unboxing: Abe's Market Try for $2 December 2014

If you've never shopped with Abe's Market before, you are missing out on a fantastic online shopping resource for natural products! Their Try for $2 program is not a monthly subscription box like I usually make unboxing posts on, but it's still a really great way to try natural products for great prices. Every day at 10 AM CST, Abe's Market releases new options for customers to order. Mainly they are snacks, as well as the occasional beauty product, baking mix, candle, etc, you just never know! Customers can order up to three items at a time for only $2 each. When I say $2, I mean $2 because even if you only order one, there is still no sales tax or S&H charge. There is a limit of 15 items per customer per month, but the best items usually go quickly, as in within 10-15 minutes quickly. Let me show you what I have snagged this month!

Abe's Market

Try for $2

My picks for December 2014!

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unboxing: Petit Vour December 2014

Petit Vour, a monthly subscription of vegan beauty products, is usually my last box to arrive in a month. This month is no exception, but they did push hard to get it out earlier this month than they usually do. And just when I thought I had gotten myself caught up on unboxing posts, too!

Petit Vour
December 2014
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unboxing: R. L. Linden & Co. Limited Edition Seasonal Yuletide Box 2014

When I learned the date that R. L. Linden & Co.'s new seasonal box was to be released online, I seriously started stalking their website when I woke up that morning, refreshing the page every time I got a chance until it was finally up! I get more excited for these boxes than for any monthly box I subscribe to, and this latest one did not disappoint!

R. L. Linden & Co.
Limited Edition
Seasonal Yuletide Box 2014
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unboxing: Yogi Surprise Limited Edition Holiday Box 2014

Yogi Surprise is a fairly new subscription with only three months of boxes under their belts so far. When I got an e-mail about their first limited edition box a few weeks ago, I deliberated for a day before deciding that I had loved curation enough so far to take the leap and order one.

Yogi Surprise
Limited Edition
Holiday Box 2014
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unboxing: CauseBox by Sevenly Winter 2014

CauseBox is a brand new subscription from Sevenly that sends out $150 worth of socially conscious items quarterly, though after this first amazing box I wish they shipped every month instead of only every three!

CauseBox by Sevenly
Winter 2014
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unboxing: Petit Vour Holiday Limited Edition Collection 2014

Petit Vour is an affordable monthly subscription of vegan beauty products that always has a great retail value. Several times a year they release limited edition boxes that look so amazing I just have to have one!

Petit Vour
Holiday Limited Edition Collection
2014
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unboxing: Limited Edition Deluxe Holiday Goodebox 2014

Leave it to Goodebox to come out with a fantastic new deluxe box on Black Friday when I was already seeing great deals to my left and right that I wanted to throw my money at. But I seriously had to have this one!!

Limited Edition
Deluxe Holiday Goodebox
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unboxing: Fair Treasure December 2014

Oh my, I have been getting a little behind on posting my boxes this month! I believe I have five unboxings to post, if I can get to them all today. I'll start with Fair Treasure, my monthly fix of fair trade crafts!

Fair Treasure
December 2014
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unboxing: Yogi Surprise December 2014

Between my job and my kids, and just life in general, I have a crazy, crazy life. Yoga is my outlet, for both my mind and body, so when Yogi Surprise began the first ever (but excitingly now not the only) yoga lifestyle subscription box a few months ago, I signed up right away!

Yogi Surprise
December 2014
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unboxing: Eco Emi Deluxe Beauty Box December 2014

Eco Emi is a great natural sampling service with several different options to fit the preferences of all sorts of green-conscious customers. Currently, the only box I subscribe to is the Deluxe Beauty Box, but am absolutely considering their variety subscription after receiving several very impressive boxes!

Eco Emi
Deluxe Beauty Box
December 2014
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unboxing: BuddhiBox December 2014

BuddhiBox is a pretty new subscription box. This is actually only their second month of amazing yoga inspired monthly care packages, but so far they have really impressed me with their curation and value.They offer two subscriptions, a regular box and a mini box. This review is if their regular box!

BuddhiBox
December 2014
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unboxing: Target Naturals Beauty Box December 2014

Every so often, retail giant Target will release a beauty box for one-time purchase, and when they recently released three different new boxes, they sold out fast. I managed to snag the only one I was interested in, a box full of natural goodies that Target carries. At only five bucks, I thought it was a great deal!

Target
Naturals Beauty Box
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unboxing: Birchbox December 2014

Birchbox is one of the original beauty box subscriptions, and at $10 or less per month it is one of the most affordable. They include a mix of green items, not so green, as well as the occasional lifestyle or edible item.

Birchbox
December 2014
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Pachy is the perfect product for my pits! My review of Rustic Maka Pachy Deodorant.

Going green with your health and beauty products is a very positive thing both for yourself and for the planet. But in the process of cleaning up your routine, some synthetic products can be really hard to find a natural alternative to. For me, deodorant was that product. Natural deodorant creams are effective, but I don't like having to use my fingers to apply them. Sticks are my preference, but they either dry my underarms out, or are not effective enough to even get me through a sweaty yoga session at the gym. So when Beauty Box 5 included a natural stick deodorant in their Limited Edition Eco Chic Box, I was willing to try it, but didn't have the highest of hopes that it would actually work for me. How wrong I was.

photo credit

"Pachy" is the Polish word for "underarm", and also the name of this incredible natural deodorant from Rustic Maka, a green company who believes when it comes to personal care products, less is more.

Mission statement:

"Rustic Maka is a Michigan-based company with a mission to develop healthy personal care solutions, made with carefully selected, good-for-our-bodies, made-in-nature, organic and vegan ingredients."

Pure. Simple. Organic.

