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Goodies Co. September Taster’s Box review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, drinks, food, goodies co, pictures, products, reviews, snacks, subscriptions

22 September 2013

Here’s my September Taster’s Box #3, which included a bottle of Nestle Pure Life Splash in Acai Grape, Mario Pitted Snack Olives, barefruit Fuji Red Apple chips, Kashi Sundried Tomato, Basil & Feta Hummus Crisps, Numi Savory Tea in Spinach Chive, Zone Perfect Greek Yogurt Chocolate bar, and Attiki honey. You can find my unboxing video online soon.

I was super surprised by the Nestle Pure Life Splash since I didn’t expect it to have such a strong flavor. I thought it’d be like those waters at hotels where they put some fruits in there to give it a hint of flavor. Instead it’s this sort of indescribable drink that is like drinking water with the taste of juice. Pretty good! I’m not really a fan of olives, but I gave Mario Pitted Snack Olives a chance. Since they’re seasoned with spices, I thought they might taste kind of like a pickled vegetable and I love almost anything brined! Unfortunately, I still don’t like that olive taste though I did like the firm texture of the olives. It tasted a bit bitter to me to though and I can’t say I’ll ever want to eat olives, no matter how they’re flavored. On a completely different note, the barefruit Crunchy Fuji Red Apple chips are something I really like. It’s not new to me but it’s something I enjoy so I certainly enjoy having a little bag to bring to work! Out of the apple types, this is my absolute fav too. Then there’s the Kashi Sundried Tomato, Basil & Feta Hummus Crisps, which are yummy! They have a stronger flavor than the sea salt ones I got to try for free from BzzAgent but I like them both depending on whether I want a strong taste or something more mild. When it comes to the Numi Savory Tea I must admit I’m intimidated. Spinach and chive tea?! I don’t know about that… I’ll have to try it out soon before I lose the nerve, haha. Next up is the Zone Perfect Greek Yogurt Chocolate bar that is quite good. I don’t normally eat bars, but I could see myself eating this regularly after a workout (if I ever worked out!). And then there was the Attiki honey that had me confused at first – was it supposed to go with something? I guess it’s a stand-alone sample and I’m not sure if it’s normal that mine is less than half full. It’s pretty good with a more intense flavor than the honey I’m used to. That must be the thyme they used to make the honey with!

This time the box was ok for me, with some items I already knew and a few I’m not so sure about. There were a few I do enjoy and would definitely get more of though! What did you get in your Goodies box? What are your thoughts on these snacks?

Treatsie September 2013 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, candy, pictures, products, reviews, subscriptions, treatsie

20 September 2013

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 box artisan candy subscription with new shiny sticker label

This time around the label was new and shiny.

new shiny label on treatsie box artisan candy subscription

See how it reflects the light? The old labels were a paper that was matte.

treatsie september box contents with nut brittle, cookies, and marshmallow squares

Oh my yum.

Morning Glory Confections Chai Tea & Cashew Artisan Brittle: Ooo, what an exotic-sounding brittle. I’ve only ever had peanut brittle, which is one of the few things with peanuts that I actually like! This is with chai tea flavor and cashews, which is very fragrant and warm. It’s such a perfect treat for the fall and the crunchiness is super satisfying. Watch out if you have sensitive teeth and can’t bite very hard! Might want to put part of a piece in your mouth to let it soften first. Or, if you like hard candies like me you can just dig right in.

Katherine Anne Confections Vanilla Black Pepper and Cinnamon Sugar Marshmallows: The texture of these marshmallows are amazing – soft and supple yet they just melt in your mouth when you bite in. NOM! I loved the uniqueness of the Vanilla Black Pepper, which was sweet with a kick. So much fun! And of course the Cinnamon Sugar was a lovely sweet aromatic flavor for those of you who don’t want the contrast of sweet and spicy.

