Tag: Subscription Boxes

Holidays · Subscription Boxes

Last Minute Holiday Gifts – Subscription Boxes

MaritzaLeave a comment

So you waited till the last minute, huh?

It’s ok. We’ve all been there, but don’t worry, there is always a solution out there and in 2018 it’s called the Subscription Box.

The nice thing about a subscription service is that it’s literally the gift that keeps on giving. Seriously, all you have to do whip out your credit card, choose how many boxes you want to give and then print out the confirmation and stick it in a card or envelope.

How easy is that?

Now there are a million services out there willing to send you just about anything, however, below are my absolute favorite.

I either currently subscribe or have gifted these boxes to friends and family and they have been received wonderfully. Maybe not when they open that envelope and just see a receipt, but just wait till they get their first box. You will be getting a text from your love one and most definitely get tagged in a Facebook or Instagram post.

Rocksbox ($21/monthly). My all time favorite box. I love accessories and I love that I can just rent them or opt to buy them. Rocksbox has the option of gifting that special someone either a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription and even add a little something extra if they want to buy something.

Stitch Fix (up to $1000). Give your fashion challenged friend the gift of style. Unlike Rocksbox, you are not gifting them a monthly service, but rather the gift of a stylist. I do Stitch Fix on a quarterly basis and love almost everything I have ever received. I get 5 items, which can include clothes, shoes, bags and jewelry and keep what I like and return what I don’t. It super easy!

VineOh! ($59.99/quarterly). Another great device for that wine lover in your life. But wait! There more! Not only do you get 2 full size bottles of wine, but also 5-6 handpicked goodies to go along with it. I’ve gotten beauty products, treats, candles and lots of other neat things. It’s all curated based on the season, so it’s a nice little box to come home to after a long day at work.

Candy Club ($29.99/month). I love giving this to kid. Yeah, I may get a little stink eye from the parents, but the fact is that when that first box arrives, everyone eats something. Each box contains 6 jars of candy, selected off the candy profile you created when you redeemed your gift subscription. It’s a great treat box and the nice thing is that it can be for the whole family.

What are you favorite subscription services? Leave them in the comments below.

Happy shopping, my friends!

Maritza

Boxycharm · Subscription Boxes

February Boxycharm – Galaxy Glow

Maritza2 Comments

Does anyone do a little happy dance when they check their email and see a notification letting you know that your Boxycharm is on it’s way?

No shame admitting it. It’s one of the highlights of my month. Since I got off the waitlist last month, I actually got my box in pretty early on and I got a chance to play with my goodies for a few weeks. Once again, I feel like I got a really strong selection of products, but it’s time to separate the winners from the “Mehs”.

Winners

Hands down, my favorite item was the Ofra refill blush in Godet. It is a beautiful warm peachy tan blush that I have used as both blush and eyeshadow. It’s pigmented, blendable and the pan is large enough to last you for a long time. I have only a few Ofra eyeshadow singles that I got in some Ipsy bags, but the colors never wowed me. This color is something I would have picked on my own and I am so happy that it was included in my box. Score!

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It also came with a magnetic Pop Up Palette to store your single blush and I have to say that the Universe has a funny way of providing. A few days before I got my box, I made my first ever order of single shadows from Devinah Cosmetics. I didn’t own any Z palettes to store them in and figuring that once I get them in, I will just order one from Amazon or something. Well, the same day my Devinah order came in, my Boxycharm came in and it was like it was meant to be. My Pop-Up Palette has more than enough room to store my 7 eyeshadow singles, my Ofra blush and probably a good 5 more items.

Thanks, Universe!

The next winner of the bunch for me is the PUR Plumping Lip Exfoliator. First off, I love a scrub that you don’t have to dig your finger into a pot to apply. It’s just makes it so easy to uncap and apply right from the tube. The sugar scrubs dissolves fairly quickly when you rub your lips together and combined with the shea butter, leaves them nice and soft.  There is definitely also something minty about this balm, which leaves your lips buzzing gently for a bit. I’m sure that’s the plumping factor, but the effect isn’t really too visible. The seller for me is the exfoliation and the convenience factor.

“Mehs”

The middle of the lineup is held up by Vintage by Jessica Leibskind black eyeliner pencil and the Crown Pro Brush Trio. These were good, but nothing out of the world for me. The eyeliner was creamy and applied fairly dark and when I applied it to my waterline it held up and didn’t dissolve or pool up in the inner corner. However, it’s just a black eyeliner and I have like 5 of them currently in my collection that I feel similarly about.

The Crown Pro Brushes are very pretty. All white up to the very tip of the brushes, where they are topped off with a light shade of pink. The handles have slight divots which allow you to rest your finger and thumb comfortably and I find that interesting, if not exactly useful as I have found myself applying makeup with my finger no where near the divot, but I like that they thought of that. My favorite brush is the powder brush, which interestingly enough I like to use to apply blush. The bristles are soft and pick up just the right amount of color. I really have not found a use yet for the middle brush. I suppose it could be good to apply undereye concealer or even highlighter, but I just prefer my regular brushes to do that. The small flat brush is good to pack on some eyeshadow, but once again, I have others that do the job well.

Now you are probably wondering why I am leaving the most hyped product from the February box last. When I saw a sneak peek of the CoverFX Shimmer Veil on Boxycharms Instagram, I was so excited. I live by their liquid highlighters and am always wanting to try more of their products. However, I’m a little torn by the product and will say that yes, it’s not my favorite and that’s why it’s the last on my list, but I have more thoughts around that and will dedicate an entire post to it. So stay tuned!

Anyone else get their boxes? If so, let me know what you got and what you think. I am totally loving Boxycharm and hope that they keep sending out quality items in the months to come.

Till next time, my friends!

Maritza

Rocksbox · Subscription Boxes

Rocksbox Reveal Vol. 2

MaritzaLeave a comment

My post man is the nicest gentleman ever and every time he has a package too big to fit in the mailbox he always makes sure to knock on the door and personally hand it to me or if I am not home, always tries to hide it carefully under the welcome mat or between my door and the gate so no one can steal it. If I am home, he always chats and asks about the kids and dog and I always spend a few minutes talking with him. However, the other day, I saw he had a Rocksbox envelope in his hands and I feel like it took FOREVER to get rid of him so that I can tear into that package.

I’m such a snot!

Anyways, I got my goodies, which for the record, were all from my Wishlist again and I have one definitive winner and two so-so’s to share with you. But that’s ok, because if you subscribe to Rocksbox you know that you can always return what you don’t like for new stuff or rent your set and then refresh it all for something new whenever you want.

Let’s start with the WINNER, which I will definitely be purchasing with my $21 credit. I got these GORGEOUS Slate Arya “Hoops” in Gold ($46). Not sure why they are classified as a hoop as they are clearly triangular-ish in shape, but let’s just go with it. They have this beautiful  design with pave accents running down the center, that sometimes have me thinking Art Deco and other times give me total Rock n’ Roll vibes. I have been wearing them non-stop, which is usually a good indicator that I will not be parting with them.

I also received the Kendra Scott Beth Necklace in Rose Gold and Ivory Mother of Pearl ($70), which checks off all my current style preferences, but I had issues with the length. The chain is adjustable, which is a great concept as I could definitely see this necklace worn closer up between your collarbones or lower down your chest, possibly even layered, however, the adjustable clasp did not hold. I found the necklace moves around as you go about your day and while it may have started out as a choker at breakfast, somewhere around lunch time, the pendant was nestled between my boobs. Yeah. No.

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Wearing Slate Arya Hoops and Ava Rose Chandler Ring

The last piece sent to me was the Ava Rose Chandler Ring in Gold and Labradorite ($51). I love the gold combined with this beautiful jade green stone, but I decided that I was just not that fond of the elongated shape of the stone. I definitely prefer something a little less chunky and will go back in to my Wishlist and adjust some of my ring preferences as it wasn’t until I wore this ring that I decided that I’m more of a simple band kind of girl.

So 1 out of 3 is pretty good, in my opinion.

Remember, if you want to try Rocksbox, feel free to use my referral code, MARITZABFF39 and you get your first box free. I will also get $25 for a future purchase, so it’s kind of a win/win.

Till next time, friends!

Maritza

Rocksbox · Subscription Boxes

Rocksbox Reveal – Vol. 1

Maritza1 Comment

I LOVE jewelry. Especially really unique pieces. They don’t have to be flashy or expensive, but a little off the wall is cool and nothing too chunky. I don’t like the feel of heavy things on my body. Also, I love natural stones, like rose quartz or moonstone, particularly paired with gold or silver.

You see what I just did there? I basically gave you my style profile on Rocksbox. It’s really that easy and now you just sit back and wait for a cute little package to arrive with three items that you can rent for as long as you want and then return for another set or buy if you can’t bear to part with one.

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To rent the set, it’s $21 a month and you can keep it for as long as you want. Keep in mind, that you will be charged each month regardless if you return them right away or not. You have to return all three pieces together in order to have another set sent out to you, but you can refresh your set as many times as you want and it will still just be $21/month.

If you decide to purchase a piece, the monthly credit will be applied to that purchase and if you ever decide to buy all three pieces, you get an additional $10 discount applied to the total. Now mind you, these pieces are not exactly cheap. The average price is between $40-$100/piece (from my experience), so $21 -$31 off isn’t exactly a steal, but this is where the renting part comes in handy. Let’s say you like something, but not enough to shell out $100, you can still wear it to that important meeting or that wedding and then return it.

Trust me, if you are anything like me. You will want to refresh your set more often than you think.

Also, you do get to browse the site and make a Wishlist of pieces that you like. If available, your stylist will send a piece (or more, but up to 3) to you in your box. If there is a special occasion or outfit you would like assistance with, just leave your stylist comments and they will try to help you coordinate jewelry for that event.

Ok, enough talking! Since this is my first Rocksbox post, I felt compelled to give a brief introduction on how it works, but if you want more info, head on over to their FAQ and read up on anything I may have missed.

So what did I get in my latest box? I’m so glad you asked!

To begin with, I got the beautiful Aster Aloe Necklace in Rutilated Quartz ($46) which I highlighted in the first pic above. I love how the stone looks hazy and is cut into a neat shark tooth shape. It’s a beautiful delicate piece, however, the 15 inch chain was a little short for my taste. I prefer a style like this to hang a bit longer down my chest and this fell right between my collarbones.

However, the second necklace I got was just perfect! The Valencia Necklace Rudiment ($68) is an Evil Eye inspired design with a delicate gold chain. It has “sapphire” and crystal accents and is made to hang a little higher to your neck. It looks gorgeous with collared shirts and regular tees and I’ve already worn this on various occasions and have received so many compliments. I actually did end up purchasing this piece as it was just too unique and eye catching (pun intended) to return.

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Excuse the close up pic. Pic taken from iPhone and it was just not working out for me.

The last piece, which I also decided to keep because I’m such a sucker, are the Octavia Ear Jackets ($55) also from Rudiment, and are what I like to call a basic with a twist. The stud is a genuine opal stone with a line of crystals that hug the curve of your earlobe. I think this is something that you can either dress up or down and will look good with anything. I was in desperate need of a set of earrings that I could wear for work meetings and actually look like I was trying and I think that these fit the bill.

For the record, this post is totally NOT sponsored. Rockbox doesn’t know who the heck I am and probably never will, but when I like something, I will tell you all about it, and I really like this subscription box. Yes, it’s a little weird renting jewelry. Small delicate things have a tendency to break and get lost and you do run a risk of having to purchase something if that happens, but small wear and tear is actually covered with your monthly fee, so if you are someone who takes good care of their pieces, then this might be something up your alley.

If you liked this post and decide to check out Rocksbox, feel free to use my referral code MARITZABFF39. This is a referral code that they give to ALL their customers and if you decide to use it, then I get $25 towards a future purchase.

Also, let me know if you like these type of unboxings or reveals by liking this post. On days when I am having a hard time figuring out what to write, I go through all my posts and see what you guys gave a big thumbs up to and try to give you all some more of that type of material.

Till next time, my friends!

Maritza

Holidays · Subscription Boxes

The Friday Five – Subscription Box Gift Ideas

MaritzaLeave a comment

So you waited till the last possible minute to buy a present for that friend or relative who lives out of state and you know that either you pay BEAUCOUP money to have it overnighted or wait till after the holidays to ship. Option #2 is not a bad idea except you came home today and see Aunt Hilda’s present sitting on your doorstep.

Darn it! Now you can’t wait till after Christmas because if she took the time to wrap, pack and ship a present to you, you are going to look like a major SNOT for not being as thoughtful.

That’s ok, my friends, I got you! This is where Subscription Boxes come in. For a one time flat fee, your Aunt Hilda is going to be the recipient of not only 1 present, but 12 monthly gifts for all of 2018. You will officially be the favorite niece in no time.

I personally love giving and receiving subscription boxes. It is literally the gift that keeps on giving. The trick is to finding the right box for your loved one. With so many subscription boxes out there, I am sure you can find one for anyone and have a lovely email delivered right to there inbox before the 25th. However, if you need a little help, I have rounded up my favorite 5 Subscription Boxes

(Images procured from company websites)

#5 – Facetory

Do you have a friend who is a K-Beauty addict? Then I have got the subscription box for you. For as low as $8.90, your friend can have a box of Korean Beauty masks delivered right to her doorstep. Personally, after all the partying, indulging and drinking that one might do for the holidays, nothing says Welcome 2018 like a home pampering session with a nice hydrating mask. All the packages are also so cute and quirky that I’m sure you will be seeing your friend’s before and after hitting your Instagram feed before the end of the year.

Prices – 4 sheet masks

  • 1 month $8.90
  • 3 months for $26.70
  • 6 months for $53.50
  • 9 months $80.10
  • 12 months for 106.80

#4 – Vellabox

I know, I know. The Bath and Bodyworks semi-annual sale is right around the corner and soon you will be stocking up on candles to last you for a whole year, but what if I told you that for as low as $10/month (plus shipping), you will get a quality candle delivered to your doorstep each month, with a specially curated handpicked item made by some of the finest American candlemakers in the know? I think you will be up for that, right? And so will you bougie friend who thinks BBW candles are for the common folk.

Prices – 4.0z candle

  • 3 months for $36
  • 6 months for $72
  • 12 months for $120

#3 – Birchbox

Ok, so I know that Birchbox has kind of been getting a beating in the latest unboxing videos on YouTube and I will admit that sometimes I am like “C’mon, Birchbox! I don’t want another stinking Briogeo Hair Mask!” However, I have been introduced to some of my most favorite products via Birchbox that I would have never have heard of if I subscribed to just Ipsy or Boxycharm. For example, my beloved Marcelle Xtension Plus Mascara? Yep. That was Birchbox. Au Naturale Crème Blusher is a travel staple for me because I use it as both lipstick and blush. Never heard of them before and now I love the brand. Also, the boxes! Presentation alone wins Birchbox extra brownie points. The best part? There is no stupid waitlist and your giftee will receive their first box in January. How nice is that?

Prices (Use Code: Gift20)

  • 3 months for $24
  • 6 months for $48
  • 12 months for $88

#2 – Rocksbox

So I am really new to Rocksbox. I have only received one box so far and I am IN LOVE and I am sure that your uber chic friend who is always wearing the latest trends will as well. For $21 a month, you will be giving her the gift of jewelry and who the heck wouldn’t want that? She can choose to just rent the pieces with the $21 subscription you will be giving her and if she decides to purchase an item, those $21 will go towards the final cost. You will be BFF’s till your old and grey.

Prices:

  • 3 months for $49
  • 6 months for $99
  • 12 months for $189

#1 – StitchFix

As a busy mom, I just don’t have the time or energy to go shopping for clothes. Ugg! I get so overwhelmed by the sheer thought of trying on clothes in a tiny, poorly lit dressing room, that I have been wearing the same yoga pants for like 5 years. That is, until I bit the bullet and decided to join Stitch Fix. If I remind you of a friend, please do her a great favor and buy her a gift card towards her first Stitch Fix. The next time you meet up with her at brunch and she looks like she walked off the pages of a catalog, I PROMISE you all the mimosas will be on her dime.

Prices:

Gift Cards that contribute towards their First Fix ($20 styling fee) up to a full wardrobe ($1000)

Till next time, my friends.

Maritza