Thursday 22 September 2016

Lust Have It - August 2016

Kia Ora!

It's that time of the month again. I know I've only really been doing Lust Have It unboxings recently, but I have a good reason, I promise! I'm about to head off on my honeymoon - to Europe! I've been crazy with planning the trip, the wedding, and coping with a new job. So I'm sorry about the infrequency of my posts recently, but I have lots planned for January (after my life settles down a little bit). Anyway, check out what was in the August box (which was a little late getting to me because of the Trans-Tasman journey, and the fact that NZ Post only delivers a few days a week now).

Lust Have It* is a monthly subscription, which costs $19.95 (AUD) plus shipping, and you get 5-6 products/samples. It ships to Australia and New Zealand, and is usually with you by the end of the month - although it often takes a little longer to reach New Zealand.

You can use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $10 off your first box! 



Mystery Item - The Cosmetic Kitchen Clay Mask
RRP: $39.95

Another mystery item - but I love face masks so I'm really happy to see this in my bag. Apparently you mix the powder with avocado and apply to face. I'm probably not going to use avocado (as I'd rather eat it than put it on my face), but I'll certainly have fun using this on my face!

The only sad thing about this product is that it was popped when I received it. That meant powder everywhere (which to be honest wasn't as bad a liquid product to clean up), but I've also lost at least half the product. Boo! 


Baimeni Eye & Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid
Sample size - RRP: $2.50

The  card says this is a full size (which it's clearly not at 3ml), but on their Facebook Lust Have It has clarified that that was a typo. I mean, it happens. Otherwise, this is a pretty neat product. It's awkward packaging, and won't last very long but I like the looks of the product itself. Hyaluranic acid stimulates moisture in the skin, encouraging it to become more hydrated - and we can all use that! So I'll give this a go (but not until after my wedding in December - don't want to mess with my current skincare routine after all).  


Ofra Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick - Mocha
RRP: $27

I've heard some great things about this brand, and this lipstick has me swooning! It's fantastic! I not only LOVE the colour, but the formula is pretty neat too. I have applied it before work a few times this week, and I still have full colour at lunchtime. It lasts through several cups of tea, plenty of talking, and light eating. It doesn't generally last through lunch, but a piece of fruit or a few crackers won't make it wear off. I'm officially in love, and am so grateful this was in my box!


Manna Kadar Radiance Split Pan Bronzer and Highlighter Duo
RRP: $28

Honestly, this isn't something I'll use. My minimal approach to makeup (and lack of skills at applying it) means I won't even think about using this. However, it will make for a nice present to my sister-in-law - so she can look forward to seeing this one at Christmas!


Gosh Mineral Colour Pigments - Pink Melon
RRP: $14

I really love this colour! I think it's a great everyday shade, and I can't wait to start using it. I've been neglecting eyeshadow recently as I've run out of primer for my lids. If I don't use a primer the eyeshadow has disappeared by lunch because of the oil field that appears out of my eyelids, so I'll hold off on using this until I get a new primer (any recommendations for good ones please let me know in the comments). 

Swatches: Ofra lipstick (Mocha) and Gosh colour pigment (Pink Melon)
Total value of the bag: $111.45

I think this is a pretty great birthday bag! It's got 4 products I quite like, and only one that I won't use. The value is great too! I'm particularly grateful to have received the Ofra lipstick, and I know I'll get great usage out of it!

What did you think of the bag? Hit or miss?

Don't forget that if you want to sign up to Lust Have It, you can use coupon code IFORAYS1 for $10 off your first box!

Until next time ...

 *PR sample and affiliate links.

Sunday 4 September 2016

Fortune Cookie Soap - Fall 2016

Kia Ora!

One of my favourite boxes has arrived - ok, it arrived a little while ago, but I haven't had a chance to put this blog up until now!

Fortune Cookie Soap Box is a box that comes out seasonally, so every three months.  For  international it costs $34USD for each box. However you get a $10USD code with each box to use on their website, which is an awesome bonus.

I've received the Fall 2015, Summer 2015, Winter 2015 and Spring 2016 boxes, and it continues to be my all time favourite subscription box. I've even taken advantage of the discount code on occasion to order in a set of OCD Hand Sanitisers.



The Fall 2016 box has a theme of 'As You Wish' - which is great since The Princess Bride is one of my favourite movies! 


True Love - Facial Cleansing Oil

A sparkling blend of fresh citrus, creamy jasmine petals, and a dash of sea salt.

I don't know how I feel about this product. I've never used a cleansing oil, although they sound like a cool idea. I will give this one a go in the new year - as I'm too scared to start trying new products in the lead up to my wedding (December).   


Pit of Despair - Steam me up Scotty!

Enticing blend of patchouli, fresh-cut lemongrass and tropical plumeria. 

This is not a scent I like. I don't think I like patchouli - but that's the bonus of getting a box full of different scents - you can figure out exactly what you like/dislike. I do like the idea of a shower steamer, so I'll happily try this out for the novelty of the product, despite the scent.   


Inconceivable! - Perfume Oil

Fall woods, black amber and poached pears topped with whipped vanilla cream.

Holy heck, this scent has me in heaven! I've been using it non-stop since I got this box, and have barely made a dent in the bottle. This tiny thing will probably last a good 6 months of solid use. (And I love this scent so much I've actually made an order of various products in it - so keep an eye out for that haul if you're interested).   


Mostly Dead - Whipped Cream Body Butter

Golden honey drizzled over toasted almonds and pumpkin puree, warmed with amber. 

This smells like a delicious winter dessert - I quite like it. It's warm and sweet, and makes me feel like I should be lounging in front of a fire! Mmmmm. Bonus that the Whipped Cream is one of my favourite products from FCS!  


Buttercup - Shampoo

Candied rum wrapped with ripe fig, bergamot, vertiver, warm sandalwood and sweet vanilla musk. 

I sort of like this scent - I like the fig elements to it but I'm not sure about the rest. I do like that they included a reasonable sample of the shampoo - I can get 3-4 uses at least out of this bottle which will certainly help me figure out if I like it or not. Woohoo!

Prepare to Die - OCD Hand Sanitizer

A warm blend of fresh baked cookie dough spiced with clove and saffron. 

Yum! This is my other favourite product (which happily appears in every box) and I quite like this scent. It smells like baking. I put some on the other day and my fiance started looking around for the cookies.    


Knight Cream - Facial Moisturiser

Unscented. 

I like that this is included, and the cream itself is a particularly rich cream that would be great for dry skin. However, for my purposes I like to test new skincare for at least 2 weeks - and this would last maybe 7 days if applied very sparingly. So I'm going to use it as a hand cream instead.

Mawiage - Scented Cotton Ball

Rich pound cake, scented with cardomom, pistachio, and rosewater topped with a creamy buttercream. 

Yet another fantastic scent (one I can't get enough of), but it's a weird thing to include. I get that it's an easy way of showcasing the scent but I wish it had been another real product.    


Drop. Your. Sword. - Fortune Cookie Soap

Aromatic blend of medieval honey apple mead.

Last but not least, the star of the show! I love the detail of the sword and the glitter - it's so creative! And it smells amazing - like sweet apple juice. Mmmmm.

Overall, this box is awesome. So many great scents, and I'm pretty sure I'll use the majority of the products! The perfume oil is already a daily necessity!

Does anyone else get this box? What did you think of it?

Until next time ...