Almost any college student can relate to having to make sacrifices. I have felt the strain of buying things I need versus what I want: books or that eye shadow palette you’ve been looking at for months. The choice is obvious, but not always necessary. Here are my pro tips and tricks on how to do beauty on a budget using subscription beauty bags or boxes.
Ipsy
Ipsy is one of the first subscription services I ever bought. At $10 a month, a cute reusable bag, and with five deluxe sized samples, it’s a great value. That’s not all, one of those samples is always a prestige brand. Last month I received two products from prestige brands, one of which was a Living Proof hair mask that I’ve been dying to try. Another perk to this subscription is that whenever you receive the products that come in your bag, you get points that you can save or spend on different products! An extra to Ipsy is that they have exclusive offers and coupon codes for the samples of the month.
Birchbox
This subscription service can be a hit or miss but at $10 a month with at least five deluxe sized samples. If you’re into more independent brands, this box is for you. It’s a good deal and it’s my personal favorite for trying out luxury skin care. For new members when you review your samples in your box you get $5 to spend in the Birchbox shop!
Play! By Sephora
In my opinion the best deal out of the bunch, you get five deluxe samples of only prestige brands for $10 plus tax a month. Last month I got a Kat Von D Tattoo Liner and Anastasia Clear Brow Gel, both very generously sized. The only downside to this box is its high demand, with a waitlist and a strict payment policy, it’s almost impossible to get. However, if you get your hands on one it’s worth every penny
Don’t let sample size throw you off. When you think of how often you go through products, getting a sample size is the way to go. These boxes give you the opportunity to try products, so you can decide if you like them enough for a full sized. If you keep the subscriptions, you continually renew your beauty arsenal with new products and brands. However, it is all chance, and you’re not always going to love all the products you get but as time goes on Ipsy and Birchbox but use the reviews you leave to shape better the bag/box you get in the future. Give a subscription service a try. They can always be canceled after a month if you don’t like it.