Not Another LA Blonde

Tag: product

The Ring Boxes July: A Box for the Bride-to-Be
Happy Monday! Welcome to the start of another work week… I recently got my second The Ring Boxes box in the mail and finally got a chance to look through it properly. I have to throw this out there…I’m not writing my own vows for the wedding, so this box was a little bit of a letdown for me, but if you are writing your own vows, then this is perfect for you.

From the subscription website: “Who doesn’t love flaunting that fiancé title and flashing your new fabulous bling! You always want to have all the newest and cutest bride to be goodies when you’re engaged and The Ring Boxes gives you just that, one big box full of all the most popular and fabulous bridal products each and every month leading to your special day! Each month we arrange a new box packed with full sized custom gifts, wedding décor, beauty and spa products as well as date night perks! Giving our brides the ultimate bridal experience.”

The Ring Boxes was created in January 2017 so it’s still pretty new. It features handpicked bridal items delivered right to your door each month. You can choose from monthly, 3 month, 6 month or 12 month packages. The price varies depending on which subscription you choose. Since my wedding is exactly a year away, I choose the 12 month package which brought my pricing to $35/month or $420 for the year. A single box costs $40. This box is the perfect subscription for the bride-to-be!

This month there was a definite theme to the box and it had to do with: WRITING YOUR OWN VOWS

Here is a BREAKDOWN of the JULY goodies in my box:
1. Wedding Vow Writing by Alycia Curtis – Retail Value = $14.99
A guide on how to write the most original tear-inducing, non-boring wedding vows of all time! Since I’m getting married in the Catholic Church, I won’t be writing my own vows. I think this book is great if you are writing your own, but it won’t really be useful to me (luckily I know a lot of people getting married, so maybe one of them will want the book!).
1. Vow Journals by Stevie + Bean Paperie – Retail Value = $18.00
Forget the crumpled index cards and use these beautiful notebooks to read your vows from. They also make a perfect keepsake for years to come! Again, this item isn’t really relevant to me, but there are 8 lined pages in each book which provides a lot of room for the happy couple to write their vows in. maybe I’ll keep them and the fiancé and I can write our own private vows that we can read on our own on the wedding night or something.
1. She said Yes Candle by Lux Illumie – Retail Value = $15.50
This white tea and berry scent captures the fun moment of saying yes with all the excitement to come! This candle smells divine! It’s not too overwhelming of a smell. This brand lasts for such a long time! I was really happy to get this in my box!
1. Rose Gold Diamond Topper Pen –Retail Value = $14.99
The perfect wedding planning accessory adds some glam to writing your vows and to do lists leading up to the big day! Ahh this is so cute! I def wouldn’t spend $15 on it, but since it was in my box I’ll be using it even after the wedding day!
1. Natural Handmade Bathbomb by Lizush –Retail Value = $5.00
This All Natural, Vegan, Non GMO, Essential oils handmade bathbomb will help you to relax and escape from all your wedding planning stress. I don’t think they sell bathbombs individually, but here the link to the Lizush website and here is their etsy shop page! I’m not a huge bath taker (I usually only have time to take a shower since I live at home with 4 other people still) so I’m not sure about this product. I love the way it smells, but I just don’t have the time or patience for a bath right now. Maybe I’ll see if my cousin wants this item.

BONUS!!!

The box also came with 2 recipe cards. One was a recipe for the bride to be and the other was a recipe for the perfect date night. One was “Penne with Chicken & Prosciutto Cream Sauce” and the other is for “Chocolate Fondant Lava Cakes”. They both come with a recommended wine pairing. I think that this is such a good idea for the soon to be bride to have a collection of recipes to make. I can’t wait to try out both of these recipes!

THE VALUE

The value of this month’s box is $68.48. While there are some items that I wouldn’t pay for or wouldn’t pay that high of a price for, I felt that the value of the July box was really good. The cost of the box was half of what the whole box was worth, so that was a win in my book.

I think this box is a great for the bride-to-be and I can’t wait to see what the rest of my year subscription has in store for me! After my year is up and I’m married I will cancel my subscription but only because I will no longer need a bride-to-be box delivered to my door every month!

XOXO
July 24, 2017
Target Beauty Box: July
Happy Thursday!! Thank goodness it’s almost the weekend; it’s just been one of those weeks that seems like you have a million things to do but not enough time! For instance…this post, I got my box in the mail about a week ago and I’m only just now getting around writing about it.

The Target Beauty Box is a one-time purchase monthly box that includes deluxe and full-sized beauty products that you can find at Target and of course other retailers.

The box varies in price from $7-$10 so it’s relatively inexpensive to purchase a box. This month the box was $7! I like that you can choose every month if you want to buy the box or not since it’s not an actual subscription.

Here is a BREAKDOWN of the JULY goodies:
1. Scunci Cashmere Headwraps (Black & Charcoal) – Value for 2 = $2.00
You can buy a pack of 6 headbands for only $6 at Target! Taking comfort to a whole new level! Feel the difference with just one touch of these Super Soft Comfy headwraps. The thicker, black and grey headbands were included in my box. Normally I would love these, but I have about a million of these in my drawer. I also have fine, thin hair so these tend to slip easily and never stay in place while I’m working out. These are perfect if you have the right shape head or really thick hair that keeps things in place.
1. e.l.f. Illuminating Mist & Set – Value for 2.02 oz. = $3.00
This is a full size product!!! This fine mist creates a natural glow on the skin with ultra-fine, light-reflecting particles for an instant illuminating effect. Infused with Vitamin A, C, E, and Green Tea to help hydrate, nourish, and brighten the complexion for a healthy looking radiance. The lightweight, comfortable formula is perfect for all skin tones. Helps improve makeup wearability and prevent color from running or fading. I don’t actually use setting spray, in fact I currently have an unopened MAC one in my makeup drawer at home. I think that this spay would be good because it is inexpensive and I know a lot of people who rave about not only this brand, but this product as well.
1. John Frieda Frizz Ease Secret Weapon – Value for 0.15 oz. = $0.20
The full size, 4 oz. bottle of this is $5.39. The sample size I got is probably only big enough for one use. Instantly smooths hair and camouflages frizzy ends for a flawless, shiny finish. Use anytime, anywhere. This was one of the only products that I was truly disappointed by. I don’t have frizzy hair and have never had the need to use this type of product before. This is definitely one that I will not be using.
1. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturizer – Value for 0.25 oz. = $2.65
A full, 1.7 oz. jar retails for $17.99 in store. This is a refreshing, lightweight water gel that instantly quenches and continuously hydrates skin. This sample size seemed very tiny to me! I like and use a lot of Neutrogena product, so when I saw this I was excited to try it out. I tried this out one morning as a day moisturizer, but I would recommend using at night since it has a little bit of a smell to it. I only used it once since the sample was so small, but for the price I would buy this product to use on a regular basis. I liked the way this felt smooth on my skin and it didn’t feel thick even wearing it under makeup. I would recommend this product to be used at night before bed.
1. Que Bella Limited Edition Duo – Dead Sea Mud & Pineapple Peel Off –Value for 2 = $2.00 (approximate)
These masks usually run from about $1.99-$2.99 depending on which one you buy. Two masks nourish, firm and refresh skin with Dead Sea minerals, vitamin C and amino acids. I couldn’t find these 2 online, but I know that they were limited edition so they may be sold out already. I like this brand and have used many of their masks before, so I was excited to see these in my box. The Replenishing Dead Sea mud mask and the hydrating pineapple peel off mask both left my face feeling refreshed and like I didn’t just have a breakout a few days earlier. I love masks and I love this brand so I would recommend to anyone who asked!
1. Secret Cool Waterlily Clear Gel Deodorant – Value for 0.5 oz. = $1.06
A full, 2.6 oz. deodorant retails for $5.49. Quick-dry deodorant with new, reactivating scent technology offers long-lasting odor protection. This is the perfect size for my gym bag! The scent is great because it’s not overwhelming but you still smell fresh. I usually switch my deodorants between Secret and Men’s deodorant so that my body doesn’t get too used to one type.
1. ACURE Day Cream – Value for 1 oz. = $9.70
A full, 1.75 oz. tube of day cream retails for $16.99. face the day with gotu kola extract and chlorella. This powerhouse combo helps moisturize and protect with a one-two punch. Honestly, in my opinion, this brand tends to have a funky smell to their products. I’m not sure if it’s just the ones that I’ve used, but I really didn’t want to take any chances with this one so I didn’t bother to try it out. I’ll see if any of my friends want this product because I have a few who love this brand.
1. Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes – Value = $1.47
This is actually considered full size since they do sell a 7 pack of wipes in store! This size is perfect for traveling or for throwing into your gym bag for on-the-go purposes. Dissolve dirt, oil and makeup (even waterproof mascara!) for clean, fresh skin in one easy step. I love getting things like this in my boxes because then I never have to buy my makeup removing wipes at full price! I use these daily after my workouts during lunch time. These don’t irritate my face and they don’t dry out my face either.

