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.

March’s Goodbeing box arrived on March 8th, a little later than usual, but February was a short month, so it’s okay with me!  Not entirely happy with this one to be honest.  Jasmine is the polar opposite of the type of scent I like, so to see two products with jasmine in them really bummed me out.  Then there’s the Rafiki bracelet again..  While I  appreciate the concept and love that the proceeds go to help people in need, I don’t want these and have no interest in them since they’re not to my style.  It would be great if there was a way to opt out of the bracelet, but allow for a donation of the product value to the charity in my name instead.  It looks like we’re probably getting one of every color, so the next bunch of boxes are going to have what I feel like is a waste of product space – I may actually put my subscription on hold till these bracelets are done, I’m that annoyed.  So, that leaves two products, one of which I LOVE LOVE LOVE and the other I’m indifferent about, making two boxes in a row that haven’t been all so stellar for me.

• Rafiki Bracelet – 1 bracelet / $10 – (Full size product)  Well, at least it’s not pink.  I’m just.. I feel bad saying I don’t want this, because it is a worthy cause, but it’s just not something I’d ever buy or wear myself, so it means I’m giving them away to friends and that’s great, but I’m buying this box for me (hi selfishness) and expect products suited for me based on my preferences.  I don’t want a bracelet!  I  signed up for this box for the bath/body/beauty products and it’s not delivering that with this item.
• American Provenance Solid Perfume – 60 g / $12.50 – (Full size product)  The product is a hard wax with an essential oil blend in a pretty sizeable container for a solid perfume.  Unfortunately, the oil blend contains jasmine and citrus, so while the bergamot and grapefruit come out on top, the floral jasmine scent is still in there and it’s unpleasant to my nose.  I gave it a fair shot and tried it though, and it really is barely scented at all – the scent is so light and fades so fast (completely gone in under an hour), it’s almost not worth bothering to use it at all!  This is a huge disappointment from the scent itself and then the product value – even though the size is large, you have to use SO much of it for it to actually work, and even then the scent doesn’t last long.
• Prim Botanicals Body Oil – 4 oz / $48 – (Product is 1 oz, value of $12)  Jasmine.. again.  Scent preference is such a personal thing, and jasmine is one that I really dislike much like many (all?) sticky floral scents.  In fairness, I did try it, and while I like the oil blend which sinks into my skin quickly and doesn’t feel greasy, the scent is awful  to me.  The jasmine actually fades pretty fast, but then the roses take over, and  I’m  not entirely sure which is worse.  In the half hour it’s been on my skin so far, I’ve wanted to wash it off for the last 20 minutes because the scent is driving me up the wall.  If it was unscented or used a blend of musky scents or lavender instead of jasmine and rose, I’d be in, but as it is?  It’s just not the product for me since the scent is a complete deal breaker.
• Orglamix Enlighten Luminizer – 1.4 g / $18 – (Product is full size)  This arrived stuck to the lid – the product had released from the container and attached to the lid.  Not a big deal, it was easy enough to pop back into the container.  It also looks like the oils were sweating out and separating out of the product, so there’s a layer of grease that needed to be removed before I could get to the actual luminizer which doesn’t bode well for the product quality.  Anyway, while the product card says it doesn’t look sparkly or glittery, it totally is sparkly and glittery and you can tell the second it’s on your face that it’s sparkly and glittery.  And, I’m not necessarily against sparkle and glitter, but if your product claims not to be and then is?  Yeah…  It contains mica, and you can see the glittery flakes everywhere.  So, I likely won’t be using this as it’s intended, but I see it being a great eyeshadow base!  Probably not something I’d buy for myself, but since I have it anyway, it’s worth using “off label” to see how that goes.
• Pangea Organics Lip Balm – .25 oz / $14 – (Product is full size)  This is a brand I love dearly (that lavender and cardamom balm they make is my faaaavorite), so getting a new tube of balm in a fun scent/flavor (fennel, grapefruit, and orange) is terrific!  It’s really the only thing in the box I was excited to see and I already used it and will be stashing it in my everyday bag.

Not pictured is a $10 credit to swap.com.  On the back of the coupon, it says a Facebook account is required, so this is useless to me.  Yes, I have a Facebook account, but I don’t use it for anything really and refuse to use Facebook login for any website (no Facebook, I don’t trust you).  If anyone wants my code, leave me a comment with your email address, you can have it!

