The Natural Beauty Box - February 2017 Edition | Review
18:04
So it has been a week since the second box from the Natural Beauty Box has landed on my doorstep. Ever since receiving the first box in January I was anticipating for the next box to arrive. The February box is titled "Kissed by the Sea" and as before the box is priced at £24.95 for subscribers (with free P&P) however the overall price of the box contents is £65. Similar to the previous time, all products have been announced on The Natural Beauty Box Instagram account before the box has been sent out. I do love this feature because if I only get to find out what is in a subscription box when I receive it I tend to be disappointed. As a bonus to the subscribers, a 35% discount code has been sent to be used for one of the brands included in this box.
I was using all of the products I have received in the box this week and I must say they have all exceeded my expectations! In addition, the whole box is absolutely 100% vegan! What I also enjoyed is the fact that all of the items included are not the usual products regurgitated in almost every other subscription box. Some are from the well known and established brands and some are from artisan brands I have never heard of.
Salt Parlour Jasmine and Matcha Green Tea Repair Salt Scrub RRP £15 for 200g.
Before the box came through my door I have mentally ascribed this to be my favourite. I am very biased, I love jasmine and neroli, hence if anything includes either of the scents chances are I will like it. Naturally, it was the first product I have tried. Jumped into my bath and smothered myself in this scrub. I have eczema on my hands and the worst parts are over my knuckles and in between the fingers. When I was massaging in the scrub some of the granules got on the broken skin and boy, did it sting! I have never tried a salt scrub before hence this was unexpected. My eczema has calmed down over the week so it is OK to use now.
This scrub is high in MSM (sulphur) which has anti-inflammatory, softening, repairing and brightening effects on the skin, matcha green tea is antibacterial and it boosts skin regeneration, whereas as coconut oil is very nourishing. The first thing you notice when you open the tin are bright matcha-green granules, while the seductive smell of jasmine hits you a moment later. The aroma is noticeable but not overpowering, very appealing and true to the jasmine. The granules are quite big however when you start to massage they break up a little. I like to leave the scrub on my skin for a few minutes for the nourishing oils to absorb while I enjoy the feminine smell. The scrubs is not very oily hence it did not make my bathtub slippery. There was a wooden spoon included to prevent water getting into the scrub hence allowing to preserve the freshness of the ingredients for longer.
Ingredients: Green Tea, Jasmine Oil, Dead Sea Salts, Organic Sulphur, Coconut Oil
Little Ondine Aqua nail polish RRP £9.50
I have not worn a nail polish in the last 5 years. Crazy, right? It is just not a necessity for me. To be painting nails on a regular basis you would need to purchase nail varnish, top/base coat (natural nail polishes do not tend to last as long as conventional nail polishes) and a nail polish remover. In addition to all that, I am not allowed to wear nail polish at work so it is understandable how nail polish became the last point on my priority list.
Little Ondine are special in the way that the nail polish is scent free, completely vegan, has a very natural composition and once dried, the nail varnish can be peeled off. This takes away the need of buying a nail polish remover. The instructions call to apply nail polish to dry and oil-free nails, allowing at least one hour for nail varnish to dry before water contact. Also, nail polish needs to be applied in 2-3 layers and base/top coats ate also recommended. I did not have other nail polishes to apply as base/top and I only had the patience to apply 2 layers. In light of these circumstances, my nail polish started to chip on the second day.
To fit the theme, the nail varnish came in Aqua colour. This would not be the colour I would have chosen for my (non-existing) nail varnish collection because I am a fan of neutral colours - beige or pink. Paradoxically I am very glad I got this blue-green shade because it pushed me outside my comfort zone and I have enjoyed the bright playful colour. It was very fun to see my nails painted, I certainly do understand why women love to get their nails done!
N.B. If you have strict definitions of cruelty-free, you might want to check out Little Ondine FAQ page and my last post.
TOSE Apothecary french clay and lemongrass detoxifying body scrub (medium) RRP £15 for 200g
TOSE stands for the origins of skin essentials. On the first impression, when you take off the lid you are hit with the smell of lemongrass. Honestly, it is very strong. If you do not like lemongrass you will struggle to get past the smell. Interestingly, when you lift the lid you can see the oil sitting on the top of salts similar to what you tend to find in the new peanut butter jar. As a simple life hack, I tend to store my nut butters upside down which could also be applied to this scrub. Alternatively, for a very lush bath you can pour the oils sitting on top of the scrub straight into your bath tub (I just gave mine a mix with a clean spoon).
