REVIEW: July Bellabox...

When I was made redundant last year, I thought it best to cancel all my subscriptions until I landed a new job, and I sure have missed the parcels of goodies that used to turn up every month from various sources. And even though I've been working fairly steadily since then, I haven't re-subscribed to anything because it was the perfect opportunity to use up the ton of products I had stashed away - a task I've only just recently managed to (almost) complete. But then as luck would have it, last week the generous folks at Bellabox kindly sent me their July pack to review, and after grazing through the terrific contents, and seeing the value, I'm sorely tempted to make this monthly offering my next adventure ♥...

No doubt some of you are familiar with this particular sub, but for those of you who aren't, let's take a closer look at what's in this month's box...

Luna by Luna Eyeshadow ($15)

The shade I received was Miracle - a gorgeous shimmery plum that's smooth as silk and blends like a dream. Delighted to have a compact single pan to slip into my makeup bag in case I need to pat on a little more during the day, although I doubt I'll need to - this seems to have excellent staying power, and it's cruelty-free ♥...

MODELCO Highlighting Shimmer Whip ($12)

This is a stunning cream luminiser in the shade Champagne - the prettiest soft gold with an amazing metallic sheen. I'm not a big user of highlighter - I usually just dust a little on the top of my cheeks and the tip of my nose, but I've already tried blending a teeny bit of this liquid with my foundation, and I'm amazed at the difference it makes to my face - gives me a lovely youthful radiance without looking overdone. I also stroke a smidgin down the centre of my nose after contouring, and I far prefer the result than the powder I've been using ♥...

Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask (10ml, $5.99)

Haven't tried this yet, but it's scheduled in for the end of the week which is when I always ALWAYS indulge in some kind of mud mask. While I don't experience acne, my skin can always do with some detoxifying, and I'm loving the sound of the tomato, watermelon and pumpkin ingredients. The blurb says it's 96% natural, so that's a bonus too ♥...

Liar Wrinkle Cheater Eye Serum (12ml, $39.95)

I'm always up for a new eye product, and this clear serum is 100% natural, cruelty-free and vegan, and has a lovely fresh scent. With a metal rollerball applicator, it feels icy cold in the current Sydney temperatures, so I'm stashing this away till the weather warms up a bit. Specifically for reducing wrinkle depth and preventing new ones forming, I'll report back on this via one of my Empties posts later in the year. Love the writing on the tube - "Tell them your real age, they'll never believe you" ♥...

Coco & Eve Like a Virgin Super Nourishing Coconut & Fig Hair Masque (212ml, $64.90)

Can't wait to try this when I next shampoo - it smells SO good, and the instructions say it only needs to stay on for 10 minutes. Cruelty-free and vegan, it's also minus any sulfates or parabens and is designed to restore damaged hair, tame the frizzies, and deliver lots of hydration and shine. Sounds like my kind of hair product ♥...

Plunkett's Nutri-Synergy Working Hands Intensive Repair Treatment 

I actually have a half-finished tube of this magical hand repairer in my bedside table drawer - I've been sidetracked with three others that came my way, but it will appear in my Empties post in the next month or so. Absolutely BRILLIANT hand cream - totally unglamorous, but boy does it work, and it absorbs completely ♥...

I've checked out the contents of previous boxes, and they all seem to be of the same excellent quality. Bellabox costs $19.95 per month, and the fact that there will always be five sample-sized products is especially appealing as there's no chance my bench will become overloaded again with a whole bunch of stuff that I'll struggle to finish. And the bonus is that anything I try that I love, I can probably buy from their website. I've lost count of the number of beauty items from other subscription services that I adored, but could never purchase because they simply weren't available in Australia...

Thank you Bellabox for the opportunity to sample your terrific product - I love that there's a mix of skincare, hair and makeup items, so this is a winner!

What say you lovelies - does this sound like your kind of thing, or are you already a customer?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

SPOTLIGHT: Marie Claire Ageless Parcel - February 2017...

