Birchbox: April 2012

This month my box came an entire week and half later than it had been since Birchbox switched to UPS-MI! Even my tracking code would not work until a few days ago. I was getting a little impatient since I vowed not to peak at the website before my box came. I loved having my box be a complete surprise (okay, okay, I sort of half peaked, but I only saw two products before I closed the window). From now on I'm going to promise to myself to not peak. It makes it so much more fun and rewarding.

Don't know what Birchbox is?
Birchbox is a monthly subscription service that delivers a little, heavenly box of premium beauty samples to your doorstep. Each month you will receive 4-5 samples (sometimes even full-sized products) and generally a goodie (energy booster, granola bar, etc). The samples range from make-up, polishes, skincare, body, hair, and fragrances. All from luxury, quality brands. Every month is a surprise, but the samples picked for you are based on a survey you fill out letting the gals know your style and skin-type. Birchbox costs just $10 a month, and your box will always be valued way above!
Click here to join Birchbox.

April 2012, Box #20
Birchbox was inspired by the upcoming Earth Day (4/22) for April's box. The box is filled with fresh products that take inspiration from the world around. They state in the card that the products will get us excited to take on everything from garden parties to spring cleaning. I'm not entirely impressed with their interpretation of the theme. I wouldn't consider an alcohol based fragrance anywhere near being wholesome or environmentally friendly. But the other brands I received are committed to using natural products, environmentally friendly practices, and are cruelty-free. So they got it mostly right.

Information Cards:

Products:
Willa: Clear Face Moisturizer
This healing cream is made with aloe, mango extract, and eucalyptus to balance moisture levels without clogging your pores.
Full Size: 1.0oz ($11.50)
Size Received: 0.5oz ($5.75)
It was interesting to read that this small startup company had to deal with big bully, Procter & Gamble, suing them. PG sued Willa because their name is too similar to PG's own Wella line. Willa skincare was started by Christy Prunier when she and her daughter (Willa) realized there wasn't any natural skincare options for preteen girls. It seems only natural to call the skincare line Willa, luckily in October the two companies settled and they won the rights to keep the name! Apparently it cost Willa almost a million dollars in legal fees to keep the name. I applaud them for taking on the powerhouse and beating them at their own game!
Now to the sample!  All Willa products are free of all nasty chemicals and are cruelty-free. As already mentioned, the line was developed by girls for girls. But moms keep stealing the products for themselves, which is why Birchbox picked these products up! The first thing that I noticed about this moisturizer is that it has a serum-like, runny consistency. It truly does absorb on contact and doesn't make my face feel greasy at all. Aloe soothes irritated skin and reduces redness, eucalyptus balances out skin tone, and mango gives skin a shot of Vitamin C to help brighten and reduce the appearance of scars and blemishes. I absolutely loved this moisturizer. I used 3 pumps of it for my entire face and it really did dry in seconds. After a long day my skin is still hydrated and I noticed that my redness has stayed away all day. The fact that this moisturizer is only $11.50 makes it an amazing contender for a summer moisturizer. Adore!

Benta Berry: G-1 Exfoliating Facial Cleanser
Overhaul your skin with this Parisian brand's creamy exfoliator, which has finely ground apricot seeds to sweep away dead cells.
Full Size: 1.0oz ($16.00)
Size Received: 0.1oz ($1.60)
Benta Berry is a French natural and cruelty-free skincare company that also focuses on young skin (12-24 years). When I saw apricots in the description I was expecting St Ive's thick, heavy formula with giant amounts of ground up apricot. But as advertised the apricot seeds are VERY finely ground. You can still feel and see them, but just barely. The liquid is nice and liquidy rather than thick which I like in a cleanser. It has burdock, jasmine, and mandarine to help control oil and purify skin. The exfoliant supposedly has a mattifying effect which is awesome. During the humid, summers, I can't have enough products that help keep my face shine-free! I absolutely adore the fragrance too, it smells like blueberries and clean flowers. I wish I had a lotion in this scent! I'll use this tomorrow and see how it works. The sample is probably enough for just two uses.

Taylor Swift: Wonderstruck
The pop-country songstress' scent is as catchy as her lyrics. We think it's worthy of a standing gig in our vanity.
Full Size: 3.4oz ($59.50)
Size Received: 0.04oz ($0.70)
This perfume reminds me a lot of Viva la Juicy. It may be because they are both sparkling fruity-florals with base notes of amber and musk. Wonderstruck's top notes are raspberry, dewberry, green tea, freesia, and apple blossom. The raspberry makes this note special and the others make it sparking and fresh. It mellows out pretty quickly to the middle notes of vanilla, white hibiscus, and honeysuckle. And at the base is amber, musk, peach, and sandalwood. The peach is actually a really nice addition, it calms the musk and amber down a notch. It is a nice fragrance.  But I don't think it is anything special. I can see a younger girl loving this perfume. It is very youthful. But I don't see myself ever buying this for myself especially since the parent company (Elizabeth Arden) still tests on animals.

