Bella Box - March, 2013

 

Some versions of March's Bella Box received a full sized Clinique lipstick.  I was not so lucky.  Instead I got a much cheaper very nude lip gloss.  Not nearly as exciting.  This month's box was OK, not standout special and not horrible either.  If I'd received the lipstick I would have been much more pleased with the offerings, but it was still value for money without.  Here's what was in my box:

Swisse Active Recover Bar in Chocolate Coconut (full size value $3.95)

The product card said that this was supposed to be the "Energy" bar that is for consuming prior to exercise.  Instead I received the "Recover" bar that is for consuming post exercise.  Regardless, I no longer do serious exercise following a knee reconstruction so this isn't the kind of product I'm interested in.  I did try a tiny piece just to see what it tasted like.  It was suprisingly bland, it tasted of coconut but not really sweet at all.  My husband polished off the rest of the bar so it must have not been too bad.  I received the 60g bar which retails for $3.95 per bar, despite Bella Box's product information card saying that bars are $2.39 per bar.  The 30g bar is listed on Swisse's website at $2.95 per bar and the "Energy" bars aren't $2.39 either so it looks like Bella Box really needed to do a bit more proof-reading on their information card this month.  I'm actually happy to receive a food product as a bonus product with Bella Box, but I'd prefer gourmet teas or chocolates/fudges rather than exercise related products.

Simunovich Olive Estate Olive Shower Gel (deluxe sample size)

I love getting shower gel in sample boxes because I know it's a product I will use.  The sample was a decent size and smells lovely and "clean".  It's a man-friendly shower gel if you like to share in the bathroom.  It lathered well and I'd like to try some of the other products by this manufacturer.

Ocean Essence Coconut Body Milk (deluxe sample size)

Something strange is going on with the pricing for this product.  Bella Box is selling 20ml in their shop (the sample I received is 20ml) for $4.95.  There's no way anyone is going to pay that much for just 20ml of product!  The website listed on the rear of the product (www.oceanessenceskincare.com) does not exist and if you add an ".au" to the url you get a site which does not list this product for sale.  It's a very nice product and I love the coconut scent but it's so strange that I can't find it anywhere else on the web and Bella Box is only selling tiny tiny tubes of it. 

Designer Brands Lip Pencil in Nude (full size value $4.99)

I don't use lip pencils.  I have never had trouble with my lipstick bleeding or running so I've never wanted to try one.  In the spirit of experimentation I did try this lip pencil, but I didn't manage to completely line my lips because it was so painful.  There must be a trick to it that I don't know.  Designer Brands website says their lip pencils are "luxuriously soft" but I can say after experience that they are hard and spiky and hurt.  I did like the sharpener included in the lid.  I'd like to see eyeliner pencils come with their own sharpener in the lid too.  That would be quite handy.

Guerlian La Petite Robe Noire Eau De Toilette (vial)

Yummy.  I found the scent to be quite powdery, a real "french lingerie" smell if that makes sense at all.  It smells very "clean" and "pretty".  A full sized bottle of this perfume is very pricy indeed, even for the Eau De Toilette.  I think the bottle would look classier without the picture of the black dress on it, but that's a pretty minor point.

Yes to Carrots Lip Gloss in Playful Nude (full size value $9.95)

I have a tinted lip balm by Yes to Carrots that I love and wear all the time.  It's so pigmented I actually wear it as a lipstick.  This lip gloss was sheer with a tiny hint of sparkle.  It's what you would expect from a shade called "Playful Nude" but it's not the shade I would have chosen.  Yes to Carrots website lists this as available online in the US only and their Australian distributer Priceline doesn't have it listed on their website so this might be slightly tricky to get your hands on.  Bella Box is selling it in their online shop and looking at the available shades I wished I had received "Red Hot" (which isn't available on Bella Box's website by the way, though it is one of the shades in this range).  I will use this, I like it as a sheer gloss, I would have just preferred a brighter colour.

And that's it for Bella Box this month.  As usual it had some hits (the perfume, body milk and shower gel), an OK product (the lip gloss) and some misses (the exercise bar and lip pencil) and the inclusion of two makeup products was greatly appreciated.

