Lust Have It: August 2012

Here's the August Lust Have It box. I just received it today (the 21st) so for the second month the boxes arrived quite late. 

This month, the boxes were packaged differently, in a white box with a black ribbon, as opposed to the usual coloured bag. I thought the packaging was nice but I can imagine some would be disappointed not to receive the coloured bag. This special packaging was for to celebrate the 1st birthday of Lust Have It. 

The August box contained:

• tanGO Tan Removal Cloth ($29.95 $21.95)
• Tigi Rockaholic Rock Out Shine Blaster 100mL ($27.95)
• ModelCo Eyeliner ($26.00)
• Marc Jacobs DOT Perfume 1.2mL ($160.00 for 100mL)
• Appelles Skin Detox Shower Gel 30mL ($12.95 for 100mL)
• Appelles Body Booster Skin Lotion 30mL ($12.95 for 100mL)
• Appelles Body Bar Soap ($4.95) 

The tanGO Tan Removal Cloth included in this months box sounds interesting. The product claims to remove tan with just water, avoiding the need for exfoliating. I'm very curious to see how this works. The information incorrectly lists this product as the tanGO Tanning Glove when the actual product is the tanGO Tan Removal Cloth. Also, after checking the website the RRP is also listed incorrectly on the card as they sell it on their website for $21.95 (not $29.95 as listed). 

Three products from Appelles arrived in the August box. Having three products from the same brand is repetitive and I'd like to see greater brand variation in future boxes. I have never heard of this brand before, and after looking at their website it appears they are a very new brand. The shower gel and lotion both have a pleasant wild berry scent, and hopefully they perform well. I don't use bar soap that often so I am less impressed by the inclusion of a soap.

The Tigi Rockaholic Rock Out Shine Blaster is another full-size product included in the August pack. The information card claims it can "speed up drying time", be mixed with other styling products to  "soften up the hold factor and add shine", and "temporarily mask split ends". This product can by applied on damp or dry hair. I'm curious to see if this performs the functions it claims, as it basically just sounds like a hyped-up shine serum. 

Once again another perfume sample is included in a LHI box - Marc Jacobs DOT. At least this time it's only one! I found it funny that on the card the company gushed about how it was an "exclusive pre-release" as the product was yet hit stores. However, due to the boxes arriving towards the end of the month, the perfume had already made it into stores. Marc Jacobs DOT was released in Australia on August 13th! Although I like Marc Jacobs fragrances, I am truly sick of perfume samples being included. These can easily be sourced from department stores free of charge and the vials are so tiny with only 1.2mL of product. 

Finally, a full-size ModelCo black eyeliner was featured in the August box. I hardly use black pencil liner so I'm not excited by this product. I'm usually left disappointed with ModelCo makeup so I'm not thrilled with the inclusion of this product. 

Overall, I feel disappointed with this months box. As this was the 1st birthday box I was hoping to be happily surprised with some great products, which unfortunately was not the case. The only product I'm interested to try in the tanGO Tan Removal Cloth. The inclusion of yet another perfume sample and 3 products from the same brand is a let down. Lust Have It really needs to improve the content of their boxes and the delivery time or I will probably unsubscribe. 

What were your thoughts on the LHI August box? 

Are you disappointed with this months offerings? 

Let me know in a comment below... 

Lust Have It: July 2012

Sorry for the lack of posts this month! I've been on holidays in New Zealand. 

I'm surprised I made it home before my Lust Have It box had even arrived. Hopefully they arrive more promptly next month! This month the products came enclosed in a bright orange bag. 

