LOOKFANTASTIC Beauty Box May 2022 Review + June 2022 Spoiler

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

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My first impression of the May 2022 LOOKFANTASTIC Beauty Box was one of surprise (in a good way). Instead of the usual box, it wasn't a box at all, but rather a clear travel bag. I appreciated this little change up; don't get me wrong - I LOVE my collection of boxes - I repurpose them for all my odds and ends, but they're seemingly endless, and I'm starting to become a box lady. This clear bag is useful for travel, and overall just a nice switch in routine. 

What's Inside the Box

The May 2022 box embraces summer head-on; inside you will find six goodies that are all about sunny good vibes. With SPF protection, shimmering body oil, highlighter, and more, there's a lot to love here. Better yet, everything is TSA-friendly, so you can grab that clear travel bag and get a jump on summer by dashing off to a warm, tropical place, should you find the urge. Now, let's have a closer look at the items!

The Ritual of Karma Body Shimmer Oil - 30ml - Retail Value: $7.50

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This body shimmer oil screams summer and lands in a travel-friendly size, ready to grab some glow on-the-go. It looks so lovely in the bottle with its mineral particles reflecting the light to add a dewy dose of shine to the skin. As you can tell from the photo, my skin isn't quite as ready for summer as this month's box is. I am pale pale pale. Something tells me this would look better with a beach-ready tan, but since that never seems to happen for me, I gave this a go as I am. I'm not sure why I would have expected anything different given this is a body oil, but my first impression upon laying it on my skin was man, this is greasy. Spreadable, but greasy. That feeling didn't last long; once it settled in, it was fine and comfortable, but I don't know that I would pack this one in my essentials bag. Maybe if I wasn't so pale to begin with? LOOKFANTASTIC values this bottle at $7.63, but I found $7.50 to be closer to the truth, if you factor that a 100ml bottle retails for $25.

Ciaté London Glow-To Highlighter  (Mini) Retail Value: $10.43

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Highlighters and summer seem to go hand-in-hand, so it makes perfect sense to see this little Glow-To pot in the mix. This spread nicely against my skin, smoothly and evenly, which marked it as a quality product as far as I'm concerned. When I first looked at it, I was a little concerned this would be a glitter nightmare. At 36 years old, I've reached a point where I find myself avoiding glittery powders (for some reason I have it in my head that this makes me look like I'm clinging to my youth, but this is probably silly - at any age, I say, you do you). I was pleasantly surprised to find the shimmer was subtle, and this offered a nice glow against my skin, which doesn't always want to meet shades in the middle. This is considered to be a mini size, but I can't imagine needing any more than what's in this pot. The full size comes in four shades and retails for $29. Since it's impossible to know how much more you're actually getting in the full-size, I will take LF's word for it that the value on this item is $10.43.

We Are Paradoxx 3-in-1 Conditioner - 30ml - Retail Value: $2.94

This is one of those times where I wish I kept a tidy spreadsheet of all the items I receive in my boxes, by subscription box and month, so I can keep track of where I received an item. I've been using this same tube of 3-in-1 conditioner for a few months now, and it was driving me crazy trying to remember where I'd gotten it from. I finally figured it out - it was the February 2022 UK Glossybox! Whew - now that I've sorted that out... let's get on to the impressions!

This multifunctional cream has three uses: as a conditioner, as a hair mask, and as a finishing cream. I tend to use it as the latter. I keep this in my downstairs bathroom so I can grab it the moment before I need to head out the door to take my daughter to school (she always manages to untidy her hair in the time between I've done it up and when we need to leave). It makes a really nice polish to tame those flying hairs, and just a little bit does the trick. Since this came in my box, I decided to try it as a conditioner, leaving it in just a little bit longer while in the shower. The end result: it's quite nice. Incredible? I don't know about that, but it does the job. My hair was smooth and not knotty to comb through.

grüum Purifying Charcoal Cleansing Bar - Retail Value: $15.65

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I couldn't find this charcoal cleaning bar available for purchase online, but I did notice that this brand has a host of products in the bar cleansing space. Have you noticed the gusto with which shampoo and conditioner bars are hitting the scene right now? I suppose it's because they're so eco-friendly (no plastic here!) and seemingly last forever. As for this bar, I love having activated charcoal products for my face - from masks to nose strips to cleansers, I am here for it. That said, they can get a bit messy. The end result of this product is nice - my skin feels smooth and clean. My shower, however, not so much. It's presently owning a spot in a dedicated soap dish in my shower, where it will probably live for the rest of time because it takes that long to use up a bar of this size. On the whole, this has a great lather to it, you just have to be really dedicated to see this one through.

Bondi Sands Fragrance Free SPF 50+ - 10 ml- Value: $1.35

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Fortunately it was a sunny day in London when this arrived at my doorstep. My daughter's friend and her mum were coming over to have lunch with us in the garden, and the sun was out bright and strong. Like I said, I am pale, and pale girls tend to burn. I am already prone to redness - I need none of this in my life. What I know about SPF is that once you're higher than 30, the numbers don't really matter as much. SPF 30 blocks nearly 97% of UVB radiation, and it only goes up to 98% with SPF 50. But sure, why not, I will take every drop of protection I can get. I laid this on my notoriously sensitive areas (face, shoulders, chest) and put it to the test. For starters, I found the fragrance-free claim to ring true. It didn't really bear that sunscreen smell we all know too well (not that it bothers me so much). It went on as well as most other sunscreens do, but what impressed me is that I don't have a speck of burn from a day out in the sun. Can't ask for more than that, right? LF values this at $3.26, however I found $1.35 to be a closer estimation given a 2.53 oz (74.82 ml) bottle will run you $10. 

