Skin Organics Beauty Box – January

Ilove a beauty box – mostly. They are a fantastic invention on so many levels, although not without their failings I might add. Not only are they a great way to discover new products and brands (or rediscover forgotten ones) but they enable you to restock your travel bag with sample/travel sized products, gift your friends and relatives beauty products (my usual procedure for products that don’t suit my skin), a subscription (or one off box) make for a perfect present and to top it all they just make you feel good when they land on the mat. Yes, you get the odd dud box and at times there are way too many sachets and hand creams (I hate getting hand creams, it always feels like such a cop-out!) but overall I think they are a great idea regardless of whether you are a beauty pro or a newbie.

I have subscribed to the Love Lula Beauty Box on and off since the days of it’s previous incarnation Amarya and also have a history with the now defunct SoukSouk. My modus operandi is usually to get the box for a few months then cancel my subscription when I feel I have a backlog of products and resubscribe when I’ve worked my way through them (except the hand creams which I give away to people as I only get though about one tube a year myself!).

This time around I fancied a change so looked into other beauty box options. There are a number of clean/green/ cruelty-free/vegan beauty boxes on the market at the moment and two stood out to me, so unable to decide I signed up for them both.

N.B: I  won’t do a full breakdown like this every month for both boxes as it may get a little tedious (for you and me) so will probably just cover them in social media – let me know if this works for you.

I received my first beauty box from Skin Organics a couple of days ago – as I’m sure you’ve realised over the years I’m not one for instant posting so this is a comparatively quick turn around post wise for me! It hasn’t given me the opportunity to try all of the products so this will be very much first thoughts.

Skin Organics is a comparatively new beauty box, launching in the UK only last May. Each month they promise five natural/organic and cruelty free products, in both full and travel and sizes. The ingredients we avoid list is pretty extensive and they are tougher in their criteria than other boxes (big thumbs up from me!) but all of the usual suspects are covered as well as some refreshing inclusions. There are three subscription options: pay monthly, three monthly and six monthly so you can opt in and out as you see fit.

Each box is themed and this months was entitled Restore, Soothe and Repair; a perfect antidote to December’s indulgences and exertions.

So what was in it?

Siskyn Frankincense & Jasmine Night Facial – 30ml (RRP £46.00) (V)

First up is a brand I haven’t had the pleasure of trying as yet although they have been hovering on the periphery of my radar for a while. This is an overnight skin boosting treatment containing a rich blend of seventeen certified organic botanical oils (including apricot, flax and rosehip). The award winning oil has garnered a lot of fans, its 100% organic formulation is designed to nourished and rejuvenated whilst aiding collagen production and combating free radical damage. It smells amazing; rich and a little earthy with a slightly floral note. From my initial play a little goes a long way so you only need a drop.

Nadarra Organic Lavender, Chamomile & Oat Bath Bag – Makes two baths (RRP £3.50) (V)

The first of my new discoveries, this generous sized bath bag smells absolutely divine. Should I be someone who adds smellies to their underwear drawers then I could very easily snaffle it away upstairs before it even saw a bath! A blend of soothing and relaxing organic chamomile and lavender are mixed with organic oats which release skin softening oat milk when steeped in a warm bath – I can’t wait!

Ginger Stone Soothing Clay Mask Shot – 20ml (RRP £5.00)

This brand is another new one on me. I love a face mask and the combination of three simple ingredeitns; Rhassoul clay, raspberry and honey powders is very appealing. Designed for the most sensitive of skins, it nourishes and soothes whilst drawing impurities out of the skin. I love the packaging! The glass vial looks stylish and it smells lovely. I’ve popped this into my travel bag for my next hotel stay but I’m not convinced that I won’t hunt it out before then.

Pinks Boutique Organic Cuticle Oil – Sample Size (V)

I’m no stranger to Pink’s Boutique. Their products (including this one) regularly feature in both my professional kit and my own personal product stash and this cuticle oil is one of the nicest I’ve tried. It softens cuticles and regenerates and aids cell building whilst healing sore patches and preventing brittle, flaking nails. The combination of lavender, frakinsence and fennel give it a warming yet zesty scent which pleasantly lingers. This tiny pipette bottle is the perfect travel size and has also gone into my soap bag so I can add cuticle care to my list of me things I do in hotel rooms when I’m away working.

Ezàpè Naturals Rosemary Body Butter – 25g (RRP £6.50) (V)

Another first for me is this whipped body butter from Ezàpè Naturals. A tiny brand with (currently) just two products made using simple blends of high quality natural and organic ingredients. I found Rosemary Body Butter a slightly deceptive product,in the jar  it appears very dense (or maybe it was just mine) however you can slide though it like (actual) butter. Made with just five ingredients, the butter immediately melts on contact with the skin. A waterless formulation, it would work best when applied to damp skin I image although I gave it a quick run out on dry skin and it left the patch of my arm feeling wonderful! The rosemary scent is beautifully strong and woody. I am always a little cautious with rosemary oil as I have a history of epilepsy so this one may go to my mum which is a shame – fingers crossed for some other scents in the future.

Pink & Green Skincare Relax & Restore Bath Oil – 30ml (RRP £7.50)

I have recently been introduced to the Pink & Green Skincare facial range so I am excited to try something from the body collection. As it says on the bottle, this bath oil is designed to relax and restore; uplifting bergamot is blended with soothing lavender on a nourishing coconut base. In there bottle the fragrance is quite subtle however I do have a bit of a cold so could be wrong on this (please let me know). I added it to my bath last night and my skin felt beautifully soft and nourished.

As I’m sure you can see, with the contents totalling over £70.00 it was well worth the £21.00 (+3.95 p&p) monthly subscription price. I’m looking forward to next months box.

Do you receive a beauty box? What do you like (or hate) about them?

Images: LJS – OMUA