Ipsy vs. Boxycharm

    VS 
The Ipsy Glam Bag is a monthly subscription that sends mostly sample sized beauty products. It's $10/month and they select products based off of a test that you take when you subscribe.  After each month, you can rate the products and they are supposed to take the into consideration when sending your future bags.  Every bag is slightly different for everyone who subscribes.

Boxycharm is similar but 98% of the time they send full size products.  It's $21/month. With this subscription, you get what you get.

For the month of November I was very satisfied with both subscriptions; however, I will break it down and decide which was really the better of the two!

IPSY

The bag it came in was what you see above. It is almost a windbreaker material.  This is something I may never use, its just not my style.

The contents of the bag are as follows:

Full Size - Crown Brush - Delux Pointed Crease Brush
Retail Value:  $4.95 (Crown Brushes)
I am actually really excited to try this brush, it looks like it will be a great blending brush!


Full Size - Jelly Pong Pong - Liquid Glossamer (Liquid Luminizer)
Retail value:  $22.95  ((Jelly Pong Pong)
To be completely honest, I opened mine to swatch it and the tube was only 1/2 full.  It is a pretty color (almost a rose gold).  I will try this when highlighting. 

Sample Size - SmashBox - Full Exposure Mascara - Jet Black
Retail Value for full size: $20  (SmashBox Mascara)
I like the shape of the spooly, I love samples of mascara because my eyes are extremely sensitive.  I can't have a flakey or runny mascara. 

Sample Size - INSPR Eye Shadow - Carnival
Retail Value for full size: $13 (INSPR Eye Shadow)
Swatched it, my first impression is that its super soft and buttery.  I'd like to see what it looks like with some MAC Fix Plus.


Sample Size - Cool way - Strong Hold Spray
Retail Value: $19.95 (Cool way)
I don't typically use hair spray, and Ipsy should know that by now, but I will try it.

BOXYCHARM

Boxycharm comes in a sleek black box each month as seen at the top of this blog.

The contents are as follows:

Full size - Luxie - Rose Gold Concealer Eye Brush

Retail Value: $17 (Luxie)

I have never used a brush like this for concealer, I may use this brush to pack eyeshadow onto the eyelid.

Full Size - Cool Way - Leave In Treatment

Retail Value: $14.95 (Cool way)

Hmmmm, interesting Coolway has made its way into both of my subscriptions!  This one is supposed to make your hair smooth, silky & bouncy. For all hair types, but mainly for dry or damaged hair.  Its supposed to eliminate split ends.  We'll see!

Full Size - Studio Makeup - Soft Blend Blush - Wildflower

Retail Value: $17 (studio-make-up)

The website won't let you buy directly from them, weird.

The first layer was not very pigmented, but once I got through the first layer it definitely was!  It doesn't compare to my Morphe blush pallete, but its a pretty color!

Full Size - Pur-Lisse - Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum
Retail Value: $65 (Pur-Lisse)
Wow! $65 for a tube of eye cream that's 0.5oz?!  This stuff better make my eyes look like they did when they came out of the womb!  I am excited to try this stuff!

Full Size-Manna Kadar-Liplocked Priming Gloss Stain - All of Me
Retail Value $24 (Manna Kadar)
The swatch online looks more like a brownish, nude, pink. When I swatched it on my hand, its got more of a purple tone to it, looks more like the Manna Babe swatch above. Its pretty, but I may put something over it when I try it out to tone it down a little bit!

Overall

I liked both of them very much; however, Boxycharm wins this month for me.
The reason I chose Boxycharm this month is not because it has a higher retail value (get more bang for your buck), but because each product they sent me will be used!  I do like the brush that Ipsy sent me better than the brush that Boxycharm sent. I liked the fact that Ipsy sent a mascara, but that could be because I need to go buy some anyway. I don't like the color of the lip stain that Boxycharm sent, but it may grow on me.  They both have pros and cons, but Boxycharm wins this month!


Please let me know if you would like me to review any of these products. Leave your comments, subscribe!

~Fancy~

Freebies!

We all like free things!  Below is a list of free subscriptions and samples I have found!
Enjoy!

Magazines:

Red Box Magazine
Seventeen Magazine
Family Circle Magazine
Parents Magazine
Outdoor Photographer
Better Homes and Gardens
Field and Stream
Shape Magazine
Oxygen Magazine
Outdoor Life
Wine Spectator
Men's Health
Bridal Guide
Martha Stewart Living

Other stuff:

Michael Kors Scented Tattoo

Adult Gummy Vitamins

Dove Body Wash (Select States)

Zing Stevia Sweetner

L'Oreal Nutri Gloss Hair Care

Centrum Vitamints

Cottonelle with CleanRipple

There will be more to come!!!  :-)

Have a great weekend!
~Fancy~

Holiday Season: The Frugal Way to Prepare for Guests

The Holiday's are just around the corner!  Many families have friends and family as guests during the Holiday's, and I am going to show you how to prepare your home, the frugal way.  These are my tips...

1.  They need a place to rest their head:

-Buy an inexpensive mattress (if you don't have a guest bedroom) at Wal-Mart, Target, or on Amazon.  You do not need to go to a specialty store to purchase this.  Most likely, you will only use this once or twice and there is absolutely no reason to purchase a pricey air mattress.



-Clean your couch (if you can't afford an air mattress). You can do this by sprinkling baking soda all over it and thoroughly vacuum it after it sits for about a half hour.  You will be grateful you did this because you may end up sleeping on it.  Being a good host/hostess means you need to first sacrifice your place of comfort for the comfort of others. Sorry, but its true.


-Wait a day or two before your guests arrive until you wash the sheets they will be sleeping on.  If you do this too early, they will collect dust and no longer smell nice.  If you wait to do this, not only will it save time, water, and energy by having to wash them twice, but they will feel cozy when slipping into a freshly washed bed that smells clean!

2.  Prepare the washroom:

-Head over to the local dollar store or travel section of your local grocery store or Wal-Mart/Target and check out their toothpaste, toothbrushes, soaps, etc.  Your guest may have forgotten something, and they will LOVE that you took the time to get these very important items.  In most cases these items are under a dollar each.  Place them in a cute basket or on a tray in the bathroom, place a cute welcome tag in front of it, so they know its theirs.  They will love you for it!

-Pick up some new towels & wash them.  You don't need hotel quality towels, but purchase the least expensive, large, fluffy towels you can find.  Wash them. Dry them. Hang them, or roll them up.  They may not be hotel quality, but your guest will feel like they are at a hotel when they step out of the shower/bath and have a fresh towel to dry themselves.


-Clean the washroom.  Take 15 minutes while the sheets or towels are washing and clean the washroom from top to bottom.  Work from wall to wall to ensure you don't miss anything.  This should be a task you perform before you have anyone over.  Don't let them see your bathroom dirty, that's just rude.  Don't forget to let the toilet bowl brush dry before putting it away. 

3.  They will be hungry!

-Before your guest arrive, you will want to be sure you have food, drinks, and snacks for them to eat.  The first thing you will want to do is search the newspaper ads and online for coupons.  Take one hour to do this.  Plan meals accordingly.  This will, in the end, save you a lot of time and a lot of money.  Every penny counts.


-Plan for quick and/or easy dinners.  There is no need to do a BIG elaborate meal for every meal while your guests are in your home.  Plan for crock pot meals and boxed dinners.  These are inexpensive and they will allow you to spend more time with your guests.  Trust me.


-Use the Thanksgiving/Christmas leftovers.  Turkey sandwiches are so delicious the day after Thanksgiving.  You can get creative with the leftovers.  Use your imagination.  The possibilities are endless.  ;-)

4.  Décor:

-While you're at the dollar store picking up toiletries for your guests, take a look in their floral department, pick a few of the prettiest flowers and a simple vase.  Find a couple places in your home to place them, they will never EVER know they are from the dollar store!


-Head over to TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, Home Goods, Target, etc.  Check out their clearance department.  You need to look closely because sometimes they have them in several locations of the store.  A lot of times you can find the cutest decorations, pillows, picture frames, and my favorite, candles.  If you look in the Dollar Spot section of Target, they have a lot of interesting pieces that coordinate with the seasons that are only $3 & $1!


-Shop your home.  You may have some things around that you don't have out-and-about that are stuffed in a closet or attic.  You can move things around to make your space feel fresh and new.  This is the first place you will want to look, your home, before you take a trip to buy some decorations.

5.  Suggest activities for your guests:

-Search online or in the newspapaer for local events that are free.  Art festivals, live music, and other events can keep your guests busy.  It would be fun for them to see your city or town.  Listening to live music and having a bite to eat or some coffee is something that everyone likes to do.  This is an inexpensive, but fun thing to do!


-Black Friday events!  They may want to do some shopping, make it fun for them and look up which places open earliest and which stores have the best deals.  A lot of stores have Black Friday events all weekend long.  Allow them to use your computer or laptop to do some online shopping for Black Friday.  They may not like crowds.  Plus, a lot of retailers have online deals that are not in-store.


-Decorate!  If they are not into shopping, local events, or live music, suggest decorating for the holiday's.  Turn on some holiday music, get your tree out and go to town!  Get some hot cocoa and let them help you decorate for the holiday's.  This is a fun way to spend time with your family and friends and create memories.  They may even have ideas that you haven't tried before!  Make it fun!