Posts Tagged ‘eco-friendly’

Kaia Naturals Bamboo Tapioca Beads & Cleansing Cloths review

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , , ,
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I’ve been subscribed to Kaia Naturals for awhile and saw a deal from them recently as they promoted their new Bamboo Tapioca Beads product. Since they were offering a sample for $5 and free shipping with the code “tapioca” (now expired from what I’ve seen), I decided to give it a whirl. I’ve been curious about this brand ever since they showed up in a sub box that I do not get.

brown paper envelope from kaia naturals in canada

When I got the quaint package, I was confused for a second before I saw it was from Kaia.

kaia naturals bamboo tapioca beads and juicy bamboo cleansing cloth sample with thank you note

A nice note and sample of the cleansing cloths came with my order.

kaia naturals bamboo tapioca beads sample tube

The little tube of bamboo tapioca beads.

I like the idea of having a powder you can mix when you’re ready to use some. It’s pretty clever to use different liquids as the base so you can get other benefits out of the product. I tried cleansing my face with some tea and the Bamboo Tapioca Beads. I liked the grainy beads and I might have just imagined it, but the powder smelled slightly chalky to me. I got overzealous with the amount of tea I used so my first try was way too watered down. You really just need wet hands for this one, lest the blended powder just gets wasted in a watery mess. My skin felt tighter afterwards and I’d definitely need a lotion to follow. This would be really useful for travel, since it takes up so little space.

I also tried the bamboo cleansing cloth, which I really like. The size of the cloth is not too big and the saturation of the essential oils and honey is perfect. It smelled somewhere between fragrant and medicinal. Since it claims to remove waterproof mascara with ease, I had to test that out. With a little extra focus rubbing my eyes, the mascara came off just like that. Great performing product that I totally need to get my hands on once my current pouches of cleansing cloths runs low. I’m really liking this brand, though it’s definitely a more premium product than I usually spring for. I’m a sucker for something eco-friendly though.

I had no idea they were in Canada, so online ordering is probably out of the question unless they happen to be offering free shipping one day. Instead, I’ve found some stores within 20 miles or so that I can go visit sometime. It’ll be a fun adventure!

Yuzen Spring 2014 edition review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Aww, it’s finally Yuzen time again! I actually got it over a week ago, but with the move and filming the video for them, I kept forgetting to get still pictures. This lovely box for the spring provides a wonderful assortment of products for treating yourself. They smell great and feel wonderful too. I’m ready for all this snow to finally end and feel like spring is on its way! The box I’m showing here came in a red organza bag and has white tissue paper for Valentine’s. If you get this later in the quarter, you’ll probably receive the spring one with a white organza bag and yellow/lime green tissue paper. That’s what you’ll see in the video I filmed for Yuzen’s YouTube channel, which will be up soon. 🙂

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 box with white flowers on aqua background and spring info card

Beautiful red coloring that works for spring AND Valentine’s.

yuzen spring 2014 box info card inside

Info about the products in the spring box.

yuzen spring 2014 box info card back

And the last couple of brands included.

unboxed spring 2014 yuzen box with contents shown

I see myself taking an enriching bath and then nourishing myself afterward.

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.

Lotus Wei – Infinite Love Mist: So very suitable for the month of love. I actually have this mist already, from way back in the early days of Yuzen. It’s a sweet scent with a hint of tartness, which makes sense since it’s a blend of mandarin, rose, and honey. These are meant to be sprayed around to surround you with the type of scent that will enhance your experience of love for yourself and those around you. You can use it as a pillow mist, spray it as you enter a room, or just spray it around your body. Inhale, relax, and feel the love! Use code YUZEN by 4/30/14 for 20% off at Lotus Wei.

Acure – Radical Resurfacing Facial Treatment: I am pretty excited about this product, if it can help even out my skin! I have acne scars and some random dark spots that plague me, so I’m hoping this will help. I’ve never heard of lemon probiotic or chlorella growth factor, but I do believe plants have powerful abilities to heal and harnessing that certainly sounds good. I’ve heard of natural remedies using lemon to brighten skin, so this probably works similarly. At the very least it feels so hydrating and smells sort of tangy like ginger. I’m loving this as a moisturizer on its own, even though it goes on under one. Use code YUZENLOVE for 25% at Acure.

