Starlooks Starbox Review December 2013!!

 Hi guys! I am so excited to be sharing my first ever Starbox with you guys today! I normally never take pictures and review things the first day I get them because I like to try them out, and because I'm lazy, but I just couldn't wait to show you guys what I got!

Starbox is a monthly subscription service from Starlooks makeup company, so they only send full size Starlooks makeup. Boxes are $15 a month, plus like $2.50 for shipping, so it's not a bad price at all.

I've known about Starbox for quite awhile, but I was always a bit hesitant to subscribe because one of the reason I subscribed to these boxes in the first place is so that I can try new and different brands, and I wasn't sure if I'd like a box of things all from the same brand. But since this month was December and everyone on MUT was talking about how they were going to do a palette, I decided this month would be a good time to subscribe. (I totally justified it by saying that I wanted to try out their shadows, since I've gotten eyeliners and lip liners from them in Ipsy.)

I didn't take a picture of it, but they shipped the box in a white bubble mailer. It shipped from California last Thursday and I got it, in Iowa, today! That is awesome shipping!

This is what the actual boxes look like.

The top card is their information card. The other card is all about their new loyalty program. What it is is every three months you get a free $35 gift! That's pretty awesome!

Now onto the palette. It is their 15 Shade Shadow Palette in New Years Eve 2014. This retails for $99. Sorry that is such an awful first look. 

This is a better picture of the shades. I really like these. There is a great mix of neutral shades, as well as beautiful shades of greens, and a couple of different shades of red (a dark burgundy/plumish one, and a more pinky red color). Plus I love the silver in this! I don't think I've ever used a silver shadow before and I can't wait to try it! Also there are some matte and some glittery ones in here as well!

Overall I paid a little over $17 for a $99 palette! While I never would have paid that much for this palette I still think that's a great deal! I love all the colors and I think this will be super versatile! Plus I saw some swatches of these and they seemed like they were quite pigmented as well. I am totally going to be keeping Starbox around, especially with their awesome loyalty program! And I'd totally recommend everyone else try them out too! 

FYI-Starlooks makeup is also featured in Ipsy sometimes (I've gotten 2 eyeliners and a lip liner from them in the past few months) and I heard that Wantable also sends out their stuff too.

**This post does contain referral links!

Olfactif Box Review December 2013!!

Hi guys! Today I have a review of Olfactif! I've gotten Olfactif a couple times before and I really liked them. So when I saw that they were offering free boxes as their Black Friday deal, I had to sign up again!

Olfactif is a really cool box. For $18 a month they give 3 perfume samples, they are a little bigger then just the normal perfume sample (they last me about 3ish weeks each). The best part is though is that if you really love a sample, they give you a code for $18 off the full size of that perfume!

This is what their shipping boxes look like. They ship from Chicago and since I live in Iowa I usually get my boxes super quick.

Their actual boxes are super cool looking! They pull out on a little tab and reveal your perfume!

This is their information cards. On one side it lists the theme of the month (this month it's Evening) and on the other side it lists the perfumes and the notes that are in the perfumes. I love the write ups! They definitely have a really good writer on their staff, it's like poetry!

The first perfume is Night by Sarabecca. This smells very nice and light and fresh. Almost like grass and lemon. I like this one, but it's not my favorite perfume ever. It also doesn't go to well with their evening theme, but it's a nice scent and I'll wear it.

The next one is Au Lait by DSH Perfumes. This one smells like coconut milk. I love this one! I'm actually planning on buying the full size of this one. This one is just super unique and I adore it!

The last one is Black Angel by Mark Buxton. This is actually the only one I tried on and it is my least favorite this month. When I first sprayed it on, it smelled like a men's cologne. Then it went into like a spicy Asian inspired scent. Now it's just a musky floral scent. I like that it changed so much, I like it when perfumes have layers, but I just don't care much for the scents in it.

Overall I don't think Olfactif is the type of box that you get to get a great deal. I think it's more about the experience of getting to try niche perfumes that you won't just find at your local department store. Plus all the stuff I've ever gotten from Olfactif has been super strong, so one little squirt goes a long way. I would totally recommend Olfactif if your into trying out new perfumes and aren't super sensitive or picky about scents!

