LEVEL UP+ Wearables June 2016

I used to be subscribed to Loot Crate a few years ago, but sadly unsubscribed since I realized the only item I truly appreciated was the t-shirt they included every month.  It was pretty cool and full of geeky stuff, but if the month's theme was something you're completely oblivious about, it made for a pretty bad box.  Fast forward to today and Loot Crate now has many options available for their subscribers in order to ensure they get items/themes to their liking.  Let me go through them quickly before getting to the gist of this blog post.  An FYI, the links I have posted on this blog post gives you 5$ off any Loot Crate subscription (included the one I am subscribed to).

Loot Crate : this still offer the original boxing which ends up being 13.95$ + 6.00$ shipping (19.95$) and you get a themed box where you are sure to get a t-shirt, collectibles and gadgets.  This month's theme was Dystopia.

Loot Crate DX: this is the same Loot Crate experience but better with a bigger assortment of geeky goods, including apparel, pop figures, collectibles and home goods.  This one is a tad more expensive at 44.95$ + 5.00$ shipping (49.95$)  but I hear it's highly worth it.  This box follows Loot Crate's theme of Dystopia.

Loot Anime: This is the same principle as Loot Crate but it's themed around Anime. This one costs 24.95$ +5.00$ shipping (29.95$) and theme for this month is Victory featuring items from Splatoon, Free! and Yowamushi Pedal.

Loot Gaming: Again, same principle as regular Loot Crate but this one is based on Gaming (classic and new release alike).  This one costs 24.95$ +5.00$ shipping (29.95$) and theme for this month is Arena and includes items from Team Fortress 2, Overwatch, DOTA 2 and Street Fighter 5.

Loot Pets:  Now you can geek out your pets!  Apparel, toys, treats and accessories for your pet with geeky references.  This one is 19.95$ +5$ shipping ( 14.95$) and the theme this month is Dogtopia.

Firefly Cargo: This one is a bi-monthly crate that sends out official Firefly Gear and Collectibles.  Every crate is 34.95$ +5$ shipping (39.95$) and next box is themed Little Damn Heroes.

Halo Legendary Crate: has not been released yet but there's the possibility to receive an email when they officially launch.

Loot Crate also has Limited Editions Crates:  Ghostbusters (55$), Star Wars (100$), and Call of Duty (100$).

Okay, so what is it I'm subscribed to?  Well, I didn't even cover that yet!  Loot Crate has another form of subscription called LVL Up+ which earns you some geeky apparel delivered to you on a monthly basis.  Now since there are a few options, I'll cover these for you.

First, there's Loot Socks at 9.99$ (shipping included) where you get two pairs of geeky, comfy stylish socks every month.  This month's sock spoiler is : Star Trek and Fall Out.

Then, there's Loot Tees at 8.99$ (shipping included) which earns you a geeky t-shirt every month.  This month's t-shirt spoiler is District 9.

There's Loot for Her at 14.99 (shipping included) where you can get anything like scarves, jewelry, tote bags, leggins, etc.  This month's spoilers are : Attack on the Titans and Firefly.

And last but not least, there's Loot Wearables at 14.99$ (shipping included) which can include anything from hoodies, lounge pants, polos and long sleeve shirts.  This month's spoiler is Ghostbusters.  I am subscribed to this one.

You can also decide to bundle up some of these options for a better price : Loot Wearables + Loot Socks (20.99$),  or Loot for Her+ Loot Tees (19.99$).

I know this overview of Loot Crate possibilities has been long, and I promise not to go through all of that again next month.  Now on to the actual review!

The envelope came with a large poster showing pictures and describing the possible loot for the month.  I kinda wish I was subscribed to the socks and wearables bundle, because I like those Star Trek socks...oh well.

So this month's Wearable included an Exclusive Ghostbusters Baseball Jersey.  Here's a view from the front and back of the shirt.  I believe 84 refers to the year the first Ghostbusters movie came out.  While I really enjoy Ghostbusters, baseball jerseys are not my favorite style.  I'll be more likely to wear this to lounge around the house or when I go to friends for game nights.  I like it though and it is quite comfortable.

