Adventures in Polishland

Happy Subscription Sunday! It’s time for the battle of the beauty subscriptions with another Ipsy v. Birchbox post. I’ve really enjoyed these monthly reviews, but this will actually be the last one (at least for a while). Make sure to read through to the end to find out why!

First up is my Ipsy Glam Bag. September’s theme is Classic Beauty, and the cosmetic pouch this month is blue with a black lace print. I definitely think the bag is cute, but not my favorite that I’ve received. Let me show you what is inside!

 I will describe these products for you from left to right.

• Elizabeth Mott It’s So Big Mascara – $8.00 – I love mascaras, but how many can a girl own? I got another mascara sample from Ipsy just last month. Eventually I will get around to trying this out!
• Cailyn Tinted Lip Balmin Big Apple – $19.00 – I’m no stranger to Cailyn now thanks to these subscription services. This is a tinted lip balm in a bright red color. I love that it comes with its own lip brush, but red lips are not my go to. This will be nice for special occasions.
• Freeman Beauty Paper Face Masks – $5.97 – I’ve been wanting to try paper face masks for a long time, so I’m super happy I got these. Unfortunately, my first try was a disaster! The mask was dripping everywhere, and it didn’t fit my face well. Plus, my skin burned after just a few seconds of having it on. I will give the others a try, but I did not like my first experience!
• NYX Eyeshadow in Pure Gold – $4.50 – This eyeshadow is a nice, shimmery gold color, and I have been wanting to try more NYX cosmetics. I don’t wear eyeshadow often, but I’m happy to try this out.
• Starlooks Obsidian Kohl Eye Pencil – $12 – This is the second black eyeliner I’ve received from Ipsy, so now I am stocked up for a while, especially since I rarely wear eyeliner. I’m debating whether or not to even open this to be honest!

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: $49.47

OVERALL OPINION: I’m pretty bummed with this month’s bag, even though it has a high retail value. I keep getting the same items over again, and the same brands. I am very happy to get the face masks, even though I didn’t like the first one. Now I know what I think of them!

RATING (1-5, 1 BEING WORST AND 5 BEING BEST): 2

Now moving on to my September Birchbox! This month the theme was Heritage, but I find that Birchbox themes are pretty open ended.

Again, I’ll describe the goodies from left to right.

• Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream – $6.00 – I have wanted to try this hand cream for so long after hearing a bunch of beauty bloggers rave about it. I’m not disappointed! It smells amazing, and is not greasy. I might have to save up my Birchbox points to get the full size.
• Davines This Is a Sea Salt Spray – $10.80 – This product really intrigues me! After one try, I’m pretty impressed. It helps give your hair beachy waves without looking frizzy. I’ll have to give this another go soon!
• Yes to Blueberries Cleansing Facial Towelettes – $2.13 – I love makeup remover wipes, and can’t wait to try these. The sample size is great, with eight wipes. I think I’ll save this for travel! I know I love the Yes to Cucumbers towelettes, so these should be nice, too. Plus, I love getting a product I can easily repurchase at the drugstore if I like it.
• RUFFIAN Nail Lacquer in Hedge Fund – $10 – You already know how much I love this polish! I wrote an entire review on it HERE.
• Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream – N/A – While foil packets are never my favorite item, this CC cream is my monthly extra, so I guess I can’t complain! I’m not able to determine the value, since there is no size amount on the packet, but the full size is $15.99.

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: $28.93

OVERALL OPINION: The retail value of this month’s box may not be as much as Ipsy’s, but I am loving the products! The nail polish is amazing, and I really wanted to try the hand cream. Plus, I know I will use the makeup wipes.

RATING: 4

There you have it! My winner for the month of September is Birchbox! After seven months of subscribing to both Ipsy and Birchbox, I’ve decided to cancel my Ipsy subscription. Not only did it only win my battle round one time, but I am not enjoying the products as much. My decision to cancel was made easy – when my credit card information changed, I was never ever to change it on Ipsy’s website! It seems every time I check, they are always in “Billing Mode”. I took this as the opportunity to cancel and move on. I will still be continuing with Birchbox, and will post those unboxing reviews each month!

You can subscribe to Ipsy HERE and Birchbox HERE. Each service is $10 per month.

This post contains affiliate links. Subscription boxes purchased by me. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.