OuiPlease Vol. 2.1: La Vie En Rose

This is my fifth OuiPlease box (I signed up for the yearly subscription) and also, unfortunately, the worst that I have received so far. I am trying to be optimistic about OuiPlease because they really seemed to have turned a corner with the last box, which was pretty great!

I have two issues with Vol 2.1. The first issue is shipping related. Finally they ship the box ON TIME like they promised they would. That in itself is a HUGE step up for them because they started off pretty rocky with shipment delays. I am very impressed with how quick they had Vol. 2.1 out. The issue is that they AGAIN shipped the box to my OLD address. I’ve already contacted them once before because it had not been updated and they claimed it would be fixed but it wasn’t and ended up arriving on the doorstep of my old apartment. Lucky for me, the girl who lives there now returned the box to the office.

My second issue is with the value I have received. This is what I have received in my Vol. 2.1. Box (prices pulled directly from the OuiPlease Magazine):

  • Les Petites … Paris Scarf – $120
  • NUXE Gentle Exfoliating Gel (75ml/2.6oz) – $24
  • Oliv’ Eye and Lips Smoothing Gel (0.5fl.oz) – $50
  • La Fare 1789 Intense Night Cream (30ml/1.0fl.oz) – $25
  • Le Chocolat Des Francais Chocolate Bars (30g ea) – $15 (2 bars)
  • Kusmi Tea The vert a la rose (25g/0.88oz) – about $5 according to kusmitea.com (Not listed in booklet)

And two coupons:

  • 25% off Les Petites … Paris Spring/Summer 2016 Collection (Bloomingdale’s in store only)
  • 20% off NUXE Paris online (www.us.nuxe.com)

This total adds up to just $239 which is $161 under $400 that I was promised when I signed up. I can only hope that this was in error and that I am simply missing item(s). There are numerous different jewelry items listed in the booklet, I was shocked I didn’t receive one of them considering how low my box was. I’ve reached out to OuiPlease to get both issues resolved and I will post an update once I have heard back. Historically they have been pretty quick to send out a replacement item.

Because of this low blow, I have a hard time appreciating the items in this box. I was so excited with the 1.6 box and this one is such a let down.

I do really like the Les Petites scarf, but I am shocked by the $120 price tag. It is very pretty, so I am happy to have it and it is the best item in the box. I also am interested in trying the Chocolate Barss and Kusmi Tea. I have always enjoyed the Parisian food items that they include in the box and I cannot wait to try them both.

This was probably the box that I was most excited to receive because I am a fan of Edith Piaf and loved the movie based on her life, La Vie En Rose. It is unfortunate that this ended up to be my least favorite box from OuiPlease.

 

 

 

Influenster Jingle VoxBox

The last time I received an Influenster VoxBox was in March of 2014. Life got busy, and I did not have a lot of time to put into this blog at the time, so my participation waned. I was so happy when I received an email that I had been selected for the Jingle VoxBox. Hopefully this can be the beginning of many more VoxBox reviews this year.

When the Jingle VoxBox arrived, I thought it was sooo tiny! But it has just as many goodies inside as the ones in the past did. Here’s what was included:

 

  • Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream sample (1oz) – $8.99-15.99 full size
  • Biscoff Cookies (3 two packs, 25g per pack) – $2.99 per 250g
  • Ore-Ida Tater Tots product FREE coupon ($4)
  • Hallmark itty bittys (Rapunzel) – start at $6.95
  • NYC City Proof 24HR Waterproof Eyeliner (932 Dark Brown) – $3.99
  • KISS True Volume Lashes “Natural Plump” – $3.99
  • KISS Strip Lash Adhesive (Black) – $3.99
  • Pure Ice Nail Polish (1019 Deja Vu) – $1.97 only at Walmart

 

As always, here are my first impressions of each item :

 