That said, since I kind of regretted not signing up with the Wearable and Socks bundle, I decided to upgrade my subscription for next month...and we already have a sneak peek for the theme for July!!

July's theme is Futuristic and here are hints for the various Level Up subscriptions:

Loot Socks: will feature socks from Rick and Morty and Megaman.
Loot Tees: will feature a Voltron t-shirt
Loot Wearables: will feature an item from Futurama.
Loot for Her: will feature an item(s) from Bioshock Infinite.

The items I am subscribed to are shows I am well acquainted with so I am pretty sure they will be greatly appreciated!  That concludes this month's review.  As always, any comments or questions are welcomed.

Julep Maven June 2016 unboxing

My Julep box was a tad late this month (about 10 days later than usual).  I'm never too worried about shipment though because I know the box will show up one day or another.  It was showing up as shipment data uploaded for at least two weeks before showing any sign of shipment.  Funny enough, the day I contacted Julep, the package started moving within minutes of the contact.  All that to say, I am very happy to have it in my hands right now...But before I talk to you about what I got in this month's box, let me tell you a little about this subscription.

(don't mind the flyer, Alex is actually the one that took this picture!)

 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.

This month, I had two polishes and one make-up product, as well as 3 add-ons.  First, the items from the collection:

 We've got Julep Lorraine (on the left) (RV 14$ or 11.20$ for Mavens) which is described as a mulberry passion microshimmer.  This beauty is a one coat wonder; simply amazing!  I did end up trying two coats on my nails to see if it deepened the color but it really did nothing extra; it's fine with just one coat.  It has quite a thick formula though, so it is best to limit the amount of polish on the brush.

The second one is Julep Naveena (on the right) (RV 14$ or 11.20$ for Mavens) which is described as a lush jungle teal jelly. My nail swatch is two coats, but since it's a jelly, I assume you could build it up to the desired opacity.  I have a creme polish similar to this color but I must admit, I do prefer the jelly format; I just love that squishy look jelly polishes have.

The makeup item is Skip the Brush - Creme-to-Powder Blush Stick in the color Sweet Peach (RV 24$ or 19.20$ for Mavens).  You can see a swatch of the color on the right.  Keep in mind this is only a stripe, I did not blend it on my arm.  I did try it on my cheeks and the look is subtle but quite gorgeous.  Makes me want to grab a few darker colors of this product.  I quite love the formula too.

So if we consider this, my 19,95$ box has products totaling the value of 52.00$; pretty awesome in my opinion.  And as always, I grabbed three add-ons to get a free gift (I really can't resist free gifts and I really wanted to try two of these products).  Also, with the fact I got the whole collection last month, I have a few Jules points to use up, so the only thing I ended up paying for was the polish at 4.95$.  I'll tally up the value of the add-ons at the end to show how awesome of a deal this was for me.

When Julep announced they were releasing a Nail Polish Thinner, I knew I had to get it. Some of my favorite colors have started to thicken and have become a bit difficult to work with so this will be really nice to prolong their use.  Voila is 14$ or 11.20$ for Mavens and is quite simple to use: simply add 2-3 drops in a polish bottle, shake and continue to use the polish as per usual.

Next item I've been eyeing for awhile was this Julep Clean Slate Polish Corrector Pen (10$ or 8$ for Mavens).  This pen comes with three refill tips for cleaning.  I've already used it with my newest manicure and have to say it is easy to use and works really well!  This will likely become one of my staple items for add-ons.

Last but not least, the polishes.  On the left is Saaya (14$ or 11.20$ for Mavens) is a golden apricot shimmer.  This polish was my free gift this month.  At first, I thought it was very similar to Nayely but when I put it side by side, I notice Saaya is more orange and lighter than Nayely.  Gorgeous color nonetheless.

And on the right is Twiggy (14$ or 11.20$ for Mavens) which is described as a mauve frost.  What drew me in to this color is the "frost" formula which I don't presently own...While I like this color, the brush strokes are quite visible and I am not a big fan of that visibility.  This may be a color best sponged on?  Still happy to have it though, since I have nothing quite like it in my collection.

