Saturday, March 30, 2013

March Bulu Box Review

Alrighty, it's time for my Bulu Box review! I already posted my review of the weight loss version here. Why both boxes? Well, these were my first ever fitness boxes AND with the option of two different boxes I didn't know which would suit me best so I tried them both! Check out both reviews to see which one you like more too.

Bulu Box:

Type: Fitness Box

Cost: $10/month includes shipping

What is it?: Each month you will receive 4-5 premium samples selected to make you feel your best. These samples are a mix for men and women and include vitamins, energy, protein, digestion, weight loss, sleep help samples. You earn points for reviewing products and can spend those points on buying full-size products. Use my referral link and get a FREE Box.

Unboxing!

This info card's front picture is different from the Weight Loss card but the inside is the same! The info on the products varied a bit since they are actually different products but the back of the card was also the same.

$50 iTrain Gift Card: I called this an "extra" before since I don't include gift cards in values of boxes but this one is pretty good since you get to download workouts.

Redd Remedies' At Ease PM: If this looks similar to my previous review, that is because the Weight Loss Box also got a Redd Remedies product (trueENERGY). This Supplement is supposed to calm nervous tension at bedtime, promote healthy brain function, and promote restful sleep. That all sounds awesome to me, I'll be giving this a try for sure! Price: $0.52

Dream Water in Pineapple PM: This is a double item- as in both types of boxes received this. I'm glad I have a second one to try since other factors kind of blurred the results of the first bottle. Price: $3.75

Q Speed CoQ10: These two fast-melt orange-flavored tablets support heart health, enhance cellular energy production, and support exercise performance. They even put that they have published clinical data right on the packet which is always nice to see. I think the heart health part is really important- sometimes you can worry with supplements that give you a boost may be messing around with your heart-rate and such. Like I have said before, I'll give it a try. Price: $1.24

Prolab Quick Fire: Another duplicate from my weight loss box- that makes two items in both boxes and one item from the same brand, these boxes are pretty similar obviously. This doesn't need much explanation, it boosts your workout! I think I'll let CJ have one and I'll take the other one to try. Price: $1.10

Aero Shot Energy in Raspberry: Is it weird that when I first saw this, I thought it was some sort of black licorice nutrition chew? I didn't take a good look at it but all I saw a black stick. Anyway, this product is super interesting. It is an air-based shot of energy- giving you a powdered mix of B vitamins and caffeine. Energy anywhere. How crazy is this? I really want to to try this but I know this would come in super handy for CJ and his *work. Plus, it is "technically" his box. If this works we will scoop some up so he doesn't have to drink disgusting energy drinks at 4 in the morning. Price: $2.99

Verdict: This box totaled $9.60 NOT including the $50 gift card. At first, I forgot that the info card had prices and looked up items on my own and the value of the box WAS higher so I guess these are Bulu Box member prices. Even just at the $9.60 price, you are looking at a comparable price to the price of the box, and you are getting products picked for you, points for reviewing to go towards purchases, and extras (like the gift card). I think this box was worth the price (I did get mine free with a code though). I love that you can skip a month with Bulu Box and change from the regular box to the weight loss box and vice-versa. I was sold on sticking to the weight loss box but after going through these products, I think they might be better for our household. I could definitely use some sleeping help as well as a boost during the day and CJ would definitely take advantage of any energy boosters. Hard to choose between the two... either way I was happy with both boxes! Try one of them yourself by using my referral link to get a FREE box.

* CJ works for Chipotle IT and has to do overnight visits to stores to fix stuff, upgrade, etc. etc. He has to do most of that work when the stores are closed so sometimes he has to work way super early or into the late hours at night (like 2 am).

Disclaimer: Post contains referral links.

2 comments:

Friday, March 29, 2013

March Hammock Pack Review

I have loved Hammock Pack for awhile- it was going to be my "I Wish Wednesday" one week and blah blah blah- I even every so often check their tumblr to see what I'm missing. Well, I started this blog and decided screw it, here's my money, I'll sign up. This box is super themed so I was nervous to see if March's theme fit me or not. I saw one spoiler hint picture but couldn't piece together the theme or anything. A complete surprise box- I love that!

Hammock Pack:
Type: Lifestyle Box
Cost: $25/month + $5 shipping
What is it?: From website: "Every month, you’ll receive a surprise pack filled with everything you need to take a much-needed getaway without even leaving your home. Whether it’s as simple as a movie night or mementos from that exotic vacation you can’t find the time to take. So relax and let a little “me time” come to you." Some previous themes have been Sailing, Italy, Camping, Bed & Breakfast, and Beach Day.

I was so excited to see this on my doorstep for two reasons: 1- It was moving day #2 and I need a boost

2- It was moving day aka new mail arrival spot- so glad this one came before we moved!

