Eco Emi Just in Time for Easter!

 

 

Yay! Eco Emi arrived this afternoon. The packaging is beautiful: pretty blue, green, and purple tissue paper; little confetti sun, stars, and moons; a tiny nest of pretty shredded paper; and a gorgeous blue satin bag that I will definitely repurpose or re-gift. Kinda put Conscious Box to shame this month for appearances.

 

 

As you can see the box was filled to the brim with lots of great samples. Here they are:

Chocolate Chip Cookies by Home Free - This was a 1 ounce bag of mini chocolate chip cookies (they're vegan! yay!!!) I've promised to share with my husband. Gotta love chocolate!

Glazed Strawberries lip gloss by The All Natural Face - Very excited to receive another all natural face product. I've been hearing people rave about this company so this is definitely something I would have considered buying anyhow. It's a very pretty sparkly pink but appears very natural on the lips. This is a full size product. Love that it's strawberry!

Smashing Watermelon classic laundry detergent by Rockin Green - I have mixed feelings on this one. I love getting laundry detergent in these boxes but I already got a similar sample from this company in a previous Conscious Box. The reason I haven't used that one yet is the instructions feel hard to follow and require a double rinse. I don't think my machine can do that!! I am very uneducated when it comes to laundry. Pour the detergent in, throw the clothes in, turn on the washer with a regular setting. That's what I know how to do...I'll keep you posted if I figure out how to use this..

Lavender Vanilla Shea Butter Moisturizer by Natural Heavenly Beauty - This is a nice little sample. I like the scent. It's a very thick body butter type moisturizer.

Lavender Healing Lip Balm by Belle's Healing Solutions - This has lanolin so is not a vegan or even vegetarian product. I will set this one aside for others to use.

Detox Charcoal Bar Soap by Theraganics - I'm excited about this one too. I've been wanting to try a charcoal soap. It's a small bar but I'm sure will last quite a while. Good ingredients.

Organic Bengal Breakfast Tea by Teatulia - Very nice looking tea. My mom is a big tea drinker and coming to visit soon so I'm sure she will love all these samples I've been getting.

Rejuvenating Mask by Dr Hauschka - Was nicely surprised by this sample because I thought I had seen everything in the box when I discovered this tucked beneath the tissue paper. It's a very small sample in a packet but I'll try it.

Free Rejuvenating Herbal Gel Cleanser and Makeup Remover by Blissoma - Another small jar sample. Doesn't smell like much so I will have to wait and see how it works.

So this turned out to be another pretty good box. Happy Easter all and remember be kind to bunnies!



March Conscious Box Review

Here is my review on March's Conscious Box:

 

 

 

 

I don't think this box was curated by anyone in particular. It didn't have a lot of pizzazz either. Just plain brown tissue paper. Here is what it contained:

 

 

Chef Sleeve Disposable iPhone Sleeves - This took up a good 1/4th of the box. A large box of 10 protective sleeves for your iPhone (hopefully this includes other smart phones as well.) My first thought was, "Why the frak do I need this?" My husband had a slightly different reaction and mentioned that they would be quite useful at the beach or other places with lots of water. The sleeves are transparent, touch-sensitive and recyclable.

 

Equal Exchange Fair Trade and Organic Chocolate - Another tiny chocolate like the one in the February box. Looks like they are trying to get rid of these? I never object to chocolate, but am a little disappointed with duplicates.

 

Simply Organic Minced Onions - These look really yummy...but I already got one of these several months ago from Conscious Box and I am trying to use up a big jar of store brand minced onion that I already had on hand...

 

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds - I enjoy adding hemp seeds to my salads and stir fries so was pleased to see this. I think I've got enough bags of hemp seeds to last me several months so hopefully this is the last one in a while!

 

Sweetriot 70% Dark Chocolate  - Another little chocolate. At least it's not a duplicate.

 

Better Life Natural Cleansing Scrubber - This one held some value to me. I am on the lookout for eco-friendly cleaning products and this was a brand I'm pretty sure I saw at my local Whole Foods. It says you can use it on sinks, tubs, tile & grout, glass cooktops (!), pots and pans, stainless steel and toilets. Pretty versatile. Also included a $1.00 off coupon which will come in useful if the product is good.

 

Earnest Eats Dark Choco Espresso - Mmmmm. Chocolate brownie looking bar. I ate this the following week as a substitute for lunch (work has been really hectic lately.) It didn't fill me up as well as other bars have but it was definitely tasty and had a good crumbly brownie like texture. In the middle of a stressful day, it's nice to take a chocolate break!

 

Ancient Essence Frankincense & Myrrh - No, no, no, no. I am so sick and tired of getting these enlightened perfumes. I think it might have leaked on some of the other items in my box. Come on guys, you ship this alongside food! I took a whiff to give it a shot and into the trash it went. Not my cup of tea and not what I am looking for in my conscious box. Sorry, that's my honest opinion.

 

AgroLabs Wheatgrass Boost - This is a little energy shot made with wheatgrass. It says it is sweetened with fruit juice so I'm hoping it will taste ok. Hey, I'm working long hours, so I'll give it a try!

 

Stash Tea Organic Very Berry Herbal Tea - I've gotten a lot of tea in these boxes and I knew that was a risk. Unfortunately whereas a year ago I was an occasional tea drinker, I hardly drink it all now. I'm sure one of these days I'll get back in the tea groove and be thrilled with the selection I now have. I hope so anyhow.

 

Two Degrees Bar - This was outstanding. I got the flavor Apple Pecan and it was super yummy. It wasn't your typical processed bar. It had different stuff going on and different textures. Kind of like a home baked treat. It really filled me up too. I would definitely buy these if they were available at the grocery store.

 

Now on to my overall review of this box. I have to say I was underwhelmed by this one. I know that I won't love every box. That's part of it being a surprise every month! Still, this one left me pretty disappointed. I'm always evaluating each box trying to ensure I am getting my money's worth. I realize the sleeves and the bars were the most expensive things in this box. Not knowing if I will really use the sleeves I feel like I spent $20 on two bars (really good!) and a cleaning sample (great!). Total value = not good or great. I've been really happy with my Eco Emi box which is $5 cheaper so it's got me wondering if I should cancel or consider a different subscription. We'll see...

 

That being said they are trying out a new website that allows you to review each item you receive and get a dime off the purchase price of a full-size item. Over time I think you may be able to get free items which could be cool. Unfortunately there have been a lot of bugs with this new site. No delays in my box or anything, just issues placing reviews on the site. I'll keep you posted.

If you think you would be interested in subscribing, feel free to click on the referral link below to sign up.
 

New Ways to Save!

There are some exciting new ways to save money on your favorite products. Two relatively new sites/apps (SavingStar and Ibotta) are offering an opportunity to double your coupon power by saving additional money on products you purchase.

SavingStar isn't that new but it's still a relatively new concept to the coupon mentality. SavingStar is a website that allows you to enroll your loyalty card for dozens of different stores with their program. Whenever you use your loyalty card at your favorite stores, SavingStar receives information on the products you purchased. On their website (also available as an app) you can select various virtual coupons for different products you are interested in. If SavingStar receives notice that you purchased one of the items you had selected the money on that "coupon" is added to your bank on the site. Once your bank hits $5.00 you can cash out and have the money sent to PayPal or an Amazon gift card, among other options. It's easy and the genius part is that you can stack these savings on to your paper coupons with no problem. I have personally cashed out twice so I can definitely vouch for this program.

Now there are some cons. First of all the coupon selection is very limited although the product variety is growing. Many of the coupons available are similar to what you will find in your Sunday paper or online. There is also the element of having all of your purchases tracked. Now personally, I don't worry so much about this. If they want to track my purchases and start providing coupons for more of the products I buy or more vegan friendly choices, I am all for that. Other people may feel differently about the tracking aspect.

If you are interested you can sign up here: https://savingstar.com/

Ibotta is a new app that can also help save you some money on items you purchase. After you download the app, you can select different products from a list that you think you might purchase. Each product will have several activities that will earn you a certain amount (usually $0.25) if you buy the product. After you've gone shopping you use the app to upload photos of your receipt and scan the barcodes of the items you've purchased. Ibotta reviews the receipt and if it checks out they add the appropriate amount for that product to your bank. When your bank reaches $5.00 you can cash out or donate the money to United Way or a select school. I'm still relatively new to Ibotta so only have $2.75 saved up so far. I found the app to be really user friendly and uploading my receipt with my phone was not as hard as I thought it would be.

The downside of course is that Ibotta will see your receipt and everything you purchased much like the tracking of SavingStar. So if that's something that concerns you, you may choose to skip these programs. Their coupons are still very limited and very specific although I think this will change over time. Several times I thought I bought the right item only to find it is was a different product by the same brand. There is a feature on the app that lets you scan the barcode in the store to make sure you are buying the right thing but I've never used it.

