I wasn’t actually intending to keep these amazing beauty boxes under wraps for quite so long – there were supposed to be lots of cheeky little hints, advance-warning teasers, annoying “I have a secret announcement coming up but I can’t tell you what it is!” videos. But life got in the way and I only managed minimal amounts of nudging and so here we are, on the launch day with a hint, teaser, annoying announcement and “reveal” all in one. (I expect some of you, if you’re anything like me, will be mildly relieved to be getting it all in one hit.)
But I digress, as usual: let’s get straight to the point. Do not buy any presents, especially beauty presents, until you have read this post. In fact, if I may be so bold, do not buy any beauty whatsoever until you have read this post. (In all fairness, the likelihood of you suddenly clicking away to buy an emergency cleanser whilst you’re madly engaged in my excellent writing is low, but just in case you have some sort of compulsive beauty-buying habit: stop. Put down the mouse.)
I have launched two new beauty boxes with Feelunique and they a) have amazing things in them and b) are incredible value for money. They are my very carefully considered edits of The Best In Beauty; one – the Rescue box – is a sort of beauty “SOS” kit for time-poor, results-driven people, the other – the Indulgence box – is a beautiful collection of the most decadent treats. The Rescue box is worth £70 and costs just £30, the Indulgence box is worth a huge £105 and costs just £45! Either – or both – would make the most perfect gift, whether that’s for mother’s day (it’s next Sunday!) or a birthday or for a friend of relative who’s had a new baby…
Oh, I forgot to mention the baby thing! The whole idea for the boxes actually started almost a year ago, when Baby Ted was just a newborn. In my addled, harried state, I got to thinking that it would be a thing of great convenience if there was a beauty box that pulled together the kind of hard-working, visible-results products that new mums need. Skin soothers, face brighteners and perhaps something for fixing crazy, flyaway hair.
(Sadly my Colab Dry Shampoo, which is a staple for pretty much anyone with – er – hair, couldn’t be included as it can’t be shipped worldwide. But you can get it here if you fancy a little box add-on. It’s £3.50, smells amazing and doesn’t leave any white residue.)
And so the Rescue box was born, closely followed by the Indulgence version, which is basically a fabulous, relaxing treatment session in a box. Everything you need to unwind and reboost.
It has taken almost a year to put these beauty collections together and make sure that they represented what I initially wanted them to be – I do hope that you love them as much as I do. I’m going to do a full breakdown of what’s inside each box below, but if you’re keen to grab one (or two) before the rush then you can find them at Feelunique here. There are limited numbers, so get them while stocks last!
The Rescue Box (£30, worth £70 – buy it here)
This is the SOS beauty kit of dreams – fast-acting, hard-working products that don’t require any real thinking and are completely faff free.
I’ll start with the Balance Me Restore and Replenish Cream Cleanser, which was one of my favourites when I was pregnant with Angelica. It’s soothing, gentle but removes makeup well and can either be removed with cotton wool pads or with a flannel and warm water. The box contains a full size tube worth £18.
Then there’s a full size tub of the excellent Glycolic Fix exfoliating pads from Nip & Fab, worth £14.95. These little discs of acid-soaked wonder help to brighten skin overnight with just one quick wipe. They’re like the world’s fastest facial, really, and this version – the new “Gentle” formula – is great for more sensitive, temperamental skin. If you’re postpartum and wondering what the hell to do with your knackered, dull, blotchy face then these might just be your wonder fix.
More good stuff for tired, dull, compromised skin: a full size tube of L’Oreal’s Revitalift Cicacrem, worth £12.99, which helps to soothe and repair whilst doing the anti-wrinkle magic at the same time. It’s a great cream to have to hand when your skin feels tight and just a bit battered and raw. (Again, wonderful for postpartum skin, if you’re a new mum or you want to find a good present for new mums.)