I think this may be my favorite unboxing to date! I love me some details and the detail of fake flower petals was perfect! Perfect tie-in to the theme: Spa Day!

Info card- you know the deal. Loved this one though with info including where the company is.

How sneaky is this packaging? I cant believe they fit everything under the shavings!

My stuff! It looks heavenly!

Teatulia Organic Green Tea: First off, if you got 'em, use 'em- yep, those petals are in all my pics- very spa-y. Anyway, I've gotten some Teatulia recently in other boxes but only a bag or two not a full thing like this! I love the packaging. I love green tea. I love that it is from Denver (Coloradoan here). Tea is relaxing and be honest, don't you feel better and pseudo-healthy when you drink it? I do. Price: $4.99

Aura Cacia Aromatherapy's Milk & Oat Bath: Did I mention we were moving? Only a million times right? Well, what is better after moving than a bath in your nice new tub! I threw this in pronto and guess what? It's awesome. I am a big proponent of treating yourself (Parks & Rec fans? Treat yo' self!) and this did just that. I got the Lemon Balm version- there was also a Lavender one sent out- I am guessing they are equally great. I love Aura Cacia too btw- their essential oils are amazing- put some lavender in your bath or on your pillow to mellow out! Side note: I was in whole foods yesterday and these packets were in the Easter Basket item section- what a great idea! Price: $3.29

Perennial Soaps in Eucalyptus: There were two brands of soaps sent out- this one and Ayelet- both looked nice- this one was prettier to me so I'm happy with what I got. This is a artisanal vegan soap by the way. Bars of soap are not my thing so I am really hoping this doesn't go to waste (I'm a Body Wash & Liquid Soap girl- so sue me). I am thinking of putting this in our half bath for guests- maybe they will see fancy soap and think we're fancy... Price: $5

Good Cacao's Superfood Chocolate: This "guilt-free" treat has antioxidants, Omega oils, and vitamins inside! I was bummed at first because I was craving chocolate but I hate coconut stuff. Unless it's an actual coconut in front of me- I don't want it. Well, I caved into my craving and yum, yum, yum, this was delicious! Not overly bitter and no coconut taste- this stuff was delicious. Win win! Price: $5.69

One- yes, that price is correct. Two- the other varieties they have look amazing! Lemon Ginger Immunity? Come to me!

Dang Foods' Coconut Chips: Alright, I know I hated on coconut but this seems more like something I can handle- pure coconut- not some nasty stuff on top of a cake (which is then ruined!) This healthy snack will give you some energy to boost- I will munch away on them when I can find where they are... Price: $3.19

*Update: Found them, tried them, and DANG they are good! Seriously though. I am salivating writing this- hurry up and finish typing so I can eat more!

Aqua Blossom's Facial Steam: This vegan product is supposed to lift my mood and pamper my skin. Two for one awesomeness? I'll take it. Steams/oils/candles are all scents to make you feel better and they totally work. I am sooo excited to try this. This seems very spa-like which I love! Price: $3.50

How cute is this box? This was in the sneak peek picture and based on the packaging I wanted it so bad!

Ok- now I'll show you what is inside!

Aqua Blossom's Lip Polish: This second Aqua Blossom product is a buttercream lip polish. This is my first lip polish and I love the little bugger. It even comes with a little spatula. Plus, buttercream makes me want cupcakes and even thinking of cupcakes gives me happy thoughts. Price: $8

Verdict: This box's value came out to $33.66 so a few dollars over what I paid at $30. I have to say, I love this box. I love the idea and I love what I got. The hardest thing about this box was taking the picture with all the stuff! Notice how there are two different ones? At the top and bottom? That's because I was so frustrated trying tot get everything into the picture I had to get my bf to try. Don't guess which one is mine and which is his, just assume the better one is his. Anyway, it's a good problem when there is too much stuff, well, too much good stuff. I had only heard of a few brands before and even knowing the brands, all but one product was completely new to me. I signed up for a one-time pack and was going to re-sub down the line after putting my money towards trying boxes but while writing this review I can see how much I enjoy this box and want to see what comes next! I definitely recommend this box for someone looking for a fun box- you never know what you are going to get, but you know it is going to be good. I have to decide if my bank account can stomach subbing this again right now but I was thinking, wouldn't this box make a perfect giveaway!? Hmm...

4 comments:

March Nail Art Society Review

This review is a long time coming! I received Nail Art Society weeks ago (!) and never got around to posting/ I wanted to give some products a try! It's nearing April now so I think it's time to post- check out my thoughts on this nail art box.

*Nail Art Society:
Type: Nail Box
Cost: $9.95/month includes shipping
What is it?: On the 10th of each month, this subscription sends out a Nail Art Society curated kit with professional tools, polish and nail art accessories along with a step by step How-To instructional card to complete a curated Nail Art Look. Stay up-to-date with current trends with this box.

