Battle of the Boxes October 2013

It is that time of the month again! BATTLE OF THE BOXES! Which subscription service was better this month?

Ipsy October 2013

Birchbox October 2013

Let's break it down now! *sang with attitude*

Here are some statistics that I kept track of for this month

 I feel like there is a CLEAR winner for this month. What are your thoughts?

Both had 5 products, Ipsy had the better 5 and 2 complete full sized items. I put 1-ish for Birchbox's full-sized items because they obviously sent me a full-size mask, but not a whole set. PLUS, the other full-sized item was the Chapstick, so......... ya.

I think Ipsy is the clear winner, even though I would not use the lotion or lip pencil, I still think there were better products and a better value.

What do you think? Is there a clear winner in your eyes? How different were your subscriptions this month? Leave a comment below!

Want to receive your own Birchbox or Ipsy Glambag?

CLICK HERE for Birchbox

CLICK HERE for Ipsy

xoxo,

Jen

Ipsy October 2013

HELLO! Guess who is super excited about this month's Ipsy Glambag??? This girl! I have been impatiently waiting for it to come in the mail for the last week! Columbus day was on Monday and that definitely delayed this shipping. I woke up, went to the mailbox and found a bright pink mailer with my name on it!

Let's find out what we got going on this month!

The theme is "The Art of Beauty."

The theme this month is "The Art of Beauty." The bag is so cute! It is hot pink and white and says "Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art." It is definitely a cute one this month. I am a holiday junkie, so I was actually expecting/ wanting a Halloween or fall color theme bag, but this one is cute too. It has the pink which reminds me that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Let's check out the samples I received this month!

The first sample I pull out of my bag is the Big Sexy Hair Blow Dry Volumizing Gel. I am definitely a fan of the Big Sexy Hair line and am very excited about this sample. Upon further research, this is actually the brands travel size and you can purchase it from their website in this size or a full size, which I thought was fun!

Price Point:
Full (travel) size - $5.00
Sample value - $5.00

Next up is the Nourish Organic Coconut & Argan Body Lotion. This brand is exclusive to target and can only be purchased in the store or through their website. I tested this out, of course, when I saw it. If you like coconut scented lotions, this one is for you. The back says that it is non-greasy and quick absorbing and I would have to agree, it definitely absorbs quickly and did not leave my hands feeling greasy.

Price Point:
Full size - $9.99
Sample value - $1.25

I got a Starlooks eyeliner last month and I was very happy with it. I saw that I had received another Starlooks pencil product and was a teeeeeeeeny bit disappointed, especially since I do not use lip liners. The color is also a little too summery for me as well. But, I am an experimenter, so I'm sure I will find some use for this Starlooks Lip Pencil in Tipsy. The website says it could be used to line the lips or for all-over color, so we will just have to see.

Price Point:
Full size - $12.00
Sample value - $12.00 (FULL SIZED PRODUCT ALERT!)

This Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster was one of the products I was most excited to try out! My face could always use a serum that helps brighten and minimize fine lines! Although the brand is a bit expensive, I'm still very excited about this sample, which is 1/4 the size of the full sized product.

Price Point:
Full size - $48.00
Sample value - $12.00 (holy cow expensive!)

The final item in my bag is a Zoya Professional Lacquer in the color Neve. I am a HUGE HUGE HUGE fan of purple polishes and was super excited to get the purple. All Ipsy subscribers received one of three colors of the Zoya polish.

Price Point:
Full size - $8.00
Sample value - $8.00 (FULL SIZE for the WIN!)

I was so incredibly impressed with Ipsy this month, for sure. My one tiny disappointment would be the lip pencil, but other than that, you gotta love the rest!

Final Price Point: 
Amount Paid for Bag - $10.00
Total Bag Value - $38.25

YES YES YES YES! This bad definitely was worth it this month! I cannot believe the value in the October 2013 Ipsy Glambag!

What did you think of my October 2013 Glambag from Ipsy? What did you get in yours? Leave your comments below!

If you are interested in signing up for Ipsy, CLICK HERE!

xoxo,
Jen

Birchbox October 2013

I seriously cannot believe that October is just about half over! Can you? This month has completely flown by! I just got back from a weekend of camping in Missouri Wine Country, Hermann, Missouri! It was such a blast, if you are ever in the Midwest, I would definitely recommend stopping through and grabbing some amazing wine!

Anyways, while I was away, my October 2013 Birchbox arrived!!!!!

