Beauty Box Bonanza!

Okay, so here's all of the info I've acquired about a lot of beauty boxes, as well as my own experiences with the ones I have gotten thus far.

Julep Maven
http://www.julep.com/

For $19.99 + s&h a month, you will receive over $40 worth of Julep polishes and beauty products. Once you sign up to be a Julep Maven you will take a style quiz. From that quiz Julep recommends a specific type of box for you. If you like that particular box, you don't make any changes. If you don't really care for what is inside that box you can change to one of the other style profiles. As a part of this subscription service they allow you to change your box each month if you wish to, which is a really nice feature because most beauty box subscriptions don't have this option. Everyone's first box is the same. Most include 2 nail colors and The Best Pedi Cream Ever, as well as some toe separators. The pedi cream is out of this world wonderful! Julep polishes retail for $14 a piece regularly, so with just getting 2 polishes a month you are already getting more than what you paid. Also, they have a coupon code to get your first box for $.01 (COLOR2012 OR PENNY). Julep's polishes are "4 free," meaning they don’t contain the carcinogens formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene or DBP. Also, as a Julep Maven you get Maven perks: 20% off all orders from the Maven Boutique, free shipping on all orders from the Maven boutique, extra discounts and coupons all year (just last week you could get 2 polishes and a pedi cream for $14!!), easy exchanges and returns, and there is absolutely no commitment (Skip any box and you won’t be charged that month. There’s no limit to the number of months you can skip. You can also cancel your account at any time.). The company also has superb customer service. They are prompt and very sincere. Julep definitely tries to do right by their customers. I love this subscription service and look forward to it every month!

Glossybox
http://www.glossybox.com/

For $21 a month, you get 5 travel-sized beauty products. Some months they will even send a full-sized product, like last month I got a full-sized mascara that normally retails for $20 (which basically paid for my box). Your box is a nice sturdy box that you can reuse, not a junky cardboard box. They take special to care to nicely wrap and package the products. You get a card that details the products that are in your box as well as their prices and then it tells you the total value of your box at the bottom. You also receive a little "magazine" discussing trends and products. My first box was nice and didn't disappoint. I got a full-sized mascara, 2 deluxe-sized samples, and then 2 travel size (but still good sized) products. I liked everything in my box except for the perfume sample, simply because it wasn't a scent I liked. You don't get to pick your box, it's a surprise each month. They have a system called Glossydots where you do reviews on the products you received to earn glossydots. After you earn 1000 glossydots, they will ship you your box for free one month. Glossybox also has good customer service. They are very accessible, I've had great responses just from posting on their Facebook page. The brands they send are "The crème de la crème of international brands and give subscribers exclusive access to global beauty trends." Overall, I was impressed with this box and look forward to future boxes

Birchbox
http://www.birchbox.com/

For $10 a month, you receive 4-6 deluxe samples from the best beauty brands. They have you complete a beauty profile in order to send you the products that best suit your tastes. Birchbox is the best way to discover new grooming, beauty and lifestyle products. Sample top products from high-end brands, get expert advice, buy new favorites and earn points with every purchase. The Birchbox points system is very unique in that you earn points for different things (doing product reviews, making purchases, referring people to join, etc) and then you can use those points towards Birchbox store purchases. You basically redeem them like money. I haven't received my first Birchbox yet, but I'm looking forward to this month's because they partnered with Glamour magazine and came up with a box based on the 5 senses. They give you sneak peaks of what is in your box each month, so you will have an idea of what could be in your box. I know this month Glamour was including these pretty neon ear buds in some boxes!

Sample Society by Beauty Bar
https://www.beautybar.com/SampleSociety/Dashboard.qs

Similar to Glossybox and Birchbox, Sample Society costs $15 a month and you receive 4-6 deluxe-sized samples from mid to high-end brands. You also receive a $15 off $50 purchase when you buy something from one of the brands featured in your box (it doesn't have to be the product in your box, just anything from one of the brands). You also can sign up to receive a free 1-year subscription to Allure magazine, which is definitely a nice perk. Like the others, you can cancel this subscription anytime. I havent received my first box yet, but I'm excited for it because they feature some really great brands like Murad, Stila, and Oscar de la Renta, just to name a few.

Beauty Box 5
http://www.beautybox5.com/

Like the aforementioned boxes, Beauty Box 5 costs $12 a month and you are sent 4-5 beauty samples. Like all of the other boxes they also send you information about tips and tricks for the products in your box. Your box is kept secret until you receive but they offer a nice mix of high end beauty products to some of the best kept secrets. When I joined I was intrigued by the variety of beauty brands, it was a good mix of popular and niche brands. You can cancel your subscription at any time. I am still waiting on my first box from this subscription.

Beauty Army
https://beautyarmy.com/

Beauty Army is a more unique beauty box subscription because it allows you to pick up to 6 samples each month for $12 a month. They have you take a quiz and then offer you a variety of samples to choose from based on you specific needs. I like this service because you can tailor your box with the products you want to try. I have also heard other subscribers say that you can retake the quiz a few times if you want to try a specific product. Like the other subscriptions you can also cancel anytime. I'm still waiting on my first box.

Those were all the boxes I'm currently subscribed to right now. I've gotten 2 of the boxes and I cant wait for the others. I found a very in-depth list of all the different subscription boxes you can purchase on Fantabulously Frugal. It also includes some reviews for each of the different boxes as well, so you can make an informed decision before purchasing. Check out the list here ---> http://fantabulouslyfrugal.com/shop/subscription-boxes/

Hope all of this information helps you decide if and which boxes are for you!