Glossybox Review, April 2014 - My 12 Month Subscription Begins!

If you have been subscribing to beauty boxes for any length of time, you're probably aware of the importance of great packaging.  For that, you can thank Glossybox who pretty much set the standard for elegant boxes.  Beauty isn't just about the products inside!

I subscribed to Glossybox when it first became available in the U.S. a couple of years ago but took a break after a few months.  Recently they offered a long term subscription deal that I just couldn't refuse so I'm in for another year.  The "catch up" box I just received is actually the April box; I expect to be receiving the May box later this month.

Glossybox sends five luxury sized beauty products each month.  Their basic pricing structure is this:

• One month - $21.00
• Three months - $60.00
• Six months - $115.00
• Twelve months - $220.00  

Having said that, it's ALWAYS a good idea to do your due diligence before signing up for any sub box plan. You can often find "of the moment" deals on the various discount sites and Glossybox runs frequent promotions.  At the very least, sign up for their newsletter so you'll be the first to know of any deals they offer.

As far as I'm concerned, Glossybox has the most beautiful packaging in the business; a sturdy pale pink box with their logo crown print on the inside.  The products always come nestled in black "crinkle" paper and black tissue tied with a pink grosgrain ribbon.  The boxes are just too nice to throw out so I always find other storage uses for them.

April's box contained five pampering products plus a helpful card that gives descriptions and retail prices for the full sizes.

They included a two ounce sample of Aqua Spa, a Lavender and Chamomile scented body cream.  This is an aromatic blend that's intended to relieve stressed skin.  It is an ultra-rich formula with anti-aging properties as well.

Next is a "Super Lipgloss" by Bellapierre.  These are showing up in a LOT of subscription boxes lately!  This is a pretty one in the "Vanilla Pink" shade.

Then there is a skimpy 1 oz. sample of Caldrea Body Wash in "Tea Olive Lime".  This is infused with "free-radical fighting angelica root and linden flower extracts".

  

A beautifully packaged Ciate Paint Pot nail polish in "Mango Martini" was included.  This is a pretty summer color, but not a good one for my skin tone.  Wish they allowed box customization but Glossybox isn't one for a bunch of quizzes!

The last item is an oddly packaged eyeshadow sealer/base from LaSplash.  This product intensifies color and protects against smears and smudges for flawless 12 hours wear.  I guess the enormously long handle gives you extra control in application.

Although I love Glossybox in general, I'm a little lukewarm on the contents of the first box in my current subscription.  I'm interested to see what comes in the May box which is supposed to be a collaboration with Bergdorf Goodman, containing six luxury sized products.

If you would like to try Glossybox, click here or send your e-mail address to thelonestarshopper@gmail.com and I'll send you an official invite.  Also, use code SHINE to get a free Too Faced Glamour Gloss (retail $19) inside your first box!  

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl 

Blush Mystery Beauty Box May 2014 Review + Get $10 Gift Card!

Every once in a while, I feel that a subscription service has run out of motivation or just isn't on their game. That was the case with my Blush Mystery Beauty Box for May. This was a very "light" box with fewer full size products than usual and several things I've seen before in various other beauty boxes.  This is definitely not typical of the generously packed Blush boxes that I've received over the past year.

If you'd like to catch up on my earlier Blush reviews, please click here for the February 2014 review and click here for the April 2014 review.

May's box included two full size products, three luxury samples and three small samples, definitely not what I'm used to with Blush.  Blush did classify a couple of the samples as "full size", but I think they were taking great liberties in doing so. I literally felt around inside the black bag to see if I was missing anything!

The first item is a Hand Mask Pack by Bioxidea.  The packaging looks exactly like their face masks which have come in a lot of beauty boxes but I don't think I've seen this hand mask before.  The pouch contains a pair of gloves which contain highly concentrated ingredients.  You shake up the bag, put the gloves on, then wait 15 to 30 minutes.  The idea is to rejuvenate, soften and moisturize the hands.

There is also a small sample of Amlactin moisturizing body lotion plus a $3.00 coupon and a very small sample of Eau Thermale Avene, which I think is a moisturizer.  Not enough to really give it a good trial.

I have to laugh at the full size tube of Pur-Lisse because I've been seeing these in almost every beauty box for the past few months.  I don't even want to guess at how many I have accumulated.  All I can say is that the Pur-Lisse sales person is doing a wonderful job at getting their product out in the subscription boxes!  Is there anyone out there who hasn't tried Pur-Lisse by now?  It IS a good product!

Another repeat is a small sample of "Miracle Skin Transformer Face" by Sarah McNamara. This is a tinted moisturizer.  For some reason, the printing and labeling is smeared on every one of these that I've received. Makes me wonder if they had packaging quality problems and dumped all the defective ones on the sub box companies?

