Eco Emi - July 2013 - Full Review

Hi friends,

July 2013 was such a great box from EcoEmi! I am starting to think this is by far my best sample subscription and cannot recommend it enough.

For those of you who are not familiar with Eco Emi, it is a monthly sample subscription dedicated to organic and natural products. Every month, for $15 - shipping included - you will receive at least 8 samples ranging from skin care, bath products, makeup, food and more! Thus far, I have received a full size item in each one of my boxes. I really think this is the best way to feed the skincare/makeup junkie in some of us...I get to save money while enjoying a variety of products and it never gets boring, that's for sure!

Sadly, there was no makeup sample in the July box but look at the selection! Isn't it a great one?
 

Here is my review:

                                                

JULY Eco Emi  -  2013

Eartha Essential - Stress Relief Bath Soak - A

Full price $8 / 4 oz.

 A mix of Castille Soap, Almond Oil, Lavender and Ylang Ylang, this is a wonderfully relaxing bath soak. 
This is not a bubble bath, but more like a combination of essential oils you would run under your bath water. A little goes a long way. Because this is a soak that will condition your water, there isn't much bubble or lather to be expected. I did not find it left a residue on my tub either. Overall, I would say that this is a very good alternative to those pricey Bath Bombs and Bath Salts. 
One drawback though, I did not find the scent had any staying power on my skin, which is kind of too bad since I love the smell of Ylang Ylang. 
I would recommend this to anyone who wants a luxurious bath experience without the suds. Visit their site here.

Eartha Essentials - Lushfull Lips Scrub - C

Full price $5.00 / 0.5 oz.

I did not care about this product at all. I felt it was messy to use and needed to either be placed in the refrigerator or mixed with a tiny spatula to ensure an even mix. Otherwise, the coconut oil would separate and I would end up with a goopy mess. 

I only used it once and was not thrilled. The fact that it was a task on its own to apply it, was a turn off for me, so I never tried it again.
The following day I felt my lips where unusually dry - not chapped - just very dry and I don't think that is what the company had in mind when launching this product. I am not recommending it. Sorry!

The smell is definitely that of lemon, I could not really smell the mango part or the beeswax either. Either way, it's not for me!

Aubrey - Body Spritzer in Tangelo Twist - B

Full price $6.95 / 5 oz

I was a bit disappointed by this body spray. The scent itself is simply wonderful, very citrusy, very refreshing and a perfect one for the summer months. Unfortunately, and perhaps it is my skin, I found that it had zero staying power, and I mean none! It smelled great on my neck and other pulse points for about 15 minutes and then, woosh, it was gone!
I am going to keep it as an on-the-go spray, I may actually use it in my car for a quick refresher, but quite frankly, this was a let down for me. Which is too bad because I really like Aubrey as a brand. Visit Aubrey Organics - Made in America - to check out their great shampoos.

Blissoma - Amend Facial Solar Repair and Anti-Aging serum - D

Full size $48.99/1 oz

What a waste! First, this sample was so small, there is no way anyone could determine the efficiency of this serum based on the 5 drops available in this tiny bottle!
I mentioned in the open box post that I was horrified by the rubber smell not to mention the texture which, If I recall well, I had associated with some kind of infection, if you know what I mean.
With that in mind, I actually struggled to try this sample. I am not weird myself, it's the product that looks and smells weird. Well anyway, I did try it...three times and quite frankly it did nothing for me. I did not find my skin to be rejuvenated, more moisturized, toned or anything like that. It was immediately absorbed and did not feel like a serum at all.
Then again, this is definitely a bias statement on my part since I am a big fan of Elixir 7.9 Youth Intensifier from Yves Rocher.

Plus look at the price: $48.99/1 oz. Definitely not for me!

Fortune Cookie Soap - Whipped Cream Body Butter - B

Full price $10.99 / 5 oz

I know there are a lot of fans of the Fortune Cookie Soap brand out there, so I was pretty excited about trying one of their body butters.
Unfortunately, this was just okay for me.

The sample size was a good one with plenty use and I still have a lot leftover. 

This is a very rich and very moisturizing butter, I guess this is the good part. It absorbs very well and does not leave a greasy residue on your skin.

I just did not care for the scent. It was very reminiscent of soap, but not in a good way. More like laundry soap or antibacterial bar soap. It's supposed to be Meyer lemon and garden mint. I did not smell much of the mint in this sample.

I can tell by the name "Mother Pucker" that this is targeting a younger audience...cough, cough, need I say more? This looks like the kind of stuff one would find at Lush Cosmetics Stores. They have their own audience. THe quality is excellent but not out of this world and Scent + Name are a no go for me! But I can see a teenage girl going crazy over this stuff! There are enough good quality whipped butters out there for me to choose from.

French Girls Organics - Rose Cleansing Scrub - A+

Full price $20 / 4 oz.

"Rose cleansing Scrub Vegan friendly organic materials such as rose, hibiscus, steel cut oats, to cleanse and refresh [  ] can be used as a mask to provide a spa treatment".

Could it be another Hall of Fame?

This month, my Birchbox also introduced me to a similar product (Wei Pomegranate Buffing beads) which I liked very much. But this one kicked it up a notch!

It definitely has a gritty texture but it is very fine and not harsh at all on my skin.







You can mix it to either your regular skin cleanser or a natural mask (yogurt or honey).
It did a fantastic job at polishing the surface of my skin and smells wonderful (definitely Rose which is one of my favorite scents). It also rinses very well. The texture itself is much finer than the Wei sample I tried from July's Birchbox. This product has made it to my Hall of Fame and I am definitely recommending it.
You can purchase this product on the French Girls Etsy Shop.

Limitless Skies - Sleep Mask

$5 each

Well, I cannot say much about this mask since I have not used it yet. I am planning a trip at the end of this month and will definitely take it with me. I do like the material though, it is fleece on the under side and cotton on the outside. It is a good item to have around.









This was a very good box. I did miss the staple makeup item, but overall, Eco Emi continues to deliver big time, month after month. I still believe this subscription is a great value and cannot encourage you enough to get your own...It's like Christmas every month!

Thank you for  liking and sharing MGC with friends and family.

Sophia, NJ

You can find me on FACEBOOK and YOUTUBE

*This site contains affiliate advertising. I am not affiliated with EcoEmi and am not compensated to review their monthly box. I am affiliated with Yves Rocher and will receive a small compensation under the form of a commission for products your purchase on their site. All opinions are my own.

SMASHbook Series: The Inside Cover

Hi friends,

This is so exciting! I finally managed to put some time aside and return to my most enjoyable hobby of all...SCRAPBOOKING!

If you recall from my last video (My Scrapbooking Journey) I purchased a SMASHbook and decided that I would tweak my scrapbooking platform a bit. 

I have the large - Purple SMASHbook, which I found on sale at Michaels and instantly fell in love with.  The whole concept of "wrecking" an album for the sake of keeping memories is just my cup of tea! I particularly like the idea that SMASHbooks are supposed to be stuffed with all manner of momentos, pictures, small trinkets etc. with a complete disregard for bulk! Further, they can be super interactive with all sorts of tabs to be pulled, pockets to be opened and flash cards to be read.

So, I went ahead and made this first page, which is actually the front inside cover of the album.

Ta Da! What do you think?

I had a lot of fun reconnecting with some of my old techniques: as you can see (above) I like to play around paper flowers by rolling edges with a pencil. This gives them dimension and added drama!

Overall, I am very pleased with the result. The color scheme was a bit of a stretch for me as I tend to prefer muted tones but maybe this is the sign of a new chapter in my life!

Left Side

Right Side

But wait, there is more! I made a video of the entire process from start to finish! So if you want to see how I created this page, just sit back and enjoy (this is a time lapse video!)






Thank you for watching!

Sophia, NJ

You can find me on FACEBOOK and YOUTUBE

* My blog contains affiliate advertising. I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned in this post. All opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.

Birchbox July 2013 - Full Review

Hi friends,

This is my full review for the July 2013 Birchbox. 

For those of you who may not be familiar with Birchbox, it is a monthly cosmetics sample subscription ($10/month - shipping included). You receive up to 5 samples, occasionally a full size product and get to try brands you may not be familiar with. Overall, I find it to be a great way to curb on spending by simply trying out before I purchase anything. The majority of the time the samples are big enough to give you a real opportunity to try the products and test their effectiveness.

Overall, this month's box was a good me, I enjoyed trying all of the samples and had a few surprises too!

July 2013 Birchbox - Full Review



 Number 4 - Super Comb Prep & Protect  - B-

 Full Size $32

I really was not wowed by this product. It does have nice fresh scent and applies evenly. But it let my hair wet and weighed down at first then dried up to a frizz by the end of the day. Seriously,  my hair looked as though it had been stuck in the 70s, which is not a good look for me.

  

Overall, I found it to be a good in between treatment when you run out of your regular leave-in conditioner, but this is not something I would purchase as a stand alone product since it left my hair frizzy and very dry to the touch. I am starting to think that any leave-in conditioner that is packaged as a spray/spritz product will leave my hair to be a frizzy mess (aside from the Shea Radiance sample I had received from one of my EcoEmi boxes this year - still my favorite leave-in hair product). Creams may be a better option for super frizzy hair.

Purminerals - CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 40 - A-

Full size $38

After the BB Cream, here comes the CC Cream! 

I tried a whole bunch of BB Creams since last year and have not found a single one that did anything for me. I find them to be too greasy on my skin and their staying power is mediocre.This however is a bit different.

