JULEP - November, 2013

My first monthly subscription box! So exciting! I have been intrigued by this idea since Michael got his Nerd Blocks and, when I went looking for one I could order (as a nerd, I love the idea of the Nerd Block but there is no point in ordering two) , found out there was the same concept out there, but for beauty products! I am what Jenna Marbles would call a Goo Hoarder (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1usT9C04Foc *WARNING* Swearing*) so this whole idea was magical to me. Plus, I am not an expert in makeup, just the basics, so I thought this might be a good way to find new products and therefore new techniques. Anyway - to the box! This box is from Julep.com. When I signed up for their monthly subscription box (Which costs $19.99 US including shipping) I used a code to get an intro box for free! (current code FREEBOX). Already love the company just for offering a great deal right off the bat.

So this is the intro box I received, which took around 6 business days to arrive.

I took their intro quiz and they told me I was "Classic with a Twist". Now, if you don't like the style they give you, you can choose another one if you want to and have the option to change your style every month but I really liked the "Classic with a Twist" box.

I received two polishes - Myrtle  and Zora. I really like both colours. All Julep nail polishes do  "not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP" which I'm guessing is a good thing. They are also made in the US which I like. Both polishes are $14 or $11.20 Maven Price, which is the 20% discount they offer to subscribers.

I also received Luxe Repair Skin Serum ($28 / $22.40 Maven Price). I tried it last night and it went on nicely and didn't burn but there was a slight tingle. I can't say for certain after only one use but my skin did seem nice and fresh in the morning.

(Update: Have used this a few times.  No adverse skin reactions, and, maybe it's just my imagination, but I feel like my skin looks tighter [in a good way] after using this at night. I have lines on my forehead and between my eyebrows from frowning/squinting and they seemed a lot less visible after using this)

Julep also offers add-ons at checkout on any order for a discount so I ordered their Freedom Polymer Top Coat ($18 / $14.40 Maven Price) and  Julep Acetone-Free Conditioning Nail Polish Removal ($14 / $11.20 Maven Price). I got both for $4.99, a pretty great deal! 

I liked the remover, it worked well and not a strong scent but I found the dispenser a little finicky.

(Update: Really like the nail polish remover, and the dispenser is actually really practical. Its worked pretty well so far and I even used it to take off glitter polish [it took some work but I did it], so I'm very happy with this)

The top coat is supposed to work like a gel but goes on like a polish and using only natural light. I don't have any experience with top coats except at the Nail salon but I think it works pretty well. My nails really shined after application. They did chip after a few days but  only slightly. I didn't use a base coat and don't have the best application techniques yet so I'm not going to hold against the top coat just yet. I'm going to try a few more times and see.

So, I'm really happy with my first Julep box. I paid $12 and received a box worth  $88 or $70.40 Maven price. Julep also threw in a small reusable shopping bag as a bonus. Not bad! I'm excited to use what I got more and see what I get in my first actual monthly Julep box.

If you would like to sign up for your own Julep box, please consider using my referral link: http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/442026/ and don't forget to use the code FREEBOX to get your intro box free!

Nerd Block - October, 2013

Welcome back for another entry. Mike here and today I'm going to be talking about Nerd Block's October, 2013 box. In case you didn't know, Nerd Block is a monthly subscription box and each month, people receive all sorts of products from "nerdy" franchises. Here is some information:

NERD BLOCK

- $19.99 USD plus shipping per month

- $30 CAD total per month in Canada

- arrives around mid-month in Canada

October, 2013

In September, we were told that the October Nerd Block would be "killer". My buddy (and fellow subscriber) Ryan and I both thought they meant something along the lines of giving us horror movie products. However, when the box arrived, we were wrong. "Killer" just meant the products would be pretty good. Well, let's see if the claim turned out to be true. Here is a list of the Nerd Block contents with approximate retail prices in brackets next to each item:

- Star Wars Darth Vader T-Shirt ($15)

- Portal 2 Sentry Turret Figure ($7)

- DC Universe Mystery Minis Vinyl Figure ($7.50)

- Spawn Mini Trading Figure ($7.50)

- Adventure Time Finn-Ominoes Game ($7)

- Marvel Erasers Series 1 Spider-Man ($1.50)

- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pad ($1.50)

I absolutely LOVE the T-Shirt. The Darth Vader design is fantastic. I wore it the day I received my Nerd Block, and when I visited Ryan, he very nearly had his on, too. But, the man was smart. He knew I'd be wearing it and decided against a "Who Wore It Better" situation. :p I didn't mention this regarding last month's box, but the T-Shirts have both been very good fits for me and of good quality. I would like to emphasize the second point since I occasionally buy shirts from "Design a Day" web sites and some of them print onto shirts I can find for a buck or less in Toronto's Chinatown. So, to have a nice quality T-Shirt sent to me by Nerd Block is a huge plus.

My wife bought me a Portal Sentry Turret blind box figure last Christmas as a stocking stuffer and I found myself taking photos of it in funny situations for weeks afterwards. So, when one showed up in my Nerd Block, I was thrilled. These figures are based on the Sentry robots from the sci-fi puzzle-solving video game "Portal", which I highly recommend. Each figure has a fun design and comes in "open" or "closed" position. The figure I got has a neat orange-red design that I think will look great on the dining table this Christmas... if

Jess will let me put it there. You will, right, honey? Please?

The DC Universe mystery figure was a bit of a surprise since I never knew this series of toys existed. I was really hoping to get one of the various Batman figures, but I got the Penguin instead. I really like the figure, which is quite solid and has a good paint job. My only complaint about the Penguin is that he looks... kind of Asian. I know it's a strange thing to get hung up on, but every time I look at my figure, all I can see is Ken Jeong from "Community" in a Penguin costume... Well, he'd make an interesting Penguin. He'd certainly pull off the nasally voice. Yeah... MOVING ON!

I didn't take a photo of the Spawn figure, but I really, really didn't like the figure I got. The series has quite a few designs and the only ones I would have wanted are all of Spawn himself. But, even if I did get a Spawn, I seriously would not have been happy since I just don't like this series of figures in general. I can't give my figure to my niece since she wouldn't know what to do with it. I can't trade with Ryan since he got a figure he likes. And,

I doubt I can sell the thing since it's so darned ugly. So, I'm stuck with a... demon... knight... thing? Just look up a picture of the back of the box, look at Row B, and it's the furthest one on the right. Anyone want to give me a quick synopsis of Spawn? I've only seen the movie.

Finn-Ominoes looks like a fun little game, but I'm going to give it away as a gift to my niece or a friend who likes Adventure Time. I have only watched a couple of episodes, and although I liked them, I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of the show. I do know that there are a lot of hardcore Adventure Time fans out there, especially after seeing the number of people in Finn or Jake costumes this Halloween, so I think the inclusion of Finn-Ominoes was a good idea.

The Spider-Man eraser is cheap. Very, very cheap. But, I'm both a Marvel fan and a Spidey fan, so I was all smiles when I saw the eraser. My Friendly Neighbourhood Mini Spidey is now sitting on my desk ready to take on the endless hordes of the Pencil Mistakes army. :D

Finally, we have the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... What on Earth is that? A coaster? One of those sticky pads you put on your dashboard to hold your phone in place? A decoration? A wrist rest for when you're using a mouse? Who in the bloody heck thought it was a good idea to include a flat piece of rubber that says "NYC Sewer" on it? Technically, there's no indication that it's even a TMNT product. But, judging from the ooze-like design and the somewhat turtle-shell-

looking design of the sewer lid, it must be from TMNT. I've been using the pad as a coaster, so I guess in the end, it was a good idea after all, right?

I felt that the October Nerd Block was definitely a weaker showing than the September box. Although I like what was included overall, I would never have bought most of the products had I seen them in stores. Actually, I wouldn't have bought any of them except the Sentry, and even then, I already had one, so I would have bought none of these items. Having received them in my Nerd Block, however, means I "did" buy them, and to be honest, I don't regret it. That is why I didn't cancel my subscription. I did, however, tell myself that if things don't improve in November, I'm done.

To find out about the November Nerd Block, please stay tuned. It's coming soon!

~ Mike Chan

Nerd Block - September, 2013 (Here we goooooo!)

Hi, everybody! Welcome to "In Box with Mike & Jess". Mike here, and I'm happy to start off our blog by sharing with you the September, 2013 Nerd Block.

