The Pip Box - The Summer Prep Edit

Founded in 2016, The Pip Box is a beauty subscription box which is dedicated to helping beauty lovers go cruelty-free with their cosmetics. The box was named after the founder, Sofi, a cute little dog named Pip who is a mixed breed of a Labrador and a Poodle. The Pip Box is on a mission to promote ethical beauty brands to their subscriber's and it ships boxes across the U.K and the rest of Europe, for every box sold, 50p is donated to Animal Free Research UK.

I was kindly sent a Pip box to review and this is the first time I have featured them on my blog. The Summer Prep Edit has been put together to get you prepared for the warmer weather and inside the box, there are five products.

The first product out of the box is the Figs & Rouge Soft Focus Pore Perfect Hd+ Matte Veil (Full sized £35). Soft Focus Pore Perfect HD+ is described as being a weightless, matte Serum which helps minimise the appearance of pores and create a sheer complexion. It features which is referred to as being a duo-Action Anti-Blemish formulation and this not only helps to reduce skin impurities but it also helps to combat breakouts. 

The HD+ Complex helps to diminish shine as well as helping to fade imperfections and promote a clearer balanced complexion. The instructions are to apply the product directly onto freshly cleansed skin and work across the t-zone before applying makeup, or you can apply after makeup and simply pat onto the skin for that matte finish.

The second product in the box is La Ritzy Liquid Beam in Copper (Full size £16.99). Described as being a game-changing multi-purpose liquid illuminator, this product is one which boasts the phrase 'versatile'.

La Ritzy liquid Beam can be used in on the high points of your face as a highlighter, on your eyelids, as a liquid eyeliner or La Ritzy claim that you can also mix it into a matte eyeshadow to create a brand new, creaseless metallic shadow and you can even apply it as a topper to your lipstick if you really want the shade to pop. I really like the shade of this product, it has a slight peachy tone to it, so it isn't too brashy and once it is applied, it doesn't run or smudge.

The third item in the box is The Salt Parlour Rose & Shea Butter Salt Scrub (Full size £8.99). This is a brand I have never come across before, so it is nice to come across a new brand.

Packaged inside a handy tin, this scrub is made using blended mineral-rich Dead Sea Salt, Pink Himalayan Salt and Rose Oil.  At this stage, I love it already because those are three of my favourite ingredients in a scrub.  The Salt Parlour believe the sea can do wonders for your skin and they wanted to recreate that beach holiday feeling with their range of salt & sulphur scrubs of which there is 6 to choose from and being honest, I want to now try them all.  This scrub is gentle on the skin rather than being overly abrasive and what I really love about it is just how wonderful it smells owing to the rose oil, which has calming and soothing properties and it leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth to the touch.

The fourth product in my box is The Beauty Nomad Aloe Sheet Mask (RRP £2.10). Again, another brand I have not come across until now and I do love a good sheet mask.

This Aloe Sheet Mask is described as being a nourishing mask which is designed to revitalise and brighten the skin after a day outside in the sunshine.  One product I always have in my fridge during the summer is an Aloe Vera gel, that way I can apply it to my skin when I am feeling hot and bothered as it does such an amazing job at cooling and soothing.

The final item within this box is the Betty Hula Nourishing Anti-bacterial Hand Cream in Champagne and Spice (Full size £4.99).  The final product is also another brand I have never come across until now and you never can have too many hand creams to use.

Described as being a quick penetrating cream which works to deeply nourish the skin and cuticles, it uses the natural ingredients of both Shea Butter and Coconut Oil which help to diminish the appearance of skin ageing and blemishes. With the Champagne and Spice scent, something you notice immediately on the skin, it is quite a musky fragrance rather than sweet and it is one which lingers on the skin for a good hour after application. As a cream, it is neither greasy or tacky on the skin.

If you are looking for a beauty box which is a little different to everything else out there and one whose primary focus is on offering cruelty-free products, then this is the box which will tick everything you are looking for.  As a subscription box, you can choose just how to subscribe to the Pip Box. Prices start at £20 per month, £55 for 3 months and £110 for 6 months.

Have you tried The Pip Box before?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Headmasters Mayfair Salon

Nestled in the heart of Mayfair, London you will find the Headmasters salon, one which, as soon as you walk through the door makes you feel instantly at ease.  I have friends who have a fear of the hairdressers and salons and avoid putting off going for as long as they possibly can, I am the opposite, I find the whole experience a relaxing one.

Inside the salon it is a very intimate affair, the whole time I was there, it was never short of people coming and going, walking in off the street to present themselves for an appointment or ask to book.  Despite how busy it was, it was also quiet, no overly loud music being pumped through speakers is one thing I noticed and, despite the constant use of hairdryers and other styling equipment, it just didn't feel noisy.  

As soon as I arrived, I was shown to one of the comfiest seats I have sat in for quite some time, asked if I would like a drink and something to read.  At this point I could have quite happily sat here for hours, there is something like relaxing about people watching. I was in the salon to see the wonderful Jonny, the Artistic Ambassador at Headmasters and he shares his time between editorial shoots and educating the Headmasters team. His biog states that his strengths are in precision cutting, where he headed Headmasters first ever Classics Collection and session styling. Jonathan loves looking at hair through a session stylists eyes and translating them into wearable looks. As soon as you meet Jonny, you are at ease, there is something about his persona that makes you feel relaxed and at ease.  Trusting your hair, your pride and joy, in the hands of someone you don't know is quite the daunting task, but not so in this case, for me anyway.

A quick chat with Jonny about a wash and blow-dry, possibly a tidying up of the ends, I was guided over to the washing area and I sat on the most wonderful massage chair, the kind I now definitely need at home - absolute heaven.  If there was something I could pay someone to do for me forever, that would be to wash and condition my hair, one of my favourite things about a hair salon is having someone else wash my hair. 

My hair, as you can see is shoulder length and naturally wavy, but I tend to straighten it a few times a week and I do use heat protection sprays. I wash my hair every other day, one of the joys of living in a polluted capital city means your hair tends to feel absolutely grim to the touch more so because I have combination hair of oily roots and dry ends.   

Jonny decided to go for the swishy blow dry and I absolutely loved how it looked as it isn't something I have tried to do myself or ever have at any other salon as the assumption usually is to blow dry my hair straight, so now I have something else to be trying when I next go for a trim, I just hope they are this good!   

If you are in need of your hair cut and haven't got a clue where to start, want a new experience, want a salon which makes you feel welcome and some incredible service, then Headmasters is definitely somewhere to be going and you can even book online too!

*this post contains a PR Appointment,  PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.