Posts Tagged ‘products’

365great Day 59: Del Sol

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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 59: del solI was on a cruise ship when I first encountered Del Sol and I was fascinated by their color-changing products, especially the nail polish. In fact, I bought a bottle of the nail polish as a souvenir. I wanted to get more items, but held back until I came across their store in Myrtle Beach. At that point, I found this cool t-shirt design that I loved, so I got that. I love the look of both the plain outline when I’m indoors and the bright colors when I’m out in the sun. Watching the colors emerge or fade never ceases to entertain me. It’s so much fun! I was given a nice tote bag for the t-shirt purchase, which I proudly carried around the beach. Over the years, I’m sure I will continue to collect a variety of Del Sol products. I love when science can be put to fun use like this! It’s so great.

365great Day 56: Amber Lyn Chocolates

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

365great challenge day 56: amber lyn chocolatesOh my gosh. I just discovered these AMAZING chocolates today at Costco. How can a sugar-free dark chocolate taste so good?! There’s no bitter aftertaste, it goes down smooth, and tickles the taste buds with wonderfulness. I can’t speak for the milk chocolate, but both the dark chocolate and dark chocolate with cocoa nibs are delicious. In fact, I immediately bought a box of 15 bars for like $22. Yeah, they’re that good. I swear. You really have to try these if you have a Costco nearby that’s demoing these! The ingredients are simple, the product is gluten free, and it’s all natural too. I’m still baffled at how good they are (and I’m currently devouring my second bar tonight – yikes!). This brand is undoubtedly great.

365great Day 54: markets

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365great challenge day 54: marketsOutdoor markets, whether farmer’s markets or craft fairs, are always cool to browse! It’s really amazing to wander around from stall to stall, exploring all that people are capable of making and/or growing. Maybe you’ll stumble across some awesome handmade jewelry or homemade jam! There are artisans of all types here and the congregation of them all is truly a sight to see. What a fantastic way to showcase everything that our fellow humans can accomplish with skill using their hands, some tools, and hard work. Perhaps it can even inspire you to plant or craft something of your own. I know I’m always envious of their abilities and it makes me want to work with my hands more. Markets bring together an often eclectic group of tradespeople and it’s beautiful what you’ll find there. It’s all pretty great!

Blissmo no more

laelene Posted in general blog, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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It’s coming up on one year since I signed up for an annual subscription for Blissmobox and while I’ve enjoyed some boxes, others have been “meh.” Throughout this time, I’ve had to deal with customer service multiple times due to some issues with their system. They’ve always been helpful and accommodating (albeit slow to reply). But this time, I am NOT happy. The past two boxes I got from them had a repeat product. And not just a small sample or one of many other great products, but one of the main products that make the box actually worth its value! So, I emailed their customer service expecting at least a partial refund of my money, an offer to send a replacement item, or something to try to make up for this transgression. What did I get? “Sorry, but that item was actually a bonus item.”

collage of blissmo march and april boxes

See something familiar in both boxes? Now imagine the right box without the lotion. Would you be happy?

Allow me to vent.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! If they had tried to send the box without that item, I bet you they’d get a ton of unhappy customers complaining! After all, it made up for half the value of the box. How puny and pathetic would the box be otherwise?? It’s sad. So I suggested a compromise: they could give me a prepaid shipping label and I’d send the box back to them, all items intact. I would count the month as “skipped” and we’d move on. What was their reply? We don’t provide prepaid shipping labels.

I’m sorry, what?!!

Maybe my standards of service are too high, but seriously, you can’t give me a shipping label??? That is just unheard of. I mean I understand if you’re just an individual seller like those on eBay, but here you are an established business with plenty of customers and YOU WON’T SEND ME A FREAKIN’ LABEL? It’s not like I just didn’t like the items in the box. I feel cheated that I paid twice for getting THE SAME EXACT PRODUCT when I got this service to get introduced to new ones. I would have been ok if it was the same brand but a different product from their line. But I can handle repurchasing products just fine without you, thank you very much.

They’re not even trying to make it right. All they’re saying is sorry, but we’re not going to help you. That’s what I’m getting from their correspondence anyway. So I guess it’s a good thing my year is almost up, because I am ready to part ways with Blissmo. I never complained before when their boxes weren’t very good and the one time I do have a problem with a box, they won’t do a thing. This kind of “service” isn’t even service. -___- At least this helps me decide my next move, since I wasn’t sure if I should renew my membership. I will take my business elsewhere.

