REPORT CARD: 6 Beauty Box Companies // Jul - Dec 2012

oh my. it is, once again, time to report on the many many beauty box subscription companies out there. my first 'report card' focused on 3 companies, the next was on 5 and here we are now with 6.
if you want, you can read the first report card here or the report card for January to June 2012 here.

as more companies enter the market and as demand for these sample boxes appear to be tapering off, we are faced with the decision of which companies we actually want to remain subscribed to. i know i am facing quite a mountain of products in my bedroom that i will have to deal with soon...

i hope this post helps you with your decision. be warned that this is a rather lengthy post! there are pictures at the end of you just want to take a look at all the boxes :) 

i stuck with the same legend as before:

LEGEND:

• purple font = these are "bonus" products. note that all totals DO NOT include bonus products. 
• (number) = if there are brackets with a number beside a product, it means i have gotten that number of samples 
• number with a circle around it = the number represents the number of samples i received of the same product while the circle indicates that this is a one-use sample 
• i.e. in July's Glossybox, i received 4 makeup sanitizer wipes that are intended to be one-use only 

note: 

- gift cards are not included.

- makeup remover wipes are classified under "Cosmetics"; cleansing cloths are under "Skin Care".

- if a mini-size of a product was received and is available for sale in this size, it is still considered a "full sized" item.

TOPBOX

* Sold out - waitlist is currently a "few months" long
* Website? www.topbox.ca
* Cost? $10/month $12.00/month; $12.60 including tax (AB)
* Number of samples? 4 "deluxe"
* Beauty profile? Yes
* Feedback surveys? Yes - allows you to customize your preferences for next month including type of packaging (normal vs. eco-friendly)
* Referral program? Yes - for each every 3 friends who join, get 1 box free (limit of 6; invite through email via Topbox's website only)
* Other info? shop online (limited selection); tons of giveaways on Facebook; a "Review & Win " section;

the new "Privé box" - from February and onward, you may choose a brand offered by Topbox and you may receive a box featuring that brand. otherwise, you will get a regular Topbox.

* My thoughts: 

i have a love-hate relationship with Topbox. i really don't know what to do with them!! they were the very first company i subbed to. i had fabulous boxes from them but since they opened up subscriptions sometime during fall last year and started sending out fragrances, it went drastically downhill. oh and not to mention, the price has gone up. i can't believe how disappointing the December box was.

Topbox stays pretty true to their claim of 4 products in a box - occasionally they add a bonus item or the 5th would be a one-use sample. the only customization i've been seeing lately is through nail polish colors. 

we will have to see how i feel about these Privé boxes before making a final decision.

GLYMM
* Website? www.glymm.com or click on my referral link?
* Cost? $12/month since May; for active members prior to the change, price remains at $10) $15/month since February 2013 for ALL members; can also purchase semiannual, annual or gift memberships
* Number of samples? 4-5 "deluxe"
* Beauty profile? Yes
* Feedback surveys? Yes - get 10 points for each one completed
* Referral program? Yes - earn 50 points for each referral; 100 points = $10 off next purchase
* Other info? can shop online; Glymm Man & Glymm MAMA also available; switched to using makeup bags instead of boxes since May

* My thoughts:

this may be biased because i just opened my January Glymm bag - "seriously?" was what i was thinking the whole time. they jacked up their price (again), made secret changes on their website and to think that this bag is supposed to demonstrate that the price increase was worth it? nuh uh.

if i am looking at just the data for the last half of 2012, it was pretty decent. i was introduced to some brands that i really really enjoyed (EVOLVH, The Beehive, Villainess) but the majority of the samples tend to lean on the itty bitty side. more often than not, there will be one or two skincare-related items in your bag.

one of the best features of subscribing to Glymm is their loyalty program. however, there has been hush-hush changes to that (oh and free shipping starts at $100 now instead of $50).


