Fortune Cookie Soap Box Review Summer 2015 + $5 Store Discount!

Nobody employs wit and creativity in their products the way the Fortune Cookie Soap Company does!  They walk to the beat of a different drummer, entertaining us all royally in the process.  For their Summer 2015 Soap Box, the theme is "Straight on Till Morning".  All the products are named with some reference to Peter Pan, although you'll never see that name directly referenced.  How they avoid legal ramifications is a mystery to me.

Opening a quarterly Fortune Cookie Soap box is always a sensory feast....you know there will be an explosion of color, luscious scents and adorable little containers. (You may be tempted to taste, but please don't!) Here's a first look at the color riot in the Summer box:

The information card introduces the theme and gives a color photo of each item inside. The product descriptions are sometimes irreverent, humorous and occasionally downright risque.

Every quarterly box contains one of their signature fortune cookie shaped soaps. This one is called "Second Star to the Right" with a midnight sky melange of glittery blue, pink and purple.  The scent is described as "crushed berries and mint leaves with a splash of sparkling pomelo, served over iced sugarcane".  These soaps degrade quickly in water but they smell great and contain fun fortune slips.

A charming touch was the inclusion of this red feather; as if Tinkerbell had graced it at some point!  There is also the tiniest "Kiss" lip balm I have ever seen; there is literally about a third of an inch of product here.  This does have a nice light and fruity scent, comprised of watermelon, pineapple, coconut water and fresh citrus juices. Since a tube retails for just $3.49, it does seem like they could have included a full-sized one.

This little pot of salt scrub is called "The Boy Who Never Grew Up".  This is a pretty shade of green and it has a very subtle margarita scent.

Every FCS box I've received has contained a little bottle of hand sanitizer so they are stacking up around here.  This one is named after Tink herself and is a light chartreuse color filled with subtle sparkle.  The scent is described as "fresh cherries in cream sprinkled with toasted coconut and a fairy dusting of powdered sugar".  I would have never guessed those elements; mine has a pretty strong top note of alcohol.

This tiny little veggie protein deodorant is a new addition to the box; I don't think they've ever included one before.  This is called "Wendy Bird" and has a semi-transparent icy blue consistency.  The scent is green apple with a tropical twist; if it works, this is a keeper!

This pump spray sample contains a two phase perfume oil called "Mermaid Lagoon".  This has an odd appearance, like a gelatinous cocoon suspended in liquid.  The scent is hard to describe and the description on the card does not help. I'd say there is some coconut in it, a mix of fruits and a hint of vanilla.

I believe most of the FCS boxes have contained a foil wrapped shower steamer, called "Steam Me Up Scotty!"  This one is also called "The Captain" and smells of magnolias and berries drenched in fresh cream.  These don't last long but they add a nice bit of scented luxury to the shower.

My favorite product in this box is this cute little pot of "Lost Boys Whipped Cream" which is a lovely pale lavender color and smells of apricot and peaches.  This is one I might actually buy in the full size.

The quarterly Fortune Cookie Soap Box is $19.99 for U.S. customers and $28 for those in Canada.  Shipping is free (well, at least there is not a separate charge for it!)

I believe the Summer Soap box is sold out but now is the time to sign up if you're interested in the Fall box. The one last year arrived in mid-August. These boxes are extremely popular so I encourage you to get on their mailing list if you're interested in reserving a spot or hearing about the various collections they promote between now and then.

Of course, the point of the quarterly box is to get you to check out Fortune Cookie Soap's store.  They have had availability problems in the past (especially with items promoted in the current box) but I see plenty of products from the "Straight on Till Morning" collection right now.  So maybe they have that issue under control. The store is a lot of fun to browse and you can also pick up products from past boxes. Click here for a $5 discount off a $30 purchase in the store.

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own.  Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone Star Shopper. Post may contain referral or affiliate links.

