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Cult Beauty’s goody bag is worth a whopping £455, but what’s in it?
Here’s how to bag some full-sized IndyBest favourites for free
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Stocking up on new beauty supplies can be expensive, especially if, like us, your skincare bottles all run low at once. Whether you’ve got a favourite serum, moisturiser or face oil or simply love discovering new finds, there’s so many products out there to choose between.
Cult Beauty is a top shopping go-to for everything make-up, skincare and haircare, which is why we were excited to see the online retailer’s latest summer goody bag land. Coming free with purchases over a certain amount, previous incarnations have included annual “best of” goody bags, as well as travel-sized and seasonal.
The current good to glow goody bag is worth a whopping £455, which is the highest-value version Cult Beauty has ever offered. It’s free with all Cult Beauty splurges over £195, and every single product is full-sized.
Raved about on Instagram by popular lifestyle influencer Lorna Luxe, we investigated further and found our expert shopping team has previously tried and tested two of the nine included goodies as well as a skin type variation of one. Plus, we have at some point reviewed an item from every single brand featured in the goody bag selection.
Although we know an almost £200 spend is a major purchase, if you were looking to replenish a few products at once, now’s the time to do it and cash in on these freebies. Particularly if glowy skincare buys are on your radar.
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With the end date only stated as being “while stocks last”, you’d better be quick though. Here’s everything we know about the contents of Cult Beauty’s 2022 good to glow goody bag.
Ren Clean Skincare ready steady glow daily AHA tonic, 250ml: £28, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Usually priced at just under £30, this is a cult classic buy from a skincare brand focused on sustainable packaging and the bottle is made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. The formula includes lactic acid and azelaic acid to encourage skin cell renewal and unclog pores, which should then reveal the glow mentioned in its name. Designed for regular use after cleansing skin, you can sweep it over your face and neck twice daily.
We included the AHA tonic in our best exfoliating toners round-up, where our reviewer said they found it “particularly effective at clearing out that in-pore build-up”. They also noticed “the surface of the skin being softer to the touch” after use and we think that result makes this tonic sound a particularly tempting freebie.`
MediK8 C-tetra luxe, 30ml: £59, Cultbeauty.co.uk
A multi-purpose formula containing vitamins C and E, this citrus-scented serum is said to help improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while protecting the skin barrier and offering hydration. Plus, the inclusion of ingredients like maraca oil and red gingseng should offer brightening elements too.
We named this bottle best overall in our best vitamin C serums guide, where our reviewer said “the silky feel is instantly luxurious and very easy to apply thanks to a precise small pipette.” They finished by calling it a “deeply moisturising treatment”, which further underlines the versatile benefits.
Clearly a popular purchase and making the goody bag even more sought after, it is currently out of stock to buy but you can sign up and join a waiting list.
Youth To The People superfood air-whip moisture cream, 59ml: £42, Cultbeauty.co.uk
This vegan-friendly moisturiser includes superfood ingredients kale and spinach, as well as skin plumping hyaluronic acid. Created to add hydration, the texture is a gel-cream hybrid which is designed for dull, tired skin. We featured Youth To The People in our minimalist skincare brands piece, where our writer said, “We like the informative short summary on the packaging, explaining why components are included, as well as user instructions.” Anything making our skincare set-up simpler sounds good to us.
Kate Somerville exfolikate intensive exfoliating treatment, 60ml: £78, Cultbeauty.co.uk
This exfoliator includes chemical exfoliating ingredients including alpha hydroxy acid and lactic acid, as well as silica particles to create an actual face scrubbing sensation. Meanwhile, gentle components such as aloe vera, honey and vitamin E are in there too.
We named a version of this product for sensitive skin best overall in our best facial exfoliators round-up, where our reviewer said, “we found using it once or twice a week was enough to get rid of dull lacklustre skin and replace it with some serious radiance.” That’s high praise indeed.
Laneige water bank blue hyaluronic cream moisturiser, 50ml: £33, Cultbeauty.co.uk
This hyaluronic acid-infused moisturiser comes from Korean skincare brand Laneige. Its key component has been fermented with deep sea algae which is said to soothe and hydrate skin effectively while also being suitable for sensitive skin. Plus, the blend is billed as minimising redness too.
While we’ve not tried this moisturiser, we included a sheet mask from the brand in our best Korean skincare products round-up where our reviewer said “You’d better believe we preserved every drop of this Laneige mask. Infused with active ingredients, it’s intensely hydrating.” That definitely piques our interest to sample the moisturiser.
Hum nutrition daily cleanse clear skin and body detox supplement, 60 capsules: £27.25, Cultbeauty.co.uk
There are 60 capsules in this bottle, and the recommended dosage is two a day. The vegan-friendly supplements contain 13 ingredients with detoxifying properties designed to help clear skin and support digestion. If you’re looking for an ingestible skincare buy to target body health too, this bottle could be right up your street.
While we’ve not tested this particular supplement, we included a similar Hum product in our best hair vitamins round-up where our writer said “they taste great”, offer “a great choice for vegans” and are “reasonably priced” while the entire Hum range “is rooted in science and the strong link between nutrition and health.”
Biossance squalene and vitamin C rose oil, 30ml: £55, Cultbeauty.co.uk
This facial oil is a vegan-friendly formula created to help brighten skin and attract hydration, with key ingredients including rose extract, vitamin C and moisturising squalane. We haven’t tested this exact oil, but we did include a Biossance gel moisturiser with similar ingredients in our best squalane products guide. Our reviewer said “The formula is lightweight and fast-absorbing, free from fragrance so less likely to cause irritation and perfect for providing an instant moisture hit.” They added “Biossance’s whole line centres around squalane” so we think this oil could be a great starting point.
Dr Barbara Sturm aloe vera gel, 125ml: £50, Cultbeauty.co.uk
This gel has a 90 per cent concentration of organic aloe vera juice which is an ingredient renowned for soothing and calming skin. Designed for use on both the face and body, it can be applied as regularly as you like and the 125ml tube is a decent size too.
Dr Barbara Sturm is an IndyBest tried and tested brand and we included the skincare name in our best face mist round-up where our reviewer noted “it’s formulated by world-renowned aesthetic doctor and the brand’s namesake, Dr Barbara Sturm,” before saying that the spray sampled “visibly reduced the redness of an active breakout”.
111skin rose gold radiance booster, 20ml: £90, Cultbeauty.co.uk
The most expensive purchase featured in the goody bag, this 111skin rose gold radiance booster usually comes with a premium £90 price tag and that’s probably because it’s part of a range formulated by a Harley Street cosmetic surgeon. Designed to even out complexions and illuminate skin, ingredients include rose flower water and balancing niacinamide.
We included a 111skin product in our best sheet mask round-up and our tester said, “It helped wave bye-bye to dark circles and helped recontour our face, depuffing around the eyes and cheeks, while deeply hydrating the skin”. They noticed their skin “not only glowed, but looked plump and smooth in all the right places”, which does help justify the brand’s spenny price point and highlight the potential skincare win of this freebie too.
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