Are you subscribed to any monthly beauty boxes?
Nope! I’ve tried a few briefly in the past, but there’s just nothing about it that appeals to me personally–I’d rather buy something specific than receive an assortment of things.
— Christine
Explore Temptalia
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Compare Any Two
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Enjoyed this? There's More
53 Comments
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
Comments on this post are closed.
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
No, and I haven’t done so for years; I did once belong to the Doreen Miller Beauty Club, but eventually became bored of being sent stuff I wasn’t really interested in.
I was subscribed to Goodebox for a while (an organic makeup / skincare monthly box) and Boxycharm for a while too… I really liked the Goodebox, and would consider subscribing again for sure. With Boxycharm, there was always discrepancy between the previews they showed online and what you actually got in the box, so different people ended up with different items and that caused a lot of frustration, especially when I was looking forward to a particular item that was previewed for the month and didn’t end up getting it. It seemed like they had different levels of boxes, too, where influencers ended up getting the most desired and highest quality items, and everyone else got what was left over. I don’t think I would subscribe to Boxycharm again.
Currently subscribed to boxycharm. I was subscribed for 6 months, got tired of it and unsubscribed for 6 months, and recently resubscribed. I do like that I get new products every month, but I can’t decide if I’d rather just put the money toward one thing I really want rather than a couple of things that I’m so-so on. I usually really like one or two products from the box, but I don’t think there’s ever been a month where I’ve loved everything in the box. Sometimes we get products I really like (becca highlighter) but not in shades that work for me (prosecco pop) so I’m always conflicted about those products.
With shipping and the exchange rate it works out to about $35 CAD a month for me, and for the same price I could buy a high end mascara or lipstick. So I’m currently trying to decide which is more worth it for me.
No. I’ve looked into them and watched many unboxing YouTube videos of the various companies, and they don’t seem worth it for me. Like Christine, I’d rather target my money on something I really want than take my chances on box full of things I might not like.
I used to get 2, but forgot that I got a new card with one so that one was stopped. I just had Sephora,. Right when it was time for them to ship, someome tried to get $100 dollars off my card and I had to have the bank stop the card from being used and get a new one. I called Sephora and told them I was getting a new card and why, They said they would get me back on the list but never did. OK with me because like you, I’d rather just buy one thing that I want to try rather than get a bunch of stuff I don’t really care about one way or the other.
No, and I have never been intrigued by these. Like you, I’d rather spend my money on specific products I want rather than receive random things that I may or may not like.
Yes!
1. Allure Beauty Box. I was subscribed to Sephora which is a great deal but I never really got anything that I would want to buy the full size, so I canceled. Same is for Allure because I’m pretty set in my brand preference, but I like them better for some reason.
2. SquareHue (squarehue.com) – 3 nail polishes/month for $21 and a chunk of proceeds go to fighting human trafficking
3. AllHeart – (shopallheart.com) 1 nail polish/month for $15 and $1 goes to the monthly charity for which/whom she’s designed the polish
I’ve been really enjoying them. Anything I don’t like, I give away/donate.
No – they seem to run on the pricey side here in Canada and often contain things that really should be free samples, as well as products I’ve never heard of and/or don’t want and while sometimes, the boxes do contain full sizes of certain products but there’s no guarantee they’d be something I’d want or use. I’d sooner put my money toward products I have decided I want to purchase instead of a whole bunch of random stuff (I have enough random stuff that was free samples, points perks or GWPs)
None. For anything. I don’t really understand subscriptions. I prefer buying what I want. If I want to try something, I’ll pick up a sample or try it in-store. Why would I pay to do something that’s essentially free? And monthly at that.
I’ve done boxycharm for a little over a year now, and I’m obsessed. Yes, sometimes you don’t get something you want, but usually it ends up taking you out of your comfort zone, and try it. There are things I’ve received that I would never think of buying but have become staples in my makeup because of boxycharm showing it to me! And I do the three-month at a time subscription, so the average box price goes down from $21 to a little over $19 I believe. But in the end you’re receiving about 120-190, sometimes over $200+ in products. Also, products that haven’t worked out for me, I’ve been able to re-gift to those who reaaaaaally would enjoy them more than me. WIN WIN
No. I’ve toyed with the idea and I’m not averse to it, I just haven’t gotten around to sorting cost/reward and also the hassle factor, like how hard is it to cancel a subscription, are items received as promised, etc.
