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24ClearIt Acne Therapy review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: acne, beauty, beauty box 5, boxes, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, subscriptions

10 April 2014

In lieu of the April Beauty Box 5, I opted for the 24ClearIt kit that they were offering. I received it today and I’m ready to see if this is a solution that will work for me! I’ve tried a bunch of products before and various things have worked better than others, but none have truly calmed my skin for that long. Part of it might be that I moved on to other products. I’ve never been very good at committing to one set of skincare. I just like variety too much!

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. This was a special promotional box in partnership with 24ClearIt.

Step 1: Cleanse. Active exfoliating cleanser to be used in AM and PM. This is a more liquidy cleanser than I expected, so I accidentally squeezed out more than I wanted to. I like the scrubbing feeling of the beads – just enough without feeling too rough on my skin or too weak to do any exfoliating. It had the slightest scent that was vaguely medicinal. I massaged it in until it started to get sticky from all the water evaporating.

Step 1a: Target. Advanced treatment mask to be used as spot treatment or full mask. A few times a week, there’s the option to add the mask to the regimen. It is very thick and smells a bit of the sulfur that is in it. I tried a little spot of it and it tingled a bit. It sure feels like it can help zap away trouble spots. I’m going to have to see how the entire face mask feels and I’ll probably only do it once a week.

Step 2: Clear. Essential clearing toner to be used in AM and PM. The toner was very watery as expected and smelled quite nice. Once again just a very light scent and it felt very refreshing on my skin. I patted it over my face and let it dry. It felt really good!

Step 3 AM: Treat. Clarifying treatment to be used in AM. I tried this for the first time at night, so I just tested a little bit of it to see what it was like. It felt tingly and I think this is the harshest of the products and might have the potential of drying out my skin. We’ll see when I apply a full face of it tomorrow morning. It definitely awakens the skin and I feel like bacteria is being killed off right then and there.

Step 3 PM: Restore. Recovery treatment to be used in PM. This is a really nice lotion that is far more soothing and healing than the daytime one. I can see how it would be perfect to restore the skin while you sleep. My skin felt wonderful after this and completely hydrated for the night. I felt no need for any other products, which I like.

So based on first impressions, I am liking this line of products. I took a picture of my skin before and I’ll compare it to how things are looking in a week or two. At the least, these products feel good on my face, which is nice. Only time will tell how effective they are for their purported use. I’m really glad I decided to try this and skip the standard box Beauty Box 5 sent out for April!

[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!]

Homegrown Collective March 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, cheese, cutting, food, homegrown collective, kitchen, knife, knives, panda, pictures, products, reviews, subscriptions

09 April 2014

You know, I’ve been wondering about the dry spell in sub boxes lately and I thought this GREENBOX should have arrived awhile ago. Whatever the case, I’m pleased to have received it today. This month’s cheese theme is very intriguing.

The Homegrown Collective GREENBOX is $39 per box + $9 shipping (or as discounted as $429 for an entire year, with options in between) and comes with fun and easy projects to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program you can apply to join.

Project #1, knife sharpening: I love this! I’ve never sharpened my own knives before, but I’m sure I could use them better if I did. It’s also nice to get another knife since sharing one with Panda can get tricky when we’re both trying to cook in the kitchen. I’m going to have fun with this one. For some reason it makes me feel like a Japanese sushi chef. I’m sure the gloves and goggles will also come handy in other work around the house in the future.

Project #2, mozzarella cheese-making: I’m generally not that into cheese, but I’ve been getting into it more. This is a perfect chance to explore that type of food and feel like a scientist in the process. I’m also really glad to have a thermometer I can use for food, so I can check the temperature of meat I cook in the future! I’ve never owned this pen-looking type of food thermometer before and I feel so professional just having it. I also had no idea herbs can go into mozzarella cheese, so I’m curious how that will affect the taste.

No third project this time (a first). I wonder if it was because it was hard to keep with the theme or if the costs of all this was already reaching the value they could afford to send. No matter! Onto the info card talking about cheese for this month’s theme:

To get your own awesome green projects, subscribe to the Homegrown Collective today. You’ll feel so much craftier!

Escape Monthly March: Ireland Box Review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, chocolate truffle, guide book, ireland, irish, pictures, plants, products, remedy cream, reviews, shamrock seeds, shortbread, soda bread mix, subscriptions, tea bags, travel

24 March 2014

Ok, so the March Escape Monthly box had no sheep, but I still loved it. It was very much food focused, which is perfect for me because I can always use more snacks. We eat far more than we use other products, so this helps prevent an overstock of items. I’m sure Panda will be happy about that. 😛

Escape Monthly is just under $40 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – see end of post) and comes with a variety of food, home, skincare items themed around a city. Each box comes with a Moon Handbooks guide for that region. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a lovely recurring referral commission program.

