MUMS are pretty special, and with Mother’s Day falling at the end of the month, it’s time to start thinking about gifts.
Boots has launched its ‘With Love Beauty Box’ to celebrate mums everywhere, and it’s full of pampering products for much-needed self-care.
There are treats for face, body and hair, plus a fragrance and couple of make-up items, all neatly wrapped in a pretty pink box.
It will set you back £55 but is worth £276.50, so while it is rather expensive the value for money it offers is worth it.
As a mum, I was thrilled to be asked to review this — yes, it’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.
The Boots Mother’s Day beauty box contains £276.50 worth of items but costs £55[/caption]
Boots With Love Mother’s Day Beauty Box, £55
Pros:
- Good balance of product types
- 15 products
- Nine full-size items
- Includes make-up and a fragrance
- Impressive overall value
- Good selection of brands
Cons:
- Price (although it’s ideal if you’re teaming up with a sibling)
- A couple of obvious sample sizes
- Weighted towards skincare, so it may not be for everyone
Rating: 8/10
How I tested the Boots Mother’s Day beauty box
First off, let me say I was over the moon to test this box. It contains mainly skincare products, which is my bag, so I had a great time trying out the various items.
I tried everything on my hands, wrists and arms to start, to get a sense of the texture, fragrance (if any) and absorption.
Whoever designed this has done so thoughtfully.
There’s something for every stage of your skincare routine: cleanser, eye lotion, serum, face oil, moisturiser and a face mask.
Whoever designed this has done so thoughtfully. There’s something for every stage of your skincare routine.
On top of that, there are a couple of body care goodies, a hair treatment and a fragrance.
I used all of the products the way they were intended and soon found my favourites.
Almost all of the brands I was familiar with (bar one), and I had used several of the products previously.
I quickly got to know the ones that were new to me, and I now have an ongoing relationship with some of them.
Boots With Love Mother’s Day Beauty Box review: Quickfire Q&A
The box contains items from big-name brands like NEOM and REN[/caption]
Boots With Love Mother’s Day Beauty Box, £55
How much is the Boots With Love Mother’s Day Beauty Box? The Boots With Love Mother’s Day Beauty Box costs £55.
Who’s it best for? Mums who love skincare and who are up for trying new products and brands.
What we loved: The well-curated skincare collection and the fact that there are nine full-size items.
What we didn’t: The obvious sample-size items (not the travel sizes, which are still substantial and will last a while).
Boots With Love Mother’s Day Beauty Box review: The Nitty Gritty
First impressions
I was impressed with the selection of products included[/caption]
Boots With Love Mother’s Day Beauty Box, £55
The box is pretty and solid – it looked and felt special – and I liked the idea of a removable sleeve, which means you can use the box again for gifting or keepsakes.
I purposely hadn’t looked at the product list before opening the box, so once in there, I was delighted to see so many well-known brands and a broad range of skincare.
Sadly, the pink tissue that I folded back to reveal the goodies inside the box was ripped.
I know it sounds trivial, but this is the unveiling moment and the first chance mum gets to see what’s inside her special gift, so it’s crucial that it strikes the right note. It’s all part of the feeling special vibe.
There are nine full-size items in this beauty box — including products from NEOM, Grown Alchemist and Liz Earle — which is wonderful.
However, there were a couple of obvious sample sizes. The Elizabeth Arden Rapid Skin Renewing Water Cream was contained in a plastic sleeve, and the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream was a tiny 7ml pot.
I’m all for larger samples that aren’t handed out quite so readily in store – such as the CK One fragrance, which is 15ml – but when somebody is spending £55, I think including samples cheapens the overall effect.
Does it deliver?
Overall, yes.
There’s a great mix of products — especially skincare.
I love that most of the items are full-size so they will last a long time, and that I got to experience brands I hadn’t tried before – Grown Alchemist, Patchology and Sol de Janeiro.
What’s inside the Boots Mother’s Day beauty box?
