Now that school is back in full swing, keeping up with the latest beauty trends and making sure your face is always on point takes back-burner priority. Mall trips don’t happen nearly as often as they probably did in the summer, and let’s face it: we’re all just broke college girls trying to get degrees. However, keeping up with beauty trends, much like what’s new in fashion and at the movie theaters, can be so refreshing for those times during the semester when you’re in a rut. Do you know what a beauty subscription is, collegiette? Sit back, because I’m about to give you the run down:Â
In the most basic of explanations, a beauty subscription works basically the same as a magazine subscription. For example, I could subscribe to Glamour magazine and purchase a certain number of months and get those magazines sent to my mailbox at the beginning or end of each month (depending on what time of the month I decide to subscribe). A beauty subscription is similar; you can be billed month-by-month or pay in advance for a select number of boxes and have packages delivered to your mailbox each month. There are so many different beauty subscriptions that offer different benefits and have different price points, so there’s something for everyone.
I myself subscribe to this one, and the packages come to my campus mailbox every month. This is priced at $10/month, and each month I receive five items that have been selected by the company that they believe I will like based on my beauty profile. Most generally, the products are samples, deluxe sample sizes (which are slightly bigger than regular samples but still smaller than full-sized) or full-sized products. To give you an idea, in my September package this month I received an eyeshadow palette, a mineral blush and a lip balm that were all full-sized, along with a mascara and a hair conditioning mask that were deluxe samples.Â
I like this package a lot because not only do you always receive five things, but each month they create a makeup bag to put the products in that you can reuse, gift or just hold onto in case you need a cosmetic case for travelling. Also, the way that the company hand-picks your products each month is by hearing back from the consumer by reviewing the products. Each time you review a product, you can receive points and those points can later be cashed in to get extra items sent with your next bag. For example, I racked up over 250 points and I was able to get a really nice blush brush with my October bag coming next month!
Check out this unboxing to see more of the products I’ve gotten lately!
This one is very similar to Ipsy. At 10/month, you typically receive around 5 samples, sometimes more or less than that. They’ll either be regular samples or deluxe, but full-sized products are a little rarer for them to send out. So, you may get more products with this one, but they may be pretty small. Birchbox used to have a point system that worked the same as Ipsy, but they got rid of it. If you want extra products, you have to purchase them yourself. They have a huge store with a lot of great brands, usually at discounted prices and value sets, so it’s still great to check out!
With this one, the products come in a really pretty, decorative box that’s different each month and can also be kept and reused!
This package is a bit different from the other two in a few ways. For one, this box is actually $21/month, so double the other two. Also, the products sent in this box are almost always full-sized, with the exception of some occasional deluxe sizes. Each consumer gets the exact same box in slight variations; the items aren’t handpicked or specially selected from your reviews or profile. So, if you get something you don’t like or won’t use, Boxycharm doesn’t really take that into account. The value of this box is over $100 each month, though, which means if you want to expand your high-end makeup collection without ripping your wallet in half, this is the way to go. The box this month has an eyeshadow palette worth $50 itself, so think about the value you’re getting for less than half the price.Â
If you want something to look forward to each month in your campus mail, consider getting yourself a beauty subscription! It’s not all makeup products, and if you’re more into nail polish or hair care you can specify that with Ipsy and Birchbox. Plus, sending a friend one of these or buying them a subscription for birthdays/Christmas is always super thoughtful, too!
Remember to keep slaying, girls! HCXO!