Alima Pure: Organic Nourishing Lipbalm in Rhubarb
Both wholesome and chic, this tinted balm is made with plant butters and delivers a natural flush of color. 
Full Size: 0.07oz ($7.00)
Size Received: Full-size! 0.07oz ($7.00)
My March Goodebox introduced me to this company and I've already purchased a full-size of their mineral bronzer. I love the philosophy of the company: they are certified safe and natural, are cruelty-free, and have many programs set up to help the environment. All of their products are vegan, except the lipbalms do have beeswax. We all know that I do use bee products when they are from companies like Alima that ensure the safety of the colonies. The size of the lipbalm head is similar to Softlips, very teeny. I need to apply it a few times over my lips to get full coverage. But the lipbalm itself is amazing. Rhubarb is a sweet, pink blush color that just adds a pop of color to my lips with a gorgeous sheen. Plus it has sweet almond oil to reduce fine lines and peppermint oil that leaves a refreshing tingle. The product reminds me of my beloved Alba's TerraTint Lipbalm in Bloom which also has SPF 8. TerraTints has better pigmentation and is cheaper, but Alima's formula has a more even application. Either way a great addition to my box!

Le Palais des Thés: Tea Bags in Thé des Alizés and Thé du Hammam
Little known fact: the French take teatime just as seriously as their coffee breaks - as evidenced by these sophisticated Parisian green tea blends.
Full Size: 20 bags ($12.50)
Size Received: 2 bags($1.25)
I love tea and currently have a sore throat, so this is the best lifestyle extra for me! The Thé des Alizés makes me want to drool. It is a green tea blend laced with white peach, watermelon, and kiwi. Does that not sound divine!? The Thé du Hammam is a Chinese green tea with rose petals, green dates, and orange flower water. I'm not sure I'll like this one as much, but it may still be delicious. The teas can be served hot or cold and have a small amount of caffeine. I've now tried both of them and let me tell you they are delicious. Although I would recommend using smaller coffee cups. I used them with my giant Amy's and they were very diluted, no matter how long I steeped. But I can imagine they would be packed full of the flavors if only an 8oz serving. The price is a bit steep for 20 bags but they may be nice to have as a luxurious treat.

Total value of my April 2012 box:$16.30

Not the best valued box I've received from Birchbox, but not terrible. As long as I like the products I received I'm okay with a lower value. And I have to say I am satisfied, there are a ton of great products that are AFFORDABLE! To me that beats out having a box worth a ton of money. I love that two of my products are geared toward younger skin and our troubles. Plus all of the beauty brands (aside from the fragrance) are from natural, cruelty-free brands. I don't get why the fragrance is considered earthy/natural when it comes from a company whose parent tests on animals and uses so many chemicals. It would have been nice to see a fragrance from say Pacifica or Lavanila. 

What do you think of my April Birchbox? How does my box compare to yours? Let me know in the comments below!

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Goodebox: March 2012

Vegan and beauty don't always play nicely. Many well known brands use animal byproducts or unethical testing methods to produce their products. I find it pretty easy to spot non-vegan ingredients when shopping for groceries, but beauty is a different story. All those long, chemical names sound alike. One type of glyercin or wax may be vegan another may not. If the company does not clearly state they are cruelty-free and are free of animal products I don't feel right buying. These subscription boxes are great, but every so often I do get a product I can't use. Well not anymore. Goodebox is here to rescue me and all my eco and animal conscious beauty lovers.

What is Goodebox?
Goodebox is a monthly subscription service that delivers trial size healthy, eco-conscious, natural beauty and personal care products. Each month you will receive 6 or more products customized for you. The brands and products that Goodebox send out have been thoroughly evaluated upon the brand's use of non-toxic, natural ingredients that respect earth, animals, and humanity. The samples will range from make-up, skincare, body, fragrances, and some lifestyle and wellness products. Every month is a surprise, but the samples picked are based on a very detailed, thorough survey that even lets you indicate color preferences, any allergies, vegan, sensitivities, etc. Goodebox costs $16 a month, but the value of your box will be way above!
Click here to join Goodebox.

