Popsugar: July 2016 + A September Spoiler & a Giveaway!

It’s Popsugar time and today I’ve got my review of their July Box, a Spoiler for September plus my Giveaway to win your very own July Orglamix Glam Box.  Check out my Orlgamix Review to score yourself an awesome box of natural vegan beauty products.

First let’s start with a spoiler:
September 2016 Popsugar Must Have 2016 Spoiler
september-spoiler
Jack and Lucy Bi-coastal Hat
This reminds me a lot of the hat Rachel Zoe sent out last year.  I’ll have to compare the two when my September box arrives.

Now let’s get to the
June Must Have Box
open-box-1 open-box-2

sachajuan
Sachajuan Hair in the Sun

(Suggested Retail: $32)
Description: “Keep your hair color vibrant during long days in the sun with this UV-filter formula which owont’ wash out in the pool or ocean.  It’ll protect your strands from damaging UV rays until you shampoo it off.”
Verdict: On the Fence
I think this is an intriguing idea and Sachajuan is a great brand, but for me I don’t feel like the sun damages my hair, I actually think it improves it a bit.  It makes my red a bit brighter and more fiery (my skin, on the other hand, needs 18 layers of SPF 100).  Maybe this is for color-treated hair?  I’m not really sure.

house-of-pom
House of Pom Emoji Cocktail Napkins

(Suggested Retail: $25.00)
Description: ”Our exclusive cocktail napkins, designed with House of Pom, capture trhe Summer experience in a language everyone can speak – emoji!  Serving up icy-cold drinks has never bee so #instagrammable.”
Verdict:
Gift
These aren’t my style but I do like the idea of an embroidered cocktail napkin.  I’m going to gift these to a friend.

scarf
Michael Stars Porcelain Skinny Scarf in White

(Suggested Retail: $30.00)
Description: ”Say “goodbye” to the statement necklace and “hello” to your latest it-accessory: the skinny scarf.  Dress it up or down by wrapping, knotting, or simply draping it atop your favorite Summer ensembles – or stepping up your headband game!”
Verdict: Okay
Am I just fashionably challenged, or is a skinny scarf pointless in the summer?  A bigger scarf you can turn into a shawl if the air conditioning gets too high, but a skinny scarf is just going to make you hotter in the sun and not actually do anything to keep you warmer when the AC is turned up.  I’m just going to reserve this for Fall.

pineappele-pin
Pintrill Pineapple Pin
(Suggested Retail: $12.00)
Description: “What better way to pin your skinny scarf into place that with a cute pin?  Our editors are obsessed with pins and pineapples lately, and this adorable bauble is the perfect way to steal the trend for yourself!.”
Verdict: Umm…Did we go back to middle school?
So for some reason I can’t find my picture of the pin, but this is a tiny tiny pin – like dime sized.  I actually love brooches and think they are highly under-utilized in modern fashion, but this is like a pin you get free for participating in a middle school spelling bee.  I totally don’t get this.

swan-drink-holder
Sunnylife Inflatable Swan Drink Holder
(Suggested Retail: $18.00)
Description: “We can’t all have a butler deliver chilled drinks by the pool, but we can have the next best thing: a swan.  Float up to four beverages with this playful blow-up toy, so you never have to leave the water!  No pool? No problem – the swan is just as much fun and functional on any table.”
Verdict: Not for a duckling
I don’t have a pool nor do I go to the pool or beach regularly. (Who am I kidding I don’t even have a dishwasher or an oven with a door that stays shut.)  And what is the point of putting this on a table with drinks in it?  Why do I want to make it that much harder to drink a beer?  This is clearly suited for someone with a better life than mine.  I guess I’m just a duckling in a world of swans.  In any case, my friend has a pool and the giant inflatable “Mommy” Swan so she can have a matching baby swan to carry booze.

brow-product
European Wax Center – Oh My Brow! Brow Highlighter in Pearl

(Suggested Retail: $19.00)
Description: “This highlighting illuminator is a jack-of-of-all-trades for your beauty bag—you can instantly life your brows by blending it along your brow bone, widen eyes by applying it on your inner corners, add glow to your cheekbones or add a romantic touch to your lips by dabbing above your cupid’s bow..”
Verdict: Like
I didn’t swatch this because I currently have a bunch of brow products in my box and I’d like to finish some before I open up a new one. Illuminators can be a subtle way to add a nice glow to your complexion. I haven’t tried this brand before so it will be fun to experiment with a new product.

