Beauty Boxes: The Good, the Bad, and the Glossy

One of the first things I did when I decided to start experimenting more with makeup and skincare was sign up for some monthly subscription boxes. I wanted a way to try a lot of different types of products from brands that might be new to me without having to commit to buying a full size. Plus, I really like getting packages in the mail. I always say it's like Christmas. 

The first one I found was actually Glossybox, through ICovetThee.com, which is one of the first beauty blogs I started reading and still one of my favourites. Glossybox is by far still my favourite. The quality of the products is higher for the price point, and the amount/size of products is totally worth what I pay each month. I always get about 5 products, some full size and some more of a travel size. I have found some really great brands through Glossybox (Anatomicals and Fresh, to name a few), and I always am really pleased with the type of products given. When you sign up, you let them know your skin and hair type and what kinds of products you like (makeup, skincare, etc) so that the products are tailored for you. Like most beauty boxes, you can also order products you like through the website and leave reviews. By far, I've been most impressed by the products I've gotten through Glossybox. It's super high quality, and totally worth it. It's the first box I recommend to people looking to try new products.

This month's box features Puffy the Eyebag Slayer by Anatomicals (their product names are the BEST - my other favourite by them is a rose-scented body wash called You Need A Blooming Shower); City of Angels nail polish by Lauren B (an emerging brand); Truffle Therapy Serum by Skin&Co Roma (great moisturizer); Colour Fanatic Hair Beautifyer for Coloured Hair; and Kala black eyeliner pencil by Sumita Beauty (which is dooooooooope and exactly the kind of dark black badass eyeliner pencil I've been searching for). Other boxes has gifted me with Fresh and Vichy brand moisturizers, great hair products, exfoliants, and even an eyelash curler and the BEAUTYBLENDER! Winner.

Julep was the second box I signed up for after seeing ads for it. One of the best things about Julep is that you can get your first box free with the code FREEBOX when you sign up (use my link here ). You create a profile based on your colour preferences and style, and each month you get two new nail polish colours and a beauty product (three nail colours if you're an It Girl). As a Maven, you'll also have access to special deals and Secret Shops during the month. One of the best things about Julep Maven is that you can preview what will be in your box and change your profile choice if you aren't happy with that month's colours, and often if they're sending out beauty products, you'll also get to pick what colour you want in that too. 

Julep offers high quality nail varnishes (seriously, they last all week) and products. I've gotten lip glosses, eyeshadow palettes, and their new liquid eyeshadow (and this month, a special candy treat! They sent candy corns for Halloween too). I've always been really happy with the colours, and their customer service is great. I received a broken product only once, and they were quick to replace it with a new one. 

Sign Up to be a Julep Maven here

Wantable came to my attention fairly recently, and I wanted to give it a try. It's more expensive than the other boxes at $32 a month, but boasts high quality luxury products and a more selective tailoring system. When you sign up for Wantable, you choose not only what types of products you like but also colours, textures, and styles - as specific as whether you like metallics or mattes, lipsticks or lip glosses, etc on a like-neutral-dislike scale. I was excited about this system because I'm really picky about the colours I use. 

However, my first box (top photo) was a huge disappointment. I don't wear blue or brown as a rule and two of my products were blue tinted, and the lipstick was more brown than I really liked. After contacting customer service with my disappointment, I learned that you can actually return your box - either completely or partially  - and get a refund. I ended up keeping only one product from my first box and then ordering another one (bottom photo) which was much more satisfactory. I'm still not 100% impressed, but the second attempt was better. But if the whole shtick is that you can be selective about colours, at least let me put in what I absolutely do not want! I ended up emailing them after ordering the second box to make sure I didn't get any ugly blue things again. I'm going to give it one more month to see how the next month is. Wantable also has intimates and accessories options for monthly boxes if that's more up your alley. 

Sign up for a Wantable box here

I also tried Birchbox in the beginning but ended up cancelling - the product sizes were small (only "tester" sizes/packets and barely worth it. The only thing I like about Birchbox is that they have a wide range of brands they work with and an online shop where you can buy fullsizes. 

Overall, I cannot sing the praises of Glossybox and Julep Maven enough. Wantable is still a wait and see, but I loved the concept of subscription boxes. 

Does anyone have any other subscription boxes they'd recommend, or great/negative experiences! Share in the comments! 

QueenGram #2

How many bags of makeup do you travel with?

This month's Glossybox (so excited for the beauty blender!!!) and December's Ipsy Bag 

Eyeshadow look with Naked 3 (Trick base, Factory in the V, Strange on the crease) and Liquid Eyeliner tests (MAC liquidlast liner, Be A Bombshell eyeliner in onyx, and PUNKER Worlds Baddest Eyeliner by Ardency Inn)

My awkward face from Tuesday night wearing J Cat Beauty Big Lip Pencil in 203 Red Rose (from the Ipsy bag)

Evil Queen Style featuring Body Heat dress from Nasty Gal and boots from Topshop

Tearing My Skin Off: An Adventure in Exfoliating

I feel like sometimes I don't really get the point of exfoliating. It's supposed to clear off all the dead skin cells so my skin is all radiant and such, right? Right. But sometimes it just feels like I'm scrubbing my face off. 

Okay so last post I talked a little bit about the Soap & Glory Greatest Scrub Of All (which is on sale at Sephora now for anyone looking for stocking stuffers). Super smooth, really gentle, smells really nice and pepperminty, and definitely a keeper. And I still love the Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Exfoliant , but I'm running out of it. So it was time to try some of the samples that had come in my Glossybox/Birchboxes. 

So, I'm not as impressed with Birchbox as I am with Glossybox. I feel like I get higher quality and better sized products from Glossybox. But I wanted to try the Dr Brant Microdermabrasian Exfoliant because I've heard a lot of good things about the brand. 

I used it in the shower in conjunction with my Soap & Glory Clarity Face Soap which was probably a mistake because afterwards I felt like my face was on fire. Apparently cleansing and then exfoliating with this stuff is a recipe for disaster, which is weird because I didn't have that problem with any of the other ones. Maybe that means it's good, maybe it's supposed to burn my damn face off. Maybe some people need their faces burned off to get that ever elusive youthful glow. But now I'm terrified of it. 

However, not as terrified as I am of the Sesha Renu Exfoliating Gel which came in my Glossybox. THIS IS NOT A JOKE. IT PEELS YOUR FACE OFF. I'm not even kidding. You rub it on dry skin, and it's a gel formula so it goes on wet. And then it dries. AND THEN YOUR SKIN PEELS OFF. Little white flakes of your FACE. And it smells like a damn electrical fire, which is cool for the first minute until you realize that it's ON YOUR FACE. And it seemed to work pretty well, I felt nice and smooth after. But it's JUST SO WEIRD AND TERRIFYING. 

I think I'll try the Dr Brant again without cleansing, but honestly, I am not in this for my face to get destroyed.  In fact, quite the opposite. So I think I'll stick with Fresh and Soap & Glory, thanks. 

x

Christina

First Glossybox delivery!

In anticipation of blogging,  I signed up for three separate beauty box services - Glossybox (reccomended by I Covet Thee ), Julep's monthly box, and Birchbox.

Glossybox was the first to arrive and I AM SO EXCITED! The best thing is getting product testers that I wouldn't know about or have thought to try. I'm especially excited about the Keratin hair treatment cream (which is in my hair as we speak), the lip color from Jelly Pong Pong (a brand that I know of because they work with Nicola Roberts from Girls Aloud, who I LOVE), and the facial spray. I'm not really sure how to use it yet, but that's part of the fun of trying it out!

Anatomicals Spray Misty For Me facial spritz / Novex Brazilian Keratin Hair Treatment Cream / Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush / ModelCo Eyeshadow Duo in bronzed goddess / Sue Devitt Triple C-Weed Pressed Powder