Posts Tagged ‘subscriptions’

Ipsy February 2014: The Look of Love review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Once again, 2014 is not offering me the most exciting bags from Ipsy. There’s only one item I’m really looking forward to trying. I would have loved the nail polish if it wasn’t baby pink, so I hope I can trade for a shade more suited to my taste. Similarly, I wasn’t a fan of the bag as much due to the color. I like the slight contour of the zipper and you can see a peek of the bold patterning inside, but pink just isn’t my thing.

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 february 2014 bag items with card including skyn iceland mask, j.cat false eyelashes and glue, pop beauty plump pout lip gloss in fuchsia freesia, tini beauty eyetini cream shadow and base, and zoya nail polish in dot

skyn ICELAND Fresh Start Mask with Ice Age Mud – This is a fascinating product that I’ll be trying soon. You take the clay and put it on your face, then add the activating gel. Apparently, the combination will actually bubble/fizz/foam in a warming solution. How fun! I love things like these and a few more samples of this would have made this bag well worth it.

J.Cat Beauty Eyelashes + Eyelash Glue – I’ve never tried to apply false lashes, but I did have them put on before for a photo shoot. They seem like a fun thing to play with someday, so I might keep them around. They’re crazy long though, so I’d feel silly walking around with eyelashes like that. Maybe if there’s a need for them at a costume party…

POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini in Fuchsia Freesia – Ok, I really like the look and shape of this lip gloss, but it smells awful. Is it supposed to be like that? It kind of reminds me of gasoline at times and the strong odor makes it very hard for me to use this product. Pity, because I just love the packaging here. Once again, I could do without the bright pink shade though.

Tini Beauty Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow + Base In One in Violette – I’m so split on this product! On the one hand, it’s a lovely shade of purple, but on the other hand, it’s an eye product. I just don’t see when I’d ever use it, so I’ll probably trade it. If only this was a lip gloss tube instead.

Zoya Nail Polish in Dot – I was really hoping for the purple shade shown in the Ipsy spoilers. But of course, I got the pink (bleh). It does seem like a solid base color to use for nail art or a somewhat nude-looking color if I don’t want to draw too much attention to my polish color. Still, I’m going to try trading it first and if it doesn’t go I’ll use it.

So all in all, I was not thrilled with this bag. I would have been a lot happier if the Pop Beauty lip gloss didn’t smell funky and the Zoya polish was another shade. If you want to trade, check out 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!]

Treatsie February 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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If you upgraded to the new premium version of Treatsie, you’ll find you got more items than me. This time I got an email from Treatsie reminding me about the change and letting me know that premium boxes had an extra chocolate bar. If you got it, please do share what flavor you received. 🙂

Treatsie is $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 3-4 brands (I am grandfathered in for $15 for 3 brands and fewer items). That means about 6 or 7 different flavors of treats (or 4 or 5 for me). Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program.

treatsie february 2014 box contents with chocolate bars, chocolate truffles, and hard candy

Eclipse Chocolate Salted Dulce de Leche and Cinnamon Brown Sugar bars: These are the bars that premium subscribers would have gotten a bonus one of. Everyone got the two flavors that I did here, which I think are great choices for a wide audience. The Salted Dulce de Leche is amazing! There is so much going on in that bar, with pretzel pieces, sea salt, and rich caramelized cocoa butter all in white chocolate. I love the combination of everything and it’s so unique. The Cinnamon Brown Sugar is delicious too, which far finer granules mixed in for a smoother taste and texture. This one is sweeter and rather warming, probably due to the cinnamon. Yum! I’m a fan of this brand for sure.

Raley’s Confectionary Love Mix: How cute are these hard candies? They’re a sweet fruity flavor (mix of pomegranate, cherry, cinnamon, and cranberry) with a little bit of tartness that comes in later on. It can’t be easy to make these beautiful designs, so that’s impressive. These are perfectly themed for Valentine’s and they’re a refreshing change from the typical holiday treats you’ll find in stores.

Neo Cocoa Zested Lime Truffle Heart and Almond Butter with Smoked Sea Salt Truffle Heart: Wow, these truffles are rich. One piece can really go a long way (even half a piece is satisfying!). I like the lime one because it is wonderfully fragrant and I love the taste of lime. They blended it beautifully with the chocolate for a light flavor that is yummy. The almond butter one with sea salt is a more standard sort of taste. I feel like I’m at some fancy event when I eat these!

I’m still debating about the premium box. While I really enjoyed the Eclipse Chocolate, would getting a third flavor be worth the extra cost? I might want to run out my subscription at the original pricing through 2014 before upgrading! What are your thoughts on the items in this 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!]

