Fairyloot Unboxing - February 2019 "Beauty and the Beast"

FairyLoot February Box "Beauty and the Beast"

I'm a HUGE Beauty and the Beast fan so there was no way I could resist the February FairyLoot box, especially after I was so happy with the December dragons box. I honestly expected to love everything about this box, I mean how can you go wrong with a theme like Beauty and the Beast? I've seen a lot of love for this box online so it looks like I'm in the minority here but I was so, so disappointed with this one. Apart from the book there isn't a single item in here that I'd actually have chosen to spend my money on, there are a couple of items that are okay but I can think of a million ways this box could have been improved.

The first item in the box was this HUGE wall tapestry with a design based on the ballroom scene from the movie. It doesn't really make a good wall tapestry unless you have a lot of spare wall space though (anywhere I had this much wall is now hidden behind a bookcase!). Size wise it's big enough to completely cover a standard double bed apart from the pillows so it's more like a bed throw than a tapestry. My biggest issue with this is the design though, I just think for such a beautiful scene this is a really dark and dreary design - the predominant colour is navy blue FFS! That glorious golden dress, the romance of the scene and in my opinion it's completely ruined by this depressing colour scheme.

Next we have this plastic tumbler which is okay but I don't think it's anything special. It's full of glittery sequins but they're all stuck together in big ugly clumps that don't look particularly attractive and I don't think the design is anything new or different. I've seen nicer tumblers going cheap in my local supermarket to be honest.

Then we have this little trinket dish with a quote from the movie on it. It's nice enough but not really one of the most obvious quotes to use, there are many others I'd have preferred. Nothing about the design or colour scheme particularly screams Beauty and the Beast to me so if you didn't recognise the quote I don't think you'd associate it with the fandom.

Next is this little roll on perfume inspired by Mrs. Potts, it smells like vanilla and is probably one of the nicer items in the box but again it's not really something I'd have purchased separately.

This enamel pin is probably my favourite item in the box apart from the book, it's so obviously inspired by the show and is really pretty.

I also really like this Belle print but I have so many of these now and nowhere to display them all so I always think of prints as a fairly useless item no matter how pretty they are.

The one thing I'm really excited about is the book, I've heard great things about this Beauty and the Beast retelling and I can't wait to read it. I love the little rose shaped signature bookplate and the artwork on the back of the author letter too. This is an exclusive hardback too, the UK edition of this book is only being sold elsewhere as a paperback so that makes it more of a collectors item.

So that's all of the contents of the Beauty and the Beast box (with an additional cat since Sparrow refused to get out of the way so I could take the picture LOL). What do you think? The only two items I'd probably have purchased myself are the book and the enamel pin so for me this box definitely wasn't worth the over £30 I spent on it but all the other comments I've seen online about this box have been extremely positive.

I think it's probably time for me to take a step back from Fairyloot again for a while, I like the mystery of receiving these boxes but it's very rare that I think they're good value for money as there are always at least a couple of things I wouldn't choose to buy separately. I'm probably better off spending my money on Etsy picking and choosing items that really appeal to me that I'm going to actually be excited to receive.

Fairyloot Unboxing - December 2018 "Dragons"

FairyLoot December Box "Dragons"

It's been a while since I bought a FairyLoot box but there was no way I could resist a theme like Dragons and I'm happy to say this is one of my favourite boxes of theirs that I've ever bought. I'm posting this unboxing quite late because I was missing an item from the original delivery that only arrived this week but hopefully that means I won't be able to spoiler anyone with this post.

The first item in the box was this reading journal designed by Fictiontea Designs. I think reading journals are a brilliant idea but they never, ever have enough space for me to include all the books I read so I doubt I'll actually use this one. It's a lovely design but I just wish it had more pages & space to write in!

The second item was this pin flag, I have to admit I was confused when I first pulled it out of the box & couldn't understand why I'd been given a blank flag but after reading the spoiler card I realised it's meant to be used to hold your pin badge collection. I have loads of badges and always struggle to come up with ways to display them so this is definitely going to come in handy.

This lovely dragon necklace is one of my favourite items in the box & it came in a really cute Fairyloot box too. The dragon is pretty enough in daylight but the wings actually glow in the dark which just makes it even cooler.

I absolutely LOVE this book sleeve designed by Sweet Sequels, it combines dragons and Harry Potter so hits two of my collector buttons and I just think the design is gorgeous. I have a few book sleeves now and they're just so useful for bookworms who want to keep their books safe and protected while they're out and about, I use them all the time and am happy to add this one to my collection.

We actually received two books in this month's box, the first one is an exclusive arc of The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson and it sounds fabulous. The book isn't published until July so I won't be reviewing it until nearer the release date but I can't wait to read it!

The item that was delayed was this fab Mother of Dragons magnetic bookmark set inspired by Game of Thrones & it was definitely worth the wait. They were designed by Taratjah & I love them both, these are definitely going to be my go to bookmarks from now onwards!

I also really love this double sided art print featuring Abraxos and Manon on one side and Toothless on the other. I'm actually a little disappointed that they aren't two separate cards because I'd really like to put them both on display at the same time. I guess I'll just have to remember to keep turning the print around so that both sides get a chance to be in the spotlight. This art print was designed by Diana Dworak and you really should have a look at her website because she's a fantastic artist.

Last but definitely not least was this hardback copy of Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst which is a book I'm really excited to read. The book itself is actually signed which I think is much better than the signed stickers that are usually included (although I like those too!) and the author's letter is printed on the back of another stunning art card designed by Taratjah.

So that's the contents of the December Dragons box and like I already said I'm really happy with everything included. Apart from the books (which I always love!) my favourite items are the book sleeve, magnetic bookmarks and dragon necklace but there are also some really pretty art cards that I want to display too. Did you get this box too? If so what was your favourite item?

Fairyloot Unboxing - March 2018 "Memorable Moments"

FairyLoot March Box "Memorable Moments"

So this is the special 2nd anniversary box for FairyLoot which meant I just HAD to order one and I have to say I love the pretty purple boxes! The March box is all about memorable moments from popular series so I was really looking forward to seeing what items would be included.

The first item in this month's box was this really cool cork bunting from Paladone. I haven't had a chance to set this up yet but I think it's going to look fab strung across my bookcase and I'm planning to use it for the many, many bookish badges and other small swag I've collected over the years.

The next item was this exclusive Rune Ceremony scarf from by FictionTea Designs which was inspired by Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters series. The material is so soft and I really like the subtle design, it's a smart looking scarf that can be worn on any occasion so I'm sure I'll get plenty of use out of it.

The third item was this Goblet of Fire candle from Paper Flames Candle Co and I have no words for how delicious this smells! It's like fresh bread and chocolate and I can't get enough of it so I'm kind of disappointed I can't buy a larger jar from their store because it's an exclusive.

This soap from Geeky Clean was inspired by Bibo's birthday cake and smells of vanilla and strawberries which is lovely. Like I've said before I'm not a huge fan of having this kind of body product in boxes because I have very sensitive skin and often can't use them, I doubt I'll even try this one but it smells lovely and will sit nicely on my bookshelf next to my Hobbit and LotR books.

Then we had a packet of Toast to the Warden of the North hot chocolate from Eponine. I love hot chocolate so I'm hoping this will be delicious, it only includes enough for 2 mugs though so I have a feeling I'm going to be left wanting more LOL.

This month's book was State of Sorrow by Melinda Salisbury and it's and exclusive hardback edition not available elsewhere which is pretty cool. The cover is gorgeous and I really think I'm going to love this story, I've heard so many fantastic things about the author's Sin Eater's Daughter series that I have very high expectations.

So that's the contents of the March 2nd Anniversary Fairyloot box. I'm pretty happy with it most of the items included, especially the candle, scarf and bunting. Every month there tend to be at least a couple of items I wouldn't buy if given the choice though so I'm not sure how much value that makes the box overall. I'm thinking I'll take a break from buying the boxes for a while and instead I might just pick a different etsy shop each month and pick a few items that I love from favourite fandoms. I do love the surprise of Fairyloot though so I'm sure I'll buy occasional boxes again in the future when they have a theme that I find impossible to resist!

