Sample Society
Sample Society is a collaboration between BeautyBar.com and Allure. Everyone pretty much gets the same samples, and your preferences don’t determine which items you get. That being said, even though it’s not as customizable or tailored to you, I consistently get the best deluxe samples through this box. All of the samples are chosen by Allure beauty editors, IE the same people who decide the Allure Best of Beauty items each year. It also comes with a little magazine written by said editors explaining what the product is/does and why they like it. They also have crazy incredible customer service. Though I haven’t had to contact them, one of Alex’s samples broke in the box a few months ago, and they were responsive within the hour and had a new box – not just a new sample, sent out to her almost immediately.
Favorite thing about it: I consistently get great samples that I really like. Even the odd sample here or there that I don’t, will end up being perfect for one of my friends.
What I dislike the most: They pack the products in this shredded/crimped paper that is super dusty. It looks great for presentation, but makes a mess if you aren’t careful opening the box/recycling the packing material.
Price: $15/month, And you get a code that takes $10 off of your $50 purchase from BeautyBar.com – though now it’s applicable to any product, not just brands that were included in the box.
UPDATE: Sample Society has been rebranded as Allure Beauty Box as of Summer 2015 and is no longer facilitated by Beauty Bar. Opinions stay the same overall in that it’s one of my favorite boxes but you don’t get the Beauty Bar discount code anymore. I’ve updated the link below to take you to the new site [=
Ipsy (GlamBag)
I’ve been an Ipsy subscriber for a little over two years now. Basically it’s pretty standard in that you get 5 samples shipped to you in a makeup bag. While you don’t get to choose which samples get included in your bag, not everyone gets the same sample. There are about 20 other available samples. Each product will have a page explaining what it is, with a link to where you can buy it (and usually a promo code of various amounts). They also give you points for reviewing the samples you get, sharing posts on your Facebook about Ipsy, and referring friends; you can redeem these points for bonus items that will be included in your next bag in addition to your regular selection. However, the bonus items available are usually pretty lacking, and unless a lot of people are using your referral link, it takes a while to build up enough points.
Favorite thing about it: The promo codes that come along with all of the brands included in that months available products. That way even if I don’t get the sample I really wanted, I can still use the promo code and buy the full size at a discount.
Thing I dislike the most: The same brands keep getting used over and over again. There just isn’t much diversity, and it feels like even when you consistently review products/brands that you dislike, you end up with them in your bag regardless. It also just feels like a younger box overall.
Price: $10/month or $110/year, so you get a month free when you order annually as opposed to monthly. However, if you cancel your annual subscription it will just make it so that it’s not set to auto-renew, and you’ll still get your remaining bags for the rest of your year.
Birchbox
I’m brand new to Birchbox as of New Years. Though I have been eyeing it as a replacement for my Ipsy subscription for a while. The points system on Birchbox seems a lot more reasonable and redeemable than the one Ipsy provides, and the Birchbox online store has a lot of brands that are hard for me to find at my local Sephora/Ulta.
Favorite thing about it: The brands selection seem way better than the ones I was getting with Ipsy so far, and feel like they’re a bit higher quality.
Thing I dislike the most: I’ve seen a couple of long time subscribers complain about getting duplicate samples a bunch, or too many foil packets. However, I have also read that Birchbox has made an effort to switch up the foil packets. We’ll see and I’ll keep you posted.
Price: $10/month, or $110/year. But the point system is where it’s at apparently. You get 1 point per every $1 spent, plus 10 points for each item you review. You also get 50 points for each person that signs up with your referral link. 100 Birchbox Points can be redeemed for $10 in the Birchbox Shop.
Beauty DNA
Beauty DNA is different than the other available beauty boxes. Instead of getting a bunch of teeny tiny samples that are only (maybe) kind of matched to your preferences, you get one full size product that is individually and specifically matched to you based on an extensive questionnaire. They break it down into what type of skin you have, what concerns you have, even ingredients you prefer, etc. This is great if there are specific ingredients in things that you might be allergic to, simply say you don’t want to get items with that ingredient in it, and wha-bam you get a product in the mail that’s safe for you to use. They have also been consistently updating their service, and their website is looking better every day. This sub is really coming into it’s own.
Favorite thing about it: They send products and brands that I didn’t even know existed, but somehow work amazing for me. Looking at you Juara Sweet Black Tea and Ginger Mattefying Moisturizer (though I am saving the rest of it for later this spring/summer since I need a heavy duty moisturizer during the winter months).
Thing I dislike the most: If the product is not something you’d use all the time, it takes a lot longer to go through it than just a normal deluxe sample.
Price: $25/month, but the full size samples I get routinely are worth around the $45-50 mark, and sometimes they even include an extra item.
Which one would I recommend?
Overall, the Sample Society is my absolute favorite of the more traditional boxes. I am the most excited to see the spoilers they post on their facebook page and instagram each month, and I think it offers the best diversity and quality per price point. While Beauty DNA is a different type of box compared to the others, it is the shit. I just can’t recommend it enough. These two boxes are definitely my top picks depending on if you’re looking for something more customized, or if you’re subscribing to try a bunch of new stuff.
Since I’ve redeemed some samples with my points from Ipsy that I won’t get until my bag next month, I’m holding off of canceling my subscription until then. After that though, I’ve been disappointed with the last couple of bags and feel my money is best spent elsewhere, like on Birchbox…
Do any of you subscribe to any beauty boxes? Which ones?
Links to Sample Society Allure Beauty Box here, Ipsy here, Birchbox here, and Beauty DNA here.
♡Em
