First things first: I did receive free product from Influenster to solicit testing and a review from me. HOWEVER, I had already purchased TWO bottles of this product before I knew there was or joined the campaign.
If it is par for the course for beauty bloggers to talk about candles, why not other home fragrance products?
I’ve been a Febreze junkie for over a decade. Meadows and Rain, which I’m pretty sure has been long-since discontinued, was my first favorite. Over the years, I enjoyed a lavender one (forget its name) for a while, then (oddly) the Allergen Reducer (I don’t have indoor allergies), then Thai Dragonfruit (discontinued), then the Tide one. I still use both the Allergen Reducer and the Tide-scented ones for different things – my brother-in-law is allergic to cats and we have two, so if he’s coming over we aggressively vacuum, and I hit the seating with the Allergen Reducer. It’s a nice, light scent. I have no idea, honestly, if it helps with allergens though. It’s the thought that counts?
Bought at First Sight
Well before I received the BzzCampaign invitation for Febreze One, I spotted the new bottles in Target for $5.99 with an on-product coupon. Because I’m a sucker Febreze junkie early adopter, I gleefully dropped one into my cart before realizing what’s cool about the product. The trigger and dispensing mechanism is intended to be reused – so you just purchase refill bottles that screw into the bottom.
Two Solutions in One Spray
Over the years, Febreze has evolved their line into a boatload of products. Aerosol air fresheners, candles, wax melts, car vent plugs, and more. Febreze One does not replace all of those by any means BUT it does solve for at least the first two. Instead of separate air freshener and fabric refresher products, Febreze One is a non-aerosol, dye-free, lower (but still effective!) scented product. I’ve mentioned the fragrance sensitivites in my household before; a gentler product suits our needs well.
If you like keeping fewer products on hand, Febreze One takes care of two needs!
Febreze One Fragrances
I first purchased – and adore – Bamboo. It has a lot of those Ozone-y notes I really enjoy (like in Yankee’s Margaritaville Mother Ocean candles). It smells clean and fresh without choking you out like some of those, “Fresh Linen,” type fragrances can.
I never would have purchased Orchid on my own as I’m not a fan of florals, and Mandarin didn’t appear to be carried in the stores I shop. With the BzzCampaign, I fortuitously received Orchid and Mandarin – and I’m happy I wasn’t left to my own devices. Both are light and fresh in different ways, neither oppressive nor cloying.
When sprayed, they linger for a little while as a whisper, but don’t stick to the fabrics or air indefinitely – but they do whisk away any unpleasantness fairly effectively. Judging scent alone, I’d repurchase all three.
Usage
Febreze One’s trigger and dispensing mechanism is able to be used continuously. Instead of finite sprays controlled by a single depression of the trigger can lead to spurts of product or disrupted, uneven distribution. Pumping the Febreze One trigger results in a steady mist of product that stops when you do. You can actually achieve that sweeping motion they advertise with this!
Cost
Frankly, kind of sucks. A Febreze One, “kit,” which includes the trigger and a single, regular sized (10.1 fl oz) bottle of product retails for $5.99. Refills are $3.99.
In comparison, a conventional bottle of Febreze Fabric is 16.9 oz and retails for $3-4 (a larger, 27 fl oz bottle goes for $4.99) or Febreze Air Effects goes for $2.99 for 8.8 oz (in an aerosol).
There are TONS of coupons for $1 off and lots of BOGO free coupons for the refill bottles out there, but it’s hard to say how long that will last. The product is new and they’re trying to drum up interest – of course there are coupons. I like the product, but it is costly for what it is.
Waste & Recycling
Old school Febreze bottles were intended to be fully disposable. That kinda sucks as a semi-waste-conscious person. Sure, Febreze sold a gigantic refill jug – but only in their Original Extra Strength, which I don’t love, and their Pet Odor Eliminator scent – which I also don’t love. The bottles themselves were common HDPE that could be recycled with most curbside recycling services, but the trigger assembly couldn’t. Boo.
Regrettably, none of Febreze One’s components are, according to their site, recyclable by most municipal curbside recycling programs. That would suck IF they had not partnered with TerraCycle to responsibly recycle these components. Additionally, the classic bottles’ trigger assemblies can be recycled this way, too, along with the vast majority of their other products!
On TerraCycle
The BzzCampaign had nothing to do with TerraCycle, but I was excited to learn about it. TerraCycle offers free recycling programs for items that cannot be recycled curbside. You sign up, pick which of their programs you want to participate in. You box up the eligible items, get a free shipping label from their site, then ship the products off to them. Points are earned based on what you recycle (earning seems to vary per program); according to their site, points can be redeemed for, “charitable gifts, product bundles, or cash for your favorite school or nonprofit organization.”
Pretty neat for something that is low-effort and zero-investment for me. I see it as a win-win-win. I’m reducing my family’s waste responsibly while continuing to enjoy the lifestyle we prefer. I’m not only NOT spending more money, I’m earning stuff or supporting causes that are meaningful to me. You can, too.
You can learn more about TerraCycle and their partnership with Febreze here. TerraCycle has tons of programs that include all sorts of things – energy bar wrappers, to cosmetics and personal care container recycling. I’ll Back2MAC all day, but I’m pretty sure they’re the only brand doing something like that. What of everything else?
The Bottom Line
I really enjoy the Febreze One products – the packaging is chic and lower waste. The lighter fragrances, absence of aerosol and dyes, appeals to me and my family pretty heavily. Febreze’s partnership with TerraCycle makes me appreciate them as a brand even more. I don’t love the price-per-ounce of the product so I will aggressively purchase with coupons. You can learn more about the Febreze One BzzCampaign here.