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Posts Tagged ‘eco-friendly’

Petit Vour December 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, boxes, cruelty-free, eco-friendly, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, subscriptions, vegan

26 December 2015

I’m loving the glittery and rosy theme of this box. Definitely has a festive holiday feel to it.

Petit Vour is $15 per box (or as much as $30 for international subscribers) and comes with vegan beauty, skincare, and other personal care products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes (email contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you if you sign up!).

Kani Petal Polish – Ok, I was super confused by this one and I couldn’t figure out if it was one of those paper masks or a regular one. It turns out it’s like a super thick scrub paste sort of thing. It smells much like brown sugar and rose mixed together, which is basically what it is. I’m a fan of brown sugar and it’s a lot of fun to rub this on your face. It left my skin very soft and nice.

Mai Couture blush papier & highlighter papier – This reminds me a lot of those oil blotting papers, which it seems to act as in a secondary fashion. Primarily, these are for adding some color to your face! What a highly portable way to go about it. I know it says to tear one sheet in half to use on either cheek, but I found that it wasn’t created with easy tearing. At least perforate or make it easier to tear a somewhat even line if that the recommended use. The grain of the paper made the paper want to tear lengthwise rather than widthwise.

Zaban Essentials Golden Goddess glow stick – Oh my goodness, this smells GOOD. It’s some sort of delicious tropical smell that I attribute to the nectarine extract. It’s so fragrant and wonderful! It glides on easily and gives a nice subtle glow and shimmer that feels very festive. What a great little stick of fun.

blissoma scentless stick natural deodorant – There’s a dryness and graininess to this stick that makes me feel like it will definitely keep me dry and odor-free. I found it needed some extra rubbing in with my fingers for it to absorb and spread. After that, I felt great and instantly the moisture from that area was diminished.

I had fun with these products. The glow stick is perfect for the season and a great way to spruce things up when everything outside gets more dull. Which of these products do you like most?

[This post mentions a referral program. Signing up and emailing contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you 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!]

Yuzen Winter 2015 edition review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: chocolates, eco-friendly, essential oils, green, lotions, masks, moisturizers, nail lacquers, pictures, reviews, scrubs, shower bombs, skincare, solid lotion, subscriptions, yuzen

17 November 2015

The winter Yuzen box is out and ready for holiday gifting! Check out the unboxing video on Yuzen’s YouTube channel and read more below.

Yuzen is $33 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.

yuzen november-january 2015 winter box open with pale blue tissue paper, piece of yuzen paper and info card green

sanitas – Oil Free Moisturizer: I’m getting quite the collection of their products! This will be my third and I’m happy to add it to my moisturizers. I definitely benefit from the oil-free ones since my face does get pretty oily. I like the lightweight feel of it and I did not detect a noticeable scent. It’s very refreshing to rub in! Use code YUZEN15-1 by 3/31/16 for 20% off at TheSkinFactor.

Co-Pur – Facial Scrub + Mask: The first thing I thought of was baby powder (of course). I really like how a dry version like this means that a small bottle can last a really long time. I was surprised it came out a greenish yellow and the smell reminded me of food – like a vegetable I can’t quite place. It’s oddly pleasant and a fun way to apply a mask while exfoliating. Use code 20%OFFYUZEN by 12/31/15 for 20% off at Co-Pur.

The Tea Room – Green Earl Grey & Raspberry Rooibos dark chocolate: Whoa, this is new! I definitely taste the tea in these chocolates and it’s quite unique. I can’t pick which is my favorite – they both have their own appeal. The flavors are quite strong to me, so typically one small piece is enough to satisfy. Use code YUZEN415 by 1/31/16 for 15% off at The Tea Room.

21 drops – 18 Sleep essential oil blend: I enjoy essential oils and certainly find this one relaxing. I haven’t noticed my quality of sleep to draw a conclusion, but last night I applied it and I did have pretty restful sleep. It doesn’t seem to help me get to sleep much faster though and my mind was still racing when I tried to fall asleep. Perhaps I should apply more? Use code YUZEN by 3/31/16 for 20% off at 21 drops.