The products for July were:

• Tigi Shine Junkie lip gloss in Java - full-size ($16.95)
• Pure Fiji Hydrating Body Lotion - Orange Blossom ($29.95 for 300mL)
• Matrix Biolage Deep Smoothing Shampoo - 50mL ($29.00 for 500mL)
• Matrix Biolage Deep Smoothing Conditioner - 30mL ($29.00 for 250mL)
• Avene Gentle Purifying Scrub - 5mL ($38.95 for 50mL)
• Avene Gentle Eye Make-up Remover - 25mL ($22.95 for 125mL)

The Tigi Shine Junkie lip gloss in the colour Java is the only full-size product included in this months box. I'm honestly a bit surprised with it as I associate Bed Head with haircare products and had no idea they also produced makeup. The colour is not something I'm drawn to as it is a nude-brown, so I will probably give this away. 

The next product is Pure Fiji Hydrating Body Lotion in Orange Blossom. This smells nice and is a great size for travelling so I'm sure I will use this up. 

I was happy to find Matrix Biolage Deep Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner in this months box. I love trying out haircare samples and these smell really nice and fruity. The sizes are quite good as well with 50mL for the shampoo and 30mL for the conditioner. 

Finally two products from Avene were included in the July box. The first is a 25mL bottle of the Gentle Eye Make-up Remover and the second is a tiny 5mL sample of the Gentle Purifying Scrub. I haven't tried much from this brand except for the Thermal Spring Water (which I love!) so I'm excited to see how these products go. 

Overall I'm quite pleased with the contents on this months box. It would be nice to see more variation in brands (as opposed to 2 products from Avene). There is a good variation of products with a makeup item, body lotion, hair care and skin care. I will happily use all these items except for the lipgloss as it is not a colour I feel compliments me. 

What did you think about the contents of this months Lust Have It box?

June Favourites

Here's my belated June favourites, sorry it's so late! This month I found some new great products and also rediscovered a few old favourites. 

• Avene Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water - I received this in the Priceline Skincare Bag and was excited to try it out. I used it as a toner, applying it after my cleanser in the morning and evening. It feels extremely refreshing and the aerosol spray nozzle makes it really quick and easy to apply. 
• Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant - I am so happy to be using this product again! It is a really fantastic exfoliator. It is in a powder form, which you apply to wet hands and then mix together to form a white paste. It isn't harsh or drying and leaves my skin feeling so soft and lovely. It also contains Salicylic Acid which helps to clear up blemishes away. It works great for my sensitive skin as it is unfragranced and uncoloured. 
• John Frieda Frizz Ease Daily Nourishment Leave-in Conditioning Spray - This is a great conditioning spray that I use on my towel dried hair after washing it. I apply a few sprays on each side and then comb out my hair with a wide tooth comb. This smells great and does a great job of detangling. 
• Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti - When I first the colour of this I thought it would be too bright and orange, but when you apply it to your lips it blends with your natural lip colour to create a lovely coral. This product adds a nice touch of colour to your lips and is an easy way to brighten up your everyday makeup. 
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF25 - This is an amazing lip balm. The tube packaging makes it easy to apply and it really sinks in and lasts on your lips. This is the Natural Mint & Shea Butter flavour, but I prefer the Lemon & Chamomile. This isn't available in Australia but I have seen it on StrawberryNet before. 
• Sara Happ Lip Scrub in Vanilla Bean - This has been a saviour for my chapped lips. The scrub smells delicious, like brown sugar and vanilla. I like to use this before I hop in the shower so I can rinse it off and then cleanse to get rid of any residual oil left behind. Although this is more expensive than Lush's or making your own, the pot is 30g and has lasted me a really long time and I'm not even half way through it!
• Maybelline Dream Matte Powder - I like this powder and found myself reaching for it most days throughout June. It's very fine and sets my foundation or tinted moisturiser nicely without looking cakey. It does a good job of keeping my T-zone less shiny as the day wears on. I don't really like the packaging, which swivels out to reveal a sponge and mirror as it tends to open up in my handbag. 
• Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Exposed - This is such a nice nude/plum blush that is easy to apply and blend. Because of the matte finish and muted colour, it works great by itself without any bronzer on my fair skin. I love the packaging as well!
• Real Techniques Buffing Brush - This brush really lived up to the hype! It works so well at applying foundation and blends product effortlessly. The size is perfect and it makes applying foundation so quick and easy. I really love this brush and am so happy to have it in my collection. 

