Like many, I wish my sleep was better – longer, deeper, better quality, less broken by my two cats waking me up throughout the nights... The stats back this up too, with one study showing that 71% of UK adults struggle with getting their recommended nine hours of sleep a night. If this sounds familiar, I've got something that might help.
Subscription service OK! Beauty Box has just launched a limited-edition box of beauty and wellness products, all aimed to encouraging a better night's sleep. The Sleep Better Box contains nine full-size products – from skincare and sleep masks to candles and pillow cases – with a huge saving attached: they're worth over £245 in total, but the box costs £60 to buy.
Keen to see if it could improve my zzzs, I tried out every single product one evening, and here's what I found...
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Laura Mulley)Pros
- Huge money saving
- All full-size products
- Makes a lovely gift, for women or men
- Contains some of my favourite brands, including NEOM and Aromatherapy Associates
- Creates a really calming evening ritual and bedtime routine
Cons
- The skin and body products might not suit those with skin that's sensitive to fragrance
- If you like all your bedding to match, you may be reluctant to use the satin pillowcases!
My first impressions of this box were that it would make such a lovely gift – even for yourself. It's well-packaged and every item seems like a treat; immediate highlights I spotted were the Aromatherapy Associates Support Breathe Bath & Shower Oil, which I love and buy my mum every Christmas, and the Perfect Night's Sleep Pillow Mist by NEOM, one of my favourite home fragrance brands.
Here's everything inside:
- NEOM Perfect Night’s Sleep Pillow Mist - 30ml full-size, RRP £23
- So Eco Satin Pillow Cases - double pack, RRP £11.99
- grüum Puls Pulse Point Roller Ball Deep Relaxation - 9ml full-size, RRP £12
- Aromatherapy Associates Support Breathe Bath & Shower Oil - 55ml full-size, RRP £58
- Aristocrat Satin Sleep Mask - full-size, RRP £7.99
- Disciple London Downtime Sleepy Mist - 50ml full-size, RRP £17
- Purscents Sweet Dreams Candle - 100ml, full-size, RRP £10
- Avant Skincare Moisture Surge Overnight Treatment - 50ml full-size, RRP £85
- Beauty Pro Warming Eye Mask - one mask, full-size, RRP £2.80
- And a voucher to redeem for four copies of OK! Magazine, RRP £17.60
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Laura Mulley)I started by setting the scene for my soothing evening by lighting the Purscents candle, with its notes of cedarwood, lavender and lemon, and running a bath with a cupful of the Aromatherapy Associates bath oil (a little goes a long way); the fragrances of both which really filled my whole home.
Suitably relaxed, I slipped into my pyjamas and did my usual evening skincare routine, using the Avant Skincare Moisture Surge Overnight Treatment as a last step; this has a rich and creamy texture yet sinks in quickly after rubbing in, and left my skin feeling really soft and smooth. I then slipped into bed, with the So Eco satin pillowcases on (which feel luxe and cooling), which had been spritzed with the NEOM mist.
The final steps were to spray a fine layer of the Disciple Sleep Mist over my face for an extra layer of hydration and apply the grüum roller ball onto my wrists, breathing in the soothing scents of both. To be completely honest, I find self-heating masks a bit uncomfortable on my eyes but I think I'm an anomaly with this, as I know so many beauty editors who love and bulk-buy these. Instead, as I never sleep without a silk eye mask, even when away from home, I slipped on this chic navy one, set the thunderstorm sounds on my Lumie clock, and settled down to sleep.
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Laura Mulley)And, while not perfect (thank you, cats), I did have a much better night's sleep than usual. I think this was mainly because of the combination of aromatherapy scents, which I do believe work, and taking the time for self-care, rather than scrolling on my phone for hours. While I don't think I'll use every product every night (not having matching bedding does bug me!), a lot of these products will become regulars in my routine now.
I also can't ignore the excellent value. I buy Aromatherapy Associates' bath and shower oil, which usually costs £58, as gifts, so for just £2 extra you're getting eight other products. If you're looking for a treat for someone, this box totally gets my vote.
If you're looking for a Valentine's Day gift, however, LOOKFANTASTIC 'With Love' Valentine's Edit is a great idea – it costs £50 but is worth £195, and includes popular brands such as Elemis and Sol de Janeiro.
Meanwhile Space NK is selling its 2024 Best of Beauty Edit for £100, containing the likes of Olaplex, Milk Makeup and Charlotte Tilbury.
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