GLOSSYBOX
* Website? www.glossybox.ca or perhaps click on my referral link? :)
* Cost? $15/month $21/month since November
* Number of samples? 5 "high-end" "deluxe"
* Beauty profile? Yes
* Feedback surveys? Yes - receive 20 points for each one completed
* Referral program? Yes - earn 200 points for each referral; 1000 points = free box
* Other info? Glossyboxes are available in 16 other countries

*My thoughts:

holy price hike! lately, there has been a lot of negativity surrounding Glossybox - due to the price increase as well as the discontinued/expired products from December's fiasco. Glossybox seems to make a lot of claims - "high-end", "niche" and "sources from the best cosmetic companies" - all of which have been directly challenged. there is no shortage of full sized items in Glossyboxes but they can all be found at your local drugstore. i have raked in enough Glossydots to redeem for a free box... but after that, it will be hard for me to justify paying $21 to build up my collection of Aveeno moisturizers.


BEAUTY BOX 5
* Website? www.beautybox5.com or many thanks if you join through my referral link :)
* Cost? $12 US/month; can also purchase quarterly or yearly subscriptions
* Number of samples? 4-5
* Beauty profile? Yes
* Feedback surveys? No
* Referral program? Yes - invite 5 friends, get 1 box free
* Other info? tracking info provided is pretty useless for Canadians

*My thoughts:

BB5 started off slow but they have made their mark in the beauty box industry. they have continually introduced me to new brands and new products. BB5 is the only one i do not have a monthly subscription for - i have the quarterly one but i am seriously considering a yearly subscription (if i cancel some of the others) - it is one of the best deals out there! if you like cosmetics, then this box will meet your needs.

LOOSE BUTTON // LUXE BOX
* Website? www.loosebutton.com
* Cost? $26/quarter ($27.30 with tax for Albertans); can also purchase semiannual, annual or gift memberships
* Number of samples? 7-8 "trial-sized"
* Beauty profile? No
* Feedback surveys? No
* Referral program? No
* Other info? switched from monthly to quarterly boxes back in June; quarterly boxes ship in the months of February, May, August and November March, June, September and December (bumped over a month because even though they switched to quarterly, they are still super slow at shipping); subscription has some "perks" - also has First in Line program; Luxe Box for Men is available; shop online at their Luxe Boutique 

*My thoughts:

yes, the silk-like packaging and monogrammed stickers are luxe but when you really think about it, it's almost $30 a box! so i don't know... i am sort of on the fence about this one too. then again, since it is only quarterly, it doesn't seem to sting as much. 

both quarterly boxes i received contained 8 items, at least 1 of which was a Loose Button item (exfoliating pad, kabuki brush, false eyelashes). the Loose Button item will be full sized and there would be 2 other full-sized items in the box.

IPSY // GLAM BAG

*Sold out - length of time on waitlist is unknown

* Website? www.ipsy.com
* Cost? $10 + $4.95 shipping US/month; annual membership also available
* Number of samples? no specified number but both "deluxe" and "full sized" terms are used
* Beauty profile? No but you complete a beauty quiz when you first sign up
* Feedback surveys? No
* Referral program? No
* Other info? all about the community - you can compete in Look Challenges, create videos, comment on other looks people have created...

*My thoughts:

i am loving my ipsy right now! i initially signed up for beauty boxes because i wanted more makeup and this particular subscription really delivers. they have shipped all makeup with the exception of 1 skincare product per bag. they have also partnered with some more prestigious brands such as Urban Decay and Benefit. there has been at least 2 full sized products in the last 2 bags - i like!

- - - - -

a quick summary:

and a quick analysis:

* customization has really gone down as more people subscribe. next time i do a report card, there will probably be no use for that column anymore! 

* you will get 1 full sized product from Topbox 50% of the time while it's a toss up for Glymm...

* Glossybox averages about 3 full sized products each month - same with Loose Button

* with BB5, you will get at least 1, and with ipsy, at least 2 (so far anyways)

* Glymm, BB5 and Loose Button seem to have the most variety in products but their main focus is still cosmetics

* skin care is huge for Topbox

* ipsy is the most makeup-oriented box

* only Glossybox and ipsy are fragrance-free while Topbox is increasingly sending out perfume samples

* if you add them all up, that's 149 samples to go through - from just half of the year!!

- - - - -

BRANDS

it is not surprising that these companies feature products from the same brand more than once (most common were the 3 Sebastian hair products from Glossybox and 4 CyberDERM products from Glymm). the most prevalent brand across the board is B. Kamins - they have partnered with Glossybox, Topbox AND Loose Button - i now have a total of 6 B. Kamins samples. both BB5 and ipsy have been more exciting for me since they are both American and therefore allow me to try brands that i cannot get here.

- - - - - 

SHIPPING

where the boxes come from:

* Topbox - Toronto, ON

* Glymm - Montreal, QC

* Glossybox - Mississauga, ON (with the except of December's box that was partnered with LOULOU magazine, which shipped from Winnipeg, MN)

* Beauty Box 5 - Austin, TX

* Loose Button - Mississauga, ON

* Ipsy - San Mateo, CA

all of the above use Canada Post (except for BB5 which uses USPS). ipsy uses Canada Post when it arrives at the border.

date the companies stated that they will ship boxes:
* Topbox - on the 10th
* Glymm - week of the 10th
* Glossybox - end of the month
* Beauty Box 5 - mid-month (15th)
* Loose Button - N/A but the Spring one should be mid-March

* Ipsy - mid-month

LEGEND:

• shipped = when the item was processed
• expected = estimated date it will be delivered; arrows indicate an estimate change because Canada Post received the item after cut-off time
• delivered = when it arrives in my mailbox/front porch

quick notes:

* Topbox and Glymm arrive around the same time (and now ipsy too). Glossybox and BB5 tend to arrive near the end of the month or early next month. as for Loose Button, i have no clue - they have not been consistent enough for me to even guess. 

* there is no tracking info prior to ipsy's Glam Bag arrival in Canada. for BB5,  it's reversed - i have no idea what happens to it after it leaves Austin, Texas. 

* BB5 is the only one that fits in my normal mailbox. the other ones require the larger compartments of my community mailbox. 

* the Winter Luxe Box was actually delivered to my door and my dad even had to sign for it.

- - - - -

CONCLUSION

i have some yeses, some maybes and some probably nots. i can never make up my mind! haha but i know that i am getting way too much stuff to even use and appreciate any of my older items so i have to cut back. 

i am confident that i am keeping ipsy and BB5. Topbox and Loose Button are maybes while Glymm and Glossybox are on the chopping block. i've been looking at my points for the latter two and will be using them up shortly. 

a summary through pictures:

Topbox (July to December 2012):

Glymm (July to December 2012):

Glossybox (July to December 2012):

Beauty Box 5 (July to December 2012):

Loose Button (August/Fall 2012; December/Winter 2012)

Ipsy (November to December 2012):

you can click on the "Beauty Boxes" tab at the very top if you'd like to read some reviews :)

what have you decided - are you dropping any subscriptions or picking up new ones? what factors greatly influence your decision? thanks so much for reading!

REPORT CARD: 5 Beauty Box Companies // Jan - Jun 2012

it is time for the semiannual "report card" on five of the beauty box subscription services available in Canada: Topbox, Glymm, Loose Button, Glossybox and Beauty Box 5.
i took a look back on the previous 6 months (from January to June). i know that this overlaps a bit with my previous report card but i thought i'd make it easier if i started counting from the beginning of the year rather than from the first boxes i received (December 2011).
be warned that this is quite the lengthy post!
there is some missing data since i did not sign up for Glossybox until March, BB5 until May and i did not receive Loose Button's last monthly box for June.
i only included Loose Button for those of you that are curious about their past performance. since LB decided to no longer send out monthly boxes (and switch over to seasonal boxes), the following data on the company is probably not relevant anymore. 

i've tried my best to make the following Excel tables as easy to understand but here's a

LEGEND:

• purple font = these are "bonus" products. note that all totals DO NOT include bonus products. 
• (number) = if there are brackets with a number beside a product, it means i have gotten that number of samples 
• number with a circle around it = the number represents the number of samples i received of the same product while the circle indicates that this is a one-use sample 
• i.e. in January's Luxe Box, i received 6 vials of perfume; in April's Glossybox, the BB cream sample i received was a bonus product that's intended for only one-use.

click on the pictures to get a better view!
note: makeup remover is listed under "Cosmetics" while cleansing cloths are considered "Skin Care". some of these items were really really hard to classify!! for instance, Benefit's POREfessional is a "primer/gel", but i had no idea what to classify Lise Watier's Flash Lift Radiance Vial (i just called it "flash lift radiance vial"). gift certificates are not included. even if there are different sizes of a product available for purchase, a mini sized sample is still regarded as a "full size".

TOPBOX:

* Sold out - waiting list is currently a few months long (~ Fall)
* Website? www.topbox.ca 

* Cost? $10/month; $10.50 including tax (AB)

* Number of samples? 4 "deluxe"

* Beauty profile? Yes

* Feedback surveys? Yes - allows you to customize your preferences for next month including type of packaging (normal vs. eco-friendly since April)

* Referral program? Yes - for each friend who joins, get 1 box free (limit of 6; invite through email via Topbox's website only)

* Other info? Topbox holds tons of giveaways of Facebook; also has a "Review & Win " section

Topbox has been really consistent in sending out 4 samples - and more often than not, they are deluxe-sized. for the month of February, where they sent out 5, 2 of the 5 were one-use samples.
the company also tends to have a full-sized and/or customized product in each box. 

GLYMM:

* Website? www.glymm.com or click my referral link please (i'll greatly appreciate it if you do!)
* Cost? $12/month since May; for active members prior to the change, price remains at $10/month ($10.50 for Albertans); can also purchase semiannual, annual or gift memberships

* Number of samples? 4-5 "deluxe"

* Beauty profile? Yes

* Feedback surveys? Yes - get 10 points for each one completed

* Referral program? Yes - earn 50 points for each referral; redeem 100 points for $10 off next purchase

* Other info? can shop online; GlymmMan also available; switched to using makeup bags instead of boxes since May; product cards discontinued since June

Glymm seems to send out a number of full-sized products but never anything personalized according to the consumer. 4 is the common number of samples in one box. one-use samples are also common.

GLOSSYBOX: 

* Website? www.glossybox.ca or perhaps click on my referral link? :)
* Cost? $15/month 

* Number of samples? 5 "high-end"

* Beauty profile? Yes

* Feedback surveys? Yes - receive 20 points for each one completed

* Referral program? Yes - earn 200 points for each referral; redeem 1000 points for a free box

* Other info? there are apparently 4 different variations of the Glossybox each month, depending on your skin type

Glossybox always sends at least 5 products in their boxes (not including bonuses). when they do send bonuses,  they are samples that are intended for one-use only but you can expect at least 3 other full-sized items.

BEAUTY BOX 5:

* Website? www.beautybox5.com or many thanks if you join through my referral link :)
* Cost? $12 USD/month which translated to $12.28 CDN in April; can also purchase quarterly or yearly subscriptions

* Number of samples? 4-5

* Beauty profile? Yes

* Feedback surveys? No

* Referral program? Yes - invite 5 friends, get 1 box free

* Other info? no tracking information available for Canadians

there has been no consistency yet since i've only received two boxes from BB5 and one seemed to be filled with one-use samples while the other had more full sized items. also, in May there were hardly any cosmetic-related item while the June box was filled with them. so based on this, i cannot draw a conclusion.

LOOSE BUTTON / LUXE BOX:

* Requires an invitation to join
* Website? www.loosebutton.com

* Cost? $26 + tax/quarter; can also purchase semiannual or annual memberships

* Number of samples? 7-8

* Beauty profile? N/A

* Feedback surveys? N/A

* Referral program? N/A

* Other info? most of the information is currently not available since the switch over from monthly boxes to quarterly boxes recently occurred (June 13); new quarterly boxes to ship in the months of February, May, August and November; there will also be "exclusive content" and "member-only" perks

* Curious about the previous version of LB? $12/month for 4-5 "deluxe" samples; had beauty profiles, feedback surveys, referral programs; also had a "First in Line" program which they used this year in January, March and April

Loose Button loved to send out shampoo and conditioner samples - and 4/5 times, they were one-use samples (in the horrible packaging). check out how many times "shampoo & conditioner" shows up!
LB is the only company that sent out any food bonuses this year (people still miss the jellybeans from Glymm).
even though the company had beauty profiles set up, no products were customized.


comparing across the board (with a number of limitations due to different subscription times):

some quick analysis:
* Topbox is the only company making use of your beauty profiles and feedback surveys to customize your box (well, Glossybox has done it once).
* Glossybox has sent out 13 full-sized items. Glymm gets second place with 7, which is a far cry from first place.
* i've received the most cosmetic-related samples from Topbox this year.
* Topbox seems to focus on 3 main areas: Cosmetics, Skin Care and Hair Care. they have not sent any perfume samples or anything bath-related (so far, BB5 is similar).
* Loose Button sent the most perfume samples.
* the majority of samples received from each company (except Glossybox) are cosmetics. most of Glossybox's samples have been skin care.
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BRANDS:

i decided to list the different brands of products from each company and found that Topbox, Glymm and Loose Button has sent out products from about 25 different brands. so there is quite the variety! however, it is common that a company sends out more than one product from a particular brand. for instance, i have received 3 different Wella products from Glossybox but most have only sent two or less products from each brand. 

the most prevalent brand among beauty boxes seems to be Cargo - i have received a total of 5 samples. other contenders include Simple and Paco Rabanne, both of which i have 4 samples each.
almost all the brands in my BB5 boxes were completely new to me - which is fine since i want to be introduced to new ones anyway - and since BB5 is more focused on natural products than other companies, this will benefit me even more :)

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SHIPPING:

in regards to shipping, here are the locations the companies are shipping from:

* Topbox: Scarborough (Toronto), ON

* Glymm: Montreal, QC

* Glossybox: Mississauga, ON

* Beauty Box 5: Greenville, TX 

* Loose Button: Mississauga, ON

all companies except BB5 uses Canada Post Expedited Parcel service to deliver their box. BB5 uses UPS.

date the companies stated that they will ship boxes:
* Topbox: on the 10th of each month
* Glymm: week of the 10th
* Glossybox: varies
* Beauty Box 5: mid-month (15th)
* Loose Button: mid-month

LEGEND: 

• shipped = when the item was processed
• expected = estimated date it will be delivered; arrows indicate an estimate change because Canada Post received the item after cut-off time
• delivered =  when it arrives in my mailbox/front porch

note: all the dates are taken from the Canada Post tracking info. for BB5 however, there is no tracking info, so it was based on the day i actually received it as well as the date on the postal sticker on the box.

there is the least amount of variance between Topbox's stated date of shipping and the date they actually did. sometimes, they even shipped earlier. i always always get Topbox first for each month.
lately, Glymm has slightly improved their shipping and i usually receive it shortly after Topbox.
Loose Button was pretty slow in delivery. hopefully this improves with the new changes!
Glossybox has had plenty of issues with CP. they have experienced delays in customs or have blamed CP for not sending out shipping notifications. in March, they only sent out reference numbers rather than individual tracking info. for May, i did not receive any tracking info at all. i always receive Glossybox very late in the month (29th was the earliest!) or in the beginning of the next month.
Beauty Box 5 takes 2-3 weeks to get to Canada, so i often get it at the beginning of the next month (around the same time i get Glossybox). 

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CONCLUSION(-ish):
hmm so last time i typed this, i was unsure of which one to unsubscribe to since i did not have the funds to continue to subscribing to all of them. at that time, i was only subscribed to 3. now i have 5. and i have not unsubscribed to any yet. what to do what to do! the excitement of getting a box every month has died down a bit but i'm still very eager to try new products or new brands. Loose Button is becoming only a seasonal thing and i am hoping that they change for the better: in terms of samples as well as customer service.
what i do know is that i will not be unsubscribing from Topbox anytime soon. i enjoy the ability to customize my boxes and from this, i find that i am making use of most of my samples from Topbox. i can't say the same for the other boxes. Glossybox has very good value but like i mentioned previously, they focus slightly more on skin care. they send out a lot of full-sized items but whether it is a drugstore brand or a higher-end brand is about 50/50.
BB5 has a brand list that is almost completely unknown to me but that helps broaden my knowledge on companies focused on natural products.
i've never been really wowed by Glymm - they've always been mediocre. but then there are those great moments when i get something like a brow gel or a duo lipstick/lip balm. it's just so hard to step away!

if you are interested in my reviews of ALL the boxes mentioned in this post, please feel free to either search it in the top right bar or scroll all the way down and selecting a label (i.e. "Glossybox" for all Glossybox entries).
i've included pictures of what i received in each box here if you wanted a quick glimpse:

Topbox (January to June 2012):




Glymm (January to June 2012):



Loose Button (January to May 2012):





Glossybox (March to June 2012):




Beauty Box 5 (May to June 2012):



phewww, thank you soooo much for reading!! i put a lot of time and effort into this so i hope you find it useful in making any decisions!