Posts Tagged ‘samples’

Petit Vour February 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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I saw an email about a preview of this box, so I watched it and they talked about the eye shadow and serum. I thought the way the lady said “Petit Vour” sounded kind of strange, like using an American accent to pronounce it the French way. It came out as “petty voor” when I think it should be more of “puh-tee voor.”

Petit Vour is $15 per box (or as much as $30 for international subscribers) and comes with vegan beauty, skincare, and other personal care products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes (email contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you if you sign up!).

contents of petit vour february 2016 box with oh, it is love! theme and info card petit vour february 2016 box info card with item details

Christy Organics Trance perfume – Ahh, this is a very flowery scent with the jasmine in there. It smells really nice and I can dab on a bit here and there when I want to remind myself of my grandma’s old place, where she grew jasmine plants in the window. I’ll have to plant some myself sometime! I hardly ever wear perfume, so this small sample will last me forever.

HAN Skin Care Cosmetics eye shadow in Taupey Plum – Well, this is going straight to my trade/sell box. I’ve tried using some of the smaller eye shadows I’ve received, but I know this giant one won’t be put to good use by me. Instead I’ll work to find it a happy home elsewhere.

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Booster Serum – I’ve got plenty of serums at the moment so I’ll keep this sealed until I’m ready. I recently read about how Vitamin C is a good ingredient for your skin and I see a lot of serums with it, so I look forward to using this one. I’m still not quite sure what a serum does, but I sure like applying it after washing my face.

Graydon Hair Smoothie conditioner – I wish this bottle was larger! I can smell the different plants in there and it seems like a cooling product. I sure hope it will help with hair growth, since I can never seem to grow my hair past my bust. I do need a haircut soon since the ends are getting kind of rough.

Well three out of four is not bad. I’m gathering so many products though, I really need to either sell some or stop my subscription. It’s so much fun to discover all these brands though! What do you think of these products?

[This post mentions a referral program. Signing up and emailing contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Curel Itch Defense

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , ,
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In my latest Influenster box, I got a chance to try Curel’s Itch Defense Moisturizing Spray and Body Wash. I get dry skin especially in the winter, when I like taking hotter showers. It gets rather uncomfortable when that dry skin itches, so these are excellent products to help combat that.

The spray: I was really excited about this because I think spraying on lotion just seems like so much fun! I don’t know if it’s just the one I got, but the nozzle tends to get stuck for me so that kind of takes the fun out of it. I’ve got to press exactly down to get the spray going, or else it seems to get caught on something and nothing comes out. Other than that, it’s great! I find it easy to rub in and get great coverage very quickly. The cooling effect when it sprays on also helps accentuate the soothing feeling. I think I can smell a hint of citrus in there – it’s very subtle and light, which I like. And most importantly, it hydrates well to keep my skin from drying out and feeling itchy again.

The body wash: Now I was pleasantly surprised with this one because I usually don’t care for body washes. However, this one is really nice and also instantly soothes as you rub it in. I don’t know what they put in it, but it works! I wish I’d gotten a larger bottle to try just so it can last me longer. Wouldn’t it be cool if this was a spray-on foam? Now that would be fun to use.

Combine the two and you are well on your way to never experiencing itching again! I’m happy with both products and glad I got to try them. Sometimes I get rashes and red bumps on my skin, so I’m hoping they’ll help prevent or at least heal those skin conditions faster the next time they crop up.

[I received this product free for testing purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.]

Influenster XOVoxBox

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It’s been awhile, but I finally qualified for another VoxBox! Shipping got a bit delayed, but thankfully they also extended the active period for reviews to accommodate. For awhile I was concerned mine got lost along the way, but then it finally showed up a few weeks ago. 🙂

influenster xovoxbox contents

As always, I got a wonderful box full of products that I enjoyed. Some I will definitely buy again, some I might not, but I liked trying them all.

Colgate Optic White Platinum toothpaste – We’ve used other Colgate Optic products before, but not quite this exact one. I like their tube design that allows us to stand the toothpaste up – it saves on counter space! This felt warm at first and then more minty with further brushing. I like it

Colgate Optic White toothbrush with built-in whitening pen – I’m always happy to get another toothbrush and these bristles feel good. The whitening pen in the handle is a handy design that makes it easier to remember to whiten after brushing. I did find the tip to be rather odd, with the texture that made the paste come out on my teeth in small globs. I like that I don’t have to worry about removing it from my teeth after a certain period. I didn’t notice a huge change in my teeth, but they did seem glossier/brighter after a few uses.

Skinfix Hand Repair Cream – This is a really great healing lotion for whenever my skin desperately needs deep hydration. I get these weird red bumps on my fingers sometimes, which I think are an allergic reaction (typically to frozen cardboard, like the ones for housing goods in the freezer). My fingers itch a lot when that happens and I’m keeping this handy for those situations, to help soothe and heal my skin.

Tide Pods with Febreze – I just love how convenient these are! Throw one in, no muss no fuss, and your clothes come out smelling fresher than clean. I love that there’s no risk of a sticky mess and no need for measuring. What a great solution. They dissolve perfectly and leave no trace at the end, except the lingering Febreze scent. I’ll definitely be using these as my go-to for my laundry needs.

John Frieda 7 Day Volume – So the instructions say to use a blow dryer, but I’m not in that habit so I wanted to see what would happen if I styled my hair normally (which means letting it air dry). I do feel there was a bit more volume to my hair, but nothing super obvious that would scare people away. I’ll have to leave it in longer and try this whole blow drying thing another time.

John Frieda Beach Blonde collection of shampoo, conditioner, and sea salt spray – I like the mint in the shampoo and conditioner! It offers a nice scent that is fresh and sweet. I haven’t noticed them performing differently than my standard hair care products, though the conditioner is more subtle and doesn’t over-slick my hair. The spray has a coconut scent that is oh so tropical. It gives great texture and a bit of tousling helps to give that ocean air-blown hair.

What’s your favorite item in this #XOVoxBox?

[I received these products free for testing purposes. All opinions are my own.]

Petit Vour February 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Is it almost spring? This makes me ready for the new season, with fresh products that can make me feel great going out.

Petit Vour is $15 per box (or as much as $30 for international subscribers) and comes with vegan beauty, skincare, and other personal care products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes (email contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you if you sign up!).

contents of petit vour february 2015 box with balancedguru body scrub, ellovi body butter, my daughter fragrances, lily lolo mascara, and info card with love is bold, love is kind theme petit vour february 2015 box info card with item details

Balanced Guru Scrub Me body scrub – I’m really into gritty scrubs, so the texture of this is awesome. The strong coffee smell isn’t my thing and there’s like some minty-ness that hits you too. I can see this being very refreshing and giving you a nice jolt awake.

Ellovi Mint Chocolate body butter – Oh my, this body butter is nice. It melts so easily and spreads the way an oil does. It absorbs quickly into the skin and hydrates well. The mint chocolate smell is fantastic and whimsical!

My Daughter Fragrances in Always Loved – This is a super rosy scent that is warm and sweet. I almost never wear fragrances but I tend to gravitate towards more citrus-inspired ones, so I would have loved to try their Joyful scent instead (orange, lime, grapefruit, jasmine – now that’s what I’m talking about).

Lily Lolo Black Natural Mascara – After many years, I started to wear some mascara again and I’ve not even gone through one tube yet! This one will have to wait. I think this one will be really nice for general daytime wear.

I’ll share the fragrance with anyone who wants it, but I’ll keep and use everything else. I feel like I had just gotten the last box and already another one came. These months are going by fast! What items do you like from this box?

[This post mentions a referral program. Signing up and emailing contact@petitvour.com to say I referred you helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Beauty Box 5 January 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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I love the nail wraps and mascara! I’ve used them and will continue to. The eye shadow’s the only thing I’ll put up for trade. The bath/shower items are ideal for travel!

