eco-friendly « ((little fat notebook))

Posts Tagged ‘eco-friendly’

Blissmobox: Skin ‘n’ Hair Care

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

23 October 2012

Ready for the belated August blissmobox low-down? Here goes! The options for that month were Skin ‘n’ Hair Care, Lunchbox Snacks, or Pristine & Clean.

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 august's blissmobox: skin'n'hair care, lunchbox snacks, or pristine & clean

The three choices for the August blissmobox.

Since I had just gotten a box of snacks and I wasn’t particularly interested in excuses for cleaning, the beauty box was perfect! When I opened the box, I was greeted by a sampling of items for just about any skincare need, ranging from practical to pampering.

Wellinhand Action Remedies, Therapy Oil – The most practical of them all, this little oil is great for all kinds of skin conditions ranging from cuts and burns to soreness and pain. I haven’t really had any skin conditions that I can test it out on, but the soothing herbal scent with a slight hint of sweetness already indicates to me it has some of the healing properties of herbs. I almost didn’t see the sample when I was looking at the info sheet, so it would have been nice if there had been a more decent size included.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals Pumpkin Renew Cream, Unscented – This is a rich and creamy face and neck cream that is gentle and soothing. It has a thicker consistency than a lot of other moisturizers and even feels a a bit elastic. It’s really nice! I also love that the pumpkins they use come from their very own garden (or so it says).

Hugo Naturals All Over Lotion, Comforting Vanilla & Sweet Orange – Can you say YUMMY?! The combination of the sweet and citrus elements in this lotion remind me of a delicious orange cupcake! It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling whenever I put it on and it’s almost like getting a dose of comfort food.

Giovanni Eco Chic Hair Care, Brazilian Keratin & Argan Oil Ultra-Sleek Shampoo – This shampoo has a really nice smell that I think is something like macadamia nut? I can’t quite pinpoint it, but it’s familiar and nutty. The shampoo is pretty runny as you can see, but it’s also creamy and rich. I love the subtle sweet scent that lingers and makes using this shampoo feel like a luxurious experience!

La Fresh eco-beauty, Instant Body Soother – I wasn’t too sure what to do with a “body soother” at first, but then I discovered that it is PERFECT for after a workout. The minty smell gets deep in your lungs to really refresh while it cools and soothes your skin! It’s downright pampering. 😉 These moist towelettes are just moist enough to gently clean away some of the grime on your skin, yet aren’t so wet that you have to wait for the residue to evaporate. La Fresh is really water-conscious in how they produce their products, which I totally love!

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

Yuzen August 2012 edition

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: almonds, beauty, eco-friendly, face cleansers, food, green, healing balm, health, home, nuts, pictures, products, review, skincare, snacks, soap, sunscreen, tea, yuzen

08 October 2012

Wondering about the second Yuzen box? Never fear! I’m here to show you what came in it and give you the low-down on each item. This time around, the color scheme was yellow and there were six fantastic brands included.

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

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

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day – Lemon Verbena All Purpose Soap Bar: As I was opening the box, I got a hint of this soap bar’s clean scent wafting up. It’s a huge full-size bar that will last me a LONG time! The wrapping was a nice smooth texture and it wasn’t glued too strongly together, so opening the packaging was actually a pleasant experience. I’d heard great things about Mrs. Meyer’s products, so I was pretty happy to get a chance to try it out. The soap suds nicely and gently cleans your entire body.

Cowgirl Skincare – Desert Recovery Cleanser: This is a fun new brand I hadn’t encountered before! The smell of the face wash is soothing and slightly sweet – maybe rose? It’s perfect for washing away whatever managed to accumulate on your face and doesn’t strip your skin of moisture. It’s meant for dry, aging, or sensitive skin but it’s useful for any type of skin. The container reminds me of elixirs from a Western (or maybe it’s just because their name is Cowgirl :-P). Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, anyone?

Organic India – Tulsi Original, Lemon Ginger, Sweet Rose, & Sleep teas: I enjoyed each one of these Tulsi teas! I’ve never heard of Tulsi before, so I was definitely intrigued by this “holy basil of India” that is incorporated in Ayurvedic practices. It’s apparently popular as an herbal remedy and has both general health and medicinal values.

It didn’t taste much different to me than normal teas, so it’d be easy to substitute them in while still enjoying the taste of tea, yet getting the added (healing) benefits of tulsi. With a name meaning “the incomparable one” how could you not give it a whirl too?

Coola Suncare – Cucumber Mineral Sunscreen for Face: Haha! Funny that just like the first Yuzen box, I happen to already use one of the products included. This is that particular product from this box and I’m more than happy for another! In fact, I happen to have one at Panda’s and one at my parents’ now so I can protect my face wherever “home” is. The cucumber scent is so relaxing and the sunscreen absorbs into the skin well, with no greasy layer to worry about. It’s perfect for your face and hands. Don’t forget to apply it to your neck too, if it’ll be exposed!

