Ways to get the best of luxury beauty delivered directly to you every month
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Let’s start off with saying, I am at the age where skin care is a must. Dare I say it, this year I’ll be adding another notch to the fourth floor. Even though due to the pandemic, I can pretend I am still forty, or never even had a birthday, reality is I am in fact forty plus 1. It’s time I started acting it and embracing a skin care routine of some sorts to keep the fine lines at bay.
As an adult, I rarely wear make-up. My daily go-to is the Tarte maracuja lip balm and Thrive Liquid Lash mascara, but as a former high school and college dancer, I spent almost 8 years with full on glam every single weekend. As I graduated and became a nightlife journalist, I had to bake my face so that I would look great in pictures and now I’m just over it. I am living for the less is more vibe.
With that said, although I’ve managed to keep my skin looking great, its time I invest a little time on self-care and maintenance. As someone who didn’t prioritize my skin regimen, I now find myself looking at every ingredient, every review, every product and its a bit overwhelming. Instead of stressing out, I turned to the experts and decided to invest in a beauty box subscription.
Beauty Boxes are a great way to stay on top of the latest trends in beauty and skincare. Not only do they provide you with amazing product samples, but they’re also incredibly convenient. All you have to do is sign up for a monthly or quarterly subscription and you’ll be sent a variety of different products from well-known brands. Plus, most Beauty Box subscriptions come with exclusive discounts and offers that can help you save even more money on your favourite beauty items!
When it comes to choosing the right Beauty Box for you, there are lots of factors to consider. It helps to think about what kind of products will work best for your skin type and needs. I decided to try five of the beauty box subscriptions to see how they compare.
Each box I tried came with a variety of samples and full-size products, such as moisturizers, serums, masks and cleansers. The boxes also had some great extras like brushes, makeup remover wipes, and even face masks.
After taking my beauty quiz the first box came within a few days and the first box had the following Christophe Robin Prickly Pair Regenerating Hair Serum ($49), Elta MD Skin Recovery Essence Toner ($37), Pure Skin Face Cleanser ($24), CIATÉ Liquid Liner ($15), Boscia Pro-Retinol Repair & Renew Waterless Treatment ($48)
Overall I am enjoying all the products in the box and for an overall value of $173, it’s not a bad deal. My favorite of the box is the Christrophe Robin Hair Serum. Living in a city with plenty of humidity, this little bottle is gold.
This beauty box focuses more on skin, body and hair care. The first box I received came with a few sample and full size products. BARBOR Perfect Glow Ampoule (39.90), Fur- All Body Wash ($34.95) Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Serum Trial size (Full size $122, trial size $20), Olaplex- No. 3 (Deluxe- 30 mL $16), Slip- Skinny Crystal Scrunchie (pack of 4 $38.99), Vichy- LiftActive B3 (full size $39, trial $7.50), BeautyStat- Pro Bio Moisture Boost Cream ($37.50), SkinCeuticals- Resveratrol BE (full size $168, trial $7.50).
The overall estimated value for the full and trial size products is about $165. What I love about this box is that it is specifically about skin care and trying products suggested by dermatologists.
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Boxy Charm, base box $27.99, premium box $39.99
This beauty subscription let’s you choose one or two full size items that will go in your box. For the base box you receive five products while the premium you get 6. The first month I received the base box that came with Beauty Bakerie Pudding Palette ($38), ATHR Beauty cintrin eye-shadow quad ($20), Sweet Spot Labs Serum ($23), Qveen Studio Lip Liner Duo ($18)
In total, the base box is worth $99. The best part was that I was able to discover new brands.
This is a quarterly box, a little more pricey, but worth it. It comes packed with products for hair, skin, beauty and filled with products estimated at $375. The winter box came with After Spa Bath & Shower Exfoliating Gloves ($8), Dionis Goat Milk Skincare Caramel Pumpkin Spice Goat Milk Hand Cream ($5), Doctor Rogers Healing Balm ($30), ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Night Cream ($100), Florasis Blooming Rouge Porcelain Lipstick ($39), Florasis Soft Blooming Feather Touch Precision Blending Brush ($22), HydroPeptide PolyPeptide Collagel Eye ($49), Invisibobble Power Play Date ($12), milk_shake leave in conditioner ($23), Naturopathica Face Mask ($48), Sakara Life Detox Water Drops ($39).
For the price I feel this was my favorite of the beauty boxes. Not only was it filled with luxury products, but the estimated value of $375 more than makes up for the price.
Purchasing a beauty box subscription might be a great way to try out new brands and save money on your current beauty staples. Products range in number, quality and price, but I think all are worthwhile. In addition, they all provide opportunities to save money through various promotions. 10/10 I highly suggest getting one of these boxes if you want to treat yourself to a little beauty exploration without breaking the budget.
Items featured are independently selected by editors. Products purchased through our links may earn us a commission.
This story was originally published February 10, 2023 at 12:00 AM.