December Deluxe Nourished Life Box

All products received in the Nourished Life box are available for individual sale on their website

As mentioned before in several of my posts, I have been anticipating the delivery of my Nourished Life box since the end of October. This was naturally expected as their waiting list typically lasts for 2 to 3 months... and I was lucky to only wait 2 months. However, it was a bit of a disappointment to anticipate it for so long, especially if you were planning on sending it as a gift to someone.

Compared to the price of the Bellabox ($17.95), the Nourished Box is more expensive at $25 a month, but I feel as though from the products I've (rarely) seen people receive it is more value for your money. Being my first ever Nourished Life box, I did not know what to expect at all. I did attempt to do some research, but the only evidence I could find of their previous boxes was from their Facebook page which is a very active outlet for the website.

If you have never heard of the website before, basically they stock eco-friendly, vegan, cruelty-free products. They basically have everything you would want in order to make an active, eco-friendly change in your lifestyle. Below is the November box in which I would of received if I had subscribed earlier:

Credit: Jodie on Facebook

On a whim, I can say that their products are targeted towards what I look for in my lifestyle. I hate the whole concept of plastic and how it is non-biodegradable. I often worry about the ingredients that are in the products that I constantly lather on my own skin. I had always considered buying products from Nourished Life , but have always struggled to decide on where to begin as they have so many products to offer. That is why I thought subscribing to their box was a great idea. Anyway, let's see what I received in my very first box!

Now honestly, my first reaction to this box was that I thought it was quite empty. The samples I received are quite tiny apart from the body sponge which occupied most of the space. Now, this was a bit of a let down especially considering that it is the month of December (season of giving), and the Bellabox went all out with their Christmas box.

It is also important to mention that this box costs $25 while the Bellabox costs $17.95... However, as a side note, the box is quite large (taller than the Bellabox) and I have had my eye out on the box for a while and I have seen amazing products in the past. I think I need to stop comparing it to the Bellabox, as the retail value for each of these products are drastically higher, hence why I may not have received a lot.

There were two full-sized products in the December box, which were the charcoal sponge and lip scrub.

1. LIFE BASICS KONJAC BODY SPONGE - ACTIVATED CHARCOAL

This sponge is actually Nourished Life's home brand which I only noticed recently. It is a very coarse sponge that softens when exposed to water and is aimed towards people with acne prone / problematic skin (I don't have acne but I do have problematic skin on my body). Made from Japanese Konjac Potato fibre and activated bamboo charcoal which promises to detox and purify, this sponge retails for $29.95 which is very expensive for a sponge, but considering that it is 100% biodegradable and natural I think the price is worth it if you are conscious about the environment.

(Update: I couldn't find this exact sponge on the website which was strange, I found this one but it retails for $19.95... I don't understand why they'd let me try this one when it is not available on the website... and I feel as though the $29.95 price tag is stretched to make it seem like the box is better value)

The only downside is that this sponge needs to be replaced every 4-6 weeks. If you're a student like me, you're probably already laughing at this. I will definitely be stretching its shelf life to embarrassing lengths but I am sure there are cheaper options out there (such as a cactus brush, look it up!). This product on the back says that it works for everyone, even sensitive skin! I will definitely be putting this to the test because my skin is very sensitive. I can definitely imagine myself getting some irritation marks straight after using it, but it typically goes away within an hour.

2. BUDDY SCRUB LIP SCRUB - MATCHA & LIME

I have been constantly forgetting to buy a lip scrub. I do not own one and have actually never owned one. I have used the Lush lip scrubs before but they were too sweet for my liking (I think it was a bubblegum flavour). I received the flavour matcha & lime which surprisingly was the first thing I smelt when I opened the box. It is a very strong scent, yet it is very nice as it smells exactly like a natural lime.

I already gave this product a go and it is perfect for exfoliating your lips before you apply a drying matte liquid lip or any lipstick at that! Their website is freaking adorable fyi and I find that their prices are very reasonable given that typically most vegan companies tend to be more overpriced (as they are typically new companies too).

Available to purchase here for $7.95

If this lip scrub is too messy for your liking, they also have a lip balm version as well as a range of body products. I'm surprised that I've never heard of this brand before as they seem to be very popular. I'll definitely be giving their other products a go some day!

