r/MakeupRehab • u/AutoModerator • Jan 24 '17
TOPIC TUESDAY Topic Tuesday -'Subscription Boxes'- January 24, 2017
Tell us your thoughts on the modern beauty industry staple. Any preferences? What would you change about them if you could?
8
u/pockified One in/one out or replacements no buy Jan 24 '17
The only one I've ever considered was the Sephora Play box, but otherwise I would rather save the $10 a month towards some product I actually want than play Russian roulette and get mostly crap.
If I ever get a box like the Target or Walmart boxes where I can see a spoiler well in advance, it helps me see if the box itself is worth getting. Most of the time, I find myself skipping them since there is nothing there that interests me.
4
u/Megluvsbooks Jan 24 '17
I agree! Subscription boxes ARE like Russian roulette, and I think I only used and liked (not loved) maybe 10 products out of the literal hundreds that came over the year I had ipsy and Lip Monthly. That $20 a month adds up to $240 for the year. That's the cost of my staple makeup and skincare products for an entire year! And I know I love those products!
8
u/jstar04 Influencer Jan 24 '17
"staple".... its definitely a fad. probably to cater to the mindset of convenience and efficiency that we all seem to be after. Funny how we all want to have choice and opinion but still subscribe hoping that these companies will read our minds.
I personally am subscribed to So Choix, which allows you to choose what samples you want them to make for you. So far, its been helpful in allowing me to try powder products but at some point, their spread of products is almost too overwhelming for me and I wouldn't really shell out that much money for my cosmetics anyways.
I've also tried ipsy before, but at some point I just got overwhelmed by the number of half used products I had laying around... and they just kept coming...
I'm not sure what I would change about the market, though. I can see some problems, like the excessive packaging, but I can't think of good solutions lol. #stillwakingup
2
u/hikerbikerCO Jan 25 '17
I am a mascara addict and when I first heard of So Choix I was so excited! But then I realized they decant the mascara into their own tube so you don't get that much and you don't get to test the wand out...womp womp womp.
If there was a mascara only beauty box I would be all for that! Otherwise, I'm not interested in subscribing when I doubt I will incorporate more than half the samples into my every day routine.
1
u/jstar04 Influencer Jan 25 '17
I used to be super crazy about trying ALL the mascaras and really wanted the sephora mascara boxes that they come out with every year. unfortunately, I only use waterproof (I could probably get away with a water resistant one now), so it wasn't worth it. I believe other stores sometimes put together mascara sampler boxes.
1
u/hikerbikerCO Jan 25 '17
Ahhh, I actually prefer non-waterproof mascaras! I have a lot of samplers right now, though, so I
probablydefinitely do not need a monthly or even every 3 month subscription with new mascaras1
u/jstar04 Influencer Jan 25 '17
thankfully I don't see any boxes out there that offer it. but if you've emptied your stock of mascaras by the holidays, keep a look out for those sampler boxes!
3
u/hikerbikerCO Jan 25 '17
Haha, I am no where near close! I had to slap myself on the wrist a couple times when I saw a bunch of DS mascara lots on /r/makeupexchange. But I've finally accepted that there will always be DS mascaras out there and I can pick up the ones I don't have and try them out once I've made it through my current stash
1
u/ginseng-ginsa Jan 24 '17
I've been waffling about So Choix for months now. How do you feel about the amount of product they give you? I'm someone who uses veeery minimal makeup so I thought So Choix might be a good way for me to "own" some luxury stuff to use on the rare (couple of days a month) that I actually want to put stuff on my whole face. On their website, it usually says they provide enough product for 2 or so full uses; that doesn't seem like very much when it comes to powders like highlighters or eyeshadows. Do they provide enough product in a sample to actually get a good feel for the product?
1
u/jstar04 Influencer Jan 24 '17
the powders are much more than 2-3 uses. a blush has lasted me nearly a month of near everyday use. its a pretty pigmented blush though. Even for a primer, I've been able to get about a weeks use of out it.
But if you're only using a lot of makeup a few times a month, I would stick with samples of powder products as those take a lot longer to expire.
Products I wouldn't suggest getting from them is nail polish, mascara, lip liner, eyeliner (anything in pencil form is 2 uses).
Hope that helps! Let me know if I can clarify anything else
1
u/ginseng-ginsa Jan 24 '17
Yeah I wouldn't go for any of the cream/liquid products. I'm not interested in So Choix as a sampling service so much as one where I'm curating an amount of makeup I can actually use up. Your response was super helpful, thanks so much!
1
u/anana-c Jan 25 '17
How are the sizes of the lip products? I'm thinking like liquid lipstick, gloss and maybe the occasional bullet, I'm iffy about trying those on my lips in store and swatches don't actually tell me if it'll look good on me(..)_
2
u/jstar04 Influencer Jan 25 '17
so anything wax based they melt down into a small pan. its up to you to keep it airtight once you get the sample though.
As for liquid lipstick, its a tiny vial with a doe foot applicator. bc you have to use so little, I think there's at least 10 applications. and just a reminder that LLs only have a shelf life of 6 mo and idk how long the main tube of product they decant from as been open. But its a good way to try out formulas
I assume gloss comes in the same style of a small vial.
DM me if you're interested and I can get you a referral code~
1
u/flotsette no buy till all tried! Jan 25 '17
Interesting, I was going to write that that's how I'd design a subscription sample service - where I could pick the samples. But I know it would be hard to manage that, so So Choix has figured out a way to do it! How do they make a pencil that has only 2 uses? A tiny nub? What about the powders, do they break up pressed things so you get chunks? How do you go about using those easily?
1
u/jstar04 Influencer Jan 25 '17
they bascically cut the pencil down so you can't sharpen it anymore and then stick a cap at the end for ease of use.
for powders, they seems to repress them into smaller pans unless its originally in loose powder form.
1
6
u/-bats Jan 24 '17
Over the years, I've subscribed to Birchbox, Ipsy & Glossybox (not at the same time). I enjoyed all of them, but when I prepared to move cross country about 4 years ago (this is also when my serious makeup rehab started), I realized that I wasn't using the huge bulk of items I was getting. I'd save them "for travel" or "after I finish X" or whatever, but those times came rarely and the products were coming in regularly. So I cancelled my boxes when I moved, and lived without for a few years. I kind of missed the little monthly surprises, but didn't miss the mass amount of unused products that piled up.
This summer, I subscribed to Sephora Play, and I have to say I'm super happy with it. It fulfills the desire for a little monthly treat for cheap (and probably keeps me from shopping a lot of times), and I actually use several items from each box. I share the rest with my mom, my cousin & my best friend, so I'm not amassing a huge amount of stuff I don't need.
5
u/drinkscoffeewstraw Jan 24 '17
At first I thought subscription boxes were great because there were so many different categories you can choose from: food, lifestyle, beauty, and etc. It was like getting a surprise gift every single month. Eventually I got overwhelmed with the amount of stuff that was coming in. You end up with a lot of things you don't like or need.
3
u/bgamelin Jan 25 '17
Yes, exactly this. And eventually you realize that you could just buy the items you actually wanted individually and not end up with crap you don't want lol. I'm no longer subscribed to any boxes 😁 (OK, other than Julep, but I'm not taking boxes and too lazy to call to cancel lol)
1
u/drinkscoffeewstraw Jan 25 '17
Can't you just cancel via online chat or email?
1
u/bgamelin Jan 25 '17
Hmm, I don't know, I thought I had to call them last time I checked, but I guess I could check it
4
u/harlar Jan 24 '17
I have never had a beauty subscription box, but I have had one for Magic: the Gathering and one for cute spooky Goth stuff. I have cancelled both as I got one or two dud boxes, which was more than I was willing to pay for. Plus, I had to be stern: my income is tight enough as it is without me putting hard-earned funds into inane surprises for myself.
2
u/evilkittie Jan 25 '17
Wait, there's a box for cute spooky goth stuff?? My wallet is curious...
3
u/flotsette no buy till all tried! Jan 25 '17
There is a box for EVERYTHING. Do not look at My Subscription Addition if you are susceptible. There's a reason it's called that!
2
u/evilkittie Jan 25 '17
I've glanced through My Subscription Addiction, most of the boxes I was interested in were way too expensive. For $40, I want to pick what I'm getting, which defeats the purpose.
I've only seen one defunct goth box, though, so I'm curious what's available with that one!
2
u/flotsette no buy till all tried! Jan 25 '17
It's so true. We want the surprise or the feeling of getting a gift; but, we never would pick out all that stuff for ourselves. I have been having fun choosing products with my reclaimed money!
