Which Box Is Best?

There are literally hundreds of subscription boxes out there right now. It seems like the subscription box thing is the hot item of the moment. I have succumbed to the mania by subscribing to several different boxes that I think are catered to my likings. There are many, many categories of these subscription boxes. There are beauty boxes, boxes for new mothers, craft boxes, children's boxes, food boxes, organic boxes, etc. I tend to go for the ones that offer beauty products.

My question today is, which box is best? So far I have found that the one I enjoy most and look forward to getting is Popsugar's Must Have Bag.  I have yet to be disappointed with the many treasures I have found when I opened the box. I guess my second favorite is Cravebox. I am always pleased with Cravebox, but I wish it would be a little more regular. One thing I do like about Cravebox is that it does have a Facebook so the subscribers can chitchat about the goings on at Cravebox, as well as getting updates on shipping and contents from the Admins of Cravebox. The reason I like these two boxes so well is because they include mostly full-size products.

Now my question to you is, which box do you like best? Post in the comments below if you have a favorite! 

Sample Society September 2012

Sample Society is becoming one of my favorite subscription boxes. The products usually are not full sized, but they are all high end so I feel like I am  getting something luxurious. I am very pleased with this month's box.

I love lip gloss, so my eyes immediately were drawn to the tube of Borghese B Gloss lip gloss. And the color is perfect for me. I will definitely enjoy this. The color is Fiore and it retails for $19/0.21 oz. This is slightly smaller than full size at 0.16 oz.

I next noticed a little box with foreign lettering. The little box contained a small spray tube of perfume. The brand is Dipytyque and the fragrance is Do Son. It retails for $88/50 mL. 

There was one tube that was larger than the others. It is Cellceuticals Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser. I feel like this will be a great addition to my daily skincare regimen. It retails for $35/6.7 fl. oz. The sample size is 2 oz. I can get a couple of weeks of use from this sample.

To use after the Extremely Gentle cleanser, I found Ahava's Time to Clear purifying mud mask. It claims to clear the skin of oil and root out acne and blackheads. I am really looking forward to using this. It retails for $31/4.3 oz.; the sample is 0.9 oz. I feel like this will probably be my favorite product from this month's box.

Lastly, I found a Stila Smudge Crayon. This turns out to be an eye primer, liner, and shadow all in one. I love the color, which is Umber. I already love Stila products, so I'm sure this one will not be an exception. It retails for $22 in the full size. The sample looks like it is probably about a third of the full size. 

I always love getting these high end products and trying them out, even if I can't afford them! Oh yeah, and let me not forget to mention the $15 off $50 purchase from beautybar.comhttp://www.beautybar.com/. 

Birchbox September 2012

Yesterday I got my 2nd ever Birchbox. I was less than impressed with my first one, so this 2nd one was a test to see if I would continue for another month. I am a little more pleased this time, but not just overwhelmed. Anyway, if you would like to know what's inside this month's box keep reading.

Here was my first look at the box:

The first thing that caught my eye were the Bandaids. They are very cute and are "designer" Bandaids designed by Cynthia Rowley. They retail for $15 for a pack of 20 and are very cute (a little expensive for Bandaids if you ask me):

Next, I noticed a small tube and upon further investigation learned it was Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25. This says it is a 4 in 1 moisturizer, serum, sunscreen, and tint. I will try it in the morning and see what I think. Retail is $32 for the full size; the sample is 0.1 oz.

Gray must be "in" this year because this is not the first time I have seen gray nail polish recently. This nail polish is Birchbox Custom Polish and Color Club and the shade is Status Update. I will give it shot on my toes before I go with the nails. It retails for $8 on Birchbox's site. I never could get a very good picture showing the color:

Benefit Cosmetics included their Foamingly Clean Facial Wash + Refined Finish Facial Polish. I believe I will really love this product and perhaps since I have been earning points on Birchbox's site through ordering this box and reviewing products, I will use those points on this product. It retails for $21-$22 in the full size. These are two samples that look like they will last 3-4 uses.

A Kate Spade New York perfume sample was included. It is in a little spray bottle. The fragrance is Twirl and it smells great. The description states that it is a blend of fruity and floral notes. The full size is 1.7 oz. costs $80.

I have to admit that I almost threw the next item away! It looked like a little ribbon that might have been tied on the top of something that had come loose. I am SO glad that I noticed that tiny little tag attached. It turned out to be a Twistband hair tie. It is very cute and looks like it will do a good job of holding my hair. A set of 12 costs $18.

Also included was a card for $25 off a $75 purchase from Madewell, a Fashion Fall Basics booklet, and a code for two free music downloads from Tristan Prettyman.

Overall, I liked this Birchbox, but I really don't feel like I'm getting a bargain. I feel like I'm paying for samples and the shipping. I'm still on the fence with Birchbox. Popsugar and Cravebox include full size products and I always feel like I get way more than I paid with them.

Popsugar Must Have Bag August 2012

Popsugar's Must Have Bag August 2012 has once again excited me. I waited in  intense anticipation for my box to arrive. The tracking site said to expect it on Tuesday, Sept. 4, so imagine my surprise when my mail lady came knocking on my door this afternoon with an over-sized box. I immediately saw the bright pink writing and knew it was my Popsugar box.

I immediately opened it to find many, many surprises inside. I was well beyond pleased to see the number of items inside my box.

The first thing that caught my eye was a picture of a butt in green underwear. This happened to be a DVD called Pop Physique Original Butt Total Body Workout. This is just what I need. No, really, I'm not kidding! I really, REALLY needed this! My husband and I have been on this intense diet and we have already lost 45 lbs between us and I was thinking that I needed to start working out. This workout boasts on the front that you will burn 500 calories if you do the complete DVD. I will start this tomorrow (maybe I should take before and after pics!). This DVD is $13 on amazon.com, but they only have 3 available.

I then turned my eyes to a bright blue bag. Since I have been on this diet, I am constantly looking for products that compliment what I am already eating and that will replace unhealthy choices I have made in the past. I believe this next product will do just that. Pretzel Crisps are crispy, delicious, and have no fat and only 110 calories per serving. I'm sold! In fact I bought a giant bag tonight at Sam's Club. The hard part will be limiting myself to a serving size! I will, though, because I am liking the scale going down too much to mess up now. These cost $3.49 for a 7.2 oz bag.

A long cardboard box, the entire length of the big box, was next. I had no idea what to expect as I opened this box. It turned out to be a reed diffuser from Alora. The scent is Isola and it smells heavenly. This exact diffuser can be ordered on the Alora website for a whopping $90.

Next, I noticed a red box with the name Govino on top. I had no idea what this was, but I quickly found out that these were on the go wine glasses. I don't really drink much wine, so they will probably be used for juice or Crystal Light. This 4 pack tote of shatter-proof wine glasses are $12.95

Wrapped inside Popsugar's signature pink tissue paper, there was a small black drawstring bag with two glass bottles inside. I was pleased to find that these were facial products, a cleanser and an exfoliator. These products are made by Sprout. The 4 oz cleanser costs $23.99 and the 4 oz exfoliator costs $24.99. The cleanser is non-foaming and the exfoliator is a powder, both of which are new to me. They are made from all natural ingredients. These look very promising.

Alongside the Sprout products were some Tatcha Blotting Papers. These Petal Fresh Japanese papers remove excess oil from skin without disturbing makeup. These will definitely come in handy for me and my combination skin. They retail for $12.95/30 papers.

A small striped blue and white package had gotten moved to the bottom of this box. It was a Baggu Bag all wrapped up in a neat little package. I plan on using this when I make a short trip to the grocery store. These bags retail for $10.

This month's box box included several "extras" as well as the regular stuff. Included with the extras was a sample size bag of Bear Naked granola that looks rather tasty, a Postagram card with a code for 10 free prints, valued at $10, and a couple of cute cardboard coasters with a 15% off coupon for Benziger Family Winery.

Altogether I thought this was an awesome box and well worth $35. I will definitely continue with Popsugar. I felt like a kid at Christmas when I opened my box this afternoon. Want one of your own for September? Click HERE to get it!