Black Dahlia Lacquer – Red Spike Cactus: What a fun, funky name. I find this shade to be more on the pink side. There’s tiny bits of glitter to make it a very sparkly sort of look, kind of like twinkling holiday lights. Use code YUZEN by 3/5/16 for 20% off at Black Dahlia Lacquer.

Kimberly Parry Organics – Sweet Orange & Cranberry body scrub: Turns out this is a brand I’ve received from Petit Vour before! That was a facial cleanser that I quite like. I couldn’t find this scrub listed on their website, but it’s a wonderful sweet scent that is quite delicious. I love it! Use code YUZEN2015 by 1/31/16 for 20% off at Kimberly Parry.

Salus – Lemongrass organic lotion bar: This smells fantastic and feels so good! It melts on contact with your skin and just a little bit is enough to really moisturize dry skin. Since it comes in a reusable tin, it’s perfect for bringing along on travel. No need to worry about liquid lotion bottles that can’t be taken on planes! Use code YUZEN15 by 1/31/16 for 15% off at Salus.

Level Naturals – Menthol + Cucumber Shower Bombs: Whoa, menthol and cucumber is such a different combo. It’s all sorts of cooling and sinus-clearing, with a lightness to it. I actually like to just smell shower bombs and I don’t use them much. I’ll be keeping these around for their scent and might not get them wet for awhile. Use code yuzen10 by 12/31/15 for 10% off at Level Naturals.

As always, it was lovely getting to try out all these brands. I’ll be enjoying each and every one of them! What do you think of these products?

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. I now receive the boxes 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). 🙂

Petit Vour September 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, boxes, cruelty-free, eco-friendly, face sunscreens, facial cleansers, facial masks, green, lipsticks, pictures, reviews, skincare, subscriptions, vegan

25 September 2015

Alright! I’m loving the wooden packaging of some of these brands. It just feels more luxurious that way, much like glass bottles do.

Blissoma Mild Rice Facial Cleanser – Good timing with this, since I just got a bout of breakouts and my skin needs some soothing cleansing. This has a very healing scent and I really feel like it calms skin down. At the least it is calming my mind!

Mahalo Pele Mask – Another great and timely product. The inside looks like it could be spirulina it has a strange earthy smell. I look forward to trying this out as my next mask.

Metropolis Soap Co. (msc) grapefruit & spearmint sugar scrub – What a unique combination of scents. I really like it and this scrub melts with your body heat to because a super nourishing product. It’s fun to exfoliate until the grains melt away and you’re left with soft skin.

Elate Clean Cosmetics creme lipstick in lively – What awesome packaging! I think it’s fabulous and the shade is a nice sort of deep rose that matches my lip color well. I feel conditioned with it on and it gives nice little sparkles without being too bold so it’s perfect for a more natural look.

I will absolutely use all the products in this box and I love them all! What do you think of these items?

Homegrown Collective May 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: eco-friendly, green, health, pictures, products, projects, reviews, skincare, subscriptions

14 June 2015

What a cool theme! Focusing on an area of the body allowed them to really include a nice variety of projects this time. I’m super excited about these, some which are totally new and some which are familiar.

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, DIY rosewater tonics: I have a bottle of rosewater sitting on my counter, which I use to lightly mist my face from time to time. I like that this time they also offered a toner option, which I’m totally going to try. I definitely need to use toner!

Project #2, DIY makeup remover pads: I’ve already done this one so I can try them out this week. I generally use facial wipes, but I’m happy to make my own makeup remover pads to use instead. I love how simple and easy it is.

Project #3, DIY activated charcoal mask: I’ve seen both these projects in previous boxes before, but I think it’s the first time they’ve been offered together. I just started trying a teeth whitening toothpaste, so once I get a chance to see how that works, I’m curious to try the charcoal and compare.

Project #4, DIY coconut oil pulling chews: I also went ahead and made these to try first thing tomorrow! It takes me a good half hour to get to work, so I might chew these on my drive. I’ve never heard of oil pulling before, but I figure it couldn’t hurt. I made half peppermint and half cinnamon to see which I prefer and future batches will probably be one or the other.

I couldn’t quite figure out what the loofah was for, but I’m happy to have another one. Is it weird that I love the unique jars, molds, and containers they send? I just love that stuff. I’m also really pleased with this box. I’m trying to be better about doing them right away or else I sort of don’t get around to trying them…

Want your own? Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective start getting projects too!

