The First Violet Box (June 2013)

This morning, I received the very first edition of Violet Box, which is the latest monthly beauty subscription box to launch in Australia! Violet Box gives you the opportunity to discover new products by receiving a curated box each month containing 4-6 high-end and luxury beauty and lifestyle samples. As a beauty enthusiast, I could never ever have enough of any one beauty product!

Violet Box costs A$22.95/month and there are options to subscribe for:

• 3 months (A$66, 4.3% off discount)
• 6 months (A$130, 5.6% off discount)
• 12 months (A$250, 9.2% off discount)

I received a white glossy cardboard box in a postal satchel which had the Violet Box logo imprinted on one side.

The actual Violet Box was found inside the white cardboard packaging and it's a matte black box that is made from simple card paper with the Violet Box logo printed in one corner. I think it's a great size and will be perfect to re-use as a gift box or storage.

Upon opening the lid of the box there were three cards found sitting atop the goodies wrapped neatly in violet tissue paper.

The contents of the June Violet Box

My Violet Box was completely filled to the brim with a total of 6 products! There were 3 full-size and 3 deluxe travel-sized products ranging from makeup to skincare to haircare and to perfume!

John Plunkett Glyco Peel (A$28.95/15ml - full size received)

John Plunkett Glyco Peel is a night time exfoliator which is to be applied to the face before applying your regular night cream. This Glyco Peel works to exfoliate the outermost layer of your skin cells to reduce the appearance of fine lines and skin discolouration. The formula contains Glycolic Acid, Lactokine and Aloe Vera, and is suitable for ALL skin types, however, since the formula is of clinical strength, frequency of application is dependent on whether you have dry, oily, normal or sensitive skin.

I have never ever used a glycol peel before and I did feel a little hesitant at first when I read the name of this product. So, I will do a patch test first to be on the safe side and ensure that my skin does not react negatively.

CK One Color Cosmetics Gloss Eyecolor (A$25/4g - full size received)

I was so excited to see that Violet Box included a CK One Color Gloss Eyecolor! I recently discovered this new beauty brand a couple of months ago and I am head-over-heels with their Brow Pencil and Eye Brow Duo! See my CK One Color haul and review here.

There are five different shades of CK One Color Gloss Eyecolors available and beauty bloggers who have recently received their Violet Box have received either of the shades #400 Vivid (blue), #500 Pop (green), #600 Spin (gold/yellow) or #800 Ultra (silver). The shade Vivid is a really pretty and vibrant blue and it's a shade that I don't have in my collection. I think this shade would really make my hazel eyes pop!

Swatches of each shade can be seen in the photo below. Unfortunately, the photo doesn't do it justice as these Gloss Eyecolors look absolutely stunning! The emollient formula of these chunky eye pencils glide on smoothing and effortlessly without tugging the eye area, just like applying lip gloss to the lips. The finish is metallic and the gorgeous miniscule silver shimmers are noticeable from each shade. The lightweight formula is highly pigmented and can be smudged and blended with other shades easily.

Swatches of CK One Color Gloss Eyecolor in Pop, Ultra and Vivid

LashControl Clear Coat Control Mascara and Brow Fix (A$25/8.87ml - full size received) 

LashControl Clear Coat Mascara and Brow Fix originated in NYC and it is a multi-purpose eye brow/lash product which tames unruly brows and seals in mascara as a top coat. Now this is exactly what every girl needs in her make-up bag! I love multi-purpose products and especially love the idea of this beauty product!

Calvin Klein Sheer Beauty EDT (A$80/50ml - 1.2ml sample received) 

CK Sheer Beauty EDT is the new edition of the popular CK Beauty fragrance launched awhile ago. Sheer Beauty is a floral-fruity blend with core floral notes of Peony, Pink Lily and Jasmine, fruity notes of Bergamot, Red Berries and Peach Bellini and base notes of Sandalwood, Musk and Vanilla Blossom. This scent is very feminine, soft and very likeable!

Avene Gentle Gel Cleanser (A$23.95/200ml - 50ml sample received)

Eau Thermale Avene are always generous with their deluxe travel-sized samples! I've tried samples of their skin care products (Gentle Milk Cleanser, Ystheal+ Emulsion and Eluage Eye Contour Cream) that I received in my previous Bellabox and Glossybox, so I was glad I received a sample of something I haven't tried before. 

This cute little travel sized bottle of Avene Gentle Gel Cleanser is a great travel accompaniment that is suitable for normal to combination sensitive skin. My combination/oily skin always agree with gel-type cleansers, so I'm really looking forward to trying this product! The formula is soap-free and hypoallergenic, which is a great plus!

Argania Hair Oil Travel Cuties (A$34.95/100ml - 5ml sample received) 

Argania Hair Oil is a hair treatment made with certified organic Moroccan Argan Oil. Argan Oil is such a popular ingredient in most hair nourishing treatment products, that I was quite happy to receive a travel sized product that I could take along with me on my travels.  The formula is rich in Vitamins and Antioxidants, so it's packed full with goodness to keep the hair looking shiny and healthy.

