Panty By Post - Panty Subscription Review

Panty By Post is a panty subscription service from Vancouver, BC and I was kindly sent a sample for review (but I'm not an affiliate or anything so this opinion is honest). There are 3 subscription services offered, one is the Everyday Basics ($15/panty), another is their Signature Line ($22/panty), and they have a Premium Luxe ($35/panty) option. You can choose either 3, 6 or 12 month subscriptions of each of the tiers. The difference between the subscriptions is that they offer a wide variety of different styles. Sizes range from XS to 5X so there's something for everybody!

Everyday Basics features comfy, easy breezy, everyday elegant styles

Signature Line features playful & sexy bottoms which are unique, colorful and stylish

Premium Luxe features high end fabrics, ultra feminine cuts & one-of-a-kind looks

The best feature of this subscription service is the fact that you can choose to receive briefs only, thongs only, or a mixture of both. I always felt that other, less expensive, panty subscriptions would sent out a lot of thongs and it's so refreshing to have a choice especially because of the higher price point of this service.

The panty package comes in a discreet, girly beautiful paper envelope and each panty is wrapped in tissue paper. It also comes with a card which describes the style, brand and color of your panty. 

I was very impressed with the quality of the fabric and panty. I received a Medium Indigo-colored panty by the brand Blush. This pair of panties reminds me of some expensive panties I own from Calvin Klein which I have loved for years. Although these are not meant to be seamless, the lace detail is so fine and sewn so flush against the main fabric of the panties that it really does not show through any of my tight leggings.

The back of the panty was ruched! What an awesome little detail that adds so much to the design and feel of the panties. This "basic" pair of panties feels anything but basic, it feels feminine, whimsical and absolutely delightful because of the wonderful trim detail, color choices and ruching.

The fabric is stretchy and has a lot of give for extremely high comfort, and you can see up close in this detail shot that the stitching is properly done and there are no loose threads (I get so frustrated when I buy a pair of panties from stores and then realize they elastics are already loose and shredding off before having worn them!).

This panty subscription has definitely won my heart and if you're looking for a great present for Valentine's Day for a loved one or "just because" you want to treat yourself, please look into this quality, high-end panty subscription.

I kind of wish I tried the Signature Line just because the photos online look so beautiful as well and I love me some whimsy but the Everyday Basics line was the most practical to review.

If you're looking to try a higher-end panty subscription, go to Panty By Post and enter the code IMNEW15 which gives you $15 off a subscription of your choice.

Underwear / Panty Subscription Service: Splendies & Volupties

Do you hate shopping for underwear because you think it's awkward, you never know how they'll fit and there's a million options to choose from? Because I sure do. I almost exclusively shop for my underwear online nowadays to avoid the indecisive nature of intimates shopping altogether.

I have tried a service called Splendies (the plus sized sister site is Volupties) which delivers 3 unique designs to your mailbox every month for just $12/month and free shipping. The first month is $8 with promo code "SPLENDIES"! I don't know anywhere else that I could get cute underwear for such a low price regularly.

If you're lacking shopping inspiration, this service is for you!

Splendies/Volupties ships to Canada for $7 and Internationally for $9.

If you don't like thongs at all, you can pay an extra $2/month to avoid getting any. You can also receive boyshorts, briefs, lace or cotton in a variety of different styles and colors from various brands.

Here's an example of what I received for the month of July 2014:

Brand: Pucker Up!

Fabric: 85% Nylon 15% Spandex

Style: Thong

Adorable design of orangey red sparrows on a creamy white thong. I really like the texture of these and they're going to be very comfortable.

Brand: Perfection

Fabric: Polyester Mesh

Style: Bikini

This isn't something I would choose for myself because the color is so bright but it can be fun to step out of my comfort zone once in awhile! That's the reason I got this service!

Brand: Pucker Up!

Fabric: Polyester Lace

Style: Bikini

The lace looks very cute but I don't typically wear lace that often because I find it to be a little more harsh on my sensitive skin. The bow detail with a little crystal is very cute!

I read on another blog that they recommended going a size up (so if you were Medium to get Large) since the sizes supposedly run small. However, I did notice that some of the panties in Large fit me perfectly and others were too big so I think I could have just chosen Medium. Regardless, I would rather be wearing something more loose fitting and comfortable than too tight but this is just a personal preference! You can always change your size on the website.

