PopSugar Must Have: October 2015

Hello everyone!  Today I have for you my review of the October PopSugar Must Have box!  A little late, but better late than never, right?

Here's the open box!  Nothing too flashy or fancy, but it's nicely presented. I like the color scheme of pink and white.

They include a gorgeous card with pictures of everything you get as well as details of everything and retail values.

Let's get right into it!

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling - $25

I love books!  Especially books written by famous people (celebrities, YouTubers, etc).  I'm currently reading Binge by Tyler Oakley and loving it!  Because of this, however, I haven't had a chance to start in on this book!  I've heard good things, so I'm just going to assume that it's awesome and leave it at that.

Savvy Sleepers Luxury Satin Pillowcase - $36

Eh.  This has super high value but personally it really isn't anything special. I've been using it just because I got it, but I really can't tell a difference in my sleep quality.  The case claims to help skin and hair, especially with tangles in hair, but again, not much of a difference.  I personally would never spend $36 on a pillowcase, and this is why. Not worth it.

Easy, Tiger Brown Paper Liquor Bag Set - $8

Another thing I'm really not super excited for!  They're cute and all, but I'm not even old enough to legally drink yet.  I'm going to end up gifting these to someone who will definitely find better uses than me.

Belgian Boys De StroopWafel - $1.59

Now this is something I can get behind for sure!  I love everything about food, and this was delicious!  It's like a waffle cookie, with caramel on the inside, which made it slightly chewy (in a good way!) I would definitely buy more of these, they were so wonderful.  You're supposed to heat it on the rim of your coffee/tea cup and eat it, but I obviously didn't bother with that. It's great either way.

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

This is one big container of scrub!  It's got the scrub in it to exfoliate, but it also has shea butter and almond oils to moisturize at the same time. Win win!  Honestly I didn't see a huge difference using this scrub versus any other scrubs, but it's a good quality product. If you're willing to spend, I'd say go for it.

Richer Poorer Hope Slipper Socks - $15

I didn't expect to enjoy these socks quite as much as I did, honestly. They're very warm and cozy, and really a wonderful gift for anyone you may know who has cold feet!  The coolest thing about these socks is that they were made specifically for PopSugar for Breast Cancer Awareness month!

It's a 10 Miracle-Leave in Product - $11.96

For some reason I haven't gotten around to using this stuff yet! I feel like I have so many hair products currently that I'd hate to open yet another one up.  However, It's a 10 is seriously an amazing hair brand.  I used their shampoo and conditioner for a long, long time and loved every second of it!

Danielle Stevens Monogram Gift Card - $40

I likely won't be using this. It's a $40 gift card to a monogram shop, that focuses on jewelry. It's really just not in my style so if I find something for under $40 that I actually am into, I suppose I'll use it. Until then it's really not anything too exciting!

Honestly, (and I feel bad saying this), I wasn't too blown away by this month's box. While the value was there monetarily, it had a lot of things that I wouldn't have gone out and purchased myself.  This box feels targeted more towards mature women, so that's likely an issue with me liking the box itself.  Previous boxes had a lot more makeup in it, whereas this box didn't have any!  I wouldn't get this box again but unfortunately I forgot to cancel my subscription in time so I'll be reviewing November's box too!

What do you guys think? What's your favorite item?  Would you pay $36 for a pillowcase? Let me know!

Hugs and Kisses,
The Cornfed Princess

FabFitFun: Fall 2015

Hello, everyone!  If you're ever on Pinterest, you've probably seen this subscription box plastered everywhere.

It's called FabFitFun, or FFF, and is a quarterly subscription box in which you pay $49.99 and receive beauty, fitness, and lifestyle items, to name a few.

The box came with a wonderful catalog styled info card.  It detailed everything that came in the box as well as prices for each product.

Speaking of the products, let's get onto them!

Beauty Box Roundup: November 2015

Even though this post is going up half way through December, it's still my most exciting post of the month!  The post where I get to put my collection of beauty subscription boxes together to compare what I got, and the values of each box for the month, as well as usability!

By the way, yes that is still my Halloween decorations in the background. November was obviously a lazy month.

As always, the math will not be perfect!  I'm a business major, but that doesn't mean my calculations are always on point. However, they should be pretty darn close!  Full size products are marked with an asterisk.

