Birchbox Home Sweet Homespun Limited Edition Box

Happy Thanksgiving week! I'm enjoying this much needed time off. Today I've been lounging around the house with my girls-it's very much "Home Sweet Home" here today! And what better way to kick off the holidays than with a review of the Birchbox Home Sweet Homespun box?

I ordered two of these boxes; one for me and one for my sister's birthday. I ordered them separately, used a 20% coupon on each order, and added a mystery sample pack to each shipment. That meant each box was $32. This box got to me super quick. I ordered it on a Monday and it was here on Wednesday. Doesn't the box look gorgeous!?

Here's what it looks like when you open it up:

And here's what you get inside and what I thought about each item: 

*Askinosie Chocolate Single Origin Sipping Chocolate-There is enough for two small servings. I added whole milk to the chocolate. It is a little bitter; might need some sugar. Very rich and definitely better than the powdered stuff at the grocery store! 

*Meri Meri The Little Garden Treat Kit-These are cute handcrafted labels and gift bags. Sadly, I'm not much of a treat or craft maker, so I passed these on to my mother in law. She loved them! 

*Illume Mini Tin Soy Candle-I can never have enough candles. The label on it is so pretty with the red and gold accents. I've got it burning right now-the sugar and spice fragrance is so nice and makes my bedroom smell great. 

*Momofuku Milk Bar Cornflake-Chocolate chip-Marshmallow Cookie Mix-This is the only item  in my box I haven't been able to try out yet because it needs a special type of mixer that I don't have. My husband has been begging me to make them because they sound so delicious! The directions do sound a little complicated to make which is why I haven't done them yet. I'll have an update on them soon! 

*Soak Handmaid Luxury Hand Creme-This lotion has a light fig smell to it. I can wear it alone or with my perfume and it's not overpowering. It has a shea-butter formula which makes my hands so soft. Great addition to the box.

*Cowshed Lippy Cow Natural Lip Balm-I love the smell of this lip balm. It has orange and rose essential oils and leaves my lips feeling soft. It has a sheer color so I save this balm for the evenings and weekends (I prefer my lip products to be tinted).

*Makerskit Hanging Photo Clips Complete Project Kit-This was the only item that seems a little "cheap" to me. It's some twine, a few pushpins and a few clothespins. I had a student hang it up in my classroom and even she asked me where I got it from due to the quality. I wouldn't put this up in my house. The clothespins are a little too small so  you have to attach at least 2 per photo. I didn't like the card stock it came with-it's way too tiny and I didn't like the design.

*Richer Poorer socks-Normally I'm not a sock person but these socks are way too cute to not enjoy. I've been wearing them around the house and love the way they feel-not too thick that your feet sweat, but not too thin that your feet get cold. I sound like Goldilocks haha. I love the design on them! 

So that's the Home Sweet Homespun box! For $32 (with a coupon) you get 8 different cozy and cheerful items. I would definitely recommend stocking up on a few of these for Christmas gifts! If you received this box, what did you think about it?

Now the question is...do I splurge for a Vanity Affair box??? Or wait until after the holidays?

4 Birchbox Mystery Sample Packs

In the past 2 weeks I've received 4 Birchbox mystery sample packs. Any time you spend $35+ in the Birchbox shop they will send you two random samples that are supposed to total $10 in value for free. I thought it would be fun to share what I've recently received, and to see if you actually do get $10 worth of product each time. I'm a theatre teacher and not a math major; hopefully I got all my math correct! 

Mystery Pack #1

My first order was for a Birchbox Scent Sampler and Amika Nourishing Mask. The total was $36; I used a 20% coupon, $20 worth of reward points, and had it shipped free since I’m an Ace. Here’s what I received: 

*Dear Clark “Resurrecting Rince” conditioner-I’m from the Dallas, TX area and was thrilled to see that this company is from Dallas. All the products in it are organic and handmade in Texas. It contains aloe vera, sunflower seed oil, and rose of Jericho. My initial reaction was that it smelled FANTASTIC! Every time I used it my husband made note of how great it smells. It’s hard for me to pinpoint the strongest scent in it; maybe a combination of the aloe and the rose? 

When I used the product it was so incredibly difficult to get out of the sample bottle. It’s a twist top even though it’s a thick product. Not very user friendly! They recommend using a quarter size in your hair-this seemed to be a good size for me. My hair tends to be a little frizzy; not so with this product! I loved discovering this product and hope to get it again. 

The sample size was 1oz. The full size is 8.5 oz for $24 which means my sample was worth $2.82. 

