Saturday, April 18, 2015

Beauty Subscription Smackdown Part 3. Birchbox vs. Ipsy March 2015

Ha! One was at least on time! Mostly...My Birchbox had a billing issue this month so it was sent out a little late which is why this is only just getting up now.

So Ipsy arrived first therefore they will be first in this post.

The theme for this months bag is "Floral Fantasy" which I think is nice for the spring. I really liked the bag itself as well it looks really classic in a way. Not too overdone.



So here is what I got:

NYX Cosmetics Butter Lipstick (color) $6 - So even though I haven't really been into lipsticks lately I like this color. Its pretty comfortable and It's really creamy. I can't wait to wear this out on a date.

Boo Boo Cover-up (medium) $7.64 - Can I just point out a major flop on Ipsy's part? I'm extremely fair skinned and this just isn't gonna work. I was psyched to try this but I'm very pale and this color will never work for me even in the summer. So I am pretty bummed about that. However I think I can mix this with my Maybelline Master Conceal to make this wearable.

Pūr~lisse beauty Pūr~delicate gentle soymilk cleanser & makeup remover $6.42 - I actually really like this brand so I was excited to see another product from them. I really like trying new facial cleansers and I have tested this one and it seems to work nicely. It doesn't foam and kind of has the feeling of a cleansing balm so I think I'm going to take this on trips with me instead of my expensive cleanser.


Gilchrist & Soames London Collection Body Lotion $5 - Even though I wasn't all that excited about this brand because I got two products from this brand in my last birchbox I really like this lotion. I also feel like the packaging looks and feels really sturdy so I wouldn't mind displaying it. I think the lotion itself feels a little thin but moisturizes pretty well without feeling super greasy. John also likes the smell so I might get him the full size.


VINTAGE by Jessica Liebeskind Illuminating Face Highlighter $10 - As far as I could tell this was a sample sized item. Though I couldn't find a size on the full size product, I guessed on the price. About the product though, I do love the shimmer and its so soft. I love this and I think its a great product, I might actually buy the full size.

 Also I spent my points on a bonus item. Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm I have a full size of this already but its one of my absolute favorites so I snagged this for 500 points. 


Total Value: $35.06 (without bonus item) I really enjoyed this month's bag. I felt like it was well rounded and well within my comfort zone. I enjoyed the brands that were in here and look forward to what April's bag will bring.




Now onto Birchbox.



This month's theme was "creative" As far as I can tell there was little variation in the design of our boxes this month. I really like all of it and I'm pretty excited to at least have another cute box. As for products this month I wasn't super excited about the selection of stuff to be sent out but there looked like there were some interesting products in the mix so lets get started:

Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvanator $5.62 - Honestly I was pretty hesitant about using any sort of microdermabrasion product. Recently whenever I use them I break out really badly and I get big red angry pimples...Not sexy. So I've been steering away from them. Right now my face is remarkably clear except my blackheads and so I'm really trying to find a way to get rid of those and keep the big pimples away too.

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle $1.37 - This is one of those products I just haven't had a chance to try. I don't really need anymore hair protectors. So it may take me a while to get around to this.

 Harvey Prince Imperial Gardenia $1 - Again with perfume samples? I really don't want them. I don't have any sort of issues getting my hands on those and its actually pretty darn cheap in my opinion. They aren't worth a lot product wise and I just don't wear perfume very often so I have no desire to own these.


Jelly Pong Pong Glow Getter Highlighter $12.75 - I was super excited about this. I really like cream-consistency highlighters.This kind of reminds me of High Beam from Benefit but I actually think this is easier to blend. I don't like the applicator but I love the product.


Temple Spa Peace Be Still Calming Face and Body Balm $4.83 - Most likely I wont use this on my face but I think its nice for body. I'm just really particular about what I put on my face when it comes to lotions. I think it has a nice subtle scent and it absorbs really quickly but I don't love it enough to buy a full size.


I felt like the selection of types of items was similar to my ipsy. So again I really liked the box. It was also well-rounded and I'm pretty excited. Total Value: $25.57.

And the winner is...Both! It's a tie. I really felt like both of my boxes were similar. I got a highlighter, a cleanser, and a lotion in both. I also got a product I didn't like in each and a product I like but wont get a ton of use out of. I'm choosing not to take my ipsypoints item into the mix because I picked that with my earned points. The box and the bag were equally cute and I really liked both and couldn't pick one or the other.

  So originally this was supposed to be my last Birchbox but I forgot to cancel. I will be getting a April box and I'm actually considering keeping Birchbox for a while but I haven't decided yet. Either way I don't think I will be posting reviews for April since I'm working hard on a couple other projects.  This is really late so I have even looked at what I'm getting from Ipsy and Birchbox already and just based off of that I may do an Ipsy review but we'll have to wait and see. So I hope you like this review and if your interested in signing up for either of these companies my referral links are in the side bar.

xoxo
Courtney


 

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