BoxyCharm is a full-size beauty and makeup subscription box. They always provide a great value compared to the cost of the box. (If you are a makeup addict – we recommend this box!)
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About BoxyCharm
The Subscription Box: BoxyCharm
The Cost: $25.00 per month. Save with longer subscriptions.
The Products: 5-6 beauty items that include nail care, skincare, makeup, haircare, fragrance, and more. (At least 4 of those items will be full-sized).
Ships to: The contiguous U.S. for free, Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada for $5.00
BoxyCharm January 2021 Review
Let's see what I received!
1 of 4
Ciaté London Velvet Palette - Retail Value $30.00
Many of you know I don't really love this brand. Their eyeshadows are so inconsistent. And I really disliked this palette for that very reason. The color story is actually gorgeous, and I liked the pink and gold packaging well enough. But my issue with this palette is that the entire first row of colors has basically zero payoff with both finger or brush. The rest are better, but still not great. I kind of wonder if the 3D wave impression on these colors makes them even worse to work with because instead of it being a smooth dip inside you actually have to use a lot of pressure because it's just lumpy feeling. There were maybe 2-3 colors here with a great formula and I have those shades more than covered in my collection.
1 of 3
Great colors but lackluster payoff.
Since the first row was the least pigmented, I tried to create an eye look using only those weaker colors to give them a fair shot. The saturation above took a lot of work and I am just pretty 'blah' about this whole palette.
1 of 3
Farmacy Daily Greens Oil-Free Gel Moisturizer, 50 mL - Retail Value $38.00
I wish I had a fun catchphrase to use when I really, really love a product. Because I would be using it for this oil-free moisturizer. This green goo is filled with such delights that I don't even know where to start. Going down the ingredient list here are the big players that jump out at me: Inulin (a prebiotic), betaine, niacinamide (I love her!), cucumber extracts (anti-inflammatory), papaya extract (exfoliation), a few different sizes of hyaluronic acid, and even more. It feels really cooling and nice on my skin and absorbs in a snap. Even my dry skin can appreciate this lighter weight formula for a day cream. It does have a lighter scent that comes from some essential oils at the end of the ingredient list, but it is pretty light and very pleasant.
1 of 3
Avant Bi-Phase Hyaluronic Acid Rejuvenating Micellar Water, 100 mL - Retail Value $90.00
Ok, $90 for micellar water is bananas. But we all know Avant has a tendency towards insanely high sticker prices. And this stuff is pretty average in terms of cleansing waters. It has some good ingredients like vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, and calendula extract, but it also has a dash of ethylhexyl palmitate which can be pretty pore-clogging. Sure, shaking it up is super fun and it smells nice, but it isn't my favorite micellar water by a long shot. That award goes to this stuff, which will only set you back a cool $28 for the largest size.
1 of 3
Dr. Brandt Skincare Do Not Age with Dr. Brandt Triple Peptide Eye Cream, 0.5 oz - Retail Value $89.00
FYI: The packaging for this item is different from the normal retail pot, but the size is the same.
I have tried this eye cream before and I like it. It is a cream texture that smells a lot like Sisley products and when I apply it I always notice some tightening, probably from the caffeine inside! This is the sort of product that makes your eyes look less puffy and the skin smoother right away, but it also has a lot for ingredients that benefit your skin over time, like peptides, ceramides, and nourishing lipids. It has a velvet finish that seems to work just fine under makeup, meaning this can be a day or night treat for your peepers.
1 of 7
Qveen Studio Dragon Duo - Retail Value $28.00
So this was a new brand to me and I did a little digging. Apparently, it was founded by the singer from Karmin (who I actually really enjoy). When I look at the website, there are so many cooler products they could have included than two black eyeliners. Some of the lipsticks and eyeshadows legit look so great! But, again, we have black eyeliner. Whyyyy. Sure, both of these formulas work fine. The pencil is soft and smokey and the liquid liner is razor-sharp and long-lasting. But I don't know if I will ever recover from black eyeliner subscription box fatigue.
Top, pencil. Bottom, Liquid.
Verdict: My BoxyCharm box has an overall value of $268.00 which is great for a $25 box. I really only loved two items this month (the Farmacy moisturizer and Dr. Brant eye cream) which totaled $120 worth of value, and still made this box worth it. I can't help but think of how much better it would have been with a different palette, a different micellar water, and... maybe a teal or green liner.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, your first box will be the February box!
Value Breakdown: At $25 for this box, here is what you are paying approximately per item:
- Ciaté London Palette $2.80
- Farmacy Moisturizer $3.54
- Avant Water $8.40
- Dr. Brant Eye Cream $7.65
- Qveen Studio Duo $2.61
Alternatively, the average cost of each of the 5 items is $5.
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What do you think of the January 2021 BoxyCharm Box? Which variants are you getting?
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