Glossy Box January 2012 Review

Hi Guys!

I just received my Glossy Box January Edition in the mail today (January 23rd) and wanted to share. As always it arrived impeccably presented.

It was so alluring that it attracted other admirers even though my house is full of boys.










Glossy HQ also Included: a sheet of Australia themed tattoos for Australia Day - I thought these were really cute. A gift card worth $25.00 for TheIconic.com.au. A gift card for $5.00 off the Glossy Box for men which retails at 19.95 per quarter.

Winston decided he would help me unwrap and present the glossy box.





Normally he reserves he attentions for the outer packaging.

Inside we discovered five lovely looking products.

Mirenesse Tight Liner Hydra Gel Eye Liner in Sapphire Blue - This beautifully packaged smudge-proof eyeliner with a felt-tip style applicator can be used on the inner eye to tight line or the outer eye. The color is a gorgeous royal blue and when I swatched it, it went on smooth and crack free. Formulated for sensitive eyes and free from parabens, alcohol and talc. (Retails for 29.95)

Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturizer - This moisturizer is designed to keep dry skin hydrated for 24 hours with almond oil and vitamin E. Feels OK on my hands as a test but it may not be as hydrating as what I'm used to. Nice light and fresh fragrance. (5.40 for 250ml)

Kosmea Daily Facial Exfoliant - I've been really interested in trying this Australian brand. They are known for their natural products that include high amounts of organic and natural ingredients. Additionally, they formulate a lot of their products around the benefits of Rose Hip seed oil. On the box this says for all skin types but on the Glossy Box card it says "not suitable for sensitive or fair skin." Well, which is it? Despite this conflicting advice, the ingredients list looks great with some of the key ingredients in addition to rose hip oil being: chamomile flowers, Shea butter, Vitamin E, grape seed oil, macadamia seed oil, and grapefruit seed extract. The exfoliant is a fine paste which seems suitable for my (sensitive and fair) skin as long as I don't rub too hard. (39.95 for 125 grams)

Sheer Cover Nourishing Moisturizer - This facial moisturizer is oil and fragrance free and includes an SPF of 15. Seems like a simple moisturizer that will do a good everyday job. However, I do find it a bit of a strange product choice. Sheer Cover is known for their mineral makeup powders and I would have preferred a small sample of their makeup in a light shade over this moisturizer. (29.95 for 60ml)

Sheer Cover Lipgloss in Pink Praline- This is a pretty shade of gloss that feels smooth and looks nice on the lips. Contains apricot and coconut oil, aloe extract and shea butter. And someone literally couldn't keep his paws off it. (Retails for 19.95)

Did you get Glossy Box this month? What did you think?

x Danielle

*Disclaimer: I received this box for free because I won a competition through Glossy Box. All opinions are 100% honest and my own as per usual*

Bella Box January 2012!

Hi Guys!

I just received my January Bella Box in the mail this week and was so excited with the contents that I definitely had to write a blog post about it. Don't get me wrong, there is not a magical elixer in here that is going to turn us into Gisele Bündchen but I genuinely like all of the products included this month which is an excellent accomplishment for a beauty subscription service!

(And by the way, in case you have been living in a beauty-free hole for the last 6 months or so: Bella Box is a beauty subscription service that ships 1 box per month to your house filled with 5 hand-picked luxury beauty samples for only $15.00. There are several of these services in Australia and this is one of my favorites.)

January Bella Box Loot

This month's box was focused on natural and organic products as a good way to begin the new year.

Pangea Organics Lip Balm - This gluten-free lip balm features lavender and cardamon oil which have healing and antioxidant effects. It is made in the USA and certified organic. Most importantly it smells lovely (lavender!) and is really soothing on my lips. A closer examination of the ingredient list reveals Hemp Seed Oil which is the main ingredient in my all time favorite Holy Grail lip balm, so it's no wonder that this one is extremely nourishing as well. (Retails for 17.95)


First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream - I received a sample sachet size of this treatment cream which is a recent arrival to Australia. It is made for body and face, free from parabens, phthalates and colorants, and is safe for sensitive skin with soothing and hydrating oat kernel flour. (Full Size Retails for 14.95 - bargain!)

