Apocalyptic Beauty Look of the Month Club May and June 2021

I’ve gotten a little behind on my reviews, I’m sorry to say. But I’m hoping I can catch up on most of them before I have to disappear while I’m busy working conventions again (hooray!). So I’m squeezing two months into this review for Apocalyptic Beauty.

For those who may not know, AB is an indie brand makeup company who has a monthly subscription service. For $15, you will receive 4-5 makeup products that fit a particular theme. They are also 100% vegan and cruelty free. Check out their website for more info on this and everything else they’ve got. APOCALYPTIC BEAUTY

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

Let’s look at May first. Theme: GODS OF OLYMPUS

I love that each month comes in a cute little reusable mesh bag with a piece of candy. This month’s bag was rather unique! But let’s take a look at the products.

Apollo: a sunny peach gold eye shadow

Aphrodite: golden seafoam blue eye shadow

Hades: sparkling iridescent blue over a black base. Foil for maximum drama!

Ares: shimmer balm. It’s pretty smooth and creamy, the golden copper just shows up a bit on my lips. Smells very strongly of warm spices, like cinnamon and/or french toast. Not sure I can handle it.

The candy is an Olympic Mastic candy. Basically it’s from Greece and is made with tree resin. Kinda tastes like cedar and pine. But in a good way, actually!

Not super excited about the color story here, and the scent on the lip balm is so strong. However, I have already used that Apollo shade a couple times. It’s GORGEOUS.

Now, on to June. The theme: CLASSIC MONSTERS

In. Love. With. This. Month. Are any of us surprised? Thought not. Moving on. Let’s take a look at the products. We got all eye shadows this month.

Count Dracula: Brooding red (a warm coppery red)

Frankenstein’s Monster: Void green (moss, swampy green)

The Mummy: Sheer iridescent grey-blue

Phantom of the Opera: Sparkling violet with red sheen

Creature Feature: Neon yellow green*

*In the US, the FDA has not approved neon pigments as “eye safe”, while many other countries deem them safe for all cosmetic use, including near the eyes. So it’s up to you if you do or do not want to use them. I, personally, cannot fucking WAIT to try it out.

I am so jazzed about this month. The colors are awesome, and though maybe not obvious to everyone, they look like they’ll work really well together.

I can’t tell what the theme is for next month because it got cut off at the bottom of the card. It looks to be “Sinister Sprite” maybe? I’m excited to find out.

What did you think of these products and themes?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid June 2021

For those who don’t know, Vanishing Cabinet is a monthly makeup subscription service from the indie brand, Notoriously Morbid. For $15, you get 4-5 makeup products, full and trial sized. Each month is curated to a pop culture theme. They are cruelty free and some of their products are vegan. Check them out here: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

June 2021 marked the 7th anniversary of the Vanishing Cabinet service! So we all got a bonus item in this month’s themed box. The theme? AHC Season 3 - Coven.

While Coven was the least favorite of the series I watched (I stopped paying attention after my favorite season, Freak Show) I’m digging all the products from this month. Let’s take a look!

Don’t Be a Hater: a metallic, silver semi-loose eye shadow.

Surprise, Bitch: a metallic, cherry red semi loose eye shadow

Sister Witches: a satin, black based shadow with a purple glow, and sprinkled with a few sparkles

Unholy Nether Realm: solid perfume stick fragranced with….a shit ton of stuff. Smells very clean and floral to me.

Mad for Tartan: cool, slightly brown toned deep red Mystic Matte lipstick, with a hint of gold sparkle. Creamy Caramel flavor!

When Witches Don’t Fight, We Burn: matte peach blush

I love all the colors in this month’s bag. The blush looks more of a neutral tone with a hint of peach, and surprisingly, my underbelly of a dead fish pale skin can pull it off.

The hint for next month….there really can be no doubt. I’m stoked!

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid May 2021

For those who are new, the Vanishing Cabinet is a monthly makeup subscription from Notoriously Morbid. For $15, you get 4-5 products that fit some kind of pop-culture theme. Check out the brand for more info: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

The theme for May is: THE GOLDEN GIRLS (dear gods can this get any cuter or more nostalgic??)

I was never the targeted demographic for this show. It ran from 1985-1992 and I’m pretty sure I watched it as it aired (as opposed to in syndication after it ended). The show created stories and situations and characters that were universally relatable, no matter your age. It still makes me laugh and cry to this day, though I am now approaching the same age the actresses were at the time it was made.

Also, you can see in the photo, the reason they picked this theme - in memory of Brennan’s grandmother. (I’m not crying. YOU’RE CRYING.)

Picture It - Sicily! - a berry-purple cream blush with pink and gold shimmer. I don’t notice the shimmers but I don’t apply it heavily. It looks a little bruisey if I’m too heavy handed.

I’ll Get the Cheesecake - strawberry cheesecake and snikcerdoodle flavored slumber salve. This is by far the best lip balm/treatment I’ve ever used. You have no idea how excited I am to have one again!

Thank You for Being a Friend - mystic matte liquid lipstick in a soft coral red shade with pink shimmer. On me, it looks more pink-based with a hint of warmth than straight up coral-red. Gorgeous either way.

Can I Ask a Dumb Question?: a gorgeous dusty rose eye shadow with gold and pink shimmer

Better Than Anyone I Know: a dark blue-grey matte eye shadow

I love the names of everything; I love the colors; I love the theme. I can’t wait to play with these.

The hint for June. What do you think it means??

NEW SUBSCRIPTION - Apocalyptic Beauty (March and April 2021)

Considering my growing collection of loose shadows, did I need to sign up for another indie brand makeup subscription? No, I did not. But after experiencing this brand’s loose highlighter, I had to see what else they had to offer.

For $15 a month, you’ll get a themed bag with 4-5 makeup products that are vegan and cruelty free, plus a little sweet treat. Niiiice. Check out the brand here for more info: APOCALYPTIC BEAUTY

It seems the colors in each month are specific to this subscription as I couldn’t find them listed anywhere on the site so I don’t want to do a price breakdown here. But you can still get an idea of pricing for similar products if you peruse the site.

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

We’ve got two months to cover for this first post. So let’s start with March: WICKER MAN

March’s theme is Wicker Man (so appropriate considering a movie review post I’ll be putting up in a day or two). Each month you get a cute little bag with the info card, business card, and the products. This month there are four eye shadows and a loose highlighter.

March Hare: a semi-matte soft brown (eye shadow)

Seed of Flame: a fiery orange (eye shadow)

Wicker Man: smoldering brown (eye shadow)

Parthenogensis: a duochrome sparkle over a translucent red-orange base (sorry I didn’t get a better pic of that one) (eye shadow)

Midsommar: golden highlighter

All these colors work very well together. So not only is there a pop-culture theme for the month, even the products themselves fit a specific color scheme. And that sparkly orange is calling my name, dude.

The highlighter is pretty yellow, and probably too dark for my skin. HOWEVER, I do have green and purple and “weird” highlighter colors in my collection so why can’t I have a gold one, too?

I’m also impressed with how full the eye shadow pots are. As in pray an earthquake doesn’t hit the moment you open one because that powder will spill.

Now on to April: KAWAII OTAKU

I had to look up “otaku” for this one. Here’s what I found: “otaku is a Japanese term for people with consuming interests, particularly in anime and manga.” There’s also a negative connotation with this term, as in these people are so obsessed that it becomes detrimental to their social skills (which sounds like a higher education Harvard passive aggressive definition of a geek or nerd…so fuck that definition). And “kawaii” refers to things that are cute and adorable. Looking at the color scheme for this month, I’d say that’s spot on.

Cosplay: A vivid turquoise blue (eye shadow)

Chibi: a shimmery pink (eye shadow)

Mangaka: shimmering silvery purple (eye shadow)

Kawaiisa: a duochrome pink-purple gloss

Holy crap those are some vivid eye shadow colors. They also give off that Barbie/ bubble gum/ cutesy vibe, right? It’s hard to see the shimmer in the pink and purple but believe me, they’re there.

Like any gloss, you can see the color better in the swatch. But on the lips, it’s not that noticeable. I suppose if I really layered it and didn’t smoosh my lips together, you’d see the color better. The gloss itself is very comfortable - not sticky or gloopy at all, though the squeeze tube applicator gets a bit messy.

That’s it for my first ‘review’. I did try the Wicker Man shadows and highlighter. They were fantastic. So I’m excited to see what else I can play with from this brand. What do you think? Are you going to check them out?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid April 2021

Trying to get back into reviewing my makeup…uh, stuff. Anyone who knows me understands that since the loss of our dog, Dozer, I haven’t been up to doing much of anything. But I’ve recently gotten back on the movie reviewing bandwagon, and that’s made me want to get back to enjoying my makeup purchases. So, here we are.

For anyone who doesn’t know, Notoriously Morbid is an indie makeup brand that has a monthly subscription (several, actually) called Vanishing Cabinet. For $15 every month, you get 4-5 makeup products (eyeshadow, lipstick, perfume, etc.). Each month is also themed - could be a movie, a game, a mythology, WHATEVER. It’s pretty fun actually. And they’re cruelty free! Check the brand out here: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

I didn’t review March and, honestly, already put everything away so I can’t remember what the products were. So for April, let’s just dive into “GAME OVER”, a Resident Evil themed bag.

RESIDENT EVIL, PEOPLE!!!!!

I was going to cancel this subscription after April because I signed up for another brand’s service. But Resident Evil is the game that got me into gaming in the first place, and survival horror specifically. So I kinda wanna keep Vanishing Cabinet for a little while longer…

Great, A Chainsaw: A dark grey Mystic Matte with silver sparkles. This liquid lipstick is one of my favorite formulas. Very comfortable, and wears pretty well.

Complete. Global. Saturation: Blue based highlighter with blue and purple sparkles. You can’t really see the glitter in this because it’s very fine (which I prefer). It’s a gorgeous lavender shade on the skin. I’ve come to determine that loose highlighters are some of the best. Yeah, they’re messier than their pressed powder cousins but dayum, they’re worth it.

The Umbrella Corp logo makes for a perfect lid on these pots, no?

Abandon Hope: A pale silvered blue eye shadow with green sparkles. GORGEOUS.

Welcome to Raccoon City: A deep matte red eye shadow. I love that they picked this name for this brick red shadow.

B.O.W.s: A bruise yellow eye shadow with blue-purple-orange shifting shimmers. It’s hard to tell but this matte yellow does shift to a shiny purple-pinkish color.

I have to admit, I don’t understand the color story here. Not a big fan of primary colors together. But separately, I think they’ll be great. I’m actually dying to try that yellow shade. I have a couple yellows in my collection, but they’re a little difficult to work with. And now to have one that kinda shifts depending on the angle/light, um, yes please!

That’s it for this month. I can’t figure out the hint for May’s theme. It sounds sort of familiar, but I just can’t put my finger on it. What do you think it’ll be?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid January 2021

I’m a smidge late in posting this one. January kinda got away from me.

For those who don’t know, Vanishing Cabinet is a monthly themed makeup subscription service from Notoriously Morbid. For $15, you will get 4-5 makeup items (mostly mini or travel sized). This is an Indie makeup company, and all their products are cruelty free. Check them out for yourself here: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

The theme for January is based on one of the Legend of Zelda games. I know nothing of this particular game/franchise except that most everyone who doesn’t play it, thinks that green-capped elf is actually Zelda. (spoiler: it’s not)

Theme for January

Twilight Princess

First up, we have a face and body glitter gel, in the shade World of Shadows. Personally, I don’t like wearing this stuff on my body, and I don’t want it on my face, which is where my eyeballs live. But if this is your jam, have at it. It’s got some awesome colors going on.

The two eyeshadows I got this month are:

Twilight Realm: a teal loose shadow with a gold sheen and gold/green shifting sparkles. The sparkles fall out everywhere, but I can’t stay mad at that color.

Mirror of Twilight: a semi-loose, metallic, antique silver with blue/purple shifting sparkles. Gorgeous.

There’s also a loose highlighter, and liquid lipstick (sorry, I didn’t get a picture of the actual tube of lipstick, but it’s the same packaging they always use).

Benevolence to Banish Evil: a pearly orange highlight with rainbow sparkles. It’s hard to see all that on the face, particularly the sparkles, because it just looks smooth and shiny to me.

Light & Shadow Can’t Mix: a pale pink-leaning-lavender shade with a slight gold/peach/red shift and copper sparkles. I do love these kinds of lavender shades.

That’s it for January. Everything is gorgeous as usual, and I’m excited to keep playing around with these (except the body glitter). The hint for next month made me almost bust a gut laughing - if I guessed it correctly. What do you think?

Anyone have a guess?

Daebak Box - Winter 2020

Well, I tried to keep all my reviews for products from 2020 in 2020. But I just got overwhelmed and thought it was too much to keep up with for those last few weeks in the Year That Shall Not Be Named. *shrugs* It is what it is.

For those who many not know, this Daebak Box is a quarterly subscription of all things Korean - pop culture, makeup, skin care, snacks, clothes, etc. It’s way too much fun for its own good and has led me to purchase more (insert item here) from their on-line store after hooking me via the box.

You can purchase this service two ways: 1) pay $54.99 each quarter, or 2) pay $199.96 for the whole year. Either way you’re saving some good money. Check out the website for ALL their other subscription services and store fronts. DAEBAK

I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones.

If I haven’t mentioned it before, the actual cardboard boxes are very thick and sturdy. I’ve repurposed a few into storage containers! Also this month we got a cool, smaller booklet that actually tells us what everything is. Now, did I save mine? I have no idea…

STATIONERY/LIFESTYLE

I forgot to take separate pics of that little fuzzy bag on the left. It’s just about the right size for a cell phone, maybe a thin wallet, too. It comes with a removeable strap. The tag says “I Was Plastic” - can’t remember if that’s the brand or just the description. Because this little fuzzy pocket WAS plastic and recycled into that cute bag.

Apeach Mirror: I think I have one travel mirror (one of those metal cases that snaps closed - except mine doesn’t really close anymore and the mirror keeps falling out). So this is perfect!

Bookmark Pen: Yes, that is a pen shaped like a banana leaf. It works great as a bookmark, too. I’m going to keep it in that sparkly silver 2021 planner. (EDIT: I’ve already misplaced it somewhere in the Black Hole of my office…*son of a bitch*)

iStyle Planner: I’m going to use this as a planner for author stuff (cons, readings, publishing stuff) because gods know, I don’t have enough fucking calendars and planners in my life. I just love how shiny it is!

QMask Face Mask/Strap: These particular material/style masks as super comfortable. And I love that it came with a strap you can hang around your neck. Now I don’t have to worry about which pocket I stuffed the damn thing in next time I’m at the dentist or doctor.

The Saem Hand Lotion Set: I do like a good hand cream. These are very nice - just thick enough, and absorb so damn fast. Good thing to have in this time of excessive hand washing. I gave one away because it said it was sage scented and I’m not about that. Right now I’m using the Green Grape one. It has a slight scent of grape with a powder/perfume finish. Very nice, if a little strong.

FOOD

Lotte Pepero Rich Choco: If you don’t know what Pepero is - what have you been doing with your life (also Pocky - basically the same thing, but I think Pocky is from Japan)? These are rod shaped cookies (sometimes pretzels) covered in various flavors of chocolate. This one had white and dark layers. SOO FUCKING GOOD. You can find them in a lot of places here in the US now, so you really have no excuse not to give them a shot. Unless you have diabetes or something…then I’ll let it slide.

Lihan Rice Paddle: We have the generic plastic paddle that came with our rice cooker years ago. It’s soooooo 2005. I love this one. The textured surface helps grab all the rice, the size has good heft while still being light, and the base is weighted so it’ll stand up straight when you need to set it down or after washing to let it dry. How cool is that?

SKIN CARE

Mediheal Sheet Masks: Two different skin care options came in this pack. I have so many sheet masks already that I gave a couple of these away, too. Mediheal is a big name in skin care so I’m excited to give them a try.

Mediheal This Patch: Now, I did try some of these and honestly, my skin said no way. To be fair, my skin is super sensitive so I’m not surprised that at least one thing in this box didn’t work for me. I have given these to a friend so I hope she can get some good use from them!

Tenzero Therapy Essence: I love these little individual packets of serum. I do smell a bit of mushroom (truffle, so not a surprise there) but my skin enjoyed the one I used. (EDIT: I used another one and yes, my skin still likes it.)

That’s the Winter 2020 box. I’m still really enjoying these lifestyle boxes. I love being surprised each quarter with the items! Until next time, hope you all are hanging in there and keeping safe and healthy.

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid December 2020

These packages come later in each month so my review usually goes up the following month. But I wanted to wrap up all 2020 stuff WITHIN 2020. Keeping its taint to itself, so to speak. So I haven’t used these products yet. I’ll probably do some updates later, maybe on this post or a fresh one. We’ll see.

For those who don’t know, Notoriously Morbid is an indie makeup brand with several subscription options. This one is the Vanishing Cabinet. For $15 each month, you will get 4-5 products - usually mini, but sometimes full size. Each month is themed, and all their products are cruelty free! Check the brand out here: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones.

December’s theme was Anime - Dogs, Demons, & Deities, specifically concentrating on InuYasha.

From myanimelist.net - SYNOPSIS: Based on the Shogakukan award-winning manga of the same name, InuYasha follows Kagome Higurashi, a fifteen-year-old girl whose normal life ends when a demon drags her into a cursed well on the grounds of her family's Shinto shrine. Instead of hitting the bottom of the well, Kagome ends up 500 years in the past during Japan's violent Sengoku period with the demon's true target, a wish-granting jewel called the Shikon Jewel, reborn inside of her.

After a battle with a revived demon accidentally causes the sacred jewel to shatter, Kagome enlists the help of a young hybrid dog-demon/human named Inuyasha to help her collect the shards and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Joining Kagome and Inuyasha on their quest are the orphan fox-demon Shippo, the intelligent monk Miroku, and the lethal demon slayer Sango. Together, they must set aside their differences and work together to find the power granting shards spread across feudal Japan and deal with the threats that arise.

You know, FYI…

This month we have a Mystic Matte, a liquid eye shadow, and two loose eye shadows.

(pay no attention to my dry, crusty hands)

Wolf Prince: Described as “a semi loose mocha brown with a gold sheen and rose gold sparkles.” I can’t see the rose gold so much as the regular gold, but that could change once I actually use it on my eyeballs.

Fire Rat: Described as “a bright red shimmer with silver sparkles.” So fucking pretty, I can’t wait to use this one.

Sit, Boy!: Described as “a metallic forest green liquid eyeshadow with green sparkles.” I did put a little of this on each eye lid without eye primer. Once everything set (and I don’t know if it sets completely - I forgot to check) the sparkles did end up falling onto my under eyes and cheeks. So maybe with a primer or glitter glue, it’ll work better. We’ll see. It sure is pretty though.

Fear the Fluff: “A light warm toned purple with a shift from green to blue to violet.” I didn’t see the green, but the blue and violet are beautiful. I love this formula, so I will wear it more and will look for that green shift.

That’s it for December. Not much of a review as a listing of what I got, but I’m looking forward to playing with all these in the future. For those of you familiar with the InuYasha world, how did this theme pan out? En pointe?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid November 2020

For those who may not know, Vanishing Cabinet is a monthly makeup subscription service from the indie brand, Notoriously Morbid. Each month, you get 4-5 products (usually mini), based on that month’s theme, for $15. For more info, check out their website here: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID VC Also note that NM is a cruelty free brand!

(I pay for this with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

All righty. The theme for the November VC is Harry Potter. Please just know I’m a muggle and that’s the only reference I know from the franchise (I’ve neither read nor seen the movies - and please don’t tell me I have to because that’s the surest way to keep me from doing it).

I love that they’re including price/cost information now!

We’ve got three shadows and one of their Mystic Matte lipsticks (if you don’t like liquid lipstick, you really should try this formula).

Floo Powder Power: Gorgeous mauve/murky rose color in the matte formula.

Supermegafoxyawesomehot: Semi-loose multichrome with a rosewood base; shifts from turquoise to green to blue to purple. You just cannot capture these kind of shifty shades in swatches or sometimes even in video (especially if you have no technical deftness to bring out their beauty). Just trust me - this is a beautiful shade.

Totally Awesome: Another semi-loose multichrome but with a black base that shifts from teal to gold to green to blue. *sigh* Check out my Instagram for a couple pictures with this shade (@Pmonkey710).

I tried to get the shade swatches in two different levels of light, but it’s still hard to see just how pretty they are.

A Mystic Matte in the shade “Ugh, Now Two People Are Mad at Me”. Beautiful warm purple with sparkles that shift from green to blue to violet. I love this color so much. I really enjoy purple lipstick shades (second only to red) so this is a lovely addition!

That’s it for this month’s goodies. Apparently December will have their first anime theme! *pleasebeattackontitan* *pleasebeattackontitan* *pleasebeattackontitan*

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid October 2020

For those who are new here (Hello, welcome), Vanishing Cabinet is a monthly makeup subscription service from the indie brand, Notoriously Morbid. All of their products are cruelty free (a lot are vegan, but I can’t be sure all of them are). Each month, you get a package of 4-5 themed products (usually mini-sized) for $15. Check out their site for more information: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

OCTOBER THEME: HOCUS POCUS

Not surprised that the theme for October is based on the movie, Hocus Pocus. I, personally, don’t think it’s all that. But then again, I’m a horror whore. I prefer more scary fare than cutesy (though I’m not opposed to it), or an excuse for Bette Midler to show off her incredible pipes.

I have to admit, though, when Sarah Sanderson gets punched in the stomach after repeating “Amok!” over and over, it fucking hilarious.

Anyway…

This month we’ve got three eyeshadows, one perfume oil, and a face brightening powder. Obviously, I can’t swatch the perfume (I Put A Spell On You). It smells wonderfully like fall - sweet and spicy, little smoky with a hint of bourbon. The face powder (Light A Candle) is a very light lavender, and doesn’t show up either. Just know that the brightening/lightening power of this stuff is pretty decent. Almost a little too brightening, even for someone as pale as me, but it doesn’t look dry on the skin at all.

