PopSugar Must Have November Box!

The Box: PopSugar Must Have Box

The Price: 39.99$/month

The Product: A awesome grab bag of different lifestyle items each month. They vary from food, home items, jewelry, clothing, beauty, and other miscellaneous items!

The Link to Subscribe: http://popsu.gr/nFBF

 MY FIRST EVER POPSUGAR MUST HAVE!!!!! November box :)

 Packaging gets an A+! Easily my new favorite box. Ipsy is a close second.

Illume Candle in Naughty -- $15.75

 For a change, lets start with my favorite item in the box! The Illume Candle in Naughty. It smells like cologne, fireside, and spices. It is AMAZING! Raving like crazy about this on twitter/instagram check it out!

Sea Salt Caramel Apple Chips by barefruit - $2?

 These are alright....I ate them but I wouldn't go out and purchase them. You can't really taste the caramel.

Absolute! Nail Polish Remover in Spring Fresh 32 Pads- $2

I havent tried these yet...but I work three times a week and paint my nails in between (can't have them painted at work) so I will get a lot of use out of these...and they smell awesome!

 The Soap and Paper Factory Roland Pine Shea Butter Soap - $10.00
Normally I would be bummed about soap, but this one smells amazing! I used it twice now and I will continue to use it :)

Land's End Wine Tote- $14.50

I don't drink wine so I won't be able to use this for myself, but I will definitely be gifting it so that is always good

Michael Stars Folk Art Wrap- $42.00

The value of this scarf....more than the box itself! I love it. It is so adorable and I will wear it all the time, I already have worn it once! I love it so much and luckily I got the great deal on it. So cute!

Overall: I am kind of obsessed with PopSugar. Sure it is a little pricey, but the items are so much fun! It is such a surprise every month and the items NEVER disappoint. Plus, the value of every box is through the roof! I forgot this also had a 30$ giftcard to canvaspop! I won't use that most likely, but still this box is my new favorite! LOVE!

November Ipsy: Glam It Up!

The Box: Ipsy

The Price: 10$/month

The Product: A cute makeup bag each month filled with 5 full or deluxe sized beauty, skin care, or hair products personalized to you from a quiz at the beginning of subscribing

The Link to Subscribe: http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-hku5w77szz9w1ryh

My deepest apologies it has been so long since a blog post! I have been super busy and have gotten nothing in the mail :(. But here we go with my Ipsy bag for November!

 I adore how they come in these neon pink packages...it makes me feel so special, and I am sure the delivery man is curious...

 The bag this month is actually super adorable. Its chic and I like it, I will definitely use this for something.

 The inside of my bag! This month there were six items instead of just five which was amazing.

Nailtini Nail Polish in Caviar Cocktail FULL SIZE - $7.99

Kiss Ever EZ Lashes Double Pack in Style 04 - $5.99

 Okay...when asked bad news or good news first you always choose bad news first right? So we will start with that. These items were the only real disappointment this month. I rarely wear false eyelashes. I discovered these were chosen for me because they are in the "mascara" category, which doesn't make sense to me. I love the quality and everything about this polish...I just have SO many in similar colors.  I was in love with the copper color that the other half of ipsyers got, so I wish I had gotten that..trade anyone?

Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Amethyst- FULL SIZE $14.00

em by Michelle Phan Waterliner Intense Color Eyeliner in Emerald FULL SIZE - $20.00

 I love these two eyeliners so much, and I don't even like eyeliner that much! The starlooks eye pencil is the most beautiful purple-silver color. I have nothing like it in my collection and cannot wait to wear it to the right occasion. The em eyeliner is such a pretty green that brings out my eyes. It shows they really pay attention when picking colors for you!

Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched .11 oz - $10.00?

Be A Bombshell in Shameless FULL SIZE- $14.00

Okay I tried so hard and could not find the Pixi Bronzer full size weight/volume to compare so I am just guessing based on what I saw online on the value. This lip color is so pretty, I wore it last night. It is super wearable, pigmented, and really creamy. I haven't tried the bronzer because it is the middle of winter and I think maybe a little too dark for now, but it looks like a quality product!

Overall, I am elated with this month's Ipsy bag! Almost everything was full size and I was only really disappointed with two products. One of those products (the polish) I will definitely get use out of, it was just not my top pick in color. I literally love Ipsy so much, you need to subscribe like yesterday!

Seeking New Boxes!

Hello Everyone!
So now that I am really getting into the blogging swing of things...I am looking for new boxes to review! I have my subscription lined up for Ipsy, Birchbox, PopSugar, Your Bijoux Box, but I am looking for some more. Obviously, I am not in the financial capability to be spending hundreds of dollars a month of subscription services. So, if you are a box company that wants to send me a box to review on the blog I would be more than happy to do so! Comment if you know of any new, hip subscription services.
Subscription Boxes interested in a review on the blog email comboforqueens@gmail.com
So far the ones that have caught my eye are:
The Original Grab Bag













Dottie Box

Project DIY

Your Bijoux Box November Box

First impression: it is only the 9th of the month and my box is already here!!!