THE VALUE

The value of this July Beauty Box is approximately $22.08. Since this box was only $7.27 including tax and shipping (I have free shipping + 5% off with my Target Debit Card) this is a great deal! There were 8 items in my box this month and 2 were full-sized items. This is perfect for trying out a new product that you may not normally purchase.

I think this box is a great deal and I love trying new products every month! I also love the fact that if I don’t like the box one month, I don’t have to buy it! The only thing is if you want the box, you have to be quick because they do sell out every month. I can’t wait to see what will be in the August box!

XOXO

P.S. If you see something that you like/want feel free to check out my Mercari app to see if I’m selling any of the products I didn’t want. If I can’t find friends that want any of the goodies I’m not a fan of, I try to sell it!

*Any products I sell on my page are 100% unused/unopened (if sealed) and 100% authentic*
July 20, 2017
FabFitFun Summer 2017 – The FINAL Box

Happy Monday y’all! Guess what time it is!? It’s time for me to share with y’all what came in my Summer FabFitFun Box. As you know, I subscribed to FFF about this time last year with the hopes that it would change my life and bring all kinds of goodies with it. (insert eye roll) But as you can see from my title, sadly, this will be the last FFF box I post about since I have officially unsubscribed 😦 I need to save some money, and let’s face it there are so many other subscriptions out there for me to try instead.

I was super excited when this came in the mail since it’s summer time and my box last summer had some really great things in it. I originally signed up for the yearly subscription, so I knew 3 of the items I would be getting. FFF has also started something new called Choice; you get to choose between words and then based on your selection they send you something that goes with it. This season there were 2 choices.

Ok, so here is what came in my Summer 2017 Box:

Michael Stars Ruana – Retails $54

This was one of the items that I already knew I was getting and was able to pick the pattern that I wanted. This is a limited edition FabFitFun x Joyful Heart Foundation product. This ruana is going to be the star of your beach trips. It is a multi-use item that can be worn as a scarf, sarong, or wrap. It measures 41” x 72”. There were 3 different patterns that you could have chosen for this: black tie die, tan with geometric shapes, or the blue animal print. This is really cute and I can’t wait to take it on vacation with me!

Kris Nations Mystic Bar Necklace – Retails $58

This was the 2^nd item that I could pick which color I wanted. The necklace came in turquoise with a gold chain, white with a silver chain, and peach/coral with a gold chain. The stones are hand-cut by craftsmen in India and each one has an attribute that helps your live every day with positive intentions. To be honest, this item was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. The necklace is adjustable and can be 16-18 inches long. The gemstone bar measures at less than an inch long. It came in a little glass bottle (think message in a bottle) and each card in the bottle says something different. I chose to be surprised on this option and received the White Howlite one. The Howlite enhances intuition and promotes calmness. While the necklace is super cute, it’s a little small for my taste and I’m not sure how many times I’ll actually wear it.

