Tag: goodebox

April’s box is here already!  It actually arrived on April 2nd, but I’ve been so busy, I haven’t found the time to blog about it yet.  March disappeared so fast, and suddenly it was April and there was another fun box in my mailbox.  The box is about gearing up for Spring and celebrating Earth Day this month with some eco accountability.  They also talked about their beauty product container recycling program in conjunction with Terracycle which is something I hadn’t heard about before!  Really a neat program and a great way to encourage recycling.  We’re lucky enough that our program at home takes all kinds of plastics, so I can recycle almost everything and almost always fill the recycling bin before the trash bin.  Anyway, onto the box!

• Suntegrity 5 in 1 Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen – 50 mL / $45 – (Sample is .25 oz, 7.39  mL, value of $6.65 by volume, or sample tube on website is $4.95)  I am all about what this sun screen stands for!  Physical blockers vs chemical blockers, absolutely!  However, I would prefer  it just being a sunscreen instead of being a BB cream as well.  I still haven’t found a BB/CC cream I like since I don’t use foundation practically ever and don’t like  the way it feels on my face.  If it were just a sunscreen, I’d be fine with that, but all the extra functions that I don’t need/care for are lost on me (I’m usually running around getting dirty and have no need for a BB/CC cream on a daily basis – I pretty rarely wear makeup anyway).  The tint I was given was “Light” which matches really well with my skin tone, but, it still feels bizarre on.  I’m SO picky about what goes on my face if I’m using it all over because anything that feels like it’s there bothers me to no end, and at this point, I’d still stick with my SPF moisturizer over a BB cream like this.  It just feels too thick and plasticky much like other creams that do the same thing.  I am glad it was included as a sample though in my quest for a good everyday face cream, but it misses the mark.  Make this in a moisturizer without the tint and I’d be far more interested!
• Portland Bee Balm – .15 oz / $2.99 – (Product is full size, full value!)  LOVE the formula, don’t like the mint (but I don’t like mint in general, so..).  It’s a thicker balm and really sticks around for a while which is what I like about beeswax based balms.  I definitely prefer natural beeswax over mint, so I might have to try that out.  Still, this will get used up in short order since the mint isn’t too overpowering and seems to fade away quickly, and I love the fact that they support beekeeping and beekeepers.
• Preserve Razor – 1 razor & 2 blades / $8.50 – (Product is full size, full value!)  My first thought was, “Wait.. a razor?  Weird..” But that quickly changed into, “Hey, a razor, made of recycled yogurt cups that can be recycled too!”  Really a neat product to include in the box this month!  It’ll no doubt be used, and I’ll probably end up keeping  this in my travel bag since the packaging doubles as a case to keep it clean and dry.  I didn’t get a chance to try them on my legs yet, but I can see this getting a good bit of use over the summer.  Such a smart product all around.  It looks like refills run around $5 for four cartridges  which isn’t too bad either.
• Modern Minerals  Mineral Eye Shadow – .17 oz / $12.50 – (Sample is .035 oz, value of $2.57) I’m already a fan of Modern Minerals eye shadow from another box, but this color, Starry Night, is out of this world!  It’s an amazing metallic blue-purple that seems to change colors depending on the light and I cannot wait to use it for a nice evening out.  I’m actually a big fan of the smaller container since I go through eye shadow pretty slowly, this is the right size to try out fun, wild colors without having too much hanging around.
• Gressa Treat Renewing Polish – 50 mL / $38 – (sample is 7.5 mL, value of $5.70)  I already love Gressa for their lip colors, and the second I opened this container, I loved them for their skin products too because this smells AMAZING.  I had to try it out right away and it’s amazing.  Between the oils that smell so good, the coarseness of the scrub that REALLY exfoliates well, I’m impressed!  A wee little bit goes a long way, so I can see this being worth the cost.

