Posts Tagged ‘products’

Blissmobox: Indulge…

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Yikes, I’ve got quite some catching up to do with blissmo! I’m nearly done with my subscription and I’ve only reviewed half the boxes. So this was the January box and I chose the “Indulge…” one because I wasn’t feeling the snacks and this one sounded so luxurious!

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 january's blissmobox: indulge..., good morning!, and feel good snacks

The three choices for the January blissmobox.

I’m glad I chose this one because it included some cool products that I’m happy to have discovered.

opened blissmobox january 2013 with contents displayed

collage of stash tea bags in lavender tulsiStash Tea, Lavender Tulsi – I tried one bag of this and it was nice, but nothing I’d crave. Good to have in my stash (haha pun was unintended) but I’m not sure I’d get more since I have so much tea. However, when I do want a more relaxing variety, I will definitely pull these out. They strike me as the sort of thing that you’d drink when you need some calm, are trying to unwind, or are slightly sick. I just get the impression it’s kind of like chamomile tea, perhaps because of the lavender component.

divine crunchy milk chocolate barDivine Chocolate, Crunchy Milk Chocolate – A very well-chosen name! They certainly didn’t lie; this chocolate is absolutely divine. This particular flavor doesn’t appear to be sold on their site, but they have a great selection. This was THE smoothest chocolate I have ever indulged in. So creamy and fragrant and wonderful I couldn’t stop myself from gobbling it up. I definitely want to get more! YUM

collage of bambeco olive oil soap in peppermintbambeco, peppermint olive oil soap – Oooo this smells refreshing! I am generally sensitive to peppermint products, whether mints, lotions, or soaps so I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to use this or trade it off. I do love the branding, packaging, and overall look and feel, but I might want to try one of their other scents. Then again, my skin probably isn’t as sensitive to peppermint as my stomach is to it, right? Applying it to skin and consuming it in food/beverages may be different, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be sensitive to this too. I’m really on the fence with this one!

collage of kallari chocolate bar 85% cacaoKallari, 85% dark chocolate – This is a great dark chocolate! Very well-crafted and it’s not that bitter. It definitely feels exotic and exclusive. For some reason it makes me think of Amazonians… must be the name, not that I have a clue what it means or where it came from! I like that they package it in a sealed foil pouch to really preserve the freshness and it breaks off into bite-size squares. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen these at Whole Foods, and I would pick it up again.

collage of somersaults dutch cocoa sunflower snacksSomersaults, dutch cocoa – Oh, Somersaults… I first learned of you back when my friend was graduating and his mom shared some with me. I want to like you and I do enjoy your shape and super crunchy texture, but why don’t I like your taste? I can enjoy sunflower seeds on their own, so why not pressed into little cracker cookies? I don’t understand it and try as I have, I just don’t like you enough. 🙁 However, of all the flavors I tried, this is the one that I’d actually consider getting. Go chocolate!

100% pure body cream samples in honey almond and vanilla bean100% Pure, honey almond & vanilla bean nourishing body cream – I have a ton of lotions to use right now so I’m saving these to use a little later. I plan on keeping them for times when I need ultra portability and can’t or won’t bring a deluxe size lotion around. Say, when I’m going on a hike or otherwise planning on being out for a long time, for example. I haven’t been all that active lately so I probably won’t need to break into these for some time!

collage of tisano nibbles cacao nibsTisano Nibbles, Dark Chocolate Cacao Nibs – These are strangely addicting. It kind of feels like I”m eating coffee grinds that weren’t ground up so well, but gosh who knew I could love that? I enjoy dark chocolate, but sometimes the bitterness is hard to swallow. In this tiny form, popping a few is easy as pie and before I know it, I’ve consumed the whole thing. I love that it’s crunchy with those nibs and that I don’t feel like I’m eating a candy, even though they resemble Nerds.

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

blissmobox indulge... info sheet

365great Day 133: flip flops

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 133: flip flopsMy favorite form of footwear has to be flip flops. They let me feet be as free as possible, I get to enjoy any nail polish I may decide to decorate my toes with, and they’re so easy to slip on and off as needed. I don’t like the dry heels that seem to come with, but there are scrubs and lotions for that! I didn’t really start wearing them until I moved to California. Who doesn’t flip flop it in sunny SoCal? It’s the perfect environment to do so since your feet rarely get too cold. It also absolutely fits the laidback vibe. Flip flops are no fuss and you can go anywhere from casual to dressy with different styles. I do wonder how anyone ever came up with the concept – just two straps to hold that flat thing on your feet? Seriously, would you have been an early adopter? I’m glad that they were invented and so widely adopted though (at least in the US), because I think they’re great.

