January 2017 PopSugar Must Have Box

POPSUGAR Must Have is a monthly lifestyle subscription box for women. Each month they send a mix of items from categories like beauty, fashion, food, fitness, and home.

Monthly Inspiration Card

Here are the contents of this month's box:

Must Have Home
1) May Design Desk Calendar and Notecard
     $25.00
2) Manduka eQuac  Mat Towel
     $38.00
3) Sourcebooks, Inc. Instant Happy Notes 
     $8.99

Must Have Beauty
4) Goldfaden MD Fresh A Peel Multi Acid Resurfing Peel
     $85.00
5) Daily Concepts Your Hair Wrap Towel
     $18.00

Must Have Food

6) Dean & Deluca Peppermint Loose Leaf Tea
    $10.75
Must Have Extra
7) Glade Coconut and Beachwood Candle 
     $4.99

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: $190.73

* This is the second PopSugar Must Have Box from my recent subscription renewal. I had very high expectations for this months box since I really enjoyed the December box but this months box just didn't excite me. Some of the items in the box such as the calendar and workout accessories made since to me because of the New Year and New Year's resolutions however the majority of the box just felt like filler items. I've had my box for a few weeks now and the only thing I have actually used was the Hair Wrap towel. For me the January Must Have box was a miss and I really hope that the February box is amazing. 

If you are interested in joining PopSugar click the link: popsugar.com

Christian Louboutin Loubichrome Nail Colour Collection

What it is:

A limited edition collection of mini nail colours made up of energetic shades inspired by the ultra-luxurious qualities of specchio, a laminated leather with a mirror-like quality, loved by Christian Louboutin for its ability to capture light and take on new dimension. Infused with light-reflecting pigment pearls, the new colours deliver a playful chrome finish on nails.

Colors in the Collection:

• Loubichrome I (a luminescent neon yellow)
• Loubichrome II (a deep burnished red with an orange tint)
• Loubichrome III (a vibrant violet magenta)

Swatches:

Colors from L-R: Loubichrome I, Loubichrome II, and Loubichrome III 

Verdict: First off the packaging on these polishes is soo cute. I am loving the unicorn vibes. These new Loubichrome polishes were being marketed as holographic and unfortunately that is just not so. The finish is close to a shimmer which is somewhat disappointing. The formula on Loubicrome I was very thin. I needed to use at least three coats to get the color to show up. This tends to be the case with most light shade polishes developed by Louboutin. The formula on Loubicrome II & III , on the other hand, was fantastic. One of the biggest lessons I have learned with Louboutin polish is that the darker the shade the better the formula tends to be.  My favorite color out of the collection was the Coral Red, it just seemed so unique to me and not a shade a see often. The neon yellow was the biggest let down and the purple is a color that I know I already own a dupe of in my collection. I'm always on the fence when it comes to recommending Louboutin polishes because the price tag never correlates with the formula but I would say that if you have been dying to try some Louboutin polish these mini bottles won't hurt your piggy bank.

If you would like to pick up your own Loubichrome Nail Colour they are currently available for $30.00 each on the Christian Louboutin website, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue,  and Neiman Marcus.

Pantone Universe Color of the Year 2017: Greenery

Pantone recently announced the 2017 color of the year and this year it is all about Greenery. 

Greenery is nature’s neutral and symbolic of new beginnings. Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew.

This year Butter London had the honor of teaming up with Pantone to release a Color of the Year collection. The Butter London collection consists of new nail lacquers and lip glosses to commemorate this uplifting new shade. 

Pantone Color of the Year Lacquers
Retail: $10

Pantone Color of the Year Plush Rush Lip Glosses

Retail: $20

RENEW Mini Nail Lacquer Set

Retail: $19

RESTORE Mini Lip Plush Set

Retail: $19

REFRESH Mini Nail Lacquer Set

Retail: $19

Butter London + Pantone Color of the Year Eyeshadow Palette

Retail: $29

* In year's past Sephora would collaborate with Pantone to create a makeup collection for the Color of the Year. I am not sure if the collaboration is happening this year but if it does I will definitely post about it. 

Urban Decay Afterdark Eyeshadow Palette

What it is:
A jewel-toned palette featuring 10 sultry shades of UD Eyeshadow—including seven just-released colors and three cult favorites that no beauty junkie should be without.

Colors in the Set:

• Alter (metallic white-gold with gold shift)
• Scene (light metallic pinky-peach with gold shift)
• Supersonic (intense metallic red-copper)
• Sinful (metallic golden amber)
• Off Duty (deep metallic bronze)
• Druggie (metallic purple with violet shift)
• Backfire (burgundy satin with purple shift)
• Lounge (brick red satin with green shift)
• Fringe (bright metallic teal)
• Paralyzed (navy with tonal metallic shift)

Swatches:

Top Row from L to R: Alter, Scene, Supersonic, Sinful, Off  Duty
Bottom Row from L to R: Druggie, Backfire, Lounge, Fringe, Paralyzed

Verdict: Once again Urban Decay Cosmetics has released another great palette. I love jewel toned cosmetics and the packaging on this palette is gorgeous. The formula is smooth, buttery, and highly pigmented. The colors swatched beautifully and are quite wearable. I had purchased the Kat Von D Serpentina palette, a few months back, but this UD palette definitely blows the Kat Von D palette out of the water. The quality is just so much better. If you decided to pass on the KVD palette give this one a try you won't be disappointed. 

If you would like to pick up your own Urban Decay Afterdark Eyeshadow Palette it it is available for $49.00 at Sephora. Click the link for more details: Sephora

Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Palette

What it is:

An eye, lip, and face transformer palette with four holographic shades.

Colors in the Palette:

• Emerald (green)
• Saphyre (blue)
• Amethyst (ultra-violet)
• Opal (pink)

Swatches:

Colors from L to R: Emerald, Saphyre, Amethyst, Opal

Shades swatched on top of black eye shadow.
Colors from L to R: Emerald, Saphyre, Amethyst, Opal

Verdict: O my goodness this palette is amazing. The shades are very buttery and blend so smoothly. The shadows can be used as unique highlighters on their own and the colors really pop when worn on top of other shadows and lipsticks. This palette reminds me of a transformer eye shadow product that The Body Shop use to sell many years and I love having a newer version of it in my life. This is such a fun palette to add to your collection since it will allow you to play around with color and allow you to create a slew of creative new looks. 

If you would like to pick up your own Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Palette it is available for $32.00 at Sephora. Click the link for more details: Sephora