Julep - Hooray For May Mystery Box

Why yes, yes they are!

I got the "Hooray For May" mystery box from Julep (not part of the subscription, but an optional special edition). I'm still new to Julep - so far I've gotten one subscription box and one mystery box from them. These special boxes cost $24.99 ($5 more than a subscription box), and are supposed to contain $70-$200 worth of products. There's several versions of these boxes that they send out, and apparently if you're lucky you can get one that has more products in it than the others.

I got version 3. If anyone would like to share what they got in different versions please comment and let me know! =D

With this box you get one polish in a little bag that, according to Julep, you can either give it to a friend or keep for yourself. I'm keeping it for myself of course! This one was "Zora", a pale pink.

Then there's the other five polishes:

"Hilary" - gold-ish glittery

"Korin" - pea green

"Sheryl" - gold and sheer

"Lucy" - it was hard to tell exactly what color this was at first. It almost looks black in the bottle. When I actually put it on, it turned out to be a dark red (see last picture!)

"Glenn" - A really pretty red

I had a hard time deciding which to try first, so I went with Sheryl. It's a lot sheerer than I thought it would be, but still pretty. In the picture below, I think I ended up using three coats and it still wasn't really opaque:

That's been a couple of weeks ago, and today I decided to cut my nails and try another - I went with Lucy since I was curious what it actually looked like =P

Ignore the messiness! I don't really clean my nails up too well afterwards and the polish on my skin comes off well after a shower or two. Anyway, as you can see, it ended up being a dark red - really pretty!

This has been the third use of Julep polish for me so far, and I'm really pleased with them. They're pretty durable and with my previous two uses, I only had minor chipping by two weeks (I do use a clear top coat with them). My June box is on its way and I'm looking forward to it! =D

Box Score: 5 on 1-5 scale

Read more about Julep here!

Conscious Box May 2013

I was extra happy to get my Conscious Box this month, since I didn't get my April one! (At least they are providing me an extra month to compensate). This box was pretty heavy too, which is always exciting. =D I subscribe to the "Classic" box - they also have vegan and gluten-free subscription boxes.

They usually send a postcard with each box. (It's the flower and bee picture in the image above). Not sure if it's a random one or if everyone gets the same one each month. I don't have any use for postcards, but it's a nice touch I guess.

Box Contents:

(Note: For simplicity I've rounded them off to the nearest 25 cents)

Ultima Replenisher Health Drink packet in Lemonade - value approx $0.50

MRM Relax-All (packet of two capsules) - value approx $0.75

Orgain Healthy Kids Organic Shake in Vanilla - value approx $2

Healthy Hoohoo Feminine Cleanser packet - value approx $0.50

Earthpaste toothpaste in Wintergreen - value approx $7.50

Ecover Automatic Dishwasher tablets (2) - value approx $0.50

Somersaults Cinnamon Crunch snack - value approx $0.25

Dream Water shots (2) in Snoozeberry - value approx $6.50

BIJA tea packet in Lemon Ginger Echinacea - value approx $0.50

I also got some additional small samples (Earthpaste, Yes To Cucumbers sunscreen, and Herbamare) that I didn't think were worth trying to put an approximate value to.

There were also some coupons for things I don't really have any interest in, and I haven't been counting coupons towards the box value in my reviews.

Total Approximate Value (minus coupons): $19

Which is about what a Conscious Box costs. Not the greatest value for a subscription box, but I at least liked several things.

The kids' vanilla shake was pretty good, and had a satisfyingly rich taste for a "healthy shake" - meant for kids, but I enjoyed it =) There's adult versions of the shakes available too.

I've been using the Earthpaste fairly regularly. It's nice that it's full-sized! Not the best tasting toothpaste out there, but taste isn't exactly the most important thing about it to me.

The Dream Water came at a good time. I'd been seeing it in stores but hadn't tried it until recently. I'm currently working a ridiculously unstable schedule (NOT fun going back and forth between overnights and day shifts!), and when I try to sleep during the day, I get woken up a lot by hubby, the cats, the phone ringing, the doorbell ringing, etc. I really think this stuff works - it's a lot easier to go to sleep again when I've used one. I haven't used the MRM Relax-All capsules yet, but probably will soon because of the aforementioned reasons.

