December 2014 POPSUGAR Must Have Box Review, My Thoughts

 Wow, it's been awhile since I've done one of these!!!

I had to take a break from this subscription for financial reasons, but it's Christmas, so I thought I'd spoil myself with a Popsugar box.  Plus, I was going through Popsugar withdrawals.  No joke.  I really was!  So I was delighted today to find my December Must Have Popsugar box delivered, just in time for Christmas.

POPSUGAR Must Have is a monthly subscription lifestyle box for gals.  The cost is $39.95 a month, free shipping, but it's cheaper when you subscribe with a 3, 6, or 12 months subscription.  On any month you can receive goodies for home, a book, fitness, snack, makeup, pampering, fashion, etc.  You never know what you're going to get, only that it will be fun and worth around $100, give or take a little.

 

Coupon code REFER5 saves you $5!

 The first look.

 Each month Popsugar provides a really nice pamphlet describing each item.

 Williams-Sonoma Cupcake Mix in Vanilla Bean, $14.95.

I've been inside Williams-Sonoma many times, there's one close to where I live, to look through all the pretty kitchen supplies and look at cooking goodies.  I've always wanted to buy and try out a mix, but they're incredibly expensive.  Example, this mix is $15 for 12 cupcakes!  I'm so very excited to try this cupcake mix.

 Smashbox Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Lacquer, $24.

This color is dark!  But after blotting, this color turned out really nice.  I'm a sucker for lip gloss, haven't worn lipstick in ages, but the problem with gloss is that it fades quickly.  I put this color on a couple hours ago, and you can still see it, which is nice.

 SPUN by Subtle Luxury Speckled Metallic Scarf, $62.

This scarf is gorgeous!  This scarf is also available online in Pink, but I'm glad we got the grey, as it goes with more outfits and has a feeling of sophistication.  The specks of gold is so much nicer in person.  With all the nice scarfs I've gotten from Popsugar, I really need to learn how to wear them!  Thank goodness for YouTube.

 Sparklepop Sydney Necklace, $42.

Another item that's so much more gorgeous in person.  The chain is really long, which is a nice style, but I prefer shorter chains.  Thankfully the chain is long enough to easily wrap it twice for a layered look.  Oh, and the chain is 18K gold-plated!  And the crystal is so beautiful and brilliant.

 Canvas Dauville Platinum Bowl, $29.

This is a really nice, chic bowl.  I love the metallic.  Just the right size for a small snack or to hold jewelry, which you can tell from the picture with my rings.  I think the mirror like reflection is really fun.

Knot & Bow Parcel Tags, $4.

Parcel tags, just in time to wrap presents!  Actually, I'm thinking of using these for my scrapbooking.

I love this box!  This is tied right right up there with the November 2013 box, which remains my favorite, so I'm so glad I splurged and got this December box :0)

POPSUGAR Special Edition Must Have Resort Box Spoiler/Reviews

Every few months POPSUGAR Must Have releases a Special Edition box at a cost of $100, with a promised value of $250+.

And in February this POPSUGAR Special Edition Resort Box went on sale, with a ship date of March 29, 2014.  There was a mix up with a nameless vender, nameless to us costumers, so there was a delay in shipment.  (Some people haven't had their boxes ship yet.)  I was lucky to be sent out on the 2nd wave, and it arrived last Saturday.

This box looks different from the regular monthly POPSUGAR Must Have boxes.  Every item is wrapped in black tissue paper to make it feel more luxurious.

First look.

The pamphlet that is included, explaining the items selected.

Salty Road Salt Water Taffy, Salty Caramel Apple, valued at $6.50.  Every box POPSUGAR curates comes with a food item, and the food item for this resort box is taffy, which is very appropriate, and so, so good.  There are actual salt pieces throughout, which adds a slight crunch, a nice balance between salt and sweet.

Epicuren Discovery Tropical Lave, valued at $25.  This lave is essentially a body wash that can double as shampoo.  It has a very nice coconut smell, and smells exotic.  I used it over the weekend, and it's super high quality.  a full 24 hours later and I could still smell coconut on my skin.

Clark’s Botanicals Cellular Lifting Moisture Mist, valued at $28.  From the website:

"Designed to refresh even as it reinforces and replenishes the skin, this facial mist is a multi-tasking wonder. No mere water, one spritz of this alcohol-free, anti-bacterial liquid treatment infuses skin with moisture and delivers a host of powerful anti-aging ingredients, including rare Swiss Apple Stem Cells."

And the website lists a whole lot more of what this product can do.  I've tried it a few times now, and it is super refreshing, and smells AMAZING.  Large caps intended.  It really does smell amazing, so much so that my Mom has used it a few time, too.

Sisco Berluti Bracelet Stack, valued at about $80.  Sisco Berluti is a bracelet company then is worn by celebrities.  Their bracelets are to be stacked, allowing for a large variety of combinations.  A couple of these bracelets are modeled after Jessica Alba's stack.  Halle Berry, Selena Gomez, and a few other celebrities have also worn their own combinations.

According to the pamphlet, our exclusive POPSUGAR stack is made with "turquoise, brass, and labradorite stones."  Honestly, having worn these braclets a few times, I'm starting to doubt that  turquoise is genuine turquoise.  I noticed last night a couple stones with slight rub/wear, light brownish red showing through.  It might be my imagination, but I really hope it is my imagination, because that means the integrity of the company is at stake.

I do have to mention that the bracelets are gorgeous.

R.B. of McD #2 Clutch, valued at $40.

This is the MOST controversial item in the whole box, and everyone on the MUT forums predict this item is why the boxes were held up.

It's "exclusive" to POPSUGAR, but I personally think that's code for "Lets make this as cheap as possible."  If you go to the website and look at the original clutch, they're full leather, have a chain, and are lined.  Our clutch is 1/3 leather, rest canvas, no chain, and not lined.  Not to mention a lot of people are having quality issues with the clutches they've received: zippers not matching up, jagged edges, lettering rubbing off, and scratches.

I'm pretty lucky my bag looks good quality wise.

Socialbliss, a $40 sub, just released a spoiler, and they have a purse valued at $129 that looks high quality, classic, with a chain, and has substance.  A $40 sub!  Our box is $100, and this is what POPSUGAR managed.

POPSUGAR missed the boat.

Cuyana Turkish Towel, valued at $55.  This Turkish towel is made from a combination of cotton and bamboo.  It's super soft!  I haven't used it yet, because I think I'm going to use this as a Summer blanket.  I love blankets, even in the Summer, and having one that is lightweight and soft will be nice.

Smashbox Cosmetics The Santigolden Age: Double-Ended Limitless Eye Liner, valued at $24.  I've never used Smashbox, or blue and gold liner, so this is something completely new for me.  I'll have to experiment; not quite sure what to think, yet, but it could be fun.

I added up all the values, and it's $258.50, which is what they promised.  It was fun splurging on this box, but I don't think I'll get a Special Edition for a while.