Birchbox Review December 2015

What's in

the box?

Birchbox is probably considered the grandfather of the subscription boxes.  For $10 a month, you get 5-7 samples based on a very detailed quiz you take when signing up.  They never repeat a sample and you can review every sample for points that turn in to money in their online store.  Even if I dislike something, I can earn points - and when you fill out the review, it is noted.  You can see other people's reviews of the products in the store under that product.   There are sales, coupon codes, and bonus add-ons for the box.

Birchbox gave us a $10 gift card for Christmas - when you purchase $35.  I really would have just liked the $10 with no conditions.  I have free shipping as an Ace member.

Soap and Paper Factory (Green Tea) Shea Butter Hand Cream -   (full size $18) This is a nice size little lotion to get - it is just right for putting in my purse.  I like this very much. 

The Balm Frat Boy -  (full size $21)  The only issue I have with this is how small their samples are - these full sized items are so expensive and they really do not like to give you any product!
 

Here is a pic of the tiny little blush sample. 
 

Malin + Goetz Clarifying Clay Mask -  ( full size $48)  I was surprised I had not received this product in the past.  I have so many products from them from Birchboxes.   

Coastal Scents Style Eyes -  (full size $12)  This is a small eye shadow sampler for Coastal Scents.  I have a one of their large palettes and for the money, it is a good deal.

The colors I chose were some of my favorites. 
 

Kate Spade Walk on Air -   (full size $25-$95)  I have selected to receive perfume samples the least amount of times possible in a year but the last several have contained one.  I did not mind getting this one, however, because it smells so pretty and I would wear it.

 

I was very pleasantly surprised by this month's box.   I like so many of the items this month!  I will only be passing one on to my swap buddy - the clay mask from Malin +  Goetz.   I received a blush, an eye shadow, a lotion, and a perfume that I will use.

Complexion Perfection sampler was one of the bonus buys you could add on your box shipment this month.  For $20 it was a great buy - the beauty blender is $20 by itself.  You get sample sizes of the The Pore-fessional from Benefit, Lightning Crew by The Beauty Crop, Marcelle BB glow, and W3ll People invisible powder as well.  I was very pleased with it.
 

 

Geek Fuel November 2015 Review

What's in

the box?

Geek Fuel is a geek and gamer box that promises a value of $50 or more, a t-shirt in every box, and an online game.   We recently switched from Loot Crate to this box because we needed to receive a t-shirt in every box to continue getting the box for my daughter.   This box is $23.90 which is still in our budget for the box.

There is not a theme for the Geek Fuel boxes but there are always fun products from popular games, movies, or TV shows.

Every box has a very informative magazine inside that has fun articles and more about the products in the box.

Fallout Vault-Tec Badge Giveaway -   This security badge has a code to check online to see if you won a Fallout 4 game and be entered to win an X box 1 and the game.  Kenzie did not win the initial giveaway but she is entered to win the other giveaway. 

Mockingjay Sticker -   My daughter slapped this on her laptop as soon as it left the box.  We are excited to see Part 2 of the movie coming out soon.  This sticker is such a great color. 

Pac Man Ghosts Salt and Pepper Pots -   ($12.99)  This is my daughters favorite part of the box!  She wants to save these for her apartment one day. 

Ghostbusters Cards -  ($9.99)  These playing cards are very fun! I like getting items that are useful and not just characters to sit on a shelf. 

Defense Grid 2 Online Game -  ($15)  Sometimes these games are not compatible with Macs but this one is.   This little book also goes into how video games are made which is very interesting.

Star Wars Light Saber T-shirt -   ($20)  This t-shirt is really cool.  My daughter has liked every t-shirt she has been sent in the Geek Fuel boxes.  They have also always been the soft cotton tees - very nice quality.

 

This was another winning box -  my daughter loved every item in it and she is excited to use everything.  There was also a Fallout 4 poster.  The value of this box was just above $50 and well worth the money we paid for it.