It is a tone complexion corrector with an SPF 40. 

At first I thought it was going to be too dark and thick for me. The sample I received is in MEDIUM and looked  ashy on my hand. But it turned out to be a real surprise!

It does apply as a thick cream and the SPF ingredients do make it difficult to spread since it does not glide onto your skin. That being said, it offered really good coverage and an even skin tone. And because it is mineral based, it gives a matte finish, which is my preferred type of finish. The MEDIUM shade is a bit too gray for me though, so I would prefer something with a tad more pink in the formula.

So, how does it compare to your regular foundation? This is not as fluid, and requires either a stipple brush or a sponge for application. It provides a similar coverage with good pore filling but this is not a pore eraser/filler.

I am really intrigued by this product and may consider purchasing a full size, but need to sample other shades. One drawback is that it does feel dry on the skin, so I would recommend you apply a good moisturizer first. As for staying power, I would say it is above average and  reminded me of Revlon's Colorstay foundation. Since I am planning on a short stay away vacation at the end of the month, I will be using this Pur Minerals CC Cream as my foundation - good coverage, good staying power = perfect for all day long and on the go makeup.

Wei - Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask - B-

Full size $42

                                                                       

As I mentioned in the July Open Box post, I am familiar with the Wei line of skincare and have enjoyed their products, finding them to be very effective. For some reason I like the concept of using Chinese traditional remedies and herbal medicine for skincare routine. If I recall well, Wei uses old recipes from generations past with modern technology. That was always an attractive selling point for me.
This is not a cheap mask, the full size retails at $42, so based on the price alone, I know I would not purchase this item.
I tried it on yesterday morning and really was not all that impressed.
It does have a great texture and applies as though chocolate pudding, it is very moist, thick and cold to the touch. This is the kind of mask you would leave on until it is dry but it does not pull the skin while drying, which is a plus.

I found it difficult to remove and required too much rinsing. It is also not a clean experience as I ended up with a lot of brown water all around my sink and some of the residual mask landed on my towel. I would recommend putting this mask on your face before taking a shower and rinsing off in the shower instead of at the sink.
As for the results, I found my skin looked much brighter and tight after one use. But, it did draw out any tiny bit of oil and I found my skin very dry afterwards. It also made tiny wrinkles along my cheeks and mouth area more visible.
So for that reason alone, I cannot say this was a great mask. I ended up doubling on my moisturizer afterwards to keep my skin supple.

Wei - Pomegranate Buffing Beads - A

Full Size $20

These are a lot of fun! Each little packet comes with enough product for one application. Basically, this looks like a salt and pepper mix, with regards to texture and appearance. 

You would add the buffing beads to your skin cleanser (in the palm of your hand) and apply directly to the skin, washing as usual (being careful with the eye area).

I found this product to be very effective yet gentle on my skin. It is very similar to microdermabrasion with regards to results, leaving the skin silky smooth after one use. I find it to be gentle enough for multiple weekly uses but would not recommend it on a daily basis. It also had a very pleasant scent: a mix of fruit and nuts.

Like every scrub-type product, this should be incorporated to your evening routine, allowing the skin to renew properly at night. If you scrub in the morning, you are basically removing a layer of brand new skin cells!

There was only one thing I did not like about this product (hence the lack of A+): it does not rinse off well. I found that when I rinsed my face by splashing it with water, the beads tended to gather at the base of my neck and I had to rinse some more then rub them off with a towel. After a couple of hours, I would still have some stuck on my neck here and there. I understand these are not meant to melt away, but it can be annoying since it feels like sand leftover on your skin. That being said, this is a very good way to exfoliate and I found that it left my skin smooth, and my pores less visible. I liked it, a lot!

Dr. Jart - Ceramidin Cream - B-

Full Size $48

I did not see the big deal about this product. It is nothing more than a basic moisturizer! You may remember the claim (26 hours moisturizing effect!). Well, I did not  test whether I felt moisturized an extra two hours on the days I sampled it but I can tell you this: it is a moisturizer! 

I did not notice anything out of the ordinary with regards to how my skin felt afterwards, no miracle there.
I can tell you this though: it has way too much perfume in it. I am not sure whether they are natural scents or perfume, but wow! it really does smell perfumy and I did not care for that, one bit! I just do not want my face cream to smell like a body lotion! 

It applies well but has a weird greyish-yellow tint that makes it look like a prescription from your Dermatologist...not too glamorous, if you ask me! Bottom line - it was nice to sample but I won't go out of my way to purchase a full size!

I hope you found this review helpful. 
Here are more Birchbox reviews you may want to check out:

March 2013
April 2013
May 2013
June 2013

Sophia, NJ

You can find me on FACEBOOK and YOUTUBE

* My blog contains affiliate advertising. I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned in this post. All opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.