Another month, another round of the beauty box battle! This month’s boxes were both bloody brilliant, so it’ll be a close one…
BIRCHBOX
This month, Birchbox teamed up with British fashion brand, Boden, to bring us a box under their theme ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’, and it was gorgeous. The pretty, floral design on the box is one of Boden’s key prints and it evokes some serious Spring time vibes. So what were the products like?
- Manna Kadar Cosmetics High Definition Powder (full size)
This beauty industry fave is cruelty-free; the company is even listed on Cruelty Free International’s website, so they get extra brownie points from me! More cosmetic companies should be loud and proud regarding their cruelty-free status, it’s so admirable and should just be the norm! Morals aside, this is actually a gorgeous, smooth powder that helps create a velvety matte finish to your makeup look. The only negative is that it’s pretty tiny and we received the full sized product! Still, a solid 8/10.
- Nip + Fab Colour Correcting Concealer (full size)
I’m a big fan of Nip + Fab products and I was overjoyed when they released their makeup range this year. I already have the terracotta colour corrector, which is great at neutralising dark circles – something I am plagued with! In my Birchbox, I got the lilac shade, which aims to eliminate yellow undertones. I don’t really suffer with yellow undertones, so haven’t benefited from this particular shade, but these correctors are great products nonetheless from a FAB (see what I did there?) cruelty-free company. 7/10
- Polaar IcePure Gentle Scrub with Arctic Cotton
This is a lovely, fresh smelling scrub that contains Artic Cotton, which is a fairly new ingredient but I imagine it’ll start popping up in more and more products, as it’s moisturising and both softens and smoothes the skin. There’s a downside, though. I’ve checked their website directly and on their Code of Ethics page, they’re proud to state that their products are free from parabens, alcohol and mineral oils and that their formulas are designed to respect the environment, but there’s nothing about whether they’re cruelty-free or not. It may be that they’re a new company so the information isn’t as easily accessible yet, but that does concern me. I won’t be buying any of their products until there’s clear information on whether they test on animals or not. 4/10
- Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray
This is part dry shampoo, part texturiser that aims to add volume and freshen up unwashed hair. It’s pretty decent and seems to work on my hair, which is saying something because my hair is like a limp lettuce unless I faff about with it. They’re cruelty-free and the majority of their products are vegan, too! The only issue is that it’s £20 for a full sized can, which is a bit pricey. 7/10
- Baija Paris Creme Moana
This is a gorgeous, lightweight lotion that adds an instant boost of moisture to your skin. The fragrance is incredibly fresh and feminine and just perfect for a quick boost of skin smoothing kindness. Again, I can’t find any reliable sources to confirm their animal testing policy, so they lose points. This is a shame, as I really like this stuff! SORT IT OUT, BAIJA PARIS. 4/10
BIRCHBOX TOTAL: 30/50 It would’ve been a higher score if companies were more forthcoming about their animal testing policies. It’s 2017! Come on, cosmetics world.
GLOSSYBOX
This month’s Glossybox was created with busy women in mind and each product was selected with the intention of helping make the mad morning rush just a little bit easier.
- Sport FX Shape Up Eyebrow Pencil (full size)
Sport FX are a new British-born brand on the scene whose products have been formulated with gym-goers and anyone who wants their makeup to have staying power in mind (A.K.A every woman). I LOVE this eyebrow pencil; it’s double sided with a brush on one side and a retractable waxy pencil (created so it never loses its shape!) on the other side. We all know big brows are IN, and this is fabulous for adding definition in a natural, long lasting fashion. Their products are also paraben free and cruelty-free! Big fan, very happy with this little gem. 10/10
- ModelCo Contour Stick
This is a cute, chunky crayon style contour stick that glides seamlessly onto bare skin to add definition to your cheekbones, nose and chin. It’s not the easiest product to blend in the world and you have to really rub at it to diminish obvious lines, but it is good for a quick fix. On their website, they state that they’re proud to be PETA certified cruelty-free, which is bloody brilliant. 7/10
- Merci Handy Love and Hand Cleansing Gel (full size)
I got the lemon fragranced version of this mini hand sanitizer and I won’t lie, it does smell a bit like an antibacterial wipe. Not really what I’m after in a skincare product – who wants to smell like they’ve just freshened up their kitchen worktops?! On their website, they say they’re cruelty-free, but on the back of the little bottle, it says “made in China”. This could mean the plastic bottle was made in China, but if the product was made there, then it was tested on animals. 3/10
- Elgon Deliwash Cleansing Conditioner
I’m a bit baffled by this one. It aims to revolutionise your morning shower, as you can use it as both a shampoo and conditioner to save some precious morning minutes, but the conditioning part just doesn’t seem to work on my hair. It doesn’t lather as much as a regular shampoo, as it’s a gentle, sulphate-free formula, which is great, but you do feel like you need to use more to really get it working in your hair. I also can’t find any clear, reliable information about their animal testing policy. 4/10
- Rodial Glamolash Mascara XXL
This is a brilliant, intensely black mascara that adds some serious volume and drama to your lashes. You don’t have to keep going over and over your lashes to get the desired look either, it’s really speedy at adding the drama. I love it! Rodial are also cruelty-free and have a range of vegan friendly products, too. 8/10
GLOSSYBOX TOTAL: 32/50, which makes them April’s winner! This was a close month and has made me even more excited to get my May boxes. Long may the battle of the boxes continue!
Thanks for reading, chums!
Jess XO
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