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Kloverbox May 2017

The May Kloverbox arrived yesterday!  This is my last Kloverbox, and  it’s a pretty awesome one.  I cancelled my subscription after getting two in a row that weren’t a good fit, but this one is pretty well spot on.  The Yarok product is a huge favorite of mine, cuticle cream is always welcome, and the Sari scarf is such a pretty color and pattern!  Okay, before I go on too much, let’s get into the details.

  • Meadowlark Botanicals Cuticle Cream – 1.5 oz / $7 – (Full size product) This orange-scented cuticle cream is right up my alley.  I use stuff like this right before bed usually because my hands end up a dry, parched mess by the end of the day.  This smells a lot like a creamsicle, and the consistency is that goldilocks zone of just solid enough, but not too solid that it’s a pain to dig out of the pot.  I really like this!
  • Yarok Feed Your Ends – 2 oz / $13.20 – (Travel size product)  I mentioned it above, but I’ve gotten this in boxes before, but it’s become a regular staple in my curly girl arsenal.  No alcohol, parabens, sulfates or silicones, and it smells lightly herbal and lemongrassy.  The ingredient list contains a blend of great oils that are perfect for dry ends, and a great second-day-hair treatment to tame down the frizzies.  Very happy to see this in this box!
  • Ballerina Botanicals Green Beauty Barre – 1 bar / $8.99 – (Product is a sample, value on product card is $4.50, but it looks to be about 1/4th of a bar  [no weight listed for the bar on the manufacturer’s website], so it’s probably more like $2.25 by size/weight)  If only this didn’t have peppermint oil!  My skin seems to be a little sensitive to peppermint oil so this is going to be a pass for me.  Peppermint oil  can be a skin irritant, so I’m not even going to try this out and risk being itchy.  It’s pretty pungent too, and I don’t like the smell of peppermint at all.  I’d have much preferred this without the extra scent!
  • I Was A Sari Loop Scarf – 1 scarf / $25 – (Full size product)  I couldn’t find this on the manufacturer’s website, so I’m just using the value off the product card.  What a gorgeous color and print!  The fabric feels like a rayon, and it’s got a nice sheen and drape to it.  The scarf measures 32″ square when laid flat.  The fabric doesn’t show any signs of wear,  so if someone did actually wear this fabric as part of a Sari before, it was very lightly or gently worn.  I’d love to hear more about the process, where the Saris come from, etc, but there’s no information on the website just yet.  Still, the idea of giving jobs to women and reusing fabric definitely appeals to me, and that makes this so much more than just a scarf.
  • New Chapter Perfect Hair, Skin, and Nails Supplement – 60 capsules / $34.17 – (Sample is 15 capsules, value of $8.54)  This was added in as a free sample along with a coupon code for $3 off a purchase at  the manufacturer’s website that apparently, you can’t actually shop through.  The site just directs you to local retailers or Amazon, so I’m not sure how a coupon at newchapter.com is worth anything when they don’t even have a way to purchase directly through them.  Beyond that, supplements like this have proven to be useless or downright dangerous by actual scientific studies, so these are going straight to the trash.  I won’t even put these in the trade box since I feel pretty strongly about how much money people waste buying into  the supplement industry every year – an industry that isn’t subject to regulation or testing but is allowed to make wild claims about their ingredients with no scientific proof of those claims.  (Of course, I’ll recycle the glass bottle, but the pills?  Garbage.)

Overall, the value of the box without the vitamins comes to about $49 depending on how you count the soap.  This is a little on the lower end for the box, but not by a whole lot, and considering the box costs $25 on a month-to-month basis, the value of the scarf alone takes care of the cost!  I do really love getting the Yarok spray and the cuticle cream though, so I’m pretty well happy with this month overall.  I’m glad my subscription is ending on a pretty good note with this box!

Stitch Fix May 2017

My third stitch fix arrived today, styled again by Lana.  In case you missed it, my write up of last month’s fix was featured on the StitchFixReviews.com website, so that was pretty exciting!  It’s funny because I thought maybe I could skate by posting full-length photos of myself online and maybe no one would see it, so no big deal.  I was a little worried with the increased publicity that internet bullies would jump in, but, much to my surprise and delight, I got a bunch of wonderful, positive comments.  I can’t even begin to express how great it is  to have people be so kind and supportive.

