July 2018 Mini Magazine

Brown Sugar

Box

JULY 2018

Refresh Recharge Retreat Destination:

Spa-Cation

Yoga& MEDITATION

For A Stree-Free Summer

Body Positivity In A Summer Ready World

Day-Cation READY!

$96 BOX VALUE www.izzyandliv.com WWW.IZZYANDLIV.COM

INSIDE YOUR We Promise: 5-6 items at an $85 value

TRAVEL

JULY BOX

This month’s box has a $96 retail value!

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OFFICIAL FLY GIRL T-SHIRT (RETAIL VALUE $28) Confident, sexy, and definitely fly!

Who can stop you in this official tee? Whether you’re jet setting off to your next destination or bustin’ a move like you’re “In Living Color,” everyone will know you’re an Official Fly Girl.

After the brutal winter we had this year we can certainly appreciate the warm change of weather that

FANNY PACK (RETAIL VALUE $18) Don’t let the fanny pack fool you! What was once considered “old-fashioned” is now a trend-setter. Perfect for your travels, the fanny pack is the comeback kid. All you need to do is fill it with your travel essentials like your ID, cash, and cute new headphones.

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Edition

“TRAVEL POUCHES (ONE OF 5 COLORS) (RETAIL VALUE $10) Tired of digging through your purse in search of your chapstick or a few quarters? Everyone can’t handle change but we sure can when it says cha-ching! There’s nothing worse than the bottomless search in your handbag or pulling out your entire wallet while you’re traveling.

Now, during your travels, if you need a bit of hydration or you need to handle someone by giving them your two cents or two pennies, you’re covered with these custom Izzy & Liv pouches!

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comes along with summer. The best part about summer is all of the vacations, day-cations and staycations you’ll get to take if you make time for it.

The items in this months box will have you shouting “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready”.

Day of travel outfit, check! Luggage tags so your bags don’t get mixed up, check! A colorful coin purse that you can easily find in your carry-on

PEARL HEADPHONES

check! A good summer read while you lie pool side,

(RETAIL VALUE $12) Tired of the loud noises that come with traveling?

If you’re dealing with the overwhelming sounds of a plane, you’ll definitely be ready to cancel out the noise. From catching up on your favorite Netflix show to jamming out to your favorite Izzy & Liv Spotify playlist, these stylish pearl headphones will keep you tuned in from takeoff to landing.

tials together and free up your hands during ex-

(ASSORTED COLORS)

check! A cute fanny pack to keep all your essencursions, check! Headphones for the car-ride, train ride or plane ride, check! Space saving inflatable pillow to help you catch up on some zzzz’s to and from your destination, check! Girl we got you!

While we know everyone is not privy to the jet-setting lifestyle, we do want to encourage you to take some time out for yourself. Explore your city, state, or the entire country for that matter, even if it’s just for a day or two. You’ve worked hard this year and you deserve it honey!

We look forward to hearing about your summer

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LUGGAGE TAGS (ONE OF TWO DESIGNS) (RETAIL VALUE $12) You’re headed to your latest getaway and you’re probably getting ready to use your same old luggage tags, right?

Not anymore! Instead of settling for the regular, degular, these luggage tags will let everyone know that the first rule to the “travels of a magical black girl” is to “catch flights not feelings.”

www.izzyandliv.com

SOARING ON LOVE BY JOY AVERY. (RETAIL VALUE $7) It’s getting hot at the beach, but it’s even hotter when you’re soaring on love. For those in need of a little relaxation and romance, Soaring on Love will have you falling in love before the sun goes down.

*please contactsupport@izzyandliv.com with any customer service inquiries

travels on our group page and don’t forget to tag us in your pictures when you post. Until next time, travel well and travel often!

07 IZZY & LIV INFLATABLE PILLOWS

(ONE OF FOUR COLORS) (RETAIL VALUE $9)

Lay your heaaaddd on my… inflatable pillow. Those stiff necks after a long flight are a thing of the past. Compact and inflatable, these pillows are perfect for your travels.

Blow up your personalized Izzy & Liv neck pillows after you board and sit back and relax as you fly through the clear skies.

www.izzyandliv.com

Body Positivity in a Summer ready World

By Jouviane Alexandre

In recent years, you’ve probably heard tons of people toting the idea of being “body positive.” While it could mean anything to anyone, these are the lessons we’re teaching. No one is ever 100% happy with their bodies. It’s a fact. There’s always something we’d like to change or tweak. If someone’s eyebrows are thinner than they’d like, they might consider micro-blading. If someone is unhappy with their weight, they might consider dieting and exercise. Just because you’d like to change something about yourself doesn’t mean you’re not body positive. In the same aspect, hating the things you’d like to change is not being body positive.