So, all those add-ons total a value of 52.00$ and I got them for 4.95$; pretty fantastic!  And in total, the box's value is 104$.  Julep is pretty fantastic at giving bang for their buck and I'm very seldom disappointed.  That concludes this month's Julep unboxing; thank you for reading me! :)

Awesome Pack May 2016 (Last One!)

 Alex and I were so happy to see our Awesome Pack on our front doorstep.  However, it is with mixed feelings we announce that this will be our last box.  By no means should you interpret that as we don't like this box anymore, that has nothing to do with our reasons to cancel.  As a matter of fact, Awesome Pack did such a great job at getting us acquainted to the world of board games, we now feel like we can venture out on our own and pick a board game monthly at our local board game shop.  If you're new to board games or appreciate the convenience of board games on your front doorstep every month, this is totally worth it and I very much recommend it.  Alright, now that I've said my two cents, I shall start the review of this month's box.

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.

**not pictured, we got another Awesome Pack pin which I attached to my lunch box. **

 Our big board game this month is Kairo (RV 49.95$ on Amazon.ca).  This game is a 2-4 player game for players 8 years old and up that lasts approximately 45 minutes.  Here is what Awesome Pack had to say about it "The bazaar in Cairo is bustling already early in the morning.  Carpets, precious oils and exquisite spice are waiting for their customers.  Build your market place to attract the most customers!  The bigger the shop, the more victory points!"  Here's a video from The Dice Tower that explains how to play it.  Looks pretty fun and simple enough to play.

The second game we got is Jeopardy Travel Edition and based on Outset's website, this game has just been released so they haven't even posted the retail price yet!  I'll take a guess at the price and say it's about 15$ when I base myself on other travel edition board games from Outset.  This plays 3 or more players for ages 12 years old and up and I assume game play can be as long as you wish it to be since there's no actual timing on this.  Awesome Pack says this games "puts all the awesome fun of Jeopardy into a small package!"  Looking forward to try this out :)

Alex is most excited about this item: High Command Rapid Engagement (RV is 11.99$) which is a 2 player deck building game for players 14 years old and up and game play can last between 45-60 minutes.  I'm oblivious to this lingo and I'm not sure I am reading this properly but this is a Hordes vs Warmachine game.  Awesome Pack says this is an "awesome two-player deck building game in which players raise and lead mighty armies to capture strategic objectives across the Iron Kingdom" The Discriminating Gamer has a video up on how to play.

We got a Halo Mega Bloks figurine (RV 3.99$ at Toys R us).  I am uncertain if this is a blind pack or not and I don't know much about Halo as I've never played it but Alex seemed to appreciate this a lot more than I did.  In fact, he didn't even wait until I started my review to open it up and build the figurine.  He's pretty neat :)

And last item is a DC Comics Series 2 Blind Bag (RV. 4.99$) and we got a mini Flash figurine.  I haven't yet gotten into The Flash tv series, but it definitely is on my to do list and I can totally appreciate this little guy.

This month's box had a retail value of 85.92$ which is VERY impressive!  I am also super happy with everything we got this month; Awesome Pack did a fantastic job!  Thank you for making our last box extra awesome!  You guys rock!

Nature Box May 2016 Unboxing

A couple of days ago, I got a notice of shipment for my Nature Box; good timing as I only have 2 more snack servings of my previous month!  Since you're all aware I did snack box subscription reviews with the goal to find the subscription for me, I'll let you know why Nature Box was the winner: simply put, they promise simple ingredients, no artificial stuff, no HF corn syrup, no MSG and calorie-size is always below 200 calories; this meets my expectations!  There 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. 

This month, most of my snacks came in ziplock bags, so I was able to show you how most of them look like.

First snack is Parmesan Garlic Pop Pops (4 single serving bags) which is half-popped popcorn flavored with Parmesan cheese, garlic, onions and sea salt.  We've become quite impressed with Nature Box's popcorn snacks, so I am sure these will be enjoyed just as much.  I think this is the snack Alex expressed the most interest in as well.

