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August Bellabox Review

When I first found out that the theme of August's Bellabox is Sport Your Style, I was quite intrigued as to what products I would be getting. I have to say though, the products really did surprise me.

When I first opened this month's Bellabox I was a bit disappointed as what greeted me was two coconut scented products (something that I honestly wouldn't purchase myself), a sample of Palmer's Cocoa Butter moisturiser (flashback to 13 year old me smelling the product for the 1st time and refusing to use it) and a bottle of neutral coloured nail polish. (Don't get me wrong... I loveeee nail polish. And to get a Sally Hansen one is definitely awesome. But the colour.. wasn't what I usually used.)

So as you can see, sampling all of this month's products was a daunting experience for me.

To start things off:

1. Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion

I honestly have soooo much love for this product. I brought it on a road trip in August as it is small and convenient to bring around. Honestly, I brought my usual moisturiser along as I was afraid that there wasn't enough in the bottle to last the entire trip. But man.. was I wrong. I actually had enough to last the entire 4 days of the trip and with more to spare. I didn't have to use a lot of it each time. My skin absorbs it so fast that it's quite unbelievable. It's well moisturising and I did not feel any cracking, dry skin the entire day. It did not cause me any painful stings or redness even when I applied it on eczema affected skin. It's fragrance free just like it says on the bottle which is something I really like about it. One of my favourite part about this product is that it makes me forget that I've even applied moisturiser on my skin as it doesn't leave behind any residue. I've already purchased the full sized bottle even before I've finished this bottle.

2. Savoir Faire Eyeshadow - Intensify

Prior to this, I have never heard of the brand Savoir Faire. So was interested to test out this eyeshadow. Despite the fact that I usually prefer a more natural and neutral look for my eye makeup, I was happy to have received this product in a shade of blue (especially since blue is my favourite colour!) Initially I was worried that the eyeshadow would come off a bit too dressy since I don't usually use eyeshadow. But the colour was surprisingly wearable as it gives just the right pop of colour. The eyeshadow was well pigmented so I didn't need to use a lot of it. Overall very satisfied with the quality of the eyeshadow. I might even purchase one of their other colours.

3. Burt's Bees Radiance Day Cream

I was actually quite excited to see this product in my August Bellabox as I have been meaning to try  Burt's Bees products but haven't really gotten around to purchasing any. The day cream was lightly sweet scented. I didn't need to apply a lot of the product on my face as it is very moisturising. It doesn't leave a sticky or oily residue which was really appealing to me. However, after a few days of using the product, the scent started getting a bit nauseating for me - which is unfortunate since it is a product that I might've purchased otherwise.

4. OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner

 

Let's be honest... I'm really not a huge fan of coconut scented products. I could smell the coconut the moment I opened my Bellabox. But the shampoo and conditioner came in handy for the road trip due to its size. I was dreading the moment when I had to wash my hair simply because I didn't want to smell coconut in my hair. After using both shampoo and conditioner, I found that my hair was moisturised and appeared shinier than before. The lingering coconut scent wasn't as bad as I initially feared as I did not notice it as much as I thought I would. (Phew...) However I did experience an interesting moment when blow drying my hair after washing it. I was going through the motion of drying my hair when suddenly I was greeted with a familiar scent of freshly baked Kueh Bangkit - an Asian melt-in-your-mouth type of coconut cookie. Lets just say I started craving a little bit just then..

5. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure - Commander in Chic

The Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure range claims to be the base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, colour, and top coat all in one bottle whilst giving you a gel-like shine and being chip resistant. It also claims to last for 10 days. Even though I'm an avid fan and lover of nail polish, I have yet to test out this range of nail polishes. So despite the fact that it's in a colour that I wouldn't usually purchase, I was excited to test this out and find out if it really was all it claimed to be. The colour came off surprisingly nice on me. The colour has a pretty classy chic vibe - perfect for work and going out. This colour is a bit sheer so you will probably need 3 coats before it is perfectly opaque. This nail polish did not chip on my nails until day 7 which is an achievement for me as my nail polish usually starts chipping by day 3. I will definitely be purchasing colours from this range.

