Glossybox Unboxing June 2013!

I finally got my Glossybox in today (which I was totally surprised about, since I actually got it in June, even though they said there would be delays.) This month was a collab box with Dallas Shaw (who I think is a blogger, though I'm not entirely sure.). I was expecting great things, since I'm pretty sure the Man Repeller GB is my favorite ever!

The outer Glossybox looked different this month, since it has Dallas Shaw's artwork on it.

The information card also has her designs on it.

Inside of the information card.

I forgot to take a picture, but my box did come with a Glossy Mag this month, filled with pictures of Dallas Shaw.

Glossyboxes are always wrapped so nicely. It's like my present to myself every month!

The first item I got is a Philip B. Lovin' Leave in Conditioner. This is quite a nice size at 2 oz and goes for $8. They actually sell this size on their website, so I guess this is a full travel size. I was so happy to see a leave in conditioner versus a shampoo like others got! I use leave in conditioner at least twice a week, so I can always use more!

Then there is the C.Booth Honey Almond Nourishing Dry Oil Mist. This is also a good size at 2 oz and goes for $3.50. I really like this! I'm really interested in trying it on my face tomorrow morning and seeing how it works out! It smells good (nutty and sweet smelling) and I could totally see myself buying a full size. As much as I like this, I'm a bit surprised GB sent it out. I thought GB was my box for high end, luxury beauty products not things that I could get for free with Kmart rewards. (Which I'll admit is how I use them, to try new drugstore items!)

Then there is the Essential Luxuries by Oscar De La Renta. I'm estimating these to be $6? total. This comes with 6 perfume samples in Oriental Lace, Mi Corazon, Coralina, Santo Domingo, Sargasso, and Granada. My favorite so far is Oriental Lace,but I like all of them with the exception of Coralina. I love perfume samples and I love that they sent us all 6!

Now onto the full size items!

The first one is a SpaRitual Nail Polish in Home Body. This goes for $10.  This is a pretty pinkish color that looks like it could have a bit of purple in it. It is really pretty and totally unique in my collection! (Though I still like the Bondi colors better!)

The last item I got is a full size Tarte Complexion Enhancing Lipstick in Medium to Tan (I'm actually more on the light side, but I don't really mind since to me lipstick is lipstick). This goes for $14.50. I love Tarte. Their packaging and for the most part their products. This one was seriously lacking in the staying power department, but the color was a super pretty pink. Sadly it was also similar to a few other lipsticks I own, so this won't be a new go to product.

All totaled my box is worth $42. I think that is my lowest valued GB and considering that this was a collab box, that's pretty sad. I get that it was still over the cost of what I paid ($21) but I'm not too sure it was worth it. While I'll use everything, I got some other subs this month that were less or about the same that were way better and for $21 a month, I want to always be jumping for joy when I get my Glossybox in!

Obviously I'm not as happy with my box as I could be. Between the whole thing with Bondi being switched for the Spa Ritual, the C. Booth being available at Kmart (which I thought GB was supposed to be luxury?), and Dallas Shaw herself (who from various blog posts she's made seems to think she's lowering herself to design the lid of the Glossybox this month.) Plus there isn't that one item that I'm like ooo I'm in love! I have a 12 month sub (over in December), but after that I think me and GB need to part ways for a little bit, which is sad because I used to love them!

Glossybox consider you being on probation for the next 6 months.

Ipsy Glam Bag FOTD

I've been watching a bunch of the Ipsy Glam Bag inspired looks on Youtube this week, so I decided to do my own!

This is the overall look. I'm wearing:

Foundation: ELF All Over Color Stick in Apricot Beige
Blush: NYX Cream Rouge Blush in Tea Rose
Lips: Starlooks lip pencil in Tickle Me Pick (super impressed with this, btw!) and some type of Avon lip gloss over.

Close up of my eyes. I thought they were super pretty.
Eyeliner: Cailyn in Iron (you probably can't tell too well from this pic, the one above shows it better.)
Mascara: Clinique something or other
Eyshadow: New York Color eyeshadow duo in Upper Zest Side ( I only used the yellow one)
Glitter: J Cat Glitter Palette in Volta ( I used the gold toned one)

I also used the Chella Highlighter pencil below my eyebrows and under my eyes.

I really love this look and I'm excited to try using my glitter for other looks (which surprisingly was my favorite thing in the bag!)

Battle of the Time of the Month boxes: June Edition. My Cotton Bunny vs. Bonjour Jolie!

