BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review – January 2019

ByLiz CadmanApr 22, 2019 | 76 comments

1949 Ratings | 195 Reviews

BoxyCharm is a full-size beauty and makeup subscription box. They always provide a great value compared the cost of the box. (If you are a makeup addict - I HIGHLY recommend this box!)

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

The Subscription Box: BoxyCharm

The Cost: $21 a month

The Products: 5-6 beauty items that will include nail care, skin care, makeup, haircare, fragrance and more. (At least 4 of those items will be full-sized).

Ships to: US and Canada

Check out all of our Boxycharm reviews!

Each box comes with a card detailing the items included.

Now, on to the items!

TATCHA Luminous Dewy Skin Sheet Masks (Set of 2) - Retail Value $24

(All subscribers will receive these sheet masks.)

Tatcha is one of my top 5 favorite skincare lines, and I hadn't tried these masks yet, so I was pumped when I saw this spoiler!

This sheet mask was drenched in serum, and considering how pricey Tatcha serum is, I applied what was left in the packet to my neck to get all the benefits that I could! I left this on for 15 minutes and could definitely feel a difference in hydration after I removed it. (Just FYI - it takes a bit of time for the serum to fully absorb after you take off the mask.)

Starlooks Ultra-Luxe Longwear Eye Pencil in Black - Retail Value $19

(Subscribers will receive this or the Billion Dollar Brows Pencil.)

This is a mechanical eye pencil - no sharpener required! The pigment is great, and it really doesn't budge. (Swatched in lower photo.)

OFRA Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Havana Nights - Retail Value $20

(Subscribers will receive this or Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick OR Smith & Cult The Shining Lip Lacquer)

This liquid lipstick is lightweight, didn't dry out my lips (I always use a balm over liquid lipsticks, though) and the pigment is great, too. It's not transfer-proof, so some of the top layers came off, but the base wore down nicely. (Swatche in lower photo.)

tarte Rainforest of the Sea highlighting eyeshadow palette vol. III - Retail Value $36

(All subscribers will receive a tarte palette: Rainforest of the Sea™ sizzle eyeshadow palette, limited-edition Rainforest of the Sea ™ highlighting eyeshadow palette vol. III, or Rainforest of the Sea limited-edition eyeshadow palette)

How gorgeous is this packaging? I love the gold accents, too.

So much lovely, neutral shimmer! The pigment is great and the shadows are easy to blend, too.

tarte also included a card with instructions on how to acheive two different looks:

Here are all the shades swatched beneath the eyeliner and the liquid lipstick:

Briogeo Leave-In Conditioning Spray - Retail Value $12

(Products will vary, but all subscribers will receive a Briogeo item.)

I’ve had mixed results with the Briogeo line of products, but this one is a winner!

I love the scent, and I found giving my damp hair a light spray left it feeling softer, too. (Plus I love that they are ingredient conscious!)

Verdict: The total retail value of this box is $111! As usual, I think that's amazing for a $21 box! Tatcha + tarte are two of my favorite beauty brands, so those products alone made this box a winner for me.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes! The Boxycharm waitlist is temporarily lifted!

Check out all of my BoxyCharm reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory!

What do you think of the January 2019 Boxycharm Box? Which variants are you getting?

Starting at $32.00

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BoxyCharm

4.3 overall rating

1949 Ratings | 195 Reviews

BoxyCharm ($32 per month) is one of the most popular beauty subscription boxes that we review, with lots of loyal customers. They promise 5 full-size beauty products each month from a variety of both indie and... read more.

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Posted in Beauty Subscription Boxes, Makeup Subscription Boxes, Subscription Box Reviews, Subscription Boxes for Women

Liz Cadman

Liz is the founder of My Subscription Addiction. She's been hooked on subscription boxes since 2011 thanks to Birchbox, and she now subscribes to over 100 boxes. Her favorites include POPSUGAR Must Have, FabFitFun, and any box that features natural beauty products!