Ingredients:

Manihot Esculenta (Arrowroot) Tapioca Powder,* Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit,* Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil,* Aluminum-free Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax 

*Certified Organic Ingredient

I received a full size of the scent "Wild Meadows" in my Eco Chic Box and fell in love from the first use. The formula is simple yet effective, able to control sweat and odor without irritating, drying or chafing my underarms. It is firm, but warms quickly to the touch to glide on easily without crumbling. I even love the tube, which is made with recycled materials. The bottom twists up and down easily, and the cap also twists on and off so that I can toss it in my gym bag without a care. At 3.2 oz, Pachy is bigger than your average drugstore deodorant. I've had mine since early October, and after applying it once daily since then I still have plenty left, though I did take advantage of a Black Friday discount to place an order last month for more!

I ordered a few full sizes of Naughty Butter (the unscented version), a spare of the fresh Wild Meadows I loved, and this nifty sampler with lip balm sized sticks of five of Pachy's six available scents. One of these will now always reside in my makeup bag in case of emergency :). I find the scented deodorants to be mild yet lovely, each one uniquely aromatherapeutic.

Rough Rivers: 

Advertised as the deodorant in the line meant for men, this one is scented with bergamot. It is fresh, clean, and I think it is unisex since I like the scent very well, too.

Wild Meadows:

Fresh, sweet and scented with bergamot and vanilla, this is the first Pachy I tried and still my favorite of the scents.

Naughty Butter:

I often prefer unscented products, which is why I ordered full sizes of this one. It has a faint waxy scent in the tube, applies scentless, and works just as well as any of the others to keep body odor at bay.

Sweet Lemonade:

I love the tart, tasty scent of this option, too. Scented with orange peel, lemon peel and vanilla, it is bright, uplifting and is great for preteens just discovering the need for deodorant and older, smellier customers alike.

Calming Fields: 

The lavender and spearmint in this deodorant make for a calm, grounding scent that I really like! The rest of the scents are very subtle, but this one is just a little stronger than the rest for those who may have more odorous armpits or like to be able to smell their deodorant throughout the day.

Rustic Maka also makes a Morning Breeze deodorant scented with lavender, spearmint, orange peel, lemongrass, and vanilla. This one wasn't included in the trial pack or Black Friday sale because $2 from every one sold is donated to Angels of Hope, a charity supporting children diagnosed with cancer and their families. A beautiful cause, and a beautiful-sounding scent that I plan to order soon.

Pachy is the perfect product for my pits!

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any brand mentioned. These products were paid for by eco Birdy. All opinions are my own!

unboxing: Fair Trade Friday December 2014

Yay! I finally got off the wait list for the super popular monthly Fair Trade Friday subscription box! On the first Friday of the month, subscribers receive a package of thoughtful fair trade gifts. Today is Saturday, but I'm not complaining about my package being one little day late, especially considering how great the items are that I received.

Fair Trade Friday
December 2014
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Purr-fect facial care from Meow Meow Tweet!

I guess you could say I'm a dog person, since I share my home with two dogs but no cats. However, there's this one beauty brand out there that I think is pretty well purr-fect (pun intended). I'm talking about Meow Meow Tweet!

photo credit

Come on, how stinkin' cute is that packaging?

Meow Meow Tweet is a small batch apothecary run by founders Tara and Jeff in Brooklyn, NY, who create by hand some truly wonderful vegan products using only the purest ingredients.

MMT has a great range of items to choose from - insect repellent to body oil, a very popular deodorant cream to a lovely salt body scrub - but today I want to focus on five products that can be individually added to your current facial routine, or could make up a purr-fect (sorry, it's just too good of a pun to use only once in a post.!) routine of their own: simply named Face Cleanser, Face Exfoliant, Face + Body Toning Mists, Face Oil and Cocoa Skin Cream. For stock pictures, ingredients and usage of these products, click here!

Face Cleanser

While I don't particularly care for the juniper and mint scent of this cleanser (juniper just isn't my thing) I do really love the deliciously creamy texture and thorough cleanse it gives! I was a little nervous to try it at first since it contains castile soap, which normally dries me out really bad. My fears were for nothing, however, because it doesn't strip the moisture from my face, but all the dirt, sweat, makeup etc are stripped away like they were never there at all.

Face Exfoliant

Here is an exfoliant like no other; rather than a harsh scrubby product this one is soft and soothing. Made with ingredients of oat, walnut hull, chamomile flowers and kelp, this is so perfect for sensitive skin that needs just a little exfoliation and a lot of calming. Not only does it smell absolutely delicious, like sweet, warm oatmeal, it leaves my skin free from dry, flaky patches, so soft and smooth. I like to leave it on after exfoliating sometimes, so my skin can really soak up the anti-inflammatory benefits of that chamomile.

Face + Body Toning Mists

This amazingly refreshing toner comes in three options and I have happily spritzed myself with all three!

Bergamot Vetiver

I should really love this one since it is the option designed for dry skin, but the earthy-earth aroma is not for me. Still! The smell fades fast and it works just as well as the other three.

Geranium Basil

Best for oily skin, the minty scent of this toner is better, and I love that it is non-drying yet mattifying, perfect for oily skin indeed.

Palmarosa Cedar

This sweet and woodsy option for normal to dry skin is my fave! I love using this it as a super simple morning spritz-and-wipe cleanse when my sensitive skin needs a less is more approach. It is perfect for misting anywhere on the body, anytime of day to boost dry or tired skin and is the ultimate refreshment for my face when I leave it in my fridge before use.

Face Oil

This medium consistency face oil is simple, yet full of exceptional ingredients, making it perfect for all skin types. It's another earthily scented MMT product that you either enjoy right off the bat or learn to live with once you discover that you don't want to live without the smooth, soft, absolutely glowing face that results from 2-3 drops of this liquid gold. It is non-greasy when used alone on oily skin, and dry girls can benefit using it under a moisturizer such as the lovely one below.

