Category: Beauty

Blogging about all things beauty: makeup, skincare and hair.

Sharing makeup tutorials & tips, the best beauty products & all my beauty secrets. And probably getting excited about an eyeshadow palette.

 

2019-03-06 Beauty, Reviews

lookfantastic Beauty Box Review: Is It Worth It?

lookfantastic Beauty Box review with skincare and makeup products

My mind has slowly changed about beauty boxes. I think I’m starting to get the idea. I know, shocker, considering I’m a beauty therapist, beauty blogger and beauty product enthusiast. But anyway, I have been quite eager to receive my beauty boxes from lookfantastic* lately.

PR samples. Affiliate links marked with *. If you buy through a link, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Short answer: yes, I think the lookfantastic Beauty Box can be worth it if you enjoy trying new skincare, makeup and hair products and do not mind the surprise element. I received these boxes as PR samples in 2018-2019, so the product examples and prices below are from that period. Before ordering, check the current monthly box, subscription terms and price on lookfantastic.

products from a lookfantastic Beauty Box review

Is the lookfantastic Beauty Box worth it?

At the time of writing in 2019, I had received three lookfantastic boxes and I was impressed with the contents. I had tried a few boxes from different companies and I thought lookfantastic Beauty Box* was one of the better ones. Obviously with beauty boxes there is the inevitable chance of receiving products that you won’t necessarily like, but that’s the risk you take with a surprise. And that’s also the reason why I’ve been hesitant about beauty box subscriptions. But with these boxes there were more good products that I could actually use – and less of those products that I don’t like. Besides, it’s exciting to not know what you’re gonna get. And what a nice surprise these were!

Price note: the prices I mentioned in 2019 are historical. Current offers, subscription lengths, shipping and cancellation rules vary by country, so check the current Beauty Box page before subscribing.

lookfantastic Beauty Box November unboxing products

I got my first box in November and I’m still using and loving the Mellow Cosmetics eyeliner I got. I think it’s the best eyeliner I’ve tried. All in all that box was great, another favorite of mine was the REN day cream I got and immediately used. Read my November lookfantastic Beauty Box unboxing.

The second box in February got me a lovely palette from Sleek cosmetics. It has the perfect coral blush shade, that I’m also using as an eyeshadow. The box also had some nice travel sized things, that I’m saving for my trips. I wasn’t so impressed with the hair spray and lash curlers it had, but I’m super picky about hair products – and well, lash curlers too. I happen to own the perfect pair of lash curlers, and no other lash curlers to this day have compared to them. But when you count the worth of the products, it was more than what the box cost at the time.

lookfantastic Beauty Box products including skincare and makeup

And the third box was probably the best of the three I reviewed. It had The Ordinary’s full sized hyaluronic acid serum – and my skin loves hyaluronic acid. It helps to keep my skin hydrated, soft and radiant. It also had one of my favorite masks in a travel size (Madara Smart) as well as a hand lotion from one of my favorite brands, Rituals. I thought I wouldn’t like the eos lip balm, but to my surprise it smelled heavenly, and so my mind was changed. I think that’s one of the things about beauty boxes – you might try something you otherwise wouldn’t think to try!

At that time the box also included a small Elle magazine. The only thing I didn’t like was that it was so small and everything was printed in such a small print. But maybe it’s just my personal preference. I understand why the magazine needed to be small – so that it would fit the box. But I just hoped that Elle would use bigger font so that it would be easier to read! Gosh, how was I just 24 years old? You should see the font size on my kindle.

Sleek face palette makeup from lookfantastic Beauty Box

In the photo I’m wearing the Sleek face palette I got from lookfantastic’s February box.

Who I recommend the lookfantastic Beauty Box for

All in all, I would recommend a lookfantastic beauty box subscription if you are thinking of trying a beauty box and enjoy skincare, makeup and hair product discoveries. It’s a nice monthly surprise to yourself, a piece of luxury to your every day life. It usually comes with well-known brands and smaller brands you wouldn’t necessarily otherwise try. If you want to choose every product yourself, a surprise beauty box may not be the best fit. If you enjoy skincare and makeup and are eager to try out new beauty products – it can be a fun one to try. I also have to note that I love the pretty boxes themselves. They are great for organizing.

If you want more context before ordering, read my more recent Lookfantastic beauty favourites. And if you like surprise beauty shopping in general, my best beauty advent calendars guide is another useful comparison.

*Check the current lookfantastic Beauty Box options here (availability, price and terms vary by country)

FAQ: lookfantastic Beauty Box review

Is the lookfantastic Beauty Box worth it?

It can be worth it if you like trying a mix of skincare, makeup and hair products and are happy with the surprise element. It is less ideal if you want to choose every product yourself.

What comes in the lookfantastic Beauty Box?

The contents change monthly. The boxes I received in 2018-2019 included brands such as The Ordinary, REN, Rituals, Sleek and Mellow Cosmetics, but current boxes can be different.

How much does the lookfantastic Beauty Box cost?

The prices in this review were 2019 prices and should be treated as historical. Check the current lookfantastic Beauty Box page for today’s price, subscription length, shipping and cancellation terms.

Can you choose the products in the box?

Beauty boxes are usually built around a surprise selection, so you should not expect to pick every product yourself.

Who is the lookfantastic Beauty Box best for?

