Friday, May 29, 2015

Bundles of Joy May 2015

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: $36/month

My daughter's Bundle of Joy arrived earlier this week. We opened it up immediately to see what we would get. This subscription box is totally catered to your child's likes/dislikes, so you can't really look at spoilers. I love this subscription! The owner really listens and curates boxes that are perfect! Here is a first look when I opened the box.


And here is what we saw when we ripped open the tissue paper. See that cute little owl sticking out?!? Love it!


Here is everything we received! This month's box included some items for mommy too, in honor of Mother's Day! I'm a fan of that!!!


The first item I noticed was the felt loved owl plush. We received a plush fox by the same company in the first box we received. And he was lonely and needed a friend. Seriously, how cute are they?!? My daughter loves these!!! She has named the owl George!


My daughter loves her new princess bracelets! What little girl, doesn't love some new jewelry?!? These are cute and perfect for my princess daughter.


Next up we have some mommy items. A chapstick holder by gabrielsgoodtidings.etsy.com was included with Burt's Bee's Chapstick (which is totally my favorite). There was also some pampering items, like some fun facial masks! I can't wait to try them!!!


The next item was an "Amazing Mom" book. I love this! This has blank pages, so your child can illustrate it! Also included was some crayons to help in that task, which my daughter is coloring with right now. This is a very cute Mother's Day themed box!



And the final item is my favorite item in the box! It's a beautiful pale blue dress with crinoline, which will be a perfect Cinderella princess dress for my daughter's birthday next month! When she saw this she held it up to herself and twirled around. The picture does not do this dress justice. I will post pictures of my daughter wearing it later!!!


As I said earlier, Bundles of Joy creates perfectly curated boxes for your little ones! I love everything in this month's box, as usual. The Mother's Day theme is amazing and so well thought out. Every item makes sense for my little one and her mommy! I can't wait to see what we get next 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!

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Birchbox Limited Edition: Under the Sun

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: $55

I knew when I saw this Limited Edition Birchbox, I had to have it! It was a perfectly curated Under the Sun box and every item included seemed amazing and was just what I needed. The Limited Edition boxes can be purchased from the Birchbox shop and it tells you everything included in the box. There was a few variations included in this box, so there was a little surprise. It came packaged in a cute summery box, which I loved!


Here is what I saw when I opened the box.


Birchbox also includes an information card in the limited edition boxes describing everything in the box.


Look at what a fun box this was. I love it all!


The first item was the Baggu Standard Tote Bag. This came in 2 print variations. I received the navy/white stripe (as you can see), but the other was a teal elephant print that was totally adorable! I was hoping for the elephant one, but I don't have much luck with that type of stuff. I knew I'd probably get the striped one, and I'm okay with that, because I love the nautical look, and it made sense with everything else in the box. It will be perfect for summer!



The next items were the Cynthia Rowley Beauty On the Go Multi Blush & Bronzer Duo. These are small, but will probably last a long time. I haven't tried them yet and I'm really hoping they work on my skin tone. The blush looks bright and the bronzer looks dark and I'm very pale, so I'm not sure how I'll like them. It says the color is buildable, so I hope it starts out faint. I love the simple packaging of Cynthia Rowley Beauty products!


I also received Laura Mercier Baked Eye Color in Hot Chocolate. I believe there was a lighter variation of eye color included in some boxes. I haven't tried mine yet, because I'm also nervous of this color on my very pale skin. I would have preferred the lighter eye color. I'm not sure if I'll try this or gift it to a friend.


The Sugarpova Flirty Candy looks delicious! I'll be honest, this is one of the reasons I needed this box. I haven't tried these yet, but I definitely have a sweet tooth for gummy candies! And the lip shape is adorable!!!


Birchbox had an exclusive product created for this box! It was the Chloe + Isabel Medina Convertible Pendant Necklace. This is pretty and simple and oh so versatile! You can wear both pendants together or you can take either off and wear them alone. I love that you can create at least 3 different looks with this necklace. And it's perfect for summer!!! I also love Chloe + Isabel's packaging, so I had to include it in the picture!