chips
Joe Chips Classic Sea Salt Retro Potato Chips

(Suggested retail value: $1.49)
Description: “Just like the truck in the logo, these kettle chips are an all-American classic.  Get the old-school crunch you carve as you enjoy your lunch (or afternoon snack!) In style.”
Verdict:
Like!
I tend to give snacks to my boyfriend so he can feel like he too participates in these boxes.  I asked if these chips tasted “retro”.  He said they didn’t, but were still good.

SPECIAL EXTRA
trove

Trove Gift Card
“Treat yourself to Tove’s on-trend customizable jewelry with a special gift of $20 – there’s something for everyone in this chic collection!”
As usual, I don’t consider gift cards that require you to spend extra money to use as actual box items.
 
OVERALL:
july-2016-popsugar

Verdict: Not for me
This box cost me $42.75 and the only items that really suited me were the brow highlighter and the $1.49 bag of chips.  This box felt a lot younger and less sophisticated than others I’ve received from Popsugar and the choices seemed oddly specific.  Like how many people really have use for a beverage pool float?  Sure, you can give it to someone else, but most folks actually want the items to use for themselves.  And their suggestion of using it on a table is stupid unless you are a small child or in college.  Supposedly the retail value on this was $137.49, but I’m just not seeing it.  I’m hoping my Fall boxes (including the Limited Edition box) make up for this lackluster summer one.

Be sure to come back for more Popsugar reviews including the Fall Limited Edition box.

What did you think of this July box?  Was I too hard on Popsugar?

SUBSCRIPTION THERAPY NEWS!
GIVEAWAY! – UPDATED

One lucky reader will win their very own July 2016 Orglamix Glam Box!
This contest is now closed.  Thank you to everyone for participating!
I’ll announce the winner a soon as I’ve confirmed a mailing address!

Orglamix July 2016
THE RULES!
I like to keep things really simple over here at Subscription Therapy.
So the rules are straightforward:
1.  You need to have a mailing address in the US (Sorry international peeps!)
2.  Just leave a comment on the Orglamix Blog Post between today and midnight (EST) September 12th.

To keep up with all my Reviews, Spoilers & Giveaways consider following Subscription Therapy on Twitter, Pinterest & Instagram.
And if you’re as intrigued by Orglamix as I am, you can keep up with all their vegan beautifulness on Facebook and Twitter.

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 Mini Pricing:
(Features 2 Full Size Items)
Monthly – $18.95

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

Coupon Codes:  REFER5 = $5 off site wide
POPSUGAR10 = $10 off a 3 month subscription to Must Have

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Popsugar Must Have Box: June 2014

So as I mentioned in my earlier  this month, July is going to be chock full of posts since I was out of town for a chunk of June and playing catch up with boxes.  So I’ll be interspersing all my July box reviews with June ones.   So today we’re going to dive into the June 2014 Popsugar box. Popsugar is usually one of my favorite subscriptions, but the May box was a bit of a miss. Let’s see if the June one is an improvement.

Box Open Box 1 Open Box 2

Book
Emily Giffin’s The One & Only (Suggested Retail: $16.52)
Category: Must Have Entertainment
Description: “New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin returns with this highly anticipated novel of an unlikely romance and lifelong friends set against the backdrop of Texas football.”
Verdict: Like
Romance novels are one of my guilty pleasures and while the “backdrop of Texas football” doesn’t exactly thrill me, it will be fun to explore an author I haven’t read before.

Lotion
Sachajuan Shiny Citrus Body Lotion (Suggested Retail: $24.00)
Category: Must Have Beauty
Description:“Using Swedish oats, this lotion reduces the appearance of wrinkles and calms irritation – keeping your skin replenished all summer long.”
Verdict:
Love!
I don’t know about the healing properties of Swedish oats, but I love the scent and feel of this lotion. It goes on smoothly and absorbs quickly. This is the same brand that I got in my Popsugar Summer box and I’m so happy to have them both as a nice  set.