It's definitely worth a shot to try this service out for a month at $8 and if you have any issues you can always unsubscribe. Their customer service is amazing and if you have any problems they will take care of it for you.

Visit the Splendies website here.

Glossybox February 2014 Unboxing

Hot right out of the postman's hands - here is the newest Glossybox for February and the theme this month is "the month of LOVE". I've been looking for spoilers online relentlessly and I could only find out information about 2 of the 5 products so I squealed in excitement when I got to open this box! I'll let you know the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to this box. If you'd like to sign up for this $21.00/month beauty subscription click here.

Anatomicals - Puffy the eye bag slayer wake-up under eye patches - Retail value $11.00 for 3 patches (full size received) - I was actually just praising this company to some friends a few days ago and I mentioned that Glossybox introduced me to Anatomicals and I will always be thankful for that and they surprised me yet again by sending me another delightful product. I'm so glad they sent a full sized item rather than just one set of under eye patches! Through the package they feel wet and gel-like, I'm definitely expecting a cooling sensation.

Pureology Serious Colour Care Colour Fanatic - Multi-Tasking Hair Beautifier for Color-Treated Hair - Full size retail value: $24.00; deluxe sample size value: $3.58. This product seems to be a leave-in hair treatment for use either before or after you wash your hair (or I guess when it's feeling particularly dry as well). I think this is the product I was least excited for in the bag but it does smell soothing and it reminds me of the smell in a beauty salon. 

Skin and Co Roma Truffle Therapy Serum - Full size retail value: $75, deluxe sample size value: $12.75. Although this product is a small sample size, the value is very high considering the actual product retails for an absolute fortune. I definitely wouldn't purchase this on my own but getting to try a nice luxury brand from Italy is a great perk Glossybox has to offer. I was excited when I saw the word "truffle" and I hope that this serum is very hydrating as it says that it reduces fine lines and wrinkles.

Lauren B. Beauty Nail Polish - City of Angels - Retail value: $18.00. I like this baby pink colored nail polish, it's definitely an expected item to receive in a Valentine's Day themed beauty box and I would be more excited if I hadn't received the same color in my IPSY Glam Bag this month. This nail polish is natural and 5-free just like Zoya so I'm excited to try it out and see how it glides on my nails, the consistency seems smooth and not too runny or too clumpy.

Sumita Beauty Kala Color Intense Pencil - Retail value: $15.00. This is a gel pencil that is meant to be easy to work with until it sets and then will set to a completely dry budge-free finish that can be used on the outer corner of the eye as well as the waterline. A girl can never have too many black eyeliners so I always welcome these even though it's not the most exciting of products - it just means I won't have to go out and re-purchase one anytime soon.

Glossybox February Box Value: $60.33
What I paid for Glossybox: $21.00

You can see that you definitely get your money's worth, especially when they send beauty staples such as black eyeliner, pink nail polish, serum and under-eye masks. These are all things I use on a regular basis so I'm happy with this box.

Let me know what you thought about this month and to sign up, click here.

IPSY February 2014 Unboxing & Review - Valentine's Day Box!

I hope everyone had an awesome Valentine's Day with their hubby! The IPSY Glam Bag arrived and I wanted to share the contents of mine. I think IPSY really stepped up their game this month compared to January and I'm absolutely thrilled with what came inside my bag - it suited me perfectly.

If you're interested in signing up for IPSY, click here.

Eyetini - Eye Cordial Cream Shadow Tint and Base - retail value $18, full size - Can I just say wow? I'm way more impressed with Tini Beauty's cream shadow than I am with their nail polishes (which I found to be just average). The Ambrosia shadow stains and lasts and lasts all day - I wish I had all of the colors now (especially Violette which is supposedly an IPSY exclusive - I might hunt this down on eBay soon!). The shadow goes on creamy smooth (way creamier than the Maybelline Color Tattoos) and isn't patchy at all, drying to a complete powdery finish. I also didn't notice any creasing. This color is very pigmented so you can use it on its own or as a base for other similar colored shadows. I have already repurchased this item in Violette from eBay!

