Yuzen July 2012 edition

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Wow, another month is upon us and I think it’s high time I shared what exactly came in that first Yuzen box that I was so thrilled about.  I must say, it set the bar high and really got me pumped for what’s to come, month after month.  Luckily, they definitely didn’t disappoint with their second one in August and I’m confident that the upcoming September box will impress me yet again.  Not only did I get quality products that look good, smell good, and make me feel good, I can feel safe using them knowing that they’ve been vetted for environmental & health factors.

Yuzen is $26 per month and comes with around 5 or 6 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

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 lotus wei energy mists included in the july 2012 yuzen box - three scents: infinite love, joy juice, and quiet mindLotus Wei Energy Mists – Joy Juice, Infinite Love & Quiet Mind:  These lovely scents were first to entice my senses.  There were three of the six variations, with each meant for encouraging a different kind of energy.  Joy Juice is tangy and bright (how do they manage to make a scent smell “bright” right? Yet somehow that’s exactly what it is).  I’m guessing that the citrus elements are what make it that way.  Infinite Love is sweet and warming with various rose elements.  Meanwhile, Quiet mind is fresh and gentle with a certain kind of herb-y fragrance.  Each is definitely fittingly named for its purpose.  Interestingly enough, I actually prefer to mix the scents rather than use them individually to enhance a certain element.

collage of kopali organics mulberries included in the july 2012 yuzen boxKopali Organics – Mulberry:  I tried these as soon as I was done taking pictures of all the products in the box (boy, it’s tiring work!).  They’re soft and chewy, with a little bit of crispness from the seeds.  They kind of reminded me of something I can’t quite place… they’re sweet and tangy with a little bit of an aftertaste/feel.  You know that slight itchiness you get in your throat sometimes?  Yeah, that’s what happened to me.  Overall I liked them, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy them.  Definitely a nice little sweet snack to pop in your mouth in lieu of something more sugary like candy.

collage of primavera revitalizing face scrub included in the july 2012 yuzen box with couponPrimaveraRevitalizing Face Scrub:  To start with, this bottle looks and feels great!  I love it when it’s pleasing just to pick up an item.  Plus, I was really drawn to the interesting cap it has – very unique design that I appreciate.  The scrub makes use of jojoba wax beads, whatever that means (they feel wonderful).  The beads are a nice tiny size and very smooth; I don’t feel like my skin is being sanded away.

collage of teatulia teas included in the july 2012 yuzen box - lemongrass and white tea flavorsTeatuliaLemongrass & White Tea:  I am a huge tea fan, so I definitely appreciated getting to try a new brand that’s so ec0-friendly to boot!  I LOVE the fact that the bag and pyramid pouch that the tea come in are compostable, which means I can bury everything the tea came in.  The lemongrass flavor was just fragrant enough without being too grassy and the white tea flavor was a nice tea that you could brew a little darker or lighter to preference.  Both went down smooth and were well-put together.  Plus, the silky pyramid bags are totally fun.  Also good that they don’t use those bleached strings, which I hear leave a LOT of waste in landfills (more than you’d ever imagine a little bit of string could cause).

collage of people towels handtowel in bee sweet design included in the july 2012 yuzen boxPeopleTowelsBee Sweet:  Ah this is SO adorable!!  I love it, and as you can see in the top right of the collage, I actually have two of these already from my days with Opportunity Green.  There are so many places you can keep a little hand/face towel handy though, so I could always use an extra.  Plus with this cute messaging, it brings a smile to my face every time.

collage of himalasalt himalayan pink salt included in the july 2012 yuzen boxHimalaSalt – Fine Grain Shaker:  I’m a sucker for things that come in mini and I this falls under that category!  I really enjoy the smaller size salt shaker and for the longest time I didn’t want to open it and ruin it.  When it came time, I used a chopstick to poke it in and tasted it raw… I’d call it “earthy” (in addition to salty of course).  Compared to idoized salt, this is more pure and you can taste the grounded element in it.

And finally, if you’re interested in reading the message from Ted & Jen and the info they included about each product, click on this image and zoom in.

collage of introduction message and information sheet included in the july 2012 yuzen box

 

Blissmobox: Blissful Bites

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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After much anticipation, I’ve finally gotten to enjoy my very first blissmobox!  This is the July box and I chose the Blissful Bites option to get my snack on.

blissmobox is just under $25 per month with shipping (or as discounted as just under $120 for 6 months) and comes with eco-friendly products in themes like beauty, snacks, home, pets, and more. Each month you choose from two or three themes, or skip if none of them appeal to you. They do not offer a referral program.

the choices for july's blissmobox: naturally hers, naturally his, or blissful bites

The three choices for the July blissmobox.

