I saw the March Social Bliss box, and I just had to subscribe. They included an amazing set of makeup brushes, and I was hopeful that April would be just as great. I paid $47.88, and used a code for a special "extra gift" in my box.
The box shipped via USPS and it was extremely quick to arrive. I am a big fan of their shipping.
Socialite's Night Out Bag by Izzy & Ali ($129) This was the big ticket item this month. I really love the style. It's very classic and the bag appears to be fairly well made. I'm disappointed that I got the navy bad though. Social Bliss sent out navy, black, grey, and yellow this month, and navy would have been my last choice. I almost never use small purses, and navy makes this even less usable. I wear a lot of black and I'm a firm believer in the "black clashes with navy" rule. It's a cute purse; I just don't think I will use it very much. Maybe a couple times a year, tops.
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara ($15) This is a deluxe mini, but I don't mind. Usually I have to toss full-sized mascaras before they're out anyway since you are supposed to scrap them within a few months of opening. I've been wanting to try this mascara for awhile now, though I highly doubt it will be "better than sex."
Its Sense Gold Earrings ($22) Hmm...this was my "bonus gift" and...well, these are just so not my style. I don't think I will ever wear them, which is kind of a bummer. I was hoping the bonus would be something I would actually be able to use. Does Goodwill take earrings??
Touch of Sparkle Cubic Zirconia Earrings ($50) Fifty dollars? Are you kidding me? That's an inflated price for sure. I do really like the style of these, but they are so formal and dangly! If I was going to fancy events all the time I would love these, but I'm just not. Hopefully they'll come in handy at some point, but probably not anytime soon.
The Little Black Compact ($5) I think this is really cute. I'm going to include it in a little care package for my mom for Mother's Day.
Girls Night Out Nail Art Kit by Stella ($7) I'm really not too into nail art, and I'm trying to keep my nails extra professional lately, so I don't think I'll be able to use these.
This was a really fun box to get, but the mascara is the only item I'm really excited about, so the cost benefit analysis just isn't there. I might order one of these as a special treat every once in awhile, but I can't see myself dropping $50 on it every month.
Click here if you'd like to subscribe using my referral link.
Spoilers were leaked early on this box, so I've known what was in it for a very long time. Now I can actually use the things I've been drooling over for so long!
First Look
Nature Box PopSugar Must Have Mix ($4) I think it's super cool that Nature Box custom made a mix for PopSugar subscribers. But the contents? Bleh. The almonds and cranberries are okay; corn and soybeans not so much. This is just not my kind of snack mix.
Why couldn't they have sent some of their banana bread granola, pistachio clusters, or sourdough cheddar pretzels? Lots of Nature Box snacks sound good, and you can get 50% off your first box with the code POPSUGAR. I don't think I'll be subscribing because Nature Box doesn't allow you to cancel or skip the month unless you call in. It's my belief that if I can sign up quickly and easily online, I should be able to cancel just as easily. I might get one of those prepaid Visa cards to test this subscription out without the commitment.
Fresh Pastry Stand Tea Towels in Totally Awesome ($18) This is super cool. These tea towels are from an Etsy store. Etsy! I have no idea how they produced so many towels, but I hope we get more of this sort of stuff in the future. I'm not a huge fan of the "Totally Awesome" print, especially considering all the other cute vintage patterns in their shop, but I'm happy to see a home item being featured. Totally useful (and awesome). I am very tempted to get some of their nautical and/or cat print towels.
Graphic Image Run the World Pocket Notes ($20) I don't think I've ever owned such a fancy notebook, and I'm loving it! This is a gorgeous purpley blue shade, and the cover is leather. The sides are embossed with silver. I'm in grad school, so anything for note-taking is great, and I love that this will easily fit in my purse.
Caldrea Hand Soap in Rosewater Driftwood ($10.50) I wanted to open this up right away, but I made myself wait since I have plenty of hand soap in use right now. The scent sounds amazing though. I'm usually not big on florals, but I think the driftwood (it's supposed to be a cedar-like smell) will really balance it out nicely. I'm moving this right to the front of my hand soap line. The fact that I have a "hand soap line" means I probably buy too much hand soap, but I use soap all the time so I like to stock up on quality products!
Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette ($36) This is easily the centerpiece of the box. Look at these amazing shades! I have Naked 2 but I'm still very excited to try this out. I've never gotten to try any Too Faced products and this is the perfect start. Love this, especially since the main shades are in much bigger pans! I'm going to have this palette for a very long time.