There is quite a few Time of the Month (or TOM) boxes and I think they are pretty interesting. I'm one of those people that hates buying things in store, so a box seems like a much funner way to get supplies then to just order of Walmart.com.

But which one is right for you? Since there are so many out there, they all have their own take on it. Between the difference in supplies they offer, the treats and other goodies, and the price differences it can be hard to decide.

So it's time for a TOM box battle!

My Cotton Bunny vs. Bonjour Jolie.

My Cotton Bunny is only $13.75 a month. You get to pick between tampons or pads (and what brand you prefer) and they also send you a small treat and nice gift.

Bonjour Jolie is $16 a month plus $5 for shipping. They let you pick 30 items (pads, tampons, and liners and what brand you want), plus they offer optional advil packets. They also send you some "edibles" and some pampering products.

Round one: The Supplies:
 

My Cotton Bunny sends a small box, while Bonjour Jolie sends individual pads and pantyliners wrapped in pretty paper. (They are both Kotex brand if it matters). I think I prefer how My Cotton Bunny does it simply because a small box is easier to store then loose pads.

Winner: My Cotton Bunny.

Round 2: The Treats.

Honestly I think the treats are the second biggest part in a TOM box (next to the supplies of course.) My Cotton Bunny included a sucker, which while it was good, it was definatly not something that I'd want around that time (chocolate and grease for me please!). Bonjour Jolie however sent out 4 gourmet truffles and tea. I really only drink hot tea when I have a cold, but the chocolate? Yes please! They were awesome and a great substitute to my Lindor truffles! I just wish they sold these because I tried looking them up on the website and they weren't there :(

Winner: Bonjour Jolie

Round 3: The Pampering

Pampering products are always a plus and personally I thought that in both of these, the pampering products were way more likes gifts (which is a good thing!). I just included pictures of the big items, but My Cotton Bunny also included a glass nail file and Bonjour Jolie also included some rose shaped soap, a shampoo and conditioner packet, a lotion sample, and cleansing wipes.

My Cotton Bunny sent out a whole nail art set from Scratch that I absolutely adore! The pattern is so funky and fun. I think it would be great if you were going to be outside a lot at sunset since that is what it reminds me of. If I like these I would totally buy more!  Bonjour Jolie sent out a full size Pop Beauty lip stain. I love lip stains and I hadn't tried Pop Beauty before so I was super excited to get this. However I did like that Bonjour Jolie sent out multiple small packets of things. I just felt like they were trying to gift you a gift and a care package for that time of the month, so that is why Bonjour Jolie wins this round.

Winner: Bonjour Jolie.

The overall winner is...

Bonjour Jolie!! I know that since they were pricier the box should be better, but in all honesty I think I did like it more. I thought that the My Cotton Bunny box was great, but the lollipop was really disappointing and nail art is a lot more work then a lip stain. Plus I like how it seems like Bonjour Jolie was trying to make it so that you really had everything you needed to survive that week (advil, shampoo, soap, cleansing wipes.) I'm excited to get my next Bonjour Jolie and honestly I'm not too bummed I cancelled MCB. However I would still recommend them, since the box was nice and I had no problems with them.

*I didn't make packaging a round because I don't think that should really help you decide which box to get, but if I did I think it would be at tie. My Cotton Bunny has a great box look, but Bonjour Jolie is prettier on the inside.

June Sub Box Update.

I was going to do a post listing all the subs I had received this month, but there are way to many and if you guys want to know what I really think, just go to the last paragraph. I'm usually pretty honest.

It's kinda funny that I already received 2 July boxes and I'm still waiting on 2 June boxes (Glossybox and Bluum). I'll post the July reviews after I get in my other 2 June boxes and review them.

Also I think I'm going to start doing some comparision blogs (like TOM boxes, nail polish boxes) things that are similar so you guys can see what would be best for you!

When I do get in all my June boxes I'll do a quick post about the Best and the Worst boxes this month and I'll say which product all month was my favorite! (:

June Blissmo Box Review 2013!!

Today I have my first Blissmo Box to show you guys! Blissmo is a monthly subscription service that sends organic, eco friendly, and non toxic products for only $24.99 a month. They offer 3 different boxes: Beauty (which is what I'm showing), food, and a seasonal box.

This is what the outside of the box looks like. Plain white box and the blue Blissmo on the top.

