Violet Box: February Unboxing and Review

I got this a couple of weeks ago, towards the end of February, so I've had a good chance to try out the items I'm wanting to keep. This was another great value box containing 4 full size items, and 1 extremely generous sample.

Here's what was in the box:

Natural World Moroccan Argan Oil: RRP $5.99 for 25ml

This is a leave in oil hair treatment. It is designed to lock in moisture, nourish and restore shine. I don’t know about the nourish or shine part of this, but it does a brilliant job at softening and smoothing the hair without leaving it oily. I really enjoy this product. A little goes a long way so this is going to last a very long time (for me in particular as I have very short hair). I have found that it can be put into wet or dry hair and it has a very subtle smell that dissipates to nothing. This is a very important factor for me as I’m really picky about smells. I also like that it is so inexpensive. Congratulations VB, you have introduced me to a previously untried product that I will most definitely be purchasing in the future.

Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser: RRP 46.95 for 125ml

This enormous 30ml sample is frickin amazing. I absolutely love almost everything about this. It has a strong lemon smell which I just love (it also tastes like lemon and sugar if you accidentally gets in your mouth – mmm pancakes). It is a sugar scrub so as you rub the gentle mixture into your face, it both foams and the sugar particles dissolve in a very satisfying way. The only problem I have with this product is the after-smell which smells like microwaving poppadums and stays on your hands for a bit. I have overcome this by washing my hair after I use it so my hands end up smelling like shampoo instead. If this product was cheaper I would be all over it, and the many others from this brand. Unfortunately, my budget doesn’t stretch to this at the moment, however I have already begun saving as this is honestly the best cleanser I have ever used. Big thumbs up from me. 

Emite Make Up BB Highlighting Pen: RRP $32

This product caused much confusion as it says it’s a highlighter, however the card says to use it as a concealer. Said confusion was only made worse when I used this product. It appears to be some sort of hybrid of the two. It is very thick and hard to blend like a stick concealer, very yellow in colour like a concealer, but more reflective than a concealer – more like a highlighter. I have been using it as my undery-eye concealer but have also been using it in the typical highlight areas (above cheekbones, temples, chin, cupids bow). It is ok, the consistency makes it a bit hard to blend nicely and it can look very very cakey without the proper treatment. I’m glad enough to have it, but it isn’t a product I would purchase having used it. Certainly not for that hefty price tag.

Teez Trend Cosmetics Easy on the Eyes Pencil: RRP $26

This is black. I have a multitude of black pencils and I don’t use any of them. I have small eyes and anything darker than a brown just makes them look small and heavy. I was so excited to see a Teez product as I’ve never tried one before but unfortunately that won’t change. The packaging is absolutely beautiful however. I have read that, despite being waterproof this product smudges and transfers fairly badly. I will try and swap or sell this product so I won’t be able to swatch it.

Pretty Woman Magnetix Nail Polish: RRP $9.99

I just could not be less interested in this. The colour is an antique, very very glittery gold. I’m 31 years old, I just have no interest in glitter. It comes with two different magnets which I suppose is good. I haven’t tried it as I’ll be giving to my niece. Magnetic nail polish isn’t new and this coupled with the fact we received a different branded one from VB in November has me questioning why on earth it made it to the box. I forgot to picture this sorry, there is a photo in the first photo at the top of the post. I am so unimpressed with this item that I'm not going to bother taking another photo of it. Apologies.

The swatches. . .

Top: Highlighter Pen, Bottom: Suki cleanser

What I thought. . .

Overall I’d have to say this is a great box and provides excellent value for money. Fair enough I won’t use two of the items in the box, however the value of the other 3 more than makes up for the price of the box. Two of those 3 products I really enjoy, and the other one I will most likely use up so I’m very happy.

Let me know what you thought of the products in the box, I would love to hear other peoples opinions/experience of the products.

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.

Violet Box: October unboxing and some reviews.

This is the October box and, just like the September box I didn't get it until the following month. This is fine though, I'm not too bothered. This will be my last Violet Box but I will leave the tab on my blog so that you can have a look if you are interested.

This is more of an unboxing than a review as I've only used a couple of the products. I will update this with reviews as I use more of the products.

sorry, I know this is side-ways but for some reason it won't open up the right way. Apologies. 

 

Here is what was in the box:

WOTNOT Facial Wipes for Oily/Sesitive Skin. 5 pack. RRP $1.95

These are organic and remove makeup. I haven't opened these because I already have a full pack of another brand open but I will update this once I've tried them. I'm very interested to see how they are as I've heard some very mixed reviews regarding this product. It's not really for my skin type but I'm sure they'll be fine as there are only 5 of them.

PHR Professional Haircare Recovery Leave-in Moisturiser RRP: $39.95 for 125ml.

 Sorry there is no picture of the 15ml sachet I received - I used it before I remembered I had to take photos! This is a really generous sample, especially for me as I have short hair. I think I could get at least 4 uses out of this. Unfortunately, like many other hair products, it has a sickly strong coconut scent. As you don't wash this out it isn't a scent that goes away and my room and hair smelled of this for two days. I really dislike coconut and for some unfathomable reason, products with this scent seem to be incredibly strong smelling as well. I didn't really notice any great difference with my hair either but I probably am not going to use this again due to the scent so I won't be able to tell you if there is any change with prolonged use. If you have used this for an extended period of time, please comment so that people can see what it's like. Cheers!

