Jungle Stand September and October 2013 Reviews

It would seem I forgot to write about September's Jungle Stand! Honestly, I was so hesitant to try it, it took me weeks to even open the package. It was a bit out of my comfort range. Anyway, here's my experience with both months!

Just as a reminder, The Jungle Stand is a snack sub where for $9.92/month, you get 6 "tastes" (smallish samples) of snacks - usually food that you might not normally come across or buy regularly. September's theme, finishing up the summer around the world tastings was a 3 country combination: Jamaica, Philippines, and India.

September snack info

Looking at the pictures, I was a bit afraid. These are not my taste in flavors. At all. Chris thought I might like the Cornflakes Mixture, but I wasn't so sure of anything. Unfortunately, he still hasn't tasted any of these, so I only have my opinions this time. So, we got:

Snack bags

• Jamaican Jerk Spice Nuts - The bag actually just smells like honey roasted nuts, so I was hopeful. They don't really have a whole lot of initial flavor, honey roasted or otherwise, but the aftertaste includes the spice. I don't like spice. When we go to restaurants where things might be spicy, I ask for no spice whereas Chris is asking for them to go above their top level of spice. He might like these, and compared to the whole box, they weren't too bad, but I still wouldn't reach for them if there were other better choices.
• Fish Crackers - Ugh. Well, surprisingly enough, there wasn't an overwhelming fish scent to the bag, so I braved a taste. First off, I think I had waited too long to open them because they're like styrofoam. Beyond that, there is an initial really strong fish taste and then they kind of mellow out like the note suggests. Not enough to have more than one, but whatever. If these weren't totally stale, I think Chris might not mind these. 
• Khatta Meetha - called a "signature Indian taste", this is basically an Indian trail mix with dried noodles, rice, peas, and nuts. It has a VERY intense flavor that, well, almost made me gag. Sorry, India. Nope. 
• Sweet Jamaican Jerk Pops - Similar to the fish crackers, these were really stale upon opening their bag. They're also really spicy. Without the spice, they have a nice sweetness that I think I'd like on its own, but me and spice just don't mix.
• Vegetarian Chicharon, Salt and Vinegar Flavor - I'm not a fan of salt and vinegar chips, so I wasn't expecting to like these either. A little stale again, I don't like them as expected. I don't hate them, but again, I didn't really want more than one. Chris likes salt and vinegar chips, so I imagine he'd like these.
• Cornflakes Mixture -  These taste fairly similar to me to the Khatta Meetha, so again I really don't like it. It's also spicy. There is some kind of remote scent/taste memory that is instantly triggered when I taste these. I don't know what it is, but it isn't pleasant.

Well, this was a bad box for me. I'm a bit sad I took so long to open it, because when I told Chris the snacks, he thought they all sounded great and was happy to take them all if I didn't like them. I'll still see if he wants to try them because I want to see if he really does like them, but I don't think he'll want to finish them with how stale they are. And again, the staleness is my fault, not Jungle Stand's.

Moving on to October! October's theme, predictably enough, was "The Witches' Halloween Challenge" and was full of candy. I like that this one x-ed out all the flavors on the info sheet and challenged us to guess (there was a spoiler card)! It was a fun little activity.

October snack info (answers on separate card)

I actually did really well with the challenge and only got 1 wrong! I won't spoil them here just in case anyone hasn't done this box yet. Being that this was a candy box, and I like candy, I was much more excited about trying these.

