I’ve heard so many positive things about Conscious Box in the past that I decided to see what all the fuss was about. After emailing the company and requesting a box to review, I received a quick response telling me that my very own Conscious Box for the month of March would be on its way soon! Today I’ll be discussing the contents of and sharing my experience with the lovely package I received.

Contents:

• Olivella Nourishment Cream Sample- I’ve been using this as a day and nighttime eye cream. It has a nice, lightweight feel, and it’s cruelty-free. Extensive review coming soon!
• Minteas Ginger Pear Mints- Sometimes it’s hard for me to chew things politely, so I’ve always preferred mints to gum. These are the best! They’re delicious, they freshen my breath, and I will definitely be buying another tin when I run out.
• Olbas Lozenge-These have such a good flavor, and they’re sugar free so I wouldn’t feel quite as bad about eating a garbage bag full of them if I were sick (just kidding, sort of).
• Acai Natural Energy Boost Packet- These would be great to keep in my purse, since the water fountain water at school tastes like a hotel swimming pool.
• E Boost Pink Lemondade Natural Energy Booster Packet- See above, but I’m also a sucker for anything that even resembles lemonade.
• Teraswhey Pomegranate Cranberry Goat Whey Protein Packet- Holy smokes, you guys! This stuff is delicious. I mixed mine with whole, organic milk.
• Java Juice Organic Liquid Coffee Extract- Great for people who are on the go, or for someone who wants to throw together a makeshift celebratory White Russian (this girl).
• Good Kind Natural Coffee Creamer- I like my coffee like my eyeliner (black), but my mom would love this stuff. The best part? It’s GMO and rBST-free!
• RW Garcia Mixt Bag Yellow & Blue Corn Tortilla Chips- Again with the non-GMO! I could’ve eaten this bag twice.
• Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Sea Salt Crackers- They’re made with flax and quinoa seeds. That’s how you know they’re fancy.
• Baker Creek Heirloom Tokyo Long White Bunching Onion Seeds- These will make a lovely addition to our upcoming garden.
• $5.00 Gift Card to Hip Mountain Mama- Most items are really reasonably priced, so I could do some damage with this!
• $15.oo Gift Certificate to Mineral Hygienics- Hey there, brow gel.
• Coupon for one free cookie from Morning Sunshine Breakfast Cookie-I can’t wait to receive mine!

The box also came with two cards: one describing the contents and another with suggestions for reusing my Conscious Box. Nifty!

Overall Experience: The whole point of Conscious Box is to help us discover new, ethical brands that we might not have otherwise been exposed to, and I have certainly been exposed to some brands that I love and will continue to support when making future purchases. The environmentally-friendly packaging and goals of the company are also significant selling points for me. I am entirely satisfied. Good job, Conscious Box!

Get your Conscious Box today!

This Becca bikini in mint is made from soy pulp, a byproduct of tofu production that would otherwise be discarded.

These Ocean Minded Sandals are made with recycled materials and water-based adhesives.

This handmade notebook from Faye Dodges Zombies is full of unlined pages, perfect for beach doodling!

Doodling without a writing instrument is impossible, and this organic, recycled cotton pencil case is both functional and ocean themed (not to mention adorable)!

For carrying important beach supplies like sunglasses, books/notebooks, cute pencil cases, chapstick, and water bottles, this organic cotton fireworks tote is absolutely ideal.

Sources: Bikini, Sandals, Notebook, Pencil Pouch, Tote.

1) My sad little cuticles could really use this hand salve, and I’m comforted by the short list of familiar ingredients.

2) A silk and organic cotton eye mask would make me feel extra fancy while I sleep.

3) This professional set of vegan makeup brushes would be a real upgrade from my current incomplete set.

4) I could fill these BPA-free, #2 recyclable spray bottles with my own homemade household cleaner & fruit and veggie wash!

5) Clementine and Winston are in serious need of some new collars, and these bamboo ones by Wagging Green are eco-friendly and especially stylish.

Sources: Hand Salve, Sleep Mask, Makeup Brushes, Spray Bottles, Dog Collars.

If you look closely enough, you can spot my scrubbies in a sea of reusable cotton pads.

Upon my good friend Selena‘s suggestion, I’ve been using my Debutante Face Scrubbies to cleanse my face rather than tone it.  I’ve found that this is obviously what they’re intended to do (not only because that’s what the product description states on their Etsy product page, but also because it leaves my face feeling super soft and thoroughly clean).

Here’s how I’ve been doing it: I squirt the tiniest bit of my current cleanser in the palm of my hand, apply it gently to my face with my hands, and then scrub away with a damp debutante face scrubby.

Once I run out of my disposable cotton pads, I’ll probably tone my face strictly with a regular ol’ bath cloth (since I feel like it might waste less toner than the reusable pads), but cleansing is definitely a job for my scrubbies!

This isn't an eCard, but I thought it was super cool-looking.

photo credit: Claud Forsb

I’ve never been a huge  fan of eCards. I’d usually rather have a card that I can actually hold with human handwriting on it (as opposed to…fonts). But I discovered today that sending eCards actually has some benefits (aside from the good karma that likely goes along with not using tons of paper). When you send Care2 eCards, you earn butterfly credits. According to Care2′s website, “Credits can be redeemed for meaningful gifts like safe drinking water,carbon offsets, or help for shelter pets through amazing organizations.”  I don’t know about you, but that makes me wanna send a few Christmastime eCards.

Image Courtesy of Shielo.com

Ingredients (provided at earthessentials.com)- “Water, Polyethylene, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Panthelol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Allantoin, Sorbitol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, PEG-150 Distearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates/ C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, DMDM Hydantoin, Fragrance, Chromium Hydroxide Green.”

I couldn’t locate this product on the Cosmetic Safety Database and, to be honest, I didn’t bother looking up the all of the ingredients individually. Once I saw two of the ingredients that I usually try to avoid, Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Methylparaben, I figured that I’d be disappointed by a few of the other ingredients as well.

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s cruelty-free.

2. The container is made from #2 plastic, which means that it can easily be recycled.

Product Description (also provided at shielo.com)- “Lift dead skin cells with this gentle facial scrub and to reveal a healthier, smoother complexion. Helps to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, lighten skin discoloration and stimulate cellular regeneration for radiance.”

Price-$11.00 for a 4 oz tube

Performance- My face definitely felt smoother after using this stuff. There’s no arguing that. Since I currently have no signs of aging and only used this product three times, I can’t really comment on this product’s anti-aging properties.

Scent- It smells very clean with sort of a citrus hint; it reminds me of  this Clean & Clear Morning Burst Cleanser that I used a long time ago.

Rating- I’m gonna have to go with a 6. I did enjoy how soft this scrub made my skin feel, but I cannot completely overlook the questionable ingredients.

Would I purchase this item again?- Most likely, no. I’d be interested in finding a similar product with fewer, more natural ingredients, though.

This is me with my pretty friend, Allie

Your eyes aren’t playing tricks. That is a fancy Christmas vest that I’m wearing.

Preparing to travel home, Christmas parties, Christmas shopping, Christmas crafting (which I will post about eventually), and fighting off a cold have been keeping me pretty busy lately. I honestly didn’t have much time to throw together anything even kind of original today. Still, I think you guys should check out Care2′s list of 20 Green Gift Ideas. There are some real winners here and there. I love a list that includes animal lovers.

Image Courtesy of supermarkethq.com

By the title, of course, I meant more environmentally friendly items for less money.  It may not be clever or original, but it made me chuckle. And if you’re usually broke like me, then you’re gonna love re-nest’s 25 Green Home Gifts Under $25. Before seeing this list, I actually purchased one of the items listed for Kirby as one of his smaller Christmas presents). I won’t disclose which one, since Kirby may or may not read my blog sometimes (probably not). Anyway, how cute are those lavender sachets?!  Annnd I don’t hate that solid brass bicycle bell.

1) Always read the ingredients. Check out the ingredients that you’re curious about on the Cosmetic Safety Database, and see what they have to say about it. I link this website often because I use it so often. Also, it’s legit. Research it for yourself if you see it necessary. After using the site for a while, you’ll start to recognize the names of certain chemicals that are potentially harmful. This may or may not make you feel smart.

2)Know what natural means as far a health and beauty products are concerned, which is not much. More often than not, when something is “derived from” something that was once natural…it ceases to be natural. If you cannot pronounce the ingredient in question, it’s a good idea to do some research before buying it.

3) Know what organic means, too. The word organic really has little or no positive implications alone. It’s always smart to look for an indication on the label that the product is “certified organic”.  Unless a product is not confirmed to be organic, then it would only be logical for the product to have a certification. It’s common sense, y’all.

4) Remember that “green” does not always imply quality ingredients. Maybe it makes me a shit head, but I’d much rather the products I use be good for me than the environment. I’m all for a recycled bottle that is biodegradable…but it’s not a necessity.

5) Don’t be stubborn. If a particular product does not work for you, then it really doesn’t matter if it has awesome ingredients. Always read reviews and buy trial sizes when available. There’s nothing more disheartening than having eight ounces of twenty dollar conditioner that you feel obligated to use even though it makes your hair look like turds. A great review site is MakeupAlley, but they have a pretty limited selection of reviews for products with minimal and simple ingredients.