On My Mind, episode 8

laelene Posted in on my mind,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Thursday Thoughts

Been awhile since I last linked up with Jennifer of Ramblings of a Suburban Mom, so let’s do this!

brand new condos with now selling sign

Our future home?


a. ~A lot has been on my mind lately, mostly related to where I want my life to go in the next couple of years. Panda and I have been house hunting (more like condo hunting) and we found a place that is basically our dream home. We love the layout, it’s brand new (not even built yet), it’s super spacious, it’s a nice neighborhood, and it’s on the higher end of our budget but totally manageable once I get a job. The one thing I don’t love is the location in relation to where I might work. It’s looking like I will have a 40-60 minute commute each way, based on the jobs I’ve been applying for. Am I willing to make that commute every day? I was hoping for something less stressful, but we’ll see! If I love the job and my home, a commute isn’t so bad.

b. ~I’m still grappling with the idea of my new life “out east.” I’ve had to resist looking at some very appealing job opportunities in the SF and LA regions, where a lot of cool start-ups are. I really want to find a company culture that I would fall in love with, where they take care of their employees and offer great growth potential. Oh, and I’d really like a job that involves around 25% travel. I don’t need all the crazy cool perks of some companies I’ve seen, like free massages or no dress code or no set hours, but I do want a somewhat laidback vibe. I don’t mind business casual dress or having to show up at a certain time each morning so long as the people are chill and there is room for a ton of learning and evolution of my role. So many companies on the west coast offer that and it’s a little harder to find here, but I have some promising leads.

small round glass table with blue star pattern designc. ~The other day I was at Target exchanging a tripod when I happened upon a super cute table. When I checked, it was on clearance for 50% off, which is not ideal, but still a steal! I mean, with something this adorable I just had to snatch it up. Initially it looked like the perfect little thing to put out on the porch, but now that I’ve field tested it in my room I can’t bear to put it outside. We’ll see where it fits in when we move to our future home! I may not be as good as Jennifer when it comes to Target clearance shopping, but I’m learning from her!

d. ~I started looking at laptops today, since that will be my reward for landing a job (in addition to getting a car for myself!). My absolute no-compromise criterion is that it is QUIET. Like, tablet quiet (aka silent). I determined that that basically means I need a solid state drive (SSD), so that’s what I’ve been focusing on. My tier 2 criteria include having a touchscreen, backlit keyboard, 3 USB ports, and 2-in-1 media reader or better. An added bonus would be a button that can turn the display off so I don’t have to wait for it to go idle on its own. Oh, and I was hoping for an ASUS but the only one fitting my specifications is $2250 with a student discount! DANG! Depending on how happy I am with the job I land, I might spring for that just because it really satisfies my needs, whereas all other options are missing this or that.

e. ~Is it just me or do you marvel at how freakin’ perfect Kate Middleton always looks? I mean, she just gave birth and she’s coming out looking like any other day? She’s so composed and elegant and graceful and personable all in one. I doubt we’ll ever see her trip or yell or mess up at all. It’s amazing because I think of how I’d be and well, quite frankly I’d never be accepted into royalty! They’d cringe at the casual wear I go out in, how I don’t wear makeup or do my hair, and all my other imperfections. I am perfectly happy being out of the limelight and I don’t understand how famous people manage; then again, I guess many of them don’t, what with those in rehab and lashing out and whatnot. You won’t be seeing that from the Cambridge royalty though! Always so poised it baffles me.

f. ~I started watching Once Upon A Time as my first deviation from my “normal” shows (crime dramas) and it is tangling up my mind quite well. The relationships are suuuper complex – [possible SPOILER ALERT] I mean, your step-great-grandmother is also your adoptive mother and step-great-great-grandmother was once in love with your grandfather (on the other side of the family) and a bunch of them are trying to kill each other? It’s all sorts of weirdness that I can barely keep up with. No wonder I stick to shows where each episode brings on one less-complicated mini-drama generally not related to previous ones.

country junction soy candle in macintosh from gettysburgg. ~Tonight I finally decided to break in my super cool soy candle from Gettysburg and I love it! This is my first time with a soy candle and I’m pretty sure I’m a convert now. I’ll have to test out other brands, but it burns sooo clean!! I usually have a little reaction to a candle burning due to my over-sensitivity to particles in the air, but I couldn’t even tell this one was burning. This particular candle is also super cool because of the little mug it comes in. I can’t wait to find a way to use it once my candle is all burned up.