6. BONUS: Palmer's Cocoa Body Butter

 

I really was dreading opening this tiny packet. I knew that this product was too sweet scented for my preference as I typically prefer floral scented products. Nevertheless, I braved on, opened the packet, and tried it on. It looked, felt and smelled like I was applying white chocolate all over my skin. However the product wasn't too sticky and absorbed into my skin really fast. It didn't give me that awkwardly sticky feeling between my skin and clothes as I assumed it would but it does leave behind a barely noticeable oily layer on my skin. The product was very moisturising and lasted me a good half of my day. I wouldn't purchase this product but only because I can't stand the chocolatey sweet scent that lingered for the rest of the day.

J

July Bellabox Review

I am sooo excited to be reviewing this because this is my first Bellabox!! So the theme of this month's Bellabox is American Beauty. The special American product that I got in this month's box is the Nicole by OPI nail polish.

Enough of my rambling... Off to the reviews!

To start things off:
1. Yu-Be Moisturising Skin Cream

I was pretty excited to try out this one because it's a Japanese product and it claims to be highly effective all year long. It is supposed to work on all dry skin areas of the body from head to toe - including the face and lips. I expected the product to come out in a creamy liquid form however when I squeezed the tube, it came out in a thicker balm like formula. When I first applied it, what hit me was scent of the product. Honestly, it smells like some Chinese medicinal product (and kinda granny-ish really..) But that aside, the product is nice and extremely moisturising. I only needed to squeeze out a tiny bit to hydrate my face.

2. Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquer - Backstage Pass (Carrie Underwood Collection)

Love, love, LOVE this polish! I have never bought any polishes from Nicole by OPI before, mainly because I've never really had access to it. To begin with, the colour has a purplish sheen with black undertones. It come off like a purplish brown when dried but it is soooo pretty! On the plus side, this is also the kind of colour tone that I will usually buy. Two coats of this polish is more than sufficient to bring out the colour of this polish. It's definitely one of my new favourite polishes!


3. Nailene Treatment To Go Pen

Personally I am not a fan of nail polish in a tube. This product by Nailene claims to be an easy to use, fast drying base and topcoat. Basically to use it, you have to click the top of the pen until the polish flows onto the brush. Sounds easy enough right? Well.. not quite. The consistency of the product was much more fluid than I expected it to be. So unsuspecting me ended up having polish flow off the brush and onto my pants. (Thank God it's a clear polish.) As a base coat, the product dried at a decent rate. Next I painted my nails with Nicole by OPI's Backstage Pass (that was given in this month's BellaBox as well). After the colour dried, I tried the product as a top coat. But I was disappointed as the texture came our rather goopy and uneven which was rather disappointing as this product will be really convenient to bring around when travelling. It also took a very long time to dry. The design of the product limits your control of how much polish is on the brush.  Personally, I would not purchase this product. However if you do want to get it, I suggest you only use it as a base coat.


4. Designer Brands Lip Butter - Mango

 

This product had a light smooth application when I applied it to my lips. It doesn't have a sticky consistency. It has a light and pleasant mango smell. However the major downside is that it has an artificial sweetness to it. The lip butter also didn't seem to do much for me as my lips did not seem to absorb most of the moisture. I definitely will not purchase it.
5. Revlon Fantasy Lengths Self Adhesive Lashes

I have never used falsies before and trying to start now was definitely a daunting task. I appreciated the fact that the lashes was geared towards a natural look as I'm not big on dramatic lashes. However seeing as I've never used falsies, I was absolutely clueless on how to use it. After 15 minutes of trying to make it work, I've absolutely given up. I will try it again sometime in the future and update this post. Till then...


