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Thursday, June 25, 2015

Battle of the Boxes, June 2015: Ipsy vs Birchbox

Hello again my Lovelies!

I received two  subscription this month: Birchbox and Ipsy. In my experience, subscriptions can be very hit or miss; most of the time I'm fairly content with the items I receive for $10/mo, but I do have to admit there are times I've been disappointed with the contents of the bag, and  even an occasion or two that I've felt that there wasn't a single item I could use. I often debate about cancelling one of my subs, but then they go and send me an awesome box, and I am once again sucked into subscription box bliss. If I do ever decide to whittle it down to just one sub a month, I want to know which box I am better off keeping; therefore, I like to compare month to month and get an idea of the sub I am happiest with most often, and which has the most bang for the buck. I like to compare both products received and overall value to the cost of the subscription; to make cost-comparisons a little easier, I round the estimated value to the nearest quarter dollar. Without further ado, let us begin this month's Battle of the Boxes -  read on to see which box reigns supreme for the month of June!



First up on the chopping block is Ipsy:

Battle of the boxes

Ipsy is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription that contains full or deluxe sized products, all packed into a cute makeup bag that suits the theme for that month. Like Birchbox, it costs $10/month, and the items vary from bag to bag based on your beauty profile. You can earn points by reviewing the products you receive and making referrals, and those points can be redeemed for select items when you reach 500 or 1000 points ( a great example of this: I was able to redeem 1500 points for a FULL SIZED bottle of the new Too Faced Born This Way Foundation! Amazing!!). There is a theme each month, and for the month of June it was "Swim into Beauty". Let's take a peek at what was inside my June Glambag:


Bio Republic Sheet Masks - 3 masks, $15 value
 How excited am I about these? I love the ease and neatness of a sheet mask - no messy goop, no rinsing off...in one word, simple. I think it is awesome that I received not one, not two, but three different masks to try out!  Well played, Ipsy!

J. Cat Beauty Liptitutde 24/7 Hydrating Lip Stain in Blow Your Mind - Full Size, $6 value
 A long-wearing lip stain that hydrates your lips and lasts for hours without the sticky feel.I have tried this, and the claims are true - this lip stain is long-lasting, without that gross dried-out feeling. While the color wouldn't be my first choice, it's not bad and makes a great addition to my summer lip collection!

tre'Stique Mini Shadow Crayon in Kona Coffee $10.50 value
12 hour cream shadow that is easy to blend and build. Kona Coffee is a super dark brown that might make a good base for a brown smoky eye.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer -$9 value
I've had a sample of this before, and unfortunately it is not the best primer for my oily skin (especially with this summer heat and humidity). I will be passing this along...

Ofra Eyeliner in Turquoise - Full size, $13value
Such a gorgeous shade for a pop of color on the lid or under the lower lashline! 

Swatches clockwise from right: tre'Stique Crayon, Ofra Eyeliner, and J. Cat Liptitude

Total estimated value for Ipsy: $53.50

Now let's compare Birchbox:


Birchbox is a monthly subscription service that costs $10/mo and provides you with 4-6 samples hand-picked for you and delivered right to your mailbox! When you subscribe to the service, you fill out a questionnaire that helps them pick items suited to your needs and style. This is one of the original subscription boxes, and it has one of the best points systems: for every 100 points earned, you get $10 to spend in their shop. It's easy to earn points through reviewing the products received, shopping in their store and referring friends! Also, another fun perk that Birchbox introduced awhile back is the option to pick one of your samples each month, or even select a fully curated box. I like this option, because you can be sure that you will like at least one of the items you receive (provided they offer a sample choice you like). This month, I chose the Dr. Jart Dermaclear Micro Water as my sample choice - let's see what else I got:


Emi Jay HairTie -  $2.25 value
This was a nice little bonus - I can always use hair ties!

Temple Spa Good Hair Day Shampoo -  $1.75
If you've been around awhile, you know that I'm not a big fan of shampoo samples, however, on a more positive note, at least it is a good sized sample (not a foil packet!), and Birchbox was kind enough to include the conditioner!

Temple spa in Good Condition Conditioner  - $1.75
See above :)

Dr. Jart Dermaclear Micro Water -  $2.50 value
This was my sample choice for the month of June, and I'm looking forward to trying it out (anything to make makeup removal easier)!

Real Chemistry Luminous 3 Minute Peel - $4.75
Facial peels make me a bit nervous, but I've heard good things about this one and I might just give it a go!

Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner in Mulberry - $7.75
At least it's not another black eyeliner (the number one most received item, I swear). The color is pretty, and will be a nice addition to my eyeliner portfolio (yes, I do actually have an eyeliner portfolio...). 

Swatch of Marcelle Eyeliner in Mulberry
Total estimated value for Birchbox: $20.75


And the June winner is:

While Birchbox wasn't horrible and had a good value for the price of the sub, Ipsy once again outdid the competition . By cost comparison alone, Ipsy surpassed Birchbox with a value of $53.50 vs $20.75. In addition, I am excited to try out all of the products in my Ipsy Glambag, whereas shampoo and conditioner never get my heart racing. For those reasons, Ipsy once again comes out on top for me!

Interested in trying out one of these subscriptions for yourself? Follow this link for Birchbox, or this one for Ipsy.

 What boxes do you currently subscribe to? Which is your favorite this month? 

Thank you for checking out Battle of the Boxes... live a beautiful life! 

~Jessica


*The winner of Battle of the Boxes is based solely on my opinion of which subscription has the better content and overall estimated value. As always, all opinions are my own.
**This post contains referral links

2 comments:

  1. I got similar items on my ipsy bag this month. I was actually really happy with it for once. I'm just like you and I'm always ready to cancel it until I get a good one lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How do they always know when you're thinking of canceling, and send you a good bag? I'm glad you liked your bag this month - it's always so satisfying when you get one with products you can use and enjoy!

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Thank you so much - your comments are always appreciated!
~Jessica