The month of October literally whirled by and I got so swamped with life and work that I did not manage to set aside some time to do up a mention about the October Trove. I feel apologetic about that and it's too late to do a Trove overview for that now so here's me atoning for it by being rather early with my November mention!

Or at least early in my terms! Heh.

One thing I like about Vanity Trove and I suppose this is purely from a blogger's perspective is how I receive the Trove towards the end of October and have the whole of November to enjoy using the items and doing up an entry about it!

On top of that, due to Vanity Trove's option of purchasing back-ordered or current month's trove (for a wee bit more at S$30), readers that are enticed by a trove after seeing the run-down of it are able to purchase it!

I like that idea very much as it is almost instant gratification as opposed to being enticed by this month's trove only to subscribe for next month's which may or may not end up being my cup of tea.

Well, I think that is about lengthy enough for an intro, let's take a look at the November Trove!

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November's edition brings about the Dream Girl concept and comes packed with products to aid with skincare and makeup to help you feel beautiful in your own skin!

Kicking it off, hydration seems to be one of the key factors within the trove or within mine at least.

Za Amino Refreshing Gel (Sample)

The Za Amino Refreshing Gel has a very comfortable texture that is both watery and gel-like, allowing for quick penetration and an instant boost of hydration on the skin. I like that it is perfect for use in our hot hot climate but while there are claims of the product (through it's literature) supplementing a good amount of moisture, I would still reserve this for day-hydration and reach for a richer one at night.

URIAGE Moisturizing Refreshing Cream Gel (Sample)

With the name Moisturizing Refreshing Cream Gel, I may have expected a little more of this product. The cream was quite light in texture yet not gel-like either and was easily absorbed into the skin. In fact, almost a little too easily seeing as I expected a tad more hydration but for those looking for a lighter night cream for non-AC conditions, you could perhaps give this a look!

SKINC Happy Hand Dew (full-sized)

Do you have Happy hands? Well, maybe using this SKINC Hand cream can help your hands a little in achieving a positive outlook! Ha, okay I kid but I do love the adorable name of this product and the fact that it is a full size inclusion within the Trove. Equipped with the ability to hydrate your hands, tackle finelines / wrinkles and do all that while hardly leaving a stick or greasy trace, I'm sure that our hands are not the only ones happy with this!

Ichikami Shampoo, Conditioner & Hair Mask (Sample)

Actually, I am no stranger to this range of items from Ichikami, having gone through a full bottle of shampoo and conditioner some time back while still using the hair mask every now and then. From what I can recall, I like these products as they work well (lovely lather), washes and conditions fine, plus it smells great in the shower! Though these seem to be on the heavier side, as with most Japanese shampoos, so these may not be as well received by those with finer or limper hair textures.

Mekhala Living Tamarind Facial Cleanser (Sample)

This familiar brand name makes an appearance again, after Vanity Trove had previously featured their Black Rice Shampoo and Conditioner which smelt divine but didn't work as fab. I haven't actually given this cleanser a go just yet so I can't comment on how well it cleans but scent-wise I am quite in love with it. Apparently, like the science of Cetaphil, this is not a foaming cleanser as it is free of some chemical additives. While being chemical additive free is awesome and all, I know of some that don't take to the non-foaming aspect as well so... just a heads up!

Adore Sanitary Pads (2 Packs)

Okay, first off, quick apologies for this very in-your-face photo of sanitary pads but I can't help to think that the packaging and way this promotional duo was packaged is super adorable. It makes pad look cute! Okay, yet another inappropriate comment. I think it is interesting for Vanity Trove to cover all aspects of female grooming, from makeup to skincare and even feminine hygiene which seems a bit of a throw-off at first but oh well... these are good to pack for traveling!

SASA S$5 Discount + BB Cream Samples

This month's Trove also comes with a S$5 discount at Sasa stores and while I haven't given the letter a good read to see the terms and conditions, I wonder if this move prompts future collaborations with Sasa. Perhaps a Sasa-exclusive Trove? Just throwing stuff out there now...

Discount aside, there are also sample satches of BRTC BB Creams which I don't have the best impression of as I recall them breaking me out back in the day. I suppose I could be a little more adventurous and try them once more, accounting the previous experience to not properly removing it due to my makeup noobness back then or my volatile skin conditions.

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So wrapping up November, this is a trove packed with some really interesting products from cleansers, to BB Creams, to Sanitary Pads and of course the bulk of it being hydrating goodness.

If you are interested in the Trove, you can pick it up from Vanity Trove at S$30 or if this trove has struck an interest in Vanity Trove for you, feel free to subscribe to them monthly at a fee of S$25!

Hope everyone had a great week thus far and I am just rolling around in how awesomely short this work-week feels!

