Are Makeup Clubs Worth The Money?

Subscribing to a makeup club usually costs between $10 - $15 per month, depending on the club, which adds up to $110 - $150 a year. A few clubs charge more. Popular makeup clubs include Birchbox, ipsy makeup bags and Beauty Army. Most clubs let customers cancel a membership at anytime, without penalty.

Upon joining, a subscriber is asked to select her makeup preferences. This includes: 1) Types of products: mascara, eyeshadow or lipstick, etc; 2) Colors: reds, pinks, plums, browns, or nudes; and 3) Looks: bold, glam or natural, etc. However, customers find that the boxes contain essentially the same products, regardless of what they select.

So is subscribing to a makeup club worth the money? Yes, if it brings you happiness. But no, if you are looking for value.

Here are the reasons why:

1) You have the ability to try skin care, or cosmetics for free simply by going into the Sephora, or Ulta shops. Plus, beauty companies give away plenty of free samples. It is better to experiment on someone else's dime before you spend money on products you may not like.

2) You will not use much of the club makeup, which comes automatically to your home because you didn't select it. If you go into a store, you can buy only the makeup that you like, not the mascaras, foundations or red lipsticks you don't.

3) Some of the products are sample size, not full size. You shouldn't have to pay for samples that companies traditionally offer for free.

4) Subscribers say after a few months, the products get redundant. 

5) Moreover, we acquire less, if we make concious decisions to walk into a store to buy things. To avoid clutter, waste or extra expense, we should develop the habit of getting only the things we need. You are handing over your control to a club.

The only time I would buy a subscription to a makeup club is as a gift for someone who can't afford makeup; or who is too busy to procure it. What a treat for such a person to receive a monthly gift of new products. The rest of us can always walk into a store to shop with purpose.

What do you think?

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