I liked the Somersaults snack a lot too. Usually cinnamon flavored things are either really sweet or have a kick to them, but these didn't, and didn't have a strong cinnamon taste to them. They were still tasty though!

Like many other subscribers I'm sure, I got a laugh out of the Healthy Hoohoo cleanser. I am not in the practice of uh, using specialized feminine cleanser, so I'm not sure if I'm going to try this out or not.

My least favorite item in here was definitely the Ecover dishwasher tablets. Ugh, they're worthless! I had to re-run the entire load because it left all kinds of food residue on my dishes (and I do rinse them off before putting them in the dishwasher). Back to using chemicals for me!

Box Score: 4

Read more about Conscious Box here!

SomethingStore (May 2013)

Well, I finally received my package from SomethingStore. I ordered on May 3 and it wasn't even shipped until May 16. Normally they don't ship until about 7 business days have passed anyway, and on their website they said they were backed up because of large numbers of orders after being on Tosh.0. I ended up getting two "somethings" for $20.

Well, here they are. A "mighty wallet" and an unidentified piece of cloth.

According to Amazon, mighty wallets retail for $15, but I certainly wouldn't pay that for one of these. They may well be unexpectedly strong, but they look and feel cheap and have very little room in them, so neither my husband or I have much use for this.

I'm assuming that this is supposed to be a scarf. There was no tag or anything on it, so I have no idea how much this retails for.

I know that SomethingStore has wildly diverse products that they send out and it's a gamble, but I just fail to be impressed at all. You can get much better stuff, and I was probably just unlucky, but next time I have a little extra money, I'll probably just open another Little Black Bag. =P Most likely I won't try SomethingStore again.

Box Score: 2.75 on a scale of 1 - 5

Read more about SomethingStore here!

POPSUGAR Must Have May 2013

POPSUGAR gives such random stuff in their boxes that it's always a little hit-or-miss, but May 2013 was just pretty awful in my opinion. I'm hoping it'll be better next month..

Box Contents:

Kooringal Giselle Mid Brim Hat - value $28
The Modern Cocktail margarita mix set - value $8
"Questions I Ask When I Want To Talk About Myself" conversation cards by Mindy Kaling - value $15
The Original Beautyblender with Blendercleanser - value $24
Pacifica Natural Color Quench Lip Tint in Guava Berry - value $9
Way Better Snacks - Sweeet Potato tortilla chips - value $1
Total Box Value: $85

They also included $30 off of a purchase at Charm & Chain. While they have some really nice jewelry, most of it is so expensive that $30 doesn't sway me to buy something that I wasn't already planning on buying.

Another "bonus" is a small POPSUGAR bag - similar to the reusable shopping bags that are popular right now (but kind of small for that usage).

I haven't found much of a use for the bag yet, and the hat went straight to my mom - I never wear hats. If you're inclined to wear a hat like this, it is bendable which is nice (if you want to wear it to begin with).

I don't drink much, but I'll probably try the margarita mix samplers out - I like margaritas now and then (just need to get the tequila!) They also included the salt which is a nice touch.

I'm probably not using the Charm & Chain card for the aforementioned reason. I probably won't be using the Beautyblender either. For one, I don't have much use for it, and then I hate the texture of it and don't really want to rub it on my face. (I'm weird about certain textures - for example, velveteen bugs the crap out of me).

One of the only two things in this box that I enjoy is the Pacifica lip tint - it's moisturizing and not a really powerful color. It's perfect to keep in my purse since I can apply it safely without a mirror, unlike lipstick =P 

The other thing I enjoyed were the "Sweeet Potato" chips (is the third "e" intentional or a typo??) However, I could barely taste any sweet potato. They were still very tasty though! I tend to enjoy "sprouted" foods.

Ugh. Sorry to any Mindy Kaling fans out there, but this is the single most annoying thing I've gotten in a POPSUGAR box (and I thought the Green Garmento bag in April was ridiculous). I find conversation cards to be kind of stupid to begin with, and these are each accompanied with a long tangent by Mindy. And these are apparently taken straight out of her book, which makes them even more pointless.