Blue Avocado Collapsible Tote Bag ($24.99) Okay, so I thought I would never be able to fit this back in the tiny little pouch once I opened it up, but it actually was super easy! The pouch itself is also the (sturdy) bottom of the bag, so I won't have to worry about losing it. I LOVE the print and the color scheme is great too. I don't use reusable bags when I go shopping much since I like to re-use bags for my bathroom trash can, but I can totally see this as an overnight bag.
There you have it, folks! Aside from that snack mix (that's going to my roommate), everything is going to be well loved. This is definitely one of my favorite PopSugar boxes to date. I really hope PopSugar continues in this direction. If you want to use my referral link, click here. Don't forget to use the code REFER5 to get $5 off your first box.
My Birchbox arrived today! Hooray! This month's theme was "Rainy Days." Birchbox is selling a deck of cards with suggestions for what to do on a rainy day and they sent me a sample card suggesting that I organize all the papers I have laying around. Uhm...no thank you? They changed their usual pink paper to blue paper this month though. I like that; I hope they change the color again for other months.
Onto the box contents!
Kind Healthy Grains Bar in Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt ($.79) I haven't tried this yet, but I bet it'll be good! I like maple and I love salty/sweet combos.
Number 4 Reconstructing Masque ($5.68) I don't like that this doesn't match the shampoo sample. This masque is VERY expensive though so I can kind of see why. I am happy that I was given two packets instead of just one.
Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo ($3.76) I love that this is in a bottle versus foil packets. I like trying new shampoos and conditioners so there will be fun to test out.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel ($6.68) I already got a sample of this in an Ipsy bag last year. It works well, but my eyebrows just aren't unruly enough to warrant use of such a product
BijaBody Body Serum ($.58) This is supposed to be a moisturizing serum. I'm curious, but it has honey in it, and I don't want to try it and end up a sticky mess. I might try it an hour or two before I get in the shower tomorrow just in case. I do really like the packaging; there's a pump applicator.
Color Club ArtClub Nail Art Duo ($8.33) I'm glad I got this in white, but I'm hopeless when it comes to nail art. Oh, well, it's not like there's any way for Birchbox to know that.
And that's it for April! Not a bad box, but nothing is particularly useful or exciting to me either. If you want to sign up for Birchbox using my referral code, click here. Use the promo code sfbb100 upon checkout for $20 worth of points in the Birchbox shop. If that code isn't working anymore, try bb100 for $10 worth of extra points.
This is my second Birchbox review for the month. My mom and I share a box, and she just got it today (very late in the month!) so I figured I would review it too.
Stila Lip Glaze in Red Velvet ($8) This is very dark. Maybe it will go on sheer? Neither one of us is big on lip gloss, but I've never tried the lip glaze from Stila so I'm curious about the formula. It might turn out to be a bit vampy for my coloring, but it's worth a try.
Gena Pedi Cure Foot Treatment Creme ($1.65) I'm glad we got two packets of this, so we can both give it a shot. I'm excited to try it.
Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle Spray (~$4.12) I have the full size of this, and I'm a fan. It is a good detangler and heat protector, but not any better than It's a 10, 12 Benefits, Number 4, Miracle 7, or any of the other comparable products. At least Beauty Protector doesn't include a number!
Ghirardelli Intense Dark Cherry Tango ($ .47) I'm not much for dried cherries or almonds (my mom hates dried cherries), but I'll eat this. Meh.
Dr. Hauschka Regenerating Eye Cream ($5.67) Um, what? How is this eye cream so darn expensive? I actually like small samples for moisturizer since we get so much of it. This will get put to good use.
Dr. Hauschka Regenerating Neck and Decollete Cream ($2.05) Neck cream? Really? We got the same sample size of this but obviously you need more skin to cover the neck than the under eye area. One of us will try it, but it's kind of a weird item.
Air Repair Rescue Balm (~$6) You are supposed to be able to use this for anywhere you have dry skin--dry cuticles, lips, elbows, hands, etc. Sounds pretty useful!
The total box value was about $28. Not bad, and since there were SEVEN items to review we got $7 back in Birchbox points. Everything will be used, but I could have done without the chocolate and the lip glaze. Not a bad box at all! If you want to sign up for your own Birchbox subscription (definitely a good "starter box" if you've never tried subscriptions before), click here to use my referral link!
I just got my box today, and I have to say, I love it. It's one of their lighter ones, but in my opinion one of the better boxes we've gotten overall.
The Full Box
Blue Ikat Brokedown Scarf ($72) This scarf was revealed before boxes shipped. This is pretty much unheard of for PopSugar. They are usually very good about keeping box contents under wraps. We got a scarf from Brokedown in September 2012 (my very first box) and this one is just as gorgeous. Brokedown scarves are super soft, and nice and light so they are good for spring and fall. I love the pattern too! Not only is it a gorgeous high-quality scarf, it's an exclusive for PopSugar subscribers. This alone makes the box worthwhile!
Baublebar Elephant Ring Tree ($12) Oh my gosh, isn't this adorable? I have been accumulating rings lately and I have nowhere to store them. This is cute and definitely something I need.
Jurlique Advanced Serum ($27) I haven't tried this yet. Frankly, skin care is not my thing, especially moisturizing skin care, but I can see why this would be an awesome thing for most subscribers.
Dogeared Lucky Horseshoe Necklace ($26) I have wanted one of these necklaces forever. Basically, the premise is that you make a wish as you put the necklace on. Once the string wears enough for the necklace to fall off, your wish will come true. Cheesy concept but I think these are so delicate and cute. I just can't justify paying so much for something that is designed to break. I wish this was silver instead of gold, but I can't exactly expect anything else from PopSugar. They almost never send out silver jewelry.
ActiveForever Mini Fitness Fusion Ball ($9.95) I'm really not sure how to use this, but the information card directs subscribers to the PopSugar blog. I would rather get something like resistance bands, but I don't have one of these yet so it might be a fun addition to my fitness routine.
Snapea Crisps ($2) I've had these before and just...nope. Don't like them. I don't like vegetables with strange textures for the most part. Luckily I have a more adventurous roommate who was happy to snap these up (no pun intended).
Nature's Bakery Strawberry Fig Bar ($1) I have had these before too. They're okay. The bready coating on them is a little thick for my tastes. I think I prefer Fig Newtons but I would guess that they aren't as healthy.
This month's box was amazing! I highly recommend a PopSugar subscription if you're looking for a monthly pick-me-up. It's definitely my favorite non-beauty box. Click here to sign up and check it out for yourself!
I just got the February box today. Late for a February box, but I got it as a gift from a friend so I assume it was just sent out later because it wasn't purchased in advance. I have been wanting to try Glossybox for ages but for some reason I never have, so it was the perfect gift for me.
The packaging for this box is just amazing, some of the best I've ever seen.
The pale pink and deep brown color combo is beautiful, the box itself is high quality, and the way it is wrapped so nicely makes it a really amazing gift.
The theme for February was "The Month of Love." Pretty appropriate.
Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Serum ($12.50) Moisturizers are not right for my skin type, but serums work just fine, so I'm excited to try this out. This is a decent size, and truffle extract just screams fancy.
Lauren B. Beauty Nail Polish in City of Angels ($18) My toenails have been bare for a couple of weeks now. can't remember the last time they went so long with no polish. I keep thinking "why haven't I painted them yet?" Obviously I was just waiting for this nail polish to come along! I painted them with it right away. I was worried this would be too sheer since it's such a light color but actually it only took two coats to come out opaque. The brush is pretty tiny too which is nice for small toenails.
Pureology Colour Fanatic ($3.58) I use a protector spray before I straighten my hair every day, and I'm almost out of my current bottle, so this is perfect. I haven't tried this brand and I use this type of product all the time.
Anatomicals Wake-Up Under Eye Patches ($11.29) The packaging on this is adorable. The back of it has this whole thing about vampires and under-eye bags, and I'm a sucker for good copywriting. I can't wait to test these out.
Sumita Beauty Kala Contrast Pencil ($15) I was excited to see this. I am addicted to eyeliner, and I've never tried Sumita liner. I just recently started getting into pencils, and this looks like it will be awesome for the waterline.
I got $60.37 worth of product, and I paid...well, nothing, since this was a gift. Definitely a steal! I love the mix of skincare, haircare, and makeup, and everything was full size or a deluxe sample from a high-end brand. The packaging is really gorgeous too. All in all, a great box, and a great gift! I might have to buy a few more months the next time they have a special!
This month's Ipsy theme is "Celebration" which totally fits the month of December. I just got my bag yesterday, which is pretty late by Ipsy standards, but I've been pretty busy lately so I hardly noticed.
The Bag ($1?) This is easily the nicest Ipsy bag we've ever been sent. I love the diamond pattern and the black is neutral which is great. The inside has a red liner (finally not pink!), which is fitting for this month. I love it.
POPBeauty Bright Up Your Life Sample Palette in Naturally Bare ($7.20) Ipsy sent out two variations of this item, and I got the one I wanted! The other one had black, grey, and white, which would have been okay but I'm not sure if I would have used the black. The browns will be way easier to wear. I'm so excited to try this!
Nicka K New York Nail Color in Ripe Apple ($4.99) This is a nice red color, but I have lots of red polishes and only occasionally wear them. I was really hoping for the taupe shade that was also sent out, but I bet I'll be able to trade.
J Cat Big Lip Pencil in Caramel Mocha ($3.99) This color kind of confuses me. It's not really what I would call "caramel mocha." It is a brownish pink I guess? I will have to give it a try. The color makes me a little nervous, but maybe it will be a new favorite!
Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Sunset ($16) This is a gorgeous medium pink shade. The premise behind "the one stick" is that it can be used on eyes, lips, and cheeks. I would never put this color on my eyes (and don't like cream shadows much anyway). I also am unlikely to put it on my lips since it has a cream-to-powder finish, but I might try it out. For me, this is mostly going to be a blush, which is perfectly fine, but I wish they marketed it that way.
Mirabella Eye Blender Brush ($27) The brush kept rolling around so I had to hold it in place with my fingers. It's amazing, though! Nice, soft bristles and a high-quality, heavy handle. I love it! This definitely made the bag worthwhile for me and I'm so glad I got it!
My bag this month has about $60 worth of products! That's amazing value! Unfortunately, my stockpile of products is growing rapidly and I can only use so many lip products, shadows, etc. Ipsy keeps sending me too many of the same types of products, faster than I can go through them, so it is time to take a little break. Once I get through some of my supply, I'm sure I will be back! I don't think I will be able to stay away for too long.
Now that I've canceled, I don't get points for referrals, but I still recommend the service if you're looking to expand your makeup collection at a low cost. It would make for a great gift, too!
Birchbox changed their outer box this month. I like the extra festive-ness!
There's a special inner box this month too. Obviously the theme this time around is "Sparkle and Shine." Birchboxes don't usually have much to do with the theme, so this isn't exactly notable, but I like the special box! It would be great if they would print the theme on the box every month.
Birchbox included this extra in everyone's boxes this month to promote their new app. The extra is that little black square. You stick it to the back of your phone, then use the other side to wipe your screen. I tested it out and I love it!
Pura Botanica Botanic Bath Infusion in Pick Me Up ($9.33) This is one of the coolest things I have gotten from Birchbox. It's like a tea bag for your bath. Pretty cool! I got this in an orange and lavender scent. I took a bath with it already, and I really loved that the bag let the himalayan salt dissolve while keeping any big chunks of anything (it looked like there were bits of lavender and dried orange peel) neatly contained in the bag. I would never, ever pay $9 for this, though. If I'm spending that kind of money, I would be happier with a couple of bath bombs from Lush.
Emily's Milk Chocolate Covered Fortune Cookie ($1) Yum! I ate this right away, and it was absolutely delicious. I hope they have them year round because I might add them on to my next order. My fortune was "You will create many good memories this holiday season." I sure hope so!
Hair Rules Quench Conditioner ($3.50) I was excited to get this since my mom got the shampoo. I hate trying one piece of a shampoo/conditioner regimen. I definitely liked the conditioner more than the shampoo.
I loved the pillow sleeve these items came in! So pretty and fun!
Borghese Superiore State-of-the-Art Mascara ($6.50) Mascara is my go-to makeup product, so I am always excited to try new ones!
Willa Lavender Facial Towelettes ($2.33) I am not a fan of lavender scents, so it was kind of a bit much to get two in one box, but I love getting face wipes in my boxes so I am happy to get these nonetheless.
My box this month has a value of $22.66. This is one of the lower-valued boxes I have received, but I will use every single item, so I am actually really happy with it! I love Birchbox! If you want to sign up using my referral code, click here.
