My Most Used Sub Box Products 2013

     I've only been subscribing to beauty sub boxes since July 2013, when I received my first Ipsy bag.  Since then, I've added on Birchbox, then Beauty Box 5 (which I cancelled after 3 "blah" boxes) in August or September, then Wantable.  I received my first Lip Factory box and Sample Society box in December. So, while I subscribe to a ridiculous amount of boxes, I haven't been getting them for very long.  I decided to put together a post sharing the items that I've used the most out of my 2013 boxes.  Since I haven't gotten that many yet, I only have five items to share, but just imagine what next year's post could look like!
     One of the fun things about receiving subscription boxes is receiving things to try that I would never think to buy or try on my own that end up being amazing for me! Most of the things in this post are items I was not excited about when I received them, but ended up becoming products that I would (or already have) repurchase. I can be a smidge resistant to change....

     First of all, I'm sorry the picture is sideways-that's just soooooo professional of me to leave it that way, isn't it? Oh well, moving on!

 Healthy Sexy Hair Beach Spray-I received a sample of this in my first Ipsy Glam bag.  I was hesitant to try this salt spray, not knowing if it would work for my fine, wavy hair.  However, it has quickly become a Holy Grail product.  The first time I sprayed it on, my husband sniffed my hair, and told me it smelled like the beach, and that I should "never stop using it." (Yeah, he didn't know how expensive it was when he said that.) This is a man who rarely seems to notice when I use a new product, so this is pretty high praise.  It amped up my lazy waves, and created some nice curl and texture in my hair, and that's what truly sold me! This product is free of silicones, which I am trying to avoid, so that's a huge bonus, as well.  Unfortunately, this stuff is about $20 a bottle, and I go through it pretty fast.  Also, now that's it's winter, and the air is not as humid, this product is not working quite as well for me as it did in the summer and fall, but I'm still a newly devoted fan.

Juice Beauty Oil Free Moisturizer-I received a generous sample size of this stuff in my first Birchbox.  I'd never heard of Juice Beauty at that time, so I wasn't too excited about it.  I have sensitive skin, that often breaks out from various moisturizers.  I've always had a very hard time finding a good one that keeps my skin flake free without causing acne.  This stuff does that for me.  A dime sized dot is more than enough to cover my face and neck, so even though the full size is $29, it'll last me for a while.  I wish this had some anti-aging ingredients in it-that's the only drawback.  I'm hoping to get some samples of other Juice products to try out!

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara-I'm almost embarrassed to add this to my list because of the way I griped and complained about it when I received it! I feel like subscription companies love to send me mascara, even though I always de-select it on my profiles.  I wear contact lenses, and have itchy, allergy eyes, so I only wear waterproof mascara.  I'm fortunate to have dark, long, thick lashes already, so mascara is something I rarely wore, because it made my eyelashes look like clumpy spider legs.  Not a good look.  Sometimes, though, I feel like I need something to re-darken my lashes after putting on concealer and eyeshadow.  I've found myself reaching for this more often that not since receiving it in a Birchbox.  It doesn't do anything "magical" to my lashes, but it also doesn't clump.  At all.  I only use a teeny, tiny amount, so that may have something to do with it, but I'm loving how I can use this and keep a more natural, less spider-leggy eye look.  This is something I'll probably repurchase when I run out.

Face Stockholm The Great Face Contouring Kit-I received this concealer/highlighter palette in my November Wantable box, and wrote more about it here.  I'm using it every day, mostly to cover up my dark under eye circles ( I use the lighter concealer and a bit of the pink highlighter mixed together), and acne scars.  The coverage is very good, although I'm still looking for something that will totally obliterate my horrible dark circles.  I'm still impressed with the size of this, and how much product is in the pans of this wheel.  I would totally repurchase this, but I think it'll last me a long time.

Miss Jessie's Leave-In Condish-I received a huge, foil packet of this in a Birchbox a couple of months ago.  In fact, the sample was so big, that I'm still using it! It is very, very difficult to find a good detangler/leave-in conditioner that doesn't contain silicones.  My fine, long hair, gets horrible knots and tangles in it, and I need a detangler with some serious slip.  This is the only thing I've been able to find that helps.  It doesn't work nearly as well as my beloved, but silicone-laden KMS Moisture Revival Cream, but it does provide more slip than the other things I've tried.  After my second use of the sample, I purchased the full size from Birchbox.  It has a strong, fabric-softener like scent, that some people hate, but I don't really mind, as I like clean scents. I have noticed that if I use too much, I get a film on my hair, and my ends get stringy, but until I find something better to help me unsnarl the terrible knots I get in my hair, this is a Can't Live Without It product!

Honorable Mention (not pictured)-Noya Lip Balm in Vanilla-I was so mad when I received this product in my second Ipsy bag instead of the Urban Decay lipstick sample that other subscribers received in it's place.  But honestly, I use this lip balm daily, and I'm sure I wouldn't be using the same lipstick sample daily, so I guess it worked out after all.  This balm really works to keep my lips mositurized.  It's creamy, long lasting, and tastes good.  When I use a different balm, I always wish I'd put this one on instead because it just works better.

     There you go! I'm really excited to see what new Holy Grail products I might receive this year, or if I might find some that I like even better than these.

December's Ipsy Glam Bag

    This was another lackluster month for Ipsy, as far as I was concerned, and I think many feel the same way.  I'm not terribly disappointed in it this month, as I will get use out of some of the items in my bag, but I'm not excited, either.  First of all, I and many others are getting tired of finding repeat brands in our Ipsy bags month after month, especially the brands that seem to be unknown outside of subscription boxes, like J. Cat and Be a Bombshell.  As long as the products are useful, I still feel like I'm getting my ten dollars worth, but it would be nice to sample some other brands.

     Here's what I received this month:

First of all, I don't know how I left the cute makeup bag out of the picture! It was a really nice one this month, with it's shiny, patent-leather like, diamond quilted pattern with red lining.  I really need to find a good use for it.

Pop Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eyeshadow Trio-Boy, that's a ridiculously long name for an eye shadow palette! Pop is another repeat brand for Ipsy, but at least it is a more well known brand.  I received a Pop Beauty Crayon in Fushia Flirt in my first Ipsy bag in July.  The trio I received is in various shades of gray.  They all have shimmer to them, more shimmer than I typically like to wear, but they are nice and festive for the holidays, I suppose.  The colors aren't terribly pigmented, which is ok by me for these particular shades.  the longevity of wear seemed to be average, based on the one time I wore them.  The product size was really nice.

J. Cat Beauty The Big Lip Pencil in Red Rose-Aside from the frustration with repeat, never-heard-of-outside-subscriptions brands, another frequent complaint with Ipsy, is that they send out too many red lip products.  I have to agree.  I feel like I get a red lip product just about every month! I don't wear a lot of red.  This particular red, a bright, tomato red, actually looks decent on me, but since I don't usually wear red, I felt a little self conscious the one time I wore this.  It was kind of like my lips were the most noticeable thing about me.  I suppose that's my problem, though, not Ipsy's. ;-) I ended up toning it down with a brown eye crayon pencil, which actually looked kind of nice.

Be a Bombshell One Stick in Sunset-Yep, another Be a Bombshell product.  They must be giving every subscription service tons of their products and begging them to distribute them.  I don't really mind this brand, but how about something new for a change, Ipsy? Anyhow, this product is meant to be used as a lipstick, a blush and and eye product.  I received Sunset, the color that I was hoping for, actually.  it is a corally-orange color that looks nice on my lips.  I haven't tried it on my cheeks yet, but may try it in the spring.  I can't imagine putting this on my eyes....  It feels decent on my lips, not really creamy, but....well, the texture is hard to describe.  It's not drying, or unpleasant, though, and doesn't smell as bad as some of their other products.

Salon Perfect Perfectly Natural Eye Lashes-I've lucked out in the fact that this is the first and only set of eyelashes that I've received from a subscription, as this is one product that I will not use at all.  I'm totally happy with my own eyelashes, so these are going up for trade.

Mirabella Eye Blender Brush-Apparently, this is an expensive brush to go out and buy, and a lot of people love it.  I just don't get a great deal of use out of makeup brushes, so I'm not super enthused.  I'll use it eventually, I suppose.

So, there you have it! Overall, not too bad, I'll get enough use out of the products to justify my subscription this month.

Disclaimer-this subscription has been purchased with my own money, and all opinions are my own.  Clicking on links in this post, and then subscribing, earns Ipsy Points for me. 

Ipsy Glam Bag November 2013

I have been an Ipsy subscriber since I received my first bag in July.  I have to say that I generally feel pretty "meh" about what I receive in my Ipsy bags.  There are always one or two products that everyone wants, but not everyone gets.  I never get these most coveted products.  (Wah, wah, wah.) For example, in July, Benefit Benetint was a sample that was really hyped up on the Ipsy site, and I've been wanted to try it for years, but lots of people did not get it, including me.  The next month, the coveted product was an Urban Decay lipstick sample.  Those of us who didn't get that got a lip balm instead. (Now, I must admit, I use that lip balm everyday, whereas I wouldn't use the same lipstick every day, but still.....) If I didn't stalk the Ipsy site, and keep up with the monthly bag spoilers to see all the product variants that are going into some bags, I probably would be less disappointed each month when I get my own bag.  However, the hype and spoilers and build up of excitement are part of what makes it fun for me, so I keep at it.  (Yes, I'm easily amused. What can I say?)