Boxycharm Beauty Subscription Review, May 2015

If I were in the very sad position of having to choose just one beauty sub box, Boxycharm would be a strong contender.  This post is going to sound like a paid advertisement but trust me, it's not. Boxycharm deserves all the praise I can pile on; nobody sends more beauty product value and quality for the price paid!  For a measly $21 per month, you get 4 to 5 full sized beauty products that reflect current and emerging trends from hot brands.  If you go all in and sign up for a year at $231, you get one month for free, making your effective monthly cost $19.25.

May's Boxycharm box contains five full size products, two for brows and one each for lips, nails and cheeks.

The information card is clear and concise.  Since full size items are in the box, the prices shown are relevant.  That's not always the case with beauty boxes that send samples, then misleadingly put the full size retail prices on their information cards.  At a glance, you can see that the combined retail value of the May box is $98...already impressive!

The first item is a lipstick from The Lip Bar, a brand I'm not familiar with.  It came in a black velvet drawstring bag and has the most innovative packaging for a lip product that I've ever seen.  The shade I received is "Kiss Me", which is a bright coral pink.

Next is the Essential Brow Trio from Bodyography.  This compact contains three matte brow powders that should be flattering for all hair colors.  Since brow shaping and coloring has been a major beauty focus for a while now, this product is right on trend.

It's going to take some courage to flaunt this nail lacquer from Lauren B, which is on the greenish side of chartreuse.  The shade is aptly named "I'm Juicing" and the website describes it as "like kiwi sloshed with green apples...delicious and bright"!  It's rare for me to get a nail polish shade I don't already own so this strikes me as both fresh and chic.  (The color is actually a bit darker and more muted than my camera's flash allowed.)

Another product from Bodyography (isn't that a great name for a cosmetic company?) is a double ended brow brush.  One end has a mascara wand and the other end has an angled brow brush.  The information card is a little confusing, saying that the mascara end is to separate clumpy lashes.  I have a little comb that does a much better job of that; seems like this would be more useful for brow maintenance.  This tool pairs well with the Essential Brow Trio above.

The "Wow!" item in this box is the Bronze Shimmer from ModelCo.  This is a BIG bronzer; I don't think I would ever hit pan on this one!  This bronzer has a bit of shimmer so I'm guessing it should be used sparingly.  Contouring is another area of beauty science that is exploding right now; have you noticed the astonishing array of new bronzer products out there? ModelCo seems to be riding that wave.  I've always enjoyed their blushes so have high hopes for this bronzer.

What do you think?  As always, I don't know how Boxycharm provides so much value for the price paid.  All of these items are right on trend and the brands are ones I want to see in beauty boxes.  I'm not usually quick to recommend annual subscriptions but Boxycharm has been around for a while now and has a track record of providing consistent quality in their boxes.  At an average monthly price of $19.25 (on an annual plan), this is an outstanding value!  

If you're interested in trying Boxycharm, click here.  Shipping is free and you can unsubscribe at any time.  I have not seen many discount codes for Boxycharm, but as always, be sure to do your due diligence...Google for current discounts and check their Facebook page.

By the way, if you're already a Boxycharm subscriber, they are in the midst of migrating to a new site.  In the interim, the Charms rewards program is apparently down but they assure us that existing charms will be transferred to the new platform. Hopefully, we'll see some communication letting us know when that is done.

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own.  Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone Star Shopper. Post may contain referral or affiliate links.

Universal Yums Global Snack Review (Israel), May 2015

You'd think it would be hard to send a box of all new snacks to someone who has tried all the snack subscriptions but Universal Yums has managed to do just that. They have an interesting premise. Each month's box is full of snacks and treats that represent a particular culture or country.  The box contains a mix of salty, sweet, spicy and fruity flavors and contains only authentic snacks from the featured country. That tells me immediately that these people have some mad snack sourcing skills!

Universal Yums comes in two sizes, the Yum Box containing 6 or more snacks and the Yum Yum Box with 13 or more snacks.  (Which one do you THINK I chose....ha!)  The subscription Yum Box is $13 per month and the Yum Yum box is $25 per month. Shipping is always free. One, three or six month gift subscriptions are also available:

Yum Box

Monthly - $15
Three Months - $42 ($14 per box)
Six Months - $78 ($13 per box)

Yum Yum Box

Monthly - $29
Three Months - $81 ($27 per box)
Six Months - $150 ($25 per box)

So, here's a complete unboxing of my first Universal Yums box!  It came in a large white box via USPS Priority mail with three logo stickers attached.

When I saw the blue and white tissue, I knew where we were headed, even before seeing the "Shalom, Shalom" card!  Off for some serious Israeli snackification!

This is a terrible picture of the information card but it's actually the best one I've seen in a snack box.  The front has lots of fun facts about Israel (Did you know that it's illegal to declaw your cat in Israel?  That Albert Einstein was asked to consider running for President of Israel in 1952?)  The back of the card gives a bit of information about each snack and a hint about the inspiration for next month's box.

At first glance, it looks like there are mostly chip-type bags in this box.  But appearances are deceiving.

The card says that Osem's Original Bamba is Israel's most famous snack food.  These look like peanut flavored Cheetos. 

Next is Original Bissli from Osem which is a smokey wheat snack.  These look like crunchy little tubes.

There is a big bar of Milk Chocolate with Popping Candies from Elite.  I haven't tried this but I've noticed that popping candies (similar to Zotz from my childhood or Pop Rocks) are occasionally found embedded in foreign chocolates.  They result in pleasant little explosions as you consume the candy.  I think the cow is there to tell us this is milk chocolate.

The biggest snack in the box is this bag of B&B Sesame Pretzel Sticks.  I am not a fan of heavily salted pretzel sticks so the idea of sesame seeds (which I love) seems like a natural fit.  These are also baked, rather than fried so they are reasonably o.k. nutrition-wise.  And did I mention this is a HUGE amount for a snack bag!

You tell me if this photo is upside down or not?  I have no idea....just went with the photo which looks very much like a Kit Kat bar.  It's called a Kif Kef Chocolate Bar so methinks it's a close cousin.

There is a small handful of toffee fruit chews in what looks like orange, lemon and strawberry. These are chewy and fruity, very tasty....and LONG GONE!

This is a Pesek Zman Chocolate Bar; that name is Hebrew for "time out", a good description for any candy bar.  This is a milk chocolate bar with a hazelnut cream filling.

Here is another bag of Bamba from Osem, this time it's the same crispy looking peanut snack but with a hazelnut cream filling.  This country sure loves its Bamba!

This bag contains a snack from Osem called Bissli Falafel.  These are crunchy flavored wheat snacks.

This is a Mini Hazelnut Chocolate Bar from Elite which is described as similar to a Snickers bar with hazelnuts instead of peanuts.  

The label came apart on this candy roll but it didn't really matter since I couldn't read it at all.  That's why I'm SO grateful for the information card that came in this box.  These look like Mentos and the card says they taste just like Coca Cola minus the carbonation.  Hmmm.......

Last but certainly not least is a Marble Sesame Halva bar.  Halva is made mostly from sesame seeds and butter and is popular in the Middle East because it requires no refrigeration and can withstand high temperatures.  This feels like a pretty substantial and hefty snack.

I was very impressed with this box!  Lots of snack subscriptions include international snacks but this is the only one I know that focuses on one country at a time, giving you the chance to "dive deep" into local snack habits.  You may be aware that another company tried this concept but failed last year.  My theory is that they went under mostly because they didn't provide any information about their snacks and there was no theme to their boxes.  Since the majority of foreign snacks are not labeled in English, subscribers were pretty much in the dark about what they were receiving.  Also, the quality just did not compare with my first Universal Yums box.

Some of the regions and countries recently featured in Universal Yums boxes are Scandinavia, China, Italy, Brazil and Germany.  If you'd like to see what was included in those boxes, click here.  Boxes are shipped between the 8th and 15th of each month.  If you sign up before the 7th, you'll get your first box the same month. If you sign up after the 7th, you'll get it the next month. 

As for next month, we are given this hint:

Ready for more Yums in your mouth?
Start thinking of a place down in the south.
If you're not into chiles, mangos or limes that's okay.
These Yums will still make you say "ole!"

Well, it must be Mexico or somewhere in South America.  I can't wait to find out where this global snack adventure lands us next!

Cheryl

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own.  Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone Star Shopper. Post does not contain referral or affiliate links.

New England Sack Review, May 2015 + 10% Discount Code!

My favorite subscription boxes are those that succeed in whisking you away, whether that's in a geographic sense or by providing some kind of luxury experience.  Since New England is far away from me, I was intrigued when I heard about New England Sack, which sends locally made hand crafted products.  The half dozen or so products in their boxes may be one-of-a-kind artisanal items or gourmet treats with personalized touches.

New England Sack subscriptions are available on a month to month basis or at a discount for three or six month terms.  All prices include shipping.  At present, they ship only to the U.S.

Monthly - $35.00
Three Mos. - $99.00
Six Mos. - $195.00  

My first New England Sack box arrived via USPS Priority mail eight days after ordering.  It came in a plain cardboard box with their brand on the bottom.

Inside there was indeed a sack, some candy, a note and a lot of brown crinkle shreds.

The information sheet was made a little more creative by the use of red sealing wax, which I thought was a classy touch.  The sheet has a lot of information on each product but honestly, the dark color and tiny print make it pretty hard for my very weak eyes to read. (Fortunately, I have my trusty jeweler's loupe right here!)

The only edible item is a small box containing two Butternut Chocolates from Deborah Ann's Sweet Shoppe in Ridgefield, CT.  These are absolutely delicious little homemade pieces of toffee covered in milk chocolate and rolled in crushed pecans. Chocolate covered toffee is probably my favorite candy in the entire universe so these are a huge hit with me!

All the rest of the products were inside this big white canvas bag with New England Sack's logo stamped on one corner.  This has a drawstring top and is a very useful item.

This charming little box holds a mini mason jar that is filled with an All-Natural Maple Syrup Scrub from Vermont's Natural Whipping Queen made by Judi McCormick. The only ingredients in this scrub are brown sugar, maple syrup and olive oil.  A small wooden application spatula is also included.  I'm looking forward to trying this!

  
These greeting cards come from an Etsy shop called Wonderful Life Farm in New Hampshire which features historically inspired hand made items that are both beautiful and functional.  This is a set of four gorgeous flower photography note cards plus envelopes. Who couldn't benefit from a little nudge towards hand written civility?

  
Next is a beautiful little bluegreen glass coin featuring a dragonfly.  This comes from Hot Glass Works in Jamaica, Vermont.  The coin has a little hook in the top so I think it will make a nice little sun catcher when suspended from a suction hook on a window. These coins are collectible and come in various shades with all sorts of different images on them.  Definitely something I haven't seen in a sub box before!

The last item is a lovely flower shaped ivory soap in a cellophane bag.  This comes from Goatboy Soaps in New Milford, CT.  This is a Japanese inspired facial soap, which contains goat's milk, olive, coconut and palm oil, shea butter, fragrance and "sake kasu", a by-product that comes from making sake.  It is said to be creamy, luxurious and long-lasting and to have age defying properties.

I really enjoyed my first New England Sack.  Overall, this was a beautifully curated box and every single item is gift-worthy.  I liked that several different areas of New England were represented and there was a nice mix of artisans and products. For the price paid, I would have liked to see one more item included.  All of the products inspire me to take a look at the creators' websites.

If you would like to try New England Sack, use code livelocal10 to save 10% off any subscription.  The site also has a Build Your Own Sack section where some of their products are available individually.  There is another area where you can see the items that were included in a couple of the past boxes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this little taste of New England and I think you will too!

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl 

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own.  Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone Star Shopper. Post does not contain referral or affiliate links.

Allure Sample Society Beauty Box Review, May 2015 + $5 Discount Code!

Since the quality of Allure's Sample Society box has been consistently good over the past year, I was a little worried when I saw that new memberships are temporarily unavailable. The explanation from Allure on their Facebook page is that they are making improvements so are pausing Sample Society enrollments for a few weeks. It sounds like they will be re-starting enrollments during the second week in June, meaning that new subscribers will be able to get the July box.  Should be interesting to see what changes are in store for us!

May's shiny red box contains six deluxe sized beauty samples.  The cost is a flat $15 per month, a good deal considering the quantity of product you receive and the inclusion of some high end brands.

Sample Society includes one of the best beauty box information cards; actually, it's more of a mini magazine with color photos, full descriptions, ingredient lists and helpful "What it does" and "Why we like it" sections.

In their tiny little vials, fragrance samples are usually the least interesting additions to a beauty sub box.  (After all, you can get those FREE at any department store!)  But this cute little mini bottle of Versace's Eros Pour Femme is a welcome exception.  This lovely scent includes notes of Sicilian lemon, bergamot, pomegranate, jasmine, peony, sandalwood, amber and musk.  With all that, you'd think it might be overwhelming but it's a surprisingly light spring-appropriate scent. At $92 for 1.7 ozs., this is one I'm not likely to ever own so I'm thrilled to get this generously sized sample. 

This Eau Thermale Avene Thermal Spring Water is a water spray that calms and softens sensitive and dry skin.  This type of product is much more commonly used in Europe but thanks to beauty subscription boxes, we are being introduced to more and more international trends.  Water sprays contain a very fine mist augmented with minerals, silicates and other trace elements that give an instant shot of relief to tired and/or itchy skin. This product has appeared in other beauty boxes so I'm learning to add it to my skincare regimen.  It seems to be especially effective when followed immediately with a facial moisturizer.

Julep is known primarily for nail polish which is what I thought was in this sample.  But it turns out to be a lip gloss in the shade "Graceful", a universally flattering mauvish pink. This is very sheer and has a slight candy-ish flavor.  As noted on the card, it's perfect for this season's no-makeup makeup trend...another gift from Europe!

This cute little box contains a good sized sample of a Water Sleeping Mask from Laneige. This is an overnight hydrating mask in the form of an icy blue gel.  I've found gels to sometimes be sticky but this one absorbs quickly and leaves the face soft and luminous by morning. There's enough product here to give this product a serious trial run.

As a firm believer in heat protection sprays, I was glad to get this .85 oz. sample from Alterna's Caviar Repair Multi-Vitamin Heat Protection Spray.  This is a weightless styling spray that protects hair from blow dryer related damage.  This product does have a mojito/lime scent that stays with you all day.  I'm o.k. with that but those who are extremely sensitive to scents may want to avoid this product.  It smells very beachy to me; a little vacation in a pump spray bottle!

The last product is Luxurious Volume 7 Day Volume In-Shower Treatment from John Frieda. This blue gel is applied in the shower after washing and conditioning hair, then rinsed out before blow drying.  It coats hair with polymers which creates fullness that lasts through several more shampoos.  This is an interesting product that has received a lot of rave reviews but since the last thing my hair needs is more volume, I'll be passing this one along.  I do like the fruity scent though!

  

So that's it for the May Sample Society box.  It contained a nice selection of new to the market products, several of which employ breakthrough technologies.  I particularly like the Versace perfume sample and the Laneige overnight mask.

If you are new to Sample Society, your first opportunity to sign up will be the second week in June.  I'm not sure what coupon codes will be in place at that time but 5FORYOU has worked in the past for $5.00 off your first box.  Also, use code CBLA1620 for 20% off your first order on any of the extensive Beauty Bar family of brands, which can be found in the tabs across the top when you go to Beauty Bar's site.  (Since you already get a $10 discount code with each Sample Society box, this code will not work on BeautyBar.com.)

If you're in the mood for a Sample Society fix now, I noticed that they are selling past boxes and larger sample boxes on Amazon.  I don't know what changes their reorganization will bring but I have confidence that this subscription is in good hands with Allure!

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own.  Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone Star Shopper. Post may contain referral or affiliate links.