My Little Beauty Box March 2018 – Unboxing and Product Reviews

My Little Beauty Box is a new subscription beauty box which is delivered monthly to your doorstep for £35 a month. It is meant to contain a minimum of 4 full size products and a wax melt or candle as “the scent of the month”. The price tag together with the fact that the box is meant to contain high end brands, up and coming brands, and some classic products is essentially very similar to Cohorted.

Cohorted is admittedly the beauty box I look forward to the most every month with Glossybox coming a close second. Glossybox, Birchbox and Look Fantastic are all around the £10-15 mark, so they clearly do not target the same audience as My Little Beauty Box. Cohorted on the other hand, is exactly £35 a month too and is therefore a direct competitor. As a result, I have a feeling that I will be comparing My Little Beauty Box to Cohorted a lot in the next few months, let the best box win!

Funnily enough, the two boxes even come in the same type of box. A black box that closes magnetically and the quality of the box is very similar. The only difference is the size and the fact that Cohorted also has a hand tied ribbon at the front. It’s little details like that which make Cohorted appear a lot more polished and elegant than My Little Beauty Box at the moment, but bear in mind that Cohorted has been around for a while whereas My Little Beauty Box (MLB Box) has just launched.

My first impression of MLB Box is highly positive. I love the simple logo and the purple white and black colour scheme. It is simple but beautiful and it stands out. The box itself looks great.

Upon opening the box my first thought was “so much stuff”. It was overwhelming, but in a good way and I definitely didn’t feel like that with any other beauty boxes. There are 11 products inside the March MLB Box and I am loving it! No complaints! I hope this is not just because this is their launch box. Having a box with so much stuff in it is definitely a very, very strong selling point that will set this box apart from others. Other than the unboxing experience and first impressions, the more products there are, the more chances the unboxer will find something they like, month after month, and so the chances for loyal customers are better. Subscription boxes tend to get a lot of people subscribing on and off and it is difficult to keep a strong reason and excitement for those £35 a month. The “so much stuff” factor would definitely make those £35 feel much lighter.

The MLB Box didn’t really come with a monthly theme like other beauty boxes do, and even though I am a big theme fan, as I think it makes boxes a lot of fun and adds to the unboxing experience, I didn’t mind it here. Having a large amount of products will make following a theme almost impossible and so it would be better to just not have one, than to disappoint. If I had to choose between having less products and a theme versus lots of products, I don’t even need to think about it. Lots of products please! I stand by this one, it is a very strong selling point.

The box comes with a beauty card which contains a little bit about each product. This would directly compare to the Cohorted monthly magazine which is of course more elegant and well put together. I felt that the card design is what let this box down the most. The way the products are presented (text shading effect, the text and picture layout etc) is not very beautiful or exciting but this is something that I’m sure will change with time. Many boxes start out without even a card then move into a card and slowly transition into a magazine or more thought out card design. It might not be pretty at the moment but it is practical and it gives the required product information that you would like to know about the products, including their retail price.

I will be writing a general review on the box in a few months time, after I get a more rounded impression of it, but so far so good. Look out for a future: “Which one is worth your cash: Cohorted vs MLB Box” post.

This month’s MLB Box contained 11 products of which 9 were beauty products, 1 was a sweet treat and 1 was a collection of wax melts.

Let’s have a look at the products in more detail. Bear in mind that these are my personal opinions and that beauty is a very personal thing, we all have different skin, requirements and biological build which can influence things. What worked for me might not work for you and vice versa, please leave your comments below!

To subscribe to the MLB Box and get 10% off your first box click here and use the code: bondsofbeauty10

 

Elisabeth Arden Colour Intrigue Effects Lipstick in Colour Cocoa Bronze Pearl 19

Elisabeth Arden is obviously a big brand and so the presence of two of their products, elevates this box. This box promised high end brands and it has delivered.

Despite the fact that Elisabeth Arden is a high end brand this lipstick doesn’t look very expensive on first glance. The outer packaging looks great but the lipstick packaging looks very normal and a little plasticky.

Opening up the lipstick also made me feel a little disappointed as it is a dark brown colour. Brown nudes are great but darker browns look a little strange on my super pale complexion. Nevertheless, I was completely wrong to be dissapointed.

