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!

Fortune Cookie Soap Welcome Santa Winter Soap Box

It is that wonderful time of the year again when my seasonal Fortune Cookie box arrives! I always look forward to these and now I have officially tried one soap box for each season as I began my subscription this past Spring!

After being a little disappointed with the Fall box I was a bit nervous for the Winter box, but luckily they have really blown me away once again.  

So the theme this month is Buddy the Elf! I love that movie, it is so goofy and silly and just a good time all around so I loved the references and the scents and the packaging....and they really nailed it this season.

Buddy Fortune Cookie Soap

Initial: This smells like straight up candy.  It is extremely sweet but I wouldn't expect anything less from a product named after the Elf himself! I enjoy this, its really fun.

In Action: As usually these fortune cookie soaps suds up nicely but do leave your hands feeling a  bit waxy after drying off.  The scent lingers on the hands for a little while afterwards.

Verdict: While I wouldn't want to smell like candy, I'm ok with my apartment doing so, therefore I bought this as a wax tart!

Swirly Twirly Gum Drops Hand Sanitizer

Initial: As usual you can't smell these from the bottle, so you have to use it in order to actually sample the scent.  The hot pink color is pretty cute though!

In Action: Once you put this on and the alcohol evaporates this smells very light and sweet.  The smell is definitely not overpowering, in fact I barely smell it at all so its a nice sanitizer for when you just want sanitation without an overwhelming scent.

Verdict:  It is nice but I can't pick up all the notes that the description claims it has.  I decided to not purchase anything in this scent.

World's Best Cup of Coffee Whipped Cream

Initial: I was excited about this as soon as I read the name. I. Love. Coffee. So upon opening and taking my first sniff I was in love!  I could smell the maple right away.  Although honestly I wish the coffee was a bit stronger because the maple definitely takes center stage, but I love this scent anyway.

In Action: Unfortunately I feel like this smells a bit weird after sitting on my skin for a bit.  It doesn't quite smell like it did out of the jar.  It's not bad, just not as good. However after on the skin for a few hours I think it goes back to smelling good again, kind of odd how it changes but oh well! This also lingered on my skin for hours!

Verdict: I did end up purchasing this in a massage bar and a wax tart because I do really enjoy this scent and I hope they do more coffee scents in the future!

Shower Duet Shave Oil

Initial: Oh no.  This is not for me at all.  I don't like strong tree scents or mint and that is what this is.  I'll suffer through this only to test out the shave oil effectiveness, but if my boyfriend or a family member does not want it, its getting tossed.

In Action: This scent is so hard for me to handle but I did it, I used it.  Personally I really like using shave oil on my armpits, I'm not sure why, I just do. Maybe its because I think its ridiculous to lather up with so much shave foam for such a small area.  Shave oil you only need like 2 drops per pit and you're set, haha! I have only used one other shave oil ever and it was from an Ipsy bag or something and I don't remember the name but this definitely performed just as well. So yes to the product, nooooooooooo to the scent.

Verdict: This scent smells disgusting to me so no, I did not buy. However I like the shave oil formula so I'll probably buy it in another scent in the future.

FCS Cheer Perfume Oil

Initial: I was nervous about the cedar but oh my this is amazing.  The other notes really take center stage here, especially the vanilla.  I am a huge fan of this scent and this is probably my favorite from this box. It smells so much like winter and I've worn this every day since getting my box.

In Action: I swear I put this on at about 12pm and I could still smell it faintly at 9pm.  This scent is gorgeous and I feel like the vanilla comes out even more as it wears with the cedar disappearing completely, so I love this even more after a few hours of wear.

Verdict: I got this as a conditioner bar but now I'm honestly wishing I'd have gotten more.  I still have my $10 coupon so maybe I will get something else!

Yellow Snow Bath Bomb

Initial: This smells oh so very nice.  It is very relaxing and delicate. It is beautifully floral and fruity and man I love my floral fruits hahaha.  A definite win for me.

In Action:

Verdict: This scent is one of my favorites from this box so I bought the perfume oil! :D

Christmas Gram Face Plant

Initial: I've never heard of a product like this so I'm definitely excited to check it out.  As for the scent all I really smell is the lavender portion, but that's not a bad thing as I love lavender!

In Action: So I honestly don't see the point in these.  I filled up my sink with hot water dropped some in and draped a towel over everything.  It smells nice and relaxing, sure, but that was overcome by how uncomfortable it was to bend over a sink and hold my head above the water. I'm not sure how long you need to stay this was to get the pore refreshing effects but I couldn't do it for more than 5 minutes.  These face plants definitely aren't for me.

