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By Meggy Masters
Get a side-by-side comparison of what Ipsy, Birchbox and Allue Sample Society sent subscribers this past month, and snag the latest discounts, in case you’re interested in trying them yourself. (FYI: Post contains referral links.)
Birchbox – March 2015
Cost: $10.00/month or 1 year for $110.
Coupon: Use code “GAP10” to get $10 (100 Birchbox points) to spend in the shop when you sign up for a subscription.
In the box: Five beauty, grooming, and/or lifestyle samples.
Each month, Birchbox lets its subscribers choose a curated box or a sample that will be included with other mystery samples. This month I chose to receive the curated box, called Beauty Solutions. I have found that I usually get a better value when I choose the curated box.
Birchbox always includes a card that lists the samples included in the box and how to use them.
Included:
- Dear Clark Volumizing Hair Tonic – $4.33
- Derma E Evenly Radiant Brightening Day Crème – $6.99
- Laura Geller Beauty Backed Blush-n-Brighten – $5.81
- Supergoop! Anti-Aging Eye Cream – $6.00
- Whish Three Whishes Body Butter in Almond – $3.52
Total estimated value: $26.65
Birchbox has my favorite reward program. I reviewed my items and received 50 free points, worth $5.00 to spend in their store. I’m saving my points to buy one of their limited-edition boxes!
Allure Sample Society – March 2015
Cost: $15/month
Coupon: “5FORYOU” takes $5 off your first box.
In the box: Five deluxe-size beauty samples, Allure Mini-Mag, and a coupon code for $10 off your $50 purchase from Beautybar.com.
I have been waiting for a good spoiler to try out Sample Society and this month the Benefit Roller Lash did me in! I’m glad I subscribed this month, because this is one of the best boxes I’ve seen from them. The mini-mag includes information on the products in the box.
Included:
- Benefit Roller Lash Mascara – $8.00
- Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer – $11.25
- Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture & Volume Spray – $11.00
- Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm – $6.86
- Cargo Essentials Lip Gloss – $16.00
Estimated total value: $53.11
Instead of earning rewards points by reviewing products, Sample Society just emails a code for $10 off your $50 purchase at Beautybar.com each month. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough incentive for me to purchase full-size products from them, so I won’t be using my code this month.
Ipsy March 2015
Cost: $10 + tax/month
In the box: Four or five beauty products tailored to your profile in a makeup bag.
I’ve been an Ipsy subscriber for a while and I really like that they generally send out a lot of full-size products. Usually, I am really excited to try about three of the five products and, while the other two are useable, I could live without them. It’s also fun to see the design of the makeup bag each month; this month’s theme was Floral Fantasy. Even though the bags usually aren’t high quality, it’s still a fun and useful bonus.
Included (differs by subscriber):
- NYX Cosmetics Butter Lipstick – $6.00
- Pūr~lisse Beauty Pūr~delicate Gentle Soymilk Cleanser & Makeup Remover – $6.42
- Dr. Brant Pores No More Anti-Aging Mattifying Lotion – $9.18
- Boo-Boo Cover-up Concealer- $7.64
- Vintage by Jessica Liebeskind Illuminating Face Highlighter – $4.17
Estimated total value: $33.41
Ipsy has a reward program, but it’s not my favorite. It seems to take a while to accrue enough points to cash in on anything, but at least it’s something! Last month I spent 250 points on a sample and it was delivered along with my bag.
About the Author:
Meggy Masters is a textiles and paper goods designer (as well as subscription box enthusiast!) in New York City. You can check out her work at NutMeg, Ink.