The overall value of the box comes to $66.50 which is on the higher end  for the box – I’m not counting the swap.com code in that total because it’s NOT a product, it’s an advertising promotional toss-in.  My personal value for the box?  $32 for the balm and luminizer which at least covers the cost, even if the only product I really like is the balm.  At this point, I’m not sure if I’m going to renew when my subscription is up in May – I can’t put my finger on it, but I feel like this box took a down turn over the past two boxes, and if they’re going to keep sending those bracelets, I’m definitely not interested anymore!  I didn’t sign up for a “Me to We” box, I signed up for Goodebox, and I’m finding that I really miss what the box was under the old name.

Not a real winner of a box this month for me, Goodbeing.  There are a couple of subscription box sins here for me including silly foil packets and pink.  UGH PINK.  I’ll get into it in more detail in the contents, but I honestly feel like for all the preferences and customization available for this box, it’s basically gone out the window for the past two boxes.  Despite having my preferences set for no health products, I keep getting tooth paste and items I specifically set my preferences against.  Also, due to my age, I’m just automatically getting anti-aging and firming products that I don’t want.  Wrinkles are natural!  I have no shame about my age, and really how much can any product stop or slow the inevitable march of time.  I’m much more concerned with the fact that I’m 35 and still have pimples (and dry skin, go figure).  Wrinkles are the LEAST of my skincare woes.  Oh, the theme for the box this month is, “Love Thyself and Others,” which is a wonderful theme, and perfect for February, however I don’t really feel like the theme was a theme outside of the bracelet.  I suppose it gets a little hard to both customize a box and carry out a theme at the same time though.

• Shea Radiance Advanced Firming Cream – 6 oz / $55 – (Product is approx .5 oz, value of $4.50)  It smells REALLY good – warm and ambery.  The full-size product is super expensive though and I don’t think this is something I’d buy on my own.  I just don’t buy the firming claims, even if it is a nice cream.
• Shea Radiance Intense Body Balm – 5 oz / $50 –  (Product is approx .5 oz, value of $5)  This is a thicker formula than the previous, almost a mousse, and smells a little like cake batter.  It’s a little greasy, but definitely thick and will be great for dry winter skin.  Again, because of the cost, this isn’t something I’d buy, but the sample is nice to try.
• Shea Radiance Unscented Body Cream – 6 oz / $40 –  (Product is approx .5 oz, value of $3.50)  Another body cream.  THREE in the box.  I’d probably have rather had one larger sample instead of three tiny ones since they’re all variations on the same thing anyway.  Another nice but expensive cream that I’ll no doubt use up, but wouldn’t buy again.
• Vapour Plumping Lip Gloss – .13 oz / $24 – (Product is full size)  LIP GLOSS!  I’m never disappointed with lip gloss since it’s one of the few makeup items I actually wear on a regular basis.  I don’t really feel like this plumps my lips at all (and I mean really at all, not even a bit), but the formula is nice, not heavily scented/flavored, not sticky, enough color without being too much.  The color I received was Mischief, a deep plum color.  If this is the only item I like out of the box, it still covers the cost!
• Kahina Brightening Facial Serum – 30 mL / $72 – (3 packets at about 3  mL each, approx value of $24)  Another REALLY expensive product that I probably wouldn’t buy again.  I’m always dubious about claims like this, and with three tiny foil packets, I won’t really be able to tell if it works or not on discoloration from acne.  It’s a nice thing to try, but yet again, not something I’d buy because the price point is just too high for me, personally.
• Bedrook & Bloom Smart Ash Teeth Whitener and Detoxifier – 32 g / $30 – (Product is 1 gram, value of $3)  I received this in the Kloverbox for August 2015 and didn’t like it AT ALL.  My teeth didn’t feel clean after using it, and there was charcoal mess EVERYWHERE.  In the sink, powder that poofed out when the little container was opened, dribbles on my clothes, gross gross gross.  It’s just completely impractical in this powder format to use.  I actually felt less clean and ‘detoxified’ after using this.  SUPER disappointed to see this in this box since this isn’t something I wanted or needed as indicated with my preferences.
• Rafiki Health Bracelet – 1 bracelet / $10 – (Product is full size)  Okay, it’s a great cause – the bracelets are made in Kenya and one bracelet provides healthcare for one month to a child in a community overseas.  However, the bracelet color for Healthcare support is pink.  If you’ve been keeping up with my blog, you already know I hate pink.  LOATHE pink.  This is a complete waste for me, though I’m sure I can find someone who will like it.  The cause is worthy and I do like that, but  it’s just absolutely not me and I know I checked off “None” for pink on my survey.

