Read This Before Trying a Subscription Box

From vitamins to underwear to tampons, it seems like there's a subscription box or membership available for everything nowadays!

These have exploded in popularity recently.

Additionally, the subscription service with the most traffic to their website was ipsy, with over 5 million visitors in April 2017.

Some of my subscriptions seem like necessities now; I don't know what I'd do without my Netflix and Spotify Premium!

But do you really get the bang for your buck with subscription services?

Especially with cosmetics - is it better to just purchase them online or in-store as you need them?

Keep on reading to hear my thoughts!

The Pros

Receiving multiple beauty and skincare products each month can eliminate the need to spend money on full sizes.

Plus, the smaller sizes you receive in the box are usually travel-friendly!

Plus, when you first sign up for the service, companies will usually have you fill out a questionnaire about what you want and don't want to receive in your box, so you're getting custom-tailored deliveries.

Trying an array of makeup and skincare can really help you expand your beauty knowledge and help you figure out what you like and dislike.

The Cons

All these new options can be exciting but overwhelming.

Products can pile up quickly.

They can end up untouched, and wasn't the point of subscribing to try new products?!

You may end up like me with a bathroom counter full of stuff.

If you finish multiple products that you love, it can be tempting to go out and purchase the full size, which means you'll ultimately end up spending more money.

There's also the risk of skin irritation from constantly rotating new products.

As always, I recommend sticking with a consistent skincare routine and performing a 24-hour patch test on the back of the wrist for new products.

My Advice

If you want to try a beauty subscription service but can't justify spending the money, ask for samples when you go shopping at your beauty retailer.

This way, you're getting products you know you need, plus some fun goodies to try!

You could also ask for someone to sign up for the service on your behalf as a birthday or Christmas present for a gift that will keep on giving!

If you really, really want to sign up, I recommend sitting down and figuring out a budget to make room for the extra expense.

Maybe you can cut out your daily Starbucks run or start making more meals from home.

And that's good life advice anyway, right?

(You could always just say "to heck with it" and treat yourself...)

Final Thoughts

I'm not here to tell you what you can and can't buy; I just wanted to share my experiences and thoughts!

As a busy mom and business owner, I get it.

If there's an option to make your life easier, then why not go for it?

It's nice to have that monthly shipment of dog food, for example, come to your doorstep without having to think about it.

I personally use a local organic food delivery service for some of my meals.

It saves me sooo much time...going to the grocery store with two young boys can be quite an adventure.

Beauties, what subscription boxes do you receive? Are they worth it? Let us know in the comments!