Mintd box – Mintd x Votary – September 2020

Where I got it

This is my second Mintd box collaboration with another brand, and my first one was an amazing collab between Mintd and MZ Skin, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Mintd has started teasing us about this box in early August that they will have this new box in September to appeal new subscribers to sign up and possibly keep their existing subscribers to not cancel their subscriptions. I am very excited about Votary because I have used only 2 of their products, they look amazing and they promise great results. Collab boxes with specific brands often have amazing value for money and this one is no less. The value of this box is £224 and it only cost me £70. Charged $154.16.

What I got

This is the collab box between Mintd Box and Votary for the month of September. It comes with 5 items: super deluxe size (50ml) Super Seed Cleansing Oil + Chia & Parsley Seed (+mini cloth), full size (50ml) Super Seed Serum, full size (50ml)Super Seed Nutrient Cream, super deluxe size (15ml) Super Seed Facial Oil Fragrance-Free, and a super deluxe size (15ml) Intense Night Oil Rosehip & Retinoid.

“Beautiful skin begins with properly clean skin. This is the philosophy at the heart of skincare innovators, Votary. Every product in the Votary range is made from pure plant oils and botanical actives. This month we have partnered with these plant-powered skincare experts to bring you a selection of their high-performance range to leave with you with healthy and glowing skin, naturally.

Gently remove all traces of the day with a cleansing oil designed especially for skin that is dry, stressed, or sensitive; combining chia seed oil, vitamin E and broccoli oil to hydrate and soothe. Apply a blend of twenty-two super seed oils in a nourishing cream with anti-aging and antioxidant properties. Suffering from redness, loss of elasticity and density? Whether stress or hormone-induced Votary’s Super Seed Facial Oil is the secret to luminous skin. Calm and soothe skin with the Super Seed Serum, a medley of broccoli seed, rosehip oil and hyaluronic acid. Rejuvenate skin overnight with a gentle retinoid in a natural plant oil base, encouraging the skin’s turnover of cells so that you can wake up with firmer and smoother skin.”

Super Seed Cleansing Oil + Chia & Parsley Seed (£55.00 for 100ml). Thick, rich and nourishing, Super Seed Cleansing Oil gently removes all traces of the day, SPF and make-up (even waterproof mascara). Loaded with natural goodness, it calms and hydrates whilst deep-cleansing. It’s perfect for delicate or sensitised skin, or for use during pregnancy or at times of hormonal flux.  Afterwards, your skin feels beautifully clean, soft, soothed and fed.

Ingredients: Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil, Fragaria Ananassa (Strawberry) Seed Oil, Nigella Sativa (Black Cumin) Seed Oil, Papaver Somniferum (Poppy) Seed Oil, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum (Flax) Seed Oil, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Vaccinium Corymbosum (Blueberry) Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Seed Oil, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seed Oil, Prunus Cerasus (Sour Cherry) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Seed Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Herb Oil, Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Flower Extract, Passiflora Edulis (Passion Fruit) Seed Oil, Limonene, Linalool

Super Seed Serum + Broccoli seed & Peptides (£75 for 50ml). VOTARY’s all-new Super Seed Serum – Broccoli Seed and Peptides tackles all the issues sensitive skin faces and feeds it back to glowing health. Formulated with powerful peptides, it helps to boost and support the skin’s microbiome. Over time, skin is normalised and made more resilient. Votary Super Seed Serum relieves redness while calming and softening skin. Cooling and refreshing on your skin, it leaves your skin more resilient and less reactive. Broccoli seed and rosehip oil deliver a natural lipid boost while hyaluronic acid increases hydration and plumps skin. Grape seed extract soothes reactive skin while natural and bio-engineered peptides boost the skin’s natural defenses by supporting lipid function and microbial balance.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Seed Oil, Rubus Chamaemorus (Cloudberry) Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carnosine, Plukenetia Volubilis (Inca Peanut) Seed Oil, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis (Tea Plant) Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Benzyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyacetophenone.

Super Seed Facial Oil Fragrance Free (£70.00 for 50ml). Super Seed Facial Oil is made from 22 different seed oils for skin that is sensitive, in hormonal flux or unsettled. Packed with natural, plant-powered goodness, it naturally addresses sensitive skin issues to give you healthy, glowing skin. Different life stages bring changing skin issues such as dryness, redness and loss of elasticity. Pregnancy and menopause can unsettle skin. Stress and lack of sleep can also have an impact. When skin loses its comfort and glow, Super Seed Facial Oil can help coax it back to radiant, dewy health.

