5 Under-The-Radar Beauty Subscription Boxes To Get Summer Started Right
Finders may be keepers, but discovering products worth hanging onto is the hardest part.
Buried beneath bottles of nail polish opened only once, and hair gel that turned out to be more crunchy than curly, are three of the tried-and-trusted beauty tools you seek out every day.
Rather than throwing away the failed hair dye and mostly-full perfumes, however, you hoard them in hopes of somehow getting your money's worth.
As a solution to the inevitable accumulation of products, many women sign up for beauty and lifestyle subscription services.
With specialized sample options available, these services are all about the thrill of finding a new product without committing to finishing the whole bottle.
Sample subscription giant BirchBox might have originally captured our hearts with its pink packaging and adorable website, but it's not the only beautifully decorated cosmetics box out there.
Below are a few subscription gems you just might have missed.
SquareHue
Best for: The woman who can name every OPI collection, dating back to the Millennium.
Price: $14.99 per month
The goods: Once a month, SquareHue subscribers receive three full-size nail polishes custom formulated to match trends with the current season's colors.
The polish is not only 5-Free (all products are made without formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor or formaldehyde resin) and cruelty-free, but also benefits victims of human trafficking.
Ipsy
Best for: The woman who watches contouring tutorials on YouTube.
Price: $10 per month
The goods: If full-size or deluxe sample products mean more to you than trial products, Michelle Phan's delivery service, Ipsy, is the perfect splurge.
Items tailored to your skin color arrive each month, all in a new makeup case. Members are also welcome to browse discounts and video tutorials only available through Ipsy.
Scentbird
Best for: The woman who matches her perfume to her occasion, every time.
Price: $14.95 per month
The goods: After completing an entrance quiz about personal preferences, Scentbird sends subscribers a 0.27 oz. glass perfume sample each month.
Along with the one-time delivery of a sleek atomizer, scent lovers have the chance to try luxury labels like Christian Dior and Givenchy.
Goodebox
Best for: The woman who uses coconut oil for everything, including bathing.
Price: Starts at $19 per month
The goods: There's a do-gooder inside every one of us, but we often aren't sure how to find companies with serious ethics.
Thankfully, Goodebox does all the hard work for you by finding trial-size beauty products made from largely natural and cruelty-free ingredients.
Dollar Shave Club
Best for: The woman who rants about the misogyny of pink razors during brunch.
Price: Starts at $3 per month, including shipping and handling
The goods: Dollar Shave Club might've built its business on male customers, but razors formulated for facial use work even better on female legs.
Instead of holding on to a dull-but-expensive razor blade, rely on the Club's monthly razor shipments and well-constructed handles to keep you silky smooth.
