Posts Tagged ‘products’

Love With Food Take Me Out to the Ballgame June 2014 review

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , , , , ,
2

This is my very first Love With Food box, which I got because it was free (I paid $2 for shipping). For the life of me, I can’t remember where I got that deal (and no amount of searching has helped). But hey, I came across a link to the deal that you can use this month! So try Love With Food free too (and pay for shipping).

Love With Food is $12 per box (or as discounted as $120 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 8 or more snack products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

love with food box in plastic wrap

The box comes nicely packaged and protected from the elements with plastic wrap.

love with food june 2014 box first look with card and snacks in open box

First look! The card shares the theme of the month.

contents of june 2014 love with food box including eight snacks

And the snacks for this month.

love with food june 2014 box info card listing snacks included

Check out the deets here.

Overall, they stuck to the theme well and these are all snacks I can see bringing to a ball game or eating on the way there. I’m not sure about the value, which certainly doesn’t blow me away, but I do appreciate being introduced to some nice brands. My favorites are the Dolcetto chocolate cookies and the Snikiddy baked fries. The cookies attracted Smokey too, and I had to quickly ensure she wasn’t able to eat any lest she get sick. They kind of remind me of those flute/straw cookie things that are crispy and crumbly (just looked it up and apparently they are called Piroulines). The Snikiddy baked fries were strangely reminiscent of onion rings, even though they’re actually made with potato and corn. I really liked them for the super crunch!

The YumEarth fruit snacks were quite good, but it was such a tiny pack and half of it was mango-flavored, which I don’t like. If I could get just the raspberry and pineapple, I’d be a happy camper. The G.H. Cretors Chicago mix was quite interesting and featured a mix of salty cheddar popcorn with sweet caramel popcorn. I’ve never had such a thing before and I enjoyed it. The Stoneridge Orchards dried cherries were pretty good, but I’m not into cherries that aren’t fresh, so I can’t take more than one bite at a time. I would want to try one of their other fruits though!

Finally, I have not yet tried the rest of the items. I’m most interested in The Cookie Department’s cookie because it’s been on my wishlist. I didn’t want to open it for a taste test until I wanted to gain the benefits of this detoxing cookie though. The Tree Hugger Gum gumball is cute, but again, the sample size could have been more generous – say, three gumballs? I don’t chew much gum and if I do it’s almost always to freshen my breath so I prefer a strong mint flavor. The Jolly Oak granola looks more appealing than granola usually does to me, but I still am not interested in granola so I gave this one to Panda for his travels. Great little snack to have handy!

I’m going to keep the subscription and see what the next box or two look like before deciding if I’ll keep this subscription. It’s nice to get more food sent to me again. What do you think about the snacks in this box? Have you tried any of them?

[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 at the special offer price and wanted to share what I got!]

Ipsy June 2014: Pretty In Paradise review

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

Here comes the second artist-partnered design for an Ipsy bag. I like the tropical look and the colors, though I don’t know if they make sense together. Still, I’m a fan! The products they matched me with were hit and miss. I’ll surely be trying to trade some.

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

ipsy june 2014 bag items with card including marc anthony dream waves beach spray, nyx butter gloss in eclair, be a bombshell lash out mascara, dermadoctor dd cream, and nicka k shimmer eyeliner in green

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray – This smells like summer with some sort of coconut-y influence. I’m still working on how to get a good beach wave look that works for my hair. It seemed quite effective at helping me get more volume and that tousled effect, but then I have a tendency to run my hands through my hair and it kind of defeats the purpose. Still, I shall use this and spruce up my hair a little this summer!

NYX butter gloss in Éclair – I’m definitely into lip glosses, so I’m glad to have this one. It’s a nice smooth consistency that applies a nice thin layer. Not too shiny, a little bit sticky, and quite moisturizing. Good lip product to keep around, but I don’t know if I’d buy it myself. There are just so many choices out there.

be a… bombshell lash out mascara – I have so many tubes of mascara now I practically need to apply it all day every day to make a dent in using them. It’s a pretty standard-looking type in terms of the brush and thickness/goopiness of the mascara. When I took a look, I also happened to sniff it and I didn’t like that smell, so I’m going to trade this. Other than that I wouldn’t mind keeping it around for my own use.

