Evaluation of Boxycharm

Evaluation of Boxycharm

        Boxycharm is a monthly makeup subscription service operating in the United States and Canada.  Although its competitors offer lower prices, more customization and ship to more countries, Boxycharm sends the best quality makeup for the price.

        Boxycharm costs more than many of its competitors.  A Boxycharm subscription costs $21.00 per month. In comparison, Ipsy – a very popular makeup subscription service – costs only $10 per month, and Birchbox – another popular makeup subscription service – costs $10.00 plus tax.  All three of these services offer free shipping to the United States and extra costs for shipping to other countries (including Canada).  This means that, in the United States, Boxycharm is more than twice as expensive as its popular competitors.

        Subscribers to Boxycharm (affectionately termed “Charmers”), receive the same or very similar selection of makeup, in the same style black Boxycharm box.  Competitors such as Ipsy offer different combinations of makeup based on individuals’ preferences and reviews of products received in previous months.  Others such as Birchbox offer a few different boxes (with themes) to choose from.  Competitors also provide more variety in the non-makeup part of the service – the “box”.  Birchbox sends makeup in boxes with different designs each month. Ipsy sends makeup in small bags which differ each month.  Boxycharm subscribers receive no customizability with their makeup selection or the box.

        Boxycharm subscriptions are only available in the United States and Canada.  Other popular makeup subscription services are available in Europe and Asia.  Birchbox, for example, offers their service to France, Spain and the United Kingdom as well as the United States.  Boxycharm is not available outside of North America.

        The products curated for Boxycharm are of higher quality than the product selections of other makeup subscription services.  I have subscribed to Boxycharm, Ipsy, and Birchbox (as well as other makeup subscription services) and have noticed that Boxycharm boxes provide selections of makeup valued at far higher than its price.  In general, my Ipsy and Birchbox subscriptions have been valued at around $12 - $18 for the price of a $10-$11 subscription.  However, my Boxycharm subscriptions have been valued at roughly $35 - $50 for the price of a $21 subscription.  I get my money’s worth with each of these subscriptions, but Boxycharm provides product selections that are often worth twice the cost of the box.  This is because Boxycharm sends only full-sized makeup products and does not spend as much money as competitors do on its box.  Ipsy and Birchbox send mostly sample sized products with the occasional full-sized product.  Other makeup subscription services also send mostly samples or send very few or low quality full-sized products.  The most popular makeup subscription services (including Boxycharm, Ipsy, and Birchbox) send high quality, brand name products, but only Boxycharm provides these high-quality products in their full-size at a value often double the subscription’s cost.