Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Birchbox Vs. Ipsy (March 13)


I apologize that I am just now getting my reviews for my March boxes up on he blog.  I received some interesting products this time around, and while they weren't all winners, I was excited to try a few of them out.  Most notably, I finally got to try out dry shampoo and smell the new Caldrea body lotion scents.  


Inside My Birchbox:

Caldrea Body Lotion in Tea Olive Lime,  Aloe Water, Apricot, and Coconut Fig:  I am a fan of Caldrea products.  I love their candles, scent diffusers, and linen sprays.  I was very excited to try these three lotions out, and I loved them all.  They are very lightly fragranced, but they smell heavenly.  I can't even pick a favorite.  

Marcelle BB Cream Golden Glow:  I am a fan of the whole bb cream explosion, but I am always a little concerned that the one-shade-fits-all skin tones bottle leaves my face looking a shade different than my neck.  I might just be imagining it.  I did like this product, and I have been wearing it on the weekends.  No one has commented on a neck-face color differential yet.  

Whish Shave Cream Shaving Cream:  I usually use the Venus & Olay razor, which has a built in skin moisturizer, so I don't need shaving cream.  However, I went back to a regular razor to try this out.  It had a light fruity smell that reminded me of berries.  It moisturized well, and it did give me a close shave.  I liked this product, and would consider it if I ever switched razors.  However, at $20 for a full sized bottle, I might look for other options.

Madewell for Birchbox Emery Board:  This emery board was beautiful, but not very well made (no pun intended).  It started falling apart after just one use.  There are better boards out there for the money (one made by Tweezerman comes to mind).   

Serge Normant Meta Revive Dry Shampoo:  I had been very anxious to try dry shampoo out.  I followed the directions closely.  When I sprayed it on my hair, it turned gray (which was a scary glimpse into my not too distant future).  I even had to snap a picture.  You leave it on for a few minutes, and then turn your head upside down and brush it out.  It did seem to soak up the oil in my hair, but it also left a flaky residue that I didn't love.  I wonder if I would like a powder version better than a spray?



Inside My Ipsy Bag:

The Great Escape Anchor Bag:  Ipsy heard my plea for some cute bags, and came up with this blue and white striped anchor design.  This is one of my all-time favorite bags.  Well played, Ipsy!

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist:  I am a fan of toners, so I was happy to give this one a shot.  It smells like roses and feels cooling on the skin.  Nothing remarkable here, but worth trying if you are looking for something new in the organic skincare department.  

La Fresh Travel Light Makeup Remover Wipes:  This was a nice sample pack of 8 wipes.  Seemed to remove makeup adequately, had no harsh scent, and didn't irritate my sensitive skin.  

GlamRX Mini Freestyle Palette:  This is a little magnetic tray with a mirror that nicely holds the eye shadow samples that were also included with this month's bag.  The version sold on the website also includes lip balm, eyeliner, concealer, and shine erase powder, along with applicators.  It would be  perfect for toting around in your purse for touch-ups.  

Yaby Eyeshadow:  I received eyeshadow samples that I haven't tried.  I might just end up gifting the eyeshadow/GlamRX set to someone who will get more use out if it than I would.  You can see the neutral shades that were selected for me in the box below.


Overall, I would rate both the Ipsy Bag and Birchbox a strong B+ for March.  Both bags had products that were hits and misses, but I was excited to get to test all of them out, even if I didn't want to keep them.  I do feel that both companies stepped up their game a bit, and gave a better variety of products and brands.

Is there anything here that you have been wanting to try?  Did you have a favorite product in your box/bag this month?

5 comments:

Stephanie said...

One of my friends said the same thing about the bb cream she uses. She pretty much doesn't use it in the winter because it makes her face look a shade darker than the rest of her body!

If you're interested in trying other dry shampoos, I use Suave's dry shampoo that I picked up at Target for about $3 or $4. It turns gray at first, just like the one you tried here, and then after a few minutes you rub it into your scalp. I have pretty dark hair but I don't usually see any flakiness or residue unless I use too much of it.

Suz said...

I don't subscribe. I almost did but my order got all messed up. I love your reviews of the products. It is very helpful to me as I spend quite a bit on beauty products.

Carla said...

I got the same dry shampoo in my BB and hated it as well! I'm absolutely positively an Oscar Blandi girl! Love his dry shampoo (it's a powder) and yes, you'll have some residue but it makes your hair go from limp to luscious with just a few sprinkles! Great review!!! xo Carla

Mandy Crandell said...

The Ipsy items look great! I've been thinking about joining one of these for samples.

http://mandycrandell.blogspot.com/

Elle Sees said...

i did a post on dry shampoo reviews and how to use them--make sure you put it on your roots--not on the top layer.
I use my little magnetic palette to hold bobbypins.

I'm Erin

My photo
Hi, I'm Erin. I am living back on the east coast after 15 years out west. Currently readjusting to humidity and mosquitos. I love to take pictures and read fashion magazines.... and to talk about nothing in particular (ok, and my dogs).

Follow Along

Blog Archives

Tagged

Search This Blog

Grab My Button

Popcorn, Pugs, and Peonies
<div class="grab-button" margin: 0 auto;"><a href="http://popcornpugspeonies.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"><img src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hwK7PaXt8NY/WjlUjPt2TRI/AAAAAAAAxp8/Wc_z0jea0SsUeCokvVnbwYRqsBvpvLvOgCEwYBhgL/s1600/3PsButton.png" alt="Popcorn, Pugs, and Peonies"></div>
 
Designed by Munchkin Land Designs • Copyright 2015 • All Rights Reserved