Overall value comes to  around $25 depending on how you count the Suntegrity sample.  It’s a rather low value for the box, but I’m happy with the contents and it still more than covers the $19 cost of the box.  I’ll try everything for sure and will definitely use up the Gressa Treat in short order, plus the eye shadow sample that REALLY knocked my socks off.  What’s really best is being introduced to new products I wouldn’t have found otherwise.  I’ve been able to recommend products to friends who are looking for better alternatives, and that’s great – even if something doesn’t work perfectly for me,  it might be just the thing for someone else.

The GoodeBox for March has arrived!  This month’s box arrived in new packaging with a snazzy pink chevron design on the front edge of the box.  The box card goes on about how March brings spring and is a time for renewal, cleaning out closets, ditching old products in favor of clean products with better ingredients.  I was pretty pleased with the box!  That tube of conditioner is the big win of the box IMHO, but the other products are great too.

• Seaweed Body Cream – 6 oz / $12.89 – (Sample is 1 oz, value of $2.15)  The body cream is unscented and goes on smooth, sinking in quickly and is perfect for hands.  It’s not greasy or sticky and moisturizes really well.  My only gripe is that the plastic on the bottle is a bit too sturdy to dispense the product through the flip/squeeze cap.  Not a big deal, just unscrew the cap and tap it on your hand to get at it, but it makes the flip cap kind of useless.  Still, really like the formula and ingredient list!
• Acure Hair Mask – 4 oz / $14.99 – (Sample is 4 oz, Full Size!)  I couldn’t wait to try this!  I have curly hair that has a tendency to be dry and fragile.  I also bleached the ends and dyed them blue this year, so the ends have needed some extra TLC.  The formula is a little strange in comparison to other conditioners.. It feels.. Squeaky?  Most conditioners feel slick and creamy, and going on my hair, this really felt squeaky.  I’m not sure if that makes sense, but it didn’t help detangle very well (I finger comb in the shower and never use a brush or comb), and the scent is horrible.  It has a base medicinal smell that they threw peppermint at to try and hide (and failed).  Aside from the weird texture and scent, the product worked really well – well enough to not mind that it smells awful and feels weird.  My hair feels almost like it’s been plumped up and thicker with more volume and a heavier feel.  It didn’t weigh down the curls, just made the hair strands more robust.  Not sure how that works, but I like the end result!  The ingredient list is absolutely stellar – I’m so picky about the ingredients for products that go on my hair and this ticks all the boxes.. No SLS/ALS, no silicones, no sulfates.  I can definitely see myself buying this again.
• Eslor Soothing Refiner & Cleanser – 4 oz / $14.99 – (Sample is .5 oz, value of $1.87)  I wasn’t a huge fan of the peeling gel from two boxes ago – it just didn’t seem like it did anything – but I actually really like this.  Another product with simple ingredients, aloe vera gel based, and it works up into a creamy lather  that cleanses well.  It’s actually a pretty reasonable price, and a wee little bit goes a long way, so it seems like an incredible value.  My skin didn’t feel tight or dry after, but clean and hydrated which was really nice!
• Juice Beauty Conditioning Lip Color – .14 oz / $18 – (Sample is .14 oz, Full Size!)  Another full size product!  I really like the formula, but I’m not entirely sold on the color (pink).  It’s too light for me, and the glitter is not my style at all.  I appreciate a good shimmer lip product, but this looks too glittery vs shimmery.  It will work out just fine for warm summer days though, so it’s still something I’ll get use out of!  I do like how it feels on – creamy and smooth, not sticky.
• Poppy & Elle Hair Ties – 5 / $6.99 – (Sample was 3 ties, value of $4.20)  I love these types of ties since they do less damage to  my hair and look cute hanging around on my wrist.  Being the DIY maven that I am, I can get a yard of elastic from here for 79 cents which makes 4 ties, so this isn’t a product that I buy, ever, because it’s WAY cheaper to make your own (you can make 5 ties for less than a dollar).  That said, it’s a nice addition to the box, and ‘tied’ in the new chevron design on the box to the product inside.  Clever and cute!  The pink one I gave to my favorite 8 year old since I don’t like pink and it’s her favorite color, but the other two are staying with me.

