Spring New Beauty Test Tube from QVC

This is a new subscription box for me. QVC offers a New Beauty Test Tube every quarter. The cost is 29.96 plus shipping

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Each box comes with the latest issue of New Beauty magazine. I have flipped through it. It looks like a great way to find out about new products and tips. I can't wait to look through it more thoroughly.  It is nearly 200 pages! Retail is 9.95. 

To the left is Wen Smoothing Glossing Serum. It smells SO GOOD! It's really sweet and fruity smelling, perfect for a morning pick me up. It tames frizz and adds a little shine, but doesn't look greasy. To the right  is Ole Henriksen Truth Serum. It is a collagen booster. This has a great citrus scent. It is so moisturizing! I am giving it to my mom as she has been looking for a new serum for her dulling skin. I think she will love it. 

 

This is a Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Shampoo and Conditioner set. It is pretty small, so I am going to throw it in my travel bin to use in place of hotel shampoo. 

On the left is Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Cream. I rubbed a little on the back of my hand. It made my lines less harsh. I a giving this one to my mom, too. On the right is Murad Essential C Cleanser. I have used this before. My face feels so fresh and clean when I use it. It has a light citrus scent. I love this cleanser, so I am very happy to have some more. 

This Mally Shine Liquid Lipstick in Blossom is very pretty light pink. It's perfect for spring. I really don't like the brush tipped glosses. I feel like they're hard to control distribution. The color is pretty, but the staying power is not great. I wouldn't buy this. 

I am so happy to receive this St. Tropez tanning mousse. I have heard it is wonderful. I have decided to make a point to protect myself from the sun this year, so this will be perfect to get my glow without the skin damage. 

I was so disappointed when I pulled out this H2Glo Highlighter. There was hair and fuzzies inside! Gross! I don't even know how this could happen unless it was opened before it was shipped. I sent QVC an email about it. They promptly responded and said they will be sending a replacement tube at no cost to me. Mistakes happen, so I'll be willing to try the New Beauty Test Tube again since the customer service was so great.

April Popsugar Must Have box review

The April Popsugar Must Have box is full of fun, spring items. The Must Have box comes out monthly. It costs $39.99 per month. Discounts are available for 3, 6 and 12 month commitments. Here is what we received this month:

Fresh Pastry Stand Totally Awesome tea towel set. This set is not for me.They're fun looking, but I have no idea what to do with them. They're really large and made of linen material. I'll be passing these on to someone else more interesting than I! Retail price is $18.

This is the Blueavacado (Eco) Shopper. At first I was disappointed thinking it was just another cheap reusable bag that can be reused all of two times. I was so wrong! The small, zipped up pouch is certainly deceiving. When I unfolded the bag, it was HUGE! It is a large tote! It was pretty thick and well made as far as reusable shopping bags go. I'm not a floral print type person, but I'll definitely deal and take this with me every time I shop!

Retails for $25

Next is this Graphic Image Pocket Notes "Run the World" notebook. It is really small, about 3"x 5". I'll use it now that I have it, but it isn't something I would buy. I will say it is nice quality. Retails for $20. 

I have to admit, I squealed when I pulled this Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette out of the box. I have been coveting this since the first time I saw it! The colors are GORGEOUS and look even better in person. The tin packaging is really cute. It comes with 9 different shades. The colors are all different, very pigmented and so blendable. It comes with a how to guide for look ideas. There is a mirror behind the card. GAH! I'm in love! Retails for $36.

 

This is a 10.7 oz bottle of Caldera Rosewater Driftwood Hand Soap. I couldn't believe the size. Very generous for a hand soap. I don't love the light floral scent, but anyone who does love floral will definitely love this. I'm going to put it in my guest bathroom. Retail price is $10.50

Last is this bag of snack mix. It is from Naturebox exclusively for Popsugar. It has almonds, soy beans, corn and cranberries in it. I haven't opened it up yet since I am still working on another snack bag. It looks good, though! It also came with a coupon to get 50% off their new box that includes 5 different snacks. Retail for this bag is $5. 

The Too Faced palette really made this box for me. There are a few things I probably won't use, but I am happy overall. 

Time for something new! My first food box.

I decided to switch it up and try my first food subscription box. I chose the Graze Nibblebox because they had such a wide variety. You can go through all of their snacks and select if you never want it, want to try it or already love it. I'm picky, so I was glad to get to weed out the things I knew I wouldn't like. The subscription is $6 every two weeks. You can opt to get it just once a month, too, if you'd like. Each month you get four snacks from your try or love selections. They surprise you, so you never know just what you'll get If you use this Friend Code: MR7WGGZGP, you'll get your first and fifth box FREE! Definitely worth trying since it is so easy to cancel if you end up not liking it. Here are my first two boxes. 

The box holds the four snacks in individual containers. They come out to take on the go, or leave them all in the box for a little mix and match. Each box comes with a card detailing your selections including nutrition facts. In my first box I received:

 Cherry Fudge Sundae- I didn't care for it. Just wasn't for me. 

Brooklyn Bites: AMAZING! The pretzels, seeds and nuts went perfectly together. It had a little kick of flavor, too. 

Toffee Apple- The flavor was really good, but I wasn't too keen on the texture. The slices were still moist and a little chewy. I thought they would be crisp. The carmel was delicious. 

Black Pepper Pistachios- I don't like pistachios, but my husband liked them!

My second box had:

Apple and Cinnamon Flapjack- This was sooo yummy. It is like a granola bar. It was perfectly sweet and chewy. I loved it!

Triple Berry Smoothie- The flavor was good, but the texture bugged me. The fruit was moist and chewy.

El Picante- This is my favorite snack of all! The flavor was wonderful. It was pretty spicy for something like this. It's a good thing there wasn't more in the box or I would have eaten it all!

Raspberry and Coconut Muffin- It was good. Not my favorite but it was okay. 

I just wish I could order larger packages of the snacks I love. I don't see that they offer that as of now. I would love to take one of those snack mixes to a party or have it to make little grab bags to take on the go. 

Everything was VERY fresh. I was really impressed with the quality.  

March Popsugar Must Have Box Review

Hey everyone! Hope you're all enjoying the welcoming of spring. I am loving being able to get outside and not have to tread on snow and ice. It's been a long winter. To welcome the new changes, here is my March Popsugar Must Have Box review. The box is 39.99 a month with free shipping. You can save more by committing to the 3, 6, or 12 month plan. Starting with this box, I am going to list the retail values so you can see what kind of value you're getting. 

First we have the Snapea Crisps by Calbee. I expected them to be really crunchy, but they were actually airy, kind of like a Cheeto. They're pretty bland, but definitely great to munch on when craving something salty and crunchy. They have 120 calories, 6 grams of fat and 80 mg of sodium per 1 ounce serving. There are about 3.5 servings per bag. My one year old loves snacking on these. I wouldn't buy them for myself because I love flavor, but I'll probably pick them up for him. Retail value: $2.

Next is this elephant ring tree from Bauble Bar. I LOVE this piece. It is so freakin' cute! I don't have anything like this. I put it on my night stand to hold my rings overnight. I usually just throw them on the table or leave them on. I've lost more than one ring just laying it out and my fingers get so dry under then rings if I leave them on. This is perfect! Retail value: $12. 

This Nature's Bakery Strawberry Fig Bar was good! It is a great snack for on the go. It is sweet, but it has that wholesome feel too with the grains. The ingredients are all recognizable. They're similar to Fig Newtons (shocker, right?). I wouldn't go out of my way to get them, but I would pick them up if I saw them out.  Retail value: $1.50. 

This is the Lucky Horseshoe Make a Wish necklace. Is is so simple, but eye catching. The idea is to make a wish before you put it on, then when the string wears down and breaks, your wish will come true. It may seem a little silly, but I think it's fun. It has a great, delicate look. I would never buy this for the Retail price of $30, but I will wear it now that I have it. 

This Brokedown Blue Ikat Scarf is gorgeous! I normally don't buy scarves, so I am thrilled to have this! I am so bad about adding color to my wardrobe, so this is a nudge in the right direction for me. The retail price is $72. 

Next is a .5 oz Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum. The full size is 1 ounce, but this is a very generous amount that will last a good while. The scent is floral, which I am not a fan of. Luckily it isn't overwhelimg.  It does make my skin look brighter though. I will keep using it. Retails for $27. 

Lastly is this Active Forever Mini Gym ball. I wish it came with a booklet or DVD to give ideas on how to use it. I know I can just search online, but it would have been nice to have a guide with it. It came with a straw to blow it up, but I still haven't done it. I'll probably just pass this one on as I am not at all creative when it comes to this kind of thing. Retail value: $9.95.

Overall, I was happy with this box. I am especially happy with the scarf and ring holder. With the combined retail value of over $140 for all the items, I think this was a really good value!

January Must Have Box

Yesterday I received my January Pop Sugar Must Have box. I want to share the contents with you.

 First is the Pipcorn Mini Popcorn. It is okay. Nothing impressive. The tiny pieces are cute. They're about 1/3 the size of regular popcorn. The flavor is bland. I wouldn't buy it unless they have some flavored versions.

This is a set of 6 Revlon nail files by Marchesa. I really like these files. I usually buy the regular Revlon files because they're so cheap and they work well. I love the cute lace design. I love Marchesa fashion, so I can finally get just a little taste of it with these. Unfortunately it is probably the only thing Marchesa I'll ever own. 

Next is the Malin + Goetz Detox face mask. This is the 4 ounce size. I haven't used it yet, but I'm sure it will be awesome. This company always makes great quality items. This is the item that makes the box worth it this month. It retails for  around $40, so I'm happy to try it through the box before I spring for it. 

This is the Cities 2014 calendar by Rifle Paper Co. It is cute,but definitely not something I would pay for. . I like to have room to write on my calendar. This doesn't give any space.I'll just prop it up on my desk for a quick reference. It also included a coupon for 10% off the next order.

These gloves are by Jack + Lucy. They're pretty basic looking, but I like them. They'll go with just about anything. They're really warm, even in the negative temperatures that have graced my area lately. The dark tip you see is for touchscreen use. I find this especially useful so I can continue to use my phone without freezing my hands. I'll definitely be putting these to use. 

Last is the Juice Generation by Eric Helms book. I have never tried juicing in my life. While I don't see much of it in my future, some of these recipes actually look good. I'll probably try a few and pass the book on to a friend who is into that sort of thing. The book also came with a coupon for 30% and order of a juice 6 pack. 

Overall, this box was decent. I'm not super thrilled, but I am excited to try the mask and will be using the gloves quite a bit with this horrible winter that is surely not over yet.

 Hope everyone has a great week!

PopSugar December Must Have box

As I mentioned in my last post, I am becoming addicted to subscription boxes. The first one I am going to feature is the December PopSugar Must Have Box. I am a monthly subscriber to the Must Have box. I also try to snag any of the special boxes they release. I received THREE different boxes today. I'll feature the Men's box and the Holiday box in upcoming posts. If you are interested in subscribing, check out the Must Have website. The Must Have box is a little pricier than most subscription boxes, but the items are generally much more luxurious and have a higher value. Let's get started! 

Each month the box arrives looking like this.

The first item I pulled out was a bag of Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares. The first bag was teh Milk & Caramel Squares. These are AMAZING. Very creamy and delicious. They also sent a bag of Ghiradelli Limited Edition Holiday Squares. This bag includes eggnog, peppermint bark, and pumpkin spice caramel. None of those flavors sound great to me, so I'll probably pass this bag along to a friend.

The next item is a Govino Go Anywhere Champagne Flute four pack. These are a little silly to me. I just don't see the need to carry around drinking supplies. Definitely not for me, but I suppose if you are looking to have such a  great time that you can't hold on to a regular crystal or glass flute, these are for you.