So, this month’s fix arrived today while it was pouring rain outside, so I found a little space inside for photos this time.  Lana wrote me a little note on my item card again:

Hi Melissa!  I was so happy to see you enjoyed your last Fix – the dress looks amazing on you with that red cardigan.  To keep that 50’s style going, I chose the Loveappella off the shoulder knit dress for you.  It’s on trend for the season and will look great with some red lipstick.  The Laila Jayde cold shoulder top is perfect for a night out paired with the Makers skinny jeans.  I see you like to typically wear a bootcut style, but I thought these would look amazing on you, and they are super comfy.  I also included the Gilli Morgen skirt which will be a chic piece to wear to your next wedding with the black top in your last Fix or for a night out with your husband paired with some black boots.  Enjoy and I look forward to your feedback and requests next time.  PS: Happy belated Anniversary!  XO Lana

Is she not the bestest ever?!  I giggled  the whole way through because she totally gets me.   I basically get this awesome internet pen-pal who stalks me  sifts through my social media posts and blog and then sends me amazing clothes.  It’s a pretty awesome arrangement!   The anniversary wishes were really sweet too! (13 years!  ACK, how has it been 13 years  already?!)  Alright, so let’s go through the box, one item at a time.  I did a few different outfits with some of the items since I knew I had something in my closet that would work perfectly.  It was sort of funny – as I was taking photos, I’d go review the photos I just took and then go OH HEY and run off to the closet to dig for just the right top, shoes, etc.

Item: Laila Jayde Barret Cold Shoulder Knit Top
Cost:
$54
Paired With:  
Makers Lianne Skinny Jean (this month’s Fix), yellow flats (mine), necklace (mine)
I LOVE the color.  Unfortunately, it’s much too small even though it’s the same size as the rest of my Fix – instead of having enough room to hang over my tush, it clung to my backside and just felt odd.  It’s about mid-thigh length, so for a tunic length,  I feel like it should have enough room to fit over the hips and butt  instead of being quite so form fitting.  I’m also not into  the whole cold shoulder trend even though I know it’s really in right now.  I kind of have wide, linebacker shoulders and thick upper arms, so I feel like adding extra emphasis on my shoulders with a cutout in the fabric there makes them look extra wide/thick, and it draws attention to an area I like to minimize and hide.  The fabric is a polyester/rayon/spandex knit, made in the USA, and it’s a nice weight for spring or fall.  However, this just didn’t wow me.  It’s definitely going back.

Item: Market & Spruce Sawyer Space Dye Dolman Sleeve Knit Top
Cost:
$58
Paired With:  
Makers Lianne Skinny Jean (this month’s Fix), yellow flats (mine), necklace (mine)
This is another top that just wasn’t a hit with me.  Dolman sleeves are another sort of “in” thing right now that I just don’t like – they add extra fabric and bulk when plus size gals generally don’t need extra fabric and bulk.  I mean, you can see how wide this makes me look in comparison to the photo above.  I think it may be a size too big too, and the sleeve length is awkward – it’s between 3/4 length and full length and it’s just.. odd.  The fabric is a rayon/acrylic/spandex blend and is made in the USA with imported yarn.  The drape is nice, and the fabric is a lighter, open sort of knit that would work well  to throw on for a cool summer evening, but the fit and style is just not working for me.  This one is definitely going back.

