Subscription Boxes

Subscription Box Reviews

Subscription boxes are how I discover most of the smaller brands I end up loving. I’ve tried a lot of them — beauty boxes, fashion boxes, lifestyle boxes — and this page is where I keep my reviews and recommendations organized.

Why I’m a subscription box fan

The honest truth: I’d never have tried half my favorite brands without a subscription box putting them on my doorstep. Big-name brands have the marketing budget. Small brands need someone curating for them. A good monthly box is the curator I needed at $10-$30 a month. (A bad one is just expensive trash mail, which is why I read reviews before subscribing — and write the kind I wish I’d had.)

Boxes I’ve reviewed

Beauty subscription boxes

I’ve subscribed to Birchbox and Ipsy off and on for years. Most of the individual product reviews on this site came from one of those two boxes. I’ll cover the boxes themselves in dedicated posts when I have something useful to say about the curation quality — not just “I got five things this month.”

MM.LaFleur Bento Box

A fashion box, not a beauty box — and a really clever model. You fill out a style quiz, an MM.LaFleur stylist pulls four pieces for you, you try them at home, you keep what you love and return the rest. Read the full review for what I kept, what I returned, and why I think the model works for petites (with caveats).

What makes a subscription box worth it

• Curation quality. Anyone can throw five products in a box. A good box is one where the curator actually knows the category.
• Value math. If the per-month price is 30-50% of the retail value of what’s inside, it’s a good box. If it’s 80%+, you’re paying for the “surprise” feeling.
• Cancellation flexibility. Boxes that make it hard to cancel are showing you what they think of you.
• Match to your actual life. Don’t subscribe to a box of products you don’t have time to use.

Boxes I’ve tried and skipped

Coming soon — I’ll write up the ones that didn’t make the cut and why, so you can save the subscription fee. If there’s a box you’ve been wondering about, the contact page takes requests.

Reviews of beauty, fashion, and lifestyle subscription boxes — the ones I’ve actually subscribed to and tested.

Featured subscription box reviews

• MM.LaFleur Bento Box

From the archive