That leaves the eyeshadows.

Double Damn: An emerald green shadow, with a slight blue and purple shift.

Satan Has Married Medusa: A matte, burnt pumpkin orange shade

I Am Beautiful: An orange shimmery shadow, with a blue to purple to pink sheen. Mostly the pink and slightly purple colors show up on me.

I’ve always wanted to try a lavender powder and now I have the chance! The perfume is fine, but I do have a few other brands with nearly the same scent profile. So we’ll see if I keep this one. The shadows are gorgeous, as usual, and fun to play with.

Here’s the hint for November’s theme (I assume it’s a Harry Potter thing? It sounds like a Harry Potter thing, but I’ve neither read any of the books nor seen any of the movies). What do you think it is?

Daebak Box - Fall 2020

For the uninitiated, the Daebak Box is a quarterly subscription service. It contains all things South Korean: pop culture, makeup, skin care, snacks, and lifestyle. Not sure what all the hullabaloo (or hallyu - sorry, inside joke) is about, head over to the site and check them out. You can sign up for the annual subscription ($199.96) or get a one time season order ($54.99) to test the waters. It’s up to you! DAEBAK CO

(I purchase this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

General overview of the box and it’s contents. I love the shiny detail of the name and the mountain. So pretty!

I am never disappointed in these boxes. They are huge (that’s what…nevermind), and almost overstuffed with goodies. I may not end up using everything in it, but in general, these are great boxes and worth the price. I’ll break down the items into separate categories - otherwise, it gets a little overwhelming.

Hot Brew Vanilla Latte (I think the brand is HY but I can’t be sure): Collab with BTS, there are two flavors - Americano or Vanilla Latte - and I’m glad I got the latter. It is already sweet, but not over sugary. I opened it first and downed it. I needed a little pick me up that afternoon, and it was perfect. Not mad about J-Hope being on it, either. Yes, I saved the bottle. Shut up.

Petitzel (again, I THINK that’s the brand) Water Jelly in Mango: I absolutely love these water jelly drinks. They’re basically like Jello that hasn’t set all the way, making it easier to suck through the straw opening. I’ve gotten a few in the Snack Fever box, too, and they’re just fun. Also delicious, but mostly fun.

There are always some kind of coupons, and cards, and promotional stuff included in each box. And this month, there was just one beauty/makeup product. You may have thought it was really a Hershey bar but no, dear friends, it’s makeup.

Etude House Hershey Eye Shadow Palette: I’m not a huge fan of Etude House skin care stuff. My skin has a 50/50 chance of reacting to their products, but I’ve never had any of their makeup (I don’t think). In general, it seems to me anyway, that Asian powder makeup products are very soft in color. Not just the shades, but also the pigment. These are NOT patchy at all, but no matter how much I pile the powder on or build up, the color remains soft. This isn’t a bad thing at all. In fact, I might actually turn to this palette first if I want to do a soft neutral/brown/bronze look. The shadow are soft and perform very well. And that packaging. I mean, come on. How fricken cute!

I love the stationery products this month, and I think they’re all from iStyle. The notebook has lined pages, as well as the graph style (good for practicing your Hangul), and blank pages. The cover is a cool, soft matte. The pocket sticky notes are sweet - for those times you want to leave more than just a simple note! I do like that the planner band is something separate, so you can move it to from one book to another (as opposed to the attached ribbons or dividers normally in a notebook or planner.

I’m not mad at the clear plastic pouch either. Those things are great for travel when you have any toiletries or makeup that might spill and ruin everything in your suitcase!

Cica gives us the Smoother, which is basically like aloe vera gel, but doesn’t leave a film or residue on the skin. It’s a really nice moisturizer that’s great for the warmer months. So…not so much right now for me as we move into winter. But it’s a GIANT ASS bottle of product, right?

Teehee by Daebak is a vegan face mask, in stick form! It’s really cool. You just wipe it across your face directly from the tube, wait 5-10 minutes for it to dry, then wash off. Even though it feels like a clay mask, it comes off very easily. I’ve used it a couple times now and my skin really likes it, and feels very soft afterwards.

The Le Plein hair and body spray is…not good, though I do appreciate the size of the bottle. This and the two fabric sprays we’ve gotten in the box are not my favorites. They don’t work, and the scents are just too heavy. Not a fan.

The slipper socks ARE MY FAVORITIST THING EVAR. Since I got this box a couple of weeks ago, I haven’t gone one day without wearing theses. The fabric is a little on the thinner side, so I wear them over my regular socks. I wear them to bed; I wear them around the house; I wear them outside. I LOVE THEM. (I threw away the original package and label so I don’t remember the brand, and they’re not for sale in the Daebak store)

The Kakao Friends tumbler is totally adorable. I always seem to get Ryan on any Kakao product, so I’m glad he was on this, too. It’s a smaller cup (more like a regular eight ounce glass, as opposed to the American favorite of 64 ounces or more), a removeable lid, and a friggen screw on cap to protect the straw. How cool is that?

There was also a gift bag with the members of BTS on it, as well as a few coupons and promo cards. But otherwise, that’s everything. As usual, I loved about 95% of what’s in the box; I’ll probably use about 85% of the products.

Have any of you purchased this service? What do you think?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid September 2020

Seems I’m late for a September review but this subscription isn’t mailed out until the end of the month so…..

Anyhoo….for those who may not know, Vanishing Cabinet is a monthly makeup subscription service from the indie company, Notoriously Morbid. Each month, you get five items that are curated to a specific theme. If you’d like more info, head over to NOTORIOUSLY MORBID and check them out. Most of their products are vegan and/or cruelty free. HOORAY!

(I buy this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

September brought us a mash-up between The Craft and Clueless, two iconic mid-90s films. In the box, there are three loose shadows, one solid perfume, and one lip gloss. Let’s take a look.

Solid perfume stick in “Rolling with the Weirdos”: Obviously I can’t swatch a perfume, but I wish we had Smell-O-Vision already. Yummy fruity scent of strawberries and guava. If you’re a sweet, fruity kinda person (and honestly, those are the BEST kind of people), you will love this. I like solid perfumes, too, because they’re easy to transport without worrying if they’re going to spill everywhere. Just don’t leave them in a hot car…

Cosmic gloss in “Witching Hour & Makeovers”: A soft, iridescent pink/gold gloss that smells like chocolate. Not sure if it’s supposed to, but I like it. The gloss itself it pretty dang thick and gloppy, but if you’re conservative with the application, it’s totally fine. It also looks really cool if you put it over darker lip colors.

Whatever, It’s Only Magic: A gorgeous icy blue with blue to purple sparkles. This is NOT your mother’s 1970s powder blue eyeshadow. Stunning! I wore it with a little dark eyeliner one day, and it was beautiful.

That Was Way Harsh, Nancy: A perfect for fall, burnt orange shade. Actually, wear it any damn time you want. It’ll look great.

Plaid & Pentagrams: Look at that deep purple with gold shimmer and sparkles. Mother fucker, that’s gorgeous.

(I’m already picturing that purple and blue together for an icy wintery look…who the hell am I??)

October Theme Hint….Hocus Pocus reference? Some kind of witch thing!

So there you have it. Month two of my subscription, and it’s looking good. I would like to patronize a lot more indie brands when possible. Goodness knows, 2020 has sucker-punched a lot of small businesses right in the dick, so if I can help keep them afloat, I’ll do my best!

Anyone sign up for this? What do you think?

