Hi everyone,

It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged. My computer has been on a world tour for 9 months to get fixed and when it came back it still wasn’t. My boyfriend fixed the last bits and now it’s working like a charm.

I did upload on Twitter occasionally so some of you who’ve been following me there will remember some of the pictures.

You will see me tell all about this makeup very soon: 

I will tell you all about a couple of makeup looks I’ve worn in the last 8 months like: 

I still love the unwearable makeup looks, and my friend Nic loves being my model… so coming soon will be the explanation to this look: 

But the first post will be all about the Dutch answer to the Birchbox. Truly yours… http://www.trulyyours.nl/

This box is like a magazine subscription, but you don’t get a magazine, you get a monthly box of 5 deluxe beauty samples.

You pay €10 and €2,95 in shipping per box if you take the monthly subscription which you can cancel every month. You can do a gift subscription for 3 months for €34,95 (like I did because I wanted to check it out before actually commiting for a year), or year subscription for €129,95.

You get points and if you have enough points (minimum of 100) you get a discount of €10 on products, gifts or discounts. How do you get these points? Well, it’s easy you either

• month (10 points) or year (50 points) subscription;
• give your opinion (5 points per form) on products on their site;
• you buy from their webshop (5 points per €10)

Now onto the first ever Truly Yours box. January 2012.
You get a beautyful box (with a bow, so cute) .

When you open the box there’s black tissue paper that’s hold closed with a black sticker (come on truly yours, you can have a sticker that’s blue with a bow on it to close the tissue paper!!).
There’s also a beautiful card that congratulates you on getting this box. Oddly enough I’m Dutch and I write a website in English, but that’s because I started blogging by accident on a forum type website and most of my visiters from there went with me here so I kept writing in English. The website is all English, never has a blogpost been written in Dutch. So I was annoyed with the fact that they’re mixing Dutch and English in the note. I know it’s “hip” to make everything American nowadays, but truly yours; you’re Dutch, so if writing a card, be Dutch and don’t throw in “slang” American words. It also congratulates you on the products your getting…. why??? I “bought” them, you sent them (even though I didn’t know what I was getting, I still paid for them) so why congratulate me? Maybe that’s just me and they’re just being very nice.

If you flip the card (so you ignore the English: unwrap! order at the end of the card) you can already read what’s in this box (so if you want to regift it because nothing in the box suits you, don’t open the black sticker on the tissue paper and just close the lid again).

Accidentally, the inside of the box is very pretty aswell with the bows and everything. Sooo cute and I’m keeping this box and I’ll store something in it. Sooo nice and classicly looking, love it! Another funny thing is that once you open the box you get a whiff of this amazing smell (which is the Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar).

In this first box are the next 5 items:

1. Love, Chloé (5ml) (A full size 50 ml costs: €76)
   A beautyful tester (the shape of the tester bottle is a miniature of the larger version). Do wear this for a while because the fragrance develops slowly and will smell differently 10 minutes and 20 minutes after you wear it.  Remember never to rub your skin immediately after applying the fragrance, because you’ll “break” the scents before they develop, so no rubbing of the wrists to get it on both wrists, apply to both, behind the ears, between the breasts, and if wearing a skirt behind the knees.
   It starts smelling extremely fresh and then after 10 minutes the roses come out and 10 minutes after that the slightly powdery breeze develops. It’s not an “old person” powdery smell though, it’s keeps a hint of freshness. It’s a sophisticated smell even for a young person because it’s light enough but doesn’t scream at you. It’s a comphortable daysmell for the working women and a great date smell for the younger twenty year olds who usually for a airy breezy smell like Davidoff Cool Water Woman. This smell is intimate and classic feminine, but fresh and feels smart because of the layers and the rose that stays with you throughout the day.
   
2. Gamila Secret Cleansing Bar (Lavender Heaven mini (€9,95 for 30 gr.) (full size 115 gr €22,95)
   According to the card it’s a soap that isn’t a soap. It’s a cleansing bar based on olive oil and herbs. It got a creamy foam and calms and softens your skin. Ideal for the face. But then it stated that you should slowly build the use of this product which scares me because that means it can cause a reaction…. which is never something a woman wants….
   The back of the box then says it’s suitable for your face, body and intimate parts…. then why warn me about slowly building it up truly yours…. I’m not washing my intimate parts with something I have to let my body get used to…. I feel like throwing away this bar of soap right now (I won’t, because I’m testing it in a minute for you guys, but still ARGH!!)
   100% Natural Product (okay that soothes me somewhat).
   The 100% natural ingredients have a healing effect within 28 days (I’m not sure this bar will live to 28 days everyone!!!). More then 80% Vergine olive oil.
   These cleansing bars are the essential basis for your personal skincare. The rich texture penetrates deeply to improve the health of your skin and restore it’s beauty, making it softer, shinier and more elestic. All varieties have the same unique healing capacities. In addition to this, they are suitable for treatment of a multitude of skin ailments (wondering about the truly yours warning again!!)
   To achieve the best results: Activate the cleansing bar with warm water. Rub the bar directly over your face and body. Massage the creamy emulsion into the skin thoroughly. Leave it to penetrate the skin for 15 seconds. Rince off with water.
   100% Natural skin cae products that inprove the health of your skin to restore it’s beauty. All Gamila Secret products contain the healing powers of a unique blend of 15 different herbs.
   It states it’s suitable for use on sensitive skin. Dermalogically tested. No artificial perfumes, preservatives or colouring added.
   The lavender heaven is a sweet, fresh scent for sky skin. (I always thought my nose needed a scent, not my skin… )
   Website: www.gamilasecret.com
   Handmade in Galilee 

   Okay, I’m ready to test…. Owww the things I do for you guys….
   Sooo, I “activated” the bar with warm water and rubbed it directly over my face. Damn this is a slippery bar and it’s a rectanglular shape which means it’s got corners and it’s not round like my face is…. oww this is not pleasant!! Why not froth it up and massage with fingers?? Still following the instructions like a good girl. What’s next… massage in thoroughly…. owww now I can use my fingers…. good… well, it’s nice…. it’s not special or anything, it’s mainly the smell that makes it nice (for my nose ). Leaving it to penetrate the skin for 15 seconds and rincing with warm water…. well… my skin feels dry! and like it’s a size too small for my face. Okay, mum, you’re getting this bar of soap, it’s drying out my skin. I’m going back my shu uemura cleansing oil. Owww and it’s itching now too…. not good not good…. hating this soap. Where is my bio oil to releave this itching because of dryness….. Not something I’d recommend using this. But then again, not all skins are the same, it might work for you…. not for me though.

   Edit: I did end up using this for three days straight just to give it a chance, it doesn’t work on my skin, it even made my skin flake so not for my skin.

    

3. MaroccanOil Treatment (25 ml for €14,95) (full size 100 ml €39,90)
   This is an argan oil hair treatment. You guys know I love the Macadamia Nut Oil products because they feed my hair and scalp but don’t make it oily and that also contains Argan Oil. Well MaroccanOil contains Argan oil as well. MaroccanOil is a huge international hit and I’m very happy so find this in my truly yours box. I put it in my clean hair this morning and well to be honest I don’t love it as much as I expected. Also it did make my hair shiney, but it didn’t do what my Macadamia Nut Oil does… we’ll see after I wash my hair if it’s changed my hair in any way. It’s one of those don’t use too much or you’ll ruin it products, so when trying this, start with a peasized amount of product, it’s better to add a little at a time, because you can’t take it out without washing your hair.
   Edit: I did use it longer, it made my hair look and feel oily so I’m staying with the Macadamia Nut Oil.
4. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant (Limited Edition Red Door Tin) (buy in 3,7 gr. stick for €22,71)
   I LOVE Eight hour cream. I always have one spare for when I run out and I use it for burns, cuts, lips, skin damage, everything. I’ve been contemplating buying this tin for a long time but I don’t have the money at the moment so I chose not to, and it came to me anyway (add dramatic music ).
   This cream is a miracle, a savior, a perfect addition to this first truly yours box.
5. Make Up Store Eyedust (full size colour Moist) (€14,50 for a full size 1,2 gr.)
   This brand is Scandinavian. I’ll try this jar on a makeup look that I’ll post very soon. You do have to be carefull when opening the jar though, because it spills easily when popping open the cap. The colour is gorgeous but as with all pigments, you have to be wary for fallout so I’ll tell you all about it once I’ve tried this.

All in all the first Truly Yours box has been a pleasant suprise. I was afraid of getting Dutch brands and that’s not what I got (thankfully). My personal favourite is the Eight Hour Cream.
I would totally recommend getting this box as a gift for a makeup junkie or for yourself if you love makeup. The great thing about these kinds of boxes is that you usually get products that you’ve wanted to try but never actually did because the price of a full size is so high or because you have to choose and then you choose the one you know. This way you can branch out and get out of your comfort zone and it will not break the bank. If you like it you can get the full size, if not, well, you give it to a friend or even toss it if it’s really bad.

The box itself is sooo pretty (I know, I’m repeating myself, but I do love it so).

Good investment, I’m already waiting for the next box to come in a month.