PLouise Miniwood vanity review

If you have always dreamed, like me, of owning a PLouise advent calendar but can’t quite stretch to £250, there are a few cheaper festive alternatives this year. As well as a 12-day Bad Bitch Energy skincare advent, face and body care trunks and, of course, the Sleigh-Over, there’s also the PLouise Miniwood vanity. A new twist on the bestselling and iconic Mini Me collection, this stunning Hollywood mirror-themed gift idea is suitable not just for the young. Plenty of adults are setting their sights on it too!

I purchased mine during the brand’s Christmas collection reveal on TikTok. Being truthful, my heart sank when I first tuned in. The only thing I could comfortably afford was the brand new winter-ready insulated cup. I bought one of those, of course. (It’s huge, by the way, and manufactured to a very high standard.) I was drawn to the Miniwood because I love things with drawers. The lights were a surprise bonus. Most importantly, this product is packed with exclusive skincare and makeup products as well as a complete brush set. 

PLouise Miniwood vanity.

There’s a ‘but’ coming… It’s a fantastic-looking product that ticked all the boxes for me, BUT it was out of my price range at £238*. You read that right - two hundred and thirty-eight pounds! I’m not saying I couldn’t scrape that amount of money together; I just wouldn’t want to leave myself short for Christmas buying something that expensive just for me. I’d feel sick with guilt. So, how come I’m reviewing it?

TikTok saved the day, introducing some stonking Deal Drops. I was lucky enough to get in quick and snap up a Miniwood for just £90. That’s way less than half price and within my comfort zone. The most I’ve ever spent on PLouise products (in one go) was when I bought the entire Valentine’s collection, which set me back around £150. 

My Miniwood, originally set to be delivered at the end of September, came early. In fact, it was delivered by Royal Mail less than a week after I ordered it. So, what it’s like, what’s inside and do I think it’s worth the high price tag?

*Note: The brand owner has stated in a video reveal that Miniwood will retail for £125, so I don’t know if the price shown during the pre-launch represents the total value of what's in the box or is, in fact, a new, higher price. I will update this post when the collection properly goes ‘live’ later this month. Update: This product has gone on general sale at a special price of £125.

PLouise Miniwood packaging and products

My PLouise Miniwood arrived well packaged. The vanity unit was secured inside an outer box with polystyrene corner hugs. The vanity unit comprises lacquered cardboard. Simply open a magnetic-close door to reveal what is inside - a complete Hollywood-style mini vanity unit filled with products.

The vanity mirror lights require two AA batteries (not supplied) and I found it easy to locate the battery compartment. Once the batteries are installed, there is a touch button at the base of the mirror (to the right). The lights have three settings - fast flash, slow flash and just lights (I want to add ‘camera, action!’). 

There is a pre-formed shelf at the base of the mirror with container slots for the included four lip products. They comprise PLouise icons in new Christmas-themed flavours as well as a brand new roller-ball ampoule lip oil, Roll Call, in Whipped Vanilla. The other lip products are:

• Pass The Plump in Whipped Vanilla

• Stay Shining Lip Oil Mini in Saucy Cranberry

• Protect Your Pout Mini in Saucy Cranberry

All the lip products have key chains for on-the-go use. Each slot is moulded to fit the individual products so there’s no chance of mixing up what goes where when you remove all four to access the battery compartment.

Top shelf and skincare drawer.

Below, in the first drawer, there’s a new fragrance of the Make It Melt makeup remover wipes (Saucy Cranberry) and the brand new alternative to the amazing Obsessed For Less skincare bundle, which I, personally, cannot live without. This trio of products includes:

• Just A Foamy Phase gentle foam cleanser, 100ml in Saucy Cranberry

• Dew Not Disturb dewy serum, 35ml in Saucy Cranberry

• In My Soft Era face cream, 30g in Saucy Cranberry

I’m looking forward to trying this new routine. While I doubt anything will top Plump Me Pretty, which is my ride or die holy grail, PLouise’s content queen, Jas, has said some very flattering things about In My Soft Era. (Yes, I do listen!)

In the second drawer, there’s a 245ml bottle of Just A Swipe micellar water in Whipped Vanilla and a packet of 30 cleansing pads in match-branded packaging. Being 100 per cent truthful, the fact that the Miniwood came with a micellar water was a big plus-point for me - my Cherry one is about to run out! If I hadn’t bought the PLouise Miniwood, I would have purchased a micellar water in the new Prickly Pear scent. It doesn’t just remove makeup, it refines and tones the skin, in my experience.

Whipped Wonderland face and eye palette in the PLouise Miniwood vanity.

Right, onto the third drawer. This is where you will find MAKEUP. It’s all neatly contained in one face and eye palette. Whipped Wonderland, a reference to the Whipped Vanilla, includes every-day neutrals that can be switched up or down with the included shimmers and highlighters. Nothing way-out or unusable here. A sensible offering.

Finally, in the fourth drawer, there’s a full makeup brush collection. The brand has made a big deal out of the quality of these brushes - and they’re not lying; they’re fantastic. They are also in an exclusive colour (red handles). 

The micellar water, cleansing pads and makeup brush set.

Is the PLouise Miniwood vanity worth it?

Bottom line, would I pay £238 for it? No! The vanity unit is made of cardboard, albeit thickened cardboard with cute metal drawer knobs. Do I think it was worth what I actually paid for it? Hands down, yes! It’s functional, reusable (I will be re-filling it when the products run out) and simply stunning. It’s one of those things that guarantees to make Christmas really special - whether you’re treating yourself or a loved one. It’s quirky but also practical and, let’s not forget, environmentally friendly.

I originally assumed, from the reveal video, that the vanity was made from the same material as the Sleigh-Over luggage case - wood. After all, the product is called Miniwood (I know, a reference to Hollywood). However, I’m not too disappointed to discover it’s not. 

The outer packaging.

So, if you, like me, love PLouise and want the advent but can’t quite afford it, this is a really, really great alternative. Especially if it does debut at £125 and not £238. 

If I could improve it, I would add one secret drawer with an additional product. Other than that, it’s not just stunning, it's perfect. I’m not going to be fully in a ‘Foamy Phase’ when using my new ‘toy’, I’m going to be channelling Garbot, Monroe and Bergman while relishing a Mini Hollywood Phase.

Grab a copy of our free magazine for more beauty news.

A pressing matter I need to get off my chest: I only joined TikTok to buy products from PLouise and other UK-based brands. The deals are fantastic! During my time on the platform, however, I’ve come across a number of accounts that appear to be dedicated to slandering individual businesses. As someone who spent 32 years in the publishing industry, I want to make it crystal clear that stating ‘in my opinion’ does not absolve someone from legal repercussions if what they are saying is:

• Untrue

• Can’t be properly substantiated and is said in malice

• Pure speculation, said in malice, that's damaging to the reputation or turnover of a brand 

• An untrue statement dressed up as fact and not a legitimate personal opinion

The latter is especially dangerous and can be linked to the previous three points. It gets even more problematic when creators quote third party sources without conducting thorough checks to establish if what the third party has stated is true. Some of what I've heard would fail the malice test in a defamation claim.

Legal thresholds for those posting content to social media are exactly the same as those for the tabloid press. If a newspaper printed what some TikTokers are saying, without giving the brand an opportunity to respond and set a matter straight, they’d rightly be sued. It’s literally only a matter of time before a content creator faces ruinous litigation. And it will be their own fault! There is no balance in a lot of this content; it’s pure vitriol and malicious. 

If you aren’t keen on a brand, just scroll. And If you can’t think of anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!