Posts Tagged ‘bags’

Prospurly May 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Gosh, I’ve been meaning to review this for quite some time, but I didn’t have the time to properly sit down and evaluate everything. Just like that, two weeks have flown by!

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

prospurly may 2016 box open with products showing prospurly may 2016 info card with product details

Skin Nutrition from nature with love pink grapefruit shea butter lotion – Mmm, what a nice light grapefruit scent! This is a very thick lotion that feels great and smells wonderful. This will be perfect for traveling with, so my hands don’t get dried out after hand washing.

Three Little Figs Citrus and Smoked Salt jam – Whoa, with orange slices, chiles, and smoked salt, this jam is all sorts of flavors. I’ll definitely want to try cooking meat with this to give it an extra boost of taste.

Skin Nutrition from nature with love organic matcha green tea under eye balm – What a unique eye product! I like being able to apply an eye balm like this, which helps me control how much gets on without using too much (which I tend to do with most other eye products).

Skin Nutrition from nature with love bug bite balm – This will be handy throughout the summer, helping with itchy skin situations. It’s so compact and easy to bring along anywhere.

Skin Nutrition from nature with love citronella campfire spray – Perfectly paired with the bug balm, this will hopefully help keep bugs away in the first place! Citronella is well-known for warding off mosquitoes. The addition of catnip essential oil is definitely different and pretty awesome!

Foxes & Ferns holistic bath tea in Rejuvenation & Relaxation – Both of these smell very nice and are definitely the type of thing you want to help you relax and enjoy a bath. I love the suggestion to throw these in the dryer for the next use, but also to freshen up the laundry.

Artisan Salt Co Alaea Hawaiian style sea salt – I enjoy these salts and have two from previous boxes. This is supposedly a special one made for Prospurly, but I definitely got the exact kind from Escape Monthly before… so it makes me wonder if they (and Yogi Surprise) are the same company. I’ve suspected it before, since they have similar styles in box presentation.

While I really like all the products, I do feel like it was very heavy on a single brand and I would have liked to see greater variety. Still, I like everything and can’t wait to use them all! What do you think of this month’s box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Escape Monthly June: Vancouver/Victoria BC Box review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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The timing of this went perfectly with Canada Day, giving us a chance to see items from our neighbors. I was away when it arrived, so I’m a bit delayed seeing what I got!

Escape Monthly is just under $40 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – see end of post) and comes with a variety of food, home, skincare items themed around a city/region. Each box comes with a guide for that area. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral commission program.

escape monthly june victoria/vancouver box products showingescape monthly june 2015 box with new tissue paper design escape monthly june victoria/vancouver box info sheet escape monthly june victoria/vancouver box info sheet opened with details of products included(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

The look of this one was completely different, with new tissue paper, the new logo, and a different style of insert. I guess the digital kind from last month didn’t go over well. This type feels less professional than the original three-panel one. I was also really bummed that I didn’t get the bonus item! I’m used to receiving it in nearly every box, so I’ve messaged them and should have it on its way this week.

Here’s what came in the box:

Moon Handbooks guide to Victoria & Vancouver Island – This part of Canada is pretty foreign to me, though I will be going that direction for a cruise to Alaska later this year. I certainly want to go spend some time there another time.

Murchie’s The Golden Jubilee tea – I will drink just about any tea, so I’ve already started sipping on this. I’m not super sensitive to flavors so this tastes pretty normal to me and I’m happy to drink it at home when I want something a little more flavorful than water.

Vancouver Island Salt Co. Orange & Lime Sea Salt – Whoa, this is cool and I love the citrus aspect of it. I wonder how strongly that will come through when I use it for some cooking. This should be fun!

Native Origins Eco Bag in Butterflies – This is totally perfect for me. I love using these types of bags to carry lunch to work or just use in lieu of a large bag or purse. The size is great for some of the larger containers I try to carry and the pattern is really pretty.

Rain City Foods Miso Ginger Grapefruit dressing – This sounds delicious. I can’t wait to try it out on my next salad! I usually like Italian dressing, so I think I’ll like the tangy aspect of this one. It’s a very large bottle that will last for quite some time.

