PopSugar Winter Box 2019

Popsugar finally gave some spoilers for their spring box 2020, acting like it wasn't a full month later than the year before. I understand that people and brands play coy for likes and attention on insta...but when someone asks a question ("when is the box that I've paid for showing spoilers?") answering with a kissey face emoji makes me stabby. Answer. the. damn. question. It's not cute. How hard is it to say that spoilers will be coming in "X weeks/days" and boxes are shipping in March this quarter? It's not hard. It left me with bad feelings and I'm sure other people had similar feelings too. 

They finally did and now we have two spoilers. And tassels. 

Look, someone at Popsugar likes tassels quite a bit. And that person should be removed from all decision making processes. Forever. 

So yeah, the spring spoilers are blue light blocking glasses and a necklace. The glasses have four choices (I picked The Art of Snore in Cellophane AKA the clear ones) and the necklace two (I picked blue). 


The box costs $75 (one time) or $270 (annual), shipping included. I know some people were disappointed with the spoilers but I was ~okay~ with them if not underwhelmed. While the necklace is not my jam and kinda out of style, it's not the worst. I might actually keep it (!!!). The glasses might come in handy. I've bought some cheaper ones and I'm not sure they work but I'm willing to give them another go. I will say that for someone who wears glasses, they're useless. I only use them when I have contacts in, but that's a side issue there. 

I might have to eat my words but this box (being late + not overly thrilling items) being so meh made me go look around the internet. Someone on a forum mentioned that Group Nine Media acquired Popsugar. I don't know if that means anything re: the boxes but it could be that with all the shuffle, things got lost in the mire. Or maybe new people are in charge (but not that stupid tassel person...they're still at the helm. Destroying my life with their tassels) and have a different vision. The point is...let's talk about the Winter Box from 2019.

Each quarterly box costs $75 and includes multiple items centered around a theme. 

That being said...I have no idea what the winter theme was. So...I checked and saw that there isn't really a "theme" since they went quarterly. Curation wise, I'm not totally sure what the goal was but I'm not against it...

The booklet that's always included talks about the items and the companies that make them. 

I really liked this item. I've had a retro circle makeup case on my wish list for ages (The Steamline Luggage set actually) but I need one like a hole in the head...but if PopSugar is going to send me one (a smaller version) who am I to complain? 

The Preto Nomad round travel case is by Hudson + Bleecker. It says it's made from "vegan" Saffiano leather, which could be plastic or could be treated plant material. Original Saffiano leather is calf leather treated in order to create a cross-hatch pattern but the pattern itself is also called Saffiano now. I couldn't find what the actual vegan component is after a quick search so there's that. 

The interior lining is a black and white stripe pattern which I quite like. There's a pocket on the interior cover that's deep. The plastic, see through pop-out is TSA friendly (brilliant). The whole vibe to me was retro fabulous. Hudson + Bleecker has two versions on their website, one is black and the other is red. The website has them listed for $60 whilst PopSugar had the MSRP at $48. So maybe the one included is smaller? 

I have three Kevyn Aucoin highlighters and assorted eye shadows. This is my first blush and I love it. Kevyn Aucoin was a brilliant makeup artist who sadly passed away in 2002. Many of the big makeup looks from the 1990s (the Supermodels) were his creation. He also wrote a few books on makeup application that my mom bought. I was bummed at first because everyone was buying the Bobbi Brown book (the one where she went on about yellow foundation being universal...which I have never forgiven her for. I looked like a walking racist pre-teen mess Bobbi. Not cool. Granted, it was probably undertones and not her fault but still. I had a yellow face!) and I had this book from a guy I didn't even know about. Uh...so wrong there. Kevyn's book gave tutorials and also examples of looks through the ages as well as "genre" looks (ex: rocker chick). For example, he changed Martha Stewart into Veronica Lake, Lisa Marie Presley into Marilyn Monroe, Kate Moss with a Biba look, Demi Moore as Clara Bow and Drew Barrymore as a 1930s vamp (if I'm remembering correctly. Aucoin also transformed normal people and showed how to do avant-garde styles (which you see quite a bit now) and more natural style (also in vogue today). Beautylish has a lovely introspective about him here and they also sell his books. My favorite (with all the transformations) is Making Faces. There's a documentary of his life called "Larger Than Life" which was really nice and features a lot of his famous friends (video link). Surratt (the artist behind the brand) was one of his proteges. 

