Native Box : August 2014

I had actually received this box first, but have been really unwell this month so didn't ever get around to reviewing it. Better late than never I guess, I'll make sure to do Septembers quicker, it should be here sometime next week yay!

Like GoodnessMe Box, Native box is a monthly subscription box (If you didn't see me latest post on the September GoodnessMe Box, please check it out here).

Native box is a healthy lifestyle and eco friendly box, that provides an assortment of natural personal care, food, lifestyle, household and even cleaning items in sample or full sizes. I love that this box contains more than just food items. This box is $24.95 per month (month to month, can cancel anytime), or discounted in you buy in 3, 6 or 12 month blocks. A bonus with Native Box, is that you earn points for all subscriptions and purchases made, which you can redeem for dollars to spend in their online store. They have items from the boxes available in their store which is really convenient.

Native box have more than one box type available for subscription: Classic box (I have this one), Vegan box (all vegan items), Supersize box (same as classic box but includes only the full size versions of everything) and Beauty box (beauty products only), so there is something for everyone. 

Here is my review of the August 2014 Classic box:

The box comes as is delivered in the post (not inside another box).

First glimpse of the box: There is no tissue paper inside the box, however I assume this is so that the packaging is more eco-friendly which I appreciate.

Like all boxes it comes with an information card, however Native box did not provide price information on the card. I did note that they had the items available in their online store, so where available I used these prices for comparison otherwise I did a search online.

First in the box was a packet of salted Koala Popcorn. I ate this shortly after receiving the box and liked it, however did not feel it was any different to normal salted popcorn. It would be convenient though having it pre-packaged rather than having to do it yourself. This retails for $1.95.

The first beauty product was this Anerah Rejuvenating Mineral Mask. I can't wait to use this, I just keep forgetting! I love the look of this and hope it works nicely on my skin. This is approx 5g of product which is worth about $3.70.

The second beauty item was some Papaya Ointment by Pure by Phytocare. I am a long time user of Lucas Paw Paw Ointment (since Childhood) and it never occurred to me to try anything different, but I love this. It has a different smell and consistency to what I'm used to but its nice, and I like the lip applicator. I now have this in my handbag instead and would repurchase. This was a full size product which retails for $5.95.

Next up we got some Organic Dried Figs by Essentially Natural. Dried figs were something I had actually really wanted to try but never purchased, so I was really happy to have these in the box. Turns out I don't actually like dried figs! But at least I know now and didn't have to go out and buy a full size product just to try them, so I'm a happy camper. This sample size was worth about $2.

Also from Essentially Natural, was a sample pot of their Organic Coconut oil. Again this was something I've been wanting to try so also pretty excited to be given this. I haven't tried it yet so will let you know what I think later on. This was a 25g sample (good size) which would be worth about $3.60.

This is a palm leaf plate set, a cute alternative to plastic plates and cutlery for a party. This was pretty different, and I liked this also. Not sure if I'll have the chance to use it, but would love to get something like this for future birthday parties. I wasn't sure how many were included in the packs online as it didn't state, but I assume each pack included 10, so this would be worth around $1.40.

In addition to the above items, this box included 2 'bonus' items which were not included on the card. My first bonus item, was this blemish control gel by Meditree Organics. Since getting this I have used it every night before bed and am really liking it. I also find the smell of the tea tree really soothing. This was a full size item that retails for $7.95.

The final 'bonus' item was a packet of Wotnot biodegradable wipes. Since having a baby, I'm constantly using wipes and always have them with me in my handbag so extra wipes can never go astray. I love that these are more eco-friendly so will be using these straight away! This was another full size item that retails for $2.95.

In Summary

This was my first subscription box ever, and it was amazing! I couldn't believe my luck at getting quite a few things that I had been wanting to try, as well as other things that I genuinely liked. There's honestly nothing in this box that I wasn't happy to receive. I calculated the value of the box to be around $30 so it was worth the $25 I paid which is great. I have already signed up for the next 3 months (they had a good deal going) and I think my next one has just been dispatched so should have another one to review very soon.

If you would like to sign up, you can receive $5 off your first box! Just use the following link: Get awesome Native box!

Riette

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GoodnessMe Box : September 2014

I recently became aware of the existence of subscription boxes, whereby you pay a fee every month, and you get a box of surprise goodies delivered to your door for you to enjoy. From what I understand, the original boxes were beauty boxes (makeup, skincare etc..) which were developed as a way for people to trial different products and new releases. However now there seems to be subscription boxes for all interests, including health, food, babies, and even pets! I was never to keen on trying any of the beauty boxes as I'm pretty set on the products I use day to day, but I recently saw a picture on instagram of the GoodnessMe Box and knew that it would be right up my alley. 