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream
I was surprised that the cream is unscented, which is nice because it can be used without distracting from any perfumes (which I wear daily). It feels very moisturizing and should be good for these winter months.
Biscoff Cookies
I can’t recall if I have ever tried these before, but I am excited to try them! I had them on a plane! I remembered! They’re really good!! I love that they included 3 packs, because it will give me a chance to really try them again.
Ore-Ida Tater Tots Free Coupon
I expected more coupons that I would never use, but this one is awesome because it pays for the entire item! I can’t wait to try these Tater Tots!!
Hallmark Disney Rapunzel Itty Bittys
ADORABLE! Is there more to say? These are so cute, I am resisting collecting them all!
NYC City Proof 24HR Waterproof Eyeliner (932 Dark Brown)
I’m not a huge eyeliner fan, so I am not sure if this will get much use for me personally. It looks pretty nice and goes on smooth.
KISS True Volume Lashes “Natural Plump”
I have only worn false eyelashes… once! It was for my cousin’s wedding and they were gorgeous but hurt horribly when it was time for removal. I have never had the pull to wear falsies, but since then I have wanted to re-create the look.
KISS Strip Lash Adhesive with Aloe (Black)
I am so happy that this was included with the eyelashes because otherwise I wouldn’t have known what to do. This tube will last me FOREVER.
Pure Ice Nail Polish (1019 Deja Vu)
Pretty sparkly blue-purple color, however I am not sure I am their target market – I never shop at Walmart.

 

Full posts to come soon!

Disclaimer: I received these products to test for free through the Influenster VoxBox program.

OuiPlease Vol. 1.5: Along the Loire Valley

Since the last box shipped at the end of July and this is a bi-monthly box, I had expected the shipment over a month ago. However, I wasn’t

  • Salome Charly – Trie Bracelet ($50)
  • Concept Provence – Facial Toner ($20)
  • Sencha & Bourbon – Cotton or Cashmere Scarf ($120-130)
  • Historiae – Hameau de la Reine Fragrance ($40)
  • Historiae – Bouquet du Trianon Soap ($10)
  • Savor & Sens – Mustard Walnut Flavor ($15)
  • L’Attelier – Roasted Almonds ($15)
  • La Route des Comptoirs – Perle d’Amour Organic Black Tea ($30)

The value of my box is either $300 or $310, depending on which scarf I received (which I have a hard time believing is over $100). Regardless, it is again disappointing that the value was $100 lower than the $400 value that they promise. However, at least I didn’t see any huge inflation with the products this time. I emailed OuiPlease and they are sending me another “gift” to make up for the ‘missing items’.


salome-charly-trie concept-provence-facial-toner historiae-hameau-de-la-reine 
historiae-bouquet-du-trianon-soap l-attelier-tentations-caramelisees-amandes la-route-des-comptoirs-perle-d-amour
 

The bracelet is slightly different than the one pictured.
Not Pictured: Sencha & Bourbon scarf, Savor & Sens mustard

As for the actual items, surprisingly the scarf is my favorite item in the box. It is super soft and the monogram of my initials is a sweet touch from Sencha & Bourbon. The scarf is not really my style, but I will definitely find a way to incorporate it in my wardrobe.

I am still trying out the other items, but so far I like the facial toner. I definitely did not need more toner but I am still happy to have it. I was glad to not see any more lotion since the last box was overflowing with lotion.

Overall, I was not super excited about Volume 1.5. Even with the over inflation, I feel like the last box was much better but I am trying to stay optimistic about the gift they are sending me.

 

UPDATE: I received the “gift” item that OuiPlease sent to me. I was super impressed that it came to me within only ONE DAY of them responding to my email. And then I opened the box:

 

dynastie_vamp

Marina de Bourbon Dynastie Vamp (100ml – no box) – $160

I am so happy that they sent me this item! I am beyond ecstatic that the item was high value and actually made me meet the $400 value and even pass it!

OuiPlease Vol. 1.4: Escape to the French Riviera

I was intrigued to see how OuiPlease would handle this box considering the backlash from the undervalued boxes in the 1.3 Provence box (you can see my review here) and slightly feeling like I may have been bamboozled. OuiPlease tackled this issue with the following packing slip to indicate that they did indeed meet the “over $400 worth” promise:

 

ouiplease-packing-slip

 

Here’s the list of items with the actual brand and product names:

 

Total – $430

Looks pretty good, right? Well, some of these items seem VERY overvalued. Let’s break them down one by one and see where we’re at.

