Bella Box August: Patriotic and Pretty!

Bella Box has landed again, and this month's August box is super exciting for me, because of the National Day theme! It's totally cool that we have a box in line with our celebration of Singapore's independence! Now, even if you're not Singporean, surely you can appreciate the festive feeling in the box? I mean, there's a bright happy red "I Heart SG" card staring you in the face the moment you open the box!


Inside the box, we have further proof of the festive spirit and pride in our country. See, a "I Heart SG" bag! This is seriously cute.


The Bella Box itself also has some good products this month. I'd say I'm actually quite happy with this month's box! You can see why from the photo below, can't you? It's the nail polish! Okay, but before I get excited, first things first. We gotta run through everything in the box.

First up, we have skincare samples. Skincare samples are like, de rigeur for beauty boxes, it seems, but these include some pretty good ones. There's Porefessional from Benefit, and a Exfoliance Gommage from Enavose, which is a pretty excellent brand. And there's a sample of a Pre-Serum (not too sure what that is) from L'Oreal's Youth Code range.


Next, we more skincare! Here we have a Facial Fresh Collagen Cloth Treatment Mask, which looks very intriguging, as well as some samples of skincare from Elizabeth Arden - a set of cleanser, toner, and serum.


Lastly, we have the nail polish! This totally makes this month's box worthwhile, for me anyway. You know I love nail polish, so I was all over this. I got a bottle of Purple Panic! Best part, it's a full size bottle! I love full-size items. They just make me so happy.


My thoughts on this month's August Bella Box? Well, overall I liked it - I liked the touches of National Day festivity, the full-sized China Glaze nail polish (I really, realy liked that!) and the general spread of samples. I guess there are less samples than in some other boxes, but I feel like having a full-sized product makes up for it. But maybe that's just my take on things. If you like the full-sized nail polish, and would use the samples, this month's Bella Box would probably be of interest to you.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)

Bellabox July: Spotlight on Asian Skincare Brands

Beauty boxes are all the rage now, and as with any product, there are pros and cons. The pros? If you're someone like me, who has waaay too much skincare and makeup (and I'm pretty sure my grandkids and great-grandkids can inherit my eyeshadows and blushes), but still want to try out the latest and greatest every month, then beauty boxes are a good way of getting your fix, without worrying about adding to your stash. After all, they're essentially mini and sample-sized products, so you can try them out, decide if you like them or not, and either buy the product, or move on. The cons? Well, they are essentially just mini or sample-sized products, and you can't pick and choose your samples. So if a box is not well-curated, there will be times where you feel like, "Oh man, I just spent all this money on a bunch of samples I'm not keen on." That's part and parcel of suscribing to beauty boxes - some months you like better, and some months you like less, but overall, it kind of evens out.

So, it is with that in mind when I say I wasn't that keen on this month's July Bellabox. It's not that it's bad - it's just that the samples in this box were interesting, but nothing really caught my eye and made me go "Wow", and the brands in the box were good, but not really to my interest. This month's box focuses heavily on skincare from various Asian brands, so while this month's box may not be my cup of tea, I'm certain someone else may like it.



First, we have some SKII samples. We have samples of Facial Treatment Gentle Cleanser, Cellumination Deep Surge, Cellumination Mask-In Lotion, and Facial Treatment Essence. These are pretty small sizes, but I suppose SKII is an expensive brand. They'll be good to pack for an overnight or weekend trip, so these samples get stashed in my travel supplies. It's definitely easier to bring a few sample sizes for longer trips, as opposed to bringing full sized products.



Next, we have other skincare samples, not from SKII but also from other Asian brands. We have a sample of L'egere (a Korean brand with a pseudo-French name) White BB All-In-One Cream, and a one-time trial packet of Skinmiso's Pore Beauty Nose Pack. These aren't that bad, I think BB Cream is one of those things you absolutely have to sample before you buy or else you run the risk of being disappointed, and the Skinmiso product looks interesting - you basically use the first nose pack, which is a mask you stick on your nose, and it's supposed to draw out your blackheads, and then you manually exfoliate with the black Q-tip provided. And then after you've dredged out the oil from your pores, you use the second nose pack. I'm not sure how a mask you stick on your nose is supposed to draw out the blackheads enough for you to manually exfoliate them, but I hope to give this a try and let you know how it goes. (On a side note, I do happen to have lots of blackheads, so if it works on me, I'm sure it'll work on anyone...)



Lastly, we have the non-skincare products. This consists of a small cute bottle of Jimmy Choo perfume, a Twistband and a pen shaped like a lipstick. I like perfume, and I like cute tiny bottles of perfume, so this is alright with me. I've seen bloggers rave about the Twistbands but to me, it's just another hairtie. It looks really pretty though - I've begun using it, and so far it hasn't disappointed. I was just a bit surprised to receive a hairtie in a beauty box. But I guess if they can send shampoo samples, they can send hairties too.



For me, the highlight of this month's box was the SKII samples. Still, I liked the other skincare products, and the Skinmiso product piqued my curiousity, so although there wasn't anything in there this month that wowed me, I wouldn't say it's a waste of money.

I guess that's just all part and parcel of suscribing to a beauty box - there will be some months where you feel like you really got your money's worth from the box, and there will be some months where you feel like the box isn't that great. With that said, I suppose as long as the boxes are consistent from month to month, and there are no customer service issues, people will continue to suscribe. The surprise, after all, is part of the fun. If you like Korean and Japanese skincare brands, this month's box will be more to your taste.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)

Vanity Trove's Tangs July Beauty Box: Luxury in Little Sizes

July's Vanity Trove is making a buzz because it's a collaboration with TANGS, a leading Singapore-based retailer of luxury beauty products. With a top tier collaboration, you know this month's upcoming Trove is bound to be a good one!

Tangs, of course, is all about luxury, so Vanity Trove's July offering reflects that too. Tangs, for example, is the exclusive retailer of brands like Red Flower (a high end line of spa products) and Intelligent Nutrients (which apparently has a shampoo pure enough to drink), so some of the brands you'll find in this month's Vanity Trove will reflect that - you'll be seeing some products in your Trove that are exclusive to Tangs, too.



Each Vanity Trove will vary, but the brands I've seen in July's upcoming boxes will include a whole range of high-end brands. These include SKII, Shiseido, Laneige, Enavose (I've reviewed their Black Tea Quench Mask and Micellar Cleansing Water before), OPI, Chloe, Clarins, and Ferragamo.

Anyway, let me show you what's in my Trove. I got a Trove that was more skincare-centric, which is fine by me. Other girls got Troves that had more perfume or other brands. You can see a shot below. As you can tell, there are also more samples in this Trove than your average Vanity Trove. Great!

Let's take a quick run-through of the Trove contents, shall we? I'll go by brand this time. Let's start with the Japanese brands! There's SK-II, with their Facial Treatment Gentle Cleanser and Clear Lotion. SK-II is pretty expensive, so it's quite rare to find brands like these in beauty boxes. Shiseido also provides three samples from their White Lucent range, which will be really popular among girls who love whitening products. There's a cleansing foam, softener, and a serum.



Now, for the Western brands. There's Clarins, with samples of their Gentle Foaming Cleanser and Shaping Facial Lift. And there's also Sonia Rykiel, which is a new-to-me brand. Two very popular products are in there - an Intensive Whitening Serum and Intensive Whitening Cream. I've never tried Sonia Rykiel, so I can't wait to try this!



Next, the Korean brand! That's Laneige, already a mainstay of most Asian girls' skincare wardrobes. There's a Balancing Emulsion (Light) for Normal/Oily skin (hurray, right down to my skin type), Skin Refiner (also Light for Normal/Oily skin), and a Whiteplus Renew Purifying Mask. I've never tried any of these three products, so it's also good for me.