Verdict: While this scent is nice I personally already have some lavender scented items so I did not purchase.

Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins Dry Shampoo

Initial:  I love dry shampoo so I am very very excited to try this out.  However the shaker jar has me a bit perplexed. I can see myself making a huge mess trying to apply this.  The scent is so light that I can barely smell it.  However the description seems like it would be wonderful so I'm a bit bummed its too light to sample.

In Action: So because of my short hair this shaker bottle is very messy and very hard for me to  use.  I use dry shampoo at the hair by my temples because its the thinniest area so it tends to get greasy easy.  In order for me to apply this directly I have to tilt my head back, but then I can't see where or how much product I'm applying.  If I tilt my head to see, then the powder is hard to drop exactly on the spot without it missing and going everywhere. This is probably hard to picture haha.... but overall I just did not have a good time with this packaging.  Also I felt like it wasn't as effective as spray dry shampoos.  It did a little bit, but my hair still seemed flat.

Verdict:  Because this scent was available in a detergent I decided to try it out.  What I can smell of it is very fresh and lovely so I'm hoping the detergent will be a good choice! I wouldn't buy their dry shampoo however, it just doesn't work with my hair.

The bonus item this season was a candy cane.  Mine got a little smashed in transit but that's ok because I won't be eating it anyway.  I hate peppermint. Bleh.

Anyway! I really adored a lot of the scents from this collection and not only purchased some items for myself but also for some friends! 

As usual I can't wait for my next soap box! <3 <3

Want to 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

Want to watch me unbox it?

Black Box Subscriptions September 2015

Today I will be reviewing a subscription box much different than any I have reviewed before. Introducing....Black Box Subscriptions! This is a gothic themed box that is shipped once a month for $20, or $40 for the deluxe coffin shaped box.  I'm poor so I am receiving the standard. This subscription service is owned by Vixx Secundus who not only owns and operates this service but is also in a band called Axis! I first found out about this subscription service from randomly browsing Youtube unboxing videos.  I watched a few and instantly fell in love and subscribed the very next day.  The current months box ships out late in the month usually between the 20th and the 30th so you generally only get it during the month after being billed.  I think this is a bit strange but as long as I get a box every time I pay $20, I can't really complain!

According to the website this is what every standard box contains

Black Nail Polish

1 piece of makeup

1-2 accessories

2 pieces of jewelry

Goodies-pencils, stickers, candy

Mystery gift

And here is my box!  As you can see you get a wide variety of goodies including jewelry, makeup, candy (which I accidentally ate before taking these pictures), bath and body products, and random goodies. The variety this box offered is a major reason as to why I subscribed.  I'm kind of tired of getting only makeup so I think this box is a great way for me to get more than makeup in style that I love!  Before receiving your box Vixx will send you a survey that you fill out explaining what you like so she can make the box match your personal tastes a much as possible.  As a result these boxes are often vastly different for every person, which was another selling point for me.

Let's take a closer look at what I received!!

Wet n Wild Nail Polish in Black Creme

A black nail polish is included in every single box as a kind of staple.  I was happy to get this as my only other black nail polish is pretty crappy. I know Wet n Wild is just a drug store brand but in my experience they have some amazing products despite the low price tag. However because I use Jamberry more than nail polish now I can see these accumulating very quickly.

Obviously the first thing I did was paint my nails with it.  Then I stupidly  realized I hadn't put my rats away so I had to do that with semi wet nails, so that's why they seem a bit scratched up.  Oops!

Where to buy: drugstores, Amazon, Walmart

Price: $1

Color Mates Lipstick in Black Orchid with Clear Lip Liner

I also received a lipstick and lipliner combo in a really pretty deep red shade.  I have never heard of Color Mates before but judging by the packaging quality and overall feel of the lipstick this is more than likely a drugstore brand.  Even if it is cheap I can't deny getting a lip liner and lipstick in one go is a pretty awesome deal! Additionally I didn't sign up for this subscription box for the makeup, as I already have a ton, I signed up for the accessories, so getting cheap makeup products doesn't bother me if the rest of the value is going towards the other items.

As you can see it really is a lovely deep red.  This is a very nice color for fall and I'll definitely be wearing it.  As far as the wear goes, it is very creamy and seems as though it would be moisturizing however from my experience the creamier the lipstick the lower the wear time.  I haven't had a chance to wear this out yet but hopefully it performs well.

Where to buy: Amazon, Dollartree

Price: $1

Gold Moon Hair Accessory

I received one accessory this month and it was a gold moon hair clip.  This thing is seriously so freaking adorable but unfortunately I'm not sure if I'll be keeping it.  First of all its gold and I really don't like gold jewelry in any form because it clashes with my skin tone.  Also the clip is just a metal snap in kind of thing which means it slides right out of my short hair.  

Here it is in my hair but I definitely will not be able to wear it as such.  I'm either thinking of turning it into a necklace and giving it as a gift to someone who can wear gold jewelry or trying to find a way to fasten it to my bookbag because I do think it would look really nice contrasting with my dark purple bag.

However I decide to use it I'm glad I got this because it will either become a decoration or a Christmas gift!

Where to buy: Aliexpress.com

Price: $1

Bronze Cameo Black Velvet Choker

My first piece of jewelry is this elegant black velvet choker featuring a bronze framed cameo.  I asked for a black velvet choker in my survey but once again this is unfortunately not silver.  however I feel like I could pull this off a bit better than the bright gold hair clip as it is an antiqued bronze kind of metal and is a bit more muted.

Here is a close up of the cameo.  The design and detail is so spot on and I love literally everything about it except the bronze.

Here it is on.  Maybe its because I'm not used to chokers but I was unable to get this clipped tight enough on my first try.  Maybe with some practice I'll get better.   I can't wait to wear this out!

Where to buy: Aliexpress.com

Price: $2.50

Silver Moon Necklace

My second piece of jewelry is this amazingly perfect silver rhinestone moon necklace.  This is without a doubt my favorite thing from the box this month.  It is dainty and cute and sparkly...and just everything I love.  I put on my survey that I love anything to do with nature, especially the moon so she definitely fulfilled my moon request! It is a bummer I can't wear the hair clip because these two pieces would work really well together.

Here is the necklace on.  I will probably have to adjust the length as it is a bit too long for me.  I tend to prefer my necklaces to sit just below my collar bone as I made it do here. I honestly don't mind having to make small alterations to jewelry as I already do it to most of the things I buy.  I'm fairly picky about length and clasps so I can't expect everything to be perfectly tailored for me.

Where to buy: Aliexpress.com

Price: $1.50

Orange Halloween Fortune Cookie

Oops....so I accidentally devoured the fortune cookie before taking pictures for this review.  If you want to see it, it is in the unboxing video I'll post below.  I love fortune cookies so for me this was a really awesome treat! Pictured here is the fortune that was inside!

Where to buy: ?

Price: I'd guess about $1

Random Halloween Goodies

The random goodies I received included 4 Halloween stickers, a cute ghosty notepad, and a spooky skull pencil.  I will probably be giving the notepad and stickers to my boyfriends sister as a Halloween present but the pencil is definitely mine.  I love pencils.

Where to buy: ?

Price: Maybe $1.50 for all three?

Rose and Lavender Bath Salt

My mystery item this month is a bath salt! This item was actually made by Vixx herself.  I had to ask on Facebook to actually obtain this information however, I definitely wish she had a little sticker or card with some info so I could have known without asking what this was.  Anyway I asked on Facebook about this item and her reply was as follows: "They are Rose & Lavender scented bath salts made with Epsom and Sea Salts with rose petals."

Awesome! I happen to love the rose and lavender combo so I can't wait to use these next time I take a relaxing bath! :)

Where to buy: ?

Price: $2-3 perhaps?

While I was a bit bummed by the bronze and gold pieces I really liked everything else that I received, especially the silver moon necklace.  By doing some quick Google searching it seems she gets a lot of her inventory from Aliexpress. I personally don't have a problem with this as I have made purchases from Wish.com, a similar kind of store.  Also all my jewelry items feel sturdy and of high quality, so even if the price is low as long as the items seem like they will last I am happy.  Because I always do a box total tally with all my subscription boxes, this one comes out to an estimated $10-13 not including the cost to ship the items or the final box.  Generally the value of each individual item totals up to more than  the subscription box price, but the more mainstream boxes are getting the items at a very cheap price, while I doubt Vixx, running the small business that she is, has that same luxury.  I really don't mind paying a little more for these items as they are being hand selected for me, and the element of surprise is also really fun.  

Therefore I will probably keep subscribing to this box for a few more months to see what else I may receive.  

I wish that there was a way to change my survey because I definitely want to emphasize that I do not want any gold jewelry at all.  Also I wish it came with a card like most subscription boxes that described each item that was being received, especially for the handmade items.  Then I wouldn't have to guess whether this is bath powder or some other product, and if I love it I'd know where to get more.

What do you think of Black Box?

Get yours at Blackboxsubscriptions.com

Also, check out my unboxing video!