Zoya Nail Polish .5 fl oz, Shade: Dot - retail value $9, full size - IPSY first introduced me to Zoya and I've probably received 2 other nail polishes from the brand sinze and I absolutely LOVE them. They are naturally formulated and don't tend to chip on my nails - I would have preferred the color Odette (purple) but I received Dot (ballerina pink).

City Color - Be Matte Blush in Fresh Melon - retail value $2.99, full size - This blush is phenomenal! For the extremely low price point I was thrilled! It is very finely milled and it's a very generous size, this is definitely going to last me a long time (especially since I have so many other blushes in my current rotation). I'm going to look in local drugstores for this brand now!

POP Beauty - Plump Pout - Peony Petal - retail value $16.00, deluxe sample size value: $7.53 - love the color of this gloss in Peony Petal, this is definitely the color I was hoping for! It smells like a burnt rubber but it should smell like vanilla cupcake and glides smoothly onto my hand - I wasn't able to try it on my lips because of the scent. I received replacements from IPSY and POP Beauty - the full size of this product is made in the USA and smells like vanilla cupcakes and has a pleasant plumping sensation, the mini replacement I received from IPSY is made in Taiwan and still has a strong chemical/burnt rubber/gasoline smell

IPKN Moist & Firm Beauty Balm Cream #02 (Light) - retail value $35.00, deluxe sample size value: $1.35 - I like this item, it has a nice consistency to it, unfortunately the color is a little dark, this may be my fault though because I probably should have written in my beauty quiz that I'm "fair" (I'm changing that immediately!)

Total value of my IPSY February Bag: $38.87

This bag only cost me $10 and since I liked everything in my bag, I effectively quadrupled the value of my money and received a cute curved pink bag to boot!

To sign up, click here.

Glossybox December 2013 Unboxing

I'm rarely disappointed by Glossybox. Last month (November) I had a really irritating experience though. The majority of my products arrived broken and I contacted customer service and they sent a replacement box... which was *also* broken. So I contacted them again and they refunded my entire monthly cost, which is good but still kind of sad that I didn't get the products to show you guys what my box was.

So moving on to better news: This is the December 2013 Box! I received:

1. Anatomicals - You Need a Blooming Shower - Body Cleanser
2. Michael Todd - Pumpkin Rich Facial Mask
3. Nails Inc. Nail Polish - Victoria
4. Ardency Inn - PUNKER Eyeliner
5. Naobay - Oxygenating Cream Moisturizing



I love everything in this box! The Anatomicals cleanser has that classical rose scent and is a very affordable cleanser you can get - it's such a luxurious treat for your bath or shower, it's not sticky or gooey at all. The Michael Todd Pumpkin Mask I am very familiar with, as it was sent out earlier in 2013 in an Ipsy Glam Bag (I received it then too) and I'm happy to get it again. The color of the Nails Inc. polish is a deep burgundy red. You need to apply more than one coat to get complete coverage but I usually apply 2 and a top coat, so you'll be fine if you do too. The liquid eyeliner is in a chubby pen format with a felt tip (felt tips are my absolute favorite method for applying my liquid eyeliner) and you can get a thick line or a very thin line - it is a true black. The Naobay facial moisturizing cream is organic and natural - I love getting good-for-you products in these boxes and this will definitely be used!

This month's theme was "Gloss & Glamour" and I  think they really hit the nail on the head for the holidays with this one. The colors chosen were classy and perfect for any occasion.

Let me know if you would like an invite to Glossybox so you're not wait-listed!

You can purchase some of the products you see here:

Ipsy Glam Bag Unboxing Video - December 2013

Hi all,

I was on vacation until this week so I wasn't home to get my subscription services... so now I'll be bombarding you with what I've received! Hope you enjoy the video! If you want to sign up to IPSY, click here: http://www.ipsy.com/r/1lfc

Here's a quick snapshot of my Glam Room so you can see the products I received this month:

For similar products that you can easily order (or my personal favorite dupes), click on the links below:

Birchbox December 2013 Unboxing

Click below to watch the video of my December 2013 Birchbox unboxing!