Cocoa Skin Cream

Leave it to me to fall absolutely in love with the product that wasn't necessarily even meant for the face! I gotta say, though, this stuff is as perfect as it gets when it comes to the needs of my super-sensitive skin. The shea and cocoa butters deeply moisturize, the coconut oil nourishes and keeps bacteria at bay, and hempseed oil (an oil incredibly similar in lipid structure to the body's own sebum), allows the cream to completely and effectively be absorbed with no greasy sheen left behind. This cream is simplicity at it's finest, and did I mention that the smooth chocolatey scent is just heavenly?! Firm in the jar, it melts deliciously at skin temperature to glide on silkily smooth before sinking right in. It can even be used on cuticles, lips, and any other dry patch you can find on your body. I've actually adopted Cocoa Skin Cream into my everyday routine, to moisturize my face on top of a drop or two of my favorite serum.

Can I please have permission to make another silly pun joke??

These minis are the cat's meow!

=^^=

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any brand mentioned. These products were paid for by eco Birdy. All opinions are my own!

unboxing: Goodebox December 2014

You know how much I love my monthly Goodebox delivery of green health, beauty and lifestyle items, so let's jump right in because the suspense is killing me!!

Goodebox
December 2014
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unboxing: Yogi Bliss Box November 2014

Yogi Bliss Box is not a typical monthly subscription box. At the beginning of every month, Yogi Bliss releases a theme for customers to decide whether or not they want that collection of 3-5 full sized yoga lifestyle items. I've never seen an online unboxing for this one, and this is my first time purchasing, so I had absolutely no clue what to expect.

Yogi Bliss Box
November 2014
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unboxing: Petit Vour November 2014

Petit Vour is a monthly subscription box that sends out vegan, cruelty-free beauty items every month. Not everything is 100% natural, but I always love my box and have discovered some of my favorite things subscribing to this box.

Petit Vour
November 2014
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eco Birdy Black Friday Special !!

With Thanksgiving officially over, Black Friday madness has begun! I have my own special giveaway for you featuring four birdie brands in honor of my newly named blog. I have three tiered options to give away to eight of my lovely eBay customers and here they are!

UPDATE: Promotion Expired.

For the first eligible purchase over $50, I have one awesome four piece set:

● Meow Meow Tweet Lavender Deodorant Cream 1 oz jar

● Lulu Organics Hair Powder in Lavender & Clary Sage 5 g cardboard sample

● Lov Organic Exotic Fruit Tea single sealed sachet

● Alima Pure Satin Matte Blush in Mimosa sample jar

For the first two eligible purchases over $25 is another great four piece set:

● Meow Meow Tweet Vegan Lip Balm in Tangerine Lime OR Rosemary Eucalyptus

● Lulu Organics Hair Powder in Lavender & Clary Sage 5 g cardboard sample

● Lov Organic Lemongrass Tea single sealed sachet

● Alima Pure Satin Matte Blush in Antique Rose OR Apricot

For the first four eligible purchases over $10 are these fun and free duos:

● One Lov Organic sealed tea sachet, assorted flavors
● One Alima Pure mini powder sample jar, assorted products

How to get your Black Friday gift:

1) Leave me a nice comment on your choice of post anywhere on this blog. Not applicable on comments made previous to this post.

2) Make a purchase from my eBay store here. Send me a note to seller at checkout letting me know you commented, where, and which of the three free gift options you are interested  in. Not applicable on purchases made prior to this post. I will update this post as they are claimed, so if the option you want is still posted here, it is still available.

3) This offer is available while supplies last or until November 30th at 11:59 PM CST, whichever comes first. I reserve the right to substitute free gifts with items of equal or greater value in the event that I cannot update this post in time if too many customers claim a particular gift.

I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving and is ready to snag some awesome Black Friday deals :)!

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any brand mentioned. This giveaway is sponsored solely by eco Birdy. All opinions are my own!

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

As you may or may not have noticed, I have made a lot of changes to this blog lately, including the name.

eco Beauty all yours

..is now..

eco Birdy

What's in a name?

Formerly, "eco Beauty all yours" was a play on words in that the first letters spelled out "eBay", the location of my online store. It wasn't particularly an attractive or creative name, but it worked for awhile. Now, though, I'm ready to start promoting my blog more, become a more active online presence with social media and the like, and so decided I needed a new name. Something simple, cute and quirky yet easy to remember. A name that fits me as a person as well as my store. I chose eco Birdy, a name still suggestive of "eBay" and "eco Beauty", but better than before and more.. me.

Birdy: A story of teenage cruelty, self-image and the like..

When I was in high school, I had the nickname of Birdy. You see, in the middle of my face, where most people have a nose, I have a beak. Haha, not really, but I do have a slightly large, rather crooked nose. At this point in my life, I love myself just the way I am, but as a teenager my nose made me feel ugly. One day at school, I was listening and nodding along to a story a friend was telling me, when an eavesdropping boy started laughing and said that me nodding reminded him of a bird pecking at the ground. I was hurt, shocked to silence as the entire classroom watched my face go dark red, but my dear friend spoke up for me and said, "Yes, she's a pretty birdie alright." And just like that, a nickname was born that some of my oldest friends still call me.

You're such a tease!

Birds are such beautiful creatures, and plenty of green companies have taken them as logos. Sometime in the near future, I plan to acquire my own personalized birdy logo, but for now I am focusing on a super Black Friday deal for my eBay store! I won't spoil the surprise, but I will tell you the giveaway features products from four green brands that represent themselves with birds. I have a post with full details all typed up and scheduled to post automatically at 12:01 AM CST on Black Friday, so make sure you come back to see me then because I only have supplies to give away to eight customers! I hope to see you then!

unboxing: BuddhiBox November 2014

If you read my unboxing of my November mini BuddhiBox, you know I had a little mixup with them during their first ever monthly subscription shipment. I reached out to customer service who were apologetic and kindly offered to send along my box free of charge to make up for the mistake. I'm very happy with how they handled the situation with me and am so excited to finally have my box :)!

BuddhiBox
November 2014
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unboxing: Birchbox November 2014

Most boxes I subscribe to are either fair-trade items or green beauty items. Birchbox is my one exception that sends out a mix of green and not-so-green beauty items, but I just can't give it up!

Birchbox
November 2014
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Keep lips soft this winter with natural lip balms on eBay

It's mid-November and would you believe that yesterday there were little snow flurries outside where I am living in the Midwest?! Snow, snow, go away! I would rather be warm today.

The cold weather is already taking a toll on my skin, making it dry, uncomfortable and flaky. Yesterday, I noticed that my lips were really neglected and chapped. I own at least 10 or more lip balms, but having them doesn’t do my lips much good unless I start using them more frequently.

I feel strongly about using natural beauty products all over since the skin absorbs the ingredients, and lip balms especially should be natural because they are applied to the lips, enter the mouth and are ingested. Why would anybody willingly consume chemicals and synthetics?

So, if your lips sound as winter-dry as mine, this post is for you. I want to share a picture of some of my favorite natural lip balms that I currently have in stock now in my eBay store :).

● 100% Pure Organic Mint Lip Balm

● Ellovi Tinted Lip Butter

● Figs & Rouge Wild Cherry Lip, Face, Hand and Body Balm

● Meow Meow Tweet Lip Balms in Cocoa, Grapefruit Clove, Rosemary Eucalyptus and Tangerine Lime

● Pacifica Vanilla Hibiscus Color Quench  All Natural Lip Tint

● Shea Terra Organics Shea N' Bees Extreme Menthe Chocolate Lip Butter

● Stark Skincare Argan Lip Treatment infused with vanilla and rose

● S.W. Basics Lip Balms in Cocoa and Cinnamon

Buy them from my eBay store here and stay warm now that the weather outside has gotten so cold :)!

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any brand mentioned. All opinions are my own!

unboxing: BuddhiBox Mini November 2014

BuddhiBox is a brand new subscription service that sent out their first boxes filled with yoga-inspired items this month. They have a regular size box option and a mini box option. Out of curiosity, I ordered both, which resulted in quite the mix up! See, yesterday I received a box that contained two of the mini version, but no regular box. I e-mailed customer service, who promptly replied, apologized and explained that somewhere, somehow my regular subscription was refunded and cancelled. They promised to send out my regular box this Friday, free of charge, and reinstate my subscription. I'm still kind of confused as to why I received two of the mini box when I only paid for one, but I understood mistakes happen and am just glad they are being apologetic and gracious in their attempts to fix it!

BuddhiBox
Mini Box
November 2014
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unboxing: Eco Emi Deluxe Beauty Box November 2014

I missed out on the first ever Deluxe Beauty Box from Eco Emi last month due to being indecisive if I wanted it or not. When I finally did decide to sign up, I was too late for the first box, but here is my unboxing of the second month of a new subscription from an established company!

Eco Emi
Deluxe Beauty Box
November 2014
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unboxing: Eco Salon Limited Edition Winter Wonderland Box

I LOVE the amazing boxes that sister sites Eco Salon and Organic Authority come up with. I was soo ticked with myself that I missed out on the last one, so I was especially excited to snag this newest one from Eco Salon, the Limited Edition Winter Wonderland Box.

Eco Salon
Limited Edition Winter Wonderland Box
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unboxing: Fair Treasure November 2014

Fair Treasure is my monthly treat to myself that sends me a box of 2-3 beautiful fair-trade creations from artisans around the world. The monetary value of the items for me is always equal or slightly more than the box cost, but the business it creates for the artisans is incredibly valuable to them and their families.

Fair Treasure
November 2014
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unboxing: Limited Edition Conscious Commerce for Birchbox Men's Box

I make every effort to live a green and mindful life, and my husband supports me, but I'm still working on encouraging him to be more mindful himself. I mean, he will use my 100% natural shampoo if it's within his reach during his shower, but if a bottle of Old Spice or something was there instead that would be what he used. Still, I really liked the look of the men's version of the limited edition Conscious Commerce for Birchbox and bought it because I figured I could keep for myself what he wasn't interested in :).

Limited Edition
Conscious Commerce for Birchbox
Men's Box
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unboxing: Limited Edition Conscious Commerce for Birchbox Women's Box

This year, Birchbox has really impressed me with the wonderful holiday boxes they have created. Great as they looked, I was able to restrain myself from purchasing one until I saw their two Conscious Commerce collaboration boxes, and I had to have them both. This unboxing is for the women's version.

Limited Edition

Conscious Commerce for Birchbox

Women's Box

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unboxing: Yogi Surprise November 2014

Last month was the first ever shipment of the new and amazing subscription box, Yogi Surprise. Each month, subscribers receive a retreat in a box as well as a chance to win a real retreat to a different destination each month. This month, one lucky subscriber will win a trip to the Kalani Ocean Retreat in Hawaii. I sure as heck would love to win, but even though I probably won't, I still love my box this month. Let's dig in!

Yogi Surprise
November 2014
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You like me, you really like me! 500 positive feedbacks = five free samples!

This week I reached a feedback score of

500

for my eBay store.

500 feedbacks and every single one rated as positive.

I think this is an occasion worthy of celebration, don't you?

In honor of my 500th positive feedback, I am offering five free samples to every eBay customer who asks for them over the next five days.

UPDATE: Promotion Expired.

Here's how it works:

1) Leave a nice comment for me. Commenting on this post or any other post on my blog is perfect, but not comments previous to this post.

2) Make a purchase from my eBay store here, no minimum purchase required. Purchases made prior to this post are not eligible. During checkout of your purchase, please send a note to seller letting me know where you commented and that you would like your five free samples. I cannot honor specific requests, but letting me know preferences such as "skincare for oily skin" or "makeup for fair complexion" I can do.

3) Receive a mix of foil sample packets, cardboard samples, sample vials, tubes, jars, etc. Enjoy! 

Promotion ends five days from now on Thursday November 13th at 11:59 p.m. CST.

Thanks again, so so much for your business and support, and here's to another 500 positive feedbacks!

unboxing: Eco Emi Limited Edition Cosmetics Box

Eco Emi might not have the highest valued boxes, but the curation is amazing, like opening a care package from a good friend, and I have always felt like I get my money's worth. When I heard about a new limited edition box with a high promised retail value as compared to Eco Emi's cost for the box, I was curious and immediately ordered one.

Eco Emi
Limited Edition Cosmetics Box
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unboxing: October 2014 Trick or Treat Bonus Goodebox

Trick or Treat! This year Goodebox came up with a spooky good deal on a limited edition bonus box. For just $31, subscribers and non-subscribers alike could buy a box jam-packed with 31 items from previous boxes, one or two of which were promised to be full size.

Limited Edition
Trick or Treat Bonus Goodebox
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unboxing: Mercy House + Fair Trade Friday Limited Edition High End Box

Fair Trade Friday is a super-popular monthly subscription that delivers 3-4 high-quality fair trade items to subscribers by the first Friday of every month. They are so popular that their subscriptions are often sold out! I am currently on the wait list for a spot, but I did snag a limited edition box from them I want to show off! The box I am featuring today is a collaboration with Mercy House featuring high end fair trade items.

Mercy House + Fair Trade Friday
Limited Edition High End Box
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unboxing: Goodebox November 2014

I have only been subscribing to Goodebox for a few months now, but it is easily my favorite subscription for delivering exciting green beauty and lifestyle samples to my door every month. Let me show you why!

Goodebox
November 2014
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What's that lovely perfume lurking on my wrists?! My review of Lurk perfume oils + some exciting news!

Earlier this month, I saw a picture on Facebook that literally made me squeal with delight! Below is that picture.

Lurk has announced the upcoming launch of eau de toilette versions of two of their amazing scents. Today, I dropped by their website and discovered that their launch date is set for November 4th. And the two scents?

BS003 & RSW005

Yayy!!

Anyway, with this new, exciting information, I thought it would be a fun time to share my review of Lurk's perfume oils..

Photo credit

"Lurk perfume oils transcend gender, age, race, attitude and affliction."

There are currently five unique yet obviously related scents in Lurk's line, all hand-blended in small batches by Anne Sanford in SoHo NYC. Take a look at this beautiful sample set of mine..

AS01

Notes of cedarwood, tuberose and sweet rose come together with a hint of spice to produce this slightly viscous yet subtle scent.

This is a warm, sweet fragrance, just lovely. Reading the description before testing the scent, I predicted that the tuberose would cause the rose to be one of those "fashionable" powdery rose scents, but that couldn't be further from the truth. This perfume has a certain greenness to it that I love.

BS003

Dry woods mix with crisp citrus notes and sweet bergamot to produce this effervescent yet balanced set.

Uplifting and fresh, the bergamot and lemon create a juicy citrus peel scent. The note of black pepper sits noticeably in the background, giving further intrigue and a subtle spicy dryness to the citruses. 

PRJV1

Expansive layers of jasmine and rose with fresh petitgrain. Raw, unrefined, possibly debaucherous, definitely pleasing.

This may be the greenest jasmine scent I have ever smelled. Usually, jasmine is soft and sweet, occasionally cloying. Not this one! Perhaps it is the presence of rose that keeps this scent so fresh and green, yet still floral and undeniably feminine.

RSW005

Warm sandalwood and earthy rose produce this androgenous scent. Smooth with a crisp citrus finish. An essential scent to slake even the most parched perfume palette.

Rose is the main note in this perfume. Sandalwood gives a warm, inviting backdrop in which the rose can shine in all it's beautifully lush glory.

TBPV1

Sultry florals blend seamlessly into a base of resinous black pepper. An antidote for the fragrance jaded.

This is a beautiful, soft tuberose perfume, and probably the sweetest tuberose I've ever met. You know how some people put salt on their watermelon? I feel that the same concept applies here in that the black pepper note serves to further sweeten the tuberose.

~ ~ ~

Each perfume oil is subtly scented, the kind of perfume you wear as an indulgence for yourself. It is not likely that anyone around you will smell it on you unless they get close, really close. The scents do (excuse the pun!) lurk on the skin for hours though. I have applied some to the insides of my elbows before going to work and could still faintly detect it at the end of my shift nearly 10 hours later!

Previously, the only sizing available for these babies was a 1/8th of an ounce rollerball for $55 each. I still haven't seen a size amount for the two sprays, but hopefully they are quite large as BS003 will be selling for $185 and RSW005 for $225. Seriously, come on November 4th! I soo want one or both of those sprays :)!

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any brand mentioned. All opinions are my own!

Update: One Week No-Poo

One week ago yesterday, I washed my hair for what I hope to be one of the last times. I made the decision to covert to a no-poo lifestyle. So far, it is going okay for me. It hasn't been instantly gratuitous, which I didn't expect anyway; my scalp is adjusting.

The Oil

When first switching to no-poo, it is common to experience a phase in which the scalp is still producing the same amount of oils as if it were still compensating for the natural oils stripped away by shampoo. This detox or adjustment phase varies in time length per individual and some may not even experience one at all. For me, my scalp type was oily before going no-poo and I feel like this may be an advantage for me during this adjustment phase. I mean, I was already used to dealing with the feeling of greasy hair so it's not like this oiliness is a new experience to frustrate or discourage me. And unlike during my fruitless search for the perfect shampoo for me, I have hope for better days ahead.

The Smell

It's just a fact of life that different regions of the body have distinctive odors. The oil of the scalp has it's own scent, not good but not particularly bad, and I have noticed mine more now that I am not using a shampoo with it's own scent to mask it. The first few days I was no-poo, I was so paranoid thinking I could smell my hair oil and asked several people who swore up and down they couldn't smell it. Still, I've taken to spraying a little perfume on my brush and I don't know why I never did that before as it really makes my favorite scent linger longer.

