Category: Subscription Boxes

Ipsy May 2017 Subscription Box Review

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Ipsy Bag

Cost: $10 monthly, $110 annual

Cycle: Every Month

What is it: Every month Ipsy sends out a cute makeup bag of samples and full size items. you can review your bag for points that you can trade in for reward items. The rewards change often and the range between 100 points and 1000 points. You can get up to 95 points every month.

If you want to subscribe you can subscribe HERE and skip the waitlist. That is my referral link so I do get points to spend but I’m not an affiliate I don’t make any money or anything it’s just one beauty junkie to another.

I was so excited when I saw my spoilers. I love the Luxie brushes and have wanted one of the periwinkle ones and I have been dying to try the Caked Lip Fondant.

I wasn’t really feeling the bag this month I actually hate ice cream but the bag is still cute but very childish feeling.

Pūr~lisse BB Tinted Moist Cream in Medium

Full Size: 40 ml

Full Size Cost: $35

Sample Size: 10 ml

Value: $8.75

I unfortunately can’t try this until winter because it is too light for me right now the shade range on this really sucks there are only three shades light, medium and deep. This is too light and a little orange so I don’t know how well this will work out for me. It has spf 30 which is great. Swatched below.

Caked Lip Fondant in Low Key

Full Size: 7 ml

Full Size Cost: $16

Sample Size: 7 ml

Value: $16

Gotta love getting a full size liquid lipstick. I am all about this product right here the packaging is adorable and all donut themed and it smells like a real yummy vanilla icing. Low Key is a beautiful berry shade and it is really comfortable to wear and decently transferproof. All key things I care about in my liquid lipsticks. I was able to eat with this on with minimal wear off and it layered well for touch ups and isn’t extremely drying. These are great every one should check them out they are very similar to the Lime Crime Velvetines. Swatched below.

Urban Decay Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Highlighter in Sin

Full Size: 0.23 oz

Full Size Cost: $26

Sample Size: 0.08 oz

Value: $9.04

On my face this looked not that great it sat funny and really emphasized texture o my face but it made for a gorgeous shimmery eye shadow. I really like the champagne/gold shimmer of this shade. Swatched below.

Highlighter, Liquid Lipstick, BB cream.

Luxie 660 Precision Foundation Brush

Full Size: Yes

Full Size Cost: $23

Sample Size: Full Size

Value: $23

These brushes are so soft and I love the periwinkle of the Dreamcatcher collection. This is a foundation brush and Luxie says it can be used with liquid or powder foundation I have never tried to use a fluffy brush with liquid foundation I am going to have to test that out now. This is also great for a really subtle highlight as it blends out the highlight quickly and well.

Beauty & Pin-ups Fearless Hair Rescue Masque

Full Size: 30 ml

Full Size Cost: $10

Sample Size: 30 ml

Value: $10

I am excited to try this it should be good for at least 2 or 3 uses. I always love a good damage repairing hair masque. The packaging and the name are completely different from this product to what is shown on the website. The website names and packaging are very cute. I am guessing they have updated their packaging since they provided these products to Ipsy.

This is a great value for Ipsy this month. An I love the lipstick and the brush, on their own are both worth more then the bag so Ipsy is pretty much always a great deal. I am really really pleased with this months bag, Ipsy really is one of my favorite subscriptions.

Quick Summary: $66.79

Total Value: $

Skincare: 0

Makeup: 3

Tools: 1

Hair Care: 1

Perfume: 0

Other: 0

And as far as sizes:

Full Size: 3

Deluxe Sample: 0

Sample: 2

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup

Boxycharm April 2017 Subscription Box Review

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Boxycharm

Cost: $21

Cycle: Every Month

What is it:

Boxycharm sends out 4 to 5 full size  items every month which makes it really unique among the  boxes I subscribe to.  It is a nice change to get all full size products especially for the reasonable price of $21 which is usually less then the cost of one item in the box.

If you would like to subscribe you can use my referral link HERE. I don’t get anything other then points but would really appreciate it but do as you feel comfortable you can also use the link in the header.

You can also review your products and get “charms” which are their versions of points that you can use as money off in their shop.

This box was actually really small compared to what I imagined would show up in my mail box. Finally subscribing to Boxycharm makes me feel some how grow up and more legit in this blogging even though it totally doesn’t mean that.

This month’s theme is Boho Glam. and came with a cute little card with all the details and prices for the items in the box.

They really stuffed this little box full of goodies.

PÜR Cosmetics 3 Piece Blending Sponges

Full Size: 3 sponges

Full Size Cost: $36

Sample Size: 3 sponges

Value: $36

This was the whole reason I decided to subscribe this month. These are my favorite blending sponges I find them to work so much better then the Beauty Blender. I had the original pink one that came packaged with their contour stick. These feel a tad bit firmer then the original one that I had as well as these having PÜR stamped into the side of it. But at $12 each this pack of 3 seemed like a score for $21 dollars to replace mine that I recently had to part with last month.

Hairgurt Smoothing Yogurt Shampoo

Full Size: 4 oz

Full Size Cost: $10

Sample Size: 4 oz

Value: $10

I hate getting shampoos with out matching conditioners. I also absolutely hate bananas so this is a fail for me but I’m sure I can find it a happy home.

Ofra Highlighter in Rodeo Drive

Full Size: 10 g

Full Size Cost: $35

Sample Size: 1o g

Value: $35

This is a gorgeous highlighter it is so golden and blinding but also easy to blend. The pictures on their website don’t even do this justice. I am so happy to own this but I would never spend $35 on a single highlighter. That being said this is truly the most gorgeous and best quality highlighter I own it is so soft and pigmented. It is buttery smooth when you touch it and just stunning to look at. Swatched below.

Allegory Story Lipgloss in Plato’s Cave

Full Size:  3.8 g

Full Size Cost: $15

Sample Size: 3.8 g

Value: $15

This is legit the cutest packaging and I love how on their website you can pick different packaging options. This is a really opaque brown lip gloss. It is not overly sticky but I’m not a lip gloss fan or a brown lip fan so this is a really hoarder’s choice moment keep it because its  adorable or pass it on to some on who would actually use it.

Highlighter swatched on top love that wet metallic look to it and the lipgloss swatched underneath that is one swipe which is quite opaque for a lipgloss.

Measurable Difference Concealer Collection

Full Size:  2 g x 16 = 32 g

Full Size Cost: $20

Sample Size: 2 g x 16 = 32 g

Value: $20

I really like the inclusion of something that every skin tone can make work and that there are some very unique concealer tones in here. This is going to be very fun to play around with. The concealers are a little thick for my tastes but Boxycharm suggests mixing in some oil to make them spread a little easier if you need to. These are very tiny sizes so if you fall in love with a shade you’ll have to rebuy the whole palette which would be annoying.

Total Value: $116

Well crap that was a lot more then I expected for a $21 dollar box I am really thrilled with this month’s box despite there being two products that I will never use the rest of the box more then makes up for that in value and wow factor. I was considering canceling after one month. As I initially only subscribed to get the sponges but I do think I am going to keep this around for a little while. Even though the spoilers for next month do not look that appealing to me.

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup

 

Sephora Play! April 2017 Subscription Box Review

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Sephora Play!

Cost: $10.00 monthly + tax

Cycle: Every Month

What is it: Every month our favorite money sucking store Sephora sends out a curated box of higher end samples to try out.  Every month you receive 5 samples and a perfume sample.  The boxes are customized with a few different variations being sent out each month.

There is a small survey that Sephora has you take that helps Sephora curate a box to your needs. There is also a card included in the box for a complimentary mini makeover (which are complimentary any way so I don’t really get that) and 50 extra points if you purchase something in store.

We are back to our usual Sephora style bag. This one says the “Best things in life are me”. Not my particular cup of tea.

Here’s our 6 products this was not the box variation I was hoping to receive.

Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencil M-10

Full Size: 1.2 g

Full Size Cost: $21

Sample Size: 0.5 g

Value: $8.75

This is almost half the size of the full one and this is pretty tiny so $21 dollars this better be a pretty fantastic eyeliner. When I swatched this it held up through rubbing pretty good. I like how intensely black and matte it is that is hard to find a really black as my soul eyeliner pencil.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliator

Full Size: 0.5 oz

Full Size Cost: $24

Sample Size: 0.25 oz

Value: $12

I didn’t like this. It is supposed to be an intensive exfoliator and I didn’t find it to be intense. What I did find was that it made my skin feel awful. It made my skin feel really dry and tight and stripped. Then about an hour or two later my skin felt really greasy. This did not work for me at all.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume

Full Size: 50 ml

Full Size Cost: $90

Sample Size: 1.2 ml

Value: $2.16

This is a very floral perfume. Which is a pass for me. If you like florals you will love this is is a very heavy floral but some how light and summery as well.

Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover

Full Size: 200 ml

Full Size Cost: $15

Sample Size: 25 ml

Value: $1.88

Well a nice little bottle of makeup remover this will be good for traveling. I have to much open makeup remover to really try this out right now.

Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream

Full Size: 48 ml

Full Size Cost: $52

Sample Size: 7.5 ml

Value: $8.12

This is a pretty nice moisturizer and there are very few moisturizers I can or will put on my oily skin. This absorbs quickly but does leave a little slip to your skin. I actually and this is terrible really like it as a hand lotion but it would be way to expensive to use it that way oh well.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Full Size: 1 oz

Full Size Cost: $16

Sample Size: 0.25 oz

Value: $4

This is one of my very favorite primers it is a great silicon primer that adds a lot of glide and smoothness to your face when you apply your foundations. Smashbox makes great face primers. Pro Tip if you buy this always buy the travel size which is $16 for 1 oz the full size is $36 for 2 oz which is so stupid. you can get two travel sizes for $32 and get 2 oz and save yourself $4. Smashbox must think we can’t do math.

The value is good with this month and we got 3 decently valued samples two that are almost the cost of the box (eyeliner and moisturizer) and one that is more then the value of the box (exfoliator). I am really excited for the primer and the eyeliner. The cloud dream will get used up and the other two are just meh.  This is always a great box and I highly recommend it if you like high end products.

Quick Summary:

Total Value: $36.91

Skincare: 2

Makeup: 2

Tools: 0

Hair Care: 0

Perfume: 1

Other: 1

And as far as sizes:

Full Size: 0

Deluxe Sample: 2

Sample: 4

<3 Nightmare Before Makeup