MunchPak MunchPack Candy Subscription Box Review for May 2014 + 15% Promo Code!!

Does anybody NOT occasionally want to throw caution to the wind and eat like a kid again? And how cool would it be to have access to the most popular candies and snacks from other countries?  MunchPak lets you do just that.  They send an amazing variety of foreign and some U.S. snack items that have been rigorously tested for uniqueness and taste by their "snackologists".  

MunchPak currently offers three subscription plans:

• MunchPak Mini, about l lb., $7.95/mo. + S&H
• Original MunchPak, about 2 lbs., $13.95/mo. + S&H
• FamilyPak , about 3.5 lbs., $24.95/mo. + S&H

They are making some changes to their website and once those are rolled out, the prices will be increasing slightly.  But if you sign up now, you can lock in at the current prices. Also, the MunchPak Mini option will be going away so if you want that one, grab it now. You can keep whatever plan you have if you are already subscribed at the time the price structure changes.

I was lucky enough to receive an Original MunchPak for review this week...yes I know, tough job but somebody's gotta do it!  My box contained 17 items, all except two completely different from anything I have received before.  As always, there is a very interesting mix of sweet and savory, foreign and domestic.

The biggest item is a package of wheat snacks.  The package is labeled only in Japanese so I took pictures of it with both sides up, so that at least one photo will be correct!  These crunchy twists have a nice mild flavor and there are plenty of them.

Then there is a package of Old Bay Seasoned Potato Chips by Herr's.  These are made in the U.S. and look like an interesting way to season a chip.  I think these have been around for a long time although I've never tasted them.  

Next is a tiny little hard candy from Mexico called Chili Rokas in Mango flavor.  This was the first thing I consumed from the box!

Something that looks quite familiar is a little package of Teddy Bear Cookies from Mr. Borem.  These are also from Mexico but they remind me of Teddy Bear Grahams.

The next item is a tray of Barbecue Big Dippers from Jack Link's.  These are kippered beef steak strips with BBQ sauce.  These are not for me but I know someone who will love them.

I have MunchPak to thank for introducing me to Rowntrees, a division of Nestle in the U.K. They make a lot of fruit flavored roll candies, including these two, Fruit Gums and Fruit Pastilles. I think the main difference between these is that the Pastilles are coated in a very fine layer of sugar.

One item from the U.S. is a package of California pistachios by Natural Joy.  These are surprisingly high in fat, but hey....I think we abandoned nutritional considerations somewhere around the first sentence, didn't we?

There are two packages of cookies in this box.  The first is from Brazil, chocolate wafers by Bauducco.  The second is my first snack from India, Mini Cream Cookies by Pampa.  This is a good example of cultural diversity in snacks.  I don't think an orange cream filled cookie would be marketed successfully in the U.S., but they are good and I'm glad for the chance to try them.

Next is a roll of  Bassett's Murray Mints, an item with a complicated origin.  I see the U.K., Ireland and Turkey all mentioned on the label.  I was completely unfamiliar with these so had to try one.  They are hard candies with a light flavor, a subtle form of mint that I have not tasted before.

Another item I have MunchPak to thank for introducing me to is Hi-Chews from Taiwan.  I first received these in an earlier box and liked them so much, I've since tracked them down on Amazon and ordered them in larger quantities. Why these are not routinely available in the U.S., I have no idea.  The ones in this box are in the Green Apple flavor. From Belfast, Ireland there is also a package of Black Currant flavored Chewits. These look very similar to Starburst or Hi-Chews but with a more adventurous flavor.

A really cute product from Thailand that I think is gathering a big following in the U.S. are the various Koala creme filled cookies by Lotte.  These are tiny shortbread like cookies with different fillings.  These are strawberry but I've also tried the chocolate; really like both of them!  Each cookie has the outline of a little koala bear on one side.

There is a small Manzela caramel peanut bar that looks really good from Mexico. Then we have a small package of "Baby Ball Cookies" from Japan...yes, I believe something was definitely lost in translation!   

The last item is Caramel Creams from Goetze's, a U.S. company.  I remember these cool retro looking caramels from my childhood!

That's it for the May Munchpak box; quite an eclectic snack collection, isn't it? MunchPaks are so much fun to open because you just never know what you'll find and no two boxes seem to be the same.   

If you want to see a funny video of a contest where seven contestants attempt to consume an entire MunchPak in one sitting, click here.  They say it can't be done but please don't take that as a challenge.  I don't recommend that anybody try this! (Definitely don't watch this video while eating. Or thinking about eating.)

MunchPak has provided a custom discount code for anybody who wants to try their service.  Use promo code LONESTARSHOPPER to get 15% off your order.  This code is only good for the first 50 people who sign up.  If you're interested, I would encourage you to hurry and get in on the current pricing before they implement the new pricing plans.

I predict you're going to love MunchPak!

Cheryl

New Beauty Test Tube May 2014 Review + $5.00 Discount

One of my most anticipated beauty subscription boxes is usually the New Beauty Test Tube.  It comes six times a year and costs $29.95 plus S&H.  The price includes a subscription to New Beauty magazine which arrives quarterly.  The contents of each tube are revealed shortly before shipping but I usually just wait to see what shows up in my mailbox.

New Beauty Test Tubes are also sold through QVC's website for $29.96 plus S&H.  These can be purchased as one time deals or as a subscription. Some of the products may be the same as the ones you get directly from New Beauty Test Tube but I have heard that the products included in those tubes are not always the same.

If you missed my March review of the New Beauty Test Tube, click here.

The May box had fewer items than usual so was a bit disappointing.  Still, the value is there for the price paid.  Sometimes I forget how spoiled we've gotten with beauty boxes that provide 4 or 5 times more in retail value than what we actually paid!

New Beauty provides the best full color information brochure.  It shows each product, tells about it and the company that makes it, gives application tips and the full size retail price.

Each Test Tube also comes with a clear zip top pouch that contains several bonus products. This month, they included a luxury sample size of one of my all time favorite beauty box products, Lumene Pure Radiance Night Cream, a very small sample of Perlage facial primer, a Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloth and a tiny foil pack sample of Cotz Face Sunscreen.  The Lumene night cream is the real winner in this group!

Next is a 3 oz. pump container of Macadamia Natural Oil Flawless Cleansing Conditioner. This is a 6 in 1 product that cleanses, conditions, reduces blow-drying time, detangles, enhances volume and eliminates frizz. But can it fix my dinner?

There is a Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! deep conditioning mask for hair.  This contains avocado, sweet almond and argan oils, keratin protein, rosehip oil and aloe.  Should be very good for dry and damaged hair!

These little sample of Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream have been appearing in beauty subscription boxes for a long time.  This is a non-greasy formula good for dry skin anywhere on the body.

Next is a little box that contains two samples of Revision Skincare's Intellishade tinted moisturizer.  This is a 3 in 1 anti-aging sunscreen that conceals, corrects and protects.

Mally products appear in a lot of beauty boxes so I'm not really excited about this one.  It's a full size Evercolor Shadow Stick in the shade "Antique Taupe".  I don't use much eye shadow but their products are very good quality.

A box of five towelettes from TanTowel Classic came in this box.  These are self-tan towelettes for face and body.  These are easy to use and serve three purposes; exfoliation, tanning and moisturizing.  This box is marked "Fair to Medium Skin Tones".

The last product is a tube of Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream for "All Light Skin Tones". This stuff is supposed to improve the appearance of your skin after just one day.  It hydrates, illuminates, firms and reduces imperfections.  I have heard very good things about this product so am interested to give it a try.

That's everything in the May New Beauty Test Tube.  There's nothing really new or innovative this time; I've seen most of these products in previous beauty boxes. However, there are some very good brands and useful items here.  Since most of them are sample sizes, it surely doesn't hurt to have more than one on hand!

New Beauty Test Tube has a Refer-A-Friend program which gives you $5.00 off your first Test Tube.  In order to get that, please send me your e-mail address at thelonestarshopper@gmail.com and I will submit it to them. You'll hear directly from them with a link and instructions to get your discount.

I hope you enjoyed this review and thank you, as always, for reading!

Cheryl  

Co-Ed Supply Box (Girl) Review for May, 2014 plus 50% Off Sale!

Even though Co-Ed Supply has suspended shipping for the summer, I'm going to go ahead and review their May box since they have a great liquidation-type sale going on at their website right now. Everything is at least 50% off!  A lot of the items are sold out but you can still buy a few of the past boxes and many of the individual items. I have not been through a full year cycle with this company but I assume they are clearing everything out over the summer to make way for new products in the fall. 

As of the date of this post, the May Classic and Deluxe boxes for both guys and girls are still available for purchase. Also, many individual items from past boxes are available a la carte but it looks like they are going fast due to the steep discounts.

Here's a quick look at what came in the girl's box for May...and yes, I'm afraid there are more mustaches.

The heaviest item in the box this time is a box of Hornie Corn, a microwave popcorn.  This box contains three bags and has a wild tale about the origin of this product on the back.  It starts in 1869 and involves goats and moonshine and contraband and coal mines and oh yeah, did I say goats?  Just pick up a box and read it yourself!  (I see that it's only $3.99 on their site at the moment.)

Next is a bag of NoTatoes Cassava Tortilla Chips, "Potato's Ugly Cousin".  I like cassava chips a lot, except when they are drenched in vinegar (as I've seen them in several other sub boxes).  These are multi grain, including quinoa, flax and sesame seeds.   

College subscription boxes usually contain energy supplements of one kind or another. This month it's a small box of Peak Energy tabs in Original Mint flavor.  The packaging suggests (to me) something that would be more appropriate in a guy's box but I'm sure every student could use a little caffeine boost.

Next is a Kind Plus bar loaded with antioxidants and Vitamins A, C and E.  This one is Pomegranate and Blueberry Pistachio.  These are great all natural sources of fiber.

"Wash With Joe" turns up in a lot of subscription boxes.  I have no idea who Joe is and am pretty certain I don't want to wash with him.  This little bottle has no labeling other than "Coffeemint Invigorating Bodywash". Again, looks like more of a guy's product to me....a common issue with the Co-Ed Supply girl's boxes that I've received.

Another very common (but welcome) sub box item is a limited portion bag of Snapea Crisps, lightly salted and roasted green peas in the pod.  I know this sounds like something that should be bad but these are actually one of my favorite healthy snacks and a great alternative to chips!  (I buy the big bags at Whole Foods.)

The Veggie Chips by The Daily Crave were also in last month's Co-Ed Supply Box.  I'm not complaining; they're good...and colorful.

  

The Rapid Ramen Cooker in the May box is a great item for anybody but particularly students relying on microwaves since a pot and a stove are not required.  Just put the noodles in, add water, microwave for 4 minutes...done!  (These are still available on the site right now for $6.99.)

Another item that was in the April box (although a different flavor) was a package of Olomomo Almonds. These are "Cherry Vanilla Dream"; great for a quick protein boost.

And for the second month in a row, the girl's box has a "mustache" item....this time a package of six mustache magnets.  I'm not feeling this one...mustaches belong on men, not the refrigerator!

  

Lastly, there is a package of Pretzel Crisps by Snack Factory.  These are very thin pretzel chips with zero fat grams.  I like these and think they'd be great paired with cheese. Really good and harmless snack.

That's it for the May Co-Ed Supply Box.  As I mentioned at the top, there are some great end-of-season bargains on their site right now but they are going fast.  Click here to see what's still available!

Congratulations to all the new grads and those who have finished up another school year!

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

Craft of Tea Review, May 2014 + 50% Discount Code!!

There are cat people and there are dog people.  Likewise, there are tea drinkers and there are coffee drinkers. I am a lifelong tea drinker but certainly no connoisseur as I mostly prefer flavored black teas and an occasional green tea. Having said that, I was thrilled to receive a box for review from Craft of Tea, which is a premium tea subscription service operated by a husband and wife team.

Craft of Tea offers a wide variety of handcrafted looseleaf teas. They do a lot of research that results in wonderful artisanal tea blends. You can customize your monthly box and choose from over 50 flavors of tea. You get a deluxe sample size vacuum sealed pouch containing each tea.  They have two subscription plans available:

• Sampling Starter Box - 4 tea pouches - $19.95/mo. 
• Full Size Tea Box - 8 tea pouches - $29.95/mo.

