This month's box had a nice mix of products, moving it away from just being skincare, which is always good. As well as a shower gel, it had a nail varnish in it, which I was interested to try, as previous organic nail products I've tried haven't really cut it. On top of this, I got a micellar water, skin oil and a rich moisturising cream. I can tell you now, I would happily buy every single one of these products again.
Here's why I'd splash my cash and what I thought of the contents of this month's box:
Weleda Skin Food
It's a really thick, rich cream that you only need the tiniest amount of for a large area. There's a subtle fragrance that is a bit citrusy but it isn't really strong and practically disappears once you've rubbed the cream into your skin. While the product says that it is suitable for your face, I didn't risk it as I thought it would be too rich, especially after a few other moisturised designed specifically for face care have been.
Instead, used it on the tattoos on my legs, which had started to look a bit dry and dull since I'd been going swimming so much. Literally as soon as I put the cream on, the colours of the tattoos were nice and bright again and the skin on my legs felt a lot less tight. The cream wasn't sticky once it had set for a few minutes, so I was able to get dressed quickly after swimming without my legs feeling like they were stuck to my jeans or leggings.
After a couple of post-swim uses, I actually found that I could get away with using less, as the cream seemed to protect my skin and stop the water from really drying it out. It has also softened the texture of my skin so it feels really smooth and soft. I can see this becoming a favourite, especially for long-term tattoo care.
Greenfrog Botanic Body Wash in Neroli and Lime
I'm a big fan of neroli and have several products that feature it as a fragrance, including candles and cosmetics. It smells really fresh while still having some floral notes that aren't overpowering. Adding lime into the mix means it is the perfect post-swim body wash as it makes my skin smell amazing and totally get rids of the chemical chlorine smell.
As well as having a great fragrance, the body wash is really softening and makes my skin feel amazingly smooth. While it doesn't foam up like other shower gels - it is made using soap berries that slightly lather rather than having a chemical foaming agent added - I still feel nice and clean after using it. You also don't need to use a lot even though it doesn't foam, as a little bit still goes a long way.
I really want to try the other body wash in the range now, which I'll definitely be doing as the small bottle is less than £4 so it a great bargain.
Madara Micellar Water
My worries were totally unfounded, though, and I've gotten on so well with Madara's Micellar Water that I think I might buy it once my other makeup removers have run out. I didn't experience any stinging or sensitivity after using it, in fact, my skin actually felt moisturised, smooth and fresh straight after use.
As well as helping to tone my pores, the micellar water removed every bot of dirt and makeup really quickly and more effectively than makeup wipes. I only need to use two cotton pads to remove all eye and face makeup, which is much better than when I use coconut oil. I also found that a small amount of product goes a long way and I don't have to really scrub my face to remove everything.
Combining it with my Pixi Glow Mud Cleanser and Glow Tonic has left my skin feeling smooth and looking bright. It has also really helped to tone my skin and calm down a breakout earlier in the month.
Ooh! Oils of Heaven Marula Oil
The bottle was another travel-sized one, which is great for when I'm heading to the South-West or getting on a plane, but it is quite difficult to get the right amount out of the bottle without a dropper, which is the only downside for me. I found that the Marula oil was a nice medium one, as it isn't quite as thick as the Baobab oil but not quite as light as the Moringa.
Saying this, it still absorbs really quickly so my skin wasn't left feeling greasy at all and a little bit goes a long way. I found that it helped to balance out my skin, stopping dry areas from flaking and oily areas going a bit mad. My face also looked nice and bright when I woke up in the morning, while my pores looked smaller.
I now have a lot of facial oils to get through but they honestly do so much more for my skin than night moisturisers.
Maggie Anne Nail Polish in Jasper
I painted my nails with the polish on the day I opened the box and then gave it a real test by going for a 20-minute swim on my lunch, followed by a soak in the hydro pool and a shower. In fact, I did this for the next four days - as well as also going to the gym every day - without touching up or repainting my nails to see how the polish stood up.
After three days of swimming the polish just started coming away from the end of my nails but hadn't yet chipped so I could still get away with keeping it on as it wasn't really obvious. The fourth day of swimming saw the nails start to chip, but by this point, it had lasted for a lot longer than most of my polishes. It also stays nice and shiny, giving a gel-effect but without the salon costs.
In terms of application, the polish is quite thick so you need to apply it quickly to stop it partially drying before you've finished the single coat. Each coat dries quite quickly so you can easily do two coats really quickly. When I've used nude shades previously, I've had to apply three or four coats to make the colour even, this one only needed two coats though, so I was really impressed. It is also super easy to remove, which is always a plus in my book.
I definitely want to try this polish in a couple of different shades as I'm so impressed with it and recommend it.