Sayonara (for now)

When I started this blog a few months ago, I had big hopes and dreams for it. I also had no idea how busy those next few months would be. So far this year I've gotten engaged, am buying a house, and took on much more responsibility at work. Needless to say, the time and money needed to sustain this blog are no longer available.

I still enjoy subscription boxes, and will likely still receive one or two from time to time. I (probably) won't be posting about them. I definitely won't actively seek out any new subscriptions. At this point in my life with all of the new exciting changes, I'd rather put that money toward our Hawaiian wedding. Even though I won't be adding many (if any) new posts, I will leave the old ones in place for now.

I'm sorry that this has been a short-lived blog, but there are great other options out there to fuel your addiction. Here are a couple I read:

My Subscription Addiction

Subscription Box Ramblings

It's been real... it's been fun. See you on the flip side.

Free Stitch Fix in March

I recently heard of a Stitch Fix discount and wanted to share it with you here. This is big- Stitch Fix almost never gives a discount, so take advantage of it while you can! I make no promises, but here's my understanding:

Schedule a fix for the month of March (hurry, it's almost over!). After you receive your clothes and go to check out, you can enter the code RISKFREEMARCH in the promo code box. They will deduct $20 (the styling fee) from your total. If you don't buy anything, then the experience was free. If you do decide to keep any clothing pieces, you're only paying for the clothing. If you were thinking about trying SF anyway, this may be a great opportunity! 

Stitch Fix February Review

Stitch Fix is a personal styling service. They send you 5 items that are tailored to your personal style profile. You can link your Pinterest board and even give special requests. The 5 items are sent to your front door, saving you the time and hassle of a shopping trip.

I apologize about the quality of pictures later on in the post. They aren't the greatest. Good thing to know for next time! Also, I really do have a face, but it wasn't very pretty the day I look the outfit pictures. I'm sorry about the disembodied torso. :)

Cost: Stitch Fix charges a $20 styling fee to curate your box. If you order an item, the $20 goes toward the price. If you order all 5 items, you get a 25% discount. The price range of items really varies and is based off your cost preferences on your style profile.

Filling out the style profile was really fun. It made me stop and really think about what I liked and what my style actually is. It was super easy and pretty quick. Readying my Pinterest board took decidedly longer. :)

My first Fix arrived ahead of schedule. They emailed me when it was shipped so that I was expecting it. I like that so that a package isn't sitting on my porch for days before I notice it. You have 3 business days to try on the items before deciding to keep or send them back. Returns are super easy- Just throw everything in the prepaid envelope and throw it in the mail. Then you log on to the site and tell them what you're keeping and what you're sending back. They charge your credit card for the items you're keeping. Voila! That easy!

You get a personalized note from your stylist. It was obvious that Rachel took the time to really look at what I wanted. This time around I requested tops that could transition from Winter to Spring. I asked to not get any pants or dresses, because I'm good to go on those right now.

My goal this time around was to hopefully try on items that I might not normally try in the store, while still staying somewhat within my comfort zone. I knew that Stitch Fix items tend to be a bit more expensive than I typically spend, but I'm willing to pay a little more for the convenience if the item is decent quality.

You receive a sheet detailing each item and the price if you decide to keep it. As you can see, the average price for my items were about $50.  The total price for my order would be $225 if I kept everything.

Stitch Fix includes a styling card for each item that shows 2 ways to wear it. This was super helpful. The items aren't necessarily meant to wear together. They want you to try to incorporate them into your wardrobe and mix it up with what you would normally wear.

The clothes were really nicely packaged. Little details like this really show the time they take to make this box stand out above other subscriptions.

The first look was great, but I was still a little worried about fit. Stitch Fix only goes up to size 14 right now, and I was a little worried. I'm right at that size and have recently gained a little extra weight. I wasn't sure that anything would even fit. 

Market & Spruce Striped Dolman Top ($48)

This fit great and the top was SO comfortable. I would have kept this, but there was a small hole in the arm near the cuff. I was pretty angry that they included a top with a hole in it, but I understand that things happen. 