October snacks (there are actually more of the white balls in the upper right hiding under the label)

•  x Bubbles - I like the little crunchy pieces on the outside and the overall flavor is mild and pleasant. I wasn't entirely sure of my guess on this one, but it turned out I was right. This was a good one!
• Jelly Belly x - This was the only one I got wrong. I like Jelly Belly jelly beans, so I thought these were pretty good, but very sweet, so I didn't really want more than one or 2 at a time. I also always have trouble telling flavors apart on jelly beans. Except the buttered popcorn and licorice. Yum!
• x Chewy Sour Balls - I didn't think these were sour at all, but the taste was immediately apparent. This was the easiest one to guess. Tasty. 
• x Caramel Cream - I was soo hopeful for these because I love this brand in the regular caramel creams and cow tails. I used to eat these all the time growing up. This is a different flavor though and man, it totally ruined it. Ugh, the flavor was soooooooo bad! Granted, the flavor it is is not one of my favorites in terms of flavors, but even if I did like that flavor candy, it's just so tart and bad. And after popping the whole caramel in my mouth, it just felt like forever till it was gone. I probably should have just spit it out, haha. Definitely the worst taste in the bar, by far. 
• x Chewy Sour Balls - This one was actually somewhat sour, unlike the other flavor in the box. I thought their description of "when you bite into it, you'll get so much splash that you're left to wonder where it all came from" is pretty accurate. There's a huge wave of flavor - and a pretty easy one to guess again. Not a favorite again, but definitely better than the previous candy. I ate a couple. 
• Caramel x Creams Candy - Oh dear. I was hesitant after the first one of these in the box, but thankfully, this flavor was much closer to the ones I remember and was actually pretty good. Unlike the other one which had a flavored caramel and a regular cream center, this one had a regular caramel and a flavored center, so it was much lighter on the fruit flavor and the cream dissolved pretty fast, so that just leaves the regular caramel. I thought this one was pretty easy to guess. 

So, October was much better than September! Only one miss. I think my favorites are torn between the x Bubbles and the last Caramel x Cream.  I do kind of wish there had been a bit more variety - we had 2 chewy sour balls and 2 caramel creams. It would've been nice to have 2 totally different candies instead of the 2 semi-repeats. I guess chocolate would be too different and really wouldn't have fit in with the challenge, but maybe a couple different hard candy brands? Again, Chris hasn't tried these yet, but I probably will at least offer. He's not huge on chewy candy, though, so this one may not be his thing.

If you want to sign up, go to The Jungle Stand’s website! If you already get Jungle Stand, what did you think of the past 2 month’s tastes?

(And just a disclaimer: I bought this box myself and was not compensated for this review in any way. All opinions are my own.)

Glossybox October 2013 Review

Glossybox, which usually comes very near the end of the month, shipped and arrived about a week and a half early this month! I don't know why it happened, but it was a nice surprise! For $21/month, you get 5 deluxe-sized beauty samples. Occasionally, you get full sized items. It's a great sub because you get to try some higher-end brands. October's box didn't have a regular theme, but was a collaboration box with Byrdie, which I had never heard of, but is apparently a beauty blog/website. Their collaboration boxes are usually pretty good though, so I was hopeful!

Like all collaboration boxes, this one was not their standard pink box.

Opening the box

The first product I spied was a full size tube of Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes Mascara ($23). This promises it "lengthens, curls and magnifies for an intensified look proven to increase lash volume by 752% instantly". Seems like a weird number, but if it does what it says and gives me an intense long, voluminous look, I'll be super happy! I'm usually a sucker for interesting packaging, but I don't like this packaging. I thought at first it was a case that held the tube, which would've been cool, if not a little bit frivolous, but turns out it's the tube itself. It's bulky and kind of gets in the way. The brush is different than any I've seen before. It has 2 sides with different types of bristles - 1 softer, dense side to add volume, and 1 firmer, sparser side to separate and add length. The difference is easy to see in the sample they provide to explain the brush, but when it's coated in mascara, it's not as easy to see. Thankfully, using their tip to brush it lightly against the tube, you can feel a difference. Hopefully the mascara's great! EDIT: I used this tonight and it's easy to get too much product on your lashes with this brush. It really needs to be wiped off well. Plus, the firmer side didn't really separate as promised - it just added more product and made my lashes thicker and more coated. The results were ok when I tried again being a bit more careful about how much product was on the brush, but I've seen better.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes Mascara

The other makeup product in the box was a full size tube of Balance Me Shine On Tinted Lip Salve in the color Super Soft Beige (~$19.43). Expensive lip gloss! Glossybox has it listed at $16.50, but links to the Balance Me site to buy it, which is where I got the price. I used Google to change the money from pounds to dollars, so I'm not sure why the discrepancy. Anyway, it doesn't look like this comes in any other colors, but that's ok. When I initially saw it, I was like, "eeeh, brown...", but it's very sheer, so it turned out to be just fine! It's very wet feeling at first, but it isn't sticky at all and seems to soak in a bit with time. I liked it.

