Yes, yes, yes/ Let's get into the real stuff.

Let's say no more about my most recent absence than this: I was forced to pawn my laptop and I just got it back so I'm back. Ugh, I could explain how bad things get but I feel like it's redundant at this point and I just want to focus on good and happy things. Furthermore, during my most recent bout of poverty I was unable to actually keep subscribing to any of my beloved boxes so there would've been no point in posting anyway. *sad panda*

Ok, getting that out of the way, I'm going to slowly get back on the horse (the blogging horse? sounds like a hipster horse on a laptop outside a coffee shop, right?) and review a box I was able to get because, wow, did/do I miss all my subs. They kept me happier than not and their loss has actually been pretty sucky. 

Plus (PLUS!!!!) the holidays are coming up and seeing as they are my jam... well, you get it. I think I might expand to write about more than just box reviews. Maybe more about makeup (like the upcoming holiday collections or Urban Decay's Vice 3 palette which I'm literally drooling over) and fashion (fashion weeks!! but let's be real, I'm high street all the way) and maybe even other stuff like pop culture. Everyone is going nuts over Gilmore Girls coming onto Netflix on October 1st and I might actually have to re-open my netflix account and holy crap, Sons of Anarchy's final season and omg Jax, right?

Soooo, I have big plans for the future of this little blog. Big ones (sounds slightly dirty lol) coming soon (like later today or tomorrow.... not an indeterminate future because I hate 'coming soon' without any actual dates, 'tis a peeve of mine). 

Julep June 2014 Box Review

Hello peepsicles!

I've been feeling crappy the last couple of days and also the world cup so I didn't post this Julep review as soon as I should have. It might be on the brief side (well, in comparison to my long winded soliloquy-stylez other reviews) because I'm seriously crappy/tired but hopefully my next review will be back to a solid three hour read (I'd never really do that to anyone who would take the time to read anything written by lil ol' me. Or would I?)

Note: I have like 2 box pics so I've decided to pick up a couple from Julep and I don't own those images, I'm just using them to illustrate the colors I was sent.

Now on to the good stuff:

Left to right: Phia, Jennine, and Savoy.

Ok, so this was my first box back after months of a sub-less desert of life and I don't think I even made any selections during the selection period (20-24th of the month). I was automatically sent the 'it girl' box since that's my profile. Don't worry, you don't get a box if you don't want it since you can skip any month you want or you can change your choice/profile monthly. It's really a kind of no-frills box with no add-ons or extras, just the standard 3 nail colors.

 Now, I looooove Julep so I still liked the colors I got but I hope we get a super summery and bright (maybe neons and pastels? I'm all about bright colors right now) collection next month and maybe some lip products because yessssss. Before I forget, this collection's moniker is 'Three Wishes' which does seem in tune with the tones (mad rhyming skills, yes?!).

Julep Nail Color in Phia

Phia is described as an 'alluring orchid iridescent chrome' and it really is. It's actually my manicure today and one coat looks good, two coats perfect. It looks sheerer than it really is (it applies almost full coverage with one coat) and the shimmery purple is so much better looking on my nails than what I originally expected. The formula was great too. It applied smooth, no gloopiness, and no streaks (a miracle!). It might be my favorite this month. 10/10

Julep Nail Color in Jennine

I'm a sucker for glitter and anyone who has read any (seriously ANY) of my other reviews knows this. Plus, if I see a 'stardust finish' sticker, I get excited like a dog with a bone. Julep describes it as a 'full coverage borealis blue stardust (matte glitter)'. I feel like it reminds me more of mermaids because of the sea reminiscent color (and I recently watched 'The Little Mermaid' and I'm just really feeling mermaids this month) and it is pretty cute. I don't know what to really mix it up with combination wise but I DO know that applying a glossy topcoat takes away the texture and cool matte glitter look so don't do it! It'll just look like a standard glitter and no one wants that, right?? It really is full coverage and one coat won't show through but I always do two (or three only when I really can't get a color right where I want it and then I'm worried that it'll just peel off....) and the formula was great for a glitter! It wasn't horrible to apply like glitters typically are and there was no thickness or gloop. Ugh, I just makes me crave that mermaid theme box at birchbox so much which I can't even dream of because it retails at $44.00 and I am poor as a $2 whore (assuming she's not working much). Overall, I don't know if I'd typically pick up this color for myself but I'm very glad I did get it because it's a lot cuter than I expected by the looks of the bottle. I'm starting to think nail polishes are like shoes, you really have to try them on to really know if you love them or not. 10/10

Julep Nail Color in Savoy

So, first of all, this one I feel like I have many dupes of but I still love the shade because I love metals. Unfortunately, the color I expected to be my fave was delivered in what seems like a partially opened or broken or poorly manufactured bottle. The inside of the top started cracking when I opened it and nail polish was all over the top and the sides. It suuuucked big time. I love the color and I still swatched it but due to it's being freaking open, the formula was super thick and streaky. I don't really think this is the case for anyone who got a clean bottle but it was a major disappointment for me and my metal loving ways. Fortunately, Julep has great customer service and I got in touch with them so we'll see what happens. 1/10


Overall, the June box was solid and the colors cute (except for the open bottle because whyyyyy) but it wasn't the most amazing box I've gotten (there have been some *amazing* ones). I almost forgot to mention that there were a couple of Pixie sticks added in as an extra and I realized I'd never tried them before (like ever!) and it was a good introduction to these crazy ass little sugar straws but I only got to taste one because my sugar fiend of a father (shout out to my pa' because it's father's day and I love him sooo much! He's sick right now and I hope with all of my heart that he'll get better because I'm pretty sure I don't and can't love anyone as much as I love him) was gifted the other. In the end, I'm sooooo happy to have been able to get this box in the first place and I'm already giddy and excited for next month. So hopefully I'll be extolling on the virtues of Julep for a while.

7/10 (thanks to the open bottle and just so you all know, there is no actual mathematical averaging going on, I just pick numbers on a 1-10 scale ;P)

Box:

Julep Maven

Frequency:

Monthly

Price:

$19.99 (add-on prices vary and are added on to the $19.99 base price) 

Perks: 

Ability to earn free boxes, ability to use earned jules to pay for add-ons, etc.

Recommend? 

Yep. I liked this month's box and Julep has made me a happy Leslie just by sending me one. Their CS is pretty great (especially if you call in because emails may take a while to get a response) and their variety of offered items gets better and more varied (to be redundant) every month. It used to be a straightforward nail polish sub but with the addition of other nail polish-less profiles, you can get different items each month without having to get polish at all. I think I might take that up sometime when I'm not in the mood for that month's nail colors (since you can change your choice every month). In conclusion, I'd say try a month if you're really interested and need/want more nail colors in your life . You can always (and should!) cancel if you're not in completely in love like I am.

