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Ipsy Vs Boxycharm
Beauty lovers, if you’re on the hunt for some new pieces for your collection, or are looking to try out different products to up your makeup game, you’re in the right place.
In this Ipsy vs Boxycharm review, I’ll help you decide which brand is worth the subscription. First, let’s take a look at what each company is all about.
About Ipsy
Ipsy was founded by makeup artist Michele Phan in 2011. She was on a mission to “inspire individuals around the world to express their unique beauty.” The brand provides a selection of trial-sized products to help shoppers determine what they love, what trends are ‘up their alley,’ and learn a little more about themselves along the way.
About Boxycharm
Boxycharm came to fruition in 2013 when it was founded by Joe Martin, a connoisseur turned entrepreneur in the world of makeup.
Martin had recognized that there wasn’t a beauty subscription on the market that offered full-size products at an affordable price—so he brought the idea to life. Since then, the brand has been a popular choice for shoppers all over the world.
If you’ve ever browsed YouTube on the hunt for some new beauty products, chances are you’ve stumbled upon at least one of these two brands. Influencers like KathleenLights and eleventhgorgeous have a long history of comparing the selection found in each box (spoiler alert: they’re both jam-packed with unique scores and well-loved goodies).
Likewise, this Ipsy vs Boxycharm review will tell you everything you need to know about the two brands. I’ll dive into the details of the different plans, overall price and value, customer testimonials, and more. Basically, I’ll tell you what makes them unique to help you decide which box is worth the subscription.
What To Consider
Before I delve into this Ipsy vs Boxycharm review, it’s important to take a look at some of the key things to consider before making your decision. I’ve put together a list of what I’ll focus on throughout this review to help you decide which brand is right for your needs.
Target Audience
Both Ipsy and Boxycharm are made for anyone who is looking to experiment with beauty products, whether that’s skincare, haircare, or makeup. The idea is that with every new product shoppers discover, they’ll learn something new—whether that’s about beauty or about themselves!
Customization
Both brands’ boxes are semi-customizable, allowing shoppers to choose one (for Boxycharm) or 1-3 (for Ipsy) products out of the selection that comes in the box. The rest of the products will be chosen based on those items so customers will get a box curated to their taste.
Flexibility
Subscribers can cancel their box anytime by visiting their profile on either website. Ipsy allows shoppers to pause their subscription if they’d like to skip a month, as well. Plus, plans can be easily upgraded if you’d like to opt for a larger box.
Range
The product range is pretty similar for the two companies. They each offer a wide selection of items that all fall under the beauty category—including, but not limited to, nail care, makeup, tools, skincare, and more.
Accessibility
Both Ipsy and Boxycharm are on the affordable end of the beauty box spectrum, especially considering the quality and number of items that come every month. Subscribing is super easy. All you have to do is visit each brand’s website, but I’ll dive more into that later.
Ipsy Vs Boxycharm: How Do They Work?
Before I jump into what the two brands offer, this Ipsy vs Boxycharm review will walk you through how the subscriptions work. Essentially, both brands create an opportunity to test out new products, introducing shoppers to items they might end up loving, that could become staples in their collection. Plus, it’s always fun to try out new things!
Boxycharm boxes come with 5-6 full-size beauty products, from popular and newer brands, offering a wide variety of items to discover. There are three different variants for each of the five products. So, if one is a moisturizer, you will get one of the three listed. Shoppers are able to choose one or two of their items and the rest of the items are selected based on that!
With an Ipsy subscription, shoppers will receive eight items, most of which are usually trial size, with some full-size items included, sourced from over 40 different brands every month. Each bag is built to be unique to the customer, based on their answers to the beauty quiz (skin tone, preferences, etc). Plus, they’ll also be able to choose 1-3 items to be included in the bag.
So, Ipsy technically carries more variety in every box and it’s unlikely that any two boxes will carry the exact same selection, while you’ll get a pretty good idea of what you’ll find in a Boxycharm subscription every month. All things considered, both boxes offer up some fun surprises while still being customized to your preferences!
Ipsy Vs Boxycharm: Subscription Plans
The point of these two brands is to help beauty lovers find new products and try out new things, all without having to break the bank on pricey items, while still getting high-quality finds. Plus, it’s basically a gift to yourself (or someone you love) since there’s always a surprise inside.
