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So Choix Subscription Box Review + Coupon – October 2016

Haley Faye
ByHaley FayeNov 1, 2016 | 15 comments

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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.

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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.

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My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

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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!

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

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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!

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Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation in Alabaster, full size - Value $50

Bobbi Brown is a brand I haven’t had the chance to try much of so I’m really happy that So Choix carries it! I’m a bit of a foundation junkie… it comes from never being able to find any pale enough for me so I feel like I’m on a constant search to try every single foundation even if I currently have one or two I really like that work for me. So, here I am trying this one!

It IS pale enough for me! And the texture is really nice. It feels hydrating and goes on (with my Beauty Blender) really smoothly. The finish is a more natural matte finish and the coverage is pretty full, too.

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Chanel La Nuit De Chanel Evening Recharging Face Care, full-size - Value $85

This Chanel moisturizer has Frankincense extract and hyaluronic acid to repair, hydrate, and plump. I really like this moisturizer. It’s a nice texture – not too heavy – and my skin feels very silky with it on. I also felt like my skin looked better and more even and hydrated the next morning.

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The next three items – a blush duo, lipstick, and eyeshadow, were packed together in a little plastic tin holder. When I took them out of the box, they each had circular stickers over each pot to keep them in place and prevent any fallout.

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Cle De Peau Beaute Powder Blush Duo in 101 Plum Flower (full size price: $50)

I seriously love these blushes. The formula blends super well and looks very natural, and these colors are gorgeous. Especially the pinker/lighter shade. I would love a full size of this blush duo, especially because my only gripe about the sample is that it was pretty difficult to get the blush on my brush well/evenly due to the split pan here. I do like the fact that I can get a sample of both colors in a “duo” product though – it sort of makes it feel like getting 2 samples in one, so I guess it’s a trade-off.

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Cle De Peau Beaute Extra Rich Lipstick in S209 (full size price: $40)

Cle De Peau is a brand I have never tried before so I was really happy to test it out with this lipstick and the previously shown blush. This lipstick is a pretty, plummy-rose. I was impressed with this lipstick formula! You can apply it lightly for a sheer look or build it to a fuller opacity. This color is so pretty and had great staying power, too.

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NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Dione (full size price: $29)

This shadow is sort of a pewter/medium taupe. These Dual Intensity shadows from NARS are designed to be worn dry for more ready-to-wear pigmentation or wet for an intense look. I really love this shadow, but it’s a softer formula so when I used my finger to swatch, it got all broken up. I could use it that way dry but I didn’t have much left to try wet.

This shadow packs some serious shimmer and I love this color. I’m a huge fan of shimmer shadows so I’m really happy with this.

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Here’s swatches of the foundation, blush duo, lipstick, and eyeshadow.

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And here’s how it all looks on! I love how natural the finish of the foundation is and the blush is such a great everyday shade that will work well with just about any makeup color story.

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Here’s a better look at the eyeshadow – it’s worn here alone and applied dry. I love the subtle color and shimmery finish. Eyeshadow singles are sometimes a hit or miss for me, but since I can totally see myself wearing this on its own (without crease or corner shadows too) on quick-makeup days, I can totally see myself really using a full-size. I’m hoping I can scrape together enough of what’s left of the sample after swatching and this application to try it wet, too. The lipstick feels great on my lips and stayed for a couple hours, even with light eating and drinking.

Verdict: I am seriously having so much fun with So Choix thus far. I loved trying brands and products that are new to me and that aren’t sold anywhere near me. 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 skincare products plus getting 250 points ($5 store credit) every month feels fun and worth it to me, especially considering my own lifestyle (toddler mom, living far from any kind of access to any of these). I’ve loved browsing their products and creating my queue online so I can’t wait for future months!

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.

What do you think about So Choix? Have you tried their service before?

Haley Faye
Haley Faye
Haley Faye first discovered the wonderful world of subscription boxes in 2012 and began writing for MSA in 2014. Over the years, she has found many subscriptions to love. Now a mom of three, her favorite boxes are ones that dress her kids, help her get organized, feed her family, send her snacks, and offer educational fun for her children.

