Birchbox - June 2013

Birchbox is $10 a month and is mostly deluxe sample sizes. If you use my link I get referral credit. The June box was definitely more on the sample size side.

The packets are from Davines 3-step system. The pink is conditioner the other is the a leave in oil. They are both decent products but these foil packets are never enough to really sample.

The shampoo from the Davines was also included but this was in a truly deluxe size sample. I found this odd since the others were the above foil packets. I'd love to be able to give this  "3 step system" a real try as the one time they felt pretty good.

Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser has a nice citrus scent and a great feel. While the sample size was small, you use such a small amount that I got a few uses out of it. I'd love to get more of this!

Oscar de la Renta's Something Blue has a nice scent. While it is floral it's not overly so. I won't need to buy perfume for quite some time thanks to Birchbox!

I have more nail polish than I could ever where but this was a nice neutral color. This one is from Color Club's Wanderlust collection. I got the Mod in Manhattan color which is kind of an off white. These polishes always have nice coverage.

This Birchbox wasn't very impressive to me. It was almost all sample size items. If this keeps up I might have to find a replacement.

PopSugar Must Have - June 2013

PopSugar is still one of my favorite boxes. It's also the most expensive one I get so I guess that works out! June's box was a pretty good fit for me.

Popcorn, Indiana fit popcorn - As you can probably see, I got the onion dijon flavor. I really like the flavor of this. unfortunately each time I've eaten a handful I've managed to get a piece stuck in my tooth. But I guess that's the popcorn risk :-) Great snack for a salty fix.

Project Quench The Thirsty Wintergreen Mints -These are from Project 7 and they benefit an organization dedicated to getting clean water to places around the world. And they taste pretty good!

Revenge Wears Prada - I didn't read Devil Wears Prada but I enjoyed the movie. This will go in to my To Be Read pile.

Addicted to Sweat - it's a chair workout DVD so I'm curious. But I haven't had the chance to check it out. I guess it's a favorite of Madonna.

Juice Beauty Stem Cell Repair Moisturizer - fruit stem cells to reduce fine lines. It actually smells citrusy! And it feels great going on. They also slipped in a bounus CC cream sample in two shades.

Gorjana & Griffin Zuma Scarf - I'm hesitant to call this a scarf. It's big enough to be a wrap or a beach cover up. And it's not to heavy for that use. I keep wanting to be a scarf person but if that doesn't work out I can still use this.

PopSugar Must Have box is one of my splurges and this month was well worth it!

Goodies - May 2013

This is my second Goodies box. I got a deal on the first one and it was pretty good so I thought I'd give it another chance. If they are all like this I'll be keeping this box!

Sortz Sour power Straws - one pack was a mixed flavor and the other all strawberry. I really like the tart/sweet flavor of these. The tart flavor isn't so much that your mouth puckers but it's definitely there. I think I prefer the mixed pack.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this Chipotle sauce. I tasted this with some tortilla chips I had in the house. This is delicious! It doesn't have a heavy fruity flavor so don't let that put you off.

I love pumpkin seeds so I was excited to try these. They did not disappoint. The sea salt adds a nice flavor without being to salty.

Numi Moroccan Mint tea. I've had Numi teas before and have always enjoyed them. I feel you can never have to much tea so this was a nice addition. And a coupon as well!

These chips are bean instead of corn based. I had given up trying to find a tortilla chip without corn. And so these were a welcome inclusion. And they were delicious. These were very like Dorritos. They also make a plain salted version, which I can't wait to try.

Any time I get one of these free coupons for Wholly Guacamole I'm happy! The only thing better than this is homemade.

At $7 this box was a great value. The guacamole alone is almost 4 dollars. I highly recommend this box if you want a mix of new snacks and old favorites.

Birchbox - May 2013

I've been going back and forth about whether to continue the Birchbox subscription and then I get a box like this one and wonder why I would consider leaving! I pay the usual $10 a month but get referral credit if you use the above link.
So what was in this box that made me so happy...

This was my favorite item in the box. The DevaCurl 3 step system was the perfect choice for me. I've already ordered more! It's a shampoo, conditioner and defining gel. The gel is used while the hair is wet and protects it and keeps it from frizzing. it worked perfectly on my unruly hair!

Whish shave cream - this would have come in handy while I was on vacation, if I hadn't forgotten it. It has a nice mild scent and nice feel to it. I'm sure it will work just fine.

COOLA Classic sunscreen for face is a nice moisturizer with an SPF of 30. This is a nice addition to my samples for summer.

Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner goes on like those eyeliners that look like markers (smooth lines) but it's actually wax. Mine was the black but I can draw such a thin line that it looks great!

Birch box bonus item - Pilot Acroball PureWhite pen it writes the light blue color you see. I can't really use it at work but it's fun for notes and lists around the house. It writes wonderfully and doesn't smear.

