With a sea of cosmetic, skincare, and hair product brands to choose from, it's hard to decipher which ones are worth your hard-earned cash. Luckily for you, beauty subscription boxes are an economical and super fun way to try out all of the top-trending products on your beauty wish list without shelling out the big bucks.
The genius of these beauty subscription boxes is that they’re easy to set up. After selecting your delivery plan — usually monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly — the companies will ask you a few beauty and lifestyle questions to help curate the perfect box for your needs. After that, you can look forward to regularly receiving a compact box filled with exciting new beauty goodies. Often, these beauty subscription boxes are also filled with free bonus gifts like deluxe- and full-sized products.
Another perk of treating yourself (or a loved one) to a beauty subscription box is that you can help support women-owned and minority-owned small businesses.
Ready to subscribe? Discover emerging brands and tried-and-true products by signing up for one (or all) of the best monthly beauty subscription boxes out there. Here are 15 impressive beauty subscription boxes worth ordering as a beauty gift this holiday season (and beyond) without breaking the bank.
1Best Overall
Birchbox — arguably the most recognizable and coveted beauty subscription box out there — was made for women (and men!) to test their preferred products before the bigger buy. And with a variety of beauty and grooming products from coveted brands, plus an affordable price tag, we knew this was undoubtedly our best overall recommendation.
Each delivery features five trial-sized products tailored to your interests, including samples from both cult classics and emerging brands. Birchbox consistently serves up a diverse range of personalized products in categories including makeup, hair, skincare, and fragrance.
2Best for Expert-Approved Products
Users love YouTube beauty vlogger Michelle Phan's Ipsy Glam Bag for its plethora of products and super fun aesthetic. One of the more affordable beauty boxes in the subscription sphere, Ipsy offers a discounted price if you sign up for a full year. Ipsy subscribers can also earn points and redeem them for monthly bonus items in each Glam Bag.
You receive a mix of five deluxe- and full-sized samples wrapped up in a functional, fashionable makeup bag. Plus, you get access to tutorials from Phan's team of experts, with detailed instructions on how to master each look.
3Best Packaging
A beauty subscription box that's well worth your bucks, Glossybox prides itself on its monthly curation of products. Five expert-approved makeup and skincare essentials sourced from all over the world are delivered to your doorstep, wrapped in a darling keepsake box that's sure to get as much use as each individual product.
Each box is valued at over five times the cost, and you can expect to see at least three full-sized products every month. This year's holiday offering includes serum from 111Skin, VERB leave-in conditioner, Glasshouse candle, and more.
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4Best for Spa Vibes
The holidays are a stressful time, and this monthly beauty subscription box has everything you need for a relaxing deep soak at home. Recent boxes feature bath bombs, body washes, brown sugar body scrubs, lotions, and sponges. Each box also comes with some relaxing treats, ranging from pumpkin-flavored tea to hydrating undereye masks.
If you prefer showers over baths, however, opt for the instead.
5Best Budget Buy
Walmart is known for its affordable goods, so it’s only natural for you to expect the same price point from the retailer’s beauty subscription box. For less than $10 a quarter, you’ll receive a mix of full- and sample-sized makeup, skincare, and wellness products in your delivery box.
Right now, the limited-edition Winter box features teeth whitening strips, Rael acne patches, Cetaphil moisturizer, and CoverGirl mascara. There’s also a Marc Anthony leave-in conditioner, passionfruit-flavored LiquidIV, and more.
6Best for Salon-Quality Nails
ORLY's quarterly subscription box is an easy way to level up your at-home manicure game. Each season, you'll receive six seasonal nail varnishes that are marked 50% off retail. The current winter bundle includes a rainbow assortment of 10-free polishes, hair accessories, and more.
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7Best for Beauty and Wellness Swag
FabFitFun isn’t your average monthly package with a few cosmetic samples to try out. Instead, it’s a large, seasonal present that features a mix of beauty, fitness, fashion, wellness, and home products that’ll help you feel good from the inside out.
The new holiday box includes a L'Occitane shea butter hand cream, Hourglass lipstick, OLEHENRIKSEN facial toner, and Sonage mini ice globes.
8Best Under $25
Beauty subscription boxes can become costly depending on the quantity, brands, and size of samples. But with Dermstore's delivery service, you're getting your beauty fix for a budget-friendly price.
Focusing heavily on skincare and hair products, each beauty subscription box is valued at over $100, and overflowing with full- and travel-sized products from brands like Caudalie, EltaMD, Coola, Glytone, and more.
9Best for Fragrance Lovers
Available for both men and women, ScentBird is a beauty subscription box that's all about fragrances. Perfect for both the perfume hoarder and beauty newcomer, Scentbird gives you the opportunity to test-drive designer scents before splurging on a full bottle. Each monthly supply of perfume is paired with a chic, reusable case that you can toss in your tote.
Create an account on the brand's website and take a quiz to match with your best scent. Then, be sure to rate each sample directly on the site to determine which batch you'll try next.
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10Best for Full-Sized Products
The name of this pick truly says it all: This bimonthly beauty subscription box features a themed, seasonal collection of only full-sized products from some of the best all-natural beauty brands on the market — all at a fraction of their retail price.
Each box is filled with approximately $150 worth of clean-beauty favorites, so you can upgrade your entire routine without dipping heavily into your bank account.
11Best for Plant-Based Products
If you’re all about clean, cruelty-free beauty, then you definitely need this box. This ethical beauty subscription box curates your selection to include four animal-friendly, nontoxic, and plant-based products that you can feel good about wearing, all for $21.
12Best for Luxe Samples
Don't let its under-$20 price tag fool you: This beauty subscription box is filled with goodies from luxury brands like Elemis, Molton Brown, Josh Wood Colour, and more. Each box comes with six full-sized products that will make you feel your most glam. Plus, you can shop previous boxes and limited-edition sets to really get the most bang for your buck.
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13Best for Clean Beauty
OK, so this beauty subscription box might be pricier than the others on this list, but trust us: It’s worth every penny. The Detox Box is flooded with at least $90 worth of green and clean beauty favorites (think Indie Lee, Naturopathica, and more!) from one or more brands for you to test out.
It’s heavily curated to only bring you the “holy grail” of clean beauty products, so expect some of green beauty’s biggest luxury offerings — without even breaking $100.
14For Sheet Mask Enthusiasts
For the K-beauty connoisseur whose weekly skincare ritual features sheet masks by the bunch, this beauty subscription box was made for you.
Choose from two monthly options: the Lux plan, with seven sheet masks, or the Lux Plus, with 10 to 12 items that include a mix of sheet masks and skincare products. If you're on the fence, start with the entry-level 7 Lux Subscription plan that comes with seven items for less than $20.
15Best Membership Perks
Another great option for beauty junkies, the BoxyCharm box features five full-sized products per month. After signing up, you can enjoy exclusive, members-only offers from BoxyCharm's epic brand partners. They also have giveaways and reward points redeemable in their exclusive retail shop.
Subscription members have access to three of BoxyCharm's online stores: Box Drop Shop, Mega Drop Shop, and Charm Room. Notably, during monthly Box Drop Shop sales, you can save up to 70% off brands like Elemis, Farsali, and Amika. Mega Drop Shop boasts deals of up to 80% off across beauty, lifestyle, and home goods.
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