Read More By Liz Cadman >

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76 comments

Miki Michelle

This was my first boxycharm box. I was highly disappointed. I recieved the vol. III eyeshadow palette. I see that most people did. I was hoping for the vol. II palette. The product doesn’t collect on the brush too well. The ORFA lipstick color is not a color I would wear alone. It is a nice ombre color which matches well with my Griselda from Fenty. It doesn’t cake and dries darker which I like. I haven’t tried the hair treatment yet. The mask was ok. I didn’t really see it’s usefulness. Perhaps I have to use it over a period of time. I’ve read a lot of reviews where old time subscribers where disappointed too. So in that case I won’t hold this one against them. I would really like to upgrade to boxyluxe because I really like that 15N palette by Morphe. I’m not really sure if it’s worth the extra cost seeing how I may not get it and this box being lack luster. I expected more from boxycharm considering the reviews. I’ll hang in another month or two to see if they can redeem themselves.

MMKinPA

I’m one of those who wasn’t super enthused with this box. I think I have makeup overload, particularly with products that don’t “spark joy” (in the words of Marie Kondo). It’s nice to get good $ value but honestly, the actual value of this box is much less for me if I donate most of it. I still think Boxy is a great deal if you don’t have a lot of makeup but once you have a nice curated selection, just getting more and more just weighs you down with more not-really-wanted stuff. Compared to Allure and Ipsy Plus, I am not using my Boxy items as much so I probably will cancel.

Sandra

Love the volume 3 palette, love the leave in conditioner although it is really small. The formula for the masks is awesome I just hate putting on a sheet mask it is cold and uncomfortable to wear. I got the brown eyeliner which i won’t use as I never wear eyeliner so that is a give away. I also received the Ofra Havanna Nights and I have to say Boxycharm doesn’t go by profile because that’s a color a fair skin blonde would never ever wear. Also mine was not sealed so I’m afraid to give away, was anyone elses unsealed? Also I am allergic to every lipstick, gloss, etc I have ever worn except Burts Bees lip shimmer so if anyone has suggestions…I do wish the profiles were more specific and actually used. Can’t wait for February’s box as the spoilers look awesome!!

veronica

i got the orange shade too and im very fair skinned i have a olive skin best friend and have been giving her my nude shades from boxycharm. It used to frustrate me but i get a box full of things to try for 21 a month which is amazing and whenever i have issues boxycharm replies right away they are the nicest subscription box i have ever had. The ceo has replaced a box and sent out same day when i wrote him on instagram before. I give their customer service a 100 % a + because of that i will never cancel them. Do i wish i could get more pink lippies yes but since i always get nudes i give them to my friends who they look better on. My sister and best friend are more olive skin tone and they love getting the nudes i cant wear lol.

Juliya

I’m blonde and very fair and I’d totally wear and rock that Ofra lipstick. It’s all about how comfortable you feel wearing bold red colors 😉

MeghannRoses

Same here! I adore that shade and my fair, blonde haired self will love it if it comes in my box!

Twyla

Facetory had a great idea if you hate cold sheet masks. Place the package in warm water for a few minutes, it will warm the sheet mask and make it more comfortable in cold weather.

Amy

So… they say all items are full size yet the leave in conditioner is only 2 oz… whereas in Ipsy Plus it is 5oz. Hmmm….

Twyla

I believe they count travel size as a full size product. It technically isn’t a sample size, just smaller than their regular full sized product.

amy

I understand what you’re saying, but full size means full size. Otherwise they should say 5-6 full and travel size products.

TNTriathlete

Does BC take requests? I would like to ask for no more leave in conditioners. I am super satisfied with my Living Proof product.

MzBev

No, they don’t use the profiles yet and don’t allow you to opt out of anything. That’s a def bonus with Ipsy over boxy. They do use profiles AND allow you to opt out of 2 product types.

Jennifer

Does anyone have any coupons or referral codes?

Sierra

If you watch Kathleen Lights Boxycharm unboxing she says she helped curate some of the box. She chose to put in the tarte pallets (not the exact variations just the brand and rainforest of the sea), the breogio and tatcha brands, and the ofra liquid lip colors are her collabs (the orange shade). I like her and not her fault that people are complaining about the lip shade and the fact that breogio is a repeat…

Just think it’s good to know it’s not completely Boxycharms fault and I like that they tried to incorporate YouTubers. But maybe they should stick to doing their own research on what their customers want… (The Laura Lee box didn’t work out either)

