Barkbox February 2015 Mardi Gras Themed!

BarkBox is a monthly subscription box for your dog! I made a video of my dog getting hers (She is a 85lb female German Shepherd named Echo), but she wasn't overly interested in the opening process. She was very interested once I gave her the items though! BarkBox is $29/month for 1 month at time, $24/month for 3 months (billed at once), $21/month for 6 months (billed at once), and $19/month for 12 month (billed at once). You can add an extra premium toy for an additional $9/month. 10% of proceeds go to supporting rescue groups. Shipping is free to the 48 contiguous states and $5 to Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada. They do not ship to other countries. They do ship to APOs. Sales tax applies to NY, AZ, CT, NV, and OH.

Each months box is specially curated for your dogs size (<10 lbs, 10-20lbs, 20-50lbs, and 50+ lbs) with 4-6 treats, grooming, hygiene, and toy items. Any items you like can be reordered by texting (484)-696-2275 with the reorder code included on the card in the box. Your card on file will be billed and there is a $5 flat shipping fee. Boxes ship on the 15th of the month and are billed on the 3rd. They email a tracking number and you can log in to their website to track your shipment as well as access your account. You can cancel anytime before the next billing date. 

They also offer a "allergy" box for dogs allergic to beef, chicken, turkey, wheat, soy, corn, or gluten. You just email happy@barkbox.com and let them know you need an allergy box. They cannot accommodate for other allergies or needs currently, but do accept suggestions. All products are carefully selected by their team and are safe and items they test with their own pups! Customer service is super helpful and responds very quickly!

I LOVED the Mardi Gras Theme this box had! So cute to theme a dog's box!

Item #1: Harry Barker Stuffed Mardi Gras Mask with Rope with built in squeakers Value: $14

Echo is not big on toys unless they are fetchable or tuggable so this was great for her, though a little small for a German Shepherd in my opinion. I think this is more suited for under 60 pounds. She did play with it though. Plus its really cute. 

Item #2: Butcher's Block Bully Stick Value: $4

These are Echo's favorite treats and always great to have. They are also usually $8 or more around here so the reorder price is tempting!

Item #3: Le Petit Treat King Cake Biscuits Value: $6

I was disappointed when these were just beige colored heart shaped cookies because at first I thought it was a little doggie king cake! However, there were more than I expected in the box and they were eaten. These could be mistaken easily for human food though, so keep the box around. 

Item #4: Feel Good Treat Company Cajun Jambalaya Treats Value: $7

This is an adorable idea and echo thought they were tasty. Also a large bag, not a sample, which is nice!

Item #5: Delca Jester Ball Value: $9

It makes a funny noise when its bitten and is ball shaped so its a great fetch toy. Like I said earlier, Echo usually doesn't go for stuffed toys that aren't balls, tugs, or fetchable items, so this is another good one for her. She also doesn't tear up toys, so I don't have to worry about it being cloth, however, my brothers dog would have destroyed this in 5 seconds flat. 

Item #6: Loopies Stoggies Fetch Stick from the Extra Toy Club (the one you pay $9 extra a month for) Value: No Value was given for this like the others but google showed about $8.95, which kind of annoys me since I feel like paying $9 extra should result in a toy worth at least $9 (yeah, yeah, its $0.05), but I actually think it should be a toy valued above $9, hence the "premium" part. This is cute though and seems to be well made since its woven. And the cigar look is funny and cute. Great fetch toy. 

Overall, I am really impressed with BarkBox and give it a 4.5/5 (.5 off for the "premium" toy thing...). I did 3 months so my price would be $24/month + $9/month for the extra toy (I got $13 off my total with a coupon code). So total I pay roughly $28.66/month. The total value was $40 + $8.95 for the premium toy. Overall I think thats not bad. Nearly $50 worth of products for under $30 and all full size. Even at $29 without the extra toy, you are still getting $11 more than what you paid for!

 I also love that 10% goes to rescue groups and that they offer an allergy box. They have great customer service too, which is always a big deal to me! I missed the place to put in my coupon code before hitting order so I emailed them and was refunded the amount the coupon was worth within 24 hours and was sent a pleasant email saying they'd be happy to adjust it for me! My only warning and the only other possible reason I'd rate them at 4.5 instead of 5, they send out a lot of emails, probably once a day or every other day. 

Click Subscribe to get 10% off your subscription and I will get a free box too through the referral program! There is a code for 10% off as well but I couldn't find one for more than that, so I used my referral code.


Barkbox website

Love and Boxes,
Rachel

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 

Birchbox Man January 2015

Birchbox Men January 2015 

As I said in my initial introduction, Birchbox was how I got into Subsciption Boxes. This was the second box I subscribed to and ordered it for my boyfriend, K. He really likes it! He's in medical school so the sample size items are great for throwing in an overnight bag for long shifts. It's also helped him keep his skin care routine up. He was definitely skeptical at first, but considering he's gotten things like 2 pairs of black socks, a wooden tie pin, a regular tie, headphones, a pocket square, and every kind of shaving cream you can imagine. He did have a complaint that while always having an extra shaving cream around was great, they only lasted one shave or so and were usually not any better than what he got at the store.

Typically, Birchbox Man includes 5-6 deluxe size samples and usually some kind of full-size lifestyle accessory (see the examples above). Items they send range from haircare, shaving needs, skin care, bath and body, lifestyle, the occasional food item (usually a protein or snack bar), and fragrances. Most items are high end brands or up-and-coming companies (usually the lifestyle products). This is K's fifth box and we've yet to have a repeat item. They personalize the items that you receive based on your "grooming profile", which can be updated as your needs change, so that guys with no beards don't get beard products, etc. they so far seem to do a great job with this. Also, sometimes they send and email allowing you to choose one of three of the full-size lifestyle items to go in your box, so you get to pick the one you want the most. Each box includes a description of the product and how to use it. 

Birchbox Man is $20/month or $195/year. Shipping is free to the U.S. They also can ship to France, Spain, the UK, and Canada, but they use different websites for these countries (click on the name of the country for their link), except Canada. Cannot ship to other countries. Sales tax may apply in NY, NJ, MA, TN, VA, and WA.  The box typically ships around the 20th and usually arrives before the end of the month. Monthly subscriptions bill on the 15th of the month. 

Cancel at any time before the next month has been billed. Yearly subscriptions can only be cancelled within the first month. Birchbox has a store that you can purchase items you love in as well as other items and specialty boxes, usually that have a theme. You can return any product you are not satisfied with within 90 days for a full refund and shipping is free of charge. They will honor any promotional codes on items purchased within 3 days of the promotion release date by contacting customer service.  Only one promotional code can be used at a time.

Birchbox's customer service phone line is great about answering questions and replacing missing or damaged items. With my women's box, I once had an item come damaged, got sent a replacement sample that was also damaged, so they sent me a full-size version for free and gave me extra points! (I'll get to the points in a second).

Birch box points program. You receive points that can be redeemed for dollars to spend in the Birchbox store. For every dollar you spend in the store you get 1 point. If you refer a friend through the Birchbox Refer-A-Friend Program and they sign up you will receive 50 points. Signing up for a monthly subscription gets you 20 points and 195 points for a yearly subscription. You can also review items that were in your box for 10 points a piece (up to 50 points per box). Points expire after one year. Birchbox also has a program called Birchbox Aces, which is their VIP program. You must earn 500 points within a calendar year (and do so each year) to qualify. Once you become a Birchbox Ace you get free shipping on all qualifying orders of $100 or more on full-size products. You also receive concierge service from their team of discovery specialist, exclusive and early access to special offers, Aces anniversary gifts, and more surprises. My Birchbox Women and Birchbox Men are on the same account so thats another good way to rack up points faster!

Now for the January 2015 review!

BTW, this box was one that allowed you to pick one of the items you received from three choices. Birchbox Man and Woman do this on occasion. The choice in this case was between the organizer trio (cord keepers, bungee cords), Explorer's kit (which showed a vague picture and little explanation), and a quick connect duo (description given: plug in anywhere with space to space). K chose the organizer trio and found the other two hard to even figure out what they were 

Item #1: Quirky Wrapster Earbud Cord Wrap in white. Full Size. Value: $1.99

This item is pretty neat. It keeps your headphones from getting tangled in your purse, backpack, pocket, etc. It also has an awesome price point of only $1.99! This was definitely an awesome item to include and it's something I'm considering getting myself, since this is K's box! 

Item #2: Quirky Cordies in green. Full Size. Value: $4.99

Really neat desktop product that keeps all your cords neat and untangled. It makes it a lot easier to find the one you want to unplug or plug in easier. This is the "quirky" kind of neat gadget I probably would buy for myself or a friend (I could see this making an awesome stocking stuffer!)

Item #3: Ernest Supplies Protective Matte Moisturizer. Sample Size. 0.3 fl oz Value: $3

First off, I really like the packaging, which is very guy friendly. Second, this seems to be a great product as well. It does not have much, if any, of a scent, it doesn't leave residue, it is not too greasy, but it does leave skin feeling moisturized. The "matte" part is definitely the key word here, as it does not leave dudes looking shiny. It would also appear a little goes a long way, which means this should last K a little while.

Item #4: Brickell Purifying Charcoal Face Wash. Deluxe Size. 1 oz. Value: $3.12

Two face washes (and a soap, below) in one box kinda stinks, but the three neat accessories seam to make up for it. It is charcoal based, so the texture is not that of your typical face wash. Overall opinion, it gets your face clean, but nothing special. K still loves his Clinique. 

Item #5: Proper Bar Soap Elderflower with Lychee, Pear, Jojoba, and Aloe. Travel size. 1 oz. Value: $2.56

K hasn't actually used this yet, as he wants to save it for when he needs to take it somewhere on a trip as a travel size. His general opinion is soap is soap, so less than excited about this. 

Item #6: Quirky Hook Up Carabandits 6 pack of small, medium, and large. Full Size. $7.99

This is really neat. Just looking at the used on the packaging is pretty fun. Basically, this is one of the more useful items K has gotten in a Birchbox. He bikes and owns a Jeep so these will definitely come in handy. Another thing I can see adding to stockings next year!

Overall, I would say this Birchbox Man for January was a success! K liked a lot of the items (especially the Quirky items) and he also has some back up travel samples, which is always good. Rating 4/5. 

If you would like to Subscribe to Birchbox Man (or the Female Version) please click HERE

Coupon Code for Birchbox Men for $10 off through 02/15/15 "BBM10BACK"

Love and Boxes,
Rachel