For Review March 2015

Hi There,

I have been feeling overwhelmed by the number of products I have lately but would get bored doing a Project Pan so will be doing something different. Each month I will choose a few items I'm keen to try and will aim to try them enough to provide a review by the end of that month. I'm a bit hectic at the moment so I will not be committing to too many products but if I want to review any extras I will.

Item #1: Olay Regenerist Revitalising Hydration Cream SPF 15

I have a 14g sample of this cream that I got from The Reject Shop (of all places!?) and wanted to give it a go before I commit to the full size. It smells really clean and fresh and is a light, easily absorbed lotion. It claims to fight the 7 signs of aging and all that other jazz. I've always been skeptical about this sort of thing (pseudo-science and buzz words aren't really my thing) but I'm beginning to age so I thought I'd give it a go and see if there's any difference. 

Item #2: Inika Truly Organic Pure Primer

I got this in the December Lust Have It bag. I tried it and didn't really rate it as a primer or even a moisturiser so haven't touched it since. Unfortunately (and I think inexcusably), I received the same primer in January's bag. Since I now have two I though I'd better give it a real try. While I really enjoy the lemon scent, I don't have high hopes for this one. If it doesn't work in the way it is intended, I will try it for other uses and hopefully will find something it is good for. 

Item #3: Garnier BB Eye Cream

This little baby was on special at the supermarket so I snapped it up. This claims to decrease puffiness  and wrinkles under the eyes. I have shocking bags and while I don't have wrinkles yet I have developed a lot of fine lines. According to the box it reduce dark circles, puffiness and signs of fatigue and will brighten eyes in one application. In seven days eyes are supposed to appear less tired, more rested and dark circles appear less visible and puffiness is reduced. Tall claims, we shall see.

Update: I'm adding another item.
Item #4: Covergirl Clean Normal Skin Foundation
I just picked this up from the throw-out bin at Woolworths for $6.95 because the packaging was damaged (who cares about packaging?). I have the Covergirl 3-in-1 Outlast Foundation which is quite good, however it is a bit heavy for me for everyday use, especially when it's as hot as it has been lately. This one claims to be lightweight coverage which feels and looks fresh and natural. It also apparently won't clog pores. I have a serious issue with my pores and foundation loves to pool conspicuously in them so hopefully this works. The colour is in natural beige which is bordering on a bit too dark now, so in winter it might be unwearable. I usually just add a lighter BB cream and that works fairly well. I have tried it without primer to see how the colour matched and it didn't seem to pool in the cracks or pores so my fingers crossed. 

I will check back with links to the full reviews once I have done them. I'm hoping they work, but am a massive cynic so it'll be interesting to see. 
I will include photos and better descriptions in each individual review. This is really just a post to inform you of what I'm intending on doing. 


If you've tried any of these items, let me know. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on them.

Violet Box Unboxing: January 2015

While VB were really late this month, once the box as actually shipped it got to me really quickly. They also kept everyone well informed which was appreciated. 

The box is another great box this month with 3 full size items and 2 samples. 

Here is what was in the box:

Distilled Hydrolyzed Silk Treatment Serum. RRP: $36.00 for 5ml
This claims to be a water-based lightweight serum for the lips. It is also formulated with 96% certified organically cultivated ingredients. This is in a little glass brown bottle and I have no idea how much is in it. For a lip product, I would say this is a very generous sample. I have never heard of this brand, and have never used a lip serum before so I'm very excited to give this a go. It smells very clean, almost lemony but not quite. It feels kind of oily but without being greasy if that makes sense. I suppose that is what they mean by 'silk'. We were supposed to get either this product or a different serum. I was lucky enough to get a sample of both, although I have no idea if that is what everyone else got as well or if it's pure luck.

Distilled Restore Treatment Serum. RRP: $36.00 for 15ml
This one claims to be a serum for the skin, nails and cuticles. Again, I have never had a serum for the hands and nails before so once again I'm very excited to try this. I have to use chemicals at work so my hands can get a little mistreated sometimes. This comes in the same packaging as the lip serum and, while it looks lovely it really isn't practical at all. I tried to use some and could barely get any out of the tiny jar. I think I will have to decant this one in order to use it. It smells and looks exactly the same as the lip serum. Other than the ill-thought out packaging, this is a product I'm very keen to try out. I will probably write a separate review on these two once I've given them a good try. 

The Cosmetic Kitchen Raw Chocolate Clay Mask. RRP: $24.95
This is a full size product. You can mix this with water, oil or whatever else you like to turn the powder into a mask. I have already received this in the Dec. LHI bag however I have the Kora White Clay Mask on the go so haven't used it yet. I will be keen to give it a go, although I have heard that it leaves your skin a bit pink so I will probably do it in the evening. Just in case. 

Lonvitalite 24K Active Gold Yulan Eye Mask. RRP: $25.95 (5 pack)
I got one of these. It claims to soothe under-eye bags and blackness and boosts circulation. I still haven't tried the face mask we got in the December bag from this line as I heard bad bad things about it. Apparently more than a few people had allergic reactions so I'm a little nervous to try this. I do have shockingly bad under eye bags and blackness so I will probably risk it. It does say to use this twice per week for best results so I don't think a single use will indicate how well this product works. Having said that, I'm happy to give it a whirl.

Emite Make Up Precision Eye Pencil. RRP: $24.95
This is an off-white eye pencil. It is very soft and glides on easily. It claims to give you 'perfect accuracy when you want to emphasize or create striking makeup'. It also says it's a great way to create perfect lash marks? I don't know if I'm being incredibly naive but how would a pencil this colour do that? If you know please leave a comment and tell me because I am at a loss to explain it. I will most likely use this for the waterline to make my haggard face look a little less tired! I'm very pleased to receive this a I've been meaning to buy a white-ish eye liner for a while and just never got around to it. Mind you, I don't think I'd ever pay this much for one, but I'm just a bit of a tight arse. 

Mellow Cosmetics Blush. RRP: $14.00 for 5g
This is a full sized item also. At first I was a little disappointed because the colour was very skin-like. I ot it in bronze and there was another colour you could get also. I actually really like this colour once it's on the face. I put it over my highlight and together they looked so natural and gave me a healthy glow. It's really soft and blends easily so is really easy to apply. This is a win from me. I love blushes and would never have bought one this colour so I'm really happy to add it to my collection. 

Overall this is an amazing box, and so generous. I can't believe there was 3 full size item  in there. I don't know if I was supposed to get both the serums but they are so interesting I can't wait to try them. I just wish VB would release another type of box so I could get another one. I just don't think there is an equivalent monthly box out there. It's such great value. Let's hope they keep up the good work.

If you'd like to know more about Violet Box, click on the tab on the top of my blog, or go to their website here. 

Did you receive this box?

What did you think?

What was your favourite product?

Note: I paid for this box with my own money and have not been approached by anyone to create this post. All opinions expressed on my blog are my own.