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. 

NEW Ultraceuticals SunActive SPF50+ Face Cream

Protecting the skin is one of the utmost important factors to prolong the aging of skin and ensure beautiful healthy looking skin. One of the newest face sunscreens I have come across is the new Ultraceuticals SunActive SPF50+ Face Cream (A$45/60ml), which contains the highest SPF that I have ever used! Not only does this face cream provide ultra protection to shield the skin against the harmful sun rays but it also provides antioxidants and Vitamins E and C to nourish the skin. While this face cream simultaneously protects and nourishes the skin, there's no need to apply a moisturiser. 

The formula is relatively thick in consistency, so it's best to use a foundation brush to gently and evenly apply a small amount across the face. Using my fingers sort of tugs my skin due to the thick consistency, so it's important to use an appropriate technique for application. Although thick in consistency, the formula is not greasy and absorbs amazingly quick into the skin, thereby, leaving no wastage of time waiting for the formula to penetrate the skin. The absorption of the formula leaves no residues or traces of white marks on the face, plus it doesn't clog my pores. I love the fact that the formula leaves a lovely velvety finish, perfect for applying foundation and makeup afterwards!

Ultraceuticals SunActive SPF50+ Face cream contains no benzophenone, parabens, propylene, glycol, SLS/SLES, mineral oil, synthetic dyes or fragrances.

Which face creams do you use to protect and nourish your skin?

xx Rose

Product was provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Ultraceuticals and did not receive remuneration to post this product review. 

NEW Illamasqua Destiny Nail Varnish

To celebrate Chinese New Year on Friday 31st January 2014 (the year of the Wooden Horse), Illamasqua counters at Myer have launched an exclusive limited edition nail varnish called 'Destiny'. Such a beautiful name, isn't it?

Single coat on the two nails on the left and two coats on the two nails on the right.

Illamasqua, Myer- 'Inspired by the new life that leaves bring to bare wooden bark in the spring, we have captured a fresh green leaf in our latest shade, Destiny.'

Destiny features fine hexagonal and spotted gold glitter particles in a sea of bottle green nail varnish as the base. I don't have any shades of emerald green in my nail polish collection, so Destiny sure is a stand out amongst my other nail polish bottles. Although the formula of Destiny is somewhat viscous, I found that it was a breeze to achieve an opaque finish with just one coat. The glitters appear moderately dispersed leaving a gorgeous jelly base finish. The sparkling finish is pretty much like the surface of exquisite wine glasses! I absolutely love the fact that the overall finish of Destiny appears exactly the same as the shade in the bottle!

Two coats of Illamasqua Destiny Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Destiny Nail Varnish (A$22.50/15ml) is available exclusively at Myer from 14th January 2014.

What's going to be on your nails during Chinese New Year?

xx Rose

Product was provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Illamasqua and did not receive remuneration to post this product review. 

NEW MyNewSkin 100% Natural Multipurpose Nourishing Balm

I was recently approached to review the brand new 100% Natural and Nourishing Multipurpose Balm called MyNewSkin (A$24.95/50g). There are two varieties available, Olive and Lemon Myrtle and Olive and Lavender. These balms have been made from the most natural and fresh plant extracts and anti-oxidants to provide the skin with hydration, replenishment and nourishment. If you have dry skin, ageing skin, sensitive skin or uneven skin tone, then you should definitely consider trying MyNewSkin. These ingredients are also 100% natural and Australian Grown! There are no nasties at all and the formula is chemical-free!

MyNewSkin is formulated from fresh plant extracts including Olive Leaf, Oregano, Chickweed, Burdock, Sheep Sorrel, Salad Burnett and Fresh Lantana. These herbs are grown chemical-free where the company is located in Queensland. The two varieties of scents originate from an Olive Oil base with either Lemon Myrtle or Lavender. These natural herbs have been cold-pressed within the 3 hours that they've been picked, so this method of preparation ensures minimal nutrient loss. It's an interesting concept as I'm always on the lookout for skin care products formulated from natural ingredients.

What I love about these balms are the incredibly divine scents which just soothes my senses while it nourishes my skin. As a multipurpose balm, I use a small amount over dry patches on my face, lips, elbows, knees and cuticles for instant nourishment. You could pretty much use this balm anywhere on the face and body! I especially LOVE applying this balm over my lips as the beautiful scent lingers for awhile which makes me feel relaxed! My skin, especially my elbows and knees feel well hydrated and the great thing is that the balm slowly soaks into the skin and doesn't leave an unpleasant greasy film. 

The MyNewSkin balm is not too thick or thin as a balm as it was very easy to whip a small amount of product to spread across rough and dry skin. The balm wasn't too oily and doesn't slide away so easily, so it does stay put during the day to keep my skin feeling nourished and soothed!

MyNewSkin is privately owned and made in Queensland, Australia. For further information and stockists, please see the following site: www.mynewskin.com.au.

Do you use multipurpose balms? 

What do you think of these beautifully concocted herbal skin balms?

xx Rose

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

Violet Box (December 2013)

My December/Christmas Violet Box arrived (in mid-December) with an intriguing selection of beauty, hair, body and food goodies! I love the surprise of opening up a box of goodies from Violet Box as they always include a wide selection of hair, beauty and skin products.

I love discovering new beauty brands, so I was uber excited to see some beauty products from Sweetpea & Fay Cosmetics. Unfortunately, I was meant to receive a Jelly Pong Pong Wide Awake Palette, however, this product was damaged during transit. Apparently, this palette will be included my next Violet Box in January. So, to make up for this blunder, Violet Box have generously included two pigmented mineral eyeshadows for me to experiment with.

Sweetpea & Fay Mineral Eyeshadow in UFO Sightings.

Sweetpea & Fay Mineral Eyeshadow in Tom Foolery.

UFO Sightings is a dark purple with shimmery flecks of silver and baby blue and Tom Foolery is a mauve shade with silver shimmers. These two shades of purple are incredibly shimmery and they also compliment one another so you could use these shades to create a purple smoky eye.

Sweetpea & Fay J'Adore Les Levres in Mermaid Kiss is a hot neon pink which is super pigmented and applies on opaque. The shade Mermaid Kiss is a little too bright for my liking, so I will probably give this one a miss. 

I haven't tried EVO hair products at all, though I've heard many great reviews on these. It's nice to have the opportunity to finally try the shampoo and conditioner! Evo The Therapist Calming shampoo and conditioner is recommended for dry, frizzy and colour-treated hair, so this is right up my alley!

Crabtree & Evelyn products are so luscious and divine! I was so happy to see a tube of their Pomegranate hand creme in my Violet Box! The scent of Pomegranate with argan oil and grapeseed is just so so so beautiful! The cream feels lovely and makes my hands and cuticles feel well nourished and moisturised without leaving any residues. Truly a must-have for my hand bag!

HelloFresh is a food delivery service which provides you a selection of ingredients for you to whip up a healthy meal following one of their many recipes. I find this an interesting concept and also a nice surprise to find a $30 voucher in my box.

Overall, I was quite happy with my Violet Box, despite missing out on receiving the Jelly Pong Pong palette in the December box. I was really excited to have the opportunity to try out the Evo and Sweetpea & Fay products which were brands that are completely new to me.

What do you think of the December Violet Box? 

Did you receive the same contents?

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 this product review.