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.

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 ...  

Lust Have It July 2016

Kia Ora!

It's time to see what's in another Lust Have It! I've had to cut down significantly on subscription boxes this year - planning a wedding and a trip to Europe puts a big dent in spending money. That has meant that I look forward to my Lust Have It a lot more, as it's the only regular subscription I have at the moment!

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! 

I love that there is a black bag this month! The pink is alright, but it's not a colour I'm overly keen on. I am really excited to see this black one!

The theme is 'All about makeup' - which is to be expected after a skincare theme in June.

Essenzza Fuss Free Naturals Cherry Blossom & Argan Oil Masquerade mask
RRP: $4.95

I've used Fuss Free silk masks before, and their face wipes are my absolute favourites. I'm really excited to see this mask in my Lust Have It. I haven't tried their masquerade series, and I can't wait to give it a go. Major win with this product for me! I just wish there were more than one.  

Teez Cosmetics Desert Metals Mascara
RRP: $32.50

I have enjoyed the Teez products that I've received previously, so I'm pretty happy to see this. I have started wearing mascara every day for work, so this is very welcome in my daily routine. Even better is the fact that it's a brown mascara - not something I've ever tried but I can't wait to see how it looks! 

Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow - Vanilla Frosting
RRP: $29

I thought this was a white eye shadow, but it's more silver (see the swatch below). I'm not a huge fan of mineral shadows, but I'll certainly give this a go. I think silver eyelids will look rocking with my work outfits, so I'm looking forward to using this one too.  

MPrincess Mineral Blush
RRP: $15.45

This is probably the least exciting product for me in this bag. I don't use blush, even when I do attempt to do more than mascara and lipstick. I won't use this, so I'll be passing it on to someone else. It's a purple pink, as you can see in my not-so-stellar swatches below.  

Marsk Vanilla Frosting, and MPrincess Blush swatches

Glamourflage Saucy Sue Shower Cap
RRP: $7.95

Again with the mystery item thing - this one is quite different, and pretty cool. I personally don't like using shower caps, but I think this is perfect for my best friend so I'm still happy to have it. I do really like the design though, and it feels like a high quality cap.

Total value of the bag: $89.85.

That's a very nice value, but there is the same discrepancy in value that I discussed for the last couple of months. There were two eyeshadows that were options for this bag; the Marsk one (worth $29), and a Gosh one (worth $14.99). I just think it's not fair to the people who got the lower priced product - and that has been me the last couple of bags (although I preferred the lower priced product in those bags). Basically, I think that if a choice is offered then the price difference should be minimal.

Other than this, I really liked this bag. I didn't think that I would, but I will use the mascara, eyeshadow, and face mask. The blush is a dud product for me personally, and the shower cap will make a good present. Overall, I'm pretty happy!

What do you think?

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.

Lust Have It - June 2016

Kia Ora!

I've been pretty sporadic these days; I'm going to blame life in general. Planning a wedding, and a honeymoon, and working full-time isn't too conducive to blogging on a regular basis. It doesn't help when the postie delivers your Lust Have It to the wrong apartment and you play door tag (like phone tag but with knocking on doors) for over a week. Anyways ...

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! 

Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Wipes
Deluxe size - RRP: $3.64

I love cleansing wipes, I use them more than I actually use cleanser to clean my face at night. I'm really happy to have these as I haven't tried them before, and love finding new wipes I can use! Seven is a great trial size to receive, as you can test them out properly to see if you like them. This is also a great size for travel, or to throw in your handbag. I'm really happy with this start to the June bag! 

Sasy N Savy Peppermint N Rosemary Revive Bath N Shower Gel
Deluxe size - RRP: $4.20

I love receiving shower gels, and I quite like the combination of rosemary and peppermint in this one. I haven't used it yet, but am looking forward to it.

My issue with this product is not the product itself, but that there were two options you could receive, and a massive price difference between them. The shower gel is $35 for 250ml (full size), or you could receive a sample of the cleanser which is $42 for 100ml (full size). I don't mind there being two options for the bag, but I think it sucks that some bags will receive a much more expensive product. Although I prefer to receive the shower gel, I do think more care needs to be taken in making sure all bags have the same value.  

Edgy Tempting Cosmetics Eye Liner Pen
RRP: $15

This is a blue/grey colour - very neat! However we received an eyeliner in the May bag, and I don't wear a lot of makeup anyway. This one is going straight into my giveaway bag, as I'm never going to use it. I know subscription boxes are known for having eye liner in them, but I don't think two months in a row is reasonable! 

Winter Skincare Item - Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid
 RRP: $???

This is a cool product. It's a chemical exfoliant, and I've heard some amazing things about Paula's Choice. It's not a brand easily available in New Zealand, so I'm really excited to see this, and be able to give it a go. It's another mystery item category - clearly still clearing out warehouse backstock - but I'm happy with my item so I am ok with this.  

Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub
Sample Size - RRP: $ 1.55

I've used this scrub before, and it was fine. It's small microbeads suspended in a thick cream. It's a reasonable scrub, but I honestly don't think it does anything that a more natural scrub doesn't do, and since microbeads are so terrible for the environment I generally try to avoid them. I checked this document to see if this did have microbeads, and I think it's a bit disappointing to see companies still supporting products that do contain microbeads. This one is for the bin for me, although I know others will still use it.  

Total value of the box: $24.39

The value of this box is rather disappointing, as it's only just above the price paid. I know lots of people get boxes like this because of the great value you often receive so this box is a dud in that respect. I'm also not keen on two of the products (the eye liner, and the scrub), although for me the rest of the products are great.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this box. I thought it would be awesome, as with a theme of 'Winter Skincare' I assumed it would be right up my alley. I do like most of the products, but the value isn't what I would have expected. 

I'm looking forward to July's box, which will probably have a lot of makeup in it to make up for a skincare heavy box this month.

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.

Empties April - June 2016

Kia Ora!

Welcome to the first empties post in months! I've been saving up all my trash just for this post - and my fiancé has been threatening to throw everything away before I could write this post. Let's just jump in - there are a lot of things that I'm sad to see go. Check them all out below. There are body scrubs, perfumes, skincare, and body care products. Just about something for everyone. 

Bonjour Jolie Pumpkin Walnut Body Polish
I received this in a Bonjour Jolie box last year. It smelt fantastic, and I love the spices that were added to the scent. I didn't really like the texture of the body polish though - it felt like a very fine sand. It gave a nice scrub, but my hands were basically numb after using it for my whole body.

Bossy Cosmetics Salted Caramel Scrub and Vanilla Whip Topping
This is one of the most delicious scents I've ever used. I grabbed it from Bossy quite sometime ago now, and have been sniffing it frequently - a bit like a junkie I admit but I can't help how good it smells! It's a wonderful scrub product, with the perfect amount of particles - it gives a great deep scrub while also making you smell absolutely delicious. I'm a sucker for anything caramel, so attempted to savour this scrub as much as possible. I'm going to be buying several replacements for this as soon as I can!  

Swisspers Make-up pads
 These appear in most of my recent empties. I love these circular cotton pads for applying toner during my skincare routine, and for removing eye makeup. They are very strong, and don't fall apart at all. They are also very soft, and don't ever scratch my skin (like some of those really cheap ones do). I buy these at Countdown, so they're very easy to access too! 

The Body Shop Glazed Apple Perfume
This is from a couple of years ago, during The Body Shop's Christmas promotions. I love this scent, it's sweet and fruity, and lasts for ages. I used this up over summer, and was quite sad to see the last of it go. I really enjoy the perfumes from The Body Shop, as they smell fantastic and are easy to wear. I have a few other scents to use, but if I see this in store again I'll seriously think about buying some more!

Vanessa Megan Darling Perfume
This was from a Flora and Fauna box last year. It smelled of spices and was a very natural scent. I really enjoyed it, although I think that lots of people who like very sweet scents probably won't enjoy it as much. I really liked the size of this perfume. It's a sample size, but it still lasted me at least a month of every day usage, probably longer to be honest. And it wasn't overwhelmingly large - I struggle with some of my other perfumes as the bottles are huge and I feel like I'll never finish them. This was the perfect size, and a great scent. Once again, once I've used up some of my other perfumes I'll seriously consider repurchasing this one! 

Fortune Cookie Soap OCD Hand Sanitizers
Swirly Twirly Gumdrops - Easter Town - This Thing
I am completely obsessed with these hand sanitizers from Fortune Cookie Soap. The scents are fantastic, and so different from each other. I love carrying one of these little bottles in my handbag, having on beside my bed, one in the bathroom, and one on my desk at work. You may have seen my haul of new scents recently. This Thing is from the Spring 2016 box, and smells like fresh cut flowers. Easter Town is from the 12 Days of Christmas set, and smells like sweet vanilla (and something else I can't quite figure out). Swirly Twirly Gumdrops is from the Winter 2015 box, and smells very sweet and like gumdrops! Basically, this is one of my favourite products right now, no matter what the scent!

Bonjour Jolie Organic Lilac Blossoms Lotion
This was a great pot of lotion - it was a thin one but it sank into the skin perfectly! There was no greasy overlay, not leftover product, I loved it. It smelled light, summery, and like lilacs. I loved using this, and would happily grab some more if I could. I received it in a Bonjour Jolie box last year, and they have a great formula! 

