Conscious Box - November 2012

Two more Conscious Boxes to go, then I will be caught up for the new year! I was very happy with this box, and to top it off, I was sent it to review directly from Conscious Box. :)

1. Freekeh Grains – Tamari Roasted Green Wheat in "Original" - 8oz - $3.54
2. Teeccino Herbal Coffee - 3 packets - $1.15
3. Simply Organic Minced Onion - 1 mini-spice jar - $1.78
4. Bloomers Organic Snow Peas Seeds - 1 packet - $2.00
5. Lush Nuts in "Dark Cocoa Chili" - .77oz - $1.04
6. Sweet Drops in "Vanilla Creme" - 2oz - $6.47
7. Justin's Nut Butter Organic Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups - Full-size - $2.26
8. L’Ecuyer’s Gourmet Caveman Rub - Sample packet - $1.00
9. Organic India Tulsi Tea - 1 bag - $0.26
10. Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix - 100g - $1.39

= $20.89

Please note that somehow the lip balm did not make it into this shot. Isn't this month a great value?

Conscious Box - October 2012

My October Conscious Box was much improved, in my opinion, over September's. I feel like they had put a lot of energy into the vegan box at the expense of the regular box, which seems silly, given that they could have exchanged only a couple of products and been fine to differentiate the vegan and regular boxes.

1. Crum Creek – Certified Organic Soy Nut Mix - 1oz - $0.55
2. Zarbees All-Natural Children's Cough Syrup - 1 serving - $0.50
3. RW Garcia Dippers – 3 Seed Curry & Mango Dipping Chips - 1.5oz - $1.03
4. GeoDeo – Natural Deodorant + Detox in "Island" - Full-size - $3.51
5. Larabar in "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough" - 0.78oz bar - $0.65
7. Bumble Bar Organic Sesame Bar - 1 bar - $0.75
8. Clandestino Banana Bar - 1 bar - $1.82
9. Goodlight Natural Candles - 1 box of 6 candles - $2.99
10. Teatulia Earl of Bengal Tea - 1 teabag - $0.49
11. Vita Rocks in "Lemon Burst" - 1 packet - $0.43

= $12.72

Not bad, especially given curation and shipping. I like the boxes that have a few more supplements and samples, but I was able to really enjoy everything in this box, so no complaints here!

Birchbox - October 2012

Here is another Birchbox post -- I am getting a bit closer to caught up, at least...

This was a great Birchbox in terms of colors and flavors. I was a little bit disappointed by the Kiehl's, and I believe I received another product from Kiehl's in the following box, but I know it is a great company. I just have a ridiculous number of cleansers.

1. Essie Nail Polish in "Power Clutch" - 1 bottle - $6.00
2. Kiehl's Liquid Body Cleanser in "Orange Flower & Lychee" - 2.2oz - $5.75
3. Joanna Vargas Daily Serum - Sample - $3.00
4. Naked Princess Naked Shine Luscious Lip Gloss in "Barely Coral" - 0.008oz - $2.08
4. Luna Fiber Bar in "Chocolate Raspberry" - $1.07

= $17.90

Conscious Box - September 2012

So apparently, between the stolen cards and fiscal woes in August, I did not receive an August box from Conscious Box. Oh well...

1. Vitamineral Green HealthForce SuperFoods - 20g - $2.42
2. 100% Pure Nourishing Body Cream in Green Apple and Vanilla Bean - 2 packets - $1.50
3. Jovial Einkorn Pasta - 4oz - $0.93
4. Wild Rose Aromatherapy - 1 vial - $3.99
5. Amazing Grass Amazing Meal - 27g - $2.50
6. Avalon Organics Bath & Shower Gel in "Lavender" - 2oz - $1.06
7. Avalon Organics Hand Lotion in "Lavender" - 2oz - $1.88
8. Joy's Teaspoon - 1 teabag - $0.50
9. Artisana Raw Coconut Butter - 1 packet - $0.25
10. Barlean's Organic Oils Omega Swirl to Go in "Mango Peach" - 1 packet - $1.00
11. Immuno-Viva Defend+ Energy - 1 packet - $1.00

= $17.03

I was a little disappointed by this month's box, mostly because of the fish oil. I had not taken the vegan box, but I expected that it would still be vegetarian, at least. I had planned on canceling after this box, but decided to give it another shot. So far, there have been no other non-vegetarian products.

Birchbox - September 2012

My September Birchbox arrived with some samples that I was extremely excited to try.

