Box Battle: October 2014

Okay so I'm a little behind on posting this, but here's the haul I got from my October subscription boxes. Surprisingly, it turned out to be a very cat-centric month! As of right now, the monthly contenders are Birchbox, Olive Box, Loot Crate, Box of Happies, and Ipsy.

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BOX OVERVIEW

OliveBox: It's like the know me... a feline-themed box? Yes, please! This box included some kitty wrapping paper, which I will definitely use cause I love gift wrap. The card is cute, but what I really love are the little wooden cat clothespins. I've got them pinned up in my office.

Birchbox: So the leave-in conditioner is nice, because sometimes I don't always condition, but the smell... I'm pretty sure I had a scented My Little Pony that smelled like that. The Suki exfoliating foam cleanser I might use (translate as "lazy") and the Tocca hand cream smells nice. But I do like the Lumesh lip gloss — it's a pretty color and its tiny size is perfect for keeping in one of my clutch purses. Lastly, the sampler Coastal Scents eye shadow is a nice neutral palette. I also realized that all of these things are perfect travel size, so a few of them came to Baltimore with me.

Ipsy: Love the pouch this month; cute color and definitely one that I could use as a little clutch. The lipstick is a nice neutral shade, though it's matte which I'm not a huge fan of. The mascara is okay, but it isn't waterproof. Another hand creme for this month, but I like this Figs & Rouge one better than the Tocca in Birchbox because it's a fun fruity smell. The items I've gotten the most use out of this month are the H2Glo Highlighter cream and the Skyn Iceland face cleansing cloths. Definitely another strong month for Ipsy.

LootCrate: This month's theme was "Fear." Inside were a variety of Walking Dead items and some zombie bite tattoos, a book on How To Survive a Sharknado (and other unnatural disasters), and a sledgesaw hammer pen (which I gave to my husband). But the shining star in the crate was the kitten skull t-shirt. Loved it! My only qualm was that I really wished it glowed in the dark.

Box of Happies: Not necessarily one of the happiest boxes I've received so far. There was a handmade key fob, and honestly I didn't even know what it was or what its purpose was. The Dancin' Goat facial care sample pack is not really my cup of tea (as we've discovered with Birchbox), and some of it smelled a little funky. I did, however, enjoy the jewelry this month. While the Someday Soon peach-colored flower earrings are something I could easily make myself, the gold earrings and tassel necklace are a nice little addition to my collection and something I will definitely wear.

BONUS BOX

So I temporarily subscribed to MeowBox.net because I wanted to see what sort of goodies I could get for the kitties. Needless to say, fun ensued. The October box contained a couple of different cat treats and catnip toys, and, most importantly, AN INFLATABLE UNICORN HORN.

I had barely even opened the box before they were all over it. Catnip-scented tissue paper is the next big thing, apparently.

First we tried the treats (and by we, I mean them). All 3 were a fan of the Feline Harvest Dental Treats, but the girls were not fond of the Cloud 9 ones. But Boo-bear had no problem consuming all of them (which he then promptly threw up, so, that was nice).

Next came the catnip toys. I love how each of my feline companions has a different reaction to catnip. Kiki (the gray) is a licker, while Monkey (tortoiseshell) and Boo-Bear (fattie) like to lick and rub their faces in it.

Ugh, so far away...

Just can't...

Got it!

Finally, came the unicorn horn. I gotta tell you... it took me FOREVER to blow that little thing up. It kept deflating as soon as I let go to put the stopper in it. Like, 10 minutes of frustrated horn blowing went by and then my husband comes in and 5 seconds later.... done. Whatever. Anyway, as you can tell by the expressions below, the cats absolutely loved their fabulous new horn.

And the gold star goes to...

MeowBox. I gotta give it to them just because it allowed me some amusement with my cats. Ispy also came through really well and OliveBox made me do a little happy dance. Overall, I was very happy with my October goodies.

And so were the cats.

Plus-sized kitty problems.

Box Battle: September 2014

Okay, so I sort of have this addiction to subscription boxes... an illness for which there is no cure. There are tons of box review sites out there reviewing individual boxes each month, or comparing one box to another. Instead, I'm going to present my monthly haul in more of a battle royale style... because all of these box subcsciptions are ultimately competing for the same thing...

MY MONEY!

Or, more specifically, my continued commitment to maintaining my subscription.

One box has already bit the dust (sorry, Dottie Box... you just weren't doin' it for me).

So, each month, I will (try to) post a photo of all the stuff I got and tell you which box gets the gold star for the month. As of right now, the monthly contenders are Birchbox, Olive Box, Loot Crate, Box of Happies, and Ipsy.

Now onto September...

Click for larger (sorry about the crappy photo...)

BOX OVERVIEW

Birchbox: It seems like all I get from Birch is sunscreen and hair products... Neither of which I use with any regularity. I did use the shampoo and conditioner this morning though. It was ok... nothing I was excited about. Also in the box was a Pixie lip balm which was alright. The item I actually liked the most was the Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy perfume sample.

Olive Box: The cards were cute, but I really liked the the set of Rifle Paper Co. journals. The little "You Are Loved" stickers got some use... gave out a few to co-workers and hid one in my husbands' ipad case.

Loot Crate: Okay... I knew they were doing a "Galactic" sci-fi theme, and then I learned that there would be an Alien item... and I got REALLY excited. However, I was very disappointed when my Alien item turned out to be a Dallas action figure. LAME. The tribble and Mal vinyl were a saving grace however. The Pop Rocks didn't even last 2 minutes.

Box of Happies: Eh... this month was okay. The silver necklace was cute, but the earrings aren't really my style. The ring I could have made myself. Bottle opener key chain probably won't use. Cupcake flags... eh, I'll find something to use them on at some point.

Ipsy: Loved the makeup bag (think I'll add a short black chain and turn it into a clutch). The double-end eyeshadow brush was really great, and I loved the purple eyeshadow. Lip gloss not usually a color that I wear, but I like that it's neutral. Brown eyeliner pencil is a plus. There was some hair treatment stuff too, but I gave that away.

BONUS BOX

Occasionally I might get my hands on an extra box. This month we were sent a Bark Box at Orlando Magazine for review. It was their June or July box, but it was still fun to see what was in it. The shining star in this box was that pink squid. I fought off all the other staff to keep it. No, I didn't give it to my dog... are you kidding? LOOK AT IT! It now has a place on my office bookshelf next to my sperm whale bookends.

And the gold star goes to...

Ipsy. But barely. Honestly, if Loot Crate hadn't been such a disappointment Alien-wise, it would have gone to them. It was almost kind of a draw. But Loot doesn't have much to worry about. They've more or less gotten the gold star for the last 2 months. But congratulations Ipsy... you've earned my continued subscription.

Till next month, friends...