August Vegan Cuts Beauty Box Review

Vegan Cuts is one of my favorite subscription services because they send cruelty-free, vegan products in both their food and beauty boxes. I've reviewed their boxes in the past and I've always been impressed by the types of samples they send!

*Disclaimer: This box was sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

The Vegan Cuts Beauty Box is a great way to discover cruelty-free brands. They send four to seven deluxe samples and full-sized products ranging from skincare to unique cosmetics. I'm always up for discovering new cruelty-free brands!

There are three subscription length options, priced as follows:

• Monthly: $19.95/month, recurring
• Three Months: $59 one time charge
• Six Months: $115 one time charge
• Yearly: $215 one time charge (with one month free)

Shipping to U.S. addresses is free, to Canada is $8, and all other international addresses is $15.

August's box had five products, three of which were full-sized. I recognized most of the brands upon opening the box but there were a few that were new to me, too.

• One Love Organics Healthy Locks Dry Shampoo Powder ($12 for .6 oz, full-sized) - This has kaolin clay, hyaluronic acid, and silica-rich bamboo extract to soften and strengthen hair. I use dry shampoo a lot so I'm interested to see how this works with my hair. The kaolin clay is promising, since my scalp gets pretty oily.
• Harvey Prince Hello ($26 for 10 mL, full-sized) - I actually already have one of these travel sprays of this scent but I'm glad to have another because it smells wonderful! It's a bright, citrus-y scent that's perfect for summer.

• GlamNatural Hydrating Face Cream (value unknown) - A full-sized jar of this retails for $28 and the sample is 5 grams, but I don't know the weight of the full-sized jar so I can't calculate a value. Anyway, this is made with plant-based oils and feels nice and smooth.
• Kaeng Raeng Detoxfoliant All Natural Body Scrub in Lavender Vanilla ($2.80 for 1 oz) - This is currently on sale at the Kaeng Raeng site for $28, so I used that price when calculating the value. I love a good body scrub but I didn't care for the scent of this one. I also found that the sugar particles didn't hold up for very long before disintegrating, so I didn't think it was super effective at buffing away dead skin.
• Gleam by Melanie Mills Lip Radiance in Uncontrollable ($24 for .176 oz, full-sized) - This is made with natural botanicals and it looks highly pigmented in the tube. I'm unsure about the color though--it's a very vibrant fuschia/purple and I'm not sure that it'll look that great on my skin tone!

Bottom Line: The August Vegan Cuts Beauty Box has an approximate retail value of at least $64.80, not including the GlamNatural face cream. I think that's a great value for a box that costs $19.95! I was also impressed that they sent three full-sized items. Overall the variety was good and I will definitely use a majority of the products featured this month.

August Beauty Box 5 Review

August's Beauty Box 5 has five products and tools to keep you looking gorgeous! This month's assortment spans a good variety of categories with four full-sized products, too.

*Disclaimer: This box was sent to See, Shop, Love! for review purposes.

Beauty Box 5 sends five deluxe samples and full-sized products to your door for $12 per month. Shipping is free to the U.S. and $3 to Canadian addresses. Products range from color cosmetics, skincare, hair care, accessories, and more.

When I got this month's box the first thing I noticed was how heavy it was. Once I opened it I realized it was because of the bright yellow compact.

• Hask Beauty Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment ($2.39 for 1.75 oz, full-sized) - I love Hask's products! I currently use their Keratin line and it's wonderful. I've used the argan mask in the past and it leaves my hair feeling so smooth and shiny!
• Jerome Alexander Hot Stuff Go Pop Compact ($10.99, full-sized) - This came in an assortment of colors, but I think the colors of the cosmetics inside are the same for each one. I really like the shades and I like that the compact itself is so sturdy. It'll be good for travel and I won't have to worry about anything breaking inside during transit.

