High End Vs. High Street: Mascara Edition

Hello Internet Beauties! 

Today I am putting four mascaras up against each other, two high street mascaras, and two high end mascaras (or at least what I consider high end!) to see which one will come out on top! Does more expensive always mean better results? Let's find out...!

The mascaras I'm trying today are:

• They're Real by Benefit (RRP £19.50)
• Better Than Sex by Too Faced (£19.00)
• Volume Million Lashes Excess by L'Oreal (RRP £9.99)
• Great Lash by Maybelline (RRP £4.99)

So, before reading any further, to make this fun, have a look at the pictures below which are in a random order. Without scrolling further, have a guess at which mascara I used in which picture! 

The mascaras tested today (from left to right)
Great Lash by Maybelline (excuse my old dirty packaging for this one, I've had it years!)
Better Than Sex by Too Faced
Volume Million Lashes by L'Oreal
They're Real by Benefit

Can you match each eye to the right mascara?! Once you have your choices, scroll down for the reveal! I have tried to apply the same amount of layers for each to give a fair comparison. 


So, here's the reveal...

Mascara 1 is Better Than Sex by Too Faced - this definitely gives curl. 

Mascara 2 is They're Real! by Benefit - this definitely adds length.

Mascara 3 is Great Lash by Maybelline - this is definitely a slightly more subtle/natural mascara, less length and definition between lashes.

Mascara 4 is Volume Million Lashes Excess by L'Oreal and definitely the winner for me! I was so surprised how similar this looked to the Benefit mascara, yet with even slightly more length! Also - it's half the price, which is crazy to me when they look so similar, so this is definitely the one to go for in my eyes! 

Overall, I was SO shocked by how similar the mascaras all were, considering their various brands and price differences. From this Vs. Edition, I've concluded mascara definitely isn't something I'll be judging based on the price! 

So were you surprised by the results?! Did you guess right?! What high end and high street makeup would you like to see battled against each other?! Let me know below!

Glossybox vs. Birchbox UK!

Hello Internet Beauties!

Are you considering signing up for your first beauty box this November but unsure of which one to go for? I thought I would put together a battle of the boxes with October's Glossybox and Birchbox to help you decide which one is worth going for this month! As one of the main reasons I love beauty boxes is the surprise factor, I thought doing this beauty box post on last month's boxes means no spoilers as everyone has the October boxes by now and still keeps the surprise for those of you wanting to sign up brand new for November, but still with a little helping hand for which one is worth your subscription! Note that for each one, you fill out a unique beauty profile so each box varies slightly per person!

I have been subscribed to Glossybox for about 3 months but have always wanted to try a Birchbox too. When I saw the cute packaging for October's box, I couldn't resist! The themed boxes are the different elements, I got my birth sign element of 'Water' and this month the boxes were actually storage boxes with a draw which is a really useful idea! This is what I received in my box: 

- Rituals: Hammam Body Mud (70ml)

- This Works: Deep Sleep Pillow Spray (5ml)

- LOC X Millie: Ultra Gloss Lip Pencil (FULL SIZE, worth £9)

- Doux Me: Pure Spring Mist (50ml)

- Number 4: Elixer Restore Oil (14ml)

- Trilogy: Vital Moisturising Cream (20ml)


This months's Glossybox was in it'a signature pink packaging and the way they wrap these are truly beautiful. It was a box in collaboration with blogger Estee Lalonde and I loved this as it shows that they support bloggers in a big way! Here is what I received in my Glossybox this month: 

- Bee Good: Honey & Camelina Facial Exfoliator (FULL SIZE, worth £10.50)

- Mystery Shampoo: The brand of this shampoo has been hidden! It's a tester 75ml of a well known shampoo with a new formula but with the brand hidden to allow a completely unbiased trial of the product, I think its so much fun!

- Trifle Cosmetics: Lip Parfait Buttery Lip Cream (FULL SIZE, worth £12.95)

- UBeauty: Secret Flush Blush and Lip Tint (FULL SIZE, worth $20/approx £15 converted)

- Rituals: Magic Touch Body Cream (70ml)

- P.S Pro: Lip Liner Pen (FULL SIZE, worth £3)

So, based on this month,  which beauty box is the winner for me? Firstly, one of the main things I noticed was the size of the boxes. When I saw my Birchbox come through the door, I was surprised! It actually fits inside my Glossybox, meaning it's way smaller than I expected, even though both subscriptions are £10. 

I think this can also be reflected in the sizes of the actual products, with Glossybox having an outstanding 4 full size products out of 6! This means the box value is a least £41.45! Which is absolutely amazing, seeing the box each month only costs you £10! Compared to one full size product for Birchbox and also the small size of there sample products, Glossybox is a clear winner in this way for me.

The products in Glossybox tend to be more makeup focused which is definitely what I prefer. With that and the sizing of products, Glossybox is definitely the overall winner for me! If you are more one for skincare, then Birchbox may be for you, but personally for best value for money for a makeup based beauty box, I would definitely recommend Glossybox! Also - sneak peak into November, apparently there's also 4 full sized products in Glossbox!! Which is incredible so I know I can't wait for mine! (haha the amount of exclamtion marks in this post shows my love for beauty boxes!) 

Which beauty boxes are your favourites?! Let me know in the comments below! Any other top boxes to be aware of?!