Co-Ed Supply April 2014 Not-So-Great Review + $10 off your first box!

April's Co-Ed Supply Box (for a girl) is a bit disappointing.  Most of the items this month are edible which makes it not as interesting as their March box which contained much more variety and several really interesting items.  If you missed that review, you can catch up here.  At first glance, this month's box looks like one big chip fest, although there is actually a pretty good variety of snacks in all these bags.

The biggest bag (5 oz.) is Super 4 Snacks, described as "all natural", "crunchy baked bean bites" made of "white bean, quinoa, lentil and chia", then further described as "Cheesy Nacho".  Oh yeah, these are "gluten, yeast, wheat and corn free" and stamped "Non GMO". This makes me laugh; the labeling is SO blatant. I'm surprised they didn't manage to get the words "seaweed" or "compostable" somewhere on the front of the bag! Really makes me want some Fritos. Like right now.   

Second in the snack bag overload this month is a package of Veggie Chips by "The Daily Crave".  The name might make you think these are made of various vegetables but the primary ingredients are potato flour and potato starch. These actually look pretty good, like colorful Ruffles with Ridges.

Another snack by "The Daily Crave" is "Veggie Sticks"; again, the primary ingredient is potato flour.  These two products are probably quite tasty despite how vigorously the packaging tries to promote their health benefits.  (The word "No" appears FIVE times "above the fold", so to speak....marketers, take note!)

Next up in this month's Snackfest is a package of Snapea Crisps.  These are really good which is surprising considering that they are lightly salted baked peas. This is a 100 calorie pack (just .75 oz.) so there's not a lot here.

The final package contains Mango Chipotle Zinger Almonds by Olomomo.  This is a pretty strange flavor combination with quite a "bite", but they are almonds, so it works.  And "Olomomo" is just fun to say!  (You just said it out loud, didn't you?)  

The only interesting "girly" item in this "girl's box" is a jewelry organizer in the shape of a hanger.  This is a really useful and cool concept, especially for a college girl with limited storage space or anyone living in a small space...but why couldn't they have made it PRETTY?  It is a flat dull gray.  I intend to spray paint this some attractive color then gift it.

Next is a small box of ten individually packaged cleansing towelettes by Blum Naturals. I had to read the small print on the back to see what these are for; turns out they are actually intended to be used for make-up removal.  Kind of surprising that isn't mentioned on the FRONT of the box!  These are infused with orange peel extract and have microbeads, so they are also good for exfoliating.

The box contained one fairly useless item, a door hanger that lets visitors know whether it's a good time to enter or not.  Neither side makes much sense to me.  This is also a coupon for 20% off storage with Dorm Room Movers.  That may have some value for a few student subscribers.

   

There are two packages of chai tea by David Rio San Francisco.  One is "Tiger Spice" and the other is "Elephant Vanilla".  They are described as "a rich and creamy mixture of black tea and exotic spices" and can be prepared hot or cold.

The last edible item is a small chocolate energy bite by "Perfect Fuel".  This is organic chocolate with ginseng intended to provide energy without caffeine and chemicals.  I can already tell you IT'S NOT BIG ENOUGH!

The last item in the box is pretty much "filler" in my opinion.  It's a copy of the April issue of "The Red Bulletin" magazine published by the makers of Red Bull.  I know I'm limited by my own demographics but I just can't relate to anything in this magazine. I don't think this is going to appeal to very many college age girls.  Sorry!

This is only my second Co-Ed Supply box so I probably should reserve judgment.  I know that these subscription companies sometimes have trouble lining up suppliers in time to meet their shipping deadlines and are forced to make due with whatever they have on hand.  I strongly suspect that's what happened this month with Co-Ed Supply. This is supposed to be a "girl's box" but I just don't see the diversity and customization that I expected.  If you are considering signing up for Co-Ed Supply, my advice is to wait and read reviews over the next couple of months.  Let's hope that April was an anomaly and that they will get back on track next month.  

If you completely disagree and are ready to hop on board, click here for $10 off your first box.

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

e.l.f. Beauty Bundle April 2014 Review + 20% Discount!

Once again, e.l.f. (Eyes Lips Face) has knocked it out of the park with their April Beauty Bundle! Honestly, it is hard to understand how they can send so much stuff for just $19.99 a month plus S&H (for a total of $26.94 in my case).  This month's Beauty Bundle contained TEN full size products, including one 22 piece travel palette. Where can you find another deal like that?

