Julep May 2016 Review

I've been out and about lately, so I didn't have much time to actually count down the days til I received my Julep box...but this month is a very special box for me.  So, when I got home and saw my box waiting for me, I was very excited to break it open.  But before I tell you why, let me tell you about Julep.
 Julep is a monthly nail polish and beauty product subscription at a reasonable price of 24.99$/month.  If you sign up on the 3-month plan (pay for three months all at once), it costs 19.99$/month. Subscribers get to pick their choice of beauty product and nail polish on the 20th of every month and get billed on the 27th.  They are also free to skip a month if needed.  You have the opportunity to add items in your box as well and if you add three, you get a bonus gift.  Also, you ave the opportunity to upgrade the box to get a bigger part of the collection, or the whole collection. 

The minute I saw the collection, I knew I had to get them all.

 This month's selection features iridescent rainbow colored nail polishes, and to be sure, I really can't resist anything with shimmer in it.  These colors each draw me in in their own way, so to pick only two of them, was making it too hard on me...and then, well, Those lip oils seem to be exactly what I need at the moment, but how do you choose a color?  Bonus?  A mascara and some nail decals...yep! I needed the whole collection.  I forget how much more I paid to get it (I think 50$ more), but I am so happy to have them, even more so after swatching them!

First this is these nail decals.  Apparently, these show a diamond shape on the nails and can be worn on nude nails or over a base color.  Personally, I'd wear it with a base color.  They look gorgeous and I am definitely looking forward to sporting them.

This Length Matters Mascara (24$) was a featured product as the packaging has been improved.  I am not sure what the previous package looked like but this looks fine.  This mascara promises length, lift and definition to the lashes.  Looking forward to trying it out since mascara is my go to make-up product.

Your Lip Addiction is a tinted lip oil that promises to plump and smooth the lips, promote collagen production and repair dry cracked lips.  I've been having issues with dry lips lately so I knew I needed to get my hands on these.  Each lip oil is valued at 22.00$.  From left to right, we have Covet, Crave, and Obsessed.  I was personally hoping the clear one would be in the box, but nope.  However, the tint is not too dark, so it does match my preferences.

These are all the polishes included in the May 2016 collection.  Each polish is worth 14.00$

Pepper is a cornflower multidimensional shimmer; a very stunning blue with a purple shift.

Wilma is a Mojave sunrise gold chrome polish.  This is absolutely gorgeous!  A soothing neutral.

Mickey is a pink geranium ghost iridescent.  From the picture on the site, I wasn't sure the iridescent shimmer would show but it is quite noticeable in person; there's a beautiful pink/purple shimmer that runs though it.

Francine is a seaglass iridescent chrome polish.  This color is quite attractive; I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it.

Regina is a nebula pink iridescent chrome.  I am more tempted to describe it as a lilac purple and this is another unique color.

Summer is a cantaloupe sheer iridescent.  This cannot be described any better.  This color is fantastic too.  I am loving how soft this color is in comparison to other in the collection.

Riley is a firecracker iridescent shimmer.  The glow in this polish is outstanding!  I am definitely looking forward to sporting this color sometime soon.

I got myself some add-ons, as always, I can't resist a free gift.

First thing is Freedom Polymer Top Coat (18$).  I ran out of my previous top coat, so I needed to get a new bottle, end of discussion.  No, but honestly, Julep has the best top coat I have come across so far: nice glossy finish, quick-drying for a smudge-free manicure.  Love it!

Next is Sigourney which is a black holographic stardust.  I personally am a huge fan of stardust finish so if I can get my hands on that collection in my add-ons, I will build it gradually.

Next to that one is Laure which is a blazing red-orange stardust.  So as I already said, I am a fan of stardust finish.  This one is spectacular!!!  I love how bold it looks!

My gift this month was Becky!!! This is an oil slick duochrome silk polish and ever since I laid eyes on this one, I knew I needed to have it.  The fact it's my gift this month is pretty awesome!  I know the oil slickness doesn't really show from the picture, so I urge you to click to see it on Julep website.

