Beauty Box Roundup : September 2013

Welcome to the latest installment of Beauty Box Roundup! This is for the September 2013 and features the same three beauty subscriptions that I've been reviewing the past few months; Blush Mystery Beauty Box, Ipsy, and Birchbox. Please make sure to read to the end to see some changes that will be coming regarding this post.

Blush Mystery Beauty Box

What I received:

• Pop Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in Fuchsia Flirt
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel 
• Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Dry Shampoo 
• LVX Nail Lacquer in Midori 
• Amlactin Triple Action Alpha-Hydroxy Therapy Foot Cream
• Racinne Deluxe Travel Set
• Brad Biophotonic Skin Care Ultra Peel

My Thoughts: Not the most exciting bag for me which is kind of a bummer after last's month not too exciting bag. There are some things that I'm excited about which would be the nail polish, since I have nothing in this color, and the Brad Ultra Peel, because I've been wanting to do a peel for a while. Everything else is kind of meh, much to my dismay. I'll probably end up trying the Racinne stuff in the winter when my skin needs more hydration (it's an anti-aging set) and I can always use dry shampoo, but I'm a little over stocked right now. The foot cream will be put to use (again, in the winter), but I don't see myself using the Pop crayon. I got one... two months ago (?) in an Ipsy bag and I hated it. I also received the Anastasia Brow Gel in an Ipsy bag and it's not my favorite, but will still get used.

Monetary Values

Pop Beauty Crayon: $4.16 (note on this: Blush puts this at $14, but it's only available in a 6-pack which retails for $25, so I refuse the $14)

Anastasia Brow Gel: $6.68 for .085 fl oz (full size: .28 fl oz/$22)

Alterna Dry Shampoo: $0.83 for .1 oz (full size: 2.65 oz/$22)

LVX Polish: $16 full size

Amlactin Foot Cream: $10 full size

Racinne Deluxe Travel Set: $65.83 (too many products on this one, but trust me)

Brad Ultra Peel: $25.74 for .25 fl oz (full size: 1.7 fl oz/$175)

Total Bag Value: $129.25

Ipsy

What I received:

• Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple
• NYX Single Eyeshadow in Purple
• Elizabeth Mott It's So Big Mascara
• J. Cat Fantabulous Lipstick in Honeycrisp
• Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian

My Thoughts: Remember last month when I said that I get one good month, followed by one bad month? Well, here's my bad month. I always feel like I need to explain myself when I say "bad month", because looking at the pictures above, you might not understand my frustration. For starters, I subscribe to these services to try new products and brands, not try the same brands over and over and over. I know that Birchbox is guilty of sending out items from the same brands, but I guess I don't mind as much when it's high end brands. There are several reasons I don't like this month's bag and here they are, 1) I've sampled all but one of these brands in my previous Ipsy bags, making the third or fourth time for some brands 2) Why did I get two lip products? and 3) An odd nude shade lipstick for someone who has their profile marked as fair? I'm getting really tired of seeing NYX and Starlooks and Cailyn and J.Cat. Seriously, this is not new or innovative by any means if you've already sent me products from them AND you sent them very recently. I also don't like the cheap factor that's starting to become very obvious with Ipsy.

Monetary Values:

Cailyn Tinted Balm: $19 full size

NYX Eyeshadow: $4.50 full size

It's So Big Mascara: $8.28 for 4 ml (full size: 10 ml/$19.99)

J.Cat Lipstick - $2.49 full size

Starlooks Eyeliner - $12 full size

Total Monetary Value: $46.27

If you want to subscribe to Ipsy, you can visit ipsy.com

Birchbox

What I Received:

• Ruffian Nail Lacquer in Hedge Fund
• uniqONE Hair Treatment
• Benefit Sugarbomb Ultra Plush Lip Gloss
• BGBGMAXAZRIA Bon Genre perfume
• Soak Heel Foot Cream

My Thoughts: I feel kind of underwhelmed again this month with my Birchbox, but if you have read this far, you should be able to tell that I'm kind of underwhelmed in general with my subs. Again, even though the sample sizes are smaller, I am feeling this more than I am my Ipsy box and I will tell you why: non-repetition of brands and high end manufacturers. Even though I've received Benefit before, it's been a while since I've gotten them in a Birchbox and I haven't received any of the other brands before. One reason I'm a little underwhelmed by Birchbox is that I got a perfume sample and a foil... which I am not a fan of either. I prefer to get perfume samples with Sephora orders and I hate foil packets. Aside from that, my box is pretty good. Unfortunately, I already have Sugarbomb, so this one will be going into a giveaway later this month since it's actually a gloss that I enjoy. The hair treatment will definitely be used and I'm in love with the nail polish color; it's freaking gorgeous. (p.s. The perfume is actually decent smelling, but I still don't like getting them in my Birchbox)

Monetary Values:

Ruffian Nail Lacquer: $10 full size

uniqONE treatment: $1.06 for .3 fl oz (full size: 5.07 fl oz/$17.99)

Benefit Lip Gloss: $9.49 for .22 fl oz (full size: .51 fl oz/$22)

BCBG Perfume: $1.10 for .05 fl oz (full size: 3.4 fl oz/$75)

Soak Heel Foot Cream: $0.84 for 5 ml (full size: 60 ml/$10)

 
Full Monetary Value: $22.49

If you want to subscribe to Birchbox, you can follow my referral link here or visit birchbox.com

Now, for the "game changer"... I'm going to be stopping the Beauty Box Roundup after this month. As much as I enjoy doing this post, I have been really uninterested in my Ipsy bags, so I've cancelled the service. If I notice that they start to get amazing again, I might rejoin, but I don't know. I'm also cancelling my Blush box for the time being. I'm not disappointed in the service, but I have so many samples and beauty products that need to be used up, that I just can't keep up. I plan on going back to Blush in a few months when I've worked my way through some of the samples that I have now. Birchbox is going to be the only one that I will keep for the time being, so if you want to keep up with that, make sure to follow me on Instagram (link on the right side of the page) where I'll post my boxes. 

If you have any questions or comments, leave them down below!