Kismet DIY Box Review August 2013!!!

Today I have another unique and fun box to review and that one is Kismet. Kismet is a brand new (August was their first month) DIY beauty box and every month they will send you a new beauty product that you can DIY yourself at home. They send you pretty much everything you need and simple step by step instructions on how to make the item.

I'm really into DIYing things, so I though this would be a great box for me. Plus at only $23.95 a month that is way cheaper then a couple of the other DIY boxes I was eyeing. 

 The boxes are just plain and brown.

First look. That really is a packed box! However do you guys notice something that is missing? Something papery and card like?

Yep that's right my instructions were missing! However I emailed them at about 6:30 tonight and I got a reply almost immediately back with the link to the instructions on the website (duh I should have looked.) Anyway I'd say that's top knot CS right there.

This month they gave you everything you needed to make lip balms and lip gloss. I got 4 tubes for like normal lip balm, and then 4 more tubes for a different type of skinnier lip blam and then two squeeze tubes for lip gloss. Plus the flavoring and coloring, castor oil, base, and the utensils needed.

I used 1/3 of the base (like it says too), 22 drops of the scent which smells like watermelon, and 4 scoops of the coral Mica powder.

It's actually a bit trickier getting the balm in the tubes, since it dries pretty quick. However since I microwaved it to being with, the instructions said I could microwave it again and it was much easier to work with. The instructions are super easy to follow and they even have nice big pictures! DIYers at any skill level could totally make this. I was a total newbie and this was actually pretty easy.

The finished product. I only did two, my mom and sisters did a few more since I ended up putting G to bed since he got cranky. However all the finished ones are really nice. I love how moisturizing they are. I did it so that they were just sheer color, however tomorrow I might do it again with the lip gloss and use more color and more oil, since otherwise my lip gloss would be more like a balm. I think this box is really cool, and I can totally fit time into my schedule every month to make a few fun beauty products! Plus what I really like is that in the future if I wanted to I could make more lip balm/lip gloss and I'd know it would be a snap!

Overall I can't really do a value on this box. I think it was fun to just bond with my mom and sisters and actually make something. Something that I can use and then know how to do again later. I think this box was 100% worth it and I can't wait till next month!

I'd really love to hear what you guys think of Kismet! Is it something you'd be interested in?

Ophelia's Apothecary Box Review August 2013!!

You guys had no idea how excited I got when I went out to get the mail today and I saw a little bubble mailer from Ophelia's Apothecary! I knew it had to be my August box, and I was so excited I could hardly contain myself to wait to cut it open.

Ophelia's Apothecary is all homemade natural products. Ophelia used to sell on etsy, but now she has her own webstore. Her box is $15 a month and sometimes she also includes products from other etsy sellers.

Usually her box is really a box, but this month it was a grey bubble mailer.

Inside all my products were wrapped in this bag (and some were also individually wrapped besides.)

This is the information card. This month she also included a business card and 2 coupons. One is for a powder puff that I know I'm going to be ordering right away and the other is for a face care kit, which I admit is really tempting me too.

The first item is a Shea Butter Lip Balm in Blueberry Muffin. This goes for $5. I love her lip balms! I think I got one last month as well and I have used it almost every day since. They are so super moisturizing and they always smell good. This one smells exactly like blueberry muffins. Score!

The next item is a Perfumed Body Powder in Jasmine Vanilla. This goes for $3. It smells very calming and relaxing, almost like lavender, but not as strong. I really like it. I love using powder after a shower because I think it lasts longer then body spray, but smells just as nice.

The next item is actually from Lazy Day Cottage an they are Vintage Inspired Gift Tags. These go for $5. These are so pretty! Some even have glitter on them! I didn't open them because I didn't want to loose any, since I don't really have any gift giving occasions coming up and these don't just seem like something I'd put on a Christmas or Birthday present. Maybe next June during graduation I can use them, since Dream seems like something nice for that right?

The next item is Soap on the Go. Handmade shea butter hand soap in Cool Citrus Basil. This goes for $4.50. These smell super nice and fresh. I love these! I am going to throw this in my diaper bag right away, since I've been in bathrooms before at restaurants and stuff and some didn't even have soap, gross! Plus this container is super sturdy since I have to pull a few times before it comes off, so I know I won't have a mess in my bag.

The last item is a Household Cleaning Concentrate in Cucumber Mint. This is valued at $4. It definitely smells like cucumber and some type of strong cleaner, but the cleaner smell doesn't really bother me. I'm excited to try an all natural cleanser, since I tend to use all the stuff that I'm pretty sure is as far away from natural as you can get.

