November 2019 Brown Sugar Box Mini Magazine

NOVEMBER 2019 $106 RETAIL VALUE

ESSENTIALS

FOR THE PERFECT PAMPER NIGHT

Scents to Calm Down Your Mind & Body

Pairings

wine and food

Phone Apps to Promote

Better Sleep

beauty rest

NOVEMBER 2019 We Promise You: 5-6 Items at an $85 value

As Black women, we often carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. It’s time to

INSIDE THE

Beauty Rest

Edition

prioritize our overall wellbeing and create

This month’s value:

$106

consistent self-care rituals. The only way to serve others is to present your best self. In this Beauty Rest Edition of the Brown Sugar Box, we’re all about mind, body, and soul.

Afro Affirmations T-Shirt

Whether you prefer some alone time or

(Retail Value $28) The best thing about being a Black girl is our versatility especially with how we choose to wear our hair. These positive affirmations speak to the essence of you.

(100% Cotton. Machine wash cold)

spending it with your girls, relax with your favorite bottle and pour it up in the “When I sip, you sip, we sip” wine tumbler.

Look your best from head to toe.

Show your hair love with our Afro Affirmations tee.

Whether you’re rocking a protective style

“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star…

Black Girl Magic Is What You Are” [One OF 2 COLORS] (Retail Value $30) This breathable, loose-fitting mercerized cotton oversized tee is slimming giving you a flirty vibe.

Whether you’re lounging alone or entertaining a guest, relax in this comfy nightwear.

(One Size & One Size Plus)

or showing off your natural fro, wrap up your coils with our oversized satin bonnets

“When I Sip, You Sip, We Sip” Stainless Steel Wine Tumbler [One of 4 Colors] (Retail Value $20) Make your own happy hour at home with this one-of-a-kind sliding lid wine tumbler. The insulated spill proof, stainless steel wine tumbler never sweats and keeps your beverage at the right temperature.

decorated with tribal prints. Sleep easy with our “Twinkle, twinkle little star…Black girl magic is what you are,” oversized sleep tee. Your beauty routine is also a major part of practicing self-care, this month’s box includes the “Bad & Snoozy” eye masks infused with lavender or chamomile.

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Bad & Snoozy Aromatherapy Sleep Mask [One of 2 Scents] (Retail Value $15) Your days can get stressful, but you don’t have to look it! Pamper yourself and get rid of those pesky under-eye bags with an eye mask.

(Infused With Lavender Or Chamomile)

Tribal Print Satin Bonnet [One of 3 Prints] (Retail Value $13) Protect your hair by any means necessary.

Reduce friction while you sleep and take care of your hair with this luxurious bonnet.

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NOVEMBER 2019

Scents to Calm Down Your Mind & Body

by Alexandria Daniels

Lavender Lavender is one of those soothing scents that everyone thinks of when it comes to aromatherapy.

There’s a great reason for this. Not only is it relaxing, but lavender also helps you sleep better. It is also wonderful for those who suffer from depression. So, if you are having trouble sleeping or want something to help lift up your mood, lavender is a wonderful scent to have near you.

Chamomile Another scent to help you chillax is chamomile.

Chamomile is known for its ability to help improve sleep conditions, alleviate anxiety, and reduce inflammation. This is a delicious flavor to have as tea. Drink a cup of this stuff and you will notice just how amazing you feel afterward.

Jasmine Jasmine has a very feminine smell. Its scent is so sweet that it is often categorized as an aphrodisiac.

However, its seducing properties are wonderful at helping you unwind. Some studies show that Jasmine can help you sleep better than good ol’ lavender.

Peppermint Peppermint is really “a breath of fresh air”. There’s a cool, soothing effect it gives to the body that allows anyone to feel better. Peppermint can help your muscles relax after a long day or workout!. Also if you are battling a nasty cold, peppermint will help clear up sinuses and headaches.

Aromatherapy is a blessing!

Think about it. You had a long day. You are at home and you are having trouble relaxing.

Or worse, you are feeling aches and pains in the body. What’s great is that there are certain herbal scents that can help us. Of course, this doesn’t substitute medicine. But, using aromatherapy is a good additional treatment to help you feel rejuvenated. Keep reading to see which four scents you need that can help calm the mind and body.

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Overall, aromatherapy has a lot of benefits. Many of which help improve sleep, aid in relaxation, soothe out pains, and more. These four scents provide great relief. Whether these scents are in your tea, incense, or candles, all of them provide much-needed comfort that can help lift your spirits. Give them a try and see how you feel. Enjoy!

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NOVEMBER 2019

Perfect Pamper Essentials for the

Life will happen. But, Sis, you have got to take care of yourself. Self-care is an absolute necessity for women!

by Saeeda Ruffin

How can you take care of others if you are not truly caring for yourself?

That’s something to consider. Truth is, you should take care of you because you deserve it! Sisters are out here grinding, for real, and they are entitled to a respite for their overall well-being.

In fact, you should be pampered. There are times when you need more than just a little basic treat to feel better. You need to be pampered and handled with extra special care in a manner fit for a queen. Yes, you!

Here is a guide to the essentials for the perfect pamper night. It could help you to make the most of those times when only a serenityinducing treatment will do. Come on and get your relaxation on, Sis. Do you!

Dress The Part

Your pampering outfit can be anything that you want it to be, just as long as YOU are completely comfortable. But, if you’re turning in for the night following your pampering session, you may want to go for something soft, silky, or barely there...whatever makes you feel most at ease.

Choose Soothing Sounds

Honey, I know this part is difficult, but you will need to turn off your phone. You don’t want

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anything disturbing you. Now, choose some soothing sounds that make you ultra-relaxed.

It could be your favorite tunes, meditations, or even natural sounds, whatever puts you in a blissfully peaceful state of mind.

Warm Water Works Miracles

Whether you decide to take an amazing shower, soak in a bath, or just let your feet rest in a warm water filled foot massager, water can be fantastic for relaxing. Everybody is different. Just be sure to make your preference the priority.

Moisturizing and Rehydrating Are Necessities

Choose the lotions that make your body feel awesome and slather them on nice and slowly.

Let the scent of the lotion help your mind drift to dreamlands and places that you long to be. Your skin will thank you also! With always hustling, we can take our skin for granted. Now is the time to give it the care that it may be missing.

Make Your Space Scent-sational

Let an incense’s smoke softly billow through the air or burn your favorite candle scent to help you to “come down” and chill. If you have a fireplace, Sis, light that thing up and let the smell of wood fill your space.

Eat, Drink, and Be Amused

Plan for your pampering night by getting the foods and drinks that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Do what amuses you unapologetically! So, if you want to binge watch certain television shows or movies, or read books that you don’t want to share with others...make that your plan and enjoy!

Eyes Need Time Off Too

Finally, your eyes take on so much with having to constantly read devices and with working. Give them a break! Slip on an eye mask and let it be dark. Now, relax, Sis. It’s your time to just sit back and be pampered.

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NOVEMBER 2019

Wine and Food Pairings

We all love our wine, but wine is infinitely more appreciated when we can enjoy it with a nice meal.

by Jouviane Alexandre

Pairing Cheeses

When you’re having a holiday party, cheese is probably one of the easiest appetizers or snacks to get. While it’s easy to choose your favorite cheeses, do you know which wine pairs perfectly with it?

Parmesan & Prosecco

Viva l’Italia! This Italian duo works perfectly together, with the bubbly Prosecco balancing out saltiness from the parmesan.

Gouda & Cabernet Sauvignon

This red wine tastes delicious alongside gouda cheese. What most would consider a “full-bodied” wine, Cabernet Sauvignon pairs well with the nuttiness of gouda.

Ricotta & Riesling

If you love sweet tastes, this might be the pairing for you. While ricotta is sweet and creamy, it works well with the slightly sweet and tangy flavors of a Riesling.

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Main Dishes Beef & Bordeaux

If you are preparing a beef dish for any of your holiday recipes, you will definitely need something bold and rich like Bordeaux. This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is often paired with steaks or prime rib.

Ham & Zinfandel

Your family might enjoy a ham around the holiday season, and if so, Zinfandel would be your wine of choice. Ham usually bounces back and forth between being salty and sweet, and Zinfandel is the best pairing to help bring out the best of these flavors.

Mashed Potatoes & Merlot

What are the holidays without mashed potatoes? With a classic dish like this, you can throw in any of your favorite add-ins whether it’s cream cheese, bacon, or pounds of butter.

When you’re dealing with a particularly rich side dish, your mashed potatoes will go well with a glass (or bottle) of Merlot.

Vegetables & Chenin Blanc

We all love savory foods, but what would a meal be without vegetables? While the other n ames on this list are popular, Chenin Blanc might be a new one. A French white wine, Chenin Blanc and its variety of dry, sparkling, and sweet wines pair well with all your favorite vegetables from broccoli to carrots.

Eat, drink, and be merry!

When planning your holiday menu, keep this list handy to create the perfect meal!

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NOVEMBER 2019

Phone Apps to Promote

Better Sleep

After you have conquered the day and the hustle takes a little bit of a halt, get your rest on.

by Saeeda Ruffin Sisters are going to go hard because that’s just what we do. Women know the value of their work, and after giving your all, you should be satisfied. But, often, women will just keep pushing and pushing, working to make everyone around them happy, causing them to forgo their own self-care.

When it gets like this, getting a good night’s sleep can be tough. Honey, you might need a little help.

When your sleep is jacked up or sporadic due to hormonal changes (having babies, periods, or uh, THE CHANGE), stress, or just basic insomnia, consider using a sleep app. Here are four phone apps to promote better sleep:

Sleep Sounds The free Sleep Sounds app will make sleeping easier by providing listeners with soothing natural sounds. Choose whatever sound that makes you feel most relaxed and it will play until you doze off.

Pillow First off, Pillow is an awesome name for a sleep app! That being said, this app offers more information than you can imagine about you and your sleep patterns. Pillow works along with the Apple Health app to provide analysis about everything from your diet to your activity to help you in determining what factors are impacting your sleep.

Sleep Time The combination of sleep analysis and soundscapes makes this app a real winner for your future restful nights. Apparently, studies show that there is an optimal time for when you SHOULD be awakened because your body responds more favorably.

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It’s imperative!

You cannot just keep going and going without taking care of yourself. Too much work and no rest (or play) will definitely have a negative impact on your body, mind, and spirit. The toll is real and it’s a struggle that you do not want to have to contend with.

Slumber, Fall Asleep Insomnia: This app will talk to you to sleep through stories and meditations. These stories and meditations will help you ease into a very serene state of mind.

Couple that with soothing sounds, and you are definitely on your way to La La Land. Not only will you enjoy the sleep, but you will likely enjoy the “come down” to get to a restful state. That’s exactly what you need.

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NOVEMBER 2019

beauties

Izzy & Liv customers truly are THE BEST! We LOVE seeing the social media posts of you all sharing your boxes each monthyour boxes each month. Here are a few highlights from last month.

Congratulations to last month’s WINNER! Lorraine Allen was randomly selected from everyone who shared their September box on social media to WIN her next box FREE. Thank you to everyone who shared! We appreciate you!

Don’t forget to share this month’s box using the hashtags #brownsugarbox #izzyandliv for your chance to win next month’s giveaway.

BONUS: Join our Facebook Group: The Brown Sugar Lounge, for a SECOND CHANCE to win a free box.

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NOVEMBER 2019

DON’T SLEEP ON ME PLAYLIST

by Alexandria Daniels Hey ladies! There are two kinds of sleep: one is one is REM and the other kind is revolving attention. In this case, being slept on is never fun. You may know your worth, have a great attitude, and know what you want in life. However, there are some people in life that are just not interested. And you know what? That is perfectly okay. As long as you know who you are, there’s no real loss. So, in light of this topic, we decided to put together a special playlist. In our “Don’t Sleep On Me” playlist there is a mix of classic R&B and modern hip-hop songs. All of them deal with knowing your worth and making sure other people do, too. Getting slept on is never fun but let these songs remind you that it is their loss.

Happy listening!

Oops (Oh My!) by Tweet Rock The Boat by Aaliyah Put A Ring On It by Beyoncé Superwoman by Alicia Keys Good As Hell by Lizzo Say My Name by Destiny’s Child Almeda by Solange Next Lifetime by Erykah Badu Umbrella by Rihanna Ain’t To Proud To Beg by TLC Do You Want Me by Salt-N-Pepper What About Us by Brandy On The Radio by Donna Summer Shining Star by Earth, Wind and Fire I’m Every Woman by Whitney Houston Nasty by Janet Jackson One Minute Man by Missy Elliot Lady Marmalade by Patti LaBelle Stop! In The Name of Love by The Supremes Respect by Aretha Franklin Don’t Let Go by En Vogue Don’t Walk Away by Jade Goodies by Ciara Rock Wit U by Ashanti

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Frequently asked questions

1

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.

2

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

You will be rebilled on the 1st of the month for the next box. So you will be billed for the November box on the 1st of November; for the November box on the 1st of December and so on...

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

3

What is your cancellation policy?

Your subscription can be canceled at any time in your Brown Sugar Box Account Settings at izzyandliv.com. If you’ve already been billed for the next box (1st 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.

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Can I exchange 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 as 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 canceling?

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 subscription. To skip a delivery, you just need to click “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, you can 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 hashtag #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 (damaged, 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 month’s box. If your box was returned due to consumer error, please reach out to customer service for reshipment at an additional cost.

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I have feedback or questions, who do I contact?

We can be reached at support@izzyandliv.com

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You should be there… Members Only Lounge www.facebook.com/groups/izzyandliv