That’s it from me for now! What are your thoughts on this fine Thursday?

Frolicking in Orlando

laelene Posted in photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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Many months ago, I was trying to change a hotel reservation for my uncle when I unwittingly agreed to a discounted vacation in exchange for a timeshare presentation. I chose to go to Orlando since it had been so long that I don’t remember last time I was there. Everything actually worked out really well – Panda and I got a nice little vacation out of it and right before we went, he was able to earn some free Disney gift cards that we could use on our trip. Plus, he actually had some training out there a few weeks before we went so he got to scout out the area first. Here’s a picture tour of our trip:

annie's mini hot dogs wrapped in pretzel bread

Our trip started with a snack I’d never tried before! Hot dogs + pretzel bread = delicious!!

old school united plane design

Our plane had a cool retro look.

rainbow arching over planes at iad dulles international airport as seen from window seat of plane

As I buckled in for takeoff, I saw nearly a full rainbow!

planes stuck on tarmac waiting for storm to pass

After leaving the gate, we found ourselves stuck waiting for a storm to the south to pass.

sitting waiting on plane with other planes on tarmac grounded due to storm

We waited for nearly three hours! I was lucky Panda gave me his first class seat so I got served drinks the whole time.

united first class meal collage with shrimp salad and hot tea

Once we finally took off, I got a nice meal to tide me over. The pattern in the tea reminded me of cirrus clouds!

collage of dragonfly on ground right side up and upside down

The first thing we saw upon arriving at the hotel was this dragonfly! I went to poke it and it flew off only to land upside down. That can’t be good.

tiny frog blending in with wood chips

Then we nearly stepped on this little guy as he hopped on by!

bright moon over hotel in distance

The moon was super bright and our parking spot was rather far, but it was a nice walk.

collage of anole lizard on porch

The next morning, I found myself a new pet!

square outline created by mirror light in pupil of eye

The mirror in the bathroom made square outlines in our pupils. Fun!

lush green grass growing thickly

I haven’t seen such thick grass in years! I miss that.

downtown disney marketplace entrance

Off to Downtown Disney!

taking a go at the t-shirt designing machine

The first shop we stopped in had these t-shirt designing machines! We just had to play around with one.

giant mickey face rice crispy cake

Goofy’s Candy Shop included all sorts of yummy sweets.

giant world of disney store at downtown disney orlando

Here we go into the Disney store, gift cards at the ready!

testing out the basin lip scrubs

I loved the Basin store with all its skincare goodies, like these lip scrubs that I tried.

collage of basin store products

Panda knew right away I would love this store! Can I bring it all home??

collage of various bath bombs at basin store

They had so many bath bombs, including adorable mini ones!

basin sinks with body scrubs and body butters to test out

Everyone enjoyed the sinks the middle, where you could try out their body scrubs and butters.

caffeine and mosquito fighting soaps

I found some pretty cool soaps with other purposes too – one with caffeine and one to ward off mosquitos!

large soap logs stacked up

I wonder if they ever sell their soap by the log.

basin products including solid shampoo, conditioner, and facial soap

I got two solid shampoo bars, two solid conditioner bars, and a charcoal facial soap.

bird standing by waterfront with wings outspread

That random bird stood motionless with wings spread out for so long I started to think it might be fake.

collage of fulton's crab shack in day and night

Panda made a reservation weeks ago so we could eat here. 🙂

view of sunset, clouds, and water from fulton's crab shack

A great view where we sat!

collage of bread, crackers, seafood pasta, and crab leg meals

The bread and crackers with dip were delicious! I also gobbled up my crab legs. NOM

collage of bird on tip of pointy tree and bird poo on table

The area was plagued by birds. They even attacked a squirrel!

string of lights at dusk on boat

These lights are so nice; I want some for my own home!

collage of pleasure island area of downtown disney

The Pleasure Island part of Downtown Disney is much more adult-oriented.

la nouba cirque du soleil mug

Love the pattern on this mug. If we actually saw La Nouba I probably would have gotten it.