1. Bvlgari in Mon Jasmin Noir - 0.05oz - $1.06
2. Wei to Go Sleep Over Kit: Real Clean and Ideal Skin - 1 kit - $10.00
3. Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator - 20g - $7.47
4. Birchbox and Color Club Custom Collection - .25oz - $2.50
5. Twistband Lace Up for Fall - 1 twistband - $2.00
6. The Brush Guard - 1 pack - $5.50

= $28.53

Birchbox - August, 2012

Hello, again!

As you may have noticed, I have been running a bit behind with subscription box posts, as well as item reviews and polish swatches. I am desperately attempting to get caught up, however, so watch out for a glut over the next few days.

 

For August, I received:

1. DDF Brightening Cleanser - 4.5oz - $14.79

2. Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25+ - 0.06oz - $1.68

3. LÄRABAR über - 1 bar - $1.80

4. Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy La Fleur - 0.05oz - $1.36

5. LiQWd Professional Volumizing Catalyst - 0.34oz - $1.47

= $21.10

Overall this was a decent box. I had received a few products on my alternate Birchbox account already, but they were products that I liked, so it's all good. The beauty balm is decent, if too dark, and the brightening cleanser is a very large sample. Interestingly enough, when I bought a sample pack from Birchbox that included the same cleanser, the sample I received was much smaller. I wonder if they ran out of smaller samples and were forced to included semi-full sizes.

Conscious Box - July 2012

This isn't late at all... no, not at all.

 

So this was my July Conscious Box. I do not think there was a vegan option yet. I did try some of these products already, and I think that this was a really nicely curated box.

1. Powbab Baobab Superfruit Chews - Sample Chews - $1.00

2. Madhava Organic Agave Nectar - 1 packet - $0.10

3. Madhava Organic Coconut Sugar in Blonde - 1 packet - $0.10

4. Naturally It's Clean Floors Cleanser - 1 packet - $0.20

5. Tea Forté Sampler - 3 bags - $1.13

6. Just Great Stuff Organic Superberry Acai - 1 bar - $1.65

7. The All Natural Face Vegan Eyeshadow in "Peach Ice" - Sample - $0.35

8. St. Claire's Organics Mints in "Peppermint" - 1 tin - $2.99

9. Sun Warrior Warrior Blend Raw Protein - 21g - $0.82

10. Aura Cacia Brightening Pure Essential Oil in "Sweet Orange" - .5oz - $2.72

11. Aura Cacia Aromatherapy Deck - 1 deck - $10.00

12. GoGo Squeez in "Apple Mango" - 1 2.2oz tube - $0.62

13. Mighty Leaf Iced Tea - 1 bag - $1.67

14. Jadience Herbal Formulas - Muscle and Joint Therapeutic Cream - .14oz - $1.99

= $25.34

Not bad! I think that if you are interested in aromatherapy, this box would have been especially nice to receive, given the cards and sample. I also liked that there were plenty of teas, as well as a cosmetics item.

Sorry again for the delay! Look for more tonight!

A Guide to Halloween 2012 Nail Polish Trends

Hey, guys! Now that I have the summer post up, I wanted to do a special Halloween post of the various Halloween polishes that are up. Please comment if there are any others that I missed!

These collections are included:

China Glaze - Wicked
OPI - So So Skullicious
Orly - Spellbound
Piggy Polish - Eat, Drink and Be Scary

Reds/Orange/Yellow
China Glaze - "Roguish Red" (PolishAholic)

OPI - "Hi, Pumpkin!" (Polish Hideout)
Piggy Polish - "Easy Come, Easy Glow" (Mandy's Secrets)

OPI - "Candlelight" (Polish Hideout)

Greens
Orly - "Monster Mash" (Stephanie Louise)

Blues/Purples
China Glaze - "Bizarre Blurple" (PolishAholic)

Pink
OPI - "A-Rose from the Dead" (Polish Hideout)

Black/Black Bases
OPI - "Morning Glory" (Polish Hideout)
Orly - "Liquid Vinyl" (Aurora's Nails)

China Glaze - "Cast a Spell" (PolishAholic)

Piggy Polish - "Lightmare" (Frazzle and Aniploish)
Orly - "RIP" (Scrangie)

Grey/Tan/Brown
China Glaze - "Immortal" (PolishAholic)

Topcoats
China Glaze - "Glitter Goblin" (PolishAholic)
China Glaze - "Make a Spectacle" (China Glaze) [Pictured over China Glaze "Immortal."]
Orly - "Right Amount of Evil" (Shades of U) [Pictured over Revlon "Apricot."]
Piggy Polish - "Nocturne Nail" (Frazzle and Aniploish) [Clearer, pictured next to Piggy Polish "Easy Come, Easy Glow.]"

