How do you find ethical beauty brands? Usually, it takes a lot of searching and plenty of trial and error to discover your favorite vegan, eco-friendly brands. Kinder Beauty takes some of the guesswork out of your search by selecting products every month that meet their high standards of ethical, eco-friendly beauty. Before adding products to their box, the founders review the ingredients list closely, ensure they’re not tested on animals, and look into how sustainable the item’s packaging is. Try this box to get a collection of beauty staples that are good for you and the world around you.
This is the first Kinder Beauty box every new member gets. It’s a nice mix of skincare and beauty products that are general enough for most people to use, and I’m expecting to use several of these on a regular basis. It came with an October-appropriate Penny Wise copper pigment from Medusa Makeup, a reusable Glov makeup remover, a hydrating eye mask, an anti-aging eye cream, and a night serum oil. The Dirty Lamb Ultra Night Serum is my favorite product out of the bunch, because it keeps my skin from drying out overnight, and I can see myself using it on a regular basis.
What We Like About Kinder Beauty
Kinder Beauty only includes products that live up to their high standards. The featured beauty items in every box must be vegan and not tested on animals. They also have to be “clean,” meaning free of certain harsh or irritating chemicals, including mineral oil, sulfates, and plenty of others.
I liked this introductory beauty box because it’s general enough that any fan of beauty products can enjoy it. They’re items that almost anyone can use, from the eye serum to the makeup removing glove. They’re useful for a variety of skin types, and the only makeup item here is in a neutral color that looks good on everyone. Each box adds up to more than the $25 cost, and this one is valued at $101.99, making it a great deal.
The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was a great scent. It reminded me of the herbal and floral smell you get from natural soap stores or herb stores. All the products were sealed in glass or plastic containers, so I wasn’t sure where it was coming from. Eventually, I realized that it was coming from the recycled paper packaging itself.
Packaging in subscription boxes can be a huge source of waste. Personally, if I’m signing up for a monthly shipment, I want to see companies do their best to avoid using excessive packaging. Kinder Beauty’s eco-friendly mission statement extends to the packaging. They use a biodegradable, compostable cardboard box and pack items in recycled packaging. The outside of the box is printed with soy inks that are less harmful to the environment. The only plastic in the box was from containers or seals on some of the products.
What We Don’t Like About Kinder Beauty
Every new subscriber’s first box is the Kinder Faves Collection, which showcases some of the founders’ favorite products. I liked the box, but I feel a little disappointed that everyone gets the same introductory box. I’d like to see a better representation of what you can expect to get on a monthly basis.
I also wish there were ways to personalize your box. Currently, there are two variations on the Kinder box each month. Each box showcases a different selection of Kinder-approved products, but you can’t choose your box. The founders have said they’re exploring ways to customize boxes in the future, and I look forward to seeing what they come up with.
Kinder Beauty includes plenty of unisex products in their boxes, but most of them also have makeup. If they want to go the gender-neutral route, perhaps they could offer one box with makeup items and one without. That way, they can cater to the various people who might be looking for natural, vegan beauty products.
This is still a very new company, so I’m sure they’ll add new features as they develop as a brand. I’m excited to see what they come up with.
Medusa’s Makeup Eye Dust in Penny Wise
This is a loose eyeshadow powder in a metallic copper color. It’s a mineral eye shadow, and it has a very smooth texture. It’s easy to build color with this shade, so it can go on as a light glittery copper or as a deeper, eye-catching color. I definitely went lighter in the swatches. This shade comes in every introductory Kinder box, but I think the horror-themed color name is perfect for October.
According to the helpful pamphlet that comes with the box, you can use this eye dust as a pigment anywhere on your face, including cheeks and lips. Since this is a nice, neutral color, I think it’d look good anywhere on the face. I decided to try it as a blush, and I liked it more there than on my eyes.
Bright Eyes Mask by 100% Pure
This is a hydrogel mask made from 95% aloe water and 5% plant cellulose. The masks go under your eyes, and the brand recommends using them twice a week for best results. The ingredients include both green tea and green coffee, along with yerba mate tea. The caffeine from all these ingredients is supposed to firm up your undereye skin and reduce puffiness. The cucumber and vitamin C act to soothe your skin.
These get thinner as you use them and absorb moisture into your skin. The package recommends wearing them for 15-20 minutes, and by the time you’re ready to take them off you can see that the masks have shrunk. 100% Pure recommends massaging the leftover moisture into the skin after you remove the masks.
GLOV On The Go
The Glov is a reusable makeup remover that slips over your hand like a glove. Just add water, rub gently in a circular motion, and it’ll remove the day’s makeup without any other products needed. The packaging says it lasts up to 3 months with daily use. The brand recommends washing with soap between uses, like you would a makeup sponge or brush. It’s 80% polyester and 20% polyamide, and the soft, fuzzy texture reminds me of a bathrobe.
It comes in a biodegradable and compostable bag, which is exciting. Compostable bags are generally made of corn or potato starch, so they really will break down if you add them to your compost pile. This one says it should disappear within 3 weeks.
This product has a whole host of certifications. It’s certified vegan, cruelty-free, and meets the Oeko-Tex standard, which means it’s free of over a hundred harmful chemicals commonly found in textiles.
When I tried it, I found that makeup came off with just a few passes of the Glov. I was wearing cream products that don’t usually require makeup remover, though. The brand claims to replace makeup remover and similar products. I’m curious how well it would work with items like matte liquid lipstick, which are notoriously difficult to remove.
Eyes Eyes Baby Anti-Aging Eye Cream by Fleur & Bee
This cream has a nice thick texture, and it’s pleasant to the touch with a slight floral smell. You can get a sense of how thick it is by the stiff peaks you see in the cream, kind of like when you’re making meringue.
Soon after applying it, I felt a tightening under and around my eyes where I’d put the product. I didn’t see a dramatic difference in the skin under my eyes, but I’m looking for more of a preventative effect from Eyes Eyes Baby.
The packaging highlights squalane, vitamin E, and vitamin B3 as the active ingredients which moisturize, hydrate and smooth skin. Squalane is an anti-inflammatory and can reduce redness, too. It also includes vegan glycerin, pomegranate extract, green tea extract, sunflower seed oil, honeysuckle, and other nourishing ingredients. As you might expect from that ingredients list, it smells great.
Dirty Lamb Ultra Night Serum
This was my favorite item in this box. My skin tends to be a little dry, so I’m always looking for new moisturizing products. This is my first experience with a facial oil. Like most people who haven’t tried one yet, I was worried about the product making my face greasy. I’m happy to report my skin absorbed the oil easily.
The ingredients are all recognizable oils. The unique blend includes wheat germ oil, jojoba oil, lavender oil, and more. It has a sweet, herbal scent, and the main fragrances you pick up are orange, ylang ylang, and lavender. The scent is mild and pleasant, in my opinion.
The eyedropper lid makes it easy and mess-free to get the exact amount you want. Dirty Lamb recommends adding 2-3 drops to a palm so you can pat the oil onto your face. I’ve been using about 4 drops, but maybe they added bigger drops than I did. I can see this lasting several months. A little goes a long way to cover your face and neck.
Final Thoughts
The Kinder Faves Collection box is a great introduction to the service, and has several products that can fit into any beauty routine. I like to keep my beauty routine simple and minimal, but I still found these products useful and relevant to my beauty interests.
I recommend this service to anyone looking for eco-friendly, vegan and cruelty-free makeup. These products are all tested before they’re approved for Kinder Beauty, so you can trust them to be gentle on your face and kind to the environment.
