Fashion - Pocketful of Joules

Reviewing Birchbox: March & April Reveals

I really think taking a little break from Birchbox was one of the best things I could have done, because ever since I restarted my subscription my boxes have been pretty fantastic!

I also like reviewing them every other month, instead of every month… so let’s check out what I received in my last couple boxes!

My March Birchbox:

Wilma Schumann Skin Care Hydrating Collagen Eye Pads – full-size, $26
FHI Brands Hot Sauce Thermal Heat-Activated Conditioner – full-size, $16
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo – full-size, $24
theBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen – full-size, $17
treStiQue Color & Smudge Shadow Crayon in Aspen Pine – full-size $26

Out of this box, I had two items that I really loved. First off, I’ve been wanting to try the Amika dry shampoo for a while, so I was really glad that the travel size was included in this box. The dry shampoo works really great and smells fantastic. I think I’ll keep it aside for my next trip since it’s in such a cute little bottle that will easily fit in a carry-on.

A photo posted by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on Mar 25, 2016 at 8:53am PDT

I tried out the collagen eye pads and only wish that there were more in the box. I mean, it’s great to get even two to try… but you can’t really tell any different after using a product once. I did feel quite refreshed after trying them though!

My April Birchbox:

Whish Save Crave Shaving Cream – full-size, $20
Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask – full-size, $26
Supergoop! Daily Correct CC Cream, SPF 40 – full-size, $32
Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator – full-size $34
The Beauty Crop PBJ Smoothie Stick in Guava Nice Day – full-size, $14.95

First off, the Rifle Paper box is gorgeous and I need to re-purpose it so that I can look at it every day! I was most excited about trying out the deep conditioning hair mask, but was really disappointed that it didn’t leave my hair soft or conditioned at all. Instead, after I used it my hair seemed kind of dry and stringy – so I’ll be throwing this one right in the trash!

The rest of the box was a hit though. The Vasanti enzymatic face rejuvenator was one of my absolute favorite products I received when I previously did Birchbox (I even bought the full sized product to keep using), so I’m happy to have a travel sized version to add to my collection. I also really loved the color and feel of the PBJ lip color. I’m wearing it here:

I’m still really loving my Birchbox subscription and I’m really glad I gave them another chance!

Do you like my Birchbox reveal posts, or should I retire them? Have you broken up with a subscription box only to return a few months later and love it?

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Birchbox, I paid for the $10 fee with my own hard-earned money. If you enjoyed my review and decide to try Birchbox for yourself, the biggest compliment you can give me is by using my referral link. Thank you to anyone who chooses to click through and support my shopping addiction!

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Cruise Style: What to Wear on a Cruise

I know, I know… yet ANOTHER cruise post?!

I was actually going back and forth on whether to write this one, but a few of you asked me for details on my snazzy swimsuits, so I figured I’d throw a little something together.

To be honest, I didn’t really take any outfit pictures while I was on vacation. I was thinking about recreating each outfit at home, but then I realized that would require a shower and makeup… so that didn’t actually happen.

Instead, I hunted down pictures from previous times I wore each outfit and threw them together for you.

First off, let’s talk swimsuits!

As you saw in last week’s post I wore two different swimsuits on our trip. And in each picture I have strategically positioned my kid in front of me for the most flattering look. Just kidding. Every other picture of me in a swimsuit either is of my butt (thanks Travis) or looks like this:

Believe me when I say I’m not really a ‘post pictures of myself in a swimsuit on the internet’ kind of girl, but these vintage-styled swimsuits are pretty magical. They somehow suck in the belly, push out the boobies and keep everything PG for chasing around your kid. This is actually my second time buying the red polka dotted version (my previous one lasted four years of heavy wear) and my first try at the black cherries version.

If you want to try it for yourself, I highly recommend going up one size above your normal swimsuit size to get a perfect fit. I usually wear a 12 and I’m wearing a size 14 in both suits. Nobody knows your size. I mean, unless you tell the internet… oops.

For men’s swimsuits, we are big fans of Target’s board shorts. I just checked out their current selection and really like the Seascape Stretch Board Shorts in Burnside and the Multi Stripe in Acid Green.

I pretty much dress Jack exclusively in Gap and Old Navy, so I love this orange striped version and this more reasonably priced fish print pair. They are always having sales, so if you see stuff you like just wait a few days and it will probably be cheaper!

I’m going to skip right over our daytime looks, because we kept it comfy in t-shirts and jeans (or shorts). I bought all four t-shirts from my last Trunk Club post, so I wore all of them along with some of my previous favorites.

