Category: Subscription Boxes

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.

I should say first off that I’m not feeling this one at all.  The shipping delay really irked me – the box shipped August 28 and took 15 days to arrive.  Newgistics, you suck.  This was the first time Goodebox used Newgistics for shipping, but after having heard about all the issues Birchbox subscribers have with Newgistics, I’m not surprised it didn’t go well, by no fault of GoodeBox.  That said, if the box was better, I might not be on the fence about cancelling, but the box isn’t all that great for me.  I mean.. a wee tin of sea salt?!  Really?!  The full-size nail polish is fun, but the color isn’t really me – it’s sort of a glittery beige and just looks weird.  I saw other people got boxes with a pretty aqua blue color, so I was really disappoited to see muddy glitter in mine.  The blush color is all wrong (way too yellow), I already have a soap vendor I LOVE to bits, and the Barre 3 stuff just isn’t me.  Free trial, so I’ll still give it a go, but eh.  Their website has photos of only svelte, toned women, and there are no gals who look like me in any of their videos.  While I’m sure they offer modified poses, it’s nice to see folks of all sizes on fitness videos instead of Mr. and Ms. Perfect.  It’s disappointing and makes me want to hide my voluptuous ass in baggy  sweatpants instead of working out with three perfectly toned people.  I’ll admit that the shipping delay made my review of this box tainted with a big old pair of grumpy pants, so, it’s a little more critical than usual.  Anyway, on to the box!

• Square Hue Nail Polish – three .5oz bottles per month/$14.99 – The color I received is, “Rodeo Drive,” and it’s just not me.  It’s a really peculiar color that looks kinda pinkish or brownish depending on the light and, ugh.  I hate pink.  Hate hate hate pink.  This is never a color I would’ve picked out on my own, but the formula covers really well in two coats, goes on nicely and is 5-free.  WAY better than Zoya, IMHO, in terms of coverage and smell.  Zoya takes sometimes 3 or 4 coats to cover and really stinks  for being a 5-free polish.  I don’t think I’ll subscribe to the monthly box, but I do like the polish and may do a one-time order.  It’s just a gamble with mystery colors, and if there’s any pink in the box that month, I’m going to be wildly disappointed, and there’s no way to specify color choices.  Not good.
  Update: I like the coverage and it seemed to last about a week, but I hated the color more and more every day.
• Weleda Skin Food – 2.5 oz/$19 – So, it’s a really expensive skin lotion, and the samples are silly foil packets.  I don’t like foil packets – you have to use the entire amount in the packet in one use and can’t save it if it’s too much.  Drives me crazy.  I’ll use the  samples, but for skin lotion?  There are more affordable  alternatives that are just as good.
  Update: I finally tried this and it REEKS.  There’s something about the scent that really turns me off.. I can’t put my finger on what it smells like, but it almost smells like some kind of industrial citrus cleaning product, and in a bad way.  Note to self, use only on feet and legs.
• Homespun Northwest Himalayan Citrus Head-to-toe Cleansing Bar – 5oz/$13 – Soap.  A bar of soap for $13.  I have a favorite Honey Ale and Egg solid soap I use for shampoo that I buy from Sweets N Things on Etsy for $6 for 4oz.  I have no plans to switch since I LOVE that soap already, and it’s affordable and lasts me about 4 months.  This sample though is for  a bar of soap for $13 that doesn’t contain unicorn hair or  fairy farts.  Nope.  It also immediately shed salt that was sprinkled on the bar all over the place.  The product card offers a discount of 20% off $10 or more, but I’m really not interested.
• Plantlife Arnica Relief Gel – 4oz/$15.90 – I’ve never felt that Arnica gel actually did anything for me.  I’ve tried it before on bruises and noticed no difference in healing time or pain relief.  So, this is really meh for me and not something I’d ever buy (and will likely be found months from now in the medicine cabinet, still unused).  There’s a coupon code for 25% off an order through their website, so I’ll have to see what else they make.
• All Natural Face Matte Cream Blushes for Lips & Cheeks – .7oz/$5.75 – Reasonably priced, but the color of the sample I received is all wrong for my skin.  It’s, “Dark Rose,” when I’m more of a “Peachy Rose” or “Persimmon.”  It’s just too yellow and isn’t a color I can use as blush, and definitely isn’t a color I’d ever use on my lips.  The formula is nice though and I like that it can be used two ways.  There’s a 20% off coupon, in case I want to try one of the other shades.
• Jacobsen Pure Flake Sea Salt – 1.5oz/$9.95 – It’s salt.  I don’t understand why this is in the GoodeBox at all other than that they, “procure pure salt crystals straight from the cold waters of the Oregon Coast using traditional, hand harvesting methods,” so that they can call it froufrou special salt and charge more.  Big deal.  It’s still salt.  And going out to dinner anywhere involves over-salted food (everyone uses way too much for our near-sodium-free home cooking), so why the wee little travel tin?  It’s all weird, and it’s just salt.
  Update: Put it on dinner last night, and yep, salt.  Nothing special about the flavor.  It’s just salt.
• Barre 3 – $15/month – The offer in the box came with a wristband, Field Guide, and a month of free online classes.  I’ve done yoga and pilates before, even went to 6 months of sessions with a personal trainer.  I’m no stranger to fitness, but I absolutely hate when programs like this show only svelte, toned people in their website photos.  Okay, fine, image sells, but showing me that people of all sizes take their classes is much more encouraging than making me feel like I’m not the kind of person they want in their classes.  I mean, free trial, so as long as I don’t have to enter a  credit card, I’ll give it a try.

