A little behind

I have gotten really really behind on my blog because I had the flu, have had my regular job, have been working with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Junior Board plan our first Casino Night fundraiser, and also just been a little lazy...I have at least 16 boxes to post....soooo....I have so far uploaded all the photos to the drafts and need to go back and add the information. I thought I would post the pictures of the entire boxes here so you get a sneak peak and also let you know what all I have unsubscribed to and added to the mix....A full list will be at the end with whether or not I have cancelled it in parenthesis 

FABFITFUN 1st quarter Spring 2015

Ipsy February 2015

Birchbox February 2015

Bespoke Post February 2015-Refresh

Meowbox.net February 2015

Conscious Box February 2015

Splendies February 2015 (this is just one pair-I didn't get a pic of all three pairs)

Wantable: Intimates February 2015

Moxie Box February 2015

Beauty Box 5 February 2015

Glossybox February 2015

Barkbox February 2015 Mardi Gras Theme with bonus deluxe toy

Little Lace Box February 2015

POP SUGAR Must Have February 2015

Glossybox January 2015 (my first got stolen, so I'm not sure how similar mine is to others)

Splendies Luxe February 2015

All of the Boxes that I have subscribed to...in parenthesis are the number of boxes I received and if they've been cancelled, not yet received, I decided to try another month, or have a long term subscription 

1. Meowbox.net (1-cancelled)
2. Conscious Box (2-cancelled)
3. Birchbox Men (6-1 reviewed-cancelled)
4. Birchbox Women (12-1 reviewed-cancelled)
5. Bespoke Post (1-cancelled)
6. Gentleman's Box (1-cancelled)
7. Splendies (2-cancelled)
8. Splendies Luxe (1-cancelled)
9. Allure Sample Society (1-cancelled)
10. FABFITFUN (1-cancelled)
11. Ipsy (! received to be reviewed, 1 more I will receive-cancelled
12. Wantable: Intimates (1 reviewed, 1 more received to be reviewed-keeping for now)
13. Blush Mystery Beauty Box (1 reviewed, keeping another month)
14. Glossybox (2 received to be reviewed, 3 months subscription)
15. POP SUGAR Must Have (1 received to be reviewed, keeping for another month and trying to $100 resort box, usually worth over $400)
16. Little Lace Box (1 received to be reviewed, keeping one more month at least)
17. Beauty Box 5 (3 received-1 to be reviewed, 1 year subscription-unfortunately...)
18. Goodebox (yet to receive)
19. Barkbox (1 received-to be reviewed, 3 month subscription)
20. Moxie Box (1 received to be reviewed, will try another month)
21. KitNipBox (yet to receive)
22. Dazzley Box (yet to receive)
23. French Box (yet to receive)
24. Phone Case of the Month-for iPhone 6 (yet to receive)
25. Box of Happies (yet to receive)
26. Mission Cute (yet to receive)
27. Kloverbox (yet to receive)
28. Pet Gift Box-Cats (yet to receive)
29. Pet Gift Box-Dogs (yet to receive)
30. Orange Glad (yet to receive)

Conscious Box January 2015

Conscious Box is a monthly subscription box service that brings you a variety of food, bath, body, beauty, and household products that are all natural, non-GMO, and have an aim to support sustainable, fair-trade businesses. There are several options for Conscious Box. There are three types of boxes; Classic, Gluten-free, and Vegan. There are also two size boxes: Taster and Plus. The Taster version is $7.95/month and the plus version is $17.95 a month. The shipping is free. I got the classic plus size box. I had a hard time finding out if they ship anywhere outside the US from their website, but based on other blogs, I believe they ship to Canada. They bill on the 1st and ship between the 18th-21st and send an email with a tracking number. You can cancel anytime, just make sure you do before the 1st of the month, so that you aren't billed again.

They have a points system for reviewing products. For every point you get, you get one cent towards purchases towards their store, where you can buy the products in their boxes. You can also receive 500 points for referring a friend through Facebook or Twitter (which is $5). Points cannot be used towards subscriptions.

The website has a place to log in, where you can update your account and manage it. You can also seek customer service. I will be canceling this service. I actually really liked the box but I got it almost for free and in order to review other boxes, some have to go. I will replace this one with something similar and eco-friendly and non-beauty though. 

Item 1: Saffron Road Chipotle flavored Crunchy Chickpeas Full Size Value: $5.19

These are not bad tasting and have 5g of protein per serving and only 3g of fat. I would consider buying these to snack on as a healthy alternative. The flavor was nice too. Love how big this bag was!

Item 2: Spice Hunter Organic Oregano 2 tsp Value: $2

Not sure what to say, other than its a spice that I use. Hard to tell if its any better than any other oregano. Will add to the spice cabinet.

Item 3: Nuaxon BioScience NuMemory+ Herbal Supplement for Memory Full Size Value: $33.25

I really like that they sent a full size trial of this. Its suppose to support memory, have antioxidant activity, improve recall, and help maintain healthy brain function. One of the black soft gels didn't change anything for me, but I imagine this is something that would need to be taken daily. 

Item 4: Sant Superfruit Beverage Mixer 10g sample Value: $1.20

This is a dried fruit that can be mixed into any beverage for a shot of antioxidants. I doubt any beverage would be appropriate and don't imagine it would take great in a soda. Iced tea would probably be the way to go. Of course, it might make a nice Vodka mixer. 

Item 5: Natralla Dry Skin Lotion Small Sample 0.1oz x 2 Value: $0.17

100% natural ingredients that are suppose to leave hands moisturized up to 24 hours after application (I'm assuming if you don't wash your hands...). There is also a $1 off coupon inside each sample

Item 6: Carolla's Beeswax Skin Creme Sample Size (says should last 3-4 uses because you don't need much) 5ml Value: $0.59

Only has 5 ingredients (olive oil, borax, water, and beeswax). I tried it. I will say, it was VERY thick and you really don't need a lot. It felt good on my hands and since there is not a lot of extra ingredients, there was no strong smell.

Item 7: Back To Nature 100% Juice Fruit Punch Full Size Single Serving Value: $0.91

The juice is like a capri sun. There is a straw attached to the back to put through the pouch. The front does say from concentrate with added ingredients. The added ingredients make me wonder. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure I will. 

Item 8: Amazing Grass Green Superfood Chocolate Chip Coconut Whole Food Energy Bar Full Size Single Serving Value: $ 2.99

I'm looking forward to trying this because I love coconut and chocolate together. I like getting bars like this because I can toss them in my purse and take them to work, which is what I'm saving this one for! This product is cold-processed, soy free, vegan, and USDA organic!

Item 9: Your Tea "Tiny Tea" 3 Servings Value: $5.89

Tiny Tea is meant to help with detoxifying and revitalizing your digestive system. K tried it last night and enjoyed it, but was just as happy with his standard Earl Grey

Item 10: Kleenmaid Naturez Way Bamboo Perforated Towels, 2 full size towel samples Value: $0.37

These are a nifty alternative to paper towels and are 100% biodegradable as well as they can be reused (after rinsing) up to 10 times! I really like the idea of these, because we go through a lot of paper towels in my apartment!

Conscious Coupons-$1 off a Saffron Road product, 20% off code for Spice Hunter products online, 25% off for NuMemory+ products online, more information about Carolla's Beeswax products, and 2 recipes: One for Oregano and Garlic Butter and one for Chicken Cacciatore from Spice Hunter

I have to say I was REALLY impressed with my Conscious Box. If it were not for the fact that I want to try several natural, organic, or eco-friendly boxes, I would probably keep it. The total value added up to $52.56 not including the at least $3 worth of coupons. Considering it was $17.95 (plus I had a code for a free box), I think this box was pretty awesome. I also really liked some of the products it introduced (especially the bamboo towels and the Coconut and Chocolate Energy Bar). I give this one a 4/5 rating!

Click HERE to Subscribe to Conscious Box

Use code "FREEBOX" to get a free box (you will pay $7 shipping)

Love and Boxes, 

Rachel

Subscriptions, Subscriptions...

My name is Rachel, obviously, from the title. Some stuff about me to start with...I am 28 years-old. I'm a virgo. I got my bachelor's degree in Evolutionary Biology and a minor in Chemistry (so please forgive the run-ons and less than stellar writing style, its also been a while since I tried to write formally). I am a sales associate for a large diamond company. I sell loose diamonds, engagement rings, colored stones, and fine diamond and gemstone jewelry almost every day for nearly three years now. I love my job! My co-workers are like having another little family! I also have two Silver Shaded Persian Cats named Layla (she's 8) and Mrs Fluffington (or Janie Lou who is 1 1/2). I have a German Shepherd named Echo that is 4, but she lives with my dad since I live in an apartment. I live in Birmingham, Alabama in the middle of two of the "fancier" suburbs in a two-bedroom apartment with my best friend, who we shall call L in the blog, unless she gives me permission to use her name. I have an amazing boyfriend, who is about to graduate from medical school. We will refer to him as K for now. I host a trivia night once a month at a local bar. Trivia has probably been my biggest hobby for the past year. I also am a member of The Junior Board for The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, where I have been working to help in the prevention of suicide and awareness for the past year and was involved in the Foundation's Out of the Darkness Walks in the two years prior. I have raised over $5000 in those two years, which has been a big accomplishment that I am very proud of. Other than that, a few things I love (and this will come in handy later, I promise): reading, stargazer lilies, apple products, diamonds and jewelry (of course), Taylor Swift, peacocks, Eric Clapton, Vinyl records, Bond No 9 perfume/cologne, painting, sketching, playing guitar and ukulele, yoga, shopping (especially for clothes and makeup), Express (the store), Sephora, the beach, pinot noir, the occasional margarita (rocks, no salt), thai food, Grey's Anatomy, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Auburn football, cooking, pajamas, board and card games, traveling, massages, and pens that write well.


I'm not really a blogger, but I'm going to attempt to be one. This is going to be one of the more winded ones too since I am explaining myself and what I'm blogging about, so try and hang in there! So why am I attempting to be a blogger? There's a couple of reasons for this, one, it gives me something to do (new hobby!), and two, it lets me buy things (old hobby). The second part I really enjoy doing! So what exactly am I buying and blogging about? Subscription Boxes

Subscription Boxes are something that people used to get as bad Christmas gifts, like the cheese or fruit of the month club. Now they are a craze that has really caught on. Subscription boxes are exactly what they sound like. You pay a fee to subscribe to a service (it may be monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, etc) and they send you something (in this case in the mail). In this case, they send you a box, or bag, of products typically based on a common theme, determined by preferences you set. The products are typically a surprise, which makes it a lot of fun to open. It is like getting a little present in the mail, filled with goodies from a source or category you enjoy! Well, almost, you are paying for it. So it is technically a present to yourself, but it is still a lot of fun to get and open!

Here is an example: Birchbox (by the way this will sub as a good portion of my Birchbox review and in the future I will mainly just show the contents of the box each month so I'm not repeating myself)
Most people have heard about Birchbox, which is a beauty subscription box that sends 5-6 samples and some full size products for their subscribers to try for $10/month. You fill out a "beauty profile" for them on their website and they tailor the samples to your style and beauty needs. You can then buy any of products you liked from Birchbox's website. It is great if you just want to try out new things before you buy them, just like samples (I love having the small sizes around for traveling), or are really into beauty products. When I first signed up for Birchbox, I actually did not think I would ever purchase anything based on my Birchbox samples, because I really was just in it for the samples. I was very wrong. Birchbox introduced me to Caudalie, which is my go-to, hands-down, favorite skin care line. I started using Caudalie's VinoSource face cream when I got it in my first Birchbox, which led me to trying Caudalie's other, more expensive products. I am now completely dependent on Caudalie's highest end line, "Premier Cru." Which means that by Caudalie providing Birchbox with that one sample for their boxes, it resulted in me spending hundreds of dollars on their skincare products. (See how this works for the companies that provide the samples now? All it takes in one person to love one of their products and they buy more of it or try other products by the same company....and so on).  I've also purchased an eye-liner and a lip care product after loving the samples I got in my Birchbox. These were one time buys, but they still got me to buy a full-size and full-price item by sending me a sample. I think Birchbox's curators tend to keep some larger or "deluxe" samples and full size items in each box to keep people from unsubscribing, since not every box is going to have something in it that you want to pay full price for. These items (at least in my box, which remember, is geared towards me) are often hand lotions, lip glosses, and half-size mascaras, which I find having these to throw in my purse or keep at work really convenient.   Sounds pretty great, right? It is! So when Birchbox released the male version, I signed my boyfriend, K, up immediately. To my surprise (and his), he loves his Birchboxes! He was surprised by how useful the products that he received were and actually enjoyed trying them out. Since he is in medical school and on the go all the time, the travel sizes were great for him. It's also really helped him with maintaining his skin care routine. So, I deemed the Birchbox Men experiment pretty successful.

So why am I going on and on about Birchbox? Because that seems like how this subscription box craze all started. Now there are subscription boxes for anything and everything you can imagine! Seriously, you can get boxes full of things for your dog or cat, vegan-friendly foods, adult "toys," jewelry, socks, underwear, coffee, crafting supplies, kids items, yoga gear, fishing gear...the list goes on and on. If you can think of something you would like delivered to your door on a reoccurring basis (for a special price) then its probably out there.

Where do I come in?
I really get into things that I like or enjoy. In a way, I guess you could say that I have an addictive personality when it comes to "stuff" (not drugs!). Once I get hooked on a product, clothing item, brand, etc...I tend to acquire it in large quantities. Currently, my fixation has been on contouring makeup, really soft pajamas, knee socks, cooking stuff, and subscription boxes.  So in order to at least somewhat justify one of my current obsessions, I am going to blog about it. This first entry has been really long-winded (I'm more than aware!), so I am going try and keep the rest to a minimum. Below are the first 15 boxes I've subscribed to (including Birchbox Women and Birchbox Men). These are the ones I'm going to initially blog about. I may cancel some later on in order to try some different boxes (especially if I am not impressed) and because I don't want to be spending a fortune (I got a lot of them at a discounted rate for the first one with a coupon, with the option to cancel!) After this entry, I will post a new entry when I get a new box (Maybe one or two about other boxes out there if there is interest). The first review of a box I received yesterday will be within the next day or two.

