“So Choix is a new way to try and buy makeup where we bring the makeup counter to you!” So Choix is a makeup sampling subscription service that sends you hand-made samples of brand name, beauty counter products. Each month, subscribers have the options to choose all or a few of their beauty samples or to be totally surprised. FYI - Choix now offers a “No Subscription”/a la carte option for those that want to try a few things without the commitment.
All the samples they send are hand-made from authentic full-size products and brand new sample containers. They use high hygiene standards and never even touch the product itself. This is a process which allows them to send completely uncontaminated products to you, which I really appreciate considering that the lipsticks and products sitting on some stores’ shelves have been touched and poked by hundreds of other people. You can Click here to learn more about how they make their samples.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
The Subscription Box: So Choix
The Cost: $15 a month + free shipping, with discounts available for longer-length prepaid subscription commitments. You also get 250 points ($5 Choix store credit) each month (click here to read more about their points system)
The Products: 5 luxury beauty samples of your choice from the Choix store. I chose all of my own samples this month.
Ships to: US only
Check out all of our So Choix reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory!
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Each box has a sticker on the inside listing the details of each of your samples. They also always send you fresh disposable application tools to use with your samples!
Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara – full-size price: $16.50
I love this little glass bottle for sampling, but it’s hard to coat the wand well enough to get a good sense of how the formula actually works. I was able to coat my lashes, though, and I didn’t have any smudging around my eyes from the formula.
Sampling mascaras, even at Sephora or a beauty counter, isn’t super satisfying for me because so much of the performance of mascara is from the brush! When it comes to mascaras I’d rather find ways to get free mini versions of the product, personally. With the disposable spooly brushes beauty counters and stores give you to sample with, you can really only get a sense of the pigmentation and staying power of a mascara – things like separating, lengthening, and thickening properties are pretty much impossible to judge without feeling how the formula works with the brush it was designed with. I was curious to see how they’d make samples of mascaras, but I may avoid picking them for future samples.
Good to know: the So Choix price for the full-size of this product is a dollar less than I could find elsewhere online.
Marc Jacobs Enamored Lacquer Nail Polish, Warm Blue – full-size price: $18
I have liked other colors that I’ve tried from Marc Jacobs so I was excited to see they had his polishes. I also love how they packaged this sample bottle! For me, it was perfect for 1-2 two-coat applications. The color is unique and the formula was smooth and dried pretty quickly. However, there was noticeable chipping a day or two after. You can see a photo of this on my nails below.
NARS Audacious Lipstick, Liv – full-size price: $32
This lipstick has great pigmentation! I also love the berry shade, especially for this time of year. Unfortunately, I found the formula to be a little drying and patchy, which is a big deal with colors this deep.
Marc Jacobs Perfecting Coconut Face Primer – full-size price: $44
I adore this primer! Thanks to subscriptions, I doubt I’ll ever actually need to buy a new primer but I’m sure considering it for this one. It has coconut water in it so it smells great and feels really hydrating. It’s perfect for my dry skin, especially heading into the cold and harsh winter months!
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, Chantilly – full-size price: $29
This is another new love for me! This is a concealer that has almost a cult-love-following so I was excited to try this, and it’s great. The formula is definitely creamy but also has great coverage. It also feels very hydrating. A little goes a long way so this sample will actually last me a couple weeks, I think!
They also threw in a free foil sample of Philosophy’s Renewed Hope in a Jar Overnight Moisturizer.
Here’s the Marc Jacobs polish on my nails, with a top coat. I love the color and creaminess of the formula. Like I said, I did see some noticeable chips after a couple days.
Here’s me wearing the Marc Jacobs Primer, NARS Concealer, Clinique Mascara, and the NARS lipstick!
(I’m also wearing: Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick, Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Exposed, Make Up Forever HD Setting Powder, Kat Von D Tattoo Liquid Liner, and Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Brow Pencil)
Verdict: This was my first month of So Choix and I am having so much fun with it! I think they have implemented some great packaging for the samples and I trust their authenticity and also their hygiene standards, having been trained in such when I worked at Sephora. I also really enjoyed reading about their mission and So Choix's founding story. The founder was inspired to create an easy, convenient way to sample and test cosmetics and skincare in your own home when her sister was due with her second child and felt that she would have to give up makeup or feeling put-together and that she’d never be able to go and play at beauty counters with two children in tow! As a mother myself, that resonated with me. A quote I loved from it is “We bring the makeup counter to you because we don’t ever want you to lose your desire to shine when life bogs you down.” I also want to note that it seems like they’ve come a long way with making their packaging for the samples feel more professional and easy-to-use.
It’s hard to do an exact cost breakdown for this box because of the hand-made samples, but being able to try so many different brand name cosmetics and skin care products for $15 a month, plus getting 250 points ($5 store credit) every month feels fun and worth it to me, especially considering my own lifestyle. I’ve loved browsing their products and creating my queue online so I can’t wait for future months!
What do you think about So Choix? Have you tried their service before?
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