The next item was the item I was most excited for, but also nervous they wouldn't work for me. It was the Knockaround Premium Sunglasses. I have a hard time finding sunglasses that fit my small face, and ordering sunglasses online never works out for me. I need to try on a million pairs in a store to find maybe one pair that works on me. So I was amazed when these arrived and I tried them on and they fit. And they looked cute too! Score!!! And they cost under $20, so I can buy more in lots of colors! And if I lose them while sailing, it will be okay. I'm so happy Birchbox introduced these to me. Love!!! I'm already wearing these on a regular basis, every day!


I also received ncLA Nail Lacquer in Bikinis & Martinis. This is a pretty pink color. Not too pale, not too bright, just perfect!


The final product included in the box was Supergoop! Skin Soothing Mineral Sunscreen with Olive Polyphenols SPF 40. I love Supergoop! products, so I was happy to see this was included. And it's the right size for traveling! Perfect for an upcoming beach vacation!!!


I'm so happy with the Birchbox Limited Edition: Under the Sun box. It is perfect for summer! Though some of the beauty products may be misses for me, I'm still very happy with everything else. If you have been racking up your Birchbox points and are thinking of buying this box, don't hesitate any longer. It is definitely worth it. The value of the box is $143, well over the $55 price point! It's a very fun and well curated summer 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!

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Lilly Pulitzer for Target Shift Dress Exchange


I'll be honest since the Lilly Pulitzer for Target launch, I've bee thinking nothing except Lilly, Lilly, Lilly. I've been on a search to collect every piece that I wanted. And when I think I've found everything I want, I discover one more piece I NEED! Right now that's the Nosie Posey espadrilles in a size 8.5, if anyone can help me out with that :)

The hardest thing to acquire is the shift dresses. They are beautiful and everyone wants them and not only does every person need one, but every person needs all 7!!! I will have 4 from the collection, See Ya Later, Happy Place, Upstream, and Fan Dance (on the way). I love them all as many women do! The problem was the launch was chaotic and most people weren't able to even see the pieces let alone try them on to see what sizes they needed. The merchandise was cleared from the stores in minutes and everyone was left to pay exorbitant prices on eBay. Multiple groups were started on Facebook to try to get the goods to Lilly Lovers across the country for reasonable prices. I am truly grateful for these group and belong to quite a few!

Here are the prints and shift dresses everyone is in search of! The Lilly Pulitzer shift dress is a classic shape in a fun and happy print!!!


First up is Nosie Posey, a floral favorite for everyone. The colors are bright and vibrant and there are hidden kitties in the flowers!


Upstream is perfect for summer with a navy and white nautical feel. It features a fish print that everyone is sure to love!


See Ya Later is a bright pink dress with alligators! I love how the animals are subtle enough, so it just looks like a fun floral fabric. I have this for myself and the matching one for my daughter. We will be debuting it on her 3rd birthday!


Fan Dance features flamingos! Who can resist flamingos in the summer time?!? 


My Fans is a beautiful blue and pink color that's vibrant and fun in the shape of fans! This one is truly a Lilly "fan" favorite and probably one of the hardest dresses to find!!!


My personal favorite is Happy Place. I love yellow and this has a fun lion print. This really does put a smile on your face as soon as you put it on (at least it does for me)!!!


The 7th dress in the collection is Giraffeeey! This is made from linen and stands out from the others because of the different material. As you scroll through all 7 dresses, don't you want to own them all too?!?


I noticed many women were listing shift dresses to trade or sell to try to get the entire collection and to make other women happy that weren't able to snag one in the store! And if you're not checking the groups every minute of every day, you're missing out. You need to be quick to snag those shift dresses, they're gone in seconds! So, I had a crazy idea to create a thread where everyone lists the shift dresses they have to trade or sell and what they are searching for. I thought it'd be a great way to orchestrate multi-person trades to get everyone in the shifts they needed and desired!

The document kept growing and getting more complex, so it became a Google Doc spreadsheet that everyone can view easily! Here's the link to it. Green is what individuals have and white is what they want. It currently contains individuals from the Facebook group "Lilly Pulitzer Target Resale and Trade" and "Don't Buy Target Lilly from Scalpers". I hope every woman is able to rid themselves of the shifts that do not work for them and acquire the shifts they love and wear dearly. I will also be examining the document for possible trades and messaging individuals through Facebook if I see any viable trades.

