Popsugar Must Have January 2016

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

I received my January Popsugar Must Have box this week! I tried not to look at spoilers, because it seemed to ship earlier than usual this month, so I thought I could just wait and open it as a total surprise. But I kept seeing comments about it being a great box and I just needed to see what was in it, so I peeked. And I couldn't wait to see everything in person.

Popsugar Must Have always includes an information card explaining everything in the box. This month's inspirations were Renewal, Organization, Detox, New Year, and Healthy Habits.

Popsugar released a spoiler this month. It was the book Spark Joy by Marie Kondo. Retail price $18.99. I was very excited about this book to help me get organized in 2016. I love decorator/organization, type books, so this is something I would have picked up on my own, but I'm always happy to get things I love in subscription boxes. I will definitely be reading this and getting organized!

The item I was most excited for was Pehr Designs Pebble Speck Bin. Retail price $40. This was larger (13"D x 12"H) than I expected it to be. The print will go nicely in my bedroom, but I haven't figured out what I will use it for yet. I'm hoping the book will help out with that. The information card suggests using it for hats, scarves, toys, or books. This was my favorite item in the box and I can't wait to figure out a use for it!

I also received Patchology Flash Masque Trio. Retail price $20. These are 5 minute masks that will revitalize, hydrate, and illuminate your skin. And you don't need to rinse these off. I haven't tried these yet, but I'm looking forward to them.

I wasn't too excited about the Blue Sky Day Designer Weekly Planner when I saw it in the spoilers. Retail price $15.99. I really wish they would send calendars/planners a month earlier, because I already bought one for this year. When I saw this in person I really liked it, so I'll be using this in my purse. It has lots of space to write on each day in the weekly sections, so this will help keep me organized! Plus I love the light blue color and simple design!!!

Also included in this month's box was Not Soap, Radio Bath & Shower Gel Gift Set. Retail price $22. I've tried these products in Birchbox before and they smell great! These are travel size bottles, so they'll be great for vacationing. I can't wait to try out all the different scents. Plus reading the sayings on all the bottles is always fun too!

The final product included was Project 7, Inc Summer Snow Sugar Free Gum. Retail price $1.99. This gum looks so fun. I don't chew gum often, but I'll love keeping this on hand as a treat for my daughter and nieces!

The special extra item included was ChapStick Total Hydration 100% Natural Soothing Vanilla. Retail price $2.99. I go through chapstick like crazy in the winter months, so I'm always happy to get more.

Popsugar Must Have put out another great box this month. I will use everything, so that's always a plus. And I love the theme of this month's box, because I'm in an organizing mood. I'm kind of hoping they do a sweet Valentine's themed box for next month with a great treat! I'm always so excited to see what Popsugar sends each 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!

Birchbox January 2016

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

I received my January Birchbox really early this month, but it may be because I chose the curated box this month, so I knew exactly what I would be receiving. The box was On Trend: Korean Beauty curated by Charlotte Cho, co-founder of Soko Glam. I love Korean beauty products and when I saw what was included in this box, I knew I wanted to try all of it. I would seriously buy this box every month if I could!

I love the bright green design on this box! And the fun pink tissue paper!!! I've been using the boxes to gift items, because they're all so pretty!

Birchbox always includes an information card explaining everything in the box.

The first sample included was RE:P Bio Fresh Mask with Real Calming Herb. This mask reduces redness and deeply cleans pores. It smells herbal and minty and fresh. It made my skin feel very clean and smooth. It was gritty, but not too coarse. I really like this mask!

I was very excited to try IPKN Flash Cream Radiant Primer. This cream has SPF 15 and makes your skin smooth and luminous. It has just enough sheen to it, so your face looks glowy. I wore this alone because it made my skin look so pretty. I believe this product was one you could choose for the month also, and if I didn't pick the curated box, I would have chose this to try. I would say it was my favorite item in the box, but I really loved them all...seriously!

