The Battle of the Beauty Boxes: Birchbox vs. Ipsy GlamBag!

Happy Tuesday! Today I will finally be concluding my analysis of which beauty box I think is worth the $10/month and gives it's subscribers the most for their subscription. Before I get started into the blog, I am sure there are more than a handful of readers that want the clear cut answer. And here is mine...

The winner (in my opinion) of the battle of the beauty boxes issssss:

IPSY GLAM BAG!

If you never got around to the review of Birchbox and want to see what I got in my Birchbox last month, please click HERE! If you want to see what Ipsy Glam Bag is all about, I'm going to say you should definitely continue the read :)

Now let's see why Ipsy Glam Bag won the battle :) Here are my top 5 reasons why I would choose an Ipsy subscription over a Birchbox one:

Reason #1 FULL SIZE PRODUCTS

Birchbox gives small samples. Of course there are the occasional full size bottles, but with Ipsy, you are almost always given a full size product. Let's be honest, if you want to buy a product, you need to be able to use it for a few weeks to decide whether it's right for you. A full size bottle comes in pretty handy, and for $10/month, this is a no brainer!

Reason #2 YOU GET A MAKEUP BAG WITH EVERY SHIPMENT

Though I do love that my Birchbox comes with my products all wrapped up in tissue paper and very pretty, I much rather have a cute makeup bag with all my products inside of it. It is much more practical since I can use the makeup bags :)

Reason #3 COLORS OF PRODUCTS ARE BETTER CUSTOMIZED TO MY SKIN TONES

Do not get me wrong. Birchbox customizes their products as well, but I have found that every single product in my Ipsy Glam Bag was perfectly fit to my skin tone, eye color and hair texture. It is as though I personally hand picked the products to try out!

Reason #4 GLAM BAG PRODUCTS ARE HAND PICKED BY SOME OF MY FAVORITE YOUTUBE GURUS!

There's just something exciting knowing that some of my favorite youtubers are picking the products that are mailed out to me :)

Reason #5 IPSY IS MORE MAKEUP/HAIR ORIENTED

In my first impressions post about Birchbox, I received a face mask, a tiny perfume tester I would receive for free at the mall and 3 sample tea bags. That post was written for a reason: first impressions. That box, whether indicative of a usual monthly Birchbox or not, did not live up to my first Ipsy glam bag experience. I think this is the perfect time to transition into what I received in my Ipsy glam bag this month: June 2013!

MY IPSY GLAM BAG JUNE 2013

The swatches above from top to bottom:

Chella Highlighter pencil in Ivory Lace
Starlooks Lip Liner in Tickle me Pink
Cailyn Gel Liner in Purple
NYX blush in Rose Petal
J.Cat Body Glitter is not pictured

xoxo,
GirlontheGo

More info about Ipsy Glam Bag: http://www.ipsy.com

First Impressions: Birchbox May 2013! ❤

Hello lovelies! I hope you have been having a fabulous week! I know mine has been hectic being out and about since I have FINALLY been on vacation :) And guess what came in the mail JUST in time for a little relaxation? My very first Birchbox! So I have never tried a beauty box before, and decided to give Birchbox a try for a month and then Glambag by Ipsy. Next month should be my glambag. I decided to do a blog post on my Birchbox while I finish up my Spring fling shopping spree blog post :) 

What is Birchbox and other such beauty boxes?

Birchbox and other beauty boxes are a monthly subscription. Bichbox costs $10 a month with free shipping. Other beauty boxes cost around the same for the most part (at least Glambag does). These beauty boxes give a handful (usually 4-5) of different beauty items for you to try. So for people that like to experiment with different brands and different products, but don't want to go out and purchase a full price product without knowing what it is like first, this is a great option! Birchbox comes with TRIAL sizes of the products. I have heard that other beauty boxes come with full size products with the downside of being more expensive or having fewer items. Glambag has a variation of full and trial sizes, and is still the same $10/month.

What I got in my Birchbox this month?

So lets get down to it...what did I get this month?! First, I got a Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel for sensitive skin. It is an exfoliator and skin brightener. It smells delicious and I will definitely be trying this one out! My favorite thing in the Birchbox this month is the Cargo water resistant blush. The blush is the perfect color for me and the waterproof is an added bonus! I also got Coola Classic Face SPF 30 Cucumber moisturizer. Nothing to rave about, but nice to use up. Next I got a small sample size of Isaac Mizrahi Fabulous perfume. This stuff smells amazing, but keep in mind, it will probably last me about 6-7 uses. Lastly, I received Runa Guayusa Tea bags (4). I haven't tried these out yet, but if you are interested in knowing how they taste, leave a comment!

What I ❥ love ❥ about Birchbox?

As raved about by other bloggers, the packaging done by birchbox is adorable. It comes in a cute Birchbox box and is wrapped up in hot pink tissue paper. It also comes with a nice description notecard of everything you received. I was surprised to see that the blush and the face peel were a generous size. I feel like they will last me a good while, especially the blush!

What I dislike about Birchbox?

The main thing I do not like about Birchbox is that I do not care so much for the perfume samples and the random "Lifestyle" samples, aka the tea bags. The perfume samples are so stinkin' small that I could walk into Sephora and have the lady pour me a sample of Coach for the exact same size and for absolutely free. Are they really trying to kid us about this? But before I run my mouth on Birchbox, I look forward to comparing it with Glambag and seeing what all the rave is about that first!

All in all, I won't lie, receiving a little, cute package in the mail with beauty supplies is pretty exciting. It just may be worth the $10 regardless of what is in the box :)

Hope you are all having a fabulous Spring! Check back soon!

xoxo,
GirlontheGo

Nail polish worn in photos: Essie Tart Deco