The Natural Beauty Box: WTF

Now, I am rarely stunned when a subscription disappoints the hell out of me. Heck, I was a Glymm subber! The Natural Beauty Box has failed to rebound after the December/ January disaster. I really wanted them to succeed. I really loved the boxes in the beginning. Somehow, I don't think I can feel that anymore. All that there is left to do is wait until August, which will be the end of my subscription. It is $30/month to subscribe to this ridiculousness. I do not recommend this subscription at all. April and May have been sent together which, on paper, sounds like a pretty good deal. April was extremely late and they failed to communicate at all, let alone effectively, with their customers until the end of May. (WTF?) So when the two arrived together, I actually was excited. Then I opened them.........

April Box

Top Left to right:

Oatmeal Chai Natural Soap Bar sample from Arachnes Demise- $1.50 
Naturalana Dry Shampoo/Dusting powder sample-$4
Naturalana Foot Ease Foot Scrub Sample-$1.17

Middle Left to Right:

Green Visions Aromathereapy bath & shower gel- $1.25
Into Blue lotion sample- $1
pldbody Peppermint Fizzie sample- $1
Abbalope Natural Soap Sample-$0.50

Bottom left to right:

Herbolution Calendula Chamomile Cleansing Grains sample- $1.60
Opale Essence All Natural Mineral Eye Shadow sample- $1.50
FyreWurk Shop votive candle- $1.75

Total=$15.27

May Box

The Bath Cafe Tart Melt sample- $1.60
Cheeky Chickie Soap sample- $0.88
Earth Angel Minerals Butter Cream Skin Balancer sample- $1.50

Plus Facile Natural Bath Salt sample-$2.00
Passion Moon Potions Perfume sample vial- $0.85
Sycamore Boutique Lip Tint- $2.95
and Under eye cream sample-$2.95

Molly Rose Balms lip balm sample- $0.63
Holitic Owl Owlchy Ointment Sample- $1.00
and Body Butter Sample- $1.00

Total= $15.36


Both of these boxes total what it costs for a month subscription. I'm not sure if they are changing their business model and now promoting indie artisans or etsy shops. And I'm all for small and independent business. A lot of these products do sound wonderful and I am excited to try them. But where in the hell did TNBB mention to their paying customers they were doing this? What happened to the note: 'btw we're buying itty bitty samples for you guys and charging the same, already outrageous price.'? Hey girls, for the $30 some customers paid for this, I could have done a better job putting this box together. This is unbelievable.  If you had any customer base before, they will virtually disappear now. This now definitely feels like a scam. The website hasn't even made mention of any changes and still promises the deluxe 10-15 samples per box. Where is the deluxe in either of these boxes? The full sized votive candle? Votive candles are small by definition. I for one will be glad to be rid of this service come August. TNBB, don't even think of trying to send me an invoice to renew my subscription in August as I will be ripping it up and contacting Paypal ASAP. 

Ecco Bella Review +(closed) Giveaway!

Hello, Lovelies! Today I'd like to share with you a brand I discovered that is natural and organic intelligent beauty: Ecco Bella (from the website)

Ecco Bella was started to provide cruelty-free organic cosmetics and natural skin care products. The effort grew to include products derived from organics and vitamins. We are so glad you have joined us in this mission. Indulge yourself in organic cosmetics and natural skin care products that offer a pure and beautiful experience, while helping to conserve our planet and protect its animals.

I just had to check them out and share with you!

This is the Enlightenment Collection. I have the compact closed in the pic at the top of my post. It's very cool looking, its also got texture. And an added bonus: this compact is reusable! The pots are interchangable and you can order different colours of eye shadows and blush pots or pans from their online store. I have swatched the colours below. I wore these exact colours for a night on the town and was very pleased with the results. The pigmentation lasted all night (primer used).

This is the Long Lasting Lip Crayon in Malt. I actually used this as a lip liner. It goes on thick yet smooth and the pigmentation is great. It is also smooth enough to wear alone on your entire lip. I have it swatched below as well.

From left to right:

Ecco Bella Long Lasting Lip Crayon in Malt

Mystic eyeshadow, can also be used wet or dry, for eyeliner

Celestial eyeshadow

Purity blush and highlighter

One of my Lovelies is going to win their very own Enlightenment Compact! Earn your entries below! Remember, any invalid entries are disqualified and you must complete both mandatory entry options 1) Sign up for the Invincible Spirit giftcard, you get $10 to spend on the website. (why wouldn't you sign up?!) and 2) Like Ecco Bella on Facebook, to win. I will be checking! Open to Canada and US only please. Good Luck Lovelies! :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tashodi Handsoap and Cream Review

Hello Lovelies! I need to give some applause to Tashodi's  Hand Wash and Creme. Tashodi is a bath & bodycare company based in Toronto, ON. Their products feature organic natural products. Another great thing to note: a lot of the materials they use, such as essential oils, are fair trade. (from their website)

Tashodi believes that taking time to nurture ourselves through a regular self-care ritual creates a sense of inner peace that carries us with grace and purpose throughout our day. Our Fair Trade practices ensure that all individuals from producers to harvesters are paid a fair price for the work they do. In keeping with our passion for ethical and sustainable business practices, we’re proud that our products are 100 percent Canadian made.

That being said, another oH Canada! review :)
I have never had much luck with liquid soaps. I cringe when I'm in a place where there are only liquid soaps. They dry my hands out severely to the point of dry itchy skin. On some occasions I get redness and severe irritation. I was embarrassed to have anyone even see my hands in public. So I tend to avoid liquid hand soaps. 

Ocean Minerals Hand Cream and Green Coffee & Citrus Hand wash

I approached the hand wash with a little caution. It felt like any other hand soap, I suppose. Gooey, thick. It gave a good lather too when the time came. The smell was unique. Neither coffee nor citrus dominated the scent. They were both equal and not overbearing. After rinsing I waited for that dry, itch feeling I always get after using a liquid hand soap. It didn't happen. Hmm... I began to notice a change in my hands when I was using the hand wash more frequently. My skin was actually better. I'm not kidding. My hands actually felt soft and supple. No red spots! No itch! :O The hand wash contains essential citrus oil and antioxidants from green coffee. Those would be the heroes!
The Hand creme was a treat to use after. I'd say the quality of this creme is on par with ones those use at the beauty parlour to massage your hands when you get a mani done. The cream was so silky, I give myself a hand massage ever time I use it. Its actually quite relaxing. The Ocean Minerals scent actually had a more spearmint smell to it. It was refreshing. The Hand Cream contains pure shea butter for deep moisturizing. Another hero!

I still can't believe it when I look at my hands and see smooth skin. My hands are fixed! Thank you, Tashodi!

I was sent these products for review purposes. The thoughts and opinions expressed are mine own. My hands are happy.

StarBox May 2013

Can I just say, I love the StarBox? I was so good this month and didn't look at any spoilers. So this StarBox was a big surprise for me. And it did not disappoint! StarBox is $22/month and features 3-4 full sized makeup products from the StarLooks line. What did I get this month?

Eyebrow Shader Compact. This compact has pretty much every colour you would need to fill in, sculpt your brows. From light to dark colours. It also serves as a great smokey eye combination if you decide to use them as eyeshadows.

Cream Blush in Emphasize. I was a little wary of the colour as it looked soooo dark. I've swatched it below and I actually like it once it gets blended well into your skin.

Pigment Luster in Cinnamon Toss: I don't use pigments very often but this is a cool chesnut brown with flecks of gold in it. I might have to start using pigments.....

I always look forward to getting my StarBox. Always on time, great customer service, great products. Thinking about getting another beauty sub after being burned by a few lately (what is going on??!) Try StarBox and stop being disappointed! :)

For Dear old Dad..........

Everytime my dad is over and Onyx is atop the cat tower, she does her little 'Come rub my belly and give me all your attention!' pose. She lays back, paws curled, eyes big and cute. It is really hard to say no, so my dad always gives her a little rub between the ears or on the belly. And for some reason, she never freaks out or scratches him or growls at him. She's such a good grand-kitty! It might also be because my dad gives them treats when he is cat sitting for us. Lots of treats!

A Father's Day Gift Idea 

I always try to get my dad something he can use but still have fun with for Dad's Day. I always pass on ties and mugs and stuff. I've gotten him BBQ stuff over the years. But I always look for new gift ideas. So I came across this gift idea from Demeter Fragrance Library and I thought I'd share it with you. 
Why not get Dad a fragrance that can trigger some good memories? A favourite smell? A favourite time? I thought I would check it out.