If you're interested you can check out the app online or if you'd like, use my referral link here: http://ibotta.com/r/8aUGoA

Pumpkin and Poppy Oil Absorbing Mineral Veil Review

For the past month I've been using Pumpkin and Poppy Oil Absorbing Mineral Veil for my setting powder. This product is fantastic! It's sheer and lightweight and gives a nice sheen to finish off your makeup. The cost is $10.25 plus shipping for a 30 gram sifter jar of powder. The only ingredients are Orzo Sativa (Rice) Powder, Silicon Dioxide, and Mica so it is gentle on skin so long as you are not allergic to rice. I was a little worried at first when I got it that I would go through the product fast, but so far it has lasted a month and I could see it easily lasting another month or two.

Pumpkin and Poppy is a really neat company. Kristy Cutsforth makes all of her makeup by hand and it's all very high quality. She has a new product line every few months that is inspired by a film. Her latest is a line of color cosmetics inspired by Dirty Dancing. In the past she has had lines inspired by Lord of the Rings, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Eternal Sunshine, and Quentin Tarantino Films.

In addition to the Mineral Veil I purchased an eye shadow in the color BAMF. It's a brown color with turquoise sparkle. The color is very rich. I need to practice a little at applying shadow before I can use it confidently (it's very intense!)

Check out the website if you are interested: http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/pumpkinandpoppy

I love that I can purchase a great cruelty free product and support small business at the same time!

February Eco Emi Box

So February's Eco Emi box came a few weeks ago and it was their two year anniversary box!

It arrived in this cute little reusable tin (love that!) with purple tissue paper.

The items included were:

ily Serenity Vegan Hair Gel - This is something I don't really have so I was happy to receive it in this box. I haven't used it yet but it smells really nice (fruity.) It's infused with aloe vera and agave extract. Designed to tame frizz.

Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser - This is a very small sample so I don't know how many uses I will get out of it. The texture looks very interesting (kind of like tapioca pudding but airier.) It has lemongrass extract and natural sugar. While small, this is a nice sample and I am happy with it.

Purely You Minerals Berry Red Lip Gloss - Was pretty excited about this one. I flipped it over so you could kind of see it in the picture above. It is a little pot of rich, glittery, red lip gloss. Just tried it and it's a very nice color. Not too intense. Just a very natural red gloss. Nice texture too, not sticky at all. The only thing I don't like about this is that it comes in a pot. I don't like applying lip gloss with my fingers. The size of the product is just right for me so am thrilled with this item.

Athena Pumpkin Spice Bar - This was my first Eco Emi item that was not vegan :( Was a little disappointed too because I love pumpkin. My husband, however, was thrilled at the hand me down and gobbled it up the next day. He loved it so I guess it was a win.

Vitacare Key Lime and Mint Gum - This was a nice 12 pack of gum. It contains essential vitamins and calcium and is supposed to whiten your teeth. Was a little skeptical but intrigued by the flavor. I brought it to work with me and so far have really enjoyed it. These are the square type gum pieces and personally I prefer stick gum. However, the flavor is really great and I've appreciated having something refreshing like this in my purse.

Aubrey Collagen and Almond Enriching Moisturizing Lotion - This is a small packet so probably only good for a couple uses. I've never used Aubrey before so curious to see how it is.

Moody Sisters Peppermint Spice Lip Balm - I was really hoping I would get a lip balm in this box. I finished my Hurraw Vanilla Bean lip balm and needed a replacement for when I wake up each morning ( I have these stashed throughout the house in key places.) I like the packaging with the cute cat on the label. The flavor is nice, pepperminty and tingly. However...do not like the texture. I really am spoiled with Hurraw Lip Balm. It is the best holy grail item I have ever used. The Moody Sisters balm is nice but it leaves clumps behind and doesn't apply smoothly. I'll use it...but I'll wish it was Hurraw the whole time. I am intrigued by some of the other products available on their etsy site though: http://www.etsy.com/shop/moodysisters

Amazing Grass Amazing Trio Packet - This is a whole food drink powder made of barley grass, wheat grass, and alfalfa. Looks like you get a lot of really good nutrients and vitamins so I'll give it a shot!


I think I probably got my money's worth on this box. The lip gloss, gum, and hair gel along would probably come close to $15.00 if I had purchased the actual products. In most cases I prefer the smaller sample sizes because with me the larger sizes sometimes go unused. If you're interested in purchasing an Eco Emi subscription for $15.00 a month you can go to their website here: http://ecoemi.com/join/.