This month I received 6 beauty boxes: Birchbox (x2), Ipsy, Lippe Box, Beauty Box 5, Lip Monthly.
My food & weight loss subscription boxes will not be included.
Battle of the Boxes
May 2016 Birchbox #1
Box Cost: $10.00 ($7.33 on annual with a deal)
Total Products: 5
Total Retail Value: $20.86
Total Personal Value: $8.22 + $5.00 store credit.
Full Size Products: 0
Deluxe Samples: 5
One Time Use/Foils: 0
Items I Won’t Use: 1 – CoTZ Face Natural Skin Tone SPF 40 – wrong shade.
Favorite From Box: Jouer Long-Wear Lip Creme Liquid Lipstick in Lychee
May 2016 Birchbox #2
NOTE: This is my last month with 2 Birchboxes for a while, 90% due to saving money for a bit, and 10% due to sample overload. I will be re-subscribing in a month or two with my second Birchbox.
Box Cost: $10.00
Total Products: 5
Total Retail Value: $16.92
Total Personal Value: $10.15 + $5.00 store credit.
Full Size Products: 1
Deluxe Samples: 4
One Time Use/Foils: 0
Items I Won’t Use: 1 – ModelCo Lip Lacquer in Morocco – not a fan.
Favorite From Box: Vera Bradley Vanilla Sea Salt [Perfume]
May 2016 ‘Destination Chic’ Ipsy
Box Cost: $10.00
Total Products: 5 + 2 Ipsy Point Items Redeemed
Total Retail Value: $56.37 + $6.45 in points items.
Total Personal Value: $18.99 + $3.49 in points items.
Full Size Products: 2 + 1 points item.
Deluxe Samples: 3 + 1 points item.
One Time Use/Foils: 0
Items I Won’t Use: 0
Favorite From Box: Smashbox X-Rated Mascara & FORMULA 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure Skin-Clarifying Mud Mask.
May 2016 ‘Mer-May-d’ Beauty Box 5
Box Cost: $12.00 ($10/box on the quarterly deal)
Total Products: 5
Total Retail Value: $61.82
Total Personal Value: $27.27
Full Size Products: 3
Deluxe Samples: 2
One Time Use/Foils: 0
Items I Won’t Use: 2 – Mystic Tan Bronze Lotion (not my thing) & Briogeo Rosarco Milk Repairing Leave-In Conditioning Spray (other similar products).
Favorite From Box: Elizabeth Mott You’re So Fine Liner in Glitterati.
May 2016 Lippe Box
IMPORTANT NOTE: this subscription, intentionally or otherwise, sends out fake products under brand names. I am including it in this to further the PSA and to be true to my full experience with beauty boxes this month.
Box Cost: FREE for first month
Total Products: 2
Total Retail Value: $0.00 because fake products.
Total Personal Value: $0.00 because fake products.
Full Size Products: 2
Deluxe Samples: 0
One Time Use/Foils: 0
Items I Won’t Use: 2 – FAKE Mac Cosmetics Relentlessly Red (low quality too) and FAKE Anastasia Beverly Hills in Milk Shake.
Favorite From Box: NONE.
May 2016 Lip Monthly Bag
NOTE: This is my last month of this subscription for the time being, I have a large amount of lip products that grows with my other subscriptions. I would re-subscribe in the future if I am in need of new lip products, and recommend it to someone wanting to try a variety of formulas and colors to grow their collection.
Box Cost: $12.95 (I paid $9.73/box on a 4 month deal)
Total Products: 4
Total Retail Value: $62.80
Total Personal Value: $22.96
Full Size Products: 3
Deluxe Samples: 1
One Time Use/Foils: 0
Items I Won’t Use: 1 – potentially the mud mask – it’s a sub-brand of Harvey Prince and smells awful.
Favorite From Box: So Susan Jello Shot in Hangover.
Product Breakdown
Winning Products
Biggest Retail Value in a Single Item
Beauty Box 5: $29.00 Appeal Cosmetics Luxurious Lipstick in Crush
Most Used Product
Beauty Box 5: Elizabeth Mott You’re So Fine Liner in Glitterati
Most Improved With Use
Ipsy Glambag: Smashbox X-Rated Mascara
Most Surprising Like(s)
Birchbox #1: Vera Bradley Vanilla Sea Salt [Perfume]
Lip Monthly: dirty little secret lipstick in guilty pleasure (SO PINK)
Most Looked Forward To
Ipsy Glambag: Smashbox X-Rated Mascara
Most Effective
Birchbox #1: Jouer Long Wear Lip Creme Liquid Lipstick in Lychee
Failing Products
Biggest Disappointment(s)
Lippe Box: Both being fake, and the ABH isn’t even a halfway decent knockoff.
Birchbox #2: ModelCo Lip Lacquer in Morocco.
And then what we’re all reaaallly curious about…
Box Breakdown
Highest Retail Value
Lip Monthly: with $62.80 in value.
Highest Personal Value
Beauty Box 5: with $27.27 in value.
Biggest Discount: Subscription vs Retail Sample Value
Lip Monthly: with 84% off.
Biggest Discount: Subscription vs Personal Value
Beauty Box 5: with 63% off.
Most Loved Products
Ipsy Glambag: with all 5 products + 1 bonus item kept.
Most Full Sized Products
Lip Monthly: with 3 of 4
Most Improved With Product Use
Ipsy Glambag: with 4 of 5 products being even better than expected.
And the WINNING BOX:
Most Exciting To Open AND Most Satisfying…
Beauty Box 5! Finally they’re back on their game this month and with 2 products that have become ‘go-to’ items already, not to mention a full sized mascara that I haven’t opened yet. This was a pretty great box. I just smile when I think of opening this box and when I reach for my Elizabeth Mott liner or Appeal Cosmetics Crush lipstick at my makeup desk.
If you are interested in any of these boxes, you can sign-up here:
Birchbox (JUNE Box)
Ipsy (JULY bag if you get off the wait list, unless they have June ones left)
Beauty Box 5 (JUNE Box) use HALFOFF for $6.00 off — pair w/quarterly for $8/box
Lip Monthly (current or next depending on inventory) use LIPLOVER to get your first bag for $5.00.
Lippe Box should NOT be purchased. Free or not. I do not recommend it.
Hey! Let’s Connect!
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
also feel free to add me on Facebook as a friend 🙂
Ipsy is probably my favorite. I’ve realized if you take away all the face care items you receive more make up!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel like I’m in the minority of people that actually want skincare stuff! Certainly not only skincare, but I love a good 60/40 of makeup and skincare 😀 Lets me try new stuff to find my holy grails!
LikeLike
I love these posts they’re amazing!!
https://shesjustlikeheaven.wordpress.com/
LikeLike