Coconama chocolate – These chocolates are very rich, sort of like cheesecake. I can only have a small bite at a time. When I first saw the box, I thought it might be jewelry. It’s nice packaging!

Sea Change Seafoods smoked salmon paté – Hmm, I am not familiar with this kind of thing, so I’ll have to look up how to eat it. I’m thinking I can either cook with it or maybe spread it right on a cracker? I do like smoked salmon, so we’ll see about this.

native art magnet – The magnet was the bonus item this month and I’m looking forward to receiving mine in the mail soon. It’ll be a nice momento to keep on the fridge and help hold up random coupons or ads we have.

I love the freshness of the products in this box, though I would have liked to see at least one home or skincare item. Which products from the Vancouver Escape Monthly box would you want too? If you want to sign up, be sure to sign up for their newsletter to get a code for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription.

Next will be New Orleans, which I’m sure will feature some awesome food options.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Julep Cupid’s Mystery Clutch Box review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
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It’s been awhile since I’ve gotten a box from Julep. Then came this email, which totally intrigued me, so I went for it. I should have checked for deals first though! I’d forgotten that there’s almost always a code to get something free with purchase and I see a bunch of others got something extra. For example, right now they’re offering a free clutch and Oscar polish with $25 purchase. Oh well, hopefully it’s a lesson learned.

Julep mystery boxes are just under $25 per box and come with a mix of polish colors and beauty products. These are one-time orders and do not require a subscription.

julep cupid's mystery clutch box email with $100+ worth of products for $25

julep cupid's mystery clutch box contents including black glitter clutch, gel eye glider in navy smoke, lip gloss in posh, and polish in logan, joanne, fifi, yuki, and valentina

The colors they chose fit really well and made a nice theme.

julep black sequined clutch with gold zipper and wrist strap

sequined clutch
It all started with this. I adore clutches, so I had to get this box. It’s more crinkly than I’d prefer (cheaper plastic lining?), but cute.

set of julep polishes in logan, joanne, fifi, yuki, and valentina

Polish colors in Logan, Joanne, Fifi, Yuki, and Valentina.

I already have Logan, so that’s going up for trade. I’m not entirely sure about Fifi, but it might be a nice one to use under glitters and for nail art. The others I love! Joanne is on my nails now and a perfect backdrop to both Yuki and Valentina, which I have on varying nails. The glitter polishes are rather liquidy and not super dense, so it definitely took a lot of effort to get enough glitter bits on my nails. They’re so fun once you get the desired look though!

Gel Eye Glider in Navy Smoke & Lip Gloss in PoshI'm definitely trading the eye glider - it's just not my thing. The lip gloss looks great though! Love the shade of that.

Gel Eye Glider in Navy Smoke & Lip Gloss in Posh
I’m definitely trading the eye glider – it’s just not my thing. The lip gloss looks great though! Love the shade of that.

I definitely like the value of the box and the selection of items overall, even if I wouldn’t use them all. I sure wish they’d picked a better polish color (and one not so obviously from years ago). I certainly would have loved to win one of the prizes this time!! Oh well, here’s to next time.

Estimated value: $106+ (clutch $?, Nail Color @ $14 each: $70, Gel Eye Glider $16, Lip Gloss $20) or $98.80+ at Maven prices (20% off)

Join as a Julep Maven to get polishes sent to you monthly! Use code FREEBOX or FREEMAVEN to get the first box free (you pay shipping).

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Hong Kong haul

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Check out the awesome things I acquired in Hong Kong last month – some were gifts, some were free, and some I purchased. I’m very pleased with what I got! You’ll probably want to see some of these in more close-up, so feel free to click on the images to enlarge. 🙂

pandora bracelet and christian dior coin purse with pandora bag

Fancy gifts from the relatives!

