As part of the LoveLula Accredited Blogger Programme I receive the LoveLula Beauty Box*. I highly recommend the beauty box subscription – it’s only £13.95 per month and often the value of the products are more than double (this month it is quadruple!) this amount. At the moment there are also some special offers on so you can get up to 20% off a beauty box subscription* if you subscribe for a set time of up to a year. There’s always a good variety of different brands and products in the boxes, and of course everything is cruelty free and natural (like all LoveLula products). The other thing I love about this beauty box subscription is you receive a voucher code to get 20% off purchases from the brands featured in the box that month (which this month I used to make another order the day the beauty box arrived!). So, on to my review of November’s box; it’s a great one!
Madara Smart Antioxidants Anti-Fatigue Eye Rescue Cream* (15ml, worth £31.00)
This is a full size item worth more than twice the price of the beauty box! This eye cream is a natural, cruelty free, vegan product with no parabens. It claims to hydrate, firm and brighten, and reduce fine lines, dark circles and puffiness. I’ve only tried it out a couple of times so far but it does seem to hydrate and firm. It’s a white cream so doesn’t brighten by having any tint or shimmer in the product, so I imagine the brightening effect would be a long term thing if dark circles improve over time. Even if it doesn’t (I haven’t found anything to help my dark circles yet!), it definitely is a good eye cream in terms of improving the texture around the eyes, so I’ll certainly be continuing to use it. It’s a small tube with a tiny applicator which is my preferred format for eye cream as you really only need a tiny amount of product.
Laidbare Working 9 to 5 Anti-ageing Hydration Cream* (50ml, worth £7.99)
This is a really lovely product. I actually already have it as I’ve been trying out some Laidbare products to review the range for my blog (coming in the next couple of weeks hopefully, I’ve just ordered a couple more items to put to the test first!). Laidbare are a UK-based natural skincare brand offering effective and affordable products. This anti-ageing hydration cream is a light moisturiser (more like a gel cream than a thick cream) which absorbs beautifully into the skin and leaves it soft and supple. Despite being fairly light it’s great for my combination (and sometimes dehydrated) skin. It’s great on its own and also acts as a good base for make up. It has a subtle rose scent which I really like (side note – I used to really not like rose scented things but now I seem to love them!).
Inika Vegan Lipstick – Naked Kiss* (4.2g, worth £18.00)
A few days before the beauty boxes went out, someone started a discussion in the LoveLula Natural Beauty Club on Facebook asking what products we were hoping to get in this month’s box. One item I mentioned was a lip colour product so I was delighted to see this included! I’m not usually a lipstick wearer, but have been starting to wear the occasional liquid lip. One thing I do struggle with is dry lips, hence usually wearing lip balm or my beloved Pacifica Lip Tints. The Inika vegan lipstick is a creamy formulation with certified organic natural shea butter and jojoba oil which really help as it’s so much more moisturising than lipsticks I’ve tried in the past. It’s also a gorgeous colour! In the bullet it looks like a browny sheen but on the lips it’s really neutral. I wore it on its own (without any other makeup) yesterday morning and then later that day with make up and it looked great in both situations (I usually find I can’t wear lipstick without a full face of make up as it can look too much!). I even received a compliment specifically on the lipstick when I posted the above photo to social media. It’s lovely! I really love this and can see it becoming my winter staple when I’m not wearing a lip balm/tint.
REN Perfect Canvas sample* (worth £3.33, full size is £50 for 30ml)
I’d actually already received a sample of this as it’s a new product so there are a few ways to get your hands on one. This is a silicone-free primer from skincare brand REN. It claims to smooth, plump, fill and prime and is recommended as a step after moisturiser whether you’re wearing make up or not. I haven’t used it without make up but I have used it as a primer. I find it less easy to apply as it’s very quick drying, so I tend to need a few applications (though still only a few drops in total). Once I have applied it I do think my make up applies nicely and it seems to help it last longer too. I received unsolicited compliments on my skin over the weekend and I think this was probably down to the primer as it definitely helped to smooth my skin and give a good base for my powder foundation. I don’t usually wear primer on a regular basis but if you do, and are looking for a natural silicone-free alternative to keep your make up looking good, this is a really good option. It’s not cheap but 30ml should last a while.
The Seaweed Bath Co Eucalyptus and Peppermint Balancing Argan Shampoo and Conditioner* (sample, full sizes are £16.99 for 360ml)
I’m never sure about samples of shampoo and conditioner as I tend to find it takes a while to know if I like hair products, but it’s always good to have a first impression to give you an idea of the consistency, scent, and initial idea of how it makes your hair feel. I always appreciate having both a shampoo and conditioner included so you can give it a good test. This isn’t a brand I’ve heard of before so a little reading informed me that the brand was established in response to learning that seaweed really helped clear up psoriasis for one of the founders. The items all feature seaweed as a key ingredient (sourced from Maine, USA). The set I received are part of the balancing argan range in the eucalyptus and peppermint scent. I’ll be honest, the scent was a little overpowering for my liking – like toothpaste! I also found it made my hair ‘squeaky clean’ so I would have said it’s probably more clarifying than balancing. I found it wasn’t nourishing enough for my dry hair so it left it more frizzy than my usual haircare. Sadly this one isn’t one for me, but I imagine if you don’t have dry hair and are wanting products to clarify and clear your hair and scalp of products this could be a good one to try.
This month’s beauty box was fantastic value – some really good products from a variety of brands. It’s worth over £60 and the full-sized products in the box are really versatile and should suit most people. The lipstick in particular seems to be a really flattering shade for different skin tones – there are some stunning photos in the Facebook group! The stand-out products for me this month were the Inika lipstick and the Madara eye cream (though I already love the Laidbare moisturiser too). A really fantastic box – thanks LoveLula! 🙂
*Affiliate link: I may receive commission if you purchase via this link.
Joeyanne Nails and Beauty 