socialbliss style box april 2014

hi everyone!

i am SO sorry that it has been so long since i updated.  a couple weeks ago, i was in the middle of a blog post about healthy eating, and my laptop froze.  when i turned it off and turned it back on, it started back up in.. (dun dun dun) recovery mode.  *gasp*  i tried to stay calm, hoping it was just a fluke, but i had that cold pit in the bottom of my stomach where you just know that something really bad has happened.  sure enough, my hard drive had taken its final gasping breath.  two miserable, computer-less weeks and a few hundred dollars later, and i'm back!  cue the applause, eh?

i have gotten a bunch of new boxes to share with you in the past few weeks, and i am going to post that healthy eating post in the new few days as well, along with an update on my health and life while i was away.  but first thing is first -- the box i have been waiting for came in the mail two days ago, and i just cannot hold my excitement in any longer, so i have to share this with you!  it's the socialbliss april style box.

the socialbliss style box is a monthly beauty/fashion box that aims to improve your style by introducing you to new, up-and-coming brands and products.  the cost is $39.95 per month ($35 if you sign up for 3 months at a time) plus a $7.95 shipping fee.  each box contains 3-6 products and is guaranteed to have a value of at least $100.  sign up for your own style box here.  :)

okay, so i have heard nothing but absolutely glowing reviews about this box.  not just glowing, exhilarating.  like, oh my god, this is the best box in the world reviews.  knowing how much i love beauty&fashion boxes, i had to give it a try.  i tend to stay away from the more pricey boxes (anything above about $25 is too much for me, except for fabfitfun because that is only four times a year), but since everyone seems to freak out about how great this one is, i sucked it up and thought that i would splurge on it for one month and take the chance.  and hooooooo boy, am i glad i did!

a few days before they started shipping, socialbliss revealed what the box for april was.  in general, i don't like surprises.  they make me sweaty and anxious, and it's not a pretty sight.  but, i figured, this is just a beauty box, not something that actually affects the outcome of my life or world peace or something, so i didn't look.  i deleted the email, thinking i could stay above it all.

but i forgot about this thing called the internet.  how it ruins anonymity these days.  how scrolling through my instagram feed, usually a simple and innocent act, turned into me seeing exactly what would be in my box -- multiple times.  blergghhh.  so, yes, i did end up seeing what would be in my box before i actually got it.  but let me tell you -- it did not make it any less glorious.  let's get down to the reveal, shall we?

this was on the outside of the shipping box, which i thought was an awesome touch.

what a great thing to be greeted with when you open up the box, no?!  a confident booster and a great way to set the tone for the box.  i love things like that in boxes that make you feel good about yourself.  the packing was simple but colorful and tied with a nice ribbon.

another great reminder!  this was the front of the product description card.  packaging really does make so much difference!

okay, first product.

girls night out nail art kit by stella  (retail value $7)

i think that this is a great alternative to a beauty box instead of the standard nail polish or nail stickers.  i haven't ever seen anything like this in a beauty box before, so i think they're great.  it's a great variety in shapes -- hearts, moons, stars, circles, teardrops, flowers, squares  -- and there are a ton of each shape, so you will get a lot of applications out of the package.  it comes with a little stick for putting them on your nails and directions as well.  i love nail art, so i'm really looking forward to using these.  a great addition to the box!

touch of sparkle cubic zirconia earrings  (retail value $50)

i would never have picked these earrings out for myself because they just aren't really my style, but i actually love them.  they are glamorous but have just the right amount of edge that i can see myself wearing them with a dressy tee for a casual dinner and also to a fancier event.  i love the shape of them, how the dangles are behind the circle, and that they're aren't super sparkly (i am possibly the only girl in the world that despises sparkly diamond jewelry).  and, despite them being cubic zirconia, they don't look cheaply made, like some CZ pieces do.  they look very high quality and like they will last a long time.  i am pleasantly surprised by these, but very happy to add them to my collection!

the little black compact  (retail value $5)

i'm a sucker for anything flower and enamel lately -- i just bought some bobby pins with grey enamel flowers on them.  i don't know what it is but they just have this retro, cool girly vibe that i'm really into.  anyway, this cute compact is a sweet addition to this box and perfect for the mascara that is included below!  this will definitely be finding itself as a permanent fixture in my bag :)

better than sex mascara by too faced  (retail value $15)

see what i mean with the compact?  a perfect fit!  i have heard great things about this mascara but never tried it myself.  i flit around to different mascaras all the time, so i am sure that i will like this one as well.  this is a strange size for a mascara.. i don't know if it's a trial size or not, but it's too short to be a full size (unless they're really that small) and too big to be a sample size.  weird.  anyway, i am looking forward to seeing what this bad boy can do!

socialite's night out bag by izzy & ali  (retail value $129)

yes, you read that right.  retail value = $129.  for the bag alone. 

let me preface this review by saying that i own probably about 20 handbags at any given time.  i like colorful bags that are fairly smallish in size, and i'm fairly hard on my bags.  i put a ton of crap in them, leave them everywhere, and generally abuse them.  because of this, i usually buy purses on the clearance rack at target, tj maxx, jc penney, or anywhere that sells decent purses at pretty cheap prices.  my most expensive purse is a $60 vera bradley purse that i rarely use because i hyperventilate when i think about getting it dirty or lost.  even then, my boyfriend bought it for me, so i didn't technically spend my own personal money.

so needless to say, when i saw that this bag alone was valued at $129, came in its own dust jacket, with the chains wrapped in plastic.... i peed a little. 

it's gorgeous.  stunning.  beautiful.  amazing.  i am in love with it.  it's a box-shaped medium-sized handbag with a chain strap.  the metal hardware on the front flips horizontal so the flap can come open.  the inside has a zipper pocket and is decently roomy inside.  it's a lovely grey with a greenish undertone.  i saw other colors that people got -- black, yellow, navy blue -- but this was the color i had hoped for.  it's very neutral and will match the most things, i think.  i love it.  part of me wants to put it back in it's dust jacket and put it in glass and just stare lovingly at it and part of me wants to wear it with everything.  including my pajamas.

did i mention i love it?

overall, everyone was right about their gushing reviews of this box.  i just got it two days ago and i'm already itching to get the next one.  the total value of the box was $206, which is a craaazy good deal since with the shipping, it was only $48 that i paid.  the only thing i was disappointed about was that some people got two pairs of earrings -- the cubic zirconias and another gold, cutout tiered pair as well.  i was bummed because i was actually looking forward to those.  they are cute and very much my style, so i was looking forward to wearing them this summer.  i guess only some boxes got those? i don't know how that works so i am curious to know how they choose which boxes got the extra pair and which didn't, but besides that i really loved my box.  you can sign up for your own by checking it out here.

how about you?  did any of you order the style box as well?  i would love to hear which selections you got and how you felt about them!  leave me a message in the comments! :)

expect a few more posts from me this week while i try to catch up on my blogging and boxes.  hope you all have a great weekend!