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15 comments

LindseyMP

Just a heads up, this sub sends micro mini samples, so don’t be expecting anything like the samples ipsy or Birchbox or Sephora sends out. You are lucky to get more than two uses out of their samples. However, if you live far from a dept store and want to try before you buy then yes, this could be a good way to sample things especially since you can choose what you want to try.
I was just stunned when I saw my tiny little jewelry box holding 5 tiny vials or little bitty jars. Especially when I’m used to getting actual sample sizes from ipsy and Sephora for the same price.
I wouldn’t subscribe to this but if your looking to buy some department store make-up and can’t get to the store to sample them, then yes, this is helpful. And you can pick whatever you want. Just be aware that these are very small.
I had ordered some liquid eyeshadows and they put them in a tiny pot with a snap on lid and the eyeshadow seeped thru and was pretty messy. Customer service was fabulous and offered to replace the damaged products and since I didn’t like the sub that much, they refunded me my 3 month pre-paid sub even though I received one of them. So customer service is great and super helpful!!!

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Lily Soto

How are the mascara mascara samples? Do they also put in containers or actually send a real sample of the mascara?

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Luna

They transfer the mascara formula into a tiny vial, and provide you a separate universal mascara brush to dip into it when you’re ready to use it. I’ve read many times that the mascara samples are one of the worst samples to get only because while the formula may be fine, the mascara brush they send doesn’t replicate the actual brush you would use with the full-sized product, and that it’s pretty difficult to get enough of the mascara formula onto the brush they provide, so the application goes on pretty patchy and clumpy.

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Britt?

Ummmm… Why am I still subscribing to Birchbox? I’m pretty much disappointed every month. I mean, I try to convince myself that I LOVE the item I chose, but even if I do successfully convince myself, there’s still 5-6 other items that are usually just crap! I swear I’ve gotten more repeats & hair loss products since they had the big, “shake up”.. I’m convinced they have 8 samples left to give out each month. What a waste! I’m coming over to So Choix ASAP! It looks fantastic! Plus, in the end, those are the things I actually purchase.. I prefer luxury brands and would rather have 2 full size luxe items, over 10 Mally/Amika/Avene/Purlisse.. I mean c’mon! What have I been doing? Who am I? I’m coming So Choix! I’m on my way…. ???????? ???
ps. I think I actually felt bad for BB & then for the people that cancelled because I was sure I was about to hit the jackpot, if I stayed! What an idiot I am! lololol!!!!

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magoosmom

I was intrigued by this with the last review but I thought I wouldn’t need it. Then I found out that my lipstick shade was discontinued and apparently has completely disappeared off the face of the earth. Being forced to try to find a lipstick that will be one of the very limited shades that works on me has made me realize…I so need this. I really want to try things out before plonking down the money to buy them and realize I can’t use them.

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Sam

How many uses to you get from most things? Like Foundation, eyeshadow, lipstick?

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Haley Faye

Sam – The moisturizer and foundation I think I will get at least 4 full uses from. Maybe more, since I haven’t reached the end of the samples just yet. The eye shadow seems to be more maybe 3 uses of and the lipstick I could do 3-4. If you read my review last month, however, mascaras seem to have maybe 1-2 uses. I wish they packaged those differently.

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Sara O.

Does anyone know if they carry a good variety of natural/organic lines?

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Haley Faye

Sara – you don’t need an account to browse their brands so you can also go to their website and check out what they offer! 🙂 But Ragan gave you some good general info above, too. Hope that helps!

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Ragan

This isn’t really a good subscription for natural/organic products. It’s a lot of stuff you’d find at Macy’s or Sephora (Guerlain, Lancome, Chanel, Dior, Bobbi Brown, etc., and some brands in the same tier as Smashbox and Benefit).

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Sarah Steil

How many uses do you think you get with the eye shadow? I’ve been wanting to try this subscription for awhile.

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Ragan

Powder products from Choix seem to last forever. (Not literally, of course, but enough for a dozen or more uses, easily.) Even finishing powder samples and highlighters last a long time, and you typically use more of those at once than an eyeshadow.

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Trish

I really like the option of choosing my samples- especially for foundation shades. For me this is the perfect sub, and I’m thinking I might try the lipstick box they are offering.
Makeup can be so expensive that I would rather pay for a sample than be disappointed with a product once I got it home and actually wore it.
And wow, your complexion looks flawless there girlfriend! Beautiful!

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Ziya

I discovered so choix last month through you guys.. Thanks! I love the packaging. I bought some little magnetic palettes to put my samples in and I separate my samples by product type. My favorite samples so far have been the Laura Mercier highlighters and the Glam Glow Supermud mask (got 2 full uses from this sample, great value considering it was about $3 of a $65 product) and I love the benefit of being able to choose my own samples, so I’ll never get anything I don’t like. Amazing!!

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Ragan

That Bobbi Brown foundation is my favorite. I discovered it through Choix. (I wear the same shade as you.) I think it is actually the first foundation I tried from them.

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