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Beauty Box 5 Subscription Box Review + Coupon – May 2016

Nancy McNew
ByNancy McNewJun 3, 2016 | 22 comments

BB5-Outside packaging

Beauty Box 5
3.3 overall rating
204 Ratings | 52 Reviews

Beauty Box 5 is a subscription box that sends 5 deluxe samples  & full-sized products to your door each month. You receive a mix of products ranging from makeup, hair care, skincare, nail polish, beauty tools and fragrances.  Luxury, drugstore & Indie brands are included.

BB5-first look

YES to the Mermaid theme!

This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

BB5-first look1

I love the confetti colors!

BB5-products in box

The Subscription Box: Beauty Box 5

Cost: $12.00 per month, $30 for 3 months & $99 for 12 months. Shipping is free if it's within the US and $3.00 shipping for Canada

COUPONReceive a free bonus Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow in your first box! ($24 value). No coupon needed, just subscribe here!

Products: 5 deluxe & full-size makeup, hair care, skincare, nail polish, beauty tools and fragrance products

Ships to: the lower 48 United States and Canada. Currently unable to ship to AK, HI, APO, and overseas.

Good to know: Past boxes can still be purchased!

Check out all of our Beauty Box 5 reviews and our  Beauty Subscription Box Directory for more beauty boxes!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

BB5-description card front

BB5-description card back

Each Beauty Box 5 comes with a description card. This month's theme is "Bait Some Beauty Save A Mermaid". The slogan is so cute & they take it a step further by saying Mer-May-D. I love a good theme and they did a great job incorporating the mermaid theme with each product chosen & the product descriptions.

BB5-entry card

Beauty Box 5 also includes information on how to win 5 full-size versions of this month's products. If you're interested in winning you basically take a picture of the items in your box. You then post the photo to Instagram, tag Beauty Box 5 and  include the Beauty Box 5 hashtag & individual product hashtags. Once you do that you are entered in the contest. They announce the winner on their company Instagram page the last day of the month.

BB5-products1

Mystic Tan Mocha-Kyssed Bronzer Lotion - Deluxe Sample 1 oz.: Value $5.83

When I was in Junior High I had a bad experience with self tanners. I looked like an Oompa Loompa after a Fake Bake session. I'm still traumatized and I stay far away from self tanners/bronzer lotions so this will be gifted! However, I do think the bronzer lotion is perfect for this time of year if you like to bronze.

Briogeo Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Spray - Deluxe Sample 1 oz.: Value $4.00

I'm a huge advocate for leave-in sprays. I have wavy/curly hair and it's a must in my beauty routine to use leave-in conditioner after every hair wash. Right now I've been using the Big Sexy Hair brand but Briogeo is giving it a run for its money because I've fallen in love with this spray! According to the website it's infused with Briogeo's signature blend of ultra-nourishing rosehip, argan and coconut oils. Bonus: not only does it smell great, but it's formulated without sulfates, parabens, phthalates, silicones, DEA and synthetic dyes!

BB5-tan

Better view of the Mystic Tan Mocha-Kyssed Bronzer Lotion

BB5-products2

Glamour Dolls Mermaid Lashes Splash Proof Mascara- FULL SIZE! $4.99

It doesn't get much better than mermaid lashes. Unfortunately for me this didn't tango very well with my lashes. It made them look terrible. In my whole 24 years of living I have tried multiple mascaras, both drugstore & high end brands, and have found that Maybelline is the only mascara that works. This Glamour Dolls mascara is sold out on their website so it must be pretty popular.  I liked the mascara it just didn't like me so I will be gifting!

Appeal Cosmetics Luxurious Lipstick in Crush- FULL SIZE! $29.00

I'm not familiar with Appeal Cosmetics so I was excited to try something new. Right now is the ideal time to rock a coral lip and I think it's perfect for the mermaid theme. I have a hard time finding the right shade of coral without looking like a clown. I lucked out because this coral looks awesome with my skin tone, has great pigment and lasts forever!  It goes on super creamy too so I will use this until it runs out! I do think the retail price is a pretty high for a lipstick, but that's just my personal opinion.

BB5-mascara

View of the Glamour Dolls Mermaid Lashes Splash Proof Mascara wand

BB5-products3

Elizabeth Mott You're So Fine Liquid Liner in Glitterati- FULL SIZE! $18.00

I received this same eyeliner in an Ipsy bag around a year ago. Thanks to Ipsy I have quite a few Elizabeth Mott products and I like most of them. This eyeliner is the bomb! It has super staying power which is a must for me and you only need one swipe! I just wish it would have been plain black instead of having glitter, because glitter eyeliner isn't very appropriate for my work environment. Since I already have this product I plan to share the love & gift to a friend.

BB5-wand

View of the micro-tipped brush. It's an average size and holds a good amount of product while still giving  you control.

BB5-swatches

Elizabeth Mott You're So Fine Liquid Liner in Glitterati (top swatch) and Appeal Cosmetics Luxurious Lipstick in Crush (bottom swatch). *I only swiped the liquid liner once and achieved that deep jet black, love!

Verdict: This month's Beauty Box 5 was just okay for me. I enjoyed the theme and clever product descriptions more than the actual products given. I really only loved two of the products: the leave-in conditioner & Appeal Cosmetics lipstick. I would of been way more excited about the eyeliner if I didn't already own a tube or if it would have been pure black. I calculated the value of this box to be at $61.82 which is much higher than the $12 purchase price! Hopefully next month's box will have more useable products for me.

What do you think about May’s Beauty Box 5? Did you like the Mermaid theme?