twinkling lights in trees at downtown disney

They had twinkling lights in the trees to make it feel like there were fireflies. I wish there actually were some!

disney institution graduation mickey ears cap with tassel

We brought along Panda’s graduation cap that he got just a week or two before.

minnie mouse red and white polka dot bow tank top

One of the very first items I decided to buy. So cute! See what else we got.

comparing murano glass on tous ring to disney mickey ears

I just had to compare my Murano glass to theirs. I like mine. 🙂

sonic's chili cheese tater tots and hot dog

I love all things chili cheese. I’d never had chili cheese tots before and they are my new fav!

bright sun shining over dark cloud

You never know when you’ll get sun or clouds around here.

red car with crazy air fresheners

That red car strung up like 50 of those tree air fresheners. Can you see it? Hilarious.

disney boardwalk lake

We arrive at the Boardwalk area and explore the stores overlooking the lake.

small turtle in lake among plants

I found some fish and a turtle to feed!

disney tugboat on lake

As we crossed a bridge, this tugboat came scootin’ along.

collage of girl feeding ducks bread

On the tiny beach they created, there were ducks eager to eat my bread. I had so much fun feeding them!

mickey golf globe

These fun globes tested your ability to get the ball to balance on the peg.

disney character pens with ends bent into head shapes

Such cute pens!

disney credit card swiping machine

Even the credit card machines have Mickey’s head on them.

collage of handicapped room features including automatic door, bars in restroom, and no closet doors

We got a handicapped room, which I quite liked – our door had an auto open button!

collage of buena vista palace rooms

We stayed at the Buena Vista Palace and our suite was nice and spacious.

collage of buena vista palace public areas

Here are some of the public spaces at the Buena Vista Palace.

collage of exterior spaces at buena vista palace

And here are some of the exterior spaces at Buena Vista Palace.

large three-row golf cart outside buena vista palace

That golf cart is practically a tour tram!

ming court dim sum

Before heading to the airport, we stop for some dim sum at Ming Court.

anole lizard blending in with sidewalk

Tons of lizards around here (or anoles). Masterfully blending with the sidewalk.

silver tea pot with spill-free spout

This tea pot’s spout is perfect for spill-free pouring!

long escalator going up multiple floors

After returning the rental car, we took a super long escalator up to the gates.

collage of disney character-shaped crayons and green turtle t-shirt

We did a little more browsing at the airport before checking in.

disney tron-themed airport tram terminals

The tram terminals were Tron-themed, I believe.

hangers in first class seating

If you need to hang up your coat in first class, they’ve got that handled.

reflection of sunlight on ring

As I wait for takeoff, I admire how my ring catches the light.

jetway outside airplane viewed from window of plane

Back in Dulles, I actually see the jetway from my seat. And soon enough we were home!

Goodies Co. July Taster’s Box

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , ,
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The July Goodies box came in new packaging! Here it is, along with the contents of Taster’s Box #4.

collage of goodies co new green box smaller size and july contents

The box came with Glaceau fruitwater orange mango sparkling zero calorie drink, Cosmos Creations Cinnamon Crunch baked corn, Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers in Sea Salt, The Better Chip jalapenos with sea salt corn chips, and Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers fruit chews. You can watch me unbox it and then read my thoughts below!

The Glaceau fruitwater is a yummy drink with delicate fizz bubbles and a good fruity soda taste, so it’s perfect for someone who wants to feel like they’re drinking soda but don’t want the calories. The Cosmos Creations corn surprised me with its odd shape and texture, similar to Cheetos and kettle corn combined. The cinnamon flavor is amazing with it and I want more! It’s very sweet and fragrant with a soft crunch. The Crunchmaster crackers are super crispy and I can feel them grinding in my digestive tract. I’m pretty sensitive to foods made with grains! The taste is a nice light salted flavor, perfect if you don’t want a super salty chip but want that sort of crunch. The Better Chip chips are quite spicy for someone sensitive like me. I can only eat about one chip at a time, but they are good! I love that it feels like eating a tortilla chip but there’s no need for any dip because so much flavor is already packed in. As for the candy, the Gimbal’s fruit chews are sort of like heart-shaped jelly beans. I’ve never been a fan of cherry-flavored things so I’m not a good judge of the taste of them – the only one I liked was the cherry daiquiri, which had a nice fruity flavor to mask some of the cherry. The texture is nice though, with a shell that crumbles just right and an interior gumminess that is easy to chew and doesn’t stick to your teeth.

