Goodebox - Spring 2015 Bonus Box

Goodebox recently offered a mystery bonus box with samples from the brands that have been featured in their past monthly subscription boxes.  They promised 15 items with a value of $25 or more.  I was a little hesitant about purchasing this box at first because it was a truly random box, meaning it was not going to be assembled or customized with regard to beauty profile preferences like the regular monthly box is.  I knew there was a risk of getting makeup items but I figured if I got a few good skincare items, it would be worth it.  Here's what I got in my bonus box:

Tatcha Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder  (10 g)

Zosimos Botanicals Raspberry and Honey Facial Mask (size unknown)

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream SPF 30 - Warm Glow (two 0.17 oz tubes)

Unik Age-Defying Night Cream with Hyaluronic Acid (two 0.34 fl oz tubes)

Josh Rosebrook Deep Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner (size unknown)

Jillian Wright Gentle Peptide Cleanser & Cranberry Pomegranate Congested Skin Cleanser with Salicylic Acid (size unknown)

Everyone Bubble Bath Yoga (1.5 fl oz)

Hue Nail Polish in Ka'ahumanu (0.5 fl oz)

Blissoma Scentless Solid Natural Deodorant (0.15 oz)

Seventh Generation Hydrating with Jojoba Natural Skin Serum (size unknown)

Vapour Organic Beauty Eye Color

MSC Soy Candle Scent 003 (size unknown)

Cost of Box:  $25 (free shipping)
Impressions:  I liked the variety of the products in this bonus box.  And they did include at least 15 samples as promised, however I didn't like that there were exact duplicates of 2 of the samples.   I plan to try everything except the Juice Beauty CC cream, eye shadow, nail polish, and natural deodorant.  I don't use makeup or nail polish.  The natural deodorant does not smell good and is dry/crumbly so I can't imagine trying to use it.  I will most likely toss it and the eye shadow in the trash.  I will try to trade the nail polish.  I'm not in love with the smell of the yoga bubble bath but I may try to use it anyway.  The item I'm most excited about is the Tatcha rice enzyme powder.  I've been wanting to try this for a long time so I'm really excited to get this.  I'm also really looking forward to trying the raspberry and honey facial mask, night cream, and serum.  I am not sure of the exact value of this box because many of the samples were not listed with a size for me to calculate value but it does not look like a high value sample box.  I'm guessing that the value is no more than the $25 I paid.  I like to get boxes with a retail value higher than what I paid, especially when I don't use all the samples, so I'm not overjoyed with this box.  But I am glad that I finally get to try the Tatcha rice powder without having to shell out $65 for the full size container.  I'm interested to see what other's got in their mystery box. 

Since they called this the Spring Bonus Box, I'm assuming they release one every season.  At $25 for 15 samples, a bonus box is a pretty good cost per sample deal compared to paying the $19 monthly subscription for 5 samples.  And since you don't have to be a monthly subscriber to buy the bonus box, it's a good way to try Goodebox out without committing to a subscription.  The advantage of the monthly box, however, is that there is some customization based on your beauty profile.  Although this box included some useful/practical items for me, I wasn't really excited with the box overall.  But this is no big surprise since it was a bonus box made up of left-over samples that they are essentially just trying to get rid of.  I doubt I will buy a mystery bonus box from Goodebox in the future but I am still looking forward to their next regular monthly subscription box. 

Trust Fall #3 from Book People

I like to read so I'm excited to discover another book club subscription box.  Trust Fall is a quarterly book club from Book People bookstore based in Austin, Texas.  Each quarter they send a signed first edition book along with extra gifts and maybe a second book.   One feature I found really cool about Trust Fall is that if you're not satisfied with your subscription box, you can return it for a full refund and actually keep the extra gifts as a thank you for trying them out!  Here is what was included in this quarter's box (Trust Fall #3, released March 2015):

Letters from Book People and Scribner Publishing about the box and featured books:

 

Interview with featured author Antonio Ruiz-Camacho

 

Featured Book:  Barefoot Dogs: Stories by Antonio Ruiz-Camacho (signed by the author)

 

Synopsis from Amazon:

On an unremarkable night, José Victoriano Arteaga—the head of a thriving Mexico City family—vanishes on his way home from work. The Arteagas find few answers; the full truth of what happened to Arteaga is lost to the shadows of Mexico’s vast and desperate underworld, a place of rampant violence and kidnappings, and government corruption. But soon packages arrive to the family house, offering horrifying clues.

