Subscription boxes have really taken off in the last few years and I'm so glad because they're a great way to find new products and brands. It's the perfect way to try a brand before forking out for a product that may not suit you or you may not like and it ends up going to waste. It's also amazing to see cruelty free subscription boxes really coming into their own. One of these I want to introduce you to today is The Natural Beauty Box.
The Natural Beauty Box is a cruelty free, natural and vegan monthly beauty box that delivers 5 - 6 new products to your door each month for you to try. In each box you can find natural, clean beauty products from a mixture of well-established brands, upcoming brands and lesser known artisans, so chances are you'll find some great new brands and products that you might not have heard of before. Each box contains a mixture of travel sizes and full sized products and has a retail value of around £50 - the box itself is only £24.95 a month with free delivery in the UK,
which is an absolute bargain! The October box actually retailed for £99, which means it's even more of a bargain than normal. 50p from each box is donated to charity and there's a different charity picked each quarter. Each month's box has a different theme - last month's theme was Halloween and featured products that were black and orange. I was lucky enough to be contacted by the lovely Emma to see if I would like to receive a box to review and I of course said yes, as I love anything to do with Halloween.
I received October's The Natural Beauty Box * to review and I was so impressed with the quality of this box. When I've had other subscription boxes there's always been a product or two in each box that I won't use, but not with this one. I've loved using all the products in this box and there's some that have quickly become staples in my routine. Here's a little run down for you:
The first product that immediately caught my eye was the Isla Apothecary Blood Orange & Vanilla Sugar Scrub. I've been wanting to try something from this brand for ages and I may have squealed a little when I found out this was going to feature in the box. This is a lovely scrub and I'm a little addicted to it! It smells just like Terry's Chocolate Orange and is what I would call a dry scrub. The texture is not very oily, so it is a little bit harder to scoop out and rub on without losing some of it down the drain. I personally like this though, as it means that you get a really good exfoliation. However, it must have quite a bit of oil in it as it left my skin with a slight layer of oil on after I rinsed the scrub off. I actually washed this off with shower gel after, as I didn't want to get it on my towel but it still left my skin really smooth and nourished. I'll certainly be picking up another one of these when this one runs out.
PHB Ethical Beauty All In One Natural Mascara in Black is a mascara that I've tried before and loved, so I was super happy to see it in the box. I did a full review of it on my blog a while back but in short it creates gorgeous black lashes in just one coat. I find that this gives really good volume and is great for a more dramatic make up look. Most natural mascaras struggle in the volume area but this one certainly doesn't, which is what I like the most about it.
Skin Alchemists Apothecary The Lady Helen Renewing Facial Nectar is a product (and brand) that I'd never heard of before, but was instantly intrigued by. With The Lady Helen being a reference to Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships, I was hopeful that this was going to be a magic potion for beautiful skin. The cream itself is a lovely, luxurious product and is a pleasure to use. It has a relaxing smell, which makes it perfect to apply before bed. The texture is a little strange, as it's a bit of a gritty texture - not with big grains of product or anything, just not completely smooth - but this is easily rubbed into the skin with no abrasiveness. In fact, it practically melts into the skin instantly and by morning I'm left with lovely smooth, supple skin. Considering this retails for £65 I was super happy to have it included in The Natural Beauty Box, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gotten to try it.
The Balm Balm Neroli Floral Water is a product that I have a love/hate relationship with unfortunately. First the good things: I really love the effect it has on my skin. It makes my skin feel so soft and supple and reduces any inflammation that I have. BUT the smell is super strong and fragrant. If you're a long term visitor to this blog you'll know I'm quite sensitive to smells, but I've seen a few other people not like the smell of this either so maybe it's not just me. I love the effect it has on my skin though so I would re-purchase this, but maybe I'll try a different fragrance next time.
I've tried Bloomtown Botanicals Nourishing Soap Bars before and once again have a full review on my blog. These mini's in The Grove and The Clearing are the cutest bars and perfect for travelling. The Grove is such a nourishing soap bar and makes my skin feel really moisturised. I also love the scent of this (amazing, as I have such a sensitive nose!) and find it really uplifting. The Clearing was a new bar to me and I found this one to be a little drier on the skin, but still lovely to use. I really like soap bars as they provide a no waste solution to shower gel, but I haven't found any to be as moisturising as shower gel yet. The Grove is the one that comes the nearest for me, so I'd definitely recommend picking one up.
I was pleasantly surprised to see an added bonus item in this month's box too. A bar of Conscious Chocolate Organic Raw Chocolate in Essential Orange flavour. I actually resisted until I'd taken photos but it didn't last long after that! I love orange chocolate and this was amazing. One thing I've found hard when transitioning to veganism is finding a good chocolate but this one has thankfully come along at the right time and is absolutely delicious. It was such a nice surprise and a lovely token for Emma to include as a thank you to her subscribers.
Overall I absolutely love this box and I'm super glad that I've been able to discover some new products and add them to my routine. Emma is such a lovely person and you can really see the love and care that goes into curating these boxes every month. This is definitely one of the best, if not THE best, cruelty free beauty boxes on the market in my opinion and I'm actually looking to subscribe this month or next (depending on Christmas funds)! These boxes do sell out quite quickly though (November's has already sold out!), so make sure you head over to the site and subscribe so you don't miss out.
Have you tried The Natural Beauty Box yet? If no, what are you waiting for?!
Kayleigh x
Labels: Beauty, Make Up, Skincare