I also received TonyMoly Delight Tony Tint in Red. I've tried products from this brand before and liked them, so I was excited for this. And this tint was amazing! Seriously amazing! These types of products always say they dry quick and last all day, but they always leave marks on coffee cups and don't last through eating a meal. This tint did! And it was the perfect rosy color, you can really build up. It looked very bright and intimidating in the tube, but a little went a long way. I have very pale skin and I dotted this on my lips gently and rubbed it in and it seriously lasted through eating and my coffee cup had no marks after applying just minutes before. And this has an applicator like lipgloss, so no stained fingers from applying! This is really the best lip tint I've ever tried!!!

 
And how cute is the shape of the bottle. A little heart! So...if you need a Valentine's gift for your bestie this is perfect! And the full size price is only $6.

The Manefit Beauty Planner Cucumber Soothing + Moisturizing Mask was another hit! I don't like how wet these types of masks leave my face, but after I wipe a little excess off, they really do work great. This is really moisturizing, so it's perfect for how dry my face gets during the winter. The cucumber scent reminds me of summer, which is also a nice treat in the winter!

The final sample included was Goodal Waterest First Essence. I love these types of products and this is another amazing product! You tap this on your skin to retain moisture. It sinks in nicely and makes your skin feel great! This was a very small sample, but it seems to be lasting quite well, which I'm excited about, because I may have to add this to my daily routine.

I don't usually like receiving foil packet samples, but Birchbox included a couple as a bonus and I'm so happy they did! The Goodal Yerba Mate Bubble Peeling & Yerba Mate Cleansing Foam Packettes are amazing! There is something about foam facial cleanser that makes your skin feel so clean and the Yerba Mate Cleansing Foam produces just the right amount of foam. My skin was very clean after using this and it felt great. Then the Yerba Mate Bubble Peeling made it even better. This product also foams and my skin felt and looked so clean and fresh after using these products. The only bad thing is I didn't see the Bubble Peel on the Birchbox website. I was ready to buy this immediately.

Birchbox really hit it out of the park with this box! I love it all!!! I really really do!!! I wish these products were all full size, because I want them all now! I'm trying to stretch these samples, to make them last as long as possible, because I don't want to stop using them. This may be the first Birchbox, where I felt I needed to buy every single product!

*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!

Golden Tote January 2016 Mystery Totes

Rating: Like It!!!
Cost: Clothing Mystery Tote $60, Denim Mystery Tote $60, Accessory Mystery Tote $30

Every year Golden Tote cleans out their inventory from the previous year by offering Mystery Totes. You only choose the size and it is a complete surprise. They do not look at your profile or comments and you get what you get and can't return. I love the surprise factor, so I always order these! Plus the value is unbeatable. In the Clothing Mystery Tote you choose your size and you receive 4 items in a tote for $60. It looks like only size small and medium are still available. In the Denim Mystery Tote you choose your size and receive 3 pairs of denim for $60. It looks like sizes 0/24, 1/25, and 3/26 are still available. And the accessory tote was 4 accessories for $30, but these are completely gone now.

I ordered one clothing, one denim, and one accessory to show you the variety you can receive. I was so excited when my package arrived and couldn't wait to see what I would get. Everything is packaged in totes and this year they used totes from the previous months, so that was a surprise too. I received a couple I already had, but one was from a month I hadn't ordered, so I was excited about that!

I'll start with the clothing mystery tote. I was hoping I wouldn't get duplicates and would get some items I wanted, but didn't order. Here is a look at what was inside my tote. I was so excited for whatever the kitty thing was on top and I knew I hadn't seen that before! And glancing at the rest of the items, nothing looked familiar so that was good.

I forgot to mention, if you ordered 2 or more mystery totes when they launched the sale you received a free jewelry item. I received a Jules Smith necklace! It's a bit large, but I love it!!! Definitely a different kind of statement necklace and it's like nothing I already own, so I was very happy with it.