Fear, guilt, and the prospect of financial ruination fracture the once-proud family and scatter them across the globe, yet delicate threads still hold them together: in a swimming pool in Palo Alto, Arteaga’s young grandson struggles to make sense of the grief that has hobbled his family; in Mexico City, Arteaga’s mistress alternates between rage and heartbreak as she waits, in growing panic, for her lover’s return; in Austin, the Arteagas’ housekeeper tries to piece together a second life in an alienating and demeaning new land; in Madrid, Arteaga’s son takes his ailing dog through the hot and unforgiving streets, in search of his father’s ghost.

Advance Reader Copy:  War of the Encyclopaedists by Christopher Robinson & Gavin Kovite

Synopsis from Amazon:

On a summer night, in the arty enclave of Capitol Hill, Seattle, best friends Mickey Montauk and Halifax Corderoy throw one last blowout party before their lives part ways. At twenty-three, they had planned to move together to Boston for graduate school, but global events have intervened: Montauk has just learned that his National Guard unit will deploy to Baghdad at the end of the summer. In the confusion of this altered future, Corderoy is faced with a moral dilemma: his girlfriend Mani has just been evicted and he must decide whether or not to abandon her when she needs him most. He turns to Montauk for help. His decision that night, and its harrowing outcome, sets in motion a year that will transform all three of them.

Months later, Corderoy and Montauk grapple with their new identities as each deals with his own muted disappointment. In Boston, Corderoy finds himself unable to play the game of intellectual one-upmanship with the ease and grace of his new roommate Tricia, a Harvard graduate student and budding human rights activist. Half a world away, in Baghdad, Montauk struggles to lead his platoon safely through an increasingly violent and irrational war. As their lives move further away from their shared dream, Corderoy and Montauk keep in touch with one another by editing a Wikipedia article about themselves: smart and funny updates that morph and deepen throughout the year, culminating in a document that is both devastatingly tragic and profoundly poetic.

Extras:  Texas County Fair Field Notes notebooks and Book People coozie

 

Cost of Box:  $39.95 (plus $1 shipping)
Impressions:  This box was released at the end of March but I did not subscribe until mid-April.  I'm looking forward to reading both of the book selections included in this box.  At only 138 pages, Barefoot Dogs should be a quick read.  The advance reader copy of War of the Encyclopaedists makes this box special.  This book will be released for sale on May 19, 2015.  I am a notebook junkie so I'm always happy to get more!  The bright colors of these Field notebooks should make them easy to keep track of.  I don't care for the Book People coozie and feel like it was an odd choice for a box filler.  Because of the signed book and advance reader copy, it is a little difficult to put an exact value on this box but here is some information to give you an idea of pricing through other sources:

• Barefoot Dogs: Stories by Antonio Ruiz-Camacho $17.37 (Amazon.com, hardcover)
• War of the Encyclopaedists by Christopher Robinson & Gavin Kovite  $19.26 (Amazon.com pre-order, hardcover)
• Texas County Fair Field Notes notebook set ($9.95)
• Book People coozie (?, not found in Book People online shop)

I am pleased with the book selections and feel the box was worth the cost.  And I like that this box ships quarterly (approximately ever 3 months) which means I have plenty of time to read both books before the next shipment arrives.  I'm considering purchasing an annual subscription ($140 for 4 boxes total).  The ability to cancel and get a refund if I'm not satisfied with the subscription, in addition to saving $20 a year, is a nice incentive to getting a pre-paid annual subscription.  Trust Fall has a similar box format and price point to Indiespensable but ships less often.  I like both book club boxes so far and plan to keep both, especially since Trust Fall is only a quarterly box.

A note on shipping:  I was not provided with a tracking number for this order but I was sent an email on the date it was packed and shipped to notify me my order was on it's way.  It was delivered by my USPS mail carrier about a week and a half after I ordered.

*As of the published date of this blog post, Trust Fall #2 and #3 boxes were still available for purchase.

Kloverbox - April 2015

Kloverbox is here!  I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm loving this subscription box and this is only my second box from them!  This is by far my favorite beauty/skincare sub box because...

• I can generally use everything in the box, 
• they include some full size samples, 
• even the small samples last a long time, 
• the products are made with simple, natural ingredients, 
• and the box value is always much more than what you paid! 

Here's what was included in the April box:

Kosmatology Herbal Fresh Foaming Hand Soap - Spearmint Rosemary  ($8.99)

Old Orchard No. 10 Baobab & Rosehip Lotion Bar  2 oz ($28)

Bridge Nine Candle Co. Citrus Candle  4 oz ($9)

Real Beauty for a Cause Coffee Scrub  2 oz ($7.50)

Rani’s Yummy Shooters - Peanut Butter Dream Buttered Oats  1.2 oz ($1.99)

Cost of Box:  $25 (includes shipping)
Total Box Value:  $55.50
Impressions:  I really like foaming soaps so I'm excited about this one from Kosmatology.  I tried it and it wasn't drying but I'm not entirely in love with the spearmint rosemary scent.  There are other scents available; I would have preferred the orange or grapefruit scents.  I plan to use this one anyway because it is a nice hand soap.  I have never used a lotion bar before but I love this citrus scented one from Old Orchard.  It is so pretty, almost too pretty to use!  The ingredients are great and it was good at moisturizing my very dry hands.  It does not take much to moisturize your hands so this bar should last a long time.  It does start to melt quickly from the warmth of your body so you have to be carefully to not hold it too long or you will end up with a greasy mess on your hands!  I like the citrus scent of the tin candle as well.  It isn't an intense citrus scent but the small tin is nice to have near you on your nightstand or other areas where you might not want to have a big candle burning.  The coffee scrub is another new concept to me.  I drink lots of coffee so of course I love the scent!  And I really like that it has avocado oil to help moisturize while it scrubs.  I have not eaten the granola yet, but I'm sure I will love it because I love peanut butter!  Overall, I am very pleased with this month's box.  I plan to use everything featured this month so this was a great box and a great value!  I even liked the containers and tins the companies used and plan to repurpose them once I'm done using the products.

Kloverbox also included the replacement item for the Urban Oreganics Rosewater Toner than had a container issue in last month's box.

Urban Oreganics Brush Cleaner  ($16)

I was hoping they would replace the toner with a new bottle of toner because I was really excited to try a rosewater toner.  The jar isn't listed with a size but it looks to be a 2 oz container.  I'm not excited about the solid brush cleaner because I do not wear makeup and don't have brushes to clean.  However, someone on a subscription box review site mentioned that they contacted Urban Oreganics about possible other uses and were told that the ingredients in the cleanser are mild enough to use as a facial cleanser too.  That is good to know and made me a little more interested in the cleanser - but I would still prefer the toner!  I will probably use it by rubbing the head of my facial brush over the cleanser and clean my face as usual.  The small jar would be nice for when I travel and don't what to pack larger cleansers.  Perhaps I will order the rosewater toner from the Urban Oreganics Etsy shop when the toner I currently use runs out.

Petit Vour - April 2015

I received my monthly beauty box from Petit Vour today!  If you are interested in vegan, cruelty beauty products, give this box a try.  I like that they also feature natural and organic products.  Here is what arrived in the April box:

Lauren B Nail Polish in I'm So LA 0.5 oz ($18, Full Size)

Konjac Sponge with French Pink Clay ($12)

Suntegrity Tinted Moisturizing Face Sunscreen 0.25 oz ($6.62 value)

Box Natural Luxe Towelettes Rosewater & Lavender Sachets ($1.50 value)

Cost of Box:  $15 per month (free shipping to US)
Total Box Value:  $38.12
Impressions:   I like that the nail polish is full size but I do not wear nail polish and even if I did, I would not like this color on my nails.  It's a little too girly-girl for my preference.  I will be putting this up for trade so someone else can enjoy it.  I am quite intrigued with the Konjac sponge.  It feels very hard in the package but I guess it softens once you wet it.  The package says that the sponge will last about 3 months.  This should be a nice additional tool to my facial brush.  I like that a sunscreen was included since we're coming into the spring/summer season when people will be out in the sun more, but I really wish that this one wasn't a tinted sunscreen.  If it was not tinted, I would probably keep it instead of trading it.  The individually packaged towelettes will be nice to have handy in my purse.  I like that they are gentle enough to be used any where on your body.  Overall, I think the value of this box is great.  The retail value is twice what I paid but the value of the 2 samples I plan to use are less than what I paid for this box.  However, since the cleansing sponge lasts 3 months, I'm satisfied with this box.  I'm also pleased with how quickly this box is delivered.  My box arrived within 4 days of shipping from Texas to South Carolina.

I also ordered a sample of R.L. Linden & Co. Thousand Petal Beautifying Mist ($2) to try because I've read reviews that highly recommended it.  

The regular price is $48 for a 3.4 oz bottle so I like that Petit Vour offers small, inexpensive samples for customers to try before committing to a pricey full size purchase, but they don't have this option for all products.  I'm not sure of the size of the sample because it isn't listed.  This mist contains ingredients such as Colorado spring water, honeysuckle, rose, and calendula extracts, organic Jojoba oil, and Neroli and Jasmine essential oils.  Doesn't that sound heavenly?!  They recommend applying it after cleansing and before applying any other products or spritz throughout the day for a hydration and radiance pick me up.  I have very dry skin so having a way to hydrate my skin without applying multiple layers of face moisturizers throughout the day is appreciated.  And a fresh, light skin moisturizer like this would be ideal when you are going to be outside during hot summer months and  want to avoid having a lot of heavy products on your face.  This small sample size has been great for carrying around in my purse.

Birchbox - April 2015

I received my beautiful April Birchbox today.  Birchbox is a monthly beauty box that sends a mix of samples for makeup, hair, and skin care.  I've been a subscriber of Birchbox for four months now and honestly, it has been a bit of a love-hate relationship.  I love the box designs and their reward points program for reviews that earn you a dollar amount that you can use to buy full size products in the shop.  You earn 10 points or $1 for every product review you submit, so each month you can earn $5 reviewing the 5 samples that you received in your box.  You also earn 1 point for every $1 you spend in the online shop, so you can rack up a lot of points pretty quickly.  What I hate is that the samples you get are quite small and it does not seem like much consideration is given to your beauty profile preferences when they select samples for your box.  In four months, there has only been one sample that I liked enough to purchase a full size of, and that was only because I had enough bonus points saved up to pay for it.  It started to get frustrating last month to the point that I actually canceled my membership.  I only decided to resubscribe this month because I saw the spoilers for the Rifle Paper Co designs but I'm still on the fence about continuing my subscription any further.

Here are the samples I received in this month's box:

  Product info card:

Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine Cologne Absolue  (unknown sample size or value)

Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect  30 ml ($4.80 value)

Not Soap, Radio Body Wash  1.2 oz ($1.40 value)

Laura Geller Beauty Baked Liquid Radiance Foundation  0.16 oz ($6.08 value)

Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain in Forever Pink  (unknown sample size or value)

Birchbox Plus Items:   

Drink Tumbler and Notebook Set designed by Rifle Paper Co. ($20, Sold Out)

Cost of Box:  $10 (plus $20 discounted price for tumbler and notebook set)
Total Box Value:  Over $12.28 (plus $25 regular price for tumbler and notebook set)
Impressions:  First of all, I love that Birchbox collaborated with Rifle Paper Co this month to design the sample boxes and the Birchbox Plus items.  The designs are so pretty.  I've kept all of my Birchbox sample boxes because of the pretty designs and because they're sturdy enough to reuse for organizing my small samples. 

Now on to the samples.  I hate getting these tiny perfume samples in my Birchbox, and I've gotten one in every box so far, but I do like the citrus scent of this Atelier cologne.  It really does have a strong orange scent.  It is a bit overwhelming when you first put it on, so apply sparingly, but after a while it does mellow out a little to a softer citrus scent and eventually turns into a woodsy (cedar and sandalwood) scent in the end.  I received No. 4 shampoo and conditioner samples in last month's box and wasn't really impressed but I'll give the leave-in conditioner a try because it doesn't contain sulfates.  I rarely heat style my hair anymore but it may come in handy for detangling and for the de-frizzing benefit.   The body wash doesn't seem like anything special but I'll keep it on hand for when I travel.  The scent seems a little more masculine than feminine to me.  I received a sample of the Laura Geller foundation in my April Beauty Fix box but since this product has just recently been released, I imagine it's going to be popping up in a lot of beauty boxes.  Although I don't wear makeup, I do like the double-duty concept of the Jane Iredale lip and cheek stain.  However, I don't understand how something of this consistency can be applied to your cheeks and not look shiny or greasy.  The Forever Pink color is a very light shade and would probably act more like a lip balm or lip gloss than a lip stain.  I'm not sure yet if I'll try using it but the mini tube is adorable!  Overall, non of these samples really excited me but I can get some use out of at least 3 of the 5 samples.  I am unsure of the total value of this box because 2 of the samples were not labeled with size information but the value of the 3 items I could calculate a value for are worth more than the cost of the box, which is good.

This month is the first time I've ever purchased a Birchbox Plus item but when I saw the pretty Rifle Paper Co designs for the tumbler and notebook set I caved and bought them.  I don't really need another tumbler but this was too pretty to pass up.  And I'm a notebook junkie; I can never seem to have enough of those!

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not sure yet if I will continue my subscription with Birchbox.  If not for the rewards program for providing product reviews, I would have cancelled a long time ago.  The $10 monthly fee, although not that expensive, far outweighs the value of the samples that I've actually used.  And since I'm becoming more and more interested in natural skin care items, which Birchbox does not really cater to, this subscription is mostly going to be a waist of money for me personally.  I currently have a little under 200 rewards points (or a little under $20) to use in the online shop so I may continue my subscription at least through to May so I can reach over 200 points.  If my May box doesn't impress me, I'll use up my points in the shop and cancel my subscription.

Target Beauty Box - Spring 2015

  Today I received the Spring 2015 Target Beauty Box!  Who new Target produced a beauty box?!  And at $5 I could not pass up the chance to check it out.  Here is a look at what was included:

The product info card came with a $3 off coupon to use on a Target beauty department purchase in-store or online.  There was also a 20% off coupon to use on a purchase from DERMSTORE.  I have ordered a Dermstore mystery bag and recently subscribed to their monthly beauty box called BeautyFix and have enjoyed both.

Items from Left to Right:

L'Oreal® Paris Infallible Pro-Spray & Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray  3.4 oz ($13.29)

TRESemme TRES Two Extra Hold Aerosol Hair Spray 1.5 oz ($1.47)

SheaMoisture Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System Shampoo 3.2 oz ($2.71 value)

Maybelline® Color Elixir™ By Color Sensational® Lipcolor - Rose Redefined 0.17 fl oz ($5.49)

Neutrogena® Hydro Boost Gel-Cream 0.25 oz ($2.65 value)

Cost of Box:  $5 (plus tax if applicable, includes free shipping)
Total Box Value:  $25.61
Impressions:  For $5 I am really impressed with the size of the samples that Target included in this beauty box.  There are beauty boxes that charge a lot more per box that do not provide deluxe sized samples like this.  However, the samples included in this box are typical drugstore brands so don't expect high end products.  It's perfectly fine by me because places like Target is where I typically shop anyway.  Of course, I don't wear makeup so I will not be using the setting spray or lipcolor.  I don't use hair spray so I will not be using that either.  Those items will be traded or given away.  The Neutrogena gel-cream is oil-free, fragrance-free, dye-free, and non-comedogenic but, with exception to water, the list of ingredients would require a course in chemistry to decipher what they were.  I am not comfortable with the idea of using it on my face but I'll probably use it on my hands because they always seem to be dry and in need of rich creamy moisturizers.  I tried in on the back of my hand and it felt silky smooth and absorbed quickly.  I do wish it had been a bigger sample; this tube is very tiny and will probably last only a couple of uses.  The primary reason I bought this box is because I really wanted to try the SheaMoisture shampoo.  I like this brand and have bought their products before because they do include natural and organic ingredients.  And I like that their hair products are ethnic/natural hair friendly so I'm looking forward to seeing how this works on my hair!  It's sulfate free and smells wonderful!

The box was advertised as having a value of $38 but I am not sure how they came up with that value.  Even though the box doesn't have the $38 value by my calculations based on Target's listed prices, the box is still worth at least 5 times what I paid for it so I will not complain.  Although I'm only using 2 of the 5 samples, it's still a good deal for me.  The value of the shampoo and gel-cream are a little more than the cost of the box so I'm happy.  I like that Target releases what products will be in the box when the box goes on sale so you know if it's worth buying ahead of time and it's not a automatic renewing purchase like subscription beauty boxes.  And the box ships pretty quickly.  I received mine within a few days of purchasing it.  I plan to buy this box each season it's released (granted there is at least one item in it that I could use).   Overall, this box is an incredible deal for the price but if you want to buy a Target Beauty Box the next time one is released, you have to buy it quickly because this one sold out in a matter of hours.