out.


Colour By TBN Nail Polish x 2 - Full Size (RRP: $2.95 / 15ml)

I have tried a couple of these nail polishes before, and considering their low price, they are really good. I got a gorgeous metallic turquoise shade, which I haven't got in my collection, along with a clear shade, which never goes astray. So all happy days from me.


La Mav Gradual Tanning Moisturiser - 10ml (RRP: $39.95 / 200ml)

I am not the biggest user of self tanners, mainly because I don't like smell of them as they develop - but this one claims to not have the 'fake tan smell' so it may just be the products I've been looking for, so cannot wait to put it to the test and see if it stacks up.


Aime New Leaf Deep Pore Exfoliating Polish - 25ml (RRP: $8.99 / 100ml)

The first brand out of the lot that I haven't heard of or tried before, which I like, as for me, discovering new brands is one of the key attributes of a beauty subscription box. This cleanser claims to work deep down every pore, so it sounds like it will be the perfect product for my combination blemish prone skin.


Lily Anne Beauty Clean Purifying Cleanser - 10ml (RRP: $44.00 / 100ml)

Another brand that is new to me, yay. This cleanser is from an Australian brand, (yay again), and it is a deep cleansing and purifying cleanser, so again perfect for my skin type. I also love that the purchase of Lily Anne products help support empower women out of poverty, which is such a great cause.


Swisse Rose Hip Facial Moisturiser - 10ml (RRP: $9.95 / 125ml)

I have naturally heard of Swisse but only ever tried their vitamins, not their skincare, so it is kind of a new brand to me as well. This moisturiser is for normal skin, but claims to be non-greasy so it may just be great for my skin anyway. It includes rose water and smells so beautiful.


Palmer's Raw Shea Body Lotion - 5ml sachet - Bonus Sample

This is a bonus sample, so cannot really complain about it, but I would naturally have loved a larger size as the sachet hardly contains enough cream to cover my full body. That said, I do look forward to trying this 'cleaner' version and the intense moisture of this sounds like it will be the perfect moisturiser as we head towards winter.


So there you go, the contents of the March '17 Bellabox. Personally I am quite impressed with both the variety and amount of samples contained in this box. I would have loved the inclusion of a few more 'luxe' items as I am more likely to purchase full sized products of cheaper brands, knowing there is a risk I may not like them, the expense is not so high. But that said, a lot of my beauty staples are budget brands, so it is always great being exposed to some new ones.

My fave items in the box is without a doubt the Sukin mask, followed by the Lily Anne cleanser - and I'm surprising myself here, but although I am not a regular self-tanner, I am actually looking forward to testing this on from La Mav.


Bellabox - RRP: $17.95 ($15.00+ $2.95 P&H) on a subscription plan, billed monthly, but you can cancel anytime.
Available from Bellabox

* Products have been kindly provided for consideration, and have reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.


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Product Review: Lust Have It – July Box – Review & Giveaway…and August box teaser..

Having a little baby has certainly turned my world upside down, so I am a little behind with my blog posts, and I think by now everyone would have seen reviews of this month’s July Lust Have It Box, but still I thought that I’d post a review of what I received…. And do keep reading, as I will also tell you how to get a discount on your first box, as well as you have a chance of WINNING a Lust Have It box yourself… and not to mention a TEASER of what’s in store for the August box..

What They Say:

"Lust Have It boxes regularly contains products worth $60+ for only $19.95/mth! 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 read on to find out how to get a discount on your first box..

Available from Lust Have It

What I Say:

This month’s box comes in a pretty pale blue and beige floral printed box, and it has been updated with a magnetic closure, so it closes better, making it even better to use as storage - as I mentioned last month, I can as being quite useful for storing other things such as jewellery, hair ties etc.

The Lust Have It July box is using 'Vibrant Beauty', saying that "in the spirit of Australia’s gorgeous weather all year around for July we celebrate Vibrant Beauty. We have carefully selected a number of products to keep you looking vibrant on the inside and out!". I am not quite sure that I find the items in the box to be particularly 'vibrant', but anyway, this is what was in the July Lust Have It Box;

 Nude by Nature Natural Tinted Mineral Moisturiser with Sunscreen – Full Size ($19.95, 30ml)
 

I had already seen in a teaser Lust Have It posted on their Facebook page that the July box would include this full sized product. I have heard a lot of good things about Nude by Nature, but actually never tried any of their products, so I have been rather excited about this, and the fact that is a full sized product is even better. I am not quite sure of the colour of this cream, but it seems to match my skintone perfectly, so that’s all that matters. And it smells absolutely amazing too. Currently being a stay-at-home mum, these days I tend to use more BB creams or tinted moisturisers instead of more covering foundations, so I do look forward to trying this one.

Knotties by Condition Culture Hair Ties – RRP US$6.25

 

These hair ties are supposedly meant to not snag or crease your hair, and have been designed to look great both in the hair and around the wrist as arm jewellery!! And am I the only one with long hair always running around with a hair tie/scrunchie around the wrist. If I have my long hair out for the day, I always, always, always have a scrunchie – hey, even if I have my hair up, I have one!! Pretty, well no, not particularly, and well, they always leave a nasty mark on my wrist. I am not quite sure how these hair ties will be any different from others on the market with not snagging hair, but at least I don’t think they will be leaving a mark on your wrist. And as my hair seems to be particularly prone to breaking at the moment (blame the cold winter weather as well as a change in hormones in my body after giving birth 6 weeks ago!), so I do look forward to trying these. 

