Saturday, July 25, 2015

Birchbox July 2015

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

My July Birchbox finally arrived yesterday! It was a very long wait this month. Usually boxes ship around the 10th of the month and your box is updated in your account and you can check out what samples you'll be getting. This month I never received a shipping notice and my account never updated with what I'd be receiving. I called Birchbox Customer Service (which is always amazing and so easy to deal with) and they got my box and my Birchbox plus items to me in no time! I never worry when something goes wrong with my subscription to Birchbox, because their customer service is seriously the best. Everyone I have ever talked to is the sweetest and always very helpful and fix my issue within minutes of calling, whatever it may be. I wish all companies would model their customer service after Birchbox!

I'll start with the Birchbox Plus items I ordered for the month. I believe I mentioned them when I reviewed my last box. The first item I added on to my box was the Hayden Reis Pineapple Sail Cloth bag. This is very bright and I have a thing for pineapples, so I had to get this. I will use it to put stuff in when we go sailing! How appropriate?!?


I also added the Sunny Life Fouta Towel in Sorrento. I love the blue, yellow, and teal colors of this towel. That is my favorite color combination! This is a large size towel 175 x 90 cm. It's very long which I love and a great weight cotton fabric, similar to a chambray shirt, which is what this towel reminded me of. I also love the fringe on the edges. I was very impressed with this towel in person and so happy I ordered it. I wish I would have ordered this in both colors that were offered. I'm regretting that a bit.


It was so long I couldn't get a good picture of it all in one shot.


Now onto my regular Birchbox subscription box for July. It was worth the wait because I received the best box ever...at least in my opinion! I loved the box design this month. It is so bright and I tend to use my old Birchbox boxes to put gifts in and I know exactly who will love this one! It looks like it could glow in the dark! I love it!!!


Here is the first look when I opened the box. The theme this month was "Go Bold". It's all about brights this month!


Birchbox always includes an information card explaining everything in the box. This month there was also a offer from Benefit included, because Birchbox now carries the line.


The sample choice this month was a Stila Look At Me Liquid Lipstick in a choice of 3 colors. I chose Venezia. I believe I picked the shade that looked lighter and more wearable than the other two. They were all very bright and not me at all, but definitely went with the theme of the box. I tried to use the tiniest bit for just a hint of color, but there was no way to do that. Even the tiniest dot of lipstick provided very bright color. It felt soft, but was not moisturizing enough for my liking. I prefer gloss or tinted chapstick over lipstick, but that's just my preference. This did not work for me at all. I am not a girl that can wear a bold lip confidently. It probably would look great on someone that can though.


The next sample I received was Amika un.Done Texture Spray. I love Amika products! This smells amazing as I expected. It works well to give my fine hair some much needed volume. I was very happy this product was in my box this month!


I also received Coola SPF 30 Organic Makeup Setting Spray. I received a similar Supergoop! product in my Popsugar Must Have box this month and was happy I'd get to compare the two. They had a similar scent when I sprayed it, like sunscreen and hair spray. It didn't feel sticky on my face after it dried and left a matte finish for hours. I'm a big fan of these sprays and I'm so happy about the sample size of this, so I can take it on my business trip Monday. Yay!


The largest sample I think I've ever received in a Birchbox was this Macadamia Professional Weightless Moisture Leave-In Conditioning Mist. This was almost the same size as my Birchbox. It's a very generous sample size of 3.3 fl oz. I love it! I really like spray on leave in conditioners and this one smells great and works wonderful. I was so happy I loved this, since this sample will last a long time!


The final sample I received was theBalm cosmetics Balm Desert bronzer. This is a great bronzer! It's not too dark for my pale skin and gives my skin a pretty sun kissed look. Plus I always love the fun packaging of theBalm products!



I'm so happy with everything I received this month in my July Birchbox! I also have to say how easy it has been to travel this summer bringing Birchbox samples, because the small size lets me fit tons in the quart size bag when I fly. So I don't have to buy cheap drugstore brand products to travel with and my skin continues to look flawless while traveling.

They have already released the sample choices for August and the Birchbox Plus items. The Birchbox Plus items were great again, but I decided not to add any on to my August box in an attempt to save a little money. Plus when I checked, the items I had wanted have already sold out. I hope my August box makes me as happy as this month did!

*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, July 23, 2015

Popsugar Must Have July 2015

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

My July Popsugar Must Have box took forever to arrive. I just got it today and it's the 23rd. I usually receive it much earlier in the month, but I forgot to update my expiration date from my credit card when I was sent a new one, oops. Totally not Popsugar's fault that my box shipped late, they had to wait to process my card. I won't let that happen again, because it was torture waiting for this box. I looked at spoilers as soon as they were available and I knew I was going to love everything in this box.


Popsugar Must Have always includes an information card describing everything in the box. The inspiration for July was beach days, easy travel, summer heat, fourth of July, and Stripes. The colors of what was included this month made me think of the fourth of July. I love red, white, and blue! I think this box had a great travel theme and came at the perfect time for me, because I leave for a business trip on Monday and we have some summer travel coming up soon too!


The first item was the Henri Bendel Signature Stripe Canvas Dopp Kit. I love the classic stripe with the bright blue accents and inside. It's also a great size for traveling. It will fit a lot because of the wide shape, but it's not bulky at all. I'll be using this a lot and I also think it could make a great little clutch in a pinch when traveling!


The next item was the one I was most excited for. It was Supergoop! Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50. This is a 3 in one mist that delivers SPF protection, sets your make-up, and controls oil and shine giving your skin a matte finish. I love easy products that work. I'm a fan of Supergoop! products already and I had to try this one as soon as I opened the box. Plus I heard something rattle when I picked this up, so I thought my bottle was broken, but it worked fine. I think it might have something inside that mixes it up when you shake it (like nail polish bottles do) and that's what I heard when I picked it up. This kind of felt and smelled like hair spray when I sprayed it on, but did not feel sticky on my skin. It dried really quick and was not shiny on my skin. I love it already!


The item I was unsure of in the box was the Sorial Card Case. It also came with a $25 gift card for Sorial. We received a Sorial item in a past box, and though I loved the color I still haven't used it because it wasn't practical to fit anything. I do use card holders and I will probably use this, but I'm not sure it will be for everyday use, because I need more space for all my cards. This will work perfect for a night out in a small clutch and I love the red pop of color. I think I'll definitely love it for the Loeffler Randall tan envelope clutch I received in the Popsugar Must Have Holiday for Her Special Edition box months ago.


The PopDental Portable Toothbrush will definitely be coming with me on my travels. I love the sleek, small design that comes in a travel ready design with a toothbrush cover. I tend to use the old manual style toothbrush instead of electric when I travel, because I like to keep my toothbrush covered in a case. Now I can upgrade my travel toothbrush. This is perfect in every way! Plus I love the classic, timeless silver and white color!!!


I also received Yes To Blueberries Cleansing Facial Wipes. I thought this was the special extra, but it's not. It does go with the theme of the box and I get why it was included. I love cleansing wipes and Yes To products, so I'll definitely use these. I have tried these multiple times in the past and already know I like them!


The food item included this month was The Good Bean Fruit & No-Nut Bar, Chocolate Berry! It's packed with chickpeas instead of nuts, so it's lower in fat and calories, but still packed with protein. The flavor sounds good, but this may be a snack I take on a plane because everything tastes better when you're starving, haha. It's probably really good, but I'm a little unsure. I'll report back later if it's amazing and I feel the need to talk about it more.


The special extra item included this month was Hallmark Signature Greeting Cards. These are so pretty! I received 3 cards and I love them all. The floral one is a Birthday card, the pineapple is blank (I think it'd make a great house warming card or thank you card), and the embellished fan card is a wedding card (I wish I had a wedding coming up, because I can't wait to use this card). I love all of these! Did I already say that?!? And Popsugar Must Have couldn't have done a better job selecting cards that suited my personality. These look like cards I would have hand picked myself. I think besides the Supergoop! (and the toothbrush) these were my favorite item in the box, but I'm a sucker for a great greeting card! The floral one is like a small canvas (thicker than a card, like a very thin box), and can be hung on the wall. It provides instructions of how to tear off the card and use the wall hanging tab. I love that!



I loved everything in the July Popsugar Must Have box. It felt like a special box this month, possibly because it looked like every subscriber received different cards (from the ones I've seen in reviews). I will definitely be using everything in this box and most of the items will go right to use when I travel next week. I can't wait to see what Popsugar has in store for August. This is one box I just can't seem to give up because I'm scared of what I might miss.

*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!

Sunday, July 12, 2015

The Zoe Report Box of Style Summer 2015

Rating: Love It!!!!
Cost: $100/quarterly box; $350/yearly subscription

The Zoe Report Box of Style Summer box, was my most anticipated box for July. This box could not ship soon enough. They released the highest value item in the box when it launched for sale, so I knew I couldn't wait for that item. I missed out on the Spring 2015 box, which was the first box by the Zoe Report and it was a great box! So as soon as the Summer box sale was announced I didn't hesitate to sign up for a yearly subscription. I knew I didn't want to take a chance of missing out on any of these boxes. They are the best mix of fashion items and the box feels very special, like a lot of thought went into curating them. I peeked at spoilers the moment I saw some posted and it made me even more excited to get the box in person. Everything looked amazing!


