My Thoughts On Caroline Hirons' "Cleansing Box"

I must admit, when Caroline Hirons announced that she was releasing another Cult Beauty Box, I may have had a moment. I'm not quite at the point of booking time off work to make sure I'm available to snag my box as soon as it becomes available, but my word that woman knows how to put together a skincare collection. I was gutted that I wasn't in a place financially to commit to her Christmas Box of Dreams back in December (insert sad face emoji here) and hoped this would live up to it.

Then the reveals started, the lineup for this box looked a lot different to previous boxes. It was advertised as a "Cleansing Box" and I looked at my skincare collection (the "cleanser shelf" has become a more of a "whole and very much over-flowing cleansing cabinet") and had a good hard think. "Do I need this?" and the answer was a sound and definite "certainly not". I resisted. For about a week.

Now I don't want to fill this post with a quick look at each product because I'd like to do more in-depth reviews with them (and to be completely honest I haven't actually gotten around to trying them all out just yet), but my thoughts on the actual box are quite mixed. 

Firstly the packaging. I loved the idea of the neon green writing on the plain white background. However this design is just a cover for the box that you have to un-stick to actually open the box, and the box itself is plain white which was a little disappointing. I realise that packaging isn't everything, but it's a definite drop in quality from the last CHCB Box I purchased and when you're investing £175 into something, it's disappointing when the packaging feels cheap.

Repeats: Now I'm really happy that the Oskia Micro Exfoliating Balm made it into this box. It's definitely one of those products that I never would have picked myself but having tried it, it's lovely and I like it. But I, like many others, can't help but notice that it was also in the very first CHCB Box, and while that was around a year ago, original purchasers commented that they either didn't like it the first time around or that they'd simply not managed to use up the first one yet, so potentially a draw back.

That being said, the box is valued at £274 and is selling for £175, so you're saving pretty much £100 (36%). It's also packed full of some of my absolute favourite skincare brands: Oskia, MV Organics and Pixi have been long time loves of mine, I've recently been woo'ed by Tata Harpers range and the May Lindstrom Jasmine Garden Facial Spray that's included in this box has definitely got me itching to try more from her range.

Over all, I feel like this box is a really good investment for 3 very distinct audiences:

1. You're new to skincare, or at least new to a proper cleansing routine. You have maybe 1-3 cleansers in your current arsenal and you're wanting to dip your toe into some new/different formulas of cleanser. - This kit has almost everything. There's an oil, a cream, a balm and an eye make-up remover for cleansing steps, both a chemical and a physical exfoliant to suit your needs/preferences and then a refreshing toner in there too. Everything you need to get yourself started in proper cleansing.

2. You've got cleansing down, but your arsenal is currently heavy on budget-friendly products, and you're wanting to try some more luxury products in a way that's kinder on the purse strings. This box includes some amazing luxury brands - May Lindstrom, Oskia, Tata Harper and MV Organics are all fairly up there in price for skincare and while £175 is definitely an investment, it's a decent saving on a £274 value purchase.

3. You're just like me. I.E you're just obsessed with skincare. You already have 300 cleansers but you don't have some of these products and if you do have any of them you'd like a backup of it. If you're in this category, I'm not sure why you're here, you clearly don't need any further convincing.

So I guess the only question left is: have you given in to the temptation?

Five Reasons To Pick up Anna and Lily’s Cult Beauty Box (If You Haven't Already)

I've been reading and watching content by ViviannaDoesMakeup (also *here*) for a few years now and I more recently started follow LilyPebbles on YouTube and I love these two. Anna's blog is amazing and I love Lily's videos and when the two of them are together it just works. So I'm never surprised when they announce a collaboration. As soon as I heard they'd done a box with Cult Beauty I was pretty sure it would be something I'd be wanting to pick up: and they didn't disappoint. Here's Why:

1. The product lineup. Need I say more? This box is jammed full of products that I either already know I love or products that I'm itching to try. The box includes an Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel and we all know how much I love that cleanser. There's also a Medium Jade Roller, a Classic Wet Brush, the Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist, a Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eye Liner, a travel sized Becca Backlight Priming Filter, and to top it all off:

2. The generously sized bottle of Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Oil. I feel like this needs a point of it's own. I've been wanting to try this since even before it was launched but the price point was too high for me to bite the bullet. I couldn't justify dropping £85 on an oil that I didn't know I loved when I have so many oils and treatments in my collection that I love. Spoiler alert: I've used it once and my skin is already looking better for it.

3. The value. Whilst I can understand that £85 is a lot to invest in something at once, this box contains 7 products, 5 are full sized, 1 is half sized and 1 is what I'd call a travel mini (20% of the full size). With the none-full sized products I've worked out that the half sized Luna Oil is worth £42.50 (full size is £85) and the 6ml sample of the Becca Primer is worth £6.40. Those added up with the full sized items comes to a total value of £149.39 - the box is priced at £85 (a little over half price).

4. Cult Beauty's insanely good shipping. I love shopping with Cult Beauty for a lot of reasons: the website is nicely laid out so it's easy to shop with them, they accept Paypal so there's no faffing with card details, they always do great value sets and gift with purchases. And their shipping is always great. I ordered this box with standard shipping on the Friday afternoon and (despite is being a bank holiday) the box was with me by the Wednesday morning. I always get the standard shipping and regularly receive my items from them the next day or within 2 working days.

