Petit Vour: October Box

October is my favorite month of all. The crisp, cool weather refreshes my body. The falling leaves remind me of the precious cycle that mother nature goes through. I always described fall as the most beautiful death, believing that maybe this is how death can be perceived. This is the one month that is like Christmas for myself. I typically spend money and time on me. This year has been busier and more stressful, but my Petit Vour box helped me decompress.

Last month I received my first Petit Vour box. I had been shopping subscription boxes to find products to help me make this slow transition into vegan, natural, and cruelty free products. For only 15 dollars a month, I figured why not? Needless to say, that I loved last months box and decided to continue my subscription. First off, the box comes in the most bright and vivid packaging. They are also generous in the sample sizes that you receive. This month we were gifted with a full size nail polish. Last month, a full size lipstick.

I'm loving the prints on the cards they have been sending out. They are quite adorable and inspiring. So that I'm able to see each of them daily, I've put them at my desk in my office. Whenever I need a pick me up or just want to smile I look at them and am smitten. I mean, just look how cute they are!

To give you a sense of each of the products, I provide a detailed description and review. To me, being an informed consumer is important. We so often just buy whatever we see and like. This leads to so much waste. As I transition, I've also considered, when shopping, what do I love. I'd rather purchase items that make me happy and that will be long-term purchases then items that I'll discard and forget about. As a newbie in the natural beauty world, I want to share my own opinions for those who are also just starting their journey. 

 1. Ursa Major Face Wash: first, can I just say how adorable the packaging on this product is? It reminds me of being in a log cabin somewhere on a beautiful mountain in the fall. However, the packaging isn't the only thing to love about this product. There are several ingredients in this little face wash sample that pack a punch. The aloe has definitely refreshed, hydrated, and soothed my face. I love that this product has sugar cane to use when I am having breakouts. It also contains coconut surfactants, white tea, green tea, and lemon. These are the ingredients highlighted by the company.  One thing I will note, there is a notable difference when you keep the product on your face for the recommended 30-60 seconds. I've tried taking it right off, and leaving it on for the suggested time range. The longer I leave it it on the more refreshed and smooth my face feels after trying the product. You can smell the tea scents and oils used in this product. 

2. Essence of Vali: The mini sleep vial is not my favorite product in this months box. For me, this is ironic given that I am in love with anything Lavender. I'm not sure if it is the marjoram or cedarwood that is coming off as stronger than the lavender, but the smell is not my favorite. However, I will say that it does the job and relaxes you right before bed. As it mentions, you only need a drop of this stuff on the pillowcase. I highly recommend not using more than a drop. As described, it is very concentrated and goes a long way. While this is the smallest sample in the bunch, I feel this one will actually last quite a while given how powerful it is.

3. HANA eye oil: The eye oil was a lot smaller then this size. This is the full size you can buy directly from them. Being new, I was hesitant when I saw this was eye oil. I wasn't sure what to expect. However, when I tried it out I enjoyed it. The eye oil contains jojoba and rosehip seed oils, vitamin e, and rose essential oil. I'm not a huge fan of the rose smell. However, the oil did make my eyes feel smooth and less puffy. I've only been using 1 drop, as it does the job. For the size that we received in the box this month, it should last quite a while. I'd recommend this product to anyone who gets dry, puffy eyes.

4. Habit Nail Polish in Disco: My absolute favorite product of the month was Habit nail polish. I'm not a huge nail polish fan, because I just don't have the time to do my nails. However, when I do I enjoy fun colors that are long-lasting. I can't stand when I spend so much time doing my nails and they chip right away. This nail polish is a beautiful bronzy color, perfect for fall or even Christmas time. I enjoy this color, because it matches my car color, and is a color I find to be refined. I've seen that many were unhappy to get this color. At first, after reading, I envied those who received the blue. However, this is a nice everyday color. My favorite part of this nail polish is that it sparkles and truly shines. I put it on the same night I got the box and I have yet to see a chip in the polish. Below I have a picture of it on so that you can see what it looks like when painted on the nails. While these nail polishes are a bit pricey ($18.00 USA), I will be purchasing Habit nail polish in the future because of the high quality and matte color. In addition, it's great to see this nail polish does not have the chemicals, but still preforms.

I hope these reviews were helpful. 

Until next time greenies <3

Alexis J. 

Finding Green: A Transition Tale

A first post on a blog can be daunting. Thoughts race through my head as I begin a journey onto the next, new, and exciting blog. I consider the following:

Will anyone take precious moments of their day to read my blog?

How can I compete with blogger conglomerates?

How many posts should I make without seeming too overwhelming?

These among many other questions tend to come to me as I press forward. While I would like to have people follow me, I also must remember the main purpose of this blog. The purpose is that I have decided to slowly transition to a more healthy and green lifestyle. Thus, this blog follows my journey toward exploring vegan and cruelty free products, finding healthier meals, practicing yoga, growing my own herbs, creating new art, and exploring what green means for me. 

One of the biggest issue I have with current blogs and websites about living a green, cruelty free lifestyle is that they don't discuss their own transitions. As someone who has considered this transition, it is challenging to sift through the many options out there. There is an overwhelming volume of people who this lifestyle seems natural. However, I view this transition as a daunting one. This is--in part-- because I have only lived one type of lifestyle for most of my life. 

My family, for the most part, ate mostly red meat or fast food. Fast food and pop become like a security blanket for me. Whenever I was feeling down, I knew I could turn to food. Additionally, with the passing of my mother and now older bother I found myself in turning into a hoarder. I did not want to get rid of things that were cluttering my life. I could remember my mother helping me pick out certain items and that was enough to make me hold on, even if I hadn't used the item in years. 

This hoarding resulted in not only a cluttering of my space, but of my mind. While the past few years I have donated bags and bags of items, my house still remains cluttered. I realized that I had to take ownership and begin my own process to a more minimal, green, and healthy lifestyle. Not only for my physical health, but mentally as well. 

This blog will confront my struggles with this transition along the way. I will also review products, share recipes, and take pictures of my art and garden. I hope this will help others who might be interested be encourage, inspired, and share their own stories.