Lust have It January 2017 Unboxing and Review

Hi everyone!

Here's my January Lust Have It unboxing for 2017.







Information card 



(Last video I mentioned my lack of working camera other than my webcam - so sorry for quality of these images, lol.)





The Items

Your Tea Her Tea + Marsk Eyeliner in Snowflake || Burt's Bees Lipstick + OPI in Shattered Super Bass

OFRA Eyeshadow/Highlighting Powder in Bohemian + Unani Dermo Defense Face Mask || The Bag


I appreciate the ease of flatlays a lot more after this post.

I assume that most people come to my blog to avoid my face, but this time was impossible. Sorry. :P




Swatches

Those nice swatches I did during the video smudged not 5 minutes later while I was taking these photos.



I'm not sure what they smudged on, but surprisingly this hasn't happened before. Not looking too good for either of these products.



Fresh swatches. It is really hard to capture the true colour of the Burt's Bees Lipstick, so I spent some time on the MS paint colour picker, and here is the colour I think it's closest to when swatched.

Overall

A very meh box.

Sure, the items "exceeded" the amount I paid for it in value ($22 vs $90.50.)
And I'm also really happy to see LustHaveIt fixing that mistake from last month where they forgot the Her Tea. That was great of them to include, (although I'm wondering if I would have gotten the extra Tea if I didn't remain subbed?)

But... They keep repeating the same brands over and over. Unani, Marsk, Ofra, Your Tea - we're all sick of seeing the same brands over and over again. At least, I am. These brands are grossly overvalued for what I believe is drugstore/pharmacy quality cosmetics. 

There's no longer a real discovery aspect to these bags and thus my decision to not subscribe to Lust Have It anymore. For sheer value, Marie Claire The Parcel is a better choice for Australians.

Thanks for reading!

This is obviously not one of my best posts, but hey! I improvised. :P

Hope you guys enjoyed despite the shoddy camera xx

And to my fellow Aussies - hope you're remembering to wear sunscreen and a hat :) Stay hydrated!

With lots of love,

pynkbunny.

Swan Kiss Fukubukuro Lucky Bag 2017 (White) Reveal, Review and Try-on!

Hi everyone!

Long time no blog!

A convenient excuse would be to blame my phone dying (and hence my camera), but let's be real - I worked around it today. (Because I love you guys a lot :D)

So yes, this is my first time doing an actual try-on post from a fukubukuro. I had to take the pictures with my webcam, so very sorry about awkward positioning etc etc. Anyway, on with the post!


♥ What is a fukubukuro?
Every new year, brands will release lucky bags filled with old stock. Generally, they exceed the value you pay for them. This is a Japanese tradition. :) Not only gyaru brands do this - even convenience stores, the Japanese Apple store, and Japanese Krispy Kreme all release them!)


♥ How did you purchase it?
I pre-ordered it from Tokyo Otaku Mode on the 9th of December. It shipped out on the 28th December, and I received it in Australia today (3rd January).
It cost 220USD with free shipping.


It is still in-stock here: [x] (Pink version is even on sale for 190USD!)
Use my referral link for $5 off here: [x]
Thank you so much to Emiii-chan for letting me know they were back in-stock! The lovely Emiii-chan here: [x]



Without further ado...
♥ Here's my Swan Kiss Fukubukuro reveal! ♥



I almost finished writing this post up when I realised that my contents were exactly the same as shown in the Tokyo Otaku Mode website. I thought they would be different but they weren't! So I get to compare my items with the stock pictures too :D

1. The bag itself ♥


This bag is LARGE.

It comes in options white or pink, and I chose white since I liked the look of it more than pink.

The size and material of the bag make it very practical - I think it's perfect for trips away and just shoving everything in. Or safely carrying very large board games :)

I wasn't a big fan of the appearance, but I know the bag will be useful because of it's size.

Small nitpick - in the original picture, the handles look a lot better because of how it is positioned. The ribbon is also different from the original picture. I'm fine with this since I wasn't a big fan of the bag anyway.






2. The coat ♥



This coat comes with every bag.

It has the heart corset motif on each pocket. The pockets are very shallow, as shown through me trying to stick my hand into it in the pictures!

It is also very long. As you can see in the picture, it goes past the black dress that I also got in the pack.

The material is very thick and the colour is truly a statement colour - in the pictures it shows as a pale pink but the true colour is closer to the stock picture on the TOM website.



The only difference I can pick out between the stock picture and the coat itself is that the ribbon detail on my coat is white and sheer, as opposed to the pink in the picture. It is also a thicker ribbon.

Despite the pockets, I think this item is fairly easy to incorporate into an everyday winter wardrobe :) Not to work, but to lunch with friends or something.





3. The sweater ♥



Ohmygoshguys.

This sweater is everything. Just look at it!

At first I was very skeptical because I'm not a turtleneck person at all.

BUT JUST LOOK AT THE RIBBON DETAILING AND THE COLOUR AND AAAAAA IT'S ALL PERFECT.



The quality is very good - it's thick and warm.





4. The dress ♥




Hands down my favourite item in this lucky pack!

When I revealed it, I was quite underwhelmed because of the colour. It wasn't until I tried it on that the small details of the dress really popped out.

The straps tied on are very cute, and the frill details throughout the dress really make it very adorable.

It is also very comfortable and lightweight.

I know I'll wear it a lot already :)! It's very cute but also not a piece that stands out like a lot of other gyaru pieces.



This is shown to be styled with the pink lace top on the bottom. It definitely gives it a much cutesier feel.

This actually makes so much more sense to me since I tried wearing the pink lace top by itself and it looked terrible xD As an under-shirt it makes a lot more sense!





5. The top ♥


I think in hindsight, this top was made for styling with that black dress.

The lace areas that peak out are so cute - the ribbon detail, the frills, EVERYTHING ABOUT IS ADORABLE.

But the pink slip area... goodness, it is shapeless and awful. I think the model had to pose in a way where it looked less shapeless in the stock pictures!

(it could also be that I'm too big :P Maybe it's fine if you're smaller!)








6. The pants ♥




I for the life of my could not rock these. Sorry. xD

Same as the top - the model obviously had to pose in a way which it looked nice. She managed to make it look like a maxi skirt, which would be quite nice.

Alas, these are pants. omg. xD



♥ Overall... ♥

Would I recommend? Probably not, last year's angel bag was way better.

The bag itself was better quality, and the contents were amazing.

I don't regret buying this bag, but also the quality definitely suffer compared to the contents of last year.

I don't own a lot of Swankiss items, so I'm happy now that I do. :)

$210USD is quite a steep price however. The fun of unboxing was there, but since the items were identical to the stock pictures, it is a little more disappointing for me.

♥ My first impressions video...



  What did you think of this bag?

Let me know!

xoxo

pynkbunny

List of Australian subscription boxes! MASTER POST

Hey everyone!

With the shutting down of Violet Box, quite a few people have been scrambling around for box recommendations. So I've decided to do a master post! Just click the name of the box to be taken to their website.
I'll also link to my reviews with a [x] where I have reviews.
All information correct as of 11/8/2015 and of course this is all based on my experiences as well as reading everyone else's!
I will aim to update this regularly - if I've forgot a box do let me know because I'd like this to be a comprehensive list :)

21/1/2017 - updated

♥ AUSTRALIAN-BASED ♥

♥♥ Beauty

The Parcel - Marie Claire [x]
* $25/quarter (three months)
* $90 for a year subscription
* Consistently great value boxes with RRP well over $100 each box.
* Everyone gets the same box
* Contents may be similar to or contain freebies from their magazine, only comes every quarter.
* Good amount of full size items
* Previous items: Makeup, skincare, haircare, nails


The Parcel - Ageless Beauty
* $25/quarter
* $80 for a year subscription
* First quarter came out this month.
* Like The Parcel - Marie Claire (same company), but with an anti-ageing focus. (Skincare that address wrinkles, etc)
* Everyone gets the same box
* Good amount of full size items
* Previous items: Skincare, haircare



LustHaveIt [x]
* $20/month, regularly has $10/month for your first box coupons, +$3 for shipping
* Lots of past issues (including shipping, customer service)
* Cute pouch with each 'box'
* But have been on an upswing since May with good value boxes with solid curation and offer item options/spoilers often.
* Variations in boxes, not necessarily according to profile
* Generally more samples than full sized items
* Previous items: Skincare, haircare, makeup, body, nails


Bellabox [x]
* $17.95/month, has had groupons/ourdeals and regularly has $5 off coupons too
* Generally timely, has cute "themes" and a cute cardboard box
* Value of items often don't exceed what you pay by too much
* Generally more samples than full sized items - generally one expensive item and the rest samples
* Occasional repeats

* Previous items: Skincare, haircare, makeup, body, nails, perfume, a highlighter (:D)

Mirenesse Glamm Box
* $25/month (to be a Mirenesse VIP, which includes other benefits)
* Will only contain Mirenesse makeup/skincare
* Very mixed reviews on this one, I gave up trying to use their website so I don't have a personal opinion.
* Boxes in the past have been good value (despite inflated "RRP" prices)
* Complaints about customer service, shipping time, etc
* Misleading company practices (so do your research and keep your wits about you)

Flora and Fauna
* $30/quarter
* Eco-friendly only products
* "seasonally relevant products"
* Previous items: Skincare, Makeup, Body, Toothbrush (?)