3d holiday cards, tissue box cover, scarf, hong kong dollars, and red envelopes

More stuff from the relatives, including a tissue box cover, scarf, and red envelopes.

pizza express bag, ovolo hotels go bag, and drawstring bag with slippers inside

Free stuff from the hotel and Pizza Express. Two totes and a drawstring bag with slippers.

collage of black wristlet pouch with three compartments and clear purple pouch for toiletries

The very first items I bought were these pouches. I love the three compartments on the black one and the translucence of the purple one.

collage of chopstick set in box with two pairs of chopsticks and chopstick holders

At Ngong Ping, I got to choose chopsticks and chopstick holders. Panda and I both chose our own chopstick holders so they don’t exactly match! 😛

collage of glass teapot and mini cups set with pack of six blossoming teas

I’ve fancied a glass tea set for awhile and I’ve always wanted to get blossoming teas, so this package was too much to pass up.

collage of hong kong mtr map microfiber cloth

At first I saw generic ones and bought one, but then we found this one with the MTR map, so I immediately exchanged for it.

uniqlo purple down jacket and gray fuzzy hooded jacket

I have officially discovered Uniqlo and looove their jackets. These two are my favs for fall.

navy blue boxers with cat faces

When I saw these while shopping for gifts, I just had to get them for Panda. Smokey will love them!

empty box of flaky almond pastry treats from macau

We got these for our coworkers from Macau, but I forgot to take a picture before they were all devoured.

collage of five 3d cards that pop open to ferris wheels, eiffel tower, ship with sails, and dragon designs

Last but not least are these awesome 3D cards that I got my friends who helped catsit Smokey (and of course I snagged some for myself too).

365great Day 343: Coach bags

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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365great day 343: coach bagsWhen Panda wins an award at work, he gets to choose a prize. One of the items he got was this set of Coach bags for me. 🙂 I’ve been using them for many months now and I’ve been very happy with how well they hold up to my heavy use. The larger bag has acted as my work bag and carries my laptop, snacks, drinks, even clothing. Despite the thin straps, it has shown no sign of wear and I love how the quality makes it so sturdy. The smaller bag actually snaps into the interior of the large bag, but I’ve been using it separately as its own clutch sort of purse. I like the simple design that is very practical and so useful for me. I’m not usually into brand names, but this is one brand I’ve grown to appreciate, so it might be a gateway product for me to get into designer brands. 😛 Only at steep discounts though! Or maybe I could just win them; wouldn’t that be great?

Gogobot duffel bag

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , ,
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gogobot branded large duffel bag with tons of pocketsI received a package from Gogobot today and opened it to find the duffel bag I’d recently earned for writing 250 reviews! It turned out to be way larger than I expected, which makes for an awesome travel bag but I don’t know if I want to use it for the gym. I was hoping to start bringing it to work so my workout clothes don’t get stuffed in my purse doubling as a laptop bag. Not sure if I want to have such a large bag sitting around, though perhaps if I put my purse in it that could work. I’ll have to try it out and see what feels best. It could turn out to be very convenient, or it could turn out to be too much work. Either way I’m excited to use this bag for my future travel needs!

The next tier is at 500 reviews and earns me a toiletry kit. I’m super curious what that might contain! Eventually I’m totally going to earn that luggage at 2500 reviews. Can’t wait. In the mean time, I’m also looking forward to the Gogobot Pro 2014 gear, which should be arriving soon. Last year we got the fabulous tote bag that I’ve used on every trip since, ad adorable beach towel, and cool flip flops. Very beach themed! Who knows what they have in store this year. I just know it’ll be amazing. I love free swag!! I’m also more than happy to show off their brand and tell people about it. What a win-win. 🙂

Ipsy August 2013: Glamour Academy

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Lookie at what arrived yesterday! I checked my mail late in the day and I wish I had gone earlier so I could play around with my new stuff but hey it’s all good. Soon after this great surprise, I received the offer letter for the job I really wanted, making it an awesome day. 🙂