Now...onto the clothes! The first item was the kitty tank top by Hypr, that you can see on the top of my pile. This is super cute and I style it with a cardigan and skinny jeans. This was a definite keeper! I figure if I receive one or 2 items I like, it's worth it. This shirt just makes me smile. Love It!

I also received a Lumiere striped sweater. This looks like something I would have picked out for myself, so I was happy to see this. It fits kind of loose, but I like it. I also really like the shirt detail at the bottom. This was another keeper!

I also received a maxi dress by Sweet Claire (I believe). I already traded this item, so I'm not able to check the brand, sorry. This was really cute and I was excited when I saw this, but this didn't work on me. It was quite tight and I prefer loose fitting items. And it was not a maxi dress on me (it was short), so the length didn't look right. I traded this, and received a different dress that suits me better. Sorry the picture doesn't show the details of this dress.

The final item I received was a De Philo cowl neck white tee. Seems simple enough and for most people this would have been great, but I really don't like cowl necks on me, so I traded this one also. It would have been the perfect basic shirt, but not for me. It was really soft and comfy though. And again the picture is not great. I didn't take pictures of these on, because they didn't work for me.

And now on to my denim mystery tote! The first pair I received was a pair of black denim by Just Black. These fit great and are really comfy. They have a skinny leg, which is mainly what I wear. I wasn't sure what to expect with the denim mystery tote, but I like these and will wear them. I knew as long as the jeans fit, I would like them. These were a keeper!

I also received olive skinny jeans by Just Black. These ran a bit small and were a little tight on me. I really love the olive color, so I'll keep these around to wear on skinny days. I was happy to see some different colored jeans in my tote. These were another keeper!

And the final pair of jeans was the Celebrity Pink trouser jeans. I just received these same jeans in my December tote, so I definitely didn't need 2 pairs, so I traded these and received gray jeans by Just Black instead. So, with my trade, this was a very successful denim tote! I would have loved these trouser jeans if I didn't already buy them.

Now for the accessory tote, which was kind of a bust for me. But to be honest I only ordered it to get free shipping and didn't have high hopes for what I would receive. Though I have seen people receive some great scarves and bags. I just don't have a whole lot of luck with these surprise totes usually. Here is a picture of everything I received. 

I had seen lots of reveals receive the Street Level fringe bag and I was dreading receiving it, because it's just not my style. And I received it (that's my luck). Anyways, some people love it and I was able to sell it pretty easily! So it is off to it's happy home!!!

Here is what the inside of the bag looked like.

I also received Jules Smith fringe earrings in gold. I don't wear many earrings, especially long dangly ones, so I sold these also. They were well made and I figured they'd get more love with someone else. I knew they wouldn't be something I reached for often, though I thought about keeping them. 

I also received rhinestone hair pins. I don't see a brand on these, but I love them and will wear these. They aren't the most exciting accessory, but at least they're keepers! And I love that they were packaged on a tiny square doily. So cute! They'll be adorable to display that way, so I'm keeping them on it and might add some other fancy hair pins to it!!!

I'm saving the best for last! My final accessory is kind of unexplainable. It's a rope bracelet with gold metal discs. This reminds me of the rope toys that dogs chew on and it is not my style...at all. And I couldn't find anyone that wanted it, so I'll keep it around and see if I can think of anyone to gift it to. Or it may end up as a dog toy...if I can get the metal off it, haha. I think my dog would really like it to be his!!!

So, as you can see the Golden Tote mystery totes are fun...and very hit or miss! I think it was worth the value, and I do see people receive some really great stuff. Did you take a chance with the Mystery Totes? What did you get? They do lots of reveals on the Golden Tote Trading Group on Facebook, so if you want to see what other people received, join the group! There is also lots for sale right now, and cheap, so check out what people are selling. If you missed out on something you really wanted, you might be able to find it 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!