The Birchbox vs Ipsy vs Sephora post series compares my Birchbox and Ipsy subscription every month to give you a good idea what you can expect from the three most popular beauty subscription boxes. (And since all 3 boxes are $10 a month, it seems fair to stack them up against each other).
If you are interested in finding other great beauty boxes, check out our Top 31 Beauty Subscription Boxes for 2017!
FYI – I pay for these subscriptions, and as a regular customer, I get one of many variations available each month. So while one month alone might not be enough info to make a decision, looking at the results over several months should give you a good picture of what to expect with each box.
Birchbox August 2017 (Check out the full Birchbox review)
Number of items: 5
Full-size items: 1
Deluxe size items: 0
Brands featured: Stila, Living Proof, Pur-Lisse, Dr. Jart, Amika
Categories featured: Skincare (2) Makeup (1) Haircare (2)
Total Value: $39
Favorite item in the box: Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse™ Ultimate Hydro Gel
I love every item in this box, but this is my favorite new discovery. This gel is so refreshing! It’s a lightweight face cream that’s hydrating without any greasiness. And it just feels luxe on your skin, too.
Ipsy August 2017 (Check out the full Ipsy review)
Number of items: 5
Full-size items: 2
Deluxe size items: 0
Brands featured: Glamour Dolls, Marc Anthony, Pacifica, theBalm, Aurora
Categories featured: Makeup (3) Haircare (1) Tools (1)
Total Value: $30
Favorite item in the box: Marc Anthony Curl Envy
No item really stood out to me as a favorite this month, but I love the scent of this curl cream, and so many MSA readers commented that it was a hair game-changer for them!
Play! by Sephora August 2017 (Check out the full Play! by Sephora review)
Number of items: 6
Full-size items: 0
Deluxe size items: 2
Brands featured: Lancer, Living Proof, Hourglass, Clinique, Beautyblender, Dolce & Gabbana
Categories featured: Makeup (2) Skincare (1) Haircare (1) Fragrance (1) Tools (1)
Total Value: $45
Favorite item in the box: Lancer The Method: Polish
Lancer is a very pricey, high-end skincare brand, so this is a fab sample to get in a box! The formula is a super fine scrub, so it’s a gentle exfoliator, and you can use it every day. It left my skin super clean, smooth, and not dried out at all!
Verdict: Not that there's really ever a bad ipsy month, but it's definitely the loser for me this month. The value is the lowest I've received in a while, and none of the products were amazing discoveries for me. Sephora and Birchbox were both excellent this month - I'm going to call it a tie between those two boxes. Both Sephora and Birchbox can be guilty of sending small samples, but this month both boxes delivered on great sample sizes and fab brands!
Of course, my favorite box varies every month, so here are my general suggestions for which box to pick:
Birchbox: Birchbox allows you to pick one of your samples or the curated box for each month, so if you want to have a little more control over your box, this is a good choice. They also have a ton of great high-end brands. If you are concerned about the value of your boxes, I recommend going for the curated box each month - the values with those boxes seem to be consistently good.
Ipsy: This will likely be the highest value out of all 3 boxes every month. It's also the best of the 3 if you are looking for full-size items. The one thing to keep in mind is that Ipsy samples both high-end, mid-tier, and drugstore brands, so you're going to get a mix of price point brands.
Sephora: I recommend this box for the brands - if Sephora carries the brand, it may appear in the box, which means they have a ton of inventory to pick from, and you're going to get great brands across the board. Sample sizes may be small for some products, but you get 5 beauty samples PLUS a fragrance sample.
What was your favorite box for August? And what was your favorite product?
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