Battle of the beauty boxes

Sunday 15 February 2015 London, UK

This February I didn't get one, not two but three beauty boxes. So I thought what a perfect time to do a comparison of each, don't you think so? I looked at the content, packaging, value for money etc. So the 3 boxes are : Glossybox, My Little Box and Birchbox.




First of all lets start with a presentation of the products for each box:



Glossybox -£10/month excluding postage :

This month Glossybox followed the St. Valentine's theme with their Love Edition box.
To start with the box itself is very pretty, I may actually keep this one as a storage box. This month I got 5 full size products and a little Love Heart sweets pack.

-Wilkinson Sword razor- £9.90
-MARKS Mineral eyeshadow -£14.49
-Royal Apothis lips tinties -$14
-So Susan Rose quartet lip & cheek palette-£8
-B.Cosmetic Mascara -£9.99

Little extra--> Love Heart Sweets mini pack.




Birchbox -£10/ month free postage for 1st month:

This is my first Birchbox ever. On the day of subscribing I could decide if I wanted a small box (to fit through my letter box) or a larger box, whatever size you choose it does not affect products you receive. I decided to go for the smallest version purely for an ecology reason, less paper less trash (even so this empty box will end up in my recycle box). 
I received 5 beauty items and 1 food item (2 items were full size including the food item, rest are sample sizes).

- 1 pack of Oats + Chia mixed berry (food) by The Chia Co. -£4.95 for a pack of 5. This was a full size item.
-T London Darjeeling Bath & Shower wash 50ml- product is indicated with a starting price of £6.50 but when I looked on the T London site the 50ml is at £3.50 ?
-Eyeko fat Eye stick -£16 this was a full size item.
-Benefit High Beam the full size product cost £19.50 for 13ml I got a sample size at 2.3 ml.
-Electric hair Hydrate Shampoo a full size product cost £17.50 for 250ml I got a sample size at 30ml.
-Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance serum the full size product cost £45 for a gift set at 30ml + 50ml, I got a sample size at 10ml.





My little Box- £11/month excluding postage:

This months theme is in partnership with Ines De La Fressange. If you re not French you may not know who she is but as a French woman I know her well. Ines De La Fressange was a Top Model back in the 80's and 90's (She worked for Chanel and become the muse of Karl Lagerfeld) and become a kind of representation of the Parisian chic today with her simple yet elegant fashion design and perfumes. She is well loved in France for her simplicity and elegance. If you want to know more about her I suggest you click here. 

My Little Box, if you re not familiar with their products each month, you receive 3 or 4 beauty items (including My Little Box own range : My Little Beauty) and 2 or 3 non beauty products; could be anything from jewellery , to knit wear, ornaments, mugs etc..depending on each months theme. Along with My Little World magazine which is very well designed and put together.

Here they are and they are all full size items:

-DHC Oil Blotting paper -£4 for 100 sheets 
-Terry Crayon Khol shade is a No 3 sparkly bronze- £23
-L'Oréal  Brow Artist shaper -£5.49
-Embelliseur Teint de peche by My Little Box own beauty range -£9.50

Non-beauty items:
Ines De La Fressange iPhone pocket holder 
Ines De La Fressange petits mots (Ines De La fressange Little words) jar.




So here you re have it , now time to judge them :

Best for money value: 
First with my Glossybox (a value of about £52)  following on second position by My Little Box (only including beauty items of about: £42).

Worst for money value : 
Birchbox (approx £30) 

Best for beauty range:
Glossybox and in second position My Little Box.

Worst for beauty range:
Birchbox

The biggest disappointment :
Bichbox. I felt that the shampoo and bath & shower gel  items remind me of free products you get when you stay in any hotels, also a big disappointment with the Benefit minuscule sample size. Also the prices given (on the description leaflet which comes with the box) are not clear and I found price not being accurate once I looked online. Is Birchbox hiding real cost value of the products sent to their customers? I had the impression that yes they did, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

The most innovative:
In first position:
 My Little Box for the partnership with Ines De La Fressange, for the beautiful magazine, for the 4 lovely and full size beauty items, the very useful and pretty iPhone pocket and for the overall beautiful packaging.
In second position:
Glossybox for the love theme throughout the box, the pretty packaging and all  5 high value products and I remind you they were all full size.

The worst innovative:
As expected; Birchbox with barely any theme, no packaging, no outstanding items, confusing price information and only 2 full size items out of 6.

In conclusion:

My Little Box is my favourite this month following not far behind by Glossybox and, as you probably guess, my least favourite is Birchbox. 

Ironically I cancelled my Glossybox subscription for next month not because I was disappointed by their products but have been attracted, for few month now, by trying Birchbox instead. I have to admit that I surely regret now to have cancelled Glossybox but I'll give Birchbox an other chance or two. If I remain disappointed by their products, lack of clearness etc. I will cancel my subscription and surely come back with pleasure to Glossybox which very rarely disappoints me.

But what about the products quality?

Well I haven't properly tried any of the above beauty products (apart from swatches) this would have taken few days/weeks depending on the products to give a proper idea. This post was purely based on value, packaging, theme etc. but having said that if you would like me to do a whole post on comparing above products, then feel free to comment below and I surely will.

Have you tried any of about boxes? What are you thoughts? 

Marie
xxx









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