8 Best Makeup Subscription Boxes Under $30
February 27, 2019
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For true product junkies, it’s a truth universally (and painfully) acknowledged that buying beauty products gets expensive. While a $50 palette here and there might feel like standard fare, for those among us helplessly addicted to every creamy formula and blinding highlight, things add up fast. That’s where makeup subscription boxes come in — monthly boxes that offer a curated assortment of makeup products for a lower monthly price. It’s a great way to discover new products and is like receiving a gift from you to yourself month after month. We’ve rounded up our favorites ahead — from the OG sample box we’re still loving to the K-Beauty Box we wish arrived a few times a week.
An OG on the subscription box scene, Birchbox is perfect for anyone who wants to try a product before they commit to the full thing. The $10-a-month-box is one of the most customizable around, allowing you to choose between a box that caters to your preferences (you can opt for a makeup-focused box versus lifestyle) or a curated box that shows you exactly what you’ll be receiving for the upcoming month. They offer limited-edition boxes, too, that can be purchased on their own, like the Birchbox Limited Edition Clean Beauty Box, which includes products formulated without parabens, phthalates, sulfates or petrochemicals.
If you’re Sephora obsessed, it’s likely you’re already a Play! By Sephora subscriber or considered it a time or two. For $10 a month you’ll receive five deluxe samples of products available at Sephora, a fragrance sample, a book of makeup tips and a Play! Pass that earns you 50 extra Beauty Insider points. This box is perfect for beginners; the education paired with high-performance products makes it easy to learn which makeup works for you and exactly how to use it.
It’s likely you’ve seen this sleek pink box somewhere on the internet — beloved by its subscribers for its high-value beauty products and chic packaging. For $21 a month you’ll receive five or six beauty products that include everything from perfumes (a recent box included Proenza Schouler Arizona) to lip glosses and lots of surprises in between.
Boxycharm was practically made for makeup junkies and strikes the perfect balance between products you know and love with indie beauty buys that should be on your radar. These boxes tend to be makeup-only and every month you’ll receive five or six beauty products (four of which will be full size) for only $21. It isn’t unlikely to receive entire eyeshadow palettes alongside buzzy lipstick launches, making this the best kind of monthly surprise.
If you were to buy this box for the translucent red pouch alone, we wouldn’t blame you, but luckily it’s also filled with high-performance beauty buys that easily make it worth the $15 a month. With this box you’ll receive a mix of full size and deluxe samples from beauty brands editors love. You can expect to find indie brands like Sunday Riley (a recent box included a sample of the High Dose Retinoid Serum) and Oua,i in addition to popular brands like NYX Professional Makeup and L’Oréal Paris.
For the palette lover and beauty guru obsessed there’s Deck of Scarlet, a subscription service that sends full-size palettes every other month to your door along with a lip product and eyeliner, so you can create a full-face look. The palettes are created in collaboration with popular and rising influencers (dubbed the artist in chief), who create color stories that are fresh, on trend and inspired. If you’re not the type to fully commit (or just want to support your favorite influencer) you can purchase palettes without a subscription for $44.95 each, or go all in and buy a subscription for $29.95 billed bi-monthly.
Here at Makeup.com we swear by sheet masks for a pre-makeup glow. It offers a dose of moisture, has somehow become selfie-acceptable, and we’re unashamed to use them on planes, trains and in automobiles. The downside to sheet masks? They tend to be single use — and at a usage rate of a few masks a week, things can get expensive fairly quickly. Cue Facetory, a curated box of sheet masks that delivers four to seven sheet masks monthly. Four masks start at $8.90 a month (less if you commit to a longer time frame) and seven will cost you $19.90. You can also purchase curated boxes based on skin need — All About Balance, Bye Bye Oils and Hello Moisture — or shop the endless collection of individual masks on site.
For beauty enthusiasts who prefer vegan beauty products, we recommend Petit Vour, a subscription box that delivers an assortment of natural and vegan products for $18 a month. You can expect to find an assortment of full-size products and deluxe samples with every delivery.