When the August Lookfantastic beauty box landed at my door, I wondered if it was enough to redeem itself and make me remain a subscriber once my annual subscription lapses next month. Upon opening it, however, the answer was a resolute “no”. The quality of the LF beauty box has slowly (but surely) gone downhill over the past year, and I’ve been finding myself less and less enthusiastic about receiving each box.
As always, the latest issue of ELLE magazine is included with each box – I rarely read the magazine, but I did notice that this month’s subscription offer is pretty decent. For £10 (6 issues), you’ll receive what looks to be mini sizes of SUQQU Enrich Foaming Wash and Creamy Glow Lipstick, worth over £35. This is definitely a good deal if you were considering taking out a subscription anyway, since SUQQU products tend to be expensive. Otherwise, £6 is a steal for these products even if you were to toss away the magazine.
As for this month’s beauty box contents, although it isn’t as bad as last month’s, I will not be re-subscribing at the end of my subscription period (1 more box to go). I would rather buy the products I know I want than end up with a bunch that I will rarely use for the sake of “value”.
Anyway, on to the contents of the box.
Mane ‘n Tail Shampoo, 60ml, worth £3.59 (RRP £5.99 for 100ml) and Conditioner, 60ml, also worth £3.59 (RRP £5.99 for 100ml)
The shampoo has a nice scent, but it contains SLS so it may not be for everyone. The conditioner contains parabens so again, not everyone will like it.
Lord & Berry Magic Brow in Brunette, 0.85g, worth £1.98 (RRP £14 for 6g)
Not a product that I need, but this is a shade that I can use. Will throw it into my backup/travel stash.
Gatineau Gentle Silk Cleanser, 50ml, worth £5.13 (RRP £20.50 for 200ml)
This cleanser has a somewhat pleasant scent, but my stash is already overflowing with cleansers I’m unlikely to get around to.
Korres Basil Lemon Body Milk, 40ml, worth £2 (RRP £10 for 200ml)
Non-sticky and moisturising, this body milk would have been a winner if it wasn’t reminiscent of Dettol lemon floor wipes. The basil gives the lemon a slight medicinal scent and as a result, I’m constantly reminded of bathroom cleaner when using this body lotion. Out it goes!
Skin79 Super+ Beblesh Balm, 7g, worth £4.30 (based on this £12.90 Super Plus BB Cream Best 3 Set
BB creams were all the rage a few years ago, but the craze has since faded away. I’ve actually purchased the full size version of this in the past and although it was “usable”, it was ultimately too ashy for my NC15 skin. “One shade matches all” products rarely, if ever, do what they advertise. I’ve come to realise that I’d rather have a foundation that perfectly matches my skin than gamble on BB creams that are only available in a couple of shades.
Lottie London Balm Ball in Strawberry Shortcake, full size, RRP £5
According to Lottie London, this boasts a “unique egg-shaped applicator” – um, EOS sphere shaped lip balms anyone? This is paraben free and vegan friendly, but the EOS lip balms contain 95% organic ingredients and are available in more flavours, therefore I would rather pick EOS. The scent is nice (I like most things strawberry) but since I’m incredibly picky when it comes to lip products, I feel that this is quite average, and for the price there are much better lip balms available.
Total value of products in this month’s box – £25.59. Unless LF values the cardboard box at over £15, this again falls short of their “worth over £40” claim. Two months in a row? Unacceptable. I’m at a point where I’m actually looking forward to the end of my subscription, so bring on next month!
