I’ve subscribed on and off to both Ipsy and Birchbox for quite some time now but rarely am I subscribed to both at the same time! Since I’m currently subscribed to both Ipsy and Birchbox, I thought I’d combine my review posts to compare the two boxes head on! Both are $10/month subscription boxes that send out personalized beauty, hair, and skincare products. Keep reading to see what I received in my boxes this month! 😃
Birchbox
Avenue: Cleanance Expert Lotion | Full-Size $26
Benefit Cosmetics: Goof Proof Brow Pencil in 05 Deep | Full-Size $24
Klorane: Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk | Full-Size $20
Michael Todd: Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser | Full-Size $23
Oribe: Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray | Full-Size $42
The item I was most excited to receive in this month’s Birchbox was the Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil - but when it actually arrived, I was a little disappointed by how teeny tiny the sample was! I get that they’re not always going to give you a full size product, but when a product is so tiny that I can barely hold it? I think that’s pushing it a little 😔 The Avenue lotion was also so small that I barely got any use out of that either!
Plus, is it just me or are the subscription boxes going super heavy on the hair products lately? I feel like I’ve got 5 versions of the same “beachy wave” spray and I can’t use them fast enough! Overall, this month’s Birchbox was kind of a flop for me. Although I’ll definitely be happy to bring a lot of these products as travel companions on my next vacation, none of the products were really different from any other lotions, cleansers, or hairsprays I’m already using.
Ipsy
Trestique: Mini Concealer Crayon | Full-Size $26
IBY Beauty: Crease Brush | Full-Size $12
Tarte Cosmetics: Rainforest of the Sea Deep Dive Cleansing Gel | Full-Size $25
Caudalie: Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet | Full-Size $35
Bellapierre Cosmetics: Banana Setting Powder | Full-Size $35
First, I want to note this month’s cute Gudetama bag! The older I get the more I appreciate quirky little accessories and although I probably won’t be bringing it with me to work anytime soon, I did get a good laugh out of seeing Gudetama’s bum on the back of the bag 😃
I was so impressed by this month’s ipsy! The only true flop this month had to be the concealer crayon from Trestique. It really didn’t provide much coverage and was stubbornly resistant when I tried to blend it out! Although it’ll be good for a throw-in-your-purse product, I won’t be using it on the regular. Everything else in the bag is something I can definitely see myself using and potentially even purchasing farther down the line! My favorite of the bag was the banana setting powder by Bellapiere. Not only is this a product I’ve been wanting to try for quite some time, it also performed well and blended in seamlessly with the rest of my makeup 😃
I’ve flipped and flopped so much between these two subscription boxes - it’s often hard to tell which one I like more! This month, however, definitely goes to Ipsy. I was so impressed by the size and brands of the products I received and am now looking forward to what else is in store! What did you think of your Ipsy or Birchbox this month? I’ve love to hear your thoughts!
Products Mentioned:
Birchbox: June 2017
It's month 3 back on the Birchbox train and I'm so excited to share with you guys the products I've received this month! I love testing out subscription boxes, both new and old, and love getting to see what products are sent each month! I've been loving Birchbox over the past couple of months but I can't quite figure out if that's because the products I've received are better or if I now have a better appreciation for all things beauty and skincare! Birchbox is a monthly beauty subscription ($10/month) that sends full, deluxe, and sample-size beauty, hair, make-up and skincare products!
amika: Perk Up Dry Shampoo
I’m not a frequent user of dry shampoo since I wash my hair every morning, but it’s always nice to have a small can of dry shampoo for summer lake days or camping trips! I used this dry shampoo before a day of paddle boarding and it left a little bit of white residue initially but ultimately kept my hair from looking greasy all day - so I’m pretty happy with it! My only complaint is that I received a product from amika last month so I'd really like to try some other brands as well :(
COOLA: Mineral Face SPF 30 Rosilliance in Golden
I enjoyed trying this product out but it just isn’t something I would use on a regular basis. It’s described as a BB cream/sunscreen hybrid that also offers sheer coverage. When I applied this to my face, it didn’t look like there was any coverage at all 😔 At least it offers some SPF?
Balance Me: Instant Lift Primer
I love the feel of how this primer applies to the skin - it feels much more like a serum rather than a primer. To be honest, however, I couldn’t really tell if the primer did much for actually smoothing out pores or helping the staying power of my make-up. This is a product I was happy to try but probably not something I’d go out and buy for myself.
The Beauty Crop: Blush Duo in Papaya Don’t Preach
I wasn’t too sure about this blush duo at first but I’ve grown to love it the more I’ve used it! It’s a powder and cream blush duo - but the powder blush is so shimmery/bronzey that I’ve been using it more as a highlight. The cream blush is SUPER pigmented so be prepared to blend it out but I love that due to its strong pigmentation, the blush still shows through after I’ve dusted setting powder over the top!
