Violet Box (January 2014)

My first Violet Box of the year has finally arrived! I was quite excited with this month's box, because there were skincare and cosmetics goodies from brands I love such as MOR and Lush and also new brands to add to my ever growing beauty collection. Also, I've been awaiting my Jelly Pong Pong Wide Awake Face Palette that I was meant to receive last month, but didn't receive it since it was damaged during transit.

MOR Essentials Collection Hand Cream (A$14.95/80ml) in Basil & Grape and Black Currant Iris. These scents sound absolutely divine! I love hand creams with a unique concoction of florals, fruits and greenery! MOR Hand Creams are infused with the goodness of Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Glycerin and Aloe Vera to soothe and pamper the hands while leaving them smelling fresh and lovely! I will be saving these sachets for an upcoming road trip!

Acorelle Eau de Parfum (A$69.95) is a fragrance I've never come across in the past. This perfume is concocted in a way to soothe and improve the sense of well-being.

So Susan Water-based Pure Luminizer (A$49/15g) and Nail Lacquer in Pink Guava (A$10/9ml). So Susan is a UK cosmetics brand which house a range of innovative skincare and cosmetics. I was so excited to receive the Luminizer and Nail Lacquer from a brand that I've never had the chance to try out. The Luminizer provides a soft-glow effect (thanks to the minute pearlescent pigments) when applied to the cheekbones, inner brow and inner corners of the eyes. I love that it is water-based so that it blends so easily and appears natural against my complexion. The nail lacquer in Pink Guava is a bright hot pink shade that will be perfect to wear this summer! The shade Pink Guava isn't entirely unique, though the formula is a 4-free lacquer (no DBP, no toluene, no formaldehyde and no formaldehyde resin).

LUSH Gorgeous Facial Moisturiser (A$74.95/45g). I love Lush products as their products are all filled with goodness and they smell so uplifting! There were two Lush products that were sent out to Violet Box subscribers this month: Gorgeous Facial Moisturiser and Dream Cream Body Lotion. I've never tried any moisturisers from Lush before, so I was super delighted to have the chance to try their Gorgeous Facial Moisturiser! Gorgeous Facial Moisturiser is infused with Orange Blosson Honey, which explains why this beauty had such an amazing scent! The moisturiser is lightweight, so you only need the tiniest amount for one application. I love how this moisturiser feels against my skin and how nourishing it feels!

Villainess Soaps Dulces En Fuego Soap with cracked black pepper and cinnamon sprinkled throughout, (A$8.50/99g). The other two varieties of Villainess Soaps that were sent out include Ginger Snapped and Scintillating). The indulgent blend of vegetable oils and exotic unrefined butters of these Villainess Soaps are so delicate that they just melt onto my skin! The soap Dulces En Fuego smells quite pleasant due to the cinnamon scent which balances the scent of cracked pepper. The sample soap I received actually looked like a slice of chocolate, so not only did it smell beautiful it also looked delicious too!

Jelly Pong Pong Wide Awake Face Palette (A$32) is a multipurpose facial palette which contains an illuminating cream, highlighting cream and eye brow sculpting kit. This palette is pure genius as it contains all the essential beauty products you need to brighten the complexion and achieve perfectly shaped brows. 

Overall, I am utterly pleased with the January Violet Box, what a great start to the year with Violet Box! I absolutely love all the contents in this month's box and will definitely save the travel sized products for a road trip or small holiday in future. I am already feeling excited to reveal the contents of the next Violet Box in February and I sure do hope it will be a Valentine's Day themed box :)

What did you receive in your January Violet Box?

xx Rose

Products were provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Violet Box and  did not receive remuneration to post these product reviews. 

