PopSugar Must Have: November 2015

Getting back on track by reviewing my November PopSugar Must Have box while it's still actually November! My cat was really loving the PopSugar box this month so I've included some of her best moments with the box as well :)

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The PopSugar Must Have box is a monthly subscription ($40/month or less if you make a 3, 6, or year long commitment)  that sends subscribers full-size and sample versions of the season's must-have beauty, fashion, home, and fitness products.

I love that the PopSugar box includes this little card with descriptions of all the products. Having these descriptionsmakes me even more excited to try all of the products because there are suggestions on how to use each one of them. Plus, being the nerd that I am, I love to go back through my past subscription cards to see all the goodies I've gotten over the years.

Deepan Gurnani: Katie Crystal Headband - Retail $56

This little headband is really the star of this month's PopSugar box! It's so sparkly and really stood out as soon as I opened the box! The headband is really comfortable and looks beautiful - I'm excited to wear it to some upcoming holiday events as it's perfect for the holiday season! 

Gramr Gratitude Co: Exclusive Thanksgiving Postcard Pack - Retail $10

These postcards are absolutely beautiful and I am so excited to send them to the people I am thankful for this year. While I do think it's appropriate to have them be Thanksgiving themed since they are in the November PopSugar box - I'm not usually one to send postcards out on Thanksgiving - maybe on Christmas, but Thanksgiving just seems like a weird time to be sending postcards. Regardless, I'm excited to have these to send! 

Terrapin Ridge Farms: Pecan Honey Mustad - Retail $6

I love mustard because I'm a huge sandwich girl and toppings like mustard really pull together all the flavors nicely. This mustard is no different- it's delicious and I love that there's a little twist of pecan in it as well! My only complaint? The top of this mustard jar screws on so tightly that I can't get it off on my own. Time to get working on those push-ups :(

West Emory: Bingo Set - Retail $20

This bingo set is absolutely gorgeous - I love the simplicity of the design and how classy all of the pieces are. I've had it sitting on my living room coffee table ever since I received it from PopSugar and it actually makes for a nice little decorative piece as well. I'm not too big of a bingo fan so I don't think I'll be keeping it but it'll be perfect for re-gifting this Christmas!

Tarte Cosmetics: Beauty & the Box Eye Shadow - Retail $22

These eye shadow shades are absolutely beautiful and so perfect for fall! Since I have a monolid (this means I don't have a crease above my eye), it is more difficult to wear eye shadow so I usually don't buy it on my own, but this little set inspired me to try a few looks! The shades are beautiful but since they're probably not going to get much use in my makeup collection, I'm planning on re-gifting this set. 

Capri Blue: Mercury Jewel Box in Rain - Retail $18.95

I think this candle from Capri Blue has officially gotten me hooked and candle-obsessed. I've had tons of friends telling me for years about how amazing candles are and how they really "just warm up a room". I'm finally a believer thanks to this little box! The candle smells amazing and I love that the little box has decorative holes all around the sides that allow the candlelight to shine through. I've been lighting the candle in the mornings while I'm practicing yoga and I love the ambience it gives the whole room. 

Inkdot Gift Card - Retail $20

I am definitely planning on using this gift card for the upcoming holiday season! I love giving personalized things for Christmas - mugs, notebooks, mouse pads - you name it and I've probably given it to someone for Christmas with their family's face on it. I love being able to personalize items but it looks like Inkdot's main focus is prints and you can only create a couple ofdifferent personalized items (phone cases, coasters, throw pillows). Regardless, I am still excited to use this gift card to create maybe a nice phone case or pillow for my family!

Additional Coupons

PopSugar also included two additional coupons from Capri Blue and Gramr for future purchases. 

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This is my second PopSugar box and I have to say - I think I liked the October box just a little bit better since I'll be re-gifting a lot of the things I received in this month's box. Overall, however, the value of this box is still through the roof and I love that it will be saving me some money during the holiday gifting season!

What did you think of this month's PopSugar box? Have any suggestions for other boxes I should subscribe to? I'm always up for suggestions and would love to try more!

