Carmine February 2012: Spring Theme (SPOILERS!)

Finally!

Due to the usual lateness of Carmine posting and my lack of internet I can finally show you what I got in my box!

This months edition was Spring themed so think flowers, bright colours and bright shiny things.

This box contained not one, not two but three(!) full sized products and a bonus sample bottle of perfume so it’s well worth the £12.95 price. I got my box for free purely because I had enough loyalty points to trade in. It’s super easy to earn points and their points=boxes scheme is far easier and quicker than GlossyBoxes.

This has been one of Carmines most popular editions and as a result it has sold out. You can still order the February edition but a couple of the products have had to be replaced with a product of equal value. You will still get 3 full sized products and your box will be of equal value but you may not get the same products as me. This is a one off occurance as Carmine really didn’t expect this box to be so popular and normal service will resume in March.

You can read more about Carmine and order the February or March box by clicking here. People who use my exclusive link will usually receive a discount on their first box or free delivery so it is worth using.

You can see the January box overview by clicking here

The Box

The box was it’s usual black shoe box style with the red/pink carmine logo on the top. The products were wrapped in black tissue paper and laid out in crimson shredded paper.

I do find the boxes a little difficult to get in, it took me a good five minutes just to get the lid off this one! Another review I read has since named the method of getting your box open the “Carmine Shimmy”.

This is what I found when I peeled the tissue paper back.

The Products

White Glo Toothpaste: Get ready to brush your way to a sexy smile, a la Jessica Alba. From the Australian brand that makes formulas for coffee and tea drinkers, just a drop of this whitening toothpaste will leave your pearly whites in absolute mint condition.

I know some people have been “what the frick..toothpaste in a beauty box?!” but I’m really glad it was included. I’ve been searching for a whitening toothpaste that actually works and this brand keeps cropping up in every results page so I’m glad I get chance to try it before I spend money on it. This product usually retails at £4.07 full size from Boots.

Diego Dalla Palma The Lipstick: From one of Italy’s top brands this sophisticated, intense pigment lipstick provides the perfect touch of long lasting colour. Chic an en vogue, it’s all you need for La Dolce Vita.

Tiny, tiny sample but it is in a colour I’ll use. I wish the sample came in a better container as everytime you remove the lid on this bullet you do end up scraping the product off or getting it on your hands and it seems a waste. The Lipstick usually retails at £14 and you can get it at Tesco Direct

Andrea Fulerton Nail Varnish: Developed by celebrity nail technician Andrea Fulerton, these popular shades are incredibly glossy and long lasting. Try it and you’ll be up there with celeb clients including Mischa Barton, Kylie Minogue and Penelope cruz!

This is one of the full sized products and is available to Carmine customers in 6 bright summery shades. I got this in “Julia” which is a dusky pink/mauve colour, it actually looks like a really good dupe of an O.P.I polish. The polish also flexes with your nails so it’s harder to chip and crack. This product costs £4.99 from Superdrug

Balance Me  Super Moisturising Body Wash: Exquisitely fragranced in the name of spring, these natural body washes will leave your skin velvety smooth and smelling like heaven. 

I am now a bit of a Balance Me addict now and I’m super happy that I received this in my box. This is another full sized product, there was a “Rose Otto” variation in some boxes; there’s also a discount code included on the menu card. This product costs £8.00 from Balance Me

Yardley London Peony Fragrance: This fresh, feminine fragrance captures the scent of the delicate peony flower and compliments it with delightful fruity notes and warm amber undertones. It’s as if Yardley managed to take spring and put it in a bottle!

This is a bonus product as unlike other beauty box services out there Carmine never send fragrance samples out as one of their “5 samples”, they’re always a little something extra. Personally, I find this a little too “old lady” for me, maybe it’s because the smell reminds me of great grandma. Peony costs £14.99 for 125ml from Yardley

SteamCream Steam-infused skincare: These colourful tins designed in Japan contain the latest concept in skincare: a lightweight, all in one moisturiser featuring nourishing oils – that can be used literally from head to toe.

This is one of the full sized products. Looking at the facebook page it is also one of the products being replaced in the new Frebruary box  so new customers will be receiving the alternative product. Each tin is a limited edition design and once each design is sold out it’s gone forever. It’s a really cute product and I like the fact that each tin is a little work of art; as you can see in the photo above and in the ones below Lily was really excited about this product! Steamcream costs £10.50 from SteamCream

Lily Steals Steam