PopSugar Must Have: June 2015 Review and Unboxing!


Hi there! I received the June PopSugar Must Have box in the middle of June, and while I'm sure so many other people have already snagged this box and reviewed it (I mean who wouldn't? It's PopSugar!), I loved this box in particular so, so much and I got a chance to try out all of the products, and since my blog is admittedly looking a *little* bare, what better way to start off than with a summery PopSugar box? image

So, without further adieu~ PopSugar Must Have is a renewable monthly subscription that sends you a bunch of sweet surprises from all different areas, including lifestyle, beauty, makeup, yummy food, books... the list goes on! Each monthly box is a surprise so you never know what you're going to get, which is honestly my favorite part of sub boxes.
PopSugar is a bit on the pricier side, weighing in at $39.95 per month, but you can save more by upgrading to either a 3-month or 6-month subscription. There's also many coupons and ways to get discounts floating around the interwebs, so if you were to opt out of the monthly sub and gift yourself a box instead, you can save money that way too. Since this month was my first PopSugar box, I was able to save $5 with the code REFER5

 Every month, PopSugar has a theme based on something different that inspired the curation of the items. This month was inspired by "Sun-kissed, soft skin, papaya, outdoor fun, coconut, yoga warrior". 

Judy Blume's In the Unlikely Event (Sugg. Retail: $27.95) &
 Sweet & Sparks Gift Card (Sugg. Retail: $30)


Books are my life. Seriously. I'm not even exaggerating. As a kid, all I did was read, because I had super strict parents (which might make an interesting blog post for another time - trust me, I gots stories) so whether I was 12 or 22, I've always had my nose in a book. So I was super excited to receive a book in this month's box. I know a lot of people might not like receiving books in their subs, but I am not one of those people. I haven't yet read this, since I'm currently drowning in an almost library-sized collection of books that I have yet to tackle, but this seems like a light, relaxing read that I could totally see myself immersed in at the beach or on a plane. デコメ heart emoticons, cute, love, pink, red

Let's see what PopSugar has to say:
"We're adding Judy Blume's newest adult novel, In the Unlikely Event, to the top of our Summer reading list. Blume takes us on the journey of a disaster-stricken town where an unlikely group copes together - reminding us all that life goes on."

So...maybe not so light and relaxing. >.>" I can see myself reading it though, I loved Judy Blume as a kid, and it's one of her newer, adult novels. I did double check the price on Amazon, and it's only $16.77 there, so the price may be a little exaggerated.

Also pictured is a special extra that was thrown in the box, a $30 gift card for Sweet & Spark, which is an online shop that specializes in vintage-inspired, antique jewelry. It looks to me like they find older, antiquated pieces in thrift shops and spruce them up and resell them. I checked their site, and the jewelry is a little gaudy and not my style, and is waaaay pricey. I believe their cheapest item is around $40, so while this gift card will cover a bit of the cost, you'll still have to spend a bit in the shop. I don't think I'll be using this, unfortunately, but it's a nice touch.

Spongelle Boxed Flowers - Fleur en Boite ($16) & 
Pacific Enlighten Eye Brightening Shadow Palette ($14)

This. Sponge. Smells. So. Good. As soon as I opened my box, the smell just hit me like a wave of amazingness. This is a body wash infused buffer, and it leaves you smelling like a tropical fruit smoothie. I've never used one of these before, so I used this the same day I got it. :D

What PopSugar says:
"Massage, smooth, and rejuvenate the skin with this hypoallergenic papaya yuzu body wash infused buffer. It contains extracts of yuzu, edelweiss, and vetiver, so your skin will feel  - and smell - simply divine."

I'm not gonna lie and say I know what yuzu, edelweiss, or vetiver are, but I can tell you that this smells divine and left my skin silky smooth~ Deco-mail pictograms of Rilakkuma

The next item pictured is the Pacifica Enlighten Eye Brightening Shadow Palette. When I first saw this I gasped from how adorable the outer packaging was. The shadows themselves are fixed in a white pallete with a magnetic closure, and the colors are SO creamy and super gorgeous. Also, I use coconut oil for everything; to cook, to remove my eye makeup, as a hair/body moisturizer...you name it, so I was excited when I saw that it was made with coconut water. However, I was pretty disappointed with how un-pigmented they were.

