Kara's Way: June Box

I actually didn't get a box this month however I did help pack some of this month's box and I got a chance to try out most of the products. Some of the reviews for the elements in the box have been posted already however I'll do a quick overview of what arrived in the June edition of this box.

You get 5 items and of which four of them are full size: the mascara, the eye shadow stick, the eye cream and the lip balm. I did not get the lip balm as I have a lot of those already, so from my review, that will be the only part that is missing. The final item is a sample of a cream and while some people got the day cream by Naturelle d'Argan and others got the Olivenol Skin Solutions Moisturizer. I got the Naturelle d'Argan day cream.

Source Defense Day Cream by Naturelle d'Argan
Product Pricing: Retail for a full size is $34.99, you get 2 small samples.
Thoughts: I've been using this one for a while now and overall I like the texture and feel of it. My skin tends to be either too oily or too dry depending on what it feels like doing and overall it has reacted well to this day cream. At times it feels a bit too greasy (if I'm applying just before I'm putting on makeup) but overall it keeps my skin at a happy medium. I do think it's a bit too oily for my face at times so I end up using it as a hand moisturizer from time to time and for that purpose, it works out very well.

Sante Naturkosmetik Mascara Endless Lashes № 03
Original Review: Feeling a bit Rosy
Product Price: You receive a full size which retails for $25.99.
Thoughts: If you've seen my original post then you know that this is one of my favourites. I really weirdly love the scent of mascara and something about wearing a natural mascara makes me feel better (especially considering how often I wear mascara). It's buildable, lasts for a whole day, doesn't flake, and overall is a strong performer in terms of a mascara.

Sante Naturkosmetik Eyeshadow Pencils in Olive № 05
Product Price: You receive a full size which retails for $16.99.
Thoughts: Well, I'm brown so I'm very happy I didn't get Coffee № 08 because that would not have shown up on me at all. Not saying that the green colour does either however it does add a bit of shimmer to my eyes and kind of brightens up the area a bit which leaves me pretty happy with it's overall performance.

100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream
Product Price: You receive a sample size of .50 Oz and the full size is 1 Oz which retails for $19.
Thoughts: Weirdly enough (or maybe not so weirdly) I had been pining over the 8 Piece Fruit Pigmented Color Collection so maybe Kara's Way felt my distinct need to try something from this company.

Anyhow, I don't really use eye creams in the traditional way that you should be using eye creams. I use it to moisturize my eyes after I take off any eye makeup so I don't use it for the reduction of puffiness or dark circles (or for whatever other reason that you might use them). My eyes dry out after I put on makeup so if I don't put on moisturizer (at night) after taking off my makeup then my eyelids will be ashy and very white the next day. That being said, I can't attest to dark circles or puffiness, since I never really had a problem with that stuff before. I was still excited to try this though because I've been using Avon Anew Retroactive Repair Eye Serum for just about forever now (yes, it's still discontinued, I just happened to find a bottle in my stash hidden away).

Right off the bat, I love the scent and the texture. It's a creamy buttery coffee scented lotion that I love wearing. I even started wearing it in the morning now just because I love the scent. As I mentioned I don't notice much of a difference but that is because I never really had major issues in the first place. But I do love this and would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a moisturizing eye cream.

Kara's Way: May Box

This comes a full month (or something like that) after the box launched. In my post "Some Other Updates," I mentioned that I helped packed the boxes. I did however want to post some reviews about the actual samples in the box especially since I a few of them on a regular basis. Naturally there comes a disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Kara's Way and I am not reimbursed for writing this blog. I am, however, a self-proclaimed "Kara's Way Minion" which is my clever way of saying, I work for free for my friend who runs Kara's Way.

I haven't tried everything just yet but I'll try to keep the posts linked that have to do with the samples that were in the Kara's Way box. Onto the reviews! (Update: You can read the rest of the reviews here.)

Notice the nail polish is missing already. I'm an addict.

Honeybee Gardens Non Peel Off Polish
Product Pricing: You receive a full size which costs $9.99.
Thoughts: I got the colour "Burlesque" which is a fuchsia sparkle. I love the concept and I do see myself ordering from this company in the future. I personally love shades of blue, green, purple, and black so I was a bit hesitant to try it out. But I love nail polish and there's no way I wasn't going to try it. Yeah, it didn't look good on me. Given my yellow undertones, it came off as a bright orange. Not flattering at all but the nail polish in itself has a good formula and the idea of switching to a water-based nail polish pleases me. It does have a faint scent of those peel off nail polishes that I had when I was younger.

Naturelle d'Argan 100% Pure Argan Oil
Product Pricing: You get an 8 mL bottle but for retail 1.70 Fl oz goes for $48.99.
Thoughts: Argan oil is a staple around me. I've tried a variety of different types and loved them all and this is no exception. What does make it stand apart though is it's general use. Most Argan oil that I come across are specifically created for use on hair so a bunch of additives are in there specific for that purpose. This kind is great for your hair, nails, or skin. The website even suggests you can add it into your lotion if you needed a bit more of a boost.

Thayers Alcohol Free Cucumber Witch Hazel Toner
Product Pricing: 2 Fl Oz sample bottle and it looks as though it goes for ~$7 for the 12 oz.
Thoughts: I had tested this out a while ago and I use it in conjunction with my Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. I love it! No complaints here. Especially after a refreshing mask, this is wonderful -- and works great if you want to refresh your skin in the warm weather.

LA Fresh Oil-Free Face Cleanser
Product Pricing: You get one sample and an order of 20 packets costs $9.99.
Thoughts: This actually feels very refreshing, it can be a little bit drying but overall left my face feeling very clean. A tiny bit of moisturizer and you'd be all set to go. Overall, I was pretty pleased with it and actually I think it would be fantastic for hiking, camping, or travelling.


LA Fresh Acetone-Free Nail Polish Remover
Product Pricing: You get one sample and an order of 18 packets costs $9.99.
Thoughts: I couldn't wait to try this out because I love nail polish but I hate how drying the removers can be. I wanted to try an alternative and I already knew that everyone who reviewed it said you'd absolutely need to use two pads in order to cover all 10 nails. Doesn't help that I was removing bright blue nail polish but yeah, it took so long to take off the nail polish. Maybe it was about 10 minutes and even then I couldn't get the nail polish fully removed. LOVED how my fingers felt afterward though because it does leave them feeling very conditioned, just doesn't work so well to remove nail polish. So that's up to you if you want to compromise or not. I'm still going to attempt trying other non-acetone and "healthier" nail polish removers though.

Keeki Pure and Simple Sassy Shimmer Stick
Product Pricing: You receive a full size which costs $6.99.
Thoughts: This tube is the Golden Glow which means that... it's all shimmer. The colour quickly vanishes (I'm not sure if there's supposed to be one) leaving me with lips of shimmer. My boyfriend is going to love the planned attacks I have in store. That aside, it's all organic and feels good -- it moisturizes well and lasts long. I really like this product, especially since my previous lip balm was on it's last leg. I can't wait to order from this company (mostly because I'm seeing a huge list of nail polishes and I really can't help myself).