This box caused quite the stir in the NZ beauty world and I think Goodie Box received a lot of negative feedback purely as they had hyped up their 'birthday box' so much. It is understandable and I wasn't the only one feeling a little underwhelmed and let down by what was promised. You can read my initial thoughts here and read more about the products that came with the July box. This service costs $33.50, including postage and the overall value of this box came in at around $93.00, which isn't anything to turn your nose up at. A couple of the products I ended up really liking and a few left me feeling pretty ho-hum.
Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Repair Rescue Instant Repair Shot // [RRP $8.00 (10ml)]
I was a bad blogger and didn't end up using this hair repair shot. I got my hair cut near the beginning of the month, as short as I have had it in a long time and seen then it has been in really great condition so I haven't felt the need to use this. I should have given it a go on my very long hair, but just didn't get around to using it. Plus I think it is going to be a bit of a faff getting out of the shower, towel drying my hair, putting this in, leaving it and then getting back in the shower - but I will save it for when my hair is really needing it (probably in the summer) and it might pop up on the blog then.
Linden Leaves Eye Rescue Serum // [RRP $49.99 (15ml)]
Out of all the products I was most excited to see this in the box. You may or may not know that I am currently part of the Linden Leaves Online Ambassadors programme, where I am able to try out products from LL and review them for CM if I would like to. The products I have used have been stand outs (and I'm not just saying that!) so I had high hopes for the eye serum and it didn't disappoint. It comes equipped with a squeezy tube and a roller ball to dispense the serum. I've been using this basically every morning under my eyes and it is the most refreshing thing; the cold ball helps to reduce puffy eyes and wake them up a bit and the serum leaves them feeling well hydrated. The 15ml tube still has a lot more to offer in it, so it might get about 2 months+ use from it, so the price tag doesn't seem too bad when you think of it like that. Receiving this made the box well worth what I paid for it.
Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm // [RRP $6.99 (7.5g)]
I had already got a Carmex balm from a Sample Bar box last year and I've barely made a dent in that so I gave this one away to my sister (who also signed up for this box but never actually received it... but that's another story). I find this to be really strong on the lips and I think I ended up using it too much that it actually dried my lips out instead of moisturising them and that's why I stopped using it! I much prefer Vaseline or Linden Leaves as my preferred lip balm.
Manhattan Endless Stay Duo Eyeshadow in Bonnilicious // [RRP $22.00 (18g)]
Initially I didn't think much of the colours but after using them I find they make great base shadows. The pink works well as a base when I'm using my Naked 3 palette and it really compliments those shades. The silver works well when I want something smokier, or it works well on its own. They go on easily, very creamy at first and they take about a minute to really set completely on the lid. Once they set that don't budge and they have a very metallic sheen finish to them. This duo definitely surprised me in the end, although I'm not sure if it is worth the $22 price tag.
Benefit They're Real Push-Up Gel Liner // [Full Size RRP $45.00 (1.4g)]
Now to the liner that caused the most uproar, as Goodie Box promised we would receive it but the sample size was measly and I was expecting it to be a little bigger than the one we got. But anyway I still got to try it, so I can't complain too much. It took a lot of squeezing initially to get the product to come out of the tip and all of a sudden I had a huge lump of liner that came out so I ended up wasting a fair bit of it. Applying it was really hard at first, I am use to liquid pen liners that have small nibs to them, where as this one is pretty thick and I find it didn't allow you to achieve a crisp or thin line. The gel came out patchy and not densely black like I was hoping so I had to go over the liner a couple of times to build it up. I ended up with very thick liner that day, as the style of nib was like nothing I had used before.
As I have hooded lids I found throughout the day that the liner was transferring up into my lid leaving a faint black line that I had to keep wiping away, and that never happens to me when using a liquid liner. I think the full sized pen would work better as you have to click up the product. I imagine one click would dispense the right amount, where as with this sample I was just squeezing away and a whole blob would end up coming out. Overall I was left feeling underwhelmed, I would like to try the full sized or even one of the deluxe sample sizes as that would give a better idea of how this liner actually performs in the correct packaging. Plus it would allow more uses of it, and I can see this taking a bit to get use to.
Dr. Hauschka Hydrating Foot Cream // [Full Size RRP $43.00 (75ml)]
As foot creams go, this one is extremely expensive and I highly doubt I would ever buy the full sized. It did a nice job at moisturising my feet but I can't say it was anything remarkable or revolutionary. The two sachets only gave me two uses, and the smell was definitely very refreshing, it seemed to be a mix of lots of citrus fruity smells all in one. I think you can get a foot cream for a lot cheaper that will do the same job.
It was a mixed bag (or box) of products, some I liked, some I didn't. I have cancelled my subscription for Goodie Box now, but I have got the August box that arrived yesterday so the unboxing for that will be up tomorrow or Friday - keep your eyes peeled.
If you received this box I wanna know what you thought about the products in the end? Or if you didn't get the box, have you used any of these products?