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Ipsy’s mission is to “inspire individuals around the world to express their unique beauty.” Who doesn’t want to feel put together and ready to conquer the world every day as they step out the door?
Let’s take a look at what they offer.
Table of Contents
About Ipsy
Ipsy is a top-rated beauty subscription service that will send you make-up, skincare products, and other beauty products each month.
We all have our preferences regarding beauty products so the onboarding process for IPSY is extensive. It starts by asking about your hair color, eye color, and skin tone. They go deeper with skin and hair texture and potential concerns.
Then, there are pages of products where you rate how often you use them. These products will include foundation, brow products, lipsticks, blush, moisturizer, mascara, liners, and concealers. They will also ask for what type of colors you usually gravitate to when it comes to the products you use.
I loved this! I don’t like using powders, lip liners, or brow products. Adventurous nail polishes are my favorite, but I want more neutral eyeshadows now. All this was plugged into their quiz so they know what to send me.
This doesn’t stop at makeup. It lists other skin care products like cleansers, serums, face oils, fragrances, etc. For each one you get to say how often you use them and what brands you gravitate towards.
At the end of the survey, you get to decide if you want to receive more make-up, skin care, a mix, or “surprise me.” I selected a mix of make-up and skincare to start with and may change it later.
The fantastic thing about Ipsy beauty subscriptions that sets it apart from its competitors is that they have a vast number of brands that they are affiliated with.
Their brands allow them to give you the best variety of products each month.
Pricing
You have three options when it comes to monthly plans with IPSY:
- Glam Bag ($14.00) – 5 deluxe-sample size beauty products that are worth $50+ in your bag
- BoxyCharm ($30.00) – 5 full-size products that are worth more than $125
- Combined ($44.00) – Both monthly plans combined are worth $175+
All options come with free shipping within the US, but there is a handling fee of $1.99 per item. Between taxes and handling fees, the Combined Box is over $50 a month! Ouch!
With the BoxyCharm and combined plans, you also get the option of upgrading to a Quarterly Icon Box for $30. This replaces your BoxyCharm with a box that has 8 full-sized products 4 times a year. This doesn’t seem like a great deal if it’s an extra $30, but it is a good deal.
Example Boxes
If you want to do a deep dive into a specific month:
Membership Perks
The main perk is the add-ons to the bags and boxes! Both allow you to select a few items at a discounted price to add to your order with free shipping. Some items are deluxe sample sizes and some are full-sized products.
I added two eyeshadow palettes and a blush palette for $11 on one order. I tacked on a full-sized travel spray perfume I wanted to try for $12 on another order. These shipped with my monthly subscription box so there were no extra shipping fees.
If you don’t act fast when they open the boxes for customization and add-ons, the products you want could be gone.
Ipsy also has a store with past products in it and you can pick them up at a discounted price. I’ve seen products over 80% off!
In their members-only area, they also have a list of promo codes that buyers can use on partner websites ranging from 10-35% off premium brands. This make getting a new expensive favorite a little easier.
What I Love
- Great value, especially with the deeply discounted add-ons
- The Glam Bag come with a cute reusable bag that is great for traveling
- Plans to fit different budgets
- Very Customizable boxes
- Hassle-free cancellation
- Excellent customer service
- Free shipping within the United States
The Less Desirable
- Some samples in the Glam Bag are small
- Handling fees of $1.99 per order, so if you order both boxes you’ll pay nearly $4 of handling fees each month
- A lot of upsell opportunities with Icon Boxes and discounted monthly add-ons, to encourage you to spend more.
- The shipping speed varies. I’ve seen my box sit for 5 days at the carrier’s facility
Verdict
Great choice! Ipsy is one of the more well-known beauty subscription services for a reason. They are good at what they do!
If you’re looking to start dabbling in beauty subscription services, Ipsy’s GlamBag is the most affordable and customizable I’ve found so far. It’s a nice way to try new products without ending up with products you may not use cluttering your bathroom.
BoxyCharm is a slightly better buy in terms of cost versus value than the Glam Bag. It’s comparable to the Allure box. Allure seems to get some higher value individual products, but not necessarily significantly better quality.
The add-on options with Ipsy are amazing. It’s fast and easy to add them to your subscription order so they ship free. The whole process is seamless and all my orders have been drama-free.
The ability to customize the box far surpasses the other beauty boxes on the market. If you buy a lot of beauty products, you’ll save a lot of money with the membership perks that come with the subscription.
Due to the customization level, this is a highly giftable subscription. I’ve gifted it in the past. The recipient can easily tailor the products to their needs and wants and they will think of you each month when it arrives.
Alternatives
If you aren’t sure Ipsy is right for you, don’t worry, we have created a shortlist of alternative beauty subscriptions.
Allure Beauty Box – This is one of the more affordable monthly beauty subscriptions, which offers almost $100 worth of products for only $25. It’s comparable to the BoxyCharm box, maybe a little higher end product.
Petit Vour – If you are vegan or prefer vegan products, then Petit Vour beauty subscription is for you. They curate make-up and beauty products for you, which are 100% cruelty-free.
Birchbox – While they ship more sample-sized product, Birchbox is a comparable price and experience. You can customize each item or be surprised.
Not into Commitment?
Sephora Favorites Makeup Must Haves is a little more expensive, but you can order it through Amazon and get a variety of products.