Box of Happies Box Review December 2013!!

Hi guys! Today I have a review on the December Box of Happies! Each Box of Happies contains 3-5 handmade items and costs $28.99 ($24 for the box plus $4.99 shipping.) I really like supporting small business's so I was super excited to sign up for this box! (I've been subscribed since they launched in October, but this was the first box I'm reviewing since I've been lazy the past couple months.)

I don't really consider Box of Happies to be a subscription box, because what you do is buy monthly boxes. So I can buy January's and March's box, but I won't be charged for February because I didn't actually buy it (if that makes sense?) Also they still have some left over October and November boxes for $21 plus shipping. (I'd totally recommend the November box btw, it was awesome!)

Box of Happies ships via Priority 2 day mail and it always comes super quick and right at the beginning of the month!

Their "boxes" are actually clear pencil cases and it also comes with a card (pictured below) that tells you how you can reuse the pencil cases. I've been using them to store various makeup items (like eyeliner, lip liner, ect), but I love that they give you a list of ideas!

This is their info card (along with the what to do with the plastic box card), it lists the artists, their websites, and the prices of the items included. Also all of the artists also included business cards, which I like. There is also a coupon for Flip Sidez (which this is the second coupon I got from them, not pictured) and I think I'm going to be using it because it's all my little sister can talk about!

The first item is a Itty Bitty Fabric Bowl from Pieceful Design. This goes for $4. I really did not like this when I opened my box. It looks like it was made from an old stained vintage washcloth. Reusing vintage materials is 100% fine by me, but I hate it when things are stained! And this really looks like it is. I do like some of the small bowls on her Etsy store (like the one I linked to), I think they'd be great ring holders, but I'm not sure if I'll actually buy one because of how this one looks. (This second link is the one I think I got, and I guess it looks this way because of how it was dyed? I'm still not a big fan sadly.)

The next item is a Button Bracelet by Basketful of Trinkets. This goes for $1.50. This came in an adorable little envelope with a cute little business card! I love nice little touches like that.

Sorry about this picture, I have no idea what happened to it, I tried to upload it a few times and it kept coming up like this.*

The cord of the bracelet has some nice gold glitters in it, so it's not just all neutral! I wear things like this all the time because I like how they look layered, so this will totally be getting used!

Then I got a pair of spikey earrings from Box of Happies. These go for $8. I think they've done a Box of Happies exclusive item since their first box, but I'm not sure. These are a bit smaller then earrings that I normally choose, but I do like them and I will totally wear them!

The next items are from Pop Jewelry Studio. They are a pair of earrings and a pair of bobby pins. The earrings go for $8 and the bobby pins go for $6. I love the earrings! I think they are really pretty and sparkly. The bobby pins are nice (and are really sturdy, I don't think these will become loose at all) and will be used, but I'm just not a big fan of yellow sadly.

The last item is a headband from Fl(h)air. This goes for $11.50. I really love headbands like this one! I use them mostly for when I'm applying makeup/washing my face, but this one is cute enough that I could probably wear it out! Also I love how soft this is!

All totaled my box is worth $31. That's good since I paid $28.99 for the box, but I just wasn't super wowed by the products (except the headband, I love that!) I'll probably use everything, but for me sometimes use isn't as good as getting products that I love. I'll probably still get a box in January, since I really loved the first two I got, and I realize that every so often a bad box does happen. And I think this month, the reason I wasn't too wowed by anything, is because this box just had too much of a teen feel to it. Like I think had I been 14 instead of almost 19, I'd have loved this box.

I would totally recommend Box of Happies to anyone! If you don't want to wait until January to get one I'd recommend buying a November box. That one was awesome! (:

*I got a new camera recently, and not only do I feel like my pictures don't look as nice as they used to, it's been very glitchy and keeps cutting things in half, like in the picture above. Sorry, I'm trying to figure out how to use it!

Glitter Guilty Box Review November 2013!!

Hi guys! Today I'm going to be reviewing my Glitter Guilty Pleasures Box! I was a subscriber over the summer (I think I got one box in June or July) and since I've recently been getting back into indie polish, I decided to get this box again!

Glitter Guilty's box is $15.99 a month, including shipping, and comes with a mini that everyone gets, a full size polish that is customized to you, and a little edible treat!