You can add the names of the teas you want during checkout or let them choose a nice selection for you. When you find teas you love, you can order them in various larger sizes directly from their website.

Craft of Tea also offers one time "Signature" purchase boxes that would make great gifts. Again, you can choose the tea blends included or have them choose for you. Available options are:

• One month - 4 tea pouches - $24.95
• One month - 8 tea pouches - $39.95
• Three months - 8 tea pouches - $134.95

I received the Sampling Starter box which came in a brown cardboard box and contained four slightly translucent air tight green bags.  

Each pouch weighs .5 oz. and I'd say contains enough tea leaves for about 5 or 6 cups depending on the strength you make (probably more for hot tea).  I tried all of these as ice teas since that's what I prefer, but I'm sure they would all be great hot as well. The first one I made was an herbal tea called "Calm & Refresh".

This is a caffeine-free tea containing lemongrass, rooibos and honeybush, ginger, lemon verbena, apple bits and marigolds.  As you can see, it's a beautifully crafted blend. I thought this might be too strong but it is surprisingly light and the flavors complement each other well. Lemongrass is the dominant, but not overwhelming, flavor.

Next is a black tea blended with bergamot and vanilla.  I'm not a huge fan of vanilla flavored teas but in this case, it was light and added some interest to a very traditional tea. The bergamot was a nice touch that offset the vanilla in a very pleasing way.

Again, another pretty artisan blend!  I think of bergamot as being a citrusy orange or yellow color so not sure what the bluish pieces are unless they snuck in a bit of lavender.

Of the four teas, "My Inspiration" was probably my favorite.  This is a lovely premium green tea blended with pomegranate and raspberries.  

As I mentioned above, I'm mostly a flavored black tea drinker so the fruity notes in this one really appealed to me.  And it's just so aesthetically pleasing to the eye!

Last is "Starry Night", a caffeine free herbal tea containing strawberry, hibiscus flowers, apples, rose hips and lemongrass. This was the most unique and interesting of the teas I received.

It's an absolutely beautiful blend, like nothing I have seen before.  The actual tea leaves are almost an afterthought in this mix. While steeping, this blend just barely colors the water. The result is a nice light strawberry taste, made a bit more complex by the other flavors.

Experiencing Craft of Tea really succeeded in expanding my tea drinking horizons.  All four of these teas are ones that I could see adding to my regular rotation of blends. The quality of the ingredients and distinctive nature of the blends is obvious. The only criticism I have is that the pouches were very difficult to re-open once they had been initially opened and then pressure sealed across the top.  They were well labeled as to ingredients and specific steeping instructions.

If you would like to try Craft of Tea, they have provided a quite generous discount code for first time subscribers. Use LONESTARSHOPPER to get 50% off any tea subscription box or other products. Please be aware that this code is only valid from 5/16/14 through 6/16/14. Once this code has expired, I believe you can still use the code FREESHIP13 at checkout to get free shipping for either subscription plan.

If you love tea as I do, this is a subscription I think you'll enjoy!

Thank you for reading,

Cheryl

PopSugar Must Have May 2014 Review + $5 Discount Code!

When you've been subscribing to subscription boxes for quite a while, you get a pretty good feel for what's coming from many of the companies.  That is not the case with PopSugar Must Have!  They do a really interesting job of curation and always provide fun, trendy and different products.  They also cover a nice assortment of categories, including beauty, food, fitness, home decor and others.  So the possibilities are endless and chances are you'll be pleasantly surprised.

May's box contained six full size summer oriented products:

One thing I've never received in a subscription box before is a DVD of any kind.  This one is called "One Day Fat Blast" by Tone It Up with Karena and Katrina.  The DVD contains two 30-minute workouts.  My DVD player has an "issue" at the moment but once we work that out, this will be put to good use.

Next is a big soft eye mask by Kerry Cassill in a blue camo print that was designed exclusively for PopSugar Must Have.  I don't use eye masks myself but I know someone who does.

    

There is a 1.7 oz. eau de parfum spray by Smell Bent in "St. Tropez".  The card says this is an "intoxicating blend of jasmine absolute and fresh coconut aromas".  It does have a very nice beachy, summery smell, quite different from any other fragrance I own.  A little of this goes a long way and there is a lot here!

I bet a lot of subscribers will agree that the coolest item in this month's box is the "Citrus Zinger" by Zing. This innovative bottle has a screw-off base.  Press half of a lemon, lime or orange into the base, twist it and fill the top with water.  The fruit keeps your water continuously infused with citrus flavor.  The bottle has a sturdy looped handle so you can clip it on wherever you like.  Really great concept that I can't wait to try!

The beauty item this month is a bottle of nail lacquer by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, a brand I've never heard of or tried.  This one is in a really pretty shade of aqua, fittingly named "Pool Boy".  (The photo really doesn't do justice to this color.)

  

The last item took up a LOT of space in the box.  It's a full size 7 oz. bag of "Hi I'm Skinny Sticks" in Multi-Grain Sweet Onion.  These are very tasty and with 40% less fat, are a good alternative to regular chips.

So that's the May box...lots of good stuff!  The retail value of this collection is $115, with the highest priced item by far being the Smell Bent perfume at $45.  I'm pleased with what I received and look forward to trying everything.

If you'd like to try the PopSugar Must Have box, use code REFER5 for $5 off your first box. 

As they say, it's like getting a birthday present every month!  Who doesn't want that?

Cheryl

Total Beauty, Review of the "Pamper Me Pretty" Collection, May 2014 + 10% Discount Code

Unlike many of the beauty boxes reviewed on this blog, Total Beauty is not a subscription service.  They offer themed cosmetic sample collections which are available individually with no strings attached. They also have an extensive customer review system where you can get unbiased feedback from "real" women who have tried the products.   

Total Beauty recently made several of their cosmetic collections available at steep discounts.  As I'm still new to this company, I'm not sure if this was just a routine sale or if they were clearing out their inventory to make room for some new collections. As I was preparing this review for the "Pamper Me Pretty" collection, I found that it was no longer available on their site.  But this will give you an idea of what their collections look like and maybe inspire you to try one!

As with Total Beauty's The Fresh & Beautiful Collection, which I reviewed last week, the Pamper Me Pretty collection arrived in a custom fitted sleek black matte box.  Inside were six products, two full size and four luxury sample sizes.

The full size product (which is also a bonus product in this box) is a tube of Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub by St. Ives.  I really enjoy the scent and results that you get with apricot scrubs and there is enough here to last for a long time.  I received another one of these in another beauty box but this is one product I don't mind having in duplicate!

There is a small tube of Purity Facial Cleanser by "100% Pure" and yes, that is actually the name of the company.  As you can see in the photo, the words "Purity Facial Cleanser" are almost completely rubbed off this tube; I had to use a magnifying glass to make out the letters!  I've run into this problem before which makes me wonder if the sample products in these boxes are sometimes there because of packaging defects that make them otherwise unsalable? Anyway, this is an acne care product.

Next is a very small pot of a beige colored cream that is almost completely unlabeled, except for the words "Astara Skin Care Activated Anti-Oxidant Infusion".  No instructions for use, no ingredient list, no weight, no place of manufacture, no nothing.  The product is a beige colored cream with a clean slightly clay-like smell Out of curiosity, I checked their website where I found that this is an expensive product ($80 for 2 oz.) with skin nourishing and anti-aging properties.  This looks like a great item but it points to a pet peeve of mine....beauty box companies that include more or less unlabeled samples that you have no clue what to do with.  Come on Total Beauty....stand up on your hind legs and communicate!

There is a bent liner brush by Elaina Badro.  Although this probably isn't something I would use, it's unusual enough that I doubt it will be a duplicate in many subscriber's brush collections.  It has the tiniest little brush tip I've ever seen.  I'm sure it would work beautifully for eyeliner application.

Another anti-aging product is a small tube of "Instant Skin Tightener & Line Filler" by Skiin. These types of products tend to be quite expensive in their full sizes ($39.95 in this case) so I'm happy to try this sample.

The last product is my second favorite (after the apricot scrub) in this box....a 3-free nail lacquer by Vapour. This one is in the palest pink translucent shade called Virtue. This is only the second Vapour nail polish I've owned and I'm actually glad it's a sample size, as I'm never able to finish the full size bottles!

In my short time keeping an eye on this company, I've noticed that they tend to heavily discount their beauty collections as they are bringing in the newer ones.  So if you want the lowest price on a particular collection, your best bet may be to just wait. Of course, you run the risk of losing out completely but it might be worth a shot.

Total Beauty is a really great way to "try before you buy" with no long term commitment. If you're interested in one of their collections, the code FAB10 will get 10% off your entire order. Also, the code WELCOME should work for 10% off at checkout.  

Please subscribe and let me know what you think of your first Total Beauty Collection!

Cheryl

Taste For Sweets May 2014 Review + 25% off Coupon Code!!

One really fun way to experience the world from your own home is to taste sweets and candies from other countries. (This also provides huge relief from the avalanche of healthy food snack subscription services out there!)  Taste For Sweets is a monthly subscription company that will help you do just that.

Their subscription plan is simple.  A monthly subscription is $16 and you get 14+ new snacks each month. (Of course you can save with longer term options - $90 for 6 mos., $168 for 12 mos.)  You can also do a one time gift of the same thing for $17. (Longer term options - 3 mos. for $48, 6 mos. for $96).  They will send you a variety of candies and sweets from around the world, most of which you probably have not tasted before.

Unlike some of the other sweet boxes I have received, ALL the treats in my first box were foreign to the U.S.  Some of the countries represented are France, Brazil, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Ukraine and Turkey.  

Taste For Sweets arrived in a small light blue box.  

Inside were 15 sweets; four that I would call full size and the rest one or two bite size, including a few hard candies.  I did not recognize a single one!  All of them are labeled with foreign languages so unless you are multi multi MULTI lingual, you pretty much have to rely on the pictures.  Since the foreign words make it impossible for me to describe each item, I'll just show you a photo of the entire box contents: 

I've tried five items so far.  The first was the big yellow and brown "Dankek" package on the right.  This one comes from Turkey and the only thing I can remotely compare it to is a Ding Dong. It's a peanut shaped frosted cake with chocolate cake on one side and vanilla cake on the other side.  The chocolate side has a tiny amount of chocolate filling and the vanilla side has a tiny amount of just barely banana flavored filling.  I really had to rely on the picture for this one!

The second item I tasted was the "Supercoco" in the green twist wrapper at the center bottom.  This is a small chewy coconut-ty candy from Colombia.

My third item was one of the hard candies in the green wrapper with white ends in the lower left of the photo. This is a pear flavored candy that was pretty good.  I had to get out my jeweler's loupe to read the wrapper, which is how I know this one is from the Ukraine.  It's called either "Dromec" or "Drowec".  

The fourth item was the "Potopont" (whatever!) in the small brown twist wrapper on the lower right of the picture.  This was a crispy chocolate covered wafer thing that was quite tasty.  Even my trusty loupe couldn't find the origin of this one.  The lettering looks like it may be from Russia or Turkey.

The final item in my taste tour was the "Mieszanka Krakowska" which is in the yellow twist wrapper in the lower center.  This was a chocolate rectangle with a pineapple middle that came from Poland.

After you receive your first box, you can go to their site and indicate a snack that you really liked to be included for free in your next box.  When I did this, there were only four snacks to choose from, none of which were in my box.  So I just chose one that looked good....a strawberry KitKat bar.

This is definitely not a sub box where you will get a lot more value than you paid for. What you're paying for here is access to sweets from other countries and cultures, NOT volume or high value. If you understand that, you are in for a sweet and tasty adventure!

Now for the really good part!  Taste For Sweets was kind enough to provide two discount codes for first time buyers:

• SNACKS25OFF will get you 25% off your first box when you sign up for a month to month subscription
• GIFT25OFF will get you 25% off when placing an order for a gift box or boxes
  
  (Note: Coupon codes must be typed in all caps to work.)

This is a really interesting and fun subscription box put out by some exceptionally nice people, so I hope you'll give it a try!

Enjoy your global sweet tour,

Cheryl