I’ve become a bit of a subscription box fanatic lately. There’s just something about getting packages delivered and have it be somewhat of a surprise, but knowing that it will be something that’s probably to my taste that really appeals to me.
Today, I’m comparing Play by Sephora and the Target Beauty Box. It might seem a little odd to compare the two since I think of one store as a bit of a splurge and only for special occasions/products while the other is more in my price range and my go-to for everyday items. But the thing is that both of these beauty subscription boxes are $10/month, so that makes them fair game for comparison. Oh, and I bought both of these on my own and no affiliate links are included in this post: just sharing my personal experience, especially with the holidays coming up, since I think subscription boxes make awesome presents.
Cost/subscription: Play by Sephora and Target Beauty Box are each just $10/month. You can cancel Play at any time, though you have to make sure you cancel before the last day of the month if you don’t want to be billed for the next month. Target’s (as far as I can see) is something you have to order at the beginning of the month on a month-to-month basis, something that’s nice for when you feel like skipping a month instead of cancelling altogether.
Products: An advantage to Play by Sephora is that you fill out a beauty profile when you subscribe and your products are at least somewhat tailored to you. I can tell this not just by what I received, but also because I’ve seen others share their most recent box online and they all were not the same. Most of the products in the Play by Sephora box were things that I wouldn’t buy in the store without trying first because they don’t fit in my budget and even if I do love them, they might still be out of my budget. Though it’s fun to get to try products I otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to.
Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in Driver’s Seat, Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask with Rare Prickly Pear Seed Oil, Skin Inc Pure Revival Peel, Blinc Mascara Amplified, Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb, Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris
The Target Beauty Box isn’t tailored to my needs (boo to the thickening shampoo!) but most of the products are ones that anyone could use. An advantage to the Target Beauty Box is that if I end up loving one of the products in it, I could easily buy it on my next trip to Target (as opposed to having to wonder if I can really pay $71 for a hair mask, even if it did make my hair feel amazing… no, the answer is no, I can’t… but do you want to come feel my hair right now? Ah-mazing. But I could buy the $1.99 deep conditioning treatment from Target. Not quite the same results but yay, my kids still eat this week!).
L’Oreal Advanced HairCare Volume Thickening Shampoo, Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Beautiful Day Cream, HaskKaratin Protein Soothing Deep Conditioner, Laneige Water Bank Soothing Mask, W3ll People Bio Brightener Stick, L’Oreal Voluminous Primer, Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner
Perks: The Play by Sephora box comes with a card that you can take into the store “to receive expert advice” (supposedly some sort of tutorial) and 50 extra Beauty Insider points with any purchase. The Target Beauty Box comes with a coupon for $3 off a beauty purchase of $15 or more. For me, the advantage goes to Target since I no longer live within reasonable driving distance to a Sephora.
So, if I were only going to suggest either Play by Sephora or the Target Beauty Box, which one would it be? My answer is that it depends. Both boxes do actually give you products worth more than the $10 you spent on them, even if you factor in that a product or two might not work for you.
If you want a chance to try higher end beauty products that you might otherwise not get a chance to and you’re fine with knowing that the cost of buying them on your own can be pretty high, but you just want that chance to experiment: go for the Play by Sephora box.
If you still want to experiment but want to be able to stay within your budget if you choose to buy the the products in store: go for the Target Beauty Box.
Me, I’ll probably go a few more months with both beauty boxes before I narrow it down. I did like both of these better than I liked Ipsy. Have you tried any beauty subscription boxes? What has been your favorite?