[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 April 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: almonds, eco-friendly, food, green, homegrown collective, milk, pictures, projects, reviews, seeds, sprouts, subscriptions

07 May 2015

Hmm, I guess they reverted back to printing out inserts. This box is similar to a combination of two previous boxes (my very first one with sprouts and one with almond milk). I like that sprouts are completely different ones and the focus was a unique theme of raw foods.

Project #1, growing sprouts/sprouting: Wow, there are so many different sprouts to try! I’ve really only had bean sprouts and alfalfa sprouts before (pretty sure brussel sprouts aren’t actually sprouted). I’ll have to test each of these to see which is tastiest. Maybe they all are, and that would be great. These would be super easy to throw in a salad or atop my regular meals. Seeds are powerful things and I have no doubt that sprouts offer great health benefits.

Project #2, chocolate almond milk: While I am not a fan of almonds, especially anything made from them, I’m curious how a chocolate milk would be. I started to try to make the original one I had from the other box, but I left the almonds sitting too long and it grew mold so I had to throw them away. I haven’t quite gotten around to retrying just yet, but I will!

These are simple projects yielding all sorts of edible results. I would have liked to see one project using some of those seeds and making a face mask or something from them. Otherwise, this box was good, with a variety of easy plants to deal with.

Interested? Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective get your own projects!

Homegrown Collective December 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, colds, cough syrups, eco-friendly, essential oils, green, herbal, herbs, homegrown collective, illness, pictures, projects, reviews, salves, sickness, subscriptions, teas, tinctures, vapor rubs

11 January 2015

Excellent timing with the theme this month as people are starting to get sick all around. They’ve introduced us to some of these herbs before and it’s great to see how versatile the uses are, whether infused into something or used more directly.

First they outlined the benefits of three main herbs: dandelion, St. John’s Wort, and echinacea. I love that each addresses different ailments so that combined you’re pretty well covered for digestive issues, low energy, and immunity concerns. These are some useful plants!

Project #1, DIY vapor rub & salve: What a simple set of ingredients to help us breathe better if we do get sick. I’m familiar with vapor rubs for the chest but haven’t really used them. However, I know how effective menthol can be in clearing up my nasal passage! It’s fascinating that they recommend rubbing this under the feet as well. I certainly wouldn’t have thought of that!

Project #2, cough & cold syrup: My very own cough syrup?! This is cool. I remember we had a bottle of some awful cherry-flavored thing as a child and I hated it. I’ve never really been a fan of cherry-flavored stuff. I think this will be much more to my taste with honey, ginger, and cinnamon. It might not even taste like medicine!

Project #3, DIY herbal teas: As a fan of tea, I’m happy to put other plants in my drink for their healing properties. I’ve got to admit I haven’t yet tried the dandelion tea from nearly a year ago, but I will be! I drink a lot of tea at work so switching to these shouldn’t be hard and I don’t need to be sick to try that.

Project #4, DIY tinctures: I first learned of a tincture from last December’s box and I’m super intrigued, but totally intimidated. I don’t know where to get vodka or rum and how that will affect the taste of these. I don’t get sick very often, so I haven’t needed something like this yet. However, there was a period last winter that I felt awful and this could have been handy.

Project #5, DIY essential oils: I’m getting quite the amazing collection of essential oils and I love it. Star anise essential oil is not something I’d come across before, so I was curious to learn about it. I’m not quite sure what to do with these once mixed – do I rub it on my skin? Drop it on my tongue? How often? I tried to do more research on their blog but for some reason I don’t see posts past August.

This time there were a ton of smaller projects that are quick and easy. I feel like I have a whole arsenal of stuff to help keep me healthy throughout the season. It’s great! I’ve already made the vapor rub, which I will share another time. 🙂

Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective so you can get these types of cool projects too! It’ll make for a happier home and better health.

