January 2015 Beauty Box 5 - Beauty Subscription Box Review

Beauty Box 5 is a monthly subscription box that costs $12 US per month + $3 shipping to Canada. If you sign up for a longer subscription, you get a lower price per box: $30 quarterly, and $99 a year ( plus $3 shipping per month). 

Beauty Box 5 has been referred to as the"starter beauty box" - it does not send many high end products and the value tends to be lower than other boxes but they often do have really good products.

I signed up for Beauty Box 5 when they had a promotional code for $12 off a year (and before they started charging for shipping!) - so I got a full year for $87. This worked out to $97.60 Canadian with the exchange rate so I only pay $8.14 a month for this subscription.

*As of late, Beauty Box 5's boxes have been very up and down - they have had some great products; however, there have been very low box values and not so good products. I would suggest that you read reviews and see if it is products you like!*

Here is my January 2015 Beauty Box 5:

The theme for this month's box is: Hello! The beginning of a new year can mean new challenges, but rather than shying away from confrontation, greet them wholeheartedly with a smile and a twinkle (and lining) your perfectly-accented eyes! You never know what new opportunities  are on the horizon, so put your well manicured self forward and say hi to fresh possibilities!

When I first opened the box, I was actually glad to see nail wraps, eye shadow and mascara - however, after doing some research and reading a few other reviews, there is an issue with 1 or 2 of the products!

January 2015 Beauteque Monthly BB Bag Review

Beauteque is an American company that focuses on creating a beauty bag with Asian Beauty products. Beauteque has piloted their BB Bags for a few months since July, before launching the full subscription service. The January 2015 is the first official Beauteque Monthly BB Bag! 

The BB Bag is described as:

"Our BB Bag subscription delivers 7 full sized luxury products to your doorstep every month. A combination of beauty, skincare, and lifestyle products, you will receive a variety of goodies, whether it's makeup, skincare, jewellery, or much more! Not a month will go by that you aren't left with wanting more, so become a Beauteque Beauty and subscribe to us today!"

Beauteque is $24 monthly - if you sign up for a longer subscription, you can save a little money: $23 per month if you sign up for 6 months, or $22 per month if you sign up for 12 months). Shipping per month is $3.95 for the U.S., $5.95 to Canada, and $8.95 to Europe. The value of each BB bag will be $65-$85.

While $23 + shipping is a little pricey for a beauty bag, this one guarantees 7 full sized products and a good value!

Beauteque allows to customize a few products in the bag and the rest of the products will be a surprise! This month we got to select the scent of a hair product, the color of a sleep mask, and the shade of a blush! 

Here is a look at the January 2015 Beauteque Monthly BB Bag:

The theme for the January bag is "Bling in the New Year" - It's a new year, sparkling with promise! That's why we've assembled this blinged-out beauty bag just for you, jam-packed with gems for your hair, makeup and body goodies and even more! Shine as brightly as a diamond, ruby or emerald with everything you need to start the year off right and bright!
All the products came in a big makeup bag to go with the theme! 

January 2015 Birchbox Canada - Subscription Beauty Box Review

Birchbox is the original sample beauty box and has been in the U.S.A. since 2010 - and this is only the 2nd month it has been offered in Canada. It is $10 a month + $4.95 shipping to Canada (you can save money by signing up for a year for $100 + shipping costs). Each month you receive 5 sample (or full size) products based on a beauty profile you complete.

Birchbox Canada describes itself as:
"Five personalized beauty samples delivered right to your door each month. It’s the best way to find the products you’ll love."

It should be noted that if you view the U.S. Birchbox - Canadian's receive different products. I hope this expands and we get access to all the products available to out American counterparts soon! I like that some boxes (such as Ipsy and Glossybox) offer the exact boxes to Canadians - I am hoping Birchbox does the same at some point!

Here is a look at the January 2015 Birchbox:

The theme for this month's box is "Let's Do This!". 

Manicure Monday (Sally Hansen Nail Wraps) + Mask Monday (Skin Food Black Sugar Mask) - on a Tuesday!

My Manicure Monday this week is going to be a repeat of last week (you can see that post here) - I am still wearing the same Sally Hansen Nail Wraps! 

Here is a look:

I have been wearing these for just over a week now and I am impressed! They have survived me playing volleyball, coaching basketball, and doing a major houseclean + dishes and everything else!

January 2015 Topbox - Canadian Beauty Box Review

TopBox is a Canadian Beauty Box Subscription - for $12 CDN a month with free shipping (I pay $12.60 each month with tax), you will receive 4 deluxe sample size or full size products. You fill out a beauty profile and generally receive products based on what you have identified in the profile. Also, every month you have the option to wish for a "prive" box. A prive box is a box that focuses on one brand or product for the whole box.

TopBox is a Canadian company and only ships to Canada. The only downside to subscribing to TopBox is that there is a wait-list that can take a month or two to get off of.

For January, I selected the "regular" topbox - none of the Prive boxes jumped out at me!

Here is my January Topbox review:

4 items in a little organza bag (Topbox usually sends their items out in a cardboard tube, but they have started offering an eco-friendly option with reusable bags). 

January 2015 - Ipsy Sample Beauty Bag Review

Ipsy is one of the inexpensive beauty bag sample subscriptions. You receive 4-5 deluxe sample size or full size products each month. The cost is $10 US (+ $4.95 shipping to Canada). 

Ipsy is generally make-up products with a mix of skin, nail, and hair products based on a beauty profile you complete. There is usually 12-18 products that are selected from each month! You can view your "glam room" online that tells you all the products you will receive each month (I really like to keep it a surprise so I don't check ahead of time!) You also receive a make-up bag each month with your products.

Here is a look at the January 2015 Ipsy Bag:

The makeup bag this month is dual sided so I thought I would show you both sides! The theme for the January Bag is "Fresh Start":
"A kickoff so clean the possibilities are endless. Get ready for a fantastic and flawless 2015."

December 2014 - Glossybox Beauty Box Review

Glossybox is newly shipping to Canada! November 2014 was their first month! Glossybox has been operating in the U.S. for some time now, so it was exciting to see them come to Canada! 

Glossybox is a beauty sample subscription box that sends you 5 deluxe size samples of luxury beauty products. The cost is $21 a month + plus $5 shipping to Canada. You save money if you sign up for a longer subscription: $60 for 3 months, $115 for 6 months, and $220 for 12 months + $5 shipping per month. They send you high-end, niche and trendy beauty products in each box.

Glossybox ships the 3rd week of the month so arrives in Canada usually at the start of the next month. I am not a huge fan of late shipping because I don't like getting December boxes in January! 

Here is a look at the December 2014 Glossybox:

Here is a closer look at the products inside:

Memebox Global #18 Review + coupon code

Memebox is a Korean Beauty Box company - it is not a monthly subscription box. Instead, they release different boxes ranging in price from $15 and up - usually between $23 and $29.

All the boxes have different themes and they are limited quantities and sell out quickly - so if you see one you like, don't hesitate! The boxes come with 4-8 full size and deluxe sample size items & they usually show you 1 spoiler from the box and the rest are all surprises! Shipping to Canada is $6.99 (shipping does take anywhere from 10-20 business days) and they ship worldwide!

Global Box #18 was $23 + shipping. It is described as:

Lets celebrate! We've already made it to the 18th box! To celebrate the release of the 18th version of our hottest box series, we’ve made sure to fill it with our very own favorite goodies, perfect for any and every occasion!

As much as we put in extra time and effort in curating  this box, we hope that you love each and every one of the goodies inside! We’d hate to have you miss out, so pre-order your box right now to celebrate this exciting milestone with us!    

Here is the first look:

Looks like a good amount of products - Memebox always comes with a thorough product card, here is a look:

Mask and Manicure Monday (Sally Hansen Nail Wraps + The Face Shop Mung Bean Mask)

Well I broke a few nails this week (and I'm not feeling well) so my Manicure Monday is going to be a bit of an easier one! I have never tried Sally Hansen nail wraps before and a few were on sale today as I was going to pick up some goodies to make me feel better - so I grabbed some! 

Also, for fun (and a great skin care step) I am going to be reviewing a face mask with every Manicure Monday - this week is a sheet mask by the Face Shop. I have so many different kinds and I use face masks 2-3 times per week now! 

Let's start with the Manicure!

Here are the products I used for this week's Manicure Monday:

December 2014 My Subscription Addiction Quarterly Co. Box Review #MSA02

Quarterly Co. is a quarterly subscription box company that features boxes curated by celebrities and personalities you love. The subscriptions range from fashion to food to books and include packages curated by people from Bill Nye to Pharrel Williams to Rosario Dawson, etc. Most packages are $50 but a couple are $100 plus shipping (shipping to Canada is a little hefty on this site - $10-$20 per package so make sure you are signing up for one you really want!).

I was so excited when Liz from My Subscription Addiction announced that she was a new curator for Quarterly Co - this is her second box and I was pleased with the first box in October. The box will include items from Beauty, Lifestyle and Fashion. Liz describes her subscription as "each quarter, I'll send you my ingredient-conscious picks for beauty, fashion, and lifestyle."

This Box was $50 (plus $20 shipping to Canada) - I do find shipping a bit slow to Canada but it happens with all the boxes, so I am used to it! 

Here is a look at the #MSA02 Box:

The box is so big because there is a big blanket! What I love about Quarterly Co. boxes is that they include a detailed letter from the curator describing why they included each item!

Winter 2014 FabFitFun Lifestyle Box Review

FabFitFun is an awesome quarterly lifestyle box! For $57.99 Canadian ($49.99 in the U.S.A.)  at the start of each season, they guarantee you will receive at least $100 worth of items. It is usually way more - the Summer 2014 had a value of $245 and the Fall 2014 had a value of $232!

I have been very happy with the FabFitFun boxes - this is one of my favorite subscriptions!

Here is a look at the Winter 2014 Box:

Looks like a good mix of stuff - FabFitFun always comes with a big fold-out product card that is very thorough!

December 2014 Beauty Box Comparison - Ipsy vs. Topbox vs. Birchbox vs. Beauty Box 5

This is the first month I get to compare 4 inexpensive Beauty Bag/Boxes as Birchbox has started shipping to Canada!!!

Here is my chart breakdown comparing Ipsy, Topbox, BirchBox and Beauty Box 5:

2015 Color of the Year - and Color of the Year Manicure Monday (January Color of the Year Feature)

Did you know every year Pantone introduces its "Color of the Year"? Ya, me neither - but now that I know, I love the idea!

2015's Color of the Year is: Marsala