And the titles - ugh. Just ugh.

So, basically out of everything in the box, I only like two things, which were some of the cheaper items. If the June box isn't much better, I may be using my $35 towards another service...

Box Score: 3.3

Read more about POPSUGAR Must Have here!

Birchbox May 2013

Now for my review on the May 2013 Birchbox! May has been a good month for subscription boxes =)

Box Contents:

Pilot Acroball pen - value $1.50

Kerastase Bain Chroma Captive shampoo sample - value approx $5

Cargo Water Resistant Blush in Los Cabos - (not sure about the difference in sizes between the sample and the full size, so let's say half value of the full size) value approx $13

COOLA Cucumber Moisturizer/Sunscreen sample - value approx $4.50

Folle de Joie perfume sample - value approx $2

Total Box Value: $26 (I did have to estimate a few things, so probably not extremely accurate)

Even with a rough estimate, it looks like a good value for a $10 box!

I did think it was kind of bizarre for Birchbox to include a pen in the box when they offer exclusively beauty/body products. But oh well, I can always use more pens!

I like the Kerastase shampoo a lot. I got the one for color treated hair (which I have) and even without pairing it with a conditioner it doesn't leave my hair too frizzy or dry. Full size is pretty expensive though  ($39!), so unless I really rack up the Birchbox points I probably won't be getting it.

The Cargo blush was okay, but I don't have much use for water resistant blush and it's a bit bright for me - if I use a light hand it's not too bad, but not my style.

The COOLA moisturizer/sunscreen was okay. It's still a tad heavy/greasy for me to want to use it as a moisturizer on a daily basis, but it's not anywhere near as bad as a regular sunscreen. Definitely has a better smell than a regular sunscreen too. So many other moisturizers (as well as BB/CC cream) that I like better have SPF protection too, so I probably won't be purchasing this one.

Like I've said before, I'm a fiend for perfumes, so I love the Folle de Joie sample! It's light and fresh but also has staying power. Full size is $98, but when I get some more Birchbox points I think I will have to get it! Oh, and an interesting Editor's Tip from the Birchbox site: "After spritzing, be sure not to rub your wrists together, as doing so will bruise the scent". Either I've been doing perfume wrong for years, or apparently this is one delicate perfume - I've never heard of scents "bruising".

Total Box Score: 5

Read more about Birchbox here!

Ipsy Glam Bag May 2013

This was my first ipsy bag, and I have to say I'm impressed! I love that they send your items in a different reusable makeup bag every month. Of course, if you subscribe for very long, you're going to build quite a collection, but they're good for gifting as well.

Bag Contents:

yaby concealer refill in "Vanilla" - value $5

Zoya nail polish in "GeiGei" (light shimmery pink) - value $8

Pacifica roll-on perfume in Tahitian Gardenia - value $12

Anastasia Clear Brow Gel - value - not full-sized, and full size is $22, so let's say $11

Mirabella lipstick in "Daydream" (light pink) - value $22

Total Bag Value - $58

Pretty nice for a $10 bag! And I should be able to get some use out of everything in it.

Some people who had successful referrals and/or were a frequent contributor to ipsy's website also got a bonus Urban Decay eyeshadow.

I've decided not to include coupons in the bag value, but I also got a coupon for $110 off at NuMe - I don't think it can go towards shipping cost, and you can only use it for certain things, but it still seems like a good deal - I could use some new styling equipment, so I'll probably be using it.

My favorite so far is probably the Pacifica perfume - I'm a sucker for perfume anyway, and I love the gardenia scent. Some people who got the perfume got a vanilla scent, so I'm glad I got what I did - I generally don't care for vanilla scents.

With all my Julep polishes that I've gotten in, I haven't tried the Zoya polish yet. I've heard really good things about them, though, and I love the color!

The Mirabella lipstick is very nice too - I like lighter pink colors, and it feels really smooth and moisturizing going on.

May 2013 Bag Score: 5 on 1-5 scale

Read more about ipsy here!

Diamond Candles May 2013

I got my shipment of Diamond Candles the other day!

As you can see, I got "Strawberry Bliss" and "Dusk". Strawberry Bliss is kind of self-explanatory, and Dusk smells like men's cologne. I've started burning both, and really like both of them so far (though hubby begs to differ). I don't think I've gotten soy candles before, so that's new to me too.

And there's the foil packets containing my rings - can't wait to see what I got! For 21 oz soy candles that are supposed to contain a ring worth at least $10, $24.95 per candle is a pretty sweet deal.

I'll update the review page once I've gotten my rings out!

Read more about Diamond Candles here.

Wantable May 2013

Well, here it is, my first Wantable makeup box!

Frownies Eye Gels 1 pair - value approx $10

Besame lipstick in Dusty Rose - value $22

Knock Out nail polish in Pool - value $14

Manna Kadar eyeshadow in Uptown - value $18?

Face Stockholm Blush in Delightful - value $20

Three Custom Color Specialists brow powder #5 - value $22.50

Total value: $106.50

Not bad at all for a box that cost $36!

The eye gels I didn't much care for - I used them once and tossed them. They can be reusable for a certain number of times, but you're supposed to use their rosewater hydrator spray to store them in, which of course isn't included, and I'm not buying it for a product I'm not all that thrilled about. I couldn't tell much of a difference after using the gels, but then you probably need to use them several times for any noticeable results.

I like the Besame lipstick though! Dusty Rose is kind of a darker pink shade that I think looks pretty good on me, and it lasts a decent amount of time after putting it on. The tube is certainly pretty, and it came in a little velveteen bag. Haven't seen that before, but then I don't tend to buy the more expensive lipsticks =p

The nail polish I haven't tried yet, but I like the color. The cap and brush are a lot longer than typical nail polishes, so it seems a bit unwieldy. I guess I'll find out!

I didn't care very much for the Manna Kadar eyeshadow...I think I might like other colors of it, but Uptown has too much of a red hue for me - I don't like reddish eyeshadows. My eyes look irritated enough from allergies as it is =P Maybe if I used it in combination with a different color..

The Face blush was okay. The color is a little bright for my complexion, but if I use a really light hand with it, it turns out fine.

I was happy to find brow powder in with my box! I'd really needed some. The color might be a smidge dark, but I'm planning on going darker with my hair soon anyway.

Box Score: 4.7

Read more about Wantable - makeup here

Julep

Information out of date? Please contact me at reverse.will.cg@gmail.com!

This is the general review page for Julep. Each time I review one of their boxes, it can affect its total score. I will award a score of 1 (awful) through 5 (awesomeness) on each of the following: content, value, uniqueness, shipping, customer service, and perks.

Service Type: Monthly subscription service

About: Julep is a subscription box for beauty products, with an emphasis on nail polish and nail care. They have you take a style quiz which classifies you as a "Modern Beauty", "Boho Glam", "Bombshell", "Classic With A Twist", or "It Girl". Whichever one you end up being affects what your default box will contain, but you have the option to change your style profile and an opportunity to switch to a different style before your next box ships. When you first sign up, you get to choose an intro box for your style (or a different style if you prefer). You also have the option to purchase additional intro boxes for all styles, and recent previous boxes for all styles.

Cost (in USD): Each box is $19.99, no additional cost for shipping (this seems to apply to Canada too). You can order them in increments of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months, but unlike most other services there is no discount for ordering more at once.

Shipping From: Seattle, WA, US

Shipping Schedule: Once you order your first intro box, they'll ship it to you shortly afterwards. Your regular monthly boxes will then ship on or around the 27th of each month.

Countries They Ship To: US and Canada, with plans to expand.

Bonuses: You earn "Jules" for referrals and purchases, and also get some extra ones during your birthday month and subscription anniversary month. Jules can go towards purchases from their shop and box "add ons".

Customer Service: Extremely fast response - I sent them a message about having trouble ordering the May mystery box, and I got an almost instantaneous response.

Individual Box Reviews: Classic w/ a Twist Starter - Hooray For May mystery box - June 2013 - Miami mystery box

HM! Score:

Content: 5 Items appear to be high quality so far and are all useful. Value: 5 Items in the box retail for around 2-3x the price of $19.99. Uniqueness: 5 Unlike most other subscription boxes, you can choose between five different styles of boxes each month. Shipping: 5 Very fast, receive their products much quicker than their estimated 7-10 business days. Customer Service: 5 Extremely fast response to my request.  Perks: 4 Good, but not the best out there.

Total Score: 4.8

Man Candles

If you've shopped Yankee Candle in the past year, then you've probably noticed that they have a men's selection. And it keeps getting more and more hilarious! Maybe it's because I'm used to sellers marketing "man" products to women - remember the "for her" toolkits with the pink tools?

The packaging for "Man Town" especially cracks me up. Nothing says masculine like a remote in front of a TV showing some kind of sports! The name itself doesn't help it appear suave either.

And there really is bacon everything now. (Not that candles are the weirdest bacon scented/flavored things I've ever come across). Next time I get Yankee Candles while there's a sale, I may have to try it out of morbid curiosity =P ..Which is what I said about "Leather", and that turned out to be downright atrocious.

On to hilarious accessories:

Oh, come on now. 

OH COME ON.

(I have to say that I'd probably absentmindedly try to pick it up and use it as a real remote - while it contains lit tealights of course).

On an unrelated note, I have received my Wantable and ipsy for this month, so I will have those reviews up sometime soon =D

*Images are from the Yankee Candle email list

Julep - Classic with a Twist Starter Box

I received my Classic with a Twist starter box from Julep the other day! 

Contents:

Nail polish - Debra - $14 retail

Nail polish - Natalie - $14?

Glycolic Hand Scrub - $23 retail

One Step Polish Remover Pad - $1 retail

Nail File - $1?

Total Value: $53

Not bad for a $19.99 box! And I had a free box discount code I'd found online, so I really lucked out =)

I hadn't cleaned up my nails afterward, plus this is the first time I'd attempted gradients, but I'm enjoying the polishes! So far they seem to be pretty high quality and holding up to my abuse.

And the Glycolic Hand Scrub..they're not exaggerating when they say you can tell a difference after one use. And it smells gooood!

Box Score: 5 on 1-5 scale

Read more about Julep's Total Scores here

Goodies Co.

Goodies.co

Information out of date? Please contact me at reverse.will.cg@gmail.com!

This is the general review page for Goodies.co. Each time I review one of their boxes, it can affect its total score. I will award a score of 1 (awful) through 5 (awesomeness) on each of the following: content, value, uniqueness, shipping, customer service, and perks.

Service Type: Monthly subscription service

About: Goodies.co is basically Walmart (for some reason that feels like pertinent information that I should add...) They will send you 5-8 sample-sized food items per month. Generally they are newer or harder-to-find snacks than what you would find in your typical supermarket (or Walmart!) They do currently have a waiting list..I think I had to wait around 4 weeks before I got in.

Cost (in USD): $7 monthly, free shipping.

Shipping From: Alabama.

Shipping Schedule: You are expected to receive your box by the end of each month.

Countries They Ship To: Continental US only.

Bonuses: Good points system. You earn points mainly by rating, reviewing, and/or submitting photos of the items you've received. I've only received two boxes so far, and I'm already close to getting a free month. There's higher-tiered rewards too, but apparently it won't let me see what those are until I earn enough points. Surprisingly, they don't seem to offer a referral program.

Customer Service: N/A - haven't had to contact customer service.

Individual Box Reviews: May 2013

Total HM! Score:

Content: 5 Products are high-quality and are things that I wouldn't typically find in stores or buy on my own. Value: 5 Items in the box retail for around 1 1/2 times the $7 cost. Uniqueness: 4 There are many other food subscription boxes out there, but this is probably one of the cheapest ones and sends more obscure brands. Shipping: 5 Shipping speed is as expected. Customer Service: N/A I haven't had to contact customer service about anything.  Perks: 5 Points add up fast and they seem to be working on having more rewards available (currently you can use points to get free boxes).

Total Score: 4.8

Birchbox

Information out of date? Please contact me at reverse.will.cg@gmail.com!

This is the general review page for Birchbox (women's version). Each time I review one of their boxes, it can affect its total score. I will award a score of 1 (awful) through 5 (awesomeness) on each of the following: content, value, uniqueness, shipping, customer service, and perks.

