Burt’s Bees Holiday Grab Bag Review: November 2012

Burt’s Bees is among my favorite drugstore companies and I always try to buy the grab bags when they’re offered because they always end up being amazing value for the money. This time the contents have been a bit disappointing compared to previous years since they clearly put less products in the bags.

For example, the 2011 bag contained 15 items and the 2009 bag had 25. But value-wise it was still a great deal, just not as great as it used to be in the past. Well, I really didn’t have much time to think about it and had to act fast because these grab bags usually sell out within a few hours.

On Burt’s Bees website it was advertised as their best grab bag ever filled with 13 of consumers’ favorite products and accessories. I got my bag for $20 with free shipping combining the code SPRING12 with their Cyber Monday promotion. The picture on the site is actually a good representation of the bag’s contents. Since most bags come with assortment of seemingly random products I think they’re aimed more toward people who really love anything Burt’s Bees (like me!).

Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil and Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter – both full size! 
Of these two I’ve only used the pomegranate one before and I know I like it. It’s slightly tinted and goes on very smooth. I always run out of lip balms because it just feels so nice to reapply them, so it’s always great to have more in my collection or spares.

Lip Shimmer in Raisin – full size! 
I used to own a couple of these lip shimmers, and my favorite was Watermelon if I remember correctly. Raisin is kind of close to that shade so I will probably like it as well. It also has a very slight plumping effect on the lips.

Honey Lip Balm – full size!
This lip balm was missing the box, actually I don’t know if it comes in one but since the other two were packaged I just assumed that it should have one as well. Anyway, since the seal was intact I didn’t let it bother me. Just like with the previous two, I was happy to receive an extra lip product to add to my collection.

gud by Burt’s Bees Orange Petalooza Natural Body Mist – full size! 
I love citrusy notes, and I just recently bought an orange-ginger body lotion to help me wake up in the morning. Now I will have this mist too! Judging from the reviews, all gud products supposedly smell divine so I won’t be disappointed.
Update: Just used it after shower, the scent is pleasant and not overpowering at all. Would be nice if you or someone in your house is sensitive to fragrances but still want to smell good.

gud by Burt’s Bees Orange Petalooza Natural Body Butter – full size! 
Although I have combination skin and prefer light lotions I still like using body butters on the roughest spots of my body like knees and heels. Supposedly this body butter is very thick and you almost have to scoop it out, but that’s exactly what I thought about another body butter from Burt’s Bees that I used a few years ago. I’m not sure which one it was, but it was probably discontinued since the selection on Burt’s Bees site doesn’t ring a bell at all. Either way, I worked around it by making sure the butter melts in my hands first and then applied it. Worked great, but too much effort involved.
Update: The butter wasn’t thick at all, it was thicker than your usual lotion but not the kind of thickness where you have to scoop it out with your nails.

Super Shiny Mango Shampoo – full size! 
Despite all the negative reviews about this shampoo I’m still excited to give it a try. You know I’m an advocate for anything and everything sulfate-free and half of those bad reviews are from people who say their shampoo didn’t foam well, and we know that sulfate-free products usually don’t lather at all. If you want to try this shampoo for yourself, right now Burt’s Bees is selling a discounted batch with bent bottles in their outlet. They claim it didn’t affect the product inside so maybe it’s worth a try. If interested you can buy them here.
Update: I can see why people thought it makes their hair greasy. If you read the label it says to make sure to lather it, it’s the lather that will help wash off the product from the hair. I had to wash my hair twice because of that, and the second time it worked like a charm. My hair feels very soft and I didn’t need to use hair oil afterward.

Naturally Ageless Smoothing Eye Cream – full size! $25.00
I have used this eye cream before and I’m proud to say that this is one of the few skincare products that I actually finished. It really does help with fine lines and puffiness, but may take a while to absorb. Like the previously mentioned honey lip butter, it came without a box. But since it’s sealed I really don’t mind.

Radiance Eye Cream – deluxe size $5.05
I tried this eye cream before and found it too greasy and shiny. This might work for those with dry skin and dark under-eye circles, but it’s just not a good match for me.

Burt’s Bees Keychain/ID Holder & Radiance Day Lotion – Travel Size $2.99
Can’t put a price tag on that keychain since it’s not on the site, but it’s really well-made. I like how it has that piece of elastic to hold a lip balm or anything else that fits. In the grab bag it came with a deluxe sample of Radiance Day Lotion which I haven’t tried before.

Two random items: Washcloth and Pumice Stone – full size?
Well I don’t really use pumice stones, I prefer to exfoliate my feet with glycolic and lactic acids instead so this will be given away, and I’ll find a place in my bathroom for the washcloth. I’ve never used one before but don’t mind starting.

The verdict: This appears to be good value for the money, especially if you wanted to try their new gud products or just stock up on some lip balms and potential gifts.