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Ipsy June 2013: On The Wild Side

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: bags, boxes, bronze goddess, cailyn, chella, cream blush, cream palette, gel eyeliner, glitter palette, highlighter pencil, ipsy, j.cat, lip pencil, makeup, nyx, pictures, products, reviews, starlooks, subscriptions

16 June 2013

I was deciding whether I wanted to get Ipsy again when I inadvertently missed the deadline to unsubscribe, so I figured why not keep going with it for another month? I mean, for $10 I’m getting a bunch of products and if I don’t like them I can always trade. I was eager to find spoilers but as each one was revealed I got more and more concerned, since none were products that I use. However, I’m actually enjoying discovering this new stuff and maybe even starting to use some makeup?

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.

I liked the texture of the bag a lot more than the previous one, though I don’t like the pattern as much. Still, I didn’t think I’d like it at all when I first saw the spoilers, so I’m glad it impressed me more than expected. As for the products, here are my thoughts:

Cailyn Line-Fix Gel Eyeliner in Iron – trade. I’ve never tried applying gel eyeliner before, so I might as well go all out and get it in my favorite color (purple). I’m definitely putting this up for trade so I can get all wild with purple eyeliner.

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter – keep. I’ve been noticing how my eyebrows look more recently, so I’m totally ready to experiment with this highlighter and see what it can do for me. At the least it should be able to help calm down some of my redness.

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Bronze Goddess – trade. While I like the shade of this blush and I’m super curious about cream blushes, I just don’t use blush so it’d be such a waste. I’m sure there’s someone else who can make good use of this and trade me for something I’d actually use more than once.

J.cat Sparkling Cream Palette in Volta – trade/keep. I’m going to list this up for trading but if nobody wants it (and it seems most people don’t really care for glitter), next time I go out at night I’ll use some of this to add playfulness. I don’t mind being silly with some glitter!

Starlooks Lip Pencil in Bare – trade. I don’t think I will ever want or need a lip pencil. It’s just not my thing. Definitely going to swap for something else with this one!

What would you have done if you got these products? What are you planning on doing with the ones you did get? Let me know and definitely reach out if you’re interested in a trade. Don’t forget to see what else I have up on my FSOT list.

[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 bag and wanted to share what I got!]

Goodies Co. April & May Taster’s Boxes

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: almonds, angie's popcorn, beanitos, black bean chips, blue raspberry, boxes, bronco bob's, california olive ranch, celsius energy drink, chip clip, chocolate chip cookie dough, coconut cashew, coupons, energy bars, food, gift cards, goodies co, green giant, mango chipotle sauce, moroccan mint tea, nakedwines, numi tea, olive oil, olomomo, organic tea, pictures, pink lemonade, pumpkin seeds, snacks, sour power straws, sparkling cola, subscriptions, superseedz, sweet & salty kettle corn, sweet potato chips, true bar, wholly guacamole, zico coconut water, zone perfect

15 June 2013

Here’s a quick review of the last two Goodies boxes as I wait for my June one!

I totally forgot to take a picture of the April box since I got caught up filming the unboxing, so here’s an awkward screenshot from the video.

It came with Angie’s Popcorn in Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn, True Bar Coconut Cashew bar, Celsius Sparkling Cola energy drink, Zone Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bar, Green Giant Multigrain Sweet Potato chips, Olomomo Cherry Vanilla Dream Almonds, and a $50 gift card for nakedwines.com. The kettle corn was a little sweet for my taste, but great for anyone who likes their popcorn sweet. The sweet potato chips tasted quite good, though they were a bit greasier than I expected. The Celsius drink tastes funky to me, probably due to whatever they use to sweeten it, plus I don’t drink energy drinks, so it was just “meh” to me. The Zone Perfect bar was a bit too dense and energy bar tasting (vs. like a snack bar). I haven’t tried the others yet and I have no use for the gift card since I don’t drink! I think they probably could have included one more salty item rather than so many sweet treats, but otherwise it was good to try out these snacks.