Service Type: Monthly subscription service

About: Each month Birchbox will send you (usually five) samples, mostly beauty and body care items. Typically you have to go on a waitlist for 4 weeks before they'll give you an invite to sign up.

Cost (in USD): $10 monthly. Shipping is free, but if you're in NY, NJ, MA, or VA you may have to pay sales tax. If you order on an annual basis, you pay $110 for the year, so basically you're getting a box for free.

Shipping From: The East coast.

Shipping Schedule: They ship around the 10th of the month.

Countries They Ship To: US only. There ARE versions of Birchbox in the UK, France, and Spain, but they have different websites and you can't order them outside of their respective country.

Bonuses: Pretty good referral system - for every 100 points you earn, you get $10 credit towards buying full-size items. You earn 10 for first signing up for the women's box, 10 for each review of the samples you receive, 1 point per dollar when you buy full-size items, and 50 for each referral.

Customer Service: N/A - haven't had to contact customer service.

Individual Box Reviews: May 2013 - June 2013

Total HM! Score:

Content: 5 Items are high quality, deluxe size samples. Value: 5 Items in the box are worth more than twice what you pay for the box. Uniqueness: 4 While they have high quality products, there's nothing specifically unique about Birchbox compared to many other subscription services. Shipping: 5 Fast, received my box within the expected time fram. Customer Service: N/A I have not had to contact their customer service.  Perks: 5 One of my favorite points programs out there! They're relatively easy to earn and make their more expensive full size items affordable.

Total Score: 4.8

SomethingStore

Information out of date? Please contact me at reverse.will.cg@gmail.com!

This is the general review page for SomethingStore. Each time I review them, it can affect its total score. I will award a score of 1 (awful) through 5 (awesomeness) on each of the following: content, value, uniqueness, shipping, customer service, and perks.

Service Type: Online store

About: You pay them $10, and they send you...something. Yep. It's kind of a genius idea, really. The MSRP of any item they send is guaranteed to be at least $10..and some lucky people will get things valued at much more, like Amazon Kindles. Their website shows some examples of what they've sent out. Definitely a grab bag of random stuff.

Cost (in USD): In the US: $10 per item with free shipping, and they allow you to purchase 20 items at one time (with no shipping charge). Canada: $10 per item, plus $2.75 shipping per order (you can get up to five items at once and still only have to pay $2.75 total for shipping!) All Other Countries: $10 per item, plus $5.75 shipping per order (you can get up to three items at once and still only have to pay $5.75 shipping!)

Shipping From: Long Island, NY

Shipping Schedule: It takes them for-ev-eeerrr to ship things out. You can expect 7 business days to pass before they even ship.

Countries They Ship To: Pretty much anywhere in the world.

Bonuses: None. They don't even have you make an account with them, you just go through Google Wallet or Paypal.

Customer Service: N/A - I haven't had to contact customer service.

Individual Product Reviews: May 2013

Total HM! Score:

Content: 1 Items I received weren't high quality and I felt they were useless. Value: 3 One item retailed for 1.5x what I paid for, but the other item had no tag or indication of brand/etc, so I have no idea what its value was. Uniqueness: 5 It's certainly unique, I don't know of any other sites quite like it. Shipping: 2 They are at least upfront about it, but it takes a ridiculous amount of time just to process your order - 7 business days before it's even sent, and that's not counting for any other delay. Maybe they're understaffed? Customer Service: N/A I didn't have to contact customer service about anything.  Perks: 1 No rewards or loyalty system in place at all - you don't even make an account with them!.

Total Score: 3

Glossybox

Glossybox

Information out of date? Please contact me at reverse.will.cg@gmail.com!

This is the general review page for Glossybox. Each time I review one of their boxes, it can affect its total score. I will award a score of 1 (awful) through 5 (awesomeness) on each of the following: content, value, uniqueness, shipping, customer service, and perks.

Service Type: Monthly subscription service

About: Each box contains 5-6 luxury-size beauty samples. The boxes they come in are really well made, sturdy, and pretty - perfect for using as gift boxes or storage!

