Are Beauty Boxes Worth the money?
The Essence Beauty Box is actually my very first beauty box subscription ever. Although I receive this box complimentary from Essence, I strongly believe in giving my honest opinions about all the products so that you can know first-hand whether to spend your coins or not. I hate to review, just for the sake of reviewing. If I'm not excited about it, I mean what's the point? Sharing my latest beauty finds just comes natural for me. Paid or unpaid. Complimentary or not, you'll only see what I actually like here on Styled Chic. You all know this about me by now right? I say all this because there are SO MANY beauty boxes out there and it can be a bit over saturated when it comes to this stuff. As you can probably tell from my previous posts on the Essence Beauty Box, I'm pretty satisfied with most of what I've received so far. For me, I'm partial to this subscription because I'm a beauty lover and I'm always interested in trying new products. What's great is that this box offers more than just cosmetics. There are hair and toiletries included as well. I love that it caters to women of color, yet always has products that women of all shades can use. Also, I like to switch things up. If I've been using the same brand of mascara for months and I get a different brand in my beauty box, then I'm all for it.
Normally a beauty box can range anywhere from $10 to $25 per month. For some, that may not be too bad, but those prices do add up over time. We all spend our money on what we love. Whatever that thing is, we budget or sacrifice for what we want, am I right? If you're a beauty lover like myself and are on the fence about getting that monthly subscription, let me give you a few tips to help you figure out if it's worth the money or not.
Are You a Beauty Lover?
I mean that should go without saying. If you find yourself in Target down the beauty aisles picking up the latest hair product or in Sephora with 10 different lip color swatches on your hand on the regular, a box subscription just may be right for you. Take that into consideration. If you like trying new cosmetics on a regular bases, these boxes will give you the opportunity to discover something you love. It's also the chance to take advantage of more luxy products at a fraction of the price.
Does the Box introduce you to new products?
A box should definitely expose you to products you've never heard of before. It's that or whenever I open my box I find myself saying "Oh! I saw this the other day and always wanted to try!" I think a great box should have two factors: it introduces me to a bunch of new products that I had never heard of before and will likely buy myself in the future. For example, in this month's box I received the 'Before You Go Toilet Spray Poo~Pourri' -- a bathroom odor eliminator that creates a barrier on the surface of the water of the toilet. Just spray before you go! Now who would've thought of that?! Isn't that a great idea? This is perfect to just carry in your bag for work or when you're headed to someone's home. Courtesy mist is what I'll call it, lol. I hadn't heard of this until now. I'm going to have this item with me this weekend and see how it works. You know how certain smells don't really eliminate the odor, just mask them? Well we will see with this item.
New products? Are they Good products? Useful?
Although Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes, weren't new to me, I've never actually tried them out. I could've also just went over to Walgreens to pick them up but how convenient was it to have them already delivered to my door step? Plus I had just run out. Gas and time saved. We all have preferences in the types of cosmetics we like to buy. The key here is to find the box that is most useful for you. I'm a mixture between drugstore brands and high end brands so I hope to see that in every box that I get. From past boxes are you able to see if the company takes the time to curate items that you see yourself using in the future? Are the items right for your hair type, skin tone, or overall lifestyle in general? I consider it a waste to receive products that don't work for my curls or makeup that doesn't compliment my skin tone. I don't expect every item to be perfect for me. BUT, lol, most of them should be something I can use.
Number of Items & product size?
I can take a box with 5 small to medium sized products for $10 bucks. But if I'm paying $20 I had better be getting more than a few full sized items. Take the cost of the box and the number of items and weigh it out on your own. The Essence Beauty Box normally contains about 5-6 items that are of great quality. That easily justifies the $12 to $15. That Before You Go Spray is $9 alone for 2 oz. (what I received) so that gives you a good idea.
Presentation and Packaging
The fact that I feel like I'm getting a gift every month is nice. It's something to look forward to. I want to feel like the company cared. Especially since I'm spending my money. Does the box look like they just dumped the items in and taped it up all every which way? Is everything beautifully wrapped? Do they include a cute little beauty bag to keep in your purse? I can say that I'm always impressed when I open the Essence Beauty Box. I always want to take photos of it for you before I tear off the wrapping sticker. There's always a note that thoroughly explains the items and what they are used for. I love the color--everything. I love the details that make you feel like they packaged it just for you.
So for me, yes. A beauty box is worth the money because I've found one that is cost effective, offers enough items, has quality products, and I feel like I've gotten my money's worth on products I actually use. Have you subscribed to a beauty box? If you haven't, think about the tips I gave you and see what works. If you want to give it a shot, definitely try the Essence Beauty Box. For more details on this box head over to Essencebeautybox.com to see if these items interest you!