Tag: Kloverbox

The May Kloverbox arrived yesterday!  This is my last Kloverbox, and  it’s a pretty awesome one.  I cancelled my subscription after getting two in a row that weren’t a good fit, but this one is pretty well spot on.  The Yarok product is a huge favorite of mine, cuticle cream is always welcome, and the Sari scarf is such a pretty color and pattern!  Okay, before I go on too much, let’s get into the details.

• Meadowlark Botanicals Cuticle Cream – 1.5 oz / $7 – (Full size product) This orange-scented cuticle cream is right up my alley.  I use stuff like this right before bed usually because my hands end up a dry, parched mess by the end of the day.  This smells a lot like a creamsicle, and the consistency is that goldilocks zone of just solid enough, but not too solid that it’s a pain to dig out of the pot.  I really like this!
• Yarok Feed Your Ends – 2 oz / $13.20 – (Travel size product)  I mentioned it above, but I’ve gotten this in boxes before, but it’s become a regular staple in my curly girl arsenal.  No alcohol, parabens, sulfates or silicones, and it smells lightly herbal and lemongrassy.  The ingredient list contains a blend of great oils that are perfect for dry ends, and a great second-day-hair treatment to tame down the frizzies.  Very happy to see this in this box!
• Ballerina Botanicals Green Beauty Barre – 1 bar / $8.99 – (Product is a sample, value on product card is $4.50, but it looks to be about 1/4th of a bar  [no weight listed for the bar on the manufacturer’s website], so it’s probably more like $2.25 by size/weight)  If only this didn’t have peppermint oil!  My skin seems to be a little sensitive to peppermint oil so this is going to be a pass for me.  Peppermint oil  can be a skin irritant, so I’m not even going to try this out and risk being itchy.  It’s pretty pungent too, and I don’t like the smell of peppermint at all.  I’d have much preferred this without the extra scent!
• I Was A Sari Loop Scarf – 1 scarf / $25 – (Full size product)  I couldn’t find this on the manufacturer’s website, so I’m just using the value off the product card.  What a gorgeous color and print!  The fabric feels like a rayon, and it’s got a nice sheen and drape to it.  The scarf measures 32″ square when laid flat.  The fabric doesn’t show any signs of wear,  so if someone did actually wear this fabric as part of a Sari before, it was very lightly or gently worn.  I’d love to hear more about the process, where the Saris come from, etc, but there’s no information on the website just yet.  Still, the idea of giving jobs to women and reusing fabric definitely appeals to me, and that makes this so much more than just a scarf.
• New Chapter Perfect Hair, Skin, and Nails Supplement – 60 capsules / $34.17 – (Sample is 15 capsules, value of $8.54)  This was added in as a free sample along with a coupon code for $3 off a purchase at  the manufacturer’s website that apparently, you can’t actually shop through.  The site just directs you to local retailers or Amazon, so I’m not sure how a coupon at newchapter.com is worth anything when they don’t even have a way to purchase directly through them.  Beyond that, supplements like this have proven to be useless or downright dangerous by actual scientific studies, so these are going straight to the trash.  I won’t even put these in the trade box since I feel pretty strongly about how much money people waste buying into  the supplement industry every year – an industry that isn’t subject to regulation or testing but is allowed to make wild claims about their ingredients with no scientific proof of those claims.  (Of course, I’ll recycle the glass bottle, but the pills?  Garbage.)

Overall, the value of the box without the vitamins comes to about $49 depending on how you count the soap.  This is a little on the lower end for the box, but not by a whole lot, and considering the box costs $25 on a month-to-month basis, the value of the scarf alone takes care of the cost!  I do really love getting the Yarok spray and the cuticle cream though, so I’m pretty well happy with this month overall.  I’m glad my subscription is ending on a pretty good note with this box!

April’s Kloverbox is here, and for the second month in a row, I’m underwhelmed.  This is supposed to be a big box from them since it’s the month with Earth Day, so I expected some neat, Earth Day related sort of products that focused on natural, sustainable ingredients, or replacing disposable items with something reusable.  That really didn’t happen here.  It feels like a random hodgepodge of items, one of which is a repeat (the bracelet).  I’ve already cancelled my subscription since two boxes that are a poor fit are kind of my rule of thumb for cancelling.  There’s one more left on my pre-paid subscription, but I can’t say I have high hopes.