*Harvey Prince Ageless Liquid Loofah -I have previously sampled the Harvey Prince Ageless body lotion. I'm just not a fan of grapefruit, which is one of the fragrances in it, so I wasn't too excited to try this product out. It claims to be exfoliating without using scrubbing beads so I was curious to see if that was really the case. I only got about one and a half uses out of the sample size and I did notice that my skin seemed to be a little softer than normal. The smell wasn't as powerful as the body lotion had been; I just wish I had gotten a little bit larger of a sample. 

The sample size was 15ml. The full size is 12 oz for $22 which means my sample was worth $3.68.

Altogether my mystery sample pack #1 was $6.50. 

Mystery Pack #2

I ordered the Home Sweet Homespun limited edition box on a 20% coupon and added the pack. I received:

*Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm- Is it shameful for me to admit that I haven't tried a BB cream before now? I have fair skin and was nervous to try the sample because it wasn't an exact color match. I shouldn't have been concerned; it blended in nicely with my skin and gave me a bit of a healthy glow. Interestingly enough it has "exotic caviar" in it to help tame complexions. I thought it had good coverage but I just didn't like the smell! 

The sample size was .2 oz. The full size is 1.5 oz for $36 which means my sample was worth $4.80

*Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris perfume -This perfume has a subtle scent to it. It has a nice combination of musk and fruity undertones. It doesn't have much staying power to it; I usually have to reapply after a few hours. It's a good smell for fall and winter. 

The sample size was 2ml. The full size is 30 ml for $65 which means my sample was worth $4.33.

Altogether my mystery sample pack #2 was $9.13. 

Mystery Pack #3

My sister's birthday is coming up so I ordered another Home Sweet Homespun limited edition box on a 20% coupon and added the pack. I received:

*Cynthia Rowley Metallic Eyeliner in silver -I received this item in my September Fashionista box so I will be giving this item to my sister along with the Homespun box. I love the silver color! I use it on my water line to add a little bit of shimmer. Now, it says it's smudge proof and lasts all day. However, on my bottom line, I have to reapply frequently. Good for a night out.

The sample size is .03 oz and the full size is .04oz for $16 which means my sample was worth $12.

*Melvita Eau floral de Rose-Eeeeeek! An expired product!!! And a year old expired product at that. I was puzzled to see that I had received a "rose floral water." Not exactly a beauty product, is it? As I was reading the bottle I saw that it was expired. Gross!

Thankfully Birchbox sent out another mystery pack to replace the mistake of sending out an expired product. They don't list this company anywhere on their website so there's no way of knowing how much they sell/sold the product for. 

This pack was worth $12. 

Mystery Pack #4

*Obliphica Leave In Moisturizing Cream-I have received several Obliphica hair products in other mystery packs. This was the first time to receive a leave in cream. I LOVE leave in hair creams; I use them every single day for my wavy hair. This has a light fruit smell to it from the sea-buckthorn. I wasn't impressed with it but I didn't dislike it either; it didn't wow me. It didn't tame my sometimes frizzy hair but it did leave it feeling soft. I'll stick with my other leave in creams. 

I wasn't able to calculate the exact price on this item because Birchbox doesn't sell the leave in cream. 

*Atelier Cologne Vanille -I've sampled Atelier before in the Mermaid box but this was my first time to receive the vanille product. I like the smell of it! It has a nice warm vanilla scent to it but it's not overbearing. It's perfect for the fall and winter. Like my other Atelier cologne products, I had to apply it throughout the day-it doesn't last the whole work day. 

The sample size was 2ml. The full size is 30 ml for $75 which means my sample was worth $5.

I'm not sure how much this pack totals for. I bet the cream sample wasn't worth $5 or more so I probably totaled less than $10 on this pack. 

So two of my packs were $10; two of them weren't. I've read many mixed reviews about the Birchbox mystery packs. Some people say don't complain about it if you don't get $10 worth, you are still getting a free product. Others say if you are going to advertise for it to be $10 worth of products then you better send $10 worth of products out! I think I agree with the second train of thought. If you aren't going to get $10 worth of product maybe credit some back to the shop so you can spend more money that way. Or maybe offer a nice $10 off coupon for the next time you shop if you spend $35 and don't do the mystery pack. 

Let me know your thoughts about the mystery sample packs! Have you discovered any beauty favorites after receiving an item in the sample pack? And stay tuned for my review of the Homespun box! 

#59 Halloween Special Memebox

I ordered my first Memebox early last month. I know there are a few other bloggers out there who are obsessed with this company so I had to try it out! I LOVE Halloween so imagine my delight when I saw they had a Halloween box for sale! Here was the description of the box: 

Just in time for Halloween!

This Halloween, your possibilities are endless with a chock-full of spooky makeup ideas! No need to drop loads of cash on costumes you’ll only wear once a year, just grab this Halloween Special box, loaded with fun and crafty makeup ideas that are fit for any party occasion! 

Whether you plan on being a sexy vamp, a pretty pixie, or just sport your trusty ol’ witch hat for the night, these do-able Halloween makeup ideas will compliment any costume and also be sure to get you a double-take! 

The box was $23 plus $6.99 for shipping (they are a Korean company). I found a $5 off coupon on Retail Me Not so I ended up paying $25. They shipped it out on October 10th and I ended up getting it on October 20th. 

It came in a large pink envelope (it reminds me a lot of the Ipsy packaging). Here is what it says on the outside (I apologize for the somewhat blurry picture): 

Here is what the box looks like: 

And here is what was inside: 

My initial reaction opening the envelope was disappointment. I had expected it to come in a cute Halloween looking box. Also, there was something sticking out of the box a little bit. 

And then I opened the box and saw the things I had received. 

*Elizavecca Lip Tattoos-Lip tattoos? I'll never use these; it takes too much time to cut them out for your lips and then apply them. I also don't like the deep win and dark burgundy colors it comes in. 

*Lalanc Real Tattoos-My last name is King so I'll probably use the king crown tattoos that are in this pack. I will probably give away the crosses to the youth group at church. 

*Revecen fake eyelashes-These are super long so I'll only be able to use them for Halloween. I do plan on trying them out though. 

*Revecen Liquid Lipstick blood-We just had a zombie production at school so I brought this product with me and applied it on all of the zombies' mouths. If you are a zombie or vampire for Halloween then this product is perfect. 

*Revecen Face Control Foundation in White-A full size sample of something I'll use once a year (and will have to toss anyway after a certain time)? Sigh. 

*Revecen Cake Eye Liner in Black-So you are supposed to apply water to this to make it into a wearable liner. I have a million and one liners I already like that take no time or mess to apply. I'll pass on this item. 

*Revecen Supra Lining Color in Purple-Another item that needs water to apply it. It's a super dark color; I'll take it up to school and use it when I show how to make cuts and bruises. 

Ultimately I'm very disappointed. The size of all the products are great; they just aren't anything I could use more than once or twice. I thought they would have more of a variety of items-they advertised it as such and I feel like this would only be good for a goth or monster creature. Where's the pretty pixie items? 

I'm not sure I'll order from Memebox again-it would have to be a pretty impressive theme for me to. $25 is a lot to spend on beauty products that you may or may not be able to use. I'll put that $25 towards checking out another box (maybe Boxycharm...). 

October Birchbox

I've been anticipating my October Birchbox ever since I decided to do the add ons (more information about the add ons below). My past few boxes have been taking longer than normal to get to me (last month it was even lost for about a week). Not sure what's up with that, but it did arrive this week! 

I love the fact that I got to review 7 different products, which means $7 to spend in the Birchbox store. That’s a great deal!

Here's what I received in my box and what I thought about each product: 

*Ellovi Vanilla Butter-Not a big fan of this. It is supposed to smell like vanilla but it smells more like the oils in it to me. And speaking of oil, it is greasy on my skin. I might use it for problem areas like my heels during the winter,  but I definitely won't use it on my hands or arms. I just didn't like the texture of this and wouldn't buy the full size product. 

*Lord & Berry Paillettes Eye Pencil-This was the item I got to choose for this month's box. I LOVE glitter eye liner and couldn't wait to try this out. I was so disappointed with this eye pencil! There was absolutely no glitter included any of the times I used it. I tried it with different colors and brands of eye shadow, but still nothing. It needs to be a creamier formula for this to be more effective. It was dry and hard to put on and I tried sharpening it a few times thinking that might help. Also, the black color faded super fast. I'm talking within the hour of me applying it! I ended up putting a liquid liner over it. This item is getting tossed! 

*Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle-I love leave in conditioners. I like the fact that this is a spray in formula-easier application than the ones I usually use. However, I think there was a problem with the bottle. Myself and several reviewers all had trouble getting the product out. It did leave my hair nice and soft but didn't hold the waves in my hair as much as other products I've used. I'll have to give this one a few more tries before I make my final verdict. 

*Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips-I was super curious to try this product out. Nipple cream on your lips? It kinda makes sense if you think about it. I love how soft it makes my lips and I love that it enhances my natural lip color. The texture is weird at first (a little sticky and greasy) but after I got used to it I love it because it makes my lips so moisturized. This was a hit for me!   

*Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator-I didn't read the label too closely before applying this exfoliator so I was a bit surprised by the microderm crystals, but ended up really liking this product. It made my face feel soft and clean without drying my face out, which is always a concern of mine with products like this. I have sensitive skin and my face didn't break out after using this. Great addition to this box! 

*Oribe Magnificent Shampoo and Conditioner-These were "freebies" that Birchbox threw in as an extra bonus. If this had been one of my normal samples I wouldn't have been pleased because of how small they are. I really like the Oribe hair spray and use it occasionally. This is advertised as a volumizing shampoo and conditioner but I honestly couldn't tell. The shampoo didn't leave my hair feeling clean and I needed more conditioner in the sample size than what it offered. I did like the smell of these products. 

Each month Birchbox gives you the opportunity to add items to your box for an additional cost. The items are usually cheaper from Birchbox than buying  from a retailer, plus you get Birchbox points to use in the store. This month they were giving double points if you purchased two or more items so I decided to splurge and purchase both of the items for sale. I purchased: 

*Bella J Roseberry Candle-This candle has a light berry scent to it. It’s perfect for my nightstand in the bedroom but wouldn’t have much scent power in a large room. What’s cool about this candle is that at the bottom of it is a charm or jewelry piece valued at $25 to $10,000! I’ve burned mine for about 5 hours now (it says you can get 60+hours) and I can already see the pouch. I am soooo tempted to get it out and see what it is but Justin told me that would ruin the surprise, which is the main reason I purchased it! So he told me I have to wait until Halloween.  

*Loren Hope Lilac Mini Alex Cuff-As soon as I saw the purple color for this bracelet I knew I had to have it! I wear purple ALL THE TIME so this will go great with many different outfits. My only problem is that it's a little on the small side. I wish they had a picture of somebody wearing it so I could have had a better idea of the size of it before I purchased it. Here’s a picture of me wearing it-by the way, I could never be a hand model! I can’t ever seem to take a good picture of my hands. 

Finally, Birchbox was recently doing a promotion where if you are on the month to month plan for getting boxes and upgraded to a year's subscription, not only did they give you two boxes for free, but they sent out a mystery sample pack AND this Cynthia Rowley bag that included this eyeshadow color palette and a liquid liner. I'm looking forward to trying all these shades out! There are actually 5 shadows but the far left one is super dark. 

Overall I enjoyed my box and the nice add ons. A couple of the items I could have done without but I also discovered some new favorites! What did you think about October’s box? If you are thinking about joining Birchbox, be sure to use my referral link! 

October Ipsy

I was so excited to receive my second Ipsy bag in the mail yesterday! I really liked my first bag from them last month.This month’s theme is “Beauty Candy.” Cute name! I love the pretty blue bag it came in-the texture and material is very durable. I’ve already thrown it into my work bag to hold this month’s makeup goodies in. 

A side note- I’m not sure how the rest of my bag relates to “Beauty Candy?” Hmmmm….I don’t think I received as many makeup products as other people did. Maybe I’m comparing it to a Meme box where all of the products relate to a certain theme, but my products or the looks I could possibly create from the products didn’t make me think of candy. Speaking of Memebox, I should be getting my special themed Halloween box this week! Eek! 

Here are the products I received and what I thought of them: 

*Nicole by OPI nail polish in “I’m On a Gilt Trip”-I’ve been meaning to buy a gold nail polish so this was good timing. The color looks more like a sand than gold color on me and has more of a matte finish. It does add a little sparkle to my nails. I’d probably use this on an accent nail instead of all my nails next time. 

*Noyah lipstick in “Deeply in Mauve”-The sample size is teeny tiny cute! But that’s ok because this isn’t a color I normally wear. Don’t get me wrong-I really like the raisin color! It’s perfect for fall. I didn’t experience the “sticky” texture that some reviewers had about the product. 

*Skone Cosmetics Tattooed Waterproof Eyeliner-Glides on nice and smooth. Easy application. Great eyeliner! 

*Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser-I used this for the first time last night. I liked the smell of it-very fresh and clean. I felt like I got a good clean from it but it did leave my face feeling dry. I had to put on extra nighttime moisturizer. I have sensitive skin and I didn’t break out from it which is always a fear of mine. 

*Ayres Patagonia Body Butter-This product has jasmine and rosemary in it which makes it smell so nice and calming! Not too powerful or overbearing of a smell. It did leave my skin feeling super soft and left no greasy residue.  

Overall this month’s bag was a hit for me. What did you thing of “Beauty Candy?” Did you get the same or different products as me? And, if you aren’t signed up for Ipsy and would like to, be sure to use my referral code! Both of my sisters signed up-can’t wait to hear what they got and what they think about it.