Vanishing Cabinet from Notoriously Morbid August 2020

I don’t know if it’s quarantine, or I just missed having a makeup subscription service, but here we are. I’ve signed up for a monthly makeup subscription from Notoriously Morbid (remember the lipstick one I did with them for the dragon themed year? No? Well, click HERE to read one).

I’ve been very drawn to indie brands of makeup, and since I’ve tried eye shadows and lip products from NM (and liked them), I thought I’d sign up for their Vanishing Cabinet service. For $15 each month, you get 4-5 themed items (some mini, some full size) ranging from lip products, blusher, solid perfumes, etc. all with that month’s pop culture theme. Check out NW’s site for more info. Keep in mind they have a really long waiting list for this service, but will contact you once a spot opens (assuming you sign up to wait, that is). NOTORIOUSLY MORBID VANISHING CABINET NM is also vegan and cruelty free!

I purchase this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones.

So, let’s take a look at August 2020 - X FILES!

Lots of super pretty stuff this month! Highlighter, blush, two eye shadows, and a liquid lipstick.

I Want to Believe: Light green highlighter. You can see the gold in that swatch and that’s mostly what you see when it’s applied to the cheekbones. But…if you look straight on at my face, you can see a slight green wash of color. Not super happy about that, but it’s not that noticeable, so I can live with it! And loose highlighters are great to get an intense shine!

They Call Me Spooky: Deep pink blush. I can’t be sure, but I think there’s a little shimmer or shine in the blush. It’s not over the top, if it exists at all. BUT IT IT SUPER PIGMENTED! Tread carefully…since it’s loose, get a little on your brush and tap that on your hand before putting it on your face. Trust me…

Trust No One: Matte teal eye shadow. Gorgeous. The swatch doesn’t look great, but I think I had a spot of lotion that was still a little damp on my arm right where I swatched it.

The Smoking Man: Multichrome shadow, pewter base that shifts from rose, to green, to gold. The rose is a little hard to see but the shadow is no less stunning for it. I also love the little eye shadow pots look like UFOs.

Sure. Fine. Whatever: One of the NM’s Mystic Matte liquid lipsticks in a beautiful chocolate brown. I am not a brown lipstick girl, but dayum. This formula is very comfortable and doesn’t dry down completely. It’s also very thin at first application so it WILL bleed into any lines around your mouth. But if you stay on top of it with a Q-tip, or use a lip liner, it’ll be fine.

I love the names of everything in this collection. I think the lipstick and The Smoking Man eye shadow are my favorite. I’m excited to keep using them.

Also, the hint for September’s theme….HELLZ YEAH (though, I don’t remember anyone saying ‘as if’ before that famous line, but it has been a while since I saw the movie).

Storybook Cosmetics

About a year ago, Storybook Cosmetics popped up on my IG feed (I don’t remember if it was an ad or someone I follow talking about them). And they have this monthly makeup subscription called the Book Club, and the eye shadow palettes look like little books! How cool is that? Naturally, I signed on. I wanted to get at least three of them to test the products properly.

Look at that gorgeous logo!

However, what was originally going to be a monthly service, turned to every other month. Then not exactly sure. Now we don’t know when. After a year, I finally got the third palette, and I think I’m done.

Don’t get me wrong - I’m not blaming or shaming anyone here. This business is run by three women (triplets, actually!) so anytime life throws a monkey wrench into the works, the schedule is messed up. I get it - family illness/death, manufacturing problems, supplier issues, global pandemic - that shit is not fun. But I know my ass is impatient, and I don’t want to hang around and wait, hoping no more issues raise their ugly heads.

That said…I really have enjoyed these shadows and lipsticks. The books come with three eye shadows, one lip product, and a bookmark. The last two books also came with eye shadow brushes that are ADORBS. The packaging is not for those who want sleek displays, or to save storage space. These are thicc, even if they are small. Just look at the pictures below to understand what I’m talking about.

Despite my reservations, I do not begrudge anyone who wants to check them out, and maybe sign on for the subscription. You can buy their products individually, too. Check them out here: STORYBOOK COSMETICS

(they’re also cruelty free, so bonus points to them for that!)

So let’s go over each palette I received and talk about them, shall we?

First up was Little Women!

Each book has beautiful detailing, a mirror, a quote from the book, and the bookmark contains the product ingredients. You can see what I mean by the book’s bulk, even though the book is small, so it takes up some room.

The shadows are named after three of the sisters in LW, and Jo gets the honor of the liquid lipstick. The shadows do kick up some powder so be careful when applying. The lipstick formula is wonderful. It never feels super dry when it sets, and it even has a bit of tackiness to it (particularly on the inner rim of the lips). It WILL come off on stuff so be warned. My applicator had a funny little extra bit at the end, but I just cut it off and all was well. I dig the shape of the doe foot itself, though.

I wanted to create at least three looks with each palette. I have to say this color story was the least inspirational to me, but I ended up really digging the simple look of the soft pale green all over the lid.

Next book is The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Dig that eye shadow brush, people, with working magnifier! Not that I use it for that, but it’s pretty cool.

This palette scream falls to me. Probably because of the Harvest Orange and Forest Green colors. The lipstick is a more neutral nude color on me, maybe leaning a little yellow once it sets down. But again, the formula is very comfortable. For the eye shadows, I think Watson and Moriarty were my faves, and they worked so well together.

And last, but not least, we have Jane Eyre.

I think I was most excited about this because the pink and rose color story was just calling my name! Not that I’m a pink person at all, but for some reason, these got me excited enough to keep my subscription until it arrived. They are a nice mix of cool and warm tones, too. The brush feels a lot cheaper than the Sherlock one, but that could be because the Sherlock one has actual thick glass in it!

Instead of a liquid lipstick this time, we got a gloss. Decently pigmented, thick, not sticky at all, and super comfortable. Probably my favorite lip product of all three.

I loved all the shades in this palette and can see myself using this more than the others. Well, except for maybe Watson and Moriarty. Oooh, we could have a palette party!

Like I said, I loved the idea of this. As a writer, how could I not? The shadow formulas are nice, little powdery, but they perform well. The lip products are pretty and comfortable. All in all, these are good products. I just don’t have the patience to keep my subscription, not knowing if it’ll stay on schedule or be more “well, we’ll ship it when we can”. I did put a link to the company above, though, so please check them out and see for yourselves what they’ve got going on!

Daebak Box - Summer 2020

Well, if this year hasn’t been the Bitch of the Century…

Luckily, my Summer Daebak box arrived pretty much on schedule (despite that fucking corona virus) and it was a much needed spirit lifter!

For those who don’t know, the Daebak Box is a subscription service that send you a box jam packed with Korean goodies - pop culture, snacks, skin care, makeup, kpop, and more. You can either sign up to renew every season or pre-pay for a full year and save about $20. Right now, seasonal is $54.99 and annual is $199.96. I get the annual because I cannot see, in the foreseeable future, ever canceling this service!

(The same folks who run this also do SnackFever - all Korean snacks and goodies, as well as Daebak Jewelry. I can’t speak to the jewelry service, but SnackFever is fucking awesome - UNFORTUNATELY, for the foreseeable future, most of the SF subscriptions have been cancelled due to the Korea Post increasing their shipping prices by 50%, and some customers being total douche knockers who refuse to pay for the extra fees involved for customs, thereby costing the Daebak folks losts of $$ in restocking and return fees.)

I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones.

So let’s take a peek and see what came in the Summer box!

All…the…things….

Etude House Moistful Collagen Emulsion: I was almost expecting this to be more like a watery serum, but it’s like a thin moisturizer. Smells heavenly (clean and soft) and absorbs well. Hasn’t screwed up my skin yet!

Duft and Doft Sunscreen: I have had the chance to use this once since I received it. It’s probably one of the best sunscreens I’ve tried. It does smell like a typical sunscreen (which I don’t mind at all) but it soaks into the skin like a moisturizer. I didn’t feel sticky or greasy, or that it would all slide off my face the second I left the house.

Moonshot Lip and Cheek Cream Paint: I’m usually leery of these kinds of products. Any kind of multitasking makeup stick/cream/etc., is usually dry on one part, patchy on another, useless on yet another. But I’m here to say, this cream paint is a dream! The color is gorgeous and makes a fantastic lipstick. If you blend it out, it looks great on the cheeks. BUT BEWARE! If you use more than a pin head sized dot on your cheek, you WILL look like Bozo the Clown. So just be careful. It’s a bit of a learning curve, but worth the effort!

Shil Note Notebooks: Um, I’m a writer so anytime I can get another notebook, I AM ALL IN. The orange one is like any regular lined notebook. The Made in Korea one is set up for writing hangul, or the Korean alphabet. And I just signed up for a language app to help me learn Korean. THIS IS PERFECTION. Each notebook came with its own stickers but…

i Style Design Stickers: Moar Stickers! It’s always fun to get stickers, and play with them. I’m not mad at these designs, either.

Jeju Fabric Perfume: We got one of these in the Spring box as well, just a different scent. I can’t say these work in any way. But as a room freshener, they’re very nice! This one smells like perfumed fabric softener. Not something I want my person to smell like, but it’s not bad for a general scent.

Wiggle Wiggle: Not sure what kind of bag you call this, but it looks like some kind of waterproof travel bag. Which is perfect. It feels very sturdy and I actually love the color combination!

YouUs Cheese Ttokbokki: Someday I hope to have some real ttokbokki, but in the meantime, these ramen style packages will have to do. I haven’t had this yet but I read that a few people struggled with cooking it because it requires a microwave (usually you just dump hot water and let it sit, but this one needs a little more cook time apparently). I’m super excited to try it.

Tio Peach Tea: These are delicious. If you like sweetened, instant iced tea, and peach flavor, you’ll love these.

Metal Chopsticks: Funny that the hubby and I already have a dozen pairs of Korean style chopstick, but I’m not mad to add another set to the family! These are a little more difficult for me to use as the ends are squared off. The other ones I have are rounded and smooth, making them easy to grip. These are slippery little suckers, but I’m working on my technique!

As usual, I loved the items I got in this box (though the fabric perfume is just…okay). Since it’s a little difficult to physically travel anywhere in my own country, let alone overseas, this quarterly service will have to suffice and give me the Korea culture fix I need.

Have any of you signed up for this? Are you digging it as much as I am? Let me know!

Daebak Box - Spring 2020

Well, considering how things are going right now, receiving my Spring Daebak box was just the pick up I needed! (though by the time I’m posting this, we’re a week out from the ‘end’ of quarantine…but I imagine restrictions will still apply for a while)

For those who don’t know, the Daebak box is a seasonal subscription service for all things Korea - pop culture, snacks, beauty, lifestyle, etc. - all delivered to your door once a quarter. You can buy one season at a time (at $54.99) or pre-pay for a whole year ($199.96). Check out the service here: DAEBAK (these are the same people that do the Snack Fever service I buy, and they just started a jewelry service, too).

I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones.

The Spring box is chock full of goodies, some of which are not described or even mentioned in the Daebak magazine that comes each quarter. So we’ll have to figure this out together.

MISCELLANEOUS - OR BONUS, WHO KNOWS?

I had no idea who this was until I read a few posts at the Daebak Facebook page. Apparently, subscribers got random posters of a member from the K-pop group, Seventeen. I’ve heard of them; I think I’ve seen a video or two on the K-Ville YouTube channel (shut up). But I don’t know which one this is…let’s see if I can figure it out.

Okay! Looks like I got Boo Sungkwan (nick name Boo). He is one of the 13 members of Seventeen (it’s a convoluted explanation on how they got the name, so I won’t go into it here - just know it’s a lot of math). Hopefully using my feet to hold down the poster doesn’t offend anyone (and if it does, just suck it up and don’t be such a whiny bitch) because I had nothing close by to keep it from rolling up. He’s adorbs, and if I were a big fan of the group, I’d be ecstatic about this. Buuuut…I’m not, so not sure what I’ll do with it. It’s nice, thick poster paper, though. *crafting mind takes over*

MAKEUP

These are all sample sizes, so maybe that’s why they aren’t in the magazine? Could be random additions - that happens sometimes!

The MakeHeal Foundaiser (from the MakeHeal website: foundaiser gives you “Natural coverage as if you received a laser therapy.”) This is really nice. It does emphasize my pores a bit but I didn’t use a pore filling primer when I tested it. So we’ll see if I can get it to look a little better. But even so, I did the rest of my makeup and my skin looked FUCKING AWESOME. Satin finish, healthy glow, not a heavy looking foundation at all. And the shade works really well. This is supposed to negate the need for concealer, last 24 hours, and has a cool applicator in the bottle, not the sample (SIDE NOTE: the model on the sample packet is actually an actress that’s starring in a K-Drama I’m watching right now, The Arthdal Chronicles - and it’s awesome). And one sample packet is enough for three applications (for me) so HOORAY! (EDIT: It does start to look heavier as the day progresses, and kind of dry. But if I just needed something quick for a few hours, this would be great.)

The Labiotte Win Lip Tint: This is cool. I like these kind of watery lip products that stain the skin. It actually feels more like a watered down gel, very smooth and soft, or maybe that’s the applicator. The freshly applied product looks orange, but the stain is more pink. Either way, the colors are beautiful. The freshly applied swatch, and wiped off after a few seconds, are below on the left side of my hand. Then you can see the lip swatches of freshly applied early afternoon, and how it looked at the end of the night. This stuff wears incredibly well, even after eating. Well, it IS a stain, after all. That’s how they work.

The MakeHeal Airjet Velvet Lipstick: The samples are almost too small to get a lip brush in them, but I got it to work (when they didn’t pop out of the packaging). Beautiful, soft colors, and the lipstick feels, literally, like velvet on the lips. Very comfortable. I swatched them on my hand (below) and my lips, but I was removing them with kleenex and I had white fuzzies all over my chin in EVERY PICTURE so…I skipped posting those.

SKIN AND TEETH

Beauty of Joseon: The first picture shows three skin care products from Beauty of Joseon, and the pretty pink satchel they came in. I haven’t tried the peeling gel (I’ve already got one in the rotation from ELF). I used the mask last night, and it was GLORIOUS. One of those jelly serum masks, which are my favorite. The material of the mask is a little too flimsy to put in this pouch without some kind of structural, removable backing, but I still loved it. I also tried some of the cleansing balm, and hallelujah it didn’t fuck up my eyes!

The Peelosoft Bubble Eraser Pads: I opened these up the other day to wash after wearing a full face of makeup. They are cleansing cloths that fit over your first 2-3 fingers, like a little pocket. They come dry, you wet them under the faucet, then lather up. I took off my makeup with an oil cleanser first then used one of these. VERY NICE. Would be excellent for travel (which none of us are doing right now, but hopefully soon…). And the tea tree part is not overwhelming.

VTxBTS Think Your Teeth: First, that’s a giant ass toothbrush. I’ve seen MAKEUP brushes that big, dude. But the bristles are very soft, which is good for my sensitive teeth. I haven’t tried it or the toothpaste (see previous mention of sensitivity, plus I need to research the ingredient list on the paste). I love when K-pop bands do collabs in Korea because their images are all over the packaging. And yes, I got a pack of trading cards with their images on one side, names on the other. If I were a 13 year old girl, I’d be squeeing with delight right now. Okay, to be honest, I squeed a little…but come on, look how adorable they all are!

UM…LIFESTYLE?

Jeju Fabric Perfume: It’s just what you think - when your clothes get too stinky from that bbq restaurant, or someone near you is smoking, you spray this on your clothes to get rid of the stank. And it smells like fresh grapefruit. I’d wear this as regular perfume! I haven’t tested it on smelly clothes yet, so I’ll let you know.

Kakao Bath Headband: Super soft, and fits much better than the cat ear headband I got years ago from Meme Box. Don’t believe me? Just look at the above picture!

LED Lights (those might be Kakao, too). OMG so fucking cute! They make a nice decoration on my “to read bookshelf”. Don’t judge me…

SNACKS

HaiTai Homerun Balls: Um…anyway…these were very …tasty…gaaahhhh….. Okay. Mind out of gutter. These were delicious. The outer shell is like a profiterole - light and airy. The chocolate center is perfection. Highly recommend these balls.

In your mouth. *I’ll show myself out*

SM Town Artist Jelly: The Red Velvet jellies aren’t named that for the flavor, but rather for the K-pop group, Red Velvet. I’ve heard of them, but currently don’t have any of their songs on my iPod. The jellies themselves taste like strawberry and peach. Very yummy! And those cute little bird stickers came in the bag (sorry the picture is so blurry).

Whew! All righty, that’s it. So far I’m loving EVERYTHING in this box, including the BTS cards (SHUT UP). This really was a bright spot during a stressful time, and I’m so glad I subscribe to it. I think I have the Summer box left in my pre-paid subscription. I have a sneaking suspicion I will renew for 2020-2021.

Do any of you get this box? What do you think? Leave me a comment!

Daebak Box - WINTER 2019

My Google Reports tell me that most of the views on my website (or my site was found via this post), come from my first Daebak subscription box review. I’m not really sure why - except that maybe, right now, Korean culture and music is YUUUUUGE in the US. It’s been here for a while but I think it’s expanding ever farther each year.

And with that, I’ll add another review to a Korean culture/lifestyle box - the Daebak Winter box for 2019.

If this is new to you, Daebak is a quarterly subscription box that’s jam packed with all sorts of Korean cultural items. Each is valued at $75+ and costs $49.99 per month, or you can pay for a yearly subscription for $179.96 and save $20. If you’d like to check it out, click on the link - DAEBAK.

It’s only my second box, but I’m still amazed at how much stuff comes in each one, including stationery, skin care, accessories, and more. And look how fucking cute all that is!

Let’s do the character stuff first.

Kakao Friends Square Pouch (Ryan): I’m so glad I got Ryan, since he was on the tote and face mask from the Fall box. And though it’s a small bag, I was rather surprised at how much I got in there the first time I used it. Not my phone, but if I’m just running out to dinner or a quick errand, I don’t need my phone on my person at all times.

Romane Brunch Brother Winter Collection: I don’t know who the Brunch Brothers are, or the company that makes them (Romane), but this duck flannel blanket is super soft. It’s more like a small throw, but I’m not the Jolly Green Giant so it works for me!

Here are all the skin care things this season:

Nature Republic EXO Edition Face Mask: I can’t remember if I’ve already used this (my bet would be ‘yes’). It’s hard to say whether these things do more than add hydration, but I am never mad at a sheet mask. I don’t know much of EXO’s music, but I do have “Mama” on my iPod. It’s a good one. And one member (Byun Baek-hyun) played a prominent character in one of the most fantastic KDramas I’ve ever seen: Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart Ryeo.

The Saem Healing Tea Garden Cleansing Water: I can’t find much info on whether or not The Saem brand is cruelty free (so many things are changing in South Korea, requiring all companies to be CF as of last year, but the whole China thing is still an issue, and even THAT is changing….GAH!). But this cleansing water is phenomenal. If I haven’t worn makeup or gotten dirty over the course of the day, just using this to cleanse my face, before serum and moisturizer, is fine. And I couldn’t really ever do that before.

The Saem Care Plus Baobab Collagen Cream: I’m on the verge of using up a thick cream by The Ordinary so I’ve been on the lookout for something new. Again, not sure if The Saem is cruelty free, but I plan to use this when I run out of my current moisturizer (though I do still have a cream from Nature Republic from the Fall box to use, too).

And now for ALL the stationery:

Kakao Friends 2020 Small Table Calendar: I’m not really in NEED for a desk calendar, but this is kinda cute, man. If I can just clean off the desk in my office, I could totally use it.

OohLala 50 Stickers: Who doesn’t like stickers? Apparently, this stack is from one of the most notorious brands, OohLala, and includes their eccentric character designs. I’m not sure what makes them notorious, but them’s pretty strong words. They’re not exactly my style, but I’m sure I can find a use for a few.

7321 Design ‘The Color My Book’ Diary: It’s actually a planner and it comes with…wait for it…stickers! I really have no use for this, as I’ve got a large planner already in use, and a small one for my purse. So if anyone wants this, just let me know!

Lucalab Shining Gel Stick: These are pretty cool. I’ve never seen nor used anything like them. They’re kind of like crayons, but smoother, if that makes sense. I dig ‘em.

That’s it for the Winter box. Lots of fun stuff to play with! If you get this box, what’s your favorite item you got?

Daebak Subscription Box - FALL

Well, hello there, gentle reader. ‘Tis I, the Monkey, returning with another subscription service review. This is a little different from the ones I’ve done in the past - those have been monthly, and contained makeup or snacks or some kind of combo. But this one is more of a lifetstyle/culture kinda dealio, it’s quarterly, and it’s Korean.

As if any of you are surprised, amirite?

I found the Daebak Box after I subscribed to Snack Fever, a monthly Korean snack box (I signed up after cancelling the Universal Yums box, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to review it yet). The same people who started that put this subscription service together, too. I got my Fall box a couple of weeks ago and I’m kinda floored with all the goodies packed inside.

I purchased the annual membership (pre-pay for all four seasonal boxes at $179) but you could do the seasonal membership that renews every quarter for $49.99.

Let’s take a look inside the Fall Box!

From the Daebak website: Each box will include between 8 and 12 full-sized premium products ranging from K-beauty and K-pop to fashion and accessories, stationery, and everything in between! We'll curate the best and trendiest products of each season. The contents of the box are a surprise and change every season.

Anyone who knows me can figure out why I signed up.

Aside from the goodies, there’s a magazine inside that is full of information. The first two pages list the items you received (or the variation - i.e., the color is different, the character is different, etc.) There’s no value listed for each item, but there is a quick description. The rest of the magazine consists of tips on using some items, giveaway information, and some article/blurbs about something pertaining to Korea and/or its culture (in this case, a karaoke tv show, the Kakao Friends, K-pop, and an abandoned theme park, Yongma, that’s become a popular destination for photographers, musicians, and general visitors to Korea).

MeloMeli Magic Spell Blusher. This is the only item I took a hundred pictures of because it was the first thing I pulled out and used immediately! I’m kinda rocking a blush obsession right now so this was perfect. There were two color options and it looks like I got the lighter one, which is good. The colors are very soft (as you can see from the swatches) so it was hard to get a picture of it on my face. But trust me, it looked really nice. Seems more appropriate for Spring or Summer, but these soft hues might just show up better on non-tanned Fall or Winter skin. And look at that compact! So fricken’ cute. It’s nice and sturdy, snaps closed, good sized mirror, and just adorable.

