Talk About Subscription Boxes - April 2018 Goodbeing

A lot has changed since I last posted, including the fact that I'm 31 now! I had the best birthday, maybe ever. I have been feeling so good and so happy. It's finally spring here, too, and I've been enjoying the sunshine, flowers, listening to the birds, and loving all things spring has to offer. If you follow me on Instagram you'll know that I posted about needing to take a little bit of time away because I was dealing with even more pain than usual but now I'm back to myself and ready to start posting again. So, let's get to it by talking about my April Goodbeing box today.

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.

There were so many really great choices to select from this month and I'm happy, yet again, with what I received. Spoiler alert, next month looks awesome, too!

The first item I selected this month is the kVoss NYC Lip Lover Scrub. I received the kVoss MagiK Shimmer a few months ago and sadly couldn't use it because of the scent so I was really happy to be able to try something else out from the brand. This scrub, first of all, is humungous. I've never seen a lip scrub come in anything other than a small little pot but this one comes in a 2 oz jar. It retails for $28, which seems a bit pricey at first but I think this will last for a really long time, even with frequent use. It smells like a delicious almond pastry and does a superb job of exfoliating the lips. I typically only use sugar scrubs but this one has pumice, as well, so it's even more scrubby and efficient than I'm used to. It gets off every single bit of dry skin and leaves the lips feeling soft, plump, supple, smooth and fresh. I'm loving this!

The Airbiotics StaBiotic Mist is the second item I chose to be in my box. This particular product is a new find, and obsession, but I've loved Airbiotics for a while now.  I loved this travel bottle so much, in fact, that I ordered a big bottle of it this weekend and I'm looking forward to it arriving so I can use it all over my home. This product, and every other product I've tried from this brand, has no smell at all and works to clean, protect, and freshen your home. It helps minimize allergens and control odors. My dog, Cooper, is unwell and had to go to the emergency vet last week so he can't have a bath. He's way past due but I used this spray on him (it says you can and they even make a separate pet spray) and it made him smell almost clean. He didn't even mind the fine mist. This is a wonder product. I'm also obsessed with their Probiotic All Purpose Cleanser and their Probiotic Natural Hand Cleaner. Their products are basically just water and probiotics. They are so cool!

I was really happy to find the Pure Anada Black Mascara in my box, too. I've only tried a single lipstick from Pure Anada, and I really liked it, but I'm always looking to test out more natural makeup. I currently have a mascara open so I haven't tried this one yet but I am so impressed with the tube itself. It feels incredibly luxurious. It's made of a weighty metal and it seems lavish. It has a beautifully simple ingredients list (Water, Rice Bran Wax, Olive Oil,  Cetyl Alcohol, Carnauba Wax, Candelilla Wax, Vegetable Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Acacia Gum, Iron Oxide, Aminomethyl Propanediol, and Phenoxyethanol) and is designed to build volume and length. I'm looking forward to trying it.

I also received Eco Armour Shaving Foam in Mint + Eucalyptus. I've tried this before, maybe from a Goodbeing years ago or maybe another subscription box? I'm not sure but either way, it's nice. It smells fresh and a bit earthy. It's nicely moisturizing and works great for shaving. I don't typically use shaving aids like this because I stick to an electric razor or my typical soap/shampoo/conditioner. I hate shaving so I don't like to make it an extra step and add in additional products, if that makes sense. You use it quite differently than you would a normal shaving product and I think it's really interesting. It works as a barrier on both skin and the razor. Very neat.

And finally, I found a snack sized bag of Lesser Evil Himalayan Pink Salt Organic Popcorn in my box. I don't eat popcorn but my Dad loved this.

In total, my box had a value of $77.60 and I'll absolutely use every item I received.

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 (Not Green) Cosmetics - Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer

I really enjoy concealer. I’m not sure why because it’s pretty much one of the most boring beauty products there is. Next to lipstick and blush, concealer is my favorite and I like to judge companies I’ve never tried on how good their concealer is. If a company can’t make a good concealer then I’m probably not going to love any of their other products either. If a company I already like makes a good concealer then you better bet I’m going to be obsessed with them.

Like Urban Decay. I’ve used a lot of their products over the years, you already know how much I love their blush thanks to my last post, and even though I’ve disliked some here and there I’ve liked most of them. I saw their Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer about two years ago now and even though I didn’t need a new concealer at the time I just had to have it. I picked up a mini and have repurchased many times since then. I feel more than comfortable saying that it is hands-down my absolute favorite concealer of all time.

