Beauty Vixen: tea

The holiday season is here, and with that comes the gift-buying season. I think we all have many people we need to buy gifts for this year, and it can be a bit daunting. So I have decided to showcase a few items that I really am enjoying as gifts this year.

Tea Runners Christmas Gift Subscription*

If you know me, you know I love tea. Tea Runners offers a fantastic subscription service that delivers four unique teas monthly. It's perfect as a self-love gift, but they also have Christmas Gift Subscriptions where the recipient can choose their preferred teas.

On Christmas morning, the recipient receives a notification along with a note from the sender and the option to select their preferred box: Original Teabox, Black Teabox (a selection of 4 different teas), Herbal Teabox (all herbal, rooibos, peppermints, honeybush, chamomile teas), or Pure Teabox (this is just straight teas no flavours or blends in it).

Each box includes four different types of tea tailored to the theme, that they get to fully customize, with 20-30 grams of tea per pouch, providing enough tea for 30-40 cups. The box also comes with a pack of 10 filters. The receiver can customize their delivery schedule, pause or skip shipments, and even change their address. Making it great for anyone who may not drink tea as fast as me.

The sender can choose to send 1 box ($29), 3 boxes($79), 4 boxes ($104), 6 boxes ($149), or even 12 ($288) boxes subscription. I just ordered a box of their Pure Teabox for my mother-in-law for Christmas morning since she lives in the Yukon and we can't see her on Christmas morning.

I think this is such a great gift! I really love Tea Runners' quality and their unique seasonal varieties. You can check out a review I did in 2022 here.

Quo Holiday Gifts

Quo always has great beauty gift ideas. I love how they always seem to have the best trendy ideas. From their Crackers that have lip gloss in them, to brush sets at a great price, they always have great gifts.

This year I could not resist their Reusable Forehead and Under-Eye Pad Set ($28). It comes with a reusable forehead mask and a set of reusable eye masks. As well as a mini rose quartz roller and a mini eye massager. All in a tin to store it.

I also grabbed their Hand Cream Collection ($15), which has 5 different scented versions of their hand cream. It has Shea Butter, Vanilla, Dragon Fruit, Avocado and Blueberry. I think these make great gifts as a set, but also broken up into little stocking stuffers or add-ons is really nice, and at $3 a cream, a great price.

Dr Teal's Holiday Collection Tin Set ($19.99)

Every year I pick myself up a Dr. Teal's gift set. This year I got this cute trio set. It has three of its best-selling scents in a mini Epsom Salt Soak and Mini Foaming Bath. It is a great break-apart gift, but also a great way to try out 3 different scents for just $19.99.

This year features Relax & Relief (eucalyptus and spearmint), Melatonin (lavender and melatonin) and Soothe 7 Sleep (lavender), all wrapped up in a reusable tin.

There are also since-scented sets for $9.99 out there, but I think this is a much better value.

Charlotte Tilbury Mini Iconic Hollywood Lipstick Trio Set ($44)

I love good lipstick, and this might be my favourite little set in a while. It features 3 of Charlotte Tilbury's lipsticks, in a mini size. Now I find most sets with minis from her brand have Pillow Talk or some variation of it, so it was really nice to find this set that did not have Pillow Talk in it, mainly because I have more than one already.

The set has 3 1.5 g Mini lipsticks, Matte Revolution Hydrating Lipstick in Hollywood Vixen (classic, bright blue-red), K.I.S.S.I.N.G Satin Shine Lipstick in 90s Pink (warm rosewood pink), and K.I.S.S.I.N.G Satin Shine Lipstick in Icon Baby (warm nude baby pink).

All three shades look great, I love the retro Hollywood glam look they are going for. Hollywood Vixen is just stunning and the main reason I got the set.

Clarins Iconic Lip Oils Collection ($84)

I love Clarins' lip oil, they are great for dry cold winter months. This set is the perfect gift to give to someone who also loves the brand, lip oils or just likes to treat themselves.

The set has two full-size and two mini of Clarins iconic lip oils. Honey and Pitaya in full size (7 ml) and Raspberry and Strawberry in mini size (1.4 ml).

It is a great value set because $40.

Byoma Barrier Boosting Heroes Set ($30)

BYOMA is a great brand that really focuses on boosting the skin barrier. I have tried a few products and have had great success so far.

They have a holiday set which features five of their products and a bag. For the price, this is a great way to introduce someone to the brand at a bargain price.

The Kit Includes 15ml Hydrating Serum, 15ml Gel Cream, 15ml Rich Cream, 5ml Eye Gel, 20ml Jelly Cleanser, and a bag. I picked mine up at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Masque Bar Pretty Animalz Merry Masking Set ($10)

Masque Bar makes great masks, and their Pretty Animalz line is quite popular.

This set has four winter-themed animal masks, Moose, Polar Bear, Reindeer, and Penguin.

This set is great for any sheet mask lover in your life. I am personally going to break the setup in so that I can give some to each of my nieces, I know they are going to love them.

Wet n Wild Hello Kitty Collection

Wet n Wild has a bunch of adorable Hello Kitty items out right now to celebrate her 50th anniversary.

There are so many great items out there, Hello Kitty-shaped mirrors, a mascara and lash curler set, but I picked up the Hello Kitty Brush Set ($25) and a Hello Kitty Ombre Blush ($12).

I know my nieces love Hello Kitty and so do many adults. Wet n Wild consistently had fantastic brushes at a great value. I figured they would make a great gift for anyone who is looking for brushes in their lives. Also, the blush was just too cute to pass up.

Dove Pepper Mint Bark Products
I saw a display for Dove's new limited edition holiday scents and fell in love with the Pepper Mint Bark. Available in Body wash, hand wash and body scrub, I picked up all three.

It smells like what the holiday peppermint bark ice cream would smell like if you turned it into a body product.

There is also a sugar cookie sprinkle version, but as a mint and chocolate lover, I picked the peppermint up. Think they would make great stocking stuffers. My only wish is that they made a body lotion or body butter because I am in love.

There is my gift guide for 2024. I personally think I picked out some good things, many of which I am honestly keeping for myself, which is how much I like the items. I do think they will make great gifts. Happy Holidays!

* denotes a product was sent for review. All the other products were bought with my own money. Some links are affiliate links, where I could earn a small commission from a sale. I appreciate your support.

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I haven't done an empties post forever, but I was tidying up and tossing a few things, so I may as well do a post.

Hubby stuff...

The hubs tend to use up his face washes the quickest.

Mary Kay Foaming Beard Wash

This foaming was in the shower for a while, but he liked both the scent and the fact it was foaming. He requested more, but it was a limited edition, so instead he is going to be using a few Jack Black beard wash samples I received.

L’Oréal Paris Men Expert Pure Power, Anti-Imperfection Scrub, Exfoliating Face Cleanser With Salicylic Acid

This wash has exfoliating beads and salicylic acid in it, which is great for his acne-prone skin. He liked it a lot, but we are moving back to PanOxyl for a while, it really is the best for his acne.

My Stuff...

Sol De Jannero 62 Body Fragrance Mist

I got a mini of Sol de Janeiro 62 and then a set with 4 that also included it. It was then I put a focus on using it up. I'm actually shocked I did, I like the scent and will keep on using the next bottle.

Bathorium Crush Bath Soak Northern Sage Recovery

I'm a big fan or Bathorium and this tiny pack didn't take too long to use up. I have a few more of their larger packs to use up, and I'm going to work on that the next few weeks.

Pantene Miracle Intense Rescue Shots Dry Hair Treatment

I buy 4 packs of these minis when they go on sale. They're pretty good shots of concentrated hair masks. I used two this round,

Pure Standard Products Epsom Salts

As much as I love other bath products, I always have a 5kg tub of this stuff from Costco around. I usually use one up every 3 weeks or so. I do mix it into other products, it lets me stretch other products out.

Teas..

Teas aren't something I use up quickly but do have a lot of. Last week I was shocked to learn when I decided to make an Excel sheet of all my teas and realized I used some up.

Tazo Passion (Herbal Tea)

Passion is the original tea used in Starbucks passion tea. I have a backup box, so I won't be buying another

Tazo Wild Sweet Orange (Herbal Tea)

Sweet orange I picked up in the US last fall and really fell in love with. It is naturally sweet and smells just like oranges. If you are a fan of mulled apple-type teas and like oranges, I think this one is worth trying. Lucky for me, it is now in Canada and I can get a box just about anywhere. I am going to wait until the new year to get another box in an attempt to use up some of my other ones.

Teavana Darjeeling.

I got this when Teavana was still around. I used to use my star rewards from Starbucks on ounces of tea. I have so many black Teas I forgot about it. When I was making a tea spreadsheet I found it and decided to use it up.

That's it for empties. Hopefully, I do another post at the end of the year.

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I was recently gifted the April Tea Runners Subscription box. This box is completely new to me and I think pretty darn unique.

Each box contains 4 different teas, each one contains 1 ounce of tea. In total each box has enough tea to make 40 cups of tea.