No one had gotten the mail during the weekend, so when I got back on Sunday late night, I just had to go to the mailbox... I was curious and I'm glad that I was because my box was definitely in there!

This months theme is Beauty Buzz.

As most of you probably know, the first item in the box is a card that tells you what products you have received and what the theme of the month is. This months theme is "Beauty Buzz." So, we will definitely be seeing some products that are all the rage and that everyone is talking about this month!

This is the inside! Definitely excited!!!!

Much like last month, the first two items in my box are a shampoo and conditioner. I have heard from many others that they are upset when they get duplicate items. I can totally understand when they are literally the same brand and item, but I love trying new shampoos and conditioners, so I could not be any happier! These are the Bain de Terre Macadamia Oil Nourishing Shampoo and the Bain de Terre Macadamia Oil Nourishing Conditioner. The smell super delicious, and better yet, I have already tried them! The shampoo rinses clean and the conditioner leaves a light refreshing aroma and my brush goes through easily!

Price Point (shampoo):
Full size - $12.00
Sample value - $1.51

Price Point (conditioner):
Full size - $13.50
Sample value - $1.70

The second item in my box was one that I was definitely excited to try! It is the Benefit Cosmetics Fake Up. I love the name, but in case you did not know, it is a hydrating under eye concealer and moisturizer combo. I am anxiously to try this product. I absolutely loved the sample packaging, however, as you can see from the photo, the amount of product to sample is seriously lacking.

Price Point:
Full size - $24.00
Sample value - $2.00

One of the next items in my box was one that I was looking forward to as well. Last month, some Ipsy subscribers received some Freeman masks like this to try and that is what made me excited to try this product. This is the Karuna Clarifying Mask. It is a cloth mask that heals acne with ginger and Japanese green leaf. I am very pumped to try this one out!

Price Point:
Full size - $28.00 for 4 masks
Sample value - $7.00

The final sample in my box is not actually a sample at all. It is what Birchbox likes to call a Birchbox find. A find is an item they give to all subscribers that is in addition to their samples. For this Find, Birchbox sent the Chapstick Hydration Lock Lip Balm along with a $1.00 off coupon. I love having a ton of Chapstick, so this is just a plus for me!

Price Point:
Full size - $2.50
Sample value - $2.50 (FULL SIZE!)

The last item in my October 2013 Birchbox is an advertisement for Benefit's Gimme Brow! It is a new fiber gel that gives you perfect brows! I must admit that I went to Ulta when I first heard of this and tested the two colors available. It is $22.00 for a full size and I have Birchbox points to spend, so.... :) I know what I am getting! PLUS for this month you get an additional 50 BB points, a sample mascara, and free shipping when you buy it in the Birchbox store! Definitely going for it!

So, I know that when it comes to box value, last months Birchbox beat this one, but I am definitely not sad about anything I received!

Final Price Point:
Amount Paid for Box - $10.00
Total Box Value - $14.71

This is still a WIN in my book!

What did you think of my October 2013 Birchbox? What did you receive in yours? Leave your comments below!

As always, if you are interested in joining Birchbox, it is only $10.00 a month, CLICK HERE

xoxo,
Jen

October Shipments!

I am SO excited! I just received confirmation that both my Birchbox and my Ipsy for the month of October (2013) have shipped! GET EXCITED!!!!

Ipsy October 2013: Sneak Peeks

I am getting so excited this month for my Ipsy bag! All throughout the last week they have been releasing various spoilers! Here is what they have shown us so far:

I love how they are more teasers than sneak peeks! These keep you guessing as to what everything is! 

What do you think we are getting in our Ipsy bags this month?

Birchbox October 2013: Sneak Peek

It is that time of the month again! Our Birchbox will be coming in the next few weeks and they have released their Sneak Peek video!

Check it out! The theme for this month is Beauty Buzz!

 

 

Here are the list of products you could possibly receive in your box this month:

12 Benefits Instant Healthy Hair Treatment

Chapstick Hydration Lock

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant

Liz Earle Cleanse + Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

POP Beauty – Aqua Lacquer Lip Gloss

The Balm Stainiac

Not everyone will receive all of these items! But, as a bonus, Birchbox will be giving all of their subscribers the Chapstick Hydration Lock as a beauty find!

What items do you want to see in your box?

EDIT 10/8/2013

More items have been added to the Birchbox blog as items that we could see in our October boxes! Here they are:

Allison Raffaele Reality Base Foundation

Evologie Stay Clear Cream

Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum

 Ahh! Yes! I am getting so excited to receive my Birchbox in the mail any day now!