Balance Me Shine On Tinted Lip Salve

Swatch of the lip salve

Next up was a deluxe sample of Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream ($12.60). This is supposed to be super hydrating and reduce signs of aging. It smells like cucumbers, which isn't my favorite scent, but it's not terrible. I really like getting these nice deluxe samples of face creams. I don't know which box sent it to me (I think either Glossybox or New Beauty Test Tube), but I discovered my new favorite cream - Osmotics Blue Copper 5 - from a deluxe box sample that actually lasted long enough for me to try it for several weeks. You really need at least a week to see if it works well with your skin. Sometimes I don't have an irritated reaction for several days if a product isn't good for me, but you wouldn't be able to tell with a foil packet.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream

Our next deluxe sample was a really adorable bottle of Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Au The Vert (~$7.75). Again, it's nice to see a deluxe sample rather than the standard mini vial - and what a cute bottle! The scent isn't bad, but it's not my favorite. I think I could wear it if I was in the mood for something different than my usual taste, but that's not terribly often. It's apparently unisex and is considered a "Citrus Aromatic Floral" with notes of Italian bergamot, pepper, and green tea.

Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Au The Vert

My last item appears to have been slightly variable for people. Some people got a Sesha Skin Therapy Renu  Exfoliating Gel that sounds really cool and I kind of wish I got, and others, like me, got a Sesha Rejuvenating Anti-Wrinkle Mask ($9). I'm assuming I got the mask because I think in my profile I might've said my only skin concern is preventing signs of aging or something like that - this product bluntly states on the package "For Mature Skin". I'm not really sure I'm old enough for that designation yet. Anyway, this mask is a one time use mask that is supposed to make your skin look younger.

Sesha Skin Therapy Rejuvenating Anti-Wrinkle Mask

October 2013 Glossybox

I don't think this was a bad box, but nothing has really wowed me so far in it. I was initially very excited about the mascara, but it was a bit of a let down. The lip salve is good and I'll definitely try everything else, but eh. For a collaboration, I'm not as impressed as usual. The overall value of this box was $71.78, which is great. I just wish it were things I was a little more excited about. Last month spoiled me.


If you get Glossybox, did you get anything different? Did you get that exfoliating gel? Is it awesome? If you'd like to sign up, here's my link. Again, the link at the top is a non-referral link if you'd prefer.

(And just a disclaimer: I bought this box myself and was not compensated for this review in any way. All opinions are my own. The final link is a referral link, but I also included a non-referral link at the top.)

Friday iPhone Dump

I’m linking up with Jen over at Ramblings of a Suburban Mom for Friday iPhone Dump today! I've never tried a link up, but this one seemed like an easier one to start off with since I definitely have pictures on my iPhone ready to go! Hopefully, I did this right with the button and all (if not, please let me know!). Anyway, here's some of my favorite pictures from the past week!

First up, we have this. That's our TV remote that I had been hunting for for a week! I knew Emily was playing with it around the last time I saw it, but when I asked her, she couldn't remember where it was. She's usually pretty good at remembering where she left stuff. I don't even know what made me think to look here, but there it is! In her bike bucket. 

Aha!

Last weekend, it was sooo gorgeous out. Like low to mid-70s, sunny, perfect weather. We had plans to go to the pumpkin patch, but apparently everyone else did too, and by the time we got there in the early afternoon, there was at least an hour long line just to get into the parking lot, and then rumors of another hour to wait for tickets to get in, so we changed our plans and went to the park both days, which Emily loved.

Emily getting pushed on the swings by her Nana

Chris and Granddaddy on the big kid swings

Slide time!