Purchased.  All opinions are my own and no compensation was received.

Glossybox September 2015

What's in

the box?

 Glossybox is a makeup, hair, and skin subscription box that is has full size makeup products from higher end companies as well as larger sample sizes.  This box is $21 a month and usually includes 5 items.  The boxes are really nice as well - and the collaboration boxes are usually adorable.

It is like opening a present every month! 

Nails inc Uptown Nail Polish -  (full size $14)  I like this neutral shade and it is a pleasant surprise to receive a color I would wear everyday. 

Glamglow Youthcleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser - ($7.80 - full size $39) This has been pretty popular in sub boxes lately - Ipsy and Glossybox like to add this to the box often.  They also had a coffee scrub that substituted for this in some boxes.

Emite Makeup Artist Colour Powder Blush in 108 - ($22) This is probably my favorite thing in the box!  I love blushes!  This is really pretty - the photo does not do the color justice.  It is pretty large too so this is a full size item.

Julep Luxe Your Lips In Sheer Pink - ($24)  This is an overnight lip treatment to soothe, hydrate and plump your lips.  I like the brand Julep but this has a weird taste to it.  It is full size so that is nice.  The other choice on this one was for Stiks Cosmetic Lipstix, which I probably would have preferred since I love lipsticks.

Biossance The Revitalizer -  ($4.64 - Full size $58)  This is a very small sample so hopefully I can make it last.  You can use this to moisturize the whole body.  But I also heard if you go to their website, you can request this sample for free in the mail.

   I thought this month was very nice - there were only two sample size items - the moisturizer and the face cleanser.  The value of the box was almost $70.  This box just seems kind of tossed together - which happens quite a lot for this box.  It was not a winner box for me but I really joined this month so that I could get the October Paris box.  Have you seen the spoilers?  I am really crazy about the box and do not even care what is included.
 

 

Birchbox September 2015

What's in

the box?

My Birchbox arrived pretty late this month but I think it is because they had a big response for the curated box.   The boxes for the choice were so beautiful - and they told you that You're Beautiful!  

Malin+Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser and Vitamin E Face Moisturizer  -   I really appreciate it when we get the cleanser and moisturizer as a set.  I am a big advocate of using a moisturizer morning and night.  I already have a great face cleanser and moisturizer set (Perfectly Posh BFF and Night & Day) so I have passed this on to my swap buddy. 

Davines Love Shampoo and Conditioner -  Another set that goes together is shampoo and conditioner - this is a pretty nice one!  I love the size of the shampoo but the conditioner packet could have been a tad larger.  The shampoo was my choice this month.

English Laundry Eau de Parfum for Her -   This is one of the few perfumes that does not cause me to wheeze so it was a nice addition to the box.

Pop Beauty eyeshadow palette -   I have several eye palettes that I am working through right now so I passed this on to my swap buddy as well.  These have some really pretty colors for Fall.

Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive -   I believe I have gotten this in a box before so I am passing this on to my swap buddy as well.  The last time I did a peel from a Birchbox product, it broke a blood vessel in my face that still has not cleared up. 

This was a very full box and even though I gave more than half away to my Sway Buddy, I was thrilled at the collaboration - plus I got to do reviews for lots of points.  I have no idea how people save them - if I have $20, I spend it! 

Birchbox Plus choice had me at the lips bag - and it came with 3 Stila lipsticks!  This is the Stila Look at Me Liquid Lipstick trio. Birchbox was celebrating its Birthday and included 3 balloons in the box as well.

Lip Love Subscription from So Susan Cosmetics

What's in

the bag?

Lip Love Subscription bag is one I found while searching for fun, new subscriptions that were more reasonably priced.  This bag is from England and is $16 a month.  It contains 3 products, 2 bonus items, and a makeup bag designed exclusively for the subscription. 

Every bag has a quote on it and it is usually inspiring.  

