Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Walmart Beauty Box: December 2014

Walmart puts out a beauty box once a season. It's $5, which is the shipping fee. The products themselves are free.  If you subscribe, they bill you once a box is released and then send it to you. 

The Goodies:

-L'Oreal Oleo Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner: This shampoo and conditioner is sulfate free and is formulated with a 6 flower-oil blend. The bottles are 2 fl oz each, so pretty good sizes.


-Jergens BB Body Skin Perfecting Cream: This cream is for all light skin tones and is supposed to products results in 5 days of use. It says that it hydrates, illuminates, evens, firms, and corrects. The sample is 1 oz.


-Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in "Maple Kiss": This is a full-sized lipstick is a red-brown shade.


-Olay Fresh Effects "Everything Off" Face Wipes: I can never get enough face wipes. Love it! This package has 7 wipes- perfect for the travel bag or purse!


Maybelline powder sample & Nivea lotion sample: These are small samples that I probably won't use, so I'll pass them along in a divvy.


My thoughts: You can't go wrong with the Walmart Beauty Box. The value is always there and I love discovering new products!





Box of Happies: December 2014

Box of Happies is a subscription box that send 3 to 5 unique handmade products It's $24.99 + $4.99 shipping each month.

This month there were 4 items sent in their traditional plastic box that I like to reuse for makeup and other things.

The Goodies:

-Creative Window Hanging Mason Lar Lid ($3.47): This is pretty neat! You screw it on to any mason jar and then hang it up! I'm thinking of using it either to put flowers in or to put birdseed in. We'll see. This came from Creative Window- www.creativewindow.etsy.com


The Pickle Queen Stud Earrings ($7): These earrings are made from polymer clay. They're about the size of a pea and are purple, green, and gold. Makes me think of Mardi Gras!


-Box of Happies keychain ($6):This tassel keychain is a lot like the necklace they sent a few months ago. It's a nice size and the green is great for the holdiay!


Box of Happies Necklace & Earrings ($16): This necklace and earrings are super cute. The earrings are very delicate little feathers and the necklace is a birdcage.


My thoughts: Box of Happies did a really good job with this box. Each of the items is super unique and you can tell a lot of hard work went into them.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

PopSugar MustHave: December 2014

PopSugar MustHave is probably my very favorite subscription box. I always love the things they send, and I know that I'll be receiving quality products in my box. The box is $40/month and includes about 6 different products ranging from snacks to accessories and makeup.

The goodies:
-Williams-Sonoma Cupcake Mix in Vanilla Bean: Williams-Sonoma is one of those luxury brands that always send a catalog to drool over, but very few of my friends or I can afford the products in it. This cupcake mix retails for $14.95. For my group of friends, that is an insane amount to pay for something that is going to make a dozen cupcakes. Receiving this in a box makes me feel just a little more "Martha Stewart."


-Canvas Dauville Platinum Bowl: This hand-painted bowl has a platinum interior and is perfect to hold rings or small baubles on a dresser. Love it!


-Knot & Bow Parcel Tags: This little package contains 10 blue cardstock tags. What I love about this is that they aren't specific to the holidays- I can use the anytime! 


-Smashbox Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Lacquer in "Bordeaux": This is a high-quality lip color with a great pigment that is perfect for the winter. 


Sparklepop Sydney Necklace: This necklace is 18K gold-plated and has a super long chain that can be worn as it, wrapped once and then hung, or layered with shorter necklaces. I love wearing my necklaces long, so this is perfect for me!


-SPUN by Subtle Luxury Speckled Metalic Scarf: This is a festive speckled scarf that is great to add the extra pop any outfit needs. It's also super soft!


My thoughts: PopSugar boxes never fail to disappoint!! These boxes bring a unique mix of whimsy, class, and luxury that no other box does. If I had to cancel all subscriptions but one, PopSugar MustHave would be the one I would keep. What an awesome December box!






BeautyBox5: December 2014

My BeautyBox5 came in the mail yesterday! BeautyBox5 is $12/month, although you can get it for much less with sales and a yearly subscription. Mine costs me between $7-$8. Like the name suggests, they send you 5 beauty products monthly. The products are usually sample size and tend to be drugstore level. I usually get things like nail polish, shampoo, and body wash. Last month they send flossers.

This month's goodies:

-Lucky Brand Lucky Number 6: This fragrance is a "blend of lotus, tiger lily, cashmere woods, and jasmine." I'm set with fragrance for now, so I'll be passing this along to someone else. 


-Nanacoco Nail Polish in "Gold": This is a great glittery holiday polish. This has both fine and chunky glitter, which I think is awesome. 


