So in June, I got a coupon code for a FREE box from Beauty Box 5 (it’s a box that comes with 5 beauty samples in it.) My experience with them was… not great.

I entered the code on June 11th. Their website offered no updated total, confirmation of what the coupon code meant OR order confirmation… it simply placed the order. I checked my bank account and noted that I was charged for $1. I emailed their customer service, and they explained that it was just a card authorization charge and that it would be refunded–it was, but it was a little unprofessional to not notify me of this, right?
The box was supposed to ship the first of July. I got a tracking code and waited. By the 10th or so, I was alarmed to note that my box arrived at its destination… in California.
And they’d charged me on July 11th for another box.
I was livid. I emailed their customer service with my disappointment. They assured me that they’d just sent me the wrong tracking code, and that my box had been delivered. Uhhh… not so much. I suspect that they got the names on the boxes swapped. Also very unprofessional. The customer service rep explained that they would be charging me for future boxes on the 11th of each month (even though I had yet to receive a single box), and that the charge was for August. I just asked to have my account cancelled. They couldn’t refund me for August and would send out a replacement box for July, which I received a couple days ago. I haven’t got a tracking code yet for August.
Based on my experience, I don’t recommend this service. Based on the box? I’m a tiny bit torn. It’s $11 per month if you don’t prepay, but only $8 if you pay in advance for the year. Considering the samples I received, I think the value is better with Ipsy. If they worked on tailoring products to customers, I might give the advantage to Beauty Box 5. They also need to work on a customer dash that lets customers manage their accounts and learn more about the products they received. I thought Beauty Box 5 was a brand new service when I first encountered them, but they’re actually over a year old–old enough to have better systems in place!

Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascara in black ($7.99 retail, full sized): This is a nice mascara, but it certainly isn’t my new favorite. The card suggests that it won’t flake, but it certainly did on me. The brush does a good job of coating and separating, but I’ve had better mascara from Revlon at the same price.

Body Drench Candy Luscious Lips in Grape Lollipop ($3.99 retail, full sized): This stuff is amazing! It doesn’t quite taste like a grape sucker and if you sniff the tube, you don’t get the smell, but when you apply it? MAGIC! It smells just like a grape lollipop. It does have the side effect of making my lips slightly purple, which isn’t great. The tube is pretty small–half as wide as my pinky and the usable portion is shorter than my index finger, so the retail price is too high, in my opinion.

Hask Argan Oil Intense Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment (sample size?): this stuff is amazing. It’s wonderfully emollient and smells like oranges. The card suggests using half the packet per use, but I’ve been using much less and getting great results. The card values the packet at $2.50, but I can’t get a read on how this is sold. It seems like they offer it in store in a packet, so maybe it’s a full-size product?

Miss Jessie’s Multi Cultural Curls (sample size): Hmm. My hair is anything but “multicultural”. The packet goes on and on about mixed race hair. I am… so white. My hair is kinky, but I don’t think I ever put that on a profile anywhere on the Beauty Box site. If this was a random sample, this was a WEIRD product to send to everyone. I haven’t tried this yet.

Anna’s Naturals Glowing Mama Walnut Face and Body Scrub (sample size): The card notes that this is vegan. I’m guessing the little texture pieces are walnut shell. The pieces are a bit finer and more sparse than the St. Ives apricot scrub and the lotion is thinner but more emollient. It smells slightly like orange oil and leaves my skin feeling lovely. I don’t know if I’d use this much on my face–I’m concerned it’s oily or too rough for the face. The sample is pretty small, maybe half the size of a 35mm film tube.