2
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u/Megluvsbooks Jan 24 '17
I used ipsy and Lip Monthly for about a year simultaneously, because I loved the idea of trying new products each month. It turns out is really was the IDEA of subscription boxes that I loved and not the reality of swimming in more products than I will ever be able to use in a lifetime. I could have taken a bath in all the random hot pink liquid lipsticks and glosses I received! I must have given away 100+ items to friends and family when I destashed. I'm not looking to have a minimalist collection, but I do want one that is purposeful, functional, enjoyable and thoughtful. Every item should be selected with care and work perfectly for me and my aesthetic.
3
u/jstar04 Influencer Jan 24 '17
It turns out is really was the IDEA of subscription boxes that I loved and not the reality of swimming in more products than I will ever be able to use in a lifetime.
I think we often forget about that when we sign up for stuff like that.
1
u/flotsette no buy till all tried! Jan 26 '17
Every item should be selected with care and work perfectly for me and my aesthetic.
I really love how you put this!!! I'm adding it to my list of principles to buy by!
2
u/Megluvsbooks Jan 26 '17
Thanks! It's something I have to remind myself of whenever I see something that looks pretty on someone else. That super pigmented coral blush looks great on the model who has a skin tone much deeper than mine, but I would look like a clown if I tried it. Not every item will work for me, and that's ok, because I don't need every make up item to begin with!
2
Jan 25 '17
I currently have ipsy, and I view it as a way to try fun things that I can't justify buying because I won't regularly use them. This month I got a loose glitter pigment eyeshadow, which I love and will probably use once or twice a month, but would never consider paying the $15 it retails for for something I use on rare occasions.
My rule for the subscription is, I'll only stay subscribed as long as I enjoy at least 3 of the 5 products I get every month. Once it falls below that, I consider it to cause more clutter than happiness.
2
u/violinist452000 Jan 25 '17
I've tried several boxes (ipsy, birchbox, petit vour, allure) and the only one I still subscribe to is the Allure box. I really like that they include things beyond makeup (I've gotten some bomb skin and hair product samples). In the almost year I've had them I've literally given away two things (a lip liner because I rarely wear lip products and a sheet mask because I hate them) and everything else has been used up or is in progress.
I have found it to be helpful in making me stick to my no-buys to keep the subscription box. I know it sounds contradictory, but I find myself much less likely to start surfing through MUE posts or clicking on Ulta/Sephora sale e-mails if I know that I have some surprise stuff coming in the mail. I try to stay away from spoilers so it really is generally a surprise to see what's in each box.
2
u/littlemisfitmatch Jan 26 '17
I feel the same way about no-buy but keeping the subscription boxes. I'm currently on no buy (other than skincare replacements, and I did my replacement shopping already so I know I'm good for the next 6+ months for that) but knowing I have my subscription boxes definitely keeps me from really poking through Sephora's website because I know I have makeup coming my way. (And Boxycharm is gonna be sending me a $79 full-size of a skincare item I'm working through a DS of that I really love this month, so that's literally saving me $58.)
2
u/AnadyLi Jan 25 '17
I have Sephora Play, and I really enjoy it. It satisfies my "buy all the new shiny objects" drive, and I have a friend with a completely different skin type and tastes, so any products I can't use are likely products she can use. To me, $11 a month is worth not buying that new shiny $55 palette or all the lipsticks in a line.
2
u/VonSkunk ReduceReduceReduce Jan 25 '17
I don't like blind buys and I actually break the value down of each box and see how much I'm getting for the money I'm paying. The only boxes that kinda blow my socks off nearly every time are the net-a-porter kits that aren't strictly subscription boxes. Otherwise I've noticed most services start great and then just go downhill after the first few months. I prefer services that let you buy one box here and there. If they come up with one I'm interested in or it contains an expensive product that I really wanted to try I'll just get that one box.
2
u/lgbtqbbq hopefully mindful blogger Jan 25 '17
For ME beauty boxes offer horrifyingly bad value. I don't have time-dependent consumerist-itches....I have product-dependent consumerist itches. I want THAT THING, not SOMETHING.
So for me, having new products arrive every month that I didn't get to choose gives me a sick feeling in my stomach. Someone gifted a subscription to me in college and I hated it the whole time.
