Thursday, October 9, 2014

Send Me Gluten Free Box Review + Giveaway!

Send me Gluten Free was created for the people of the Gluten Free community who were looking for new products to try that fit their diet needs. While I am not someone who considers themselves to be, 'Gluten Free' I love snacks and trying new brands, and a lot of the times the snacks marked 'Gluten Free' taste great and you can't even tell they have that stamp of GF on there (if that makes sense).

About this monthly subscription:

  • Each month you'll get 8-12 new gluten free products! 
  • Some products will be full-sized and others may be sample sized! 
  • Contents of the box aren't just food based, they can range from food to personal care products to household hold items. All products that support you GF lifestyle!
  • Cost is $30 per month if you purchase month to month! 
  • Sign up for a yearly subscription and the boxes come down to $20/month (other options available).

With that being said - here's what came in October's box:

1. Mediterranean Snacks Lentil Chips (Sea Salt) $3.49
2. YogaVive Apple Chips (Chocolate) $4.49
3. I Heart Keenwah Quinoa Cluster (Chocolate Sea Salt) $1.50
4. NoGii Paleo Bar (Nuts About Berries) $2.42
5. Coupon for ONE FREE Conte's Pasta GF Product $10.00
6. Nature's Path Organic Granola Bar (Dark Chocolate Chip) $.88
7. Kemnitz Family Kitchen Sample Pack - Couldn't find a value!
8. Primal Pit Paste - $3.95
9. Bonne Maman Preserves (Strawberry) - $.50
10. Country Life CoEnzyme B-Complex Caps & Button - Couldn't find a value!
11. Redd Remedies Supplement - Couldn't find a value!

So, with my research and checking the values of each item (some I couldn't find) the total of the box came to: $27.23!

So with that said with this first box, it doesn't quite equal up to the value of how much you would be paying per month! However, if you purchased a year subscription, the value would be better! 

In my opinion, the price per box is quite high. Maybe it's a better value for someone who is actually GF and may find it difficult to find products that fit their lifestyle. As far as new brands, the only two brands I already knew were Bonne Maman and I Heart Keenwah Quinoa. I may have gotten these in my Love with Food boxes, not really sure. One of my favorite things about these kind of boxes is discovering new brands, so if that's all you care about this is def a great box to explore! 

Sign up here: http://www.sendmeglutenfree.com/category-s/1817.htm and use coupon code BLOG20 at checkout to get 20%!

OR, even better - enter my giveaway down below to win November's box!! 

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Monday, September 29, 2014

Blogging for Books: Sweet

Whoa, was I glad to see this book as an option to blog for. It was just released this month and a week before it's release date, I swear..I had the book in my cart on Amazon. BUT, my side of the brain that scolds me for buying things I don't technically need won that battle and I never got it. But NOW I own it thanks to Blogging For Books, one of the best sites ever.

Yes, it's another cookbook, but this one is entirely devoted to SWEETS (shocked, right?). And, double awesome, is that it's from the editors of one of my favorite magazines Food Network Magazine! 

Food Network Magazine is my favorite because it has lots and lots of photos and bright colors and fun fonts, and so I had assumed that their first cookbook would be no different. I was not disappointed.

The coolest chapter by far is the one entitled Fake Out Cakes. They have a cake that looks like a Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich, A Cheeseburger, and a Flowerpot - just to name a few! These are so creative and so awesome on so many levels.

Then there is your typical cupcakes, cookies, pies, frozen treats and holiday desserts that make up this cookbook. Each recipe comes with a high quality photo, too!

Another positive thing to say is that a lot of the treats aren't your typical treats. You're not going to find the same ol' Apple Pie, they have treats like Blueberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake, and Almond Corn Puff Cookies. I think it's easy to get bored with the same old recipes, despite being made a new way or adding an ingredient. This cookbook is fairly unique throughout the entire thing.

There are no complaints from me with this one. This is a fabulous cookbook that anyone who has a sweet tooth (like myself) should own! :)

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.


Sunday, September 21, 2014

Halloween Baking Kits + Giveaway!

