Last week Birchbox announced on social media that it has partnered with MAC cosmetics to bring the popular brand to the Birchbox Shop, and starting in May, MAC products will also be available in monthly subscription boxes, reports Bustle. MAC, which stands for Make-Up Art Cosmetics, will join Birchbox’s more than 800 brands, including Benefit Cosmetics, GlamGlow, Laura Mercier, Oribe, too cool for school, and TONYMOLY.

“We are beyond thrilled to announce that MAC Cosmetics is available in the Shop on Birchbox.com!! We’re so excited for you to explore tons of new products, or perhaps to bring back some of your old faves from the iconic cosmetics brand. We are so proud to partner with a brand that celebrates an all-inclusive approach to beauty and the power of makeup to inspire self-expression,” said Birchbox on Facebook in February.

Birchbox told Subscription Insider that, in February, they introduced 50 MAC products to Birchbox customers, and it quickly became a best-selling brand. On April 12, they launched the full MAC assortment in the Birchbox Shop, offering more than 200 products, including MAC’s new Next to Nothing Face Colour. Because of this new relationship, Birchbox customers can use their rewards points toward purchases, which is likely to be popular with loyal customers.

Birchbox also said they will be sampling MAC to 75 percent of their subscribers throughout 2017, using a personalized approach to match the products with their subscribers, based on individual needs and preferences. The sampling program will begin in May with MAC’s Strobe Cream and False Lashes mascara. In July, they will be sampling Prep + Prime Skin and Prep + Prime Natural Radiance.

“It’s an opportunity to have a blank slate with a brand that has so much recognition…My merchandising team and MAC [worked together to figure out], ‘What does MAC look like for a totally different customer that will approach the brand in a totally different way?'” Eric Neher, vice president of merchandising for Birchbox, said in an article for WWD.com.

“The strategy is to speak to what’s core to MAC and represent all of their bestsellers in the strongest categories, but we want to use the lens of our own customer to create an assortment that would resonate with her,” added Neher.

According to Hitwise and Statista, in January 2016, Birchbox tied as the most visited subscription box retailer in the U.S., drawing 3.6 million visitors to its website that month. It was tied with Dollar Shave Club.

Reaction was mixed, but these customers seem happy about the new relationship with MAC

Insider Take:

Subscription boxes are a great way for beauty and cosmetic lovers to try different brands and products at an affordable price point. With Birchbox priced at $10 a month, or $110/year, this subscription box is a great opportunity to sample pricier MAC products which may not otherwise be in every beauty buyer’s budget. According to WWD.com, both Birchbox and MAC are going through transitions, so this partnership could benefit them both in terms of visibility and sales.

We are pleased to see that Birchbox tested the partnership first in February, sampling a subset of MAC’s product line to see how it would fare with its customers. Since MAC quickly became a best-selling brand for Birchbox, it makes sense that they’d build on that success by expanding their offerings both in their online shop and in their beauty boxes.