Vertue is a clean, green and cruelty-free health and beauty subscription box featuring a variety of products such as skincare, beauty accessories, and superfoods. The box is great for the ethically minded and eco-conscious consumer – 10% of annual profits go to environmental, health and food charities.
The box design is simple and elegant, with an understated calla lily motif. Each month features products based on a different theme. April’s theme is Wanderlust: Asia.
DEAL: Get 10% off your bi-monthly subscription or shop products! Use coupon code HELLO10.
All the box contents!
The box includes one of two products from Siam Seas, but I was lucky enough to receive both in my box. Unfortunately the labels weren’t attached to the products, so I had to visit the Siam Seas website to figure out which was which and for instructions on how to use them. Because the names of products given with the box don’t exactly match the names or images on the website, this task was trickier than it should have been.
The first product is Head-to-Toe Mask, which is an intriguing blend of 9 powerful, balancing ancient Southeast Asian herbs in powder form. The powder can be mixed with liquid and used as a mask or used as a cleansing scrub in the shower.
The powdery mix is an enchanting, shimmery green-gold colour. It has an earthy smell, like a mix of turmeric and hay. It also felt great on the skin, like a very gentle exfoliator that left my face feeling fresh and glowing.
The second Siam Seas product is Mekha Herbal Active Cleanser, which can be used as a cleansing rinse or a mask. This product smells divine and is a pretty green colour. The texture is a bit gritty, which makes it a brilliant exfoliator. It left my skin feeling totally refreshed.
The box included one sachet of Chi Organic Coconut Oil Pulling. This is a mix of organic, cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil and peppermint which you swish in your mouth for 15-20 minutes before brushing. Used daily for two weeks, this is supposed to give you whiter teeth. The Chi website also claims that oil pulling removes bacteria, prevents cavities, detoxifies the body and increases energy. This was my first time trying oil pulling and I don’t think it’s for me. The product itself is fine, and I like the addition of a bit of peppermint to the oil, but swishing oil in your mouth for 20 (!) minutes everyday is a very time consuming and kind of unpleasant means of achieving whiter teeth.
Whamisa Organic Fruits & Tomato Fermented Hydrogel Facial Mask with lactobacillus is made with 95% organic ingredients including tomato, banana and apple. The mask comes in two parts for easy application. This had an interesting smell, kind of like slightly fermented fruit, which was neither pleasant nor unpleasant. The mask gave a nice cooling sensation on the skin, which I’m guessing comes from aloe extract, the first listed ingredient. I don’t generally use masks as I find them all uncomfortable, but if you like masks, then I’d recommend this as a really good one.
Wunder Workshop Golden Mylk is a blend of coconut milk, turmeric, cinnamon and black pepper which you mix with warm milk to create a healthy latte.
I used semi-skim milk and found it made a silky-smooth beverage with a very subtle taste. I was expecting much more turmeric flavour given the appearance. It was nice, but next time I will make it with coconut milk to give it a little more flavour.
Fushi Organic Tamanu Oil can be used to treat a number of skin problems including acne, sun burns, scarring, stretchmarks and pigmentation. Or, it can simply be used as a face moisturiser. This is a nice oil, however it definitely takes some getting used to applying on the face because it smells a lot like cooking oil.
Alchemy Oils Alma Hair Remedy is a blend of 5 oils to promote growth and strengthen hair. The oil can be used as an overnight treatment for dry hair or just used on the ends of towel dried hair before styling. I tried the latter method and liked how it calmed my ends. It also has a wonderfully fresh lemon-lime scent.
I thought April’s Vertue box contents were all great, each delivering excellent results. I also liked how the box introduced me to natural products that have been used in some form in various parts of Asia for centuries – a good indication of their effectiveness! I only wish the box had included an information card with details on how to use the products that did not come with full labels (the Siam Seas products and Chi in particular). With this one caveat, the box was a real joy to explore.
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