Graphic Image – Lisa Preziosi

Popsugar Must Have: April 2014

It’s time for one my favorite monthly boxes, Popsugar! As you know I was a bit disappointed in the Popsugar Special Edition resort box so I’m hoping this one makes up for it.

Let’s find out if it does.

BlueAvocado (Eco) Shopper (Retail: $24.99)
Category: Must Have Fashion
Description: “This collapsible tote is made from upcycled plastic bottle sand folds neatly into a wallet-sized pouch.” It was desgined by Lauren Conrad and BlueAvocado.
Verdict: Love!
There are a few items I hoard: blank notebooks, lip balms and tote bags. I saw this and I loved the print and how neatly it folded up. I’m revamping my work bag for spring and this is going to get tucked inside for those lunch time trips to the fruit and veggie vendors.

Naturebox Popsugar Must Have Mix (Suggested Retail: $5.00)
Category: Must Have Food
Description:“Enjoy the balanced medley of almonds, soybeans, corn and cranberries for a satisfying crunch.”1 oz/serving = 130 calories &3 Weight Watcher’s Points.
Verdict: Miss
I’ve had a Naturebox subscription (and will be posting my review of my last box soon) so I’m familiar with their snacks and products. Personally this one wasn’t too my taste and I don’t think it was a good option for a mass subscription box. There are nuts, corn & soybeans – that’s a lot of allergens in one little package. I think perhaps one of their pretzel offerings or dried fruit might have been better. This included a code for 50% off your first Naturebox. Just use POPSUGAR.

Too Faced Natural Eyes (Retail: $36.00)
Category: Must Have Beauty
Description: “With nine different shades, there is a color for every age and skin tone.”
Verdict: Love!
So when the spoiler for this leaked, everyone was completely excited and it seems lots of new folks signed up for Popsugar just to get this. I completely understand the buzz since it’s a beautiful palette in an adorable tin and the cost of it covers almost the entire pricetag of the April box. This came with a little booklet to give you ideas on how to use the shadows. I can’t wait to try it out. I have so much new makeup from all these boxes that I’m going to need to clean out my beauty case!

Fresh Pastry Stand Totally Awesome Tea Towel Set (Retail: $18.00)
Category: Must Have Home
Description: “Handmade from a water-based ink and completely lint-free, these graphic towels totally live up to their name.”
Verdict: Gift
This is a really cute towel set, but I already have an over-abundance of kitchen towels so I’m going to bundle this into a cute birthday gift with some baking themed items. It’s nice to see an Etsy seller included and this one has some adorable tiered stands in their shop.

Graphic Image Pocket Notes (Suggested Retail: $20.00)
Category: Must Have Home
Description: “…this Graphic Image notebook designed exclusively for Popsugar..isn’t your average notebook..with silver eges, acid-free paper, and a flexible cover, it’s the smart and stylish way to keep your life in order.”
Verdict: Hit!
So another little notebook I can use when I finish the leather Graphic Image one from the Nina Garcia box. Graphic Image has some really great notebooks and planners but they tend to be out of my budget. I’m happy to get this and will definitely use it.

Caldrea Rosewater Driftwood Hand Soap (Retail: $10.50)
Category: Must Have Home
Description. “The combination of floral aromas and spicy cedar undertones creates a subtly divine experience…this gentle yet heardworking soap is free of any harmful chemicals.”
Verdict: Love!
I love Caldrea products. They have the best scents that always smell natural (never that cloying artificial stuff). Since I am spring cleaning the hell out of my apartment, I am super happy to see this and it will make its appearance on my bathroom counter when I finish deep cleaning and painting the room.

Overall:
Love!

I think this is my favorite monthly Popsugar box I have ever received. I love so many items from it and will use nearly everything. The suggested retail value came out to $114.49 and thanks to some referral credits I got this one for free, but I would have still been quite happy at it for the regular monthly price. I can’t wait to see what’s in next month’s box.

