*Mandy's note: This is a pretty random note, so bear with me. This box review might be a little different from the other five that you've seen; my box reviews are probably going to change a little bit over time because I'm still trying to figure out exactly how I want to do them. I'm also working on a lot of reviews that I want to cover for different apps and things like that, but I'm going through some really tough times in my personal life so my motivation to post isn't as strong as it was. So please be patient with me and I'll have things up and running as soon as I can.
But anywhoodle....
We're already at Month 6 for the SBS, and even though I miss my beauty samples something serious I've really been liking this who eco-conscious, healthier route I've been on, so I delayed my return to the beauty boxes for another month. I'll be sampling a beauty box next month for sure though. Anyway, I don't quite remember what led me to this next box, but I decided to go with Conscious Box for this month's review.
What is it?
Conscious Box is a subscription box service that offers natural, GMO-free samples with the goal to help the customer live a healthier, more eco-conscious lifestyle. Everything from nutrition, beauty, skincare, and even a couple of home goods are covered in this service and you could receive something from all of these areas in your box.
How much does it cost?
I paid $10 for each box I ordered.
Sign-up & Ordering:
Sign-up for the site was fairly easy, as it has been with the other boxes. You get to select one of three boxes that Conscious Box offers--Gluten-Free, Vegan, or Classic. I went with the Classic box. You can also choose from two different sizes; the Taster box has between 5 and 8 products, while the Plus box has between 8 and 12. You can also select the frequency at which you want to receive your boxes; you can get two a month. There are deadlines throughout the month for each box and when I signed up, I was able to get the month's second box. The second box goes out towards the middle of the month. I only intended to get one box but I didn't cancel my subscription in time so I ended up accidentally getting two. I received my first box a couple weeks after placing my order. As with every other box, I received a confirmation email and an email with my tracking number a few days later. Here's what came in the first box.
Delivery & Cancellation:
As you can see, my box came in good shape. It came right on time and there was no damage to the box or any of the products inside. It was a little heavier than you'd expect from a subscription box, but as you can also see, it's packed full of goodies. A few days after receiving my box I got another email from Conscious Box reminding me to rate my products. As with the other boxes, you acquire points for each product from your box that you rate, review or purchase. Each 100 points equals a dollar in the shop. Cancellation of the service is also easy; if you're just trying to sample the service like I was, my advice is to cancel as soon as you receive your first one to avoid charges for a second box.
Site Navigation:
The site is fairly easy to navigate and each box you order is kept separate from any others, so if you want to go back and look at what was in one particular box you can do so. Of course, there's the option to rate the products for points which will eventually be redeemable in the store (every 100 points equals $1) which I'm noticing is a part of many of these boxes, but in order to buy a particular product you have to go to the shop. There's no immediate link to the shop from the product. All of the menus are simple and everything is categorized, so there's no getting lost. Even after your subscription is cancelled, the shop and option to rate your products remains accessible. I wish I could directly access the product page in the shop from the rate page because I couldn't find all the products using the search bar, but otherwise I like how the site is set up.
So what was in my box?
1. Barney Butter Almond Butter
Holy balls I loved this stuff. I'd never tried almond butter before I received this sample but I'd been hearing about it a lot on YouTube, where I spend (AKA waste) too much of my day. There was enough in this sample for me to use on a couple pieces of toast and omgballs it tasted so good. You can totally have this in the morning with some coffee and maybe even an egg. I wouldn't use this like regular butter, although it would probably be pretty slammin' on a sandwich. It tasted a bit like peanut butter but not as heavy on the palate or the teeth as pb, but at the very end I got a hint of almond. The only complaint I had with this almond butter was that I thought the almond flavor would be stronger than it actually was. It was still yummy.
2. San Francisco Bay Gourmet Coffee
If you've been reading through my reviews for awhile then you already know I'm not usually a hot coffee drinker. The strength of many types of coffee upsets my tummy, I'm lactose intolerant, it's summertime so it means we're one step closer to hell here in Texas, and I just don't have time for boiling guts because I decided to drink hot java with milk in it. There are many reasons why I don't drink hot coffee; those are just 4 out of the top 10. I'm rambling. This single serve sample should be made in something with the little pods, like a Keurig, but I have an old school maker so I just removed the grounds from the filter and brewed them that way. This sample will get you about one medium to large cup of coffee and I was extremely pleased with the taste. It's so light on the tastebuds and it has just enough strength to put a snap in your step and open groggy eyes (if caffeine affects you that way. I'm an addict so it doesn't affect me like that anymore lol). It was an amazing cup of joe and the stomachache I got afterwards was so worth it. LOL
3. Flents Biodegradable Lens Wipes
Unlike the wipes I usually use, these wipes only have alcohol, detergent and anti-static in them so they smell a bit like an alcohol pad. I suppose they kinda are. I cleaned my glasses first, then I cleaned off my laptop and the back of my tv. It worked really well, no different than any other wipe that I use for my electronics. Not much to say about it and no complaints.
4. Weleda Replenishing Shampoo & Conditioner
I tried this out the other day and I liked them both. The only problem I had with this set was the scent. It reminded me of hospital soap and that's no bueno for me. I'd had my first surgery a few days before washing my hair and to finally get the hospital smell off of me and out of my hair, only to put some of it right back in my hair when I used this shampoo, I felt defeated. LOL I did like how effective the shampoo and conditioner were, though. My hair is dry and brittle so a lot of shampoo/conditioner sets tend to weigh my hair down with product and make it feel greasy afterward, but this one didn't. My hair felt very lightweight, it felt like both products had gotten down to my scalp, and my hair was more manageable after it dried. I'm growing out a relaxer so right now my roots are in their natural state, which is a very deep kinky wave that is easily tangled. I used the conditioner as a leave-in which I think helped with how it felt afterward, but it was softer and even a bit shinier once it was dry. I later straightened it with a hot comb (yes I'm old school LOL) and it was still soft and light. My only complaint is the scent.
5. Via Nature Moisturizing Lotion in Vanilla Coconut
I used this lotion on my face after I got out of the shower a couple of days ago and I really enjoyed the scent. It was very rich and at first, there isn't a distinctive smell but it smells pleasant. After rubbing it in, that's when you get a mix of the vanilla and coconut and they blend together much better than I initially thought they would. It has a very light feel on the skin but it does leave a slight greasiness behind for the first few minutes after applying. But shine aside, my hands felt soo smooth afterwards. I'd get a larger bottle to see how it works on the entire body.
6. Larabar in Peanut Butter Cookie
I have yet to find one of these energy-type bars that I actually like. I've been sent a couple of energy bars now and none of them have appealed to me. They've all been in peanut butter too, smh. What is that, the default flavor for the sample boxes? This was no different and I was not fond of it at all. This bar has dates and peanuts, and I don't like dates so it wasn't very good. It has a soft, almost mushy texture and the bottom reminded me of leftover peanut butter cookie dough. The smell is a bit like stale peanut butter but you can pick up a little of the date flavor once you bite into it. I wasn't a fan.
7. BioBag 3 Gallon Trash Bag
I haven't had the need to use this trash bag yet but I felt the material when I was removing it from the box and it feels a bit tougher and sturdier than the types of trash bags we normally buy for the house. This is a perfect sized bag for one's bedroom or if you live alone I don't expect it to be any different than other bags I've used except in perhaps sturdiness, which I can already tell this has. It doesn't feel as though it's going to collapse under the strain once it's full.
8. Spatone PurAbsorb Liquid Iron Supplement
The concept of a liquid iron supplement that has no side effects and is all natural is a new one for me, but it's welcomed. I am 93% positive I have an iron deficiency at some level and I hate taking pills so this liquid supplement that you can mix in with juice or water is right up my alley. I haven't tried it because I want to research it just a little more before I try it out (I have a problem taking supplements and medicine anyway but even more so when it's not specifically prescribed) but I'll update once I have.
