Vegan Cuts Beauty Box August Review!

My Vegan Cuts Beauty Box arrived less than a week from my Eco Emi (just took me a while to get the review up.) I was hoping the boxes would be farther apart so I'd always have a box to look forward to but it was a good way to compare them. The Beauty Box is $20 per month and this is the second box they've done. I was a bit disappointed in the first box so a lot was riding on this box for me.

Last month the goodies were packaged in a small USPS box. This month the box was bigger which got my hopes up. This is what I found inside the box:

Kind of looks like a lot of filler... Let's remove the packaging.

 

 

Kind of looks like a lot of nothing. Now a large factor here is that we have a big box with a smattering of small items. Use a smaller box and it looks like much more. Here's a much better picture that had me feeling better about the box.

 



Here's what the box contained:

Sunology Sunscreen - two small packets of natural sunscreen for face and body. Actually I think both packets are the same (appeared to be same ingredients) but one was marketed as face and one as body. As pale as I am I'm not currently in the market for a new kind of sunscreen but these will be useful on a trip to the beach.

Schmidt's Deodorant - small jar of natural deodorant. Now I'm a huge fan of Crystal deodorant but I'm willing to try others. It's smells great (the scent is bergamot and lime.) And I love the name. I keep imagining Schmidt from the TV show New Girl. I did take this product on a test run for two days and while it didn't keep me feeling dry, it did keep all odor away quite effectively. However, I had an allergic reaction to it so it's a no go for me. Also didn't like that I had to apply it with my fingers. Ew.

Relogy - this is a full size acne spot treatment roll on. It contains seaweed extract. It seems to work pretty well so far from what I've seen. I like that it's a full size item ($14.95 value!)

Lip Glosserie - this is a good size sample of green tea and cucumber body lotion. It smells ok and moisturizes ok. Normally I like cucumber scent but this one kind of gives me a headache. I'm not in love with it but will definitely use it up.

NCLA - packet of 20 nail wraps. The pattern on these nail wraps is a navy blue stripe. I've never tried nail wraps before but this pattern is more my style than the animal print ones I got from my Influenster Vox Box (and vegan!) Still a tad loud though.

Perennial Soaps - this is a small artisan tea tree peppermint facial bar. This was a win for me because after getting a totally non-vegan soap from Eco Emi, it felt like righting a wrong. I checked out Perennial Soaps Etsy site and they have some great scents like Mint Mojito, Ginger Ale, and Beer Soap! Haven't tried mine yet but am hoping I like it.

Fanciful Fox - this is a peach tinted lip balm. At first I was really psyched about this. I like the concept of subtly tinted lip balm. What I've found though is that the formula is very dry and difficult to apply. I've really been struggling with getting the color to apply at all, let alone moisturize.

So I guess my overall review of this second box is mixed. While the box seemed empty initially, there were actually quite a few good size samples here. However, a lot of the items I thought would be hits have been near misses. We'll see if third times the charm!

August Eco Emi Review!

I got my August Eco Emi box this week (surprisingly even before my Vegan Cuts box got here.) No leaks this time! :)

The packaging was inspired by picnics and had pale yellow and blue tissue paper. This box contained:

Carrot, Grapefruit, and Egyptian Geranium Rose Body Lotion by Valenti Organics - This is a small foil packet sample of lotion. The scent sounds intriguing.

Café Machiatto Body Oil by Valenti Organics - Body oil that smells like coffee?!? Yes, please. Kind of excited about this one!

Natural Lemongrass Soap with French Yellow Clay by Craftsmansoap - Such a disappointment. This was a very nice smelling, decent sized soap packaged nicely that also happens to contain tallow. What?!? Yes, tallow. So not only not vegan, but not even vegetarian. And how is this cruelty free? I know I'm not the only one seriously offended by this product choice. I've read some comments on Eco Emi's Facebook page. Not good.

Edible Green Tea by Eat Green Tea - This was a little foil pack of edible green tea. I added it to my smoothie yesterday and it is literally tea. While it mostly broke up in the blender there were still specks in my smoothie that made it a little crunchy but it didn't taste bad. Apparently you get more of the antioxidants by consuming green tea this way.

Raw Organic Walnut Butter by Artisana - I'm looking forward to trying this. I've had other nut butters before but never walnut. It's a good amount too, probably enough for two servings.

Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies by Home Free Treat - I've had these before and they are really good! Kind of like mini Chips Ahoy cookies. I promised my husband I'd split the bag with him. Why did I do that??

Wooden Spoons by Bakers Confections - These confused me to no end. It's a cute little wooden spoon and spatula spoon made of lightwood wood. But it's too small to be useful for anything except maybe ice cream. I think I've found a good use for them (they might make a nice tool for my sugar scrubs), but I still think it was a bit of a bizarre choice.

Natural Eye Shadow in Run Metal Gray by Gourmet Body Treat - I really like getting eye shadows in these boxes and gray is a color I don't have. I'm disappointed in the size though. Usually samples still contain a decent amount of shadow but this one is barely enough for one or two uses.

Tiffany Color Nail Polish by Coco LacQuer - I liked this tiffany blue sample because it's a color I don't have and the size is really small. It's enough to color your nails multiple times but smaller than a full size bottle which might go to waste. The polish dries really fast but also tends to chip more quickly too. It's a fun color to have on hand.

So there are definitely a few items I am happy about but as a whole this has been my least favorite Eco Emi box. The soap was a major factor in my disappointment. Coming soon - my Vegan Cuts August review. Let's hope it's better than July's!

TCBY Silk Almond Milk Fro-Yo!

So I recently heard that TCBY was offering a chocolate fro-yo made from Silk almond milk and I had to try it! I am so sick of going to fro-yo shops and having only one choice which is usually pink lemonade sorbet or some close relative. I want chocolate people! So this news was super exciting to me.

My husband and I ventured out to our local TCBY to try some this weekend. First, I've got to say I was very impressed by the décor. It had a really fun, colorful vibe. It was self-serve which is not how I remember TCBY, but, hey it's been a while! They had two size cups and we opted for the smaller size which was still pretty big. The guy asked if we wanted to try a sample and I told him "No, I know exactly what I'm getting" and made a bee-line for the Silk. The consistency was pretty much what I expected from these type of soft serve machines. Kinda difficult to get it into the cup like they show it in the picture. But who cares? It's not staying in the cup for long anyhow.

The toppings were varied in selection which was great. They had fruit, nuts, sprinkles, Oreos, liquid toppings, even Nerds! I chose crushed nuts and Oreos on mine (yes, Oreos are vegan!) Our total surprised me a little (about $11) but we did fill our cups pretty full. My eyes were way bigger than my stomach and knowing how far away the store was I didn't know if this would be my only chance to try this new flavor.

It was soooo good. Cold and creamy and most importantly chocolaty! It had a really rich chocolate flavor and the toppings added a nice texture. I don't know what the calories are like but I was able to eat the whole cup (a lot of fro-yo!) and didn't even feel all that full afterwards (or guilty, yay!) Supposedly TCBY is going to offer this new flavor for something like 70 days and I'm really hoping the concept takes off. Think of all the other great flavors they could have! Strawberry, Cheesecake, and Peanut Butter come to mind (separate flavors not combined)! I'm also really thrilled this was an almond milk formula instead of soy. I know there is a lot of concern about the consumption of too much soy and it's great that we have alternatives now.

Hopefully, we make it round one more time before it's gone. If you have a TCBY in your area, I highly recommend trying it!

July Eco Emi Review

I love my Eco Emi boxes! This month I had a bit of a disappointment but despite that I'm still a fan. Eco Emi gives the most value and presentation than I've seen in any box subscription so far and it's about $5 cheaper than most boxes at $15 a month.

I knew this month we would be getting a lip scrub in the box and it might be runny on arrival. It was recommended to place it in the fridge right away. I should have put two and two together when I saw the package. It had a small water mark on the top. I just assumed this was from rain. When I went to open the box the moisture had spread and I had an idea of what was going on. This is what I opened up to:

 

The lip scrub was packaged in a cute green mesh bag with some other products. The tiny jar must have not been screwed on very well because it was empty. All the oils had soaked through the tissue paper, the box, and the paper materials enclosed. Not only was it a mess but I had no lip scrub! Still...one unlucky disappointment (it didn't happen to many subscribers) doesn't mean the box was a total loss. Not at all! Just check out the pretty packaging:

 

 

I was able to salvage the green mesh bag and kept the little piece of burlap for my own gift wrapping purposes. If it weren't for the stain it would have been a very pretty box!

 

 

Here's what July's box included:

 

Rose Cleansing Scrub by French Girl Organics - You can't tell very well from the picture but this was a really pretty item. It's a lavender colored dry facial scrub that you can mix with any liquid. You can also use it as a masque. This is one of those neat items it's fun to have on hand when you want a spa day.

 

Stress Relief Bath Soak by Eartha Essentials - I never seem to find time to take a bath but I can't wait to use this! It's a liquid you add to your bath and smells very nice and relaxing.

 

Lushfull Lips Lip Scrub by Eartha Essentials - This is the item that leaked so I didn't get to try it. I really like lip scrubs but the jar didn't smell amazing so probably not a huge loss. I've been using my $1 E.L.F. lip exfoliator recently and am not really looking for a different product.

 

Body Spritzer "Tangelo Twist" by Aubrey - This was a nice sample to include. It's nice to have a scent you can spritz on and carry in your purse. It doesn't really linger and Mike and the cats weren't huge fans so probably won't repurchase. Still it was fun to try.

 

Amend Facial Solar Repair Anti-Aging Serum by Blissoma - This is a very small bottle but I'm assuming a little goes a long way. I've tried one other Blissoma product and am not a huge fan but am willing to try it.

 

Whipped Cream Body Butter by Fortune Cookie Soap - Didn't love the smell of this one and the color is kinda green; however, fans were raving about this on Facebook so I'll give it a try. Although I might wait until winter when dry skin is more of an issue.

 

Cucumber Mint Green Tea by Tea Forte - This sounds really good but had a lot of oil from the lip scrub absorb into it. The lip scrub was probably food safe, but still...

 

Sleep Mask by Limitless Skies - This was a really cute addition and looks like it would be comfortable. It's nice to get a non-perishable beauty item every once in a while. I don't know that I'll have a use for it but it might be good to bring along when I travel.

 

So it wasn't really the best box I've ever gotten but compared to my Vegan Cuts box so far, even with flaws it is still by far my favorite and I have no thoughts of cancelling. On the topic of Vegan Cuts I noticed they have not charged me yet for August so I'm not really sure if I'll be getting an August box or not. If not, I'll probably let it go and will just have an Eco Emi review later this month.



 

My First Vegan Cuts Beauty Subscription Review!

My first Vegan Cuts Beauty box arrived last week and I was super psyched. This is the first time I have received the first ever box of a subscription service. The cost is $19.99 and we were told the value of the box would be at least $60. I had seen a preview of some of the items and knew I would be receiving a coral colored nail polish and a small beauty bag. I wasn't really excited about those two items but figured there would be something else exciting when it arrived. When it got here I was a little disappointed to remember that the size of the box is the same as Eco Emi (a small USPS box.) Since the cost of the box was $5 more than Eco Emi it had a lot to make up for.

When I initially opened the box I was pretty disappointed. I was expecting it to be crammed full of stuff but it was so empty they had to add paper filler.

 

Here's what it contained:

 

LVX nail polish in color Deco: I'm not crazy about this color but I'm down for giving it a shot and if nothing else it will be a more conservative color to turn to for work or other occasions.

 

Glamnatural mascara: I haven't heard of this brand before and already have a ton of mascara since I don't use it that often. I'll get around to trying this one eventually.

 

Namaste Jemma pouch: This is one of the items I knew would be in the box. It's a cute little pouch but I'm not nuts about the color, especially seeing the colors other subscribers got. It's a zipper pouch with a faux leather like exterior. I'm sure I'll find a use for it somewhere.

 

Essence of Vali Sleep oil: This was a tiny perfume sample of essential oil that's supposed to help you relax and sleep. You are supposed to put a tiny drop on the corner of your pillow or on a Kleenex stuffed inside the corner of your pillowcase. Haven't been having trouble sleeping but I think I would be willing to try it whenever I start stressing out.

 

Acure Organics argan oil: This was a small vial of argan oil. It's supposed to help with wrinkles primarily. I've been really into making my own sugar scrubs recently so might add some of this to my face scrubs.

 

NYL Skincare Rosewater Face Wash: I'm running low on cleanser so was glad to get this. I haven't tried it yet but it looks like it would be really good for sensitive skin.

 

Suntegrity Tinted Moisturizer: I'm surprised that this was in the box because it's impossible for them to choose a shade that will work for everybody. They chose a middle range shade and after a test swatch on my hand it was way too orange and dark for me. I think I'll probably give this one away since the shade won't work for me. Too bad because I like the concept of the brand.

 

Lippy Girl Extra Virgin Lip Gloss: Initially I was disappointed to get another lip gloss ( I would have preferred lip balm.) However, I was curious to try it because I'd heard others talk about Lippy Girl. It was actually kind of nice. It smells like orange olive oil and does a really great job of moisturizing. Leaves a nice gloss behind too.

 

So, my overall impression is a little disappointed. I didn't love this box as much as my Eco Emi boxes and it cost $5 more. There were a couple items I will be happy to try but nothing that floored me. By signing up for the subscription I also got a $15 gift certificate for VeganChic.com. I've been on the site twice and many of the items are far more than $15 so I may never use it. Not the value I was hoping for. I'm going to give it a few more months to see if it turns around. That being said I do love the fact that everything is vegan and I don't have to check the ingredients! Looking forward to my Eco Emi box which should get here next week!

June Fails and Wins

In the month of June I discovered several great products and one really not so great product. Let's start with the wins!

Physician's Formula Super BB Powder - This is a beauty balm compact powder. The color selection for this line is very narrow. It only comes in light/medium and medium/deep. Being very pale that makes things difficult for me. I obviously chose the light/medium and as I expected it was a little on the dark side for my skin tone. However, this was a win for me. The powder applies very nicely and blends out very easily. There is an underlying glow to this powder that is really beautiful. It kind of gives you that inner glow look. I can definitely see wearing this in the summer months since you can get away with a darker look. It does contain SPF which is a nice perk. I'd like to try to use it as a bronzer to get that glow a little more subtly. I'll let you know if that works. If you are a fan of Physicians Formula products, I recommend shopping at CVS and getting an ExtraCare card. They have had a Physicians Formula extra bucks deal almost every week this summer. You can roll your bucks (use the extrabucks toward more makeup that you will get more extrabucks on) to get the best value and stock up on Physician's Formula makeup.

Physician's Formula Eye Brightener - Yes, this is another win from Physician's Formula. I picked this up on a whim and was very pleased with it. It's an multi-colored eye shadow that you can use to highlight or for all over color to brighten the eyes. I purchased this in Natural Eyelight which is the lighter shade. It's got a little shimmer to it and just makes a nice base for colored shadow. It's also great as a highlighter to brighten up your eye area. I've been using it every morning.

Essence 3D Eye Shadow - I picked this up on a whim at ULTA to replace my dwindling Physician's Formula eye shadow trio in Baked Oatmeal. I had never tried Essence products before but had heard many good things (and they are super cheap.) I chose the 3D eye shadow in Irresistible Caramel Cream. It's a sparkly warm beige paired with a sparkly warm toffee color. It gives a very neutral look that I can wear to work but still has a little shimmer. The two colors work excellent together and there is little to no fallout from the powder. I'm excited to try more products in this brand next time I'm in ULTA.

Now on to the fail:

Juice Beauty Simply Flawless Pressed Powder - It breaks my heart to call this a fail but it was. This is from Alicia Silverstone's line of Juice Beauty makeup. I've been searching for a while now to find a pressed powder to replace Wet 'N Wild's Natural Blend Pressed Powder (which was amazing but seems to have been discontinued.) I read some reviews of Alicia Silverstone's Pressed Powder and it sounded like it might have the coverage I was looking for plus the added bonus of being made with natural ingredients. I waited patiently until there was a 20% off sale and ordered it from the Juice Beauty website. The packaging is nice. It's a compact in a paper/cardboard case. However, the color which was supposed to be universal was way too dark and orange for my skintone. Unlike the Physician's Formula BB powder this stuff does not blend well at all. Also there was no glow or added sparkle. Just dingy streaks of powder. :( Now, it does still have the perk of being made with natural ingredients, but sadly that is the only win in this product for me.

Real Techniques Brushes Review

I have been using Real Techniques brushes for several months now and feel I am familiar enough with the products to write a review. These are great brushes. Completely cruelty free and made of taklon bristles. They are durable and stylish. They cost more than ELF brushes but are definitely worth the investment. You can also find tutorials on YouTube from Samantha Chapman using these brushes. So far I've purchased the base core collection, the eyes starter set, the blush brush, and the expert face brush. I've reviewed each separately below.

The core collection - $17.99 at ULTA: This collection consists of four face brushes and a 2-in-1 case + stand. You get a detailer brush, pointed foundation brush, buffing brush, and contour brush. I don't really use the case but it is handy for travel. The handles are gold colored and very durable. The larger brushes have a flat, wide base so you can stand them up on a flat surface. All of the real techniques brushes clean very well and don't shed. Out of this collection I really love the buffing brush and contour brush. The buffing brush is great to really buff in foundation. If you added to much product, you can use this brush to buff out and blend some of the color. It's a good brush to use on the neckline or to blend blush in to foundation. I don't do a lot of contouring but the contour brush is really great at applying bronzer or highlighter or setting the undereye area. It's so soft! I sometimes also use the pointed foundation brush to set eye makeup since it is smaller.

The eyes starter set - $17.99 at ULTA: This collection consists of five eye brushes and a 2-in-1 case + stand. You get a base shadow brush, deluxe crease brush, accent brush, pixel-point eyeliner brush, and brow brush. The handles are purple and very durable. Like the core brushes some of the larger ones will stand up on a flat surface. These are hands down the best eye brushes I have ever owned. They are so fluffy and do a great job of applying and blending eyeshadow. I don't even really use my ELF eye brushes unless these are dirty. I mostly just use the base shadow brush and deluxe crease brush. These are my two go to brushes for my eyes in the morning. I use the crease brush for all over eye color and the base shadow for more detailed work. Occasionally I may use the accent brush to layer on some pigmented shadow on top of my look. I've used the eyeliner brush a few times with dry shadow and it's worked well. I'm sure it would work very well with liquid liner. The brow brush is angled and I use it to help achieve a wing look with shadow that I trace over with liquid liner.

The expert face brush - $8.99 at ULTA: This is a stand alone brush that I purchased as part of a buy one get one half off deal at ULTA. I bought it with one of the above sets making it half price. These brushes seem to be on sale all the time at ULTA so if you are interested I would recommend waiting until you can get a deal. You can also sometimes find these cheaper on Amazon. The expert face brush has a gold handle and wide base. I typically use my ELF stipple brush to apply foundation and then tap it down using the expert face brush. This brush is very compact and soft and does a great job at blending in foundation and providing good coverage. Highly recommended!

The blush brush - $8.99 at ULTA: Got a great deal on this brush at ULTA. I had a $3.50 off $10 coupon and some points saved up that made this brush practically free! And I absolutely love it. This has got to be the softest brush I have ever encountered. It is a larger pointed brush with very full bristles and is designed to apply blush evenly. It has a purple handle and wide base. Before this brush I could never get blush to apply correctly, but now it's a breeze. Like all the real techniques brushes clean up is easy and the brushes dry well with no shedding.

I am very impressed with all of these brushes and think they will last a very long time. For their quality I feel they are very affordable too.