I’m a big one Self-treatment advocate. I think everyone should have more and more little treats. A monthly Beautybox subscription guarantees that you will receive a little box of joy straight to your doorstep once a month. Whether that delight focuses on trial sizes, full-size products, makeup, skin care, or bath and body products depends largely on the service you choose. But I’ve tried different services for a few months and these are the best I’ve found.
Be sure to check out our related guides Best subscription boxes for kids, Best snack boxesAnd The best meal kit subscriptions for further recommendations.
Updated December 2024: We added Ipsy, Boxycharm and LuxSB to our list of recommended services. We also checked the accuracy throughout.
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Are beauty boxes worth it?
WIRED: Beauty boxes are a great way to discover new products and usually offer great value for money compared to purchasing the items individually. You can’t put a price tag on the sheer rush of dopamine you get in the mail every month. (Or maybe in the literal sense: you can, but I still think it’s priceless.) Products that don’t work for you make good gifts or donation items.
TIRED: Some beauty boxes contain lots of small, eco-friendly plastic bottles and tubes that can be bulky and difficult to recycle. You will likely receive some products that are not suitable for your hair or skin type or simply do not work. Most beauty boxes don’t allow for customization – what you get is truly a surprise.
I contacted popular services and asked to test the box for at least a month, but ideally for three months. I compared the value of the items included to the price of the box itself. I also took notes on the overall variety and likelihood that the average person would be able to use them, and weighed specialty products against those that would work for most people. And yes, I apply all of these pretty little potions to my face, hair, and skin. During this difficult time, please refrain from asking me about the condition of my bathroom countertop.
Note that some brands offer one-off boxes that can also be purchased outside of a subscription. I have not tested these nor considered them as part of the criteria for this guide.