Item: Makers Lianne Skinny Jean
Cost:
$48
Paired With:  
Black heels, necklace, top, cardigan (all mine)
Okay, it’s like Lana read my mind.  See, I’ve always been anti-skinny-jean.  I’ve got big thighs and despite having tried jeans that are more fitted before, I just never liked the way my legs looked – I’ve got thinner  ankles but  plenty of junk in the trunk, so from the side, I just didn’t like what I saw (something about showing off the way my legs get wider and wider  up to my butt just.. ehh).  I was all BOOTCUT4LYFE because they make a nice, straight line from my tush  to my shoes, and it’s totally my jean-shape-comfort-zone.  I was thinking just a few weeks ago  that maybe I should give skinny jeans  another try since there’s no commitment in just trying on clothes at a store, and who knows, maybe I’ll find a pair that will actually work.  Somehow Lana knew!  I love that she gave me a little extra nudge in her notes, saying that they’re super comfy, because wow are they ever.  The length is even just about right!  Maybe an inch too long, but with the stretch, the little bit of extra length is really no problem at all.  The fabric is a cotton/polyester/spandex blend (made in China), so they’re stretchy, but still have enough weight to them that they’re definitely jeans, albeit super nice jeans that I’d even wear to photography jobs.  I definitely like these with a shorter top as in the photo above but with a longer cardigan.  That way I can wear skinny jeans, but still give a little coverage to my thighs and tush  if I’m having one of those super-self-conscious kind of days.  These are definitely a keeper.

Item: Loveappella Tonia Knit Dress
Cost:
$48
Paired With:  
Heels, belt, cardigan (all mine)
I swear to you, this dress is magic.  The illusion of the lines means the horizontal lines on the top make my bust look bigger (scroll up to the prior photos, because it’s really not – that’s all optical illusion), while the vertical lines on the skirt seem to make me look taller.  MAGIC, I TELL YOU.  Lana  picked this specifically for my love of retro 1950’s style, and then went and suggested it should go with red lipstick, so I was happy to comply and add some more pops of red, because RED.  I think the dress might be a teensy little bit too big, but going down a size might make the skirt not hang as well over my hips.  The belt brings in the waist, making the fit pretty close to perfect.  The top of the dress is an off-the-shoulder sort of design, but I found that it didn’t want to stay put on my arms, so I just let it slide up into a wide scoop neck shape.  The ruffle around the top is really cute too.  The fabric is a rayon/spandex jersey knit, made in the USA, and it’s super soft and drapes just perfectly.  I don’t think I even need to say it, but YAAAS KEEPER.

Item: Gilli Morgen Skirt
Cost:
$58
Paired With:  
On Left – Top and necklace (last month’s fix), belt and heels (mine).  On Right  – shoes, necklace, tank, and shirt  (mine)
I’ll admit that when I saw this skirt, I knew that it had to have been inspired by a pin I put on my Stitch Fix Pinterest board.  Lana suggested I pair it with the black top from last month’s fix, so I added the necklace from last month too for the photo on the left, and it looks really dressy for a nice night out.  I added that belt since it helps give me a little more of a shape through the middle, though I’m not completely sold on that belt with the outfit (maybe a thinner belt?).  I figured if I had the skirt that matched the Pinterest pin, I might as well try and style it that way too, hence the photo on the right.  It’s a more casual look, but it really gives the skirt a whole new life, paired with flats and a denim top.  The fabric is a polyester/spandex knit with a viscose/spandex lining and is made in the USA.  It feels a little like swimsuit fabric, but it’s got a nice drape and swing to it, and the lining gives it enough oomph and shape to keep it from being too clingy.  The print is a black, grey, and yellow oversize floral design which is just abstract enough to be a little edgy and fun without looking like grandma’s couch.  This probably isn’t a skirt I would’ve ever picked up for myself, but now that I have it here and had the chance to pair it with things from my own closet, I really, really like it,  and can see SO many more things I already have that will go perfectly with it.  Totally a keeper.

The bill for the whole fix comes to $266.  If I kept the whole fix, the Buy 5, 25% discount would bring the total down to $199.50.  I’m definitely sending back the first two tops, so that means my total is $154, minus the $20 styling fee brings it down to $134 for the dress, skirt, and jeans.  They’re all pieces I feel like I can wear a bunch of different ways, are quality fabrics, and they’re new staples to my wardrobe instead of being cheap, trendy pieces that I’ll only wear for one season.  Plus, for every new piece I keep from Stitch Fix, I make myself remove something from the closet that just doesn’t work anymore.