I emailed Stitch Fix and told them about the issue. They got back within 15 minutes and apologized for the oversight. They offered to deduct 15% from the price to compensate for repair costs. I didn't want to hassle with repairing a brand new shirt though. I asked for a refund of my styling fee instead so that I could try it again. They happily obliged. RETURNED

A close-up of the rip.

Bowie Solid Dolman top ($58)
After trying on the green striped top, I was really excited about this one. The color was beautiful, and I always love a V-neck. Unfortunately, it just wasn't very flattering. It was also sort of see through in the bust area, since the fabric was really sheer. RETURNED

Abbot Crew Neck Elbow Patch Sweater ($108)
I forgot to take pictures of the elbow patches, but they were a faux brown leather. It was a really cute detail. I'm not a fashionista, but I've never called this a crew neck- always a cowl neck. What would you call it? This wasn't even a tiny bit flattering on me. I think I needed a size down. It was really itchy, too. B loved it on her, but we just weren't willing to pay $108 for a sweater. This thing would need to be made of unicorn fur for that to happen. RETURNED

Burgdorf Diamond Print Henley Blouse ($38)
The shirt is actually much more pink than this picture shows. I'm wearing the sleeves down here, but they could be rolled up and buttoned to make this 3/4 sleeves. I was really excited about this being included, because I've been wanting to find a shirt like this that fits. Unfortunately, it was SUPER tight across my bust, even though it fit well everywhere else. I'm not a huge fan of the hi-lo shirt, and unfortunately this was no exception. If it had been slightly less of a pronounced difference from the front to the back, I might have overlooked that. The price on this was great, but I don't think it was very well made. Upon close inspection, there were tiny threads showing through the button holes and on various other seams. RETURNED

Alan French Asymmetrical Zip Cardigan ($68)
I've been drooling over a really similar cardigan on ModCloth for a while now, and I'd pinned on Pinterest. I was so disappointed when this one didn't work out. The fabric was really thick and it was really comfortable. It was cute when I had it open, but not so much when I zipped it. Sadly, I sent this back. Here's the one I liked on ModCloth: http://www.modcloth.com/shop/sweaters/airport-greeting-cardigan-in-charcoal. I might just try that one. RETURNED

None of my items worked for me this time, but that's okay. Even with the ripped shirt snafu, I was really pleased with the service overall. It met my goal of getting me to try new things while staying somewhat true to my tastes. My stylist really got my style and took the time to make sure the items were something I'd like. I appreciate that. 

I'll definitely be doing this again. I'll likely wait until later in the spring. We are buying a house right now, and with all that craziness I don't want to mess with buying new clothes that I don't absolutely need. I think I'll shoot for late April or early May.

Disclaimer: This post contains a referral link. If you use it to sign up, I'll receive $25 toward my next Fix. I paid for this Fix and did not receive any compensation for the review. The opinions in this post are my own.

Petbox Review

A while back I saw a deal on Groupon for Petbox and decided to try it. In September, a beautiful calico adopted us. Luna has been a wonderful addition to our family, and I decided to spoil her a little. 

Petbox offers quite a few different choices. The Groupon I ordered was for the Deluxe edition. It is normally $19.99 a month, but I got it for $11.99. You can set up an automatic subscription, but I chose to just do a one-time box. You can either choose items, or elect to get the surprise box. Luna's a bit picky (aren't all cats?), so I decided to pick the items. 

Cost: Petbox offers different sized boxes. The prices below are for the one-time option. You can save a bit by signing up for a longer subscription. Shipping was free.

Snack (one surprise treat) $9.95

Deluxe (2-3 items) $19.95

Premium (4-6 items) $39.95

Multiple Pet (7-12 items) $59.95

These are the items I chose for Luna. When you choose a box they list item limit (2-3 for the Deluxe), but that's a bit misleading. They actually give you a number of points to spend (I had 400). Each item you can choose from has a specific number of points based on it's value. You fill your cart until you've used up your points. I decided to focus on toys and a few catnip and treat items.

The items were packaged really nicely in their original packaging. These are two of the bigger toys.

Can you tell that she likes my choices? These kept her busy for HOURS! She wasn't too crazy about the treats, but she loved all of the catnip toys. I think she has a bit of a 'nip addiction.

I'm not really sure how to value the items, since it was all done on a point system. I could go try to find values of similar items from other stores, but I won't take the time. I'm satisfied that I got my $12 worth of treats and toys. 