Sitting in a tree!

Yesterday, we did our usual Thursday night activity - Chick Fila! We go Thursdays because Jingles is there doing balloon animals and face/arm paintings. Emily has always gotten a balloon (we've seen quite a few tigers and giraffes), but last week, when Jingles was out, the lady who was there in her place only did paintings, so Emily decided she's into paintings now. Last week was butterflies and this week, since she had gone to the zoo with Nana and Granddaddy earlier in the day, she wanted a giraffe (they're probably her favorite animal). When we got home, she asked if we could take a picture of it while she posed with our cat, Buffy - entirely her idea.

Emily and Buffy

Today, we made a short stop at Walmart because I needed to pick up some last minute Halloween decorations because I somewhat unknowingly signed up to decorate my car trunk for tonight's Trunk or Treat at her school. I don't mind at all and I was already planning to bring candy to help out, I just thought the sign up was to say we were coming, not that I would decorate my car. Whoops! Anyway, on the way out, Emily really wanted to ride Dumbo. Based on her super happy reaction, you'd never guess she'd actually been on the real thing less than a month ago! Her excitement was adorable.

Walmart Dumbo

And then at home, continuing her new behavior of requesting posed pictures, she asked if I could take a picture of her with one of the spiders I hung up on one of our trees outside. Ok, then.

Emily and her spider pal

So, that's this week in pictures. Next week should be fun with all the stuff we have planned - another much earlier attempt at the pumpkin patch, the Renaissance festival (I may regret both of those in one weekend with no naps), tonight's Trunk or Treat, and real trick or treating next Thursday!

Ophelia's Apothecary October 2013 Review

Ophelia's Apothecary is a great indie bath and body product subscription. For $15/month (or less if you go with a 3- or 6-month subscription), you get 4-6 handmade bath and body items (everything is paraben- and sulfate-free). When you sign up, the owner sends you an email with a survey asking about fragrance preferences, allergies, style/personality, etc to allow her to customize your box a bit. I always look forward to seeing what new stuff I'll get each month!

Opening the bag

 Right off the bat, I could see this was a pink theme, most likely for Breast Cancer Awareness. The owner included a lengthy note, in which she told her personal story.

Info note

Info note continued

It was interesting to hear all she's been through and I think she's awesome for fighting it, though I have to be honest - cancer is my number one scary thing. It makes me uncomfortable to read about it at all. I'm a huge worry wart and I can't even watch shows like House without coming out of it thinking I have everything in that episode. I'm not allowed on WebMD. So, moving on now to the products of the month.

The non-beauty products this month were really cute. We got a pink ribbon (for Breast Cancer Awareness), a pink bracelet with an angel charm (I'm not entirely sure if she made these or not), and a handmade card made by the owner's sister.

Bracelet and ribbon

Cute card from Sentimentalist on Etsy - it's hard to tell, but it's embossed with a pumpkin print as well!

This may be a bit of TMI coming up, but well, here goes. Although the owner says this bracelet is meant to honor those who had/have breast cancer, I saw this and it meant something different to me. Hardly anyone knows this, and really, if I thought anyone I know personally read this blog, I wouldn't even write it (even now, I'm contemplating deleting all of this...), but I've had 2 miscarriages this year. Very early ones, but enough that I've gotten positive tests and then lost them. We've been trying for number 2 since the beginning of the year. Emily was conceived really easily - 2 months! I thought for sure it would be that way again. I did not expect at all to be almost done with the year and not be pregnant, having lost 2 pregnancies. I'm still somewhat young (31), I don't have PCOS or endometriosis, I got pregnant easily with Emily not that long ago, and I know I'm ovulating every month with regular cycles, so my doctor so far just thinks it's just bad luck and thinks my chances are still very good (though we are doing a few proactive things now) and all my family thinks it's my anxiety. Maybe it is. I don't get any testing until another loss, though, so it's really hard to push forward not knowing what to expect. I don't know if there's something wrong. I don't know if I'll have another loss. I don't know if I'll ever have another baby. It's been a really tough year. I know I'm soo lucky to have Emily - she's such a wonderful little girl, so please don't think I'm ungrateful. I just really want to give her a sibling. I always imagined 3, and now I'm not sure there will be 2. So, I saw this bracelet, and I see an angel. Maybe the babies I've lost, maybe not. But someone watching over me, trying to give me some hope. So, this bracelet felt like something I should wear.

