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Cult Beauty Starter Kit Review – October 2019

Marne Orenich
ByMarne OrenichNov 12, 2019 | 14 comments

CUlt Beauty Starter Kit Review - October 2019

The Cult Beauty Box
5 overall rating
2 Ratings | 3 Reviews

Cult Beauty is an online UK beauty shop that only stocks tried and true products along with the next big things and innovative items. They periodically offer special one-time purchase boxes. Their starter kit is the newest and includes six must-have items from popular brands that will jumpstart your love of beauty. This one goes for roughly $38.00 USD (including shipping).

There's currently a waitlist for this box to restock, but sign up here for notifications.

Opened Cult Beauty Starter Kit Box

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

Opened Cult Beauty Starter Kit with all 6 products surrounding box

About this Curated Beauty Starter Kit

The Box: The Cult Beauty Starter Kit

The Cost: £30 ($38) + £5.94 shipping. FYI – UK tax is removed during checkout so my total with shipping was £29.95 ($38)

ACTIVE DEAL: 20% off. No coupon needed - just use this link.

The Products:

  • The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser 50ml
  • Pixi Retinol Tonic 100ml
  • Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask 30ml
  • NARS The Multiple in Orgasm 4g
  • Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Pillow Talk 1g
  • Huda Beauty Topaz Obsessions Palette 10g

Ships: Worldwide

Cult Beauty Starter Kit Review

 

My Cult Beauty Starter Kit arrived in an outer cardboard box which was nice since it preserves the nice gift-like black box inside.

 

You'll find a short pamphlet that details the six items included and what they do.

 

Huda Beauty Topaz Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette - Retail Value $27.00

How freaking seasonally appropriate is this palette?! I love that is has a nice compact size but includes nine shades that complement one another and match the fall foliage outside. There are five mattes and four metallics (one is more like a glitter) to play with here and each one has a different strength. I really enjoy discovering new palettes and although I'm usually a matte girl on the daily, I've grown to appreciate metallics to really glam up an eye look and add dimension. I found there to be very little fallout and great pigment on these babies.

 

Here's an eyeshadow look I created with the palette. So Fall!

 

Nars The Multiple in Orgasm, 0.14 oz. Mini Size - Estimated Value $10.92 (Buy the full-size 0.5 oz. for $39.00)

This multi-use stick can be used on cheeks, lips, eyelids, and anywhere else you want a flush of color. Orgasm is a shimmery pink hue that unfortunately is a little too glitzy for my tastes. I really love a cream blush and that's what I normally use sticks like this for but there is a bit too much gold metallic in here for me to use it as a go-to blush. I do enjoy the chubby little stick though and something like this makes packing for travel that much easier.

 

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Mini Lipstick in Pillow Talk, 0.03 oz. Mini Size - Estimated Value $8.50 (Buy the full-size 0.12 oz. for $34.00)

I received my first Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in a Sephora Favorites kit not too long ago and was really impressed with how creamy it was. This mini came in the color "Pillowtalk" which is a perfect rose/mauve that really works for me. This lipstick wears like a beautiful soft neutral while hydrating and doesn't feel heavy on my lips at all. What a dreamy little thing! This small size is great for a night out or a wedding when I may not be carrying my usual giant bag of 10 full-size lipsticks.

Here are swatches for NARS and Charlotte Tilbury.

 

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask, 1 oz. Mini Size - Retail Value $22.00

I actually purchased this exact size not too long ago on my own because I wanted to try it. Glow Recipe makes some really lovely skincare and this watermelon mask does a fantastic job bringing moisture to my skin while I sleep. I simply add a thin layer to my face (one dollop is usually enough) and allow it to dry before putting my head to the pillow. This just feels fantastic on in general, so the act of slathering it on my face is quite soothing. In the morning, I wake up with dewy skin that looks bright. Plus, I love the light fresh watermelon scent!

 

The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser, 1.7 oz. - Retail Value $7.90

I've been meaning to try something from The Ordinary for a long time. This brand quickly became a cult fave since it is super affordable (unlike a lot of skincare sold in beauty stores) and actually seems to deliver results based on what I've heard. I was happy to see a cleanser in this box since I have so many masks and serums already. This cleanser has plant-derived squalane which is a dupe for the skin's natural squalene which hydrates and moisturizes but can decrease as we get older. The formula is on the thicker side and has an opaque white moisturizer look to it but turns into a milky oil once I warm it in between my hands. The directions have me add it to a dry face which is consistent with most cleansing oils and it really leaves my face feeling properly moisturized and clean of dirt and makeup. I think this one is a winner!!

 

Pixi Retinol Tonic, 3.4 oz. - Retail Value $15.00

Pixi has the cutest pale green and gold packaging. This toner contains skincare hero retinol along with glycerin to help protect and repair skin. I like that even with a step like a toner can be packed with extra helpful ingredients. It also has a pleasant floral scent to it and a pretty purple color. This is a lovely travel size since it falls exactly within the TSA guidelines so I'll be packing it on my trip to Arizona!

The Verdict: The Cult Beauty Starter Kit included some heavy-hitting brands that I trust which seems to be the very foundation of their existence. Five of the six items were ones I hadn't tried before so it was great to get an idea of the brand's products and I was extra excited to finally try The Ordinary. All of these will get use from me except for the NARS multi-stick which I'll pass on to a girlfriend who enjoys more sparkle in their life. The box has a retail value of $91.32 which is a steal for $38.00.

To Wrap Up:

Can you get this box if you order today? Right now it looks like there is a waitlist for a restock of this, but sign up to get notified here!

ACTIVE DEAL: 20% off. No coupon needed - just use this link.

Value Breakdown: £30 ($38) + £5.94 shipping FYI – UK tax is removed during checkout so my total with shipping was £29.95 ($38). Here's what you're approximately paying per item:

  • Palette: $11.24
  • Multi-Stick:$4.54
  • Lipstick: $3.54
  • Sleeping Mask: $9.15
  • Cleanser: $3.29
  • Toner: $6.24

Want more? Check out all the best skincare and beauty subscription boxes of 2019!

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"The Cult Beauty Box is expertly curated by your favourite beauty gurus, and represents a unique opportunity to discover some stunning skin care must-haves."
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Marne Orenich
Marne Orenich
Marne is a lipstick connoisseur, record collector, and twice over cat mom. She loves discovering new clean beauty brands and has quite the collection of beautifully packaged serums and moisturizers.

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14 comments

Jennyjenny

Agh I don’t go for palettes at all I’m super basic but holy cow that palette is calling my name!
I have a lot of the other items in full size, but maybe I can find the palette on the swap site. Gorgeous!

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Carol

Great review! I really liked this box. Everything was new to me except for the lipstick, which doesn’t really work for me on its own, but looks nice under a gloss. I’ve only just started trying blush and seem to prefer cream/liquid versions–this shade is just gorgeous! I was especially pleased with the eyeshadow. I was afraid that it would be too brown, but it is a beautiful orange-y/shimmery gold that is perfect for fall (also Topaz is my birthstone!).

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Cat

Wow, great box…love that it’s all solid products from brands I enjoy and the variety of products is excellent.

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h

Cult Beauty is a good source of some items that I cannot find in the States, but for some reason, I just like Space NK a little better.

This is a good box, but I already have everything except the palette and cleanser, which I do not want. I have The Ordinary’s NIOD line that Brandon sent me before his untimely passing, so if anyone gets a chance to try their NIOD line, it really produces results.

Enjoy Arizona! My son just moved to Phoenix and LOVES it. He loves weekending at Flagstaff and Sedona, so you are destined to have a beautiful trip with these goodies in this box and the gorgeous climate this time of year in AZ.

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Marne Orenich

Thanks, h!
I was in Tucson which was my first trip to the southwest and LOVED it! The weather was perfect and then I came home to an icy snowy car. 🙁

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Alice R

Great review of super box.

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Renee

I missed it last time by a few hours. This looks great, though. Hopefully they get it back in stock soon!

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Svetlana7e

I got this box and I was very happy with it. I really liked eyeshadows. First I thought they are way too colorful for me, but they blend nicely and can be worn as everyday eyeshadows. Also, after the purchase Cult sent me 10 pounds gift card because they said they screwed up on value of the box.

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LisaFalana

Wow! Very nice products each and every one. Due to the fact that I can open my own beauty product store called “Product Overload” I will not be purchasing, but this was a great review for a great looking box.

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JennWin1980

Okay, you just made me laugh out loud! I’m in the same boat- my bathroom resembles a mini Sephora. A friend’s daughter actually asked if Aunt Jenn was a rockstar due to the over abundance of products in my bathroom 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

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Marne Orenich

Mini Sephora! Hahaha PREACH.

Jen

Now I’m buying that cleanser. You convinced me. I’ve tried Ordinary products before and have been pretty satisfied. Enjoy your trip to Arizona. That’s were I live now, in the hot part. It’s the perfect time of year to visit any part of the state, especially Sedona. Who am I kidding, Sedona is amazing any time of year.

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Marne Orenich

I loved it so much! Saguaro cacti!!! Eeep!

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Luna

Nice review! That cleanser sounds really nice, and I’ll definitely try to pick it up on my next Ulta order. 🙂 I missed out on this kit cause I dragged my feet on it… which is okay in the long run since I already have the toner & moisturizer, and even though I would have liked the lipstick, I already have a ton of other ones in that color I need to use up (the shadow & glow stick would have been gifted)… but I hope they continue to launch these kits in the future! Even if another kit came out like this, where I already have or have tried most of the products, I still may not be able to resist at that price! 🙂

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