Mail Time: Vegan Conscious Box December 2012

This month's Conscious Box was curated by the Vegan Zombie, who I love watching every time he pops up in my news feed.

In this box:

• Baby Ecos Laundry Detergent & Stain Remover
• Kyi Sweet Almond Softening Oil
• Parma! Vegan Parmesan
• L'Ecuyer's Gourmet Dill Dip Mix
• Just Pure Foods Sour Cream & Onion Zucchini Chips
• Eye Walker Elements Cabin 108
• Simply Hemp Milk
• Achiva Native Energy in Mango
• Shaman Shack Herbs 3 Immortals (with Reishi, Shilajit & Ormus)
• Lush Nuts Dark Cocoa Chili Peanuts
• ZenSociety Tea Tree Facial Cleanser

I have already eaten the Parma and the Lush Nuts.  Both are delicious.  I hardly remember parmesan cheese, so I will simply say I enjoyed this on my farfalle & meatless meatballs, haha.  The Lush Nuts pack a nice little surprise kick.  Not too hot, very, very well balanced with the bittersweet cocoa.

I'm rubbing the Softening Oil on my hands now, and I have to say I think it's working, but it does sting on my windburn a bit (though that could be touch related).  It smells like verbena and I think I like it.  I'm looking forward to trying it mixed with a bit of water as it suggests.

The Eye Walker Elements scent is not a very me scent.  I'm going to have to try it on a day off to report on the wear, OR make Clancy J wear it for me, haha.

Mail Time: Holiday Pawbox for Megatron!

Don't know what Pawbox is?  It's a subscription service for pets.  Megatron and I were sent one to review a few months back, and Pawbox sent Meg his own Christmas present completely unexpected!

In this box:
-Cloudstar Wag More Bark Less Soft & Chewy Treats
-Grandma Lucy's Organic Oven Baked Dog Treats
-NoviPet MultiVitamin
-Green Curry Brush
-Dog Grooming Bandana

Megatron loves his Paw Box.  He originally got one about three or four months ago and it was a huge hit.  This one randomly showed up as a holiday gift from Paw Box & he is thrilled.  I highly, highly recommend them as a gift for dogs and dog lovers everywhere!  Also?  They have Pawbox for Cats, too!

FTC:  Our first Pawbox was sent for review.  This Holiday Pawbox was a total surprise to us; a huge thank you goes out to Pawbox!  These are our honest opinions.  Especially Megatron; dogs can't lie, silly.

Mailtime: Vegan Conscious Box for October 2012!

Well. It's now October & there is a new Vegan Conscious Box in my makeup room.  This may be my last Conscious Box, sadly, because I am not comfortable tying something that auto charges to a debit card, and j0hn was the one with the credit card.

Again, there were a LOT of products in this box!  Like.. wow.  Almost an overwhelming amount of product, actually.  Here is Conscious Box's packing list, but here's a quick list if you don't want a description:

Angell Bar in Dark Chocolate
Green Tara Kale Chips - Super Green
Tea Forte (3 bags - Cherry Marzipan, Honey Yuzu, Cucumber Mint)
Bambooee Reusable Towel
Barre  - Ballerina Spirulina
Suntegrity Sunscreen
Eco-Dent Toothpaste Alternative & Dental Gum
Bodycare Cafe Maple Brown Sugar Scrub
Pure Matters Protein Supplement in Chocolate Pea Protein Powder
V-Dog Vegan Dog Food
Earthbath Grooming Wipes in Green Tea Leaf Fragrance (for pets, by the way) & Itch Relief Shampoo in Oatmeal & Aloe

Mailtime: Vegan Conscious Box September 2012!

Holy crap you guys, this Conscious Box was like a Christmas present!  There was so much in it!!  So much, in fact, that for detailed photos, I had to take two pictures.

Overview:

Overall.

I didn't even have room for the additional literature and coupons that are usually included!

Mailtime: Influensters' Voxbox Natural 2012

My Influenster Voxbox finally showed up!!  Everyone got theirs a week ago, but mine finally showed up yesterday!  Yay!!  I'm just glad it showed up at all; I'd lost hope, mostly because of Influensters less than helpful response.  That said, I can't complain about customer service; I'm not a customer.

So let's go over what's inside.