The latest Marie Claire Ageless Parcel arrived last week - as always I couldn't contain myself till I'd opened it, and as always, it was a delight to see what goodies were inside. Some of these boxes are a tad more exciting than others, but all of them are astoundingly good value, and this quarterly offering is an absolute delight. With four full-size products and one generous sample, the RRP of the contents is around $105, and for an outlay of $25, and specifically targeting my particular ageing issues, I expect to be subscribed to these forever ♥...

Revlon UniqOne Hair Treatment (150ml, RRP $29.95)

Only available in salons. this is a leave-in spray treatment that targets 10 problem areas, and having used it today after colouring my hair, I can certainly confirm there are immediate benefits from this potently scented (but dissipates quickly) formula - sure am looking forward to the long term ones. Instructions say to spray over damp hair, but it comes out like a foam, so I just mixed about five squirts in my palms and ran my hands over my hair, paying special attention to the highlighted sections which are the most damaged. After blow drying, my tresses are softer and silkier, with loads of shine ♥..

Just prior to publishing, I noticed that I'd accidentally photographed the Italian language side of the box in the pic above (whoops!), so here's the English translation, plus the list of ingredients...

Jergens Age Defying Multi-Vitamin Moisturiser (250ml, RRP $6.99)

The skin on my bod is pretty much dryish all year round, but during Winter, it becomes twice as moisture-starved. Having used this today after my shower, I reckon I'll have no such issues this cold season - LOVE the fresh flower scent of this body lotion, it absorbs completely after 30 seconds, and leaves my skin feeling supple and completely hydrated. According to the blurb, it triples (whoa!) the moisture content of the skin if you keep using it - yes please, I'm in! ♥...

L'Occitane Precious Cream (50ml, RRP $85, sample 8ml, value $13.60)

LOVE L'Occitane products, so I was super happy to find this bubby jar in the box. If this is anything like the stunning Immortelle range (the ones in the yellow packaging), which I trialled for beautyheaven some years ago, I'll be as happy as a clam. The container is too small for a list of ingredients, but here's what the box insert has to say ♥...

I have a stack of part-finished moisturisers to clear, so I'm saving this for a cold rainy day when I want to give myself a truly luxurious treat ♥...

 Redwin Coconut Balm (25g, RRP $5.99)

At first I thought this was a lip balm, but it turns out to be one of those multi-purpose healers - can be used on insect bites, burns, rashes and cuts. It's a thick clear gel that smells exactly like fresh coconut, and it's made with 100% organic coconut oil. There's also papaya fruit, jojoba, sunflower, marigold and carrot oils in the list of ingredients, plus it's 100% vegan friendly, and not tested on animals. There's a whole stack of horrors that are NOT included as well, like SLS, parabens, mineral oils and petroleum jelly. So far I've only used it on my lips, and they're thanking me for it already ♥...

Elucent Anti-Aging Eye Cream (15ml RRP $49.99)

Chuffed to see this old favourite included in the selection. Used this entire range some years ago and loved it, but you know me and how fickle I am with skin care, I moved on to trying out a whole heap of others from the gazillion available on the market. Still I'm delighted to have the opportunity to revisit this gem. It's fragrance-free and contains 4% glycolic acid, so it packs quite a punch in the battle against fine lines and wrinkles. There's also vitamins B3, C & E in the mix, and I love that there's an expiry date on both the box and the tube. Mine says Aug 2018, so I've plenty of time to get through all the part-used eye creams that are currently on my bench (four lol) ♥...

Another awesome collection from this resourceful and thoughtful panel - you can subscribe to the consistently brilliant Marie Claire Ageless Parcel at their new Beauty Crew home...

What do you think lovelies - are you keen to try any of these products?

Take care of you,
kats xxx

P.S. Linking to Ingrid's very popular Monday Makeup Madness Link Up - come join me in the fun of discovering some new blogs to follow ♥...