Tag: goodebox

Every time I see emails for these bonus boxes from Goodbeing, I jump on the chance to pick one up.  I had been a regular Goodbeing/Goodebox subscriber until May of 2016, but I still like grabbing these bonus boxes since they tend to be a good value.  This one sold for $30 including shipping and was advertised as being between a $75 and $90 value with 10 products, at least two full size items.  I usually don’t do reviews on these bonus boxes since there are a lot of products to go through and try, but I’ll at least do a list of the products plus values.  My box contained 12 products with 2 of those being full size, one of which was another one of those Rafiki bracelets like the one from  February of  last year  but in a different color.  These were the bracelets  that led me to cancel my subscription since they came in two boxes in a row and were not something I was interested in (I can’t believe they STILL have these around).  As someone who isn’t a regular monthly subscriber, I did get a few neat, new products that I haven’t tried before, so this is a great way to dip your toe into what Goodbeing offers before jumping in to a monthly subscription.

• New Chapter Every Woman’s One Daily Multi – 24 ct / $14.99 – (Sample size is 10 tablets, value of $6.25)
• Gia Minerals Mineral Blush – 4 g / $24 – (Product is 3 g, value of $18 by volume)  Color is “Splendid Rose”
• Suntegrity Lip C.P.R. – 2.8 g / $28 – (Product is .5 g, value of $5 by volume)  Color is “Sunny Blush”
• Moody Sisters Lip Scrub – 1 oz / $9 – (Product is full size)
• Folium Medica Athlete Potion – 1 oz / $42 – (Product .5 oz, value of $21 by volume)
• Noctua Diem Cucumber & Seaweed Cooling Mask – 4 oz / $30 – (Product is 2 oz, value of $15 by volume)
• Odacite CaR Vital Glow Serum – 5 mL / $55 – (Product is .7 mL, value of $1.10 by volume)
• The Seaweed Bath Co. Restoring Marine Serum – 1 oz / $45 – (Product is .16 oz, value of $7.20 by volume)
• Derma E Hydrating Night Creme – 2 oz / $29.50 – (Product is .5 oz, value of $7.38 by volume)
• Osea Ocean Cleanser – 5 oz / $44 – (Product is 1 oz, value of $8.80 by volume)
• Kahina Brightening Serum –  30 mL / $72 (1 packet at about 3  mL each, approx value of $7.20)
• Me to We Rafiki Bracelet – 1 bracelet / $10 – (Product is full size)

The total value comes to $115.93 which is well above the advertised value!  I’m pretty happy with mostly everything that came in this bonus box.  The only things I’m not terribly thrilled with are the bracelet and vitamins, but I’ll end up using everything else which makes the box a pretty fantastic value for $30.  It’s hard to pick a single item that I’m really thrilled about, but it’s probably the a tie between the Osea cleanser and Folium Medica potion that smells SO good.  Honestly, this was a great value for what’s included, and I always like getting these bonus boxes.  Looking forward to the next one!

This is the last box in my Goodbeing/Goodebox subscription.  I cancelled a few months ago but had a few boxes left on a six month subscription, so this is the final box.  Relieved to see there’s no seed bead bracelet in this one, but at the same time, I’m disappointed in the box overall.  The Pore Refining Mask is the same one I received in last month’s box.  The Board and Batten Herbal Facial arrived with the little serum bottle having half emptied itself into the ‘tea’ inside the bag (the cap was basically half unscrewed).  I’m actually glad this is my last box from them because I definitely feel like it’s more misses than hits for me lately which is a personal thing, but for a box that has a lengthy survey of preferences, I feel like it should be doing a better job of nailing it every month than a box that ships the same 5 items to everyone.  Still though, I’m sad to have unsubscribed in a way, because this one was honestly my favorite box for a long time running, but it just hasn’t been worth it for me  over the past 3 or 4+ months of boxes.  Anyway, before I go on and on about how bummed I am (again) about the turn this box has taken, on to the contents!

