March Indie Gift Box Review

This review is really late because I'm lazy.  I received the March Indie Gift Box during the first week of the month but I got behind on my reviews so I'm just getting to it now.  This month's theme was "Squeaky Clean," and it contained all sorts of bath and body products.  I knew I had to buy one when I found out the theme because I love handmade beauty and skincare!

I've only purchased one other Indie Gift Box, and it was the Holiday Box back in November.  I was a bit displeased with it, but it was mostly my fault because I misunderstood how many items would be included in the box.  The March box, however, was much better suited to my tastes.

This box cost me $25, including shipping (I think--it may have been slightly cheaper but I don't quite remember).  It had five items total and one coupon.

• Ballyhoo Bath Carnival Twilight Soap - I love handmade soaps!  I hoard them.  This one is so pretty and it smells wonderful.  According to their Etsy shop, the scent is a duplicate of Twilight Woods by Bath & Body Works (a combo of berries, musk, mimosa flowers, apricots, oak, and juniper).  I'm familiar with the B&BW scent, and I like this one much better.
• Sweet Tea Apothecary Perfume - I received two cute little vials of "White Tea, Grapefruit, Saffron" and "Sandalwood, Honey, Saffron."  I like the White Tea one better, but they both are very rich and true-to-scent.
• Bungalow Bath and Body Lotion and Lip Balm - My lotion scent is "Pink Bubblegum" and the lip balm is "Pink Frosted Cupcake."  The lotion is absolutely perfect--it smells exactly like a gumball.  It reminds me of my grandpa; he used to have a gumball machine and would give one to my brother and I when we went to visit him.  The lip balm is also wonderfully sweet and absorbs into the skin well.
• Emily's Homestead Probiotic Deodorant - I had actually run out of deodorant when this packaged arrived, so it was perfect timing.  Natural deodorants can be hit-or-miss, but I like this one.  The main ingredients are cocoa butter, beeswax, and shea butter, along with a few others, and it's scented with essential oils of rosemary, peppermint, lavender, tea tree, and jasmine.  The scent is nice and light and it worked well throughout the day for me.
• Evitchka Face Scrubbies - I was so confused by these when I opened my box; I thought that they were mini-pot holders!  I haven't used them yet, but I really like the idea because I'm sure they give a nice and gentle exfoliation.  They're so pretty, though, that I almost don't want to ruin them!
• Aura Sensory Coupon - The only coupon in the box is for 25% off at the shop.  I took a quick look at their site and they do have quite a few natural bath and body items, so I may or may not put that to use.

I am much more pleased with this Indie Gift Box than I was with my previous one.  The Holiday Box certainly wasn't bad, it just didn't suit my interests as well as this Squeaky Clean one did.  What I also like about Indie Gift Box is you don't have to commit to a subscription--they have a certain number of boxes available, and if you want one it's just a one-time buy.  Unfortunately, Erin (the owner) recently reported that Indie Gift Box will be closing after May, so if you want to give them a try, you have two months to do so!  Unless, of course, someone else takes over--and I hope someone does, because it's a great way to highlight handmade products.

Check out more photos of my items after the "read more."

March Spicy Subscriptions Review

Thank you to everyone who signed up for Spicy Subscriptions using my referral coupon after my last review, because I was able to get another box to review.  Spicy Subscriptions is a really fun service that discreetly sends intimacy products to your door each month.  They have two box options (more on that later), and the one I'm reviewing today is the Premium Spice Box.

*This is a mature post for adult intimacy products.  If you wish to continue, please click "read more."

February Little Black Bag Unboxing and Review

I purchased a $29.95 Little Black Bag for the month of February and was able to trade up to a handbag and two other items, which I think is pretty good for only three days of trading.  I usually prefer the $49.95 option because you have a longer time to trade, but the fact that I've been able to get a handbag with all of my $29.95 purchases has made it worth it for me.

At first I wasn't sure if I loved the handbag I got.  It looked really cute on the site, but when I got it in person I considered sending it back.  But since LBB isn't always great with giving equally valued items for exchanges (meaning they might give me a bag similar in monetary value, but it's one of the sale items or just something that doesn't trade well at all), I decided to keep it.  I figure I can always sell it on eBay in the future if I get sick of it.  But anyway, here's the list of what I got:

• Olivia and Joy Expose Hobo, retail is $88
• Geranium Leaf Cuff, $14
• Goose Creek Candle Co Pillar Candle in Burning Oak, $12

I know that for most LBBers this seems like a pretty measly haul, but I'm satisfied with it.  I wouldn't be so thrilled to get only three items with a $49.95 bag, but I'd rather have one big item (a handbag) and a few smaller ones that I'll actually use than five or six jewelry items that I won't wear.  I'm pretty picky about my jewelry and I don't often find a great amount of pieces on LBB that I like.

