Not Another LA Blonde

Tag: review

The Ring Boxes – A Box for the Bride-to-Be
Happy Wednesday y’all, We’re about half way through the work week!! Ok, so remember when I posted about having my blogiversary a few weeks back and I talked about how I would be starting some new subscriptions. Well here we are, I’ve found a new subscription box for myself!! The Ring Boxes was created in January 2017 so it’s still pretty new. This box is the perfect subscription for the bride-to-be!

“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 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 chose the 12 month package which brought my pricing to $35/month or $420 for the year. A single box costs $40.

This was my first month getting the box and the theme was: SWEATING FOR THE WEDDING!

Here is a BREAKDOWN of the JUNE GOODIES:
1. Comfy Tank Top by Mush Made – Retail Value = $24.99
Show off your up coming wedding workout goals with this comfy racer-back! While I couldn’t find this exact tank top, I’ve linked one that is very similar from Etsy. I’m really excited about this tank because I’ve been wanting to get a tank like this, but didn’t want to actually buy one haha I can’t wait to wear this while I work out. I’m sure there are a lot of girl out there like me, BUT I love having items that announce to the world that I’m engaged and this tank is perfect for that!
1. Custom Headband by Mavi Bandz – Retail Value = $14.99
This adjustable non-slip custom headband is the perfect accessory to your cardio set. This headband was custom for the box, but here I’ve linked the plain one without the writing. This headband is a little too expensive for my taste, but it’s cute enough that I will wear this one while I work out. I love the bright colors on it and I hope that it stays in my hair during my run.
1. Custom Water Bottle by Before The Rings – Retail Value = $15.50
Another must have for any gym sesh! Stay hydrated with this custom water bottle. I couldn’t find this exact water bottle online, but I’ve linked one similar to this from Amazon. For some reason, I LOVE water bottles so I was really excited to see this in my box! I love that the back tells me how much I’ve drank so far. This is a plastic bottle, so I don’t know that I would pay almost $16 for a bottle like this, but it was great that it came in my box.
1. Custom Gym Towel by Mush Made –Retail Value = $11.99
How many times do you go to the gym & realize you forgot a gym towel!? Here’s your own custom bridal towel to keep you dry! YES, I love that this towel is pink (my favorite color). I don’t have a gym towel currently, so I’m really happy that I got this in the box. Now when I go workout during lunch, I’ll have a towel to wipe my sweat away with.
1. Natural Handmade Soap by Lizush –Retail Value = $6.00
This All Natural, Vegan, Non GMO, Essential oil handmade soap will help you to cleanse after your workout while keep you relaxed & smelling heavenly. This soap smells divine. I love the way it feels on my body when I shower and the way it leaves my skin smelling like lavender. I also love that this product is all natural and that it comes in an affordable price.

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 lightened-up shrimp scampi and the other is for a marinated chicken. 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 months box is $73.47. Since I got this box with a new subscription discount, it was only $31. While I wouldn’t pay that much for each item in my box, I felt that the value 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
June 28, 2017
Target Beauty Box: June
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. I like that you can choose every month if you want to buy the box or not since it’s not an actual subscription.

BREAKDOWN OF THE JUNE GOODIES:
1. Hawaiian Tropic Island Sport Sunscreen – Value for 2 oz = $2.25
The full size 8oz bottle retails for $8.99. Lightweight, breathable formula offers 12-hour hydration and SPF 30 broad spectrum protection. I’m going on my first vacation of the summer this weekend so I can’t wait to try this out. I’m a huge fan of Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreen, so I know this product will be great as well!
1. Jon Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Salt Spray – Value for 1 oz = $2.99
You can buy this travel size or the full 5 oz bottle for $8.99. Non-drying formula texturizes hair for a tousled look, windswept waves or piece-y perfection. I CAN’T stand getting this product in my boxes!!! This product doesn’t work on my hair and I end up getting rid of this spray every time I get it.
1. Sinful Colors Nail Polish in Clad in Plaid – Value for 0.5 oz = $1.99
This is a full size item! Highly pigmented nail color dries quickly and has a smooth, satin finish. This is a super fun looking red color. Perfect for summer time. I can’t wait to use it and see how it looks on my nails!
1. Masque Bar Soothing Sheet Mask –Value for 1 count = $3.49
Skin-moisturizing sheet mask helps hydrate and soothe skin for a healthy-looking complexion. While I love masks, I’m not a huge fan of sheet masks. I think that my face is too small or something because the mask is always WAY too big on my face!
1. Aussie 3-Minute Miracle Treatment– Value for 1.7oz = $0.53
An 8oz bottle retails for $2.97 and the 16oz bottle retails for $4.99. Conditioning treatment transforms dry hair into silky, shiny waves with Australian aloe, jojoba and sea kelp. I actually just used this and was pretty impressed with the product. I don’t normally use deep conditioners, but since I went a little blonder my last hair appointment, I figured my hair could use a little lovin. My hair felt great after using it and it looks a lot healthier!
1. Schick Hydro Silk Women’s Razor –Value for 1 = $8.99
5 curve-sensing blades with concentrated serum and shea butter moisturizer for up to 12 hours after shaving. Perfect! I needed a new razor! I really like this razor but I’m not too picky when it comes to my razors, as long as they’re not the cheapy, throw in the trash the next day kind, then I’m good.
1. NYX Gotcha Covered Concealer in Medium– Value = $5.99
Coconut oil-infused, waterproof concealer blends to hide imperfections without creasing or caking. I wasn’t really a fan of this or the brand. There are very few NYX products that I like to use, but this isn’t one of them. I’m very particular about my concealer since I tend to break out easily so I stick to one brand and one brand only.

THE VALUE

The value of this June Beauty Box is about $26.23. Since this box was only $7 plus shipping (mine was free shipping + 5% off since I have a Target Debit Card) this is a great deal! For this particular box, I felt that the value this month was really good since it had 4 full size items and the rest travel size. This is perfect for trying out a new product that you may not normally buy.

I think this box is a great deal and I love trying new products every month! I can’t wait to order the July box!

XOXO
June 22, 2017
Ipsy: June 2017
Happy Tuesday y’all! I got my June Ipsy bag last week and I like about half of what I got!

Here’s the deal, I’m share with you what I got in my pouch this month and what I did or didn’t like about each item in my bag:

For starters, the theme of this month’s bag was VOLUME UP. The bag was cute with just lips on the front. I liked this bag more than some of the others because of its simplicity.

The Products:
1. NYX Whipped Lip & Cheek Soufflé in Cocoa Bean Value for 8ml= $6
This is a FULL size product. In my opinion, this is a pretty small item that NYX is considering to be full size. This product can be used for BOTH lips and cheek! The whipped formula is supper light so that it feels like you’re not even wearing anything. The Cocoa Bean color is a super versatile nude brown that also works great for contouring. I’m personally not a fan of this color and wish I had gotten one of the other colors offered. With that being said, it is super lightweight, but it isn’t a product that I’ll be buying on my own.
1. Skyn ICELAND Glacial Face Wash with White Willow Bark Value for 20ml = $4
The full 150ml tube retails for $30. This super foamy cleanser leaves your face feeling fresh and hydrated! It helps soothe, revitalize, and detoxify. The formula is also very mild so it’s perfect for any skin type! I always love trying new face washes, so this product was a win in my book. I like how it left my face feeling after washing it. Would I buy this product again? I’m not so sure; even though I liked it, I can’t imagine paying $30 for face wash!
1. City Color Cosmetics Bold Brow Eyebrow Powder in Medium Value for 0.8oz = $4
I think that this might be a FULL size product or pretty close to it because it retails for $4 online. This duo of matte powders creates soft, subtle definition without looking super harsh. With two colors, you can create the perfect blend to match your existing brows! I personally don’t use powder for my eyebrows and prefer Benefit’s Goof Proof Brow Pencil.
1. Doucce Maxlash Volumizer Mascara Value for 6ml =$10 (Super rough estimate as sample sizes are usually half of the full size)
The full size of this mascara retails at $22. This lash-fattening formula makes our fringe look insanely lush, fluttery, and fab. The chubby wand coats every last lash so none of them are left behind! I love trying out new mascaras and love getting them in my bag! I honestly haven’t bought mascara in about a year! I liked this mascara, and with it retailing at $22 (fairly normal for full mascara) I may purchase this in the future.
1. MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua XL Eye Pencil in M-10 Matte Black Value for 0.02oz = $10.50
The full 0.04oz eyeliner retails for $21 at Sephora. The cutting-edge formula is insanely creamy, so it glides on like butter with no tugging or dragging. This waterproof formula literally stays put until you decide it’s time for it to come off. I love pencil eyeliner so much more than liquid, so this was a pleasant surprise when I found it in my bag. I like the way it glides on and I’m also a fan of the brand! I would definitely buy this product again.

While I can’t pinpoint an exact price of the products in the whole bag, I’ve figured that the May bag is worth at least $34.50 (just a super rough estimate, not sure if the eyebrow powder was full size or not and couldn’t get an exact price on the mascara)! I think that it is fairly accurate, so the $10 you pay for the bag is such a steal compared to buying each item separately!

The cost of the box every month is $10 + tax and free shipping. So for 5 products (one of which should be full size, the low price is a pretty good bargain. The bag is great if you’re looking to try out different products that you may not currently use.

To subscribe to Ipsy use my referral link to discover new brands/products that you might come to love that you wouldn’t otherwise try!

XOXO

p.s Let me know if you got anything different that you absolutely loved!
June 13, 2017