I’ve told you before that I don’t love wearing foundation and instead I often just put some concealer where I need it and blend it out. The Naked Skin Concealer is the best concealer for this! It blends seamlessly into the skin and leaves skin looking like skin, but better. It’s hydrating so it works perfectly for my dry skin but also dries down, sets, and stays in place to last well throughout the day. The color Light-Neutral is my perfect color but I’ve also been using Fair-Neutral under my eyes lately. You know you really love something when you not only buy it again and again but also have it in different colors for different purposes.

The product itself really is weightless. It never feels like makeup. It doesn’t feel heavy or cakey or sticky or tacky. It melds with the skin and is such a gorgeous formula. It never creases on me or settles into my fine lines. I would say that is very easy to blend and has nice medium but buildable coverage. It ends up being demi-matte, so it looks very natural. I wouldn’t say that it provides full coverage like the name suggests, but I personally wouldn’t want it to. It covers whatever you want to cover up but doesn’t ever make your skin look like anything but skin.

I also love the tube and the wand. The flexible, soft applicator makes it so easy to apply and it always seems to pick up the perfect amount of product.

This concealer retails for $29. I always purchase mine from Ulta (I just bought a tube a couple of weeks ago and it was on sale for $14.50!) but you can get it from Urban Decay, Sephora, Nordstrom, Macy’s or anywhere else UD is sold.

And this product is cruelty-free, vegan, and free of super scary toxic things like parabens, artificial fragrance, or phthalates! You can learn more about the product and read the ingredients by clicking here.

Talk About (Not Green) Cosmetics - Urban Decay Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Blush

I really love Urban Decay and their Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Blush. They have a total of 16 shades and I have 2 of them. I absolutely adore them both and could probably own them all and be totally smitten with each and every one of them.

I have two of them. Quickie and Video. Please don’t make me pick a favorite.

Quickie looks crazy. Like, really crazy. Especially for someone who is as pale as I am. It’s a matte bright blue-based pink shade that makes me look so healthy. I’m obsessed with these kinds of colors because they end up looking so natural like I’ve been outside all afternoon playing in the snow and making snowmen with Chris Pine, or someone equally as beautiful. Each time I pop a bit of this on the apples of my cheeks I look healthy and fresh and flirty. I love this blush, a lot!

Video is very tame, especially when compared to Quickie. They couldn’t be any more opposite. Video is a matte soft nude shade that leans just the tiniest bit towards rose. It almost looks like a really natural, healthy bronzer and I like to use it as such. I especially like using it on the outer parts of my face and then using Quickie on my apples. Maybe I can describe Video by saying it makes me look like I’ve spent the afternoon on the beach in Bali with Chris Pine on the lounger next to me but I’ve worn SPF, so I’ve only been lightly sunkissed, not sunburned.

You guys… I swear I’m not obsessed with Chris Pine. I don’t know why I keep throwing his name around this review. He is my favorite of the Chris’, though. I don’t know why people like Pratt or Hemsworth most. I obviously like Pine but I also like Evans. I’m sure they’re all nice, though, and that’s what really counts. They all dress up and go visit sick kids in the hospital. I think that’s incredible. Well, I don’t actually know if Pine does but the other 3 are superheroes. Maybe Evans/Captain America is my favorite. Whatever, this post got really weird. I don’t even like superhero movies. Do you have a favorite Chris? Okay, okay, moving on…

These powders are buttery and rich. They feel creamy, somehow. They’re silky and super soft. They are supremely pigmented but go on evenly, never patchy. They last incredibly well. It’s like they have staining capabilities. Both shades I have are matte but they still kind of appear a bit luminous once on the skin. Like they take your actual skin and make you look healthy and lit from within! I don’t even know how to explain it.

As a final touch, they also come in really cool compacts. They look as gorgeous on the outside as the formula actually is on the inside. They're obviously hard to photograph but look very cool in person. They even have little windows that allow the color of the blush to peek through so you can see which one you've grabbed. 

These products are all vegan. Urban Decay has a cool section on their website devoted to their products that are vegan, so it makes shopping easier for those of us worried about animal ingredients. They’re also cruelty-free and free from parabens and anything terrifying and toxic. They might not be green but they are clean enough for me.

Have you tried any Urban Decay products? Have a favorite?