California Found Review February 2020
California Found is a monthly (soon to be seasonal) collection of expertly curated, beautifully crafted small batch and handmade goods from California’s most talented artisans. They kindly sent us this box for review.
Each month you’ll receive a beautifully packaged box valued at over $90 that’s filled to the brim with natural spa & beauty products, locally sourced gourmet treats, beautifully crafted home goods, infinitely wearable jewelry and more. Every item introduces you to a new maker, each from different parts of the state with unique stories to tell.
They’ve recently become members of the 1% of the Planet and have committed to donating at least 1% of their gross revenues to the organization to help in their mission to build, support and activate an alliance of individuals and businesses committed to creating a healthy planet.
As a fun bonus, each month one subscriber’s box contains a golden ticket (it is the Golden State after all!) that entitles the recipient to one FREE box!
Subscription Details
The cost of the box is $49 per month with the option of three-month subscription costing $144.00. Shipping is $7.95 in the US, $16.95 CAD and $23.95 everywhere else. Current month’s subscriptions close on the 30th of each month. New boxes are shipped between the 20th & 30th of each month and will arrive to subscribers within 5 business days after shipping.
February Box Details ($104.98 total value)
“We’re excited to bring you this month’s collection of gorgeous California artisan-made products and in a newly produced box! Part of our mission is to be as gentle on the planet as possible, while still giving you the amazing unboxing experience we’re known for. In support of that philosophy, we are now sourcing boxes that are more earth friendly and are reducing our packaging by sending your collection in the smallest box possible. Inside, everything is the same. Wonderful artisan discoveries, our vendor profile cards, even our signature California Poppy sticker.”
I love, love, love that this box is committed to sustainability and is working to reduce waste! The new box design this month is so pretty and they are totally right when they say that even though it’s smaller, the same amount of goodness is inside!
Here’s a look at what’s in this month’s California Found box:
Box Insert
The inserts included in California Found are so thoughtful and informative. There’s an individual card for each product giving the item it’s own spotlight. They include a little background about the makers and the company as well as include a product photo and additional related pictures. They also all contain discount codes for future purchase from each company so you can buy more of the same product if you fall in love, or even try something new if the company inspired intrigue. I’ve included a few bullet points from each card below.
Love Organics Lip Scrub and Lip Balm ($11.65)
“Handmade in California, LB Love Organics is consciously created organic skincare for every body.
They believe in the simple healing power of nature – the fewer ingredients the better. Because of this, they use all organic natural oils + butters, and their beeswax is sourced from a local beekeeper. Their products are scented with essential oils only and contain no artificial fragrances, colors, preservatives, or synthetic chemicals.”
The perfect pair! And the perfect timing! My lips can get so dry in the winter so I love trying out new products to keep them hydrated. Lip scrubs are the best for sloughing off any dry skin and following them with a nourishing balm keeps the flakes at bay. I love that these products are both made with simple and organic ingredients so I can feel good about using them again and again. They both smell so delicious you could eat them (and technically you could given the food grade ingredients, the lip scrub even says you can just lick it off!). The scent is vanilla mint and it reminds me of these yummy melt-away mints from childhood. So good!
Charming Little Lotus New Growth Tendril Ring ($45)
“Helen Louise, the owner and designer of Charming Little Lotus, believes that jewelry, much like her many tattoos, are a silent form of self expression. They’re tangible reminders of memorable moments in your life. Many of her designs, including the ring featured in this month’s box, are inspired by botanicals, nature’s perfect examples of growth, transformation, strength and beauty.
Working primarily with recycled Sterling silver, Helen utilizes traditional metal-smithing techniques to forge, form, connect and create.”
This ring is so beautiful! I love understated jewelry that can be worn every day and this is exactly that. The symbolism is wonderful too. The little bead is like a seed ready to sprout and is a reminder to reach beyond your boundaries and grow. Even better, is that it’s likely made of recycled sterling silver, maybe a reminder of renewal too! It’s great that it’s an open ring design so it can be slightly adjusted to fit any finger size. I’ll be wearing this one often, I’m sure!
