Subscription Addiction | Boxycharm Backup - January 2015

Well, you guys, I've made it to this year in Boxycharm. Let's dive right in!

January 2015 Boxycharm: Celebrate in Style

So when I got this box, I remember being disappointed. Looking back, That's still pretty accurate? I mean, I guess some of these things are nice to have, but I'm not sure how much use I will get out of some of them. I'm not usually this "meh" on Boxycharm as a whole, but the stretch I went through at the end of the year-beginning of 2015 was disappointing.

Product #1: Beauty For Real: The Perfect Pencil
This lip pencil says on the box that it is the only lip pencil you'll ever need. Well, nah. It's a little dark (a brownish burgundy?), and I tend to wear brighter shades of lipstick and lip gloss than this. Not that it's not needed or wanted... but semantics, right? It's a nice shade if I were to wear something darker. But for right now I'm a little hesitant on when I would use it.

Product #2: Beauty For Real: True Color Lip Cream in "Always There"
Pros: This has a flashlight and a mirror on it in case you need to apply lip gloss in the dark. The lip gloss goes with the lip pencil, which is nice. It seems to stay well and it is very pigmented.
Cons: It's a little dark for my taste. It has a flashlight and a mirror on it in case... see, I think it's a little gimmicky. So it's a pro and a con. It's very sticky.
So as you can see, I'm unsure about this. The value of this lip gloss alone is more than the box itself, so yeah. Good value. We'll see if I use it.

Product #3: Mirabella Face Prime
Mirabella is a brand Boxycharm has included before, and I haven't tried the other product yet. But I will say that I like that they included a face primer. I don't have a full size face primer besides this one, so I will be sure to give it an honest shot before I hate on it. I like my Smashbox primer a lot, but I will put this one to the test.

Product #4: Pur-Lisse Skin Sparkle Flash Tattoos
W H Y. Just... why. I won't use them. They're under a bed or in a drawer somewhere, and I meant to put them in a "give away" box. They're not cute, and I don't do fake tattoos. They're like tribal-y looking while also being like fake necklaces, or something? I don't know. But I'm almost thirty. That isn't going to be a thing.

Product #5: Tarte Maracuja Bronzing Serum
I haven't tried this yet. I'm saving it for the summer, specifically because I don't need to be bronzed in January. It mentions it's for my face, but I'm terrified that it's going to make me look like I'm going out trying to dress up as Beyonce and not realizing that it's incredibly insensitive to do skin makeup that way. I will try it in an inconspicuous spot before I try it on my face, to see how much bronzier I will be.

So overall, this was probably my least favorite box. But I will say how excited I was to try some of the newer products in the other boxes. So I didn't give up hope on Boxycharm, with good reason!

Subscription Addiction | November Boxycharm

This was the most underwhelming Boxycharm I've received, and still, it's worth the money. I was 'meh' about some things, but some things were really, really nice to have.

Product #1: MicaBeauty eye primer
So, this alone is worth over $40. For an eye primer. That's pretty awesome. I'm not saying I use it all day erry day, but $40 is not cheap! I have a Smashbox eye primer that I use often, so I'll probably wait until that's gone to try this one, but I'm excited to have it.

Product #2: OFRA cosmetics pressed blush
I'm really excited to have this. I haven't used it yet, but I've been looking for a good quality blush for awhile now. So this will be the first thing I reach for!

Product #3: Tarina Tarantino Eyelicity Glitter Liner
I don't know how I feel about this. On one hand, I like that it was included. On the other... I don't do glitter? I mean, I'm just not sure. I'll probably give it a shot and see. I know that mine is a white or clear color, so maybe it's just going to be something I use as a tube of glitter for when I feel like walking around looking like I made it rain at JoAnn's.

Product #4: Kevin.Murphy.Color.Bug
This is basically hair chalk. The frustrating thing about this is that it's gold. My hair is strawberry blonde. There is no way that this will show up in my hair at all. Not for me. It's cool for someone... that someone just doesn't happen to be me.

Product #5: Bellapierre shimmer powder
I'm excited that they gave us a loose shadow and an eye primer. They go hand in hand! But I'm also really excited to try this eyeshadow. I'm sure it will be better than the cheek/lip stain I got from them a few months back. I've heard a lot of good things about Bellapierre, so... hopefully it lives up to expectations.

As you can see, this box wasn't super-amazing, but it wasn't terrible. The value alone was worth the $21. Even if I just got that eye primer, I'd be happy. Not all of this was for me, but that's okay. This is probably tied with Birchbox for my favorite box right now.

Subscription Addiction | October Ipsy

Yes, that is a stock photo. No, I didn't feel like going to find my October ipsy bag to take a picture of it. I will say that the bag is really cute and functional. It's like this plastic-y quilted bag, but it's not icky feeling. If that makes any sense whatsoever. ONWARD.

Product #1: Ayres Patagonia Body Butter
It smells good. I haven't tried it yet, but it smells really good! I'm excited to start using it. My boyfriend almost stole it from me because it said "Patagonia" on it. No, it is not a coat in a tiny jar. I'll probably use this on my rough patches on my elbows from doing my planks when I work out. Ridiculous.

Product #2: Epice International Purifying Exfoliant
This is a pretty good product. I use it when I stay at my boyfriend's place, since I got two cleansers in a month between my subscription boxes. It is a really good exfoliator; it doesn't leave me feeling dry or anything like that. And it doesn't smell gross, either.

Product #3: ModelCo VolumEYES mascara
Again with the ModelCo mascara. It will sit in my makeup kit until I'm finished with the other one I'm working on. I don't know why two subscription boxes decided to go with the magical MODELCO mascara, but I am mascara-ed out. So. Time to move on, boxes!


Product #4: Nicole By OPI Nail Polish
This was a pretty gold color for the holidays. I'll probably use it at some point now that CHRISTMAS is closer. Christmas is my jam, you guys. I love it. I haven't tried it yet, but it's really pretty and doesn't seem too glitter-dense.

Product #5: Noyah liptstick
I was a little disappointed with the size of this. It's so TINY. Like... is it even useful if it's that tiny? The actual lipstick was smaller than my pinky nail, and the tube was smaller than my pinky finger (about half the size). Really really disappointed in that. But the color is pretty, it's kind of a mauve-y purple. I'll give it a shot. Well, more like I'll use it once and include it in an empties, because it's so small.

I'm glad I canceled Ipsy. Honestly, it seems like something I could get in Birchbox if I really wanted to. I like Birchbox a ton better, so it makes sense to stick with just one.

Subscription Addiction | Birchbox for October is FINALLY Here!

Boys and girls, let me tell you the story of a long Birchbox journey.

My Birchbox was "born" about 130-ish miles from me, in Mount Juliet, TN, on October 3. The box FINALLY arrived on October 17. It went here, there, and everywhere before finally making it to me. Now, I totally and completely understand that shipping is logistically difficult, but why not give TN residents their boxes first? Reggie got hers WAY before I did, and she lives WAY out of the way. Not really a gripe with Birchbox, but their shipping partner/tracking system.

Anywhoozle.

Product #1: Ellovi Vanilla Butter
This smells like a freshly baked cupcake. And I haven't used it yet, because I just haven't gotten around to trying it, but anything that smells like a cupcake is good in my book. It's body butter, too, so it's not just hand lotion I need to use up like the other ones I've tried. I'll start using it. I'll report back.

Product #2: Jouer Matte Moisture Tint in Nude
I haven't used this yet. It's somewhere in my mess of an apartment/cosmetics collection. I've heard good things, but I'm still not jumping out of my skin with excitement to try it? I have my holy grail foundation, and I have a scary story with a distant relative in high school to steer me far away from foundation that isn't an exact match.

Product #3: ModelCo POWERLASH High Impact Black Mascara
I received another ModelCo mascara in my October Ipsy, if I'm not mistaken? I got two ModelCo mascaras. I'm working on my Benefit "They're Real" mascara now, and when that bites the dust, I'll move on to one of these, maybe. Who knows.

Product #4: Ojon Rare Blend Total Hair Therapy
It's in my bathroom. I keep meaning to try it. I haven't. This has been a sentence about it. Honestly, though, I don't do much product when it comes to hair. I'm "low maintenance". Although, that's the point of these boxes, is to try and see if I can break out of that "lazy girl" routine and try something new. So, I shall.

Product #5: Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator
This is pretty good! It works well and leaves my skin feeling really clean and soft. I can't remember off the top of my head if it's at my boyfriend's place or at mine (I received two face cleansers this past month, and one is at either dwelling), but I do enjoy using it and it is a win.

So, Birchbox for October was an overall success. Not a "standing ovation, round of applause, curtain call" type of success, but definitely one with products I will use or try. Birchbox has been consistently worth the $10 and it's been consistently packed with products that don't feel cheap or look cheap.

Subscription Addiction | October Boxycharm

Boxycharm, to me, is always impressive. It's worth WAY more than the $21 I pay for it. Yes, this is only my second month, but even without a beauty style profile or anything else, it's hit the nail on the head both times. There were a couple of things in the October Box that were kind of 'meh', but when it all comes down to it, this box is consistently worth $21 a month for one product alone, let alone the extra two or three I'm usually excited to try.

Product #1: Palmetto Derma Collagen Booster & Restoration Serum
So, this is full size. It's also worth $48. If I were ever to repurchase this, it would have to work freakin' MIRACLES. It doesn't. It does a good job. It makes my skin feel... not dry? I wouldn't say it does anything crazy, but I haven't really paid close attention to my wrinkly areas in order to give it more of a detailed review. So, I'll stick with "it's pretty good" for now and change that in a favorites post later if it blows me away.

Product #2: Coastal Scents Eclipse Concealer Palette
I'm really excited about this, actually. I'm trying to educate myself on the uses of more products other than "foundation, lipstick, eyeshadow, GO!" Look at this palette, though, guys. It's actually really impressive. I haven't had a chance to give it a try, but I really want to. Now that school and work are a tad bit less crazy, I can experiment a little! This seems like a useful product in general. Anyone could use it, I'm guessing, based on the variety of shades.

Product #3: Cult/Commerce X Boxycharm "Shady" collection
This is a black and purple nail polish duo set. The amount of deep purple shades I have in my collection is absurd. Not that it's not pretty, but I recently bought a similar shade of purple at New York and Company for like $2 on clearance. And I got one in a Beautybox5, if I'm not mistaken. Purple's my favorite color, don't get me wrong, but there IS such a thing as purple overload. I'll trade this one out.

Product #4: Be a Bombshell Eyehsadow
I can't find it at the moment but I think this was a pretty gray color that I will definitely wear. I'm just too lazy to go look for it and it's not sitting in my makeup train case that I have next to me. I haven't worn it yet, but I am excited to try it.

Product #5: Starlooks Ultra Gem Pencil 
I wasn't crazy about this shade to begin with, and I got it AGAIN in my Ipsy bag. Any other color other than OLIVE GREEN I'd be cool with. But, who knows? The swatch on the internet seems to be less ugly than I anticipated, but I'm still very very hesitant. Reggie? Want it?

All in all, Boxycharm continues to impress. If I have one "holy crap, awesome!" product in the box per month, it's worth it to me. The products are ALWAYS full-sized, and 90% of the time, they're crazy good.

Subscription Addiction | My Last Ipsy

I know I'm incredibly behind on blogging. Reggie has made it known! I do have an excuse, with the semester winding down and work being insane, and my boyfriend starting his own business... I've had a lot less "me" time. And I don't like having to explain why I'm taking pictures of my stuff. So, I don't do it. And then it all piles up. And it's disastrous.

Okay! So, thus far, I've been 'meh' about Ipsy. I need to go back and look into what I got for October (although I was fairly certain it was 'meh' too), and post that, but this bag sent me from 'meh' to 'ugh, what a waste'. Here's what I got:

Product #1: J.Cat beauty Wonder Lip Paint in Mad Splatter
I'm not a lip stain gal. I can do glosses, and lipsticks, but lip stains are just way too much for me. Maybe if this were a less intense color, I'd give it a shot. But I'm not a fan. Reggie, it goes without saying that if you want any of this stuff, you let me know. It seemed like a "you" color, but I know you prefer lipstick as well. I've seen YouTube videos where people aren't able to wipe this off after swatching. I get that it's a "stain" concept, and that makes SENSE, but I'd rather it come off when I want it to.

Product #2: Starlooks Ultra Olive Eyeliner Pencil
First and foremost, I received this in my October Boxycharm, if I'm not mistaken, so this is kind of a dud. Plus, it's ultra OLIVE. Which means, green. I learned in middle school that green doesn't always look good on a redhead. Green in moderation, gingers. This was just disappointing. I'll be giving it away for sure.

Product #3: Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Hairspray
I... don't wear hairspray that often. The last time I wore hairspray was when I dressed up like Rosie the Riveter for #TBT. And even then I hadn't worn it since... ugh, probably the US Marine Corps Birthday ball with my ex boyfriend in 2012. That was awhile ago. I just don't wear hairspray!

Product #4: it Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti Aging Concealer
This I will definitely try. I don't normally do concealer, but I'll give it a fair and honest try. It looks to me like it could actually be in my skin tone so we will give it a fair shake before tearing it apart like the rest of the products I won't use here.

Product #5: SeaRx Birchsap Moisturizing Lotion
This is THE TINIEST sample of my existence in the universe. It will last me maybe 2-3 uses? I'll try it, though, because I don't have a moisturizer in my bag at the moment and it does deserve a shot. I don't know what it smells like, because I haven't smelled it... excuse me, allow me to do that right now. Okay, it does have a scent, but I can't identify what that scent actually is.


So, I canceled Ipsy. The products in it made it feel kind of cheap. I'm not always amazed by every subscription box, but Ipsy has been consistently frustratingly missing the mark. They're never full sized, they never seem to be things I want (minus the one Briogeo hair mask which I live by), or need. I also didn't love the bags, for the most part. Three months of 'meh' isn't worth the $10. I gave BB5 that amount of time, too, so I think it's a fair shot. That's a quarter of a year, so if it's consistently that underwhelming, I can't justify spending that $10 for crap.

Should I spend that $10 elsewhere? Another subscription? Or should I save it and stop with the addiction and move on?

Subscription Addiction | My Last BB5

Sigh. I'm so glad this is my last experience with BeautyBox5. It was a waste of $12 a month, honestly. I'm beyond frustrated with how hit or miss it was. This is my last month since I canceled in September. They didn't make me regret my decision at all.  I will say I was happy with one product in here. The others were either 'meh' or way off the mark.

Product #1: Lashem Picture Perfect Instant Wrinkle Reducer 
Let me say that I get why people would like this. I really do. But I don't... need this? They say you can use it as a primer if you're not concerned with wrinkles, but why would I use a wrinkle reducer as a primer when I can... I don't know, use a primer?! Fail.

Product #2: Extend Your Beauty Cosmetic Tool

I will say that I saw this on Shark Tank and was excited about it then. It's definitely cool to have this on hand. I will use it. I think they called it the Spatty Daddy? But yes, I'm cool with this. It's a nifty tool I never would have purchased for myself and it's useful.

Product #3: Chapstick Hydration Lock

Reggie got this in her Birchbox as an extra, and she said she liked it, so I'll keep it and try it out as a lip primer. We'll see. I'm not blown away, but it's all right, I guess.

Product #4: Nanacoco Nail Polish in Mermaid Dreams

The thing that weirds me out is all the sticky polish on the side of this. Look at that! It looks USED. You can see little specks on the top too. The color isn't all that bad, but considering I wasn't a fan of the Nanacoco lipgloss I got from BB5, I'm not about to jump for joy with such a... vibrant color? And it still concerns me that the nail polish was all over the freakin' bottle.

Product #5: Bellapierre Cheek and Lip Stain in Pink
I just don't have a use for this. It may be great for someone out there, since Bellapierre is apparently a nice brand. This sort of thing is weird to me. Kind of like the wrinkle reducer slash primer. Use it for what it was intended to be used for... or make it useful for one thing. I know right off that I wouldn't be cool with the application, and that sort of sticky texture on my cheeks? Not really. This may be a great product for someone other than me, but... nope.

I really feel like I'm hating on BB5 unnecessarily. But with piss-poor response times from customer service, boxes that barely recoup the $12/month price (if they do at all), and products that are underwhelming, I'd rather save that $12.

Subscription Addiction: Julep Maven

So, here's the thing: Julep is my new obsession. It's hard to argue with the idea of getting some really awesome nail polish every month. Here's the tough part. The Maven box is $24.99 a month. I love Julep nail polishes, and I love that they also include something fun (a full sized face serum? YES.), but yikes. That pricetag is a little bit of a shocker. I did get my first Maven box ("welcome box") for just the price of shipping. I also got my October box already!

I have also traded for a ton of Julep polishes on eDivv or purchased them on Yerdle. Here's a picture of my Julep collection so far:

The colors on these are gorgeous. My beauty profile says I'm "Classic With a Twist" (accurate) but the colors on the other profiles are so much fun, too! I mean, "America" (second from the top on the left) is perfect for July 4! Would I ever use it otherwise? No. But is it still gorgeous? Heck yeah!

I'm so excited to get more into Julep. I'm becoming a Julep addict. To me, the price of the monthly box is worth it, especially for the bonus items that come inside. This month, it was a face mask. Last time, I got a fabulous topcoat.

Basically, just give me Julep and we'll all be okay. I'll be posting some fun nail designs in the next few days, since the school I work at is on fall break, and I'm sure I'll eventually get sick of this Model Co Nail polish fail.

Subscription Addiction: August Birchbox Excitement!

So my August Birchbox didn't look just like that, but holy crap, was it awesome! It was my first month of Birchbox, and I was so, so pleased! There were some clear hits, and some clear misses, but overall, it's the best value for my needs right now, and seems to be the most consistent. So, without further commentary, here we go!

Subscription Box: Birchbox

Description: Each month, you'll receive a selection of samples that we’ve tried (and retried) ourselves. We source our samples from both well-known brands and emerging gems. The women’s subscription includes everything from skincare to makeup, as well as fun non-beauty extras. The men’s subscription delivers top-tier grooming products in addition to lifestyle accessories ranging from hip socks to tech accessories.  

Pricing: $10/month.

Referral Link: Here

Product #1: Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris Fragrance
I am not a fragrances gal. The most I do is slather on some Bath & Body Works Moonlight Path after a shower or spray the tiniest bit of knockoff Victoria's Secret perfume before I go out. This fragrance was so... flowery. And not in a light way. It was kind of musky and heavy. Not for me. I traded it on eDivv for some eyeshadow. I'm sure it will work great for someone, just not for me.

Product #2: K6 Skincare Clean Antioxidant Facial Cleanser
This product is vegan, which is always interesting. It had a clean smell to it, but a very light one. There wasn't a lot of lather to this product, which is okay for me. It didn't burn or sting my eyes when I used it. It felt nice on my skin. I needed to use a little extra moisturizer when I got out of the shower because this was a bit drying, but once I used the products from my normal moisturizing routine, it was a little better.

Product #3: LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil | Bees Knees - Coral
I am excited about the color, for sure! It was a beautiful coral color which I was terrified would be too orange. But after consulting with a friend sitting next to me when I opened it, and confirming that it wasn't too orange, I wore it. I love how it applies, and I love that it's not outrageously sticky. However, my lips were dry one day and I looked like I was eating Cheetos. The color stuck to the dry patches on my lips. I'm experimenting a bit with chapstick or lip balm in combination with this, because I like it a lot and would like to use it much more, but my lips happen to be dry on a pretty regular basis.

Product #4: Noir Cosmestics Long-Wear Eyeliner
This stuff is the best. It applies so easily and it doesn't take scraping to get it to glide on to your eyes. It doesn't come off easily, which is the point, but using the right eye makeup remover makes all the difference. It's smooth and it lasts! It's a little darker than I would normally go, but I like the jet black color. It gives me more of a dramatic look when I have my glasses on, which are dark, thick black frames.

Product #5: Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream - Acai Grapefruit
Between this and a product in my September Birchbox, Grapefruit scents are WHERE IT'S AT. God, I loved this shaving cream. It's already gone. It moisturized my legs well, and it smelled incredible. It didn't lather like a Skintimate type shaving cream, but it was so effective when paired with the right razor (not a disposable one). I wish it stuck to my legs just a touch better, but this is definitely my favorite product so far from a subscription box!

This was absolutely worth my $10. I would never buy the $100+ perfume, but the rest of the products were useful and at the very least tailored to my needs, whether I liked them or not. Birchbox did a fantastic job for August!

Subscription Addiction: Is There Another Word I Can Use Besides 'Meh'?

So the beginning of my subscription box addiction came with the arrival of my BeautyBox5. I got my first box for free, which was the August box. Here, I will tell you about it!

Subscription Box: BeautyBox5

Description: Every month we'll send you a mix of makeup, beauty accessories, hair, skincare, fragrance, body, and nail products that we can't get enough of. Our secret? We share products that really work, so you'll receive luxury, drugstore, niche, eco-conscious, and even vegan brands. Whether you're a cosmetic newbie or a beauty guru, identify yourself as adventurous and playful or classy and mature, like to splurge on high-end items or be a savvy spender, we have everything you're looking for.

Pricing: $12/month and free shipping to the US.

Referral Link: Here

I signed up toward the end of the month. So, it's quite possible that I received some of the "leftovers", so to speak. However, because of that, I feel like some of the products I got were... underwhelming to say the least. I already unboxed many of the products, so there won't be as many pictures as there should be. But, I will be sure to link my YouTube video unboxing here for you to watch.

Product #1: Pur-Lisse Sunscreen/Moisturizer (SPF 30)

So for a fair, Irish redhead like me, one would think that this would be making me jump with joy. However, I was kind of under the impression that it would be a moisturizer with some SPF. It smelled just like sunscreen. If I want to use moisturizer as a part of my daily routine, it probably shouldn't smell like sunscreen. I mean, it probably works just fine as a sunscreen, but with summer ending and me living so far from any sort of beach or anything, I just don't see myself using it. But that's not anyone's fault, it was just a miss for me. It was a nice sample size, and I'm sure some people loved it.

Product #2: Nanacoco Lip Gloss (Shade: Popular)

The packaging on this was really nice. It didn't look cheap. It's a relatively inexpensive, accessible brand, but it definitely didn't present itself like that. However, it was so bright pink, it was almost Barbie pink. I love subtle pinks, and even some bright pinks, but that bright hot pink Barbie lip gloss wouldn't work for me. It was also really sticky when I swatched it. I probably couldn't stand having that on my lips for longer than about an hour. Just another miss.

Product #3: LaFresh Oil Free Makeup Remover Wipes (8 wipes)

I've used about half of these so far. They do a good job at getting the surface level makeup off. I still have to go in and use an eye makeup remover to get the rest of my eyeliner/mascara, but I can see a ton of eyeshadow/foundation/whatever on it when I toss the wipe. I've been using it before I go work out in the evenings, and then hopping in the shower to remove the rest of my makeup/get un-sweaty. I would probably repurchase these! This is one I'm happy with, for sure.

Product #4: Style Essentials Nail Polish

Black and sparkly just isn't my thing. On Halloween, sure. But on 364 other days of the year, I don't think I can pull it off. Sparkly nail polish is a beeyotch to get off, and most of the time, I would just rather not wear it than use something sparkly. If it were a different color, I would probably give it a shot, at least, but the black nail polish just wasn't going to be my jam.

Product #5: Novex Brazilian Keratin Hair Mask

So, this product was from another country/in another language? I'm not sure if it was Portuguese, or something similar. But the language that was primarily used on the package was not English. I'm okay with not 100% made in the USA products, but I'm not sure I would even have been able to repurchase the product if I loved it. On top of that, you have to leave it in for 25 minutes with a shower cap, and let's be real: ain't nobody got time for that. Not really interested in trying it.

So, for a free box, I'll take the wipes and be happy. My next month's box should be here soon, and I'm hoping it will redeem itself. I really want to like BeautyBox5, because it's affordable and I've heard good reviews. But if my future boxes are like this one, I may invest my money elsewhere. Sometimes I worry I'm being too picky with what's in my boxes, but if I can use and like 4/5 Birchbox products (post to come later), and use only 1/5 BeautyBox5 products, there's a clear winner there, and for $2 less per month. That being said, I see tons of reviews raving about this box and in general, people seem to really enjoy the contents as a general rule. I'm guessing this was just an "off" month, especially since they're still running the free August box promotion well into September. I'm willing to give it another shot or two, and I hope I won't be disappointed!

Subscription Addiction: Subscription Boxes are my Beauty Gateway Drug

I've always wanted to educate myself on makeup. I've just really been lazy about it for years. When I was in middle school, we weren't allowed to wear makeup to school (Catholic school, for the win!). In high school, I went to an all-girls school (again, Catholic school, for the win!). In college, I was never an early riser, and just did some quick lipgloss and mascara, if that.

More recently, throughout graduate school, I've been a tiny bit better. I'm a teacher's assistant three days a week to help me pay for school, so now I have to be an early riser. And my body clock usually wakes me up about 20 minutes before my alarm: just enough time to put on some makeup.

I wanted to learn more. My mom has been getting me BareEscentuals every holiday for years, but I wanted to learn more about other brands as well. About a month ago, I subscribed to Ipsy and Birchbox. Both services are $10 a month and they are beauty subscription services. Once a month, they send you a box or a bag with an average-ish of 5 deluxe beauty samples (hair care, skin care, makeup, etc) or, in Birchbox's case, lifestyle stuff as well (tea, snacks, etc).

I was obsessed with my Ipsy and Birchbox, so I started googling. The more I googled, the more I learned. I came across My Subscription Addiction, the worst/best thing ever. I could figure out which boxes were free for your first month with a code, which gave you money off, and which were expensive as crap. I started watching YouTube unboxings, and that was where I ended up getting sucked in. My cat and my dog both have subscription boxes. My boyfriend doesn't yet, but he hasn't finished the one month Mistobox gift I gave him last year. But he will.

So, this post is going to kind of be an introduction to the subscription boxes I have tried or want to try. I will make a new post for each unboxing (including pricing, contents, etc), but this will be an overview.

Boxes I have tried (and received a box):
Birchbox
Julep Maven
BeautyBox5
KitNipBox (this one's for my cat, haters gonna hate)
Nadine West (technically not makeup, but it's fashion. I'll make a new post on that later.)
RocksBox (jewelry subscription box)
Toothbrush Subscriptions (um, I forget to change my toothbrush, okay?)

Boxes I Am Expecting Any Day Now (but have not yet tried):
BarkBox
Ipsy
Boxycharm
Love With Food

Boxes I Would Love to Try (but am too broke, let's be real):
Glossybox
Scratch
Sample Society
Loot Crate
Wantable
Beauty Army
Beauty Test Tube
Whimseybox
LipFactory
Total Beauty Collection
Bonjour Jolie
Beauty DNA
BezelBox

Obviously there's a box for almost everything. In my next post, I'm going to answer the obviously looming question: What the hell am I going to do if I hate what's in the box?