I got the Julep one for a while. Once they got more into makeup & skin care I liked it less. I just wanted nail polish. I ended up cancelling.
Julep was one of my first sub boxes and I actually just re-subscribed again. Their makeup and skin care is actually very good! If you do the 3 month subscription, it’s only $19.99/month. I love that you can completely customize your box and you can really end up getting a lot of value for the price!
Yea I know but I used to work for Clinique so I got skincare for free.
I think you can choose with them, nail or makeup/skin care. Also, they give you a window to see what you’re getting and swap out anything you don’t want for another selection from the choice they give you. I liked that about Julep, but ultimately became bored with the one-brand offering and didn’t love the makeup, so I canceled.
I had a 3-month subscription to the LookFantastic beauty box and I did like most of what I got, but then the amount of so-so products started getting overwhelming and I unsubscribed. I will probably get another subscription sometime again, it was a fun way to test new products!
I used to have a subscription to Ipsy, had it for many years before I discontinued it. I also had Sephora Play for a few months, but like you, nothing really holds my interest and I straight up don’t care anymore. Most of the time you’re paying $10 for samples and that’s just too much money for what you’re truly getting.
I have many short stints with most of them. But long times with ipsy and boxycharm. Both I have cancelled and then re-signed up for due to some offer. But then I typically cancel again within 2 cycles. I just come back to not needing extra products I don’t want.
I’m subscribed to Julep. I like it because I can pick what I want, and I can skip as often as I like. These days I skip more often than not, I basically only get it if I really like some of the nail colors or need more facial cleanser or base coat/top coat. I’ve tried a lot of their other products and most of them haven’t really impressed me as much as the nail polish, which I really like.
I’m also subscribed to a tea subscription box — four months in and I’ve only received one thing I didn’t like. I like that one better than a makeup box because my partner and I are big tea drinkers so we can easily use up all or most of what we get in a month before the new one arrives, and the one thing I didn’t like, I just dropped off at the dance studio which has a tea nook in the kitchen.
AJ, I don’t know which tea subscription you have, but you should check out Loose Leaf Tea subscription if you haven’t. I have tried a few different ones and really like LLT. Some of those tea subs seem to send more teas that would be better in my grandmother’s potpourri bowl rather than in my tea cup!
Thanks Angie, I’ll check that one out. I’m subscribed to Sips By and so far it’s mostly been a mix of single-origin teas and some really unique blends (like a chai with coconut and lemongrass).
Not any more.
I subscribed to Ipsy for 3 months twice and sephora play for 13 months. Before that, i wasnt very intrigued with subscription boxes. But I was also new to makeup and it gets expensive buying things to try and they dont work out. So, I subscribed in an effort to try new things that I otherwise would never thought of. However, in reality, the makeup they sent just wasnt for me. Majority of the makeup was geared towards light/medium tone while I’m dark skinned. Got bronzers, silver highlighters and some unflattering lippies if they do infact show up on my lips. On the otherhand, for skincare it was much better variety. In the end, i gathered all the samples on my bed and asked, was this worth $150?. The answer was no and I cancelled. In retrospect, I could have used that money to buy something I really wanted. But the experience of getting a little gift in the mail every month was nice too. It will be a year soon since I cancelled and I have no regrets. On the plus side, Ive also realized that I spend less money on beauty now than when I had those subscriptions.
Boxycharm and Allure beauty boxes. Many of the products I would not have tried otherwise and now I love them! I think that both boxes have been well worth the money. I also get the Lookfantastic Advent box and the Lucky box from Beautylish once a year, XOXO! Lastly if there is something I know I am not going to use, I share.
Yes, I purchased the Le Metier de Beaute monthly box, this is my second year and I am very happy with items that I received. Some eyeshadow palettes & their famous kaleidoscopes, skin care, lip sticks, and makeup tools. It is a bit hefty to pay over three hundred upfront but definitely worth it!
I have subscribed to several in the past, but once I figured out my soy allergy (and that it’s in 98.9% of everything… grrrr) I gave up on being sent things I could not research first. UNTIL… BEAUTY-HEROS. Best. Box. Ever. Not only are the products top notch and an amazing deal, the customer service is stellar and works with my allergy, so I can skip months that contain my allergen ingredient. Love love love.
