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.

--

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!

--

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. 

Battle of the Subscription Boxes: Birchbox vs. Ipsy

I've been a subscriber of Birchbox for nearly two years. Up until a couple months ago, I've been pretty satisfied with the boxes and samples I received. That is, until I started watching Eleventhgorgeous on Youtube and saw their Ipsy bags (formerly known as Glam Bag), another subscription beauty sample service, and realized that there are other "beauty bags/boxes" out there that may even give you more bang for your buck.

Basically, Ipsy is a subscription service just like Birchbox. It costs $10 per month, and you get mailed five or six samples to try out and you're typically offered some sort of discount on purchasing a full-size of the products. One cool difference? You get a different bag each month that all your products come in. Those little things always come in handy, especially when travelling.

 So, I signed up for Ipsy, and for now I've kept my Birchbox subscription so I could bring you this battle of the subscription beauty boxes! So here are both my July Birchbox and my July Ipsy glam bag - and we'll get to the bottom of who has the best value. 


July Birchbox

The products

100 % Pure Nourishing Body Cream | Full-size: $15

These body creams by 100% Pure are organic, and filled with anti-aging properties. These little packets have .066 fl oz  in each one. I hate using lotion out of little packets like this, because there is too much product for one use and it's annoying to keep them around without getting things all lotiony. I've never heard of this brand before, but it looks interesting. 

Benefit Cosmetics Girl Meets Pearl | Full-size $30

I hate to kill the excitement already, but this is the best sample in this entire box. Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl is a gorgeous peachy rose-gold highlight that is SO stunning. I own many highlighters, but nothing comes close to this. And the super cute packaging? I'm in love. (If you think this packaging is cute, check out their entire line. It's fabulous.) Benefit can do no wrong.

Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect | Full-size $32

 This is Number 4's sulfate-free leave-in conditioner that protects against UV rays. I won't lie... I love these mini leave in conditioners for traveling. With my long hair, I'll willingly try every brand's detanglers. Keep 'em coming.

Benta Berry G-1 Moisturizing Face Cream | Full-size $22

Okay, remember last month when I said I was loving that modern packaging on the Davines products? And then it shows up again this month with the Number 4 product above? Well, it appears that's kind of a trend - and frankly, I'm over it. This is Benta Berry's (a French brand) hydrating and purifying face cream. It smells really fresh and finishes really light on the skin. I'm really looking forward to trying this on my face.

Birchbox Bobby Pins | Full-size $5

These are two cute patterned large bobby pins. I don't typically purchase hair pieces like these for myself, but I'm happy to try these out since they're something a bit different for me.


July Ipsy Glam Bag

The Products

bh cosmetics California Collection Eyeshadow | Full-size $9.99

This is an awesome sized sample. These three bh cosmetics eyeshadows are all rather pigmented, and perfect for summer. Hollywood might be a bit too purple for my light skin, but I'm sure I can find a use for it. The other two colors are a gorgeous warm brown and shimmering gold that I know I'll get plenty of use from.

Sexy Hair Weather Proof Humidity Resistant Spray | Full-size $18.95

Sexy Hair is a brand I've seen everywhere and never ever tried, so I'm looking forward to testing this bad boy out. This is an awesome 1.4 oz sample that will serve me well while traveling, but also it's big enough to really test the product out and get a feel for whether or not I'd purchase it in full-size in the future.

Coola Mineral Face SPF 20 Unscented Moisturizer | Full-size $36

I am all about this sample. Being as fair skinned as I am, I can never get enough SPF face creams. This is a great size to throw in my purse for use on a sunny summer day. I know I also received a Coola cucumber-scented sunscreen in a Birchbox earlier this year, and I haven't actually tried it, as it's for the body and it's the same size (.23 fl oz) sample as this one (aka there's not enough to make it worth it).

Demeter Salt Air Perfume Oil Roll-On | Full-size $39.50

I am so freaking excited about this sample I can hardly even type this. I've wanted to try a Demeter fragrance since forever and finally I have my very own - and in a rather large sample size, too! (.29 fl oz) Salt Air smells so summery and tropical, it is just perfect for any warm weathered day. Also, it's in a rollerball container which I love. Easily the best sample in this Glam Bag, hands down. 

POP Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in Fuchsia Flirt | Full-size $25 (set of 6)

Another giant sample! This pouty pop crayon is a full-sized product (0.1 oz)!! I love lip crayons, and this color is super easy to wear, creamy, and beautiful. I'm really excited to pop this (no pun intended!) in my purse for use on the go!

---

So there you have it - the Birchbox vs. Ipsy showdown! To me, there is a very clear winner. But before I spill the beans, I'm curious to know which box you think wins this July Battle of the Subscription Boxes? Let me know in the comments below!