From what I can tell, GoodnessMe Box only has a limited amount of boxes and they open up the 'store' for a certain period generally at the beginning of the month, so if you want one you generally should be ready to buy as early as possible. Once you're signed on to a month-month 'contract' though it seems like you don't need to renew and are guaranteed next months if you stay on.

Some information about GoodnessMe Boxes (info from http://goodnessmebox.com/):

• Every month, you get 5-10 surprise health food goodies in your box
• Items are 2 or more of the following: Organic, raw, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, sustainable or vegan.
• Boxes are $25 per month (including delivery) if paying on a monthly basis, however if you buy blocks i.e 3 months, 6 months or 12 months, there are discounts. 

I wanted to start reviewing these boxes to give people a proper look at what comes in them, and also to provide information on the actual value of the items included. I've based the values on the information cards provided in the box, and also done my own search for best prices online to make sure they are not inflated. For the purposes of these reviews I will list both (if different) and a total for both the card's price and my price at the bottom. 

As a disclaimer I purchased the box by myself and this is my honest point of view.

So let's get into it!

The box came neatly wrapped with tissue paper, the overall presentation of the box was great, just like a present.

First glimpse of the boxes contents:

There were a couple of cards that came with the box, including this one which included details about all the items and a couple of recipes. I didn't read the card first though, as I wanted the items to be a surprise first!

The first item in the box was some Brookfarm Entertainer Brother Blend. This is a new product I believe and I am looking forward to trying this as I enjoy nuts and seeds, especially pepitas which it seems to depict on the package. This was one serving of 35g which was a good sample size. This costs $4.95 per 75g, so for this sample the equivalent cost would be $2.30.

The second thing that popped out straight away was the RosehipPlus Rosehip Oil Skin Boost Roll-On. Per the card this was a bonus gift, and seems to be great for stretchmarks, which considering I've only recently given birth will probably come in handy. I am happy to have received this product and will definitely try it. This was a full size sample, and per the card, retails for $14.95, however I found you can purchase it online at Chemist Warehouse for $9.69.

Next up was a sample of Museli by Yousli. I had not heard of Yousli before, but love the concept. Its an online store where you can make your own muesli combination which is delivered directly to you! This was the Gluten Freedom blend, and is another item I'm looking forward to trying. This is a serving of 45g, which is worth approximately $1.35.

Meko 100% pure coconut water. Although not particularly exciting, this won't go to waste as I use coconut water regularly. Per the card this retails for $3, however you can buy cases online making them only $2 per can.

This is the Cocolife Coconut Oil spray. I particularly liked the look of this one, and have already used it on some sweet potato baked in the oven which turned out really well. It was also good timing as I'd just run out of olive oil spray so I will use this as an alternative instead. This is a full size item which was great, and retails for $8.95.

Artisana Raw Coconut Butter sachet. I didn't mind receiving this, however from all the pictures on instagram, it appears other boxes received some Loving Earth turkish delight instead, and to be honest I was a bit disappointed I didn't receive that. The card shows this retailing for $3.95 however it can be found of iHerb $1.64 per sachet if purchased in a box of 10.

This was a sample of dark chocolate with sea salt by Kokopod. I've already eaten this, it was delicious and I would repurchase if available locally. Based on it being $10 a block, this sample is worth $1.20.

This packet contained 4 sachets of Natvia sweetener. I would like to try this so happy it was included in the box. The 4 sticks are worth about 50cents.

The last item was this Leda Bar in banana flavour. These are gluten free snack bars, and I ate mine as soon as I opened the box as I hadn't had lunch and quite enjoyed it. I liked the texture considering it was gluten free, probably a little too sweet as I could only eat half at a time, but there is 2 serves in the bar. This retails for $1.90.

Also included in the box was a voucher to purchase some Glow Inner Beauty Powder for $20 off (or 30% off). I noticed a couple of people seemed to receive the actual product in their box so I wonder what that's about? Considering I wouldn't actually redeem this voucher I'm not going to add the value to my calculated total, but have included in the boxes total as they included it on their information card.

In Summary

In total the value of the box was around $58 if you go by the card, or $30 going by my research online (this also excludes the $20 discount card). So either way, you're definitely getting more value than what the cost of the box is which is great, and something I consider important when getting subscription boxes. One thing I noticed was that they noted the Rosehip oil as a 'bonus' item, however had the item not been in the box the value of the box would not have been enough so perhaps it should have just been a standard item as it seems everyone received it anyway. I digress...I loved the fact that this box contained a number of things that I hadn't seen before and also a wide range of items. For $25 I think it was well worth it, and I have already signed up for next months box. I can't wait!

Riette

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