For a more in-depth look at my items, watch my unboxing video:

More photos of my items are available after the "read more."

Campbell's Go Soup Review

I love soup, so when I was given the chance to review Campbell's Go Soup through the Smiley360 Bloggers program I was more than happy to.  I was familiar with the product before this campaign, but it allowed me to try each flavor, which I hadn't done before.

The Go Soups come in six varieties, all of which can be seen above.  What I like most about these soups is that they're so convenient.  I was taking a pouch of the Spicy Chorizo & Pulled Chicken with Black Beans to work at least once a week, because I prefer to have a hot meal for lunch.  All you have to do with these is tear the pouch a little bit and stick it in the microwave for about two and a half minutes.  Then you just pour it into your bowl and go!  The packaging was a great conversation starter for this mission, since people were always intrigued by my "soup in a bag."

My favorite of the bunch was the Chicken & Quinoa with Poblano Chilies, pictured above.  As you can see from the photo, the ingredients are nice and hearty and look freshly-made.  The taste is phenomenal -- no watered down, condensed stuff here!  The hunks of chicken were big and plentiful, too.  I like spicy foods (my other favorite of these soups is the Spicy Chorizo that I mentioned previously), and this one has just enough bite to be interesting.  It's not too hot, though, so those who are more timid with their spice could still enjoy it.

Here's my breakdown of the other flavors:

• Moroccan Style Chicken with Chickpeas - I didn't really care for this flavor, but it was more of a personal preference than anything else.  It tasted slightly sweet, with another flavor in there that I can't quite describe because I'm not very familiar with Moroccan cooking.  But if you like the flavors I'm sure you would like this, because it's a hearty soup and would be pretty filling, I think.
• Spicy Chorizo & Pulled Chicken with Black Beans - I love this soup!  This is the one I had been eating prior to this campaign, so I was already familiar with it.  It's the spiciest of the bunch, and it has more chorizo in it than chicken (but a great amount of meat overall).  It's thick and delicious and I could eat it every day!
• Coconut Curry with Chicken & Shiitake Mushrooms - This was my least favorite of the bunch.  I like curry, but not coconut and mushrooms.  As with the Moroccan flavor, though, I think that if you do like those ingredients you would like this soup.

• Creamy Red Pepper with Smoked Gouda - This is my third favorite of the bunch.  It reminded me quite a bit of a creamy tomato soup, but with more bite because of the red peppers.  There is a good balance of cheese flavor from the gouda.  I think that this soup would be the most appropriate for people who don't like a lot of other add-ins in their soups.  I also think it's great for dipping grilled cheese into!
• Golden Lentil with Madras Curry - I'm kind of indifferent to this flavor.  It was good, but nothing that really thrilled me.  If you aren't a fan of lentils then this probably isn't your soup, but otherwise it had a strong lentil flavor and a little bit of curry mixed in.

Bottom Line: As a whole, I really enjoy the Campbell's Go Soups!  Their flavors are full and rich, and you can't beat their convenient packaging.  Which of these soups do you think you'd like best?

• Learn more at the Campbell's Go Soup website
• "Like" Campbell's Go Soup on Facebook
• Complete the "Random Text From Last Night" Mad Libs for a $1 off coupon

*Disclaimer: I received these soups to review as part of the Smiley360.com Bloggers program.  I was not monetarily compensated for this review and the honest opinions here are entirely my own.

EdenFantasys Review - Massage Candles and Body Souffles

Some of you may be familiar with EdenFantasys, but for those who aren't they offer a wide variety of adult products and more.  I have reviewed some of the beauty products available on their website before, and I have a general overview of their website here.  I was given the opportunity to review more products that they have available, and I chose two of my favorite things -- body butter and candles!