What did you think of the April Popsugar Box? Did you love it as much as I did?

What were your favorite and least favorite items?

The Backstory

Popsugar is a women’s lifestyle subscription that delivers a monthly box of fun, full-size products hand-selected by Popsugar editors.

In addition to Popsugar’s monthly must have boxes, they have some seasonal special edition boxes that contain uber luxe items. The price tag on these boxes is higher, but the products you receive are high end.

Popsugar Pricing:
Monthly – $39.95
3 Months – $109.85
6 Months – $214.70
12 Months – $404.40

Coupon Codes: REFER5 = $5 off sitewide
POPSUGAR10 = $10 off a 3 month subscription

Top 13 of 2013 – A Few of My Favorites from Subscription Boxes

So now that 2013 is behind us, it’s time to take a look back through all the awesome stuff my wonderful addiction to subscription boxes brought to my doorstep. I’ve chosen my favorite 13 items from all of my boxes. It was so hard to choose, but these turned out to be the ones I either loved the most or got the most use from.

AUGUST

Jelly Fish Tripod for Smartphones from the August 2013 Original Fancy Box
(Retail: $10.95 on Amazon)
Original Fancy Box
I had just delved into the world of smartphones when I got this little gadget from Fancy. It’s great for taking video or watching Netflix.

SEPTEMBER

Julep Cleansing Oil & Konjac Cleansing Sponge from the September 2013 Maven Box
(Retail: $28.00/Maven Price: $22.40 & Retail: $12.00/Maven Price: $9.50)
Julep Maven Box
This cleansing oil smells amazing (like oranges) and removes your makeup without drying out your skin. It’s one of my favorite Julep products ever. The konjac sponge exfoliates without being overly harsh and works great with so many other products.

Fancy Power Grid by Tego: from the September 2013 Original Fancy Box
(Retail $60.00 on Fancy)
Original Fancy Box
One of the things Fancy does best is bring practical little gadgets that I know I need but never get around to picking up for myself. This is a great backup charger that can help your dying Iphone battery last a bit longer.

Rachel Zoe Gold Knot Ring: from the Popsugar Fall Must Have Special Edition Box
(Retail: $75.00 on Piperlime.com)
Popsugar Must Have
I tend to gravitate toward white metals and super sparkly things so this understated gold ring was a great addition to my jewelry collection. I would never have picked it out myself but it adds a touch of elegance to my outfits and I’ve worn it a lot more than I would have guessed when I first pulled it out of the box.

OCTOBER

Ciara Polish from the October 2013 Maven Box
(Retail $14.00/Sale: $4.99)
Julep Maven Box
October brought my favorite Julep collection. It was the only time all year that I did a full upgrade. And within that awesome “Rebel set” was my favorite polish ever: Ciara. It is somehow edgy, vampy and ethereal all at the same time. It’s a magenta polish with a teal microglitter and pictures do not do it justice. Pick it up, you’ll love it (I promise).

Contort Flexible USB Hub from the October 2013 Original Fancy Box
(Fancy Retail: $25.00/Amazon Retail: $7.39)
Original Fancy Box
As usual, Fancy delivers another gadget I know I needed but just didn’t bother to buy. I used to have to take turns plugging in my thumb drive and then my camera. Now with a USB hub I can do it all at once. (Fancy needs to hope I never get gadget-savvy because then I might not need a subscription).

Midnight Clutch by Emilie M.from the October 2013 Original Fancy Box
(Fancy Retail: $50.00)
Original Fancy Box
I thought this bag was really cute when I first got it and since I actually didn’t own anything in this style it was a nice plus. It ended up being my go to bag for my nights out. You can easily fit your phone, wallet and other essentials plus it matches everything.

NOVEMBER

Jack Vartanian Ear Cuff from the November 2013 Nina Garcia Quarterly Box.
(Retail: ???)
Nina Garcia Quarterly Box
I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to be the uber edgy cool girl that can wear stuff like ear cuffs. And then Nina Garcia sent me a fabulous one by a fancy pants jewelry designer. I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to try this on my own, but once Nina sent it my way I realized I could rock it.