• Donnamax Printed Nail File with Case ($4.99, full-sized) - This came in an assortment of designs and mine says "Oooh, this deserve a status update." I think the case it came with is a great bonus and makes it perfect for keeping in my purse.
• Starlooks Luxe Longwear Eyeliner Pen in Plum ($19.99, full-sized) - I've never used an eyeliner that wasn't black so I'm excited to try this. I like that it's a liquid liner pen, it has a felt tip that makes it easier to apply.
• Pur-lisse Pur Delicate Gentle Soy Milk Cleanser and Makeup Remover ($10.93 for 1.7 oz) - Pur-lisse makes great products so I'm excited to try this! It smells great and I like that it's made for delicate skin. My skin is oily but also sensitive, so I'm always looking for products that will work with both conditions. Hopefully this won't disappoint!

Bottom Line: The total approximate retail value for this box is $49.29, which is insane for a box that only costs $12! Four out of the five products were full-sized, too.

Cratejoy: A Subscription Box Paradise!

Have you browsed Cratejoy lately? I had known about them for a while but I realized they had a centralized marketplace that lists all of the subscription boxes they power, and more!

*Disclaimer: Post contains affiliate links.

If you've never heard of Cratejoy, they're a subscription box marketplace that curates and manages lists of all the best subscription boxes out there. You can also start your own subscription box using Cratejoy (learn more about that here).

What I love about Cratejoy is there are So. Many. Subscriptions! They're neatly organized by category and there is something for almost any interest you could think of. After browsing for only a few minutes I discovered some that I had never heard of before, like Bare Mane, Very Portland, and Moon Magic Box.

Even better, anyone can review the boxes on the site so you'll get an idea of whether other people enjoyed the subscription or not. Many of the listings also include coupon codes for your first box!

If you're a subscription box lover like me, and I'm assuming you are since you're reading my blog, then you definitely need to head over to Cratejoy and start exploring!

Scent Trunk Review

I used to dislike getting perfume samples from subscription boxes, but then I started focusing on finding scents that I liked and realized there are so many out there that I want to try! Scent Trunk is a great perfume subscription because they send perfumes that aren't so common and are customized to your preferences.

*Disclaimer: This box was purchased by See, Shop, Love!

Scent Trunk costs $18 per month for three perfumes (6 mL each) customized to your scent profile. They have men's and women's options. They currently ship to the U.S. and Canada.

I like woody and spicy scents so I made sure those notes were prominent in my scent profile. When you first sign up you'll take a quiz to determine your preferences, but you can change them at any time by using a sliding scale on your account page. Here's what mine looked like for this box:

I was very happy with all three of the perfumes that Scent Trunk sent me! I love that you can switch up your preferences and based on this box, I think they do a very good job of matching perfumes up to your profile.

How You Love by Jazmin Sarai starts off with a hint of soothing, herbal cardamom and sunny grapefruit, with a heart of Moroccan rose and Indian jasmine. This is my favorite perfume of the bunch. It smelled absolutely amazing once it melded with my skin chemistry. It was the perfect balance of spice and warmth!

Pavane No. 1 by Gwendolyn Marie combines sweet lychee fruit, fig, orange blossom, and fresh cut grass. It's inspired by Gabriel Faure's Pavane in F-sharp minor, Op. 50. At first spritz I wasn't sold, but the middle and base notes are amazing!

I expected Coconut Sugar by Note Fragrances to be my favorite, but it ended up being too sweet. The top notes are kiwi and peach, the middle notes are coconut milk and freesia, and the base is white musk and vanilla bean. I've never cared for freesia, so I think that's why I didn't like this as much as I thought I would.

Bottom Line: I thought my first Scent Trunk box was fantastic. I actually cancelled after this box because I only wanted to try one, but if I had a bigger budget for subscription boxes I would definitely stay subscribed!

August Birchbox Review

This year, Birchbox has been sending boxes with different designs each month. I've really enjoyed them so far but I'm not a fan of the August design. The box itself isn't really that important to me, though, as long as I like what's inside--and this month I did!

*Disclaimer: This box was purchased by See, Shop, Love! Post contains referral links.

August's theme is "Soak it up!" Normally I don't feel that the themes fit the products I receive, but this time around they sent some great summer samples.