Petit Vour October 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, body butters, boxes, eco-friendly, lipsticks, makeup removers, perfumes, petit vour, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, subscriptions

01 November 2014

Just in time for Halloween came some thrilling items for the October box! I was amused that the order I pulled out the items in happened to match exactly to the order the items are listed on the info card. Spooky coincidence? 😉

Pacifica Devocean Natural Lipstick in tenderness – This was exciting because I’d seen the emails from Pacifica about them and was definitely curious to try. What a great discovery when I found one lurking in my box this month! It’s creamy and hydrating, but I’ve learned I can’t apply them when my lips are chapping or they amplify that look. I like this neutral shade, but was surprised to find it’s actually more pigmented than I thought (based on the shade rubbing off on my mug). On my lips, it blends in well, so this must be similar to what my natural shade is.

Flo + Theo Body Butter in Lemon Orchard – First of all, I love that this tub is filled to the brim. I applaud them for including as much product as the container would allow. Second, I just love the scent. It’s refreshing and soothing – just what I want when I’m applying this to my skin. The consistency is super thick and it’s firmly packed in there, so just a little bit of rubbing melts enough on my fingers to really get into my dry skin. I can definitely use this to keep my elbows nice and soft all winter long.

Forager Botanicals Natural Eau de Perfume in Woodland – Maybe I don’t understand perfume, but this is a tiny vial and it was only about half full! They could have gone for 2/3 full to make me happy. I don’t wear perfume, so I guess ultimately it doesn’t matter how much there is, but still. The scent is pretty light when I tried a little bit. It’s a nice warm, subtle woody scent that reminds me of a fragrant Chinese wood that you’d find in an antique shop or something. This is what I think of when I’m reminded of my grandma, Buddhist temples, and other sacred/important Asian things. It’s pretty calming for me, so I might just use it for aromatherapy.

S.W. Basics Makeup Remover – I haven’t tried this as a makeup remover yet since I haven’t been wearing makeup, I can see it being great at dissolving away whatever you might have on. I did rub a drop or two on my face, since it can also be a light moisturizer after removing makeup. It feels good and my face is certainly not going to dry out! It makes my skin super soft too, which is awesome. This bottle will last me for awhile and I’m glad that so little can give me plenty of coverage.

While I wasn’t sure about the perfume at first, now I think I’ll keep all these items for my own use. Most of them were immediate hits! I’m really enjoying this subscription and it’s so awesome that all these brands offer such eco-friendly items. What do you think of this box?

Petit Vour July 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, boxes, eco-friendly, environmental, green, petit vour, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, subscriptions, vegan

01 August 2014

Ready to Set Sail with some Summer Loves? I think both of those are the theme this month and they coordinated with a blogger to choose these items.

LVX 5-free Nail Lacquer in Lolli – I’ve heard about this brand a lot and I’d love to try it, but this just not my shade. Way too light pink for me. I’ll have to trade it and hopefully I get a chance to try a different shade. The lid on mine is loose so I wonder if this is an issue with the design of the cap for this brand. I guess we’ll see when I try another one!

Modern Minerals Shimmer Eye Shadow in ANJU – This is a fun metallic shade that I might have tried if it weren’t for another eye shadow I play around with. Since I use so little and rarely apply any at all, it’s just not practical to open this too. I’m not sure how I’d apply it though – do I need a brush? Do I just use my finger? This could be a nice shimmer to use on my chest for added effect. Holiday party, anyone?

Pelle Beauty Facial Oil in Nourish – Whoa, applying an oil to my face before makeup? Now that sounds interesting. I’ve been using a cleansing oil to clean my face, but I rinse it off and pat dry before putting on toner, BB cream, etc. At first I was disappointed with the tiny bottle (cute as it is), but now that I read more about it, the highly concentrated formula isn’t diluted with water like many other products. That makes total sense and a drop on each cheek is enough. I think I smell rose in there, or something nice and soothing.

Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant in Lavender + Sage – This is so perfect. It’s the first time I’m getting a product like this from a box, so I could certainly use a deodorant! I’m skeptical of most because of the crazy chemicals and I don’t really sweat so I find I don’t need it. However, this makes me feel good about applying deodorant, so I’ve been enjoying using it. It’s pretty solid, so it does take some rubbing to start melting it enough to get it on my fingers. The scent is amazing and it absorbs so well. I spend the day with a happy secret protecting my underarms and I love it.

I am always impressed with the quality of the products that Petit Vour includes. While this time I won’t be using all the items, I can still appreciate what they chose for us. Which product would you want to try most?

Homegrown Collective June 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, bug sprays, cats, eco-friendly, green, household, insect repellants, lotions, pets, pictures, projects, reviews, skincare, sprays, subscriptions, summer, sunscreens

09 July 2014

I am constantly amazed at how the folks over at the Homegrown Collectiv e come up with these awesome projects month after month. This box comes perfectly timed for the summer months and I was so eager I started one of them even as we left for Pittsburgh Thursday night.

cat sniffing aloe included in homegrown collective june 2014 box with summertime & the livin's easy theme

Smokey was a big fan of this box too.

Project #1, after-sun aloe lotion bars: Ducky molds?!! I LOVE IT. How playful and fun are these? I really look forward to making them and playing around with my little ducky lotions. So adorable! And of course these will be super useful in the summertime to help soothe the bites and scratches that seem inevitable.

Project #2, all natural insect repellant: This is the project that I already have underway and just need to finish up today. What perfect timing – Panda and I went out catching fireflies last week and got bites all over, so next time we go out we’ll have protection against those bugs. I sure hope this is super effective at repelling mosquitoes since we both seem to taste extra good to them.

Project #3, all natural organic sunscreen: Woo hoo, a third project again! I hope they keep this up so I can play around with even more projects. Making my very own sunscreen is fantastic. I wonder if it will have that “sunscreen smell” that we’re all too used to? I doubt it, and that is a very good thing indeed. I had no idea soybean oil could be so useful for bug spray and sunscreen! Fascinating.

Can you say summer soothing in a box? This is amazing. I can’t wait to see how effective everything is! And those ducky molds are precious. I feel like making jello with them… 😛

You know you want to get in on this action! Just subscribe to the Homegrown Collective and you can enjoy these fantastic projects too. 😀

Petit Vour May 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, cruelty-free, eau de toilette, eco-friendly, fragrances, hand creams, lip glosses, perfumes, petit vour, pictures, products, reviews, serums, skin brightening, subscriptions

19 May 2014

With a theme of Bonjour Belle!, these items are meant to make you feel beautiful. They’re a great way to recharge and gear up for warmer times ahead.

Harvey Prince Hello fragrance – I totally didn’t make the connection at first, but this is the same brand of perfume as the one we got in the last box. Totally different scent that I never would have associated with the other though. Kind of funny that I juuust got this in my Beauty Box 5 – they must be on the promotion prowl or something. I like this scent for how warm and springy it is, but I can barely use up the first sample I got so this will go up for trade.

Paula’s Choice Resist C15 Super Booster – What an adorable little glass bottle this comes in! It feels very luxurious and I can’t wait to see how it does on my dark spots. I’ll be happy if it helps reduce the appearance of some of my acne scars for a more even tone. There’s just a hint of a sweet scent and the fun bright orange color totally makes me think of Vitamin C. How very appropriate.

AROMI Lip Gloss in Rouge – Wow, what a large tube of lip gloss! It’s sort of a fuchsia color and quite a pop of brightness on your lips. I’ve never had a lip gloss with such a strong, vibrant color itself and it looks like I put on lipstick underneath. Why not get the effect of lipstick and lip gloss all in one go? Definitely feels good on my lips and keeps them moisturized and smooth.

Deep Steep Hand Cream in Lavender Chamomile – The branding of this reminds me a lot of Petit Vour itself! They chose an adorable animal, have a single background of color in their packaging, and went for a fanciful design. No wonder they were chosen! The lavender and chamomile combo is nice and relaxing. The cream is very hydrating and felt great on my skin. I’m really happy with the large tube they included, which will last me quite some time. 🙂

I really appreciated the items in this box and felt they were timely and a great mix of products. I’d use them all, which is always a good sign! Which product are you most interested in this month?

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((little fat notebook))

Posts Tagged ‘eco-friendly’

Petit Vour December 2015 review

Yuzen Winter 2015 edition review

Petit Vour September 2015 review

Homegrown Collective May 2015 review

Homegrown Collective April 2015 review

Homegrown Collective December 2014 review

Petit Vour October 2014 review

Petit Vour July 2014 review

Homegrown Collective June 2014 review

Petit Vour May 2014 review

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laelene

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