Lust Have It June 2013

Well....if I was disappointed in last month's LHI box it's nothing to the way I am feeling about this month.

I received 5 sample-sized products from a company who increased their subscription cost from $14.95 to $19.95 and promised bigger better boxes with more full-sized items.

This month I received

Rachel K Mineral Color Control CC Cream - 4 samples sachets ~ I received these in my April box, they were actullay missing from my box and I received them later.  I can't even use these because they are the wrong shade. I use the Black Original for pink-toned skin, the Pink samples are for yellow-toned skin, it doesn't work on me.

Batiste Dry Shampoo Cherry - Oh God if I receive one more can of useless Dry Shampoo I think I might actually scream!!

Pure Fiji Hydrating Body Lotion - I have a ton of this moisturiser, I don't need to sample any more, I'm already sold thanks.  It says on the card I was suppose to receive Ocean Mist but I received Coconut, at least Ocean Mist would have been something different!

Real Purity Lipstick sample with a cheap useless disposable brush - Un-hygienic sample pot.  Don't wear Red too pale and thanks for the cheap brush helped me make up my mind NEVER to purchase CROWN Brushes.

Doctor Babor DERMA CELLULAR Collagen Booster Cream - Who in their right mind spends $249 on a moisturiser?  Please take the time to read how your skin absorbs moisturiser and how deep it REALLY gets into the layers of skin,  NOT as deep as they describe for this to work.  These creams don't work and you are wasting a considerable amount of money if you purchase this.

This month is the pinnacle of all that is WRONG with Lust Have It and I would recommend anyone who is looking for a worthwhile beauty box to try elsewhere, this is just a waste of your money.

In fact I'm thinking of asking for a refund.

I have noticed that LHI are also giving some bloggers a discount code to use on their blog to entice new customers with a $5 off your first box.  Maybe LHI should just lower the prices of their boxes to the original $14.95 per month because they are certainly NOT worth the $19.95 they are charging now.  In fact the boxes have got worse not better since the price increase.

Now for something more worthwhile, don't forget to enter my giveaway for some fantastic ICON India hair care products, all you need to do is follow me and leave a comment, open to Australian Residents only.  Enter here.

My Napoleon Perdis Haul

I thought I would share with you the Napoleon Perdis Haul I recently purchased from David Jones Online.  I don't think you get the largest selection online to choose from compared to walking into a David Jones store but there was enough for me to add this fantastic GWP to my cart.

www.davidjones.com.au

Purchase $79 or more and receive a 7 piece make up gift valued at $200, the offer is available until the 23rd June online or instore.

~ Prismatic Eye Shadow Quad
~ Lip Lacquer
~ China Doll Eyeliner
~ Mosaic Powder - Gleamer
~ Travel Size Gold Long Black Mascara
~ Makeup Shakeup Lesson Card
~ Blue Ostrich Print Tote

Now they say you get a choice of 3 bags with three different colour combinations.  I thought I had chosen the brown eyeshadow collection shown in the photo above but received the blue eyeshadow collection instead.

I purchased a Mosaic Powder Bronzer and Mosaic Powder Blush to qualify for the GWP.

Bronzer  ~  Blusher  ~  Gleamer

I used all three of these Mosaics yesterday and I have to say I LOVE THEM!!  Highly pigmented, Matte Bronzer and Blush,  the Gleamer has a slight sheen, no sparkle, you only need a little, they are all buildable and the colour stays all day.  I didn't need to refresh my makeup at any time during the day, no fading.  I will say for my pale skin the bronzer and blush went on a little dark but it was easy to buff out and achieve the tone I was looking for.  Well pleased with these.

This is the Prismatic Eye Quad #3 I received.

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I was not too happy I received the blue/grey/charcoal at first because I don't wear these shades normally but I did wear them yesterday and was quite happy with the result.  It's always good to try something new outside your safety zone, you might surprise yourself!.  I was quite impressed with the staying power of this shadow, the colour stayed fresh all day, there was no fading or creasing.

www.matillysthisnthat.blogspot.com.au

The Lip Lacquer ~ Shameless Nude ~ is a very pretty pink rose gold slightly holographic shade in the tube but gave me no colour benefit once on the lips.  It is very thick and sticky and I found it extremely hard to apply.  When I tried to apply it as a gloss over my lipstick it took all the lipstick off.  Best used on its own for a glossy juicy look.  Because it is thick and sticky it stays on well until you have something to eat or drink and then the whole lot just disappears.  Can't say I am too impressed with this lip lacquer.

