Violet Box September 2014

For those who do not know, Violet Box is an Australian based beauty subscription service. Each month you are sent a variety of items (approx. 5-8) and they also have a shop for the products that appear in boxes should you want a replacement full size or have finished the sample and love it. You can find out more about it here or by clicking on the banner at the bottom.

My main complaint with Australian Beauty Boxes is that mine never seem to arrive within the month they are for. It’s a small thing I guess but I would personally like to receive my July box IN July not August etc. I am known to have a bit of a sook over this in my house.

Scandalous Fabulously Flirty Dry Shampoo 150ml (rrp $16.95)
Dry shampoo is always a handy product to have and I hadn’t heard of the Scandalous brand before. Guessing I’ve been living under a rock? Either way I’m not sure I would repurchase this item based on an RRP of $16.95. That seems excessive when you can get products like Batiste for much cheaper than this.

Foltene Nail Treatment (rrp $29.95)

We received a Foltene Eyebrow treatment in a previous VioletBox so it was nice to see another product from the same range. I was fully expecting this to be some kind of polish that you applied daily or something but to open it the brush is the exact same as you’d get in a lip gloss. I was like ummmm accidental? But no it’s not, it’s supposed to be like that because of the way it’s used. It is definitely a different item to those currently available in that way. I still prefer Butter London’s Horse Power but that’s just me.
 

Girlactik Eyeshadow (rrp $23)
Hmmmm silvery blue is really not my favourite shade. You cannot complain about a full size eye shadow though and I wonder if I can mix it with some other colours to dull/darken the blue. I like the more navy/sapphire combos so I might see how I can use this with those colours.

 

Starlooks Ultra Olive Gem Pencil (rrp $21.50)
I really struggle with the idea that a basic eyeliner has an rrp of more than $20. This product reminds me of all the NYX and BYS ones that you can get from Kmart and Cosmetics Plus for $4 each. So for the rrp of this one product you could get 5 different colours of those other brands. I’m not saying it’s a terrible product I just feel like it is severely overpriced for what it is.

 

Polished London Nail Enamel (rrp $8)

I received in a dusty pink colour which is a nice fairly normal colour. We have previously established how “amazing” I am with nail polish so I will not be fanatical about it but it is very similar to the colours I will ask someone else to paint my nails if that helps any?

 

Overall
Ok so complaints about shipping across all Australian Beauty Boxes aside the contents of this Violet Box are pretty good. Everything was full size and there were some really useful items like the Dry Shampoo and the nail treatment. Violet boxes are a good way to keep up with new mainstream products rather than some of the others I receive (i.e. Memebox which has taken over my blog). I think it would be great if you could add some kind of beauty profile to your account that might change what colours etc. you receive but I can understand why that might work out more bad than good for Violet Box.

Do you receive Violet Box? What did you think of this boxes contents? Are you having shipping issues with other boxes? Let me know!

 

Affiliate links are used in this post.

 

Memebox Superbox #45 Korea's Most Wanted

This box excited me a lot when I first heard about it. You may not know but Memebox also has a Korean version where the whole Memebox thing started and they also have monthly “Get It Beauty” boxes. This box is supposed to be a combination of great K-Beauty products agreed on by both sides of the business.
 

Shara Shara Tinted Style Lip Gloss 4.5g (rrp $11)

Have to admit I have avoided any kind of tints like the plague up until this point so my hopes were not high. I received this product in a nice coral colour. It doesn’t taste that great so be careful when you’re putting it on not to eat it. I found I could really layer it to get a very bright colour if I wanted. Really don’t mind it. I wouldn’t buy another one but now I won’t judge other tints before I try them.
 

Makeup Helper Pact 23g (rrp $23)

This is a really pretty highlighter/finishing powder compact. I love it! It’s so nice to look at and I highly doubt you would lose it in your handbag given it’s the size of a coaster. I realise something that size may not work for everyone but with all the gear I carry around these days this items size is perfection.

Hope Girl Nail Travel Bling Bling Set 5g x 3ea (rrp $14)

I’ll be honest, I don’t like nail polish. Sure I love a mani/pedi as much as the next lady but doing your own? No thank you! Having said that this item has been sent out by Memebox in a Global box awhile back and I haven’t heard any other bloggers lamenting that they’ve now got two. This got me thinking, perhaps it isn’t terrible? Plus it came with instructions, how hard can it be? Hard!!! Ok so maybe not for a regular female but if you’re as uncoordinated as I am this may end in tragedy and you need to accept that some women just aren’t made for perfectly polished nails done by themselves. *No image taken of failure due to epic proportions of it!

Blithe Patting Water Pack 200ml (rrp $46)

Patting water sounds a bit suss I know but it is supposed to mimic the residue left over from a sheet mask so that you can save time doing the actual mask and just put the goodness on your skin direct. A good product for nights when you don’t have a lot of time available. Anything to make your routine quicker helps!

Pure Skin Ice Cooling and Soothing Patch 5g x 5ea (rrp $18)

Not entirely sold on the use of this product however I am going to the beach for a few days soon and these little babies will be coming along just in case I get sunburnt from falling asleep outside. This is a thing, all overtired Mums who get left alone for more than 5 minutes of silence turn into narcolepts and if you don’t you are either lying or drinking too much coffee in a day!

Pure Skin Lemon Blueberry Rejuvenating Overnight Mask 100ml (rrp $46)

Blergh! The smell of this product is hideous! I cannot even focus on how this product could be good for me because I am too preoccupied feeling ill at the prospect of having the smell on my face overnight. If you like the idea of floor cleaner smell on your face all night go right ahead but I am going to stick to my guns on this one.

 

Overall

I quite like that this box was a bit mishmash and can honestly say that I never would’ve looked at any of these of my own accord. That may sound like a negative but that’s actually why I joined up to Memebox in the first place and I am still loving the concept.

 

How do you feel about these products? Are you guilty of falling asleep in the sun? Is the scent of floor cleaner one of your guilty pleasures? Let me know!

Memebox Codes
$5 off any purchase during October: 2GC6
 (You can use one 4-digit code and one 6-digit code per month)

$5 off your order when you purchase 3 Memeboxes: MEMEBUNDLE3 

$8 off your order when you purchase 4 Memeboxes: MEMEBUNDLE4 

Free shipping on orders above $70 from Memeshop: FREESHIPPING

Spend $100+ through my referral link and automatically save $5!

Spend $150+ through my referral link and automatically save $10!

(Referral deals can be combined with codes)

Referral Only Deals
   Click here or the banner below to see a list of Memeboxes that give you points back for purchasing.

Memebox Special #30 Tea Cosmetics

I was pretty keen on this box by Memebox. It sounds like an odd ingredient to go for but trust me when I say it is actually really boring in the grand scheme of things but that there are LOTS of great products that have different teas in them.
*This post is a bit later than the Scrub box that arrived at the same time as I waited until I came back from holidays to post given I took some of the products with me to try out.

 

  

E Choice Fermented Tea Skin Drinks Sleeping Pack 70g (rrp $2)

This had a really interesting consistency out of the tube. Like a matte gel. However once you start applying it went very glossy like a normal gel product. I liked that the scent wasn’t very strong and despite having about 5 layers of moisture on my face already this product still absorbed fairly quickly. I actually used this over a Jurlique night cream and I was really happy with how good my skin felt the next morning.

 

A;T Fox Tea Toc Water Clear Tablet 4g (rrp $2)

This super cute little pyramid is a tea bag and fizzer on the inside. Just about impossible to open the box without damaging the super cute packaging. Could have cried. Reading up about it though I really like that once you have used however much you need for that session you can store the rest of the liquid in a spritzer style bottle for future use. I went out and bought an empty bottle just for this purpose.

 

A;T Fox Gyoolpy Tea Fresh Water 100ml (rrp $10)

More cute things! You may think ok if has a little fox on the front but it really isn’t that cute. You would be wrong. This little fox is the same one on all A;T Fox products and to me he is a symbol of quality. You still think I’m crazy. I know it. BUT these are also the same people who made the little cupcake items from the My Cute Wishlist. Now do you see why I’m such a weirdo about it?

 

The Skin House Lavender Lightening Emulsion 120ml (rrp $40)
This was the biggest item in the box and also the one that really confused me. It is a Lavender Tea product. Now I have never made tea out of lavender so I’m not going to say it can’t be done, only that I’ve never seen it! Then when I tried to find out more information on it The Skin House website itself doesn’t even mention tea. Either way nice product all the same!

 

A•TRUE Miniature Set + Black Tea Bag 2pcs

Sweet Song Black Tea One-Step Cleansing Water 20ml (Full Size rrp $37)

Very handy little product and I took it away for 4 nights and it has not yet run out!

Vanilla Black Tea Day Relief Body Wash 20ml (Full Size rrp $32)

Body wash is fairly handy for travelling and this one had a nice light scent to it and was a thinner consistency so I felt went further.

Himalaya Black Tea Watery Gel Cream 15g (Full Size rrp $49)

Gel creams are usually a bit lighter than your usual night creams but go well as a part of the morning routine before your makeup goes on.