The lipstick formula is very good, it feels light on the lips and moisturising. The colour is not just flat out brown, it has a copper shine to it. In fact the first thing I thought of when I tried this out was that it looks very similar to the limited edition Urban Decay lipstick in colour Scortched. Swatching them next to each other really shows how similar they are. I don’t think I could tell the slight colour tone difference when on the lips. Although they are incredibly close, the Elisabeth Arden one is a little more on the brown side whereas the Urban Decay one is a little more metallic. Nevertheless, if you missed out on the limited edition of the Scortched Urban Decay, this one is a very close dupe!

It’s a lovely colour for summer and even the coming autum. It’s very unique and it adds dimension to the lips. The formula survives eating and drinking but of course like with any lipstick, it does fade and comes off.

The lipstick has a medium strength scent of an old fashioned style lipstick combined with a crayon scent. It’s not unpleasant but it’s not specially pleasant or feminine either.

 

This is a full size lipstick which retails for £18. It’s a little more expensive than an Urban Decay lipstick but definitely cheaper than some of the high end brands. SCORE = 8/10

 

O.P.I Nail Lacquer in Colour A Great Opera-Tunity

O.P.I really doesn’t need much introduction. They are still one of the best nail varnish brands with a huge range of colours to choose from and a great quality.

Thankfully, I didn’t have this colour so this was a lovely addition to my collection. I love the cheecky puntastic name “A Great Opera-Tunity” and the colour is gorgeous too. It’s a light but dirty pink.

The O.P.I nail varnishes last about 3-4 days without chipping, while using the O.P.I base and top coats. This might not sound like a lot but it’s much longer than main stream nail varnishes which usually chip for me within 1-2 days.

This is a full nail varnish which retails for £13.50. It might be on the expensive side, when it comes to nail varnishes, but it is worth it. SCORE = 9/10

 

Bodyography Electric Lip Slide in Colour Cupid’s Beau 1609

I must admit, I’ve never heard of this brand but the more lipsticks a woman has the better right? This is meant to be a liquid lipstick that is applied with a wand.

Unfortunately, the wand was damaged. It had a strange bend to it but the lipstick was still very usable. I loved the pink shade even though it looked lighter on the lips than in the tube. The lipstick never dried, so it’s not like your typical liquid lipstick but rather like a conventional lipstick.

It comes off with eating or drinking and although it is a gorgeous colour, it is a little streaky. That’s pretty normal with light lipstick colours though. You can apply a couple of layers or even mix it with a little lip balm to cover up any strikiness.

This lipstick is paraben free and Bodyography is an environmentally conscious company. I love the company’s name and even though the branding and design are minimal, they look nice.

I must admit I wasn’t too impressed by the formula of this lipstick but I’m going to put it down to the light colour. Light colour formulations are very rare to get right.

This is a full size lipstick which contains vitamin E and retails for £13. It’s definitely a very affordable price. It even has a mild, sweet, bubble gum type scent. SCORE = 7/10

 

Smashbox Trio Eye Shadow in Colours Lime Tropical and Cobalt

One more product, one more known brand. So far so good MLB Box. Smashbox is not a high end brand but it is definitely an affordable brand that many people love.

Even though I’m not a fan of small eye shadow palettes like this one, because they get forgotten at the back of a draw somewhere, I still loved this little trio. The colours are so gorgeous, so electric! I wouldn’t do a full eye with these but they are the perfect accent colours here and there or for an under the eye line etc. Out of all the little eye shadow minis I have, this one will be one that I will remember about and perhaps not forget at the back of a draw.

The quality of the shadows is good. They are a little more on the powdery than creamy side but they are still very easily blendable, highly pigmented and last all day with the aid of an eye shadow primer.

This little trio retails for £20 which to be honest I think it’s a little much. For an extra £10 you could get high end full size palettes which I would personally prefer. I think this trio should retail somewhere between £10-15 but nevertheless your money is not wasted. The quality of the shadows is good and even the packaging is fairly sturdy and of very good quality. SCORE = 8/10

 

Elizabeth Arden Eye Shadow in Colour Desert Rose 11

I wasn’t too fond of two small eye shadow mini palettes in one box but hey, when it’s Elizabeth Arden you can’t really complain that much. This little eye shadow palette looks high end, it even contains a mirror and a mini applicator.

