September 2014 Beauty Box 5 Review

Beauty Box 5 Stats:

What is it: Beauty Box 5 (hereafter referred to as BB5) is a monthly beauty box subscription. Each month you’ll get a cute Tiffany blue box filled with about 5 skincare, haircare and makeup samples (sometimes full-sized).

Cost: It’s $12 a month, $30 for a quarterly subscription and $99 for a yearly subscription.

Shipping: BB5 ships through DHL, if I remember correctly.

Personalization: There is a beauty quiz, though I’m not sure it impacts what you get in your box at all. They do host a lot of giveaways on social media.

Points system: There is a referral system, but it’s still in the works. You can refer people at this point and get credit, but I’m not sure what you get.

Awesomely unique: The box is cute, it’s cheap for a subscription service, there is a good mix of skincare, haircare and makeup and it ships quickly.

Unfortunately unique: The products are usually from cheaper brands and you get a lot of tools/basics (nail files, makeup remover wipes, toe separators etc.)

Referral Link: http://www.beautybox5.com/?u=12918 OR www.beautybox5.com

            Alright, I got the Beauty Box 5 in the mail today so it’s time for a down and dirty unboxing blog. Oh yeah.

            This is my 3rd BB5 of a yearlong subscription, and I will admit, this is probably my least favorite box so far.

            First up are 2 foil packets of a deep conditioner ($0.41 each). It seems to be marketed to people of color, but has some good ingredients. Foil samples irk me, but at least we got 2.

            Next is a set of toe separators from Sally Hansen ($1.99). Really? Not impressed.

            The spoiler I was excited for was the Nicka K New York Eyelight Crayon ($4.49). I received it in the color Violet. It’s fairly pigmented, but blends away too easily. It lasts okay on its own, if you’re careful, though. I used it as a liner on my bottom lash line today and it functioned okay. I could have gotten a more practical color, but to me these subscription boxes are about collecting makeup, including things I may not use every day, but may use at some point.

            I also received a sample of Chrislie Formulations 3-in-1 Eye Bright ($13) It’s an overnight eye serum and I’m actually excited to try this. I’ve never heard of the brand, but will be excited if it improves my under eye circles and fine lines (which is what it says it does.) A full size is $40, and this is a pretty large sample.

            Lastly is the purple nail polish from My Beauty Spot ($4). The card they include with the box admits this is from a 6 piece set, which pissed me off. Yes, let’s really highlight the fact that this is an off-brand I would buy at Ross. Really making me feel special here, BB5. It’s a pretty color, though.

            I’ve never had any packaging issues with BB5 before, but my nail polish did leak a bit in transit and was dried around the cap by the time I pulled it out of my mailbox. It’s kind of annoying and made the whole box smell, but it didn’t get on any of the other products, so that’s okay.

            Overall, I don’t have any huge complaints for this box, but I’m slightly underwhelmed. I am excited to try a few of the products, though, and think it’s well worth the money.

            What do you think? Have the box already? What did you get? Any questions? Let me know!