July Nicky Hilton Fancy Subscription Box

There is a new Fancy Box in town, and this one is curated by Nicky Hilton.  I was really interested to see what she would select to put in her subscription.  I figured if the first box was terrible, then I'd just cancel the subscription.

 

This box was an interesting one because I feel like I had preconceived notions about what Nicky Hilton might like solely based on my knowledge of her sister's public image. I honestly think that none of the items in here are what I would have expected to be in a Hilton subscription box.

That being said, I do know that everything in the box is something that I will use.  The item that I really like is the Invisible Man journal.  When I go to meetings, I prefer to take notes in bound books instead of spiral notebooks.  The really neat thing is that instead of having printed lines to use as a guide while writing, the text of the classic novel is printed in tiny font to use as reference. I have honestly not seen anything like this before, and it's my style completely. 

The other things in the box are things that are common and uncommon at the same time.  For instance, the heart necklace by Lumo has a chain that is shorter than most, so the heart sits higher on your neck while wearing it.  This will be great for higher cut necklines.  The nail polish is also a really great color.  It is a bright summer color without being obnoxious.  Since the phone holder is made by Fred, the design is going to be functional and quirky in appearance.

So, is it worth it...Let's break down the items in this box by price to see if the box cost, $46.95 with shipping, is worth it.

Gardenia + Tuberose Candle ~ $10
Gold Heart Necklace by Fred ~ $35
Pumped Up Phone Stand by Fred ~ $10
Invisible Man Book Journal ~ $10
I Only Fly Private Nail Polish ~ $16

Grand Total for all the items ~ $81

The box promises that you will get over $80 worth of goods in the box.  This they did deliver on fully.  It will be interesting to see what is in the next box.  Once again, building on my preconceived notions, I thought there might be a high end item with a few lower valued items.  That wasn't the case with this box.  I'm going to stick with it for another month/box to see what happens. 

Fancy Birthday Mystery Box

Happy Birthday to Me from Fancy!

For my birthday, Fancy sent me a birthday email.  Inside I found a coupon for 10% off my order.  I decided I would try for another Large Mystery Box and see what I got this time.  Fancy didn't disappoint with this Mystery Box.

If you have read my other posts about Fancy Mystery Boxes, then you know that I have gotten some of these items before.  The thing is, I was actually really excited to get this bracelet again.  I was thinking with two of them, they will work well for what I had planned for a future costume.  The only other item that was a repeat was the Kinfolk Magazine.  Yep, it's the same issue, and the stories are still lack luster, but that's the risk you take with a Mystery Box.

As for my new items, I'm pretty jazzed about them.  I have no use for the sunglasses.  But upon showing them to my Mom, she snagged them.  Getting a headphone splitter was on my list of things to do, so check!  I also love the coffee mug.  It's right up my alley.

So, was it worth it...This is kind of odd because it was kind of like a birthday gift to myself, so it's worth it.  Let's just figure out what the overall value of the box is.  When all the items are totaled together the box is worth an even $100.  Not a bad result from an unexpected birthday email.

July GlossyBox Review

Well I declare!  This is a fancy looking box when you open it up.  With all the packaging being Black and White, it just feels like an upscale journey.  I feel like out of all my beauty boxes, GlossyBox seems to be the most sophisticated.  It will be interesting to see how it compares in September to the New Beauty Testube because there is talk on YouTube that they will be partnering with Fred Segal to bring more upscale products to the Testube.

 

I'm really liking all the things in this box.  I have already tried the Body Cream from Mitchell and Peach and it smells wonderful.  When you use it there is a water-like fluidity to it.  The Malin+Goetz Lip Balm is also a huge bonus.  It's texture is like Carmex and you get big results without the funky Carmex smell.  I'm curious about the Philip B Detangling Mist.  I haven't used it yet.  It says that it is supposed to de-frizz.  It hasn't been a very humid summer yet, but when it is the short hairs that frame my face get super curly.  I'm curious if this will stop this from happening.

The Glam Glow and Skin Inc products were teased this past month.  People who had subscribed to the box recieved emails saying they would be included.  This bothered me at first; I felt the surprise was being ruined.  But I made the most of it, I did some research on Glam Glow and this product sounds pretty gosh darn impressive.  It's a mud mask, which I don't normally use, but I'll give it a go and see if the all the hype is true.  I didn't really research the Skin Inc product, so I'm curious what it is really supposed to do.  Hopefully since it was email teaser material, it will be impressive.

So, is it worth it...GlossyBox is about $21 when you factor in the shipping.  There was one full size item and that was the Skin Inc Custom-blended Brightening Serum.  This normally sells for $45!  The thing is, there were a lot of expensive items in this box.  I actually took time and broke down the math to figure out what this box is really worth.  When you break it all down to cost per ounce the box ends up being worth $106.45.  So yeppers, this GlossyBox was for sure worth it.

June/July New Beauty Testube Subscription Box

This subscription is going to be a hidden gem.  I'd never heard of New Beauty Testube until I got stuck in a YouTube vortex.  You know the kind.  You start clicking one link, and then another, and then another, and before you know it you are no where close to where you started.  This is how I happened on to this subscription.

This subscription had three full size items in it.  This is by far the most I've gotten in a subscription service like this.  It also had a ton of smaller items.  I was most impressed by the brush from ITCosmetics.  I have this brush already and really, really like it.  This is a crazy find in a subscription box because it is normally $48.  There was also a tiny container of bronzer from AmorePacific.  I'm interested to see how this works because I've aquired a ton of bronzers as of late.

If a person was looking for a new skin care routine for their face, this is the box for them.  It is full of moisturizers, tighteners, brighteners, and wrinkle fillers.  There was also a full body BB Creme.  I've heard a of this, but never tried it.  Now's my chance.

Just when you think there isn't anything else in the Testube, it dishes out more.  There was also two different types of hair care products.  One is for color treated hair, so that is getting gifted on, but I'm interested to try the others by Dove.

One added perk to this subscription is the booklet that comes with the Testube.  It has a page dedicated to each item that includes details about the product, how to use it, info about the company, and where to get more if you like it.

So, is it worth it...this box comes every other month which is different from my other subscription services.  I feel like that means that they can put some more impressive items in the box.  The total for this box including shipping is $38.90.  If we total just the three full size items, the box total ends up being $79.  That means there are five more items in the box that haven't been given a value because they are trial sizes.  I will say though, they are very generous trial sizes, and will give me a strong opinion about whether or not I will like them by the time I use them up.  I'm excited to see what comes this September.

If this is something you are interested in trying, New Beauty Testube sent me some private links that I can share with others.  Using my link gives you $5 off your first tube.  Contact me if you're interested.

July Loot Crate Subscription Review

This month's theme is Villains.  This box has some of the best things I've gotten from Loot Crate with one of the weirdest.  I knew something was up when I opened the box this month, and the standard box design had been altered.  I like the Villains supposed vandalism all over the box.

The weirdest thing in this box, and maybe of all the things I've gotten from Loot Crate by far, was the t-shirt.  They were teasing this shirt for the past month.  I understand it's a hybrid of Loki and the Joker, but I'm thinking the idea was better than the end result.

There are some really cool items though that negate the odd shirt.  I'm in love with the Rocket Raccoon issue one.  I had actually recently ordered it, so I had to canceled that.  I like the Bowser magnet, and thought that would have been a better shirt than the one that we got.  The socks make me smile even though a villain shouldn't make me smile.  I already have plans for the Darth Vader key chain too, so it's a hit for me.  I'm pretty excited about the Necessary Evil DVD as well.  It is a documentary about DC Villains, and I hadn't heard of it before this box.

 
I'm also super impressed with the two posters of Harley Quinn and the Joker.  Now it's just a matter of finding the right frames to display them.  I'm hoping we get more quality art like this in future crates.

