Beauty boxes are a rage in the USA and UK. It is a very unique concept and hats off to the person who came up with it. Consumers pay a small amount for a beauty box every month. Basis their preferences and skin/make up routine (filled in a questionnaire), a box with sample sizes (and sometimes full sizes) of premium brands are sent to them. They can try them out and purchase them as and when they like.

What is the benefit to the consumer?

- Access to premium and new brands available in the market right at home

- They can try the products before buying a full size one

- Extremely cheap



What is the benefit to the companies who give their products at nominal price?

- They can get consumers to try their products... this is important for expensive brands. Brands like Guerlain, Clarins, Keihls etc are generous with giving consumers samples to try at home. After all, a person will not spend 2-3k on skin creams/make up till they are absolutely sure

- Creates word of mouth. Most beauty bloggers subscribe to these boxes and blog about them. They try products, review them on their blogs. These reviews encourage other readers to buy the products

It does not lead to jump in sales immediately but over a period of time.

In India, the Blissdiscovered box was supposed to start last year but got cancelled 'coz they could not get companies to give sample. Thankfully, Vellvette box has succeeded. This is my 3rd or 4th box and I have already paid for the Feb'13 box. Jan'13 box is my absolute favorite... 'coz it has premium brands- Dior and Benefit. Nyassa is a new to me but I love body scrubs.











The box contains:

- Dior Capture Totale One Essential Super Skin Boosting Serum- 5 ml

30 ml of this costs anywhere between Rs 7835 to Rs 9000. The reviews online claim its a miracle product and improves skin texture and reduces lines in 2 months. The effects are supposed to be visible in 1 usage. 5 ml will cost around 1k. No, I did not pay that much for the box.

- Nyassa Belgian chocolate scrub- 40 gm

200 gm of this costs Rs 950 so the price of sample is Rs 190. This is a new brand for me... I have never heard of it. Another advantage of the box... I get to try new brands which  would otherwise not be available to me. I used the scrub today. It has been to be used on wet skin on body. The granules dissolve in the water and moisturize the skin. The smell is of chocolate. Its a good product and I will be able to use it 2-3 times more.

- Benefit Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Make up- trial size vials of 2 shades

I am so happy to receive Benefit. I have read so much about the brand but the products too expensive. If only there was a Sephora in Mumbai where I could try out the brand. The great part is that there are 2 shades of foundation- very light and light. The light one matches me perfectly. I used the foundation today and liked it... may even purchase it in the next few months. Its on my radar now.





Btw, the box costs Rs 399 and a coupon for Rs 50 discount is given with online payment. You have to pay in the beginning of the month, fill out a questionnaire and the box comes by the end of the month.

Here is the link: http://www.vellvette.com/

I am not getting paid for the review (though I will be happy if I am)... You can also buy products from the website.

I am going to review a product I love... it isn't something I need but want.... its a common feature on this blog. If I start buying only what I need, my dressing table will be 3/4th empty.

I am falling in love with Lush products. They do have their misses but they are worth a try and they smell awesome.

I came across their massage bars.... its basically a soap style moisturizing oil. You have to rub it on your body and it melts turning into oil. The oil is absorbed in a few minutes. It is awesome for dry skin and being winters even oily skinned people can use it. I have a slightly oily body skin (face is very, very oily) and I love using it at night.

I bought the Soft Coeur (The Honeymooner) for Rs 550 for 100 gm (not sure about the weight).

Below pics have been taken after I used up 50% of it. I have been using it for more than 2 weeks and it will last for another 2-4 weeks.





The massage bar is made of honey and cocoa and smells like that. I love the smell.













I love smelling of honey before sleeping. It gets absorbed after a few mins (until then it feels oily) and does not stain the bedsheet or anything else.

I love it.

After a successful Youth Code range for ageing skin, L'Oreal launched this serum. It claims to make skin luminous- give it a glow.





Below is the company claim:

"Not radiating your usual fresh, youthful glow?

What if you had the 'code' to unify irregular skin tone

and re-awaken a more even luminous looking complexion?

Irregular pigmentation beneath the skin's surface can reduce skin's luminosity."

30 ml of the product costs Rs 1499 which is expensive. The packaging is nice and sleek- silver bottle with pump... very hygienic. The only problem is I don't know how much of the product is left. I have been using this for a month every morning and night before my moisturizer/night cream. The serum is light and white in color. It is non sticky and gets absorbed immediately without feeling sticky. There is a shimmer to the product.

Unfortunately, I have not found any major difference in my skin. I don't think it has become more glowing or there has been a reduction in my redness.