I’m pretty bummed about not getting the tea – I would’ve definitely used that up.  I’m not sure how else to adjust my preferences on GoodeBox’s website to get better colors that work for my skin – this is a second or third time I ended up with colors that don’t work for me.  I keep going back and making sure I selected the right things, but it doesn’t seem to matter much.  Anyway, sorry for the downer of a review, but this month is hugely disappointing.  I’ll probably end up giving the nail polish to a friend and see if anyone else is interested in the cream blush.  After that I have salt, a teeny chunk of soap, and foil packets of skin lotion.  Yeah.  Not so good.  I’ll give GoodeBox another month to see if things turn around (Subscription boxes can be so hit or miss, so I like to give them another chance), but with Newgistics on board, this doesn’t bode well.

I’m really kind of torn on this one!  There are two full-size lip products that I’m absolutely in love with, but I really don’t care about the other three samples.  I do realize this is the nature of subscription boxes, and while the two lip products more than cover the cost of the box, I really have little to no interest in the other three, so, meh?  The theme is playing off A Night For Green Beauty featuring luxury green brands.  Yeah.  I’m way too practical for luxury brands.  I don’t have a regular office job, so I have no reason to wear makeup every day, and fancy creams and exfoliators are just not something I use on a regular  basis.  I’m more of a soap-and-water and lip gloss only kind of gal.  I was sort of hoping that the GoodeBox would introduce me to  more practical products, and so far it’s been pretty good with that, with the exception of this month.  Also, silly foil packets again, argh!  Oh well, like I said above, the lip products are SO awesome, and I’m really happy about those, and that’s just the way subscription boxes go sometimes.  GoodeBox did switch up the product card this month and included little business cards for each product instead of one big card with checkboxes.  It makes more sense, and after last month’s product card errors, it’s probably much easier to pack in the card for each product than worry about proofing one big card.  I really like the new setup even if it does use  more paper.

• Mun No. 1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum – 20ml/$95 – the product card says one bottle should last 3-4 months which makes the price sting a little less, but it’s still not something I need or use.  I’m just not worried about skin brightness and wrinkles!  It will be fun to try, but not something I’d keep in my daily routine.  The scent is really nice, sort of musky and rosy, and a quick test on my hand shows it sinks in pretty quickly for being an oil and feels velvety smooth.  The card includes a 20% off code.
• Province Apothecary Regenerating + Stimulating Exfoliator  – 120ml/$38 – This is a strongly lavender scented powder that you’re supposed to mix with water, skin cream, yogurt, or honey to make a sort of mask that you rub into your face for a few minutes.  I LOVE the scent and the idea that you blend it into another base based on your skincare needs.  I’ll have to give it a try with some honey and yogurt and see how it goes.  The card also has a code for 20% off.
• Kahina Night Cream – 50ml/$109 – WAY too expensive.  Its main purpose seems to be anti-aging, and again, I really don’t care about wrinkles.  They’re going to happen whether I like it or not, so it seems easier to let nature happen instead of trying to fight it.  I’ll try it since I have the two silly foil packet samples, but I’d never, ever buy this.  There is a code for 20% off.
  EDIT – I tried this last night and the scent is SO nice, I really like it.  Shame it’s so expensive, but I sort of wish they bottled this scent as a perfume!
• BeautyCounter Lip Sheer – 3.4g/$28 – Oh man I love this.  LOVE LOVE LOVE this.  The color (Plum) is a wee bit dark for summer, but it’ll be great for evenings and the fall/winter, and I may even buy the Currant color since it’s more the color I tend to use.  The color of the Lip Sheer is just dark enough to be seen, but light enough that it doesn’t overpower and the texture is rich and buttery.  The best of both gloss and color!  No coupon code, sadly!
• Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss – 14oz/$15 – This is more like what I use on a regular basis.  I received the “Champagne” color which is the front swatch in the photo.  It’s a really light color that barely shows up, and it’s more about the shine/glitter instead.  The scent is really nice – lightly vanilla and fruity, and the gloss is shiny without being sticky.  The card also has a 20% off coupon.

So, there’s another month down.  Can’t wait to see what other folks got!

Another month, another GoodeBox!  This one is kinda mediocre for me.  The one product I have no use for (Softcup), but there’s one I’m REALLY excited to try (the hair oil).  I might have to go back and re-check my preferences (EDIT: I did mark “NONE” on Feminine Hygiene products), but I have a feeling that everyone is getting the Softcup, so that’s probably not something I could’ve avoided anyway.  The nail polish remover pads are kinda weak as a sample since there are only three, but i’ll no doubt use them.  The box did arrive late, but that was likely due to the July 4th holiday messing up shipping.  Anyway, on to the product list!

• Evofem Softcup – 14ct/$7.99-$9.99 – This is basically a disposable Diva Cup.  Since the topic is feminine hygiene, you can stop reading here if it makes you uncomfortable (though it shouldn’t).  tl;dr – I have no use for this at all.  I was a long-time Diva Cup user until I no longer needed the Diva Cup (I’m trying not to get into personal details on a public blog, so stick with me here).  I  still don’t need my Diva Cup, so I have no use for these either.  Really though, the Softcup doesn’t make sense against the Diva Cup, and if I did need to use feminine hygiene products again, I’d just go get a new Diva Cup ($30 each) instead of disposable cups that still cost more over the long run.  There was also a $2 off coupon availble for this product.
• Balanced Guru No Frizz Balancing Oil – 1oz/$25 – I’m super excited to try the sample, but the second I saw the price, my heart sank.  The sample size is .5 oz, so half the full size which means that almost pays for the box itself.  It’s got a great scent, somewhat herbal, lemongrassy, and has none of the bad ingredients I won’t use on my hair.  It is basically just oils, so if you’ve got greasy hair to begin with, this won’t help, but my hair is SO dry lately, oils and creams are practically a necessity.  It feels like a little goes a long way though, and there’s a coupon for 20% off.
• Lauren Brooke Finishing Powder – 6gm/$17 – Sample size is 4.5gm which is kinda small, so I can’t really see paying $17 for something just slightly bigger unless it really is amazing.  The color is about right, and if it helps absorb oil, it isn’t really something I need, but is something I’d be willing to try.  A quick test on the back of my hand shows that it’s light and not heavy at all, with a matte appearance.  The product card also has a 20% off coupon code.
• La Fresh Eco-Beauty Nail Polish Remover Acetone-Free Pads – 20ct/$10.99 – I had nail polish on, so I decided to give this a try right away since the polish was starting to fade anyway.  Acetone-free means more environmentally friendly, but it also means that they just don’t work that well.  It took MUCH longer to take off the polish, and while the scent is really nice, it leaves behind this gross oily residue that I couldn’t apply new polish over anyway.  I’ll still have to go back over with acetone remover just to get the residue off and prep my nails for new polish.  So, these are a total NOPE for me.
• Avitalin  Gentle Micropeel  – 15ml/$55 – Holy expensive batman!  I did miss trying this on the last box, so I’m glad I got it this time, but I’d never buy it at that price.  Still, it will be fun to try.
• Diva Clean Organic Body Wash – Full Size/$20 – This wasn’t on the product card which was weird!  It doesn’t really have a strong scent, but having small body wash samples to throw in my travel bag is great, so no complaints from me.  Still expensive for a body wash, so unless it does something really amazing (which, body wash?  c’mon), it’s not worth the price.  It does still use SLS, so it’s really no different from any other body wash.

I did see the Neuth creme on the card again, and I was a little bummed I didn’t get the Kari Gran Tinted Lip Whip (I love lip products).  The theme of the box was the guest curator, Mommy Greenest, Rachel Sarnoff.  I’m not a mom and have never heard of her blog, so it didn’t really mean much to me that she was the guest curator.  I did take a quick peek at her blog though, and a lot of what she said in her about page made sense to me – better choices without judgement.  Just like the Nail Polish Remover pads, they don’t work for me, so I’m going to stick with my acetone remover, but I might use it with a three-free polish instead.

Another month, another box.  This one is significantly better than the last box – no silly foil packets, and six products to try!  Here’s the lineup.  I think this is the first box with the new, updated preferences in effect, and they did a decent job with selection though I would’ve preferred one of the bee venom products instead of the deoderant.  Altogether, it’s a really great box this month and I’m psyched to try everything.

• blum naturals Daily Cleansing & Makeup Remover Towelettes – 30 ct/$7.49 – Sample size contains ten towelettes which isn’t a bad deal.  My box is for combination and oily skin and contains tea tree oil which I LOVE for zapping pimples.  The individual packets mean they’re great for travel too.
• Beauty Without Cruelty Sweet Lavender Hand & Body Lotion – 16oz/$12.95 – This is a brand I already love, and the scent of the lotion is amazing.  I’m a huge fan of lavender scented anything, so this is a BIG win in my book.  Sample size is 2 oz and I have no doubt this will go quickly, stashed in my knitting bag.  First impression on trying it just now is that it sinks into my skin pretty quickly, isn’t greasy, nor is the scent overpowering.  I really like the result so far.  The product card also includes a 20% off discount on any BWC product.
• Goddess Garden Organics Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 – 6oz/$19.99 – Pricey for a sunscreen, but it will be fun to try.  It relies on the physical barrier method versus the chemical barrier, using Titanium and Zinc Oxide.  A quick test on my arm shows that it’s a really watery liquid (not a cream), but does turn sheer and matte after a quick rub.  Might even be great for using on my face while outside gardening.  There’s also a 20% off coupon for all Goddess Garden products.
• Neuth Organic Creme pour Visage – 100ml/$75 – Basically a really incredibly overpriced make-up remover/moisturizer/face wash, I think?  It smells nice, and the sample size is generous enough, but, I’m really not exactly sure how to use it and the ingredients aren’t listed on the package or in the GoodeBox Product Card.  There’s just not enough information on the card/product to let me know what the heck it is or what it’s comparable to.  Still, going to try it, but I really doubt I’d ever purchase this.  Included is a 20% off coupon for all Neuth products, but even 20% off $75 is too much for what’s basically a fancy face wash.
• Primal Pit Paste Natural Deoderant – 2oz/$8.95 – Here’s where I turn in my organic/natural fanclub card.  I hate natural deoderants.  LOATHE them.  They never work, are annoying to apply (cream deoderant in a pot, REALLY?!), and for pete’s sake, my pits don’t need to be moisturized, they just need to not stink.  This is the only product in the box that I’m  disappointed with, but I’ll try it anyway to give it a fair shake.  There’s a 20% off coupon for all products from the company.
• Waxelene Petroleum Jelly Alternative – 2oz/$8.99 – I have never owned a single tub of petroleum jelly before, so I really don’t know what to do with this.  The product card mentions using it for anti-chafing (hello thigh rub in skirts), and for cracked heels, post-shave legs, split ends, etc.  There are only four ingredients and I can pronounce them all, so that makes me feel good about the product.  It goes on smooth, smells like beeswax (love that scent), and ends up feeling kind of matte and not greasy.  If I do end up liking it, the price is pretty reasonable, and there’s a 15% off coupon!

In other news, the blog silence over the last month was the result of  a whole ton of busy.  I had a big photography job and we went on a fantastic 10 day vacation that I’ll get around to posting about sooner or later.  I may stretch it out over several blog posts since we did SO much over the course of the trip.  I think One Local Summer has kind of fallen by the wayside this year since we’ve been away and busy, and have missed the farmer’s market every weekend since the beginning of May.  I’ll try to get a few posted this year, but it won’t be exactly every week like it has been in prior years.  It’s funny too, we have so much local stuff stashed away in the freezer that we end up doing One Local Summer meals by accident most of the time.  Even our local big-chain grocery stores are carrying local produce, naming the farms, etc, so it’s sort of happening naturally.  It’s amazing how a little challenge can end up changing your whole routine!