GeoDeo deodorant - full size - $5.99
To me, this smelled like booze.  I have no idea why, but as soon as I smelled it, I thought it smelled like wine coolers.  j0hn thought it smelled delicious, so I decided he was going to have to be my test dummy.  I might try it on a day that I'm home, but due to a fear of smelling like booze, I can't do it.  j0hn has it on today and it's 8:43pm and he says he still doesn't smell bad.  We're going out to the club tonight, so that will be the true test.  Also in the box was a coupon code for a free gift with purchase.

Nectresse  Natural No Calorie Sweetener - 2 packets - $0.20 ($3.99 for 40 packets)I'm terrified to try this.  I found out recently that artificial sweeteners can trigger issues with IBD, so I'm not sure if I'm curious enough to try this.  I have to at some point, or I'll feel wasteful, but certainly not on a day where I work nine hours (like tomorrow).  Also included is a coupon for $1.00 off any one Nectresse product.

Lypsol Intense Protection LypMoisturizer - full size - $2.99
This one went to j0hn.  He was in need of a chapstick (while I am stocked on MSC lip bombs for a while).  He was immediately in love with the packaging because "look at the little bee on the side!  The slider is a little bee!"  He put it on and said it was tingly like a peppermint chapstick, and that he liked it.  I asked him if it was waxy and he said "not really."  All in all, not a chapstick for me, but j0hn seems to be enjoying it.  I tried it for myself, and it was soft and felt nice, and the smell was quite pleasant.

Eboost - 1 packet - $1.40 ($28 for 20 packets)
I can't wait to try this.  I'm tempted to give it to j0hn since he's been a little under the weather, but I want it!  Maybe we'll share it, though I already have him taking my vitamins and drinking Trader Joe's Green Plant Juice (what more can I do?!).  I didn't see anything immediately on the list that wasn't vegan, and the sight says no dairy, but I need to delve a little deeper into the vitamin sources listed on the packet.  I was out in the wind for a while waiting on the bus, so I think I need to drink this soon...

CleanWell Individual Hand Sanitizer Wipes - 1 wipe - $0.60 ($29.99 for 50)
As a makeup artist, I am always interested in any sort of sanitation device, haha.  It says that it's alcohol free, so not only are my dry hands interested, my brain is, too.  The active ingredient in this is Thymus Vulgaris Oil (Thymol 0.05%), which I had to google.  I found mixed studies about this substance, and as such, am not certain it's something I would want to rub on my hands ten to twenty plus times a day.  I'm going to try it once, as I don't think it's going to hurt me, but I won't be buying them for my kit as I thought I might.  These say "no animal testing" on the package, but I have more research to do.

Desert Essence Coconut Shine & Refine Lotion - 6.4 fl oz (full size) - $9.99
This product was chosen for me based on my demographic.  I have no idea why this product was chosen for me (other than me living in an urban area), but this is unfortunately not a product that is going to work in my hair.  I'll probably pass it on to my niece who is bi-racial and can use the product.  I have no idea if the term bi-racial is p.c. or not, so if you're offended, I'm sorry.  I have no idea what would be more correct.  I'll try it once, see how it goes, and probably pass it on to Sierra.  On the plus side, it does say that it's vegan right on the bottle.  I wish coconut oil worked with my hair because I love the way it smells, but sadly it doesn't.

The Original Dish Drying Mat - $4.99
I'm so excited to have this!!  I'm debating with myself if I want to save it for cleaning brushes or if I want to use it in the kitchen as it's intended.  Maybe I'll buy a second one.  I'm sure this bad boy will make an appearance in our next cooking video.. whenever that is.

TOTAL VALUE:  $26.16

Disclaimer:  This Voxbox was sent to me courtesy of Influenster.  This does not affect my opinion of the items received, and I reserve my right to my honest opinion.

Myglam aka Ipsy September 2012!

I'm currently listening to my Baushaus channel on Pandora, editing photos for a future post here on Manglaze Nail Polish, but it just so happened that Myglam Bag just got here.  I mean, my Ipsy bag.. whut?

That's correct, it's plastered everywhere; Myglam is now Ipsy.  I don't really know, nor do I care what that really means, as it just seems like marketing to me.  I'm sure they're trying to shed that inconsistent image that has haunted them since the birth of the program.

So, on to the bag, that I just received on the 18th, too close to the end of the month for my liking.

See, the word ipsy is everywhere!

What's inside:
1.  Soho Smudge Brush - $5.97
2.  Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Split End Sealer 0.38 fl oz - $5.59
3.  Jane Sparkle Gloss in Sparkle Pink - $3.33
4.  Mirabella Eyeshadow in Semiformal - $10.00
5.  Circus Nail Polish in Tightrope - value still unknown
Total Value:  $24.89

First impressions:
I want to start off by pointing out that this is the second Walmart famous product I've gotten from a subscription service in a row (last month it was the Schick razor).  I am indifferent about this, as I sample most of my mid to high end products at work anyways, but it does make me sad for people who join this services for fancy stuff.  There is only ONE mid to high end product in this entire bag, and the sample isn't even a full oz [edit to add:  apparently a full size is 1.7 fl oz so I guess this is a good sample size...).  Also, this is a little nitpicket-y, and not MG/ipsy's fault, but Soho: this is NOT a smudge brush!  It's a crease or contour or even fluffy pencil brush.. but not a smudge brush.

Secondly, this is the SECOND MONTH IN A ROW they have sent us pink lipgloss.  I haven't touch the one from last month, and I'm not going to use this one either.  For starters, Jane isn't exactly my first choice for lipgloss, and neither is the color or texture of this one.. I'm not fourteen!

As for the other items, Mirabella is still a foreign brand to me and although I like that this is easy to put into a free palette, I really don't care for Mirabella as a brand so far.  And another nail polish from Andrea's Choice?  Cool, I guess.  I love nail polish, but it goes to show you that they're really inexpensive nail polishes if they've given away nearly the whole collection before you can even buy them.  Is this a tactic to guarantee that people will buy the two colors they haven't received yet in order to complete their collection?  I don't know, but I'm kind of over it.

And I almost forgot!  We got a coupon for JustFAB Shoes!  ...except that I have no idea what that is!  haha.

Final thoughts:
It's time to cancel Myglam.  I'm just not excited about it anymore, and my money is going to go elsewhere... namely Conscious Box!  And possibly even Vegan Cuts new subscription box!

Birchbox September 2012: Underwhelmed.

This is the second Birchbox that left me going, "...eh."

This looks like SO MUCH STUFF, right?  It's an illusion!

This is what's really in this box.  I'm excited about two things in this box, indifferent about two, and disappointed in two.  Can you guess which are which?!

1.  Nexxus Pro-Mend Hair Care Samples - $0.25 + $0.37 + $0.21 = $0.83
2.  Benefit Skin Care Samples - $0.47 + $0.49 = $0.96
3.  Color Club Nail Polish in Status Uptade (Update?) 0.25fl oz- $4.00
4.  Twistband - $1.83
5.  Mighty Leaf Tea in Vanilla Bean, Chamomile Citrus and Green Tea Tropical - $1.99
6.  Youngblood Mineral Primer 5ml/0.17floz- $6.97

Total Value: $16.58

There is also a coupon for Madewell ($25.00 off of a $75.00 purchase).  The Lookbook in the box is a collaboration with Madewell.  It's cute, but parts of it kind of miss the fall trends.  This fall is calling for an interesting blend of shades, sages, crimsons, plums; and beige is a timeless color for balancing out so many deep, smoky possibilities.

I'm really, really excited to try the primer from Youngblood.  I've heard the name Youngblood here and there, and my interest has grown in them the more I hear.  The fact that they're so passionate about cruelty free makes me very happy (and curious).  I'm always excited about tea, so these Mighty Leaf samples are no exception.  I've been curious about the whole Twistband craze, so I'm excited to get one to try out.  I'm always happy to receive nail polish, and whereas I hate tiny bottles, I do like the color I received.  The samples leave me underwhelmed and I'm sure I'll pass them on.

I think this is the end of the line for Birchbox and I.  It's been fun, and I've had some good boxes, but overall I'm unimpressed.

FOTD: Inspired by Lady Gaga's FAME fragrance!

Today at Sephora we all dressed up with Lady Gaga inspired looks.  I pulled various pieces of looks I like dating all the way back to the Fame days (2008), mostly because I'm a hopeless fangirl, but also because that is the name of the fragrance.

