David Jones Deluxe Sampler Tote-February 2016

Hey Lovelies!

I saw a blog post for these the other day, and i don't think my poor husband heard the end of it for the rest of the day.  I love these bags, and i missed the last one :(  There are 2 variants, the Pink and the Purple, after reading the reviews i went for the Pink (it had a product i preferred in it).

The bag!  Blah!  It now has yarn in it (i went to lincraft, not planning to buy anything, and walked away with 11 balls of yarn.  They had this amazing light grey cotton with glitter through it, at only $1.29 a ball.  I went to buy 10, and there were 11 there, so i bought them all.  Now to decide on a pattern.  Poor Husband just rolled his eyes, he's used to my crafty acquisitions.  There's been enough of them).

My purchase to qualify.  Have you ever seen me buy anything else?  The small size has gone up by $1, it's now $5.95 (i bought a big lavender before Christmas to qualify for free shipping on the DJ's website).

These 3 are in every bag.  An Ecoya Midnight Orchid Mini Botanic Jar Candle ($17.95-i love the scent), a Red Earth Colour Lock Nail Colour in Nebula ($18), and A Grown Alchemist Camellia and Geranium Hydrating Cream ($7.80-i've tried this from a previous DJ's tote, and love it.  Very happy to have another).

So Pretty!!

The rest of the items are exclusive to the Pink bag

Blinc Eyeliner ($0.25)-very, very wet.  Rubs off as promised, though.
Lanolips 101 Ointment Multipurpose Balm in Peach ($13.95)-the whole reason i got the Pink bag.  The purple bag had a Burts Bees lipbalm, i'm not a huge fan of their balms, and i absolutely love the Peach lanolips!

The eyeliner.  It's really black.

Red Earth Energising Daytime Moisturiser (Full size $40, the one in the bag is 30ml.  can't seem to find a size for the full size)
Antipodes Hosana H2O Skin-Plumping Serum ($16.33)
Weleda Skin Food ($4.99)

The Aromatherapy Company Naturals Orange and Jasmine Hand and Nail Cream ($17.95) This smells divine!
In Essence Aromatherapy Sleep Easy Pillow Mist ($2)-the second reason i wanted the Pink bag.  I love lavender oil on my pillow at night.

Plus vouchers for Red Earth (20%), Grown (20%), In Essence (25%), Weleda (30%) and Lanolips (BOGO-i plan on using this!).

Total= $99.22 (without including the red earth moisturiser).  So not too far off the supposed value of $130.

All in all i'm happy with the bag.  Most of the brands have been in previous bags, but only 1 repeat product, and not too many similar products (i've had bags that seem like they're all face moisturisers, body washes and body moisturisers), plus not a DJ's product to be seen (i don't necessarily dislike Dj's products, but when they're the main products in the bags it tends to annoy me).  Plus not an OPI polish to be seen!

To see what's in the Purple bag, check out The Beauty in Life

Lust Have It January 2016

Afternoon Lovelies!

I must apologise for the late review, i've been sick (just a nasty cold, but it's been fairly bad).  I've actually had my LHI bag since Monday last week (1/2), and i'm just sitting down to write this now.

Another apology for the terrible photos, it was a horrible, overcast day.

As you can just make out, one of the Skinyoga boxes had broken open.  Gorgeous packaging, but it's probably better posted in a box.

First and foremost i have my Sasy n Savy handcream that was missing from the December box.  And it's in Cherry Blossom!  Lovely handcream, absorbs really quickly, didn't leave any sort of residue, and smells beautiful.

Unani Micellar Water-$22.50-full size

This was the sneak peek.  It almost sounds like a toner, rather than a micellar water.  I don't tend to use much micellar water (i have 2 full sized Swisse ones here, unopened), but i'm interested if it's like a toner.

Hikari Blush-$21-full size 

I got the colour Sunkissed, described as a Warm peach with shimmer.  Warm Peach?  To me it's a sandy champagne-y colour, and isn't really a blush, it's more of a light bronzer or a highlighter.  But it's great for adding a bit of all over warmth to my face.  It's a lovely product, and i love the fact i didn't get something i already have 5-6 of (i may or may not own a few blushes, a lot the same kinds of colour).

Hikari Lip Crayon-$18-full sized

Mine's in Amour, a lovely blue based red.  I've seen 2 other colourways, and i prefer the one i got.  When swatched it feels really nice, and goes on smoothly.

SkinYoga Almond Orange Face Scrub and Sandalwood Saffron Face Mask-$24-deluxe sample

These are in really cute glass bottles, both are dry powders you mix with water.  Seems slightly silly to put them in bottles, for a couple of reasons.  If the contents happen to get a bit of steam or water they could prove to be impossible to get out, and glass in a bathroom?  In something you handle with wet hands?  Seems a bit silly.  Haven't tried them yet, so can't tell you much else, but they don't have a scent when dry.  I was expecting they would.

Hikari Pencil and Blush

All in all i'm really happy with my bag.  I'll use everything, eventually, and i love the colours.

Since it's been so long since i blogged, tell me what i've missed?  What do i need to know about?

Lust Have It December 2015

Afternoon lovelies!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Lust Have It had some issues getting their box out last month, a train caught fire (i think) in WA and a product got stuck over there in the process.  But they did start to send before the end of the month, mine just seemed to sit in stasis for a couple of days.

I must admit, i wasn't overly looking forward to my bag.  I saw a couple of pictures on Facebook, and it really didn't come across wonderfully.  Now i have it, though, it's not too bad.

Anyone notice a problem here?  Anyone?  1 product is missing from my bag :(  I've filled out a missing product form, just waiting for a response.

Naobay Moisturising Peeling Brightening Facial Milk Scrub-$27-full size

What a mouthful!  We received a Naobay moisturiser in a Violet Box, so i was excited to try this.  It has Acai tree particles to gently exfoliate skin, olive oil, shea butter and almond oil to help moisturise, and gotu kola extract to help soothe skin.  My skin is terribly dry at the moment, so i can't wait to try this.  And it smells amazing!

Be A Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad-$22-full size

This was one of those things i really wasn't impressed with getting.  These were in a Violet Box once upon a time, and seeing as it's no longer in my stash anywhere i mustn't have thought much of it.  However, i really like the colours (the card states that we'll either get London or Shanghai, mine's Sydney?  No idea if there is much of a variation otherwise), there's a silvery green, a reddish bronze (both shimmery), then a matte brown and a matte ivory.  Some of the colours have a fairly good colour payoff, some aren't great (which i'm wondering if a wet brush could help).  But i think i'll have a play with this.

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil-$24.50-full size

This, again, is a product that moonlighted in Violet Box.  However i love it!  And now i have a spare.  It's a matte ivory pencil, that can be used around the eyes or as a brow highlight.  It's a versatile colour, it goes on smoothly and doesn't tug at all.  I'm not opening it yet, though. 

Essenzza Fuss Free Naturals Micellar Mini Wipes-$2.25-sample size?

Meh!  I hardly ever use wipes like this.  Although i was looking for some the other day, so i'll stash these for the next time such an occasion arises.

Finally there was supposed to be a Sasy n Savy Hand Cream ($15-$20, full size).  Mine wasn't in my bag, and i'm not going to comment on something i haven't received, but god i hope i don't receive Jasmine.  I can't stand jasmine scents.

So not 1 new brand.  Essenzza, Sasy n Savy (which have been in LHI almost as long as LHI have been around) and Be a Bombshell have all been in previous LHI boxes, with Naobay and Chella in Violet Box (which, of course, closed, and now a lot of ex subscribers have moved to LHI).  In that respect i find it disappointing, i love buying these sorts of subscriptions to discover new brands and products, the Dec box didn't deliver.

It was well worth the money spent, and i'll use everything, it's just not awe inspiring.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

To those of you heading out, be safe and have fun.

To those of you that, like us, are staying home, make sure you do something, however small, to bring in the year.

I look forward to sharing some new finds with you next year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Lovelies!

Hope you all have a wonderful day filled with love, laughter, fun and great food!

Love,

Olivia

Xxooxx

Skin B5

Afternoon Lovelies!

It's almost Christmas!  Where has the year gone?

I received an email from the lovely Michelle over at Skin B5 a couple of months ago, asking if i'd be interested in reviewing the range.  I jumped at the opportunity.  I'm a past cystic acne sufferer, and still get hormonal acne (although it's nothing like it used to be), and therefore am passionate about treatment options.

The Skin B5 philosophy is that in order to treat acne, you need to use products both externally and internally.  So the range consists of a cleanser, moisturiser and mask for the external, and 2 different tablets for the internal. 

There's the Acne Control Cleansing Mousse.  It (from the website) "Tightens & unclogs pores, Removes excess skin oil, Soothes troubled skin, Removes dead skin, Prevents breakouts, Refines skin texture,Effectively removes makeup"

I really like the cleanser, but i will dispute one thing.  I found it didn't remove makeup all that well.  Not a problem for me these days, i used a cleansing oil first and then used the cleanser, but i can see it being an issue for younger people.  As a teen i wore makeup each and every day, i hated my skin and tried everything i could to hide the acne i had.   And had i used a system like this, i wouldn't have strayed from it.  So, to me, a product like this either has to remove every miniscule amount of makeup, or there needs to be another step to the system to ensure that the issue is taken care of (even a list of acceptable products).

Other than that, i love this.  It leaves my skin soft and smooth, i find i don't need to exfoliate as it does a great job of removing dead skin, and it doesn't leave my skin feeling tight at the end.

The second step is the Skin Purifying Mask.  It "Cleanses acne prone skin - potent antibacterial properties, Purifies - absorbs and extracts oils and impurities, Soothes and heals skin surface and irritation, Helps to renew skin condition, FAST acting - see the difference in just 5 minutes!".

It really is a fast mask, you leave it on for 5-odd minutes, then rinse off.  You can use it as a mask twice a week, or as a spot treatment as needed.  It smells lovely, and really leaves your skin feeling beautiful.

Then finally there's the Acne Control Moisturiser,  It "Prevents breakouts, Non-comedogenic, Easily absorbed, Evens skin tone, Tightens pores, Control shine".

It's a thinner moisturiser, so i don't know how people with really dry skin would find it.  Otherwise it did what it claimed, and was the perfect finish to the other products.

Then we have the internal products.  There are 2 different tablets, one is the Acne Control Caplets (the smaller tablets), the other the Acne Control Extra Strength Tablets (the larger tablets). 

The Extra Strength Tablets are for those people with moderate to serious acne.  They "Potent formula to help control more serious acne, Helps control skin oil production - suitable for acne sufferers with very oily skin, Supports skin healing and renewal, Supports healthy immune function, Provides powerful anti-blemish antioxidants, Helps relieve stress".  The biggest surprise for me was how it worked on my stress levels.  I have anxiety, and my husband went away for 2 weeks when this package rocked up.  I was expecting (as was hubby) to be fairly frazzled by the time he came home, but i wasn't.  I was noticeably calmer, and things didn't get to me as much.  Plus my skin glowed :)

The Caplets are for those of us who have mild acne or occasional breakouts.  These have Vitex in them (which the others don't), which is a herb that helps regulate hormones (it's something women who have irregular cycles and are TTC turn to for help).  So these should help those of us who suffer from those hormonal breakouts.

After all that, the big question.  Did the range help my skin?

Honestly, i didn't notice a huge difference to my acne.  In saying that, my skin is pretty clear the majority of the time.  What i did notice was a change in my skin itself.  It was smoother, and clearer (if that makes sense).  It didn't seem to be clogged up with gunk, and if anything my pores and acne scars seemed less noticeable.  Plus it seemed to glow from within, with the added bonus of my stress and anxiety levels dropping dramatically.

The Skin B5 range is wonderful, and definitely worth trying for those of us who are battling acne and It's available from the Skin B5 website.

Thank you so much Michelle and the Skin B5 team for the opportunity to review the range!

Redpawpaw Summer 2015

Evening all!

It's that time again!  RPP have joined forces with Subscription Box Australia, so that's the Facebook page to ask questions on etc (i know last box it was a bit up in the air about why the RPP facebook page had disappeared, and whether or not the company was in trouble).  They also posted full spoilers for the box, although not all the spoilers were in my box (not sure if that's intentional, and you just get a random mix, or if there's stuff missing.  From past boxes it's probably a random mix).

But, on to the exciting part, the contents!

The box was really heavy!  Same box, as per usual.

Fantastic Thinner Bite Black Rice Crackers-sample size 10c
Nature Valley Crunchy Bars-sample size $1.98
Uncle Toby's Yoghurt and Strawberry Lunchbox Bars-full size $3.99
Belvita Breakfast Muesli Biscuits-full size $4.00

Campbell's Real Soup Bases in Moroccan, Italian and Asian-full size $5.00 each

Sipahh Chrismint Straws-sample size $1.28
Kraft Crunchy Hazelnut Spread-full size $5.70
Tic Tac Candy Cane-full size $1.69
Darrell Lea Choc Stix-full size 79c each

Well Good Coconut Flour-??  A lovely looking recipe for Banana and Raspberry bread was included, using this flour.
Qi Teas sample packs-??

Value=$35.12

Is it up to normal Redpawpaw standards?  Not really.  However everything in the box will get used.  I have raspberries here, and some overripe bananas, so that coconut flour has plans, i've already eaten the liquorice/milk choc stix, my eldest desperately wants a sipahh straw, and the rest will be eaten over time.  And i love that there were some Christmas-y items included.

I'd love to know your thoughts, i don't know how many people still subscribe to RPP, and whilst i think it's ok, i'm not sure about everyone else.