A Guide to Summer 2012 Nail Polish: Part II - Trends and the Best

So! As you saw in my OTHER post, I surveyed all of the major collections. Feel free to comment me if I am missing any summer sets!

There were some clear trends for this summer, and some gorgeous polishes, which I pulled out to list below. Also, were there enough pinks and purples? Jeez! I even liked some of them, but it felt like it took me an hour to get through them.

Red-Orange
Dior - "Calypso" (Ever After Lacquer)
Misa - "So HOT in Sunglasses" (Vampy Varnish)
Duri - "Steal the Spotlight" (Vampy Varnish)
China Glaze - "Surfin' for Boys" (Scrangie)
OPI - "Call Me Gwen-Ever" (Scrangie)

Yellow-Tinted Orange
Zoya - "Myrta" (PolishAholic)
Orly - "Melt Your Popsicle" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Fear or Desire" (Scrangie)
Zoya - "Arizona" (Pointless Cafe)
China Glaze - "Orange You Hot" (Scrangie)

Metallic/Glitter Purples
Zoya - "Rory" (PolishAholic)
Deborah Lippmann - "Private Dancer" (Lacquered Lover)
FingerPaints - "Movie in the Park" (PolishAholic)
Zoya - "Carly" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Sure Shot" (Scrangie)
Orly - "After Party" (PolishAholic)

Purple Cremes/Shimmers
China Glaze - "Under the Boardwalk" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Beach Cruiser" (Scrangie)

Pinks/Fuschias
Essie - "Pink-a-Boo" (Scrangie)
Orly - "Beach Cruiser" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Off the Shoulder" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Flip-Flop Fuschia" (PolishAholic)
China Glaze - "Hang Ten-toes" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Love's a Beach" (Scrangie) Zoya - "Kimber" (PolishAholic)
Color Club - "Wing Fling" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "All Tied Up" (Scrangie)

Pink: Orange/Coral-Undertones
China Glaze - "Flirty Tankini" (Scrangie)
OPI - "Your Web or Mine?" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Pink Plumeria" (Scrangie)

Dark/Ink and Saturated Blues
Essie - "No More Film" (Scrangie)
Color Club - "Electro Midnight" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Ride the Waves" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Splish Splash" (Scrangie)

Rich Blue and Blue-Green
FingerPaints - "Late Night Rendezvous" (PolishAholic)
Color Club - "Sky High" (PolishAholic)
Sephora by OPI - "I'm So Sari" (Beautezine)
Misa - "Skinny Dipping" (Vampy Varnish)
Color Club - "Metamorphosis" (PolishAholic)
Zoya - "Zuza" (PolishAholic)
FingerPaints - "To-Teally Hot" (PolishAholic)
Zoya - "Wednesday" (Pointless Cafe)

Gold-Greens (aka Peridot-a-likes and Kin)
Color Club - "Sci-Fi" (Scrangie)
OPI - "Just Spotted the Lizard" (Scrangie)

Golds, Coppers, and Foils
SpaRitual - "Aurum" (My Lucid Bubble)
SpaRitual - "Gilded Age" (My Lucid Bubble)
SpaRitual - "Rusted Lux" (My Lucid Bubble)
Color Club - "Cop an Attitude" (Scrangie)
Deborah Lippmann - "Sugar Daddy" (Lacquered Lover)
Sephora by OPI - "Looks Like Rain, Dear" (Beautezine)

Highlighter Yellow-Green
China Glaze - "Sun-Kissed" (Scrangie)
FingerPaints - "Sexy Sundress" (Polishaholic)
Orly - "Glowstick" (PolishAholic)

Assorted Pretties - Not Trends
Orly - "Skinny Dip" (PolishAholic)
Zoya - "Tracie" (Pointless Cafe)
China Glaze - "I'm With the Lifeguard" (Scrangie)
Misa - "Good to Be Green" (Vampy Varnish)
OPI - "Hot Fun in the Summer-Lime" (Love for Lacquer)
Color Club - "Fly With Me" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Mojito Madness" (Scrangie)
Color Club - "Daisy Does It" (PolishAholic)
OPI - "My Boyfriend Scales Walls" (Scrangie)
Essie - "No Place Like Chrome" (Lacquered Lover)
Nicole by OPI - "Kim Konfidential" (PolishAholic)
Nicole by OPI - "Here Kim's the Sun" (PolishAholic)  [Pictured over black.]

A Guide to Summer 2012 Nail Polish: Part I - The Polishes

So... I realize that this is unfortunately running a little late. I hope you guys don't mind too much -- it was a chaotic summer!

So these are the collections that made it into the post. PLEASE let me know which I am missing!

Barielle - Summer Fun
Chanel - Summer 2012
China Glaze - Summer Neons
Color Club - Magnetic Force
Color Club - Take Wing
Deborah Lippmann - Mirrored Chrome
Duri - Keep Your Options Open
Essie - Resort
Essie - Mirror Metallics
Essie - Bikini So Teeny
FingerPaints - Summer in the City
FingerPaints - Summer Neons
Misa - Hot Summer
NARS - Summer 2012
Nicole by OPI - Wel-Kim to My World
OPI - The Amazing Spider-Man
OPI - Too Haute to Handle (Ulta Exclusives)
OPI - Vintage Minnie Mouse
Orly - Feel the Vibe
Sephora by OPI - Indian Summer
Zoya - Beach
Zoya - Surf

And on to the polishes -- I want to thank all of these wonderful bloggers for posting beautiful swatches for my reference when creating this guide. I have access to very, very few of these polishes, and without their hard work, it would not be possible.

Reds-Oranges
OPI - "The Color of Minnie" (All You Desire)

Chanel - "Holiday" (The Beauty Look Book)
Dior - "Calypso" (Ever After Lacquer)
Misa - "So HOT in Sunglasses" (Vampy Varnish)
Duri - "Steal the Spotlight" (Vampy Varnish)
China Glaze - "Surfin' for Boys" (Scrangie)
OPI - "Call Me Gwen-Ever" (Scrangie)
Barielle - "Berry Go Round" (Refined and Polished)
Barielle - "Peach Popsicle" (Refined and Polished)

Sephora by  OPI - "Paisley Attention to Me" (The Nail Network)
FingerPaints - "Iconic Orange" (The Exotic Lacquer)
Zoya - "Myrta" (PolishAholic)
Color Club - "Sparkle and Soar" (PolishAholic)
Orly - "Melt Your Popsicle" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Fear or Desire" (Scrangie)
Zoya - "Arizona" (Pointless Cafe)
China Glaze - "Orange You Hot" (Scrangie)

Pinks-Purples
Chanel - "Island" (The Beauty Look Book)
Essie - "Nothing Else Metals" (Lacquered Lover)
Zoya - "Rory" (PolishAholic)
Deborah Lippmann - "Private Dancer" (Lacquered Lover)
FingerPaints - "Movie in the Park" (PolishAholic)
Duri - "The Big Score" (Vampy Varnish)
Zoya - "Carly" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Sure Shot" (Scrangie)
Orly - "After Party" (PolishAholic)
Color Club - "Magnetic Force" (Scrangie)
Color Club - "Hipnotic" (Scrangie)

Essie - "Bikini So Teeny" (Scrangie)
Essie - "She's Picture Perfect" (Scrangie)
OPI - "Pack Your Booty Shorts" (Love for Lacquer)
China Glaze - "Under the Boardwalk" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Beach Cruiser" (Scrangie)
Duri - "How to Pick a Winner" (Vampy Varnish)
Duri - "Lazy Days" (Vampy Varnish)
FingerPaints - "Beach Bound" (PolishAholic)
Duri - "Keep Your Options Open" (Vampy Varnish)

Essie - "Pink-a-Boo" (Scrangie)
Nicole by OPI - "Up and Kim-ing Pink" (PolishAholic)
NARS - "Trouville" (Makeup and Beauty Blog)

Essie - "Cascade Cool" (Scrangie)
Barielle - "Pink Flip-Flops" (Refined and Polished)
Zoya - "Shelby" (Pointless Cafe)
Misa - "Double Dutch" (Vampy Varnish)
OPI - "If You Moust You Moust" (All You Desire)
Duri - "Celebrate the Sunset" (Vampy Varnish)
Zoya - "Shelby" (Pointless Cafe)
Orly - "Beach Cruiser" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Off the Shoulder" (Scrangie)

Zoya - "Lara" (Pointless Cafe)
China Glaze - "Flip-Flop Fuschia" (PolishAholic)
China Glaze - "Hang Ten-toes" (Scrangie)
Sephora by OPI - "What Aura Gonna Wear" (Polish Freak)
China Glaze - "Love's a Beach" (Scrangie)
OPI - "I'm All Ears" (All You Desire)
Sephora by OPI - "Henna-Thing is Possible" (Love for Lacquer)
FingerPaints - "Pop Art Purple" (The Exotic Lacquer)
Zoya - "Reagan" (Pointless Cafe)
Zoya - "Kimber" (PolishAholic)
Color Club - "Wing Fling" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "All Tied Up" (Scrangie)

China Glaze - "Flirty Tankini" (Scrangie)
Misa - "BubblePop" (Vampy Varnish)
Dior - "Cosmo" (Ever After Lacquer)
OPI - "Your Web or Mine?" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Pink Plumeria" (Scrangie)
Misa - "Pink Cadillac" (Vampy Varnish)
FingerPaints - "Warhol Wannabe" (The Exotic Lacquer)

Blues-Greens
Essie - "No More Film" (Scrangie)
Sephora by OPI - "Seriously It's a Naan-Issue" (Beautezine)
Color Club - "Electro Midnight" (Scrangie)
OPI - "Into the Night" (Scrangie)
FingerPaints - "Inkblot Blue" (The Exotic Lacquer)
China Glaze - "Ride the Waves" (Scrangie)
China Glaze - "Splish Splash" (Scrangie)
OPI - "The Flowers are Blue-Ming" (Love for Lacquer)
Dior - "Lagoon" (Ever After Lacquer)

Orly - "Skinny Dip" (PolishAholic)
Nicole by OPI - "Nothing Kim-pares to You" (PolishAholic)
Essie - "Blue Rhapsody" (Lacquered Lover)

FingerPaints - "Late Night Rendezvous" (PolishAholic)
Color Club - "Sky High" (PolishAholic)
Sephora by OPI - "I'm So Sari" (Beautezine)
Misa - "Skinny Dipping" (Vampy Varnish)
Color Club - "Metamorphosis" (PolishAholic)
Zoya - "Zuza" (PolishAholic)
FingerPaints - "To-Teally Hot" (PolishAholic)
Barielle - "Ocean Breeze" (Refined and Polished)

Misa - "Good to Be Green" (Vampy Varnish)
Zoya - "Meg" (Pointless Cafe)
Essie - "Mojito Madness" (Scrangie)
FingerPaints - "Silkscreen Green" (The Exotic Lacquer)
China Glaze - "I'm With the Lifeguard" (Scrangie)
Color Club - "Fly With Me" (PolishAholic)
Zoya - "Tracie" (Pointless Cafe)
Barielle - "Mint Ice Cream Cone" (Refined and Polished)

Golds-Bronzes-Yellows
Color Club - "Sci-Fi" (Scrangie)
SpaRitual - "Electrum" (SpaRitual)
OPI - "Just Spotted the Lizard" (Scrangie)
Deborah Lippmann - "Swagga Like Us" (Lacquered Lover)

SpaRitual - "Alchemy" (My Lucid Bubble)
SpaRitual - "Aurum" (My Lucid Bubble)
SpaRitual - "Conduit" (My Lucid Bubble)

Essie - "Penny Talk" (Lacquered Lover)
SpaRitual - "Gilded Age" (My Lucid Bubble)
SpaRitual - "Rusted Lux" (My Lucid Bubble)
Color Club - "Cop an Attitude" (Scrangie)

Essie - "Gold as it Gets" (Lacquered Lover)
OPI - "Sand on Your Own Two Feet" (Love for Lacquer)
Chanel - "Delight" (The Beauty Look Book)
Deborah Lippmann - "Sugar Daddy" (Lacquered Lover)
Sephora by OPI - "Looks Like Rain, Dear" (Beautezine)

China Glaze - "Sun-Kissed" (Scrangie)
FingerPaints - "Sexy Sundress" (Polishaholic)
Orly - "Glowstick" (PolishAholic)

Color Club - "Daisy Does It" (PolishAholic)
Dior - "Acapulco" (Ever After Lacquer)

Greys-Whites
OPI - "My Boyfriend Scales Walls" (Scrangie)
Nicole by OPI - "Others Pale by Kim-parison" (PolishAholic)
Orly - "Dayglow" (PolishAholic)

Blacks-Silvers
Color Club - "Steel of the Night" (Scrangie)
Essie - "No Place Like Chrome" (Lacquered Lover)

Nudes-Tans-Browns
Nicole by OPI - "Kim Konfidential" (PolishAholic)

Topcoats
OPI - "Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It" (All You Desire) [Pictured over "If You Moust You Moust"]
OPI - "Shatter the Scales" (Scrangie) [Pictured over "Call Me Gwen-Ever"]
Nicole by OPI - "Here Kim's the Sun" (PolishAholic)  [Pictured over black.]
Nicole by OPI - "Lights, Kim-era, Action!" (PolishAholic) [Pictured over black.]

Birchbox - July 2012 [Box II]

Wet nails here. Hopefully since they're back to being short since I am super stressed, typing won't mar the polish. I went for a shade that reminds me of a pumpkin late with shiny flecks of salted caramel: Bronzed to Perfection by OPI.