DERMAdoctor DD cream – Much as I’ve hoped these creams would be sufficient on their own, I find that I still need to help it along with some powder. They just don’t provide enough coverage for my breakouts and also leave my skin rather shiny. I’m a sucker for these items even though they don’t exactly work for me. Still, they provide a nice base upon which I can apply my powder, so I’m definitely testing this over time to see how it holds up against the other half dozen or so BB/CC/DD creams I’ve tried.

Nicka K New York Shimmer Eyeliner in Green – Wow, green eyeliner?! Intense. Not something I’d go for and certainly something I’ll be trading. What a very bold selection to go with. This is the first non-nail polish I’ve received from this brand and I won’t be using it.

This month the items were an ok fit for me overall. I liked about half the items, but there always seem to be other products they offered that would have made much more sense for me. Does IpsyMatch ever consistently work?? If you want to trade for any of my items, check out my eDivv shop don’t be discouraged if I don’t reply to divvys at first. Sometimes I need a hiatus and until they offer a “vacation mode” I don’t have a way to let other traders know when I’m taking a break.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

Beauty Box 5 June 2014 review

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

Holy cow, it’s June box time already?! With summer in full swing, we got a summer chic theme. These products add up to a nice, simple beauty routine. Just wash, cleanse, rinse, and then apply a touch of mascara and nice nail polish! Not much more you need, other than a lip balm, I’d say.

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

june 2014 beauty box 5 contents beauty box 5 june 2014 information card

beauty box 5 offer cards

Get a free box to try or $12 off a subscription!

Nicka K New York Nail Color in Ripe Apple: I first came across this brand in an Ipsy bag. I love the look of their bottles and the polish is a good consistency. Applying it was pretty straightforward and two applications offered the perfect kind of coverage. This color is bold but not too bright. A great darker look to fire engine red nails. I’m getting into nail art and this will be not only a nice canvas for designs, but great for little flourishes.

Organix Coconut Water shampoo & conditioner: These smelled really nice! I’m not even into coconut scents generally, but it was light enough to be pleasant and not suffocating. My hair felt pretty good after the shower, but once it dried it felt pretty normal again. I wouldn’t say this brand offered more or less shampooing and conditioning for my hair. I do like their argan oil conditioner though.

Glam Naturals mascara: There certainly will be no clumping with this mascara! It’s a much more liquid consistency than most mascaras I’ve tried. It’s perfect for when I want a little boost to my lashes, but still want that natural look. What a refreshing change from mascaras I’m used to. So far no smearing either; it seems to have good staying power.

Eslor Introductory Collection samples: I’m enjoying this set of products. They smell nice and are gentle. The scrub was a dry sort of formula, which is nice so a little mixed with water can cover a lot of area. It did tend to stick to the sides so I felt like I was losing out on product though. The mask is a green one that tingles a bit upon application. Everything felt good on my skin.

Vita Bath body wash in Dreamy Pink Frosting : I don’t usually use body wash, but I did give this a try and I like how it foams. It smells of sweet candy, so probably not something you’ll convince a guy to use. I didn’t notice if I smelled like that after I dried off though, so it can be a fun scent in the shower that doesn’t linger around too much.

I think the box as a whole was a nice package. I could use each item without feeling like I was covering the same part of a routine twice. They all build on each other to help you prepare for a day! What do you think of the box this month?

[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!]

Julep “The Perfect 10” Memorial Day Mystery Game Box #5 with Bare Face Cleansing Oil review

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

Ah, another mystery box. I’ve been waiting on this one to arrive for ages! When I got the shipment notification, it said it would arrive between Tuesday and Thursday of last week… and I just got it. I’m not sure what happened but I haven’t had a box get delayed like this before and I’m not pleased. But it’s finally here and time to evaluate it based on the merits of its contents and not how long it took to arrive! I chose this based on the “so fresh & so clean” clue with a picture of the cleansing oil and konjac sponge combo that I’ve had on my wishlist.

