Hi everyone! I’m excited to show you the contents of the April Mapleblume box. Like all the previous boxes (read my posts on the February box and the December box), it was filled with a variety of skincare and color products for face, body, lips, and nails, and it continues to exceed my expectations in quality, selection, and value. If this and the last two boxes are any indication, the upcoming June box will be amazing and you should subscribe now before they sell out (they’re shipping next week and available to both Canadian and US customers).
In the six months since they launched, I feel like Mapleblume has carved out a special niche in the subscription box market for themselves. In my opinion they set themselves apart by, first of all, shipping to both Canadian and American customers (Mapleblume is based in Toronto – yay for a Canadian company!). Second, the products they select are bang-on for skincare-loving individuals who appreciate high quality products with natural, organic, plant-based ingredients and are willing to spend more for quality. I’ve always been ingredient-conscious, but as I start to think about having children in the not-too-distant future, I’m even more motivated to use products that are good for my body and the environment. I would categorize everything in the boxes so far as “high end clean beauty”. They also stand out by curating a group of products from brands that are recognizable to me and brands I’m excited to be introduced to, and products that fit in well with my routine. I also really like the once-every-two-month shipping frequency, which minimizes subscription box fatigue and maximizes excitement.
Without further ado, let’s talk about the products in the April box!
As shown in the print out above, the April box came with 6 products, worth a total value of $250.30. For a subscription price of $120, that’s only $20 per product. The best part is that literally everything here is full size. Everything is in lovely original product packaging and it’s like you went to a store and bought 6 full size things. If itty-bitty samples are driving you as crazy as they’re driving me, get the Mapleblume box. No tiny samples here! If you wanted to gift any of the products individually, you totally could.
- Fitglow Beauty Vita Rich Creme ($119)
- Vapour Organic Beauty Siren Lipstick in Au Pair ($33.50)
- Lavido Pomegranate Peel, Orange Blossom, and Carrot Purifying Face Cleanser ($38.80)
- Root + Willow Fig & Plum Body Butter ($27)
- Root + Willow Matcha & Mint Organic Lip Balm ($8)
- Sundays nail polish in No. 4 ($24)
The feature product in the April Mapleblume box is the Fitglow Beauty Vita Rich Crème, and you can bet that I pumped and smoothed that creme all over my face and neck as soon as I opened my box. The Vita Rich Crème contains over 150 phyto nutrients, vitamins and a cherry brightening complex that improves skin health, reduces inflammation, and improves skin hydration and elasticity. I included a photo of the box above which lists all the ingredients. I was happy to see that one of my favorite ingredients, aloe vera, is listed as the first ingredient. I love the pump bottle for keeping things hygienic and for distributing an even amount of product each time. The opaque bottle keeps the product fresh and stable. Fitglow recommends distributing one pump on a clean face or over a serum or oil. I found that one pump of the product on its own left my face needing just a little more, perhaps due to the condition of my skin from being in airplanes and being sick for over a week. Worn over this face oil or this face oil from the December box, it felt just right. Soothing, moisturizing, and gave my tired and over-tissued skin some life and love.
The Vapour Organic Beauty Siren Lipstick feels like a nourishing lip balm on my lips, I’m not even kidding. I got sick during my trip to Ottawa and the combination of dry Ontario air, flying, and a fever made my lips a sight not to be seen. The beeswax, jojoba seed oil, pomegranate oil and rose bud infusion soothed my lips while I was recovering at home and helped me look way better than I felt, which actually had the effect of making me feel better when I saw how good I looked LOL. The Au Pair color is a great color on me: natural and flattering. I think it’s one of those universal shades that enhances the natural color of your lips and it’s my favorite lipstick shade from Mapleblume so far. The skinny tube makes application very easy (no mirror required for me). I’ve actually been using it a ton because it also smells amazing! I’m going to ease up on it though because I don’t want it to run out!
Okay, the Lavido Pomegranate Peel, Orange Blossom, and Carrot Purifying Face Cleanser wins “coolest product” and “best packaging” of the bunch, because it’s made in Israel and contains purified waters from the Sea of Galilee! It came in a gorgeous box and the product itself has a very chic pump (as you can tell I get excited over pump dispensers). I love being introduced to new brands from around the world and I love that Mapleblume included an Israeli product (Lavido is featured in the Goop shop, a great reference for its reputation). As its name suggests, this cleanser contains carrot oil, bitter orange flower, and pomegranate fruit extract along with several essential oils to purify, protect, and nourish the skin. In the morning I typically use a wake-me-up facial scrub, but while my skin has been dry and sensitive due to my cold, this Lavido cleanser has been a God send. It’s gentle and smells like a spa. It’s earned a permanent spot in my shower caddy and it feels like such a luxurious treat. One pump, massage it in, breathe in the spa scent, and rinse off. Voila, soft skin!
I’m nuts for body butter, so I was excited about the Root + Willow Fig & Plum Body Butter. I love the apothecary style jar and the short preservative-free ingredients list that contains simply: raw shea butter, mango seed butter, grape seed oil, caprylic/capric triglycerides, and essential oils. I’m getting more and more conscious about what I put on my skin, especially with products that go on a large surface area of my body, so a body butter with a few select plant-based ingredients is just my cup of tea. At room temperature, the body butter is easy to scoop up with fingertips and it melts into an oil on contact with skin. It’s a wonderful body butter for dry cuticles, feet, elbows and legs. I even put some around my nose when my skin felt raw from blowing my nose a hundred times. It smells great and it made my cuticles look amazing. For a rich butter that melts into an oil, it absorbs really fast and didn’t feel greasy at all. A wonderfully simple and effective body butter.
A great purse addition and a product everyone will love, the Root + Willow Matcha & Mint Organic Lip Balm contains organic beeswax, fair trade shea butter, mango butter, grape seed oil, coconut oil, organic cocoa butter, essential oils and organic flavors. A great little lip balm that goes well under lipsticks when your lips need something extra, and it definitely doesn’t dry out your lips like a lot of drugstore chapsticks. Very soothing. The ingredients list makes it safe to eat!
Sundays nail polish comes from a salon that offers nontoxic, natural nail care products. Their nail polish is 10-free, non-toxic, and cruelty free. I used to wear gel polish regularly so I couldn’t test the nail polish in Mapleblume boxes, but I stopped because my nails were getting very thin and weak. After 2-3 months my nails are strong and healthy again, and I’ve decided to stay away from gel nails and do my own nails at home. Long story short, I was able to try the Sundays nail polish in color No. 4 in my Mapleblume box. It is a very pretty pink, slightly runny in application, which is common for lighter colors. It was great knowing I wasn’t breathing in toxic fumes. I did 3 coats plus my favorite long lasting top coat, and it lasted about 3-4 days before I felt like it needed reapplying. I don’t normally buy pink colors, so I’m really glad I had a try a pink polish because I really liked it!
This was another amazing box from Mapleblume and one that was worth double the subscription price. There was skincare, body care, lip care, a lipstick, and a nail polish that were all effective, wonderful for the senses, soothing for the skin, and safe for the body and for the environment. Order the June box here, it’s worth it!
Love your photos and the in-depth review details!