Original Tangle Teezer Review

We recently had the opportunity to review the Tangle Teezer brush courtesy of NailPolishCanada.com. The Tangle Teezer is a revolutionary brush that bends and flexes with tangles, not just pulling through, resulting in a painless hair brushing. This was the perfect brush for me to try on Aislinn as she HATES having her hair brushed (since it always seems to be tangled). Let's take a look at the brush first:

Made in the UK! I'm an anglophile so that makes me happy :). It's shaped ergonomically, like a bean. The original Tangle Teezer comes in a variety of colours: black, pink, purple & pink, orange & yellow, and blue & pink (our choice). Here is what the brush part looks like:

The Tangle Teezer works so good, Aislinn loves it when I brush her hair with this brush. The bristles are very flexible but effective. It's fairly compact too so it's great to throw in your purse or pack for travelling.

The Original Tangle Teezer is available for $14.99 on the Nail Polish Canada site. For more information about the Tangle Teezer and other products, visit www.tangleteezer.com

Topbox August 2014 Review

Sorry, this is another belated review, but I am back to school so I won't be posting as often. That said, I really wanted to post about my great August Topbox!

For those who don't know, Topbox is a monthly beauty subscription box. For $12/month (free shipping!), you receive 4 deluxe beauty samples. Here is what I received for August:

I received:

• Barefoot Venus Macadamia Oil Hand Cream in Hunny Mango (www.barefootvenus.com)
• Belvada Nail Polish Remover Pads in Watermelon (www.belvada.com)
• Matrix Oil Wonders Colour Caring Oil in Egyptian Hibiscus (www.matrixcanada.ca)
• LAQA & Co. Lip Lube in Bees Knees (www.laqaandco.com)

I really loved all of this month's products. The Barefoor Venus lotion smells sooo good. I have it beside my computer for when I need a pick-me-up. It leaves my skin feeling really soft too. The nail polish pads also smell really nice. It's nice to use nail polish remover that doesn't smell like it's killing brain cells. It's also really effective, if a little oily. I LOVE the LAQA & Co. Lip Lube. It feels minty fresh and tingly and the colour works well with my summer tan. I just wish I'd gotten it at the beginning of summer! Lastly, the Matrix Oil Wonders Colour Caring Oil is a really nice hair treatment. I'm a big fan of Matrix hair products and this oil leaves my hair feeling really soft and healthy.

I'm almost always really pleased with my monthly Topboxes and I would have to say that it is one of my favourite subscription services.

For more information on Topbox or to join the waiting list ot subscribe visit www.topbox.ca

Little Life Box Review August 2014

It's Little Life Box day! One of my favourite delivery days of the month. For those of you who aren't in the know, Little Life Box is a monthly subscription box service that delivers healthy snacks and eco-friendly beauty products to your door for $19.99/mth + shipping.

Here is my box for this month:

I received:

• GoGo Quinoa Crunchies in Original (www.gogoquinoa.com)
• Body Flex Super Greens sample (www.innotechnutrition.com)
• GoGo Quinoa Granissimo Basmati & Wild Quinoa Pilaf (www.gogoquinoa.com)
• DoMatcha Ceremonial Matcha On the Go Travel Pack (www.domatcha.com)
• Truebar by Bakery on Main in Fruit and Nut (www.bakeryonmain.com)
• Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro 70 in Chocolate (www.manitobaharvest.com)
• Palmetto Derma Collagen Boosting Serum (www.palmettoderma.com)
• Zorah Biocosmetics Kaila Gel Cleanser (www.zorahbiocosmetics.com)
• Artisana Organic Raw Walnut Butter (www.artisanafoods.com)
• Home Free Mini Vanilla Cookies (www.homefreetreats.com)
• Tyrell's Hand Cooked English Crisps in Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar (www.tyrellscrisps.co.uk)

I received a lot of the items I normally like to receive - snacks for the kids, drink powder for on the go, skin care items. I would say the item I was most excited to receive was the DoMatcha Ceremonial Matcha On the Go, just because I'm on a matcha latte kick first thing in the morning. The kids weren't super wowed by the GoGo Quinoa Crunchies. It says you can use it them as a snack or cereal, and I gave them to the kids as cereal. The kids found them too hard though so I think they're better left as a snack.