Then there was the May Taster’s box, which was my favorite so far (probably due to the candy ;)):

This was also the most varied box of products, with not only snacks and drinks, but dips/sauce and kitchen items! It came with Zico Coconut Water, Sour Power Straws in Pink Lemonade and Blue Raspberry, Beanitos Black Bean chips, Numi Moroccan Mint tea, California Olive Ranch Olive Oil packets, Wholly Guacamole chip clip and coupon, and Bronco Bob’s Mango Chipotle sauce. Oh yeah, there was also supposed to be SuperSeedz Sea Salt Pumpkin Seeds, but mine was missing and I just got it – haven’t had a chance to try them yet. As for the rest, I tried to enjoy the coconut water but I’m just not into it, the sour straws were yummy (pink lemonade all the way!), the black bean chips were kind of bland, and I haven’t tasted the others yet. I’m looking forward to cooking with the olive oil and sauce, once I figure out what I can actually cook, haha. The chip clip has been quite useful for my snacking and I do believe I’ve had the Wholly Guacamole brand, which is good.

I’d say the May box was their best yet and I hope they continue like this for the coming months!

Blissmobox: Namaste box

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: argan oil, aura cacia, ayurvedic, beauty, blissmobox, digestif kit, digestion, eco-friendly, esutras, food, green, hair care, health, home, mat renew spray, mouth mist, peach apple chips, pictures, popped apple chips, products, puffed coriander, raw jaggery, review, skincare, snacks, star essences, yoga, yogavive

11 June 2013

Let’s go back to six months ago, when I got the December blissmo box – I had chosen the Namaste one because I enjoy yoga and was definitely interested in products related to that lifestyle.

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 december's blissmobox: namaste box, feel good snacks, or skin appeal

The three choices for the December blissmobox.

I opened the box at night because I couldn’t wait for daylight, so the lighting on these might not be so great.

YogaVive, Peach Apple popped chips – Let’s start with my favorite product! These apple chips with peach flavoring were amazing; the perfect amount of sweetness, crispiness, and not a bit of grease, thankfully. I once bought apple chips thinking they were baked only to find they were fried and greasy – totally gross. These are fat free as well! I was pretty excited when I saw them at Whole Foods not long after, so I bought a full-sized bag and devoured it. This is just about the only way I could ever eat more servings of fruit.

Manduka, Soothing Citrus Mat Renew spray – I’m really happy I got this! I had seen it being sold at YogaWorks and it was on my list of things to try, so this is perfect. I haven’t practiced yoga since then, unfortunately, but the moment I do you bet I’ll be spraying down my mat with this. I can’t wait to try it! I think their frog logo is super cute too, not that it means anything towards the performance of the product. Still, I’m liking this brand! Now I just need to get back into yoga…

Star Essence, Luminously Present Yoga Mind Mouth Mist – This is another item I’m holding on to until I get back into yoga. Apparently you spray it in your mouth and it helps balance you and hold in “vibrational frequencies.” Perhaps I can try meditating with it as well. It consists of various flower and gem essences, with some citrus essential oils so I’d imagine a sweet, fragrant scent/taste. Very interesting concept that I will have to test out.

eSutras, Ayurvedic Digestif kit with Raw Jaggery & Puffed Coriander – I should probably eat more of these to help with my digestion, but I don’t really know how to incorporate them! Eating them straight is a little odd and the flavors are strong for me. I could sprinkle it in my salads if I ate those (probably should add that to my diet as well). I thought it was really interesting that coriander is supposed to help with bad breath. I definitely felt these working through my system so if you have digestive issues, this kit would be great.

Aura Cacia, Rejuvenating Argan Oil – Argan oil is useful for skin and hair care, so I’m sure I will enjoy using this. I currently have another bottle I’m using so I haven’t tried this particular brand yet but it’s organic and sustainably sourced from Morocco, so I already like it! I mostly use it for my hair but I should probably start applying some to my skin as well.

This yoga-themed box definitely felt appropriate and included items that I can incorporate into my practice. I’m looking forward to when I can make it to yoga classes again!

Yuzen November 2012 edition

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: bath salts, beauty, eco-friendly, food, green, health, lip balm, lotion, media, pictures, products, review, shea butter, skincare, snacks, tv, yuzen

08 June 2013

Let’s go back in time to the fall, when I got this AMAZING smelling Yuzen box.

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.

*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).

collage of unwrapping of november 2012 yuzen box

The conversion to organza bags instead of shredded paper is official. Looks great!

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.

Shea Radiance – Kalahari Melon Whipped Shea Butter: The first thing that I pulled out was this tub of very thick whipped shea butter. I liked the idea and the texture, but I am not a fan of the smell. For some reason the smell of shea butter doesn’t appeal to me, though I love the product. I can’t quick pick out the melon scent, or possibly I’m mistaking it for the shea’s natural scent. The butter is also not as soft as I expected – it’s actually pretty solid, though it is fluffy. I’m going to pass this on to someone else to use because I think it’s a good product.

