Live Your Dharma Jewelry Subscription Box by Yogi Surprise

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

I haven't posted about one of my Yogi Surprise jewelry subscription boxes in a while, but it's not because I haven't been loving them.  I have.  But May's box was extra nice, so I thought I'd write a few words about it. I believe Yogi Surprise is going through a bit of rebranding, as I received an email from them in early May letting me know that future boxes would have a different look and a special free gift would be included to celebrate the new launch.  I'm not really sure which item was the free gift as no information card was included, although I'm guessing it was the pretty gold-tone and purple crystal bracelet.  I like that this one is adjustable - can't say I've seen that with link bracelets before.

I'm super excited about the stainless steel mandala diffuser necklace. It has a nice heft to it and I've got quite the collection of perfume oils, so this will be put to good use. Also included with the necklace were three discs to put oil on and a small plastic suction/dropper to apply oil.  

I thought it was a very nice touch to include the Energizer Wake Up essential oil blend from Sekoia.  I've already used a bit of it in a room diffuser and find the citrus based scent to be pleasant and uplifting. 

The white onyx lotus bracelet beautifully complements the diffuser necklace, and I love the delicate striations in the white beads.  I'll get a lot of wear out of this one, especially during the warmer months with I wear a lot more white.

The sweet treat in May's box was the Double Chocolate Chip Cookie, which is grain and soy free, paleo friendly, and could probably serve as a meal on the go in a pinch.  I've yet to try it as I'm currently trying to restrict my carbs to about 40 grams per day, but I'm looking forward to trying it out.

Overall, I love May's box and continue to look forward to my Yogi Surprise box each month!  The subscription rate is $24.99/month, and they also have a lifestyle box for $44.95/month.  You can find more details here, including how to get 20% off your first box.

Julep Maven Box for September: Flawless Without the Fuss

Disclaimer: I purchased these.

My selections from Julep's September Maven collection were the polishes August and Sammy, plus the new Blank Canvas Illuminating Treatment Primer. Let's look at the polishes first and then I'll give you my initial impressions on the primer.

Every year around this time I'm attracted to deep crimsons to wear on my nails. It must have something to do with Indian summer and the change of seasons, which happens a bit later on the Gulf Coast than it does in other areas.  The polish August is described as a "chocolate cherry ghost shimmer" but reminds me of blackberries, as it looks almost black on the nail, with just a hint of its crimson undertone. The ghost shimmer doesn't really translate to the nail, as August looks decidedly like a cream finish to me.

Sammy is described as a sand dune creme, but I see a bit more lavender grey in the mix. I've got a work trip to New Orleans coming up, and I think I'll be sporting Sammy then.

I've only worn the Illuminating Treatment Primer ($28) twice thus far, so will wait for a true review until I have a better idea of how it performs. I initially saw the "illuminating" and thought there would be a shimmer finish to the primer, but there is not.  It does contain 18 plant extracts for long-term nourishing and brightening benefits and light diffusing pearls for a natural luminous finish. I don't really see a luminosity beyond what you would experience with any cream, but again, I may just need more time with it.

I can say the primer played nicely with my foundation the two times I tried it, which is promising.  I'm a fan of the Blank Canvas Mattifying primer, and the Illuminating primer may be a good choice for colder weather wear.

The extra this month was a sheet of stickers. I'm not really a sticker person, so will probably toss these. The value of my box this month was $56, for which I payed $19.99. Julep continues to impress me with their new products and polishes, making them the only beauty subscription box that I still receive :-)

Julep 5-in-1 Skin Perfector with Turmeric in Nude and Beige

Disclaimer: I purchased these.

I'm a bit behind in posting my Julep Maven box from July, but it actually works out well as I wanted to get another shade in one of the products I selected: the 5-in-1 Cushion Complexion Skin Perfector with Turmeric ($30). I was able to accomplish that with my August box, so now I've got a shade that works as foundation (beige) and one that works an under eye concealer (nude).

I'm really liking the Skin Perfector so far as both a foundation and a concealer. This multi-tasker is supposed to conceal, correct, blur, brighten and illuminate and has a thin consistency with medium coverage. I use the cushion tip to apply stripes on my face and then buff it out with a damp Beauty Blender. The finish is matte, which works well with my oilier skin. I have noticed that it will settle into fine lines, but making sure to smooth out those areas so that excess foundation is not building up seems to work to fix that problem.

July Maven box from Julep

Per Ulta's web site:

• Turmeric extract provides long-term brightening benefits and contains anti-inflammatory properties.
• Camellia seed oil (sourced from Jeju Island, Korea) contains skin - calming properties and provides nourishing & moisturizing benefits.
• Soft-Focus Powders blur the look of fine lines & imperfections while creating a smooth, demi - matte finish that's never flat.