This is their info cards. They say the box (Skin 'n Hair Care), the products, whether the products are cruelty free, vegan, ect, and at the bottom they list the prices of all the sample sizes! (:

The first thing that I got is a Wellinhand Action Remedies Therapy Oil. This is the 2 oz size and goes for $3. This can pretty much be used for everything from lube to diaper rash to eczema to bug bites and more! I have some bad eczema on my arms so I'm going to try using it on that. If this can get rid of it, I might have to buy a big bottle so I can bathe in it. ;)

The next item I got is the only hair care item in the box and that is a Giovanni 2 Chic Ultra Sleek Shampoo. It goes for $1.89. This has Brazilian Keratin and Argan Oil in it. I don't really mind trying a shampoo without a matching conditioner. I'll probably just try it by itself the first time on a day when my hair isn't too oily, just to see if it works. Did I mention this smells amazing? Sorta like a Brazil nut!

Then I got a Hugo Naturals All Over Lotion for Face and Body in Vanilla and Sweet Orange. This goes for $2.25.  This is just your standard lotion, but I do really like the smell. It's very orangey. I'd totally buy the full size based on the smell and I can always use more lotion!

Then I got 2 full sized items. The first one is a LA Fresh Instant Body Soother. This retails for $9.99. These are intriguing. Being a young mom I can always use some instant soothing products, so it would be cool if it worked. However even if they did, I'm not sure that I'd repurchase.

The last thing, and my favorite thing, is the MyChelle Dermaceauticals Pumpkin Renew Cream Unscented. This is a full size and goes for $25.86! This stuff doesn't have a smell, which is sad because I wanted to put pumpkin smelling stuff on my face, but it works amazing! I had a couple of dry patches on my face and I've been using this for a week and I can already see an improvement!

All totaled my box is worth $43.02. That's awesome since I only paid $25 for the box. Plus its great because with the exception of LA Fresh I've never heard of any of these brands before and for the most part they are all affordable and eco friendly! I also love the great sample sizes! I know for sure I'm getting next month's box and I can't wait!

Cult Nails Unboxing 2013!

Today I have my one and only nail polish sub box review of the month and that is the Cult Cosmetics' Black Box! In case you didn't know I'm a bit of a polishaholic  and when I heard that these boxes were only $14.99, I couldn't resist. They are normally about $25, but I got this one for 50% off.

This is what the outer box looks like. Nice and sleek. For some reason the triangle design looks like something from an indie brand, but Cult Cosmetics actually gives out Essie and Orly and some funky nail accessories.

This is the information card. It's pretty detailed for an info card, it even lists the colors you got.

The first item that I got is a pair of  Mash Tweezers. They go for $4.99. I have regular eyebrow tweezers and these are so much smaller! I always thought you could put studs and stuff on your nails with regular tweezers, but now that I got these I'm glad I never tried it. I could see it being a big mess with how big they are, but I think these will make it easier. (:

Then I got some Creatology Craft Glitter in Purple. I'm guestimating this at about $1.49. I actually had no glue what to do with this until I googled this. I was like craft glitter in a polish box? But now that I know what to do with it I'm actually really excited to use it!

Then I got a small package of silver and gold nail studs. I'm also guestimating that these are worth about $.50 for both? I love the look of studded nails and I can't wait to try them! I'm thinking the gold ones with a nudey color and the silver ones with a bright pink or something.

The last nail accessory type item that I got is Mash Nail Glue. I'm thinking this is worth about $1, since they sell a 5 pack for $4.99. I love that they included nail glue so that I could actually use the studs. I hate it when subs give out something and then you have to go buy something to use it.

Now onto the focus of the box: The polish!

The first one I got is an Essie nail polish in Knockout Pout. This goes for $8. I believe this is an older color, but that doesn't bother me because I love it! It is a neon light pink and I know I don't have any colors like this! I love it and I think it will be my next mani.

The next color I got is an Essie polish in Avenue Maintain. This goes for $8. This is one of their new Spring 2013 colors! It is a nice blue, that isn't super light or super dark and I know I don't have a color like this one either. I think it will make a great french mani color with white tips!

The last color is another Essie color in Under Where? This goes for $8. This is also a new color, part of their Resort 2013 line. I have about 5 other lavender colors, but I do love them and use them all so this will be a nice addition. Honestly lavender is probably my favorite color for spring and summer. Also how cute is that name?

Then the last product is my gift with membership. A Live Worldly Beleza Bracelet in Aqua. This goes for $31.50!!! I would never have paid that much for it. I mean it's super pretty and I love it and I'm totally going to be wearing it, but still that is so pricey! This is so worth the cost of the box to me!