I was very excited to see Fibre Lashxtend from Model Co. It is kind of hard to find as the company is based in Sydney. I currently use this product, but I am running low. It is a great mascara. It even has a mirror on the tube! I'l do a more in depth review of this item in a later post. Model Co also included a coupon to receive a free Shine Ultra Lip Gloss and $10 off the next order.

Next is the CC Made Classic Artisanal Caramel Corn. OH MY GOODNESS. I am a sweets junkie, so I have tasted a ridiculous amount of caramel popcorn.  Seriously one of the best things I've ever tasted, and definitely the best caramel corn I've ever had.  The caramel is so creamy and sweet. The popcorn is light and fluffy. WOW. If you want to check it out (trust me, you do!), head to CC Made.

The Mixt Studio Gifting Set is cute. It includes three sheets of different wrapping paper, three gift tags and three strings of gift garnish. I like it, but it is nothing to go crazy for.

The NCLA Nail Wraps are perfect for Christmas Parties. The set I received had a red and white striped application as well as a red and white polka dot application. I'll be using one of this next weekend at my family's Christmas dinner.

Finally, I recevied a great bracelet by Lulu Frost. Lulu has done some great designs for J. Crew. This bracelet, like most of her pieces, has a wonderful vintage look. I don't wear a ton of jewelry, but I think I'll be pulling this out to sport with a sweater this season. The bag the bracelet came in had a tag attached with a 25% the next purchase coupon as well.

Overall, some things I loved (Hello, CC Made!!) and others were just okay. That goes along with the subscription box. It is a great way to find out about new products and help new or small businesses get their name out there. Look out for the next box review!

PopSugar Special Edition Men's Box

Today I received my PopSugar Special Edition box for men. The monthly boxes are geared toward women, so this is a great variation released every so often. If you are interested in PopSugar, go to Must Have to sign up.

First of all, this box looks different than the regular PopSugar boxes. This one was shipped in an outer box. The gift box is very nice and sturdy. I will be reusing it to store things in. 

The first item in the box is a Mark and Graham Everyday Leather Travel Pouch. It is very nice quality. The leather is soft and has a great color. There is plenty of room for my husband to store all of his travel essentials. I think he will like using this so he doesn't have to use my wonderful Sephora bags anymore! It also came with a coupon for free shipping for any order. 

Next is an Apolis Flannel Wool Tie. It is rather plain to me. It looks like it belongs with a school uniform. This is not at all my husband's style, so I'll be passing this along to someone else. 

The Monocle Speaker  by Native Union is something different. It can be used as a handset, speakerphone or speaker. It has an interesting look. I haven't tested the sound yet. 

The Malin & Goetz Essential Kit looks really nice. It includes 1 ounce bottles of face cleanser, body wash, shampoo, face moisturizer, body moisturizer and conditioner all packed in a clear bag. It is ready for travel as it is carry on approved. I like the simple packaging. I can smell some great fragrance emerging from the bag, too. 

The next item is a pair of socks from Soxiety. It looks like Soxiety is a subscription service that sends 3 pair of socks every 3 months. The annual subscription runs $120. Way too pricey in my opinion, but I will say the socks are very nice. They are an attractive striped pattern. They feel very soft, yet durable. They came in a cloth bag. It also came with a 20% a one year subscription card. 

The 5 ounce bag of Funkychunky Chip-zel-pop looks amazing. It is a mix of chips, pretzels, popcorn, caramel and chocolate. I haven't opened the bag yet because I am still savoring the CC Made caramel popcorn I received in my December box. I can't wait to break this bag open, though, as it looks like a great blend of crunchy, salty and sweet Yum!

The last item in the box was a bag of Krave Pure Foods Pork Jerky Black Cherry Barbecue. I am not much of a meat eater, so I'll report back with my husband's opinion when he gets to try it. I do like the packaging. It is all natural as well, so that is a plus. 

I'm a little underwhelmed with this box for the price. It certainly isn't as good as the last men's box. Win some, lose some in the world of mystery boxes I suppose!