Julep mystery boxes are $10-40 per box and come with a mix of polish colors and beauty products. These are one-time orders and do not require a subscription.

julep  perfect 10 mystery box email with $102 worth of products including bare face cleansing oil and konjac sponge for $25

julep perfect 10 memorial day game day box #5 mystery box with $102 worth of products including bare face cleansing oil and konjac sponge for $25

What a beautiful gift box!

julep perfect 10 memorial day game day box #5 mystery box open with $102 worth of products including bare face cleansing oil and konjac sponge

Here we go…

julep perfect 10 memorial day game day box #5 mystery box contents including bare face cleansing oil, konjac sponge, buff lip scrub, and polishes in tracy, marjorie, and claudette

A nice mix of products, though the oil leaked.

julep bare face cleansing oil with power cell complex

Bare Face Cleansing Oil
It’s been a long time since I’ve used oil on my face for cleansing. Smells kind of like a tart flower.

julep konjac sponge cleanser and exfoliator with suction hook

Konjac Sponge
I’ve been wanting to try this product from Julep! I didn’t realize it would be moist like that.

julep buff lip scrub pen with fuzzy application tip

Buff Lip Scrub Pen
I already have one of these so I’ll try to trade. It’s fun, but not sure how useful it is.

set of julep polishes in tracy, marjorie, and claudette

Polish colors in Tracy, Marjorie, and Claudette. I can see myself using all of these.

two bottles of julep bare face cleansing oils side by side, with one bottle missing a lot of product

Both oils leaked and got absorbed into their boxes. What did they do to these things during shipment?!

This box was a nice value, especially with the bonus Bare Face Cleansing Oil I got for free with code OILPERK. I’m pleased with the variety and value, though I’m going to need to contact them about the faulty product I received. Why are those bottles so leaky? Still, I like what I got and look forward to using it all. The oil warmed up my face with rubbing and I just imagined it melting away the oil on my face as I did that. I hope it works! So what do you think of this box?

Estimated value: $102 (Nail Color @ $14 each: $42, Bare Face Cleansing Oil $28, Konjac Sponge $12, Buff Lip Scrub Pen $20) or $81.60 at Maven prices (20% off)

Join as a Julep Maven to get polishes sent to you monthly! Use code FREEBOX or FREEMAVEN to get the first box free (you pay shipping).

[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!]

Fabletics Outgoing Outfit (Eureka top + Lima Flex Capri) review

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

I finally earned my first free outfit and I was searching for something to claim when I saw this outfit. I liked the general look and I’ve been wanting a long sleeve shirt for workouts, so I went for it even though I’m not huge on capris. I was really hoping to get one of the long sleeves with a thumb hole, but they were out of my size and now completely out of stock. I figure they won’t be introducing more long sleeve designs until the fall, so this was my chance!

Fabletics is just under $50 per outfit credit and comes with a 2- or 3-piece set of athletic wear. Each month, three outfits are selected for you to choose from at the 1 outfit credit price point. You can always get other outfits at their VIP pricing of $50-80 (2- and 3- pieces available) or buy any individual item separately. Outfits are sent monthly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free outfits.

Get your first outfit for half off with my referral link! All fitted Fabletics items are chafe-resistant and feature four-way stretch for comfort and movement.

collage of front and back of fabletics eureka top in bright aqua

Eureka Top in Bright Aqua

This top turned out to fit kind of strangely. It’s nice at the shoulders, wrists, and hip area, but everywhere else it’s super loose. I even tried steaming the wrinkles out but as you can see, that did little good. I like the seams along the arm that are mostly hidden when your arms are by your side and the funky V shape in the back, but the material is so-so and this color is somewhat see-through (maybe it’s meant to be?). I’d wear it if was my only long sleeve, but I think I can do better so I’m returning it. I do hope I find another top in a similar color! Its retail value is listed as $34.95.

collage of front, back, and hidden pocket of fabletics lima flex capri in dark grey

Lima Flex Capri in Dark Grey

I actually really like the fit of this capri! Perhaps it’s because it’s medium compression instead of maximum (as with the Lima capri from another outfit), so my legs don’t feel so constricted. I also love the grey color, which is different enough from black yet still works with most colors. I do wish Fabletics offered bottoms that are low rise, since I don’t care for ones that nearly cover my belly button. I like these things sitting right on my hips, but once they’re on I generally forget how high they go. This was great to lounge around in on a summer night and I didn’t feel like my circulation was getting cut off as with most capris. The retail value on this is listed as $39.95.

