Sunday, January 25, 2015

Golden Tote January 2015 Mystery Tote

Rating: Like It!!!
Cost: $60/tote (still available in size x-small and small)

I received my Golden Tote January Mystery Tote last week. I couldn't wait to see what goodies from the past year I would receive. The Mystery Tote launched in January and is available until it sells out (currently only size x-small and small are available). It contains one chosen item from the past year, 2 surprise items from the past year, and one new Puella item designed for the Mystery Tote. I knew I didn't want to miss out on the Puella item, so I ordered as soon as the sale went live. Golden Tote pre-packaged the totes, so there was no guarantee you wouldn't get duplicate items you had received in previous totes. They also would not be looking at comments or profiles for this sale. But for $15/item I felt it was well worth the price. Plus some lucky Goldies may be receiving Golden Tickets, including facetime sessions to have a stylist help curate your next tote!

Golden Tote designed a special tote for this sale.


And here is a peek as to what was inside. Please note each tote for this sale was completely different, so you are not guaranteed to receive the same items as others. But the surprise factor is the most fun!


The first item in my tote was the Puella swing shirt in grey. Everyone received some variation of this shirt, but there were multiple colors made for the Mystery Tote. This is a waffle knit shirt and is very comfy and casual. It fits so adorable! I love Puella and their swing style items. They are staples in my wardrobe that I wear very often. I was so excited for this shirt. It looks great with skinny jeans and boots! Sorry I didn't take pictures of me wearing the clothes for this review. My house is a great big mess because we are in the process of remodeling, and it's been below zero for a couple weeks, so outside pictures are not an option. If I end up getting pictures of me wearing the items, I'll add them.


The next item I received was an Under Skies embroidered long sleeve shirt. This was an item I received in a previous tote and love and still wear. It's really comfy! Definitely not something I would choose for myself, but loved it when I tried it on and wear it quite a bit. Because I already own this shirt, I decided to trade it on the Facebook Golden Tote Trading Group. I ended up trading it for another Puella swing shirt in a different color, which I love! That's another great thing about Golden Tote. I have never had any problem trading the items that don't work for me from my totes.


The next item I received was my favorite item in my tote! It was a Fantastic Fawn tunic with crochet detail. I wanted to buy one of these when Golden Tote offered them, but didn't. I was so excited this was in my tote! And it fits really well. Again, it's very comfy. It's just swingy enough, but still fitted in the arms and bust. This looks great with leggings or skinny jeans. Plus I love the color!


The final item I received was a Cut + Sew dress. It was a very summery dress and like I said above it's been very cold lately, so I just wasn't into this dress. I liked the fabric and it fit well, but I just wasn't sure I'd be able to wear it enough. So, I put this up for trade, with the intention that if I couldn't trade it for something I liked better I would keep it. And I ended up trading it for a Puella swing dress in navy, which I'm really excited about. I actually already had the navy Puella swing, but got a grease stain on it that didn't come out, and needed to replace it. So it worked out for me!


I was very happy with my Golden Tote Mystery Tote. I was nervous I would get items I wouldn't wear at all, like dolman sleeves, kimonos, or rompers, but I didn't. It really makes me want to order another tote, but I'm nervous my luck might not be so good with the next, so I'm hoping they sell out soon so my temptation goes away. Plus have you seen the spoilers for the February sale yet?!? They're listed on the Golden Tote Facebook site and their Instagram site. I love so many of them, so I may just have to save up for that instead.

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!

Wantable Intimates January 2015

Rating: Like It!!!
Cost: $36/month or $40 for one time purchase

I received my Wantable Intimates January subscription last week. I was excited to see what was inside. I stopped getting this Wantable subscription for quite a while (almost a year), but decided it was worth trying again, because I had seen lots of cute reviews with great products. And now Wantable is providing more expensive and quality brands, but you receive less items, which I'm fine with. I'm not sure if there is a way to peek at what you are getting, so this box was a complete surprise. I had requested a couple items that I really wanted, but that's never a guarantee that you'll get them in your box.


With Wantable you fill out a profile with your sizes and likes and dislikes. You are not supposed to receive any items you dislike. For my loves I have Loungewear and Socks, and my likes are Tights/Hosiery, Panties, and Bras. I was really hoping for some loungewear! You can also leave comments in your profile, so I requested a couple items in mine. My stylist replied to tell me one of the items I requested was not available, but it was nice to know my comments were read.

Ok, now onto the box. Here is the first look.



Wantable includes an information card explaining everything included in the box and the retail price of the items, but I didn't take a picture of it.

