July Conscious Box review

     My second Concious Box arrived last week. Once again, it came packed and felt like a brick when I took it out of the mailbox. And it smelled like lavender and mint. I love looking inside the box when I get it. It's like the people at Conscious Box get to play a game of Tetris with the contents to make them all fit. 

    For those of you who don't know, Conscious Box is a monthly subscription service designed to introduce consumers to "ethical, sustainable, and honest businesses that create the purest products available." The samples include everything from organic food to vegan beauty products. Conscious Box costs $12 a month, plus shipping and handling, for a total of $19 a month.  

    The theme of this month's box was "The Simple Joys of July." A card enclosed in the box described the theme: "Embrace the joys of July during this vibrant summer season. Take time to enjoy each day, lingering on the edges of soft light and igniting your senses to awaken your soul. Smell an afternoon rain shower and watch flowers fill a field. Listen to a bird sing its morning song of welcome and feel a berry burst in sweetness on your tongue. This is a season of simple pleasures." 

     And a quote at the bottom: "Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time. " - John Lubbock. 

      This month's box included the following samples (flavors and scents vary by box):

• The All Natural Face vegan eye shadow (honey gold) - These mineral-based cosmetics are free of artificial ingredients like carmine, bismuth, and talc. They are also free of animal products and aren't tested on animals. This was such a pretty shade and actually a pretty large sample. I definitely will be wearing it a lot this fall. It is a shimmery and really beautiful golden color. 

• Aura Cacia aromatherapy deck and essential oil (sweet orange) - Aura Cacia has been making essential oils for 20 years, sourcing ingredients from Oregon to Ukraine to Australia to Europe. The deck of information about aromatherapy doesn't really appeal to me. I thought maybe each card would be scented with whatever oil it was describing, but that was not the case. The deck is worth almost $10 though. I do like the scent of the sweet orange oil, but I'm not sure what to do with it. So far, I have dabbed a drop on our toilet paper roll like I saw on Pinterest. 

• Just Great Stuff bar (superberry acai) - This bar is vegan and gluten free and contains the "superberries" cranberry, goji berry, acai, and raspberry. They are supposed to be full of antioxidants and dietary fiber. I really loved the flavor of this bar. For some reason, it tasted like blackberry cobbler to me (Even though blackberries weren't one of the ingredients). It had a weird texture that was moist and chewy, with the occasional piece of nut in it.  

• Naturally It's Clean floor cleaner - This natural cleaner is free of fumes, phosphates, acids, and petroleum and can be used on hardwood, cork, stone, bamboo, and any other water-washable flooring. I have used this before when I received a sample in another subscription box that I used to get. It seems to work well and I really like the scent. 

• Jadience Herbal Formulas muscle and joint therapeutic cream - This cream combines scientifically proven ingredients with an East-Asian recipe passed down through generations. I have not used it yet and I am waiting for a day with either mine or Tim's knees are acting up or maybe sometime after I've worked out hard and am sore. 

• Madhava natural sweetener (agave nectar and coconut sugar) - These are the finest in organic agave nectar and sustainably-harvested organic coconut sugar. I used this a couple times in coffee and couldn't really tell that it was even in there. I guess I should have used it in something with less strong of a flavor. The little bit of agave nectar I tasted by itself was definitely sweet and tasty.

• Mighty Leaf iced tea (calypso mango) - Mighty Leaf makes whole leaf tea and uses biodegradable tea bags free of glue and staples. I think their iced tea is a brand new product. This was probably one of my favorite samples in the box. This tea was so yummy. The Calypso Mango was very light and refreshing and a great summer flavor. And I only needed to use a little bit of Splenda to make it sweet. A whole lot less than what I use when I make regular sweet tea.I kind-of wish I'd gotten two packets so I could test the flavor without any sweetener. I think it would still be really great.  I would most definitely buy this again. The only thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't make a full pitcher, but just 64 ounces. And it goes fast!

• GoGo squeeZ applesauce on the go (apple mango) -  While not organic, these apples are grown in France where there are much stricter rules for the use of pesticides. I actually didn't get to taste this because I threw it in my purse in case I needed an on-the-go snack, but fed it to Owen instead in desperation while shopping the other day. It must have been good because he sucked it down in about a minute. 

• Tea Forte antioxidant amplifier teas (cherry marzipan, cucumber mint, and honey yuzu) - These tea blends are meant to improve, defend, and renew your body. The cherry marzipan was good, but I haven't gotten a chance to try the other flavors yet. 

• St. Claire's Organics peppermints - St. Claire's mints and candies are organic, all natural treats free of GMOs, dairy, and soy. These are awesome mints. They taste a lot like Altoids (though maybe a tad less strong) and it's great to be able to just throw them in my purse and have them anytime that I need them. 

• Sun Warrior protein powder (vanilla) - This protein powder features a mix of protein sources and is vegan. I haven't tried this yet, and will probably give it to Tim because I'm not big on protein powder. 

• Powbab superfruit chews dietary supplement (pomegranate acai berry) - African Baobab fruit is packed with antioxidants and other vitamins. This was a bonus product because I posted on their Facebook page. It was really tasty. Unfortunately, there was only one. It tastes a lot like a candy so I definitely think if I bought these that I would remember to take my vitamins every day. 

    The box also included coupon codes and coupons to buy full-sizes of many of the products inside. Though finding a store in po-dunk Kentucky that carries these items is going to be fun... I already checked my grocery store and they don't carry the Mighty Leaf tea. 

    I really love Conscious Box because of the large number of samples inside and the diversity of those samples. Compared to most other sample companies, you get a lot more samples per box. And I love trying out new products that I've never heard of and may have never encountered when just shopping at my local grocery store. 

    I definitely recommend Conscious Box if you are interested in trying products from businesses that are working to make a healthier and happier planet. Click here if you want more information about Conscious Box or if you want to subscribe.