Carmine Beauty Box - October 2011

The "Beauty Box" has become a hot topic in the beauty world in the UK over the last six months or so. First we had Glossybox who committed the cardinal sin of including a non-luxury brand in their box and sneakily upping the price of their boxes. Then Boudior Prive stepped into the ring. I was initially attracted to their service but after seeing the first box I felt a bit 'meh'. I think the brands they include are a bit *too* niche and I don't really want to receive tea bags in my beauty box. In addition, I won a voucher for a half price box in a competition they had early on and I asked about it a few times but never received the voucher so on a personal level I was a bit miffed!

I've seen a couple of YouTube videos about other beauty boxes available here in the UK but I don't know enough about them to comment.

So why did I decide to give Carmine a go? 

I was watching a video about the first box by one of my favourite YouTubers/bloggers. You can check it out here. I liked that I could still order the box she was talking about unlike with other services which keep you waiting a month or more for your box. I subscribed on Sunday and my box was here by Thursday. The box costs £10 with £2.75 postage and packaging. 

What do I think of the box?

Packaging-wise, I don't think it's as pretty as some of the other boxes but the big black box is sturdy and I'm planning to fill it up with nail polish! My cat also loved the packaging which meant I could look at the products without him pestering me. Teddy's very into his beauty products, don't you know?

The contents of the box wasn't a surprise to me, but that's okay as there was one thing in there I was excited about. Here is what was included:

Balance Me - Super Moisturising Hand Cream, 30ml

I'm really not a fan of the scent of this. It smells like something my granny would like. However, I've used it several times and it is nice and moisturising without being greasy. It's a nice size for my handbag and a very decent sample size.

Daniel Sandler - Eye Delight in Peach

This is a full size loose eyeshadow. Now, I hate loose eyeshadows; I spill them everywhere and find them a pain to work with. I would never buy one myself but I think these boxes are great for trying things you wouldn't normally pick up. The colour is pretty and using it isn't as frightening as I thought it would be. The shade is very light though and on my lids is barely visible. I'm planning on trying this as a cheekbone highlight next. 

Trind - Nail Repair Natural

This is another full size product. The instructions state it should be used daily for two weeks and regularly after that in order to maintain healthy nails. I paint my nails very often so I'll be trying this as a base coat, I think. My nails are in pretty good condition but I don't think using this can hurt. I've not used this yet so can't comment on how it works.

The Balm - FratBoy All-in-One Shadow/Blush

This is the product I was most excited for and I'm not disappointed. I've never owned anything from The Balm before but I've always wanted to try their products. The colour is perfect for most skintones as a blush. I don't think I'd use is as a shadow, to be honest. It's pretty long wearing, too. This was yet another full size product.

Caudalie - Quenching Sorbet Creme, 10ml

I've become a bit of a French skincare fan since trying Embryolisse and Bioderma so I'm excited to have this to try. I used it last night and my skin felt lovely and soft this morning. I'm already considering buying the full size once I've used up this sample. 

Overall, I think this box contains a really good mix of products. I think there's something for everyone in here so I think Carmine has done a great job in that respect. I think the selection of brands they've chosen is excellent. I don't imagine there will always be three full size products but I don't mind that as long as the samples are decent sizes. I'm excited to see what they include next month!

If you're interested and want more information, you can check out their website here.

Thanks for reading! Have you subscribed to any of these beauty boxes?

Stace xx

I think he enjoyed this month's box almost as much as me...