Topbox Jan 2015 review! First box of the year!

This is my first Topbox for the new year!
I was very exited and was hoping my box would be better than the last few. My last couple boxes were good, but too similar and quite repetitive and I just never got around to posting my reviews.

I have been a Topbox subscriber since the very first box and I find lately there is just too much anti-age and eyelash items. I only have one face and have so many creams I may never run out.
Some of the products not suited for me are always passed along- family and friends are always pleased about that!

What was in my mailbox...a cute tube in the purple envelope!

My January 2015 Topbox items:

My first thoughts on this box are that it seems allright. I was kind of hoping for some body products as it is winter and I use so much body cream and have very dry hands too....
The first item I opened was:

So Susan Dual Brow Powder: full size! 4g, value $18
I  do not really use brow products and already have dark brows. But this seems like a nice product and I will try it out. It has 2 matte brown shades and a nice angle brush.
I will update once I tidy up my brows and use this a few times.
This is a British brand and the packaging states the powder is formulated in Italy and packaging made in China. That is good to know!

Update: I still have very dark brows and do not really use anything on them. A clear brow gel would have been a better product for me.

Matrix Oil Wonders: 10ml per packet- shampoo and conditioner x2, value:
There is enough for me to try on my hair twice. My hair is curly and past shoulder length. Matrix is a good salon brand,so I will see how this stacks up to the other Argan oil products I've tried from the salons!

Update: The shampoo was nice and I did manage to get 2 uses out of each packet. My hair type is dry, curly and thin hair. This shampoo was nice and the scent was fine. It would have been nicer to have the matching conditioner to try...


Elizabeth Arden Flawless Future spf 30 cream: 7ml, sample jar. Full size 50ml $60
Another spf cream. I guess it is useful as you need to wear sunscreen during the winter too. I will try this out the next couple days and report back....
My first impression is the cream is very light on my hand, but also quite fragranced. I am quite sensitive to fragranced face products.

Eyeko Mascara Off Eye Makeup Remover Wipes: 10pc package, value $12
This looks like it is a full size product. It sounds like a good product, but I do not use waterproof mascara often. I will try to use this soon...

Update: I did some travelling and brought the mascara wipes wipes with me, but did not wear any eye makeup the whole week. Usually I do not wear waterproof makeup, but with all the rain here this spring that might change...

*If you have used any of these products I'd like to know what you thought!

Foodiepages January 2015 Tasting Box!

Finally! I got my hands on one of the very limited edition Foodiepages.ca January 2015 Tasting Box!
Well, that was quite a mouthful of words to say....YUM!
I will do a "virtual unboxing". Here is how my box came in the mail:

First opening of my Jan 2015 Foodiepages box!

Next, I dug out all the well packaged products for this lovely picture...

Foodiepages items I received!

I started tasting the many items in my box as soon as I opened it. The Bushman's Bar was opened and very tasty- I might have forgotten to take a picture of the opened bar. The Coconut energy bites were tasted, as was the granola. I also made some nachos with the spinach sauce.
So far the only item I have not opened was the hot sauce. A more in-depth review will follow...


Granola Granade from Lovin' Every Batch (Toronto,ON):
This was one of the first products I tried. The packaging was really cute and has that handmade feel. The tag for the kind of granola was handwritten and pinned to the product bag. I like how there is a little heart cut out on the product tag- there is a lot of attention to detail in how this product is made.
The product description states the granola is vegan and gluten-free, that is always good to know!
There was a lot of nuts in the granola and it was not too sweet. It was quite filling and good for a snack or in between meals.
I did not see the company info up on Foodiepages yet and there was no website other than their Facebook page at the moment, so I'm guessing this is a fairly new company...

Lovin' Every Batch Granola Grenade!

Jalapeno Gin Hot Sauce from Andy the Butcher!

Jalapeno Gin Hot Sauce from Andy the Butcher (Ottawa,ON): 
I like that this product is made in Ottawa because I try to buy a lot of local and Canadian foods when possible. I have not opened this sauce yet,but I am sure it can be used on so many things- like vegetables,meats,soups. I do not eat very spicy foods,so I'll try this sometime soon....

Nomz Energy Bites!

Coconut Energy Bites from Nomz (Toronto,ON):
These energy bites were quite tasty and more filling than I expected.
There was 6 bites in the package and each one is 19g. That is a good size for a snack and it is easy to eat one of these. The energy bites also travel well and did not fall apart in the package.
I also like how the ingredients are simple and this is a low sodium product. The bites are made up of PECANS,DATES,ALMONDS,COCONUT,ORGANIC COCOA, COCONUT OIL.
If you like dates and nuts with a bit of chocolate then this is something you would like!
I am going to try and check out the other bites by Nomz soon!

Tomato Sauce from Aldanel!

Spinach Carnival Tomato Sauce from Aldanel (Charlottetown PE):
The description for the sauce lists it as being versatile for pasta,nachos,vegetables and more...

All Canadian Ingredient Nachos!

The sauce was opened as soon as I read this as I was hungry and it was dinner time. I made some nachos with the sauce and they were delicious. This sauce would be great on pasta or pretty much anything.
This is not a spicy sauce and that is great as many people can not handle too many spices. The portion size is also great for one or two people with not too much left over or waste. This sauce is also affordable and the company charges a flat rate for shipping!
My nachos were made with all Canadian ingredients- local cheese and tortilla chips.
The nachos deserve their own review.
Even my place mat was locally made by a lady who does weaving!

Bushman's Bar!

The Bushman's Bar from Boreal Berry Bar (Austin MB):
This is a bar that is made of dried berries and seeds that are blended together. I kind of expected there to be pieces of berry and seeds and not such a solid "blended" bar.
I thought I had taken a picture of the bar before I ate it and I guess I did not...
The bar is quite filling and was good- there is a lot more ingredients than I expected for a berry bar- was more expecting just a bar with seeds,berries and honey.
This reminds me more of the sports bars and is a kind of bar that would travel well if you do sports. The nutrition for the bar is very good- there is 9 grams of protein in a 60 gram bar and 9 grams of fat. Also 240 calories and 10% of daily iron and calcium requirements!
If I see this bar I will pick a couple up.

Overall I enjoyed the January Foodiepages box and had never heard of any of these products before!
So this was a very fun and tasty experience!

New year!! More writing coming soon...

January has crept up on me and before I knew it the month is almost over!
I did not get around to posting any holiday posts, but hopefully everyone is keeping warm this winter.
This year there will be a lot of reviews, food and how-to posts coming soon......