The November box arrived on December 1st – a hair late, again. The email said the lateness was a result of the snowfall last week delaying shipments which is fine, and I appreciate the communication! I’m sure the Thanksgiving holiday had something to do with it too. Anyway, the box this month was co-curated by Ashlee Piper at The Little Foxes, featuring the theme, “Natural Givers.” I liked this box more than I thought I would after seeing some teaser early reviews on Twitter (seriously, how do people get their boxes two weeks before me?!). I wasn’t so sure about the body oil, but it’s so rich and smells so good, I think it’s going to be my before-bedtime go-to for dry skin. Now, on to the contents!
- Au Naturale Creme Eyeshadow – $20 / 5.5 mL – (sample size is approx .85 mL, value of $3.10) I received the color, “Palma,” which is a shimmery gold color. Easy to apply, rich color, goes on buttery smooth. Love the ingredients list and my sensitive eyes appreciate that! This is going to be so fun to use over the next month.
- Au Naturale Creme Concealer – $24 / 5.5 mL – (sample size is approx 1.5 mL, value of $6.55) I received the color, “Buff,” and it’s just about the right shade for my winter skin (maybe just a wee bit too light). Doesn’t feel too heavy on, but doesn’t cover very well either on its own. Definitely needs a go-over with powder or something to really be effective. The Au Naturale products came with a 25% off coupon inside the packaging which was really excessive. So much wasted paper! It looked nice and was a fantastic presentation for the products, but for a vegan beauty box, I was a little disappointed to see so much excess packaging.
- LA Fresh Waterproof Makeup Remover – 24 ct / $10 – (Sample size is two pieces, value of $.83) I wasn’t impressed with the nail polish remover from LA Fresh, so I’m already skeptical about the makeup remover. The second ingredient is cyclopentasiloxane which is NOT biodegradable or compostable as the front of the packet indicates. In fact, it’s suspected to be an environmental toxin that bioaccumulates particularly in waterways. It’s a cheap alternative to better ingredients like vegetable glycerine. I’m not sure I’d want to use this around my eyes since they tend to react badly to products with cyclopentasiloxane, and while the instructions say to, “gently press wipe onto eyes or lips,” it then cautions, “Avoid direct contact with eyes.” Hmmm. So, I think this is a pass for me, and I’ll hand it off to someone whose eyes aren’t as hyper-sensitive.
- Earthbody Sacred Skincare Dream Body Oil – 4 oz / $23 – (Sample size is 1 oz, value of $5.75) Oh man this smells SO amazing. It starts out as fresh lavender and then develops into this woodsy, resiny scent on my skin. It’s so rich and thick, and contains only oils, no carrier ingredients like silicones. PERFECT. I can see using this before bed like I mentioned above or right after a shower to super-hydrate elbows and knees. Great time of the year to have this as a sample too for winter dry skin.
- French Girl Organics Lip Tint – .15 oz / $11 – (Sample is Full-Size) I received the color, “Cerise,” and I cannot begin to express my love for this product enough. This is definitely the winner of the box for me. The scent is like a peppermint herbal tea and was a really nice surprise. Then, it goes on like butter with the color building up to a beautiful, rich cherry color that’s absolutely perfect for me! I have a feeling this is going to disappear quickly, so it’s great that they’re affordable.
The total for the box comes to just about $28! Between the Lip Tint and the Body Oil, the cost of the box is covered, so I’m happy with that! Kinda bummed that I didn’t get the Caru serum since I would’ve enjoyed that much more than the makeup remover pads, but that’s just how things go with subscription boxes sometimes. It’s still a great box, and I’m happy with what I’ve got. The Holiday Limited Edition box looks fantastic though and I might have to treat myself to a little holiday present!