Carol's Fifth Week With the Winter Box!

Skin Type and Location:

Hi! I am Carol, I live in Singapore, where the climate is typically hot and humid throughout the year. I have aging skin that is oily combination, with plenty of discolorations and pores that are enlarged and always clogged.

General Impressions

To be really honest, when I first applied to be a reviewer for theWinter Box, I was pretty skeptical. Not about the efficacy of the products, but about how will a box of products that is curated to target hydration be suitable for someone like me, who lives in the exact opposite climate of Winter, and has skin that is nowhere near dry. And I am never more glad that I took the leap and applied.

The box contains an almost routine with the double cleansing items, two masks, serums and creams. It even comes with a lip tint and body cream AND a healing oil. So my goal was to see how I can use the box and tailor it to fit my skin needs.

Every reviewing journey seems like a lesson itself. Not only have I learnt to listen to my skin, see how my skin respond to the products I use, I have also learnt that even with the same product, I can use varying amounts to achieve various desired results: lesser during the day for just the right amount of hydration without making me oily, or more at night for ultimate pampering and supercharging it for maximum benefits.

TheWinter Box not only gave me better skin, it also gave me a better outlook in life, and enabled me to seize opportunities with confidence.

Changes since before starting Box routine:

Right before I started using the Winter Box, I dare say the darker spots on my face have been very much faded from the use of other Sabbatical Beauty products that are good for lightening spots. But that being said, on the overall, there are still some spots here and there on my face, as well as dented patches that are old acne scars and really visible up close. After usingRadiance from the Box, not only have my entire face brightened, my skin tone has evened out. The dark spots on my face were initially highlighted on a brighter face, but as my skin tone evens out, my face looks more balanced and even now.

Also, while using the oil cleansers have made it much more easier to remove the blackheads from my nose, they still come back. It was just that extraction is now a whole lot more easier than before because all the acid toners and oil cleansers  have softened them. However, withRice Against the Patriarchy Cleansing Milk, I found that the fine rice grains are small enough to effectively rid my pores of the clogged sebum. I especially love massaging my face with it now because I can literally feel them emptying my pores of the gunk!

AM Routine & PM routine

AM:Vacuum Cleansing Oil,Rice Against the Patriarchy Cleansing Milk,Maple Essence Toner,Coconut Serum,Radiance Serum(2 drops),Donkey Cream (a light film), sunscreen.

PM:Bamboo Cleansing Balm, Rice Against the Patriarchy Cleansing Milk, Botanical Gel Mask/Milk Cream Mask,Maple Esssence Toner/Botanical Acid Toner/Strawberry Cocktail Exfoliating Toner,5 Ginseng/Lotus Serum Mist/Asian PowerHouse,Pumpkin Spice Latte, Radiance (6 drops), Donkey Cream and/orSnow Sleeping Cream

For hair and body, I will apply Coffee Hair Oil (Coming soon!) and Day Spa Body Cream (Coming soon!) after showering.

Things to note for people with your skin type/climate (remind people of skin type and climate) :

I mean, this box has been curated with the special intention to hydrate skin during the harsh winter and prevent skin from flaking and drying, ya? Hence it is all about being rich and luxurious and ultra moisturising. So for anyone from a warmer and more humid climate like me, do bear in mind that our skins may not be as dry (though there are dry folks living in the tropics too!) and the humidity certainly makes waiting for products to be absorbed less fun and more time consuming.

To counter that, I use less of the same products in the AM as compared to PM. For example, for Radiance, I use only 2 drops in the morning for my entire face, but at night, I go all out and use up to 6 drops. And there are several new items in this Box like the Botanical Gel Mask (Coming soon!), the Milk Cream Mask (Coming soon!) and the Rosehip Healing Oil (Coming soon!), so spot test before using everything!

Did you think this was a good purchase? Would you have purchased the Winter Box?

I absolutely believe that theWinter Box 2019 is a good purchase! Not only does it contain a routine for double cleansing, a serum, a moisturising cream and a sleeping cream, it also contains two facial masks, a lip tint, a healing oil and a full sized body cream. Quite honestly, even though I have been given this Winter Box free of charge for the review, and I already own the products now, I will definitely purchase the box (and the individual items when they are available) when it is finally launched in January!

Watch Carol's Week 5 Winter Box Routine!