Birchbox vs Glossybox...

Hey there folks,

I'm baaack lol, I took a couple of days off to attempt to get some rest and kick these horrid bugs in the bum, although as is always the case things didn't quite go to plan, I just can't quite seem to leave the mess alone it's like its staring at me taunting me with it's messiness and then I can't help myself I have to pick it up lol. The thing is there's always something else that needs to be done and so here I am almost 2 weeks after I first fell ill still feeling rubbish and living off lockets and sudafed to help combat the sore throat, swollen sinuses and chest infection.

Anyway I thought I'd get back into the thick of things and just hope that eventually I feel better without having to go to the doctors. You've probably guessed by the title that my Glossybox and Birchbox have arrived at last (Yay!!).

 I think the worst part of my subscription boxes is definitely the wait, especially since my Birchbox arrives around the 10th of the month but my Glossybox doesn't arrive until around the 20th of the month, those 10 days are almost insufferable as I can't use any of the things I get in my Birchbox until after I've done this post (or at least taken the pics lol).

Since it was the first to arrive I'm going to share my Birchbox with you first, so lets dig in and see what I got this month (queue girly squeal of excitement),

This month Birchbox is another special edition box and this one has a Royal baby theme which was super cute, I got the pink one but there was also a blue one available which is the one my daughter actually ended up getting. I loved the fact that not only was the box itself adorable, but you also have the opportunity to win depending on which box you received and also whether or not the Royal baby is a boy or a girl which I think is a really fun idea. Like always you get several cards with tips on how to use some of your products and also products available to buy in the Birchbox store, and also a card detailing your products and their RRP's which to be honest I have to really fight my urge to cheat and see what products are inside the box lol.

Lola Barcelona nail polish in Garcia (RRP £7.50)
(this is a full sized product)

1. Laura Mercier mascara in black (RRP from £17.50 for full sized)
2.Laura Mercier eye pencil in violet (RRP from £17.50 for full sized)

One of the great things about Birchbox is that they often have an option where you can choose one of the samples that you receive, this months sample choices were all from Laura Mercier and you could choose either the mascara, the eye pencil or a face primer. I actually chose the face primer but as they were all sold out they sent me both the mascara and eye pencil which was really cool, instead of feeling disappointed that I didn't get my sample choice I ended up with 2 samples so it didn't bother me at all.

I was really looking forward to trying out both the mascara and the eye pencil as i've heard so many great things about Laura Mercier as a brand but I have to be honest I was majorly let down. The mascara wasn't bad at all but didn't really stand out for me so to be honest I would definitely go drugstore over this particular one and the eye liner just didn't do it for me. For me, one of the most important things for any eye pencil is that it's creamy so that it glides on smoothly, this one however was really dry and instead of gliding on pulled on the delicate skin on my eyes which is the last thing I want lol.

I've yet to try the nail polish although its most definitely on my to do list as I'm loving the vibrant pink colour and can't wait to girlify my nails.

Pommade Divine Natures Remedy Balm (RRP £19.80) 

Liz Earle Beauty Co Cleanse & Polish (RRP £14.00)


  

To be honest the Pommade Divine remedy balm was a little 'meh' for me as it's not particularly exciting and I certainly wouldn't ever feel the need to pay £19.80 (a truly random amount) for something like this although I guess the sample size makes it handy to carry in your bag lol gotta find those positives. I was pretty excited though to get the cleanse and polish as I love hot cloth treatments, I can't say for certain whether or not it's any good as I've only tried it once but I will stick with it and let you know how it goes.

Percy and Reed Smoothed, Sealed & Sensational
Volumising No Oil, Oil (RRP £14.00)

Inner Me Energise Me (RRP £15.00)

 Again I wasn't exactly filled with excitement at getting tablets of any kind in my Birchbox and I'm not entirely sure how these ones are beauty related but according to the Birchbox site the ingredients are supposed to provide "the whole package- health, beauty and well being" and since I am 'Still' poorly the vitamins may help me recover more quickly, who knows? The last item in my Birchbox was the "no oil, oil" and I'm always up for any kind of hair product that will tame the otherwise dry frizzy mess I call my hair, I guess it's pretty ok but to be honest I think I will stick to my oil, oil lol, I think this is an ok product for touch ups perhaps or for people who's hair is not massively dry or frizzy but as mine is both of those things I think I need something more hardcore lol. On a side note I may do a blog post soon on my current hair care routine as there are a good few products that go into taming this wild beast.

 Lets just take a minute to appreciate the sheer beauty of this months Glossybox, not only is the mint green colour I received one of my fave colours but the quote on the inside of the lid is a lovely touch too "We are all of us stars and deserve to twinkle" (Marilyn Monroe). Now that we have seen the beauty of this months box I've got to say I was really disappointed when I opened up my Glossybox this month. When I first looked inside it seemed a little empty as opposed to previous months (there were actually only 3 products inside so I borrowed the nail varnish my daughter got in her box for picture purposes) plus there was no product card detailing what was inside, how to use and and the RRP's of each product. However I have contacted Glossybox and they have emailed across a product card and are in the process of rectifying the situation. Plus, the show must go on and so I will show you the items that actually arrived (plus the one I pinched from my daughter she'll never know lol) and then add the rest when they actually arrive.

Lord and Berry lipstick pencil in Kiss (RRP £10.00)

I was really excited when I saw that this was coming in Aprils Glossybox as I love Lord and Berry and every girl needs a good red lip product. This certainly does not disappoint it's really creamy and is super long lasting, the only down side was the fact that it was a little damaged when it arrived, but the lovely people at Glossybox are sending a replacement so that is pretty awesome too.

Color Club Nail Polish in Barely There
(RRP £4.10)

Astral Original Face and Body
Moisturiser (RRP £3.89)

Don't get me wrong I love a good nail varnish and the colour is pretty, it adds a subtle wash to your nails and could double as a base to make other colours really pop, but since I also got a nail polish last month I wasn't overly impressed to be honest. The moisturiser again is pretty standard, it's a good size for your handbag and absorbs well into your skin but is honestly nothing special.

POP Beauty Kajal Eyeliner pen
(RRP £6.50)

Bottom is eyeliner drawn straight on
Top is eyeliner smudged out

 The very last product in my Glossybox (for now anyway) is this eyeliner pen, although I'm not entirely sure why this is called an eyeliner 'pen' exactly as really it's more of a pencil but as eyeliners go its not a bad one. It applies as you'd expect and smudges out really well to create that perfect smokey eye, use it in conjunction with your Lord and Berry lipstick pencil and you could create a soft, romantic look with just a touch of glamour. Now that's all said and done lets skip to the end and find out which box came out on top and why.

Birchbox total retail value = £105.30 (including the extra Laura Mercier sample)
Glossybox total retail value = £28.08 (including missing products)

Okay so just looking at the total retail value bearing in mind that each box costs around £10.00 per month (plus postage) there is a HUGE £77.22 difference in the total value of each box, but it's important to remember that whilst 3 of the Glossybox products were full sized, only 1 of the products in my Birchbox was full sized so the box value can be a little deceptive. Either way both boxes definitely exceeded the £10 cost of the boxes.

 If I was basing my decision solely on the boxes it would be extremely difficult to choose but I'd have to go with Glossybox for no other reason than it's simple, classic elegance. But as I'm really in it for the products, it's got to be said that Birchbox takes it by a landslide. I felt that with Birchbox there was a nice even mix of makeup and beauty, and that they were all high end pretty good quality products. Whereas with Glossybox the products were on the lower end of the scale and to be honest the fact that there were products damaged and missing really influenced my decision. I will of course update the post as and when I receive the missing products but as a big company you really wouldn't expect Glossybox to have made the mistake in the first place.

Anyway thanks for dropping by, I will of course be back soon with more beauty and family life

Alice xoxo