I've been a long time subscriber to Marie Claire's The Parcel. I wanted something where I could try out different products that I wouldn't necessarily pick out for myself. I had seen so many that do the American and British blogging circles but not yet had Australia been graced with a subscription beauty box as great as Marie Claire's original. Since the conception of the first Parcel, Marie Claire have bought out kind of "Sister" boxes which are tailored for different audiences and age groups. I have not tried the neither The Parcel: Ageless or The Parcel: Girls Night Out however if they are anything like The Parcel they would be full of usable beauty goodies.

Late last week saw the arrival of The Parcel: Autumn Edit on my doorstep. I love the feeling of its arrival every season. It's essentially a seasonal gift to myself with 5-7 surprise deluxe cosmetics enclosed in its little black box and 100% of the time, the market value of its contents exceeds it's $30 price tag. Marie Claire provides a great range of high brand and drugstore cosmetics so it allows you to venture the aisles of Priceline or splash out at the counters of Myer! So, without further ado, I will leave you with my un-boxing and initial thoughts of this seasons Parcel.

Upon tearing off the plastic and opening my little black box of goodies I was instantly welcomed by an absolutely glorious smell. After further inspection I unearthed the origin, MOR Emporium Classics Triple- Milled Soap in Blood Orange. How on earth could a soap smell that good?! The time it had been enclosed in the box during shipping only intensified the perfume however now out of the box it has a beautiful citrus fragrance from the blood orange with a delicate floral undertone which, from the description book provided, is a mix of jasmine, rose and lily. This is definitely a luxury soap and a very descent sample size that I kind of don't want to use because it smells so good yet am very keen to try it out.

Next up was a full sized O.P.I  nail polish in the colour Suzi's Hungary AGAIN. Not only can I relate to the title all the time but the charming pale pink shade is very wearable and would perhaps suit a Spring floral printed dress. O.P.I nail polish is known for it's wear-ability and longevity so it's a great addition to my evergrowing nail polish collection. Did I also mention FULL SIZED! That's almost $20 worth of nail polish already in this amazing box!

Moving on to perhaps the smallest and most unfamiliar product in the box Estee Lauder New Dimension Shape & Fill Serum. I do believe that this product is targeted at the mid- aged woman however it's never to early to start taking care of your skin! The description boasts "breakthrough shaping technology with pro-collagen complex, it smooths and plumps the skin in two week". Collagen helps to improve the skins bounce and elasticity therefore reducing the fine lines and wrinkles while giving a healthier lifted cheek and chin. This 4mL sample sized serum is more than enough to get a fair idea of its results. The full sized 30mL serum does have a price around $140 so it is a hit to the back pocket but the benefits of good skin care is priceless. Also enclosed in the box is a complementary skincare consultation at the Estee Lauder counters of Myer or David Jones. Therefore if you like the product, you can check the rest of the range with the help with the department consultants.

Like I said before, from high branded to drug store, also enclosed in the box was the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. Personally, I have seen this doing the rounds on Priceline's shelves and through the blogging circles and have definitely been itching to try it. At first I was skeptical thinking "what's so special about this water?". It is a cleansing water that helps to remove makeup, oils and other impurities while not irritating sensitive skin. I have yet to try it out but am very keen to and this will definitely take its place on my bathroom vanity.

Keeping with the cleansing and nourishing theme, Marie Claire have included a 50mL bottle of CROP Natural Pure Macadamia Oil. I have never personally heard of this brand however I used this oil in towel- dried hair this morning and it has left my heavily bleached hair moisturized and hydrated. I guess it could be compared to Moroccan Argan Oil however, this Macadamia oil can be used all over the body to improve hydration in the skin, nails and hair. This is definitely a great idea for this season. What with Autumn starting, Winter is only around the corner and early hydration is an easy way to avoid dry skin and brittle hair through Winter.

The last, and by no means least, product in this seasons edition is the Gilded Cage Unleashed Lipstick in the shade Sincular Red. Never heard of this brand? Neither had I but Oh, My God! I must say, my first impression was this packaging is simple yet elegant. Upon Googling the brand, Gilded Cage is an Australian- based cosmetic brand which designs their lipsticks in Paris and crafts them in Italy. The shade is one of those reds that you would see Taylor Swift pouting. It is a little dewy and, with lots of talking and eating, does need to be retouched occasionally through out the day however it very moisturizing which is definitely a tick in the box for the upcoming season. The website also boasted a some more very wearable shades. At $40 each, it is on the pricey side for a lipstick but the support for an Australian company and the beautiful shades and moisturizing effect it has definitely balances out.

The Parcel: Autumn Edit has definitely provided me with lots of great cosmetics and skin care to try out during this season. I hope this has given you a bit of an idea of how brilliant these boxes are. Like, fair call, they gave out a lipstick priced at more than the entire box! I shall leave the links to Marie Claire's subscription page and the products down below for you to check out.

Until next time,
xo

Marie Claire The Parcel
MOR Emporium Classics Triple- Milled Soap in Blood Orange
O.P.I Nil Lacquer Suzi's Hungary AGAIN!
Estee Lauder New Dimension Shape & Fill Serum.
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water.
CROP Natural Pure Macadamia Oil
Gilded Cage Unleashed Lipstick