• Pacifica Aquarian Gaze Mascara – .25 oz / $14 – (Full size product)  I received the color, “Abyss,” an inky black.  I was a little skeptical about the brush tip since it’s one of those plastic spiky applicators and it feels a little flimsy, but it actually works really well to separate lashes and keep them from clumping.  One coat made a perfect, subtle, everyday look.  Two coats ramped it up to hey-there-lashes  without clumping.  So far, I’m pretty impressed AND I don’t want to itch my eyes yet which is a good sign!  There’s no discernible scent, but it does smell a little plasticky.  Takes a little longer to dry/set than other mascaras but it seems like it’ll hold up to a full day (or evening) pretty well.
• Bonnie Pore Refining Rose Mask 3 oz / $16 (Sample is .7 oz, value of $3.73)  I received the exact same item last month.  Duplicate items are really not cool – I wouldn’t have made a big deal out of this if I had gotten a different variant, but it’s the exact same one I already have.  I noticed that my last box available to see in detail on the website is the March box, so apparently after I cancelled, they stopped tracking what I have and haven’t received, and I also haven’t gotten surveys or coupon codes via email since then.  Kind of disappointed in the cancellation process and how the remaining boxes I had on my subscription were handled after I cancelled.
• London’s Pedisoaks Foot Masque  – 4 oz / $25 – (Sample is 1 oz, value of $6.25)  It smells a lot like lemongrass and, as the tip reads at the bottom of the product card, this product needs to be refrigerated.  I assume that’s because of the ingredients, but I don’t see any ingredients that would spoil, so I’m not sure of the reasoning for that.  I’ll have to give these a try and report back.  I don’t do a lot of foot-care (is that a thing?) mostly because I go around barefoot during the warmer weather and my feet get pretty callused and worn and I just don’t care what they look like in general, but it might be nice to take an evening to give this a try.
  Update 30 May 2016: I did give this a try and followed it with the foot polish below.  I even went so far as to put my feet in plastic bags and then put socks on, leaving the masque on for an hour.  My feet did feel soft, but of course I go around barefoot all summer, so that pampering was completely ruined the next day.  I’m just not into foot scrubs and treatments, nice as this is, so it really misses the mark for me.  Calluses are protective – I rely on them in the summer and don’t want to get rid of them!
• London’s Pedisoaks Foot Polish – 4 oz / $15 – (Sample is 1 oz, value of $$3.75)  The product card says the value is $5, but by the ounce, it’s $3.75.  Anyway, I guess this is a companion piece to the prior item.  It’s basically a fancy salt scrub that’s peppermint scented.  Why is everything for feet peppermint scented?  Not my favorite scent, but I’ll give it a try after the Foot Masque since I have it anyway.  Looks like it separated a little in the jar, but it’s easy enough to mix up again.  The formula is a little more liquidy than your average salt scrub, so it’s probably something to do over the bathtub.
• Board and Batten Facial Steam – 1.2 oz / $26 – (Sample is .35 oz, value of .4 oz size is $12)  Ehhh, I’m not really into this.  It’s super time-consuming and I’m just not sure steaming your face over tea is actually going to do anything than open your pores from the steam.  Color me skeptical.  The baggie arrived with the serum bottle inside having half emptied into the baggie of dried herbs which is kind of disappointing.  The herbs smell a lot like chamomile tea which is nice.  I just.. I don’t know, I don’t see myself doing this kind of thing regularly since it takes up so much time between boiling water and holding your head over a hot bowl for 5 to 10 minutes.  I can’t exactly multitask if my head is stuck over a bowl for ten minutes.  Maybe that’s the point, to slow down and relax while the steam works on your face, but I’m so not that person.  I’ll still try it whenever I find the time, or maybe as a pick-me-up when I’m sick.

Total value comes to $39.73, another pretty low value box.  Having a six month subscription means I only paid $19 for the box so the value is still double the cost, but only JUST.  At least there’s one full-sized item (the mascara) and I’m really happy with the mascara, but it’s not enough to cover the cost.  The rest of it, I’m honestly not that thrilled with – the foot products will be fun to try, but they’re not something I would’ve marked as a “wanted” item from a subscription box.  Oh well, I figure this leaves me some space to try a new box or two, so here’s to closing one chapter and opening another!

Every once in a while, Goodbeing does this bonus boxes to clear out their inventory of old products.  Even though I cancelled, I still love these bonus boxes, so I jumped on it the second I got the email.  The box cost $20 plus $5 shipping, ten items included at least two full size.  Not a bad box!  I’d gotten everything in the box before except the Juice Beauty Moisturizer and the Gia blush, but don’t mind seeing the Balanced Guru set again – the Nourish Me oil is probably my Holy Grail as far as subscription boxes go this year.  I’ll probably be trading out/gifting the Curandera oil since I really can’t tolerate the smell.  The Natural tanner is going too (I’m fair skinned, so tan just looks silly on me), as is the Davids Toothpaste (Stevia and I DO NOT get along).  Even without those three products, the Balanced Guru set covers the $25 total cost, so I’m good with that!  Oh the blush is WAY too pink for my rosy cheeks, but I figure it can be repurposed as an eyeshadow so I’m okay with that.  Here’s a quick rundown of the contents plus values.

• Davids Natural Toothpaste – 5.25 oz / $7.95
• Curandera Remedies Kapalabati Cold and Sinus Oil .5 oz  /  $12.50
• Poppy & Elle Hair Ties 3 ties  /  $4.20
• SunTegrity Self Tanner .25 oz  /  $1.95
• S.W. Basics Exfoliant .7 oz  /  $12
• Gia Minerals Blush – 3 g  / $18.75
• Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer – .26 oz / $3.64
• Balanced Guru Nourish Me Serum 1 oz / $22.99
• Balanced Guru Tone It Lightly   1  oz / $9
• Balanced Guru Face It Lightly – 1 oz / $10

The total value of the box is $102.98 which is pretty phenomenal.  Even without the three products I won’t use, I’m still at $80.58 which is a pretty good return on $25!

