Sunday, October 26, 2014

Golden Tote October 2014

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

I received my October Golden Tote this week. I also ordered a couple items from the boutique and from the Facebook Golden Tote Trading Group. For October Golden Tote teamed up with the Keep a Breast (KAB) Foundation for Breast Cancer awareness month. They changed their tote bag this month to fit the theme and the first 1000 orders received a pink KAB tote bag. Also, all orders during the month of October received a KAB bracelet (there were many different variations of the bracelet).

Here is my order, including my boutique orders. Love the pink KAB tote bag this month!


Here is a close-up of the KAB bracelet I received. It has two snaps to choose the size that works for you. I'm so happy you don't have to just tie it and leave it on forever! And I love the light blue and black color combo I received.


Here is the items I received in my boutique orders. I couldn't resist the KAB bundle, which included a long sleeve shirt, hat, and socks. I also fell in love with the nordic infinity scarf! This sold out before I was able to order it, but luckily they were able to restock and I was able to snag one.


Now for my $49 tote. You are able to choose one item and Golden Tote surprises you with 1-2 additional items. It's normally just one additional item, but once in awhile Golden Tote will surprise you with a third item that is a scarf or cami or bralette. I chose the Le Lis Peek a Boo cardigan in navy as my chosen item for the tote. I thought this cardigan would be great for work and I really like the shape and fit of it. I styled it casually with jeans here, but also think it'd look great with skirts or dresses.

 
The back is shorter and blousy and I love it!


The surprise item I received in my $49 tote was the Cut + Sew cardigan. I was very disappointed that I chose a cardigan and also received a cardigan as my only surprise item. Luckily I wear cardigans often, but I'm not too sure about the print on this one. I want to love it, because it's very comfy, but I'm unsure of it. I need to play around with styling it more. I saw a girl style it similar to the way I did in this picture, but I'm not sure my skirt is right for it. I think it needed to be slightly shorter and would have looked better in a brighter color. I do like the idea of belting it, so it appears like a peplum though. If anyone else has any style suggestions for this cardigan, please let me know. 


Here is a picture of me wearing my boutique order of the KAB bundle shirt and hat. It is a very comfy, lounge around outfit! And I'm happy that the profits go to the Keep a Breast foundation!


Here is a picture of me wearing my Nordic infinity scarf that I also ordered from the boutique. This is going to be very warm and cozy for the fall and winter months of NY. I'm sure to get lots of wear out of it!


I'm also going to share a few more pictures of items from the October Golden Tote that I was able to buy off the girls from the Facebook Golden Tote Trading Group. Now I need to tell you a story, about a girl that is obsessively addicted to clothes in a way that may not be healthy. So, each month there are one or two items from Golden Tote that will sell out within the first few minutes the sale goes live. This month it was an item I desperately wanted. It was a blouse by Porridge with a fish print (that might sound odd, but I NEEDED this shirt). So, I went online to purchase as the sale launched and could not get my order to go through for some reason. The submit order button just kept returning an error that said try again later. And needless to say, the shirt sold out. I ended up purchasing only a small tote with the items I reviewed above. 

I couldn't stop thinking about the Porridge fish blouse. I would dream about it. I searched online to see if I could purchase it anywhere else and I also emailed the Porridge company to see if I could track one down, only to find out they were all completely sold out. So, then my only chance of getting one was to hope and pray that someone didn't like how the shirt fit or wanted to part with their blouse and would sell or trade it on the Facebook Golden Tote Trading Group. I was logging on all the time and watching every tote reveal to see if anyone was willing to part with it. Unfortunately, I was always a few minutes later than someone else to respond to the handful that were traded/sold online. Then one very kind person who had responded to one that was listed for sale, decided she would let me have it over her and agreed with the seller that the blouse would be mine! And though I paid retail price for the blouse, I was ecstatic that someone would let me have it over themselves. And I could not wait to get that shirt in my hands. And the whole time it was shipping I was hoping I ordered the right size and it would work on me. And the night before it was due to arrive, I had a dream that the seller accidentally shipped the wrong shirt and I was so sad, but that didn't happen. And now I'm happy to report I own the Porridge fish blouse and I love it so so so much! I wore it the day after I received it and out to dinner with friends already. And now I have learned my lesson that if there is ever a Golden Tote item that I will not be able to live without, I need to order it in the boutique before the sale launches. Here I am, happily wearing my shirt!!!


And I also ordered this amazing Naked Zebra blouse from someone in the Golden Tote Trading Group that was a surprise item this month. There were quite a few for sale, because it ran small, so I was able to snag one. It's an amazing color of blue. And I love it!!!


The buttons in the back are such a cute detail!


Golden Tote hasn't released many spoilers for the November tote, though I believe it will launch Monday November 3rd at 9 am PST. I'm hoping we start seeing some of the items that will be offered soon. Golden Tote continues to amaze me with all the wonderful pieces they find. I wish I could order multiple $149 totes each month, but it's just not in my budget. Maybe some day!!!

*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!

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Birchbox October 2014

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: $10/month

I received my October Birchbox last week. I couldn't wait to try everything I received this month. And I was actually excited about most of them. Also, this month I bought an add on item, so I'll be talking about that too. I wish I could have ordered both add-on items this month, but the bella j. candle sold out in record time and I wasn't able to get one.


And now onto the box.



As always, Birchbox includes an information card with details about the theme for the month and everything included in the box.


I love that Birchbox has been letting subscribers choose one item that they'll receive in their box. This month I chose the ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick in Kitty and I'm so happy I did. I've been searching for the perfect nude lipstick forever and this is it...seriously. This is just slightly darker than my natural lip shade, so it looks natural, but gives my lips a fuller, more even appearance. And my lips are already getting dry as we transition to fall's cooler weather, so this is a lifesaver for making my lips look nice.


The top of the container is clear so you can see the color of the lipstick. Love that!


I also received Beauty Blender plus deluxe solid cleanser. I was very excited to try this and wasn't sure if it was something I would actually use. I don't apply a whole lot of foundation, but I do use an under eye concealer, so I applied it with this and the shape and density of it made it so easy to apply. It looked flawless and I love that it came with cleanser, so I could clean the sponge after using it. This can be used to apply everything from sunscreen to foundation, and I'll probably continue to use it for under eye concealer, but may use it for other creams also.


The Camille Beckman Tuscan Honey Glycerine Hand Therapy is a nice hand cream. It felt thick enough for fall/winter weather and had a subtle and pleasant scent. The packaging was also very cute!




I was very excited to try the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner. You apply this to your face and wait until it turns blue (about 5-10 minutes) and then rinse. I'm not sure I saw a big difference after one application, but I will continue to use this. 


The final sample I received was the Sage + Fasten Onward Eau de Parfum. I am not a fan of perfume, as I've probably said a million times already, but for some reason I love roller ball scents. I don't know what it is about them, but they seem so much easier and are usually lighter scents that don't give me a headache. This has a light citrus scent that I really liked. It's grapefruit, green apple, and lemon. When I noticed this was a roller ball, it was the first thing I tried. I put it on immediately after opening my box. 


The add-on item I purchased this month was the Loren Hope cuff bracelet. I loved this when I saw the spoiler video and knew I had to have it. It looked so dainty and I always love cuffs that are not overwhelming on tiny wrists. This is perfect for me and fits wonderful! I know I will wear this a lot and am happy I was able to get one. The add-ons sell out very quick, so it's always a huge accomplishment if I'm able to snag the ones I want.





I loved my October Birchbox samples! I've been subscribing to Birchbox for well over a year now and it's amazing that I have not received duplicate items. I still feel like this is one of my favorite boxes each month, because I love trying new things and being able to purchase the full size products of the items I love at a discount, because I accumulate Birchbox points. I'll probably never cancel Birchbox. It's one of my all-time favorites!!!


*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!

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Popsugar Must Have October 2014

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

I received my Popsugar Must Have box for October today. I had peeked at spoilers and was not too excited about this box, but wanted to see everything in person. Maybe it's because I've been subscribing for over a year now, but this box is not as exciting as it used to be. I'm really feeling very meh about it.

This October Popsugar Must Have box was inspired by tricks & treats, cat eyes, moonlight, getting cozy, and pumpkin spice.  It definitely had a fall Halloween theme. 

 
And as always Popsugar included an information card with everything included in the box.


Here is the first look when I opened the box (and removed some bubble wrap, so you could see the contents).


The first item I pulled out of the box was Happy Socks Animal Socks. These are cute leopard print socks. They're gray with black and bright pink. I love fun socks, but I'm not a huge fan of animal prints. I'll still wear these though!


The next item was Butter London Wink Eye Pencil in gray. I really don't wear eye liner, so I will probably gift this to someone that does. The packaging is really cute!


I also received an Isaac Jacobs International Acrylic Frame. This seems like a nice frame, but I think I would have preferred something with a bit more color and pattern that I could have hung on the wall. I'm not sure if I'll keep this for myself or gift it. It says the suggested retail price is $36, but I feel like you can find these types of frames at a much lower price point, so I'm not sure I see the value in it.


I think one of my favorite things included in this box was the Mine Design Chalkboard Candle. I really like the idea of being able to write on the holder, but realistically I will not make time to change it much. And it's not really something I can let my 2 year old daughter draw on, so I'm not sure I'll use it for much more than a candle in actuality. Cute though and smells great! I suppose it'd be a great gift if you could draw or write a message for the recipient, but I think it'd probably rub off in the box.


The next item was Dean & DeLuca Pumpkin Spice Malt Balls. I love anything pumpkin flavored, so I'm very excited to try these. And they're dipped in dark chocolate. Yum!!! I just wish they included a slightly larger package. These seem very small. And I'm sure I'm going to want more when I finish them!


The Nailed Kit Halloween Decals seem slightly juvenile for a Popsugar Must Have box, but I'll probably use them, because they do look fun and easy to apply. I might put some on my daughter too, if they're small enough. These were designed exclusively for Popsugar! Nice touch for Halloween, but not something I'd expect in this box.


The special extra included in the box, was probably my favorite item. It was Studio Hall Shoreline Shea Butter/Olive Oil Bar Soap. This smells great and for some reason I love bar soap! This is the only item in the box I'm really excited to try (besides the Pumpkin Spice Malt Balls). 

 
Popsugar Must Have also included a coupon for $40 off The Blue Jean Bar Blue Jean Box, but I won't be using mine, because I can't afford it right now. If anyone is interested in trying The Blue Jean Bar, let me know and I'll send you the coupon code.

This month I was kind of disappointed in the Popsugar Must Have box. I even let it sit on my table most of the day without opening it immediately, because I knew there was nothing I really needed inside it and nothing I couldn't wait to see. I feel like this month I could gift everything away and not miss any of it. I'm going to really start thinking about whether I continue to subscribe or decide to try a different subscription.

*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!

Friday, October 17, 2014

Popbasic Frankie Collection October 2014

I felt the need to post something about one of my favorite companies, since I wasn't able to snatch one of the collections last month. This month Popbasic is offering the Frankie Collection which will go on sale Wednesday, Oct 22 at 10 am PST. I am very excited for this collection!

It will include a long sleeve grey marl tee shirt, a white leather belt with rose gold hardware, and a pin dot scarf. The price of the collection has not been released yet, but last month's collection sold out in record time, so if you want this month's collection, be prepared to buy it on the 22nd. I know I will be buying it!





All 3 of these pieces I know I'll get so much wear out of. I can't wait for the belt. I loved the belt included in the Rubi Collection. I wear it all the time, and I'm even more excited for a white belt! And remember if you haven't signed up for Popbasic e-mails yet, you'll save $15 on your next purchase by clicking any of my links in this post and signing up.

Citrus Lane October 2014

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: $29/month

My 28 month old daughter's Citrus Lane box came yesterday. This month's box included items geared towards spending more time inside as the weather gets colder and toys to stimulate budding imaginations. I was definitely excited to see what was in the box. This month's box was also pink for Breast Cancer awareness month.


Here is the first look.


And as always, Citrus Lane includes an information card describing everything included in the box. Ours was a bit crinkled from it's journey here.


The item we were able to choose this month were Leg Warmers from Ooh La Leggings. I chose the polka dot style for my daughter. I have a weakness for polka dots! These are adorable and have really cute ruffles. I really should schedule pictures and plan her outfit around these!!!


We also received Taxi Story City Set from Janod. This is adorable! These encourage young imaginations by playing "city" and are compatible with standard train track sets. My daughter was zooming these cars around right away.


The Pink Car Story City Set from Janod was also included. This is also adorable! Really, what little girl can resist a pink car?!? Plus it goes along with Breast Cancer awareness month (not sure if that was intentional). But this set was made exclusively for Citrus Lane. I like that they included 2 sets in the box, so they can be used together and create more of a "city" setting. 


The final item included was Maracitos from Hohner Kids. My daughter loves these instruments and has quite a few. She immediately picked these up and started shaking them all around. And these really do sound great!



My daughter and I really enjoyed everything included in this box. Citrus Lane has been sending 4 items for quite a few of the past months. They used to have more variety in their boxes, where some months there would be large items included and others a few small items. Now it seems like they are trying to be very consistent in what they include each month. I enjoy what we get, but I think I'd like them to add more variety back. It's starting to get a bit predictable, where as before you really never knew what you would find inside the box.

*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!

BarkBox October 2014

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: $29/month

We just started getting BarkBox for our under 20 lb Shih Tzu. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I had looked at previous reviews and was happy with all the boxes, so we decided to give it a try. It arrived today and I felt the need to review it immediately. I always love opening a new box!

Please excuse the bad pictures. It was dark when I took them, so you see the glare of lights. Sorry about that. 



And here is the first look. I love the tissue paper!


As with most subscription boxes, BarkBox included a card with the theme for the month and on the back it described everything included in the box. They also included prices and codes, so you could reorder the items. I love that feature! They also included a Scout's Honor card, which explains their promise that if your pup doesn't love something in the box, they'll replace it with no fee. Wow, when I saw this I knew this box was going to be amazing! Honestly, I was a bit worried about subscribing to a box for our puppy because he is quite picky about treats, but this policy takes all the worry out of it. And I'm not sure I knew this before subscribing, so I thought I should mention it.




Ok, now onto what was included in the box. This is what I saw when I opened up the tissue paper. And it looked good! I knew my puppy was going to love what I was seeing.


The first item that caught my eye was the GoDog Mopz Rhino. This is a bright orange rhino toy with a chenille belly and it has a squeaker inside. This is completely adorable and my puppy loved it immediately. First item I pull out and the box is already a hit with everyone!




The next item was Barkworthies Hickory Beef Treats. This is a generous size of chewy dog treats that are wheat, corn, and soy free. He hasn't tried any of the treats yet, but these look like treats he'll enjoy.


He has tried the Clear Conscience Pet Chicken Tender Stikz. This is completely free of preservatives and is high in protein.  It was a chicken and cheddar flavor. I wasn't sure if he'd like it, so we decided to try this one first. He loved it! I gave it to him and looked over a few minutes later and it was already gone and he was licking his lips! Also included was the Etta Says Duck Chew. This is a large chew, so we figured we'd wait to give him this one. He's never had anything like this, so I can't wait to see what he thinks of it.


We also received the Simply Fido Ghost. This is an organic cotton toy that was custom made for BarkBox. I always enjoy when subscription boxes have items made exclusively for them. And this is perfect for Halloween! It's crinkly inside which our puppy loves. His favorite toys have always been the flat ones like these! As you can see he loved both the toys and started playing with them immediately!!!




The final item included was a Barkworthies Odor-free Bully Stick. BarkBox describes this as the best canine "candy" bar around, so we're saving this one for a special occasion (maybe Halloween). I'm pretty sure our pup is going to love this one too!


The quality of the toys and treats we received was much better than I had expected, so I'm very excited with this BarkBox and will definitely continue subscribing. I love that all the items are made in the US also. And it was a hit with the pup, so definitely a great box to start with! We received more than I expected. I thought we'd get one toy and a couple treats, but this seemed like a great value. Using the pricing on the information card it totals $34, which is more than what I paid for the box, so I'm extremely happy. And they are all new items we've never tried before! I can't wait to see what we'll get in November!!!

*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!