Overall, another great Little Life Box! There are a lot of brands that I have received items from in previous boxes, but I don't mind because I really like their products. :)

For more information or to subscribe, visit www.littlelifebox.com

July 2014 Topbox Review

This evening's review is on the July Topbox. For those of you who don't know, Topbox is a monthly beauty subscription box. For $12/month (free shipping!), you receive 4 deluxe beauty samples (heads up though, there is a waiting list to subscribe). Let's see this month's box:

I received:

• CND Vinylux Weekly Nail Polish in Wildfire (www.cnd.com)
• CND Vinylux Weekly Top Coat (www.cnd.com)
• StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles (www.strivectin.com)
• theBalm Cosmetics INSTAIN Long-Wearing Powder Staining Blush in Swiss Dot (www.thebalm.com)

I was not super impressed to see red nail polish because I HAVE SO MUCH. That said, I really like CND's Vinylux nail system. When the polish is used with the top coat, it is supposed to last up to a week without chipping. It applied nice and thin but with good colour coverage and a nice gloss. It did actually last a week with minimal chipping (I expected some, I worked in the house and garden during the week).

The StriVectin-SD came in a good sized tube for an eye concentrate sample, which was great. The cream applies nicely, but it's too early to see results yet. The blush from theBalm was okay. It was long lasting, but the colour was too dark and concentrated for me. :/

Overall, this month's Topbox was meh. It didn't blow me away, it just felt like same old. Hopefully next month's Topbox will hold more interesting things!

For more info about Topbox, visit www.topbox.ca

Luxe Box Summer 2014 Review

I know! It's been a long time since I've last posted! Sadly, my camera card with ALL of the images for the future blog posts became corrupted and I lost them ALL. I had already opened and used many of the items so I couldn't take new pictures. I was really discouraged and it was hard to get in the mood for blogging. But I'm back! And I'm reviewing my very first Luxe Box!

Luxe Box is a quarterly subscription box from Loose Button. For $26/season (less if you purchase a 6-month or yearly subscription) you receive 6-7 trial size beauty items. Here is the fancy box it came in:

And here are the goodies that came inside:

I received:

• Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate (www.lancome.ca)
• Fekkai PrX Reparatives Shampoo and Conditioner (www.fekkai.com)
• Marni Perfume (www.marni.com)
• Teeez Chain of Stones Nail Lacquer in Pretty in Pyrite (www.teeez.eu)
• L'Occitane 20% Shea Hand Cream (www.loccitane.com)
• Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner (www.eyeko.com)
• Loose Button tweezers 
• 4 samples of Crest 3D White Whitestrips and Toothpaste + coupons (not pictured)

The box I received seemed to be different from a lot of other people's, but I'm very happy with it. I was most excited to receive the L'Occitane hand cream because I LOVE their hand cream. It is soo nice. I also was excited to try the Fekkai hair products because I have heard good things about Fekkai products, and I was not disappointed. My hair is feeling much stronger after using this shampoo and conditioner. 

I have been wanting a nice liquid eyeliner for some time, and I really like this Eyeko one. It stays on well and is easy to apply (for someone why has a steady hand - not me!). I loved the Teeez nail polish. The colour is really nice and something I can wear year round. The only product I didn't care for was the Marni perfume, it was not my scent AT ALL, so I passed it along.

I have to say I really enjoyed this box. There was a good variety of products and they were all high quality. I can't wait for the Fall 2014 box!

To subscribe to Luxe Box, visit www.loosebutton.com/luxebox

May 2014 Topbox Review

It's that time of the month again...Topbox time! I'm still playing catch-up, so again, forgive the lateness of this post. Now on to this month's Topbox!

Here's what I received:

• Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Lotion SPF 15 (www.elizabetharden.ca)
• Kinetics Nail Colour in Splatter It! (www.kineticsnails.com)
• Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Lashes in So Black! (www.lancome.ca)
• Benefit Posiebalm Hydrating Tinted Lip Balm (www.benefitcosmetics.com)
• 10-day supply of Lancôme foundation (received empty jar with coupon to redeem at The Bay)

It was another really great month! First off, my favourite product has to be the Kinetics nail colour. I'd never heard of Kinetics, but I was dying to try a splatter nail polish after seeing Maybelline and Revlon's versions at work. Here's a swatch of Splatter It!:

2 coats of Splatter It! on 2 coats of Rimmel 60 Second Nail Polish in Sunny Days

I think it looks awesome, and I've already had friends request to borrow it. I definitely want to check out more of Kinetic's other nail polishes.