Ok, sappy stuff over. For beauty/body products this month, I got:

• Pink Chiffon Body Butter - a wonderful, very moisturizing body butter in the scent Pink Chiffon, which has notes of "soft pink petals, creamy blonde woods, and vanilla bean chiffon". I love how thick it feels and I really like the scent - probably because it contains vanilla bean!

Pink Chiffon Whipped Body Butter

•  Pink Sugar Body Splash - a light perfume that smells like "cotton candy essence with hints of jasmine and musk". I love this scent, too! Probably because of the musk mixed with a sweet scent.

Pink Sugar Body Splash

•  Pink Roll-on Perfume Oil - I really wanted to like this because I love roll-ons and I liked the other 2 scents, but it's so very floral. Way too strong for me. It has notes of "neroli and peony complemented with notes of violet and juniper berries".

Pink Roll-on Perfume Oil

• Pink frosting lip balm pot - smells good and feels good!

Pink frosting lip balm pot

October 2013 Ophelia's Apothecary

Again, I'm really happy with this month's bag. I liked all but one of the scents and the rest are things I'll absolutely use!

If you want to sign up, go to her website! If you get this box already, let me know if you got different things!

(And just a disclaimer: I bought this box myself and was not compensated for this review in any way. All opinions are my own.)

Stunner of the Month October 2013 Review

I heard about Stunner of the Month on the Facebook group I'm in for sub boxes. For $9 a month, you get a new pair of sunglasses! There is a code for your first box free, trystunner (all lowercase), so I had to try it! You can't beat free! You can choose from male, female, or unisex. I went with female.

If you recall, I thought August's pair was ok, but not fantastic, and September's pair was amazing (love those!!), so I was hopeful for October. Hoo boy.

October's Stunners

Yikes. Those are some big shades. I like me a big pair of sunglasses, but not in this shape. The name is appropriate - The Shuffleboards. I feel like these are something an 90 year old who wants to be slightly stylish would wear. They're basically cataract sunglasses with a multicolored chrome finish. I suppose the one positive is that they are supurb at blocking out light. I can't wear them inside at all - they make it hard to see! So yeah, maybe I'll keep these around for my next eye exam. If I need dilation, these'll be great for afterwards, haha! But for everyday, I think not. Just not my style.

Side view

Looking around their Facebook page, I do see a lot of wild pairs of sunglasses, so I know I'll get some wild pairs like these from time to time. I do kind of wish they had a little more customization. It seems there are definitely people who really want the craziest ones they have and then people like me who would prefer variety, but on the tamer end. I also question a little bit whether these are actually "female" sunglasses. I guess I just have a hard time imagining anyone wearing them, but they seem a little large and blocky for girls. I'm sticking around a few more months though, I think. I'd like to get another pair or 2 that I really like!

If you'd like to sign up for Stunner of the Month, head over to their website! I don't think they currently have a referral system. I think they're still accepting the coupon code for the free month, though, so try it: trystunner (all lowercase)!

(And just a disclaimer: The first box was free with a coupon code, but I bought the second box myself and was not compensated for this review in any way. All opinions are my own.)

Citrus Lane October 2013 Review

Emily's Citrus Lane actually arrived about a week early this month! Emily was excited as usual to see her box! For $25 a month (or $21 a month if you sign up for a 6 month subscription – I’m considering this, especially if they have a black Friday deal!), you get 4+ items selected for your child’s age (they offer boxes up to 5 years old). You usually get a mixture of useful things (like toothpaste, sunscreen, food items, etc) and toys or books.

Opening the box!