This Ipsy vs Boxycharm review found that both brands offer pretty similar subscription plans, with one regular version and one deluxe version, both of which arrive every month, as well as a super version that is sent quarterly and is available to members only.
To sign up for Ipsy:
- Choose your monthly plan (whether you’d like one or both the regular and the deluxe)
- Start by taking the beauty quiz—a quick questionnaire where you fill out your beauty preferences, skin tone, eye color, hair type, fave brands, and more
- Sign up with your email
- Fill out shipping and payment info
- Select which product(s) you want
- Wait for your bag to arrive!
To sign up for Boxycharm:
- Choose your box
- Pick a free gift (woohoo!)
- Opt to pay monthly, every three months, every six months, or annually (boxes will still arrive every month)
- Enter your information (name, address, payment)
- Take a quiz to help the brand curate your packages
- Choose which item(s) you’d like to receive
- Open your box once it shows up at your door!
For whatever reason you may have, canceling your subscription is an easy process. Ipsy has an option to pause for a month or two, which is a perk in our book since you won’t have to make a new account if you choose to sign up again. If you’d like to opt for the more deluxe versions of the boxes, you can simply cancel your subscription and start a new one.
Both brands have created subscriptions that are tailored to your interests, while still offering up a monthly surprise with some new goodies. When it comes to plans, they’re pretty similar since shoppers are able to choose between different options that suit their lifestyle best. Also, customers can become members for exclusive perks, plus rewards to spend on items they love!
As a bonus, all Ipsy products come in a reusable makeup bag (excellent for gifting or traveling) while Boxycharm items come in recyclable yet chic storage boxes!
Ipsy Glam Bag Vs Boxycharm Base Review:
The Ipsy Glam Bag comes with five deluxe trial size products all tucked in a cutesy mini makeup bag ideal for overnighters and storing mini items like nail polishes and face masks. Items range from eyeliners to cleansers, so you’ll get a wide variety of picks, and even be able to choose one of the items you’ll receive. This bag retails for $13/month.
The Boxycharm Base comes with five full-size products that, similar to the Ipsy bag, come in a wide variety of options. These can include anything from makeup brushes to skincare products to haircare. Also, you’ll be able to pick one of the items that come in your package! This box has a total value of up to $175 for only $25/month.
While the two bags come with the same number of products, the Base does come with full-size items, though the Glam Bag is more affordable. In this case, which one you choose depends on what you’re looking to receive alongside what you’re looking to spend!
Ipsy Glam Bag Plus vs Boxycharm Premium Review:
The Ipsy Glam Bag Plus includes five full-size products, all wrapped up in a reusable, trendy mini drawstring bag. You’ll receive three items you chose and two surprises. Like other Ipsy bags, this option comes with a wide selection of different types of beauty products. These bags can have a value of up to $120 and retail for $28/month.
The Boxycharm Premium box comes with six full-size beauty products. Ipsy is a little more customizable in this case since you’ll be able to choose two of the six products and receive four surprises. While the box retails for $40/month, the contents of the box may be worth up to $215.
Depending on your preferences, either bag can technically come with more bang for your buck. With Ipsy, you’ll find more products per dollar, while the value of the Boxycharm box is ultimately higher for the price.
Ipsy Vs Boxycharm: Price & Value
As evident in the above prices, both brands are generally affordable for what they offer. You always get items that are worth more than what you pay for alongside a variety of items from top brands. Boxycharm prices range from $25-$60 a month/quarterly, while Ipsy bags cost between $13-$55 a month/quarterly.
The price and value of Ipsy and Boxycharm subscriptions are technically in the eye of the purchaser. It all really depends on what you’re looking for. While one box may be technically worth more in price, you might get more products in another.
For both brands, customer feedback proves the hype is real. Most of the time, shoppers are pretty happy with what they receive, thanks to those beauty quizzes I mentioned earlier. Plus, the products are high quality, coming from some of the most well-known brands, as well as a few newer brands on the scene.
Overall, Ipsy bags are less expensive than Boxycharm. So if you’re looking to try out beauty boxes, and see if they’re right for you, try out Ipsy. But, Boxycharm offers more full-size products and promises that all boxes are worth up to $175. On the other hand, Ipsy items are often trial size or cost less in total, so Boxycharm seems to provide customers with more value.