And finally, non-skincare! We have a small sample of Attimo by Salvatore Ferragamo, as well as a tiny OPI mini! I don't know what colour this is (deep blurple with shimmer), but it's cool. I love nail polishes, so any nail polish is bound to make me happy.



In addition to the products, we also had a bunch of discount coupons which are pretty cool. Some are discounts, some are free sessions at fitness centers, and some are more of services, like skincare consultations and the like. When I spoke to the Vanity Trove folks, they shared with me that they really made an effort to ensure that the products and services in the coupons were really top-of-the-range, and in some cases, even award-winning!

Obviously, July's Tangs Vanity Trove really reflects the efforts of the Vanity Trove team to include a variety of brands, and have as many high-end brand samples in the box. So if you're looking forward to trying a range of skincare from different high-end brands all over the world, and don't mind lots of smaller samples, this is for you. After all, variety is the spice of life, and when you're shopping at Tangs, it's part of the experience, and part of this month's Vanity Trove is really to recreate that experience for the suscriber.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)

Bella Box June and May: Double the Review

Bella Box is one of the Singapore-based beauty boxes making waves recently, as the beauty box trend has spread to Asia too! I was travelling around in May quite a bit, so I didn't manage to get to review the May box in time - oops! - but no worries, because this time, I'll be reviewing both the May AND June boxes together!

This time, the boxes are great, especially the June one. A lot of the samples are good stuff, with not many fillers. Here is the whole of the June box:



And here's the May box! This one didn't really come in a "box", but it came in a really cool looking cloth bag!



So, let's start with the May box, and then move on to the June one. First, let's start with the haircare. In the May box, we have a sample of Essential Shampoo and Conditioner. These are nicely-sized for travel, and perfect for a few days' use.



We also have a sample of Enavose Cellogist Youth Guard Cream, as well as a Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment. Enavose is a great skincare brand, so this is bound to be good. The Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment is a hair product meant to revitalize and treat hair, and it would be great for those with thick, dry, and frizzy hair.



Lastly, we also have a bunch of Candydoll samples. There's a few sample sachets in the plastic bag, but for me, this is mostly one-time use sachets and thus a little bit of a filler. The Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules are great, and there are two capsules - perfect for trying before you buy.



Now that we're done with May's box, let's showcase June's box! I'm really excited for June's box, it's really quite amazing for $15. First up, we have Lancome Genifique samples. This is one of Lancome's latest launches, so you really get to try the latest and greatest here.



Next, we have another latest and greatest product - Biotherm's BB Cream, their first ever, and a sample of body milk. The Body Milk sample is a little tiny, but I'm sure lots of people will be excited about the BB cream - it's always great to have a BB Cream sample to try before making a purchasing decision!



Then, we also have a sample of Kiehl's products - another little bit that makes the box this month really good. The Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Toner is a nice healthy size, and this is the first toner I've seen with actual marigold flowers in the liquid! It' so cool. The Khiel's Midnight Recovery Concentrate is also one of those products that would be really expensive at full retail price, and it's great to have a sample of this in the Bellabox.



Lastly, we have a small sample of Shu Uemura's Skin Purifier, and Ralph Lauren's Romance Perfume. Both are small samples, but always a good addition.



So, if you're tired of your beauty boxes having random stuff like haircare and hair ties (in some boxes I've seen), then this month's Bella Box is a great one to try, especially if you're into high-end skincare. Virtually every sample is an expensive skincare product, so although I didn't do the math, I'm pretty sure the sum total of the products in the box is worth more than the $15 the box costs. So yes, while not all beauty boxes are value for money, this month's Bella Box is pretty great.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)

Bellabox April: Small, but Awesome

Bellabox is another beauty box subscription service - finally, we get these in Singapore too! I have April's Bellabox to show you, and I'm glad to say, you'll like it - it's full of things that are plesant and perform well.

Bellabox comes in a tiny, pink box with a "BB" logo on the frnot. It's very pretty, and looks very tiny and dainty.



