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Beauty Box 5 February 2015 review

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Wow, has it been another year? I remember getting their last birthday box, which had a very celebratory nail polish set (I felt so, anyway). This time around they included a nice variety to get you ready to party.

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

february 2015 beauty box 5 contents beauty box 5 february 2015 information card

Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow in Vanilla Frosting: Aw, how cute. This seems like a lighter version of an eye shadow I already use so it’s going in the trade bucket. Too bad, since it’s a nice dainty tub and looks like a nice bright shade.

Revlon Colorstay Nail Enamel in Spanish Moss: I’m not so keen on the color of this, but I’ll probably try it. After all, I thought the same about a shade of taupe I received and it ended up being one that grew on me. The same could go for this! I don’t choose darker, earthy colors for myself but this could work out well once I try it. It’s a little more runny than I’m used to, but that can help cover the tiny spaces that other polishes don’t get to.

Absolute New York Absolute Love Strawberry Lip Balm: I thought that the other lip balm I’d gotten from this brand was also from BB5, but turns out it was in an Ipsy bag! I also ended up getting the green apple flavor from a trade I did, so I’m pretty well stocked. All the scents are wonderful and the tins are quite large so I’ll be using these for a long time. This one is a bit more on the subtle side.

Avon Big Color Eye Pencil in Natural Vibe: I’m still debating if I’ll open this and use it. I’m not quite sure how – is it similar to eye shadow? If so, I already have a similar creamy color that I’ll never use up. But I’m thinking this could be something I dab under my eyes to help lighten them up. Would that look odd? Maybe I’ll try it.

GlamGlow Youth Mud Tinglexfoliate Treatment: This is the kind of product that’s right up my alley. When I get a chance to enjoy a bath or feel like doing a mask I’ll use this. I wish they could have included one more packet as a bonus!

Another exclamatory theme this month with “hooray!” BB5 is now three and liked the fun colors they used for the paper confetti. This box will be half keep, half trade or so. I would like to see less eye stuff all the time. It’s unfortunate when I have to stock them away for trading. What products do you like most from this month’s box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Beauty Box 5 July 2014 review

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I’ve been testing out this box for a few months and overall I’ve liked it enough to keep it, so I’m thinking of using it to replace my Ipsy subscription. Lately it’s been up and down with Ipsy, so I want to use up my bonus points to redeem a free item and then cancel it.

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

july 2014 beauty box 5 contents beauty box 5 july 2014 information card beauty box 5 july product cards

Revlon Bold Lacquer mascara: We just got a mascara in last month’s box so I’ve got plenty of this product and will probably save this for use a little later. Perhaps I should apply mascara daily, since my stash is growing far faster than I can keep up with using. I pretty much use mascara a few times a year and that’s it. Part of the problem is that some of them wear down and give me raccoon eyes. We’ll see how this one does.

HASK Argan Oil hair treatment: I’m going to treat myself to this along with a bath sometime in the near future. I don’t have many hair masks, so this is a great product to try, especially since my hair dries out pretty easily. I don’t have the silkiest hair, but it does a decent job of staying conditioned. Am I supposed to use a hair mask frequently to maintain that sort of shine? Will this really last for two weeks of shine? We shall see…

Body Drench Candy Licious lip balm in Red Licorice: I love these smaller tubes of lip balm – they’re adorable! The flavor is spot on and tastes very much like licorice. I’m not a huge fan of that flavor, but I’m fine with a little bit of it on my lips so I’ll definitely be using this up. The bright red tint is a fun color that adds a pop without being in your face.

Anna Naturals Glowing Mama scrub: First of all, this smells luscious. Kind of reminds me of my favorite facial exfoliating product, derma e’s microdermabrasion. It also feels so wonderful as I’m scrubbing it – my fingers glide around and the granules are rough enough to feel satisfying but not too large. I love it. I’m glad it wasn’t the sort of oatmeal-y or almond-y scent I thought it would have; it’s more refreshing than that!

Starlooks lip liner in Tipsy: I don’t use lip liner, so this is going in my trade pile. I have some other Starlooks items, which I like, particularly a glitter eyeliner that I use sort of like a light eyeshadow. I put a little on the corners of my eyes and smudge it in to brighten them and give a fun glittery effect.