Apparently someone joined using my promo-code.  Who ever it is, thank you! I got a 20$ promotion code so I got myself more polish lol (when I look my desk right now, it's covered with 12 polishes + 1 I'll give away...so many options, so little time! haha)

I was a bit sad when I saw Becky was my gift for this month because I had redeemed part of my 20$ on that color.  That goes to show you just how much I wanted that color.  I will be giving the duplicate to a family member or a friend.  Still to be determined.

Second color is Brenna which is a blue glow-in-the-dark iridescent microglitter top coat.  Julep had me at glow-in-the-dark.  I don't know why because I won't really have a need for glow-in-the-dark nails often but I like having the option.

And finally, my last polish is Delores which is an iris lineal liquid holographic polish.  This is another finish I have a hard time resisting...holographic is just so pretty.

That concludes my Julep May 2016 Review.  I will not tabulate the exact numbers for this month as quite frankly, I don't know the exact numbers...69$ for the collection?  19$ for add-ons? 7$ for the last three? If I guestimated right, I paid approximately 100$ for this month...but I got close to 300$ worth of products... sooooo worth it!

Awesome Pack April 2016 Unboxing

Today was a work from home kind of day and while I was busy reviewing assessments throughout the whole morning, I was happy to find this lovely box on my front door step when I paused for my lunch break.
 

 

So, as always, I'll give you a run down of what is Awesome Pack: You have the choice of two different packages:
Awesome Pack Family : geared towards families with kids of all ages to encourage family activities.
Awesome Pack - Big Kid: geared towards big kids at heart, obviously the one we opted for.

Before you get your first box, you fill in a questionnaire so you can get a better fit to your family.  Example, I informed the company that the box is for myself and my partner (32 and 33 years old) and a few of our interests.  They also try to find out which games you already own so they don't send you a duplicate.  Pretty cool, right?
Prices are $44.99 for US and $49.99 for Canadian residents. Shipping is free.

Awesome Pack actually listened to my feedback about their brand products and sent me a pin this month!  I'm sorry, Alex already claimed it and I forgot to take a picture of it. But I am quite happy it wasn't another poster/postcard/bookmark.

Speaking of bookmarks, I got this lovely bookmark in this box.  This is an Official Munchkin Bookmark and as you can see on the official website, you also get to play it during a Munchkin card game.  I am super happy to e getting this, because, guess who found their lost Muchkin Cards! We did! They are worth 0.50$ based on this website, but this is more valuable to us since this is one of our favorite games.

Since we're on the Munchkin topic, I was also very thrilled to be getting this Munchkin Marvel game valued at 24.95$.  This is especially awesome because...hey Marvel!  I'm obsessed with Marvel anything so yes, this is epic!  Also, we are talking about Munchkin as well.. A great combo!  Guess what we're playing tonight!  Munckin plays 3-6 players ages 10 years old and up (some mature language in this game) and game play really depends on the players.  Can go from anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

And while we're on the theme of Marvel, I got another Guardian of the Galaxy Dorbz.  This time I got Korath which is now sitting next to Nebula on my shelf.  Based on this site, his estimated value is 10.00$.  He's actually worth more than Nebula.

I had a good laugh when I pulled this item out.  My Little Pony Collectible Card Game simply isn't something I would reach out for but now that I have it, I will give it a try.  It's a 2 player game for players 10 years old and up and game play is typically 20 minutes.  This retails at 10.99$ on this website.

And last game I got in my Awesome Pack was another one that made me laugh...but for different reasons.  It's called Poo The Card Game.  It plays 2-8 players for ages 8 years old and up and typical game play is approximately 15 minutes.  You're basically all monkeys and you're flinging poo at each other (of course, not literally!).  You can get this new on Amazon for 14.69$.

That concludes my Awesome Pack review.  The retail value of this box totals 61.14$ which is a tad more than what I paid for this subscription.  I am very pleased with this month's selection and defenitely looking forward to what next month has in store for us.  As always, thanks for reading and I welcome any comments or questions you may have.  Have a good night!

Nature Box April 2016 Unboxing

Got my Nature Box in the mail today.  Right on time since we were starting to run low on snacks.    There are reasons why I continued this subscription: it promises simple ingredients, no artificial stuff, no HF corn syrup, no MSG and calorie-size is always below 200 calories.  That is exactly what I want in my snacks! :)  They are healthy, smart and crave-worthy options and I get to choose what I want in my box every single month.

You can get:
5 snacks at 19,95$ per box or
10 snacks at 32.95$ per box

Shipment can be done to match your schedule:
Every week
Every two weeks or
Every month.

I opted for 10 snacks every month.  Shipping is free to US but costs 4.95$ for Canadians, which is reasonable. To try a free box, click here!

I added a review of last month's snacks in my last review.  If you want to check it out, click here. 

As for this month's snacks, I realize you probably would like to see what these snacks look like but not all of them are equipped with a ziplock.  So, as always, I will include links to the actual snack on Nature Box website.

 This was a last minute add-on : Salt and Vinegar Veggies Chips.  I am a huge sucker for salt and vinegar chips so obviously could not resist adding this to my pantry.  Made with yucca, purple sweet potatoes, yellow sweet potatoes and plantains, it is sure to add a little bit of variety in every byte.

Review: The taste on these isn't too strong; I liked them but with plantains in them, I couldn't eat too many of them (banana allergy), so this was Alex's snack, mostly.  He really appreciated them.

Next, I have 4 single servings of Cranberry Medley, which is a blend of pomegranate flavored cranberries, acai flavored cranberries and dried blueberries. I can't see how this would not be enjoyed.

Review:  for some reason, these took longer for us to get into...not because they aren't good, because they absolutely are!  I guess we were just more into the savory things this month.  I'd definitely get this again though because they are quite good, and healthy for you!  I especially appreciate the dried blueberries.

Next item is Blueberry Almond Quinoa Bites are small bites of puffed quinoa, dried blueberries, almonds, and pumpkin seeds.  Honestly, when I read the ingredients on this one, I knew I had to try it.  They also look quite tasty

Review:  These are just plain addictive!  These little morsels pack so much flavor in every byte, it's incredible we didn't eat them in one sitting.  I enjoy granola-like snacks...this fits the bill.

Last month, I tried to get this snack and was disappointed to find out it was out of stock.  So this month, I am really happy to be getting it.  These Aged Cheddar Lentil Loops are much healthier than other savory snacks but pack just as much taste.

Review:  Our favorite snack hands down.  Alex and I both really enjoyed this cheesy snack because the taste wasn't too overpowering and still quite present.  The crunch in the loops was really great too.  We will try out more snacks like this.

Ok, who can resist Strawberry Greek Yogurt Pretzels?  I knew I had to try these, whether in this flavor or blueberry.  Since I got the Blueberry  Almond Quinoa Bites, I opted for strawberry.  I can't find it on their website at the moment, so I assume they are out of stock but I have linked the blueberry ones.  I think these would be even more spectacular served chilled.

Review:  This was amazing!  I always enjoyed yogurt covered anything, but Greek yogurt? That's even better!  The tangy taste of the yogurt meets the sweetness of the strawberry flavor and the saltiness of the pretzels, amazing combo!

And remember last month when I mentioned how I can't resist Salted Caramel anything?  Well, can you blame me for trying this out?  Especially since I, unfortunately, did not enjoy last month's salted caramel treat, I am due to enjoy this flavor.  Salted Caramel Apple Popcorn seems like a dream.  Looking forward to trying this out.

Review:  This tasted exactly like apple crisp, in my opinion.  We both enjoyed this a lot, though the oat brought an intriguing twist to the popcorn; different and enjoyable.

Harvest Nut Mix is a mix of peanuts, wild rice sticks, almonds, edamame, toasted corn and sesame sticks.  An uncommon mix, if you ask me, and also why I had to get my hands on these.  I like interesting mixes like that and looking at these ingredients, I know they will also be a win for me.

Review: another hit in this household; this mix was so versatile and yummy it made me want to try a lot of their trail mixes to compare...and I have selected some :)

I asked for a surprise snack and Nature Box suggested Strawberry Lemonade Fruit Stars.  Honestly, I think Nature Box could just about recommend anything on their website and I would be happy with the selection (as long as it's not those pretzel bites I did not enjoy last month).  Happy to try out these fruit stars though, as I have been craving gummy anything lately.  This will be a great way to curb that craving.

Review: well...good news is, it tastes fine.  bad news, I am not a big fan of the texture.  I might still get their other flavors because it does help soothe a sweet craving but, it won't curb a gummy craving as it's not exactly chewy.

I asked for Sriracha Cashew Crunch but, unfortunately, Nature Box was sold out.  Based on my previous month's review, Nature Box suggested Peanut Butter Graham Jam as a replacement.  This was on my list of things I wanted to try out, so there's not complaints here (and I also know I'll eventually get to try the Sriracha Cashew Crunch).  This mix includes : peanut butter covered mini graham crackers, peanuts, raisins and dried cranberries.  While I'm not a big fan of dried raisins, I think I can deal with these ones, as they aren't mushy (I prefer them to be chewy).

Review: It seems I could handle the raisins in this mix. Honestly, these were pretty fantastic!  The mix of the cookies with the peanuts and dried fruit was so well balanced it help curb a bunch of different cravings all at once.  And the Peanut Butter Graham squares, the best part of it all.

Unfortunately, I had a second item that was out of stock for this month: Praline Pumpkin Seeds but I am happy with the replacement Nature Box selected for me : Cheddar and Onion Sunflower Kernels. The flavor is self-explanatory, and also one of my all-time favorite flavors for snacks.

Review:  Wow! this packs so much flavor, I am in love!  Salty, but not too salty; cheesy, but not too cheesy; and the onion flavor was pretty good :)  Will definitely want to try more like this in the near future.

That conclude this month's Nature Box.  Stay tuned at the end of the month for my reviews of each of these snacks.  I will be including a link when I Unbox next month's Nathur Box, for easy access.  And also, don't forget about the free snacks!

Lucine Box Unboxing April 2016

Today, I bring to you a new box, and when I mean new, I mean it's still in pre-launch stage.  It's called Lucine Box and its purpose is to teach people how to manage their anxiety and stress in meaningful and creative ways.  When I landed on their page, I knew I had to try it.  In fact, I didn't even need a day to ponder about it, I signed up on their pre-launch site the minute I learned about it.

Lucine box is a bi-monthly subscription box (or it will be?) and it costs 35$ per box +taxes (ends up being a little under 40$).  Since it hasn`t fully launched yet, I can't give you as many details about the box, except that you can still purchase the box I am reviewing on the site I linked up there.

I'm really happy Lucine ensured the postage sticker would not damage the box.  The box is informative on what we will find inside.

Here`s a description, if you can read that... but no worries, I'll explain each one.

I found it really awesome that they included these tips in this box.  It definitely can't hurt to learn a few mindfulness techniques.

First item described is the Microscopic Findings Mindfulness Coloring Book.  I personally have started coloring a bit during my lunch hours which have helped me feel more calm and clear-headed after each line I do.  As a therapist, coloring is also a tool I share with my most anxious clients.  I will definitely be using this.

Of course, this is well teamed up with pencils.  Clients will receive a variety of Prang coloring pencils.  I got the colors blue, orange, green, brown and red.  I like that they came per-sharpened and ready to use.

This Invigorating Aromatherapy salves is supposed to help for a variety of ailments, including: headache relief (rub on temples), dry and itchy skin reliever, relieve muscle cramps (rub under feet), manage psoriasis and eczema, heal scars and facial moisturizer.  I found it a tad oily but then it was a bit melted when i opened it.  I bet if I kept it in a cool dark place it would do just fine.  I think it smells like lavender but I'm not 100% certain.

This Stress Relief Essential Oil smells like lavender as well and Lucine recommends rubbing it on the pressure points to relieve stress and perfect for on the go relief.

And, last item is a worry stone.  This one is a Rose Quartz which are crystals known to balance emotions and promote harmony.  To use a worry stone, simple hold between your index and thumb and rub with the thumb.  Love worry stones; I used to go to crystal shops just to get new crystals on a regular basis and a adopt a new worry stone in the process. 

That concludes everything I got in the Lucine Pre-Launch box.  I really like the concept behind this box and I definitely hope they keep up the good work.

Awesome Pack Marc 2016 unboxing.

As mentioned yesterday, I was greeted with a bunch of packages on Tuesday night when I came back from work and it really felt like Christmas for me :)  We already know I got my FitBit Charge HR (which I absolutely love!!!), and that one package was my Julep Maven April 2016 box.  The last package was my Awesome Pack for the month of March 2016.  It's a tad late this month but Awesome Pack really do have great customer service; they informed the customers affected by late shipment, so we're not left wondering what happened to our much anticipated game box discoveries.

 So, as always, I'll give you a run down of what is Awesome Pack: You have the choice of two different packages:
Awesome Pack Family : geared towards families with kids of all ages to encourage family activities.
Awesome Pack - Big Kid: geared towards big kids at heart, obviously the one we opted for.

Before you get your first box, you fill in a questionnaire so you can get a better fit to your family.  Example, I informed the company that the box is for myself and my partner (32 and 33 years old) and a few of our interests.  They also try to find out which games you already own so they don't send you a duplicate.  Pretty cool, right?
Prices are $44.99 for US and $49.99 for Canadian residents.  I'm trying to verify if there's shipping but I can't find anything about shipping on the website.  I believe it is free.

This month, I requested something funny...and they absolutely listened to me once more... But first, let's see what else we got in the box...

 I got another Awesome Pack post card.  I mentioned in my survey that it would be nice to get other things than posters and post cards from Awesome Pack.. I prefer to post cards to the posters though, as I can defenitely use them for something productive.  Sorry it's a tad blurry.  It reads "To be Awesome you must Dream Awesome!!!".  It's cute.  I don't mind it at all.

This is the main game.  It's called Codenames (RV 22.95$) and it plays 2-8 players (or more), players must be 14 years old and up and game play runs for about 15 minutes... short game but it sounds fun.  Here's what Awesome Pack has to say about it "Be an awesome spy master with this simple yet challenging awesome game!  Two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents."  Here's a video on how to play.

And here's my funny game.  It's called Pretense (RV 10$) and can play 2-12 players for players 14 years old and up and the time frame for this game is all night during your board game night.  Here's what Awesome Pack has to say about it "Players are dealt roles and have the entire night to complete their secret objectives."  So excited to be getting a kickstarter game too!  And honestly, I can see this becoming a fun add-on to other games.  To read more about it, here's the creator's blog.

We also got a 1000 pieces puzzle for ages 12 and up.  This one is from the Seasonal Splendor Americana series and is very difficult to find online.  Prices for these kinds of puzzles range from 12-15$.  Thinking on trying my luck on this puzzle this coming weekend.

Last item is a Funko Pop Pin in Marvel Iron Man (RV 3.99$).  This is super cute and will likely be pinned on my jacket or my purse.  I'm a huge Marvel fan so this is greatly appreciated!

That concludes this month's box review.  I really liked the items in this month's box and the price I payed for it matches the RV of the items inside it.  Also, some of these items are guesses since I could not find the real retail value online.  Looking forward to seeing what is in store for the month of April!