Each Review will entail: Not All Subscription Boxes are Created Equal!
I will tell you all about that subscription box service-
the name of the subscription box, the type of products/service it is, price per box and pricing discounts if you subscribe for longer periods at a time, shipping price (most are free), how often you receive a box, how they decide what you receive (and if they conform the box based on what you like), whats suppose to be in it, what I actually got in it (complete with photos of the box and each item), the value of each individual item and overall value of the box I received vs the price of the box, a little review of the contents and the subscription service in general (with a rating system), any perks you get as a member (for referrals, reviews, etc), a link to subscribe, any coupons or promotional discount codes I may have for that subscription box. Again, they won't be nearly this long...I hope...


I listed the boxes that I have subscribed to (with links)
A brief summary from their description of their box (paraphrased in some instances for space)
The price for each box with no discount (I used a lot of discounts!!!)

1. Birchbox-Women (hand-curated, high-end, brand-name, and premium beauty, makeup, grooming and lifestyle samples and accessories)- $10/monthly
2. Birchbox-Men (hand-curated, high-end, brand-name, and premium, grooming, skincare, lifestyle samples and accessories for men)- $20/monthly
3. Ipsy-(A personalized "glambag" of samples and full-sized beauty products based on stylist recommendations)-$10/monthly
4. Glossy box (Exclusive and Top Beauty, Makeup, Skincare, Haircare products from the best, well-known, luxury brands and up-and-coming niche brands )-$21/monthly
5. Wantable: Intimates (3-4 premium intimate essentials (underwear, PJS, socks, lingerie, pantyhose, leggings) hand-picked by your in-house stylist)-$36/monthly (can be returned if you don't like the items for a full refund)-This company has three other "categories" of boxes as well, I just started with this one.
6. Splendies (3 pairs of quality underwear delivered discreetly to your door with dozens of brands, styles, and colors)-$13.99/monthly (although the website says its now $9.99/month? not sure because I had a coupon for a free box)
7. Beauty Box 5 (A mix of makeup, hair products, beauty accessories, skincare, body, nail, and frangrance that we can't get enough of from luxury, drugstore, eco-concious, niche, and even vegan-brands)-$12/monthly
8. Allure Beautybar.com Sample Society (Highlights of Allure's editors rigorous products research and testing of hair, makeup, skin products, and fragrances along with a mini-Allure Magazine)-$15/monthly
9. FABFITFUN (Seasonal box full of full-size, premium products related to fitness, beauty, home decor, accessories, nutrition, and fashion for women aimed at making you feel good from the inside out)-$49.99/quarterly
10. POPSUGAR Must Have ($100 worth of fashion, beauty, food, home decor, and fitness products from new and upcoming brands as well as tried and true essentials)-$39.95/monthly
11. Conscious Box (We scour the world to bring you the absolute best ethical, Non-GMO, natural, and sustainable everyday products such as food, cleaning products, beauty products and household necessities from hundreds of natural goods)-$17.95/monthly-There are three versions of this box as well including regular, gluten-free, and vegan (mine is the regular) there is also a "taster" box that has fewer items for $7.95/month, I chose the "plus" version since my coupon required me to. 
12. Splendies LUXE (A subscription service that brings you 3 pairs of some of the finest underwear on the market today and is the premium version of the "splendid" box. Comes in a ribbon-tied keepsake box)-$45/month (yet again the site says $35 and I used a different discount code for more off...also this will probably be one I only keep for a month since they are basically the same thing, just one is fancier...and pricier...)
13. Meow Box (In each box your cat will receive a $35-45 value combination of tasty treats, tantalizing toys, grooming aids, and innovative gadgets designed to make your cat's life happier)-$25/monthly (This is not the same Meoxbox that the company that makes Barkbox makes). 
14. Little Lace Box (Themed, designer, hard to find, hand curated, high-end, and brand name beauty, lifestyle, and home products and samples)-$39.99/monthly (I'm really excited to see what is in this box because they have special themes (one was Downton Abbey) and the boxes are often jam packed with really neat stuff that isn't makeup!!! (yay!) and I had to sit on a waiting list for a week in order to get on their list because they sell out so fast!)
15. Goodebox (A trial and discovery providing expertly curated, healthy beauty products, non-toxic cosmetics, natural cosmetics, and personal care products, along with occasional samples of organic and natural health and wellness products.)

Wow, that one post took a lot longer to write than I thought it would!!! I hope you enjoyed reading it. Sorry it was so long. The rest will be shorter and full of pictures! I will post my Beauty Box 5 January 2015 box later this week, so stay tuned!

Love and Boxes, 

Rachel