Happy trading Lilly Lovers!

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Sunshine Crate May 2015

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: $50 crate + $5 shipping

I have an exciting new clothing review today, it's similar to Golden Tote and was just created. I learned about Sunshine Crate through a Facebook group and it just launched the first sale a couple weeks ago. The company is starting out small and will expand based on demand. They launch sales on every other Thursday at 9am PST (for reference the last sale launched on May 14th). Currently the prices are $50 for a crate containing 3 items of clothing and 1 accessory for sizes x-small through large and $85 for 5 items of clothing and 1 accessory for sizes x-small through large. There is also the option of an accessory crate for $40 containing 1 large accessory such as a tote bag or purse and 2 small accessories such as jewelry or scarves. Sunshine Crate also offers a plus size clothing crate for $65 with 3 clothing items and 1 accessory available in sizes x-large through xxx-large. Each crate will also have a $5 shipping charge.

When the site first launched a promo was offered for an extra clothing item included in your crate if you were one of the first 5 orders. And I was! I was so excited to see what I would get. It was a great value. You order through etsy and can put sizing comments along with preferences when you order. I said I really like dresses in my comments! I'll be reviewing the $50 crate with an extra clothing item.

My Sunshine Crate arrived on the east coast from the west coast in a couple days! I love the fast shipping. It was shipped in a USPS priority shipping box and when I opened it up, it was definitely a sunny surprise! I was greeted by bright yellow paper and a handwritten note. I love personal touches!


Sunshine Crate also offers a return policy where you can return your whole crate if you are not satisfied with what has been selected for you. So, there's really no reason not to try it! And as you can see by my note, they definitely read your comments and send what you want!!! Looks like I'd be getting dresses!


Here is a look at everything I received. I loved all the patterns and color!


My accessory item was a bronze cuff with cut out details. It's beautiful and goes perfect with all the clothing selected for me!


The first clothing item was a blue patterned dress by Teenplo. It has 3/4 sleeves with a cute ruching detail. It fits well and I love the print! It looks great styled with a belt, but can also be worn without it. This would also look adorable styled with a denim jacket for cooler spring days!


I also received a short sleeved red patterned dress by Peaches n Cream. I really like this print and for some reason it reminds me of tulips or a flower of some sort (which might be why I like it so much). This also looks great styled with or without a belt. And fits great! I already wore this dress to work and loved it!!!


And I received a 3rd dress! Did I mention this crate was only $50?!? I was very happy with the value already. The 3rd dress was my favorite! It is a pleated skirt dress by Potter's Pot. This has a velvet burnout detail on the sleeves and back. And doesn't it look great styled with my black tassel belt!!! This one is completely my style! 


Here is a close-up of the sleeve and back detail.


The final clothing item I received was a green sleeveless shirt. This has an embroidery detail on the collar. It is like nothing I own and I think this will also look great styled with skirts. I would have loved to pair this with some pink heels (which apparently I don't own). I also think this would look perfect styled with shorts! And for work, I'll pair it with a cardigan. 


Here is a close up pic of the embroidery.


Sunshine Crate is a great value. I was happy with everything that was chosen for me. The company is starting out very small and I truly believe it will only get better! I will definitely be trying it out again. Sunshine Crate announced the sale that launched this past week would include patterned shorts in all sizes. That sounds great to me and I can't wait to see reveals from it!

There is a Sunshine Crate Facebook site that announces updates and spoiler items frequently. Be sure to check it out!

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Popsugar Must Have Special Edition CFDA Box May 2015

Rating: Like It!!!
Cost: $195 + tax (this was a special edition box and is no longer available)

I was so excited when Popsugar Must Have announced they were collaborating with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to curate a box. I knew I would order immediately, whether a spoiler was released or not. And that's what I did. This box sold out in less than 2 hours and no spoiler was released. I had very high hopes of what would be included in this box. After all, the CFDA was involved, what could go wrong! I had dreams about the amazing fashion pieces that would be inside the box. And I was so excited to open it up today when it arrived at my door (I had not peeked at any spoilers)!!!


I love how luxe the special edition boxes are! The black boxes are always such high quality. And this box was more rectangular, so I was curious what would be in it. Here is a first glance.