So, was it worth it...Loot Crate ends up being $17.66 a month when you figure in the cost of shipping.  There are always items in each box that have indeterminable value.  This month though, there were quite a few things that a person could buy in stores.  I also like to assume that the t-shirt is about the price of a screen printed shirt at a store with similar items.  That means that the items in this box total
 $43.26.  This month you get double the value of what you paid, and that doesn't include the poster prices or Bowser magnet values.  Worth it!

July Ipsy Subscription Review

Ipsy's theme for July is...Sensationally Sunkissed.  This month's bag, while not looking overly exciting, feels lovely.  It has a really soft leather feel to it.

This month had some hits and some misses.  I was just ok when I got Pur~lisse foundation in my May Ipsy Bag.  When I reviewed it online with Ipsy, I said it was just alright.  I'm interested to see how the sunscreen works compared to the last Pur~lisse item I recieved.  It will get a workout this weekend, so here's hoping.  I am also not really a BB Creme user.  Maybe it's my skin, but I don't see much from using it.  I've already updated my Ipsy account with a polite no thanks to future BB cremes, so we'll have to wait and see.

On the flip side, I'm impressed with the other three items in the bag. It was a little disheartening to see the colors of the eye shadow because they are so similar to the Pacifica shadow colors I got in May's Ipsy bag.  Upon trying them, I was pleased to see they look different on my skin than the Pacifica shadows do.  I am loving the Pixi Balm and the Pop Beauty Sunkissed Bronzer.  The Pixi balm has a menthol tingle that is super helpful with dry summer lips.  The Pop bronzer does a great job of looking like a naturally tanned face without making you look like a reject from the Jersey Shore. 

So, was it worth it...Ipsy is $10 a month.  The Pop Beauty Sunkissed Bronzer is $10 where I go shopping, so I've already made my money back.  Interestingly enough, I'm pretty sure Pixi is going to be my new lip balm for the winter.  I also discovered while researching, since this item is new to me, that it comes in a ton of colors.  Learning about this product, makes me feel like it's an added bonus to this month's bag.

July Julep Maven Subscription Review

Because the Tyler Florence Fancy Box was about $50, I was able to get multiple subscriptions to replace the cancellation of that one box.  I decided to pick Julep to add to my monthly box of wonderments because it's all about nail polish and tools/products to go with it.  I opted for the three month subscription to get myself started.  When you sign up you get billed right away for all three months.

Everything in my "Boho Glam Welcome Box"

I love this product.  It works AMAZING!

Like so many other beauty subscriptions, you need to complete a "quiz."  Julep decided that my results categorized my style as Boho Glam.  Because of this, each month the box I receive will have two polishes and a tool/product.  Each month Julep actually tells you what you will be receiving before it is mailed out.  You can chose to ignore this notice and be surprised, or you can look at that portion of the Julep website and decide if you like what has been selected for you.  If you don't like it, you can see what are in the other box offerings and choose what you feel is the right fit for you.

 
When you sign up for this subscription they send you a "Welcome Box."  That means that this box is considered a free gift for signing up for Julep.  The "Welcome Box" is automatically sent to you based on your beauty profile.  There is not the option to compare boxes with the first "Welcome Box."  When I was checking out, there were a few different deals that you could take advantage of before finalizing your order.  I decided to order a bonus $5 polish.  I also opted for them to throw in a mystery nail polish.

So, was it worth it... The price of the three month subscription service was $59.97.  That means that each month's box cost is $19.99 a month.  This box was little more because I decided to spend $10 extra on this first box and get two additional nail polishes.  Then again, maybe it wasn't more because technically this was my "free" box.  All the nail polishes through Julep are $11.20.  The Nail & Cuticle Serum sells for $22.40.  Add it all up, and the products in the box total $67.30.  There was also an exclusive coupon code in my box for 50% off my next order from Julep.  I'd say this subscription is for sure worth it.

