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Whole Foods Hello Beauty Bag Review – March 2016

Ragan Buckley
ByRagan BuckleyMar 22, 2016 | 20 comments

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Whole Foods Beauty Bag
4.8 overall rating
17 Ratings | 5 Reviews

The Whole Foods Hello Beauty Bag is a curated collection of beauty products selected from offerings available in Whole Foods Market stores.  This was a limited-edition one-time purchase available starting March 18 and I have heard it may be their only beauty bag for the year (last year there were three).

My Subscription Addiction paid for this bag. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

The Box: Whole Foods Hello Beauty Bag

The Cost: $15

The Products: Deluxe samples of natural makeup and skincare items.

Ships to: In-store only purchase at US Whole Foods Market locations starting at 10 AM on March 18, 2016.  While supplies last. (FYI - can't find this announcement on the Whole Foods blog, so I recommend checking the facebook page of your local Whole Foods for specific details).

Check out my past review of Whole Foods Beauty Bags and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory for more great natural beauty deals!

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The bag came with an information card listing the items from the bag.

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RIJIGreen Organic Cotton Makeup Bag – Value $11.99

You can get these custom-printed to say whatever you’d like.  They all have different and very pretty interiors; I’ve tried to show you the lining of mine in this photo.  RIJIGreen is committed to economic empowerment and the end of human trafficking.

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Weleda Skin Food (10 mL) – Value $2.53

This is a thick cream that did not leave my skin greasy.  Apparently it can be used anywhere on the body.  It has lots of soothing ingredients like chamomile and calendula extracts.

Burt’s Bees Lipstick in “Sunset Cruise” (0.12 oz, full size!) – Value $9

I am not sure if different colors were sent out but I like the one I got.  In the swatch below, I have swiped it across my arm twice.  It is moisturizing and not too bold for those days you’d like to tone it down a bit.

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Here’s a swatch.  Sorry if it’s weird but I photographed three beauty boxes this day and my arms had like 7 swatches on them so I was having to go pretty far up my arm…

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Mineral Fusion Lash Curling Mascara in “Gravity” (0.57 fl oz, full size!) – Value $18.99

I love the formula; it doesn’t irritate my eyes at all.  Maybe not as dramatic as some non-natural mascaras, but I have sensitive eyes so the lack of irritation is a big deal.  I can’t say much about the curling, unfortunately – I can only wear mascara with contacts in because I get it on my glasses otherwise.  But I can only examine things up that close without glasses OR contacts.  Anyway, always happy to get a mascara that doesn’t cause eye issues!

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MyChelle Perfect C Serum (0.17 fl oz) – Value $14.96

It’s hard to tell if this is working yet after only two uses.  But, you don’t need much of this to cover your whole face, and I am pretty sparing with skincare in general, so we will see.  I like that the container is opaque and the product comes in a pump because that should help the vitamin C to last longer.  MyChelle has free shipping right now if you are interested.

Derma E Purifying 2-in-1 Charcoal Mask (0.5 oz) – Value $5.74

You put this on your face and let it dry, then rinse off.  I think it did an awesome job at clearing the pores on my nose.  I would totally buy this in full size.  In fact, I have a coupon from Derma E in my email inbox right now.  Hmmm…  (Sorry, it’s a single-use coupon particular to my account for answering a survey.  But Derma E is having free shipping on any order in March.)

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Evanhealy Rose Geranium Facial Tonic Hydrosoul (1 fl oz) – Value $8.50

This has a light floral fragrance and is just a pure plant hydrosol (obtained from steam distilling rose geranium).  I find that I need something a little stronger as a toner this time of year or my skin gets super oily, but I think this would be a good facial mist/setting spray or possibly a winter toner or toner for someone with dry skin.

Acure Pore Minimizing Facial Scrub (1 fl oz) – Value $3.25

For me, this is a very gentle scrub.  I think I might’ve been overdoing it with the Derma E microdermabrasion scrub lately so I will probably alternate this Acure one with that.

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Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant + (10 mL) – Value $9.78

I have finally convinced myself that I can use facial oils.  What I like about this one is that even though it is expensive, you don’t need a lot to get good coverage.  They say 2-3 drops and that is true!  This has lots of essential fatty acids and rosehip oil is also rich in vitamin C.

