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Petit Vour November 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: balms, beauty, body oils, boxes, dry shampoo, lip glosses, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, subscriptions

24 November 2015

The weather’s really getting cold so I need a lot more product to help keep my skin moisturized as the dry air takes hold. I loved this box!

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!).

Pelle Beauty Luxe Beauty Balm – Wow, this waterless formula looks almost beeswaxy. It melts well as you rub it, so you can easily rub it across your face. Since this is a more intense product, I prefer to use it at night to let it work its magic while my body is taking care of itself.

Organic Bath Co Skincare Stress Less body oil – That wonderful lavender scent is reminiscent of a visit to a spa. Actually, that reminds me that I need to go do that. It’s been too long since I indulged in a facial or massage! I love using body oil in lieu of lotion during the winter months. It helps lock in the moisture so much and I never have to worry about dry, cracked skin (ick).

One Love Organics Healthy Locks dry shampoo powder – The presentation of this is totally adorable and this is the perfect size for bringing on travel. Dry shampoo is great for refreshing my hair when I don’t want to spend the time to get it wet and wait for it to dry (yeah, I don’t blow dry). It’s a great idea for on the road, when you might not have access to the right kind of facilities.

Modern Minerals Lotus Wei Infused Violet Rose Emotive Lip Gloss – Aaaah, what a nice lip gloss. Not only is the formula amazing, providing instant hydration and glossiness without a super sticky feeling, but it smells so unique! I love the Lotus Wei infusion, which is really calming and a lovely sweet scent. I feel like I’m getting aromatherapy from my lips (which might be the point?).

Alright! What a great set of products that will serve me will for the winter. I’m really happy with this selection. 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!]

Spiralizer

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: kitchen, lifestyle, pictures

22 November 2015

One of the things I’ve wanted to get was a spiralizer to make zoodles. I’m so excited that I have this now! I’ve been spiraling cucumbers for a chilled appetizer and it’s so much fun. I look forward to cooking up some zucchini soon!

Yogi Surprise November 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: body wipes, books, eye creams, food, guides, lifestyle, pictures, products, skincare, snacks, yoga, yogi surprise

19 November 2015

I really enjoy all the types of products that I get introduced to. I’m constantly surprised by the yoga-themed things they can find!

Yogi Surprise is just under $36 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with yoga gear, skincare, food, and other lifestyle products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

breath perception guide – Cool, this is sort of like a meditation guide! I need to make time in my routine to incorporate breathing exercises. You hear about the benefits all the time, but it’s so easy to not do it. Once you get into the habit though, I’m sure it will be worth it.

Banyan Botanicals Nasya Oil – I don’t know what it is about sticking something up my nose, but I’m a bit apprehensive. I guess it’s because I’d heard of those yeti pots where people could get their noses infected if not used properly. It just seems to vulnerable to put oil in my nose. Is that odd? I will have to get used to this idea before I can try it out. Let me know if you’ve done it before!

Laughing Giraffe pumpkin spice snakaroons – Ok, I’m not much into this kind of macaroon. There’s just too much coconut for me. At least these were moist, which I like much better than the drier kind that some brands make. It does feel healthy though, so I might pop one or two in the morning on my way to work.

sibu beauty sea buckthorn age defying eye cream – I love this brand, which I first discovered from Yuzen many years ago. I’ve never tried their eye cream, so this will be perfect! Sea buckthorn is such a cool product and their soap smells heavenly. I do have quite a backlog of eye creams though, so I won’t this just yet.

Yummy Yogi cookie cutter – What, a cookie cutter yogi? Haha, never would have thought of this one. I think I’ve only used cookie cutters once, so I’m debating if I will save this as a gift or try making cookies with this cookie cutter. I’ll sit on it a bit before deciding.

Yuni Instant Shower Sheet wipes – I’m all about body wipes to quickly refresh without the whole shower thing. Once I get in a shower, I never want to come out, so I kind of dislike the idea right now since it’s such a time suck. Now I don’t plan on replacing my showers with these, but at least they can keep me fresh in between them. Certainly great to have after working out (not that I do :-P).

Yogi Surprise Cultivating Gratitude yoga sequence series card – I’ve been out of yoga practice for a long time and I’m not sure when I’ll pick it up again, but when I do, these cards will come in handy. Be sure to swing by the instruction page to download this sequence before it’s replaced by the next one. And erm, if you downloaded last month’s could you share that with me? I must have forgotten…

This was a pretty good box and certainly showed me a ton of new products. Which of these items would you like to have?

[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 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). 🙂

Treatsie October 2015 review

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

04 November 2015

I’m not sure what happened this month, but it felt like I was waiting for this for ages. I’m happy to see so many products in it!

Treatsie is $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 3-4 brands. That means about 6 or 7 different flavors of treats. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program to earn store credit. Use my referral link and code FRBUCO01 to get double the treats (a purported $40 value) in your first box!

le bon garçon spiced cider caramel: These are the softest caramels I’ve ever had. They’re crazy silky and a wonderful flavor for fall.

Torie & Howard chewie fruities: Mmm, these are like super soft Starburst. I’m a huge fan of the lemon raspberry flavor, which is sweet in a light way and has a little bit of tartness.

Colts Bolts chocolate: Now I’m not generally a fan of peanut butter, but the way it’s combined with the chocolate makes for a yummy treat. I like that they mixed it up with roasted almonds in there to add a super crunchy surprise.

Zingerman’s Candy milk chocolatey Karamel Krunch: I love the light crunch of this bar! I need more!! The crisped up rice was perfection and I wish the bar was larger so I could have enjoyed more of it. Now I need to go buy a whole box of these things.

Cocoa Dolce Artisan Bar: Omg this chocolate is so smoooooth. It just melts into a silkiness that is wonderful. I had to stop myself from eating the entire bar in one go. The caramel and pecans inside the bar offer a great mix to the texture, especially the crunch of the nuts.

I loved every single item here and I’m so glad I got to try them. My fav was the Karamel Krunch and I must get my hands on more of those. Which treats do you like from this box? To get Treatsie, sign up with my link and code FRBUCO01 to get double the treats in your first box!

Prospurly October 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: aromatherapy, artisan, bath salts, boxes, candles, cookies, handcrafted, home, lip balms, lotions, pictures, products, prospurly, reviews, skincare, soaps, sprays, subscriptions

02 November 2015

I saw this box from an email I got from Conscious Box and I couldn’t resist. From previous boxes, I saw fun things like a desktop garden kit and mule mugs that caught my attention in particular. I could hardly wait for the first box to come!

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

It came in an orange box stuffed quite full.

prospurly october 2015 box inner lid with info card

The info card is stuck to the lid, which you can then remove to read.

prospurly box inner lid with info card removed

Once the card’s removed a cute little graphic shows.

Honey Girls paleo chocolate chip cookie mix – You can’t quite tell from the picture, but the jar feels rather empty. It’s just a little over half full from the look of it and I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be the portion size, but it seems a bit small. Still, I look forward to trying this and comparing to all the other cookie mixes I’m used to using. It’s expensive for my taste though.

benescentials aromatherapy spray in Fall Into Winter – Ooo, this is a lovely scent of fall that is just wonderful. It’s very unique compared to most aromatherapy I’ve tried and so perfect for the season. I like how on their Etsy listing, they list how each ingredient is supposed to make you feel and what the intended benefits are. All aromatherapy is quite soothing to me but I like knowing if it’s more energizing or calming so I can plan to use them at different times.

Skin Nutrition from nature with love pumpkin lotion – I’ve never had a pumpkin lotion before and I love the warmth with a hint of spice that this one gives. I feel like I’m in a kitchen that’s making pumpkin-flavored everything. The lotion feels great and is really moisturizing. This little bottle will be perfect to keep at one of my various lotion spots: in the car, at my desk, by the bed…

Valentina’s Home-Brewed Protection Magickal Mineral Bath Salts – I have bath salts in another scent from this brand and I’m happy to try out a different variety! I like that these are basically single-use packs, though I’ll probably use just half at a time. Looks like I’m going to have to draw up a bath in the coming days, just so I can try this out.

The Suds Cafe pumpkin spice goat’s milk soap – First of all, this bar of soap is fun to look at. I love when they do layering with different textures and colors. I feel like it makes it more fun to use that way! I just recently opened up a bar of soap to use but I might swap that out for this one since this would be a great time of year to smell like pumpkins.

Bliss Pharm Harvest Moon hand sanitizer – You know, I don’t think I’ve really used hand sanitizer sprays. I’ve had wipes and those gel bottles, but I’m liking this misting action. Plus it smells so much better than those “clean” scents that just make me think of bathrooms. I’ll have to keep this bottle handy with me – I know I’m going to enjoy using it all the time.

Skin Nutrition from nature with love pumpkin spice lip balm – Cool, pumpkin spice lip balm! If it’s anything like the lotion from this brand then I’m in for a very sweet treat. I’m debating if I should open it up since I have so many lip balms in use already. For now I’ll keep it sealed and try to use up the ones I’ve had for longer.

Tin Pony Soap House Cinnamon Whiskey soy candle – Whoa, I wasn’t sure about the whiskey part but I do like the scent of this candle. Unfortunately, Panda does not and claims that the cats wouldn’t either (they didn’t seem to mind when I left it open). I might have to burn this in a room that he won’t be going to, or gift it to someone who can burn it in their home. I love the jar and I’m happy it’s a soy candle.

Cool, my first box from them and I’m quite pleased with the very seasonal products that fit “The Harvest” theme and definitely feel like locally crafted fare. I do hope for more unique home items in future boxes, since I’ve got plenty of candles. The upcoming theme is The Gift of Gratitude, which I’m sure will have some Thanksgiving-esque items. Maybe a small cornucopia? A desktop turkey? I hope it’s something that really impresses me. What do you think of these products?

Petit Vour October 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, cruelty-free, petit vour, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, subscriptions

28 October 2015

What timing, getting a French-looking card so soon after returning from Paris. This must hearken back to PV’s name inspiration, which drew from “petit four” (a French term).

Essence of Vali Sleep – This is a good reminder of the other vials I’ve gotten previously from Yuzen and Yogi Surprise. I will have trouble sleeping every couple of nights, so I really should use these kinds of calming scents to help lull me to slumber.

Ursa Major Fantastic Face Wash – Ah, the mintiness of this one is quite refreshing. I like the scent and like that you can keep it on for extra exfoliation (though I’m not sure how that works). This is a great travel size that I might save for trips.

HANA Organic Skincare eye oil – The tiniest drop of this and your whole eye area is well covered. I smells lovely and reminds me of another product I have that I can’t quite place my finger on.

Habit Cosmetics nail polish in Disco – I’m a fan of their cool wooden cap that you can’t see until you open the box. Incorporating myrrh is a new concept to me and I sure hope it’s as good to nails and cuticles as they say!

I look forward to using everything in this box and I’m happy that lately I haven’t wanted to trade anything. Which of these products do you want to try?

Escape Monthly October: California Box review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: body butters, boxes, california, chocolates, face mists, face oils, food, guides, loofahs, pictures, products, reviews, shower gels, snacks, subscriptions, travel, wallets

26 October 2015

Wow, I can hardly believe it was well over a year ago that the other California box came. I’ve got to say, this box introduced me to some great products that I quite enjoy!

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

(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

As before, I like the skincare items that were included. Guess there are a lot of those great brands out west. The other stuff is pretty cool too and overall this box has more things I’ll use.

Here’s what came in the box:

Frommer’s EasyGuide to San Francisco – This is only the second Frommer’s book that they’ve used. It’s got a ton of maps that will be useful in finding things. I’ve only ever explored SF on my own of things I’d heard of, so I’m curious what the guide will recommend.

Goldrush Sourdough Starter – This is packaged to be mailed like a postcard, which would be a fun thing to do from CA. I love sourdough bread and I’ve never thought about making it, so this should be exciting! I might even take this home to LA with me this Thanksgiving to try it out in my mom’s bread machine.

California Mango cleansing gel and hand & body lotion – As I’ve recently learned, mango skincare products smell amazing. These generous tubes will last me a very long time! I’ll smell fabulous coming out of the shower. The lotion almost smells a little bit coconuty, which is also a super tropical sort of scent.

sisal pouch – I’ve got small pouches with smaller holes for the solid shampoo and conditioner pieces that are too small to use alone and now I have the perfect pouch for my soap! I recently got a cute wool soap that’s meant to do a similar thing. I can also use this as a glove to scrub my body with if I want a rougher exfoliation.

Torn Ranch milk chocolate truffle bar – I just got a bunch of chocolate in Europe, so I’m saving this one to eat later. The truffle bar sounds rich and wonderful – can’t wait to try it!

loofah pad – I’m all about exfoliating, so I’m happy to have this to use in the shower. I might even make soap and pour it around it to make loofah soap, like this one cool bar I once got from Hawaii.

Napa Organics face mist and face oil – Ooo, now these look like luxurious products. I love mists and toners, so this toner mist is just perfect to use after washing my face. I swear the oil smells like some sort of honey (clover honey maybe?) that I’ve had before. It has a nice earthy element to it and feels like it could be a healing tonic with medicinal qualities.

travel wallet – Too bad I didn’t get this before our travels, or I could have used it to keep some money and cards stored away. I think it could just fit my passport in it as well and definitely plane tickets, which would have been nice to help me organize all my stuff.

I think a lot of the focus here was on NorCal products, so I hope that there’s a SoCal or LA or San Diego box in the future, to learn more about products from my neck of the woods. No idea what the next destination is but I’m hoping more Asian countries will show up. There are amazing things to be found out there. What products from this California Escape Monthly box do you like most? If you want to sign up, be sure to sign up for their newsletter to get a code for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription.

European goodies

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: chocolates, drinks, europe, food, france, germany, gifts, italy, jewelry, mugs, pasta, pictures, snacks, spain, travel

21 October 2015

Panda and I had a fun time on our tour of Europe and came home with some great items! Most of our focus was on eating local food, seeing the historical sites, and exploring the cities – but I still managed to bring back some things.