*Update- at the time of my purchase this box cost $19.95 but they have lowered their price to $9.95/month.

Big shiny envelope. I'm not sure I like the mailers or boxes better for my subscriptions: this one does take up less space in my house!

The goods.

The info card- there are pics from different blogs (photo credits too) of nail art as well as products you may get in this month's box.

And this month is... 3D Freestyle. Oh. Bummer for me.

Ok- I was super excited to try NAS- I suck at nail art so I thought it would be great to get some tools and a how-to in the mail to show me the way. I loved what I had seen in previous boxes- mainly a bunch of stuff to get you started like dotters etc. I don't even own a dotter- and yes, I know you can buy sets for a couple of bucks on Amazon. Anyway, I was bummed to have this be the theme since I really wanted to try the art aspect (my Christmas tree nails were a miserable failure) plus I didn't know if this would be too hard OR too easy. Last point: I have to do a lot of stuff that would end up with anything 3D on my nails being pushed off.

Also, there is no actual how-to. You can go to YouTube to watch tutorials although it doesn't even list that they have a channel- they actually mean go to YouTube and look up stuff (I checked their channel-no 3D stuff). I guess what they meant by how-to instructions was their sentence to "Get Creative."

My set

Nail Fraud's Nail Polish Strips: I have to say it- the packaging for this is super ugly. I'm sorry Nail Fraud, I'm calling it how I see it. I needed to pull these out of the package just to get a fresh look. I got a checkered set of nail strips which is my first ever strips set! (Yes, I got another set later in the month). There were a lot of different patterns sent out and my checkered one is one of the best in my opinion. I'm slightly nervous to try using these but I asked a friend and she said trying a set like this that isn't super "delicate" shouldn't look like a mangled mess when I finish. We shall see. I will definitely use these. Price: $8.24

NAS Fruit Nail Art: I checked around and people got different fruit- I happened to get apples. I don't know what to say about these, I never imagined putting fruit on my nails. NAS said that they choose 3D this month based on subscribers suggestions but I can't imagine subscribers wanted fruit over... well anything else. I think there could have been cuter options.

Side note: While looking through what other people got (to see the variations) loads of people had broken oranges, watermelons, etc. They were torn messes- I guess I got lucky since mine are unchipped.

Stella's 3D Ceramic Flowers: It's a bit difficult to see through the bag but woah these are huge. Around 4mm tall, these would last on my nails approx. 4 seconds. I can't believe they sent out something so giant- I'm not sure anyone could make these work for a long time.

3D Bead Drop Nails: Again, everyone got different colors and this color isn't great for me. I think I will try them out but I just wish it was a different color- I would have been all over the blue or purple ones.

NAS Colored Bee Bee Balls: I'm ok with this color choice but I don't know if I'll use these. Caviar balls are hard to put on (unless you can dip your nail without smudging). I opened this up and they were bouncing all around- ok not really really bouncing but after just unscrewing the lid my table had a thin layer of these buggers all over it.

NAS Fabric Flower Nails Art: Again with this green color! I am not a fan. Jealous of the other subscribers colors since these flat flowers are something I would have tried.

Verdict: I didn't price everything since they amount to estimating a few cents. All totaled you are looking at around $10 in value. Not much delivered on a $20 sub- granted I used a coupon code and got the box for $10. Anyway, while looking around for variants I found a resounding cry from the NAS subscriber world (and blogging world) of disdain for this month's box. Impractical, no how-to, ugly colors, and most of all: where's my polish? I was bummed there were no tools but I didn't even think about not getting polish which is probably what made the value so low this month. I canceled right away- mainly because I got the box roughly a day before they were going to charge me again.

My issue with their billing: I subscribed in Feb and while I understand that they ship on the 10th, I was flabbergasted to get an e-mail prompting my next payment before I ever received the first shipment. I e-mailed them and they informed me that that is their timing which I understand, except it left me with no choice but to cancel before I even really got to check out their product. Their FB page was also littered with the same problems- people confused and angry. I had kept checking my NAS account for shipping info through Feb/March and at one point early on saw that there wasn't even a shipping address listed- I filled it in (of course) but I have to wonder if they would have e-mailed me to correct this or waited until after I didn't receive anything and claim no shipping address was listed.

I didn't like the theme or products (ugh those colors) and I already had a bad taste from the billing issues so I have no issues with having canceled before even getting to see what I got. Maybe they will get better but for now I am on to try other nail subscriptions!

5 comments:

Thursday, March 28, 2013

New post!

Sorry for the silence over here for the for past two days- Moving blows! I was hoping to post yesterday but never made it to a place with internet and then today was busy, busy, busy! We should be done tomorrow-phew- but I am so excited to have internet already in our new place (we've been here since Tuesday night even though we still have stuff/haven't cleaned up at our old place). I'm going to work as long as I can focus tonight.

