Luxbox March

This months Luxbox is a really boring one. So much so that i'm not going to waste my time making a video on it, i'm pretty sure no-one would enjoy me ranting for 20 minutes. Some of the products are good sizes but it just doesn't have that wow factor that previous boxes have had. This months box included

1. Dr.Bronner's Magic Liquid Soap in Almond~ I saw this and thought oh dear god, why would you put this in a beauty box! However it claims to be 18 in 1, yes that's right. It doesn't have all 18 uses written on the bottle or even on the website... the only use explained on the bottle is a way to use it as a face pack with a hot steaming cloth. It has a nice smell if you like the smell of the alcohol Dissorono, don't think i fancy smelling like i'v been on the drink though. This is a 59ml sample and RRP's at £8.49 for 473ml

2. Weleda Smoothing Night Cream in Rose~ I'v had this in a box before (perhaps a glossybox), it smells and feels nice but doesn't seem to do a lot to my skin. This is a small 5ml sample and RRP's at £14.95 for 30ml

3. Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion~ This claims to be fragrance free yet it does have a very faint smell of almonds which is pleasant enough. I like to experiment with different cleansers as i wear a lot of dark makeup and it's not always easy to remove. This is a good enough product but i have used much better (i currently use the Vichy Normaderm 3 in 1 cleanser). This came in a 10ml sample tube but the RRP is £9.95 for 75ml.

4. Dr. Hauschka Neem Oil Nail Pen~ What the hell is this crap luxbox! A strengthening pen for brittle nails that has a lid designed to push back cuticles (doesn't everyone own an a cuticle stick). This product contains a measly 4ml, which is actually full sized. So if i actually did enjoy this product it would last me all of 5 minutes and cost £15.95. I'm sorry but give me some good old sally hansen and an orange stick over this any day.

5. Beyond Organic Firming Eye Cream~ This product comes in a nice sized jar and is quite generously filled. I'm still rather skeptical about anti wrinkle and eye creams not having found anything that's really shown signs of improvement to my skin. This has a pleasant enough smell to actually want to apply it to my eye area and is an award winning organic cream. This is the full sized product which has a retail price of £9.60

The overall worth of this box is £30.41 which seems good value as long as you would actually use most of these products. I can see myself trying the eye creams and possibly trying to work out some of the 18 uses of the almond soap but overall i'm really unimpressed with this month's box. I have now unsubscribed from Luxbox but will receive on last box next month. I may resubscribe in the future as they have had some good boxes in the past but at the moment i am happy enough with Glossybox. I hope my negativity made for an interesting read, hopefully i will be blogging about something a little more exciting next time.
                                                                     Speak Soon Rottentouch x

February Lux Box

This is the second LuxBox I have received and I feel like I now know enough about the company and the boxes to do a review. Luxbox are definitely more focused on featuring natural and organic products in there boxes which I love, secretly being a hippy at heart. As far as I know none of the products in the boxes are tested on animals and most of the products I have received have cruelty free logos. They also include more full sized products than other boxes I have previously subscribed to (lets be honest sample sachets are usually pretty pants). Most of the brands used are not particularly well known which could be a pro or con depending on the product you end up with. The only real downside to this company is that they aren't brilliant with dispatch dates, February boxes don't arrive until march and are often a little later, but most of the products I have received are well worth the wait. The box is the same price as most others out there (£12.95 including postage) and features 4-5 products each month.

Balm Balm~Ylang Ylang One Note Fragrance

This comes in a nice sized easy to use spritz bottle and is 100% natural and organic. What I like about this fragrance is that it can be used with other single note perfumes to create a different scent. My first impressions of this are not good, it is very heavy and has a sickly sweet tea tree scent, however after 15 minutes or so it fades to smell more like incense which makes it wearable. The fragrance doesn't last very long at all so I don't imagine the product being a good buy unless you really love the scent. The RRP is £15 for 12ml which is similar to the cost of designer and high street perfumes. I would recommend Naughty Alice by Vivienne Westwood as an alternative as it also contains Ylang Ylang.

 

Vintage Cosmetic Company~Retractable Lip Brush
I love this little Vintage Cosmetic brush it looks stylish and expensive, the lid of the brush also doubles as a brush meaning that you can use a short or long brush. It is a really good size to pop in your handbag and the lid means that you wont get any icky bag fluff in the bristles. The bristles are made of natural hair and feel really nice and soft. The RRP is £7 which is a bargain for a brush of this quality.
 

Inika~Creme Colour for Lips and Cheeks in Rosehip
The colour of this is a beautiful deep red, it could easily be used for a retro pinup or gothic look. Inika cremes are hypoallergenic and contain vitamin E which is an antioxidant, so its a treat for your skin too. I didn't think this colour would work well as a cream blusher as it was so pigmented but i found the creamy texture easy to blend. The RRP is £22 which is pretty expensive but when you consider it is a lip and cheek colour it seems better value.

Colour Me Beautiful~Lip Pencil in Crimson
The crimson colour of this pencil is a perfect match for the Inika creme colour. The product goes on smoothly and blends in quite well. I found it was really easy to build up and get the depth of colour you need to match your lipstick. The RRP for this one is £7.50 which I think is a reasonable price for a good quality lip pencil. The only negative i have is that there are no ingredients listed on the product or online so for all i know it could be made of bunny hearts and squirrel tears.
 

Murad~Pomegranate Exfoliating Mask
I'm not a lover of sample sachets but considering the retail price of 6 sachets for £25 (which seems a steep price for an exfoliating mask) i will give it a go. The Murad mask contains lots of good things like antioxidants and fruit enzymes that are really good at stripping away dead skin cells. It also contains ingredients that moisturise and nourish the skin afterwards, hooray for sensitive skin. It also doesn't have any exfoliating beads which can sometimes irritate sensitive skin types. This has a nice fruity smell as you would expect from the name. As a cheaper alternative i would reccomend the Amie Spring Clean Mask, it leaves the skin feeling super soft and is lime and pepper scented so its perfect for both ladies and gents.

 

Here are the swatches of the lipliner and 2 in 1 colour creme. I would advise using lipcote ontop of the colour creme. Due to its creamy consistency it rubs off and fades easily. I found the lipliner very easy to use, precise thin and thick lines were simple to create.

 

 

                              The overall cost of the contents of February's Luxbox is £55.60
                                                        not bad for a £12.99 beauty box.

So i hope you enjoyed my first review of a luxbox,

 i plan to stick with this box so you will be seeing more in the future.

Thanks for reading

Rottentouch

Codes
BBLUX~15% off at Balm Balm (until march 31st 2013)
LUX25~25% off ar Murad (until march 31st 2013)
CRIMSONLUX~15% off at colourmebeautiful (until 14th march 2013)