White Snow Tea Brilliant Essence 20ml (Full Size rrp $55)

This product isn’t heavy but it is creamy so if you plan on also using a gel style product maybe use this one afterwards.

Black Tea All Day Long Sun Cream SPF50+PA+++ 10g (Full Size rrp $36)

How appropriate given I live in Australia. Thank you Memebox! I’m sure this wasn’t put in just for me but you almost never see a mini sun cream in a travel cosmetics kit. It wasn’t as thick as a traditional sun cream but I didn’t feel like there was less coverage than normal.

 
 

Overall

This box was great value for me, the single use looking item can actually be saved for reuse, decent travel sized products were included, the sleeping pack was good quality and not heavily scented and the emulsion product was huge!

 

Would you buy a box with Tea based products? Have you tried different tea style beauty before? Do you see the idea of being able to save a product you make up on the spot for later as a good thing or bad thing and why? Let me know!

Memebox Codes
$5 off any purchase during October: 2GC6
 (You can use one 4-digit code and one 6-digit code per month)

$5 off your order when you purchase 3 Memeboxes: MEMEBUNDLE3 

$8 off your order when you purchase 4 Memeboxes: MEMEBUNDLE4 

Free shipping on orders above $70 from Memeshop: FREESHIPPING

Spend $100+ through my referral link and automatically save $5!

Spend $150+ through my referral link and automatically save $10!

(Referral deals can be combined with codes)

Referral Only Deals
   Click here or the banner below to see a list of Memeboxes that give you points back for purchasing.

Memebox Special #29 Scrub Box

I was more than happy to purchase this box in a Bundle when I saw it become available. I didn’t have any particular products I hoped would be in it and I wasn’t overly excited about it but scrubs in general are just really useful so this box was a good call for me!

 Insobeau Natural Base Cereal Peeling Mask 150ml (rrp $27)
Gah another peeling mask! This one is supposed to be “all-natural” though so maybe I won’t have the awful burn like when I used the Arrahan one. Bullet was bitten and I decided to do a patch test. First off, this product is a different consistency to the Arrahan and seems to stick a lot more to the skin rather than be a gel. Secondly, I will not be sticking this product on my face as I now have a fire engine red inner forearm and it feels a bit hot like early sunburn. It would seem that the active ingredient in peeling masks and I do not mix. I will continue to try them as they come in future boxes because surely there will be one that works for me!?!?

 

Eglips JolieBeBe Lip Polish 15ml (rrp $7)

I prefer a lip polish to a lip scrub. You may think I’m crazy and that there is no difference but I’ve found that when I use polishes they feel more like a cream exfoliator and when I use a scrub it is more waxy like a cheap lip balm. The lip polish I have been using is a Nutrimetics one and I must say that I like this one better. It’s in a tube rather than a tub which is more hygienic. It is a fairly rough scrub so do have a good lip treatment for after but a good product.

 

The Herb Factory Foot Scrub Peppermint and Tea Tree 200g (rrp $14)

This scrubs scent reminds me a lot of The Body Shop peppermint foot scrub and the price is on par also except you get more in this one. I actually prefer the consistency of this product to The Body Shop version also. There was just something about that other texture that used to weird me out a bit.

Pibugonggam G Facial Scrub 50g (rrp $13)

The beads in this scrub are actually fairly rough. This is the kind of scrub that you do less seldom so that you don’t scrub your face off. But still good!

 

Tosowoong Perfume Body Scrub Wash 160g (rrp $19)

This one is certainly scented but not in a strong way and I can’t quite pick a definite scent either. I have so far enjoyed each Tosowoong product that I have tried and this one is no different. I also didn’t have a body scrub on the go so this one went straight in the shower.

 

New Girl Fast Scalp Hair Root Up Ampoule 20ml (rrp $6)

This product is a lot like a cleanser made for your scalp. I am personally really happy with my own hair but after trying the Likke one of these from a previous box my Hubby, he has volunteered for any more I receive to also be used on him. I personally just think he likes that he gets a head massage with it but I get a little bit of extra pampering every now and then just reminds him that I love him.

 

Overall

I wasn’t particularly excited about the contents of the box but it will all be used. As I mentioned earlier I didn’t really have any expectations and I didn’t really expect to be wowed by anything but I know these products will be used and this was money well spent even though the peeling mask and I are definitely not friends.

 

 

Do you find this box exciting? Do you find different scrubs a useful part of your routine? Am I crazy and this box is the most exciting thing you’ve ever seen? Let me know!

Memebox Codes
$5 off any purchase during September: S7FWKI

$5 off any purchase during September: 0OOV
 (You can use one 4-digit code and one 6-digit code per month)

$5 off your order when you purchase 3 Memeboxes: MEMEBUNDLE3 

$8 off your order when you purchase 4 Memeboxes: MEMEBUNDLE4 

Free shipping on orders above $70 from Memeshop: FREESHIPPING

Spend $100+ through my referral link and automatically save $5!

Spend $150+ through my referral link and automatically save $10!

(Referral deals can be combined with codes)

Referral Only Deals
   Click here or the banner below to see a list of Memeboxes that give you points back for purchasing.

GoodnessMe Box September 2014

Yay! Another GoodnessMe Box! How I love these J

If you haven’t heard of GoodnessMe box before it is a monthly food subscription box service with a healthy twist. All of the items placed into the box need to be at least two or more of the following: organic, sustainable, raw, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free or vegan. There are 5 – 10 health food goodies in each box and also recipe cards for ideas on how to use them. For more info you can go to the website here.

 

 

This month’s box had a few items I have actually wanted to try for a little while so I was stoked to see them in the box.

Brookfarm Entertainer Brothers Blend 75g (rrp $4.95)

Last month when I got the Brookfarm Porrij I answered a survey asking if there are other Brookfarm products I’d like to try and I picked this one. Talk about a quick turnaround! The maple syrup and salt flavours mix nicely together and I found myself picking out my favourites; almonds, macadamias and pepitas; and eating those first. I really enjoyed these and my sister has also recommended the Walkabout Mix so that might be next!

Meko Coconut Water 310ml (rrp $3)

Coconut water isn’t something I use all the time but it has made me learn about new things, such as how to freeze it so that the tetra packs don’t go off in my fridge! Turns out I was doing it wrong (novel idea I know) but I shouldn’t have been buying them in the 1L packs, I should have been purchasing them the size of this Meko can. Or smaller. Depending on whether I am making something to share or not. Good thing I don’t feel completely silly now.

 

Cocolife Coconut Oil Spray 150g (rrp $8.95)

Oil sprays are so very handy, I am particularly looking forward to using them instead of olive oil spray when baking. I find olive oil spray leaves a bit of a taste. You aren’t supposed to have any taste with Coconut Oil Spray but even if you did a light coconut taste isn’t a bad thing!

Leda Nutrition Banana Leda Bar 80g (rrp $1.90)

These remind me of the baked snack bars that you can get in vending machines. I spoke to my nutritionist who said they are very similar but with less added sugar and more fibre. So if you have an addiction to the big block snack bars from vending machines (my older sister I’m looking at you!) then perhaps this item would be a good one to swap it with. They also come in other flavours if the idea of a Banana bar grosses you out but I cut this into pieces and fed it to my sister, hubby and eldest son who all enjoyed it. I cut it into 8 and I’m quite sure my son ended up with almost half the bar. It’s a good thing it’s full of healthy things!

Yousli Gluten Freedom 500g (rrp $14.95)
Oh my GoodnessMe!!! This is the most amazing muesli I have ever tried! Never thought I would get so excited over muesli or something that was particularly gluten free because that isn’t a big deal to me but this is seriously good. I mixed it with some berry greek yoghurt and absolutely went to town. It was only a “single” serving but I don’t eat a lot and I found that because I was mixing it with the yoghurt I was able to get a few uses out of the packet.
Would I buy it again? Actually I already have. I’m not kidding it really is THAT good!

 

Natvia Natural Sweetner 4 x 2g sticks (rrp $4.99)

Everyone has heard about stevia and how it’s a natural sweetener so having some single serve Natvia sachets is handy for when travelling or even if you have someone come over you doesn’t like plain old sugar. I am a sugar girl but I will occasionally use Stevia just to change it up a bit. I like to live on the edge…….

Artisana Nut and Seed Butters 30.5g (rrp $3.95)
Aha! I didn’t even know you could get this product in Australia! I have had no end of trouble trying to find it……. Spoke to my local health food store and they have just started stocking it. I got the Coconut Butter and you may wonder what is so special about this product and I blame food blogger Chocolate Covered Katie. I am not vegan (Katie is) but I do enjoy everything I make from her blog. Often when an item does need to be chocolate coated she will use the Artisana butter when making it up. I now have the chance to do that myself. Um YAY!

