I just want to talk a little about some of the subscriptions I currently have for the sake of not confusing anyone with my posts. I do plan on blogging about the three subscriptions I currently have (Birchbox, Ipsy, & Julep) monthly. I also posted the 'about' pages from each website & my referral links if you want to sign up!
Birchbox:
Birchbox was my first ever beauty subscription that I signed up for last October & I honestly can't say enough good things about them. It's $10/month or $110/year for a monthly box that contains 4-5 beauty samples. It comes in an adorable brown box with the Birchbox logo & it's all packaged up in a bright pink cardboard mailer! You're billed on the 1st of each month & packages are generally sent out by the 10th at the latest.
There's a pretty wide variety of products sent out each month, so not all subscribers end up with the same stuff. This causes a lot of 'box envy' among subscribers, but I can honestly say that I think most products are divided up pretty fairly among the boxes. Every box I've gotten so far has at least one product I've been really excited about & I always try out everything in the box, even if I'm skeptical. For me, the whole point of Birchbox isn't to get things that I necessarily WANT every month. It's more about trying new things that I wouldn't sample/purchase otherwise. They send out makeup, skincare products, hair products, perfumes, nail polish, etc. Birchbox does also occasionally include 'lifestyle' items, like snacks, pens, & nail files. Some samples are deluxe, while others are foil packets, & they do sometimes send full-sized items, but rarely.
Even if you don't like the products you get in your box, the Birchbox points system can't be beat. Every month when you get your box, you can go in & review each item for 10 points a piece. You can also earn points for purchases made on the site & occasionally they have coupon codes to earn additional points. Each 100 points you earn equals $10 in the Birchbox shop. You'll be amazed how quickly they accumulate! Since October, I've made purchases totaling $126.89 & I've only had to use $16.89 out of my own pocket..the
rest has all been points!
Here's my referral link, if you're interested in checking out a box!
Ipsy:
Ipsy is also a monthly subscription that you can purchase for $10/month. They send 4-5 deluxe samples & full-sized products each month & you usually get a discount code for each of the brands they're featuring for the month. You're billed on the 1st of the month & they start shipping in the middle of the month. Each month's products come in a make up bag, so if you like to hoard those this sub is for you! They're different each month in pattern and shape.AND the whole thing is mailed in a shiny pink bubble mailer, which is really exciting to see in your mailbox!
In the past, Ipsy has sent out mostly the same products to each subscriber. Sometimes they include color variation or an 'OR' item (ex. lipstick OR lipgloss). This month, however, they do appear to have a wider variety of what is going into each bag. There are two items everyone is getting & the rest is supposed to be based on your profile you fill out when you sign up. I know some people are upset about the variety, but I'm pretty excited that they're sending out more personalized bags!
As I sort of mentioned before, Ipsy does also include a card in each bag that lists the featured brands for the month & a discount code you can use to purchase their products. Generally it's a perfect off, but it's sometimes a free item or a buy one get one. These discounts can also be found under your account on ipsy.com in the 'Glam Room.' Ipsy's website is very interactive & allows users to upload videos/photos of looks. You can also 'like' looks & products on their page to save them to your profile. Occasionally Ipsy sends out extra items in bags to users who are active on their site and/or Facebook page! You also may get extra things in your bag by mentioning Ipsy on your blog/YouTube channel or entering their Facebook contests.
Here's my referral link, if you're interested in checking out a bag!
http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-h83fgmagecw273e
Julep:
For $19.99/month you can also subscribe to Julep! They are mainly a nail polish subscription service, but they have also started to expand their line of beauty products which are included in boxes each month. Julep sends out an e-mail on the 20th of each month letting you know that you have from then until the 24th to make your selections for each month. When you sign up, you'll take a quiz & it will tell you which style profile you fall into. This will be your 'default' box each month, but you are able to switch your style profile each month to a different type during the selection window. You can also skip the month or 'upgrade' which means you'll receive the products in all five boxes that month. You're billed on the 27th each month.
Like I said, there are five different style profiles you can choose from each month: It Girl, Boho Glam, Bombshell, Classic with a Twist, & Modern Beauty. The It Girl box always contains three nail polishes, which are usually pretty trendy & bold. The Boho Glam box gets two nail polishes ('Boho' colors are usually things like teal, orange, metallics, etc) and a beauty product. Bombshell also contains two nail polishes & a beauty product, but the nail polishes are usually nice and bright (sometimes glittery!). Classic with a Twist contains two more neutral/standard nail polish colors (think red & pink) with a product. The Boho Glam box, Bombshell box, & Classic with a Twist box generally all receive the same product. The Modern Beauty box will contain that same product and one additional product, but no polish.
I find that I switch my profile pretty much every month, depending on which colors I like best and what the product is. I haven't upgraded yet, but if you want to it's an extra $35 & you get all the nail polishes & all the products for the month. When you select your box you'll also get the choice to choose 'add-on' products (shipped separately), which are usually polishes/products in other boxes & sets of other polishes available on Julep.com.
You get 20% off of all products once you sign up & you get free shipping on all orders. If you do not skip the month, you'll also have access the Secret Store on the 1st of each month for 72 hours. The Secret Store has really, really good deals on individual polishes, sets of polish, & product sets. Julep also has a rewards program where you can earn 'Jules' for things like ordering a box, referring friends, your anniversary, etc. These Jules can be used to purchase monthly boxes once you accumulate them.
Here's my referral link, if you're interested in checking out a box!
http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/124350/
