So as the world of the internet gets bigger and bigger we're seeing more and more online subscription services for food, gamers and now beauty lovers! So I decided to take it upon myself to review and compare two well known subscription beauty boxes to see if they're really worth your money - or just a bunch of hype.
First off let's look into the now very well known Glossy Box!
So Glossybox costs exactly £10 plus postage and packaging each month! The box is adorable. Pink so happens to be my favourite colour so we're already in my good books. However once we got inside I wasn't overly keen on the products.
The first two products I came across where these travel sized Dove Youthful Vitality Shampoo and Conditioner. I don't know if I'm being ignorant but I'm assuming that the majority of the people that order subscription beauty boxes are in their 20's? Why have I been given shampoo and conditioner for ageing hair? Even though travel sized shampoo and conditioners are handy for on the road, I'm not in any rush to use these products. When opening this box I was hoping to find a lot of products I'd never heard of before - I full well know if I wanted to buy this product I could find it in ANY local superdrug/boots. YAWN. I was hoping the rest of the box would be better. 5/10
Okay, nope it got worse.
My immediate reaction is "Literally no one wanted to work with glossybox this month" because not only would I not buy this product now, neither would my 11 year old self. The product Lash Princess by Essence looks incredibly cheap and I think if you're going to have ANYTHING good in your makeup bag - it's a mascara. These days you'll struggle to find a mascara that's decent under £10 and unfortunately this isn't an exception. My lashes looked limp and lifeless and despite the product being a very cheap £3.30 in stores, it's just not even worth it. 2/10
Moisturising peeling sounded horrifying - but in fact there isn't actually any peeling involved at all when using this product. Funnily enough - this was the only product I found in the box that I actually would go out and buy myself. The moisturising scrub left my skin feeling silky smooth and hydrated by only using the tiniest amount which means this bottle will last me months even if I use it everyday. The bottle itself design wise is very well thought out and I love the attention to detail with the wood as the bottle cap. The product clocks in at just over £13 which for the quality I think is amazing. Naobay, thank you for restoring my faith in this subscription service. 9/10
Moisture Plus by Carmex. I'm all up for a good old fashioned tinted lip balm, through in the bag job done. The product itself was fine, I don't have an awful lot to say about it. The only complaint I'd have is it struggled to stay on my lips very long unlike a chapstick - but if it wasn't a hefty price I wouldn't be too bothered. Turns out this product actually costs £4.49 in stores. What a total rip off. 4/10
The last product I got in is a nail varnish from NCLA. Finally something I haven't seen before! I'm a huge fan of the colour and really love the design of the bottle. Despite being quite a big bottle, £11 still sounds a little pricey - however it's expected from a non drugstore product. 7/10
UP NEXT is it's fierce competition BirchBox!
I have to say my hopes weren't high after the last box however, I knew that I potentially had some benefit products in there (as was advertised) which intrigued me on what else I could find in the box! Also the box is even more gorgeous than the last one! Birchbox costs £12.95 per month including postage and packaging (which for the record is basically the exact same pricing as Glossybox!)
First up is perfume! I never say no to perfume testers, even though I'm attracted to ones that smell more like cupcakes - it's good to try new smells and also these babies are PERFECT for travelling, which I seem to be doing all the time lately. Throwing a whole bottle of perfume in your bag is a nightmare and also you can smell like a million bucks for the night (bearing in mind this Catherine Malandrino perfume in full size is literally worth like $80 ugh). 7/10
For those who have taken the plunge to try Benefit Mascaras will know they are literally the best mascara's in the world. Ya'know when you get just before the end of good mascara and it's the perfect consistency to give you those badass lashes you wish the good lord gave you naturally, IT'S LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME. Originally this box only gave you one mini mascara, however the announced on their Facebook page they were giving away an extra 3 by entering MASCARA1 and obviously I jumped on that immediately. Talk about value for money considering a normal sized mascara from Benefit costs a whooping £19.95!
(wish I'd got two of roller lash though - a personal favourite <3 b="" nbsp="">10/10
I'm the sort of person that isn't happy after I get out the shower unless I coat my entire body in body butter. At this rate I'm not even going to get even one whole test out of Whish Body Butter - not that I'd want to though with it's overwhelming scent and greasy, left over feel. The product looks cheap, feels cheap and clearly is cheap considering I didn't even get a good amount to test with.
Basically - meh. 3/10
Naturally my hair is super super dry so I will take a deep conditioning treatment ANYDAY - my only criticism is I WANT MORE. A tub of Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer is £29, So I'm quite happy with my size of tester considering and also how lovely my hair feels after using it. Strongly recommended (quite pricey though ah!)
MHMMMM. 8/10
What can I say about this product? It's a great eyeliner pencil. Does it's job. Looks good on! Can you believe though a full sized LORD & BERRY eyeliner pencil is £10? I couldn't - because it's an eyeliner pencil. You probably could get one just as good for a tenth of the price. BECAUSE IT'S JUST AN EYELINER PENCIL. Not complaining 'cause it's good though. 7/10
Last but not least, I got an adorable little plain notebook and a chapter from Penny Vencenzi's "A Perfect Heritage" - which I haven't got round to reading yet however I think both little books are just lovely. It's like getting little sweets in a goodybag. Very nice touch - just caf. 7/10
SO, the results are in.
My super important research shows that SOME subscription boxes are definitely worth the money! I was absolutely over the move with what I received from Birchbox and makes me excited for what I'll receive next month - very well thought out, good brands involved and overall I'd give Birchbox an 9/10. However, it's competitor Glossybox was shameful this month. Products were awful par one, genuinely felt like one big rip off and would put me off paying for another box. 5/10
At the end of the day - it's really up to you want to spend your monies on, you may even get a good deal! However even though surprises are fun - some of them can be disappointing! Either way, I hope this gave you an insight on what to expect.
Love Befon x