I wasn't super excited to receive the Lancôme mascara just because I feel like I've received a lot of mascaras recently. That said, it IS a good mascara and I do love Lancôme products. The Elizabeth Arden lotion I was excited to try out because it's for combination skin, which I have. It's lightweight, not too greasy, and a little goes a long way.

I LOVE Benefit so I was VERY excited to try out the Posiebalm lip balm. It's super moisturizing and has a nice light pink tint. I almost cried when I accidentally ruined it in the washing machine a week later. :(

This was another great box from Topbox. I wonder what next month has in store?

For more information on Topbox, visit topbox.ca

Little Life Box May 2014 Review

This is a bit of a late post, but as you can see from the lack of activity lately, life's been busy and I haven't been on much. I did receive a Little Life Box this month (well, actually 2 with the Mother's Day box), so let's check it out:

I received:

• Camino Organic Fine Chocolates Box (www.lasiembra.com/camino)
• Deep River Snacks Gluten-Free Kettle Chips in Original Salted (www.deepriversnacks.com)
• Go-Go Quinoa Puffed Cereal Choco-Puffs (www.gogoquinoa.com)
• EFFFI Gold Exclusive Skin Emulsion (www.efffi-e.ca)
• Ener-C Vitamin Drink Sachets (www.tryenerc.com)
• Mighty Leaf Organic Tea in Spring Jasmine, Breakfast, and African Nectar (www.mightyleaf.ca)
• Natura Cappucino Soy Drink + coupons (www.nutrisoya.com)
• OneCoffee Organic K-Cups in Sumatran (www.myworldinacup.com)
• Sow Good Face And Body Polish (www.sowgoodbeauty.com)
• Maison Orphée Unrefined Toasted Sesame Oil (www.maisonorphee.com)
• Brad King's Ultimate Calorie Burn (www.transforminghealthinc.com)
• Ecoideas Chlorophyll in Mint (www.ecoideas.ca)

One thing I will mention is that I received the same box for Mother's Day as I did for the regular box, differences being a different flavour of the Deep River Chips and a note in the MD box (ranty note: when the MD boxes were ordered [I ordered one for my mom and Mike ordered one for me] you had the option to have a personalized note written on a card inside the box. My mom received the personalized note; I received a generic "Happy Mother's Day". Mike was not impressed). Other than taking the specialness away of having a MD box, it worked out having both boxes the same because they were so good. You have no idea how happy I was to have a second crack at that box of Camino chocolates (which, btw, were beautiful and delicious).

There were a few repeat brands: Camino obviously, but THEY'RE SO GOOD they can be in ANY BOX ANY TIME; OneCoffee k-cups (which I have a sneaking suspicion they're trying to clear out); Mighty Leaf Tea (different flavours this time); Ener-C, which I love for work anyways; Sow-Good, different product though.

One weird item I received both times - Brad King's Ultimate Calorie Burn. Now, I'm wary of all weight loss pills, since, well, c'mon. There's no magic pill. I also find it kind of insulting to include this in a MOTHER"S DAY box! It's like, "I love you Mom...but lose some weight." I dunno, it's supposed to give you energy, so maybe I'll use it when I'm back in class in September?

Otherwise, everything else I received was so good. Standouts (other than the Camino): the Maison Orphée sesame oil (I feel really luxe cooking with it), and the Natura Soy Milk, which tasted awesome, and I've bought a few times since trying it.

To subscribe to Little Life Box, visit www.littlelifebox.com

Loot Crate April 2014 Review

Hurrah! The April Loot Crate is here! This month's theme was Dragons, which I was super excited about. Let's take a look:

I received:

• Loot Crate April 2014 button
• Dragon Slayer dog tag necklace
• Funko Game of Thrones mystery vinyl figure - we got Tyrion! XD
• 20-sided die stress ball
• Elder Scrolls The Nordic figurine
• Dragon Shield screen cleaner
• 20-sided die
• Mikey's Dragon Jerky

This is a box that Mike and I order for the both of us. Last month it was pretty much just interesting for Mike, as the theme was Titan (Titanfall/Attack on Titan). We both love Game of Thrones and dragons, and Mike's starting getting me into Magic the Gathering, so this helped sooth the nerd beasts inside us. Little Tyrion (the figure) is hanging out beside me right now, ready to imp slap at will. 