Ingredients: Aqua, Aloe barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera), Vegetable glycerine, Fucus vesiculosus (Bladderwrack), Sclerotium Gum, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Xanthan gum, Coco-caprylate, Propandiol & Salix alba, Mentha piperita (Peppermint), Benzyl alcohol *Limonene, *Linalool. *Naturally occurring in essential oils
PHB Ethical Beauty 100% Natural Lip gloss in Grace RRP £12.95
Last but not the least and the only product responsible for the "Kiss" part of the theme. I am extremely happy a very neutral shade was chosen to be included in the box! Grace is a warm pink shade with shimmer which can find itself to be a staple in anyone's makeup collection. I thought this lip gloss would have a typical sheer coverage, however, was proven wrong again (and I am so happy about it). The lip gloss is very opaque that it can double up as a liquid lipstick except nourishing castor and jojoba oils will not make your lips dry and sore. The shimmer is very noticeable in artificial light however during the day it is quite toned down. I think this lippy is a fantastic option for those running outside the door but still want to look presentable. I have a tonne of lip products but I am in love with my new lip gloss!
Ingredients: *Ricinus Communis (Organic Castorbean Oil),*Simmondsia Chinensis (Organic Jojoba), *Butyrospermum Parkii (Organic Shea Butter), *Limnanthes Alba (Organic Meadow Foam), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla Wax), Mica, Iron Oxides, Tocopherol, *Citrus Tangerina (Organic Tangerine Oil), *Organic Ingredients. **Limonene, **Linalool. **Occur naturally. May contain (+/-); Titanium Dioxide &/or Zinc Oxide
This was not part of the February Edition box, however, this was included because I have shared a photo of my January edition box which has won me this little extra. Crafting with Beth has also been featured in the January box, however, this time, to fit the theme, the soap was titled "Surfing with Poseidon" and came in deep blue colour. To my excitement, it was also vegan. I have completely forgotten about the photo sharing competition so this was added bonus which I have absolutely loved! Thank you, Emma, for choosing me!
Overall, I have been impressed. Impressed how the products have exceeded my expectations, impressed how effective was the Aloe Vera gel from PBH, impressed how well thought and planned the box was!
The only issue which has puzzled me was the fact that there were two body scrubs. For some strange reason when "Kissed by the Sea" theme was announced the first product which popped into my mind were bath salts hence I was under the impression there will be some kind of bath salts included. At the same time, I can understand why Emma has included two body scrubs even though they are the same type of product - I would not be able to choose one over the other! A well-deserved round of applause to Emma because this box is absolutely fantastic and she keeps on raising the plank. Personally, I would say the February edition came out even better than already fantastic January edition. What will be the theme of the next box? Let the guessing game begin!
To fit the theme, the nail varnish came in Aqua colour. This would not be the colour I would have chosen for my (non-existing) nail varnish collection because I am a fan of neutral colours - beige or pink. Paradoxically I am very glad I got this blue-green shade because it pushed me outside my comfort zone and I have enjoyed the bright playful colour. It was very fun to see my nails painted, I certainly do understand why women love to get their nails done!
N.B. If you have strict definitions of cruelty-free, you might want to check out Little Ondine FAQ page and my last post.
TOSE Apothecary french clay and lemongrass detoxifying body scrub (medium) RRP £15 for 200g
TOSE stands for the origins of skin essentials. On the first impression, when you take off the lid you are hit with the smell of lemongrass. Honestly, it is very strong. If you do not like lemongrass you will struggle to get past the smell. Interestingly, when you lift the lid you can see the oil sitting on the top of salts similar to what you tend to find in the new peanut butter jar. As a simple life hack, I tend to store my nut butters upside down which could also be applied to this scrub. Alternatively, for a very lush bath you can pour the oils sitting on top of the scrub straight into your bath tub (I just gave mine a mix with a clean spoon).
This body scrub is more oily than the one by the Salt Parlour which means it is more nourishing and it can make the surfaces slippery. You win here, you lose there.
The lemongrass smell is very refreshing and it is a great pick-me-up scent. The French clay is detoxifying whilst the Dead Sea and Epsom salts buff away the rough patches on the skin. Since it contains salt, be careful not to get the scrub on the broken skin. I love citrus so this scrub scores highly with me plus the richness of grapeseed and coconut oil double up as a moisturiser.
