I’ll admit I’d never watched an episode of Love Island until I got well and truly sucked in to the most recent series. Don’t get me wrong, I knew of a few past contestants and understood the general premise of the ITV2 dating show, but frankly have never had an hour a night free for eight weeks on the trot to spare.
And while I do find myself desperate to catch up on the drama, re-couplings and what Maya Jama is wearing, there’s always one part in every show I find myself engrossed in, thumb poised over the pause button with my magnifying glass and detective hat on.
Each night when the girls are getting ready, styling their hair with the Dyson Airwrap or picking out an outfit from the preloved eBay wardrobe, I’ve got my beady eyes on the lookout for what makeup products the girls are using.
READ MORE: Best Boots deals of 2023 that will save you money on skincare, perfume and more
The girls always look so glam and camera-ready, and the products used in the Villa are often a good indicator of what’s actually worth the money. And having previously worked for Boots, I’ve been pretty good at spying a number of Villa-approved beauty buys.
So far this season, we’ve seen Molly Marsh load up her lashes with a cult-loved mascara, while Jess has been seen using an affordable liquid liner. Ruchee, who has since left the show, had a great product for holding brows in place all day, while Ella’s been seen applying a concealer that costs under £9.
It comes as Boots is the official exclusive beauty partner of the show, and it got me wondering - which of this year’s Islanders would I like to see release a beauty box with the high street retailer, filled with all their favourite products?
Would it be Jess, who’s been said to have used the Benefit Willa Soft Neutral-Rose Blush, Sleek MakeUP Matte Me XXL Liquid Lipstick and Fenty Beauty PRO FILT'R Soft Matte Longwear Foundation. Or would it be Ella, with the Rimmel Multi-Tasker Concealer and Sheamoisture Curl Enhance? I’m not sure, but I do hope that Boots answers our prayers on this must-have collaboration later this summer.
But if you simply can’t wait, there is a way to get the whole Love Island package from the health and beauty retailer, and that’s with their collaboration with 2022 contestant and Boots Beauty Ambassador, Indiyah Polak.
The Boots x Indiyah beauty box launched on the website in February, and features 12 of the star’s all time favourite beauty products. The box was originally priced at £55, with an estimated value of £164, though it’s since been reduced to £40 , meaning shoppers can save around £124 on the contents compared to buying them separately.
I’ve delved into this money-saving haul of must-have summer beauty and discovered a range of haircare, skincare and makeup that’s 100 per cent my type on paper. (Yes, that’s a Love Island reference).
Inside the box five of the products are considered full size, with a further six travel and sample size products, plus a voucher that’s valid until the end of this month.
Some of the products I have used previously and are already a part of my regular routine, while others were completely new to me, and gave me the opportunity to discover exciting brands at an affordable price point.
Products I already know and love in the Boots x Indiyah beauty box
First up was the Got2b Vegan Hairspray 300ml, which is a full size can. This hair spray is truly the greatest of all time, so much so that it’s the only hair spray that I, my dad and my fella will use. Even other hair sprays in the Got2b range don’t seem to live up to this one - it really is elite.
Then there’s the iconic Fenty Gloss Bomb Deluxe in Fenty Glow . If you spot a glossy lip in the Villa, there is a very good chance that this product is responsible. The beauty box contains a 2ml mini version of the Rihanna-created gloss, which makes it perfect for taking on nights out or to save on liquid space at the airport.
The Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 40ml is a pre-shampoo treatment originally created for Audrey Hepburn, now a cult favourite among celebrities and hair professionals worldwide. The product is designed for those with dry and dehydrated hair, transforming it from frizzy and damaged, to sleek and shiny after just one use. As someone who bleaches their hair, it’s perfect for bringing back to life those frazzled locks when they’re getting hammered by humidity in the summer.
Moving on to fragrance, the box contains a very small sample of the YSL Libre Fragrance, where 30ml will set you back £52. It’s a great way to try before you buy, because bottles of perfume are a huge commitment, and if you don’t like them, you’re stuck with them.
I keep a lot of these little sample fragrances in a little box ready to take on weekends away or for one-off occasions when I fancy something a bit different. The YSL perfume, with hints of lavender and orange blossom, is quite androgynous, so slots in seamlessly with my signature fragrances that often have a ‘masculine’ feel.
Finally, I used to exclusively get my brows done at Benefit when I was in university, so it’s great to see a voucher in there where you can save 20 per cent on selected brow services. While I’m now well and truly loyal to my eyebrow tech, this is great to give to a friend or family member if you know they already use the service. The only problem here is that the voucher is already expired. Boots have extended the date it can be used until the end of June, so time is still running out quickly to benefit from it - pardon the pun.
New products I discovered in the Boots x Indiyah beauty box
I really love the Fenty Skin cleanser and toner duo, so it was great to receive the Fenty Skin Butta Drop Body Cream Sachet. Although it features enough product for one use, it’s the ideal way to work out if you like it and want to commit to buying a mini version for £17.
Lashes seem to be a big trend in the villa year after year, with several pairs of Boots own brand lashes spotted in the dressing room this year. The box contains one pair of Eylure x Indiyah Gimme Gimme Lashes as well as a full-size MAC Full Size Magic Extension Mascara . MAC mascaras often receive rave reviews, and this one is no different, promising lengthened lashes for a false lash effect.
Other items in the box include the Boucleme Scalp Exfoliating Shampoo, Nivea Q10 Power Day Cream which some reviews say is ‘better than Clarins’, and the ICONIC Illuminator Highlighter 2.8ml.
But the box’s hero product is without a doubt the Huda Rose Quartz 18 Well Eyeshadow Palette, which is worth £62 alone. This means shoppers who want only the palette can get it for £22 less and everything else is completely free.
The palette features eight pigmented matte shades in rosy neutrals which I would absolutely wear every day, alongside three high-shine metallics, three pearly, soft-shine metallics, three quartz-inspired multi-shimmer marble creams and one ‘crushed stone’ pearly gloss hybrid, all of which can be used to great a more glam look.
Here’s everything inside the Boots x Indiyah beauty box for £40:
Fenty Gloss Bomb Deluxe - Fenty Glow 2ml
Fenty Skin Butta Drop Body Cream Sachet 8ml
Eylure x Indiyah Gimme Gimme Lashes 1g (FULL SIZE)
MAC Full Size Magic Extension Mascara 11ml (FULL SIZE)
Huda Rose Quartz 18 Well Eyeshadow Palette 17.35g (FULL SIZE)
Boucleme Scalp Exfoliating Shampoo 30ml
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 40ml
Nivea Q10 Power Day Cream 50ml (FULL SIZE)
YSL Libre Fragrance 1.2ml
Benefit Save 20% on Selected Brow Services Voucher 1g
ICONIC Illuminator Highlighter 2.8ml
Got2b Vegan Hairspray 300ml (FULL SIZE)
Other shoppers have said the Boots x Indiyah box is worth the price tag for the palette alone, though others were disgruntled at some of the sample size products thrown in with it.
One said: “Such a good box! Have recommended it to loads of my friends - worth it for the Huda palette alone, it's stunning and the box comes with so many other good products.”
Another wrote: “I love the items in here! The box does have a lot of miniature travel sized items, however the Huda palette makes it well worth the price and gives you a chance to try products before buying the full sized.”
While a third added: “This was absolutely an impulse buy but I'm thrilled with it. The products in it weren't ones I would have considered or known about but I've really liked a lot of them, and the quality has been great. It's also great fun to go through the box!”
Pros of the Boots x Indiyah beauty box
Wide range of popular brands with positive reviews
Five full sized products worth over £100 alone
Affordable price point at £40, saving around 70 per cent on the value of the box
Discover new favourites and try them before committing to full size
Save money in long run by stocking up on beauty buys in bulk
Can be used as gifts throughout the year or put up as stocking fillers for Christmas
Cons of the Boots x Indiyah beauty box
Some of the samples are one-use only which has been subject of some negative reviews
The Benefit voucher has very nearly expired and some may not get chance to use it before the end of the month
Boots have really been on their a-game when it comes to beauty boxes in 2023, having launched collaborations with Elemis, Elizabeth Arden and REN. However, there are also some great alternatives from the likes of LookFantastic, Face The Future and Glossybox, allowing you to get summer-ready in one fell swoop.
But if it is the Love Island look you want to replicate this year, you can snap up the Boots x Indiyah box here.
