Golden Tote May 2014

Rating: Lifer!!!!!
Cost: $49 or $149/tote (I'm reviewing the $149 tote today)

My Golden Tote for May arrived and I was so excited to see what surprises I would receive. I was loving almost every surprise item I had seen other people post, so I knew this was going to be a great month! I also couldn't wait to try on the pieces I chose. I decided to try something new this month and actually model the clothes for you. Ok, so I hate hate hate getting my picture taken and always look awkward. Please forgive that. And now onto the box.

Golden Tote changed their tote design for this month and I'm loving the simple design. I will definitely carry this bag (I carry all the previous totes also and I have lots)!!!

So, when you order a tote of surprise clothing there is always a chance you won't like everything included. I generally do, so I continue to order.

This month I really wanted the Slouchy Statement Pants, but they sold out in my size as I was checking out, so I decided to order the Paisley Pants instead. I loved the Striped Pants from last month (that also sold out too quick, so I missed out), so I thought I'd try the Paisley Pants. I was a bit unsure of the mostly red pattern, but I was going to try to be adventurous. When these arrived, I quickly tried them on and looked in the mirror and hated them on me. I do have one really bad mirror selfie of myself in these pants so I could try to trade them, but I do not feel comfortable posting it here. So, for these I will be posting the picture from Golden Tote. I ended up trading these, and I'm hoping the dress I traded them for suits me better.

The other item I chose was the Pleated Printed Top in the pink ikat pattern. I didn't have any doubt that I would love this shirt. When it arrived it was a much brighter pink than pictured (like neon) and it washed me out and made me look even more pale than I already am (if that's possible). And it fit large, so I decided to trade this also. Again, I have a really bad mirror selfie picture of me in this shirt. So, instead I will post the picture from Golden Tote.

So, this tote wasn't going too well for me at this point. I knew I had the option to return the entire tote and that was in my mind, but I wanted to see what else was included first. And I was hoping Golden Tote made better clothing choices for myself than I did!

The first surprise item I tried on I was kind of meh about. It was an Under Skies speckled racer back tank with braided straps in navy. It was very sheer, so I knew I'd have to wear something under it. I tried to style this with different colored pants, skirts, shorts and it went with everything! I could wear it untucked or tucked in and it looked great. I was so happy with the versatility of this shirt! This was a definite keeper and I know I'll be wearing it with everything this summer. It's perfect because it works for the office or weekends. Here I styled it with some yellow jeans and strappy sandals.

The next item I tried on I fell in love with! It was the Priddy by Puella shift dress in navy with pinstripes. This dress is so comfortable and will be great to throw on to go to the beach. Or for a casual lunch with friends. It's so soft and the Puella pieces always become my go to pieces! I wear them so often!!! I paired this with some slip on espadrille flats and a nautical inspired necklace.

The next item was also by Priddy by Puella and was a swing tee. Again, I loved this immediately! I tried it on and thought I would never take it off. It's comfortable and casual and I love the coral and grey stripes! I styled it very simply with my favorite jeans that roll up to show a bird pattern underneath and some yellow flats and a beaded necklace. It's a cute, playful look!

The final surprise item I was a little unsure of at first, but it is growing on me. It's a Naked Zebra pink tank dress. I love the details at the neckline and defined waist, but I wasn't too sure of the color on me, because I am so pale (and pretty much stay this color all year long, because I don't get tan). I saw others get a great teal color and I think I would have been so happy with that color. I'm trying to be adventurous and make this work on me! I paired it with the dark purple bralette from a past Golden Tote and some strappy metallic sandals and simple, sparkly jewelry. I actually like this look and want to wear this for a summer date night!

I wasn't too sure about this Golden Tote, because the items I chose did not work for me. But I'm loving all my surprise items! I ended up trading the two items I chose this month and will report back with pictures if they work out. Did you order a tote in May?!? What was your favorite item?

*This subscription was purchased and financed by me, unless noted otherwise. Posts may contain referral links and I totally appreciate it when you use them!

Soap Diamond

Rating: Love It!!!!

Cost: $14.99 including shipping

I have something new to share with you today. It's called Soap Diamond and you're all going to want to try it, if you love surprises as much as I do! It's a heart shaped soap with a ring inside worth $5-$500. They advertise one size fits all rings, but we'll see. I have tiny fingers, so if it works for me, it will work for everyone! It arrived in a plain brown box and the inner packaging looked like this.

Here's what was inside the black box. The soap has a nice, soft rose scent. I had no idea what it would smell like because you do not get to choose a scent, but I was very pleased. It is not over powering and I think most people would love it!

I took the next picture for size reference. It's next to a regular crayola crayon.

If you look real close you can see a slot on the middle of the soap, where the ring should be! So, now for the fun part. I'm leaving it up to you to decide how I get the ring out. Should I cut the soap in half, so I can show you the ring immediately?!? Or should I use it as hand soap until it wears down to the ring and report back?!? Let me know in the comments below...

Ok...I couldn't wait any longer. I had to see what was hiding in my soap. So, I cut it open and here is what I found.

It's a silver adjustable band ring with a single clear crystal stone (looks similar to a traditional engagement ring). It's very sparkly and pretty!

What do you think?!?

*This complimentary box was received in exchange for my honest review. As always the opinions are my own!

Thursday Thoughts

I'm linking up with Jen from Ramblings of a Suburban Mom for Thursday Thoughts.

I haven't participated in this link up in a couple weeks. We moved last week and it's been a little hectic.

I'm having the worst time getting my packages delivered to either my old address or new address and it's very frustrating. Most shipped USPS and if you've ever had to call their customer service number or tried to speak with someone at a local post office, you probably feel my pain. Like with most companies, you are given the run around, oh, you'll need to call this office, I can't see your information, and so on and so on, around in circles. So, I should have more reviews up for May, but I will most likely post them in June, if my packages ever make it to me. Aghhhh. Why do they not just forward when you fill out an address forward form?!? Isn't that what is supposed to happen? It will make me very sad if they get sent back to the vendors instead of me :(

I should be getting my Golden Tote today and that one is being delivered to my new address, so it should not end up in the pile of packages some post office has for me. And if it does, I will be tracking that one down and picking it up immediately. I already feel like I waited too long for this month's tote and I'm so anxious to see what I get. I'm loving almost all the surprise items I've seen so far. I can't wait to see if it was a mistake to choose the paisley pants. I've seen so many people trading them and they never sold out. I'm hoping they fit me and don't look completely ridiculous on me. I really wanted the striped pants from last month and the slouchy statement pants from this month, but both sold out faster than my connection to check out. And I'm hoping to get the grey/white eyelet Priddy by Puella dress this month. It's so my style!

I'm really excited about the Popbasic Paloma collection, that should be on sale next week. I will be ordering as soon as I get notice that it's available. Will you be ordering???  I recently posted some spoiler pictures and information about Popbasic, that you can check out here.

I don't have too much to talk about, since I've been concentrating on moving and trying to unpack a ton of moving boxes. I'll be happy when that's over and we can start renovating and decorating.

Popbasic

As you all probably know by now, I'm addicted to clothes! I love finding online companies that provide quality pieces you can rely on. I discovered Popbasic a few months after they launched and I've ordered almost every collection since. They have proven to deliver quality clothing and accessory collections and I love hearing what they will come out with next!

Popbasic has been doing some exciting things lately, and I wanted to tell you all about them. You've probably noticed a Popbasic badge on the left side of my blog. If you sign up using that badge or any link in this post you'll receive a $15 credit to use on your next purchase. I think that's a great deal and definitely worth clicking that button! Also, by signing up you'll be notified when collections launch and of upcoming collections that you won't want to miss out on. And once you sign up you can refer friends to earn $15 credits for yourself and your friends!

Launching very soon (probably this week sometime) will be the collection I've been waiting for, the Paloma collection. It will include a classic white t-shirt, a grey leather clutch, and a striped infinity scarf. The collections are always priced between $50-$100, but the price is not disclosed until the collection launches, so I'm not sure what the exact cost of this collection will be. But you can save $15 by signing up and purchasing the collection through one of my links.

For a limited period of time, Popbasic is also offering an item you can pre-order from past collections that are coveted by many. Last week was your chance to pre-order the Le Breton from their Salut! collection (I was bummed I had missed this whole collection) So, of course, I ordered the shirt and it will ship sometime in June I believe. They also plan on making popular pieces in a variety of colors, such as the red Le Breton that will be available sometime in the future. Here's a sneak peek!

I love Popbasic for their classic, timeless pieces that can be worn with many different outfits. The accessories always seem to be my go to pieces. I can't wait for the Paloma collection to launch! I've been stalking my e-mail and the Popbasic Facebook page for weeks in anticipation! Will you be purchasing the Paloma collection or the red Le Breton?!?

UPDATE: Popbasic announced they will have the Paloma Collection on sale beginning Wednesday, May 28th at 10am PST. And I get to tell you all that the collection will cost $85 with free worldwide shipping. Remember if you use any of my links you'll receive $15 off your purchase (even if you have already signed up, as long as you haven't been referred by anyone else). The Paloma Collection will include a Basic White Tee, Grey Infinity Scarf, Paloma Leather Clutch, and a beauty treat!!! Click here if you want to see more photos or watch the video for the Paloma collection. I can't wait to get my hands on this! I love it all!!!

 

I also have a couple more pictures to share with you of the red Le Breton that will be available early June and the Jane collection that will be available in June.

*This subscription was purchased and financed by me, unless noted otherwise. Posts may contain referral links and I totally appreciate it when you use them!

Fair Ivy May 2014

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: Jewelry $25/month; Mystery $16/month; The Duet $35/month

I received a Fair Ivy subscription as a birthday gift. I love the items this company sends out and couldn't wait to be getting the surprises. I was very sad to learn that Fair Ivy is going on a subscription hiatus beginning at the end of June, so June will be the last month they will be sending out surprise gifts for awhile. But, I was very happy that I got in for the last 2 months of surprises.

Fair ivy is unique in that the artisans that make the surprise items are the ones that send them directly to you. And if you order The Duet subscription that means you get surprises at 2 different times during the month. You can subscribe to get just the jewelry item or just the mystery item also (all subscription prices are at the top of the page).

The first surprise to arrive was the jewelry item and it arrived the day before my birthday last week, so I saved it as a surprise to open on my birthday! The packaging is amazing on this surprise gift, so I took a few more pictures than normal to show you what you can expect to receive.

This was such a nice surprise to open on my birthday! Want to see what was inside that pretty box?!? It was a beautiful gold necklace from Polished Podge. It's dainty and looks great with my Dogeared horseshoe necklace that I've been wearing since I received it in the March Popsugar Must Have box. The picture does not do this necklace justice. The beads are sparkly and beautiful and I love how dainty and classic it is. This will go with everything!

The following week I received an additional package from Fair Ivy (I'm subscribed to The Duet). This one smelled amazing, even in the box, and I couldn't wait to open it up and see what it was. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you how great this box smelled. I seriously could not stop smelling it!!! When I opened the box all I saw was a Butter Toki card. And hidden under the card were individual wrapped goodies. I was so excited, because there was not one, but four surprises. I really thought it would be only one by the size of the box it was sent in.

And here's everything unwrapped. I still can't get over how good everything smelled!

One item included was the Jojoba Cube in Enchanting Garden. This has a flowery clean scent that I am in love with. This went right to my bath! It's a glycerin soap with exfoliating crystals. I'm completely addicted to this scent and will have to buy more of this when it's gone!

Another item was Body Butter Fluff in Black Raspberry Vanilla. This is great, because it's more of a lotion bar and sinks right into your skin. It's not sticky or greasy and isn't a sickly sweet scent. And it's very moisturizing. It's different than anything I've ever tried before and it's really growing on me.

The next item I was most excited to try. It was Lip Scrubbie in Coconut. This smelled like a tropical beach. It made my lips so soft and smooth. There's something so irresistible about a lip scrub. I love that I can read all the ingredients in this and it works great!

The final item I put on right after using the lip scrub. It was Juicy Cherry chapstick. I'm in love!!! This has the best texture of any chapstick I've ever tried. It's so smooth and makes your lips feel amazing (not sure if it's a combination of the scrub and this or what, but I love it, whatever it is). And the scent is like fresh cherries, sweet and delicious. It seriously can not get any better than this! I will be ordering more!!!

I am completely in awe over each of these products and will use them all until they are completely gone and will have to purchase more. Now to tell you a bit about the company Butter Toki. They opened in January 2014 and focus on the art of hand making products, putting attention to detail on every product made. They work with fun and quirky scents while keeping nourishing ingredients as their main focus. Here is a link to their website if you'd like to check out more. Their website makes me want to buy one of everything!

I'm very sad Fair Ivy is taking a hiatus, because they really do find amazing artisans. And I love trying new products! I am a big fan of the delicate jewelry they've sent to subscribers month after month and all the other fun extras. I hope when they come back they continue in the same way!

Popsugar Must Have May 2014

Rating: Like It!!!
Cost: $39.95/month

I feel very lucky because it's my birthday tomorrow and my May Popsugar Must Have box arrived today, just in time for the big day. I thought about waiting to open it, but I couldn't wait to see what was included this month. I've been loving the last few months, so I was hoping this month would be great too!

The May box was all about summer! Here was the first look.

And here is everything that was included.

The Must Have Home item included was Kerry Cassill Eye Mask. This was designed exclusively for Popsugar Must Have and is made with soft voile cotton. I really like the fabric, but I don't use eye masks. My almost 2 year old daughter tires me out enough and no sleep mask is required for me to get a good nights rest. I didn't remove it from the packaging because I'm unsure whether I will keep this and try it out or gift it to a friend.

The Must Have Beauty product included was Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Pool Boy Nail Lacquer. I love this color and can't wait to do my next manicure/pedicure in this. It's also 100 percent vegan and cruelty free!

Another Must Have Beauty product included was Smell Bent St Tropez Dispenser. When I opened my Popsugar box I could smell this right away and it made me think of a sandy beach. I loved it and couldn't wait to spray this on me. When I opened the smaller box the perfume was in, it smelled a bit strong. I sprayed it on me and it stayed strong smelling (more like a flowery perfume than the beach). I wanted the scent to fade to the beachy smell that entered the room when I opened the box, but it did not. I'm so disappointed in this because I was looking for a summer scent I love, but this does not work on me at all. It gave me an instant headache, even though it smelled great when I opened the box.

The Must Have Fitness item included was a Tone It Up DVD. Let's face it, I buy these workout DVDs and they sit on my movie stand collecting dust. I have every intention of using them, but never do. I'd like to think that I'll use this, but I'll probably just add it to my collection.

The Must Have Home item included was a Zing Anything Citrus Zinger. I love this water bottle that you can infuse fruit into. I can't wait to try this! This was my favorite item included in the box this month.

The final Must Have Food item included was Hi I'm Skinny Sticks Multi-Grain Sweet Onion. These have 40% less fat than potato chips and 15g of whole grains per serving. I always love finding healthy snacks that taste good. I haven't tried these yet, but I'm excited to.

If you ordered the Popsugar Must Have Special Edition Resort box, you also received Vbeaute Lip Spread Anti-Age Tinting Lip Gloss as a bonus because of the delay in shipping. I don't own anything from this brand, but I can't resist lip gloss and I'm looking forward to trying this.

I wasn't as happy with the May box as I was with the past couple boxes. I wanted to love the perfume and if I did, I probably would have loved this box, but it just doesn't work for me. I also most likely won't be using the sleep mask or workout DVD. This box was mostly misses for me, but I do love the water bottle and nail polish (just not sure they are worth $39.95 to me). I'm hoping June will be more my taste!

What did you think of Popsugar Must Have this month?

* This subscription was purchased and financed by me, unless noted otherwise. Posts may contain referral links and I totally appreciate it when you use them!

My Cotton Bunny May 2014

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: $16/month

I've been wanting to check out time of the month boxes for quite some time, especially My Cotton Bunny (because I think the name is perfect and I love their packaging)! When they offered to send me a box to review I was ecstatic. I think these types of subscriptions are perfect for someone when they first get their period to help them feel more comfortable with the change their body is undergoing. I know I would have loved a special treat for that time of the month at the onset. And I was very happy to receive this box, even at my age, to ease my turbulent feelings at that time of the month.

I had no idea what to expect when I opened this box. I knew there would be the feminine hygiene product I requested, but besides that it was a complete surprise. They usually include a small gift and some treats along with tampons or pads, whichever your preference is. Here is what I saw when I opened the box.

I couldn't see much with the first glance, but I did like how neatly it was packaged. I liked the view when I removed the tissue paper.

There was a card enclosed detailing what was included in the box. This month's theme was The Essence Bundle and included items to encourage you to indulge in the energy of springtime.

The first item was the feminine hygiene product. I know what you're thinking, I'm probably the only person that uses pads instead of tampons. I just could never get comfortable with tampons and always felt like they'd get stuck inside me. I might be crazy, but I just can't use them. There are some time of the month subscriptions that do not offer pads as an option, so I was very happy to learn that My Cotton Bunny offered pads. And these happen to be my go to brand! Yay!!!

Now onto the fun stuff. I saw a little bag enclosed and I had to look to see what that was first. I was so excited to see it was a sterling silver bracelet and beads to decorate the bracelet. I love this! You can wear the bracelet with or without the beads! As a bonus My Cotton Bunny included extra bead charms if you shared your favorite relaxation destination with them! I think the quality of this bracelet is great and can't wait to wear it!!!

Also, included was some treats. I love chocolate, so I can't wait to try the Righteously Raw Bite Size Chocolate in Synergy Spice! It sounds delicious. And you can never go wrong with dark chocolate.

Another treat included was Galleon Iced Tea. These teas are meant to be brewed in the fridge and I can't wait to try them! I received Mango Passion and Apricot Peach. They both sound delicious and perfect for a hot summer day!

As an added bonus a LA Fresh Makeup Remover Wipe and Always Radiant Wipes-to-Go was included. I've tried the LA Fresh Makeup Remover Wipes before and like them. These always come in handy when you don't feel like washing your face after a long day.

I loved everything included in this month's My Cotton Bunny box, especially the bracelet! This box would definitely make me feel better about it being that time of the month. Who wouldn't want a special present for themselves at that time?!? If you loved this box as much as I did and want to subscribe, sign up with the code MAYBLOGMCB to save 10%.

 *This complimentary box was received in exchange for my honest review. As always the opinions are my own!

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