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

ipsy august 2013 bag items with card including noya lip balm in vanilla, pixi lash booster mascara, pacifica bb cream, michael todd jojoba charcoal facial scrub, and nailtini nail polish in mai tai

collage of noya lip balm in vanilla from ipsy august 2013 glamour academy bagNoya Lip Balm in Vanilla – keep. It was either Noya lip balm or Urban Decay lipstick and since I don’t wear lipstick, this works perfectly. I have plenty of lip products at the moment so I won’t start using it just yet but it smells yummy! I’ve never heard of this brand before but I like what I’ve seen so far, since it appears they have natural products. That’s a company I can get behind for sure.

collage of pixi lash booster mascara from ipsy august 2013 glamour academy bagPixi Lash Booster Mascara – keep. This comes at a good time, since I’ve been thinking about using some mascara here and there and I only have one with me. I can’t quite remember where that one is most of the time so it’s always nice to have a backup! I’ve never tried Pixi before so I’m also curious about this brand and how its products work. I’ve seen them at Target and considered purchasing but haven’t yet.

collage of pacifica bb cream from ipsy august 2013 glamour academy bagPacifica BB Cream – keep. I keep hearing great things about Pacifica and they seem to have a really loyal following. I want to try their body butter when I get a chance, but I’m happy to get their BB cream in the mean time. I’ve been on a BB binge as of late, trying sooo many brands to see what works best for me.

collage of michael todd jojoba charcoal facial scrub from ipsy august 2013 glamour academy bagMichael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub – keep. YES!! I was really hoping I’d get this rather than the pumpkin face mask. I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin and I looove anything with charcoal. I’m also a major sucker for scrubs of any kind and jojoba beads feel really good.

collage of nailtini nail polish in mai tai from ipsy august 2013 glamour academy bagNailtini Nail Polish in Mai Tai – keep. I didn’t get this in last month’s bag, so I’m happy to get it this time around. I’ve never tried Nailtini and I like how it applies. This color is fun, vibrant, and warm, which is great for summertime. I like it!

That’s right people, this is the first bag where I’m not trading a single item! IpsyMatch seems to have worked (or just by dumb luck I got exactly what I wanted) this time around and I’m very pleased. What do you think of these products? What did you receive in your Ipsy bag?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

Ipsy July 2013: Beach Beauty

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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My July Ipsy bag arrived in the mail today! Even though I didn’t get the scrub I really wanted, I was still excited to have a package to open up. It’s been awhile since I’ve received something.

Just like last month, my first impression of the bag itself was meh, but then I grew to like it. I mean, I am really not into pink, but I do like that this bag is a fun tube shape and waterproof, so I can put items I’m afraid might leak in it and not have to worry as much. For the items I got, I’m mostly planning on trading. Does IpsyMatch ever work? It seems to completely ignore my preferences. Oh well, thank goodness for trading!

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

ipsy july 2013 bag items with card including pop beauty pouty pop crayon in fuchsia flirt, coola mineral sunscreen tinted moisturizer in rose essence, benefit benetint lip and cheek stain, healthysexyhair soy renewal beach spray, and bh cosmetics calfornia collection eye shadow palette

Pop Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in Fuchsia Flirt – trade/keep. I was kind of hoping for the coral since I don’t really have lip products in that shade and I might have tried it. I’m going to try trading this and if someone happens to offer the coral one I might give it a try. If I don’t manage to trade it after awhile, I’ll probably just give it a go. I’m trying to use more lip products and this is not too makeup-y so I’d definitely use it.

COOLA Face Mineral Sunscreen Tinted Moisturizer in Rose Essence – trade. I’ve got two tubes of the cucumber sunscreen (not tinted) so I really don’t need more mineral sunscreen from COOLA. At first I was considering trying it for the rose scent, but now that I know it’s tinted I’m not interested. Not really sure why since I have been going crazy trying BB creams, powders, and even a DD creme, which seem to be similar. Plus the size is tiny which I was kind of sad about.

Benefit Benetint Lip & Cheek Stain – trade/keep. This one I was also disappointed was much smaller than I envisioned. I also didn’t realize it was so liquidy and I’m not sure I’d ever use it. If I can’t trade it out though, I think I could give it a whirl. However, there seem to be a ton of people interested in it so I think I can manage a swap.

HealthySexyHair Soy Renewal Beach Spray – keep. This is the only item I got that I’m keeping for sure! Not only is it a fun product I’ve never tried before, I just love the bottle. I’m kind of excited for this beach look since I am no longer close to a beach and creating that look would be fun. I love that it contains argan oil, so I know my hair will be well-conditioned.

BH Cosmetics California Collection Eye Shadow Palette – trade. I don’t wear eye shadows, so cute as this palette is and as pretty as the colors are, I just wouldn’t use it. I left it sealed for trading but I did check out pictures online of the colors inside – there’s a purple, gold, and bronze I think. They all look great and if I was a makeup person I’d totally love this. Alas, I do no more than put on lip balm and maybe BB cream so eye shadows are far too much effort for me!

What do you think of these products? What did you get? If you’re interested in a trade, let me know and don’t forget to see what else I have up on my FSOT list. 🙂

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

Ipsy June 2013: On The Wild Side

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

I was deciding whether I wanted to get Ipsy again when I inadvertently missed the deadline to unsubscribe, so I figured why not keep going with it for another month? I mean, for $10 I’m getting a bunch of products and if I don’t like them I can always trade. I was eager to find spoilers but as each one was revealed I got more and more concerned, since none were products that I use. However, I’m actually enjoying discovering this new stuff and maybe even starting to use some makeup?

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

ipsy june 2013 bag items with card including cailyn gel eyeliner in iron, chella ivory lace highlighter pencil, nyx rouge cream blush in bronze goddess, j.cat sparkling cream palette in volta, and starlooks lip pencil in bare

I liked the texture of the bag a lot more than the previous one, though I don’t like the pattern as much. Still, I didn’t think I’d like it at all when I first saw the spoilers, so I’m glad it impressed me more than expected. As for the products, here are my thoughts:

ipsy june 2013 bag items including cailyn gel eyeliner in iron, chella ivory lace highlighter pencil, nyx rouge cream blush in bronze goddess, j.cat sparkling cream palette in volta, and starlooks lip pencil in bare

Cailyn Line-Fix Gel Eyeliner in Iron – trade. I’ve never tried applying gel eyeliner before, so I might as well go all out and get it in my favorite color (purple). I’m definitely putting this up for trade so I can get all wild with purple eyeliner.

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter – keep. I’ve been noticing how my eyebrows look more recently, so I’m totally ready to experiment with this highlighter and see what it can do for me. At the least it should be able to help calm down some of my redness.

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Bronze Goddess – trade. While I like the shade of this blush and I’m super curious about cream blushes, I just don’t use blush so it’d be such a waste. I’m sure there’s someone else who can make good use of this and trade me for something I’d actually use more than once.

J.cat Sparkling Cream Palette in Volta – trade/keep. I’m going to list this up for trading but if nobody wants it (and it seems most people don’t really care for glitter), next time I go out at night I’ll use some of this to add playfulness. I don’t mind being silly with some glitter!

Starlooks Lip Pencil in Bare – trade. I don’t think I will ever want or need a lip pencil. It’s just not my thing. Definitely going to swap for something else with this one!

What would you have done if you got these products? What are you planning on doing with the ones you did get? Let me know and definitely reach out if you’re interested in a trade. Don’t forget to see what else I have up on my FSOT list.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

365great Day 78: purses/clutches

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , ,
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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 78: purses/clutchesSmall purses or clutches are a great way to bring along some basic things on the go without going overboard. They’re also super cute and great for mini storage needs, like a First Aid kit or using as a handy place to stuff things in your car. They make perfect makeup or toiletry bags at home or something to keep your keys, money, phone, etc. in one place when going out. Oh, and of course you could always coordinate it with your outfit to become a part of the ensemble, whether it gives things an extra pop or just blends in with your clothing. I find them to be super handy and I enjoying having a couple to switch between based on my mood. They’re sleek yet cute, making them great for many occasions.

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