Bushra

Here’s what I got:
Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair, Leave-in Mask
Tarte Rainforest Highlighting Eyeshadow Palette, Volume 3
Starlooks Luxe Long Wear Eye Pencil
2 Tatcha Luminous Dew Masks
Ofra long lasting lipstick in shade Miami fever
Anyone willing to trade their Ofra shades or sizzle palette with me then IG me – bushrak_ali89

JennR

I pretty much got this variation, but I got the eyebrow pencil and the Ofra in Miami Fever. I’m actually really happy I got this particular Tarte palette because wear a lot of nude shimmers. Looking forward to trying the Tatcha masks, and the leave-in conditioner will get used. The only thing that was a big disappointment for me was the lip color. I was really hoping for one of the Bite lipsticks, because I don’t like liquid lipstick and I this color isn’t good on me. I feel like I got my money worth, but I don’t think I’d subscribe to Boxycharm on a regular basis…I’m more into skincare than makeup.

Mily

I got this box. As soon as I took the cap off of the eyeliner the whole thing fell out. Which is whatever, bc it was brown. *sigh* I really wanted the sizzle palette or the other one. I’m so sick of neutral shimmers. But I never tried tarte eyeshadows before and really liked the formula and pigmentation.

Renee

This is the best BoxyCharm box I’ve seen in ages, so I finally caved. I always think it is interesting how different people view things, as so many really don’t like this one.

Renee

I got the same palette and it is gorgeous. The brown liner, Ofra Havana Nights (likely too deep for me, but pretty), and the Don’t Despair, Repair. I use it some in winter, so that’s okay, too. All in all, a good box!

Bella01

I got the same box as you Liz and I love my box. I love the color of Havana Nights so much that I’ve been wearing it everyday. And those masks…. heavenly………Awesome box

Hilary

not my favorite box, but I am excited for Feb.

Tina Morris

I just don’t understand what everyone complains about, if you do not like what you get stop your subscription and move on, if your so picky you can’t enjoy what you get go buy it.
I am always happy with what I get, everything is nice, if the colors don’t fit me then I give them away no regrets.
Some people are just so picky

Tamichiko

Uh, because everybody has different tastes, especially when it comes to subscription boxes. I may not agree with those who don’t like a particular box or a particular item in the box, but they are entitled to their opinion just as I am entitled to mine. I personally like Boxycharm better than I do Ipsy or Birchbox or even Sephora Play (I’m not even sure if I want to upgrade to Ipsy Glam Bag Plus if I was ever invited to join, as their boxes so far haven’t exactly impressed me), but that’s just my honest opinion. I do feel that Boxycharm tries to do their best, but it’s impossible to please everyone all the time. But I can’t expect everyone to like what they get just because I like it. But I do agree with those who say that Boxycharm should just start going by the profiles that they have us fill out when we sign up. I feel that it would make things a lot easier for them.

Twyla

Certainly makes sense. It would greatly reduce the number of disappointed people if they did. There is no way to please everyone all the time, but they have things they can do that would help. Hopefully they will eventually. I enjoy Boxy most months, even though I gift a lot of the items due to colors that do not work with my skin tones. This just really wasn’t my month, it happens. Love the masks at least, even if i am on overload with them. ☺

Lori

You could say the same thing about reading comments if they bother you so much. Just sayin’.

Twyla

^^THIS!!^^

I can think and say what I wish (obviously within the rules) regarding the box I purchase. Look elsewhere if you only want to see people who think everything is rainbows and butterflies in their boxes, the people here give their opinion, whether anyone else personally agrees with them or not.

Brenda Beck

Not picky. Just realistic. There has been at least one mask if not multiple across the board in the majority of sub boxes in the past months, it’s just really overdone at this point. And orange lipstick doesn’t work for the majority of people I would say. Hard to even give that one to anyone! So that’s just a weird color to include. I pay for my box so I have a right to say what I don’t like in it! Doesn’t mean I want to cancel, just over some of the stuff.

Although I usually get variation 3, I received variation 9 this time. It included:

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair, Leave-in Mask
Tarte Rainforest Highlighting Eyeshadow Palette, Volume 3
Starlooks Luxe Long Wear Eye Pencil
Tatcha Luminous Dew Mask, two
Bite Amuse Bouche

Bushra

Here’s what I got:

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair, Leave-in Mask
Tarte Rainforest Highlighting Eyeshadow Palette, Volume 3
Starlooks Luxe Long Wear Eye Pencil
2 Tatcha Luminous Dew Masks
Ofra long lasting lipstick in shade Miami fever

Anyone willing to trade their Ofra shades or sizzle palette with me then IG me – bushrak_ali89

Heidi

I got everything you did, but the Bite…. I got the deep red Ofra instead, which I’m too pale to pull off 😳 Mine was variation 4.

