Review: December 2012 bellabox!

Ok...before I start this review properly, I have to say that we were led to believe the the December box would be epic and filled with colour (makeup) products. And though that is technically true and they have included a product here that retails for $110, I have to say that the remainder of the box is somewhat disappointing.

The box well and truly paid for itself with the one special product and it's a really good opportunity to pick up the makeup kit for next to nothing if you want it, but for beauty bloggers like myself who like to see different products in usable sized samples that we can try out and tell you guys all about, there really isn't much to show you this month.

So... enough whinging about a box I only paid $15 for. Let's get down to the nitty gritty.

Inside, I found:

Allegra Rhodes hand and nail cream, 5ml (regular sized product 175ml RRP $32.95)
It smells good, and is Red Lychee scented.

John Frieda Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Cream, 30ml (regular sized product 113g RRP $16.99
This will come in handy for my crazy hair. It's a good sized sample that I'll be able to get some decent use out of before I review it for you guys.

EmerginC Multi fruit Cleanser and Protocell Cream 3ml each (regular sized product 240ml RRP $55 (cleanser) and 50ml RRP $119 (protocell cream))
i've used products from this company before, and they're great, but tiny sample will probably be a one use thing and it's really hard to form an opinion on one use.

Compeed blister pad, single (regular sized product size unspecified, RRP $11.95)
This feels like an afterthought. Without knowing how many of these you get for $11.95, it's really hard to know whether they are value for money or not. However, for anyone who has ever had a blister...the benefits of relief from that are pretty priceless.

and last of all....the big product:

Savoir Fair limited edition makeup kit, full sized product, RRP $110
Ok, ok... it's pretty awesome, and the retail price of it makes the box seem really awesome. I got the winter toned kit, and as you can see below, it's full of makeup essentials. The packaging is nice and it has a really great sized mirror inside the lid. Would I pay $110 for it? Hell no. For that sort of price, I would expect full sized products inside.The lipgloss is quite decent sized, around the size of an OCC liptar, and the eyeshadow pans are small normal sized, but the baby-sized mascara, eyeliner and blush are a major disappointment for someone who already has a decent makeup kit.
HOWEVER, for the makeup noob, this is a really amazing kit, and it has most of the essentials to start creating makeup looks, along with some cool cards stashed away in the lid, under the mirror, to help you figure out how it's done. The main problem with this is that makeup noobs generally don't want to shell out over a hundred bucks to get their first bit of makeup, no matter how nice it is.

So...I'm not sure if I just did my first ever negative review, but I still see some positives in this box, and will continue my beauty sampling journey with bellabox in 2013, because they work really hard and produce great sample boxes.

Oh... and just for something really cool... I'm giving away my Savoir Faire makeup kit in the Christmas giveaway!!!!
This is something I'd decided to do before I got my hands on the kit, so I'm sticking with my decision, and now all I have to do is figure out what you guys are going to have to do to win ALL THE THINGS!

What do you think of the box? I know it sounds like I'm whiney and ungrateful, and I assure you this is not the case, just trying to look at the box critically for the review. I still think it's AMAZING that bellabox included such an awesome product.