Zents – Mandarin & Earth bath salts: As soon as I could get these out of the bag, I reached for them! They smell fabulous! I didn’t even want to use them at first because I loved getting a whiff of them just by putting them in the room. It was a great way to scent my room and promote a relaxing atmosphere. When I finally did get around to using them, I was enjoying the aroma so much I hardly even paid attention to how it made my skin feel. It was definitely a very pleasant experience to bathe with these salts and I actually liked the combination of their scents a lot so I mixed them. There’s a sweetness and earthiness that make a lovely blend.

Savane Organic Skincare – Protective Moisturizer: This is a brown-colored lotion that is more runny than most I’m used to. It comes come in an elegant stainless steel bottle and incorporates exotic ingredients I haven’t heard much of, like baobab, manketti, and yangu. It has a scent I can’t quite place that is very unique. It goes on smooth and doesn’t leave any greasy residue and the small bottle and pump are great for putting on your desk, keeping in the car, or even in your bag if you are careful the pump doesn’t get pushed.

Keeki Pure & Simple – Ooh La La Organic Lip Shimmer Stick: What a cute little lip shimmer! It’s a fun oval shape, which I’ve never seen before and I’m a sucker for unique packaging. It reminds me a lot of the Burt’s Bees lip shimmers – almost the same color and “shimmeriness” to it. There’s even a hint of minty freshness as well. It goes on well and is very smooth. I’ve been using it a lot whenever I need a lip balm or want to spruce up my lips.

Simple Squares – Cinnamon Clove Whole Food Snack Bar: I ate this up so fast I forgot to take pictures of the actual bar! That’s a good sign for its taste. It has a chunky sort of texture so when you bit in it wasn’t just some mushy bar. I liked that, as well as the flavor. Great little snack to have whenever you need a sweet boost that won’t leave you thirsty. I would get more if I ever ran into them.

Gaiam TV – Free Trial Offer & Info Card: Gaiam TV (.com) provides all kinds of streaming videos to promote wellness, whether it’s exercising, eating well, meditating, or taking supplements. It’s a great place to find videos to inspire, motivate, guide, and teach anyone who wants to live healthier. I actually haven’t tried this trial, but I had tried a different one previously and if I watched TV I might get it, but I just wouldn’t use this site fully.

Another great box that provided a diverse selection of products! I love how everything had a warm feeling and really set the mood for the fall.

Blissmobox: 4 PM Snacks

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: blissmobox, eco-friendly, food, green, health, home, pictures, products, review, snacks

28 May 2013

Still playing catch-up with my reviews… this is the Nov box and I chose the 4 PM Snacks one because I’d gotten plenty of beauty products through Yuzen and I wanted more snacks.

the choices for november's blissmobox: body bliss, 4pm snacks, or pantry picks

The three choices for the November blissmobox.

I opened it at night so forgive me for any weird lighting.

Somersault Snack Co., Cinnamon Crunch Somersaults – I’ve tried a bunch of these ever since I was first introduced to them by my friend’s mom a few years back. I don’t know what it is, but I’m just not a fan. Maybe it’s because they are so dense and crunchy that I barely get two bites before I swallow. Maybe it’s just because I’m not that into nuts. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but part of it is definitely because the taste is not quite what I like. I’ve tried sweet ones and salty ones and they’re just not my thing.

Nature’s Bakery, Whole Wheat Raspberry Fig Bar – These would make a great snack in the afternoon. They are just packed with goodness and they taste quite good. A very healthy alternative to whatever snack you might have picked up instead. I don’t think you could eat the entire pack of two in one sitting – I found that just half was enough to tide me over for quite awhile. Since I don’t eat energy bars, I think this would be the perfect product to eat to get a similar effect.

Scharffen Berger, 70% Cacao Bittersweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate bar – I love dark chocolate and this bar was no exception. It was very… sturdy? Haha basically it took a little extra to break it, but I think that’s exactly why it was so smooth and delicious. I have a feeling this is less likely to melt than a lot of other chocolate bars out there, but I have no idea why. Another great treat to have lying around.