The box reminded me of the Popsugar Limited Edition boxes. And when I opened it up I saw black tissue paper and an information booklet. I wish they would have chosen a different color tissue paper for this box, because I really felt like I was opening up a Popsugar box and was hoping this would be a totally new experience.


Then when I opened up the tissue, everything was individually wrapped in black tissue paper. I really wish it would have been a different color, like bright summery colors. It felt very luxe, but I was hoping for some color!


I had to snap this picture fast, because my daughter helped me open this box and was so excited to start unwrapping the "presents".


The information booklet was like a tiny magazine with everything included in the box and Rachel Zoe's thoughts on them. They also provided styling tips, which I really liked. I took pictures of each page of the booklet, because I really liked it!






The item that was released when the Summer box went on sale was the Cambridge Satchel Company White Leather Pushlock Cross-body Handbag. Retail price $150. This bag is already over the price of the box. Love it!!! When they released the spoiler I wasn't too excited about a white handbag, because all I could think about was how dirty it would get. But before this box arrived, I was wishing I had a white handbag, because it would go with everything and look so chic. I kept thinking that if I had it already, I'd be wearing it every day. This bag could not get here fast enough. It's a simple style that is timeless and so chic. It will go with everything and I love how it doesn't have a lot of distracting details or hardware, so I will be able to use this bag for years (I'm hoping it lasts for years, because I love it). It doesn't have any inside pockets, which I would have liked, but it's not huge, so I don't think items will get lost at the bottom easily. It's a great size for summer, when I don't want to carry a lot of extra stuff. The handbag is large enough to carry everything, but not oversized and bulky. It's perfect and I love the cross-body strap, so my hands are free. The strap is also detachable, so it can be worn as a clutch too. 



My next favorite item in the box was the Mara Hoffman Sarong that was created exclusively for Box of Style! Retail price $98. When I saw this in spoilers I squealed a little in pure excitement. I was hoping for a sarong in the CFDA Popsugar Limited Edition box, so I was very happy to see it in this box instead. And the pattern is so vibrant and fun and completely beautiful!!! I need to google different ways to wear it, so I can wear it all the time, but not look like I'm wearing it all the time! It has black tassels on all 4 corners, which I love. It can also be worn as a scarf in the fall months, so I'm planning to get a lot of use out of this for a few seasons. At this point, it didn't matter what else was in the box, because I was beyond happy with just these 2 pieces. And these items definitely already paid for the box. Actually either the handbag or the sarong would have paid for this box alone, so the rest was just bonus!


I had to try to get a full picture of the pattern. I love it!


The next item was Too Faced Bronzer in Sun Bunny. Retail price $30. I love bronzer in the summer. I rarely get tan, so this does the trick to make my skin look sun kissed and ready for summer! This compact has a mirror and 2 shades of bronzer which is perfect for any look and any skin tone. Plus it's such a pretty gold compact! I'm happy this was included in the box. 



I also received another product from Too Faced. The Lip Creme in Spice Spice Baby is the perfect color for me! Retail price $22. It's just a bit darker than my natural lip color, so it looks natural and pretty on me. And it's a very smooth lipstick that doesn't feel sticky or heavy. I also love the gold tube! Another item I'll definitely use from the box.



Rarely do I receive a product that I need to open and try immediately, but this next product was just that. It was ORG Skincare Mineral Face Peel. Retail price $44. This is a spray that is an exfoliate. I love easy products that work! You spray this on and rub your skin and rinse it off, so quick and easy. My skin was smoother after one use! I was so excited for this product and will definitely continue to use it and may even buy more!!!


The final product was Bristols 6 Nippies. Retail price $26. I'm unsure if I'll use these or not. I like the idea of them and if I had a perfect body, they'd be great, but I need a little extra in the boob area, so I tend to wear push up bras with some padding. I wish I could go natural and be confident, but I'm not sure I'd feel secure enough wearing these. I definitely have some summer dresses that these would work great with, so maybe I'll get brave enough to try them! They do match my skin tone perfectly, which I was a little worried about. I don't remember filling out a questionnaire with this subscription, so I wasn't sure what'd I'd be getting. In the information card it mentions you can also use these as insoles in shoes, so maybe I'll try that if I'm not secure enough to wear them as intended.


This was an amazing box! Perfectly curated for summer! And out of 6 products, there is only one I'm uncertain of, which is great!!! I always expect 1 or 2 items to be misses, and I'm still happy as long as the majority of products I can use. This box seemed perfect! It definitely felt like summer, and included some unexpected items I wouldn't purchase for myself! I also love when items are created for boxes, so they are exclusive to subscribers. I will get a lot of use out of everything and can't wait to see what the Fall Box of Style brings! Hopefully they'll release the big ticket item for the box soon. I'm sure I'll love it and be even more excited to see what else we get!!!

*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!