This is a box I really like, but the theme aspect to every box can be good or bad. This month was great, because I was really into it. February's was bad because I was not into it at all. I would recommend subscribing, but check the theme each month (usually announced during the first week of the month) to make sure you don't get a box that doesn't interest you. 

You can subscribe to Loot Crate at www.lootcrate.com

Little Life Box April 2014 Review

The April Little Life Box has arrived! Let's check it out!

Nice springy tissue paper with a namaste postcard. :)

Lots of goodies! Here's what I received:

• Bare English & Co. Lip Balm in Vanilla Coconut (www.bareenglish.com)
• Camino Organic Milk Chocolate Bunny (www.lasiembra.com/camino)
• Lalma Herbal Teas in Sleepy, Javaslim-T, and Detox (www.viragesante.com/en/herbal-teas.html)
• Enerex Raw Phyto Proteins (www.enerex.ca)
• OneCoffee Organic Coffee K-Cups in Peruvian Dark (www.myworldinacup.com)
• North Coast Organic Squeezable Applesauce (www.manzanaproducts.com)
• Crunchmaster Gluten-Free Multi-Seed Crackers (www.crunchmaster.com)
• Zorah Sitala Organic Face Cream (www.zorah.ca)
• Now Organic Rawsome Whole Food Meal (www.rawsomewholefood.ca)
• Nature's Bakery Fig Bar in Apple Cinnamon (www.naturesbakery.com)
• Tonic by the Sea Purifying Cleanser Scrub (www.tonicbythesea.com)
• Land Art Chlorophyll (www.landart.qc.ca)

I'm first got to mention that most of the food items were devoured by Mike and the kids before I got a chance to try them. The kids were all over that chocolate bunny and the applesauce and Mike homed in on the fig bar. I managed to grab the multi-seed crackers, which were delicious. I need to track those down and find more. Mike and the kids loved their items. The teas were very good, definitely ones I would try again. I'm saving the the phyto-proteins and whole food meal for some smoothies, but I'm very excited to try them. I would also love to try the OneCoffee K-cups, but I have a Tassimo. Little Life Box was kind enough to send out an email to warn of this, they were actually a bonus item in the box. I'm going to pass them on to someone with a Keurig.

I LOVE the Tonic by the Sea  purifying cleanser scrub. It's a heavy-duty scrub, and I like that. The Zorah face cream is lovely, it smells herbally (is that a word?) and my skin felt tighter after use. I had actually been eyeing the Bare English & Co. lip balms at my work (Shoppers Drug Mart), so I was glad to receive one in the box to try. I really like it, the only think is I'm not a fan of the tube Iit's oval instead of round so it's kind of weird to put on (like a tiny deodorant).

Image source: 

http://betti2bootbeauty.blogspot.ca/2013/10/lets-get-naked-bare-english-co-lip-balms.html

Overall, another great box from Little Life Box! I've hinted to Mike that I would like the Mother's Day box, so hopefully I find that in my mailbox next month! :)

April 2014 Topbox Review - Murale Edition!

When I received this month's Topbox, I was in for a pleasant surprise - I received the Murale Topbox! I know some people were underwhelmed by the regular Topbox this month, but I was quite pleased with the Murale Topbox. Let's take a look:

I received:

• Natura Bisse Diamond Extreme Eye Cream (www.naturabisse.es)
• Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator Serum (www.yslbeautyus.com)
• Juicy Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive (www.juicebeauty.com)
• Ojon Revitatizing Mist (www.ojon.com)

Everything I received I will use, so that def makes it a good Topbox. The Yves Saint Laurent serum is great, I like it better than the Lancome one I received in the last Topbox, and it even comes with a dropper which is handy. The eye cream also seems good, though I've only used it one day so it's hard to say. The Ojon Revitalizing Mist left my hair feeling super soft and smooth. The only one I was a little unsure about was the Juicy Beauty product. It's touted as having exfoliating action in the enclosed literature, but there wasn't any noticeable exfoliation when applied. Afterward though, my skin felt great, firmer and good and clean. Maybe it's super fine!

Well, this was my first "not-regular" Topbox and I thought it was great. What kind of Topbox did you get?

Honest Company March 2014 Bundle Review

First off, I'd like to apologize for the lack of posts lately. I'm right in the middle of exams so there's won't be much activity for the next week or so. Now to the review!

The Honest Company is an eco-friendly subscription service that specializing and baby and household products that was founded by Jessica Alba. They offer 3 bundles - Diapers & Wipes, Essentials, and Health & Wellness. The bundles start at $35.95/mth, depending on the bundle.  My first experience with the Honest Company was last November when I ordered two of their free trial bundles from their website www.honest.com. I received the Diapers & Wipes trial for my sister-in-law who was visiting with my baby niece and the Essentials trial for home. I really enjoyed the products I received, but with Christmas shortly after, money was tight and I kept pushing the shipment back (a really great option the Honest Company offers). I finally had March's Essentials bundle shipped out (and I am now finally writing about it!).

How the Essentials bundle works is that you can choose 5 household items for $35.95 + shipping, and add up to 3 additional items for a discount. The other bundles work a little differently - The Diapers & Wipes bundle is a month's-supply of diapers and wipes for $79.95. The Health & Wellness bundle is 2 vitamin products of your choice for $39.95 + shipping, plus your choice of up to 3 additional items for a discount.

I received in my Essentials bundle:

• Stain remover
• Dish soap in White Grapefruit
• Laundry detergent
• Dryer clothes
• Kids toothpaste

I was impressed by the quality of the products. All of them worked very effectively. The kids loved the toothpaste, and normally they don't care for any natural type toothpastes. Everything smelled so nice, especially the stain remover which is French Lavender scented, so relaxing.

What I really liked about the products is on the ingredients list on each bottle, each ingredient is explained beside the scientific term (e.g. Caprylyl/Myristyl Glucoside [Sugar-Based Cleanser]). It's nice knowing what is in each bottle and makes me feel more confident about the products.

Finally, a great feature of the Honest Company is their referral program. For every friend you refer that makes a purchase, you receive a $20 credit! That's half a month's shipment paid for! So to get started, here is my referral link and use coupon code INVITED10 to save $10 on your first order.

Sephora Nail Polish + Goodies Review

I finally placed an order with Sephora a few weeks. I've been meaning to order from Sephora FOREVER, since my birthday (last November) when I received the Beauty Insider birthday offer*. I really like going into their stores, but I now live an hour away from the closest store so it's not very convenient. But they recently had an offer to receive 6 samples instead of the 3 they offer with every order, so I decided to take them up on it. What I really only needed at the moment was a gold sparkle nail polish, and look!:

A really pretty one from the Sephora + Pantone Universe collection! And it's on sale! XD

Here is my package from Sephora:

And here are my goodies:

I received (clockwise from left):

• Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask (sample)
• 2013 Benefit Real Birthday Turn-Ons Set (birthday gift)
• Sephora+Pantone Universe Elemental Energy Nail Lacquer in Gold Glitter
• Algenist Genius Cream (sample)
• Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation (sample)
• Dior Hydra Life Pro-Youth Protective Creme (sample)
• Marc Jacobs Beauty Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation (sample)

I loved everything! First, let's look at the nail polish:

There's a good concentration of sparkles and I love the variation of sizes. 

The 2013 Benefit Real Birthday Turn-Ons Set had obviously been sitting in my cart for awhile. I am glad I was finally able to get it. The set consists of small tubes of Benefit's They're Real! mascara and Watt's Up! Soft Focus Highlighter for Face. I really like both products. The mascara has a really good brush to it and applies well. The highlighter is like a champagne-coloured cream eyeshadow. I used it as a highlighter with my eyeshadow and I really liked the look.

I really enjoyed all of the samples I received. The mask was the first thing I used, because I love masks, and if worked great and smelled lovely. I would definitely buy that. I would say my favourite face cream was the Dior. It felt really luxe going on and I noticed a difference in my skin the most with that one. My favourite foundation sample was the Hourglass one. It had the best texture and matched my skin the best (the sample I received on the Marc Jacobs was too yellow).

I definitely plan on ordering again and you should definitely check out Sephora. They have a wide variety of brands and *if you join their Beauty Insider club, you can receive a gift for your birthday like the Benefit kit I received. Visit www.sephora.com to start shopping!