Dr. Hauschka Soothing Cleansing Milk (10 mL) – Value $2.69

This is a very gentle cleanser that does not strip the oils from your face.  It may be better if your skin is on the dry side (sorry, my summer skin oiliness is on my mind right now due to the weather we’ve been having!)  I like this in combination with the Tatcha rice enzyme powder in the morning.  Also, it was very hard for me to get the cap off the sample tube…

Verdict: The 2016 Whole Foods Hello Beauty Bag had an overall value of about $87, including the value of the bag.  That is phenomenal for a $15 beauty bag.  I liked that there were products for nearly every step of a cleansing routine (from cleanser, mask, and scrub, to toner, facial oil, and serum) and a few (full size) makeup items to boot.  While not every product was perfect for me, there should be something for everyone here and I’m happy with the mix of brands.

What did you think of the Whole Foods Hello Beauty Bag?  Were you able to get one?

Starting at $25.00
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Deluxe samples of natural and ingredient-conscious makeup, skincare, and haircare. In-store only purchase at US Whole Foods Market locations starting March 18. Available while supplies last.

Ragan Buckley
Ragan Buckley
Ragan stumbled across My Subscription Addiction in late 2013 and immediately subscribed to way too many beauty boxes. She's now focused on boxes for her cats and dog, vegan/vegetarian food boxes, and craft subscriptions (and she didn't give up beauty boxes entirely).

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20 comments

Alison

Did not realize that these were such a hot commodity when I purchased mine. There seemed to be plenty at my local Whole Foods. Have tried most of the products and really love them all. I was skeptical about the mascara, but I like it better than the Smashbox one that I’m currently using. I’ve already noticed a difference in reduction of wrinkles after using Perfect C Serum twice daily for 2 weeks. Wish I bought more for my friends!

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cpl100

I was disappointed that the lipstick color didn’t work for me. Was most anxious to try the Evan Healy product as it was recommended by my fav beauty blogger.

FYI, rose hip oil is excellent on burns. I have another brand of the pure stuff that I keep in the kitchen for when I burn myself. Helps to prevent scarring and encourages quicker healing.

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Sara

For those wondering, I’ve used the mascara & I can attest to its curling abilities. Nothing curls my lashes, but this mascara was amazing for me!

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Jitan

I totally forgot this…… Tried calling several stores around the area today, all sold out… So sad… ? Looks like a decent bag

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Melissa

What a bummer they sold out so quickly. No way I would take off work just to get one. There should be more than 20 per store.

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joy

This bag was awesome! I love the variety of prints for the lining and all of the products I’ve tried have been great! Several of the stores sold out right away but fortunately I have 13 locations within an hour’s drive from my house so I was able to get 4 of them from one of the smaller stores. I’m keeping one, gifting one, and will put the others up for swapping.

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Randi

I’ll definitely swap for one 🙂

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Karisha

I got one & loved it!

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Luna

I tried hard (after work) to get one, but all of the Whole Foods within driving distance sold out in minutes. One of the stores said they had a line of people waiting for the bag before they opened, and since they only received 20 bags they sold out in the time it took to hand out the bags! Well, at least they’re opening up another Whole Foods close to where I live, so I just may have an “appointment” that will cause me to be late to work the day the bags come out next year. 😀

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Sara

I love the bag! It’s adorable.

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Babs

Thanks to your alert I got into the store before 11 am when they had just started putting them out. I got one for myself and one for daughter. Due to three day special I got 25% off one of the bags. Love the selection of products.

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Cindy

I was hoping to get the discount on that but it didn’t come off. It did come off the facial wipes I bought at the same time so I don’t know what was the issue.

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Amber

How about they make everyone happy and sell this online instead of making it store only (the closest Whole Foods to me is 1.5 away), haha

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Wendy

Luckily a forum buddy sent me one! Living 4 hours away from WF makes it impossible for me to get! Why can’t they make us set our alarms early and scramble on the computer like Allure Beauty Thrills does? Do the hoops we have to hop through make it that much more satisfying? Uh… probably lol!
That aside, I really like it. I can’t wait to try new stuff (especially curling mascara) and appreciate Ragan’s tips and hints!

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Molly

So jealous I wanted this but unfortunately they didn’t release it on the weekend to be fair to those of us that actually have to work for a living

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Stephanie

Well, I work for a living and was able to score 1 for myself and two for forum buddies. Just saying, not everyone works Monday-Friday and when you shop at “whole paycheck”, you probably work for a living.

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Alex

Hahahhahaha “whole paycheck” …. Still laughing as I type this

Ragan

There were still some at the store I shop at on Saturday. I suppose it is luck of the draw whether you live near a high- or low-traffic location. (And for the record, I have a full time job…I just stopped in the store on my way home to take Nyx out at lunchtime.)

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Molly

Omaha was out by noon