July Subscription Services: Ipsy, Birchbox, and Boxycharm

July Subscription Box Review ~ The Wonky Brow

So there is good news and there is not-so-good news... The good news: This was a slightly better month than last in subscription boxes. The not-so-good news: I still cancelled two of them. <Gasp!> Yes, TWO subscriptions were cancelled. Ipsy and Boxycharm. It's not that I don't love the services anymore, I just have enough stuff. I'd rather put effort into using what I already have (and love) than constantly trying out so many samples. I'm officially #sampledout. I will still have my birchbox every month since I purchased the yearly subscription for that one. And I am thinking about replacing the other two with something a little different... But it's still in contemplation-mode right now. So we shall see. But for now, my July Subscription Box Reviews... Ipsy:
$10/month for sample, deluxe, and full size (sometimes) products. Sign up HERE!

Ipsy July 2015

Items received:

• Octavio La Playa Sea Salt Spray (Deluxe size- $7.75). I have not tried this yet since I have been straightening my hair lately, but I am interested in testing this out. I love sea salt sprays and this is a great size to try as a sample. I have never heard of this brand before, so this shall be interesting. Also, the scent isn't too bad (I just opened it up to take a sniff) which is always a plus in my book.
• Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator (Deluxe size- $5.66). Now this exfoliating cleanser, I love. It has a light fragrance that doesn't bother me when applied to my face. The micro-crystals in this are amazing and exfoliate my skin well. My face feels so soft after using this. Here is a product I would never have thought to try and will now consider purchasing the full size. (That is the point of these boxes, but I have found I very rarely find things I would purchase the full size of).
• Ofra Eyeshadow and Highlighter in Bliss (Full size but not in compact- $15). This is a beautiful shade. And had I not already received so many other Ofra products, I might have been excited about this. As it is, I'm underwhelmed with the brand as a whole. I will pass this on...
• Be a Bombshell Lip Balm in French Kiss (Full size- $14). I would NEVER in a million years pay $14 for a lip balm. Sorry. And as far as I can tell, there is nothing special about this one. It's just a lip balm.
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess (Deluxe size- $10.31). I have tried this bronzer before (meh). If I hadn't, again I would've been excited to get a deluxe size sample. Passing it on...

Ipsy Total Value: $52.72 Birchbox:
$10/month for 5-7 sample and deluxe size products. Try it out HERE!

Birchbox July 2015

Items received:

• Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Venizia (Deluxe size- $12). OMG. NO. This is not a formula I like... AT ALL. This did not apply well. It looked extremely patchy and didn't get better if I tried to apply more. It also wore away in a really unflattering way and made my lips look cracked and flakey. If you are looking for a liquid lipstick, I'd recommend the Sephora Cream Lip Stains. Now those are amazing.
• Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant (Deluxe size- $9.75). I have not tried this yet... But I will. And I'm happy about receiving it. The full size is $78 for only 2oz! 
• Benefit They're Real Mascara (Deluxe size- $8). Once again... I have tried this before (I did say I was #sampledout, didn't I?). Unlike the majority of the people I've heard talk about this mascara, I did not like this. It just did nothing special for my lashes and I do not understand all the hype. #NotAFan.
• R + Co Atlantis Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner (Foil packets- $1.51). This was a fail. I should've gotten two uses out of the shampoo (since I have short hair), but I couldn't tell if this was actually cleaning my hair... So I kept adding more. I also did not like the scent. 
• Marcelle BB Cream Golden Glow (Deluxe size- $4.05). This surprised me, I thought it was going to be to dark for my skin tone, but it actually blends into the skin well and evened out my complexion. It also has a natural, glowy finish to it. Not bad, but I wouldn't run out to purchase it.
• Rusk Heatshift Re-styling Cream (Deluxe size- $5.29). This is an interesting product. It claims to allow you to restyle any look without having to rewash your hair OR even reapply product. Ummmm... I dunno. But I will try it out... Maybe on a day where I don't need to leave the house. Or even get the mail. ;-)

Birchbox Total Value: $40.60 BoxyCharm:

 $21/month for 4-5 Full size and/or 1 Deluxe size product. Try it out HERE!

Boxy charm July 2015

Items received:

• Gorge I'll Make You Look Amazing Daily Spray (Full size- $29.95). I find this comparable to the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Spray. Except It's a 10 smells better.
• Ofra Universal Eyebrow Pencil (Full size- $13). This is the second time I've received this eyebrow pencil in a subscription box (I didn't like this the first time I got it). This is the THIRD Ofra product I have received from Boxycharm alone. This was the second Ofra product I received THIS month. This is part of the reason I cancelled both, Ipsy and Boxycharm. Not happy.
• MDMflow Greater Than Mascara (Full size- £21= $32.68). Okay... So here is my problem with this. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SEND A MASCARA OUT TO THOUSANDS OF SUBSCRIBERS, AND NOT EXPLAIN HOW TO USE THIS "SPECIAL" MASCARA TO BEGIN WITH?!?!?!? Basically, what happened here was... People started trying this out and complaining and generally not liking this mascara. So Boxycharm sent out an email that explains that this mascara needs to be "primed". Ummmm... What?!?!? Check it out HERE.
• Vasanti Professional Blush Brush (Full size- $29). While I loved their exfoliation cleanser that I got in my Ipsy, this blush brush left something to be desired. There were hairs sticking out at the top that weren't cut evenly with the rest of the bristles. This was just "meh" for me.
• YourMinerals Transparent Veil Setting Powder (Medium Full size- $26). I didn't get a chance to try this out but I'm willing to give it a chance. It's the one thing that will stay in my collection from this box... For now.

Boxycharm Total Value: $130.63

Overall thoughts... I was happiest with my Birchbox this month. I received 7 items (the card said the conditioner was a bonus!) to try for $10 and the brand/product selection was intriguing. Ipsy was definitely better than last month, but I feel like the products are getting very repetitive. I've been considering canceling for a few months now and figured I should let Ipsy go out with a bang! (Instead of canceling when the month was crap- like last month). Boxycharm was a flop. It's total value is still great for $21/month, but what's the point in me spending $21 when only one item really piques my interest? I'd rather put that towards my Sephora budget and choose exactly what I want. :-D

What did you get this month? Thoughts?? Anyone else feeling #sampledout??? xoxoxo.

*Referral link is used for Birchbox only. This post was not sponsored and I am not affiliated with any of these companies. All opinions are honest and my own.