Etude House Milk Talk - Chocolate
This is a great body wash - it smells exactly chocolate milkshakes and makes me want to eat it. I actually didn't really get to use this much (which was ok as it was a repurchase anyway), as my fiancé used it all - he's the chocolate fiend in our house. This is a pretty cheap product, I order directly from Etude House in Korea, and love it! I haven't got any more on hand because I have an overload of body wash at the moment, but will be ordering more in the future I'm sure.

Sebamed Liquid Face and Body Wash
This was in a recent Lust Have It box, and was a reasonable body wash. I'm more of a fan of scented ones, as I love the smells, but this one is good for sensitive skin or people who don't like strong scents. It lathers well, cleans you well, doesn't leave your skin too dried out, and supposedly balances the pH of your skin (I can't actually test that but I'll believe it). Not a bad body wash, just not right for me personally.  

Clarisea Sea Salt Solutions Rapid Detox Charcoal Exfoliant
This was an exfoliant that I received in a Violet Box a looong time ago. It felt like sand, and was a dry powder that you mixed with water before using. I used it in the shower, and tended to mix it with whatever cleanser I was using at the time. It was a great scrub, with very small particles that left my face feeling wonderful.


Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Toner
This toner came in a set that I ordered (over a year ago - hangs head in shame at not having used it sooner). I loved this toner. It did dry out my skin quite a bit, but I just used that as an excuse to use thicker moisturisers and more hydrating sprays. It had particles in it - presumably the volcanic part - and would be amazing for acne prone people. It certainly helped dry up my occasional spot. Highly recommended, and I'll be buying more when I can.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub
These were ... nice. They were scrubby beads in a thick cream. I felt bad using them though as I know using natural scrubs is actually better for the environment. However, since I had them I decided to try them out. These two little samples lasted for about a month when used together, and would be perfect for traveling.


Dedicated to Nature Soothe Eye Cream
This was from the Beautiful Christmas Advent Calendar 2015, and I loved it! The cream was lightweight, and perfect for patting into the eye area. It left it hydrated, and plump. It also smelled like cucumbers, which I personally loved! This is just a sample size, but it lasted me 3 months or so. I find this size perfect, as larger eye creams are very daunting to get through, and honestly I get sick of them - but this one was fantastic! I've repurchased this one, as well as a different sample of eye cream from Dedicated to Nature.



Phew! This was quite a mega post (and I did throw out some things without putting them in this post - mainly really old things I haven't used in years and thus can't really review). I'm hoping it won't be so long between blog posts now, I have a few book reviews planned for the next couple of weeks. I'm also happy to take requests too if anyone wants to see anything in particular.

Until next time ...

Fortune Cookie Soap Haul

Kia Ora!

One of my favourite subscription boxes to receive is from Fortune Cookie Soap, and I've unboxed the Summer 2015, Autumn 2015, Winter 2015, and Spring 2016 before on the blog.  This is one of my indulgences, as it costs a bit more than usual but for me it's totally worth it.

Included in each quarterly subscription is a $10 voucher. I don't usually use it because of how expensive shipping from the US is, but I decided to treat myself a few weeks ago. I bought a whole heap of my favourite product (the OCD Hand Sanitizer), in lots of different scents. I've got them all listed below, and I'm super happy with what I received!

I decided to try a few of the scents that are generally always available on the website. I got Rum Butter, Unicorn Farts, In the Loop, and Polyjuice Potion (which I forgot to get out of my bag for the picture). The scents are all sweet and light, and I love the colours! I think my preferred one is Rum Butter but they are all great scents, and last pretty well. 

The main scents available when I ordered were from the most recent summer soap box collection, which was based on Finding Nemo. I totally failed as a blogger with this box, and it isn't up on the blog. It was great though! I honestly couldn't remember from my summer box which scents I liked, so I picked a couple that sounds like me. I am in love with the Ooh, Barracuda one, and Aqua Scum and Whale Talk are pretty awesome too!

This one is Oogie Boogie from the 12 Days of Christmas collection. I think I have this scent (as I bought that awesome collection when it came out) but can't for the life of me remember which product it was. However, it smells fantastic, and I love that there is a spider inside the bottle - certainly a point of difference!

Best of all, I received three samples of Whipped Cream (basically the best moisturiser I've ever used) from their newest collection - Wonderland! I really like two of the scents, and while one isn't my kind of thing, I love that I get more of the delicious whipped cream to use.

I'm over the moon with my order from Fortune Cookie Soap! I can't wait to stash Hand Sanitizer in every room/bag/desk, and have great smelling hands 100% of the time. I love the amazing quality of their products, and the wonderful extra bonus of whipped cream samples. I'm tempted to make another order when the Autumn box comes out in August (and keep an eye out for an unboxing then too!).

Does anyone else get the Fortune Cookie Soap boxes? What do you think of their products?

Until next time ...