Mask me up! Murad Clarifying Mask

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murad clarifying maskI got a facial at Massage Envy a few weeks back – my first one there – and boy have I been missing out! They use Murad products for their facials and between the products and the esthetician, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I came out with fresh, soft skin and for the first time, I actually noticed that my pores (particularly on my nose) looked smaller! After reviewing some of the products my esthetician during my facial, I decided to buy the Murad Clarifying Mask for use at home as well. I mean, this is right when I was getting fascinated with kaolin clay, so when I found it was one of the ingredients, I couldn’t help myself. I need some gentle skin purification!

I’ve used the mask a bunch of times since then and I’m really enjoying it. You don’t need much to cover your face, so the bottle will last a nice long time, even if you use it frequently. I am still struggling with acne and consistent breakouts at this age (whyyy?!), which this has helped calm down. My skin is clearing up and if  I do get another breakout here and there, they are much smaller than before. Perhaps I should use the mask more than once a week to get that under control. Immediately after wiping off the mask, I always feel great – my blackheads have diminished, my skin is very soft, and overall my skin feels healthier. It’s great!

So if you have oily or combination skin, breakouts/acne, blackheads, or large pores – give this product a try. Let me know how it goes!

365great Day 52: solid shampoo

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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365great challenge day 52: solid shampooI discovered solid shampoo on a vacation at Myrtle Beach. A very helpful sales clerk was showing me a bunch of the cool products they had in their store and solid shampoos and conditioners were one of them. I really loved the idea of something that eliminates the water from the product so you add it in as necessary (like powder detergent vs. liquid). It saves a ton of space! Maybe even water too, depending on how you use it. Plus, with solid shampoos, you no longer have to find those 3-oz containers to put your shampoo in when you travel (nor do you need to hoard hotel shampoos that you could use instead). After happily using up that first bar, I decided to try out this LUSH one that’s pretty good as well. I’d love to get more of the original one though! Either way, not having to worry about travel restrictions is pretty great.

Will you BB mine?

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[Disclosure: I was provided a full size product for free in exchange for feedback as part of a BzzAgent campaign. All opinions are my own and I am not being compensated otherwise.]

I had just started to hear about BB creams and was considering buying some when I got invited to the BzzAgent campaign for Garnier’s Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free BB Cream! What perfect timing. I got a chance to try out this new BB cream product by Garnier and experience what the craze is all about. This is just the kind of product I need, since I have no patience for a skincare routine that requires half a dozen steps each time.

garnier oil-free bb cream sent for bzzagent campaignThe Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free BB Cream is meant for combination to oily skin, which is exactly what I have. It comes in three shade options: Light/Medium, Medium/Deep, and Deep. I opted for the Medium/Deep since I’m not fair-skinned but I’m not very tan or dark either. When I first tried it, it blended really well and I was happy with the results. Immediately, you could see improvement: my face no longer shiny, my skin tone was evened out, my blemishes and redness were less visible. All in all, I looked like I have a lot healthier skin.

garnier oil-free bb cream info sheet for bzzagent campaignI love that I don’t have to worry about my skin when I’m out and about during the day. With this BB Cream, my skin is hydrated, protected from the sun with SPF 20, pores are minimized, skin tone is evened out, and shine is controlled. It’s not greasy and super lightweight too, so you won’t even remember you put it on – it’s amazing how natural it feels. Once you put it on, you’ll see your skin has a nice matte finish, with all those skin problems evened out. The bottle is quite large, with a full 2 fl oz worth of product. It’ll last me a long time!

garnier oil-free bb cream bottle held in handGarnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free BB Cream contains a mineral called Perlite, which is superb at absorbing oil and water (twice its weight worth!). It’s also non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic, aka it won’t clog your pores or cause breakouts! And of course the oil-free formula is important for those of us with combination or oily skin. If you’re a dry-skinned person, then they have a different formulation for you. Either way, you’re covered! The coverage lasted well for me, even during a very active day out. I was so glad I didn’t have to think about how my skin looked as I met new people and had a bunch of pictures taken. 🙂 While you probably still want to use concealer on trouble areas, the BB cream will help even out everything else.

garnier oil-free bb cream with sample swatchThe only thing I don’t like about the product has nothing to do with its performance on my skin – rather, it’s the design of the tube. Since the cream is rather liquidy, it comes out quickly and sometimes I get too much. The hole is too small to try to get the cream back in effectively, so I either waste some or try to find more areas to slather it on. If I leave the tube on its head, I’m guaranteed to get too much when I open the cap. I think they could improve this by either making a pump top to dispense the cream in a more controlled fashion, or change the shape of the tube so you can keep the cap side facing up (which right now you can only do if you have something for the bottle to lean against).

