Birchbox v. Ipsy: February 2015

I've been a subscriber to Birchbox for over a year, and to ipsy for about four months, so why not start pitting them against each other in a battle royale! Two beauty subscriptions enter the ring this month, but only one can walk out a winner...

-February 2015-

Birchbox: Is that a Beautyblender?? YES, yes it is. I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened February's box. I've always wanted to try a Beautyblender, but I really couldn't justify the $19.95 for a makeup sponge that will eventually need replacing. I currently use the Real Techniques dupe, which works wonderfully, but now I can compare the two and see if the high price tag is worth it for the Beautyblender. Plus Birchbox gave a sample of the solid cleanser to keep my sponge nice and clean!

Also a point in Birchbox's favor- theBalm Cosmetics Read My Lips lip gloss in the shade "Bam!" I think theBalm has definitely cornered a large piece of the cosmetics market with their branding alone. Their packaging is eye-catching, trendy, and original, while their products are gorgeous. I feel cooler just looking at their products! I'm so excited to have this lip gloss in my collection.

The Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser was promising and I was eager to try it, but unfortunately I have found it to be disappointing. It barely lathers and even stings a bit. I'll stick to my regular cleanser, thank you.

A few months ago I received the matching lotion to the Gilchrist & Soames Spa Therapy Body Wash, and it smelled fairly good. It was a very clean scent, not too heavy or perfumed. While I haven't tried this body wash sample yet, I expect it will smell similar to the lotion.

I haven't tried the BeeKind Conditioner, and I can't smell it since it's in a weird cardboard envelope, but I already love the BeeKind hand lotion so I'm excited to try the conditioner.

Ipsy: I have to admit, part of the fun of ipsy is getting a new makeup bag each month. Not that I need any more bags, but these are so cute and it's like a gift each month! February's bag is an adorable pink bag with a diamond pattern on the front. The only thing I don't like about it is where the zipper is placed (I'm nit-picking now, lol). It's on the front of the bag, not at the top where I like it.

A beautiful pink brush was peaking out of my envelope this month, a Luxie Beauty Large Angled Face Brush 504. With a copper ferrel and pale pink handle, this brush is a treat just to look at. The bristles are pillowy soft to the touch, however on my face it doesn't feel as soft as I would expect. I've been using it to apply blush for the past couple weeks and I adore this brush. 

The Luxie Beauty brush is a perfect match for the included ModelCo Blush Cheek Powder in Cosmopolitan. This blush is very pink, reminiscent of L'Oreal True Match Blush in Baby Blossom, but a bit more vivid pink. Unfortunately, I don't find this blush very pigmented when applied and it takes several swipes for it to look like I have any color in my cheeks at all.

The Cargo Cosmetics mini lip gloss in the shade Anguilla is seriously pink. Think of a Ballerina Barbie pink. I tried wearing it on its own, but the shade is just so pale I looked sick. Over a nice mauve lipstick, however, this shade is much more workable and less bizarre. I love the texture of this lip gloss, so other shades of the line could be right up my alley.

I've never heard of Rob Scheppy for 'Tini Beauty Eyeshadow, but this eyeshadow looks classy! The little martini glass on the packaging is so cute, and the color will make a great highlighting shade. I look forward to trying this eyeshadow.

As you may know, I have acne-prone sensitive skin, so the Take It Off! Exfoliating Honey Peel Off Mask by Hey Honey makes me nervous to try. I have no problems with mud or clay masks, which easily wash off, but I think that a peel would be more likely to irritate my skin. It also makes me nervous that the sample packaging has no information about the product itself, just instructions to go online for more information (I get it, it's a small tube, but still). I may just give this away.


And the winner this month is... BIRCHBOX! Seriously, ipsy didn't stand a chance once I saw the Beautyblender in my Birchbox.

Who won your subscription box this month?

See you again next month for another round!

If you'd like to subscribe to Birchbox or ipsy, feel free to use my referral links below!
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