The colour is a gorgeous pinky neutral shimmer which will can be used for both night and day looks. Even professional looks.

 

The shadow is of great quality, neither powdery or creamy. It has a mid-way consistency that works pretty well. It lasts all day and doesn’t crease with the aid of an eye shadow primer.

It lasts 36M and you could probably even use it as a soft highlighter. If you are a fun of the nudes, you will love this one. SCORE = 9/10

 

 

K Rose B Eyelashes

A fancy look is not complete without some false lashes! No matter how good your mascara is you just can’t get as big of an effect as the falsies will give you.

These lashes are very beautiful and feel lightweight on the eyes. They came in a gorgeous and sturdy box with a glittery pink background. The presentation is definitely great and it makes me want to wear them even more.

I’m not sure what style these lashes are in, which is not great, but I think it is called Ohana?

These silk lashes can be re-used anywhere between 10-15 times depending on how well you treat them. Remeber than avoiding using mascara on them will prolong their lifetime and they truly don’t need it anyway. They retail for £8.50 which is a very affordable price. SCORE = 9/10

 

Ciatè Velvet Manicure Set in Colour Mink Cashmere

Ciatè is another well known brand and although, this is the second nail varnish of the box, it is welcome. Perhaps the MLB Box should make an extra effort on not putting the same type of items in the same box, although if they are both from big known brands it’s almost ok. I wouldn’t mind getting a box full of nail varnishes or lipsticks if they were all from known brands…Gosh…a box full of lipsticks! Yes, a box full of lipsticks MLB please!

Anyhow, this wasn’t just another nail varnish it was actually a cute little set for creating a 3D-effect on your nails. It comes with a nail varnish, some powder like material to sprinkle on the nails and a little brush to remove any excess. All you need to do is put some nail varnish on your nails first and then before it dries, sprinkle some of the dust on top. Don’t worry if it’s a lot, be generous. After a couple of minutes you can use the brush to remove the excess and reveal the 3D-effect.

It actually works much better than I though and it even looks nice. It actually looks nicer in real life than in the picture. It gave a feathered or shiny like effect that didn’t look rough. However, it unfortunately only lasts you for the day. It didn’t survive sleeping, I woke up with flat nails. The nail afterwards looks smudged and flat, like you touched your nail varnish before it dried, so it’s not great. However, if you apply another layer of nail varnish and stick more powder on top of it you can get it fixed like new again. It’s probably something you would do for a specific occasion rather than an everyday, 3-4 day lasting nail look.

Nevertheless, I loved the grey colour of the nail varnish and it lasted 3-4 days without chipping. Bear in mind though that I used an O.P.I base and top coat.

I love the cute bottle design and shape and I can’t believe that this little set retails for only £10. This could have easily been the price for just the nail varnish. SCORE = 8/10

 

Mark Hill Get It Straight Straightening Shampoo

This shampoo is meant to make your hair more straight or easier to straightener or maybe even perhaps straighter for longer.

It is a clear gel like liquid that foams up a little and smells nice. It feels nice in the hair and it is easy to massage and spread. The foam actually feels nicely silky.

After rinsing it off you can immediately tell that the hair behaves differently. My hair was less tangled and sat in an almost “more straight” way if that makes sense. It didn’t tangle around or get wavey. My hair also felt neither dirty nor clean but rather somewhere in the middle. It wasn’t squeaky clean to the touch.

I didn’t use a conditioner as I didn’t want to mask or change the effects of the shampoo and unfortunately, this shampoo came in the box on its own without its conditioner partner. I let my hair air dry overnight and then used iron straighteners in the morning.

My hair was straight after using the iron but not any more straight than when using any other shampoo. It also didn’t look like I just washed it, it didn’t have as much volume, it was rather like day 2 or 3 after washing the hair. It separated slightly into strands and while it didn’t look dirty it looked like it was almost there. I’m definitely not going to get many days out of this shampoo before having to wash my hair again.

All and all the shower experience was great but the after result when the hair was dry wasn’t. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t any better than my normal, non-straightening shampoos and I didn’t like that my hair looked a day away from dirty.

