Thursday, August 21, 2014

Beauty Boxes: August 2014

Since I was away, I just missed the delivery of this month's beauty boxes. Needless to say, when I got home and went through my mail to see both Birchbox and Ipsy waiting for me, I excitedly tore into both.





We'll start off with Birchbox! No partnerships this month, meaning no cute box design, but the theme for August is ice cream! Birchbox gets majority creativity points for this. Since August is prime back-to-school season (booooo) we all tend to gloss over the fact that it is the hottest month of the year. So this month's box is dedicated to cooling down and enjoying the last few weeks of summer sun. Plus, how cute is the card and the little trinket box?


This month in my box:

  • Benefit Cosmetics Posiebalm (full size, $18)
  • Harvey Prince Ageless Body Creme (full size, $22)
  • Noir Cosmetics Long-Wear Eyeliner (full size, $15)
  • Ojon Rare Blend Moisture Therapy (full size, $35)
  • Hello Breath Spray in Pink Grapefruit (full size, $11.50)
Another slam dunk month for me from Birchbox. The only thing I would say is that in my box last month, I received an eyeliner and a body cream, so it's a bit repetitive. But with things like liner and lotion, I use them almost every day, so it doesn't particularly bug me. The Noir eyeliner is a full-sized, and when I swatched it on my hand I could smudge it out, but when it dried, it stayed put. I'm always in the need of lotion and hair oil, and I haven't tried the new Benefit balms yet, so I'm ecstatic to see Posiebalm in here! As for the breath spray, I think it's a great idea. This will definitely have it's place in my handbag for after-meal touch ups.


In addition to the products, Birchbox and Benefit are doing a giveaway, so the box included the invitation to enter that on Birchbox.com!


This is one of my favorite Ipsy bags to date. It's a white, cylindrical shape with orange polka dots and detailing, and it's that easy-to-clean plastic-y material that makes it great for handbags or backpacks. Outside of the bag but inside of the mail carrier was a sample of Urban Decay Perversion mascara. My only gripe with this is that I hate this bulky card they put a tiny product into, and this is the second month in a row I've had something like this in my bag. Why not just throw the mascara sample into the bag with the rest of the products and save some paper and ink? If I want details on the product, I'll look them up myself of Urban Decay's website.


This month in my bag:
  • Klorane Extra Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk (full size, $19.50)
  • Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner Primer (full size, $45)
  • Urban Decay Perversion Mascara (full size, $22)
  • Jersey Shore Sun Mongongo Nutrient Defense Anti-Aging Lip Conditioner (full size, $5.50)
  • J Cat Beauty Flying Solo Eye Shadow in Half Naked (full size, $2.99)
This month was a success for Ipsy as well! I've tried two of these products before: the Klorane Dry Shampoo (which was in my Birchbox last month) and the Dr. Brandt Primer (which was in my Birchbox a few months ago), and luckily I really like them both! I'm a lip balm junkie, so I'm excited to try that, the eye shadow color is a pretty, neutral gold, and Urban Decay is a brand that never disappoints. My only gripe with the product selection is that the eye shadow, while full-sized, is not a high end product by any means. Don't get me wrong, I love the color and I'll use it a ton, but I typically expect more luxury brands in these boxes as opposed to something that retails for three bucks. However, if that (and the cardboard card with the mascara) is my only complaint, I think that Ipsy did a fantastic job.

Birchbox value: $28.37
Ipsy value: $28.84

Which selection of produts do you think is better?
Alyssa

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