The overall value is $74 which is on the higher end for this box.  In spite of the good value, I’m not really into it this month because the only thing I’m interested in is the lip gloss.  The other items are great (except for the ughpink bracelet and the Smart Ash), but not items I’d ever want to spend that kind of money on.  There are other products that cost less and are just as great, so I’m disappointed that all of these are all such high ticket items and there’s not better cost-variety if that makes sense.  When you take out the two items I have absolutely no interest in, the value only drops $13, so it’s still a great deal, but I’m just.. underwhelmed this time.  Last months box was, IMHO, far better!

First Goodbeing box of the new year!  This arrived a few weeks ago, and I’m just getting around to blogging about it now (see?  Still behind, oops).  Goodbeing was formerly Goodebox and is going through a little rebranding, so for now I’ll include both names in my review posts for continuity’s sake.  Overall a pretty decent box!  There’s one product I had no interest in (the cold and sinus oil), but the rest are definitely things I’ll use.

• Green Apple Age Defying Hand Cream – 2 oz / $12 – (Product is full size)  I never really buy into all those anti-aging claims products like this make.  Age is going to happen whether we like it or not, so throwing that out of the equation, this is still a great hand cream.  It’s thick and rich and sinks in immediately so it doesn’t feel greasy or sticky.  The scent is nothing to write home about since there’s not much of a scent at all, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing!  What’s best is that a teeny little bit goes a long way and works for a while, so the value is really rather incredible.
• Curandera Remedies Kapalabati Cold and Sinus Oil – 1 oz / $25 – (Product is .5 oz, value of $12.50)  I didn’t like Vicks VapoRub growing up as a kid and this is basically the same idea, albeit all natural.  The scent, IMHO, is absolutely horrendous (FWIW, I didn’t like Vicks either).  I use neem oil to control aphids on my outdoor plants and the idea of rubbing it under my nose is just a HUGE turn off.  I’m all for natural remedies, but when I’m sick and need to breathe, I’m going to head for traditional medicine that works instead of a bunch of oils that smell bad and do nothing to actually unclog my sinuses and reduce the swelling and pressure.  It’s one of the few places I have to turn in my all-natural-hippie card, but I’m a HUGE baby when I’m sick and traditional medicine works.
• Balanced Guru Face It Smoothly – 4 oz / $38 – (Travel size 1 oz is $10)  It’s an aloe based cleanser, so no foam.  It dispenses from the pump as a creamy liquid and smells a bit like mint and herbs though not in any sort of overpowering way.  A quick scrub over my face didn’t dry it out, but it almost didn’t feel like it was cleaning either since it doesn’t foam (that’s all in my head though, I’m sure).  It’s really pricey for 4 oz though and while it’s fun to try, especially as the trio of products in the box, it’s not something I love enough to buy again.
• Balanced Guru Tone It Smoothly – 4 oz / $34 – (Travel size 1 oz is $9)  I’m not a huge fan of toners to begin with since they’re mostly alcohol based and dry out my already dry skin.  This one is Aloe and Alcohol based which, eh.  Not my thing.  It smells much the same as the Face It cleanser, but this product does feel drying though not AS drying as other alcohol based toners.  Again, just not my thing – I don’t get oily, so I really have no use for this kind of product, but again, it was nice to try as a matched set.
• Balanced Guru Nourish Me Serum – 1 oz / $22.99 – (Product is full size)  This is right up my alley!  Younger me would’ve completely cringed at putting oil on my face, but older me with dry skin is LOVING this serum.  Again, it doesn’t have a really overpowering scent and just smells herbal and natural.  Two wee little drops covered my whole face without leaving it greasy.  The Argan and Jojoba oil base seems to be just what my dry face needs and even if it doesn’t slowdown and reduce the appearance of age, it’s still just about the perfect moisturizing serum for me.