Vegan Box
* Two types: Snacking Box and Vegan Box
* Snack: $29.95/month (inc shipping)
* Beauty: $49.95/monyj


HerFashionBox
* NSW FAIR TRADE WARNING (7.10.16) [x]
* $59.95/quarter, sign up to newsletter for $5 off
* "3-4 on trend fashion accessories, at least 3 beauty & lifestyle deluxe samples"
* Three options: classic (mostly black/gold), trendy (generally colourful), feminine (generally soft pink/nudes) (that's not what they say about each option by the way, that's just what I've seen LOL - when I had the box I chose feminine but I wanted only black accessories so I chose classic the next month, for example)
* Everyone receives very similar boxes with differently coloured accessories depending on their "style" option.
* Previous items: hats, watches, scarves, jewellery, skincare makeup, body



♥♥ Asian Beauty

none right now :(


♥♥ Lifestyle

Camirelli Crate [x]
* $40+ $10 shipping/month for the standard crate - other options available including Melts, Soaps Coouple and Man.
* "This Crate will have 4 full size products and 6 samples every month! Items can include Soy Candles, Handmade Soaps, Coffee Scrubs, Body Butter, Bath Salts, Face Masks and more bath and body products"
* Handmade items
* Everyone gets the same box
* Previous items: Soap, foot scrub, headband, stationery, melts, candles, body butter

Butterfly Party Soap Studio
* $35/month including shipping for the standard soap box - other options include bath, body, and bath & body
* Last box is October 2015!
* "The box will include a variety of soap which could include full sized bars, soap mini's, sample sizes, guest soaps, soap cupcakes and novelty soaps."

* Handmade soaps in the standard box, other items including scrubs, lip balms, bath whips, etc in bath/body boxes

* Previous items: Soap, foot scrub, headband, stationery, melts, candles, body butter

♥♥ Cycle

Moxie Box Club [x]
* $30/box (monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly depending on your choice)
* Choose five items from the Moxie range
* Items to choose from: pads, liners, tampons, underwear

♥♥ Food

HarvestBox
* $7.95/box (you choose healthy snacks!)
* to be continued



♥ INTERNATIONAL ♥ (ships to Australia)

♥♥ Beauty

 Look Fantastic
* Based on Britain, free worldwide shipping
* £15/month (~$30AUD), £40/3 months (~$85AUD), £135 (~$287AUD)
*  "Will always contain a minimum of six products"
* Previous items: beauty, makeup, haircare, skincare
* (I've never received this box personally but I think it looks really good! Go look at the past boxes on the website or do some googling!)

Lip Monthly
* Based in the US
* $12.95USD + $8USD shipping (approx $17AUD + $11AUD = $28AUD)
* First bag for 5USD + 8USD shipping (~$18AUD)

♥♥ Asian Beauty

MaskGenie [x]
* Based in Hong Kong
* $22USD/10 masks a month (~$30AUD), $12USD/5 masks a month (~$16AUD)
* Great curation, good shipping time (from HK to Australia is pretty decent!), comes in a cute pouch
* Also has limited edition pouch packs that aren't the monthly subscription
* Everyone gets the same pouch

Beauteque Monthly 
* Based in US / ships from US
* $24USD/month + shipping ($9.95)


These don't have boxes anymore:
* Violet Box
* The Parcel - Girlfriend
* Nature's Beauty Bag (Have moved onto non-box endeavor: Vegan Made Delights)
* Brad's K Beauty Box (If you've purchased from him, click here )
* Splash Box
* Choc Full of Happiness
* It's That Time
* K Beauty By Kirsty
* Empire Box
* Little Fairy Soapery
* Style Story (company still up)

These don't ship to Australia unless you get a US address:
* Ipsy
* Birchbox
* Glossybox
* Memebox

Nature's Beauty Bag Unbagging - Pink! Spoiler & Review

Hi guys!

Long overdue post, sorry!

Nature's beauty bag used to be a subscription service - they are now having one huge one-off finale bag as they are focusing on another part of their business.

It costs $30 and is still available to Australians and New Zealanders in pink or blue for order here.

This is the bag! 

I love how cute and pink it is, as well as the scalloped design =)

Their justification for putting it in this eco bag instead of a box was that it's reuseable - really sticking to their theme there!

The bag is a bit too small to take shopping or whatever though - it's more like a small-medium sized gift bag.

Hoooooooly crap that's a lot of stuff in there.

That furless stiffling brush is worth $17 alone and is amazing quality - so so so SOFT. While I was filming my unboxing (that I can not salvage due to audio issues) I couldn't stop brushing it along my hand because it was the softest thing ever. I'M IN LOVE WITH IT.

What a great balance of makeup, skincare, body and even tea!

Creamy cleanser, Aloe Vera, Hair treatment, eyeshadow, concealer, face scrub, body butter, lip balm, blush, brush, tea and face wipes. This bag is seriously so well-rounded.

And every single item in this box is 100% organic!

Not everyone's nature beauty bags will be exactly the same, but mostly share the same contents.

Either way, there is easily over $150 value here, 

Again, if you're interested,  it's still available for $30 order here. Shipping is free!

Their next business is Vegan Made Delights which focuses on vegan and organic snacks, and you can check out their facebook here.  The lady who runs this business was so nice and replied to me instantly on facebook when I had a query about my bag - truly shows passion and commitment to customer service!

Very impressed with this bag on all counts, completely would recommend to you guys!

Thanks for reading,

Love from pynkbunny ~