6. BONUS: Natralus Pure 100% Aloe Vera Gel

 

Let's be honest. There's nothing bad that I can possibly say about aloe vera gel. I use aloe vera gel pretty often for my dry, dehydrated skin. When the condition of my skin is especially bad, I usually apply a layer of it over my skin before going to bed. Aloe vera gel is also perfect on a hot day or after a day at the beach to cure sun burns. So let's just say I've been plenty satisfied with this little sample especially since I'd just run out of my tube of aloe gel.

J

June Favourites 2014

As the season here in Perth transits from Autumn to Winter, this months favourites consists mainly of hydrating products to keep my skin supple and moisturised.

 1. Nivea Pure & Natural Milk & Honey Lip Balm

This is my ultimate go to Lip Balm. One of my initial concerns when I first got this lip balm was that the scent will be heavily sweet and nauseating. I'm not one for sweetly scented products but this one has just the right amount of sweetness in it. The lip balm moisturises my lips perfectly and helps my cracked lips recover which is sooo essential especially as the weather is getting colder. 


2. Mario Badescu Skin Care Honey Moisturiser 

Again, not big on sweetly scented products, but this one is very lightly scented and refreshing. I love how the moisturiser spreads lightly across my face and soaks up almost immediately.  It doesn't leave an oily film on the surface of my skin (which is definitely a plus point in my books). Even though it was quite an investment when I first bought this moisturiser, I don't regret it because it work very well for my skin.


3. Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+

 I recently purchased this product at Priceline when it was on sale. The product glides nicely across my skin and absorbs really fast. I have definitely noticed that my skin has been more supple. It is now use it before my moisturiser as an essential to my skin care routine.


4. Hada Labo Exfoliating Face Wash

My skin is really sensitive and is prone to redness when it gets irritated. So I was really thrilled when I discovered this face wash. The formula does its job really quickly. It provides gentle exfoliation to my skin and leaves it feeling smooth and soft.


5. Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate

This one is definitely out of the beauty section. But I've been having this constant cravings for dark chocolate and nothing gives me better satisfaction than Lindt's chocolates. I'm also fortunate that dark chocolates happen to have a lot of health benefits as it has antioxidants and lots of nutritions.

J

PMS Spree : 5 Movies to help you cry !

WARNING! : List of movies mentioned may trigger a breakdown among PMS-ing females.

Ladies, let’s be honest.. being on our periods is probably one of the worst things most of us females  have to go through. We face the same excruciating sticky and not to mention bloody situation every month and it’s annoying!

I don’t know about you but when I’m at the edge of my emotions during this roller-coaster ride , all I want to do is curl up in a fetal position with some hot chocolate (2 marshmallows, please) and watch some really sappy movie that will potentially turn me into an emotionally-dysfunctional-wreck. The thought of making yourself cry on purpose sounds a tad bit sadistic but there’s actually many of us out there that feel the same (or at least that's what I like to tell myself).  

This list of 5 movies will guarantee to satisfy your crying urges (cause you know, we all need a good cry sometimes).

*drum rolls*

#1

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 

Photo taken from Tumblr.

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind is about a couple who undergoes this procedure to remove every bit of memory that they have of each other, which of course is due to a really bad break up *cringe*

In the process of removing each other from their minds, they start reliving and reminiscing each memory and in which they later start to miss and cherish but it's too late save! Hence the saying, you don't know what you got until it's gone. 

This movie will definitely find many ways to break your heart and that's what I love about it!

#2

500 Days of Summer 

Photo taken from Tumblr.

This is a story for both pessimistic and optimistic people. Tom the optimist and dreamer falls in love with Summer, the realist who doesn't believe that true love exist. So what exactly happens when a person who believes in soul mates and true love falls in love with a person who doesn't even comprehend the point of being in a relationship, falling in love, going on dates or getting married? *Stabs heart* Well, all I can say is nothing good ever comes from it. Also, a tip: when a person tells you that they're not looking for a relationship, you should NEVER ever try to convince yourself that maybe they will change their mind, just never. 

#3 

Kite Runner 

Photo taken from Tumblr.

The Kite Runner is a beautiful story of family, love and friendship told against the devastating background history of Afghanistan over the past 30 years. The sadness that you will feel for those young children having to live in such a situation will definitely stir your emotions. No child or human being should ever have to go through this, consider yourself lucky if you don't face live threatening obstacles on a daily basis.  

#4

Marley and Me 

Photo taken from Tumblr.

It doesn't always have to be about humans, okay? Even if you are not a dog lover or even an animal lover, this movie will leave you feeling completely empty, unless of course you're a heartless robot then I get it, it's fine, we're cool.

Adopting a puppy is a big responsibility and the Grogan's learn this the hard way when they adopt "Marley" the neurotic yet adorable dog. Dogs will love you more than you will ever love anybody. The beauty of this movie is that, it shows how Marley becomes part of the family and 'the older brother' to the Grogan's biological kids and even though, Marley is just a dog but it still possess so much emotion and love for its owner. 

#5

Blue Valentine 

Photo taken from Tumblr.

Ahh! Let me start of by saying that, RYAN GOSLING is the lead actor!!!

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let's move on. Blue Valentine is one of those movies that will just destroy or alter your perception of true love. Is love ever enough or is love all you need ?

Even if you find a good man who will do absolutely anything for you, will love ever be enough to sustain a strong future? 

This movie was definitely an eye opener to me, it puts things into perspective about love and about your future. Don't let Love completely BLIND You! 

P

Unmotivatedly Motivated

There are days where you feel unstoppable, like you're on top of the world and ready to take on the world. And then there are days where you're just slumming around your house in your jammies feeling unmotivated, using the bad weather or lack of fresh clothes as an excuse to be a passive participant of life. If you're trying to motivate yourself and get going again, here are some useful tips.

1. Get some fresh air. 
Sure you don't feel like leaving the house or changing out of your jammies, but going out for a walk (or maybe even getting some exercise) actually helps to give you a new uplifting perspective on life. Sometimes it even gives you that inspiration you needed to work on your assignment.

2. Do something you love.
Read a book, paint a picture, write a song... Just do something you love! Seeing as it would be something that you like to do, it will be less of a chore and therefore you'll be more motivated to do it. Hopefully, in the process you will be able to reconnect with your creative side.

3. Make a to-do list and check it off as you go. 
Start off with simple things like waking up, brushing your teeth, making a cup of coffee, eating breakfast and so on. Every time you complete a task, check it off. As you check each task off the list, you'll begin to feel a sense of accomplishment and that will motivate you to do more.

4. Break big tasks into smaller ones.
Oftentimes the reason why we're unmotivated is simply because the thought of what we have to do sounds extremely daunting. Personally, I feel that by breaking a major task into smaller ones, I feel more prepared to accomplish the task one step at a time.

5. Get your groove on. 
Sometimes all you need is some good beats to get you up and moving. Have a playlist of uplifting, upbeat music to motivate you on days that you feel less than great. It may take some time, but slowly and surely the music will get you moving.

6. Surround yourself with good mates.
There will be a point where you're slumming so much that you'll need a kick in your unmotivated bum. That's where your friends come in. They're be the ones to drag you off your chair (or bed) and back into the real world. And if you're fortunate enough to have really awesome friends, they would've brought you a decent cup of coffee and some comfort food.

J

Coffee Pho you?

Headed out to Northbridge with Tik and Preet today and on impulse ended up at U&I Cafe to get rid of the hunger pangs. As usual their Pho did not disappoint and is the closest I've got to the real deal back in Vietnam.

If there's anything we love more than good coffee, it's discovering new cafes. This time we stumbled upon a quaint, little multi-concept cafe boutique called Tea For tú. The interior eluded a warm, welcoming vibe which is a plus in my books. In addition to that the shop owner was friendly.

The coffee here was aromatic and definitely satisfied our coffee fix. However, we concluded that the Iced Chai Latte was an acquired taste. I do however feel that another plus point of this cafe is that the pricing is very affordable. Definitely a lovely cafe to try out if you're aiming for a low budget outing.

J