Have you seen Bellabox being raved about on Facebook and YouTube, and are interested in trying it? Well now is the perfect time!

Bellabox is offering $5 off your first box until the 26th of October. Normally, it is $15 + $2.95 shipping. This is a great offer for those of you who have wanted to try it, or are looking to purchase a subscription as a gift for someone.

You can check out my YouTube channel to see the Bellabox unboxing videos that I have done in the past. I've been subscribed to Bellabox for over a year now, and I love the surprise each month. It's seriously like opening a birthday present every month! Anyways, you can check out my Bellabox playlist here:


This offer runs out in just a week, so make sure you grab this deal if you're interested! You can either click this link here: http://bit.ly/1PBnJAX , or click on the picture at the start of this post to access it. These are special links, so make sure you use these to save the $5 - their normal link will go to their normal price.

The majority of Quay sunglasses range from $40-$60, depending on the style that you choose, as they have limited edition colours in some styles. The famed 'My Girl' sunglasses with set you back $50. Now, personally speaking, this isn't too bad of a price. Typically, I'm happy to spend anywhere from $10 for my sunglasses, as I am not the most careful with my them and they end up in the bottom of my bag, along with my keys. However, I doubt I'll spend anything more than $100, and even then I would have to be absolutely insane and in love with them. So Quay sits right in the middle of my range, and to me, I think it's fairly priced. The frames are made from either polycarbonate (hard plastic) or nickel-free metal. While I don't advise for you to go around sitting on yours and leaving them on the ground, they're definitely made pretty well. The lenses are 100% UV protection, which is a definite bonus when it comes to fashion sunglasses. So everything in terms of value seems pretty sweet.

The clincher: no refunds. Quay Australia offer no refunds when you directly purchase them from their website, based on change of mind. This proved to be a real pain-in-the-butt for me when I bought a pair of the 'Asha' sunglasses in gold (see below). These looked amazing on pretty much every person I saw with the #QuayAsha tag on Instagram, so I decided to buy them while they were in stock (this colour is popular). Upon opening them once they arrived, everything looked great - except for the sunglasses... on me. The round shape didn't suit my face at all, and I looked like a funky version of Willy Wonka. I digress, but the point of this is that I couldn't return them for my money. Instead, I sold them on eBay, and made all of my money back. I suppose this is a good experience to reflect on, but it could be a real problem for others.


Aside from this, I genuinely do love my Quay sunglasses, and I do think they are worth the hype and the $$$. I currently own a pair of My Girl, and Kosha (see below). Both pairs have been my favourites for the past few weeks, and I've had no issues with them at all. They're comfy, stylish and yet functional in this warmer season. They even came in their own little soft case, so that they can be stored properly.

If you want to see the current range of Quay sunglasses, you can see them in my shop. Click here: www.parsel.me/katrinamaree

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water
125ml
Full size: 400ml for $8.99

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
5g
Full size: 50g for $24.99

Red Earth Lip Nectar in 'Pomegranate'
10g
Full size: 10g for $22.

Again, I wasn't too sure what this product was! The Red Earth Lip Nectar is a lip treatment in a tube, which has a tint of colour. Mine is in the shade 'pomegranate' which is a sheer pink. When I first put this on, I honestly thought it was a lip gloss. It has the same thick, goopy, sticky texture of a lipgloss, and I found it quite hard to spread over the lips. The colour looked really nice, and there appeared to be a gloss for a little while, but it absorbs into the lips after about 5 minutes. While it's awesome that this is a full size product, I honestly don't like it that much. The application was just too sticky, and I don't think it did anything extraordinary to my lips. At $22 a tube, I definitely expected more.


Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E (Bonus item)
5ml
Full size: 250ml for $7.39.

Again, this product hasn't been opened - but that's because I already own it! The Palmer's Cocoa Butter was my bonus product this month, and I think the majority of you would have tried it, so I doubt I need to explain it too much. Essentially, it's a skin butter, which is great for moisturising your skin. It has a distinct cocoa scent (hence the name) and is great during the summer when our skin gets dry in the sun. Like I said, this is pretty much a staple for every house hold - it's definitely worth a try if you haven't ever tried it.


So that was everything in the September Bellabox. I plan on having a proper unboxing uploaded soon, so keep your eyes open!

Despite the fact that I am on Easter holidays from University, I am super busy and haven't had time to do any filming or editing. I received my Bellabox towards the end of March, and haven't had a chance to share it with you yet, so I decided a blog post was better than nothing.

If you'd like to join Bellabox, which is $15 a month + $2.95 shipping, then click here!


This month's Bellabox was surrounded by the concept of highlighters, and featured a Stabilo highlighter. There was a competition for subscribers to enter, by saying what the 'highlight' and why. (i.e. I highlight my smile because it makes me happy".
Personally I wasn't too phased by this collaboration - I'd rather it be a beauty product though.


Inside the box was the a range of mostly sample size products - and also mainly skincare. Again, I would've preferred more beauty products, but cest la vie.


Now I'll focus on the individual products... (sorry the above picture is tiny - click on it for larger text).

>> Colour Theory Eye Pencil in Slate
I've seen this brand at chemists, but I'd never tried it before. The formulation is quite hard and dry, so it isn't very pleasant to use. The colour is nice though.

>> Nivea Daily Face Veil
This interests me, and it's a full size product! I'm yet to try it, as I've been working a lot so I haven't had much time outside. This alone is $10 though, so this is awesome value.

>> Stabilo Highlighter
Eh. It's a highlighter. I guess it's a plus that it's a good brand, but it's nothing special. You also cannot purchase these individually, or in Australia, so it was hard to find a value for it.

>> Bioderma Sebuium Pore Refiner
This actually came at a good time, because the pores around my nose are looking a little crater-ish. This brand is expensive too, in my opinion, so I was happy to see a decent sized sample. The formulation is quite light and gel-ish, and smells lovely. I think this will be a winner!

>> Palmers Skin Perfecting Cream
In contrast to the Bioderma product, this cream is quite thick. I'm not a big fan of thick moisturisers, so I'm a little adamant to try this. It has the typical Palmers smell to it, and soaked into the skin on my hand quite quickly.

>> Kerastase Reconstructing Shampoo
I haven't tried this yet, and I think I'll only get one use out of it. Again, it's nice to see an expensive brand here, but I don't know how it will go with my thick, coloured hair.

>> Revlon PhotoReady Foundation
Hallelujah, it's in the right colour, lol. That was pure luck. I have sampled this before, and I found it a little too shimmery for my taste, but hey, I'll give it another go I guess. I think this will be a single use sachet as well.


Overall, March turned out to be a pretty good box. Nothing extraordinary, but nothing off-putting. I guess I'm just comparing it too much to my previous, amazing ones (like the February one).

Let me know what you thought of your Bellabox, and again, if you'd like to join Bellabox, then click here!

Last month I was given the opportunity to try out the new Proactiv+ System, and given that many of my viewers always ask for advice on blemish control, I figured I would trial this system and give my honest thoughts.

What is Proactiv+

Proactiv+ is an all-new 3-Step System which focusses on advanced blemish control solution with added blemish-fighting ingredients, built-in hydration and a new, smart way to clear breakouts. This completely reformulated system was designed to promote smaller pores, clear skin and a radiant complexion.

How is it different from other systems

Taken directly from Proactiv's website.
This SMART TARGET^TM  technology is found in Step 2, Pore Targeting Solution.

What comes in the system

Step One: Skin Smoothing Exfoliator

Smoothes away excess oil, dirt and other impurities with your daily cleanser.

This was my least favourite of the system. I found that it was too coarse and rough on my skin, especially when using the system morning and night every day. I also found it a little messy, which made it a little impleasant to use. The formulation was very gritty, which caused it to crumble when applying.


Step Two: Pore Targeting Solution

Fights the blemish deep in the pore.

I definitely felt this one working. It tightened my pores after the exfoliator, and gave my face a very taught feeling. The consistency was quite slimy, but very easy to use and apply. It only took a minute or so to soak into the skin.



Step Three: Complexion Perfecting Hydrator

Soothes redness, brighten tone and help to reduce the look of post-acne marks without clogging pores with your daily hydrator.

This was my favourite. It was super moisturising, but it wasn't heavy or thick on the skin. My skin had a nice glow after application, and throughout the day I didn't notice any excess oil around my nose or forehead (which normally happens when I use moisturisers).

Results

Contrary to how much I liked some of the products in the system, my skin certainly did not.

After my very first use of the complete system, I noticed the next day minor bumps were on the surface of my skin - particularly on my cheeks and nose. They didn't have any colour yet, and were extremely small. The next day after that, they had a faint, red tinge to them. I had never gotten blemishes in this area before, so this was surprising.

Shortly after this, large bumps started showing under the skin on my chin. Then, again, the next day they turned red and sore. This is a picture of the blemishes THREE weeks into using the system - these started showing in week one.



The Proactiv+ system definitely did not work with my skin, so my opinion of this is: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

However, if you do have troubled skin, I do think it will work well in bringing impurities and blemishes out from under the skin. In my case, my skin was clear on the surface, so it was disheartening to see a product create these blemishes - and I will not be using this product anymore.


Proactiv+ is a trademark of Guthy-Renker LLC.

About a week ago I had this Arbonne  Mineral Powder Foundation pop up in my mail to try. Personally, I hadn't heard much about this product, so I was both excited and weary.

I've always been a lover of mineral foundations - especially Avon's Smooth Minerals Foundation. I love how it gives you natural coverage, but not too much to the point where it looks like makeup. I particularly love wearing these for my everyday routine because they're quick, easy and faultless.

So Arbonne's product had a lot to live up to for me.

Here are some specifications about the product:
Brand: Arbonne
Price: $42.00
Features:
- Complete with broad spectrum SPF 15 sunscreen for global skin protection.
- True-to-skin shade range matches all skin tones.
- Optilight Technology gives the immediate appearance of smoother skin, and botanical ingredients balance and boost complexion through hydration.
- Customized fabric mesh sifter works with the brush and formula for a seamless, mess-free application.
- Vegan formula, non-comedogenic and dermatologist-tested.
Contains:
- Linseed extract, a superior moisturiser, helps balance skin’s appearance by restoring suppleness and
controlling oiliness.
- Rice lipids promote hydration and maintain skin’s healthy glow.
- Ribose promotes radiance of skin complexion.



The following are some pictures of my face before and after the product.
I did not use a primer like they recommended, as I never have with mineral foundations before and I personally don't like them.


The verdict:
Yes! This product is lovely and provides such a nice, natural coverage. It is definitely a lighter coverage than my Avon Smooth Minerals, and the finish is much more matte rather than a satin.

I'd recommend this for those who are busy and on the go, and possibly even students at school.

You can find this cheaper on eBay, but as listed on Arbonne's site it retails for $42.00.

More information: https://www.arbonne.com/shop_online/showitem.asp?ProductId=6603&menuId=151&withLinks=1

I seem to get a lot of questions on my social media about my hair and how it's coloured, so I figured I'd put a video out explaining everything.

The place that I get my coloured is called Hairology, and it's based in Broadmeadow in Newcastle. If you're from this area, I totally recommend Jill - her work is amazing and her prices are very reasonable. I normally get charged $130 for cut, colour and half-head foils.

I asked Jill what colours she puts in my hair, in case you aren't from the area, and the colours she uses are:
4FV (Violet)
5RM (Mahogany)
She combines these two to get the red/purpleish colour in my hair.
The foils are just done with bleach, and she starts just above my ear.





Everything is in more detail in the video, so check it out if you want more information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfAGocHSGyA

Hairology's address:
Broadmeadow Shopping Centre
Shop 12, 7A Griffiths Road,BroadmeadowNSW 2292

Phone: (02) 4969 7580