Numi Organic Tea, pu erh mini sampler – Pu erh tea is something of an acquired taste and while I didn’t find these too strong, they were a bit too fermented for me. This sampler set includes Chocolate, Emperor’s, Jasmine, Basil Mint, Cardamom and Ginger Pu·erhs. I haven’t tried all the flavors (I’m a bit hesitant about chocolate and tea in one drink) but the ones I did try are decent. I wouldn’t go running out to buy them, but I will definitely drink them. Who knows, maybe I’ll develop a taste for pu erh!

Honey Republic, Organic Raw Wildflower Honey – Wow! What a large jar of honey. The consistency of this brand is less gooey than others I’ve tried, which can be nice when you don’t want to wait ages for the honey to crawl out of the top. The taste is subtly flowery or herby or… something. I can’t quite place it, but it definitely has a little extra beyond regular honey and it’s quite nice. I had no idea Honey Republic made so many other flavors too and I’d love to try the Green Tea with Honey and Lemon flavor! For now I’m working on using up this jar, which will last me a very long time.

Pamela’s Products, Chocolate Brownie Mix – These are gluten-free and non-dairy! I must admit I actually haven’t tried them yet, but I swear I will. I wonder if the flavor would be less rich because there is no dairy. I’ve never tried making microwave brownies before so this would be a great thing to try since I’ve been curious about those “brownie in a mug” things.

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

Graze snacks (first two boxes)

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, food, graze box, healthy, nutrition, opinion, pictures, reviews, snacks, subscriptions

27 May 2013

Now that I’m four boxes in with a fifth on the way, I think it’s time to share with you some of the snacks that have been coming in my Graze boxes. If you aren’t familiar with Graze, they send little packs of nutritionally-balanced snacks and offer a rating system so you can influence what you get – read more here. When I first started, I put everything in the Try, Like, or Love categories. I wanted to be open to all the snacks they have, so I didn’t choose Trash just yet. Now that I’ve had a few boxes, I wish I had been a little more stringent with my requirements; I’ve gotten three different types of flapjacks when one would have been enough to try out!

Graze is $5 per delivery (you choose the frequency of deliveries) and comes with four pre-proportioned snacks. Choose from the regular nibblebox or the low calorie caloriecounterbox with a default frequency of every 2 or 4 weeks. You can always increase or decrease the weeks between deliveries to fit your needs, thereby effectively “skipping” weeks as you please. They offer a referral code and link program that gives your referral their 1st and 5th boxes free and earns you $1 off your next box (or you can choose to donate it).

: The Graze box.

: It comes like this (showing the back side so my address isn’t pictured!).

: Each box’s info card is slightly different.

: My cat Missy wanted to snack too!

my first graze box with my thai, lightly toasted pistachios, super berry detox, and apple & cinnamon flapjacks

Here’s what I got in my first box, complete with nutritional information.

The first item I went for was the My Thai, which is a couple of crunchy baked soy bites that have a sweet glaze on them. You dip them in the sweet chili sauce for a delicious treat. I gobbled right through them and wished the portion was bigger! Verdict: LOVE.

Then I tried the pistachios even though I’m not super into them. These were quite tasty and I did enjoy them, though I’m not sure it’s worth the price tag since it’s something I can easily get elsewhere. I had some fun with these and dipped them in the sweet chili sauce meant for My Thai. I love sweet and salty! Verdict: TRASH (but I will switch back to try or like when it’s been long enough).

After a few days, I decided to crack open the Super Berry Detox. While it looked cool, for some reason it just didn’t appeal to me. Once I finally tasted it, I found it to be too sweet for my taste. I can see myself adding this to some bland food I have trouble eating alone, but a mouthful of this is super sweet! Strange because I love candy. Verdict: TRASH.

Finally, I got around to tasting the flapjacks. I’m not really familiar with flapjacks and these looked super dense. I was totally right – very dense stuff. These were also a bit too sweet for my taste and just half of one of the sticks (there are three in there) was enough to fill me. I probably should have changed the other flavors of flapjacks to trash once I got these, but now I have two other flavors to try. I think I’m going to need some help with those. Verdict: TRASH.

Hidden underneath all the snacks is a little napkin.

my second graze box with toffee apple, olive & rosemary bruschetta, cookies & cream, and tutti frutti

My second Graze box with nutritional info.

I love toffee, so I was excited to try this. While I’ve never been crazy about apples, lately I’ve found I really enjoy dried apple slices. This was a nice snack, with a hint of tartness from the Granny Smith apple slices combined with the gooey sweetness of the toffee dip. I do want to try others before circling back to this, so my final verdict: LIKE.

I’m starting to realize that I tend to prefer the salty snacks for whatever reason. Perhaps because they are generally crispy and I love a good crunch. I liked the herbs they used and the fragrant, yet savory flavor of this snack. I’d definitely eat more. Verdict: LIKE.

At first I was hesitant about this one. It didn’t look that appealing to me and I wasn’t sure about the nuts. But once I took a bite, I found myself rather enjoying the odd combination of sweet and salty and chewy and crunchy. This is definitely a very unique blend and I’d eat it again. Verdict: LIKE.

Once again a bunch of dried fruits, but this time the pineapple slices were a nice change. They weren’t nearly as sweet as other dried fruits and I liked the larger pieces that I could chew easier. I had no trouble finishing this one, but I want to try out some of their other offerings before circling back. Verdict: TRASH (only until I’ve tried most of their other snacks).

All in all my first two boxes were pretty good! They’re still learning what I like and really I’m still learning what I like.

Goodies Co. Rise & Shine March Taster’s Box

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, breakfast, food, goodies co, pictures, products, reviews, snacks, subscriptions

22 May 2013

Been meaning to write about my very first Goodies box and here it is!

They ship in very large boxes.

This was box #4 and included:

~Alo Water Watermelon & Peach drink (like)
~Ola! Vanilla Almond Handbaked Granola (meh)
~Rickland Orchards Toasted Coconut Greek Yogurt Coated Granola Bar (like)
~BelVita Cinnamon Brown Sugar Breakfast Biscuits (yum! like healthy Teddy Grahams)
~Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves (haven’t tried yet)
~Erin Baker’s Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookie (peanut butter’s not my thing)
~Jovan’s All Natural Creamy Vanilla Instant Breakfast (haven’t tried yet)
~Nabisco Newtons Triple Berry (like)

For the most part I enjoyed these snacks, which was nice since I’m not a breakfast person and I wasn’t sure if I’d like the theme. Luckily, all these are great as a snack anytime so it’s not exclusive to “morning foods.” This was sadly the last time they included those nice large info cards, but I guess it’s easier for them to list the varieties online.

Yuzen Summer 2013 edition (May – July)

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: action wipes, acure, base coat, beauty, body lotion, body wipes, cocomels, coconut milk caramels, discount codes, eco-friendly, food, green, health, jj's sweets, juil, lait hydro nettoyant, level naturals, lip cream, marula oil, mineral cream makeup, moroccan argan oil, nail lacquer, nail polish, phyt's, pictures, pritte, products, review, sea salt, shoes, shower bombs, skincare, snacks, sparitual, suki skincare, sukicolor, summer box, top coat, yuzen

20 May 2013

Ok, changing it up a bit this time. All my previous posts have been way after the fact so in an effort to be more timely, I will first post up what came in the box and then update as I try the items. The summer box had the most items yet and was just as fantastic as you could imagine.

Yuzen is $26 per quarter (with boxes sent Feb, May, Aug, and Nov) and comes with around 7 or 8 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent quarterly 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.

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.

SukiColor – Luscious Lips Berry Cream Trio Fresh Finish Mineral Cream Makeup: What a cute little palette! I’ve never had this kind of cream that you brush on your lips and cheeks so I’m pretty excited to try it. Might I add that there’s a nice citrus sort of scent coming from at least one of them (I can’t tell if it’s just one or all). I kind of want to lick them! Is that weird? Well, I’ll probably end up doing that once they’re on my lips anyway. 😉

JJ’s Sweets Cocomels – Sea Salt Coconut Milk Caramels: Yum! I love caramels and the concept of making them with coconut milk is pretty cool. I didn’t use to like coconut much but it’s definitely growing on me and these are quite the tasty treat. My taste buds didn’t know what to do with the sweet coconut flavor with a hint of saltiness. So unique!

PHYT’S – Lait Hydro Nettoyant: Wow, this must have come straight from France – they didn’t even translate the product name into English. I actually took French in middle & high school and I know lait is milk and nettoyant is cleanser/washer. So I could tell this would be a face wash. It cleans off makeup too! It looks super soothing and gentle. I have a lot of face washes/cleansers at the moment so I don’t want to open it just yet. I imagine it to be creamy, maybe even silky and either clear or white-ish. We’ll see if I’m right!