Soleo Organics All Natural Sunscreen - I was extra excited about this sunscreen because ever since my face became sensitize to my chemically based SPF that I had been using for over 10 years I have been on the look out for physical blocking sunscreens. This Soleo sunscreen uses zinc as its physical barrier which makes up a huge 22.3% of its composition, but it does not go on white. It is full of lovely sounding organic ingredients including grapeseed oil, green tea and cucumber extract. It is fragrance free, SPF 30+ (the highest rating allowed in Australia) and very water resistant. (24.95 for 80 grams)

SPAroma Organic Soy Candle - This tea-light sized candle made my whole Bella Box smell delicious! It is in the scent lemon myrtle but it smells more like lemon candy. This scent is supposed to rejuvenate and it seriously makes me smile to smell it so I think it works! Once melted, the soybean based candle can be used as a massage oil or body moisturizer. This Australian brand also makes natural deodorants, body balms and candles in other aromatherapy scents. You can buy the candles from Bella Box and their other products here if you are interested. (19.95 for full-sized candle)

La Perla J'aime Parfum - I received 1 sample vial of this perfume and it is a good one. Sexy but not overwhelmingly heavy; I can smell fruit, and musk perfectly blended together. It feels like a very balanced fragrance that is sophisticated but not old. Notes include: bergamot, raspberry, water lily, Egyptian jasmine, amber, patchouli, musk and caramel. (79.00 for 50 ml)

Puretopia Nourish & Repair Hand Cream - I am hand cream obsessed. Strange obsession though it may be for someone in their 20's, I work in a germy environment (who doesn't?) so am constantly washing my hands, and then they need cream after to feel normal again. I used this today at home after having my hands in hot soapy water to do the dishes and clean a bathroom. It was truly moisturizing and nourishing. In fact I like it better than my Aveeno lotion. Contains shea butter, rosehip and jojoba oils, and vitamin E. No silicones, parabens or sulfates. Made in Australia and available from the Puretopia website. (9.95 for 75 ml)

Herban Essentials Towlettes - These cleansing towelettes are made with pure antibacterial essential oils instead of drying alcohol. They come in lemon or orange. (17.50 for 20 towelettes)

Qi Tea - I love green tea! I drink it all the time at work because it gives me a slight caffeine kick without the sugar I need with a latte and I'm hoping to reap some antioxidant benefits in the long term as well. I'm always excited to try a new green tea flavour and in this box I received the Qi Tea Ginko and Detox green teas. The Ginko has flavours of vanilla, caramel, mint and cinnamon and I'm drooling already. (5.20 for 25 tea bags from Woolworths.com.au)

And that rounds up this month's Bella Box. What did you think?

x
Danielle



*I purchased this Bella Box myself*

email contact: fallenangel.yt@gmail.com

Mirenesse - 3D Forever Gloss

Hi guys,

I received this lipgloss in my November edition of Glossy Box. I had received another Mirenesse lip gloss in another beauty box previously so was slightly familiar with this Australian brand. The first lip gloss was smaller in size and had visible shimmer particles which I could feel on my lips; it was not really my thing.

This one, however, is an excellent gloss. I received the 3D forever gloss in a gorgeous pink color - shade #4 - "Lust Me." It comes in 10 shades total ranging from very nude to deep red. The gloss has a slight citrus lemon scent, and an exceptionally smooth feel. It contains shea butter and vitamin E so it is moisturizing on the lips and it is very glossy, but not sticky at all. Highly pigmented as well so it actually has nuded my lips out a bit here - an effect I really like! Retails for $39.95 AUD.

On Lips:





Have you tried this brand?

x Danielle

Sephora Fragrances Sampler For Her - Viva La Juicy Review (1/10)

Hi Guys,

Back when Sephora.com had their friends and family 20% off sale I ordered the Sephora Collector's Edition Fragrance Sample For Her kit for me and the guy version for my husband. The basic idea, for those not familiar, is that you spend $75 (or in my case $60) to get 10 deluxe sized samples of their top selling fragrances. Then, there is a voucher included that is redeemable for 1 full-size fragrance of your choice. I saved our kits for Christmas and am just now going through the fragrances so thought it would be interesting to post reviews of the girl kit as I try to find my favorite sample.

The first fragrance is :



Viva La Juicy
Redeemable for: 1.7 oz eau de parfum
Regular Price: $69

Notes:
Wild Berries, Mandarins, Honeysuckle, Gardenia, Jasmine, Amber, Caramel, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Praline.

Style: Tantalizing. Teasing. Tempting.


