Skincare boxes have become one of the latest beauty trends to emerge as summer approaches and shoppers aim to get their skin ready for their upcoming holidays. And I’ve found one perfect for travelling - and it’s worth six times more than what you pay.
Boots have been leading the trend with a sell-out £25 spring skincare edit, as well as a collaboration with Elemis, while retailers like Debenhams and LookFantastic are also piling in on the money-saving craze.
But one beauty box, from Face The Future, has a whopping value of more than £400 but costs less than £60 to buy - and it contains everything you need to get your glow on for summer.
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The May Travel Edit retails at £59.99 and features no fewer than 15 products ranging from skincare and makeup, to haircare saviours and sun protection, and one serum is worth over £100 alone despite being only 7ml.
Designed to allow you to take your skincare and beauty saviours with you on the go, all 15 products come packaged in a reusable cosmetics bag from Dermalogica, and was so full, it almost wouldn’t zip shut.
The bag is perfect as a weekend wash bag for throwing in beauty essentials and a toothbrush, and can double up as a travel bag to pop in your hand luggage if jetting away, too.
Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water 100ml (£5.30 at Boots)
HydroPeptide Travel Cleansing Gel 50ml (£15)
Augustinus Bader The Serum 7ml (£115 for 8ml)
Dr Levy Eye Booster 7ml (£165 for 15ml at Cult Beauty)
Allies Of Skin Firming Daily Treatment 12ml (£34 at Beauty Bay)
SkinCeuticals Advanced Brightening UV Defence 15ml (£16.88 at LookFantastic)
Eucerin Actinic Control SPF100 80ml (£25 at Boots)
Revitalash Eyebrow Gel in Clear 3ml (£33 for 7.4ml)
Avant Skincare Face Primer 30ml (£85 at LookFantastic)
Eyeko Black Magic Cocoa Edit Mascara in Brown 2ml (£19 for 8ml)
Innersense Hydrating Cream Hair Bath and Hydrating Cream Conditioner 60ml (worth £18)
Gatineau Gradual Tan 75ml (£20)
Grow Gorgeous Repair Strengthening Hair And Scalp Mask 30ml (£6 at LookFantastic)
Ameliorate Exfoliating Body Mitt (£10)
Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Sheet Mask (£8 at Boots)
When I totted up the approximate value of this box, it came to £440, which means shoppers could save around £380 with the Face The Future May Travel Edit.
The most expensive products in the box included the Augustinus Bader The Serum, Dr Levy Eye Booster and Avant Skincare Face Primer, all of which I would never have been able to afford at full price, so it’s a great way to try out premium products for a fraction of the cost. The serum reminds me of a little perfume atomiser and feels really high-end, so hopefully it’s high price tag pays off and makes my skin look glorious.
There are products in here that I’ll use much more than others, and some not at all just as they’re not suitable for me personally, but that’s not to say I can’t add them to my box of beauty bits to gift to friends and family throughout the year. I’m a big fan of the ‘pamper hamper’ gift and collect things like this throughout the year to dish out and save money.
Some of my favourite products in the edit were the Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water, which has previously been used by celebrities like Selena Gomez, which gently but effectively cleanses sensitive skin, as well as the HydroPeptide Travel Cleansing Gel which gets a great lather and is brilliant for taking off mascara.
Speaking of mascara, the Eyeko sample in the kit was dreamy. I’d never used a brown mascara before, but having pale skin, it actually compliments my complexion more than a harsh black lash, and I’ll definitely be purchasing a full sized version of this.
The Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Sheet Mask was the biggest winner for me. I hated sheet masks but decided to give this one a go and it’s completely changed my view on them. Typically they’re over-saturated with product, poorly fitting, require you to leave them on for 20 minutes and ultimately terrify the dog into thinking you’re Michael Myers.
But this one is a five-minute wonder, fits like a dream, and provided instant results of glowing, brighter skin. I loved it so much I’ve already ordered three more from Boots on three for two.
As a red-head with very pale skin and skin cancer in the family, SPF is one of the most important parts of my skincare routine year-round, and I’ve always been one to slap on the factor 50. The Eucerin Actinic Control included in the edit is the first time I’ve seen an SPF100, and it’s going to be perfect for my trip to Portugal for my sister-in-law’s hen do, as I was worried about visiting in July.
The only products I’m not going to use at all in the edit was the Innersense Hydrating Cream Hair Bath and Hydrating Cream Conditioner as it’s designed for thick coarse hair, which mine isn’t. However, this will come as a godsend to my sister who was blessed with thicker locks than I was.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t even get a look in at the Gatineau Gradual Tan or Grow Gorgeous Repair Strengthening Hair And Scalp Mask, which my mum was eyeing up. Because there were so many products in the edit, I was more than happy to share them with her - but the Revitalash Eyebrow Gel is all mine.
The Face The Future May Edit is one of the most luxurious skincare hauls I’ve seen at such an affordable price. By comparison, Debenhams’ £30 box is worth £184, while LookFantastic’s comes in at £40 but is worth over £130.
Packed in a see-through zip lock bag ideal for the airport, it’s super easy to throw in your luggage bag and be ready to go.
You can shop the Face The Future May skincare haul for £59.99 here.
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