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British Beauty Box “Let It Glow” Review – Winter 2019

Jessica Hapak
ByJessica HapakFeb 7, 2020 | 10 comments

British Beauty Box
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British Beauty Box is a quarterly beauty subscription featuring 5 full-size luxury beauty products sent straight to your door every three months.

This is a review of the Winter 2019 box, which is still available for purchase!

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

About this UK Beauty Box

The Subscription Box: British Beauty Box

The Cost: $65 per quarterly box + free shipping. Save with an annual subscription.

The Products: 5 full-sized luxury skin and hair care products from the UK

Ships to: The US and the UK for free

British Beauty Box "Let It Glow" Winter 2019 Review

Every box comes with this bag.

 

Here is the info sheet for the box.

White Hot Glorious Shampoo, 200 ml - Retail Value $15

I’m a bit perplexed by the inclusion of this shampoo- it is specifically for those with natural grey and white hairs. I feel like having a shampoo for such specific hair color is a bit exclusionary to the rest of subscribers this doesn’t apply to. The formula is designed to lift up buildup and impurities from your scalp while the white truffle extract adds moisture. I didn’t find this to be as moisturizing of a shampoo as I'd like (I also have a dry scalp), and I passed this along to a friend with light blond hair in the hopes it could work better for her locks. 

Jo Hansford Voluminous Spray, 5 oz - Retail Value $24.70

This is another hair product that doesn’t work well for me personally but should appeal to a much larger demographic. You apply it to the roots of damp hair and style as usual, and the amino-acid formula will add volume, shine, and a bit of heat protection. I air dry my hair, so when I spritzed this at my roots and left my hair to dry in a bun I didn’t notice much of a difference in terms of volume, but it did leave my hair a bit shinier. 

 

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, 50 ml - Estimated Value $30 (Buy the 100 ml version for $60)

I’ve tried a lot of cleansing balms, and one of the things I love about this one is the texture. Some cleansing balms are a bit firm and you need to warm the product up between your hands before you use it, but this has the texture of room temperature butter that just glides across your face. It melts away any makeup you may be wearing, and it definitely leaves my skin softer when I rinse it away. I don’t love this enough to justify the expensive price tag, but I will thoroughly enjoy using this until it’s empty. 

 

Manuka Doctor ApiRefine Lip Oil, 0.33 oz - Retail Value $15

This lip oil is made with a host of beneficial ingredients like manuka oil, vitamin E, castor oil, and flower nectar. Though it’s an oil, it has a pretty lightweight texture that reminds me of an incredibly thin lip gloss without any stickiness. I enjoy the natural shine this gives my lips, but I don’t love the design. I think the rollerball needs to be a bit bigger, because as it stands the plastic edge always rubs against my lips whenever I apply this. It doesn’t hurt, but I don’t love it. 

 

Transformulas Youthful Hands and Feet, 2.6 oz - Listed Value $34.27/£25.95

I couldn’t find much about this hand cream online- it’s no longer sold from the Transformulas website. This is a very thick, rich cream that is designed to both hydrate and protect hands and feet. It took a bit of time to absorb on me, but I did like how deeply nourished my hands felt. I will say that while I enjoyed this, I definitely wouldn't pay the listed value for it.

 

Transformulas Armlift, 2.60 oz - Retail Value $38.29/£29.00, Listed Value $48.79/£36.95

This cream is still for sale on the Transformulas website, and it is designed to “sculpt, firm, lift, and visibly improve the appearance of the upper arms.” I’ll be frank and say that my upper arms need more help than a moisturizer can give (and that is quite a bit of an over-promise) but I did enjoy the cooling sensation this gave me. 

Bybi Beauty Supercharge Serum, 1 oz - Retail Value $44

I am a huge fan of Bybi Beauty so I was excited to see this. With the name “supercharge serum” I expected the texture of, well, a serum, but it actually is much more in the lightweight oil family. This has a decently long ingredients list with a wide variety of oils, but the ingredient in the highest concentration is my personal favorite: squalane. This wasn’t too heavy on my skin and really felt like a luxe skincare product that nourished my face.