I am admittedly quite the nerd. My brain is filled with useless facts about fictional characters who wear their underpants over their spandex bodysuits and attach blankets to their backs. If you're anything like me, then you'll really appreciate Nerd Block. It is a monthly subscription box of nerd goodies that began back in September of this year. Now, as much as I'd love to show you what my November box has, I'm going to save it for an entry in the near future because I really want to start at the beginning. So, here we goooooo!

NERD BLOCK

- $19.99 USD plus shipping per month

- $30 CAD total per month in Canada

- arrives around mid-month in Canada

September, 2013

I was extremely excited to receive the first ever Nerd Block back in September. The box you see in the picture arrived packed in a brown shipping box that felt sturdy and survived the trip to my house with very little damage. The Nerd Block's box was surprisingly nice as well. I really liked the design when I first saw it. I also appreciated that it was the slide-out type of box since it is easier to open.

On to the good stuff! When I opened the box, I got the following items, with rough prices next to them in brackets:

- Gremlins T-Shirt ($15)

- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leonardo Pop! Figure ($12)

- The Big Bang Theory Funko Mystery Minis Figure ($8)

- Galactic Guardians HeroClix Single Figure ($6)

- Topps Wacky Packages Sticker Pack ($3.50)

- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Stickers by GelaSkins ($5)

The T-Shirt was just "okay". I'm a fan of Gremlins, but for a "First Shirt Ever", I felt Nerd Block somewhat dropped the ball. I have worn the shirt since getting it, though, so I guess that's a good thing. But, it's not a shirt I would have bought if I saw it in a store. Honestly, I think the shirt will eventually become a shirt I wear at home while doing various chores, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. This means I don't have to buy another shirt to replace my beaten-up "Slap Bet Commissioner" shirt.

I LOVE the Leonardo Pop! figure. I'm a huge fan of the Pop! series and to get a Turtles figure in the box really made my day. I wish I had gotten Michelangelo, though, since he is my favourite. But, Leo will do. I just have to wait for a sale at my local store to get Mikey to add to my collection.

My other favourite item in the Nerd Block was the Big Bang Theory figure. I didn't know they had vinyls for that show, so I was pleasantly surprised. I ended up getting Amy, who is one of my favourite characters. SWEET!

I collect HeroClix, but was still surprised to see one included. In case you didn't know, HeroClix is a collectible miniature figure game by WizKids. You and your friends build armies with little figures and then battle it out on a game board. Unless you already play HeroClix or are a collector, including a single HeroClix figure in a NerdBlock is almost useless. From a marketing standpoint, I guess it makes sense since I'm sure WizKids thinks that by including a single figure, some Nerd Block subscribers will think it's cool enough to look into and maybe even purchase the game. But, I feel a single figure is not enough, especially since it's a blind box and people might get a figure they don't like. I think a better idea for including HeroClix is to either go with a starter set or one of the packages that includes multiple figures. This way, people start out with an army and can play with people who own the game or friends who also subscribe to Nerd Block. This is a better way to generate interest than giving people a single figure.

The final two items ended up being quite useless to me. I have no interest in collecting Wacky Packages stickers and the Ninja Turtles stickers claim to be for mobile devices, but I have no use for hexagons that fit nowhere. The only thing I can think to do with the Wacky Packages stickers is give them to my niece. As for the Ninja Turtles, I may also give them to my niece. However, I can see them being put onto the backs of laptops or tablets by Nerd Block subscribers who do that to their devices. (The receptionist at my office has Snow White on her Macbook.)

All in all, the stuff in my very first Nerd Block were worth the price of admission. The shirt, Pop! figure, and Big Bang Theory vinyl on their own already cost more than the whole package with shipping. Although I was personally disappointed with some other items, I can see the logic behind having them. I'm sure others probably liked them more than me. Did I continue to be a Nerd Block subscriber after the first delivery? You bet! More entries are to come!

Aaaaaaand, that's the first entry to "In Box with Mike & Jess". We both hope you enjoyed the read and found the information helpful. Stay tuned for Nerd Block October, 2013 and a review of Disney's new Marvel Comics Vinylmations.

~ Mike Chan