The final total comes to $41.21!  Really a great box when you consider that the Lip Color covers the cost of the box.  For me though, the big winner was the Hair Mask, but I’m pretty happy with the entire box!  Really jazzed with how the Goodebox has been going over the last few months, especially considering I was on the verge of cancelling not that long ago.  They’ve REALLY turned things around and the boxes have been very well suited to my tastes.  Looking forward to next month already!

February already and that means a new Goodebox for the month.  The card in the box says that with Valentine’s Day approaching, we should also focus on self love and taking care of ourselves and the box really plays that theme out well!  Before even reading the card, it struck me that all the products are about caring for your face and body – a calming and relaxing sort of theme, so, well played, Goodebox!  On to the contents..

• Ellovi Tinted Lip Butter – .15 oz / $5.00 – (Full size, value $5.00)  I received this in the September 2014 Petit Vour, but even though it’s a repeat, it’s a welcome repeat!  They changed their labelling from .07 oz to .15 oz, and either way, both tubes are the same volume, so I’m not sure why they were labelled differently.  Though it doesn’t have a scent, it does smell a little like vegetable oil and not really in a good way.  It’s subtle and isn’t enough to really stink or make me stop using it because it moisturizes so well and adds just the right amount of light tint.
• Lotus Moon Hydro-Therapy Eye Serum – 10 mL / $27.95 – (Full size, value $27.95)  I wasn’t initially thrilled by this because my eyes are so sensitive, but after reading the ingredients, I was sold!  Really an incredible ingredient list with organic and basic ingredients – no weird chemicals.  I’ve already given it a try and love how it feels going on (cooling/soothing).
• Real Beauty for a Cause Lotion Bar – 1 bar / $9.99 – (Full size, value $9.99)  A THIRD full size product?!  I’ve been using lotion bars for a few years already, so I’m no stranger to how great they are.  These are perfect for stuffing in a purse and won’t leak like a tube of hand lotion.  I’ve never used them in the shower before (oil and water don’t mix, so that doesn’t sound like it would work well), but lotion bars do work great on my hands or on really dry spots on my legs for a big moisture boost.  This one feels greasier than others I’ve used probably from the coconut oil.. I don’t think this will knock out my go-to lotion bar from my bag, but it is really fun to try.
• Wild Honey Apothecary Pumpkin Cacao Honey Mask – 2 oz / $22.00 – (Sample is about .3 oz, value of $3.30)  It’s a teeny sample, but it’s enough for two or so applications, enough to see how it works.  The honey scent overwhelms the pumpkin and cacao, but the honey alone smells nice, so it doesn’t matter.  I haven’t yet tried it, but I’ll report back with an update when I do.  It sounds weird, using sticky honey on your face, but I’ve tried it before (adding honey to the Province Apothecary sample from the August 2014 Goodebox actually worked really well), so I have high hopes for this one.
• MSC Skin Care Scent 003 Soy Candle – 8 oz / $38 – (Sample is .9 oz, value of $4.30)  It smells like a musky, rich jasmine.  Really great for a relaxing spa candle.  I figure I’m going to light it in my work space to keep me mellow while I have to work at the computer.  I’m not usually big on floral scents, but the richness from the myrrh and cedarwood tone it down enough that I don’t mind the jasmine so much!
• MSC Skin Care Scent 002 Parfum – 35 mL / $50.00 – (Sample is 1 mL, value of $1.50 or same size sample for $3 on various websites)  The vanilla really takes center stage on this and it’s enhanced by the sandalwood with the lightest touch of floral sweetness.  It works really nicely on my skin and with my body chemistry and I’m really happy with the scent.  Scents are such a personal thing, so it’s nice to have one work out great for me!

Overall, I was really pleased with the box!  I’ll use everything,  and am really happy to be introduced to the brands that are new to me.  The total value for the box is around $53 which is a really incredible value and includes three full size products!  Gotta love that.  Well done, Goodebox!!

