Black Box Subscriptions December 2015

I really can't express how much I adore this subscription box.  I honestly was expecting to subscribe for 2 to 3 months and then quit, but I just can't bring myself to because every month I keep getting more and more stuff that I love!

I can't believe I've already been subscribed for 4 months, with my 5th box soon on the way. This box has made me wear jewelry more often and also helped me be more confident in expressing myself by trying new things.  It really is a joy every months to see what Vixx has picked out this time.

I can't believe I've already been subscribed for 4 months, with my 5th box soon on the way. This box has made me wear jewelry more often and also helped me be more confident in expressing myself by trying new things.  It really is a joy every month to see what Vixx has picked out this time, and this month was no exception.

I didn't take an individual picture of the nail polish as it was one I already got and review, so go here if you'd like to see it!

BeautyTreats Green Tea Facial Mask

This month's makeup item isn't exactly makeup but instead a beauty product.  This is the first time I've gotten something like this, its a green tea facial mask.  I LOOOVE moisturizing masks like these and use them whenever I get my hands on one, so I was definitely pumped to see this in the box. 

Bat Sticker

This month's random goodie was another bat sticker.  I definitely liked the last one better as it was a bit 3D and sparkly but this one is cute too! I actually really hope I get a bat necklace or earrings in a future box.

Strange Omens Pumpkin Pin

This month also included a little handmade goodie from Strange Omens.  It is a clay disk inside a bottle cap with an engraved and painted pumpkin on the outside. Not 100% sure what I'll be doing with this but if nothing else it will make a cute addition to my book bag when Halloween roles around next year.

This little pin also came with a 10% off coupon for the website.

Red Scarf

Up until now all the accessories I've gotten have been clips, either for my hair or for my bag.  I was SO EXCITED to see this beautiful dark red scarf sitting on the top of my box when I opened it up.  I love scarfs and have been trying to collect more solid colored ones to wear with patterned tops.  Also I did not own a red scarf so this was absolutely perfect.  I've worn it twice now and Its just so lovely.

It is made of a warmer material so it is definitely a fall/winter scarf.  It is also pretty short, which is what I prefer.  I hate super long scarfs as they tend to get in my way when I'm working in the lab.

Beaded Bracelet

The first jewelry item this month was a handmade beaded bracelet.  Vixx had posted on facebook that she had a ton of beads and was planning on making things so I was expecting something like this.  This is the first time I've received a bracelet and...not going to lie I just don't wear them often. Whether I'm doing research in the lab or typing on my computer they tend to just get in my way, but for a bit I was determined to make it work.

That was until I happened to just hold it up to my neck and fell in love with the way it looked.....so alas it is no longer a bracelet.  I turned it into a choker length necklace because my goodness it just look so stunning, and to be honest...makes me feel like a princess.  This will be perfect for days I'm feeling a bit more girly!

Filigree Gem Earrings

The second jewelry item I received was definitely something unique.  I got these gorgeous stud backed decorative earrings.  They have a beautiful swirly metal design to them with a faceted white gem in the middle.  They feel so vintage and classy, I just love them.  Things like these are the reason I'm such a huge fan of this subscription box.  I don't think I'd personally buy something like this but after seeing them and trying them on, I just adore them.

I think these also go very nicely with the red scarf. 

I've actually been working on making some jewelry displays to keep my jewelry organized since because of this box I have so much more than a few pieces now!

Fancy Paperie Raven and Rose Victorian Stationery Letter Set

The special item this month was a mini set of stationary from the company Fancy Paperie.  This is a really really cute idea and the artwork is so gorgeous. Unfortunately my handwriting is absolutely terrible so I am so afraid to deface the beautiful artwork with my atrocious scribbling. But as I say in my unboxing video, these look nice enough to frame, they're so lovely.  Maybe I can write really slowly and carefully with a pencil and then ink over it so that I can actually use these and make someone's day! :)

And for anyone interested here is the business card with all the info included!

Did you like what you got in your Black Box this month?

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Black Box Subscriptions November 2015

Happy New Years Eve everyone!!

