New Makeup (Birchbox Jan/Feb, Ipsy Feb)

Okay, so I've been really excited the past few days because of all the new makeup I got. A few months ago, I discovered subscription makeup boxes. I had not known these even existed until then, and I'm quite sad about it. Basically, you pay $10 a month, which includes shipping, and you get sent a little package full of makeup and skin/hair care samples and such, including some full-sized items. It's awesome.

Birchbox and Ipsy are the ones I found, and I researched them some beforehand. Ipsy sounded better to me. I wanted to try new makeup, and most of it was decently high end. Not to mention it's pretty expensive to go out and buy makeup just to try it and then discover you don't like it much. Birchbox had more focus around skin and hair care, and some other random things. I guess I would describe it more as personal wellness? Just in what I've gotten so far. And there is definitely a focus on natural/organic things, or stuff for sensitive skin, so that's a plus if that's important to you. And so, since Ipsy had a waiting list when I signed up, so I decided to get Birchbox, which had less of a wait, until I could get Ipsy. For both of them, you fill out a little survey about your preferences and such. I'm not sure how much they follow that though.

Birchbox

I've gotten two Birchboxes so far, and I haven't been too impressed. I'm pretty set in my skincare routine, and I don't use many hair products, so that cancelled out some of the items I got. There were also just some odd products, and all of them were sample sized. One time use or a few times, definitely nothing full size. But, still, it was very exciting to get the boxes in the mail and open them. It's like mini Christmas.



These are the contents of my first two Birchboxes, along with the box they came in. One of my favorite parts were the card they included in the first one. They were very bright and happy, and appealed to my inner graphic designer. Something else I like about Birchbox is that they include a list of the products, their use/instructions, and the price of the full-size item. But other than those two things, I wasn't super impressed.

Like I said, almost none of the products were full-sized, except for maybe the nail polish, which is way too glittery for me anyways. And, now, here is what I got in each of them. I have not used any yet.

January

100% Pure
Fruit Pigmented Mascara
All natural, colored with fruit pigments

Number 4
Super Comb Prep & Protect
A leave-in conditioner

Origins 
Smarty Plants CC SPF 20
Some sort of cream that protects and corrects skin


Ruby Wing
Nail Polish - Ride 'Em Cowgirl
Turns from gold to berry hue in the sun

Reviver
Dry Deodorant Wipe
 This is listed as a 'lifestyle reviver', and is the first-ever deodorant for clothes or hair

February

Fekkai
Brilliant Glossing Shampoo & Conditioner
Has olive oil in it, my friend says it's supposed to be really good

Coastal Scents
Revealed Palette Sampler
An adorable mini eyeshadow palette, in natural brown tones

Harvey Prince
Hello Perfume
A little mini mini spray bottle of perfume, smells pretty good. My sister says it reminds her of Victoria's Secret's Noir Tease, or Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture

Harney & Sons 
Herbal teas 
These are probably the lifestyle item or whatever. I don't like tea much, but it looks like pretty fancy, nice tea

Ipsy

This month, I got my first Ipsy 'glam bag'. These came in a shiny purple bubblewrap envelope, and inside there was a little pink makeup bag with the products inside. I guess you get a different makeup bag each month, and it's like a nice cloth one with a zipper. The products made me ecstatic. I've been raving to everyone how much I love Ipsy already and how they should sign up. I'm very excited to try out everything in it, and it's all definitely something I would wear, plus most of them were full-sized items.

February

City Color
Be Matte
A pretty, kind of salmon colored blush. Kind of bright for me I think, though

Zoya
Nail polish
A pale, light pink nail polish. Very subtle and pretty. My friend tells me it's a good brand

IPKN New York
BB Brightening and Wrinkle cream
Has sunblock, supposed to make your skin look better. The texture is very light

Pop Beauty
Plump PoutPeony Petal Lip color
Sort of a gloss, a good medium color that could be a day or night look.It plumps too 

Tini Beauty
Eyetini Cordial Cream eyeshadow & base in one
Definitely my favorite item. Light and shimmery, great for everyday wear. Easy to put on and it's the perfect shade. Plus it's also a base, which I'm lacking in my supplies

Interested?

If you're interested in either of these (and I would definitely recommend!), then you can sign up through these links: (you don't have to use them, but I would get points if I refer people, and points can later be used for extra items, so it would be greatly appreciated if you were gonna sign up anyways :) )

Ipsy 

Birchbox 

And I think if you agree to share on Facebook or whatever when you sign up for Ipsy, you immediately get off the wait list.