The variety of items made for a very useful set of complementing items. I’ve got my eyes, lips, hair, and skin covered here! I won’t use all the items, but nearly all of them will get opened eventually. The “defining moments” theme was pretty vague so just about any products would have worked for it. What’s your favorite item in this box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Beauty Box 5 June 2014 review

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Holy cow, it’s June box time already?! With summer in full swing, we got a summer chic theme. These products add up to a nice, simple beauty routine. Just wash, cleanse, rinse, and then apply a touch of mascara and nice nail polish! Not much more you need, other than a lip balm, I’d say.

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

june 2014 beauty box 5 contents beauty box 5 june 2014 information card

beauty box 5 offer cards

Get a free box to try or $12 off a subscription!

Nicka K New York Nail Color in Ripe Apple: I first came across this brand in an Ipsy bag. I love the look of their bottles and the polish is a good consistency. Applying it was pretty straightforward and two applications offered the perfect kind of coverage. This color is bold but not too bright. A great darker look to fire engine red nails. I’m getting into nail art and this will be not only a nice canvas for designs, but great for little flourishes.

Organix Coconut Water shampoo & conditioner: These smelled really nice! I’m not even into coconut scents generally, but it was light enough to be pleasant and not suffocating. My hair felt pretty good after the shower, but once it dried it felt pretty normal again. I wouldn’t say this brand offered more or less shampooing and conditioning for my hair. I do like their argan oil conditioner though.

Glam Naturals mascara: There certainly will be no clumping with this mascara! It’s a much more liquid consistency than most mascaras I’ve tried. It’s perfect for when I want a little boost to my lashes, but still want that natural look. What a refreshing change from mascaras I’m used to. So far no smearing either; it seems to have good staying power.

Eslor Introductory Collection samples: I’m enjoying this set of products. They smell nice and are gentle. The scrub was a dry sort of formula, which is nice so a little mixed with water can cover a lot of area. It did tend to stick to the sides so I felt like I was losing out on product though. The mask is a green one that tingles a bit upon application. Everything felt good on my skin.

Vita Bath body wash in Dreamy Pink Frosting : I don’t usually use body wash, but I did give this a try and I like how it foams. It smells of sweet candy, so probably not something you’ll convince a guy to use. I didn’t notice if I smelled like that after I dried off though, so it can be a fun scent in the shower that doesn’t linger around too much.

I think the box as a whole was a nice package. I could use each item without feeling like I was covering the same part of a routine twice. They all build on each other to help you prepare for a day! What do you think of the box this month?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

The right wallet/purse/clutch fit

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iphone wallet and clutchesFor the past couple of months, I’ve been trying out different wallet solutions. I’ve been bored of the standard purse for a long time and I hardly need it since I sit at work all day. I’d been using little bags like the black one pictured (which is my favorite Ipsy bag), but then I decided to downsize to the bare minimum. I switched to the brown iPhone wallet, which holds my phone and a few cards. There was barely even room for cash. I liked that everything was rather consolidated and I always had my most important things connected to each other. However, after awhile I started to get tired of having a bulky phone every time I wanted to speak on the phone.

When I was in China doing my shopping, I came across some wallet clutches that I liked, but got too ambitious with bargaining and didn’t end up getting one. Luckily, I found that Target has a decent selection of the style I like and I recently got this fun coral bag. I like that it zips around, is large enough for plenty of cards and bills, and easily fits my phone. Now I can just drop my phone in and off I go with all my necessary items. When I need to make a phone call, I can still use the phone separately and not be weighted down by a case. I just need to get used to carrying it around – the very first day I brought it to work, I accidentally left it at my desk. Oops!

I’m sure as time wears on, I will get sick of stuffing my phone in each time I want to zip it up and go, so I’ll be on to the next solution. Needs change and along with them, so too will my choice in wallets, purses, or clutches.

reviews

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See all reviews. Only subscription box reviews. Find other product reviews below.

Beauty/skincare/personal care subscription box reviews:

Beauty Box 5 reviews (January 2014-April 2015)

blissmobox reviews (July 2012-February 2014)

Conscious Box reviews (May 2013-October 2013)

Escape Monthly reviews (August 2013-January 2016) I was subscribed from their very first box until they went out of business.

Fabletics reviews (November 2013-present)

Homegrown Collective reviews (August 2013-August 2015)

Influenster reviews (April 2013-present) not exactly a subscription box, but I do get them somewhat regularly!

Ipsy reviews (May 2013-August 2014)

Julep Maven reviews (December 2013-present)

Petit Vour reviews (March 2014-May 2016)

Prospurly reviews (October 2015-present)

Yuzen reviews (July 2012-present)

Food subscription box reviews:

Blue Apron reviews (October 2013-present)

Goodies Box reviews (March 2013-October 2013)

Graze reviews (April 2013-December 2014)

Hello Fresh reviews (September 2013-present)

Love With Food reviews (July 2014-January 2015)

Plated review (February 2014)

Treatsie reviews (June 2013-May 2016)

Other product reviews:

24ClearIt Acne Therapy Set

50 Shades trilogy

AdoreMe bikini & underwear

AdoreMe lingerie

AdoreMe robe

Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream

Coastal Flats

Curel Itch Defense

Din Tai Fung Los Angeles

Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Shampoo, Conditioner, & Moisture-Plenish Treatment

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free BB Cream

Hong Kong McCafe

Hotel Maya, a Doubletree by Hilton

iOS 7

iOS 9

Juice Beauty Organics to Clear Skin Kit

Julep hand care

Kaia Naturals Bamboo Tapioca Beads and Juicy Bamboo Cleansing Cloths

Kocostar Nail Therapy

LootCrate

MorningStar Farms Veggie Burgers

Murad Clarifying Mask

Naturopathica Skin Care Regimen Kit

NCLA Nail Wraps

Pepper Lunch Hong Kong

Physician’s Formula BB Powder

Pike’s Peak Rocks Geode

Powerbank backup battery & USB noodle charger

Schick Hydro Silk Razor

Seabuck Wonders Facial Cleanser & Cream

The Body Shop

The Zappos Experience (book review)

Tide PODS with Febreze

Uncontainable (book review)

Beauty Box 5 February 2014 review

laelene Post in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Here comes the February Beauty Box 5, which is their birthday box – happy 2nd anniversary to them!

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

february 2014 beauty box 5 contents

Birthday bash time.

beauty box 5 february 2014 birthday card and mynamenecklace coupon card

A birthday card and discount code card.

beauty box 5 february 2014 information card

Info on the products with prices of their full sizes.

beauty box 5 february 2014 information card back

Back of info card with ways to connect.

Rockstar Nails Nail Polish: I can’t find the name of this shade, but it’s a nice sort of teal shade. The formula’s a bit more fluid than I’ve been used to, but it applies nice and opaque in one layer. It’s a lovely color and the consistency is perfect to work with the caviar it came with!

Rockstar Nails Nail Sprinkles: This is a brand new product for me. I’ve seen ads for it and now I get to try this type of nail decoration too! How fun. I love how it matches the nail polish. I’ve quickly learned that this can get very messy – in just opening the bottle to take a look, beads were falling everywhere. Be sure you find a nice flat surface to go apply these on.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Shampoo & Conditioner: There are two sets of these samples. They’re generously sized and perfect to bring along on my next trip. They also come with coupons for $2 off a full size product, which is good for all of this year!

Aveeno Positively Nourishing Calming Body Wash: What a soothing combo of lavender, chamomile, and ylang ylang. I have a ton of body wash at the moment and since this is sealed, I will keep it to use later. I can’t wait! It could also be very useful for my travels.

Elizabeth Mott It’s So Big Volumizing Mascara: I got this in an Ipsy bag awhile ago and it’s the first one that doesn’t rub off after some wear. I like its thicker, somewhat glue-like consistency that makes it waterproof and rub-proof. I do have a lot of mascaras and I rarely use them, so I might still consider trading this.

MyNameNecklace Gift Card: This time we got a bonus item in the form of $10 off a necklace. That could be as much as 30% or so off one of these necklaces, which is a decent deal. I’m not sure if I’ll get something since I rarely wear necklaces, but for $25 I might just snag a Carrie style one.

For me, the nail polish products and gift card made this box feel like a birthday celebration. What was your favorite item? If you like what you see, sign up for Beauty Box 5!

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

December Favorites 2013

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collage of december 2013 favorites including home ownership, vitabath lotion, julep, wrapp deals, sweaters, reading, wireless mouse, red lips, cat time, and snowI nearly forgot to get this together before the month was over! Oh boy, it’s already time to think about Jan favs and I’m still putting together the Dec ones…

1. home ownership – As of Dec 13th, 2013, we officially became homeowners. The keys were handed to us and since then we’ve been slowly planning the move. Meanwhile, all our neighbors are in and everyone is wondering when we’ll finally get into this condo they keep hearing about. 😛

2. VitaBath lotion – I got this in my Influenster Rose VoxBox in the fall and boy do I love it! I’ve been using it frequently after showers and I absolutely adore the lightly sweet scent that is also cooling and fresh. Even with frequent usage, I’ve barely used up a quarter of it and it’s wonderful how long it’s lasting me.

3. Julep – I finally caved and got Julep when they came out with a mystery box I couldn’t resist. I was totally impressed by it and will definitely get more, plus I’ve subscribed as a Maven to get some new nail polish colors every now and then. I actually really like the beauty products that Julep makes and will use my subscription as a way to explore them.

4. Wrapp deals – When I first found these shoes, I took that picture to remember to look for something similar. Then I got a great Wrapp gift card deal for something like $12 at Charlotte Russe (which cost me and Panda nothing to send to each other) so I ended up getting that exact style of shoe for a fantastic price. I only take advantage of the free offers in the app, which saves me a good amount.

5. sweaters – Well, my first proper winter in over a decade prompted me to go out and buy some sweaters to wear. I was also goaded on by Autumnfall, who laughed when I showed her what I considered to be a sweater, all proud that I finally bought one. I’ve since gotten ones that even she can’t dismiss as not “real” sweaters. 😛

6. reading – For that period when my life was a hot mess of confusion, I escaped into reading again. My childhood was filled with books and it was nice to get back into it. I hadn’t read fiction in many years, whenever that 4th Harry Potter book came out. I was surprised that I blew through the 50 Shades series the way I did (I thought I’d long since lost patience for fiction since it’s not a business book that I can learn a ton from).

7. wireless mouse – The touchpad on my new laptop gets wonky at times (kind of often). Thankfully, a wireless mouse makes it easy to move the mouse around and strains my fingers, hands, and wrists less. I’m rather particular about the feel of the mouse and I’m glad I found this one for my personal use. I even have a blog post drafted for my pickiness when it comes to this and what I look for in the perfect mouse.

8. red lips – I went through a few weeks when I experimented with bright red lips. It was fun, bold, and playful. I even tried making lip prints like this one on Panda’s cheek. Prior to getting that red lip crayon in my November Ipsy bag, I probably only used red lipstick twice before. Now I’m much more comfortable with something attention-grabbing like that, but usually only at night, special events, and the weekends. Still not a normal thing for me.

9. cat time – Going home for the holidays and spending time with Missy again was amazing. I can’t wait to settle enough to bring her over here. Having a cat around calms me and gives me something relaxing to do whenever I’m home. There shall be no ennui when I can cuddle with my kitty or play around with her. I absolutely love waking up to a cat on my chest or next to my legs, though I may never want to get up for work (or anything else) again.

10. snow – This was before the intense polar vortex/arctic chill madness. It was exciting to get snow again and get to sit by the window and watch it fall down. I’d be happy to get stranded indoors for a few days from a snowstorm so long as I have heat and food. 🙂

Oops, I left out a picture from frolicking at the beach, but I had a whole blog post on that so you can check them out. Returning to Los Angeles was wonderful and a much-need reprieve from everything else. What did you find to be your favorites in December?

September Favorites 2013

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collage of september 2013 favorites including kia optima car, kashi hummus crisps, mascara and eyelash curler, edinburgh castle, teavana perfectea tea brewer, sherpa blanket, dunkin donuts iced tea, bathtub with bath salts, biba purse clutch purse, walking trail, and sugar scrub

1. Kia Optima – I love my new car. Every time I go to drive it, I smile a little. The dual moonroof, the heated steering wheel and seats, the keyless entry, and the maneuverability are just some of the features that make it a pleasure to drive. I love the little touches too, like when the lights turn on inside when I get close to it at night. It’s like a nice little greeting, welcoming me back to the car and making me feel safer by showing me the inside is a-okay. I’m having a lot of fun with my car and I know I’ll be enjoying it for many years to come.

2. Kashi hummus crisps – This bag shown was sent to me for free by BzzAgent. I also got smaller ones of a different flavor from Goodies and I’ve gobbled all of them up. I like how they’re so crisp and light – none of that greasiness from normal chips, but still the same kind of crunchy satisfaction. I enjoy the flavor a lot too, which is mild and makes me keep eating more. It also feels like a healthier snack in general, so there’s less of a guilt component to chomping on them.

3. mascara & eyelash curler – I started to use a bit of mascara when I started to work since I want to look presentable and not like I just rolled out of bed. It’s been fun to do a little more than wash my face and put on lotion or BB cream. At first I was trying the Pixi mascara from the August Ipsy bag, but it’d leave me with darker under-eyes by the end of the day. I needed something that could withstand the heavy rubbing I tend to do without realizing. I’m used to touching my face and not worrying about stuff coming off or getting things dirty, so using makeup is not my forte. It’ll usually end up smeared all over the place over the course of the day, which is no bueno. Then came the September Ipsy bag, which had an It’s So Big mascara that I tested and found to be much better! It stuck to my eyelashes like it grew there naturally so now I don’t have to remember to not touch my eyes.

4. UK trip – Our trip abroad was so much fun! Pictured here is Edinburgh Castle, one of the many places we checked out in the four cities we visited on our 10-day vacation. Panda and I both liked various aspects of what we saw, experienced, tasted, and bought. I’m so glad we were able to do that trip and I look forward to all the places we’ll go in the future. For me, it was great to go back to the UK after 5 or 6 years, and for Panda, it was fascinating to leave the country for the first time. I’m glad we got to do it together and I know we’ll be returning.

5. Perfectea brewer – At the office are these two PerfecTea brewers from Teavana. They really do brew a perfect cup/mug of tea and I love using them! It’s always so cold in the office that I am constantly drinking tea – something like 8 mugs a day. That excludes any soda or water I might have around lunch time, so you can imagine how much I’m chugging all the time. It’s so easy to brew my tea with this contraption and I never have to worry about tea leaves getting in the way. Amazing.

6. sherpa blanket – I’ve snuggled up in this blanket every night and enjoyed the coziness oh so much. It’s instantly warm and soothing. In fact, it’s so good at putting me to sleep that I must beware if I crawl in the covers after a shower – I’m sure to fall right to sleep! I really wish I could bring this to work to curl up in, but would be a bit too much. Plus, if I was that snug I might not get much work done. I’m trying to convince Panda to get one more for us (me) to use. Maybe when we move to the new place.

7. Dunkin Donuts free drink Mondays – Starting 9/9 through 10/14, Dunkin Donuts in the metro DC area are offering a free iced tea or coffee drink! I’ve taken advantage of this every Monday that I’ve been working so far and I’m sad that there’s only one more left. I always get the peach iced tea, no ice, half sweet. Yum. Sometimes if they still have powered Munchkins or chocolate glazed ones, I’ll get some, but lately I’ve gone after work and by 7 pm they’re out of most Munchkins.

8. baths – It’s been years since I took a bath, but since I’ve gotten so much bath stuff in boxes over the past couple of months, I decided I would start using them. I liked it so much that I’m doing one bath a week now. It’s such a wonderful way to relax, clear your mind, take care of your body, and enjoy some peace. Each time I try a different bath salt, bubble bath, or bath soak. It’s been a ton of fun and my skin is loving the extra attention!

9. Biba purse – I got this cool purse in the UK on our trip and it’s been my daily bag ever since. I love the design and the quality of it. I do wish it had hooks for a shoulder strap, so I might try modifying it since I happen to have a strap that matches it pretty well. I don’t want to ruin it though, so we’ll have to see. For now I just hold it between my arm and body and for the most part it’s not inconvenient.

10. walking to lunch – The majority of lunches at work have involved us walking to the Reston Town Center and choosing whatever sounded good at the time. I like that it gets us moving and out in the fresh air for at least half an hour a day. Certainly better than driving somewhere, though I am going to start wanting some more options after a few weeks of that selection. Whenever someone wants to go get Starbucks or a dessert, I try to go so I can stretch my legs and catch up with them. Now that the weather’s cooling, it might not happen as much.

11. sugar scrub – Related to the bath thing, I’ve been using the sugar scrub that I made with Brandy of MommySplurge and it’s fabulous. After soaking in a bath, I rub it in until the sugar granules melt and I’m left with super-soft skin enveloped in a layer of coconut oil. I don’t even need to lotion after drying off! I’m all about keeping my routine as simple as possible – while I love trying products I generally am too rushed to go through a 273521-step skincare routine. So one product that will exfoliate and hydrate my skin in one fell swoop gets an A+ in my books.

365great Day 210: face masks

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365great day 210: face masksI’ve really gotten into face masks recently. They’re a nice way to get a deep clean and intensify your normal routine. I tend to get ones that are detoxifying and help draw out impurities, with ingredients like kaolin clay, mud, etc. Then I got a couple of paper masks from Ipsy in the last Glam Bag and I loved those! They’re drenched in a serum solution that made my skin so soft and very well-hydrated afterward. I totally took advantage of the deal being offered on the whole line of those face masks and got two each of their 16 types (plus one free as a bonus). While it’s not the most cost-effective to get the individual packs, this will allow me to try out all the formulations and see which ones I like the best. Variety is the spice of life, no? So over the next couple of months I’ll be testing these out and looking silly most nights. It’s totally worth it for the relaxation and skin conditioning I get from them. It’s a great feeling.

Yuzen Fall 2013 edition (August-October) review

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Yay it’s Yuzen fall time! I’m glad that the weather is still acting like it’s summer since I haven’t gotten enough of the warm days just yet. But hey if fall has to come then what better way than with a lovely Yuzen box? 🙂 I got this before my UK trip but didn’t have time to review it until now. As you can see, the lighting on my pictures got worse and worse as I lost sunlight. Ah, the new challenges of working away from home. So are you ready?! Here are the wonderful products from the August-October box (unboxing video coming).

Yuzen is now $33 per quarter (it was $26 before but now they started including more products with the seasonal frequency) and each comes with around 7 or 8 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent quarterly (Feb, May, Aug, and Nov) with no option to skip, but you can get one-time gift boxes too. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. Starting with the October box, I began to receive them for free. I was not compensated otherwise and all opinions are my own, irregardless of my relation to Yuzen. I just happen to think they’re awesome (as does everyone else I’ve heard from). :)

This is the first time they’re using the new packaging, so I wanted to show you that first.

new yuzen box exterior box in rectangular shape with blue flowers on brown cardboard

The new box keeps the same coloring as the previous, but with larger flowers and a narrower shape.

new yuzen interior box fits perfectly into exterior box

Now there is an interior box, which fits just right into that exterior box.

new yuzen interior box in rectangular shape with white flowers on aqua background

The interior box is a nice cardboard perfect for reusing!

yuzen box fall 2013 warm red theme with red tissue paper and red and pink yuzen paper

The inside remains similarly packaged. No more ribbon tying the box together.

yuzen box fall 2013 contents in organza bag

The dimensions of the box now match the organza bag size quite well!

yuzen box fall 2013 with info cards and business cards on bottom

Each brand’s promotional material can be found underneath the products.

collage of unboxed fall 2013 yuzen boxes

Two of the variations for the fall box.

Click on the pictures for the full sizes so you can enjoy all the details of each product!  You can even zoom in to read all the messaging.

collage of verve organics soul sister lavender nut sugar scrub tubVerve Organicssoul sister scrub: I love me a scrub! This is the first one I’ve gotten that is dry like this, so that was a change. They have large grains of sugar so you can rub and rub and rub. I wasn’t sure what to do with it – put some in my hand and get it wet or get the area I want to rub wet and start scrubbing. It was a new experience for me and I really enjoyed the nutty sweet scent. I do wish it was a little more held together by something liquid since it was hard to keep the grains from just falling away unused.