I will continue using it till it gets over but I am not impressed.

My eyes have slight dark circles and small lines. The area does not look healthy even on a normal, stress free day. I decided to trythe  Body Shop eye cream.





The MRP is Rs 1090 for 15 ml. The packaging is very good and hygienic- a pump bottle. The product inside is non sticky, cream in color.











I have been using it for 2 months now... morning and night and do not see any difference. There is no reduction in lines or dark circles. I am just waiting for it to get over so that I can buy a better eye cream.

It did not work for me.

In the past year I have realized that Body Shop products look and smell good but they do not improve the skin quality. I am not going to try any more skin products.

Hi. I am back after a loooooonnnnngggg break.

I have been noticing the big hoardings and banners everywhere for Dove hair oil. I wanted to see and buy the product. I wasn't sure about the price and looked for it in the hypermarket. It was nowhere to be seen. I had to ask the promoter to help me find it. Why will a company have visibility outside the store but not at the point of sale? The purchase happens inside the store. This is what the box looks like.



And this is what the bottle looks like. I fell in love. At Rs 185, it did not seem pricey. The hair oil comes in a glass bottle with pump. The best part are the hibiscus petals in the oil. Yep... real petals inside the bottle. How cool is that?





The hair oil has Argan oil and hibiscus. It is non oily/ non sticky. It can be used in 2 ways- apply 30 mins before washing your hair or apply it after washing your hair.

I tried is both ways.

When applied before washing the hair, it makes the hair shiny like regular hair oil without making it sticky. It smells divine- rose with some fruity fragrance. I love the fragrance. While washing I need to use the shampoo only twice to remove it completely. With regular hair oil I have to shampoo 3-4 times. I don't know what kind of benefit it gives... I usually oil my hair once a week to make them less rough.

When applied after washing it makes the hair soft and silky. I love the smell. But, it makes the hair weighed down. I get the oily feeling... like I have applied something. It does not feel as light as a serum. By the end of the day my hair become oily.

I have decided to apply it overnight.

Will I re-purchase? Maybe... after I finish off with Parachute hair oil, Ultra Doux hair oil, Lancome Elixir... but it is not a requirement... it is more of a fad... a want. I don't NEED this product. It does not fulfill any latent need.

I read about the arrival for Vellvette box and ordered it in October. I received the box today and below are the contents.



The packaging is nice and sturdy. There was a ribbon tied around it. Very cute.



And the contents are:

1) Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Body Lotion

2) Clinic High Impact Mascara

3) Shiseido spot targeting serum

4) OPI nail color: Lincoln Park After Dark

I was sent an extra product since I was among the first 100 to order the box. Nice!!!



Shiseido spot targeting serum: I am surprised at receiving this product. I do not have brown spots and did not mention anything like that in the survey. Well, I will try it anyway. The MRP of full size product is Rs 4400 for 50 ml. The sample has 9 ml which comes to around 800 bucks.



OPI Nail color: Lincoln Park after dark: I was least excited by this product. The shade is a dark purple which looks almost black. I already have this shade and the bottle is very, very tiny. Some boxes received a full size of this product. MRP of full size is Rs 520 for 15 ml. The price of 3.25 ml comes to around 12 bucks. Need a better shade next time.



Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction body lotion: The note inside said that this product was sent as an extra for being among the first 100 to buy the box... but... all boxes have received the body lotion. Weird!!! No issues. A body lotion is more than welcome. MRP of 250 ml is Rs 810. The sample has 60 ml... price is around 200 bucks.



Clinique High Impact Mascara: I am most excited about this product. Anything from Clinique is most welcome and I love mascaras. Also, I have never purchased a mascara from this brand. Would love to try it and maybe buy one. MRP of 7 ml is Rs 1350. Sample is 3.5 ml... price around Rs 675.



I loved the notes along with each product describing it and its usage. Very well done.



Also, there are discount coupons for the full size product which can be purchased from the website. Very nice. I wonder how many conversions they have. The validity is till 30th Nov'12.



I paid 700 bucks for the box and received products worth 1700 bucks. Cool, na? I think its a great business model. The brands have received so much publicity. Everyone is writing about their box... plus customer trials AND conversions. For us, it is value for money.

I checked out other's boxes and other things received are:

1. Lush body scrub: I WANT


2. Clinique make up kit with eye shadow and blush: WANT IT SO BAD


3. Shiseido day or night cream: Better than the targeting serum


4. L'Occitane EDT: Yes!!!

Edited to add: The Clinique mascara is actually the extra and not the body lotion. Sorry for the mistake. And that makes me think- Would I have received only OPI, Shiseido and Victoria's Secret if I had not ordered early???