-Body Drench Lip Drench in "Pomegranate": This appears to be like any other lip balm. I can always find a use for another lip balm, but I don't necessarily see this as something particularly exciting.


-Absolute! New York Nail Polish Remover Pads in "Spring Fresh": This is a cute little container of nail polish remover rounds. Great for in your purse or weekend bag. Love it!


-Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Moisturizer: I love seeing Juice Beauty in any subscription box. I've never used their moisturizer, but I'm sure I'll like it as much as their other products. This tube is a decent size, probably enough to use it for a week. That means that I can really get a feel for whether or not I like it.


My thoughts: All of the products in this box are things I can use. BeautyBox5 is a great subscription for anyone who like to try beauty products but doesn't wear a lot of makeup. They always include plenty of body and skin products. Plus, you can't beat the price!
                                                                   







Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Mission Cute: December 2014

My December Mission Cute box came in the mail yesterday. Mission Cute is $39/month (less with a multi-month subscription) and they also just started their mini-box, which starts at $17/month. Mission Cute donates 50% of their proceeds to a different non-profit each month. This month is was Seed of Health. Seed of Health is a team of UC Berkeley students and alumni who "seek to empower local healthcare professionals and establish self-sustaining clinics to help underserved communities plant and nurture 'seeds of health' for better, healthier lives." Look them up at www.seedofhealth.org.

This month's goodies:

-Menucha Jewelry Mother of Pearl Ring: This ring is adjustable and includes blue, purple, and green tones. Retails for $18.


-MIssionCute Exclusive Infinity Scarf: This scarf is a cute combo of polka-dot and plaid. Retails for $32.


-Libete Honey Vanilla Bean Lotion: This is a very nice sized lotion and smells just like vanilla extract- not a weird fake vanilla. It only has 5 ingredients: Water, Olive Oil, Almond Oil, Beeswax, and Vanilla Essential Oil. Love it! Retail is $9.


-MissionCute Holiday Pickle Ornament: I have never heard of the Holiday Pickle tradition until now. It's pretty cute, and now I have a pickle for our tree! Retail is $5.


-Printable Wisdom's Greatest Hits Calendar: This calendar features inspirational words for every month of the year. It's available to print yourself from PrintableWisdom on Etsy for $15 or $29 if printed by MissionCute on card-stock like they sent us.


My thoughts: Another winner from Mission Cute!! I love all of the products and will be able to use each one for myself or as a gift. My holiday pickle is already hanging on our tree! 









Target Beauty Box: December 2014

Target recently released two beauty boxes- a "naturals" box for $5, and a regular beauty box for $10, both with free shipping. I purchased both boxes. The naturals box came first, and I've already done that review. My regular beauty box came in the mail a few days ago.

The goodies:

-Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black: This product is a target exclusive. It's supposed to deliver a liquid liner effect in the form of a pencil. I swatched it, and the application is extremely silky and smoooth. This is a smaller pencil, about the size of a golf pencil, which will be great for travel. I already have tons of eyeliners, but I think I'll be keeping this one. The formula intreagues me.


-Revlon HD Lacquer in Fire Opal: This lip lacquer from Revlon claims to have true hue clarity, meaning that the color that it appears to be in the bottle is the color that comes out on your lips. This particular shade isn't for me, so I'll probably be posting it on eDivv.


- Hair Food Thickening Solution: Another Target exclusive, this product gets sprayed into roots and is supposed to add volume and fullness to the hair. I have very thick hair, so I will also be trading this on eDivv.


-L'Oreal Butterfly Intenza Mascara: This mascara has a unique double-winged brush that is supposed to add both volume and length. I've seen a lot of positive reviews of this product, so I'm excited to try it out.


-CoverGirl Eye Enhancers Kit: This is the natural nudes quad. I love a good quad. It makes it super easy to put an eye look together quickly.


-ChapStick Total Hydration Lip Care: This products i also a target exclusive. It's peach flavored, which I find unique. Who doesn't need ChapStick? I'm happy to add this to my collection. It says that it's 3-in-1 lipcare because it "moisturizes, renews, and transforms," but honestly all lip balms do that, in my opinion.


-Laneige Water Sleeping Mask: Another target exclusive, this is an overnight mask that you rinse off in the morning. It's also infused with "Sleepscent," which I assume helps you sleep.


-Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Advanced Serum: This serum is in a foil packet, which doesn't really allow you to try out a product since you need to use a serum for at least a week to really see a difference.  However, this is hypoallergenic and anti-aging.


My thoughts: For $10, this box is a steal. I'll use at least half of the products, and the only real let-down is the foil packet, but honestly, that's a minor thing given the overall value of this box. I love Target Beauty Boxes. They're always so worth the buy.











Friday, December 12, 2014

Target Naturals Beauty Box: December 2014

Target releases beauty boxes every few months. Today I got my Target Naturals Beauty Box in the mail. This box was $5 and shipping was free. The goodies came in a heavy-duty cardboard box and will be great to reuse for gift wrapping or eDivv shipping. 

The goodies:

-SoapBox Argan Shampoo: This sample is 2oz, so it's a big enough for 2 or 3 uses. This shampoo has Moroccan Argan oil in it to both cleanse and add shine. This product is a Target exclusive.


-Skinfix Hand Repair Cream: This product is also a Target exclusive. It contains colloidal oatmeal and is supposed to soothe both dry skin and eczema. This sample is 1oz, which is a perfect purse size.


-Burt's Bees Facial Wipes: I love Burt's Bees and I use facial wipes on a very regular basis. This is a pack of 10, which is perfect for taking on a weeked trip. 


-SheaMoisture Coconut Hibiscus Smoothie: This product smells amazing! Even though I have wavy, not curly, hair, I'm going to keep this and use it anyway. I can always use help fighting the frizz. Plus, I just want my hair to smell this good.


-Borghese Age Defying Facial Scrub: Another target exclusive, this scrub is supposed to refind uneven texture and also cleanse. I received two 1oz bottles of this product- score!


-Acure Organics Brightening Facial Scrub: This is a 1oz sample of scrub. According to the information card, this uses organic sea kelp and organic lemon peel to purify skin. 


My thoughts: This box was a steal! For all of these products, I paid only $5 and no shipping. Can't beat that! I also ordered the regular Target Beauty Box, and that should be here next week. I can't wait to see that one since this box was so great!








Ipsy Glam Bag: December 2014

My Ipsy Glam Bag came in today's mail!! Ipsy is $10/month and sends 4-5 personalized beauty products in a cute makeup bag. I have a yearly subscription, so that knocks the price down a little. Ipsy uses Ipsy Match and customizes your bag based on your product reviews of past bag products. 

This month's goodies:

-Ipsy Makeup Bag: This month's bag is a simple black bag with a dark mauve inside. Love it!


-Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara: I love Tarte and this mascara. Perfect for travel!


-Pixi Fairy Dust in "Brightening Bare": This is a loose pigment that is supposed to add some shimmer to your eyeshadow. Everyone who received this sample from Ipsy got this same shade, but the product also homes in darker and lighter shades of brown and tan.


-Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry: This is a leave-in product that you apply to damp hair and then blow dry. I always use a leave-in product to help fight frizz, and I've been wanting to try Bumble and Bumble. Can't wait to try this product!


-NYX Butter Lip Balm: I own a few of the NYX Butter Glosses and I love them! I received a shade that is a little dark for me in this bag, so I'm going to put it on eDivv. However, I'm sure this product won't disappoint.


-Precision Beauty Eyelash Curler: I was thinking a few weeks ago how I needed a second eyelash curler for my travel bag. Well, Ipsy sent one in my Glam Bag!! I can't wait to add this to my collection.


My thoughts: Once again, Ipsy is on point with this bag. I truely believe that the Ipsy Match program works if you use it. I consistently get products that match, but that only started happing after I had reveiwed my past bag. Can't wait for next month!!





 

Birchbox: December 2014

My Birchbox came in the mail yesterday! This is my first Birchbox in two year; I re-subscribed during their amazing Black Friday sale. Birchbox is normally $10/month. However, I got one year for $88, so my boxes cost me about $7.34/month. BIrchbox sends five beauty samples each month. 

The goodies:

-Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentré: This moisturizer received great reviews. I read reviews from many people who love using it as both a moisturizer and a makeup remover. Birchbox touts this as "a makeup artist fave" that "heals dryness and preps skin for foundation."


-Lord & Berry Paillettes Glitter Eye Pencil in Black: This is a little black eye pencil with a touch of silver shimmer. Perfect to add some sparkle during the holiday season.


-Manna Kadar Lip Locked: This lipgloss is supposed to last all day as sort of a stain. My only issue is that this sample is tiny- only big enough to use once or twice. You can't tell in the picture, but it's smaller than a golf pencil. 


-Number 4 Hair Care Hydrating Shampoo: This shampoo is a good sample size and they even throuh in a foil-packet sample of conditioner.


-RUSK Texture Spray: This spray can be used to give extra volume by spraying just on the roots, or it can also give all-over flexible hold.


My thoughts: Birchbox sent a pretty good spread of different products this month. Haircare, moisturizer, lip gloss, and eyeliner. While I currently don't need any products in my personal collection, I'll be able to find a place for each of them- either trading on eDivv or putting it in my donation pile for the local women's shelter.