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Beauty Heroes Beauty Discovery January 2022 Review

Megan K.
ByMegan K.Dec 31, 2021 | 32 comments

Beauty Heroes
4.5 overall rating
19 Ratings | 6 Reviews

Beauty Heroes is a clean beauty subscription box that focuses on non-toxic ingredients for $58.95/month. Each month they send you one new full-size “hero” product in the face, body, hair, or sun care category accompanied by "deluxe sidekicks."

ACTIVE DEAL: Get 10% off any subscription!
CODE: MSABH10

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.

First Impressions

My typical white box arrives beautifully packaged.

 

And inside was another single box with a single item:

 

Included were helpful cards and a booklet with loads of details about the product this month from Ayuna. If you were a subscriber last year, you might be experiencing some deja vu here, because we had a similar delivery in December 2020 that had a high retail price but very mixed opinions. It looks like it has been revamped this year with a new formula!

The Products

AYUNA Limited Edition Terra Viva Vivifying Skin-D Nectar, 3.4 oz - Retail Value $455.00

 

My eyes are watering at this retail value. Just like last time! But that doesn't mean I am not excited to dive into this beautiful black pot. Speaking of, each of these vessels is handmade and completely biodegradable. Which is very cool! But still leads to the sort of imperfections that come along with anything made by hand. Namely, the seal is finicky and temperamental, just like last year.

From Beauty Heroes:

It is important to acknowledge that Terra is an extraordinary product, an aspiration of the vision of its founders to craft a truly sustainable, fully biodegradable vessel. Terra, by nature, is not a perfect product. Each vessel was finished by hand and is completely unique. There are slight variations with each vessel, which can vary the performance of the seal and closure, as well as slight variations in the appearance. Ayuna knows this, and it is a part of the organic experience of a fully biodegradable, natural vessel and a signature of the character of Terra, please be aware of this as you unbox your unique, collectable Terra. Imperfections are to be expected.

I did feel like this one sealed better than my vessel last year, though time will tell. My cream actually ended up getting thick and dry by about July this last year, so hopefully, this has better mileage. I ended up emptying it out and using the jar as a very cute catch-all because the design honestly is gorgeous. And I totally get why Ayuna chose to present it this way.

As far as ingredients go, what the heck is in a $455 cream? The main thing the brand is promoting here is vitamin D from a succulent called "Living Stones". As someone who has grown these (temperamental) little plants, I find it quite charming that a plant that loves the sun enough to have a sheer "window" on top to let light in is the source of a vitamin so closely associated with sunlight. Vitamin D is a great anti-inflammatory for skin, which means if you are prone to redness, it is totally worth trying. It also helps boost the skin's defenses and promotes cell growth. The formula also has other great things like anti-aging fruit antioxidants, moisturizers, and ferments. Unlike the cream last year, this one is a medium weight that absorbs very nicely and feels great. I did notice a nice velvet finish and an overall brightened look from using this, but nothing that I wouldn't expect from a good-quality moisturizer. I did like the scent which was a mix of literally everything to my nose: florals, woods, citrus, and spice. It actually smells exactly like you would expect when you look at the color.

Verdict

Beauty Heroes sent one very big-ticket item this month. So, is this a $455 cream? Sure, the price is literally $455. But I can't imagine ever spending that much money on a cream. This is exactly why getting it in a subscription like Beauty Heroes feels like a huge treat! I think that most subscribers will agree with me on the price, but also really enjoy this cream. Even if it is almost the amount of a decent a car payment.

Keep track of your subscriptions by adding Beauty Heroes to your wishlist or subscription list!

To Wrap Up

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, but hurry!

ACTIVE DEAL: Get 10% off any subscription!
CODE: MSABH10

Value Breakdown:

This box has a total value of $455.00 for a subscription cost of $58.95.

Are you excited to receive your Beauty Heroes box this month?

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Beauty Heroes offers a curation of beauty, lifestyle, and wellness that's good for people and planet. Beauty Heroes holds the most rigorous ingredient standard in the industry and stocks over 100+ of the healthiest beauty, lifestyle, and wellness brands from all over the world. Their monthly beau... read more.

Megan K.
Megan K.
I love natural/vegan beauty products, Korean skincare, unique jewelry, and weird candies from far away places. When I am not waiting for my next exciting box you can find me painting or taking photographs of interesting people. I never leave home without pug hair somewhere on my shirt and a bold lipstick on my smile.

