I’ve been in love with makeup since I was a little girl. I believe a woman can never have enough makeup and should consciously work on her makeup collection. So when I heard about monthly subscription boxes, I had to give it a try. My subscription boxes of choice: Ipsy and Birchbox.

This is how it works. I pay ten dollars a month for each subscription and receive five samples or full-size items. I simply filled out a profile for hair, skin tone and what types of items I’d like to receive. I’ll show you what I received from Ipsy and Birchbox for the month’s of September and October.

September

IPSY

My Ipsy items came in this gold makeup bag. Every month you get a new makeup bag and I love this one.

Inside is a card with the monthly theme which is Face Fashion, all glittery and sparkly. Luv it!

I received a full-size nail polish bottle from Trust Fund in the color Elegantly Wasted. It’s a stunning  lavender color that lasts forever.

This full size eyeshadow palette is a co-creation by NYX and Ipsy. Great colors. I really like it. Gonna smoke those eyes out. Bam!

This is a liquid champagne shimmer–highlighter. I mix this in with my foundation and it makes glow…in a good way. Not shiny.

I received a full size lipstick from City Chic in the color One Night Stand. This is a beautiful magenta color that looks great with my skin tone. I’m lovin this lipstick.

This is a so-called soothing moisture mask that didn’t do much for my skin. Glad it was just a sample.

BIRCHBOX

Birchbox gives you a pretty box every month…and the items come wrapped in tissue paper. All special looking.

Here are my goodies, and there’s an information card with the full-size price of the samples.

I really like this sugarplum POP palette. Nice glittery nighttime colors. Full-size=$26

Davines Love Shampoo and conditioner. It did a great job on my hair. Full-size=$26

Malin+Goetz grapefruit cleanser and moisturizer. This stuff works miracles. I will be buying the full-size cleanser=$32.

Juice Beauty Green Apple skin peel. I wasn’t overwhelmed with this product. Full-size=$33

English Laundry perfume in Signature for Her. Lovely scent…white chocolate, rose, jasmine and orris root.

Full-size=$32

OCTOBER

IPSY

The theme for October’s Ipsy bag is Alter Ego.

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The goodies came in this flashy gold makeup bag that I love. It fits perfectly in the side pocket of my purse, and I load it up with lipsticks and lipgloss.

This month Ipsy urges us to Dare to be Different. They claim the products will help us transform ourselves which is a great theme for October/Halloween. Cute.

 So here’s what I got for $10.00. Facial cleanser, perfume, blush, liquid lipstick, and eyeliner. Let’s take a closer look.

Between Ipsy and Birchbox, I’ve received several samples of various Dr. Brandt products, and I love them. They’re high-end and very pricey, so it would break my budget to buy them. This skin microdermabrasion skin exfoliant gives me life. It deep cleans while leaving my face moisturized. I can get six to eight uses out of this little tube. Definitely a winner.

This is a tester of Lavanilla Laboratiores’ Pure Vanilla. Lavanilla makes all natural products with ingredients that treat your body right. As you’ve probably guessed, this fragrance has a soft vanilla aroma. It’s sweet and delicate. I like to use it on the weekend or even before I go to bed.

This trial size Laura Geller baked blush was a nice surprise. I’ve always wanted to try this makeup line. The color is Tropic Hues. It’s very pretty but didn’t show up on my cheeks. So I improvised and used it as an eyeshadow. Now a potential loser is a winner.

This Coastal Scents eyeliner is a keeper. It goes on smoothly and doesn’t run. I can never have enough black eyeliners.

The last product is a liquid lipstick by The Balm. The color is Committed.  I’ve seen it on fair and olive skin tones…Gorgeous. However, look at it on me.

This ain’t gonna work. I’ll try using it with a dark lipliner like Mac’s Nightmoth and see what happens, but I don’t this will work.

. It goes on wet and then dries which helps it stay on. It’s a little messy for me, but it has a really nice minty smell and taste. Just wish it was a better color match:(

BIRCHBOX

This month’s Birchbox was pink. These boxes are great for storing things or boxing gifts.

First of all, there’s a little message about the company’s commitment to Breast Cancer research since October is Breast Cancer month.

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There’s a card that lists the full size prices of the samples inside the box. Let’s dig in.

The first product was a disappointment. A Model Co lipstick in the color Kitty. Awful…awful…awful. I couldn’t do anything with this. Waaaay too light for my skin tone. Goes in the loser pile. Full size trio is $20.

Eyeko black mascara.  I’ve never heard of this makeup line, but I always need mascara.  I haven’t tried it yet because once I open the tube, it’s only good for three months. So I’ll wait until I’m done with the mascara I’m using now. This stuff is pricey. Twenty-four bucks for a full-size tube. Anxious to see if it’s any good.

Amika dry shampoo.  I’ve wanted to try a dry shampoo for a while.  But, I’m not sure if a dry shampoo will be too harsh for my hair because of the alcohol. I think I’ll only use it in an extreme emergency. Full-size bottle is $21.

Skyn Iceland –Hyrdo cool firming eye gels. This is supposed to revive my tired eyes. These had better work. They cost thirty bucks for a full pack.

I yelped when I saw my last product. Embryolisse face moisturizer. I’ve heard wonderful things about this product and always wanted to try it. So far it’s living up to the hype and is in the running to become my new favorite moisturizer. Full size is $16-$28. Well worth the money.

So that’s a wrap of two months worth of Ipsy and Birchbox. For each one, I pay $10 a month. Each company has a store where you can buy the full-size products if you like them. You can also earn points for reviewing the items, and those points earn you discounts in the store.

If you get a product you don’t like such as my lipsticks, make sure you write a review and let the company know they’re sending you something you can’t use. You can also change your profile at any time to closer meet your needs.

There are lots of subscription boxes out there, so search until you find the best one for you and your lifestyle. I like the amount of product I get for my money, and every month I’m introduced to something new.

Stay blessed,

Barbie