As someone who writes about beauty advent calendars from September until December every year, it's nice to have a break, but wait, hold up, Beauty Boxes? Are they the new advent calendars?!
Granted, Beauty Boxes may not be new in the world of beauty gifting, but Mother's Day Beauty Boxes are definitely picking up steam this year as Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Boots and LookFantastic are all fighting for your money. But which one is worth spending the money on? Let's analyse them all shall we?
How I chose the best Mother's Day Beauty Boxes
- Top brands: I'm sure there are lots of Mother's Day Beauty Boxes around this year, but there are four that are creating a real buzz. M&S, John Lewis, Boots and Look Fantastic.
- Quality brands: Beauty Boxes are just a waste of money if the products inside aren't up to scratch, so we've only included the Mother's Day Beauty Boxes with high-end luxury products inside.
- Value for money: I can't tell you what you can and can't afford, but I can tell you if I think it's worth spending money on. Ultimately, you want a gift that's worth giving.
Marks & Spencer Mother's Day Beauty Box
Ok, so as an advent calendar expert, I'm using my skills to judge these boxes. So, the big question! Is the Marks & Spencer Beauty Box worth it? Well, there are four full-size products and three mini products, I think this is expected, in regards to the price. The brands are all household names that your mum will likely be familiar with and the box is aesthetically pleasing to look at which is important when you're gifting something to someone. I'm a big fan of Floral Street and the Wonderland Peony perfume is gorgeous. I use L'Occitane shower gel, and while I've not tried the Cherry Blossom scent, I imagine it would be delightful. The most impressive in the line-up would have to be Elizabeth Arden's Retinol Capsules. If your mum does her own manicure, I'm sure she'll love Nails inc's Bond Street Passage polish and Neom's Calming Hand Balm to soothe dry skin.
Do I rate it?
Yes, I think it's a really good beauty box, and I think it's affordable and looks pretty to open. I would have liked to have seen another makeup product inside, maybe a lip gloss or an eyeshadow stick or a mascara but the idea of a 'pampering' gift makes sense.
Boots Mother's Day Beauty Box
Moving on to Boots, and this beauty box is called 'We Appreciate You Always' and it's more expensive than Marks & Spencer, priced at £45 and it's worth £259.13. You get 18 products inside, so let's judge the products. There are eight full-size products inside, and it's packed full of wonderful skincare, hair care, body care and make up; perfect for Mothers Day. I'm mostly impressed with all the well-known brand names - that would definitely impress mum on Mothering Sunday. You've got the likes of Liz Earle, Rituals, Elemis, No7, Sol De Janeiro and lots more. I'm mostly impressed with the Laura Mercier Setting Spray that's full size, that alone is worth £35.
By the way, this is only available online, you won't find it in store.
Do I rate it?
If you're looking to spend no more than £50 on a beauty gift, this one is good value for money. I think the 'We' in the title of the box could be changed next year (the only-childs of this world might not go for this!), but overall, I think it has some great brands inside and really strong full-size products.
John Lewis The Mother's Day Beauty Box
The John Lewis Mother's Day Beauty Box could be considered a little plain, looks wise. But you should never judge a book by its cover as it's filled with some real goodies. You've got luxurious skincare products, fragrances and on-the-money makeup products, and it's obvious that they've been thoughtfully picked to pamper and uplift the special woman in your life. An assortment of 10 deluxe and full-size icons, which includes full-size favourites from Elizabeth Arden and Floral Street. Are there enough full size products in this box? Maybe not in comparison to the others, but the discover size products are very good quality.
Do I rate it?
I think a lot of mums will be familiar with the products inside this box. Does it have the wow factor? I'm not sure, but the contents are really good and that's all that matters.
LOOKFANTASTIC Mother's Day Beauty Box
Phew! £60, this is a biggie when it comes to price, but it's worth noting that the LOOKFANTASTIC Mother's Day Beauty Box is worth over £200. You can get £10 off it if you subscribe to its beauty box service, aptly named The Box. The perfect gift for beauty lovers has 11 everyday essentials inside and five of them are full sized, with the rest being 'deluxe' size. I think the brands are strong with the likes of Bobbi Brown, Rituals, Shiseido, and Color Wow. But there are a couple of brands your mum might not be as familiar with - this isn't necessarily a bad thing as it's always good to discover new brands. I would say this is more of a show-piece to open, but for £60 you'd expect that to be the case.
Do I rate it?
Yes, it's a real showstopper for a gift, and you want your mum to say 'ooh' and 'ahhh' - it's worth a lot of money but before parting with your money, you should ask yourself whether your mum will use everything inside. If the answer is yes, it's worth it.