Overall my box has a value of $21.50. I think that's great since I only paid $15 for the box and really I don't expect like a super amazingly crazy high value since this is a small business. However I do think all these products are great and I can't wait to try/use them all. I love Ophelia's. It is one of my favorite boxes ever and I'd totally recommend to give her a shot at least once as her stuff is amazing! (: Now excuse me while I go and day dream about her powder puffs. :)

*Ophelia's Apothecary also has a men's box, and I plan to try that one for my hubby sometime in the future!*

*Also she tends to have a bunch of flash sales on her Facebook page, so you could check that out too!*

(I am in no way affiliated with Ophelia's Apothecary. I pay for this box every month, but I love it and it really is one of my favorites. Everything I've used from her is awesome, so I'd really recommend checking her out! (:)

Lip Factory August Box Review 2013!!

Hi guys! Today I have my review of the August Lip Factory box! I'll admit, I was a bit apprehensive to open it, since I wasn't really impressed with the other boxes I've gotten from them, and I was really thinking about dropping them since at $22 they are a bit more pricey, but well let's just move on to the review!

Lip Factory changed their outer boxes this month, and I'm wondering if that means they are trying to redo their boxes too. Sort of like what Birchbox did a couple months ago.

The inner boxes are still the same though.

They also changed their information cards. Now they not only display the brands and theme, they also tell you a bit about the products!

The first product is the NYX Wonder Pencil in Light. This goes for $4.49. I'm not the biggest NYX fan, but I am so excited that I got this! It can be used as an eye brighter, lip liner, or a concealer. This has to be the coolest thing ever!  I wasn't even aware that such a great multi use product existed. I think this will be a great thing to take traveling or to put in an on the go kit. This is my favorite thing in the box! (:

The next item is a Sweetpea and Fay Lip Joule in Big Parade. This goes for $7.99. I normally love pink lip glosses since they seem to be my go to thing, but I am swimming in them right now so I will be passing this along to a friend. Plus I've tried an almost identical looking Sweetpea and Fay gloss (that I got in LF like 3 months ago)  in pretty much the exact same color and wasn't too impressed, so this was pretty much a big meh for me overall.

The next item is another lip product and it is a Colour U Matte Lipstick in Skinny Dip. This goes for $15. We got a Colour U eyeshadow a couple months ago, so I was so excited to see this lipstick and it did not disappoint! It is such a nice matte brownish nude color (way different pictured) that is great for fall and is surprisingly flattering. I just adore it! (:

The next thing is a pair of fake eyelashes from Red Cherry. These go for $2.50. These are made of all human hair. I really like fake eyelashes and I know these will be used. I do like that they are also a bit more dramatic, as that is what I normally go for! So another win for LF! (:

The next item is a White Towel Makeup Remover. This goes for $4.99 which I think is crazy for just one towel! I love my pre moistened remover wipes and I know I'll probably save this for a day when I'm in between packages of my Yes To ones, but at $4.99 for one there is no way I'd ever purchase one!

The last item is a Me Me Me Cosmetics Shimmer Stack in Gold. This goes for $15.68. This is so pretty! Everything from the packaging to the nice sized mirror inside to the actual stack, which is shimmery without being over the top is perfect! The only thing is these are way to brown and bronzey for me to wear on my cheeks so I'll be using this as eyeshadow.

All totaled my box is worth $50.65. That's great since I only paid $22 for the box! Not only that, but I really feel like this month Lip Factory really stepped it up. Last month I felt they just threw whatever they could into their boxes, but I really think that changed this month and that they had a game plan and really brought their A game. I love everything I got and I am so excited for next month, something I never thought I'd say with Lip Factory. I'm glad they changed my mind! (:

Green Grab Bag Review August 2013!!

I have another box review for you guys today, and this one is probably my favorite eco friendly sub: Green Grab Bag by White Apricot. 

It seems like not too many people sign up for this sub, but they seem to get better every month. They are only $15 a month and they really seem to put a ton of stuff in their boxes. The best part is it's all natural/eco friendly products!

This is what the outside of the boxes look like.

This is the info card. It is definatly one of the better information cards that I've received in a box.

The first two items are sunscreen samples from Sunology. They are valued at about $1.50 for both. These have SPF ratings of 50!  One is packed in a "face" card and the other is in a "body" card, but they look the same to me so they are probably usable for either. I wear sunscreen everyday, so these will totally get used!

The next item is one of my most favorite items in the whole box! It is a tinted lip balm by Cosmetics Without Synthetics. They have a sample for sale on their website for $.50, so I'm saying that what this is worth. It is in the shade Raspberry, which is a really pretty red wine color that is great for fall! I love this, and I think the sample is so cute. Plus this isn't too tinted which is good because I'm not a huge fan of vampy shades, but it is moisturizing!

The next item is a Be Natural Organics Hyaluronic Serum and a coupon code for 20% off my order. This goes for $3.  This keeps skin clear, moisturized, and younger looking. I'm actually going to be giving the serum to my mom, since the only thing I need out of those three is moisture, so I'm betting that she will get much better usage out of it. However I will totally be using the coupon code!

The next item is a Virga Botanicals Nourish Organic Body Lotion. This goes for $1.24 (or about since I'm assuming this is about 1 ounce.) This has a nice fresh smell to it, that smells sorta fruity. It's almost a bit hard to really tell what it smells like, but it is a nice smell. Plus the lotion is nice and creamy and isn't too heavy or too liquidy. Since it isn't totally expensive I will totally be buying a bottle!

Then I got an EVOLVh UltraShine Moisture Conditioner. This goes for $2.94 This also has a nice light fresh scent, that I find totally pleasant. What's cool about it, is that it doesn't smell like a normal hair product. I know a lot of people don't like getting just a conditioner, but I'm totally fine with that, since I'll just use it with my normal shampoo and see how it works that way. Plus this is a great sized conditioner sample at 2 ounces!

I saved the best for last! The last item is a LVX Nail Polish in Viridian. This is a full size and it goes for $16. This is a beautiful teal color, that is a bit more green in person then in the picture. I love it and I don't have any other polishes like it! Plus I've tried LVX before and I know it is a good brand. This was such a great product to get!

All totalled my box has a value of $25.18. While that isn't like a super valuable box, I think sometimes the value doesn't really matter, especially to a box like this. Plus since I did only pay $15 for the box, I did get a deal. I've never heard of any of these brands besides LVX and I already found a couple new products that I fell in love with. I really love Green Grab Bag and I would totally recommend them if you are looking for some new eco friendly products/brands!

Bluum Box Review August 2013!!! 13 Month Old Boy!

 

I got my Bluum box today and I couldn't have been more excited! Bluum is my favorite baby box and I've tried what I feel to be the big three (Citrus Lane, Stork Stack, and Bluum.) Bluum is only $25 and they have boxes for newborns up to 5 I believe.

 

The boxes are big and red, you totally know what box it is!

This is the card. It isn't really an information card, they email that to you (I got it yesterday.) but this card talks about the theme this month: Movin' and Shakin'. I don't really understand how the theme fits into what the products are, but whatever. I tend to not understand themes anyway.

The first item I got is The Snack Trap.  This goes for $4.99. It's just an easy to hold cup that has a no leaking top. I'm really wondering about that one as I'm sure that a cherrio could easily escape the slits in the lid since they seem really big.  Anyway the cat (or the Arlo as G called it, since Arlo is my cat he thinks Arlo is the word for cat instead of cat) is super cute and I know this will totally get used anyway, spill proof or not.

The  next item is Baby Ecos Laundry Detergent. This is 4 oz and goes for 64 cents. This is in the scent Free and Clear. I am really faithful to my Tide, but I'll give this a try. However it probably won't be something that I switch to, since I already use a detergent that I love and is way more readily available. Plus this has no scent and I prefer my detergent to have one.

The next item is a Luna Fiber bar in the flavor Vanilla Blueberry. This goes for $1.41. I've had Luna bars before and I really like them, so I'm excited to eat this one! However I would have preferred a food item for G, since I really don't need it. ;)

The next item is Weleda Baby Calendula Baby Cream. This is a full size and goes for $12. I've heard great things about Weleda Baby products, so I'm so excited to try this! It will actually probably be used tonight after G's bath. It has a nice smell, like Johnson bath soap and citrus. It definitely smells like something a baby would use.

Then I got a Melissa and Doug Peek-a-Boo Panda. This goes for $7.99. I already have one of these that I got in last month's Citrus Lane, so this will either be a car toy or it will be a toy for grandpa's house. (I'd give it away, but none of my friends are pregnant or have kids.) G did like this toy and I think it's cute. He loves making the clicking sounds with the arms. :)

The last item is the 100 Best Fresh Salads Cookbook. This goes $7.91. I love this book! It seems so nice. There are nice pictures for every recipe and it seems like the salads aren't your boring run of the mill type salads. I'm still trying to loose my baby weight (I know 13 months later and I still have 50 pounds to loose, I'm awful.) so these will be a lot of fun to try!

All totaled my box is worth $34.94. Even not including the price of the toy, this box is still a great value! Everything is useable and frankly, this box is worth it just to see my little boy's face light up when he sees that he got something. I love Bluum and I can't wait to get them next month!

Sorry for the lack of postings!

I'm so sorry I've been MIA for a bit over a month. I moved and I ended up not being able to go on the internet for awhile. I actually ended up moving back because we were staying with my husband's family and well his family was abusive to me and our little boy. We were only going to be staying there until we got settled, but that never happened so we ended up moving back to our old house.

I don't have quite as many boxes this month. And some I already got and sorted out. So I'm sorry for that as well. I promise to be as active as possible with my blog, but my husband recently got a new job working nights, so that puts most of my blog time really late at night or only twice a week when he's off, so I'm not sure really when I'll post, but I'll at least try to have 2 posts a week.

Thank you to those that have continued to read my blog and leave comments. I really appreciate you guys not giving up on me.

XOXO, Tor