If you like surprises, these two beauty subscription boxes will be right up your alley. Glossybox and BoxyCharm are both curated by beauty experts, so you’ll be getting products chosen by someone who keeps track of the beauty world. You may not know what products you get, but they’ll always be well-reviewed and from respected brands.
Glossybox is a themed monthly box with great packaging and 5 products. Most products are samples, but you can expect one full-size item. It’s like getting a present every month, and you can always gift someone a subscription to the service. BoxyCharm comes with 5 full-size products each month, and they’re a combination of makeup and skincare. BoxyCharm is a better deal in terms of value, and I recommend it if you want bigger products and recognizable brand names.
How Do They Work
Glossybox
Glossybox delivers 5 products each month, packaged carefully in a gift box. There’s generally at least one full-size item, but you can expect the rest to be sample sizes.
Glossybox asks users to fill out a quick beauty quiz after signing up. The quiz is mostly for the company’s benefit, so they can learn about what customers want from the service. The company says they may use it to decide between two different items when filling your box, though.
Once you sign up, it takes them about 5 days to send your order out. All Glossyboxes ship from Kentucky, so yours might arrive faster if you live close to their warehouse.
There are variations between each box, but there are usually only 6-10 possible products to fill up each box. When there’s a hero item like a big eyeshadow palette, all subscribers will get that same item.
Glossybox is notable for their themed packages. I think it’s a great way to make sure subscribers are getting a variety of products. The outside packaging fits in with the theme, and the products inside will be related somehow.
In the past, they’ve had Aloha as a theme, which gave them the chance to highlight Hawaiian ingredients and products. Their February boxes often have a love theme, and they’re full of cute pink packaging.
BoxyCharm
BoxyCharm is a monthly subscription service for makeup and skincare. There are 3 subscription tiers, but the most popular is their Base tier, which includes 5 full-size products each month. If you want more products each month, you can get 6-7 in the Premium box.
Every quarter, there’s the option to upgrade from the Base box to the Luxe box, with 8 or more beauty and lifestyle products. The majority of the box will be filled with beauty items. The lifestyle products might include household goods like mugs, teeth whitening kits, or hair styling tools.
The company curates your box at random each month, but they do let you choose one item for the Base and Premium subscriptions. For the Luxe boxes, you can choose up to 3 items per box.
BoxyCharm has a rewards program, and you get 50 points for every item you review. 100 points are worth one dollar, and you can rack up a decent amount of points over a few months.
Pros/Cons
Glossybox
Pros:
- Fun themes
- Variety of brands
- At least one full-size item in each box
- $60 value
I like the Glossybox themes because they ensure that you’re getting a diverse selection of products each month. When themes vary between Happy Birthday, Aloha, and Wild Thing, you’re sure to get lots of different products.
Glossybox is known for carrying hundreds of different brands. The company has more than 150 brand scouts, and they have an international selection. One of their themed boxes had items from 5 different continents.
Glossybox guarantees at least one full-size item in each box, in contrast to the rest of the samples. This item can be anything from an eyeshadow palette to a head wrap.
Glossybox has a guaranteed minimum value of $60, which is about 3 times the box price. They often include high-end name brands. It’s not as impressive as BoxyCharm’s value, though.
Cons:
- Lots of low-value items
- Not customizable
Glossybox tends to include a lot of low-value accessories and tools like single makeup brushes and sponges. Those items are certainly useful, but I think a lot of people are disappointed to get those instead of another beauty product.
Glossybox isn’t currently customizable. There are a few product variations between boxes each month, but they’re mostly chosen at random.
BoxyCharm
Pros:
- Different subscription tier options
- Full-size products
- Great value
- Personalization option
BoxyCharm has 3 subscription tiers, so there’s something for everyone. Most people will be satisfied with the 5 products in the Base subscription, but Premium gets you 6-7 products. Luxe is a quarterly upgrade, with at least 8 items in the beauty and luxury categories
BoxyCharm only carries full-size products, so it’s perfect for you if you’re sick of samples or were never fond of them in the first place. A full product really gives you the chance to see if it’s right for you. You’ll also get more use out of them than you would with just samples.
BoxyCharm’s Base subscription is worth $125, which is five times the cost of the subscription. That’s an incredible deal, if you’re willing to be open-minded about the specific products you receive.
BoxyCharm didn’t used to personalize boxes for subscribers, but now it lets you choose one or more items per box. The Base subscription gives you one choice item, and you get up to 3 with the Luxe subscription.
Cons:
- Waitlist to get the subscription
- Doesn’t include a lot of skincare items
BoxyCharm always has a waitlist for new subscribers. The amount of time you’ll spend waiting varies depending on how busy they are, but it’s often around a month or two. Be prepared to wait after you first sign up!
BoxyCharm tends to focus on makeup items, with only a few skincare options each month. Whether or not you receive them will depend on the box variation you get, and that’s assigned at random. Anyone focused on skincare might want to skip this subscription.
How Much Do They Cost?
Glossybox is the cheaper option here. BoxyCharm is just slightly more expensive. It’s worth the extra money if you want more full-size products, though.
Glossybox
Glossybox costs $21 for a monthly subscription. You can also sign up for an annual subscription that charges by the month, for $18 per box.
They also offer subscriptions where you pay the total cost up front. With a 3 month subscription, you only save $4.50 total. The 6 month subscription saves you $15 overall. Their annual subscription is $210 if you choose to pay up front, and that’s the cheapest option available.
BoxyCharm
The Base BoxyCharm subscription is $25, but there’s also a premium subscription for $35. There’s a quarterly Luxe subscription for $50, too. The quarterly subscription is only available as an upgrade of the Base BoxyCharm
You can get discounts on the Base subscription if you sign up for a longer period of time. For 3 months, it’s $23.33 per box. For 6 months, it’s $23 per month. The cheapest possible subscription is the annual one, at $22.92 a month. These discounts aren’t huge, but they might be worth it if you’re already planning to keep your subscription for a while.
What Kind Of Products Do You Get?
Glossybox and BoxyCharm both include all kinds of beauty products. Glossybox has more brand variety, though, while BoxyCharm sticks to the same brands that are popular with other beauty boxes.
Glossybox
Each Glossybox comes with at least one full-size item, but the rest will be samples. Full-size items can be anything from skincare to makeup or even accessories like brushes.
Glossybox has its product selections based loosely around a theme. Some are more literal than others. They had a Wild Thing box with an animal print box, and an eyeshadow palette with a wildlife theme. The other items were less directly related, though, like a black liquid liner and a charcoal face mask.
Glossybox carries hundreds of beauty lines, and they have employees who scout out exciting new products and beauty lines. Some of their brand partners include dr. brandt, La Roche-Posay, Sunday Riley, and Juice Beauty. You can see the full list here.
BoxyCharm
BoxyCharm boxes only include full-size products. If you don’t like getting samples, this box might be more appealing to you. The products are a combination of makeup and skincare, with the occasional hair product. In general, there’s more of a focus on makeup than skincare, but you can still sometimes get trendy skincare products from BoxyCharm.
Through this subscription, you get premium brands like Elemis, Luxie, Huda Beauty, MAC, and more. BoxyCharm often includes eyeshadow palettes, which could be a plus if you love eye makeup.
BoxyLuxe has both beauty and lifestyle products. The lifestyle products are usually household goods, small tech items, and beauty accessories like hair curlers.
Final Thoughts
Glossybox has great packaging and the monthly themes make each box more exciting. These boxes are mostly samples, though, and they tend to feature low-value items like makeup sponges. These boxes make great gifts, and the novelty themes are a fun way to learn about products.
BoxyCharm gives you 5 full-size products for only a few dollars more, and they include premium skincare and makeup brands. If you’re looking for ways to expand your current beauty collection, this box will give you more to work with. You can even customize your box by picking one item each month. Most people will prefer this box, because there’s better value and you have more control over what you receive.