Michelle

This was the first box I didn’t get as I cancelled the day after Christmas and I am happy to report no regrets. They are just recycling the same old stuff and I realize there is only so much makeup but there is nothing exciting anymore, at least to me.

Sara

Did anyone else get “Bang Beauty” eyeliner/eyeshadow base/brow touch up cream? So far, I am the only one I have seen get this. It is touted as a liquid eyeliner, in a plastic tub with screw on lid.

MzBev

I got that the last time they sent it. It was so dry and didn’t work as liner. I remember several saying it was okay as brow pomade. I even tried to put a couple drops of face oil in it, let it sit and tried it again. It just wasn’t a good product. Its still just sitting there, being ignored by me.

Val

I got variation #10 and received the Bang Beauty eyeliner. I use gel liner so I thought I’d be able to use it except the lid wasn’t screwed on so it was all dried out. There’s just a bit left on the bottom but it’s rock hard. I’ve emailed with pictures to see if I can get it replaced.

Momo

I received it last yr as well. Didint work for me, thought it applied unevenly. Was a throw away item for me.

Ambeer

They sent some out last year. I can’t remember what box it was. It worked terrible for me but a couple people liked it. You can use it as an eye shadow base, in the brows, or as a liner. I gave mine to a friend. If you are a fairly new subscriber I know they sent out some variations.

This is the box I received except I received the brow thingee instead of the eyeliner. I didn’t swatch the Ofra lip product because I was 99% sure it wouldn’t look good and I wanted to swap it. Glad I was able to see it here as it confirms it’s too dark for me.

As for brows, am I naive in thinking my brows are already nice looking with no product needed? I get them threaded every now and again but that’s about it.

Ashlea

I much prefer a natural brow, mine just need a little filling in. If yours don’t need anything then I say rock it.

Holly

I really liked my box. I got the lippie Havana Nights, but also love the the Miami Fever color. I wish we got two of them in the box! The palette also swatches awesome, I can’t wait to use it!

I agree Holly, I like both colors and received Havana Nights as well. The palette is very pretty in person but I’m still tempted to buy Sizzle. I received the BDB pencil instead of the eyeliner which is what I wanted. Overall, this was a very nice box this month!

Shawna

Same variation as me. It’s ok, but I don’t use eyeliner and really wanted the brow pencil and Bite lipstick. I already have a shade very similar to the Ofra in a formula I like better (Lime Crime Velvetine in Red Rose).

Brenda

I got the Ofra in Miami Fever, a very weird burnt or dirty orange color. So completely over sheet masks in every single box sub. I have probably 20 of them and I can’t even give them away. Now I have two more. The leave in spray, tarte palette and grow pencil made it worthwhile for me.

Amanda

You could donate all your unwanted products to a women’s/domestic violence shelter. Someone out there would appreciate it!

Elizabeth

Are you on the swap site? I love sheet masks, especially these!

Victoria

Ugh, I got that same Ofra color and hate it. I tried it just for kicks on a day at home and it was like I smeared rust on my lips, plus it transfers like crazy. I also don’t get the hype over sheet masks, though I’m looking forward to trying something by Tatcha.

Heidi

I got variation 4 and the only difference from yours, was I got the Don’t Despair Repair hair mask instead of the leave in conditioner.

I was disappointed to get the OFRA because I knew I couldn’t pull off that deep of a shade.

Overall the value is there and I signed up specifically for the Tarte palette, but I hope I like next month’s box better!

Toni Marie

I was not excited about this months box and could not use the products, so I will be gifting to someone else.

Lien

Are you on the swap site? I love Tatcha products and would like another set of masks.

Brenda Beck

I am! I’ll be listing them later this week when I get a chance

Sheila Mcconville

I simply love everything in my 1st box except the lip gloss. Way to dark for me. I have very light skin and that color looks horrible. Light colors please

Jennifer

Any coupons?

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BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review – January 2019

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