Battle of the Boxes {May 2016}

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.

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