LookFantastic beauty box September 2014 review

Here it is. A beauty box filled with mid- to high-end brands, extremely decently sized products and no foil sachets. Meet the first-ever LookFantastic beauty box.

Before I say another word, let me tell you here and now that I bought this and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the brand or PR, nor do I get compensation for telling you all about it. I have done, what, six PR posts so far in 21 months?
Anyway. I love shopping at LookFantastic, a UK-based beauty retailer that ships worldwide. They have lovely deals and I actually got the Real Techniques Core Collection F.R.E.E. with a purchase once.
And you know, without my saying a word, that the growth of this blog has been accompanied by an increasing love of beauty boxes. When a favourite retail store has its own beauty box, you expect it to actually -  pardon the pun and the split infinitive - be fantastic.

Read on for my review and unboxing of the September 2014 LookFantastic Beauty Box.

Packaging of the LookFantastic September 2014 beauty box

Of all the beauty boxes I have received, this has the most luxurious packaging - Glamabox from Hong Kong was a decent runner-up, but this one takes the cake. Classy. I love that each product has its own product card. The products themselves are further wrapped in tissue and protected with plenty of shredding. You can tell that they have put in a bit of effort to make everything look nice. The box is black and white and quite sturdy.

Alright. You're waiting to see the contents.

Contents of the September 2014 LookFantastic Beauty Box

1. Keratase Nutritive Irisome Bain Satin
2. Keratase Nutritive Irisome Lait Vital
3. Caudalie Divine Oil 
4. This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray
5. Jurlique Advanced Serum Herbal Recovery Gel
6. St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse

Come to Momma! Would you look at that? A quick look at each.

Keratase Nutritive Irisome Bain Satin

Any beauty box containing Keratase is a huge win for me. This is a gentle cleanser for dry hair. It is exactly the kind of cleanser I have been looking for, since I have super-dry, damaged locks from daily-washing in sulphate shampoos and no conditioning for more than a decade. It contains glucose, lipids and proteins. I am reaching for this the very next time I wash my hair, which is probably tomorrow. 

Keratase Nutritive Irisome Lait Vital

This is a conditioner for dry hair. It contains iris rhizome extract and gluco-active complex, which targets the driest areas on your locks. It protects the hair and provides it with a lustrous shine. I will be using this with the Bain Satin from tomorrow or so.

Caudalie Divine Oil

I have heard loads about Caudalie Divine Oil but have never got around to trying it out. I am a huge fan of multi-purpose dry oils, which can be used on the hair, skin and nails. I particularly love the Nuxe Dry Oil, reviewed here, and was thinking of trying out Caudalie's version when it turns up in this box! Watch out for a detailed review after a few uses.

This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray

I love This Works products. For a long time now, I have been looking for a pillow spray. The Body Shop has one but they keep telling me it is out of stock. This contains lavender, vetivert and wild camomile oils. You spray it on your pillow for instant relaxation as you drift into deep slumber. I am working on getting my sleep-wake rhythm back on track, so this is very handy right now.

Jurlique Advanced Serum Herbal Recovery Gel

Don't you love the brands LookFantastic has chosen for this box? This Jurlique product is supposed to improve skin texture dramatically and reduce the signs of ageing, improve elasticity, provide hydration and enhance skin radiance. That sounds amazing! I am almost through Lancome Absolute Nuit and will be beginning this serum, maybe from October 1. 

St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse

This is the only product in this box which does not wow me. I already have two full-sized and a couple of sample-sized tubes/bottles of fake tan - enough for the rest of my days, since I only use fake tan to give my legs a glow. Fake tan makes my legs look longer. Anyway, this is more of a bronzer than a fake tan as such so I might use just a bit for a bronzed look. 

Summary and deals

The products in the LookFantastic beauty box have been chosen with a bit of thought, and not just randomly thrown together. This is the best-curated beauty box I have received so far, and I have tried some 17 or 18 different beauty boxes coming in from eight countries. The box itself costs £15. Shipping varies, depending on where you are. I love that they offer tracked shipping, which takes four days flat worldwide - so my shipping charges were £14 for that benefit, but I had placed a couple of other orders and split the shipping there and used a voucher code (Thank you, Google), which gave me 20% off my order. Nice. And, the products inside were definitely worth it.
While taking nothing away from Korean beauty boxes and the value for money factor, as a beauty junkie, I love mainstream brands the best. This is why I jump when I discover a box like LookFantastic. The customer service is excellent and I have seen prompt replies to emails, unlike SOME beauty boxes I could mention. I do wish there was makeup in this box, apart from the bronzing mousse. But I already have Lip Factory for my monthly makeup fix, and this provides skin and hair care from mainstream brands. And, I daresay there will be makeup in future boxes, since LookFantastic sells a lot of makeup on their website. Stay tuned for future boxes to see if my hopes are fulfilled. You cannot customise this box, but given the brands they are including and the absence of foil-sachets, I think you will get your money's worth anyway.

I have already pre-ordered the October 2014 edition and cannot wait for it to arrive. The September 2014 LookFantastic beauty box is sold out, but you can get the October 2014 beauty box here. Use discount code 10OFF40LF for 10% off your order of £40.
Disclaimer: I purchased this, not a PR post. Affiliate links are in.