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 2018!
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 2018 (Check out the full Birchbox review)
Number of items: 6
Full-size items: 1
Deluxe size items: 1
Brands featured: Doucce, Oribe, Birchbox, Amika, Borghese
Categories featured: Skincare (2) Makeup (1) Haircare (1) Tools (1)
Total Value: $35.61
Favorite item in the box: Everything was good, but nothing stood out as a favorite.
Ipsy April 2018 (Check out the full Ipsy review)
Number of items: 5
Full-size items: 2
Deluxe size items: 0
Brands featured: Huda Beauty, Thrive Causemetics, Caudalie, Ciate, SLMISSGLAM
Categories featured: Makeup (3) Skincare (1) Tools (1)
Total Value: $51.97
Favorite item in the box: Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipstick in Trophy Wife
Getting a full-sized Huda Beauty item was an awesome treat this month. This is a deep rosy pink with cool undertones – pretty much my go-to shade in lipstick. The formula is great, too. Long-lasting, non-drying, and great pigment.
Play! by Sephora August 2018 (Check out the full Play! by Sephora review)
Number of items: 6
Full-size items: 0
Deluxe size items: 0
Brands featured: Make Up For Ever, Anastasia, Lancome, OUAI
Categories featured: Makeup (3) Skincare (1) Haircare (2)
Total Value: $48.10
Favorite item in the box: Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara
I like dramatic lashes, so this mascara was a winner for me! This mascara gets an A from me in both volume and length! It gets a B in lash separation, but all in all, this is a fab formula!
Verdict: Ipsy is the winner for me thanks to the value and the samples sizes. All boxes were good this month, though!
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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