I'm a huge fan of turmeric in both my diet and skincare, so I'm excited to see it in a foundation/concealer product! I add turmeric to my green smoothies and a new favorite way to consume it is something I'm calling spicy lemonade, which consists of the juice of one organic lemon, half a teaspoon of turmeric, a dash of cayenne and black pepper, and some stevia to sweeten. I fill a 48 oz. tumbler with water, ice and my spicy lemonade concoction and I'm good to go all day. Just make sure to drink using a straw, as lemon juice is acidic and can hurt your tooth enamel and turmeric can stain your teeth. Turmeric really is wonderful on several levels, especially with it's anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

Nude on top, Beige on bottom

If you are using these as a foundation, I could see where the size at .16 oz would be a downside.  I'll be interested to see how long the beige one lasts for me, as I'm using it for foundation. The thinness and pigmentation of the formula may work in my favor however, as I really don't have to use much to get good coverage.

Beige on left, Nude on right

The formula does contain silicones, so if you use a primer make sure to pick one that works in tandem with 'cones.  I've been using Julep's Mattifying Treatment Primer (one of the few face primers I like), and so far so good.

August Maven box from Julep

Other items I chose for my July and August boxes are the No Excuses Sunscreen SPF 30 (my second bottle, really like it) and the polishes Wilma and Peyton.

I think Julep is doing a really good job with new product development when it comes to their skincare and makeup offerings! The Maven subscription allows me to purchase items at a substantial discount, which means trying new items is low risk and if I like them, repurchasing is also at prices much below their normal retail price.  I like :-)

Bask in the Heat: Julep Maven Box for June

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

It's been a few months since I opted in for a Julep Maven box, but the new With a Twist Lash Boosting Bamboo mascara ($22) in June's box tilted the scale in the "buy" direction or me.  After using it for a few days, I think I made a good decision!

The formula is infused with Korean bamboo grass and a blend of peptides which is supposed to promote lash growth when used over time. I can't say that I've used a lash growth product where I've been able to tell a difference with it yet, so I'm interested to see if this one will deliver any results.

Volumizing

Lengthening

Another appealing aspect of the mascara is the adjustable wand, which can be twisted shorter for volumizing affects or longer for lengthening the lashes. Thus far, I've found using the lengthening brush followed by the volumizing works best, as I get some clumping the other way around.

I also love the formula of Julep's When Pencil Met Gel eyeliners, so selected Ocean Blue ($16) as another one of my items. The pictures on Julep's site make this look more opaque than the swatches below, and it does take a bit of layering to build up the color.

With a Twist  mascara and Ocean Blue swatches

Still very pretty and when I wore it for 12 hours on a hot and sunny day where I was out picking blueberries and blackberries for a couple of hours, it held up beautifully. I had some minimal transfer on my hooded lids at the end of the day, but the liner still looked good. Below I'm also wearing the With a Twist mascara, but this time layered over Estee Lauder's Little Black Primer. I find that the Little Black Primer helps prevent lower lash smudging, which is an issue for me with most mascaras.

My other selections for June's Maven box were the Freedom Polymer Top Coat ($18) and Jaydra ($14) as an add-on using some of my points.  Jaydra is a soft mauve with a diffused holographic shimmer that I'm really looking forward to trying out.

I've been subscribing to the Julep Maven box for over 3 years now and I continue to enjoy their products!  All of the above cost me $19.99 and has a full retail value of $70, which is really quite the deal.

May Yogi Surprise Jewelry Box: Creative Divine Mother

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

I've been remiss about posting my Yogi Surprise jewelry boxes, but not because I do not enjoy them. I think there was a lackluster month or two of boxes, which got me out of the the habit. However, that was quite a while back, and recent boxes have been both varied in style and quite pretty!

May's box theme is "Creative Devine Mother", which I'm assuming is a misspelling of "divine". Whoops. The box contents do not disappoint, with their bright colors appropriate for the glorious spring weather I've been enjoying during my staycation.

The Creative Bolo Mala necklace ($65) is a more modern take on mala necklaces, with it's fabric fringe hanging from a brass piece and translucent bright beads separated by smaller faceted crystals. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the bright beads are really quite lovely, as they have color striations running through them that elevates the overall look.

The Creative Wrap Bracelet ($32) features bright pink agate and amethyst stones, along with gold accents and crystals. The pink tassle on mine will need trimming, as some of the threads are longer than the others.  No biggie - it's a really pretty bracelet and nicely compliments the necklace.

I think I'll be wearing this set when I take my mom out to lunch on Saturday for Mother's Day. It will fit in nicely with the bright decor at my favorite Thai restaurant.

The sweet treat this month are Coconut Milk Caramels ($1.49) from Cocomels.  I have an aversion to the taste of shredded coconut, but these did not trigger that dislike and I thought they were really tasty!

June's sneak peak looks like a new style of necklace from Yogi Surprise, which is nice to see. I like mala necklaces, but my collection of them has gotten quite large, so some variety is welcome.  Subscriptions are $24.99/month, and I've got a referral code if you are interested in subscribing. Each box features two fair trade, handcrafted in Bali pieces of jewelry and one sweet treat. Well worth it, IMO, plus there is usually a code for 10% off each box for the life of your subscription!