Ipsy vs. Birchbox: June 2013

I am so excited to review my Ipsy bag and Birchbox for the month of June. This month is full of fun surprises, and as usual, each subscription is just $10/month. This is so worth it, you guys!! Every time I open up either subscription, it's so obvious to me that the product value is above and beyond my $10!

If you're new to the blog and need an intro on this on going rivalry, or you want to learn about how you can earn free Birchboxes or fun surprises from Ipsy, check it out here.

I'll start with Ipsy this month:

Ipsy's theme for the month of June was "On the Wild Side". Fitting, enclosed treasures considered!

First of all, let's discuss how cute this bag is? Leopard print? Hi, have you MET me? It's as if I designed it myself, I swear. I can't think of anything I need to put in it right now. Maybe I'll just carry it around with me wherever I go and...cuddle it or something.

Next is the NYX cream blush in the color Rogue. This blush is beautiful, especially for summertime. It's very dewey and looks natural and pretty. The swatch on my hand is hard to see in the picture, but I really think that's a testament to the kind of blush it is; understated, pretty and soft.

This came in a full size. And I'm very happy about that.

Next is a lip liner by Starlooks in the shade Tipsy. This is a really gorgeous coral color. It's bright, but definitely not too bold. I wore it with a little gloss, and could even pull it off for church without it looking like "too much". I think it's beautiful, long lasting, very smooth and doesn't feather out or make your lips look dry like some lip liners do.

This is also a full size sample.

Next is a cream glitter palette by J. Cat.

This is horrid.

Like, horrid.

Like, there is body glitter horrid, and then there is this stuff.

It's gaudy, and not in a good way. It's glittery and not in a good way. It's not meant for your eyes, so.....where do I put it? They say it's a cream, but it's more of a gushy (yes, gushy) craft glitter nightmare.

Literally, I put this in.the.garbage.can.

Full size? Maybe. Don't care.

Next from Ipsy this month is a highlighter pencil by Chella in Ivory Lace. This product is so great! It can be used as a highlighter under the brow bone, for under eye circles, to cover blemishes, as an eye opener in the inner corners or outer corners...the possibilities are endless. It's so pretty, so creamy, easy to blend, but stays where you put it. (What a novel idea, right?)

I don't think this sample is full sized, but it's definitely not small by any means!

Lastly, Ipsy sent a gel eyeliner by Cailyn Cosmetics in the color Iron.
This is a great liner, with a really great built in brush. It's a grey slate color, and I think it's awesome. It does just what it says it will do. Plus, presentation is everything and how pretty is this jar/brush combo?

And now onto Birchbox!

First, Birchbox sent me a sample of an exfoliating foaming scrub cleanser (yeah, all those things in one!) from Suki. This smells really yummy, but honestly, I can live without it. It's kind of a cool concept (foaming scrub), but the full size is about $35 and I think I'd have to be pretty much in love to spend dollars like that on a cleanser. Regardless, if you have the dough and you like it, I'd definitely give it a shot!

Next is a really pretty nail polish from The Color Club (one of my favorite polish brands) in a really cute ivory color. This is from their new wanderlust collection, and I'm a fan! It goes on really smooth, dries quickly, but doesn't get sticky on the brush before you're finished.

I really love this next product. It's a really pretty lip color by Laqa and Co. I received it in the line's signature color, Lambchop, and I adore it. I'm sure I'll be purchasing this when I run out.

Lastly, these two hair products were included this month. One is a nautical themed hair tie by Birchbox and one is a dry shampoo by Klorane. I didn't think much of either of these, and wondered how much use I'd get from them. But then this weekend, I saw them sitting on my vanity and they became part of a haphazard but really fun asymmetrical french braid. And now, I'm sold. I love these hair ties. I.want.more. Plus, this dry shampoo couldn't be a more perfect size to toss into my purse or to travel with. I'm really happy with both of these.

This month was tough, as usual. My favorites from Ipsy was the NYX cream blush, and I could definitely live without that train wreck of a glitter palette. Birchbox won me over with the Laqa and Co. lip cream/pencil but I could have passed on the cleanser. All things considered, I think that Ipsy wins again, but I'm not willing to give up either subscription!!

Check out the websites and get yourself signed up!! Go see how you can earn points and end up with a free Birchbox every few months here.

And check out Ipsy and how you can get these adorable bags and maybe even a really cute surprise (like the white and gold bracelet I'm sporting in some of the above pics by BaubleBar) by going here. 

Let me know who you think should have won! I'd love to get lots of feedback and I'm going to do a giveaway for a subscription to the company that you guys like the most! 

-L