My 3rd Black Box arrived before Christmas but I've been so busy that I only had a chance to open it afterwards.  This box was pretty fun and once again I'm excited for the next one so I'll keep subscribing for now!

Here is a picture of the overall contents. Not pictured is the black nail polish....right after filming the unboxing video I dropped it and the bottle broke so I had to throw it out.  But that's ok because I'll get another one next month, haha.

Kleancolor Eye Bow-Tux Matte Shadow Palette

So first up is the makeup item for this month.  I am very very happy about this as it is absolutely perfect for me.  I love colorful shadows and I love matte. It is also a super tiny size which is PERFECT for travel.  My only travel palette right now is all neutrals so it will be really nice to have a colorful travel palette as well. It seems that I got this in the shade Gala Diva.

I quickly swatched the colors and they are not incredibly pigmented but this is also over bare skin with no primer and not built up.  I think these will be just fine as a quick to go solution over some primer and built up to a good opacity.  I probably won't use the green side very often but the pinks and purples will be used very frequently.

Here is an eye look I put together using four of the colors from this palette.  Going from left to right on my arm swatches on my lid is #1, in my crease is #11, in my inner corner is #9, and on my lower lashline is #10. I used a matte black NYX shadow to add depth to my outer corner. On my lips is Kat Von D's Ayesha.  I am definitely digging the quality of this palette. It's not the Electric palette for sure...but it also doesn't cost $50.

I am very happy about this palette!

Where to buy: kleancolor.com

Price: $6

Bat Sticker

One of the random goodies this month is this super adorable sparkly bat sticker.  I definitely prefer this over the Halloween stickers from my last few boxes as this one is thicker, and just overall better in every way. I will definitely be sticking this somewhere fun.

Ghost Charm

This adorable little ghost was wrapped around the black nail polish that I stupidly dropped and broke this month.  He is super adorable and will be attached to something soon.

Spooky Potion Halloween Ornament Craft Kit

This month included a very different kind of item.  It is a crafty sort of item, specifically a build it yourself ornament.  I got the ornament in the Spooky Potion variety and built it soon after filming the unboxing video.

Not going to lie...the instructions were pretty unclear and weird to follow so I honestly just did what seems to be right, which when looking at the item page...was not exactly correct.  It said to adhere the clear part to the hollow circle but my circle piece had no adhesive on it.  Also the larger top part, when you take off the back to make it sticky the top portion is not stuck to anything so instead it stuck to my table.  I had to cut the paper backing and stick it back on to prevent it from sticking to everything.

So even though it isn't exactly correct it still does what it is meant to and was fun to put together.  I really liked the addition of this to the box this month!

Where to buy: orientaltrading.com

Price:$2.28

Owl Pin

Oh my goodness.  Look at this owl pin. OH MY. It is just too awesome.  I don't really use pins but I will find a bag to put this one because it is just so amazing.  The owls are so cute but intense and just aaah!! I love this piece and its one of my favorite things from the box.

I could not find this exact pin so based on others of its kind I would say it is $3-5

Lock and Key Earrings

These are definitely not my favorite kind of jewelry as I feel they aren't really my style.  They kind of look like they should be but I don't know...maybe its the asymmetry, I'm just not in love with them. I will definitely wear them however, maybe they just need to grow on me.

I couldn't find these exact ones online but I'd guess they are between $2-4.

Moon Bead Necklace

This piece definitely looks handmade. It is a black cord featuring a crescent moon bead framed by two decorative silver beads.  It is very cute and dainty and at first look I didn't think I'd like it but I ended up really liking how it looked with my outfit after trying it on.

I will definitely be wearing this when I want a more subdued piece of jewelry!

Element 18 Bath Fizz A Forest

This month's guest business was Element 18.  I have browsed their site before and found it to be mostly jewelry so I am excited to try out something different from them. This is a bath fizz in the scent A Forest and it definitely smells as such. It has many earthy notes to it and is quite pleasant.  The instructions say to use this entire bag for one bath.

This brand does not seem to have any bath products on their store page so I have no way to say what this costs but I'd guess maybe $2-3

So overall, trying to estimate based on actual and estimated prices, I'd say this box comes out to $19-24 which makes this potentially one of the most expensive boxes so far!