This month’s Goodies Co. box introduced me to three new products that I would absolutely buy again!

Conscious Box July review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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With this third Conscious Box, I got all the boxes for my first 3-month subscription prize. Now I’ve redeemed the second Conscious Box giveaway I won for another 3-month stint! I’m really glad I won two giveaways because I feel like I’m just getting warmed up with these and I’m not ready for them to end.

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.

conscious box july inner box with card

This month’s theme is a pretty blue starry look and is based around the idea of “nature’s fireworks.” This is the first time I received an info sheet and I’m pretty sure they just started doing this, which is great. Sometimes with all those samples you don’t quite know what to do so a little bit of info is helpful!

collage of conscious box july info sheet front and back

As always, the contents of the box are wide-ranging and mostly sample sizes. Click on the picture to get a larger view and zoom if you want to see the details. If you want to watch the unboxing, I show you each product one by one as I take it out.

conscious box july contents including clif bar, adonia self-tanner, bambooee towel, totlogic lotion, kidslac probiotics, eco-gecko spoon, kios stomach relief, ecover dishwasher tablets, mdm hydration factor, last round hangover support, good nature tea, epic dental mints, clean ethics bottle bright cleaner, similasan eye drops, ancient minerals lotion

When I first saw the drink, I thought it was a DreamWater, but it’s actually a hangover cure. I’ll be passing that on to someone else since I don’t drink. My favorite item is the Bambooee towel, which I have been meaning to try. The Clif bar is going to Panda since he likes peanuts and whatnot and I don’t. I’ve never tried self-tanner so that will be interesting. I think the Kidslac probiotics will be good for both Panda and I – it’s not just for kids, right? Same deal with the TotLogic lotion; I don’t see why adults can’t use it too. I’ve gotten Ecover samples before and really should try them out – I’ve only used the dishwasher a few times in my life so it’s a hard habit to get into. The Bottle Bright tablet will be great for those hard-to-clean water bottles! I’m really curious about the Ancient Minerals lotion with melatonin… could it really help me sleep better?!

I knew a few of the brands presented this time but haven’t actually tried them so I’m looking forward to that, plus I’m learning so much about all these other products I had no idea existed! Did you get a Conscious Box too? What do you think of everything in it?

365great Day 126: blossoming tea

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 126: blossoming teaThese amazing balls of tea leaves, flowers, and other plant parts are truly fun to watch. Hand-created with care, they’re designed to unfurl as you steep them in hot water. There are endless designs giving you both varying visual styles and a multitude of tea flavors. What’s better than being able to enjoy your drink for its taste, smell, AND look? That’s pretty awesome. Blossoming teas come in a ton of shapes once unfurled, like this one with a flower “bridge” strung together. It’s a beautiful surprise each time and the different flowers/tea leaves used with each ball is what determines the flavor you get. Drop one in a glass teapot and you’ll be fascinated to find what it becomes. Nourishing and entertaining, now that’s great!

Treatsie July review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Yay, my Treatsie July box arrived yesterday! I didn’t get around to checking the mailbox until mid-afternoon on the sweltering day. By the time I opened the package, the cooling pack was soft, but it must have done its job because my treats came in pristine condition!

Treatsie is $15 per box and comes with artisan candy from 3 brands. That usually means 5 or 6 different flavors of treats. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program.

treatsie july box contents with brooklyn hard candy jar, mehlenbacher's taffy sticks, and avenue sweets caramels and nougats

I promptly kicked Panda out of the room where I needed to do filming and made a video of the unboxing. I remember reading that Treatsie (very smartly) does not generally send chocolates in the hottest months since they’re almost guaranteed to melt. However, soft candies like taffy and caramels and hard candies work quite well! They definitely had an excellent, tasty selection.