First up is the Ono Pleasure Massage Candle in Red Mandarin & Shea Butter.  I'm a total candle hoarder, and I chose to try this one because I've never tried a massage candle before.  The way they work is that the waxes transform into a moisturizing body oil as you burn it, and you can then use the oils to moisturize the skin or for a massage.  The scent of this candle in particular is very bright and citrus-y; I really enjoyed it.  I wish that the scent was a little bit stronger while burning, but I suppose since the oils are meant to be used on the skin you wouldn't want it to be too strong.

The candle is about 3 inches wide, but I can't find a listing of the weight.  The base is soy wax, and a full list of the ingredients is as follows: Glycine soja (soy) wax, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, perfume (benzyl benzoate, vanillin).  When using the oils as a moisturizer, you have to work quickly so that it doesn't solidify into wax again, but it definitely can be done.  I suggest letting the candle burn for a while so that you get a good amount of oil built up before using it for a massage.  I will probably use this more often as a standard candle than for the oils.

The second product I chose to review was the Kama Sutra Body Souffle in Chocolate Creme Brulee.  It smells amazing!  The scent is very chocolate-y, and it reminds me of the Tutti Dolce products that Bath & Body Works used to carry.  The texture is thicker than standard lotions but still silky and smooth (as one would expect with a body souffle), and it absorbs into the skin nice and quickly.  The scent is fairly strong on the skin, so I wouldn't recommend this for people who like more subtle fragrance.  Kama Sutra's products are cruelty-free, per the FAQ page on their website.

Bottom Line: I was happy with these two products and would definitely recommend them.  EdenFantasys is an adult shop with sex toys and the like, but for those who are a bit more shy about those types of things, there are also G rated products like massage candles and beauty products.

*Disclaimer: I received these products for free to review from EdenFantasys.  I was not monetarily compensated for this review and the honest opinions here are entirely my own.

March Daily Dose of Green Review

I was once again impressed by my March Daily Dose of Green box.  February's box had a lower quantity of items, but the value was very high ($64).  While I appreciated the high quality, I do like to receive a good number of items so I was glad that March's box had a few more this time around.

Daily Dose of Green is an excellent lifestyle box that sends 5-8 green items to your door each month.  What I've liked the most is that they've sent a good variety of items--not too much of any one thing.  Here's what March had to offer:

• Poppy's Naturally Clean - Lavender Dryer Pouches
• Goody Good Stuff - Strawberry and Cream Gummies
• Redmond Trading Co. Brands - Real Salt
• Bare Body Soaps - Organic Green Tea & Lemongrass Soap
• Eat Cleaner - Grab-n-Go Fruit and Vegetable Wipes
• Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve Company - Coconut Milk Shampoo Bar
• Jem Fruit (Margo's Nutz) - Southwest Almond Slices
• Nardos Natural - Body Lotion
• Pet Naturals of Vermont - Hairball Cat Treats

Please view my unboxing video for a more in-depth look at the products, plus a guest appearance from my cat!

Bottom Line: I am, once again, very pleased with my Daily Dose of Green box.  I love that it's only $15 a month and that they send me lots of items I can work into my daily routine!  Learn more and sign up here.

*Disclaimer: I purchased this and was not asked to review it.  I was not compensated in any way and the honest opinions here are entirely my own.

March Square Hue "O'Hue" Collection Review

This post is coming a little late and I apologize for that; I've gotten a bit behind on my blogging but I'm queuing up some posts tonight to get back on track.  I received my second Square Hue collection this month, but it's my first official shipment that I paid for since February's box was sent to me to review.

I was really excited for the O'Hue Collection because green is my favorite color, and I knew that they pretty much had to include some green shades for the St. Patrick's Day theme.  I liked the colors this month, but I didn't love them as much as I was hoping to.

I was kind of hoping that the box would have more than one green shade, but I guess that would be redundant of them.  I did like that they used the colors of the Irish flag (kind of), however; I didn't care for the titles of the polishes.  I know that, for the most part, St. Patrick's Day just means drinking to most Americans.  My nationality is South Korean but I was adopted into an Irish-American family, and one of my pet peeves is that it's just a day for people to drink and go crazy.  That's not the only thing Irish people should be known for!  Ah, sorry for the mini-rant -- back to the polishes.

What I do love about Square Hue's polishes is that their formula is just amazing.  The brush is the perfect size and the polishes glide on incredibly smoothly.  Right now I only have Patty's Pint swatched, which you can see below (left is with flash, right is without).  It's a dark forest-green with hints of shimmer.  Amber Lager is a copper shimmer, and Blond Ale is a light cream/gold shimmer.  I would have liked to have had at least one matte in the collection, but I do love my shimmers, too.