Ingredients: Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil*, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil, Fragaria Ananassa (Strawberry) Seed Oil, Nigella Sativa (Black Cumin) Seed Oil*, Papaver Somniferum (Poppy) Seed Oil, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum (Flax) Seed Oil*, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Vaccinium Corymbosum (Blueberry) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Seed Oil, Citrullus Lanatus (Melon) Seed Oil, Prunus Cerasus ( Sour Cherry) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Flower Extract, Passiflora Edulis (Passion Fruit) Seed Oil

Super Seed Nutrient Cream (£65.00 for 50ml). Fragrance-free Votary Super Seed Nutrient Cream – Soothing, nourishing and protective care for sensitive skin that is experiencing dryness and redness. Matte, smooth finish. A carefully formulated source of support for dry, sensitive skin. Our best-selling, much-loved Super Seed Nutrient Cream now includes potent hyaluronic acid for even more hydrating goodness. Its natural, calming formula is fragrance-free and boosted with 22 richly nourishing super seed oils. Deeply moisturising and protective, it leaves fragile skin wrapped up and ready to face any kind of weather. Super Seed Nutrient Cream is also a brilliant way to prime sensitive skin for make-up. Its matte, smooth finish means foundation settles and fixes properly, so your skin stays looking luminous and dewy all day long. There’s no shine and no slip – just great staying power.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Sodium Phytate Hyaluronate, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil, Fragaria Ananassa (Strawberry) Seed Oil, Nigella Sativa (Black Cumin) Seed Oil, Papaver Orientale (Poppy) Seed Oil, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum (Flax) Seed Oil, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Blueberry) Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Seed Oil, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seed Oil, Prunus Avium (Sweet Cherry) Seed Oil, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Flower Oil, Passiflora Edulis (Passion Fruit) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Phytate, Sorbic Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum.

Intense Night Oil Rosehip & Retinoid (£135.00 for 50ml). Votary Intense Night Oil combines rosehip and retinoid to smooth texture, even-out tone and give you younger, plumper-looking skin. Intense Night Oil both encourages the skin’s natural turnover of cells and reduces the breakdown of collagen, meaning you wake with firmer, smoother skin. Intense Night Oil is packed full of nature’s most powerful ingredients. Delicately fragranced with rose oil, it also contains nourishing avocado oil, tomato seed oil and rosehip oil. Extract of acmella flower is proven to improve the dermal structure and results in firmer-feeling skin, while Australian sandalwood extract is a natural source of ximenyic acid to reduce redness and fine lines. These luxurious natural ingredients work with the rosehip and retinoid to nurture, nourish and restore the skin.

Ingredients: Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Fusanus Spicatus (Australian Sandalwood) Kernel Oil, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Spilanthes Acmella (Paracress) Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Flower Oil, Linalool, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Eugenol.

How I find it

Super Seed Cleansing Oil + Chia & Parsley Seed. I love a good double cleanse with either a cleansing oil or a balm. I do this religiously every night because I wear sunscreen every day and a cleansing oil doesn’t just remove makeup, it also removes sunscreen. I love how this cleansing oil comes with a cloth as well to help remove any makeup and product, but I usually don’t use cloth unless the formula requires it.

Before receiving the box, I watched the IG live between Mintd and Votary and they said this formula does not emulsify so you won’t get that foggy eye issue, and that’s why it comes with a little cloth. Personally, I prefer an oil cleanser that emulsifies and rinses clean without the help of a cloth. However, I did give this one a fair try. The texture of this cleansing oil is quite thick and luxurious. I use about 3-4 pumps because I love a good slip to remove my makeup entirely. The oil massages really well and I can already see my makeup breaking down, eyeliner, mascara, etc. Then I use a little bit of water to loosen up the oil before putting a warm, damp cloth over my face. Let that warmth loosen up the oil and then gently wipe the oil and makeup off. Rinse and repeat until all the makeup is off. I second cleanse with my own water-based cleanser.

