Beauty Sample Memberships

Ever see something that makes you think, “Why didn’t I think of that?”. Well, one of the newest trends in today’s beauty market consists of a small box containing luxury sized samples delivered monthly to your doorstep. It seems like every month there is a new brand of boxed beauty samples emerging into the market. After reviewing several brands, I narrowed it down to the three websites that caught my attention. Hopefully, you all can help me decide which subscription I should pick.

1. www.curlbox.com: Of course as soon as I heard about a box of curl product being delivered monthly, I almost lost my mind. With curlBOX, subscribers will receive between 5-7  curly hair products from brands like Carol’s Daughter, Jane Carter Solution, Ouidad, Curls, Shea Moisture and much more.  The Pros: Testing out the right curl products can be expensive so it’s nice to sample them first, especially if they don’t work out. You can also cancel at anytime.The Cons: Good luck trying to get a membership,  the opportunity happens once and a blue moon. It’s usually on a Saturday for a couple of hours, I’ve tried two separate times right on the hour and they were already sold out of memberships. It’s a bit pricey ($20) in comparison to other beauty sample memberships but it may be worth the price to have an entire box of curly hair solutions.

2. www.birchbox.com: Another great beauty sample subscription that caters to both women and men. Birchbox subscribers can expect samples from products like Malin + Goetz, Ahava, Algenist, Alterna, Anthony Logistics for Men, Benefit, Blinc, Boscia, Cargo, Carol’s Daughter, Caudalie, Clarisonic, Curls, Fresh, Kiehls, Miss Jessie’s, Ojon, Smashbox, Stila, Tarte, Yes to…and much more. The Pros: Pay only $10 a month, numerous brands are attached to the birch box brand, an online shop so you can purchase directly from them and the ability to gift a subscription for 3, 6 and 12 months. Birchbox also offers a rewards program. The Cons: In order to join you must request an invite first. The average wait time for a subscription after submitting your email can be anywhere from two (for men) to four weeks (for women). However, you do not have to put down a credit card until your invitation is accepted.

4.  www.ipsy.com: Founded by YouTube Beauty Guru Michelle Phan, an Ipsy glam bag offers beauty products that Michelle and her team of stylists personally love, for their subscribers. According to the website some of the beauty products include: Urban Decay, Kiehls, NYX, Josie Maran, Buxom and Philosophy. The Pros: Each month subscribers will receive deluxe and full size beauty products for only $10. Subscribers will receive a re-usable glam bag with each delivery.  Video tutorials are available. The Cons: Members must take a quiz to begin the process which isn’t a big deal but it seems as if all the glam bags are the same each month. Hopefully, it’s done so that future glam bags will suit the individual. Subscribing to Ipsy only gets you on the wait list and you must enter in your credit card number to reserve. From the looks of past glam bags, hair products aren’t always included every month.

The common denominator in this problem is that no matter what, you are going to have to wait to get started on your beauty sample subscription. The question is, which subscription is worth the wait? They all sound amazing but if I were to choose one based off the pros and cons, Birchbox seems to be the most established and well-rounded of the three. It is comforting that they give you a time frame of when to expect your first delivery. In addition, they offer a rewards program, an online shop and a wide variety of brands. However, I’m keeping my eye on Ipsy and curlBox, I feel both are up and coming brands that could knock out the competition in the near future.

Feel free to tell me all about your favorite beauty sample subscriptions!

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