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 September 2017 (Check out the full Birchbox review)
Number of items: 5
Full-size items: 0
Deluxe size items: 2
Brands featured: Lord & Berry, R+Co, Pixi, Wilma Schumann, 12 Benefits
Categories featured: Skincare (1) Makeup (2) Haircare (2)
Total Value: $45.60
Favorite item in the box: Lord & Berry Strobing Pencil
This little pencil turned out to be my favorite discovery in the box! It’s a creamy pencil that is easy to blend, and it’s perfect for precision highlight areas like the inner corners of your eyes, your cupid’s bow, etc. (Check out my review for swatches!)
Ipsy September 2017 (Check out the full Ipsy review)
Number of items: 5
Full-size items: 3
Deluxe size items: 0
Brands featured: Gellusion, Pixi, Smashbox, ColourPop, Skin Food
Categories featured: Makeup (3) Nail Polish (1) Skincare (1)
Total Value: $30.75
Favorite item in the box: ColourPop Brow Boss in Light Brown
There was no amazing stand out product for me this month, but I've been using this brow pencil everyday since I got it, so that's pretty good, right? 🙂
Play! by Sephora September 2017 (Check out the full Play! by Sephora review)
Number of items: 6
Full-size items: 0
Deluxe size items: 0
Brands featured: Touch in Sol, Ciate, Herbivore, Sephora, Belif, Ouai
Categories featured: Makeup (3) Skincare (2) Haircare (1)
Total Value: $38
Favorite item in the box: A toss up between Herbivore Blue Tansy AHA + BHA Resurfacing Clarity Mask and Belif True Cream Moisturizing Bomb
Both skincare items in the box were wins for me this month. Super gentle on my skin, too!
Verdict: Ipsy didn't excite me with products this month, Birchbox had a few products that didn't work for me, so Sephora is the winner by default! (Plus I love that I didn't get a perfume sample in my Play bag this month!
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 September? And what was your favorite product?
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