LoveLula January 2018 Beauty Box review

The LoveLula January 2018 Beauty Box is a real treat for luxury skincare lovers. Since my first LoveLula Beauty Box, I’ve been so excited to receive my second box. I can’t wait to show you what’s inside!

There are 4 full-sized natural skincare products in the LoveLula January 2018 Beauty Box. With a total value of over £71, it’s amazing value for money, since it costs just £13.95 as a subscriber.

What’s in the LoveLula January 2018 Beauty Box?

Disclosure: I received this box to review by LoveLula, but all my opinions are honest and my own.

MOA Fortifying Green Bath Potion

I was so excited to receive this product! Cult MOA brand gives me all the feels. We already use their green balm for a multitude of things, so I was delighted to find the bath potion in my January beauty box.

The design and materials of the packaging are so beautiful. I feel like the products are close to nature and respectful to mind and body.

This bath potion promises to put a spring back in your step with refreshing peppermint, detoxifying fennel, and relaxing fir needle.

Note: not to be used during pregnancy.

I added 3 capfuls of MOA Green Bath Potion to my bath.

When I got in, the smell was intense – it felt like taking a walk in a cool forest.

It smells green, herbal, and minty, without smelling too medicinal. After 10 minutes in the bath, I started to feel tingly and invigorated.

I felt good for the rest of the evening – fortifying is definitely the right word. My whole family enjoyed the smell wafting through the house. This bath potion would be amazing for anybody suffering a cold.

Let’s have a look at the lovely ingredients in MOA Fortifying Green Bath Potion.

MOA Fortifying Green Bath Potion ingredients

Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Oil, Laureth-3, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Achillea Millefolium (Yarrow) Extract, Abies Sibirica (Fir Needle) Oil, Betula Lenta Bark (Sweet Birch) Oil, Tocopherol, CI 75810 (Chlorophyll).

Peppermint oil

Refreshing and relaxing, peppermint oil can help balance out oily skin conditions and is a soothing addition to this bath oil.

Check out these amazing peppermint oil benefits.

Fennel oil

Long used in herbal preparations, fennel is cleansing and balancing for all skin types.

Fennel supports the emotions by restoring a positive outlook. It is also believed to bring courage. Learn more about fennel in skincare.

Yarrow extract

Healing and anti-inflammatory, yarrow can help skin to heal faster.

Yarrow has antimicrobial and antifungal properties too, making it a great cleansing and healing addition to this bath potion. Interested to know more about yarrow in skincare?

Fir needle oil

This helpful oil boasts a whole range of benefits. Most notably, it helps relieve aches and pains.

Fir needle oil has detoxifying properties and can reduce body odour. Read more fir needle oil benefits.

Sweet birch oil

An effective treatment for muscle and joint pain. Sweet birch is a skin toner and softener and can help with sagging skin.

Carrier oils

The sunflower and jojoba carrier oils used in the potion are both super-moisturising and so good for skin!

The only ingredient that raised a flag with me in this bath oil is laureth-3. It has an amber warning on EWG because it can be contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. However, MOA is a health-focused brand who I trust to ensure no contamination would occur.

MOA Fortifying Green Bath Potion

Buy Now – £40 at Magic Organic Apothecary

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Mádara Total Renewal Night Cream

So, on to our next product. It’s a gorgeous night cream from Mádara that costs £20 alone for the 20ml size inside the LoveLula January 2018 Beauty Box.

I confess, I don’t usually use night cream, but favour oil-free night care. But since I received this product, I’ve made an exception.

This pale green cream feels dense and luxury to apply. It has a mild, clean, and soothing aroma.

I feel it’s a really effective night cream. My skin feels plumped and well-hydrated after almost a week of using it. Of course, I’ll need to use it longer to see any real results.

The night cream is one of 5 skincare products in Mádara’s Time Miracle range. This anti-ageing skincare range is the first in the world to be based on birch water. According to Mádara, birch water accelerates dermal cell division by 25%. The stats are exciting:

After 1 night: 94% confirm more radiant skin. After 4 weeks: 85% improved synthesis of collagen. 88% have reduced lines and wrinkles.

Let’s have a look at some of the most notable ingredients:

Mádara Total Renewal Night Cream ingredients

Betula Alba (Birch) Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba), Squalane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn), Trifolium Pratense (Red Clover), Galium Verum (Yellow Bedstraw), Alchemilla Vulgaris (Lady’s Mantle), Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry), Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail), Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut), Xanthan Gum, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Benzyl Alcohol, Aroma, Aqua, Chitin, Beta-glucan, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Zinc PCA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Sorbate, CI 77288 (Iron Oxide), Sodium Phytate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Limonene, Linalool, Eugenol, Citral.

Birch juice

Something of a wonder ingredient. Birch juice can reduce inflammation whilst moisturising and purifying the skin.

It contains 17 beneficial amino acids and other nutrients. Learn more about birch juice in skincare.

Sea Buckthorn

The oil from this brightly-coloured berry is restorative and regenerating.

It can help combat the signs of aging and tackle fine lines and wrinkles.