What makes Tea Runners especially different to me is that they have four different options for box types and each month they let you know exactly what is going to be in the boxes ahead of time so you can choose which one you like the best before hand. Plus they let you customize your box, meaning you can swap any or all your teas for other flavours if you like.

These are the four different types of boxes you can choose from each month: Original Box (all types of tteas), Pure Tea Box (high-grade pure teas only, no blends or flavours), All Black Tea Box (all types of black teas), and Herbal Tea Box (all herbal teas)

I was gifted a box of Original Box so let us take a look inside.
First off I love the flat but super adorable shipping box, it is detailed and very esthetically pleasing. Inside tissue paper wraps the teas up and a card gives a bit of details about Aprils box. Each tea is in a foil bag with a clear back and a resealable top.
This is what I got in my April Original Box:

Blue Mountain Black:
The Nilgiri tea-growing region in southern India is mostly known for producing strong, bold black teas, similar to the Ceylon black teas of neighboring Sri Lanka, but with their own unique flavors. At up to 8000 ft above sea level, it is one of the highest-elevation tea growing regions in the world, and one of the most beautiful.
Blue Mountain Black is an exquisite treat with a unique and worldly flavor profile, sure to become a favorite.
Ingredients: Black tea
Origin: Nigiri, Sri Lanka
Caffeine: HIGH
This is a straight black tea, strong and bold with a wonderful flavour. I brewed it exactly 5 minutes and found it wonderful, not too strong and without too much tannin, but could see if you made it stronger or let it steep too long it could got extremely strong and the tannins would really pop. But as I said, I brewed it to the instructions and thought it was well rounded and bold without bitterness.
Earl Grey Lavender:

Here we have a welcomingly different twist on a classic. With citrusy bergamot pressed from real fruit and flowers, and the intoxicating fragrance of organic lavender blossoms, the Earl Grey Lavender is an elegant wake-me-up tea in the morning.
One of our most popular teas!
Ingredients: Organic black tea, organic lavender flowers, essential bergamot oil, natural lavender oil extract.
Origin: Multiple Origin Blend
Caffeine: HIGH

This is a wonderful Earl Grey tea that has the traditional bergamot notes layered with black tea and then lavender. The lavender isn't overwhelming, but a welcoming addition. The flavours balance each other out in a wonderful dance in the mouth. This would make a fantastic London Fog.

Lavender Raspberry Honeybush:

This delightful caffeine-free treat is rich in good-for-you antioxidants. Its sweetness is pleasantly cut with tart raspberry, creating a perfect balance on the palate.
Fragrant and calming lavender adds a sophistication to this tea, further enhancing its place as part of the ideal bed time ritual.
Ingredients: Honeybush, lavender petals, & natural flavoring.
Origin: Multiple Origin Blend
Caffine: CAFFEINE-FREE

I was a little surprised to find a second lavender option in this box but honestly do love to consume food and drinks with lavender in it (but for others this would be a great time to take advantage of the swap option).

Honeybush is otherwise known as red tea and is herbal and caffeine-free.

This one is fruity with the raspberry and herbal with the lavender and redbush. I really like the blend and how well balanced it is. It honestly barley could tell it was not a black tea, it really reminded me of flavoured black teas of the 90s. Either way it was really nice, slightly sweet and something I can enjoy at night without the caffeine.

Imperial Grande Yunnan Yellow:

Yellow tea is the rarest of the six classes of tea and only produced in China. It is not commonly found in the North American market.
It is produced in a similar manner to black tea, with sun withering, rolling, oxidation and drying, but the main difference is the sun withering and oxidation stages are much shorter. The result is a lovely tea with a sweet, clean, bright, and floral taste - like a green tea without the grassiness.
Ingredients: Yellow tea.
Origin: Simao, Yunnan, China
Caffeine: MED

I am going to be honest here, I have never heard of yellow tea before. It sounds a lot like white tea in the fact it is harvested early and very delicate. The big difference is yellow tea is mildly fermented where as white is not.

This was a real treat for me, I enjoyed it more than I do white tea. The flavour was quite mild and pleasant. I did make a point to make sure the water was exactly 175f and that I only brewed it for 3 minutes. I fear that it would be very bitter or burnt if I did otherwise. So this is a tea you really should use a thermometer and timer for.

Overall this is one neat sampler box. I really love the idea of trying out new teas every month, but I really am blown away with the quality of the teas and the fact you can choose which type of box you want every month AND get to see everything you will get in advance. Plus you can swap out flavours if you like. It takes the mystery and possible hate out of the box. I know there are people who hate herbal, or green or flavoured teas, in addition there is always the risk of allergies, but by seeing what you'll be getting ahead of time makes issue like this completely avoidable.

