May Eco Emi Review

So May's box got here super early which was great! I got it in the middle of the month and I got a 20% discount.

The box was really pretty with bright oranges, pinks, and greens.

The bottom of the box was lined with a piece of beautiful flannel. I had to include a picture:

 

 

This month's Eco Emi box contained the following:

 

Assorted Nailpolish by Suncoat Girl - This was a full sized nail polish in a pale iridescent pink. It contains carmine (bug shells) so not really vegan. Before I realized it had carmine I tried it out. It's a very thin polish probably because it is water based. I got tired after two coats and it took so long to dry that I messed up two of my nails before it completed drying. I will say that the color was very pretty. Didn't think this would be a color I liked but it turned out really pretty and shiny. I have someone in mind to give this to and I think she will like the color too.

 

Pink Champagne Powder Eyeshadow by Lauren Brookes Cosmetiques - I was psyched to get another product from Lauren Brookes. I really liked the Dahlia shadow from last month. This shadow is not vegan (contains silk.) I'll use it up but wouldn't repurchase it. Not quite as pretty as the pink shadow from All Natural Face. It's a little more subtle but a nice shade.

 

Mongo Kiss Honey Vanilla by Eco Lips - This lip balm tastes great (like a vanilla milk shake or smoothie.) It also has a nice sheen and texture. However, I don't feel it moisturizes like Hurraw! lip balm does.

 

AquaSport SPF 30 Sunscreen by All Terrain - This is a small sample of sunscreen. Always a good thing to have on hand.

 

Seaweed Powder Bath with Hawaiian Kukui Oil Lavender Scent by Seaweed Bath Co - I like seaweed products so this was a nice item to get. It's a full size bath powder. Hopefully will use next time I take a bath.

 



Pomegranate Bars by Athena Bars - It's a yogurt bar so definitely not vegan. My husband will enjoy it I'm sure.

Natural Mascara by Suncoat - This full size mascara is vegan (yay!) Initially was not crazy excited because I've got plenty of mascara right now. Several things make this mascara unique for me. It is made from a sugar base and it's a brown mascara. When I first tried it out I was pretty skeptical. It was so sticky! However, I really like how natural my lashes look (probably mostly due to the brown color.) It's subtle enough that I will feel comfortable wearing this at work. It's funny how sometimes the things I am the least excited about because the things I am most excited about!

Herbal Armor Insect Repellent by All Terrain - I hate bugs! This is definitely something I will be glad to have on hand.

Aromatherapy Conditioner by Beauty without Cruelty - This is a travel size conditioner. I love getting these because they are a great way to try a new hair product. I've used this once and it seems nice. Didn't make my hair weird and smelled really nice and herbally.

I really wish there had been more vegan items in this box but once again the value of the items in this box far exceeded what I paid and as always the presentation was fantastic. I think it was probably a $30 value over what I paid.

April Eco Emi Review

Sorry. I know it's crazy late for an April review but life's been busy and I'm a little behind on my blogging.

Preface to my review: Got this box around the end of April which is when I normally expect my Eco Emi box (usually the end of the month or start of the next month.) Apparently it was late so Christine, the curator, gave subscribers a 20% discount on May's box. Sweet! This is good customer service, people!

April's box was pretty with yellow confetti and pink and green tissue paper. It also came with a little brown box and a satin pink drawstring bag. I love getting stuff like that cause I can use it later to wrap gifts. They weren't my favorite colors (not a fan of pastels) but still it's nice to get something wrapped up so pretty.

April's box included:

Oluv Care by OluvSkin - This is a good size salve made of olive oil and shea butter among other things. I've used it on dry patches on my hands and paper cuts and it moisturizes much better than other shea butter type lotions I have. It doesn't smell like much, just kind of neutral. This is a nice product to have lying around especially in winter or dry climates.

Moisturizing Hair Milk by Shea Radiance - Jury's still out on this one. It's a good size; a small pump bottle, so will get plenty of uses. I've used it about twice and the first time it made my hair a little stiff. Second time was better but it doesn't really feel like it detangles, if anything made my hair harder to comb the next day. Plus the scent is not great. At least it's not chemically smelling like some hair products. That's a plus.

Unscented Deoderant Towelettes by Crystal Essence - I've never actually tried the towelettes but I love the deodorant this company makes. I have the lavender scent and I adore it!!! I like that these are unscented for people who might be super sensitive to smells.

Dahlia Crème Eye Shadow by Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques - This is a full size eye shadow in a shimmery bluish color. At first I was skeptical because the color payoff on my first swatch was zilch. But then I tried it to set my eye color as the card recommends. Voila! I love it! It very nicely pulls together an eye shadow look with blues, silvers, or purples. Blends everything together and adds a nice shimmer on top. Supposedly it smells like vanilla but I haven't noticed that.

Organic Hemp Shine Lipstick by Colorganics - This one's a little strange to me. It's a full size lipstick which is awesome...but it's clear. I've never heard of clear lipstick before. You can apply on top of other colors to add shine or wear it by itself like a lip balm. If I wanted a lip balm, I'd choose one with great flavor (like Hurraw lip balm!) Also it seems difficult to spread which makes me think it would rub off your other color if you were to add it on top.

Organic Gluten Free Guacamole Dip by Simply Organics - I love guacamole but unfortunately this dip is not vegan. I will happily pass this on to someone who can appreciate it.

Dead Sea Mud Facial Mask by Rainwater Botanicals - I've heard a lot of good things about this company that sells its products on Etsy. It's a small, thin container so will probably only last for one to two uses. I'm excited to try it.

Comforting Geranium Mineral Bath Salts by Aura Cacia - A nice big sample, this has scents of geraniums and roses. I'm not a big fan of heavy flower scents but was able to give this to my mother-in-law who was thrilled with it.

So this box was definitely worth the price. I paid $15 and got at least $40 in value. That's amazing! Can't wait for next month's box. It should be here soon!

April's Conscious Box Review x 2 !

Here is a review on my most recent (and final) Conscious Box. I decided to cancel because I wasn't overly enamored with the last few months and I wanted to free up some of my spending money. I'm not horribly dissatisfied with the box. In fact there's a good chance I will re-subscribe later down the road. But for now, this is the right decision for me.

 

April is Earth Day month so the box has an eco-friendly theme which is pretty much the Conscious Box theme anyway. I subscribe to the Vegan version of the box so was very surprised to open it and find a bag of 100% grass-fed beef jerky. To be honest my first reaction was, "Oh, look! Vegan jerky!" Thank goodness I've trained myself to check labels! This was no vegan jerky. This was the real deal. I'd heard of people accidentally getting dairy products in the vegan box before but never meat products! I wasn't really sure if I got the wrong box or the wrong product was added to my vegan box. I sent an e-mail to customer service and was relieved to get aquick response from the staff. They said they would send out the correct box and a week later I got my truly vegan Conscious Box. So here is my review on both boxes.

Contents of first box:

The infamous Jerky - enough said

Essential Living Foods Palm Flower Nectar Coconut Sugar - This stuff is cool! It's low-glycemic and yummy. The flavor reminds me a bit of caramel and yes I've been eating spoonfuls out of the box. I think this would work really great in baking...or straight out of the box :)

KonaRed Hawaiian Superfruit Antioxidant Shot - Think I will like this much more than the wheatgrass shot of last month (yuck!) Might try this one day instead of my V-8 + Energy drink. It says it contains 27 mg of caffeine.

GFM Beyond Natural Balancing Facial Serum - Been hearing a lot about facial serums lately but not entirely sure what all the hype is. I think it's supposed to be nourishing. This serum contains pomegranate seed oil, hazelnut oil, borage oil, kukui nut oil, seabuckthorn oil, and vitamin E oil, among others. This is why I like these subscription boxes because it gives me the opportunity to try stuff without buying a huge bottle.

Seventh Generation Mandarin Refreshing Facial Cleansing Cloths - Seventh Generation has branched out into skin care/hygiene. I actually bought some of these in the lavender scent and tried my first one last night. It wasn't bad. Mandarin scent sounds like it would be really refreshing. Product is free from parabens, phthalates and synthetic fragrances.

Qspeed CoQ10 - Never heard of this before. It's a supplement that is supposed to support heart health, enhance cellular energy production, and support exercise performance. I will add this to my little drawer of exercise supplements for when I start exercising (ha, right!)

Totlogic Body Lotion - This is a large sample of lotion free of sulfates, phthalates, and parabens. It says it has a natural and light scent so not entirely sure what it will smell like.

Splash Citrus Lovers Artisan Soap by Amathia Soapworks - This is a vegan friendly shea butter soap made in Kansas. It smells really great (essential oils of bergamot, ylang ylang, orange, lemon, tangerine, pink grapefruit, and may chang.)

Dapple Baby Bottle and Dish Liquid - Nice little sample of dish soap. Not tested on animals so I will definitely give it a shot.

Natural Veggie Wash - I've always wanted to try one of these. Supposedly cleans off waxes and chemicals better than water. I'll let you know what I think.

Contents of Second Box:

Beanfields Bean and Rice Chips in Nacho flavor - Yes, please! Vegan chips in nacho flavor. Woo! Obvious love.

Alternative Baking Company Cinnamon Burst Cookie - I already love this company. Have had many of their delicious cookies. This one is gluten-free. Oddly enough I don't see cinnamon in the ingredients but it sounds yummy.

Butcher's Bunches Handcrafted Preserves - Yes, after the last box, the name gave me pause, but it turned out alright. The flavor is Dirty Diana and contains Montmorency Cherries, Pectin, Passion Fruit Rum, Nutmeg, Lime Juice, and Citric Acid. Intriguing. Not a huge preserves fan but will give it a shot.

Seventh Generation Mandarin Cleansing Cloth - same as first box

Qspeed CoQ10 - same as first box

Totlogic Body Lotion - same as first box

Naturally It's Clean by Enzyme Fresh Home Floors - This is a floor cleaner which we've been needing so very happy to get this sample. Looks like it will have a citrus smell.

Everly Thrive Drink Mix in Pomegranate Maqui Berry - I like to get drink mixes because they encourage me to drink water. This one contains Stevia which I'm not nuts about flavor-wise but I will try it.

Citrus Magic Natural Odor Eliminating Air Freshener in Tropical Citrus Blend - Good size sample that I'm sure I will find a use for. It smells very citrusy and the bottle is non-aerosol. Another good sample to try.

In summary I got a lot of great products and was very pleased with Conscious Box's customer service. As I said earlier this is my last box for now but probably not forever (I also had great customer service when I cancelled with no fuss and a quick response.)

Review of White Rabbity Beauty

I recently placed my second order with WhiteRabbityBeauty.com and felt compelled to write a blog about it. White Rabbit Beauty is a website that sells cruelty free makeup and beauty products (mostly hard to find brands.) Shipping is free on all make-up and affordable for everything else.

My first order a few months ago was two small foundation samples from ZuZu Luxe. (That's another great thing about White Rabbit Beauty. You can get samples of some of the products without committing to what can be a pricey purchase.) It was a very small order but arrived wrapped in a beautiful bag with gold stars on it and a hand written note wishing me luck that the samples would work. I thought this was very sweet.

My second order was two more foundation samples (this time from Gabriel Cosmetics) and a Deep Steep moisture stick in Grapefruit Bergamot. Again it's a relatively small order but came wrapped in the same beautiful bag with another hand written note. This time she wished me luck hoping these samples would work better and included an extra sample in an additional shade. This is such great customer service! I was really, really impressed with this site. Plus the whole Alice in Wonderland/Cruelty Free mash-up is pretty cool.

Check them out and see if they have something you are looking for. Be sure to check out the sale list too!

www.whiterabbitbeauty.com

Best Subscription Box Samples

Now that I've received three or more months of both the Eco Emi box and Conscious box I thought it would be fun to do a quick blog/review of some of my favorite products that I got to try through these boxes. Now if I don't mention something in this blog, it doesn't necessarily mean I didn't like it. There are still quite a few samples I haven't tried yet. But here's some that I have tried and loved:

Vitacare Gum in Cool Mint and Key Lime - Liked these when I first tried them, now half way through the pack and love them. I looked for them at Whole Foods and couldn't find them, but was glad to see that they are on available at Vitacost!! The flavor doesn't last incredibly long or anything but they are really refreshing and good for your teeth to boot!

Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser - I wasn't overly impressed when I saw this sample in my Eco Emi box but I was so off on that impression! This stuff was amazing and I was sad the sample wasn't larger. It smells very refreshing and leaves your skin feeling so soft. Probably the best exfoliater I've ever used. I checked out the Suki website and the cost of this is way out of my price range but it was nice to try!

 

St. Claire's Organics Ginger Pastilles - Disclaimer: These do not taste that great unless you like to eat spicy ginger. However, they do exactly what I'd hoped, help curb nausea. This tin should last me quite a while and I will probably repurchase. Tins are $2.99 on their website or you can buy a 4 pack on Vitacost for $10.

 

Hugo Naturals Volumizing Shampoo in Vanilla and Sweet Orange - Excited when I got this sample and loved it when I finished the small bottle. I think I managed to get 3-4 washes out of the sample so feel like I really tested this one. The smell was ok but what I really loved is how clean my hair felt after washing. It definitely volumizes too. I have very thick hair so maybe didn't need that level of volume. I haven't repurchased yet and am not sure I would purchase this same type, but will definitely plan on getting the Hugo Naturals brand when I do.

Vapour Organic Beauty Black Eyeliner (picture shows Truffle) - This eyeliner turned out to be my favorite for several months (only reason I'm not using it now is I've gotten back into liquid liner for the moment.) It was gentle and did not irritate my eyes. It was easy to apply and had good color payoff. I also liked that it had a smudge tool on the opposite side of the pencil. Only complaint might be that it needs frequent sharpening.

 

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.