Doris Pace
South Bureau Chief
Beauty subscriptions are great. They’re convenient, fun and a great way to try new brands and products. There are plenty of options with different price ranges and finding the right one can take a few tries so I’ve reviewed 3 boxes to help make your decision a little easier.
Allure Beauty Box at $15 a month, Ipsy at $10 a month and Walmart Beauty Box at $5 a season.
Let’s start with the Walmart Beauty Box. It’s the least expensive and for $5 and no other fees or shipping costs it’s definitely worth a try. Unlike the other box subscriptions, you only receive four boxes a year. One to accompany each season.
The products that arrive in your box are items sold at Walmart, which I don’t mind because you know that any item in the box you fall in love with will be really affordable. Walmart does one more thing to invite you to buy their products; they include coupons. Good ones too.
The products are pretty random but in line with what you like based on your beauty profile. I have not yet received the fall 2018 box but I really enjoyed my summer box. The Walmart Beauty Box for summer came with eight items. Here are my top three: Garnier Fructis One Minute Hair Mask, Rembrandt Three Day Whitening Boost Kit and Garnier SkinActive Moisturizer Mask, all in sample sizes.
I’ve gotten three boxes since I signed up and none included any make up. During my beauty profile set up I was asked if I was interested in receiving household or snack and treats samples. I’m curious to find out what other products besides personal and skin care they send.
Overall, I was very happy with my box. The samples included items I already use as part of my daily routine and the coupons will definitely get me to try some of the new items I just discovered.
Ipsy is one of the best known and most subscribed to beauty boxes and even has a waitlist. It’s a monthly delivery that includes five beauty samples for $10 a month or a discounted rate for yearly subscribers. Items range from makeup to beauty tools delivered in a different cute makeup bag. Your bag will include items based on your beauty profile. Ipsy does not include coupons but you can buy featured items on their website for a discounted price. They also have a points system, which lets you cash out and buy products. To get points you have to review items in your bag.
Reviewing items is a very important part of your subscription. It allows Ipsy curators to send you items that you will really enjoy. For the first few years I didn’t review items and I kept getting the same type of items which I didn’t really use. It wasn’t until I started reviewing each item in my bag that I started to see a change in items I was receiving and really enjoying Ipsy.
My top three products from September’s cute bag are: Hempz Triple Moisture Herbal Whipped Body Cream, Luxie Beauty Harley Quinn Detail Flat Definer 110 and Dirty Little Secret Cosmetics Bronzer in Skinny Dip. All sample sizes. Ipsy is for the makeup lover on a budget. It won’t disappoint unless you don’t review items.Finally, we get to the Allure Beauty Box. It’s the most expensive on the list but it’s worth every penny. Subscriptions are available for $15 a month or $150 per year. Allure delivers a great experience for a reasonable price and right now you can get your first box for $10 while on promotion on their site. The products in this box are “deluxe size” which Allure describes on their site as enough for 3 uses and also one full sized item. Every box also comes with an “Allure Mini Magazine” that gives you a breakdown of what’s in your box.
My top three products from September’s box are: Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial and a full-size MAC Retro Matte Lipstick. Full size! The products in this box are luxury brand and the values of the boxes are always between $15 and $90.
Allure’s beauty box is my favorite hands down. The price is still within a reasonable range and just the thought of sampling luxury makeup and personal care items is enough to get me excited.