It’s already month 2 in my subscription box product review series, in which I review my three beauty box subscriptions: Ipsy, Birchbox, and Boxycharm. However, this month, my coworker talked me into reviewing the Sephora Play! subscription box as well. In the Battle of the Boxes series, I review each product in each subscription box and compare them with the other products in the other boxes… and then I will let you know which box was the best of all. This is a fun way to try some new products and share my opinions with the world…but more importantly, these boxes are now a tax write-off for me. So without further ado, I present to you: the Battle of the Boxes, February 2018 edition.
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Ipsy:
MELLOW COSMETICS Black Eyeliner
I’m not gonna lie… this eyeliner was a good find (and I’m kinda an eyeliner snob). I really liked how easy it was to apply and I will definitely use it again. The brush is super flexible and goes on super smooth.
SAND & SKY Pink Clay Mask
I’m going to be completely honest… but I don’t really remember what I liked or didn’t like about this mask I put it on kinda thick and it eventually dried and my skin felt good when I took it off. The thing is that masks like this are a dime a dozen and it didn’t really stand out to me. Not bad but also not amazing.
MARSK Foiled Again Loose Eyeshadow
I absolutely love glitter and will buy anything shiny and beautiful. I did really like this eyeshadow but I would like to try it with a different look. When I tried it, I just popped it over black eyeshadow to attempt a cut crease but failed miserably. It turned out really cakey and didn’t look so hot on my 30-year old eyelids. I feel like if I tried it again with a different color combination, and maybe just added it as a pop of shimmer over a colorful eyeshadow, it would work a lot better.
LUXIE BEAUTY 249 Dual Brush
I really love Luxie brushes and was pretty excited about this dual brush. It was great and did the job… but…the only downside is that I literally just got the Morphe Jaclyn Hill brush set for Valentine’s day and it’s amazing. It makes it hard to compare other brushes to it.
PUREHEALS Propolis 80 Cream
I really like this moisturizer. It makes my skin feel really soft and smooth after using it. I’m curious to see if it makes me break out since my skin is insanely sensitive, but so far, so good.
Ipsy Fav:
I’d have to go with the Mellow Cosmetics eyeliner for my favorite Ipsy product. What a catch!
Birchbox:
Number 4 Super Comb Prep & Protect
…I mean, I liked this product and it did seem to detangle my hair and everything, but it didn’t stand out to me as anything special. It might be something you have to use for a while to get results. I’ll probably continue to use the sample I have, but not purchase it again in the future.
MDSolarSciences Daily Anti-Aging Moisturizer
I know that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and this is a prime example of that. The packaging is bright blue and orange, which makes it seem cheap or masculine. However, when you try this moisturizer, it smells incredible and makes your skin feel amazing. I’ve been using it every day for about a week and it hasn’t made me break out, and my skin feels really smooth.
I don’t want to be too judgy, but I think that if I ran this company, I would go with neutral, calming tones for skincare packaging. … especially if you want people to buy it for $68 per bottle. Other than that, good find.
M·A·C Cosmetics False Lashes Mascara
I did and didn’t like this mascara, which is surprising since I usually love MAC. It was kinda hard to apply and you need to apply multiple coats for it to be effective. I feel like the full-sized tube would be a lot easier to apply than the small sample size and the bristles don’t get in between your lashes. The good thing is that once you apply a thousand coats, it actually does make your eyelashes look thick.
The Beauty Crop Wing Woman Liquid Eyeliner
I really liked this eyeliner. I felt like it was pretty comparable to Kat Von D Tattoo. It was on the “dryer” side of eyeliners, which I didn’t like at first, but it actually makes it easier to use. The eyeliner I was using a while back was amazing at first but then got really watery, and now it is so hard to apply. Wing Woman was a pleasant change.
Avène Hydrance Intense Rehydrating Serum
So, to be honest, I couldn’t tell a huge difference when I first used this serum. It felt a bit sticky and didn’t seem to do anything (although it smells amazing). However, after it dried, my skin did feel noticeably smoother and had a glow to it.
