Trying an Irish Natural Beauty Subscription Box : Full Review

Subscription boxes are all the rage right now, with options out there to suit pretty much any need. There are also different opinions out there on how sustainable the concept is. I have now been subscribed to a beauty fox for a little over 6 months. Before starting, I did have the internal debate because all the smaller packaging and sample sizes definitely aren't good for the planet. That being said, I am on a small budget and I'm trying to test and review as many products for you dear readers and a service like this is a great option for me.

Living in Ireland, most beauty subscription boxes (let alone natural ones) are based in the UK or abroad, and the shipping fees can add up pretty fast. That's why I was so excited when I found Naturalskincare.ie and their natural subscription service! They deliver a box full of natural beauty products around the 25th of every month for 19,95€. Like I said I've been receiving their box monthly for a little more than six months now and I feel ready to put my thoughts into writing. So here we go!

THE BOX & PACKAGING

The first month I received the box, I was a little outraged because of how big the box was compared to the space the products actually took. I was wrong though, because I then realized that the company reuses the boxes they receive from companies sending products! This leads to some weirdly shaped boxes sometimes but definitely creates less waste than a brand new box. It's also usually filled with cardboard shredding to make sure the products are safe.

This box will not win any packaging awards but I much prefer that the company reuse items and invests its money into providing great products to try out!

THE PRODUCTS INCLUDED

In general each box comes with 5 deluxe sample or full size products and 2 or 3 regular samples too. Most of the products I received were skincare and body care, but from time to time there is also haircare & makeup products. I do wish there was a more even division between the product categories, because some types of products and some brands came back very often. I got a body wash in a big majority of my boxes, and well I use bar soap now to avoid plastic so it isn't a product I'm very interested in. I also got a LOT of products from Urban Veda and well... to be completely honest none of them wowed me.

Each box also comes with a sheet detailing all the products included, as well as with brand leaflets with more information about the products.

I do have to say though that some months I received massive full sizes of products which is pretty amazing. The included magnesium flakes, body wash, shampoo and conditioner. So if you decide to subscribe you can definitely expect a few big surprises.

MY FAVOURITE PRODUCT DISCOVERIES

Throughout my months of receiving products, I certainly found some things that I will repurchase and keep using. I wear my Benecos Shiny Lip Balm almost everyday and apply my Trilogy Everything Balm everyday. I had a great time trying out magnesium flakes in my evening bath (all gone now!). I also got an amazing surprise last month when I received a serum from Pestle & Mortar that I'd been dying to try (Spoiler alert : It's good!). I fell in love with the Organii suncare line which I used during my summer holidays in Canada. I also discovered a 5 min mask that came with a sea sponge and I never would've thought it was so soft!

THE THINGS THEY COULD IMPROVE

Like I mentioned earlier, a bit more product/brand variety would be lovely. Another thing that happened a few times is I've received products or samples of things that are not available for sale on their website. If I really like the product I can go and get it somewhere else, but this seems like strange marketing on their part. An example of this is that they don't seem to stock the brand Alorée, and I loved a lot of the products I received form them. I wish there was more makeup products overall because that was the rarest category.

Another cool feature that would be fun is to personalize the boxes a little, like a lot of companies do. However I can understand how this could be a big logistics issue for a smaller company. Apart from that, I was very satisfied by the service!

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

I was very satisfied with their service! I had a delivery issue one time and their customer service was excellent and very helpful. I do think they can improve their offering, but at that price point, I am more than happy to support a local company over Birchbox and the likes. If you live in Ireland and are looking into trying out more natural and organic beauty and skincare products, this can be a great place to start.