Social Bliss Style Box - NEW SUBSCRIPTION!

If you have read my blog at all, you know that I am all about subscription boxes! I am constantly on the lookout for new boxes that I think I might excite me.

I have come across a new one call the Socialbliss Style Box . The first box hasn't shipped yet, but it looks like it could be promising and comparable to Popsugar's Must Have box. I have been a subscriber of Popsugar since their first box and overall have been pleased, but I wanted to give the Socialbliss Style Box a try for at least a month and see how it compares.

One downside to the Style Box is that they do charge a $7.95 shipping fee on top of the $39.95 for the box itself. Popsugar doesn't charge for shipping and you can usually find some discount codes for Popsugar as well. 

Socialbliss promises between $100-$200 worth of product in each box. And they offer a money back guarantee if you don't love it!

I decided to go ahead and take a chance and order it. I will probably suspend my Popsugar subscription for a couple of months since I usually allow myself a $50/month budget for boxes (yeah, I could spend WAY more if I didn't govern myself!!).

I'm not sure when the first box will ship. I did have to sign up at Socialbliss.com and get on a waiting list, but I was only on the list for about a week before I received an invitation to get the Style Box.

As soon as I receive my box of goodies, I will post what I got. I'm excited!

Want to try it for yourself?

Sign up here:

Social Bliss Style Box

Comments about this or other boxes? Tell me!

Thoughts on Cravebox

There seems to be a lot of grumbling going on focused around the way Cravebox is running their business and the way they are currently changing things on their site. Apparently the way things were was not working or they wouldn't have to change. When I received the first email several months ago (maybe a year?) about joining this new subscription box service I signed up immediately. I had not had any experience with subscription boxes before then, but I could tell that this was something special. It turns out that shortly after I joined, Cravebox slots sold out. I have been overjoyed with Cravebox and all the products I have received. Via their Facebook page, Cravebox keeps its member updated on boxes and the latest news. 

I personally think the changes being made to Cravebox's program are positive ones. I like the fact that I will be assured 4 boxes and have the chance to earn more boxes. Change is hard on some people, but in the end change is usually a good thing. I am looking forward to receiving Craveboxes and enjoying the products found therein. If some people are truly unhappy with the way Cravebox is run, then those people need to cancel their subscriptions and find something more suitable to their needs.

Cravebox, if you are reading this please remember President Lincoln's famous quote:

You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

I think Cravebox is doing a fine job and I can't wait to see what it coming next!

The Birchbox Breakup

Well, the time has come. I have given Birchbox a fair shake and I just cannot get into it. I know I have said this before, but I'm pretty sure Cravebox and Popsugar have spoiled me rotten with their full-sized packed boxes. This month seemed like the worst one yet! I didn't even deem it worthy of a post. It was all sample sized products, and not the deluxe samples that you get with Sample Society, but rather small samples like ones that I already get for FREE directly from the companies. 

I know it is only $10, but in a year's time that will add up to $120 and for my little Versa, that is several tanks of gas! I did manage to get 100 points from reviewing the products and I will use that before I quit. So, if you have been waiting for a Birchbox spot, one is going to open up in the next few days!

Popsugar's Must Have Bag September 2012

It has arrived. My favorite of all the subscription boxes. It is my September Popsugar Must Have Bag. I am just overwhelmed. This is such a fantastic box that I can hardly put it into words. I am once again amazed at all the goodies I have received. I opened the box to find this:

I could hardly wait to get home from school today because I knew this would be waiting at my door. My only fear was that my husband would go through it before I got home! Maybe it's time to get him a man's box...

I first noticed a large black drawstring bag. I opened it to find the softest scarf I have ever felt. This scarf is absolutely beautiful. It is from Brokedown and it is such a great color because it will match almost any outfit. What a great find! It retails for $84.

Naturally, being a librarian I notice books. So after taking in the scarf, I saw the book included in this month's box. The title is The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It seemed like a really great book and I am looking forward to reading it. It wasn't until I read the brochure that came inside the box that I learned there were movie tickets to see The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Totally wonderful! The book costs about $8.50 on amazon and the movie tickets are worth about $20.00.

Next, I saw a very colorful box and when I saw the word Benefit I knew I was in for a beauty treat. This turned out to be Benefit's Cabana Glama combination set that features bronzing powder with a brush, foundation, lip and cheek stains, and a matching eye shadow palette with an applicator. The colors are all warm and brown, which are great for me. It is normally $36 on Benefit's site, but right now it is on sale for $18.99.

A cookie? Yes, a delicious looking delectable cookie. I haven't tried it yet, but tomorrow night is my "cheat" night on my diet, so I plan on eating it then. I don't know if it will be good, but if it tastes anything like it looks then it will be yummy. Along with the cookie was a coupon for Pop-Up Pantry Dinners for a delicious 3 course dinner to be delivered to my door. Ahhh, heaven!  The dinners are about $19/person and there is a coupon for a dinner for 2, making the value $38.

There was a cute little notepad from Rifle Paper Co. It looks like small little notebook pages. It sells for $8.00.

This month's box was extra yummy because in addition to the cookie, there was a small package of caramels from Becky's Blissful Bakery. These retail for $10.49 for 4 oz. and two caramels were included in this package, so it was more of a sample. But a delicious sample, nonetheless. My diet cheat night will be extra sweet!

Some extras thrown in the box were, Yes To Cucumbers towelettes, Kitsch hair ties, a $25 gift certificate to Tracie Martyn skin care line, a sample sized bag of Food Should Taste Good sweet potato chips, and a medium sized Must Have coin purse. 

This is absolutely the BEST subscription box anywhere around! I have yet to be disappointed with anything they have sent me. I will continue to receive Popsugar's Must Have Bag as long as they will let me. Click HERE to get your own box for October.

Cravebox Book Lovers Box

One word about Cravebox, superb! I received my Book Lovers Cravebox today and it made my day. I had a tough day at school, so to come home and find such treasures at my doorstep was priceless. I immediately got the scissors and cut open the box. My first look inside my Cravebox was this:

I was super-excited to see the book inside. I had done some snooping last week online and already had an idea of the title of the book. Turns out I was right on. I am delighted to have this book on hand because it looks like an excellent read. The title is How I Came to Sparkle Again by Kaya McLaren. It is not the usual type of book I choose to read, but it is probably time I took a little break from serial killers and horror. 

Here is a summary of the book (taken from Amazon):

Set in a Colorado ski town, Kaya McLaren's How I Came To Sparkle Again is a remarkable breakout novel that chronicles three people and their journey from loss to love; heartbreak to hope

Jill Anthony spent her young adulthood in the ski town of Sparkle, Colorado.  But more than a decade has passed since she left when, only weeks after a very late miscarriage, she finds her husband in bed with another woman, she flees Austin, Texas for the town she knows:  Sparkle. 

Lisa Carlucci wakes up one morning after another night of meaningless sex, looks in the mirror and realizes that she no longer wants to treat her body like a Holiday Inn. She’s going to hold out for love.  The only problem is, love might come in the form of her ski bum best friend, who lives next door with his ski bum friends in a trailer known as “the Kennel.” 

Cassie Jones, at age ten, has lost her mother to cancer and no longer believes in anything anymore.  She knows her father is desperately worried about her, and she constantly looks for messages from her deceased mother through the heart-shaped rocks they once collected in the streams and hills of Sparkle. 

Three people at the crossroads of heartbreak and healing.  Three lives that will be changed one winter in Sparkle.  One tender, funny, tear-jerking novel you won’t soon forget. 

I can't wait to get started reading it!

Also included in the box were the most delicious little strawberry licorice bites from Natural Vines. They are so soft and tasty that I had to hide them from myself!

Some soy nuts were included:

A Gratitude bracelet from Alexa's Angels, which is very pretty. The bracelet retails for $10 on Alexa's Angels website:

Along with the bracelet was a coupon for alexas-angels.com for 10% off which doesn't expire until the end of the year. This will come in handy as I begin to think about Christmas presents.

All in all, this was a very nice Cravebox. It is always a pleasure to receive a surprise box in the mail, but this one seemed especially nice.

Anticipation

A kid at Christmas...that's what I feel like tonight. I have three emails, each with tracking numbers for packages that are on their way to my house. Popsugar's Must Have Bag comes all the way from California so I know it takes a while to get here, but I sure do hate to wait! I just know it will be filled with all sorts of goodies and I can't wait until it gets here. Fedex Smart Post has got to be THE slowest shipping method out there, but I'm sure it's the cheapest which helps me get better deals, I guess.

I also got chosen to receive Cravebox's Book Lovers box and it is on its way as well. It only comes from Missouri so it usually doesn't take as long to get here. Hopefully I will get it tomorrow or the next day. I also got an email saying my Sample Society box had shipped today via UPS. 

I guess for the next few days it will seem like my birthday around here. Yay, me!!! It may be childish to love getting these surprises every month, but hey, life would be boring without treats every now and then.

Which Box Is Best?

There are literally hundreds of subscription boxes out there right now. It seems like the subscription box thing is the hot item of the moment. I have succumbed to the mania by subscribing to several different boxes that I think are catered to my likings. There are many, many categories of these subscription boxes. There are beauty boxes, boxes for new mothers, craft boxes, children's boxes, food boxes, organic boxes, etc. I tend to go for the ones that offer beauty products.

My question today is, which box is best? So far I have found that the one I enjoy most and look forward to getting is Popsugar's Must Have Bag.  I have yet to be disappointed with the many treasures I have found when I opened the box. I guess my second favorite is Cravebox. I am always pleased with Cravebox, but I wish it would be a little more regular. One thing I do like about Cravebox is that it does have a Facebook so the subscribers can chitchat about the goings on at Cravebox, as well as getting updates on shipping and contents from the Admins of Cravebox. The reason I like these two boxes so well is because they include mostly full-size products.

Now my question to you is, which box do you like best? Post in the comments below if you have a favorite! 

Sample Society September 2012

Sample Society is becoming one of my favorite subscription boxes. The products usually are not full sized, but they are all high end so I feel like I am  getting something luxurious. I am very pleased with this month's box.

I love lip gloss, so my eyes immediately were drawn to the tube of Borghese B Gloss lip gloss. And the color is perfect for me. I will definitely enjoy this. The color is Fiore and it retails for $19/0.21 oz. This is slightly smaller than full size at 0.16 oz.

I next noticed a little box with foreign lettering. The little box contained a small spray tube of perfume. The brand is Dipytyque and the fragrance is Do Son. It retails for $88/50 mL. 

There was one tube that was larger than the others. It is Cellceuticals Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser. I feel like this will be a great addition to my daily skincare regimen. It retails for $35/6.7 fl. oz. The sample size is 2 oz. I can get a couple of weeks of use from this sample.

To use after the Extremely Gentle cleanser, I found Ahava's Time to Clear purifying mud mask. It claims to clear the skin of oil and root out acne and blackheads. I am really looking forward to using this. It retails for $31/4.3 oz.; the sample is 0.9 oz. I feel like this will probably be my favorite product from this month's box.

Lastly, I found a Stila Smudge Crayon. This turns out to be an eye primer, liner, and shadow all in one. I love the color, which is Umber. I already love Stila products, so I'm sure this one will not be an exception. It retails for $22 in the full size. The sample looks like it is probably about a third of the full size. 

I always love getting these high end products and trying them out, even if I can't afford them! Oh yeah, and let me not forget to mention the $15 off $50 purchase from beautybar.comhttp://www.beautybar.com/. 

Birchbox September 2012

Yesterday I got my 2nd ever Birchbox. I was less than impressed with my first one, so this 2nd one was a test to see if I would continue for another month. I am a little more pleased this time, but not just overwhelmed. Anyway, if you would like to know what's inside this month's box keep reading.

Here was my first look at the box:

The first thing that caught my eye were the Bandaids. They are very cute and are "designer" Bandaids designed by Cynthia Rowley. They retail for $15 for a pack of 20 and are very cute (a little expensive for Bandaids if you ask me):

Next, I noticed a small tube and upon further investigation learned it was Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25. This says it is a 4 in 1 moisturizer, serum, sunscreen, and tint. I will try it in the morning and see what I think. Retail is $32 for the full size; the sample is 0.1 oz.

Gray must be "in" this year because this is not the first time I have seen gray nail polish recently. This nail polish is Birchbox Custom Polish and Color Club and the shade is Status Update. I will give it shot on my toes before I go with the nails. It retails for $8 on Birchbox's site. I never could get a very good picture showing the color:

Benefit Cosmetics included their Foamingly Clean Facial Wash + Refined Finish Facial Polish. I believe I will really love this product and perhaps since I have been earning points on Birchbox's site through ordering this box and reviewing products, I will use those points on this product. It retails for $21-$22 in the full size. These are two samples that look like they will last 3-4 uses.

A Kate Spade New York perfume sample was included. It is in a little spray bottle. The fragrance is Twirl and it smells great. The description states that it is a blend of fruity and floral notes. The full size is 1.7 oz. costs $80.

I have to admit that I almost threw the next item away! It looked like a little ribbon that might have been tied on the top of something that had come loose. I am SO glad that I noticed that tiny little tag attached. It turned out to be a Twistband hair tie. It is very cute and looks like it will do a good job of holding my hair. A set of 12 costs $18.

Also included was a card for $25 off a $75 purchase from Madewell, a Fashion Fall Basics booklet, and a code for two free music downloads from Tristan Prettyman.

Overall, I liked this Birchbox, but I really don't feel like I'm getting a bargain. I feel like I'm paying for samples and the shipping. I'm still on the fence with Birchbox. Popsugar and Cravebox include full size products and I always feel like I get way more than I paid with them.

Popsugar Must Have Bag August 2012

Popsugar's Must Have Bag August 2012 has once again excited me. I waited in  intense anticipation for my box to arrive. The tracking site said to expect it on Tuesday, Sept. 4, so imagine my surprise when my mail lady came knocking on my door this afternoon with an over-sized box. I immediately saw the bright pink writing and knew it was my Popsugar box.

I immediately opened it to find many, many surprises inside. I was well beyond pleased to see the number of items inside my box.

The first thing that caught my eye was a picture of a butt in green underwear. This happened to be a DVD called Pop Physique Original Butt Total Body Workout. This is just what I need. No, really, I'm not kidding! I really, REALLY needed this! My husband and I have been on this intense diet and we have already lost 45 lbs between us and I was thinking that I needed to start working out. This workout boasts on the front that you will burn 500 calories if you do the complete DVD. I will start this tomorrow (maybe I should take before and after pics!). This DVD is $13 on amazon.com, but they only have 3 available.

I then turned my eyes to a bright blue bag. Since I have been on this diet, I am constantly looking for products that compliment what I am already eating and that will replace unhealthy choices I have made in the past. I believe this next product will do just that. Pretzel Crisps are crispy, delicious, and have no fat and only 110 calories per serving. I'm sold! In fact I bought a giant bag tonight at Sam's Club. The hard part will be limiting myself to a serving size! I will, though, because I am liking the scale going down too much to mess up now. These cost $3.49 for a 7.2 oz bag.

A long cardboard box, the entire length of the big box, was next. I had no idea what to expect as I opened this box. It turned out to be a reed diffuser from Alora. The scent is Isola and it smells heavenly. This exact diffuser can be ordered on the Alora website for a whopping $90.

Next, I noticed a red box with the name Govino on top. I had no idea what this was, but I quickly found out that these were on the go wine glasses. I don't really drink much wine, so they will probably be used for juice or Crystal Light. This 4 pack tote of shatter-proof wine glasses are $12.95

Wrapped inside Popsugar's signature pink tissue paper, there was a small black drawstring bag with two glass bottles inside. I was pleased to find that these were facial products, a cleanser and an exfoliator. These products are made by Sprout. The 4 oz cleanser costs $23.99 and the 4 oz exfoliator costs $24.99. The cleanser is non-foaming and the exfoliator is a powder, both of which are new to me. They are made from all natural ingredients. These look very promising.

Alongside the Sprout products were some Tatcha Blotting Papers. These Petal Fresh Japanese papers remove excess oil from skin without disturbing makeup. These will definitely come in handy for me and my combination skin. They retail for $12.95/30 papers.

A small striped blue and white package had gotten moved to the bottom of this box. It was a Baggu Bag all wrapped up in a neat little package. I plan on using this when I make a short trip to the grocery store. These bags retail for $10.

This month's box box included several "extras" as well as the regular stuff. Included with the extras was a sample size bag of Bear Naked granola that looks rather tasty, a Postagram card with a code for 10 free prints, valued at $10, and a couple of cute cardboard coasters with a 15% off coupon for Benziger Family Winery.

Altogether I thought this was an awesome box and well worth $35. I will definitely continue with Popsugar. I felt like a kid at Christmas when I opened my box this afternoon. Want one of your own for September? Click HERE to get it!