As a month has rolled on by, it's time give the July Violet Box a good ol' grilling and review the products inside. Sadly, this is going to be my last VB for a while as I cancelled my subscription purely as I want to try out a couple of different boxes (I'm eyeing up Meme Box next). But that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the service; I think it is one of the better ones available to NZ and I've loved the majority of the products that I have got in the boxes over the past four months or so. For more in-depth photos and swatches from the July box, go over and read my Unboxing + Initial Thoughts for July here.
The July box had an impressive mix of hair care, skincare and makeup with three full sized products and four varying sample sizes. It came in at around a $105 value, for a box that I paid $29.50 (including postage), you've gotta be pleased with that.
PRODUCT 001. Appelles Apothecary & Lab Blackseed Shampoo + Tamanu Conditioner // [Full Size RRP $18.95 (150ml) or $44.95 (500ml)]
Shampoo and conditioners are always good things to try out and these 60ml bottle had a really good amount of product to get a feel for both of them. They smell absolutely incredible, there is a lot of aromatherapy oils mixed in there, but they don't really linger on the hair once they are washed out. Both did a great job at cleaning my hair, the shampoo lathered up well and didn't feel stripping, and the conditioner wasn't heavy in the hair it just did exactly as it should. I felt my hair was feeling cleaner for longer and it is definitely a brand I would consider buying from again.
PRODUCT 002. Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil // [RRP $22.00]
The June box brought with it a Chella product in the form of an eyebrow pencil that I really liked and this highlighting pencil also impressed. A flesh toned pencil should be a staple in any makeup stash, big or small - this particular one I found to blend out well and had a great colour that worked well with my skin tone (although it likely is not going to suit everyone). This has been mainly used for highlighting and sharpening up the line under my brows, but it also works well run lightly along the waterline of the eyes to brighten everything up. It is also great for drawing above the cupid's bow on the lips to make them look fuller. It does triple duty, even quadruple duty, and as a full sized product in the box, in my eyes made it totally worth it.
PRODUCT 003. Skin & Co. Roma Truffle Therapy Serum // [Full Size RRP $75.00 (30ml)]
I found this to be a bit of a mystery product, the packaging doesn't give much away in terms of what the serum is aimed at doing, but all I know is that I really love it. Due to the high price tag, my hopes were also high, the Made In Italy line also made me think that this serum has gotta impress. After cleansing and toning at night I have been applying a small amount of this over my face; it feels almost like a light lotion and sinks into the skin almost immediately. The scent was rather strong, almost vanilla, which didn't bother me at all. I'm not sure if I was imagining it but my skin just seemed to look brighter and healthier after using it and my skin was definitely loving it! Although I would love to buy the full sized, I'm not sure if a $75 serum is currently in my budget right now, but I will be keeping this one on my radar.
PRODUCT 004. Sukin Skin Purifying Facial Mask // [Full Size RRP $15.00 (100ml)]
Sukin is a brand I have used a few samples of before and it is an Australian natural skincare company. I love face masks and am always up for trying new ones so sample sachets are totally welcome! This one had a pretty strong scent, and one I can't put my finger on, but it looked and felt like I was putting chocolate mousse on my face (which I'm not completely against...) It applied smoothly to damp skin and after about 15 minutes it had dried down to an almost powder feel. The thing I liked about this mask as it didn't feel tight or overly drying on the skin, I could easily move my face without it cracking once it had set. It washed off easily with warm water and flannel and after my skin felt very soft and super clean. At a price tag of only $15 this is a really affordable mask and it would work well with many skin types I assume.
PRODUCT 005. LAQA&Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil // [RRP $20.00]
Lip products will always be welcomed by me with open arms, and these chubby stick style ones are some of faves (i.e. Revlon Matte + Lacquer Balms and Clinique Chubby Sticks) This brand was foreign to me, and it seems to be a relatively new one doing the rounds of the beauty boxes as I have seen them crop up in some Birchbox's lately. It is basically no different to the other crayon style offerings, it has that minty scent like the Revlon ones, and also similar pigmentation as well, and not as sheer as the Clinique Chubby Sticks. It applies smoothly and packs on a decent amount of colour. The longevity isn't as good as Revlon and it doesn't leave a stain like they do, but they last a bit longer than your average lipstick, and the crayon tip means it is no fuss to reapply.
PRODUCT 006. So Susan Flutter Mascara // [RRP $32.00]
This mascara threw out a lot of claims of being very voluminous, creating intense black lashes, and all that jazz. I was excited to try it but it left me underwhelmed especially when I consider what it was worth. The one thing that really turned me off it was that it transferred like no other onto my lids. Generally I will get a few specks of black but this formula seemed so wet that most of it ended up all over my eyelid! I did inject a lot of darkness to the lashes but it wasn't amazing in the volumising department, just a bit so-so. I'm going to let this dry out slightly in hopes that it might not transfer so much!
If you got this box I'd love to know what you thought of each product and if you have written reviews on them, link them in the comments section. Overall, I'm very happy and it is probably one of the better one I have received. At $29.50 a month I would recommend it if you are looking to delve into the subscription box world!