They have some pretty masculine scents! And who better to help me choose one for my dad then my husband? From left to right, we sniffed!:

Gin & Tonic: I was a little afraid this would have someone smelling like a drunk.....but I was totally wrong! It had a very masculine, sea and citrus smell. No alcohol smell here. It was my husband's favourite out of the three. 

Mahogany: This didn't smell like a heavy wood like I thought it might. It had a more earthy, spice smell to it. It was very simple and I liked it. I think my dad will too. He wears colognes very similar to this one. 

Oud: I've never heard of this scent before and I thought it was maybe supposed to be Mud? It had a very spicy, cinnamon smell to it. It was definitely interesting to try and figure out since I didn't know what it was. Its definitely the sweetest of the three as well.

I had fun trying out these different scents and my dad will be the proud owner of one come June 16.

Demeter Fragrance now has a $19.99 flat shipping to Canada. This will also include duties and taxes so there are no extra fees for Canadian customers. Hurray! :)

I love how Demeter scents are simple and get the olfactory working. How about you? Check out Demeter Fragrance Library. What scent would bring some smiles to your dad's face?

I was sent these products for review purposes. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine own. 

BA Star Glitter & Glue Review

Sunday-Funday, Lovelies! Onyx is trying to score some pets by nuzzling my outer space covered foot. She really knows how to get your attention! 
Today, I bring you a new experience and a new brand. I have experimented with body glitter. Was I successful? Read on to find out!

BA Star is a cosmetics company that specializes in makeup for cheerleaders, teams, dancers, and trend setters. A lot of their products are made to last a long time and provide comfort to the user. At BA Star, you can also customize your palettes to match team colours for example. They also provide bulk pricing if you need some glitter fab for everyone! BA Star was kind enough to send me their Glue-Liquid Base and Glitter to review and share with you. Each retails for $8.75 on their website. The glue comes in a lipgloss tube with a wand applicator for ease of use. It is all white in the tube but goes on clear once applied to the skin. I decided to do a heart on my wrist. The next step is to apply the glitter. I received the Holo Silver Glitter. It very fine. Using my fingers, I sprinkled the glitter onto the heart outline. The glitter stuck to the glue right away. In fact, it does a good job sticking to skin without the glue...as I found out. LOL The result :

Ok, I know it doesn't look like a heart. I waited for the glue to dry, which did not take very long. I tried to tap the rest of the glitter off but it held. So now I'm just gonna say, 'I'm so fabulous, I bleed glitter!' 

Overall, I had a lot of fun trying body glitter. I'd do this again and try not to use so much next time. One pot holds a lot of glitter, so it will last a long time. I think you could even use this on your nails for some glittery art!

Check out BA Star to some some of their other products. Use the code BBGLITZ to receive 50% off! :)

I received these samples for the purposes of review. The thoughts and opinions expressed are mine own.

Black Sheep Lacquer Subscription Review

Happy Caturday, Lovelies! This first Caturday of June, I thought I'd introduce you to a brand new nail lacquer subscription. They ship to Canada and are partly based in Canada! Lovelies, I give you Black Sheep Lacquer. It is run by Erin and features some kick-ass, hand made lacquers. And now you can get a new one delivered to your door every month! Look at the cute little sheep on the packing tape! Hehe, such a cute attention to detail. Erin sent me a mini questionnaire to get to know what kind of scents and smells I liked or disliked. I received my box and was not disappointed! You receive a full sized nail polish, a new never before seen mini polish, a handmade beauty product, and other surprises.

I received Zig Zag Stardust, a cool handmade soap, a silver holographic polish mini and a funky chunky glitter ring! Erin even wrote me a little tip on the back of the business card: try these lacquers over black polish. The pics I took aren't the best:

 This is Zig Zag StarDust over a black nail polish. It kind of reminded me of a picture of the galaxy with all the stars! I have it swatched by itself on my index finger if you can't tell. I think it looks way better over another polish. 

This is the silver holo over black as well. I think I liked the Zig Zag Stardust better as the shimmery green added an extra layer of colour and dimension to the overall look.

Check out the etsy shop as well! So many great colour combos and polishes!

The Black Sheep Lacquer subscription per month is $18 and includes shipping. I think this makes an excellent gift for yourself or your fave polish lover :) You can sign up here and soon on their website. I will update this link once the changeover happens. Thank you again Erin, for letting me share this fun monthly gift with everyone!