I discovered Ipsy and BoxyCharm around a year ago. It gave me something to look forward to during the pandemic. And, as a bonus, I discovered a lot of great products too.
I was surprised, then, to see my grocery store, Meijer, offer a “Beauty Box” for $4.99. The box was decorated with designs but offered no real suggestions as to what could be inside it. For that price tag, I took a chance, and here’s what I got it:
Fall Beauty Box 2020
- Maybelline Lash Sensational
- L’Oreal Elvive Protein Recharge Leave-in conditioner
- SGX NYC The-Do-It-All Dry texture spray
- Cerave Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion
- Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water One single-use pouch
- Pink Collagen Beauty One packet
- Bausch + Lomb Lumify One single-use dropper
Did I love every product? No. The dry texture spray left my hair oily and saturated. I also felt uncomfortable trying the eye drops. But, overall, I thought it was a nice set of products for the price and was willing to try the Winter box. And to my surprise, it offered a wider selection of products I could actually use. (Yes, even toothpaste.) And it’s somehow gotten better every single time from there.
Winter Beauty Box 2020
- Colgate Optic White toothpaste
- Neutrogena Cleansing Make-Up Removal Wipes
- Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss (Dusk Darling)
- Got2B High Insta Hold Hair Spray
- Batiste Dry Shampoo (Original)
February Wellness Boxy 2021
- AOS Art of Sport Body Wash
- Love Beauty and Planet Shampoo (Coconut Water & Mimosa Flower)
- Love Beauty and Planet Conditioner (Coconut Water & Mimosa Flower)
- Method Body Deep Detox Body Wash
- Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner
- Chapstick Total Hydration Lipgloss (Nude)
Spring Beauty Box 2021
- SunBum SPF 30 sunscreen
- Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Shampoo
- Thayer’s Cucumber Facial Toner
- Method Body Pure Peace Body Wash
- Sample pouch of Nexxus Shampoo and Conditioner
- Sample pouch of L’Oreal Revitalift
Spring Wellness Box 2021
- Cora Organic tampons
- Burt’s Bees
- Aveeno moisturizing lotion
- Alba Botanica 30 SPF sunscreen
Spring Refresh & Renew Box 2021
- Dr Teal’s Pure Epsom bath salts
- Pataday eye allergy itch relief
- Derma E Nourishing shampoo and conditioner (packets)
- Sukin shampoo and conditioner
- Vital Proteins strawberry lemon supplement
Summer Box 2021
- Cetaphil daily facial cleanser
- Myro deodorant cartridge
- EVA NYC freshen up dry shampoo
- Not Your Mother’s 10 in 1 perfector
- Bare Hands hand sanitizer
- Neutrogena clear face oil-free sunscreen
- Sun Bum shampoo
Honestly, these boxes are absolutely PERFECT for collecting travel-sized items for, I know shocking, travel. But, in a pinch, I grabbed a couple from my newly opened box for a quick weekend visit to my sister in St Louis, and voila! I had products for my trip.
Unlike Ipsy, BoxyCharm, or any premium subscription services, though, I’ll have heard of or used many of these products before. That’s great in that it’ll be VERY accessible if you fall in love with something, and the price tag will be just right. But don’t expect to come across anything too dramatically different either. Chances are, you’ll have at least seen most of these products in passing at some point.
But, I think the bottom line here is for the price, it’s great to try a couple of new products, or at the very least, build up your collection of travel items. One travel shampoo or conditioner hovers around the price tag for the box itself, so that alone almost covers the cost. I will likely continue to purchasing these to try new products and have a little unexpected treat from – yes – the grocery store.