Overall a great box for $10. I think I love Birchbox again!

Influenster Spring Vox Box

I was selected to receive the Spring Fever Vox box from Influenster! I had previously received some new Palmolive products to try, which was great, but this sounded much more fun! I only sort of knew what to expect from a Vox box so it really was like opening a present when it came. This is what I opened..

And the break down... Secret Outlast. This stuff works really well. It lasts all day and no white residue. Enough said.

imPress Broadway nails - I had to wait until I was on vacation to apply these since the design isn't very "office friendly."  But they went on very easily - they are press on after all. The only issue I had was with my thumb nails and that was a fit issue. All the other fingers I was able to find a perfect fit from the nails enclosed, but the thumb nails were either to wide or to short. I selected the ones that fit the width but there is a bigger gap between the bottom of the nail and the cuticle than the other fingers. They stayed in place better than any press on nail I've ever tried. I haven't taken them off yet so I don't know how easily they will come off.

Schwarzkopf Osis+ - I received the Gelastic and honestly I thought this would be the one thing I wouldn't use but I was wrong! This works really well reigning in my frizzy fly away bangs. It only takes a drop so this bottle will last me forever! Not good for their sales but great for me :-)

I had heard of Tasty Kakes but I've never tried them. This was a yummy snack cake. I'm not sure of what to compare it to though. I liked that it wasn't overly sweet.

NYC New York Appleicious - I LOVE this. It's more lip balm than lip stick. It has a slight red/pink color that is very natural looking and goes on so easily. It leaves my lips feeling nice and hydrated.

This was a great box! All the items were full sized and it doesn't hurt that I didn't pay for them. But these are my honest opinions on all of the products.

PopSugar Must Have - May 2013

This box was the best PopSugar box in a while! Almost all stuff I can use! This one is $35 a month but you may get hit with tax depending on your state (I do in IL.) If you want to check it out my referral link is PopSugar 

The first thing out of the box was this great sun hat. Its a Kooringal Giselle Mid Brim Hat. I was just about to buy a new one since my other one flops in my face now. This one has a stiffer brim so it stays out of my eyes but it's flexible enough to fold.

I love small to medium tote bags. I'm not thrilled with the logo being on it but at least it's fairly small. It's basically a smaller version of those reusable shopping bags. It seems pretty sturdy.

I can't think of the last time I had a margarita. We picked up some tequila the other day so we will give these a try. A side note, one of the bottles leaked into the bubble wrap. The bubble wrap protected everything else but the box was sticky. I emailed PopSugar and they actually sent me a whole new set! Great customer service! I photographed the other side of the box so you can't see the stickiness. The box also includes some sort of salt for rimming the glass. The Modern Margarita

I know Mindy Kaling is really popular but I must admit I've never seen her show. Questions I Ask When I Want to Talk About Myself Deck is a deck of cards with a clever subject and questions on each card to jump start conversation. They might be worth a good laugh.

I was in love with my Original Beautyblender and Blendercleanser, but then the blender went to visit my daughters toy box, never to be seen again. I then got and Eco Tools version in another box and loved that even more. I don't want to go back now so I'll probably end up trading this. If you want it, email me! I have another bottle of the cleaner so I have tried it and it's pretty good at cleaning the Eco Tools sponge as well.

I'm not big on lipstick but the Pacifica Natural Color Quench Lip Tint is more like a tinted lip balm. This color is a little darker than I would buy but I love the feel so I'll at least use this tube, and maybe find another in a more appropriate color. This is guava berry.

The Way Better Snacks Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips were delicious. The only drawback for them was they arrived in the same month as some bean based ones in my Goodies box that were even more amazing. I would definitely buy these chips if I saw them. Yum!

Also included in this month box was a $30 coupon for Charm & Chain. I didn't get to the web site fast enough so a lot was sold out when I checked. Fortunately it's good for awhile yet so I'll check back. I don't like to spend more for these coupons so I'll only use it if something nice is there for about $30. So I don't count this toward the value of the box. Other than that, this was a really good box. It looks like PopSugar is back on track!

Stunner of the Month - May 2013

I found a deal for Stunner of the Month and I have an amazing ability to go through sunglasses like water so it seemed like a perfect match! Each month they choose a pair of sunglasses for you from the category you selected (men, women or unisex.) I chose unisex because I didn't want anything to girly. The regular price is $9 a month including shipping. Not bad for a pair of sunglasses.

For free shipping expected a padded envelope but was pleasantly surprised when I saw this in my mailbox.

They included a key chain holder with mini screwdrivers for sunglasses maintenance. And the glasses were in a cloth draw string bag that protects them well in my purse.

And here's the sunglasses! These are from the unisex collection. I'm not sure how many men would wear them but I think they suit me fine. Almost a month and they are still intact!

I think even at the full $9 price these would be a pretty good buy.