Hi fellow nomads,
I've been reading Jane Cunningham’s blog for a little while now, and I'm always impressed by her insight, knowledge and down to earth approach to the beauty industry. If I had to pick any blogger who truly knew her stuff, it would be Jane. So when she announced that she was releasing a box of fifteen carefully selected products in conjunction with Latest In Beauty, another company I love, I didn't need to think twice about my purchase.
A mere 2 days later it had landed on my doorstep and I tore straight into it. I have to say, I was massively impressed. It’s now been a couple of weeks and I've had a chance to try almost all of the products in the box, so here’s what I got and what I've made of each of the products.
Bourjois Cream Blush in Nude Velvet
I think it’s great when larger brands participate in boxes like this. This is a peachy nude shade which is super flattering on my pale skin. This works really well for a no-make-up-make-up look, blends really easily and wears very well. It's not a shade I would have gone for had I been left to my own devices, and yet I've really enjoyed using it. This is exactly what beauty boxes are for - not just introducing you to new brands, but pushing you out of your comfort zone with brands you already know and love.
Ren Satin Perfection BB Cream
I thought I wouldn't even get half an application out of this tiny tube, but I was surprised at how little went such a long way. This is definitely a natural finish BB cream with very light coverage, however that’s just what I like so I really enjoyed using this cream. I liked that it had an SPF and it did actually feel like it was nourishing my skin rather than just covering it up. This plus the Bourjois blush was an excellent combination for me.
La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water Spray
I actually already have a bottle of this sitting waiting for the summer months, but I'm always glad to have another. This is one of those products that you will laugh at other people for having, and then one day you’ll find yourself in a situation where you realise that this would be just the thing you need. I’ll leave you to find that out for yourself, while I sit over here misting myself with this spray. Wonderful.
Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick Kisses in So Marilyn
So at first I thought this was an innovative new product which delivered a full application of lipstick whilst on the go. Upon reflection, I think this is just a way to deliver a sample sized quantity of the product, which I'm really glad about because that “kiss the paper” situation did not go well for me. Clumsy people shouldn't be let loose on this. Anyway, once I’d cleared up the mess I’d made, I realised this is a totally gorgeous colour. It was the perfect red lip and it also wore surprisingly well, lasting a good few hours. It didn't stand up well to eating, but what lipstick does? I'm going to be saving up for this one, I think.
Elemis Treat Your Feet Foot Cream
Elemis does such wonderful skincare and this foot cream is no exception. I used this cream almost immediately and it had a lovely thick texture without being sticky. It’s also a welcome change to have a foot cream that doesn't smell of mint – this is a beautiful blend of eucalyptus (always my favourite), patchouli and lemon oils. This softened my feet and was generally joyful to apply.
Essie Nail Lacquer in Hide & Go Chic
I was pretty excited to receive an Essie polish in this box because I knew I’d be almost guaranteed to love it. Luckily, I got this beautiful bright blue shade which you think is just like any other blue you own until you put it on, and then you realise it’s quite different. I love the colour, I love the fat brush, and this colour stays put for a good 4-5 days, which some Essie formulations don’t.
Roger & Gallet Gingembre Rouge
I'm normally quite picky about perfumes so I wasn't holding up much hope for this, especially as the packaging was pink (I normally like quite clean, fresh scents which usually don’t come in pink packaging) but I was pleasantly surprised by this fragrance. It is a bit floral and a bit fruity, yes, but it manages to be quite subtle and grown up at the same time. I actually enjoyed wearing this and used it all up quite happily.
Kneipp Herbal Baths Enjoy Life Bath May Chang Lemon
This I haven’t tried yet as I don’t often have baths (let's be clear, I do wash - I just generally do so in the shower), but I've had a good whiff in the bottle and it smells divine.
Bee Good Honey & Wild Water Mint Cleansing Water
I used this almost straight away and haven’t stopped ever since – in fact I've nearly finished this generous 100ml bottle already. This cleansing water is very effective at removing makeup, has a mild, clean and refreshing scent, and doesn't leave any residue on the skin. It doesn't irritate my sometimes-sensitive skin at all, and in my opinion this is up there with the very best of the cleansing waters. I will definitely look in to repurchasing this once my bottle runs out.
Janjira Hand Wash in Argan Oil
Oh wow this is just stunning. A thick gel hand wash that turns into the most beautifully scented, moisturising hand wash. I think hand wash is something people often overlook, until they end up with poor chapped hands. This makes washing my hands such a treat that I keep making up excuses to go and use it. My only small gripe is that the packaging isn't the easiest to use whilst washing your hands, but I will happily put up with it for this hand wash.
Lola Kabuki brush
I do love a good Kabuki brush and this has proved very good for applying my mineral foundation. Apparently it’s supposed to be good for blush and bronzer as well but I think it’s a bit too big for that, for me. I’d say this brush was ok, but I did experience some bristles falling out on me as I used it and, I hate to say it, but I thought it smelled a bit funny. Like *whispers* cat litter. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me. But I'm giving this one the side-eye for now. A shame, as the application results were decent.
Makeup Revolution Awesome Eyeshadow & Eyebrow Palette in Disappear Till Tomorrow
Firstly, I'm so glad I got this neutral palette and not the bright one in the accompanying booklet! The shades in this palette are really pretty and if you choose well, you can end up with a really lovely eye look just from this palette. I also like that they've included some generously sized eyebrow powders. The opening/closure method did really fox me for a minute though – there’s a little button that looks like it should do something so I kept pressing it and wondering why nothing was happening. Turns out, it’s just a rivet to keep the lid closed. Oops. Still, even if the packaging is a bit cheap, I’d rather this than pay more for a product just for a fancy closure. Overall I think this is a really good palette and I am sure I’ll get good use out of it.
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
So far, I've really enjoyed using this mascara. It’s easy to apply and does everything you want from a mascara, without clumping. It’s great to get such a well known, full sized product in this box and this is already becoming my go-to mascara. The only thing I don’t like about this mascara is the name. I feel that it suffers from being bigged up a little too much - this has quite the claim plastered multiple times all over the packaging, so that you're expecting something hugely phenomenal. This is an excellent mascara, but it's no game changer. I'm sure they're trying to be ironic but this just strikes me as shock tactics marketing which I find annoying.
L’Occitane Immortelle Divine Lotion
I've been incorporating some Asian serums into my skincare recently and have been really enjoying the results. This is L’Occitane’s take on the craze and from what I can tell, it’s really nice. Of course it smells beautiful, and for that reason alone I will continue to use it until the last drop. I haven’t been using it long enough to tell whether it has the brightening and softening effects that it promises just yet, but watch this space.
Benefit It’s Potent eye cream
Despite being a teeny little pot, this packs a surprising amount of product in. Plus, it’s glass and pretty, and just the right size for travel. This is a rich cream and I've been loving using this on my horrendous under eye luggage. My dark circles are pretty much beyond help, so I'm not holding out too much hope there, but this cream is super moisturising without being too thick or sitting awkwardly on top of your skin. I think this is great.
That tops out the list of products in this box. Considering it was £19.95 and contained a massive 15 products, 8 of which were full size (or big enough to fool me into thinking they're full size) and all of which I like and will use, I'm seriously impressed. I kept waiting for the dud product(s) to appear but they never did!
Thank you Jane for an awesome box, and please make more. Very soon.
Did anyone else receive the box? What did you think?
-Rachel
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