I was recently invited to try out Beauty Box 5, which is a subscription sampling program similar to Birchbox/Beauty Army/Ipsy/*insert other box sample program name here*. Since I recently unsubbed from Ipsy I decided heck, why not!
Like the others, Beauty Box 5 is a monthly subscription. (You can sign up for a plan that is billed monthly, quarterly, or annually – longer term memberships cost slightly less per box but are paid for all at once) Subscribers receive 4-5 beauty samples a month. The service is available to the lower 48 states and Canada. Sorry Alaska, Hawaii, and APOs – no BB5 for you. The cost is $12 per box if you are month-to-month.
Alright, so now you get the jist…on to the good stuff – what’s in my box?
First impression – I’m glad to see a good representation of the beauty world here. We have nail products, skin care, and a color cosmetic item. Cool!
The nail file is by Swissco, a brand that has been around a long time and has a great reputation. But I wouldn’t really care if it were made by Bob’s Nail Files – it’s GLITTERY AND PINK. You can never have too many nail files, and you can never have too many glittery pink things, so this is a win.
This skin care sample from h20 plus is kind of “eh”. First, it’s tiny – which I understand because the full size apparently retails for over $50, but secondly it’s just not something that appeals to me. Collagen? Firming skin? I’m 27. Errr…
The next item was a sample size of this lotion by Bask called Heavenly Silk. It’s lightly moisturizing. It doesn’t seem to be really rich or intense, but it absorbs quickly. It has kind of a flowery powdery scent. Not my favorite, but I like how it smells after it dries down a bit more than when it’s fresh. This isn’t something I’d reach for on the regular. It’s just okay. I think I might give it to someone else or it will be demoted to a “feet only” lotion – that’s where I banish lotions that aren’t my favorite scents.
Next is an eye shadow single from Be A Bombshell. I have a blush from BaB that I got from an Ipsy bag that is pretty nice, so I was excited for this shadow. It’s a kind of “blah” shade though. It’s meant to be one of those blending/transitional colors I guess, but I’m not excited about the color. It’s really soft and creamy feeling, but kind of sheer, and just not a color I think would be super flattering on me. This shadow makes me curious to try other BaB shadows in the future, as you can see in the swatch below:
The last item in the box was a mini Nubar polish called Hot Pink. It’s slightly cooler toned than it photographed here, but is a really pretty and bright shade. I’ve never tried Nubar before, so I’m really excited to try this polish! As you can see, I really need a new mani! ;)
So there’s Beauty Box 5. I’m feeling kind of mixed about it. If you enjoy sampling services, you will like Beauty Box 5. At this point, for me, I think I still prefer services where you can choose what you receive (like Julep or Beauty Army) more. I will say though that when I look at BB5’s website to see what other brands they partnered with, I see things I would be interested in! So there is that. Perhaps these items didn’t wow me but I think other boxes from this service would.
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