Petit Amuse Box March 2013

March's Petit Amuse box is here! The box was a little light this month, but delicious none the less :)

These Super Seedz from Kathie's Kitchen came in samples of 2 different flavors: Sea Salt and Sugar & Cinnamon. I tried the sea salt first....yum!! The saltiness is light, the texture of the pumpkin seeds is perfect- like they are fresh! I am saving the Sugar & Cinnamon so I can pack them in my lunch.

There was only one of these Exotic Salted Caramels in this little box, but it was amazing! The lavender-herbed grey sea salt on top was so tasty and really enhanced the flavor of the caramel. It was dense and chewy and delicious and lasted for awhile.

Here is a close up. Seriously the best piece of caramel I have ever had.

And lastly were these salted caramels from Jonboy. These were a lighter, less dense caramel that was very chewy and did not last as long. Although they were good, I was not sated after just one and went ahead and ate all three. These were also topped with salt for a nice sweet/salty mix.











I am looking forward to what next box includes!

Jenn

Julep's February 2013 Bombshell Box

I am having some very weak moments when it comes to Julep lately. Not only did I buy their Spring Box on impulse, but I also got a past box- the February Bombshell box.

I think I was excited to try this Oxygen Nail Treatment. Upon opening the box and reading the instructions,  I found out that you wear this treatment alone, with no other polish, and put it on daily. I hate having unpolished nails! But I am going to hang on to this because when I to to rad-tech school we can only wear clear or neutral colors, so this will be perfect.

Also included in this box is this little lash curler. I already have a big one, but this little one will be nice to travel or put in my purse. I tried it and it was easy to use and did not pull my lashes.

Now for the polishes.

• Ginger-(left side) is a gorgeous sand colored holographic polish. This is beautiful on and keeps true even after it is applied.
• Laura-(right side) is the color I really bought the box for. It is a nice olive khaki green creme polish.

Surprisingly, both of these went on well and the colors stayed true. I love when a Julep polish does that!

Here are the colors with out a flash (left) and with a flash (right). They are fantastic and stayed for 3 days....until I had to do some serious cleaning at work.













Here is an example of a good box from Julep! Great colors, great textures, useful extra included. I have since ordered the February It Girl Box because I was in love with 2 of the 3 colors, so keep an eye out for that review!

Jenn

Julep's Spring 2013 Box/SquareHue.com

Julep suckered me in again for the Spring box! Maybe it was the chance to win some diamond earrings, maybe it was the colors, maybe it was the fact that it promised products upwards of $200....but either way, I know better by now. Or at least I should.

I have been back and forth over the last month on whether I should sign up again. I just can't make up my mind! I am debating on signing up just to use this "two free colors" code, but I don't want them to say I can't use it because I have already been a maven.....decisions decisions.....

Here was the box (minus the 2 pieces of chocolate that tasted like the quick dry drops, yuck!). It included 4 polishes, 3 hair ties, a bottle of quick dry drops, a nail file and a little bag for the polishes and a packet of one-step polish remover pads (I used and forgot to photo). Not including the price of the hair ties and the nail file, the whopping value of the box was $76. I only paid $24.99 so at least I got my money's worth.

Here are close ups of the colors.

• Lynn- this one is like a cherry blossom pink and was supposed to be their "this shade matches everything" polish. I was not a fan. On my hands, it turned a very unflattering shade. I am going to try it again over white to see if it stays truer. I forgot to photo this one.
• Sarah- a sheer coral pink with glitter. This may be nice for spring.
• Lauren- a nice bright fuchsia that will be fantastic for a bright pop of color.
• Camille- a clear, gel-like polish with blue/green and orange/yellow reflective glitter that looks very mermaid like.  

I added the Spring Fling Trio to my order to plump up my pastel color collection. 

• Robin- A robin's egg blue creme
• Gloria- basically another one of Julep's coral colors like Sasha. Did I mention this color was sent to me in my November box? Hmmm...
• Jennifer- a sheer nude with a hint of pink. Not a bad, barely there color.

 Here is Robin with an accent nail of Camille. I got compliments on my "Spring Nails" this week and the polish did stay for 2 days before chipping. I painted Camille over all the nails after they started chipping and got another 2 days out of them.











I couldn't tell: do I like this box, don't I? And why can't I make up my mind!?

Julep's box is $19.99+3.99 s&h and you get 3 "boutique sized" (or tiny) bottles of polish or 2 polishes and 1 beauty product.  I have multiples of polish colors already and have only purchased a few of the boxes or season sets. They are not even multiples of colors that I love.

Before I throw down into another nail polish sub box, I am going to try SquareHue.com. It is a polish sub box where part of the proceeds go towards a good cause. Their current focus is human trafficking and promoting awareness, protecting victims, and prosecuting offenders. For $21 a month you get 3-full sized bottles of 3-free polish in complimentary colors. No fillers, no trial sizes, and on trend colors. I looked at the first couple of boxes (starting December 2012) and I loved every month and wish I could have purchased past boxes. My first box will be arriving soon and I am excited to review it.

Here is to finding a good nail polish box!

Jenn

March 2013 GlossyBox

Time for another fantastic GlossyBox for March! I was so excited for the products that were included this month!

The Spring theme for the box was very welcomed...even though here in Virginia we keep getting more and more snow!

First up is this Cheek & Lips tint from Model Co. It is the rosy red color which looks like blood coming out of the tube, but blends to look like a nice grown-up pink color. It smells and tastes just a little like candy but is not sticky when it dries. The only complaint I had with this was that on dry lips it settled into the cracks. You really need to exfoliate your lips before you use this.

I LOVE this brown liquid eyeliner from Elite Models! It has a nice stiff applicator, the color is like espresso, and it goes on so nice and smooth. The line ends up being really straight and perfect and it stays in place for hours.

This lipstick and lipliner duo from Pixi is super convenient! It is highly pigmented, went on with no feathering, and made my lips feel very soft. I love how my lips looked after using this and the color they included (Orchid Rose) was a nice deep color that will be perfect for girls night out!

I popped open this Prestiche Essential Soap Bar and I was so happy I did! It has an incredibly rich lather and smells fantastic. I was very intrigued by all the all the oils it is made with!  There was also a $40 gift certificate to use on their website, but when a tub of moisturizer comes in around $49 you will still end up spending over $20 for the remainder + shipping.

I loved the potion no. 9 from Sebastian that was in last month's box, so I was looking forward to more products. This Shaper Fierce finishing hair spray from Sebastian is a cute little travel size bottle. I am not into using hairspray, but one day when I put my hair up I will give this one a try.










There were some great products in this month's box and I am really loving cheek & lip tints for a lighter touch of color! I wonder what is in store for Summer....


Jenn

Fancy Box- March 2013

The Fancy box came quickly this month and I could not wait to tear into it!

A pink alarm clock....on wheels?!?!? I found this not only funny, but practical. I am the type of person who will snooze the alarm for over an hour until I get up. I have been afraid to put batteries in this and actually try it for fear that I might actually wake up early....I was looking forward to a pink one, but when I opened the box it was black. Oh well! I'll just stick some rhinestones on it ;)
Goes for $40 here.

There was a men's 2XL t-shirt in the box. I have no clue why as the preferences I chose said "women's"....but oh well. The shirt is really soft and comfy. I have been wearing it to bed. I have also since logged in to TheFancy.com and made sure all my preferences are set to "female". I don't think I need any more over sized men's clothing in my future boxes.
Goes for $32 here.

This crumb casket is so cute! I was debating on getting a little hand held dirt-devil thing, but I think I will hold off and just use this for now. I like that this is for little messes and Lord knows I have plenty of those that happen in my bathroom with make up and hair so I think that is where this will stay.
Goes for $15 here.

Next to the alarm clock, this may be my 2nd favorite item in the box. This water bottle has a juicer on the bottom to juice lemons and limes and stuff to add to your water! What a neat idea! I have not yet tried it, but I am thinking this may be my new work water bottle. UPDATE: I tried the lime and honey suggestion on the internal pamphlet and it was delicious! This thing is so neat! I can not wait to try the other suggestions :)
Goes for $15 here.

Also included was this $10 gift card to Shoptiques.com. I just peeked at the website under "bags" and most items are over $80. They are all pretty unique though. I love this hot pink leather tote bag from Italy!

Here is a shot of the cards and the stickers sent this month.















Another fun box this month! I would definitely recommend this box for anyone looking for out of the ordinary products :) This month's box is valued at about $100. Sign up for your box now!

Jenn

Bark Box- March 2013

Bentley could not wait to get the month's Bark Box open! I caught him pushing it around on the floor, pawing it. Something inside must have smelled pretty tasty...

Finally I opened it up and he wasted no time rooting around, exploring everything inside!