Beauty Box 5
LA Fresh good day. Day Moisturizer: $11.76
*Kaunis Anti-Aging Facial Mask: $14.95
Altchek MD Eye Gel Pads: $4.00
*Fran Wilson MOODmatcher Luxe Twist Stick "Pink": $8.00
*The All Natural Face Vegan Matte Cream Lip & Cheek Color "Dusky Rose": $5.75
Total Box Value: $44.46

Birchbox
Sumbody Salt Scrub "Milky Rich": $1.58
Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris: $2.94
eSalon Perfect Ending Leave-in Conditioner: $3.00
Make Face Gloss: $6.25
LOC One and Done Shadow Stick "Impress Me": $10.00
Total Box Value: $23.77

Ipsy
Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara: $7.60
*Crown Brush Deluxe Pointed Crease Brush: $12.38
*Be a Bombshell Cosmetics Mechanical Eye Liner "Wild Child": $14.00
Jesse's Girl Cosmetics Eye Shadow Primer: $3.75
*Fran Wilson MOODmatcher Lipstick "Green": $4.00
Total Box Value: $41.73
 -----
TOP PRODUCTS OF THE MONTH:
*Altchek MD Eye Gel Pads - Beauty Box 5

The Verdict: 
Overall, this month was pretty darn good in terms of getting all products that I enjoyed.  Birchbox is consistently pulling the lowest value for each box, however Birchbox is also the one that gives me the most variety and introduces me to some of my favorite products.

While Ipsy's value is pretty high, that's because of two high value items in the bag. In terms of usability, we need to subtract $14 for the Eye Liner that broke right away and was poor quality anyway, and the brush was selling for $4 when I went to look at prices! I included the full retail value, but if we in total subtract the $22, the value of Ipsy this month would be $19.73; yikes!  I really did enjoy the other products, so I'm not upset, but it's kind of crazy to think that so much value relies on one or two products.

That's everything for this month you guys!  What do you think?  Which box was your favorite this month? Did any products really stand out to you? Let me know!

Hugs and Kisses,
The Cornfed Princess

Birchbox: November 2015

Ahh, Birchbox. Somehow, you always manage to excite me beyond belief when you arrive. I have yet to be disappointed in a box that I get sent, which is just awesome.  I've only had it for a few months I suppose, but that's not the point.

The box this month is beautiful!  Just look at this pattern!  And the colors are just beautiful.  It's like a chocolatey brown and a mint green, plus this beautiful floral pattern.  I am so happy Birchbox began putting out designed boxes; it seriously has become one of my favorite parts.

The card has a beautiful maroon color on it, which personally adds to the appeal.  All my products are listed here as well!

All my products laid out together this month. I got some great sample sizes, as well as the full size eyeshadow crayon by Tati!  If you guys haven't ever watched her, I highly recommend it! She has quickly become one of my favorite YouTubers around; she truly cares about giving the most accurate reviews possible and it's easy to tell by her channel.  

Enough of that, let's get to the good stuff!

Sumbody Salt Scrub "Milky Rich"

(SS: 1 oz / $1.58 ) (FS: 12 oz / $18.95)

I really enjoyed this body scrub. Unlike others I've tried, it's all scrub.  There's no liquid in it and it feels very gritty, which I love!  I always want my scrubs to feel like they're doing something for me. The scent is pretty subtle, but it smells wonderful.  It's called "milky rich" and really does smell like milk.  It's a bit sweet as well, without being super artificial.  All of the ingredients are natural oils and sea salt, so if you're conscious about that you'll be pleased with this scrub.

Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris

(SS: .06 oz /$2.94 ) (FS: 1.7 oz / $80.00)

I really enjoy perfume samples, but I hate that they take up an entire sample in each box of mine!  It only lasts a few uses and sometimes I even hate the smell, so it's an entire waste of sample.  I do enjoy the smell of this one, however.  I'm not a huge fan of the packaging, as it's not even a spray nozzle. It's a stick that you pull out of the bottle and rub on the desired areas.   The smell is pretty strong, and I get a little bit of a black licorice vibe from it.  It's also a bit spicy.  I really am a fan of this scent, even though it's not something I'd usually pick on my own!

eSalon Perfect Ending Leave-In Conditioner

(SS: 1 oz / $3.00 ) (FS: 5 oz / $15.00)

I really enjoy getting leave in conditioners, as my hair truly needs it!  It's very thick, long, and dry on the ends, but oily on top.  To use this, you put it in the ends of your hair and then brush up to the roots.  The consistency is very runny, but that's not an issue for me; I feel like I use less product because it's easier to apply everywhere.  The smell is pretty darn good, too.  It doesn't smell like hair product at all.  It left my hair feeling a lot softer and looking shinier after it dried, so I'd recommend this for sure!

Make Face Gloss

(SS: .1 oz / $6.25 ) (FS: .4 oz / $25.00)

Let's just say... this is definitely a gloss in every sense of the word.  It's clear when you apply it, and when you rub it into your skin it leaves a subtle, shiny appearance.  However, it remains tacky the entire time you wear it.  I'm not exaggerating.  I applied it and it was sticky, so I just assumed that it would go away after a little bit, like when it dried down. Not the case. A few hours later I touched my cheek and it was still kind of sticky feeling. It wasn't uncomfortable to wear at all, but I really didn't like touching my face and having it feel tacky.  Maybe it's meant to be set with a powder; I'm not 100% sure, but I'll need to look into it.

This personally is a great product for anyone who's relatively new to makeup and who doesn't want to go all out with makeup right away, as it makes a great subtle highlight. That being said, if you don't like sticky face, don't get this.

LOC (Love of Color) One & Done Shadow Stick "Impress Me"

(FS: .05 oz / $10.00) 

And now we're onto the star of the show!  This product is one of five eye shadow sticks and three lipsticks that Tati (GlamLifeGuru) has collaborated with Birchbox on.  The shade that I picked, Impress Me, is a stunning rose gold, kind of shiny brown shade.  It's very unique, and the shine is just beautiful.

Just look at how gorgeous this swatch is.  I made sure to get the best natural light possible so you guys can see just how drool-worthy it is.  Application wise, I would highly recommend using a primer.  Maybe I have oily eyelids or something, but when I used this eyeshadow without primer it creased terribly on me.  With primer, it stayed for 12 hours.  It blends for the first 30 seconds, but after that it is stuck where it is.  Not a bad thing!

Overall, I was pretty pleased with my box.  I love that Birchbox sends out such a wide variety of items; it never feels like I'm always getting the same thing (minus the perfume samples of course, but even then the scents vary greatly).

What do you guys think?  How gorgeous is that shade of eye shadow? Do you own something similar? Let me know!

Hugs and Kisses,

The Cornfed Princess

Beauty Box 5: November 2015

Hello, hello!  It's time for my unboxing for November's Beauty Box 5! 

Beauty Box 5 remains a favorite subscription of mine, and I just renewed my next three months, yay!  This month's theme was "Back to Basics" essentially, and included some pretty great products this month.

Here's everything from this month; let's go into the product breakdown now!

LA Fresh good day. Day Moisturizer

(SS: .5 oz / $11.76) (FS: 1.7 oz / $40.00)

This is a pretty good sized sample! I own a lot of moisturizers, so I don't want to open this one up just yet, but I'll let you guys know what I think when I do!  This is supposed to be a pretty clean ingredient list.  This is definitely on the pricier side, so I'm kind of hoping I don't fall in love with it or something like that.

Kaunis Anti-Aging Facial Mask

(FS: $14.95)

Guys, I love sheet masks.  To me, they are the lazy girl's ideal way of taking care of their face. That being said, at age 19 I feel like an anti-aging mask may be a little preemptive for me.  There were a few different varieties you could get, but I'm not 100% what they are.  I haven't used this yet, but as soon as I feel like pampering myself, I'll break this one out!

Altchek MD Eye Gel Pads

(SS: 2 treatments / $4.00) (FS: 10 treatments / $20.00)

These actually became my favorite product this month. I tried them out a few days after receiving them and immediately fell in love.  They go on more like a pore strip than a mask, with plastic on the back. You apply them and keep them on for at least half an hour before peeling them off.

You guys, these things work.  If you haven't had a chance to check out my Instagram picture of before and after, I'll link it here.  The dark circles I had going on before were seriously diminished in just half an hour of having these on. They felt really cool on the undereye area and very gel-like, which I like!

Taking them off didn't hurt at all, which is great, especially because the undereye is such a sensitive place.  And now here's a cute picture of me wearing them!

 
Fran Wilson MOODmatcher Luxe Twist Stick "Pink"

(FS: .1 oz / $8.00)

It's actually really funny how I got almost this exact same product in my Ipsy bag this month.  This one, however, is a bit more of a wearable, every day shade.  It's a light pink that looks quite pretty on.  The color will look different on everyone, as it reacts to body chemistry and becomes the best shade for you!  The swatch is below.