Final thoughts:  I like being given little nudges  outside of my style comfort zone.  I have a pretty good  idea of what silhouettes/shapes/cuts work best on my body, but it’s great to have someone give me a poke and say, “Hey, I have this idea for something I think will work for you, let’s try it, and if it doesn’t work out, no big deal, just send it back.”  This is great because I don’t have to fight traffic and parking and then dig through racks to find the right size – it all comes straight to my door.  The callbacks to previous fixes in the styling notes are helpful too, and make the best use of items I already have in my wardrobe.  I do think I need to tweak my style profile a little since I’m getting all items with sleeves even though  we’re rolling into summer.  I think the mighty Stitch Fix computer algorithm is only giving Lana so much to choose from and changing the “arms” preference from “keep them covered” to “sometimes I’ll flaunt them” will give her more options to choose from.  I may not like to show off my arms, but I can always throw a cardigan or jacket over something sleeveless.  I may have two items going back in this fix, but there was absolutely no doubt on the three keepers!   In case you’re thinking about trying Stitch Fix and want to give me a little love, here’s my referral link!

Espionage Cosmetics Nexus – May 2017

Another month of Espionage Cosmetics Nexus has arrived!  This month’s theme was, “Keeping Track,” and I honestly had no idea where that was going.  The spoiler image teased a set of tally marks on a chalkboard, but you really never know until the shiny black mailer shows up in the mailbox.  Both wraps are definitely right on track with the theme though and make for awesome designs, and I’m going to have a hard time picking a favorite for voting this month!

  • Tally Marks – These feature a clear background on glossy nail wraps so you can layer your favorite color nail polish underneath.  They also have a glow in the dark feature beyond the black tick marks, and as usual, these glow crazy bright.
  • Abacus – This is a glossy nail wrap with a foil accent on the abacus bars.  I just love the bright colors on these and how the foil accent makes them really stand out.

I like the black and white simplicity of the tally marks, but the colorful abacus is so neat.  I’m still torn!  The month-to-month subscription cost is $15, and since each wrap goes for $10 on the website, the value definitely exceeds the cost, plus, subscribers get first crack at new designs.  Subscribers then vote on their favorite design, and the winner of the Nail Wrap Battle Royale goes on to be sold on the Espionage Cosmetics website while the loser gets locked in the vault.  Next month’s theme has already been released, and it’s, “They See Me Trollin'” which you know is just going to be amazing, coming from the geniuses at the EC team.

I have one extra note since today is a big day at Espionage Cosmetics for makeup.  Preorders have launched for the anticipated Colovaria Collection and RPG Collection! The company started with loose mineral shadows and now they are releasing pressed eyeshadow palettes. This is huge for the world of #NerdMakeup.

If you’re a fan of Harry Potter or The Magicians (or anything magical), definitely check out the Colovaria Collection. If you’re more on the gamer side (World of Warcraft, League of Legends, Dungeons and Dragons, etc.) you’ll definitely be partial to the RPG Collection which is packed with super pigmented colors.  Or, you know, grab both of them because they’re both made of awesome.

You can check out the preorder launch and find out more information on the palettes at espionagecosmetics.com/nerdmakeup.

FanMail Box April 2017

I subscribed to the FanMail Box a few cycles ago, but finally decided to add it to the blog this time around!  It’s a little hit or miss for me since it’s kind of heavy on the Harry Potter, a fandom I’m really not into.  I’ve never read the books or seen the movies, and it’s just not my thing (my least favorite genre is fantasy – I’d take zombies and space explorers  over wizards any day of the week!).  This month did feature one Harry Potter item, but the rest were from other fandoms, and it’s great to have a box that caters to lady geeks!  This month’s theme was, “The Gang’s All Here,” and was teased as featuring items from, “the teams that right the wrongs, solve the mysteries, and have one another’s backs as they fight the good fight.”  Lots of possibilities to choose from!  The front of the product card is even a coloring page featuring Buffy and her gang.  This box arrived just yesterday, right on time with their usual shipping schedule.