The bags are always so colorful and pretty!  They are probably my favorite part of this subscription.

Jelly Pong Pong Paradise Pigments in Fig Jam -   ($19.99) These are the cutest packaged lip and cheek tubs.  I love their line of products because of the wonderful packaging and the fact that they are cruelty free.

So Susan Statement Skin in Candlelight - ($20) I was very excited to see this was included in our bag this month - I had seen this on some of the Instagram feeds - for Ipsy.  I really wanted to try this out. 

Haute Light in Eggshell - ($19.95) Another goodie that I was happy to receive in my bag. 

Strengthening Cuticle Oils -  ($25.95) This was our bonus accessory item of the month - I am happy to see them change it up from the usual piece of jewelry.  These are little cuticle oils and each one has a purpose.

   
Jelly Pong Pong Goju Blush is also one of the bonus items this month.  It sells for $17.95.  The bag was a winner this month - I will use every item in it and I love the packaging.  If you are thinking of a new sub to join, give this one a try - this bag had a value of $103.80 and that does not include the shipping charges you are saving. 

 

Ipsy August Bag 2015

What's in 

the bag?

Ipsy came this month and I was surprised as I had cancelled this bag to continue with So Susan's Lip Love subscription.  I hope I got them cancelled correctly this time.  Ipsy is $10 a month and contains a makeup bag and 4-5 hair, makeup and skin care products. 

The theme this month was Prep School: 

I am actually loving this bag - it is a plastic finish though which is not my favorite but love the theme and design.

Brigeo Blossom & Bloom volumizing blow dry spray -    ($3 ~ - full size $18) I do not blow dry my hair but do use a lot of spritzer type sprays on my hair.  This one smells really good too - which is one of my musts about a spray in.  I hate spraying something in my hair that smells bad.  This is a cruelty-free product which I love about it.

Juara Turmeric Antioxidant Radiance Mask - (full size $35)  This is definitely what I look for in a product - "Free of Parabens, Phthalates, Sulfates, Mineral Oil, Gluten, Artificial Colorants and no Harsh Chemicals."  The price tag is a bit higher than I like to pay for a mask but I will definitely be trying this out.   with the Ipsy discount, I can get this for 20% off.

Skone Cosmetics Luxe Doubler Eye/Lip Pencil in Wine -     You do not understand how happy I was when I read this was an eyeliner and could be used as a lip pencil.  I have had enough eyeliners the last year in my sub boxes to fill one of these makeup bags!  Seriously!  It is like the stale product of the year!  ADD AN EYELINER! ugh!  I love the wine shade too! I could not link to this cosmetic online page though and that has me curious ???

Noyah Natural Lipstick in Desert Rose - (full size $18)  Okay this is the tiniest lipstick ever and I have received it before.  I love the shade here and the full size has beautiful packaging but I just cannot get over the smell - this is going on your lips so you will smell it.  It reminds me of the old cosmetics line smell. It does not smell bad just different. I do like that it is a natural lipstick and not full of whale blubber or toxic chemicals.  Sometimes the samples do smell different from the actual product - I wish they had some reviews online so I could see if anyone mentioned this smell.

Trust Fund in Elegantly Wasted -  ($15 )  I love the name of this shade! They gave us a very nice discount too - 35% off.   I am a sharer too so just comment below if you need a discount code to purchase any of these items. I need the collection in pink shade called Pink Kink! This sample was only a tad smaller than what you can get on the site too - love that! I hate when they send a ridiculously small sample and you cannot paint all your nails with it. The names of these polishes are so clever and fun!  I Wore It Better - Put A Ring On It - I Look Good Nude - to name a few!
 

This is actually one of the better bags I have received and I already cancelled - hate it when that happens.  I think I will be using everything in here which never happens for me in an Ipsy bag.  What did you get in your Ipsy?  Do you NEED a coupon code? Comment below!