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Loot Crate March 2014 Review

This review is a bit delayed as I received this a few weeks ago. Better late than never, eh? Let's get to it. This month's theme was Titan.

What came in this month's box:

• Titanfall t-shirt
• Attack on Titan - 1 manga
• Titanfall lanyard
• Attack on Titan Scouting Regiment wristband
• Loot Crate March 2014 button
• Salt water taffy!
• Code to access Titanfall strategy e-guide

This month's theme didn't interest me at all, but Mike was kind of into it. He's never played Titanfall, but he wants to. He thought all the Titanfall gear was cool and said he'd maybe read the Attack on Titan manga, which we'd never heard of. I was going to give it Aislinn (she likes manga), but it's pretty violent. Hudson loves the wristband though and wears it all the time.

I had cancelled my Loot Crate subscription when I found out the theme because the last two themes did not interest me at all. BUT...Loot Crate posted a clue on their Facebook page:

So...if it's a Game of Throne's box, I am definitely re-subscribing.

To subscribe to Loot Crate, go to www.lootcrate.com

Healthy Surprise March 2014 Review

ethicalDeal is currently offering a deal on Healthy Surprise subscriptions, $5 towards a $30 credit. Healthy Surprise is a subscription box service similar to Snackbox. The company sends out one of three types of boxes each month, starting at $40/mth for the Starter Box. Each box contains a variety of healthy, natural snacks. I used my credit towards the Starter Box, so it only cost me $15 + shipping ($10 in Canada).

Let's see what's inside:

There's a $25 gift card for Healthy Surprise on top! Awesome!

Lots of goodies, let's see what we have:

• VegThisWay Rawr Bar in Super Sweet Potato (www.vegthisway.com)
• Oskri Peach Bar (www.oskri.com)
• Happytimes Veggie Pals Carrot Orange Apple Chews (www.happyfamilybrands.com)
• Freeze Dried Crunchies in Mixed Fruit (www.crunchiesfood.com)
• Buddy Fruits Pure Fruit Bites in Orange (www.buddyfruits.com)
• New York Date Bar in Fruits & Nuts (www.newyorkdatebar.com)
• Materne GoGo Squeez in Appleberry (www.gogosqueez.com)
• Just Strawberries 'n Bananas Freeze-dried Fruit (www.justtomatoes.com)
• Oskri Dried Cranberries (www.oskri.com)
• Lydia's Organics Rawkin' Spicy Beet Chips (www.lydiasorganics.com)
• Alive & Radiant Foods Kale Crunch in Quite Cheesy (www.kaiafoods.com)

There are a lot of great products in this box, and I'm glad there are so many kid friendly products. I have 2 small complaints - one, the box is 90% fruit. I kind of wish there where more savoury snacks. Two, I wish there was a product list with information about each product. Snackbox encloses a leaflet in their boxes, Little Life Box posts their's online. I personally like seeing a blurb about each item. Still, receiving the $25 gift card was awesome, and they also included some recipes!

To get the $5 for $30 credit deal, go here.

For more info on Healthy Surprise, visit www.healthysurprise.com (referral link).

Little Passports First Month Explorer Kit Review

My daughter Aislinn chose to purchase a Little Passports membership with some of her birthday money. Little Passports is a monthly subscription box. There are 2 choices of subscriptions - World Edition, which covers a different country every month, and USA Edition, which covers a different state every month. We went for the World Edition. For $11.95/mth + shipping, kids receive a letter from Sam and Sofia, souvenirs, stickers, photos, as well as special online activities. Since it was Aislinn's first though, she received her first month Explorer Kit.

She was so excited to get mail!

The first month Explorer Kit comes with:

• a very cute travel suitcase to store treasures
• world wall map (great for looking up the countries visited!)
• stickers for the suitcase
• travel passport
• photo of Sam and Sofia
• activity sheet
• luggage tag with online access code

The photo of Sam and Sofia is missing from my picture as the kids had already run off with it. :)

It's a great box, Aislinn loves the suitcase and is excited to see where Sam and Sofia go in the world.

One last thing: every month Little Passports has an Explorer of the Month photo contest. Aislinn's photo is entered in the contest, and we would REALLY appreciate a vote. Contest ends April 3rd. Please click here to vote.

To sign up for Little Passports, go to www.littlepassports.com (referral link). 

Topbox March 2014 Review

The March Topbox has arrived! Full of new goodness to try out! For those who don't know, Topbox is a monthly beauty subscription service. For $12/mth you receive 4 deluxe beauty samples. I personally love Topbox because there is always one really luxe brand. Let's see this month's box:

I received:

• Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair (www.esteelauder.com)
• Belvada Cosmetics Blackhead Facial Mask (www.belvada.com)
• Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey (www.clinique.com)
• Epic Blend Hemp Lip Balm in Citrus Kick (www.epicblend.com)

I am so excited about this box because it comes with a Clinique item! Clinique is my absolute favourite makeup brand. I love the colour of this product too, it's like a cross between a lip stain and lip balm, and the colour is the perfect red tint for me. I haven't tried the Estee Lauder product yet, but I love Estee Lauder so I'm sure it will be fabulous. The Epic Blend lip balm is lovely, it's so fresh smelling and so soft going on. I absolutely needed more lip balms, given how nasty this winter has been. I have not had a chance to try the Belvada masks as I just did a mask. I've never tried any Belvada products before but I'm excited to try them out!

Another great package from Topbox, they are definitely one of my favourite subscription services.

To join Topbox, go to www.topbox.ca. They have a waiting list, but it's def worth the wait :)

Little Life Box March Review

This post is a bit delayed due to me sick the past week and a stressful paper due (which probably helped bring on the sickness). Anywho, the March Little Life Box arrived recently.

So pretty!

Let's check out the goodness:

Here's what I received:

- EcoTools Eco Pouf Mini Bath Sponge (www.ecotools.com)

- Montagne Jeunesse Manuka Honey Peel Off Mask (www.montagnejeunesse.com)

- Orange Naturals D3 Drops (www.orangenaturals.com)

- Q Energy Drink Powder Sachets (www.qenergydrink.com)

- Lotus Aroma Bath & Shower Gel (www.lotusaroma.com)

- Land Art ChlOralfa Breath Freshener Spray (www.landart.qc.ca)

- Sun Warrior Vanilla Raw Vegan Protein (www.sunwarrior.com)

- Bounce Natural Energy Ball in Coconut & Macadamia Protein Bliss (www.bouncefoods.ca)

- 3teas Jasmine with Flowers Green Tea (www.3-teas.com)

- Enerex Greens Gluten-Free Drink Powder Sachet in Mixed Berries (www.enerex.ca)

- Free For All Kitchen Gluten Free Crackers in Olive Oil and Sea Salt (www.partnerscrackers.com/OurBrandsProducts/FreeForAllKitchen)

I was so happy with this box! I think Little Life Box is my favourite subscription box. I've had a lot of these brans before, either through Little Life Box or Snackbox, but that doesn't bother me because I really like them. I was excited to receive a new product from Ecotools after receiving their really awesome blush brush in the January 2014 box. Bath poofs aren't the most exciting thing, but I know I'll use it sooner or later. I'm also a big fan of Montagne Jeunesse's face masks, and I've actually never tried this one so I'm really excited to use it. There were a couple of different drink sachets, including the Q Energy ones I've tried through Snackbox. Those are great for taking to work for a pick me up in the middle of the day.

I was REALLY happy to receive the D3 drops because they're a really inportant item to have in Canada in the winter. Plus they're full-sized and are worth more than half the cost of the box! I was also happy to receive the tea as I am a tea fiend. The snacks enclosed (the Bounce ball and Free For All Kitchen crackers) were tasty - though Mike was the one who tried the ball.

It was a great box, and I highly recommend subscribing to it. It is well worth the price ($19.99/mth + $3 shipping in Canada or less if buying multi-month). Go to www.littlelifebox.com to sign up :)

February LootCrate Has Arrived!

This week I received my first LootCrate (www.lootcrate.com) box. LootCrate is a monthly subscription box geared to geeks/gamers. For $29.95/month (for Canada - less in the US, more international), you receive 6-8 geeky items. I was very, very excited to receive it.

