Talk About Subscription Boxes - March Goodbeing

My March Goodbeing box arrived last Saturday and I have had so much fun with this one. It's one of the best boxes I've received thus far. Let's just jump right in because there are a lot of good things to talk about in this edition of Talk About Subscription Boxes!

Here's a basic breakdown for those unfamiliar with Goodbeing, so skip this if you know how it all works. Goodbeing is a monthly beauty and/or lifestyle box that focuses on natural and cruelty-free products. You can sign up for the month to month plan or purchase an annual subscription which allows you to save 15%. From there, you can choose either the Standard plan or the Mini plan. With the Mini Goodbeing, you’ll receive 2 items per month, either 2 travel size or a full size plus a deluxe sample. This plan has an average value of $15-$20 but will vary month to month. The Standard plan has an average monthly value of $40-$50 and comes with 4-5 items per month in a mix of sizes that can be full size or deluxe sample sized. And, as an extra (awesome) perk you get to choose 1 or 2 items yourself each month. You can truly customize your Goodbeing experience to make it what you want it to be. You start off by filling out a detailed member survey about product preferences and concerns. Click here to check out the different plan options and how it all works.

This month I selected the Bellápierre Cosmetics Mineral Foundation. This finely milled, slightly shimmery mineral powder has SPF15, is Leaping Bunny certified, made with great ingredients and is totally vegan. This is somehow not their full sized foundation. It's 4 grams, worth $28.88, and their full size is 9 grams, $65. That's just insane to me! This is huge, so the fact that it's not their full-sized product just blows my mind. This is more than generous and will last me a very long time. I would normally be the shade Ivory but I decided to go for a much darker shade, Maple, to use as a bronzer/darker summer setting powder. I was actually unfamiliar with the brand (although it's one of the fastest growing mineral makeup companies in the world!) but I'm really enjoying this Mineral Foundation and I know I'll get a ton of wear out of it. It looks so natural and totally gorgeous on the skin. I'll absolutely have to check out some other Bellápierre Cosmetics stuff in the near future.

I was really excited to see the Emani Starstruck Lip Shine in my box because I haven't tried any Emani products and this lip gloss is beyond beautiful! It's funny, though, because I normally don't wear lip gloss. I used to when I was younger but I typically can't stand the goopy, wet, sticky feeling on my lips. However, there is something about this particular gloss that makes it really enjoyable. It's a gorgeous color, made with nurturing and soothing ingredients, that feels really great once applied. It's a bit heavier than the lipstick formulas I normally reach for, obviously, but I don't seem to mind wearing this one. I think it will look particularly stunning when there is actual sun outside and can truly sparkle and shine.

The other item I selected is the Shea Radiance Black Soap Antioxidant Body Wash in Unscented Pure. This 2 oz perfectly sized for travel body wash is really great, it's gentle, thanks to Shea Butter and Colloidal Oatmeal, but cleanses thoroughly. Shea Radiance is focused on creating products using natural, effective, concentrated active ingredients, like Shea Butter, to help defeat dry skin and eczema related skin problems. That sounds great to me since I have both dry skin and eczema. They also have an incredible story and mission behind their brand, so click here to check that out.

This is them still in their package. They start off really hard but when you soak them they get really soft and plush.

I also received the Art Naturals Konjac Facial Sponge Set. This $10 duo is comprised of a naturally white one, perfect for daily use, and one infused with Black Charcoal, designed for a deeper once a week cleanse. I've experimented with Konjac Sponges in the past and they're pretty great. They gently exfoliate, open pores, and help cleanse the skin better than just using your fingers or hands. I'll keep you updated on these.

Finally, I received a foil sample of Bedrock Balm from Bedrock. I haven't tried this yet but it sounds wonderful since it is made of Zinc Oxide, Lavender, Calendula, Chamomile and Vitamin E. It sounds soothing and hydrating, two things I love.

