Birchbox month's theme: Revive and Restore
1. Oribe Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse (5.33$). I'm on the fence with this one. I massaged a little bit of it into my roots and let it air dry. I work up the next morning and my hair felt greasy but there was a ton of volume. I don't know if it's because I let it air dry, or if the product just doesn't work with my hair. I feel like there could have been a better match for me this month.
2. Dr. Lipp Miracle Balm (3.30$). For starters, this was probably less than half full. It's possible that I could have just gotten a bad one, but I have to keep that in mind. Also, I hate the texture of lip gloss. I used it as an eyebrow taming gel, and it actually worked well. I would not purchase the full size because very little goes a long way in my brows. I just wish there was more in the sample.
3. Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant (9.88$). I love this. There are tiny exfoliating granules that really get into the pores. Basically, this is just a really good formula with a super gentle and sensitive exfoliation. The full size of this is crazy expensive, so I will definitely not be purchasing it.
4. Marcelle Xtension Plus Curl Mascara (4.67$). I purchased this mascara online around this time last year. When it ran out, I didn't repurchase it because it was more convenient to get a mascara in stores. I was really happy when I saw this because it is just like I remember it. It curls, lengthens, and fans out for a really doe-eyed look.
5. Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré (4.76$). This was my least favorite product this month. First of all, it's just too small. Also, the packaging is like tin foil, so when I used it, it stayed in a crumpled up shape. On top of that, when I put it on my face, it seemed like a thick layer just sitting on my face. This tends to happen when a product claims to be multi-purpose (moisturizer, mask, primer, etc.)
Final thoughts: I have had better boxes, but the products weren't that bad. I really liked the Dr. Brandt cleanser, the Marcelle mascara, and the Dr. Lipp balm. The other two samples are great products from esteemed brands, but they didn't work for me personally. The total value of this box was 27.94$. This has been the best theme development I've seen, because all of the products fit really well together. The goal of this month was to "slow way down' and I think this also was carried through all of the products.
Ipsy month's theme: Black Magic
1. Pure Brazilian Leave-In Conditioner (2.50$). This product made my hair soft and really smooth. I also really like that it was a spray instead of a cream. I've never heard of this brand before, but I am really happy that I got a hair product in my ipsy bag because I haven't gotten one for a while.
2. Nudestix Concealer Pencil in Medium 4 (about 20$). I was really shocked when I got this product because this is a really creamy and amazing formula. It is slightly too dark for me, but it's not that noticeable. This really did work like magic because it made my fine lines disappear. The purchasable size comes with a sharpener and a metal tin so I had to estimate the price rather than getting an exact amount.
3. The Balm Cosmetics Hot Mama Shadow/Blush (about 2.65$). This is such a gorgeous shade! I think it is duotone gold and pink which is so amazing. It has a gold sheen so it looks like a highlighter, and it is so pigmented. It also stays on all day and doesn't smudge or smear. Overall, this is a really great product.
4. Kokie Professional Nail Polish in Heavenly (6$) Nail polishes are great to get because they are always full size. The only problem is the mystery of what shade you're going to get. I'm glad I got this because I really love this periwinkle color. The application was also really easy because it was smooth and quick-drying.
5. Noyah Natural Lipstick in Currant News (6$). This was the tiniest lipstick sample I had ever gotten. The full size is 18$ so I get why they had to make it smaller. The color was a little too dark for me, but it was a gorgeous deep red. This is perfect for Halloween and I'm glad it was included.
Final thoughts: I think this is the best Ipsy bag I have gotten. I liked every product and would purchase everything but the leave-in conditioner. The total value of this bag was about 37.15$ which was mostly from the concealer stick. I think the lipstick, blush, and concealer really fit into the theme because they really are magical for all different reasons. Although I love the nail polish shade, it's not really a fall or Halloween color. The only thing that didn't really fit in was the leave-in conditioner
Who wins? I think this month has an obvious winner. I have to say Ipsy gets it because they had such a great range of value and products. I will be implementing all of these products into my routine and I most likely will purchase the full sizes. Birchbox wasn't that bad, but there were some problems with a couple of the products. I hope you enjoyed this post and if you want to read more, check out my Parchment tab in the menu bar.