Amoda Tea: May Tea Tasting Box Review

Happy Victoria Day Lovelies! In celebration (I love celebrating, can't you tell?) I would like to share with you a new Tea Tasting Service based right out of Canada. The box is called Amoda Tea and is $15/month or $18/month is you live in the US. Shipping is also included in this price. You receive three teas to try out each month. Not too shabby. Today, I'll be sharing the May Tea Tasting Box. The box it came in pictured above is quite smaller and more flat than I expected. I find this a great thing because it definitely cuts down on waste and is recyclable. 

The presentation is quite elegant. I like that everything has been carefully placed and wrapped too. Ech box also contains a newsletter with the origins of the teas, where to find them, and how they came to discover this tea.

Here are the three teas for tasting this month. Each package has tasting notes and brew instructions right on the bag. Also, the bags have a clear backside so you can look right at them. (see pic below) From left to right:

Lord Petersham by the Devotea: a black tea.

Island Coconut by SpireTea: a green tea.

Rooibos Chocolate by Forsman Tea: a rooibos tea

Also included was an extra treat: Caramels infused with Citrus Earl Grey tea by Bad Girl Chocolates. Yum!

I like that you get the three different kinds of tea in one month. After all variety is the spice of life! I definitely like this box and its definitely one I am considering signing up for. You can check them out here.

I was sent this box for review. The thoughts and opinons are mine own. 'Mine own.' I've always wanted to use that phrase :)

Radiant Cosmetics: Beauty with Heart!

I like to call Radiant Cosmetics, Beauty with Heart. They are a cosmetics company that sells fabulous products and gives a portion of their proceeds to aid in the stoppage of human trafficking. If you check out their website, there is a shop and there is a whole section designed to educate visitors on human trafficking.
Their mission statement (from their website): Our mission is to help garner awareness for human trafficking by raising funds through cosmetics, to provide resources for those on the forefront of change, as well as victims of trafficking.
They donate a minimum of 20% of the profits from each purchase to various groups and charities supporting the stoppage of human trafficking. They also have a few suggestions if you'd rather donate directly to the charities. I thought this is a fabulous idea. We all know how much we spend on our beauty products. Why not buy a beauty item that can give back? :)
Radiant Cosmetics are produced in the USA and are never tested on animals. Their paraben free makeup items include Lipsticks, Lip Glosses, Blushes, Mascara, and Mineral Foundation.

I decided to pick up a few items and share them with you. The items pictured above are Radiant's moisturizing lipstick in Park Avenue and blush in Sunkissed.

 Here is a pic of Park Avenue. Its a really deep red-fuschia shade. I really like it as its a daring shade for me. Sunkissed is also a great peach-bronze blush. It does give me that just in the sun look. I have both swatched on my wrist below. The pigmentation of each is quite good. I wore the lipstick out one day and never had to re-apply it. 

Lovelies, go check out Radiant Cosmetics. Pick up a lipstick and help fight human trafficking! Thank you Radiant Cosmetics for having Beauty with Heart!

I purchased these products for review (and use!) and the thoughts and opinions are my own.

May 2013 Ipsy Bag and SeasonsBox

Happy Caturday, Lovelies! I snapped this pic the other night because the furbabies are actually getting along. Onyx is a feisty, dominant girl and often likes to show Mick she's boss. This time around, she's letting him nap. It could be because she is atop my favourite, cozy blanket. 

Let's do some unboxings :)

Spring Fling Ipsy Bag

I really like the bag design this month. I forget how good orange and blue can look good together. Tiffany blue and orange were two of my wedding colours! 

At the top is a Pacifica Roll-on perfume in Tahitian Gardenia.
The middle from left to right:
Zoya Nail Polish in Piaf. I do like Zoya. I like the free 5 formulation which leaves out formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, dibutyl phthalate or camphor. I kinda wish I didn't get the yellow one though.

NuMe Finishing Serum. It's supposed to give your hair a glossy finish.

yaby Concealer in Vanilla. This shade is way too light for me so this will be given away to my sister. I did email ipsy and they said basically I could just trade it away. :P Not really the response of that I wanted.