 

Bottom Line: I'm still loving Square Hue's polishes and I think that for $21 a month this service is a steal.  The polishes are high quality and also cruelty-free.  Learn more and sign up by clicking here.

*Disclaimer: I purchased this and was not asked to review it.  I received no compensation for this review and the honest opinions here are entirely my own.

New Conscious Box Website Launch and Giveaway! [CLOSED]

I am a huge fan of Conscious Box and I'm excited to announce that in celebration of the launch of their new website, you can enter to win a 3 month subscription ($59 value)!  Although I'm not currently subscribed to Conscious Box, I was a subscriber for a year and loved every single one of my boxes.  If you'd like to see my reviews, you can do so by clicking here.

Conscious Box offers the best in eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle items, and for $19.95 a month they'll send you a box packed full of goodies straight to your door.  The new website now includes a program where you can review the items you receive in exchange for discounts on products right from ConsciousBox.com.  The more points you earn, the higher the ranking you can achieve as well.  I just signed up for an account (no purchase necessary) and am currently a "Seedling."

Want to win a 3 month subscription to Conscious Box?  Enter using the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This sweepstakes is open to US residents aged 18+ only. It begins on 3 March 2013 and ends at 12:00 AM EST on 11 March 2013. One winner will be chosen by random by this Rafflecopter widget and will be notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen. All entries will be verified. Conscious Box is responsible for shipping the prize to the winner.

February The Goodies Company Review

A few months ago I signed up to be a part of the beta for The Goodies Company, and I got my invitation in January.  Due to high demand, I didn't get my first box until this past month of February.  Goodies Co. is a $7 a month subscription service owned by Wal-Mart that will deliver a box of 5-8 snacks to your door.

I was definitely excited to receive my box because I love trying new snacks, and $7 a month is a really affordable price (shipping included).  I didn't stay subscribed because I only wanted to try one box, but maybe when they're out of beta I'll consider signing up again.



Watch my unboxing video above, with my opinions on the items below:

• Enjoy Life Plentils - I loved these chips!  The flavor was "Margherita Pizza," which I had a feeling I was going to really enjoy.  The texture is light and airy -- they reminded me of rice cake snacks.
• Peanut Butter Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams and Smooth Operator - These are the only two items that I didn't end up trying.  I gave them to my dad to use since he takes sandwiches to work more often than I do.  But just judging by their ingredients and flavors, I have a feeling they were delicious.
• J.D.'s Cheddar Bacon Pop - I really wanted to like this because I love all things bacon but it just didn't taste that great to me.  It wasn't bad, it just didn't taste like bacon.  I probably wouldn't buy this again.
• Wai Lana Fruit & Nut Bar - The flavor was "Nana Banana" and it was surprisingly good.  I'm not the hugest fan of banana and in the past I haven't cared too much for gluten-free, vegan bars such as these, but I took it to work and ate it for breakfast one day and enjoyed it.  The balance of fruit flavor and nuts was just right, and since it contains real fruit it didn't taste like that awful fake banana flavor that I hate.  The bars are also non-GMO and dairy-free.
• SnackWells Yogurt Pretzels - This 100 calorie pack was really yummy.  I generally stay away from 100 calorie packs because they aren't the best for you (better to get a snack that's actually going to have a positive effect on your satiety), but I can't deny that these tasted delicious.
• Chips Ahoy! With Reese's - I split this pack with my boyfriend and we both loved them.  They're soft cookies with chunks of Reese's Cups and chocolate, and although I usually prefer harder cookies I did like these a lot.

What I liked most about this box was that it contained a good mixture of brands that I haven't heard of before with brands you could easily find at the store.  My favorites were the Wai Lana bar and Plentils, and I definitely want to see if I can find them at my local grocery store.  Another great thing about The Goodies Company is that you can review each product you get on their website to earn points that are redeemable for rewards, as well as purchase full-sized products from their shop.

Bottom Line: If you want to try a food subscription, The Goodies Company (or Goodies Co.) is a great place to start because it's so affordable.  Check out their website for more information and to request an invite.

*Disclaimer: I purchased this box and was not asked to review it.  I was not compensated for this review in any way and the honest opinions here are entirely my own.