Beauty subscription boxes used to baffle me a little…I couldn’t understand why would someone pay for samples, that in my opinion, should be given out for free. Then I was given a six-month subscription to one as a birthday gift and realized that maybe I was all wrong about them. Most of the time they include large-size samples or even full-size products, and they often give you discounts if you decide to purchase the full product in the future. I also realized that it makes sense to try something a few times before buying random new products in a full-size, a mistake I’ve made many times (resulting in a bust and the bottle ending up in the garbage a few months later!).
As I have been attempting to slowly make a change to safer products, I decided that trying out some different subscriptions might be a good place to start, and why not review them for all of you to reap the benefits of my trials and errors!
I turned to my good friend, Google, to research what was out there. I found boxes with every possible goal in mind and many that covered several. These included safe, all-natural, vegan, eco-friendly, made by hand, organic, made in the USA, sustainable production, cruelty-free, gluten-free, recycled, non-toxic, non-GMO, impact or charity based, and so on…WOW!
So, here we go, the first of my LivLight beauty subscription box reviews…
Company… LOVE GOODLY
Website… www.lovegoodly.com
Month… October/November 2016
Guest Curator… Sunny Subramanian
Box’s Charity… Beagle Freedom Project
Cost of Box… $35 for one-time purchase or $29.95 for Bi-Monthly Subscription
Value of Box… $88
What’s inside…
Lippy Girl Makeup-Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow
-Free of petro-chemicals, silicone and preservatives, 10 possible colors to receive, comes in refillable pod
-$16(as listed on the Love Goodly insert card, but actually $21 when I went on the Lippy Girl website)
REVIEW…I received a color called Pinkie Pearl in my box and at first glance thought I wouldn’t like it. I’m not a huge fan of pink on my eyes. But, when I tried it out, I was very pleasantly surprised. The color is a perfect base for the entire lid (it actually reminds me of a Chanel color from my favorite quad, which always runs out first, and is not sold separately…something that has always frustrated me!) and goes on smoothly with an even distribution of color. The color blended nicely with my other eye shadows and stayed on throughout the day. All in all a great shadow and I absolutely love that it comes in a refillable pod!
VERDICT…This is definitely #LivLightApproved and I am excited to try some of the other colors and other Lippy Girl products.
The cosmetics with the Lippy Girl label are ecofriendly, natural, organic, vegetarian/vegan and animal-friendly. Neither our products nor ingredients are tested on animals, and our ingredients are natural, organic, vegetarian/vegan and will never contain chemical preservatives. –Lippy Girl Website
Blissoma-Scentless Stick Mini Solid Natural Deodorant
-Nontoxic and unscented
-$10 for mini size included and $16 for full-size on website
REVIEW…While I’ve always been a bit skeptical of the safety of my tried and true major brand deodorant, I have never made the leap to try a natural, non-toxic version. I worried that the safer ones may not work as well and honestly I like the fresh, clean scent of my drugstore brand! I’ve been using Blissoma for about a week now and while it goes on a bit sticky, it does seem to perform quite well even in some pretty sweaty situations.
VERDICT… #LivLightApproved
Every product in our collection is 100% natural, Certified Vegan, made in-house, and packed with certified organic botanicals, bioavailable vitamins, essential fatty acids, and skin-soothing seed oils. They are also 100% free of petrochemicals, parabens, synthetic colors, fragrances, vegetable emulsifying wax, pthalates, neuropeptides, or other artificial chemicals commonly found in beauty products. –Blissoma Website
Linné Botanicals-PURIFY face mask and wash
-All-natural botanicals and organic ingredients
-$58
REVIEW…I am very loyal to my daily face wash, but was excited that this product could be used as a weekly mask in addition to a daily wash. I love the list of natural, organic and wild-harvested ingredients including aloe, oils, coconut and dead sea salt. I’ve used PURIFY as a mask a few times and it has the perfect amount of grit to leave the skin feeling smooth and clean without that tight feeling that comes from products with harsh soaps and chemicals.
VERDICT…While I can’t give a verdict on this as a daily face wash, it is #LivLightApproved as a weekly mask
We value your health and only use safe, non-toxic biocompatible ingredients that are easily absorbed and processed by the body…We do not include petrochemicals, silicones, parabens, phalates, artificial fragrance, PEG products, T.E.A., D.E.A., B.H.A., synthetic colors, hydroquinone, formaldehyde, lauryl sulphate, triclosan, boric acid or lead. –Linné Website
Rawxies-Lemon Poppy Seed Heart Bar
-Nutritious, gluten, soy and dairy free, low calorie bar, not heated above 105 degrees
-$2
REVIEW…The Love Goodly insert card said Lemon Poppy Seed or Mint Chocolate Chip Heart bar and I have to admit I was bummed to receive the lemon (I LOVE mint chip anything!!!!). However, when I took a bite, I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. This bar (or more like cookie) is soft, sweet and absolutely delicious! When I looked at the list of ingredients, I was even more stoked…all real ingredients and free of gluten, soy, dairy, artificial sweenteners and refined sugar. Woohoo!
VERDICT…While these cookies are healthy, they are still cookies and need to be treated that way. Totally #LivLightApproved as long as they are eaten in moderation! I am so excited to try more of the Rawxies products and feel good about giving them to my four-year-old for a yummy treat.
Rawxies can be enjoyed anytime of the day; breakfast, mid-morning snack, or dessert! While Rawxies are not calorically dense enough to be considered a true meal replacement, they could easily accompany a piece of fruit, a small salad or a cup of (coconut) yogurt to make a deliciously healthy and quick meal. With 130 Calories or less, Rawxies cookies were created for healthy snacking on-the-go. –Rawxie’s Website
Tribetats LOVE GOODLY Tattoo
-Non-toxic metallic tattoo safe for adults and children
-$2
Who doesn’t love a fun metallic temporary tattoo?!? This design, which was created specially for this LOVE GOODLY box, is super cute and I can’t wait to use it during my upcoming vacation. Will report back with details of application, how long it lasted and removal.
TribeTats is a premium metallic tattoo brand based in NYC, representing the intersection of jewelry, tattoos and body art. It is the only brand with perforated sheets, eliminating the need for scissors, and a metallic tattoo remover. It has also launched TribeTops – metallic-inspired tank tops made of luxury pima cotton. –Tribetats Website