Olomomo Nut Co – Chai Bliss Almonds: Oh yum! Talk about wonderfully fragrant and oh so delicious. These almonds are covered in a sweet layer of vanilla and cardamom flavoring that is just delightful. I don’t normally like to eat nuts, but if they all came like this, I could definitely incorporate them into my routine! Plus, who doesn’t want a product made with love? (See ingredient list, hehe.)

Tilvee – Calendula & Comfrey Healing Balm: WOW. Not only do I love the usefulness of this product, it smells wonderful too! I can hardly get enough of it. It’s basically what you’d put on for anything adverse that happens to your skin, whether it be cuts and scrapes, rashes or sunburn, even plain old dry patches! Not long after getting it, I actually got a scratch and I applied it until my skin healed. Worked great, though it’s not meant for eliminating scars. Still, my skin would have scarred horribly had it not been for this healing balm. I’m obsessed and I use it on just about all skin conditions that ail me. Oh, and I absolutely love that it comes in stick form for easy application and ultimate portability!

Yuzen July 2012 edition

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, dried fruit, eco-friendly, energy mists, face scrubs, face towels, food, green, hand towels, health, pictures, products, review, salt, skincare, snacks, tea, yuzen

02 September 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blissmobox: Blissful Bites

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

22 August 2012

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

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

The three choices for the July blissmobox.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yuzen: my first subscription box!

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: eco-friendly, experiences, green, opinion, pictures, products

03 August 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Curated craze

laelene Posted in general blog, subscriptions，Tags: behavior, eco-friendly, environment, observation, opinion, pictures, products, shopping

09 July 2012

I subscribe to a random smattering of newsletters and daily deal sites, one of which is blissmo. Earlier in the week, I got an email with a special offer that piqued my interest – sign up for a blissmobox membership and get a special edition box free! I’ve been aware of these subscription-based programs that offer a box of curated goods each month, but I had never gotten into them. However, after looking into blissmoboxes, I felt that for $19/box (or just $17.54 if you count the bonus one too) it was worth a shot. After all, I’m a sucker for trying new products and what better way than to let the people of blissmo pick out some eco-friendly ones for me?

This experience got me thinking about this whole “curated” trend that’s been going around. From daily deals that are curated by experts to monthly themed boxes curated by the team at a company, options are popping up everywhere. You can go for environmentally-friendly products like I did, or choose from food only, beauty products, fashion, and countless other angles. I won’t talk about daily deals today, since this whole monthly box thing is my newest interest. I love the idea because you get introduced to a bunch of cool new products without having to scour the aisles yourself. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy receiving a package?

While looking into what the latest blissmobox contained, I discovered a blogger who reviewed a bunch of these services. I’m pretty baffled by how many she subscribes to, but if you cut out shopping in stores and buying snacks yourself, I can see how it wouldn’t cost too much more to exclusively use these subscriptions. There’s definitely a strong appeal to getting on this trend, whether it’s purely because you like to receive packages or you’re actually looking to sample a variety of products to help you choose what to use in your daily life. In fact, I almost convinced myself that it wouldn’t be so bad if I subscribed to just one more…

I remember when I got a mystery gift bag from Burt’s Bees; it was really exciting to open it up and discover what they had put in there for me. Similarly, one of the perks of being involved with Opportunity Green is the chance to score some pretty awesome swag. It’s just so satisfying to get a bag of stuff! Emotionally, it can be very satisfying to sign up for one these curated boxes. On the other hand, to a certain extent it can make sense practically as well, since you often see products that you aren’t sure about and wish you could try. This way, you get a bunch that have been test driven by people at the company providing the boxes, so generally you can expect a pretty good product. You can then test them out yourself to figure out if it’s something you’d continue to use. There’s also the fun factor of not knowing what you’ll get. Most people enjoy a little bit of mystery and surprise to spice things up!

I personally can’t wait to get my first blissmobox and start experiencing this craze. I’ll be sure to post up what I get in each box as they come!

OG11

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: eco-friendly, experiences, opportunity green, pictures

11 November 2011

Mayor Villaraigosa sent Opportunity Green a lovely message officially declaring 11.11.11 Opportunity Green Day! How awesome.

Volunteering the past few days has been busy, so here are some shots. No time to write much yet!

collection of various igo charging products from their sponsorship at opportunity green

iGo sponsored the charging station we had for people's devices.

a dozen cell phones being charged at the igo-sponsored charging station at opportunity green

We charged over a dozen phones at a time!

lunch at opportunity green as catered by tendergreens

Fantastic lunch from Tendergreens! I loooved the kale.

sound stage 6 at los angeles center studios set up as the main stage for opportunity green

The main stage area was huge and had some really cool lighting.

light at entrance of sound stage 6 at los angeles center studios for opportunity green

This light was created with what looked like old milk jugs or some similar plastic. Reminds me of the scales on a fish!

Box Appetit

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: duchess, eco-friendly, food, opportunity green, pictures, products

19 October 2011

At Opportunity Green, you’re bound to find out about cool products like these lunch boxes that come in a cool, sealable design. It also includes a box for a sandwich half, a container for sauce, and a fork!