The January Goodebox arrived yesterday, before January even began  which was a pleasant surprise!  They’re ahead of the game, and this box? KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK.  This is one of the best boxes, IMHO, in a while and I’m super psyched about it.  The box overview card mentions ringing in a new year with new beginnings and fresh starts which I think they’ve been able to pull off in spectacular fashion with this box.

• Soapbox African Black Soap – 4 oz / $4.99 – (Sample is full size, value of $4.99) I could smell this before I even opened the box and it’s this wonderful clean scent.  I love using charcoal based soap for my face, so this is a welcome product at a great price.  The soap lathers up nicely and has a slight grey tinge to the lather, but neither the color nor the scent remain behind and wash away cleanly.  I really like using a basic bar soap to wash my face, so this is absolutely perfect.
• Eslor Botanical Peeling Gel – 60 mL / $38 – (Sample is 15 mL, value of $9.50) I’ve never used anything like this before, but it sounds like part mask, part exfoliator.  It pumps out like a thick aloe vera gel (which is also the main ingredient) and after about 5-10 minutes, the gel is supposed to melt into the skin and liquify, but I found that it dried on my skin and when rubbed as directed it felt a little like an oil.  It rinsed away clean and didn’t leave my face feeling dry or greasy, so that’s good!  I didn’t notice much of an exfoliating effect, but it seems to be much more gentle than a coarse salt or sugar scrub.  Might be good to alternate with a coarser scrub (coarse scrub one week, this product the next).
• Earthwise Beauty Green Leaves & Co. Facial Oil – 30 mL / $30 – (Sample is about 8 mL, value of about $8) Smells like herbal tea and fresh herbs.  I’m not entirely sold on the scent – I’m not sure if it’s the rosemary or basil or what that’s throwing me off, but it smells odd to me – I wish the lavender did more to overpower the other herbs.  I did give this a go and the scent is kind of strong and really really not my thing but it immediately made my face feel soft and smooth.  I’m torn between loving this for what it does and not liking the scent.  A small bit goes a very long way too, so the value is pretty good.  The small 8 mL container will easily last me somewhere around 10 or more applications.
• Palmetto Derma Retinol & Peptide Infused Eye Lifting Cream – 35 mL / $68 – (Sample is 5 mL, value of $9.70) The product card says it’s great for smoothing wrinkles anywhere, so if it irritates my eyes, it’ll be worth a try on my forehead.  I  don’t use any wrinkle-reducing or anti-aging products in my daily routine so this is a fn sample to have.  I gave this a try and it didn’t seem to bother my sensitive eyes at all.  We’ll have to see if it makes a difference after a few uses!
• Della Travel Bag – 8.5″ x 5″ / $24 – (Sample is full size, value of $24)  LOVE the bag, not entirely fond of the colors  (Ugghh it’s a hot pink design and I hate pink).  I can only find ones with vegan leather accents on their site which I really don’t like either.  I’d love to be able to find this same bag in another print though (anyone wanna swap?!) because it’s a great size  and fully lined.  I do love their headbands, but hey, Della!  List some more prints/travel bags on your website!  Willing shopper, right here!

The box comes up to a total value of $56.19!  Even without the travel bag, the other products are worth $32.19 which still  well more than covers the cost of the box.  The products are mostly face products, but they can all be used in order (soap, peeling gel, lifting cream, and facial oil) in one evening facial care routine which is fun.  Even if the samples mostly aren’t things I’d end up buying, the point of the box is to try new things I  wouldn’t have found or tried othewise which is exactly what happened this month, so I’m pleased!

A review of a box from October in December?  Well, turns out, some sort of glitch allowed for my order to be processed, but no shipping label was printed and I didn’t realize I was missing this one (between being busy with work and holidays) until two weeks ago!  Goodebox support was spectacular and while they weren’t sure what happened either, but they were quick to remedy the problem and get a box in the mail on their next shipping cycle.  I’m really happy with what arrived and because this is a bonus box with a crazy assortment of products, I’ll just list them all and not post values or reviews or anything.  The box is CLEARLY well worth the $31 price tag!  There are a couple of dupes from previous boxes, but I’m thrilled about the Juice Beauty Reflecting gloss, S.W. Organics Lip Balm, People Towels, and Province Apothecary Exfoliator the most.  I’ll definitely give all the products a try and am happy this finally made it to my doorstep.

