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.

 

 

 

Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector Review

Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector is a mobile phone game developed by Hit-Point and released in late 2014. A co-worker recently introduced me to the game and I have quickly fallen in love with Neko Atsume’s simple charm. While the game has a few other actions, the game’s official description is pretty spot on:

 

Playing Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector is as easy as one, two…and that’s it!
Step 1: Place playthings and snacks in your yard.
Step 2: Wait for cats to visit!

 

neko-atsume-screenshot-1

 

Once toys and food have been laid out for the cats, close the app and wait. Re-open the game in 20 or so minutes and cats will have been attracted to your garden. You then have the option to collect pictures of the cats in your Catbook:

 


neko-atsume-screenshot-2 
 

Once a cat is done playing in your yard, they will leave a thank you gift – usually silver fish but sometimes gold fish (in-game currencies) which can be used to buy upgrades for your garden. I am saving for the Yard Expansion which will double the amount of usable space. There are also many different remodeling options once the yard has been expanded.

 

neko-atsume-yard-expansion

 

Currently there are over 40 different cats to collect and rarer cats require certain combinations of food/toys. Each cat also has one memento to share (“proof that we have become a cat’s friend”). So far it doesn’t seem like you get a reward for taking pictures of the cats, but it is another fun thing to collect.

neko-asume-cat-list

There is a very extensive Neko Atsume Wiki that I recommend checking out if you have any questions about the game and a frequented Neko Atsume community on Reddit if you’re looking to connect with other players.

Available for free download on both iOS or Android devices.

OuiPlease Email Update + Valentine’s Amour Box Coupon

I am SO excited to post this update from OuiPlease because it definitely seems like a huge turning point for them. Not only are they are acknowledging some of the issues but they are also offering up resolutions. See below:

Bonjour OuiPleasers,
We are excited to announce that the last batch of Vol.1.6 White Winter in the Alps has
shipped and is on its way to your doorstep. We hope that you enjoy every single product in
this parcel.

The shipping of Vol.1.6 marked the end of OuiPlease’s first year and the beginning of our
second year and second volume. From Paris to the French Alps, we’ve explored France
from top to bottom and learned a few things along the way.

We have heard from our customers loud and clear: die shipping schedule needs to be timely
and consistent. We agree, and promise that shipping delays will not happen again.

Mark your calendars, OuiPlease Vol.2.1: La Vie en Rose
will be shipping on March 15th!

The last few months, many of our customers have had their subscriptions automatically
renewed. From now on, annual subscriptions will not be automatically renewed, they will be
renewed by you manually. A week before your annual subscription is up, we will remind you
with an email and you can choose to either renew or opt out.

Note that if you signed up for an annual subscription, you will receive the 6 boxes you paid
for. Any OuiPlease delays will not affect the number of boxes we deliver to you.

With Vol.2.1 we are excited to announce that we will begin shipping with UPS. We invite
you to register for “My Choice” at www.UPS.com to receive immediate alerts anytime a
package is sent to you via UPS. Not only will you know exactly when your OuiPlease parcel
will arrive, but you can even make changes to the delivery through this app.

Bisous bisous,
OuiPlease Team

P.S. We invite you to show yourself a little love for Valentine’s Day! We’re putting together
a pre-curated OuiPlease // a la Carte box filled with all kinds of romantic goodies to make
your Valentine’s day special. Get 20% off on the box using the code OUIVALENTINE.
With a la Carte, remember, the day you order your parcel is the day we ship it!

ouiplease-valentine

 

The Valentine’s Amour Box will include:

  • LEBON toothpaste Cinnamon/Mint – $17
  • PIER AUGE Body Balm Caresse Agrumes with essential oil of Grapefruit $80.00
  • HAREM DES SENS Fabulous silk milk – $30
  • SOTHYS Raspberry & Litchi Oxyvitamin Treatment – $39.00
  • SOTHYS Raspberry & Litchi 2-in-1 Mask Scrub – $31.00
  • HISTOIRES DE PARFUMS Eau de Parfum – $40
  • MIRGIOLE Sorbonne earrings – $60
  • TASSIA CANNELIS bracelet OuiPlease Exclusive – $50.00
  • LA FARE 1789 Lavender Flower Jar $20.00
  • POPUP PARIS Candle – $35.00
  • L’ATTELIER Roasted Almonds $15.00

The box is $150 before coupon and valued at $417 (Colors of accessories and jewelry are subject to change due to inventory. Value and size will remain uncompromised).

What do you think of their response?

OuiPlease Vol. 1.6: White Winter in the Alps

This is my fourth OuiPlease box and so far the one I have been most pleased with – not to mention the closest OuiPlease has come to matching the original promised $400 value. I did notice that they have since changed the verbiage for the current box:

“OuiPlease Vol. 1.6 White Winter in the Alps is valued at least Twice the Price per parcel.”

Since the month-to-month box costs $150, that would make the new value only $300.

Other than the usual delay, I also had a few issues with shipping (even though I had updated my address on the website in early January). Luckily I was able to re-route the package to the UPS store and OuiPlease updated my address manually for future packages. I definitely recommend emailing OuiPlease directly with any shipping changes.

It’s also important to keep in mind that your annual subscription will be auto-renewed even if you haven’t received all of your boxes. Mine was set to renew this month despite only having received 4 total boxes however cancelling is simple (via the website) and I confirmed with OuiPlease:

“Since you still have boxes remaining your account is not fully cancelled but it is pending cancellation. Once you have received all boxes of your subscription the status of your account will change to complete because your subscription will be complete and you will not be charged again. So to confirm: you will receive all 6 boxes of the subscription.”

Now that my PSA is out of the way, here’s what was in my OuiPlease Vol. 1.6: White Winter in the Alps box (links open up to the brand’s product page):

Total – $377

Pricing wise, I felt they weren’t too far off this time but still are probably closer to the $300 mark.

 

1951 Maison Francaise Leather Clutch Lebon Cinnamon Mint Toothpaste
 

My favorite item is the 1951 Maison Francaise clutch, especially since most subscribers received a card holder instead. I don’t plan on using the bag as a clutch, but rather I will probably use it as a makeup bag. I am most excited to try the Lebon toothpaste because it is (to me) an unexpected item in a subscription box. I was happy to see they included a full-size bottle, as well!

 

L'Attelier Caramelized Walnuts and Les Ladures Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse 1 Eau de Parfum
 

My least favorite item is the L’attelier caramelized walnuts, but that is mainly because they included their roasted almonds in the Vol. 1.5 box already. All L’attelier food items I have received have been delicious, though, so I am happy to see them included regardless. I do feel like they are a little overpriced with how small they are.

On first use, the Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse 1 perfume is not my taste, but my boyfriend liked it and said it smelled like blue koolaid. I haven’t decided if this is a good thing yet. The scent definitely improves after awhile.

 

Mirgiole Sorbonne Earrings Tassia Canellis OuiPlease Exclusive Bracelet
 

I love both of the gold jewelry pieces I received, even though they are not my style, I can definitely appreciate them.

 

oOlution Glow Up
 

I haven’t had a chance to really test out the Harem des Sens or oOlution products, but they smell really good and I can’t wait to play around with them.

Overall, I really like the items they chose this time around and felt there was a good balance of categories. I have two more boxes left before my subscription is fully cancelled, so hopefully OuiPlease will continue improving.

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.

CocoFeed: Mahogany Verona Dining Set from Cost Plus World Market

My boyfriend and I decided that our Christmas present to each other would be a dining table set for our new apartment (which we unfortunately moved into the day AFTER CHRISTMAS). We decided we would spend a little time looking into prices and different stores, but we fell in love with this set at Cost Plus World Market on our first day of searching.

This is the Mahogany Verona Dining Set which was on sale when we visited the store. The set came with 4 chairs, a bench, and the expandable table. After coupons, we only spent $802 on the entire set! I picked up the place mats and runner at Home Goods (about $20), the faux Orchid is from Costco ($30), and the chair cushions are $4 each at IKEA (however they are a little small, but will work for now).

Plus World Market offers a rewards program called World Market Explorer where you earn a $10 coupon for every $200 spent. I earned $30 back just on this set (since tax isn’t included in the total) and picked up a bunch of freebies from their market section.

I am so in love with our first dining table and so far the quality is great! It is absolutely gorgeous!

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POPSUGAR Must Have Subscription Box – November 2015

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Batch USA Tour of Texas Collection – Houston/Dallas – November 2015

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CocoFeed: Halloween 2015

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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!

POPSUGAR Must Have Subscription Box – October 2015

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CocoFeed: New Office Decor

Live Simply, Laugh Often, Love Much

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