Here is a quick look at my February 2014 Love Me Beauty box.
For all those not familiar with this box, here's some info:
How it works
The boutique opens around the 6th of every month (you get an email once it has opened) and this is where you can view the three 'menus', which is the three available boxes for that month.
The boxes contain 4-5 items; 1-2 full sized products and 3 sample sized products. The three menus usually have 2-3 products in common and the rest varies. Usually it's a different variation of the same product, or a sightly different product, from the same company.
The date you can pick your box depends on your payment date - for me it's the 8th (that's when I signed up) so I get two days to research and decide which box I want.
The boutique is open until around the 28th of the month and if you haven't made your choice by then, they will send you a box at random.
Once you have chosen your box you can't change your mind so choose carefully :)
Price/subscription
It costs £12.95 a month including P&P, and it's a rolling subscription with no minimum term. The date you sign up is the date your payments are taken every month.
You can pay by credit/debit card or Paypal.
Dispatch/delivery
Dispatch usually takes two working days after making your selection.
Delivery is via Royal Mail and takes 2-3 working days from dispatch (2nd class).
February brands
This month, the five featured brands were Percy & Reed, Dr Bragi, The Bakewell Soap Company, Beautify Me and La Claree. There's also a mystery surprise item this month too!
Here are the three menu options to choose from:
Menu 1
Percy & Reed Dry Conditioner 150ml, The Bakewell Soap Company multi-purpose balm 'May Chang Citrus' 30g, La Clarée Smooth Day Face Care Moisturiser 7ml, Beautify Me Vitamin Complex capsules (2 week supply), + RANDOM MYSTERY GIFT
Menu 2
Percy & Reed Dry Conditioner 150ml, The Bakewell Soap Company multi-purpose balm 'Hard working formula' 30g, La Claree Oliv - Ultra Melting Body Milk 30ml, Beautify Me Vitamin Complex capsules (2 week supply) + RANDOM MYSTERY GIFT
Menu 3
Percy & Reed Dry Conditioner 150ml, The Bakewell Soap Company multi-purpose balm 'Lavender & Lemon' 30g, La Claree Gentle Cleansing Milk 30ml, Dr Bragi Age Management Moisturiser 5ml + RANDOM MYSTERY GIFT
Mystery gift possibilities
Art Deco Hydra Lip Booster - shade 39 'Translucent' Wood Rose (full size, RRP £11.50)
Nip + Fab Leg Fix 100ml (full size, RRP £10.25)
Models Own Nail Polish - shade 'Prussian Blue' (full size, RRP £5)
Headline Colours Nail Polish - shade 'Quick Sand' (full size, RRP £9
My box (menu 3)
Percy & Reed Dry Conditioner
I had never heard of dry conditioner before and thought this was dry shampoo at first! My hair is quite fine and ALWAYS looks greasy at the roots if I use any kind of product, so I love dry shampoo.
I sprayed this on the ends of my hair, which are quite dry, as recommended on the bottle. It did nothing noticeable for my hair, it actually looked worse to me. I don't think this suits my hair type at all :(
150ml worth £12
The Bakewell Soap Company multi-purpose balm 'Lavender & Lemon'
I seem to be getting a lot of lavender scented products lately! It's not my favourite but I don't dislike it either. I prefer sweet/food scented items, so for the most part, essential oils products aren't my thing.
However, lavender oil helps reduce the irritation of inflamed skin, and it's also believed to alleviate the symptoms of eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis. Sounds good to me as I sometimes get itchy skin and flare-ups when I'm stressed.
This balm is a great size to carry around too :)
30g worth £4.95
La Claree Gentle Cleansing Milk
This facial cleasing milk is concentrated in active plant antioxidants, and its texture is creamy, soft and non-greasy. Cleanse face morning and night with product using a cotton pad.
There's nothing remarkable about this, it's just a cleansing milk. Not overly scented but the texture is nice and skin feels soft after using it. It's a small bottle but you don't need a huge amount.
30ml worth £3.80
Dr Bragi Age Management Moisturiser
When checking the price of this product for this blog post, I was astonished to see that the full sized bottle (60ml) is a whopping £120!
I hadn't bothered trying this moisturiser yet as I've just got my skincare routine sort of right for once, but after reading more about it I really want to try it. It's only a small sample but according to the website and reviews, you only need a tiny amount, and apparently it's amazing!
5ml worth £10
Nip + Fab Dry Leg Fix
I have very dry legs (dry skin all over, in fact) but I am very lazy with moisturising. I find it tedious! I have so many unused body lotions and body butters lying around, I could open my own shop!
I used this a couple of times and didn't really notice a difference, maybe I need to stick at it. The smell and texture are fine, no complaints but nothing remarkable.
100ml worth £10.25
Box cost = £12.95
Total box value = £41
Verdict
This box is great value if you use everything in it. It was a bit of a 'meh' box for me, no makeup or nail items which is a shame. I am making good use of the lavender balm and look forward to trying the Dr Bragi but the other items aren't things I would have bought.
Sarah NailsfromNothing xx