Did I seriously never post this box? Oops. Sorry about that. This is from when I was trying two Birchbox subscriptions.

 

This was from the Glamour box that they did for July that was intended to appeal to all of the senses. Inside were these items:

1. Jouer - Luminizing Moisture Tint - .07oz - $1.56
2. Boscia - Green Tea Blotting Linens - 25 linens - $2.50
3. Eyeko - Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Black - Full-size - $15.00
4. Oscar de la Renta - Live in Love  - 1ml - $2.88
5. Birchbox - Exclusive Earbuds - Full-size - $10.00
6. Larabar über - Cherry Cobbler - Full-size - $2.03

= $33.97

Not bad at all, considering that I will use all of these items!

As an unrelated question to my Italian readers, I am thinking of starting to write my blog posts and also put them into Italian for practice. Please comment if you would be interested in seeing this, and if you might be able to critique them for my grammar and idioms I would be SO grateful! 

Beauty Army - September 2012

So while I get everything caught up, I found that I had not yet posted my Beauty Army box! I did skip October, but I do have this September box for you.

This is the first Beauty Army box I have received in eons. I had to wait a long while for the products to turn over, but now that they have, I am decently pleased with what I managed to get. The Nailtiques is what finally sold it for me, because I somehow lost my Julep Nail Therapy that I just bought. I STILL haven't found it, either. :(

Inside were these products that I selected:

1. Kellett Moisturizing Gel - 3ml - $5.70
2. Macadamia Natural Oil - Healing Oil Treatment - 1oz - $4.76
3. Nailtiques - Formula 2 Nail Protein - $9.00
4. Lipsi Cosmetics - Aphrodite Powder - 5ml - $4.55
5. Emani Cosmetics - Foundation Primer & Serum - 3ml - $3.38
6. Suntegrity - Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen & Primer - .25oz - $6.62

= $34.01

Not bad at all this month!

Conscious Box - June 2012

Wow, another box from months ago. Sorry for all of the delays, guys!

Here is my June box! I know, I know... I promise to try to keep up with these things better! Inside I received:

1. eBoost - Superberry Natural Energy Shot - Full Size - $2.69
2. Savvy Boheme - Natural Real Deodorant - Sample - $1.00
3. VitaRocks - Cherry Blast & Lemon Burst - 2 packet - $0.86
4. Mighty Leaf - Organic Earl Grey & Organic Spring Jasmine - 2 bags - $1.01
5. KO Denmark - Jasmine, Neroli, Rose Body Lotion - .16oz - $0.68
6. Larabar - Coconut Cream Pie - Full Size - $1.52
7. Kelp Crunch - Seaweed Energy Bar - Full Size - $1.90
8. Bug Stopper Soap - Sample - Unknown
9. Life Ocean Salt - Sample - Unknown
10. Natural Vitality Energy - Energy 28 - 1oz - $1.07
11. Vega One - Chocolate - 1.5oz - $2.30
12. Sattva - Almond Butter - .5oz - $1.04

= $14.07

Not bad for a box full of products, and of course this does not include shipping.

Keep an eye out for July's!

Julep - September 2012

I have another Julep box tonight for you while I keep getting caught up. This is September's box, designed by Trina Turk.

I thought the colors here were just gorgeous, though it was the mascara that really made this for me. I am not a brown eye-makeup wearer, so I had to find a black mascara that I liked. I ended up this time getting the Classic With a Twist box. It came with:

Sophie: Chic truffle mushroom creme.
Brandt: Opaque off-black creme.

... and a volumizing mascara I have not really tried yet. I wore it a couple of times, but I do not have too much of an opinion formed so far.

Julep - August 2012

Wow. This isn't behind. Nope nope nope.

So I finally received a Julep box for the "Bombshell" profile, contrary to popular belief that I entirely cancelled in May. I did skip for most of  the summer, both intentionally and not intentionally (after the Great Wallet Theft 2012, which meant I could not get ahold of any credit/debit cards...). However, once I got back and got my card, I was able to get ahold of an August box.

I did not actually pick this box, because of all of my billing troubles. I probably would have chosen the one with the teal metallic, but unfortunately, I received this set instead. I know I have some dupes, which should be compared sometime soon. The colors are:

Kim: Gunmetal grey metallic.
Harley: Liquid silver metallic chrome.

It also came with a really nice tote for the celebration of Julep's birthday. Awesome!

The nail polish remover is an interesting consistency, and has an interesting feeling on the hand, too. I sort of like it, and the push-bottle is incredibly nice to have.

Overall, not a bad box! I might not have picked it, but I definitely will use all of the products.

Fitbox - June 2012

I have another version of Platinum Box to share with you today. I went ahead and entered a code back a few months ago to get the FitBox for free. Since it was free, I cannot really complain too much. If I had paid full price, it would have been $9.50.

I should be better about going to the gym, but I do work out every day, and since I am a vegetarian, I sometimes struggle to keep up my protein as high as I like. I also really like sports drink packets, so I did not have a problem with that.

Inside the box were the following items:
ANSI - Flurry Protein Bar in "Cookie Lovers" - 1 bar - $1.67
Body Form - High Octane Thermogenic in "Cherry Limeade" - 1 serving - $1.00
VP2 - Whey Protein Isolate (x2) - 28g -$2.15
AI Sports Nutrition Perform - Supplement - $1.00
Twin Lab - Power Fuel Formula 52 (x2) - .71oz - $1.68
Sports Nutrition - Maniac Dietary Supplement in "Fruit Punch" - 1 serving - $1.00

= $8.50

Honestly, this was probably better than the Platinum Box. With shipping costs, it was at least worth the cost of the box. I think I will end up using most of the products in here, too, though I have a big pile of protein powders to work through!

Bestowed Box - August 2012

Wow... Google changed my internal Blogger interface since I last logged in. I am a little taken aback. Hopefully it will grow on me...

So back in August I received a sample of a Bestowed box, which I was very excited to receive in the mail! I have eaten nearly all of the snacks that I received, but I somehow managed to lose the camera card on which I had the photos stored. Finally I found them, so you get to see the box!

I received:

Mary's Crackers - Sticks & Twigs Pretzels - 1 packet (estimated - 2oz) - $0.88
Barney Butter - Almond Butter - .6oz - $0.45
Barbara's - High Fiber Cranberry - 1 packet (estimated - 2oz) - $0.67
Living Fuel - Cocochia Snack Fuel Mix - 1 packet - $1.50
Sheffa - Zesty Snack Mix - 1oz - $.97
Trader Joe's - Oh-My! Omega Trail Mix - 1 packet - $1.20

= $5.67

Right now, Bestowed Box is $15.00 a month, including shipping. Although the products may end up being fairly inexpensive for the sample sizes, I do not think average consumers could actually get ahold of the sample sizes, so if you want to try these kinds of products for cheap, this is the way to go. I also like how the products are curated.

I am hoping to try Bestowed Box again soon. Let me know what you received if you had a different box for another month!

Wantable Box - Fall 2012 Box

Hey guys!

I have a really special subscription to share with you guys today. The lovely people at Wantable were kind enough to send me a sample box with all of the products that the first quarter's subscribers received. This is their fall box.

Wantable is an extremely unique company in that it is honestly beauty-based, and cosmetic beauty-based. Right now, it is also unique in that it runs via a mobile/smartphone platform. I agree that this is definitely the wave of the future for "online" shopping, though I have seen some comments that people are not entirely comfortable with this method, so I do believe they are in the process of establishing their web-based platform as well.

Like many other companies, you fill out a profile, then are presented with a set of products (all clearly listed) that are thought to best fit your profile. You can also see other profile options and choose an option that was not based on your profile answers, if you like. I think I did in fact, however, like my original draw best! The cost of the box is $40.00, and you will see that is a tremendous bargain for some superb-quality cosmetics. Nothing in here is "off-brand," and I think the perfume is definitely from an up-and-comer, even though I was unfamiliar with Spadaro.

With Labor Day, my box took a few extra days to arrive, so I could barely wear to tear into it when it finally did indeed show up. Hence why this photo is the "after tearing"...

As you can see, everything was wrapped very neatly, with the Wantable logo sticker applied to hold it all in a nice bundle. Inside the bundle were:

I received:

Urban Decay - 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil - Full Size - $19.00
Beauty For Real - Illuminating Lip Gloss - Full Size - $22.00
Beauty For Real - Lip Pencil - Full Size - $14.00
My Face - Lil'Bling in "Gilt-y" - Full Size - $12.00
Verhoeven - Cheek Candy - Full Size - $16.00
My Face - Slinky Matte Eye Liner - Full Size -$17.70
Spadaro - Sole Nero - 2ml - $3.33

= $104.03!!! Wow!

First up I have the nail polish. This is my first My Face polish, though I am excited to receive it. I am curious if it has any dupes among my golds, and I always love the rich autumn metallics.

I think I have heard of Verhoeven before, though I do not have any other products from this brand. I cannot wait to try this as a contouring blush. The creme finish is superb.