The total value of the box comes to $66.49 which is on the upper end of average for this box.  Even if I’m not thrilled with the two Balanced Guru products, it’s really awesome to try them, and the serum covers the cost of the box anyway.  I’m a little bummed at the lack of variety in this one – it’s all body/face products and a health product I didn’t want  or  need since my preferences are set to “None” for the “Natural Medicines” category.  Even with that obvious mistake, I’m still rather pleased with the box and it’s mostly because of the serum.  As always, looking forward to next month!

December’s Goodbeing Box is here!  Note the name change – Goodebox is now Goodbeing, and the name change reflects an upcoming change in their structure which will include dedicated beauty, wellness, and lifestyle boxes.  Pretty excited to see what’s coming, but if the boxes continue to be this good, I’m sticking around!  I have to say that December’s box pretty much knocked my socks off.  The only item I’ll pass on is the nail polish which is way too hot pink for me, but the rest of it is absolutely spot on.

• Red Flower Ocean Purifying Body Wash – 8 oz / $22 – (Product is 50mL, value of $4.65)  I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure about the scent having read the description.  Eucalyptus is one of those scents that’s totally off-putting for me – reminds me too much of those gross cough drops.  However, the other scents really come out on top of the eucalyptus in the end and make for an invigorating scent that’s great for a morning shower.  It doesn’t foam a whole lot, but all those oils make my skin feel really well moisturized at the end of a shower, so it’s a keeper!
• Kumari Aroma Mist – 2 oz / $24 – (Product is 1 oz, value of $12)  WOW.  For the record, I really like musky, earthy sort of scents, and the scent label on this?  Earth.  Right up my alley.  It’s an interesting blend of cinnamon, jasmine, and citrus that I would’ve never thought worked well together, but my does it ever!  They all work together to make this warm, spicy  scent that is just pure magic on my skin.  I like that it’s light and not overpowering either, perfect for everyday use.
• Graydon Superfood Mask + Scrub – 20 capsules / $39 – (Sample is 5 capsules, value of $9.75 – price is in CAD, so it comes out to $28.41 USD at the moment for 20 capsules or a value of $7.10 USD for the sample)  This is a really interesting way to deliver a mask.  Each ‘dose’ is placed inside a clear capsule.  The contents of the capsule are then added to water (or oil, honey, or yogurt) and used as a scrub or mask or both!  The capsule is supposed to help keep the ingredients fresh and I’d imagine it keeps them together better so you’re getting an even mixture every time.  It sounds great, in theory, until you find out the capsules aren’t incredibly willing to open, and you end up trying to cut one open while you have a tablespoon of honey in your palm.  After I got the capsule open and combined with the honey, it worked in a creamy mixture that was just enough to cover my face.  I left it on for about 5 minutes while it tingled on my face  and then washed it off.  It really did tingle while on my face and while I can’t say it did anything super spectacular, it did feel nice, and the results are less drying than a clay mask, so I like it as a nice treatment that isn’t too harsh.  There are apparently some tips and tricks on how to open the capsule on their blog here  that I wish I had found earlier!
• Board and Batten Sugar Scrub – 4 oz / $36 – (Sample is 2 oz, value of $18)  This smells absolutely delightful.  It’s a thick paste sort of sugar scrub and the addition of Shea and Jojoba makes it moisturize as it scrubs.  I LOVE a good sugar scrub like this, and with the scent being so wonderful, it’s going to be a quick favorite.
• Aila Nail Polish – .5 oz / $17 – (Product is full size)  I already love Aila nail polish, but I’m not a fan of the color provided here, Dr. Rosenbeaver.  I have a huge hatred of anything pink, and this is billed as a fuchsia polish with red glitter.  It’s a world of nope for me, but I’m sure I can find someone who will love it.  It’s a shame because I really do love Aila, but not pink.

The total value of the box is $58.75 which is about average for this box.  I don’t know why this one is sticking in my mind as being more amazing than some of the others.. it might be that the products all feel very luxury and suit me rather well.  Even without the polish, the box is still a great value and they’re products and brands I haven’t tried before which is always fun.