ipsy is a monthly subscription of beauty and makeup items. Each month you receive 4-5 full size or deluxe side products, as well as a makeup bag.

Cost: $10 per month – free shipping.

This is my second ipsy bag and this month it wouldn’t even all fit in the makeup bag! This month was themed Sensationally Sunkissed. There was also a card in there for free shipping at Ulta.com with any bareMinerals purchase.

The makeup bag this month is a hot pink bag. It looks like it’ll be nice to store some essentials in this summer when going out to the water.

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray – 1.7 fl oz
Full size is $19.95
This beach spray has Argan oil in it and says it’s conditioning. I tried a different spray before and it made my hair even more frizzy than normal, so I hope this won’t have that same result.

Hang Ten Dark Tanning Oil SPF 08 – 1 fl oz
Full size is $11.99
This is a tanning oil with SPF 8 in it. I’m pretty fair skinned and while I don’t burn a lot when I’m outdoors except at the beach, I still like to have a higher SPF to avoid any sun damage. However, I do know someone who does use tanning oil, so I’ll probably end up just giving this to her.

bareMinerals 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow in Divine Wine- 0.03 oz
Full size is $18
I really like bareMinerals products and haven’t tried any of these before. It goes on as liquid and then you have a short time to smudge it before it sets. The color is a nice neutral and doesn’t seem to take much. I’ll be interested to try this as part of a full look.

pop Sunkissed Bronzer in Secret Sunshine – 6.95 g (Full Size)
Full size is $10
I don’t have a bronzer and have been meaning to get one, so this is perfect timing! I always thought with my skin coloring that bronzers would look pretty fake – at least when I’ve used some that friends have owned that was the case. This is a really nice shade for me and just gives a healthy glow.

Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Pretty Pink – 1.8 g
Full size is $16
I’ve really been loving balms in this crayon type of packaging this summer. This one goes on smoothly and gives a little hint of a tingle to the lips. It’s a nice shade of pink for the summer, without being too bright.

Final Thoughts: There were some nice gems this month and some really good sized samples. The tanning oil was a miss for me and the beach spray may be a miss, depending on how it works with my normal hair texture, but the makeup items more than made up for it this month.

What did you think of ipsy this month? Are there any items you’d like me to do a more in depth review on?

Birchbox is a monthly subscription box of a variety of samples ranging from skincare, haircare, makeup, and non-beauty items. It’s usually 4-5 samples per month. They also offer a men’s subscription box.

Cost: $10 per month – free shipping.

Birchbox was the first subscription box I signed up for. Some of the months are a little hit or miss, but I’ve found some interesting new products through them. I also like that I can mark to not receive fragrance samples each month.

The theme for July was Power Up and was partnered with Women’s Health. In addition to the samples, there was a bonus of a one year subscription to Women’s Health (valued at $9.99) and a set of 12 different challenges that were a mix of health and beauty tasks. If you show that you’ve completed all of the tasks, you be entered for a chance to win a collection of products and a trip to NYC. I already have a subscription for Women’s Health, but the card says you can submit it for a refund if you don’t want the subscription, so I’ll be trying that.

NAOBAY Body Radiance Lotion  – 1.01 fl oz
Full size is $24
This is a natural and organize lotion. It feels really nice on the skin and doesn’t leave a greasy feeling or have a heavy scent. I’m looking forward to really trying this one out.

Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Mask – 2 0.5 oz containers
Full size is $25.95
This is a hair mask that says it restores strength and megashine to hair. I’ve had other products from this company in my boxes in the past and had mixed results with them. I have curly/frizzy hair and have liked how the products work, but the scent of some of them was strong and stuck around all day and I don’t like perfumed items. This has a scent to it, but because you apply it in the shower I’m hoping that the scent won’t last as long.

Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel – 0.17 fl oz
Full size is $48
This is an acid-free peel that says it gently exfoliates for instantly softer, smoother, and brighter skin. I like that this sounds like it won’t be too harsh on my skin.

Ruffian The Rapture Collection in Ambrosia – 0.17 fl oz
Full size is $10
This item I was able to select, along with the color. It’s a really pretty metallic purple. I don’t have anything like this already and I really like metallic polishes.

Benefit Cosmetics Posiebalm – 0.5 g
Full size is $18
I don’t think the color shows up at all on me, but this balm feels so nice on my lips and not sticky.

Bonus Item: Ruffian acetone free nail polish remover towelette
Set of 10 is $12
I’ve never used a nail polisher remover towelette, so this will be interesting to see if it’s quicker and easier to use.

Final Thoughts: I had some really good first impressions of the products this month. Also, once I do the rebate for the Women’s Health magazine, this box will end up having cost me $0.01, which is a great bargain!

What did you think of Birchbox this month? Are there any items you’d like me to do a more in depth review on?