I’ve never quite got on board with the whole “beauty box” subscription service hype. I mean I get the appeal – they’re a great way to try new products you may not otherwise come across – but I don’t like the commitment of a monthly direct debit when you don’t know what will be coming through the letterbox. I’ve watched plenty of unboxing vids and I know that whilst the element of surprise is nice, people can inevitably be disappointed if they end up with a box which is three quarters full of stuff they’d never use. It’s why I really like the idea of beauty advent calendars: you know what you’re getting, you’re generally saving a hefty chunk off the RRP and there’s a decent array of things to trial and play with.
So given all the above, I’m really annoyed with myself that I hadn’t heard of TILI Beauty sooner. TILI (that’s “Try It, Love It” – very clever!) are a beauty box service with a difference: they’re one off-purchases so there’s no subscription AND you can have a good nose at what’s included before reaching for your purse. They’re sold for £20 on QVC (postage is free, woop!) and they’re now on their fourth limited edition box. I daren’t look back at previous editions to see what I’ve missed!
Summer is surely the PERFECT time for boxes like these: we’re in the mood to try new products (nothing gets me excited about trying new beauty bits like an upcoming holiday) and if indeed you are going away at all, you need a good stash of travel-friendly toiletries. You don’t want to do what I did in Mallorca a few weeks ago and rely on the hotel providing a nice shampoo and conditioner, then spend seven days washing your hair in shower gel. I deserved the Worzel Gummidge-esque hair I was left with.
So what’s in the fourth edition TILI Beauty Box?
Well awesomely, there’s a real mix of things including cult brands, new releases (helloooooooo Liquid Gold Rose!) and brands you may not have come across before. For me, it was re-assuring to see the likes of OPI, Alpha-H, Benefit, Vita Liberata and Liz Earle in the box, but then it was still exciting to get to play with brands I wasn’t so familiar with either like Erno Laszlo and Julien Farel. In fact, out of the whole box the only product I’d actually tried before was Liz Earle’s Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, so I had plenty to experiment with. I was also really impressed to find a comprehensive sheet included which had the full ingredient listing for *every* product in the box. You don’t normally get that sort of detail without haranguing the store!
Here’s exactly what you get in the fourth edition box and my thoughts so far…
- 1 x Alpha-H Liquid Rose Gold (50ml) – I am a huuuuuge Liquid Gold fan (read my full review of this cult hero here) and I’d been dying for an excuse to try this limited edition update on the global bestseller. This formula features the classic Liquid Gold glycolic acid base but it’s also enriched with a host of aromatic botanicals, including rose, sacred lotus and orchid petal. It’s designed to be a gentler and calming version of the powerful resurfacing and brightening formula, exfoliating away dead skin cells while you sleep and helping to improve the appearance of lines and enlarged pores. Oh and because of the rose, it smells AMAZING. I’ve really enjoyed using this version, especially now that my skin is drier and more sensitive thanks to pregnancy hormones. Also this size is a god send, I had just run out of my 50ml travel size of the original Liquid Gold and I can’t tell you how handy it is to have a 50ml version for travelling – especially as I usually buy the oversized bottles! And as you use so little of this product, 50ml lasts a really long time too.
- 1 x OPI Fiji Collection Nail Polish (15ml – aka full size!) from the new spring/summer 17 Fiji collection – OPI is my favourite polish brand and I love how foolproof their formula is to apply and how long the colour lasts without chipping. I was sent “Polly Want a Lacquer?” which is a gorgeous lavender shade, but I’d have been happy with any colour really as the Fiji collection is a particularly strong set of summer shades. Given that the RRP for one of these polishes is £12.50, I was really thrilled to see it was a full size bottle in this box.