Also, I was wondering if anyone who uses Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant knows the easiest way to travel with it? Unfortunately, I threw out the travel sized container of it I had after I finished it. Any thoughts? 

June Empties

This is my first monthly empties post. Throughout June, I made a conscious effort to use up products before opening new ones. A few of the products below only had a few uses left so were easy to finish up. I thought I would do mini reviews with each empty product, like Jessica from The Belle Lumiere does as I find it helpful. So here we go!

• Cetaphil Moisturising Cream 500mL - This is a great thick and hydrating moisturiser that I use on my body. It's been great during the colder weather when my skin can get quite dry an dehydrated. I like to apply it generously before bed to help my skin stay smooth. I'll definitely repurchase this again.
• Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion - This is a lighter, more liquid moisturiser from Cetaphil. It's quick and easy to apply due to the fluid consistency but not as moisturising as the Moisturising Cream. I would repurchase this, probably in the warmer months as it is a bit lighter and not as thick. 
• MOR Honey Body Butter - This product must be a little old as it's no longer on the MOR website. It worked okay but it was hard to rub into the skin. I wouldn't repurchase this if it was still available. 
• The Body Shop Mango Body Butter - This was a sound product in my opinion. It absorbed into my skin quite well and was a nice consistency and easy to apply. I didn't like the scent, which smelt like plastic and fake mango (if that makes any sense). It also left my skin feeling a bit greasy after use. 

• Philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash - This is a pretty good exfoliator. It is an exfoliating cleansing wash with small beads. It worked well at exfoliating my skin and left it feeling soft and clean. I used this after a cleanser, as on its own it wouldn't remove makeup and isn't good for the eye area. The downsides to this product were the smell wasn't the greatest, the dispenser clogged up easily and the beads in the product began to separate towards the end of the bottle. I may repurchase this in the future, but for now I am moving onto Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant. 
• Aveeno Ultra-Calming Moisturising Cream Cleanser - I was quite disappointed with this cleanser. I thought it would work well for me as it is formulated for sensitive skin. I felt it did a below average job of cleaning my skin as it left behind a film residue and didn't leave my face feeling clean or remove all my makeup. I really didn't like the smell of this cleanser, although it's unscented it smelt really weird and unpleasant. 
• Joico K-Pak Reconstruct Conditioner - This is a great conditioner that I have repurchased over and over. It smells great, leaves my hair feeling extremely smooth and soft and helps repair damage to my hair. The only downside is the higher price. 
• Bioderma Crealine H2O sample - I guess this doesn't really count as the sample is tiny! But this product is fantastic, and I've already purchased a big 500mL bottle off eBay. This is a cleansing water that you apply to a cotton pad and use on your face to remove makeup. It is so gentle on the skin and so easy to use as it doesn't require rinsing. This works well at removing eye makeup and I like to use it before my cleanser. 
• The Body Shop Tea Tree Blotting Tissues - These work well as blotting tissues. The only complaints I have are the tissues are quite small so I usually use two and the packaging can be fiddly to close. 

