SPLENDIES Luxe February 2015

Splendies Luxe February 2015

Splendies Luxe is the higher end version of Splendies. It's $45.00/every other month for three luxury brand panties in a keep sake box that ties with a ribbon. You can choose a mix of styles or all thongs. You can cancel at any time. It bills on the 10th and ships sometime right after. I only did this for one month because I don't need the panties and because I didn't really want to spend that amount. (It wasn't $45 when I initially subscribed, it was $35 and I got a discount on top of that. This information was only recently added to the page.) I also thought it was monthly, which explains why I was confused to only get the regular Splendies in January, but it only just now says that on their really poorly designed website that is difficult to navigate and to find information on with no log in or user accounts capability. 

Felina Pink and White lace bikini style value:$12

These are really cute and super comfy. I like the color too. They also didn't ride up. 

Rumour Lace bright pink with white lace thong value: $19

These are adorable and sexy. I really like that they're usually $19 for one pair since the box is pricier

Felina black with white lace bikini style value: $12 

Another very cute and comfy pair. Happy to get a black pair since I wear a lot of black and they'll go with any black bra. 

Overall, it was a $43 value for $45 which doesn't make sense to me. Why would I want to pay more for something? Luckily as stated above, I did not and I cancelled immediately. Anyways, I'd rank this box at 2/5. I love the box it came in. Very cute. I don't see it worth the price though for three pairs of panties when I can go to Victoria Secret and get 3 for $33, just as cute. 

SPLENDIES January 2015

SPLENDIES is a monthly subscription service (it comes in a regular mailing bag, not a box, bummer) that sends three pairs of underwear based on the size and styles you specify. You can choose no thongs, all thongs, or surprise box. I do the surprise box,which can contain thongs, tangas, boy shorts, bikini styles in lace, cotton or a variety of styles, colors, patterns, and materials. If you do all thongs then any seasonal underwear (Halloween, Valentine's Day, etc) are not guaranteed. Each person's box varies based on size and style preference. 

It used to cost $13.99/month (If you subscribed by Dec 31st, 2014 you're grandfathered in to the original $9.99-they upped the price to try and up the quality, however, their page still says $9.99). There is no option to pay for mutiple months. They ship to the United States and Canada ($7 additional shipping fee) and hope to expand. Your subscription can be paused or cancelled at any time. One negative is Splendies doesn't personally do plus size, however, they have a plus-size option called Volupties, that looks like they send very similar items for $17/month. There is also a LUXE version, in which you pay $45/month for three pairs of premium brand underwear in a ribbon tied keepsake box. I'll have links and codes for all three at the bottom! They ship new orders weekly, which is nice, since a lot of companies make you wait until the next month. Renewed subscriptions typically bill on the 10th and ship on the 15-19th. They send a tracking number in an email when your package ships. 

Their website has no actual log-in page or account you can create. You can change size or pause or cancel your account, which is kind of confusing. It seems you get an email with a custom account manager for changing your card and such, but not much more. They have a blog that answers most questions though. They do have a monthly survey that you can fill out about what you liked and didn't like about the items you got (or if you didn't get that item, you can skip it). They also have a newsletter that you can subscribe to. You can also post a picture what you receive with the hashtag #splendies on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and possibly win one month free. Also for every 3 friends that you get to enroll, you get one month free. I believe this link is sent to you via email when you first sign up? When I linked it to Facebook and clicked on it, it just went to the website, so I am not sure how it keeps up with who's link you clicked. 

Item #1: Tre Sexy Collection by Ohlabicheri Black boyshorts with tie ribbon side ties and pink bow and heart on the back at the top Value: $7.98

These were really cute but the sizing was less than to be desired. They were a S/M or M/L? The S/M was really more like a medium and looked like it wouldn't fit me so I gave it to my roommate, Liz, who really liked them. When looking the website up that the brand came from, OMG at the slutty...interesting

Item #2: Rene Rofe Lingerie Bikini Panty Polyester/Spandex blend in bright yellow with hearts and anchors. Value: $7.95

These feel like bathing suit bottoms, which makes me weary about wearing them due to worrying about girl issues. Also, they look a lot more tween or young girl patterned than adults. Not really my thing. Also, sizing might be another issue. They say 5/Small. I definitely cannot wear a 5. I haven't tried them on though because I plan on finding them a home. Any takers?

Item #3: Frederick's of Hollywood Cotton Thong in Bombshell Pink Value: $6 (5/$25)

These are the only ones I really liked. They look like they still might be a bit big, but at least they aren't too kiddie looking, and they are a lot more useful for regular everyday wear, since they won't show through clothing. I like the solid color, but I don't mind patterns, just not the one they send on the yellow undies. 

Total Value: $21.93. Considering I paid $5.99 for this month (I had a $4 coupon), I don't think this is bad at all! I want to see the Valentine's month they promise is going to be interesting, but after that I'm not sure I will continue because of the sizing issue mostly. If it were not for that, I would probably keep it, especially since I saw some of the other people's January boxes and was jealous they got some of the ones I did not. The smalls aren't quite small enough for me. I did try the LUXE box because of a coupon, so we will see how that goes. 

Subscribe to SPLENDIES Use Code "SPLENDIES" to get $4 off

Subscribe to LUXE  Use code "LUXENEW" to save 20% off 

Subscribe to Volupties Use Code "VOLUPTIES" to save $5 off

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