Since 2014, monthly beauty boxes have changed the way we purchase makeup. You can purchase these beauty boxes online for around $10 a month to get deluxe samples or even full sized products. I love these boxes so much because instead of going to Sephora and buying one product for almost triple the price, I can get up to six samples of products I might have never tried. Since there are now so many makeup boxes on the market, I decided that I should give my honest opinion on all these boxes.
Allure Beauty Box
I have always liked the looks of these boxes. It features a lot of Allure product favorites and it often contains full size or deluxe samples. This makes the box a little more expensive but I have had friends receive full size nail polishes from Burberry (worth $24) and other extremely reputable brands. If you are wanting to spend a bit more on a box, this would be right up your alley!
Price: $15/month Rating: 4/5
BirchBox
This was the second box I heard about and is probably the most comparable to Ipsy. You also receive five samples or minis of products but unlike Ipsy, the box is not as tailored to you. Honestly, I think that makes this box better because they often have more brands that are recognizable compared to Ipsy. Often when you subscribe they will give you a free month or include a mini palette from a popular brand like Smashbox Cosmetics.
Price: $10/month Rating: 4/5
Boxycharm
This company prides itself on giving you full size samples, usually between 4 and 5. Most products I see in this box are emerging brands (which is not always bad) but for the same price I could go to the drugstore and choose colors I would use. One feature I do like with this box is that it contains full size palettes, all are from brands I have never heard of. If you are just beginning to get interested in beauty products, I think this box would be great for you.
Price: $21/month Rating: 3/5
Ipsy
This is the beauty box that started it all. Michelle Phan was the creator of this box after becoming a star as a YouTube Make Up Guru. This was the first beauty box I subscribed to and I originally received it as a gift. I ended up being a subscriber for over a year until I opted out. For this box you take a personality quiz and fill out a preference quiz on which products you use. I ended up unsubscribing because even with the preference list they kept sending me products I did not care to use. They also advertise products from well-known companies yet I never received any of them. I would keep about one product from each box I received, and gave the rest to my mom.
Price: $10/month Rating: 2/5
Julep
This is great if you love Julep products but the subscription box only features items from their product lines. You get three full size products a month which usually are nail polish and sometimes a skincare item or make up. This does make sense since they started as a nail polish brand, but to me it does not seem like the best value even with the free set of nail polish when you initially sign up. This might be of value to someone who constantly paints their nails, but I think I have made it through maybe three bottles of nail polish in my life.
Price: $24.99/month (price decreases the more months you purchase) Rating: 2/5
Play by Sephora
So this is the beauty box I am currently subscribed to and I feel like I will be with it for a while. I am obsessed with Sephora. I often visit the store about twice a week so when they launched a beauty subscription box I immediately signed up for the wait list. They have been slowly increasing the amount of boxes, so I was finally able to purchase one about two months ago (I was on the wait list for about 6 months!) But don’t fret, the wait list time now is shorter (about one month). It includes five deluxe samples and a perfume sample all in a cute little bag. Every month is themed differently and the items are from popular brands like Nars, Too Faced, Benefit, and Glam Glow. I like to try items from well-known brands so for me this is the best value of all the boxes. Plus, you get a card in your box and if you make a purchase at a Sephora store, you can get 50 extra beauty insider points!
Price: $10/month Rating: 5/5
While Play is my favorite subscription box, these are only the boxes I have heard or seen people try. There are now so many options and boxes that specialize in specific things from vegan to one brand only boxes. I hope these reviews may help you find the box that’s right for you!