Image Source: Marks & Spencer
This isn’t just any beauty bag. It’s a Marks and Spencer beauty bag. Yep, the iconic high street retailer is back with its M&S summer beauty bag and let me tell you it’s an absolute sizzler. I’m a big fan of beauty boxes or advent calendar style offerings as it’s a great way to try products without splashing out on a full size. Waste is a major issue in the beauty industry as a whole, with a recent study finding on average we all have two unused, unopened or abandoned products sat at the back of our cupboard – which averages to be £35.02 per person of wasted money a year. We also tend to open up products and forget about them, resulting in many passing the expiration date.
What’s great about this type of beauty bag is it’s potentially a triple-purpose purchase – the travel-sized samples are small enough to use on one trip, it is a cost effective way to try different brands that you may not have come across before and the full size can be given to friends and family as gifts if you don’t feel it is right for you. As far as I’m concerned there’s nothing better than a bit of guilt-free (and money-saving) re-gifting and let’s face it one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
As with previous M&S beauty bags, you will need to spend £35 in store or online, across beauty, clothing or home, ideal if you’re after the viral Mom Carrot Jean (£39.50) or TikTok-obsessed Faux Leather Cross Body Bag (£35), which is back in stock FYI.
If you’re a last minute holiday booker like me, then this bag is another must as it pretty much has everything you need for a week-long summer vacay. The only addition you need is a cleanser – I’m a big fan of Dr Paw Paw Cleansing Balm (£15) for holiday as it contains papaya seed and olive oil which are both very soothing after a hot day on the beach or sightseeing, it takes off all your SPF and even waterproof mascara with one rinse – and a body SPF, but apart from that you can literally grab and go.
Related: 7 of the Best Sunscreens For Your Head and Scalp, According to Dermatologists
What’s Inside the M&S Summer Beauty Bag?
The bag contains 12 products, made up of six full-size items and six travel minis, which include everything from Color Wow Extra Large Volumiser (worth £11) to Pixi By Petra Lip Maximiser (£12) and a This Works Perfect Legs Body Butter (worth £28). It also has one of my go-to and most regularly recommended products, Ren Ready Steady Glow Tonic (worth £16) this chemical exfoliator is brilliant for those who haven’t tried acids on their skin before and don’t want to spend loads in case it’s not for them. This particular toner is very gentle and is amazing for shifting dead skin cells and giving skin a radiant glow.
If you’ve never tried scenting your holiday before then you I beg you to give it a go. I’m a big fan of taking a new perfume on holiday, as a way to promote positive memories once I get home, and this bag has two – ideal if you like to switch your scents for night and day. The M&S Discover Sunrise smells like summer in a bottle and Floral Street Arizona Bloom is a subtle floral which is almost addictive. Add in a couple of overnight masks and a travel-size Clinique Moisture surge and you can see why I think you should run, not walk, to get this bag. I haven’t even mentioned the full sized L’Occitane Gel Douche Verveine (worth £17.50) or the Ultrasun SPF 50 for the face – one of my recommended SPF brands for giving you excellent protection.
Full Product Breakdown of the M&S Beauty Bag
Image Source: Lauren Ezekiel
Where Can You Buy the M&S Summer Beauty Bag?
The M&S Summer Beauty Bag is £30 (worth £170) when you spend £35 across clothing, home and beauty in store or online and is available from 16th May 2024
Lauren Ezekiel is an associate editor at PS UK, where she writes about all things beauty and wellness. With a degree in journalism and 12 years’ experience as a beauty editor at a leading Sunday supplement, she is obsessed with skincare, hair and makeup, and is often found offering advice to innocent bystanders. Her work has been published in Grazia, OK, Health and Beauty, The Sun, ASDA, Dare and Metro.