The Verdict: This was a box full of hits and misses. The hits (the Bybi serum and the Emma Hardie cleansing balm) are luxurious treats that my skin really enjoyed, but the misses left me scratching my head. Did we really need two products from the same brand, with one of those items being something that appears discontinued? Was including a shampoo meant for grey and white hair the best curation? And perhaps, most of all, why are three of the six brands featured in this box brands that appeared in last quarter's box? I think British Beauty Box needs to take another look at the thought process of their curation because I love the premise of trying full-size, luxury beauty in a box sent from England. Value-wise, I calculated a total value of $201.26

To Wrap Up:

Can you get this box if you sign up today? Yes, this box is still available.

Value Breakdown: This box costs $65 and I calculated a total value of $201.26, which means you are paying approximately the following per item:

  • White Hot: $4.84
  • Jo Hansford: $7.98
  • Emma Hardie: $9.67
  • Manuka Doctor: $4.84
  • Transformulas Hands: $11.07
  • Transformulas Armlif: $12.36
  • Bybi Beauty: $14.21

Check out our other British Beauty Box review, plus the best skincare and beauty subscription boxes of 2020!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

What do you think of the British Beauty Box? Are you going to subscribe?

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British Beauty Box is a quarterly beauty subscription. Each box includes 5 full-sized luxury skin and hair care products.
Jessica Hapak
Jessica Hapak
I am a staunch believer that pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza and when I’m not working as a family law attorney I enjoy hiking the Louisiana trails (alligator sightings are a favorite!) or relaxing with Duchess, my cat. I’m a sucker for anything labeled a mystery box and I’ve never met a bath bomb I didn’t like.

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10 comments

Anna

They are changing this subscription to include 3 or more full size products quarterly. The price will be more if you’re US based. Since they will be charging for shipping it will be $69.99 after shipping vs $65 before. UK it will be £35 quarterly.

I’ll stay for one more box but if the items aren’t worth it I can’t justify staying.

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sara

I wanted to mention that the Emma Hardie balm is highly fragranced. I personally love breathing that fragrance in as I rub it into my face. I would describe it as orange flower mixed with jasmine. But some who are sensitive might want that information before purchasing.

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Beth

Wow I don’t consider any of these brands to high endish or luxury. 3 of the items remind me of things I would get in the Amazon Beauty box from like 2 years ago. I’m confused at the price too. I’m sorry but that is just how I feel and mean no harm.

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Beth

“Bingo wings??” Never heard that one!

So glad I passed.

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Dea

Too many companies use the word “serum” when it’s nothing more than a face oil. To me, that’s fraudulent. Serum sinks into my face, oil sits on top and does nothing. Kiehl is guilty of that too.

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Taren

OMG YES, amen! Serum implies high and potent ingredients. Oil is, well, OIL. I’m tired of deceptive marketing practices like that.

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Flora

I agree, my first two boxes from BBB were awesome, but this one was a let down. I too was disappointed with the Emma Hardie being the smaller size (but it did come with the cleansing cloth, which I love). The lip oil rollerball doesn’t roll well for me at all and is hard to get it on my lips. And while I do have a few gray hairs, I don’t need a shampoo dedicated to that yet and I did not enjoy any of the Transformulas products. The one hit for me is that I have very fine, poker-straight hair and the volume spray works well for me. It smells nice too. I spritz it on after washing in the evening and then blow dry until about half dried. Then I loosely pile my hair in a bun on top of my head, tied with a scrunchie and I noticed that my hair stays wavy and with volume the whole next day.

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GMForever

Thank you for the review. The 2 hero products: EH balm and Bybi serum are worth the price of the box if you use those brands. I love EH balm, it’s the best I have tried so far, even better than Eve Lom IMO. I love most British Brands.
I think there are some code for a free gift with first subscription if someone is thinking about signing up.
The Customer Service is just lovely to work with, the best of all sub boxes! I highly recommend them.

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Jody

I have had this box in my cart everyday. I just didn’t pull the trigger yet. I was getting it mainly for the Emmie Hardie(my favorite balm) but I assumed it was the $60 value size!
I have no need for a grey shampoo either. I don’t think I will buy now since the review has clarified the sizes. Thanks.

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Anna

I was puzzled by the shampoo and two Transformula products. I do love the EH balm and I’m happy to have the Bybi serum. I like the lip product but don’t like the packaging.

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