Still, overall I do love my BB cream for giving me the confidence to go out in the world without thinking about how my skin looks. It makes skincare so easy that even I can do it!

Blissmobox: Harvest Snacks

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Another belated review, but Blissmo sometimes offers old boxes up so hopefully this will come in useful!

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 october's blissmobox: harvest snacks or skin appeal

The two choices for the October blissmobox.

I had gotten a good amount of skincare type products from previous months, so I was in the mood for some food again! This is the October box and I went with Harvest Snacks to fill my belly.

collage of october harvest snacks blissmobox contents including alive & radiant kale chips, kur delights coconut cream, brothers-all-natural crisps in asian pear and fuji apple, two clif kit's organic fruit & nut bars, and lush nuts in three flavors

collage of alive & radiant foods kale krunch in quite cheezyAlive & Radiant Foods Kale Krunch, Quite Cheezy – These are really nice! I love the light texture and the crispiness. It crumbles easily so you don’t have to worry about having to bite hard and the “cheese” is actually made from veggies! It still tastes good and rather cheesy though, so that’s awesome. I really enjoyed these and actually went out to get some more. This turned out to be my favorite flavor after trying some others. Kale is really good for you and some people don’t like it when wet, so this dried version can be a perfect alternative.

collage of kur delights coconut creamKur Delights, Coconut Cream – For a coconut fanatic, these would probably be great. One little square is quite filling, but I don’t like when my snacks are so “heavy” and these are really dense. Their packaging is so cute and I love that the product is raw – you probably get more nutrition that way. Of course, if you’re allergic to nuts you’d want to avoid this since it contains cashews & coconuts.

collage of brothers all-natural asian pear crispsBrothers-All-Natural Crisps, Asian Pear – The freeze-dried texture is pretty unique – rather fluffy in its crispness, if that makes sense. They’re quite good and have a nice light pear flavor. I mean how can you go wrong with taking real pears, slicing them up, and making a snack from that? You get all the benefits of the fruit without the messiness, plus these keep for much longer. If you like Asian Pears, these are a perfect way to enjoy them on the go.

collage of brothers all-natural fuji apple crispsBrothers-All-Natural Crisps, Fuji Apple – Same deal with these fuji apple slices. These were a bit sweeter and had a stronger flavor to them. The apple wants to make sure you know its there! I love that a single bag contains 2 servings of fruit. What a quick and easy way to get in more of your fruit servings each day. The natural taste of the apple shines through and it makes for a yummy crunchy snack.

collage of lush nuts in salt & pepper, original, and dark cocoa chiliLush NutsSalt & Pepper, Original, & Dark Cocoa Chili – I’m not much into nuts, but these were decent. The Chili ones had quite a kick to them! I’m pretty sensitive to spicy things so I couldn’t quite eat them all. I liked the original the best and the seal & pepper next. The salt & pepper ones were a bit more salty than I would have liked, but the sweetness helped even it out a bit. Couldn’t tell there was any pepper.

collage of clif kit's organic fruit & nut bar in peanut butterCLIF KIT’s Organic Fruit & Nut bar, Peanut Butter – I don’t really like peanut butter, so I don’t know if I’m a fair judge for this bar. Personally, I found it a bit too dense, much like the coconut delights from above. It wasn’t too peanut buttery and more just peanuty – I didn’t get that creamy sort of taste. I think this would be a great bar for sustained energy if you’re working out or can’t grab a proper lunch (and assuming you like peanut/peanut butter flavored stuff).