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

january 2015 beauty box 5 contents beauty box 5 january 2015 information card

Coastal Scents Eye Shadow samples in Mint Condition, Sundried, Stone Cold, and Wild Raisin: These are adorable, but totally not my thing. Adding it to the trade box! My favorite shades there are the sundried and wild raisin, since they’re warmer colors and can be more subtle.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in Misbehaved: These are fab! I like the simple pattern – nothing too bold, yet it’s still got character. With 16 strips and my shorter style of nails, I can actually use these up to three times for manis/pedis. In fact, I’ve already used 5 strips to do a full mani on my hands. I’m going to have to look for more of these because I just had so much fun and I love the look that I couldn’t accomplish on my own by painting my nails.

Ultraflesh The Gold Standard Mascara in Blackout: The gold tube is luxurious so already I feel great. The brush is more bristle-y than I expected, but it works and I love the flexible design rather than the stiff rods most brushes seem to be. It gave my lashes a great boost so now I’ll just have to see how it wears throughout the day. So far I’m liking it, though I wish it applied more easily to my baby lashes towards the inner corners of my eyes.

Softsoap Nutri Serums Body Nourishing Wash: Ok, I’m a huge sucker for anything with those little suspended pearls. It just looks so fun! I’m saving this for my travel bag next time I go somewhere. It’s perfect to bring along!

Garnier Fructis Daily Care Fortifying Shampoo: Another great travel-sized item to keep in my travel stash. Actually, now that I say that I should really have a designated travel stash. I like Garnier so I’ll definitely use this when I’m not at home. Too bad the small bottles don’t have the same top as the full size. That’d be so cute.

With a theme of “hello!” they kept it pretty open to just about anything. I certainly feel like I’m getting a great start to the year with this set of products. Now I can stay clean and have smashing eyes and nails with style. 🙂 What items appeal to you from this month’s box?

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

Escape Monthly October: London Box review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Alright, London time! I can hardly believe it’s been a year since we went there, so I’m certainly happy to get products from there. I hope to learn some good spots to hit up next time we go there. In the mean time, products from across the pond are a welcome sight and I look forward to try them all.

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

escape monthly october london box products showingescape monthly october london box info card escape monthly october london box info card opened with details of products included(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

Everything here was new to me, so that was great for introducing me to different items. I like that some of them went full out with the British look while others are just products you might go for any day as you shop around.

Here’s what came in the box:

Rick Steves’ Pocket London – I’m sure Panda and I can make good use of this guide next time we venture to London. I’ve never looked at a guide for London, so it should be fun to read about some hidden gems and go find those. I wonder if they chose this brand because Moon Handbooks doesn’t offer a general guide to London (instead they appear to have the guide to living abroad there).

Walkers’ Nonsuch English Creamy Toffees – I love candy like this and the flavor of this was yummy. Nice and chewy without being so soft it gets stuck all over your teeth. It’s basically like eating a caramel candy and I’m a huge fan of those. I wonder if this is related to Walkers the brand that’s the British version of Lays.

Hill Biscuits Custard Creams – I’m saving these for a rainy day, when I want a sweet snack to go with my tea. It just seems like it’d be a good companion for that sort of thing. I did bring them with my on my travels in case I want to eat them on the plane. They’d make a nice snack in flight when I get hungry.

Orico Rush Hour Vibrant Dry Body Oil – Good thing they put these in plastic baggies, because one of them leaked in transit. Luckily, it was all contained in the pouch and was just enough to permeate the label, but not create much of a mess. This is excellent timing as the weather gets cold and my skin dries more quickly. I’ve switched my lotioning to body butters and oils, so this fits right in to my routine.

Soapsmith soap samples – I always enjoy a little bit of soap and I look forward to using these. For some reason it feels really satisfying to finish a bar of soap, so these will certainly offer me that satisfaction faster. The scents are pretty strong and I like how refreshing it is to get a whiff of them. I expect they’ll foam well, which is always entertaining.

English Tea Gifts London English Breakfast tea caddy – What a cute container! I’ll have to think of how to reuse it when I drink up the tea. I generally prefer green teas rather than the darker teas the Brits like. I never really learned to add milk and sugar to my tea, so these are rather bitter. I might just try to lightly brew them (or this would make an excellent gift for someone).

London Taxi diecast – Panda got all excited when he saw this. It’s right up his alley along with toys, trinkets, and random collectibles. I think we should get him a bookshelf to showcase his little collections and we can add this mini taxi! I remember my first impression of a taxi just like this when I arrived in Scotland. I marveled at how much space we had in there, luggage and all.

Corkers Pork Sausage and English Mustard crisps  – These made a good snack, though I’d definitely opt for another flavor. The meat flavor thing seems popular in the UK, but it’s a bit strong and salty for me. Or maybe it’s overwhelming with intense umami sensation. I did like the texture of these a lot so the whole sunflower oil thing works for me. I also happen to love Hula Hoops, which are snacks they cook with sunflower oil too. It gives a crisper, crunchier finish.

I’m a fan of all the food items provided as well as the body products. The miniature diecast is cool for display, but I don’t know what to do with it. I would have been interested in something like that that also can serve a purpose. Perhaps as a little container or pencil sharpener or something. What’s your favorite from this London Escape Monthly box? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): RICOESCAPE, CARIBBEAN, or LONDON for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

Next up is Hawaii (again). Funny since I’ll actually be in Hawaii right before this box is shipped. It’s been just over a year since they previously did a Hawaii box and this is the first repeat theme, so I expect a new set of items to show me even more of what the islands have to offer. Either way, I do believe I’ll enjoy the products. There’s all sorts of goodness in the middle of the Pacific!

escape monthly october london box info card back with preview of next month's box theme of hawaii

[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!]

Ipsy August 2014: Beauty Schooled review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Ipsy can be so unpredictable with its hits and misses. This month I really enjoyed it, just as I’ve been contemplating cancelling. I’m still going to unsubscribe as soon as I get the free product I redeemed with my points. It turned out perfectly because I had nearly 1500 points and felt bad wasting 500 of them since most products are 1000 points. Luckily, when I went to check this time, there was a free mystery bag available for 1500 points! I just had to earn some more to get me to 1500 and I was able to claim it. I’m excited to see what it offers.

screenshot of ipsy mystery bag offer for 1500 points and account with 1500 points

Boom. Redeem that!

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 august 2014 bag items with card including absolute new york you're the balm lip balm in grape, coastal scents forever blush duo samples in fresh and elegant, dr. brandt pores no more primer, lord & berry kohl eye pencil, and urban decay perversion mascara

Absolute New York You’re the Balm lip balm in Grape – This is quite a large tin that will last for ages. The purple color is fantastic and there’s a little bit of glitter in there too. I like the lightness of the grape scent, though I wish I could smell or taste it more when it was on my lips. This responds well to body heat and begins to melt into a hydrating sort of gloss. A little dab was enough to spread on my lips.

Coastal Scents Forever Blush duo samples in Fresh & Elegant – Again, why do I ever get blush when I indicated NO interest? And these are pretty small samples. Oh well, going in my trade bucket.

Dr. Brandt pores no more pore refiner primer – I totally expected this to be clear, but it has a nude tint to it. It applies well and certainly does the job of mattifying. I’m not sure if the pore refining is supposed to help heal my skin over time or if it’s just to reduce the appearance of pores when it’s on. If it’s the latter, then it did a good job. I’d consider getting this if I ever run out of the current primer tubes I have.

Lord & Berry kajal kohl eye pencil – Oh, this is fabulous. I just used a little on my lower lid to help make it look like I actually had some sort of lash action going there. It was so easy to apply and felt great. Certainly didn’t irritate my inner eye and felt perfectly fine. I’m a fan and I’d totally get this again if I ever find I actually manage to use up the endless supply of eye liners I have already.

Urban Decay Perversion mascara – For statement lashes, this will be my choice. Sometimes I want my lashes to stand out more and this one gets the job done. It does get dry after a day of use though, and I’m forgetful and rub my face a lot, so I kind of ended up with raccoon eyes later in the day. Got to be careful with that. The packaging on this is sick too. Totally slick, elegant, and cool.

This almost makes me consider keeping my subscription, but I really don’t need to keep accumulating products. I’d like to focus on actually using them for awhile. One day I’ll update my eDivv shop and put in the blush samples.

[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!]

Influenster Rose VoxBox

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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got it from influenster badgeFor a long time, I’d been waiting to receive this Influenster VoxBox. Day after day I’d be disappointed when it wasn’t in the mail. Finally, I decided to check my old emails and found that there was a tracking link I’d totally missed back when they sent it out. According to that, my package had been delivered on Nov. 1st! Yet here I was two weeks later with no sign of it… I called the rental office since they receive packages that won’t fit in the mailbox and thankfully, my package was there with them. All this time of waiting when I could have been enjoying it! I miss the days when the post lady left a slip so I’d know there was a package to go pick up. Usually we get a notification slip from the office if we haven’t picked up the package in a few days, but that somehow slipped me by as well. Sooo let’s dig right in!

contents of influenster rose voxbox with vitabath lotion, dr scholl's cozy cushions, rimmel mascara, kiss gradation nail polish kit, lindor chocolates, and belvita biscuits

The Rose VoxBox. These Influenster boxes keep getting better!

I’m pretty excited about this box. Just like the Sunkissed VoxBox, I’m interested in every single item here! I love the variety of products to explore and some of these products are quite novel to me.

Vitabath Spa Day Cucumber & White Tea hydrating lotion – Anything with white tea and I’m in. I love the light refreshing scent of this lotion and its nice rich texture. Perfect for keeping the whole body nourished during the winter months. This is a large bottle that will last for quite awhile! It really does give me a great relaxing spa feel and I can’t stop smelling my skin. 😛 It’s wonderful!

Dr. Scholl’s  For Her Cozy Cushions – Omg when I saw this I was so amused! I had no idea Dr. Scholl’s makes insoles like this (or that something like this existed at all). They’re the best thing you could ask for in boots and other winter wear. When I get my boots from home this Thanksgiving, I’m totally putting these in. This is amazing! I can’t wait to try them out and make boot-wearing so much more comfortable.

Rimmel Retro Glam mascara – I’ve never tried Rimmel products before and I’m looking forward to trying out this fun mascara. I have some others I want to work through first, but I might still open it before those are used up. I don’t use mascara nearly enough to get to it anytime soon, so maybe I should start wearing it daily.

Kiss Gradation polishes – Ah so cool!! I have done a two-tone gradation myself before but nothing quite as fancy as this three-tone one. The colors are a bit bold for my normal wear, but I’ll try them out on my toes and for a holiday party or other special event. Very starry night or wintery sort of feel with this look!

Lindt Lindor milk chocolate truffles – Classic chocolate treat. Always a win in my book! I enjoy Lindor truffles, so I wish they’d included more. That cute little container only includes one ball! Certainly not enough for my sweet tooth.

belVita blueberry breakfast biscuits – I’ve had these in previous boxes and I enjoy them! I should probably actually buy some to snack on. I love that they’re sweet and crunchy for a satisfying burst of flavor when you munch on them. Probably a better way to start the day than with cereal (or, in my case, nothing).

What do you think of the #RoseVoxBox?

Blissmobox: Skin Essentials

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

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.

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.

opened blissmobox february 2013 with contents displayed

collage of weleda wild rose smoothing facial lotionWeleda, 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.

collage of episencial soothing creamEpisencial, 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.

collage of fisika ash-bay laurel soapFisika, 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.

collage of nature's gate grape seed targeted eye treatment eye creamNature’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.

collage of nature's gate biotin strengthening shampoo, biotin strengthening conditioner, and acai velvet moisture body wash samplesNature’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.

blissmobox skin essentials info sheet

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

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

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