PopSugar Must Have: October 2015

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I know this is a little late given that it's already halfway through November - but I wanted to share my first experience with the PopSugar Must Have box! I'm new to the PopSugar Must Have box but I've been a long time subscriber to other beauty boxes like Ipsy and Birchbox. I have wanted the PopSugar box forever but as a poor college student, I couldn't justify the cost! Now, as a "grown-up" with a "real job" I've finally subscribed and naturally, bounced off the walls like a kid on Christmas when my box arrived :) 

The PopSugar Must Have box is a monthly subscription ($40/month or less if you make a 3, 6, or year long commitment) that sends subscribers full-size versions of the season's must-have beauty, fashion, home, and fitness products.

I love that the PopSugar box includes this little card with descriptions of all the producs. Having these descriptions makes me even more excited to try all of the products because there are suggestions on how to use each one of them. Plus, being the nerd that I am, I love being able to go back through my past subscription cards to see all the goodies I've gotten over the years.

Why Not Me? By Mindy Kaling - Retail: $25

This was, by far, my favorite part of this PopSugar box! As a nerd at heart, I love reading when I finally have the time and nothing in the world beats getting a new book (especially a hardcover one!). I loved Mindy Kaling's last book and would highly recommend it for anyone who has not read it yet. Her humor is light-hearted, relatable and makes for the perfect before-bed chill pill.

Savvy Sleepers: Luxury Satin Pillowcase - Retail: $36

This is one of those products I never knew I wanted until I got one. While I consider myself a little bit of a princess because I have a set beauty routine and a strong distaste for camping, I also consider myself to be a very cost-effective, realistic shopper so "satin pillowcase" was never something I planned to own.  But - wow - who knew they were so soft. I may have excessively rubbed my face on this pillowcase multiple times before going to bed. Somehow, the material just makes bedtime feel so much more luxurious and makes "pre-bedtime" more glamorous.

Easy, Tiger: Brown Paper Liquor Bag Set - Retail: $8

Maybe I'm just not mature enough for this one yet, but unfortunately, I don't go to enough fancy holiday parties to utilize a set of liquor bags. On a normal day, I probably would not be spending $8 on three paper bags, but that's just a personal choice. Regardless, the bags are cute and I'll do my best to find some use for them around the kitchen or during gift season!

Richer Poorer: Hope Slipper Socks - Retail: $15

I love that these socks have little grippies on the bottoms! I am a total clutz 99% of the time so fuzzy socks usually have me slipping all over the place. These socks were perfect! Plus, I always love a product that aims to support a good cause - these socks support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

It's a 10: Miracle Leave-In Product - Sample Size

I was excited to try this It's a 10 product because I usually use the Organix Moroccan Argan Oil products on my curls and I always see the It's a 10 brand products in the same Target aisle. To be honest, however, after testing this anti-frizz product out several times, I really didn't notice too much of a difference between the frizz level with or without the use of this product. This might be because my hair isn't too frizzy in the first place, but for me, this won't be a product that I'll be buying later on since I already have a similar product that does the trick for me.

The Honest Company: Sea Salt + Sugar Body Scrub - Retail: $17

After hearing a lot about The Honest Company and all of their products, this was the item I was most excited to try! As other instagrammers and bloggers have said, this body scrub does leave a sticky residue all over if you are not careful. To combat this, I use the body scrub as soon as I get in the shower and use body wash afterwards. The product smells fantastic and I love that it is free of things like parabens, dyes etc. I will definitely be perusing The Honest Company's website for future beauty products!

Belgian Boys: De Stroopwafel - Retail: $1.59

These waffles were really too sweet for my taste. If you love caramel that sticks to your gums, these are the waffles for you - they were more like cookies than waffles! I would highly suggest having them with black coffee instead of the sugar-creamer-filled coffee I attempted to eat them with!

Daniel Stevens: Monogram Gift Card - Retail: $40

When I first got this little card, I was really excited about being able to use it on something personalized as a Christmas gift to one of my friends since I am not a huge fan of monogrammed pieces. After I explored the website, however, I was a little disappointed - there wasn't much of a selection of personalized items that were realistically affordable. Even with the $40 card taken off, most of the items were still much more than I had expected them to be. The pieces are cute but due to my budget, this card might be tossed. 

Additional Coupons - PopSugar also included two coupons from The Honest Company and Savvy Sleepers for future purchases. 

Even though it's my first PopSugar box, I am already in love! PopSugar proved to be exactly the type of subscription box I've been looking for and it really covers all of my life hobbies and interests. How did you feel about your PopSugar box? Got any suggestions for other subscription boxes I should be subscribed to? I'd love to hear from you!

Ipsy Glam Bag: October 2015

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I fell in love with subscription boxes when I started in 2012 with a subscription to Birchbox. Since then, I have fallen in and out of love with different boxes, but I'm always excited to try new boxes. I love coming home to a package in the mail and getting to try new beauty samples without having to spend money on full-size products. I originally subscribed simply because I loved the idea of getting a little gift every month, but I've since found that beauty boxes have actually helped curb my makeup buying habits. I find that (contrary to popular belief) I actually buy less makeup since I know that I will always get a new lip product or nail polish every couple of months

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription that gives subscribers 4-5 sample and full size products for $10 a month. All of the beauty samples also come in a handy little makeup bag. I love that all of Ipsy's products come in these adorable bags because they are insanely useful for holding just about anything!

IT Cosmetics: Hello Lashes 5-in-1 Mascara

One of my few complaints about my ipsy bag is that I get samples of mascara - a product that I do not use. Ipsy's website allows you to build your own profile and I try my best to provide feedback on the types of products that I use, but so far, it seems to have done very little to change the products that I actually get in my subscription. My eyes are very small with stubbornly straight eyelashes that refuse to curl, so it's nearly impossible for me to wear mascara without blinding myself in the process.

That being said, this mascara has become one of my favorites out of all the mascara samples I've received. To test it out, my boyfriend, David, graciously allowed me to use these on his superlongextracurly lashes (seriously, why is it that the most perfectly gorgeous eyelashes are always on guys?!). See below - the difference between his mascara-ed vs. unmascara-ed lashes is ridiculous! 

Hey Honey: Come Clean Propolis & Minerals Facial Scrub

Hey Honey is one of the only brands that I have consistently loved getting in my ipsy bag. Last time, I received a Hey Honey facial serum that I was absolutely addicted to! Ultimately, I didn't buy the full-size product since I already had a similar facial serum of my own, but what I appreciate about Hey Honey's products is that they always go on smoothly and feel very natural. The exfoliating beads in this facial scrub melt naturally with water and actually leave my skin feeling moisturized, a great contradiction to how facial scrubs usually make my face feel - irritated and dry!

Aromachology:  Exotic & SpicyEau de Parfum

Unfortunately, my personal fragrance preferences are really set in stone (I love fruity, tropical fresh scents - but can't stand anything spicy or musty) so most fragrance samples automatically go in my "to gift" pile. This one was no different for me. 

The Balm: Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick

I was really excited about getting this lipstick from theBalm because I've recently become obsessed with nude shades. Even though they don't necessarily change the color of my lips too much, nude shades tend to even out all the little discolorations on my lips and even make them look fuller. I was a little bit disappointed that this lipstick didn't have as much staying power as some of my other liquid lipsticks, but it made up for that with its minty flavor :) 

(Side note - I'm one of those weirdos that needs all of my lip products to taste good because I am constantly licking it off my lips subconsciously. PSA: carmex lip balms taste the worst).

Browza: Super Proof Gel Brow Pencil

I'm about as lazy as lazy can get so the fact that this Browza brow pencil had a brow brush built into it made it on point with my lazy girl needs. The pencil was a little bit dark for my brows but having the built-in brush to smooth the color out made up for it!

I've been an ipster for a little over a year now and while there are some blips here and there where I'm not in love with the products I receive - overall, I'm happy with the products I get to try and of course, the handy makeup bags! This month wasn't my favorite because it really wasn't all that tailored to beauty categories I wanted to explore, but I'm still an ipster at heart.

love, ella