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

blissmobox harvest snacks info sheet

365great Day 47: Burt’s Bees Res-Q Ointment

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365great challenge day 47: burt's bees res-q ointmentI first learned about this product from a cousin in China, actually. Apparently it’s all the rage with her friends. And truly, Burt’s Bees Res-Q Ointment is a hidden gem of a product. If it weren’t for my cousin’s obsession, I never would have thought to give it a try – it seems to be just a rub-on insect repellent (which isn’t all that exciting). But oh boy, is that wrong! In fact, this Res-Q Ointment is like a miracle worker for just about any sort of skin irritation you might get, including insect bites, bruises, cuts, scrapes, rashes, and the like.

I get these red bumps from sensitivity when my hands get extra cold and dry, which is soothed and healed with this balm. I’ve had bruises that itch that I used the Res-Q Ointment on so I wouldn’t scratch them. It’s even helped me with the occasional cut or scrape, making the healing process faster and far less uncomfortable. I mean, it’s amazing all the things that one little balm can do. Plus, you barely need any to cover your irritation, so a small tub will last a really long time. This is perfect for kids or those of us who are still klutzy (I feel ya). Try it! It really is great.

Yuzen October 2012 edition

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Alright, it’s time to continue this game of catch-up and go through the treats that came in the Yuzen box for October.  🙂

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

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. Starting with this box, I began to receive them 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). 🙂

collage of products included in the october 2012 yuzen box

collage of products included in the october 2012 yuzen box

They actually sent me two boxes since they were trying out a new packaging method and wanted my feedback.

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

collage of eco-armour shave with benefits bergamot & grapefruit luxurious botanical shave foam included in the october 2012 yuzen boxEco-Armour Shave with BenefitsBergamot & Pink Grapefruit Luxurious Botanical Shave Foam: There are a lot of things I love about this product! It smells great and feels so smooth on your skin. It works really well and makes shaving such a breeze! Plus, it’s got an awesome foaming dispenser (and I love a foaming product), which also means that you can bring it with you on the plane! And did you know that you can actually put it on your razor blades to extend their life?! HOW AWESOME!

collage of nova monda cacao & chocolate purple label cacao indio jar chocolate included in the october 2012 yuzen boxNova Monda Cacao & Chocolate – Cacao Indio Jar Chocolate: Chocolate in a jar? Wow, the possibilities! You can eat it straight up, melt it to use as ganache or fondue or even pour over ice cream for a fantastically yummy shell. This is such a fun way to present chocolate for consumption. Definitely gets your creativity going and encourages new ways of enjoying a classic treat. Plus, it’s all ethically sourced so you can really enjoy this treat guilt-free.

collage of red flower plum blossom silk cream & yuzu mimosa sea algae wash included in the october 2012 yuzen boxred flowerplum blossom silk cream & yuzu mimosa sea algae wash: These products feel really luxurious. The lotion truly is silky and rubs on so well. It’s got a sweet, flowery scent that is lovely. The body wash is pretty silky too and it has a nice mildly citrusy smell. I really love the use of various botanical elements to create these products!

collage of matt's munchies mango fruit snacks included in the october 2012 yuzen boxMatt’s MunchiesMango Premium Fruit Snack: Ok, I actually don’t eat mangoes, so I did not try this snack, but my mom gobbled it right up so that’s got to be a good sign! And hey, even my cat gave it a sniff of approval… 😉 I was expecting more of a dried mango snack, so it was interesting opening the package to find cute little fruit leather squares. Definitely a nice treat to bring along anywhere and you don’t have to worry about getting your hands messy trying to rip off a piece.

collage of jamu organic spa rituals island fruits massage, body, & hair oil included in the october 2012 yuzen boxJAMU Spa Organics – Island Fruits Massage, Body & Hair Oil: I’ve discovered a love for massage oils. I don’t think I ever used a massage oil before this, but the hydrating feeling in the dry winter weather was just amazing. I loved the subtle sweet scent of the oil, which wafted up here and there when applying. The one thing is that the bottle starts to get a little oily on the outside after awhile, you should be careful where you put it (and wipe it down after use).

collage of hollybeth organics rose geranium face moisturizer included in the october 2012 yuzen boxHollyBeth Organics Luxury Skincare – Rose Geranium Face Moisturizer: This is the thickest face moisturizer I’ve ever used. Kind of waxy, almost. It felt weird at first putting something so dense on my face, but it hydrated well and kept my skin from drying out. Excellent for colder months, but I’d switch to a lighter cream for the summer months.

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