Well, I think this is my next to last Goodbeing box.  I cancelled my subscription last month when it became clear that the Rafiki bracelets were going to be a staple item in the boxes until.. well who knows.  This just isn’t a product I want to see in a subscription box and especially not every month, and I’m really bummed about it because Goodebox had been my favorite subscription box!  Since the rebranding and name change, I’m so sad that I can’t say that anymore, so it’s time to move on.  That said, this box is one of the better ones of the last three with a good variety of products even if the value may be the lowest one I’ve ever received from Goodbeing/Goodebox.  There’s also  a cardinal subscription box sin – foil packets – so it’s still not a terrific box, but it’s better than the last two.  Anyway, on to the contents!

• Juice Organics Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner – Set of 2, 10 oz tubes / $24 – (4 foil packet sample sets, total volume of 2.72 oz, value of $3.26 by volume)  Arrrghhh foil packets!  I can’t recycle these in my town, and would’ve honestly preferred two one-ounce tubes instead of foil packets.  I guess it doesn’t matter either way since I won’t be using these.  I have SUPER curly hair and the last thing I need is volume!  I use products that weigh down my curls and keep them together, so this is the opposite of what I want to see in a shampoo.  Oh well, they’ll go in the guest room goodie box.
• MyChelle Sun Shield Clear Stick SPF 50 – .5 oz / $12 – (Full Size Product) PERFECT!  Such a great time of year for this to show up, just as I’m getting back out to gardening and all kinds of outdoorsy stuff.  Just the right size to stash in my everyday bag or set by the backdoor so I remember to actually put it on before going outside.  The ingredient list is a physical blocker (Zinc Oxide) and a bunch of oils and butters, so beyond preventing sunburn, it also moisturizes like crazy to keep your skin hydrated.  It’s even waterproof!
• Meow Meow Tweet Tweet Makeup Remover & Cleansing Oil – 1  oz / $8 – (Mini sized product, actual value)  A jojoba oil based makeup remover, something just perfect for me.  I like using the oil cleansing method to remove makeup when my skin is super dry, and this is a nice mixture.  It doesn’t have much of a noticeable scent to it, but that’s okay!
• Han Eyeshadow – 3 g / $13 – (Full Size Product)  I received the color, “Chocolate Bronze,” which is a warm brown color with a hint of gold shimmer.  Really a lovely color – it’s a basic dark neutral that’s great to have.
• Bonnie Pore Refining Rose Mask – 3 oz / $16 – (Sample is .7 oz, value of $3.73)  You can tell there’s a rose scent in there right away, but then something else (willow bark maybe?) sets it off to smelling weirdly medicinal, oh and then the Jasmine (ugh, jasmine, my least favorite scent in the whole entire world).  I’d probably like this better without the scent because the weird combination of the florals with whatever else is going on in there is really unpleasant to my nose, and it’s overpowering to keep this on long enough for it to dry.  As a mask, it’s got some exfoliating bits in there, so it makes for a nice mask, but I’m almost glad this is such a small sample (maybe enough for two masks total) because I can’t stand the scent.  The formula is a little more watery than I’d expect and it comes pre-mixed instead of in powder form.  As far as the one I received, I don’t really need pore refining anyway and don’t have that need listed in my preferences – I have to assume that yet again, this was selected because of my age instead of my actual preferences.
• Me to We Rafiki Bracelet – 1 bracelet / $10 (Full Size Product)  The one this month was the Education bracelet in a pretty light blue color.  Yet again, the cause is a good cause, I just don’t want the bracelet.  Give me a card that says, “We donated $10 in your name,” and forget about the bracelet!  These just aren’t my style, I don’t like them, and I don’t want them every single month.  I want new and exciting things, not the same thing in every color of the rainbow.

Total value for the box this month is $36.99 which is extremely low for this box.  Take out the bracelet (which, as they explained on Instagram is, “an added bonus it does not replace any items in the box”) and it’s down to $26.99 which just, and I mean just covers the cost of the box which costs between $19 and $21 depending on the length of your subscription.  I actually had to do the numbers twice because the first time, I didn’t even believe the value was that low.  Suddenly really glad I cancelled, but I wish I hadn’t sprung for the 6 month subscription in November.  Why was this review so late?  The box just arrived Wednesday of this week (April 13th).  I had a tracking number and everything, but when I saw other people were receiving their boxes already and mine hadn’t moved from the pre-shipping stage, I contacted customer support who, in their defense, did fix it right away.  I figure it might have had something to do my cancellation request but still having two remaining boxes on my subscription?  I don’t know.  Whatever happened, they did make it right, so kudos to their customer service team – I appreciate the quick response!  So, that wraps up April’s Goodbeing box – I think I have one more left on that cancelled subscription to go before it’s done.