Towel
Turkish-T Beach Towel (Suggested Retail: $32.00)
Category: Must Have Home
Description: “This Turkish-T towel acts as a lightweight beach towel by day and as a glam wrap by night. It’s loomed from the world’s finest cotton, so trade in your overused beach towel for this chic alternative..”
Verdict: Love!
This matches perfectly with the towel that came in the Popsugar Resort Box. Instead of using this for the beach, I’m pairing it with the other towel and using them in my newly updated bathroom. The colors are blue, white and mint and these two towels look great in the space.

Wipes
You Smell Lemon Wet Wipes (Retail: $5.00)
Category: Must Have Beauty
Description: “These naturally antibacterial wipes are not only durable, but also gentle.”
Verdict: Hit!
You can always find a use for antibacterial wipes and I love that these are lemon scented and gentle. A very useful addition.

Ties
Lollies Basics Hair Ties (Suggested Retail: $8.00)
Category: Must Have Fashion
Description: “Made from swimwear fabric, they’ll look cute on your wrist and we love that these braided ties don’t’ stretch over time like your average hair bands”
Verdict: Love!
This is my year for accumulating hair products and I’m always looking for more hair ties and barrettes. I love the circle design on these and how cute they look on my wrist. I wish they made more of this style in solid colors.

Chips
One Potato Two Potato Hawaiian BBQ (Suggested Retail: $2.00)
Category: Must Have Food
Description. “Cooked with all-natural ingredients and packed with flavor, these chips serve as an amazing party snack.”
Verdict: Like
I passed these along to my boyfriend and so this verdict comes from him. He said they were “good, nothing spectacular, but good.”

Giftcard
Native Union $15.00 Gift Card (Suggested Retail: $15.00)
Category: Special Extra
Description. “Native Union creates unique and simple designs in the digital age. With this $15 gift card, peruse the site full of geek gadgetry to find something that fulfills your techie dream”
Verdict: Miss
Unfortunately most of the items at Native Union are priced so high you’d need to spend a substantial amount to use this gift card. I got the oh so hyped Native Union monocle speaker in a long ago Fancy box and gifted that to my boyfriend. It’s pretty terrible. We can’t figure out what to use it for and the sound quality is poor, so I’m not too impressed with them in general.

Full Box
Overall:
Love!

Once again I am back to enjoying my Popsugar boxes. I found this one to have a lot of items that worked for me and the only real disappointment was in the gift card (which was technically just an extra). I had referral credits for this box so I didn’t pay anything and received $87.52 worth of items (not including the extra gift card) but I would have been happy with this box even if I’d paid the full price.

So what did you think of the June Popsugar box? Would you use the Native Union giftcard?

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 site wide
POPSUGAR10 = $10 off a 3 month subscription

Popsugar Limited Edition Summer Box 2014

While it’s always fun to unbox surprises, opening up the Popsugar Limited Edition Boxes is always extra awesome.

My Summer 2014 Popsugar Box arrived in this unassuming (yet substantially heavy) cardboard box.

Cardboard

Once opened it reveals the lovely Popsugar box that is a great size and shape for storing all kinds of odds and ends in your house. I hoard these boxes (along with the Birchbox ones). They are uber useful.
Box

Okay now that my toddler-like interest in the actual box is past, let’s dive into the items. They are all individually wrapped up and packed so nicely that they really do make you feel like someone sent you a present.

Open Box 1Open Box 2

And what’s inside the box? Another box (very meta) – and it’s pretty heavy….
SOLA Box

Glasses Open Glasses
Sisters of Los Angeles City Rocks Glasses (Suggested Retail: $45.00)
Description: “…Sisters of Los Angeles City Rocks Glasses made just for Popsugar. In honor of four of our office locations, we featured SF, LA, NY and London..”
Verdict: Love!/Gift
These glasses are really high quality and so fun. I love the colorful designs and the weight of them is quite hefty. Unfortunately I have a lot of classes in this size, but I know a ton of folks who would love these for a gift. (Although I may break down and find some room in my cabinet for them since they are so cute). This company makes products emblazoned with cool graphics of various cities, so check them out if you want a fun gift for that chic urbanite in your life. Since this set was put together exclusively for Popsugar it’s unavailable on their website so I used a similar set for pricing.

Pouch 1 Pouch 2
Samudra Blue Tropics Pouch (Retail: $60.00)
Description:“Keep all your essentials in your statement bag for an easy transition from beach day to evening soiree.”
Verdict:
Love!
I’m not sure if you know this about me but I’m slightly obsessed with organization and this giant pouch is perfect for travel. It’s even big enough to hold  a tablet. The tropical prints really give that summer vibe and I love that there are different ones on either side. I’ll be using it asap for my upcoming work trip to Baltimore. After that I think it will be making daily appearances in my work bag to corral notebooks, my kindle, pens and other odds and ends.

Hair Mist
Sachajuan Ocean Mist (Retail: $28.00)
Description. “Cult favorite Sachajuan’s Oceamn Mist will give you perfect waves without your ever stepping foor in the water. Spray on dry or damp hair for an effortless yet voluminous Summer look.”
Verdict: Love!
This is my year of experimenting with hair products and I love all the ocean and sea salt sprays where you can just spray on damp hair and boom, your styling is done. My hair is naturally wavy and I think this product will work perfectly with its texture and my propensity for being lazy with hair styling.

NecklaceNecklace Closeup
Soixante Nefu Jewels by Joie Jager Horn Necklace (Suggested Retail: $155.00)
Description: “…This vintage-inspired accessory is sure to be a Summer staple in your collection..”
Verdict: On the fence
I really like the idea of this necklace, the long length and the combination of colors. It’s pretty pricey and according to the description its 14K gold plated, but somehow it just feels a little cheap to me and I can’t imagine paying $155 for it. Apparently lots of celebrities wear this design so maybe it’s just overpriced.  I don’t love it, but it’s not terrible either. It may look cool layered with some other chains I have, I’ll just have to see how it works out. At the moment, I’m not sold.

Olive Oil
The Ingredient Finder Eliunt Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Suggested Retail: $16.65)
Description: “…The Ingredient Finder handpicked the best olive oils to transport you and your food around the world. Each Eliunt Extra Virgin Olive Oil comes with its own custom taste and cultural background to make your dish unique.”
Verdict: Hit!
Being that I am Italian, it is a requirement that I always have an ample supply of olive oil in my pantry. My bottle came from Australia and I don’t think I’ve ever tried an Australian olive oil so this will be something new. It’s a pretty small bottle so I’m going to save this for dipping with bread or drizzling over something special. I couldn’t find individually priced bottles (it looks like the smallest is in a set of 3, so I’m going to estimate the value based on that). I wasn’t familiar with the Ingredient Finder website before but it seems like a really fun foodie site for finding high end international cooking ingredients. It even lets you search by cuisine. If you like cooking you should check it out.

Tarte
Tarte Cheek Stain (Suggested Retail: $30.00)
Description: “…Let your skin glow this Summer with Tarte’s restorative Cheek Stain…”
Verdict: Love!
I love Tarte’s products and I already own one of their cheek stains in a different shade. I love the natural flush and the easy application. I can’t wait to try out this new color.

Tarte Lipsurgence Power Pigment (Suggested Retail: $24.00)
Description: “….This peppermint-infused tint will nourish your lips for a naturally fuller and healthier pout!…”
Verdict: Love!
As I mentioned before I really love Tarte’s products, so I’m very excited to try out this lip tint. The shade seems like a lovely neutral for summer and should work well with my albino skin tone.


Full Box
OVERALL:
Love!

This was an amazing box that totally made up for the lackluster Limited Edition Resort Box and the disappointing May Must Have. I love nearly everything in this box and all the choices feel theme appropriate and cohesive as a collection.

I paid $107.00 for this box and received $358.65 worth of products. Even discounting the overpriced necklace that is an amazing value. After this box, Popsugar has set the bar really high for their limited editions. I can’t wait to see what the next one brings.

So what did you think of the Popsugar Limited Edition Summer Box? Did you like it more or less than the Resort one?


LIMITED TIME COUPON!
Use code XL25K3Z to save $15 off your first POPSUGAR Must Have box

 

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 site wide
POPSUGAR10 = $10 off a 3 month subscription

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