Once opened however, you get a box that's chock full of goodies! It's all very nicely packed and nicely wrapped, too.

I liked what was in this month's Bellabox - I know it can vary quite a lot from month to month, and even within the same month's box options, so I guess I was fortunate this time. Without further ado, let's take a look at this month's box.

First up, the things that smell nice! I have a small sample size of Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM Pour Femme. It's got orange flower inside (a favourite scent of mine), but layered with much darker, muskier notes, which makes it very interesting as a fragrance. The sample is a tiny little bottle (the kind department stores give out for free), but it will allow you to try out the fragrance at least a few times. I also have a small sample of Lemongrass House Shower Gel, which is in a convenient size for a short weekend travel. It's branded as a natural shower gel, and smells great, too. Very rose-y and floral.



Next up, makeup and skincare. Here we have a small Benefit Hello Flawless foundation sample. I haven't tried this yet, but I've been hearing good reviews about it. This is a very recently-launched foundation too (just last month, if I'm not wrong), so you are indeed trying out Benefit's latest product. Also, we have a decent-sized tube of Enavose Black Tea Quench Mask, which I've actually reviewed before. In my review, I said I liked the mask, and thought it worked well, so I know I'll like this, too.



Lastly, stuff you can eat! Collagen drinks (basically flavoured beverages infused with collagen molecules) are really popular over here in Asia, and every beauty box company seems to have one. This month's Bellabox contains the Kinohimitsu BB drink, which contains collagen, vitamin C, and other nutrients vital for skin.



So that's it for April's Bellabox! A good mix of skincare, bodycare, makeup, and edibles. If you're interested visit the Bellabox website to find out more. The Bellabox site also lets you purchase full sizes of any of the samples in your box, so that's another plus if you do like something in your Bellabox.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)

Vanity Trove: Astalift Special for the Skincare Addict

If you haven't yet heard of Vanity Trove, it's one of the beauty box companies that operate in Asia. As such they have a unique take on beauty boxes, with novel products from Asian brands. This mont's Vanity Trove does just that, with a special box full of products from Astalift. Astalift is one of the high-end skincare brands from Japan that have recently launched in Singapore (I blogged about the Astalift skincare products previously), so this box will interest those who would like to try out a range of products from this new brand. It's a great way to dip your toes into the brand, without splurging on every full-sized item, especially since the brand isn't cheap (a full sized item can cost over SGD$100).

This month's Vanity Trove comes beautifully packed, as usual, with the signature white and pink box. I really like the presentation of the boxes, they are very beautiful. And I only just found out today that when you stack the boxes up, you get cute little drawers! But of course, we're all more concerned with what's inside the box, so without further ado, let's check it out.



First up we have the Astalift Moisture Foam. This is a facial cleanser, and is one of the highlights of the entire Astalift range, because the foam, when lathered, becomes a thick, rich foam (apparently foam in your facial wash is very popular in Japan). So this will definitely appeal to those girls who want that luxurious foamy feel when you wash your face.



Secondly, we have Astalift's Jelly Aquarysta. This isn't just one of the star products in Astalift's line, it's THE star product in Astalift's line. It's a gorgous clear red gel, and if you stick your fingers into your jar, the jelly will resurface and re-form back into its original shape, which is pretty cool. It's supposed to deeply hydrate the skin, and help the skin maintain its shape over time.



In the March Vanity Trove, we also have a small bottle of Astalift Whitening Lotion. This lotion can also be spread out on a paper mask sheet and used as a whitening mask, which I thought was pretty cool. It's a good addition to your skincare regime if you like whitening products, and doesn't feel sticky or thick at all.



We also have small tubes and tubs of other Astalift products, including the Day Protector, which basically is a SPF 35 PA++ sunscreen, Whitening Essence, and Whitening Cream. The Day Protector is actually very decent as skincare goes - it has both UVA and UVB protection, thus offering protection against most of the sun's rays. And of course, there's no point using all these whitening products if you're not even using sunscreen right?