My Impressions:

Young. Fruity. Yummy. Smells a bit like what the strippers smell like at Daisy Dukes in Iowa. (Hey, I went to college in a tiny town that was 6 hours from the nearest city (Chicago) and we got bored one weekend!) This is what strippers smell like though. Young, fruity, yummy, and a bit cheap.

Me: Can you smell this? I need confirmation that it smells like strippers.

Husband: Strippers smell like strawberries and cream to me.

Me: Does this smell like something I would wear?

H: No, it smells like a cross between a 14 year old girl and a stripper. Maybe a 14 year old stripper?

yikes

Overall, I can see a teenager wearing this during the summer. Not really for me.

Glossy Box December 2011 Review

Hi guys,

I just received the Glossy Box (Australia) for December box on my doorstep today. I assumed that even though it is now December that this was actually November's Glossy Box because I never received that one in the mail due to some of the organisational issues that Glossy Box HQ has been having with their switch over from Beauty Box. I was looking forward to seeing what colour of Essie nail polish I had, as well as the full sized lipgloss and mascaras that I had seen other girls get in their November boxes!

When I opened it I soon realised that this was indeed December's Glossy Box; one I hadn't yet heard a thing about, which was exciting.

As this is my first Glossy Box I will talk about the packaging: it is gorgeous. I've seen it around the interwebs the past few months in the UK but in person it's lovely as well. The outer shipping container is grey with a pink crown polka dot pattern all over it and the company's website is listed as well: glossybox.com.au


Once the outer shipping box is opened the dusty pink inner shoe-box like container is revealed.


The inside contents are further wrapped in a dark grey tissue paper and a pink bow. The monthly description card was placed on top of the tissue as well a little card wishing me a "glossy Christmas."


Onto the products! First thing I went for was the TIGI Haircare manipulator by Bed Head product. Retails for $24. This is a blue texturizing paste that says it's good for making spikes, dreads or "punky looks". Not exactly something I can use on my beach-head wavy look, but I feel like I've used this exact same product to mold pseudo-dreads in my hair in high school! It smells really really good, like coconuts and honey. I'm happy with this product because I will totally be giving it to my husband as a stocking stuffer... he loves hair goo and usually buys something similar to this product anyway.



Next up is a lip pencil by Gorgeous. Glossy says is retails for $25 (yikes!) and the colour I received is called entourage, it is a mauvy nude. Not a bad lip pencil colour, but overall I just find lip pencils a tad boring. Next!

Two small sample vials of CK Forbidden Euphoria eau de parfum. I HATE the original Euphoria by Calvin Klein. But, dear readers, I will sprizt this one for you in the name of science! The packaging says, "forbidden fruit, alluring orchid, tempting patchouli... a fruity floriental fragrance." The notes as listed on Sephora.com are: sparkling madarin, peach blossom, iced raspberry, pink peony, tiger orchid, jasmine, cashmere woords, patchouli absolute and skin musk. This is much nicer than the original! I definitely smell mandarin, peach and raspberry; like a fruit cocktail but with musky undertones. Not bad. Upon further huffing, this reminds me of Miss Dior Cherie except more grounded with musks and less light.

A second hair care product was also included; John Frieda Frizz-Ease Finishing Creme. It says to use in dry hair and I love using frizz fighting products on my dry waves so will definitely give this a whirl. Also smells nice; not like the old fogie John Frieda smell. More fruity.

Finally a small tube of Auscreen sunscreen lotion was included. I am sunscreen obsessed so of course I love this addition. Although I will say something by Invisible Zinc might have been a bit more "high end."

There was also a candy cane included in the box which I think it quite cute.

I hope all my YT viewers and/or readers have a nice Christmas if I don't write before then!

Cupcake Glitter Holiday Nails!

I'm not much of a nailpolish girl. (Can you tell from my lack of skills?!)

However, every once in a while I'll see a polish that I have to get; when I saw this insanely glittery bottle of Rainbow Connection by OPI for the Muppet collection I nabbed it straight away! My method of painting isn't the most precise but if you use a great top coat and accidently go a little bit outside the line it's all ok because in a day or so those bits will flake away as you wash your hands.


Here I've used the polishes shown from left to right. Poshe basecoat. Two coats of Essie "Absolutely Shore". One thin coat of Mode Cosmetics glitter polish. 1-2 coats of Rainbow Connection. Topped off with one coat of Seche Vite top coat. (The best in the biz!)

Enjoy!