This edition: subscriptions
This summer has been a weird one for me so far, and with only exactly 30 days left to go until I get the privilege of walking the grounds of Assumption for my senior year. Somewhere between when I left school and had a solid $25 in my bank account to spare for a clothes-food-fun slush fund, and right now as I’m surrounded by way to many things that I have purchased this summer, I have realized something: I love subscriptions. I love people picking things out for me, because I’m usually too indecisive to do it myself. Here are the following subscription services I’ve tested out this summer, which ones are worth it, and which ones aren’t. I heavily researched all of these before
Ipsy…
It all started with Ipsy. (Thanks, Rachel. Grr.) Ipsy is a $10 per month makeup service. Each month they send you a “glam bag” that includes four sample sized products and one full size product. You take an extensive style quiz that asks about what you look like, what your style is, and what brands and types of makeup and beauty products that you prefer/would like to try. So far I have received 3 Glambags, and loved every second of this subscription! Here’s a list of the products I’ve received so far:
May 2015: Overall Bag Rating A-
Reviews of May 2015 products:
- Jessie’s Girl Eye Dust: Good color, and great texture. Would totally buy it!
- Klorane Smoothing and Relaxing Patches: THESE WORK. BYE BYE DARK CIRCLES/. Would totally buy it.
- GlamGlow Daily Hydrating Cleanser: Skin felt awesome after I used this. Would buy it.
- Oscar Blandi Mousse: It worked well, but I don’t use mousse much, and the drug store brands work just as well for cheaper!
- Luxie Beauty Blending Brush: Worked well, but I don’t need anymore brushes so I wouldn’t buy it personally.
June 2015: Overall rating of bag: A
Reviews of June 2015 products:
- Jules and Esther Vitamin C Serum: Well, my mom stole this one from me, so I won’t be using it any time soon, but she seems to like it!
- Aurora Gel Effect Nail Polish: LOVE. The color is awesome and it doesn’t chip easily! Totally buying it.
- Two Faced Melted Liquified Longwear Lipstick: Love the shade and the texture. It’s much easier to apply than traditional lipstick. Will probably buy it in other shades.
- BioRepublic Skincare Masks: These make your face feel AWESOME and the acne one really did help with my pimples. Would totally buy these, despite the fact that they’re a bit pricey.
- Mini Eyeshadow Crayon: Love the shade and the brush-free application. 100% buying these from now on when I buy new shadows.
July 2015: Overall Rating of bag: A+
Reviews of July 2015 products:
- Nicka K New York HQ Quad Eyeshadow: Love the shades, but it does go on light so you have to use a lot
- Pur-lisse Soymilk Cleanser and Makeup Remover: Works well and is super natural, wouldn’t buy it, but would totally choose it as my free gift!
- Coolway Beachy Salt Spray: Love it. Already bought a full sized bottle.
- Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Lip Balm: It’s my new favorite lip balm and I intend to use nothing else ever again.
- Tarte Deluxe Amazon Clay Waterproof Bronzer: Love it! Having waterproof bronzer is a great thing for sweaty summer days, and the “sample” size is basically full sized! Will totally buy it when my sample runs out.
“Points”
With Ipsy, you accumulate points by reviewing items that you’ve received in your glambag and then sharing them on Facebook (the sharing part is optional, but you get more points for it). You get 100 points automatically when you sign up, and if somebody signs up using your link, you get 250 points! You can use your points to get rewards, and rewards range from 250 points to 500 or 1000 points (depending on their price).
Want to sign up for Ipsy? Here’s the link! https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=udaxf
Overall Rating of Ipsy: A+ 99/100
Netflix (…Obviously)
I finally became a grown up and stopped piggybacking off of my friends Netflix account (mostly because when that many people share an account somebody always gets locked out and that somebody kept turning out to be me). So, the natural solution was obviously to tell my family that I was putting a Netflix account under my name and that if they ever wanted to use it I demanded an upfront payment in exchange for the password. Muahaha.
Things I Have Started Watching on Netflix Since My Purchase:
- Supernatural: I KNOW this one totally shouldn’t count, because I’ve already watched all of it, but I started rewatching out of boredom the week I was sick! We all know I think its the best show ever, so I’ll save you the rant. Just watch it.
- Reign: Yes, my roommates finally got to me. And I’m obsessed. I loved the Tudors so this seemed only natural. It’s totally historically inaccurate but who cares? It’s so mysteriousss.
- Once Upon A Time: OHHH this is my favorite (Thanks, Jaqui!) It’s got so many different stories tied into it, and although I really wish some of them would go away forever and some would have stuck around for longer (Ugh, the Huntsman was a beauty. He needs to come back) every episode is wonderful emotional turmoil and a really interesting spin on all of the classic fairy tales. Its hardly even cheesy at all (but just enough to be cute). It’s a must watch!
The only downside to Netflix is how long it can sometimes take to get your favorite
Overall Rating of Netflix: The Obvious A++ 101/100
Stitchfix
I would like to thank and simultaneously yell at my cousin Jessica for introducing me to this. I am fashion impaired: I know what I like, but I don’t know how to tell if it looks good on me, or how to branch out. Usually I rely on my sister (the fashion expert) to pick things out for me, or to give things the thumbs up/down, but since Jessica told me about Stitchfix I am officially a convert. Stitchfix is a monthly (if you choose…you can just get them randomly when you want to have one, or get them as often as every two weeks) service that is similar to ipsy, but instead you get clothes and accessories!
The Basics:
- You get 5 items per “fix” (the box of goodies that Stitchfix sends you)
- If you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit, you can send it back in the pre-dressed and paid shipping bag they give you. All you have to do is drop it in the mail.
- You take a VERY extensive style quiz asking about what you like, what you think looks good on you how adventurous you’re willing to be, VERY detailed size measurements, and even how much you’d like to spend
- You get assigned a personal stylist who you can write notes to if you’re looking for something specific. Like if you have a wedding next month you can say “need a dress to wear to a wedding, preferably black) and if they can find one if your size that fits your style, they’ll send it to you in your fix!
- Whatever you decide to keep you’ll be charged for.
- When you know what you’re keeping, you go onto their website and check out. It tells you the price of each item, and you can review the price, style, cut, fit, and colors of each item for future reference for your stylist (so even if you don’t buy something, you can tell your stylist that you liked it!) It’s like super-personalized online shopping, except you already have the items and don’t have to wait for them!
- If you don’t keep anything you’ll be charged a 20$ styling fee (basically paying your stylist for doing their job), but if you keep anything, that $20 gets deducted from your purchase, so it’s basically a 20$ discount!
- You get 25% off if you keep all 5 items
- You can attach a link to your style related Pinterest boards AND THEY WILL SEND YOU THINGS THAT ARE SIMILAR. LIKE WHAATTTT. My Pinterest board for clothes and accessories is called “Dream Closet” so you can guess how crazy happy this feature made me.
Pros and Cons:
Well, obviously the pros are that I got SUPER cute clothes every time I was sent a fix (and the whole Pinterest thing made me shriek with glee), but the one and only con I have found with this is that the clothes can be pricey, despite the fact that my price range is “the cheaper the better” and I have reviewed clothes as “too pricey” multiple times. However, after my first fix and reviews, the prices in my second fix did go down significantly! One pro that I’m in love with is the idea of a personal stylist. My stylist’s name is Emily, and she always sends me a cute little note with my fix. Examples below!