Grey Ghost Bakery Cinnamon Pecan, Chocolate Espresso, and Molasses Spice Cookies: I think one of these is the amazing smell that came wafting up as I was opening the box. Namely, the Cinnamon Pecan, but I can’t be sure because there were so many cinnamon items in the box! I love it; it totally reminded me of the fall season. The Cinnamon Pecan is a crisp sort of cookie, which is a bit crumbly. The taste is good but I like more soft cookies. I don’t like espresso flavors so I’m saving it for someone else. My favorite was the Molasses Spice that was just the right softness, sweet and fragrant, and had fabulous sugar granules. Oh yes, please.

Did you get a Treatsie box? How do you like these fall-inspired treats?

[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!]

Blissmobox: Spring Picnic

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

14 September 2013

This was the March box and I chose the Spring Picnic one because I had already gotten the Skin’n’Hair Care box and I didn’t need cleaning supplies. It had also been quite some time since I’d gotten a food theme from them, so I decided to take a break from my beauty binge.

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 march's blissmobox: spring picnic, fresh & clean, and skin'n'hair care

The three choices for the March blissmobox.

I totally sucked at taking pictures for these items so I’ll just show you the overall box and share one product picture. I’d go back and take pictures of what I have but they’re not at this location.

Dang, Toasted Coconut Chips – Ok, I had to lead with these coconut chips. They are so freakin’ addicting. In fact, now that I am reminded of them I’m totally going out and buying some more. This is the one product photo I do have to share so you can see what the flakes look like. These are bits that are on the smaller size, but you get the idea. It’s so hard to describe this snack – it’s a little sweet and you can feel the coconut oil a bit as you’re eating it, but it’s not greasy. I love the fragrance and the crunchiness that is super crisp. You’ve really got to go try these. I’m developing more and more of a taste for coconut stuff and this product really makes me a coconut fan.

KIND, Dark Chocolate & Cranberry Clusters – These clusters are hard and crisp, so they’d be great with some yogurt. I actually did buy some yogurt cups to eat them with, but I tend to like softer granola so I didn’t end up eating much. The flavor was good but the texture was too hard for my preference. It’s one of those snacks I can feel grinding in my stomach so I can only eat a little at a time.

KIND Plus, Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein bars – Oh, these look yummy but I’m just not that into peanut butter. I gave them to my dad to eat and I haven’t seen them since so I’m pretty sure they were enjoyed. 🙂 I do want to try their other bars sometime.

Earth Science, Daily Sun Defense Lotion SPF 15+ – This is a nice hefty bottle of lotion that will be great for use on the entire body whenever you’re going outside. I haven’t opened it let since I have so many lotions, but I do look forward to slathering this on after a shower. It’s definitely something I’ll use more in the warmer months so it is currently stowed away.

FoodShouldTasteGood, Sweet Potato tortilla chips – I was really looking forward to these chips, but found them to be somewhat greasy. I didn’t like the texture too much and the taste was very notable. Still, I’d give them another try and I just discovered they have a new Kimchi flavor, which I’m super curious about.

CleanWell, All-Natural Hand Sanitizing Wipes – Hand wipes are super handy to have in a purse or car. You never know when you might not be able to wash your hands and you want to clean them of something. These are a win in my book! I love that they’re all natural and disinfecting.

The snacks in this box were good to try even if I didn’t like them all and I’m so glad the Dang chips were in there because they just rock. I can definitely see these items being brought along for a picnic, along with some fresh food. What do you think of these items?

Goodies Co. August Taster’s Box review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, food, pictures, products, reviews, snacks, subscriptions

08 September 2013

So ever since I first heard of Goodies, Panda and I have been signed up simultaneously. Many months we’ve gotten the exact same box so we’ve decided to cut out his subscription and just keep mine. At first we thought it’d be hard to share and we’d want to try everything out for ourselves, but we’re buried in snacks so I think sharing will be nice. 🙂

For August, I got Taster’s Box #7, which came with Ojo Mango & Blackcurrant fortified eye care nectar, Snyder’s eatsmart naturals Garden Veggie Crisps, Poplets sea salt & butter toasted corn centers, Tangy Zangy Twisties sour candy, Orion One and Only Cookie-Cracker, and Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen Hawaiian Hazelnut liquid coffee brewstick. Check out my unboxing video to hear my initial reactions.

I was curious about the mango and blackcurrant taste of the Ojo eye care nectar since I’ve never seen that flavor combination before and I have no clue what an “eye care nectar” is. It actually reminded me of a very strong undiluted orange squash* and I’m not sure how I feel about the taste. It’s not bad, but it is different from what I’m used to. But hey, if it actually makes my eyes better I should definitely drink more of it! My first thought when I saw the Snyder’s Garden Veggie Crisps was that the flavors are the same as the Veggie Straws I was once addicted to. Once I tried them, I found them to be nothing like those snacks, which are more airy and salty. These crisps are very crunchy and somewhat tasteless. Great if you’re sick of normal greasy oversalted chips and want to still chomp on something crisp. I like my snacks super salty though. Next up was the Poplets toasted corn centers, which is kind of like eating the taste of popcorn but just the kernels. They’re a bit too hard for me and I can feel them grinding through my stomach. Very nice taste that is flavorful without being overwhelming though! Moving on to sweet treats with the Tangy Zangy Twisties, which are chewy sour candies in short segments of rainbow-colored cylinders. Yum! I love sour candies and this is a wonderful balance of sweet and sour. I love the chewiness of the twists as well. The Orion One and Only Cookie-Crackers are addicting!! There were a ton of thin cracker cookies inside and Panda and I managed to gobble through nearly all of them. I had to exercise restraint so I could enjoy some more later. They’re crisp but not too hard and what a fabulous combination of sweet and salty! I’m pretty sure I’ve had something similar from an Asian market before and I’m surprised I haven’t been addicted this whole. Definitely need more of this. Finally, there’s the Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen liquid coffee stick that I shall have to pass on to Panda since I don’t drink coffee. I like the idea of its convenience, though we’ll have to see about the flavor quality.

Overall a good box, with items I really liked and others that were interesting to try (and now I know what they’re like). Did you get a Goodies box too? What do you think of these snacks?

*In the UK they have squash drinks that are concentrated juices that you dilute with water to drink. To my American eyes though, that word makes me think of a vegetable. So just to clarify, I meant it in the drink sense!

Homegrown Collective August 2013 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, diy, eco-friendly, green, pictures, projects, reviews, subscriptions

06 September 2013

Woo hoo! My long-awaited FIRST Homegrown Collective box is in my possession and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve had my eye on them since I first saw reviews for them months ago and I got the 12-month subscription as soon as I had a job in the bag. 🙂

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.

The August theme is “superfood-detoxifying-antioxi- …docious” (sing it to “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious*”) and it features three superfoods: alfalfa sprouts, green tea, pomegranate, and cacao as a bonus one. The projects include two food ones and a spa/luxury one! Oh I can’t wait. 😀 Also, check out my unboxing video! [update: projects were completed and you can see how I did]

the homegrown collective box wrapped in plastic layers

It came all wrapped in plastic as if something might leak. Everything was fine though!

inside of homegrown collective box with the homegrown collective sticker on brown paper wrapping

Opening the box…

the homegrown collective august 2013 info sheets in plastic insert

August theme revealed! Love their info cards.

I really enjoy how they have separate cards for each project, but make each one a different size so you can see all the labels like this. So creative and such great design.

contents of the homegrown collective august 2013 box with super food theme

All the products laid out. Fabulous!!

Project #1, alfalfa sprouts: I love a little bit of sprouts in a sandwich or salad, so I’m pretty excited about these. It takes a little less than a week so I shall report back later and share my experience. I hope they taste as good as the ones I get in my food! Then again, how could you mess it up when it’s just water and seeds pretty much, right? Haha hope I don’t kick myself for saying that later on…

the homegrown collective august 2013 project growing alfalfa sprouts

First up, the alfalfa sprouts.

the homegrown collective august 2013 products for growing alfalfa sprouts

All you need is the seeds, a jar, and some mesh! Add water and let it grow, let it grow, let it grow…

Project #2, detoxify your body: I loooved the scent of the green tea and the lavender. I’m so excited for this bath soak! Not only will it be relaxing and smell amazing, I can get some detoxing done as well. Perfect.

the homegrown collective august 2013 project making green tea & lavender epsom salt bath soak

Next up is the detoxifying bath soak.

the homegrown collective august 2013 products for making green tea & lavender epsom salt bath soak

Pretty simple to use – just soak! Smells wonderful. 🙂

Project #3, cacao & pomegranates: This sounds unbelievably tasty. I love dark chocolate and pomegranate, but have never thought about making a snack like this. I can’t wait to make them and I’ll report back on a follow-up post with the results of all these projects.

the homegrown collective august 2013 project making dark chocolate pomegranate wonder cup snacks

Finally, an antioxidant-filled treat, oh yes!!

the homegrown collective august 2013 products for making dark chocolate pomegranate wonder cup snacks

Now this is the way to get me in the kitchen. I love snacks!

the homegrown collective august 2013 info sheet describing contents of box and benefits of super foods

And to round it all up, you can learn about these super foods and make sure you got all the items needed to complete the projects!

Do you subscribe to The Homegrown Collective as well? What was your favorite project from this month?

*I tried to spell it on my own and I actually got it right! Yeah, I’m proud.

Blissmobox: Splendid Spa

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, blissmobox, drinks, eco-friendly, food, green, health, pictures, products, reviews, skincare, snacks, sprays

03 September 2013

This was a special offer box for Valentine’s (yeah, yeah it was ages ago… I’m getting close to caught up!) and I chose the Splendid Spa one because I wanted to treat myself. I’d seen this offered before and I didn’t get it, so this was perfect. At the $20 price point, I felt like it was a decent deal.

There were four boxes on sale for the Valentine’s blissmobox special.

I got an even better deal when they accidentally sent out a different box (Skin’n’Hair Care) and then had some customer services issues that ultimately led to me getting refunded. I can’t remember the details, but there was quite a bit of confusion and ultimately I still got what I wanted though I almost didn’t receive this box.

Choice Organic Teas, Jasmine Green Tea – I’ve got a major backlog in tea, so these are still neatly packaged waiting for me to break them in. I do enjoy the fragrance of jasmine tea and these will be great to bring along when I’m traveling. I love that they’re organic since the flavor probably tastes better that way. I’m also considering keeping these as a gift or to use as part of a giveaway basket eventually.

hellomellow, energy shifting spray in relax – Misting myself is so much fun! A little spray of this on my face is perfect to help soothe me. I tried to use it to help me sleep but that didn’t work out so well, so I think this is best suited for a refresher in the daytime when I want a little bit of calming scent. This is a brand I’ve long been interested in and I definitely want to try out more of their line.

Level Naturals, Shower Bomb – Wow, so minty! These will definitely wake you right up and help unclog any stuffed noses. Sometimes I like to get a whiff of them just to clear up my sinuses. I’ve been saving them to use when I start work and need to wake up early in the morning! I really feel like half would be plenty for a shower, so I’m going to get a good 8 showers out of this.

ScentsbyEilena, Nail Rescue – At first I thought the card was for this product since it was stuck to it, but it turns out that it was an info card for hellomellow, so ignore the background in the picture! This is sealed so I didn’t want to open it until I’ve used up some of my cuticle oil. It’s a very small brand that I think might no longer be in business unfortunately. I’ve never understood what healthy vs. unhealthy cuticles look like so I can never tell if these things work.

Olive Remedy, cuticle cream – Hmm, interesting that they chose to include two cuticle creams in one box! I mean, how much could one person possibly use? I think the concept of this one is really cool, using olive oil for their main ingredient. That’s new to me since I generally think of it as something you eat or perhaps rub into your hair. Apparently it’s great for sensitive skin though, so even babies could use it! Not that their cuticles need any conditioning…

Dream Water, Snoozeberry – I think this might have been the very first Dream Water I received. Since then I’ve gotten many from various boxes and I think I still have 4 more to drink. They’ll come in useful as I try to recover from jetlag and get into work mode. I’ve found that one bottle feels like a lot and I only drank 3/4 when I tried it. I’ll force myself to guzzle the whole thing this weekend and see if it knocks me out or what.

Normally there’d be more info on these brands, but this time there was just a welcome message.

Treatsie August review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, candy, caramels, chocolate bars, coconut milk caramels, pictures, products, reviews, subscriptions, treatsie

30 August 2013

The sweetest box out there has made its way to my doorstep, in my suitcase, and now to my tummy! Here’s what came in my latest Treatsie box:

The Treatsie box. So nice for repurposing!

First look at the August box.

This Charming Candy blackberry + hibiscus and watermelon~basil lollipops: What cool flavors! I really like how they use some more unique pairings that you wouldn’t typically find in a candy. I tried the watermelon basil and it reminds me of a watermelon basil lemonade I had at a Gogobot event. The flavor is a wonderful blend of sweet and refreshing, perfect for the summer months! I’m really looking forward to the blackberry hibiscus as well, which I think will be a nice sweet and slightly tart taste. Super cute candies for slowing down with. I can definitely relax with one of these and take a few minutes to stop what I’m doing.

Seattle Chocolates Birthday Cake Batter milk chocolate truffle bar: I’ve seen these around and planned on trying them at some point, so this is perfect! Apparently you could get one of three flavors and I’m pretty happy with this one. I wouldn’t have minded the S’mores flavor either! There’s a layer of confetti cake mix in the center of this chocolate bar, giving it some grittiness and a crunch. The chocolate is rich and creamy and the bar as a whole is super sweet. Just a small piece at a time will satisfy that sweet tooth!

Slade Grove Creative Gourmet Watermelon Infused & Vanilla Latte caramels: Wow, just when I thought I’d seen some pretty creative caramel flavors (like coconut milk caramels), I’m proven wrong. I never would have thought to include watermelon flavoring in a caramel! It’s pretty cool – kind of like eating a caramel AND watermelon taffy in one. The vanilla latte is a strong flavor and in not a coffee fan so I’m passing this on to someone else.

Did you get this box too? What did you think?

Escape Monthly August: Napa Valley Box Review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: baths, boxes, candles, cookies, escape monthly, face masks, food, gift cards, lip balms, loofahs, lotions, napa valley, pictures, products, reviews, scrubs, skincare, snacks, soaps, subscriptions, travel

28 August 2013

Woo hoo! I got the very first Escape Monthly box last week and it turned out great. When I heard the destination for this box would be Napa, I was a bit concerned it might be too focused on wine. Since I don’t drink, that wouldn’t make a very fun box for me. Luckily, it had a great mix of food, skincare, relaxation products, and travel info. I had to rush off before I could get proper pictures of all the products, but here’s an idea of what it all looked like:

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.

(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

I love that they really took the time to write out messaging that fits with their theme and explain how each product can contribute to your experience of this destination. The variety is great, though I think another snack item might have been nice since the products were rather spa-heavy. Still, I liked that there were bath items, skincare items, household items, a food item, a drink item, and of course a tour book of the region. I definitely feel a lot more prepared for what Napa Valley has to offer and I am definitely set for creating a relaxing experience in the comfort of my own home!

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to Napa & Sonoma – A very handy thing to have when preparing a trip to the region!
Napa Valley Wine Soap – How cool is this? Made with grapeseed oil and local products – perfectly incorporating relaxation with the wineries.
all natural loofah bath sponge – I’ve wanted to have one of these for ages and kept telling myself I’d grow them, but now I don’t have to!
deluxe floating bath candles (set of 2) – Pretty little flower candles in my favorite color… you know I’ll be making good use of them. I feel so motivated to take a bath.
100% Pure Juicy Sugar Body Scrub – Yes, yes yes! I love trying out this brand and I can’t get enough of scrubs.
Cookie Zen Cookie & Cork Pairing – Well, I’ll skip the wine part and jump straight to the munching on cookies part!
7th Heaven natural face masks – Another brand I’ve been interested in so I can’t wait to use this mask. I’ve been meaning to use masks more!
Mixture Luscious lip balm – I’m looking forward to smelling what scent this is. Lip balms are always useful and I’ll probably throw this in a purse or car so I can have it handy.
mystery soap – So when I get back to my box, I will check on the brand, but there was actually another soap in this box. It was a smaller bar of soap and might be the bonus item mentioned in the info card.
Suki lotion sample – This is a brand I learned about through Yuzen and I’m always happy to try their products. Adding this to my samples baggie that I’m working through!
$50 NakedWines.com gift card – Here’s the wine portion of the theme! I won’t be using it but for those looking to create that Napa experience this would certainly help. If you’d like the code let me know and I can share it with you. Terms do apply so I’ll let you know about those if you’re interested.

My favorite product is the 100% Pure Juicy Sugar Body Scrub, which combines my love of scrubs with my fascination with 100% Pure, which I’ve received sample lotions of before. I can’t wait to try it out when I get a chance! I’m also really happy that there was a loofah included since that’s just the type of bonus accessory item I was hoping for. I’ve gotten tons of food and beauty products from subscriptions and I always appreciate when I get an item that works well with them but is more of a tool. It allows me to enjoy my products that much more!

Did you get an Escape Monthly box? What do you think of their introductory Napa Valley destination box? If you’re interested in signing up, they’re still offering 20% off for the lifetime of your subscription with code ESCAPENOW. Oh! And each month some lucky subscriber wins a trip to the destination!! How amazing is that?? 🙂

Graze snacks (two more boxes)

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, food, graze box, healthy, nutrition, opinion, pictures, reviews, snacks, subscriptions

25 August 2013

It’s been awhile since I last wrote about the Graze boxes I’ve been getting! I’m knee-deep in them now and have slowed down my deliveries to anywhere from 2-4 weeks. I’m starting to get bored of them so I think I might discontinue my subscription (or keep pushing back deliveries).

Graze is $5 per delivery (you choose the frequency of deliveries) and comes with four pre-proportioned, nutritionally-balanced snacks. Choose from the regular nibblebox or the low calorie caloriecounterbox with a default frequency of every 2 or 4 weeks. You can always increase or decrease the weeks between deliveries to fit your needs, thereby effectively “skipping” weeks as you please. They offer a referral code and link program that gives your referral their 1st and 5th boxes free and earns you $1 off your next box (or you can choose to donate it).

Here are boxes 5 and 6 that I received:

my fifth graze box with fruit & seed flapjack, eton mess, herby bread basket, and eleanor's apple crumble

My fifth Graze box with nutritional info.

The Fruit & Seed Flapjack came before I realized I just don’t like flapjacks that much. I’ve since chosen trash for all the variations so I don’t get them. These are still sitting around waiting to be eaten. I might end up putting them out for the birds and squirrels to nibble on. Or, if I can convince Panda to take them to work as a snack that would work too! Verdict: TRASH.

Eton Mess has these super fun little meringue bites. I love how crisp and fluffy they are. The almond slices are a nice way to offset the sweetness of the rest of this snack. I wouldn’t go crazy over these but I’d definitely munch on it every once and awhile. Verdict: TRY.

Oh yes, now this is what I’m talking about. The Herby Bread Basket has crunchy bits of bread and it’s a savory selection. I love a good salty snack (that does not involve nuts) and I love bread, so this is a good combo of those two things. This is not my favorite of the salty snacks but it’s one I’m always happy to eat. Verdict: LIKE.

It’s funny, I don’t generally like dried apple but I find the super soft texture of these to be fun to chew versus those crisp bags of dried apple slices. Eleanor’s Apple Crumble pairs the soft apple with crunchy almonds and chewy raisins for a wide range of textures. This one can get a bit sweet for me, but I can see myself eating it infrequently. Verdict: TRY.

my fifth graze box with mississippi bbq pistachios, tropical daiquiri, my thai, and poached pear

My sixth Graze box with nutritional info.

You know, I can’t quite remembering eating the Mississippi BBQ Pistachios. I’ve never been super into pistachios but I will eat them so this was one of those that’s enjoyable enough. I do like the unique flavor since I usually just have plain pistachios. Verdict: TRY.

I actually liked the Tropical Daiquiri more than I expected. It seems that I can really get into this whole dried fruit thing. Still, I don’t want to get it too often. Verdict: TRY.

I got the My Thai in my first box and I still enjoy it. I’m a sucker for the crunchy soy and the sauce! Verdict: LOVE.

The Poached Pear is a nice mix of soft and crunchy bits. It’s a nice sweet/fragrant snack but I’m just not that into nuts. I’ll give it a chance though! Pumpkin seeds are supposed to be good for you right? Verdict: TRY.

Blissmobox: Skin Essentials

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beauty, blissmobox, body wash, conditioner, eco-friendly, eye creams, facial creams, facial lotions, green, health, pictures, products, reviews, samples, shampoo, soaps

22 August 2013

Ok, so I’ve been holding off on reviewing this box because I couldn’t find pictures for it… and then a few weeks ago I realized I don’t remember receiving it at all. Oy! It just so happened at around this time I had gotten two other blissmoboxes and then I lost track of how many I was supposed to receive. Then I went home, where I had this box sent and I had a bunch of mail to go through and somehow this one fell through the cracks. Luckily, my mom was able to hunt it down for me! So here we go…

the choices for february's blissmobox: snack favorites (deluxe value), skin essentials, and baking & pantry favorites (deluxe value)

The three choices for the February blissmobox.

This was the February box and I chose the Skin Essentials one because I was really in the mood for some pampering skincare products. I started to move away from the food selections once I really got into trying all types of cleansers and washes and creams and lotions.

Weleda, Wild Rose Smoothing Facial Lotion – I’m so happy I got this! I have been wishing for some Weleda to try out. I saw a really cool sample pack they sell at Whole Foods and ever since I’ve been curious about this brand. This all-natural product has no synthetic preservatives, fragrances, or chemicals. I can definitely feel good about putting this on my face. I’m not a huge fan of rose-scented skincare, but I do like how this feels so I’m going to have to try out their other products. It absorbs really well and is really refreshing to apply. This particular one helps target fine lines, but I don’t have that issue yet so I think their Iris Hydrating Facial Lotion might be a better fit for me.

Episencial, Soothing Cream – This is perfect for me and all my skin issues lately even though it appears to be a baby-focused brand. I’m going to try this on my burn that still itches a bit at times. I love how gentle it is so you can use it on babies too (lol it actually says for ages 0-150!). Seems like a great thing for diaper rash and other such conditions. It’s even got probiotics, which I’ve never seen in a cream before. I don’t want to open it just yet since I have a few other products for similar uses, but I’m looking forward to testing it. With calendula, I’m sure that it will be plenty effective for healing and soothing. It’s vegan, phthatlate-free, petrochemical-free, paraben-free, gluten-free, and cruelty-free.

Fisika, Ash-Bay Laurel soap – This looks so fascinating, with its unique gray shade and ingredients like ash and laurel. Those aren’t ones I commonly see and I really look forward to sampling this soap. It will help exfoliate your skin so it’s perfect for rough patches. The ash softens water, the laurel essential oil fights premature aging, and the lavender is antiseptic. Seems like this is great for cleaning not just your body! It’s also paraben-, petrochemical-, and phthalate-free.

Nature’s Gate, Grape Seed Eye Cream – I’ll be saving this for future use as well, though I did try a little bit. Feels great and I couldn’t smell anything so it should be good for those sensitive to fragrances. I really like the packaging – it just feels good to use. It has amazing ingredients like white tea, olive, aloe, argan, flaxseed, blackberry, and of course grape seed oil. It’s free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, fragrances (ah I was right about that!), PEDs, petrolatum, and animal byproducts.

Nature’s Gate, Biotin Strengthening Shampoo + Biotin Strengthening Conditioner + Velvet Moisture Açai Body Wash samples – These are some nice samples. I’m not going to use them just yet since they’d be perfect on the road and I currently have a ton of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash to use up. They’re all sulfate free, which is a big thing these days. In addition, they are free of parabens, phthalates, and cruelty (among other things). What they do have is a whole lot of oils that are great for your hair and skin and a bunch of vitamins for boosting the health of your hair and skin. I’m still a huge fan of solid shampoo, conditioner, and soap, so I’ll just use these up but probably won’t buy them.

I liked this box a lot since I get to try plenty of cool brands that I’d be interested in learning more about and it covers all your skin needs, ranging from body to face. The products cover a wide range of skin needs as well, with everything from new skin to aging skin. What do you think about this box?

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

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