• Barre 3 Challenge
• Narcissist Foundation Stick
• Pangea Organics Eye Cream
• Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner
• Indie Lee Rosehip Cleanser
• Lotus Wei Infinite Love Mist
• Seventh Generation Hydrating Boost
• The All Natural Face Vegan Cream Blush in “Really Red”
• Shea Radiance Ultra Rich Shea Butter Cream in “Baobab”
• Primal Pit Paste in “Unscented”
• Province Apothecary Regenerating & Stimulating Exfoliator
• People Towels Blue Towel
• LA Fresh Nail Polish Remover in “Fresh Tuscan Orange”
• Jacobsen Salt Co. Salt Tin
• S.W. Basics Vegan Peppermint Lip Balm
• Detox Rx Cell-U-Firm Body Gel (x2)
• Waxelene
• CV Skin Labs Body Repair Lotion
• Zoe Organics Refresh Oil
• Tallulah Jane “Aiyana” Eau de Parfum
• Mun Brightening Youth Serum
• Lotus Moon Vitamin B Hydrating Gel
• Vapour Mesmerize Eye Color in “Flash”
• The All Natural Face Diva Stix White Highlighter
• Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream
• Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in “Pink”
• Pomega 5 Green Tea Bar
• Lash Food Eyelash Conditioner
• Jadience Exfoliating Scrub

Another month, another Goodebox!  Pretty great box this month, good variety in products even though there’s a dupe product from the November Petit Vour (kinda.. it’s missing the concealer).

• Aila Nail Polish – .5 oz / $17 – (sample is Full Size!)  The product card says full size is 2.5 oz, but .5 oz is the bottle size and I can’t imagine a 2.5 oz bottle of nail polish.  I’m not a big fan of gold (the color is “#likeaboss”) – I don’t even wear it for jewelery – so the color isn’t really my thing, but I tried it out and it covered right over my bright red polish in one coat which is pretty amazing.  It did grow on me throughout the day and wasn’t as not-me a color as I had originally thought.  It’s a 5-free polish which is awesome, but it’s also on the spendier end of the nail polish spectrum (Butter London is $15, Zoya is $10, LVX is $16).  There is a discount of 10% off your first purchase at Beautea Bar including Aila polishes.
• Au Naturale Organic Eye Shadow Stick – .5 oz / $20 – (sample size is the same as the Petit Vour Box, so value of $3.10)  I received the color “Graphite” this time, so at least it’s not a total dupe!  I tried the one from the Petit Vour box the other day and it creased really badly in under 3 hours, so I’m less impressed with this than I had originally hoped.  The color is nice though (a steely blue grey), and I’ll have to see if I can help it out by layering some sort of translucent powder over to set it or something.  Same excess packaging (all that paper for one wee tube of eye shadow?) as the Petit Vour box, but the circle where the concealer should be was covered with a sticker that said, “All Au Naturale orders .. will include a Creme Concealer Sample.”  The box also includes the same 25% off coupon.
• Balanced Guru Scrub Me Crazy – 9 oz / $40 – (sample size is 1 oz, value of $4.45) At first look, I thought something must’ve happened to the sample because the product isn’t like other scrubs I’ve used – it’s only a little moist and looks like a tub of brown sugar.  I expected something a little more oily?  Suspended in some sort of liquid maybe?  A quick search though and that looks like the right consistency.  It smells really heavily like spearmint which isn’t a favorite, but it’s nice and refreshing.  When added to water on your skin, a coffee smell blooms, but the scent left behind is spearmint.  It’s a rough scrub, so I used it right on the KP mess that is my arms (exfoliation followed by moisturizer is the best way to knock it back a notch) and it worked really well.  The skin feels noticeably  softer and I’ll cover up the mint with a body butter or something.  There’s a coupon code for 20% off all Balanced Guru products.
• Shea Terra Organics Body Creme – 8 oz / $16 – (sample size is 1 oz, value of $2) When I first opened this, it smelled so good, like cakes and cookies (the scent is “Bourbon Vanilla”).  It’s AMAZING, and only SIX  ingredients!  It’s a rich, thick cream that sinks in quickly and isn’t greasy, and the littlest bit goes a very long way.  Applied over the Balanced Guru Scrub, it completely overpowers the mint and moisturizes very well.  I could definitely see getting these as gifts since the vanilla is such a great scent, not to mention pretty universally loved.  There’s a coupon code for 20% off too.
• EcoJot Mini Notebook – 5×7 / $10 – (sample size is 3×4, value of $5, per ecojot website) As much as I hate paper, having a little notebook has come in super handy for genealogy research and taking notes when talking to family members.  I find I can jot down notes on paper faster than I can tap them into my phone if I don’t happen to have my laptop with me.  Also, for whatever reason, writing notes on paper feels more respectful than tapping away at a phone or laptop – somehow it still feels like you’re engaged in the conversation and not zoned out into a screen.  It’s a really great little notebook with a sturdy cover, and I’ll probably put a hair elastic around the bottom edge to keep it closed while jostling around in my bag.

