Battle of the Boxes {March 2016}

This month I received 8 beauty boxes: Birchbox (x2), Ipsy (x2), Beauty Box 5, Lip Monthly, ELF play beautifully, and Target.

My Other Subscriptions: Treatsie and Julep, will NOT be included in this battle.

Battle of the Boxes

March 2016 ‘Ready For Anything’ Birchbox

Box Cost: $10.00
Total Products: 5
Total Retail Value: $28.05
Total Personal Value: $11.26
Full Size Products: 0  Deluxe Samples: 4  Foils: 1
Items I Won’t Use: 0
Favorite From Box: Smashbox Photo Op Eyeshadow Trio in Filter & Milk Makeup Lip Color in C.R.E.A.M.

March 2016 ‘Hello Ladies’ Birchbox

Box Cost: $10.00 (I paid $7.33 on a deal)
Total Products: 5
Total Retail Value: $24.13
Total Personal Value: $11.31
Full Size Products: 0  Deluxe Samples: 4  One Time Use: 1
Items I Won’t Use: 1 – theBalm Stainiac – it’s just kind of awful.
Favorite From Box: tre’stiQue mini shadow crayon in Aspen Pine

March 2016 ‘Hello Spring’ Ipsy Glambag #1

Box Cost: $10.00
Total Products: 5
Total Retail Value: $56.03
Total Personal Value: $22.55
Full Size Products: 3  Deluxe Samples: 2  One Time Use/Foils: 0
Items I Won’t Use: 3 – duplicate NYX in bag #2, TEMPTU bronzer, and a hand cream in a smell I don’t like.
Favorite From Box: Skone Cosmetics Insanely Intense Tattooed Eyeliner in Jet Black.

March 2016 ‘Hello Spring’ Ipsy Glambag #2

Box Cost: $10.00
Total Products: 5
Total Retail Value: $53.15
Total Personal Value: $19.06
Full Size Products: 3  Deluxe Samples: 2  One Time Use/Foils: 0
Items I Won’t Use: 2 – loose handled brush, and a low-pigment blush.
Favorite From Box: NoTS 28 Remedy Balancing Toner & NYX Liquid Suede in Kitten Heels
NOTE: One points bonus item not included in value.

March 2016 ‘Flower Power’ Beauty Box 5

Box Cost: $12.00 (I paid $8.00 on a deal)
Total Products: 7
Total Retail Value: $51.73
Total Personal Value: $10.96
Full Size Products: 2  Deluxe Samples: 2  One Time Use/Foils: 3
Items I Won’t Use: 3.5 – fragrance, glitter liner, temporary tattoo, and I don’t NEED an eye cream so I’m giving it away, but I could use it.
Favorite From Box: Personail nail wraps

March 2016 Lip Monthly

Box Cost: $12.95 (I paid $9.73 on a deal)
Total Products: 4
Total Retail Value: $42.49
Total Personal Value: $12.96
Full Size Products: 4
Items I Won’t Use: 1 – EcoLips Tinted Balm, it’s not functional because it’s messy and Christmassy flavored.
Favorite From Box: Nothing is really a favorite… but the Cargo Blush/Bronzer is what I’m using.

ELF play beautifully

Box Cost: $26.77
Total Products: 11
Total Retail Value: $18.00
Total Personal Value: $14.79
Full Size Products: 11
Items I Won’t Use: 4 – blush palette, bronzer, mineral mascara, mascara primer

March 2016 Target Beauty Box

Box Cost: $5.00
Total Products: 9
Total Retail Value: $18.00
Total Personal Value: $14.79
Full Size Products: 1  Deluxe Samples: 6  One Time Use/Foils: 2
Items I Won’t Use: 0
Favorite From Box: Banana Boat Sun Comfort SPF 30 Lotion (actually smells good!!) & Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

Product Breakdown

Winning Products

Biggest Retail Value in a Single Item

Beauty Box 5: $31.20 pur-lisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum

Most Used Product

Ready For Anything Birchbox: Smashbox Photo Op Eyeshadow Trio in Filter

Most Improved With Use

Ipsy: NYX Liquid Suede in Kitten Heels

Most Surprising Like(s)

Target Beauty Box: Banana Boat Sun Comfort SPF 30 Lotion
Beauty Box 5: Personail Custom Floral Nail Polish Wraps

Most Looked Forward To

Ready for Anything Birchbox: Smashbox Photo Op Eyeshadow Trio in Filter

Most Effective

Ready for Anything Birchbox: Milk Makeup Lip Color in C.R.E.A.M.

Failing Products

Biggest Disappointment(s)

Ladies First Birchbox: theBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen

And then what we’re all reaaallly curious about…

Box Breakdown

Highest Retail Value

Ipsy #1: with $56.03

Highest Personal Value

elf play beautifully: with $31.79

Biggest Discount: Subscription vs Retail Sample Value

Beauty Box 5: with 86% off the retail price.

Biggest Discount: Subscription vs Personal Value

Ipsy #1: with 55% off what I would be comfortable paying per item.

Most Loved Products

Target Beauty Box: with 6 loved items

Most Full Sized Products

elf play beautifully: with 11

Most Improved With Product Use

elf play beautifully: with so many items that were better than I expected

And the WINNING BOX:

Most Exciting To Open AND Most Satisfying…

Birchbox Ready For Anything! I chose the box, but it has the most satisfying long-term use items with both the Smashbox trio, and the Milk micro-mini lipstick to give me a ton of uses. Even the spray surprised me with how much I liked it. I don’t regret this box at all.

Ipsy was just behind Birchbox, and may have won if I only had one subscription, but the duplicates and items I didn’t like within each bag threw me off.

If you are interested in any of these boxes, you can sign up below. If I tempted you to sign up, I’d love it if you’d use my referral links. I am not affiliated with any of these companies, and receive their average member referral bonuses only. (store credit, points, etc)

Birchbox (April Box from 4/1 on) use EYEKOGIFT for a free liner.
Ipsy (April or May bag – if you get yourself off the wait list before the 1st)
Beauty Box 5 (before 9th: April) use HALFOFF for $6.00 off — pair w/quarterly for $8/box
BeautyCon Box (Spring – until sold out) use my referral link for $10 off.
Lip Monthly (current or next depending on inventory) use LIPLOVER to get your first bag for $5.00.
Target is NOT a subscription. They become available around the 1st of the month (give or take a few days) and sell out within a few hours.

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