3. ETHIQUE SWEET & SPICY - VOLUMISING SHAMPOO BAR

Oh Ethique! How much I miss you. A few years back my sister and I were subscribed to The Vegan Box (see my YouTube video here) and this was a brand that I quickly fell in love with but honestly totally forgot about. I used to have their mint shampoo bar that left my scalp feeling cool and refreshed every time, and my strands feeling soft too.

This is an interesting scent that I received as it includes ingredients such as: ginger, orange, cinnamon and salt. It is a mildly spicy scent, reminiscent of a unique tea flavour. I am very interested to see how this product performs on my bleached hair as my hair needs have become very picky as of late.

Retails for $24.95 available here

I will, however, give this product a go! It is designed to invigorate your hair and to create volume, which isn't too much up my alley as I do have thick hair, but it will be interesting to see how I go with it!

4. ETHIQUE THE GUARDIAN - CONDITIONER BAR

I also received a conditioner bar, which is very thoughtful to deliver along with the shampoo. Its aims are to nourish dry, damaged or frizzy hair which is definitely catered to me. It also claims to be ideal for people with very brittle and dry hair too.

Retails for $24.95, sounds like a lot but this
product will last you for a while! Available here

I actually am quite aware of how most shampoos and conditioners we own have a plethora of chemicals in them. Sadly, I don't really care anymore about what I use but frankly, I should! I tend to use Fanola products nowadays which are salon quality, don't have any harsh chemicals, and they have honestly been giving me great results compared to cheaper supermarket brands. I do however always keep my options very open, and am excited to re-discover my love for Ethique products.

I just love when companies make things cute

5. KORA ORGANICS NONI GLOW FACE OIL


In case you never knew, Miranda Kerr has her own skincare line 'KORA Organics'. I have heard of her line before but frankly just never got to try anything out. Although this sample is small, Nourished Life actually offer a 10ml size for $29.95 as the full sized product of 30ml retails for $79.95.

I feel like when I do use facial oil I only use 1-2 pumps, so this sample should last a little while. The only thing I think is odd, despite having dry skin, is that I got a facial oil in the summer season. It would be nicer if they catered to the season like Bellabox, but at the same time I'm not entirely mad because I do have dry skin. However, if I had oily skin I probably wouldn't be too happy.

Available to purchase here

Nonetheless, I am really excited to try this facial oil out. I only discovered how great facial oils are a few years ago and I often forget how great they actually are for providing your skin with moisture and nourishment. You can normally feel the difference in your skin immediately.

6. WELEDA POMEGRANATE BODY OIL

Last, but not least, is another oil but this time for the body. From last months box, there was a massage oil by Weleda (as seen in the image at the top of the post), but this oil also sounds interesting! I love pomegranate which is kind of an unpopular opinion as many of my friends don't like pomegranate.

Available to purchase here

It promises to "accelerate the process of natural skin cell renewal" which sounds very satisfying. This sample is vastly larger than the KORA oil with 10ml of product, but it is tiny considering it is recommended for body use.

Inside the box, I received a pamphlet which reveals Weleda's full range of products. I also found out on the Nourished Life website that they offer a wide range of other skincare products.

The great thing about Nourished Life is that they offer a lot of giveaways, flash sales and many other member benefits. This makes it much more rewarding if you wanted to shop with them.

Another obvious benefit is that you don't have to worry too much when you shop on their website. Most products listed are organic, vegan, cruelty-free, etc. It takes the mind out of shopping consciously which I think is great.

The only downside with trying to live this sort of lifestyle are some of the prices of the products. Because it does cost more to run things ethically, the prices will be a tad higher but sometimes it is more beneficial to spend a little more money to get better quality products that don't damage your skin or hair.

If you're like me and are a student, this box is a great idea. It can be really hit and miss as I've discovered with the Bellabox, however, the thing I like about subscription boxes the most is that I am constantly surprised and become aware of all the indie brands that are out there in Australia.

Overall, I did enjoy most of the items I received in the box. My favourites are most likely the lip scrub and the Ethique hair products. Understandably, the other product samples were much smaller but I love makeup and was a little disappointed that I didn't receive any beauty products. I would've definitely swapped the body oil for a lipstick but that is just my personal preference.

All in all, I am very excited to be receiving next months box so stay tuned! (I did just get a notification that my Bellabox is being delivered so I am so excited). Before I forget to mention this, the huge downside to this box is that I am unable to track the parcels at all. They did notify this when you order the subscription service but I think it is a huge bummer, especially if it got lost in the mail.

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- Amanda x