Fairyloot Unboxing - February 2018 "Twisted Tales"

FairyLoot February Box "Twisted Tales"

I realised when I was writing my unboxing for the March FairyLoot box that I'd completely forgotten to post about the February box so I thought I might as well post them both at the same time. I'm a HUGE fairytale fan and I absolutely love retellings so the minute I heard about the theme for this book I just HAD to have it. I'm sure most people have already seen unboxings and know what was included but I'm going to share some pics here anyway.

The first item is this absolutely gorgeous "Grimm Tales" Mug designed by Aunjuli Art. You can never have too many mugs - especially not when they're as pretty as this one and I love that it's been inspired by so many different fairytales.

Then you have this bookish "Hinterland" candle from Wick and Fable that was inspired by this month's book and smells lovely. I can never have too many candles so this was a definite hit for me.

The third item was these "Poisonous Apple" bath salts from Little Heart. The salts smell nice enough but I have to say bath items are my least favourite thing to receive in subscription boxes, I have very sensitive skin so have to be really careful with the products I use and my house doesn't even have a bath tub in it (I only have a shower!) so I couldn't use these even if I wanted to. I'll end up giving this away to a friend because it's useless to me and it doesn't even make a good decoration to stick on my shelves.

These socks are Fairyloot exclusives and have pictures of a gingerbread house and a witches hat on them. You can never have too many socks and these seem fairly good quality ones but I can't say I love the design all that much, it's pretty boring really and not something I'd have chosen myself (I already have an extensive collection of Harry Potter socks so I'll admit my sock standards are pretty high LOL). At least I'll get use out of these though so they're a better option than the bath salts.

The last item before the book was this GORGEOUS wooden bookmark from Ink and Wonder, I have a few of their Woodmarks now and I love them all. They create the prettiest designs and of course this one is based on Little Red Riding Hood.

I had already guessed the book that would be included in this month's box (I only ever buy the boxes if I'm pretty sure I know what the book is and know that it's one I'd like to read) so I was very happy to confirm it was The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. This book sounds fantastic and I'm excited to read it soon. As usual it came with a letter from the author but rather than a bookplate the book itself has actually been signed by the author which is even more exciting.

So that's the contents of the February box, I'm looking forward to reading the book, I love the mug, woodmark and candle plus the socks are useful so most of the items were definitely a hit for me this month.

Fairyloot Unboxing - November 2017 "Ladies that Slay"

FairyLoot November Box "Ladies that Slay"

The November FairyLoot box was another fab one, this was another box with two books in it which is pretty cool but the thing I was most excited about was definitely the book sleeve! Let's have a look at everything that was included:

Bookish candle = tick, Hermione bookish candle = an even bigger tick! It's no secret I'm a total Potterhead so I was thrilled with this Hermione candle by Flick the Wick. The scent is Vanilla, Lily, Musk, Raspberry & Citrus and it's divine, I love those musky berry kind of smells so this is perfect for me.

Also included was this really cute tin from Bookish Teas, it's called Blue's Brew and was inspired by Blue from the Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater. You can't really see from the picture but it's even got edible glitter in it so it's such a pretty blend. I'm not much of a tea drinker but this smells so good that I'm going to have to try it, if you're interested in the details it's a fruit tea with black and red currants, blackberries, apple, hibiscus and rose hip peels.

Fairyloot's first ever book sleeve was designed by Aunjuli Art and the pattern was designed to represent ladies that slay. I own a few different book sleeves now (in case you don't already know they're padded pouches that are designed to keep your books safely protected from harm when you're out and about) and what I love about this one is that the inner lining is waterproof so that should help keep my books safe even over the winter when there's a constant risk of rain soaking through whatever bag I'm carrying! What I'm a little disappointed with is that the pattern is printed on white material, I know from experience with other book sleeves that pale colours start to look dirty very quickly so I know this won't look so bright and pretty for very long. Hopefully the dye is set well enough that I'll be able to wash it with a damp cloth but I'll probably end up sticking with my darker sleeves most of the time which is a shame.

One of the bonus items included with the box was this proof copy of Furyborn by Claire Legrand which I'm really looking forward to reading. I'm glad fairyloot don't seem to have counted this as one of the official box items because as a blogger I know publishers give out ARCs (advanced reading copies) for free but I think they make a brilliant bonus item!

Another item in the box was this Mockingjay inspired patch from Literary Emporium, as patches go it's a nice one & I've bought stuff from Literary Emporium before so I know it'll be good quality but I don't really have any use for patches so I'm not very excited about this item.

The last item was this Fight the Darkness sticker designed by Reverie & Ink and inspired by An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. This was another item I found it hard to get excited about, I like the quote but it's just a small sticker and it's not even a particularly pretty one so I doubt I'll stick it anywhere!

The main book for this box was The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli and the cover is gorgeous, it's a fairyloot exclusive with silver foil rather than gold and it comes with a signed book plate and a letter from the author. I've already read this one and it's brilliant so I'd highly recommend checking it out. I've not had time to write my review yet but I'll try to get it posted ASAP.

So that's the contents of the November fairyloot box. I have to admit there were a couple of misses for me this month but book sleeves can be quite expensive so they're a fairly high value item and so are bookish candles so overall I think it was still good for the price. Unfortunately I'm having to take a break from my subscription for a while, I just can't afford to buy a box every month right now, but I still love Fairyloot and I'm planning to buy the occasional box for now and I really hope I'll be able to resubscribe at some point in the future.

Fairyloot Unboxing - October 2017 "Villainous"

FairyLoot October Box "Villainous"

I know I'm really late posting my unboxings for both the October and November FairyLoot boxes but better late than never right? Even if nobody else is interested in reading these I like to keep a record of the subscription boxes I've purchased!

This was another lovely box from Fairyloot with lots of brilliant items included in it.

The first thing I found was this pretty Maleficient Candle from Meraki Candles. The scent is Jade Orchid & Lotus Blossom & it's gorgeous. Candles are definitely one of my favourite subscription box items so I love that Fairyloot include them regularly.

The next item was this Moriarty inspired Villain Coaster designed by Evie Seo. I always love Evie's designs and this one is no exception, this has already become my favourite coaster for my morning coffee!

I love this Death Eater enamel pin from House of Wonderland, I'm a HUGE Potterhead so of course I can never get enough HP merchandise!

This lovely mirror by Little Inkling Designs is so cute and it's perfect for carrying around in your handbag. The quote comes from Marie Lu's Young Elites series which is actually one I've not read yet but have been meaning to get around to for such a long time. I think I need to push it to the top of my to read pile!

This pretty print is another Evie Seo design, the quote comes from the poem The Aeneid by Virgil but you might recognise it from Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series.

I absolutely love Leigh Bardugo's Grisha series so I was really excited when I found out that this box would include a hardback of The Language of Thorns, an anthology of short stories and fairytales set in the world. This is such a beautiful book, not only does it have a pretty foil cover (I wish I'd been able to get that to show better on the photo!) but it's also illustrated throughout with such gorgeous images. I've already posted my review which includes pictures so you can read all about the book HERE if you're interested.

These gorgeous postcards with artwork from The Language of Thorns were also included in the box.

Last but definitely not least was Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C Dao, this book is described as a reimagining of the evil queen from Snow White based on Asian folklore and mythology which sounds right up my street! It was already on my wish list so I'm definitely looking forward to diving into my copy. As with all the Fairyloot boxes the main book comes with a signed bookplate and a letter from the author which just makes it even more special.

So that's everything that was included in the box, what do you think? I loved getting two books AND a bookish candle and all the other items were just lovely bonuses so I'm definitely impressed with this one. Thanks for another fab box Fairyloot!