My only point of critique to this product is I wish it came in a glass jar and not a plastic jar.
Ingredients: Maris sal (Dead sea salt), Magnesium sulphate (Epsom) Salt, Vitis vinifera (Grapeseed) Seed Oil, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Green Clay, Cymbopogon flexuosus (Lemongrass) Leaf Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Cananga odorata (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil, Citral*, Geraniol*, Linalool*, Limonene*, BenzylSalicylate*, BenzylBenzoate*.
PHB Ethical Beauty skin refresh gel with seaweed and mint RRP £13.75 for 120ml
 |
| After giving it a stir |
Ingredients: Maris sal (Dead sea salt), Magnesium sulphate (Epsom) Salt, Vitis vinifera (Grapeseed) Seed Oil, Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Green Clay, Cymbopogon flexuosus (Lemongrass) Leaf Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Cananga odorata (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil, Citral*, Geraniol*, Linalool*, Limonene*, BenzylSalicylate*, BenzylBenzoate*.
*Occurs naturally in essential oils.
To be honest I was thinking of purchasing a pot of Aloe Vera gel from PHB a while ago so this was a pleasant coincidence. However, I was slightly underwhelmed when I found out the first ingredient in water. Aloe Vera can be bought for a very cheap price in almost any health store so it felt like a glorified Aloe Vera gel with a few "buzzword" ingredients. Boy, I was wrong! I massaged this into my hands at night time and felt very mild cooling sensation from the peppermint (peppermint is very comforting when you have very angry and itchy eczema). Then the smell of peppermint subsided and has been taken over by a faint smell of seaweed. Dear reader, if you are getting ready for a special event and your date is so chivalrous they will kiss your hand at any point, bear in mind they might question why your hands smell of fish. Otherwise, the smell should not be noticeable. I have also covered my hands in a hand cream and went to bed. I woke up to find my hands looking SO much better with almost all red patches gone between my fingers! And this was without any steroid cream used! I rarely become SO much blown away by a product because in 99% of cases I do not see the results overnight.
Ingredients: Aqua, Aloe barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera), Vegetable glycerine, Fucus vesiculosus (Bladderwrack), Sclerotium Gum, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Xanthan gum, Coco-caprylate, Propandiol & Salix alba, Mentha piperita (Peppermint), Benzyl alcohol *Limonene, *Linalool. *Naturally occurring in essential oils
PHB Ethical Beauty 100% Natural Lip gloss in Grace RRP £12.95
 |
| In daylight, no flash |
Last but not the least and the only product responsible for the "Kiss" part of the theme. I am extremely happy a very neutral shade was chosen to be included in the box! Grace is a warm pink shade with shimmer which can find itself to be a staple in anyone's makeup collection. I thought this lip gloss would have a typical sheer coverage, however, was proven wrong again (and I am so happy about it). The lip gloss is very opaque that it can double up as a liquid lipstick except nourishing castor and jojoba oils will not make your lips dry and sore. The shimmer is very noticeable in artificial light however during the day it is quite toned down. I think this lippy is a fantastic option for those running outside the door but still want to look presentable. I have a tonne of lip products but I am in love with my new lip gloss!
 |
| One swipe but so much pigment! |
This was not part of the February Edition box, however, this was included because I have shared a photo of my January edition box which has won me this little extra. Crafting with Beth has also been featured in the January box, however, this time, to fit the theme, the soap was titled "Surfing with Poseidon" and came in deep blue colour. To my excitement, it was also vegan. I have completely forgotten about the photo sharing competition so this was added bonus which I have absolutely loved! Thank you, Emma, for choosing me!
The only issue which has puzzled me was the fact that there were two body scrubs. For some strange reason when "Kissed by the Sea" theme was announced the first product which popped into my mind were bath salts hence I was under the impression there will be some kind of bath salts included. At the same time, I can understand why Emma has included two body scrubs even though they are the same type of product - I would not be able to choose one over the other! A well-deserved round of applause to Emma because this box is absolutely fantastic and she keeps on raising the plank. Personally, I would say the February edition came out even better than already fantastic January edition. What will be the theme of the next box? Let the guessing game begin!
Disclaimer - products are bought by me with my own money. Please check the official website for up to date information regarding every product. All information presented in this article is the opinion of the author and cannot be taken as a fact.
Agave Bun x
0 comments