nmnl is a new subscription box by the brains behind Tokyo Treat and Yume Twins. They promise to deliver a Japanese beauty experience curated by people familiar with the current trends in Japan. I was really pleased with the first nmnl box in February – the items were current and trending so I was able to get retail prices for almost anything which, to me, added to the value of the box.
DEAL: Save $10 on your first box with code LOVEISINTHEAIR! Exp 2/28
The booklet is brief but contains all the information necessary. March’s theme is Sakura, or cherry blossom. In Japan, the cherry blossom is one of its national symbols. Japanese track the movement of the blooming as it moves northward as the weather warms, typically from January to mid-April. In Vancouver here, we have over 50,000 sakura trees planted around Stanley Park and Queen Elizabeth Park, and I’ve gone to the annual cherry blossom festival here as well! It’s so pretty to watch.
All the products included are photographed and the variations are shown as well.
Choosy Lip Mask in Peach ($1.14) I LOVE Pure Smile, they make amazing quality products for a reasonable price. I’ve tried their hand lotions, their sheet masks, these lip masks, and some other products, and have found everything to work well with my skin and be enjoyable to use. The lip packs are made of a jelly like texture rather than cotton like a sheet mask. It helps the mask adhere better to your lips.
Choosy Lip Mask in Gold Pearl ($1.14)
Sakura Harenori Hand Cream and Soap Set ($5.70) This adorable gift set includes small tubes of hand cream and hand soap, infused with royal jelly to help moisturise. I keep these in my purse at all times – the water and soap at work dry out my hands so horribly so it’s nice to have something a bit more luxurious to use.
Ichikami Moisturising Shampoo and Conditioner Japanese hair care always does wonders for my hair. I remember the old CMs of Ichikami with Koda Kumi, one of my favourite j-pop artists. The moisturising type of haircare includes rice bran, cherry blossom, apricot oil, camelia, and tea blossom fo hydrate and soften hair. This smells great and did not weigh down my hair.
Gensen Labo Hydrating Kelp Toner ($8.62) I received an oily-skin type toner in another beauty box recently and was disappointed I couldn’t use it on my dry skin – nmnl showed up to save the day! This toner gets great reviews on the Japanese equivalent of Sephora called @cosme. I peeked through a few with my limited Japanese skills – it is slow to absorb so you really get a hydrated feeling due to the thickness of the kelp essence. You only need a small amount, so the bottle will last a long time!
Cherry Blossom Bath Salts Goshu produces a lot of Japanese ofuro (bath) products, and they made this sweet smelling cherry blossom bath salt. The salt pieces are huge and colourful, and look very pretty as they dissolve in the bathwater.
Cherry Blossom Towel Set I am SO delighted by this! Housed in this cute gift box is a small travel size hand towel as well as a glass cleaning cloth. In Japan, people prefer to carry a reusable/washable hand towel rather than use disposable paper towels which causes litter. I’ve gotten a few in other boxes and like to keep them in a purse. And the glass cleaning cloth is great for my glasses and for my smart phone screen, too!
Here’s a closer look at the patterns!
I really liked this month’s nmnl box! The theme worked well for the season and I loved everything included. My favourite items have to be the hand towels, the toner, and the shampoo, but honestly everything will be used up to the last drop.
What did you think of this month’s nmnl box?
Comments
Looks great, but one thing. The box is called no make no life, yet there’s no makeup in it! Disappointing.
February’s box included makeup items, and the spoilers for April include them as well (if I’m remembering correctly). I never expect Japanese beauty boxes to include makeup consistently due to the high prices. I’ve been a J-beauty fan for… I think 16 years now? Even Japanese drugstore brands like Kanebo KATE, Shiseido Majolica Majorca, and Canmake will run upwards of $15 for small items before importing/shipping fees. I’ve spent $100 on one Jill Stuart eyeshadow palette in my moments of weakness. (I regret NOTHING.) It’s not cheap and it’s unlikely there will ever be a box like that because they simply would not make any profit unless the box only included two items.
That said, in my February review I had reached out to nmnl regarding inconsistencies in the Dolly Wink lash glue packaging and they said they had purchased it wholesale – which is somewhat promising if this is a possibility for future boxes.