The first item I received was a Velvet Insert Boxer Set by Nouveau Pajama Drama in Raspberry. The retail price is $38. It's a cute loungewear set with a long sleeved top and shorts. It's really comfy, but I'm not too fond of the velvet accents. The sleeves are slightly short on me, but I'll only be wearing this inside the house to bed, so it's not a big deal. I would have preferred a pajama set with pants, which is what I requested, but these aren't awful. I saw quite a few people receive these in their boxes. This is not something I would have purchased for myself, especially for $38, but I'll wear it to bed.


The next item I received was a Scallop Rose Bralette by Real Underwear. The retail price is $18. This is adorable! I don't wear bralettes often because I like a little more support and padding (because I need it). I'm a B cup and they mentioned this ran small, so they sized up. I received a size large and it fits perfect (I'm a size small in shirts). Glad they sized up! I was excited this was in my box. I should have took a close up picture of the lace. It was a really pretty rose design!



The final item in my box was an item I requested, so I was very happy to see it in my box! It was MukLuk Slipper Socks by Muk Luks. The retail price is $24. I received the black/white pattern, which I love. These are comfy and perfect. And actually look kind of cute paired with the pajama set. I love the tie detail, so cute!!!


I'm happy with this box from Wantable Intimates. I'm still debating whether I should continue this subscription or not. I like a few of the items, but I never seem to receive the pajama sets I would love, which is what I'm always hoping for. I think the value of this box was great, though. It cost $36/month and I definitely received more than that, so I'm happy. 

What do you think about Wantable?


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, January 17, 2015

Birchbox Fresh Start Limited Edition Box January 2015

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: $42

I received my Birchbox Fresh Start Limited Edition Box. It retails for $42 and I couldn't resist this box, plus I had some points to use, so I got a great deal on it! I don't usually purchase the Limited Edition boxes, but this one was really calling my name. I knew I would use every product in it. And even though nothing in this box is a surprise, I thought I'd write a review of it for those thinking about purchasing it. It's still available in the Birchbox shop.

I love Birchbox packaging! Even the outer box was beautiful. But I couldn't resist the lime green color of the inside box, so I took a few pictures!



And here is a first look at the box. You may see a couple items that are not included in the Fresh Start box in the picture (I also used the code for the free samples since the purchase was over $35, so that's what you're seeing, but I did not include them in the review).


There was an information card included that described everything in the box. The box included healthy beauty picks to refresh your skin, body, and hair, plus stylish wellness items to motivate you through early-morning sweat sessions and marathon-length workdays.


The first item I was excited to try was Bombas Ankle Socks. These were sold out on the Birchbox site and had great reviews, so I thought they'd be amazing. They are so comfy and I couldn't resist the bee logo, which is on the top of the sock and the honeycomb design around the middle. I received them in pink/grey, but I'm not sure if the box had different variations. These really do live up to all the amazing reviews! And Bombas donates one pair for every pair sold.


Another item included was Fig + Yarrow Healing Salve (travel size). This can be used for anything from dryness to minor cuts and scrapes. It has organic herbs and botanical essences and smells great (very herbal, which I love). I haven't needed to use this for anything yet, but I'm sure it will come in handy soon. It's always nice to have an all purpose salve around the house. Plus I love the simple packaging.


The next item included was Ilia Lip Gloss in The Butterfly and I. This is a very neutral and natural color, which I prefer. It's smooth and not sticky at all. It's made from coconut oil and shea butter. It looked a little orange when I was applying it, but it blended in perfectly to create a neutral lip. I also love the applicator with a flat side, so it goes on smooth.


Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Hand Cream is already a staple in my beauty products, so I was happy to receive more. This hand cream is smooth and not greasy, plus the scent is subtle. I think I'm getting low on mine at work, so it's perfect timing to get more!


The next item was the Kor Water Aura Water Bottle. I received the pink bottle, but I'm not sure if there were different variations. This is the 500 ml bottle and is about 9 inches tall. I already have this water bottle in the taller 750 ml version and I use it every day, so I knew I'd love this one too. I was a little surprised it was smaller, because I didn't know they came in different sizes, but I'll definitely use it. I love how simple and easy to clean it is, without the spout attachments other water bottles have. The whole top unscrews on this and you drink out of the open top (more like a cup), which seems so much easier (especially when you're really thirsty).


Also included was Mullein & Sparrow Pink Himalayan Bath Salts (travel size). I love taking baths to relax, so I'm looking forward to trying these. They smell strong when you sniff them from the bottle, but I'm sure they'll be much more subtle in a bath. These soothe sore muscles and joints according to the information card. I love the pink color!


The Vapour Organic Beauty Aura Multi-Use Blush (travel size) is beautiful. I've only used it as a blush so far, but it can also be used on eyes and lips. You can apply it by dabbing it on your cheeks for a subtle color, which I prefer, because my skin is very pale. It looks natural and I love the pink hue of it. Plus it was really easy to blend in and didn't feel heavy on my skin. And it's made from skin calming organic and mineral ingredients.



The final product is the item I am most excited to try. It's Yarok Feed Your Ends (travel size), which is a leave-in conditioning spray full of vitamins and minerals that keep hair healthy and protect against heat damage. I prefer to use conditioning/detangling sprays over traditional conditioner, because my hair is very fine and thin, so traditional conditioners are too heavy for me to use every day.


I am so happy with this Limited Edition Birchbox. I love using natural products that I don't feel bad about applying to my skin. Plus most of these brands and products are new to me, so it's great to find new products to add to my routine. Quite a few of the products were travel size, but they are still quite generous sizes to see if the products work for you. They are definitely larger than most of the sample size products received in the regular monthly Birchbox. This was the first Limited Edition box that I felt had products I knew I would use, but now I'm definitely going to keep watching for more. If you're on the fence about purchasing this Fresh Start box, I say go for it!!!

*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 January 2015

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

Our BarkBox for January arrived yesterday! I am always excited to see what our puppy gets in his box. This has been a great box so far! This month's theme was Ice Age! This month's BarkBox braved blizzards and escaped snow monsters to bring your pup wintry refreshment!

Here is a first look. I love the tissue paper in BarkBox.



BarkBox always includes an information card that describes everything in the box that month. It also includes the retail price and a code if you want to re order the item.


My favorite item in this month's BarkBox was the toy that you can kind of see in the picture above with white and turquoise. It's a BarkMade Adorable Snowman (exclusive to BarkBox). The retail price is $11. I love this! And the squeaker is not a normal squeaking noise, it's a grunt that's totally adorable and much less annoying. This is totally why I subscribe to BarkBox. I can't resist these adorable toys that I would never find in stores.


We also received Complete Natural Nutrition Off-Leash Twigs. The retail price is $8. Our puppy loves chewing on real twigs, so I'm hoping he likes these! We haven't tried them yet, but they look very interesting. They're a turkey pumpkin flavor that will keep your pup's teeth clean.


The next item we received was Aussie Naturals Salmon Skin Training Treat Nibbles. The retail price is $8. These are made from 100% American salmon skin. I tried to give a few of these to our puppy and he wasn't sure what to do with them. I can't get him to actually eat one, or even put one in his mouth, so these may end up going to a puppy friend.


We received another adorable toy. It was a BarkMade Wooly Mammoth. The retail price is $8. This has a normal squeaker inside, and is really adorable! Our puppy definitely doesn't have a shortage of toys, thanks to BarkBox.


The final item included in the box was a Heartland Premium Rib. The retail price is $2. It is made from American USDA approved beef. Our puppy hasn't tried this yet, but I'm sure he'll love this one!



We have been loving our BarkBox. The toys are so adorable! I think my 2 year old is more excited than the puppy to open this box every month. She loves giving the puppy his new toys! I wonder if we'll get valentine's themed toys for February !?!

*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!

Stitch Fix #5 January 2015

Rating: Not For Me!
Cost: $20 styling fee + retail price of items you keep

I haven't tried Stitch Fix lately, so I decided to try it again. I have received four orders before this, so this was my 5th Stitch Fix. I had stopped getting Stitch Fix every month, because I thought it was pricey and I wasn't get many pieces I was in love with and could justify paying full retail price for. So, let's see what I thought of this fix.

Here is a first look. I do really like their color scheme and simple packaging.


I had to take pictures quickly to return it within the time frame (you have 3 days to return the items you don't want). So, I used my dress form for the pictures instead of styling all the clothes. I will explain the fit, but unfortunately I don't have the clothes styled on myself this time.

Your stylist sends a note of why they chose the items for you and styling tips. You also can include items you would like to receive in your fix in your profile. I requested a specific cobalt skirt, but unfortunately they were out of stock, so they were unable to include it in my fix. But, they did notice a shirt I pinned to my Pinterest page that I linked to my account, so they sent that!

The shirt I had pinned to my Pinterest page that I saw a few other people receive was a 41 Hawthorne Milan Lace Print Back Pleat Top. The retail price is $58. I liked this shirt, but it fit me quite large and was not flattering. I also wasn't crazy about the ivory color on my very pale skin. Plus the lace look was just a print and not actual lace. And I thought it was quite pricey, so back it went.



The next item I received was a Renee C Edmondo Stud Detailed Split-Back Blouse. The retail price is $48. I would have liked this, but quite a few studs were missing when I took this out of the box. I love the cobalt color and have been requesting cobalt blue items every time I order a fix. This fit nicely and I liked the back detail. But I wasn't going to pay retail price for a shirt that was not in perfect condition, so back it went.



I also received a Gilli Nicilio 3/4 Sleeve Faux Wrap Dress in navy. The retail price is $68. My first thought was it was quite pricey for a jersey dress, but this felt so soft and comfortable on, plus I loved the detail on the top. I could definitely style this for a day at the office or out for the night. And it was a classic navy color that I could wear every season and for years. And it fit perfectly and my two year old called me a princess and grabbed my hands to twirl around with me. So, this became a keeper!


The next item I received was a Renee C Marcy Skirt. The retail price is $58. This had a great chevron black/white print that I loved. I wanted this to fit, but it was very form fitting and walking or sitting made it wiggle up, so this wouldn't have worked for me. I would have been constantly pulling it down to get it to lay properly. It also was too tight for the dress form, so I had to take a picture of it laying flat. So, as much as I wanted this to work, back it went.


The final item I received was a Moon Collection Alma Plaid Drape Front Cardigan. The retail price is $74. I knew I wouldn't like this. I wasn't crazy about the color, pattern, or shape. I love cardigans, but more structured ones that I can wear to the office. This just looked frumpy on me. The stylist suggested I wear this with the navy wrap dress pictured above. And I tried it, but this cardigan was very overwhelming on my small frame, and did nothing for my shape. So, this went back.


My thoughts on Stitch Fix have not changed much. It always makes me feel like I need to purchase at least one thing, so I don't lose my $20 styling fee. But the items are overpriced in my opinion and I can't help but compare it to Golden Tote prices, which I am much more pleased with. And they carry a lot of similar brands. So, I kept one dress from my fix, that I do love! I told myself I will only pay full retail price for items I truly love and can work into my wardrobe easily and know I will wear often. I'll be holding off awhile before getting another fix.

*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!

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Popsugar Must Have January 2015

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

I received my Popsugar Must Have box today and I was so excited to see this box in person! I had looked at spoilers and I was so excited about this box!! The January box was inspired by rejuvenate, fresh start, snow, glimmer, energize, and refresh. And this box had a few things I couldn't wait to get my hands on, so when it arrived on my doorstep, I opened it right up.


Popsugar includes an information card with everything included for the month.


And this is everything included in this month's box.


The first item I couldn't wait to get out of the box was the Jack + Lucy Pom Pom Hat. It's a grey, slouchy hat with an adorable pom pom. I was hoping I could pull this hat off, because I think it's adorable. But I have a very small head and wasn't sure it would fit properly. I have been searching for a cute winter hat and I knew this was perfect! When I tried it on I couldn't tell if I was wearing it correctly or if it looked awful on me, so I sent a very bad bathroom selfie to my 12 year old niece to ask her. I'll include my awful selfie, so you can tell me what you think. But as cold as it has been here lately, I think I'll be wearing it!



The KeepCup Brew 12-Ounce Reusable Coffee Cup was the next item I was really excited about. I drink a lot of chai tea latte through the winter months and I think this will be the perfect cup for it! I can't wait to try it out. I'm going to feel so much more stylish drinking out of this cup in my car and at the office. Plus the pink band means hopefully my guy won't be stealing it to use for himself. I can't wait to use this cup!!!


First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream was also included in this month's box. My hands and feet are so dry through the winter months, so I was very happy to see this in the box. It's free of fragrance, harsh chemicals, and parabens, plus safe for even the most sensitive skin. My 2 year old daughter has eczema, so I'll be trying this on her skin too. Perfection!


I also received a Manduka eQua Hand Towel. It's a super absorbent multipurpose towel. I won't be using it for yoga, but I'm sure I'll find another use for it. I love the color and feel of it.


I was excited to see ToGoSpa Eyes included in the box. I've never tried them before, but I love eye treatments! Maybe because my eyes always feel tired, so eye treatments feel luxurious. These treat dark circles and puffiness, which is exactly what I need. I can't wait to use them!


The item I was least excited about was the Skin Jewel Tattoos. They are sponsored by the new drama Empire (I don't watch TV, so I'm clueless about what it's about). It says to check out Popsugar beauty to see how to use them as nail art, so I will definitely be doing that! I think that's more my style. But maybe I'll get adventurous and try them out as they are intended to be worn too. Maybe I'll have a themed girls' night and we can all wear them!


The final item included was General Mills Nature Valley Protein Granola in Peanut Butter n' Dark Chocolate. This flavor sounds amazing! I always love the snacks included in Popsugar Must Have. I'm sure this is going to be a yummy snack!


I'm very happy with the January Popsugar Must Have box. I think a few of these products are going to be my new favorite things, which is what I love about Popsugar. I get items I wouldn't think about purchasing, but love and use on a daily basis! I can't wait to see what we get in February.

*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!