March 2012, First Box!
The first month of Goodebox has arrived! I was a bit hesitant signing up for another beauty box, especially since it is a bit more expensive than the others. But, I could not resist because of Goodebox's mission to only provide products that do not hurt anyone. I was really impressed by the Goodebox survey that I took once I finally slapped down the plastic. It let me choose color options as detailed as 'what lip color do I like' and it had an option that clearly let me pick a vegan preference. Also, instead of being sent a long laundry list of product info and ingredients they email you a week after they ship with all product information, ingredients, instructions, tips, and coupons! Every month you will be eligible for a 20% discount at the brand's store for the full-size (25% if you fill out Goodebox surveys)! What I liked is that the promo codes are valid for a few months, I'll have time to decide if I love the product and want to buy the full-size. Plus, some of the promo codes are site wide coupons!

I'd say their website is still a work in progress, there is no login page to allow you to see your account details or allow you to easily update preferences, but that is on the way in the next few months. They said that if anything changes you can easily resubmit a form. So far I have found the company to have really great customer service by email, although their facebook page is a little slow moving. Hopefully the more people find out about this awesome box, the better it will get!

 The products came taped to the information card. It looked nice opening the container and finding such a nice display. But I found some of the tape would not come off and ripped the print off the info card.

Information Card:

Products:
Alima Pure: Luminous Shimmer Blush in Freja
You know that rosy, 'just in from being outside' look? Now you can fake it naturally. Pure, luscious and richly pigmented. Alima's Luminous Shimmer Blush goes on sheer and blends beautifully for a natural glow.
Full Size: 0.16oz ($17)
Size Received: Petite Jar ($1.50)
Freja is sweet mauve color with glints of shimmer in it. It is a really pretty color and goes very well with my skin tone. It is almost the exact same color as my natural blush. I've never used a mineral blush, but I looked up online and it says to use a very soft brush with little product on the brush and sweep across as normal. It is better to build up then have too much product on. In the swatch,] I caked it on so you could see the color, but on my face it is very nice and sheer. And the shimmer, although more coarse than I'd like, does not look bad at all. The weird thing is the color of my Freja looks nothing like the website image; it looks more like Plush or Demeter...

Alima Pure: Bronzer in Belize
Ah, the soft, natural glow that comes from a good vacation. At least, that's the effect of Alima's Bronzer will have on your complexion. Enhance your lovely glow, even in the dead of winter, with a touch of Bronzer.
Full Size: 0.16oz ($17)
Size Received: Petite Jar ($1.50)
Oh mineral bronzer, I seem to attract the stuff like crazy. The info card said I was receiving a face shimmer powder, but it looks like the bronzer is a different product... Although, I do really like this color. It is a light/medium clay brown that has shimmer. I like that the color is less orange and more tan so it matches my skin tone a lot better than some of the other bronzers I have tried. At first I wasn't sure if I liked the shimmer, but once on your cheeks you can't notice it at all. It is a pretty shade and will look great for a natural, summer look. It has become one of my favorite bronzers and Im thinking about buying the full-size!
In general, I'm really excited about the brand. Cruelty-free, all vegan (except lip balms have beeswax), and they even have a jar recycling program (return 5 full-size jars for them to recycle, although they cant reuse them, and get you get a $11 credit!). I already bought the full-size of the bronzer using my 25% discount!

Clairvoyant Beauty: Depuffing Cucumber & Cranberry Eye Gel
Instant rescue relief for puffy eyes is in sight! An effective combination of Cucumber and Cranberry Seed Oil soothes and calms irritated eyes while reducing water retention.
Full Size: 0.5oz ($32.00)
Size Received: Full-size! 0.5oz ($32.00)
This gel uses cucumbers to heal and refresh tired eyes and reduce fluid build-up, while cranberry seed oil is full of antioxidants and fights signs of anti-aging naturally! They are blended into an aloe vera gel for a calming and gentle, tightening effect. The instructions say to just pat a small amount onto clean skin around the eye, but not to rub, pull, or tug. I would have probably rubbed it in. On their website it says it is certified vegan and biodegradable. There were some amazing reviews for the product, people saying that you'd see it working on puffiness in minutes and you could actually feel it tightening. I'm really excited about this product. I put it on tonight and felt it cool and sooth right away. Then just like the review I could feel it tightening! I was a bit worried it was burning, but my skin isn't raw or red instead it's actually less sensitive than normal.

Clairvoyant Beauty: Balancing Rosehip Oil & Hibiscus Facial Serum
Balancing, deep hydration for all skin types, even sensitive. Rich in essential fatty acids, B Vitamins plus C, and DMAE & MSM, this anti-aging formula is naturally astringent and highly antioxidant. 
Full Size: 1oz ($69.00)
Size Received: 0.25oz ($17.25)
This serum focusing on balancing and hydrating skin. Rosehip oil is full of all sorts of fatty acids and vitamins and Hibiscus is a natural astringent and has antioxidant properties. I'm assuming by balance they mean skin tone will look even and hydrated. Im learning that even though my skin is oily it needs to be hydrated so I may try this out. If it doesn't work for me I think my mom would love it.

Stark Skincare: Grapefruit Cleanse + Hydrating Balm
This water-less balm is both cleanser and hydrator! Melt away daily grime and dirt, replenishing your skin with healthy, antioxidant-rich plant-derived oils and butters! Does double duty as a moisturizer, fly away tamer, and after-shave.
Full Size: 2oz ($35.00)
Size Received: ~0.5oz ($8.75)
I looked up Stark and it looks like the products I received are from their debut collection. They have a massive banner that shows they are an all vegan and cruelty-free company! The products are all molded around the fact that our city environments are harsher and more polluted but we keep putting harsh ingredients on and into our bodies. So instead they use plant-derived oils/butters, clay, and extracts to effectively and gently solve our city skin stresses. The Grapefruit balm is an interesting concept that is modeled after the oil cleansing method. All the chemicals in the cleansers we use actually dry out our skin and make it produce more oil, so instead the use of oils w ill remove dirt and makeup without leaving it dry. This has grapefruit extract to cleanse, shea butter to protect skin with natural SPF, coconut oil that has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties, soybean butter that stimulates collagen production, and green tea seed oil that is soothing. You just massage in, let sit for a few, and wipe away with a moistened wash cloth (or can use dry cloth). And afterwards you should tone your skin and moisturize. So you can just reapply the GF as your moisturizer!  The website warns not to use your fingers directly into the pot as your hands have moisture and water and oil don't mix! Really happy about this one! It got rid of all my makeup (well I didnt use it on my eyes) and impurities and left my skin silky soft. I'm not sure I'd use it as a facial moisturizer just because it feels a little too heavy on my skin.

Stark Skincare: Green Tea Detox Clay Mask
Purify, detox, and brighten skin with this clay, green tea and fruit extract mask. Mixed with your liquid of choice, use it as a spot treatment or weekly for soft, supple skin.
Full Size: 2oz ($25.00)
Size Received: ~0.5oz ($6.25)
I  have the sizes received as an approximation because they were not listed, but the Stark representative on their in-site chat let me know the two products were approx around .25-.5oz. This green tea clay powder is another cool idea. You just need to add a few drops of liquid, they mention water, green tea, pure fruit juice to 1/2 teaspoon of the powder. Apply an even layer and wash with warm water once it completely dries. Green tea helps repair damage from the sun and air, plus it has two types of clay that help tone skin and imrpove skin clarity. It also has apple and lime extracts that exfoliate away dead skin, improve elasticity, and leave skin refreshed. I love how it has so many roles and makes my regime a little simpler. I tried the mask yesterday, it dried realllly quickly. Like I had to rush to get it on my face because it was drying. It made my skin very tight while it was drying, but once I washed it off my skin felt smooth and refreshed. I may do this once a week and see if my skin tone improves.

Josie Maran: Bear Naked Wipes
Convenient cleansing with a blend of aloe vera, cucumber, and vitamin E. Free of fragrance, parabens, and petrochemicals, these luxurious biodegradable wipes are kind to tender skin, leaving it feeling nourished and refreshed!
Full Size: Travel Size - 8 Wipes ($6.00)
Size Received: Full-size! 8 wipes ($6.00)
It must be the month of makeup remover wipes. I don't mind these because they are my absolute favorite! While the LA Fresh wipes that I received were natural and vegan, they were like dry oil and not at all refreshing. But, I have used the Bear Naked Wipes for years and years and love them. They are moist, cool the the touch, and do an absolute amazing job removing make-up. I'll be going home for a week and half in May, so I'll be sure to bring all my makeup wipes!

Total Value of my March 2012 Goodebox: $73.25
I am beyond impressed with my first box. Quick delivery, awesome customer service, all vegan and eco products, plus I received such a range of products. I love that I have new makeup to try out since I have so many skincare products from my boxes. But the skincare products I did receive are innovative and really exciting! I am definitely staying on board and really look forward to future months.


What did you think of my Goodebox? How does it compare to yours? Did you receive any different products than me? Let me know in the comments below!
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