As I said early I am once again satisfied and will definitely be continuing my subscription!

www.blackboxsubscriptions.com

Watch me unbox it!

Black Box Subscriptions October 2015

Today I'll be talking about my second Black Box Subscriptions box! This is a monthly $20 gothic goodies box that delivers everything from dark makeup, jewelry, and bath and body products! The best part is everything is hand picked just for you based on a survey.

I liked this box a lot better than last month so I don't know if Vixx has seen my video/blog review and updated accordingly or if she just followed my survey answers a bit more closely this time regarding the silver jewelry and hair clip issue. :P

Either way this box was really fun.  It had a mix of Halloween, skull, and spider decorations making the box look really festive and fabulous.

 S.he Makeup Nail Lacquer in Black

This nail polish came with her logo sticker on it so I had to do a bit of searching to discover the brand.  I have never heard of S.he before but after throwing it on my nails quick I can already tell I liked the Wet n Wild formula from last month's box better, so that will remain my go to black polish for now.

Where to buy: ikatehouse.com

Price: $1.80

Free Book Downloads

So this was a new and interesting item!  I got a free download for a book and 2 short stories.

The short stories are from the book KAOS Obsidere: The Nightmare Has Begun: A Dark Fiction and the novel is Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters: The Varcolac's Diary. I am really excited to download these books and check them out.  I love dark fiction such as Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Darren Shan, so I am very pleased with these!

Where to buy: Amazon.com

Price: ~$3

Halloween Stickers

Like last month this box included a set of 4 Halloween stickers.  Not sure what I'm going to be doing with these yet but they are pretty cute.

Price: ~ $.025

Doe Earrings

My first piece of jewelry this month were these very adorable little deer earrings.  They are small and delicate and pretty cute.  I also noticed after taking this close up shot that I think they have little skulls engraved on their sides which is pretty awesome.

Here they are dangling from my ear so you can get a better idea of size. They are cute and silver so I have no complaints! 

I did some googling and found a picture of these in google images but when I followed the link it took me to a no longer existing Etsy page so I have no idea where to get these or how much they cost.

Price: ~$2-3

Wire Wrapped Bead Necklace

My second piece of jewelry was this presumably handmade by Vixx herself wire wrapped bead necklace.  The pendant is a purple bead with a wire wrapping design, attached to a necklace made of ribbon and string.  It is very unique and I have nothing like it, it also looks very nice on. I approve!

Because this is handmade I can only estimate the price

Price: ~$2-3

Black Gothic Bow

My accessory this month was a very beautiful and elegant black bow.  It has a more secure clip meaning it will actually stay in my hair.  Even though I haven't worn a hair accessory in about a year I really like how this looks and decided to wear it to school today. It is definitely my style!

I doubt I'll be able to find this exact bow but bows of this kind seem to go for about $5 on Etsy

Price: ~$5

Dark Candles Chocolate Bat Tealights

I was super super happy about this item! I love candles and have one burning almost all the time.  These candles are in the scent Chocolate Bat and are from Dark Candles Halloween collection. 

This candle smells divine. I love it.  It isn't too sweet like I feared with a name that has chocolate in it, but instead the chocolate is balanced with other pleasant notes.

The website says "A tantalizing blend of chocolate and a mixture of Halloween candy!" 

I feel like the scent smells darker and more mysterious than their description make sit seem, but its not a big deal, I love the scent and that's all that matters. The next time I am in need of some new candles I will definitely be checking this company out.

Where to buy:darkcandles.com

Price: $2.00

Spider Web Pen from Strange Omens

This pen and the soap that follows were in a bag with a tag that said Happy Haunting! From Strange Omens.  When I went to Pagan Pride my boyfriend and I made some purchases from their stand so I was already familiar with this company.  I can't find this pen on their website but it is pretty cute.  It is quite small, about half the size of a regular pen.  It has a spider web design on the body and is encased in bright orange plastic.  Not going to lie it feels a little cheap but the small size makes it really nice for carrying in my wristlet wallet, so I'll be using this regardless.

Price: ~$1

Dreaming Tree Monster Mash Soap

These soaps are available for purchase from Strange Omens website but the brand itself also has a website so I'll link that for this item as well.

I love handmade small business bath and body products as is evident with my intense obsession with Fortune Cookie Soap so I was quite pleased to see this in my box! This soap is by Dreaming Tree Soapworks and it smells amazing. There are way too many delicious things going on at once so I couldn't even begin to tell you the notes but the website provides this description: "Drac's own secret recipe! A fun and fruity punch blend of cranberry, raspberry & citrus vanilla, magical herbs and autumn spices."

 I would totally buy this in a full size, it smells so lovely. It is a truly perfect autumn scent.

Where to buy: Strangeomens.com and dreamingtreesoapworks.com

Price: Full size is $7.50 so this sample is probably around $2-3

And that is it for this month's Black Box! This box had so many one of a kind items and fun small business additions.  I am very very pleased with this month.  I don't even care how much the items add up to because there is no other way I would have been able to try Dark Candles and Dreaming Tree without committing to full size products first.  The jewelry is also so my style and I am just so happy with this box.

www.blackboxsubscriptions.com

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Halloween Costumes: Spooky Vampire and Darth Maul

For Halloween this year, much like last year, I did mine and my boyfriend's makeup!  Unfortunately I did not get to be as detailed with our looks as I had planned as we were accidentally running out of time during makeup application.  Regardless I still think we came out pretty adorable!

Here is us! My boyfriend is Darth Maul from Star Wars and I am a generic vampire.

My costume was pretty easy to put together. I also wore a little belt with the dress as it was baggy around the waist but I took this picture before putting it on.

Ears: Aradani Costumes High Elf Ears

Dress: Wish.com Lace Dress

Teeth: Scarecrow Vampire Fangs

I bought the teeth at least 6 years ago from Hottopic so I'm not sure if my exact type even exists anymore. I should probably get new ones....

My eye makeup was also really easy and pretty quick to do, which was good as my boyfriend's face took forever.  

On my lid I applied Urban Decay's Blackout as thick as possible.  I also blended this onto my lower lashline.  I then applied Blackbird Cosmetic's Ruca into my crease and all around my eye.  I also took a very little bit of Mary Kay's Iris and blended it between the black and red of my crease to help blend.  I drew on a wing with my Jesse's Girl liquid liner then took a small brush and drew out some faint black veins with Blackout, and then lightly went over them again with the liquid liner. 

I was going to put on some false lashes but my eyes were so dark they weren't even noticeable anyway, so I didn't bother.

 On my lips is Shiro Cosmetic's Red Wedding because it seriously looks like blood so I knew I had to wear it. As you can see here I also blended Ruca up to my temple to create a neat effect.  I patted my entire face after my usual foundation application with a matte white eyeshadow by NYX.  My contour and eye brows were also done with NYX's blush in Taupe.

This is unfortunately the only shot I have of my teeth.  the other one I took got blurry and I didn't realize it.  I forgot how big and uncomfortable these were so I ended up only really wearing these for pictures and the costume contest.

And here is one more angle of my face.

Here is my mom's costume! She did her own makeup and was just a generic ghoul, however she took some of her makeup inspiration from Sally of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

While I was doing my makeup my boyfriend was carefully covering his face with NYX's Primal Colors in Hot Red. I got this shadow just for his makeup look and it worked like a charm!  With a slightly damp sponge it applied opaque and evenly.  I am pretty impressed for a $5 product.  He covered it entire face and neck and the powder doesn't even look like it has a dent in it!

Then I went and traced the outline of the design with a black gel eyeliner that my mom had.  Unfortunately I did not look at the brand.  I then filled in with Urban Decay's Blackout.  This is when we started to run out of time so I did not get to do the black design above his lip or around his jaw.  Even without this portion his costume was very recognizable and looked really awesome from far away. I didn't get closer around his eyes with the black because his eyes don't take it well and I didn't want to risk his eyes watering and ruining the makeup.

Here is a mirror selfie of our full outfits! Even though we didn't do a matching couples costume I think we were still pretty awesome looking together.

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!  Now to plan my costume for next year!