- 1 x Vita Liberata 10 Minute Tan (20ml) – I’m not going to lie, before this arrived I hadn’t used fake tan in around a decade…but I knew that Vita Liberata is a cult fave and as this particular self-tan lotion can be washed off after just 10 minutes (it develops into an odour-free and transfer-resistant natural tan within four to six hours) I was excited to give it a go. I’ve currently got it on my face and even with my limited application skills it somehow looks natural and streak-free. There was no biscuit odour either and it’s infused with rosehip and neroli extracts, so it’s really softening which is something I’m always after. This (and, err, Love Island) has definitely convinced me to start using self-tanners on my face.
- 1 x Erno Laszlo Cleansing Oil and Cleansing Bar (15ml and 17g) – I wasn’t familiar with Erno Laszlo but it’s stocked in the likes of Harrods and Harvey Nichols and has been a pillar of celeb skincare since the 1930s, even Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly were fans! I’ve enjoyed using these two products as a double cleanse regime, they really do feel luxurious and shift every spec of dirt and make-up whilst leaving the skin hydrated. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve put a bar of soap to my face and I was concerned I might feel tight after but I needn’t have worried, this is properly softening stuff. The size is ideal for travel so I’m trying not to use them both up at home, but it’s hard not to be tempted!
- 1 x It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream (4ml) in medium – I initially tried this expecting to layer my foundation on top, but this pigmented cream formula blended so nicely with my skin that I was more than happy to wear it alone. Granted my skin is particularly clear at the moment and I like to wear as little make-up as possible in summer, but I was really surprised by the coverage. It’s lovely. The fact that it’s enriched with hydrolysed collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid and vitamins A, B, C and E is obviously a nice bonus too.
- 1 x Julien Farel Vitamin Shampoo (50ml) and 1 x Julien Farel Vitamin Conditioner (50ml) – This shampoo and conditioner duo is designed for weakened or damaged hair, so it’s a great choice for summer if you’ve been overexposed to UV, chlorine, salt, colouring or the like. They’re intended to cleanse and nourish without stripping away natural oils or weighing down the hair which is no mean feat, but I’ve washed my hair a few times with these now and I love the condition my hair has been left in. It definitely looks shinier and feels nicely nourished.
- 1 x Ultrasun Face SPF30 (25ml) – If I’ve learnt anything in my 30 years on this earth it’s that you need to wear sunscreen and you need a dedicated product for your face. This lightweight perfume-free anti-ageing formula offers heavy-duty UVA and UVB protection and is billed as being suitable for even very sensitive skin. I found it absorbed quickly and I had no irritation at all whilst using it which is all I really ask for in an SPF. (Ya know that and preventing sun damage, natch!)
- 1 x Benefit Roller Lash (3g) – I have wanted to try this since it was released which was bloomin’ yonks ago now but I’ve never quite been able to tear myself away from my usual day to day fave mascara: Benefit’s ‘They’re Real!’. I am IN LOVE with Roller Lash now though, I’m so so pleased it was in the box! It has a flexible, curled wand and the formula is water-resistant, but what really impressed me was just how much length it gave my lashes. It gave me a real retro doll-like look and I will definitely be buying the full-size, it’s such a pretty effect.
- 1 x Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (30ml) complete with a muslin cloth – First of all, I want to thank TILI for including the muslin cloth because you can never have too many of these! I suspect most people will have tried this beauty fave by now but this rich cream deeply cleanses to instantly remove daily grime and make up, leaving skin feeling comfortable, balanced and exceptionally clean. 30ml is a great size so again, you could keep this for travel or in your gym bag and know it will last a decent while. No excuse to rely on wipes on hols!
I really do think this box is good value at £20 delivered and there’s nothing in here that I’ll be palming off to friends and fam (sorry guys!) as I like all of it. WINNER!
I’ll def be checking out future editions of the TILI Beauty Box, that’s for sure.
You can find out more about what’s included, directions for use and make your purchase should you be so tempted over on QVC here 😀
x
This post is sponsored by QVC Beauty, but all product-loving enthusiasm is very much my own. You can find out more about how I work with brands here.
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