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I’m a big proponent of treating myself. I think everyone should have more little treats, all the time, always. A monthly beauty box subscription guarantees that once per month you will receive a little box of joy on your doorstep. Whether that joy is centered on sample sizes, full-size products, makeup, skin care, or bath and body items is largely dependent on the service you choose. But I tried a few months of the most popular services, and these are the best I’ve found. (Note that we’re still waiting on our Ipsy and BoxyCharm shipments to arrive, so look out for our thoughts on those and more popular services in a future update.)
Be sure to check out our related guides on the Best Subscription Boxes for Kids, Best Snack Boxes, and Best Meal Kit Subscriptions for more recommendations.
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Are Beauty Boxes Worth It?
WIRED: Beauty boxes are an excellent way to discover new products, and they usually offer excellent value compared to buying the items separately. You can’t put a price tag on the sheer dopamine rush of getting a present 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 have a whole lot of little environmentally unfriendly plastic bottles and tubes, which can be bulky and hard to recycle. You’ll likely receive some products that aren’t right for your hair or skin type, or just don’t work out. Most beauty boxes don’t allow for any customization—what you get is truly a surprise.
I reached out to popular services and asked to test at least one month’s box but ideally three months’ worth. I compared the value of the included items to what the box itself cost. I also took notes on the overall variety and likelihood of the average person being able to use them—weighing specialty products against those that would work for most people. And yes, I put all of these pretty little potions on my actual face and hair and skin. Please refrain from asking me about the state of my bathroom countertop at this trying time.
Note that some brands offer one-off boxes that are available for purchase outside of a subscription. I didn’t test these or consider them as part of the criteria for this guide.
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Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Best for Trending Products
Allure Beauty Box
To our sister site Allure: I admit I was not familiar with your game. My Allure Beauty Box was filled with three products that could almost complete a no-makeup-makeup look on their own: a full-size Nudestix blush-lipstick-combo, a full-size creamy Dear Midnight lip liner, and a glittery, vanilla-scented, full-size Beauty for Certain lip gloss. I tried on all three together and was immediately in love with the combination. I raised my eyebrow a bit at the included bar of Dove soap, but my skin was softer after the first use. There was a full-size under-eye cream that works well underneath makeup; a tiny jar of melty, creamy Banila Co cleansing balm; and a Red Flower palo santo shampoo (I’m not a fan of shampoo in beauty boxes because my neon-pink hair requires specific upkeep, but I can absolutely attest to this shampoo smelling good.) All in all, my box was valued at over $150.
Each beauty box includes at least six items, a little pamphlet with information on every single product, plus a coupon code that you can use if you decide to purchase a product on your own. You can’t see what you’re getting ahead of time, but every item in the box is handpicked by the editors at Allure. If you’re interested in a mix of full-sized and sample-sized products, and you want to know what’s next in beauty and skin care trends, I think this is an excellent option.
Plans and Pricing: The Allure Beauty Box costs $25 per month or $250 per year (less than $21 per box). There’s also a quarterly plan that drops the price to about $23 per box. There’s usually promotional pricing and a free gift for new members. Subscribers get access to the Member Store with special deals, exclusive products, and limited-edition bundles.
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Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Best for Full-Size Fanatics
NewBeauty TestTube Beauty Box
When I first received my NewBeauty TestTube, I was floored by the sheer weight of it. Every single product in the box was full-size. I received a cooling eye cream—perfect for the warm weather I’ve had lately—and a giant Grande Lash MD Serum, which I swear contains magic and witchcraft considering how long and lustrous my lashes have been looking. There was an EOS Cashmere Shave Oil—it only costs $8 at the drugstore, but I never would’ve purchased it for myself, and I’m a convert. There was a Wander Beauty On-the-Glow blush and highlight duo, which immediately went into my makeup bag. Not everything was up my alley—the Pour Moi rose mask was too scented for my taste, the Perfect Clean Scalp Scrub wasn’t right for my hair, and the Babor Collagen Ampoules made my skin feel nice, but I couldn’t tell if they were working or not. In total, though, my box would have cost $382 if I purchased everything separately. And I can guarantee that my friends will be happy to take the products I didn’t love off my hands.
Each box also includes a NewBeauty magazine which is fun to pore over while you wait for the various potions and products to absorb into your skin. There are also various promotions for the different included brands. You can’t see what you’re getting ahead of time, but the amount of items included varies by quarter, but boxes are always worth at least $350.
Plans and Pricing: $59 per quarter or $200 per year. You can cancel your subscription at any time, but note that you’ll have to email the brand to do it.
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Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Best for a Smattering of Samples
Macy’s Beauty Box
I received three different Macy’s beauty boxes to get a feel for what the service might be like. And reader, it ran the freakin’ gamut. One of my boxes contained a crinkly orange makeup bag that immediately gave me sensory issues, and there were also tiny single-use facial cleansers and unbranded oil rollers that will prove useless for my dry skin. You can’t see what you’re getting ahead of time.
But then another box was full of nothing but Kylie Cosmetics products, including a full-size mascara, and another still had the best eyebrow pencil I’ve ever tried, from Anastasia Beverly Hills. My three boxes contained a mix of eyebrow products, lipsticks, skin care products, perfume, and accessories. Most of the items were sample-sized, which makes sense considering the very affordable price of these boxes. And the product discovery was decent, too. I’d never tried anything from Elemis, for example, and the little cleansing balm sample had me debating purchasing a full-size version.
Each box has a theme and contains at least five deluxe samples, a full-size item, and a coupon for money off a future beauty purchase at Macy’s—which is nice in case you find something you can’t live without. This perfectly illustrates the plight of the beauty box subscriber: Sometimes you’ll get a makeup bag and sometimes you’ll find your new holy grail mascara. But for just $15 a month, it’s worth checking out. Since every item was sample-sized, it’s hard to figure out the exact dollar value of each box, but I think the variety here makes the price worthwhile.
Plans and Pricing: $15 a month. You can see past boxes here.
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Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Best for Personalization
FabFitFun Quarterly Subscription Box
FabFitFun’s quarterly box is unique because you can customize the contents. Each box contains at least six items. Usually there are multiple beauty items to choose from, but you might also get jewelry, home goods, or clothing. My box contained the supremely adorable Tonymoly Plump-Kin Retinol Eye Cream, a Tarte Maneater Mascara, an Elemis cleansing balm, and an Ole Henrikson Truth Serum—all full-size. I also got a cute ring. In total, my box was valued at $219. I think this is a great pick if you want the opportunity to customize your box and if you value full-size items. But if you want to be completely surprised, another service may be the better option.
Note that members who pay annually get to customize their boxes first, so if you don’t pay annually, you won’t have as big of a selection to choose from, and you may miss out on the most popular items. If you don’t want to get a certain item or box, you can get a credit toward the member store instead.
Plans and Pricing: $70 per quarter or $220 per year. Members also get access to special deals each month. Members that pay annually get early access to customization, sales, and discounted add-on options.
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Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Best for Skin Care Fanatics
Dermy Doc Box
Dermy Doc Box is curated by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Fatima Fahs. Each box contains at least five full-size skin care and/or haircare products. You’ll also get a detailed pamphlet with instructions and information on each inclusion. I received four boxes, all with a different seasonal theme. Maybe your box will feature peptides, or maybe it’ll feature a bunch of moisturizing haircare products for winter-ravaged tresses. Some of the items I received were a little outside of the realm of what I’d consider typical for a beauty box, like a pair of UV-protective gloves and a bottle of vitamins. But each box was valued at over $100, and there were lots of interesting specialty items that I wouldn’t normally reach for—like a retinol resurfacer or a leave-on scalp treatment. If you like switching up your skin care routine and discovering new active ingredients, this box is worth a look.
There’s no official guarantee that you’ll be able to see box contents ahead of time, but Dr. Fahs often unboxes each quarterly box on Instagram.
Plans and Pricing: $55 per quarter if you subscribe, or $65 purchased individually. Each box includes a leaflet with discounts from the featured brands. You can view past boxes here. You can also customize your own one-time box in lieu of a subscription.
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Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Best for Bath and Body Care
Lush Kitchen Box
The best thing about Lush mail is that your house will immediately smell good. The Lush Kitchen Box contains four to five full-size vegan bath, shower, and/or skin care products. Some of them are even limited-edition exclusives—like the Cherry Pop shower gel included in my box, which is maybe the best-smelling product I’ve ever received. My box also had a cotton candy-scented body lotion; a body scrub; a shower slime (which is a powder that turns into a thick shower gel); and a milky, creamy bubble bar similar to this one. I’m certifiably going to be the best-smelling person in the room for a long while. I also really appreciated the eco-friendly packaging—the products like bath bombs and bubble bars don’t have any excess packaging, and the packing peanuts are made from cornstarch. If you’re a fan of self-care nights or you’re a Lush enthusiast, this box is absolutely worthwhile. The value after shipping to the US is about on par with what the items would cost individually in the stores, but if you want to get your hands on exclusive scents or products, or you’re like me and you don’t live close to a Lush storefront, this box may be worth checking out.
Plans and Pricing: You can choose from two Lush Kitchen boxes: one with bath and shower products, and one with only shower products. If you don’t have a bathtub, you can just opt for the shower box and you won’t run the risk of getting something you can’t use. You can’t see what you’re getting ahead of time. Both subscriptions cost $50 per month, and delivery adds $8.
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Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Best for Vegan and Cruelty-Free
Love Goodly Beauty Box
Everything in each Love Goodly box is vegan, nontoxic, and cruelty-free. Most items are full-size. I’ve received some great products including moisturizers and facial mists from Juice Beauty, an amazing-smelling lavender lemongrass-scented hair oil, and a facial oil specifically meant for gua sha regimens. You might get some non-beauty items too—I received a candle in one box and a handmade beaded wooden necklace in another. Neither was suited to my personal taste, but they’re absolutely regiftable. A portion of every sale is donated to a revolving list of charities, and all of the box packaging is recyclable. My October/November box was valued at over $125. You can usually find spoilers for each box on Instagram, but you won’t necessarily be able to see what is in your box before it arrives.
Plans and Pricing: Bimonthly subscriptions are $32 for the “Essentials” box or $48 for the “VIP” box. This pricing is with automatic renewal and boxes cost a bit more if you buy them without subscribing. The VIP box comes with a few more products and has a value of over $115, while the Essentials box always has a value of over $80.