Another month, another Sample Bar Glam Box. After the improvements in last month’s box I was excited to see what this month’s would include and I wasn’t disappointed! I was also pleasantly surprised to receive my box before a lot of other New Zealander’s as the other times I have always got mine at the last moment. Here’s what was included this month in a box themed towards a night out with products that are supposed to help with a day full of work and then night life.
1. Ulta3 Nail Polish in the shade Honolulu (Full Size 13.5mL): I was excited to see a nail polish included being a self-confessed nail polish addict (as well as being happy to see a brand I haven’t come across here in NZ) however was a little dubious as I don’t think I have worn yellow nail polish very much, if ever. This shade is a bright sunny yellow that is sheer on the first coat but two would suffice for even coverage. I was happy with the quick drying formula and surprised with how much I like the colour. Also, this colour is PERFECTION for summer! There were a variety of shades in everyone’s boxes so I am excited to see what everyone else got! Price: $4.99 (these are all the prices to buy on samplebar)
2. Instant Le Tan in Le Can (Full Size 45mL): This was one product that I thought although a nice one to try was a little repetitive after the bronzer gel that was in last months box. For someone who doesn’t really use fake tans very often I’ll have to work hard to make sure I use up both of these products. Otherwise this product seems like an easy to apply quick tanning option that may come in handy and has a lovely smell of vanilla (I LOVE vanilla scents!). Price: $11.00
3. Show Stoppers Fashion Tape (2 nude strips): I didn’t really get what these were, being a little dim at times, but these are two double sided tapes that can be used with slightly daring or dangerous clothing to keep certain bits and bobs contained haha. Although this is a problem I don’t come across very often being a stay at home 21 yr old nanna and not having much “up there” to keep contained this does sound like it could come in handy on a rare night out. Price: $19.95 for a 24 strip pack (nude and black available).
4. So Susan Fairy Lash Mascara (Full Size): This was my absolute favorite this month as I love to try new mascaras and was glad for a full size. This month there were 4 potential So Susan products so I am looking forward to seeing what other people got and their opinions on them. I tried this mascara straight away and loved it! Firstly I think the packaging and the name is cute which always helps haha. This mascara gave my pathetic lashes volume AND length which made me very happy as I have difficulty finding a mascara that does this for me. I was very impressed 
The one downside was that during application I got mascara on my top lid which I don’t normally do. This might just be me finding the brush a little hard to use or maybe the formula was a little wet to start off with but after a little practice I got the hang of it. Price: Ranges from $15.99-$38.50 for the various makeup products but I don’t know how much the mascara specifically is 
5. Scarlett and Greene’s Skincare Range (3 sample sachet’s): So this is a little booklet with three small sample sachets of their skincare products (probably only enough for one use). I don’t know if everyone got the same samples but I got the Come Clean cleanser and makeup remover, the Bare All breakout control wash and the Under Cover natural moisturizer with SPF15. I haven’t tried any of these yet but I like that the cleanser is soap free as I have sensitive skin, I like the natural oils and extracts that are in each product and I like the SPF in the moisturizer. All are made for young skin and are New Zealand made. I’ve never heard of this range but would be interested in purchasing the full size moisturizer and cleanser (I don’t get breakouts so the Bare All product isn’t really useful for me). Overall I like the little booklet with a few samples but sachet samples do annoy me a little as one use is never really enough to judge a product. Price: Full size products are between $28.95 and $30.99 which seems pretty expensive compared to my usual skin care products.
(thought I would include a picture of the booklet because I thought it was a cute idea)
So there are the products in this month box. I keep trying to decide whether I think it is better than last month’s and I think I would have to say it’s better for me personally but it isn’t a big difference at all. I’m excited to see what comes next month!
Let me know what you thought if you received a box this month
Xx
On a last minute decision Edd and I stopped at the rather giant makeup and fragrance sale that was happening last week out at Greenlane. Here is the OPI table. I was a little overwhelmed whilst simultaneously being in a nail polish hoarder’s paradise. I was also very happy to go around guiding Edd in a few Christmas presents for myself haha. I impressed myself with self-control when surrounded with discounted nail polish and makeup but still walked away with a fair few goodies to put under the Christmas tree.
And speaking of Christmas trees here is the biggest one I have seen around Auckland. This one lives at Sylvia Park which was a mall of madness when trying to Christmas shop. Will be sticking to St Lukes from now on I think.
First up is another huge favorite on the internet, Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. This is one of my favorites and the reason why I don’t bother with lemony flutter. This cuticle balm (not a cream as in the name, much more of a solid oil based product) is moisturizing without being overly greasy and I love the scent! It smells like fresh lemon juice, subtle and citrusy. This is a handbag staple for me. Also a little goes a long way so despite the slightly higher price tag compared to the others I think the value is still pretty good. My only negative for this product is the lid can be a pain in the ass to get off and sometimes it is hard to get enough product on your finger to rub on the cuticles.
Orly’s Cuticle Oil is another product I would repurchase as soon as it runs out. This is what I tend to use when I am doing nails at home or putting oil on near all my nail polish stuff as it’s not so easy to carry around in a bag. This is just a liquid oil which has a brush like any of their other nail care products, making application very easy and hassle-free. I love the smell of this, a soft and sweet citrus scent! And its great for massaging into the nails and cuticles, providing quite long lasting moisture. I believe this retails for around $9 at places like Farmers which I think is quite reasonable as I have had this for ages and use it all the time but it is still half full.
Badger Cuticle Care Balm: This is a similar product to the Burt’s Bee’s in that it is an oily formula in a tin that is easy to chuck in the handbag. The differences for me are that this product is a little less solid and more oily which means I feel it moisturizes better but also is greasier so I tend not to use when on the go/in a rush. It is a lot easier to get product out as it is a slightly softer texture. I love this brand as all their balms are full of organic ingredients! Keep an eye out for one of their products coming up in November favorites! I would rate this above Burt’s Bees purely because it is cheaper and yet bigger in size. Also I think I slightly prefer the smell (a fresh, lemongrass scent) however it is a lot stronger so maybe not so great for those sensitive to strong smells. Definitely recommend giving this or any of their other products a try.
Last up is the newest addition to my cuticle care range: Sally Hansen Cuticle Cream. I picked this up as it was only $8 from the local postie plus. This is definitely a cream, not a balm and I like that it isn’t to greasy and feels quite moisturizing. The smell is pleasant and not too strong and there are lots of oils and what nots to keep the nails healthy.However, of all 4 this is my least favorite and the only one I probably wouldn’t bother getting again. Firstly this was pretty much the contents of the pot when I opened the packaging and to me that is a pretty pathetic amount of cream (whereas the Lemony Flutter cream despite being expensive has a lot more product and would last a lot longer). Its possible I got a dud but who knows. Secondly I prefer some of the other organic products over this as they feel better on my skin in the long term whereas the moisturizing qualities of this wear off pretty quickly. Lastly…well I probably have enough products and don’t need one that I don’t think is quite up to the standards of the other three (might save up for Lush instead). Not a bad product, just not a favorite.
