little white truths

Despite the fact that I have far too many products in stock and am getting harder to please in my beauty-junkie old age, I was totally thrilled when I opened this box.

I received three Memeboxes last week as part of a set, and none of those over-mooned me. This one did. It's interesting, I haven't seen it all before and I don't have 564 similar products waiting to be used at home. Yay to that!

This Memebox Superbox #70 Thumbs Up! Bloggers' Picks cost $32US plus $6.99 shipping, meaning it's one of the more expensive boxes on offer (most are $23US). But it was so worth it!

In my Memebox experience (which, it must be said, isn't super extensive), the more expensive boxes do tend to be more hit than miss: I've had a few boxes arrive that I haven't been impressed by, and they were all $23 boxes. So I might keep that in mind once my self-imposed spending ban is lifted and I'm free to choose another box.

Before we get stuck into things, here are my January Affiliate Codes:

January $3 coupon code on purchases of $30 or more (not including shipping charges): FEUMU3
Get $10 off automatically at checkout when you spend $150 or more, using the link below
Get $5 off automatically at checkout when you spend $100 or more, using the link below

Just click the Memebox banner to the right of this blog, or click here to enter the Memebox website and start shopping!

This box, as the title suggests, was compiled based on bloggers' personal beauty picks from other Memeboxes. If I see another box like this come up, I'm definitely hoping to snatch one (and am saving all my review points so it won't cost me anything!).

I think it's a great idea to curate boxes based on what the beauty community thinks of particular products.

Eight full-sized items - waaaahhhoooo!

As usual I'll go through each item in turn now, and then update this post once I've used things and can comment on them. I'll also likely do stand-alone, full reviews on the items over time.

Please note that all prices listed below are in USD.

N.S.M ReBorn Tint (RRP $18 for 5g)

You could have received either the CC Sorbet Melting Tint, the Exciting Snow Cooling Tint or the Sorbet Tint. I got the CC Sorbet Melting Tint.

According to the card, these products create a bio-film over lips to protect and maintain moisture and nutrition within. The texture distinguishes these products; the moment you apply them, they will instantly melt into your lips with a soothing and cooling feeling without being too glossy or sticky.

Sounds interesting! I'm definitely looking forward to giving this one a crack.

UPDATE: Well, we know how much I love orange - and this is definitely orange ; )

Full review here. As you can see, it's super bright and therefore probably not for everyone, although I'm sure you could dumb it down with a pale gloss over the top. In any event, you need a gloss (or at least I do) because it's a very drying product. It's basically like colouring in your lips with texta - not that I've ever done that but hopefully you know what I mean (!). The benefit of that is: it stays put.

I like it. I'll use it. Yay.

LadyKin Aqua Exfoliator for Body (RRP $14 for 150ml)

This is enriched with cellulose components from papaya and pineapple extracts, and apparently removes all bodily dead skin cells and impurities without you having to scrub down hard enough to stimulate sensitive skin.

To use, spray it all over and then softly roll away the dead skin cells. You apply it after the shower.

I definitely don't have anything like this in stock, so I'm looking forward to using it.

UPDATE: Full review here. This is a seriously ridiculous product. I quote: 'spray it all over and then softly roll away the dead skin cells'.

All this product does is coat your body in a layer of film, and that's what you'll have to 'roll away'. It does nothing to exfoliate your skin - unless you count the part where you have to scrub yourself down with a towel after using it, in an attempt to remove said film.

Did I mention the word ridiculous? You're better off applying it before your shower (because it smells nice and has a cooling effect) and then washing it off, to save yourself the hassle of removing it without water.

Croquis Dual Concealer (RRP $27 for 8.1g)

I was super excited when I saw the Croquis box in this pack. I received the Croquis Alight Pact in Special #36 Meme's Pouch and love it to bits, so I have high hopes for this one!

The product contains an anti-wrinkle concealer and a spot concealer in both ends. You use the anti-wrinkle concealer over areas with fine lines and wrinkles, and apply the spot concealer over red spots and breakouts/imperfections.

My challenge now will be to finish the concealers I have open before opening this one!

UPDATE: I'm still familiarising myself with this product, but I've used it enough to give some initial comments here before doing a full review later on.

At first I thought it was pretty rubbish - it's very runny and can be a little hard to use because it can slip off the area you've applied it to - but after having played around with it some more, if you apply it more thickly it actually conceals pretty well. You can probably see that from the swatch below - it's paint-like in texture and look.

How I use this is: put the lighter colour on your under-eye bags (to bring them forward) and the darker colour on the skin above the bags and under the lashline (to bring that area back). I've found this is the best way to conceal dark circles and I love receiving products that have two shades, allowing you to do this.

A product I'm liking more than I first thought: it certainly pays to play around with things properly before discounting them.

Hair+ Velvet Nutri-injection (RRP $5 for 12ml)

This is for people with dry and damaged hair (that's me!). After washing you apply it throughout your towel-dried hair, especially at the ends.

Despite the fact I have enough unopened hair products laying around to last me a decade, I'm excited about this one and it may just jump ahead in the queue ; )

UPDATE: This product is fine, it's just not the best hair moisturiser of this nature that I've used. Full review here. It has a chemical smell and doesn't do much to tame flyaways, and while it does add some moisture, it also has a tendency to weigh your hair down.

Still, it's a good purse-sized hair product and it will get used.

Evas Cosmetics Vitamin Cleansing Dessert (RRP $18 for 130g)

I received 01 Berry Mix of the four available options. Apparently these cleansers completely remove makeup and impurities to give you the best down-to-the-pore clean feeling. Micro bubbles penetrate deep into the pores to extract blackheads, whiteheads and acne-causing bacteria, giving you flawless skin.

Hmm big claims - and we know how big claims make me suspicious! Still, I'll definitely use this and I'm happy with the inclusion.

UPDATE: Full review here. Unfortunately I don't think much of this cleanser, and it's gone straight to the body wash section in the shower. In short, it's super thick and doesn't foam particularly well as claimed, plus the container design isn't great - so it's going to be hard to get the product out once I'm halfway through the tub.

It's a bit of a saccharine-smelling mess that doesn't seem to clean that well. I've seen that a lot of people don't think much of this, so it's hard to imagine how it wound up in a bloggers' picks box?

23 Years Old Air-laynic Pore Mask (RRP $14 for one)

Is it just me, or does receiving a product shaped like a syringe freak you out a bit? I'm sure the company's aiming to make this item look all scientific and shit - like you're giving yourself an injection of some amazeballs elixir - but the packaging actually turns me off.

Anyhoo. This product contains gel that tightens enlarged pores and fights against blemishes on the nose and cheeks (the most sensitive and oily parts of your face). To use, you spread the gel over the included sheet masks and place those over your nose and cheeks, then sit back for 30 mins before rinsing off.

Sounds like too much hard work to me, but I'll no doubt use it at some point.

UPDATE: I just used this and absolutely hated it - everything about it. It's weird and thick like some kind of wobbly slime, plus it bubbles (worryingly: I wasn't keen on putting it on my skin), smells disgusting and chemical and just off, and the feel of it on my skin was so yuck (thick and oozy and bubbly and globby) that I only lasted 15 min with it on, rather than the suggested 20-30 min.

Yuck gross yuck. Won't be going near this again. Did it do anything? Who knows. I was too concerned with scrubbing every last ounce of it off me that my skin looked a bit raw afterwards anyway.

Purebess Galactomyces 100% (RRP $15 for 50ml)

Now this one appeals. It works not only to lock in moisture but also to rid your skin of residues piled up in your pores and remove fine lines along your contours, leaving your skin glowing.

From the looks of things, you use it in place of toner, after cleansing and before moisturising. I might actually contact Memebox to confirm this - I've found once before that the function of an item wasn't completely clear and Memebox was helpful in confirming usage for me.

UPDATE: I'm not getting any love from this product. Full review here. It's the second one of these waters I've tried and I haven't seen results from either of them. Indeed, they seem to be drying more than anything else and don't add anything to my skincare routine.

You apply it without a cotton pad (unlike most toners) but if I don't see some results soon, I might start using it instead of my toner once that runs out, just so that it at least might perform some kind of grime-removing function. I'll let you know how it fares when used that way if I do.

Secret Key Color Recipe The Pink Cream (RRP $34 for 55g)

This specifically targets signs of fine wrinkles and lines on your face, and works to tighten and lift dry, sagging skin for a more youthful, healthier-looking complexion.

To use, you massage it all over your face until all the capsules from the cream pop and absorb completely into the skin.

Sounds fun! I like products that are interesting to use so I might really enjoy using this one.

UPDATE: I quite like this product (full review here). It's not really a cream (it's clear like a gel, and feels like one) and it has a slight brightening, tightening effect - kind of like it's performing a toning action. My skin definitely looks fresher after using it, but it's not particularly moisturising/hydrating so it's not one I can use on its own: I prefer applying it throughout the day over makeup.

Verdict

For a $32 outlay, the RRP value of this box is $145. Not bad!

It contains a good, interesting mix of products and I suspect I'll use and keep everything.

It's one of the better boxes I've received and I'm glad I chose it - it was one of the last boxes I ordered before my self-imposed spending ban, so it's nice to be going out on a bang ; )

Another month, another truckload of empties. I think that's what happens when you sign up to a few subscription boxes: you wind up with a bunch of sample/travel sized products and there seems to be a constant flow of items in and out of the bathroom.

While I'm now only signed up to LHI and Violet Box (and on a spending ban), there's still quite a back-log in my stores and some products have taken me a while to get to. Fortunately, it was really this month that I noticed my stock starting to feel a little more manageable. Yay to that - it's half the point of the spending ban!

Dirty Works Body Scrub

I've reviewed this product in full here. In short, it's a great scrub for the $8 price tag - and I actually got it for free, so it was definitely worth that hehe. While it's not the best scrub I've used, I liked it and it's got plenty of scrubby matter in there. As you may know, I like my scrubs on the harsher side. Repurchase? Yes.

Rituals Yogi Flow Indian Rose & Sweet Almond Oil Foaming Shower Gel

I have to say, I was absolutely devastated when I finished this because it's not readily available in Australia. Full review here. It's a wonderfully fun shower gel that foams like nothing I've ever used before. It smells amazeballs and is super velvety, plus it cleans well. Repurchase? Yes, a thousand times.

Natio Body Creme

I couldn't actually find this online to get some info about it, so I'm wondering whether it's been discontinued. That would make sense, because I bought it for less than half-price on clearance at Priceline. In any event, I didn't think much of it and thankfully palmed it off to my husband ; ). The cream wasn't horrible, I just didn't like the smell and I have much nicer products to use. Repurchase? No.

Eslor Botanical Peeling Gel, Replenishing Scrub and Firming Eye Cream

Well, we know I'm an Eslor junkie ; )

I've reviewed all three of these separately (links below):

Eslor's Botanical Peeling Gel is a nice, gentle exfoliating product that feels lovely on, and has a great texture. While it's not my favourite peeling/exfoliating product (it's too gentle for me), I can see why it's one of Eslor's more popular products. Repurchase? Probably not.
Eslor's Replenishing Scrub is one of my HG products and I'm blo*dy glad I picked up a backup of this on special. It's wonderfully scrubby and smells toasty and full of goodness. I love it. Does wonders for my skin too in terms of resurfacing and brightening. Repurchase? Yes, obviously ; )
Eslor's Firming Eye Cream is a great eye cream and one I recommend for those with dry skin, particularly if you're no longer in your 20s and need something a bit more heavy duty. It's thick and rich and plumps the eye area nicely. My only issue with this product is that I'd have preferred a pump bottle or squeeze container, since eye creams last forever and I don't really want to be exposing the contents to air every time I unscrew the cap - nor do I want to dip my finger in there and accelerate the bacteria-growing process. That's my only complaint, however. A great cream. Repurchase? Yes.

ModelCo Party Proof Cream Lipstick in Splendourful

I've done a full review of this product too (sensing a theme here?! Ha). I've recently had an issue with ModelCo because we received a lip lacquer in one of our LHI boxes and my colour (Casablanca) was so far from the picture on the ModelCo website, it was ridiculous - it wasn't even in the same colour range.

EVERYONE who ordered this colour complained about this, and ModelCo's response was some rubbish about everyone having different computer screen resolutions. Honestly, the company dealt with the issue so badly that I'm not going to buy anything from the brand again. So forget talking about this lipstick here - it's my stand against the company! Purchase? No.

Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon in Some Beach

Full review here. While these crayons aren't wonderful in terms of quality, this colour was so perfect for me and I loved it so much, that I picked up a second one via the Violet Box FB Swap group. Plenty of better lip crayons are available though, so I wouldn't want any other colour. Purchase? No, two's enough ; )

L'Oreal Shine Caresse in 501 Bonnie

Full review here. I've owned and finished a couple of these products now and I do like them, but I've recently discovered a similar product from Maybelline (the colour elixir range), and I prefer the latter so I think I'll be sticking with those if I want something that delivers the wet look. What's great about both the L'Oreal and Maybelline versions is that they stay put and aren't sticky, and they make your lips look pretty damn juicy. Plus they're nicely hydrating. Repurchase? No, but only because I prefer the Maybelline product.

Urban Skincare Co Repair+ Body Balm

This was from September's LHI, and I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would. It's a great moisturiser and manages to be super moisturising without feeling heavy/greasy. I like the smell too. Indeed, I liked the product enough that I used the discount card included in the box to buy the $9.95 travel kit (which I got for $7.96, no shipping costs). This purchase passed my spending ban 'rules' because Mex asked me to buy soap and shampoo/conditioner for him, and the kit included those things. Purchase? Yes.

Goldwell Ultra Volume Shampoo

This was also from LHI - I reckon I got it in a box late last year. It has a really lovely, refreshing scent and cleans well, and while I really liked it, unfortunately the product didn't come with the matching conditioner so I wasn't able to give the set a go. All this means is that I won't be buying the product, when I might have if I'd sampled the conditioner and loved it just as much. Purchase? No.

Uriage Surgras Liquide

Another one from LHI. It's a soap free dermatological cleansing gel that's designed for sensitive skin on your face and body. I tried it on my face first but then switched to using it as a body wash. It's far too gentle for me and doesn't feel like it cleans well. I think it would be great if you had sensitive skin - and while I do have skin that tends towards sensitivity, this cleanser didn't grab me at all. Purchase? No.

Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder in 030 Medium

Full review here. As with the below liquid foundation, what I love about this powder is that it is indeed 'nearly naked'. Because it's so finely milled, you can chuck on the finest dusting and it will stop any grease without drying out your skin. If you wanted to use it as a coverage product on its own, it's buildable and evens out skintone without looking cakey. It's one of the few powders I've used that I've really liked. Repurchase? Yes.

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in 180 Medium Beige

Full review here. I really really love this foundation and while I'm sad to see it go, I'm also kinda glad because I have so many base products in stock and I need to get through them! What I love about this product is that it is indeed 'nearly naked', so it's less like a foundation and more like a tinted moisturiser - I've mentioned before that I like lighter bases. Plus it's on the cheaper end of the spectrum, and from memory I bought it half price so it cost less than $13. Yaysers! Repurchase? Yes.

Bourjois Happy Light Matte Serum Primer

This was part of a Priceline gift-with-purchase kit. It's probably a little hard for me to comment on the quality of primers since I'm one of those people who really doesn't have a lot of love for them (could just be that I haven't found 'the one' yet), even though I use them on a daily basis because that's what all good beauty-junkies do ; ). What I will say about this is that yes, it is matte, and for this reason it's not for me. I prefer the whole dewy thing and this one is drying. Purchase? No.

Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Wipes

Mum bought me these (thanks Mum!) and they never go astray. They're not my favourites (the Essenzza Fuss Free ones are - see short review here) but they do the job well enough. Purchase? Probably not, unless they were on special.

Bille Goat Soap

This was from an LHI Eco Box. My husband is the soap man (I'm a shower gel lass) but I did use this so I could say something about it. It's a lovely, creamy soap. You can tell it's great for sensitive skin: it's gentle but still does the job well. Make sure you store it in a soap dish so it doesn't disintegrate too quickly. It also feels super nourishing. Big ticks. Purchase? I wouldn't but Mex might.

Simple Kind to Eyes Makeup Corrector Pen

This was from a sub box, I just can't remember which one! It was a lot more useful than I thought it would be, and did remove makeup mishaps (generally relating to mascara being where it shouldn't be) very nicely. Having said this, it's not the kind of product that I'd go out and buy - I use wet q-tips for that job and there's definitely such a thing as having too many tools.

Inika Mineral All Natural Illuminisor Powder

From memory, this came in LHI's Bridal Party Box. While I normally like Inika products, I didn't like this one all unfortunately. It had noticeable glitter particles (not a good look for what's meant to be an all-over face illuminator) and was very drying. It also wasn't finely milled enough for those with dry skin like me. Purchase? No.

Mememe Beat the Blues Liquid Illuminator in Sunbeam

Full review here. From memory I picked up this and the Moonbeam version for around $10 a pop from the Bellabox shop. They were on special and I also had some points to use. I like them both, but this one (a golden colour) was my favourite. I've been mixing it in with my primer before applying my base for that whole lit-from-within thing. I'm sad to see it go, but I've some other products in stock that I'm looking forward to using so I'll live ; ). Repurchase? Yes.

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil

Full review here. This was a Violet Box inclusion and apparently there are 10 different ways you can use it. I won't go in to them all, but basically you can use it as a concealer and also a highlighting product (eg to highlight your browbone or cupid's bow). I used this mainly as a concealer and it wasn't wonderful for that (too sheer - I need more coverage), but I liked it enough to use and finish it. Purchase? No.

insobeau Hiaromax Vitamin Stick

Full review here. This was from Memebox #35 Moisture Surge, which was a pretty good box. This stick was meant to be used to deliver extra moisture to dry parts of your face, however it smelled exactly like a Chapstick (and had a similar consistency), so I couldn't bring myself to use it on my face. Plus you couldn't chuck it over makeup without moving things around. Instead I used it on my feet and elbows. Purchase? No.

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

Full review here. Man am I sad to see this product go, notwithstanding that I have a couple of similar products waiting for me to use. This is one of my HG products and it's one of the rare products I've found that blows your socks off as much as you've been told it will. Nothing makes you look so refreshed (and younger/more plumped) than this products does. Not that I've found, anyway. Repurchase? Yes.

Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Toner

Full review here. Shock horror, this is the first toner I've ever bought - I only started using toner a couple of months back, and now I can't live without it! This one is really wonderful (mind you, I don't have a lot of experience in the toner department) and I loved using it. It smells so refreshing and clean. Reminds me of summer for some reason. Plus it does the job well and leaves your skin feeling smashing. Repurchase? Yes.

Indio SOS Gel Redness Rescue

Full review here. I like Indio products, but I didn't think much of this one. It's a gel and I didn't notice any effect on redness, nor was it cooling like many products of this nature are. Lucky I didn't pay for it ; ) - it was a Bellabox sample. Purchase? No.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Eyebrow Gel

This product retails at $39.95 for the full size (this was a Bellabox sample), and I have to say, I wasn't wowed. For me, a brow gel is a brow gel and I only notice them if they're really good or really bad (kind of like bad/good acting in films). This was neither. It was fine, but I won't be buying it for that price tag. Purchase? No.

Foltene Eyelash Treatment

A Violet Box inclusion. I used it steadily for three months and didn't notice any change - it's meant to promote natural growth of your eyelashes and brows. I'd have kept using it, but I noticed that the smell had changed and my eye watered a bit on my last use, so I think it was ready to be turfed. Purchase? No.

Dior Miss Dior Eau de Parfum

I do like this fragrance, although it's a little on the sweet side for me and it's not in my top five. It is however my husband's favourite on me (and he bought it for me), so I suspect it will end up back in stock soon enough.

The only thing I'll say about this, is that I only had it for a year and, by the end of the 50ml size, it had started to smell not quite right. Not exactly off or faded, just different - as though the top notes had melted away and left behind the rest. I'm not sure whether I just got one from a bad batch, or whether this is a problem with this particular perfume (I've never had a perfume go off on me before). Repurchase? Yes, no doubt Mex will buy it for me again.

In sum

I seriously need to stop getting through so many products each month - these posts are way too long! Having said this, I am of course enjoying watching my overinflated stores deplete as the months pass. This helps me pretend that I'm establishing some kind of order in at least one area of the house before the baby comes. Ha. It's the small things, yes?!?!

little white truths

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