Once again, March's Love Lula box included a nice mix of products. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the contents of the monthly boxes have become a lot more varied since I signed up for them last year, which is fantastic. It gave me plenty to try and meant that I was able to give myself a bit of a pamper too. ,
There are a couple of products I will definitely be trying again, but as they were full-sized, they are definitely going to last me a while. Here's what came in the box and what I thought of it all:
Seascape Island Apothecary Unwind Body Wash
It doesn't feature any garish colouring so the gel is nice and clear, which is always a good shout when I have problematic skin - as I had during the move due to stress. On top of this, the body wash contains no parabens, no SLS, no silicones, no petroleum products and no artificial fragrances, which are all big pluses for me and mean that the product is incredibly gentle, even on my husband's eczema-prone skin.
The body wash smells absolutely beautiful and really does help you to unwind. It's chocked full of lavender and ylang ylang, which has become one of my favourite scent combinations over the years. It smells fantastic in the bottle but even better when you've lathered it up, as the fragrance carries on the steam of your shower as well as on your skin. As soon as I use it, I feel a lot more relaxed and a whole lot calmer.
After use, it leaves a small amount of fragrance on your skin without being overpowering, which makes it ideal for a pre-bed shower if you want help drifting off. It also leaves your skin feeling really soft and clean, especially as it lathers up so easily, meaning you hardly need to use any.
Not only will I buy this body wash again, I am going to try others from the range as they have a great mix of scents to choose from.
Laidbare For Richer For Porer 'Miracle' Mask
One of my biggest problem areas is my pores on and around my nose, which often look enlarged and get easily clogged. When hormones throw my skin out of balance, this gets worse and nothing seems to fix it, so the fact that this mask is designed for cleansing and minimising pores seemed great to me. It's also includes really gently granules for subtle exfoliation, which - when combined with kaolin clay - leads to a deep clean that doesn't strip your skin.
I was expecting a thick mask like I get from Lush, but this one has more of a face scrub feel to it. Saying that, you don't need to put a thick layer on to see results so a little bit goes a really long way. You literally put it on clean skin and leave for 10 minutes before washing off with warm water in circular motions to allow the exfoliating elements to do their job. I found that it didn't all dry in that time so removing it was fairly easy.
The only slightly off-putting thing about the mask was that it smells like liquorice, which was a bit much at first for someone who actually likes liquorice. After a few minutes, though, you don't actually smell this and as you're left with cleaner, smoother, softer and visibly more toned and brighter skin, it seems like a small price to pay. In fact, my skin honestly felt amazing after just one use, even if it isn't quite as deep cleansing as other masks I've tried.
I also used the mask as a quick scrub when I ran out of my usual one and got similar results, so you can use it as two different products if you want, which is always a bonus for me.
PHB Ethical Beauty Beauty Brightening Hand Cream with Neroli & Ylang Ylang
I have a bit of an obsession with hand creams, going back to when I worked I lush. Dealing with so many cosmetics and doing a lot of demonstrations every day is a sure-fire way to dry your hands out severely so I now hate my hands feeling the slightest bit dry. I have hand lotion on my desk and usually carry a few around with me as I've become so sensitive to dry hands, however, I've swapped all of those for this PHB one.
Not only does it smell amazing without being overly strong - I hate hand creams that smell overpowering - it gets to work straight away, leaving your hands feeling soft and completely moisturised. It also doesn't leave your skin feeling greasy, which so many creams do, as it sinks in really quickly, making it great for on the go.
The packaging is also great as you can really control how much cream you use - ideal as a little bit is all you really need - and it is really robust (I have to admit to dropping it several times) making it great for on the go. There are a few other fragrances available so I'll definitely be giving them a go in the future.
Hurraw Papaya Pineapple Lip Balm
Over the years, I've switched to using natural lip balms that make the most of great butters and oils rather than petroleum products, which can actually cause issues over time. I've found natural lip balms to be more effective, kinder and to last longer, which are all great things in my book. I've seen Hurraw's products before but haven't bought one, so I was excited to see how I got on.
The lip balm I got in my box is pineapple and papaya scented and smells like a sweet so I kind of just want to eat it. It has a subtle fruity flavour that isn't enough to make me constantly lick my lips but is definitely nicer than the slightly chemical taste of other balms on the market. While the balm is orange in colour, it doesn't tint your lips and goes on clear - although the brand does do tinted lip balms too.
I found that I only need a small amount of the lip balm to make a difference and that it sinks into my lips really nicely, providing a good base for lipstick and adding a subtle sheen if I'm not wearing any lipstick. It has helped to protect my lips from recent cold weather, stopping them from flaking or splitting and offers immediate relief. My lips feel really soft and smooth even on days when I don't use it.
Even though I've used this balm a lot since getting it, I've hardly used any of it, so it is really good value for money. With so many flavours to try, I can see this becoming my go-to lip balm brand, especially during winter.
April's beauty box review will be up soon, hopefully followed by May's, as this arrived yesterday and is full of lovely things. Keep an eye out and I promise I'll be up-to-date soon!