Jillian (my lovely co-worker) chose a more subdued Gaga look, whereas I went for gold leaf, black "scales", black lips and as close to riglets as I could get in my hair in about five minutes flat.

Here is a better look of the detailing, though my hair & lips were not finished.  I used a lot of eyeshadow in this look, including Urban Decay's Blunt and Half Baked, as well as Wet N Wild's matte black.  It looked a LOT more dramatic in person, but unfortunately photos aren't doing it justice.  =[

Also, how do I like the Lady Gaga fragrance?  It smells TERRIBLE on me, but fantastic on pretty much everyone else (which is totally normal).  It's almost like a more sophisticated Justin Bieber fragrance, but in the best possible way.

MAIL: Birchbox August 2012!

Please excuse the sunshine photo, haha.

In this box:
-Shu Uemura Full Shimmer Shampoo Sample 0.5 fl oz - $2.40
-Shu Uemura Full Shimmer Treatment Sample 0.5 fl oz -$5.67
-Viva La Juicy La Fleur Sample 0.05 fl oz - $1.40
-Jouer Birchbox Pink Lip Gloss 0.06 fl oz - $5.00
-Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream 0.7 fl oz - $11.04
-Schick Hydro Silk Razor - $8.95

Total value:  $34.46

First impressions:
I'm excited to try the Shu Uemura, and totally confused as to how there is now a US branch.  Does this mean that the beloved eyelash curler could make a return?  Or did they sell the technology to Lancome because they never plan on coming back with makeup?  The Viva La Juicy smells nice in the bottle, but of course, it gets a little weird on me.  I'll wait and ask j0hn what he thinks of it when he gets home.  The lip gloss is nice, but it's so freaking tiny!  Apparently though, it's a quarter of the product in a full size, so that makes me a little sad to put into perspective.  The Apothederm product excites and disappoints me in the same breath.  I doubt there is enough here to see a reduction in stretch marks.. especially since the bottle is only half full.  And lastly, this month's lifestyle extra came to everyone.  The razor is exciting because it even comes with coupons on the back.  I'm probably going to pass this one to my sister though, as I already have a razor I like, as does j0hn, or we use electric razors.  Maybe I'll save it for my next trip, though.

Final thought?  This box was better than I was expecting; we had no spoilers available this month and it made it a little hard to get excited about it, but it also kept my expectations low.  It's a toss up on that one.  Want to try Birchbox yourself?

This was in the box as well, and provides tips and tricks for makeup, tools, reading labels, shaving and skincare.

MAIL: MyGlam August 2012!

What's in this month's bag?
-Circus Nail Polish in Spectacle - full size: price unknown [V, CF]
-Demeter Roll on Perfume Oil in Clean Skin - .29 fl oz: $10.00 [says CF on their site]
-Eclos Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream - .25 fl oz:  $3.12
-Eclos Cellular Activator Facial Serum - .5 fl oz:  $7.50
-s.a.l.t.y. cosmetics Glama-ZOID! Eye Shadow - 1 gm: $5.98
Total:  $26.60

First impressions:
Holy cow that eyeshadow is overpriced!  A 2.5 gram loose pigment is $14.97?!  WHAT?  My second impression was.. I like the nail polish, I actually like the roll on oil, but... whut?  The gloss smells like.. candy, but maybe not in a good way, and they're presenting it as an extra goodie, not a regular part of the bag.  This month isn't good or bad, it's just.. confusing.  I'm kind of indifferent about this month's bag.  I guess if I didn't know how damn overpriced the eyeshadow was, I wouldn't feel so eh about it, but, $14.97?!  C'mon!!  What kind of start up charges that much for "mica, boron nitride 30" mixed together in a pot?!  It's white, sparkly and sheer!  That's like.. a 600% markup, at least!  I'm so confused by this bag.  And can I just say, seeing "STEM CELLS" plastered all over the skin care has me scratching my head.  It's a serious anti-aging ingredient, and Myglam is geared towards 13 to 30 year olds.. not 40 to 60 year olds?

I like the bag a lot at least?  I.. still don't know.  Eh.

Birchbox & Myglam July 2012!

