I subscribe to both Birchbox and Glossybox here in London and often post pictures of the boxes on Instagram. Lately I have realised that a lot of my readers in Australia don't actually know what they are. So for those who haven't heard of them, they are boxes of beauty samples which get sent to you each month.

They usually contain 5 sample sized products however sometimes you get a full sized product and sometimes you get little extras thrown in. I subscribe on a month to month basis and the cost is £10 a month plus postage (total cost £12.95). When you sign up you fill out a profile about your preferences on skin type, makeup etc. then each month you get sent a lovely box of goodies. There are quite a few companies doing them now but Birchbox and Glossybox seem to be the biggest and the originals.

I have been subscribing for about 5 months now and find them to be really hit and miss. I do love being sent them but I do often end up with products that i'm not going to use. I think Birchbox comes out in front for me for having brands I have actually heard of in their boxes, however Glossybox definitely win on the presentation and reliability fronts. I have done a little comparison of the two boxes I have been sent in November for you to see.

Sometimes they do themed boxes (eg. London Fashion Week, Summer etc). Glossybox do amazing packaging on their themed boxes. November however was a standard month so these both have the standard packaging.

Glossybox ... always amazing presentation

Birchboxes have an inner draw-string bag which holds the goodies

The November Glossybox contained - Vichy Idealia Life Serum, Emite Makeup Eyeshadow in Dams, Yves Rocher France Hand Cream, Elegant Touch Rapid Dry for Nails and Complete Long-lasting Nail Polish in Moleskin.

I am actually quite pleased with what is in this box. I have been looking for a nail drying spray so i'm happy I don't have to go out and buy one. Hand cream always gets used in this climate, so that is a good inclusion. The nail polish colour is ok. I don't love it but will give it a try to see what it looks like on. The Vichy skincare will go straight into my makeup kit to use on jobs as I tend not to dabble too much with new skin products. The eye shadow is a good neutral colour that i'm sure I will use.

The November Birchbox contained - Laura Mercier Body Butter in Vanilla, Weleda Replenishing Oat Shampoo, Chella Highlighting Pencil, Spa Find Bust Serum, English Laundry perfume sample, 3 x Pukka Herbs tea-bags and a Birchbox Pencil Sharpener.

Again, I am pleasantly surprised by this month's box. I love Laura Mercier so i'm sure i'm going to enjoy using this moisturiser. Weleda is another great brand that I know and love and I always use mini shampoos when I travel. The highlighting pencil will go into my makeup kit. The bust serum is a little strange but I will give it a go. I don't love getting perfume samples and don't really use them so it's a no on that. The pencil sharpener is handy and I will pop the tea-bags in the cupboard as i'm not a tea drinker.

Both Glossybox and Birchbox have shop sections on their website where you can buyt the full-sized products of what you have been sent. I must admit, I am yet to purchase any of the products I have tried.

Some beauty boxes have just launched in Australia offering a similar service. Bella Box looks quite good, and costs $15 a month with free shipping. I was impressed by the listing of brands they include. There is also Violet Box which is priced a fair bit higher at $22.95 with free shipping, and it also looks to have good brands included. I would love to hear from anyone who subscribes to either of these, so please comment below if you do.

This month I received two samples of lip & cheek stains in my Glossybox and Birchbox. I am a firm believer in cream blushes so I was curious to see if I preferred this stain type format.

For those of you who don't know how the Glossybox and Birchboxes work, I will be explaining all in a post very soon. I am just waiting for this month's boxes to arrive to photograph and review for you!

In my Glossybox I received a full size (12ml) of Me Me Me's Cherub's Blush. It is a cheek and lip tint which comes in a bottle with a brush in the cap, like a bottle of nail polish. The aim of this product is to give a long-lasting hint of colour. I first tried it on my lips and while the colour was pretty, I found the texture quite drying and I couldn't wait to put lip balm over the top. It was very subtle and pretty on the cheeks though and the smell was amazing. I am a sucker for anything with a rose scent. This costs £5.50 which I think is pretty good value and you can buy it here.

In my Birchbox I received a sample size of Stainiac from The Balm in colour Beauty Queen. This one is a gel formula, which comes with an applicator like a lip gloss. I felt a bit more in my comfort zone as I do love this texture. Colour-wise it was more subtle than the Cherub's Blush. I didn't like it on my lips, even though it was a gel it still felt dry to me. It was quite pretty on the cheeks - it reminded me of 'Oh Glow' by Smashbox which I found to be a bit too sheer for my liking. This costs £10 to buy the full size through Birchbox but it it currently unavailable ?? They obviously need to sort that out. If you are in Australia, it costs $17 and you can buy it here.

Top swatch - Me Me Me's Cherub's BlushBottom swatch - The Balm's Stainiac — Top swatch - Me Me Me's Cherub's Blush
Bottom swatch - The Balm's Stainiac

I think these lip and cheek stains could be your thing if you are very pale and only like a suggestion of colour. For me, i'm sticking to my beloved cream blushes and hydrating lipsticks.

Battle of the Beauty Boxes - Birchbox and Glossybox Reveals

Lip & Cheek Stains