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re you “summer ready?” Drake might say you’re dropping 10 pounds preparing for summer, but what does it even mean to be summer ready? When January 1st hits, you’ll see millions and millions of people choosing their New Years’ Resolutions. Some might make a plan to save more and spend less money. Others might try to pick up a hobby or use their time to get organized. One of the most popular ones you’d see is the resolution to lose weight!

Many of these people are looking for a lifestyle change, but others are simply trying to get an early “push” on their summer bodies. Every year, without fail, you’ll see people fall off their “get fit” journey, but the motivation usually hits towards the end of March. With the coming of spring and the increase in temperatures, our minds immediately wander to the summertime. And what comes with it? Hotter weather, salt water, and sand all equate to the beach and with the beach comes beach bodies. Sometime around the beginning of April, our brains get frantic over how we’ll end up looking in a bathing suit and whether we’re “summer ready.” Here’s a news flash. Whether your mind or your body is “ready” for the summer is all in your mindset! www.izzyandliv.com

Taking a quick glance at Instagram or any social media platform might deliver a blow to your own body positivity. Your timeline might be flooded with fitness models wearing tight clothes and bikinis and like women everywhere, you’ll probably wonder what you have to do to achieve that look, what you have to do to be “summer ready.” Allow me to break it down for you. You’re already “summer ready,” whatever that means. Regardless of whether you’ve lost the 20 pounds you’ve been trying to lose or if you still have 50+ to go, come the summer season, your body will be ready because it is summer.

Body positivity is a connection between your mind and body. Do you have things you’d like to change about yourself? Like most people, you probably do, but the goal is to not hate yourself over it! Accept the things you can’t change and make a plan to work on what you can. Taking a trip to the beach might be hard if you don’t feel “summer ready,” but the biggest aspect of body positivity is being content regardless of the beach bodies you see basking in the sun.

Staying body positive while the world seems “summer ready” isn’t always easy especially if you don’t feel ready yourself. Now that we’ve shoved the phrase “body positivity” down your throat, our only hope is that you find that perfect balance of loving your body regardless of its flaws and regardless of the season.

www.izzyandliv.com

REFRESH RECHARGE RETREAT

BY DANIELLE COPSY

T

raveling as a woman of color can be at best a bit frustrating and at worst down right miserable. From the moment we start thinking about a trip, a little voice in the back of our heads immediately compiles a list of all the “extra” we will inevitably have to deal with. Sometimes, you just want to travel with no extra work required. Life takes enough work, your travels shouldn’t. These black owned travel businesses will fulfill your every need and let you travel in style like the queen you are.

www.izzyandliv.com

The omnOIRE EXPERIENCE OMNoire, a mix of the Hindu chant OM, or that which runs through breath (Prana) and sustains life, and the word Noire, is a wellness community that focuses exclusively on women of color and offers multiple retreats a year to nourish your inner goddess. Their relaxing retreats feature up to 50 of your fellow beautiful goddesses, daily yoga and group excursions. OMNoire is dedicated to caring for all your metaphysical needs with events and meetups before and after your trip.

For More Info Visit www.omnoire.com

HOLISTICITILYFE HolistiCitiLyfe Inc., a New York based holistic lifestyle company, believes in providing a unique and healing experience for both its wellness providers and its travelers.

Diversity and inclusivity are key pillars of HolistiCitiLyfe founder Leslie Carrington’s mission. From yoga and creative writing retreats to fit-cations and spiritual gatherings, HolistiCitiLyfe aims to encourage and empower women of color in the holistic community.

For More Info Visit www.holisticitilyfe.com

LAS MORENAS DE España Las Morenas De Espana, an exciting retreat based in Spain on the edge of the Balearic and Alboran Seas, will help you live your best life. Not only will you have a blast eating, drinking, and relaxing in this historic Spanish city, but you will also come away with all the tools to make your vacation your reality. With online and in-person courses and workshops, las morenas will teach you how to become an expat and move abroad and live the

life you want.

For More Info Visit www.lasmorenasdeespana.com

WOMEN OF COLOR HEALING RETREAT Based in Costa Rica, this retreat focuses on creating a safe and healing place for women of color. With an emphasis on spiritual growth, emotional healing, and self-love, Women of Color Healing Retreats wants to connect all women of color and breakdown the divides between us. Every retreat features a diverse list of workshops such as herbalism, explorations on colorism, and self-care.

Enjoy the tropical forest and immaculate beaches with a wide range of activities such as guided meditation, surfing, hiking, and yoga.

For More Info Visit www.womenofcolorhealingretreats.com

www.izzyandliv.com

By Danielle Copsy

By Danielle Copsy

DESTINATION:

Spa-CATION

DAYCATION Ready

S

ome vacations are odysseys of epic proportions and some are just dropping the kids off at the babysitters for a weekend of stress free bliss. Here are our tips for the best vacations that don’t involve a plane. From the classic family road trip to a romantic weekend away, day-cations are the best way to take advantage of a free weekend and enjoy some quality time with the ones you love. Enjoy a day, or two, or three away.

ROAD TRIPS Some of our fondest childhood memories involve hopping in the car with our parents and taking a drive down the coast.

Whether you were going to the beach, the amusement park, or camping, the goal was to get out of town for a fun and economical family trip. We also, fondly or not so fondly, remember our parents dropping us off at grandma’s house while they went off on a romantic couple’s weekend. No matter the destination, road trips are the perfect day-cation. www.izzyandliv.com

EDUCATIONAL & CULTURAL TRIPS There is nothing better than great educational and cultural experiences to enrich your mind and soul. From museums and art exhibits in big cities like New York and Chicago, to small town boutique exhibits and festivals, summer is the best time to squeeze a bit of culture in on the weekends.

ROMANTIC GETAWAYS A weekend getaway with your sweetheart is always something to look forward to. A quick trip with your honey is an experience not to be missed. You don’t need to travel far to recreate the romantic atmosphere reminiscent of your first date.

Hop in the car Friday night stressed and come back Sunday night feeling refreshed and in even more in love than when you left. Dinner, a show, and a hotel room are the simplest and easiest ways to reconnect and reset.

You don’t need to travel far or at all to have the best vacation of your life. It seems hard to believe it but sometimes all you need is a fresh perspective on what makes a vacation great.

Nothing is better than a spa day at home. There’s no need to hop in the car and deal with all that frustrating traffic while paying those insane prices. Here are our favorite tips for an evening of self-indulgence.

Have Someone Else Do All The Cleaning Nothing feels better than walking into your home and having it feel refreshed and new.

Whether you bribe the kids, your partner, or just pay someone, having someone clean your home is a time saving luxury that we suggest everyone indulge in occasionally.

Choose Your Entertainment Ahead Of Time Can you think of anything worse than sitting down on the couch with a glass of wine and absolutely nothing to watch or read? We can’t, which is why the best way take advantage of your stay-cation is to at least have an idea of what your entertainment for the night will be.

Whether it’s the queue on your favorite streaming service, renting some DVDs from a box, or buying a few new books for your library, the idea is keep yourself entertained all night long.

Have Plenty Of Your Favorite Adult Beverage On Hand Second only to having nothing to watch or read is running out of your favorite adult drink.

If you know you are planning to have a stay-cation be sure to stock up with enough to last you all night long.

Choose Your Spa Experience The best spa day is the one you plan to your exact specifications. From hair masks and skin care to body scrubs and mani-pedis, your stay-cation is all about you. So, turn off the phone, use the expensive bubbles in your bath and enjoy. You deserve it.

www.izzyandliv.com

YOGA & MEDIATION FOR A STRESS FREE Summer

By Jouviane Alexandre

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oo-sah. Are you feeling relaxed yet?

You probably need a little bit more than that, right?

While the summer months seem like they should be filled with sunshine and barbecues, that’s not always true. We’re sure some might say that it’s never true.

Many of you might have vacations and weddings to look forward to during the summer months. What about those who are stuck in the constant monotony of their day-to-day jobs? The atmosphere of summer seems like it calls for stress-free living, but it can be hard to achieve that! If you’re looking for ways to destress this summer, try yoga and meditation!

www.izzyandliv.com

Yoga and meditation work hand-in-hand, the same way that they work to fight against stress. They are the perfect marriage of mind and body, two aspects of our beings that help bring about peace. Yoga itself is considered to blend the mind and body, but its impact on the body is very clear. The very first step of yoga is to relax the body. The rest will come with the poses. While we don’t boast to have a “yogi” over here, there are definitely postures that will help move you closer to relaxation and further away from stress. We’ll tell you to “do you, booboo,” but we’ll also tell you to do these five moves: child’s pose (balasana), eagle pose (garudasana), standing forward fold (uttanasana), reclined bound angle pose (supta baddha konasana), and thunderbolt pose (vajrasana). While all these poses will give you a level of stress-free living, further research will show you exactly what time of day these poses will help you relax.

A relaxed body is nothing without a relaxed mind and this is where meditation comes in handy. Once yoga gives your body a sense of calm, meditation will help achieve this for your mind. While there are various levels to meditation, there are clear, simple steps for beginners. First, make sure you’re in a comfortable position whether you’re sitting or lying down. Second, close your eyes. Third, spend about a minute breathing normally.

