Saturday, January 3, 2015

Monthly Makeup Box Subscriptions Ipsy vs. Birchbox

So. I have been subscribing to one of two make up boxes for a while now. First I tried Ipsy for a few months. I then tried Birchbox. I am going to discuss both of them for anyone curious or interested in signing up themselves.

First, let me say that I signed up for a makeup subscription to prevent me from shopping for makeup all the time. I hardly ever wear it because I am pretty without makeup and I'm usually running late in the morning. When I have a makeup box coming in the mail, I don't care to go blow $50+ dollars at LUSH, or have an awesome Arbonne party where I purchase more makeup than I can afford and then it lasts me for YEARS because I rarely ever wear it. These subscriptions are only $10/month. That is much cheaper than binge-buying makeup. Wondering which would be right for you yet? I'm getting there.

Ipsy: http://www.ipsy.com/new


Ipsy sends you a small makeup bag that is usually cute each month. It costs $10/month plus taxes and shipping, so for me that was $10.58/month. You take a quiz so they know what to send you but in my experience it made no difference.

Bag Contents: 


  • Mostly make up. Mascara, nail polish, lip products, eye shadows, etc. Occasionally I would recieve hair spray or face wash but generally make up products from brands such as tarte, figs & rouge, and others I had not heard of.

Product Compatibility: Not Compatible

  • I was allergic to most of the eye products (except tarte, which I love).
  • A lot of the products were for tan or darker skin tones than mine. I received a highlighter once that literally did not show up on my skin because we were both the same shade of white. This happened even though I filled out my profile saying I was pale.
  • I would receive stuff that I literally would NEVER use, such as hair spray, lip gloss. I always reviewed each item and updated my profile but the bags never seemed to get 'better.' I generally didn't need/use at least 2-3 of the 5 items in each bag.
  • Eventually, you don't need anymore dang small makeup bags and you end up just taking them to Goodwill.

Product Quality: Good Overall

  • Overall the products aren't bad. I have extremely sensitive skin. If you can wear most makeup, chances are you can wear this makeup with no problem.

Point System: Very Good

  • When you review items, you get points. They rack up pretty quickly and you can buy free stuff. It is a very good point system.

Subscription: Cancelled

  • I barely wear makeup, like I said. I like cosmetics to lessen the redness of my face, wash off the oil on my face, moisturize my face and body, etc. I also like shampoo and conditioner samples. Ipsy is a makeup bag for the most part, NOT a skin product bag which is what I generally use. I got a facial cleanser one time that absolutely rocked, otherwise, I never received any other similar items. I have a ton of makeup now, so I don't need Ipsy. If you wear and want a lot of makeup and don't have sensitive skin: SUBSCRIBE TO IPSY.

Birchbox: https://www.birchbox.com/


Birchbox sends you a small cosmetics box each month that is wrapped beautifully. It costs $10/month exactly. You take a quiz so they know what to send you and they generally get your box absolutely right for your needs.

Bag Contents:

  • They send body lotion, hair products, shampoo, conditioner, facial moisturizers, etc. Most are sample size (just like Ipsy) BUT usually you get one full sized product each month. Also, the brands they send are generally extremely high quality. They also send out perfume samples which I never knew Ipsy to do at all. Occasionally they will send you a mascara or a nail polish.

Product Compatibility: Very Compatible

  • As I previously stated, I use body lotion, facial moisturizers, etc. I have dry, sensitive, red, skin so anything that will help those things, I am willing to try! I have been absolutely THRILLED with my Birchboxes and the boxes are very nice, you can save them to put wrapped gifts in. If you have sensitive skin, and you want to try out a bunch of stuff to see what works without spending a fortune, this is they way to go!

Product Quality: Extremely Good

  • Birchbox overall has much higher quality products than Ipsy does. Hands down. They only send the good stuff.

Point System: Total Garbage

  • Birchbox charges for their full sized products if you want to buy one after you tried and liked a sample. Their point system is a joke. It is hard to accumulate points and they are worth next to nothing. Want more points? Go with Ipsy.

Subscription: Still Active

  • Birchbox does exactly what I need it to do. It sends me the things I need so that I don't go to LUSH and spend more money than I have or order more Arbonne online. I will probably keep it for quite a while.Good products, good assortment, good price. Love it.

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