Violet Box Build A Box Review.

Hi lovelies!

If you're a regular to my blog, you'll know I'm a huge fan of the Violet Box subscription service. Every now and then, though, VB offer something a bit different, and that's the opportunity to choose your own products from a list on the website. This is known as 'Building Your Own Box' and essentially consists of 2 skincare selections, 2 makeup selections and 2 hair/lifestyle selections.

The website was having some difficulties when I first tried to build my box, due to overwhelming demand, so I ended up just shutting it down and getting back to it at a later time. I did have a bit of a problem with some of my initial picks getting sold out, and then, my order sort of disappeared into the ether and wasn't dispatched until I called Violet Box almost a week later to confirm that my box had been dispatched. Luckily, they were really good about sorting out the error and they were also kind enough to let me substitute one of my original skincare picks with a makeup item that had been dropped from my selection from the original order, so I ended up with 3 makeup items instead. Here's what I chose for my box!

Eyetini Cream Shadow in Spiced Rum (full sized)

Jing Ai Velvet Shine Lip Jewel in Pink A Boo (full sized)

Be a Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad in Madrid (full sized)

Gascoigne and King travel candle in Love Vanilla (full sized - but this is a travel candle)

Hair&Me Hair Rejuvenation Treatment (full sized)

Lon Vitalite Collagen Crystal Eye Mask (deluxe sample)

Everything I received in my Build A Box.
Gascoigne & King Love Vanilla candle, Lon Vitalite eye mask, Hair&Me hair treatment, Eyetini cream shadow, Jing Ai lip crayon and Be A Bombshell eyeshadow quad.

Keep reading after the jump!

August 2014 Violet Box Review!

Hi lovelies!

This month's Violet Box just snuck in before the end of the month, as I received it two days ago! I was really excited to get this month's box thanks to the sneak peek we received last month.

Here's what I received in this month's box:

Evelyn Iona Lipgloss in Susan (full sized)

Foltene Eyelash and Eyebrow Treatment (full sized)

Be a Bombshell Eyeshadow Quad in New York City (full sized)

Camille Beckman Tuscan Honey Glycerine Hand Therapy (deluxe sample)

Appelles Rosemary Body Bar Soap (full sized)

On to photos!

August 2014 Violet Box

Keep reading after the jump!

July 2014 Violet Box Review!

Hi lovelies!

My July Violet box arrived today and I decided I had to jump on immediately to share the contents with you! Ready to see what's in this month's box?

VB released new packaging this month, so it's now in a 'slide-out' white box instead of the sleek black flip-top boxes previously used. I do like the new packaging but I will miss the old ones, the boxes came in very handy! Here's what I received in this month's box:

Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Serum (deluxe sample)

Sukin Skin Purifying Facial Mask (deluxe sample)

KMS California Hair Play Molding Paste (deluxe sample)

LAQA & Co Sheer Lip Lube Pencil (full sized)

Dr Hauschka Lavender Saandalwood Calming Body Wash (deluxe sample)

So Susan Flutter Mascara (full sized)

Beyonce Rise perfumed sachet (this wasn't on the description card so it's just an extra)

There was also a sneak peek of an item in next month's Violet Box, a Be a Bombshell eyeshadow quad! I, for one, can't wait for that, I love Be a Bombshell products!

July 2014 Violet Box with new packaging.

Keep reading after the jump!

June 2014 Violet Box Review!

Hi lovelies!

It's good to be back in the swing of things, and that includes my subscription box reviews! I've missed doing the ones from March-May as I was away (and I think April actually got sent back to the sender), so here are my thoughts on the June 2014 Violet Box.

This month's 'box' arrived sans box, but was instead, packaged in a pretty makeup bag (the gift to commemorate the Violet Box birthday). Here's what was in the box:

ghd Straight & Tame Cream (full sized)

Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner (deluxe sample)

Chella Brow Pencil in Light Brown (full sized)

Strange Beautiful Nail Polish (deluxe sample, I think?)

Appelles Blackseed Shampoo & Tamanu Conditioner (deluxe samples)

Caddy's Cosmetic Pouch (full sized)

On to photos...

June 2014 Violet Box.

Keep reading after the jump!

February 2014 Violet Box Review!

Hi lovelies,

I have another subscription box review for you today, and that's the February Violet Box! Let's see what I received this month, shall we?

Ofra Cosmetic Laboratories Red Carpet Kolour All Over Body Glow in Medium (sample)

Nuxe Creme Nirvanesque (deluxe sample)

Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Girl Crush (full sized)

Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon in Some Beach (full sized)

WOTNOT Natural Organic Facial Wipes (deluxe sample)

Aphelia Oasis Acne Solution (deluxe sample)

A heart shaped lollipop (to celebrate the month of lurve)

There were also a couple of pamphlets in the box.

February 2014 Violet Box.

Keep reading after the jump!

January 2014 Violet Box Review.

Hi lovelies,

My apologies on the lateness of this post, but hey, better late than never! I wanted to space out the box reviews a bit so as I wouldn't inundate all of you with an array of subscription box reviews, but then time ran away from me! Without further ado, here's what I received in my January 2014 Violet Box.

So Susan Water-based Pure Luminizer (full sized)

So Susan Nail Lacquer in Pink Guava (full sized)

LUSH Gorgeous Facial Moisturiser (deluxe sample)

MOR Essentials Collection Hand Cream in Black Current Iris and Basil & Grape (sachets)

Villainess Soaps in Scintillating (deluxe sample)

Acorelle Eau de Parfum (sample)

There was also a voucher for free shipping with LUSH on orders over $40.

January 2014 Violet Box.

Keep reading after the jump!

Quick recap - December Her Fashion Box, Lust Have It and Violet Box Reviews.

Hi lovelies,

I've been trying to settle back into the routine of things here in Melbourne, so I decided to kick off by doing a quick recap of the December subscription boxes, which all arrived after I left for holidays with the family.

I'll start with the December Her Fashion Box. I found this box to be fairly exciting from the beauty perspective, but a bit disappointing from the fashion side of things, which is a shame as I have loved the previous October and November boxes. In the Dec box, I received:

ModelCo eyeshadow trio
Her Fashion Box blue earrings
Her Fashion Box black necklace
Her Fashion Box hairtie
Urban Rituelle Frangipani body balm
Katy Perry Killer Queen perfume sample
White Glo toothpaste
Fing'rs heavy metal polish kit
Her Fashion Box super smoothies sachets (x2)
Transparent clutch purse

Keep reading after the jump!

October 2013 Violet Box Review!

Hi lovelies,

I got to work today to find my Violet Box waiting on my desk! What I found when I opened it completely blew me away, so I just had to share it straight away! I'm uploading from mobile and having trouble loading the photos properly, so please bear with me and I will edit it tonight when I get home.

VB have changed their boxes, so while they retain the lovely matte black and violet colours, the box itself is a little bit smaller. I know this month's box was slightly delayed while they waited for the Be A Bombshell product to arrive, but it was well worth the wait in my humble opinion!

Here's what I found in this month's box!

Bodyography Oxyplex Loose Complexion Powder in Almond (Mineral Foundation) (full sized)

APIVITA Face Masks 2 Dose Sachet Express Beauty with Orange (full sized)

Savoir Faire Lipgloss in Rapture (full sized)

John Plunkett Cosmeceuticals Super Wrinkle Cream (deluxe sample)

Be A Bombshell Eye Shadow in Money Money (full sized)

On to photos!

October 2013 Violet Box (new packaging)

Keep reading after the jump!

September 2013 Violet Box Review!

Hi lovelies!

Imagine my surprise when I received another dispatch email from Violet Box, saying that another box was on the way! I was thrilled, naturally, and couldn't wait to tear into it when it arrived yesterday. It was a bright spot in my day as I've pinched my sciatic nerve and could barely walk by the end of the day!

Here's what I received in my September Violet Box:

The Vintage Cosmetic Company floral slanted tweezers (full sized)

The Vintage Cosmetic Company emery board (full sized)

NS-5 Cuticle and Nail Complex (full sized)

Sinful nail polish (full sized)

Eleven Australia's miracle hair treatment (deluxe sample)

Timeless Truth Stem Cell extract mask (full sized)

There was also a discount card offer for Swissdent whitening toothpaste. On to photos!

September 2013 Violet Box

Keep reading after the jump!

July and August 2013 Violet Box Review!

Hi lovelies,

I've been a very bad beauty blogger and not had time to review my July Violet Box (which was very kindly provided for review). I thought I had plenty of time in which to do it, until I got a surprise email late last week saying that an August box was on its way to me! It arrived yesterday, but I was off to the P!nk concert (she was totally amazing and I have the biggest girl crush on her now. by the way) and got home late, so I've decided to do a quick joint review of both boxes today!

First up, the July 2013 Violet Box...I received:

ModelCo SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss (full sized)

Aphelia Peony 9+5 Advanced Beautifying Eye Cream (deluxe sample)

Catalina Geo Long and Deep Mascara plus refill (full sized)

Adorn Cosmetics Eye Create Intensive Shadow Shade in Jasper and Matte Shadow in Quartz (deluxe sample)

St Tropez Bronzing Mousse (deluxe sample)

That's two full sized samples and four deluxe samples (including the two shadow samples). I like the lip gloss, I already own one so I'll be putting this aside to give away. I don't usually go for loose shadows but the Adorn samples look really pretty, I'll add the new mascara to my steadily growing stash to try and the eye cream looks pretty good - I've tried several Aphelia products before and they are interesting! The only sample I wouldn't use is the bronzing mousse but I know someone who would love it so I'll be sharing the love around! Overall, I think it was a good box and one that I was pretty satisfied with!

July 2013 Violet Box.

Keep reading after the jump!

June 2013 Violet Box Review.

Hello lovelies!

Thank goodness that another Monday is done and dusted! I have one last June beauty box to review for you, and that's the very first Violet Box! In case you weren't aware of it, Violet Box are a new Australian beauty box that just launched this month. I became aware of them when they got in touch with me a few months ago, and they were kind enough to send me a box to review.

Violet Box is packaged in a pretty black box, with the name of the box embossed in...you guessed it, violet, in the inner corner. The overall appearance is very stylish, and it would be very easy to pop a little sticker on it and recycle it as a gift box (the environmental conservationist in me is doing somersaults). Still, no matter how pretty a box is, it's the contents that matter, so let's see how Violet Box delivers.

In my June box, I received:

Avene gentle gel cleanser (deluxe sample)

CK One Color Gloss Eyecolour (full sized)

Calvin Klein Sheer Beauty Edt (sample)

John Plunkett Glyco Peel (full sized)

LashControl clear coat control mascara and brow fix (full sized)

Argania 'light' hair oil (deluxe sample)

There was also a couple of discount cards offering a month's free subscription to Charlotte Dawson free yoga tv, complimentary mini makeover from CK One and $5 off LashControl mascaras.

On to photos...

The first ever Violet Box! Exciting times!

The information/discount cards and pretty (violet) tissue paper.

Click for product details and pricing.

Contents of the first ever Violet Box.
L-R: John Plunkett Glyco Peel, CK One gloss eyecolour, LashControl
clear mascara, Avene gel cleanser, Argania hair oil and
Calvin Klein perfume sample.

L-R: John Plunkett Glyco Peel, Avene gel cleanser and Argania hair oil. 

L-R: Calvin Klein perfume sample, CK One gloss eyecolour, and
LashControl clear mascara.

Calvin Klein gloss eye colour in Spin.

Heavy swatch of Spin under artificial lighting.

So what did I think of the launch box?

There's no doubting that it's excellent value. Every subscriber received the same items, with the exception of the shades of the Gloss eyecolour received. I have seen some pretty silvery-white, blue and green shades floating around, but this gold is a versatile one that will come in handy for highlighting the brow bone or inner eye corner. With everyone receiving the same items, there is less likelihood of 'box envy'!

I'm actually excited to try the glycolic peel as it sounds very intriguing, I'm just a wee bit afraid that it's going to freak my skin out. Only one way to find out! The other product that I'm very excited to try is the clear mascara, the theory is you squeeze the middle of the tube as you pull the wand out, which then deposits the right amount of product on the brush. This way you don't have to pump the wand in the bottle, which minimises the likelihood of clumping, etc. You can either use it alone or on top of other mascaras as a sealant, and it is supposed to wash off with warm water.

I do believe that I received a vial of the perfume in another recent beauty box, but I do love perfume vials so I'm always happy to receive these. I'm a big fan of hair oils and I've never tried this brand (or heard of it, for that matter), so I'm pretty keen to give it a go. I like that this is the 'light' formula and is unlikely to weigh my thick hair down.

The Avene sample is probably the item I was least excited about (nothing against Avene, just a bit weary of seeing the brand in every beauty box), until I realised it was a gel cleanser, and would be perfect for using with my Clarisonic! Can't wait to give it a go as I'm always looking for the perfect cleanser to use with it. 

Verdict? I really liked this box!

I have heard many of my readers and fellow beauty lovers say that it will be interesting to see what the next Violet Box will be like. The general consensus is everyone is quite happy with the launch box, but some sceptics believe that the first box is always the best, so only time will tell! Stay tuned!

You can sign up to Violet Box by clicking here, or stalk their Facebook page here. The box costs $22.95 on a monthly subscription, or you can purchase a three month subscription at $66, a six month at $130 or an annual at $250.

There you have it, lovelies! Does this box tempt you? Do you prefer when every subscriber gets the same items or do you like it when the boxes vary in contents?

Much love,

MM.

x

Note: This product was kindly provided for my consideration. This has not affected my opinion in any way. I was not obliged to blog about it in any way but am choosing to do so at my own discretion. For more information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.