Inside, I found seven great items: 479° Popcorn, Beanitos chips, Crunchmaster crackers, Betty Lou’s cereal bar, Braga Farms pistachios, Giddy Up granola, and Panda licorice.  It’s a nice mix of sweet and salty, crunchy and chewy, all with plenty of flavor and goodness to boot.

collage of july blissful bites blissmobox with contents slowly unveiled

collage of 479 popcorn in black truffle and white cheddar flavor479° Popcorn, Black Truffle & White Cheddar – I’m actually not a huge fan of popcorn, so it’s a feat that I actually liked this one. The flavor hits you after you eat some and inhale… it’s very rich and a bit overwhelming, but strangely addicting. I’ve never really cared for truffles but this gives me just enough of the flavor without making me queasy.

collage of beanitos black bean chips in chipotle bbq flavorBeanitos black bean chips, Chipotle BBQ – These are so much like corn chips I’d never miss the old stuff. Great taste and crunch factor, though the chipotle BBQ flavor was a bit spicy for my sensitive taste. Still, I enjoyed them and would eat them despite the stomachache.

collage of crunchmaster multi-seed crackers in original flavorCrunchmaster multi-seed crackers, Original – Talk about extremely crunchy! These rice crackers offer a satisfying crackle as you eat them. They are tasty on their own, and probably awesome with dip.

collage of betty lou's justgreatstuff cereal bar in superberry acai flavorBetty Lou’s JustGreatStuff cereal bar, Superberry Açaí – Moist and luscious, with bits of fruit to chew on and a gentle sweetness. These are so much better than other cereal or energy bars! If I needed an on-the-go snack I’d totally have to get these.

collage of braga farms pistachios in salted flavorBraga Farms organic pistachios, roast & salted – I’ve never been particular to pistachios so I don’t lean either way with these. They taste much like other pistachios I’ve had and they’re organic, so that gives them bonus points!

collage of giddy up and go granola in notoriously nutty flavorGiddy Up & GO granola, Notoriously Nutty – Wow! I have never actually been excited to eat granola, but one bite of this and I was shocked into a smile. I think it’s the cinnamon that gives it a delicious sweetness, coupled with the slightly soft chewiness that makes this so good. This isn’t the dried-out, washed-up granola you may be used to.

collage of panda licorice in blueberry flavorPanda licorice, Blueberry – I took a bite and was surprised that this was a rather dry treat. I despise normal black licorice so I was reluctant to try this, but then I love blueberry-flavored things, so I gave it a shot. It has a nice mild flavor and kind of reminds me of a blueberry fruit strip or soft granola bar. There is a slight lingering taste of licorice but nothing too strong.

If you’d like more info on these brands, you can click below to enlarge the photo and read more.

information on brands included in blissmobox's july edition blissful bites

Yuzen: my first subscription box!

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , ,
8

I’m beyond thrilled that I finally got a package today!  Exactly one month ago, I first got into this whole subscription craze and ordered the anniversary special from blissmobox.  Unfortunately, that meant that I’d have to wait until early to mid-August to get my first shipment (and I have been waiting rather impatiently).  Luckily, a few days ago I came across Yuzen when I was checking up on one of the blogs I follow.  Everything about this brand appealed to me – the name, the aesthetics, the eco-friendliness of their choices, even their messaging!  I tried really hard to resist, but honestly I couldn’t.  When I caved, I decided that I wanted this to be a special gift from my boyfriend (haha :-P).  So, I brought it up to him and spent some time convincing him.  I’m an extremely persuasive person, so of course I got my way and he put in the order to get this box indefinitely – yippee!

I feel really fortunate that they still had July boxes available and the very next day, my package was sent out!  Now it’s a mere three days later and I got a wonderful surprise at my front door.  🙂  It’s a good thing that a thunderstorm came rolling by, since I only discovered the package when I went to bring in the chairs from outside.  Either the post lady didn’t ring the doorbell, or all three of us in the house missed it.  Anyway, I’ll stop babbling so much and share some pictures, which I was very obsessive about taking.  I meticulously documented just about every single move I made.  Another day I’ll go into why I instantly loved Yuzen so much.  Today it’s all about joy and happiness and fulfillment and excitement and… ok ok, on with it:

collage of yuzen july box from arrival on doorstep to opening of box

They make it so beautiful! The experience of opening the box is worth savoring.

Upon opening the box, a fantastic scent wafted up – I nearly rushed through the opening process to get to it, but I took a deep breath instead.  After all, this is all about bringing a little zen (and happiness) to my day, so why not take it slowly and truly appreciate every little thing?  The inside card includes a lovely message from founders Jen & Ted about the wonders of summer, which inspired July’s theme of “bringing joy, discovery and a celebration for the senses.”  They sure did accomplish that!  I also got a wonderful surprise when I saw the note from Panda (the boyfriend): “This is for my Panda Bear: a monthly commitment to a happy relationship.”  Yay!  <3

collage of yuzen july box including ribbon, yuzen paper, and info card

I can’t wait to re-purpose the decorations, especially the Yuzen paper (which I will turn into origami jewelry to be sold at Panda Loves)!  When you open up the card, there’s information on each of the brands included in the box, as well as why they chose it.  I definitely appreciate this information and soaked it all in.

collage of yuzen july box taken apart layer by layer until all products visible

I carefully took the products out item by item until I found them all.  There are Lotus Wei flower essence mists to help you connect with your inner beauty, a Primavera facial scrub to renew your skin, some Himala Salt for a pure addition to your meals, Teatulia teas to enjoy an organic & healthy beverage, a People Towels hand towel to save the world from paper towels, and Kopali Organics mulberries as a superfood snack.  I absolutely love these products; what a great selection from Yuzen!  I’ll reserve my opinions on the products for some other posts before this one gets too long.  Excuse me while I go try them all!  🙂

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