Cost (in USD): $21 monthly, $60 for 3 months (save $3), $115 for 6 months (save $9), or $220 for 1 year (save $32!). Shipping is free, but CA and NY residents are subject to tax.

Shipping From: The East coast.

Shipping Schedule: They begin shipping in the third week of each month.

Countries They Ship To: The US version only ships to the continental US. There ARE versions of Glossybox for several different countries, but they all have their own separate websites and offer completely different products (and I'm guessing that like the US one, they don't ship outside their own country - too bad, because it would be pretty awesome to try all the different products!).

Bonuses: You can earn "GLOSSYDots" by completing surveys (20 GLOSSYDots) and referrals (200 GLOSSYDots per referral). When you reach 1,000, you can get a box for free.

Customer Service: N/A - I haven't had to contact customer service.

Individual Box Reviews: May 2013

Total HM! Score:

Content: 3 A few of the items in the last box were rather underwhelming. Value: 5 Items in the box are worth more than twice what you pay for the box. Uniqueness: 4 While they have high quality products, there's nothing specifically unique about Glossybox compared to many other subscription services. Shipping: 5 Fast, received my box within the expected time frame. Customer Service: N/A I have not had to contact their customer service.  Perks: 3 Unless you can convince a lot of people to join, it's difficult to earn enough GLOSSYDots for the free box.

Total Score: 4

POPSUGAR Must Have

POPSUGAR Must Have


Information out of date? Please contact me at reverse.will.cg@gmail.com!

This is the general review page for POPSUGAR Must Have. Each time I review one of their boxes, it can affect its total score. I will award a score of 1 (awful) through 5 (awesomeness) on each of the following: content, value, uniqueness, shipping, customer service, and perks.

Service Type: Monthly subscription service

About: These boxes contain a wide variety of different items - it's probably the most random of my subscriptions, though their boxes do have themes. Generally, you will receive a beauty item, a food item, and a jewelry item along with several other things. Their boxes are supposed to contain products worth at least $100 MSRP.

Cost (in USD): $35 monthly, $95 for 3 months (save $10), $190 for 6 months (save $20), or $380 for 1 year (one month free). Shipping is free.

Shipping From: Either California or New York.

Shipping Schedule: Around the 10th of each month.

Countries They Ship To: US only

Bonuses: Good referral program - 1 month free for 2 referrals, 3 months free for 5 referrals, and 6 months free for 10 referrals.

Customer Service: N/A - I haven't had to contact customer service.

Individual Box Reviews: May 2013

Total HM! Score:

Content: 1 Based on the May 2013 box, the content was rather disappointing. Value: 4 Items in the box are valued at much more than the cost of the box, but this only matters if the items are useful/enjoyable. Uniqueness: 5 They do include a wide variety of things in their boxes, so it's always a surprise! Shipping: 5 Fast, received my box within the expected time frame. Customer Service: N/A I have not had to contact their customer service.  Perks: 5 If you can get several referrals, you can end up with several free boxes!

Total Score: 4

Diamond Candles

Information out of date? Please contact me at reverse.will.cg@gmail.com!

This is the general review page for Diamond Candles. Each time I review them, it can affect its total score. I will award a score of 1 (awful) through 5 (awesomeness) on each of the following: content, value, uniqueness, shipping, customer service, and perks.

Service Type: Online store

About: Diamond Candles sells 21 oz soy candles, each with a mystery ring inside that can be worth from $10 - $5,000. In their FAQs they give you some tips on how to tell if it's valuable or not, and you can also post pics/videos to their Facebook page and they will assist you with finding out the ring's value. (Or you can take it to a jeweler).

Cost (in USD): All candles are $24.95. The amount of shipping varies depending on the number of candles you get and how fast you want them to arrive. As of my last site check on 5/9/13, they are temporarily offering free shipping for orders over $45.

Shipping From: Not sure, will update when I know for sure.

Shipping Schedule: They take 2 business days to process before shipping.

Countries They Ship To: US only

Bonuses: Nice referral program where you earn $5 in store credit for each person, and the people you refer will also get $5 off their first order!

Customer Service: N/A - I haven't had to contact customer service.

Individual Product Reviews: My first order is on its way, check back soon!

Total HM! Score:

I will wait to review my next order before tallying up the score.