5. The box itself. The design of the box is so beautiful - marble effect on the actual box and gold/black writing. I repurpose these boxes as they're a good size for general storage. I have a similar one from Fashercise that now houses my workout leggings, my Caroline Hirons Cult Beauty box is now home to my hair tools. These boxes are so useful and this one is really pretty too.

So there's my thoughts - let me know in the comments section what you thought of the box an whether you'll be picking it up! :)

The Cult Beauty Box by Caroline Hirons Number 2

When the first Cult Beauty Box by Caroline Hirons came out, I resisted hard. As much as I liked the look of a lot of products and the savings were great I just couldn't justify the £140 price tag it came with, especially when I was only actively seeking 3 of the 8 products, and 2 of the 3 were trial or deluxe sizes. This time around though 3 of the 5 full size products were on my wish list and the rest looked interesting and with the price point being a slightly more kind-to-the-bank-balance £100, I decided to put in an order. So while the box is no longer available, I figured the products are still for sale individually and so I'd let you in on how some of them performed.

A Caroline Hirons top rated product that I'd been dying to try for a while was the Pixi Glow Tonic and it really didn't disappoint. The packaging is practical and I like how the pastel green label looks on the orange bottle. The formula is 5% glycolic acid and contains aloe vera to sooth the skin whilst exfoliating, it's also alcohol free which is nice. It's gentle enough to use morning and night but does leave the skin feeling soft and smooth and as an added bonus it has a light fresh scent to it which I enjoy. It's left me itching to try more of the Pixi range, especially the Glow Mud Cleanser and the H2O Skindrink.

The other two products I really wanted to try were both cleansers, and I thought it was interesting that Caroline chose to include two cleanser in the box but I'm glad she did. The first one is the RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream and this one's my favourite of the two for make-up removal. It's really solid in the jar but once it comes into contact with the skin it instantly melts down into a smooth, silky oil that removes makeup easily. I like the soft hint of a coconut scent that the product has and would more than likely buy it again, I like to use this in rotation with my Una Brennan Vitamin C Brighten Cleansing Oil.

I was pleased to see that the Skyn Iceland Pure Cloud Cleanser had been included in the box as well. I've been wanting to try some more products from Skyn Iceland since the moment I used their Glacial Cleansing Cloths and this cleanser has definitely put them on my radar for sure. It's a really nice soothing, creamy cleanser. Skyn Iceland aim their products towards "stressed" skin, which is something I think we can all relate to at some point or another and this for me is a really nice calming morning cleanser, I just love the cooling sensation it has on my skin in the morning and it's a nice way to wake yourself up. This cleanser also doesn't seem to have any kind of artificial scent to it which is nice.

The Odacité Pomegranate and Rose Geranium Hydration Serum Contentrate had me a little confused at first, the bottle calls it a "serum" but for me this is a little heavy for a serum step and I'd put it more in the "oil" category of skincare. I liked this product but I don't think it's anything special, when you consider that the full size is £33 on it's own and for that you get just 5ml, I don't think it's any better than the Sarah Chapman oils (£46 for 15ml) or the MV Organics Rose Plus Booster (£70 for 30ml), while they're both more expensive product, the price per ml makes them a much better value product in my opinion.

A product I wasn't sure I'd like was the Skin Owl Eye+, as it's marketed as a "nourishing and youth stimulating eye concentrate" and as I'm just about nearing my 23rd birthday, I figure "youth stimulating" isn't really something I need just yet (I hope!). That being said, I have noticed my under eye area is a lot smoother after using this and the beginnings of very faint dehydration lines have disappeared since I started using this. I love how cooling it is on the under eye area on application and that you can feel a light warming sensation shortly after applying. My only issue with this one is the packaging, as nice as the glass jar is, it's not the most hygienic way to package eye cream and it does make it slightly difficult to pick up the right amount of product.

The box also contained a full size Pommade Divine and small sizes of the Alpha H Essential Hydration Cream and REN's Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Oil but I haven't quite gotten around to trialling those yet. All in all though, this box was a nice collection.

NudeSTIX For Lips & Cheeks

I'm a sucker for a gift with purchase so it'll come as no surprise that I'm first in line to make an order with Cult Beauty when their seemingly season gift-bag is available, and the summer one was especially good. One of the products in the bag that I was super excited to try was the NudeSTIX ip and Cheek Pencil in the shade "Love" so I thought I'd share my thoughts.

So with it being a lip and cheek product, I pretty much immediately slapped it on my lips when I got it (self confessed lipstick addict right here). It's one of those no-fuss lip products that you can apply without a mirror, so it's a really easy option to go for when you're on the go (which is basically me most days). I really like this shade for work as it's not an in-your-face shade so it's appropriate but it's also something you can reapply throughout the day without having to leave your desk. Also the formula is super comfortable on the lips on application although it does seem to dry down eventually and becomes less comfortable throughout the day. The staying power for the lips isn't great but as it's a lighter shad I don't have a problem with that.

That being said, Im not sure how I feel about it for the cheeks. With the shade being quite a light one it doesn't offer much in the way of colour for the cheeks and I generally like more of a pinky/peachy shade for my apples. Also the formula doesn't really seem to set entirely on the cheeks, so it remains slightly tacky on the skin even if you apply a setting powder over the top. If you're a fan of a dewy look on the skin this might work for you as the lack of setting does give a lovely, healthy sheen to the cheeks but for me it just felt a bit too sticky.

All in all? A love for the lips but a leave for the cheeks for me. I'd be interested in trying a slightly darker shade from the range to see how it compares.