The All Natural Face Vegan Matte Cream Lip & Cheek Color "Dusky Rose"

(FS: $5.75)

Finally, everyone received this same blush.  It's supposed to be very "clean" makeup.  It's also a cream blush, which is something I've never really worked with before.  The color is a bit more brown than it looks in the pan, so I'm interested to see how it looks applied to the cheeks. The swatch shows it as very brown, though.  I'm not seeing a lot of pink.  I'm intrigued.

Here's the swatches!

I was more impressed with this box than last month's, but September is still my favorite!  I find the idea of BB5 to be an interesting one, in that they don't customize boxes based on your preferences.  It would definitely make finding color products a lot harder, as they have to be universal products. I personally think they're doing a pretty good job!

What do you guys think of this box?  What's your favorite product this time?  How amazing are those eye pads?! Let me know!

Hugs and Kisses,

The Cornfed Princess

Ipsy: November 2015

Oh my gosh you guys Ipsy came in and I'm so freaking excited!

They did so much better for me this month, and have now definitely earned a loyal subscriber.  I mentioned in my last post and my review that I liked Ipsy being mostly makeup and they so delivered. Look at this!

It's all makeup!  On top of all the makeup, this bag is so freaking adorable! It's actually the one I'm using right now for my purse.

Here's a breakdown of the products!

Smashbox Cosmetics Full Exposure Mascara
(SS: .1 oz / $7.60) (FS: .38 oz / $20.00)

This month, everyone received a sample of this mascara. I haven't opened it up to try it yet, because I still have my Benefit Roller Lash from last month's Birchbox.  I don't use mascara a ton, so I'd hate to open more mascara samples and waste them!  I'll let you guys know how this does in a later post.

Crown Brush Deluxe Pointed Crease Brush

(FS: $12.38)

Let me tell you guys, this brush is super freaking soft!  I think everyone got a brush in their bags, but the kind of brush varied from person to person.  I've heard good things about Crown Brush, so I'm really happy about to get this brand for my own collection.

 Be a Bombshell Cosmetics Mechanical Eye Liner "Wild Child"

(FS: .01 oz / $14.00)

I forgot to get a picture of this product; oops!  I'm not too upset about that, however. I haven't been crazy impressed with any of the Be a Bombshell/Hikari products I've gotten, and this one is no exception.  It's a standard black eyeliner, but it takes a lot of swipes to get a really black line.  It starts off pretty light.  It's truly an average quality liner, which isn't what I'm looking for. I want quality here! On top of that, I twisted it a little too much and actually broke it!  The liner won't stay up to apply anymore, so I'll have to throw it away, as it's unusable. Lame.

Jesse's Girl Cosmetics Eye Shadow Primer

(SS: .1 oz / $3.75) (FS: .16 oz / $5.99)

I was really happy to get this product, which seems weird because it's just primer, but it works so well!  Without eye primer, I had a shadow that majorly creased in 3 hours.  With this, it ended up lasting 12 hours!  The only complaint I had about it was that it felt kind of sticky when my eyes were open, and was a bit uncomfortable. I definitely didn't apply too much, so I think it's just the formula.  The fact that it worked was all I could ask for, though, so I'll still use it!

Fran Wilson Moodmatcher Lipstick "Green"
(FS: .12 oz / $4.00)

The final product I got, and I'm really excited about!  At first, when I saw this I thought it'd be very childish and not really work, but I used it and was kind of blown away.  The color was a darker, intense pink, almost fuschia like, but much more wearable.  The idea of this lipstick isn't that it changes color on your lips based on your mood, rather it reacts to your body chemistry and turns a shade of pink that would best flatter you.  How exciting!

The color continues to darken up and actually becomes the final shade after about 10 minutes.  I think I swatched this and then took a picture right away, because it's lighter than it looked on my lips.

I'm very pleased with my bag this month!  I like using Ipsy as my makeup bag simply because they have such a wide variety that they send out!  The value is a little over $40, which is pretty darn good in my opinion.   I will continue to get Ipsy because I haven't been disappointed with it yet, and the value is pretty great.

What do you guys think?  Is that lipstick the coolest thing or what?  Let me know!

Hugs and Kisses,
The Cornfed Princess