 
Kokopod Chocolate Smoky Black Bar 100g (rrp $10)
I’ll admit I really wasn’t sure whether I would enjoy this or not. I’m not a fan of all the salted caramel stuff going around and I did have a bit of an internal groan when I saw someone put salt on chocolate. HOWEVER! The salt taste is very mild and only when you first put the chocolate in your mouth, everything after that is rich dark chocolatey goodness. I was set to be disappointed by this product but in the end was pleasantly surprised. Chocolate – overcoming any barriers to continue being awesome!

The Beauty Chef Glow $20 Voucher

150g product retails for $59.95
I did a fair bit of reading about this product because even with the voucher there is still a $40 outlay (not including shipping). There are both good and bad comments but kudos to The Beauty Chef for actually allowing the less positive reviews to be posted on their website. I have seen far too many companies being very selective with what is displayed on their sites and it can lead to disappointed customers (i.e. ME!)

Pros: Really good for you

Cons: Gritty texture

Given that I have vital greens and magnesium powder almost every day I am kind of used to having a gritty texture so I have decided to bite the bullet and give this product a go. Maybe I will alternate it and my greens so that I’m not looking at something green every morning. I’m not expecting miracles but every little bit of extra goodness helps right?

BONUS GIFT RosehipPlus Rosehip Oil Roll-on 15ml (rrp $14.95)

*Not a food item but a great added bonus instead*
I’ve been hearing all the good things about Rosehip Oil for a while now but had so far not tried it. Quite a number of brands are stocking similar products and the plain oils seems to be the most popular. I’ve heard it can do amazing things for scars, acne, psoriasis etc. I can tell you it’s good for your cuticles? Don’t yell at me but that seemed like a good place to test it out the first time. So if you don’t have a nail oil but you have some Rosehip Oil lying around don’t be shy give it a go.

Overall

Despite being very open about not being a health nut I do really love these boxes. I get really excited when they arrive mainly because it’s food and there is always something ready to eat as soon as you open the box. Even if you don’t love that one item there is still something in there screaming “EAT ME!” the minute you open the box. Maybe that’s just me though?

Have you tried GoodnessMe? Are you a Coco-Nut? Do you get excited at the option of making your own muesli with someone else doing the actual hard work? Let me know!

Red Pawpaw - September 2014

Just a quick unboxing of this month’s Red Pawpaw box and my brief thoughts on everything. I subscribe to this box because I really like being able to try things I might not have seen before or never noticed, handy to get products I already use or brands I know I like as well.

 

Wholeberry Folk Cinnamon Raisin Cookies 300g

Would’ve preferred the cupcakes but still happy enough to try these and had never seen the brand before they arrived in the box.
 

Finish Lemon Sparkle Power Foaming Gel 400ml

Not my first choice but can’t really go wrong with dishwashing liquid.
 

Air Wick Rare Scents Snowy Mountain Berries Candle

Really lovely scent until it’s burnt about halfway down. Now it is headache inducing.

Millicano Wholebean Instant Carte Noire Coffee 100g

Not an instant coffee drinker but definitely handy to have in the house!

Cottee’s 45% Less Sugar Fruit Crush Drinks 250ml x 2ea

Tropical and Apple Raspberry flavours received, didn’t personally enjoy them but had no problems giving them to my son who was over the moon.

Dolmio Italian Meal Base Spaghetti Bolognese

Did not make this as per the instructions (I like lots of vegetables in my dinners) but very delicious all the same.

Maille Dijon Originale Mustard 25g

Already use this brand in the wholegrain mustard so the Dijon was welcome and how cute was the mini jar.

Sour Patch Kids 65g

I don’t like these lollies….. I get the idea but I just don’t enjoy these and my son thinks they taste “funny” I asked what was funny but he said he didn’t know they were just “funny”.

Vetta High Fibre Spaghetti 500g

Had this with the Dolmio mix, didn’t taste any different to regular pasta so we were happy.

 

Biozet Attack Rapid Laundry Detergent 19ml x 3ea

Very handy size for travel. I prefer Omo to Biozet purely because I buy laundry pods (snob that I am) but if Biozet ever had a capsule I could be persuaded to try them.

Glad Bake Cooking Paper 5m
Very handy! And on my shopping list already. Lucky break on that one!

Overall

Pretty happy with this box overall. ALTHOUGH if you are going to put cleaning products in the same box with food they really need to be separated in some way or even in a zippy bag. Chemicals and food is a dangerous mix and spillages are sure to occur at some point?

 

I know that a lot of complaints have been made over charge costs with this company previously but I have been happy with them so far and have been lucky enough to not have any damaged products arrive. Now I’ve jinxed myself.

Do you get Red Pawpaw? Is a standard style grocery line box of interest to you? Perhaps you’ve been one of the unlucky ones with damaged products? Let me know!