I am a great proponent of treating myself. I think everyone should have more treats, all the time, always. A monthly beauty box subscription guarantees that once a month you’ll receive a little box of joy delivered to your door. Whether that joy is focused on sample sizes, full-size products, makeup, skin care, or bath and body items depends largely on the service you choose. But I tested the most popular services for a few months and these are the best I have found. (Please note that we’re still waiting for our Ipsy and BoxyCharm shipments to arrive, so stay tuned for our take on those and other more popular services in a future update.)
Be sure to check out our related guides on the best kids subscription boxes, best snack boxes, and best meal kit subscriptions for more recommendations.
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Are beauty boxes worth it?
CABLING: Beauty boxes are a great way to discover new products and usually offer excellent value compared to purchasing the items separately. You can’t put a price on the sheer dopamine rush of receiving a gift in the mail every month. (Or maybe, in a literal sense, you can, but I still think it’s priceless.) Products that don’t work for you will make good gifts or donation items.
TIRED: Some beauty boxes contain a large number of small, environmentally harmful plastic bottles and tubes, which can be bulky and difficult to recycle. You may receive some products that are not suitable for your hair or skin type, or that simply do not work. Most beauty kits do not allow for any customization; what you get is a real surprise.
I contacted popular services and asked to try the at least one month box, but ideally the three month box. I compared the value of the included items to what the box cost. I also made notes on the general variety and how likely the average person would be able to use them, comparing specialty products to those that would work for most people. And yes, I put all these pretty little potions on my face, hair, and skin. Please refrain from asking me about the state of my bathroom countertop during this difficult time.
Please note that some brands offer unique boxes that are available for purchase outside of a subscription. I did not test them or consider them part of the criteria for this guide.
