Purchased By Me | Affiliate Links
Welcome to Monday beauty babes…I wish I had as much enthusiasm for the start of a new week as my 5 year old who was “So excited to go back to school today!” haha!
However, I do have a breakdown of my 2 October subscription boxes, so that will have to fill in my void of excitement. Both boxes were pretty good this month but there was definitely a clear winner…in my mind anyway.
Ipsy
The Scoop on Ipsy: $10 a month for 5 samples. You can earn Ipsy Points which you can then redeem in their small shop. The products in the shop are limited and the good ones tend to sell out very quickly, so you have to constantly check back. You can earn 10-15 points for every glam bag item you review. You can also earn 250 points for each person you refer to Ipsy. They also randomly give you 10 points here and there if you share your contents or sneak peek on FB. The items in the shop range from 250, 500, 1000 and sometimes 1500 points. (The 1000/1500 point products are full size.) They also have discount codes for products included in each months glam bag, incase you want to buy the full sizes. If you are interested in signing up for Ipsy you can use my referral link, and I would really appreciate it!
What I got:
it Haircare 12-in-1 Amazing Leave in Treatment– (it Haircare is most known for the Freeze it line of hairsprays.) This leave in (which looks suspiciously similar to It’s a 10) is designed to be “Your all-in-one solution to miraculously healing and restoring 12 common hair concerns including breakage, split ends and frizz. Revitalize hair with this luxury treatment, infused with our exclusive Abyssinian Oil for gorgeous shine.” I this it worked extremely well at detangling my hair and it left it feeling so soft and frizz-free, even when I air dried. The sample is a generous 3.4 oz , and the full size is 5.1 and retails for $8.99 at Rite Aid.
Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long Lasting Lipstick– I received the color Committed which is a gorgeous dusty pink/nude. It is completely opaque and feels velvety and creamy upon application. However, it doesn’t take long for it to set into a beautiful matte finish that lasts for hours. The only downside? It is quite drying after a while. I love the color so much though so I am considering buying a full size when I run out. Full size is $17 (also sold at Kohl’s) *Get 20% off at thebalm.com using code IPSY20 until 11/30
Girlactik Precise Eyeliner– “is designed to create a super thin or thick dramatic line,since the tip is so soft and precise. The formula is weightless, long lasting, water resistant, smudge proof and lies comfortably on the eye with no pulling or tugging.” The color is very black and pigmented which is nice. I did have some bleeding when I swatched it on my hand, but I didn’t notice any when I had it on my eyes. Also, it seemed to last pretty well without transferring to my upper lids which I sometimes have a problem with. If I used eyeliner on the reg, I would never have to buy any with all the samples I get from sub-boxes! Full size is $20
Mica Beauty Cream Eyeshadow in Bronze– This product was created specifically for Ipsy, so there is no other way to get this unless you buy it from someone who got it in their bag. Mica beauty does make a loose mineral Bronze shade, but this is a cream version. It is really soft, smooth and pigmented. I wore it all day and it didn’t crease. You can apply it lightly (like I did) for a sheer wash of color, use it as a base for other shadows or pack it on heavy for a bold look. Their other full size shadows are $14.95 each.
Go Away Gloomy Day Serum by LeeAnni Eco- This serum is designed to help soothe and hydrate tired and irritated skin with aloe and rosehip oil and should be applied before other lotions. I haven’t used this and I don’t think I will only because I don’t like constantly testing new skincare items. A full size is $28 for 1 oz and comes in a pump spray bottle.
Look using all 3 makeup products from my October Ipsy Bag
Birchbox
The scoop on Birchbox: $10 a month for 5 samples. Birchbox has really upped its game in my opinion. They now offer a Sample Choice each month where you can pick 1 sample in your box (or sometimes a specially curated box where they show all the contents) but it is while supplies last only. Also, they have a fantastic rewards program! You get 10 points for every item you review in your box each month (100 points = $10.) In turn, you can spend those points in their shop. So every month you basically earn $5 to spend! You also earn points on anything you buy in the store and each $1 spent = 1 point. Pretty awesome. The only “down side” to Birchbox is that most of the samples tend to be on the small side, but most of them are higher quality products/brands. If you want to sign up, please consider using my referral link HERE, thank you!
♥ In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Birchbox has partnered with the Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to fund one year of breast cancer lab research hours.
What I got:
R + Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo– I have so many mini dry shampoos, it’s not even funny. Maybe I will do a comparison post soon! Anyway, this smells incredibly good and doesn’t leave any white cast on my hair. It doesn’t do much in the way of added texture or body, but it makes my hair feel slightly silky. A full size is a bit pricy at $29 for 6.3 oz.
Vasanti Brighten Up Exfoliator– This sample makes my third one (from various boxes)… I pretty much have half of a full size one now! lol. The texture is like fine crystals, almost like a microdermabrasion kind of feel. It has a light floral scent and does a really nice job of polishing the skin. Full size is $34 for 4.23 oz.
Jane Iredale Hand Drink Cream– This is a lightweight feeling hand cream that isn’t too greasy. It does a good job at making my hands soft, but I don’t really care for the rose scent. Plus, at the rate I go through hand cream this 2 oz bottle priced at $29 just isn’t feasible to my budget.
Stila Huge Lash Extreme Mascara– This new mascara from Stila promises to give “the biggest, boldest, blackest black lashes ever” with just 1 coat. I have to say that I agree! The color is super black and really coats my lashes nicely, making them look plumped up. Don’t overdo it though…more than 1 coat and you will start looking like you have spiders on your face. (It actually reminds me a lot of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara!) Full size is $23
BioRepublic Pomegranate Crush Sheet Mask– This is my first time trying a sheet mask and I have mixed feelings. The mask itself is VERY wet (like drenched) and it feels like a super soft version of a wet paper towel. It fit OK on my face and had a cool, energizing (but wet) feeling while I was wearing it, plus it had an incredibly amazing fruity scent. After the 15 minutes, you are supposed to take it off and tap the excess product into skin. I did this, but after 20 minutes my skin was still feeling tacky and it was driving me nuts, so I just rinsed it off. My skin honestly looked much brighter and even! 1 mask sells for $4.99 and a 3-pack is $14.50 at Birchbox.
Like I said, I really liked both of my boxes this month. However, the amount of makeup and the nicely sized haircare product in my Ipsy bag just excited me a little bit more!
What do you think of my choice this month? See any products you like in either box?
♥ Click here to sign up for Ipsy
♥ Click here to sign up for Birchbox
Let’s stay connected! Please follow me on:
FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN’
If you enjoyed this post, please share away:
The post Ipsy vs Birchbox | October 2015 appeared first on The Feminine Files.