I was so excited, but extremely skeptical, for this box. It is a pricier monthly subscription (35$ a month), but the quality is extremely nice. I also got a free gift (code will be below) with my first box, which made the 35$ REALLY worth it, granted being gifted the box to review would be super nice. I don't know if I can 100% afford this box on a monthly basis, so it will be a whenever I can type of box for now. Also, I LOVE THIS PACKAGING! My one wish is that they had a rewards program.With that said here were the contents!

The Box: Your Bijoux Box
The Price: 35$/month
The Product: 2-3 hand curated jewelry each month
The Link to Subscribe: yourbijouxbox.com

"Elise- Thank you for joining! Enjoy the sparkles! Dorota"

How adorable is this little note? It really shows how personally each box is, they even signed my box!

The inside of the box..did I say how much I love the packaging yet? It came with a cute cloth to clean my jewels with, these super nice velvety black bags and the adorable light blue tissue. Love already before I even open the contents. Also, they have basically no spoilers, I secretly asked on twitter(follow me @comboforqueens) and they gave me one, which makes it a true surprise! 

The first item is this amber, black, and sparkly bracelet. I think it is really adorable, but I am not quite sure how to style it. Also, it is not entirely my normal style. Totally willing to take a chance with it though, or worst comes to worse I can gift it with the holidays coming.

The second item was this AMAZINGLY ADORABLE necklace. I was skeptical, until I tried it on. It hangs perfectly on my neck. It can be worn with a ton because the colors are pretty muted, which I adore. It is slightly a statement necklace, but not too in your face. I basically am in love with this piece.

Lastly, I got this gold chain necklace. This was free with the code "sparkles" at checkout. I think the coupon is still available with your first box, so definitely try it when you subscribe. I love one-colored jewelry because I can go grab it and wear it with so many things without having a screaming jewelry statement. This piece will be worn all the time. I love it so much, especially for the cold season coming up. A cute sweater, boots, and jeans? Yes, please.

So that is it for this month's box. Overall, I am pretty much in love. Let's hope I get enough money to splurge on next month's box, or receive it to review (hint, hint ;) ). I highly recommend this box!! 

Splendies

It's time for a new subscription box!! Splendies :)
The Box: Splendies/Volumpties
The Price: 12$/month
The Product: 3 undies every month
The Link to Subscribe: http://curebit.com/x/tVQMpK

It is a lingerie subscription service for 12$ a month you get three pairs of gorgeous undies! They come in small, medium, and large, and also have a service called Volumpties for plus-sized ladies. They tell you the sizes run small....which they really do! A small was marked as being a 6, but the undies all fit me perfectly and I am a size 2.

The package came in a simplistic white envelope with this pink paper inside!

Here are my three undies. It is hard to see the black one on the end...it has two bows on the hips and is double-stringed. I really love the style and the simplicity! The middle one is blue lined with lace, it is a little modest for me, but I still think it is super cute! Lastly, the pink lace one in front. This one is not my favorite, I am not a huge fan of the tie up in front. It is a little too scandalous for me, I like lots of lace but not the tie. 

Overall I really like this service. They give you 4$ off your first month which made it a great deal! I haven't decided if I am going to continue with either Splendies or Unmentionably Cheek. Let me know in the comments!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today I bring you all a new recipe!! Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. It is fall...which means pumpkin in everything! Pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors, so I am a huge fan of these cookies. They are EXTREMELY moist, so if you like more things more cakey, bake for a few more minutes.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 Tablespoons pumpkin puree 

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. 

2.Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.

3.In a large bowl, toss together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. 

4.Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft.  Fold in 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. 

5.Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes, or up to 3 days.

6.Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

7.Roll the dough into balls, about 2 Tablespoons of dough each. Slightly flatten the dough balls because the cookies will only slightly spread in the oven. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. If you find that your cookies didn't spread much at all, flatten them out when you take them out of the oven.

8. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack.  The longer the cookies cool, the chewier they will be. Cookies stay soft, moist, and chewy stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.

adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Powder

This product entered my life way before I started getting into makeup. It is a real staple for me that has always been in my makeup bag! I even used up almost an entire container...I didn't even know that was possible.

Here is my previous one I just finished. For some reason it looks darker in the photos than my new one, but I promise it is the same color. I use Natural Beige, but obviously they have a different color to match your exact skin tone. You can find it at almost any pharmacy: CVS, Target, etc. It usually costs around $9.00.

I put it on right after my foundation and concealer. You could probably use it as a foundation after concealer if you wanted. It takes away any greasiness that is on my face. After I put this on my face feels so smooth and I just love this product!

When you buy it, it comes with this weird applicator, but I recommend just using a powder blush or a blush brush. That way it doesn't go on too thick.

Overall I would give this an 8.5/10 only because if you use it as a foundation it starts to wear off towards the mid-late afternoon (if you apply in the morning obviously).