Also, they just revamped their site and are now offering all these products for sale once you’ve tried them and fallen in love. Excellent move! I mean, while I enjoy trying out new things, I also want to be able to get more of the stuff I liked most! Plus, there are accounts you can manage online now, so if you need to update your address or anything it’s easy as pie. Loving all the upgrades they’re making!

treatsie july box with avenuesweets caramels and nougats

AvenueSweets Almond Nougats, Sea Salt Caramels, & Butter Rum Caramels: These pieces are huge, just the way I like it! Each flavor was vivid and depending on your preferences, you’d probably love each of them for a different reason. My personal favorite was the sea salt flavor – it’s truly divine and I think I might have to order a pound of them. It was rich and creamy and the sea salt was nice and distributed so you never got overwhelmed with a sudden chunk of saltiness. The almond nougat comes in next with its firmer texture and nice chewy consistency. And really the only reason the butter rum was my least favorite is because I don’t drink and I don’t like anything with alcohol. I took a nibble of this and definitely tasted some alcoholic flavoring, which does not appeal to my taste buds at all. However, if you enjoy drinking like so many do, you’d probably love this candy.

treatsie july box with mehlenbacher's taffy sticks

Mehlenbacher’s Taffy in Watermelon & Vanilla Bean: I was surprised at the softness of these taffy sticks – for some reason, I expected them to be firmer. Maybe because of the stick shape? Well anyway, that doesn’t matter because they are fabulous! The vanilla bean is wonderfully fragrant and the watermelon is super sweet – they’re sure to satisfy your sweet tooth! The consistency of the taffy is fantastic and it does a nice stretching when you bite and pull. I did find getting it out of the wrapper a bit of a challenge, so I think I’m going to put them in the fridge for a bit to see if that helps. If had to choose between them, I’d have to say the vanilla bean wins out by the slimmest margin. (Hey Treatsie, if you’re listening – I’d love to see you sell mixed packs so I don’t have to choose! :-D)

treatsie july box with brooklyn hard candy jar

BrooklynHardCandy in Key Lime: Ok first of all, I adore this little jar. I’m not sure how I could reuse it but I totally will. I’m also very happy with the amount of candy in it! I’ve already gone through like 6 pieces and barely made a dent. This will last me! The candy is perfect to suck on and the flavor is sweet and refreshing. I like that it’s not too overwhelming and you can bring this along on trips when you need a sugar boost. Unlike many other candies, you don’t really have to worry about leaving these in the heat – they may stick together a bit, but it’s pretty easy to break them apart. Great for summer road trips!

I’m pacing myself so I don’t inhale the entire box in one day, but it’s hard! Between everything my absolute fav (and this is a tough one) would have to be the sea salt caramel. It’s so rich and wonderful! A veeery close second is the vanilla bean taffy. Yum!

Did you get a Treasie box too? What was your favorite item?

[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!]

In the mail: a prize, skincare, and a ton of trades

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

Yesterday was an excellent day for my mailbox. I received my July Ipsy bag, a reimbursement check, and two trades I set up last week! Before I started sending and receiving packages, I never knew how good a Monday could feel. Let me recap the items I’ve gotten in the past few weeks:

a magicalmom box giveaway collage

Even Missy wanted in on the box!

This box I won from Leigh of Whimsical Adventures of a Magical Mom. It was originally supposed to be a CraveBox, but then they shut down! Leigh was kind enough to put together a nice box for me anyway, one that is similar to what I might have gotten from CraveBox. Thanks lady! I absolutely LOVE that card – it is so beautiful. As you can see, the box is filled with some great items in the bath, body, and beauty departments. It’s so nicely packaged too!

origins skincare samples collage

I think I saw an ad for the Origins Top 10 Skincare Sample Pack, or maybe I came across when I was just browsing their site. I’ve always been interested in the Origins brand and got to try their A Perfect World face wash for an Earth Day trade a few years back. I also purchased a face moisturizer and used that all up. When I came across this sample pack, I decided it was a good deal because I get to try a bunch of their products to see which I might want full sizes of AND I get a code to use for $10 towards my next purchase, so I basically get to test these for the $0.50 in tax that I paid. That’s a pretty awesome deal! I’d share a link with you, but apparently they are no longer offering it. Sad times.

juice beauty 30-day skin-clearing kit collage

Another brand I’m super interested in is Juice Beauty. I learned of them sometime in the past year, from all the bloggers sharing their subscription boxes. When I got a chance, I did a trade for the Juice Beauty lip gloss and hydrating mist. Still, I coveted the Green Apple Blemish Clearing Peel so when I found the 30-day skin clearing kit I sprang for it. Major bonus that the kit includes a super soft bamboo washcloth – face towels are awesome! I didn’t realize at first that this signs you up for a subscription to get it sent monthly, so I’m going to have to cancel that until I’ve tried out this set and seen what it does for me.

collage of various trades including zoya polish, earth therapeutics foot scrub and lotion, butter london lacquer, lash food, cailyn eye liner, julep dd creme, lip gloss, nail polish, bliss and korres samples

What I got from the trades.

Finally, trades 5 through 9 that I haven’t shown before. A Zoya polish in Neely (from a previous trade) for the one in Julie (purple) that I really wanted. The Cailyn gel eyeliner in Iron for the one in Purple (from Ipsy June). Jane Iredale lippies (from Yuzen spring box) and the J.cat glitter palette (from Ipsy June) for Butter London nail polish and Lash Food. A Bath & Body Works lotion and Nivea lip balm for the Earth Therapeutics foot scrub and lotion. L’Occitane Hand Cream, Island Girl Hawaii cuticle oil, Pangea Face Mask, Bath & Body Works medium candle, and three Bath & Body Works small candles for Julep DD Creme, lip gloss, nail polish, and samples of bliss incredi-peel & Korres yoghurt facial.

collage of items traded for swaps including island girl hawaii cuticle oil, bath & body works candles in small and medium, pangea face mask, jane iredale lippies, bath & body works lotion, and l'occitane hand cream

Some of the items I traded out.

I’m about to set up trades 10 & 11 now so I have even more to look forward to! So now that you’ve seen what I’m getting, tell me: what have you been getting in the mail?

Ipsy July 2013: Beach Beauty

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My July Ipsy bag arrived in the mail today! Even though I didn’t get the scrub I really wanted, I was still excited to have a package to open up. It’s been awhile since I’ve received something.

Just like last month, my first impression of the bag itself was meh, but then I grew to like it. I mean, I am really not into pink, but I do like that this bag is a fun tube shape and waterproof, so I can put items I’m afraid might leak in it and not have to worry as much. For the items I got, I’m mostly planning on trading. Does IpsyMatch ever work? It seems to completely ignore my preferences. Oh well, thank goodness for trading!

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 july 2013 bag items with card including pop beauty pouty pop crayon in fuchsia flirt, coola mineral sunscreen tinted moisturizer in rose essence, benefit benetint lip and cheek stain, healthysexyhair soy renewal beach spray, and bh cosmetics calfornia collection eye shadow palette

Pop Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in Fuchsia Flirt – trade/keep. I was kind of hoping for the coral since I don’t really have lip products in that shade and I might have tried it. I’m going to try trading this and if someone happens to offer the coral one I might give it a try. If I don’t manage to trade it after awhile, I’ll probably just give it a go. I’m trying to use more lip products and this is not too makeup-y so I’d definitely use it.

COOLA Face Mineral Sunscreen Tinted Moisturizer in Rose Essence – trade. I’ve got two tubes of the cucumber sunscreen (not tinted) so I really don’t need more mineral sunscreen from COOLA. At first I was considering trying it for the rose scent, but now that I know it’s tinted I’m not interested. Not really sure why since I have been going crazy trying BB creams, powders, and even a DD creme, which seem to be similar. Plus the size is tiny which I was kind of sad about.

Benefit Benetint Lip & Cheek Stain – trade/keep. This one I was also disappointed was much smaller than I envisioned. I also didn’t realize it was so liquidy and I’m not sure I’d ever use it. If I can’t trade it out though, I think I could give it a whirl. However, there seem to be a ton of people interested in it so I think I can manage a swap.

HealthySexyHair Soy Renewal Beach Spray – keep. This is the only item I got that I’m keeping for sure! Not only is it a fun product I’ve never tried before, I just love the bottle. I’m kind of excited for this beach look since I am no longer close to a beach and creating that look would be fun. I love that it contains argan oil, so I know my hair will be well-conditioned.

BH Cosmetics California Collection Eye Shadow Palette – trade. I don’t wear eye shadows, so cute as this palette is and as pretty as the colors are, I just wouldn’t use it. I left it sealed for trading but I did check out pictures online of the colors inside – there’s a purple, gold, and bronze I think. They all look great and if I was a makeup person I’d totally love this. Alas, I do no more than put on lip balm and maybe BB cream so eye shadows are far too much effort for me!

What do you think of these products? What did you get? If you’re interested in a trade, let me know and don’t forget to see what else I have up on my FSOT list. 🙂

[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!]

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