Final battle: Birchbox vs. Ipsy (March Edition)

In February, I made the decision that March would be the last month I receive a Birchbox. The inconsistency of the boxes, and the lack of value compared to Ipsy finally made me decide that it's just not worth it for me to spend even $10 a month on it anymore. So today, I bring you the final battle: Birchbox vs. Ipsy.

MARCH BIRCHBOX

• Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Hair Treatment + Hair Treatment Plus - Grrrr... this foil packet convinced me further that it's time to cancel Birchbox. I'm pretty sure I could get this for free at any department store or on the Ojon website. So annoying! I don't like to use these because the packaging is so inconvenient. 

• Gilchrist & Soames London Collection Body Lotion - This looks like a lotion bottle you get at a hotel. It actually has that same smell that most of them do, too. It's a nice throw in your purse size, but it's just not anything special, and I definitely wouldn't spend $16 on a full-size of this.
• DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew - I'm intrigued by this facial moisturizer, and hey - you get a whole ounce which is a pretty decent sample (considering full-size is 1.7 oz)! It's pricey for a full-size, retailing at $42, so I highly doubt I'd ever buy this again, but I'll be glad to use it.

• COOLA Tinted Matte SPF 30 for Face - Ugh, I'm so sick of getting samples from COOLA. This is the third or fourth sample size I have of various SPFs from COOLA. In the summer, I'll probably use this, but I just really don't care to have another tinted moisturizer.

• English Laundry No. 7 For Her - This smells REALLY good, and of course the full-size retails for $90! Oof. That's a pricey perfume. 

• Ghirardelli Intense Dark Cherry Tango Square - I really don't want a chocolate square in my beauty box. Period. I signed up for beauty samples.... 

MARCH IPSY

• Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer - This is a really nice sample size, and the product inside seems nice, too! It has very fine golden shimmer and feels nice and smooth. I think this will be great for summer.

• bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Get Ready - This is a great everyday color, perfect for work or daytime wear. Love it!

• NYX Love in Rio trio in Amazonian Babes - This trio of eyeshadows is made up of shimmering browns that are awesome for every day wear.

• Chella Indigo Blue eyeliner - This is a really great eyeliner pen, it's just a shame I don't wear blue eyeliner! I might just have to for fun one of these days to get some use out of this. This is full-sized, and a full-size costs $24!! That's quite the value, considering Ipsy costs just $10/month!

If you'd like to subscribe to Birchbox or Ipsy, click any of the hyperlinked "Birchbox" or "Ipsy" links in this post. Each subscription service costs just $10 per month for awesome beauty samples. As you can tell, I would highly recommend Ipsy over Birchbox, as I think the value is consistently good and you often get full-sized products. 

February Ipsy vs. Birchbox!

You know the drill. Ipsy & Birchbox are both subscription beauty services that send you a sampling of beauty products once a month for just $10. Click any of the hyperlinked "Ipsy" or "Birchbox" links in the post to sign up today. Let's get right to it...

BIRCHBOX

• Juicy Couture Couture La La Malibu - I swear to god, I have received a million and a half Juicy Couture samples (different variations, of course) from Birchbox. I am so freakin' sick of receiving Juicy Couture fragrance samples. All I can say is at least this one didn't come broken. 

• Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner - I always like to try a new pore refiner, so I'll happily try this one out. 

• Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish in Kitten Heels - Oddly enough, there's nailpolish all over the cap of this sample, as if someone opened it up and used it. I think the mood-changing thing is a gimmick, but I'll try this out nonetheless. 

• Beauty Protector Protect & Oil - I love this brand! Their detangler is one of my favorites, so I'm super excited to try their newest product out as it's exclusive to Birchbox!

• 32 Oral Care Effervescent Breath Crystals with IsoVoxy - This is the weirdest thing I think I've ever received in a Birchbox. Breath freshening crystals. Odd, but I'm intrigued. 