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The Gold Long Black Mascara ~ travel size,  I didn't like at all.  It was thick and just made all my eyelashes stick together, I don't know if I got a bad sample but based on that I would not go out and purchase the full size item.  If anyone has a positive review of this mascara I would love to hear from you.

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The following product I haven't tried yet as I don't wear eyeliner but it is a very pretty Teal.

www.napoleonperdis.com

China Doll Eye Liner ~ Teal

I loved the big roomy bag all my goodies came in, I will certainly get some use out of it, usually the bags that come with these GWP's are awful but this one is really nice.

There was also a card for a makeup lesson but I live too far away from the city to be able to ever benefit from it.

I was very happy with the quality of most the cosmetics I received and I definitely think this offer was good value.

What do you think?   Have you purchased this offer or tried NP for yourself?   Please let me know by leaving a comment below.

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Don't forget to enter my I.C.O.N. India Giveaway you could win some gorgeous hair products just by following me and leaving a comment, the link is here.

Jac x0x

I.C.O.N. INDIA Hair-Yurvedics Hair Care Review & Giveaway ***CLOSED***

I was recently contacted by Salon Cosmetics whom have just launched the I.C.O.N.  Hair-Yurvedics Hair Care Range in Australia and asked if I would like to try their new range INDIA.

INDIA hair care incorporates Ayurvedic Principles that not only make your hair look good but use the healing qualities of Moringa Oil ~ restores strength & adds lustre, Argan Oil ~ to nourish and revitalise and the exotic fragrance of Amber.  The women of India have used these oils to heal for centuries.  Based on ancient practices  I.C.O.N have now combined these ingredients to help transform your hair back to luxuriously silky, manageable, radiant health and shine.

I received an INDIA Travel Pack which contained the following 4 products;

INDIA Shampoo ~ Gently cleanses your hair while strengthening and smoothing the hair shaft.

INDIA Conditioner ~ Helps heal and treat your hair from the inside, promotes healthy growth and adds shine.

INDIA Healing Spray ~ This is a leave-in treatment which fortifies each strand with Aloe leaf to soothe and Quinoa (natural protein) which promotes hair repair by reversing damage, strengthening and binding moisture.

INDIA Oil ~ Strengthens, detangles and adds shine

I have been using these products for over a week now and I would have to say I am in love with this brand.  I have long hair which needs a lot of care and I was really impressed by how my hair immediately responded to these products.

The Shampoo leaves your hair feeling silky soft, it is a pearlised cream which you just massage through and rinse clean.  I could really feel the difference as there was no tangled dry feeling, this is the first shampoo I have ever used where I felt my hair was noticeably smoother without the use of conditioner.

The Conditioner I was really impressed with because I found I didn't need to use as much (same amount as the shampoo) to coat my hair.  Extremely emollient, I just massaged it through my ends and worked my way up to my scalp.  I left it on a few minutes and rinsed.  The test of a good conditioner for me is when you comb your hair and the comb just glides through, that was what I experienced with this conditioner, silky, soft, manageable hair.

The Healing Spray would have to be my favourite product, after towel drying my hair, I sprayed a few squirts into my palm and gently massaged through my hair.  This is a light emulsified oil which treats and conditions your hair without leaving a heavy oily mess.  I have fine hair but lots of it and usually oil-based products leave my hair limp and over-saturated.

The Oil I used just on the ends of my hair for a little extra moisture and protection, I found the healing spray was enough extra condition for my fine hair.

Overall I found using all these products together PERFECT for my hair.  My hair looks and feels silky and glossy, I noticed my hair remained in good condition between washes (3 days), there were no tangles, knots or frizz and my hair remained luxuriously soft and shiny. I received compliments from friends and family wanting to know what I had done to my hair and I was very happy to tell them.   This is the FIRST complete hair care system where I have loved ALL the products not just one or two.

The musky smell of AMBER is carried through the entire range and would have to be one of my favourite perfumes, a very subtle yet provocatively sensual aroma.  There is definitely something very exotic about this range and I recommend you try it for yourself.

You can find out more about I.C.O.N. from their webpage here or if you would like to purchase some of their products online HAIR 2 GO have some wonderful value packs with great savings here.

I have already purchased the I.C.O.N. India Discovery Pack for myself, $210.75 value for $99, you can find it here.

Now for the exciting bit.

Salon Cosmetics has offered one of my lucky readers a beautifully presented I.C.O.N. India Trio Pack valued at $115.85, it contains their gorgeous full-sized INDIA Shampoo, Conditioner and Oil.

All you have to do to enter, is follow me on either GFC, Bloglovin or Google+  (links are on the right) and leave a comment below with the name you are following me with so I can find you.  Comments will be numbered in order posted and the winner will be chosen via Random.Org.  I will announce the winner on my blog, Sunday June 30, you have 24 hours to contact me or another winner will be picked.

The prize will be sent directly to you from Salon Cosmetics.

Don't forget to go over and LIKE their Facebook page here

This prize is only available to Australian residents and will end 3pm on the 30th June 2013.

Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayons

Some time ago on one of my Priceline excursions I picked up a box of Lip Crayons by Face of Australia.

I have to tell you I LOVE these crayons and to anyone who hasn't tried them you really need to go and pick up some.

This collection is a Limited Edition so I guess that means they will be around as long as stocks last, if you can find them I really recommend you pick them up.  I did see the boxed collection in Priceline the other day for $14.95 and you can purchase them individually online here. For $4.95 each.

There are three shades available,

CUPCAKE     SUNDAE     MACARON 

They are all very moisturising and don't dry your lips, the shades are very wearable, non-sticky, smells like vanilla and they stay on your lips a long time.  Wind up pen applicator that you never need to sharpen, the lids stay on tightly so you can just throw them in your bag and your good to go.

There is nothing about these crayons that I don't like.

Cupcake   ~   Sundae   ~   Macaron

Have you tried these lip crayons?  Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Jac x0x

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream Review

I recently visited the The Body Shop and picked up their new BB cream.

This is what the Body Shop has to say about their new BB cream.

The Vitamin E Cool BB cream illuminates, evens skin tone and moisturises for 12 hours.  The air-whisked lightweight texture will effortlessly smooth onto the skin for a fresh and natural look.

Contains Vitamin E, mica minerals and 8 different sheer and weightless colour pigments.

This is my thoughts on The Body Shop BB cream.

Pros:

Super moisturising, plumps the skin and makes your face look fresh
Evens out skin tone, my Mum's skin looked great after applying this cream
No smell & Non greasy formula
Excellent primer for foundation, this cream works great to smooth and prepare your skin for foundation
Pea-sized amount covers your entire face and neck, a little goes a long way
Does not contain sunscreen I personally do not like sunscreen in my creams and foundations as they react with my skin, I prefer to use a natural mineral sunscreen like what you find in mineral powders.
Long lasting, The Body Shop claim this cream hydrates for 12 hours, I would have to agree with that, my skin felt hydrated until I removed my makeup at the end of the day

Cons:

Only comes in one shade, while this looked great on my Mum it did not match my fair skin
Redness Coverage is very sheer, was enough coverage for my Mum's darker skin tone and did wonders for the shadows under her eyes but did nothing for my pink skin, coverage was nil on me, does not cover redness.
Does not contain sunscreen, no good for those that like sunscreen in their BB cream or foundation

I am still trying to figure out what the "Cool" means as I did not notice any cooling effect on my skin.

Swatches below left to right, THICK ~ PEA-SIZE ~ SHEER

natural light

day lamp

I do like this BB cream because it worked wonders on my mother's more mature skin, she really did look healthy, younger and glowing and the shade suited her skin tone perfectly.

For myself with my fairer pink toned skin, I liked the moisturising effect and it worked great as a primer but I could not use this on it's own and would need foundation.

As you can tell by the two swatches above my skin is just too fair.

The Body Shop should think about bringing out different shades because one shade definitely does NOT fit all.  It's a pity because besides the lack of colour choice this is a very good BB cream.

If you haven't found a BB cream yet that works for you this one might be worth a try, especially if you have found other BB creams to be too light for your skin.   You can walk into any Body Shop and they will give you a generous sample to try.

RRP$21.95 for a 50ml tube

The Body Shop is now online for those of you who don't have a shop near you, so now you can pick up all your favourite Body Shop products here

Would love to hear if you have tried this BB cream and what your thoughts are please leave a comment below.

Jac x0x

MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Moisturising Face Base Review

About a month ago I purchased a jar of MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Moisturising Face Base.

OK I need to go back further.  LUPUS makes my face peel, there is nothing worse when you try to put on foundation and your face is flaking and all you can do is take the foundation off and go bare because you know everyone is looking at your flaky skin.

Bare skin is not pretty on me either because LUPUS makes my face red and patchy, I would prefer people didn't stare.  I would still like to go out occasionally instead of hiding my head under a pillow feeling hideous.

So it doesn't matter if I go bare or flaky someone is always looking at my face.  There began my quest for good skincare that helps stop the peeling and redness.

OK back on topic.

MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Moisturising Face Base 30ml - Primarily this is a moisturising primer for your face  Lightweight rich moisturising cream which contains Shea Butter, vitamin A and beta-carotene to help heal, soothe and hydrate your skin.  Prepares your skin for your foundation by smoothing skin and evens out skin tone.

When I first purchased this cream I thought it was going to be tinted (it's white) which surprised me and then I was a bit cynical that this would work to even out skin tone.

The first thing you will notice when opening this jar is the smell, no wonder they call this Seventh Heaven it is truly divine.  Such a fresh burst of citrus lemon & lime hits your senses that you find yourself going back for further sniffs to keep the sensation going, it truly is aaahhhhhhh!  If this is Seventh Heaven I want to go there now!

My face is naturally very red and hot at times and this cream cools and removes the redness like magic, I couldn't believe how good my skin felt and looked.  It certainly removed all the redness and evened out my skin tone as promised.

You only need a little and my skin felt refreshed, soft and hydrated.  I did exfoliate first to remove excess flakiness so I could start with a smooth base.

When I applied my foundation after a few minutes as directed there was no redness or flaky skin to be seen, my foundation looked perfect.  My skin remained feeling hydrated during the day and my foundation stayed put, my foundation coverage by the end of the day had not budged.

This is certainly a miracle cream for me and if you have problems with redness, need extra hydration or just want a good primer to smooth the skin, I certainly would give this one a go.

Seventh Heaven is about as close to perfection as it gets for me.

Made in the UK but available in Australia, they sell a range of cosmetics too but the cream is No.1 for me.

You can find out more about them here at their website and if you subscribe via email you will receive a 20% coupon off your first order.

Lip Factory Beauty Kit May

This is my third Beauty Kit from the Lip Factory and I have not been disappointed yet with what I receive.  I wish Australian Beauty Boxes could deliver something similar, lots of cosmetics with a little skincare thrown in.

This is what I received this month;

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PureCeuticals Kukui Nut Mineral Scrub Sample

Flat Sponge Blender Brush - Sponge applicator brush for foundation & concealer

277 Cosmetics Eyeshadow Pigment ~ Kryptonite - This is a very sparkly loose mineral powder in a green/gold shade.

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277 Cosmetics Lip Gloss ~ Almost Nude - Nude/Pink lipgloss, just leaves your lips looking glossy with no colour really.  Feels nice and moisturising on your lips and there is no tackiness, I really like how this one feels.

NYX Cosmetics Colour Lip Balm ~ TACK - Very fruity smelling berry shade, looks really pigmented in the tube but  I was very surprised  how sheer it was because when I put it on there was no real change in colour on my lips.  Extremely moisturising and smells yummy.

NYX Cosmetics Colour Lip Balm ~ TACK

Bombshell Blush ~ Blind Date - Lovely pink blush with just a little shimmer, highly pigmented and the colour is buildable.

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Bonus product:  NYX Round Gloss Sparkle ~ 05 Sparkle - this is just a sparkly gloss that can be worn on it's own or over lipstick.

That's 6 full-sized products and 1 sample for $22 plus international postage $10, great value even with the postage.  If you would like to try LipFactoryInc for yourself please go here for details.