sumbodysum fizzer: This large block of fizzing fun is in their Coconut Cream scent (though I don’t know if they were sending out other variations too). I tested a small piece and it fizzes very well! Can’t wait to incorporate this into a bath. My skin felt great after using the water with the fizz in it and I loved the light scent it left! It’s not too strong on the coconut, but definitely gives you a tropical feel. I think you’re supposed to use the whole one in the bath, but I’ll probably split it up between a few uses. I’m loving this! Use code Yuzen2 by 5/1/14 for 20% off at sumbody.

sumbody – bath melt: I broke off a quarter of this to use in my bath this weekend and I enjoyed the use of goat milk in their Milky Rich variation. It reminded me of a luxurious bar of chocolate and I was almost tempted to eat it! Inside the foil you’ll find a little piece of paper telling you more about the product and how to use it (they had one for the fizzer too). It took some swirling of the water to get this dissolved and then I could see the oils that were released. It was almost like taking a milk bath, which I’m sure my skin was happy about. Use code Yuzen2 by 5/1/14 for 20% off at sumbody.

SranromCalm Down Hand Cream: Anything inspired by Thailand has got to be good. This lotion is thicker than most, but not quite a body butter. The lemongrass and lime scent is so refreshing and soothing all at once. I love it! It’s very enriching and perfect to combat the dryness that winter brought on. I got a good laugh when I saw the scent name of Calm Down, because I tell Panda to do that all the time. When I showed him, he had a chuckle too and I think I’m going to give him a tube to use. He worries too much and needs some calming! Use code YUZEN20 for 20% at Sranrom.

Sranrom – Compassion candle: I’m really enjoying all the refreshing scents in this box, like this lemongrass, lemon, and spearmint candle! It’s beautifully made and smells wonderful. I used it while soaking in a bath and it was a great calming prescence. It burns cleanly and comes in such a cute little glass container! What a lovely way to enhance the mood in any room. Use code YUZEN20 for 20% at Sranrom.

Balanced GuruBalm Me Up Body Balm: I was surprised at how solid this body balm is when I first opened it. It’s actually quite soft though, and melts with your body heat. It’s a very strong tangy scented product that is super buttery. It’s absolutely wonderful for your elbows, knees, and other rough patches of skin. Just a thin layer took away all trace of dry skin for me. I can see this being perfect for getting through the cold months, though the scent can get overwhelming for me so I can only use a little bit at a time. Use code YUZEN by 4/30/14 for 20% off at Balanced Guru.

ChocoloveCherries & Almonds in Dark Chocolate: I just got my first intro to Chocolove in my Escape Monthly box and what do you know, it’s showing up here too! This flavor is just what you’d want around Valentine’s and I enjoyed it, but I’ve got to admit I’m not a huge fan of anything other than fresh, ripe cherries. Nevertheless, the chocolate is delicious and they have plenty of amazing flavors to choose from! Definitely a brand that I’ll keep my eye out for when I’m out shopping.

essioaromatherapy shower kit: Finally, there’s a discount code for Essio’s aromatherapy for the shower. It’s a little arm contraption that you put on your showerhead and then you swap in little pods with different essential oil aromatherapy scents. I met the founder at a LOHAS event that I was helping Yuzen out at and I liked the idea, but was not at a point in my life where I was treating myself to such luxuries. However, I’m thinking that now might be the time, since I’ve really gotten into skincare and taking care of my body. Thankfully, I have until June to decide on this! Use code YUZEN20 by 6/30/14 for 20% off at Essio.

So there you go, a lovely way to kick off spring by healing your skin from a tough winter’s beating. What did you like most in this box?

*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). 🙂

Homegrown Collective December 2013 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

While I was away for the holiday break, I got my Homegrown Collective GREENBOX for December and I was itching to get my hands on it! I finally did this week, but didn’t have daylight to take pictures so I got up early yesterday to snap these shots on the freezing cold porch. Can’t wait til we’re at the condo and I can easily get good lighting indoors.

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.

inside of homegrown collective box with the info sheets on the inner lid and white homegrown collective sticker on brown paper wrapping

This time the sticker was artistically off to the side.

contents of the homegrown collective december 2013 box with naturally essential home remedies and cure-alls theme

Project #1, oregano oil: I just love everything I learn from each month’s box. I had no idea oregano was such a powerful plant! And I certainly didn’t know essential oils are THAT potent. Just one or two drops for that bottle? Wow, this cure will last a long time. I’m totally going to have Panda try this since he just got sick and tends to be more prone to illness in general. Of course I shall be taking it too so I can ensure I don’t catch anything! Is it just me or is that amber dropper bottle just adorable? I assume you drop some on your tongue but I’ll have to make sure how to use it best. In researching, I discovered it’s great ingested or topically – it can help everything from respiratory issues to acne (OMG I NEED THAT PRONTO). If it helps with my breakouts I will be thrilled.

the homegrown collective december 2013 project oregano oil info card

the homegrown collective december 2013 products for oregano oil

I laid out all the essential oils before noticing you only need the oregano one for this project.

Project #2, herbal tinctures: A tincture?? Another completely new concept for me. At first I thought I was supposed to get all three herbs but then on the last info sheet you see that you get either the echinacea and elderberry OR the St. John’s Wort. All these herbs sound great, so really trying any of them would be cool. I’m cautious about the alcoholic content here since I don’t drink and I have no idea what 80-100 proof alcohol means. But since you only need a fraction of a teaspoon I think it’s much like taking some cough syrup.

the homegrown collective december 2013 project herbal tinctures info card the homegrown collective december 2013 products for herbal tinctures

Project #3, eucalyptus vapor cups: So cool (literally too right?)!! I have shower bombs and never really knew what it’d take to make them. I’m so excited about this one, though I might wait til we move to the condo to make them. I can just see myself using the kitchen there having a blast! I also love those little baking tins, which will be so fun to use to make chocolate cups and maybe even little cupcake things in the future. One of the side bonuses of HGC is the awesome tools and jars and accessories you get, which can be reused for plenty of things.

the homegrown collective december 2013 project eucalyptus vapor cups info card

the homegrown collective december 2013 products for eucalyptus vapor cups

Yeah, I decided to keep the oregano oil in there even though you only use the lavender and eucalyptus for this one.

And a quick roundup of the amazing box, with some info on essential oils. What a fantastic way to start off the new year healthy all naturally!  the homegrown collective december 2013 essential home remedies info cardWhat are your thoughts on the last box of 2013? If you want in, be sure to sign up for your own Homegrown Collective boxes soon to get the January one (and beyond).

[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 November 2013 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

As always, it was such a pleasant surprise when the Homegrown Collective box arrived! This time there are two projects, one that is perfectly seasonal and one that is a more involved food project. I’ve already done the first one and I’ll need to find a blender to try out the other.

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.

inside of homegrown collective box with the info sheets on the inner lid, sprig of evergreen cutting, and white homegrown collective sticker on brown paper wrapping

Hehe, it was really cute how they let one of the evergreen cuttings poke out.

contents of the homegrown collective november 2013 box with almond de"light" theme

Project #1, evergreen oil lamp: What an adorable idea! I love that this oil lamp makes use of very seasonally-appropriate items that totally remind me of winter. You also have the freedom to throw in whatever you might have in your yard or neighborhood to make it even more personalized. I think it’s fantastic and so simple yet creative. I can get more paraffin oil and keep on changing the look of this lamp throughout the months as I find random plants I can use!

the homegrown collective november 2013 project evergreen oil lamp info card

the homegrown collective november 2013 products for evergreen oil lamp

Project #2, almond chocolate milk: Ok, so I’m generally not a fan of almond milk, but I don’t think I’ve tried chocolate almond milk before. The main problem with this particular project is that I don’t have a blender, so I’m not sure how I could possibly make it right now. The good thing is that the move into the new condo is the perfect excuse to get a few items for the home, like a blender! I’ll have to keep these ingredients stored away for the time being, until I can try making my very own almond chocolate milk. I hope I like it!

the homegrown collective november 2013 project almond chocolate milk info card

the homegrown collective november 2013 products for almond chocolate milk

the homegrown collective november 2013 almond de"light" info card

At the back, you get to learn about almonds and the awesome clean burning oil lamp!d

Have you subscribed to The Homegrown Collective? I’m absolutely loving all the cool projects they come up with – I feel crafty without actually doing much! 😀

[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!]

Blissmobox: Bliss de Toilette

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
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Been awhile since I’ve posted up my Blissmobox stuff! I want to get them all up just so it’s all out there. This one was the April one and I chose the Bliss de Toilette option because I always like getting skincare and I wasn’t feeling the snack box.

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 april's blissmobox: grab'n'go and bliss de toilette

The two choices for the April blissmobox.