If you’re interested in signing up, you can click here to do so. With plans starting at $9.95 you’re bound to find an option that works for you whether you’re wanting to try out the beauty box or the lifestyle box. The box ships within the US but also to Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and the UK. A subscription would also make a great gift for any beauty lover in your life.

You can also find Goodbeing on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

And if you’re already a member I would love to know what you received so be sure to leave a comment below.

(FTC: I am a Goodbeing Ambassador so this box was sent to me for free for review purposes. I am not being compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Talk About It - KIND Soap Company

I don't know if I have ever mentioned this here on Beautiful Basics but I strongly believe in the power of kindness and living my life as kindly as I possibly can. My Mom is even the adviser of the Kindness Club at the high school she teaches at. My family is kind and I'm proud of our kindness.

A brand recently reached out to me who believes in the same things I do and I am truly excited to be able to talk about them today. Their name is KIND Soap Company and they create products that are KIND to your skin, KIND to the earth, and KIND to others. They not only create incredible products made out of the nontoxic, healthy ingredients that are packaged in environmentally friendly materials but they also donate 10 cents from the purchase of every product you buy and do a lot of other wonderful things. I'm so impressed. If you want to know more you can check out their backstory here or read their full mission by clicking here.

I honestly could probably buy every single item from KIND. Their entire store is full of affordably priced products, that are packaged beautifully that sound dreamy. I've been using, and absolutely loving, three of their products and can't wait to tell you about them. Keep reading for my thoughts!

First up, the Pumpkin Facial Fruit Enzyme Peel. I've used a Pumpkin Peel or two in my lifetime but none have ever smelled as delectable as this one. It seriously smells like pie. Pie! It is meant to be used once a week and left on the skin for 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how sensitive your skin might be since it tingles a bit but it's nothing too uncomfortable, at least for me. I typically leave it on for the full 15 and when I rinse it away my skin is initially a bit pink but after it calms down my complexion looks so much brighter, feels smoother, and looks way healthier. I think it's made a huge difference in my skin, the tone is much more even now. It comes in a very generously sized 2-ounce glass jar with a metal lid and a little bit goes a long way. I feel like this will last a very long time. It is $18, which is incredibly affordable. I can't recommend this enough.

The ingredients are as follows: Pumpkin Fruit Purée, Water, Glycerin, Vitamin E, Sunflower Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Glycolic Acid, Vitamin C, Organic Sugar Cane Extract, Organic Bilberry Fruit Extract, Organic Sugar Maple Extract, Organic Orange Peel Extract, Organic Lemon Peel Extract, Organic Cranberry Fruit Extract, Organic Neem Seed Oil, Organic Rosemary Leaf Extract, Organic Sunflower Seed Oil, Cinnamon Bark Powder, Ginger Root Powder, Allspice Powder, Nutmeg Powder, Organic Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, and Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate.

Next up, let's talk about the Vanilla Buttercream Foaming Sugar Scrub. The word "Foaming" really caught my attention and I love anything that smells like buttercream. This scrub, in particular, smells so, so, so, so good. It makes me salivate a little. Is that embarrassing? Well, whatever. It does. I'm kind of tempted to dig a spoon into the jar and eat it. I won't, but it smells so good I want to, and the ingredients are so simple and healthy that I probably could. I can't tell you how cool this product is. I've never come across anything like this before. It's the consistency of buttercream frosting but does great work scrubbing gently and exfoliating. It's creamier than creamy but is somehow also lightweight and rinses clean, besides the fact that it leaves behind a layer of smooth. It leaves me unbelievably soft and silky.

This scrub is made with: White Sugar, Sweet Almond Oil, Glycerin, Water, Sorbitol, Sodium Cocoyl/ Lauroyl Isethionate, Disodium Lauryl sulfosuccinate, Salt, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, and natural plant-based fragrance oil.

