The beauty world is always changing, with trendy ingredients and new holy grail products. It’s hard to keep up! These beauty subscription boxes will keep you in touch with new beauty brands and give you plenty of opportunities to try trendy products. Each of these boxes comes straight to your doorstep on a monthly basis, full of beauty goodies. IPSY Glam Bag has a focus on samples, but Allure Beauty Box comes with both samples and full-size items.
Allure Beauty Box is the most satisfying option out of these two. For just $23 a month, you’ll get 6 or more products, and at least 3 will be full-size. Allure magazine has lots of connections in the beauty industry, so they have exciting makeup and skincare items every month. You can try products at a steep discount, since there’s over $100 retail value in each box. I recommend this option to anyone who wants to keep up with beauty products and try new things.
How Does Allure Beauty Box Work?
Allure Beauty Box is attached to Allure magazine, and it’s a way for the editors to share some of their favorite products with subscribers. Every month, editors choose some of their favorite products and showcase them in the Allure box. Boxes come with a mini-magazine explaining why each product was chosen, and why you should use it. You’ll also get exclusive promo codes for brand discounts.
Allure Beauty Box is curated ahead of time, so every subscriber gets the same thing, with only a product variation or two. There’s no way to customize this box, though. The items are chosen with an editorial concept in mind, though, and the products tend to go together well. Your Allure Beauty Box account will have a record of all the products you’ve received in the past, so you don’t have to worry about any repeat items.
Each box is worth at least $100, and they usually clear this bar pretty easily. The February 2021 box is worth over $250, depending on product variations. You can expect quality brands from this service, and that’s one of the benefits of a well-curated box.
Allure Beauty Box Pros
- Variety of products
- Curated by magazine editors
- 3 or more full-size items in each box
Allure boxes come with a great variety of products, from skincare to makeup to hair products. You’ll find daily essentials like sun protection, serums, lipsticks, and more. There’s a great variety in each box, and over a few months you’ll see a wide range of product types and brands.
Allure’s magazine editors have access to tons of beauty products, from the trendiest new brands and from established ones. They choose the products that go in this box, so you can expect lots of quality brands. You can’t choose any of the items, but you’ll be able to try things outside your comfort zone and learn more about beauty.
Allure boxes always come with at least 3 full-size items, and sometimes they include a few more. The other items will be samples, so you’ll get the best of both worlds here.
Allure Beauty Box Cons
- Includes drugstore brands sometimes
- Hard to cancel
- No customization
Allure mostly features high-end brands, but they’ll occasionally add in products that you see at grocery stores and pharmacies. Some of these are good products, but they’re not as fun to try out as more luxurious ones.
Allure Beauty Box doesn’t offer any instant online cancellation options. Instead, you’ll have to call their customer service line or email customer support. I recommend calling instead of emailing, so you’ll get a faster response.
Allure is curated ahead of time, so there’s no option to customize it to your tastes. It’s a good idea to take a look at previous boxes to decide if the box’s usual contents line up with your interests.
How Does IPSY Glam Bag Work?
Part of signing up for an IPSY subscription involves filling out their detailed beauty survey. They’ll ask about your skin, hair, and product preferences. You can let them know your favorite kind of lipstick color to wear, and whether or not you usually wear foundation. This quiz will determine what items they choose for you.
IPSY Glam Bag is the most basic IPSY subscription available, and it’s designed to showcase product samples. You’ll get 5 deluxe samples in each box, and all the products are catered to your profile. IPSY leans toward makeup more than skincare or other products, so keep that in mind as you decide whether or not to sign up.
Toward the end of each month, you can choose one item for your upcoming bag. Glam Bag gives you a selection of 10 items that fit your beauty profile, and you can pick the one that you like the most.
Each month, IPSY Glam Bag comes in a unique makeup bag. There’s a new design every month, so you don’t have to worry about repeats. I love these little bags, because they’re perfect for gifts. They’re also great for storing your new makeup items, of course!
IPSY’s easy to cancel, and all you need to do is log on to your IPSY account and change your membership settings. It’s worth noting that IPSY only does customer service online, and they don’t have phone lines for you to call.
IPSY Glam Bag Pros
- 5 deluxe samples in each bag
- $50 value
- Discover new brands
Each Glam Bag is packed with 5 beauty samples. IPSY includes all kinds of products, from shampoo to blush to face serums. It all depends on what they have in stock that month.
Each $12 bag contains around $50 in value. IPSY chooses exciting, high-value products to feature, and most sample sizes are pretty generous. They’re all deluxe samples, so you’ll get more use out of them.
Though this subscription only comes with samples, this could be a fun way to try new brands. IPSY has a huge selection of brands and products, from well-known companies like MAC and NARS to lesser known ones like The Cottage Greenhouse.
IPSY Glam Bag Cons
- No full-size items
- Occasional lackluster products
IPSY Glam Bag is the lowest tier of the IPSY subscription, and it’s meant as a way to try product samples. That means you won’t be getting any full-size products, and the items you get through this subscription will probably only last you a month or so.
IPSY does its best to curate quality items, but sometimes you’ll get a product or two that’s just a dud. This comes down to personal preference and whether or not you personally find an item useful.
How Much Do They Cost
IPSY Glam Bag is the most affordable option here. Allure Beauty Box does offer discounts if you sign up for an annual subscription, though.
Allure Beauty Box
Allure Beauty Box is $23 per month. If you choose to sign up for a longer subscription, you can save a few dollars.
A 3-month subscription saves you $4, but an annual subscription will save you $26 over a year. You’ll also get a free Mega Bundle box, worth $315.
IPSY Glam Bag
IPSY Glam Bag is $12 per month, and each bag has a minimum value of $50. If you sign up for a full year, you’ll get a $12 discount.
This is the cheapest beauty subscription out there, and it’s a fun introduction to beauty subscriptions!
What Kind of Products Do You Get?
Both of these subscriptions have a focus on makeup, but you might also get skincare and hair products.
Allure Beauty Box
Allure beauty boxes are curated by editors, and each one highlights a range of beauty items including both skincare and makeup.
Allure mostly highlights boutique brands known for their high quality. Brands like La Roche-Posay, Christophe Robin, Tarte, and Briogeo frequently appear in Allure boxes. Sometimes they’ll also include items from mass brands that you’ll find in big-box stores, like Cerave, as bonus items.
They’ll occasionally include beauty accessories like sponges and makeup brushes, too. Allure promises that any small items like face masks or brushes will never count as a full-size item, to make sure you get the best bang for your buck.
You can check out past boxes to get a sense of what you might find in your next box.
IPSY Glam Bag
Your Glam Bag selections are always based on your beauty profile with IPSY. If dry skin is one of your concerns, you can expect hydrating serums and lotions. If you prefer bright colors, they’ll probably send you red lipsticks and colorful eyeshadows.
Glam Bags are filled with 5 samples each month, with a healthy mix of makeup, hair products, and skincare. You can indicate in your quiz if one category interests you more than the others, too. You might even find beauty tools like brushes in your bag.
The Glam Bag subscription always comes with a makeup bag, too, and there’s a different design each month. Those bags are really handy for storing your makeup or giving as gifts.
Final Thoughts
IPSY Glam Bag has great value for just $12, and the subscription is a budget-friendly way to make sure you’re treating yourself every month. Each bag comes in a cute, themed makeup bag and the items are specifically catered to your needs. All the items through this service are samples, but you’ll be able to learn about new brands for a low price.
Allure Beauty Box offers more products and better value, though. With Allure, you’re getting over $100 retail value in beauty products, with at least 3 full-size items in your box. Often, the boxes are much higher in value, like February 2021’s $250 box. These boxes are carefully curated by magazine editors, and they tend to include high-end brands right alongside trendy ones. Allure has access to great beauty products, and they’re chosen by experts! I recommend this box for its great curation and luxurious products.
