Sam & Lance EMPOWER-HER is a quarterly subscription box that contains 5-7 vegan and cruelty-free products that are from women-owned brands, including at least half that are from BIPOC-owned companies. The box is shipped to the US and Canada but you can contact them to see if they deliver to other countries. EMPOWER-HER is $49 per quarter.
Every item is carefully chosen. We know as a conscious shopper you don’t want to add clutter to your home. You want useful + usable items that contribute to your life in an intentional way!
This is my first time reviewing EMPOWER-HER!
My products were packaged simply with shredded paper and were tucked into tissue paper that was sealed with a sticker. For every order a tree is planted through Trees for the Future to offset the carbon footprint of shipping. In addition, at least 1% of profits are donated to charitable organizations.
I received a card with a handwritten note. Please note that this says Summer 2021, but this is the Spring Box – we asked!
The back of the card listed the makers and their products.
Looking good!
Everything in my box! Please note that I received this box in August and I had a question about it and was informed that it was the Spring 2021 box.
The Future is Bamboo Bamboo Cotton Swabs ($6 CAD, around $4.77 USD) These are biodegradable cotton swabs made of bamboo (for the stick) and cotton (for the ends). FYI the cotton swabs with a paper stick (such as Q-tips brand) are also biodegradable, but these are in a much cooler container.
Make sure to follow the directions and be careful where you stick it.
Here’s how one looks and of course it works in the same way that the other kind work – these ones are completely biodegradeable.
Imaya Retinoic Face Oil ($60 CAD, $49 USD) This oil was on the Sam & Lance Instagram page as a spoiler for their Summer 2021 box.
It’s made from Aguaje oil, and is more commonly known as buriti oil. It is a source of beta carotene and has antioxidant effects and plenty of vitamin A. It can be applied to the face, body, or hair and on the face it may help reduce the look of fine lines.
The oil is very orange and I was surprised at how it turned my face that color too. I couldn’t decide if I looked like I had a tan or maybe a touch of jaundice. I used it at night so that’s not much of a problem, but I would suggest using a pillowcase that you won’t mind getting stained.
Pumpkin Chai Clean Hands, Pls Hand Sanitizer ($8) I couldn’t find this exact scent but linked to something similar.
It’s made with alcohol, witch hazel, water, avocado oil, and skin-safe scent. I spritzed in onto my hands and started rubbing and it evaporated very quickly. This is the best smelling sanitizer I’ve encountered, and of course it smells like the best ever autumnal scent. I need this to come in a perfume, candle, room spray, shower gel, body lotion, etc. UPDATE: It actually can double as a perfume, the scent lasted for a long time on my hands and so I sprayed it on my arm! UPDATE #2: It is really, really, really long lasting and after a while was too much, but I wouldn’t mind a candle.
Cheeks Ahoy Hemp + Bamboo Beauty Cloth ($6 CAD, $5 USD) I like face cloths, I keep them separate from my washcloths and they are easy to grab at night since they are next to the sink.
The first thing I did was throw it in the wash with my towels. The washcloth is made of hemp and bamboo fibers and they meet the OEKO-Tek 100 standard for safety.
One side is soft while the other has a lightly scrubby texture. I use the scrubby side for exfoliation and then go over it with the soft side to remove my cleanser.
Sequoia Proudly Indigenous Bath Bomb in Sweetgrass ($7 USD) is from a company owned by an Indigenous woman and is hand crafted.
It has that classic combo of baking soda and citric acid to get it going plus it’s scented with fragrance oil that is supposed to smell like sweetgrass.
I’m not sure what sweetgrass smells like but the bath bomb smells sweet, a touch floral, a bit like hay. You can use the whole bomb but I’m breaking it into pieces so I can use it for several foot soaks.
Rooted Woman Nail Polish in Favored ($15) I don’t even buy nail polish anymore because I get so many in subscription boxes, but if I were to pick out a shade for myself, this would be it!
The ingredients are online but I can tell you it’s a 10-free kind of product so it doesn’t have stuff like formaldehyde, toluene, or camphor.
It was hard to open, my husband had to help, but isn’t it so pretty?
EMPOWER-HER by Sam & Lance was a great introduction to the their subscription service! I appreciate that their box has vegan and cruelty-free items and also happy to know that they choose brands that are woman-owned. While I received all beauty items this season, I went ahead and had a look at their Instagram account it seems that the Spring 2021 box they showed has some of these items but also some different items and it has jewelry, which I didn’t receive. I also received a serum that was supposed to be in their Summer 2021 box so I’m not sure what to say, except that I was overall happy with everything I got either way.
What do you think of the Sam & Lance Empower-Her Box?
Comments
Why did I never think of that for bath bombs? Thank you for mentioning it – now I can do something w/ the box full of bath bombs I never use. This looks like a thoughtfully curated box and I’ve never heard of any of the brands – which is unusual after subscribing to so many boxes. P.S. That nail polish is a gorgeous color.
Thank you for your kind words Jane and you are right, I think these were all new brands for me too!