(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

Of course, who doesn’t think of green when you think of Ireland (particularly around St. Paddy’s Day?). I was actually surprised at how much green all the products have, giving it a very strong theme feel. I so wish I would have won this vacation… alas, hopefully I’ll win one eventually!

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to Living Abroad in Ireland – What a wonderful guide to have for any American looking to spend extended time in this beautiful country. I’ll certainly be keeping it handy for when Panda and I get a chance to go visit. And hey, maybe we’ll even be lucky enough to live there for awhile.

Human+Kind Family Remedy Cream – The fun packaging already sets the right tone. Then when I saw it’s all-natural and made in Ireland, this immediately got more bonus points. This cream is meant for all kinds of skin conditions, ranging from burns and scars to stings and sores. You can even use it for brittle nails! It has a cooling, herbal sort of scent that includes tea tree oil. I certainly feels soothing, but I’m going to have to use it more to see if it actually does anything to reduce irritation.

O’Neills Shamrock Shortbread – Mmm, what rich and buttery shortbread! I love the crunchiness and the sweet aroma. The shamrock shapes are large so there are only four cookies in the box, but each one makes a sufficient snack. This makes for a fantastic bit of Ireland that is just wonderful.

Butlers Mint Truffle – It says milk chocolate truffle on the card, but I actually got the dark chocolate mint. It’s a dark chocolate shell with a soft truffle center and little bits of crispy mint pieces. Yum! Certainly a very luxurious treat that tastes fabulous. Wow – it’s like a super fancy mint patty. I don’t usually even like mint chocolate!

Bewley Gift of the Gab tea – I can smell a strong tea through the plastic baggie inside. I haven’t yet brewed this, but it’s definitely the kind of tea I’d drink on an afternoon as a pick-me-up. If I was a breakfast person, it’d be a fabulous substitute for morning tea. Seems like it’s similar to Earl Grey.

Bewley’s Ground Irish Creme Coffee – Well, I don’t drink coffee so this is all Panda’s. I find it quite unique that the coffee grinds came in a can! I half expected them to be soaking in some creme or something. I’m sure Panda will like having a pot of this coffee – maybe we’ll even wait until his brother’s back so they can enjoy it together.

Hogan’s Brown Irish Soda Bread Mix – I’ve heard of soda bread, but I have no idea what it is exactly. I’m not even sure I’ve ever tried it, but it looks wonderful. As a huge fan of bread, I’m sure this will be much enjoyed (if I can make it well enough). I look forward to trying my baking with this product.

Auld Sod Shamrock Seeds – The bonus product is just precious. Shamrock seeds?! I love it and I can’t wait to get a little pot to plant them in. As soon as the plague of winter weather leaves us for good this year, I’m going to plant these! Think I’ll get any four-leaf ones? 🙂

I thoroughly enjoyed the items in this box. I actually discovered that there are variations and I’m quite happy with mine. The other type I saw had marmalade, soap, and a seaweed bath instead of the guide book, tea, and truffle chocolate. I already have the seaweed bath, own way too many soaps, and probably wouldn’t get around to opening a jar of marmalade for ages. What do you like most in the Ireland Escape Monthly box? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): MEXICOESCAPE or YOURESCAPE for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

Next up is Mexico next month! How wonderful that we’re getting another international theme. I love it! I expect some wonderfully bright colors and festive flavors.

Treatsie March 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, caramels, chocolates, pictures, reviews, snacks, subscriptions, treats, treatsie

20 March 2014

This month, the new premium version of Treatsie (which you’d get if you signed up after they changed their pricing) had a deluxe TCHO bar in addition to what I got. These bars are larger than the set of minis I have and include fun flavors like Galactic Gelato and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.

Treatsie is $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 3-4 brands (I am grandfathered in for $15 for 3 brands and fewer items). That means about 6 or 7 different flavors of treats (or 4 or 5 for me). Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program.

CocoaPlanet Salted Caramel and CocoaMint chocolate bars: I didn’t understand the “pearls of flavor” until I bit in and found wonderful little pockets of caramel or mint scattered throughout the salted caramel and cocoamint bars/discs. It’s a nice round chocolate “bar” and there are directions on how to make hot chocolate with it. I think that’s a fabulous idea! I enjoy eating them as is too.