Thanks for watching this video! These opinions are solely my own, I'm not sponsored by any companies and I'm just giving you my honest opinion as a consumer about this product.

Birchbox: http://birch.ly/1kBMFFs

_________________________________________________________________
Sorry if I seem especially harsh but this box was such an unpleasant surprise that even my husband said "that doesn't look like it's worth $10" about the things in my box... and he's right, I wouldn't pay half of that for this box. Who needs 1 random hair band? Who needs another really small sample fragrance? A phone wipey?? 1 use of a moisturizer?

I think there are 2 very important components to a perfect subscription service:

1) the items should be curated for everyone based on their likes and dislikes and 2) the subscriber should always feel as though they're getting more than they paid for.

It seems that Birchbox has just gotten too big for its britches, they don't invest the proper time to get to know their subscribers, what's on trend, and which companies we're really interested in trying out. I feel that the quality of their products has become mediocre, the variety is uninteresting and I would rather spend my $10 monthly on new drugstore makeup (since drugstore brands have been stepping up their game significantly). If you consider that for that price, I could get 3+ Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios (that's 9 full eyeshadows!!) what am I wasting my money on this box of things I'll probably never use for? At least give me some products I'm halfway excited about. Ipsy and Glossybox get it right every month somehow and their customer service is exceptional especially when responding to complaints or re-sending damaged items. So I'll be saving this $10 from now on.

Let me know what your experiences are, I know everyone receives different products in their boxes. I'm curious to find out if anyone else has had any similar or even differing experiences.

October Birchbox Unboxing - #BBuzz

Birchbox is one of the first beauty subscription services to have hit the market. I have been a loyal customer since March 2013. All of their products are always sent in a cute cardboard box which can be used to store your makeup products in your drawers.

The subscription: Birchbox

The cost: $10 US/month

Total product value: $29.56

Why is it unique? With Birchbox you can get "beauty extras" which are bonus products that can be provided to you (this happens once every few months) which do not count as part of your 10 products. You can also gain 10 points per review of each item on their website and 100 points (you can earn this every 2 months at the latest) gives you $10 to spend in their store.

Where can I subscribe? Click here

This month, Birchbox sent out a Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and Liz Early Pure Muslin Cloth (these count as 2 separate items). I wish this combo counted as one item seeing as you can't really use the cleanser properly without the cloth. The cleanser deluxe sample was 1 fl oz and the full size which is 3.3 fl oz retails for $21.50 which brings this sample price to $6.51. 2 muslin cloths retail for $6, so the value of the cloth is $3.

I also received the Pop Beauty Aqua Lacquer Lip Gloss in Flowering Fuchsia which is a full sized item that retails for $14 (this item alone is worth more than the box subscription costs).

I also received a foil packet of Miss Jessie's Creme de la Creme Conditioner. The 1 oz foil packet is worth $1.33 since the full sized version of this product (12oz) retails for $16. I wasn't too thrilled with this product because I know conditioners require a few applications to actually work their magic and I can't imagine getting more than 1 use out of this foil packet, especially since I have long hair.

The last sample in the box was the Folle de Joie eau de parfum in 0.06 oz. The full size of this product (3.4 fl oz) retails for $98 which brings the value of the sample to $1.73. I like that the perfume had a spray pump, but it wasn't a scent that I would consider purchasing just because it's extremely expensive. It has tones of citrus and woodsy florals, it's definitely a more summer scent.

And last, but certainly not least, we received a beauty extra which is a Birchbox find that doesn't replace one of the 5 items in the box but is an added bonus they wanted us to try. I'm really excited about this one because you can never have enough lip balms. The vanilla creme scent of this ChapStick Lip Care Moisturizer, Hydration Lock, Vanilla Creme 0.15 oz (4 g) is very pleasant, not overpowering, and it really moisturizes your lips. This is a $2.99 value full sized product.

I'm very happy with this month's Birchbox. It's definitely building up to be a lot better than Birchbox used to be, they are sending far less foil packets (1 out of 6 ain't bad) but they still have a way's to go to match Ipsy and Glossybox in terms of product appeal. The lip gloss and chapstick were my favorite samples, I was really let down by the conditioner sample and I really wish they would stop sending me dinky perfume samples that are only good for 1 use.