Perhaps I should have blow dried it immediately instead of air drying, who knows, it just didn’t work miracles for me. Bear in mind that I have thick hair so this might be a factor too.

On the plus side, my hair remained sleek and straight throughout the day which is great. My hair normally really likes moisture and tends to fluff up and almost double it’s volume throughout the course of the day. So even though my hair looked 1 day away from being dirty, it was at least one day of sleek, frizz and volume free hair.

The plastic tube itself is of standard quality and although it’s not especially beautifully designed, it looks like a hair product from a salon.

I will use it this up but I am still in two minds about this one. Let me know if it works for you! SCORE = 6/10

 

7^th Heaven Fresh Feet Cooling Deodorising Cream Talc in Mint & Iced Blueberry

This is definetely not a high end product but it is one of those loved casuals. If I’m honest, I don’t often use feet deoderants because I just don’t need to.

Nevertheless, this product was nice to use and it gave my feet that extra little love and attention I should probably be giving them more often.

All you have to do is wash your feet, massage the deoderant cream all over them and give them some love and then leave it on to absorb. You don’t need to wash it off, it is meant to be a deoderant after all. This type of product might come in handy as the seasons change and the weather becomes more hot and sweaty.

This product is suitable for vegeterians and is cruelty free. I couldn’t find how long it lasts for but these sort of products can last for a long time.

The mint and ice blueberry scent was a little strange for a foot product but nevertheless refreshing and gave a natural feeling. If nothing else, this product gives you the well earned chance for a little foot massage! SCORE = 9/10

 

Ferreo Rocher Chocolates

Makeup and a chocolate, I mean what more could you want from a beauty box really? It’s a lovely touch for sure and as lovely as the Ferreros are, I strangely hope there won’t be any eatable treats in next month’s box. I just don’t need the temptation!

Also something really strange happened during the box photo shoot. The Ferreros kept slowly disappearing, from picture to picture, until I realised that my partner kept stealing them!

This is not a beauty item so I won’t score it, as it would mask the overall box score. It’s a gorgeous chocolate though.

 

Homemade Wax Gifts Wax Melts in the Scent of Sweet Treats

It’s really lovely that the MLB Box supports small and upcoming business and that they are aiming to include a wax melt or candle every month. This one is a much more welcome addition to the box, in my opinion, than the sweet treat.

These cute little wax melts are from the Homemade Wax Gifts company by Abbie and they have sweet treat scents. They are definitely very cute and a lovely little touch to the beauty box.

This is also not a beauty item so I won’t score it either. However, I will give the MLB Box an extra item score of 8/10 for adding little cute extras, like the chocolate and the wax melts.

 

Overall, this was a great beginning for the MLB Box and I am looking forward to the next ones. I can’t get over how much stuff there was in this box, it definitely makes the price feel much more worth it. It is of course value for money and it’s almost guaranteed that you will find at least a product or two that you will like. So far so good!

Initial box score, in terms of products and first feelings = 8/10

Overall box score after product testing (a sum of product scores) = 8.4

Star product = K Rose B Eyelashes. This is not the most high end product in the box and a lot of other products also scored highly, however, it is one of the products that made the box stand out and feel more special and valuable. 

To subscribe to the MLB Box and get 10% off your first box click here and use the code: bondsofbeauty10

For all the details on how Cohorted, Glossybox, Look Fantastic and Birchbox performed in 2017 and which one is worth your money, check out “Battle of the Beauty Boxes – Conclusions from the 2017 unboxing and reviews on Cohorted, Glossybox, Look Fantastic and Birchbox!”

For general Subscription Box reviews see my: Birchbox, Glossybox, Look Fantastic and Cohorted general review posts. For help on how to choose the right subscription box for you check out “Which Subscription Beauty Box is right for you?”.

I am not affiliated with any company or brand. These are my views and experiences.

 

This article is from www.bonds-of-beauty.com but you can also find me on:

Instagram: @bondsofbeauty

Twitter: @bondsofbeauty1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/bondsofbeauty/

Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/bonds-beautycom-18959593

Blogorama: https://www.blogarama.com/blogging-blogs/1287212-bonds-beauty-blog/ 

WordPress: https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/64442128

Influenster: Bonds B