An ex-Birchboxer is now riding the Ipsy train…

Last month, I shared my experience with Birchbox (you can read it here). I noted that since I wasn’t loving Birchbox, I was going to take the advice of a few ex-Birchboxers and try out Ipsy. I received my first bag this week, and I’m in love.

First off, Ipsy isn’t a box, it’s a bag. For the same monthly fee as Birchbox, you get a new makeup bag shipped to you each month full of fabulous products. Sounds good right? It is! Like Birchbox, upon subscribing you fill out a questionnaire which helps Ipsy send you products that fit your style and interests. It asks things about your makeup know-how, style, hair color, eye color, etc. It was fairly easy to complete and moved pretty quick so definitely fill it out after signing up so you’ll be more likely to receive the right products for you.

This month’s theme is “Beauty Rocks” so the makeup bag features a vinyl record player. Inside my bag was a sample of Benefit Lollitint (a cheek/lip tint), Cailyn tinted lip balm, a travel size Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil, City Color white gold shadow and highlight mousse and Kiss eyelashes. I’m obsessed with three out of the five products. I don’t care so much for false eyelashes (ain’t nobody got time for that) and I’m not sure how I’ll do with the white gold shadow/highlight. I’m willing to try it, but it might not be my thing. As a bonus, if you review your products, you can receive Ipsypoints which can redeemed for various products and if you sign on to your online account and check out your Glam Room, Ipsy has worked out deals with retailers so you can find promo codes to get deals on purchasing full sized products. I see some more UD pencils in my future…

Ipsy is shaping up to be much better than Birchbox. I have a new makeup bag, I get to try products that I’ve had my eye on for a while (hello UD eye pencil and Benefit Lollitint) and it just better fits my style. There’s no tea (thank you!) and the samples are bigger, which I like. Who needs a doll-sized sunscreen or itty-bitty eyeshadow pallet? No thanks.

I’ll definitely be sticking around to see what else Ipsy has up its sleeve. Did I mention the mailer they used to send my bag was awesome? It was this shiny, pink metallic foil bag. Love it!

I really encourage you to check out Ipsy. I think you’ll be glad you did.

I was not compensated for this review. It represents my own experience with Birchbox and Ipsy.

Birchbox, I hardly knew ye…

Last month, BirchBox was offering a promotion that was too good to pass up. (I’d post it here, but it has long since expired.) If you signed up for the $10/month subscription and used a promo code, you also got 100 BirchBox points, which is basically $10 in their store to purchase any full size product. Sounded like a great deal and I’d get to check out the subscription boxes you hear so much about.

My first box came last month and boy was I surprised. It was pretty fun to get something in the mail, (I can see why Buddy gets so hopped up over his BarkBox each month), but the box was tiny. I expected it to be big, like it looks in the photos, but it was about 7 1/2 inches long and 2 inches thick. Do what?!? Ok, so color me unimpressed. Inside was tea (have I mentioned I don’t care for tea), little travel size Frederic Fekkai shampoo and conditioner, a tiny little four-shadow eyeshadow palette and a perfume sample. Yeah, you could say there was some variety, but being somewhat of a free sample queen, I just couldn’t see the box adding up to its $10 price.

Completely unimpressed, expect for the joy of getting a surprise box in the mail, and undecided, I let my subscription continue for a second month. This month’s box was better, but still unimpressive. It was the same size and included a Jergens BB lotion and coupon (I do love coupons!), a super bright cheek/lip tint which I haven’t been brave enough to try yet, a rescue balm skin salve/lip balm, heat protectant spray/detangler and the tiniest bottle of mineral sunscreen you’ve ever seen. I think it might double as sunscreen for dolls. I mean that’s how small it is. So needless to say, I’m over it. I bailed on my subscription, briefly mourned the loss of my $20, and moved on.

I hear Ipsy is pretty fabulous, at least that’s what the ex-BirchBoxers are saying via Facebook, so I plan to check that one out. And bonus, even if you hate their products, they come in a different little makeup bag each month, so there’s that. Maybe Birchbox isn’t all that bad, and I invite you to try it for yourself and let me know what you think, but it just wasn’t for me. On to the next…

UPDATE: I just signed up for Ipsy and can’t wait to try it. Even the survey was better. I’ll post a review next month after I receive my first bag!

I was definitely not compensated for this BirchBox review and in fact, lost $20 in the process due to subscription costs. Blah.