Here at OK! we’re passionate about celebrating inspirational women – and so we’re thrilled to reveal this year's Female Founders OK! Beauty Box, an incredible selection of products from some of the most empowering women in the beauty industry.
Following its sell-out success last year, the limited-edition Female Founders Edit from the OK! Beauty Box subscription service is back for a second year running.
We’ve partnered with 10 top female-founded brands – including Trinny London, Margaret Dabbs and Balance Me – to curate this one-time-purchase box of skincare, make-up, body and nail treats that will seriously inspire your beauty routine.
This special edit is worth over £270 in total but it costs just £60 to buy – that’s a saving of over 75% on the products inside.
We think it makes a gorgeous gift for International Women’s Day (8 March) or Mother’s Day (10 March), or simply something to treat yourself to.
The Female Founders box is a standalone purchase and once it’s gone it’s gone, but if you want to receive the best in beauty for less all year round then sign up to the OK! Beauty Box monthly subscription service. For £15 a month you get at least £80 worth of top products hand-selected by our editors delivered to your door – and to get you started, your first box is half price (£7.50).
Here’s a closer look at what’s inside The Female Founders Edit…
Trinny London Lip2Cheek in shade Veebee, full size, RRP £26
A best seller from Trinny London, the beauty brand from TV’s Trinny Woodall, these Lip2Cheek pots are a multitasking make-up must-have. They’re as easy as anything to apply to cheeks and lips using just your fingers, and perfect for popping in your handbag.
Trinny has picked this gorgeous sunset coral shade Veebee for the Female Founders Box, which adds a natural-looking flush of colour to the skin.
“When creating Lip2Cheek I wanted something really easy to apply, that you could do anywhere and in shades that were foolproof yet brought a pop of colour to your lips and cheeks,” she says. “Veebee is our most popular colour and universal flattering shade for every skin tone.”
Bloom & Blossom Get Drenched Hydrating Face & Body Mist, 100ml full size, RRP £29
Feel refreshed from head to toe with this cooling mist from Bloom & Blossom. Made with hydrating natural ingredients and with a zingy scent, it’s the perfect pick-me-up when your skin needs a boost.
Spritz over the face and body before make-up, after the gym or whenever your face and body is feeling parched.
Julia Yule and Christina Moss, sisters-in-law and co-founders of Bloom & Blossom, tell us: “Get Drenched came from a personal need – we needed a product that would hydrate, tone, soothe, firm and refresh.
“It’s great for dry skin, or skin that just needs cooling down and a glow. It’s so easy to apply – just spritz for instant results and go go go. You need this in your life!”
Balance Me Super Firming Body Oil, 150ml full size, RRP £22
This brilliant body oil was one of Balance Me’s first ever products, and since then has won a number of awards – and for good reason. It’s a luxurious body product that firms, tones and smoothes the skin, helping to reduce the appearance of cellulite and keratosis pilaris, and has an energising scent of bergamot, geranium and lavender.
“It smells amazing – like a spa – and is packed with essential oils with properties for balancing, water retention, skin tone and circulation,” say sisters Clare and Rebecca Hopkins, co-founders of Balance Me. “It’s a real self-care treat.”
Nursem Caring Hand Cream, 30ml travel size, RRP £5.99
If you haven’t heard of Nursem before, it’s a lovely brand – and this is a lovely product. Seven years in the making, Caring Hand Cream was created by paediatric nurse Antonia Philp and her husband Jonny to soothe and nourish nurses’ hands, which would become sore and cracked after being washed constantly throughout the day.
“We are the heroes in hand care so we absolutely had to include our bestselling Caring Hand Cream – we want OK! readers to see how great it is!” says Antonia. “People love the formula as it’s fast-absorbing and uses naturally derived ingredients to soothe and protect dry and sore hands.”
Skin Alchemists Aromatherapy Pulse Point Oil, 10ml full size, RRP £35
Find balance during stressful moments with this soothing aromatherapy oil rollerball. Inspired by traditional herbalist practices of her home country of Saint Lucia, founder Theresa Edward formulated this with blue tansy, vetiver and patchouli to give a grounding sense of calm that can be carried in your pocket.
Apply to pulse points such as the wrists, neck and behind the ears and breathe in deep to get the full effects of the essential oils.
“I wanted to share a tool that can be used to balance our senses when we are fighting internal battles,” says Theresa. “Use this as a moment of pause; inhale deeply because it smells amazing, and exhale.”
Margaret Dabbs London Nourishing Nail & Cuticle Serum Pen, 15ml full size, RRP £13
Using a cuticle treatment is one piece of advice that nail experts always recommend, and it couldn’t be easier with this handy pen. Ideal for weak or damaged nails, this non-greasy cream helps to nourish and strengthen them.
Founder Margaret Dabbs OBE says, “This is a powerful serum with a unique formulation to help hydrate, strengthen, treat and protect nails and cuticles. It’s a great handbag essential to keep nails and cuticles conditioned, with visible results after a few applications.”
Guava & Gold Coral Beach Body Lotion, 200ml full size, RRP £34
Get transported to tropical climes with this dreamy body cream that has a scent of guava, mango and pineapple combined with ylang-ylang and peaches and cream. The formula is made with shea butter, avocado oil and glycerin to deeply hydrate and smooth dry skin, and it also contains SPF 15.
“If you haven’t used Guava & Gold before, our body lotion is a lovely introduction to the brand,” says the brand’s founder Clare Price. “It’s a rich, moisturising and non-greasy formula packed with shea butter that has been wild harvested by a local women’s co-operative in Ghana. I’m delighted it’s being included in this box.”
Floss Beauty Eyeliner in Black, full size, RRP £20
A black liquid liner is a make-up bag staple, and this one gives you a precise and flawless flick every time. It applies super-smoothly (no dragging), and lasts all day without smudging, whether you’re wearing it for a business meeting or a night out.
“This eyeliner is a game-changer,” says Emily David, founder of Floss Beauty. “It's not just about the rich colour or the smooth application, it's about how it makes you feel: confident, beautiful and ready to take on the world. Plus its long-lasting formula means one less thing to worry about during a busy day.”
dr.Eve_Ryouth Hydration + Protection SPF 15 Day Cream, 30ml full size, RRP £59
It’s important to wear a moisturiser containing SPF every day – even when it’s not sunny – to protect skin against the harmful effects of UV rays, and this is an excellent one to add into your daily routine.
“This day cream actively prevents the appearance of hyperpigmentation and helps to protect skin against UV damage, pollution, and premature ageing. It features a light texture that absorbs quickly to leave a moisturised, soft feel and radiant glow,” says Sara Berg, founder of dr.Eve_Ryouth.
Nails.INC Nail Polish Colour in one of two shades: Life Is Art and You’re A Glazing, 14ml full size, RRP £15
You’ll also receive a bottle of nail polish in the Female Founders box, with a lucky dip between these two gorgeous shades: Life Is Art and You’re A Glazing. We love Nails.INC polishes for their smooth and easy application and on-trend shades.
Nails.INC founder Thea Green MBE explains why she selected these particular shades for the box: “They’re universal for all skin types, which is important for me as being inclusive is core to what we do as a brand. Our polishes are designed with our patented wide hugging brush for easier application, and both shades are fully pigmented and perfectly opaque after two coats.”
Inside the OK! Beauty Box Female Founders Edit you’ll also receive a voucher to redeem for four copies of OK! Magazine – the ultimate empowering read.
Snap up the Female Founders Edit OK! Beauty Box for £60 here before it goes.