Cohorted Luxury Beauty Box | April 2020

It’s been a while since I had a beauty subscription box and honestly, I had forgotten how much I loved them. In the past I have found and fallen in love with beauty products that I received in beauty boxes which I still use to this day. A beauty subscription box really is a great way to discover new brands and new products that you may not have used or tried before. The Cohorted Beauty Box is a little different to what I have had before; it is full of premium beauty products I wouldn’t normally buy myself or only think to purchase as a treat.

WHAT IS COHORTED BEAUTY SUBSCRIPTION BOX?

The Cohorted Beauty Subscription box is only £39.99 a month and they ship internationally too. Just think, how much do you spend a month on beauty and skincare products? April’s Cohorted Beauty Box is valued at £146.49! Think of all the money you could save by treating yourself to one of these boxes every month and all the goodies you could receive instead of trying to decide what not to buy because your budget is tight. Every box is packed full of 8 hand-picked, premium products and if you are new to this box you can also receive a *Too Faced Primed Poreless Face Primer worth £10 as a free gift if you enter the code ‘cohortedgiftme’ when you sign up. (*the free gift changes, this is the gift for April 20’)

VEGAN SKINCARE

The special thing about April’s Cohorted box is that all the products inside are vegan! That’s right, let’s jump on the vegan skincare bandwagon together with this box! As a vegetarian (most days vegan) I have also been making the switch to vegan friendly skincare where I can and honestly, it is so invigorating to know that I’m being more mindful of what ingredients I like to use on my face. I will be honest with you all though, I would never say I am vegan because I am not, as much as I don’t eat meat and fish (at all) and have almond and oat milk as my milk alternative, plus I do still enjoy cheese and honey in my diet. I don’t like to label myself too much when it comes to my diet lifestyle, as I am flexible with what I eat and go by what my body needs and doesn’t like (I suffer with IBS).

WHAT YOU GET IN THE COHORTED BEAUTY BOX

Anyway, back to this swanky beauty box! I have been trying out all of these products over the last week, so this is my review of them from their first (some second and third) use, so this post is more of a first impressions and how I found the products from first use.

If you haven’t already seen on my Instagram, last week I posted an IGTV on my Instagram @beautywithpinarx of me unboxing this beauty subscription box. I was so impressed with how it was packed with full-sized products! In the past, when I have had a subscription box, you generally receive sample/travel sizes with one full-size product. The majority of products inside this box are full sized and I’m living for it. As a beauty junkie this was like Christmas day, opening of a box and not knowing what is inside. In case you haven’t already guessed, I loved what I found in the box when I opened it!

So, let’s get into it! The box included:

• x1 Brochure
• Kester Black Nail Polish Shade – Do-Gooder RRP: £15
• Kester Black Matter Liquid Lipstick Shade – Do-Gooder RRP: £21
• Anastasia Beverley Hills Contour Cream Kit (Medium) RRP: £46
• Codex Beauty Bia Exfoliating Wash 30ml RRP: £10.50
• Generation Clay Brightening Purple Clay Mask 15ml RRP: £5
• BYBI Buffer Lip Scrub – 10ml RRP: £9
• Memi Eyeshadow Palette Millennial RRP: £22
• Lebon Villa Noacarlina Toothpaste RRP: £17.99

That’s right, you receive 8 products in the box!

The brochure is just amazing in itself. It is more than just a content of what products are included in this subscription box; it’s more like a magazine full of small articles like Why Choose Vegan Skincare? and Did You Knows? Each of the products included has its own double page spread that is full of insight into the brand and the product as well as how to use them. This is great for any skincare and beauty lover, even if you are a novice and have just started exploring the beauty community and its products. This is a great bit of bed time reading for sure!

KESTER BLACK NAIL POLISH AND MATTE LIQUID LIPSTICK

Two of the products included in the April box are from a brand called Kester Black. This is the first time I have been introduced to them and the shade of their lipstick matched the nail varnish, which is something I love. The shade Do-Gooder is the perfect deep mauvy pink that compliments my olive skin tone. The nail varnish is a water permeable and breathable formula, without all the harsh chemicals typically found in nail varnishes. The liquid lipstick is a non-sticky, long-lasting lipstick that is super pigmented and is so easy to apply with its multi-purpose applicator to first line the lips then fill. With the nourishing oils like olive oil to keep lips looking and feeling hydrated. I really like that I now have another nail polish and lipstick combination in my collection that I can use for a day or night look.

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS CONTOUR CREAM KIT (MEDIUM)

I remember about 5 years ago I watched a Jaclyn Hill makeup tutorial where she used a contour palette by ABH and it wasn’t yet available in the UK, so I ordered it in from the US which took weeks to arrive but honestly it was worth it! I’ve loved the brand ever since. When I saw I had the ABH cream contour palette included in this box I was so happy. I’ve been focusing so much on skincare over the past couple of years, that I’ve neglected my makeup collection and I was in desperate need of a contour palette and the Cohorted Gods came to my rescue! This palette is great to help create the Kim Kardashian famous contour, with easy to use cream shades, this palette is great to create a seamless contour whether you want a sharp look or a natural look. If you are not sure what type of contour works for your face shape or need some tips then check out YouTube; so many beauty influencers have created content around this palette and contouring, it’s a great way to learn how to if you are new to the contour game.

CODEX BEAUTY BIA EXFOLIATING WASH

Codex is another brand I have not tried before but is one that I have seen on Instagram recently and this bestseller is one I’ve really enjoyed using. I love to exfoliate my face and body as regularly as I can because I have a lot of deep and dark acne scaring, so this process overtime has helped reduce and fade them. The idea of a gentle daily exfoliator is perfect for my current skincare routine. With key ingredients of Elder-flower Water, Grapefruit, Safflower and Milk Thistle Oils my skin loved this product. It is so gentle and soothing and my skin felt nourished and soft after just the first use. I have used this product a few times over the past week and have loved having it on my bathroom shelf to use in the mornings. I definitely want to try more from Codex in the future.

GENERATION CLAY BRIGHTENING PURPLE CLAY MASK

Generation Clay is a brand I have used and loved in the past. I have an oily/combination skin so my skin adores a clay mask and these guys know the perfect formulation for the perfect 10 minutes of masking heaven. This innovative mask is however, very different to the masks I’ve used before. The key ingredient is Davidson Plum, a natural version to the popular AHA (alpha-hydroxy acid) which I love to help renew and brighten my skin. It’s a great way to include an AHA element into your skincare if you are not sure about the harsher chemicals and products on the market at the moment.  This multi-tasking mask also restores your skin to its good self by reducing free radical damage as well as slowing down the ageing process. My skin looked and felt so bright and clean after using it for the first time. I actually uploaded a Tik Tok using this mask I loved it that much.

BYBI BUFFER LIP SCRUB

BYBI is another brand I have been seeing on my Instagram lately. I love a good lip scrub; I am prone to dry and flaky lips, so I do like to regularly exfoliate my lips with a good lip scrub. This scrub worked wonders, it was so nourishing and smells amazing. My lips felt and looked so smooth! A lip scrub is a great way to prepare your lips for a day of lipstick for a smoother and long- lasting application. I love having this on my vanity.

MEMI EYESHADOW PALETTE – MILLENNIAL

Now, this is honestly my dream eye shadow palette! Full of shades I would normally reach for, neutral shades and slightly deeper shades so that there is a choice to create a natural everyday look or opt for a warmer and smoky look.  The formula looks and feels great and the colours are easy to apply and blend. What made me laugh was the name of each shade and its reference and connection to the ‘millennial’ age. I fall into the millennial age of the baby boomers as I am an 80’s baby. The shade names like Stacy’s Mom, All Ass and Boss Bitch are all words that I can relate to.  I would recommend this palette to any makeup lover because of its versatility and easy to use formulas.

LEBON VILLA NOACARLINA TOOTHPASTE

Now last but by no means least, the most expensive toothpaste I have ever used. Let’s be real; I’m the type of person that buys the toothpaste that’s on offer that week in the supermarket. As long as my teeth and mouth are clean and protected that is all I care about. When I saw this luxurious toothpaste, I had to double take. Look how lavish it is! It looks so expensive and I was hoping because of this it would make my teeth look sparkling white and brand spanking new after using it, but alas, no such luck. On a serious note this toothpaste was still really pleasant to use. My whole teeth brushing experience has now changed and honestly, it’s a great thing. I always see teeth brushing as a chore, but using this toothpaste gives me a sense of mindfulness. The fusion of fresh mint and cinnamon (I love cinnamon) helped me stop, slow down and I actually now really enjoy brushing my teeth just because I’m using this. The calming and sensual act of brushing my teeth has become a bit of a joy in the mornings and at bed time. I’m not sure if I could afford to keep up this daily luxury once the tube empties, but my whole mindset on luxurious and expensive toothpaste has all changed and I would definitely love to be able to indulge every so often and treat myself to a premium toothpaste like this Lebon one.

So, there is it, my full review on the Cohorted April Beauty Subscription Box! If you made it this far, then thank you. I hope it was helpful in aiding your decision whether or not to invest in a beauty subscription box or even just to introduce you to some new brands and products.

Until next time,

Pinar xo

*gifted products, all opinions are my own.