Total value is around $32!  The Nail Polish alone just about pays for the cost of the box, so it’s a great value, and I LOVE the body creme and will use everything in the box!

Another new fulfillment company this month (First Mile), but the box arrived on November 3rd without an issue!  It’s also a much better box this month with a range of products from face/skin to bath/body which is nice.  No real theme this month, other than a general idea of dry, winter skin and taking a break from the havoc of the holidays.  Anyway, on to the contents!

• Zosimos Raspberry N Honey Face Mask – 4 oz / $28 – (sample is 1 oz, value of $7)  I’ve mentioned before that I love clay masks, and I generally use one about once a week.  That fresh, clean, tight skin feeling after the mask feels great, so I’m happy to see this sample in the box!  The price is pretty reasonable for the volume.  There was a little kerfluffle over the labelling since the product card said the product was vegan, but honey is kind of a hot button issue in the vegan community and from what I can tell, is largely not accepted as vegan.  It doesn’t make a bit of difference to me since I don’t follow a vegan lifestyle, but just in case you do, this product is definitely not vegan.  I gave this a test already (right after using  the Tatcha powder).  I added enough water, but it clumped up in a few spots and the clumps wouldn’t work into the mask nicely – maybe those are the honey bits?  Not sure why it came out lumpy even though I mixed it in my palm well, squishing out the lumps as best as I could.  It’s definitely not as smooth as other masks I’ve used.  Dried up nicely, washed off easily, left me with that clean, tight skin feeling.  Followed up with the DN Unik day cream from last month.
• Tatcha Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder – 2.1 oz / $65 – (sample is .35 oz, value of $10.83)  I wasn’t sure at first what this was, but it looks like a face wash/scrub.  A really expensive face wash/scrub.  It’s not something I’d buy because it’s crazy expensive, but it will be fun to try something so spendy.  I did give this a try and didn’t notice any difference – it didn’t feel like it even cleaned or exfoliated.  The powder is very fine instead of coarse like a sugar scrub, so it doesn’t feel like it had the same effect that a coarser scrub would.  There’s also an offer for a free travel size product with purchase.
• MyChelle Clear Skin Spot Treatment – 15 mL / $16 – (sample is 15mL, full size, $16)  A full size sample!  And, something I’ll definitely use.  Even though I’m in my mid-thirties, I  have breakouts (making up for my teenage years when I had so few pimples, it was almost criminal).  I love that it’s sulfur based because sulfur products seem to work better and quicker than anything else I’ve tried.  I gave this a quick dab on a spot and it doesn’t smell strongly of sulfur like other products do.  There’s also an offer for a free Argan Oil with purchase of the Perfect C Serum.
• Lauren Brooke Corrective Concealer – 7 g / $14 – (sample is approx 3.5 g, value of $7)  I ended up liking the Finishing Powder from the July Box more than I thought I would, so I’m willing to give this a go!  I do have pretty dark under eye circles, but I find most concealers to be thick and cakey and feel weird.  We’ll have to see how this one works out.  There’s also a code for 20% off all products.
  Update 9 November 2014 – I actually really like this!  It’s not too thick of a concealer, so it tones down the dark circles without feeling cakey and blends in really well with my skintone.  Lauren Brooke is on the fast track to becoming a favorite brand!
• EO Everyone Yoga Bubble Bath – 600 mL / $12.99 – (sample is 44 mL, value of $.95)  So here’s where I admit that I hate taking baths.  The idea of sitting in warm water in our teeny bathtub does nothing for me, and  I can’t wash my hair in the bath tub, I have to shower because of my long curly hair.  If I’m using that much water, I might as well have clean hair too.  So, I don’t use bubble bath, except maybe once a year on vacation if the place we’re staying at has a fancy whirlpool tub.  I may try to use this as just a regular body wash instead and see how that goes  The scent is nice, herbal and fresh with just a hint of citrus.   The ingredient list though is amazing and I’m thrilled they don’t use SLS or ALS in the product at all.  There’s an offer for a full size bubble bath with $20 purchase.
• Blissoma Scentless Stick Natural Deoderant – 2 oz / $14.99 – (sample is .15 oz, value of $1.12)  Yet again, I hand over my natural fanclub card when it comes to deoderants.  These just NEVER work on me, and a scentless one is going to have no smell to even try to cover up any stink that is bound to happen.  Also, the information on the sample says to wait several hours after shaving before using.  Just how is that supposed to work?  If I don’t put on deoderant right after a shower (which usually involves a pit shave), I start to stink within the hour.  Do you go out of the house  without deoderant on and then apply it at 10am?  No, that just doesn’t work.  I do appreciate that the sample is in stick form instead of in a pot (smearing deoderant cream on my pits is just the grossest thing ever).  I mean, I’ll give it a fair try, but I’m not holding out hope that this will actually work at all.  There is a coupon code for 20% off.  
  Update 9 November 2014 –  Yeah this didn’t work beyond two hours.  It’s weird.  I’m not the sort of person who needs clinical strength deoderant.. good old standard Dove is fine.  This stuff went on chalky and left bits all over the floor and then offered no protection from odor or wetness.  Total failure.  If someone knows of a natural deoderant that works, I’d love to try it, but so far, I’m striking out.

Final tally gives us a box worth $42.90 (calculated by volume, not taking into account sample size packaging costs).  Aside from the deoderant, I really like everything else and will definitely use up the samples.  Even if some of them are things I wouldn’t buy or use in my daily routine, the box still brings me some nice treats and splurges that I get to try for the fun of it!

The October Goodebox has arrived!  And, it arrived in the first week of the month, on time (even if it shipped September 18th).  I’ll start with the good since I was so critical last time.  I’m SO, so glad that Goodebox didn’t fall prey to all the pinkwashing going on this month.  Besides the fact that I hate the color pink, I’d rather see real progress with breast cancer research and meaningful donations instead of BUY THIS THING BECAUSE IT’S PINK.  ALSO, BOOBIES.  (When, really, the majority of the profit goes to the company, not to breast cancer research)  The monthly product card points out that being mindful of the ingredients in our products is important, saying, “we’d like to remind you all to take your health, and what you put on your body seriously.”  Huge kudos for that, because that matters more than buying something that’s pink.  Now, that out of the way, I can tell you that this box was a miss for me.  I’d gotten accustomed to seeing full-sized products in the boxes, so when I opened this one, I was a little disappointed because all those samples are kinda tiny – the largest is 1/2 of an ounce.  It’s silly and superficial, but it was the first thing I thought.  Checking around Instagram, it looks like there’s only one product different between the different boxes which is again, disappointing.  Why have a huge survey about preferences if everyone gets the same box anyway?  There had been a much broader range of products in prior boxes, so it feels like maybe they were rushed to get this out on time (after last month’s shipping issues with Newgistics).  I don’t know.  I feel like I want to give them another chance because I have been pretty happy with the other boxes and support green/natural products, it’s just that the last two REALLY missed the mark for me and it almost feels like they’ve cheaped out.  Anyway, on to the contents!