  • Rogue One “I Rebel” Beanie – It’s a really heavy, thick beanie hat in a grey knit with a bit of embroidery on the front that says, “I Rebel,” over the rebel logo.  I’m definitely more into Star Trek than Star Wars, but even so, this is a great hat and will definitely come in handy this winter!
  • Charmed Triquetra Scarf – It’s a light chiffon infinity scarf in a purple ombre with the Triquetra or Trinity Knot printed in white all over the scarf.  The Triquetra is obviously from Charmed, but it’s also such a well-known Celtic symbol that it ends up being a little subtle nerd content that you wouldn’t necessarily know referred to Charmed unless you were part of the secret FanMail nerd club.
  • Spirit in the Sky Bath Bomb – From NerdieNifties comes this pretty lavender-scented bath bomb inspired by the Guardians of the Galaxy that has a mystery charm inside.  We have a teeny little bathtub at home, so I’m going to save this for a future vacation to a fancy place with a big old jacuzzi tub.
  • Harlequin Nail Wraps – From Espionage Cosmetics, these nail wraps feature a pretty design from a famous partner in crime to the Joker, Harley Quinn.  I already have this one in my nail wrap stash, but you can never go wrong with more nail wraps!
  • Rejected Princesses Enamel Pin – A nice little enamel pin marking the publishing of the book by the same name, Rejected Princesses.  I took a look at the book, and I want to know where was this when I was a kid?!  The book features real stories about, “women too awesome, awful, or offbeat for kids’ movies.”  Take that, Disney Princesses!
  • Rejected Princesses Trading Cards Set – Going along with the above pin is a set of four trading cards featuring different rejected princesses.
  • Harry Potter Golden Trio Postcard – Well, again, Harry Potter is just not my thing, but I know enough friends who love Harry Potter, so someone is going to get a just-because postcard in the near future.

There was no t-shirt this time, so in lieu of the t-shirt, they included a bonus item (mine is the Orphan Black comic book) and a discount code for their website.  There were also a bunch of promotional materials – A Quirk Books double chaplet of Geekerella and The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen, The Legend of Korra preview edition, a leaflet about ConTessa and a “Nevertheless She Persisted” bookmark from them as well, and two stickers for The Werewolf Diaries.

The subscription costs $21.99-$23.99 depending on your shirt size on a bimonthly basis.  I know the nail wraps retail for $10, the bath bomb is around $6, and with the scarf and beanie, the value easily exceeds the cost.  I think they worked the theme through the products really well this time and I really liked this box as a whole.  Plus, I got to learn about the Rejected Princesses project and it’s just so perfectly up my alley!

One Local Summer 2017 – Meal 2

Meal two of this year’s One Local Summer is in the books!  We’re still a little short on vegetables since it’s early in the growing season, but there’s plenty of spinach and mushrooms to go around, plus we had a new vendor at the market that had sheep’s milk feta, so the idea for this meal came together pretty quickly.  I found a recipe for a spinach and feta galette here, and with a few modifications, it ended up working as a perfect One Local Summer meal.  I didn’t have ricotta or sour cream, but I did have mushrooms, so I made a small change.  I probably should’ve added a bit more spinach to fill in the gaps, but really, it was fine without it, just a little thin.  I’m going to reveal one of my biggest baking tips here too – for the crust, instead of cutting the butter and pulsing it in a food processor, I freeze my butter and grate it into the flour.  It makes for a more even distribution of butter and a perfect flaky crust every time.  On the side is a simpleMâche salad with olive oil and our own homemade vinegar.  These greens are something I haven’t had before but are buttery and nutty  and a real delight next to the galette.  The galette is also great as leftovers, reheated in the toaster oven!

Ingredients:
Mâche –  Jack’s Farm
Butter – I think it was Yellow Springs Farm – the farm name isn’t on the label, but it looks like their font/style!
Flour –  Mill at Anselma
Mushrooms –  Oley Valley Mushrooms
Feta Cheese –  Day Spring Farm
Spinach –  Charlestown Farm
Non Local – Olive Oil, homemade vinegar, salt

Benevolent Beauty Box April 2017

The Benevolent Beauty Box for April 2017 arrived today!  They’ve moved up their shipping schedule so that it ships mid-month which explains the earlier arrival this month.  That’s absolutely fine with me since this box is always a treat!  This also marks the one year anniversary of the box – I jumped on for their second box in May of 2016, so this is my 12th monthly box from them.  In honor of their anniversary, they sent out a special loyalty bonus which was the Bellapierre lip creme.  Even without the bonus, this box is pretty amazing!  It’s also the first that’s completely vegan.

  • Scrub Supply Co. Coffee Scrub – 100 g / $16.98 – (Product is full size)  HOLY COFFEE BATMAN.  This smells amazing.  I LOVE my morning cup of coffee, so naturally anything coffee scented is right up my alley, and this is a great, coarse sugar scrub that only has four ingredients.  Did I mention how amazing it smells?  We received a Turmeric scrub from the same company a few months ago and I’m loving that one too, so it’s great to see another product from this company.
  • Orglamix Cream Luminizer – 1.5 g / $18 – (Product is full size)  The color received is, “Illume.”  I’m just not into highlighters, and I received a similar version of this in another box last year.  The product is pretty greasy and the solid turns into an oil with the heat of your fingers in the pot.  Mine also released from the pot when I went to try it out.  I probably wouldn’t use this under or over any kind of powder since the oils  would probably just eat up any  powder, but I think I might actually like this better than the one from last year, so I’m not sure if maybe they tweaked the formula a little?  I could see this working out okay on summer days when you want a bit of a boost without wearing a full face of makeup.  It’s not quite as glittery or sparkly as the other one I have – it’s more of a subtle, rosy, pearlescent glow than a glittery sparkle.  And, of course, my dry skin would love the base of natural oils.  I may have to use this a few days to see how I feel about it.
  • Clarria Pure Primer – 1 oz / $50 – (Product is full size)  A primer with no silicones!  It’s unscented and dispenses with  a thick, sticky cream/gel consistency.  A teeny little bit goes a crazy long way, so this is going to last me forever.  The ingredient list is a bunch of oils (jojoba, rosehip, avocado), so my dry skin is going to love this as a dual purpose moisturizer and primer.  It dries to a soft, matte, silky finish, and I REALLY REALLY like this.  I like it enough that I’d probably use it even if I’m not putting makeup on top of it since it feels so incredibly moisturizing too.  I’ve always been kinda meh on primers since I don’t usually do the whole foundation thing, but this is ridiculously amazing.
  • Modish Polish – 15 mL / $12 – (Product is full size)  The color received is, “Where’s my mojito?”  It’s a super pretty, minty, spring green and it’s just perfect!  The other variant was a pink color, so I’m super pleased to see this color in my box.  I already know and love this brand, and it’s nice to get such a fun color.  This is definitely going to be my next manicure!
  • OFRA Liquid Lipstick – 6 g / $19.90 – (Product is full size)  The color received is, “Mocha.”  I had actually gotten this same color in another box  last year, but it’s become a fast favorite, so I’m happy to see it again!  The product has this light vanilla scent and goes on smooth, drying to a creamy, matte finish.  It’s a pretty, reddish nude and from past use, it really does last a good long while without drying out completely like some long-lasting lipsticks do.
  • Bellapierre Kiss Proof Lip Creme – 3.8 g / $20 – (Product is full size)  This was my loyalty bonus product.  The color received is, “Hibiscus.”  This is my favorite of all the lip colors ever, a really pretty red raspberry color.  The formula smells a little fruity and goes on as a light liquid cream.  It sets pretty quickly and it feels like it’ll last for hours and hours.  But the color!  I mean, it’s like they know me over there at Benevolent Beauty.  If I had to pick a single color out of the Bellapierre lineup, this would 100% be it.