This serum seems cool but I don’t think I would pay $38 for it. Or maybe I would… Maybe it’s something that you have to use for a long time to get better results. It is supposed to be super hydrating for your skin and should amplify your moisturizer. Either way, it wasn’t my favorite thing in the Birchbox.
Birchbox Fav:
I was pleasantly surprised with the MDSolarSciences moisturizer. I really think I like it a lot!
Boxycharm:
Ofra Blush
So, I’m a total dummy and thought this was eyeshadow, therefore I used it as eyeshadow (and it worked beautifully, I might add).
It’s also a pretty good blush. Two products in one package… what a steal.
Crown Brush Trio
Like I stated earlier, I recently got a sweet Morphe brush set, so now I’m kinda a brush snob and feel like nothing compares to them. However, I think these Crown brushes are the real deal. They are super sturdy and make my makeup feel amazing. I guess I can use them in conjunction with the Morphe brushes.
CoverFX Shimmer Veil
I love, love LOVE the holographic highlighter trend and I’m stoked to get this product in my box. I do feel like I need to play around with it a little more because it seems to smear my foundation when I apply it. One day, I applied it to a highlighter brush first and gently wiped it across my cheeks, which worked better. Either way, it looks awesome and is super fun (see photo above).
Jessika Liebskind Vintage Eyeliner Pencil
I’m really particular with my eyeliner pencils and I feel like good ones are hard to find. This one was pretty good. It actually goes on and is not too heavy. The only downside for me is that I like to pack on a lot of black eyeliner on my lower lid and this makes that hard to do. For normal people and more subtle looks, it’s pretty awesome. I plan on using it more often.
PUR Plumping Lip Exfoliator
I loved this lip exfoliator and will have to use it more. It’s like a fat, tasty lip crayon with little sugar crystals in it. I tried it when I was applying the rest of my makeup, which is not really when you should use it. Maybe when you are getting ready for bed or in the morning before doing the rest of your makeup. I’m excited to try it more often.
BoxyCharm Fav:
I’m gonna have to go with the Ofra blush, just because I really liked it as an eyeshadow. It blended beautifully, was super pigmented, and looked great. Super cool!
Sephora Play!:
I’m gonna be honest… I canceled this subscription box for the future months… not because I didn’t like it, but because there is just too much for me to review each month already. It’s possible that I will resubscribe in the future.
Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb:
I’m kinda always on the lookout for great eye creams… mostly because my skin is so damaged and I want so badly to repair it. So far, I really liked this eye cream. I’ve been using it every day, and it really does moisturize the undereye area, which is hard to do in Northern Nevada, where there is almost no humidity. I’m so glad to have found this!
Sephora Rogue Matte Lipstick:
I’m not usually a lipstick person, but lately, I’ve been really into the matte lipsticks. However, I didn’t see anything special about this lipstick and I can’t pull off red.
Nars Lip Pencil:
I’m pretty sure that Sephora gave me this same thing as a birthday gift a few years ago (maybe they need to change up their inventory). I do like it, and it seemed to go on perfectly, but it was neon pink and I don’t know if I will ever be able to make it work. It looks particularly amazing (that’s me being sarcastic) with the red Sephora lipstick, as you can see in the picture above.
Laura Mercier Eye Colour:
This was another awesome product that I’ve used multiple times since getting it. I like to use it to add some color to my lower lid, but I haven’t tried it on the upper lid yet. It goes on smooth and has good stay power. I’m kinda stoked about it.
**I used the Urban Decay *Kristen Leanne palette for my eyelid.
Peter Thomas Roth Exfoliating Gel:
I used to use Fruitique, which is a cheaper product that is really similar to this and I liked it a lot. Basically, you just massage this exfoliating gel into your face and the dead skin sloughs right off. I feel like I would rather just buy the cheaper one since they are so similar.
Sephora Play! Fav:
I really liked the Belif eye cream and I’m fairly certain I’m gonna buy some more when I run out. It’s definitely my favorite of this subscription box.
Best Subscription Box:
I’m gonna have to give it to Boxycharm again. It’s just incredible that you get so many great full-sized products for such a cheap price.
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Have you tried any of these subscription boxes? Do you like Ipsy, Boxycharm or Birchbox better? I’d love to read your feedback in the comments section below…