I got one in a pink and yellow design, and one in black and gold, which will be the one I like the best, as the other one just doesn’t match anything that I wear.

Colorsmash by Condition Culture Hair Shadow – sample 3 g (RRP US$15)

 

This hair colour looks like an eye shadow, and is supposed to be ‘smashed’ onto the hair, and sealed with a spray, and then washes out again. I was given colour called Gold Rush, which as the name suggests is a shimmering gold colour. I am glad that I got this colour, as I have seen others getting more vibrant colours, which I would never personally have used. This gold colour will no doubt look nice in especially darker hair giving it a nice look, but I am actually not entirely sure how to apply this evenly into the hair (and there are no instructions!), also because my shadow disc had completely shattered, so I will have to play around with it on a day I am not doing anything too special, just in case I stuff it up completely, and make sure that I wear some old clothes in case it creates a bit mess seeing its broken!

Goldwell Stylesign Hot Form Heat Styling Lotion – sample 30ml (RRP $24.95, 150ml)

 

As the name suggests, this is a styling lotion to be used when heat styling the hair, giving the hair protection of up to 200 degrees, which does sound pretty impressive. It is to help control frizz while also adding shine to the hair. This sounds great and I do look forward to trying this, although I have to be honest that I only hair dry and straighten my hair on very special occasions – with a six week old baby that is learning to grab onto anything and everything, I have quickly realised that I need to keep my hair up, if I don’t want to loose several handfuls of hair every day, and then there’s simply no need to style it too much, a quick pony, bun or braid does the job.

Swisse Hand Cream with Vitamin F & Pomegranate – sample 30ml (RRP$29.95, 500ml)

I think I about the only person yet to try some of the Swisse skincare products, so I am quite excited to see this hand cream in this month’s box. And being winter my hands always get so dry, and on top of that, with two dogs living inside, I  always wash my hands a lot, but now with a baby, I wash my hands even more often, which is certainly not helping my dry hands either. So I go through bucket loads of hand cream at the moment, so the timing is great. I can’t wait to try it!

Natralus NatraSan Antibacterian Hand Sanitiser Chamomile & Apple Blossom Spray – Full size (RRP $4.49, 28ml)

 

I am not normally one to use hand sanitisers. They were not around or at least readily available when I grew up, and well, I’m still alive and healthy!! But in saying that, now that we have a baby and have two dogs, I find that it is very handy thing to have, and find myself using it several times during the day, including after I’ve just changed a dirty nappy and I can’t get to the sink straight away to wash my hands because I have a baby in my arms.

I first thought that this small spray was a sample, so surprised when I realised that it was in fact a full sized product!! But it smells amazing – I love the smell of apple blossoms – and it is a nice change with a nice smelling sanitiser, as usually they all smell quite clinical and like alcohol!! This claims to kill germs, not hands, which with my dry hands (see above!), is just perfect, and I like too that it is made using 99% natural organic ingredients. This small bottle will be a perfect addition to my nappy bag!

 

Health Essentials Maqui Berry Active – 6g sachet sample (RRP $45, 150g)

 

This is an antioxidant containing 100% organic freeze dried maqui berry powder. It has three times more antioxidants than acai berries, and taken daily it has been proven to give the body all it needs to function at optimal performance!! IT can be used with smoothies, shakes, water, juice, ice-cream, yoghurt, cereal, desserts etc. This does sound very interesting and I look forward to trying it out (maybe it will temporarily help with the tiredness from getting up in the middle of the night to fee our son) but at $45 I do not think that I am likely to purchase this.

 

Overall, like last month, I thought that the July Lust Have it Box contains was a nice selection of products, which were all new to me, so I will enjoy trying them out. On terms of value, the Nude by Nature cream on its own covers the cost of the box, so really the rest of the products are just a bonus. I will enjoy trying especially the Nude by Nature cream, and also the Swisse Handcream, so for me the box is worth its cost because of these two products. And while I will use the Natralus NatraSan Antibacterian Hand Sanitiser, and the Goldwell Stylesign Hot Form Heat Styling Lotion, and the Knotties Hair Ties will also come in handy, these products just do sadly just not rock my world that much, and probably not products that I would ever have considered purchasing.

Lust Have It August Box Teaser…

Still I am looking very forward to the August Box… Lust Have It has already given a teaser of what to expect in the August box…a full-sized Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights worth $29.95…woohoo, I can’t wait to try that one out – my only worry is not getting the colour that suits my skintone..

And by the way, have you checked out Lust Have It’s new online magazine Lustre….if not, you can see it here. 

Discount Offer

Have you signed up to any monthly beauty subscription boxes? Thinking of trying the Lust Have It Box and getting a selection of new beauty products to try delivered to your door every month?

Each month the Lust Have It box includes 5 or 6 hand-picked beauty samples worth $60+ delivered to your door for only $19.95/mnth. Some of the brands you can expect to trial include: Benefit, Shiseido, Kerastase, Glasshouse and Laura Mercier to name a few. 

For more information, check out the Lust Have It website

And 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.

 

Giveaway

Well now on to the good news… the nice people at Lust Have It are wanting to give away 10…..yep, that’s right TEN Lust Have it boxes to Beauty & Lifestyle Hunter readers. This means that ten lucky readers have a chance to win a box each. How good is that!!! Chick here for further details and to enter.

Good luck everyone!

What do you think of this month’s Lust Have It box? Are you a subscriber? What were your favourite products? Or are you maybe considering subscribing?