This is a really nice, brown eyeliner. I do not have a lot of brown tones in spite of the fact that they allegedly look good on me, so this was nice to break up the huge pile of "blackest black" in the eyeliner department. It is a matte, too, which also makes it unique. I also like that My Face has a lot of cosmetics within the same line with the same names, so you can perfectly match, say, your eyeliner with your Blingtone eyeshadow.

This is a lovely shade of lip pencil that is begging to be used as an all-over lip color for a matte, don't you think?

I believe it is, however, intended to be used as a liner along with this lipgloss from the same manufacturer.

This Urban Decay shadow is probably the reason why I picked this set, to be honest. I have an ongoing, torrid little romance with Urban Decay, and I think their products are lovely. Also, this has one of the neatest tips I have ever seen. I already broke it (but was able to shove the end back in...) but underneath is another, pre-sharpened point of shadow! So nice!

Last, though I do not have a separate photograph for it, I have the Spadaro sample in "Sole Nero." I have been trying to get a lot of fragrance samples lately, so I was overjoyed to receive this one! It is definitely in a family of scents that I wear regularly. Spadaro has a pack of three scents in 2ml samples for $10.00 (I believe for all three) so I definitely will be picking that up!

I hope to be able to subscribe to this box full-time. It has some excellent choices in products, and I just loved the brands that were chosen. I have been wearing what I was sent, so I cannot think of a much better recommendation!

Let me know if any of you subscribed for other color/trend profiles.

Birchbox - July 2012 [Box I]

Hello, everyone!

I am painfully aware of how overdue this box is. Sorry about these overdate subs, guys.

As a note, somehow the eyeliner from this box got into the picture for the second subscription's box, so watch for that...

I received a very nice Birchbox on my primary account for July. In the box were the following products:

Ahava Purifying Mud Mask - .9oz = $4.91
Alterna Bamboo UV+ Color Protection Fade-Proof Fluide - .25oz = $1.83
Birchbox Exclusive Earbuds - Full Size = $10.00
Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in "Black"- Full Size = $15.00
Harvey Prince in "Hello" - approx. 1.5ml = $2.05
Tea Forté minteas in "Ginger Pear" - Full Size = $2.99

=  $36.78

First of all, I love masques of all kinds. Sometimes I think the only way my skin could be worse is if I had cystic acne (thank gods I don't), so I am happy when I get any kind of purifying products. I love the Tea Forté mints, and I do have highlighted hair, so I am very glad that I received this set. I also have recently become a little bit of a fragrance whore, so I am getting ridiculously excited by fragrance samples.

What boxes did you guys receive? Let me know! Another Birchbox will get posted soon.

Conscious Box Giveaway Winner!

Hey guys!

This round's lucky winner of a Conscious Box is LoriAnn! I have sent you an email, so make sure you reply within 48 hours so I can tell Conscious Box where to send your goodies. :)

Congratulations!

Target Beauty Bag - Summer 2012

... I really hope there is a fall edition of this coming soon!

While I "take a break" (which all of you may read correctly as "procrastinate"), I wanted to get up a post about the Target Beauty Bag for Summer 2012. I have been seeing these coming out seasonally now, either via a lucky receipt recipient or, for the rest of us, via Target's Facebook page.

This summer, it came in the most gorgeous little bag. I love the color! It even is supplementing my little Coach makeup bag as the "everyday" makeup holder-bag.

And inside:

There were lots of really nice, drugstore-brand samples inside. Nothing too expensive, of course, because Target is marketing products that they stock, but certainly a nice mix of samples regardless.

I was extremely pleased by the mix of samples. Two are products I already purchase (the Revlon and Neutrogena), and even though I buy a higher SPF, this is still a great value to receive! :)

Inside were:
1. Aveeno - Living Color Color Preserving Shampoo for Medium-Thick Hair- .3oz - $0.17
2. Aveeno - Living Color Color Preserving Conditioner for Medium-Thick Hair- .3oz -$0.16
3. Garnier - Fructis Color Shield Shampoo - .34oz - $0.07
4. Garnier - Fructis Color Shield Conditioner - .34oz - $0.09
5. TRESemme - Split Remedy Shampoo - 1oz - $0.16
6. TRESemme - Split Remedy Conditioner - 1oz - $0.16
7. Neutrogena - Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen in SPF 70 - 1oz - $2.83
8. Revlon - Color Burst Lip Butter in Peach Parfair - Foil Sample - ?

... and of course the bag itself. :) Not sure on a value for it, though I really like it!

Total value on the products is $3.64 without the Revlon and the bag. Definitely worth the fifteen seconds to fill out a form. Reviews to come on all... eventually!