Anyhow, to put it all into perspective, it's only $10 a month, and there are usually at least $10 worth of products that I end up using.

I totally forgot to take a picture of my bag this month.  If you are dying to see one, I'm sure you can find a picture on Instagram, but here is what I received, and my thoughts on each product.

em Michelle Phan Lash Gallery Mascara in Black
As you may have heard, Michelle Phan is highly involved with Ipsy, and she recently created her own (quite expensive) makeup line.  Ipsy folks have been begging to sample em, and this month Ipsy added a full sized em product as a sixth product in our bags.  (We usually only get 4-5).  Subscription services apparently love to send out mascara, and I already have more than I can use.  I have contact lenses and sensitive, watery eyes, so I only use waterproof mascara, so I won't be using this.  I also just don't wear mascara often, anyhow.  I would have loved to receive one of the lipsticks, lipglosses or eyeliners that were sent out instead.

Pixi Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched
I'll try this product out eventually, I suppose, but I really don't use bronzer.  Especially in November.  Some people contour with bronzer, but I generally just look like I have a dirty face when I try it.  Anyhow, this shade isn't much darker than the mineral powder foundation I use, so I may experiment with it at some point. Who knows, I may love it.

Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon in Shameless
This is another brand that I've never heard of outside of subscription services, but I've now received products from them in three different subscriptions.  Shameless is a slightly shimmery dark pink, and I was thrilled to discover that this color is perfect for me! It's dark enough to not look like a nude on my already fairly pigmented lips, but not dark enough to be all "Hello, lipstick!" The color goes on smooth and easy, and while it looks quite glittery in the stick, it doesn't apply that way at all, thankfully.  The only thing is that it smells like Band-aids! Odd, but the smell goes away after application.  I can't vouch for the longevity yet, but we'll see!

Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in Champagne
I'm pretty picky about nail polish colors, so I have nail polish selected as something I don't like to receive in my Ipsy Match profile, but everyone received a nail polish this month.  This is a color that a lot of people wanted to receive, but it just reminds me of the type of shade my Mom always wore in the '80's. It's a basic, shiny nude color.  Blah.  I'm going to try to trade it, or give it to Mom.

Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Amethyst
There is usually at least one product in each box or bag that I receive that I really don't think I'll like until I try it.  This was it for me.  This is a silvery eye liner with a hint of purple.  Soooooo not something this 39 year old would even consider purchasing! But, I tried it yesterday over a bit of green eyeliner, and the colors looked so good together! I may not wear it often, but it's fun to have a more "adventurous" option.

BH Cosmetics Galaxy Chic Baked Eyeshadow Shimmer in Sun
This color seems to be one that lots of people wanted to receive, but I don't understand why. I mean, on it's own, it looks pretty in the container, but I can't imagine using orange-y eyeshadow on my eyes without looking ill.  It's a nice, big sample, so I'm bummed that I didn't get a different shade.  I'll try to trade it or give it away.  I'm comforting myself with the fact that I received some BH cosmetics eyeshadow in my first bag, and the quality was not good.

So, 3 out of 3 potentially useful things in this bag for me.  That's not too bad for $10.  Ipsy comes in a different makeup bag each month.  This month's bag was a wristlet style, in a shiny gold faux snakeskin with a pink zipper. It's pretty flimsy, and a wee bit tacky, but c'mon.  $10, remember? ;-)

I paid for this Glam Bag with my own money, and opinions expressed are my own. By clicking on the Ipsy links, and then signing up for Ipsy, you would be helpign me earn Ipsy points.  I am not otherwise compensated for this post.

Is there a five step program for beauty subscription boxes?

Because I may need one!

I had been aware of monthly sampling subscriptions for a while, but finally got around to signing up for one in June.  I received my first Ipsy Glam Bag in July, and I've been a subscriber since.  Not a super thrilled subscriber, mind you, but I'm certainly not planning on cancelling my subscription any time soon.  The next month, I signed up for Birchbox, and then Beauty Box 5.  Not being content to stop there, I bit the bullet, and subscribed to a more costly subscription, Wantable. I recently signed up for a skin care only service, One Radiant, and then another beauty one, The Sample Society (after cancelling Beauty Box 5). Yes, I am practically swimming in makeup and sample sized products, but I love it!

I'm constantly stalking blog posts and forum threads about beauty subscription services-not that I should really subscribe to any more, because while most are only around $10 a month, the cost does add up fast! My excuse is that I have a stressful, pretty much all consuming, job as a first grade teacher, and this is my form of relaxation.

I'll be posting pictures of the boxes I've received this month (except Ipsy and Birchbox which I forgot to take pictures of-yeah, it's my fist post, and I'm already a crappy blogger, LOL), and giving my reviews of the products soon.  If you'd like to sign up for any of these, I'd love it if you'd click on the links I post to subscribe under me.  I could earn points, and you can help me feed my addiction!