See New Skincare Box x Dirty Lamb – September/October 2021

Where I got it

After my first See New Skincare Box with Forest Rhapsody, I was really pleased with the value of the box and also the products as well. The type of products from Forest Rhapsody really appealed to me, I know I will be using their products and ultimately finishing them if I don’t experience specific adverse reactions. On the other hand, I also know what kind of products I would not be interested and probably not reach for unless I have to really push myself to. Unfortunately, The Dirty Lamb was the type of brand and product type that I was not losing sleep about. I will explain why below.

Let’s get around the details of this box first. This box contains 5 full-sized products which has a value of $202. Each of See New’s Skincare Boxes are $65, and they are bi-monthly boxes.  Whilst this box was supposed to be for September/October, I have only received this box around mid November which is a bit disappointing. You can opt for the Essentials Box which contains 3 of the 5 products at $47. Currently, the box is on sale, so if these products sounds appealing to you, go check it out!*

*referral link

What I got

This is the See New Skincare Box x Dirty Lamb – September/October 2021. This Skincare Box contains the Apricot Cleansing Oil, Rose Petal Toner, Ultra Day Serum, Ultra Night Serum and the Chocolate Coconut Lip Scrub. The Dirty Lamb also does body products – a body scrub, body serum and body milk. These are pretty much all the skincare products from the brand, plus a lip scrub. I would have loved to try the body serum!

Apricot Cleansing Oil ($42 for 60ml). Melt away excess sebum + makeup to give your face the ultimate cleanse it needs. Breathe in the aroma of exotic cardamom rounded out by calming lavender + ylang-ylang. This cleanser is meant for all types of skin including acne-prone. Will not clog pores.

Ingredients: Oryza Sativa (Rice Bran) Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot Kernel) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Virgin Argan) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Canaga Odorata (Ylang-ylang) Oil, Elettaria Cardamomum (Cardamom) Oil

Rose Petal Toner ($38 for 60ml). Created by distilling rose petals this is more than just a hydrating facial mist. Aloe Vera moisturizes & soothes irritated/dry skin. The luxurious aroma of rose petals will decrease anxiety & stress making every day more enjoyable. Witch hazel minimizes pore size, controls oil production to balance sebum production.

Ingredients: Distilled Rose Petals (Rose damascena water), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water (Aloe Water), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel), & Purified Aqua

Ultra Day Serum ($46 for 30ml). Brighten up your day & skin with a powerful blend of fast absorbing, naturally derived oils. Rice bran oil (Japan’s anti-aging secret) will keep your skin hydrated throughout the days. Non-greasy formula with a smooth finish.

Ingredients: Oryza Sativa (Rice Bran) Oil, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp Seed) Oil, Azadirachta Indica (Neem) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower Seed) Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil, & Citrus Limon (Lemon) Oil

Ultra Night Serum ($54 for 30ml). Our high antioxidant blend of fatty acid oils will keep skin hydrated through the night. Wheat germ oil is natures power house of vitamin e that will bring liveliness to your night skin. Beautiful sweet dreams are on the way with a hint of lavender, ylang ylang, & orange.

Ingredients: Triticum Vulgare (Wheat Germ) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp Seed) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Clear Jojoba) Oil, Cananga Odorata (Ylang-Ylang) Oil, Citrus Sinensis (Orange) Oil, & Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil.

Chocolate Coconut Lip Scrub ($22 for 30g). Our 100% natural flavoured chocolate + coconut lip scrub gently exfoliates and smooth lips. Cocoa powder softens lips and gives you a chocolatey experience almost good enough to eat.

Ingredients: Saccharum Officinarum (Organic Cane) Sugar, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa Powder), Prunus Amgydalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Copra (Shredded Coconut), Tocopherol (Vitamin E) Oil.

How I find it

Let’s get down to the products. The packaging of all of these are in clear glass bottles with plastic pumps and caps. Upon opening the package and all the protective wrappings, the caps for both the Cleansing Oil and Rose Petal Toner were cracked already, but the contents are safe and nothing leaking. The Serums are sealed, so you will need to twist open the dropper and break the seal to use it for the first time. The Lip Scrub is also sealed with a foil sticker on top.

Alright, let’s get to why I wasn’t particularly interested in these products. First of all, there are my personal thoughts only and while I was not drawn to these products, I still gave them a good go to see if I am judging a book by its covers and whether it works for me. First of all, I am not really attracted to the packaging design, the fonts, the logo, etc. Just the whole vibe is a bit boring. I tried the products in skincare order, so the Apricot Cleansing Oil first to remove any makeup and sunscreen. Right off the bat, I hoped this was an emulsifying cleansing oil, but it is not and would require a cloth to remove the product. I generally prefer an emulsifying cleansing oil for my combination/oil skin that is also prone to acne and congestion. For non-emulsifying cleansing oils, I often use a cleansing cloth (Face Halo) and use warm water. I then use a foaming cleanser as my second step cleanser to clean off the residue. I couldn’t say this particular product would cause congestion, but I really do not enjoy the experience.

After the double cleansing with my own cleanser, my face feels clean and comfortable. Then I use the product that I was really looking forward to try – Rose Petal Toner. It was a spray-type toner and I spritz all over my face before applying any serums and creams. The Rose Petal Toner is really enjoyable to use and has a light, refreshing rose scent. Not intoxicating and not overwhelming, it smells of real roses, not artificial. It is lightly hydrating and provides the skin some hydration before the use of the serums ahead. This is probably my favourite product in this range.

The Ultra Day Serum and Night Serum are both rather similar products – they are both oil serums. Honestly, not something that I would use as the first step after a toner because it was a facial oil. I would usually use a water-based hydrating serum or any actives before using a facial if I use it at all. Sometimes I opt for a moisturiser instead of an oil because my skin is prone to congestion. The serums were a little on the thick side, but the Day Serum felt quite good on the skin over slightly damp skin. The Night Serum was a little thicker and when applied to the skin it was a little sticky. I would use pressing motions instead of rubbing and massaging. The ingredients list of both these serums are straightforward and minimal. The look like something I could easily put together, but you cannot always judge a product by it’s INCI list, its all in the formulation as well.

The Chocolate Coconut Lip Scrub is a sugar scrub with large sugar crystals and olive oil to keep everything together. The crystals are quite large, therefore a little difficult to manoeuvre because it would fall off easily, but all the ingredients are natural and I won’t be worried about it getting into my mouth. I liked the chocolate and coconut scent and how it nourished my lips with the olive oil and vitamin E oil.

Overall

Overall, I can understand that idea behind the brand: using natural ingredients with no hidden agenda. But it also makes the products a little bland and boring (sorry to say this). It might be what some people look for in their skincare products, but it is definitely what I would reach for again and again. I wouldn’t say the ingredients and formulation is one of a kind and would not pay full price for these products, unless I want to support small businesses. I prefer my products with some sort of science and technology behind it, I am not a bit advocate to Clean Beauty or Green Beauty. I don’t need all my ingredients to be “derived from nature”, but I want effective skincare AND an enjoyable sensorial experience.

I would continue using these products of course, I don’t want to waste it, but I might not reach for them as often as I should before it goes off. I would use the Day and Night Serums on my body as I think my body would benefit from these quite well. In all honesty, the Rose Petal Toner is quite enjoyable to use and I would continue to use it on my face.