Serendipity July 2015

What's in

the bag?

Serendipity is the bag Little Lace Box sends on the off month of Little Lace Box - it is free for current subscribers or $9.99 a month if you are not subscribed.  These are items they would like to send us but do not match the themes of month.

Get Dirty Bud Bar by Mindful Minerals -   ($4) This contains no parabens or sodium Lauryl Sulfates which is very important to me when it comes to beauty products.  I do not, however, like the smell.  I do not think I could wash myself with this bar if you end up smelling like it.

Malibu C Miracle Repair Hair Constructor -   ($3 for .5 ounces)  This is also a vegan product that contains helpful vitamins to restore your hair after the sun, heat, and pool.

Steep & Go by The Tea Spot -  ($5.95)  How did I not know this was a thing?  You can make your own fresh cold tea without heat in a water bottle.  Perfect for on the go!  I love this idea! 

Chill Out, Organic Loose Leaf Tea -  ($1.29)  This pairs with the Steep & Go to help make your fresh cold brew tea.  This takes only 10 minutes to finish!  I am still in awe of this cute little product and wonder what other flavors these come in.

Einvite.com cards - ($5)  These are so cute!  I love getting cards in my boxes - I am a paper freak at heart.  I would have picked these exact cards too.

There have only been two Serendipity bags and this one is my favorite of the two.  There was variety and useful items. 

What did you like about the Serendipity bag?  Did you know about the Steep & Go?

 

Little Lace Box August 2015

What's in

the box?

Little Lace Box is a bi-monthly subscription that has been fabulously curated by sisters.  It is $59.99 bi-monthly and $49.99 bi-monthly after the initial payment.   Right now, Serendipity is free for subscribers of Little Lace box as they work out the glitches with their little bag that ships on the off months of Little Lace Box.  Serendipity is $9.99 for 

non-subscribers.  

The theme of this month's box was Elizabeth and Mr Darcy!  This is my favorite Jane Austen book.  I love the European flair of this box!

 

My Shea-Rona Shea Butter -  ($19.99) This is the same scent I recieved in the scrub two months ago in this box and I really was not crazy about it - it is a bit too floraly for me.  I will use it to soften my feet.  I am really wanting to purchase the You Leave me Peachless though since I love that scent.

Define Me by Jennifer McKay Newton  (Audry) -  ($36)  Audry "is inspired by love and believes it is always the answer."  This scent is described as jasmine, peony, rose, and sandalwood.  I have a slight problem with sandalwood - it is pretty light though so I might be able to wear it still. 

Bouquet of Flowers by Bouqs -  ($40) We get to order a bouquet of flowers for one of our gifts from the box.  I think this is a really personal choice and I am actually glad they could not send me one with the box because I have flower allergies.  I need to pick them out for myself.  This is a nice little online floral service that does not charge shipping!  Check them out!

The Elizabeth and Mr Darcy Flower Vase by Mary Rose Young- ($124 w/shipping) This was created especially for the Little Lace Box and it is beautiful.  It is my favorite thing in the box and if I did not love it, it probably would not have been that great of a box for me.  The vase has two roses on it that symbolize Elizabeth and Mr Darcy.  The artist made two other pieces that fit nicely with this one - a shoe and a saucer.  It was fun to search around the site and the price is actually a bargain for her pieces.

The box had an amazing value this month and I was impressed by the hand-crafted vase made in England.  I am glad I loved the most expensive item in the box or I would not have thought this month's was worth the money.  The box had a value of almost $200.  The October box, the theme is “Authentic Autumn – Be Your Authentic Self” and will feature a box full of wonderful items that will allow you to get creative and show your authentic self.  October is my birthday month so this will be a nice box to end the month!

Did you get the Little Lace Box this month?  What are your thoughts?

Planner Stickers and Goodies Galore!

 Planner Goodies!

I have been using a Filofax planner for almost two years but it is just recently that I discovered the wonderful world of Planner girls!  There are sub kits, stickers, Washi tape, stamps, diecuts, charms, and pins.  

My new purchase this month was the Webster's Pages Color Crush Personal Planner in Sky Blue.

I was bummed that it was on sale a week after I bought it on Blitsy.

One of the very first subscription kits I found was The Planner Society Kit.  This July kit is $24.95 a month plus shipping. This kit came with paper, stickers, journal cards, Washi tape, a bow stamp, a bow punch, charms, pins, stickers, and cabochons.  This kit was so full I could not get the whole kit in the camera view.  I loved the colors and theme of this kit.

The other subscription kit for planner girls I found was the Happie Scrappie kit. I am signed up for the Foxidori planner kit - it has an Dori insert, Washi tape, pen, stickers, a charm, fox diecuts, dividers, and more. 
 

My very first Dori was ordered from the Etsy's shop Crafty Shop X 2.  This is a Sunshine Dori and they included two clips as a freebie.  I loved the pineapples. 

