Violet Box: Feb 2015

What is Violet Box: Violet Box is a monthly subscription service where you receive a box each month containing a minimum of x5 beauty product samples. It is a great way to try out new products without spending a lot of money. Once you have tried the product if you would like to purchase the full size you can do so on the Violet Box website: www.violetbox.com.au or at: www.thebeautyoffice.com.au It is a great way to treat yourself!

I just received my first Violet Box subscription box this month and let me just say, I am impressed. If you are a fellow beauty product addict then you need this in your life!

Below I have listed all of the products that I received in the February 2015 box:

 

1. Natural World Moroccan Argan Oil

I put this in the ends of my hair while it was damp and then blow dried. It made my hair feel so soft and nourished. It really brought out the shine. I will definitely continue to use this product in my hair. The 25ml bottle I received will last for a while as you only need to use a little bit at a time. This is exactly what my heat damaged hair needed.

2. Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser

I love this! It is a lemongrass and chamomile infused facial cleanser/exfoliator in one. Once the sugar granules are massaged into the skin it turns into a creamy consistency. Not only does it leave your skin feeling amazingly smooth and clean but it smells like lemonade.  I like that all of the ingredients are natural and I will definitely be purchasing the full size product once I’m finished my sample jar. I only wish this product came in different packaging because I am not a fan of the dip-jar, it’s a bit unhygienic and who has time to worry about a spatula on a regular basis- lets be real. Regardless, I like it that much I am willing to put up with that... Full size of 120ml retails for $46.95.

3. Emite Make-up BB Highlighting Pen

I’m not going to lie- I did not like this product at all. It doesn’t blend easily and looks quite chalky. Considering this product retails for $32, I would of expected it to be of better quality.

  

 

4. Teeez Trend Cosmetics Easy on the Eyes Pencil

How have I never heard of this brand before?! This eye pencil is amazing. It is so creamy and pigmented and the colour is very long lasting. I would recommend perhaps setting with a black shadow as it does tend to smudge a little. I received the full size in Black De Luxe. I also thought the packaging was really cute. I am keen to try out more products from Teeez.

5. Pretty Woman Magnetix Nail Polish

This colour is absolutely stunning and the formula is perfection, however I am not a fan of the magnetic nail effect. It looks good on some people but I am not a fan of it on myself. If your into the magnetic nail polish phase then I am sure you would be very impressed with this one. It is quite effective and I had lots of fun playing around with it.

  I was also excited to receive a Furless Pro Stippling Brush PRO6F as a free gift. I have wanted to try these brushes for the longest time and am so impressed with the quality. It is so well made and so soft, everything you look for in a make-up brush. And even better, they are completely cruelty free. I am keen to try out more of their brushes and am definitely adding some of these brushes to my wish list.

Overall I was absolutely thrilled with my first Violet Box and look forward to my future subscription boxes.

Thanks for reading xx

DIY: SUGAR LIP SCRUB

I thought I would share with you a recent assignment I had to do for beauty school. We had to make a product from scratch and I chose to make a sugar lip scrub. There are plenty of facial scrubs and body scrubs on the market but there isn't many that are specifically for exfoliating your lips. The recipe is really simple and will leave your lips feeling soft and smooth, and it tastes amazing!

You will need:

3 tablespoons of castor sugar

2 tablespoons of coconut oil

Food colouring

Lip gloss pots or containers

Instructions:

Measure oil into a bowl

Add sugar and mix well

Add 1 drop of colouring (no more as you do not want to stain the lips)

Scoop into sterile containers

Store in fridge for up to a week

 

How to Clean Your Make-up Brushes

Make-up artists are not the only ones that should be cleaning their make-up brushes. We ALL should be. Dirty brushes collect dirt, oil and bacteria. Not only is this disgusting but it can be transferred onto your skin and cause breakouts. It can also limit the life of your make-up products if your dipping your dirty brushes in to pick up product. Eye brushes and lip brushes in particular need to be cleaned because they come into contact with your bodily fluids.

If you’re someone that wears make-up every day you should try and clean your brushes once a week. This helps to prolong the life of your brushes, keep them in good condition and allows them to pick up pigment from your make-up more effectively.

I thought I'd share with you how I clean my make-up brushes.

What You’ll Need: 

* Access to warm water

* Baby Shampoo (I use Johnson's Baby Shampoo)

* Brush Sanitizer (I use Scotty's Brush Cleaner)

* Hand Towel

* Brush Guards

Instructions:

1.       Wet the brush with warm water.

2.       Apply a small amount of baby shampoo into the palm of your hand and massage the brush into your palm until it is nice and soapy. Rinse under the water and repeat until no more make-up comes out of the brush.

3.       Spray on some brush sanitizer and wipe the brush on a hand-towel to soak up the excess moisture.

 4.       Place a brush guard over your larger brushes so that when they dry they keep their shape.

5.       Lay the brushes down flat while they are drying so that the moisture does not run into the base of the brush and loosen the glue holding the brush together.

6.       Place in a nice warm, sunny spot to dry (e.g. window sill).

Here's where you can find the products I use:

Brush Sanitizer

http://scottysmakeup.com.au/collections/brush-cleaner/products/acbss

Johnson's Baby Shampoo
http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/product.asp?id=52463&gclid=CKqi057v0cMCFYeSvQod2F4AWQ

Brush Guards

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=201197196905

I hope you found these few tips helpful. Thanks for reading xx