March is coming to a close and I have FIVE boxes left to review! Plus a spring cleaning/vanity/pinterest post that's been waiting to be written AND my bracket challenge!

Have you ever tried moving with a 10-month old puppy? Someone has been quite stressed and antsy and doesn't understand why he has to be behind a gate or in the upstairs bedroom where he can look out the window and see his people go back and forth from their cars to the house.

Henry is on meds for the giardia he got from the feral cats from our previous neighbors (feels so good to be away from them) and when I brought them in today and put them on the couch, they disappeared! I know it's because he liked the rattle but how adorable is is that he stole his meds- either he actually does like them or he was hiding them!

0 comments:

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

March Bulu Box Weight Loss Review

I decided to jump into the world of fitness boxes and since Bulu Box has a great referral program and codes I ended up being able to get this box for free. I actually tried both the regular Bulu Box and the brand new Bulu Box Weight Loss version since it is the first weight loss sub box out there which is what this post is about! I've finally tried some of the products so I can review this box!

*Bulu Box Weight Loss:
Type: Fitness Box
Cost: $10/month includes shipping
What is it?: Each month you will receive 4-5 items that are a variety of weight loss items, such as supplements, that help achieve weight loss. Besides supplements you can expect food, fitness gear, and healthy eating tools. This is an offshoot of the regular Bulu Box but is a separate subscription. Use my referral link and get a FREE Box.

The packaging for this brand is pretty stellar.

I know that that is a ton a pics! This info "card" is really a fold-out booklet with tons of stuff: info on products, how to gain points, a recipe, and a exercise how-to.

These are "extras." 5 recipe cards ranging from shakes to cookies, a special feature that only the weight loss box subscribers got. There is also a $50 gift card to iTrain where you can download workouts. Oh, and a sticker.

Barlean's Omega Swirl Fish Oil in Key Lime: Fish Oil is supposed to contribute to weight loss by helping convert your fat into energy. I know Fish Oil is also great to help lessen depression and anxiety, and it can be good for your skin. The downside? Fish oil usually tastes like fish oil (duh)- and capsules usually give you "fish burps" This claims to have a smoothie taste and texture so I will definitely give it a try.

Price: $0.33

XyloBurst Xylitol Gum in Green Tea: This one is easy: chewing gum has shown to help curb cravings. This gum is sugar free with xylitol instead of aspartame etc. thus making it healthier. I have TMJ so I don't chew gum but sometimes I chew gum for two seconds for taste- weird? CJ has already tried this though so I know it won't go to waste. Price: $1.29

Redd Remedies trueENERGY: Laziness leads to some chunk in your gut! So, this should give you some energy. Stimulant Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, and Non-habit forming, I will give this a try as I have been tired about 22 hrs /day recently. Price: $1.04

Prolab Quick Fire: Ok, this is what I was waiting for, a straight up supplement. I've never tried supplements before so I am excited to try my very first one. Before my first work-out in months(!) I plan on using this! Gotta burn some calories! Price: $1.10

Dream Water in Pineapple PM: This is a product I knew about before receiving that box (Twitter and the like) and was excited to try it. I have said it before, but I am NOT a morning person and combine that with working nights and CJ working days, so our only hang-out time is after 11 pm, I have been on a super terrible sleep schedule. I also have bouts of insomnia and have to use melatonin and the like to sleep at times. This water has melatonin in it so I trusted it right away. I used it the other night and while I was able to sleep, I am unsure whether it was because I only slept about 4 hours the night before (had to wake up early for work and couldn't sleep). My trial of this was at the worst time since I had to take medst that make me sick and so all day I was sick and sleepy. I am stoked I have two samples of this so I can give this another try at an appropriate time! From what I can tell though, it helped put me out, and no brainer, sleep means more energy which means more weight loss. Price: $3.75

NrGX Labs Red Stinger: Red Stinger says they will boost your metabolism, curb your appetite, and give you more energy. Wow- that's a lot for one little pill. Again, an appetite suppressor is out of my comfort zone but I might as well dive in! Price: $0.67

Verdict: I know I haven't posted the regular box yet but the Bulu Box Weight Loss has more products and ones that suit my needs better. All totaled this box is valued at $8.18 although that doesn't include points you can earn by reviewing the products on their site or the $50 gift card. It doesn't match the $10 this box costs but I got this box free with a code so I didn't care plus I would never be able to pick these items out on my own. This is the start of this new subscription service so I am interested to see where it will go in the future. I also love the referral program of this box- people you refer get a FREE box and you get points to full-size products and I LOVE boxes that allow skipping months like this one does. I may skip a month or two in the future but I am planning on seeing where this brand new service goes!

Disclaimer: This post contains referral/affiliate links.

Saturday, March 30, 2013