Thanks for reading!

Disclosure:
Products were provided to me for review consideration.
I am not affiliated to them and all opinions expressed are my own.

Its nearing the end of September and I have yet to give this month's beauty boxes a mention!

I am sure by now they would have surfaced just about everywhere and everyone has gotten their boxes, which defeats the purpose of my entry, but I would still like to give them a round up post.

I received Vanity Trove in the early part of September and Bellabox sometime mid-September so I would kick start this entry with what I got first!

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September's Vanity Trove welcomes the transition into Fall and although we don't have seasons here in Singapore, it is still nice to acknowledge these beauty trends and somewhat 'go with the times' or rather, go with the direction of the rest of the world!

The Trove is segmented into various 'categories' and I like that within the provided brochure, they list down the product variations within each category.

If you squint and read the brochure, you will get what I mean!

As we all know, not everyone's trove is the same as they like to switch up the contents but this layout or method of explaining it makes it feel a lot more 'controlled'. It also gives you the impression that you aren't quite missing out on anything since it is shuffling within the same 'category'.

Here's a quick look at what was in September's Trove!

Princess Pinki (Lip, Cheeks and Nipple Cream)

Making a return to the Trove, Princess Pinki is a tint that you can use on your lips, cheeks (and also nipples, heh!) to give it a pinkish hint. Though hint is probably too mild a word to use. It dispenses clear and turns a rather vivid pinkish tone when left on the skin for awhile. That tint actually seems to stain the skin because I had a pink mark on my hand (where I swatched it) for pretty much the whole day, even after showering.

Oilum Body Cleanser & Oilum Revitalizing Lotion (Sample)

To aid with wrinkle-free and hydrated skin in Singapore's non-existent Fall, we have here Oilum's Body Cleanser and Revitalizing Lotion. I haven't given these a shot yet because bath and lotion stuff this size is always stashed for travel.

Vanity Trove had the Oilum Scrub Bar and Oilum Cleanser Bar up for rotation amongst their boxes.

Essie Nall Polish in Mink Muffs

You could say I was pretty darn excited when I saw the bottle and the shade. Essie's Mink Muffs is one of the colors that have always been on my mind – I would like to haul it yet I am always distracted with everything else. I will definitely be swatching this lovely milk chocolate shade soon!

Goodskin Labs Serum

Part of the skin enhancing aspect of the Trove, this was thrown in under the category that also contained variants like JK Acne Cleanser Bar, Shu Uemura White Recovery EX+ and Shu Uemura Skin Purifier.

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Eyeshadow

Not forgetting some love for the peepers, this Trove sheds some light on Rimmel products and if you did not get the quad, you would have received either a Rimmel Mascara or Rimmel Lipstick.

I am pleased with what I randomly received in mine and the colors are just perfect to play around with on a work day. As I had never played around with Rimmel prior, the pigmentation and smoothness of these shadows surprised me!

Bvlgari Omnia Coral Fragrance (Sample)

Aside from introducing skincare and makeup items, this trove also covers some new scents, either Bvlgari Omnia (as you see here) or DKNY's Be Delicious. I'm not exactly a DKNY Be Delicious fan (oh blasphemy!) so I am glad I received the Omnia variant and I do like the pleasant feminine appeal this scent gives.

All that aside, there were a couple more Vanitytreats thrown in, courtesy of and in partnership with Watsons!

Leaders Insolution Hydrogel Eye Therapy Patch

Montagne Jennesse Masque in Fruit Smoothie (Sample size)

Well, that ran longer than I had intended but this wraps up what you get in Vanity Trove in September!

While I may be late with my mention, Vanity Trove gives you the option of purchasing the current month's trove (backorders) incase you wish to inspect the contents before you decide.

Purchasing backordered Troves will cost you S$5 more than their monthly subscription price.

Visit Vanity Trove to subscribe monthly for S$25 and await the November Trove or purchase the September Trove at S$30!

p.s. Vanity Trove pictures were all taken with the trustee Samsung S3 camera!

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Moving on with the beauty boxes, here's Bellabox's take on September.

For September, Bellabox is taking on a very holistic theme of going Out with the Old and In with the New.

Well, before I go into the box I guess I do want to throw out a quick mention. It seems the competition between beauty boxes really goes back and forth and certain months you are left floored with some and other times a little 'meh' with everything.

After all, the idea of beauty boxes is about receiving a surprise every month and sometimes our own level of expectation does cause these surprises to fall a little flat.

With that said, I will continue on and say that this month around (instead of this time around), Bellabox had left me a little meh with their September offerings. I can't say its their fault because I am sure the team does try their best to pick the contents and it would never be easy to pick and suit everyone but their previous boxes (starting from the bumper one) really just stepped up their own game for them.

Okay, enough rambly insight and rationale, here is how September looks in a Bellabox!

Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Perfume (Sample)

I have received a press sample of this scent and actually done a write-up for it here. It's a lovely scent, not quite my favorite but I am guessing some may be pleased to be in posession of this scent sample to try.

Celmonze Premium Facial Ampoules

I was recently introduced to the luxurious world of Facial Ampoules. Prior to that I had no idea these little serum packed vials were this costly and that luxe. I haven't tried this out because of the term 'Marine Concentrate' scrawled on the fragile bottle (me and my Marine Collagen fear) but there are 3 variants up for circulation – Whitening, Lifting and Vitamin A.

Rimmel Flash Eyeliner in Black Noir

A common brand in both the beauty boxes this month, Rimmel! Bellabox had up for rotation the Flash Eyeliner (as pictured above), Lip Liner, Stay Glossy Lip Gloss, Automatic Eye Line, Max Volume Mascara or Sexy Curves Full Figure Mascara

The Flash Eyeliner I have is a felt tip liquid liner, one of my favorite types of eyeliners. Howver, unlike other felt tip liquid liners I have tried, the black pigmentation in this one felt a little disappointing though I will have to try it out to better judge it.

VICHY Bi-White Med Deep Corrective Whitening Lotion (Sample)

For fairer and whiter skin, the Vichy Bi-White Lotion aims to target melanin at its source and fights dark spots, dullness and yellowish skin tones.

Lifecella Essence Sheet Mask - Face Mask

Last but not least, we have Lifecella, a brand that is formulated specially for the concerns of Asian skin. The very first thing I noticed with this is that adorable bear-like shape that the mask takes on but I'm sure that isn't the point of it. These masks cover issues from anti-aging to dryness and even have targetted eye masks as well. Lifecella is available at Watsons and Guardian.

And that is Bellabox's September edition for you!

Visit Bellabox if you are interested in a month subscription which would cost S$19.90.

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With that, I wrap up this extremely lengthy post about September's Beauty Box offerings! It seems it is honestly anyone's game in the beauty box industry and it is getting incredibly hard to subscribe to a box in advanced these days so i think Vanity Trove did a very wise move of putting backordered boxes up for grabs.

As a consumer that still gives me the joy of the box and also the mental preparation of knowing what to expect!

But do share, do you still like the joy of the surprise or prefer to know what is in it beforehand?

Thanks for reading!

Disclosure:
Products were provided to me for review consideration.
I am not affiliated to them and all opinions expressed are my own.

Come July, Bellabox looks to whisk you away from the mundane routine of life into a wonderlust journey around the beauty world!

While it's not really jet-setting anywhere, July's box brings to you the best in beauty from across the globe which is bound to bring just that bit of travel excitement.

Let's take a look at what is in this globe-trotting box!

My Bellabox came with 5 types of beauty products though some products came in a pair or a set so technically it worked out to be a well worth box filled with loads of beauty goodies!

Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo & Conditioner

Organix's Brazilian Keratin Therapy range is infused with a blend of coconut oil, organic avocado oil and cocoa butter to smooth and nourish the hair. Scent-wise the coconut really peeks through, making this take on a tropical vibe minus the whole sun, sand and sea aspect - it's mainly coconut-y and luscious. I haven't tried it for myself and would likely be saving this for travel.

Jimmy Choo Fragrance (EDP)

Representing London is an Eau De Parfum sample vial of Jimmy Choo, the Fragrance. The idea of this scent is to bottle in feminity, luxury and style while the EDP has an extra punch of Italian Orange and Indonesian Patchouli to take a nod towards sensuality. The fragrance itself isn't exactly the conventional light-sweetness yet is a sensual sweetness combined with floral, likely from the the top notes of Tea Rose, Tiger Orchid and Cedarwood.

This isn't a perfume review so I will save my words but the sample bottle is undoubtedly adorable and the scent is something worth checking out. In short it's a mature yet mildly playful scent, something I think a good deal would enjoy.

Twistbands (Hair tie)

From California, we have the Twistbands! This is something I have been intrigued in and wanting to try every since Mag's positive mention about it. I generally dislike tying my hair because some hair ties are too tight, or too lose, or put a weird bump into my hair. Though Twistbands are made to solve all those problems while looking cute and simple! I tried it out the minute I received it and am loving it. I think I need to pick this up in more colors!

SK-II skincare sample set

From Japan, we have some sample tubes of the ever popular SK-II! Despite the renown about the brand, I have never tried anything from SK-II and this is honestly my very first encounter with it. I have been curious but yet have also heard some pals mention that certain items didn't feel right for them. So instead of splashing out that amount of cash, I can now give these a shot before passing my verdict!

Included in this little set is the Facial Treatment Gentle Cleanser, Cellumination Mask-In Lotion, Facial Treatment Essence (the star product), Cellumination Deep Surge EX. Can't wait to try them out!

Skinmiso Pore Beauty Nose Pack

The evolution of these pore nose packs are starting to really amaze me! Gone are there days where you just stick it on and rip it off once it is dried, hoping to pull up some white/blackheads while you're at it. Those are still fun (and good) to use but now packs that 'bring dirt to the surface' are starting to... well, surface! This Skinmiso beauty nose pack even comes with a Step 2 to help contract and shrink your pores after you are done ridding them of dirt.

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While the above is all there is to the products within July's Bellabox, there was a little bonus cutie within as well.

It's a lipstick? it's a laser pointer? It's a plastic toy?

No... it's a pen! A lipstick pen, how fun!

This would be such a nifty thing for beauty addicts to whip out during meetings or taking quick notes while on the go. I have already popped it into my handbag and the fact that it's a good size (for carrying around and holding while writing) makes it even better!

I don't think I have formally mentioned on here but in rather recent times, Bellabox had increased their monthly subscription from S$15 to S$19.95. Though if you had any doubts about that increment before, take a look at the quality products in their boxes now and you'll know that the increase is certainly worth it!

I love the fun themes that they are throwing out with the boxes and now I honestly am looking forward to each and every Bellabox!

Thanks for reading and hope the weekend went great for you!

Disclosure:
Products were provided to me for review consideration.
I am not affiliated to them and all opinions expressed are my own.

I think I may be the last person to write about this and I am extremely late on spreading the word but I had taken the pictures and am bent on putting up an entry no matter how late! Heh

Another reason for this insistence is because I do like April's Bellabox. I think I am starting to feel the gamble aspect of beauty subscription boxes as I liked the earlier Bellaboxes but I wasn't super thrilled. This time though, I am actually loving it because of a few product inclusions.

In April, Bellabox's focus is on flawless beauty be it through nurturing your skin or faking that flawlessness with the right products!

I shan't ramble too much since you may have all seen the low-down but here's a brief mention anyway!

The product inclusions:

Benefit Cosmetics Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation

I have heard so much about the Benefit Hello Flawless foundation and anything with a phrase like oxygen for the skin pretty much has my attention. I didn't splurge on the real deal when it came out since I hardly reach for my liquid foundies these days but a sample (especially a cute one like such) is great to try!

I received the shade Honey "I'm so Money" which looks to be right in shade but maybe not tone. It seems a little pinkish? But I'll try it out and see.

Enavose H2Osis Black Tea Quench Mask

I've not heard of the brand prior but with a name like Black Tea Quench Mask, I feel I almost need to plop this on straight away to hydrate the skin. Can't wait to try this sample out and perhaps do a Masking Up feature for it.

Maison Francis Kurdjian EDP

With notes like Orange Flower, Cedar wood and Ylang-Ylang Flower, this EDP invokes a very old powder room sort of mood in me. I'm not sure if I'm the only one but it's musky and powdery, quite a nice scent to smell but not for myself. I handed it over to my mom, who seemed to develop a liking for it.

Lemongrass House Shower Gel (left)

Okay, before anything, the inclusion is the Shower Gel on the left, the Room Spray is something I had from before.

This one pretty much had me (and my mom) all excited. I had received this Shower Gel before as part of Lemongrass's Mothers' Day promo last year and gave the set to my mom, keeping only the room fragrance for myself. I'm a fan of all things rose scented and loved the room scent, so to have a travel bottle in a lovely rose scented Shower Gel (which my mom loved), this is perfecto.

Kinohimitsu Collagen Drink

Kinohimitsu Collagen Drink is a beauty supplement meant to plump up your skin in just 6 days. I am personally wary when it comes to collagen drinks because anything with Marine Collagen can cause my eczema to go crazy so the brother actually went " I WANT!" when I 'put this up for auction' in the house.

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So... I didn't manage to keep this very short.

I guess I really can't help myself from rambling but in general, I really liked the variety with April's Bellabox and it got me all sparked up again with the beauty subscription service. If you are interested in subscribing for Bellabox, you may hop on over to their website. Subscriptions are at S$15 a month or slightly lesser depending on the subscription you pick.

One thing about Bellabox though is I realized that you can only susbcribe per month or annually. It would be nice if they opened up a 3 month or 6 month slot too.

For those who had gotten their hands on the April bellabox, did you love the contents?

 

p.s. I know I still owe you guys that rummage through the Make Up Store goodie bag. Coming up next! ;)

Disclosure:
Products were provided to me for review consideration.
I am not affiliated to them and all opinions expressed are my own.