Quarterly Co. Nina Garcia Box Review June 2014 #NGQ03

Nina Garcia really knows how to curate a box!  Every three months she teams up with Quarterly Co. to send out a box full of fantastic beauty and fashion items.  This box, #NGQ03,  has a Brazilian theme and is very summer oriented.

Priced at $100, this is my most expensive box, but also the one I look most forward to.  It's evident, through each well thought-out item, that Nina Garcia really appreciates her fans and has great relationships with so many fashion/beauty businesses.   You may not realize this, but Quarterly's Nina subscribers are very special!  We get exclusive stuff that no one else can buy.  Companies such as Spenglish, Print All Over Me, and Koku create one-of-a-kind items just for Nina and her subscribers!

 Kudos to the Quarterly team for this beautiful wrapping job!  I can't imagine how long it took to wrap all of these items for every box.  Definitely packaged with radness!

 Refreshing Hand & Face Towelette by Red Flower ~ ($5) Designed to reduce bacterial exposure and risk of infection, this towelette fits perfectly in any sized purse.  Key ingredients are pink grapefruit essential oil and blood orange essential oil.  The pink grapefruit essential oil cleanses and revitalizes the skin.  The aroma helps combat muscle fatigue and stiffness, stimulates the lymphatic system, and helps clear the pores and body of toxins.  The blood orange essential oil is rich in vitamin C, which stimulates and exfoliates the skin.  Its scent helps reduce stress, tension, and anxiety.  It also helps promotes collagen production.  The towelette is 100% botanical and entirely free of all synthetics, parabens, dyes, petrochemicals, and sulfates.  The ingredients are certified organic and the packaging is made from recycled paper.  The Italian Blood Orange scent is wonderful!  It's a sweet citrus fragrance that feels fresh.

Desk Ornament by Melissa  Do you remember the Jellies shoes from the 80's?  Brazilian shoe designer, Melissa must have loved them as much as I did.  She creates vegan, rubber shoes which remind me of Jellies, but these are sooooo much more stylish!  Melissa collaborates with top designers, artists, and even architects to create fashionable, trendy, rubber footwear.  I believe my ornament is from the 2010 collection of Melissa and Gaetano Pesce.  The actual shoe retailed for $120.  If you click on her name, you will link to the shopmelissa website.  Browse through her collections with Jason Wu and Karl Lagerfeld and tell me what you think in the comments.  I definitely see me buying some of these!  Now that I know some more background about my desk ornament, I like it even more.  This will look cute beside my black stiletto tape dispenser!

 Brazilian Pop OtterBox Coupon Code ~ ($49.95) How sweet of Nina to pick out my first OtterBox phone case!  This case is from the Symmetry Series, which strikes the perfect balance between phone protection and style.  The Brazilian Pop design is a collaborative effort between Nina and OtterBox.  The bright colors and bold lines are inspired by Brazilian street art.  I can't wait to order this!

 Formula X Nail Color for Sephora ~ ($10.50)  This nail lacquer is from the Formula X New Classics series.  I got the shade, "Push the Limits", which is described as tomato pink.  I just painted my left hand and I really like this color.  It's bright, sunny, and warm.  These nails will look so good holding that Brazilian Pop OtterBox case!

 Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration SPF 30 ~ ($13.06)  Skin protection is ESSENTIAL!  I am a huge crusader for sunscreen use, especially on your face.  This full-sized gem will help protect your skin against sun damage.  The spray trigger twists to lock in place, preventing possible SPF mishaps!  (I have kids and they are dangerous with aerosol cans)  This product smells great and is water resistant for 80 minutes.   I think this addition in the Quarterly Co. box shows Nina's down-to-earth side.  Her taste spans from top dollar products to mainstream staples.

 CK One Pure Color Lipstick ~ ($16) This bad boy is my favorite item in the box!  I'm so Kentucky sheltered, that I didn't even know Calvin Klein had a lipstick line.  The shade I received is #230 "Entice".  It is perfect for me!  Love, love, love, love!  It smells yummy - kind of like chocolate.  I've applied it three times today just so I could smell it!  It feels so smooth and doesn't dry out my lips.  I never wear lipstick because it makes my lips feel so dry.  This lipstick is creamy and very hydrating.  LOVE!

 Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ~ ($21.50)  Washing your hair on a daily basis is not ideal.  That's what makes this product so awesome.  When used as a dry shampoo, it gives your hair that clean feeling in between washes.  Not only does Oribe's Dry Texturizing Spray absorb oil, it also smells great.  The powder definitely adds texture and 'volumizes' your hair.  It isn't heavy at all.  The ingredients help maintain moisture balance, protects color, promotes circulation, hydrates, nourishes, renews damaged hair, and more.  It seems to be good for all hair types.  I hope this purse-sized spray goes a long way.

 Nest Fragrances Bamboo Votive Candle ~ ($14) As I opened the lid to my #NGQ03, I was greeted by this wonderful fragrance.  I find it so crazy that I usually cannot tolerate strong scents (headaches & nausea follow).  Nina's fragrance picks are very strong, yet really pleasant.  The last box had the best soap I've ever used by Lafco.  It was really bold and awesome.  This candle is also very aromatic, yet I'm not sickened by it.   There are some floral hints to it, which I usually don't like, but this fragrance is very clean.  I can't wait to burn it!

 Sapien Women Shave Gel by Surya Brasil ~ ($20.39)  Should I be worried that my husband wants to use this?  :-)  Yet another product in the #NGQ03 box that smells terrific!  Surya Brasil products are natural, organic, and vegan.  The shave gel can be used on your face, underarms, legs, and bikini line.  This means I'll have to fight my husband for it.  There are no reviews for this product on the Surya Brasil website, so I'll have to add one!

 Joico K-PAK Intense Hydrator ~ ($19.99)  Summer heat can be very drying.  The K-PAK Intense Hydrator by Joico is an intensive treatment that nourishes and hydrates your hair.  It's comprised of a bio-advanced peptide complex that replenishes amino acids.  The end results include shiny, soft, manageable hair.  Apply a generous amount of this after shampooing.  Leave in for 3 - 5 minutes and then rinse out.  I'm really looking forward to using this.  It has great reviews online.

Muito Cool Baseball Cap by Spenglish ~ If Spanish + English = Spenglish, then Brazil + World Cup = Muito Cool!  Earlier I said NGQ subscribers were special because of the exclusive designs we get.  This is one of those items.  You cannot purchase this on the Spenglish website.  That makes us NGQ VIPs!   This is the perfect blend of the U.S. (baseball cap) and Brazil (flag & Portuguese).  Spenglish did not disappoint!

 Palm Tree Print Clutch ~ More proof that we're NGQ VIPs!  This is a clutch from Print All Over Me (PAOM).  From what I can tell, this design is titled "Isla Saona" by designer Stine1.  PAOM and Nina applied this artwork to the ever-so-useful clutch.  What's crazy is that you can't even buy clutches on this website (that's why we're NGQ VIPs)!  The Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen fits perfectly inside.  Nothing like a new bag to take to the pool!

Koku Pouch ~ This pouch was specially made for the NGQ VIPs in Athens, Greece!  It's very similar to the Myrto Clutch currently selling for $108.  I got a warm yellow pouch with raffia fringe and a plexiglass fish.  Inside was a card with care tips - much appreciated.  This is definitely a fun item that screams relax and enjoy your summer.  I'm thinking about spraying some Scotchgard on it to help maintain the bright color and combat stains.

Ella Headphones from Frends ~ ($99) Every time I see these headphones, Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" pops in my head.  These are by far the fanciest earbuds I've ever had!  Note to self: make sure hair is pulled back when wearing.  The gold metal design on white is very pretty and classy.  The wire is surrounded by white fabric cording.  There is also a three-button mic with volume and phone controls.  They sound great and come with a white storage pouch.

#NGQ03 - Eu te amo!  Everything smells great and really expresses summer fun and relaxation.  I like the focus on Brazil.  It's like Nina brings the world to me because I don't get out of Kentucky that often!  I'm off to shave my legs and hydrate my hair.  Leave a comment about your thoughts on this box!