Soothing Jelly Mask from The Face Shop, with Kakao Friends’ Ryan. I don’t know anything about Kakao, but I know I love jelly face masks. I’m pumped for this.

Etude House Mist Oil Glow. The magazine in the box lists either Moist Glow or Gloss Glow, not Oil, so I’m not sure which is which. But this stuff is kinda cool - you shake it up to combine the two liquids, and there are teeny tiny shimmers in it. It doesn’t look like you just left your job at the Bazouki Club at 3:00am when you put it on, so no worries there (unless you’re into that sort of thing). I can’t quite put my finger on the scent, but it’s not bad. It’s like a combo of spa and floral and medicine. Just odd.

Jeju Aloe Ice Soothing Gel from The Face Shop. This is a GINORMOUS tub of lotion and apparently, it’s good for all sorts of uses: skin care (i.e. face and body), hair, and soothing your sunburn. Well, okay then. It’s got a light texture and absorbs really well into the skin. I’m a little leery of putting it on my face, but I’ll try anything once! Well, that’s not entirely true. Bungee jumping will FOREVER be out of my wheelhouse…

Emoji Socks from Socks Appeal. This was a random item for this box and as someone whose feet are always cold, but doesn’t want to wear shoes unless absolutely necessary, AND has worn out her last pair of slippers, I say thank you, Daebak.

Tin Memo Case with Esther Bunny. Um, little slips of note paper, in a reusable tin? Yes, please.

Cable Protector from Wiggle Wiggle. Another random item, there were five options: shell, lobster, daisy, cat, or hot dog. It’s perfect for my iPod cord, probably my phone cord, or any other thin cable/wire needed to charge any portable electronic device. I dig it, though I wish I got the lobster.

Buckle Eco Bag with Kakao Friends’ Ryan. Can never have too many tote bags, am I right? This feels pretty sturdy, not like those cheap bags you can buy at your grocery store for a buck. It’s huge, and I love the Ryan character on the front. The other option was a black bag with Muzi, but I don’t know. Ryan has that cynical look, or just that he’s so tired of your bullshit he can’t be bothered. Yeah, I like that. (UPDATE: did some research on Ryan. He’ was added to the Kakao family in 2016 and though he looks like a bear, he’s actually a maneless lion. And though his flat expression misleads most people, his emotions are quite delicate and he’s a trustworthy friend.)

Ice Tumbler from Esther Loves You. I could have gotten a pink version of this, OR a portable juice cup travel water bottle…thing. I like this one. It’s got that Tervis Tumbler technology going on. You know, it won’t sweat all over you in the hot months when it’s filled with ice cold…whatever. Reusable straw with adorable Esther rocking out to music.

Like I mentioned, there are no dollar values assigned to any of these items, but all this for around $45? I think it’s worth it. So far. I mean, this is the first box I’ve received, so we’ll have to wait and see what the Winter seaon brings. But each one will contain 8-12 full sized items.

Wanna check it out for yourself? You can always just get a month and cancel, or do the full year and figure out where to go from there. Check out the website: daebakbox.com

Notoriously Morbid Mystic Monthly (FINAL REVIEW) December 2018

We have arrived at the final review in my Mystic Monthly subscription service from Notoriously Morbid. For those who don’t know, NM is an indie makeup company that has two monthly subscription services. I signed up for the $10/month liquid lipstick subscription in 2018 (NOTE: the price has increased to $12 for 2019.) Though it’s been fun, I need to move on to something else. But if you’d like to check them out, go to their website: NOTORIOUSLY MORBID

(I paid for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

The Mystic Monthly theme for 2018 was Dragons - which is basically why I signed up in the first place. December brought us Fuzanglong, an underground dragon that protects buried treasure. The Cursed Crystals eye/lip topper is called Hidden Treasures - makes sense.

First, the lip/eye topper. I got another Cursed Crystals in the Advent calendar, but it definitely has a different color shift. For this one, the purple and rose are easier to see than the green. I haven’t tried it on my eyes yet, so I’ll let you know how it goes when I do.

The lipstick is beautiful. I tried to take pics to show the differences between fresh, dried down, pressed together, and with the topper. Not sure it’s translating all that well in the photographs but the topper was kind of fun to put over this. The lipstick is a little streaky so it would be better to layer it a time or two.

The next pics are, in order: freshly applied; after it set; after I pressed my lips together to get the blue sparkles to show up; and with the lip topper applied over my lipstick. Again, it’s a little hard to distinguish the subtle differences, but they are there!

You get an idea of the patchiness, too, so I want to wear this again, but layer it and then see how long it lasts.

The Mystic Matte formula of liquid lipstick is pretty good. It’s not super drying, the colors they come up with are somewhat unique, and they are fun to play with. It’s been fun having this subscription, and it did give me a better look into the Notoriously Morbid brand as a whole. I’ve been able to try a bunch of different products, and there are still a few more I’d like to investigate. Don’t forget to check out their site link above if you want more information!

Notoriously Morbid Mystic Monthly 3-Month Review

Gaaaahhhhhh…. yeah.

Okay, so I’m a little behind. You can go read my latest Monkey Musings to know why. Instead of doling out this monthly review one at a time, I’m just going to talk about the last three months, and leave the final month review for January. I also had the timing wrong on my past reviews, so for this post, we’ll disregard the designations from the past and talk about September, October, and November from Notoriously Morbid’s Mystic Monthly subscription service. And because I’m behind, I most likely will be missing a few details and pictures. Sorry about that.

For the newbs, NM has a monthly lip product subscription service. For $10, you get one full sized Mystic Matte liquid lipstick, plus one other full sized lip product. The lipstick is exclusive to this service, and each year they follow a specific theme. For 2018, it was The Dragon’s Tail.

(I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

SEPTEMBER

I only have pics of the lipstick from this month. I can’t remember what else came with it, nor did I keep the slip of paper that has all the mythology on the month’s dragon, though its name is Fafnir.

Ugh, I suck.

However, the color of this month’s lipstick is gorgeous! A beautiful, mid-toned orange with a pink base, and some kind of sparkle - I wanna say silver, possibly gold as well. I smudged the swatch on my hand so you can see the pink base.

OCTOBER

For this month, the dragon is from Slavic mythology, and named Zmey. This is a cool toned pinky-purple with copper sparkles - you can sort of see them along the edge of my lower lip in the second lip swatch pic. You also get Smoke & Fire, one of the cosmic glosses. A gorgeous dark berry color that smells like strawberry cake. The pigmentation on this one is so much better than the one I got in their advent calendar.

NOVEMBER

This month’s dragon comes from the Welsh flag - Y Ddraig Goch, the red dragon. This lipstick is a warm toned red with red shimmer. You also get a Slumber Salve, Entombed, flavored with sangria and vanilla.

At first I though the red was going to show up more orange, but with the red shimmer, it’s a perfect Christmas holiday color - which was NM’s thinking behind this shade. SO PRETTY!

All righty. I’ve got one more month coming for the 2018 Dragon theme and then I’m going to cancel the subscription. Not because I don’t like the formula or any of the colors I’ve received (well, one was kind weak.) I just don’t need dozens of the same kind of lipstick. Does that make sense? But if you’re in the market for this kind of product, that comes in some unique and gorgeous colors, by all means, sign up! It’s been worth it for me!