• Zabana Essentials Dry Shampoo – 2 oz / $12.95 – (Product is full size)  The scent is Lavender Citrus Mint, and it  smells completely unappealing.  The three really just don’t go together in my world, and they’re just fighting each other instead of blending together.  (Have you had orange juice after you brushed your teeth?  Yeah, like that.)  Beyond that, it’s dry shampoo.  The product says you have to distribute it by brushing it in, and you DO NOT EVER EVER BRUSH CURLY HAIR.  EVER.  So, this is useless for me.  Nevermind the fact that dry shampoos are meant to soak up oil and extend time between washing, but if you don’t have enough oil on your scalp and hair to soak up, it just makes your hair look dull and lifeless (I don’t – I add oil to my scalp to keep it from peeling apart, so dry shampoos are a huge nope in my world).
• Elements of Aliel No. 2 Peace Cleanser – 2.5 oz / $15 – (Product is full size)  This was the only item in the box that I was interested in.  When I peeled back the inner foam seal, the scent was extremely disappointing.  It smells… wrong.  I can’t quite describe it other than that it doesn’t smell like something you would ever want to put on your face.  Almost like the compost bin or the damp, decaying leaves in the woods?  It’s a dark brown liquid, and just a little bit produces a rich lather that cleans nicely.  Just.. hold your breath while it’s on your face I guess.
• MudLove Bracelet – 1 bracelet / $8 – (Product is full size)  We received the version of this that said, “Thankful,” in the November 2015 box, and I didn’t want it then either.  Yes, the charity is great and provides clean water for a week to someone in need, but I’m just not the type of person who wears stuff like this.  Inspirational slogans are just not me, the bracelet design isn’t my style, and I prefer to give my money to charities without receiving something I don’t need or won’t use in return.
• AvoSeedo – 1 item / $12.99 – (Product is full size)  Well, I don’t have kids and don’t live in a climate where we can grow avocado trees outdoors, so this is useless to me.  They sprout up fast enough without using a special plastic growing tray, and I just don’t see the point to this.  Sprout an avocado pit, put it in a pot where it’ll never grow avocados where I live?  I’m just not into it.

Overall, the box value comes to $48.94 which is just shy of double the cost of $25 for a month-to-month subscription.  My personal value is only $15 for the cleanser which, even though it smells awful, it still works well enough, so I’ll still use it.  There’s a note on the product card that a vendor, Naturally Clean, pulled out of the box due to a health issue, and the product will end up in the July box instead.  I won’t be subscribing for the July box, so I’m feeling a little bit cheated out of a product here.  Maybe ignorance would’ve been bliss?   The rest of the box was a complete miss for me – I know people love dry shampoos and bracelets and there are probably subscribers who will love the AvoSeedo, but I’m not that person, and this box was a huge bummer for me.  I was pretty psyched about this box being bought out and given a makeover by new management, but between this and the last box, I’m finding it’s just not a good fit for me.  Oh well, this gives me an opportunity to move on and try new things!

The March boxes are starting to roll in and Kloverbox is the first!  They’re a great  mix of both beauty and lifestyle products, so this box can go so many ways and it’s always neat to see what they put together.  The packaging was green and brown crinkle paper and included a few little green clovers which fits in with the theme on the product card, “Stop and smell the Klovers.”  Cute!

• Love Myself Organics Natural Deodorant – 2.9 oz / $11.95 – (Product is full size)  The scent is, “Forever,” which is a lavender blend and smells like a warm, herbal lavender – not soapy at all.  It comes in a solid stick form (YAY!  No making a mess digging the product out of a pot and applying with your fingers!) and goes on nicely though it does take a bit of swiping the stick on your underarm to warm it up so it applies.  The formula is pretty much the same basic formula as all the other natural deodorants I’ve tried that haven’t worked, so even though this says it actually works (just like all the others), it’s probably not going to work for me.  Natural deodorants just don’t work 8+ hours unless you’re sitting still, and being stinky while working as a photographer at a wedding is a huge no-no.  I do like the scent, and while I’d love to make the switch to natural deodorants, they just never work long enough (nor do I have the luxury of being able to not worry about BO and go  through the “transition period” of “detoxing” off aluminum-based deodorants).  So, unfortunately, this is kind of a miss for me, just like every natural deodorant ever.  I’ll probably still save it to use for the days I’m doing editing work at the computer, but it’s not going to replace my regular deodorant.
• Cuccio Somatology Elixir Calming Spray – 2 oz / $8.95 – (Product is full size)  The scent is Lavender and Cardamom which combine to make a lovely, light but warm scent.  The product website suggests that this can be used as a room spray or on towels, and I can definitely see that being a perfect application.  I’d probably even give my pillow a mist with this before bed.  The scent is not overpowering at all, my nose can definitely pick out both the lavender and cardamom, and it’s just plain delightful.
• Harvey Price Eau de Parfum – 8.8 mL / $28 – (Product is full size)  Oh Harvey, how I haven’t missed you.  Harvey Prince products are kind of an unfortunate thing in the beauty box world.  They’re everywhere, they’re not that great, and people seem to groan whenever one shows up.  Anyway!  This scent is supposed to have notes of Indonesian Clove Bud, Australian Sandalwood, Moroccan Rose, French Bergamot, Indian Tuberose, Japanese Orange Flower, Lebanese Cedarwood, Turkish Cyclamen, and South African Freesia.  Instead, it smells more like laundry detergent or dryer sheets at first.  The freesia then takes over and steals the show, and maybe it’s just me and the fact that I don’t like stinky florals like freesia, but I can’t pick out anything else over the freesia.  So, this goes on to the trade/give-away box because I loathe floral perfumes.
• VagMagic – 7 count / $7.99 – (Product is full size)  No, that’s really the name.  VagMagic.  I mean, I had to laugh because it’s a hilarious name, but it claims to be just that exactly, so, VagMagic it is.  It’s essentially Boric Acid and L. Acidophilus in a capsule form which is a pretty well-known homeopathic cure for yeast infections and BV.  Fortunately, I’ve never had a reason to use a product like this, and I don’t see the need  to introduce this magic to something that’s already working properly, so.. this one is a loss for me too.  I appreciate the natural approach to health, but personal care products like this are just.. ugh.  I don’t like seeing them in subscription boxes.

The total value comes to $56.89 which is over double the cost of $25 for a month-to-month subscription.  Personally, the only thing I’ll keep and use is the Cuccio Calming Spray, so the value on this one personally doesn’t come out above the cost this month.  Bummer!  Not every box is going to be a winner, and I get that  – it’s all part of the subscription box  idea that you get to try new things without shelling out for a full size.  So, even if this box didn’t work out for me in terms of cost to value ratio, I did get to try (or see) three products that I wouldn’t have tried otherwise, even if they didn’t wow me.  Looking forward to next month!

February’s Kloverbox is here and I’m getting the post up right away!  WOOHOO!  Clearly, Valentine’s Day factored into this box since it felt a little like a fantastic gift box this month.  A candle, earrings, chocolate, and foot oil made for a nice surprise and a change from the usual sort of goods they include.  This box always keeps me guessing – you really never know what’s going to show up!

• Cypress Skincare Foot Love – 1 oz / $20 – (Product is full size)  Okay, so we already know I don’t particularly like peppermint scented anything, and every foot product ever is peppermint scented, including this one.  I gave it a try and while it’s definitely peppermint, it’s not a heavy peppermint and the scent dissipates pretty quickly – I couldn’t even smell it on my hands after a few minutes.  Made with loads of healing oils, this makes dry, cracked feet feel softer right away.  I put it on right after a shower and then put on hand knit wool socks.
• The Isle Co Soy Lotion Candle – 6 oz  / $14.99 – (Product is full size)  This scent, “Love Struck,” is on sale on the website this month for $11.25 as the fragrance of the month.  The scent is sweet and fruity and reminds me of pomegranate.  The idea with the candle is that after the candle burns a little, you blow it out, then you can use the wax (100% soy) as a lotion.  I thought it was a little weird, but because it’s pure soy oil, it actually works!  It goes on a lot like coconut oil (stays a liquid with the heat of your skin) and doesn’t feel greasy or waxy.
• Wrenn Jewelry Becki Earrings – 1 set / $26 – (Product is full size)  The color we received is the, “Rose Druzy,” color, a rose gold color.  I’m not too big on gold and I hate pink, so I’m going to pass these on to a friend.  I really do love the earring design, I’m just not into the color.  Fortunately, there’s a coupon code for 15% off, so I can pick out a set that aren’t pink!  I’m really digging the Platinum ones, so those may have to find their way to me.
• Rose & Basil Truffles – 2 truffles / $2.90 – (Product is full size)  Well, I know that they’re vegan, but I have no idea what the flavors are!  There’s no insert or card to let me know which flavors I got.  Browsing the company’s instagram, it looks like the one on the right is Chocolate Pomegranate and the one on the left might be Elderflower?  I’m just guessing here.  Of course I had to try them out right away.  The left one was really floral, maybe even lavender-ish, and the right one was delicious.  I think I still prefer regular non-vegan chocolates, but the flavors are such neat mixes.  If I happen to be in NYC, I’ll have to stop in!

Overall, the box value came to $63.89 which is well over double the cost of $25 on a month-to-month basis!  Even without the earrings, the value still comes out over the cost, plus I get to give something pretty to a friend.  I really love how this box goes beyond the traditional beauty box and includes all sorts of cruelty free items – it keeps the box new and interesting.

Another Kloverbox, this one the first of the new year!  The product card in the box said that January’s box was, “all about letting go of 2016 and starting 2017 looking and feeling your best!”  It definitely seems to focus on dental health, and it’s actually nice to see a grouping of these three products that work well together!

• Natural Annie Essentials Happy Edges – 1 oz / $14 – (Product is full size)  This is meant to be used on dry scalp patches, especially around the edges of your hair line.  It’s like they knew I needed this!  My scalp gets crazy dry during the winter and I’ve tried all manner of remedies to help keep it from turning into a desert.  The only thing I’m not sure of is the roller ball applicator – I think I’d have preferred a dropper or something like an eye dropper bottle instead.  The roller ball doesn’t seem to roll well around my hair line, so the product doesn’t come out and distribute itself very easily.  I do like the light herbal scent, and a scalp oil is right up my alley.
• Balipura Auric Spray – 3.4 oz / $25 – (Product is full size)  Okay, so I’m not quite sold on the whole energy field stuff that they mention on the website, but the spray is basically made up of water, alcohol and essential oils (cinnamon bark and pink grapefruit), so it works as a room spray even if I don’t buy into the woo.  It smells nice – the cinnamon is earthy and not “hot” like cinnamon scents can get – and I can see using this as a pillow spray before bed sort of like an aromatherapy thing.
• Humble Brush – 1 brush / $5.99 – (Product is full size)  It’s a bamboo toothbrush with nylon bristles, and with every purchase, one brush is donated to a child in need.  I already gave this a test spin, and it’s just like every other toothbrush I’ve used except it’s biodegradable.
• Eco Dent Gentle Floss – Travel Size / $3.79 – (Product is Travel Size)  Vegan dental floss that’s waxed with vegan waxes.  It’s a bit smaller than regular floss, so it doesn’t get stuck as much.  The packaging is all cardboard, so it’s completely recyclable too.
• Essential Oxygen Brushing Rinse –  4 oz / $5.49 – (Product is 4 oz)  I gave this a try, and while I like the idea, I can’t say I’m all that impressed.  The taste is terrible, probably from the Peroxide.  You’re supposed to swish the rinse first, then brush, then spit, so it’s neat that it’s one product that does two things, but I didn’t feel like it’s something I’d continue using since the taste was really that awful to me.  It would make a lot of sense as something to bring camping or where you might not have running water available, but I’ll stick to my regular toothpaste.

Overall, the value of the box comes to $54.27 which is great for a box that costs $25 on a month-to-month basis!  I’m not completely sold on the vegan oral care stuff, but they were all fun to try, and it’s always neat to learn about products that might be better than what you’re using now.  These didn’t quite do that for me, but they’re all things I may not have had a chance to try otherwise.  I do like the Happy Edges the most out of this box, and the Auric Spray I’ll still use as a room spray or pillow spray.  Looking forward to February’s box!

Kloverbox is BACK!  It was taken over by new ownership a few months ago and has been producing some great boxes, so I decided to sign up again.  My first box is the December box and I’m happy to say it’s a good one!  I love the bracelet the most because it’s a great way to wear a fragrance without putting it directly on your skin, and the cheek stain smells amazing.  On to the contents!

• Timeless Organics Muscle Soak – 3 oz / $6.99 – (Product is full size)  I’m not really big on baths, but I like to save stuff like this for vacations, especially ones with those big jacuzzi tubs, so this is coming along with me next month.  The soak is basically a salt soak along with lavender, so it’s great for sore, tired muscles.  This is showing on sale on the company’s website for $4.99, not full price right now, and there’s also a coupon included for 20% off purchases on the website.
• Drops of Joy Diffuser Bracelent – 1 bracelet / $32.27 – (Product is full size)  This is such a neat idea!  The beads are lava stone with Amazonite and thanks to the porous nature of lavastone, it makes for a perfect medium to carry your favorite oil and act as a diffuser.  The colors are pretty and the idea is so neat, I absolutely love this!  Also included is a code for 20% off an order through the Drops of Joy website.
• Yoganics Essential Oil Blend – 5 mL / $15 – (Product is full size)  The blend is their, “Holiday Cheer Blend,” and smells like pine and cinnamon.  It’s really strong, so a teeny little swipe is enough to  give the bracelet a good scent charge.  It’s not exactly my favorite sort of scent – I find the cinnamon to be crazy overpowering with not much of the other oils working to balance it out – but they also included a coupon for 15% off a purchase, so I’ll have to check out some of the other oils.
• ra goods Toner – 2 oz / $9.95 – (Product is full size)  An alcohol free toner!  I love the scent of this.  The lemongrass comes out on top, but it’s not overwhelming, just light and fresh.  The toner dries matte and doesn’t feel sticky or heavy, and I honestly like it.  Also included is a coupon code for 20% off at their website.
• Wild Plants Love You Rosy Cheek Stain – .5 oz / $8 – (Product is full size)  This smells SO GOOD.  It’s earthy, but then the elderberries and lavender come out and it makes for this sweet herbal scent.  I’m not big on blush since my cheeks are always pretty rosy to begin with, but this works just fine on lips too, plus with the jojoba oil, it makes for a great moisturizing balm.  The color payoff isn’t huge, it’s pretty subtle, but does build to a pretty rosy glow.  Also included is a code for 10% off at their Etsy shop.

The total value of the box comes to $72.21 which is great for a box that costs $25 on a month-to-month basis!  The bracelet alone covers the cost, but I do like everything in the box and will use it all.  It’s so nice to see this great box revitalized and carrying on with great cruelty free products.  Looking forward to next month already!

June’s Kloverbox, and my last from Kloverbox.  This one arrived July 2nd, but it’s most definitely the rather late June box.  I’m going to admit that I’m not all that impressed with this one, in part due to the company’s lack of presence/activity this month on social media, lack of communication about the lateness, and yet again, no product card in the box.  I assume that’s going to be emailed just like last month, which is fine, but I would’ve appreciated a heads up on the delayed delivery and the missing product card before the box shipped.  It just all leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so I have no regret over my decision to unsubscribe.

• 180 Snacks Nutty Quinoa Bites – 1 pack / $1.86 – I received the version with Cranberries and rice.  It was good, not sure it was almost $2 per pack good, but they were crunchy with a little bit of sweet which was nice.
• Harvey Prince Keravegan Masque – 1 oz / $3 – (Sample size product)  This is a big nope.  I’m really not into anything Harvey Prince, so to see them two months in a row is a real bummer.  Their products are just too heavily perfumed and scented and they never seem to be natural scents that I find pleasing.  This is going straight to the trade pile.
• Lillian Eve Matte Top Coat – .5 oz / $12 – (Full Size Product)  This is the only thing out of the box that I really like!  I already gave it a quick try, and it’s a nice matte coat.  Dries pretty quick, and it doesn’t feel super thick like some other matte coats.  It probably isn’t what I’d call completely matte, maybe more pearl or semi-matte, but I do like it and will definitely use it.
• Baggu Tote Pack – 1 tote pack / $14 – (Full Size Product)  I honestly don’t like the print or the concept/shape and apparently neither did anyone else since this is on sale on the Baggu website for $14 when other prints are priced at $26.  I can’t see myself actually using  this in public – it’s SUPER bright and it’s just an awful color.. I might use it for carrying stuff when we’re canoeing?  Give it to a hunter for high visibility/safety?  It doesn’t make for  a good backpack since the straps are the closure on the backpack and there’s no way to adjust the straps after closing the pack, and it doesn’t work as a tote bag either since the shape is tapered at the bottom with gussets to work as a backpack.  It’s just not my style at all and for being the big ticket item in the box, it’s a big fail for me.