This month's theme was WARRIORS and was based on the cartoon Bravest Warriors. I hadn't even heard of it before I received the box. I received:

- Alpha Battle t-shirt (Shirt Woot! & jamescho84) - this was pretty cool but I asked for a ladies shirt and I ended up with a mens shirt that's labelled ladies. Giving it to Mike unfortunately :(

- Bravest Warriors bow tie (Frederator & Black Tie Geek) - so cute! I gave it to Hudson as he loves bowties :)

- Gas Powered Stick cinch bag (Frederator & Loot Crate Labs) - I have a ton of these, I always seem to get these at events. Meh.

- Dunny Sideshow or Bot Blind Box Figure - this was pretty cool. Gave it to Aislinn.

- Bacon Love Card (OpenMe) - this is a really cute card. Will be saving this for next Valentine's Day

- Bravest Warriors sticker (JustToys Int & Frederator)

It also came with a code for a free Bravest Warriors digital comic, which I may download for the kids, as well as a coupon code for OpenMe.

Overall I wasn't impressed solely because I wasn't interested in the theme. I've seen better boxes from LootCrate in the past and I'm hoping next month's box is better.

February Snackbox Has Arrived!

I received the latest Snackbox yesterday morning - it actually arrived quicker than the date I was given. Here's what I received:

- CheeCha Puffs in Sea Salt & Spiced Pepper (www.checha.ca)

- Hippie Foods Hippie Cookies in Chocolate Cashew (www.hippiefoods.com)

- Simply Protein Chips in Herb (www.thesimplybar.com)

- Neal Brothers Maple Bacon Chips (www.nealbrothersfoods.com)

- Endangered Species Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt & Almonds (www.chocolatebar.com)

- Prana Sumsuma Organic Sesame Squares (www.boutiqueprana.com)

- Kimmy Seasoned Seaweed  

- Q Energy Drink Powder in Wildberry and Lemon-Lime (www.qenergydrink.com)

- Kiju Organic Juice Boxes in Mango Orange and Pomegranate Cherry (www.kijuorganic.com)

- Bounce Energy Ball (x2) in Cacao Mint Protein Bomb (www.bouncefoods.ca)

- Dan-D-Pak Cashews (www.dan-d-pak.com)

I was disappointed with this box for a couple of reasons. One, most of the products were small or sample-sized. Last month's box came with a full-sized box of granola bars and crackers. The largest item I had was the package of Hippie Cookies, which did not come with a lot of cookies. Plus, as posted on the In My (not so) Humble Opinion blog, the Q Energy Drink sachets are available for free on their website (plus shipping). This was also my second month in a row of receiving the Kiju juice boxes. While I like them, I feel like this was just a matter of throwing whatever you have hanging around in. It would be one thing if this was a good sized box and this was the bonus item, but it's not the case. I was also disappointed with the lack of kid friendly snacks. It was great last time that I had the granola bars for the kids lunches, the bunny cookies, fruit leather, gluten-free bookies, juice boxes and fig bar. There just wasn't as much this time. I packed the maple bacon chips and organic sesame squares in the kids' lunches and they didn't like them. 

I will say there were a few things we really liked. The Q Energy Drink powders were good, I always like receiving these things, they're handy for work. The cashews were good, but they were just straight up cashews (not that there's anything wrong with that). Mike really liked the Hippie Cookies, though didn't like the aftertaste on them. We're big fans of Che Cha Puffs so we were glad to get those. I REALLY enjoyed the seaweed, it was really good. I'm going to look into getting more.

I cancelled my subscription after this box. I'm not sure what the value of this box was, but it seemed low, and I know last month's was low. We live on a budget and at $45 a box with the shipping, it's too much if we're just not that satisfied. I will keep an eye on reviews though and if it looks like it's improving I will probably resubscribe.

February Topbox Has Arrived!

Yesterday I received my very first Topbox (www.topbox.ca). Topbox is a subscription box programs that sends you 4 beauty samples a month for $12, but there is a waiting list so you have register for that. It took me a couple of months to get in. Let's see what I got:

I received:

- Lise Watier Blush Powder in Libertine (http://www.lisewatier.com)

- Rodial Bee Venom Moisturizer (http://www.rodial.co.uk)

- Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant (http://www.elizabetharden.com)

- Estee Lauder Double Ended Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara and Pure Colour Gloss in Rock Candy (http://www.esteelauder.com)

I know and love all of those brands except for Rodial, but at £150 for a full-sized product on their website, it is easily the most luxe item I received. This box was definitely good value for my money and I am looking forward to posting about future boxes.