collage of coola organic face mineral sunscreen unscented spf 20 sample tubeCOOLA Suncareface spf 20 unscented: I’ve used their cucumber facial sunscreen from one of the earlier Yuzen boxes and I have a similar sample of the rose scented sunscreen from Ipsy, so it’s nice to have the unscented as well. I’m keeping this sealed until I’ve worked through more of my current sunscreens (which I’m not very good at doing since I always forget to apply them). If it’s anything like the cucumber one, then I will like it because it absorbs really well for a light layer that doesn’t grease up my skin.

collage of ajara skincare ayurvedic beauty tridoshic bath tea bag sachetAjara Ayurvedic BeautyTridoshic Bath Tea: This smells really healing! It’s such a pretty combination of flowers and plants that it’s a shame all of that is hidden in a muslin bag. I love that everything is organic and it’s all plants that I recognize. I just took a tea bath recently so I’m not quite ready to use this one, but if I ever have a long day where I need some healing, this will be my first choice.

collage of torie & howard organic hard candy in blood orange & honey tinTorie & Howardblood orange & honey hard candy: Yes! How could you go wrong with blood orange and honey in a candy? Make it organic and it’s even better. I appreciate the individually-wrapped pieces since I was afraid I’d find one giant clump of hard candy (you know what I’m talking about). I love the packaging and the tin can is very well made. It’s not hard to open yet the lid doesn’t fall off. Great design right there. The candies have a cute little TH imprint on them and you can throw a few pieces anywhere you want them handy, or just take the whole tin along. 🙂

collage of juice beauty organic green apple peel for sensitive skin tubJuice Beauty – Green Apple Peel Sensitive: I have the Blemish Clearing version of the peel so I did a side by side comparison on my face. One half was covered with my original one and one half was covered with this one. At first the Sensitive one tingled more than the Blemish Clearing one, but then it soothed while the BC one continued to feel warm and tingle a bit. The formula for this one is milkier/creamier, which might be part of the soothing action. It smelled creamier to me too.

collage of acure cell stimulating body wash bottle with moroccan argan stem cell, argan oil, and sea buckthornAcureargan cell stimulating body wash: I really need to try a different scent from Acure! In the January Yuzen box we got the shampoo and conditioner in almond scent, which I found just didn’t suit my fragrance preference. This body wash also smells like that so I’m going to have to pass on it and have Panda try it for me. I do like the concept of argan stem cells, though I have no clue what that means. I’m also just a little obsessed with sea buckthorn after the Sibu product in the December Yuzen box, so I wish I liked this scent.

collage of sanitas vita-rich serum bottlesanitasVita-Rich Serum: Part of their Moisturize line of products, this is a super rich serum. A single squirt was way too much for my face so it really packs a punch. I think two drops would have been more than enough for my entire face, so you can imagine that this would last a long time! Since I accidentally over-applied I had to rub it in for quite awhile. It still left my face a bit shiny since I couldn’t absorb all that, so definitely be careful when dispensing it. This is probably best used at night for your bedtime routine.

collage of sphatika with elixir of quartz crystal rose cleansing foam bottle face washSphatikaRose Cleansing Foam: Ok, this already wins because it’s a foaming dispenser. I get such a kick out of these and I really enjoy washing my face with pre-foamed cleansers. Elixir of quartz crystal sounds super fancy but of course is something I know nothing about. Nonetheless, I liked this product and found it to be very soothing. It’s supposed to be gentle enough for babies so that makes sense! Apparently the Bulgarian Rose Oil they use is rare (and hey I’ve never heard of it, so it must not be that common).

collage of sphatika with elixir of quartz crystal vitamin a night creme bottleSphatikaVitamin A Night Creme: If you didn’t get the foaming wash then you would have gotten this Sphatika product instead. It’s a rich night creme with a nice light scent I can’t quite place. I enjoyed the slightly flowery slightly herbal smell of it and found it to be very relaxing. It’s anti-aging too, which is a nice bonus. I’m so glad I got to try both Sphatika products! Being a Yuzen Ambassador rocks. 😀

What a lovely healing box we got this time around, perfect for the transition to fall. These products offer more protection for your skin as the seasons change and your skin adjusts to colder weather (unless of course you live in a tropical or desert region!). I really get a sense of warmth from this set of products that’s totally fitting for the change to autumn. I also love the new box design! The inner box is now going to house my nail polish collection and I’m sure I will find many uses as I accrue them.

Did you get this Yuzen box? Which version did you receive? What was your favorite product?

 

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