Latest in Beauty - The Sunday Times Style Summer Essentials Beauty Box

I don't usually go for the Latest in Beauty Box special collections as there's usually only a couple of items in each box that I'm interested in. But when the Sunday Times Style Summer Essentials box dropped a couple of weeks ago, I was seriously tempted!

After umming and aahing about whether I needed it for a while, it wasn't too long before I succumbed and happily (and without regret) ordered this brilliant box.

The Sunday Times Style Summer Essentials Box is still available at Latest in Beauty and costs £46 (£49.95 with P+P).

Let's take a look inside:

It's a beauty alright! Worth a whopping £229, the box is chock full of sixteen makeup, skincare, hair care and perfume products. Six of these are full sized and the others are very generous sample/travel sizes.

So many brilliant brands and products to try. I think the makeup selection excited me most.

Body and Hair Care

* Bondi Sands - Self-Tanning Foam - Dark (110ml)

This is one of the items I'm going to pass on as I'm not a fan of self-tanning, plus I would never dare choose a dark tan!

* Living Proof - Perfect Hair Day Body Builder (98ml)

Great product - but passing on to my mum.

* Bumble & Bumble - Hairdresser's Invisible Oil - Heat/UV Protective Primer (30ml)

Again, great product but I'm passing it on to my mum.

* Aveda - Hand Relief Moisturising Creme (Full size 40ml)

This is really lovely! Gorgeous scent and nice silky, moisturising texture. This is going into my hand cream back-up stash.

Skincare

I was interested in trying all of these products out. As much as I love my Ishtar Skinlights Retinol Serum, I've always been intrigued by the much talked about Paula's Choice Retinol.

* Paula's Choice - Resist Wrinkle Repair Retinol Serum (7ml)

I've only used this once so can't give much of an impression. Texture-wise, I was surprised that this has a slight oily texture. I didn't mind it but I already prefer the more traditional serum consistency of my Ishtar Skinlights Retinol. It does have Dimethiconol second in the ingredients, which would account for the texture. I personally don't have a problem with dimethicone but I think it's a bit of a 'cheat' ingredient - gives the impression of smooth texture rather than creating an actual smooth texture. I'm probably not going to get a good idea of results from 7ml, but I'm happy to keep using it to see what happens.

* Clinique - Take the Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes and Lips (30ml)

I haven't tried this out yet. But I do like the Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, so I have high hopes for this.

* Elemis - Peptide4 Plumping Pillow Facial (15ml)

I tried this out last night and first impressions were good. I didn't notice a massive difference upon waking up, but after only one use, that might mean that I need to have a bit more time to get used to it.

* Kiehl's - Calendula Serum-Infused Water Cream (7ml)

I've used this once too. And so far, I really like it! I'm a huge fan of water creams for my daytime moisturiser but I do usually buy Korean water creams as they seem to have that corner of the market well and truly licked. I loved the scent too. The consistency did feel like there was some oil in the ingredients and also that 'velvety' texture that generally signals the addition of Dimethicone. A quick glance at the ingredients online (as there are no ingredients on this sample size packaging) shows that yes, Dimethicone is actually the second listed ingredient (a bit disappointing) and Lemon Peel Oil is also listed. But I'm guessing the Dimethicone is wholly responsible for the texture. 

Makeup

The makeup selection is the most exciting though. It was the Suqqu quad that was the main draw for me!

* Suqqu - Designing Color Eyes (Shades May Vary) -Full Size

The star product in my eyes. This palette retails at £46, so this product alone covers the cost of the entire box! I was hoping to get the palette shown on the Latest in Beauty website, but I received #5 Aoshizuku, which I'm more than happy with (see below).

* Mac - Powder Kiss Lipstick in 'Sultry Move' - Full size

I haven't bought a Mac lipstick for years and years, so it was nice to have one back in my collection. Luckily for me, Sultry Move is just the shade that I'd choose. It's a really nice pink nude and extremely wearable (see below).

* Bare Minerals - BarePro Glow Highlighter Drops in shade 'Free' - Full Size

This is a really great, easy-to-wear, summery highlighter. Very natural looking and in liquid form so easy to blend (see below).

* Laura Mercier - Translucent Loose Setting Powder (3.5g)

There's so much online love for this setting powder so I was excited to get the chance to try it out. My only gripe is that the sample pot is so small that it's hard to get a decent amount on your brush when your powder brush is about four times the size of the sample pot lid! I did use it for the first time this morning but couldn't really get a good feel for it. Will need to tip some into a bigger lid in order to get enough product on my brush.

* Smashbox - Superfam Mascara (5ml)

I have never bought a single Smashbox product so again, I was excited to get the chance to try out something from this popular brand.

First impressions are good - gives my lashes a good lengthening lift without clumping.

* Opi - Nail Lacquer in 'Don't Cry Over Spilled Milkshakes' - Full Size

I'm not a huge fan of white nail polish, so I'll be passing this on.

* Code 8 - Precision Liquid Eyeliner in 'Carbon Black' - Full Size

Passing this on as I have far too many liquid eyeliners that I don't ever wear!

Perfume

* Narcisco Rodriguez - Pure Musc (10ml)

I never realise (till I see it in real life) that 10ml for a perfume is actually a really decent sample size, so this should last me a good while. I usually love Narcisco Rodriguez, but first impressions haven't really grabbed me. The initial scent is quite strongly of the alcohol, which is a bit off-putting. I need more time to wear this and figure out how it works on me.

My favourites from the box:

The Suqqu Designing Color Eyes Eyeshadow Quad - #5 Aoshizuki is a real beauty. Silky soft shadows  which apply beautifully and with little to no fall out.

All of the colours are shimmery, which I've got to admit is a slight disappointment. An all-shimmer eye look on a 48 year old is not the best as I feel that it highlights the sagginess of my upper lids. I personally prefer at least one matte shade for contrast.

I haven't had a chance to really play around with this palette yet, but the colours do blend really well together, so I needn't worry that this is going to be just a one-look wonder!

The older I get, the more I appreciate a more subtle highlighter! 

The Bare Minerals - BarePro Glow Highlighter Drops are subtle, but still have just enough of a kick to brighten my complexion. The drops can either be worn mixed in with foundation for an all-over glow or dabbed on to the points you want to highlight for a subtle 'sun-hitting-the-skin' look.

And finally, I'm really happy to have this Mac Powder Kiss Lipstick in 'Sultry Move' in my makeup bag.

It's exactly the shade I would have picked for myself - a very wearable, everyday pinky-nude. I really like the texture of this lipstick too - the velvet matte finish is gorgeous. It's not hugely long-lasting, but at least it fades uniformly. I was a bit shocked at how incredibly sweet the lipstick tasted though.

The velvety-matte formula impressed me the most - I'm going to have to pop into Mac and look at the other available shades as this is an eminently easy wear lipstick - which is ideal for someone like me who doesn't want to spend too much time crafting a perfect lip look.