BKR Bottle in Rosy Pink – Retails $35

This was the 3^rd color option that I got to choose. The options were Rosy Pink or Romeo Blue and with pink being my absolute favorite color, you can guess which one I chose. This is a 16oz/500ML glass bottle with a silicone wrap around them. This Little size is perfect for on-the-go; I can throw it in my work bag and leave the house without feeling like I’m being weighed down! They are dishwasher safe which is a huge plus! This product is perfect for summer and something that I was really looking forward to getting in the box! I’ve been using it since my box came and I love it!

Juice Beauty Smoothing Eye Concentrate – Retails $29

Moisturize and soothe any dark circles and fine lines with this eye cream. It has certified organic grape and carrot juices blended with essential fatty acids to hydrate and nourish the eye area. Normally I’m not a huge fan of putting an extra step into my morning routine, but this is worth it. My eyes feel so refreshed and don’t look like I stayed up WWAAAYYYY past my bedtime the night before. Will I buy this on my own? I’m not sure yet.

Eau Thermale Avene Ultra-Light Hydrating Sunscreen – Retails $24

Protect and nourish your skin with this sheer, lightweight sunscreen. It contains broad spectrum SPF 50+ UVA/UVB filters and is enriched with powerful antioxidant and soothing Avene Thermal Spring Water. The formula is fragrance and oil free. It has a completely sheer finish and is great for under makeup. I used this over 4^th of July weekend and it was great; I didn’t even feel like I had any sunscreen on my face and I didn’t get that oily feeling I sometimes get. While $24 is a little on the steep side for sunscreen, if I don’t get burnt using this, it could be worth it.

Cargo Cosmetics Cargo_HD Picture Perfect Highlighter in Bronze – Retails $30

Glow, girl, glow! Formulated for high definition filming, this highlighter will give you a radiant, picture perfect finish, every single time. Its lightweight, velvety powder formula goes on flawlessly yet remains invisible to the camera. I actually don’t use highlighter so I really can’t tell you if this is good or not. All the reviews say wonderful things about this product, but I think I’ll see if one of my friends wants it.

Way Of Will 03 Soothe and Cool Massage Oil – Retails $29.50

Tough workout? Chill out with this post-training cooling massage oil. A base of sweet almond, apricot kernel and jojoba oil helps skin retain moisture and improves the protective barrier function of the skin. Jojoba oil increases hydration, elasticity, and suppleness, while German chamomile cools affected areas. This is a cool idea, but you would have to have someone to massage you. I tend to get sore in the back area due to so many years of gymnastics and cheer, so I would need help rubbing this into my skin. The combo of peppermint and chamomile smells really good.

Understated Leather On the Road Again Travel Set – Retails $28

This is currently SOLD OUT online. Pack your bags and hit the road in epic style with this gorgeous passport cover and luggage tag set. The metallic vegan leather duo featuring printed lettering will have you traveling in style. This is super cute and perfect for traveling. I can’t wait to use the passport holder the next time I go out of the country.

BONUS ITEMS:

Vital Proteins Marine Collagen Peptides – SPONSORED

Vital Proteins Marine Collagen is an unflavored drinkable collagen powder that can be easily added to any beverage, hot or cold, for a healthier complexion and a life of vibrancy. Gluten free, sugar free, and non-GMO, the Marine collagen Peptides contain 10 grams of natural collagen protein in each serving. You can buy this in a 10oz container for $49 or single serve box of 20 for $48.

THE COST:

The subscription is $50 a box sent every quarter (if you pay in full when you subscribe, it’s a little cheaper). The total value for the box I received is $287.50 not including the bonus item. For the price of the box, it comes out to be a really great deal! I’m really excited to continue using some of the items in my Summer box, but I can honestly say that I won’t be continuing to subscribe.

If you would like to subscribe to FabFitFun AND get $10 OFF, use my referral link to get in on all the fun that FFF has to offer!!

FFF is great because if you decide that you no longer want to receive the box, you can unsubscribe at any time!

XOXO

P.S. Let me know your thoughts on the Summer Box! I can’t wait to hear about your fav product!

July 10, 2017