I don't know if I would do this on a monthly basis. My cat and dogs don't play with toys enough to justify the expense. It would be a great gift or once in a while treat, though.

Disclaimer: I paid for this Petbox and did not receive any compensation. There are NO affiliate links in this post. All opinions are my own.

February Birchbox Review

Birchbox is a monthly subscription that sends 4-5 beauty samples every month. It allows you to rate your items and earn points that can be changed into cash to spend in the Birchbox store. This is my 3rd Birchbox and I've already earned $30 to spend in their store by rating my items. It's already paid for itself! Birchbox also has a great referral program. For every friend you refer, you receive 50 points ($5 in the store).

Cost: $10/month

I love how they address me! 

Birchbox often lets you choose between a regular, randomly chosen box of items or a specially curated box. I usually like the surprise of the regular box, but when I looked at the choices this month, I decided go with the special box. This month Birchbox worked with Rent The Runway to come up with this grouping of items. It included a coupon for $30 off a $70 purchase on Rent The Runway. I have a wedding coming up, so I could potentially use this. We'll see.

An information card is included to explain how to use each product. I love when boxes do this. Sometimes the products are pretty straightforward. Some have very minimalistic labels or are in a foreign language, which make them much harder to figure out.

First look: When there are smaller products included, Birchbox puts them in a special holder. 

Fekkai Blowout Hair Refresher Dry Shampoo (Value: $6.93)
I've used Fekkai products before, and they're really high quality. I've been on a dry shampoo kick lately, so I'm always excited to see them in a subscription box. This was the main reason I chose this specially curated box.

dermaE Anti-Wrinkle Scrub (Value $3.19)
I really love how thick and creamy this scrub is. It's exfoliating, but not too rough on my skin. I would definitely purchase the full size of this.

the Balm Read My Lips gloss-Rose Pink (Value $4)

This was just okay for me. I like the Balm cosmetics, but this was one of the least favorite products of theirs that I've tried. I'll throw it in my bag to have on hand, but probably wouldn't buy it again.

Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner (Value ~$5)

This is shockingly bright navy blue. I'm sure it looks great on some people, but I'm not even going to try it. I'm passing this on to my sister or a friend.

Not Soap Radio Pheromone Activation Bubbles (Value $1.75)

This smells really great and was a good choice for a February/Valentine's day item. We are in process of buying a house with a huge soaking tub, and I'm saving these to use after we move. I've never used a pheromone activating bubble bath. Hopefully it works. :)

Birchbox is still one of my favorite subscription boxes. They're affordable, consistent, and easy to use. I love how organized their website is compared to other subscription box services. This is one of the ones I'll definitely continue in the future! 

Total value: $20.87

This isn't one of the highest values they've had, but it's still well worth the $10 investment.

Disclaimer: This post contains referral links. If you click through and order a subscription, I will receive points to spend in the Birchbox store. I pay for my birchbox subscription with my own money. No compensation was received for this review. My opinions are my own.

February Ipsy Review

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription box that sends 4-5 items curated around a central theme and the user's feedback. The items are packed in a stylish, fun makeup bag. (Isn't the bag so cute this month?)

Cost: $10/month with FREE shipping

Eva-nyc Up All Night Volumizing Spray (Value $3)
My hair is super thin, so I need all the volumizing help I can get!

City Color Creamy Lip Stain (Value $4.99)
This is much pinker than it looks in the photo. It was an okay gloss, but I've gotten much higher quality ones in recent boxes. I'll probably stick this in the giveaway pile.

Model Cosmetics Blush (Value $5)
I don't wear blush very often. If I do, it's BareMinerals. I couldn't find how big the full size of this is, so I estimated the cost based off the smaller size. This will be gifted. 

Emite Makeup Professional Eyelash Curler  (Value $25)
I always love getting brushes and tools in boxes, so this is a nice addition. I already have a lash curler that I never use though, so I'll pass this on. I think my mom will love it. 

Mitchell and Peach Face Oil (Value $23)

I've only used this once and I love it already! It's such a great addition for those of us who have super dry skin during the winter. I feel like I can't put enough moisturizer on these days, and this solves that problem- just a few drops will do. This bottle will last me forever! It smells nice, but not overpowering. This made the entire bag for me!