What PopSugar says:
"Beauty junkies know all about the benefits of coconut oil, and this coconut-water-infused eye shadow takes makeup to new bounds. One-hundred-percent vegan and cruelty-free, the innovative formula is creamy, is crease free, and brightens the eyes to perfection."

Some quick swatches:



From left to right to colors are Urchin, which is an iridescent, jeweled purple with gold tones, Golden, which is a shimmery gold (duh), Coral Sand, which is a satiny coral shade, and Skinnydip, which is a pearly, sort of nude base that can also be used as a highlighter. These were done with just one quick swipe of my finger. They aren't terrible, but a good shadow primer will definitely be necessary when wearing these. I love the fact that these are vegan/cruelty-free! 

Yogitoes Peacock hBand ($4) & SNAP Infusion SUPERCANDY ($4)

Okay. I'll admit, I ate one of these before I could take a proper photo. But in my defense, they were delicious. The SNAP Infusion SUPERCANDY are gummies packed with vitamins, electrolytes, and other good things for you. I received two flavors, the multi-berry flavor shown above, and a sour green apple flavor, which was gone in like 2 seconds because I love sour green apple everything. I didn't really notice a difference in my energy levels, but they were yummy and not sticky like a lot of other gummy candy so no complaints here. image

What PopSugar says:
"These gummies are packed with B vitamins that boost your energy, antioxidants that keep your immune system strong, and electrolytes that help you stay hydrated."

The other item pictured is the Yogitoes Peacock hBand, which apparently can be used as both a headband and an eyemask during Sasavana. Okay. I don't practice yoga. I tried once, and it was one of the hardest exercises I've ever had to do. Yoga is hardcore. But maybe this nifty headband/eyemask thingie will motivate me to contort my body into weird, uncomfortable ways until it hurts.

What PopSugar says:
"Every yogi will love this peacock-patterned hBand, which acts as both a headband and an eyemask during Sasavana. Made from organic cotton and a touch of lycra for stretch, it's where style meets function!"


Quay Australia Mandate Sunglasses ($45)

Ugly stock photo time! Yay! Unfortunately, as soon as I opened this box, my mother-in-law stole these before I could take a photo. Which didn't bother me because I don't wear sunnies anyway, as I'm blind and always wearing my chunky Marciano glasses, and contacts scare me. However, these Quay Australia frames (pronounced "Key") were the big-ticket item in the box, and are worth more than the entire box itself! I was kind of sad that the most valuable item in the box was something that I couldn't use, but I'm sure my MIL will enjoy these silicone-y frames. They're actually pretty sturdy, but one thing I don't like is that if you have any makeup on, or any product in your hair, beware. It's so easy to leave these full of fingerprints and streaks of makeup/hair product. Since they're a matte black color, everything sticks!

What PopSugar says: 
"With sunny days ahead, you'll need a reliable yet stylish pair of frames, and we've found just the one! Quay Australia, a celebrity favorite, designed these matte black Mandate sunglasses with your active lifestyle in mind."


Final Verdict:
The June PopSugar Must Have box cost me a total of $40, and has a total combined value of $129.77 including the $30 gift card and the Amazon listed price of the book. For a first month, this definitely met my expectations. While I couldn't use the sunnies and probably won't use the hBand, I can always pass those things along, and it isn't PopSugar's fault that I have an awkward fear of plastic sticking to my eyeballs. I enjoyed everything else, and I can see a lot of people enjoying this box too, so I'd have to give PopSugar a thumbs up for this month! I can't wait to see what July's box brings!! I'm probably going to upgrade to the 6-month subscription soon~ 

If you want to sign up for a PopSugar monthly subscription, you can do that OVER HERE
Make sure to use the code REFER5 to get $5 off your first month!!



Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions on this blog are strictly my own. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this review, although this blog does accept goods and/or services for the purposes of an honest review. Posts may contain affiliate or referral links.

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