Haughty Cosmetics Perfect Finish Lipgloss. RRP $23.00

I got this in the colour "pull it together" which is a medium dark red colour with a rusty tint to it. (see the swatch at the end of the post). It is nice but a it kind of metallic for my liking. I'm forcing myself to wear it as it isn't sticky and is very pigmented for a lipgloss so its pretty convenient. It wears well but doesn't last long if you are eating or drinking. I'm not really decided on it yet but will update with a proper review once I've been using it for a few days. The packaging isn't really my thing but if you like 'blingy' stuff you will like the way this product looks. 

Designer Brands Eternal Colour Lipstick. RRP $9.99

This is in the colour Pink Rouge, which is just a light pink colour. I really don't like this colour as it is lighter than my lips. It's not terribly pigmented so, for me it's not really a colour I would wear. It goes on nice enough, although it does tend to cling to any roughness on my lips. I've not really got too much to say about this product, the packaging is a bit meh and I obviously don't like the colour. Again, if you got a colour you'll wear, please leave a comment to let us know how the product performs with usual wear. 

Designer Brands Lip Pencil. RRP $4.99

Everyone seems to have received this in the colour Fuschia Rose. It is a really really nice colour - i wish my lipstick was the same colour actually. It goes on really nicely. I've never actually used a lip liner so I don't have anything to compare it to. I don't have any lipstick that matches this at the moment but I will be purchasing some and will update this post once I've tried the two together.

Eslor Introductory Collection Envelope.

This contains four products ranging from $36.95 to $85.00 for the full sizes. It contains 5ml of each. A 'Soothing refiner and cleanser', 'Botanical peeling gel', 'Chlorophyll Lifting Mask' and a 'Firming Collagen Day Cream'. I am saving these for a day when I don't have my daughter so will write up an individual review then. I will put a link on this page when I've done it. I've heard really great things about it so I'm excited to try it out. I want to wait until my daughter is at her grandparents so I can really enjoy it.

The Swatches

Top to Bottom: Haughty Perfect Finish Lipgloss, Designer Brands Lipstick (more a light pink in real life), Designer Brands Lip Pencil

 

The Verdict

Overall it's a pretty good box. If I had the lipstick in a shade I liked I would have been thrilled. Aside from the lipstick and the hair moisturiser, I will be using everything in the box, so 4/6 is pretty good. I'm not too excited about the Designer Brands products, but it's still great to try them as they are probably in a price-range where I could purchase several shades if I like them. 

If you are interested in purchasing Violet Box, or are just after more information please click here
 

Did you receive this box?

What did you think?

What's your favourite item?

Note: I have paid for this box with my own money and am not being paid to conduct this review. The opinions stated are my own and should not be taken for anything else.

Violet Box September 2014: Review

I received this box on the Wednesday 1st October, not too late but I would still have liked to have gotten my first Violet Box in the month of the box but oh well. I was still excited to get it even though I already knew what was in it and knew it would not be my favourite box. Anyway, here is what was inside and what I thought of it:

Scandalous Rock Chick Wave Spray. Full size 150ml RRP: $17.95

I'm very glad I got the Wave Spray and not the other possibility, the Dry Shampoo. I don't use dry shampoo but will use this one spray. I am currently growing out a very short cut so don't really have enough hair to test it yet. I did use it and un-surprisingly it really didn't do too much. The smell is ok, although a little strong for me. Not nice enough to want to inhale my hair but also not aweful enough for me to want to remove it and place it as far from my face as possible either. I have a natural wave in my hair and love to use things that will enhance it without making it crunchy. I'm a bit user of beach sprays and tousle-type sprays so will be very interested in what this one will do for me. I'll probably do an individual review of this spray in a few months when I have enough hair to see what it does.
Oh, forgot to mention that the packaging is great, I love black beauty products!

 Foltene Nail Treatment. Full Size RRP:$29.95

Unfortunately I have annoyingly strong nails that grow super fast (unlike my poor hair) so I won't be using this one. My sister has been trying to strengthen her nails recently so I have gifted this to her. She will let me know how she goes with it.

 

 

 

Girlactic Eyeshadow in Flame RRP: $23.00

I got the colour 'flame' which is a burnt orange. It feels nice and soft and is quite
pigmented. I'm still pale coming out of winter so its a bit orange for me now but I think it will look good when I have had a bit of sun. I love golds and browns so I think this one will fit right in to my current collection.

Starlooks Ultra Olive Gem Pencil. Full Size RRP:$21.50

This is a nice green colour and is really sparkly. I would actually have liked a little less sparkle and a bit more colour as it is really light. I have green eyes and was really excited when I saw we were getting this. I like it, just not as much as I thought I would. I'm thinking of getting a dark green eyeliner and then going over it with this pencil.
It is incredibly soft and easy to use, it goes on very well. I usually stay away from pencils as I find them a bit hard - not really a fan of stabbing myself in the eye over and over so I just find liquid/gel eyeliners a bit more user-friendly.

Polished London Nail Enamel. Full Size RRP:8.00

Unfortunately I got this is what was probably the only colour I would never wear. It was a baby pink colour and made my skin look jaundiced. My neice loved it though so this was gifted to her. I did try it on one nail and it seemed to take ages to dry, and once dry it seemed quite soft. I don't know if this is how it actually goes on though because it was one nail, one time so don't base any opinions on that.

The Verdict
I think you can probably see why this one isn't going to be my favourite box. Despite some of the items being a bit of a miss for me, they were all full sized which made it a great value box. None of the items will go to waste though as I always have willing recipients in my very female family which is great. I'm looking forward to playing with the eye make-up, and the wave spray once i stop growing nails and start growing some hair! Overall, I'm happy enough with this box and look very forward to getting my next one. Hopefully in October, but it doesn't matter too much if its not. Still fun!

http://www.violetbox.com.au/the-box.html 

Have you received this box before?

What did you think?

What is your favourite product?