Battle of the Beauty Boxes: Birchbox, Glossybox, Ipsy February 2015

Time for another box comparison. There were some hits and some misses.

Birchbox - $10 a month, rewards system is AWESOME. 10 points per product review, 100 points = 10 bucks. This month I received six products, and therefore got six dollars of credit to use in the shop. The shop is extensive and amazing - spending money there is no problem for me.

Super sweet packaging that makes me wish that it wasn't cold here all of March, which is when I want spring to begin.

Benefit PosieBalm: Value: appx $6.00. I have no idea the real value of this - there is no size written on the container. Full size is $18, and I am guessing this is about 1/3 of that. I was most excited about this from this box because it is something I will use, from a nice brand, but not something I would have purchased on my own because of the hefty price tag for a tinted balm.

Marcelle Make-Up Remover: Value: $5.00. I normally take off my makeup using a cleansing oil, but dislike traveling with it because it is in a pump form and would make an utter mess in a travel bag. I am glad to get these types of samples for that purpose.

Davines Minu Shampoo: Value: around $7.50. I will use this, as I tend to lack travel shampoo, but it is exorbitantly priced overall for what it is. The less time a product spends on your skin/hair, the less it is worth spending a bundle on. Splurge on serums or moisturizers and such...save on shampoo. 

Gilchrist & Soames: Value: $4. I am totally unimpressed with the scent of this. As in, it smells like soap. Why anyone would want to pay 18 bucks for a full size is beyond me. It will be used, for travel, but this is super not exciting.

Harvey Prince Hello Perfume: $5.50. I pretty much never appreciate getting perfume samples. That said, once in awhile I will get a great one. This smells lovely, though I probably won't purchase a full size. The ONLY thing that really makes this worth using is the sprayer. Samples that aren't big enough to have a sprayer attached are seriously a waste of time for everyone, and a filler for these boxes.

Harvey Prince Hello Perfume: $0.94. This was a freebie, so I can't be too harsh on it. The dollar I got back in rewards by reviewing it is higher than the value of the sample itself, so I can't say I regret receiving this. It is a so-so product and I hate packet samples like this. 

Overall: 6/6 products will be tried out or have been tried, but it is seriously depressing that only 2 are products I am remotely looking forward to using.
Birchbox: $10 spent. Overall value: $28.94
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Glossybox: $21.00 per month, mostly super deluxe sized or full sized products. Very reliably awesome. They give you ten points per review, just like Birchbox, but it takes 1000 points to redeem for a free box. Which means overall, it takes 20 months (there are normally five products per month) to redeem a new box. Almost two years. However, I did notice last month that they awarded me 100 points for being a loyal customer. I am not sure how often that would take place, but it cuts down on the time it would take to receive a free box by two months. Slightly less sucky.

Another adorable box. The Glossybox boxes are the BEST for storing tea samples, give away samples, as drawer organizers, or sturdy boxes for regifting things.

Rituals Foam Body in Yogi Flow: Value: full size at $15.00. I need more soap and body wash like a hole in the head, yet I am SO excited to try this. And super impressed that it is full sized.

Unwash Bio-Cleansing Conditioner: Value: $6.67. I have been dying to try a cleansing conditioner. The Wen ones look great but are so pricey to try. This will be good for travel and good to introduce me to cleansing conditioners, and see if they will work for my hair type.

Royal Apothic Tinties Lip Butter in Pink: Value: full size at $14. This is awesome - just look at the adorable packaging if you need proof. It is actually not very sheer, which I love, and full of great natural ingredients. This will be perfection in the summer once I am not ghostly white.

Julep Color Treat in Heartleigh: Value: Full size at $14. In case anyone wasn't sure, all the supposedly amazing antioxidants in this are likely ineffective because antioxidants tend to be light sensitive, and probably sensitive to the loads of chemicals that make this "5-free". Most of the "free" stuff to me is hella gimmicky. Just chemicals replacing chemicals. I love Julep polishes, but will be rehoming this with a friend I know loves nail art.

Teadora Nourishing Exfoliating Bar in Rainforest At Dawn: Value: Full size at $5. I have way too much soap in my life, but I appreciate the quality of this one, and will enjoy using it.

Overall: 4/5 products to be kept and used. No reject products, even the one to be given away. I love how many were full sized.
Glossybox: $21 spent. Value: $54.70 (rounded to nearest ten cents)
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Ipsy: $10 a month, super reliable about providing good brands and makeup items, even if the brands aren't always super luxe. Comes in a makeup bag that is sometimes ugly and useless, sometimes wonderfully shaped and pretty. I do not count the bag as having any value in the box as it is impossible to calculate. Also provides 10 points per review, takes a super long time to gain enough to redeem for free product. Though lately, I've been able to share more on Facebook to earn some extra points, which is nice.

Pretty, but stupid design. Giving this away. I strongly prefer when the zipper is on the top and not on the side.

ModelCo Blush Cheek Powder in Cosmopolitan: Value: $22. I love blush. It is weird because you really don't use much at a time, yet the fact that I have one in every shade of pink, peach, and plum out there is mind boggling. This is matte, and I don't have any matte blushes, as they tend to feel chalky, so I will like giving this a try. 

Luxie 504 Large Angled Brush: Value: approximately $6.40. I am excited to get another brush - my angled brush is very very old, and this one feels soft enough to be a good replacement.

Rob Sheppy for Tini Beauty Powder Eyeshadow in Pearl Fizz: Value: $12. Eyeshadow that is a beautiful light pearly tan shade. Perfect for every day in most any eye look. Even though I have a ton just like this, I am happy to have another.

Cargo Lip Gloss: around $8.00. I've already given this away because it is a terrible shade for me. Light milky pinks are super in right now and super ugly on pretty much everyone without porcelain skin. I don't think it is ever attractive to use lip color lighter than your REAL lip color. Just my opinion.

Hey Honey Take It Off Exfoliating Peel Off Mask: Value: $7.00. I like having new masks for when I travel, and I haven't used a peel off mask in years. I am weirdly excited to use this, the peeling is always super satisfying.

Overall: 4/5 products to keep. The give away item is likely good quality, but a personal preference on a shade. Mostly makeup, which is why I like this bag compared to the other two, which tend to focus more on skincare.
Ipsy: $10 spent. Value: $54.40 (rounded to nearest ten cents)
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Round Up:
Value Per dollar:
Birchbox: $2.89 in product for every dollar spent. (Compared to $4.35 last month)

*If you consider the $6 in credit as money off, it changes to $7.24 for every dollar spent*

Glossybox: $4.76 in product for every dollar spent (Compared to $3.38 last month)
Ipsy: $5.44 in product for every dollar spent. (Compared to $3.03 last month)

The best products were in the Glossybox, which is pretty typical as it is a more high end box, followed by Ipsy and then Birchbox this time. That said, I am calling Birchbox a major dud. Being excited to use two products from a box is not acceptable these days when there are so many great ones. The best value is Ipsy by far this month, and though Birchbox rewards points make it technically more for the money, the lack of exciting product makes it functionally worth the least. As the Birchbox value per dollar went down compared to last month, the Glossybox went up, and Ipsy was nearly double last month;s value.

Until next month. 

Battle of the Beauty Boxes: January 2015 Birchbox, Glossybox, Ipsy

Another month of some exciting new products in my favorite beauty box subscriptions. I am really excited to see the value for this month in each, and see if there are any significant changes. 

Birchbox - $10 a month, rewards system is AWESOME. 10 points per product review, 100 points = 10 bucks. This month I received six products, and therefore got six dollars of credit to use in the shop. The shop is extensive and amazing - spending money there is no problem for me.

When Travelmate Sheet Mask: Value: $7.00. I am a huge fan of sheet masks, and typically get mine from Asia where they are common and cheap, as the American ones can be dicey in quality. I am looking forward to trying this.

Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner in Hansa: Value: About $6.00. I have a black liner from this brand that I really enjoy, and olive green is an excellent color on my green eyes.

Essentiel Elements Body Lotion in Rosemary: Value: around $3.56. I will use this, and enjoy the nontraditional scent very much, even though I hate firm bottles like this due to how hard it is to get the product out.

It's a 10 Miracle Leave In Conditioner Plus Keratin: Value: $18.99. I have heard so much hype about this product via youtube and other beauty people. Although I don't typically heat style my hair, but I do have a curling want I want to get more adept at using, and I did not have a heat protector until receiving this.

Vasanti All Star 2-In-1 Face & Eye Primer: $8.00. I don't always use face primer, and have a ton of face primer samples to go through, so I really hope this works as effectively as an eye primer. I need eye primer daily to keep my shadow from creasing, and always have much less of it in my stash..

Overall: 5/5 products will be tried out and hopefully loved. Definitely a win - normally there is a product that is a reject.
Birchbox: $10 spent. Overall value: $43.50
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Glossybox: $21.00 per month, mostly super deluxe sized or full sized products. Very reliably awesome. They give you ten points per review, just like Birchbox, but it takes 1000 points to redeem for a free box. Which means overall, it takes 20 months (there are normally five products per month) to redeem a new box. Almost two years. Super lame.

Vichy Purete Thermale 3-in1 Step Cleanser: Value:$2.91. Two months ago I had no cleansers. Now I have about five. Luckily this is small enough it can go in my travel bag.

Skin&Co Truffle Therapy Serum: Value: $13.60. I have tried this serum before through a beauty subscription and enjoyed it - it isn't often to get the chance to use something so luxurious.

Kueshi Revitalizing Face Toner: Value: full size is $13.30. I am actually very low on toner and while it isn't a must in my skincare routine, I like having it around to spritz on after I cleanse my face. Plus, the ingredients list on this seems great and very natural.

Lollipops Eye Pencil in Goodbye Moon: Value: Full size at $17.70. I haven't needed to buy black eyeliner in ages thanks to these boxes. I have about 7 in different shades and shimmer levels of black and I love it. I will happily add this one to the mix.  

Teeez Trendy Cosmetics Beautiful Flat Brush Stuff: Value: Full size at $23.50. I have been trying to revamp my brush collection and I love that I get so many great quality brushes in these boxes. All of my favorites have been gifts with purchase or beauty box brushes, leaving me free to focus on spending the little money I have on nice face brushes.

Overall: 5/5 products to be kept and used. No reject products. A few full sized, and some luxury thrown in. Awesome brands.
Glossybox: $21 spent. Value: $71 (rounded to nearest ten cents)
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Ipsy: $10 a month, super reliable about providing good brands and makeup items, even if the brands aren't always super luxe. Comes in a makeup bag that is sometimes ugly and useless, sometimes wonderfully shaped and pretty. I do not count the bag as having any value in the box as it is impossible to calculate. Also provides 10 points per review, takes a super long time to gain enough to redeem for free product.

This bag looks like it is spacious. I strongly prefer when the zipper is on the top and not on the side.

J.Cat Fantabulous Gel Liner: Value: $3.99. This is in a navy color. I am not keeping this. I do use gel liner on occasion, but I barely use the ones I have. Better to keep this one new and untouched for someone who would love it. Plus, blue doesn't do a ton to compliment my coloring, and I have a navy pencil liner for the random instances I feel like using one. 

Manna Kadar Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion: Value: approximately $7.25. I really like highlighters like this for mixing with my foundation. During the winter on cloudy days, my skin needs help looking alive. This very much resembles the Nars Orgasm Highlighter in color, a rose gold. 

Nourish Organic Eye Cream: Value: around $10.00. Eye cream is another thing I tend not to have around in excess, mostly because out of any facial care product it takes the longest to use up. I like that I can have this as a travel product/spare.

Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow in Ethereal: Value: around $3.00. This is a gorgeous highlight shade. Unlike some other Pacifica shadows I've received, this is smooth and pigmented and the shimmer is very refined. Keeping it even though I have a dozen shades similar to it. 

Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush: Value: $6.00. I don't have many liner brushes, and this was obviously meant to go with the gel liner. I appreciate when Ipsy does that, makes sure it provides the tool needed to use a product. I normally prefer my liner brushes to be firmer, but I will definitely test this out.

Overall: 4/5 products to keep, though the other was not the fault of the product, just my overstock of gel liner products. Mostly makeup, which is why I like this bag compared to the other two, which tend to focus more on skincare.
Ipsy: $10 spent. Value: $30.25 (rounded to nearest ten cents)
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Round Up:
Value Per dollar:
Birchbox: $4.35 in product for every dollar spent. (Compared to $2.34 last month)

*If you consider the $5 in credit as money off, it changes to $8.70 for every dollar spent compared to $5.85 last month*

Glossybox: $3.38 in product for every dollar spent (Compared to $4.57 last month)
Ipsy: $3.03 in product for every dollar spent. (Compared to $3.13 last month)

*Removing the value of the product I won't use changes the value to $2.63 for every dollar spent.*

The best products were in the Glossybox, which is pretty typical as it is a more high end box, followed by Ipsy and then Birchbox this time. That said, I don't think any box is a dud at all. The best value is Birchbox by ar this month, regularly and with the credit, by a full dollar which was surprising. As the Birchbox value per dollar shot up, the Glossybox fell, and Ipsy was almost the exact same as last month in value.

This is a really interesting venture so far. I think once I get 6 of these I am going to make a compilation post where I compare the three over time. 6 months is when I would be looking at cutting out one or all. 

Battle of the Beauty Boxes: December 2014 Birchbox, Glossybox, Ipsy

I love beauty boxes. Even more, I love analyzing them for value. I love that I discover new products, haven't needed to buy eye cream (or mascara) on my own in two years, and anything that doesn't work for me is bound to work well as a stocking stuffer for a friend during the holidays.

Birchbox - $10 a month, rewards system is AWESOME. 10 points per product review, 100 points = 10 bucks. This month I received six products, and therefore got six dollars of credit to use in the shop. The shop is extensive and amazing - spending money there is no problem for me.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo: Value: Around $3.00. I dislike the feel of dry shampoo on my hair, this will be the first product in my give-away box for 2015.

Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Cream SPF 25: Value: $4.80. I love Asian BB creams, and am excited to try this one.

Miss Jessie's Jelly Soft Curls: Value: around $1.60. I will use this, but the people who think giant packets make good samples should burn in hell. There is nothing portable or convenient about this, not unless I am staying somewhere for three weeks, and I hate that there is no way to close it.

Mirenesse Mattefinity Lip Rouge in Sydney: Value: $5.80. This packs some serious punch - I absolutely can't wait to try. I really embraced the fuscia, red, and berry tones in 2014 and I am planning to bold lip it even more in 2015.

SeaRx Anti Wrinkling Serum: Value: $6.80. I love serums, as my skin is dry and fine lines are sadly becoming more of a battle.

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream: Value: $1.60. I have heard this stuff works wonders. A test on my arm makes it seem more like a creamy oil than a cream. I will save it for when winter becomes super duper cold.

Overall: 5/6 products will be tried out and hopefully loved. That is a win to me, even with the sketchball packaging on the curl cream.
Birchbox: $10 spent. Overall value: $23.40
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Glossybox: $21.00 per month, mostly super deluxe sized or full sized products. Very reliably awesome. They give you ten points per review, just like Birchbox, but it takes 1000 points to redeem for a free box. Which means overall, it takes 20 months (there are normally five products per month) to redeem a new box. Almost two years. Super lame.

Beautiful holiday box.

Bellapierre Mineral Lipstick in Burlesque: Value: full size at $19.99. I have already tested this an it is an amazing hot pink that is comfortable to wear. I already put it away for summertime use.

Ciate Mini Paint Pot in Humbug: Value: full size is $10.00. I love that this is tiny, because I love the chunky glitter look, but not all the time.

Rituals Miracle Scrub in Ginseng & Ginkgo Biloba: Value: full size is $17.00. I love the scent, and I have been dying to try things from this brand.

Nuxe Masque Creme Fraiche de Beaute: Value: Full size at $32.00. This is the most exciting thing to me in the box. I love moisturizing masks, and I have been itching to try this brand and compare it to my Origins Overnight mask. 

Toni&Guy Prep Leave In Conditioner: Value: Full size at $16.99. I have hair that requires leave in conditioners to keep the Jew-fro under control, so this will be good to try.

Overall: No reject products. All full sized, even if it is the smaller size available of two sizes. Awesome brands. Nothing going in the reject box here.
Glossybox: $21 spent. Value: $96 (rounded to nearest ten cents)
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Ipsy: $10 a month, super reliable about providing good brands and makeup items, even if the brands aren't always super luxe. Comes in a makeup bag that is sometimes ugly and useless, sometimes wonderfully shaped and pretty. I do not count the bag as having any value in the box. Also provides 10 points per review, takes a super long time to gain enough to redeem for free product.

This bag looks like it could be very useful for brushes when traveling. Shape win.

Beauty Without Cruelty Facial Cleanser AHA Complex: Value: $2.60. I like little travel facial cleansers, and I love trying natural products even more.

Crown Brushes Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush: Value: Full size at $6.99. I love getting brushes in my boxes. I am trying to revamp my very old, ultra cheap brush collection, and all my nicest eye brushes came in these subscriptions and I love them.

NYX Butter Lip Balm: Full size at $4.00. This is a comfortable, pretty, sheer red. I could see wearing this to school daily for a no fuss lip look.

Pixi Fairy Dust in Brightening Bare: Full size at $10.00. I love the shade. Usually love the brand. Loathe this messy packaging.

Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara: Value: About $7.70. I love trying new mascaras, particularly high end ones that are sample sized so I don't feel too guilty throwing them out if I hate them.

Overall: No reject products. A mix of mostly makeup with some skincare, which is refreshing, and a mix of high end brands with drugstore ones. No reject products, just a little reject packaging.
Ipsy: $10 spent. Value: $31.30 (rounded to nearest ten cents)
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Round Up:
Value Per dollar:
Birchbox: $2.34 in product for every dollar spent.
*If you consider the $6 in credit as money off, it changes to $5.85 for every dollar spent*
*Removing the value of the product I won't use changes the value to $2.04 (or $5.10) for every dollar spent.*
Glossybox: $4.57 in product for every dollar spent
Ipsy: $3.13 in product for every dollar spent.

The best products were in the Glossybox, followed by Birchbox and then Ipsy this time. The best value is Glossybox but if you know you will have no problem spending the Birchbox point money then it is the best value overall. I am pleasantly surprised by Birchbox - when I unsubscribed two years ago, their boxes had gotten so terrible it felt like a waste for them to even be $4 or $5. As long as this post is, I think this is a good way to track box value, and compare subscriptions for when I eventually end up needing to cut back.