So, the total comes to $30.86 which is really low again for this box that  costs between $25 and $22.50 depending on subscription length..  It’s the lowest value yet and again, it’s making me feel rather settled with my decision to cancel.  I’m not sure if the owner has something going on or if there are problems with the company, but I’d really appreciate some transparency instead of delivery of really sub-par boxes.  They could skip delivery on a month and take the time to regroup and catch up and get back on schedule (their website says they ship between the 15th and 18th of every month, but I’m not sure that’s ever happened during my whole subscription), but at this point, I’m so disappointed that I have no interest in continuing.  Best of luck to them though!  I hope they work out whatever is going on and come back better than ever.

May’s Kloverbox just came in today, Tuesday May 31st, the very last day of the month.  I’m SUPER underwhelmed.  Out of four products, I’ll keep and use one, and the box had no product card, so I guess there are no discount codes this month.  Kloverbox seems to run hot or cold with little inbetween and this  is definitely a “cold” box for me, which given the cycle and since last month’s box was pretty awesome, I guess this is to be expected?  I’m just not pleased this month, at all.

• eSCENTials Aroma Don’t Bug Me Insect Repellent – 4 oz / $15 – (Full size product)  I gave my clothes a quick spritz to see what it smells like.  It mostly smells like citronella which is one of 6 oils in the spray along with lemongrass, lavender, lemon eucalyptus, clove, and peppermint.  I’m a HUGE mosquito magnet – when I’m around, no one else gets bitten since I’m the one attracting all the bugs.  I don’t have super high hopes of this working that effectively given how strong my natural mosquito attractant is, but if it fends off even a few potential biters, I’m okay with that.  Plus, it’s all natural, so it’s not like it can do any harm!
• Zoe Organics Breathe Balm – .6 oz / $14 – (Full size product)  I have absolutely no use for this.  I’d rather not be able to breathe than smell like eucalyptus – I can’t even stomach those eucalyptus cough drops, my hatred of eucalyptus runs that deep.  When I’m sick, there’s no way I want to be around a smell that makes me feel worse, so this is going to the trade/share pile.
• Harvey Prince Hello Shampoo – 15 mL / $3 – (Sample size, sample price)  Sixth ingredient in is Acrylates, so this is a nope for me.  Oh, sure, it doesn’t contain sulfates or parabens, but acrylates are arguably worse since they’re a plasticizing polymer that will build up in your hair and get sticky.  There’s no way at all I’m putting that into my hair.  This is going straight to the trade/share pile.
• Harvey Prince Hello Conditioner – 15 mL / $3 – (Sample size, sample price)  This is not as bad as the shampoo, but at this point, I’m not trusting Harvey Prince to use good ingredients.  Plus, I already have a conditioner I use and love and have no reason to change.  Also, the scent is really overpoweringly perfumed, and it’s just too much for me.

So, that’s that!  The value of the products comes out to $35 which is SUPER low for a  box that  costs between $25 and $22.50 depending on subscription length.  It just BARELY covered the cost of the box, and for me personally with the one item I’ll keep and use, didn’t even do that.  SUPER disappointed this month.  I think my current round of my 3 month subscription is  due to rebill at the beginning of June for July’s box, and I have to say that I’m seriously considering cancelling after this delivery.  When the boxes are hits, they’re big hits and are amazing boxes, but the misses are also really big misses like this and January’s box.

UPDATE, 1 June 2016: I just got an email with a digital version of what should’ve been the product card in the box.  The theme was, “Let’s go on an Adventure,” and it lists the Harvey Prince shampoo and conditioner as a “set” which then would make this a three item box?  I’ll admit that I like getting this in email instead of wasting paper, but maybe for the first time out, we could’ve had some notice that there would be something new with this box.