FabFitFun VIP Box Spring 2014 ReviewI

Yes. Again. I told you. This week was insane. Everything I'd ordered, like a month ago, decided to show up all at once. Take my reviews and like them!!! I have to say, I super enjoy spending $35 and getting $200 worth of stuff. It's sort of an amazing deal. I get to try out a lot of things I couldn't afford or wouldn't drop that much cash on for less than the price of a single item in that box. The FabFitFun VIP box is quarterly, meaning, once a season, you get a box. I like that a lot better than a monthly box. I can justify spending the money on it since it's only four times a year. I had heard about this box, saw some spoilers on the internet and thought....well, there's a coupon too, so may as well give it a whirl! I'm SO GLAD I did. Here's two photos so you can get a better look.

In this amazing box there was:

• Kai Perfume Oil ($48) ~ It only comes in one scent and that scent contains gardenias. I am NOT a fan of gardenias, however, I am not repulsed by this. I'm trying it out to see how much I like it, but I'm not mad at it. 
• Cover FX SPF 30 Protection Primer ($38) ~ SWEET! I was JUST lamenting the lack of a primer in my makeup box! Huzzah! AND It's got SPF. Double bonus. 
• Merrithew mini stability ball and DVD ($28.94) ~ Well, I did just get a mini stability ball from my Popsugar box, but that one didn't have a dvd to go with and I accidentally threw away the straw you blow it up with, so this was a win too. 
• Dermasuri deep exfoliating mitt ($19.99) ~ This one has piqued my interest. I can't wait to try it in the shower tomorrow morning. It's supposed to be amazing and remove excessive amounts of dead skin. Like, enough so you can see it. I love gross stuff like that. 
• Cult Gaia Turband ($48) ~ These things are apparently all the rage amongst people who know what things are all the rage. It's a scarf with a wire in it and it's to be worn as a head band. I was SO happy to see I got the cherries! There were several variations in the boxes, all super cute, but this one was my favorite. These things get crazy pricey on their website. I would probably never drop that much dough on a hair accessory, but this one sure is cute!
• Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Invisible Spray ($25) ~ Again, I'd never spend $25 on designer dry shampoo, but I oohed and ahhed over this when I opened the box. I will happily use it to maintain my straightened hair for several days without looking like a hobo!
• Level Naturals Shower Bombs ($7.99) ~ These are all tea tree oil, menthol and eucalyptus and you fling 'em in the shower and inhale the goodness. I LOVE shower bombs. There were 4 in the box too!
• The Better Chip Spinach and Kale with Sea Salt ($1.99) ~ I'll try anything once. I am not an enormous fan of kale, but I'm willing to see where this goes. 

This box was worth over $215! SO GREAT! I'm really pleased. I forgot to mention that this box is curated by Giuliana Rancic. I dig her style. You can still buy this box! And if you'd like to, drop me a line and I'll refer you. 

Vegan Cuts Beauty Essentials Box

As I sit here at home on a Saturday night, a bit under the weather from the ENORMOUS amount of food I consumed at the maple sugar house, I bring you reviews of the many items I received this week from my sad, sad addiction to shiny packages that arrive on my doorstep. This time around it's the Vegan Cuts Beauty Essentials box. Now, Vegan Cuts has a monthly beauty and snack box subscription, but this was a one time purchase of some of their favorite stuff. I've been meaning to check out the vegan beauty scene and I thought for $27.95 this would be a good way to do it. Here's what they sent me:

I'm going to try to list them in some kind of order so you can match them up. Staring in the back...

• A cute canvas make-up bag that says Vegan Cuts on it. 
• Lotus Moon Vitamin B Hydrating Gel ~ this stuff is supposed to increase elasticity, reduce sebum production, inhibit inflammation, prevent clogged pores, and minimize dark spots. 
• Meow Meow Tweet Body Tonic in Geranium Basil ($3) ~ This stuff smells great and is supposed to balance and tone skin.
• Rainbow Honey Nail Polish ($4) ~ The color is a red sparkle called Persephone. Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, and Dibutyl Phthalate. Sweet.
• Weleda Wild Rose Body Lotion ($2) ~ I love Weleda. I have a bunch of their lotions already. Everything smells AMAZING and they're very moisturizing. 
• Sunology SPF for face and body ($2)
• Soapbox Black Soap Body and Soul Wash ($0.50)
• North Coast Organics Deodorant ($3.75) ~ I'm always interested to try all natural deodorant. I've had bad luck with them in the past. I hate to smell like yucky armpit smell and have yet to find a natural deodorant that prevents it.
• Pacifica Coconut Kiss Lip Butter ($10) ~ This one was full size, which I LOVE. I am ADDICTED to Pacifica. I LOVE their blood orange scented products and will happily take anything they make.
• Earth Enrichments Lemon Soap ($1) ~ This stuff is making the box smell AMAZING. I love lemon!
• LA FRESH face wipes ($1) ~ I used one of these last night. It did a pretty good job and smelled GREAT.
• The All-Natural Face, Lip, and Cheek Color in Dusty Rose ($5.75) ~ I used this today as blush and lip color and I loved the texture and the light flush it gave my lips and cheeks
• Beauty Without Cruelty Lavender Shampoo ($1.50)

Not including the one sample I couldn't get a size on to determine value or the adorable bag, this box was worth $34.50. I'm pleased with the quality of the products and with the variety. If you're interested, I think the Vegan Cuts website is still doing this box as well as a vegan snack box, which I also ordered. Go ahead and check it out.

BeautyDNA Box

There's a brand new subscription box out there called Beauty DNA. You answer a very in depth survey about everything you're concerned about as far as your appearance goes and what your preferences are when it comes to your beauty products. For instance, I said I had sensitive skin and was concerned about fine lines. I also said I wanted products free from phtalates, parabens, mineral oil and other yucky stuff. You can even check off what your scent preferences are. You fork over $25 and they match you with a full size product that's worth at least $45 and ship it to your door within 5-7 business days. There are a limited number of spaces, since this is a beta test for this service and I DEFINITELY wanted in. They send you a great little card with your item that tells you what's in it, what it's used for, where to get it, etc. I received Ahava Dead Sea Osmoter Concentrate Serum. It retails for $60 (but is on sale on the Ahava website right now for $48). It's supposed to improve dryness and lack of radiance. It is also supposed to reduce signs of aging, which I'm all for. I got it yesterday and I've used it twice and so far I REALLY like it. What I like even MORE than that is the customer service I've been seeing on the internet. As you know, I poke around subscription sites to see what other people are getting and I've been impressed with the fact that BeautyDNA is also poking around those sites, taking peoples opinions into consideration and responding to their concerns. Well played, BeautyDNA. I like getting a full size product that I might not otherwise be able to afford. I'm going to stick this one out for awhile and see how they evolve. I'm impressed with the first month. Here's the photo of my product:

Check it out there's a little over 300 spots left!

Outfit of the Day and an outing!

I was feeling rather cute today as I headed out for a day of traditional New England fun: The Maple Sugar House. So I decided I'd share my ensemble as well as the few photos I took while we were there. It was sunny and lovely on the way up, then it snowed pretty heavily for about a half an hour and then the sun came back out and it got SO WARM. It was really a spectacular day. Complete with a trip to the coffee roasters and a candle store. I can seriously never have too many.

I almost didn't include this one, but my big coffee mug pleases me. 

Here. This one has my face in it. 

The inner workings of the sugar house. Steamy!

The view of the snow from our table.

Love this place!

Because I love a non-sequitur. Welcome to Masterpiece Theatre.

If you find yourself in New England in the early spring or fall I HIGHLY advocate finding a sugar house and getting the best breakfast you'll ever consume. It's a tradition I very much look forward to every year. Like a good little New Englander I LOVE MAPLE. SO. MUCH. The syrup I bought today was still hot it was so fresh. It doesn't get any better than that.

Petit Vour Box Review!!!!

Hello. Again. Shall I dive right into it?
I've been anxiously awaiting the Petit Vour box. It's 100 % vegan beauty products! $15 a month and wholesome vegan beauty guaranteed. They ALSO have a points program. I'm looking forward to purchasing some awesome discounted vegan beauty stuff!

• NCLA nail wraps! $18!!!! Two applications with a CUTE floral pattern. I am REALLY looking forward to putting these on. They came with their own emery board, too!
• Lotus Wei Balancing serum. It's an aromatherapy serum that you put on your pulse points to re-energize you. It smells lovely. Kind of citrus-y and kind of floral-y. Not at all overwhelming. Full size is $50 for 50 mL. This is a 10mL sample, so a value of $10
• California Natural Skin care set. This sample was three tiny pods one was a balancing complex, one was a gel face wash and one was a nourishing cream. There's no size on any of these, so I'm going to estimate about $3 for the value on these. They're less expensive, so about $1 a pod.
• I.C.O.N. India oil ~ Vegan hair serum This is the dark little bottle to the left. It's a good sized sample. 10mL. The full size is 114 mL and costs $40, so the value of this sample is $3.50
• LAFACE Hydrating and firming body lotion These are two foil packs. $80 for full size, so the value of the packs is $2.80

The total value of this box was about $37. I paid $15, so I'm not cranky about that. I am a little bummed that there wasn't a single make-up item. Bummer. I did REALLY like the nail wraps and the balancing serum. I was less than thrilled with the foil wrap samples. 

I haven't decided if I'm going to continue with this box. There were others I liked a lot more. We'll see how the points system pans out when they send me my survey. If I get big savings, I might overlook it, although there wasn't anything I really wanted to buy in this box.

Bulu Box Review

Hello all. Happy Friday. I'm happy to be writing to you a glass and a half of wine into my evening. I have tons of awesome plans this weekend that include going dancing with my fabulous friend Rebecca, and going to my favorite maple sugar house with friends. If you've never been to a sugar house for breakfast, you're missing out. I HIGHLY recommend. I digress...
This week I have received 4 boxes. Yep. 4. The first of which was my Bulu Weight Loss box. I used a coupon code and got 6 months for $30. I probably would NOT have gotten this Sub for the full price $10 a month. However, $5 was quite a good deal, IMHO.

Here lieth my first box:

• Smarty pants weight loss vitamin chews. Multivitamin, source of dietary fiber and omega-3. (1 days worth = 6 chews) $1.60
• Mestrength drink powder. Boosts metabolism, provides electrolytes. $1.16
• Body Glove Energy Surge Gel $2.09
• Tapaz 2 Go $2.99
• Helps R&R tea $0.27
• Barleans Omega Swirl oil Mango Peach flavor $0.59
• Yes! Change is Easy notecard $0.90

Total Value of the box is $9.60

I liked the variety in the box, but I was a bit disappointed by the size of some of the samples. One days worth of vitamins is not nearly enough to be able to determine if I'd like to buy the whole bottle. They do have a points system, similar to Birchbox and you can earn dollars off full price items in the shop, however their points expire after 90 days. I definitely like things intended to increase energy level, so I hope they include more of those in future boxes. 

AND YET ANOTHER POST. Have I lost my mind? It's entirely possible. I'm also planning on doing a history of St. Patrick's Day post for you as well, so put that in your pipe and smoke it! This here is my March 2014 Birchbox. I've been subscribing for 13 months now. It has had it's ups and downs, but what keeps me coming back is the awesome points system in the shop. I have saved lots of money on full sized items by leaving reviews of things I got in my Birchbox. 

Here we have:

• Coola Tinted Matte SPF for face
• DDF Ultra lite oil free moisturizing dew
• Gilchrist and Soames London Collection Body Lotion
• English Laundry No. 7 For Her Perfume
• Ghirardelli Intense Dark Cherry Tango chocolate bar
• Ojon Damage reverse Restorative Hair treatment plus

I was a bit disappointed with this box. I was really hoping for the Inika green eyeliner and the stila lip glosses that some people got this month. ESPECIALLY the green eyeliner. It was full sized and valued at $20. The body lotion made no difference to my sad dry hands and kinda smelled medicine-y/heavy floral. I didn't care for the smell at all. The chocolate was good, but not as good as my favorite chocolate bar that also has dried cherries in it. The Coola was okay and I'll probably use it at the beach, but it may as well not have been tinted because it provided zero coverage. Perfume. Ugh. I wish they'd stop sending me perfume. I have their "less than six a year" option chosen, but I am seriously picky when it comes to fragrances and loathe most everything that's out there. This was bad too. It smelled old. Like heavy and overly flowery...just not something a younger person would choose to wear. I like something that's more light and fresh. I wear Philosophy Falling in Love and I adore it and would never change or use ANYTHING else. Sending me perfume samples is a waste of a sample. There's a 99.9% chance I'm going to absolutely hate it. I haven't cracked into the Ojon yet, but even though I color my hair I use a lot of other products to keep it healthy, so I really don't have a need for a damage repair treatment. I also haven't checked out the ingredients list, but you can bet if there's sulfates in it that it's going in the garbage. This one is getting mixed reviews, but I'll try it out and see how it goes. I did like the DDF and it was an EXCELLENT sample size. It was 1 oz and the full size is 1.7 oz for $42. There are 30 mL in an ounce, so there's about 50 mL in 1.7 ounces. That's 50 mL for $42, so 30 mL had a value of $35. Not too shabby. I like the way it feels on my skin and I can always use extra moisturizing even if there isn't an SPF in it. If I hated everything else, the value of this one product makes my $10 well spent. I am probably going to purchase the eyeliner since I have some points to spend and a coupon for being with the company for over a year. Here's hoping for a better April.

POPSUGAR March 2014 Must Have Box

Back again to tell you about all the cool stuff I got. I didn't know if I was going to keep up this subscription because it's a little on the expensive side. However, they released a spoiler and it was a picture of a BEAUTIFUL scarf and as we all know, I am a sucker for scarves. Sad, but true. So I decided that maybe there'd also be an awesome St. Paddy's day item in the box and I'd hang out this month and see what's up. I'm super glad I did. This box blew last month's box away. I yoinked the second and third photos from My Subscription Addiction. If you think I have a problem with subscription boxes, you should go over there and see just how many more I could be getting. Crazy. 

This photo I took. Then I tore into the box and started using things, sooooo I had to borrow the other photos. 

Here's a photo of what was included in the box:

And of course, the BEAUTIFUL Brokedown Blue Ikat Scarf, which they're saying they charge $72 for. That is a ridiculous amount to charge for a scarf and even though this one is SO soft and beautiful, I would never pay that much for it, so already the box was a big win for me because I didn't even pay that much for the box as a whole. I really do love this scarf. It's going to be perfect for spring. 

The other items included were as follows:

• Dogeared Lucky Horseshoe Make a Wish Necklace ~ $30
• Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum ~ $27
• Bauble Bar Elephant Ring Tree ~ $12
• Nature's Bakery All Natural Strawberry Fig Bar ~ $1.50
• SnapPea Crisps ~ $2
• Active Forever Mini Exercise Ball ~ $9.95

I really loved the variety in this box that last month's box was lacking. The lucky horseshoe necklace is on a string and meant to be worn until the string breaks and that supposedly means "your wish is ready to come true". I don't know about all that, but it's super cute and I love the way the horseshoe sits in the hollow of my throat. I've been wearing it ever since it showed up. I'm really impressed with Jurlique as a brand. They grow all most of what they use on their farm, they don't test on animals, they're environmentally conscious, they give back to their community....basically everything you'd want out of a company whose products you'd like to purchase. I like the serum a lot and have been regularly using it since I got it. I don't know if it's doing anything yet. I'll report back. The SnapPea crisps were a bit salty, but a great crunchy alternative to chips. The fig bar was delicious. Not too dry. I'm always worried about that with those cake-y type bars. I was SO stoked to see the exercise ball AND the workout they posted on the PopSugar blog to go along with it. I intend to use it as soon as I can locate some excess energy. I thought the elephant ring holder was SO adorable and just the kind of quirky accessory I want to have sitting on my bureau.  

This was $40 well spent. I definitely got my values worth and was pleased with everything in the box this month. I'll have to see what spoiler they release for next month and decide whether it's worth it to keep going. 

Graze Box Yummies!

Hello Interwebs. How are we on this delightful Sunday? I'm already lamenting the end of the weekend. It really should be longer. Work is BS. Sorry. Moving on....I have gotten two more Graze boxes since the first and I have to say I am rather pleased with them overall. They've been a great go-to snack when I'm hungry, have no time and don't want to eat garbage. Here's what I've gotten since we last talked snacks.

Cocoa Paradise

Cracking Black Pepper Cashews

Little Figgy Went to Market

Cookies and Cream

Walnut and Vanilla Truffle

                                       

Salsa Fresca

Mississippi BBQ Pistachios

Pina Colada

 My absolute favorites so far have been the Walnut and Vanilla Truffle and the Pina Colada. The Salsa Fresca was okay, but I really like fresh salsa and this was a bit more like the canned stuff you can buy, obviously. The nutritional information can be found here. And as always, I have a Referral Code. I highly recommend this because it's inexpensive, it's good for busy people and you can make tweaks. You won't get anything you might be allergic to. You can choose a low calorie option. You can even say you just don't like something. For instance I LOVE wasabi and horseradish, but HATE cayenne pepper spiciness, so I went through the snacks and eliminated anything that might have cayenne pepper in it as an option. You rate everything after you taste it and they build a better profile for you based on your taste preferences, so the more you try the better they get at figuring out what you like. I'm a big fan.

What other things do I have coming up the pipeline? Well, I'm about to do the Pop Sugar March review, I also got my Birchbox this month...My BULU Box has shipped ($30 for 6 months of boxes!) and so did the Petit Vour ($15/month) FINALLY. I also got the Vegan Cuts Essentials Beauty Box (a one time delivery $27.95) that will be coming soon as well. The Pop Sugar Resort Box (This was a splurge. Also a one time delivery) I ordered is due to ship at the end of March. I ordered another Plated Delivery because there was a coupon code. Again. I know I'm addicted. Sad, but true. I AM finding out a whole lot about some products I really like and getting them at awesome bargains, so I can't really complain. I've been tooling around on my favorite subscription box blogs and they all say that after the initial "WOW" of bargains and new stuff that you start to get really choosy and stop getting so many boxes because it simply isn't worth the money. I would FOR SURE not order Plated boxes if there weren't coupon codes. It's just too expensive. I almost forgot the FabFitFun box. This is like an unhinged ferris wheel rolling swiftly toward the ocean, isn't it? WELP, I'm still paying my bills and saving for my Summer of Awesome Vacations, so I suppose it could be worse. At least it's semi-interesting reading for you guys. If nothing else, you can stare at the trainwreck that is my addiction. Imma do the PopSugar March box next. It was SO. GOOD.

All of the good things! (none of the bad) And Music I want you to hear.

So many awesome things are happening, you guys! I'm having such a great couple of days. Much improved over last week. Last Tuesday beat me upside the head with a freaking brick. O-Chem exam, O-Chem quiz and TWO O-Chem labs, not to mention the work day from hell. Saying I was fried was the understatement of the century.
Good things this week:
~Got offered paying acting gig! This is the best news of all. A very funny friend is writing a humorous murder mystery dinner set in colonial times. I was asked if I would put on a big poufy dress and act hysterical over a (faux) dead body. Yes. Yes I will.
~Bridal Expo with my sister. I'm super pleased to be MoH in my sister's wedding. She's pretty much the greatest ever and her fiance rocks. As much as I hate all things bridal, I'm excited to help her plan her day.
~ Rehearsal for next weeks Irish music festival. Love the band. Love the song. Can't wait to put on my green and sing some Flogging Molly
~ My bestie is coming to visit this weekend! YAYS!
~Stitch Fix of awesomeness INCLUDING an email from someone AT Stitch Fix thanking me for blogging about them. SWEET.
~New Graze box came today with tasty noms.

Work blows, school is hard, I'm getting two fillings tomorrow and friends are generally disappointing me with their terrible treatment of others, but I've decided that I need to focus on the awesome and kick everything that is being lame to the curb. I faltered a little bit with this this week. Not going to lie. Monday was a BAD day for me. I got all in my feelings and was exhausted and sad. Tuesday turned it around, though and I started to get my perspective back. I'm still struggling with some anger and disappointment, but I'm pretty determined to put it behind me and soldier on. People can be SO disappointing sometimes, and sadly, when people are acting like Ultra Mega Douchebags, I've realized that you have to offer them the one chance to stop and apologize and if they don't take you up on that offer, then you have to put distance in between you otherwise you risk getting sucked into the vortex of their terribleness. There was a time when I would DESPERATELY try to get people to come over to the side of good and reason, but it just burned me out and pissed them off, so I've given up on that. The lessons here are: Real friends don't encourage you to do bad things. Real friends don't seek to hurt you (and anyone else they can). Some people don't give a hoot about honesty and don't want to hear it. Bad people do bad things and you can't stop them all. Take care of yourself because no one else will. If that means cutting people out of your life, then do it. Karma exists, I've seen it work and it is both ironic and cruel. I'm finished with people who try to ruin my zen.

In the spirit of awesome things I'd like to share a few of the things I can't stop listening to right now that I think everyone should know about:

• Beck's new album, Morning Phase. Have you heard this? It blows my mind. It's unlike anything I've heard from him before. So beautiful. Check it out.
• Fitz and The Tantrums. In particular, Moneygrabber. I literally had to stop myself from dancing to class listening to this. I might risk looking like a complete weirdo for Fitz. 
• Everything Agnes Obel has put out. It's dark and haunting and pretty and I'm in love with her. You should fall in love with her too.
• Postmodern Jukebox. They take pop songs (most of which I find terrible) and class them up as swing or standards. They're fantastic
• All of The Hunger Games soundtracks. It's a lot of the folksy/bluegrassy stuff I really like. I have not seen the movies or read the books, but I am addicted to the soundtracks. I love The Civil Wars, Birdy and The Carolina Chocolate Drops already, so these albums were already a win for me.

Once upon a time my Spotify account was attached to Facebook and then that got REALLY annoying because every time I listened to something it posted, so I had the accounts separated. I don't know about you guys, but if I'm really grooving on a song, I can listen to it 4 or 5 times before I move on. I'm ladymacbeth1980 on Spotify, if anyone wants to follow me.

Go out into the world people and try to do more good than you do harm. That's my goal every day.

I leave you with a picture of my kitten, to give you the warm fuzzies. Vasili hopes you have a great weekend.

Stitch Fix #5 - BEST. FIX. EVER.

OMFG You guys. Seriously. I had a thought. It's like Stitch Fix is a Rules girl. Remember that book? And all the crazy dating advice it gave you to make men want you? All the playing hard to get and remaining a mystery and such? Well, Stitch Fix has been luring me in and pushing me away and FINALLY after all that teasing, they gave me EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED. I'm keeping everything. That's right. I said it. Everything. All the items. They all fit perfectly. They were all flattering. They were all adorable. The prices were all awesome (in the context of Stitch Fix, anyway). I just can't even. All my previous sadness is forgotten. You win Stitch Fix. You win. I should point out that I asked for something green as I am singing in a St. Patty's Day concert. I also continued to demand grown up person pants. On to zee fix!!!

PANTS! HOLY CRAP! Like....normal person pants. Like....over the age of 18 pants. Pants I can move in. Pants that aren't suction cupped to my thighs. Pants that are long enough. Holy Jesus. These are the Margaret M Ariel Trouser in dark gray. They are being offered for $68. Why, yes. I think I will. They are a size 8 and they will look lovely with some heels. Enjoy my argyle socks. Note the lack of splotches on my mirror. You are most welcome.

This cardigan rocks. It is the Caramela Benfield Drape Front Cardigan in Purple. $58 smackers. I *might* have an addiction to drapey cardigans I can wrap around my freezing cold torso. No idea why....*cough* still 10 degrees in March. Curse you Mother Nature!!! *cough* It's so soft. And it is all mine. 

Close up of the heathered portion.

This is two items. First the 41 Hawthorn Freddy Sleeveless Chiffon Dress in green. Green is my favorite color. Also $58. I was concerned about the silhouette. I thought it might make me look bunchy or shorter in the torso, but I dig it. I need to lift some weights and get a jacket, but this is very nice! We also have the Zad Cassy Hollowed Clover Long Necklace. $28. Hello. No brainer. This is my perfect accessory.

Close up of pretty clover necklace that is ALL MINE.

And finally, because I'm a sucker for a scarf AND a quirky print The Look By M Lara Bicycle Print Infinity Scarf. DUDE. BICYCLES. Oh right...$36. 

Close up of the cuteness. YAY!

Yeah...this was what I've been waiting for. The big winner in which I buy all the things. So, The total was $248. Minus the $25 credit. Minus the 25% off discount for buying ALL THE THINGS! I'm paying $166 for all five pieces, which works out to about $33 a piece. Not bad if I do say so myself. I think Stitch Fix is getting better little by little. They definitely listened to everything I had to say last time. It was honest, but it wasn't great. I tried to be diplomatic, but I was pretty let down. I had Sasha again and she did a brilliant job this time around. I tend to think that sometimes these poor stylists get hosed by what they have in stock. Or lack thereof. I still think this can be remedied by communicating with the clients. Asking them if they mind waiting an extra week or letting them know what alternatives there are if what they're looking for isn't something that's available. A quick email would be enough. I hope they take those suggestions I made to heart in my responses from last month. As always, I appreciate it when people use my referral link, so Here it is again. If nothing else, this has been an adventure and I have some GREAT pieces that I love to wear, even if I've had some serious duds. I will continue on in my relationship with Stitch Fix, especially since it's hard for me to shop what with work and school and all. Did I mention that Organic Chemistry is a bitch? Have you guys tried Stitch Fix yet? What did you think?

March Julep Maven purchase

Bonjour! This month I was SO excited about the Julep Maven box because they were featuring lip stuffs! You could get a polish box with the lip gloss of your choice OR you could get the lip scrub and moisturizer duo. I chose the scrub and moisturizer since I am all polished out from my Cupid Mystery Box (Although I *did* buy the Wizard of Oz polish set for a certain cousin's birthday). I also added on a lip gloss in my favorite lip color (a nude pink). I have just utilized the scrub and moisturizer and can I say, WOW. I have lips of a pretty good size. My lower lip is CONSTANTLY drying out and flaking no matter how much water I drink or carmex I put on. The scrub is great. The applicator is also a little rough and there's a moisturizing balm in it, so it doesn't feel like sandpaper. The intense moisturizer smells of coconuts and is thick without being sticky. I tried to get a good shot of the gloss on my lips, but the lighting is the suck in my house and frankly every picture looked oddly sexual to me. So none o' that. However, here are some shots of the products themselves.

I say it every time. Julep NEVER disappoints me. Love this stuff!

Klutch Box goodies!!!

Hello all in blogger land. I recently received a rather awesome coupon from Klutch Box (again). This time they'd send me their New Year's Resolution box for $2 plus shipping ($8)! It had previously sold for $25. I really enjoyed the first box, so I said, what the hell! It arrived yesterday and I was totally stoked when I opened it. Check out the photo...

As you can see, a wide variety of food stuffs for being healthy and getting in shape in the New Year. Some of the samples were rather large, so I was VERY pleasantly surprised. I absolutely feel like I got my money's worth with this purchase.

I received:

1. The Jaali bean lentil and rice. I got one of these in the last one. That one was coconut rice. I love that they include these. I haven't had one yet, but I will be cooking one up shortly. 
2. Core Power Protein drink. Strawberry banana flavor. This thing has 20 grams of protein in it. Bam! Protein. It's labeled *light*, but I was pleased to see that it was sweetened with Stevia and not some other wretched sugar substitute.
3. FRS Healthy Slim appetite control and natural sustained energy chews. Strawberry Melon flavor. They sent a bag of 28 chews! I'll really be able to get a sense if they're working or not. They taste pretty good. It's supposed to help you feel fuller faster and give you more energy. I've been trying them. I'm not sure if they're doing anything. I'll report back.
4. Agro Labs wheatgrass shot. I'm so excited to try this. All organic and made with banana and pear juice. Full of B Vitamins and green tea extract. 
5. Power Bar performance energy blends in banana blueberry.I guess you're supposed to eat this before you go to the gym to give "fast energy to muscles". Again, no artificial ingredients. We like that here. The taste is...a little odd, but not bad.
6. KICK BUTT amped energy balls. I'm always tired from work and school, so I was excited to see these. They say they're grape flavored, but there's chocolate, honey and caramel in them. Hrrmmm...there's caffeine, creatine and ginseng in them. 
7. The next thing was a bottle of 30 capsules of raspberry ketones. I had to look up why I wanted to take that. I guess they're supposed to rev up your metabolism and aid in weight loss. I was stoked that they sent such a big bottle. I've been taking them the last two days. I'll let you know if anything happens.
8. IPS egg white chips! Aged white cheddar flavor! I'm saving these for a school day. Gluten free, all natural. 130 calories in the bag. I hope they're tasty.
9. Think Thin chunky peanut butter bar. It's sugar free and gluten free and has 20 grams of protein in it. Basically a protein snack, so you don't fall of the proverbial diet wagon when you're on the go.
10. Think Thin Crunch coconut chocolate and mixed nuts bar. NOM. Also heavy on the protein.
11. OMG! Antioxidant drink. It was....not good. All I could taste was weird berry-ish flavor and artificial sweetener. I hate artificial sweeteners. 

I also got a few coupons for some of the products in the box. I'm so happy with these boxes. I get to try all kinds of tasty (mostly) new products. I would have a hard time paying full price, but I certainly will take them up on any and all discount codes they'd like to send me. Anyone else ever try one?