In my Mailbox Today!

Today was a GREAT day for me and all the "gifts" I received in my mailbox!  I have seen many people with questions about the various "boxes" out there (i.e. Glossybox, Birchbox, Glam Bag, etc). I subscribe to the preceding mentioned 3 "boxes" and would love to give you a peek into what I have been receiving in a couple of them so that possibly it can help you decide if you maybe subscribing to one of these services is for you.

So I arrived home to find my new "Glam Bag" from Ipsy.com had arrived today! I think this one is such a great value at just $10 per month - no shipping charges within the US and you get a great makeup bag every month! You can cancel at any time and just pay month by month as long as you want the service. I have pictured it and it's contents below:

Inside the bag was 4 great products that you see pictured here and the concealer brush that wouldn't fit inside the bag.  

•  Full size bottle (.5fl oz) of Nailtini nail lacquer by tini beauty in Bloody Mary -Super great classic red color. I will use this and was excited to get this one. Retails @ $13.00
• 2.5fl oz Pacifica Body Butter in Tuscan Blood Orange by Pacifica Perfume -Smells amazing! Very exotic and sweet - smells like you could eat it! Currently being offered on their website for 40% off  :) This is one I think I will place an order for. Retails @ $7.00
• Big Sexy Hair trial sized bottle of Spray & Play (travel size 1.5oz) - I have used this before and it is not my favorite hairspray. I honestly don't use hairspray a lot, but when I do I want it to be very touchable. This to me is a little too stiff and heavy. I am happy to have this for travel though. It will come in handy  :) Retails @ $5.00
• Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil (trial size .17 fl oz)- I have used this brand of argan oil before and while I don't like using this one in my hair (a little bit too heavy) I think I am going to try it on my nails and skin this time around. This product claims to be great for all the above. I am looking forward to trying it out on my dry cuticles for sure! Retails @ $15.50
• SOHO Concealer Brush - I was excited to get this as I was just thinking that I needed a new concealer brush. I have used and washed mine so much that it is just really starting to look pretty bad. I like the size and shape of this one a lot. Retails @ $8.00

Overall I think that the value in this is great.  This month's was over $45 in products and they are all products that I will get use out of.  

The next one I was going to go over for you is my Glossy Box. Now this is the one I got last month - December.  I have had a month to use these products and give you a good review. My January box is due here any day so hopefully I can review that one for you next month :)

Glossy Box is a bit more expensive and to be honest I am really thinking that my Glossy Bag is the better investment especially after today's arrival with great products I am really happy with at only $10.
My Glossy Box subscription is a 3 month one (my December box is my 2nd box and the first one was a bit of a disappointment - came with only 4 items and they were not great) and cost me $20 per month (shipping is free). You can also go month to month with Glossy, but the price goes up to $21 per month which will cost you an extra $12 per year overall.  

                                                           Below are my December box's contents............

• ECRU Acacia Protein Oil for hair - mini sample size (.03 fl oz) : I have not used this yet, but the claim is that it helps to protect against heat damage and shortens drying time. 1.7oz/$30 (sample included is about 54 cents worth of this product)
• Pleats Please by Issey Miyake perfume - mini sample size ( .03 fl oz): I really love this scent. It is not too strong and is fun flirty and feminine. I don't know that I would purchase it though. The price is steep and I am not much of a perfume girl - I gravitate to body sprays much more. 3.4oz/$92 (sample included is about 84 cents worth of perfume)
• Oscar Blandi Pronto - trial size (.75oz): I have not used this product yet either, but it is to spray on your dry hair before using any type of heat styling.  I will try this one out, but I really don't need another product to add to my beauty routine so I would have to say that this one is something I probably wouldn't buy no matter how well it performed. 4oz/$23 (trial size is about  $4.30 worth of product)
• Zoya Nail Lacquer in Storm - full size: I have worn this polish since receiving it and I liked it okay. I am not a big fan of sparkly polish so this would have not been the color I would have chosen if I was purchasing it. My favorite part about this polish and what may have me purchasing more is that it is free of toxins.....I like that!.5oz/$8
• JEWELMINT earrings (mine were goldtone with blonde feathers - how fun!): I have worn these fun earrings (here) and liked them a lot. I wanted to check out the company and see what else they had to offer and, of course, I placed an order (which also arrived in my mailbox today - more about that below! :).  $29.99 value (they are running a special right now that new members on JEWELMINT get 2 items for only $29.99 (two for one).
• Heartland Fragrance Co. Bath Salts (not pictured): this was a small sample bag of bath salts that I have already used. Made my skin very soft and the scent was wonderful. I am not sure that I would purchase them though. I just don't take baths regularly enough - maybe I should start! ;) $10/30 oz
• Forest Essentials Luxurious Ayurveda bath and shower oil (not pictured): again a small sample size. I did like the scent and how soft it left my skin. What I like best about this product is that is is all natural in it's ingredients and is made with 100% pure essential oils and every ingredient is sourced from plants, trees and herbs naturally grown. Using as many natural products as possible on my skin is important to me. I know I use way too many products made with chemicals that are not good for me and I am trying to move away from that. I will be ordering more of this for sure! $22/6.8oz

*Please excuse the sample of LORAC pictured - this did NOT come with my Glossy Box - not sure how that got in there!  LOL

All in all there was somewhere around $45-$50 of products in this month's Glossy Box. Not a bad value, but with so many of the items not items I would use I have to say that I may discontinue my subscription after  this next month. Who knows maybe February will knock my socks off and I will keep 'em coming! :)

Finally I wanted to show you what I ordered from JEWELMINT. I had a $20 credit through my Glossy Box so this great piece only cost me $9.00 (and included FREE shipping!).  

It arrived beautifully packaged - definitely fit to give easily as a gift with no additional packaging or wrapping required. 

 This beauty is reversible going from white and gold to just gold tone. It is a magnetic bracelet which I LOVE because of the ease of putting them on and taking them off!  I have had a few bracelets like this and I think this one is the most powerful magnet I have felt. I look forward to wearing this - probably to work tomorrow! This specific bracelet has since sold out, but they have so many great designs to check out. 

Also, I want to let you know that JEWELMINT is running 30% off ALL bracelets right now (use code WRIST30). They have some really fun styles - check them out here!

Okay, well that is all I have for today - and I think that was ENOUGH! I didn't realize how long this post had become.  I hope you enjoyed it and got some useful info...that's what I do this for! :)
Good Night!
XO 

Jessy