Fourth, pay attention to your breathing and how it travels through your body. Notice how your chest expands and withdraws with every inhale and exhale. Note any other changes as it moves through your abdomen and up to your shoulders. If you’re a beginner, this process is recommended for around three minutes. The deeper you get into meditation, the longer you can keep the cycle going.

No one wants to be stressed during the summer, especially when it should be a time of sun, fun, and relaxation. Instead of allowing your life to keep you anxious and on edge, yoga and meditation might be the duo you need for a stress-free summer.

“A relaxed body is nothing without a relaxed mind and this is where meditation comes in handy.”

www.izzyandliv.com

Traveling summer

Playlist

By Chimere Taylor

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weekends, BBQs to go to, family reunions to attend, or overdue beach days that

you’re ready to claim. Whatever you have on your travel agenda for the next few weeks, make it complete with this feel-good summer playlist. Regardless of your destination, it will have you jammin’ in your seat on the plane or starting a sing-a-long during the car ride over.

Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince

Ready or Not- The Fugees

1, 2 Step – Ciara ft. Missy Elliot

Mr. Dj- Zhane

Don’t Kill My Vibe– Kendrick Lamar

Big Poppa- Notourius B.I.G.

I Like The Way You Move – Sleepy Brown

That’s What I Like- Bruno Mars

Feels Good- Tony, Toni, Tone’

Location- Khalid

This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan

Lounging- LL Cool J ft. Total

Before I Let Go – Maze ft. Frankie Beverly

You Remind Me- Mary J. Blige

Cranes In The Sky – Solange

My Boo- Ghost Town Dj’s

Still Not a Player – Big Pun & Fat Joe

What’s My Name- Rihanna ft. Drake

Can I Get A… – Jay-Z ft. Rule & Amil The Weekend– SZA

www.izzyandliv.com

Can I change my size preference for future boxes?

Yes, you can do so inside your Brown Sugar Box account on izzyandliv.com, or you can email us at support@izzyandliv.com to update your preferences for you.

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When will I be billed for next month’s box?

ummer isn’t over just yet. The rest of your summer might be filled with free

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Boo’d Up- Ella Mai

You will be rebilled on the 25th of the month prior to the next box. So you will be billed for the May box on the 25th of April; for the June box on the 25th of May and so on...

You will not be billed for the next box until after the box from the current month has been shipped/ delivered.

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What is your cancellation policy?

Your subscription can be cancelled at anytime in your Brown Sugar Box Account Settings at izzyandliv.com.

If you’ve already been billed for the next box (25th of the month), your cancellation will take affect the next billing cycle.

To cancel your subscription, login to your account and click on the Subscription tab, then click “edit” next to your subscription. You can also email us to request that we cancel for you.

FREQUENTLY Asked Questions

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Can I exchnage or return items in my box?

We cannot accept returns at this time for Brown Sugar Box items, but we welcome your feedback to improve. Email us at support@ izzyandliv.com to share your thoughts. We value your feedback and our mission is to make every Brown Sugar Box more than worth your while! Your feedback will help us to make sure we make this box amazing and valuable as it can be.

As far as the item(s), you can always gift them to a friend, coworker, or family member- these items make GREAT gifts!

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Can I skip a month without cancelling?

Yes, you can skip a future month delivery and not be billed for it, without having to cancel your entire subscription. Once logged into your Brown Sugar Box account at izzyandliv.com, you will need to open the “Delivery Schedule” tab.

There you will see all upcoming deliveries for your subcription. To skip a delivery you just need to clcik “Skip” to the right of each relevant delivery.

This will only skip that one delivery, to skip multiple deliveries you will need to click “Skip” next to each relevant one.

Alternatively, email to have us skip deliveries for you.

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How can I share photos or unboxing videos with you?

Yes! We live for customer feedback & reviews! Just post your pics or video on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube etc. and hastag #brownsugarbox, #izzyandliv and @ izzyandliv.You can also leave a photo review on the Brown Sugar Subscription page! If you make a blog post email us with the link. If your social media is private we will not be able to see your post, so feel free to email us to let us know where to check it out!

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Something went wrong with my order/ delivery what should I do?

Should you have an issue with your box items (damage, received wrong size, etc) you must notify us at support@izzyandliv.com, with photo(s), within 7 days of receipt of your package. After 7 days, we will not be able to process requests related to this months box.

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I have feedback or questions, who do I contact?

We can be reached at support@izzyandliv.com

www.izzyandliv.com

//THANK YOU\\ Congratulations to last month’s WINNER! @aprilbhobbs was randomly selected from among everyone who shared their June box on social media to WIN her next box FREE. Thank you to everyone who shared using the hashtags #brownsugarbox #izzyandliv.

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