The Honest Company Essentials Bundle - August 2015

I received my second shipment from The Honest Company today!  In my last review, I mentioned scheduling my next box for early September but I couldn't wait!  Here's what I included in my bundle this time:

Products reviewed in my July Bundle:
Organic Body Oil  4.0 oz ($9.95)

Deodorant - Lavender Vanilla  4.0 oz ($8.95)

3-in-1 Facial Cleansing Towelettes  30-count ($6.95)

Air + Fabric Freshener - Lavender Vanilla  9.3 oz ($6.95) 

New Items:

Stain Remover  26 oz ($5.95)

Multi-Surface Cleaner  26 oz ($5.95)

Baby Wipes  72-count ($4.95)

Bug Spray  4 oz ($12.95)

Cost of Bundle:  $35.95 Essentials Bundle + $15.64 discounted add ons + tax = $55.20
Impressions:  As with my first bundle, The Honest Company  processed and delivered my order all within 3 days which is impressive to me!  Shipping for this order was free because my total was over $50.  I included the spray deodorant, facial wipes, room & air freshener, and body oil from my first box in this order too.  However, this time I tried the Lavender Vanilla version of the deodorant spray.  Last time I tried the Bergamot Sage and didn't really like the sage scent.  Honestly, I'm having a hard time finding a distinct difference between the two scents.  Both include sage in the ingredients and that seems to be the prominent smell from both scents.  I was hoping the Lavender Vanilla scent would be more sweet like the Lavender & Vanilla air freshener so I could use it as a light body spray.  I doubt I will add the spray deodorants to future bundles because they all contain sage which is too pungent a smell for my preference.  I also want antiperspirant properties and this product only works as an "okay" deodorizer on me.  It's not a good option for me when I'm going to be really active.  It's fine for lazy, lounging around days.   I'm still quite happy with the facial wipes, body oil, and air freshener and will continue to order them.

The new products in this shipment included the multi-surface cleaner, stain remover, baby wipes, and bug spray.  I like that both of the spray cleaners have light, subtle scents and can be used on a variety of surfaces and materials.  I honestly wasn't expecting the multi-surface cleaner to do well with cutting through grease and grime especially since it doesn't contain bleach or stronger chemicals.  So I was planning to only use it as just an everyday quick clean spray for my kitchen counters.  But I had a bowl of food that contained tomato sauce explode and dry inside my microwave and I was amazed at how easily this cleaner worked to clean up the mess!  And the scent was hardly noticeable which made me feel better the next time I put food inside.  I tried the stain remover on a pet stain on my carpet and a red juice stain on my sofa and it worked well on both.  I also liked that it didn't harden the fibers of the carpet or sofa fabric when it dried.  I don't have a baby but I like using wipes to freshen up when out and unable to rinse my face, hands, or for picnics, cleaning up spills in the car, etc.  I think they make a pretty good wet-wipe or hand sanitizer substitute because I try to avoid using products that contain alcohols as much as possible, especially on my face and hands, because I already have dry skin.  I like these wipes because they're thick, strong, large and moist-enough to do a good job cleaning up, don't contain fragrances or alcohols, and don't leave a sticky residue.  I'll be keeping this package in my car because that seems to be the place I need something like this the most!  I've been in desperate need of bug spray for evening walks with my dog so I'm really glad the bug spray has arrived.  The bug spray is the most strongly scented product I've tried from the Honest Company but that's only because it contains citronella and cedar.  I've never smelled anything with a light citronella or cedar smell... it's all or nothing with these two scents!  I only spray on a little because I find citronella and cedar scents a little too intense, but even a little worked well to ward off  mosquitoes.  Overall, I'm quite happy with the new products I tried and would order them again.  I definitely plan to get refills of the multi-surface cleaner and stain remover when I run out! 

The Honest Company Essentials Bundle - July 2015

I have been trying to adopt more natural products in to my skin and body care regimen for the past few months and need to start integrating natural home care items as well.  The Honest Company supplies natural personal, home, and baby care items.  You can shop their items like any other online store, but the monthly bundle subscriptions allow you to save a few dollars on the items that you would need to buy regularly anyway.  Although it says "monthly" you can actually select when or how often you want your bundle to ship.  And you will not be charged for the next bundle until it ships.  You select what combination of items you want in your bundle and you have the ability to easily change or customize your bundle through your online account before each bundle ships.  They offer several different bundle options at different price points.  I'm getting the Essentials Bundle in which you can include 5 items for $35.95 a month (plus tax and  shipping).  You can also add on additional items (up to 3 add ons) to your bundle and if your order totals at least $50, shipping is free.  Plus, your add on items will be discounted by 25%!  There are several items that I want to add on and try with my future bundles to take advantage of the free shipping and discounted pricing.  Below are the 5 items I included in my first Essential bundle:

Organic Body Oil  4.0 oz ($9.95)

Deodorant - Bergamot Sage  4.0 oz ($8.95)

3-in-1 Facial Cleansing Towelettes  30-count ($6.95)

Foaming Hand Soap - Mandarin  8.5 oz ($5.95)

Air + Fabric Freshener - Lavender Vanilla  9.3 oz ($6.95) 

Cost of Bundle:  $35.95 + tax and shipping - $10 coupon = $34.15
Impressions:  My first bundle from The Honest Company shipped via FedEx ground from Pennsylvania and was delivered to me in South Carolina within 3 days of placing my order so they are quick in processing and shipping orders which is nice!

When I saw that they had a body oil, I instantly added it to my bundle!  I love body oils and definitely wanted to try this one.  This one does a great job of moisturizing my dry hands and skin without being too heavy and greasy.  I thought it absorbed relatively quick for an oil and it doesn't contain perfumes.  And since it's formulated to be gentle enough to use on a baby, I'm not worried about using a little on my face too.  This is one product that will probably always be included in my bundles.  I was a little unsure about the scent of the deodorants when I was ordering online because every natural deodorant I've tried so far has smelled a little too "earthy" for my preference.  I like the Bergamot or citrus side of the Bergamot and Sage version I tried in this bundle but I'm not crazy about the herby sage smell.  I think I would prefer a sweeter scent so I plan to try the Lavender and Vanilla scent next time.  It seems to work more like a deodorizer than an antiperspirant so I'm not sure yet if this will work out as a possible replacement for my regular Dove deodorant.  I didn't notice any benefit in reducing perspiration but the scent did last much longer than I thought it would.  However, I have only used it once and only sprayed one layer on.  Maybe it would be more effective as an antiperspirant if I sprayed another layer on after the first layer dried.  If I continue using this deodorant, I think I would have to be prepared to reapply it throughout the day or spray on multiple layers in the morning.  Or just use it on days when I'm not going to be really active or outside in the heat a lot.  I'm still on the fence about it right now.  If not for a deodorant, I think the Lavender Vanilla (if sweetly scented) could possibly be used as a lightly scented body spray.  I'll decide if this product is worth keeping in my bundle shipments once I give the Lavender Vanilla scent a try.  I do not wear makeup so I can't comment on how well the facial towelettes work in removing makeup but they work well for freshening up my face if I start to feel sweaty and oily which is  nice for the summer months.  There is a slightly sticky feeling on my skin at first but it dries fine.  And they did leave my skin feeling lightly moisturized.  I may add these to my next bundle too.  I also plan to add a pack of baby wipes.  I don't have a baby but I do prefer using wet wipes over hand sanitizer.  I didn't notice a wet-wipe type product on The Honest Company website when I put together this first bundle but I think baby wipes would be a good alternative.  The foaming hand soap works well but I wish the Mandarin scent was more prominent.  My favorite product by far was the Lavender and Vanilla Air and Fabric Freshener.  I usually find lavender scented products to be a little overwhelming but the lavender in this one is balanced by the sweet vanilla scent.  I wanted to spray it on everything! I really liked this fragrance combination which is why I'm hoping the Lavender and Vanilla spray deodorant will be nice as a body spray if not as a deodorant.  The scent isn't as intense as say a Glade or Febreeze type product but the scent does certainly linger, especially on fabric.  I actually like that this product is more on the subtle side because I find that most air and fabric fresheners are a bit too strongly scented for my preference. This Lavender and Vanilla freshener will definitely be a staple in my future bundle shipments!

I am really impressed with the list of ingredients in all of these products and it is a comfort knowing that I'm using something on my body or in my home that isn't filled with tons of harsh chemicals and toxins.  That is where a lot of the perceived value of the bundles from The Honest Company comes from.  I could definitely find cheaper versions of all the items in this bundle in my local drugstore but the tradeoff would be a lot of harsh or harmful ingredients.  But even in terms of natural product competitors, The Honest Company is still modestly priced in my opinion.  I have received some natural products in natural beauty boxes that were a lot more expensive than these and not any better in quality.  So with the $10 off coupon code I got through the My Subscription Addiction website, this bundle order was a really good deal for five full size natural products!  I also like the flexibility The Honest Company allows in setting your shipment schedule and the ease of being able to change your bundle items for each shipment if you want to.  I selected the option to have my bundle shipped every 6 weeks but I can easily push my shipment date back or up if I choose.  My next bundle is scheduled to ship on September 4th and I have until that shipment starts processing to make any changes.  Overall, I'm quite please with my first bundle from The Honest Company and I'm looking forward to trying more of their products.