Subscription Alley

This past November I was introduced into the world of beauty subscriptions. I received my first taste of this blooming trend back in 2010 through Kim Kardashians shoe subscription service Shoe Dazzle.

My first impression was that hey I love shoes and I love a good deal. But I was also skeptical because I didn't want to have to pay every month. I was on the fence originally about signing up. Then I found out that if you hit the "Skip This Month" link they won't deduct your hard earned pay from your account. And since I discovered that I have been hooked!

I currently subscribe to three beauty/fashion services:

JewelMint, BeautyMint, Julep Maven, Birchbox and ShoeDazzle.

They all basically work the same way. You go to their site, fill a quiz that helps them determine your style need and enter your info. Your monthly subscription doesn't start until you make your first purchase. The differences are the price points and the products they offer.

JewelMint

JewelMint- offers a monthly subscription of $29.95 for jewelry. You pick one piece you like from your showroom and you buy it for that price plus free shipping. You can earn credits towards a free piece of jewelry. You receive so many credits per purchase.  You can earn 1 credit per monthly subscription. But within the first five days of the month you can "Skip the Month" and you won't be billed.

BeautyMint

BeautyMint- They deal with skincare. They offer you a beauty quiz and then you're given a skincare regimen. The price varies based on your product needs. But it's recurring like Proactiv. You do have the option to "Skip A Month" up to two days before your billing date.

Julep

Julep Maven- is a $19.99 monthly subscription for your nails. You receive $40 + in products a month. They offers polishes and tools for mani's and pedi's. They have a large variety of nail polish colors, gift sets and nail care essentials. You can also try a new style if you don't like the monthly selection provided for you . You have from the 20th to the 24th to try a new style pull or to skip a month.

Birchbox

Birchbox- is a $10 a month beauty subscription service. You receive 4-5 beauty samples in your Birchbox and a lifestyle sample. You have the opportunity to earn points. You can refer people and have them sign up which rewards you with 50 points for use in the Birchbox shop. You earn 10 points each month via your subscription or if you leave feedback for products you've purchased you get 10 for each one. $1 equals 1 point. But you cannot skip a month with this subscription service. You can however cancel your subscription.

ShoeDazzle

ShoeDazzle- is a $39.95 a month fashion subscription with free shipping per month. Primarily for shoes, they also have DazzleDeals and other varieties of fashionable pieces. You can also choose to skip the month within the first five days of the month. And you have the opportunity to request alternate shoes if you don't like what was provided for you. . You have the ability to earn StylePoints by referring friends, monthly subscription and more. Earn 1 credit a month when you're billed and that money is not used towards a purchase. You can have a maximum of 5 credits at a time. When you reach that you will not be charged until you use them. 1 credit is good towards any redeemable purchase.




*All of the images above are trademarks of ShoeDazzle, BeautyMint, JewelMint, Birchbox and Julep Maven. They were borrowed for this blog post and there are links that link to the individual pages. Thank you!!

Julep Maven Mystery Box

Good morning everyone!!!! Have you ever had one of those days where you just wanted to go into a deep sleep for a a day or two to rejuvenate yourself? That's how I feel this morning. 

 It was a late night last night and a rough morning. Hubby was out playing games with his friends, and my mom was over which was cool. But then she left lol. And I was stuck with a groggy 2 year old who doesn't like to sleep if there is any light or noise. Maddalaena, my youngest, has this thing where when she's tired, instead of carrying a lovie she HAS to hold your hand. If you move she freaks out crying and screaming. Non-stop too. And there's no substitute at all!! If you have an itch or a boogie or something, she just won't let you get to it. Not on her life. I transferred her to our bed and went to get some water and she was O-U-T. You could slap her and she wouldn't budge. So now here I am 12am alone in my dark house with my thoughts. And let me tell ya that's some pretty scary stuff lol. I texted my hubby and essentially made him come home. And now he's out helping a friend move into their first house!!! 

Congrats to Mike and Clarice Boardman for purchasing your first home!!!

IMPORTANT!!! Zoya.com is having an amazing deal for the next two days. You can get any two nail colors for free!!! You just type in the code: ZOYA2012 and pay the shipping which is only $6.95. The polishes retail for $8 each. So hurry up this offer expires on January 9th. You only have a couple of days!! Zoya Nail Polish Giveaway. I ordered mine and it's on the way!! 

What's also great about this brand is that it is planet friendly and safe for you to use. 

  Ok onto the better stuff.

About the Mystery Box. It came down to the decision of whether or not I was going to get my monthly Julep box or this super cool mystery deluxe box. Since both were the same $19.99 I chose the bigger gamble. I could receive a box that had up to $200 in merchandise or I could get the regular box which had between $40 and $80 in merchandise. It was a no brainer. I'm going to show the individual items with my review on all of them. I also added links incase you all wanted to become a Julep Maven or just purchase the products.