In Italy, I insisted on finding some fun pasta. I had an amazing Milka bar that then prompted the purchase of this giant one. And that bottle of olive oil came from our dinner meal, where the restaurant explained that oil olive is best enjoyed fresh, so when you purchase bread and oil, you get your own bottle to use. Anything unused can be taken home.

In France I had to get something from the Eiffel Tower, as I’m wont to do when I go. Lately I’ve been into unique mugs, so this one with legs caught my interest. At Versailles we had lunch at Angelina and I saw a loaf of gingerbread with honey that sounded good. At Orly airport there was an amazing shop of treats (mostly candy, just the way I like it). I found flavors of Toblerones that I never heard of before! The Oreo Milka looked too good to pass up and the guy kindly offered a discount on the hot chocolate tins, which are gifts for the folks who helped watch the cats while we were gone. Finally, we ate at Exki in the airport and I was a total sucker for their bamboo utensils and grabbed at set to use at work.

At the hotel in Paris, they had adorable yogurts in glass containers that we rinsed out and kept, along with fun tea boxes.

In Spain our big purchase was the Tous earrings, which is a brand Panda loves because of the cute bear designs. They’re Spanish, so we were hoping for a good selection and were rewarded with not only that, but excellent prices as well. It happened to be located in an El Corte Ingles shopping center that offered a loyalty card for 10% of your purchase value towards the next one. The amount earned from the earrings was exactly enough to get the three sauce bowls – perfect since I’ve wanted that sort of thing for a long time. Then the points earned from that plus 0.45€ was enough to get that shot glass for my collection! Love the bonus items we got. 🙂 The two drinks were from the hotel.

On our way home we had a few more Euros left and one of the only things that we could get for 4,20€ or less was this bar of chocolate (from Sweden, nonetheless)!

A soufflé dining adventure

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog，Tags: dining, dinner, experiences, food, france, meals, paris, pictures, souffles, travel

17 October 2015

While in Paris, Panda and I were looking for a popular and special place to have dinner. With much searching, he came across Le Soufflé – offering a completely soufflé experience. They had a three-course meal that was all soufflés!

We eagerly walked there after a long day of exploring and stepped inside to a cozy little entry. A gentleman approached and asked if we had a reservation. We did not, so we wondered what the wait would be.

“I’m sorry, we are booked for the rest of the evening,” he told us.

“When’s the next time you have an opening?” we inquired.

“All reservations for the night are taken,” he explained. “You can make a reservation for tomorrow lunch.”

Disappointed, we stepped out and considered our options for our meal. It was past 9 and many restaurants were closing within the hour. We returned to the hotel to get online and search for somewhere else with soufflés.

With little success, we went to ask the concierge. He immediately recommended the restaurant we had been turned away from. We started telling him how they were booked, but he was already dialing their number. At first it seemed like they might give us a reservation, but then he started shaking his head. Fully booked. :-/

So he began calling a variety of other options asking if they at least served dessert soufflé. Finally, one place said yes – but it was not walking distance and we did not want to take a taxi. So as things looked more and more dismal, I was about ready to just eat at the hotel. Then, out of the blue, the concierge tells us we can go to Le Soufflé!

What?! We were confused. Apparently he had called them two more times and they had a cancellation, so we got in! We quickly rushed over the half mile or so to the restaurant and arrived aright round 10.

At first we planned on getting a set each, but upon seeing the size of the soufflés, we decided to share a single three-course meal. It was 37€ so we were happy to save on the cost too.

le souffle free bread, butter, and water to start the meal

We began with bread, butter, and water included in the meal.

le souffle artichoke & haddock appetizer souffle

The appetizer soufflé was the artichoke haddock, with pieces of both. It was very savory with that fish taste and a slight hint of tartness from the artichoke.

The side salad came with the first course.

le souffle chicken & mushroom main course souffle

Our main course was the chicken and mushroom. The chicken gravy came separately and we poured it bit by bit as we ate the soufflé. It reminded me of a chicken pot pie (which I had been craving) with a soft, fluffy top rather than a flaky crust.

And to wrap it up was a classic chocolate soufflé, which came with a chocolate sauce to pour in. There was a graininess to it that I quite enjoyed. It was very sweet!

This was a fun dining experience and the meal felt very satisfying, even with such light food. I think ait’s great thing to try for anyone new to the city. 🙂

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Posts Tagged ‘pictures’

Petit Vour November 2015 review

Spiralizer

Yogi Surprise November 2015 review

Yuzen Winter 2015 edition review

Treatsie October 2015 review

Prospurly October 2015 review

Petit Vour October 2015 review

Escape Monthly October: California Box review

European goodies

A soufflé dining adventure

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