What’s your favorite way to try a new product? These two subscription boxes offer two very different ways to try new items. BoxyCharm is notable for offering 5 full-size items each month, while IPSY Glam Bag comes with 5 samples. Glam Bag gives you the chance to try products in small amounts and at an affordable price. With BoxyCharm, you have larger products to use and can develop a more thorough opinion.
BoxyCharm offers more products each month, and I think it’s worth the extra $13 per month to get full-size items instead of just samples. This subscription is a great way to build up your collection and try new things. You can choose 1 item yourself each month, for an even more customized box. BoxyCharm is the perfect box for makeup fanatics in search of new products to try.
How Does BoxyCharm Work?
BoxyCharm is a monthly subscription that comes with 5 products each month. New subscribers will need to fill out a short beauty survey with some information about your personal preferences on makeup and skincare.
Each BoxyCharm will be customized according to your survey, to make sure you’re getting products that are actually relevant to your lifestyle, skin type, and complexion. Customization is always a bonus when it comes to beauty boxes, because everyone has different needs and style preferences.
Subscribers get to choose one item for their boxes a month in advance. There’s a window of time when BoxyCharm lists all the available products, and you’ll get the best results if you choose your item as soon as possible. Otherwise, the most popular choices might run out.
Once your box arrives, you can earn some Charm loyalty points by reviewing what you’ve received. You’ll get 50 points per review, which is equal to 50 cents. You can redeem your points in the special BoxyCharm store.
BoxyCharm Pros
- Full-size items only
- Choose 1 item each month
- Most boxes worth over $175
BoxyCharm only comes with full-size products, which means you’ll get more use out of them. Personally, I love when subscription boxes come with full-size items, because you can integrate them into your routine or even give them away as gifts. Samples are a fun way to try new things, but they just aren’t as useful.
If you’re a BoxyCharm subscriber, you can choose one of your products for each box you get. There’s a scheduled period of time when you’ll be able to select from a list of products, and supplies are limited. It’s best to make your choice as soon as possible. This feature gives you more control over what you receive every month, and it’s even better than having your boxes customized for you.
BoxyCharm’s average value per box is more than $175. It varies from month to month, but you can expect well over $100 in every box. Price tag aside, you’ll be getting products from great brands, and you’ll get the chance to try popular items you’ve heard about from beauty news outlets.
BoxyCharm Cons
- Waiting list to join
- Low-value accessories count as full-size items
Before you can join BoxyCharm, you’ll have to spend some time on a waitlist. The amount of time you’ll be waiting can vary from a few weeks to a few months. It all depends on how many other people are trying to join the service.
BoxyCharm sometimes includes single sponges and brushes, and those count as one of your items. These tend to be much lower in value than other beauty products, and they’re just not as exciting as, say, a lipstick or a mascara.
How Does IPSY Glam Bag Work?
IPSY Glam Bag is a beauty sample bag. Every month, you’ll get 5 sample items packaged in a cute, themed makeup bag. For example, the October bag is often spooky, the December bag is usually festive, and the upcoming February bag is red and adorned with a kiss.
When you first sign up for IPSY, you’ll need to fill out a detailed beauty quiz. Here, you’ll let them know your hair and skin color, your main skin concerns, what products you wear most often, the makeup shades you like most, and so on.
Once you’re signed up, you’ll get monthly shipments until you decide to unsubscribe. IPSY makes it easy to cancel your subscription, which I appreciate. You can cancel on your account settings at any time, without having to contact customer service.
IPSY Glam Bag does give you the chance to choose one item per month. If you sign up late in the month, you might not be able to choose something for your first bag, though.
IPSY Glam Bag Pros
- 5 deluxe samples each month
- Items chosen according to your profile
- Quality brands
- 1 choice item
Through Glam Bag, you’ll get 5 deluxe samples every month. The sample sizes are pretty generous, and you can get a decent sense of what each item will be like when you use them.
IPSY chooses all your items according to the stated preferences in your beauty profile. The beauty profile questions get very specific, asking your opinions on foundation, concealer, mascara, eyeliner, serum, and so on. Make sure to be as accurate as possible in your profile for best results.
IPSY always features quality brands that are well-reviewed. They’ll send samples of products from around the world, including increasingly-trendy Korean beauty brands. This subscription is a good way to familiarize yourself with popular brands like Huda Beauty, Balance Me, and Kokie Cosmetics.
Just like the other IPSY bags, the Glam Bag lets subscribers choose 1 product per bag. The IPSY algorithm will make the other choices for you, but this one you can choose from a selection of several products. It’s not exactly a limitless choice, but it does give you more control over your subscription than plenty of other services.
IPSY Glam Bag Cons
- Some items miss the mark
- No full-size items
Glam Bag comes with a variety of samples from many different brands, and not all of them can be favorites. Some might be well-reviewed and popular, but just not to your taste.
IPSY Glam Bag never includes full-size items, and that’s part of the bag’s description. This bag is best for seriously dedicated fans of samples. If you’re still looking to explore the beauty world, this is a good subscription option. That way, you can try items without having to commit to using a full product.
How Much Do They Cost
IPSY Glam Bag has a lower cost, but BoxyCharm might be a better deal, depending on your beauty needs.
BoxyCharm
BoxyCharm is $25 per box. You can get a discount if you commit to a longer subscription, though. The annual subscription comes out to $22.92 per month, and saves you $25 total.
There are a few other BoxyCharm tiers, too. There’s a Premium box for $35 a month, with 6 items. You can also sign up for a quarterly upgrade to BoxyCharm called BoxyLuxe, for $49.99 every 3 months.
IPSY Glam Bag
IPSY Glam Bag is just $12 a month, but each bag has a $50 value. The price is already affordable, but you can get one bag free if you sign up for a year-long subscription. If you’re curious about the world of beauty subscription boxes, this is probably a good, low-cost introduction.
What Kind of Products Do You Get?
You can get skincare, hair products, and makeup in any of these, but they both tend to favor makeup.
BoxyCharm
BoxyCharm only includes full-size items, and you get 5 in each box. You can expect beauty tools, serums, mascara, color cosmetics, primer, and more. BoxyCharm usually features at least one eyeshadow palette option each month.
Some brands they’ve featured recently that you might recognize include: Sunday Riley, Luxie, Hipdot, Huda Beauty, and Dr. Brandt. These are all fairly trendy, popular brands.
BoxyCharm has a section on their website to highlight previous boxes, and you can see the variety of products available from month to month.
BoxyCharm lets you choose one item for your upcoming box. The choice window usually opens up about a month before your box ships out, so make sure you’re prepared!
IPSY Glam Bag
IPSY is great as a sample service, because you get to try high-end skincare and makeup brands at an affordable price. Each sample is deluxe-sized, so you get more to work with than you do from a typical sample.
Usually, IPSY will allow you to choose one item for your bag. If you subscribe late in the month, though, you might not have the option to do so.
From IPSY, you’ll get plenty of premium brands like Naked Cosmetics, NARS, MAC, Kensie, and more. Some of these brands can be pricey, so this is a good way to try them out before investing in anything.dafdsfsad
Final Thoughts
IPSY Glam Bag is the perfect choice if you want to try new beauty trends, but don’t want tons of products arriving each month. You can easily work through your beauty samples on a regular basis, or else give away the ones you’re not interested in. You even have the option to choose one item each month.
BoxyCharm is a much better deal, though, and it offers 5 full-size beauty items each month. There’s a huge variety of product options, so you could get anything from a set of makeup brushes to facial serums. Your BoxyCharm products are selected according to your preferences, and one of them you can choose yourself. Each month, there are dozens of high-quality items that could potentially end up in your box. I recommend BoxyCharm if you want to get full-size, quality products for less.