I'm not really an impulse buyer (not anymore) so the thought of a box of new goodies arriving on the 1st of every month doesn't stop me from purchasing something random at Sephora or at the drugstore. All it does is build in an unnecessary monthly recurring expense. I can go a month without buying a single beauty product and feel no regret or urges. But that also means the next month I can buy 3 or 4 planned things...and to build in a safety for me (for a problem that doesn't exist) would end up costing me a ton in money and general happiness.
The process of finding THE right product is...75%-80% of the fun for me. I love that happy glow of getting EXACTLY what I wanted in the mail after spending 3 weeks checking on every single goddamn possible shade that I might want.
I also take advantage of return policies when necessary- if a product really doesn't work with my skin or skintone...if it wears poorly or looks awful even after I did my due diligence and tried hard to make sure it would work for me, I feel no shame in returning the item. I will usually be more cautious with its "replacement" but I don't feel bad about that. With boxes...the value proposition is sending you a bunch of smaller items so you can test them out. But why? I don't like testing things out like that- if I want to test it out, I would do it in-store (and I sometimes do.) And I'd rather not have it at all or have a F/S for most things. Obviously it would be nice to have mini options of all lipsticks I could buy in-store...but that's not realistic, and so I take what I can (F/S lipsticks, try to buy on sale, return it if I absolutely hate it and can't wear it.) The tradeoff/dichotomy is not:
Have F/S lipstick in shade I love
Have mini lipstick in shade I love
It's actually:
have F/S lipstick in shade I love
Have random mini lipstick chosen by a marketing intern who thinks there's such a thing as "universal colors"
That choice is obvious for me.
But I think that boxes make sense if...
You have a shopping habit which finds you BUYING mindlessly multiple times a month just to scratch that newness itch
You don't have strong formula preferences and you like having a large variety of items you can use up- not "staples"
1
u/flotsette no buy till all tried! Jan 26 '17
You put this really well. There are almost no universal colors. Remember that Marc Jacobs gift lipstick from Sephora last year? Yeah, I couldn't wear that. Nope, not even that.
2
u/Halloedangel Is it really that different? IS IT??? Jan 26 '17
I LOVED that lipstick but I got a cold sore while using it and had to toss it.
Was kinda sad. I considered getting a new one, but I like MAC lipstick formula just as well and they are less expensive.
1
u/aestheticsnafu Jan 24 '17
I really want play as I've just gotten back into makeup and lots of samples seem like up my alley right now but I have been on the wait list since last summer so I'm a bit dubious I'll ever get it which is making me kinda angry.
I've gotten the 3b kbeauty box for a couple months, and I've liked it but I can see myself unsubscribing soon, as I've gotten a good chunk of my skin routine settled and the stuff I'm interested in trying hasn't been showing up in the boxes.
1
u/purpleit11 Jan 25 '17
No waitlist currently!
1
u/aestheticsnafu Jan 25 '17
I think that's regional? Sadly I just checked and got waitlist today and yesterday too. I put my original info in months and months ago so I'd hope I'd get contacted before it opened up again. Ug so frustrating!
1
u/littlemisfitmatch Jan 26 '17
Sephora Play! doesn't have a true waitlist. They open up spots randomly, usually it ends up open on and off throughout the month, but it's not a list where they email you when your number comes up or anything. "Waitlist" is really a misleading way of putting it, but if you're still interested r/beautyboxes usually always has posts when spots open up
1
u/aestheticsnafu Jan 26 '17
Okay that is super super frustrating and annoying. Thanks for letting me know though!
1
Jan 24 '17
I only have sephora play box. I've tried ipsy and birchbox and hated both of them. The higher "quality" (er at least, brand name is "better") of the products makes it feel worth it to me. I am trying to do a replacement only no buy and I like having it so that I have something new to try out as my products run out and I find a need to replace them (sometimes).
I guess my thing is like, I have absolutely no qualms about throwing them away even if they're untouched if I know they won't work for me or I'm not interested in that product at all. So having samples around don't bother me as much as some others may feel obligated to use them.
When it comes to the market... I think sub boxes are in an odd place where it can be long term or die out within the next couple years. It accommodates the people who literally buy everything online. Sending out samples generates more reviews, since a lot of people like that will also refuse to buy a product without reviews but have also gotten cynical about YouTube advertising. So here we are. I wonder where it's going, tbh.
1
u/flotsette no buy till all tried! Jan 25 '17
I totally agree about samples. I see some people who seem committed to using things they got as samples they don't like. To me, a sample is just that. To try. If I don't like it or I know it's not my thing, I pass it on (or toss it out, if I think it's awful!) If you do this each month as you go it doesn't get overwhelming. I unsubbed to Ipsy though because I just don't want to try random things, I decided to use the money to try things of my own choice.