Starting at $12.00
Active Deal
Receive a free bonus Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow in your first box! ($24 value)
Subscribe Now
Beauty Box 5 is one of the most inexpensive beauty and makeup subscription boxes. It's $10 a month for a 3-month subscription, or $8.25 a month with an annual subscription.
Nancy McNew
Nancy McNew
Nancy discovered the world of subscription boxes once she came across My Subscription Addiction in early 2013 and signed up for a few. She is a lover of all things fashion, weenie dogs, the 70s and unique finds in subscription boxes.

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22 comments

Carmen

Has anyone received their June BB5 box yet? I just signed up and this is the hardest box to find spoilers or unboxings for lol…I seen 2 things on their instagram but I want moreeee so impatient teehehe I currently receive Ipsy, Birchbox, Boxycharm, Julep, Glossybox, Play! By Sephora, Beautycon and now this one lol Stalking for spoilers is a big part of the fun yayyy

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Tamara

Wow! This box is pretty cool. I really love these products. That eyeliner and the lipstick is amazing! If I didn’t already have so many boxes I would def. get this one! I will keep this one in mind next time I decide to drop one of my other boxes. Does everyone get a Welcome Box the 1st month and are there variations or does everyone get the same thing? Thanks:)

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AmyM

They’ve really stepped up their game. I don’t need another box at the moment. But I’ll keep an eye on it. That’s a beautiful shade of coral lipstick!! Going to try to swap for it.

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nursermk

Nancy
Don’t dwell on the past..
Try something new..
Be bold and take a leap of faith.
Hey many of us have been there with the self tanner Oompah Loompah look but they’ve come a long way! Anyway you could always try a test patch and see how it goes? You know the saying “You can’t judge the future by the past”
I use the Tarte and it makes me look believably sun kissed, but you are right they are not all created equal. Nice review, Thank you!

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Cece

haha well put. i was going to say, who DIDN’T have a bad experience with a self-tanner in middle/high school? it’s just a tragedy of a generation, lol. i’ve heard they’ve gotten better, but i’m also skeptical. i also don’t tan, since i’m fair, i burn, not to mention i stay indoors most of the time. I got the Target beauty box self-tanning towelette, which I’ll give a try, but not right before a wedding or anything. Maybe if i’m home for a week. :p

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Nancy M.

Nursermk,

Your comment is so real & great! You have given me the faith to try out the next one I get my hands on, thank you for that! 🙂

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Dea

You gift a mascara after you try it? I’m confused.

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Nancy M.

Dea,

I have a few friends that don’t mind using it after I’ve used it once- might sound weird to some, but we’ve know each other for years lol Not the most hygienic but it works for us!

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April

Why not? If my friends got an eyeliner they didn’t like, I’d take it off their hands for them!! 🙂

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Courtney

Me too! There are a few friends and fam I know will take things off my hands if I tried it once or twice. No biggie.

Jacquie

Maybe she uses a disposable wand?

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ChereK

I love disposable wands. I bought a bag yrs ago. Never ran out yet. I do have a very, very close friend that I will gift stuff with that I have tried though…
(But I don’t use the disposable wands on stuff I am going to swap… that is truly NIB)

Linda

I just got what I guess was the “welcome” box–which I paid $10 for!–and it wasn’t so great–a makeup brush, a device to get the last of your cosmetics out of a container, cheap brown eyeliner, a tiny body wash and a reasonably nice lip/cheek stain.. I wasn’t impressed. This box looks decent, though

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Brenda

Hi Linda, I believe, in the beginning of my subscription, I received the same box you did. Hang in there though. It does get better. Just like in Nancy’s review, some are a hit or miss. (Just like every box). I’ve found though, that this box is kind of “neat” in the way they include items in which you’ll never receive in another box. I like trying “off the wall” products that I’d never buy for myself. It kind of opens me up to things I never knew existed. It surprises me, because this has turned out to be one of my favorite boxes. I hope it gets better for you and you enjoy it as much as I do.

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Aria

Is this box under new ownership? There is a dramatic step up in quality starting at March.

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Rena

They seem to be really stepping up with better brands lately. I also have picky eyelashes so I don’t know if GDE would work for me. It might be a clumpy weird mess like Stila and Too Faced BTS. The only ones I like are W3LL People, Benefit and L’Oreal Butterfly Effect.

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Nancy M.

Rena,

Our eyelashes sound very similar, most mascaras clump on mine or make them stick out weird :/. The mascara struggle is real.

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Rena M Kinney

A friend of mine has gorgeous eyelashes and she has used Lancôme Definicils for at least 10 years. I haven’t found a perfect one for me quite yet!

Ragan

Between your age and Haley’s, I’m feeling like an old lady. I’ve been a vegetarian for 23 years and I was a teenager when I started that, to give you some idea of how old I am…

I can’t use Maybelline mascaras because they irritate my eyes, but am loving Stila huge extreme lash (or whatever it’s called) right now. I guess HG products are different for everyone, though.

Interesting to see how this box has changed since I was a subscriber several years ago.

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Nancy M.

Ragan,

I’ll have to try Stila out, thanks for the suggestion! 🙂

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Steffy

Agreed, this box has really changed since I subbed to it years ago also, IIRC not long after they started up. I don’t remember getting full sizes, and the cost was $10 when I received it back then I think. Nice to see they’re still going, and going strong at that. If I didn’t already have so many other subs right now I’d consider going back, or if I am not entirely happy with any of them this might take their place.

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Luna

I’m a recent subscriber to BB5, and this was my 3rd or 4th box. I subscribe to many beauty boxes, and I have to admit that this box is my most ‘fun’ box. There’s a good mix of products/brands, and I’ve always end up using at least 4/5 products.

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