19 Best Beauty Subscription Boxes to Upgrade Your Routine
From niche brands to trending launches, the best beauty subscription boxes offer an easy way to get your hands on your next favorite discovery at a discount. By sourcing popular and up-and-coming beauty products and bundling them together at a price that’s less than the sum of their original retail value, beauty subscription boxes allow customers to try more products than they may typically grab in the checkout line — all for a fraction of the cost. For this reason, they appeal to longtime beauty shoppers and new ones alike. In fact, recent data from Emarsys shows that beauty boxes are the most subscribed-to box service in the U.S., ahead of both food and drink and fashion categories.
For the 32 percent of U.S. consumers that currently subscribe to a beauty box, these mailers deliver curated assortments of makeup, skin care, hair care and fragrance products straight to their doors. Average monthly costs range from $15 to $50, allowing plenty of flexibility to go for a low monthly fee or a bigger splurge. To keep costs down and variety plentiful, boxes tend to contain deluxe sample sizes, sometimes mixed in with full-size selects. Certain companies focus on bestsellers and new launches, while others target more specific categories like clean beauty, wellness, or K-beauty. Services like Birchbox and BoxyCharm take it a step further by allowing subscribers to personalize their beauty boxes to their routines, offering even more of a guarantee that they’ll enjoy what’s inside.
More from WWD
If you’re new to the world of beauty boxes, you’ve got plenty of options. To make choosing one (or two) of these services easier, we rounded up the 19 best beauty subscription boxes for any need, including makeup, skin care and perfume beauty boxes. Whether you’re looking for a wellness-focused box or one that’s packed to the brim with buzzy selections, you’ll find something that fits your routine perfectly.
Birchbox
Birchbox has been around since 2010, and it’s got plenty of staying power as it partners with a huge list of brands including Kiehl’s, Milk Makeup and Moroccanoil. The company bills itself as the perfect option for the “beauty casual” consumer, making things easier for someone who might want to find new products with minimal effort. To match the products to your preferences, the brand asks you to fill out a Beauty Profile, then sends you a box with five hand-picked samples — one of which you can customize yourself. Choose from a monthly plan for $15 per box, a three-month plan for $15 per box or an annual subscription for $13 per month.
Allure Beauty Box
Curated by Allure editors, this is the box for the beauty-obsessed. Each monthly box contains a meticulously tested and approved selection of luxury, niche and trending launches from brands including Kate Somerville, First Aid Beauty and Peter Thomas Roth. Inside, you’ll find at least three full-size products and additional deluxe samples valued at $100 or more, making this beauty subscription box a serious steal.
Walmart Beauty Box
If you gravitate toward drugstore gems, sign up for Walmart’s Beauty Box, which ships every three months for just $7. For less than the price of a single lip gloss, you’ll receive a whole box of bestsellers from the retailer’s most popular beauty brands like Humphreys Witch Hazel and Tanologist. To tailor the boxes to your preferences, fill out a survey with details about your skin tone, skin type, hair type and styling techniques. This is an especially popular beauty subscription box to gift to friends, family and anyone who could use a seasonal beauty pick-me-up.
The Box by Dr. Ava
Call this one a worthy splurge. Each seasonal delivery contains almost $600 worth of full-size beauty essentials, each personally approved by dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban. Her essentials for glowing skin have included a home micro-needling system, antioxidant-packed sunscreen and vitamin C serum. Whatever’s inside, it’s sure to leave you radiant. The contents are luxe, so the subscription price will also run you more than your average box. Pay $250 every three months, or prepay $850 annually.
Dermstore BeautyFIX Box
Dermstore is one of the best destinations for anyone serious about their serums and sunscreens. Its $25 monthly subscription lands you a set of full and deluxe sample-size products, whose total retail value adds up to more than $100. Subscribers get a bonus incentive of more exclusive savings after signing up, along with free shipping after the first month. This is the beauty box to get if you want to try some of the most popular beauty and skin care brands on the market, including Caudalie, Paula’s Choice, Living Proof, ILIA and Elemis.
Ipsy Glam Bag
Customers love the vast selection of trending beauty products that the Ipsy Glam Bag offers. There are three tiers of membership, which start at $13 for five deluxe samples and include two options to upgrade to full-size products. The company focuses on stocking bestselling skin care and makeup launches, offering subscribers a selection of products that’s hard to resist. Featured brands include Tatcha, Glossier, IT Cosmetics and Ouai.
The Detox Box
As its name suggests, the Detox Box bundles a monthly curation of clean beauty products for those who like their routines to stay within the realm of clean, natural or organic brands. The company focuses on a different brand each month, stocking each box with a selection of full-size products worth at least $90. Past boxes have included skin care from Tata Harper, hair care from Briogeo, and makeup from Henné Organics. A one-month subscription costs $59, a three-month subscription $46 per month and a six-month subscription costs $40 per month.
FabFitFun Seasonal Box
For those who prefer their beauty boxes with a side of wellness, FabFitFun remains one of the most popular options on the market. Every three months, you’ll receive up to $300 worth of beauty, wellness, fitness and fashion products from brands like Benefit, Amika and Arhaus. You’ll also get to choose a portion of what goes inside. Pay $50 per box, or sign up for an annual subscription and receive each seasonal delivery for $45.
GlossyBox Beauty Box
Whether or not you’re currently subscribed to a beauty box, you’ll probably recognize GlossyBox’s signature blush and black-colored packaging. The company has become known for stocking an excellent mix of makeup, skin care, fragrance and hair care products. The team’s beauty experts feature brands including SkinMedica, Masque Bar, Butter London and GlamGlow. Each box contains at least $60 worth of product and comes beautifully wrapped, making this a great one to gift. A single box costs $21, but you can also choose additional subscription options: $59 prepaid for three months of boxes, $111 prepaid for six months and $210 prepaid (or $18 paid monthly) for a year’s worth of boxes.
Scentbird
Searching for your next signature scent? This box has you covered for a $16 monthly fee. Scentbird’s extensive catalogue includes both mass market and indie brands, including Versace, Prada, Atelier Cologne and Arquiste. The Scentbird team helps guide you to your olfactory preferences with a fragrance quiz and targeted suggestions. Your first order allows you to select from the vast bestsellers category and receive a refillable case, while subsequent boxes allow you access to the entire catalogue. With each delivery, you’ll get an eight milliliter bottle that holds roughly 140 sprays — enough to last until your next order.
Skylar Scent Club
Skylar Scent Club specializes in fragrances that are hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin. A quick quiz helps match you to your preferred scents, and you can select each month’s new, limited-edition scent or choose from the brand’s existing lineup. Perfumes come in rollerball form, which gives you enough to last at least a month. The monthly fee is $20 and gets you additional discounts along with your rollerball of choice. You also have the option to swap or skip any box.
LookFantastic Beauty Box
LookFantastic makes the ideal beauty subscription box for that friend that’s definitely heading straight to the luxury beauty aisle (or for yourself, if that description sounds familiar). Get six full- and deluxe-sized luxury skin care, hair care, or makeup products every month, with a minimum value of $60. The LookFantastic team consistently does an excellent job at putting together a selection that looks and feels expensive, inclusive of brands like Omorovicza, Philip Kingsley and Dr. Brandt. The box can be purchased with one-, three-, six- or 12-month subscriptions, running from $19 for one month to $16 per month for an annual subscription.
Love Goodly Beauty Box
Clean beauty club, rejoice. Another popular option for clean, vegan and cruelty-free beauty consumers is the Love Goodly Box, which focuses on bringing you both the latest launches and under-the-radar brands you may not even have heard of yet. Each box contains four full-size products from labels like Belladonna Soaps, Crystal Deodorant and KINDri. When you sign up for the subscription, you’ll pay either $35 or $49 (depending on the style you choose) to receive a a beauty subscription box every other month. A portion of the proceeds from each sale is also donated to the company’s partners, including Farm Sanctuary, Orangutan Alliance and Paw Works.
Cocotique Beauty Box
Shop BIPOC-owned brands with Cocotique’s box, created for Black women and women of color. Each box comes with five to eight full- and deluxe-sized beauty and wellness products, all selected to deliver a tailored self-care experience. A subscription costs $25 a month and includes what the company calls an “ultimate beauty arsenal.” Past sets have included the body souffle from Kryslee, Sunny Isle Jamaican Black Castor Oil and Olive Natural Skincare toner mists.
BoxyCharm
If you like a mix of makeup, skincare and haircare in your boxes, try BoxyCharm’s subscription. Each month’s edit includes five full-size products with a retail value up to $180, chosen from a list of beloved brands like Glow Recipe, Too Faced, Tarte, Huda Beauty, IGK and Sunday Riley. You’ll take a beauty quiz to help determine what goes in your box and have the ability to personally choose one of those items every month. BoxyCharm offers multiple tiers of membership, which give you more variety and choice if you upgrade to Premium or Luxe. Still, the Base level remains a great way to go. Opt for a $25 monthly subscription, three months prepaid at $70, six months prepaid at $138 or a year prepaid at $275.
Beauteque Monthly Mask Maven Box
An at-home spa day doesn’t get any easier than this. K-Beauty enthusiasts will love this beauty subscription box by Beauteque, which contains a monthly selection of nine masks for face, eyes, lips, and body from brands like Dr. Jart+ and Peripera. If you’re starting to get bored of basic sheet masks, there’s plenty to love in here, from bubble masks, to foot peels, to metal masks. A monthly mask subscription costs $15, but Bequteque also offers three-month ($45 prepaid), six-month ($84 prepaid) and annual ($156 prepaid) subscription options.
Atolla Custom Skin Care Box
Most customers subscribe to beauty boxes for the promise of variety, but Atolla offers another route. The brand designs a completely customizable skin-care routine that includes a cleanser, serum and moisturizer, each formulated just for you. You can tweak the formulation of your products based on feedback and skin measurements each month, allowing you to swap preferred ingredients with minimal effort. The three-step routine costs $69 per month, and you can pause your subscription at any time.
Beauty Heroes
Beauty Heroes exclusively curates brands that pass its beauty standards; each must be organic, ethically sourced and have a high percentages of natural ingredients. The company’s goal is to help you find your next clean beauty hero product, an easy task with its monthly delivery of full- or deluxe-sized finds worth at least $100. The carefully selected list of brands includes Innersense, Indie Lee and Pai. A one-month subscription costs $59, a three-month subscription prepaid at $138, six-month prepaid at $252 and annual subscription prepaid at $480.
Petit Vour
Inspired by a box of petit fours, Petit Vour aims to deliver the same indulgence and delight of a package of the classic French pastries. Each subscription comes with four to five clean, cruelty-free and vegan surprises with a minimum $50 value. Your profile helps shape the products you get, but you’re sure to find something to love by referencing customer feedback. Your monthly picks might include a coffee bean eye cream from 100% Pure, an aluminum-free deodorant from Meow Meow Tweet or a rose lip polish from French Girl. The Beauty Box costs $18 per month, or $15 monthly with an annual subscription.
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
