The 16 Best Beauty Subscription Boxes for Makeup, Skin and Self-Care

The Kinder Beauty Box ticks all of our boxes: It contains five full-size, vegan, cruelty free and non-toxic products. Reputable “clean beauty” brands such as W3LL People and Osea participate, and Kinder tells you what’s in store before each box gets sent out — so you can decide whether you want to skip the coming month or not. We also love that each month has a theme and every product is useful and high quality.

A few buyers have felt that certain boxes were better than others. In addition, Kinder does not allow you to select any of the items. The company also doesn’t offer a one-time purchase of current boxes, but you can purchase boxes from previous months if you want to test the waters. Past month’s boxes are first come, first serve.

At less than $7 each month, the Walmart Beauty Box costs less than your average streaming service. It includes a blend of skincare, makeup, nail art and hair accessories, and the wide variety of products available means you’ll never get bored.

While the Walmart Beauty Box may contain a full size product or two, most products are sample size. In addition, the value of each monthly box is lower than most other subscription boxes, and doesn’t include high-end or luxury brands. Some customers have also had issues with Walmart accidentally charging them $698 instead of $6.98 — while the issue seems to be resolved, make sure you check your receipt immediately after purchasing.

If you have a tight budget but want a few more high-end brands in your subscription, the Macy’s Beauty Box is an excellent pick. It includes between six to eight samples of makeup, skincare and fragrances, and each box always contains at least a few well-known brands. We love that all of the samples are valuable; you’re likely to use all of the products in the box, and not just one or two.

The downsides: Unlike other subscription boxes, the Macy’s Beauty Box does not contain any full-size products. In addition, Macy’s announces the products included in each month’s box but sometimes swaps in substitutions if they run out. Loyal customers dislike this and believe the overall value of the box has decreased over the years.

Looking for a box that only has makeup products? The Chic Beauty box is the way to go. We like that you take a quiz before signing up so the brand knows your skin tone and product preferences. Then, you can choose three to four of the products in your box every month (two to three products will be surprises). In total, you’ll receive five to six products each month from well-known brands like Nars and Kylie Cosmetics. You’ll also receive items from lesser known brands so you can better explore the world of cosmetics.

A few downsides: Some customers find that they use only half the products in their monthly subscription box. Others have experienced shipping delays and unresponsive customer service.

If you can wait every three months for your makeup fix, the Ipsy Icon Box may just be for you. This subscription package includes eight full-size products selected by makeup icons, and on certain days of the month before the box ships, you can select three of the eight items.

Though it’s unclear which “makeup icons” curate the Ipsy Icon Box every three months, buyers agree that the investment is worthwhile. However, some products are lower value than others, and several buyers have found the customer service department to be unhelpful.

Wouldn’t you love to try out products from the prestigious Beekman without paying full price? Try the brand’s beauty subscription box, which ships every 90 days and features $150 of goat milk skincare products for $65, from an at-home brightening milk facial to total-body serum.

The downsides: Beekman does not allow you to pick any of the products, so you may find some more useful than others. In addition, the cost of the box does not include shipping.

Let’s face it: Most subscription boxes are not sustainable and lead to non-recyclable waste. Fortunately, the Just Honest Subscription Boxes all focus on sustainability. We like the Eco Beauty Mystery Box because every product in it is environmentally conscious — meaning it’s made with little water and you can easily recycle it. The quality is excellent, too; expect to receive natural makeup products like lip balm and mascara, beauty tools, lotions and skincare.

However, it isn’t clear how many items you’ll receive in every box (though the average value of the Eco Beauty box is $44, and the average of the Eco Beauty Bigger Beauty Box is $62). In addition, Just Honest doesn’t use many well-known beauty brands.

If you’re on the hunt for the greatest organic beauty brands, the Cratejoy My Organic box is the perfect way to get your toes wet. Each box includes two full size and two sample size products curated for you by a licensed esthetician, along with instructions on taking care of your skin.

Be warned: One month of this subscription box costs a whopping $130 because you are getting custom advice from an esthetician. In addition, there’s always the chance that a new organic skincare routine doesn’t work for your skin. You also do not have the option to select any of the products.

Looking for a budget-friendly way to explore new makeup and skincare brands? We love the Eyescream Beauty Monthly bag, a $12.50 monthly subscription that includes three to five products. Featuring beginner-friendly items such as a nude eyeshadow palette, false eyelashes and peachy lip colors, Eyescream strives to make sure you’ll never get bored.

What some customers don’t like: You cannot select any items in the bag, and some bags may be more valuable than others. In addition, shipping is not included in the cost.

It’s not easy to find new and exciting beauty products because of the cost and potential waste if something doesn’t work. Fortunately, the Klever Beauty Box may be the right solution. For $29 monthly, you will receive eight full-size makeup items in line with beauty trends. We love that every product in the box is vegan and cruelty free.

What we don’t like: There’s no way to customize this box, so you may end up with some products you won’t use. In addition, certain items are not as valuable as others, which means that some months are better than others in terms of quality.

Worried that trying out new skincare items all the time will cause breakouts and flaky skin? Try the Dermstore BeautyFIX box. The company selects well-known, established skincare brands like Paula’s Choice and Replenix, so your skin is less likely to get irritated. We also like that many products in every box are full size, and you can choose between a one, six, or 12-month long plan.

Unfortunately, the $24.95 price tag doesn’t cover the $7 shipping fee, and some buyers have complained that shipping takes a long time. Dermstore also does not allow customers to pick out any of the items in their box. Some products in every box are sample size.

When I entered the world of skincare, I signed up for a Curology subscription box because I wanted the advice of a skincare professional without having to pay for a dermatology visit. Though Curology is by no means a replacement for a dermatologist (the company agrees!), having a relatively inexpensive routine to get my acne under control helped me tremendously. In a month, my skin had never looked better — I continued using Curology for about two years.

Why did I quit? First, I no longer wanted to rely on a topical antibiotic to clear my acne (most Curology subscriptions use clindamycin). Second, I couldn’t customize my skincare beyond my Curology treatment. Now that I know how to take care of my skin on my own, my routine is much less expensive. I also like being able to skin cycle and alter my routine at any time with very little hassle. I still highly recommend this subscription box if you are new to skincare and want an easy, regimented solution.

It’s no secret that mature skin requires a little extra TLC, and the Laurel and Reed Clean Beauty Box is the perfect fit for the job. Each month, the company partners with a different brand and sends you three to five luxury items such as vitamin C serums, soothing face masks and gentle cleansers. All products are “clean beauty,” meaning they don’t contain known toxins and common irritants. We also love that every box has beautiful, gift-like packaging and that you can purchase previous month’s boxes if you don’t want to commit to a subscription just yet — the Wabi-Sabi Botanicals box is our pick!

While the Laurel and Reed box offers luxury products at a discount, it is still expensive. Shipping is not covered in the $59.95 price tag, either. Laurel and Reed does not allow you to select the items in your box, but you can opt out of certain months with ease.

Struggling to find the perfect hair care system? We recommend Prose, a subscription box that sends you custom hair products tailored to your hair concerns and needs. Prose first has you take a comprehensive quiz to learn about your hair health and density, scalp health, styling preferences, fragrance preferences and even the water quality in your area. From there, you can opt to add a custom shampoo, conditioner, scalp mask, styling gel, curl cream and more to your monthly, bimonthly or quarterly box.

While we absolutely love how easily you can tailor your hair care, the Prose box gets expensive quickly — just the shampoo and conditioner cost $54.40. In addition, the ingredients Prose highlights on the bottle aren’t always at the top of the ingredients list. Lastly, some customers think that traditional shampoos and conditioners do just as good of a job, and they don’t see a big difference with Prose.

If you’re looking for an alternative to Prose, try Function of Beauty. The initial quiz to find your perfect products is not as extensive, but it points you to the right hair care to meet your needs. We love that this brand lets you customize the color of your hair products and even add your name to the bottles — plus, you’ll get fun stickers with every box.

Of course, custom hair care comes with a hefty price tag; Function of Beauty charges $54 for just the shampoo and conditioner. A few customers also found some of the ingredients to be irritating. As with Prose, some Function of Beauty customers believe that their hair fares just as well with affordable shampoo, conditioner and other hair care products.

Looking for the beauty box that highlights “me time?” We can’t get enough of the Cratejoy Therabox. Each month, you’ll receive at least eight full-size relaxation products, such as an aromatherapy candle, skin oil, CBD gummies, a “heatable” eye mask and a journal. Every box is curated by a therapist and has a theme, which helps build excitement for each coming month so you don’t get bored.

Note that this is a surprise box, so you won’t be able to select any of the items you receive. In addition, a few customers felt that the items were repetitive — so you may want to skip a month or two if this happens. Some buyers also felt that customer service could be more responsive.