Mapleblume December 2017 Box and Why You Should Subscribe

If you’re looking for a last minute gift, or want to get something at a great value for yourself, you need to get a Mapleblume subscription. It’s perfect for the wife, BFF, sister, mother-in-law, or mentor that loves luxury skincare and beauty products from brands that use non-toxic and organic ingredients. The December Mapleblume box contains 6 full-size products with the theme of luxury, indulgence, skin nourishment and holiday glam. 4 out of the 6 products are made up almost entirely of pure and organic essential oils, which gives you an idea of the quality of the products. The other 2 products are for a holiday party-ready look.  All of the products delight the senses. The December 2017 box is their most valuable box yet at a total value of over $285 CAD, more than twice as much as the cost of the box ($120-130 depending the type of subscription you choose). Read my review of each of the December 2017 Mapleblume box products below.

Mapleblume entered the Canadian (and now US) beauty scene with their curated clean beauty subscription boxes exactly one year ago. I’ve posted reviews of their October, August, April, February, and December 2016 boxes. I’ve also included it in my holiday gift guide. I think the marks of a great beauty box are the value of the contents vs. the price of the box, size of the products (full size vs. itty bitty one-use size), quality of ingredients in the products, and introduction to brands/products you haven’t heard of. Mapleblume hits the mark on all those points. Not only do I use and love the products in past boxes, I’ve purchased them again.

Here are the six full size products included in the December box:

1. Feature product: Luxe Botanics Marula Hydrating Serum ($89)
2. Olverum Bath Oil ($66)
3. Province Apothecary Radiant Body Oil ($58)
4. Tenoverten Nail Polish in Orchard ($23)
5. Tenoverten The Rose Oil ($33)
6. Au Naturale Cosmetics Super Fine Powder Eye Shadow in Tupelo ($19)

First up, the feature product, Luxe Botanics Marula Hydrating Serum. Luxe Botanics hails from Singapore and the serum hydrates, protects and repairs all skin types with marula oil. The first three ingredients listed are marula oil, jojoba oil, and carrot oil. I like that this formula mixes other oils along with the main marula oil, which gives the serum a great scent. I can smell notes of the red grapefruit oil and the tangerine oil and overall it has a light and refreshing scent. The serum contains a high content of omega-9 fatty acids which absorb into the skin to reduce inflammation. Two pump of this oil was enough to pat into my face and my skin absorbed it immediately. It’s very nourishing to put on right before bedtime.

Next, the Olverum Bath Oil. First of all, how fancy does the bottle look? It looks amazing sitting on my countertop. If I had to pick, I’d say that this is the product I’m most happy was included in the box because it’s the one I’m least likely to treat myself to. Meghan Markle would definitely have a bottle of this $66 bath oil by the bathtub in Prince Harry’s cottage. The scent is best described as “a very fancy spa”. It contains lavender, Siberian fir needle, verbena, eucalyptus, lemon, and other essential oils for soothing, de-stressing, and hydrating. It’s a complex, fully enveloping, and tension-removing fragrance. A German winemaker created the fragrance in 1931 after becoming enamoured with an oil he’d smelled at the famous spas in Baden Baden. I poured a small amount (it’s highly concentrated) into a bath when I returned home from the Vancouver Christmas Market in 2 deg C feeling like a popsicle. The Olverum Bath Oil created the perfect fragrance, skin nourishment, and relaxing bath experience. I love it.

I was happy to see Province Apocathery included in this month’s box as I liked the Calm Down Therapeutic Roll-on in the August box. The Radiant Body Oil  is high in Vitamin E, Omega-6 fatty acids and antioxidants. I counted a total of about 17 different essential oils in the ingredients list, the first four of which are safflower oil, argan oil, camellia oil, and avocado oil. It comes in a very convenient pump dispenser, which means no fiddling around with messy lids and no spills. The fragrance is light and botanical, and definitely suitable for massaging into your temples and pulse points for some mindful relaxation.

The Tenoverten Nail Polish in Orchard is a beautiful and deep cranberry red that’s a perfect winter and holiday shade. I think it’s a very flattering red and suitable for people who want color but don’t want something too bright or showstopping. The founder of Mapleblume wears it beautifully on her nails here. Tenoverten nail polishes are free from 8 toxic ingredients commonly found in nail polish. Fun fact: Each polish is named after a street in Downtown Manhattan and embodies the essence the unique neighbourhoods that inspire them. Orchard St. is a one-way street in the centre of the Lower East Side and is lined almost entirely with low-rise tenement buildings with the classic New York brick faces and fire escapes :). I need to book a trip to New York!

After your holiday manicure with the Tenoverten nail polish, the December Mapleblume box helps you finish your look with the Tenoverten The Rose Oil cuticle oil, which nourishes your cuticles with jojoba, argan, pomegranate, sweet almond, passionfruit, hemp, and rose oil to name just a few. It’s not greasy at all and absorbs quickly. It left my nails looking so healthy and beautiful. This is a useful and much needed product for me! I’m taking this one with me in my purse to use throughout the day.

It comes with a cool metal ball tip applicator that’s very convenient and mess-free.

Last but not least, the Au Naturale Cosmetics Super Fine Powder Eye Shadow in Tupelo. Mapleblume subscribers got a great introduction to the Au Naturale brand through the amazing eye pencil in the October box that I still use every day. The Super Fine Powder Eye Shadow is 100% natural and comes in a rollerball applicator that deposits the shadow easily over your eyelid or the back of your hand. The Tupelo color is described as a “light shimmering beige”. It’s easily layered and blended with other makeup for a fun shimmery look. I wore it to Damon’s company party last weekend. The rollerball applicator received mixed reviews online but I like it because it controls the amount of product that comes out. It prevents the loose shimmery powder from getting all over the place.Mapleblume co-founder Sarah wears the shadow along with other Mapleblume products here.

The December box is another winner from Mapleblume. If you aren’t already a subscriber you should give yourself (or a lucky person in your life) the gift of amazing products once every two months and subscribe here.