Seriously, if Halloween was a year long celebration, I'd be 100% okay with that. I love everything about Halloween - the candy, the dressing up, the Halloween specials (I grew up on the Roseanne specials!) and the awesome baking that comes with Halloween themed treats. I have seen some AMAZING creations out there. Sometimes though you may not have the time to make something completely from scratch and so having an awesome, unique baking kit on hand is the way to go this Halloween.

Simple ingredients you need
from home!
My love for In The Mix came when I first discovered them at World Market. I can't say what the very first kit was, but every season I go back and look for their newest ones. I decided to bust out my google skills and see who made these kits and discovered Brand Castle, LLC not only just made In the Mix, but also Crafty Cooking Kits & Festival. I reached out to them expressing how much I loved their kits and they were so nice and sent me FOUR boxes of their most popular kits for the Halloween season - one of those kits I will be giving away down below! :)
Contents of Kit


I waited all weekend to finally have a moment to make one of these kits. I debated about making all 3 of them, but decided that I wanted to really 'savor' the kits and since it's not even October, I knew I'd be making them throughout the coming weeks! I did, however, make the Zombie Dance Party Cookie Party Kit (which will be the kit I am giving away, too!) and they turned out very cool looking, were super fun and easy to make and actually tasted delicious! Check out my pictures of the process (and don't judge my terrible cookie decorating skills, lol) and be sure to enter my giveaway to win one! I would love to send it out before Halloween so you can make them too! :)

I love that they included 4 sturdy zombie cookie cutters, because they are going to be reused again!

P.S. My BF just asked if these were turtles - told you I have terrible cookie icing skills! 
I really recommend looking at their website! Just in the Halloween section alone they have 64 items listed! Like bloody bone sprinkles or Fright Night Sprinkles! And, not to mention Christmas and Summer goodies, among other seasons in there!


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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

DeeDee & Dooley Potty Training Game + Giveaway!

My son is 20 months old, which means that potty training is on the horizon. Not gonna lie, I'm pretty anxious about it. Why? I'm wondering how it's going to go - this will be my first adventure in PottyLand. I've heard horror stories and then I've heard awesome stories where their kid was trained in a day. Sounds magical and slightly unrealistic, but hey, all kids are different and that's okay. It's just another joy of parenthood. ;)

I recently won an awesome potty training tool with the best name ever, DeeDee & Dooley's Potty Training Progress Game. With months away still from potty training, I LOVE knowing that I have my own progress game on hand that will be ready to be used when that time comes. 

So...what is it? DeeDee & Dooley's Potty Progress Game™ (also known as Dee & Doo) is a static cling daily potty training tool that works just like a chart, yet plays like a game. The game includes identifiable potty character pieces and bathroom scene play mat that easily helps children understand their goals visually. Along with the chart and static clings, each game comes with free printables, trusted information from doctors and teachers, support forums, Dee & Doo™ PEP up training, with Patience, Edoocation, and Play!

Why a chart?  Paper charts have been helpful for years, helping children record their progress and allowing them to see the accomplishments they are reaching. Dee & Doofound that charts were awesome, but found that play also helped the developmental process of potty training become more effective. It is their hope that the pleading, bribing parent in a power struggle with their child who resists performing will now turn into a coach and storyteller who plays with their child on their Dee & Doo adventure. 

Why a game?  What child doesn't love to play a game? Potty game should be no exception! Using play to help motivate children and capture their imaginations they will fall in love with the cast of real potty characters and find it less of a chore! When kids don't see using the potty as a chore that interrupts their play, they're less likely to procrastinate and have accidents or avoid going to the potty altogether.

Please check out their website for more information on this awesome potty training aide and to read more about why children have issues with or resist potty training and how Dee & Doo helps them conquer the sometimes scary adventure of potty training (for parents & child!). 

And, we can't not mention how awesome the Potty Parfaits are - every child should experience these, and maybe even parent, because they are that awesome! 

