Birchbox vs Ipsy

I've recently discovered you can get fun things delivered to your house every month. These fun little subscriptions are like having a birthday every month and getting presents without getting old.

I started with Birchbox first, I discovered it by accident one day looking for subscriptions for your pets to get fun toys in the mail every month. I got on the waiting list and patiently waited to get my invitation. Which came while I was on vacation. They warn you that you only have a couple days to answer to the invite or you get back on the list. So I missed it, I was pretty sad since I had already been waiting a couple months. Luckily my second chance invite came within the next couple weeks. Now I get my box on a monthly basis and have found some great new make tips and products.

Ipsy I found by liking Birchbox on Facebook, a few people commented on how they liked it better. Some were asking what the difference was between the two. Curiosity got to me and then I was sitting pretty on Ipsy's waiting list. I finally got to skip ahead and get my "Glam Bag" this December. 

So I thought I would compare the two so others might find this useful in deciding which one would work for them.  

• Each has a waiting list, 3-4 months long. While it drives you crazy cause you might be missing out on something! It does help the anticipation. 
• Each subscription is $10 a month. 
• Each month before you get your box/bag you get sneak peeks of what you could be getting.
• Each website has a survey for you to take so they know what type of samples to send you. Make sure you answer it and update it as needed. 
• Each month you get 4-6 samples, now these are usually deluxe or sometimes full sized items. 
• Each has reward points for reviews, more detail below.

Now that I've listed the similarities I'm going to compare Birchbox's December Box themed Sparkle and Shine and Ipsy's Glam Bag themed Celebration. *Disclaimer these items were picked to match my likes and concerns about beauty products. Not everyone got what I got. 

Birchbox

No. 4 Hair Spray (Deluxe sample, full size value $30.00)

Secret Agent Beauty Lip Gloss (Deluxe sample, full size value $18.00)

Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Serum (Deluxe sample, full size value$75)

Nuxe Body Fondant Firming Cream (2 Sample Packs, full size value $55)

Hair tie (one random hair tie, full size pack of 6 $12.00)

I've noticed with Birchbox you get some really great deluxe size samples on most of their samples. I've gotten little nail polish bottles that will last me months and months. There has been hair products I've gotten a months worth of use out of. The products they are sampling are really high end products that you don't need a lot of it to see results. You will also get full size samples often, those are a great treat!

Birchbox will ask that you review the samples you got on their website. They definitely entice you by offering 10 points per review, you also get 1 point for every dollar you spend. Once you get to 100 points you get $10 off your next purchase. If you get five items and review them all you get 50 points right there. Their reward points system is really a big perk. Points do expire after 365 days, I haven't yet found a limit on how many you can bank up. I currently have $30 in points waiting to be spent!

Ipsy
Salon Perfect False Eyelashes (Full Size, value $2.98)
Mirabella Eye Blender Brush (Full Size, value $27)
The Big Lip Pencil in Red Rose (Full Size, value $3.99)
Pop Beauty Eye Shadow Trio in Smokin' Hot (Sample size, full size has 10 colors $24)
Be A Bombshell The One Stick in Sunset (Full size, $16)
Small Black Make Up Bag (Unknown value)

Ipsy's products this month don't really seem like samples, they all appear to be full size items. However the full size value of them aren't as much as Birchbox, that's probably how they get away with it. They do have a point system as well for reviews. You get 10 points for every review, you can also get 5 points for sharing on Facebook that you got your Glam Bag. You don't get points for purchases because you actually don't purchase anything through the website. They will link you to the product's official website or retailer. I was offered a discount to 4 of the 5 websites on my entire purchase. Not just that one item, and the discounts were from 25% - 40% off. Every month Ipsy offers a few special items to redeem your points. This month they were each 1000 points to get, I'm not sure if that's always the point price to redeem or if it changes. They ship you your bag in a fun bright pink padded envelope, how fun is that!

I think each bag has its perks. Birchbox's samples might be on the smaller size compared to Ipsy, but their point system really beats them. You get a fun little make up bag every month with Ipsy, but eventually I'll collect so many I won't know what to do with them. Birchbox comes in a cute little brown box that could be re-purposed or used again as a present box for example. The staff at Birchbox also post How To's on turning your box into something else. This month was instructions on painting and turning your box into a jewelry box with a photo frame on the top. So I think Birchbox wins on the point system. I think I rather earn more points then get a makeup bag every month.

Ipsy allows you to upload your own video reviews or tutorials on how to use the products. So there are real women just trying it out and giving honest reviews on the products. With Birchbox you only get a written review of the item. Sometimes the staff at Birchbox will show you how they use the product in a video, or easy step by step pictures. So I might have to give the review side of it to Ipsy.

I'd recommend giving each a try if you are interested in trying out great new products for a very small price! Here's the links for Birchbox and Ipsy again. You can cancel at any time without any penalties.

Cracked Memory

I'm currently watching the one movie that made me stop writing creatively. Well it might not have been solely this one movie that discouraged me from continuing my fiction stories. However it did have a huge impact on my decision to give up. What movie is this you ask? I'll get to that in a minute.

One reason for my giving up was partly a lack of confidence. Then part English teacher who made it sound like becoming published was compared to winning the lottery.  It wouldn't happen. Ever. I can't blame her for that, looking back during that time it was excruciatingly hard to get published. Now with all the resources at our finger tips its much easier to self publish.  You just get lost in the sea of ebooks and other digital media. With that being said I still lack confidence that I would be able to stand out above the rest. My other more confident side says, "Go for it! It wont hurt anything and you never know what could happen."

Now I sit at a crossroad trying to decide if I should take one more crack at it. Set a side a little time each day to clean up my old stories, add more value to them. Start writing for fun and not work related. I guess only time will tell.

On to the movie that crushed my dreams of becoming a New York Times Bestseller.  A movie about a girl winning a wonderful vacation trip from a local radio station. Which doesn't turn out that wonderful, being stranded with no where to go. Every one she knows gets picked off one by one. Sound familiar?  It's the exact synopsis of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.  I had my story almost finished when I saw a trailer for I Still Know, it was exactly what my story was. The only major difference was character names, and the protagonist being stranded on a cruise ship in the Bahamas rather an island.

I knew if I finished it and let others read it they would say I plagiarized or at least copied I Still Know. Even though I know for a fact I knew nothing of that movie prior to my writing. I still couldn't finish, I didn't want to be thought of as an unoriginal copycat.

So my question is, how does one become confident again? How do you not feel like your ideas are five minutes too slow?

The Window's Spark

This story comes to you from last year, when I was still living in my apartment. This occurrence really helped me make the decision it was about time to move and see if I can buy a home. 


Now I normally wouldn't sleep with my window open being on the main level of an apartment complex. I may be slightly scared of what may try climbing in and trying to kidnap me. (I'm pretty sure one day I'll be kidnapped...) This night I guess I was feeling slightly confident I'd be okay. 


So on one 9th day of June of the year of our lord 2011, about 11 PM (which was a Thursday). I'm finally dozing off needing to get up early in the morning for work. There seems to be a trend of me trying to get to sleep early and Draper Police not liking that. I don't know what their problem is!


All of a sudden I hear all of this in a matter of 30 seconds;


A man yell "Don't run bro!"
POP!
"ARRRRggggAAAhhhhh!!"
"I told you not to run dude, hurts don't it!?"


I've jumped about 3 feet in the air and quietly tried to peek out of my window with out being obvious. My heart is pounding and I'm pretty sure they could hear it thumping out of my chest. I see a man laying on the grass about 10 feet from my bedroom window and a few cops standing over him. Asking how old he was and telling him he should stay still it makes it worse if he moves. He had met a taser gun. At first I thought he had been shot, but the pop and sparking noise told me that wasn't a gun.


Eventually they get him up on his feet and away from my window. I was thankful because I was spending the previous 15 minutes trying to figure out how to discreetly shut my window. Those previous 15 minutes were also spent hiding under my covers. Hiding under your covers always protects you from everything, except Freddy Krueger. 


Needless to say I couldn't fall back to sleep once they all left. I downloaded a police scanner app in hopes I could hear what they may have been saying about him. However it was full of code talk and boring things. I did check in the morning the Salt Lake Counties Roster and Docket list but I didn't even know his name so it was extremely unhelpful. 


So after that day I had a really hard time wanting to sleep with the window open just in case Draper Police decided they wanted to cause a commotion outside my window again. Since this was the second time the Police had been around my window. See this story for the first time if you don't remember.


That was another one of my stories. I hope you've enjoyed it!

Two Car Garages are Inspirational.

A small update with a small gripe. 


My love of Chapstick (refresher here if needed) has come to an all time happiness and sadness in one. I can now find the Spearmint ChapStick in stores almost everywhere. I'm sure they read my previous blog noting how impossible it was to find then proceeded to make it easily available for me. I now have a stock pile hidden under my bathroom sink of Spearmint ChapStick. I often buy four or five every time I hit the pharmaceutical aisles. I'm so happy that I have this ChapStick again I'm writing a blog about it, when I've promised so many other amazing stories. Sorry about that.


The sadness fact comes with the aforementioned  that really needs to become easier for me; opening a new ChapStick. I am positive that 90% of the time when opening up a new ChapStick something horrible happens. 


I easily get the ChapStick removed from the blister pack; I wish it ended right there. The "SEALED FOR YOUR PROTECTION" cap topper has become a horrible enemy. The directions make it seem so easy "Twist Cap to Break Seal". One of four things will happen:


1. I  twist and twist until I decide to rip the whole label off and now have unidentifiable ChapStick floating around. This causes problems when I'm thinking it's Spearmint and turns out to be Medicated. The expected lip protectant outcome leaves disappointed lips. Ratio: 30%


2. I twist and twist so much the label appears to be spinning around the plastic tube. Taking some sharp object to the supposed perforated line that breaks the seal that finally lets it be opened. Only to be discovered you've also twisted the twist mechanism up and now 35% of your ChapStick is stuck to the top of the cap. Ratio: 30%


3. Twisting and twisting again, this time no sharp object is available for easy cutting. So biting off the cap is the only next logical option; leaving teeth indents all over the cap. People observing you happily reapplying will also notice that you gnaw on your ChapStick and assume you have other bad hygiene habits. Ratio 30%


4. Knowing the last few times opening ChapStick, that you had major problems and use a sharp object to break the seal enjoy ChapStick; short of missing labels, filled caps or chewed on ChapStick. Ratio 10%


Knowing number 4 is the best option every time and seeing the ratio on how many times it is used will show you how intellectual or stubborn I am. I prefer you to think the latter. One day I will perfect how to open a ChapStick until then I will write extremely long blogs about how I try and break a seal. 

Twinkling Past

I remember the days when I said I would blog ever day, or at least more often. 

I remember the days when I had time to spend hours on the internet.

I remember the days when I didn't watch Football every weekend.

I remember the days when I had to change diapers.

I remember the days when friends moved away.

I remember the days when I was learning to drive.

I remember the days when I still loved playing with Barbies.

I remember the days when Winter Break was called Christmas Break

I remember the days when counting down for Christmas seemed like still 100 days away.

I remember the days when I only wanted to wear one dress every day.

2011 is over as far as I'm concerned. 


They say the older you get the shorter the years feel. I hope that's not completely true otherwise next year will feel like it was only a month long. I didn't have much time this past year to blog. I've been busy working, going on much needed vacations and just taking breaks from computers in general. The breaks from computers might have something to do with having a smart phone. I can do everything from my phone instead. Blogging from my phone would take too long, plus I'd have to stop playing Fruit Ninja first! I've also been busying watching every possible episode of The Big Bang Theory. 


2012 has been dubbed the year of change. So when those good changes come I'll update more. Hope you all had a great year.