Summer 2013 Yuzen Box Review

I LOVE getting my Yuzen subscription box.  It only comes once every three months (spring, summer, fall, and winter), but it is SO worth the wait every time.  It is honestly like getting a spa in a box.  I always feel so, so pampered when I open it!  Hands-down, it is my favorite subscription box ever.  So without further ado, I present you with the contents of the Summer 2013 Yuzen box!

Of all the boxes I receive, the Yuzen box is, hands down, the most prettily packaged.  You can tell that the folks at Yuzen put a LOT of love & care into their boxes, both in the way they present them, and in the products that they select to send out. 

The contents of the entire box...let's dig in!

 I have to admit, the five JJ's Sweets Sea Salt Cocomels that I received barely made it in front of my camera to get photographed because I ate them right away.  I don't usually like coconut flavoring, but these were SO GOOD...caramels with just the right amount of sweet & salty, just how I like them, with just a little bit of coconut flavor.  YUM.  Luckily, they included a promo code for 20% off future online purchases, so I can indulge in a few more later.

Next was a adorably packaged duo of Acure oils -- one is argan oil and the other is marula oil.  Acure lists the uses of argan oil as a repairing facial serum, body & decollete massage oil, hair serum, hand & cuticle repairer, and soother of dry elbows & heels -- I had only ever heard of using it as a hair serum, so I'm excited to try using it for the other purposes!  Acure says that the marula oil (which I've never heard of before!) is great for chapped skin, reducing skin redness, massage, scars, and fine lines -- I can't wait to try it out!   A promo code for 20% off Acure's products was also included.

I also received a 1.4 oz. tube of Phyt's Lait Hydro Nettoyant (water soluble cleansing milk) for cleansing & removing makeup.  I'm not quite as excited about this one as I rarely wear any makeup at all (other than the very occasional mascara), but this product has no preservatives, parabens, or artificial colors in it and is touted as soothing (it contains lavendin, palmarosa, and chamomile), so I will likely use it as a gentle face cleanser in the shower instead of soap.  A promo code for 15% off online orders was included.

They included a box of four Level Naturals shower bombs (one shown in picture), which smell a lot like the discontinued Vick's shower disks that used to be sold as a way to alleviate stuffy sinuses when you are sick. I will definitely be saving these for when we're feeling stuffy-nosed, or possibly just as a great pick-me-up in the shower on a sluggish, tired morning (they smell like they'd totally reinvigorate & wake you up!).  I think my husband is going to be excited about these as well.  Also included was a promo code for a free travel candle with a purchase of $25 or more on Level's website.

Next, I got two Spa Ritual nail polishes (a lovely sea green called "Emerald City" and their Multi-Tasker Base & Topcoat in One).  This picture does the sea green polish no justice at all...it is a really stunning color in real life).  I stopped using nail polishes entirely about a year back due to wanting to cut back on the amount of chemical-y things in the products I use entering my body, but these have no DBP, formaldehyde, toulene, or synthetic dyes.  The green is so darn pretty & these seem a lot safer than the yucky chemical polishes I used to use, so I think I will give them a try!

I was also very excited to receive a compact of Suki Luscious Lips Berry Cream Trio.  There are two lip colors included (Wineberry Kiss & Sugarberry Pout), as well as a lip repair butter, a little brush & a mirror.  The lip repair butter feels lovely on my lips and stays on well without being too waxy, and the two lip colors are extremely pretty shades that I think would flatter a lot of skin tones.  This is a definite winner!

This is a close- up of the inside of the Suki compact.  I also received a promo code for $10 off a purchase of $50 or more at Suki's website.

 I am really enjoying the tube of Pritte moisturizing body lotion they sent us as well, which I did not expect (the tube is kind of boring/non-descript looking, so I didn't expect too much).  This is definitely my favorite product in the box -- I love that Yuzen introduces me to new favorites that I never would have tried otherwise!  It is a really light, non-oily lotion that absorbs quickly and has a lovely, light, almost citrus-y smell, and it is not at all cloying or overpowering in the way that some citrus-scented things can be.  This is such a pretty scent for summer.  I think I'll end up using this as both a lotion and light fragrance this summer.  I will definitely be buying more as soon as this tube runs out!  Luckily, they included a promo code for 25% off an online order, which I will definitely be using quite soon.

Oh man, I was excited to get the two Action Wipes they included in the box.  They are large-sized wet wipes for cleaning your entire body that are infused with tea tree & eucalyptus.  I am out with my son at playgrounds a lot, and it will be lovely to have these in my diaper bag for when I need to wipe off the sand & dirt that I get on me while we're out!  These would also be great for camping or a quick wipe-down after a workout!  There was also a promo code for 25% off at the Action Wipes online store.

This entire box was great, and I think I will continue to be a Yuzen subscriber for years to come!  If you would like to get your very own Yuzen box, you can find them at the link below.  They currently have a waiting list for subscriptions, but they are so worth the wait!
http://www.yuzenbox.com/

May 2013 Stork Stack Box Review (19 Month Old Boy)

This was our first Stork Stack box, and I liked just about everything in the box, but we will probably not be continuing on with this subscription box simply because it just isn't stuff we NEED (for example, my son loved the toys in it...but he has a million stuffed animals & toys already & we really don't need more right now).  

I feel like if the mix was closer to half functional items (like sippy cups, feeding items, snacks for my son) and half toys/books - kind of like we get in our Citrus Lane boxes - we'd be more likely to continue.  

That said, their customer service is great (when I missed the cutoff date for signing up for a May box for my son, I e-mailed customer service, and within MINUTES, the CEO of the company e-mailed me back & said they'd be happy to sign me up for a May box even though I missed the cutoff -- very impressed!)    I think it would be a great subscription box for anyone that's looking to get more toys/books instead of more functional items like feeding gear, wipes, lotions, etc.  

Pretty packaging...very bright/cheerful.  I will note, however, that the company did not include any kind of insert explaining why they picked these products/what they are, which I think they probably should add.  

The first thing I pulled out of the box was a Two-Dees cat from the North American Bear Company.  I must admit, the first time I saw this stuffed animal, I thought it was hideous.  However, now that we've had it for a week or so, it's really grown on me, and my son ADORES it.  It's become one of his new comfort objects/lovies, I think it part because it's just the right size for hugging and it is very bright/cheerful looking.  I also like that the eyes are embroidered on, so that there is nothing there for a baby to chew or pull off and choke on.  It's also pretty flat, so it could be used as a soft little pillow for the car or travelling.

Next, we got a squishy Rubbabbu car.  The upper part is velvety to the touch, and the wheels feel like a dense, squishy foam of some kind.  I actually really like this toy...it rolls very fast (unlike some of the other toy cars we own), and, best of all, it bounces when it lands & it squishes when you squeeze it.  It is really weirdly satisfying to squeeze...kind of like a stress ball.

We also got a Stephen Joseph monkey bank.  This seemed like a weird thing to include in a box for a 19 month old boy for two reasons...one, at 19 months, my son is more likely to eat change than think to put it in a bank.  Two, it is ceramic, and if my son got anywhere near this, it would be broken in a second.  That said, it is very cute, and my son's room happens to be monkey themed, so we will hold on to this for when he gets a bit older.

We also received This Old Man, a book by Child's Play.  This was definitely my least favorite item in the box, and something we will probably be getting rid of soon.  I like that they included a book (we love getting books!), but the text and pictures in this one are visually overstimulating for a 19 month old, and totally age-inappropriate (at 19 months, my son barely gets the concept of numbers, let alone addition, which this book features).  I feel like it might be a good book for an older kid (maybe 4+?), but this was a total miss for us.

The mama gift in the box was a moisture stick by Deep Steep.  OK, I *loved* this one.  I got the lavender/chamomile scent (they sent out different scents in other boxes, I think which one you got was kind of random), and it smells lovely.  I like that it's a solid moisturizer in stick form, and I can just swipe it on any dry skin.  I will DEFINITELY be purchasing more of these when I run out!

Overall, I liked the box a lot, and I would definitely consider resubscribing again when we need more toys/books when my son gets a bit bigger & grows out of his current stuff.

If you would like to sign up to get a Stork Stack box, you can use the referral code "D2BOCCC9" to get $10 off your first box (making it only $17.99 for your first box!  Great deal!!)
https://www.storkstack.com/