Aug 26

Beauty Bash In A Box: Glossybox Review

Aug 26

If you are a fan of the monthly subscription beauty boxes you may have recently heard about the grand and girly- GlossyBox! While GlossyBox has been available in 19 other countries, it has just made it’s appearance here in the United States recently. Each month a curated box of 5 deluxe sized luxury beauty samples will be delivered at your doorstep for you to indulge and pamper yourself with. After creating your beauty profile and selecting your subscription plan, your personalized samples will be on their way. I have read a lot of positive reviews from other beauty box lovers in the U.K and once I received my own GlossyBox I realized what all the hype was about.Yes, another box of beauty-ful goodies to feed my addiction!

If you follow GlossyBox on Twitter you may know that this month they held an Olympic themed giveaway in which you could win on of their popular boxes. I tweeted my entry and was lucky enough to be one of the winners chosen. Last week I received the July Summer Nights Glossybox and could not wait to see what was inside this pretty pink box!

The Summer Nights Glossybox contains everything you need including essentials to help show off your sun kissed skin and hair while enhancing those sultry eyes. There were 5 expected deluxe samples but also one special surprise bonus. I’ve never actually received a subscription box in which I truly felt I could utilize every single item it came with. Glossybox must be the first because I loved every single sample that I received, especially the Sebastian duo for color treated hair. Not that I need another shampoo or conditioner to add to the 10 bottle collection lining my shower…but seriously- I have to buy the full size of both of these products!

Alessandro International Pedix Heel Rescue Balm: This foot cream oil imported exclusively from Germany provides intensive protection and nourishes skin, leaving it soft and supple.

Sebastian Color Ignite Multi Tone Shampoo: Smart color moisture complex that targets your color-treated strands, to deeply moisturize and restructure hair fibers wherever needed moist.

Sebastian Color Ignite Multi Tone Conditioner: This micro-bubble conditioner whips, wraps, and wows your strands leaving your hair with long lasting color and shine.

Figs & Rouge Lip, Face, & Body Balm: This gorgeous tin is filled with a 100% pure and natural skin balm, a multi-use wonder product that will keep your skin feeling soft and beautiful throughout the day.

Senna Cosmetics Mineral Eyeshadow Trio: This silky pressed mineral eye shadow trio in metallic or matte colors gives you a hypnotic yet polished finish with amazing dimension.

*Bonus* – Blushed Fragrance by Ruddy Water: Features notes of bright red currant and rich vanilla, wrapped around subtle sweet lemon, slightly spicy ginger, and kissed with a hint of sugar.

After giving each sample in the box a few tries, I can say I am honestly satisfied with my first Glossybox experience. For $21 a month, the value is there and I feel you are getting what you pay for. The full size eyeshadow trio alone retails for $24 making the box already worth it. This box compared to others, contains products that are higher end and recognizable. Some of these brands include O.P.I, Burberry, Ole Henriksen, Zoya, & First Aid Beauty. I also like that you can cancel anytime without any fuss or frustration. I didn’t think I would ever say this but Birchbox may have met their new competition! Glossybox has got it all- presentation, delivery, and a variety of exciting beauty products.

Disclosure: I received the products above from GlossyBox as a winner in their Twitter promotion. I am taking it upon myself to share my honest opinion and experience. I am under no obligation to post a positive review on them. I will not be compensated for this review. As always, opinion are my own!

Aug 08

Beautybox Five Review

Aug 08

Beauty Box Five is a monthly beauty subscription service that provides members with 4 to 5 cosmetic samples each month to try. Each box is $12 a month, $30 quarterly, or you have the option of purchasing it for $100 to cover a full year. Some of the brands that Beauty Box Five works with are Weleda, Freemans, Blinc Cosmetics, and Tree Hut. Beauty Box Five also has a referral program in which you refer 5 friends to join and you will receive one month for free!

In my box I received 5 products to try:

Blush from Everyday Minerals ( Girl Friday )
Makeup primer from Bodyography
Makeup Geek Eyeshadow pan (Sensuous )
Dry Shampoo from Pssssst
2 Freeman anti-stress facial masks

Out of all five products I have only used one previous to receiving my Beauty Box Five. I am a huge fan of the Freeman’s facial masks but was happy to see that the other products we’re new to me. It’s always nice to try something you never have before.

The Everyday Minerals Blush came in the color “Girl Friday” which is described to be a soft plum berry shade. This color is matte and won’t leave your cheeks glittery. I hate when mineral blush makes my face look shiny. This is very subtle but a little goes a long way. If you apply to much you could overdo it very easily. ($6.99 for the mini size)

The Makeup Geek eyeshadow in Sensuous was the first sample I was eager to try. I have always loved deep plum eyeshadow colors and this looked to have a good amount of sparkle to it. The texture was soft and it was easy to blend. I wore it a few days to test its staying power and to my surprise I didn’t have any issues with it creasing or disappearing during the day. Not really feeling the refill pan because I have no wear to stick it after I throw the packaging away. ($5.99)

The Freeman’s Anti Stress Mask is one of my favorite things to use when my skin goes completely crazy on me. I have the full size in my bathroom right now so I decided to save these packs for traveling or over night stays. It’s made with natural ingredients and is very gentle on the skin. I’ve always found it to be helpful in calming down breakouts. ($1.99-$2.99)