Then for the lips, what is possibly one of the most effective lip balms in the world: Lanolips 101 Ointment. This forms a very hardy barrier over the skin and is almost unbeatable in terms of long-lasting moisturisation. Use on cuticles, dry patches, chapped lips – the version in the box is the Strawberry one and is worth £7.99.
There’s a little bonus “skincare” item in the Rescue box, and I have to say that I was sceptical about it before I tried it out. It’s the Magnitone Wipeout microfibre cleansing cloth, which promises to remove makeup with just warm water. And does it? Er, yes! It’s nothing short of miraculous and a massively convenient thing to have next to your sink or inside your travel bag for quick, easy makeup removal. I am a stickler for a proper cleanse, but sometimes when time is short (or supplies are lacking) it’s fine to cut corners – I’ve actually been using the Wipeout cloth to remove my makeup (especially eye) before I go in with my proper cleanser! I’m a total convert.
And then one rather spectacular product for taming wild, uncontrollable hair. (Or just hair that is normal, but you’re useless at styling it. I’m with you.) The One Minute Transformation Cream from Colour Wow can be worked through damp hair before blow-drying to give a sleek, smooth finish, or added to the ends of dry hair to tame flyaways and frizz. In what is quite the extra perk, it can also be used on dry hair and then blow-dried in, which means that you can refresh hair that’s not recently washed. A true multipurpose hair rescuer. There’s a 30ml tube in the box, worth £9.
So, you can see that this is a brilliant gift for anyone who lacks the time to make sensible beauty decisions, or needs comprehensive, no-nonsense products that work quickly and easily. I’m so pleased with this box – it’s a proper little emergency number!
The Indulgence Box (£45, worth £105 – buy it here)
This decadent collection of luxury beauty will have you cancelling all social engagements (ha! what social engagements?) and barricading yourself into the bathroom.
Start by winding your hair into the Aquis Turban (worth £30); whether you’ve applied a hair mask and want to let it soak in, or you just want to keep your hair out of the way whilst you do your skincare routine, it’s more comfy than a shower cap and doesn’t feel all sweaty and rank. It’s actual purpose is to help to dry hair after washing, because it wicks away a load of moisture and dramatically reduces drying time, so this is the sort of indulgence you can use again and again. A useful indulgence. A usedulgence. An indulful. Shut me up.
Then light your incredible NEOM Tranquility Candle (worth £16); the scent will have you completely relaxed (if not asleep) within minutes. This one-wick candle is a great size for travelling with, if you like to “take your scent with you” (I used to do this in the days when I stayed in hotels constantly and didn’t fall asleep the minute I lay on the bed) and the smell is so powerful. In a small bathroom space, you only really need to light it once a week to have the room constantly scented.
More aromatherapy from the brilliant Aromatherapy Associates: I’ve featured these Bath and Body Oils so many times over the years that it is a great joy and privilege to be able to include them in my Indulgence box. This is the Essentials trio (worth £28.90) that has the Revive oil, De-Stress Mind and Deep Relax – all of them incredibly potent. Just a capful into the bath, or patted onto skin pre-shower and you have an instant spa experience!
And then to skincare and two luxurious treats. The first is the Darphin Rose Aromatic Care, a glorious little oil that softens, smooths and hydrates. Massage it in before moisturiser for plump, dewy skin – I also like to apply a little before foundation if I want a beautiful, natural glow.
The second treat is the 48HR Moisture SOS Rescue Mask from NUXE. This packs hydration into the skin, whether you leave it on as a thin layer overnight or apply a thick layer whilst you’re enjoying your aromatherapy bath… Non-greasy, nice and soothing, this mask is too good to save for treat days – I’ve been using it almost daily since the weather turned cold. (Which was, when? 1988 it feels like.)
So there: the ultimate indulgence package, worth over a hundred pounds, yours for £45. You can find it at Feelunique here. Run, run, run like the wind! And if you want to hear me chatting through the boxes and saying things that potentially make me look slightly unhinged, my “reveal” video is below!
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