Saturday, November 29, 2014

Eco Emi - October 2014 - Full Review

Hi friends,

Eco Emi is back! I tell you, Christine is finally keeping consistent with some awesome boxes and wait until you see the November 2014 Box!

Here is the opening video:



New to Eco Emi? It is a sample subscription box ($15/month shipping included) in which you receive up to 9 samples of beauty and household products that are all cruelty free, organic and environmental friendly. An awesome way to try new eco friendly products without breaking the bank. There are always a food item (or two) and full sizes too!
Let's dive right in!


Eco Emi - November 2014 box

1. Deep Steep - Hand Cream in Passion Fruit + Guava - $9.95/2oz 





Deep Steep's Hand Cream nourishes hands with enriched moisturizers targeted to restore softness. Keep one in your purse, one at your bedside, on your desk, and anywhere else you keep your quick grab necessities. Featuring Shea Butter and Olive Oil for quick absorption that won't leave hands tacky or greasy. Just a little dose of luxe goes a long way with this highly anticipated product. (Quoted from website).

This is just wonderful! the texture is rich, creamy yet fluid. It absorbs fast, making it ideal as a bed side hand cream for that bit of luxury we need before checking out. The scent itself is divine, yet again, who does not love passion fruit! I felt that it actually made a difference on the overall look of my tired and over used hands, cuticles included. This cream is Parabens free,  Sodium Lauryl Sulfate free, Mineral Oil free. It has no Artificial Fragrances, no Chemical Preservatives, Vegan and cruelty free! It also comes in 6 more scents, including lavender, Tangerine, Rosemary or grapefruit...I want to try them all! A.







 2. Balanced Guru - Intuition - Essential Oils Mist - $10

 This thing is plain awful! I am sorry, I am all for aromatherapy and essential oils, which I use in my bath and at times in a steam bowl for my face. However, after trying it "live' in my last video, it gave me the worst possible migraine...4 Excedrin later, I was still feeling the aftermath of inhaling the stuff, which is exactly what you are supposed to do. 
The Intuition Spray website boasts that their organic blend of Palmarosa, Rosemary, Lavender, Lemon, Roman Chamomile and Pine oils will do everything for you short of folding your laundry, for real now! Check out their statement (don't you start laughing now):

"Intuition helps us recall our dreams and visualize our goals in order to manifest them and make them a reality. It nourishes our memory and its identity lies within the archetypes that surround our lives, this is what people may call your sixth sense or gut feeling [ The Intuition mist will ] nourish your intuition, stimulate your imagination, help you visualize your dreams and goals..."

Seriously? I tried their hair oil and fell in love with it, but this one? No THANK YOU! It's making it to the Wall of Shame: F.





3. Dancin' Goats -  Goat Milk Microfoliant Face Scrub - $24.95


 I must have received a bad sample, or did not use it properly, for sure! This did not work for me at all. The texture was very weird, with very irregular scrub beads that reminded me of coarse salt. Upon applying it to my face, whatever the medium (cream/milk) melted away and I was left with monstrous beads all over. Did not do much for my skin either. The site boasts that it is a gentle exfoliant and I disagree. If you are going to use scrubbing beads that are the size of tow trucks (it's actually oatmeal and rice), that is beyond exfoliating, you are basically scorching parts of your face and leaving other parts unattended!
That being said, the formula is non drying with a pleasant scent. I can see this being used as a knees, elbows and heels scrub...Keep away from face! There are better options out there. D-








 


4. Authority - 5 Free Nail Lacquer in Khloe - $14

WOW! Let me just start with the color, did I ever mention purple is my favorite color? This one is not just purple, it's ultimate purple! The prettiest deep shade with a hint of shimmer that is even (not a mother of pearl type that streaks on you) and part of their metallic collection. It wears well, one coat is pretty opaque, though two works best. I found this nail lacquer did not chip or crack right away like most metallic or glitter polishes, it does not stay past 5 days, but still, it's pretty good when considering that the "5 free" means it that it is free of Formaldehyde, DBP, Toluene, Camphor, and Formaldehyde Resin. Basically, it's good for your nails. 
Let's talk about price. $14 per bottle. First, it's a large bottle. I paid way more for a high end polish that did not come free from chemicals. The brush is okay, I wish it was a bit wider. The formula is a bit too fluid, but then again, on a metallic finish you may want that. Oh, and it's made in the U.S.A! A.



 



5. Bottle Bright - Water Bottle Cleaning Tablets - $6.99/10 tablets ($5.99 as a monthly subscription)


I really don't know what to think about this. Is it really all that essential? I mean, I clean my bottles and think I am doing a pretty good job so far. Let's face it, I have not caught malaria or anything that absurd so far this year! I think this is the kind of stuff you find at Health stores and other organic healthy living type places. You walk down the aisle, see it and think to yourself "wow, maybe that's something I should start buying and using" then you get distracted by the organic chocolate section and there goes the good decision making for the day.
They come as small white tabs, they smell faintly of clean, you know what I mean, like fresh air and a dash of bleach (though they do not contain any Chlorine).  The tabs are effervescent and they are supposed to clean all those hard to reach areas in your water bottles or Thermos even. Its a cool concept, but frankly I don't think this is the only way one can clean a bottle. Interestingly enough, they say nothing on the website about cleaning baby bottles. So either it's not safe for babies, or boiling water is still the best way to clean. Just saying! I am giving it a B, I just don't have time for that kind of stuff nor the money to throw when I can clean with a good pass of dawn and hot water. And by the way, if you are concerned about your bottle caps and other hard plastic tops, you can boil water (that's almost free) and dump them in there, cover, turn off the heat and walk away. BAM !sanitized!




6. The Good Bean - Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt - $30/50 packs


I reckon Chick Peas are an acquired taste. I personally love them in salads, not to mention Hummus.
The only variety of roasted chick peas I have tried in the past are those in dry Wasabi seasoning and I love them. So I  was pretty excited to try these.
Nice crunch, just a hint of salt, 4 gm of protein and fiber.
They are also - certified gluten free, nut free, soy free, vegan, non-gmo project verified, kosher and grown and made in the USA! 
They make a good snack and come in different flavors, such as Cracked Pepper, BBQ Mesquite (yum), Chocolate and many more. It's a good product, I recommend it. A.








 

7.  Soy Joy -  Baked Whole Soy and Fruit Bar in Blueberry Flavor -$1.89/bar



140 calories, 12 gm of sugar, 17 gm of carbohydrates and only 4 gm of protein. They are delicious, but I am not convinced that they are actually more nutritious than other bars. 
the one I received is in Blueberry flavor, they come in many more like Cranberry or Coconut Banana. In all honesty, with that much sugar in each bar, it's a crash and burn for me. Definitely would not make it as a breakfast replacement bar but it has 3 points as a weight watchers replacement snack, making them a viable alternative. 12 gm of sugars is still a lot of sugar though. B.


 

8. Sjaak's - Melk Chocolate Bar - $1.99/bar


It's chocolate, need I say more? How could anyone go wrong with chocolate?
The owners, a married couple living in California, started their business as part of their Vegetarian lifestyle, I understand that Mr. Sjaak was born and raised in Holland (they make decent chocolate there by the way). So long story short, this is organic chocolate that is  fair trade and non GMO. How does it taste? Pretty good. The bar itself is a hefty chunk so one square is plenty for me to calm the craving chocolate beast inside. I am all for mom and pops businesses and given the choice I would rather buy this chocolate over another popular American brand (you know the one) that is not organic and mass produced. And if you want to know whether you have a good chocolate on your hands, try to melt it in a bit of milk to try it as a hot cocoa. This one passed the taste test, it was delicious either way. A.

So there you have it, the Eco Emi Box for October 2014. It was a good box, aside from the ridiculous Intuition Spray.

Thank you so much for reading my blog and watching my YouTube videos! Share the love!

Sophia, NJ



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