Super Seed Serum + Broccoli seed & Peptides. I have already owned this serum and have been using this for about two months or even more when I publish this post. (see the original review post here). I was really happy when Mintd has curated this box with Votary to include this because it is truly a great serum (believe it or not, Boxwalla also included this in their August Beauty Box!). This is one of their new products in the Super Seed range. It has a seedy smell and whilst it’s not the most pleasant and uplifting smell, I don’t mind it and my skin is not irritated by it. The serum feels like a light moisturiser and it feels really soothing and moisturising on my skin. It is more or less an unproblematic serum that you can use day and night and every single day. There are no “actives” or “acids” here that will prevent you from using it on a daily basis.

Super Seed Facial Oil Fragrance-Free. I seldom use a facial moisturiser and a facial oil at the same time because one usually does the job for locking in moisture. However, when I am using a lighter moisturiser and I want that glowing skin the morning after, I love to use a facial oil like rosehip oil or a squalane oil. The ingredients list of this oil is really impressive, it is also artificial fragrance-free. This truly is a very pampering facial oil.

It recommends using a facial oil underneath the cream and you can alternate this facial oil with the retinol oil I’m going to talk about next. So after the Super Seed Serum, I use about 3-4 drops of this oil into my palms, warm it up and bring it to my face. If you have time, relax and breathe in the natural fragrance from this amazing blend of 22 different seed oils and then massage it into your skin with upwards motion. This would work wonderfully if you like to use a facial massaging tool to provide some slip.  Can be used during the day, but let it sit on the face for a few minutes before applying sunscreen and makeup.

Super Seed Nutrient Cream. I have combination-oily skin usually, except for winter time when my skin needs something more to keep the moisture locked in especially at night time. Whilst a Nutrient Cream sounds a little too rich for me during the summer days, it sounds exactly what my skin needs right now (dry winter nights and I’m on Tretinoin). From the IG Live I watched, the founder of Votary actually said that the finish of the Nutrient Cream was actually quite matte and very suitable for combination skin. That wasn’t something I have expected from a product that is so rich in oils. The product was filled to the brim inside the glass jar and I was really impressed and the cream is thick (‘m sure my dry-skin sister will love this).

After using the Facial Oil, I use a little spatula to scoop the product out and warm it up between my hands and gently massage and press it into my skin. It feels so good and the natural scent is really soothing and comforting. It’s not heavy or greasy at all.

Intense Night Oil Rosehip & Retinoid. So here we are with the retinol, or retinoid in this instance. As you can see the packaging is slightly different from the Super Seed range (black bottle instead of green). I was really confused about vitamin A, retinol, retinoid, Retin-A, retinoic acid, retinaldehyde, and how they are different in terms of irritation, efficacy, etc. So Retinoid is an umbrella term for the entire FAMILY of vitamin A derivatives which retinol, Tretinoin, Retinaldehyde, Retinoic acid esters are all part of. The retinol that is used in this Night Oil is Hydroxypinacolone retinoate. Retinol is a lower concentrated version of retinoid. Not to be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding, absolutely no Vitamin A products should be used.

I alternate this retinol oil with the Super Seed facial oil to get the calming benefits of the Super Seed and the anti-aging effects of the retinol. You can also use the same technique with the Super Seed Facial oil and let it relax and calm your sense before bedtime. I find this retinoid oil to be really gentle and nourishing. If you have dry skin and want to try retinoid, this will be great.

Overall

Sorry for the super long post, but I want to give you all the information I have and all my thoughts and photos in one post. I really enjoyed this box and the products, I think Mintd and Votary have done a great job in putting this box together, but I would have preferred a mask product instead of the Super Seed Facial Oil because I personally use oil more often at night and the Intense Night Oil would be ideal. On alternate nights I would just use the Nutrient Cream to lock in everything.

My favourite product would be the Nutrient Cream because it feels balmy but it is not greasy and it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin. It makes my skin feel moisturised but not sticky or sitting on top of my skin not sinking in. This jar will also last me a good 6 months at least!

My least favourite product would have to be the Cleansing Oil because, as I said, I enjoy an emulsifying cleansing oil over a cleansing oil that you need to remove with something else. It can be nourishing for dry and sensitive skin, but I have combination-oily skin and do prefer something that will rinse clean.

Those are my final thoughts, any questions please ask below or on my Instagram. I did an unboxing video as well as demo videos on my story highlight if you are interested.