While the top just doesn’t work for me, I’m loving the capris, surprisingly. I’m going to try again when it comes to a long sleeve top and definitely try to hold out for a design that incorporates those thumb holes I want! If you like what you see, sign up for Fabletics and get this first outfit for $25 before it’s sold out forever!!

[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 earned this free outfit credit and wanted to share what I got!]

Shopping success

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , , , ,
1

I am so absolutely pleased with my trip to Target yesterday (and then a visit to CVS today). You see, I’d been coveting a reed diffuser, but I kept putting it off, hoping for a good sale. By the time I finally decided to get the one I’d set my heart on, Target had apparently stopped carrying them. Just my luck. Still, much like the marinated mushrooms I can no longer find at Costco, I still check every time I’m in the store. Just in case.

philosophie by pure natural tangerine and olive reed diffuserAnd what do ya know? Just like those mushrooms, which took nearly a decade to resurface, the very reed diffuser I was searching for showed up on a shelf yesterday. Just one, and thankfully in a scent I was interested in. It was hidden off in the back of a shelf, not even grouped with the other reed diffusers. I immediately grabbed it, hardly daring to believe my stroke of luck. Then I went to scan the price, wondering if it was still the normal full price. I think it normally would have been $13.99 or so, but the scanner showed $4.48! I was so excited I called Panda immediately so he could swing by another Target on his way home and see if it had some too.

I had really given up hope on ever seeing these again and probably would have gotten one of the other brands eventually, had I not run into this one. What’s so special about this one? Well, I liked that it wasn’t just reed sticks, but they had a few that were bent and woven into leaf shapes. I don’t know why that was so important to me, but I just didn’t like the ones with nicer bottles or other reed styles (one had paper flower sort of things on a couple of the reeds). This was unique enough yet not too much flair. I think the scent is pretty special too, though I’m sure I could find a scent from the other brands that I’d enjoy as well. Now that I have this, I’ll be on the lookout for a cool bottle. Satisfy one craving and then go to the next, right?

I know, I’m crazy for making such a big deal out of such an unimportant item, but I can’t help it. I get attached and I want something, but not at full price, and then I end up missing the opportunity usually. To prevent that, I’ve started to get things I really want when I’ve waited it out for just a little bit. In fact, in this same shopping trip I got a bunch of other items that I didn’t want to regret not purchasing.

As for the CVS trip, it tapped into the Yes To facial wipes that I’ve had on my list but weren’t purchased because I know they won’t be phased out anytime soon and I can wait around for a deal. First thing I saw as I entered the store was a table with buy one get one 50% off on the Yes To products. I thought that was a decent deal, but what sold me was the set of $3 off $10 coupons that were also offered there. That helped bring down the price to nearly half off both products I’d get. I’m now the happy owner of two types of facial wipes from them. 🙂 It’s these little wins that bring a smile to my face every time I see and use the products I got!

Homegrown Collective May 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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Woo hoo, the main projects of this box will be most welcome with some bread! I love carbs of all kinds, but especially a nice piece of bread dipped in olive oil and vinegar. I didn’t realize it at first, but the grapes part of the theme is referring to the balsamic vinegar! I just never made that connection before. These projects are super easy and I can’t wait to outfit my kitchen with more awesome gear.

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 olives grapes herbs oh my homegrown collective box with the info sheets on the inner lid contents of the homegrown collective may 2014 box with olives grapes herbs oh my theme

Project #1, foot soak & scrub: I could totally use a good foot treatment. My poor feet are always abused and achy. I love how this remedy for softer feet is so good it’s basically edible! Using the olive oil and something granular, like salt or sugar, I can scrub my feet and soothe them. Then a combination of herbs and salt in hot water make for a healing soak. They included a pumice stone so I can really smooth out those heels. This is going on my list of things to do this weekend, for sure.

the homegrown collective may 2014 project foot soak and scrub info card the homegrown collective may 2014 products for foot soak and scrub

Project #2, olive oil & vinegar infusion: The focus of these sheets is definitely more towards the oil infusion and I’m more used to seeing infused olive oil. I don’t really know which herbs might work well with vinegar, so I’m hesitant to try that. I’ll have to do some research and see if their blog provides more insight on that front! When it comes to the olive oil, the possibilities are teeming! I don’t want to go crazy mixing too many flavors, but gosh I want to have all sorts of goodies in there. I’ll have to make a few batches and see what combo I enjoy most. [update: check out the completed project!]