Benefit Cosmetics: Boi-ing Airbrush Concealer
I was so, so excited to receive this concealer because I’ve heard lots of good things about Benefit’s new airbrush concealer. For me, however, it did not live up to the hype. According to its description, it offers sheer to medium coverage the doesn’t crease, cake or crack - but those were the exact things I experienced when I tried to blend it into my skin! To be fair, I’ve been experiencing some especially dry skin on certain areas of my face but most of my other concealers have still looked fine blended on top of it. This concealer did not blend easily, didn’t offer a ton of coverage and looked a little too cake-y. I still think I’ll get some good use out of it for lightening up my dark circles, but for any other spots on my face, this is a no go.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with this month’s Birchbox! Although I didn’t love every specific item in this box, all of the products sent to me were things that I would use in my regular routine and I love getting the opportunity to try new brands of products that I already use in my everyday life! What did you think of your June Birchbox? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Birchbox: March 2016
As you may already know, I’m absolutely addicted to subscription boxes, and one of the biggest internal subscription box debates I’ve been caught up in is whether I like Birchbox or Ipsy better! I vacillate between the two every month and I'm never sure which one to commit to since there are always on and off months with both subscriptions. Since I was a little fed-up with my Ipsy bags over the last couple of months, I decided to swap back to Birchbox for a couple of months. Birchbox is a monthly beauty subscription ($10/month) that sends full-size and sample-size beauty, hair, make-up and skincare products.
Pinrose: Moonlight Gypsy & Pillowtalk Poet
While I'm not the biggest fan of the smell on these samples, I do love that these samples are presented in a creative way. These Pinrose samples are fragrance towelettes that you can easily carry around and brush across your skin when you need to freshen up. Since carry-on liquids have to meet a certain ounce criteria and have to be separated into another plastic bag, it can be quite the hassle to bring regular perfume while traveling. I’m excited to bring these little towelettes on-the-go with me without having to stuff them into a separate bag!
Cargo Land Down Under: Eye Shadow Palette
As I've mentioned before in posts about other beauty boxes, I try my hardest to indicate in my preferences that I do not want to receive eye shadows. I don't use them very often and already have way too many from beauty subscriptions! I decided to try out these eye shadows anyway and found that they were a little too shimmery for my taste. While I love that the lighter shade is shimmery - I expected the darker shade to have stronger dark pigmentation to it.
Parlor by Jeff Chastain: Volumizing and Texturizing Conditioner & Shampoo
Shampoo and Conditioner is something that I typically don’t love receiving in subscription boxes because I honestly don’t care that much about the shampoo/conditioner I use. As long as it smells good and isn’t absurdly expensive, I’m happy. Both of these products smell fantastic so I’m excited to use them the next time I travel (they’re the perfect size!), however, I didn’t love the packaging of the conditioner. Instead of coming in a nice twist-close container like the shampoo, it came in a flimsy plastic sleeve that will be difficult to seal up for re-use.
Ner:D Skincare: Miraculous Brightening Clarifying Face Cleaner
I’m all about trying out new face products, but this sample was a little disappointing! The instructions say to work the cleanser into a rich lather but I could hardly get even a couple of bubbles out of the stuff! On top of that, the cleanser has a very classic soapy smell which makes it seem like you’re basically just throwing a bar of hand soap onto your face. I’m going to give this cleanser a couple more uses before I make a final judgment but so far, I’m meh on this product.
Dr. Lipp: Miracle Balm
Aaaaand here is the star of this month's Birchbox! At first I thought this was just your average lip balm but after following some of the suggested uses on the back - I've actually started using them on my brows to keep stray hairs in place! I love that this product is multi-functional - it makes me feel like I'm getting more bang for my buck! The only downside? This sample is so small - it's hardly an inch tall! Usually I expect to get a liiiiittle bit more out of a sample so I was disappointed by how small this sample was.
Final Verdict:
I really wasn't too happy with this month's Birchbox - I received a lot of samples for product categories that really didn't interest me at all! So what's the status of my internal Birchbox vs ipsy feud? I think ipsy might still have a slight edge! While I originally started with Birchbox, I'm now remembering why I switched to ipsy. Though Birchbox has an awesome points system for its shop, the samples I receive are much smaller than the ones I receive from ipsy and usually involve more shampoo/face cleaner type products - which is great if you love these - but if you're like me and you don't really pay that much attention to what shampoo you're buying, it may not be worth the $10 a month.
Soooooo it's official, after a small spurt with Birchbox again, I guess I'm back to ipsy! I think in the end, Birchbox's samples are just too small for me. I'm happiest when I'm getting a bargain and with ipsy, I feel like I'm (for the most part) getting my money's worth. Next month's review will officially be an ipsy review again! (And maybe I'll be more loyal to ipsy from here on out!)
What are your thoughts on the ipsy vs. Birchbox debate?
I'd love to hear about your experience!
Featured March Products: