Advertorial
Do you remember the little black bags of mystery sold at mama shops* when we were in primary school? After school, you’d make your way to the mama shop near your school or tuition centre (you would avoid the one near your house in case the auntie knows your mum and rat on you) and pay S$1 - $2 for a little bag filled with surprises.
*mama shops = small independent stalls that sell snacks, drinks, bread, mostly grab-and-go products, in a neighorhood estate
Ah, if your year of birth starts with a 2 you probably wouldn’t understand the simple joys of the pre-digital-everything era. TOO BAD. Bahahaha!
Sometimes I would get absolute nonsense in my mystery bag, I had Dragon Ball cards or unrecognizable character cards, plastic helicopter pieces that I had to build myself, or a random bell. Well, they were nonsense to me so I would bring them to school and trade with friends. We all knew the essence of 'One man's treasure is another man's trash' and practised the sacred act of barter trade from a young age.
Even then, there was/is something fascinating about a parcel that incites a bit of thrill and makes even the most mundane of odds and ends seem magical.
Of course, besides the pure exhilaration from opening my bag of mystery, there were many things that kept me going back as often as my puny pocket money could afford. I had toys, chocolate, doll clothes (imagine a boy getting this HAHAHA!), stickers, comb, hair clips… Ah, childhood. =)
While I have outgrown my mystery bag phase long ago, the memories of discovering the wonders of a mystery package remains.
What Vanity Trove has effectively done is hunt down a treasure trove of skincare and makeup goodies and other lifestyle products and send it to your doorstep at a great price.
With Vanity Trove you get to discover new products for priming and prepping without having to commit to buying a full-sized item onset. Each trove presents a good variety of products, from health to skincare to MAKEUP!!! Woohooo!!
Fresh New You - Jan 2013
No matter how long I've been (and will be!) a beauty blogger, I always derive pure gaiety from receiving makeup products. Imagine receiving a full-sized Essence Bronzing Powder in my January Vanity Trove! I like that it has various shades of bronze so that you get a more natural gradient of hues, and a small section of a highlighter which I can use for targeted highlighting.
My favorites from January:
The Dr. Ci:Labo Aqua-Collagen-Gel, which I applied before makeup, feels light on the skin and absorbs quickly into the skin.
The Slim Secret Snack Bar was such a surprise! I wouldn't have gone near a 'healthy' snack bar because 'healthy' is often associated with bland and boring, but this was GOOODDD!! It made a meal but didn't make me feel too bloated. Great for a pre-dinner before dance class, so that I don't dance on a full stomach. Full dinner comes after class. Haha!
Get yours here! >> January 2013 Vanity Trove
To Beautiful You - Feb 2013
I couldn't make it for the pureDKNY a drop of rose event held in January, so I'm glad to have a sample of that to try in my Feb box! I usually don't fancy fragrances, but having this in my Vanity Trove gave me a readily accessible opportunity to discover just how pretty it smells!
My favorites from February:
The Love More French Caviar Anti Wrinkle & Firming Mask was such a treat! Luxury on my face! It didn't feel heavy on my skin yet gave it maximum moisturization. But of course, it's the number 1 selling mask in Taiwan! I don't use sheet masks often so I'm glad I got a chance to try one in my February box.
Here's a drop of the Skin79 BB Cream. Honestly, I was quite shocked when I first applied it coz it looked really ashy! @_@ But the wonderful thing with BB Creams is that they adjust to your skintone and stay on like second skin. The Skin79 BB Cream would be great for NC15-35, I guess. Any tone out of this range might experience some disparity between the BB cream and their skin tone.
Get yours here! >> February 2013 Vanity Trove
Best of 2012 Vanity Trove
In the 'Best of 2012' box were plenty of samples from Ujene and belief. What obviously stood out were the full-sized DrGL. Collagen Essence, Ujene Eye Gel and Beauty Clinic Mediheal Ampoule Mask.
Ampoules contain higher concentration of active ingredients and provide skin regulation like sebum and oil-control, and extra moisturization. They usually come in vials and do not last beyond 3 days. That's why I thought it's a great idea to incorporate an ampoule into a sheet mask concept - Beauty Clinic Mediheal - so people can conveniently bring these sheets around without having to fret over where to store individual vials of ampoules.
I've been using the Ujene Eye Gel religiously every night and I like that it's not at all oily or heavy on the lid. You can see in the picture below that's it's a clear gel.
It is a bit sticky for about 30 seconds, but I think it's actually excellent that there's a window of opportunity for me to paste an eyeliner sticker on my left lid which tends to become shorter when I don't get enough sleep. Hahaha! You should try! Those 30 seconds are really precious and important coz the lid then conforms really easily to your maneuvering.
Red Carpet - March 2013
These surprise boxes are addictive, I tell ya! The moment I received Vanity Trove March 2013 edition, it took everything I had to resist opening it and rummaging through the heap of goodies.
But you become this much more tolerant to temptation when you become a beauty blogger - your self-regulation to inhibit impulses heightens. It’s a badge of honor. Oh, what am I talking about? I give in to temptation ALL.THE.TIME. Bahahaha!
Let’s get on with March’s temptations then!
Eye bags galore! =@_@= (Me, I mean. Not Lee Hyori, brand ambassador of Clio. Lol.)
My March favorites:
With all the crazy hours spent in front of the computer and lack of sleep, I've really got to pamper my eyes! What caught my eye in the March Vanity Trove was the BelleWave EyeWave Visionary ATP Cell Activating Serum, which works to reinvigorate the fragile skin around the eye from accumulations of environmental wreckage.
And... should I be embarrassed to say I've never tried a My Beauty Diary mask in my life despite all the raving? Lol! I don't know why I never got around to trying them, but my March Vanity Trove gave me the chance. My Beauty Diary Bulgarian White Rose Mask, sounds yummy enough already, was a nice pick-me-up after a day out especially with such a beautiful scent. There was so much serum packed in it I could use the rest on my neck and decollete.
Most interesting in the March edition is the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Compact, a 'lightweight creme formula that promises a dewy and natural finishing'. And it comes in Nude! My shade!
Get yours here! >> March 2013 Vanity Trove
Did you know the little Vanity book that comes with every box is a treasure trove of makeup and beauty tips, recommendations, descriptions on the products included in the box, features of bloggers, and MORE? Kudos to the team behind the editorial and design of this mini magazine!
If I had the time, I would glue them together and stack them to create a mini beauty cabinet. 😀
For SGD25.00, you get to try all these luxurious beauty samples in a perfectly packaged Vanity Trove box!
Do you know anyone whose day doesn’t get better right away when they receive a package at the door? No, right? Everyone loves a good surprise, even if it’s something from yourself. It always brings a big smile to my face whenever I receive a package, regardless of whether it was something I ordered for myself or from a company.
Bet you had a good laugh watching the Christmas episode of Mr Bean sending Christmas cards to himself and then coming home to find a stack of those and feeling absolutely loved and ecastatic. BAHAHA!
Quickly sign up now before 14 April and quote Bunbunmakeuptips to enjoy a Laura Mercier compact powder for May's trove!
>> Spring Update: April Vanity Trove <<