I liked the name of this box, so I decided to try it. It was an ok box for me – I didn’t like that the only full-sized product was a repeat from the March blissomobox I’d just gotten! I even wrote about it because I contacted their customer support about it and did NOT get the kind of resolution I was looking for. Oh well, I guess you can’t win it all. If I’d gotten a different box for March and hadn’t already seen the lotion, this box would have been alright for me.

opened blissmobox april 2013 with contents displayed

collage of softwater soapworks lemongrass soap included in april 2013 blissmoboxSoftwater Soapworks, Lemongrass soap – This is a really cute little handmade soap bar that makes for a perfect item to be used in a guest bathroom. I have a bunch of soap bars I have yet to use so this will be saved for that queue or I might share it with someone if they ever come over to visit and want a soap bar to use. I love that this soap is vegan with very simple ingredients. I wish I could make soap like this too! I’ll have to try it out one day.

collage of natu liberating shampoo and reawakening conditioner samples included in april 2013 blissmoboxNATU, Liberating Shampoo & Reawakening Conditioner – I don’t often need shampoo and conditioner samples since I either have full sizes at home or travel sizes at hotels, but when I get these I want to save them for a time I’d need them. Sooo they end up not getting used for awhile usually. I like the names they use for these and how they’re free of all the crazy chemicals that hair care products are often laden with.

collage of antho organic serum included in april 2013 blissmoboxAntho, organic serum – This little bottle can go quite a long way since it doesn’t take much oil to get the job done. It has a light herby scent and is super healing for dry skin. I like what I see from this brand and I’ll have to add them to my list of brands to try more products from. I actually can’t find this product on their site, so I wonder if I would even be able to get more of it.

collage of skin salvy lip repair unscented lip balm included in april 2013 blissmoboxSkin Salvy, unscented lip repair lip balm – I find myself using a whole lot more lip balm now that I’m living out east, so it’s always good to have more. I haven’t opened this one yet since I have many tubes open, but I’m sure I will get around to it soon. At this rate I’m going to go through 3-4 tubes this winter! That’s more than I’ve used for years… but hey, I’m really trying to avoid chapped or dry lips.

collage of earth science daily defense lotion with spf 15+ included in april 2013 blissmoboxEarth Science, Daily Sun Defense Lotion SPF 15+ – Well, I do like that this is a giant bottle of lotion. Great for slathering on to keep my skin hydrated all through the cold months. It feels good and doesn’t have a scent so it’s good for guys to use too. I just wish I hadn’t already gotten one! I would have loved to try another product from this company, or a lotion from another brand.

collage of golden earth aromatherapy perfume sample in euphoria included in april 2013 blissmoboxGolden Earth, aromatherapy perfumes from nature in euphoria – I’m not into perfumes, but since this is an aromatherapy scent I’m thinking of dabbing it on my temples and wrists to relax with after yoga or during meditation. This rose and jasmine blend is supposed to inspire happiness, creativity and a sense of well-being – perfect! Who doesn’t want some of that, right? I might even try putting a few drops on my yoga mat so I get a whiff of it as I do my yoga practice.

collage of 100% pure green apple nourishing body cream sample packet included in april 2013 blissmobox100% Pure, green apple nourishing body cream – I’ve stashed this away for when I need a super portable bit of lotion. I’m such a hoarder! I have a bunch of these packets but only one in this scent so I almost don’t want to open it… just not yet!! I like the simplicity of this brand and I’d enjoy a full size of one of their lotions if I didn’t already have way more lotions than I need. I also have a scrub from them I need to try!

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

blissmobox bliss de toilette info sheet

Homegrown Collective October 2013 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

I’ve had this Homegrown Collective GREENBOX for a week or so but hadn’t gotten around to taking pictures! Finally, this morning I braved the cold porch and got these shots. I’m looking forward to trying these fun projects, which are very well-themed for the cooler seasons.