The boxes are just top notch quality and as a true tea lover I really appreciate that.

You can sign up for Tea Runners box on their website, Original, Black Tea and Herbal boxes are $25 USA each and the Pure box is $30 USA each with free shipping to the USA and Canada. You can also buy their teas individually there too.

*Products were sent for review purposes all opinions are my own.

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I have been a bit absent from the blog the last few week, I blame an awful cold that I just could not shake. The worst part of feeling sick like that is not being able to write at all, I honestly could not focus enough to write one full sentence. Well I am back now and ready to write.

You may not know this about me, but in addition to collecting makeup, Coco-Cola items and tea pots, I also have pretty extensive tea collection (it works well with the tea pot part). While I was sick I drank an exorbitant amount of tea, one of which I am going to review for you now.

Fall for me is all about getting back into tea and really only one type of tea will do, Chai! Yep Masala Chai is what I am all about. Now I feel someone might yell at me if I don't clarify here, but chai actually means tea, but in North America Chai tends to refer to Masala Chai which is a blend of spices and tea. Most of the time you get cinnamon, clove, cardamon, anise, and ginger. While you can always pick up a chai tea in loose leaf and tea bags, most people end up getting lattes.

Trader Joe's Makes a Chai Tea Latte Mix that I have been fascinated with for the last few years. A mix that you need less then a scoop of to get a strong and spicy latte without the need for anything but hot water (although you can add milk too if you like).

I love how frankly it is a powder and not a liquid in a tetra pack like Starbucks, it makes it last a lot longer (you get about 10 to 12 servings per tin) and I don't have to mix it half with milk and try not to burn it on my stove like with the liquid concentrate. I just have to boil water and stir, if I really want I can whisk it a bit for a froth. I also really like that it is a spicy mix, not a horribly sweet one, it really makes having a chai latte worth while to me.

I also have bought some Chai Latte Mix from Bulk Barn in the past, there is honestly no comparison. That stuff is incredibly sweet and lacks any flavour at all. It really is like comparing Tim Horton's French Vanilla Latte mix to an actual latte, ick.

I personally make it with about 2/3 of a scoop instead of a full scoop and into a very large mug (not the 6oz that is recommended). This way I get a nice spicy latte that isn't too sweet for me and my tin lasts a lot longer.

The only down side to this tea is, it is from Trader Joe's, a store that I love a lot but is sadly not in Canada. I try to get friends or family to bring me a container at least once a year, so I don't ever run out (that's how much I like it).

Do you have a favourite Fall beverage? Do you want to see more tea reviews from me in the future?

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I thought I would do something a little different today and show you what I picked up at David's Tea, Superstore and Starbucks recently.

I am a big tea fan with a large tea collection as well as many tea pots and cups...I have issues. Just like with beauty stuff, the holiday collections always get me when it comes to tea.

Eithne over at Tea & Nail Polish posted about holiday goodies at David's Tea, which made me run right to my closest store (very close it seems) and buy some stuff.

First off was an Element tea for one set. I've been gifted tea for one sets in the past and always found them a let down, the pot barley has enough water in it to fill the cup and they look very meh. I instantly feel in love with he look of this tea, white and gold set. Not only can the pot hold lots of water (perfect for a refill), it also has a strainer so your tea can be loose. I also love how the lid fits on top when not using it. It is going to look cute near my snowman tea pot and cherry blossom tea pot.

The next think I had to have was a pouch that contained all 5 winter tea flavours in tea bags. It was $10 and I really liked the little pouch, that is really why I got it.

The only other thing I really want from David's is the Gold Perfect Spoon and Strainer, but they don't seem to be in stores yet.

Next up is from the Superstore /Loblaws. They seem to have adorable elf, santa and reindeer tea products right now (cups, pots, plates) at really reasonable prices. I went because Eithne posted on her instagram a pic of a Rise & Shine mug. Now those of you that have known me a long time might remember my cat Shine who passed away in 2011. Well you can see why I wanted the mug. I also saw a bunch of cute winter themed mugs for $3.75 each. I got 4 with the plans of filling them with broken up gift sets for some family members (hopefully I'll do a post on the end results so stay tuned).

Finally at Starbucks I got a fox mug. I have too many fox mugs (how many is too many? let me know in the comments) , and one that is actually similar, but I had to have this one. It was pricy at $18.95, but Starbucks makes nice mugs, and after all I am Ms. Fox.

So there you go. Do you like holiday tea/coffee items like these?

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