• Jillian Wright Congested Skin Cleanser – 4 oz/$38 – (sample is .5 oz approx, value of $4.75)  This smells almost exactly like the Suave Strawberry shampoo which is a good thing!  Lathers up nicely, smells really great, but unfortunately isn’t that reasonable in terms of price.  Coupon code for 20% off all Jillian Wright products.
• Earthwise Beauty Pumpkin & Papaya Seen Organic Face Scrub & Mask – 2 oz / $32 – (sample size is .25 oz, value of $4.00)  Smells earthy and sweet.  I haven’t tried this yet, but it looks great and is the one product I’m really interested in trying.  At $32 for 2oz, it’s really spendy, but would be something I’d splurge on occasionally for a treat for my face.  I really love masks and deep scrubs, so this is right up my alley.  There’s also a coupon code for 20% off.
• Unik Anti-Aging Day Cream – .34 oz / $18 – (per abesmarket.com, 1.69 oz is the full size product at $57.95, so the sample is worth $11.66,  not $18)  I don’t use day or night creams like this and have no interest in anti-aging products, so this is a wash.  I’ll still use the sample because it’s here, and hey why not, but this is just something I’m not interested in.  The misleading pricing information from the product card is just the icing on the cake.  There is a discount code for 20% off.
• Unik Anti-Aging Night Cream – .34 oz / $18 – (per abesmarket.com, 1.69 oz is the full size product at $59.95, so the sample is worth $12.06, not $18)  Same as above pretty much.  Even with the discount, this is so expensive for a type of product  I don’t already use daily, so this is a complete miss for me.
• Angel Face Botanicals Lavendar Oil Free Clarifying Serum – 4.3 oz / $48 – (sample size is .5 oz, value of $5.58) This smells really great, and will be fun to try, but isn’t something I include in my day-to-day routine and have no desire to at that price.  I did give this a try, and it sinks into my skin quickly without feeling sticky or heavy.  There’s a 20% off coupon, but I think I’ll just enjoy the trial size.
• Vapour Mesmerize Eye Shimmer or Color – .11 oz – $20 – (sample size is .0096 oz, value of $1.74) This sample is probably the worst one in the box.  It looks like someone just cut slices of a full product and put them in little plastic snap boxes.  The slice measures 11mm across and 3mm high, which is how I got the sample size.  Fine, I’m a nerd, but this is ridiculous.  I’ve put a photo of that sample to the right  (click to see full-size photo) because it was just that absurd.  How am I even supposed to apply that?!  The color I received is “Dusk 625” which is a nice color, and the price is decent, but that sample?  Seriously, what the hell.  No coupon code either.

I added in the value of the samples to see what the box was actually worth as calculated out from the full-size products (Full-Size price divided by Full-Size volume then that number multiplied by the Sample Size).  Final total?  $39.79, most of which is the two anti-aging creams.  Take out the two creams, and the total comes to $16.07.  The box costs $18 per month.  Goodebox commented on my Instagram post to say, “We thought it might be helpful to share the actual value of the products you received. Angel Face Serum – $10, Vapour Organics Shadow – $3-5, DN Unik Day Cream – $14.98, Night Cream – $14.98, Earthwise Scrub – $4, Jillian Wright Cleanser – $6.33… For a total value of $53.29 (for $18),” but my totals don’t math out  the same way.  I get that the “sample size” can be sold as a travel size at a higher price per unit than the full size, but that’s a big difference in numbers.  I’ll probably still stick in for one more box, but  if it does nothing for me, it’ll be my last.