Posts Tagged ‘subscriptions’

Love With Food Taste the Season December 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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You know, I feel like a lot of the boxes put out some of my favorite stuff in the winter. Still, I’m not going to re-subscribe to this when my pre-paid months are over. I like having snacks, but there are always so many bags of things I haven’t eaten that I need to regulate more.

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

contents of december 2014 love with food box including eight snacks info card with details for december 2014 love with food snacks(click to enlarge and read messaging)

I ended up bringing a bunch of these on my trip and leaving some for my friends to try. The Oogies Kettle Corn is in my backup stash for when I need a snack on the go. I like kettle corn every now and then, but it’s not the type of thing I crave. Now the Hannahmax Cookie Chips – oh those are fantastic and the very sort of thing I can eat a whole bag of without realizing it. They’re totally addicting and provide an awesome sweetness with some crunch. Both the Liddabit Sweets Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels and the Honey Acres Dark Chocolate Honey Mints were nice chocolate treats for a bite-size boost of sugar. I was very curious about the Next by Nature Dark Chocolate Coconut snacks, which are kind of like eating a crisp Almond Joy (without the almond). Or wait, there’s a dark chocolate version without the almond isn’t there? I don’t know the name of that, but imagine if that bar was more like a chip. It’s a nice snack to have around if you like coconut flavor!

I decided not to keep the Nocciolata Hazelnut Spread because I already have an entire jar that I haven’t even used yet. The Olympos Pitted Green Olives are not to my taste (no olives are) so I’ll find them a happy home. And since I don’t like anything coffee, the Bali’s Best Coffee Candy shall be shared with someone else who likes those types of things.

Another decent box that I mostly enjoyed. I love having options when I need to be traveling, whether on a plane or in a car. What items do you like from this month?

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

Petit Vour December 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Ah, another blossoming partnership! This time it’s with Vegan Beauty Review and it offers a nice sampling of products.

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 december 2014 box with blissoma evening calming facial creme, meow meow tweet deodorant cream, everyday minerals matte blush, trust fund beauty nail lacquer, and info card with merry & bright theme open contents of petit vour december 2014 box with blissoma evening calming facial creme, everyday minerals matte blush, meow meow tweet deodorant cream, and trust fund beauty nail lacquer petit vour december 2014 box info card with item details

Blissoma Evening Calming Creme in Peace – This smells somewhat herbal and has a thick creamy texture. I’m not sure why it needs a dropper, since it’s not drippy at all, but I’m good with that. I like the formula and it’s a soothing cream that seems good for inflammation.

meow meow tweet deodorant cream in Lavender – This reminds me a lot of the first solid deodorant I received (also from Petit Vour), which was a lavender sage scent. I definitely think this smells clean and is great for using as deodorant. I’ll wait to open this while I use up the other one. I’ve been curious about this brand, so I’m excited to try their stuff.

Everyday Minerals Matte Blush in All Smiles – I’d be interested in this if I used blush, but I don’t, so I’m going to put this up for trade. I do like the idea of the powder and the shade looks nice.

Trust Fund Beauty Nail Lacquer in Do You Know Who My Father Is? – Alas, another pink nail polish. I’m just not much into that color, so I’ll put this up for trade as well. Too bad, since I love trying new polish brands!

I’m so-so on this box, since two of the items I won’t use. I’m definitely happy with the value and diversity of products though! What are your thoughts on 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!]

Homegrown Collective November 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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You know you’re an old-timer when you start to see familiar projects showing up! I’m sure I would have been more excited if I didn’t already try two of these projects already, but these are great nonetheless. I think it’s all very seasonal and appropriate.

The Homegrown Collective GREENBOX is $39 per box + $9 shipping (or as discounted as $429 for an entire year, with options in between) and comes with fun and easy projects to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program you can apply to join.

inside of reset yourself homegrown collective box with the info sheets on the inner lid contents of the homegrown collective november 2014 box with reset yourself theme

Project #1, essential oil immune boost: When I first saw this, I thought it was the tincture project from last year, but it looks more like the oregano oil one with a twist. I thought it was something you drop on your tongue for a boost, but then I wasn’t sure if it was meant to be inhaled more. Now that I compare it to the oregano oil though, I’m pretty confident you can ingest it as well as use it for a topical solution, since both oregano and peppermint are safe to eat. This is perfect timing what with compromised immune systems all around me at work.

the homegrown collective november 2014 project essential oil immune boost info card the homegrown collective november 2014 products for essential oil immune boost

Project #2, evergreen oil lamp: I made this very lamp last year and brought it to our new condo for a housewarming item the first time we visited after it was complete. 🙂 It’s very easy to put together and can burn crazy large flames if you don’t trim the wick down a lot. I like it more for the look and don’t really feel like tainting the wick with a burn. After a few months, the plants inside went brown – I’m not sure if that was due to the heat from the flame or if they’d do that anyway. I’ll have to leave this one around without burning it for comparison.

the homegrown collective november 2014 project evergreen oil lamp info card the homegrown collective november 2014 products for evergreen oil lamp

Project #3, cacao wonder cups: One of the very first projects I ever conquered! This one came in the August 2013 box that was my first and they were fabulous. The chocolate chips are a little different this time around, but no doubt just a tasty. I’ll have to make this for my coworkers sometime. They’d love it! What a nice winter treat.

the homegrown collective november 2014 project cacao wonder cups info card the homegrown collective november 2014 products for cacao wonder cups

This was the first time I was a little disappointed with the box, just because it included repeats. Still, the projects in and of themselves are wonderful and I’m happy to do them again.

the homegrown collective november 2014 reset yourself info card

If you want sweet projects like these, subscribe to the Homegrown Collective now! Why wait? Get an awesome start to 2015.

[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!]

Beauty Box 5 December 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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This was a great box that covered the essential face and nail care needs. I’ll be keeping all the items and I even started using some already.

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.

december 2014 beauty box 5 contents beauty box 5 december 2014 information card

Body Drench Lip Drench lip balm in Pomegranate: I just love the scent of this. It’s a bit tart and is sort of like a sweeter cherry. It’s super hydrating and a great lip balm to have in these cold months. My lips stay soft for hours it feels fantastic. While I enjoy the candy one we got awhile back, I’m liking this one even more.

Absolute! Nail Polish Remover Pads in Peach: These little pads are so small and thin, but they pack a punch. They’re great at getting nail polish off AND making my nails feel nourished afterwards. I’m a huge fan already. They sort of remind me La Fresh’s acetone-free nail polish wipes, which are pretty amazing. I just wish they were a little larger in diameter so it was easier to grab on and wipe.

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Moisturizer: I like this brand, so I’m happy to get this moisturizer to try. I don’t want to open it just yet so I use some of the other ones I have, but for future travel I’d throw this in my bag to use on my trip.

Nanacoco nail polish in Sapphire: They must really like this brand, since they’ve included their polish before. I wasn’t sure if I needed another glitter, but then I gave it a try layering it over that polish from the previous box and I love the winter wonderland feel it gives me. So perfect for winter. The varied glitter sizes and colors offer extra dimension to spruce up any nail!

Lucky Brand Lucky Number 6 fragrance: Well, every now and then I might want to have a perfume handy, so I’ll keep this. I also happen to like the packaging, which reminds me of cherry blossoms. The scent itself is very warm and floral. Generally something more mature for a gala or something.

The “merry & bright” theme is month is all about more practical items to take care of yourself. I’m all about that! This will set us off on a great start for healthy skin, hair, and teeth. Which items do you want from this 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!]

Treatsie December 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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The December Treatsie box totally has holiday flair! I am absolutely loving it and it’s finally starting to feel like Christmas is near.

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

treatsie december 2014 box contents with ticket chocolate hot chocolate on a stick, newfangled confections frittle, serendipity confections caramels, and grey ghost bakery cookies treatsie december 2014 info card

Ticket Chocolate Peppermint Hot Chocolate on a Stick: This is so perfect! I thoroughly enjoyed the hot chocolate on a sticks from last winter, so I jumped at the chance to buy some from Target last week. Now I have another delicious one to enjoy and I can’t wait.

Newfangled Confections Frittle: Whoa, this is something made with peanuts that I actually really enjoy. It reminds me of those flaky, crunchy peanut candies. Totally addicting. I like how they flake, but then they sort of bind in your mouth if you give it more pressure, so it becomes more chewy like hard candy.

Serendipity Confections Gingerbread caramels: These are huge! The gingerbread taste comes in a few chews in. It tastes slightly different from caramels I’m used to – definitely a unique set of ingredients for them. It’s not my preferred taste, but these are still really good and I couldn’t stop eating until the entire piece was gone.

Grey Ghost Bakery Cranberry Orange cookies: This is a wonderful bakery with a great flavor for the season. I do prefer their lemon sugar ones, but those are just heavenly and can’t be compared. These are more tangy and have a little bit of a bite from the cranberries. I think drinking hot chocolate with these would be a perfect complement. Nom!

Alright, this is a box that I will completely devour. I’m excited to try more products and see what I might want to order from their shop. I won an Instagram contest awhile back so I have some store credit to use, yippee! Which items caught your eye in this box? To get Treatsie, sign up with my link and get your first box free!

[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!]

Power Supply Week of Dec 8 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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At our office, we started ordering Power Supply for our meals. My company helps subsidize the cost and it’s a whole lot easier than going out trying to figure out what to buy! I’ve enjoyed not feeling limited to the restaurants within walking distance and not even having to step outside into the cold. Ok, so here’s how it works: you can choose 3, 5, 6, or 10 meals per week. If you go with the 3- or 6-meal plans, they are delivered for pickup on Mondays. If you go with the 5- or 10-meal plans, the first 3/6 are delivered on Monday and then the remaining 2/4 are delivered on Thursday.

There are three sizes: boost (small for snacking or sides), standard (for most normal people’s portions), and XL (for those massive eaters who can’t get enough). There are three breakdowns: mixitarian (meats, veggies, some grains and legumes), paleo (“cave man” food – meats, veggies, fruits, nuts), and vegetarian (well you know, vegetables only). And then there’s the option of lunch and/or dinners: lunches are meals that are easier/faster to eat, sort of like grab-and-go, while dinners are meals that are slower and generally require silverware to complete the task. Portion sizes do not vary between the meal types, so you can freely swap between any of them on a given week (though you can’t get meals slated for Thursday delivery on Monday delivery). Pork and fish are only available on Thursday deliveries, so you’d have to get the 5 or 10 meal plan for those.

Does that all make sense? Basically they’ve made it veeeery flexible to get what you want. It’s easy to “mod your meal” as they say. 🙂

Power Supply is around $9.50-$15.50 per meal (when you sign up for a recurring plan – single orders are 5% more) and offers a variety of ready-made meal types, all gluten- and dairy-free. Boxes are sent once or twice weekly (depending on your plan) and you have total control over customization of which meals you get. You can easily switch between plans or choose to skip some weeks. They offer a referral program that earns free meals for referrer and referree.

power supply dc fridge at office

Power Supply delivers to fridges at gyms and offices like this.

power supply meals packaged for each person and put in fridge

First day ever receiving their meals and the fridge is packed!

Turkey Pot Pie

power supply turkey pot pie mixitarian lunch meal in box

The very first one I go for is the Turkey Pot Pie.

power supply turkey pot pie mixitarian lunch meal open

I loved it! I wish there was more though… but it did fill me up for a good 5-6 hours.

Cinnamon Ancho Beef w/ Acorn Squash & Chocolate Pana Cotta

power supply cinnamon ancho beef with acorn squash & chocolate pana cotta mixitarian lunch meal in box

Somehow at least 7 of us in the office all decided to 1. get this meal and then 2. eat this meal on Tuesday!

power supply cinnamon ancho beef with acorn squash & chocolate pana cotta mixitarian lunch meal open

The beef was fantastic and I liked dipping it in the sauce. The squash was not as soft as I would have liked and the pana cotta was an odd sort of chocolate pudding (good enough to eat the whole container though).

Citrusy Chicken w/ Oyster Mushroom, Broccoli & Cauliflower Fried Rice (NEW)

power supply orange chicken with oyster mushroom, broccoli & cauliflower fried rice mixitarian dinner meal in box

I wasn’t too sure about this so I put off eating it earlier in the week, but I liked it.

power supply orange chicken with oyster mushroom, broccoli & cauliflower fried rice mixitarian dinner meal open

Surprisingly, I ate the broccoli completely. The only thing I didn’t eat was the peppers.

Blackened Mahi Mahi w/ Herbed Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Sautéed Kale

power supply blackened mahi mahi with herbed mashed sweet potatoes & sautéed kale mixitarian dinner meal in box

Thursday came with a fresh delivery and my fish dish!!

power supply blackened mahi mahi with herbed mashed sweet potatoes & sautéed kale mixitarian dinner meal open

The blackened mahi mahi was the reason I went for the 5 meal plan. I also happen to like kale and sweet potatoes! The fish was very black peppery, which I love.

Vanilla Maple Glazed Pork w/ Sautéed Spinach, Tomatoes & Brown Rice

power supply vanilla maple glazed pork with sautéed spinach, tomatoes & brown rice mixitarian dinner meal in box

And then came the pork dish, which a sweetness that the rice helped balance out. This dish was ok and I totally forgot a picture when I removed the lid.

Yogi Surprise December 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Yay, my very first Yogi Surprise box arrived today! It looks like this company is run by the same folks as Escape Monthly so they offer a similar photo contest to win a trip (in this case a yoga retreat as opposed to a general vacation getaway with Escape Monthly). I got a deal for their “Purple Friday” so I decided to go for it. The original price of $44.95 is just too much for me. I think $40 is my general subscription box limit and my preferred range is $15-20. I’m pretty excited about what came, so I’ll keep this subscription going.

Yogi Surprise is just under $36 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with yoga gear, skincare, food, and other lifestyle products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

front of yogi surprise purple box back of yogi surprise purple boxcontents of yogi surprise december 2014 box

Urban Moonshine Energy Tonic – I’m still trying to understand this product, but it’s certainly intriguing. I think I’m supposed to spray it in my mouth to get a boost of energy? It feels so very strange, but I can see how it can quickly deliver energy. This one tastes a little bitter, as I imagine all of them do (they are tonics, after all). I don’t think I could do more than a few sprays at a time. I could mix it with water to dilute the flavor though. We’ll see if this actually helps with energy!

essential living foods chocolate-covered cacao nibs – I like chocolate and cacao, so this is a nice treat. It’s certainly not the sweet kind of chocolate kids may want, but if you like dark chocolate and the crunch of nibs, it’s kind of like munching on seeds. I think this is supposed to help with both energy, being a superfood, and mood, what with the chocolate and whatnot. I’ll nibble on a few throughout the day whenever I need a little boost.

booda butter daily moisturizer – Yes!! I’ve wanted to try booda butter ever since I saw them on Beautiful Basics. This is fantastic and I’m so excited. It’s a generous size tin and it starts melting right as you put your body heat on it. Then it just melts into your skin like it can’t wait to moisturize you. This is wonderful and I’m so happy to see it included. Totally fits the yoga lifestyle and it’s exactly what I wanted.

Star Essence Angel Rejuvenation Spray – Funny enough, back when I chose a yoga-themed box from blissmobox, I received another product from this brand. That was a mouth mist and this is a face/pillow/air mist, so I’m glad to try something else of theirs. I love it as a relaxing pillow spray and calming facial mist. I might spray myself with this before I start my yoga practice next time. I’ll also want to use it on my pillow at night!

Metolius Tea & Apothecary Cardamom Rose Mate tea – So this was in my box instead of the Indian Tiger Eye mala beads. I’m not sure how I feel about that knowing I didn’t get the original intended product, but I do like this one. Still, I wonder if those beads would have come in useful for meditation. In all reality, I probably wouldn’t even have used them so this is probably far more practical. The tea is just gorgeous – rose petals, peppercorn, and green leaves mix in a beautiful blend. I look forward to drinking it – it’s probably very soothing! This is another brand I’m familiar with because I received it in an Escape Monthly box. I think I’m going to like this flavor more.

skout pacific sea salt raw pumpkin seeds – Seeds are pretty good for us, so I’ll eat these. They’re quite salty at first taste, but then as I chew the seeds, it mellows out. I think this would be great mixed with other items. I could eat a handful here and there too. The brand looked familiar, and lo and behold, it came in a Conscious Box once. I don’t like bars, so I never did try that…

Yogi Surprise yoga strap – How cool that they made their own branded yoga straps! All I have are mats and a carrying bag, so I’m glad to be adding to my yoga toolkit with this strap. I think I’ll try to use it at home to stretch better. If I remember to bring it to class, I may use it too (but I hardly ever use straps in class). I think I’d make more use of it if we ever get an instructor to come to work. For some reason that type of class would make me want to bring more of my own stuff.

yogi surprise dec 2014 info card with gift of giving theme yogi surprise december 2014 info card with product details booda butter offer card in yogi surprise box with 20% off orders code

So there you go, Yogi Surprise for December! So far I am impressed and I look forward to the next box. I think I’m going to have to cancel one of my other subscriptions though, if I’m picking this one up long-term.

[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!]

Petit Vour November 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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This month, they teamed up with The Little Foxes to curate the box. As always, I like how the combination of items can account for a good portion of a given day’s routine.

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 november 2014 box with au naturale creme concealer & eye shadow, french girl mineral lip tint, caru skincare facial serum, earthbody skincare body oil, and info card with natural givers theme petit vour november 2014 box info card with item details

Au Naturale Organic Creme Concealer in Beige and Eye Shadow in Palma – I was really confused when I first opened this, because there was a tube that looked like mascara and a tub that could be any creme. Once I actually opened the products and read the part of the info card on either side for both items, it made a lot more sense. The eye shadow comes in a long tube much like lipstick would. That’ll make it easy to apply without irritating my eyes! The shade is somewhere between bronze and gold, which makes for a nice metallic color that won’t stand out too much (just the way I like it). The concealer is too light for my skin tone, but since I tried it already I’ll see if it can still be helpful when merged with my foundation.

French Girl Organics Mineral Lip Tint in Cerise – I’m actually just using up my Keeki lip shimmer, which has the same fun oval tube as this. The tint on this is a bit darker and it has a sweet and minty smell to it. It’s a lot like that lip shimmer as well as the Burt’s Bees ones I’ve had, but it smells better – kind of like a macaron. It’s a great formula that is hydrating and applies smoothly. I see this easily being my next go-to lip balm!

Caru Skincare Co Rose Facial Serum – As far as serums go, these oil types with the dripper bottle are by far my favorite. My skin is so soft, supple, and nourished after applying this serum. I can definitely smell the rose and something else that I can’t place. I’m not crazy about the scent but I think the ingredients will be awesome for my complexion. I think their Immortelle Facial Serum would be awesome and the best fit for my preferences and skincare needs.

Earthbody Sacred Skincare Dream Body Oil – The scent of this oil is fantastic – just the kind of soothing fragrance I’d relax and fall asleep to. Now is the perfect time for body oils, which is what I’ve switched to applying after my showers. There’s nothing quite as restorative for the skin and so little covers a lot of skin. I’m really curious about their day spa and might treat myself to that experience the next time in SF with time to explore.

I enjoyed trying the products from this box and I’ll be keeping them all. The body oil and lip tint are right up my alley. I use both types of products regularly! What 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!]

Treatsie November 2014 review

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

With the season cooling down, I’m happy to see more chocolates appearing again! The November Treatsie box came with a great treat for starting off the day and chocolates for any time.

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

treatsie november 2014 box contents with fixx chocolates chelle's bar, megpies blueberry tart, and alcove chocolates in fleur de sel, mimosa, and red velvet

fixx chocolates chelle’s cashew nougat bar: I was apprehensive about this at first after reading is was inspired by a Snickers bar’s flavor and contents. I’ve never been a fan of those, so I was wondering how I’d like this, good as it looked. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. The dark chocolate casing is rich and wonderful, with just the right kind of hardness. The inside with the nougat and caramel is sweet and soft, not at all like the icky Snickers. I could actually do with some more cashews since there was hardly any and some crunch would have been nice. This luxury bar may be made of similar ingredients, but it is soooo much better.

Megpies Blueberry Tart: I could instantly smell the butteriness of these the moment I opened them. I thought at first that there were two and I tried prying the crust apart only to realize my mistake. Luckily, it took just a bite or two to cover up that accident. 😉 This is a great dessert or breakfast item and the crust is somewhat like a croissant. I love the blueberry flavoring both inside and on top. I’m a fan.

Alcove Chocolate Fleur de Sel, Mimosa, and Red Velvet bars: Funny enough, my favorite was the mimosa, despite never having had a mimosa before. I guess I’m into that citrus and chocolate pairing, though the bar is a bit sweet so I’d definitely want to have it with something to even out the sugar rush. The textures of the chocolates are all smooth and crisp, which I like. The salt granules in the fleur de sel hit me in little pockets and then blended with the dark chocolate for a stronger dark chocolate sensation. The red velvet is softer, probably because it’s milk chocolate and boy does that flavor pack a punch! If you like your chocolates strong and intensely flavored, these are great. I need to pair them with something more bland and eating on them on their own is overwhelming.

This was a lovely box with more surprises than I expected. Some I liked more than I thought I would and some I didn’t prefer as much. Still, it’s a fantastic selection of products I’m glad I tried. What products do you like best from this box? To get Treatsie, sign up with my link and get your first box free!

[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 November: Hawaii Box review

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

This is the first true repeat theme that they’ve done, so of course I was curious to see how much overlap it would have with the previous box. I personally don’t feel this was as good as the first box and especially having received that one, this was rather disappointing. Even just looking at it without considering what I had previously, I didn’t feel like the value and variety were there. I guess I prefer boxes with more smaller items versus a larger-ticket item or some medium ones. I’m starting to carefully evaluate the value I perceive I’m gaining from these boxes to decide how much longer I’ll stay with them. Another box or two that are under par might make me end my subscription, but for now I’m really intrigued with the possibilities for next month’s box.

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 november hawaii box products showing escape monthly november hawaii box info card escape monthly november hawaii 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:

Moon Handbooks guide to Maui – Well, at the least it’s good that they didn’t send the same guidebook. Last time I got the Big Island and this time I have Maui, which are perfect since so far I’ve only been to Oahu. With all that new territory still waiting for me to explore, both of the guidebooks I have will be useful.

Hawaiian Host Kona Glazed Macadamia nuts – As always, I’m not into nuts (though macadamia nuts are at least tolerable and even enjoyable at times). What really kills this for me is the coffee flavoring, so I’ve passed it on to Panda for him to eat. I doubt another flavor would have persuaded me otherwise anyway though.

Hawaiian Rainforest Naturals Stress Release Bath Crystals – This was the only entirely new brand to show up and I think it’s pretty cool. I love bath stuff, so this will be great for my next bath when I’m looking to soak away the stress. This pouch is gently sweet and almost reminiscent of baby powder. I find it wonderful that the ingredients are responsibly sourced from the Hawaiian rainforest and I’d love to go there on my next trip. I’m curious what flower essences went into this one, which would have been a nice thing to outline along with the directions for use.

Royal Hawaiian Orchards Kona Coffee Banana Macadamia Crunch – Again with the coffee flavor! I think with one, that should have been enough for this box and they should have included a different flavor. I would have been fine with receiving the same flavor I did with the last box (papaya lime) since that was pretty unique and tasty. Unfortunately, I can’t stand coffee flavored stuff, so this has been put in Panda’s pile as well. Pity.

Honey Girl Organics Face & Eye Creme and Night Creme – This is the exact same thing from the last box. I wish they’d included any other products from this line, since I would have been happy to try those, but I don’t want repeats of the same items! I sure hope someone would want to trade for this. I’ve barely even used the first set since I have so many other products I’m using too.

Personal Paradise Noni Papaya Pineapple shampoo – We received this brand in the last box, but I like that we get to try their shampoo this time. I like how they have very tropically-inspired scents and I’m looking forward to how my hair will smell after this one. I like the packaging for this brand and I like the lotion that I got in the other box, which I’ve already used up. Now this is how to repeat a brand across different boxes.

Personal Paradise Noni Papaya Pineapple body lotion – This lotion is definitely a lighter scent than the coconut lime one I got in the original Hawaii box, but I like it as well. It’s so refreshing and the lotion is a great consistency. It absorbs into my skin really well and softens my hands right away! I’ll totally be using this until it’s completely empty too, just like the other tube I had. I’m glad I get to try another one of their lovely scents.

seashell lei  – The bonus item was again a lei, though a different design. I like the use of some cowry shells to change up the pattern and I’ll add this to my growing collection of seashell leis from Hawaii.

Well, it was an ok box, but I was to feel more excited about what I’m getting. I think something with koa wood would have been cool, like the bookmark I’d bought on my recent trip to Hawaii. What’s your impression of this Hawaii Escape Monthly box? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): MYESCAPE or YULETIDE for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

escape monthly november hawaii box info card back with preview of next month's box theme of europe

To round up the year is a more general theme, with all sorts of possibilities! I look forward to some European delights. This will help me decide if I should actively consider cancelling this subscription or if I should continue on for awhile. Bring on the good stuff!

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

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