Once again, what are you hoping for in your box?

Battle of the Boxes September 2013

Now that you have seen what I have received in my Birchbox and Ipsy Glambag for the month of September... who do you think deserves to win the battle? You might think that this is such an easy question to answer, but I assure you... it is tough! Check out the stats below!

Birchbox September 2013

Ipsy September 2013

Let's break it down now! *sang with attitude*

Here are some statistics that I kept track of for this month

 

If I had to go through each category and pick a winner, I suppose that I could, but I would not say that this necessarily dictates a clear winner! Each subscription service has it's own pros and cons.

Birchbox pros and cons: I love full-size nail color samples and facial peels, but I hate foil packets... especially when I will not use them at all!

Ipsy pros and cons: I love the creamy eye liner and volumizing mascara, but John Frieda is not a high end brand to me when it comes to hair care products.

Things that play into both of their favors for this month:

I received shampoo and conditioner from both Birchbox and Ipsy. Birchbox sent me more products that work for hair, skin and nails. Ipsy sent me more cosmetics.

I think this is one major reason it is difficult to claim a clear winner. Both of my subscription services seem to balance out so well for me! Maybe I was just lucky, maybe not. 

What do you think? Is there a clear winner in your eyes? How different were your subscriptions this month? Leave a comment below!

Want to recieve your own Birchbox or Ipsy Glambag?
CLICK HERE for Birchbox
CLICK HERE for Ipsy

xoxo,
Jen

Ipsy September 2013

Happy Friday the 13th! Despite all the superstition about today, my Ipsy bag came in the mail! It is my first time receiving an Ipsy Glambag so I've been patiently waiting all week! I looked in the mailbox... and there it was, the bright pink mailer from Ipsy!

Of course I was anxious to open it up to see what I have received for this month!

The theme for this month is "Classic Beauty." On the back of this card, it lists all the brands for the month and the discounts you can receive on them if you purchase the full sized items!

The next item in the mailer was a sample of Michelle Phan's (the founder of Ipsy) new line EM. When you open up the card, it give you a picture of The Life Palette in its actual size and then at the bottom is a sample of one of the looks. I got the sample of look 3, "Out to Lunch." I thought that this was a fun sample to put in there and I hope that we get to sample more from the EM line in the future.

One thing that I really love about Ipsy is that for only $10 you get the 4-5 premium beauty samples but you also get a fun and cute make-up bag with it once a month! This is September's. It is such a pretty blue color with a fun black floral design. It is gorgeous!

Now, onto the fun part... the samples!!!!

The first two samples that I pulled out of my bag were the John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo and the John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Conditioner. I would not say that I am completely disappointed that I got these, but I had my hopes up for more cosmetic items that I have seen other people receiving. However, with that said, I love trying new shampoos and conditioners and will gladly test these ones out, too!

Price Point:
Full size - $6.59 each
Sample value - $1.17 each

The next item that I pulled from the make-up bag was an item all Ipsy subscribers knew that we were getting and that was a NYX Single Eye Shadow. I was hoping for a more matte color for myself, but I received that color Earthy Shimmer. I am not a huge fan of glitter, but the lighter color is nice and will work for a highlighter or base. I also really like the texture of the shadow.

Price Point:
Full size - $4.50
Sample value - $4.50 (We got a FULL SIZE sample!)

I always love trying out new mascara. I was excited to pull this It's So Big Volumizing Mascara by Elizabeth Mott from my Glambag this month! The brush has a fun shape to it and I cannot wait to test this out!

Price Point:
Full size - $19.99
Sample value - $7.99

The final item I pulled from my Glambag was the one I was most excited about! I love a good, creamy eyeliner and had high hopes for this Starlooks Obsidian Kohl Eye Pencil. I tested a line out on my had and it went on straight and smooth! I cannot wait to use this on my eyes!

Price Point:
Full size - $12.00
Sample value - $12.00 (ANOTHER full sized item!)

I have to say that I am SO impressed with Ipsy so far and I cannot wait for next month! This was definitely worth the $10 just at the beginning with the bag and discount card! Then, you add in all the samples and it exceeds my expectations!

Final Price Point:
Amount Paid for Bag - $10.00
Total Bag Value - $26.83

WIN! If the bag alone does not sell you than the value of the contents has got to get you going on over to subscribe today!

What did you think of my September 2013 Glambag from Ipsy? What did you get in yours? Leave your comments below!

If you are interested in subscribing to receive your own Glambag from Ipsy, CLICK HERE!

xoxo,
Jen