- Grown Alchemist Hydra Repair Day Cream 65ml
- Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick – Taupe 1.6g
- NEOM Wellbeing London Perfect Night’s Sleep Pillow Mist 30ml
- Ren Clean Skincare Everhydrate Marine Moisture-Restore Serum 30ml
- No7 Youthful Replenishing Facial Oil 30ml
- Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Hydrating Mask 30ml
- Fresh Soy Face Cleanser 150ml
- Philip Kingsley Bond Builder Restructuring Treatment 40ml
- Liz Earle Eyebright
Soothing Eye Lotion 150ml - Patchology Chilled On Ice Firming Eye Gel – Single pair
- Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Cream 25ml
- No7 Soft Blur Lip Crème in the shade ‘Peach Nude’
- Calvin Klein CK One Unisex Eau de Toilette 15ml or Calvin Klein CK One Essence Unisex Parfum Intense 10ml
- Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream 7ml
- Elizabeth Arden Retinol + HPR Ceramide Rapid Skin Renewing Water Cream 5ml
All of the products did what they were designed to do, and there wasn’t anything I really disliked.
I did have my favourites however and for me, the standout items were the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick, NEOM Perfect Night’s Sleep Mist and Grown Alchemist Hydra-Repair Day Cream.
I had never tried the latter but I will definitely be buying it in future. I loved the light fragrance and how it absorbed quickly without leaving my skin feeling greasy.
The Bobbi Brown Shadow Stick in taupe was a revelation. I didn’t think I was going to like it because the colour is so neutral, it’s barely there.
The Bobbi Brown Shadow Stick in taupe was a revelation
However, it goes on like a dream, and it doesn’t crease. At all. And it lasts for hours. I quickly came round to the subtle shade, which is ideal for day wear.
NEOM is known for its candles, which I love, and the pillow mist is so on-brand.
It has a spa quality with essential oils of lavender, chamomile and my favourite, patchouli (yes, I am a hippy chick).
This smells so good sprayed over my bed at night.
This No7 lip creme was one of the few products I didn’t gel with[/caption]
Boots With Love Mother’s Day Beauty Box, £55
On the downside, there were a couple of products I wasn’t enamoured with.
Sol de Janeiro is one of those viral beauty brands everybody raves about and I was excited to try it, but I found the body lotion a little greasy and though the fragrance is okay, it’s a little too sweet.
The No7 Soft Blur Lip Creme in Peach Nude wasn’t for me either. I found the coverage patchy and my lips felt dry after using it.
Of the other products, I’m a big Origins, REN and No7 fan, so it’s no surprise that I liked their skincare items.
The Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (another viral hit on social media) is something I already have in my skincare collection, while Liz Earle and Philip Kingsley are brands I’ve used on and off for years.
Considering you can’t please all of the people all of the time, I think the Boots boffins have done a great job with the product selection in this beauty box.
How much is the Boots Mother’s Day Beauty Box?
You’re going to pay £55 for the Boots With Love Mother’s Day box, and as Mother’s Day gifts go, it’s probably on the more expensive side.
However, for beauty fans it’s a joy — the variety of products and brands is excellent and there’s enough in there to last for ages.
Plus, it might be an ideal price if you’re teaming up with a sibling.
Where to buy the Boots Mother’s Day beauty box
The With Love Mother’s Day Beauty Box is available from Boots, both online and in-store.
I expect it will be pretty popular, so if you’re thinking of buying one, do so sooner rather than later in case it sells out.
Alternatives to the Boots Mother’s Day Beauty Box
There’s been an explosion of beauty advent calendars these past few years in the run up to Christmas and now it seems the same could be happening with beauty gifts for Mother’s Day.
I have already reviewed the M&S Made For An Icon Mother’s Day Beauty Box, and I’ve also seen versions on sale at Look Fantastic and Next.
The verdict
Mums of all ages will love this.
There’s enough variety in there to appeal to different tastes, and the broad product range addresses the full spectrum of skincare needs from cleansing and day cream to nighttime moisturising and masque.
The mix of well-known brands and bestselling goodies will appeal to many people, though anyone wishing for more body pampering beauty may be a little disappointed.
Although the beauty box is rather expensive, it contains a lot of value.
For me, the Bobbi Brown eyeshadow stick at £29.50 and the Grown Alchemist Day Cream at £35 are two things I’ll probably buy again and they cost £64.50 if bought separately.
In the same way, I think other women will find their favourites to make the price more than worth it.
With Love Mother’s Day Beauty Box, £55 from Boots – buy here
