Our editors tested the best beauty subscription boxes—here are our favorites.
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5 Beauty Subscription Boxes for Makeup and Skincare Delivered to Your Door
Updated on Dec. 02, 2024
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But sometimes that eye needs a little help! Shopping for makeup or skin care can be tricky, but with the aid of these best beauty subscription boxes, the process just got a whole lot easier. Our editors hand-selected the best of the best to bring you five boxes that are worth the splurge.
Many of the boxes are completely customizable. Choose your preferences, subscription plan and a couple more details, then wait for the box to hit your doorstep. The value on most is incredible, but the convenience is even better.
Looking for more convenience shipped right to your door? Check out these other best subscriptions for practically everything: clothes, meals and even coffee!
Best overall
Allure Beauty Box
Pros:
- At least six curated products in each box
- Mix of full and sample-size products
- Products are vetted by Allure editors
- Three subscription plans to choose from
- Shipping is free
Cons:
- No personalization options
Whether you’re looking for heritage brands, cult-favorites or TikTok trending products, the Allure Beauty Box is a great place to start. One of its biggest perks is that it isn’t a one-size-fits-all in terms of subscriptions. Choose between a $15 monthly, $54 quarterly or $215 annual box.
You’ll get at least six items with at least three full-size products, with an option of more depending on the box. It earned our top spot because the lineup ranges from skincare to makeup to lifestyle items. But each box is curated, so you won’t get a certain product twice. If you know a friend who’d love this send a box as a gift.
Best value
FabFitFun
Pros:
- Great value—over $300 worth of items for less than $60
- Six high-quality items in my box
- Ships quickly in sustainable packaging
- Range of pieces from beauty to lifestyle to home
Cons:
- You can’t customize your box unless you have an annual membership
- One of the pricier boxes
The first time I got a FabFitFun box a few years ago, it included fitness items like a jump rope and water bottle. The Fall 2023 box, however, is heavier on the fab and the fun. Without an annual membership, I couldn’t choose which of the 12 seasonal products I got, but my box was packed with luxe and trendy items—some of which were on my personal Christmas wishlist.
My box included the Summer Fridays lip balm, Fenty Beauty Glow Enhancer drops, CoverFX Enhancer palette, an Alice + Olivia duffel bag, a Free People candle and Darling Spring salt and pepper shakers. In total, it has a value of over $300, but a seasonal subscription has a $54.99 price tag per box ($59.99 if you only want one box). It ships quarterly in a FabFitFun branded box, which isn’t as discrete as it is cute. Still, it’s one of the best beauty subscription boxes around.
“Getting quarterly, seasonal boxes full of goodies feels like Christmas every time,” says Shopping Editor Stephanie Hope. “From new housewares to your new favorite skincare product, every box has such a unique variety of items that feels like you’ve just gone on a shopping spree.”
Best for perfume
Scentbird
Pros:
- Thousands of perfumes and colognes
- $17 per month for a travel-sized bottle
- 50% off your first bottle
- Sleek packaging
- Expansive reviews and scent profiles for each scent
- Great way to find smaller known brands
Cons:
- No returns or refunds
- Reviewers say it can be difficult to cancel
- Even with the expansive descriptions and reviews, you won’t know if you like a scent until you physically try it
Today’s Scentbird is not the Scentbird of my high school days. The packaging is chicer and more sophisticated, the scent selection is dizzying and yet it’s still offered at a super affordable price. For $16.95 a month, you get an 8-milliliter bottle of perfume or cologne of your choice. This level of control makes it one of the best beauty subscription boxes.
I love travel perfume because I can experiment with new scents and pop one in my purse or travel backpack. Most travel-size bottles at Sephora or Ulta are about $30, and Scentbird offers the same for about half the cost. Create a scent profile, which will link you to over 700 different brands and scents. I chose Commodity’s Paper+ Bold (a delicious, musky book smell) based on Scentbird’s recommendations and helpful and expansive perfume reviews. It didn’t disappoint.
It ships mid-month in a discrete mailer, and your first order comes packaged in a sleek travel case and mini dustbag. My husband also has a subscription of his own and loves getting to test out different colognes for his collection. Reviewers say Scentbird makes it tough to cancel a subscription, but for those who can commit, it’s a great time to upgrade your perfume game.
Best for beauty experimenters
Ipsy
Pros:
- Variety of makeup and skin care products
- Affordable price point
- High-quality items in each box
- Adorable packaging
Cons:
- Sample sizes are very small—one use max
- Products may become repetitive
“As someone who loves trying new beauty products, I am always on the lookout for subscription services that help me discover new brands and test new makeup,” says Stephanie Hope. “I received the classic Ipsy Glam Bag and the Icon Box and immediately fell in love with both.”
The Ipsy Glam Bag consists of five samples sent to you every month for just $14. Stephanie loves that with this bag, she doesn’t have to commit to buying a full-size product and hating it if it doesn’t work for her. “I’m able to try a variety of deluxe items before I commit to buying the full-size version, which makes the Glam Bag a great choice if you’re new to brands and beauty products,” she says.
The Icon Box provides full-size products curated by beauty’s biggest celebrities that value up to $350. “Since I have pretty resilient skin and very rarely ‘hate’ a product, I found myself loving the Icon Box a bit more,” she adds. “I loved the products I received and immediately knew I’d use them all. The package contained a beautiful eyeshadow palette, face sheets, a facial cleanser, a face serum and an eyebrow pencil.”
Most creative
Cratejoy
Pros:
- Hundreds of boxes to choose from
- Personalized shopping experience
- Flexible subscription plans
- Most boxes are less than $50
Cons:
- Not every box has reviews
- True value varies between boxes
Consider Cratejoy to be subscription box central. There’s an option for every budget, interest and hobby. For any given Cratejoy box, choose from one-, three-, six- and 12-month subscription plans, depending on the vendor. Mine came in just a few days, packaged neatly with sweet-smelling bath products and treats. I’d even say it doubles as a self-care gift. You won’t find many name brands in the beauty boxes (rely on other subscriptions on this list for that), but there are interesting picks for bath items, homemade soaps, perfumes and makeup tools.
The marketplace has all kinds of hidden gems, which I love. It’s super giftable, whether you want to treat yourself to a self-care Therabox or gift a monthly vintage teacup to a friend. Not every box has a ton of reviews, but it’s a great way to shop women-owned and Black-owned businesses.
Why you should trust us
As an associate shopping editor, I cover all things e-commerce, including beauty and style reviews. From the best lash-lengthening dry shampoo to strengthening nail gels, I rigorously test makeup and skincare products to provide you with the necessary tools to make the right decision for your needs—and your skin.
How we found the best beauty subscription boxes
Sure, beauty is subjective. But having the right makeup, skincare and wellness products can help anyone feel a little more beautiful. We enlisted the help of our editors to research dozens of beauty subscription boxes and hand-pick the best of them. Whether you’re looking for a solution to stiff muscles from stressful work days, dry or oily skin, outdated perfume or other beauty woes, these best beauty subscription boxes have what you need. Each box was rigorously judged based on timeliness, price, packaging and overall product practicality. Here’s to better (and more beautiful) days ahead.