As always, don't spend your hard earned cash on something you're not 100% in love with!

Birchbox May 2014 Review (!)

I have triumphantly returned to my reviews! I got the may box with a promo for old subscribers and I decided to re-sub because I just NEEDED to and that's why this May review is in June and pretty close to the June review. Who cares though because here's the review! Whoo!

Note: I'm using my crappy 4th gen ipod for the pics (my new one is currently indisposed) so the pics might suck hard. I'll try to rectify this asap.

First impression.

Inserts: Coola and Kate Spade Saturday

A slightly better look at this month's samples.

Caudalie Polyphenol C15 Overnight Detox Oil (Full size retail $65)

Birchbox tends to get a bit of a reputation of sending super small samples and at first glance, this sample is fucking minute. However (HOWEVER!!), this is an upmarket brand and as such, giving too much away would kind of defeat the purpose of sampling and then buying. Seeing as I have a freaking veritable oil slick of a face (and I know, I know oil can be good oily skin but I haaaaate the feeling of oil on my skin), I’m not particularly interested and then another issue arises, this detox oil is better for a certain age range of skin which I’m not yet part of. On the other hand, my mom loves shit like this so she is the lucky duck who got this sample. According to her, it smells and feels good so even though this sample was a bust for me, I got to gift it to my mommy! 7/10 for me 10/10 for mom

Coola Environmental Repair Plus Radical Recovery After-Sun Lotion (Full size retail $32)

I like the Coola brand and birchbox does tend to send out Coola items fairly often. However, this specific sample is an interesting one because it isn’t just your typical sunscreen sample (of which I've been sent a zillion), it’s an after-sun lotion. Fortunately, this really came in handy for me today as I got an involuntary sunburn on my arm after being stuck in what can only be described as infernal traffic summoned by el chicuco (aka the devil) himself. It has a really pleasant almost herbal scent, it isn’t oily at all (yes!) and absorbs quickly. I have to admit the truth: I'm quite happy to have gotten this sample (deluxe sample size btw) in the may box. Great placement for the summer and I didn’t expect to like it but, having tried it, I love it. This is gonna definitely be a full size purchase. Try it peeps, you won’t be disappointed. If you are, remember I love you and you should hate Coola and not your bff Leslie. 10/10!

Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in Coral Crush (Full size retail $8.00)

Full freakin SIZE!! I had to lead this review like this because yes!!! I love getting a full size surprise and anything for lips is my jam. Coral Crush is a great color and quite universal so it can be worn with a variety of skin tones and it looks fucking magnificent on me. Plus, it’s a Shea Butter lip balm and my perpetually dry lips (despite the frequent and liberal application of baby lips which so far isn’t giving me anything but baby butt rash lips) are already feeling better. The feel isn’t heavy and the color gives a sheer but buildable color that I’m in love with. I’ve never really been a Pixi brand fan but this lip balm got me. I’m gonna look for other colors at target because I’m in love. Favorite item in this month’s birchbox, hands down. 11/10

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (Full size retail $36)

Sooo, I have already gotten many of these in other sample boxes and in VIB Rouge promotions from Sephora but another can’t hurt. I’ve found that it is highly recommended but most makeup peeps I’ve talked to but I personally found that this version isn’t great for oily skin and actually the oily skin version broke me out so make yeah. Sample size is deluxe and enough for a more than a couple of applications since you don’t need too much to prime your face in the first place. I need to find a new primer since none of the ones I’ve found can even compare to awesomeness of Benefit’s Porefessional but since I currently can’t afford it, I’m kinda SOL. Overall, legit brand and generally recommended and since no one has the same skin issues, you might find it's perfect for you. 8/10

Lifestyle Extra: All-in-One Fiber Gummies for Weight Management ($47.95 for a 30 day supply)

First reaction upon reading the product card: W. T. F.

ANYTHING referring to weight management is not really the kind of thing that I want to get in my birchbox. Fortunately, the actual vitamin packaging doesn’t refer to instant weight loss (big ass red flag if it did) or really anything related. Since it’s touted as a lifestyle extra, I decided to go ahead and reticently try the 2 gummies that came in the sample (should’ve been like 6 if they really wanted people to get used to them) and although I was prepared to hate them with the fiery hate of a million suns, the gummies are actually really tasty. However, there is no way in helll that I would pay nearly $50 for a month’s supply. Target has gummies for something like $14 and if vitamin gummies are just your holy grail of gummy perfection, then I recommend trying either one (depending on the depth of your wallet; mine is as shallow and empty as a Kardashian brain). So, overall, yummy but way too overpriced for me. 7/10

Another extra*: Birchbox Aces Makeup bag/Zipper Pouch

• I actually got this in a separate package a few weeks ago.

So, it turns out that I have reached Ace status. I don’t even know how but getting this pochette was a great surprise. The Birchbox pink detailing on the zipper, zipper pull and on the label is really cute against the beige background. This didn’t come in May’s birchbox and is only for Aces apparently but I love it and it made me feel kinda fancy which hasn’t happened in a long while seeing as I’m still broke as a joke. 20/10

Birchbox Aces Bag/Pochette

Card that sort of explains why I got the bag.

Overall:

I’m so so soooo glad to be back with birchbox!!!! I feel like got a pretty great box for my comeback and I was honestly super cautious as to what I would get (like 46 perfume samples or something I hated) but was pleasantly surprised (except for the gummies, DON’T ever send me overpriced gummies again!!!!) There were also a couple of offers inside the box, one was an sun protection info card from Coola that also announces a $1200 in products giveaway and the other was a $25 of a $75.00 purchase coupon at Kate Spade Saturday (omg do I love Kate Spade).

Finally, I'm now infatuated with the Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm (ffs I just cannot get enough lip products) and getting that monthly surprise (the good kind not the other painful kind) still feels great to me. 9/10

Box: Birchbox

Price: $10 per month or $120 per year.

Perks: Ability to earn points (you get 10 for review each item you get in your monthly birchbox as well as earn them when you buy something in the store) which can be converted to 100 pts= $10 200 pts= $20 and so on (I haven’t had the self control to get past $30 because I always find need NEED some product in my life).

Promo Codes: Try promo code: bb100 for 100 pts if you subscribe aka $10 bucks to spend after you pay $10 bucks for the box. If you plan to shop Birchbox like a mofo, then you get your first box essentially free. I’m not 100% sure it’ll work but it can't hurt to give it a try.

Recommend?

Yes!!!!!! It was hard to live without my beloved Birchbox and I just really love the fact that they send fancier (for lack of a better word) samples than other similarly priced boxes (but I still love those other boxes too jsyk!) and getting a full sized item on my first box back was magnificent and enough to keep me on the birchbox train for another month.

Testing 1,2

Since my beloved laptop is still (STILL) in hock, I'm gonna have to write these posts on my old iPod (yep, because my new one was also pawned) and I have to test post because this damn thing shuts down apps so quickly it drives me cuckoo bananas.

While I had to give up all my subs a few months ago, I'm trying to get back in the groove and the first sub box I re-subbed to I'd due on the 2nd of June so you can expect a post about it ASAP as well as musings on other makeup related issues like the important issues I typically write about: what I want to get at sephora or ulta and/or announcements about LE lines coming out next season.

Life changing stuff, I assure you ;)

Dickens ain't got nothing on me*/ why I love whimseybox and glossybox

Ahhhhhhhh.

I haven't been able to post a damn thing in the past oh two or so months thanks to my terrible, just terrible luck. I'm still homeless (so that's two months and counting, almost three) so that's why I've had some issues with posting. However,  I've still been trying to keep up with some subs (I know! But I'm not paying, per se) so as to review them. I'm thinking I'll just start afresh this year and forget all the drama of the past two months. So, I'll get back to doing the posts as much as I can.

Since I had to ix-nay 90% of the subs due to my extremely dire situation (to the point that I'm starting to believe that someone is doing voodoo on me, guys. VOODOO.) However, I love doing this and I'm unhappy without my posts so here I am, rockin' you like a hurricane.

I got me a free (1000 points) January Glossybox and I'll be reviewing that as soon as it's in my greedy little hands. I might, however, have to use stock images of the items since I am still without camera, etc. and my pretty posting abilities are mighty limited. I do have to say that they seem to have gotten into the groove of things and have been quite stable with the shipping of the boxes. Plus, the samples are awesome, for lack of a better word (or my laziness when even thinking of trying to come up with one). I got a deluxe sample of Ardency Inn's Punker eyeliner marker in my last box and I was so excited because I'd been wanting to try it since I saw it on sephora's 'what's new' page a while ago. I'm hoping for and almost expecting good things. We shall see, though since counting on a good box is never the best idea!


Also, a super-duper OMG honorary mention to whimseybox (btw, if you use this link, you get $5 off your first box so it'd be a grand total of $10.00 SO WORTH IT if you love crafts, beginner, expert or in between) for making my month. I had some referrals and I knew I wouldn't be able to pay for my sub and they were incredibly nice enough to send me a big box with the October, November, and December boxes. They're the best and I hope to get back to craft happiness ASAP. Plus, the notepad included in the November box and the 2014 mini calendar included in the December box were icing on the cake. I love whimseybox and I seriously recommend them to any of my crafting peeps. Like 100% recommend them. I'll try to make a brief post on all the month's of boxes of stuff so you guys can understand the level of awesomeness I speak of!


I might be in the middle of what could conceivably be one of the worst periods of my life but I still love this and I'm tired of grimness and pain dominating my days. Peeps, I even ended up in the hospital last night because I couldn't stop vomiting all day. When you get that sick and then have to go back to a motel room but are grateful that you can even go back to a motel room, well that's when you know shit is rough. I'm gonna recover and I'm gonna fight all this shit. I'm putting this out there for posterity and for anyone who happens to read this tiny blog that being in what can only be described as the dankest pit of shit that life can offer doesn't have to kill your love of beauty (be it cosmetics or architecture or pastels, ribbons, painting, clothing, fashion, sunsets, cameos, ocean breezes, kittens or whatever) and even when you have to fight to remember that there is beauty left, keep fighting. I sometimes feel like I'm fighting a losing battle, that this will never end. Well, if it does end up that way: fuck it, I'm going down kicking and screaming.


Fuck it all, I'M BACK.
















*reference to the tile of a Charles Dickens novel and general theme that has very much been a part of my life lately. If you don't get it, I'm totes disappoint.

Quick Update: Birchbox, Popsugar, etc.

Hi peeps!

It's been a while since my last post and I had to come back to update y'all on the situation. For the good news portion, I can tell you that I've finally (FINALLY) got the November birchbox  in hand after it, no joke, being sent to me on the 18th or so. It's allright (and chocolate, a big bar [not those measly tiny sample sizes!] is included!) and I'll be trying to post a review as soon as possible. My popsugar must have  box got sent to my old address and wasn't correctly forwarded to my PO Box so now I've had to get a replacement and apparently they're sending it by fedex (which can't be sent to a PO Box so yay) so I've got no official ETA on that one. Weirdly enough, it isn't only my current homelessness that has stopped me from posting but the fact that up until yesterdays birchbox delivery, I hadn't gotten any of this month's boxes even though it's now the 25th!!!

So, it might seem that the universe has conspired to fuck me over on this month's reviews but I will get them up!! I actually had to pawn my ipad, laptop and new ipod for motel room stays (seriously. my life seems even sadder, if that's possible, when I see the details written down) and I was only able to get my laptop and ipad back today after I pawned my car to pay bills (yep, that low). Since I have no access to my camera right now (being homeless and all), I'll be using my ipad to take shitty/grainy pics while I can save up enough to get my ipod out of hock so apologies beforehand. Ugh, I'm so sad every day. It's almost thanksgiving and I'm still on the street and seeing all the Christmas decorations and sales and holiday food and movies is just adding extra salt to the wound.

However, I won't let this completely devolve into a pity party so I'll end it here.

*Good things: I've got one box and a review soon to come and possibly another box this week that'll be reviewed asap.

*Bad things: everything else!


Let's just keep on keeping on and I'll post the new birchbox review soon so I can show off my chocolate, mini nail polish (why blue, whyyyyyy), and lip gloss.

Birchbox Mini pre-review review: a solid assortment that would've been awesome if the nail polish was metallic as I'd assumed rather than a drab sort of blue that I've got no interest in. I got a hair product (aloxxi leave in conditioner spray), Color Club nail polish, Laura Mercier lip glaze, a Ghiradelli (sp?) chocolate bar and a foil packet trio of skin care samples. All in all, an 8.5/10

Personal Post Pt.2

WARNING: This post is all about me so skip it. I've got a zillion posts about boxes and I'm waiting for this month's haul to get delivered to my new PO box so we should have some new box love pretty soon.


Hey all,

Sooooo, I'm still fuuuucked but I've decided to take it all in stride. I have till my bday (seriously and also, thank you sheriff) to move out so I've got this weekend to still sleep in my own bed. My actual birthday won't be celebrated as such and it's a shame because I love love LOVE my bday and as it's Veteran's Day, I have declared it a national holiday (ok, so it is because of Veteran's Day/ Remembrance Day but I like to think having my bday on a holiday and not a huge one like Christmas is pretty cool).