• My Beauty Diary Chocolate Truffle Sheet Mask - These are fantastic sheet masks and I love them! They are well soaked with essence which means they last longer on your face before drying up. These are easy to apply as there is a plastic covering behind the sheet mask which makes unfolding them easy. This has a slight chocolatey smell but it's not overpowering. Because these are well soaked, you can leave them on for longer than 15-20 minutes and they still feel great and don't dry up until 35-40 minutes. I love these and will definitely repurchase more from this brand in the future. 
• LonVitalite 24K Active Golden Yulan Oil Facial Mask - This was terrible! I was so disappointed as I was excited to see a sheet mask in the Lust Have It box for June, but this was an awful product. First off, the consistency of the essence was wrong - it felt slimy and the consistency was too thick. It was hard to unfold and apply, unlike the My Beauty Diary sheet masks (which are great), it didn't have plastic behind it to help you unfold it. It smelt awful and after I applied it to my face there was a strange and uncomfortable tingling/stinging sensation which I didn't enjoy. I left this on for about 5 minutes and then I just couldn't handle it so I removed it. I rinsed my face with warm water but my face felt sticky afterwards, and I ended up cleansing my face again. A truly awful product and now I don't even want to try the eye mask from the same brand. 
• Skinvitals Hydraflex Face Mask - I received this in my Priceline Skincare Bag and I used it after having a bad experience with the LonVitalite mask (see above). I was quite happy with this mask, the cloth was a nice thickness that made it easier to unwrap as it didn't feel flimsy. The mask was nicely soaked and the essence wasn't too thick or sticky. I left this on for about 20 minutes and it was still quite soaked when I removed it. I would buy this brand of sheet masks again as I can easily pick them up from Priceline. 
• Skinvitals EyeLift Cloth Eye Treatment Mask - This was my first time trying an eye sheet mask and I was happy with this product. They felt nice and relaxing under my eyes and provided a nice cooling effect. The effects weren't noticeable but they do feel nice and I will happily use the others in the pack. 

Review and Swatches: Revlon Lip Butters

Revlon released the Lip Butters in Australia this past April. These lip products are marketed as being hydrating, with light to medium coverage. There are 20 shades available in a range of colours, of which I currently have eight.

Red Velvet, Lollipop, Raspberry Pie, Candy Apple, Tutti Frutti, Sweet Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, Cotton Candy

The four darker shades I own are Red Velvet, Lollipop, Raspberry Pie and Candy Apple. Lollipop is the only colour of these four that has shimmer, with very fine blue/violet glitter. 

I love the fact that the packaging matches the colour of the product. This makes it really easy to find the one you're looking for, and it looks pretty!

The top of the packaging is clear so you can see the colour from above. This would be helpful if you stored these standing up. 

Red Velvet, Lollipop, Raspberry Pie, Candy Apple

The pigmentation of these is really good, especially the darker colours which have coverage comparable to lipstick. 

Red Velvet, Lollipop, Raspberry Pie, Candy Apple

The four lighter shades I have are Tutti Frutti, Sweet Tart, Strawberry Shortcake and Cotton Candy. Cotton Candy has very fine gold glitter.

These feel moisturising on the lips and leave a glossy sheen, so you don't even need lipgloss. I also apply these without lip liner, though you could use it if you prefer. 

The downside to this product is the shorter wear time compared to a lipstick. The lighter, less pigmented shades wear off after about an hour and a half, where as the darker shades (like Red Velvet) have a longer wear time of 2-3 hours.

Tutti Frutti, Sweet Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, Cotton Candy

In the swatch, Tutti Frutti looks very orange, but on the lips it translates to a lovely sheerer orange coral.  

Tutti Frutti, Sweet Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, Cotton Candy

This photo shows how much each Lip Butter winds up. The Lip Butters have 2.55g of product, which is less than most lipsticks. MAC Lipsticks for example, have 3g of product.

Another downside is the high price in comparison to the US and the UK. These retail for AUD$21.95, but I've seen them for around $18.50 in discount chemists. When they first launched, they were buy one get one free at some retailers. In the US, these retail for USD$7.49 but can be found even cheaper when discounted. In the UK, they retail for UK£7.99 (around AUD$12). 

Despite their annoyingly high Australian price tag, I think these are definitely work checking out. The shorter wear time may not be for some, but due to their moisturising consistency and easy application I don't mind. You don't need a lipliner or lipgloss with these, which may help overcome the price.

Do you own any Revlon Lip Butters? Which is your favourite or most worn? What do you think of the Australian price tag?