Goodebox October 2012

I received my October 2012 Goodebox on Saturday - I can't believe how quickly it got to me! I mean, sure it's the end of the month - but from the time I received notification to the time I found the package in my mailbox, it was quick!

There was a slight problem this month... but it was mostly my fault. See, one of the products was substituted with another. To make that clear, Goodebox put a sticker on the product card list. Problem: someone placed the sticker in the wrong position. So, when I was comparing what I got with what was on my product card, I was confused.

It looked like I hadn't received the full size product, so I emailed them and did not expect to hear from them until Monday (I sent the email on Saturday). Oh my gosh - they replied within hours! They must have known the boxes were going to drop, and manned the email box... this impressed me to no end.

A few back and forths went by before I realized the mistake was mine - not theirs. I apologized, and the customer service rep was very nice.

There was one other problem as well: I received a Lip Glaze and a Lip Plumper from Eve Organics Beauty - the caps on both of these products had fallen off during shipment. This tells me they weren't screwed on tightly in the first place. Not Goodebox's fault - it was the manufacturer's fault. The products were dry (I live in Nevada, so things dry out quickly), but returned to normal after placing them in a warm environment for a couple of hours.

This box contains a lot of smile worthy products; here's what I got:

1) Anatomy Revitalizing Dead Sea Mud Mask: I have said time and time again that I'm not a mask kind of girl... but I will most definitely try this baby out. It's vegan and promises to heal acne and reduce wrinkles. I don't have acne, but I've had some weird breakouts lately... so I really want to give this a try. Hopefully this product will make my wrinkles cry and run for cover.
Retail price: $42 for 4 oz. jar

2) Clairvoyant Beauty's Nourishing Meadowfoam Serum - full size! If you've been reading me for any time, you know I'm a huge fan of Clairvoyant Beauty products. They're excellent and I love them. I don't always love the price... BUT this is one of the few companies out there that has great bundle deals on their skin care products. 

I've already given this product a try, and I love it. I will say, though, that I think I like the Balancing Rose Hip Oil and Hibiscus Facial Serum a tad bit better... but honestly just because of the scent!
Retail price: $69 for 1 oz. 

3) Eve Organics Beauty - Lip Plumper and Lip Glaze: I am a minimalist when it comes to my beauty routine. I admit that now that I'm older, I do have to take a few additional steps in the morning. I don't like doing them, but find these steps necessary in order not to scare my co-workers before they've had their morning coffee. Lip Plumper is not a step I want to add - I use Chapstick or lip balm, and that's a fine undercoat for me. 

For those who like these types of products, though, this lip plumper is nice. And the Lip Glaze is super subtle color and goes on smoothly.
Retail price: $15.95 each

4) Savvy Boheme Summer in Spain Whipped Cocoa Butter: Holy mother of fragrance, this product ROCKS my senses! I am in love with this whip! It smells just like a Lindt Dark Intense Orange Excellence Bar tastes... decadent! The organic cocoa and shea butters included in the product work wonders on my very dry spots (top of hands, décolletage (which is a fancy way of saying "top of the breast area").
Retail price: $14.50 for 3.4 oz.

5) Happy Face Foaming Scrub Cleanser: I am fairly disappointed in this product. 1) it did not foam. 2) It was hard as a rock, and getting it out of the container was a struggle. Once I got it out of the tub and was able to use it, I did like it - even though it did not foam. So if you buy this product, make sure you have a chisel on hand. You'll need it.
Retail price: $10 for 2 fl. oz.

6) Celtic Complexion Cream: This product was packaged beautifully (see picture above - it's the jar in the elegant organza bag). I really wanted to try this product this weekend, but was so busy with the other similar products that I did not. When I do, I will give a more thorough review - I expect to love it, but you just never know, now, do you?
Retail price: $42 for 2 oz.

Nitpicks: So, there were a couple of problems this month - the sticker announcing a substitute product was misplaced on the product card, causing confusion on what should be in the box and the lids off of BOTH lip products came off during shipment. Once again, many of the products are pretty pricey if you want to purchase them retail. However, I know for sure that Clairvoyant Beauty has great bundle prices, so that product - while pricey on its own - can be had at a remarkable discount if bundled.

Lasting Impressions: With the exception of the Lip Plumper, all the products in this box were Vegan. Now, that isn't important to me, but it IS very important to many other people out there. I imagine a whole buttload of people receiving this box were tickled to find so many vegan products in their tiny vegetarian hands, and I appreciate the work that went into curating such a wide variety of cruelty-free products.

