“The Mind Is Like Water, When it is Calm, Everything Becomes Clear” – #lfbeautybox

Happy Sunday Bubbala’s! 🙂

Welcome to my blogs first official review – and my first ever Lookfantastic Beauty Box! What an exciting morning it has been.

For years and years I was a glossy follower. I absolutely adored getting my Glossy Box…until the usual started to happen which in this case happened to be product repeats and unfortunately I felt the quality of product that the subscription delivered had decreased

So I stopped my Glossy ways and did a lot of research into which box to try next and for all my research Lookfantastic came out on top. It is a little more expensive than a Glossy Box at £15.00 GBP per month, however this includes postage.

I ordered my box on a Thursday night, and it was on my doorstep by Saturday Morning. Very prompt delivery which I find extremely important. I have a love hate relationship with shopping online, love the shopping side of it, really resent paying for any form of delivery and then waiting for product to arrive!

The first thing that surprised me when I picked up my box was actually the weight of it, Glossy Boxes and Birch Boxes in my experience have always been quite light, however this box felt like it was brimming with full size products instead of sample sizes. An instant win.

The packaging this month is a light turquoise blue matching the boxes theme of hydrating products. The lid has a small quote captioned under the first photo which I thought was very cute.

First things first – I love the fact you get a Elle Magazine with your box. Who doesn’t love sitting with a face mask on and enjoying a flick through a magazine?!

As you can see all the products in this box are either full size or what I would call a “decent size” This box has a grand total cost of £71.00 worth of product… Not bad for a gal with the budget of £15.00…

I am rather happy with all the products in this months box bar 1. We can leave that until last though!

1. Elemis Day Cream

The first product I am delighted with is the Elemis Day Cream. I adore the Elemis range, it is one of the few brands I can say I have never had a bad experience or been disappointed in.

The premise is simple as a day cream, apply in the morning on clean dry skin and let the magic happen. The first day I have used this I have without a doubt felt a difference in my facial moisture levels. I do struggle with dry skin around breakout areas and on my cheeks, this product felt very smooth on, definitely hydrating. It absorbs into the skin very quickly, and you can apply make up almost immediately. I found today that my make up has sat better today and hasn’t melted off in the summer heat. I even noticed the difference when I took my make – up of this evening.

This is the first time in my life where I have actually felt the need for a day cream, and appreciated the benefits. I have usually been very lucky in the respect of having youthful skin however I am starting to notice the fine signs of ageing – a few lines here and there, eyebags if I don’t get a good nights sleep etc. A good day and night cream have done the world of good.

2. Naobay Illuminating Micellar Water

I cannot even express how happy I am to have found this product in my first box. This one of the products I used to love getting in my Glossy Box in the early days. Naobay is a Spanish Company based in Valencia, Naobay standing for Natural And Organic, Beauty And You. The products are Vegan and Cruelty Free which means guilt free usage!

The Micellar Water is heavenly – I find with a lot of Micellar waters actually dry my skin out, even the oil based ones such as Garnier and Nivea. I have found them in the past to be very harsh on the skin.

The product has Green Tea, and Aloe Vera as well as raspberry, it smells like something you would drink – which to me is always a sign of a good product! (Wouldn’t advise it) I used the Micellar Water to remove my make up today and it was very effective and gentle on the skin. I didn’t feel any tightening sensation – which I normally do with these products and not in a pleasant way. My skin feels soft and I can actually say there is an illuminating quality… I wouldn’t go as far to say I had a glow, but there was definitely a feeling of brightness and cleanliness.

3. GLOV – Make-up Remover

This product is a total revelation to me. I have more make-up removing products than I care to admit, and they are usually a several step process. I don’t mind this when I am in the comfort of my own home but when I am on the go and in hotels I don’t appreciate the space it takes up in my suitcase or the worry of leaking.

It reminds me of a a fake tan mitt in shape just a lot smaller. It’s exceptionally soft to the touch but when you’re using it you can feel a gentle exfoliation effect. The product uses micro technology – I thought this was just for micro fibre dish clothes – and contains star shaped fibres that are thinner than that of cotton pads. This creates an effect that draws the make-up and bacteria out when you’re using it.

I really like this make up remover glove, its very travel size and effective and easy to clean after use. The one I had in my box is cream, I do slightly wish that I had a darker colour but it all does the same job! I will definitely be having this in my travel bag on my next excursion.

As an extra brownie point, the packaging is totally recyclable. 🙂 Green is the way forward.

4. VITAMASQUES Gold Eye Mask

What a dream. I am having a total moment with the mask beauty trend that we are enjoying at the moment. This company specialises in Korean Beauty and British Beauty combining the best of both worlds.

I am adoring the Korean Beauty scene. The products being brought to market are so innovative and unique and I am glad they are shaking things up. I have found a delightful mix of traditional beauty with modern technology know how.

The product has real Gold Extract and Hyaluronic Acid which helps decrease puffy tired eyes. I kind of feel like Hyaluronic Acid is all over the market at the moment. I know through research that this does have great effects for the skin, but I am seeing a lot of products making it their main selling point when the product has a very small percentage. I am unsure of how much of this substance you require to make a major impact in your beauty regime, but it does strike me as peculiar!

Nevertheless, the eye mask is super nice, I usually pick one a week up and on a Monday Morning treat myself with a coffee while I persuade myself to start the week on a positive footing.

The little pads are packed full of serum and my under eye just soaks it up. I read that the skin around your eye is the thinnest and most delicate on your body, and eye bags or purple colour below is bruising!

I do tend to struggle with my eyes, I sit at a computer all day so I end up squinting and I am a nightbird. The mask is a great treat and feels luxurious. I definitely feel and can see the benefits of this product. I would recommend to anyone who can make time in their morning routine for this.

5. EYEKO Fat Eye Stick – Shade Gilt

Let me preface by saying I have absolutely no experience of this brand. I received shade GILT which is a antique gold shade. The product is exceptionally pigmented, and applies very quickly with no dragging.

The shade is beautiful, however it needs to be set very well or it will move around as the day goes on. I have heavy eyelids and this is a regular challenge when I try very creamy products – as the day goes on it ends up in the crease of my eye.

6. Aromatherapy Associates Revive Body Gel

I feel very conflicted about this product. I love the packaging and smell of the product and after a little research I appreciate the philosophy of the company. It seems to me that the founders have combined aromatherapy and beauty for a pleasing experience.

The texture of this product is amazing, as a gel it feels cooling on application and dries very quickly. My skin was as promised soft and supple after use. The product claims to help with the reduction of fluid retention and the stimulation of circulation. I can’t see any evidence for these claims on my test of the product but I don’t suffer with these issues enough to look for it in my product selection.

What I found concerning about this product, was the safety warnings on the back of the product.

The product has a sensible cautions; “Not recommended during pregnancy. For adults only. If suffering from a medical condition seek advice from a doctor before use”

If any Lookfantastic subscribers are pregnant please note this is on the back of the product and not in the small beauty brochure provided. I find this concerning because I tried the product before reading the back. I also find any product that asks for a doctors advice a little off putting.

However this company may just be practising due diligence to protect its customers and its own liability.

That being said I did enjoy the product and found it to do what it says on the tin! My skin was very soft after without the greasy texture that a cream leaves behind.

Final Thoughts;

My final thoughts after my first subscription are very positive. This is without a doubt one of the best Beauty Boxes I have ever subscribed to in terms of value for money and product range. Its a really budget conscious way to try and get new high end products that you would normally not go near in the store.