Review: POPSUGAR Must Have Box (May)

The PopSugar Must Have box has been kind of a hit or miss thing for me since I first signed up. Some months are absolutely great, while other months are clearly mediocre. The May box was definitely a hit in my book.

With the weather finally warming up (today was supposed to be 88 degrees in Chicago-land, what?), and everything went along with the theme of summer and having fun. I was really excited about the selection of items - especially the lunch bag and floppy hat (minus the super-flop).

I love the idea of PopSugar branded items. I wish they would do more with customized products like this. For the sake of variety, not everything can be a momento to PopSugar, but at least one personalized item per box even would go a long way for me. I think the brand is fun and flirty, and I definitely don't mind toting something with their logo along with me.

Speaking of, this month's branded item was the lunch tote - which is something that I am definitely toting around with me already (excuse the poor use of punning). It's simple and lightweight, and the perfect size for me to fill with my breakfast and lunch before I head off to work for the day. At least I'm convinced that's what it is supposed to be used for - there wasn't a description listed, so I'll count this as a bonus item.

Besides that gem, my box was filled with these lovely items (prices are what I found online):

• beautyblender Set - $23.95
• The Modern Cocktail Modern Margarita Set - $8.29
• Questions I Ask When I want to Talk About Myself: 50 Topics to Share with Friends by Mindi Kaling - $13.45
• Pacifica Color Quench Lip Tint -$7
• Charm & Chain Gift Card - $30
• Way Better Snacks - $1
• Kooringal – Giselle Mid Brim Hat - $27.99

Total - $111.68

Final Thoughts:

Since the box only costs $35, I definitely got my money's worth. Although, I've already tried the chips and they were a bit too spicy for my taste, so I'm going the write that off as a small loss. Other than that, I was thrilled with the things that came this month. I've always wanted a floppy-type hat, and the grey color is pretty perfect. The Margarita mixes will be thoroughly enjoyed ::crosses fingers:: also. I can't wait to have fun with the rest of the items!

Check out the items and descriptions below:

What did you think of the May PopSugar Must Have box?

Review: Coco Rocha Fancy Box (April)

I was absolutely thrilled with the debut of the Coco Rocha Fancy box. It had a great selection of items and lots of them. So imagine my surprise when I opened up box number 2 and it only had 3 things in it. That's right 3. If you received a box yourself, you may be a bit confused by this. It turns out that one of the items had been left out - but not the info card for it.

I have a love/hate relationship with Fancy. I love their stuff, but hate their customer service. It took 72 hours and several attempts to even hear back from cs about this issue. I wanted to wait for the replacement (er, original) item to arrive before I reviewed the box, but I'm not sure it's actually going to come, so after almost 2 weeks - I decided just to go ahead.

Like I said, the first Fancy box curated by Coco Rocha was phenomenal. This of course set a standard for the level of merchandise to expect. I almost wonder if it's better to go the other route and start of super weak like the first two P!nk boxes before putting out an exceptional one like the third one (I am kicking myself for cancelling now).

The items in this month's box weren't bad, but I was definitely expecting more.

One of the first things I noticed was that the greeting card was a repeat from the January Fancy box - so now I have two sitting around. I think that as a rule of thumb, Fancy should have a policy against picking items that have already been included in other boxes. There are definitely enough other merchandise options out there that this doesn't need to happen. There was nothing so special about this card that it was worth including again.

The creature cup was my favorite item. I got the octopus one and it is super fun. I probably wouldn't have bought it on my own, but it will surely get a lot of use. On top of that, it's a conversational piece. I can't wait to serve someone a beverage in it and see what their reaction is.

I never received the heels door holder and honestly besides being upset that I was missing an item, wasn't too bent out of shape. I don't have any doors that need help staying open. I'm not sure where or when I would have an opportunity to use it.

The biggest score in this box price-wise is the watch. Mine came in a shade of teal, but I would have preferred the pink. I already have a blue watch that came in my PopSugar Must Have box earlier this year and the pink would have been a nice option. The color is still really nice. In person though, the rhinestones look kind of cheap. I know the watch retails for a significant amount of money, but I would never pay that much for it.

Item Breakdown:

• All Purpose Greeting Card - $15
• Creature Cups - $15
• Heels Door Holder - $17
• TKO Watch - $135

Total - $182 ($165 without the door holder)

The value of this month's box was almost double last months.

Overall, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with this month's box. The missing item was an oversight that I couldn't ultimately overlook and I decided to cancel. If this was the first time I'd had an issue with Fancy I might have been more obliged to continue. However, third time's a charm - I didn't think twice about it. Also, Fancy had just announced the Jennifer Love Hewitt and I'd rather check that out.

What did you think of the second attempt from Coco Rocha with her Fancy box? Were you equally disappointed or did this box do great things for you? Let me know!

Review: Birchbox (May)

After last month's Women's Health magazine collaboration, Birchbox had it's work cut out for them. Although I always get really excited to open my box when it arrives, this month's curated goodies were a bit lackluster.

Like always, the box was filled with four items and a bonus gift. Unfortunately, none of the selections stood out to me. I've had such good luck with this subscription that a) this was bound to happen eventually, and b) this will do very little to sway me toward cancelling.

This month's theme was 'Beauty Diaries' and it focused on choosing products that matched your Birchbox profile. I haven't updated mine in a while, so that could be why I didn't end up with more of a customized selection. It was easy enough to go on and fix, so hopefully next time will be even better.

Check out this month's sneak peek video below before you see what came in my May Birchbox:

 

This month I got:

My Reactions:

• Beauty Protector - I straighten my hair at least once a week, so I'm always looking for something to protect it from the heat - there's nothing attractive about fried hair. I'm not crazy about it doubling as leave-in conditioner though. Sometimes I find that adding extra conditioner to my already conditioned hair makes it appear oily.
• COOLA - With summer coming a product that has SPF in it is very practical. However, I feel like every box I get comes with some sort of moisturizer/lotion and they are starting to pile up. I like this it's organic, and the smell is nice too.
• Joie - I am a big fan of perfume and this one screams summer. It's a little on the heavy side but has a great floral scent.
• Sumita - This was my favorite item in the box. My one 'can't leave home without' product is definitely eyeliner. I love how easy it is to put on in the morning and how it makes my eyes look. I used to use black for both day and night, but I recently started wearing a chocolate brown during the day - it has a warming effect on my look. I'm actually pretty excited to test out this item.

**The bonus item this month or 'Birchbox Finds' was 'the new Acroball PureWhite hybrid ink pen' by Pilot. It came with a coupon for $1 off a pack, but honestly I have more pens then I'll ever be able to use up already. It came in a fun teal color and I'm sure I'll use it, but I wish it had the Birchbox logo on it.

I'm already looking forward to seeing what's in my June box. I'm leaving for a summer adventure in Los Angeles mid-month so hopefully it arrives before my trip, otherwise it's going to get buried in 2 months worth of mail and packages. If you don't see a review for it - you'll know why.

What did you think of this month's Birchbox? Was there anything you would have liked to see instead?

Review: POPSUGAR Must Have Box (April)

I jumped on the POPSUGAR Must Have bandwagon back in late 2012 and with the exception of the special edition luxury box released over the holidays, have been pretty satisfied so far. I can usually trust that the items in each box will be at least somewhat useful, if not enjoyable. The themes so far in 2013 have made sense and the boxes included enough of a selection to make it worth my continued interest - and money.

April's box did none of those things.

Upon opening the April POPSUGAR Must Have box I was immediately disappointed by the curated selection. The theme of the box was 'embracing Spring' which is appropriate, but the items were severely lacking - especially in comparison to last month's haul.

The major draw was meant to be the POPSUGAR embossed garment bag (or The Green Garmento Four-In-One Reusable Dry-Cleaning Bag) which was complimented by a few smaller items - Alter Eco Dark Quinoa Chocolate bar, a sample of Kai Perfume Oil, Shashi New Nugget Bracelet, and Tatcha Petal Fresh Evening Aburatorigami Beauty Papers. Unfortunately, the garment bag was the only thing that I even liked.

Enough with the chocolate already! I understand quinoa is "in" right now, but I think every box I have received so far has included some version of chocolate - and I don't even like chocolate very much. The sample of perfume oil smelled nice, but I could have lived without it. Same goes for the beauty papers. And, the bracelet appeared to be cheap - at least in my opinion.

Which takes me back to the garment bag. It's a great size and appears to be very durable. I should get plenty of use out of it, and frankly I have a winter coat from EXPRESS that I recently ordered that came without one and needs to be bagged for the summer months, so this worked out perfectly. The only thing that bothered me about it is that it seems like POPSUGAR was trying to pass it off as more than it is. It's a garment bag, pure and simple. I appreciate the suggestions about what else I might use it for, but it's major purpose is to hang in my closet.

Final Thoughts:

One bad month for the POPSUGAR Must Have box isn't enough to convince me to cancel my subscription, but a couple more like this and I will definitely be reconsidering. Overall the box lacked in value and contents. Although the garment bag is useful, it was the only item I even remotely appreciated in the box which is regularly filled with many more enjoyable options. This box gave me a couple items to pass along, but not much else.

Check out the items and descriptions below:

 What did you think of the April POPSUGAR Must Have box?

