Unboxing ETC x Saladbox - Vamp It Up! (October 2016 Saladbox)

my Vamp It Up loot - love it <3

Last October, Saladbox partnered with ETC to create a beauty box inspired by the famous “The Vampire Diaries.” This special box will feature a variety of beauty and lifestyle products that will gave you vampy vibes a la Elena Gilbert. "Think sexy red lipsticks and plum eyeshadows!" they said.

Ok, I'm listening. Haha. If you haven't heard of them yet, Saladbox is a beauty box service that will allow you to try and discover new items for just a fraction of the cost. They currently have 3 subscription plans available if you wanted to try: Starter Plus (3-months), Six-Month Prepaid and One-Year (VIP) plan. Click here if you want to learn more about their subscription plans.

The Box Aesthetics

"Sink Your Teeth, One Last Time"

This box arrived at my doorstep by the second week of November, too late for the Halloween parties. Oh well. Anyway, I really like the black and red color scheme. It is beautiful and looks mysterious, perfect for the theme they're going for. I just wish they made this with a stronger material instead of thin cardboard. The box is quite flimsy and as you can see, I have already torn some corners off with regular handling. This doesn't have the outer shell like last month's Saladbox but I really don't mind. The items inside are in good condition, nothing broken, crushed or spilled.

What's Inside

greeting card from ETC 

The Salvatore brothers will greet you when you first open the box. So far, this is the heaviest box I've ever received. No wonder because this box was packed full of goodies! Let's check each item out, shall we?

1. Mary Kay Makeup Samples

Mary Kay Creme lipstick in Red and Mary Kay Mineral Eyeshadow
in Sweet Plum and Honey Spice. Got this Mary Kay catalog too

I got two samples of the Mary Kay Creme Lipstick in Red and two samples each of the Mary Kay Mineral Eyeshadow in Sweet Plum and Honey Spice. Mary Kay Cosmetics is a global name in makeup, skin care and body care. I think it's safe to assume everybody knows or at least have heard about Mary Kay, right?

Mary Kay Creme Lipstick in Red

I have already tried and bought a few Mary Kay lipsticks in the past (I swear by Toffee - a very wearable brown shade) but I haven't tried Red yet. Let's see.

pic taken indoors under led lamp

This Red is a deep blue-red shade. I get why this is included in the Vamp it Up box. It looks like I just bitten and drank the blood of my enemies. I gravitate towards the nudes and browns for my everyday lippie choice so I won't wear this during daytime but this is perfect for an evening dinner when you want to glam up.

The sample is for a one-time use only but the lipstick is very pigmented, I haven't even used half! It has a good cream formulation. It's not drying and doesn't feel oily at all. I can feel it sitting on my lips but it's comfortable and lightweight enough and doesn't feel heavy. Since this is a cream lipstick, an expected downside is it doesn't last as long like its matte counterparts. You need to retouch about every 4 hours or whenever you eat or drink something. It is also not smudge-proof and transfers a lot so you have to be careful.

Mary Kay Mineral Eyeshadow (Sweet Plum and Honey Spice)

From Mary Kay PH: "A luminous, easy to blend powder that provides natural
looking, stay true color and long lasting coverage." 330PHP for the full size

First pic taken indoors with led lamp lighting
Second pic taken outdoors around noon time

These mineral eyeshadows both have shimmers in them and are quite pigmented. I just swiped once to get the swatches above. The first two are done using my fingers while the last two near my wrist are done using a foam applicator brush. In my opinion, the swatches (especially the plum) look different than on the sample. However, that could be because of my skin's overtones/undertones. Generally, I don't bother with eyeshadows because I have monolids but these colors look like something I can work with.

Check out  Mary Kay PH: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Website

2. Aloe Derma’s Pure Aloe Vera Gel (5g sample)

Product description: "Provides soothing natural relief when applied to dry skin and irritations such as
sunburn, burns, cuts and wounds. Protects your skin against pollution and other environmental hazards.
Works naturally by moisturizing and providing essential nutrients to the skin."

I got two free samples of this with my last Glamourbox purchase so I have already tried this item. I don't mind getting another sample because this is a wonderful product. Aloe Derma claims this is 99% organic aloe vera juice and if that's the case, then this works as a convenient exceptional replacement to the natural aloe vera plant where you'll have to squeeze the gel out yourself. Aloe Vera is widely known for its soothing and healing abilities. I use this on bug bites, cuts and even pimples.

AloeDerma Pure Aloe Vera Gel is available in 45g bottles (Php 280) and 114g bottles (Php 460). This sample is 5g, worth approximately 20-30 PHP.

Check out Aloe Derma: Facebook, Instagram, Website

3. AloeCure Pure Aloe Extract for Digestive Health, 120ml

"AloeCure balances your stomach acidity, creating a buffer of protection for an immediate,
soothing feeling that supports the relief of heartburn, acid reflux, ulcers, IBS and more.
AloeCure is a natural juice available in 2 great flavors: Natural and Grape.
Simply take a minimum of 2 ounces twice a day by itself or mix in your favorite juice or smoothie!"

Interesting. I'm aware of the benefits of aloe vera but this is the first time I've ever heard of drinking aloe vera juice. The bottle included in the box is actually a 2-day supply. I tried a few sips and almost spat it out. This is 98.7% aloe vera juice, what did I expect? Haha! This is supposed to be grape-flavored but I can barely taste the grape flavor. The aloe vera overpowers it so I mixed it up with some fruit juice to make it more drinkable.

Now, they're not lying when they claimed this has an immediate, soothing feeling. I can literally feel it going down my throat! This is available in two sizes - their 120ml bottle retails for 165 pesos while the 500ml retails for 550 pesos.

Check out Aloe Cure: Instagram, Website

4. Skin Genie Black Mallows Fluffy Scrub, 100g (FAVE!)

the first time I've seen a scrub like this, what a snatch

I consider myself a body scrub junkie and this is the first time I have seen something like this. Very innovative! It looks like marshmallows but it melts into a scrub when soaked with water and will lather when you wash it off. According to the info in the packaging, this scrub can nourish, rejuvenate and exfoliate the skin. Its key ingredients include Forbidden Rice, Activated Charcoal, Niacinamide, Rolled Oats, Cranberry and  Apricot Beads, Grapeseed Oil, and Sodium Bicarbonate.

I have already used these and I can confirm that they work! Will I purchase the full size? Yes, when I finish all my scrubs (I have a lot) but hell yeah, I will repurchase this someday! It left my skin moisturized and soft and smooth. This is one of my favorites in the box. I can't get enough! Such a great find! Anyway, don't be like me. I used one whole marshmallow whenever I bathe and I just realized half is more than enough for the whole body. I got this 100g sample pack containing 4 marshmallows and by my own calculations, this is worth approximately Php 180. The full jar is 250g and costs Php 450 (check their pricelist here). A more detailed review is coming up so keep watch!

(Update: As promised, here is the full review of this wonderful product.)

Check out Skin Genie: Facebook, Instagram

5. Thierry Mugler Alien Perfume Sample (0.3 ml)

From the Alien website: "Feel extraordinary… Mysterious and fascinating, 
ALIEN perfume has the power to illuminate and reveal a radiant, feminine aura. 
ALIEN fragrance brings out the solar goddess in every woman."

I prefer getting fragrance samples in those little clear plastic vials instead of this paper device. I received two of the sample above but each barely contains a spritz inside. About the fragrance, I like the scent. It smells very rich and luxurious but I think it can also be very overpowering. This is a fragrance that announces you even when you are still a few meters away.

Check out the Alien Universe: Website

6. Sofia’s Glutathione Soap. 65g (YAY!)

"Looking young and beautiful has never been this easy. This soap is designed to make your beauty
regimen effortless and complete by combining Glutathione to promote fair skin tone,
Kojic Acid to decrease skin pigmentation, and Collagen to help increase skin elasticity.

Sofia’s Gluthathione Soap with Kojic and Collagen is an all in one soap to have beautiful skin.
SVR assured the increased quality of this soap with skin lightening benefits."

Another new brand introduced to me! I stalked SVR's facebook a little bit and it seems like they have a lot of satisfied customers. Can't wait to try this! I will surely share my experience here once I finished it! Their full size glutathione soap (135g) retails for only Php 100. I received a smaller bar (65g, approx 50 php).

Check out SVR Infinity: Facebook

7. Benefit Roller Lash Mini, 3g (FAVE!!!)

Good ol' Benefit! I am very ecstatic I got this mascara because I haven't tried this yet and didn't get this from previous Benefit boxes. I'm not gonna open this as of now because I still have to finish my Benefit They're Real mascara, which is btw another superb mascara from them. The Roller Lash mini retails for Php 700 at Sephora PH (link here)! OMG, I lucked out!

Check out Benefit Cosmetics: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

8. Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment (2.5g)

"Supermud Clearing Treatment. Fast results for common skin concerns"

I haven't used this yet because I'm saving it for more special occasions but I have previously tried the Tinglexfoliate Mud Treatment from Glamglow and I was very impressed! I'm quite sure this mask will also surpass my expectations.

The full size of this mask is 34g and retails for a whopping Php 3,300. The single-use sample I got is already worth Php 243!!! That's a very steep price but I think it's worth it! Glamglow is seriously on my wishlist! Will definitely purchase someday. Glamglow has physical stores inside select malls here in the Philippines but if you have no Glamglow location near you like me, you can get it online from Saladbox or from other trusted online sellers like BeautyMNL or Glamourbox.

Final Thoughts

This box is hands-down one of my favorites. I got more items than the usual 5 samples per box and I honestly wish this would go on forever. I totaled the items and by my own calculations, the box I got is worth approximately PHP 1,340, not including the Mary Kay samples and the perfume samples! Aside from that, VIP subscribers will get another box separate from the TVD box for the month of October! I haven't gotten the second box yet but how cool is that?

(P.S. I messaged Saladbox about the second VIP box and they said it's for delivery this November. Still haven't received it and still waiting for it. Eeek)

(Second Update: It's the second week of January but still no VIP box. I emailed them and put comments on their IG but I still got no update. I wish Saladbox keep their promises instead of staying silent.)

(Jan 14 Update: I finally got the VIP box! Will post an unboxing article soon!)

I think Saladbox did a great job curating this Vamp it Up box! I wish they included more makeup but I'm still happy with what I got since I'm also into skincare products. Getting a mix of both is win-win in my opinion. Anyway, can't wait for the Holiday box (Nov-Dec box)! What about you?

Check out ETC: Facebook, Twitter
Check out Saladbox: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Check out my own social media! Twitter, Instagram


Disclaimer: This is not an sponsored post. Any judgment given is entirely my own honest and unbiased opinion. All links will take you directly to the brand's social pages/no affiliates.