Overall value: Approximately $61 

I didn't like this Ipsy nearly as much as I did the January bag, but I'm still a huge fan. I'm sure my mom and sister will agree, since they'll be getting some of these items, too!

FabFitFun Winter Subscription Box Review

FabFitFun is a subscription box sent out four times a year by the Fabfitfun.com team. It includes health, wellness, and beauty items with a value of at least $200. 

Cost: $49.99 per quarter (FREE shipping)
Use the code NEW5 to receive $5! If you sign up for a full year's subscription, you can save $20. 

Zumba Max DVD (Value ~$22.50) 
Zumba.com Giftcard ($25)
I haven't ever done Zumba before, but I've heard it's really fun. I'm a little scared to take my lack of rhythm to a Zumba class and shake my booty in front of a group of people. I haven't tried this DVD yet, but I'm excited to try it in the privacy of my home. I wouldn't have bought this myself, so I'm glad I got it. I looked around the Zumba.com shop and I think I'll end up using this for some fitness towels or a water bottle. You can never have too many of those!

Saltedtv.com 3-month membership (Value $29.97)
I'm super excited about this. Salted is described as the "Netflix for cooking." I love to cook, and I'm always excited to try new techniques. Is anyone else addicted to watching Chopped? Yeah, me neither. :) I'm hoping that this doesn't expire any time soon. We are hopefully moving in a few months and I'd like to wait until we get into the new house to try it out. 

AHA Hand Creme (Value $18)
This is some of the thickest, most nourishing hand cremes I've ever used. I get really dry skin in the winter, and this has done an excellent job of moisturizing. It doesn't have much of a smell, which is nice. 

Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel (Value $39)
Admittedly, I haven't tried this yet. I keep meaning to, but get distracted or just forget. I expected it to smell like green apple, but it's decidedly more mediciny than I had hoped. This is a little more than I'd normally pay for a facial peel or mask, so let's hope it lives up to it's price tag.

Daniel Stone Candle- Gardenia (Value $42)
Never in my life have I paid $42 for a candle, so I probably wouldn't buy this on my own. Gardenia isn't my favorite scent, so I'll probably gift this. That being said, it's still a great addition to the box.

HalfUnited Necklace ($34)
Half United recycles bullet casings and turns them into jewelry to fight hunger. For every product purchased, they give a week's worth of meals to hungry child. It's a great cause and a neat necklace, but it's just not my style. I get the bullet concept, but I think I'd feel weird wearing it around. My sister loves to hunt though, so I think it will make a great gift for her.

Passport2Beauty Tibetan Goji Berry Eye Serum (Value $88)
I'm trying to get better about using anti-aging eye cream. There are so many choices in stores that I get  a little overwhelmed, so I was excited to see this included. It goes on really smooth and it's a bit cooling at the same time. I don't know if it will keep me younger, but it at least makes me feel like I'm doing something.

Organic Valley Protein Shake- Vanilla Bean (Value ~$4)
I hate to be negative, but this was just plain gross. I wanted to like it, but it just didn't happen for me. I'm not a fan of protein shakes or protein powder in general though, so it might be good to someone who actually enjoys protein shakes. 

Justin's Almond Butter (Value $0.60)
This is a great travel size snack. Almond butter is always a great thing to have on hand so I don't make an unhealthy choice. (Here's looking at you, donuts!)

Special K Salted Pretzel Chocolate Bar (Value ~$0.50)
It's a diet version of salted caramel, so it tasted about as good as you'd expect. I'd eat it again, but I probably wouldn't go in search of these.

Fashion Project Gift Card (Value $30)

Fashion Project is like a thrift store for lightly used high-fashion items. They have some great clothes and accessories, but $30 won't buy much on the site. Since it's a secondhand store, sizes and styles are limited. Many of the clothes were in the size 0-4 range, which I most definitely am not. I might surf around and hope to score a scarf or something small like that. 

YourMinerals Mineral Eyeshadow- Swedish Winter & Lavender Dream (Value $42)
Mineral eye shadow is always a great addition to subscription boxes. This white shimmery color must be really popular this year, because I've seen it everywhere. It's a great color to add over the top of others or just to wear alone. The Lavender color is nice, but doesn't look great on me. I'll probably set it aside for a giveaway or gift it to my sister. 


I was really pleased with the FabFitFun box overall. 

What I loved: 

• Great customer service! When I looked at the information card (which I forgot to take a picture of), I realized they had left off my eyeshadows. It wasn't a big deal, but I contacted them using the form on their website. I had a reply within a day and my eyeshadows within a week. 
• Great variety of products, including some I wouldn't normally choose for myself.
• Great value. Even without the products that I will give away or didn't like, I more than doubled the value of my subscription. I'll definitely get this box again. 

What I wasn't crazy about:

• I'm not crazy about their website, but hopefully they'll improve that as even more people use the service.
• A few of the food choices were gross or just so-so for me. That may just be a preference thing, though. 

Total value of this box: Approximately $375!

Disclaimer: This post includes an affiliate link. If you click it and sign up, I'll receive $15 off my next box. I paid for this subscription and did not receive any compensation for this review. All opinions are my own.

Walmart Beauty Box

The Walmart Beauty box (WBB) is a quarterly subscription box that sends you a selection of beauty products that can be found in their stores. 

Cost: $5 (free shipping)

When this showed up on my door, I was actually a little surprised. I forgot that I had ordered it. I guess that's the good thing about quarterly boxes. They're even more of a surprise. This was my first time receiving the WBB, so I didn't really know what to expect. It was only $5 though, so I figured that even if I didn't like it, I wasn't going to be out much money. 

The first look was not all that exciting. It was definitely very "Walmart." I tend to enjoy boxes that have a simpler, more understated design, so this wasn't my favorite. Walmart's purpose in sending these is really just advertising though, and I think they have accomplished that, at least. Unlike other boxes, the information card did not list any details about the items in the box. Even though the samples were all familiar and straightforward, it would be a nice inclusion. I'm not sure if everyone receives the same items in their box or not. 

Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes (Value $3.00)
These were my favorite item in the box. I'm already a big Burt's fan, but I hadn't used these before. Sometimes facial towelettes are flimsy and scratchy, but these were really soft and thick. The smell was nice and clean, but not overpowering. I traveled for work a few weeks ago, and these were great to throw in my bag and use to freshen up after a long day of meetings.

Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash (Value ~$0.50)
I haven't used this yet, but I've used similar Dove body washes before. It's just okay, but nothing I'm super stoked about.

Aveeno Daily Moisturing Lotion (Value ~$1.00)
I really like Aveeno products and I can't ever seem to have enough lotion, so this was a great addition to the box. I've used this product before and it's great for the super-dry skin I tend to get this time of year. 

Covergirl Colorlicious Lip Gloss- Juicy Fruit, Full Size (Value $5.94)
I'm usually not a Covergirl fan at all, so I really expected to give this away. Happily, when I tried it I was impressed. The color is a very faint pink color with the tiniest bit of shimmer. The gloss isn't as sticky as I expected, and it goes on pretty smooth. The thing I like most about this is the awesome smell. I wish it lasted a bit longer, but I'm not going to complain since it was free. I'm not sure I'd buy the product on it's own, but I was happy to get it in the box. 

Loreal Color Vibrancy Shampoo and Conditioner (Value ~$0.25)

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Shampoo & Conditioner (Value ~$0.50)

Samples like this are always handy to keep around, but neither of these are anything to write home about, as far as samples go. I like the John Frieda brand and have bought it before. I'll use the Loreal, but probably wouldn't buy it on it's own.

Misc perfume samples (Value unknown)

I use a very specific perfume and don't really venture far from that. I will probably stash these away for a future giveaway. I'm not crazy about receiving perfume samples in general, but especially not these tiny cardboard-backed kind. I'm not putting a value on this, because these are an afterthought to me. 

Overall, the WBB is pretty much exactly what you'd expect it to be. I don't know if I'll order this again, since I really like to experience new products in my subscription boxes. I did get at least my $5 worth though, so I'm satisfied. 

The overall value of the Winter WBB was approximately $11.19.

Have you tried the WBB before? What did you think?

Disclaimer: The Boxanista paid for this subscription box. All opinions are completely my own.