Unsubscribing from "the boxes"

Hi Pretties

Today I wanted to talk about my decision to unsubscribe from "the boxes".  By the boxes I mean Bellabox and LustHaveIt.

I have been subscribed to Bellabox since March and LustHaveIt since around June and was initially elated with the boxes.  I've gotten some great stuff in each box, and really enjoyed many of the products.  BUT, I have not tried one product that I wish to repurchase, and have more lotions and skin scrubs than I can poke a stick at.  I'm not wanting to sound ungrateful as I really appreciate what each of these boxes are doing, but I have decided they are not for me.  The novelty has worn off.

Cancelling both my memberships has left me with an extra $30 each month which I am now spending on a gym membership at the cost of $32 a month.  My body will thank me for it!

Bellabox
From my experiences with Bellabox I have really enjoyed their boxes.  They seem to be focused on more natural, skincare type products.  Again, I have not wanted to purchase anything I have tried and I have received a hell of a lot of brown lipsticks from them.  No so fussed on the brown.  Another complaint I have with Bellabox is the shipping.  Now I know they can only do so much and Australia Post does the rest, but for some reason I get to read all the blog posts on a Friday about what people have received, and I don't get my box until the following Monday.  If only they would ship out all the boxes on a Monday, everyone would receive them in the same week.

LustHaveIt
LustHaveIt seems to be a bit more of a fun box.  I've gotten more hair care and makeupy type items from LustHaveIt.  Although lately the boxes seem to be lacking a little in terms of content.  Possibly due to the takeover of Glossy Box and the new Eco-Boxes it may have all become a little too much for them to handle. In terms of shipping I seem to be one of the first to get the LustHaveIt box, but they do come later in the month.  I don't really have complaints about the box coming later as it still comes in the month it is expected.

If I had to chose between the two I would chose Bellabox.  They are more consistent and seem a little more stable, but if skincare is not for you then avoid this box!

Tell me, are you still subscribed to the boxes?

August Lust Have It - Open Box

Hey Pretties!

My August Lust Have It arrived today and the theme of the month is Fun and Flirty.  Unlike normal months where Lust Have It arrives in a colourful makeup bag, this month came in a large box instead.  I don't mind the makeup bags but I do prefer the box.  I feel obliged to keep the makeup bags but I really don't need them.  For me, a box is a little more useful.

This box contained contained a whopping total of 7 items!  That's pretty huge!

From left to right, back to front this box contains;

Appelles Body Booster Skin Lotion
Appelles Skin Detox Shower Gel
TanGo Tanning Glove
ModelCo Eyeliner in Black
Tigi Rockaholic Rock Out Shine Blaster
Appelles Body Bar Vegetable Soap
Mark Jacobs DOT Fragrance

I have mixed emotions about some of the products in this box.  The Tanning Glove has got me beat.  For one, it is not a glove but rather a strip of material quite similar to a face washer.  The $29.95 RRP on this stuns me and as I don't really self tan this product is not very useful for that purpose.  I do think it will make a nice face washer though.

ModelCo is a brand that confuses me also.  While I'm the first person to put my hand up and say "I love makeup items" I have never purchased a ModelCo eyeliner yet this is now the 4th one in my drawer.  They come in everything!  At least they are decent :)

The Appelles Body Bar Vegetable Soap is marketed at being 'unisex'.  Huh??  Since when are soaps discriminatory?

I guess my confusion is not with Lust Have It but the companies supplying the products and their interesting marketing tactics and the naming of their products.  A glove with no finger holes, a brand that I have quite a collection of that I have never purchased and unisex soap.  Gets me giggly lol.

Anyways back to LustHaveIt I am quite fond of this box and look forward to trying the products (however strange the marketing ploys may be).  Oh, and I LOVE the smell of the Tigi product.  Smells like lollies.

What was in your LustHaveIt?

Shopping My Stash - Day Two

Hi Pretties

Welcome to shopping my stash day two.  I managed to use another 5 neglected items today.

First up is a ModelCo lipgloss from a LustHaveIt in Showgirl red.  No real reason for neglecting this product I just prefer lipsticks.  This gloss has a nice sheer tint to it and it quite shiny.  This is not sticky at all which is really nice.

Next up is another product from my Priceline gift with purchase bag from a couple of months ago.  This is a nice Australis blush from the Paparazzi Perfect line in Poser.  I neglect this because it is very pigmented.  Even if I use a stippling brush to lightly apply it is very dark and can almost look muddy at times.  By the end of the day when it has started to wear off my skin it is a much prettier colour.

Another neglected Mac product.  This is an eyeshadow in the colour Blanc Type.  The only real reason this gets neglected is most palettes have a highlight shade that is just easier to use than this one being a single shadow.  I wore this across the lid today and as a brow highlight.

Fourth product is the colour 284 from the Loreal Studio Secrets range.  I wore this in my crease today for a very natural look.  I don't generally reach for this eyeshadow much as it is not overly pigmented and takes a bit of work to get a good colour pay off.  It's too much hard work of a morning.

Lastly is another old, old bronzer.  This particular one is by Face of Australia called Outback bronze.  A little too shimmery for a bronzing powder as I much prefer a matte bronzer (like Hoola!).  It is also the type where you shake a little out into the lid so it is a little hard to get an even application with a large brush.

Thanks for reading my pretties.

Have you shopped your stash today?

June Lust Have It - Open Box

Wow pretties.  This year is rolling around so fast.

This week saw the arrival of both Bellabox and LustHaveIt.  This is the first month that the ex-Glossyboxes and the LustHaveIt's received the same box.  You think they would go off with a bang.  Firstly there was no tracking number for this box so I didn't know when it was coming (except that I seemed to be one of the last bloggers to receive my box this month!)

I can't say I'm impressed with this months box/bag.  Although the bright purple bag is kind of fun though, I'd rather something disposable as I really don't need all of these bags.  Here is what I received.  Please excuse the pump bottle in the background I needed to hold everything up somehow.

The first product I received is a travel size Batiste dry shampoo.  While this will come in handy as I do love the Batiste dry shampoo and am a regular re-purchaser, I wouldn't call a product that retails for $9.99 full size a luxury sample.

The second and third products I pulled out were perfume samples.  I HATE perfume samples.  I already have the perfumes I like so I always dislike receiving a perfume sample, let alone 2 samples.  I feel as though they couldn't come up with enough products to give people so they gave them there.  By the way, you can get these free at most counters anyway.  The scents I got were Mark Jacobs 'Lola' and Roberto Cavalli 'self titled?'

Fourth product is a little better.  It is by Bloom and it is a liquid eyeliner.  I got the colour Star Gazer which is a black/silvery glitter.  This is a bit more fun but I'm also not sure how much use I will get out of glittery eyeliner.  At 25 I kind of feel a little old for it, so I'm not sure who older receivers of this will feel.  I guess you can rock glitter at any age though.

Fifth and sixth are by Lon Vitalite 24k gold.  These are both masks, one facial and one for the eyes.  I'm pretty meh on these.  I guess they will be a bit of fun.

So there you have it.  June LustHaveIt.  Can't say I'm impressed.  Hopefully next month will be better!

Project X Pan - 6 down!

Boom!

Another one bites the dust......

This time I have finished off the Bioderma Crealine H20 (Make up remover) that I received in the May LustHaveIt. While this is a great travel sized product, I tend to hoard travel size products and do way more hoarding and less travelling.  So I'm going to use up my travel bits and pieces.

This product is ok.  Not brilliant and certainly not worth the price tag, but it is very very gentle and I think it would be great for sensitive skin.

Skin items chosen

Nutrimetics Clear Deep Cleansing Exfoliant - 1/8 remaining

Palmers Line Smoothing Eye Cream - 1/8 remaining

Bioderma Make up remover - 7/8 remaining

Bellamer Eye Balm Sample - 1/2 remaining

Hair items chosen

Chi Silk Infusion - 1/4 remaining

Make up items chosen

Maybelline Mineral Powder Foundation - 1/4 remaining

Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation Sample - 7/8 remaining

Loreal Matte Morphose Foundation - Scrapings really

Perfume

Calvin Klein Sheer Beauty Sample - 1/2 remaining

DKNY Pure Sample - 1/8 remaining

Extras

Dove Visable Beauty Moisturizer