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream - 25ml - Retail Value: $10

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Variation time! This was the alt item in my box, so not everyone will receive this Brazilian Bum Bum Cream (for more on the item I didn't receive, see down below). Packed with antioxidant rich ingredients like guaraná extract and açaí oil, this body cream is meant to help visibly smooth and tighten the appearance of skin. Ambitious little cup of cream, trying to tackle my genetics like that. I'll be honest with you: it's going to take more than a few uses (or even containers) to achieve what I'm looking for (which is basically magic), so I won't sit here and say it has worked miracles for me. It would be unfair to expect it. But I love that it's here, and I will use every drop of it whilst I dream of it working wonders on legs. What I did find is that it absorbs quickly into my thirsty skin, glides on smoothly, and smells like piña colada, which I'm kind of loving.

Beauty Box EDIT 05 (June 2022 Spoiler Inside)

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I love this little booklet of deets that LOOKFANTASTIC includes in every Beauty Box. The May 2022 EDIT dives deep into summer, exploring all the ways to escape in the sun. I find the tips and mini articles quite useful, although I would've appreciated a little more info about all the products found inside the box. For some reason, they only chose four favorites to go into more detail about. The real gem here is in the last page: June spoiler! Coming up next month: DISCIPLE What Spot? Dots, a quick-fix solution for stressed out skin that calms redness (right up my alley) with a boost of natural salicylic acid to help detox blocked pores. They will come as micro-dart spot stickers. I don't know that my issues emerge in micro-dot pattern, but I'll give it a go, hoping it doesn't work so well that I end up with some strange reverse freckles situation!

Variations

Below is the item not received in my box, but could be in yours:

skinChemist Rose & Lavender Intensive Night Therapy Eye Serum - 15ml - Retail Value $26.07

This seems to be yet another unique solution that can't quite be found online, but judging from the name alone, I'll admit I have a little FOMO over this. What I received instead was the Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, not that I'm complaining, although some may not love receiving a product that is valued $16 below the alternative. More on that below, but I would say the value lies in what you'll actually use and love, not so much the retail price.

Verdict

On the whole, I really enjoyed the May 2022 LOOKFANTASTIC Beauty Box. I'm about as ready as anybody for summer, so this was a nice arrival on a sunny day. There are some basic staples (can write SPF off my shopping list) and some new items I probably wouldn't have otherwise sprang for (shimmering body oil, for instance). The highlighter was a standout winner for me, and I'm happy to have the charcoal bar, even if I will find myself at odds with it every time I go to clean the shower. This wasn't the highest value box I've received from LOOKFANTASTIC, but it was certainly a worthy ride to take for $19. Let's also not forget the travel bag, which certainly bumps this box up a grade. 

Value – Was This Box Worth It?

The Cost: $19.00

Value Breakdown:

At the risk of coming off as a harsh critic, I will approach valuation a little differently this month. As mentioned, I found some discrepancy in valuation of products in this box. I estimate sample sizes in ratio correlation to available full-sizes, or what is readily available on the market in its size by the brand directly or from LOOKFANTASTIC. For products where I couldn't find the product for sale, I gave LOOKFANTASTIC the benefit of the doubt. Check out my findings below.

My Box, LOOKFANTASTIC's Valuation:

• The Ritual of Karma Body Shimmer Oil - 30ml - Retail Value: $7.63 → $2.13
• Ciaté London Glow To Highlight (Mini) Retail Value: $10.43→ $2.91
• We Are Paradoxx 3-in-1 Conditioner - 30ml - Retail Value: $13.69 → $3.82
• grüum Purifying Charcoal Cleansing Bar - Retail Value: $15.65 → $4.38
• Bondi Sands Fragrance Free SPF 50+ - 10 ml- Value: $3.26 → $0.91
• Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream - 25ml - Retail Value: $12.27 → $3.43
• Clear LOOKFANTASTIC Beauty Box Travel Bag - Retail Value: $5 → $1.40
• Total Value: The Promise: $65+ / LF's Valuation: $67.93. Based on this valuation, this $19 box would come to you at 70% less than the retail value.

My Box, My Valuation Adjustments:

• The Ritual of Karma Body Shimmer Oil - 30ml - Retail Value: $7.50 → $2.70
• Ciaté London Glow To Highlight (Mini) Retail Value: $10.43→ $3.74
• We Are Paradoxx 3-in-1 Conditioner - 30ml - Retail Value: $2.94 → $1.06
• grüum Purifying Charcoal Cleansing Bar - Retail Value: $15.65 → $5.62 
• Bondi Sands Fragrance Free SPF 50+ - 10 ml- Value: $1.35 → $0.49 
• Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream - 25ml - Retail Value: $10→ $3.59
• Clear LOOKFANTASTIC Beauty Box Travel Bag - Retail Value: $5 → $1.80
• Total Value: The Promise: $65+ / My Valuation: $52.87. Based on this valuation, this $19 box would come to you at 60% less than the retail value, even if it doesn't hit the promise.

Valuation on Alternative Variation:

• LF's Valuation: $81.73 / My Valuation: $68.94

So what to make of all this... well, any way you slice it, the value is there considering this is a $19 box. You also have to account for the experiential factor, which is pretty much priceless. While this may not have been the high ticket box we've seen in the past from LF, it is pretty decent, and the items themselves are very good quality. Sure, there's a $16+ difference in retail value depending on which variation you end up with, but I feel like prices are so relative anyway, what truly matters is how the items speak to you.

Other Things You Should Know

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, the May 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?