Check out other bloggers reviews of this month's box:

Imminent Beauty
Kitsch Snitch
Beauty Behind the Imperfections
Katy's Beauty Secrets

Bella Box - February, 2013

 

Bella Box is here, bringing this month's bit of luxury to my mail box.  Luckily they didn't include any chocolate for Valentine's Day because we're sweltering in the middle of a heat wave.  The box came with Valentine's themed wrapping and product card but missed Valentine's Day by four days.  I got one product I'm extremely excited about, so I'll talk about that one first:

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Mermaid's Tale (full size)

I think this is the most beautiful nail polish I've ever seen.  Blue/green with big sparkles.  It also says it's chip resistant so I'm trying it without my Seche Vite top coat to see how long it lasts on its own.  I love this so much I think I would almost have been happy if the box was empty except for this one product!

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Blush (deluxe sample size)

I've read the instructions, I've watched online videos, but dry shampoos just don't seem to do anything for me.  I've even waited until my hair is completely ready to be washed and used the dry shampoo again, and it just doesn't seem to make any noticeable difference.  I have heard that dry shampoos are good for adding texture to fine straight hair, and as mine is thick and wavy that's not something I've ever had to worry about.  Blush does smell pretty at least.

U Skin Solutions Clarifying Cleansing Gel (sample size, enough for two applications)

This smells amazing.  I think there's Lemon Myrtle in there which is my favourite thing of all time.  Just try one of Haighs Lemon Myrtle Creams and you'll see what I mean.  Yum!

Banana Boat Sport SPF 30+ (sachet)

Luckily this was the bonus product because sunscreen is a bit of a non-event for me.  I'm just not excited about it.  It's more of a medicinal product.  We'll use the sachet next time we want sunscreen, but I just can't get all revved up about sunscreen.  It's just... sunscreen.

John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls Curl Perfecting Spray (deluxe sample size)

This product is right up my alley.  I have thick wavy hair which can be coaxed into a curl with the right product and preventing frizz is always on my radar.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Oil (deluxe sample size)

I got a really decent amount of this - 10ml is enough oil to last a long time as a little bit goes a long way.  I'm most excited to try this on my hair, but as I tried the John Freida product I'm not due to wash my hair again for a few days and I don't want to wait that long to post this review.  So I tried the oil on my legs instead.  It leaves a shiny film which actually looks quite nice, very "beachy", and would be good to wear if you're planning to wear a miniskirt and bare legs.  The scent is subtle but quite pleasant.

Check out other bloggers reviews of this month's box:

Laura Lam
The Ainsleeyx
Luxury on the Lips
The Beaute Buzz

Bella Box

Photograph from www.bellabox.com.au.  Thanks.

Bella Box is Australia's other major beauty sampling subscription box.  They do a monthly box of 5 samples which are a mix of deluxe sample sizes and sachets with a full sized product every so often.  Boxes are a mixture of hair care, skin care and makeup products.

The boxes are quite well packaged in a sturdy brown box which looks quite classy, and inside the products are wrapped in tissue paper and a pretty ribbon.  Boxes are usually themed (i.e. Australia Day, Christmas) and decorated accordingly.  They make a pretty good gift actually.


Photograph from www.bellabox.com.au.  Thanks.  This photograph shows the range of full sized products that were in their January, 2013 box.  The actual boxes contained sample sizes of a selection of these products.

Bella Box do use a beauty profile to customize products to people's skin tone, etc, though in my experience it is not always used.  My profile shows that I have sensitive skin but I received a facial cleanser that reacted badly with my skin and left me with a red sore face for three weeks.  I'm a little more cautious about trying new cleansers now and do a patch test before trying anything new.

On the positive side their December 2012 box contained a full sized Savoir Faire Limited Edition Kit valued at $110 which was an amazing Christmas bonus and was very well received around the web as you can imagine.

The boxes cost $15 a month, and they currently offer one box free if you purchase a year's subscription at $165.  Bella Box also offer a men's box and baby box and are currently the only Australian company to offer a men's box.  They also have an extensive and impressive list of brands available including my favourites A'kin, Bobbi Brown, Bourjois, Glamourflage, Lush, Mor and Natio.