Dooley’s Potty Parfait™ Recipe

You will need:

  • 1 package of Berry Blue Jell-O ® or other gelatin dessert that is BLUE.
  • 1 package of Lemon or Pineapple Jell-O ® or other gelatin dessert that is YELLOW.
  • 1 tub of Cool Whip® – you’ll use about 3/4 of it (you could use whipped cream or yogurt instead)
  • 1 package of Tootsie Roll Midgees® – you’ll use 12 for this recipe*
  • 1 package of Wilton® candy eyeballs – you’ll use 12 for this recipe*
  • 6 clear plastic cocktail cups – plastic is our pick since these are for children as young as 2 years of age

Here’s how to doo it:

Porcelain toilet layer:
Drop spoonfuls of Cool Whip® into the bottom of the cups, just under 1/2 of the way up. Smooth flat and make sure the sides of your cups are clean. (We used the back of a teaspoon to spread and a damp paper towel to wipe.) Place cups on a tray and put in the freezer to set up while you make Jell-O.
Blue toilet water layer:
Prepare Berry Blue Jell-O® according to package instructions. Chill in a bowl for about 10-15 minutes (times will vary depending on temperature and humidity) until gelatin is cool and thickened a little but still liquid. This cooling step is important so that you don’t disrupt the Cool Whip® layer. Gently spoon gelatin into cups on top of Cool Whip® until you reach just under 3/4 of the cup. Chill cups in fridge to set, about 30 minutes, while you make the next layer.
Yellow Dee layer:
Prepare Lemon or Pineapple Jell-O® according to package instructions. Chill in a bowl like you did for the blue gelatin, then pour on top of the pre-set blue Jell-O® layer until the cup is just about full. This is your last layer; chill to set.
Dooley's Potty Parfait™ dessert recipeTootsie Dooley:
(NOTE: Wait to prepare these until about an hour before you’re ready to serve and DO NOT place them in the gelatin until immediately before serving or they will will start to melt into the dessert…and that’s not pretty!) Generously spray a plate with cooking spray or spread oil (not olive) on it with a paper towel. This is important so the Tootsie Rolls® don’t stick! Unwrap 12 Tootsie Roll Midgees® and push two end-to-end until they are well stuck together. You will have 6 double-sized pieces. Place them around the oiled plate evenly and warm them in the microwave. Keep an eye on them, it’s only about 10-15 seconds; don’t let them spread out too much or bubble. Remove plate from microwave and push two candy eyes into the six softened Tootsie Rolls®. With a butter knife or spatula, shape the Tootsie Dooleys so that the top and bottom are rounded and the middle (which melts the most) isn’t too rounded. Take a teaspoon or small plastic spoon and push the tip in to create a smiling mouth. Relax and be creative; you can make them any shape you want! Let cool until you can easily pop the Tootsie Dooleys off plate and they stand up without flopping over. (You can put them in the fridge for a minute or two, but not too long or the humidity can cause stickiness and the black part of the eyes to run.) Just before serving, push the Tootsie Dooleys into the top of each chilled dessert cup so that he stands up. Try different angles and heights in each cup!
And, thanks to the great folks at Dee & Doo, they are letting me give away one of these awesome games for your potty training kiddo! Just enter below! :) US Residents Only! 18+


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Monday, September 15, 2014

BoxyCharm - September 2014 - Fashion Week Fabulous

Another great month! However, I will say, I wish they'd introduce some new brands. I feel like they are recycling the same one - great brands though - I would never purchase brands Tarina Tarantino on my own because I can't afford them, but it would just be nice to get a mixture, because then you start to get burned out on the same brands on repeat. I feel that way when I get repeat brands in different boxes (cough, cough Purlisse).


Theme of the month:


Box contents:
 This box had a whopping retail value of $96.00! 

The Coastal Scents palette I received was Bejing which is describe on the back as having, "twelve highly-pigmented hues shimmer in deep plums, ink black, gold and cherry blossom pinks." The first four took a lot of swatching to get a color I could really see. However, the next rows were very pigmented and my favorite row was the last row! Loved all those colors! :)
The LipSurgence lip gloss from Tarte isn't my thing - mainly because rarely do I find a lip gloss that I'll wear a whole lot. A lot of them are either too stick (like this one) or too slippery. For the most part, it's a clear lip gloss with some shimmer in it. 


Then there's the NCLA Nail Lacquer! I think I really enjoy the color! I don't have many white-ish colors so received something that isn't your typical pink or red is always welcomed.

The Tarina Tarantino Fleur de Lash Mascara (what does that even mean?) is apparently Limited Edition. I wonder why. I love, love their packaging! It's so heavy! And looks/feels expensive, lol. I'm not going to open this mascara because I seriously have soooo many mascaras to use up, so I won't be able to share how I feel about this, but you can never really have too many mascaras, right?

And, finally, the perfume Hello! by Harvey Prince. To me, perfume is perfume. You either hate it or love it. What else can you say? I do love the simple packaging of it. ;) I also don't mind the scent. It's just going to be added to my mountains of perfume samples!

I might be getting burnt out on beauty subscription boxes. Or, maybe just with makeup, in general. I'm a junkie, yet, feel pretty overwhelmed with how much I have accumulated as of late. We shall see, maybe I'm just having a moment :)


Thursday, September 11, 2014

Blogging For Books: Blue Ribbon Baking from Redneck Kitchen

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.

I feel like my life has really been missing out, mainly because just last week did I discover the awesomeness that is Blogging For Books. The idea is you get free books for a honest review. I thought maybe there was a catch, or maybe they were books that were 10 years old, but NO. The book I am about to share with you was JUST released 2 days ago! There were plenty of great books to chose from in all different categories, so why did I chose a cookbook? Well... I feel like the hours in my day disappear. I never really know where they go and I haven't sat down to read a chapter book since I had my son 20 months ago. The most reading I get is when I get 15 minutes here and there reading my bajillion magazines that continue to pile up waiting to be read. No joke, there are probably 200 sitting. It's becoming an epidemic. Anyways.. onto the book...

Selecting this book, I had no idea who Francine Bryson was. I selected it because I love to bake and along with my other neglected hobby, my drive to bake has disappeared just like the minutes in the day. Plus, along with baking, I like to eat baked goods. So, I'm probably an expert...;)...Anyways, back to Francine. Francine was a finalist in CBS's The American Baking Competition - a show i never watched, but probably should have. She's from South Carolina and has won more than 200 local and national baking competitions, and now she has a new cookbook with a forward by Jeff Foxworthy. Neat! 


The book has your typical baking goodness - pies, cookies, biscuits and candy. I really wanted to go outside my box and bake something that had a fun name, like Redneck Cracklin' Corn Bread, or her World Famous Chocolate Bacon Peanut Butter Pie, but when I stumbled upon the Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Pan Cake recipe and was pretty much astounded that I had all the ingredients in my house, I got to baking. 






It turned out great, and let me tell you how proud I felt after completing it! Along with my disappearing time, I have had no baking inspiration and have relied on cake mixes (nothing wrong with that) to fill some sort of baking void, but this time I had actually made something from scratch, it's been so long! 

Sadly, I wasn't a huge fan (although I did have seconds) with the taste. I can't really pinpoint why either. Something was lacking. I'm going to try it again tomorrow and see if maybe my taste buds were just off. It's happened before...

As far as the book, it's pretty plain. There aren't that many pictures and I LOVE pictures in cookbooks, the more the merrier. I am a visual person and often select recipes based on the how they look in the cookbook. It's your typical cookbook, simple recipe names, very simple look to it. Some interesting recipes sprinkled throughout, but pretty typical. Still happy to have it in my collection and maybe I will one day have ingredients in the house for something more Redneck.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Beauty Without Cruelty Lipstick Review

I was fortunate to have been sent a free lipstick and some trial size 'samples' to try out from Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC) - a company, I've never heard about, but am always excited to learn more about and experience.

First, a little information, straight from their website, for those curious about this brand:

Founded by Kathleen Long & Lady Dowding in 1963 (!) who set out to accomplish a goal to manufacture and distribute natural, color cosmetics that were NOT tested on animals nor contain any animal ingredients. With over 40 years to their name, Beauty Without Cruelty has a full line of cruelty-free, vegetarian skin, body, and hair care products made with the finest natural ingredients and aroma-therapeutic essential oils, along with a full line of color cosmetics. 