Beauty Box 5 February 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

Here comes the February Beauty Box 5, which is their birthday box – happy 2nd anniversary to them!

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

february 2014 beauty box 5 contents

Birthday bash time.

beauty box 5 february 2014 birthday card and mynamenecklace coupon card

A birthday card and discount code card.

beauty box 5 february 2014 information card

Info on the products with prices of their full sizes.

beauty box 5 february 2014 information card back

Back of info card with ways to connect.

Rockstar Nails Nail Polish: I can’t find the name of this shade, but it’s a nice sort of teal shade. The formula’s a bit more fluid than I’ve been used to, but it applies nice and opaque in one layer. It’s a lovely color and the consistency is perfect to work with the caviar it came with!

Rockstar Nails Nail Sprinkles: This is a brand new product for me. I’ve seen ads for it and now I get to try this type of nail decoration too! How fun. I love how it matches the nail polish. I’ve quickly learned that this can get very messy – in just opening the bottle to take a look, beads were falling everywhere. Be sure you find a nice flat surface to go apply these on.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Shampoo & Conditioner: There are two sets of these samples. They’re generously sized and perfect to bring along on my next trip. They also come with coupons for $2 off a full size product, which is good for all of this year!

Aveeno Positively Nourishing Calming Body Wash: What a soothing combo of lavender, chamomile, and ylang ylang. I have a ton of body wash at the moment and since this is sealed, I will keep it to use later. I can’t wait! It could also be very useful for my travels.

Elizabeth Mott It’s So Big Volumizing Mascara: I got this in an Ipsy bag awhile ago and it’s the first one that doesn’t rub off after some wear. I like its thicker, somewhat glue-like consistency that makes it waterproof and rub-proof. I do have a lot of mascaras and I rarely use them, so I might still consider trading this.

MyNameNecklace Gift Card: This time we got a bonus item in the form of $10 off a necklace. That could be as much as 30% or so off one of these necklaces, which is a decent deal. I’m not sure if I’ll get something since I rarely wear necklaces, but for $25 I might just snag a Carrie style one.

For me, the nail polish products and gift card made this box feel like a birthday celebration. What was your favorite item? If you like what you see, sign up for Beauty Box 5!

[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!]

Beauty Box 5 January 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

I received my very first Beauty Box 5 today! They were offering a deal of a free January box for getting their 3-month tier pricing ($30 total) and I was able to snag the deal while supplies lasted. That’s a wonderful deal!

Beauty Box 5 is $12 per box (or as discounted as $99 for an entire year, with an option in between) and comes with 5 cosmetic products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. You also have the option of buying it as a gift your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards products or boxes.

beauty box five held up by hand

The box was smaller than I imagined!

january 2014 beauty box 5 contents

Yes, I got purple gloves!!

beauty box 5 january 2014 information card

Info on the products with prices of their full sizes.

h2o+ Sea Lotus Body Wash: This unisex body gel smells fresh and clean. I actually like how it smells through the bottle more than straight up, so I hope that the scent that permeates is what would linger on my skin.

Nubar Vanilla Cuticle Oil: Mmm, this lovely vanilla scented cuticle oil smells wonderful! It feels great and absorbed well. I can definitely see this being very healing and good for your skin.

Swissco Bath & Shower Exfoliating Gloves: Woo hoo! Out of all the colors possible, I got the very one I would enjoy the most. Love that. I’m a huge fan of tools for beauty and skincare, so I’ll be appreciating these the next chance I get. I’ll put some of that body wash on and scrub down with them.

Jergens Daily Moisture Dry Skin Moisturizer: I’ve seen Jergens around all the time, but never tried it! I really like the scent of this lotion, which is slightly sweet and very calming. It’s a lighter formula than many others, which makes it absorb super fast. I can never have enough travel size lotions and this will definitely go with me on my next trip.

Epic Blend Hemp Coconut Lip Balm: I’m always hesitant when I first see anything with hemp, but then I talk myself down and try it anyway. The combination of hemp and coconut is interesting in a way I can’t quite pinpoint. The lip balm glides right on and leaves my lips well-protected. A good staple item to have.

That Awkward Moment Compact Mirror: This was a bonus item and suuuch good timing – I was just about to take a compact to work to keep at my desk. Now I have one on hand to bring in on Monday. In the mean time I’ve had fun goofing off and talking to Panda by looking at his reflection in the mirror. 😛

What do you think of the items in this box? Sign up for Beauty Box 5 if you’re interested!

[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!]

365great Day 328: La Fresh

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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365great day 328: la freshI never would have found out about La Fresh if it weren’t for subscription boxes. It first came in a blissmobox and then a Yuzen box. Ever since, I’ve been hooked. I love how they use minimal water to create their products. There’s just enough moisture in their wipes to get the job done without drenching you in extra wetness. I’m a huge fan of their Eco-Beauty line and I’ve tried most of that line. The acetone-free wipes are phenomenal at removing nail polish effectively with the tiniest of squares. Their facial cleansing wipes are very soothing and never dry out my face. I dry out easily after wiping my skin, so that’s important. The body soother is perfect after a workout when you just need a little extra refreshing boost. This is a brand I really enjoy and they make some super effective products that feel great!

Homegrown Collective January 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
4

This weekend, I got the first Homegrown Collective GREENBOX of the year! When I first saw the theme of DIY Detoxify, I thought juice cleanse and I was skeptical, but as it turns out, I love this box too (big surprise there, haha – I’ve loved all their boxes!). Also, I’d like to mention how insanely good they are at packing these things… I never know how everything fits back in once I unpack them. Lucky for me, I don’t have to do that part. 😛

The Homegrown Collective GREENBOX is $39 per box + $9 shipping (or as discounted as $429 for an entire year, with options in between) and comes with fun and easy projects to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program you can apply to join.

the homegrown collective january 2014 box with small shipping label

Hehe, I was totally amused by the mini label – is that a new thing?

inside of homegrown collective box with the info sheets on the inner lid and white homegrown collective sticker on brown paper wrapping

They have a pretty new logo that they started using.

contents of the homegrown collective january 2014 box with diy detoxify inside and out theme

Project #1, dandelion leaf herbal tea: I always thought you could do something with those dandelions in the yard and lookie here! What a fantastic way to enjoy what is commonly viewed as an annoying weed. I’m totally trying this at work as soon as we have the hot water machine again. I wonder how it tastes. I can’t imagine it’d be sweet, so maybe a bit tart or bitter? For whatever reason, that’s what I’d expect dandelion to taste like, but I’ll find out soon enough.

the homegrown collective january 2014 project dandelion leaf herbal tea info card the homegrown collective january 2014 products for dandelion leaf herbal tea

Project #2, dead sea salts & lavender fizzing bath soaks: Ooo yes, FIZZING! Seriously, who wouldn’t like a little bubbling in their bath soak? It makes things so much more interesting and entertaining. I absolutely must go to the Dead Sea at some point to float in it myself, but until then, I’m glad I have some salts from there to enjoy the detoxing effects. This is like a science experiment and beauty treatment all in one. And being a nerdy gal, I love both those things!! It was fun to watch the pouch floating around as it sizzled, then sink when the fizz was gone.

the homegrown collective january 2014 project dead sea salts and lavender fizzing bath soaks info card the homegrown collective january 2014 products for dead sea salts and lavender fizzing bath soaks

Project #3, bentonite clay & rosewater mask: Ok, I have an unhealthy obsession with masks. I don’t use them nearly as much as I’d like, but I’ll almost always get them anyway. I don’t know why I love them so much, but I can’t help it and I’m thrilled with mixing my own! I’ve never heard of bentonite clay, but I think most types of clay are pretty awesome (like when I discovered kaolin clay). This one sounds fascinating with its electrical charges and whatnot. I really liked spraying on the rose water to keep the mask on for longer without the tightening getting too crazy. Feels (and smells) lovely!

the homegrown collective january 2014 project bentonite clay and rosewater mask info card the homegrown collective january 2014 products for bentonite clay and rosewater mask

Then came the final info card talking about all the great detoxing going on with this box:

the homegrown collective january 2014 detoxify inside and out info card

marketing info cards from the homegrown collective january 2014 box

Here are the marketing materials that came with the box.

back of marketing info cards from the homegrown collective january 2014 box

And the backsides with all the info.

What are you waiting for? Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective so you can stop being all jealous of my awesome stuff. 😉

[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 February 2014: The Dramatic Collection review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

I didn’t see the emails to choose February’s box until the day after selection closed. Luckily, my default profile of Boho Glam was offering items that I liked enough that I was cool with not being able to choose alternatives. That was also the time I found out from Brandy at MommySplurge that Julep retired their skip any month option and now only allow you to accrue one skip every six months. I’m sooo glad I got in *just* in time to get grandmothered in so I can still skip every month if I want. Whew!

Julep is just under $20 per box and comes with 2 nail polish colors and a beauty product, 3 nail polish colors, or 2 beauty products (depending on your style profile choice). They offer plenty of upgrade and add-on options too. Boxes are sent monthly unless you choose to skip (skips are earned every six months for subscribers Dec 18th, 2013 and later). You also have the option of gifting your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free boxes.

julep maven boho glam february 2014 dramatic collection box contents

February’s Boho Glam Dramatic Collection box

julep a-list eyeliner duo information card

The info card promoted their eyeliner and liner brush, which was an add-on choice.

julep eye sheen information card

On the back of the info card is a look at the four shades of eye sheen.

set of julep polishes in cameron and rooney

My Boho glam profile matched me with Cameron in Stardust finish (love) and Rooney (meh).

julep eye sheen liquid eyeshadow in pale nude shimmer

The shade of eye sheen I got was pale nude shimmer. Probably a good match for me if I actually use eyeshadow.

julep polish in love

As a special gift from Jane the CEO, we got this bonus shade, Love. Perfect for Valentine’s!

I’m glad I got this box because I really like the special edition Love that I don’t think you can get any other way and I’m a fan of the Stardust finish I got. The brown color is ok and I haven’t decided if I want to keep it or put it up for trade. It might be good to have a neutral like that around. As for the eye sheen, I think they’re pretty cool but I’m not an eyeshadow person so it’s definitely going up for trade. Overall the box was decent and I’m glad I locked in the Love shade.

Join as a Julep Maven to get polishes and/or beauty products 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!]

365great Day 317: Escape Monthly

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
1

365great day 317: escape monthlyI’ve been with Escape Monthly since they started with their first box in August 2013 and it’s been a fun ride so far! Each month, they’ve carefully chosen products that reflect the spirit of a certain region and almost every single product is actually made there (if not all of them). Products include a bit of personal care, a bit of food or snacks, a bit of home goods, a bit of random items, and always a guide book for that area. The vibe of each box has been different based on the theme of the month and it’s been lovely trying products from all over the place. So far it’s mostly been US cities and states, with one international box focused on Italy. I hope they mix in more international destinations as time goes on! I also love their referral program, which has earned me quite a bit of money back. 🙂 Awesome tours of cool destinations AND recurring commission for referrals? That’s great!!

Blue Apron January 7th Delivery review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , ,
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Ok, this time I managed to get this review up about two weeks after cooking the meals. I’m getting better! I enjoyed each of these dishes and would definitely recreate parts of each at some point. The Thai soup was awesome and I’d make more with a ton more rice next time. The turkey meatloaf was tasty and better than expected. I loved the roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach – sides that I could eat again and again. Finally, the steak fajitas were fabulous! The whole wheat tortillas were perfectly soft and I devoured the taco-fajita hybrid we had going on.

Blue Apron is just under $60 per box and comes with 3 meals of 2 servings each. That’s $10 per meal serving! Boxes are sent weekly unless you choose to skip (which is very easy to do). After ordering a few times, they will offer free meals you can send to friends (but no referral program).

collage of blue apron thai coconut shrimp soup with lemongrass and red curry recipe card

The first one we tried was this yummy soup.

collage of blue apron thai coconut shrimp soup with lemongrass and red curry ingredients and meal being cooked

I never knew lemongrass is kind of purplish inside!

blue apron thai coconut shrimp soup with lemongrass and red curry finished product

It was just enough spicy and not too creamy.

collage of blue apron turkey meatloaf with roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach recipe card

I’ve never had turkey meatloaf before, so this was intriguing.

collage of blue apron turkey meatloaf with roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach ingredients and meal being cooked

Yum, the meatloaf and potatoes and spinach made for a well-rounded meal.

blue apron turkey meatloaf with roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach finished product

All good, but the sides were the best.

collage of blue apron top round steak fajitas with guacamole and whole wheat tortillas recipe card

Then it was fajita time!

collage of blue apron top round steak fajitas with guacamole and whole wheat tortillas ingredients and meal being cooked

Loved the use of whole wheat tortillas.

blue apron top round steak fajitas with guacamole and whole wheat tortillas finished product

All kinds of wonderful tastes blending.

Share Your Subscription link party!

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , ,
2
Share Your Subscription with MommySplurge
Yay it’s a par-tay! This fun new link-up is a wonderful way to discover some fantastic subscriptions and see what others are getting and loving. I’ll have to set a reminder to link up every 22nd of the month going forth. 🙂 Here’s MommySplurge’s post about it so you can see the linked blog posts.
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