My Great Challenge: Eco Emi - August 2014

Hi friends,

It was about time for EcoEmi to send out an awesome box this past August, I have to say the rest of the year was pretty lame! Unfortunately, this is another one of those boxes that looked awesome at first, but turned out to be just so-so.

Here is a full review on all the great stuff I received this month:

1. GimMe Organic - Roasted Seaweed Snacks ($23.98 / 12 pack):
This is an interesting find in this month's box since I am not usually jumping up and down in utter delirium when there is a food item included (i would much prefer receiving makeup!). It just turns out I am an Asian food fanatic and in particular seaweed. It's not for everyone, I get it, but quite frankly there are very few snacks out there that are low fat, low carb, low sugar while being super nutritious and loaded with Iodine which I desperately need for my low Thyroid symptoms. They were gone in 5 minutes, delicious and just what I needed. They are a bit pricey but for me well worth the splurge! A.

2. ROCKin GREEN - Odor Neutralizer and Air Freshener ($4.99/bottle):

This is an all natural and basically non toxic equivalent of PooPourri (if you've ever seen the hilarious commercial for it). I can't tell what scent I received because the non-aerosol bottle did not mention it. That said, it does a pretty good job at removing simple stench, not the very complex type emanating from my dogs (if you know what I mean), but otherwise pretty good. I don't think I would purchase this item on my own so for that reason I am only rating it as a B.

3. LA Fresh - Oil Free Facial Cleanser (Towelette) ($23.99/ 75 wipes):

I have received some of their samples in other EcoEmi boxes in the past. Generally, I think that towelettes are good for those gals always on the move and traveling a lot, which is not my case. I tried these LA Fresh, they were just alright, it did remove makeup but not as easily as I would have wanted them to, in particular eye makeup. Further, since I had to do several passes in order to get the grime off my face, I ended up finding the texture too rough for my delicate skin. So, this is definitely not something I would recommend.PLus, at $23.99 for 75 wipes, I think it's a bit pricey for what they offer in terms of effectiveness. C.

4. LA Fresh - Instant Body Soother (Towelette) ($19.99/36 wipes):

Not sure what these are for outside of refreshing your neck and shoulders after a good workout. They are lightly scented and may be great for campers, but again, I generally do not find towelettes all that time zaving nor economical. They were just okay for me and again, I just don't see these types of products as being a good value. C.

5. Olomomo - Cherry Vanila Dream Almonds ($19.99/four 4 oz pack):

Another food item. These are organic, lightly coated with a cherry vanilla sugary powder and roasted too. I thought they were delicious. However, these have such great abuse potential, and by that I mean that you just can't simply give me one pack, I would probably eat a ton of them in some kind of trance and regret it later on for days. I have to stay away from this type of snack. That said, if you can eat whatever you want and guilt free no less, if God granted you with this kind of blessing, well just go ahead and binge on these, they are fabulous! Check out their site because they have an amazing variety, even one with cayenne pepper! These are Fair Trade, Glutten Free and non GMO. A.

6. Gourmet Body Treats - Raw Finishing Powder ($32):

I was very excited to receive this adorable package, full size no less. I like finishing powders, they give you an amazing "finished" and tight look. However, this one came out as too thick, too yellow, and just a big mess to apply because of its weight. Big dud, if you ask me. F.

7. Raw Skin Ceuticals - Foot Powder ($6)

I really wish EcoEmi had sent this sample when it was still foot powder season: SUMMER! That's the only time I use this kind of product since I tend to wear shoes sans socks. Oh well. This is a thick talcum type powder (only it's made out of Tapioca starch) you sprinkle on your tootsies, over and under to soothe the skin and absorb odors. I thought it did an ok job, I wish the mint scent was a bit more pronounced but other than that, it's a good product. B.

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So, what do you think? Is EcoEmi still worth the $15 per month for the subscription? I think it is, but I am also starting to get bored with them, I am on the second year (almost) and am thinking about switching to another box, I just can;t get them all you know!

In case you have missed the original open box for August 2014, you can find it on my YouTube Channel, alongside all the other boxes for 2014.