9. Cascadian Farm Squares in Vanilla Apple with Almond
The first thing I thought when I saw this little square was, "Man, this stuff looks like bird food." I even checked the back of the package to make sure it wasn't an organic pet treat. LOL Now when I eat it altogether, it's not so bad. I can't see it becoming one of my regular snacks, but it was okay. It has a crumbly texture overall because of the sizes of the various ingredients, but when I tried to eat them separately so I could figure out the individual tastes it was awful. There were these tiny little robin's egg looking things that stuck to my teeth and looked (and felt) rather slimy when I removed them; it was the highlight of neither my sampling experience nor my day. lol
10. Sneakz Organic Veggie Nutrition Milkshake
At first sip, this tastes like Ovaltine. Then dirt. Then a mix of the baby food vegetable medley. It finishes with a carrot flavor. When I tell you I wasn't happy with it, it's an understatement. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't being overly biased, so I had my family try it and they weren't happy with it either. What I did like about this is that it's geared and probably marketed more towards kids, which is why the chocolate was more of an Ovaltine flavor at first. I saw where the company was trying to go with sneaking the veggies into a drink that most kids these days don't get to have very often and I applaud the intention, but I do not applaud the end result. Then again, I was taking small sips so I was able to taste everything in it. If you take larger gulps, the chocolate will probably have a chance to dull out the veggie taste.
11. Pangea Organics Eye Cream in Turkish Rose & White Tea
This eye cream is supposed to help soften lines around the eyes, rehydrate and nourish the sensitive skin, and provide it with antioxidants to help keep the skin healthy. I think it's very important to make sure that the undereye skin is as healthy and strong as possible; I not only suffer from eye allergies which usually has my eyes irritated but I also wear the majority of my makeup on my eyes. Health problems have resulted in some emerging dark circles underneath that I'm trying hard to eliminate before they get darker or lines begin to develop, so I'm more than a little willing to try something out. Minus the eye roller I tried from Birchbox last year, I've actually never tried an eye cream before.
The overall goal of Conscious Box is to help introduce folks to a healthier, more eco-friendly way of living in every way and I believe that they achieve that goal and then some. There's a bit of a stigma on organic and natural foods in places that they don't receive a lot of attention, and sometimes one's thinking (and when I say 'one' I mean me lol) can become a bit skewed as to how organic food or drink will taste. I think Conscious Box does a great job of handling and eliminating that stigma while showing off both the tasty treats and the companies that create them.
I never cared much about what goes into my favorite candy bars and beauty products, but the more that I try these eco-friendly and natural-based box services, the more I realize that I like being able to pronounce everything on my product's ingredient list. I like knowing that there are no chemicals in what I'm using or consuming.
They're a bit more expensive than regular goods and that's why I haven't fully switched to organic/natural goods yet, but it has become a goal for the future. Conscious Box, at the risk of sounding like a late night infomercial, actually lives up to its name by making you more conscious of both what they introduce you to and what you are currently using.
They also make an effort to be informative and really help you to learn about everything while sampling the selected items and I like that. Between the product card enclosed with every box, the more detailed product page on the company's website and the enclosed company cards that some of the products have, they try to make sure that a newbie to the product, company or box is aware of exactly what is in the box, what is in each item in the box, and how it can benefit you to try it.
Another thing I liked was that they try to make sure you have a well-rounded box. They covered food, drink, health & wellness, beauty & skincare and home goods in just one box for me, and I appreciated that I was able to try things from so many different categories. Even though some services say that their goal is to help you improve your living, they only focus on one or two categories, while Conscious Box focused on several. As a newbie to the whole thing, I was able to get a well-rounded, full look at it.
I really don't have any complaints with the box, other than that if you don't know about the deadlines you end up buying two boxes on accident. LOL
Do I recommend this box?
Yes I do, especially if you're considering making the switch to natural products but either don't know where to start or just want to sample before going out and making full-size product purchases. Even if you're not too keen on the idea of the whole organic/natural concept but you're willing to give it a test run, I still recommend it just to give you a few more options. If you go into it feeling 'meh' like I did, the box might end up pleasantly surprising you with what's in there and what you end up enjoying. It might learn ya somethin'. LOL
Rating:
