Bella Box March, April, May 2012 and a Peek at Bella Box June 2012

I have been playing blog catch-up for quite a while now and only just managed to take photos of these subscription box goodies. Here are my thoughts on the Bella Boxes that were sent to me over the past three months.

March 2012: Get Ready to Glow

This box contained:

• A’kin Hand, Nail and Cuticle Crème with lavender, geranium and jojoba (30 ml) – I haven’t tried this but I intend to give it to my mother whose skin has become more sensitive of late. I’m hoping its natural slant works for her.

• Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee Eye and Lip Cream (7 ml) – The brand claims that this product ‘instantly reduces the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles, lightens dark circles, decongests puffiness, and protects from free radicals’, though I feel these are ambitious bao ka liao (everything included) promises! I’ve used it a few times and I’ll say that it reminds me of MAC Fast Response Eye Cream in texture (smooth, almost silicone-y) and like the latter, it also has a slight depuffing effect. I do like it because it feels pretty light yet hydrates the skin around my eyes.

• Dermalogica Overnight Repair Serum (sample sachet)

• Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel (30 ml) – This contains mint and lavender but it does have a sour whiff, I’m not sure why. It’s a no-bells-and-whistles cleanser that I use on days when I’ve no makeup on. It cleans adequately.

• L’Egere White Multi BB Cream (10 g) – I’ve tried this before and like it a lot. Somehow, it makes my skin look glowy.

• Royal Cosmetics Royal Herb EX Cream (sample pot) – Reminiscent of La Prairie Cellular Radiance, this tiny ‘pot of gold’ contains gold flakes that purportedly firms the skin. I haven’t tried it but will probably let my mum give it a go.

This box had mostly skincare but it’s a nice mix, considering that there’s a hand cream in it and a BB cream. The eye cream is a very generous deluxe sample – the actual product weighs 0.5 oz/15 ml and retails at S$62!

April 2012: Flawless Beauty

This box contained:

• Enavose H2Osis Black Tea Quench Mask (15ml) – This mask contains kombucha (sweet black tea), which is apparently all the rage now for its detoxing properties. In skincare, it purportedly improves skin elasticity. It’s next on my masking list!

• China Glaze Metallic Crackle Glaze in Tarnished Gold (14 ml; full-sized)

• Ahava All in One Toning Cleanser (30 ml) – This non-rinse cleanser just requires a wipe-off with a cotton pad. My skin doesn’t feel stripped after use but it does have a tightening effect.

• Annick Goutal Les Soliflores La Violette fragrance vial (1.75 ml)

• Kinohitmitsu Kinohimitsu J’pan BB Drink  (2 x 50 ml) – I am not fond of health drinks, plus I’m breastfeeding, so I gave these to my mum-in-law who’s open to trying them.

More skincare items in this box…and a nice makeup inclusion in the form of the full-sized polish. I haven’t sniffed the Annick Goutal but it’s a nice inclusion too, given the fact that it’s a high-end fragrance brand. I was disappointed by the drinks, though – they made the box feel deliciously heavy but I’m ho-hum about such supplements.

May 2012: Pamper Yourself, Pamper Your Mum!

This box contained:

• Dirty Works All of a Lather Body Wash and the Bare Necessity Body Lotion (100 ml) – A lotion in a refreshing scent. This brand reminds me of Soap & Glory with its retro graphics.

• Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Gold Ultra Restorative Capsules (2 capsules) + S$20 Elizabeth Arden voucher – I haven’t tried Elizabeth’s Arden’s best-selling skin capsules (I know, where’ve I been, right?), so this was a nice sample for me. The capsules are formulated with ‘CLX Complex…to boost the restorative power of essential lipids & ceramides to visibly improve tone & clarity, as well as support the skin’s own collagen levels’. Sounds good!

• Enavose Cellogist Youth Guard Cream (10 ml) – An anti-ageing cream that promises cell renewal, it also contains antioxidant sources from rice, pomegranate and resveratrol. I didn’t manage to take a photo of it but I’m particularly impressed that the deluxe-sized sample is well designed with a secure pump mechanism. I’ve been using it in tandem with Lancôme Génifique – no definite results yet but I’ll wait and see.

• Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment (10 ml) – A reader of mine loves this hair oil, so I’m looking forward to trying this out.

• Sally Hansen Hard as Nails (13.3 ml, full-sized)

To change things up, this month’s products are in an eco-bag. I like the boxes well enough (they’re great for beauty storage) but it’s nice to have a bag for other purposes. The body lotion is a generous size and I’m actually pretty pleased that there’s a hair oil in the box, a nice change from the skincare/bath & body/makeup/nail products that I’ve seen thus far. The S$20 voucher (with a minimum expenditure of S$100) is a good treat too for fans of Elizabeth Arden. This month’s full-sized item is the nail treatment, a touch boring but functional, nonetheless.

Here’s a peek at the June 2012 Bella Box: Summer Upgrade, skincare galore by way of the L’Oréal group – the boxes will have a mix of products from Biotherm, Kiehl’s, Lancôme and Shu Uemura.

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So far, the Bella Box offerings have been pretty substantial and would make nice sampling treats, especially for skincare enthusiasts. The brands are reputable and the boxes do surprise with the occasional makeup treat. I still think one runs the risk of receiving duds but that’s the nature of such chance boxes. I would love to have a beauty blogger make her own coffer, much like Paris B’s hypothetical subscription box; I think they’d be sold out in a flash! ;)

Image source: Bella Box Singapore