Green Grab Bag - Natural, Organic, and Vegan Beauty Sampling

In an effort to demystify the world of eco-friendly beauty, White Apricot has introduced the Green Grab Bag, a monthly sampling program that delivers a sustainable jute bag, filled with natural, organic, and vegan beauty product minis into the hands of beauty addicts across the United States.

Named one of Lucky magazine's "Five Eco Sites to Love" in 2010, White Apricot has become a go-to resource for staying on top of what's hip and hot in the eco-friendly world. Each week online, White Apricot spotlights the latest trends in green fashion, beauty, and lifestyle and directs subscribers to sources for featured products.

"The way Green Grab Bag works is not unlike other popular sampling programs, except in this case, every product in the bag - from cosmetics to skin care, shampoo and nail polish - is organic, natural, and/or vegan," says White Apricot's founder Carrie Pollare, who along with Editor Bonny Osterhage, conceived of Green Grab Bag as a way to give White Apricot readers the luxury of test driving some of the best natural and organic beauty products and vegan cosmetics on the market.

I was sent the Green Grab Bag shown above for consideration for review. If you think you'd like to try the Green Grab Bag program, you can choose from a $15 month-to-month subscription or a discounted one-year subscription at $145. Each month, you'll receive a bag of natural beauty product minis. If you find a product you love, you can order it at a discount through the White Apricot Exclusive Offers page. You can see the contents of the bags from the last few months at this link.

My Green Grab Bag arrived in eco-friendly packaging. I eagerly dove into the bag, discovering all the goodies. As you might expect, I had immediate favorites. The Vapour Organic Beauty Aura Multi-Use Blush Classic ($28) in Spark sang to me. Aura Multi-Use Blush is available in five universally-flattering colors work on all skin tones. We can give the Vapour glow to cheeks, lips, and eyes with one convenient stick. Aura blends like a dream for a polished look in seconds. No wonder Aura is the darling of beauty editors!

Vapour Aura Multi-Use Blush is made with 70% certified organic ingredients and 30% mineral pigments and vitamins. It nourishes with Vapour’s face-specific infusion of anti-inflammatory frankincense, antioxidant tulsi, and moisturizing and calming lotus flowers - all without chemicals.

I think Spark is a stunning peach shade. It applies and blends effortlessly for a pretty glow. Here's a swatch photo of Spark taken in full sun (which upped the shine factor). I applied it straight from the tube to my arm and didn't blend it.

The moment I saw Spark, I thought of Kelly at Gouldylox Reviews. Not only is she an active advocate for cruelty-free beauty, she's a peach blush addict. I think she would love Spark. Unfortunately, I don't want to give mine away.

I was also smitten by the sample from the Maris collection of pure skin care products. The collection consists of natural soaps, bath and shower gels, body scrubs, crèmes, and lotions. The pure scents are complex blends, inspired by the most beautiful places in the world. The spa-quality ingredients include African shea butter, organic Madagascar vanilla, Moroccan rhassoul clay, and Indian jasmine oil. Divine!

I had fun with my Green Grab Bag and think I'll order the next one offered. Fifteen dollars is a small price to pay for all the samples in the bag, some deluxe. You can find the Green Grab Bag at the White Apricot Web site. See what you think and let us know!

Photo at top courtesy of White Apricot/Green Grab Bag; other photos by Best Things in Beauty