Two fragrance ones! I like that you can pick your fragrance with both, and they allow you to skip months when you don’t feel like getting anything.
I was tempted to- by the Sephora or similar boxes that offer deluxe sizes b/c I do not finish FS products unless they’re staples – moisturizer or bases. The advertising featuring well-known brands is tempting until I remember that I’ve bought sets with mini versions of things I was interested in from brands yet I rarely wound up buying the FS version. Getting random stuff sent to me would be worse. And I hate hate hate the addict mentality that renders what would be in my case, makeup hoarding, as benign. Collecting stuff that’s not getting used is too stressful.
I’ve wanted to try boxy charm once but there was a waiting list. I don’t care to get those small samples( most of the time I never try them) full size does sound more appealing.
I did scent box and scent bird for 3 months each and it was fun. They both had advantages. Scent box had more upper end products that I was interested in but I paid more $18 for 2.
Scent bird you could buy unlimited amounts of the tiny vials ( they last a month) I think it was $14.95.
I’m very picky about scents and can’t wear much at work so a full bottle lasts too long.
I ordered extra and then stopped at christmas. Loved it! But need to use up what I have now.
Well, I was until 2 days ago when I pulled the plug on Ipsy Bag. Not 100% sure I’ll be doing another subscription or not in the future, near or far. I just felt like Ipsy wasn’t really taking my comments on preference of shades seriously. Like really, how many black eye pencils do I even need when I’ve made it clear that I already have my HG black eyeliner in MJ Blaquer? Same goes for very pale plain looking highlighters.
So, for now, I have an extra $10 for cat toys! Or gf pizza!
That was my experience with Ipsy too! I felt like my ratings and preferences were not kept in mind, and I did not need all the black eye liners, pale neutral eye shadows and pink lip products. Many of the products may have been formulas I would like, but it didn’t matter if the colors were dupes for things I already had plenty of!
I think there’s a cat toy subscription box, haha! I don’t know if it’s $10 but you can get a box of toys and treats!
This sounds like a subscription box I could get behind!
You do understand that your cat’s were in league with Ipsy about what you would be receiving?
Nope for me, too. I’d rather choose my samples for my sensitive, aging skin.
I’ve tried a few over the years, and currently get the Sephora one. Any minis I wouldn’t go for I can pass on to my sister and her (almost) step-daughters or my local women’s shelter, and it curbs that “wanna buy makeup” itch so I spend less overall. I have been thinking of trying the Allure one but I’m on the fence about it.
Nooo. I have so much crap I already don’t use.
Nope. I hate random everything. I also tend to be super picky about what I buy especially with skincare–which comprise most of these monthly boxes. And I always throw out stuff that I don’t use. Never going to happen.
No I never have. I talked about getting one for my daughter when she was in college because I thought it would be fun for her to get something in the mail every month but after watching unboxings each month I didn’t feel like it was worth it so I just sent her products I knew she would like and use. Because I am so fair and have mature skin it didn’t seem like there would be much that would work for me.
I am subscribed to Facetory (Four-ever Fresh) and LOVE it! It’s a great deal for sheet masks and 95% of the ones I’ve gotten are amazing.
I’ve been subscribed to ipsy for about 2 years and Boxycharm for about a year. After this month’s box and bag I’m done. Ipsy keeps sending things I’m not interested in, although I have liked more things from them than Boxycharm, whose items I typically declutter to my daughter or Project Beauty Share. Interesting that you posed this question because I hadn’t really thought about how much I haven’t liked things from either enough to cancel both subscriptions until now, so thank you Christine, for saving me $30 a month! That’s money better spent on things I would enjoy more or saved for the future.
No. Whenever I have bought those boxes of samples from Sephora I always ended up with stuff I didn’t care for but then felt compelled to use. I can’t imagine getting a box of things I had nothing to do with selecting. And whenever I watch a YT box opening, I feel vindicated in my choice.
I have just subbed to the Allure Beauty Box. I’ve read good things about them so I’m quite excited to try some new products.
Sephora’s Play box is the only one I’m getting currently. In the past I’ve tried Ipsy and Macy’s. I don’t think Ipsy has as high quality products as the Sephora and Macy’s boxes. I like that these two are products that I can find locally and I’ve been pleased with both.
I did when I was a teen way back in the mid 1970’s. The issuer doesn’t exist anymore that I know of…World of Beauty Club I think it was. It worked for me back then as I didn’t have a large stash built up so I was able to try things I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford or even consider. The brands were good ones with some HE items thrown in sometimes. Now, at 58, I have a large stash and am pickier about what I use and know what works for me so I wouldn’t subscribe now.
No I don’t because you end up with a stack of products that either don’t suit you (eg pink lipsticks) or you just wouldn’t use. I sometimes think that this is a way of brands to get rid of products that don’t sell too.
I’ve belonged to Julep since nearly their first box. I use their Bare Face Cleansing Oil as a makeup remover, so I tend to customize my monthly box to grab one of those and a couple of polishes or simply skip if I don’t need anything or the colors available to me that month are not to my liking. I’ve got enough Jules right now for a free box and need some more cleansing oil, so I’m hoping for some of ‘my’ type of polish colors next month as I’m not a fan of their other skin care or makeup items.
I tried Sephora and the Macy’s box and didn’t find them very exciting. I also tried Birchbox, but after four solid months of explaining – or trying to – that I had VERY dry, sensitive skin and still receiving things that promised to dry out my non-existent oily spots, I let them go.
I also used to get GlobeIn, but had to cancel when my previous job was automated away and finances became a major concern. I did enjoy most of the things they sent me and I felt good about spending
the money to help people in other parts of the world. One corner of my library/office looks like I went on the world’s strangest vacation through the villages of Africa, Central and South America and Mexico and my favorite mug/soup bowl was from a GlobeIn box. I used the palm leaf baskets we got every month to give gifts of my homemade treats and my friends and family really like them. I also find them pretty handy, though I’m not sure how many palm leaf baskets I actually need in my life. Probably exactly none.
I’ve subscribed to Sephora Play box since it launched (3 yrs ago?). It’s usually light on color cosmetics, but I really like it. I love the skincare products. I don’t think I’ve been disappointed by a box yet.
I actually just canceled my subscriptions to Medusa’s Makeup and Notoriously Morbid’s Vanishing Cabinet. I loved both, but I’m just starting to accumulate too much stuff. I still have my Apocalyptic Beauty subscription, but that only debuted two months ago, and I want to try more of their stuff and support the brand. I will most likely subscribe to Darling Girl’s when it debuts April 1, because I want to try more of their products.
In the past I’ve had Ipsy Glam Bag (liked), BoxyCharm (loved), Lips Monthly (liked), and Beauty Box 5 (really liked), but again, I stopped them a year or so ago, because I was accumulating too much stuff. I tried Birch Box for a couple months, but I hated it. Tiny samples of really expensive stuff for the most part.
This is a subject where I feel I’m an expert! I LOVE beauty subs. I had so many (still do) but I had to start making cuts due to the need to save some $. I was sad to do it.
Ones that made it through: BoxyCharm, Ipsy, Tribe, So Susan Color Curate, Lip Monthly, Sephora Play, Ricky’s Cult Crushes.
I really like getting all the surprises and I do try everything. But then, I’m a person pretty open to new things beauty-wise. My skin is combo so I can find use for both oily and dry skin products. I’m medium toned, so most colors work for me. I don’t have rules about what colors I must wear and what colors I can’t. Bonus: I never have to go out and buy any skin care – I just use the stuff from my subs.
If you are the kind of person who is very particular about what you get, or likes to make sure the retail price exceeds the cost, or isn’t okay with variation from the spoiler, you will find subscriptions frustrating and annoying. Which defeats the purpose. They are supposed to be fun. If it’s not fun, don’t buy it.
I did when I was in high school but haven’t tried once again although tempted just to receive something in the mail. I don’t want tons of things I probably will not use and end up as more waste in our landfills.
I subscribe to three, Dermstore Beauty Fix, Sephora Play, and the Allure box. I was subscribed to Ipsy and Biirchbox but the why of samples W was getting overwhelming.. I decided to cancel two based on the sample sizes. I really enjoyed the all and shared with my daughter and granddaughter.
No. I look for very specific things when I go searching for makeup; I would be annoyed by someone else’s attempt to guess what would work for me. I *am* subscribed to Notoriously Morbid’s dragon lip color of the month, but I don’t consider that to be anything like a monthly beauty box.
Oh, and my skin is very reactive, so skincare roulette would be a really bad idea.