Showing posts with label showdown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label showdown. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

July Birchbox vs. Ipsy Showdown

Hello all!
I had so much fun doing this little showdown last month that I decided to do it again! 
So without further adieu, the contenders:

Birchbox's  Power Up Box




First off, can we talk about how pretty the packaging is?! I love the blue shipping box it came in, a nice change form the regular pink. But the actual box is so adorable! It's so cute it actually inspired me to work out....unfortunately, that inspiration hasn't been set into full action just yet, but it did inspire me none the less.


Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo: Who doesn't love dry shampoo? I'm particularly excited about this one because it is a travel size so it is perfect to touch up on the go and it also has a nice light, fresh scent.

NAOBAY Body Radiance Lotion: I have already given this product to my mom because I was really not a fan of the scent to be honest. It's not bad, it is just one of those scents that provoke certain memories and for me that memory was the cleaner they used at my pre-school....

Vasanti Cosmetics Detox Facial Cleanser: On the other hand, I love the scent of this product (I feel like there is a trend going here...) It is a silky cleanser full of nutrients and I am excited to use with my Clarisonic.

Sumita Eyeliner in Raina: I love receiving eyeliners in BBs or Ipsy bags because I feel like you can really get your money's worth with that product alone. This eyeliner is a beautiful navy blue, a color I do not have, yet desperately wanted so I was very excited when I saw it in my box. I have yet to wear it but I can tell you that I swatched it on my hand before taking a shower and it is still on my hand now... as I type this... after my shower!

100% Pure Gingerade Shower Gel: I'm not sure how I feel about these beauty extras or if I am actually going to use them, or give them to someone else, solely because I am not a fan of ginger scented products. I am glad that they are an extra as opposed to one of the actual samples though.



As I've mentioned before I love the little extras BB throws into their boxes. They are really thoughtful and very creative. To go along with the theme, this month's box came with a little flipbook of mini challenges you can try to "power up" your every day. They're actually pretty interesting and I just might be doing them myself.

Ipsy's Sensationally Sunkissed Bag 



 Love the name/ theme! Perfect for this time of year and so catchy. The bag itself is this brilliant hot pink that I am so excited to throw into my beach bag! 


Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil: I am a huge fan of tanning oils for pool days or for afternoons when I just want to lay out. Unfortunately I have not been able to try this one out yet due to the weather, but I think it will make a good excuse to take a an afternoon off to lay out and test it out. I also love that it is travel friendly because my other tanning oil is so bulky to carry around.

Befine Daily Moisturizer: I am so glad that I have finally jumped on the daily moisturizer bandwagon. I always thought my skin was too oily for it, but I am now noticing that without it my skin does not look its best. I love trying out new ones to see how my skin reacts to them and from the looks of it this one seems to be a good contender with SPF 15 and a nice, light scent and texture.

wHet Nail Polish in Facetious: Love this bright dark blue! Definitely going to be the next color I paint my toes with!

BareMinerals 5-in-1 BB Cream Shadow: Although this little guy may seem ittie-bittie at first look, I feel like it will actually last me a long time considering the small amount you need for application. I didn't think I was going to really like this product, but I completely changed my mind once applying. The application was so smooth but still stayed in place and the shade is smokey yet wearable for the daytime.

Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Unique Pink: I'm not sure what it is about this product but it absolutely love it. It is one of those balms that adjusts to the pH of your lips so each shade will be a little different. I was a little afraid of how light the color was in the tube, but after applying and waiting a few seconds it turned into this beautiful "my lips but better" shade with a nice, glossy favorite. Definitely a new favorite!

And with that I must choose a winner and that winner is.... Ipsy! I was genuinely excited about each of the products and my first impression of each product was a positive one. I was a little underwhelmed by the product selection of this month's BB which is unusual, but you know, not everyone is going to like everything. There were some great products in it however and I absolutely loved the packaging and the little challenge booklet as well.

So that is that!
What did you receive in you monthly subscription box? I'd love to know!

xoxo, 


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

June Birchbox vs. Ipsy Showdown


Happy Wednesday all! I hope your week is going good! I recently received both my June Birchbox and Ipsy bag (how I managed to get both packages to come on the same day every month? No idea, but I love it!). I have been a subscriber to both of these subscription services for over a year now and I have yet to choose a favorite! I love the variety of products I receive from both services and I love comparing the two every month, so I figured I'd start a month to month comparison between the two here on my blog. So here goes our little showdown for the month of June!
Ipsy's "Pretty in Paradise"


This month's Ipsy bag's theme is "Pretty in Paradise", a great theme to transition into the summer! The bag has already made it's way into my summer tote as it's super cute (Well, of course, it's designed by Rebecca Minkoff! Extra points, Ipsy!) and perfect to add a little "summer" to your style.

The Products


Marc Anthony "Dream Waves" Beach Spray: I'm really excited to try this. I'm totally into the whole "no heat hair" and sea salt sprays for the summer so this is right up my alley right now.

Realtree for Her Fragrance: I'm not a fan of receiving fragrance samples (from either of the two services) since I feel like I can get those for free, but never the less this fragrance smells very sophisticated yet sweet. And I also appreciate the bottle and how it is not your typical "mini glass tube" fragrance samples usually come in.

NYX Buttergloss in Creme Brulee: I LOVE the butterglosses. I mean who doesn't? I'm glad I got a shade that I do not have and even though it is on the nude side, which I don't normally go for, I actually really like it!

Be A Bombshell "Lash Out" Mascara: Not a fan. The packaging is very cheap feeling. The wand is just an ordinary shape, but it's the smell of the formula that really turned me away. It's a really strong odor that actually made my eyes water when I tried to apply it the first time.

OFRA Universal Eyebrow Pencil: Although I am really excited to use this because I am super into doing my brows right now, I can't help but feel a little bored with this since this is probably my 4th eyebrow pencil from Ipsy.

Birchbox's "Away We Go" 


This month's Birchbox theme was "Away We Go", inspired by JetBlue. In honor of this partnership they included a "Where to Travel Next" mini quiz card (I got San Francisco because I just know you were dying to know). I love when Birch Box throws in cute, little extras like that! 

The Products


Laqa & Co. Lip Lube Pencil in "Bees Knees": This mini pencil is so cute! I love receiving lip products because I firmly believe that you can never have too many lip products. I was a little intimidated by the bright coral at first, but it applies very sheer, as the description says, so on the lips it is actually a beautiful light peachy-coral, which I love!

Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Skin Cream: This product really intrigues me. I can't wait to start using it on my cuticles, elbow, and heels. The description also says that you can use it on bruises, burns, and wrinkles. Yay for multi-purpose things!

Vasanti BrightenUp! Face Rejuvenator: You can never have enough face wash/ exfoliators and I am always attracted to products that claim to "brighten" your skin since I have a lot of acne scaring. Can't wait to try!

Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette Set: LOVE this mini quad. I used it to get ready this morning and I fell in love with all of the colors. There are two satin shadows, a glitter shadow, and a matte shadow. Great to bring on it's own for an on-the-go look.

Harvey Prince "Hello" Fragrance Sample: Like I mentioned before, I don't really like to receive typical fragrance sample in either services so I wasn't so excited when finding this sample. But I fell in love with packaging and the scent is amazingly fresh!

The Verdict:
For the month of June I'm going to have to go with....Birchbox! It was a nice variety of products, each of which I found unique and exciting. I did love Ipsy's bag as well, especially the bag itself, but the mascara is what turned me away in the end. 

Are you subscribed to a monthly subscription service? If so, I'd love to know your thoughts!