Birchbox vs. Ipsy

So, as some of you read in my review of Ipsy's June Glam Bag, I signed up for June's Birchbox, just to see if I had made the right decision when I chose to sign up for a year of Ipsy rather than Birchbox.  I had read tons of blogs, articles and posts trying to figure out which of the many, many beauty boxes would be the best to subscribe to, and I ended up choosing Ipsy, and I've loved it since I started, but I still wasn't sure, so I wanted to try Birchbox and see.

So, June's Birchbox theme is Wanderlust, which is awesome, since I"m a huge fan of traveling.....it sort of makes me feel complete, somehow, so I was really drawn to the theme.  But, the rest wasn't as impressive.

First thing I noticed was that the size of the samples are much smaller than those in the Ipsy bags.  I suppose it's entirely possible that it's just this month, and normally the stuff is bigger, but I'm not going to lie, I was disappointed.

The first product was the Coola SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer.  I'm sort of a sun worshiper, so I don't own or use sunscreen, but I'm moving to Florida in August, so maybe this stuff will come in handy.  It smells good, anyway.  And it's organic, which is definitely cool.  But one of the reasons why I don't use sunscreen (other than the obvious) is because I don't really like the sort of greasy, mildy sticky feeling that most sunscreens have, and this one is a little on the greasy side, too.  It's not bad, I've definitely felt much worse, so there's that.  But I don't really feel like I can comment much on this, since I don't really use sunscreen enough to compare the experiences.  What are you guys' thoughts on this stuff?

Next product was a nail polish, one that Color Club and Birchbox got together and chose four colors inspired by four of their favorite cities.  I got the color called Mod in Manhatten, which I love.  It's a creamy off-white color, but here's my problems with this product:  #1 I got pretty much the exact same color in my May Ipsy Glam Bag already.  #2 it's not full sized--it's mini.  Ipsy's was a full-sized nail polish.  I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a pretty color, but I just felt like Ipsy did this better.  Plus, it took
three coats of this stuff while it only took two of the Ipsy stuff.  I don't know.  Anyway, I did my toes, but don't judge my ugly feet lol.  I apologize for them right now, I just wanted to show you the color.  :)

Anyway, moving on....  The next product is the Juicy Couture perfume sample of the fragrance Couture La La.  I read the description of it included in the box first, and thought I would love it.  Not the case.  It was far too overpowering for me.  I don't know.  I feel like perfume is a very personal thing, like, that everybody likes different fragrances, and to each his own in that sort of way.  So what I love, you might hate, and vice versa.  It's not that any of the fragrances are bad by any means, just not one personally enjoyed by that person.  In this case, not by me.  But hey, if it's good

for you, by all means, keep on loving!! :)

Now, the next product was one I got excited about.  I'm definitely one to focus on doing up my eyes when I get all dolled up, so discovering new eyeliners is always fun for me.  The Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Navy Blue is pretty darn cool.  The stuff is like an ink pen for your eyes....but even better.  It's super thin, so you can make the lines as precise as you want them, but can go on thick too.  And the color has just the right amount of sheen to it, so it

literally does look like a blue ink pen.  It's pretty cool.  Only problem I had with it: super hard to get off.  I guess it's like a blue ink pen like that, as well.  I really had to scrub to get it off my face.  But other than that, the stuff was pretty awesome.

So the last product in the box, the Amika Obliphica Nourishing Mask, is a mask for your hair.  I haven't tried it yet, but I'm super excited for it.  I love nourishing hair products.  My hairdressers always yell at me because my hair is "too silky" as it is (apparently it's not good for your hair to be silky???  I don't get it, I love my hair silky and soft) but I'm always

looking for products to make my hair even softer, so I'm excited to see how this stuff works.  I'll keep you guys updated!!

They also included this super cute little Twistband hair tie with little anchors on it, which was fun.  It's funny, because they include the prices of this stuff in the box, so you know what sort of a deal you're getting, and this tiny little hair tie was comparable in price with the beauty products, which, personally, I feel like is pretty crazy.  I mean honestly...who pays $14 for a hair tie?!  Seriously....  But then I went on their website and I discovered it's $14 for a set of 6 of them.  Which is still ridiculous, but at least you get 6 instead of 1.....  Yeah, who am I kidding, that's still ridiculous.  I would never pay that.  Never.  Would you???

So, to sum up, I really really want to know about you guys' experiences with Ipsy vs. Birchbox, because I've had tons and tons of people tell me Birchbox is the best, Ipsy is the best, Glossybox is the best, etc.  I still don't know which is the best.  I really don't.  But what I do know is this:  June's Birchbox was upsetting to me.  In comparison with the bags I've gotten from Ipsy these last few months, Birchbox just wasn't impressive for me.  The sample sizes were smaller, the products weren't necessarily exciting for me (at least not as exciting as I had hoped they would be), and Ipsy includes a fun bag to keep all the fun stuff in, while Birchbox doesn't.  Purely based off of this month's box alone, I definitely feel like I chose the better box when I went with Ipsy.  But this is one blog post I really really want to hear you guys' thoughts on this stuff.  What do you like and not like about your beauty box subscriptions?  Which is your favorite?  I decided next month I'm going to try the Beauty Box 5 box to see how that one stacks up.  I'll let you guys know!!

Fashion Show!!!

So last night I volunteered at a Fashion Group International fashion show yesterday, called "The Essence of the Louvre: A Minnesota Designers Showcase."  It was phenomenal!!!  Not only did I get to work one-on-one with a really awesome local designer, but I got to talk shop with a bunch of the designers, the models, and other volunteers going to school for the same thing I just graduated with.  It was fantastic!

http://minneapolisstpaul.fgi.org/

I worked with local Minnesota designer Sophia Graydon, who design these absolutely gorgeous luxury sleep and loungewear pieces, and they're just amazing.  The gal I was working with, Ida, was super nice, and we chatted about how she got into fashion and marketing her line and stuff like that, and it was awesome.  The line was just so beautiful, I hardly wanted to touch it.  The stuff is very pricey, but all the fabrics are high-quality silks and the like, so it's well worth the price.

http://www.sophiagraydon.com/

I also met a local jewelry designer, Studio C Designs, the gal's name was Sara, and she was just a blast.  She knew so so much about minerals, and soddering, and all the jewelry-making stuff that is way above my head, and it was so interesting to talk to her about how she got into making this stuff.  I'm obsessed with pearls, as some of you probably know, and she had some of the most beautiful pearl pieces, along with tons of gems and this gorgeous silver and rose gold bracelet....oh my gosh I was just in love. 

studiocjewelry.com/

It was just so completely eye-opening to get to help with this show from start to finish (obviously I didn't get to help with the planning of the event itself, I just mean the day of the event) getting the lines set up, getting the models outfitted, and making sure they made it down the runway, stripped them out of one designer as quickly as possible and put them in another, and another, and the timing had to be just right.  I've taken part in the makeup artistry portion of this stuff before, but the rest of it was just......oh my gosh there are no words!!  I decided once I get down to Florida I'm going to have to get involved with local designer groups and fashion shows down there so I can partake in this stuff more often, because it was just an awesome experience!!  I'm telling you, if you ever get the opportunity to volunteer at a fashion show, or even be in a fashion show (as a model, designer, etc.)....do it!!!  It is so much fun, and you will learn so so much, and meet some really awesome people!  Huge, huge thanks to everybody I worked with for letting me be a part of this awesome night!!!

Ispy June Glam Bag

Eeep!!  My Ipsy Glam Bag finally came!  I was so excited when it arrived!!  You'll probably be able to tell by the pictures, cuz I've already used all of the products!  They're amazing!  The bag itself is a green leopard-print, which was meant to show the Wild Side of this month's theme, but I wasn't a huge fan of it--I don't really like animal prints so I am biased.  But what was inside was so freakin fantastic!!

 First off, the Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter pencil.  Absolutely amazing.  I've been watching all these tutorials lately that talk about making your eyes appear bigger with a light eye pencil around the bottom waterline, so I tried that out with this stuff.  Fantastic.  I have really small, squinty eyes and I definitely noticed a difference.  I know a lot of people are highlighting the top of their eyelid, just under the eyebrow with this pencil too.  I haven't tried that yet, though.  This stuff is the perfect color though, and it's just creamy enough that it doesn't hurt to put it on but it doesn't fall apart while you're applying it.  It's perfect.  I am seriously in love with this pencil!!! 10/10

Next, the NYX Mosaic Powder compact in Silk is awesome.  It's got just a tad bit of shimmer, and the perfect amount of bronze to just highlight the apples of my cheeks without making me look like a teenager with too much bronze and glitter.  7/10

The next item in the bag was the J Cat Sparkling Cream Palette in
Volta.  This stuff was creamy and glittery and not at all what I was expecting.  I tried the navy-ish color and was surprised to find it was just the glitter, no color added.  I was going to use it to line the tops of my lids in a pretty navy glittery line, but it didn't turn out that well.  Not sure what I'll use it for yet, but I'm sure I'll find something.  It's nice glittery stuff, anyway, just not for what I was going to use it for!  5/10

Fourth was the Starlooks Lip Pencil in Bare.  Love this stuff!!  I've been looking for a lip pencil in just the right color, and this stuff was perfect.  I hate how so many pencils have too much pink, and make your lip color look off.  This one almost had a bluish tone to it, making the lip look very nude and ready for whatever color I wanted to put in it, or just a clear gloss.  I loved it.  8/10

Last, the Cailyn Line-Fix Gel Liner in Iron.  This stuff rocks my
socks!!  The built-in brush gives the liner the perfect precision and it's not in a harsh black, but it's still dark enough to really line and define.  I used this stuff to make a perfect winged eye look, and filled in my lashes in between each lash to make them look fuller, and it was perfect.  Love love love it!!  10/10

So, I decided since it's now my third month getting these awesome Ipsy bags, I wanted to see what Birchbox was all about, so I got just one month of Birchbox, to see if I made the right decision in getting Ipsy over Birchbox.  I'll keep you guys updated.  So far, I haven't gotten the box yet obviously, but I like Ipsy's discounts better, and I like that Ipsy's bags come in the beginning to the middle of the month, while it seems like Birchbox's come at the end of the month, which I don't know that I'm a big fan of.  But I don't know, we'll see.  Maybe the products will more than make up for all that.  We'll see........

Jumping in with Blind Faith

So here I am, on my 28th Birthday, and celebrating my graduation from fashion school on Friday, and I can't help but wonder....now what?  I'll be THIRTY in 2 years.  Two years!!!  I swear to you, I still feel like I'm a teenager!  Going to school with a ton of them will do that to you I guess.  But so many people my age already have established careers, and families.  I don't have any of that.  With this economy, it seems damn near impossible to get the career you really want without years and years of experience, and tons of schooling.  So it's finally hitting me that, 10 years after I graduated high school, I'm only just finishing my "college" years, and as much job experience as I've earned over these past 10 years, none of it is truly relevant to what my career choice would want me to have.  And not only that, but I've made the major life decision to pick up and leave Minneapolis and move to Tampa, Florida this August.  So, that's where my "now what" comes in.

Has anybody else been through this?  Do you have any words of wisdom for little 'ol me?  It's just so terrifying and frustrating, but still slightly invigorating and freeing, to jump in without any promise that you'll float.  Jumping in with blind faith.