  
Although e.l.f. is known as a budget beauty brand, their products are nicely packaged and for the most part, are of good quality.  I have seen a number of side by side comparisons by various beauty gurus where an e.l.f. product is road tested with its Chanel (or other high end brand) equivalent. The results are often surprising with e.l.f. coming very close and sometimes even exceeding the luxury brand's performance....at a tenth of the cost! (Sorta reminds me of the old observation about Ginger Rogers....she did everything Fred Astaire did, except SHE did it backwards and in high heels!)

Most impressive this month is the 22 piece "On-the-go Palette" which includes 10 eye shadows, an eye shadow applicator, 5 lip glosses and a lip brush, 3 blushes, 1 face brush and 1 mascara.  All of this is packaged in an engineering marvel of a case that measures a very compact 3.5"x2.25".  I'm including two pictures because this little case is just SO cool!

There is a Mineral Face Primer, good for all skin tones, which is used to fill in fine lines and create a flawless finish...

...and a Mineral Eyeshadow Primer in "Sheer" which glides on easily and disappears instantly to achieve longer-lasting eyeshadow.

Next is a package of 15 e.l.f. Studio Lotion Wipes in "Cucumber & Melon", which are intended to hydrate and moisturize skin.

The Mineral Lipstick is a shade called "Natural Nymph", an exquisite beige-pink neutral.

The tool they included this month is an eyeshadow brush.  There is also a "Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara" which is infused with long wearing conditioning agents and can be used alone or over mascara.

    

Speaking of mascara, they didn't forget that either!  There is a Mineral Volumizing Mascara in "Jet Black".

The Mineral Eye Liner is in the shade "Ash"; this is a natural based formula that provides gentle coverage for even the most sensitive eyes.

And last, but certainly not least, is a six piece geometric eyeshadow palette and applicator.  It looks like there are metallic gold and silver shades, a coppery shade and three matte shades in the brown family.

  
You can see why e.l.f. is blowing away the competition in the beauty subscription business.  There just isn't anyone else who provides so much product for so little cash! 

If you missed my February e.l.f. review, check it out here and get the subscription details.

If you'd like a 20% discount on your first e.l.f. order, please send your e-mail address to lonestarshoppertx@gmail.com.  I will submit your e-mail address and e.l.f. should send you an offer for 20% off your first order. (Please note that this offer probably will not work if your e-mail address is already registered with e.l.f.)

Have you tried e.l.f. products?  If so, let us know what you think in the comments below!

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

Target Beauty Box Review, Spring 2014 + 20% Discount for Dermstore, Blush & HairEnvy

Over the past year, Target has been sporadically testing a Beauty Box subscription program. Their idea was to provide five premium beauty product samples for $5 plus shipping.  (I believe the shipping charge was waived for those who have a Target REDcard.)    

It has been difficult to determine when Target makes their Beauty Boxes available. Judging from various reviews I've seen, the first came out in June, 2013 with the expectation that it would be a monthly subscription service.  However, I don't think another Beauty Box was available until March, 2014.  So it seems to be pretty hit or miss so far.  Because of the low price, these boxes were extremely popular.  (One has to wonder if the extremely low price could sustain a commercially viable subscription service?)  

According to the Target Style Facebook page, the Spring box is sold out and they don't have plans to release another one any time soon.  However, they also say that things change fast and hint that there could be future Beauty Boxes.  The best advice I can give is to keep an eye on their Facebook page or follow @target on Twitter so you can pounce if they release another box.

In the meantime, here's a look at the products included in their Spring box:

The five items arrived inside red tissue paper in a nice white box.  An information card was included that contained a $3.00 discount coupon for any beauty purchase at Target. A second card provided a 20% off discount plus free shipping code BEAUTY4U that can be used on the Dermstore, Blush or HairEnvy websites which are described as Target's "partners in beauty".  This code expires on June 30, 2014.

The first product is a 2.5 fl. oz. bottle of Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray by Toni & Guy. I'm sure this is a good product but the LAST thing my hair needs is more texture so I'll be passing this along to someone else.

  

There was a full size "Smoochies" Sizzle Gloss by Covergirl.  There is a lot of product in this tube.  It goes on clear and has a bit of sparkle to it.  This gloss has a little vanilla or candy taste which is very nice.

And, of course, there is the ubiquitous dry shampoo; this one by Herbal Essences Naked.  I will be SO glad when the beauty subscription companies move away from this annoying trend.  (There's nothing wrong with dry shampoo; we just don't need it in EVERY box!)

I was really pleased to get a full size L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Out Butterfly mascara.  The brush features a unique wing tip designed to lengthen, stretch and volumize "every lash to the outer corners of the eyes".  This product alone is easily worth the entire price of the box.

The final product is a BB Perfecting Skin Cream by Jergens.  This is a moisturizer with "5 beautifying benefits" for light skin tones.  I can't explain it but there's something about the extremely subtle scent that I really like.  This is a generous 2 oz. size and is definitely a product I would purchase in the full size.

That's it....a great value for the $5.00 paid!  Let's hope that Target gets their act together and makes this a permanent thing.  As I mentioned above, keep an eye on their Facebook page and be ready to pounce if and when they announce the next box!

Keep on subscribing,

Cheryl

Total Beauty Mother's Day Collection + $10 Discount Code!

Total Beauty is a beauty product site that offers themed cosmetic collections comprised of luxury and full size products, generally priced between $20 and $40.  At the time of this post, they have eight different collections available.  For some of the collections, they tell you everything that will be included while others reveal only one or two products with the rest being mystery items.

I decided to try their Mother's Day Collection which contained seven products and two bonuses with a total retail value of $113.  For this collection, you know exactly what you'll be getting and I was not disappointed!

 

   

I forgot to include one product in the group picture above.  This is an Illuminating Serum by Alfaparf Cristalli. This is a hair product which adds light, shine and softness to every hair type. There is probably enough here for at least 3 or 4 applications.

Next is an Aloe Vera Face Spa by Montagne Jeunesse.  This five minute clay beauty mask contains aloe vera and green tea and is intended to leave skin purified and smooth.

The "star" product in this box is the full size Frangipani & Mulberry Leaves Tri-Functional Sugar Scrub by Advanced Body Care.  This is a big 14 oz. container with a nice light floral scent.  This product is said to stimulate cell regeneration and repair age related skin damage.  Really nice item with a $40 retail value!

Lip balms and glosses are pretty much standard filler items in many beauty boxes but I'm not complaining. They are useful and I keep them everywhere!  The one in this box is a Vitamin E lip balm by Neutrogena Naturals.  It has a very light minty scent.  There is also a foil pack sample of the retro packaged Whish Hair Inhibiting Swipe.  Enough said about that!

The other high retail value item in this collection is the full size Pur-Lisse Pur-Moist Hydra-Balance Moisturizer. They may be spelling challenged but I like their products and this one has a retail value of $55! If you follow this blog, you may have noticed that this one was also included in Boxycharm's March box. Not a bad product to get in duplicate!

There is a luxury sample size Rose Floral Essence by Tata Harper.  This is a "daily moisturizing booster", a product I am not familiar with.  It is intended to enhance the performance of moisturizers and antiaging treatment products.  It has a nice light rose smell.  This sample came with a $10 code for an order from the vendor's website.  

    

Completely unwrapped and loose in the box was a Bath Soak Mini by Advanced Body Care. This is a pretty aqua color and smells good.  But would it have been so hard to at least wrap it in cellophane?  It left a little residue all over everything in the box as you can see on the information card.

One of the "bonus" items in this box was a $50 wine gift card from NakedWines.com. These seem to be popping up in so many subscription boxes that I don't even bother photographing them any more.  I assume that a $50 gift card requires a pretty hefty purchase.  Also, this promotion can't be used in a lot of states, including Texas where I live.

Another bonus that came with this collection was an e-mail containing a promo code for an 8x10 "Canvas Lite" photo from MailPix.com.  This is worth $30 but you have to pay a $6.99 shipping fee.

All in all, I was quite happy with the value of the products in this box (about $114) for the price paid ($29). If you'd like to purchase the Mother's Day Collection from Total Beauty, you can use the promo code MOM to save $10 off one box or MOM2 to save $23 off two boxes.  

If you have received any of the Total Beauty Collection boxes, I'd love to know what you thought!

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

P.S.  There are lots of new subscription reviews on the way!  Subscribe to my blog so you won't miss out! 

Nature Box April 2014 Review + $10 Off Your First Box!

Nature Box is a subscription snack company where "your snackisfaction is guaranteed"!  If you missed my review of their February box which gives all the subscription details, click here.  This company seems to be a work in progress because their website has undergone some positive changes in the last couple of months and they are rolling out new packaging as you can see on the one package with the orange bands below: 

One of the great things about Nature Box is that you have the ability to customize your boxes.  In "My Snack Pantry", you can add the snacks that you want to receive in your next box plus create a list of snacks you want in future boxes.  (works a lot like your Netflix queue!)  Of course, you can always just let them surprise you if you don't want to know exactly what you'll be getting.  Another new feature is that you can "lock in" a snack, meaning you'll get it in every shipment.  

My Nature Box subscription is for the Deluxe box, which includes five snack packages. You can always add additional packages for $3.00 each.  For April, I had purchased two additional snacks so I should have received seven packages.  As you can see from the picture above, there were six in the box.  I contacted Customer Service and was immediately given an apology and a store credit for the missing package.  Like most customers, I can deal with any mistake as long as the company is responsive and communicates well. Nature Box passed that test with flying colors.

Since this is my third Nature Box, the snacks are starting to reflect the specific choices that I have made which is why you'll see a lot of some things in my box and a complete absence of other things.  If you're new to Nature Box and/or don't make selections in your pantry, you will get a wider array of snacks.

First up are the Roasted Kettle Kernels.  These are lightly sugared corn nuts; nothing fancy, just good!

  
Next are the Honey Crunch Crisps, a repeat from last month because I liked them so much. These are crunchy little bites that contain sesame seeds and are lightly coated in honey.

Another repeat for me are the Citrus Kick Almonds.  These are sugared and salted almonds with a bit of orange and lime flavoring.  I thought these might be overwhelming but the citrus flavor is very mild.

Then come the Sticks 'n Stones, a tasty mix of lightly salted almonds, cashews and sesame sticks.

  
The Chia Seed Crackers are small wheat bites that contain sesame seeds, flax seeds and chia seeds.  These are similar in appearance to the Honey Crunch Crisps, but are not sweet.

Last, but definitely not least, is the snack whose bag is now empty....the Dark Cocoa Almonds!  These alone are worth the price of admission...absolutely the best snack I've had from any subscription food service.  I just can't say enough about these except to tell you that they are now "locked in" to my food pantry so that I will get them every month. These delectable little morsels are dark chocolate covered almonds with a slight dusting of cocoa.  Does it get any better?

So there you have it for April.  This box was heavy on the nuts because of the selections I've made.  To mix it up a bit, I've added more dried fruits to my pantry for the May box.  

If you'd like to try Nature Box, use the code share10off to get a $10 discount off your first box.  I think you will be quite "snackisfied"!

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

Boxycharm March 2014 Box Review, $124 Value for $21!!!

Boxycharm's April boxes will start shipping tomorrow, so to get you in the mood, I thought I'd review their amazing March box. This is a bit late but the March products were so exceptional that I wanted to show them to you.  If you missed my last review which contained all the subscription details, check it out here.

Here's what their inner box and information card look like.  The color scheme this month was a pretty shade of purple, which I unfortunately forgot to photograph.

The first item is a beautiful Party-Proof cream lipstick by Model Co. in the shade "Pinking of You", which must be the THE quintessential Barbie shade!  This cool lipstick tube has a mirror built into one side of the lid.  It doesn't get much more handy than that.

Next is a full size tube of Purlisse Hydra-Balance facial moisturizer.  This is for normal to dry skin and has anti-aging properties. Purlisse products are frequently found in subscription boxes but I haven't seen this particular one before.  It's a nice big size (1.7 oz.) with enough product to really see how it works over time. This product retails for $55 so it alone is worth more than twice the cost ($21) of this box.

Then we have a pot of Shimmer Powder by bellapierre (they don't capitalize it).   This is an eye shadow made of 100% pure Mica powder that can be used on its own or to amp up another color.  The shade of this one is called "Earth"....it has brown undertones, but there is also a shimmery pink to the color.  Very pretty!  I also like that it has a sifting tray inside the lid.  

Another product by bellapierre is a Make Up Base.  This is used to transform shimmer powders to matte but it can also be used as a concealer.  This is a small pot but a little of this obviously goes a long way.

The last product is a full size nail lacquer duo by StrangeBeautiful.  Although my photo is over-exposed and doesn't represent the shades well, these are gorgeous complementary colors in charcoal gray and dusty rose. Just beautiful!

Do you agree that March was a stellar month for Boxycharm?  The total retail value of these products is $123.98 so I think my $21 was well spent!  My hopes for the April box are high but I think they're going to have a hard time improving on the March box.

So far, I've been unable to find any discount codes for Boxycharm but with a huge step-up in value like the March box, you really don't need a code.  However, if anyone does have one and would like to share, please e-mail me and I'll be glad to include it here.

If you'd like to try Boxycharm, click here; I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl