Lust Have It August 2012

In this month's box I received;

tanGo tanning glove - full size, RRP $29.95.  Why is this called a glove, it's a face washer?  Besides that initial confusion, I'm Ok with this, I don't wear fake tan and thought well that's a waste of a good cloth but it also doubles as a makeup remover and I do wear that!  I used this tonight in the shower when I washed off my makeup, you are suppose to just use water but I used my face cleanser and it helped remove the makeup from around my eyes easier.  Don't know if I am sold on this product but it was an interesting sample to find in the box, great full-size product to receive, definitely something different.

Bioderma Atoderm Cream - 8ml sample, RRP $59.95 500ml.  I am not impressed with this sample, one look at the list of ingredients where the first two ingredients are water and mineral oil tells me this is not worth the price tag.  I can purchase natural products for a lot less.

Tigi Catwalk session series:  True Wax - full size, RRP $29.95 50g.  This wax controls your hair and adds shine.  The fragrance is very overpowering, I prefer unscented products so they don't clash with my perfume.  It is very greasy and my hair which is long but very fine doesn't tolerate oil products very well, makes my hair look stringy and dirty.  I would have preferred the other product on offer this month, Tigi Styling Cream as it is light-weight and more suited to my frizz prone hair type.  I prefer natural looking hair as opposed to 'styled', I will have to see what I can do with it.  UPDATE:  I have tried this product the last couple of times I wash my hair, I apply a very small amount and smooth it over my hair mid-length to the ends.  Does a great job of smoothing at the frizzes and doesn't leave your hair looking greasy.  A little goes a long way, I really do like this product but find the fragrance too much, it lasts for days. 

Aromatherapy Associates:  Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser - 5ml sample, RRP $82.80 50ml.  I was really excited about this moisturiser, Rose is my all time favourite ingredient in anything!  Smells DIVINE.  I used this moisturiser last night and this morning and I can't say I am too impressed.  It applies very thick, is hard to spread and sits on your skin with a waxy feel to it.  Did not feel it was absorbing or moisturising enough for my skin, it just sat there.  I had to go over with my normal moisturiser but my face feels like I have applied lip balm all over, it feels really weird.  I think I will keep this one to use at night.

Aromatherapy Associates:  Rose Hydrating Face Mask - 5ml sample, RRP $54.95 100ml.  Another beautiful smelling product, claims to restore vital moisture to dry skin.  Contains Aloe Vera.  I don't know if I will try this as masks have a habit of breaking me out and I just don't want to go there.

Wet n Wild Nail Polish - full size, RRP $12.95, 10ml.  This is a budget line in the US but as with everything in Australia we find ourselves paying double what our american sisters do.  Not impressed with this product at all.  It's cheap, my lid was broken and just spun in place, I had to remove it and use the core lid to open the nail polish.  The shade I received?   I can't tell you because it didn't come labelled.  It looks like a beautiful metallic medium purple but goes on so sheer all you get is a slight hint of pink.  Might let the girls play with this one.

Shiseido Lipstick - sample 2.5g, RRP $43.00 4.5g.  The shade I received is Perfect Rouge.  This is a colour my mother would wear, way to dark for my fair skin.  Applies well and evenly, I can't say that I found it moisturising as claimed but all lipstick dries my lips out.  You can make 'too dark' colours work for you if you apply sparingly and use it as a lip stain and cover it with lipgloss, I will have fun playing with this.

I must say I was happy with the varied selection I received this month, I don't know if I will be able to use everything but there certainly are some new brands in there I would be interested in finding out more about.  This month's box was great value for money and I think for a lot of members it is important to see that they are getting their money's worth.  I know it is for me.

I hope you go back to the brightly coloured bags, I love them!

Happy birthday Lust Have It, here's wishing you another year of bigger and better things.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle System

A daily anti-aging regimen for healthier, younger looking skin. Including an anti-aging moisturiser, anti-aging eye cream, and a gentle facial cleanser, this convenient anti-wrinkle kit combines retinol with vitamin-rich and moisture-rich ingredients to visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots, and to help soften and smooth skin.

I recently started using Neutrogena Intensives Eye Cream which I absolutely love. While I was looking for skin products for my son (acne), I came across this system and was very curious to try it based on the positive results I had had from the eye cream.

I love each and every one of these products. It would have to be the first time I have used a system and seen results almost immediately.

Overall using all three products, my skin was noticeably brighter, pores were smaller, acne completely disappeared. Lines were diminished and I saw a firmer, healthier looking me in the mirror. I am super impressed with this system.

This is a 3-step system consisting of face wash, day moisturiser and eye cream. I would have liked to have seen this kit include a night cream because that would have made it a complete regime.


FRESH FOAMING CLEANSER 200ml - This is a soap-free, oil-free, alcohol-free cleanser. Cleanses your face and is gentle enough to use around your eye area to remove all traces of makeup including mascara. Comes in a pump bottle and you only need about half a pump to cleanse your face thoroughly, if I am wearing full makeup I like to cleanse my face twice, just to make sure it's all off.


I like this cleanser, it cleans better than the one I have been using, my skin doesn't feel dry or tight after use and my skin certainly looked brighter even after the initial use.


HEALTHY SKIN ANTI-WRINKLE CREAM SPF 15 40g tube – This is a daily moisturising cream which claims to visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in one week.  This product contains Retinol which gives skin an overall healthy appearance, it works by exfoliating  which rids the skin of old cells which block the pores and stop moisturisers from being absorbed more deeply into the skin.  Therefore with newer healthier cells closer to the surface your skin looks brighter, lines and wrinkles are minimised and acne breakouts are lessened.


You only need about a pearl size amount of this cream; it is super moisturising and leaves your face feeling smooth and soft.  This moisturiser makes a great base for makeup, I really love the way my skin looks after using this product.  I have seen a marked improvement in my skin, my lines are minimised and my few acne spots have disappeared.


HEALTHY SKIN EYE CREAM 15g tube – This is a multi-vitamin treatment with Alpha-Hydroxy and Melbiose, claims to visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines around the eye area.  Alpha-Hydroxy is derived from fruit and milk sugars; it is used in cosmetics as an exfoliant.  Melbiose is derived from sugar and works as a firming agent.  So basically the Alpha-Hydroxy exfoliates which allows the Melbiose to penetrate the skin more deeply to firm up the eye area.  Be aware that although this cream helps repair sun damaged skin it also makes the renewed skin around your eyes more sensitive to the sun and a good SPF cream should always be applied.

 I use this cream during the day and the Neutrogena Intensives eye cream at night, not because I prefer it that way but so I can use up both tubes.  I do feel these eye creams are working for me, I have noticed a great improvement in my eye area, the crepey skin on my eyelids has disappeared and my eye area is definitely firmer.

I just wanted to give a quick review of NEUTROGENA AGELESS INTENSIVES DEEP WRINKLE EYE CREAM 14g tube as I have mentioned it in this review and it is the product which led me to this system.

Within a few days I noticed improvement in my eye area with crepey lids and deep lines minimised, some even disappeared.  I love this eye cream, it is the best I have ever used and it is now a staple in my routine.

I do feel it is stronger than the Healthy Skin Eye Cream and for me more suited to night application even though I have worn it during the day as it does not make my eyelids greasy.  Contains Retinol SA (Sustained Action), which basically means it is stronger and works for longer, I think that is perfect for overnight when your skin is resting.  Also contains Hyaluronic Acid which is used as a dermal filler in cosmetic surgery but is also a highly effective moisturiser.


Overall I am very happy with this system and feel it has made a marked improvement in my skin. I am really noticing it best when I apply my makeup because my skin is firmer and application is smoother and easier.  I feel I look younger and my husband says I look beautiful; it can’t get better than that!

bellabox august 2012

This month's theme was GO GREEN.

1.  LUK BEAUTIFOOD LIP NOURISH - 3g full size, RRP $24.95 - This is a new product that hasn't even been released yet.  Claims to be made from a 100% natural, edible and food active recipe.  I received Lemon and Mint.  I had a reaction to this product and warn those who do have food allergies to carefully check the list of ingredients before trying.  Unfortunately a list was not provided with my sample, just because its all natural does not mean its safe for everyone, especially those with food allergies.

Within 10 minutes my lips were burning and I couldn't wipe it off fast enough, 2 hours later my lips were still numb, swollen and red around the skin.  Lip Nourish, contains Sesame oil, which causes a very similiar reaction to NUT allergies and is in fact the fourth most common cause of allergies in Australian Children.  This is something you might want to be aware of if you or anyone you know has allergies before trying this product.  Sounds great all natural product BUT not if you have food allergies.  I do hope founder Cindy Lukan adds this as a warning on her labels.  Food allergies are a serious concern.

2.  LUSH RO'S ARGAN BODY CONDITIONER - 45g sample tin, RRP $29.95 225g.   Great fan of LUSH products and this is no exception.  I already have tried this product so wasn't super excited to see it again.  Unfortunately my sample was contaminated and smelt like stale beer, the tin was bashed about too, so I don't think it had an easy life making its way to me.  I noticed a lot of people complaining about the state of their tins, they have to realise presentation is a big part of selling a product.  More care please.

3.  AVEENO DAILY MOISTURISING LOTION - 29ml sample, RRP $12.99 354ml.  This product is made by Johnson and Johnson, hardly high end.  I wasn't impressed to receive this but have a grown son who suffers from Psoriasis so will pass it on to him.  Contains oatmeal to sooth the skin and no fragrance, such a small sample though will hardly be a true test to see if it works on dry damaged skin.

4.  EMERGINC SKINCARE -  2 x 3ml samples of cleanser and moisturiser.  RRP $44 for the Kombucha cleanser 120ml and $105 for the Phytocell moisturiser 50ml.  Very small samples which won't really give you a good idea how the product works.   I don't use cream cleansers and I have moisturiser coming out my ears.  Every month I get moisturisers, I am a mature woman not a dried up prune!

5.  AURORA SPA RITUALS ROSE OTTO & CLARIFYING SHAMPOO + BURDOCK & ROSE REVITALISING CONDITIONER - 50ml travel size samples.  RRP $40 each 500ml.  These samples actually smell divine, I don't know if they will be moisturising enough for my dry hair, I really do like the idea of using all natural products on my hair but again with waist length hair, these samples are not big enough for me to make an informed choice to purchase.  This is about the only products that have interested me this month.  I visited Aurora Spa Rituals website with a view to purchasing these products and they don't even have them in stock, what is the point of sending out samples?

6.  PHYTOCARE DAILY C - Vitamin C powder, 2 one dose sachets.  RRP $17.80 for 30 sachets.  Interesting choice to add to a beauty box but as beauty should be tackled from the inside as well and Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which is good for you skin, Why Not?

7.  BONUS PRODUCT - YOU, ME & EVERYBODY BODHI ME HANDWASH - RRP $5.99, 250ml.  If you purchase any products from the bellabox shop this month you get this product for free.

Have to say I was totally underwhelmed by this month's bellabox.  Again another month of moisturisers and hair products.

I was even more disappointed from the reply I received from bellabox themselves when I questioned why some members received a valuable eyeliner $30 while other members only received a shampoo and conditioner sample, AGAIN!

I was told by bellabox that their boxes are of equal value.  Two shampoo samples do NOT equal a $30 Eye of Horus eyeliner.  These boxes are NOT of equal value.

Companies have to learn if they are not perceived as providing value for money they won't be in business long, customers will walk.  These are FREE samples made available by the companies wanting you to purchase their products.

If you would like to try BB for yourself go here.