Lastly, we also have two full-sized bottles of the Astalift White Shield Drink! I was really impressed when I saw these, because we were given not one but two full-sized drinks. Anyway, these drinks contain Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, as well as other ingredients, and is supposed to help your body repair UV damage (as well as prevent UV damage). Although they aren't a replacement for sunscreen, the idea is that if you feed your body anti-oxidants, it will repair some of the UV damage.



So that's it for March's Vanity Trove! If you want to try out some of the star products in the Astalift range without splurging three figure sums on each item, or if you love whitening products, or if you're a big fan of skincare from Japan, then this will definitely be your cup of tea. Do visit the Vanity Trove website to check it out!

If skincare isn't your thing, however, don't despair - I've just had a sneak preview of April's Vanity Trove (yes, already, I know) and it's going to be awesome! I can't reveal all the details yet, so stay tuned, and you'll find out more! (Hint: If you followed me on Twitter, you would have seen this tweeted Instagram photo which gave a little hint!)

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)

Vanity Trove: Two Boxes = Double the Fun for March!

Vanity Trove, the Singapore-based beauty box subscription service, has not one but TWO boxes for Spring! One box features skincare, while the other features beauty products in line with this season's Spring trends.

With two boxes, each targeted to a specific need - beauty or skincare - you can pick which box you'd like! Or if you can't decide, or just want to get both boxes, then Vanity Trove will reward you with 10 Trove credits! Usually Vanity Trove's referral system is such that each referral to a new suscriber gets 5 credits, and 25 credits gets you a free box, so the 10 credits you would get just by buying the boxes is pretty decent...it's like 40% of the way to a free box! Even if you only use one box, the other one is easily gift-able, since the boxes are large, pretty, and very presentable as gifts.

Lastly, for those getting both boxes, Vanity Trove will be giving some lucky suscribers tickets to catch "The Vow" (check out the movie trailer), starting Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams in a campaign for Independent Women's Day. Hence the "Get Lucky" tagline for March - not only do you get free credits, you could win movie tickets!

Anyway, since this is a great deal, I thought I'd share it with all of you. if you want to find out more about Vanity Trove's double surprise for March, head to their website now!

Vanity Trove: A Romantic Gift!

Vanity Trove is Asia's answer to the beauty box subscription trend. For $25 a month, you get a beautifully packaged box of samples and miniature beauty products! I was suitably impressed by January's Vanity Trove, so I thought I'd take a look at February's box and see if it was just as good.

Vanity Trove always has excellent packaging for the products inside, but this month's box really blew me away! The pox is packed with gorgeous pink shredded paper and potpourri, and smells absolutely heavenly! This is why this month's Vanity Trove products are all photographed against a pink and potpourri background - it's what was in the box :)

The first item is a small Black Rice Shampoo and Conditioner mini set (30ml x2 bottles), from Mekhala Living. Mekhala boasts products that are 100% natural, with no preservatives, fragrances, artificial colours and so on. The Black Rice Hair Pair is supposed to help regenerate hair growth.



Next in the set is another very nice-smelling item, the Filthy Farmgirl handmade soap! I receive Cheeky Ginger Citrus, and it's a clear orange-coloured bar of soap, with a very sweet, fruity smell that smells of oranges. I'm not much of a bar soap girl, but I have to say, this smells absolutely gorgeous.



We also have a Skin Inc Pure Repair Whitening Eye Mask, which claims to brighten, repair, and replinesh the skin around the eye area. For better effect, you can also stick this in the fridge before use.



Here are my favourite items of the entire box - nail polishes! We have two mini bottles from the OPI Nicki Minaj Collection (5ml x2). The two shades are Pink Friday, the light pink creme, as well as Save Me, a clear base with round silver and holographic bar glitter. I love me some glitter, so this is right up my alley!



Lastly, we have a small bracelet charm, from RinsieRose.com, as well as a sachet of Allerines Premium Tea.



All in all, the standouts of the box for me were the OPI Nicki Minaj nail polishes, as well as the eye mask. I'm not really a bath and body products person, so the soaps and other stuff didn't appeal to me as much. This month's box seems to target girls and guys who like soaps, shampoos, and bath products. However, the contents change every month, so you never know what's next! If you're interested you can sign up for Vanity Trove, or just check out the site. You can buy your boxes one at a time, too, so for those afraid of signing up for a whole year's worth of boxes, you can pick and choose the boxes that appeal to you most.



You know I love nail polish, so I'll be doing a nail tutorial with the OPI Nicki Minaj shades soon, so keep a watch out for that!

Vanity Trove: A Box of Surprises Every Month!

Finally, beauty boxes have arrived in Singapore! Vanity Trove has launched, and I'm so excited! For those who have been following beauty news, one of the latest trends are beauty boxes. Services such as Birchbox and Boudoir Prive are extremely popular in the the UK and US, and I have long awaited the arrival of this in Asia. If you're like me, wait no longer - Vanity Trove is in town!



Following the standard beauty box format, Vanity Trove collects a subscription fee for a selection of beauty samples and products that are selected for you every month. The benefit is that you get to try a variety of products every month without having to shell out for full-sized versions. You also get the element of surprise - for a beauty junkie like me, nothing's more fun than getting a box of beauty minis and products - you don't know what's in it, but you just know you're going to like it!

The boxes are gorgeously packaged, in a sleek white large box with a pull-out front that resembles a drawer. I daresay the packaging looks even better than the US and UK beauty boxes! Inside that pull out box, everything is wrapped beautifully in pink paper. If you have a friend who's a beauty junkie but don't exactly know what product to get her, this would also make an awesome gift, with its beautiful packaging and lovely selection of products.



Once you open up the pink paper, this is what you see. Gorgeous, isn't it? Looking at the things inside just gets me all excited - there's a bunch of awesome beauty products stuffed inside this box!

The contents of the Vanity Trove change from month, to month, so there's always a little element of surprise. January's Vanity Trove contains the following products:

1. Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief moisturizer, 15ml
2. Leader's Clinic Face Mask, 1 sheet
3. Olivella Shampoo, 70ml
4. Olivella Conditioner, 70ml
5. YADAH Beauty Pack
6. YADAH Angel Liptint Lip and Cheek Stain in Juicy Red, 3ml




I'm pretty excited, because the YADAH Liptint is a ful-sized product, and so is the Leader's Clinic Face Mask (although they sell them in a box of 10). Being of an economist background (hey, I did major in Economics for my B.A., after all), I decided to do a little bit of math on how much the samples were worth vis-à-vis its $25 price tag. Altogether, the samples came up to a total value of $58! I have to say, I was impressed by this figure - it means you're definitely getting your money's worth for sure!

I haven't had the time to try out all the products yet (come on, you guys don't expect me to give you full reviews of 6 products in one day, right?), but I've reviewed other Leader's Clinic face masks before, and I've found the Leader's Clinic brand to generally be a good one. And Clinique's Moisture Surge is of course one of those tried-and-true, swear-by-it staples, so those are great additions to the box.

Out of the entire box, my favourite item was the Yadah Angel Liptint, which is actually quite similar to Benetint and its many imitators. The Yadah Liptint is slightly different as it's in a gel form, which makes it easier to apply and less prone to spilling. It does seem to stay on, and if you splash water on your face it doesn't smudge, although if you eat an oily meal it will disappear. And it smells like candy! Yum!

If you're looking for a beauty box to subscribe to, and if you're in Singapore or Malaysia, you can definitely check out Vanity Trove. Or if you're looking for the perfect gift for a beauty junkie or a girly-girl, this would also make a great gift. Here's a sign up link for Vanity Trove so you can place your order, or just learn more about Vanity Trove.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. Post has a referral link. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)