Up until recently I’ve been resisting buying any more beauty boxes because the bathroom cabinet was overflowing with various lotions and potions, but the Latest in Beauty Glamour Summer Edit was too good to pass up. Costing £20 for products worth £104, the box was incredibly good value for money and full of items I was sure I’d use. With a few trips to warmer climes planned the Ladival Sun Protection Spray SPF 30 and St Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mist made the box worth buying.
The Ladival SPF 30 150ml (full size) costs £13.50 at Boots.* The water resistant spray protects against UVA and UVB rays, as well as Infrared-A rays, claiming to provide four times more protection compared to standard UVA/UVB sun protection products.
Ladival lotions and sprays are available in SPF 15, 30, 50 and 50+, as well as a kids’ range, and all are water resistant. They are free from preservatives, colourants, perfume and parabens so it’s suitable for sensitive skin. I’ve used it quite a lot over the Summer, and while it doesn’t have that “holiday smell” that a lot of sun creams have, it was easy to apply and absorbed easily. I used it in temperatures ranging from the low 20s to high 30s, although I do stay in the shade when possible, wear a hat and apply SPF 50 to my face and décolletage. It’s not expensive, but on the other hand you can find decent sun creams for less, so I’m not sure if I’d buy it in future.
To achieve a tan without the sun damage I usually fake it before going on holiday. Occasionally I have a spray tan at a salon, but more often than not I apply one myself at home. The St Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mist is really easy to apply thanks to the spray can. It is a bit messy so I’d advise doing it in the shower or over the bath. I found that I still needed to blend well with a tan mitt but it did dry streak-free and developed into a lovely bronze hue, not at all orangey. It seems to be sold out at quite a few retailers, suggesting it’s very popular, but I’ve found it in stock at Superdrug for £20.99 for 200ml.*
If you’ve read some of my previous beauty posts you’ll probably know that I’m a huge fan of Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, so any new cleanser I try has a lot to live up to. Aurelia Probiotic Skincare Miracle Cleanser has a very similar formula to the Cleanse and Polish and shares the same cruelty-free, natural ethos. The creamy cleanser is applied to dry skin, massaged in and removed with the bamboo muslin cloth which comes with it. Camomile, Bergamot, Rosemary and Eucalyptus essential oils soothe and cleanse the skin, while botanicals Hibiscus, Baobab, Mongongo oil and Kigelia Africana nourish and firm the skin.
The Aurelia Probiotic Skincare range is free from a whole host of nasties, including parabens and mineral oils. I took the 30ml tube on holiday with me and my skin loved it. In fact I was so impressed with it that I added another one to a “build your own” box from Latest in Beauty (more on that in another post). I could happily use the Aurelia Miracle Cleanser and Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish alongside one another as they are very much alike, although the C&P is better value for money.
I’m not usually a fan of matte lipstick as they can be drying but I really like the Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor. The smooth, velvety gel formula is intensely pigmented and has brilliant staying power. The shade supplied was Devotion – a deep pink that would suit all skin tones. I’ve been carrying it around in my handbag for weeks and find it easy for quick touch ups during the day. It’s available in seven shades.
The only other product in the Latest in Beauty Glamour Summer Edit box I’ve got around to using is the Nuxe Prodigieux Shower Oil. Fragranced with sweet almond, vanilla and orange blossom it leaves skin delicately scented and with a hint of gold shimmer. You can find it at M&S in the UK for £10 for a 200ml tube.*
I was really intrigued by the Grounded Coffee Scrub as I’d been planning to make my own scrub from discarded coffee grounds. I’ve read loads of blog posts on how to make your own scrub with coffee, sugar and oil but never actually got further than writing down the instructions. The caffeine is meant to help reduce the appearance of cellulite so it’s got to be worth a go right? The 30g sachet of the chocolate orange variety I received has the most wonderful smell and I was all ready to try it when I read that you’re meant to leave it on for 10 minutes. Well as you can imagine, it could get very messy waiting around covered in coffee grounds so that one will have to wait for when I’ve got time to stand in the bathroom for ten minutes while it works its magic!
When it comes to styling my hair I spend a considerable amount of time trying to achieve a smooth, frizz-free finish. But occasionally I like to pump up the volume and go for a more bouncy, natural look – even more so now I’ve had a few inches cut off. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is an invisible dry spray that builds volume and adds texture. Described as an alternative to dry shampoo, this body-building spray uses patented polymers to absorb oil at the roots. This versatile styling spray can also be used on clean hair to add lift at the roots, texture and volume without any powdery white residue.
The paraben-free formula claims to protect colour with a multi-layered UV protection system and leaves hair smelling beautiful with Oribe’s signature scent. I’ve yet to try this spray out properly yet, but I do love the smell. A handy product to keep in your desk drawer for those evenings out straight after work.
The other product in the box I haven’t used yet is the Wow Luxury Face Mask. Described as a natural alternative to injectables, the aqua gel mask has been created with the newly developed Transdermal Cosmetics Delivery technology. It’s activated by skin temperature to allow the anti-aging ingredients to reach the deeper layers of the skin. Enriched with peptides and vegetable cell extract, it claims to deliver intense hydration, visibly reduce pore sizes, wrinkles and inhibit muscle contraction. It’s recommended that you leave the mask on for 20-40 minutes (the longer the better) and while improvements will be most noticeable for the following 24 hours, the effects can be felt for up to seven days. Sounds promising…I’ll let you know how I get on with it!
Revlon HD Ultra Matte Lipcolor in Devotion.
Contents:
Grounded Chocolate Orange Body Scrub 30g
Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray 75ml
St Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mist 125ml
Ladival Sun Protection Spray SPF30 150ml
Nuxe Prodigieux Shower Oil 30ml
Aurrelia Miracle Cleanser 30ml and bamboo muslin cloth
Wow Mask Luxury Facial Mask
Aurelia Probiotic Skincare £10 giftcard
The box is now sold out but you can buy the items individually if you fancy giving any a try.
*All prices correct at time of writing.
I am liking the colour of that Revlon lippy. I will be looking at that. Iv’e never bought a beauty box before because of unknown sensitivity’s. But I think these boxes look so much fun, It must be great unwrapping them, a bit like your birthday .
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