LOOKFANTASTIC Beauty Box is a beauty subscription box from the UK that promises at least six hand-picked items. Each box includes skincare, haircare, cosmetics, and body products curated around a theme. It's available to US customers for $19.00 per month with free shipping.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes).
First Impressions
1 of 2
This is my first time receiving a LOOKFANTASTIC Beauty Box, and I was eagerly awaiting its arrival. I love to repurpose beauty boxes to store all my odds and ends, and this one makes a beautiful addition to my collection. Seeing as how I live in London most of the year, I often find myself with FOMO, having limited access to the beauty boxes that primarily ship within the US. In this case, the tables have turned. While most subscribers in the US will receive their LOOKFANTASTIC box at the end of the month (given it hails from the UK), mine arrived promptly after the 1st, so I am pretty thrilled to get an early look.
What's Inside the Box
1 of 2
The box arrived with six beauty items and The Empowerment Issue of Beauty Box Edit, which pays homage to Women's History Month. (For a spoiler on what can be expected in the April 2022 box, check out The Edit photos down below!).
ESPA Refining Skin Polish - 15ml - Retail Value: $11.81
1 of 2
This item intrigued me more than any other in the box, given this polish uses fine spherical diatomaceous earth particles over microbeads to aid in exfoliation. Here's what I know about diatomaceous earth, and interestingly enough, it has absolutely nothing to do with beauty: this fine mineral is food-grade and perfectly safe for humans, but not such a treat for creepy crawly insects. How do I know this? I used to live in a house that had a bit of a moth issue. It was a nightmare - I tried everything - nothing seemed to work to keep those buggers at bay except for this stuff. Sprinkled around crevices and carpets, this effectively gets absorbed by the exoskeleton of many insects species, and essentially dehydrates them so they cannot survive. (If you have a moth problem in your home, and you're at your wits end, I highly recommend picking up a bag of this soft powder and sprinkling it around with a small paintbrush... trust me, it does wonders.)
Now back to the skin polish - this formula wasn't as soft as the powder I'm familiar with, and spread on the skin as I would expect an exfoliator should - a bit scratchy, but hey, we're trying to buff away dead skin cells here, right? I only needed to use a tiny amount, and the result is that my skin felt smoother and cleaner afterward, preparing me with a clean slate canvas to lay my makeup on. Considering how much I struggle to get makeup to glide on the way I want it to (and stay that way), this is frankly a skincare item that I ought to pay more attention to. I found I had an easier time (not perfect, but easier) with my makeup application afterward, so this was a big win for me. That said, I can't get those dehydrated bugs out of my head, so I'm extra, extra mindful about following up with a good moisturizer, because I can't have any of that.
Sachajuan Styling Cream - 125ml - Retail Value: $31.80
1 of 2
I tend to be a little indifferent about styling creams -- I've yet to discover the 'secret sauce' that delivers a drastic difference in the form of flawless locks. There's always something not quite right about them; they might be greasy, sticky, crunchy, add build-up - the list goes on and on. I'm the most high maintenance low maintenance hair person ever. I'm picky about who I'll let touch my hair, and I personally could not live without my ghd curling iron, but I tend to not get caught up in the hair product world. But hey, I'm open to convincing. So I gave this a try, and found it didn't carry the greasy/crunchy/sticky components I was worried about. The only question left was how it would perform. Unfortunately for this product, I had to put that to the test against the rainy and windy conditions of London.
That's London for ya.
Did I notice a substantial difference? Not really. No negatives to be found here, but also not much to be found in way of improvement in flyaways or split-ends. Everything about my hair was pretty much the same. Maybe the heat protection is a value add, but I don't know that this one is making it into my permanent routine.
Emma Hardie Brilliance Facial Oil - 5ml - Retail Value: $9.70
The word "oil" is one that I had to come around to when it applies to my face, but there's a difference between spreading a facial oil across one's face than if it was done with a greasy french fry. I have stubbornly dry skin (constant battle, sigh), so I couldn't get this on my face fast enough. A couple of drops, followed by moisturizer (or you could blend them, if you so wish), and it's like an extra drink for thirsty skin, day or night. This facial oil was absorbed by my skin very quickly, and seeing as how not all facial oils do this so well, I'm inclined to believe they're not all created equal. I would say this one is a keeper.
Starskin DREAMKISS™ Plumping and Hydrating Bio-Cellulose Lip Mask – Retail Value: $6.20
1 of 2
My lips are no exception to my dry skin situation. They're dry, chapped, and victim of winter. I've used lip masks before, and I find they're not really long-term solutions, but when one lands in my beauty box, who am I to turn down a smoother lip, if even just for a day or two? The only thing is that I need to commit to not actually talking for a little while (a little tough in my house, and generally speaking, my daughter finds masks of any kind to be very disturbing looking on me, so I usually need to plan for this after she's asleep). The instructions indicate to keep it on for 10-15 minutes, but I went for 20 minutes because I like to make the most of a one-time mask. It even says the serum could be used as a primer before adding lipstick or gloss, but I don't know how many people are going to have the dedication to bottle the renegade fluid here - it's not really that much to work with. So final impressions for this mask - it's nice, lips were soft, but I'm not sure they were plumper, and I had pretty much the same lips as before a couple of days later. I think unless you were incorporating this into your daily routine, that's the best one could expect. I wouldn't expect magic, but it's a nice little add-in to a self-care night, methinks.
Luvia 308 Detail Shader Brush – Retail Value: $14.20
1 of 2
I couldn't find this exact brush anywhere else, which leads me to believe it's exclusive to the March 2022 Beauty Box. It's a handy brush and size, with soft bristles, and versatile enough in use. I used it to detail a little more shading in my eye shadow, and it did the job. Truth be told, I'm just as fine with the less expensive E.L.F. brushes as I am with this one - the performance was comparable. I still like this addition, and always happy to receive a brush though.
Makeup Revolution: The Mascara - Retail Value: $8.00
1 of 2
I actually love to receive mascara in boxes because I can't get the thought of mold and allergens that can develop on wands over time. It's super important to keep the rotation fresh, and I've been guilty of hanging on to mascara too long because it technically wasn't empty (which is a bit crazy thinking back on it - I mean, this is right at my eye - not worth it!). This one didn't really do it for me though. I found it aggressively large and clumpy, and needed to use a dry wand to sort that situation out. It didn't run or anything, and what glided on wasn't exactly approaching tarantula territory, but I noticed the oomph wasn't quite there hours later. This didn't really ring special to me - I tend to prefer IT Cosmetics Tightline, Lancome Hypnose, or Kat Von D (R.I.P. Immortal Lash) depending on what I'm going for.
I was expecting to see Wet n Wild lipstick in this box as listed in the spoiler, which some subscribers will receive, however the spoiler images did show this mascara in the lot as well, so it seems to be an either/or situation. I'm not sorry I received this one even if it didn't quite win my heart, although I was a little excited to put the Wet n Wild of my youth to the test!
Beauty Box EDIT 03 - The Empowerment Issue (April 2022 Spoiler Inside)
1 of 7
The Empowerment Issue of Beauty Box Edit is a nice editorial pairing to the box, and I really enjoy learning more about what's in the box, as well the curation behind it. If you hang in to the end, you'll find a spoiler right inside for the following month, so it looks like we can expect to see the Avant Hyalu Replenish Lip Balm in April! The value indicated in the magazine is £56 (or $77), which I find to be pretty steep for a lip balm, but given my aforementioned lip situation and this will come in a $19 box, bring it on!
LOOKFANTASTIC Beauty Box April 2022 Spoiler!
Verdict
I really enjoyed receiving the March 2022 LOOKFANTASTIC Beauty Box! Was every single item a winner for me? No, but that's a hard ask for any beauty box - I'm here to discover and weed out my favorites. So I've got this rather large bottle of styling cream that I will probably give to someone else who will make better use of it, but I did discover a skin polisher that looks promising, a facial oil that absorbs quickly into the skin, added a brush to my collection, and enjoyed a quiet moment of solitude with the lip mask. As for the mascara, meh - I'd only reach for it if I didn't have my fallbacks, but it was still worth the try. All in all, I'd say not too shabby for a $19 box, and I can't argue with the value, which amounted to $81.71. As a first time subscriber, I'd say I get the LF hype.
Value – Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $19.00
Value Breakdown:
- ESPA Refining Skin Polish - 15ml - $11.81 → $2.75
- Sachajuan Styling Cream - 125ml - $31.80 → $7.39
- Emma Hardie Brilliance Facial Oil - 5ml - $9.70 → $2.26
- Starskin DREAMKISS™ Plumping and Hydrating Bio-Cellulose Lip Mask – $6.20 → $1.44
- Luvia 308 Detail Shader Brush – $14.20 → $3.30
- Makeup Revolution: The Mascara - $8.00 → $1.86
The total value of my box was $81.71, which is more than four times the cost of this $19 box. Great value to be found here, I'd say!
Other Things You Should Know
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, the March box is still available (as long as stock lasts).
Keep track of your subscriptions by adding this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What did you think of the products in this month's LookFantastic Beauty Box?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.