Urban Decay Moondust shadow in Diamond Dog. I was really surprised when I found this in my bag. I received a note thanking me for being an ipsy content creator. This was such a lovely surprise! Thanks, ipsy :)

On the bottom is Juice Beauty's Reflecting Lip Gloss in pink. Yay for lip gloss!

So all in all, despite the concealer mismatch, it was not a bad bag at all. :) You can sign up for ipsy here.

May SeasonsBox

 This month celebrates Mothers. The May SeasonsBox is filled with ecofriendly and stylish indulgences that are sure to make every woman feel pampered! (from insert card)

 From Left to Right

Deep Steep Natural Body Wash in lavender and chamomile. I hadn't actually heard of this company before. Shea and cocoa butters hydrate your skin while antioxidants moisturize and tone. Sounds good to me!

Gourmet Body Treats Natural Eye Shadow in Island. This is more of a light neutral shade. I have a close-up pick below.

Zen-ful Natural Rose Bath Bomb. I'm pretty sure I have received this before. Just not sure where.....

Priti NYC Natural Nail Polish in Mermaid Rose. Lucky me, another yellow polish, haha! I'm not really sure what part of of the mermaid or the rose inspired this colour. 

This has been the most beauty products I've seen in a month of SeasonsBox. Now I know there's been some talk of the company changing hands or moving. My shipping notice came from Atlanta, GA. I really hope this is still a Canadian company as its one of the reasons I signed up. SeasonsBox, please take some time to explain the situation for us! The sign up for SeasonsBox can be found here.

Enter my mini FB Victoria Day Giveaway! 

Bonjour Jolie Grand Opening Box Review

Happy Almost Friday, Lovelies! I'm so thrilled to bring you a review of a new 'Time of the Month' box. This one actually exceeds my expectations. I have seen other boxes in the same category and none of them really appealed to me. When I stumbled on Bonjour Jolie, I was actually intrigued by what they promised. A monthly box of pampering. And they ship to Canada! I had to check it out. When you sign up, you are given a little quiz so they can get to know your preferences and stuff along with times of your monthly cycle.

First off, the packaging and presentation are beautiful! This definitely feels like a gift someone sent me, a care package if you will. 

 Each box comes with a product card. Looks like each month will have a theme. This being their first box, it is appropriately titled 'Grand Opening Box'.
Now, let's just cut to the chase and dive in!

 Here's the main bit: You can choose up to 30 hygiene products, be it tampons or pads. I prefer pads. I know some people may have qualms about getting their pads or tampons prehandled or something. I don't. I figure, its the same as asking out loud in the ladies room 'anyone have a tampon?!' or buying from one of those vending machines. Now that the main bit is taken care of, let's get to the pampering! 

 The Edibles: Incredible!
At the top there is 5 packets of Pukka Organic teas. How perfect?! One for each day. 
There is also an assortment of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Square. YUM!
There is also a pack of 479 Fleur de Sel Caramel Popcorn. I have seen a few 479 products in other food boxes and have always wanted to try them.

The Pampering
At the very top is a Lavender sachet. Its scent should help relax you. And if that doesn't work, the Advil next to it will. 
Below that (from left to right)
Indigo-Wild Zum JuJucuzzi Geranium Bath Salts
Pureology shampoo and conditioner sample
Earth Therapeutics Recover-E Cumber Eye Pads. I laughed when i saw these. How cute?
Hempz Age Defying Lotion

And last but most certainly not least: the gift. I received a Stila Mini Lip Glaze in Brown Sugar. :D

My period is on its way, due to arrive next week actually, do this box will be put to the ultimate test! Or am I being put to the ultimate test? Can those chocolates even make it to next week?! Haha

The cost is $16+$10 shipping/month. Out of all the boxes I've seen, this one is just the most comprehensive. I have tea and chocolate and beauty and pampering. Oh and supplies of course! I think it gives a lot more then other TOM boxes. I will be signing up for sure. Please check out Bonjour Jolie and pamper your period. :)


This sample box was sent to me for review purposes. The thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Bee's Knees Smoothie Scrub and Whipped Buttercream Review

Happy Hump Day, Lovelies, we're almost to the weekend! Today I'm happy to share with you another oH Canada! product review. Bee's Knees Bodyworks is based right out of Chilliwack, British Columbia. The queen Bee herself is Trish Nicol. She is the artisan behind these wonderful bath creations. Her products are always made with the best, natural ingredients she can find. I'll be reviewing (and raving) about two of her products today. The Cucumber Melon Smoothie Scrub: Sugar whipped soap and the Grapefruit Lime Soda Whipped Buttercream. Mmmmm-mmmmm-mmmm! Just thinking about them!