IPSY

• Zoya Nail Polish in Odette - Full-size alert!! I very nearly bought this color for myself not too long ago, so I couldn't be happier to receive this (full-size no less!) in my Ipsy bag! If you've been reading Glazed Over for awhile, you're already aware Zoya is my favorite nail polish brand.

• Benefit High Beam - I redeemed some of my Ipsy points to get this in my bag this month, and I'm really glad I did. This is such a natural highlight for the cheekbones. Great product, great brand - love!

• J.Cat Beauty Eyelashes in EL15 - Full-size alert!! I have never tried eyelashes by J.Cat Beauty before. These look really dramatic and fun. Can't wait to try them!

• POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini in Peony Petal - This is a gorgeous everyday color. I've enjoyed all I've tried so far from POP Beauty, and I expect I'll enjoy this, too. 
• Mally Beauty Evercolor Waterproof Eyeliner in Starlight - I don't have much need for a silver eyeliner, but I will more than likely try this out as I've been curious about Mally. Seems very creamy... I so wish it was black or brown!

• City Color Be Matte Blush in Fresh Melon - Full-size alert!! Look at the size of this thing! I've already tested this blush (from a brand that's completely new to me!) and it is so finely milled and extremely pigmented. Loving this so far!

It's pretty clear Ipsy is the obvious winner this month. Birchbox was doing so well for the last couple months that I thought they were making a real turn around. Unfortunately, I get so much value in my Ipsy bag that I am THIS close to cashing out my Birchbox points and ending my subscription. 

What do you think - which do you prefer? Ipsy or Birchbox?

January 2014: Birchbox vs. Ipsy

It's here, it's here! The monthly battle between Birchbox and Ipsy. Let me know in the comments who YOU think had the better box this month.

Birchbox

This month's box includes...

• Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion with Clary Sage - This is a super hydrating facial moisturizer that smells really fresh and nice. If you didn't get this in your Birchbox this month, I saw this exact sample for sale at Target for something like $2.
• Inika Mineral Eyeshadow in Eternal Marine - WHY do companies always send blue eyeshadows as a sample? I don't wear blue eyeshadow, damnit! For those of you who do, this is a decent-sized sample!
• Nail Rock Velvet Manicure - This is one of those textured polish deals. From the look of it, you dip your nail in to velvety powder for a textured finish. I have yet to jump on the textured polish bandwagon, but maybe I'll give this a go. 
• Harvey Prince Journey perfume - The packaging says, "Savor the delicate notes of South African freesia, Japanese orange flower and Moroccan rose." Not a huge fan of this scent, but it is a larger perfume sample.
• Serge Normant Meta Revive Dry Conditioner - This isn't the first time Serge Normant has graced my Birchbox. (you may remember seeing this brand here) One thing remains true, this brand's products are super smelly but they smell good. I've got the dry shampoo, so it will be nice to have the dry conditioner as well.

Ipsy

This month's Glam Bag includes...

• Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-What Leave In Conditioner - I have tried a couple Big Sexy Hair things, but nothing from the Soy Tri-Wheat collection. I don't like the smell (just from sniffing it in the bottle) but I will gladly use up a leave in conditioner. 
• MicaBeauty Tinted Lip Balm - This tinted lip balm is a mauvey-brown color. It's light on the lips, not super hydrating, but it's a pretty foolproof balm to throw in your purse for use without a mirror.
• Elizabeth Mott Smooth Shadow Creamy Eye Pencil in Pearl - This brand is new to me. It's a gorgeous champagne color, but it's not retractable so all you get is what you see.... which is not very much.
• Epice Purifying Exfoliant - This is also a new brand to me. I like that it's a nice big sample, perfect to take traveling. I'll definitely get use out of this.
• Proactiv Mark Fading Pads - This is the first time I've gotten tear-open samples from Ipsy and I'm kind of disappointed. This is part of Proactiv's line, so I'm not really sure I'm going to get a "true" test of how well these work when they're not used with the other products.

I can't say I'm very impressed with either Birchbox or Ipsy this month. I guess when it comes down to it, I'll get the most use out of the stuff in my Ipsy Glam Bag. Although I do have to note, this month's bag smells super gross! The blue bag smells like a nasty mix of chemicals and plastic. Not cool!