My box had six samples, but one was a foil packet so I don't even really count that. I think it was one of the bonus items anyway. Overall I'm pretty happy with what I got; I won't use everything but there was a good variety of items represented.

• R+Co DEATH VALLEY Dry Shampoo ($7.37 for 1.6 oz) - A full-sized bottle of this is way too expensive ($29), but dry shampoos are my best friend so when this was available for sample choice I picked it right away. I haven't tried it yet but I'm sure it will work fine.
• COOLA Environmental Repair Plus Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion ($2.67 for .5 fl oz) - I think this is for use after you get a sunburn. I don't ever get a sunburn so I don't need this, so I posted it for swap.
• theBalm Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush ($2.61 for .028 oz) - This is a nice matte bronzer, but I've actually been using it as an eyeshadow.

• IPKN Pore Apple Sun Cream ($2.72 for .24 fl oz) - This is infused with apple water extract and natural herbal ingredients and is basically a moisturizer. I'm fairly certain that apple water extract is nonsense and doesn't have any benefits for skin, but it's a nice moisturizer with a high SPF of 40.
• Kérastase Bain Force Architecte - Cleanse ($1.60 for .34 fl oz) - This is a reconstructing shampoo. I don't enjoy hair products in foil packets so I won't use this. I never use all of the product at one time and they're annoying to store.
• dr. brandt Pores No More Cleanser ($2.50 for .25 fl oz) - I've used the Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner and it works pretty well, so I would consider buying a full-sized version of this cleanser. There isn't really enough in the tube to get a good read on how well it works, though.

Bottom Line: My box had a approximate retail value of $19.47, which is kind of low, but overall I liked the selection of products this month!

Introducing Scentbird Men! + Coupon

I've been subscribed to Scentbird since February and I love getting my designer perfumes each month. Now they're introducing Scentbird for Men so the fellas can sample high-end perfumes, too! Some of the brands they have include Giorgio Armani, Paco Rabanne, Hermes, and Tom Ford.

*Disclaimer: Post contains affiliate links.

Here are the details:

• Generous supply of cologne (120 sprays monthly, 8 ml bottle).
• Switch scents monthly, or stick to an old favorite - you pick what you want each month.
• First month comes with a free metal travel case, the following months you receive refills for the case.
• Just $14.95/month.

Use coupon code ScentMen15 for for 15% off your first cologne! Expires August 31st.

Treats: A New Snack Subscription! + Coupon

Treats is a brand new subscription that sends a monthly box of international snacks to your door! They actually launched just last week, so when I say brand new, I mean brand new. Their first box is packed with goodies, so I have a feeling they'll grow in popularity pretty quickly!

*Disclaimer: This box was sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

Treats has two subscription options: the Standard Pack and the Premium Pack. I've outlined the differences and the pricing below. The Standard Pack costs $12.95 per month and contains 4-5 snacks, and the Premium Pack is $24.95 per month for 8-10 snacks. Both boxes will ship within a few days of your order. Shipping is free for U.S. addresses and shipping fees may apply for addresses outside of the U.S.

I received a Premium Box to review and it contained 10 snacks. These are obviously Asian snacks, mostly from Japan. The info card that came with the box only lists the brand and names of the snacks, there is no description about what they are or where they're from. Here's what was inside:

• Uegaki Kaki-no-tane - These look like sesame crackers to me. Maybe sesame isn't the right word. I've definitely had them before in other snack boxes, though. I think they have a slightly sweet flavor.
• Meiji Watapachi Melon Soda - The packaging on this is adorable! I'm going to guess that these are some kind of fizzy candy.
• Amanoya Himemaru - I'm actually eating these right now and they are SO GOOD. I love rice crackers. They have a great texture and really good flavor!
• Uha Cola Puccho - These might be a soda flavored candy? I have no idea.
• Morinaga Milk Caramel - I haven't tried these yet but I love caramels.

• Glico Giant Caplico Strawberry - I tried this but it wasn't for me. It was basically an ice cream cone with hardened frosting on top.
• Kasugai Fruit Gummy Assortment - Another great candy! I love fruit gummies. I haven't tried these yet but the packaging makes it look like there are some good flavors.
• Glico Pocky Tsubu Tsubu Ichigo - I've had Pocky before and I love it. This one is strawberry flavored.
• Jagabee Butter Soy Sauce Crisps - These sound delicious! They're long straw-shaped breadsticks.
• Calbee Baked Shrimp Chips - I do not enjoy shrimp chips because I do not enjoy shrimp, but I'll pass these along to one of my seafood-loving friends.

I'm not sure how to calculate the value of these snacks, but I think it's worth the $24.95 price overall because Treats sends international snacks that may be hard to find for some people. I know I love trying different foods from all over!

• Visit Treats to learn more and subscribe!
• Use coupon code SEESHOPLOVE for 15% off of your first box

Bottom Line: Treats is a fun way to discover snacks from around the globe and I think it's pretty affordable. I'm impressed by their first box and interested to see what else they have in store!

Introducing: Muwae Jewelry!

Muwae (pronounced "mwah," like the sound you make when you kiss) is a fast-growing startup jewelry retailer headquartered in Somerville, New Jersey. I took at look at their designs and I quickly found a bunch of pieces that I wanted to buy! They offer high quality products at prices that won't break the bank.

*Disclaimer: Post contains affiliate links.

Charlie Wan, the founder of Muwae, says that "our customers tend to be women between the ages of 18-40 that are active social media users and desire high quality, fast-fashion products." Although their target audience is women of that age group, they really do have something for everyone!

Plenty of social media influencers have been taking notice of Muwae, and some of these jewelry bloggers are featured in the company's latest YouTube video. Check it out below!


One way Muwae sets itself apart from other competitors is that each time they unveil a new collection, unsponsored product reviewers are the first ones to try the jewelry, offering consumers 100% honest feedback. They also have a Love Distributor Program," which allows reviewers and customers to share videos and photos capturing the moments they first wear their new Muwae pieces. Customers who participate in the program will also have the luxury of receiving a surprise in the mail with their product (e.g. discounts, gift cards, giveaways, etc.).

Muwae's motto is "always believe love is about to happen." I think their pieces reflect this motto well and are varied enough that anyone can find something within their price range that fits their personal style. Some of my favorites are the Falling Stars Ring and the Le Femme Fatale Fancy Bracelet!

• Visit Muwae to browse their full line of jewelry!
• Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+

Bottom Line: I really love Muwae jewelry's designs and I think you'll find something in their shop that you'll love, too. They have very fair prices and lots of incentives, including their Love Distributor Program and an affiliate program (more on that here). Check them out!

Cooling Towel Review

I hate the summer heat and humidity, especially at night when I can't fall asleep. When I was younger and the house didn't have central air yet I remember my mom used to leave a washcloth in a bowl of ice water next to my bed and I'd place it on my forehead for some relief. The Cooling Towl by New Home Innovations is an even more lightweight and effective way to stay cool any time you're feeling overheated!

*Disclaimer: This product was sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

The label calls this a sports ice towel, but you can easily use it any time you need some relief. It's made of a lightweight fabric that absorbs water and wicks away sweat. All you have to do to "activate" it is soak it in cold water, wring it out, and then place it on the desired area. Like I said, I would place it on my forehead during hot nights. I think it would also work to relieve migraines in the same way.

What I like best about this towel is that it absorbs lots of water to keep you feeling cool but it doesn't drip and is almost dry to the touch. I first used this after going on a run today and it felt so nice to just drape it over my head and neck. I instantly felt relieved and it kept me feeling cool for a decent amount of time (I left it on my neck for a half an hour) without losing the sensation of coolness.

The towel is currently selling on Amazon for $12.95 and is Prime-eligible. If you don't like it you can return it for a full refund. The price might seem a little high, but I think it's worth it if you exercise outdoors often, or if you just spend a lot of time out in the sun.

Bottom Line: I liked that this Cooling Towel didn't drip water all over my clothes and stayed cool for a good amount of time. I am going to use this after my workouts for sure!