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The Beauty Box by Bombay & Cedar Review – March 2020

Taryn Lowman
ByTaryn LowmanApr 11, 2020 | 24 comments

The Beauty Box by Bombay & Cedar is a new beauty subscription box from the folks at Bombay & Cedar, featuring 5-6 clean, vegan, and cruelty-free products each month. They promise makeup, skincare, beauty tools, and more from a mix of indie and well-known brands with a value of over $100.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

About this Beauty Subscription Box

The Subscription Box: The Beauty Box by Bombay & Cedar

The Cost: $31.95 per month + free US shipping, or save with longer subscriptions.

The Products: 5 to 6 deluxe and full-size beauty products that are clean, vegan, and cruelty-free with a retail value of $100+.

Ships to: The US for free, Canada for $5.95, and internationally for $10.95

The Beauty Box by Bombay & Cedar March 2020 Review

 

The box comes with a booklet of information that lists out the products and highlights some of the brands.

 

Eye Sunscreen SPF 50 with Matte Tint by This Way, 10 ml - Retail Value $23.52 (£19.00)

I am loving this sunscreen! It is made of 98.54% natural ingredients and has a matte tint that naturally adapts to your natural skin tone. The other 1.46% is made up of active anti-aging ingredients. You can apply it to your nose, under-eye area, or other delicate spots on your face that need that extra bit of sun protection. I love how the tube can slip right from my makeup bag, to my diaper bag, to our beach bag like that which will make daily use super easy!

 

Hyaluronic Acid Serum by Dime Beauty, 1 oz. - Retail Value $28

I was instantly attracted to the packaging of this serum, it is so sleek! I've never used a hyaluronic acid serum before, but after reading a bit more about it, it sounds like something I really need since my skin is usually always on the dry side. This serum works to provide instant hydration to the skin that lasts while it plumps and boosts skin elasticity. Dime Beauty is vegan and cruelty-free and this serum is made of Water (Aqua), Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin. It has taken me a few days to get used to this serum, but once I figured out how much my skin actually needed, I fell in love with this product! It is really thick and somewhat sticky or tacky feeling at first so I think a little really does go a long way. The bottle says to use 3 to 5 drops in the morning and at night, but I found that I didn't love the way this product worked along with my makeup. So now I am using only one to two drops at night and that feels like enough for my super dry skin! My face looks glowing and hydrated and has cleared some extra dry spots that I normally have as well. This is a keeper!

 

Beetroot Cheek + Lip Tint by Ere Perez - Retail Value $28.40

I am a sucker for a red lip! I was so excited when I saw this tint that I put it on immediately for my walk around the neighborhood with my kids (it really brightened my day). The main ingredient in this tint is beetroot, which I think is so cool! Beetroot is full of antioxidants and minerals that keep your lips hydrated and works to create a natural pigment on your skin. This tint is pretty wet and sticky when you apply but it allows you to build the color you want. I applied a lot to get this amount of coverage and color that you see in the photo, but I did get some bleeding at the corners. I absolutely love the shade, but it didn't stay as long as I would have liked. I would say I needed to reapply within an hour and that was a time when I didn't eat or drink anything. I tried this on my cheeks over my makeup and didn't love the way it blended with my foundation. However, when I tried it on a makeup-free face, it blended really well and gave me a super healthy glow. I could see myself using this a lot in the summer when I have more of a tan. Overall, I am really happy with this tint and know I will get a ton of use out of it!

 

Mandarin + Basil Makeup Remover Wipes by Revele, 30 wipes - Listed Value $6

This pack of wipes is formulated with essential oils to help remove makeup, dirt, and oil that build on your face throughout the day. The mandarin helps to firm and hydrate while balancing your skin's pH levels, while the basil is great for oily and aged pores as a natural antioxidant. I have never used a makeup wipe before only because I am naturally very dry and I've always felt that my face cleanser did a great job at removing my makeup. I really wanted to love these wipes, but I had a pretty harsh breakout after using them only twice. I'm not sure exactly what would have caused the breakout, but I experienced some redness and dryness after each use, then started the breakout at the end of day two. I am going to pass these along to a friend that might enjoy them, but for me, these were a bit too much for my sensitive skin.

 

Take Me To... Eyeshadow Palette by Mavie. Cosmetics - Retail Value $23

I have received the Take Me To... palette in a few different boxes over the past few months, and I am always so excited to receive one! I love the quality and find that the colors blend nicely with little fallout. I received Stockholm this month which is filled with a ton of shades that I would never wear normally. Since my family is staying safe at home right now, I figured this is a great time to try these shades that I normally wouldn't try on a regular day. The quality is great as I said before; the colors blend and they really pop well. I can't say that I fell in love with the colors in this particular palette, but I know I will be keeping it in my makeup bag for a special occasion. I mean, that green is so deep and beautiful, I think I just need a bit more practice with these types of shades.

 

Super Eye Duo by Dime Beauty - Retail Value $56 (on sale for $49)

I have been seeing a lot of influencers talk about eyelash boost serums so I was super excited to give this a try! The serum is meant to improve the overall appearance and length of your lashes, plus you can use it on your eyebrows. The wand for the eyelash serum is like a little brush that you just paint onto your lash roots. I've been using this at night before bed since my eyes tend to be a bit more sensitive. I haven't noticed a huge difference in my lashes, but hopefully, I will see a bit more voom over time. For the mascara, I have to start by saying that I have used the same brand since I was a teenager, and no matter what other brands I try I always go back to my original. That being said, I did not like this mascara for myself personally. The wand was way too small and straight with no curve or movement to it. I found that the wand didn't allow for separation of my lashes and it left them looking clumpy and super straight. This really is just a personal preference; this brand might do wonders for you, so I always suggest trying this for yourself if you can! The booklet notes that the mascara is made with ingredients to help aid in hair strength to create length and thickness.

Verdict: The Beauty Box by Bombay & Cedar was a hit for me! I really do love trying new beauty products, and even if they all can't be winners, it is still fun to test products and learn about new brands. That is what I think I love the most about this box: the surprise and the enjoyment that I get out of the overall discovery process. You never know what you will get and you might find your next golden product! This month had a few more misses than wins, but I came out with some amazing products like that red lip tint and sunscreen. I enjoyed taking some time to myself as well to go through each product, and I really loved making some funky eye looks with my new palette. I calculated a total value of about $164.92, which is well above the $31.95 monthly cost of the box itself—a totally amazing value! I think this box would make a wonderful and high-quality gift for any beauty product lover and is just a great way to pamper yourself (something we could all use a little more of right now).

To Wrap Up: 

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Order by 10th for the April box. Renews monthly on the 22nd. Ships between the 10th-15th.

Value Breakdown: This box costs $31.95 with free shipping and I calculated a total value of $164.92, which means you are paying approximately the following per item:

  • Sunscreen: $4.56
  • Serum: $5.42
  • Lip Tint: $5.50
  • Makeup Remover Wipes: $1.16
  • Palette: $4.46
  • Eye Duo: $10.85

Check out all of our Bombay & Cedar reviews and the best women's subscription boxes of 2020!

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

What do you think of The Beauty Box by Bombay & Cedar?

Taryn Lowman
Taryn Lowman
Taryn's passion for subscription boxes started when she was gifted a monthly Birchbox. She is excited to discover more Mom and baby boxes to share with her family!

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24 comments

Tiffany Pree

I’m not a huge fan of this box in particular.. But! That lip tint!! :O

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Amy in KC

Great review, Taryn! The beetroot lip tint is gorgeous! I am curious to what your favorite mascara brand is. I’m always looking for the holy grail of mascaras, so love hearing what brands others are loyal to.

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Errmmm

Hi Amy!
I just wanted to pop in because I received an incredible mascara through Allure recently called Tarte Amazonian Clay mascara (or something close to that) which has become my go-to and absolute favorite mascara ever. I use the Tarte for my first layer then use a waterproof mascara as a second layer and the Tarte mascara does everything you want: thickens, lengthens, separates, and it does everything with ease and simplicity. But it doesn’t look goopy or fake or overdone.

I’ve gotten about 20 mascaras over the last 2 years through sub boxes and the Tarte Amazonian Clay mascara exceeds them all by far.

Just a suggestion, because I couldn’t believe how in love I fell with this stuff! I’ve never been so impressed with a mascara before.

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Taryn Lowman

Thank you! Maybelline Great Lash! Feels sort of old school, but I have always loved it!

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theworldofdale

I, too, would like to see swatches of the eyeshadow palette. It would also be nice to see a “blob” of the serum to see its consistency.

Bombay & Cedar has been on my radar for a while and this beauty box is looking just as good as their regular boxes. I got the DIME eye duo from Causebox and I love the mascara… it actually works really well for my lashes. I agree that mascara is pretty individual on what works for what lashes and eye shapes.

Thanks for the review!

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Taryn Lowman

Thanks so much for your feedback!

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Mimosa

Hi Taryn, thanks for the review! This box looks great, and it’s extra helpful when we can see the product in action (that lip tint looks lovely on you). I hope that it’ll be possible to see swatches of the other colour cosmetics in your next reviews please? Swatches really help me form opinions on whether the product might work for me too.

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Taryn Lowman

Thanks so much for your feedback! Sorry for missing the swatches this time, but will be sure to next time.

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Beth in Oklahoma

I am loving the serum. I’m 53, and my skin is on the dry side, too, and absorbs it immediately. The bottle is very cool looking!

I got the Paris palette, my choice. I would have liked a photo of swatches, too!!!

I’m a bit surprised there’s no mention of the box itself. Very pretty packaging.

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Taryn Lowman

Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m so glad to hear you are loving the serum! Sorry for missing the swatches this time, but will be sure to next time.

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Taryn Lowman

Thanks so much for your feedback! I’m glad to hear the serum is working so well for you! Sorry for missing the swatches this time, but will be sure to next time.

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Marion

I got the pink beetroot stain, & I love it so much that now I want the red one, too, even though I almost never do a red lip!

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Charlotte

I got the red lip stain, and similarly love it! Depending on how pigmented your lips are, you can get a pretty natural “my lips but better” look if you use a light hand when applying. I found I got the best results when I dotted it onto my lips using the wand, and then patted it in with my fingers. I will definitely be picking the pink color up as well.

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Marion

I tend to get a very colored fingertip when I try to do that, lol.

I also want to add that I’ve loved lip stains for a long time, & I’ve noticed that some of them can have a bitter/bad taste (presumably due to the high ratio of pigment to carrier liquid), but this beetroot stain does not have a gross taste.

Jeannette

I was pleased with this box. The only thing I won’t really use is the beet stain. I got the same eyeshadow pallet as the reviewer. I was a little disappointed in the colors but it will get added to my collection. I’m really looking forward to the April box and I already got my shipping notice.

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Taryn Lowman

I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this box so much! I can’t wait to see what April will bring as well.

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B

I didn’t realize the cut off date for the month was the 10th! I wish you had posted this yesterday but great review!

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Flora

April is all sold out too, I hope we can see some May spoilers soon too!

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April

I really loved this box. The eye pallette in Los Angeles was great. Joy lip and cheek stain was pretty. The eye sunscreen was unique and getting good use of.

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Taryn Lowman

I’m so glad to hear you are enjoying this box!

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Lori

No eyeshadow swatches?

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Taryn Lowman

Thanks so much for your feedback! Sorry for missing the swatches this time, but will be sure to next time.

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Lisa G.

This looks like a great box! I’m not a fan of the red lip, but everything else looks like a hit!

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Sam

This looks like a very promising box. Thank you for a great review!

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