Le Métier De Beauté – Pretty in Punk Eye Shadow Palette from the Special Edition Neiman Marcus Popsugar Must Have Box
(Retail: $95.00)
Popsugar Must Have
This beauty palette opened up a whole new world of eyeshadow application. Did you know we were all doing smoky eyes wrong? And who better to tell us how to do it than the French! This is the most luxurious eyeshadow palette I’ve ever owned and I love that it’s opened up a whole new world of makeup for me.

Nest Candle in Birchwood Pine from the Special Edition Neiman Marcus Popsugar Must Have Box
(Retail: $34.00)
Popsugar Must Have
Sometimes I fall in love with candles. Okay, I frequently fall in love with candles. But I really, really mean it when I say I love this candle. It is so pretty and while it looked awesome with my Christmas decorations it’s going to look amazing all year long.

DECEMBER

Erickson Beamon Rocks Blondie Stone Bangle from the Limited Edition Popsugar Holiday Box
(Estimated Retail $98.00)
Popsugar Must Have
Okay maybe I’m just a sucker for sparkly things, but I loved the rhinestones on this bracelet. They were just ethereal and twinkly and the captured my imagination the moment I took this out of the box. They look so much better in person than in my photograph.

Tokyomilk’s Dark Body Soufflé in “Chance” from the Limited Edition Popsugar Holiday Box
(Retail: $40.00)
Popsugar Must Have
You know when it comes to beauty products I’m pretty easy. You can win me over with gorgeous packaging so this body cream had me at hello. It proved itself with a soft fragrance and rich, but not greasy formula. This is a great gift for the girl who thinks she has everything.

Graphic Image 2014 Datebook: from the Limited Edition Popsugar Holiday Box
(Retail: $97.00)
Popsugar Must Have
Okay so I’m going to be honest. A planner that costs $100 is for some other girl. I would never even think of buying something like this and maybe that’s why I love it so very much. Along with calendars, maps and room for notes it has lists of common words and phrases with translations in English, French, Dutch, Italian and Spanish (including the dates of all their different holidays!) Just ask me how to say chicken in Dutch (Huhn) or for two nights in French (pour deux nuits). ASK ME! Okay, I got a little carried away, but this little book makes me feel like I’m a jetsetting socialite who spends spring time in Paris and summers in the Hamptons, which is exactly what I need when I’m trapped in my windowless, basement office in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Now a few winners in the larger subscription categories:

Overall Favorite Subscription:
Popsugar Must Have & Nina Garcia Quarterly Box
Since Nina’s box was brand new and only had one come out this year it was hard to judge it against the others, but it was cohesive and chic and exactly what you expect from Nina Garcia. Popsugar is the most consistant when it comes to awesome items I can use in my life so I chose it for the top spot.

Favorite One Time Box:
Popsugar Limited Edition Holiday Box
As super fancy as the Neiman Marcus box was, the Holiday box just fit my needs and lifestyle so perfectly (as you notice it had three of my top thirteen picks).

Did you subscribe to any boxes in 2013? I’d love to hear your favorite things.

Popsugar Limited Edition Holiday Box – December 2013

As you may have discerned by now I cannot resist a Popsugar limited edition box. It’s like subscription box heroin for me, so of course I scooped up the Popsugar special Holiday box.

For info on Popsugar subscriptions along with some coupon codes jump down below, and for those of you still with me, let’s get down to it.

As with my other special edition Popsugar boxes, this one is beautifully packaged and feels like a special treat.

Cuyana Alpaca Infinity Scarf (Retail: $65.00)
Verdict: Gift
For some reason, I became a scarf hoarder this year and I’ve picked up all kinds of awesome ones. I adore infinity scarves and this one is soft and well made, but the color just doesn’t do anything for me, so I’ll be giving it as a Christmas gift. This also came with a coupon for a special gift with any Cuyana purchase on shopstyle.com

Erickson Beamon Rocks Blondie Stone Bangle (Retail: $98.00 – I couldn’t find the exact one online so I chose a similar size bracelet from their collection here and based the price on that.)
Verdict: Love!
If you’re a frequent reader, you’ve noticed that I get a lot of bracelets from these boxes, everything from dainty little strands to giant wonderwoman cuffs. This one is my favorite of the year. It has a very Anthropologie-esque vibe and I just love the rhinestones. Not only would it be great for a dressy occasion, but it’d be cute with jeans and a nice top for date night.

Lunares Cheese Paddle with Knife (Retail: $69.00)
Verdict: Hit!
While this is packaged perfectly as an awesome gift, I am totally hoarding it for myself. I love to entertain and despite my kitchen full of serving platters, I don’t own a single cheese board. I also lucked out and got my favorite color, so I figure this one was meant for me. This set is super sleek, and excellent quality. If you’re able to part with it, it’d make a really awesome housewarming gift.

Tokyomilk’s Dark Body Soufflé in “Chance”: (Retail: $40.00)
Verdict: Love!
“Fresh bamboo and tea leaves meet green fig and soft, white musk in this captivating fragrance with an unexpected twist.” I’m unfamiliar with this brand but between the description and the irresistible packaging, I’m sure excited to try it out. This is the nicest packaging I’ve ever seen on any lotion. In fact it was so nice that I put it on top of my dresser because my craptastic bathroom is not worthy of something this pretty. The quality and weight make it feel more a jewelry box rather than beauty packaging. As soon as I finish using the soufflé, I’ll be turning this into a little trinket box. It’s like two gifts in one.

Fatty Sundays Peppermint Crunch Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels: (Retail: $6.95)
Verdict: Gift
While I love chocolate covered pretzels I’m not quite as fond of peppermint so these will make the perfect addition to a Christmas gift I’ve been putting together.

Winks by Georgie False Lash Compact (Retail: $15.00)
Verdict: Love!
I have always wanted to try out false lashes. I stupidly bought one of those kits that have individual lashes you stick on, forgetting of course that they scare the hell out of me, so they’ve been collecting dust in my makeup case. This looks far more manageable and it comes in an adorable compact. According to Popsugar’s card the glue is made with “organic chamomile that’s meant to soothe skin while keeping falsies in place”. This is perfect for my uber sensitive eyes. I will definitely be trying these, just keep your fingers crossed I don’t poke my eye out.

Graphic Image 2014 Datebook: (Retail: $97.00)
Verdict: Love!
I have an Iphone and an Outlook calendar and all kinds of electronic scheduling devices, and yet I always end up preferring paper to keep my appointments. At work I hang up an actual calendar and write stuff in, so this item is absolutely perfect for me and might help me remember appointments when I can’t just stare at my office wall calendar. This book is beautiful quality and makes you feel like you should be penciling in appointments for lunch at the Plaza and weekends in the Hamptons. Sadly, mine will have to settle for dental appointments and birthday parties. This also came with a card offering a 10% discount when you sign up on their site or make a purchase.

Overall:
Love!

I paid $107.00 for this box and I came out with an estimated retail of $390.95. I loved nearly everything in this box and the remaining items are perfect for gifting. Second to the Nina Garcia Quarterly box, this is the best box I’ve received in 2013. Popsugar has definitely won me over and while I hope they keep up these limited edition boxes, I really need them to space them out so I don’t go broke.

What do you think? Did you love this one as much as I did?

The Backstory

Popsugar is a women’s lifestyle subscription that delivers a monthly box of fun, full-size products hand-selected by Popsugar editors.

Popsugar Pricing:
Monthly – $39.95
3 Months – $109.85
6 Months – $214.70
12 Months – $404.40

Coupon Codes: REFER5 = $5 off sitewide
POPSUGAR10 = $10 off a 3 month subscription

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