  

A new product this time is Peter Thomas Roth's "Oilless Oil, 100% Purified Squalane". This is an oil derived from sugarcane that improves fine lines, wrinkles, elasticity and radiance. This looks like a pretty intense treatment where a little will go a long way. This product has very mixed reviews on Sephora with a lot of people saying it does not absorb well.  So, the jury is out on this one.

Although quite small, my favorite product this month is a blush duo by Glo-Minerals in the shades "Bare" and "Hibiscus".  I think you are supposed to run your brush over both of the pans to get a mix of color. Individually, they are too small for a brush to pick up the color effectively.  This color combination would look good on almost everyone.

Last is a sample of Cool Lids Cream Eyeshadow in the shade "Silver Sands" by Laura Geller. This has a very long and pointed tip so you can get the smallest amount possible on your fingertips.  This looks like a luxury sample size with enough product to last for quite a while.

So, there you have it for May's very skimpy box.  Let's hope Blush comes back to life with some exciting new products in June!

If you would like a $10 gift card that can be used at Blush.com, DermStore.com or hairenvy.com, please:

a.  Subscribe to this blog

b.  E-mail me at thelonestarshopper@gmail.com with your e-mail address or

     leave your e-mail address in the Comments below

Please note that they won't send the gift cards to e-mail addresses that are already signed up on any of those sites.  Also, I am not sure if the $10 gift card can be used towards a subscription to the Blush Mystery Beauty Box.  If anyone has tried this, please let me know in the Comments below.

Blush away,

Cheryl

Total Beauty, Review of The Fresh & Beautiful Collection + 40% Discount Code

Total Beauty is not a monthly subscription service; rather, they offer various limited edition cosmetic collections that include both full size products and samples.  Sometimes they reveal one or more of the products you will get.  The rest are "mystery" beauty products.  Prices vary by collection.  The collections seem to be composed of loosely themed assortments of products.

I purchased "The Fresh & Beautiful Collection" for $20.  Price-wise that was a mistake as you'll see if you read all the way to the bottom of this post.  The theme of this collection is "spring cleaning".  There was one revealed product...the Orglamix Pure + Natural Loose Color Concentrate in Rose Gold; more about that later.  The other four products were surprises.  

The Fresh & Beautiful Collection arrived in a really cool space-agey looking box with a black matte finish:

Inside, the box has a quite sophisticated design, customized to hold five products in a nest of hot pink crinkles:

The first product is a full size bottle of Nailtini nail lacquer in the color "Grenadine", a hot plum pink color.

Next is a Senna lip gloss in "Rock Candy".  I am not familiar with this brand but this is a sparkly go-with-anything pale pink color.

Then there is a luxury size sample of DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil.  If you have received DHC's product catalog in the mail, it usually has a tiny sample of this product.  This is a super emollient cleanser that gets every last trace of makeup off.  There is enough here to last me a very long time.

Next comes the Orglamix Pure + Natural Loose Color Concentrate in Rose Gold, the one "revealed" product in this collection.  This is a loose color concentrate that can be used on either eyes or cheeks.  This is made with 100% pure minerals and can be applied wet or dry.  Really stunning and slightly iridescent color!

The last product in this collection is "Vanda Orchid Mist" by the June Jacobs Spa Collection. This is a spray-on toner that you mist on your face and neck after cleansing.  It has a very light and pleasant floral scent.  Although I don't think this is full size, there is quite a bit of product in this bottle.

Now I have the bad news for me and the GREAT news for you! As I said, I paid $20 for this collection. It is now available here for just $12 (free shipping) when you use the code FLASH at checkout.  As these products are valued at more than $50, this is an incredible offer!

I don't know if this is an end of season deal or just a short term discount, but I would RUN, not walk, to pick up this collection. You just can't beat the price and gorgeous presentation. Another great reason to get this collection is that there is no further obligation to buy; Total Beauty is not a subscription service.

I have a feeling that the deep discount on "The Fresh & Beautiful Collection" may mean that they are about to retire this one to make way for a new collection. If so, even more reason to grab it now. I might even pick up another one myself.

As always, I appreciate my readers so much!

Cheryl

P.S.  If the code mentioned above does not work by the time you read this, try FAB10 to save 10% off any Total Beauty Collection purchase.

Boxtera May 2014 Review, Healthy All Natural Snacks!

It's been a while since I've done a Boxtera review.  If you missed my last one in February, click here for the details on how this subscription service works.

I have sort of a love/hate relationship with Boxtera.  I love the concept of a healthy snack box arriving once a month. The price is reasonable for what you get.  What I don't like is that you can't customize Boxtera boxes to suit your own tastes and that public comments are disabled on their Facebook page.  If you read my Things to Consider post in February, you'll understand why that is a problem.   

Setting aside those concerns, I am pretty happy with the May box that just arrived.  As always, there are five snack bags, two of which I've had before.

