Happy Subscription Sunday! Today I have the first post in my new series, where I feature a subscription service every Sunday. As June comes to a close, it is time for Round Four of my Ipsy v. Birchbox comparison posts. In Round One and Round Two, Birchbox was champion, but last month for Round Three, Ipsy was the clear winner. Let’s see how these two $10 beauty boxes stack up against one another this month!
First up, as always, is Ipsy! This month’s theme is “On the Wild Side,” and it comes with the cutest makeup bag ever! I am loving the leopard print pouch with a neon accent, and I’m impressed with it’s nice quality. This is definitely going into my school bag! On the bottom left, you can see a bonus item I got for referring two new Ipsy members. It is the O-Ring Stud Wrap bracelet from BaubleBar, and probably retails for around $20. It was a great bonus! Let me talk about the items inside in more detail, working from left to right.
- NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Natural – $6.00 – I’ve never tried a cream blush before, but this one from NYX seems to be a great shade for my skin tone, and is quite blendable. I don’t wear blush often, but this is a nice product to have in my makeup collection for a day I want to dress up a little more.
- J.Cat Beauty Sparkling Cream Palette in Volta – $4.49 – This is my least favorite item in the bag, and something that I won’t ever use! It is a palette of five glitter eyeshadows, and is basically loose glitter on top of a cream shadow. I feel like these shadows only work for the daring ladies who love to stand out, and don’t work for an everyday look at all. I guess maybe I’ll hold onto this for Halloween!
- Starlooks Lip Pencil in Bare – $12.00 – This Starlooks lip liner is actually a very nice quality and applies really nicely. The problem is the color is not for me at all! Bare is a muddy mauve that makes my lips look brown. Even layered it just did not work for me at all. I would have loved a different shade of this product, as this one I can’t use unfortunately.
- Cailyn Line-Fix Gel Eyeliner in Purple – $21.00 – This gel eyeliner is a gorgeous plum shade and comes with the perfect size brush. I was very surprised on how easy it is to apply, and the purple shade is great for a more subdued look. I don’t wear eyeliner very often, but this is a nice alternative to a harsh black color. I’m glad to have this product, even though I won’t be using it often.
- Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter – $18.00 – Last but not least is my favorite item this month, an eye highlighter pencil! I was actually about to buy one at the drugstore, but am so happy I got this high end one instead. It helps brighten up my eyes and make me look more awake. Best of all, it is so natural looking, and extremely blendable. It is the only eye makeup in addition to mascara that I wear daily!
TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: $61.49
OVERALL OPINION: While I’m very happy with the Chella Highlighter, that is the only product in this month’s bag that I will be using on a regular basis. The Cailyn Eyeliner and NYX Blush are great to have, but the J.Cat Palette and Starlooks lipliner are virtually worthless to me. Even though the retail value of my June Ipsy was amazing, it really comes down to how I will use the products. I would have liked some more skincare items instead of all makeup to be honest!
RATING (1-5, 1 BEING WORST AND 5 BEING BEST): 3
Now onto my June Birchbox! This month’s theme is Wanderlust, and is all about summer traveling. This month Birchbox also revamped its website and program to include a profile that really understands what products you are looking to receive. Be sure to edit yours! Let me show you the goodies I got this month.
- Sukí Face Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser – $2.05 – This tub is filled with an exfoliating cleanser that smells like delicious lemons! I’m excited to try it out, and I will probably get a week’s worth of uses out of this sample. The full size product is $32.95, so this is definitely a high end sample. I’m happy to try it out, but will not be repurchasing!
- Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk – $5.96 – I was a bit disappointed to get another dry shampoo from Birchbox, as I am still using the one I got back in March. I’m happy to have this for when the other runs out, but upon a first test it isn’t as nice. I am not enjoying the scent one bit! I’m a bit neutral on this sample.
- Color Club nail polish in Mod in Manhattan – $2.00 – I love getting a nail polish sample! This mini size is a great value, and I absolutely love it. You can see my full review of this nail polish HERE.
- Laqa & Co Lil’ Lip Color in Lambchop – $8.00 – This fat lip pencil is a super bright pink that is very daring! I love the formula and application, but the shade is quite “out there” to wear on a regular basis. I would love to try this product in a more wearable shade, but I do love having Lambchop on hand. I’ve been wanting to try this brand for a long time!
- Twistband Hair Tie – $2.33 – I love yoga hair ties, and this one is so cute! The nautical design is great for summer. These hair ties are definitely on the expensive side, so I am glad to get one in my Birchbox. For girls with thin hair like mine, these hair ties are a necessity!
TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: $20.34
OVERALL OPINION: Even though the retail value of this box isn’t very high, I will definitely use all of these products. I wish the Laqa & Co lip color was more wearable, but everything else fits in to my daily makeup and skincare routine. This is definitely a huge improvement over last month! I hope things continue to get better!
RATING: 4
There you have it! My winner for the month of June is Birchbox! Overall, I am disappointed that Ipsy sent me only makeup products this month. If I had received skincare in addition to the highlighter, blush, and eyeliner, that would have made Ipsy the winner. For now, I will continue on with both programs, but if Ipsy doesn’t step it up in terms of products that fit my lifestyle, I will have to let it go. Let me know which program you liked better this month. You can join Ipsy HERE and Birchbox HERE. Stay tuned for more Subscription Sunday posts every week!
Some of the above links are affiliate links. Subscription boxes purchased with my own money. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.