Category: <span>Subscription Boxes</span>

GoodeBox May 2014

I’m not a beauty or eco-blogger, and really this blog is such a mixed bag already, why not add a little more to the randomness?  I had tried out the GlossyBox before and was HUGELY disappointed with the products that I’d never use, SO MUCH FREAKING EYELINER, and their terrible customer service.  So, I ditched them and signed on with GoodeBox.  This is now my second GoodeBox and so far, I’m pretty happy!  I never thought of myself as the subscription-beauty-box sort of person, but have made an effort to actually use makeup on a somewhat more regular basis, even if it is mostly just mascara, lip gloss, and a bit of eyeshadow, that’s still more than my previous no-makeup-ever routine.  The box is $18 per month (billed on the 3rd of the month, box is usually received on about the same date) and includes 5 items, usually at least one is full-size.  GoodeBox trends towards eco-friendly beauty products that are cruelty-free, environmentally friendly, or that feature natural ingredients and botanicals.  On to this month’s haul..

goodeboxMay2014

The box arrives pretty simply in a smallish cardboard mailer, the contents wrapped in tissue paper, all recyclable!  Inside is the product card which lets you know which items you received, how to use them, prices for full size, coupon codes, etc, and this month was a bonus card letting me know to update my profile on the website since they’d added more options/selections to help them better decide what to select for my box.  Really minimal packaging which is what made me so happy after GlossyBox – they used a big cardboard mailer box, a huge pink cardboard box inside, a wad of crinkle-cut paper, and then the products which never filled more than a third of the box.  Wasteful!  And I hate pink, so a pink box, blech.

SheetarTemplate 6up

Then, what’s inside the box!  This month is pretty good.  I’m not a fan of those little foil pouches, but there are three of them to make up the sample, so that’s okay I guess.  Helps ration out the sample into individual uses I guess.  Going around the image above clockwise, we have the full contents of the box, then..

  • Shea Radiance Maximum Curl Defining Cream – 8oz/$16 – Smells fresh and lemongrassy.  I took a look at the full ingredient list, and there are two ingredients I can’t find information on (one is an acrylate which usually means a build-up factor).  It does say paraben/petroleum/sulfate free, but nothing about being silicone free.  I’m a TOTAL snob about what ingredients are in my hair care since it really does seem to make a difference with curly hair.  Given how dry my crazy curly hair has been, it’s worth a try at least once.. the ingredients are mostly oils and shea butter, so that could help a bunch.  The product card also mentioned a 20% off coupon for future products.
  • Orglamix Eye Shadow in Forget-Me-Not – .05oz/$9 – I love this color so much.  It’s shimmery, but still a neutral light gold color which can go day or evening, plus a 20% off coupon for future purchases.  This is a full size sample, so there’s $9 already.
  • Close-up shots of the papers which have little gold flecks and the swatch of the eyeshadow on my inner arm.  You can see it’s a really light color that matches my skin tone well, but it’s VERY shimmery which doesn’t show well in the photo.
  • Tatacha Petal Fresh Original Aburatorigami Blotting Papers – 1 pack/$12 – Ehhhh.  My face really never tends to get oily anymore, but these will be great to tuck in my photography bag for wedding photography bride touch-ups.  At least someone will get use out of them!  Full size sample though, so this plus the eye shadow already adds up to over the cost of the box.
  • Derma E Evenly Radiant Brightening Cleanser – 6oz/$15.50 – Face wash.  I know I can use that, even if it doesn’t brighten my skin.  My skin tends to be way worse in the summer with sun exposure and being out digging in the dirt and gardening, and it claims to help with sun damage.  Works for me.
  • Derma E Evenly Radiant Brightening Night Creme – 2oz/$27.95 – Night moisturizer basically.  I really don’t care much about how even my skin tone is, but being that my skin has recently decided it’s a desert instead of an oil slick, I can always use a good moisturizer.
  • Derma E Evenly Radiant Dark Circle Eye Cream – .5oz/$27.95 – If this stuff works?  It will be worth the $27.95 to actually purchase.  I have the most woeful dark eye circles.    Bonus too, there’s a 20% off coupon good through the end of June.  (Do you see that glossybox?  Coupons that work for more than two weeks after receiving the box!)

I’ll try to update this post with reviews once I’ve tried the products.  I’m really hoping that curl defining cream works out because my curls have felt like a hay bale lately.  So, that’s GoodeBox!  Coming up on the blog, socks, gardening, and some One Local Summer action.