The first package contains dried tangerine slices, something that is completely new to me. I didn't think a citrus fruit would work in this form but these are actually quite good!

Then we have Boxtera's Pub Mix which contains peanuts, soy sticks, pretzels, mini bread sticks, rye chips and maybe a few other things I can't identify. This is delicious and has the fat grams to prove it....8g per 1 oz. serving!

Next is something that looks like you definitely should not put it in your mouth....Hibiscus Snacks.  I would NOT have put these in my mouth if I hadn't seen several YouTubers do so on camera and react positively. These have an alarming appearance but a great chewy fruity taste....nobody was more surprised than me! (They are considerably darker than they look in this photo...like a bag of giant dead Amazonian bugs.) Only three ingredients are listed on the label; hibiscus, sugar and sulphur dioxide.

If you didn't have me here to explain, what would you think these are?  You'd probably be wrong.

This is not a pile of cold limp bacon.  These are Banana Ribbons....I kid you not!  I like all things banana but these are just so-so.  I would much prefer dried banana coins or bananas dried in smaller pieces.  These are too chewy and are my least favorite item in this month's box. If Boxtera allowed you to customize your box, I wouldn't have received (and had to pay for) these a second time.

And finally, a snack I've really come to love as it has appeared in several subscription boxes...dried mango chews.  As you can see, looks are not their strong point but flavor is. These are very hard on your teeth; you can't consume one without slobbering!  But they're worth the effort and my bag of them is already almost gone.

This will be my last Boxtera review for a while.  Because I get healthy snacks from several other subscription box companies that do allow you to customize your monthly box and who do not censor their Facebook page, I've decided to stick with those for a while. I have noticed some positive changes with Boxtera since I started subscribing (like proper nutritional labeling) so hopefully their business will evolve to a point where snackers can choose what they like.  If and when that occurs, I'll be first in line to re-subscribe!

If you would like to try Boxtera, click here.  I haven't been able to find any current discount codes but if I do, I'll update this post.  If you know of any, please comment below and I'll add it right here.

Thanks so much to my loyal readers!

Cheryl

Wantable Accessories Box Review, May 2014 + 10% Cash Back

Wantable is a monthly subscription service where you choose from among three categories (makeup, accessories or intimates), then answer a few style questions related to that category. They send hand picked full size products that are customized according to your choices.  The subscription cost is $36 per month. If you want to buy a single box, the cost is $40.  You can pause or cancel at any time and shipping and returns are free (a GREAT benefit).

I have read a lot of rave reviews about Wantable and after receiving my first box, I can see why.  I chose the Accessories category.  In each box, they send a little snapshot view of the style choices you indicated. Here's what mine looked like:

The items and traits in pink are the things that most appeal to me, the words in aqua represent things I like and the terms in black are the things I marked as "dislike".  You will get something from your "Love" choices and probably from your "Like" choices but you will not get something that you marked as "Dislike".  To make it clear that your box has been customized for you, they put a printed sticker inside the lid that says "Packed especially for: <your name>".  I don't know of any other subscription box that does that!

I received four accessories in my box. The first item is a beautiful ivory infinity scarf with a very subtle pattern.  This one is lightweight enough to not be annoying and versatile enough to go with anything.  Really great pick Wantable! 

   

Next is an interesting necklace with an aqua pendant, packaged in a black velvet Wantable logo bag:  This has a double rose gold chain and lots of extra mixed metal chain detail above the pendant.  Again, it's a versatile piece that will complement a lot of outfits.  

Since I indicated that I like watches, they included a lovely one with a pretty salmon pink band.  It has rhinestone accents around the face and three sub-dials.  This is a stainless steel watch with a quartz movement, again packaged in a black Wantable bag.  I have a lot of fashion watches but none in this unusual color.  

The last item is the one I'll be returning.  It's a little midi ring, meant to be worn on the second joint of your little finger. (Size 2.75!)  It's pretty but just not practical for me.  I've never understood how ladies keep these rings on and manage to get anything done without the ring flying off!  (Update:  I've just learned that Wantable's policy for returning the complete box is very easy; however, there is a complicated formula for returning just one item.  Because the midi ring is the lowest value item in my box, the return doesn't meet their criteria, so I'm not able to return the ring. Boo!)

So that's three "hits" that clearly reflect my tastes and preferences and one minor "miss"...not bad at all for my very first box!  The scarf and watch came from my "Love" category and the necklace and ring came from the "Like" category.  Of course, the results will be different for everyone depending on the style preferences chosen. You can go back and tweak those choices as often as you want. 

If you'd like to try Wantable, click here.  Also, if you sign up for a monthly subscription or a one time box through eBates, you can get 10% cash back on any Wantable order through June 30, 2014.

Can't wait to see what comes in next month's Wantable box!

Cheryl

Healthy Surprise May 2014 Review + 15% Discount Code!

Healthy Surprise is a snack food company that really lives up to its name.  I received a box full of snacks that meet an astonishing variety of requirements...all natural, vegan, no chemicals, no dairy, gluten free, non GMO, soy free and corn free.  Almost all of the snacks and/or brands in this box were new to me which is the fun "surprise" part!

Healthy Surprise offers three subscription box options:

Starter Box contains 11+ full size snacks, 16+ servings, 1-2 people - $40

Big Box contains 16+ full size snacks, 32+ servings, 1-4 people - $60

Combo Box contains 27+ full size snacks, 48+ servings, 2-6 people - $95

Shipping for all of these boxes is free within the U.S.  One thing I loved was the fast delivery.  I ordered Healthy Surprise on a Monday; it was on my doorstep one week later. (A pet peeve of mine is sub box companies that ship once a month, meaning you can wait a month and a half or more if you sign up at the wrong time.)  Boxes ship the day you order them or according to a delivery schedule that you set.  You can skip a month, pause or cancel at any time.  

You can also send the above boxes as one time (or recurring) gifts for a little higher price:

Starter Box - $50

Big Box - $70

Combo Box - $105

So, let's dig into my first box!  They use an almost origami-like approach to packaging with green and yellow tissue paper.  Right on top was a gift card containing a discount code for $25 off a gift box.

If you can restrain yourself from diving right in, the lid of the box tells about their philosophy and what is and isn't included in Healthy Surprise snacks.

And here are the goods....intriguing, huh?  I ordered the Starter Box and got 11 full size snacks.

First out is a package of Sea Salt & Vinegar Cassava Chips by Wai Lana.  All I know about cassava is that it's a starchy root plant, from which tapioca is made. 

 

Then we have Garden Veggie Chips which are made from several vegetable derivatives and flavored with sea salt.  I've had something similar to these in another sub box and found them to be really tasty.

There is a New York Date Bar, or an "apple date bar" by Go Healthy.  I don't like dates much but I ate this the other day when I needed some quick energy to run a few errands. It was tolerable taste-wise and kept me going for several hours.

Being many years removed from childhood, it's been a LONG time since I consumed any snack out of a tube. But the Organic Mashups Squeezable Fruit by Plum Kids looks good. It's made of real fruit puree from apples, pears, bananas and mangoes.  I like all fruits and this combination sounds good to me.

I'm going to force myself to taste the next one....Roasted Seaweed Snacks with sea salt by Gimme Organic. These have an alarming appearance, like dark green sheets of very thin paper (or ironed spinach).  Your intrepid blogger here choked one down....I'm sorry, they are awful, with a slightly fishy taste and a nasty after taste. No more of these for me, thank you!   

   

On a FAR more welcome note, we have a Dark Chocolate bar by Enjoy Life.  I think Healthy Surprise puts a little chocolate in every box.  As far as I'm concerned, you cannot go wrong with dark chocolate!  (unlike seaweed)

  

  

Another great snack is a 2 oz. package of Trail Mix by Trophy Farms.  This contains all sorts of good things...raisins, pineapple, papaya, almonds, pepitos (I think those are pumpkin seeds), cranberries, sunflower seeds and English walnuts.  

Next is a package of Chocolate Super Cookies by Go Raw.  These contain organic coconut, sesame seeds, dates and cacao.  (In my opinion, it should be illegal to label something made with cacao as "chocolate".) These are crunchy round little wafers...nowhere near my definition of a cookie.  They are o.k. as snacks but certainly not a substitute for a real chocolate cookie.  (I know my bad attitude about health food is showing, but I'm trying....REALLY, I am!)

There is a small package of Veggie Pals, which are carrot, orange and apple gummy chews by Happy Times.  These are really good and helped wash the taste of dried seaweed out of my mouth.  I wish there were a lot more of these!  This is a product I might go hunt down on Amazon.

A package of toasted coconut chips flavored with caramel sea salt by Dang (as in "Dang, that's good) is next.  As I expected, these are quite bland in flavor.  This is a good sized bag, so I'm going to mix them with some other snack foods.  I do like coconut but this needs to be part of a more diverse mix or used as a dessert topping to be palatable to me.

  

The last item is another 2 oz. package from Trophy Farms, roasted cashews.  I'm sure these will be a hit with most snackers!

There you have it.  This was a fun box to explore and I've definitely been exposed to a lot of new snacks that I would not otherwise have experienced.  Isn't that pretty much the point of a subscription box?  If so, then Healthy Surprise has certainly succeeded!  

If you'd like to try Healthy Surprise, click here and use the code LONESTARSHOPPER for 15% off your first order.    

As always, thanks for reading!

Cheryl

P.S.  I have some barely tasted seaweed snacks for sale CHEAP, if anyone is interested!