If you're as interested in cosmetics as you are in fragrance, you've no doubt become aware of the "subscription box" craze of the past five years or so. It usually works like this: you subscribe by filling out a questionnaire about your tastes, and for a monthly fee you're sent a box of trial-sized products purportedly chosen to fit your profile. Everyone loves getting surprises in the mail, right? I've joined two or three of these subscription brands in the past, and for a while I enjoyed receiving my packages; as the months ticked by, however, I ended up owning too many items that I just never used (bright coral lipsticks! sparkly highlighting powders!) so I unsubscribed.
More recently, variations on the subscription theme have emerged — several fragrance clubs, for example, and now Boxwalla, a service that "curates" boxes in four categories: Beauty, Food, Film and Books. The Beauty box promises to offer "luxurious and effective products to nourish your skin and body," all made in the United States with non-toxic and cruelty-free ingredients. I've just tried Boxwalla's December Beauty box, which seemed to have a "winter comfort" motif, and — unlike some of the cosmetics subscription services I've tried —it was an all-around success for me.
The selection of beauty products compiled by Boxwalla for December feels indulgent yet practical at the same time; they're all the sorts of products that I would normally use, but nicer, like presents I'd hope to receive. For example, there's a lip balm, but it's a Hurraw! Moon Balm Night Treatment Balm, which contains several botanical oils (including argan and blue chamomile) and is designed to be used at bedtime. I've been a Hurraw! fan for a while, and I've been meaning to try this balm for ages; it's naturally scented with vanilla and Peru balsam, and I think it will give me sweet dreams.
For the rest of the face, Boxwalla has packed a 4-ounce bottle of Lilikoi Living's Bamboo Buff Exfoliating Facial Wash, made with bamboo stem and walnut shell powders in a gently cleansing gel-liquid base. It smells like freshly peeled grapefruits and it leaves my face feeling smooth and pampered. "Lilikoi" is the Hawaiian word for passionfruit, and every product from this indie brand (which is new to me) includes a dose of this antioxidant fruit.
Who can't always use a new bar (or two) of soap? I've never heard of Aunt Nancy's Soap before, but I'm charmed by these chunky little cold-processed bars. One bar in my box is unscented, and the other is fragranced with essentials oils of ginger and orange, perfect for a bit of holiday-season cheer. My husband, who is picky about soaps, also liked these bars for their soft lather and their moisturizing feel.
Soap & Paper Factory is one of those brands that makes good-smelling toiletries with beautiful packaging, and I can never decide which of their fragrance blends I like best. Boxwalla included a travel-size tube of their Shea Butter Hand Cream in the Beauty box, and I received one in Winter Vanilla, a modern-gourmand blend of vanilla, sandalwood and bourbon. The cream itself is medium-weight and absorbs easily into the hands, so it's perfect for carrying in my purse on winter days.
I've tried many, many candles over the years, and I'm glad that Boxwalla introduced me to Aura Candles in this box. I received a 6-ounce travel candle in a scent called Grounded, a fig fragrance that nicely balances green, creamy, and woody notes. Aura's candles are made in small batches from soy wax and lead-free wicks; this one burned cleanly and diffused its scent consistently through two rooms. I'll definitely be looking further into this brand.
So, there you go: this subscription service isn't exactly cheap, but all five items I received (six, if you include both soaps) are good-smelling, high-quality products that I'll use to the bottom and possibly re-purchase directly from the companies.
Boxwalla’s subscriptions are available through the Boxwalla website. Here's the fine print:
1) The subscription box is priced at $49.95 and ships every two months. The box contains mostly full sized items with one or two large travel sized products.
2) Shipping within the U.S is free.
3) With one subscription, subscribers have the ability to switch between the four different categories before the cut-off order date (from their second box on).
4) The service operates on a bimonthly basis, and the cut-off to order and receive the February Box is January 15th.
Also, a sort-of-disclaimer: although I've never met Lavanya, one of Boxwalla's founders, and I don't know anything about her personally, I'm acquainted with her from her past comments here on Now Smell This and I've corresponded with her via e-mail. She offered to send me this box as a sample; after doing a little research, I thought it would suit my interests and I agreed to try it.
I love subscription boxes. I subscribe to 4. This sounds like one that I would be interested in. Do you know if there is a discount code to use when you start a new subscription? I know some of the sub companies do that. And, do you know if they include fragrances sometimes?
I’ve belonged to Birchbox, Ipsy, and — very very briefly — BeautyArmy. I did find out about some excellent products through Birchbox, I have to admit, so I still purchase individual items through their website.
I haven’t read/heard about any Boxwalla codes, but I might start following their Facebook page to keep an ear out! This was the first box, I think — or the second? — no fragrances in this round, so I wonder whether they’ll include any in the future! I hope so.
Hi Scentfromabove. I am the co-founder of Boxwalla. Thanks so much for your interest. We do hope to feature perfumes at some point. However in the next few boxes we will be featuring the work of indie perfumers ( not necessarily scents but lovely scented products). Hope that helps!
It’s funny how this sort of splurge makes me uncomfortable (even while I’m clearly ok splurging in a more general sense). I think I’d like to believe that if I really want a pretty soap or hand cream or whatever, I’d just go ahead and buy it myself, even though the reality is that I never buy “special” versions of such products. But I could, hypothetically!
I’ve gotten much more generous over the years when it comes to splurging on myself — hah! And there’s something fun about not knowing exactly what you’ll receive until you open the box — hence the success of many subscription services, I guess!
Thanks for this detailed and clear review, Jessica! I’m not a heavy user of beauty products, so the ability to switch between types of boxes (beauty products, books, food, and film) is appealing. I’ll look into this further.
I do like that option — like, maybe after two beauty boxes, I’d want to dip into books or food instead. Many people who like one category also like another, so this seems smart of them!
Helpful review!
I joined Birchbox in Nov. so I’ve received 2 boxes so far. I’ve fallen for one item in the Nov. box and one in Dec., and tried products that I now know about but don’t work for me.
For $10 a month it’s a fun box to look forward to and the trial sizes are surprisingly generous.
I don’t think I’d do this for more than $10 a month or for products that are easily accessible via a Sephora.
I’ve been with Birchbox for three years. It has nearly run its course for me, but for only $10 a month it’s hard to let it go. It is a fair, nominal fee and I get really excited to find it in my mailbox each month. Plus, I like that we can earn about half the fee back in points if we review the products. -And there fragrance offerings have gotten much, much better in the last year. I turned my points in for a $25 fragrance sampler that included a $30 gift code for a full bottle. I ended up with a small bottle of ELDO Like This. Not bad for a company that only sent Viva la Juicy and flankers for the previous two years.
Like This is a great scent!
Thanks for sharing your experience on Birchbox.
Birchbox is the only beauty box I’d rejoin! They do have a lot more to offer these days. They introduced me to Liz Earle, for which I’m very grateful, and they have other lines that I enjoy, like Ren and W3llpeople.
Thanks for the review, Jessica! The price is a bit much for me, but it seems fair for what is included. I love that you can change from beauty to other categories. (*As I type I am giving an evil eye to a pile of old Birchbox samples on the kitchen counter.) This might be a great idea for a gift for my mom. She’s in her mid 60s and has gotten a few too many turquoise eye shadows and glitter polishes from Birchbox.
You raise a really good point about age — it’s hard to offer makeup that will make 20-somethings and 50-somethings equally happy, I’d imagine! Whereas everyone loves a good handcream or lip balm!
I loved this review, and I love surprises. I’ve wondered about these boxes but have been afraid there would be too many things I’d never use; i.e., Birchbox. Even though it is pricey, Boxwalla sounds more realistic for me. Thanks again.
Thanks, Karen! These items really are good-quality and I also like the fact that they’re all made by smaller companies. Even the box itself is worth keeping — it’s very sturdy and nicely crafted! I reused it to box up a Christmas present. 🙂
Karen,
I subscribe to GlossyBox (one of many boxes I subscribe to) and its either hit or miss for me each month. Some months (like their holiday box) had everything that I liked and use. And then some months, I can’t use anything. For the items I don’t use, I give them as gifts for family and friends. They are great for bday and Xmas gifts. So for me, I am able to use all items one way or the other.
That’s so true — I’ve shared many unused lip glosses and nail polishes with friends and nieces!
It’s a very helpful review – thank you, Jessica. I’m thinking about trying this one. My “problem” with the concept is that I do not trust anybody to choose a full size products for me. For this price I would have been much happier to get 1-2 full-sized products (e.g. one soap or a candle) and 7-8 trial-sized products – for me to decide if I like and want to use any of them.
I see what you mean! That’s the trick — if you end up loving an item, you’re happy to have a full size, but if not, you’re stuck with it. 😉 I guess I lucked out with this box!