1
Jan 24 '17
[deleted]
1
u/penneforyourthoughts Jan 25 '17
It's truly a blessing and a curse! I hate that we don't have as many inexpensive options as the US, but at the end of the day, the high prices of boxes in Canada deter me from buying them which saves me money and saves me from becoming overwhelmed with samples. I'm still working through ONE sample bag that I got as a perk from sephora in October!
1
u/krumplikins I already own this thing I want. Jan 24 '17
I got Ipsy for a few months and Birchbox for about two years. I loved Birchbox at first because skincare is sort of my jam, and their points system made it easy for me to justify/lie to myself about what I was actually spending on skincare.
Eventually, it just led to product overload. For example, I would get one or two items every box that I was really psyched about and would use up. I definitely discovered some HG products that way. But I would also get one or two items every box that were just meh to me, or didn't really fit my needs. Nothing egregious, but the example I use is face scrubs. I only do a face scrub every few weeks, so even the tiny bottles last me months, and I got one every other month or so. Even months after cancelling, I still have FIVE tubes of face scrub. Other repeat offenders were:
mascara (I use but it takes me 3 months or so to use up a DS tube)
eye liner (just not a category I'm into, but super popular in sub boxes)
MLBB lipsticks (see mascara)
face masks (I love them but I can't mask daily)
perfume (I just wind up wanting all the lovely perfumes I can't afford)
1
u/agentsmudge724 pan like hella Jan 24 '17
I have Sephora Play, and I struggle with my feelings on it. I love getting new products to try out, but I feel I sometimes have sample overload. I definitely plan on keeping it for the time being, because it's helped me narrow down what I do and don't like, and I use a lot of the products at least once.
On the other hand, samples can take a long time to use up, and my goal is to reduce the amount in my collection. I'm conflicted but I really love Sephora Play and I plan to keep it
1
u/ginseng-ginsa Jan 24 '17
I subscribe to one box, 3bbox (AB skincare). It works out great for me since I like trying new things, don't like to commit to full bottles, and mostly importantly, don't have sensitive skin meaning I can be adventurous in my skincare. These are not all easy boxes to tick, and I think if I wasn't able to tick all 3 of these boxes, it wouldn't be a good idea to subscribe.
I've been wanting to sign up for Sephora Play but I'm really only ever super interested in half of the stuff in the boxes. I wish I had a friend who had reliably the exact opposite taste in makeup that I do lol then we could split a box or something.
1
u/BeautylicousBabe Jan 26 '17
For some outsider perspective, subscription boxes are not even a thing in Australia, let alone a staple. In fact we very rarely get many samples here. All of our drugstores have ones you can try and if you want to try something high end just go in store to get a little sample pot in your shade. It seems to work well as nobody I know is over run by samples and they generally seem very wasteful and not environmentally friendly.
1
u/flotsette no buy till all tried! Jan 26 '17
Whoever came up with the concept is certainly an evil genius.
1
u/pandaperogies Jan 26 '17
I cancelled my ipsy and birchbox. It was a waste to spend $20 a month on random products that are hit or miss to me.
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u/Amandine910 Jan 24 '17
Hmm... Great question. As a marketer who has run products in Birchbox, Fab Fit Fun, and a few others... It's a infuriating. We have to donate all the product to the company for free AND pay several thousand dollars to be included. More if we want to be featured to the consumer in emails, follow ups, the insert that comes with the box, and so on. And on top of that, they charge the consumer $10/box. So they are being paid to make the box, they get the product for free, and then they get consumers to pay for this thing they just curated for free... It's brilliant. I'm pissed that I didn't think of it.
As a consumer, I belong to Sephora Play. I used to love it bc it was a steady stream of new goodies I was getting each month for not a lot of money. I used or gave away almost everything I received and definitely felt like I was getting my money's worth. But here's the rub. In the past few months they've started running variations. And whether I'm too emotionally immature or petty, I genuinely believe comparison is the thief of joy. And when I see one segment of people get a box that's worth significantly more than mine or contains a brand or product I love... it bothers me. I wish Sephora would either go back to one box for everyone or allow us to pick the variation we get within the first 7 days of the month. And if we don't pick, we get whatever their personalization algorithm assigns us.