So I'm obviously a fangirl here but I like his brand which he launched before he died. I think his family is still involved in his brand but other than that I don't know who's behind it. I will say that they do remind me of Surratt's brand that focuses on a more luxurious look than a 'fad' look. There's nothing wrong with a fad, but I just find that those are the palettes that I toss out more often than not. Plus, this blush is $38...and I paid over $100 for my two highlighters (one was a gift). So this might not have been Popsugar's "hero" item price wise but it's for sure my hero item. My next item from them will probably be the eye gloss, I'm legit obsessed with it. 

The other item here is jewelry for Tai Jewelry. There were three choices (two necklaces or earrings). While I normally wear silver jewelry as I don't find gold pulling well on me, I preferred the look of the gold one below. It's delicate but still quite colorful. The earrings sort of matched it  (with the "rainbow" theme) but I like my earrings being extravagant. Tai Jewelry has a whole page for rainbow jewelry, including the necklace priced at $60.  

The next item is a Nima Oberoi trinket dish with a MSRP of $69. It's silver and hefty. The interior has black "blobs" on a white base using a technique called sand casting. It's food safe but not dishwasher safe. I think Popsugar has placed another Oberoi item in the boxes before (a vase?). I'll be honest, it's one of those type of designs that I like...in other people's houses. It's really quite beautiful and elegant but not quite my style. Her stuff in this line make the best hostess gifts because all my friends have that type of style. 

She has other lines that are more my style and more colorful. Which I lust for. I want this top hat ice bucket. 

Kapha Body Oil ($68) by M. S Skincare is a new brand to me. I haven't actually opened it up to smell it. I'm doing better with scents because of the CGRP but I also am so habitually careful that it didn't occur to me to even smell it. I have started to get into (faintly scented) body oils. Sometimes I mix them with my moisturizer. 

Apotheke has been in the box before. They sent a candle with the same type of minimal design. The candle smells divine but lord is it expensive for me. Maybe one day. The diffuser smelled good but I didn't open it because it was another hostess gift (for another friend that liked my candle. So it was meant to be!). 

Another item was Rifle Paper Company Thank You Cards. I'm hit or miss with Rifle, I don't always love their designs but I like this one just fine. That's on me (and not the design) as I tend to like cards that are more ornate than not. The MSRP is $18 and there are 8 blank cards and 8 envelopes in a creamy white paper. The "merci" is gold foiled. 

One of the extra items included was this chocolate bar...which I still haven't eaten (I know!). It'll probably get eaten but randomly in by the end of the month or so. I realize they mean this for fasting type people but fasting gives me a migraine so I think I'll just have parts of it for dessert. 

Obviously they're never going to sign me for marketing are they? Hey, chocolate is yummy and I like it so there's a 150% I'll like it. 

The other item was this card/promo which was for Charles and Colvard. They make moissanite jewelry which I'd vastly prefer over blood diamonds. 

Noting that I keep picking up old mine cut diamond rings when I go to the jewelry store. I'm the fucking worst. 

C&C do have a vintage design section, it's my favorite type of design for jewelry. Plus, I know several women who have moissanite rings for wedding rings as they'd rather pay off debt with their husband than pay more for a diamond. Do whatever makes you happy. 

This is my (only) favorite quote from Ayn Rand. I find her derivative in theory and muddled in writing. But I suppose she's captured a segment of some people. What's that famous quote? 

There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.
John Rogers

Source: XKCD comics

​Georgia Sunshine (i.e. Kristy) did a video unboxing and talks more about what was in the booklet, swatches and scent descriptions. 

She received the silver necklace (a silver plated medallion). This was the other option necklace wise. 

You can also see how her dish is different from mine (I like hers better) but since I gifted mine, it doesn't matter at all. 

I kid (not really) but I still have the card hanging up in my room right next to my quote Emo Philips quote (on the left).

So that was my Winter box for 2019. My hero items were the blush and the travel case. I was thrilled to get two hostess gifts just in time for the holidays. 

The rest of the items were quite nice and I think filled out the rest of the box well. I think it worked out well for $75. Even if only count the two hostess gifts and then the blush...I'm still under price wise! That's just three items. 

I saw on some of the forums that people weren't thrilled compared to the fall box but I was happy. As for the spring box, we shall see.