My September 2013 BDJ Box Unboxing!

OOOHOHOHOHO! What have we here? (Aside from my 150th post.)

Another box, again with a gift? It seems like BDJ never runs out of special little gifts, and it definitely makes the unboxing a little more suspenseful. The box is what I would classify as "substantially bulky," meaning, it's pretty big but all that space ain't filled by air, honey.

September 2013 BDJ Box Unboxing - My brother accidentally ripped the cover!

Right at the toes of a Shiseido Ibuki exclusive, we get a taste of a semi-exclusive from Vidal Sassoon.

September 2013 BDJ Box: Impressions

That HUUUUGE tub is a VS product. It's actually about half of the box so I'm pretty pleased that BDJ still filled up the rest of the box. I wouldn't put all my money on hair care products either.

September 2013 BDJ Box ft. Vidal Sassoon

There's nothing I love more than current releases and the latest Elastica line from VS is a great way to re-sample this brand. VS was pretty big in the nineties, when I was but a child, and it was probably the only hair care brand trusted by the most professional salons. As more brands came to the spotlight, I kind of forgot about VS in favor of the funner Bed Head or the more easily accessible L'Oreal Paris.

The VS Hair Care Routine for Base and Colored Hair

This box's theme is Luminescent Beauty. While that has been a scapegoat for box brands to subtly distract from the fact that they didn't deliver cosmetics, we have a nice balance (AGAIN!) of skincare, hair care and cosmetics from the BDJ team!

September 2013 BDJ Box: Luminescent Beauty

This box is completely knocking my knickers off! Only Cure comes in sample sizes (3g x 10pcs), but there's a bunch of them so it really is a 30g sample. BDJ Box = superflyheavywelterweight champion of the world!

September 2013 BDJ Box: Luminescent Beauty

Here's What I Got:

Colour Collection BB Cream (Whitening) Php 499 / 40ml.

I swatched a microscopic amount of this Colour Collection BB cream. It felt light and watery, which is a little unusual with BB creams as they tend to feel heavy and a bit suffocating. It also looks tan on me instead of the usual greyish so I'm kind of wondering if it's really BB cream and if I'll get the same benefits. Holding back all reservations as I haven't fully tested it yet and it's the most exciting item in this box for me :)

Olay White Radiance celLucent Moisturizer, Php 1499 / 50ml.

My bad! I don't really think this is a gift but rather, a regular box item that wouldn't fit inside the box anymore. Olay is pretty high end so I've held off trying it but I love that I got a sample and can finally get to see if the hype (and pricing) is all worth it!

I don't particularly patronize whitening products but I like the gel-like consistency of this moisturizer. Gel creams are fabulous for day use as the skin absorbs it really fast and they tend to make my powder foundation stick better. My daytime skincare is pathetic but I'd love to leave this with my other daytime products. I'll still have to check if this is okay for daytime use as some moisturizer ingredients go berserk when exposed to the sun.

Vidal Sassoon Magic Style Activator (Curl), Php 349 / 30ml.

I'm not really into hair maintenance but I recently got digi-permed and this product looks like a great alternative to wax! I don't really like mucking my hair up with wax and I've never really gotten on board with mousse's messy application, so this curl activating cream is perfectly perfect for me!

Too Cool For School Emma Lip Gloss Php 245 / 3g.

I ADORE miniature stuff! I would bump this Emma lippy way up higher had I not gotten a Missha mobile chain lip gloss from my May Saladbox. Though to be fair, TCFS has the cutest, quirkiest cartoons on their packaging and I like this more than the plain Missha gloss :P

L'Occitane Hand Cream, Php 300 Php 495 / 30ml.

I'm not completely sure if the hand cream is indeed a 30ml sample as I can't find the volume on the tube :/ Regardless, I find this a very timely offering for the current bout of cold weather we are having. While my hands are normally in dire need of some Old Spice deo, I tend to dry up uncomfortably in the cold weather... Or maybe I'm just not used to having un-clammy hands.

I've found that hand creams are a great addition to my oversized purse though I deeply wish that we'd gotten one of the more fabulous scented variants L'Occitane is known for.

Vidal Sassoon Hair Treatment Mask, Php 349 / 178ml.

This mask is recommended for a once or twice a week regimen. While I am not particularly into hair care, I do like kicking back once in a while and doing some of my own spa treatments at home. My hair didn't exactly die from the double ombre + digi perm combo I pulled on it but it's quite comforting to know I have a way to keep it healthy.

Cure Natural Aqua Gel, Php 1500 / 250ml. 3g x 10 sachets provided.

I do not know why this 30g total is a one month trial pack when the back portion tells you that a 250ml bottle lasts up to 4 months. If I get 4 of these trial packs, I'll just have 120g, almost half of what the bottle has. So what's what?
I don't really care though. I've gotten a couple from the Beauty Bar sample spree but I'm glad I have a decent sample size now as I don't really feel like testing anything when I can't test it for a significant time frame.

Top: Clarity Intense Diamond Peel Voucher, Wacoal vouchers

I'm very interested in that Clarity voucher and I sincerely hope it turns out as well as my Obagi experience. I haven't done any research about the place so I'll let you all know how it turns out. I wouldn't ever go to a disreputable facial center, even if I received a free invite!

As for the other vouchers, Wacoal isn't my brand of choice for intimate apparel but it wouldn't hurt to check them out.

RECAP:

September 2013 BDJ Box Curation Card pt. 1

September 2013 BDJ Box Curation Card pt. 2

I've always felt like BDJ is the best-connected beauty subscription box as its parent company, Viviamo Inc., also operates the BDJ Power Planners. I've had a couple of BDJ planners in the past and they all have a HUGE collection of discount vouchers. All those business partnerships have entrenched BDJ in various women's industries and I can clearly see how this gives them a leg up on the competition.

On that same note, I've sometimes felt like some of the samples, namely Garnier and Dove, are too popular and are pretty established in the industry. Even in full sizes, some items simply won't make me happy precisely because there's nothing left to discover in them.

This month feels like connections were built or revisited towards fresher brands. Colour Collection from Tupperware brands, Too Cool for School and Cure are new to the scene and anything from them is worth trying. "Older" brands such as Vidal Sassoon and Olay are at least presented with fresh releases so I certainly feel the true essence of subscription boxes here.

Box Value: Php 3241

WHOA! This is over five times the subscription fee (Php 590)! Once again, BDJ comes out with a HUGE box that's way overpacked with value. I feel like they're taking the sampling business seriously and are being one with the consumers in rejecting microscopic samples. I mean, honestly. Those things are just a waste of time!

I'm sending some additional love for how they're settling into this healthy mix of skincare, hair care and cosmetics samples. I think beauty enthusiasts have so many varying ideas about what they want out of a beauty box and this is the best mix to appease everyone.

September 2013 BDJ Box: Contests

You may visit BDJ Box at www.bdjbox.com. 150th post celebration temporarily on hold. Sorry guys!

*Disclosure: I originally missed the September box. This box was sent by BDJ upon an appeal. This box is not sponsored and it is charged against my subscription.

Sending my thanks to the BDJ Team for their kindness and consideration :)