All-in-all, I am very impressed with the launch box of Violet Box and glad to see that a variety of skincare, makeup, haircare and perfume products were included! The total value (~A$85) of the contents in the launch box surpassed the cost of the monthly Violet Box (A$22.95) subscription, so you are definitely getting you money's worth!

For further information on Violet Box please click here.

Have you jumped on the Violet Box Bandwagon? 

What did you receive in your Violet Box?

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. 

May Bellabox: Pamper Yourself, Pamper Your Mum

My May Bellabox has arrived with the theme 'Pamper Yourself, Pamper Your Mum', to celebrate Mother's Day. Here is a list of the products in my May Bellabox:

EmerginC Hydra Repair Capsules, 4 capsules worth A$13.90 

(40 capsules per pack A$139)  (full size A$2)
Eau Thermale Avene Ystheal+ Emulsion, sample size 5ml worth A$10.30 

(full size 30mL A$61.95)
Eau Thermale Avene Eluage Eye Contour Cream, sample size 2ml worth A$8.50 

(full size 15mL A$63.95)
Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara, sample size 3mL worth A$24 (full size 6mL A$48)

Savior Faire Lipstick in Opulence, sample size 1.2 g worth A$16.50

(full size 3.5g  A$48) 

Sebastian Professional Range, sample sachets 3x10ml, conditioner, shampoo and masque from the Penetraitt range for strengthening and repair (full size products from A$34)

May Bellabox Total worth ~A$75

The May Bellabox was very interesting as there was a mix of cosmetics, haircare and skincare. It's great that there were a mix of different products for five different brands. I am super excited that there was a Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening mascara as I received this same sample in my previous Glossybox and absolutely love it! It not only lengthens my lashes as it claims but it also separates and dries up quickly to give me naturally looking fluttery lashes. 

The second cosmetic product is a miniature Savior Faire Lipstick in Opulence- a dark chocolate shade. This shade is the darkest shade I have ever worn and it will be the last time I will wear it. It's just too dark for my light skin tone and doesn't suit me at all unfortunately.

There were a few skincare products, namely Eau Thermale Avene Ystheal+ Emulsion and Eluage Eye Contour Cream. I have tried samples of Eau Thermale Avene toner and cleanser that I received in my Glossybox (again!) and really loved how gentle the products were to my skin. The emulsion and eye cream sound great to add to my skincare regime. EmerginC Hydra Repair Capsules were another skincare product sample that I received. I don't think I will use these, so off they go to mum!

Now, last but not least, I received generous sachet samples of Sebastian Professional shampoo, condition and masque from the Penetraitt range. The Penetraitt range aims to provide strengthening and repair to weak and damaged hair. This sounds like something my hair definitely needs!

All in all, I'm pleased with the variety of deluxe samples I received this month. I'm particularly happy with the Bobbi Brown mascara I received as I really loved the look it provided to my lashes. This mascara tube will be my back up as I'm still using the one I received with my Glossybox.

What are your thoughts with the May Bellabox? What did you receive in yours?

xx Rose

 

March Glossybox

I received my March Glossybox the other day and this month's theme is all about getting active to help both the body and mind stay beautiful. I received five beauty samples ranging from skincare to body care and to hair care with an additional bonus power balance bracelet in hot pink. I don't actually believe power bracelets help to give you balance, but I though it was nice to get a sporty accessory with the Glossybox logo imprinted on the side. 

Unlike previous boxes, I received a larger than usual card with a message from the Glossybox team and a list of all the samples distributed this month. The list included 18 beauty products with their description, however, the quantity and RRP values were not shown. I much preferred receiving their usual cards which contained detailed information on the five samples provided in the box. 

The five samples I received from the list include the following:

Eau Thermale Avene Gentle Milk Cleanser, sample size 50ml worth A$7.50

(full size 200ml A$29.95)

Eau Thermale Avene Gentle Toner, sample size 50ml worth A$7.50

(full size, 200ml A$29.95)

Klorane Extra-gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk, travel size 50ml A$8.95
(full size 150ml A$16.95)

The Body Shop Chocomania Body Butter, sample satchet 8ml worth A$1.20

(full size 200ml A$29.95)

Thin Lizzy Concealer Cream in Oriental Doll, sample size 7.5ml worth ~A$14 (full size 15ml A$27.95)

March Glossybox worth ~A$39

The Avene skincare products  are great for sensitive skin, so I'm quite keen to test how these products go. I was excited to see a travel sized Klorane dry shampoo in my box as the first and last dry shampoo I have used was Bastiste dry shampoo in Blush. The Body Shop body butters are absolutely divine and rich and my favourite is the Sesame Seed one for very dry skin. Unfortunately, they discontinued this product years ago and I have since sadly stepped away from their line. Well, that is until now! The Body Shop has released a brand new body butter scent in Chocomania (great timing for Easter)! Sounds delicious! Last but not least, I received the Thin Lizzy Concealer Cream which looks like a full sized product, but it's actually half the full size. 

All in all, there was a little bit of excitement from me after revealing the products in the March box. I am most excited about the Klorane dry shampoo and Avene skincare products, so hopefully these will work well with me.

What did you receive in your March Glossybox? Were you happy with the contents you received?

xx Rose