My Review of the September 2012 GOODEBOX

This is my review of the September 2012 Goodebox.

The stats:  $16/mo with free shipping
You get (per their website):  Healthy, sustainable beauty products delivered monthly

Here's what the September Goodebox looked like:

1st impression - "Hmm!  What is that poker-chip looking thing?"  

This box included:

Erbvia Lemon Sage Organic Deodorant - 1 fl oz - RV $5.40

Bamford Body Geranium Body Lotion - 1.7 fl oz - RV $6.45

Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer - .5 fl oz - RV $11.18

La Bella Figura Bohemia Verde Hair Oil - .05 fl oz - RV $1.25

Zosimos Botanicals Lip Gloss - Lip Stick in "Cinnamon" - .14 oz - RV $6.22

Go! Towel - 1 poker-chip sized 100% Bamboo "Pop-Up" towel - 1 towel - RV $1.49

Hess Natur $25 Eco-Fashion Gift Certificate to Hess Natur - RV $25.00

TOTAL ESTIMATED VALUE:  $56.99

MY COST: $16.00

A closer look at these items.....

1.  Erbvia Lemon Sage Organic Deodorant - (2 stars) - I wanted to like this!  I've tried organic deodorants in the past, and have yet to find one I really like.  This one is described as "an effective, woodsy deodorant with over 99% organic ingredients".  Woodsy is the key word here.  I normally wear deodorants that smell like baby powder.  This one smells like lemons in the woods.  The smell does eventually wear off, but it's very strong at first.  I have very sensitive skin and when I sprayed it on, my skin instantly began to burn and it lasted for several minutes.  The main ingredient in this product is alcohol.  The concentration was likely just too high for my skin.  For that reason though, it gets 2 stars.  

2.  Bamford Body Geranium Body Lotion - (3.5 stars) - This product goes on nicely.  It's not too greasy and smells like lavender and peppermint.  It absorbs nicely and is a nice product size.  However, as I've noted multiple times in this blog, I'm just not much of a lotion person.  Off to Listia goes.

3.  Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer - (3 stars) - This product is very thick!  I literally had to RUB it into my skin several times to get it to absorb.  Once it absorbed though, it did work nicely.  The scent isn't overpowering and a little bit goes a long way.  I appreciate this is an organic moisturizer, but I don't love it enough to give up my Oil of Olay.  Off to Listia this goes too!

4.  La Bella Figura Bohemia Verde Hair Oil - (Did not sample) - I just received a larger sample of another hair oil in my QVC NBTT, so I've decided not to sample this one.  It's going straight to Listia.

5.  Zosimos Botanicals Lip Gloss - Lip Stick in "Cinnamon" - (3.5 stars) - I like this lip gloss/stick overall.  It went on nicely and had staying power.  There was a matte shimmer to the gloss too, which was unique.  However, the color is bronze-y.  I have light blonde hair and hazel-blue eyes.  It just didn't look quite right on me.  I wish they would've sent a more neutral color to sample.  I will check out their website though to see what other colors Zosimos has and perhaps order one of those (even though I definitely don't need any more lipsticks/glosses).  

6.  Go! Towel - 1 poker-chip sized 100% Bamboo "pop-up" towel - (3.5 stars) - I was instantly intrigued by this product.  I promptly walked it over to the sink, unwrapped it, and got it wet.  This 12" x 20" heavy paper-towel looking thing emerged.  It absorbed quite well and wrung out nicely.  I like the product, but am not willing to pay $1.49 for a reusable paper towel in my daily life.  If I was going hiking/camping I may purchase some of these, but other than that, this isn't something I'd buy.  Still, it was fun to try.

7.  Hessnatur $25 Eco-Fashion Gift Certificate to Hess Natur - (5 stars) - I normally don't assess values to gift certificates/include them as a box benefit.  However, I'm making an exception for this one.  I logged onto their website and found some nice, reasonably priced items (ranging in price from $8 to $300+).  I looked in their "Sale" section, and was able to find a nice, organic cotton top for $20, plus tax and S/H.  The gift certificate applies to the tax and S/H too, so after I applied it (value $25), I ended up paying $2.95 for a new shirt.  That made me quite happy!  Can't beat getting a new shirt for less than $3.  That alone made this box worth it!

The final verdict:  3.5 stars!!  I really like that this is an organic box!  However, as you can see from my reviews, most of the products weren't ones I'll use or would purchase.  (In fact, all but the Go! Towel and gift certificate are going up on Listia today).  The gift certificate to Hess Natur is what saved this box for me and made it worth the money.  The price is reasonable and the value is good ($16 for 7 products, valued at $56.99).  This is the first Goodebox I've received.  I will definitely try this box out for another month or two before I decide whether it's a keeper!