Overall, the box value comes to $116.88!  Including the loyalty bonus, the box contains a total value of $136.88 in products which is INCREDIBLE for a box that costs $29.95 per month for a month-to-month subscription.  The big winner for me this month is the Clarria primer because it’s something I wouldn’t have searched for on my own, but it’s definitely a product I can see myself purchasing again because it’s just that amazing.  Both lipsticks are perfect, the nail polish is an OH YES, the coffee scrub is amazing, and I’m going to have to give the Orglamix Luminizer an honest try since it seems  different than the one I tried before.  There was also a coupon code in the box for 33% off your first month at SerenaFit, and a note on the product card about this being Prevention to Animal Cruelty Month.  I really love the commitment this box has to being cruelty free that extends beyond the products!

Sephora Play! April 2017

The Sephora Play! for April has finally arrived today!  It’s a little later than usual, but it seems that my box variant, #575, was in the last batch to ship.  The theme for this month was, “Step it up,” so I expected something with intense colors, prestige brands, etc.  That didn’t really happen here.  The themes just never seem to be actual themes, just catchy slogans they trot out and then ignore when it comes to product selection.  I know I keep saying it, but for $10.60/mo including tax and shipping, I suppose I shouldn’t be complaining, but if you’re going to have a theme, stick to it.  The bag this month says, “The Best Things in Life Are Me,” and features a cartoonish girl in a tiara on the front with a pink ribbon.  Not my favorite bag, to be honest.  The design just isn’t to my tastes at all, and I think I prefer the more plain words-only designs.

  • Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover – 4.2 oz / $11 – (Product is .84 oz, value of $2.20)  This says it’s suitable for people with sensitive eyes, but it contains dyes and salt (sodium chloride).  There’s no reason for this to contain dyes other than to make it look pretty, and salt?!  Near your eyes?!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS?!  I don’t need a waterproof eye makeup remover since I don’t really use waterproof makeup, plus, I use natural oils to remove my makeup and it does a far better job with zero irritation (and only one ingredient!).
  • Smashbox Photo Finish Primer – 1 oz / $36 – (Product is .25 oz, value of $9)  I would honestly almost count this as a zero value item since I know I’ve received this multiple times as a free sample on Sephora.com orders.  I have about five of these exact same size lying around already, and there’s nothing stepped-up about a primer that everyone’s already gotten a sample of a few times.  It’s okay – it’s a basic, silicone-based primer – but it’s nothing new or special.
  • Kate Somerville Exfolikate – .5 oz / $24 – (Product is .25 oz, value of $12)  The third ingredient is polyethylene, so the little exfoliator bits are plastic.  There is actually a ban on plastic microbeads passed in 2015 that goes into effect on July 1, 2017, and I’m not sure why Kate Somerville hasn’t gotten on board yet since these little plastic exfoliator beads are huge pollutants.  I did give this a try – the exfoliation action is much more of a fine sand than a coarse scrub.  It has a fresh, green and cinnamony sort of scent that isn’t overpowering.  Unfortunately, the use of plastic exfoliator beads is a huge problem for me, and I’m really surprised that they haven’t bothered to change their formula since the law is due to go into effect in a few months.
  • Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette – 1.7 oz / $80 – (Product is .04 oz, value of $1.88)  Stinky floral mess.  I really can’t handle floral perfumes and this contains both violet and jasmine, so it’s a huge nope for me.  As usual though, I enjoy getting these samples since it helps me figure out what perfumes I do and don’t like.
  • Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream – 48 mL / $52 – (Product is 7.5 mL, value of $8.13)  This is a perfect fit for my dry skin profile.  The first bunch of ingredients are silicones, so I feel like this could double as a primer too.  It dispenses as a completely unscented gel, but goes on like water, and it makes my skin feel super soft.  It’s a shame this company tests on animals, or I’d be first in line to buy the full size!
  • Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Waterproof Eyeliner – .04 oz / $21 – (Product is .01 oz, value of $5.25)  It’s a basic black eyeliner.  The formula does go on nice and velvety matte and richly pigmented, but again, it’s not what I’d call stepped-up  – it’s a pretty basic sort of item.  I guess the brand is maybe the stepped-up part?  Unfortunately, the company tests on animals, so this isn’t something I’d buy again since there are plenty of cruelty-free eyeliners out there.

Overall, the value of the box comes to $38.46 which is pretty much average, and a great value for the cost of only $10.60 per month including tax and shipping.  This is a far better box than last month’s, and I appreciate the diversity in products this time around!  Unfortunately, only one product this month is from a completely cruelty free company, Marc Jacobs.  Smashbox is owned by Estée Lauder, and Kate Somerville by Unilever, so even if they individually are cruelty free, their parent companies are not.  It also marks yet another box with an Estée Lauder brand.  I’m still waiting on that 100% cruelty free box, Sephora.  With Earth Day this month, they  totally had a chance too!

Kloverbox April 2017

April’s Kloverbox is here, and for the second month in a row, I’m underwhelmed.  This is supposed to be a big box from them since it’s the month with Earth Day, so I expected some neat, Earth Day related sort of products that focused on natural, sustainable ingredients, or replacing disposable items with something reusable.  That really didn’t happen here.  It feels like a random hodgepodge of items, one of which is a repeat (the bracelet).  I’ve already cancelled my subscription since two boxes that are a poor fit are kind of my rule of thumb for cancelling.  There’s one more left on my pre-paid subscription, but I can’t say I have high hopes.

  • Zabana Essentials Dry Shampoo – 2 oz / $12.95 – (Product is full size)  The scent is Lavender Citrus Mint, and it  smells completely unappealing.  The three really just don’t go together in my world, and they’re just fighting each other instead of blending together.  (Have you had orange juice after you brushed your teeth?  Yeah, like that.)  Beyond that, it’s dry shampoo.  The product says you have to distribute it by brushing it in, and you DO NOT EVER EVER BRUSH CURLY HAIR.  EVER.  So, this is useless for me.  Nevermind the fact that dry shampoos are meant to soak up oil and extend time between washing, but if you don’t have enough oil on your scalp and hair to soak up, it just makes your hair look dull and lifeless (I don’t – I add oil to my scalp to keep it from peeling apart, so dry shampoos are a huge nope in my world).
  • Elements of Aliel No. 2 Peace Cleanser – 2.5 oz / $15 – (Product is full size)  This was the only item in the box that I was interested in.  When I peeled back the inner foam seal, the scent was extremely disappointing.  It smells… wrong.  I can’t quite describe it other than that it doesn’t smell like something you would ever want to put on your face.  Almost like the compost bin or the damp, decaying leaves in the woods?  It’s a dark brown liquid, and just a little bit produces a rich lather that cleans nicely.  Just.. hold your breath while it’s on your face I guess.
  • MudLove Bracelet – 1 bracelet / $8 – (Product is full size)  We received the version of this that said, “Thankful,” in the November 2015 box, and I didn’t want it then either.  Yes, the charity is great and provides clean water for a week to someone in need, but I’m just not the type of person who wears stuff like this.  Inspirational slogans are just not me, the bracelet design isn’t my style, and I prefer to give my money to charities without receiving something I don’t need or won’t use in return.
  • AvoSeedo – 1 item / $12.99 – (Product is full size)  Well, I don’t have kids and don’t live in a climate where we can grow avocado trees outdoors, so this is useless to me.  They sprout up fast enough without using a special plastic growing tray, and I just don’t see the point to this.  Sprout an avocado pit, put it in a pot where it’ll never grow avocados where I live?  I’m just not into it.

Overall, the box value comes to $48.94 which is just shy of double the cost of $25 for a month-to-month subscription.  My personal value is only $15 for the cleanser which, even though it smells awful, it still works well enough, so I’ll still use it.  There’s a note on the product card that a vendor, Naturally Clean, pulled out of the box due to a health issue, and the product will end up in the July box instead.  I won’t be subscribing for the July box, so I’m feeling a little bit cheated out of a product here.  Maybe ignorance would’ve been bliss?   The rest of the box was a complete miss for me – I know people love dry shampoos and bracelets and there are probably subscribers who will love the AvoSeedo, but I’m not that person, and this box was a huge bummer for me.  I was pretty psyched about this box being bought out and given a makeover by new management, but between this and the last box, I’m finding it’s just not a good fit for me.  Oh well, this gives me an opportunity to move on and try new things!