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32 comments

Lor

Signed up for this product &a second box a gift for a friend. Decided to try this new highly talked about cream w great wholesome ingredients including vitamin D. THE PACKAGE arrived quickly and upon opening the package out came wrapped box w
a gorgeous hand made black jar that was cold to the touch. The jar was such a beautiful work of art. The cream had an absolutely wonderful fragrance and went on my face really smoothly & glided on. Was really delighted with the product. I contacted customer service to ask some questions & was amazed at how quickly they responded to answer my questions. Wonderful sub box company in both product and customer service. I’m sold.

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Carey

Received my box and I’m sad. 🙁 The cream had oozed out the corner of the jar and was all brown and caked on the rim. I havent pulled up the seal to see if the inside cream is brown too but I’m hesitant to use it now since it looked the way it did.
Also, is there supposed to be a ring “seal” like in the pictures above? Cause I don’t have that on my jar- maybe thats why it leaked all over?
I guess i shouldnt even bother to contact them since they arent doing anything sadly.
I’ve been subbed for a few years and usually I find at least one product that I like in each Discovery but this was an absolute complete waste of money.

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Angie

When my jar arrived, the foil inner seal hadn’t been lined up correctly at the factory, so the product had leaked into the box. I emailed customer service, with pictures, and they told me that the vessel was art and I couldn’t expect to receive a factory sealed product in art. I would never use a cream on my face that arrived with a damaged seal– it could have any number of contaminants that make it unsafe for use. It’s my first month and I am gutted. Whatever discount there is, I still spent $50 on something unusable and was told to appreciate it.

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Beauty Heroes

We’re sorry to hear that you’re disappointed in your experience Angie. We do send out a notification to all new subscribers about the seal specifically and the lengths that the Ayuna team has gone to ensure the stability of the formula within the vessel. We have been very transparent about those concerns from the very beginning but we are sorry to hear about our disappointment with this month’s Discovery and that this experience wasn’t what you expected. -The Beauty Heroes Team

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Fatima

Same happened to me, but mine was completely wasted. I am also a first time subscriber, and expressed my frustration with how the product arrived. They did however offer me a refund for the this month, or a shipment of the full size of this product in its permanent packaging. I chose to get the replacement when available in a few months. They were very nice and helpful about it. Hopefully, they will provide a comparable resolution to you as well.

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Beauty Heroes

Thank you for sharing your experience Fatima. We do send out a notification to all Terra Viva recipients about some of the challenges associated with the seal and the ceramic vessel as well as the lengths that Ayuna has gone to ensure stability within the formulation. It sounds like our team was able to assist and we hope you’re able to enjoy the full size product when it debut’s in it’s permanent packaging. -The Beauty Heroes Team

Linsday C

Wow – what a great way to start the year with Beauty Heroes. I just received mine and it is so incredible. Beauty Heroes value is always so high, and I love that they focus on fewer products of higher quality. That just really works for me. I would never have discovered this otherwise. I received last year’ Terra – and I thought it was special then. And this is totally different. The scent is gorgeous and the vessel is amazing. Very fun way to start the year!

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Beauty Heroes

We just loved starting our week reading your comment, Lindsay! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with Beauty Heroes. We agree, this year’s Terra is so different from last year’s Terra Bella and we’re just so grateful to be able to share it with our community. -The Beauty Heroes Team

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Lorelei

I love Ayuna’s Cream II and the soap. I am really curious about this one. I am a bit confused about how to use it. Is it a serum or a cream?

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Beauty Heroes

That is a great question! Ayuna is referring to Terra Viva as a ‘nectar’ and we find it really fitting. It’s a bit thicker than a serum but lighter than a traditional cream. You can use it in a variety of ways. We’ve heard some people pair this with Ayuna’s Cellular Oil and also from some who are layering a heavier cream on top of Terra Viva. We recommend trying a variety of ways to see what feels best for you. Always feel free to email us if you’d like further assistance in customizing your ritual. -The Beauty Heroes Team

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Svetlana

Wow. I got this today. I cannot believe it’s not sold out! This moisturizer is amazing! It sinks into my skin beautifully. I’m only 31, so I don’t have any skin concerns. But it applies so good, doesn’t pill, feels so refreshing, smells so light. I would buy a few if I could, but I would love everyone to experience this.