BIRCHBOX:
boscia Green Tea Blotting Towelettes 25 sheets - $2.50 [V, CF]
Headphones - not for sale
Oscar La Renta Live In Love sample - $1.56
Larabar Uber Bar in Bananas Foster 23g - $2.54 [CF, V*; honey]
Jouer Luminising Moisture Tint 2.3ml - $1.56
Eyeko Skinny Liner in Black full size - $15

Total value: $23.16

First impression:
I was really happy with this box.  Its value is double what I paid for it, and it had two things I really wanted to try, then a few others that I'm happy to get as well.  I really needed a new liquid liner so the Eyeko made me happy to keep BB another month.

MYGLAM:
Circus Nail Color in Reverso full size - not available yet [V, CF]
Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Facial Towelettes 10 travel count - $1.996- so $2 [V, CF]
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-free Lotion 1oz - $6.19 [CF*]
Nume Hydro Punch Hydrating Conditioner 20ml - $1.9992 so $2
Josie Maran Lip & Cheek Stain in Tango full size - $19 [V, CF]
bag - not for sale

Total value: $29.19 (not including polish!)

First impression:
The value for this box is above and beyond (great job myglam)!  The full size polish is awesome, even if I did get white.  I'm excited to try everything in this box (and actually can, this month), but I'm going to hang on to the makeup towelettes for my next excursion.  So excited to have this bag!  The bag is even adorable this month!

FTC:  This post is not sponsored, I pay for my subscriptions to myglam and birchbox.

Birchbox & Myglam June 2012!

They're here!  =D

In this box:
1.  Stila One Step Bronze - Skin Ton Illuminating, Bronzing Serum; 1 fl oz
2.  Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift sample
3.  Comodynes Urban Cosmetics Self-Tanning Towelettes; 2 - 1 towelettes packages
4.  Luna Bar in Chocolate Pepermint Stick; mini size (0.7 oz)
5.  theBalm Staniac in Beauty Queen; deluxe sample size (0.04 fl oz)

First Impressions:
Birchbox this month was pretty exciting!  I have been very interested in self-tanners because I'm extremely fair and have no plans to tan.  I am a huge fan of the St. Tropez bronzing mousse we have at work, but I like the idea of a towel for ease of use.  I'm really excited to try this; they're from Spain!  I have theBalm product in the full size and love it.  The Luna bar is actually one of my favorite flavors.  I don't dislike Wonderstruck, but I'll probably pass on the sample to someone else.  As far as the Stila, I'm always excited to try new Stila products!  This one is no exception, and this is a full size product that usually costs $36!  This product alone makes this month's box.

In this bag:
1.  Philosophy Take A Deep Breath; deluxe sample size (0.4 fl oz)
2.  Living Proof Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream; 2 fl oz
3.  NYX Round Lipstick in Iced Honey; full size
4. Marbella Permanent Eyeliner Pen; full size

First Impressions:
You all know that I LOVE Take a Deep Breath, so I was excited to have this sample size to add to my brush belt (which also holds a sample size of Hope in a Jar and Eye Hope).  This gel hydrator is great for combo/oily skin types, or for people who are already using some type of serum that still needs just a little more hydration afterwards, not a full on lotion or cream.  Also, Philosophy is doing their 30% off sale until June 16, 2012, so take advantage of the coupon code Philosophy12.  I love Living Proof products, so I'm excited to try this product; also, this size is about $9-$12 in stores!  The NYX lipstick made me a little sad.  They sell in the Chinese market so it drives me crazy that their tube states "cruelty free" and I already have several colors close to this one.  However, I don't hold this against Myglam because this product is a good match for their demographic; easy to find, easy to afford, and a huge range of colors.  The last product originally left me a little disappointed, as it's a permanent eyeliner pen, but it can't be used with [contact] lenses.  I was debating using it anyways when j0hn (that brilliant boy) says, "This would be great for doing your eyebrows!  This is a good idea!"  I hadn't even thought of using it that way!  Three cheers for j0hnnyboy!  I'm unfamiliar with the brand, so I need to look them up.  They're apparently German, which gives me hope that they'll be cruelty free (European companies are usually more forward in animal rights; usually).

Overall:
I am really happy with my beauty subscriptions this month.  In value alone they were both excellent, but I was also really happy with the actual products I got in my boxes.  Look for these products to be in my June Favorites video on my youtube.. if they make the cut.

Day 16: Warm Weather Favorites aka Summer Besties 2012!

Maybe I was more on top of this tag than I'm giving myself credit for...