Birchbox Vs Ipsy – August 2015

ByLiz CadmanAug 23, 2015 | 17 comments

Birchbox vs Ipsy

The Birchbox vs Ipsy post series compares my Birchbox and Ipsy subscription every month to give you a good idea what you can expect from the two most popular beauty subscription boxes. (And since both boxes are $10 a month, it seems fair to stack them up against each other).

FYI – I pay for both of 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 Upgraded Beta Box Review – August 2015 Items

Birchbox August 2015 (Check out the full Birchbox review)

(FYI - I received 2 Birchboxes this month, one was the curated box, and one was the upgraded box - it also included 2 full-size products for an additional $20. Since the upgraded box had the surprise samples, I thought it would be a more fair comparison than using the curated box. I'm just omitting the 2-full size products for this comparison).

Number of items: 5

Full-size items: 0

Deluxe size items: 2

Brands featured: Coola, IPKN New York, Dr. Jart+, Laqa + Co., Crabtree and Evelyn

Categories featured: Skincare (4) Makeup (1)

Total Value: $28

Ipsy Review – August 2015 Items

Ipsy August 2015 (Check out the full Ipsy review)

Number of items: 5

Full-size items: 3

Deluxe size items: 0

Brands featured: Briogeo, LATHER, Trust Fund Beauty, Hikari, Starlooks

Categories featured: Makeup (2) Nail Polish (1) Skincare (1) Haircare (1)

Total Value: $54

Verdict: It’s a tough pick for me this month! Ipsy usually has the higher value and larger sizes, and Birchbox typically has more high-end brands, so I received what I expected. I would say Birchbox is the winner for me only because I didn't get any products I had already sampled from previous months, and I really like the mask and the Pore Apple Sun Cream - two new discoveries for me!

Which box was your favorite this month?

Posted in Birchbox vs Ipsy

Liz Cadman

Liz is the founder of My Subscription Addiction. She's been hooked on subscription boxes since 2011 thanks to Birchbox, and she now subscribes to over 100 boxes. Her favorites include POPSUGAR Must Have, FabFitFun, and any box that features natural beauty products!

Read More By Liz Cadman >

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17 comments

Jazzy

I think that Ipsy might tend to be the favorite when people have just started subscription boxes, but over time I think many people shift to liking Birchbox more. In the beginning I preferred Ipsy but I guess at this point I think of the old “quality over quantity” line so I like birchbox more. A makeup only Birchbox would be pretty amazing, though. It’s one big deficit for me is that they send too little makeup.

Ragan

I agree. I was all into Ipsy at first but I realized:

(1) Ipsy sent stinky things (POP Beauty lip gloss, BaB mascara, couple of the bags) that were a little cheaper

(2) I finally started taking advantage of BB’s points system

(3) It takes forever to use up makeup and nailpolish but I can get through skincare and haircare pretty fast

That being said, I did sign up for Ipsy again when they had the no waitlist option recently. We’ll see.

QUANIA black

IPSY! i got the waterproof liner, hikari gloss, trust fund polish (which i LOVE) the night face cream, and the in-shower body lotion.

roxxie

ipsy won this month for me i loved everything in it and the bag…i got the starlooks pro pen- hikari lip gloss in merlot which i didn’t care for the color i have to wear pale or light pinks-aila nail polish in mr. pookies and i love it-eco beauty night cream i really love this- and marc anthony hair oil which i really loved also..

Anna

Isn’t the Dr. Jart mask from the Birchbox full size? You buy them individually, not in packs.

Acosta

For ipsy I received the Doucce eyeliner, La Fresh Group night cream, Doll 10 Beauty hydragel blush, Hikari lip gloss and BWC leave-in conditioner

Birchbox I received Shea Terra Organics black soap deep pore facial cleanser, Juicy Couture perfume sample, R+Co Atlantis shampoo and conditioner, Harvey Prince sea salt texturizing mist, Supergoop CC Cream and LAMA & CO lip and cheek crayon!!

This month I go with birchbox even though I really like the eyeliner from ipsy! I’m just waiting for the Sephora subscription to come out already. You should include that box in the mix as well for comparison Liz since it’s only going to be $10 too.

JoyW

Birchbox wins for me.

Both Ipsy and Birchbox were uninspiring this month. I’ve loved every Ipsy bag until now, and Birchbox has always had a couple of nice products. This month was a bummer. It’s an outlier in my experience, though. Here’s hoping for a better September!

Terri

I liked both my Ipsy and Birchbox this month. Every time I get ready to cancel Ipsy, I get a good bag! (Sometimes the products are geared towards teens). I love Birchbox but the sample sizes are so small. Overall, for $10, they are both winners

Lori

Ipsy won for me this month. I love them both because I get primarily make-up from one and skincare from the other.

Jessvii

This month I think Ipsy won for me. From Ipsy I got an Ofra lip liner (love), a Doucce eye liner (love), an Oz face mask (love), a Hikari lip gloss (dislike), and Lather face wash (like). From Birchbox I got Oribe shampoo, conditioner, and a hair masque (OK), Dr. Brandt cleanser (love), Air Repair moisturizer (like), Rusk mousse (don’t use mousse), and a Laqa lip crayon (love). Over all, I think I had a good month for both boxes. My Birchbox Laqa lip crayon was my favorite item over all, but I’ll get more use out of my Ipsy box since my Ipsy samples were larger.

Crystal

I was bummed I didn’t get the hikari lip gloss, if you don’t want yours, are you willing to trade? … email Crystal [email protected]

i tried the starlooks liner pen from Ipsy for the first time today & I LOVE it! Why didn’t someone think of that before?

Crystal

I prefer Birchbox as I feel like i’m get products that are a bit nicer with that subscription. Most of the Ipsy items look like they are on the way to the dollar store.

Krista

I have Birchbox not Ipsy but always find myself wondering why I don’t seem to care for Ipsy enough to bite the bullet and subscribe. I think you hit the nail on the head here for me. And also I know Birchbox seems to have more non-makeup items — for me that’s no problem, I love the skincare and stuff too — but I know it’s a personal thing.

Randi

I completely agree with the above 3 comments… I’ve looked at Ipsy a few times and almost signed up when they didn’t have the waitlist, but just can’t bring myself to do it. While I think there is a few items I might like, I’m really enjoying Birchbox. and I also like to have non-makeup products in my boxes.
There just seems to be more quality in Birchbox, even though Ipsy will sometimes have bigger samples (deluxe, full size).

Monica

I completely agree- the products I get from Ipsy are off brands and this month was the worst one yet. Poor quality from the packaging to what was inside them. The only thing I liked this month was the bag 🙁

Birchbox is by far the winner for me. Even when I don’t like a color or sample at least the quality level is there.

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Birchbox Vs Ipsy – August 2015

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