Review: Neutrogena Cosmetics

I am not a morning person.

If there is one detail about me that you remember, it should probably be that.

That being said, I am always looking for products that make my morning routine as quick and painless as possible. This is my third time being part of a Neutrogena campaign for BzzAgent - the first time around I fell in love with their cosmetics, especially the eye liner, and the second time my hands got a second life with the Norwegian formula hand lotion.

Once again I got the chance to try out some Neutrogena cosmetics and I was super psyched for the opportunity. This time my BzzKit included:

• Neutrogena® MoistureSmooth Color Sticks for sheer, shiny color that continuously conditions lips
• Neutrogena® Healthy Lengths Mascara for 100% longer looking lashes
• Neutrogena® Crease Proof Eye Shadows for 12-hour wear that instantly revives and brightens eyes (2 Shades)

My Ractions:
I love eye shadow but throughout the day it tends to fall and irritate my contact lenses. The crease proof eye shadow not only lasts all through work - so at least 8 hours - but it also doesn't clump and is extremely easy to apply. The whole process takes under a minute from start to perfect. I usually just have to blend it at the edges with my finger for a flawless look.

The MoistureSmooth lip color is really fun. I got a nice light pink shade and it's also really easy to put on. The color doesn't stay all day, but it usually lasts longer than my first cup of coffee which is nice. Plus, the re-apply takes like no time.

Unfortunately, the mascara doesn't really stand out to me. It works great, don't get me wrong, but there's nothing about it that differentiates it from about a thousand other mascara formulas out there - or the dozens that I've personally tried. Although, ff you're in the market for a decent brand of mascara, the Neutrogena one is definitely worth adding to your collection.

I received this product from BzzAgent for free. My opinions are my own. For more information on Campaigns like this one, please visit bzzagent.com.

Review: UNREAL™ Candy

 

I'm not sure what it is, but there's a part of me that is always hesitant about the idea of new candy. Perhaps it's the nature of the business. There are so many candy brands that I have become accustomed to seeing on the shelf that the noticeable addition of a new competitor catches me off-guard. Even the sudden scribbles you now see on the classic 'Mike & Ike' boxes throws me off-guard.

 

I definitely have my chocolate loyalty - even though I'm not a huge chocolate fan - so when it came to trying UNREAL™ candy, I was skeptical to say the least.

 

This trendy chocolate asserts itself as 'unjunked," using that at the center of its' extensive new ad campaign as it tries to break into a market that is already very much monopolized by some of the larger and better known brands.

 

The biggest concern I've heard from other adults about cosuming sweets, chocolate in particular, come from the idea of gaining weight. Words like "calories," "fat," and "unhealthy" seem to be synonymous with indulging at this point, which makes a healthier alternative all the more appealing.

 

The packaging proudly boasts its contents' nutrition facts on the back in a bold and colorful fashion. To further make their point, the company website offers a candy by candy comparision for each of its products who all mirror an existing chocolate creation.

 

What does that mean?

 

I mentioned before that UNREAL™ candy is a healthier alternative, but an alternative for what exactly? Not just chocolate treats in general, but an alternative for some of your favorites - for some of the classics. Right now, the five options are:

• Unreal 54 - Candy Coated Chocolates with Peanuts
• Unreal 41 - Candy Coated Chocolates 
• Unreal 8 - Chocolate Carmel Peanut Nougut
• Unreal 5 - Chocolate Carmel Nougut
• Unreal 77 - Peanut Butter Cups

Sound a bit familiar? That's because they are basically: Peanut M&M's, Plain M&M's, Snickers, Milky Way, and Reese's Cups.

When I first realized this when I went to redeem my free coupon at CVS (compliments of BzzAgent), I thought it was genius!

So how do they compare?

After trying three out of the five (54, 8, 77), I can honestly say they're not bad. Even though you can instantly tell the difference - a blind taste test of the product side by side with the original would be no contest for a seasoned candy eater. However, if you were looking to make a healthier choice I would completely recommend  the UNREAL™ option. The difference in taste would, I assume, become unnoticable at some point if you made the switch (like the time I switched from mayonaisse to vegenaise, a mayo alternative made completely of vegetables - after a few weeks I stopped noticing any difference).

Out of the ones I tried, my favorite was the peanut butter cups. I thought they tasted the closest to what I was used to, maybe a little sweeter even.

The packaging is also a plus. The bright colors stand out against a black background and make the entire package pop when placed on the shelf next to other options. It's not only a smart marketing move, but will give you something to smile about.

Disclosure: I received a coupon for a FREE Unreal Candy and several Buy One Get One Free coupons as part of a BzzAgent Campaign. I will not be compensated for this review. All opinions expressed above are my own.