Sephora PLAY! vs Birchbox vs Ipsy – October 2017 Battle of the $10 Beauty Boxes!

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It’s the Ipsy vs. Sephora Play vs. Birchbox $10 Beauty Box showdown!

Ipsy vs. Sephora PLAY! vs. Birchbox

BOX BASICS: All three subscriptions are just $10 per month, so it’s easy to draw comparisons. All three of these beauty boxes also ship out 5 samples (Sephora PLAY! also sends a bonus fragrance item and occasionally you’ll get a small extra in Birchbox).

CUSTOMIZATION: All three subscriptions also ask you to complete a basic beauty profile. Ipsy allows you to rate items for ipsy match and has started allowing a limited number of subscribers to select an item, but that feature isn’t yet universal. Birchbox also allows you to rate items but doesn’t alter your profile in response to your ratings.

REFERRALS & POINTS: Both Birchbox and Ipsy offer referral points; redeem points on full-size products in the Birchbox shop or on selected samples in the Ipsy bonus section. You earn points on the monthly Sephora subscription plus you can redeem a PLAY! card in-store for an extra 50 points on any purchase.

VARIATIONS: All three of these boxes also send out multiple subscriber variations – we’re showing what we’ve reviewed here, and we would love to hear your experiences in the comments!

Our thoughts? You’re most likely to get items you’ll find in Sephora in PLAY!, including some cult up and coming goodies. That’s a no brainer. Ipsy is a mix of influencer faves, some prestige products, and some drugstore. You won’t often find drugstore products in Birchbox – but you may find some interesting natural beauty brands.


PLAY! by Sephora ($10 per month!)

Items:

Total Value: About $40

This month Sephora tried something new – all subscribers received a primer, foundation, and then some sort of finishing step! I really liked the bag, and it had a high value, but I also missed having makeup! My favorite item was probably the Urban Decay Optical Illusion primer – love me some blurring action!

Review: Play! by Sephora October 2017 Review

See Play! by Sephora spoilers + past Play! by Sephora reviews or sign up for directory notifications when we post about this subscription!


Birchbox ($10 per month!)

Items:

Total Value: About $27.16

This box is a real winner! Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream is a grail item, the Oribe is luxurious and fantastic, and top it off with 3 other great products!

Review:  Birchbox October 2017 Review

See Birchbox spoilers + past Birchbox reviews or sign up for directory notifications when we post about this subscription!


Birchbox Curated Box ($10 per month!) – Behind The Scenes Curated Box

Items:

Total Value: About $33

This curated box had high value, quality products, but a lot of the value was packed into just a few of them and not evenly distributed. It was probably the most forgettable Birchbox I’ve ever had – I had a hard time remembering anything except the shampoo & conditioner, which are almost used up. Bonus points for Kiehl’s.

Review: Birchbox Curated 2017 Behind The Scenes Curated Box Review

See Birchbox spoilers + past Birchbox reviews or sign up for directory notifications when we post about this subscription!


Ipsy ($10 per month!)

Items:

Total Value: About $47

IPSY this month had tons of really prestige braneds like Urban Decay, It Cosmetics, and First Aid Beauty! The coconut oil was a total dud item for my fine hair, but I loved the rest of the bag!

Review: Ipsy October 2017 Review

See Ipsy spoilers + past Ipsy reviews or sign up for directory notifications when we post about this subscription!


I liked that Sephora tried something new with their bags this month! You almost have to view them collectively instead of on a month to month basis. Ipsy was the clear winner with the best value and most usable products!

What did you think of this month’s Sephora PLAY!Ipsy, and Birchbox? Did you have a favorite?

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