Big Picture Farm Cocoa Latte, Maple Cream, Chai, & Sea Salt & Bourbon Vanilla caramels: I’m not sure about the two with coffee and alcohol flavoring, since I like neither, so I think I’ll share them with someone else. I loved the chai, which tasted wonderfully of chai and gave me a nice warm sensation. The maple cream tasted like a pretty normal caramel to me and it wasn’t until I’d been chewing it for awhile that some of the maple and cream was noticeable. If subtle was their intention, they got that down.

TCHO Minibar Assortment: These are packaged beautifully and each comes with a fun description of the taste notes: there’s the PureNotes dark chocolate – extremely rich and “chocolatey,” the SeriousMilk “classic” milk chocolate with caramel notes, the PureNotes dark chocolate with layers of “fruity” notes, the PureNotes dark chocolate with light and “bright” notes, the SeriousMilk “cacao” milk chocolate with lush and fudgy notes, and the PureNotes dark chocolate with subtle “nutty” notes. Well, I know exactly what to expect with these! I’ve enjoyed the flavors I tried and I think these bars are a perfect little treat.

I’m still glad I’m locked in for the original box for now. I was plenty happy with the contents of this box and don’t feel too bad about missing on a large TCHO chocolate. Do you like the contents of the box this month?

Homegrown Collective February 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beeswax, boxes, face scrubs, honey, lip balms, pictures, reviews, subscriptions, sugar scrubs, wood butter, wood polish

18 March 2014

I’m so thrilled about this GREENBOX! Honey is such an awesome theme and this one also incorporates beeswax. Not only are there items for your skin, there’s a really cool wood project too.

Project #1, honey lip balm: This sounds lip-lickingly good. Honey in my lip balm seems like a great idea for soothing, creamy stuff. The honey dipper is so cute! I’m not sure if I want to get it all sticky and wet. For the tubes, I’m thinking I can decorate them and make my own blinged out versions. Sharpies and gems at the ready!

Project #2, honey sugar face scrub: What a simple, wonderful scrub. I’ve known that honey is good for killing bacteria and I could certainly use that for the acne on my face. It’s a strange sensation to put something so gooey on my face and it’s amusing that it’s such a sweet concoction. I’m a sucker for a scrub!

Project #3, beeswax wood butter: Now that I have a home, I am always looking out for ways to add personality to it with home goods. Coasters are certainly a welcome project to make and having a wood butter to help care for wood is fantastic. I’m looking forward to polishing things up! [update: check out the completed project!]

Then there’s the info card explaining the bee theme for this box:

If you want some of these kinds of projects for yourself, subscribe to the Homegrown Collective now!

Ipsy March 2014: The Destination Beauty review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, ipsy, makeup, pictures, products, reviews, subscriptions

16 March 2014

Wow, quite possibly the worst bag I’ve received to date. Not a single item that I would use or plan on keeping. I’m also not sure why there were only 4 items this time – that’s never happened during my subscription. I might have to consider cancelling this and going exclusively with Beauty Box 5, which has been impressing me far more.

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

be a bombshell eyeshadow quad in bora bora – I do like this palette better than the other one I could have received, but that’s the only upside. I mean, how else can I make it clear on my profile that I don’t want eye products? I indicated in multiple places in my profile, but IpsyMatch doesn’t seem to work.

Vita Liberata Luxury Tan Lotion – I’ve never tried tan lotion and I’m really not interested in it. There were three other items I could have gotten instead of this and I would have preferred ANY of them. This is the only item I don’t want – bleh.

bareMinerals marvelous moxie lipstick in Get Ready – Adorable little lipstick, but not a product I use. I’ll go for lip gloss, lip balm, even lip stains, but lipstick just doesn’t work for me. The other item I could have gotten instead is a lip gloss… why didn’t I get that? 🙁

Chella eyeliner pen in Indigo Blue – What a cool color, but way too bold for me. I might try eyeliner on a night out (which happens like once a year), but not something quite so bright in color. I could have gotten a BB cream or nail polish instead and I would rather have received either. Hopefully I can trade for something I’ll use.

The bag itself was decent and I like the concept of featuring artists, but everything inside was disappointing. If you want to trade, check out my FSOT list.

Beauty Box 5 March 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, beauty box 5, body butter, boxes, facial pads, hand creams, makeup bases, nail creams, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, soaps, subscriptions

15 March 2014

Time for the March Beauty Box 5, with the theme of spring cleaning. The focus of this one is to achieve clean, gorgeous skin and I’m loving the items included!

The month of spring cleaning!

beauty box 5 march 2014 information card

Info on the products with prices of their full sizes.

Jane’s Pick All Natural Soap: They didn’t mark the variation on the sample pack, but based on the pictures on the site, it looks like I got Kind (orange, tangerine, vanilla). It’s a sweeter scent than I would have imagined but I like the lightness of the scent it leaves behind. It foamed up quite well and didn’t dry out my hands! That’s a win in my book.