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.

contents of the homegrown collective october 2013 box with harvest feast theme

homegrown collective october 2013 preserving & preparing the harvest feast box info sheets on the inner lid in plastic sleeve

Project #1, antioxidants & superfoods: Ok, so technically this isn’t a project and they just tell you about the benefits of cinnamon, ginger, and cranberries, which were some of the featured items in this month’s box. I think it would have been nice if they had included some simple suggestions for how to incorporate these into your diet for those health benefits mentioned.

the homegrown collective october 2013 antioxidants & superfoods info card

Learn about what makes these food items so fabulous!

the homegrown collective october 2013 products for antioxidants & superfoods

I wonder if you can make something tasty with all three of these…

Project #2, gourd candle making: How fun! I love candles even if I don’t actually burn them very often. The concept of a gourd as the container is really cool and unique. I can be confident nobody else will have one quite like mine. 🙂

the homegrown collective october 2013 project gourd candle making info card

What a fun way to make a unique candle.

the homegrown collective october 2013 products for gourd candle making

Looks like fun – can’t wait to try it!

Project #3, water bath canning: I’ve never tried canning before, so this is perfect. I like pretty much anything that involves a mason jar these days (I know, it’s a silly criteria). I don’t usually eat cranberries but I’m definitely looking forward to contributing them to the Thanksgiving gathering this year!

the homegrown collective october 2013 project water bath canning info card

Gonna try my hand at canning, how cool!

the homegrown collective october 2013 products for water bath canning

Seems like quite an interesting process. Hope it tastes yummy!

the homegrown collective october 2013 project food preservation 101 info card

And some information about preserving and canning your own food.

Do you receive The Homegrown Collective too? What do you think about the projects this time?

[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!]

Yuzen Winter 2013 edition (November-January) review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Here’s the Yuzen winter box review that I meant to get out on Friday! I brought the box to work in the hopes of snapping some pictures during the day, but I got so swamped and distracted with other stuff that I didn’t find time until after sunset. I completely forgot to get individual product photos (and I didn’t want to take the time since I was trying to get that one project completed). Still, I think you can get a good sense of what it’s like and then you can tune in to the video when it’s up on Yuzen’s YouTube channel! I’ll try to get better pictures if I get a chance.

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.

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

I like how the colors were inverted for this box – very fitting for winter!

yuzen winter 2013 box info card and matching chioyami paper

Greetings from founders Jen & Ted, plus that beautiful strip of yuzen paper.

unboxed winter 2013 yuzen box with contents shown

And the contents of the winter box! So many wonderful goodies.

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

sanitasMoisture Mist: Like the serum that we got from this brand in fall box, this is from the Moisturize line. I’m a fan of mists and I’ve been using my two NYR ones pretty regularly. I’m going to save this one til my current ones run out but if it’s anything like the serum, I’m sure it’ll be rich and hydrating.

SpaRitual – nail lacquer in Golden Rule: This is a perfect polish for the holidays! You can layer it with all kinds of nail colors and it looks great. Put some on over bright red nails for a really fun party-ready look, or have some fun like I did and go with more crazy colors like orange. I’m loving my growing collection of SR nail lacquers – the bottles are adorable and a great size and of course the brand itself rocks a 5-free + vegan formula.

Pino – Facial Tissue Mask in Milk & Honey: I have a ton of masks, but none of them are milk and honey! This sounds sooo soothing that I just want to take a bath and then mask up. I’m saving this for when my skin needs a really calming influence. It seems like a lot and I wonder if I could even use it twice. From what I could feel through the packaging, it’s very thick so I think a little will go a long way with this one.

Level Naturals  Grapefruit Bergamot Soy Candle: I love this scent! It’s so wonderfully sweet and citrusy. The small tin makes it ideal for travel, though I doubt the hotel would be happy if I tried to light it in my room. Soy candles are amazing, burning ever so clean that I get all the fun of candles without worrying about getting a scratchy throat from the particles in the air. I wish that Level actually sold this size, because it is beyond adorable.

Jurlique  Rose Hand Cream: I’ve been using a lot more hand creams and lotions lately since every time I go to the restroom at work, I come back with slightly dry hands. My backlog is going down slowly and this will have to wait at the end of that line for now. I’m a bit surprised at their price point ($25 for a 40 mL tube) so unless it works miracles, I probably won’t be buying this anytime soon. I do enjoy being able to try it out though!

Sun Cups  Dark Chocolate Mint cups: I’m hesitant to try these because on the one hand I love dark chocolate but on the other hand I’m very sensitive to mint in chocolate and I’m very picky about what kind of peanut butter flavor I enjoy. I’ll take them with me to work this week and use them as a pick-me-up in the afternoon. They make a great little snack and I’m sure plenty of people love dark chocolate, mint, and peanut butter. I’m just a weirdo.