Level Naturals – Shower Bombs: I got these in a different box awhile back and I actually decided to sell them at that time, but this time around I’m going to try them out! The smell is so invigorating and clears up my sinuses in a snap so I’m sure it’ll be very refreshing in the shower. I might have to keep one intact just to sniff because it is super effective at invigorating and soothing me at the same time. When I get back into the workforce I could definitely use these to help wake me up in the mornings since I am not a morning person. In fact, I often doze off a little while showering and getting ready for work (oops).

Acure – Marula Oil & Moroccan Argan Oil: I’ve never heard of marula oil, so I’m totally curious about it. It’s supposed to be good for scars, redness, fine lines, and dry skin and if it lives up to all that I will be very impressed. I scar easily so anything to help prevent that would be amazing. I’m familiar with argan oil for your hair but I’ve never tried it on my face or cuticles so I’m going to use this bottle towards that.

SpaRitual – Emerald City Lacquer & Multitasker Base & Topcoat: Love this brand! We got a bold red in the December Yuzen box and now it’s a beautiful green for the summer. I love that they rolled the base coat and top coat into one so you don’t have to get both separately. These are super cute and I like smaller sizes since I never use much nail polish and I’d rather have small ones of a ton of colors so I can change it up all the time. They also apply really well/easily!

Pritte – Moisturizing Body Lotion: I like the slender tube and push dispenser they use. It makes their brand seem classier than most and it reminds me of some high-end product lines. I tried a bit and it’s a wonderful citrus sort of scent that I enjoy. It absorbs well and hydrates very effectively. I’m going to have to use this on my feet since they tend to get the worst beating. Got a chance to check out more of their products online and I am really loving their packaging! Maybe it’s the use of gold on the labels? I just want to try more of their products, haha.

Action Wipes – Full-Body Wet Wipes: I can see myself using these after a workout or after being outside in the sun. They seem very refreshing and a great way to rejuvenate your body without having to take a shower. I mean, sometimes it’s just not convenient to have to wash up so I’d totally wipe down instead! I can’t wait to try these out. I’d use them on myself and my yoga mat after a class and I’m sure Panda could make good use of these after his workouts. I’ve been trying to get him to cut down on his water usage and if he can save a rinse with these I think that’d be pretty great.

Juil – $40 off discount code: Ok, I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of their style of shoes but I love the concept! I had the same problem with Crocs until they started making more designs so I bet the same would happen with Juil. These shoes are pretty pricey so a $40 discount helps out a lot! (Most of the women’s shoes are $85 and the men’s are $95.) I’d be really curious to try these so I can see what grounding shoes feel like but at the moment this sort of thing is not within my budget.

What a fabulous box! Everything is very fitting for the summer months, helping you soothe, relax, refresh, cool down, calm down, and so much more. There is so much to try and I can’t wait to field test everything!

What do you think of the Summer Yuzen box? Did you receive it too? If this looks like something you (or someone you know) would love, but sure to sign up for the fall box! Currently there’s a waitlist so don’t delay any longer! Also, you can get in line for the summer favorites box, which will include items from previous boxes. Gift it to someone special or claim it for yourself, especially if you missed out on previous boxes.

Blissmo no more

laelene Posted in general blog, subscriptions，Tags: blissmo, brands, business, customer service, experiences, opinion, pictures, products, service

07 May 2013

It’s coming up on one year since I signed up for an annual subscription for Blissmobox and while I’ve enjoyed some boxes, others have been “meh.” Throughout this time, I’ve had to deal with customer service multiple times due to some issues with their system. They’ve always been helpful and accommodating (albeit slow to reply). But this time, I am NOT happy. The past two boxes I got from them had a repeat product. And not just a small sample or one of many other great products, but one of the main products that make the box actually worth its value! So, I emailed their customer service expecting at least a partial refund of my money, an offer to send a replacement item, or something to try to make up for this transgression. What did I get? “Sorry, but that item was actually a bonus item.”

collage of blissmo march and april boxes

See something familiar in both boxes? Now imagine the right box without the lotion. Would you be happy?

Allow me to vent.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! If they had tried to send the box without that item, I bet you they’d get a ton of unhappy customers complaining! After all, it made up for half the value of the box. How puny and pathetic would the box be otherwise?? It’s sad. So I suggested a compromise: they could give me a prepaid shipping label and I’d send the box back to them, all items intact. I would count the month as “skipped” and we’d move on. What was their reply? We don’t provide prepaid shipping labels.