Ipsy Vs Boxycharm: What Do Customers Think?
To help determine which brand is worth the buy, this Ipsy vs Boxycharm review will now take a look at what shoppers are saying. Given that these two brands are so popular, I found loads of reviews about each one, which highlight different customer experiences.
Below, I’ll share a summary of these reviews for each brand from Influenster, Trustpilot, and Better Business Bureau.
On Influenster, Ipsy has a 4.3/5 stars rating based on 61496 reviews, while Boxycharm has a 4.6/5 stars rating based on 27405 reviews. The brands also received ratings on Trustpilot. Ipsy got 2.1/5 stars from only 207 reviews and Boxycharm earned 3.8/5 stars from 3189 reviews.
Next, I’ll take a look at some of the popular customer comments to determine what makes each brand unique.
Ipsy:
- Affordable prices
- Good variety of products
- A mixture of deluxe samples and full-size items
- Convenient
- Fun travel bag
- An ideal way to try new products and brands
- Responsive customer service
- Easy to pause or cancel
Boxycharm:
- A great thing to look forward to every month
- Plenty of full-size products
- Nice to be able to choose some of the items
- Convenient and high-quality products
- Great variety of items
- Surprising and fun (like getting a present)
- Good bang for your buck
Plus, the Better Business Bureau has rewarded them both with ‘A’ grades. On the BBB’s site, Ipsy has responded to 302 out of 712 complaints, and Boxycharm responded to 348 out of 813. Based on this, it’s evident that the two brands are committed to providing shoppers with exactly what they’re looking for.
Overall, the reviews for both brands are high for two reasons: the surprises make beauty fun and switch things up, and they also offer high-quality items at an affordable price. With that in mind, some shoppers do experience some repeats. In this case, shoppers are able to contact customer support to have the issue resolved.
Ipsy Vs Boxycharm: Promotions & Discounts
Of course, any deals are always better than no deals. This Ipsy vs Boxycharm review found a few promos that might pique your interest:
Ipsy:
- Discounted products when you sign up for a membership
- Earn $3 in add-on credits when you purchase a gift card
Boxycharm:
- Earn a $10 credit and a free gift when you sign up
- Membership perks and access to the store
- Discounts for longer subscriptions (annually vs month to month)
Overall, both brands offer better deals for longer subscriptions, which is ideal if you know you’ll want to receive the items all year long! Plus, there are always plenty of promotions running, so you’ll find a deal for your first purchase pretty easily.
Ipsy Vs Boxycharm: Shipping & Returns
Beauties, this Ipsy vs Boxycharm review knows that you want to get your goodies in a timely fashion, and at an affordable cost (if not for free), too. The two brands currently only ship within the USA and Canada, though they do offer fast and tracked shipping through FedEx or DHL.
For Ipsy, shipping is free, while Boxycharm charges between $5-$8 for shipping depending on the box you choose. Ipsy often ships in the middle of the month and your subscription items take around 7-10 days to arrive.
On the other hand, Boxycharm ships after the first of each month and your items will arrive within 5-10 days. In both cases, customers report slower shipping times, but that likely has to do with the worldwide slowdown in shipping.
All in all, it’s pretty appealing that Ipsy is already affordable and also ships for free. But, you might prefer to get your items closer to the beginning of the month, making Boxycharm the better choice in that case.
Who Will You Shop With?
When it comes down to it, there’s a lot to consider before deciding which box is for you. There are plenty of similarities between the two brands, considering they both offer a wide range of beauty items. But there are some key differences that stand out to this Ipsy vs Boxycharm review that might help you choose.
With Ipsy, the number of trial-size items makes it super easy to test products out, and then you’ll be able to buy the full sizes of the products you love. If you’re more interested in getting a box packed with full-size items—which is especially valuable considering the low cost of the subscription—Boxycharm is the way to go.
All things considered, both brands offer pretty great ways to try out plenty of new products on a regular basis, as well as the option to cancel anytime and start your subscription back up again when you choose to. Plus, if you fall in love with an item, you can shop for it directly on their websites.
With both brands offering great deals on great products, helping you discover new items along the way, alongside some great customer reviews, they both stand out as top options in the beauty box market. Concluding this Ipsy vs Boxycharm review, I’ve only got one question for you: which box, if not both, will you subscribe to first?
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