Cravebox Book and Beauty

I'm doing it!  I'm starting to catch up on reviews!  You'll be able to tell in a second just how far behind I am.  Let's just say I got this box before Easter.  In fact, I was all set to write and post this review when I found out that my hubby was coming home!  He was actually supposed to be gone for several more weeks, but he was in an accident and injured his foot.  I'm so happy to have him here, and I definitely knew that my blogging would drop a bit in frequency once he returned, but I didn't realize how much dealing with an injured hubby would wear me out!  Doctor's appointments, physical therapy, and errands, oh my!

With that being said, I almost decided to skip this review and get to some more recent arrivals.  But then I thought that would be cheating.  Also, this box is currently available as an Instant Box for $15 on the Cravebox website!  So if reading this post makes you want it, go get you some Book and Beauty!

Here is the glorious reveal:

Full size products? Be still, my heart!

The second I saw the box titled "Book and Beauty" I logged on and signed up for one as fast as my little fingers could fly!  I love books... I love beauty... what could go wrong?  The cost of a hardback book (which they promised in advance) was worth more than the $12 I paid for the box, so I knew I wasn't going to lose out on value, and seriously, who doesn't need more beauty products?  I mean it's not like I already have several beauty subs and... oh wait.  I totally do.  Oh well, the more the merrier, right?

I guess it's time to talk about the elephant in the room.  The giant jar of Easter eggs in the background of every picture.  Like I said, I got this box before Easter.  I thought I'd photograph it with my Easter decor and have it up for you all as my own early Easter Basket (Cause mama doesn't get an Easter basket unless she gets one for herself, right!?).  So I'm going to ask you all to just kindly ignore the eggs and just focus on the products.  That's what I get for trying to be all seasonal and relevant!

As always, the items came in a pretty blue box with a printed white bow.  I'm not sure if the boxes are getting flimsier, or if the mail service is taking out their frustrations on the boxes, but each one I get is more and more beaten up:

Bruised and battered, but
 it's what's on the inside that counts .

There were rumors flying about the contents of the boxes, but we did know that the book was a Regency-style romance.  It ended up being Mistress of My Fate by Hallie Rubenhold.  It's the first book in a trilogy, and the main character starts out kind of like Fanny Price (from Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen) in that there's a poor young girl being raised by wealthy relatives.  However, things take a decidedly un-Austen-like turn and the girl ends up as a courtesan.  And that's all I'm going to say.  Until I read this book and can say more.  Yeah, I'm behind on everything now!  Hooray!

My kingdom for some free time!

The book retails for $25.99, and is on Amazon for $18.10.  So buying the box for $15 will let you beat the Amazon price and get even more stuff!

The next item is something I decided to not count as having any value.  It's a strip of Biore foil packets.  Don't get me wrong, I like the cleanser and the scrub, and I'm so happy to get a classic nose strip!  But no way am I going to pretend that this is anything other than free samples.  

THOSE FREAKIN' EGGS. THEY'RE MOCKING ME.

*Ahem* Moving on.  The other two items in the box were full-size beauty items!  I saw the Vaseline lotion first, and was like "Whooooo!!! It matches the spray lotion from my Influenster box!" and I did a little happy dance.  The spray lotion has been great for daily use on Dragon & Knight (and seriously, it's the best thing ever for getting lotion on a wiggly kid), but they have some dry patches that I want to use a regular lotion on.  And it may be a bit OCD/high-strung of me, but I love that I have the "matching" lotion to use on them.  The scent is awesome, too.  It smells light and fresh, but not girly, and it's very moisturizing.  The 3 oz. size retails for about $2.50.

Matching lotion!  I love it when my boxes coordinate!

The last item is John Frieda's Full Repair Deep Conditioner.  It's 4 fl. oz. and retails for about $5.  I'm currently using Amika's Obliphica Nourishing Mask that I found through Birchbox, and at first I was all "No WAY will this stuff smell as good as the Amika... *sniff*  OMG THIS STUFF IS AMAZING!"  It smells just as good, and since the Amika stuff is $12 for 2 oz, I'm definitely hoping I like the way the John Frieda works!  I love a good drugstore substitute for a high-end product, don't you?  

And that, my dear readers, is the Cravebox Book and Beauty box.  Want one?  Go here.  And if you feel really nice, please enter my username, "amagicalmom", into the "referred by" section.  Cause I will shamelessly ask for free stuff! And I promise, new reviews are coming soon!  Just not tomorrow.  I'm chaperoning a field trip for Dragon's preschool class and my darling husband has decided he wants to come along.  On crutches.  Hmmmm... I may get a really entertaining post out of this after all.  Can you think of anything funnier than 15 preschoolers chasing a man on crutches?   I'll leave you with that mental image.  Sweet dreams!