I’m sorry, what?!!

Maybe my standards of service are too high, but seriously, you can’t give me a shipping label??? That is just unheard of. I mean I understand if you’re just an individual seller like those on eBay, but here you are an established business with plenty of customers and YOU WON’T SEND ME A FREAKIN’ LABEL? It’s not like I just didn’t like the items in the box. I feel cheated that I paid twice for getting THE SAME EXACT PRODUCT when I got this service to get introduced to new ones. I would have been ok if it was the same brand but a different product from their line. But I can handle repurchasing products just fine without you, thank you very much.

They’re not even trying to make it right. All they’re saying is sorry, but we’re not going to help you. That’s what I’m getting from their correspondence anyway. So I guess it’s a good thing my year is almost up, because I am ready to part ways with Blissmo. I never complained before when their boxes weren’t very good and the one time I do have a problem with a box, they won’t do a thing. This kind of “service” isn’t even service. -___- At least this helps me decide my next move, since I wasn’t sure if I should renew my membership. I will take my business elsewhere.

Blissmobox: Harvest Snacks

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: alive & radiant foods, asian pear, blissmobox, brothers-all-natural, clif, coconut cream, crisps, dark cocoa chili, eco-friendly, fall, food, fruit & nut bar, fuji apple, green, health, home, kale chips, kale krunch, kit's organic, kur delights, lush nuts, peanut butter, pictures, products, raw food, raw snack, review, salt & pepper, snacks, vegan, vegetarian

02 May 2013

Another belated review, but Blissmo sometimes offers old boxes up so hopefully this will come in useful!

the choices for october's blissmobox: harvest snacks or skin appeal

The two choices for the October blissmobox.

I had gotten a good amount of skincare type products from previous months, so I was in the mood for some food again! This is the October box and I went with Harvest Snacks to fill my belly.

Alive & Radiant Foods Kale Krunch, Quite Cheezy – These are really nice! I love the light texture and the crispiness. It crumbles easily so you don’t have to worry about having to bite hard and the “cheese” is actually made from veggies! It still tastes good and rather cheesy though, so that’s awesome. I really enjoyed these and actually went out to get some more. This turned out to be my favorite flavor after trying some others. Kale is really good for you and some people don’t like it when wet, so this dried version can be a perfect alternative.

Kur Delights, Coconut Cream – For a coconut fanatic, these would probably be great. One little square is quite filling, but I don’t like when my snacks are so “heavy” and these are really dense. Their packaging is so cute and I love that the product is raw – you probably get more nutrition that way. Of course, if you’re allergic to nuts you’d want to avoid this since it contains cashews & coconuts.

Brothers-All-Natural Crisps, Asian Pear – The freeze-dried texture is pretty unique – rather fluffy in its crispness, if that makes sense. They’re quite good and have a nice light pear flavor. I mean how can you go wrong with taking real pears, slicing them up, and making a snack from that? You get all the benefits of the fruit without the messiness, plus these keep for much longer. If you like Asian Pears, these are a perfect way to enjoy them on the go.

Brothers-All-Natural Crisps, Fuji Apple – Same deal with these fuji apple slices. These were a bit sweeter and had a stronger flavor to them. The apple wants to make sure you know its there! I love that a single bag contains 2 servings of fruit. What a quick and easy way to get in more of your fruit servings each day. The natural taste of the apple shines through and it makes for a yummy crunchy snack.

Lush Nuts, Salt & Pepper, Original, & Dark Cocoa Chili – I’m not much into nuts, but these were decent. The Chili ones had quite a kick to them! I’m pretty sensitive to spicy things so I couldn’t quite eat them all. I liked the original the best and the seal & pepper next. The salt & pepper ones were a bit more salty than I would have liked, but the sweetness helped even it out a bit. Couldn’t tell there was any pepper.

CLIF KIT’s Organic Fruit & Nut bar, Peanut Butter – I don’t really like peanut butter, so I don’t know if I’m a fair judge for this bar. Personally, I found it a bit too dense, much like the coconut delights from above. It wasn’t too peanut buttery and more just peanuty – I didn’t get that creamy sort of taste. I think this would be a great bar for sustained energy if you’re working out or can’t grab a proper lunch (and assuming you like peanut/peanut butter flavored stuff).

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

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((little fat notebook))

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Blissmo no more

Blissmobox: Harvest Snacks

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laelene

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