Once I saw these cute flamingo stickers, I knew this was another cute Etsy shop to peruse.  This is a newer shop called Pretty Stinkin Cute.  The colors were so pretty - I love the pastels.

Yellow Paper House sells a bunch of inserts for Dori's.  I purchased these two to go in my Sunshine Dori - I added a book review insert into one of them.

Okay - go order these pens from Little Surprise Shop.  They are fantastic! Nice weight and they write so nicely!  I liked all the goodies - the stickers are wonderful qualify and the colors are so vibrant.

Molly's Scrapbook Supply has a high variety of scrapbook and planner materials.  These diecuts and pins and cabochons are so fun!  I will really enjoy decorating my pocket letters, Listers and planners with these.

I have just recently started collecting stamps. I purchased these from Scarlet Lime, which is also the site where The Planner Society kits can be ordered.  I need to build up my chalk ink now.

I made my Washi ring out of a crochet circle from Walmart.  It does the job - I also got a smaller one and sorted out my red and pink Washi tape.

My cute little desk is coming along - I am still looking for some fun quotes to make a gallery wall. I am anxiously awaiting my Happie Scrappie August kit now and hoping to score a Planner Society kit for August.  I cannot wait for September when I am guaranteed a PSK and do not have to watch e-mails and react fast!

Lip Love Subscription from So Susan Cosmetics

What's in

the bag?

Lip Love Subscription bag is one I found while searching for fun, new subscriptions that were more reasonably priced.  This bag is from England and is $16 a month.  It contains 3 products, 2 bonus items, and a makeup bag designed exclusively for the subscription. 

Every bag has a quote on it and it is usually inspiring.  

The bags are always so colorful and pretty!  They are probably my favorite part of this subscription.

Jelly Pong Pong Paradise Pigments in Fig Jam -   ($19.99) These are the cutest packaged lip and cheek tubs.  I love their line of products because of the wonderful packaging and the fact that they are cruelty free.

So Susan Statement Skin in Candlelight - ($20) I was very excited to see this was included in our bag this month - I had seen this on some of the Instagram feeds - for Ipsy.  I really wanted to try this out. 

Haute Light in Eggshell - ($19.95) Another goodie that I was happy to receive in my bag. 

Strengthening Cuticle Oils -  ($25.95) This was our bonus accessory item of the month - I am happy to see them change it up from the usual piece of jewelry.  These are little cuticle oils and each one has a purpose.

   
Jelly Pong Pong Goju Blush is also one of the bonus items this month.  It sells for $17.95.  The bag was a winner this month - I will use every item in it and I love the packaging.  If you are thinking of a new sub to join, give this one a try - this bag had a value of $103.80 and that does not include the shipping charges you are saving. 

 

Webster's Pages Color Crush

Exploring WB Color Crush Sky Blue

Webster's Pages has put out a personal planner that is so fun and colorful!  I love the inserts that come with them as well.  These are sold by independent sellers - check out scrapbook.com, Simonsaysstamp.com, and Blitsy.  The ones with the kits usually sell for $34.95 but you can sometimes find them on sale.

 The planners come in this very pretty gift box:

 The little vellum Hello! is very pretty and it comes with these little tiny stickers.

I am really happy I went with the Sky Blue color.  It is very pretty and I love the color blue.

The dashboard for the Sky Blue one is "Life is Beautiful!" 

All of the Color Crush's come with different dashboards.  I really like the ones that came with mine but I might buy another packet of them.  I have a red planner too that needs some fun new dashboards.

 Inside the Sky Blue one, the rings are silver and the backdrop is white.  This is really pretty. I love the multi-pockets.

I set up the planner with a bunch of my goodies from Etsy shops and planner kits.  I love these macaroon stickers.  I am so happy I picked this blue one.  I have a mint green Marion Smith one on my wish list - waiting on the new A5's to come out.

 

Ipsy August Bag 2015

What's in 

the bag?

Ipsy came this month and I was surprised as I had cancelled this bag to continue with So Susan's Lip Love subscription.  I hope I got them cancelled correctly this time.  Ipsy is $10 a month and contains a makeup bag and 4-5 hair, makeup and skin care products. 

The theme this month was Prep School: 

I am actually loving this bag - it is a plastic finish though which is not my favorite but love the theme and design.

Brigeo Blossom & Bloom volumizing blow dry spray -    ($3 ~ - full size $18) I do not blow dry my hair but do use a lot of spritzer type sprays on my hair.  This one smells really good too - which is one of my musts about a spray in.  I hate spraying something in my hair that smells bad.  This is a cruelty-free product which I love about it.

Juara Turmeric Antioxidant Radiance Mask - (full size $35)  This is definitely what I look for in a product - "Free of Parabens, Phthalates, Sulfates, Mineral Oil, Gluten, Artificial Colorants and no Harsh Chemicals."  The price tag is a bit higher than I like to pay for a mask but I will definitely be trying this out.   with the Ipsy discount, I can get this for 20% off.

Skone Cosmetics Luxe Doubler Eye/Lip Pencil in Wine -     You do not understand how happy I was when I read this was an eyeliner and could be used as a lip pencil.  I have had enough eyeliners the last year in my sub boxes to fill one of these makeup bags!  Seriously!  It is like the stale product of the year!  ADD AN EYELINER! ugh!  I love the wine shade too! I could not link to this cosmetic online page though and that has me curious ???

Noyah Natural Lipstick in Desert Rose - (full size $18)  Okay this is the tiniest lipstick ever and I have received it before.  I love the shade here and the full size has beautiful packaging but I just cannot get over the smell - this is going on your lips so you will smell it.  It reminds me of the old cosmetics line smell. It does not smell bad just different. I do like that it is a natural lipstick and not full of whale blubber or toxic chemicals.  Sometimes the samples do smell different from the actual product - I wish they had some reviews online so I could see if anyone mentioned this smell.

Trust Fund in Elegantly Wasted -  ($15 )  I love the name of this shade! They gave us a very nice discount too - 35% off.   I am a sharer too so just comment below if you need a discount code to purchase any of these items. I need the collection in pink shade called Pink Kink! This sample was only a tad smaller than what you can get on the site too - love that! I hate when they send a ridiculously small sample and you cannot paint all your nails with it. The names of these polishes are so clever and fun!  I Wore It Better - Put A Ring On It - I Look Good Nude - to name a few!
 

This is actually one of the better bags I have received and I already cancelled - hate it when that happens.  I think I will be using everything in here which never happens for me in an Ipsy bag.  What did you get in your Ipsy?  Do you NEED a coupon code? Comment below!

 

Birchbox August 2015

What's in 
the box?

Birchbox came in so early this month - I think I got it on the 11th.  It has been doing that the last couple months and I am thrilled - there is quite a drought the last week of the month till the boxes start arriving.  

If you have followed my blog, you know I am a fan of BB - mainly because I love getting rewarded for doing reviews and little things like posting on social media sites.  No one else rewards you like BB does - you are earning actual points to turn into cash in their online store.  This online store is fantastic - if you want to save up for a makeup item, have at it!  If you want to just save a little every time you order, that is your choice too!  Love the flexibility!   I have never had points expire - mainly because I love to shop in there and if I can save $10 on my order right then, I do! 

This month's theme was Soak It Up, summer, of course!  The box looks like a cute pool.  It is not my favorite art work for a BB, but it was right on point for the time of year.

 

A nice thing about BB is that they always include an information card.  It addresses every item in the box, the full size value and sometimes a nice tip or bonus about your item. 

 

Dr Jart+ Vital Hydra Solution Deep Hydration Sheet Mask - ($6) I am not a big fan of sheet masks.  I would rather have a mask that you apply - probably because I do not want to lay down to keep the mask on.  I have other stuff to keep doing lol.  I swapped this with a fellow BB subscriber.  I love my Perfectly Posh face masks, I rarely buy any for myself anywhere else.

  

St Tropez Gradual Tan in Shower - (full size $25)  I do not know what BB was thinking when they sent this out to the pale, red haired girl in my profile.  I really look kind of funny with a fake tan.  I do not tan naturally - I go from pasty pale white to lobster red and back to an off white that is not tan.  I passed this on to my swap buddy.

  

Oribe Masque for Beautiful Color -  (full size $59) Looking at this price tag, I will probably never get the full sized one unless I manage to hoard my BB points, so it was nice to get a great size sample.  This smells amazing!  I am waiting to try till after I color but I am excited about it!

  

theBalm cosmetics Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush -  (full size $21)  This is the tiniest sample ever!  Like I think the actual product is the size of a dime - small! I do not know what theBalm has against samples - all their pressed samples are like this - the lip products are a nice sample size.  I will probably put this up on my Pinterest swap board but if I do end up using it, it will be as a blush.  As my swap buddy says, it always looks like I just have a dirty face. I am crazy about the packaging for this brand though - and they do go up on Hautelook once in awhile so you can save money on your addiction there.  Kohl's has this brand in their cosmetics section for anyone who wants to check out in store.

 

Rusk Volumizing Mousse - (full size $18)  I do love the Rusk brand.  

 Oribe Shampoo and Conditioner for Beautiful color - (full size $14-42) This is probably the item I am most excited about trying.  I color my hair as the gray has started appearing so I want to see how this effects it.  I am saving it for right after I color - I am desperately in need of a dye job right now.  Here is the thing about foil packets - I do not mind getting them if they have resealable options.  I could get two uses out of this but I hate having them in the shower to get water in or leak out.  We have gotten some great resealable packets from Ipsy before and I loved that about them!

 So that is my Birchbox for August.  I do think my boxes are getting so much better.  My first two boxes were pretty bad.  I think as you start reviewing stuff and telling them what you like and didn't like, BB does listen to you.  This box had great value for my $10 and I look forward to earning those review points.

What did you get this month?  Did you find any holy grail products?