TARA Aromatherapy  Roll-On Lotion in Stress Relief: I’ve had some trouble getting this to roll out just yet, but I do like the cooling and refreshing sensation I get from the rolling of the ball and the scent. I expected it to be more like a liquid, so I wonder if there’s a strategy to getting it out. I figure if I just roll it around enough it’ll eventually start dispensing. I like doing this whenever I need a little extra oomph (or if my idle hands just want to do something).

Jane Iredale – 24-Karat Gold Dust in Gold: I never thought this would be the type of thing I’d use, but as I read all the suggestions, I find myself looking forward to trying them. A dash in my lotion, a sprinkle in my hair… I like the subtle shine I can get without getting too crazy, so I’ll be experimenting with this dust quite a bit. This is such a fun product to play around with and once again, having gold glittery things is so festive for the holidays.

Kerstin Florian  Fuß Balm: Don’t neglect your feet like I often do. Balms like these are just what we need in the cold months to protect our feet. It’s all too easy to get dry heels or achy soles. For this very reason, I’ve gotten a couple of foot products in the past few months and (I feel like I sing this song every time) I’ll test out this one once those are depleted! This brand is completely new to me and I can’t wait to see how it works for me.

And this rounds out 2013! I can hardly believe that the next Yuzen box will be arriving in 2014… it sounds so far away yet it’ll be upon us way too soon. I’ve definitely enjoyed the seasonal changes in products chosen and I look forward to what the spring box will bring. Jen and Ted did a great job once again and I am thrilled to have this growing supply of products that I may never have tried if it weren’t for subscription boxes.

What do you think of this box? Have you tried Yuzen yet? If not, what are you waiting for?!

*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). :)

365great Day 229: blissmobox

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , ,
0

365great challenge day 229: blissmoboxBlissmo was the first to get me into this subscription box thing and I haven’t looked back since. After a year with them, I was ready to move on and try other brands, but I will forever have them to thank for introducing me to this world in the first place. I’ve enjoyed getting boxes from them and I appreciated the varied themes. It was fun to choose between food, beauty, household, pets, and other focuses for a given box. As far as I’ve seen, they’re the only ones doing that on a monthly basis. They’ve shown me some incredible eco-friendly brands that I’m so glad to have tried. It’s been great and I might consider getting some of their special sale boxes in the future!

Conscious Box October review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Got my last free Conscious Box this week, which rounds out the two 3-month subscriptions I won. I’ve gotten a ton of products to try over the course of the past six months, most of which I still need to get around to. It’s been fun getting Conscious Box but I won’t be subscribing. I’ve got a backlog of stuff to try!

Conscious Box is just under $20 per box (or as discounted as just over $203 for an entire year, with options in between) and comes with many samples from about a dozen brands. Choose from their Classic, Vegan, or Gluten-free box. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program.

inside box of conscious box october with moon design

conscious box october gmo awareness month info card

conscious box october contents including acure day cream, lotus moon facial moisturizer, crumcreek mini breadsticks, goddess garden daily lotion, bottle bright cleaning tablet, lifetree dish soap, gnu foods fiber bar, eat green tea supplement, allimax capsules, honest shampoo + body wash, organicasaurus baked corn snacks, seventh generation serum and body lotion, fruitsmax supplement tablets, and biobag

This was the lightest of all the boxes and I realized after seeing everything that there was no drink this time, which explains the weight difference. I just ate lunch so I’m too full to try the snacks, but I’m really interested in the Organicasaurus Cheddar Cheese baked organic corn snacks. I mean, they’re dino-shaped. What else do you need? The mini breadsticks from Crum Creek look really flavorful, but kind of on the dry side. I’d imagine they’re sort of like eating pretzel sticks. I’m saving the gnufoods Fiber Love Cinnamon Raisin bar for an afternoon pick-me-up at work one day.

My supplements collection has grown a ton and I’ve still yet to break a single one in. :-/ I’m just not in the habit of it, but I’ll try to get around to it. The Eat Green Tea pouch is really interesting since I’ve never eaten tea before. It is a plant, so why not, right? But it just seems kind of weird. I have at least one other pack sitting around waiting to be consumed. Same goes for the Allimax allicin capsules. Those are supposed to be good for a variety things ranging from colds and flus to fungus and wounds. With a ton of people getting sick around me, I’m definitely going to try these. Popping one now! Then there’s the FruitsMax chewable supplements that will give me my daily fruits serving without having to chow down on so much fruit. I hardly ever eat enough fruit, so this will be useful.

Most of the rest were skincare items, which I have a TON of. I don’t think I’ll need to go shopping for them for many years, if ever again. All of these were new to me, so that’s good! I like exploring new brands. There’s the Acure gotu kola stem cell + chlorella growth factor day cream with its super-fancy sounding ingredients that I look forward to trying. There’s the lotus moon vitamin B hydrating gel facial moisturizer that seems really rich and maybe more like a serum. There’s the honest shampoo + body wash that I’ve heard about and have wanted to try. I’m definitely not used to one product for my hair and body. Then there’s the Seventh Generation natural skin serum and body lotion, which I wish were larger samples. Both look great and I’ll be adding them to my stash to try soon. Finally, there’s the Goddess Garden Organics Tangerine Lavender daily lotion with SPF 15 that sounds fabulous – I love tangerine and lavender.

And for the miscellaneous stuff: a Bottle Bright effervescent tablet for cleaning water bottles that I’ve also gotten before and haven’t tried yet. I don’t really use water bottles these days and the mugs I drink out of are pretty easy to clean. The LifeTree concentrated dish soap in Citrus Fresh will be perfect to try with the next batch of dishes. Who wouldn’t want something gentle and biodegradable to be going on their dishes to clean them? Finally, there’s a BioBag for you dog owners out there, which is perfect for your walks. As for me, I’ll just use it to put food scraps to compost one day. Good stuff!

And that’s it! I really need to start grouping all this stuff into boxes so I can start using them more effectively. Right now they’re scattered everywhere so I don’t always remember what I need to use. What’d you think of this box?

Blissmobox: Body Bliss

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Still catching up on my Blissmoboxes (only 3 more after this I think). I got this box back in early April – it was offered as a spring special and since I missed it the first time I decided to snag it on sale.

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.

blissmobox spring sale box choices including beauty bundle ii, body bliss, and naturally hers

The three choices for the spring blissmobox sale.

This spring sale caught my attention with the first two choices, but since I already had half of the beauty bundle II option I went for the body bliss. I wanted to try the Own brand and getting that Pangea Mask is a great deal!

opened blissmobox spring 2013 special deal with contents displayed

collage of tree hut coconut lime shea body butterTree Hut, Coconut Lime shea body butter – This turned out to be my absolute favorite item from this box. It also ranks pretty high among all products from all boxes I’ve gotten. I was surprised since I’m not usually a coconut person, but the combo of that with lime is an amazing scent I really enjoy. I also love the texture, which is firm and somewhat elastic. You barely need any of this to get a lot of results and it applies so well. I plan on trying many of the other scents they have.

collage of own bio-activating skin care renewing dual protecting day lotion with spf 30Own Skin Care, Dual Protecting Day Lotion with SPF 30 – I’m still saving this one to use when I’m low on my current face lotions. It’s a brand I’ve wanted to try so I’m really glad I got it and I wonder how effective the bio-activating formula is. They’ve got a cool concept. I wonder what’s going on with their site though – it’s down for me and I can’t tell if it’s temporary or if they shut down?

collage of pangea organics japanese matcha tea with acai & goji berry facial maskPangea Organics, Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Facial Mask – I got a sample of this in another box, so I decided to trade this for some other products. It’s a wonderfully large size that would last for a long time. This is another brand I’m interested in so I definitely love getting their products, especially since they’re a bit pricey for me. Yay for saving on the retail cost of this item!

collage of scharffen berger extra dark chocolate barScharffen Berger, Extra Dark Chocolate bar – This is a nice dark chocolate bar that isn’t crazy bitter. It’s got a smooth texture and I found this size to be super cute. Who needs a giant bar at one time anyway? I think I’ve seen these in Whole Foods but I haven’t bought any yet. At 82% cacao, it’s their highest concentration of cacao so if you’re into something less strong, you can opt for many other options.

collage of 100% pure vanilla bean nourishing body cream sample100% Pure, vanilla bean nourishing body cream – I have a bunch of these packets that I’ve yet to use. The name is simple and the branding makes me feel like it’s a green product. The small packets are great for throwing in a bag for use when you’re out and about. I can see this being enough for my full body or many uses for my hands and arms.

What do you think of this selection? Have you tried any of these products? What’s your favorite?

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