My Rating: Loved these; quite flavorful and I loved the crunch it added to my popcorn night.

Next, we have Apple Cinnamon Crave which is described as  a fruit and nut mix with peanuts, almonds and apples.  I unfortunately can't link it as it is no longer showing on the website but this medley looks really nice; and yes, those white pieces are yogurt bytes.

My Rating:  Another hit for me.  The apples were chewy, the little yogurt bytes added something interesting to the mix and the nuts, well, let's just say they were great, as per usual.

Next snack is Cranberry Pepita Crisp which is described as a cranberry and pumpkin seed pita crisp.  Unfortunately, this is not in a ziplock, so I can't display them for you.  Nature Box recommends pairing these with cheese...I think I may :)

My Rating: I had these with cheese, as it was suggested and wow!  This is a pretty fancy tasting cracker.  I might get them again when I know I have a soirée coming up.

Next, we have Sriracha Roasted Cashews, how could I resist?  Remember, the first month I tried the Sriracha Popcorn... and I tried to continue my Sriracha craze last month but they were sold out.. so I am sooooo happy to have these on hands now.  Yummy!  You can't deny the Sriracha glazed cashews sounds amazing!

My Rating: cashews are amazing, Sriracha is amazing; put them together and this is fabulous!  Alex wanted me to reorder this, and I promised I will soon.

Next, we have Cherry Berry Bonanza which is a medley of dried cranberries, dried cherries and dried blueberries.  I really enjoy dried fruit, and these three are no exception.  This one was in my recommended pile and I thought, why not?  Loving the colors!

My Rating:  I might be less in dried fruit than I realized..these stayed untouched until the very last day and when the next month's order was delayed, started snacking on them.  They are pretty good.  I just like something extra with my dried fruit...just a preference.  And I guess it goes the same way for Alex since he didn't touch them at all.

Next is Chocolate Hazelnut Granola and I'll admit that my goal is to sprinkle this on top of Greek yogurt.  There's a few big chocolate pieces (though apparently, they all decided to hide at the bottom of the bowl), hazelnuts and all the good stuff you naturally find in granola.  Apparently, tastes just like Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread.

My Rating:  this is the first thing to make it out the window; I paired this with yogurt and I really enjoyed it.  One of my favorite ways of eating granola.

And these are Dark Cocoa Nom Noms.  I don't know why but this name makes me laugh.  These are mini cocoa and oat cookies and they make me think of those two byte brownies.  I'm a self-proclaimed chocoholic so I know these will a win for me.

My Rating:  I loved these cookies, so much so I ended up getting a different flavored Nom-Nom for next month's box.

I asked Nature Box to send me a surprise snack and this month, they picked Kung Pao Pretzels; awesome!  They read my mind.  I was going to order this for next month had this not been my surprise snack.  These are spicy-seasoned waffle pretzels.  As soon as I opened the bag, I told Alex that these smell amazing!  Definitely looking forward to tasting these!

My Rating: these are fantastic and quite addicting.  Alex asked me to order this one again for the next month because he really enjoyed the spices in them.  I didn't hesitate; I did.

Next, we have Pistachio Power Clusters which are nut squares with almonds, cashews and pistachios.  Since I really enjoyed the Cashew Power Clusters two months ago, I am sure these will be a hit just as much.

My Rating:  these were great too; similar to the cashew clusters.  I would definitely get these again in the future.

And, the last snack is Big Island Pineapple which is, you guessed it, dried pineapple rings.  If you've never had dried pineapple, I urge you to try it.  It's one of our favorite dried fruit, which is why, I know these will be appreciated.

My Rating: like the Cherry Berry Bonanza, this was eaten last.  I love pineapples though, and these tasted pretty good too.  I guess I just need to eat my dried fruit in a trail mix...I'll keep that in mind for later.

This concludes my Nature Box for the month of May.  Stay tuned at the end of the month for my snack reviews on this exact post.  As always, any questions or comments are welcomed!  Thanks for reading!

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!