The Germs

One personal obstacle I am overcoming during this lifestyle change of mine is coming to grips with the hygiene of not shampooing. As a nurse, I got over my germaphobia long ago, but still do feel the need to take a thorough shower after a shift. I used to shampoo after every shift as part of that cleanse, so I was scared of the germs that might inhabit my hair if I didn't. But then a friend pointed out to me that shampoos are not antibacterial soaps like for hands anyway, and I got over that fear.. mostly. Out of the past seven days, I have baking soda scrubbed and apple cider vinegar rinsed my hair four times. I do plan to cut back over this coming week! I will post again soon to update on how that's working out for me. For now, enjoy this one week no-poo selfie I took :D!

The surprisingly normal roots of a girl who hasn't shampooed  in one week :).

unboxing: Petit Vour October 2014

Petit Vour is a monthly subscription box that delivers vegan, cruelty-free beauty items once a month. Brands featured aren't always completely natural, but many are. Petit Vour usually ships towards the end of the month rather than the beginning like most of my boxes, but that is completely fine with me because otherwise I wouldn't be getting any fun subscription boxes after the first few busy weeks of the month.

Petit Vour
October 2014
unboxing

I am going no-poo !

I've decided not to shampoo my hair anymore.

For the past three years since my transition to green beauty, I have struggled to find a hair care routine that works for me. My hair is ridiculously baby-fine, which doesn't pair well with my oily scalp. Volumizing shampoos, nourishing shampoos, clarifying shampoos, they all have the same effect. Evening shampoo, morning shampoo, it doesn't matter. My hair is nice and shiny for a few short hours but then falls flat, a limp and oily mess.

Today I say "no more!"

NO-POO. 

What?

• "No-Poo" means no shampoo. It is a method of hair care in which one does not cleanse the head with shampoo. 

Why?

• Cutting shampoo from a routine cuts down on the number of shampoo bottles being discarded.
• While there are many green beauty companies that create non-toxic shampoos, even more companies are selling shampoos that contain chemicals, sulfates and other unpleasant ingredients. 
• Shampoo strips the hair of it's natural oils, causing it to create more oils to compensate; no-poo supporters refer to this as a "vicious cycle".

How?

• Some people are able to get by with simply rinsing their heads with warm water and no further steps necessary to maintaining a healthy scalp.
• Others use a mixture of baking soda and water to take away impurities without removing natural oils, followed by a rinse of acidic apple cider vinegar to balance the slightly acidic pH of the scalp. Vinegar is also softening for the hair. Usually this is performed once a week with an ultimate goal of lengthening time between rinses or even cutting them out altogether.

So, according to my friend who hasn't shampooed her hair in a little over a year, the first step to going no-poo is to use a clarifying shampoo the night before you want to go no-poo with the logic that it gets rid of whatever build-up is in your hair. Last night, I borrowed my husband's bar of Lush Squeaky Green that I had actually given him because it was too clarifying and drying for me and I lathered up in my last shampoo for hopefully a good long time!

Come back a week from today to hear about my first week no-poo. I'll be updating regularly on Wellness Wednesdays with pictures and stories of how no-poo works for me.

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any brand mentioned. All opinions are my own! 

unboxing: Limited Edition Deluxe Goodebox to Benefit the Breast Cancer Fund

In honor of October being breast cancer awareness month, Goodebox teamed up with the Breast Cancer Fund to make 200 limited edition deluxe charity boxes and of course I had to have one!

Limited Edition
Deluxe Goodebox to Benefit the Breast Cancer Fund
unboxing

One Love Organics Essentials To Go Deluxe Travel Kit.. a review of some OLO gems!

"We embrace the simplicity and knowledge that you can achieve more with less."

This is one of the founding principals of one of my very most favorite green beauty brands: One Love Organics.

Founded by lawyers turned green advocates, Suzanne and Chase LeRoux, OLO uses only plant-based ingredients in their simple yet sweet line of multi-functional products. Everything is hand-made in small batches on St. Simmons Island off the coast of Georgia.

OLO's line is more or less complete, but occasionally they switch things up and change the contents of their travel kit. The one I am reviewing today is the kit that is currently available at the time of this post.

OLO Essentials To Go Deluxe Travel Kit: $65

     Cost Breakdown

• LOVE cosmetic case: $18
• Easy Does It 2.25 oz / 67.5 mL: $9
• Brand New Day 0.5 oz / 15 mL: $12
• Love Springs Eternal 0.2 oz / 6 mL: $14.75*
• Skin Savior 0.5 oz / 15 mL: $15*

The *starred items are estimated prices because OLO does not sell them alone like they do with the first three items. Either way, my estimated value of the kit is $68.75, so it is still a good deal and excellent way to get a taste of OLO.

The kit includes a well-written informational/instructional card.

Now! Let's talk about the products themselves, shall we?!

For stock pictures and full description, usage and
ingredients of the four products, click here.

LOVE cosmetic case
 Going back to OLO's statement on simplicity, this well-made bag gives a perfectly accurate first impression of the skincare about to be discovered within.

Easy Does It Foaming Cleanser

 This is THE most gentle foaming cleanser I have ever met. Usually, foaming cleansers are drying, stripping and not for me. But this, this cleanser is for me with it's happy yellow color, faintly appley scent and the way you only need a little bit to get lots of silky soft foam. I've tried it on a spinning face brush, a konjac sponge, and even just with a washcloth, and it always cleanses gently and effectively. It even works for cleansing my hair and body without stripping moisture, but dry haired girls will need to condition afterwards if using it to shampoo.

Brand New Day Microderma Scrub and Masque

 I love a good powder-to-paste and I love this one in particular! I shake the silky powder into a hand and it smells delicious, like sweet pineappley, tropical goodness. I add water and this silky powder turns into a superbly effective enzymatic scrub that rids my face of every flake and leaves me soo smooth and soft. Bonus! It can also be mixed with honey, yogurt, etc, to create a softening, exfoliating and firming masque. My sensitive skin has no problem using this daily.