First up I got the Beautiful Hands To Go Gift Set

Included in this set is a: 30mL or 1 FL OZ of the Julep Facial For Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub

and the 30mL or 1 FL OZ of the Julep Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener

I love the this set, especially in the winter time. Not only does it smooth your hands by getting rid of the dead skin cells but it also brightens and moisturizes your hands for a youthful glow and appearance. This is originally retails for $22.

Julep Nail Crystal File

This nail file is like no other that I've seen. Honestly for a stay at home mom who doesn't get out much, this was an awesome surprise. A Crystal nail file? Come on!! I mean how cool is that? It's so cute and chic I love the way it feels and it works great. This retailed for $12. Now marked down to $5.99!

Julep Nail Venis in Carrie

It is the epitome of spring and carnival rides. It is a bright, cheery cotton candy pink that goes on smooth and creamy. I love the color but even with a base coat and top coat(2 layers!) it still has a tendency to chip. It's super cute with a navy blue outfit!!

Julep Nail Vernis in Jodie

Jodie is currently not for sale. But I love the maroon-esque of this color. It is subtle and dark with a bit of a metallic fleck. For me this is perfect for those casual days where doing nothing is always an option.

Julep Nail Vernis in Christina 

This has to be my favorite color so far from the Julep line that I have tried. I always thought that I would hate this kind of color. But in reality it is super fun!! It's a great way to add a pop of color to an outfit. It is a deep shimmery orange color that really shimmers when you step into the light.

All of the nail colors retail at $14. And they are awesome!! Go check out the website and a skin care product and nail color that are perfect for you!!

OOTD Today...

Ok please don't mind the look on my face. This far along in pregnancy you have to concentrate really hard lol.

Ok so for this look I followed more of my everyday style. All little dressy and a little casual. There isn't a shot of the shoes because well, they're missing a much needed accessory and I can't figure out which one I want.

Open Drape Front Cardigan: Loft Outlet 2 years ago.

Silver blouse: Loft hand me down

Brown maternity pants: Motherhood Maternity October

Necklace: Payless on Clearance

Bracelet: Pandora customized by my husband

Manicure: 

Base Coat: Sally Hansen's Double Duty Strengthening Base and Top Coat found at local drug stores.

Base color: Nicole by Julep

Accent Color: Power Clutch by Essie

Top Coat: Sally Hansen's Double Duty Strengthening Base and Top Coat

First I applied a coat of the base/top coat. Let dry for a minute. The I applied two coats of Nicole by Julep. Let dry for about a minute. Then careful I swiped or dragged Power Clutch by Essie across the far corner of the nail. Aim for a little below mid nail and drag in a diagonal direction. Finish with a coat of your top coat and let dry completely for about 30 minutes.

Birchbox, Julep and Essie

Today has finally come. I have been waiting with anticipation since November 10th!!! My Birchbox with all it's little goodies has finally arrived in my mailbox. Two days ago I was graced with the appearance of my Julep Maven package as well. I also purchased my first ever bottle of Essie nail polish(which I still have yet to use). It's like receiving Godiva Chocolates once a month!! What I love about these services is that they are informative, trend keeping and most of all affordable!!! Birchbox is just $10 a month for some of the hottest and money worthy samples of the season/year. Julep is all about mani's and pedi's. And they're fee is only $20 but you get three full sized products and a couple of samples to try which is uber amazing!! And Essie is well, amazing nail color that I can go buy at Walmart if I so desire lol.

Inside my Birchbox:

Show Stoppers: Two black miracle strips to help keep you in place when your clothing can't.

EBOOST: A daily health booster. You just add to water and stir and you're all set to go. It has vitamins, minerals and super nutrients to help get you through your day. There is no sugar, artificial flavors and it's very low in calories only 5!

Ageless: A parfum from Harvey Prince

Orofluido: A beauty elixir for your hair. Just add a few drops in your hands, rub throughout damp hair. Don't rinse and you're all set!

Jouer: Conditioning Lipgloss in Birchbox Pink. Made Exclusively for Birchbox

The Pore-fessional: This is a Pro balm to minimize the appearance of pores

Inside my Julep Maven box:

I was thrilled to receive this. Not just because of the full sized products but because I love nail polish!! It makes me feel so pampered!! 

On the left: Nail Color- Nicole a deep shimmery red color. Comes out in a cranberry hue. I think it's divine!

Nail Color: Whiteney- a nude color that will compliment pretty much every color and outfit out there

Julep Facial for Hands: Glycolic Hand Scrub- I used this and loved every bit of it!! This coupled with the Everyday SPF Hand Cream makes your hands so silky smooth you'll want to rub them on your face for hours lol.

My First Essie Nail Color!!!

Meet Power Clutch $7.79 at Walmart. 

Power Clutch is from the 2011 Fall/Winter line

I can't wait to try this out. It looks like it would be suitable for any winter outfit. I cannot wait to add more Essie nail color to my growing polish collection!!