She ships everything in a white box with a hot pink sticker on it.

The cards telling you what the polishes are, are attached to the polishes. There is a little Thank You card though. (:

The Monthly Mini this month, is Pinecones and Holly Berries. This one is a super sparkly fucshia, red, and gold tone glitter polish.

Even though this one isn't super "Christmasey" I still think it's a great polish for this time of year and I could totally picture someone rocking this on New Year's Eve.

The Monthly Me came in a velvet pouch and is in the shade: Snowed In. I love this color! I said I really liked blue and this one is so perfect. It's blue with blue and silver tone glitter. And snowflake shaped glitter! How awesome is that?

This is a close up of the snowflake shaped glitter. We have snow here right now, and you know how sometimes snow just looks so shimmery and iridescent? Well that's how this polish looks. It is perfect and probably my favorite nail polish ever!

The edible treat this month is Sweet Poppins Blueberry Cheesecake popcorn. I usually don't really get into the flavored popcorn, besides caramel corn, but this sounds interesting so I'm going to try it for sure!

I'm not going to do a cost breakdown since she doesn't have any minis listed on her website, but I really think that this box is worth it! I think it's great that she actually looks at the quiz you fill out and gives you a polish that you will really like! I would totally recommend Glitter Guilty to anyone interested in trying out indie polish! Her polishes are great and the couple times I've emailed her she's responded super quick and was nice.

Goodebox Review November 2013!!

Hey guys! Today I have my Goodebox review. I actually just resubbed for this month, well last month I guess, since it seems like since I cancelled the boxes have been a bit better. Goodebox is $18 a month and give out 5-6 trial sized natural beauty products a month.

I was actually really happy this month to start off with since I got my November box in November! Goodebox charges me on like the 4th and I usually have to wait until the first week of the following month to get it! Which is fine, since they do state it in their FAQs page, but it still somewhat sucks!

This is what their boxes look like.

This is their information cards. I love them! They really talk about the products and they always seem to have some type of discount for subscribers!

The first item I got is a Deep Steep Candy Mint Foot Stick. This is a full size and goes for $4.95. I feel like I already have one of these? Or maybe I've just thought about buying one? Either way I've heard great things about Deep Steep and I am so excited to try this, since I use foot care products on a weekly basis!

Then I got a Hip E Chick Winter Wonderland Soy Candle. This I'm estimating is 1 oz and it goes for $2.50. This smells so much like my favorite Bath and Body Works candle (the Winter one), but at the same time it has a bit more of a kick. Like the B&BW one smells like a blistery winter day, this one smells more like a day when you go outside for a bit and then come in. The house has that bit of the chilly winter smell in it, but it also has that nice warm homey smell. I adore this candle, and I can't wait to burn it!

The next item is a Sweet Riot Dark Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs. This goes for $3.79. I'll probably give this to my mom since this sounds like something she'd enjoy way more then I would, since I'm not the biggest dark chocolate fan.

Then I got a Shea Radiance Shea and Baobob Antioxidant Cream. I'm estimating this is about .5 oz and goes for $2. My mom got a Shea Radiance sample last month and she raved about it, so I'm super excited to try it! Plus since it's call and antioxidant cream and because it has shea I'm really hoping this does good things for my super dry skin!

The last items are both from Lotus Wei. This brand is all about flower alchemy, which I think is super cool and different! These both came in little glass bottles, which I was super impressed with! I don't think I own any mists (besides these) that are in glass bottles!

The first one is an Inner Peace Mist. This goes for $8. This is supposed to be calming and it has pink lotus, arctic lupine, and red hibiscus. The one smells good, but it is a bit too strong/aromatherapy like for me. I'll probably use it still though, because as much as I want to say it's too much I do like it more every time I smell it.

The other one is the Infinite Love Mist. This also goes for $8. This is supposed to improve your state of mind after using it for 2-3 days. It has wild fireweed, Hong Kong orchid, magnolia, and more in it. Hmm, I'm not sure if this will really make me happier, but it does smell awesome! It smells like fresh flowers and I know I will be using this a lot!

I really like both of the items I received from Lotus Wei and I'd be interesting in trying more items from them!

All together my box has a value of 29.24. That isn't the highest value Goodebox I've gotten, but it is one of my favorites! I love everything I got and I discovered a new brand that I'm really interested in! On the back of the info card it says that Goodebox is making some changes for the new year and if this box is any indication of that I'm really excited to see what they have in store for us!

*By the way. I used a new camera for my pictures, so that's why they are really dark. I just figured out that my new camera does not like it when I take my pictures late at night.

Julep Diamond Mystery Box Review 2013!!

Hi guys! Last week I got in my Diamond Mystery box from Julep and I thought that I'd share what I got! This was my first ever Mystery box from Julep. I was a bit worried about dupes, but since I haven't gotten a monthly box since July, and because I loved the box exclusive glitters that they promised were in this box, I figured I'd take a chance and get it.

The Diamond Mystery Box is $24.99 (with a promised value of $120), and it is currently sold out, but Julep seems to do mystery boxes almost every month. I also got a mystery add on which was $9.99 (which I heard was a promised value of $40) and another add on of a polish I wanted that was $4.99.

Since I got all that extra stuff my box came in a big brown box, but this is what the actual mystery box looked like.

*All prices I used are Maven prices.

The first thing I got is a Scrub Mitt. This is currently on sale for $2.99. This is pretty meh. I have bunches of these, so I'll probably use this as a stocking stuffer.

The next item is an Eyelash Curler. I'm going to say that this is $2.99 as well since I couldn't find it on the website. I don't curl my eyelashes, so I'll be passing this along as well.

Then I got some rock candy. I'm going to be passing this along as well since I don't care for rock candy.

Now that I'm done with all the stuff I was meh about. Let's go with one of my favorite things that I got.

The Pink Grapefruit Body Frosting. This goes for $9.99. This smells just like grapefruit and I love it! Plus it seems to help my eczema a bit, which is probably due to the fact that it has aloe vera in it. I've been wanting to try this, so I was happy to get this.

The next item is the Doublestep Foot Treatment and Friction Stick. This goes for $17.60. This was something else that I really wanted to try, but I didn't really want to buy it since people keep saying that is breaks easily. Well know I get to try it and if it breaks it isn't a big deal! I have really bad icky looking feet, so hopefully this helps!

Now onto the plain polishes in the box (I got version 3) From left to right: Gemma, Claudette, Marion, Kristy, and Candace. With the exception of Claudette which is $7.99, these are all $11.20. I really like all these colors! At first I thought Claudette was similar to my add on color, but I think Claudette is more red. These will all get used and I didn't get any dupes!

Then the amazing Diamond Box "exclusives" that aren't really super exclusive anymore, since Antonia is now on the website. Antiona and Geo! These are $11.20 each. Geo isn't on the website yet, but Geo is my favorite. It is a really pretty purpleish diamond shaped glitter. The glitter is a bit hard to get out, but when you do it is so worth it. I love these and these make this box so worth it to me!

All totaled my Diamond Mystery box has a value of $108.76. Since I used Maven prices I didn't expect the value of the box to be the promised $120, but it's close enough to make me happy. I am really happy that I got this box. I got a few items that were on my Julep wish list and most everything will be used!

This is my add on. A nail polish in Nan. I loved this color from a collection a while back, but I could never bring myself to pay $11.20 for it. Now I got is for $4.99.

Now for the Mystery Add On. I just love anything with mystery in it! The colors I got are Lois and Adele. I really wanted Adele back in July, but right now I'm really happy that I decided not to get since (since I got it now). Lois is also really pretty and shimmery. These go for $11.20 each.

The last item is the Moisture Mask Trio. This goes for $9.99. This comes with one packet each for your hands, feet, and nails. I can really use extra moisture especially in my hands and feet so these were a great extra. I also think that this is so cool because I never would have bought something like this, but I'm so excited to use them! Plus this is a new to me item since I've never tried a hand, nail, or feet mask before.

The mystery add on has a value of $32.39. Again close enough to $40 for me and I love everything I got! I actually think, like item for item, I like the mystery add on more then the box! The box was great, but the add on was just amazing!

This is everything. For $40 I got $141.15 worth of stuff! How awesome is that? I hope Julep does another mystery box again soon, because after this one I know that I'm going to be needing it! (: