Birchbox and Glossybox (recent boxes)

If you read my previous posts, you know that I've been subscribed to Birchbox for about 9 months now, and only two months to Glossybox (it has launched in the States only recently).  So far, I really like both services, and I think all boxes I got have justified the amount payed for them. Birchbox costs only $10 a month, while Glossybox is $21 a month. The difference is significant, but I've found that it's worth it.

Let's start with the Glossybox July edition. The first thing I want to point out is that the box is about twice as big as the Birchbox one. And it's really nice too (great for storing other things!) That month was good, but not great; I got Sebastian Color Ignite Multi Tone Shampoo and Conditioner, which are supposed to be good for color-treated hair. I only have some highlights, so I wasn't sure if it would work for me. I didn't see any exceptional results after using them both, but I can't say anything bad about them either. The shampoo foams up well and has a pleasant scent. I cannot but say that I liked the texture of the conditioner - I've never seen nor tried a foamy conditioner! However, as soon as you put it on your hair and smooth it out, it turns into a regular creamy conditioner.
The other products I got were two packs of hand and body emulsion, a double-ended lipgloss ( I didn't like that it had glitter though, so I gave it away), foot cream (I like it!), and a brow pencil.

The conditioner

 

 

 

Nice eyebrow pencil!Soft and has a waxy texture

 

The August box was much better in my opinion. Two full-sized products and great sample sizes of the other three. So here we have Ellis Faas Creamy Lips, a full sized lip product. I haven't tried this one because I found the swatches of this exact shade online and didn't like it. It's an orange-y brown weird-looking shade. Anyway, my brochure says it  has a matte finish, which is another minus for me (I like glossy lips!) This lip gloss, or lipstick, whatever it is, retails for $22 which already pays off the entire box! Another full-sized product is the Illamasqua nail polish ($14 value), and the color I got was Radium. I like the shade in the bottle, but can't imagine it on my nails, so...
Next, a hair product - Biolage Exquisite Oil Replenishing Treatment. This sample is of a decent size and has a pump, which is really nice! I tried it, and was pleased with the results and with the scent in particular. This oil doesn't make your hair feel oily or anything, just adds more shine and moisturizes it.
Then, there are two huge samples of skin care products. First- Ole Henriksen Truth Serum (1 fl. oz or 30 ml), is a vitamin C serum which smells like oranges. It's supposed to smooth out wrinkles and moisturize the skin. I've been using it, and although it's a pleasure to apply, I can't see any results. I haven't used it up yet though, so maybe I just have to wait and see. The other product is Touch in Sol Feel like Honey Moon Skin Base, which is basically a primer that you put on before your makeup. It isn't as siliconey as most primers are, it's more of a moisturizer in gel form. It's really nice and moisturizing, but it didn't help my makeup stay on longer :(

 Ok, so there is Birchbox September issue. It was nice, but I wasn't too impressed. The two things I liked the most were the Color Club nail polish in the color Insta-This that you can see on my nails here (it's a very pretty medium blue color with purple undertones), and LiQWd Volumizing Catalyst - a spray for adding volume to hair. This one isn't sticky at all, it just makes your hair a little bit more resilient and bouncy at the roots. They also threw in a packet of shampoo and conditioner by the same brand (also nice!) Then, there's Dr. Jart+ BB cream, which I haven't tried yet, but I will let you know if I like it in the future posts. Of course they couldn't do without a perfume sample. I got Mon Jasmin Noir by Bvlgary, and although it's not my kind of scent, I liked it. It is more suitable for nighttime as it's so rich and very floral.
Oh, I also got a hair twistband as an addition.

Are you guys subscribed to any beauty boxes? How do you like them?

Birchbox July '12

I've been subscribed to Birchbox since December, and all the boxes I got (maybe except for one) were quite good.  Almost every box included at least one really good product that pretty much paid off the entire box. I feel the same about this month's box. 

This month Birchbox teamed up with Glamour magazine to bring the subscribers a multisensory experience, as you can tell by looking at the sleeve of the box shown above.
That's what I got:

 1. Color Club nail polish in the color Blue-Ming. It's mint color that is so popular right now. I don't really like anything blue or green on my nails, but I'm definitely going to try it on my toenails.

2. The neon earbuds. They are nice-looking, but unfortunately, poor quality. The sound they produce is horrible! It's highly unnatural and makes you feel very far away from the source of the sound. I'm going to keep them as a backup though.

3. Harvey Prince Eau Flirt - Lavender Pumpkin. The sample is very small, and the fragrance itself is not something that I'm into. I normally like both lavender and pumpkin, but I couldn't smell them in the fragrance. It's very, VERY sweet and heavy...I like fresher scents for sure. 

4. Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum.  This is supposed to be lightweight sunscreen, which would be perfect for oily/combination skin. I haven't tried this one yet, but I'm excited to do so as I don't like heavy creams and I use sunscreen daily. I'm also glad that they included two packs of it.

5. Tea Forte minteas. These tea-infused mints came in a little tin box in the shape of a leaf. So cute! The flavor is ginger pear, and I like them! Great substitution for gum.

6. Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Black (full size!!!). This eyeliner is my favorite part. It was very timely as I needed a new black eyeliner anyway. This one is so thin! And it has a very long tip which makes the application more comfortable and fool-proof. I've had multiple liquid eyeliners in the past, but this one is by far the best. As soon as I run out of this one, I'm going to buy another one. I'll most likely do a separate blog post on it since I love it so much lol. 

Overall, I liked this box, especially since it was only $10, while that Eyeko eyeliner itself is $15. Good deal, isn't it?

Have you tried any beauty subscription services/boxes? What do you think of them?