Miss B Haven Set of Two Non-button Beeswax Wraps ($15)
“Kelly Knapp, founder of Miss Bee Haven Honey is a woman beekeeper that manages over 150 hives in Brentwood, CA. In the past three years, she has grown Miss Bee Haven Honey into her full time job and has developed several products that use either honey, beeswax, or both.
Like us, Miss Be Haven Honey believes in keeping plastic out of our landfills and protecting our beautiful, fragile planet so we’re super excited to share their eco-friendly beeswax wraps with you.”
This is the best! I’ve been wanting to switch over to beeswax wraps for food storage but just hadn’t done it yet so finding these in this months box is awesome! They are such a great alternative to plastic wrap since they can be used over and over again. You’d think they’d be too sticky to use since they are made with beeswax but they aren’t sticky to the touch at all. They are slightly stiff and soften with heat from your hand to form around a bowl or other item for storing. They can be hand washed and air dried for continual usage. The set comes with two sizes, one that’s 13”x13” and one that’s 8”x8”. I love the design on these that has little honey bees on on it, so cute and on theme!
La Luna Salt Kitchen Bitch All Purpose Seasoning ($10)
“Tasha Moon, the founder and culinary genius of la luna salt LOVES her salt and wants to unlock your culinary creativity. She’s obsessed with unique flavor combinations and super tasty, one of a kind dishes. We are beyond excited to introduce you to her newest product. Kitchen Bitch is an extraordinary flavor-bomb of herbs blended with Himalayan salt that you’ll use on EVERYTHING.”
Oh this sounds delicious! I love playing with spices for flavoring and spice blends are great because it takes the guesswork out of the ratios. I especially find them helpful for helping to jazz up vegetables so they aren’t so boring and more enticing to eat. This one is a blend of garlic, black pepper, fennel, paprika and himalayan salt and says it’s good for adding to literally anything. It’s an really generous sized shaker so should last for a long time too.
Indigo Sage & Lavender Coconut Wax Candle ($12)
“As an early childhood educator of many years, Marisol Clemente is passionate about using her hands to create different things! In 2019, having a love of candles in her own home, she was inspired to learn candle making. On this journey, she discovered that not all candles are created equally. Instead of using petroleum-based paraffin wax, she chose to work with cleaner-burning, sustainable, vegan coconut wax. The result is a creamy, slow-burning candle that’s gorgeous to look at and smells botanical and fresh. Aside from sourcing all her candle-making materials locally, Marisol gives back by donating 12% of every purchase to Save the Children.”
This candle smells delightful! It’s a very calming and soothing aroma. It’s kind of a sweet and earthy scent with a floral undertone. I like that this candle is made with coconut wax that’s a more sustainable choice that provides a cleaner burn and the wick is simple, lead-free cotton. This would be a great candle to burn before bedtime to help with the wind-down.
California Found Review February 2020 – Final Thoughts
California Found seriously never disappoints! Aside from the amazing products included this month, the extra highlight is their on-going commitment to being as eco-friendly as possible. I think the new box design is perfect and has a chic vibe to it. I didn’t even recognize it at first glance and once I did, I had to dig in and see what goods were included right away! It’s exciting to open this box because not only is the packaging more earth-friendly, but nearly all the goods have some sort of eco-friendly tie as well. It was such a good selection this month! I was recently notified that this box is changing to a quarterly box which also helps decrease their carbon footprint by shipping less frequently. I’m not sure if this will be the last monthly box they send or not, but I’m guessing so. I’ll be sad not to find it on my doorstep every month, but I’m sure it’s going to be a good switch. I know they don’t officially market as an “eco-friendly” subscription box so it’s just a bonus, but I think it’s awesome that they put extra effort into all the details regardless.
The Botanic Gal – http://www.botanicgal.com