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Beauty Heroes

Thank you again for sharing your experience with our January Discovery. The annual limited edition release of Ayuna’s latest product innovation is designed to be truly special and the ceramic vessel is designed to be part of that presentation – a pedestal to debut their latest and greatest. So happy to hear you’ve enjoyed Terra Viva thus far and look forward to hearing your long term experience! -The Beauty Heroes Team

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Annie

What an expensive cream. They have to be joking.

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Lauren

I’m going to say it: I’m not excited. My experiences with Ayuna have been largely negative. From their body cream to Velo, to last year’s Terra cream, every single product I’ve tried has been partially unusable because of poor packaging. Last year, the Terra cream itself pilled quite badly and the fragrance was overwhelmingly “rich old lady”. A blog I follow says the scent is “the age you have to be to afford the product” lol.

I am excited about the new fragrance with this one, and it seems they attempted to address the packaging issue? But I’m still just… meh.

We all get pretty loud and sassy about the inflated retail value of the items in our boxes, and yes, this cream costs $455 outside of the box. But BH is roughly a $60 box. How is Ayuna not losing significant profit here, if the cream really is $455? When the product highlighted this month is 1) limited edition and 2) has an extremely high price point, how will this discovery convert box subscribers into Ayuna customers? It feels sketchy and weird and does not endear the Ayuna brand to me at all.

All that said, I’m an annual subscriber so I’m getting this one and I’m going to give it an open-minded try. I’d love to be back on here in a few days, with a completely different take.

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Beauty Heroes

We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with Ayuna, Lauren. Terra is designed to be a super limited release of their latest product innovation. The vessel itself is artisan in design and the Ayuna team has worked diligently this past year to improve some of the challenges with the ceramic jar closure. We love that they are trying to create an artisan low waste packaging solution and continue to champion that innovation along the way. The feedback this year has been that the vessel is substantially improved from past years. We also wanted to mention, the Terra Vessel is 100 ml, making it double the size of Ayuna’s regular creams from their collection. Terra is made each year in a super limited quantity, and this year, again they made a limited run just for the Beauty Heroes Community, and if the formula within the vessel is well received it becomes a permanent part of the Ayuna collection in their more conventional packaging. You are correct that this is a significant investment on Ayuna’s part, but they value the Beauty Heroes Communities feedback as we’ve now been a part of the journey supporting the vision behind Terra and the intention of it being a pedestal to showcase their latest innovation. We also can’t wait to hear what you think about this new Ayuna scent! We think it’s quite special. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts! -The Beauty Heroes Team

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Julia

I have to agree with this. What a ridiculous price for a CREAM? BH just hasn’t been doing it for me anymore.

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Beauty Heroes

We’re so sorry to hear that you’ve been disappointed in your recent Discoveries. We’d love to understand more about where you feel we’ve been missing the mark. We pride ourselves in our curation and intention to feature niche brands in a focused and intentional way in each of our Monthly Discoveries and we’ve heard great feedback about 2021’s curation and are excited for what’s to come in 2022. We always value and welcome any feedback or ideas of what you’d like to see. Feel free to shoot us an email to [email protected]. -The Beauty Heroes Team

Donna

Obviously the RV is ludicrous, but I don’t pay too much attention to that when I decide whether or not to go for a box. It’s really what the value is to me, and I really, REALLY like the jar and I’m very interested in trying this cream. Even if I had Bezos’ money I would find it hard to justify paying such a ridiculous price for a moisturizer. If I like the cream, great, and if I don’t, well I have a gorgeous jar.

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Beauty Heroes

We really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts, Donna. Ayuna’s Terra vessel is a 100 ml jar, making it double the standard 50 ml you’ll find their regular collection cream’s. You’re getting double the product in addition to the beautiful vessel and we’ve heard from many consumers who still haven’t gone through their full Terra from last year, 100 ml is a lot of cream to work through. Also, if the contents of Terra Viva are well received, it will become a permanent part of the collection in more conventional packaging for those that aren’t interested in the 100 ml vessel format. (We think this one is going to be a hit so it’ll likely launch soon in the coming months!)