My first GlossyBox Review ~June

Since Tyler Florence and his Fancy box was a punch to my tummy every month I opened it, I decided to take the Florence money and transfer it into a few new subscriptions.  Now, I've been really happy with everything I've gotten from Ipsy, so I decided I was going to try GlossyBox.  This is like taking Ipsy and giving it a boost with "high-end" products.  They describe it as "five surprise luxury beauty products delivered to your doorstep."  Because of the supposed quality of this box, this one comes in at $21 a month.  Let's open it up and see what's inside!

Strange Beautiful Nail Polish  ~ Sumita Beauty Eye Shadow Pencil

June's theme was STARS AND STRIPES.  All of the items in the box are products that are made in the United States.  The first thing that I decided is that the box that it comes in is super high quality, and they will definitely be used to wrap future gifts.  I love using decorated boxes for gift wrapping, and now I'll get one each month.  It's going to look pretty festive under my tree this coming December.


The nail colors in the Strage Beautiful set were made exclusively for GlossyBox.  They also highlighted in the booklet that came in the box that it was air-line friendly.  Now I just need to fly somewhere.  The lotions both work really, really well.  The only thing I am hesitant with them is that they both smell a little "elderly," if you know what I mean.  The finishing spray by Rusk makes me really happy.  It is talc-free, so none of that white crusty stuff in your hair that makes it look like you didn't get all your shampoo out.  Maybe you blonde haired people don't have to worry about this, but the rest of us do.

Camille Beckman Lotion~ Rusk Dry Finishing Spray ~ Ayres Body Butter

With this subscription, all the boxes mailed out are the same.  There are some survey questions that you are asked when you sign-up though.  It seems that these questions are included for the company to see what the current subscribers are interested in spending money on when shopping for products.  My hunch is that a master profile is created to use as help in currating the next month's box.

One thing that also surprised me was that in this month's box there was also a mystery gift cad to C. Wonder.  Every gift card has a value up to $500.

So, was it worth it...GlossyBox ends up being about $21 each month.  Everything in this box was full size except for the Rusk Dry Finishing Spray and the Ayres Body Butter.  If we add up the price for all these full size items, it totals $46.  There is also the matter of the mystery gift card that I haven't researched yet.  This means that I've at least doubled my investment.

Fancy Mystery Boxes Galore!

I have found my Fancy Box weakness!  I felt like Tyler Florence was going to crush my soul a few months back, so I decided to order sporadically from the mystery box section.  It has been an interesting ride along the way.  I know now that I am going to just do the random mystery box from Fancy because I have been really happy with what has come.

On the Fancy site you actually have six options for mystery boxes.  You need to decide if you want a male or female box.  After deciding gender, you need to pick if you want a small, medium, or large box.  Small ~ $10  Medium ~ $20 Large ~ $40  Let's take a gander at what I have found inside the mystery boxes.

Woman's Small Mystery Box ~ $10

 Emilie M Midnight Clutch ~ $40
Bad to the Bone Turquoise Bracelet ~ $25
Harold Import Co. Pie Dish ~ $5

Total Box Value ~ $80

This was a high value for this small box because the clutch was made as a Fancy exclusive.

 Men's Small Mystery Box ~ $10

The Motley Gin Tonic Bath Salts ~ $12
Concrete Water Absorbent Coaster ~ $12
Carve Your Own Postcard ~ $16
China Glaze Nail Polish ~ $8

Total Box Value ~ $48

I have no idea why there was nail polish in this box.  It was a frequent complaint on the Fancy Mystery Box comment section.

Woman's Small Mystery Box ~ $10

Slice Your Wiener/Quirky Cyclone ~ $12
Mason Shaker ~ $29
Sasquatch Scrub ~ $6

Total Box Value ~ $47

This box seemed to be more tailored for male tastes based on how the soap is available in the men's section on Fancy.  Plus there are plenty of jokes to be made about this box's kitchen gadget.

Women's Medium Mystery Box ~ $20

Ciate Corrupted Neon Manicure ~ $25
Stuff Every Woman Should Know ~ $10
Archipelago Candle in Gingerbread ~ $15
Tilt Mug ~ $15

Total Box Value ~ $65

Woman's Medium Mystery Box ~ $20
Awkward Family Photos ~ $12
Ouchlets ~ $14
Harold Import Co. Pie Dish ~ $5
 Clocky Rolling Runaway Alarm Clock ~ $40

Total Box Value ~ $71

Woman's Large Mystery Box ~ $40

TKO Orlogi Watch ~ $95
Sophie Sparrow Shark Tooth Necklace ~ $40
Square Jellyfish Combo Pack ~ $28
Chunky Knit Infinity Scarf ~ $16

Total Box Value ~ $179

This was the first box I ordered.  I was super pumped about the value and ordered another box a week later to see what I would get.  Well friends, I ordered again too quickly.  I got an identical box a week later.  Tip: Space out mystery box ordering.  Lesson learned...




Woman's Large Mystery Box ~ $40

TKO Orlogi Watch ~ $95
China Glaze Nail Polish ~ $8
Square Jellyfish Combo Pack ~ $28
Kinfolk Magazine ~ $18
Work Hard Stay Humble Wall Sticker ~ $20
 Goddess Gold Cuff ~ $28

Total Box Value ~ $197

There were a lot of repeating items in this most recent box.  I am really happy with the new items though, making it worth it in my opinion.








I will say that the large boxes are definitely the way to go when ordering through Fancy.  It seems like you get the best of the items from the various celebrity boxes.  I'll keep you all posted on future mystery boxes because I don't think this will end now that it's started....

June Loot Crate

Loot Crate for June: TRANSFORM.  With the newly released Transformers movie, there was little to infer about what this theme could possibly mean. There were fewer items in this box; but, if you are a Transformers fan, you wouldn't mind.

There was another exclusive to Loot Crate shirt in this month's box.  It combined the idea of Transformers with Back to the Future.  I don't know if they are trying to appeal to multiple groups by combining the two, or if there may be some correlation to the newly released movie.  I haven't seen the movie, so if you know something I don't, let me know. I have noticed that it seems like every other month a t-shirt is sent out through Loot Crate.  They are also always exclusives to Loot Crate.  Now that I have taken the time to comment on this, it will backfire; and, I will probably get a t-shirt in July's box.  Well, it was a fun theory while it lasted.

Based on that comment, you now know that I am not a hardcore Transformers super fan.  That meant this box was a little lack luster for me.  The Hexbug and Vinyl figure would be great if you were a fan of Transformers.  After reasearching them, it also really incresed the overall value of the box too.  But, more about that later...

There was also a code in this box that gave you $5.00 toward becoming a part of MLG. You also got a spiffy wristband to show your pride in MLG.  I honestly have not interest in taking part of this, but to some Loot Crate folk it might be amazing to get this chance.  For those just confused by the acronym MLG, it is a professional competitive gaming league.

I think overall this is a box for someone else.  It reminds me of some earlier boxes that just weren't in my wheelhouse.  All the items were well selected, just not for what I'm interested in.

 So, was it worth it...Loot Crate is $17.66 a month.  The Hexbug and vinyl figure are worth about $25.  When you throw in the exclusive t-shirt, yet again we are looking at another great value from Loot Crate.  Then again, if you aren't interested in the theme, is there really a value?  Wow...just went someplace deep into the philosophical recesses of my brain.  Let's sum it up this way, some boxes are amazing and some not so much.  I think this month I'm going to go with: not so much.

June Ipsy Box

June's theme: Pretty in Paradise. I think the award for best deal this month goes to Ipsy.  This month I was happy to see three of my five items were full size!  I was also surprised by an item that I didn't even know existed.

My three full size items were a great deal.  I was happy to see that the mascara was from Be a...bombshell.  This was a brand that came to me through Ipsy, and I have ordered things from their website since my first experience with Ipsy.  I was also surprise after seeing that full size item that there was two more in my bag.  I am really happy with the NYX Butter Gloss.  It isn't gummy or gooey like some lip glosses.  The one that won't get use from me is the eyebrow pencil.  The nice thing with this is that I have already flagged it on Ipsy as an item that I won't be using.  This means that I shouldn't see it or similar items in the future.

I was really amped to see the sample of Realtree perfume.  I have clothing by this company and didn't know that they were coming out with a perfume.  It has a sweet scent that makes me think summer.  I really like it for something different.  I am also curious about the Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray.  I have not had luck with items like this in the past, so I'm interested to see how well this brand will work with my hair.  I like getting these trials to see what's worth it.

So, was it worth it...Ipsy is about $10.00 a month.  The value of the three full size items was $32.00.  Umm yeah, enough said.  Ipsy: take my money now please.

June Tyler Florence Fancy Box

Booooooooo!  I am so deeply saddened by this box.  I was going to cancel my subscription before this box came, but life got in the way.  The items here once again don't make my heart sing.

I already have some of the items in the box.  I say yet again, if you are a person that knows who Tyler Florence is, you probably have a lot of these things he thinks we all "must have."  

Herb Mill ~ $20     Sour Dough Starter ~ $13     Cheese Paper ~ $9

I'm guessing the herb mill was to go with the herb planter from last month.  At least we are building on something here.  The rest of the box is just a series of random items that I can't follow.  I feel like it is a riddle, "What do an avocado spoon, cheese paper, and sourdough starter have in common?"  Answer: they are all bundled together to confuse subscribers of the Tyler Florence Fancy Box.  I shouldn't be too cruel to the sourdough starter; this is one item I am guaranteed to use in this box.

Cherry/ Olive Pitter ~ $15     Avocado Spoon ~ $10     Fish Turner ~ $12

I am also curious as to how how much longer this box will even be around.  There are some glaring mistakes in the pamphlet that corresponds to the items.  I am thinking that this box is on its way out, or someone got a stern reprimand by Fancy Corp for the glaring errors used to explain why Tyler Florence thinks these items are so grand.  The part that I found most entertaining was the very incorrect explanation as to what a Cherry & Olive Pitter is.

Was it worth it... I paid $46.95 with shipping and handling.  Each box is supposed to value $80.  When I total together all the items from this box, it is worth $79.  I am not seeing a huge value, but I'm not too surprised considering the fact that I wanted to cancel this subscription before it got to me this month.  My final verdict...Tyler Florence: you have been canceled.

May Loot Crate

I am a bag of mixed emotions over to one.  I am going to go with happy though.  May's theme is ADVENTURE, and they teased it with images of Link from the Zelda franchise leading up to its mailing.  The only down side is that only half of the box dealt with "Zelda items."

This is by far the best shirt that I might ever get from Loot Crate.  I really, really, really like Link from the Zelda series.  So much so, that I purchased my own ocarina after playing through Ocarina of Time.  It is yet another exclusive from Loot Crate, and I am impressed with all the exclusive items that they are able to acquire.  I also like the bottle opener twist on the famous Zelda quote.

The rest of the crate though is "meh."  I haven't really gotten hooked by either Minecraft or Adventure Time.  Because of that, I was just kind of "Oh, that's neat," when I looked at these things.  I can also say that I am super over the whole mustache thing and am looking forward to that being over with.  I didn't even waste time photographing the sheet of mustache stickers that came with this box.

The final item that made me really happy was that with my crate this month I received a membership card.  I have seen online that you can show your membership card at different Loot Crate events for different reasons.  I am pumped that I have one now, should the opportunity arise to use it.

So, was it worth it...Loot Crate is $17.66 a month with shipping and handling.  There is really no way to put a value on the exclusive items found in the box.  I do know that typically when you find a video game t-shirt you end up paying $19.99 or more.  Knowing that fact, this box surpassed its value.  I'm happy spending money on this box yet again.