This was how my polishes (and glue) was wrapped! I love that they not only bubble wrapped the polishes they also put them in a bag so if they did break not everything was ruined!

All totaled my box was worth $63.48! That's great since I love and will use everything I got (plus it was only $15!) and I'll be checking out Mash for some more fun nail goodies. Plus I think it's great that they included everything you needed to do a fun nail look. I subbed because I really wanted to try this sub for some of the funkier nail items (like studs and such) since I'm not too adventurous when it comes to that and I think if experimenting with these items goes well I'll totally try some different things. My only thing is that I just wasn't like OMG this is the best thing ever I need it every month for the rest of my life, so I did cancel. I think if this would be $15 for life, I would have totally kept it, but at $25 I just don't think to me it's worth that much, even if in product value it is.

**Something I noticed was that all the boxes I've seen were different, so I'm assuming there are quite a bit of variations.**

June Boxycharm Box Review 2013!

             Boxycharm is a brand new subscription service that sends out 5+ drugstore makeup items. At least 3 of them will be full size. At only $21 a month I figured I'd give them a shot.

Ok, look at that beautiful packaging! I love everything about it.

Then the information card, which pretty much just describes the theme. Also there was another little card that welcomed me to the subscription.

The boxes come wrapped nicely in pink tissue paper.

Now onto the products!

First there is the only haircare item and that is the L'Oreal Ever Sleek Super Sleek Intense Serum. This is full size and goes for $8.99. I guess I was assuming this would be a mostly makeup/nails box, so I was surprised to get this. However I already use a similar product from Garnier and I love it, so I can't wait to give this a try! (It's supposed to help reduce frizz)

Then there is a Rimmel Soft Kohl Kaja Eye Liner Pencil in Jet Black. This is full size and goes for $3.99. I don't think I've ever used a drugstore eyeliner before, so I'm thrilled to try this! Plus at only $4 it's about the same price as my HG Avon one and a lot easier to find if I like it.

Then there is another Rimmel product and that is the Volume Accelerator Mascara in Extreme Black. This is full size and goes for $9.99. I tried this as soon as I got it and I thought it made my lashes totally longer! I usually use an Estee Lauder mascara, but since this is way cheaper and works better I think I may just start buying this! (: Might even be my new HG mascara.

Then there is the Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in Glistening Garnet. This is full size and goes for $6.49. I think this may be a discontinued color, but I don't care because I love it! It wasn't sticky, didn't dry out my lips, and was super pretty. The only thing is I didn't care for the silver glitters it left behind. I still might end up picking up another color though just to try! (:

Then the last makeup item I got is an Almay Intense I-Color Satin-I kit in Trio for Blues. This is full size and goes for $7.46 (at my local Walmart). Mine came shattered so I haven't used it, but I emailed Boxycharm and they responded and said they were shipping me a new one!  I think that's awesome CS. Plus I find it kind of ironic that I got the one that works for my eye color and it came broken.

Then I got some nail products!

The thing I was most excited for in the whole box is the Essie Nail Polish in Miami Nice. This is full size and goes for $8. I think this is an older color, but I don't care since I have never tried an Essie polish before. Plus I think it is a great summer shade and would look great on my toes. It is a bright pink, but in the light it is irredescent purple (the flash picked it up nicely I think.) It did chip pretty quickly though, but that's okay since I do my nails twice a week anyway.

Then there is a Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in Purple. This is full size and goes for $7.99. I had thought these were discontinued, but I guess they are just really old. I had a few of these when they first came out and they were awful. I actually gave this one to my sister.

Lastly there is a Mary Kay Make up bag. (Valued at $2?) This is super cute. I love the little bow on it and I will totally use it since it is quite large. I just have to clean it first since my eyeshadow exploded on it.

All totaled my box is worth $54.94 and I got 7 full sized items! That's great since I only paid $21 for the box. I think they had an awesome mix of products and I think the colors were good and wearable. Plus the customer service was amazing! For the most part I got items that are still available in stores (even if they aren't new), but they did post a disclaimer on their Facebook page that sometimes you will receive discontinued products. I don't really care too much about that as long as they aren't expired. I don't really buy much drugstore products and if I already have a full size the chances of me buying another full size isn't very likely unless it is amazing. I just like the sub because then I get to experiment with some drugstore brands which otherwise I would never have tried. I did love my box a lot and I'm excited for next month!