Monday, June 23, 2014


hi guys! any time I post about subscription boxes (the two I subscribe to are birchbox & ipsy) I get a lot of questions on what they are, how they work, the price, my opinion, etc. so I thought I'd break it down a little today.

in general, you pay $10 a month for these 2 beauty subscription boxes, (the 2 I'm talking about today) and each month (anywhere between the 10th-20th) you get a box/bag of makeup and beauty goodies. I have been subscribed to both for a while now, so I sort of have a feel of where each box shines, and where I wish they would improve. here's the basics.


what do you get? 
birchbox: a box of samples and sometimes full-size products. they always include an 'extra' which isn't beauty related.. the extra could be chocolates, tea, bobby pins, a granola bar, jewelry, etc. the rest is beauty related, but not always makeup products. it ranges from skincare, perfume samples, nail polish, hair products, lotions, shower gel, mascara, lipstick, and so on.

ispy: while birchbox has a pretty broad range of types of products, ipsy is more specific. they usually send more makeup and skincare items than anything; however, I've gotten hair products, nail polish, lotions, skincare, etc before. their products tend to be full size (as in lips glosses or mascaras) with sample sized hair care and lotions.

what brands? 
birchbox: here is the major difference that I have noticed with the two subscriptions, and the key point that I think will help make your decision.. the quality and price point of the brands. birchbox tends to send expensive, high-end products in sample sizes. example: mally beauty mascara, bumble and bumble hair products, urban decay eyeliner. birchbox items comes in a cute little box, that I actually reuse sometimes.

ipsy: for the most part, ipsy sends cheaper, more affordable products in full size, but sometimes sample sizes. example: NYX lip gloss, elf makeup brushes. ipsy items come in a makeup bag, which is a great selling point, because you get a fun new bag to use every month. the bags are usually pretty cute too. at this point I have TONS of them, more than I can use, but I still think its a great perk.

can I control what products I receive?
birchbox: when you sign up you fill out a questionnaire all about you. they ask questions about your skin type, skin color, hair color, hair type, etc. they also find out what sort of products you prefer by asking about which price point you prefer your products and what 'level' you consider your beauty expertise. its very customized, and you can really tell that they take that into consideration (for example, after a few months I changed my profile to reflect that I no longer cared for skincare products, and I haven't gotten as many at all since then)

ipsy: ipsy is a little less customize-able. you do take a quiz but the questions are more generic about brands that you have or like and a couple questions about your skin and hair. for the most part, I think ipsy only has a few bags with product combinations that they send to everyone and its sort of just luck of the draw.

the wait list:
birchbox: there is a wait list for both subscriptions, however, I found that birchbox's was much shorter. the average is 2 weeks (I think mine may have been 3)

ipsy: ipsy's wait list seemed to take forever (almost 2 months for me) and its the biggest complaint I've heard. there are ways to come off the list, like referring 2 friends. they have you share it on facebook, send out emails, etc. and if you get 2 people to not only join, but pay the $10, then you can come off the list. I wasn't able to get 2 people to join so I just waited my turn.. it took forever, but it is worth it!

how can I subscribe?
here are my referral links!

birchbox: click here to sign up

ipsy: click here to sign up

other things worth mentioning..
you can really learn more about each by going to their website, but to save time, I'll give you some basic info. each subscription is $10 a month, and they automatically charge you. it can be cancelled at any time, free of charge. with birchbox, you can pay for the full year upfront, and it only costs $110 (so in theory, you get a month free). I have never had to use ipsy's customer service; I have had to contact birchbox (via email) because one of my items was damaged. they responded quickly and sent me a new item in a matter of days, so I was pleased with their level of customer service. each subscription has their perks, which is why I stay subscribed to both. they also have their downfalls (birchbox sends products I don't always use, ipsy sends super cheap brands I could buy myself, ie: NYX or elf) but I think they're both a lot of fun and its always nice to have a fun present in the mail each month!

if you guys have any more questions about birchbox or ipsy, or want my thoughts or opinion on which would be best for you, please feel free to ask! this month I posted my June birchbox and ipsy on instagram, so go check it out and follow me! @makupyourmind
-katie

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