Look at the textures! The smoothie scrub is on the left, the butter cream is on the right. The textures can also give you a clue as to how fresh something is. And these are super fresh! You know the sound whipped cream makes when its just whipped? That kind of airy popping sound? That is what both of these products make when you stick your finger in them. 

The cucumber melon smoothie scrub is pretty divine. The light fluffy pink stuff isn't just good looking either. Its incredibly easy to use. You can use your hands or a scrub cloth like I did. It lathers up nicely with out using too much product. It isn't to rough feeling. It also doesn't leave a slippery residue on my shower when I'm using it. It just washes away clean. And the smell is spot on!

I was a little hesitant about the grapefruit lime soda whipped buttercream. I knew I would love the whipped buttercream part but I'm not the biggest fan of  grapefruit and limesoda together. When I took a whiff, it was kinda like having a Sierra Mist and 7-up. It was so spot on, I have expected to inhale some carbon bubbles! So I massaged it on. I'm glad I did. It contains shea & cocoa butters and is 98% natural. Not only did it keep my skin silky smooth for the whole day, I actually appreciated the smell more. Its like a different citrus burst, not lemon or orange. It was nice. 

I highly recommend you head over to Bee's Knees Bodyworks and check out the shop and pick up your own little treats!

I was sent these products to review with my purchase. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

eScentials Wellness Foam Facial Cleanser and Naturoil Review

 eScential Wellness

Welcome to my first oH Canada! post. I will be using That phrase at the beginning of my post to indicate that this is a proudly owned Canadian business. Let's support our Canadian businesses and artisans!

Today I will be reviewing  eScential Wellness Foaming Facial Cleanser and Naturoil.

eScential Wellness is headed by Nancy Scott. She manufactures her products herself, right in Burlington, Ontario.

Here is their Philosophy taken right from their home webpage:

eScential Wellness is committed to making products that are safe to put on your skin, and effective in what they do. Many of life's small irritations can be soothed by nature's pharmacy - therapeutic grade essential oils. All products are made in small batches, so are fresh, and use only natural Vitamin E as a preservative. Component ingredients are purchased as certified organic, and fair trade, when possible and where noted.

Foaming Facial Cleanser

I like foam. I've always had a fascination with foam and bubbles and making them as a child and it has carried on into my adulthood. So when I had a chance to try the Foaming Facial Cleanser, I was thrilled. I have been using the cleanser for a little over a week now. I'm surprised at how little I need. It usually takes only a pump or two for a good clean lather to cover my face. The cleanser is vegan friendly. It is very very mild on the skin. No irritation or redness on my face! I don't get that slathered in soap feeling I get with store-bought cleansers. It contains organic oils of coconut, olive and hemp that has been saponified. The scent is just a hint of rose geranium. Its great that after rinsing, my skin doesn't get that dried out, tight feeling. Its just clean. Fantastic! To someone whose skin feels like that all the time after cleansing their face, it feels more than great. Definitely a cleanser for you if you want something gentle.

Naturoil For Normal & Combination Skin

After cleansing I follow up with Naturoil Facial Moisturizer. Naturoil is made up of 13 oils. The list can be found on the product listing. The oil itself has kind of a citrus scent to me. The product does settle so you have to shake it before every use. A dab will also do ya. So I had expectations before trying Naturoil. I thought is is just going to be like any other facial oil I've used: really heavy, really oily, and will leave my skin oily for awhile. Naturoil blew those expectations away! It is really quite light. And it absorbs into my skin very fast, leaving no oily residue or feelings. I can put it on before bed and not have to worry about getting it soaked into my pillow. I was thoroughly impressed and will definitely be picking up another one!

Please support a Canadian business and check out eScential Wellness. You can also contact Nancy with any questions you may have. She is super nice and super knowledgeable. Thank you, Nancy! 

Also check out their Facebook Page: eScential Wellness and give them a like! :)

I was sent these products for review. The thoughts, experiences, and opinions are my own honest, raw feelings.

A Fancy Rant: The Sequel

Well, Fancy. What can I say? WTF? WTH? Here we are again. My first rant wasn't enough. So here's the sequel. Mere days after receiving my 2nd Coco Rocha Fancy box, I received yet another invoice from Fed-Ex, charging me the same amount as last time from the sender (you guessed it) Fancy. Instead of getting raging mad, I sent them a polite email:


I have been sent another bill by Fed-Ex charging me $16.46 again for the delivery of my latest Fancy Box. I have attached the invoice. This is getting ridiculous. Is your company doing anything to solve this problem? And It is not just happening to me. Along with my fee refund, which I have to again inconveniently go out of my way to pay, I wish to cancel my subscription to the Coco Rocha box. I signed back up on May 1st or so thinking that things have changed and was looking forward to the May box, but I was wrong. Cancel my subscription and refund the amount. I want my money back. This experience is definitely not worth the hassle.

Simple, pretty concise if I say so myself. They respond with same old vague, run around courtesy that I've become accustomed to. 

Thank you for your inquiry.  This was a mistake made by FedEx.  The customs charges should have been charged to us and not you.  We have refunded you for the charges.  Again I am very sorry about the inconvenience caused.  Please allow 3-5 business days for these funds to appear on your card. We thank you again for using Fancy.


You're welcome? Notice nothing about my subscription being cancelled and refunded. I also took note of the fact that they put the blame on Fed-Ex. Really? Lisa at Girl Meets Box (awesome blog, please check it out) spoke with Fed-Ex and claim that the sender checked off the box that the fees are to be charged to the recipient. And the sender is....Fancy. Hmmm. Before finding that tidbit of info, I was wondering, they have been assuring Canadian customers for months that they will not be charged extra fees. So shouldn't this problem have been resolved by now? Hmm, fishy, fishy.
I also think that they must skim through emails fast or maybe not read them at all because I've had to send emails repeating my questions. 


Is my Subscription cancelled as well? I want that refunded too. 

I decided to just write short sentences and get to the point, hoping it would improve the situation. Their response:

We are sorry to hear that you wish to cancel your Fancy Box subscription. This is a confirmation that you will not be billed in the months going forward. We’d like to thank you for your business and please let us know if there is anything we can do to improve our service going forward. 

I almost laughed at that last sentence there. So many suggestions, I don't know where to start. Notice how it says nothing about refunding me this month's charged. Just that I will not be charged next month and then on. WTF? Can I get an answer here? Can I not just read? Is it me? Yet another email for me to write:

Does this mean the charge from the beginning of May when I resubscribed has also been refunded? I want that money back as well. I do not wish to receive this month's box. 

And yet another answer, just as vague as the last:

Thank you for your inquiry.  If you cancel within 10 days of your last payment then you will automatically be refunded for the Fancy Box.

I'm beginning to think that they have a cut- and -paste approach to answering their emails. They must have a set of answers they are allowed to write. 
So my response:

A simply yes or no would have been a better answer. I see that I paid May 2nd so I should be getting my money back. But I know this email will barely be read and skimmed over. This is evidenced by the numerous emails I've had to send regarding the same questions.

And you can improve your business by learning some actual customer service skills. Vague, automatic answers are not the way to go. I've become so accustomed to your appalling customer service that I know I can probably write just about anything here, because it won't get read.

Also do not blame Fed-Ex solely for these mishaps as I'm not the only one this is happening to and Fed-Ex only follows what the sender (that's you, Fancy) requires. 

I stopped short of insulting reading skill level or anything. I just want answers in plain English! I guess I am asking for too much. 

And finally an actual answer:

Thank you for your inquiry.  Your were refunded for your Fancy Box.  Please allow 3-5 business days for the funds to return to your card.  You will no longer be charged or receive your box.  We are sorry to see you leave and thank you for using Fancy.

My gosh! Did I really have to write that many emails to get the answer I wanted? In the Fancy world, the answer is yes. Did they answer my other questions? No. But I'm through writing them for today. All I can do now is share my experience and save others the headache. So done with Fancy.
DO NOT SUBSCRIBE unless you enjoy hassles and crap customer service!