Dig Into the November 2015 Vegan Cuts Beauty Box

Jason and I spent the past week touring Costa Rica, a place any eco-lover should try to visit at least once. Though we’re a little sad to be back home in the cold, we’re happy to be back with our fuzzy children. Also helping to soften the blow of vacation being over? November’s Vegan Cuts Beauty Box waiting to be opened!

With just hours left in the month, let’s take a look inside this month’s box:

Black Tea Eyeliner from 100% Pure: “Long-lasting, richly pigmented liquid formula crafted from crushed tea leaves” [Tried and true -- this made it through the entire workday and is still going strong! $28 value]

Mini nail polish from Mineral Fusion: “Chip-resistant and long-lasting polish in a fashionable fall shade” [Mine was a sparkly purple shade called ‘Royal Rubble’ -- $4 value]

Mini Indian Hemp & Haitian Vetiver body lotion from Nubian Heritage: “Luxurious, rich lotion powered by hemp seed oil, shea butter and neem oil to deeply moisturize” [Tried and true, even before this Beauty Box. The Nubian Heritage line offers several great scents and is indeed luxurious -- $3 value]

Botanical Facial Steam from BohemianBeautyCo: “Beautiful blend of botanicals that promotes deep relaxation while removing skin impurities” [This is truly unique -- really looking forward to trying this one out. $7.50 value]

November marked the end of another 3-month prepaid cycle, and I took advantage of today's Cyber Monday deal to get a 6-month subscription for $98. Overall, I've been very happy with the Vegan Cuts Beauty Box and look forward to more monthly goodies!

Take a Look Inside the October 2015 Vegan Cuts Beauty Box

The October Vegan Cuts Beauty Box finally arrived -- and Attila and I are both excited (me for my new goodies, he for the shredded paper, which I understand is good eatin’).

This month’s shipment included 6 items, half of which I’ve already put to use. Curious about what you get for your money? Read on!

JERSEY SHORE COSMETICS
“Gold leaf highlighter to illuminate your skin with real gold flakes”
[$15 value]

LUXIE BEAUTY
“Angled makeup brush for precise application while experimenting with new looks”
[$12 value]

THE ARIEL CO.
“Natural and organic hair mask to enhance your alluring mermaid locks”
[$13 value]

LE BEURRE SHOP
“Healing vanilla shea butter body cream designed to enhance the tone and texture of your skin”
[$7.50 value]

OCTOBER FIELDS
“Moisture rich lip balm that’s free from parabens, preservatives and all things artificial”
[$3.50 value]

TRUE MORINGA
“Peppermint body oil that will deeply hydrate your skin from the inside out”
[$2 value]

Totaled, that’s $53 worth of products for $19.95. I’ve been receiving boxes since June and I feel like they keep getting better and better. October’s box is a real treat for me, as it contains many items I wouldn’t have thought to try before. While I’m intimidated by the highlighter stick, I’m really excited to learn how to use it, and I’m already in love with the shea body butter (it smells incredible and feels decadent).

Read more about cruelty-free subscription boxes here, or look into subscribing yourself at VeganCuts.com.

Love Mail? Two 100% Cruelty-Free Beauty Subscription Boxes to Try

Everyone is talking about beauty subscription boxes these days. Maybe you’ve wanted to try the popular Birchbox, but you hate their position on animal testing (selling products that require testing in certain countries means you’re NOT cruelty-free, no matter how you try and spin it!).

[Attila the Bun with September 2015's Vegan Cuts Beauty Box]

Thankfully, Birchbox isn’t the only subscription game in town. Two companies -- Vegan Cuts and Petit Vour -- prove that you don’t have to sacrifice your moral standards to stay beautiful.

The Basics

Vegan Cuts Beauty Box: 4-7 products ~ Mostly organic and natural ~ Mix of full and sample-sized products ~ Paraben-free
Cost per box: $19.95 [recurring charge, month-to-month]
Subscription options: In addition to the month-to-month option, you can pay a one-time charge for a 3 month ($59), 6 month ($115) or 12 month ($215 - one free box!) subscription
Shipping costs: FREE to the U.S. ~ +$8 to Canada ~ +15 for International
Online Shop?: Yes -- with tons of discounts

What I like about the box: Though it costs a little more than Petit Vour, I’ve been very happy with the variety of products in each box (it’s been closer to 7 than to 4 items in each of the four shipments I’ve received thus far). I’ve also found some of my favorite new brands through Vegan Cuts, including the best-ever Schmidt’s Deodorant.

Petit Vour Box: 4 personalized products ~ Mix of full- and sample-sized products ~ Reward points program for the Petit Vour Shop
Cost per box: $15 for U.S. subscribers and $23 for Canadian subscribers [recurring charge, month-to-month]
Subscription options: 3 month ($45) 6 month ($90) [USA only]
Examples of Featured Brands: From the September 2015 box: Blissoma cleanser [two options based on skin type], MAHALO Pele mask, MSC Skin Care Exfoliating Body Scrub, and a full-size tube of Elate Cosmetics lipstick [8 shades are available for purchase; unsure if colors were different per subscriber profile]
Online Shop?: Yes -- with 20% store credit on every purchase

What I like about the box: Though I’m not sure how specific the alterations to the box get, I do like that they use a questionnaire to personalize products. Nothing like getting a cleanser for dry skin when you’re oily, or a curl enhancer when you’ve got stick-straight hair! I also appreciate the points system that rewards you for reviews and for shopping.

Subscription boxes are great for any level of cruelty-free shopper, but I imagine they’re especially helpful for people who are just starting out and need to try lots of different brands before they find the perfect product for them. Also, in this digital age, who doesn’t love a little monthly surprise in the mail?