I think it's amazing how they have been around 40 years now and I'm just hearing about them now! And their website is HUGE! There is so much stuff it's overwhelming.

Here are the products that were so kindly sent to me for review:


I love the scent of Lavender, so I really enjoyed the scents, and the cleanser had a really pleasant Orange citrus scent.

The lipstick I received was in the color Blueberry Coulis. The lipstick was really moisturizing, but a little too moisturizing for me. I prefer my lipsticks to be more of a matte finish, because otherwise I tend to get my lipstick everywhere, so I felt like it was a bit slippery. I loved the color though and found that the packaging was elegant and classic and also recommend it for anyone who enjoys a more moisturized finish or looking for something that's Animal Cruelty Free or/and Vegan! This was my first time venturing down that road, and I am quite pleased. Would love to see what else is out there! ;)





Saturday, August 23, 2014

Modern Mom Insiders: Sheer Cover Review!

I decided to try the Sheer Cover products for the first time during a time when I had a full acne breakout! I have acne prone skin, so it's hard to find makeup products that cover my problem spots. I received such an amazing 'starter kit' for this campaign, here's what was inside:



Mineral Foundation
  • Sheer Cover Base Perfector Primer  - I was really turned off by the smell of this primer, it's very perfumey and prefer my primers to not have a scent, or maybe it's something I am just not used to! It starts out being really silky smooth, with borderline oily, but dries very silky smooth. I'm terrible though at telling if Primers actually work. I will say that overall my makeup look for the day DID stay on nearly my entire 9 hour work day. The only areas that I noticed that didn't stay was around some acne spots. 
  • Sheer Cover Perfect Shade Mineral Foundation - I requested the Light/Medium shade. My biggest issue I had was the coverage. For me, personally, I need a foundation that is going to give me a lot of coverage, especially during my acne breakouts. I don't think this was terrible and the concealer was a great help to covering, but I unfortunately need a lot of coverage! 
  • Sheer Cover Concealer & Brighten Trio -  This was probably my favorite thing in the entire set! I LOVED that there were two different shades and a highlighter included in the compact! It really makes things easier and something I would definitely throw into my purse whenever I need to cover up. It covered my acne spots for the most part very well! 
    Concealer Trio
  • 4 Piece Brush Set - This apparently was a bonus gift, which was awesome because I am always in need of some new brushes! I LOVE the concealer brush. Wasn't a huge fan of the foundation brush, but it's also not the worst thing I have used for foundation. 
  • Sheer Cover Sun-Kissed Bronzing Minerals - Honestly, I don't really know much about bronzers. I don't know how to really apply them (makeup newbie?) and when I watch Youtube videos I always think I could never have it look that good. I did really like the shade though, it wasn't something that was too crazy and I thought it worked well for my skin the one time I did try it! I hope that I create a better relationship with bronzers in the future. But, usually bronzers are last on my list of coveted items. 
    Bronzer
  • Sheer Cover Lengthening Mascara & Lash Extending Fibers -  This worked just okay for me. I wonder if it was the fact that I used Younique's 3D Lash Fiber mascara pretty recently that using any other kind, might have a hard time living up to that one but I wasn't entirely impressed with this. Once again, it wasn't horrible and did give me volume, but nothing to write home to mom about. 

It was way more than I was expecting, but super excited to try it out! I've never really gone too far into mineral based makeup, but am always willing to try. I would give this a 4 out of 5 stars because after looking at the untouched AFTER photo I realized it worked pretty good, better than I thought in person! And, I'm sure, when I don't have an acne breakout, it would work even better, so am willing to try it again when I don't have a gigantic zit on my face. =\


Don't forget to enter to win a Year's Supply of Sheer Cover from ModernMom.com here:


Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Memebox #23: Girl's Night Out

Memeboxes are popping up all over, everywhere on Youtube and blogs, so naturally I HAD to check it out for myself. It's not a subscription, it's just specially themed boxes that are available to purchase whenever they are offered. They have so many unique themes, but really wanted to get one that would be more makeup based. So, I chose Girl's Night Out. This box costed me about $30 - normally it's $23, but then you pay the shipping of $6.99 to get it to you. I know I had a coupon code that I used, so this was definitely under $30, and although a bit pricey for my typical purchases, the value of this box came to $119!!! And every single brand was new to me, but that didn't surprise me since it's 'Korean Beauty.'


















These remind of me OPI products! I really enjoyed my shades that I got, particularly the black shade on the right! I prefer darker shades almost all year round, but once and a while I will get a lighter shade that I'd really like. I didn't swatch these because I was unprepared and had already a fresh coat of a polish!

I wish I was good at putting on fake eyelashes. These may just sit at the bottom of my makeup drawer for a very long time, until my practice pays off and I get better at it. I don't know how to judge whether or not a fake eyelash product is good or not, but that's probably just because I don't have much experience with them.

I LOVED the Liquid Eyeliner! It had a great feel when I did a swatch of it, a little just okay on the shade, but sometimes I love something totally different. I like bright eyeliners or your typical black, but this green is sort of out of my box! It also had great staying power. The swatch on my hand didn't easily come off with soap and water! You had to work to remove it! Which is another great quality to an eyeliner - you want it to stay put!


Not sure how I feel about the Hair perfume, lol. Sounds interesting to me, don't think I've ever had hair perfume in my possession before! But that's just another reason why I love boxes that provide me with something I've never owned or a new brand, and this is an example. Looking forward to trying this out and getting a better impression.

Love the Dual concealer, too! It looks pretty light, but that's me - pretty light toned right now. The Summer sun doesn't do much for my face when it comes to getting some color. But, I can always use a concealer! I seem to go through it enough!


My second favorite thing, was the lipstick. I am a HUGE lipstick fanatic lately. It's bad. So, naturally I was so happy to see this bright pink shade and do enjoy the shade when swatched, so this is definetely something I would wear on a daily basis!

Lastly, we have this perfume scent. Normally, I am not a huge fan of perfumes, and I literally have a satchel of sample vials from beauty boxes, but mainly I don't wear perfume a whole lot anymore. I am not really sure why because there are some great scents out there, but it's just been a while since I woke up in the morning and thought to spritz myself. I get ready in 30 mins, not much thought goes into it some days. Maybe I will start wearing it again, because I enjoy this scent! Ashley approved! :)

I really loved this box. SO much that I went nuts and bought 3 more Memeboxs, that aren't released for a while! One is a Pink Edition, Halloween, and something else. LOL. I need to stop, seriously. But, it's SO fun.



Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Purex Insiders: Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango Body Wash + Giveaway!

There is not much wrong that can be done to a body wash, in my opinion. The worst thing I feel could happen would be that I'd absolutely hate the scent. Which has happened. I'm not a huge fan of straight up vanilla scents. It makes me think of those body sprays and then it makes me think of high school when I used to douse myself in that kind of stuff from Bath and Body Works. Purex Insiders recently sent me a bottle of Dial's new Coconut Water Refreshing Mango body wash to try and write a review on. Although, never a fan of mango flavoring, scent is a completely different thing. Here is what I loved about this new body wash:

1. The smell. It smells sooooooooooo good! The mango was the most obvious sniff, but once you really used your nose you could pull out the hints of coconut in there. I also applaud the new scent combo - coconut and mango isn't something I've seen before. I love when you get different combos or scents that aren't you typical ocean waters or something like that.

2. Thanks to the nifty information sheet that came with the body wash, I learned how coconut water is "a leading trend known to be rich in antioxidants and electrolytes that help provide replenishing hydration. Mango is known for being nutrient rich and adds a touch of tropical freshness."

3. It's a whole line! It comes in a foaming hand wash, bar soap and one more scent of body wash minus the mango!

4. It does what it says. It left my skin feeling smooth and what I assume hydrated! It had a great lather, which is something I like to see in a body wash.

I'm so happy that I get to giveaway a free product coupon to 2 readers! Enter the giveaway below to win one! Expires 9/30/14! :)




a Rafflecopter giveaway The Dial brand provided me with a sample of Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango body wash in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions shared here are my own. 

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

MunchPak - August 2014

Beauty boxes aren't my only favorite kind of subscription boxes to get in the mail, food ones hold a special place, too. I've heard a little about Munchpak through a couple of other Youtubers, but otherwise not a whole lot. The unboxing videos were amazing enough to get me shell out $21 to try it for this month. I am a loyal Love With Food fan, but am always up for trying something new, especially when it comes to food. The difference between Love With Food and Munchpak, besides the price, is that Munchpak gets a lot of treats from other countries, which I think is awesome! A lot of the products I received in this box weren't in English, which makes it a kind of gamble sometimes when you take that first bite, yet so exciting!

Contents:




So as you can tell, you do get a lot of yummy snacks! I will say that so far I've LOVED the Ki-Ki fruit chews! They were so good and I ate them in a day! I've heard of only a few products from this box and that's probably the coolest part of the box - getting products you've never heard of! And, just yesterday, Munchpak posted on their Instagram some changes that are coming, one including an information sheet explaining more about products, which is great, because some of these aren't in English! Would be great to know what everything is and where they come from!

Updates coming, according to Munchpak's Instagram:
A few updates coming this month... PayPal - Currently customers can purchase a gift using their credit card or PayPal. Later this week, we will implementing Paypal for subscriptions. Soon you will have the option to have your payment automatically deducted from your PayPal account! International Shipping - Is expected to be ready and complete by the end of this month. Add something to drink to your order - All these snacks must make you thirsty! Soon you will be able to add some coffee or tea to your delivery (more drink options coming this winter). Preferred/Non-Preferred Snacks - Do you like chewy and sour snacks but dislike crunchy snacks that are spicy? We are adding even more options so we can create the perfect box of snacks, just for you! Also, by popular demand, we will soon be including an insert in each box that will include details on where you can find out what the heck everything is that came in your MunchPak.

I purchased this box with my own money. ;)

Friday, August 8, 2014

August Allure Sample Society Box

I remember when I was first getting into the 'beauty box craze' - well over a year ago - I always heard the name Sample Society, but for some reason, based off the contents of past boxes, it just never struck me as a box to try out. Apparently though, as of last month, they revamped their boxes. I saw last month's box preview and debated back and forth on whether or not I should buy it. The Laura Mercier highlighter was what was pulling on me to go for that box. Well, I didn't go for that box, but did go for the next one! What hook line and sunk me? The sneak peak #2 of the Too Faced Melted lipstick! I honestly didn't care what else was there, I just wanted that lipstick and paying $15 was amazing to me considering one Melted lipstick cost $21...but...then, I got the box...and I'm probably the only one slightly disappointed...First, I will show you the contents and then explain.

Love the new, bright red box. I'm a forever sucker for cute, bright, fun packaging, and looking at their old packaging this a huge step up!

Contents:


  • Ciate Paint Pots nail polish in the color Cha Cha Cha
  • Oribe Surfcomber Tousled Texture Mousee
  • Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Peony
  • Kate Somerville Dilo Oil Restorative Treatment
  • Jane Iredale Longest Lash Thickening And Lengthening Mascara in Black Ice


Looks like a great box, right? Well, it is. BUT, my thing was that I wasn't expecting deluxe samples for everything. I know this is almost entirely MY fault for having way too high of expectations. When, I saw the sneak peak of the Too Faced, I just automatically assumed it would be full size, mainly because I never knew there was a mini version out there. Don't get me wrong, I love the mini version, because I would love ANY size of Melted, but I just wasn't even thinking that way. Even down to the Ciate nail polish, I just wasn't expecting a mini version.

I do really love the booklet that comes with the box. It's very well detailed and really explains what each product is and what it does. For example, I had NO clue what the Oribe was or what it did, so it was nice that this booklet laid it out for me, by telling me it "Helps thickens and adds piecey texture without sacrificing shine or softness." Thanks, Allure! :)


I am really torn .... mainly because I wanted this to be something a bit more. I wanted it to WOW me and it just didn't, but it didn't suck either... I want a box that has SOME full size products.  I have 6 boxes coming this month alone, and being the first time trying this box, I needed it to stand out in order to keep on paying for it! I may stay for Septembers to get a better idea, but these boxes add up, so have to be picky!