What You Need to Know About Subscription Beauty Boxes

It's nice to have a few beauty products you can always count on, but wouldn't it be fun, like, really fun, to try something new? To relive some of the fun you had as a teenager, to try out cool new things, and to find yourself again in a way you've forgotten? Yes, it does sound fun. But when you have a work deadline and have to pick up your dry-cleaned clothes, go grocery shopping, and make dinner for the kids... Who has the time for exciting make-up adventures? How? By getting a personalized beauty box as a monthly gift to yourself. 

What is a monthly beauty box?

 A beauty subscription box is a box of makeup, nail polish, skin care, and hair products that you can sign up to receive in the mail for a small fee. These boxes are usually sent out seasonally or monthly. Before you sign up for a subscription, you will be asked to fill out a fun beauty questionnaire. Based on your answers, the company you choose will then put together a box of beauty products just for you. These boxes are a new but growing trend, and they are perfect for women who love cosmetics but don't always have the time or motivation to go to the store and pick out new products for themselves. 

Does it sound like a scam?

 Beauty subscription boxes are not a scam in any way. The boxes are bought and paid for by women who know what's in them and do not try to hide it. If someone doesn't like the box they get, that's a different story, but it's not a scam. We can only say that beauty subscription boxes are products that are made to make money for their companies. This is fine. The point of sending women beauty boxes is to get them to buy more of the products they get. Also normal! In fact, this is a win-win situation. Women who get beauty boxes get great products that they may want to buy more of, and companies make money. Not a scam, just smart advertising. 

Quality and the Things

 There are both regular and fancier versions of every product. "Regular" beauty boxes are Birchbox, Walmart Beauty Box, GlossyBox, and Ipsy. Yes, they have products from a lot of different brands, but these aren't always the brands you'll find at Sephora. That doesn't mean they aren't good or that you won't enjoy using them.

It just means you shouldn't expect the most expensive labels. On the other hand, Julep, FabFitFun, LookFantastic, Dermstore's BeautyFix, BoxyCharm, and Play! by Sephora are considered more advanced. Even though these won't necessarily send you a bunch of Estee Lauder, Lancome, or Chanel products, they will send you higher-quality products from both well-known and less-known brands. 

Cost

 Don't think that beauty product marketers are giving away free stuff. Even though beauty boxes are fun because you get to try new beauty products, remember that you are paying for them. Each beauty subscription box has a different price, and it's up to you to decide how much you can or want to spend. Birchbox, Ipsy Glam Bag, and, surprisingly, Play! by Sephora are all $10/month services.

 Glossybox, Lookfantastic, and BoxyCharm all cost about $20 per month, while Dermstore's BeautyFix and FabFitFun, which cost $35.95 per month and $50 per season, are on the higher end. Both Julep and Walmart do things their own way. Subscribers to Julep can put together their own beauty boxes from a set of products. This means that the price of each box is different. Walmart doesn't charge for the beauty box itself, but it does charge $5 per season for shipping.

Many of these companies offer annual subscriptions instead of monthly ones, which are usually cheaper in the long run. Also, some stores offer free shipping, so keep an eye out for that. 

Making up Your Mind

The most important thing to keep in mind is that getting a beauty subscription box is great! It's a way to bring back some of the fun you used to have or come up with new ways to have fun. Since it's not a marriage, you don't have to worry too much about your choice. If you order one and don't like it, that's the worst thing that can happen. It will cost between $10 and $20 once, and that's it. Even though this may not seem like much compared to all of life's joys and hopes, it's the little things that matter, right?