I got an email from M&J Trimmings asking me to review one of their boxes so I had to say YES. I love DIY projects in general so when I got my box I did a little research on their website to see what others did so I came up with a few designs of my own. I’m so excited to show you guys what I made!
Here’s a little more about Project DIY… for $30 a month (less if you choose a longer subscription) you’ll receive a box of 2-3 designer jewelry pieces and a free starter kit. These pieces are suppose to be fashionable so the great thing about this subscription box is that you get to personalize your own pieces.
The theme for this month is Joan of Arc so there’s a lot of metals. Also, this box has a starter kit so if you order your first box- you’ll get one too.
Sorry for the lack of the packing pictures- when I uploaded my pictures they got corrupted so I had to retake my pictures again- what a pain! However the packaging was very packed well- there was a lot of boxes and bags to protect everything. I had a opening a christmas present experience.
Let’s jump right to the content of the box!
This is the starter kit which has random pieces for you to make earrings, necklaces, and little rings for whatever else you might need.
I didn’t know what a jump ring was so I had to youtube it lol. It’s basically I ring with different sized slots in it to open up those tiny connecting rings. Very useful indeed. The best part of this kit are these three handy tools- Chain Nose Plier, Needle Nose Plier, and the Wire Cutter Plier all in a cute canvas bag. These pliers are pretty good quality so get your DIY on!
The first jewelry piece is the Joan of Arc Shield Necklace. They have an example piece on the box but it’s totally up to you to customize it however you what. If you want to see a more detailed instruction visit guides.mjprojectdiy.com to see how they made it. You can also see other people’s design too!
Inside the pillow box you’ll see the materials in plastic baggies and a quick intro. If you’re not to familiar with jewelry making I suggest visiting the website for more instructions. Read through everything first so you know what you’re getting into!
The next piece I got was the Warrior Cuff. I actually tried this on and it wasn’t too big! I have very skinny wrists so it was a little bit wider (you can bend it to your size so do this before you decorate it).
You can cut up pieces and re-arrange it however you want.
The fake leather fabric is there to give it the medieval look- its very soft. I think it made the bracelet more comfortable to wear and to keep it in place on my wrist.
The bracelet didn’t fit in the pillow box so this was in it’s own velvet drawstring bag- how fancy!
So for the final result I wanted to use both materials from each of the pieces Project DIY gave me so I didn’t have to limit myself (although I didn’t use all the materials).
Here’s what I made!
If you guys really like what I made I can do a quick tutorial and explanation- just like this post or comment. I had a lot of fun making these pieces even though it did take awhile- it was worth it!
Overall, I thought this box was pretty cool concept- if I can afford an extra $30 I would definitely order another box. So if you’re interested in subscribing visit their page.
Thank you Project DIY for introducing me to your box, I had lots of fun! Lemme know if you subscribed.
This month’s 
I actually don’t trust the hand/wrist swatching because when I actually do put it on my eyes or lips- the colors aren’t the same or they don’t glide the same on the hand (if you get what I mean). I swatched it for you anyways just to see the different colors clearly. You’ll see it on my face later in this post, don’t worry! =]
The bonus product I got is the em cosmetics’ Waterliner Intense Color Eyeliner- Amazing Grey. Retail: $20.00. This was a lot smaller than I imagined but it has a sponge smudging tool on one end to get a smokey look. This pencil is designed to stay on your waterline (right above the lower lashes). This wasn’t my favorite color to get but I can’t complain because I really wanted to try this product. When I tried this on my waterline it seems like nothing went on…maybe this one is meant for the eye lids. It’s kinda light for my eyes but if you want a subtle lower lid color- this would look nice.
Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil-Amethyst. Retail: $14.00. As you can kind of see in the swatch above its either a shiny dark purple with out flash or a light shimmery purple with flash. I know it’s hard to see since there’s so much purple but its the one closest to my lashes.
Woo! This is one took forever, it shipped out 11/8 and I just got it on 11/18… my boxes usually come a lot faster but it seems like it stays in one place for a long time.
1. Chella Highlighter Pencil. Retail: $18.00. This awesome pencil does everything! It highlights, conceals and brightens your features. I already got one from Ipsy so I’m trying to trade to get something I want. I think everyone should have one of these pencils- its super versatile and its super creamy making it blendable.
2. Paula’s Choice RESIST BHA 9 for Stubborn Imperfections. Retail: $4.00. (I got this one already in my “messed up” box). It looks like a perfume sample but it’s actually for your face. It’s a nightly serum for stubborn imperfections- it tackles acne scars, rosacea, wrinkles, blemishes, and so much more… I like that it has a lot of benefits- I just think using a tiny (smaller than a perfume sample size bottle) serum wouldn’t give me a chance to see if it’ll work. The sticker on the packing says that I can get another free sample but honestly- I don’t think its worth it. The full size bottle costs $40 for 3 oz (my sample was .03 oz) so even if it does work- that’s pretty pricey bottle!
3. BeeKind Body Lotion with honey and organic chamomile extracts. Retail: $1.88. I’m not sure if I like the smell but its a really strong lime/lemon smell. For something that has honey and chamomile the lemony-acidic smell is really strong. This is a good size lotion for my hands for on the go. I like that everything is organic however it I don’t see it working too well for extra dry hands like I have.
4. Chuao Chocolatier Chocolate-honeycomb. Retail: $0.84. I love it! I just wished that they gave more than a dinky size sample. Honestly, this chocolate “bar” which is really a leaf shaped piece is pretty expensive for the size. I do appreciate all the different and unique flavors they have though like Potato Chip (kettle chips and sea salt in milk chocolate), Orange A Go Go (dark chocolate with candied orange and orange bergamot), Maple Bacon (crisp bacon with a dose of maple sweetness and smoked sea salt in milk chocolate), Salted Chocolate Crunch (toasted breadcrumbs with sea salt in dark chocolate), Pop Corn Pop (puffed whole grains and toasted corn chips with a hint of sea salt), Spicy Maya (a spicy blend of pasilla chile, cinnamon, and cayenne in dark chocolate), and Firecracker (chipotle caramel fudge dotted with popping candy and salt in dark chocolate).
5. Color Club® Cocktail Hour Collection-Dark N’ Stormy. Retail: $4.00. This is a sample size the full size is double the size. I have a ton of grey nail polish so this one didn’t impress me. Both Ipsy and Birchbox had the copper or silver color polish for this month and they BOTH gave me silver. Now I have 5 grey polishes- yippie. =P
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