I would recommend it most to someone who uses beauty products regularly, enjoys discovering new brands and will actually use travel-size products.

Do you already have a subscription? What do you think?

2019-02-28 Skincare

How to tackle dry skin in 3 steps

Every now and then the story of my skin changes drastically. Usually because of the ever-changing climate. Suddenly I steer clear of most of my purifying products and I even reduce the use of my favorite serum. I get this new problem that I promise to tackle every single year: dryness.

Unfortunately some things you just have to let be. Such as, dryness when the climate changes. It’s inevitable and not always your fault. The dry cold weather is no joke. That said – I have found some great products that do help. Right now my skin is doing really good and I have this routine to thank.

These three steps have become crucial in tackling dry skin:

1.Changing your cleansers to milder ones.

2. Hydrating and moisturizing like your life depended on it and

3. Protecting your skin with the right products.

Products received in pr

How to tackle dry skin in three steps

patyka foaming cleanser lotus soothing lotion

Step 1: Change your cleansers to mild ones

I’m very strict about removing my makeup and cleansing my skin in two steps. For a skin that has large pores and sebaceous filaments, keeping those pores clean is important.

I recently found the makeup eraser*, which has changed my makeup removing game. That cloth is so soft yet effective, I’m amazed. I remove my makeup with the makeup eraser.

After that I wash my face with some product. Lately I’ve used Patyka’s Cleansing Perfect Foam*, which is suitable for a mature skin as well as for my skin, which is combination. It contains calming and moisturizing properties as well as some gentle fruit acids.

If your skintype is dry or normal, you might want to try Patyka’s own 3-step-cleansing ritual, which consists of an oil, this foam and finally their toner/hydrating mist. I’ve tried it, and it feels very luxurious, but too nourishing for my skin.

CLEANSING:

The makeup eraser*
Patyka Cleansing Perfecting Foam*

My favorite cleanser is still Lavera’s Cleansing Balm*, but right now I’ve ran out of it and I’m trying to use my other products.

Step 2: Hydrate & moisturize

I’m talking about both hydrating and moisturizing, because those are actually not the exact same thing.
Hydrating means bringing water to your skin – which it needs, to look radiant, soft and healthy.
Moisturizing means locking in that water and keeping it hydrated.

Basically what this means is that you should stack products. First your lighter water-containing products like toners, mists, essences or serums. Then your moisturizer. Korean skincare routine like.

Right now I’ve been loving BYBI’s Mega Mist, which contains hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is awesome for hydration, because it can hold onto a lot of water (and we just learned that our skin needs water!). I usually apply it on moist skin, just so it has some more water to hold onto (that’s a tip I learned from Nude blog).

I’ve also started to add Loccitane’s essence on top of that mist. I wrote about it here*.

After that, I apply my moisturizer. For day and night use, I have Patyka’s Sacred Lotus Soothing Lotion. I got it before winter and thought it wouldn’t work for me, but now I think the exact opposite. It’s an awesome moisturizer. It smells amazing and it works wonders – for my skin, anyway. It doesn’t leave my skin shiny nor matte. Radiant is possibly the right word. It contains natural oils such as almond oil and jojoba oil.

HYDRATING:

BYBI Beauty Mega Mist
L’Occitane Aqua Reotier Moisture Prep Essence*

MOISTURIZING:

Patyka Lotus Soothing Radiant Lotion
PURA D’OR Organic Moroccan Argan Oil

I also always apply argan oil in the evening. I apply it under the moisturizer, on top of it or mix it with my moisturizer (Patyka). It doesn’t really matter how I apply it – most important thing is to use it. Argan oil is the queen of oils, because it suits both dry, mature and oily skin. It should also help with scarring, so my acne scars are definitely getting their fair share of this. My sister, who has extremely dry skin, also swears by argan oil. Psst! She shared all her dry skin secret here in this post!

Step 3: Protect your skin

This is partially the same as moisturizing – moisturizer locks in the hydration, but it also protects the skin. It’s like a barrier between your skin and the world.

For my skin, I feel like makeup is enough to protect my skin from the harsh winter. Makeup is so much more than just something that makes you pretty – it actually can have skincare benefits and it does take care of your skin (as in, being a protective barrier).

However, on those days that I’m not wearing makeup, I like to wear a thick(ish) cream. If I’m going for a long walk or run outside, I like to apply a layer of Babe Balm* as my protector. It does leave my face a bit shiny, but I’ll take that instead of a red and dry poor skin. I’ve used that product for quite some time now and I think it’s become a holy grail product for me. It’s cuteness and luxury in one tube. It’s the best hand lotion as well and for dry skin you could possibly try it as a night mask. Oh – and this product has an amazing sweet scent.

Weleda’s Skin Food* or Skin Food Light is a good multi-use product option for the Babe Balm. I recently got to try Weleda’s Skin Food Light, which is a lighter version of their classic Skin Food lotion. Even that Light-version is super moisturizing for me, so it’s perfect for protecting my skin against cold. I also sometimes use it as a night cream, since it doesn’t matter if my skin looks a bit shiny in the evening. That product also works as a hand cream or body cream for dry spots.

MOISTURIZING & PROTECTING:
BYBI Beauty Babe Balm*
Weleda Skin Food Light*

*adlink

Thanks for helping with photos @pinjaelisa

What are your top product picks for winter?

Good reads:
Hyaluronic acid on Paula’s Choice

 

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