Red Clover

I love seeing this gorgeous little plant when it makes its first appearance in spring.

Who knew this humble herb can improve wound healing and soothe inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis?

Yellow Bedstraw

Galium verum seems to be Madara’s secret ingredient. It is healing and appears to be able to even out skin tone and treat spots.

There’s also some interesting folklore behind the plant.

Horsetail

Firms and tightens the skin, helping to soften the look of wrinkles.

It can improve skin texture and protect it due to its high antioxidant levels.

Horse Chestnut

You’d never think of the horse chestnut tree being helpful to skin, but it is!

Horse chestnut is highly anti-inflammatory, and known to reduce the chances of capillary breakage. Horse chestnut saponins can inhibit the breakdown of hyaluronic acid in the skin. Amazing!

Mádara Total Renewal Night Cream

Buy Now – £48.95 at Mádara

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PHB Brightening Eye Gel

LoveLula, how did you know that I need this product in my life right now? Jonah still wakes me up every few hours throughout the night. I can’t blame poor Jonah for my eyebags, though. I stay up late blogging, of course!

PHB say that the combination of eyebright, neroli and white birch in the eye gel boost circulation in the eye area, and provide moisturisation to the delicate skin of the eye.

This gel is light, and so little is needed to get great results. It feels lovely and cooling, and smells divine thanks to the neroli oil it contains.

And, the benefits! I’ve definitely seen a decrease in puffiness since starting to use this product. My dark circles are still, well, dark. But I’d like to give this product more time. Dark circles can be a genetic thing, and I don’t think I’ll ever lose mine completely.

I’m pretty sure this gel helps my eyeliner to stick better, too! It just feels so pampering to dab a little of this on each morning. It’s such a nice way to take extra care.

Let’s take a look at the ingredients in this gorgeous natural eye gel.

PHB Brightening Eye Gel ingredients

Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera), Vegetable Glycerine, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Coco-Caprylate, Sclerotium Gum, Betula Pendula (White Birch), Propanediol & Salix Alba, Helianthus Annuus (Organic Sunflower) Seed Oil (and) Euphrasia Officinalis (Organic Eyebright) Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Organic Sea Buckthorn), Citrus Parasidii (Grapefruit), Citrus Bergamia (Bergamot), Boswella Carterii (Frankincense), Citrus Aurantium (Neroli), Benzyl Alcohol, Commiphora Myrrha (Myrrh), Rosa Centifolia (Rose), Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine), Linalool, Limonene, Citral, Geraniol, Farnesol, Eugenol, Citronellol, Benzyl Benzoate.

Eyebright

As its name suggests, eyebright is a real tonic for the eyes. It’s been used to treat eye complaints for a long time.

But it also has useful cosmetic benefits – reduced puffiness and tightening. Eyebright is chock full of antioxidants that help protect the skin in this delicate area.

Neroli

This essential oil is known for its lightening effects, which is why it makes such a great choice for an eye gel.

White birch

Birch seems to be in all the January beauty box products! Anti-inflammatory white birch helps purge tissues of excess water – a great addition to an eye gel!

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Laidbare Hair Today Gone Tomorrow Hair Minimising Moisturiser

This is my first time using a Laidbare product. I’ve heard very good things about them.

This product is a moisturiser with hair minimising benefits. It contains liquorice, caffeine, marshmallow, and horse chestnut seed extract. Laidbare claim this synergistic blend will inhibit the growth of hairs and have a soothing effect on the skin after shaving or waxing.

Apparently, this keeps hair cells in their “growth stage”, which has an inhibiting effect. All very interesting!

This lightly-coloured gel smells a lot like lime, but there’s a herbal aroma in there too. It really is quite a runny gel. The first time I used it, quite a bit of product shot out. I wasn’t expecting it to be so runny!

This is an effective moisturiser for my legs, which often get flaky and sore in the winter months. I also used it on my arms, although they’re not particularly hairy.

I won’t be taking a full look at the ingredients in this product, since I wouldn’t buy it again. That’s because it contains two silicones: cyclopentasiloxane (this one is rated amber on EWG), and dimethicone.

Cyclopentasiloxane in skin care worries me slightly. While it is generally considered safe, EWG paints quite a scary picture. Add to this, I wouldn’t regularly use a product containing silicones, since silicones may harm the environment.

It’s a bit of a shame since I really do like this product and my skin feels so soft after using it. But perhaps that’s the effect of silicones, and not true moisturisation.

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Final thoughts on the LoveLula January 2018 Beauty Box

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using the natural skincare products in the LoveLula January 2018 Beauty Box.

It’s such a treat to receive a natural beauty box each month! And I love learning about new brands, products, and ingredients.

As with the December box, the January box is good value for money – the most expensive item is worth £27.50 alone!

All the boxes include a voucher taking a hefty 20% off any of the brands included in the box. You can save quite a bit of money if you want to invest in any of the products.

What do you think to January’s LoveLula box? I’d love to hear from you!

PS if you’re interested to know what natural skincare products I’ve used this month, read my empties post for January 2018.

Until next time!