Love Springs Eternal Youth Preservation Serum
 I already know I'm going to love a serum when the first listed ingredient is "watermelon seed oil". I used to have the driest of the dry facial skin, but about a year ago developed hormone issues that caused cystic acne on my chin and jaw. A serum (not this one) with a base of watermelon seed oil literally saved my complexion. But I will share that story another day! Suffice it to say that this serum is perfect for any skin type. It is softening for dry skin, purifying for oily, and adds a lovely glow that dull and/or aging skin will love. And did I mention the beautiful neroli scent?

Skin Savior Waterless Beauty Balm
 Balms are my favorite forms of moisturizers. I just love the smoothness, the way they start out solid then melt from the heat of my fingertips. I love how I only need a teensy bit because they spread such a long way. This is actually the balm that began my love affair with all things balm. The honeyed-citrus scent is soo amazing, uplifting, and I only need the tiniest bit to give glow and moisture to my entire face for hours on end. OLO recommends using Skin Savior in conjunction with Easy Does It as a "double cleanse method". Skin Savior first on the face to remove all traces of dirt and makeup, then Easy Does It to gently cleanse, follow up with Love Springs Eternal serum and, for dry-skinned gals, some more Skin Savior. Magic, I tell you. It also works wonders on dry hair ends, cuticles, etc, and gives a lovely dewy glow to the face when mixed with mineral foundation. Love. Love, love.

Whether you are new to OLO or already love the brand, the Essentials To Go Deluxe Travel Kit is a treasure for all.

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any brand mentioned. All opinions are my own! 

Fair Treasure October Collection

Remember how I told you Fair Treasure was launching a new shopping experience?! Last night, I got the e-mail to register an account to shop their first monthly collection! How exciting!

As of yet, only current Fair Treasure subscribers can purchase from this collection. Everything is limited in supply, so could be sold out before the collection becomes available to everyone else. Here is what is available this month:

Jane Cuff - Custom Design: $34

I got this in my October box and love it! I was already hoping to buy more to gift, so this is great!

Link It Up Earrings: $22

I got these in the September box, they are gorgeous and musical :).

Marquet Open Weave Scarf: $21

I looove scarves, and these look particularly gorgeous, I might have to have one (or two).

Jogi-flower Cushion Cover: $32

I got one of these in the September box, a second would pair perfectly with mine currently on my couch.

Ceramic Owl Wine Stopper: $16

I love owls, these are so adorable, though I'm unsure which month box these are from. I've always wondered what male subscribers receive in their monthly boxes instead of jewelry. Maybe one of these?

~ ~ ~

I experimented a little bit to see how much shipping would cost (it's not free) and would usually get a flat $5 or $10 rate, but I haven't completed check-out yet. I haven't decided on just what I want yet because everything looks so great! I'm glad Fair Treasure created this option to purchase such neat fair-trade items through their website! 

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any brand mentioned. All opinions are my own! 

unboxing: Eco Emi Limited Edition Organic Food Box

Eco Emi offers two regular subscription boxes: their variety box I do not receive and a new beauty box that launched last month which I signed up too late to get, but will get November's box! They also have custom boxes available and once in awhile release a limited edition box, like the Organic Food Box I ordered.

Eco Emi
Limited Edition Organic Food Box
unboxing

unboxing: Birchbox October 2014

Let me put it out there that Birchbox is NOT an exclusively green beauty subscription but they do send out quite a few green brands, plus the price point and value is always good, their points system is the best, and I've been subscribing since long before I went green. That's three-ish years and I'm finally getting around to my first Birchbox unboxing!

Birchbox
October 2014
unboxing

unboxing: Fair Treasure October 2014

Green beauty is not my only obsession; I am also crazy for unique, fair-trade and handcrafted art pieces. I absolutely love my subscription to Fair Treasure who delivers 2-3 gorgeous pieces to my mailbox every month.

Fair Treasure
November 2014
unboxing

unboxing: Organic Authority Annual Fall Goodie Box 2014

Organic Authority goodie boxes have incredible savings, almost always more than 75% off retail value. This one, the Fall Harvest Goodie Box with a cooking theme, sold out fast, incredibly fast. As in, within less than a half hour of launching fast! Lucky me, I snagged one of only 50 that were available. I ordered on September 29, it shipped on October 2nd, and I received it today!

Organic Authority
Annual Fall Goodie Box 2014
unboxing

So. Much. New!! Stark Skincare, Ilia Beauty, MMT, Tata Harper and their new drool-worthy products!

So much new and intriguing green beauty this week! Look at these new product announcements I'm slavering over!!

OMG, Stark Skincare announced that their very first perfume oil is being released later this month on October 22nd!! WANT.

Ilia Beauty has released two new products, Vivid Concealer and Sheer Vivid Tinted Moisturizer, and also two new lipstick shades, Linger on left and Strike It Up on right. Those colors are so perfect for fall!

Yesterday, Meow Meow Tweet released their new baking soda free version of their deodorant cream and it has grapefruit! I LOVE their original deodorant creams already, but will definitely be ordering some of this to try!

Tata Harper has been BUSY lately! Three new lip & cheek tints, two new cleansers and now a NEW Moisturizing Mask. Everything looks so great and I want it all!

I CANNOT wait to get my hands on some of this amazing newness X)!

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any brand mentioned. All opinions are my own! 

unboxing: Beauty Box 5 Limited Edition Eco Chic Box

Beauty Box 5 is not one of my monthly subscription boxes, but when I heard about their Limited Edition Eco Chic Box, I was interested and ordered one. I ordered on the 26th of September and it shipped on October 3rd via USPS Global Mail. I received it today.

Beauty Box 5
Limited Edition Eco Chic Box
unboxing

zen sunday: Savasana

Wow, what a week! If you've been reading this series, thank you!

Just like my yoga classes always end with Savasana, I want to end this week in a restful, restorative way. Zen Sundays will be days for a picture I took or found that I like, a quote that inspires me, etc, a day for few words but lots of positive meaning.

But what is Savasana, my non-yogi readers are now asking? For my first Zen Sunday, I will give you quick, easy and super cute example of Savasana with this pic I saw on Facebook this morning.

Photo Credit

Hope you enjoyed this past week! I have several unboxing posts planned for this upcoming week as well as a regular post or two!

store special saturday: Pura Vida Bracelets. My experience, review and giveaway!

Who doesn't love free stuff? 

Anybody, anybody? 

I didn't think so.

Glad to see you back for my next-to-last post in this week-long series, and the first edition of Store Special Saturday! This will be a day to feature specials for my eBay store, such as discounts, free sample offers and giveaways!

Since today is my first time posting a Store Special Saturday, I felt like it needed to be special. And by special, I mean long and involved. Today, I want to write about my experience ordering from Pura Vida Bracelets.

photo credit

Pura Vida translates from Spanish to "Pure Life", and what better name for a company that started out with two Californians and two Costa Ricans, but now employs more than 65 free spirited artisans? Not only is Pura Vida fair trade, the company also donates to 190+ charities worldwide.

I got my first Pura Vida bracelet a few months ago because I was just short of the free shipping mark on an order I was placing and the $5 bracelet would get me there. Once I received it, I loved it and wore it for two weeks straight. Then one day a friend passed along to me a 50% off coupon to shop direct and so I placed my first order on August 20th!

(Please leave a comment if interested in a 50% off coupon for yourself; I can e-mail you one!)

Pura Vida ships with DHL, which means the package starts out with the company DHL and ends up delivered by USPS. Handling was on the slow side, but once my order was shipped on August 25th it sped it's way into my hands by the 27th. I was so excited to rip in, but restrained myself in order to snap some unpackaging pics!

Look at the sticker they sent with my order! Those pineapples are cute and my sticker is stuck to my algebra notebook looking rather spiffy right now :). Packaging was so nice. Except for my "Ocean Pack" set, each individual bracelet was tucked neatly away into a little drawstring bag bearing the name of "Pura Vida", plus the back of the bag says that if I return 10 of these little bags back to Pura Vida I can get a free bracelet!

See those notecards with the turtle and planet? Those are bracelets that support charities such as "Save The Turtles!" and "1% For The Planet".

And what can I say about the bracelets themselves? They are simple yet chic, waterproof and practically indestructible. They are stackable,  collectible, and easy to become obsessed with! I wear two or three on one wrist most days, and am proud to say I am the cause for the empty spaces in some friends' wallets where the money once was that was paid to Pura Vida.

Now, here's the part you've been waiting for, the part where I say what's in this post for you.

Free Pura Vida bracelets!

(UPDATE: Promotion Expired)

Starting now and ending one week from today, Saturday October 11th at 11:59 CST, I am giving away one assorted original Pura Vida bracelet in a logo pouch to eight of my lovely customers. Here's how to get one:

1. Leave me a nice comment here on this post or any other post on my blog. Comments left previous to this post do not apply!

2. Make a purchase from my eBay store here, no minimum purchase required, not applicable to purchases made previous to this post! 

3. During checkout of your purchase, write a note to seller saying that you commented, where, and that you want your FREE Pura Vida bracelet.

4. That's it! Easy, no? I'll update this post if/when I hit that eight customer limit.

I hope you had fun reading this post, and hope to see you back tomorrow for my final post in this week-long series we've been making our way through :).

Disclosure: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any brand mentioned.  This giveaway is sponsored solely by eco Beauty on eBay. All opinions are my own!

for sale friday: Spelling With the Kids: F-R-I-D-A-Y !

I am the lucky (occasionally half-crazed) mother to two handsome blue-eyed curly blond boys, ages three and one. Today, for my first For Sale Friday, I want to give you an idea of the kinds of items I sell in my eBay store by giving the kids a spelling lesson! Ready?!

F

Fez

NIB Kahina Giving Beauty Fez Hand and Body Balm Full Size 1 oz / 28 g
Kahina Giving Beauty Fez Body Serum Mini 0.5 oz / 15 mL

R

RMS Beauty

NIB RMS Beauty "Un" Cover-Up Concealer Shade 11 Full Size 0.2 oz / 5.67 g
NIB RMS Beauty "Un"Powder Finishing Powder Full Size 0.32 oz / 9 g

I

Illuminators

NIB W3LL People Luminist 54 Gold Glow Full Size 0.21 oz / 6 g
NIB W3LL People Luminist 55 Pink Glow Full Size 0.21 oz / 6 g
NIB W3LL People Luminist 56 Bronze Glow Full Size 0.21 oz / 6 g

D

Duos

100% Pure Kelp and Mint Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner Mini Duo 1 oz / 30 mL each
Ojon Damage Reverse Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner Mini Duo 1 oz / 30 mL each
Rahua by Amazon Beauty Voluminous Shampoo and Conditioner Mini Duo 2 oz / 60 mL each

A

Alima Pure

NIB Alima Pure Concealer in Porcelain Full Size 0.09 oz / 2.5 g
NIB Alima Pure Lip Tints in Fig, Lotus and Rhubarb Full Size 0.13 oz / 3.6 g
NIB Alima Pure Pearluster Eyeshadow in Terracotta Full Size 0.09 oz / 2.5 g
NIB Alima Pure Satin Matte Eyeshadow in Bone Full Size 0.09 oz / 2.5 g

Y

Yummy!

Buff Her House of Exfoliation Oatmeal Blueberry Cookie Exfoliating Food Powder Full Size 1.5 oz / 42 g
Ganache For Lips Chocolat Parfait Collection of four full size lip balms
Shea Terra Organics Gingered Pumpkin Whipped Shea Butter Mini 1 oz / 29 mL


These are just some examples of great green products and brands that can be found in my eBay store. Shop here :)!

If you had fun today, just wait til you see what I have planned for tomorrow ;)!





Disclosure : I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any brand mentioned. My opinions are my own!