I really wanted to like the Bodyography primer but I am still on the fence about it. It goes on very smooth but I couldn’t help but feel like it made my skin oily. I usually stick to oil-free foundation primers and the texture is a lot different. It did hold up during the day and it didn’t make me break out, so that’s a plus. I am going to keep using this and see if it grows on me. ( $30 for Full Size )

The Psssst Dry Shampoo was the last product that I tried. I have used my fair share of Dry Shampoos and this is by far the best smelling one. It also doesn’t leave your hair feeling dry or chalky. You can’t even tell that this is in your hair after spraying. While giving you body it also gives you a freshened up look. The 1.76 oz bottle is also air travel friendly! ($3.99)

With Beauty Box Five being $12 a month I wanted to calculate the retail value of each sample received. It does appear that you would get your moneys worth with the products provided but in some cases it could be a hit or miss. Most of the products I did like with the exception of being iffy about one. But then again you have to remember this is a subscription program and the point is to try new things and see what you like or dislike. I am going to keep up with Beauty Box Five because I think they do have potential. I hope that in the future they add more well known brands to their beauty boxes like other competing companies.

Disclosure: I received this products reviewed from Beauty Box Five for my consideration and to share my honest opinion and experience. I am under no obligation to post a positive review on them. I will not be compensated for this review. As always, opinion are my own!

Jul 11

BabbaBox For Kids Review and GIVEAWAY!

Jul 11

If you read my previous post about my upcoming BabbaBox review- then you have reached the right place! My Babbabox arrived last weekend and we wasted no time in getting started with all the activities it offered. The contents were wrapped in Babbaco tissue paper with a description sticker of this month’s theme. July’s theme is “Sun,Moon, & Stars!” If you are interested in reading my thoughts on my first experience with Babbabox then continue reading. I also have a giveaway for one of my lucky readers at the very end!

Besides the description, the box also came with an informational card telling you what was inside. One thing that came off as very exceptional was the fact that each activity has a small picture underneath to tell you what developmental skill you child will be benefiting from.

The Babbabox has so many positive features to highlight, I’m not even sure where to begin! The thing that I love the most about it is you are not just getting random crafts or activities. Each box is themed and put together with care. Everything included is not only fun, but also educational. You’re child will have numerous things to do and be learning at the same time. What parent wouldn’t love that? It’s a win-win situation.

Also, everything is packaged individually and contains all that you need for each project. No running around to make sure you have all your supplies because Babbabox comes with all of the products you need. Now let’s take a closer look into the “Sun,Moon, and Stars” themed box this month.

This book could not have made it’s way to our collection at a better time. Toodie has been signing “Twinkle Twinkle” on a regular basis and she knows all of the words.We read the whole book together and she was intrigued by all of the colorful and detailed illustrations. “Twinkle, Star Of The Week,” is all about Twinkle the star and her fellow classmates becoming superstars by sharing their special talents and hobbies. As a mom, I thought that the story was very cute and well written. Whenever I can get Toodie to sit and pay attention all the way through from start to finish, I know that it’s a book to keep around! This is just the first item we pulled from the BabbaBox and I am already pleased.

Next up, an educational craft that fits perfectly with this month’s theme. The “Create Your Own Moon” project allowed Toodie to make her own paper-mache moon nightlight. Everything we needed came inside a big ziploc bag along with easy to follow instructions. After mixing up the glue paste, Toodie ripped up her strips of paper to cover the balloon with. This was our first time using paper-mache and I was surprised it wasn’t too messy.

After her moon was formed, dried, and lit – Toodie had a new nightlight for her room. As you can see, it gave off a fairly good amount of light. Using the tea light to brighten the Moon formation was a genius idea! Makes me wonder why I never thought of doing something like this before?! Very cool I must say..

The next day Toodie worked on making her own constellation. At three she has no concept or understanding of what a constellation is but she did make a a star scattered sky instead! She placed the star stickers on the solar activated paper. We let it sit in the sun for a few minutes before removing the stars. Toodie was fascinated by this project and watching the paper change colors.

At night it was time to observe the moon and stars. Toodie used her binoculars and colored in the moon’s shape on her lunar calendar.

Last, but certainly not least, our box came with a QR code to access extra content. Toodie was able to learn how to play “Twinkle Twinkle” on a digital piano. She also explored the planets and stars closer.

They also sent a little gift for us mom’s out there. To wrap up the theme, I received a star shaped wine topper! That was a nice surprise.

I am beyond happy and impressed with my BabbaBox experience. Kuddos to Jessica Kim for creating such a brilliant idea. As a mom who does crafts with her child regularly, this box is well worth the price. The BabbaBox is organized, packaged with care, and contains stimulating activities for your children. Also, remember that you are not obligated to purchase the BabbaBox on a monthly basis. You can buy and try- even purchase on annually! I personally spend $30 or more a month of craft supplies, and most of the time I have to make a second trip. For $30 you are getting numerous projects and you are given every item you need to complete them.

If you are interested in trying the BabbaBox yourself the following code will score you 20% OFF your first box.

YHM20OFF

Want to win your very own BabbaBox?

Please enter through the rafflecopter form below!

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Disclosure: I received a free BabbaBox to review and provide insight on my experience. BabbaCo also provided me with a Babbabox to give away to one of my readers. All opinions are honest, un-cut, and my own!