Conscious Box (now Bestowed Box) September and October Reviews

Hey Everyone! It has been so super busy here that I have not been able to post this until now. Sorry Guys and Gals!!

I decided I was unhappy with Ipsy and their lack of organic and eco-conscious products I made the switch to Conscious Box (which as of October, is now Bestowed Box). I wanted to give my review on these item since I was hopeful a new box would provide better options. I had done some research in looking for subscription boxes which were more organic and eco-friendly. Sadly, there really is not a good selection of choices. Conscious Box is a monthly subscription box geared toward vegan and cruelty-free products. They do note they offer gluten-free and organic options, however my boxes did not have that many choices in those categories of items. Here is my breakdown.

Conscious Box - September

1. Saffron Road (Harissa Sauce Pouch) $3/pouch - While I typically try to buy sauces in glass jars, I was interested in how well these would taste. I have always heard pouch products (like tuna) was better preserved in a pouch over a can so I wanted to see how this stood up. I really did enjoy the flavor or this sauce, but I still prefer their Curry over Harissa. It is a tad too spicy for my palette. 
2. Ips Chips (Sea Salt & Black Pepper) $2/bag - I really liked these. They reminded me a lot of pop chips. They are quite addictive and they provide a great source of energy when you need a boost throughout the day. I had these in my lunch for one of my hikes and it is a quick and easy snack to grab. With the 6 grams of protein, they are filling alone on their own to help curve your appetite between meals. 
3. Energizer (Eco Advanced AAA Batteries) $9/4pk - I was a bit surprised to get batteries in a wellness box but I really love the concept Energizer used behind these. They used recycled batteries to recreate another set of batteries, and they last quite awhile. They are still in use and I am happy with them. If i find them in the store, I would not hesitate to purchase these!
4. Beafield Snacks (Barbecue) $2.50/bag - I really, really loved these. I think this was one of my favorite items in the box. I took these apple picking during the long car ride and they were the perfect snack. I love they are gluten-free and have tons of protein and are actually a healthy chip. I like the BBQ flavor, but it did not taste so much as a typicall BBQ chip I used to purchase with all those chemical additives. These are a great snack. Next time I get these, I will probably have them with Salsa. They are the perfect dip chip!
5. Smarty Pants (Sour 2/pk & Kids 2/pk) $15/bottle - I was surprised to find an actual chewable vitamin with ingredients I could have. Typically, companies use fake sugars or HFCS to add a sweetner but Smarty Pants didn't. I even had the sour adult ones and I really liked those as well - even though I would not have normally picked these up at the store. A tad more pricey compared to other store brands but I like the cleaner ingredients, so that is a plus for mom's looking to keep harmful chemicals out of their children. 
6. Crystal Towelettes (1 towelette) $8.50/box -This was a bit more difficult for me to really like. I typically like a deodorant stick or roller ball. While I have used their rollerball products previously, I was unfamiliar with their towelettes. I actually think this is quite a clever idea for travel or hiking/camping. It is very purse friendly and does not take up space at all!
7. Your Tea ( Sleep Tea Sachel, Energy Tea Sachel) $35/box -  When I found out the price of this tea, I was immediate unimpressed. The tea was okay. With the energy tea, I did not notice a boost of energy at work and the sleep tea did not make me unwind or get tired. While I think this is a good tasting tea, I did not find the teas stood up to the types of teas they were attempting to be. Since I have found you can only purchase this on their website, I doubt I will purchase this in the future. I'll stick to my organic green tea!
8. William Roam (Sense Shampoo) $22/bottle - I am someone who has a great deal of issues with my hair. My hair is not easily swayed by a new product to behave. It tends to be unruly. Sense is a really great shampoo. This particular sample size allowed me to get multiple uses, which is a good test to see how it handles in your hair. And, I was impressed. It smelled like warm oatmeal. As it did not specify hair type, I am not sure how this will hold up for other hair types, but my fine and oily hair type took well to this particular product. 

As much as I was excited to try Conscious Box, I was not fully impressed with all the products I was given. I was really unhappy with how long this box took to receive. My box was supposed to ship on September 23rd, but I did not get any notification until October 12th that it was finally shipped. And, by the time I received by September box, my payment for October box was being submitted. So, already I was unhappy with the overall management of the box. And, after checking various sites, I was not the only one. Many complained about the lack of customer service. I decided to give it one more try. 

Another downer for me was I was provided a vast array of products but I was hoping for more beauty and less food/household goods so I waited for my October box. When I received my October box, it had a new welcome letter stating that Conscious Box was under new management by Bestowed Box. I started looking over their past boxes and I became hopeful my products would improve. 

Conscious/Bestowed Box - October

1. Simply7 (Hummus Chips - Sea Salt) $2.50/lg bag - These were like the Ips Chips I had in the previous box. These were pretty good as well. I liked these a lot more and I really am curious about their other flavors. These are addictive and I really like how crisp they are. These would be perfect alone or dipped in roasted red pepper hummus!
2. Beanfields Snacks (Nacho) $2.50/bag - Just like the previous box, I got another bag of Beanfields, this time in Nacho. I really liked these a lot better and they were really delicious on their own. I really love their chips line and next time I am at the store, I will be grabbing a bag of these!
3. Nektar Naturals (1 pk Honey Crystals) $4/jar - I actually used this with the tea pack they sent me. I was really impressed with a crystallized form of honey and i really liked how i only needed one pack to sweeten my cup of tea. While I am trying to lower my sugar intake, I did like finding an alternative to stevia and these are great for on-the-go travel, purse or desk. 
4. NoGii (Chocolate Coconut Protein Bar) $27/box -  I am really picky about my protein bars. I really do not like a chalky taste and I feel most tend to pack protein and sacrifice flavor. This one tasted really well, but was overly sweet. As awesome as it is to have a gluten-free bar, I found it more of a dessert-type treat than a workout snack. And, with the price tag so steep for a box, I find it better to stick with options like a LaraBar instead.  
5. Numi Organic Tea (Chocolate Chai) $6/box - I really love chocolate chia teas as it is so I was very pleased to see this in the box. I had never tried this tea before but I really enjoyed it. As it begins to get colder here, I tend to move from lighter teas to heavier ones like chai and this is perfect for a season change. They have other flavors and I was happy to find how inexpensive this tea really is for organic! I actually saw it in Walmart so it is easily available for most consumers. 
6. Natralia (Heel Balm) $10/tube - This is an odd addition to the box. While I do not have issues with the heels of my feet, I was curious to see how it worked. So, i slathered the sample on before bed- slipped a pair of socks on and slept. I was really happy with how soft my feet felt, but this is not a product I would typically use. I did, however, like trying a product I would not normally have. This company is out of Australia, so if I ever travel there, I could always grab a product off their skincare line. 
7. Mrs. Myers Clean Day (dish soap - lemon verbena) $4/bottle - I love Mrs. Myers products so I was very pleased to see this little sample in my box. I have used this product previously and I really like their entire cleaning product line so I will continue to buy this one. For this particular sample, I gave it to my other half so he could wash some of his lunch dishes at the office. It is a perfect on-the-go item for the office or camping. The smell is amazing and they use great ingredients so i recommend this line to anyone that would ask.

Overall, as much as I liked some of the Conscious/Bestowed box products, I felt the $10/month did not warrant a renewal past two months since I was looking for more beauty products than food and household items. If you are looking at eco-friendly and cruelty-free items for your home, this box is an affordable option. However, if you are looking for beauty and makeup-related items, this box will not be for you. If you have any subscription boxes you like and would like to share, please leave a comment and let me know! I am always looking for great products and options!