I am becoming a little obsessed with Lush despite the not so great shower smoothie last time. Actually, there are such few options in the market for body washes that Lush seems heaven sent.

I have been using a shower gel for more than 4 years now. Like everyone else in India, I used soap... then, I joined a travelling job and soaps became inconvenient. Carrying a wet soap and soap dish in a bag is torture. I have been hooked to body washes since. Also, they don't dry my skin unlike soaps.

Despite all this I decided to buy a soap from Lush. I bought the Lemon soap. MRP Rs 300 for 100 gm. The SA told me it will last for 20 baths. Lets see.



I also decided to try the solid shampoo. The last soap cum shampoo I used was Shikakai as a kid. Anyone remember it? Of course, Lush seanik solid shampoo is nowhere close to shikakai. I love the humorous writings on the pack. MRP Rs 620 for around 100 gm. The SA told me it will last for 80 washes which is more than 3 months for me. I use it on alternate days. If it lasts that long I wouldn't consider it expensive.



The soap is blue in color with some green.

So, after liking shower jelly I picked up Dreamwash shower smoothie from the store a month back. I have been using it for almost a month  and I am almost out of it.

I picked this up instead of the shower jelly 'coz I like trying different body washes. The BA had tried it on my hand. He wet my hand, took a bit of the product, scrubbed a bit and washed it off. There was no smell but my hand was squeaky clean. I like squeaky clean.





The smoothie is priced at Rs 1160 for 250 gm. Thats expensive... very expensive. The shower jelly would have cost around 900 bucks. It has lasted me around 3-4 weeks which is very, very less. The same amount of shower jelly would have lasted atleast 2 months.





The product is white in color and smooth... feels a little like talc. The main ingredients are aloe vera and calamine. It claims to cool the skin and take the heat out of troubled, sensitive skin.





Its usage is a major issue. I tried using the loofah but unlike the shower jelly it does not lather too much. So, I had to take a little product in the loofah... clean one leg... then take some more and then clean another leg. Very inconveniencing. On the 2nd day I decided to skip the loofah but I could not get any lather and my skin didn't feel squeaky clean after bath.

It did make my skin feel soft after bath. I don't mind that it does not have any fragrance... anyways, my body lotion covers up any smell.

Pathetic product... why would anyone create this and price it so high???

Will I re-purchase? No

Why?

1. Expensive... freaking expensive


2. Lasts for barely a month


3. Inconvenient to use


4. Better and cheaper options in the market

Another face mask review. I tend to buy a lot of masks- a different one for each day.  Everyone raves about Himayala neem products- face wash and mask. I decided to try the mask.

I do not like tea tree or even neem... hate the smell.

Neem mask cleanses and purifies for a clear, problem free skin. It has neem and turmeric. Neem is supposed to be good for acne prone skin and tumeric removes bacteria. It also has multani mitti. The MRP is Rs 65 for 50 gm.





The product is thick and dark green in color. It looks like slime and looks very ugly on drying. Getting it off is also a little difficult... and the smell... eeks.



I need a lot of product to cover my face since it is quite thick. The 50 gm was good was less than 10 uses which I think is less.

The mask dries fast which is a big positive. I did not see a reduction in acne (when I got 1 or 2 acne) and neither did it reduce oiliness. I generally compare any mask with mutani mitti which makes my skin tight, pores smaller and imperfections less visible. None of the masks match up to that. Definitely not this one.

Will I re-purchase? Nope... not even at that price.

I am back after a break and I have many reviews. Basically, I have finished a few products and before throwing away the empty containers I decided to review them.

I bought the Body Shop Tea Tree Mask 3-6 months back and have been using it since. I had visited the store looking for a mask for oily skin. The BA did not direct me correctly and I ended up buying this mask which is for acne prone skin. I was looking for something which would reduce the oiliness. The BAs of Body Shop are pathetic... they look so bored. I need to request them to try on foundations or make up... horrible.



The MRP is Rs 745 for 110 gm. The mask is green in color and dries fast - a very important aspect while buying the mask. I apply a mask on a daily basis and like it to dry fast since I don't have hours in the morning... 15 mins is all I have.













I generally apply a thin layer since a thicker one takes time to dry. But the mask does nothing for my skin. It does not prevent acne or dry them or remove oiliness.

Thats a problem with Body Shop products... they look good... they feel good... they smell good but they don't improve the skin texture or quality.

It took me almost 6 months to finish but I am glad its over.

Will I re-purchase? No ways...