My Fixes:
So With every fix they send you this cute little card with the note from your stylist on it, along with outfit ideas for the clothing pieces they sent you. Here are the cards they sent me, along with a few real-life pictures of items, because for certain ones (like the paisley maxi dress from my first fix) the pictures don’t do it justice!

VERDICT: Morena Teal V-Neck Tee = returned. Too pricey for just a t-shirt, but I did love the material and would totally keep my eye out at Target or something for something similar.

VERDTICT: Aldwick Swing Knit Tank = KEEPER! With the $20 discount I basically only paid like 10$ for this, and it was a super nice material, along with being very flattering (despite my usual aversion to horizontal stripes).

VERDICT: Rosie Scoop Neck Top = returned. Loved the color blocking, but again I thought it was just a bit too pricey for a t-shirt.

VERDICT: Lillie Cuffed Short = returned. They were too big. I adjusted my style quiz and asked for another similar style short to be sent in the future if it was available (seasonal weather permitting obviously).

VERDICT: Merna Mixed Material Tank = returned. Ugh, it killed me to return this one. Like actually hurt me inside because IT LOOKED SO GOOD. But it was just far too expensive. I regret not keeping it all the time though. Blah.

VERDICT: Briar Printed Maxi Dress = KEEPER. I AM OBSESSED WITH IT.

VERDICT: Corinna Striped Dolman Top = keeper! I loved this sweater a ton, because once again, it was flattering despite the horizontal stripes, was a super comfortable material, and didn’t cling too much. (Nothing bothers me more than clothes that look comfy, but then wind up clinging excessively). It’s perfect for a chilly night in Maine or for walking to class in the fall! I also have a weakness for three-quarter-sleeves.

VERDICT: Cordelia Scoop Neck Top = returned. It looks like basically every other shirt that I already own, despite the fact that I do love the colors. It was too expensive to keep when I already have several shirts like it.

VERDICT: Tremaine Tube and Beaded Necklace = Keeper! It’s super delicate, so it can be worn more often than a statement necklace, which I love.

VERDICT: Leighton Metal Bauble Necklace = KEEPER! Finally, a statement necklace that’s not obnoxious and is just plain gold. I love all my funky colored ones, but they’re not nearly as versatile as this beauty. Also, it goes super well with a bunch of the other stuff in my fixes, so obviously that was one of the selling points!
Overall Rating of StitchFix: B+ 89/100
Fabletics
Okay so this was actually the first subscription site that had their hooks in me this summer. Once I started getting back to a healthier lifestyle I decided I needed workout clothes that actually fit me, and weren’t just baggy t-shirts I had cut to shreds and turned into tank tops. I also just generally enjoy wearing athletic clothes on the daily, even if I’m not heading to the gym, so I figured I needed some mildly stylish ones. One day, while perusing Pinterest, I discovered Fabletics. Kate Hudson’s brand of workout clothes truly are fabulous and comfortable for athletic activity (sorry to all of those who I got addicted to this subscription, but you know you love it!)
The Basics
- If you sign up for a VIP membership, like I did, your first outfit is $25. (It’s free to sign up!)
- As a VIP member, you enjoy free shipping
- Every month, you can look at the different outfits that the stylists have picked out for you based on your style quiz, and if you like them, you add it to your cart and buy it,
- Every month, you have 3 days to either “skip” the month, or decide to buy something. If you don’t skip, you’ll be changed a flat fee of $50. (Most outfits are over $50, so you get a bit of a bargain there)
- You enjoy crazy sale prices as a VIP member; things that were $30 get knocked down to $15 or even $10 sometimes. The over 50% markdown sometimes is an awesome perk.
The quality of the items is great, and you can cancel or reinstate your VIP membership at any time. It can be a bit expensive, but if you’re looking for a great brand of workout clothes look no further!
Overall Rating of Fabletics: B+ 85/100
I hope I’ve stimulated your inner shopper, and don’t forget that if you decide to subscribe to Ipsy, that you use this link to avoid the waiting list!
https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=udaxf
Happy shopping!