First peek

Info card

 I had seen spoilers before getting this box and I knew Emily would love the first item:

Ooooh!

What's this??

Oh boy!!

That's a Cloud B. Twinkles To Go Octo light ($20.95). Emily got the pink one, but they also sent out a blue version for boys. I don't think she would've minded either. Blue's her favorite color. She doesn't know it came in blue, though, so she's really happy with the one she got. She's had the classic Twilight Turtle since she was born and loves it. His name is Geoff (pronounced Gee-off) and she turns on his lights every night. She knew right away this was the same kind of thing. It's similar in that it uses lights to project stuff on the ceiling, and it does have some stars (starfish), but also fish and bubbles. Also, while her turtle does green, blue, and yellow lights (one at a time), the Octo does red and blue light (one at a time). I love that this one is smaller - I think we'll be able to take this on trips! It's already joined the zoo that sleeps with her at night and she's named it Sully (she's recently discovered Monsters Inc). Huge hit!

Cloud B Twinkles to Go Octo

Next up was a set of Hohner Rhythm Sticks ($4). We actually have quite a few Hohner music toys already, but didn't have these. I like Hohner because they seem to be good quality. Back when I was looking into xylophones, Hohner was one of the few that people reviewed as being accurately tuned. Emily seems to like these rhythm sticks ok. I think she prefers maracas, drums, and xylophones because they have a little more effect, but she was happy to bang and rub these together (one has ribs on it to make rub sounds). And then drum them on her new light (which was sturdy enough to take it).

Hohner Rhythm Sticks

I don't remember whether she was hitting them together or drumming them here.

For our food sample of the month, we got a small .8 oz bag of Good Boy Organics Bops chips in the sea salt flavor (~$1.10 based on the Amazon price for a 12 pack of 3 oz bags). I kind of wish they sent one of the other flavors because I got these exact chips in one of my Conscious Boxes and I thought they tasted a little funny. Organic is great, unless you won't eat it because it tastes funny. Emily agreed.

Bops Sea Salt Organic Chips

No!

Finally, we got an issue of Ladybug magazine ($3.77 based on the full yearly price) along with a coupon for a free 3-month digital subscription or a discounted ($19.95 down from $33.95) 1 year print subscription. Different ages got different levels of this magazine - they have Babybug for 6 months - 3 years, Ladybug for 3-6, and a couple higher age magazines that probably weren't sent out since Citrus Lane only goes up to age 5. I think this is really cute - it's filled with stories, poems, and a couple little activities. I've been thinking of maybe looking into Highlight's younger High-Five magazine (for 2-6), which is similarly priced (I know I've gotten offers in the mail - I can't remember if they were discounted or not. I'll have to wait for the next one to see), but I hadn't heard of Ladybug and it seems similar, so with this deal, I may very well try this one out. I did just notice that Ladybug only comes 9 times a year, while High-Five comes every month, but $19.95 for 9 issues is still a slightly better deal than High-Five's $34.44 for 12 issues. Either way, it's great to get a sample copy of a magazine like this to see if Emily likes it at all before I order anything.

Ladybug Magazine and coupon

October 2013 Citrus Lane

I'm really happy with this month's Citrus Lane. Emily LOVES the light up octopus and musical instruments and stories are always great to have.  The chips were a dud, but I don't really expect much from food in these boxes. We rarely like it. I kind of wish they wouldn't send food. Oh well. The overall value of this box is $29.82 (not including the value of the magazine coupon, which may or may not require a purchase depending on which option you go for), which is somewhat low, but still more than what I paid for the box and I'd say the contents were worth it.


What did your kids get in their boxes? If you’d like to sign up, here’s my personal invite link – if you sign up using that link, it will give you $10 off your order as well as giving me a $10 credit (and I’d be oh, so grateful!!)!

Emily modeling one of the little cut out mustaches on the box

(And just a disclaimer: I bought this box myself and was not compensated for this review in any way. All opinions are my own. I have included referral links.)

Brazen Friends With Benefits October 2013 Review

After loving my first month of Brazen's Friends With Benefits, I definitely wanted to keep the subscription and looked forward to getting it this month! They have 3 levels of subscription that vary in what you get:
1. Silver ($10 if you sign up now, $15 once they hit 100 subs) - 3 g pot of limited edition or unreleased shadow, 3 g pot of limited edition or unreleased lipgloss, 2-3 samples of various products, and some ordering rewards, early access to sales and a 10% discount on their site.
2. Gold ($15 if you sign up now, $20 once they hit 100 subs) - Everything in silver plus a full sized lip gloss and 15% off on their site.
3. Platinum ($20 if you sign up now, $25 once they hit 100 subs) - Everything in silver and gold plus a full sized eye shadow and 20% off on their site.
After some complaints last month about the size of the samples, Brazen announced they were doing away with the baggies and instead using 3 g jars. I couldn't wait to see what we got this month!

Opening the bag - what a cute bag!

Info card - we didn't get one last month, so this is a nice addition

Silly little bonus items. Emily likes them!

So, this month in the silver level of the subscription, I got 4 products, all of which looked to be packaged in 3 g pots. I wonder if there will always be 4 similarly sized items now that they're onto pots instead of baggies. Like the info card shows, I got:

• Caramel Apple Whipped Lip Butter - I'm not sure how well it matched the description, since it's more like a balm (hard rather than looser like a body butter), but it smells great and feels nice on (and it's colorless)! Plus, I love the packaging!

Brazen Caramel Apple Whipped Lip Butter

•  Lipgloss in Flim Flam - Shimmery and pearlescent as described. If I apply this very thin, it's very pretty! Too thick and it starts to get too opaque and white.

Brazen Lipgloss in Flim Flam

•  Eye shadow in Mysterioso - Pretty much like described above, it's a shimmery dark purple with a subtle pinkish/reddish sheen. I love purple, so I love it!

Brazen eye shadow in Mysterioso

•  Eye shadow in Abracadabra - Medium purple with strong aqua sheen. So pretty!

Brazen eye shadow in Abracadabra

Swatches This one is mostly for the lip products (I wasn't satisfied with the shadow swatches, so I redid them). So, on the bottom, I have 2 swatches of the Flim Flam lip gloss - thin on the left and thick on the right.

Shadow swatches. Top is Mysterioso and bottom is Abracadabra. I think you can see the color better in this shot than the one above.

Brazen Friends With Benefits October 2013

I'm really happy with this subscription again. Everything was great this month and will be used! Hopefully, the larger sized samples makes people happy. There are fewer things overall (4 this month vs. 6 last month), but it still fits in with the description of the subscription, so hopefully no one will be upset about that. I'm not. I was happy before, so the bigger sizes are just a plus for me.

I suppose if there was one thing I like a little less with this set up, it's that it's perfectly balanced with lip and eye products.  Last month had a bunch of shadow shades and only 1 lip product. I liked having more eye stuff than lip - if we're sticking with 4 products now, I'd like to see 3 eye, 1 lip. Maybe it wouldn't have always been so skewed towards eye even with the baggies though. But, even as someone who doesn't love lip products, I loved the lip butter and I liked the lip gloss choice this month, so I'm still happy. If we get a month where it's red and purple lip glosses, well, maybe that won't be so great, but again, with subscriptions, you never know what you'll get and that's part of the fun. And I'm almost guaranteed to love whatever color eye shadow they send. I'm not sure I've ever tried a mineral eye shadow I didn't like. I am a bit more drawn to the sparkly ones as opposed to matte, but they've all been pretty great. Neutrals, bolds, whatever - gimme!

Anyway, if you got Brazen's Friends with Benefits this month, did you like it? Did you get anything different or did you get a different level? If you're interested in signing up, I think they're still offering the lower prices (though I'm not 100% sure - I know their Facebook page said there were only a few of the higher level ones left at that price about a week ago. The page still advertises the lower prices though.), so head on over to their site.

(And just a disclaimer: I bought this box myself and was not compensated for this review in any way. All opinions are my own.)