The Classic Ranch Bars must have been what got his attention, they are liver flavored. Bentley loves these and they are generously sized so he doesn't just swallow them. The Little Eatz treats are lighter and smaller and he is still very excited to get them. The hemp bone toy by Harry Barker is not only adorable, but durable! I was surprised how long it took for Bentley to chew through it and pull the stuffing out. I am going to sew this one back up for him because he loved it so much. And is absolute favorite item was the wool mouse toy from LollyCadoodle. I have no idea where this toy went (I think he hides his favorites) but he carried it around for a week straight.

I hope I can find this one soon so he can play with it some more. He would walk around the house holding on to it by the tail and put it in people's laps when they sat on the couch :)














There was a little poop bag holder in the shape of a bone included as well from Angie's List. Not something I am going to use but I may give it away.

Yet another fantastic box from Bark Box! I am still amazed at how many items are included as well as the quality of the toys for $18 a month! The toys alone at a pet store would be more than that.

Jenn

PopSugar Must Have Box- March 2013

I swear PopSugar can read my mind sometimes! Not only did the box come early this month, but it also has some amazing products included!

They always pack their boxes neatly and I love the fold out info cards with additional information for all the awesome products.

First up are these nail polishes from The New Black Innovations In Color. I ended up with the "Pardon My French" collection. I am not thrilled about the colors (as I do not like orange or yellow) so I am going to experiment with these and add eye-shadows to them to see if I can improve the colors.

I saw this set on the info card and was so excited for the polishes! That might be the only draw back to this box. I seem to get colors and scents of things that I don't care for when the color or scent I would care for is what is featured on the card.

Sweaters are in this season and these Fashion Tape and Sweater Saver tools from Hollywood were a great addition to the box! I had always wondered how to to get those little balls off my sweaters, and now I know! I have received the tape before in another box and still have not found a use for it....maybe one will come up sometime soon.

Also for sweater care is this large bottle of Wool & Cashmere Shampoo by The Laundress in the cedar scent. This is a wash to help clean your delicate sweaters and is supposed to be used for hand washing. Again, I wish I would have know about this years ago! I may have to break out some of my sweaters and give them a wash in preparation for Spring.

I looooooove mascara and I was so excited to see this Mascara from Buxom included in the box! It comes in black and I fell in love with the 'S' shaped brush. I used the straight side to cover all the lashes and then went back in with the hump on the top of the 'S' to get the inner and outer lashes really well. The formula went on fantastically and with no clumping. My only complaint is that it flaked off through out the day so I ended up with mascara shadows on my cheeks :( I am going to layer one of my favorite mascaras on top to see if that will stop it from flaking.

My mom and I both fell in love with this Tassel Necklace from Heather Belle. It has a nice weight to it and hangs low (which I love). I can not wait to wear this with a black t-shirt and a vest. It is such a cool piece!

As if I was not going to see a ton of these this season! Love the addition of these Peeps for a bit of a festive touch :)

Lastly we have this Corkatoo which I find incredibly adorable! This is a great addition to my wine bar and I can not wait to bring this to a friend's house to pop open the wine bottles this summer. Anything that is wine related, I am a fan of.










And there it is! Another great box from PopSugar! If you have not yet signed up, please click on the link and get your first box :)

Jenn

Ipsy Glam Bag- March 2013

I feel like the Ipsy Glam Bag came really early this month! I am not complaining at all though :)

This month's bag is absolutely my favorite so far! I love the nautical stripes and anchors. Perfect for Spring and very on point for the current trend.

These 2 eye-shadows come from Yaby Cosmetics. On the left, there is Sand Dune and the right is So Vein. I could not wait to try these! They are perfect colors for Spring. The blue-green shadow is very bright on and it stayed in place all day long. It was also highly pigmented and a little went a long way. Both shadows had a great texture and blended well. Much better than the Coastal Scents shadows that were in last month's bag. These are only $3.15 a piece on the Yabycosmetics.com website! Such a bargin!

This Magnetized Compact from GlamRx was perfect for holding the Yaby eye-shadows. It has a cute little mirror and I love the pink. There is plenty of room in this little magnet palatte for more shadows!

And here is a close up! The flash makes these look lighter than they are, but they are deep colors.

Juice Beauty products are popping up every where, and this hydrating mist sounds really useful! I spritzed my face and the formual was very light and had a decent smell. My skin did not feel that hydrated after a few minutes though, so I had to follow up with a moisturizing serum. This may be nice to spray over make up when it gets warmer out.

And last up we have Make Up Remover Wipes from La Fresh. I am going to keep these closed until I go on another trip or have a reason to break them out :)














Another great bag from Ipsy this month!

Jenn