You can receive these samples monthly for just $10 per subscription box per month. If you're interested in starting a beauty subscription, my personal recommendation would be to start with Ipsy. Ipsy seems to have consistently good bags each month. Click any of the hyperlinked "Birchbox" or "Ipsy" links in this post to get started!

December 2013 - Battle of the Subscription Boxes: Birchbox vs. Ipsy!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays! I know I sure did! I apologize for the couple missed posts, but after a nasty cold and lots and lots of Christmas-ing, my blogging fell behind. But now I'm BACK and I hope my blog will be better than ever, because my awesome husband got me a Canon Rebel T3i for Christmas, and I am freaking obsessed! (with it, and him!)

I already used it on Christmas to post the picture of my Christmas manicure, but today's post will be the first post where perhaps you'll really be able to tell the difference. To me, it makes all the difference in the world.

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My Birchbox came VERY late this month. I just got it on Christmas Eve, so that is why this post is far overdue. No more waiting... let's get right to it!

December Ipsy Glam Bag

The bag is  absolutely adorable, and the products in this month's Ipsy are awesome, too!

• Nicka K New York Nail Polish - Oddly enough, there's no name on this polish. It appears to be a vibrant red cream polish. This brand is totally new to me, but I dig the packaging and can't wait to try it out.

• POP Beauty Bright Up Your Life eye shadow trio in Naturally Bare - POP Beauty seems to have stormed its way in to the spotlight recently, and I'm loving their stuff! This trio is surprisingly high quality, with buttery and pigmented shadows that are super gorgeous!

• NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in B52 - Full-sized product alert! I love NYX lipsticks, and I certainly enjoy receiving a full-size product in my Ipsy bag! This is a super gorgeous color, too. 

• Demeter Roll-On Perfume Oil in Snow - I love trying out different Demeter scents; they're so unique and fun to try. Snow smells fresh and sweet and is a nice subtle scent. These rollerballs are valued at $10 - the entire price of the Ipsy bag!

• Be A Bombshell The One Stick in Girl Crush - This is a cool multi-purpose product, not to mention it is full-sized and valued at $16! You can use it on your eyes, cheeks, lips or as a highlight. This creamy all-in-one stick will be fun to experiment with.

December Birchbox

• Greenleaf Starlight Candle - This thing smells so good! It made my entire Birchbox smell awesome. It's just a little votive candle, but I can already tell the scent will light up any room I burn it in. Kind of a different type of product from Birchbox, but I think most of us beauty-loving girls also enjoy candles, too.

• Nelson j Beverly Hills Argan Oil 7 Non-Foaming Shampoo - I don't love tiny shampoo samples like this, but I am intrigued by this shampoo. It smells minty and nice, and is the perfect size for traveling.

• Camille Beckman Glycerine Hand Therapy in Morelia Monarch - I really love the soft subtle smell of this lotion. I've actually seen it at a local drugstore/gift store but never thought to pick it up. The packaging is adorable (I'm bound to grab anything with a monarch on it) and the product inside is really nice, too.

• Skin&Co Roma Truffle Therapy Serum Boosting Anti-Aging Serum - I'm always down to try a new anti-aging cream. I've never heard of this one before, and it smells nice like coconut, so I'm more than happy to give this a go.

• Mally Beauty Lip Magnifier in Tulip - Full-sized product alert, valued at $20! I'm really excited to try something from the Mally brand, which I've never tried before. This is a gorgeous lip pencil touted as a lipstick lipgloss. Great color, too!

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I really liked both of these boxes this month. I thought both were well worth the value. I'm glad to see Birchbox keeping up the good work, and Ipsy hasn't faltered for a second. If you'd like to sign up to either or both of these subscriptions, just click any of the hyperlinked "Birchbox" or "Ipsy" links in this blog! Each cost just $10 per month and offer various coupon codes and points for purchasing from brands given in each month's box.