Agave Bun

Arguably, this is one of the most know natural subscription boxes. It is available on the monthly rolling basis and only costs £12.50 to the subscribers with the box value at least twice the amount (from what I have gathered). If this is such a popular option with affordable price, why have I not reviewed a box before? The answer is simple, I do not like receiving a subscription box and not knowing what will be coming my way. In addition, on the website, there is a selection of previous boxes and for quite a few of them, there were items that I would not buy myself (due to questionable ingredients, previous bad experience or simply not liking the product). However, the last couple of boxes looked very good. LoveLula occasionally has offers when they offer the remaining boxes as a free gift when you purchase for a certain amount. I quite liked the look of the March box and I had a couple of things I wanted to try from their website so naturally, this box landed on my doorstep (OK, my lovely mailman brought it all the way to my floor and handed it over).

PHB Ethical Beauty Brightening Hand Cream with Neroli and Ylang Ylang RRP £9.95 for 50ml



I am loving this company, its ethics and its entire range is vegan! To be honest, I am enjoying so much discovering their range and products, I cannot get enough! I love hand creams because I have very dry hands and I go through hands creams like they are going out of fashion. This hand cream is a handy 50ml size which makes it great for popping into the bag or keeping at work. The pump mechanism means the inside is kept fresh for longer. A blend of neroli, mint and ylang-ylang is too heavenly to share the cream with anyone!

Ingredients:Aqua, Aloe barbadensis** (Organic Aloe Vera), Helianthus annuus**, Butyrospermum parkii** (Organic Shea Butter), Cetearyl alcohol, Stearic acid, Cetyl alcohol, Vegetable glycerin, Phenethyl alcohol, Caprylyl glycol, Glyceryl stearate, Hippophae rhamnoides ** (Organic Sea Buckthorn), Citrus aurantium fruit oil (Orange), Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli), Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang), Citrus Aurantium flower oil (Neroli), Mentha Pipertita (Peppermint), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Sodium Bicarbonate. *Limonene, *Linalool, *Citral, *Farnesol, *Geraniol, *Benzyl alcohol, *Benzyl salicylate, *Eugenol, *Isoeugenol, *Benzyl benzoate. *Occurs naturally in essential oils, **Ingredients from Organic Farming
`Vegan, organic, UK brand

Laidbare For Richer For Porer Miracle Mask RRP £7.99 for 50ml



I have actually used this one before because it is very budget friendly. The smell has a tiny hint of seaweed and you also get a bit of exfoliation (I don't know what is providing this exfoliation, it looks like some sort of coarsely milled plant). This mask is clay (kaolin) based to draw out the impurities, and rose water and liquorice helps to soothe and calm the skin. It is packed with nourishing shea butter so it does not over-dry the skin (some people can break out from shea butter). Overall it is a great refreshing mask that you can repurchase time and time in confidence.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Kaolin (Clay), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (coconut),Isopropyl Myrisate(Palm Oil), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice,Glycerin (Coconut),Cetearyl Glucoside (Sugar),Glyceryl Stearate(Palm Kernal),Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower water,Zea mays (Corn Cob)Powder, Cetearyl Alcohol (Palm Kernel Oil), Butyrospermum Parkii(Shea) Butter, Illicium Verum (Star Anis) Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol (Naturally Derived Preservative), Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Citrus Aurantrum Dulcis(Orange)Peel Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra(Liquorice)Extract, Laminaria Japonica(Japanese Seeweed)Extract, Citrus Nobilis(Mandarin)Peel Oil, Tocopherol(Vitamin E), Xanthum Gum(Naturally Derived Thickener) Limonene(Essential Oil), Potassium Sorbate(Naturally Derived Preservative), Sodium Benzoate(Naturally Derived Preservative)
Vegan, UK brand

Hurraw! Papaya and Pineapple Lip Balm RRP £4.99 for 4.3g



I was excited the most about this one! For so many years Hurraw! is my hands down most favourite and adored lip balm brand. I am seriously in love with their products and their interesting flavours. And the most amazing part? It is all vegan, none of the beeswax! This is one of the new flavours and since I have so many lippies on the go at the moment, I will keep it closed for a while. One of the unique features of Hurraw! is the shape of the tube - it is oval, so when you pop it into your pocket it is less likely to slip out. I have previously written about Hurraw! here.

Ingredients: *Carica papaya (papaya) seed oil, *Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, ‡Euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax, *Theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, *Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, *Natural flavors, Tocopherol (vitamin e) *organic & cold pressed ‡wildcrafted
Vegan, organic, wildcrafted

Kimberly Sayer Ultra Light Organic Facial Moisturiser SPF 30 RRP £26.50 for 120ml



This is only a sample so a great way to try before you buy. This moisturiser should be great for my oily face due to a very light formulation. SPF is provided by both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and offer broad-spectrum (i.e. UVA and UVB) protection. This is designed to be for acne prone skin, however. I would question the decision to include coconut oil and shea butter because, as mentioned before, it can clog pores and cause a breakout. Also, I was surprised to see lemon oil in the product specifically targeted at sun-protection because citrus oils can cause photosensitivity and hyperpigmentation. 

Vegan, contains coconut oil

Seascape Island Apothecary Unwind Body wash RRP £16 for 300ml



I left this one until the end because this was the biggest disappointment. The bottle looks beautiful (on the pictures) and the design just screams of a luxurious experience. However, when I picked up the bottle and flipped to see the ingredients, I was horrified. The list looks like a conventional body wash full of health-hazardous ingredients which are known to be irritants to the skin. I have looked at the rest of the range and the ingredients look very similar, giving me an impression of "green washing". The official website lists ingredients with an explanation of the origin, such as "Cocamide DEA (a foaming agent sourced from Coconut Oil)" - are they trying to make it seem like this is a natural ingredient? As in, this is made from coconut so it must be safe. This is definitely not true, just because something is natural, does not mean this is true (think of poisonous mushrooms and snake venom - 100% natural and organic!). Their selling point seems to be the fact their products is made from 100% essential oils and no synthetic fragrance. To me, this is another demonstration of trust issues and why you always have to read the ingredients list. I will not be keeping this body wash and especially will not be using it. Please read up on the ingredients yourself for each of the product and make an informed decision whether you think a product is safe for your use. EWG is a good place to start.



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UPDATE

I wrote to LoveLula customer service expressing my concerns over the ingredients in the body wash. They have replied the next day, saying they would like to look further into the ingredients I have mentioned and offered Jonh Masters Organics bare unscented body wash. 5 Star for customer service guys!

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The total price of the box is £39.43. The fact I will not be using the body wash does bring the "power of bargain" down. On the positive side, I have not actually paid for the box and received it for free. This does not influence my decision and I am still giving my usual critique. Incidentally, the whole box happened to be vegan, I just wish there was something else instead of this body wash.

Finally, the winter is over! I am looking forward to get sunny weather and warmer days (since it is cold, wet and miserable outside as I am writing). Winter is a cold season which can take a toll on anyone's skin. I am frequently ridiculed for always carrying a backpack with me. My excuse is simple - I need my essentials. Except for my definition of essentials might be different to what another person might count as essential. Regardless of this, I would like to share what I always carry around with me (sometimes literally in my pocket).

It is spring already! What a crazy thought. I cannot wait for the days to become longer and warmer, the winter is just too cold for me. Yes, snuggling in with a cup of tea is a comforting idea, however the thought of leaving warm bed in the morning is just unbearable. These are some of products which carried me through this winter.