Let’s talk evening clothes!

On a 7 night cruise, there are two elegant nights and the rest are considered “cruise casual” nights. However, they have photographers set up all over the boat each evening and I was hoping for a good family picture, so we dressed nice for five evenings.

Here are the dresses I wore on the cruise:

As I mentioned, sorry for not taking new pictures… these are from my Instagram account over the past few months. The floral dress is a Maggy London dress that I got in my September Stitch Fix. The maxi dress was from Anthropologie last summer. The black top and floral skirt were both from Trunk Club. The pink dress (I didn’t wear tights, booties or a sweater) was from TJ Maxx last year. And the blue eyelet dress was a Marshall’s find.

We did end up getting a nice family photo taken, so I consider that a win!

For Travis, most evenings he wore a dark pair of Banana Republic jeans and either a polo or a button up shirt. He just got this pair called the Vintage Straight Cut Resin jeans and likes them a lot. I bought him a similar Camden-fit windowpane shirt for Christmas, knowing he’d need it for our trip. Did I mention my husband very rarely dresses up? It’s so bad that I realized the day before we left that he didn’t have any nice jeans (HOW do you lose two pairs of jeans?!) so we had to go to the mall that evening for an emergency shopping trip.

Jack actually LOVES to dress up and each night he either wore jeans and a polo or a cute button up shirt/tie combo. I bought him a few shirt/tie sets at Nordstrom Rack in the fall and it looks like they have his exact checkered shirt still for sale.

As promised in my second cruise post, I have a little story to share:

This cruise was really the first time I’d had my arm tattoo out in the world on display. So, I was pretty surprised at the demographic of people who were totally into it. About half a dozen times, I had a much older man or woman come up to me to compliment me on my sleeve. Usually they would start the conversation with, “I’m not really a tattoo person, but I just have to tell you that I think your arm tattoo is really beautiful.” It was really flattering and usually turned into a discussion of how long it took and why I chose each flower. One night, while standing in line to go into the dining room for dinner, an older lady in her 70’s complimented me on my tattoo, started stroking my arm to feel it… and then tried to smell me.

Do you like to dress up on vacation, or do you use it as an opportunity to be lazy and comfortable? Have you ever had a tattoo fondled by a stranger?

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In Between Weather & Spring Cleaning

{Pssst, I’m back from my cruise, but I wrote this post before I left to give me some breathing room before I need to write up a post about our vacation!}

I love it when the weather warms up, but this in-between kind of weather is kind of confusing. My calendar says SPRING, but my cold legs say PUT YOUR DAMN FLEECE-LINED TIGHTS BACK ON!

I usually do a full closet switch-over once the weather fully warms up, but for now I just do a mini-switch to let my closet breathe a little.

Want to join me? It’s easy…

Step 1: Get rid of the wool and corduroy
Everyone has that pile of clothing that they only wear during the coldest of the cold months… the SUPER heavy wool sweaters, the corduroy pants, the long sleeved dresses that make you sweat 11 out of the 12 months of the year. Grab them out of your closet and throw them on your bed.

Now, take that pile o’ clothes and decide what to do with them:

Choice 1: If it has been worn to death, get rid of it and add the item to a list to keep an eye out for a replacement before next year.

Choice 2: If it needs to be fixed or altered, do it NOW so that it’s ready for when you need it again. This is also a great time to get that sweater shaver out and do a little touch up. (If you’ve never used a sweater shaver before, read this post and get ready for your world to change!)

Choice 3: If you never wore it, think about whether it’s time to let it go to a better home – a consignment shop, Facebook sale site, or thrift store. (Want some tips on how to sell your clothes on Facebook, check out this post!)

Choice 4: If you wore it and still love it, launder it (if needed) and pack it away.

I actually have an empty decorative trunk at the end of my bed that works great for storing all those in-between clothes until I pull out the big storage boxes with my summer stuff.

Step 2: Switch out the shoes
Big, heavy boots just feel like too much when it’s April, so get them out of your closet. You will open up some space so you can see other shoes that you’ve been neglecting.

For me, it’s bootie season. I can’t wear them in the dead of winter and I’m not going for them when it’s hot in the summer… so the time is now for booties, booties, booties rocking everywhere!

Step 3: Stand back and admire your pretty closet
Boom, you’re done! It took me about 15 minutes total and everything currently in my closet is seasonally appropriate so I can just grab and go in the morning. Even better, if you know what is in your closet you are more likely to actually WEAR those in-between weather pieces before it gets too hot for them. So yeah, it’s a win-win for you AND your closet.

Do you do an in-between weather closet clean out?

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