Nat

I got the last one Ayuna they had. It was good to try. I still have it and use it periodically. This one I am skipping

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Natalie

Very nice review! Honestly, I’m happy I didn’t subscribe and I was very close to when we received the emails about the ‘bang’ discovery. Additionally, for EU customers, we have to pay an additional ~50$ for the shipping and customs, resulting in more than 100$/box. Only boxwalla has changed the shipping company to help with the extra costs.

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Beauty Heroes

Hi Natalie! We are sorry to hear that there seems to be some confusion regarding our international shipping. We actually offer late rate international shipping for all international subscriptions as well as adjust the value listed on each label to avoid any additional fees. Most of our international subscribers aren’t having to pay any important fees. If you have in the past, feel free to email our team so we can look into that for you, [email protected]

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Christine

Last yr’s Ayuna Terra cream did not go well with any of my skincare products, it pilled. So I ended up using it as body cream, an expensive body cream, indeed! I am debating whether I should get this.

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Irina

This is great! I used last year’s Ayuna cream as a mask, also mixed with a peeling/exfoliator cream, which would be too harsh for my skin otherwise. The jars are so beautiful. I am looking forward to receiving the new Ayuna!

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Beauty Heroes

We love hearing that you’ve enjoyed discovery Terra with us, now two years in a row! We can’t wait to hear what you think of this one, and we agree, the jars are just so exceptionally beautiful. -The Beauty Heroes Team

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Irina

I have received the cream earlier today. What a beautiful hand crafted jar! The cream has a wonderful scent and is very moisturizing. A little goes a long way. I do not understand the comments about its high price, it is enough to check out the more innovative creams at airport duty free (I used to do that before the pandemic), much higher prices. Creams based on plant stem cell tech from CH are also very expensive, it is just a different ballgame. Anyway, all in all a wonderful BH discovery! Let’s hope for a third one next year :-).

Lydea

I ended up using last year as a hand cream- and man was it an AMAZING hand cream! That being said, I am not especially excited about this box. I found the inability to seal a $400+ cream to be ridiculous.

I sure do wish these boxes would include more eye products. I have so much product that I have to give it away, but I still have to buy my eye products! (Looking at you BH, Boxwalla and See New!) 👁 😊

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Beauty Heroes

We also featured Mukti’s Age Defiance Eye Serum back in April which we know was a huge hit for many. We also know it lasts a very long time so we try to time accordingly. In 2020 we also had an eye serum in October and February, so we do try our best to space out eye products as much as we can due to how long they last for most people. We love hearing that you’ve been a subscriber since the Spa Heroes days, that’s truly amazing! We also completely here you about concerns with the closure of the Terra Vessel but Ayuna has done rather intensive research on the stability of the cream itself and feels confident that the cream is fully protected. Thanks again for being a Beauty Heroes Member!

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Beauty Heroes

We and the Ayuna team really value feedback like yours, so thank you so much for sharing. Ayuna has spent the past year really working on improving the Terra vessel and we’ve heard great feedback so far from those that have received it regarding closing. It’s truly an artisan design but we also understand it’s not for everyone. We also appreciate you sharing your feedback regarding eye products. We featured two full-size eye products in 2021 and we often hear from our community that eye products in general last a long time so we’ve had some requests to feature them less frequently, but we appreciate you sharing your thoughts here and we’ll share your feedback with our team.

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Lydea

First, thanks for responding BH that is pretty cool! Can you respond what the two eye products were? I remember Violet, but not another. All in all, I am almost always thrilled with BH, I have been a subscriber since Spa Heroes days. I just really didn’t feel comfortable using a cream that I couldn’t close tightly on my face. But it really did a great job on my hands.

Laurie

I’m so excited to receive this as I missed out on it the last time. I received their face oil in another box and am addicted to it. It’s the best oil I’ve ever used. It goes on and sinks in beautifully. I’ve repurchased it twice even though the sticker shock makes it difficult to afford. Unlike a lot of oils, theirs pairs well with most skincare and doesn’t cause pilling. I only wish their products were more affordable.

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Andi

I cannot wait to get this! I was a subscriber last year when BH included Ayuna. I resubscribed again once I received their emails about this next box. While I love Ayuna, last year’s cream was too heavy for my combo skin (my husband enjoyed it, however). I think this one will be much better for my skin.

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