The final product I've been playing around with is the Lavender Fields All Purpose Stick. This stick is so versatile, it can be used in any way you could ever think of. It comes in a huge 3-ounce stick that you can use anywhere. If you're looking for one product that you can use however you want then look no further. You can use it as a lotion bar, lip balm, aromatherapy, hair smoother, deodorant, solid perfume, shaving balm, paw cream for your pup, whatever. I especially like using it on my lips and cuticles at bedtime since the true lavender scent is relaxing and calming. It's a perfect, true Lavender. This stick is really awesome and very handy to have.

It has been made using: Organic Sunflower Oil, Beeswax, Shea Butter, & Essential or Plant-Based Natural Fragrance Oil.

I need to stop typing now because I could probably go on and on about KIND Soap Company for days. I really love the brand, their products, and what they stand for. You can learn more about the company and their product offerings by clicking here. You can also find KIND on Facebook and Instagram.

(FTC: These products were sent to me for free for review consideration by the company. I am not being compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

7th Blogiversary + Birthday-to-Birthday Giveaway

Beauty is a lot more than just skin deep, but having clear, glowing skin or shiny, healthy hair can do a lot for your confidence, which in turn makes you more beautiful than you already are. Confidence is key and feeling good in your own body is really important.

I wrote that in the first paragraph of my very first blog post on the 15th of March, 2011. You can click here to read that post if you want.

It's been 7 years since then. 7 years since a very ill, sort of lost 22-year-old me decided to try something new, to try to find something I could be passionate about. I needed to find something I could pour my heart and creativity into since I could no longer work or do something that I felt was productive. I was sad and grieving the loss of whatever a "normal" life is supposed to be. I went from being able to do anything and everything I could have ever possibly dreamt of and endless possibilities to being unable to accomplish much more than getting a load of laundry done once a week. When I first got sick in 2009 I truly thought that I would get better but with time I found myself getting a little worse each and every day.

I wasn’t doing anything and I desperately needed to do something. After a year and 4 months, I couldn't allow myself to be down any longer so I decided to make a list. I made a list of things I enjoyed, trying to figure out what sort of thing I could and/or should start doing. I've always loved writing and I also realized I had long enjoyed reading beauty blogs and watching beauty vloggers on YouTube. My love of beauty and my deep affection for writing combined to become my something, my passion. Beautiful Basics was born and here we are 7 years, 409 blog posts, and thousands of followers later. I'm 30 now and much worse but I really do love this blog.

A few of you have actually, surprisingly been here since the very beginning but the majority of you haven't. Beautiful Basics started off as something incredibly different than what it has become. I originally shared very basic bland, boring DIY beauty recipes using stock photos. It was sort of awful. I didn't know how bad it was then, obviously, but I sure do now. Thankfully, it took on a life of its own and somehow morphed along the way into what it is now, which is something I am really proud of.

I can't tell you how much it all means to me and how much each one of you means to me. Each time you read my posts or leave me a comment I am so full of gratitude. I am so thankful for each like and each interaction. I mean that, more than you can ever know. And when companies reach out to me? I'm very thankful they want to work with me. I'm very thankful you want to read what I have to say. The support has been incredible and I'm just very thankful in general.

You've probably already guessed it from the title but it's time for the annual Birthday-to-Birthday giveaway. This giveaway spans the month between my blogiversary and shortly after my birthday, my 31st to be exact, which is why it's called the Birthday-to-Birthday giveaway!

I have a box full of goodies, a wonderful DIY beauty book and a necklace to give away to one of you Beauties! Inside the box there are full sized products, deluxe samples, and a few foil samples, too. There's an amazing mix of stuff! There's even a Kari Gran Essential Balm which is worth $98 alone! The book is called Pure Skin Organic Beauty Basics by Barbara Close. And the necklace is a Chloe + Isabel La Vie en Rose Convertible Necklace. This necklace is worth $56 so this giveaway is huge! I'll ship it anywhere in the world so you're all more than welcome, and encouraged, to enter!

All you have to do to enter is use the Rafflecopter form below. You can do as many or as few entries as you would like. All entries will be verified! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway