I opened Boots’ new hair care beauty bag – review
Summer is finally on the horizon and after the burst of hot weather we’ve just had, it feels like sunshine season has officially arrived. That means beach days, pool dips, holidays abroad and long afternoons spent soaking up the sun. As lovely as all of that is, summer can be surprisingly harsh on your hair. UV rays can weaken the structure of your strands, leaving hair dry, brittle, frizzy and prone to split ends, especially when you’re constantly switching between chlorine pools and salty seawater.
So, having a solid hair care routine in your beauty arsenal feels like a smart move for the months ahead, and right on cue, Boots has launched a brand-new hair care beauty bag as part of its wider beauty bag range, this time in collaboration with high-end hair brand Amika.
It’s the latest addition to Boots’ growing line-up of summer beauty edits. I’d already tried the SPF and Skin box, which leans more towards summer skincare, so I was curious to see how this hair-focused version compared.
According to Boots, the contents are worth £92, while the bag itself costs just £35, meaning shoppers are saving £57, or around 61%.
Even with that pretty significant saving, £35 on hair products still felt like a bit of a splurge to me (especially as someone who usually just buys whichever shampoo and conditioner happens to be on offer). So naturally, I had to open it up and see whether the products inside were actually worth the hype.
First impressions? This beauty bag fully embraces the Amika aesthetic. If you’re not familiar with the brand already, one thing Amika is known for is its bright, playful and unapologetically bold packaging. Every product feels colourful, fun and full of personality — and this set is no exception.
The beauty bag itself instantly caught my attention. It’s a portable, clear plastic make-up case with orange detailing, and honestly, it reminded me of a make-up bag I’ve had my eye on from SpaceNK for months that costs £26 on its own. So before I’d even looked at the products inside, I was already impressed.
Inside the bag, you get two full-size products alongside three travel-sized items. Of the full-size products, only the dry shampoo is too large for hand luggage at airports that still enforce liquid restrictions — and because it’s an aerosol, it would need to go in hold luggage anyway. The good news is that everything else comes in under 100ml, meaning it can easily be packed into your holiday bags. The only slight exception is the dry hair mask, which is also an aerosol — but more on that in a moment.
Straight away, I loved the bright multi-coloured packaging and the fun patterned designs across every product. It feels refreshingly different from the minimalist, neutral-toned beauty products dominating shelves right now and honestly just screams summer.
Out of everything in the bag, my personal favourite has to be the hair and body mist. It’s great for quickly spritzing on before heading out the door, and it smells incredible: sweet, fruity and perfect for warmer weather. The brand describes the scent as a blend of pink grapefruit, juicy apricot and soft vanilla, and that sums it up perfectly. It definitely leans on the sweeter side, though, so if sweet and fruity scents aren’t your thing, this might not win you over.
There’s also a nourishing dry hair mask, which genuinely intrigued me because I’d never come across anything quite like it before. It sprays onto the hair like a dry shampoo but works as a leave-in treatment designed to soften and moisturise dry strands. I can actually see this being especially useful on holiday when your hair starts feeling frazzled from heat, sea salt and chlorine, but you don’t necessarily want to fully wash it every day.
Then there’s the nourishing mask, designed for wash days and delivering a rich hit of hydration. I really liked this one because some conditioning masks can leave my hair feeling heavy or greasy afterwards, but this left it feeling soft, smooth and noticeably shinier without any residue.
Finally, there’s the lightweight hair oil, which works brilliantly on damp hair after a shower when your ends need a little extra moisture and shine. It gives hair a glossy, healthy-looking finish, but fair warning: you only need the tiniest amount. I have fairly long hair, and even then, a little went a very long way. Use too much, and your hair can quickly start looking a bit claggy and greasy.
Every product in the edit carries that same fruity, summery scent running throughout, which I personally loved and ties the whole range together.
Realistically, if you’re someone who already loves hair care, enjoys the Amika brand or simply needs some serious hydration over summer, this feels like a genuinely worthwhile investment, especially considering the savings on high-end products.
It also feels like a lovely little treat thanks to the reusable make-up bag, which is practical enough to use again and again. I can also easily see this making a great gift for a friend or loved one who enjoys beauty products or just deserves a bit of pampering.