Violet Box (August 2013)

Violet Box August 2013

My Violet Box ($22.95 per month beauty subscription) arrived a little over a week ago and as I unraveled the signature violet ribbon of my Violet Box and exposed the contents inside, I was in absolute amazement!! Inside my Violet Box, there was a full size bottle of the ghd Style Heat Protect Spray, two full sized makeup products from Jelly Pong Pong (a UK brand), a sample of moisturiser by Dr Bragi and finally samples of the Goldwell Dualsenses shampoo and conditioner. 

Goldwell Dualsenses Rich Repair Cream Shampoo and Dualsenses Rich Repair Anti-Breakage Conditioner (A$24.95/300ml, 10ml samples of each received) - My hair is thick and long and requires a lot of maintenance to ensure my hair stays healthy inside and out. Goldwell Dualsenses Rich Repair could possibly be the right type of shampoo and conditioner that my hair would love! 

Dr Bragi Age Management Moisturiser (A$179/60ml, 5ml sample received) - Manufactured in Iceland and distributed in London, Dr Bragi Age Management Moisturiser is formulated with unique, super-active marine enzymes and hyaluronic acid to help reduce the signs of aging. This moisturiser is super expensive, due to it's concoction of potent ingredients, though you only need to use a pea size amount for each application. If the formula feels sticky once applied to the skin, then this indicates that you are using too much product! The transparent gel formula is free of fragrance, preservatives, glycols and lanolin.

ghd Style Heat Protect Spray (A$24.00/120ml, full size received) - I use heat styling products to primp my hair almost everyday, so heat protect sprays are a must in my beauty cabinet! This ghd Style Heat Protect Spray will be put to good use! The mist of this spray expels droplets that are relatively larger than most other sprays, so you won't need to 'double spray' the same area of hair twice. Despite this, my hair actually felt like I didn't even have any hair products applied prior to using heat styling tools. My hair didn't feel sticky nor dry and I didn't notice any scent or fragrance to the formula. I LOVE using this product and will definitely re-purchase when this bottle runs out!

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush Moisturizing Lip Stain in Cranberry (A$22/2.5g, full size received) -  I love love loooove this lip stain! I've used this gorgeous red beauty on my lips and it was so easy to create a vibrant and sexy red lip with just a few swipes! The formula glides on my lips smoothly and effortlessly and feels super moisturising thanks to the inclusion of beeswax and ceresin wax! This highly pigmented lip blush suits all skin tones and makes the perfect handbag companion! The longevity is excellent and leaves a lovely just bitten red stain to the lips. My lips felt well moisturised and it didn't leave my lips feeling dry at all!

Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Shadow/Liner in Bronze (A$19/2.8g, full size received) - I can never say 'no' to dual eyeliner and shadow crayons! This 2-in-1 Shadow/Liner is also formulated with beeswax and ceresin wax to enable buildable application and quick and easy application to create big, bold and beautiful eyes! You can apply thin and thick/intense lines to create the look you desire. The formula lasts a good 5-6 hours before it slowly fades, how it doesn't fade to leave uneven blotches when used as an eye shadow.

The Jelly Pong Pong swatches on my arm in the photo above shows how vibrant the red shade of the Lip Blush appears and once blended, you could easily apply this as a blusher. I prefer to use this Lip Blush as a lip product rather than a blusher as I prefer rosey pink cheeks over red. The 2-in-1 Shadow Liner is a metallic bronze brown shade and you can easily create super thin lines to define the eyes or thick lines that could be smudged to create a soft smoky eye.

Violet Box is getting better and better each month! I loved the variety of hair, skin and makeup products from known and unknown brands. I've never heard of Jelly Pong Pong (products are formulated in Italy and are cruelty-free) before, although the brand name sounds catchy, so I was quite pleased to have the opportunity to become exposed to new beauty brands. To receive 3 full sized products in this month's box meant that the total value of the contents (just over A$80) exceeded the monthly subscription service of Violet Box (A$22.95)!

Did you subscribe to this month's Violet Box? What was your favourite product?

xx Rose

*Products were provided for consideration only. These reviews are 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Violet Box and did not receive remuneration to post these product reviews.