First up, the item that made me seethe the most:

 

1. Betchy Sketch – Coasters ($20)

When I first saw the item labelled “Coasters” I thought that $20 would be a bargain.. until I realized that the 4 pieces of thin paper (my boyfriend commented, “it’s an insult to call that cardboard”) are actually the ‘coasters’. See below:

 

IMG_4615

 

These are actually pretty cute… as far as the drawing go, but $20 for 4 little pieces of paper? What? ALSO, they are printed with “oui please” all over them. So, ultimately, I am paying OuiPlease so that I can advertise for OuiPlease. I would totally understand these as a cute little bonus item, but they value these at $20! I could buy SO MUCH MORE for $20. I could buy REAL coasters.. not PAPER coasters.. In fact, I have done that before already. WHAT THE HECK, OUIPLEASE, WHY?! I’d also like to note that this company is based out of Dallas… interpret that however you’d like.

Since this is a custom piece, they can name their price.

 

2. Objets Obscurs – Bracelet Ksena Crochet Rouge ($50)

Another one of my let down items was the following bracelet, valued at $50. It actually LOOKS quite cute, but the materials used felt very cheap. I did a little research, and it seems to be brass and cotton yarn. Again, for $50, I could get a way higher quality piece pretty much anywhere.

 

ouiplease-braceletscreenshot-objets-obscures

(Click to Enlarge) 

And to make matters worse, OuiPlease has again OVERVALUED items. They list this as $50 in my packing slip, and on the website it is only 25 euros, which is roughly $28. Not to mention Objets Obscurs has a 50% off coupon right now. Now that price makes way more sense to me.

 

3. Graine De Pastel – Baume De Cocagne ($50)

I am excited to try this brand, and was happy to see the product price isn’t too far off from OuiPlease’s apparent guess. Graine De Pastel’s website shows this item as 33 euros, which is about $38. The product smells really good and I like the texture. I can already tell I will like this one.

 

Baume-de-cocagne

 

 4. Graine De Pastel – Hand Cream ($30)

And then OuiPlease again proved that they have no idea how to convert euros to dollars, because this is only 12.50 euros, which is is just under $14.. and less than HALF what OuiPlease valued it at. I can’t even anymore. Despite this, it looks like a good product, so I am overall happy with it being added to the box. I am going to leave it at my desk at work and try to use it daily since I have a tendency to get lotion and then never use it.

 

Creme-de-cocagne-Mains

 

5. Pier Auge – Body Caresse Agrume ($80)

The highest valued item in the box, is actually 53.20 euros, which is just under $60. Still a pretty high value item, so I am pleased to get a chance to try it. It feels very thick, which I like in a lotion. It smells nice, as well.

 

pier-auge-caresse-agrumes

 

6. Doux Me – Rose Mist ($35)

This item is 19 euros according to their website, which is about $21. I have never used a rose mist but I love face mists and I can’t wait to see how it feels. The bottle says that it can help take off make-up so it looks like it is more of an end-of-the-day spray. I use a face spray every morning already, so it will be nice adding something for nighttime.

 

Rose-mist-Doux-me

 

7. Kingies – Life Is Beautiful T-Shirt ($40)

I couldn’t find anything about this shirt or brand online, but my beef with it isn’t really the price (even though … hello, that’s $40 for a t-shirt!!!) but rather the fact that it has a STAIN. Check it out below:

 

kingies-2 kingies-1
 

I’m not sure what happened here, but it’s definitely not beautiful to have a yellow highlighter mark on your shirt, but I understand.. it happens. Even without the mark, this shirt is slightly too small for me to work.

UPDATE: I emailed OuiPlease and they said they will send me another item to make up for it. I actually am impressed by this!

 

8. Little Marcel – Simia Beach Towel ($45)

I LOVE this towel, honestly this is my favorite item, and they didn’t lie on the price at all! Yay! At 39 euros regularly, this piece is about $43.. which is right on target with OuiPlease’s price! The website had the item on sale, but I honestly do not care because it’s so cute!

 

simia-marin IMG_4612
 

I love getting beach towels in a box, so this definitely helped to soften the blow of the other item’s lackluster. It’s a colorful design, and I am happy to have it.

 

 9. La Fare 1789 – Lavender Flower Jar ($20)

I couldn’t find this item on their website, but considering their creams range from 8-17 euros, I have a hard time believing this jar of flowers is actually $20. I’m not sure what I would actually use it for but the bottle says that it was traditionally placed in cabinets to repel moths. Another item I will leave at my desk at work so that it actually gets some use.

 

lavender-flowers

 

10. Lulu en Provence – Cappuccino Clutch ($40)

I couldn’t find the exact one I had, but the Ecru colored is listed as 22 euros, which is less than $25. Again, inflation on OuiPlease’s price. I think the quality of the bag is not that great either and the design isn’t anything special to me. Reveuse means dreamer, but I don’t really consider burlap to correlate with the term. However, part of me likes it, and I think I will use it to *ehem* carry tampons in my bag. TMI but whatever.

reveuse Ecru -Reveuse

 

11. Confiserie Stanislas – Nougat Lemon ($20)

To access their store, you have to create an account.. so I am not entirely sure how much this bar actually retails for. I am okay with the $20 price since it is fancy French Candy, even though I wouldn’t be surprised if it is inflated as well. However, I am actually excited to try it! My boyfriend and I each had a bite, and it’s okay. Definitely better than the hard candy that was included in the last box. But definitely not worth $20.

 

ouiplease-french-riviera-2

 

Now that I’ve gone through each item, it’s time to calculate the adjusted MUCH MORE realistic total:

$330!

Of course, I did not adjust the items which I couldn’t find a price for, so I would not be surprised if this is even lower (paid a huge premium on $20 pieces of paper, a $40 t-shirt, and $20 flower pieces). If you’re like me, I have about $100 in each box since I got the annual subscription with a coupon, so the burn isn’t TOO bad. If you consider each item at least $10, then this box at the very least is $110 which is more than what I paid per box AND a good majority of the products were worth more than that (mainly the lotions). What burns is that this company flat out lies. If they want to attribute extra cost to the curation, shipping, or something else.. LABEL it. Do not attribute these costs to the individual item because it makes your look like liars.

I am pleased with the brands they chose for the beauty products, and I am excited to try them out. I was a little annoyed that they included two body balms and a hand lotion, because it just seems like lotion overload… but I can deal with that. As I said before, I LOVE the towel. Plus I adore the box they package the items in – they could add that in as a $20 item and I would be less mad about it than I was with the paper coasters!

Overall, OuiPlease would be a fun subscription, except they put such a huge focus on these fake product prices that it makes it hard to not feel gypped.

POPSUGAR Must Have Subscription Box – June 2015 Review

It’s summertime, and we’re planning to spend as much time outside as we can! In June, we brought you some stylish shades from Quay Australia, the perfect Summer read from Judy Blume, and other treats to beat June gloom and keep you active and happy for months to come.

The box is $40/month, but I typically get $5 off with coupon: MUSTHAVE5

Here’s what was included this month:

  • Quay Australia Mandate Sunglasses – Value $45
  • Pacifica Enlighten Eye Brightening Shadow Palette – Value $14
  • Yogitoes Peacock hBand – Value $4
  • Judy Blume In the Unlikely Event –  Value $28
  • SPONGELLÉ Boxed Flowers-Fleur en Boîte – Value $16
  • SNAP Infusion SUPERCANDY – Value $4
  • Special Extra! Sweet & Spark $30 Gift Card

Again, this value is over $100 which I think is great! I am most excited to wear the Quay Sunglasses. They seem to be very high quality!

CocoFeed: KickStarter Green Pea Cookie

I recently backed Green Pea Cookie on Kickstarter and it has finally arrived! These pea cookies are too cute!

POPSUGAR Must Have Subscription Box – May 2015 Review

Our May 2015 Must Have box was curated to help kick Summer off right with a box designed to keep you happy, healthy, and, of course, stylish. You’ll find beauty products fit for the beach and bright home goods that scream Summer. We hope you live it up!

The box is $40/month, but I typically get $5 off with coupon: MUSTHAVE5

Here’s what was included this month:

  • Kitsch – Tri’d & True Y-Shaped Necklace – Value $32
  • Middle Kingdom – Mini Plum Vase in Coral Red – Value $20
  • Batiste – Dry Shampoo Cherry – Travel Size Value $4
  • Sisters of Los Angeles – Surf Sand Love Beach Towel – Value $40
  • Sage & Row – Bare Shave Cream – Value $17
  • Hammond’s Candies McCraw’s Flat Taffy – Value $1

At over $110 value, this is great for Popsugar!

Out of everything, my favorite is the Beach Towel, which I have already used a few times since receiving it. I also have been using the Shave Cream, which has already been super useful!

Batch USA Tour of Texas Collection – Austin – April 2015

The Batch team has scoured Texas for the best local goods from six fine cities:

  • Austin (April)
  • San Antonio (May)
  • Ft. Worth (June)
  • El Paso (July)
  • Houston (August)
  • Dallas (September)

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POPSUGAR Must Have Subscription Box – April 2015 Review

What inspired the April Must Have Box? Spring, Simplicity, Markets, Outdoors.

I wasn’t going to sign-up for this month’s POPSUGAR Must Have, but ended up caving. Here’s what was included:

Overall, I was happy with the box because I am in love with the Dabney Lee Umbrella and I have been needing a new umbrella for a long time. I am shocked that it’s only a $20 value because it seems very well made.  The other items are not anything I will get much use out of but they are all very nice products.

The One Love Organics body serum is a high value skin care item and has a very strong and unique floral smell which I like but am not sure it is something I will use often.

I do like that the Produce candle is in a mason jar and can be reused after the candle has burned fully.

CocoFeed @popsugarmh

 

I also thought the Garden in a Bag is absolutely adorable!

CocoFeed: And we have sprouts

 

My least favorite product was probably the reusable bag simply because I do not have a use for that particular style. It is a cool idea though and I could see leaving it in my car for travel uses.

The box total worth is about $100 and at $35 (after coupon) it was a great value for me!

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Treatsie March 2015 Standard Box (with Extra Sweets Coupon!) Review

Unlike some subscription boxes, Treatsie is not about providing lots of samples at a discount. Rather, we strive to help you discover high-quality sweets you love from the most talented chefs around the country.

I signed up for Treatsie since they have a coupon (EXTRASWEETS) right now that gives you “Double Sweets” when you purchase your first monthly box. I signed up for the Standard Box which is “up to $25 value in each box for just $15” plus $4.95 for shipping.

Our customer’s favorites from the last 3 months that are included in your first monthly box when you use the coupon code EXTRASWEETS when subscribing.

Here’s the example of the Standard Box they have on their website:

homepage-box-1

I do not eat a lot of candy but I was interested to try some high quality artisan sweets. And with the coupon granting double sweets, I couldn’t resist!

Unfortunately, what I received really did not feel like “double”. Here’s what I got:

  • J&M Foods Triple Chocolate Cookies – $8 (2.5oz)
  • Quin Fruit Lollipops (4) – $7
  • Sticky Toffee Pudding Co. Millionaire Shortbread – $3.50 (2 oz bar)
  • Zingerman’s Candy “What The Fudge?” Bar – $6 (3 oz bar)
  • Lambrecht Gourmet Southern Pecan Toffee – About $6 (3oz)
  • Avenue Sweets Caramels (5 Various Flavors) – About $0.50 each
  • Seattle Chocolates Birthday Cake Batter Pieces (4) – About $0.40 each

The total value is about $35, which is pretty decent for the $20 price. But I still felt like the ‘double sweets’ deal was misleading since the standard box shows about 4 ‘large’ items, while my ‘double sweets’ standard box only had 5 ‘large’ items and a handful of chews.

Despite this, my boyfriend and I LOVED the selection in our Treatsie box ESPECIALLY the Millionaire Shortbread. The box was a great treat for us to enjoy and we were somehow able to make it last for the entire week by only having a small amount each night as dessert.

Overall, I think this is a fun and unique box. We do not buy sweets, as we both try to eat healthier, but this was definitely a nice escape.

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Mantry March 2015 Subscription Box Review

Buy American and support American Artisans. Mantry ships 6 full size American Artisan food products to your door every month in a signature wooden crate.

Since Mantry is more geared to men, I thought this would be a fun subscription to enjoy with my boyfriend. The cost is $75 per month but their special was $45 for the first box. This month’s theme is Tennessee and they included a booklet describing their experiences and why they chose each item.

Here’s what was included in my March Mantry box:

    I wasn’t that impressed with the items and didn’t feel like they were well paired. We liked the caramel chews and the moonshine cake was decent. The brew bread was a unique flavor and we overall liked it. However the rest of the box was a huge miss for us. I can’t imagine paying full price for this box, as I was already unimpressed at the $30 off price.

    I really like the concept behind the brand and it is well packaged. The value was fairly low (barely $55) considering the box is $75 normally. Excluding the value, I just don’t think the box is a good fit for us.

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    Graze Sharing Box Review

    The sharing box is a great way to enjoy more of the snacks you love in larger, resealable bags. They’re great for sharing! A sharing box contains 5 sharing bags, and each bag includes approximately 4 portions. That’s about 20 portions of food per box.

    I subscribed to Graze’s snacks in the past for a few months. Even though they were absolutely yummy, I ended up cancelling because I didn’t feel like the value was there

    When I heard about their newest box, The Sharing Box, I was intrigued. The Sharing Box will cost $25 regularly, but right now Graze is overing $5 off your first box. When you compare this to their standard box, 4 snack portions for $6.99, this is a pretty great deal!

    As Graze usually works, you select which snacks you would like to try and they pick from your list to send to you. Here are the 5 snacks I received:

    • salted fudge and peanut cookie – baked salted peanuts, redskin peanuts, mini chocolate cookies and fudge pieces
    • scrumptious blueberry swirl – blueberry yogurt raisins, raspberry infused cranberries and blackcurrants
    • chocolate pecan pie – chopped dates, pecan nuts and chocolate fudge
    • honeycomb flapjack – rustic rolled oat flapjack with honeycomb and chocolate drizzle
    • summer berry flapjack – rustic rolled oat flapjack with berry-infused cranberries

    I absolutely love Graze’s snacks. They have unique combos of sweet, salty, crunchy, and chewy. I always end up picking out sweet snacks, because I tend to have a sweet tooth and small snacks are a great way to curb my cravings.

    graze-honeycomb-flapjack graze-chocolate-pecan-pie graze-summer-berry-flapjack

    The first time I tried a flapjack, I was absolutely in love! If I could order them in bulk, I would. I was pleased to see two in my Sharing Box. My favorite Graze snack is the Honeycomb Flapjack, but the Summer Berry one is a close second. I also really liked the Chocolate Pecan Pie snack. I would not normally eat dates, but it blends wonderfully with the pecan and chocolate pieces.

    graze-scrumptious-blueberry-swirl graze-salted-fudge-peanut-cookie

    The Scrumptious Blueberry Swirl is a little too sweet but still good in small doses. The Salted Fudge and Peanut Cookie was least liked for me. My boyfriend loved it though so it will be solely his snack.

    Overall, I think the Sharing Box is a great value if you love Graze snacks. I also really like that you can order a one-time Sharing Box because I would prefer to order one when I feel a craving for a flapjack (which may happen more often now that I know I can get them at a better price)!

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