Additionally, I have a case of the happies from my interaction with the Goodebox Customer Service team. They responded promptly, and their only concern was making things right. Turns out, they didn't really need to - but I do SO appreciate the effort. 

All in all, this box receives a big thumb's up from me!

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Clairvoyant Beauty

I had not heard of Clairvoyant Beauty until I received my March 2012 Goodebox. In that box, I received two samples from Clairvoyant Beauty: Depuffing Cucumber & Cranberry Eye Gel and Balancing Rosehip Oil & HibiscusFacial Serum. That particular box contained a lot of fabulous goodies, but the Clairvoyant products piqued my interest the most.

The next day during my morning routine, I tried both products and instantly fell in love. I felt the eye gel work almost immediately. The gel felt cool to my skin, and my under eye area seemed to tighten up after use.

The Balancing Rosehip Oil & Hibiscus Facial Serum smells wonderful, and I admit to wondering if the product would perform as well as it smelled. It does. I now use it regularly underneath my tinted moisturizer – and on non-make-up days, I use it alone. Using this product lends me a feeling of luxury – I admit it’s been very few times in my life that I can say I’ve used a facial product that boosted my mood. For about 15 minutes after using, I can smell the product (and I realize this may be a con for those who are scent-sensitive). It has an uplifting fragrance, and puts an immediate smile on my face.

The products themselves are out of my price range ($32 for .5 oz. and $69 for 1 oz., respectively), however I learned something really interesting when I signed up for their email list: The company offers some great product bundles, at an enormous reduction in price. Additionally, they sometimes have a fantastic sale: for Labor Day, they offered 65% off your whole order.

It was also through the email that I discovered their fragrance: Clairvoyant. They offered anyone interested a free sample vial. I sent away for it, and was first blown away by how it came to me. It was in a padded envelope, but when I opened it, I found the product to be carefully wrapped in bubble wrap. When I unpeeled the bubble wrap, I found the perfume sample wrapped up in tissue paper with a beautiful sticker on it. Inside was the vial of perfume, and a thank you note from Lexie Masterson, the founder of Clairvoyant Beauty.

When I tried the perfume, I instantly fell in love with it. The website describes the scent thusly: “Crisp floral-green top notes of bergamot and lime leads you into an exploration. Bulgarian rose middle notes blend with jasmine and ylang ylang to relax the senses and enhance your own natural harmony and beauty. Warm, lush, inviting base notes of tobacco, fir and green cognac suggest a subtle sexiness; the mystery and possibility of being a Clairvoyant woman.”

I describe it simply as “wonderful.”

I know that scent is subjective, so what I like you may not. I found this scent to be somewhat earthy yet provocative. It’s heady and summery at the same time. It reminds me of my youth: hippie stores, the then “new” natural scents, and a store my mom used to frequent called “Home and Garden.”  

I’ve found many natural scents do not last very long – but this one passed that test as well. When I took a sniff of my wrists about 6 hours after application, I could still smell the scent on me. That sold me - I wanted this fragrance pretty badly, but it was out of my price range – that is, until this weekend! I used the 65% off code, and got it at an immense discount!

Another Clairvoyant product I love is the Refreshing Cucumber Facial Toner. Thanks to the May 2012 Green Grab Bag, I received a full size bottle of this product. I use it almost daily – it’s gentle and effective and the scent is absolutely refreshing for summer use. I admit, the next one I want to try is the Simply Rosewater Toner. However, as I have a full size toner to still get through, it will be a while before I am able to try (and review) that product!

Are you interested in Clairvoyant products and don’t want to spend a bundle? I would suggest trying this great bundle they’re offering right now:  The End of Summer Collection. It includes:

• Fabulous Facial Cleanser (4 fl oz)
• Lavender and Sea Minerals Facial Toner (8 fl oz)
• Exfoliating AHA Scrub (4 fl oz)
• Skin Firming DMAE & MSM Cream (2 fl oz)
• Skin Firming DMAE & MSM Serum (1 fl oz)
• Gentle and Healing Rosewater Eye Cream (0.5 fl oz) -- all for just $30 (while supplies last)

See what I mean about savings? This company has great products, a founder who sends personal notes, AND offers their customers great savings.

I can’t say enough good things about Clairvoyant – I just know that I’m thankful to have discovered them, thanks to Goodebox and Green Grab Bag!