Tree Hut Shea Body Butter: I got this in a blissmobox awhile ago and I love it! So happy to get another one, since I was just running out of it. The Coconut Lime scent is fabulously refreshing and the texture is amazingly bouncy in a way no other lotion is. I love how it absorbs in the skin and is not greasy at all. Plus, it’s supposed to have anti-aging properties to keep my skin in tip top shape.

Bellapierre Cosmetics Makeup Base: I’m not really sure how to use this since I’m not a makeup user, but I think it can help lighten the redness of my breakouts. I tried a bit and even though it looked a lot lighter than my skin tone, I think it blended in quite well. Could be good to use before I apply my BB cream, which I’ve found rubs off during the day and leaves my face looking redder.

H2O Plus Hand and Nail Cream: I love this brand and this hand cream smells so good. It also absorbs really well and doesn’t have any greasiness. I like that this is for hands and nails, so I don’t need to worry about a separate nail or cuticle cream. It feels great on my hands and keeps them nice and soft. I hope they sell travel sizes, because I’m going to want to bring this around with me!

Swissco Dual-Sided Facial Pad: Yes! These types of facial pads are a new staple for my beauty routine. I currently have one on the shower and one by the sink, but I’m delighted to have another one as they wear out and I want to replace them. I’m starting to be quite a fan of the brand in general, after the exfoliating gloves we got in the Jan box and now this facial pad.

What an awesome box this month! I love skincare products and each of these will be great for my skin. They did a wonderful job with the theme and including quality products that I would absolutely get more of. Which product stands out to you? If you sign up for Beauty Box 5 by 3/31/14, you can even opt to swap the April box for a 60-day 24ClearIt kit (valued at $59.95). It’ll come with five items as outlined below and I’m totally opting for it. Anything to try to get rid of my acne!

Julep March 2014: The Riviera Collection review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, boxes, exfoliators, lip glosses, lip scrubs, pictures, products, reviews, subscriptions

12 March 2014

This time when the selection period began, I was ready. A quick look at the profiles revealed that I much preferred the beauty products over the nail polishes, so I opted for the Modern Beauty option that includes two beauty items, with no polish. I then browsed the add-on options and decided to get a polish in Princess Grace. I was fascinated by the lip products that came with this month’s box, so I just couldn’t pass them up.

Julep is just under $20 per box and comes with 2 nail polish colors and a beauty product, 3 nail polish colors, or 2 beauty products (depending on your style profile choice). They offer plenty of upgrade and add-on options too. Boxes are sent monthly unless you choose to skip (skips are earned every six months for subscribers Dec 18th, 2013 and later). You also have the option of gifting your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes.

julep maven modern beauty march 2014 riviera collection box contents

March’s Modern Beauty Riviera Collection box

julep luxury lipcare buff lip scrub and luxe lip conditioning treatment information card

The info card with details on the lip scrub and conditioning treatment.

julep lip products offer card, referral card, and candy stick info card

Back of the info card with a discount offer on lip products.

The Luxe Lip Conditioning Treatment is hydrating and smells kind of coconuty. The metal tip is cooling and soothing.

The Buff Lip Scrub Pen is a lightly sweet smelling scrub with tiny crystals. I actually liked keeping in on after use to keep lips soft and moist.

I chose this as an add-on because it looked more vibrant orange than the corals I have, which are slightly more peachy/pink.

I do like the products, but I’m not sure about the price. I mean, $20 for two lip products? That’s pretty steep and actual prices if you buy them separately are even higher. In a way, I guess it’s good I got them in my Maven box, since that’s one of the better deals, but I probably wouldn’t repurchase unless they were heavily discounted. I do like both products and will use them.

Join as a Julep Maven to get polishes and/or beauty products sent to you monthly! Use code FREEBOX or FREEMAVEN to get the first box free (you pay shipping).

Plated review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, cooking, customer service, experiences, food, meals, pictures, reviews, subscriptions

08 March 2014

Awhile back I mentioned that I wanted to try Plated and then I got a comment from them offering a first-time discount. By the time I was ready to go for the offer, I had seen a Facebook promo for a “free” box (you pay shipping). Since I didn’t hear back from them when I asked what they could offer me beyond that, I decided to just try the box at that discount.

Plated is $15 per plate (serving) or $12 per plate with a monthly $10 membership fee (or as discounted as $96 for an entire year). Boxes are sent weekly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do) and require a minimum of 4 plates. They offer a referral link that gives 2 free plates to both the person you referred and for your next order.

inside of plated box with silver insulation lining keeping food cool

Inside the box is thick insulation.

collage of plated spinach and cauliflower empanadas with spinach salad recipe card

First up are the spinach and cauliflower empanadas with spinach salad.

plate of spinach and cauliflower empanadas with spinach salad

The result were some lovely empanadas!

I really enjoyed this dish and ended up gobbling up way more than I thought I could in one night. They’re kind of like an oversized dumpling and I love both cauliflower and spinach, so the filling was just to my taste. It was nice to have a little bit of fresh spinach on the side too, tossed in a tart dressing. It made a wonderful lunch the next day and I’d totally make them again. I might even try putting a little bit of meat in there for some more substance.

collage of plated arroz con pollo recipe card

This one was Panda’s pick.

collage of cooking plated arroz con pollo dish

The green pepper was moldy.

A very South American looking dish.

I liked this dish, but I don’t think I’d crave it. The green pepper I got was moldy and I contacted Plated’s support with no response. I used a little bit of it from the fresh parts that were still ok. This was the first time I’d ever cooked rice this way, first heating it on the stove and then sticking it in the oven. I definitely could have added more seasoning to the rice since it was rather bland.

While I did enjoy the dishes I tried, I find Plated to be higher priced without the better ingredients, recipes, or service I’d be willing to pay for. I don’t like the monthly membership fee, which inflates the price of the already more expensive dishes. I cancelled my membership before they charged me for it and don’t plan on reordering with them for the time being.

I was also put off by their poor service – at first things looked promising when they got back to me saying they’d send me a box for free to give me a little extra beyond the Facebook offer. But when I replied with my meal choices, I never heard back. And on the moldy pepper front, still not a peep from their customer service. They could have really impressed me by sending me a free box to review and being responsive to my delivery issue. If that was the case, I might have kept ordering from them.

Fabletics Sashay Outfit (Versital T top + Lille sports bra + Mahe running shorts) review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, clothing, exercise, fitness, pictures, reviews, subscriptions

04 March 2014

Once again it was the sports bra that drew me in for this outfit. I actually saw it in the white and peoni in an email, liked the shape, and was thrilled to find it came in black and purple (or sage, as they call it). Before I even looked at the February outfits that had been picked out for my profile, I came across this Sashay outfit and wanted it. Not only did it have the sports bra I wanted, each piece has my favorite color. Imagine my surprise when it was one of the three outfits chosen for me to pick from that month! I just had to get it.

Fabletics is just under $50 per outfit credit and comes with a 2- or 3-piece set of athletic wear. Each month, three outfits are selected for you to choose from at the 1 outfit credit price point. You can always get other outfits at their VIP pricing of $50-80 (2- and 3- pieces available) or buy any individual item separately. Outfits are sent monthly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free outfits.

Get your first outfit for half off with my referral link! All Fabletics items are chafe-resistant and feature four-way stretch for comfort and movement.

Mahe Run Short in Purple Sage

Let’s start with the bottoms this time! I like these running shorts because they have the built-in brief short liner. That way, when the outer layer hikes up, you have an inner layer that stays put. These are a loose fit and have a comfortable waistband with drawstring. There’s a tiny little hidden pocket for a key – I don’t think an ID card would fit. Retail value for this pair is listed as $29.95.

Versital T in Purple Sage Burnout

Compared to the Lorida V-Neck from my last outfit, this shirt is much more lightweight and thin. It’s a very relaxed fit super breathable. The material is slightly see-through at times (so make sure you wear a cute sports bra underneath!). It’s nice and long the way I like it – I hate having shirts that leave a gap around your midsection. Its retail value is listed as $19.95.

Lille Sports Bra in Black (and Purple Sage)

The Lille sports bra is much more supportive than many of the other designs Fabletics offers. It even offers removable cups for full coverage. I like the contrast of mesh against the plain background and the double set of straps. This one is great to wear on its own since it has cups and you don’t have to worry about anything showing. The retail value on this is listed as $24.95.

I love this little running outfit even though I don’t really like running. I’ve used the tops for my weight training and I’ll incorporate the shorts too once it warms up again. I absolutely love the whole black and purple theme of it.

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((little fat notebook))

24ClearIt Acne Therapy review

Homegrown Collective March 2014 review

Escape Monthly March: Ireland Box Review

Treatsie March 2014 review

Homegrown Collective February 2014 review

Ipsy March 2014: The Destination Beauty review

Beauty Box 5 March 2014 review

Julep March 2014: The Riviera Collection review

Plated review

Fabletics Sashay Outfit (Versital T top + Lille sports bra + Mahe running shorts) review

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laelene

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