My bday dreams are shot to hell but I'm trying not to dwell (rhyming!!). All I can do now is try to find some cash of which there is none to pay for a storage facility to store all my books and stuff whilst I'm homeless. I've begun to think that, for some people, life is bad thing after bad thing and I've read biographies where I'm like "seriously? wtf? why did this one person deserve so much bad shit?". I'm worried that that's me. The bad stuff has outnumbered the good stuff in my life. How can I live knowing that everything in the future isn't really worth living for? That all my hopes and dreams are constantly squashed?

I'm the queen of bad luck like all the time but, for example, one relative (close) won a house (no joke, won it after having my grandma's house and her parent's house promised to her in the will), got a big fancy wedding, got a job thanks to her grandpa (other side) and does nothing but facebook all day whilst earning money for it. She's all been on vacation like 8 times this year and had like 7 bachelorette parties. The craziest part is that she isn't super smart (I used to help her with her homework), went to a relatively crappy university/had a useless major (mine were legit better as if that even matters), and isn't a great person overall. However, she gets all the love from our grandma (has been the favorite since she was born) and, apparently, the luck. I guess it helps to have parents that aren't destitute too but it shouldn't matter in our 20's, should it? I guess cash/connections do give you a head start in life (duh) and a lack of those gives you a shitty life like mine. I wonder why I even wasted 4 years on a Neuroscience degree when I can't find a job to save my life (literally). I feel like I got tricked into thinking college was the answer and now all I get are student loans collections calls and no way to pay them back.

People give Generation Y a bad rap and call us lazy but I'd be overjoyed to have the chance to work my ass off to get any sort of money to help out my family. All I want is freaking chance and I can't seem to find it! We all see unemployment statistics on the news and don't really give a shit because we subconsciously assume those people somehow deserve it (lazy, losers, whatever) but it sucks to turn into a statistic of something everyone wants to avoid.

Ugh, whatever. This pity party sucks. I do think I got the shit deal when it comes to life overall but, in the end, I can't blame anyone but myself.

Personal Post

Hey guys,

This one is sad as fuck (for me, at least) so no one HAS to read it. Actually, you probably SHOULDN'T because I'm so sad that it'll probably be the self pity party of the year.

Why am I so sad, you may ask?

Well, a couple of reasons but the main one is that I'll be homeless (again. AGAIN.) in about 3 days. I was going to go into the details but then I realized that, honestly, no gives the slightest shit. I live with my parents and only brother so staying with them isn't the option it is for some people as they'll be homeless with me too. I have 3 dogs and 1 cat that I'm unwilling to let go of (and that I sacrifice my own necessities to keep them healthy, well fed, and happy). So, my choices are limited to motel 6 or my car.

I've had the experience of sleeping in a car and it honestly sucks. I'm sitting on my bed and just thinking how I'll won't be this comfortable and how I won't feel this relaxed in a long time. The worst part of being on the street is that feeling that you have nowhere to go where you feel taken care of, nowhere to relax, no privacy, all pain and sadness. Last time this happened, my brother attempted suicide. It really was something to sit at the hospital hoping he was ok while simultaneously having nowhere to go and being a little grateful that I had somewhere with a roof to sit under.

I don't know if I can make it. I don't know what to do. I keep looking for work (any work! I don't feel entitled to anything! I'd work at mcdonald's!) and just trying so hard and getting nothing. It's like we have a freaking curse following us around.

I'll try to keep posting about the subs I still have so this little blog won't be affected (hopefully) and I still have a whimseybox review to post that I've been avoiding because I wanted to avoid this post but I'd rather be honest with myself and document my life as a fashion and makeup loving college grad (is it even worth having a degree anymore? mine has sure been useless and it was in science!) that loves subscription boxes and is also on the street.

It will definitely be a bumpy ride and it will be one of the hardest times of my life but I think I'll document it for posterity. Fuck it, I might as well so I can see what it is that I'm doing wrong in my life.

Birchbox App and Whimseybox Update

Quickie Post: 

Birchbox has a new app and if you download, you get a 20% off coupon code (with a purchase of $50 or more which kind of sucks, to be honest). The app is cute but isn't as fully developed as I would've liked. It's still fun to have a birchbox  app, though.

Whimseybox update: I just got my shipping notice so I'm expecting to have a review up in the next week. We're not getting an awesome magical Halloween craft but I expect whatever it is to be many many times better than the crapalicious Macrame project of last month.

That's all for now! I'm going back to obsessively checking out all the Holiday sets (makeup!!!) at sephora, ulta, and nordstrom! (I'm going to have such a large wish list this year.....)

Glossybox October '13 Box Review

Well hellooooo there!!

I think this glossybox review is the last in my looooong backlog of reviews that I had to post this week. Whew! So, this month's box was a combination of "ohhh yeahhhh" and "the fuuuck?" because it included an awesome full size item that is worth more than what the box costs (doing the quite simple math: full size value of Tarte Mascara $23 (+tax) by itself, glossybox value: the mascara plus another 3 samples at $21. Is that a good deal? I think so. I'm not a penny pincher by any means (seriously, I'm pretty much called a shopaholic daily but it isn't 12 step bad, just need a really good job to buy myself everything I want bad) so I don't typically put much store into the prices, I tend to care more about liking the items I get. For this month, I did like the mascara (though I didn't get to keep it, mom strikes again) but the other items weren't as...errm... passion inducing. So, not a home run but the full size mascara unquestionably added some good will points and I'm set to get the November box too.

All of this month's good stuff. 

Tarte 'Lights, Camera, Flash' Mascara in Black

Full sized and gold packaging (the mascara itself is in a gold case too) is the way to my heart. I love getting nice surprises like this one and this was definitely the best part of this month's box. It even comes with a brush replacement! I'm using YSL Babydoll right now but I might go for this mascara in the future. I like the way it looks, I guarantee it ;) 11/10


Fresh "Lotus Youth Preserve" Face Cream

This is also a great sample because it is way larger than any other samples for this specific cream that I've come into contact with. Usually I get a little foil packet with no more than one use but this little jar (yes, a jar!) has substantially more than that. Alas, though I want to ignore the fact that everyone ages, it's good to get something like this so I can actually remember to put on some cream in the futile attempt to stave off any signs of aging (I've already got smile lines.... why God whyyyyyyy?). Also, it smells good and isn't oily/doesn't leave a nasty residue. 11/10



Bulgari Eau Parfumee Au The Vert Sample (mini bottle)

Ah, yet another perfume sample. While I do have a significant weakness for mini bottles and I recently spent 250 points at sephora to get a mini Miss Dior bottle (so cute!!!),  I have to actually like the scent for me to be able to keep it around. Regrettably, the first sniff of this perfume (purported to be a green sort of scent, which I typically love, given the name) gave me a bit of a headache/nausea combo and I quickly gave it away. I'm super sensitive to this sort of stuff and there isn't a set pattern, any strong scent can set it off so my opinion/reaction shouldn't be taken as the word on this perfume. Everyone has different scent preferences! One thing that always irks me is that this box repeatedly sends Bulgari products and I haven't liked a single one. I wonder if it's due to the similarity of the scents they send out... 6/10

Sesha Renu Exfoliating Gel

Another cleanser! I can't even. (If you don't know why, please read my other reviews this month.) 6/10


Balance Me LE Shine On Tinted Lip Gloss in 'Super Soft Beige'

I love lip gloss, I really do. I even like neutral colors like this one. But I also like full products. Case in point, the following picture:

As one can see, the balm isn't full of product (look at the image on the paper for comparison). There's about a third of the bottle missing and as I'm not very trusting by nature, I've decided to not touch it at all in case it has been tampered with. If the bottle was full, I'd be quite happy with it. As such, grrrrrrr.
0/10 (for the one I got) 10/10 (If I'd gotten a full gloss)


Overall, another solid box (with the exception of the gloss because I'm fuming about that) but nothing to super excited about (I was pretty excited initially since it was a collab with a beauty blog but the only difference was the dark gray box). I'm going to keep if until next month but if the box isn't right for me, it might be time to consider canceling because as I always say, don't pay for what you don't love and that applies to me too (to get a cool box like in August will stop me from canceling). A little positive note: the shipping was relative quick and worry free this month. Their schedule is pretty much settled at sending out the box late mid-month so no bitching about that.

 Box: 

Glossybox

Frequency:

Monthly

Price:

$21.00

Perks:

Ability to earn 'glossydots' by doing surveys reviewing the items you get every month. 1000 glossydots= 1 free box. 

Recommend? 

With reservations. If you do choose to get on the Glossybox roller coaster, you should expect for shipping to be mid to late month. Nevertheless, the products do tend to be a good mix of high-end samples with larger than usual sizes (think deluxe and travel instead of foil packets) and this month had a fantastic full sized item. I'm still a glossybox subscriber (not so happy but maybe happier once I have more time to try out the products) but you must (!) weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. Also, you can always try a month and cancel later. There are a few codes out there pretty frequently for at least a 15% discount or an extra gift with your first box. 

WINK might get you a free eyeliner so feel free to try it ;) 

As always, don't spend your hard earned cash on something you don't love!! 

Ipsy Glam Bag October '13 Review

Hellooo!


A very decent selection of items this month plus the makeup bag is quite cute. better than bb this month due to the variety and amount of items. Brands are actually pretty good, not high end but mid-market and established enough to be recognized (with the exception of the hand creme because I'd never heard of that brand until I got that bottle that was promptly jacked by my mom.

I really like this bag, weirdly enough. 

Zoya Nail Polish (some sort of pinkish red, shimmery)

I've gotten a couple of Zoya polishes from ipsy so the brand isn't new to me but the color is pretty average. Zoya isn't an expensive brand but it is a reliable one so I'm not disappointed to get it but I wish I'd gotten that blue color that I saw on the glam room preview rather than the color I got. Nevertheless, as a polish addict, I can't say this is a bad addition to this month's bag. 10/10




Buxom Full On Lip Polish in 'Dolly'

Ok, so first of all, I love Buxom. I used to not even pay attention to their stuff but their lip colors are pfa (pretty fucking awesome) and I own more than a few. Howeverrrr, this is the possibly 10th sample of Dolly I've gotten in the past 3 months. Enough Dolly!!! I'd be elated to get any ANY!!! other damn color since I've already got more than enough samples to last me a loooong time (like more than if I'd bought a couple of full sizes) and the color doesn't honestly look that great on me. That combo makes me sad. I would've been very happy if I'd gotten almost any other color. Stop with the Dolly already, Buxom!! You guys have so many great colors! 7/10




Sexy Hair Blow Dry Gel

Hair product. C'mon, of course I'll be interested! This blow dry gel is all about giving the hair volume and shape. I've never really used a blow-dry gel but I'm definitely trying it out this weekend. Plus, the sample has a respectable amount, more than one use to be sure. 10/10




La Fresh Eco Beauty Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes

I love cleanser wipes and the oil-free qualifier (plus the eco stuff) made it seem like something I might like. The smell is fucking delightful in comparison to some other wipes and it does take off light makeup (heavy eye makeup is a different ball game, use some Lancome or Pur-Lisse for that, no time for the correct accents, I'm in a hurry!). I like the wipes but unfortunately consecutive use started giving me a weird chemical irritation that turned my skin bright red so it's out. 8/10




be Delectable Hand Creme in 'Vanilla Cupcake'

Smells like vanilla cake, it really does! All it did, though, was make me immensely hungry and made me crave sweet, sweet cake (at least I'll get to eat some on my bday!). Nevertheless, before I could try it out and give you guys the deets on the texture and feel, it was yet another item taken by my mother's item jacking tirade of 2013! I know I'm supposed to be happy that I can give her nice things (my dad's words, not mine) but ugh. Seriously. 9/10

Overall, I really liked the variety of this month's ipsy glam bag and if the items were other colors/shades then I'd be fucking elated with this month's booty. A solid effort and I'm siding with ipsy (this month) in the huge ipsy vs. birchbox battle that ensues every month on facebook just because the birchbox take was pretty skimpy this month in comparison.

Box:

Ipsy Glam Bag

Frequency:

Monthly

Price: 

$10.00 (plus tax in CA, I pay $10.80)

Perks: 

Ipsy points that can be earned and converted to extra items with referrals, brand discounts for every brand offered each month, full size items included (not guaranteed every month). 

Recommend?

Yes! $10 for a bag full of makeup is a pretty good deal indeed. Give it a try if you're interested, it's only $10 and you can cancel if you hate it.
Note:
There is sometimes a waitlist for subs like birchbox and ipsy and it usually takes from 2-5 weeks to get off. If you're really interested, I'd say check it out and sign up as soon as you can because the earlier you get on the waitlist, the earlier you get off (of the waitlist, dirty minded ones!!!).

As I always say, don't spend cash on anything you don't love! 

Julep October '13 Review (finally!!!)

Hey hey hey!! 

My Julep Maven box was super late this month and I got it on the 21st, the freaking 21st! This was due to some computer stuff but still, I was getting very very antsy to get my nail polishes. I went for 'it girl' and 3 polish add-ons so it was all polish for me this month. As many of you know, the selection window for November started on the 20th and ends on the 24th. I've already chosen my stuff and I actually went for the opposite and got 'modern beauty' because it has lip products (my addiction) and added on the prettiest autumnal sparkly nail polish named….. Autumn. Lol. Nevertheless, I'm quite satisfied with my Julep  sub right now and I'm even thinking of going back and getting a couple more add-ons because why not? It's for my bday!! I count basically 3-4 weeks before my bday as my bday season so yep, I even start buying myself presents and I've got a little stash already which is good because no one knows what to give me and honestly, I only get gifts from maybe my parents and brother so I try celebrate myself as much as possible! 

Left to right: Missy, Ciara, Kendra, Cleopatra, Casper, Beatrix

W/ flash. The left set is the October 'it girl' and the right set includes the add-ons.

Another look at the colors and candy corn! 

Julep Color Treat in 'Missy'

Substantial shimmery silver. Thick base, no see through with one coat. Great texture and formula (better than most standard polishes). However, you do have to be careful because texture can start to look streaky if not applied carefully on the sides. The website describes it as a titanium metallic which really describes it perfectly. This is probably my favorite metallic in a long time. 11/10 

Julep Color Treat in 'Ciara' 

A shimmery purplish base with a blue/purple color shift. It has teal micro glitter that lends the overall color a great shift in light. It's described as a 'vampy magenta with teal micro glitter' and is super shimmery to boot. This is a color that I would buy even if it weren't offered in the box (I almost did when I was browsing around and didn't remember that it was part of the 'it girl' set!!) and I love the way it looks in different lights. Again, the formula is pretty good and doesn't suffer from thickness and that jelly-ish situation that happens in most glitter polishes. 10/10 

Julep Color Treat in Kendra 

Kendra is a surprising color. At first look, it looks like a drab sort of olive green color. However, Kendra, which is described by julep as an 'army green frost' looks way better on than in the bottle. It has a subtle gold shimmer that makes it look loads better than it would if it were a simple army green. It isn't my favorite color but it's good to see that even my least wanted color is actually nowhere near as bad as I initially assumed. 8/10 

Julep Color Treat in Beatrix 

Now this is my jam. Glitter? Yes! Black and gold? Yes!!! Some peeps have been complaining about the texture but since these types of polishes tend to be thick (c'mon glitter isn't the same as plain lacquer!!), it's all about the application. I try to distribute it evenly and typically do a topcoat to seal it and create a smoother surface. 3 coats of it and no topcoat is just the ticket to peel-off city (that's right, peel off not chip!) so we must be have a system for these types of things! Also the name is awesome and witchy (halloween!!!). 11/10 

Julep Color Treat in Cleopatra 

Black nail polish for October? You don't say! Since I tend to slip back to my goth (ish never full on white face black lips but a lot of black clothing!) roots during the month of October, a great new black nail polish is essential. This particular polish has a latex finish (no actual latex) and was one of the smoothest polishes I've applied from Julep. Also, the name, same as the polish before this one, is amazing. Especially since I've already got my Cleopatra costume ready for Halloween, which is less than a week away!!!!!! 11/10

Julep Color Treat in Casper 

Casper is a "glow in the dark shimmer" and can be worn alone or one top of another color. I chose to try it one alone and did two coats. I got a nice white shimmer (a bit sheer but not too sheer) that looked cute during the day but was even better at night because it really does glow in the dark!!!!! I'd read some other reviews that stated that the glow in the dark aspect was oversold and that the glowing was really faint but I guess I was lucky or got a special batch because my nails noticeably glowed in the dark. Actually, I even had a little scare because I'd forgotten I was wearing glow in the dark polish! Again, the name given to the color is marvelous. 11/10 

Overall, I loved this box. I was very excited about the Halloween themed add-ons and the 'it girl' colors turned out to be better looking and more wearable than I'd thought. So, for me, this month was a complete score. It doesn't happen every month but when I get a box I thoroughly like, I'm happy to report it. 

Box:

Julep Maven

Frequency:

Monthly

Price:

$19.99 (add-on prices vary and are added on to the $19.99 base price) 

Perks: 

Ability to earn free boxes, ability to use earned jules to pay for add-ons, etc.

Recommend? 

Yes. I clearly loved this month's themes and Julep has made me a happy Leslie once again. Their CS is fantastic (especially if you call in because emails may take a while to get a response) and their variety of offered items gets better and more varied (to be redundant) every month. This used to be just a nail polish only sub but now with the advent of the 'modern beauty' profile, you can get other types of beauty items every month without having to get polish at all. I'd say try a month  if you're really interested. You can always (and should!) cancel if you're not in completely in love.

As always, don't spend your hard earned cash on something you're not 100% in love with!

Birchbox October '13 Box Review (finally!)

Ok, this box took nearly all month to get to me and thus my post is so late that everyone already knows everything about every item birchbox sent out this month. However, I like doing this so let's get to it.

When I saw the box preview, I got angry. Why? Because it looked like the epitome of suckitude. Who wants a muslin face cloth? I can get one (or make it) for a lot cheaper than $10, right? Buuuut once I actually got the box, I changed my tune a bit. It isn't quite a great box by any means but it's a relatively solid installment. Not mind-blowing but not enough to drive me to cancel my sub either.

It really doesn't look like a lot!

The chapstick w/o the cleanser/cloth set

Klorane Shampoo with Desert Date

I love hair stuff so this wasn't likely to be on my No! list. Plus, I've come to really like the Klorane brand so this sample is all good. The sample itself is sort of small (really small!) and probably won't be more than enough for one wash but I like it. 8/10


Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

It's a face cleanser sample. There isn't much to say but the fact that I really really REALLY hope it doesn't mess with my skin because everything I try tends to extremely dry it out or conversely make it super oily or a combination of both and the added bonus of chemical burns. I haven't tried it yet but I'll give it a chance to deliver. 8/10


Liz Earle Muslin Cloth

This cloth, though it comes in the same little box as the cleanser sample is counted as a sample by itself. 2 cloths are sold at $6 so I'm calculating that the retail for it is $3. Do I think sending this as its own sample is total bs? YES. I don't like to hate on birchbox but I'm not gonna pull punches when necessary. This is not cool and it kinda feels like getting a teeny bit ripped off. 0/10


POP Beauty Acqua Lacquer

Lip product! Not tiny! Pink! I'm not super sure that the POP lipgloss is full size but it does seem to be. The full size retails for ~$14 so that makes up nicely for the price of the birchbox itself. This is without doubt the best item (for me) in this month's box. It's not majorly gloppy and relatively sheer (with the right application) so it's OK to good. Nothing extremely awesome but, again, a solid sample. 9/10


Chapstick Hydration Lock with CoQ10

I have to admit that this is the item that pissed me off when I looked at the preview on birchbox's website. I said "what the fuuuck?! A Chapstick? Something I can get at a gas station is what I'm getting in my birchbox? However, after trying it, I'm pretty glad that they sent this Chapstick. I'd never buy one myself since I usually get all my lip products from sephora and ulta so I would've never discovered this tiny treasure on my own. This particular Chapstick contains CoQ10 and hyaluronic acid 'beads' to give lips a fuller and younger appearance. I have perpetually dry lips and I have to admit (after buying loads of $25 balms) that this tiny mass market balm has made a noticeable difference in my lip texture in less than two days. I'm in love. 10/10

A last look! 

Box:

Birchbox

Frequency:

Monthly

Price:

$10.00

Perks:

Every $1 spent, equals 1 point, plus you get 10 pts for every item in your box that you review. 100pts= $10.00 with no accumulation limit (so you could have 600 points aka a $60.00 credit/discount)

Recommend? 

Yes! Although I didn't love every item this month, the ones I did like are good enough to keep me satisfied (though I REALLY hope that my box is improved next month because that'll piss me off immensely). I love the point system, the CS,  and the brands they send out, so I'm still a loyal birchbox subscriber but they better do better if they want to keep me as happy as I'd like to be with birchbox.

As always, don't spend cash on anything you don't love! 

FabFitFun Fall '13 Box Review

Well hellloooo! 

This month has been goddamn near magnificent for the big boxes (aka popsugar must have and the following review) and I'm very, very excited to show you guys what I got this season in the FabFitFun Fall box. Although, it is missing an item and it's being shipped separately (I already got the shipping notice because they're awesome), the things included are pretty great. This box is definitely a keeper. 

Cute stuff.

A close up of the small stuff.

whooo!

Gorjana Canary Scarf

So pretty!! That was the first thought that popped into my mind when I saw this scarf. It's a gray (yay for gray!) scarf with hot pink birds. It doesn't really sound amazing as described but it is! Plus, it retails for ~$57 so the scarf itself is more than the price of the whole fabfitfun box. The Gorjana brand was also featured in the popsugar October box but to less success since the bracelet sent out was imp sized. Fortunately for us who are not of the very mini wristed type, this scarf fits all and is perfect for the sudden onslaught of fall weather (finally!!!!) that has gotten everything chilly and leaves are falling and..... it's perfect! 11/10

Barre3 Standing Slim DVD and online program

I'm so lazy but I love yoga (and all those ballet combo types) dvds and well, I tend to mainly do exercise routines from DVDs because I'm way to cheap (and lazy) to pay a gym every month (plus that cash goes towards all the boxes I review here!!) so this is a great addition to the box. However, this workout actually made me sweat (a lot!) so that was simultaneously awesome/terrible because sweating is ughhhh. Try it, it's actually fun and challenging (the perfect combo) 10/10

Starlooks 5 Shade Shadow Palette in St. Tropez 

Starlooks has slowly but surely become a great go-to brand. I was lucky enough to win a free box about a year ago but I've never gotten around to actually subbing. However, this shadow palette has forced me to sub. I love it! Five neutral colors (four have shimmer but the black is matte!!) with a substantial amount of product and a smooth application. I'm finally a starlooks convert (look for my review of November's box) and I'm even considering buying some boxes from previous months, especially that one with green shimmer because while a weird choice, the possibilities are endless! The palette retails for $41 on the starlooks site so we are definitely getting the bang for our buck with this box! 11/10 

Orville Redenbacher Popcorn (Sea salt and Butter) 

I'm not a huge microwave popcorn (or any popcorn really) fan so this item promptly went into the hands of my popcorn addict father (seriously! His eyes lit up when I gave him the popcorn!) This popcorn is supposed to be a healthier variation on the typical microwave popcorn and according to my father's glowing accolades, they're really good! It's an interesting item to put in the box and though it won't be to everyone's taste, those who do like popcorn are going to be happy. 8/10 

Mini Game Pack 

The mini game pack is a small stack of cards with samples of two games: Loaded Questions and Awkward Family Photos. I wasn't very interested in even looking at this but the questions actually made for a pretty hilarious conversation. It's not the best item in the box but it is surprisingly funny. 8/10 

Surface Trinity Protein Cream 

Hair Product!! I love, LOVE, LOVEEE hair products so this one was going to be slam dunk for me unless it was some weird thing that would make my hair crunchy or something. Instead, this cream, which actually comes out as a spray so it distributes more evenly and way lighter than just putting cream in your hand and going at it with your hair (dirty minds!). I tried this item as soon as I got it (after a shower) and the results were awesome. Soft hair? check. No straggly ends? check. Happy Leslie? check! Seriously, I'm effusively loving on this product because I really like it and I'll definitely be buying another bottle when I run out. 11/10 

SpaRitual Lacquer in 'Can you dig this?'

Nail Polish! A box with both hair products and nail products? Have I gone to box heaven?? SpaRitual has been growing on me and the bottles that I've gotten are pretty good (not the best but solid). The color is a very pretty metallic autumn-y orange/gold/brown color that evokes leaves and Halloween!!! Anyone who has had the pleasure (obviously) to read any other of my posts knows that I'm a freakin' polish addict so there was little chance that I wouldn't be happy with this item (except for a horrible color or a gloopy formula). 11/10 

Health Warrior Chia Bar 

Sometimes Health means bleerrrgh in terms of taste. This is one of those times. Also, all I'll say here is Ch-ch-ch-chia!!!  6/10 

Drinkwel

This is a weird item. It's a baggie that includes 3 vitamin pills to take before drinking (as in alcohol not just drinking water or whatever) and 3 that you are supposed to take afterwards. Apparently, these help one not lose essential nutrients and help clear toxins out of the body faster. I'm not a big drinker at all so this isn't something I'm very interested in but I am interested in their claims. I haven't heard of any valid research for stuff like this so I think a little google search is in order since to my cynical eye, this just seems like a little bag with 6 multivitamins under the guise of helping you avoid the negative side effects of drinking alcohol. I'm no teetotaler under any (ANY!!) circumstances but I'm guessing that the best way to avoid the negative side effects of getting drunk is to not get drunk in the first place! Or at least pace yourself! Either way, I'm not quite convinced of the efficacy of this item. 5/10 

Brightpink Foundation Brighten Up Insert and Sticker 

This insert (along with a sticker that comes with a number to text to get updates on when you should check your boobage) is all about preventing breast and ovarian cancer. As someone who has suffered from (and is unfortunately sick again) an illness related to the reproductive system, I can say that this info (while it seems minimal) is really important. Nobody knows your body better than you so take this advice to heart! 10/10

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Cleansing Foam 

This is the item that had to be shipped separately due to some mixup. I'm very much looking forward to finally getting it and using it because I'm obsessed with finding a face cleanser that doesn't torture my horribly sensitive skin. The fact that the bottle is full sized and from Bliss is pure awesome. There's also an insert that works as a $25 discount on the Triple Oxygen Instant Facial at Bliss Spas. Unfortunately, I don't think I live near enough to a Bliss spa to take advantage but if I did or if I end up traveling somewhere that has a Bliss spa, you can be über sure that I'll be down like a clown to get that facial. Preemptive 11/10. 

Orly FX Nail Lacquer in Go Deeper

This is an extra item that was added as a little apology for a billing issue where we were charged the $50 twice (fortunately, the charge didn't cause me any problems because I had no cash in my card!!). I love glitter like a cracked out magpie so this is yet another YES!!! item for me. It's a mermaid blue-green glitter topcoat and I'm actually saving it for my upcoming b-day as a little treat for myself. 11/10  

A last look at the cute. I'll add a pic of the bliss cleanser when I get it. 

Box:

FabfitFun VIP Box

Frequency:

Seasonal (next box is Winter '13/14)

Price:

$49.99 per season (so every ~3 mos.) but you can get a $10 discount with code: 874390 at fabfitfun

Perks: 

Tailored boxes, ability to earn free boxes.

CODES: 

So far, I haven't found any good ones but I'll update here as soon as I do. 

Try SHOPFFF for $5 off your first box but (a big but) I'm not 100% sure that it's still valid. 

Recommend? 

Currently, yes! I really loved the Fall box and am very much looking forward to the Winter box. This sub is new but their third box (this one) bodes well for this sub. It definitely exceeded my expectations and I'm pretty sure that the Winter box will do that too. I'd suggest trying it out for Winter and going from there. The good thing is that you can cancel your sub online instead of having to call like some other subs can force you to do. So, give 'em a try if you're really interested, I'm super happy with the past two boxes and hopefully, you will be too.  

As always, don't buy anything you don't love!!!!! 

Cult Cosmetics = Blackbox October 2013 Box Review

Hi!! 

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to finally give Cult Cosmetics' blackbox a chance. Honestly, I'm pretty glad I did because after I got my intro box today, I'm already looking forward to next month. While I also have my julep sub (which was great this October and whose November box is already picked and perfect for my bday month!) There's no harm in adding another nail polish sub (or so I keep telling myself). I'm quite happy with the colors and the formula but the shipping kind of blows considering it took like 10 days to get from LA to me which takes a little bit more than 1 hour driving! As many of you might expect, yes, my box seems to have been sent through slowpost. Aside from that tiny bit of suck, I really like this box and am definitely keeping it at least through next month so you can expect another review if you really want to make up your minds. Now on to the review!

From left to right: Point Dume, Joshua Tree, WeHo, Botanical Base 

Cult Cosmetics Lacquer in 'Joshua Tree' 

Joshua Tree like the very arid and dusty place it's named after is a beige/nude cream and is freaking perfect for job interviews (yep, I'm going through that whole thing right now and yes, it majorly blows). It's a great nude and looks fashionable yet mature (like professional mature not geriatric mature) plus it has been all over the blogs and mags in the fall and spring runway shows so I'm quite smitten with this color. 11/10 

Cult Cosmetics Lacquer in 'WeHo' 

WeHo is all about the sparkles. The sparkles! It's touted as a graffiti nail art effect and has different sized (from very small shimmer specks to big noticeable individual glitter specks) in black, white, and silver glitter, plus those little strips I completely forget the name of suspended in a clear base. It goes on relatively smoothly but you have to stipple it a bit to get an even glitter distribution. This is meant to be a topcoat over another color sort of thing and even though I said it's a topcoat, if you want smooth nails, do a real topcoat over this one to seal the glitter. I actually tried it over julep's Missy (a shimmery and very saturated silver) and it looks awesome. This is one of the items I was most excited about and fortunately it turned out to be as good as I hoped it would be. 11/10 

Cult Cosmetics Lacquer in Point 'Dume' 

Point Dume is a deep indigo and almost navy blue. As the website touts, one coat is enough to give great color and there are no sheer spots. I like the fact that it's a straightforward deep blue and I tend to love that color so this is a great addition to my ever-growing polish collection. It actually looks incredibly similar (color-wise) to Julep's Char (which I got in the October popsugar must have box) and that's fantastic considering I didn't get to keep Char. Before I forget, the formula is great and not tacky and the colors are 5-free. 10/10 

Cult Cosmetics Botanical Base Coat 

The botanical base coat was pictured as completely sheer in the email I got but the bottle I received today is actually a sheer green. Apparently, there are some good plants added in to condition nails (thus the 'botanical' name) and I'm looking forward to trying it after I get tired of the NCLA Halloween spiderweb nail wraps that I'm currently wearing and loving (I'd been looking that the NCLA website for a while but I finally bit the bullet and ordered them; I'm glad I did because they're great and super easy to put on. I'm totally getting the 'Clueless' (yes, like the movie!!!!!) sets they have next. 11/10 

Note: This isn't the same as the other Cult company called Cult nails (the one with the cylindrical bottle and cursive type branding) because this box is sent out by Cult cosmetics. I was initially confused and had to do some googling to get the brands straight. Both are awesome, btw and I recommend trying both of them out along with Cirque (omg Cirque has the prettiest colors and names and the new Alchemy collection is omg so pretty).

A shiny shiny flash pic so you can see the bottles clearly.

Overall, the formula goes on well and is 5-free. The colors are trendy and I actually love this month's selection (neutrals and deeper colors are my faves) plus they promise some sort of nail art item every month. This month was my first and I was able to get it for $14.99 instead of the regular $19.99 plus $4.99 shipping (so the total is $24.99). The price was great this month and I'm staying on for another month because I really liked the colors and texture of the polish but the $4.99 shipping fee is balls when they're an hour or so away from me and they clearly use the cheapest delivery method (aka it took 10 days!!! 10 days!!!!!!!). So, not everything is peachy keen but overall, I feel like the box was worth the wait. We'll see how I feel next month! 

Box:

Cult Cosmetics Blackbox

Frequency:

Monthly

Price:

$24.99/month (but you can get the first month for $14.99 right now) 

Perks: 

At least one nail art item included every month. Formula is 5-free. 

Recommend? 

With reservations. This is only my first month and while I loved the items, I think I have to wait another month to really see how they work and if the nail polish magic strikes twice. While I'm definitely on board for November, I won't go so far as unequivocally recommending the sub without getting a real feel for it. However, I do like it a lot.