Tag: Kloverbox

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!

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!

The March boxes are starting to roll in and Kloverbox is the first!  They’re a great  mix of both beauty and lifestyle products, so this box can go so many ways and it’s always neat to see what they put together.  The packaging was green and brown crinkle paper and included a few little green clovers which fits in with the theme on the product card, “Stop and smell the Klovers.”  Cute!

• Love Myself Organics Natural Deodorant – 2.9 oz / $11.95 – (Product is full size)  The scent is, “Forever,” which is a lavender blend and smells like a warm, herbal lavender – not soapy at all.  It comes in a solid stick form (YAY!  No making a mess digging the product out of a pot and applying with your fingers!) and goes on nicely though it does take a bit of swiping the stick on your underarm to warm it up so it applies.  The formula is pretty much the same basic formula as all the other natural deodorants I’ve tried that haven’t worked, so even though this says it actually works (just like all the others), it’s probably not going to work for me.  Natural deodorants just don’t work 8+ hours unless you’re sitting still, and being stinky while working as a photographer at a wedding is a huge no-no.  I do like the scent, and while I’d love to make the switch to natural deodorants, they just never work long enough (nor do I have the luxury of being able to not worry about BO and go  through the “transition period” of “detoxing” off aluminum-based deodorants).  So, unfortunately, this is kind of a miss for me, just like every natural deodorant ever.  I’ll probably still save it to use for the days I’m doing editing work at the computer, but it’s not going to replace my regular deodorant.
• Cuccio Somatology Elixir Calming Spray – 2 oz / $8.95 – (Product is full size)  The scent is Lavender and Cardamom which combine to make a lovely, light but warm scent.  The product website suggests that this can be used as a room spray or on towels, and I can definitely see that being a perfect application.  I’d probably even give my pillow a mist with this before bed.  The scent is not overpowering at all, my nose can definitely pick out both the lavender and cardamom, and it’s just plain delightful.
• Harvey Price Eau de Parfum – 8.8 mL / $28 – (Product is full size)  Oh Harvey, how I haven’t missed you.  Harvey Prince products are kind of an unfortunate thing in the beauty box world.  They’re everywhere, they’re not that great, and people seem to groan whenever one shows up.  Anyway!  This scent is supposed to have notes of Indonesian Clove Bud, Australian Sandalwood, Moroccan Rose, French Bergamot, Indian Tuberose, Japanese Orange Flower, Lebanese Cedarwood, Turkish Cyclamen, and South African Freesia.  Instead, it smells more like laundry detergent or dryer sheets at first.  The freesia then takes over and steals the show, and maybe it’s just me and the fact that I don’t like stinky florals like freesia, but I can’t pick out anything else over the freesia.  So, this goes on to the trade/give-away box because I loathe floral perfumes.
• VagMagic – 7 count / $7.99 – (Product is full size)  No, that’s really the name.  VagMagic.  I mean, I had to laugh because it’s a hilarious name, but it claims to be just that exactly, so, VagMagic it is.  It’s essentially Boric Acid and L. Acidophilus in a capsule form which is a pretty well-known homeopathic cure for yeast infections and BV.  Fortunately, I’ve never had a reason to use a product like this, and I don’t see the need  to introduce this magic to something that’s already working properly, so.. this one is a loss for me too.  I appreciate the natural approach to health, but personal care products like this are just.. ugh.  I don’t like seeing them in subscription boxes.

The total value comes to $56.89 which is over double the cost of $25 for a month-to-month subscription.  Personally, the only thing I’ll keep and use is the Cuccio Calming Spray, so the value on this one personally doesn’t come out above the cost this month.  Bummer!  Not every box is going to be a winner, and I get that  – it’s all part of the subscription box  idea that you get to try new things without shelling out for a full size.  So, even if this box didn’t work out for me in terms of cost to value ratio, I did get to try (or see) three products that I wouldn’t have tried otherwise, even if they didn’t wow me.  Looking forward to next month!

February’s Kloverbox is here and I’m getting the post up right away!  WOOHOO!  Clearly, Valentine’s Day factored into this box since it felt a little like a fantastic gift box this month.  A candle, earrings, chocolate, and foot oil made for a nice surprise and a change from the usual sort of goods they include.  This box always keeps me guessing – you really never know what’s going to show up!

• Cypress Skincare Foot Love – 1 oz / $20 – (Product is full size)  Okay, so we already know I don’t particularly like peppermint scented anything, and every foot product ever is peppermint scented, including this one.  I gave it a try and while it’s definitely peppermint, it’s not a heavy peppermint and the scent dissipates pretty quickly – I couldn’t even smell it on my hands after a few minutes.  Made with loads of healing oils, this makes dry, cracked feet feel softer right away.  I put it on right after a shower and then put on hand knit wool socks.
• The Isle Co Soy Lotion Candle – 6 oz  / $14.99 – (Product is full size)  This scent, “Love Struck,” is on sale on the website this month for $11.25 as the fragrance of the month.  The scent is sweet and fruity and reminds me of pomegranate.  The idea with the candle is that after the candle burns a little, you blow it out, then you can use the wax (100% soy) as a lotion.  I thought it was a little weird, but because it’s pure soy oil, it actually works!  It goes on a lot like coconut oil (stays a liquid with the heat of your skin) and doesn’t feel greasy or waxy.
• Wrenn Jewelry Becki Earrings – 1 set / $26 – (Product is full size)  The color we received is the, “Rose Druzy,” color, a rose gold color.  I’m not too big on gold and I hate pink, so I’m going to pass these on to a friend.  I really do love the earring design, I’m just not into the color.  Fortunately, there’s a coupon code for 15% off, so I can pick out a set that aren’t pink!  I’m really digging the Platinum ones, so those may have to find their way to me.
• Rose & Basil Truffles – 2 truffles / $2.90 – (Product is full size)  Well, I know that they’re vegan, but I have no idea what the flavors are!  There’s no insert or card to let me know which flavors I got.  Browsing the company’s instagram, it looks like the one on the right is Chocolate Pomegranate and the one on the left might be Elderflower?  I’m just guessing here.  Of course I had to try them out right away.  The left one was really floral, maybe even lavender-ish, and the right one was delicious.  I think I still prefer regular non-vegan chocolates, but the flavors are such neat mixes.  If I happen to be in NYC, I’ll have to stop in!

Overall, the box value came to $63.89 which is well over double the cost of $25 on a month-to-month basis!  Even without the earrings, the value still comes out over the cost, plus I get to give something pretty to a friend.  I really love how this box goes beyond the traditional beauty box and includes all sorts of cruelty free items – it keeps the box new and interesting.