the homegrown collective may 2014 project cold infusion info card the homegrown collective may 2014 project hot infusion info card the homegrown collective may 2014 products for olive oil vinegar infusion

Can I just say I was super excited about the adorable strainer and the bottles?! Thank you Homegrown Collective for providing me with all the kitchen extras I could hope for! I don’t know if these count as two or three projects, but I look forward to them all. I get so happy about the knick knacks and the concept of the projects that I don’t even care about the value so much. After seeing the info card about infusion, I wish they’d also included a project for making a salve, ointment, or rub!

the homegrown collective may 2014 infusion info card

Ready to embark on your own green project adventure? Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective now to join in the fun!

[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!]

Julep June 2014: The Three Wishes Collection review

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

I guess I’m pretty consistently a cross between a Boho Glam and a Bombshell. With this shiny collection, I opted for the Bombshell profile colors because of the purple hues. I love all things purple! This time I had a tough time since I loved the colors of It Girl too, which included a stardust finish – my fav sort of finish. I was curious about the new oxygen nail product though, so I got that. I also decided to add the creativity kit so I can have some fun with the Plie Wand doing nail art.

Julep is just under $20 per box and comes with 2 nail polish colors and a beauty product, 3 nail polish colors, or 2 beauty products (depending on your style profile choice). They offer plenty of upgrade and add-on options too. Boxes are sent monthly unless you choose to skip (skips are earned every six months for subscribers Dec 18th, 2013 and later). You also have the option of gifting your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes.

julep maven bombshell june 2014 three wishes collection box contents

June’s Bombshell Three Wishes Collection box with Plié Wand Creativity Kit

julep oxygen technology info card, discount offer card, and quote card

The info cards.

julep oxygen smoothing base coat

Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat
Smokey was super interested in this technology. It’s quite the matte finish.

set of julep polishes in colette and sera

The Bombshell profile came with Colette and Sera, both nice purple hues.

julep plié wand creativity kit

Plié Wand Creativity Kit
Let my inner artist shine!

I’m still getting the hang of the tools and my first try at nail art with them came out ok, but it’s very simple. I’m sure I’ll get better! The base coat I’m not used to using, so I probably wouldn’t get it again, but it’s great for creating a matte finish to work from. Overall the value of this box was not as high as to me as I would have hoped, but I do like what I got.

Join as a Julep Maven to get polishes and/or beauty products sent to you monthly! Use code FREEBOX or FREEMAVEN to get the first box free (you pay shipping).

[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!]

Treatsie May 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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Just in time for my trip, I got these treats to snack on. With the warmer months in play now, we probably won’t get much in terms of chocolate, since it’d likely melt along the way. It’s also been awhile since Treatsie has included little ice packs with their boxes, which is good in that it saves on waste. I do miss the nice inner boxes that I reused for storing various things. So much is changing!

Treatsie is $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 3-4 brands (I am grandfathered in for $15 for 2-3 brands and fewer items). That means about 6 or 7 different flavors of treats (or 4 or 5 for me). Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program.

treatsie may 2014 box contents with cc made caramel popcorn, williamette valley confectionery sweet heart pâte de fruit, and serendipity confections caramel

CC Made Caramel Popcorn in Classic, Rosemary & Cashew, and Pistachio: What fascinating flavors! I tried the classic first and it was a solid snack to have. Definitely a really tasty caramel popcorn, with a nice crunch to it. I then tried the rosemary cashew, which was kind of strange but still good. I wouldn’t go around eating bagfuls of it, but I liked the unique flair. There were a few bits of cashews mixed in, which was quite different. I haven’t tried the pistachio yet, but I imagine it also has nuts mixed in.

Williamette Valley Confectionery Strawberry Rhubarb & Raspberry Sweet Heart Pâte de Fruit: Oh boy, this is a whole lot of sugary sweetness! I couldn’t have more than one small bite before needing some water. If you have a major sugar craving, definitely check these out. I may have a sweet tooth, but I can’t quite handle this concentration of sweetness.

Serendipity Confections Sea Salt caramels: I can definitely taste the difference the brown sugar makes in these caramels – they’re richer and… warmer? It’s difficult to describe, but they are quite dense! I did devour them, though I don’t know if I’d prefer the brown sugar taste. A solid candy for sure, but just not to my personal taste the way some other caramels are.

treatsie may 2014 info card

They seem to be playing around with the look of their card. They only recently started to include one and this is the most developed look I’ve seen yet. I wonder if they decided to stick with this? As usual, the bonus item for upgrading to premium just isn’t enough for me to want to upgrade. I am perfectly happy with my fewer items. Do these treats appeal to you?

[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!]

Escape Monthly May: California Box Review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , ,
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The timing of this box was pretty funny, since it’s themed for my most recent home state and I happened to get it right before I went home for a visit. Got California on my mind! I feel like the value was a bit lower than they could have gone for, but I liked the variety of items, as usual.

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. Each box comes with a Moon Handbooks guide for that region. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a lovely recurring referral commission program.

escape monthly may california box products showing escape monthly may california box info card against blue and white chevron background escape monthly may california box info card opened with details of products included(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

I was really happy to get another beauty tool, since I always get excited about them. I’ve tried most of the food by now so I’ve got most of the box covered!

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to California Wine Country – Ok so the very first Escape Monthly was for California wine country, so I really think they should have chosen a different focus for this month’s handbook. A more general look at the state or a focus on NorCal or SoCal would have been nice. It’ll be interesting to compare this with the first book we got to see how much new information it contains.

sea sponge – This item made me very happy. I’m a sucker for things like this and the sponge is so soft and comfortable! What a wonderful way to exfoliate gently. It’s enough to get the job done without being too rough on skin. I’ll be adding this to my shower to use with body wash.

Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Hand Cream – I must admit I haven’t tried this yet, but I like this brand and I’m confident I will enjoy this lotion. I’ve been going through tubes of lotion since I like to lather up after each hand wash and since I drink water non-stop at work, I am going to the restroom quite a bit too. This will be great to add to my collection!

San Franola Cinnamon Almond granola – Not super into granola, but I will get some yogurt to put this on since I really should eat breakfast more. Mine appeared a bit crumbly, but still has big bits. Seems like the box is one serving size.

Ips All Natural Egg White Ch(ips) in Aged White Cheddar – What a strange concept that tastes quite good! I like the idea of egg whites in chip form since I like egg whites, but it’s a hassle to cook them. With this, I can get more protein without having to heat up the stove. The white cheddar is nicely mild, not at all overwhelming like some cheeses. They are sort of like puffed chips, which is not my favorite texture, but I gobbled them up nonetheless.

caliwater Cactus Water – Erm, I’m not a fan of this. I wonder if it’s just the bottle I got, but it tasted sour and stale to me. I had three sips before I decided to put it away. I mean, I can still take a few sips at a time, but no way I’d drink a whole bottle in one sitting. Just not my type of thing I guess. Too bad, because I could use a drink that is super hydrating!

Hugo Naturals Vanilla & Sweet Orange soap – Well, I just got one of these in my summer Yuzen box so this one will go up for trade eventually. I love the scent, which is sweet and inviting and I’m sure a bar this size would last me ages! This is a brand I like, though I wish I’d get another one of their scents to try since everything has been the vanilla & sweet orange so far.

California Poppies – As always, the bonus item is something special that I’m glad I got. I need to get a planter so I can plant these beauties and some of the shamrock seeds from the Ireland box. There are a ton of seeds, so I’m going to save a stash for next year as well!

nicobella vegan organic dark chocolate truffles – I couldn’t tell what flavors I got, but one of them was sour, which was weird. Got to say these aren’t the best truffles I’ve had so I wouldn’t purchase, but I do like the packaging and branding so I’m curious about their other products.

There was quite a bit of fluctuation with this, with some hits and misses. Maybe I have extra high standards for this box because it’s meant to represent California, but it wasn’t one of the best boxes I’ve received. What did you think of the products in this California Escape Monthly box? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): CALIESCAPE for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

For June, it’s inland to Las Vegas! I don’t know what is from that area, so this will be fascinating. So far they offered a sneak peek of a calming mist, so I wonder if the focus will be more on relaxation than the party side of things. We’ll see!

escape monthly may california box info card back with preview of next month's box theme of las vegas

[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!]

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