And here is what I saw when I tore open the tissue paper. I love how the special edition items come wrapped individually in tissue paper. When I was unwrapping everything I set the information card aside, so it wouldn't ruin the surprise.


But for review purposes, I'll show you what the front and back of the information card looks like. It explains everything in the box. Now I must note, most people that received this box were disappointed by the over valued prices on the information card. The contents of this box were also disappointing to many that were expecting a more fashion curated box, as I was. Though I liked everything included, I was expecting much different items in this box. Every item did feel luxe, but I felt some value was missing, along with one standout "fashion" piece!



The most controversial and expensive item included in the CFDA curated box was the Poison Dart Stud Earrings by Maiyet. These had a retail value listed on the information card of $395, though a simple google search will retrieve many listings of these selling at $295. That's a whole $100 towards this box value that could have went for something else. Popsugar promised a $600 value for this box and it isn't with the real retail price of these earrings. I like them and will wear them! But what about all the women who bought this box and can't wear earrings or don't have pierced ears?!? This was the one high ticket item included, so I'd be mad if I couldn't use them. And they're 18K gold plated earrings! I would expect real gold for that price tag, ugh... I couldn't get a good picture of the actual earrings, but the information card shows what they would look like if someone were wearing them. They did come in a nice suede pouch and box for gifting.


The next item was Anna Sui Lipstick. This lipstick has great packaging and the actual lipstick is in the shape of a star! I love it, but I'm not sure I'll be able to wear the color I received. I received #371, which is a plum color swirled with pink. I'm not sure it will work with my very pale complexion. It is pretty though!



I received a Marc by Marc Jacobs Logo Bangle in silver with a rose gold plate. I was very happy to receive the color combination I received as there were 3 variations given in the box. Rose gold is my favorite metal, so I was happy! The picture on the information card is much better than the ones I took.



The next item was a Milly Nail Polish Set. It included 3 nail polishes in Coral, Bride to Be, and Sangria. I love the colors and will wear them, but this didn't really seem special or different enough to be included in this box. None of the colors were really fashion forward, so it felt kind of boring. It was packaged really nicely though.


Included in the box was the book "The Woman I Wanted To Be" by Diane Von Furstenberg. I'll be honest, I'm not really the reading type. So, I would have been more interested with a fashion book, showing fashion through the years or pictures of american fashion designs or something of that nature...pictures...you get the point! But, that's just my opinion. I'm sure there are people that loved this book!


The final item included in the box was a Market Bag by Apolis + Clare V. Though, this stood out and I'd never seen anything like it, I wasn't sure how or if I would use it. It's unique with leather handles and burlap structure with a waterproof interior. But I think it'd be annoying to take to a market, without straps that fit on my shoulder, that may just be me, but I like my hands free to shop. This would be difficult for me to fill and carry without longer straps, plus it's quite large, so it'd be heavy. I think I would have preferred a nice crossbody bag or something more fashion oriented. When I think about fashion, going to a market with a burlap bag is the last thing that comes to mind. Actually, market and fashion should never be in the same sentence. Don't truly fashionable people just hire someone to buy their groceries for them, seriously?!?




And that was it. I was really hoping for a fun treat in this box, like champagne gummy bears or something! I guess I really was dreaming. I don't hate anything in the box, and I will use the items, even the burlap market bag, if I can figure out how. But, this box did not elude fashion to me. It was not what I expected at all. I wanted a stand out clothing item to be honest. That's what comes to mind when I think fashion, when I think CFDA! I do understand that they wouldn't have pleased everyone and they can argue that they can't buy a one size fits all item. But, they have us fill out profiles (that include our sizes) so if they are never going to use them and do not want variation or customization, why even bother with profiles. I wanted a standout piece, something only Popsugar subscribers would get that bought this box and I don't feel like this box offered anything like that. It didn't even feel like CFDA had any input in the contents of this box. It does not scream fashion to me and that's what I was hoping for!

I feel the same way I did after the Popsugar Must Have Neiman Marcus box this past November. I should have took my $200+ (price after tax) and went and bought my own fashion oriented items, instead of relying on Popsugar to give me the fashion curated box of my dreams! I'm done with the special edition boxes from Popsugar Must Have! I've learned my lesson of wasting money at least twice now.

*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!