Ipsy

Information out of date? Please contact me at reverse.will.cg@gmail.com!

This is the general review page for Ipsy. Each time I review one of their bags, it can affect its total score. I will award a score of 1 (awful) through 5 (awesomeness) on each of the following: content, value, uniqueness, shipping, customer service, and perks.

Service Type: Monthly subscription service

About: Ipsy sends you a mix of 4-5 sample- and full-sized beauty products monthly. They come in a different reusable makeup bag every month, which is pretty neat. 

Cost (in USD): $10 per month, with free shipping in the US. If you subscribe on an annual basis, it's $110 per year, so you basically get a bag for free. For Canada, shipping is $4.95 per month.

Shipping From: North Carolina

Shipping Schedule: They start shipping around the middle of the month.

Countries They Ship To: US and Canada

Bonuses: Right now they offer one bonus item in your next bag for every two people you refer who remain active members.

Customer Service: N/A - I haven't had to contact customer service.

Individual Box Reviews: May 2013

Total HM! Score:

Content: 5 Items are very high quality. Value: 5 Items in the box retail for about 5-6x that of the cost of the box! Uniqueness: 5 You get a different reusable makeup bag each month! As far as I know other subscriptions don't have a similar feature. Shipping: 5 Fast, I receive their products in a reasonable time frame. Customer Service: N/A Haven't had to contact customer service.  Perks: 4 Good, but not the best out there.

Total Score: 4.8

Little Black Bag

Little Black Bag

Information out of date? Please contact me at reverse.will.cg@gmail.com!

This is the general review page for Little Black Bag. Each time I review one of their bags, it can affect its total score. I will award a score of 1 (awful) through 5 (awesomeness) on each of the following: content, value, uniqueness, shipping, customer service, and perks.

Service Type: LBB is actually a pretty unique service - continue down to "About"!

About: LBB just went through a major rehaul just before I opened my first bag, so my only experience is with the "new" LBB. My first bag is in the process of being sent to me, so as I learn more about the service I'll update my information. Basically you pick an item to open your "bag" - they mainly have handbags/clutches, shoes, makeup, body care, and accessories. Then LBB will give you more items (I think usually two) that are in the same price range as your chosen item. You don't get to see what your other items are until you check out (except for their general category, like "jewelry"). If your mystery items turn out to be duds or uglies, don't worry, that's where the fun part begins! You can trade your unwanted items with other LBB members, and it's actually pretty addicting. You have seven days to trade, but you can tell LBB to ship your items whenever you're ready. You can also add other items from the gallery to your open bag, but you have to pay additional shipping (depending on what you're wanting to get, it may be more cost-effective to just start another bag after you finish with your current one).

Cost (in USD): It depends on how much and what items you buy. Shipping for the contiguous US is $5.95, but you can upgrade shipping if you want. For Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and APO/FPO addresses it is $11.95. For Canada, $15.95.

Shipping From: Not for sure; they have addresses in Los Angeles and NYC. I'll update when I find out.

Shipping Schedule: N/A - They ship shortly after you close your bag.

Countries They Ship To: The US (including APO/FPO), Puerto Rico, and Canada

Bonuses: They have a VIP program where they charge you $9.95 on the 1st of each month, and in return you get $10 credit (woohoo, you gain a whole nickel in credit every time). You can either use it as soon as you get it, or let it add up for a while. VIPs are also supposed to get better discounts and gifts with purchases. There's also a referral program where you can get a free item worth up to $25 in your next bag whenever one of your referrals open their first bags.

Customer Service: N/A - I haven't had to contact customer service.

Individual Bag Reviews: May 2013

Total HM! Score:

Content: 5 So far items are high quality. Value: 5 You can get pretty significant discounts on products, although it's possible to get stuck with things you don't really want. Uniqueness: 5 I've never run into another site like LBB (if you have, let me know!! Or maybe you shouldn't for my own sake =) ). Shipping: 5 Items arrive as expected with the shipping speed you choose. Customer Service: N/A - I haven't had to contact customer service.  Perks: 5 You can get further discounts and free gifts if you join their VIP program, plus they have a decent referral system.

Total Score: 5