Glossybox vs Birchbox - May haul!

I think its clear that over the course of the last few months I have become a bit obsessed with beauty boxes. Birchbox and Glossybox are quite similar in their approaches, both cost the same (about £12.95 with postage and packaging) and both send out a similar number of samples. I'm a subscriber to both boxes, and I receive them both at the same time each month, so I'm sampling a good number of products quite regularly!

This month, Birchbox went on quite a classic route, with samples from Liz Earle, which I loved, and brands such as Benefit, which is always good. Glossybox dedicated their box to Superdrug brands to celebrate their anniversary, with a few extra samples to boot.

This month I received:

Birchbox:

Soigne Nail Lacquer in Pomegranate: I LOVE this colour, and the packaging looks great. But unfortunately, nail varnishes never last for me, and within 10 minutes I had chipped nails. I'm heavy handed though, so this may well work for a less clumsy person.  See this post for my take on actually getting chip free nails!
Beauty Protector Protect & Shampoo and Protect & Condition sample bottles (£14 each full size): Beauty protector has released a range of products to guard against future damage, whilst healing damaged hair. Mine does undertake a regular battering, so I was very pleased with these samples! It has some super nourishing treatments, like honey pearl powder, and my hair has been really soft since I started using it.
Aromatherapy Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil sample (£39 full size): This is very luxurious smelling and is relaxing, thumbs up!
Benefit They're Real! Sample bottle (£19.50 full size): This has been heralded as the alternative to false lashes, and although for me nothing really compares to the real thing (check out my post on false lashes here) they do seperate the lashes effectively, and lengthens well. This is my go to mascara of choice anyway, and I had just run out when this box arrived, so this was in the nick of time!
Liz Earle Beauty Co Cleanse & Polish (£13.25 full size): This is a somewhat cheaper version of Eve Lom Cleanse & Polish, and comes with a muslin cloth. It's got a rich texture to it and smells lovely, and the process of removing it with the cloth does leave the skin feeling very clean. It removes eye makeup too, which is a bonus. I can't compare it to the Eve Lom version, but its on my checklist of things to try!

Verdict: I LOVED this box - it was like birchbox was reading my mind and knew exactly what I needed this month! Even though I don't really like receiving nail polishes, this has been one of my favourite polishes that I have received in a box (colour wise) so even the worst for me was a good shout this month.

Glossybox - what I received:

GHOST Fragrances Eclipse sample (£33 full size): I do like Ghost scents, and this is fruity and summery!


John Frieda Frizz-Ease Original & Effects Serum (full size £3.99): My hair is pretty curly naturally, and when left alone its a bit of a roulette. It either curls up nicely or forms a frizzy, untamed mess. Luckily with this in place I've felt much safer relying on it to do the former.

Collection Bronze Glow Mosaic (one size £2.99): I was initially a bit skeptic about this, as I'm not much of a mosaic bronzer fan. It does leave a sunkissed look, though.

Maybelline New York Colorshow Crystallize Nail Polish - Nearly Black: I can't comment on this one, as I'm not feeling the black nails now that summer is finally here and plus, my views on regular nail polish have been made clear! I've not yet attempted this one.

Garnier Oil Beauty Lotion sample (£4.99 for 250ml): This looks fab, but I've got to confess I've not yet tried this yet as it seems to have vanished (I don't ever remember seeing it?!) However my box states that I recieved it so perhaps it disappeared in my flurry of excitement opening the box. It's got argan, macademia, almond and rose oil which re-invigorates the skin, so if it turns up I'll certainly be trying it.


B. Sheer Conditioning Lipstick (One size £6.99): The vitamin E, shea butter and aloe vera leave your lips feeling soft with a touch of colour. Perfect as a lip balm/colour all in one!


Scholl Velvet Smooth Overnight Mask (full size £7.99): I don't look after my feet nearly enough, and after being treated to this they felt pampered and great.


Verdict: I loved all of the products in Birchbox, its possibly one of my favourite boxes from them to date, so that is pretty hard to beat. I was initially disappointed that the Glossybox was only full of  budget products (don't get me wrong, I love a good budget product, but I like a range of samples from budget to high end). However, the fact that so many of them are full sized and they added a few bonus products does go a way to balancing this out. For me, Birchbox was way more exciting this month, and I got to try products I was really curious about, whereas most of the Superdrug products I had tried already as they are so easily available. Birchbox is the winner for me!

Are you a beauty box subscriber? Have you tried any of the products listed?

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Glossybox VS Birchbox, March Haul!

Hello,

Over the past few days the March editions of Glossybox and Birchbox have arrived on my doorstep, and they have both really cheered me up after a very hectic week! Beauty boxes are nothing new, but the concept of being able to select the kind of products you like and get a bit of a random box full of samples every month is something I really enjoy. Especially when frequently the sample sizes are very generous, or even full sized, and retail at the higher end of the market! So for £10 a month (plus p&p) you often get a bargain. I've been addicted to many of the products this month so I decided to review them both!

Lets start with Birchbox. This month the box was Lulu Guinness themed, a designer that I love, who did a great job of picking out some winners with the Birchbox team.

• Benefit Stay Don't Stray - Light/Medium, £20.50 full size (6ml sample size) - I'd been looking for a new eyeshadow primer so I was excited by this addition! Having tested it twice, I am pretty happy with the results. I've used the Benefit foundation primer before and been less than impressed, but this glides on well and my eyeshadow seemed to stay put.
•  Molton Brown Rhubarb & Rose Replenishing Hand Cream £10 full size (7ml sample) - I'm not one to usually use hand cream to be honest, but this smells delicious, and actually I kind of keep using it mostly because I love the smell so much. My hands don't feel clammy after using it, and the moisturiser sinks in almost instantly. My hands do feel like they've been treated! I tried to buy some but it seems to have sold out everywhere right now.
• Korres Citrus Body Milk   - £9.50 full size (50ml sample) - I love citrus smells and this is so rich and comforting. Again I am quite rubbish at remembering to use body moisturiser and this smells so nice I can't help but use it. It sinks into the skin nicely, too.
• English Laundry No. 7 For Her EDP - £47.00 (small tester tube) - Birchbox have done well this month with great smelling products. This has a lovely hint of musk with fruity overtones. I have been wearing this as a welcome break from my usual perfume!
• Dr Brandt Pores No More® Pore Refiner - £39.00 (7.5ml)  Now, this one excited me the most when I opened the box, because I do love Dr Brandt but can't justify the prices that often! This stops the shine and refines the pores. I don't think I'll buy the full version due to price (and I don't feel I need it that much) but I have been using it in the mornings and once or twice in the afternoons and I think it has definitely helped to reduce the need to re-apply makeup.

Next: Glossybox, which also came up with a great selection.

• Sleek Make-Up Pout Polish £4.49 (full sized) - I really like Sleek, and I reviewed one of their lipcolours in a similar shade in this post. I've been quite happily wearing the two together and I like it - keeps the pout shiny and does what it says on the tin!
• Bellapierre Cosmetics Shimmer Powder £12.99 (good sized sample) - This is a multi use product, which you can use as an eyeshadow or highlighter (I've been using it for the latter) but you can also use it with lip colours or nail polishes to add a bit of shimmer.
• Dove Hair Therapy Intensive Repair 60 Second Treatment Shot - £1.49 (full sized) I've not yet used the shot, but it's always nice to receive a hair treatment!
• Helenere Maitrise du Temps - £38.50 (10ml, full sized!) - This is pricey for a 10ml full sized, but it's great that we got a full sample in the box for such a high end treatment. I have used this and loved the way it settled straight into my skin without greasiness, and did see a noticeable firmness straight away.
• Mitchell and Peach Body Cream - £38 (40ml) - Again this is a really generous sample size and it feels very luxurious, although I think the bodycream in the Birchbox wins for me as I'm not overly keen on the smell of this one. It's a bit rich for my skin and doesn't sink in too well, but it does feel moisturised. 

Winner: Glossybox was far more generous in its sample sizes, the Helenere Maitrise du Temps for me is a great sample and the box is worth over £65, which is a bargain for a £10 box (with £3.25 p&p). I don't know how much the Birchbox is worth in comparison, though it costs roughly the same, but the products were very well chosen, and I have honestly used and enjoyed all of them. Also, they win major points in my book for working with Lulu Guinness. The box came in very cool Lulu packaging and a black and white stick of rock, which I loved. Taking the extras into account and the amazing smelling products, the champion this month for me by a small margin, is Birchbox!

Check out Birchbox and Glossybox by clicking on the links.

Are you a beauty box fan? If so, which ones do you think the best ones are to subscribe to and why?