Beauty Box 5 Review – November 2014
Beauty Box 5 is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription box. It’s also one of the cheapest beauty subscription boxes – only $8.25 a month with an annual subscription. They tend to feature more drugstore brands, and usually the product sizes are deluxe or full size. (Sometimes they still send out the dreaded foil packets though).
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
The Subscription Box: Beauty Box 5
The Cost: $12 a month (or $10 a month with a 3-month subscription; $8.25 a month with annual subscription)
COUPON: Use coupon code FREEBOX1 to get the previous month’s box free when you sign up for a subscription. (You will still pay for the current box at time of purchase).
The Products: 4-5 full size and sample size beauty products.
Ships to: US and Canada
Check out all of our Beauty Box 5 Reviews and the Beauty and Makeup Subscription Box Directory!
Each Beauty Box 5 box comes with an informational card detailing each item in your box for that month.
DenTek Floss Picks + Case – Retail Value $.75
After Feather Refillable Travel Bottle – Retail Value $4.50
I was not happy with either of these items. They are perfectly fine, but not what I want from a beauty subscription box. (Also as a subscription box addict I have enough travel sized samples to last forever, so I don’t need an empty travel bottle!)
Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash – 1.8 oz Value $.50
Laura Ashley Body Butter – 1.75 oz Value $3
I feel like I am being such a downer in this review – but neither of these two scents are for me. I’m going to add the body wash to the donation pile though!
HASK Macadamia Oil – 18 ml Value $3
This oil works on both wet and dry hair, and I like the scent. (It reminds me a little of the Beauty Protector scent).
Verdict: This month’s box was not for me. The value is pretty bad too – about $11.75. I would expect at least one makeup item in the box, and a higher value.
What did you think of the November Beauty Box 5 box? If I’m being too harsh let me know!
Written by Liz Cadman
I was also pretty disappointed with this month’s box — obviously I’m not the only one! I wasn’t too happy with the last two months either really, but I keep telling myself to hold out for one more month because the box might get better. If I don’t like the December box I think I’m going to have to unsubscribe. I know it’s a cheap subscription but I can’t justify getting all excited to open up a beauty subscription box just to be super disappointed month after month.
Not too harsh at all. I actually like most of the items that I got in this box, but the value just wasn’t there. I signed up for BB5 because I wanted to try new things, but I can get a full-sized dove body wash, dental floss, etc. for waaaay cheaper at the drug store. I’d have been pissed if I got the empty bottle; I got a sparkly nail polish instead. The hair oil is nice at least, and I’ll buy that if I see it in stores. None of the products was objectively bad, but none of them are really the kind of thing you want to get in a subscription box.
Yeah I signed up with a deal of 3/30 and a free month so I got 4 boxes for 30$. Also paid 39$ for suprise box with 100$ retail..All were a disappointment to me. I do not think I will continue after this last box. When I got the 39$ box it was same as a monthly box and complained to them and they told me it had a value of $100 so I went online to find prices and it wasn’t. .I got 5 pieces of stuff I wouldn’t use but this month’s box was the worst! I’m canceling and starting swag box to replace it. Lip factory..ipsy..glossybox and boxycharm I have had no complaints about yet and would like beauty box 5 to have same standards.
SwaagBox is cool, I’ve had it for 2 months now, and the jewelry and makeup I received was cool! Plus not having to run to the store for”lady stuff” and having it delivered to your door is convenient.
I got the same box you did and I was in disbelief over the tooth flossers and empty bottle! What’s weird is, a while back, BB5 sent out a questionaire asking how they could do better and what brands we’d like to see in the boxes. I’m sure that people must have complained because it’s been getting worse every month, but nothing changes!
I honestly feel bad for people who are papaying2 dollars for this subscription. There’s no way they’re getting even half their money’s worth.
This would’ve been my next box has I not unsubscribed last month…and phew! I’m glad I saved those few dollars. I loved getting a little package each month, which is why I stuck with BB5, but I was also getting Ipsy and quality difference was so vast I just had to cancel BB5.
I’m so glad I canceled this box a few months ago. I know, I know… what do you expect for 10 bucks. Price wise it’s comparable to Ipsy and BirchBox, but Ipsy and Birchbox have much better items and the BirchBox points program is EXCELLENT!
This is a bad week for those that received Sample Society and Beauty Box 5. Here’s to better beauty boxes for the remainder of the month.
Figures! I am new to subscription boxes, having started with Julep. I had no idea these all existed (I am in BIG trouble) Anyway, this is my second box…I only ordered because I had a code for a free box. Looks like I will be cancelling as soon as it arrives 🙁
I also got the free box, and signed up for three months in case I liked it (for the discount). When I went to unsub I emailed them saying I was having a hard time figuring out when the next billing cycle was ,and that I needed to unsub immediately to avoid an overdraft. They emailed back two days later saying that I just missed it, so I had to pay for three more months. Lesson learned but ,be careful.
This box was jaw-droppingly bad. I got the same box as Liz but with coconut lime cream. I’m wondering if BB5 isnt paying too much attention to what they’re shipping out in the sub boxes lately, since nearly every day I’m receiving emails from them pushing stuff to purchase in their online shop. They’ll never compete with Birchbox there. Seems like us box subscribers were mere stepping stones onto something else for them. There wasn’t a fun or interesting item in the box this month, and like so many other commenters, I could have gotten all this stuff (not that I’d want to) at Dollar Tree. The empty plastic bottle – that had to be a sad joke – my jaw literally dropped when I unwrapped that. But then I read on the card that the retail price for them was 2 for $8.95! In what world would anyone pay that for 2 small empty plastic bottles?! Again, buy a complete travel set from Dollar Tree for a buck, or cheaper still, just raid your neighbor’s recycle bin. Sheesh!
I was so disappointed with this box! I’ve never received a full size item either. Even after I canceled my subscription, they still charged me for next months box. Ugh! I don’t need things I can pick up at the dollar store. Idk what’s up with bb5!
I got BB5 for two months and cancelled. The first month was not that great, but I figured maybe it was an off box. Nope, this is one of the worst subscription companies out there. The toothpick things could maybe come in handy, but they’re not sealed in any way. Maybe I’m a bit too much of a germaphobe. Also I just bought that same Hask today at Sally Beauty for like $2-3?
so happy i unsubscribed a few months back. their boxes have been so terrible, especially compared to boxycharm, sample society and ipsy. that being said i might cancel sample society soon too. the september box was amazing and since then the boxes haven’t been as good.
I finally dropped this sub once and for all after they kept sending me products for curly hair when my profile said “fine/wavy”. That, and the consistently small samples of things I wouldn’t normally even pick up at Walmart…the boxes are just always very lackluster, even the specially curated ones you can buy aren’t that great.
I actually received that Dove body wash yesterday. It was a free sample that I signed up for from Dove!! I’d be upset if I’d gotten a box with that in it.
With it costing more than BB and Ipsy, you would expect more value, everything was drug store and I like some other received the Loreal Polish I’m gold, pretty, but not exciting at all. Feeling duped and am also canceling my subscription.
I got a gold nail polish instead of the bottle, and cherry blossom instead of peony. I gave the toothpicks to my aunt the moment I saw them. The lotion is very baby prostitutey, but made my skin feel like a baby’s butt, so Idk. The hair oil is great, but I’m shocked that that tiny tube is a full size item. And the dove. I love dove, but I already have like three of these that were shrink wrapped to other dove products years ago. It’ll get used eventually, probably on vacation next March, but utterly forgettable. But that’s been my experience with bb5 so far. The products are never like, bad, they just don’t do anything for me. Next year I’m going to give glossybox a try, it seems to be more my style.
In my 6 months with BB5 I never once got a deluxe let alone a full size item unless you count a Chapstick mini. One of the worst value and quality subs out there and I’ve tried pretty much all of them in the last 2 years. This may be one of the 2 worst monthly beauty sub boxes I’ve ever seen period. Just. Wow. Dental picks? Travel Dove shampoo? A .50 plastic bottle? I’m also curious about the expiration on the lotion as that looks like a LA product from a while back. That leaves the Hask oil. Hask hair mask is the only thing I discovered in all of their boxes that I both liked and used (and even purchased again). I honestly do think they might be headed down the old Ch 11 tubes.
I almost subbed to this a few months ago, so glad I didn’t. Is BB5 going bankrupt or something? The last two months have been unbelievably bad.
I cancelled a few months back, 3 months ago I think. I was getting good boxes and some boxes had high values and wowed me. I was paying by the month $12 so I cancelled after my last box just being okay which was the Nicka k eye crayon. The last few boxes have been terrible! Some on FB liked there box but this was terrible. I thought the Loreal nail polish was pretty! I hope someone reaches out to BB5 or that they read this to see they need to step up there game. I was slightly disappointed I missed out on the Bellapierre last month but just one good item is not good enough to get me to resub.
The hair oil was there spoiler email I received. I checked it out and the full size is $1.99-$2.99. So that was not a good spoiler to me and plus I have a enough hair care. I was suprised no makeup was in the box now that you pointed it out, I didn’t realize it.
I am really happy with Birchbox and Ipsy lately and my Boxycharm is pretty good. Birchbox, I have had a few issues with but for the most part I am happy. I received my mystery packs finally from BB from referrals 12 packs in the same box and all the same conditioner and hair serum packs from birchbox which is suprising and slightly disappointing. It’s free so I can’t complain too much. I guess that’s what they sent for referrals. Not all different mystery packs. Obliphica conditioner and serum foil packs? =(
Anyway.. I hope to see a good BB5 spoiler to draw me in but even there spoiler was a bust for me.
I will say that I was not charged again after they cancelled my account though. They responded to my email I sent to cancel a few days late so I was charged one time but cancelled late in the month so got the next box. I hope they improve as well as Sample Society, I would like to join if I see good spoilers with there $5 off coupon.
I could pick out a better box at Dollar Tree, at least there they have Maybelline, L’Oreal, Revlon, or Physicians Formula sometimes. I already have 4 of the Dove body wash samples I got for FREE. The dentek’s are really odd to get in a box, don’t like that they’re not sealed and you can get 4 in a pack for a dollar. I got coconut lime body butter, which smells pretty decent, but again only sold in a pack that they divided up. I did get a L’oreal purple glitter nail polish instead of an empty bottle that I actually do like. My hair is thick and long, I might be able to get 2 uses out of the hair oil, but not sure. This box was the last straw for Beauty Box 5, last month was super disappointing then this month I canceled immediately. Their boxes are never exciting, always forgettable and I have more than enough nail polish to last 3 lifetimes.
This was a horrible box this month.
This subscription has been soooo disappointing. I finally unsubscribed after getting this horrible disappointment in the mail. Smh. These boxes should be free
I received the same box. I travel a lot, so these items will get used (eventually). However, these items were not worth the $6.50 I paid for this box. I don’t need the empty bottle. I already have several samples of Dove body wash that I’ve received for free (and the Target box). I can get dental floss for free from my dentist. The body butter feels like slime, and my lemon scent smells like Pine Sol!
Just got my November Ipsy box. I’m new to boxes and it was my first beauty box – OMG it was sooo good! If I’d have gotten Beauty Box 5 instead, I’d have been really disappointed.
What’s funny is I looked on instagram at #beautybox5 and SO many people are saying they love their box! Hahahaha! They must not know the other boxes that are out there or understand how low of a value beauty box 5 is. At least their ignorance is bliss lol
Hi Jenny,
I think we are pretty spoiled by high ends with ipsy and bb that receiving lower end items seem very disappointing and others just don’t realise that possibly, especially if they don’t have ipsy or bb. Lol!
Not harsh at all! I bought this as a full year sub. It started okay and has since become progressively worse. I hope theyes step up their game, don’t think I’ll be renewing that’s for sure.
I got a year sub too. I had looked at all of 2013’s boxes, and it looked pretty good for the price. It sure went downhill fast. I canceled over a month ago, unfortunately no option for a refund. At this point I am just hoping to get something I will use. Here’s hoping for a great December box.
Instead of the travel bottle I got a sparkly purple nail polish. I was excited to try BB5 but three boxes in, I haven’t been impressed with any of them. Glad I only got the three month trial lol
I got the same box as you, love the nail polish everything else is pretty crappy, I thought.
Another reason why I’m so glad I unsubscribed to BB5. I complain about ipsy & birch sometimes but they’re so much better than bb5
I don’t get tooth picks in a sub box ever. I don’t get Dove in the box either. I really do not understand anything in this month especially. Is this travel themed? Lol! Not why most of us sub to boxes.
From the picture the body butter looks cheap, as much as I love a good body lotion/butter. I would not like peony scented either. No interests, except the nail polish but for $12 I will still pass. I hope they go back to the way they used to, I used to look forward to the box but had to cancel after a few okay boxes and now it’s worse.
I was tempted to resubscribe after seeing the hask oil as a spoiler. I’m glad I did not. The hask oil is tiny. I don’t like seeing dove in boxes. Especially since they seem to be in so many/ Dental picks seem very odd in a beauty box. A travel bottle, very interesting. Perhaps the travel bottle could be used for mouthwash to make this a beauty + hygiene box. – Glad I canceled months ago and have not resubscribed.
gave* (Sorry, having issues today) ;-p
Actually, I think you could probably come up with a better curated box if it were from Dollar Tree! LOL! You’re not being a downer at all, Liz. We all like and appreciate your honest reviews. You call ’em like you see ’em. Who have the final approval on this box?? It’s all just crap!
This looks like a box from a company just starting out, like they haven’t quite figured it out yet. It definitely doesn’t say beauty box, more like stocking stuffer or Secret Santa with a max amount of $10 to spend on your coworker lol
It def felt like a box of free samples to me. I got all of the same stuff except my moisturizer was in the scent coconut lime. It smelled very off putting. Like chemicals and glue.. I tossed it. It also was not sealed at all and part of the seal was pulled back like someone had used it. Not the first time that has happened with BB5, I once got a lip pencil that had a broken seal and had been used already.
Totally agree! Birchbox and Ipsy make BB5 look pathetic!
I got the exact same box. Probably one of the worst boxes I’ve ever gotten from a beauty related subscription box – and I’ve received many. Just a total miss. The only product I like is the hair oil.
I have tried to cancel this sub three separate times. I have received a confirmation email that my box was cancelled but here I am still receiving a box and being billed. I was lucky at least to get a loreal nail polish instead if the empty travel bottle. I also just received the dove soap in the mail for free. Pretty disappointing.
After subscribing to this box for over a year I have finally had it with BB5. The last 2 boxes have been horrible. I have moved on to Birchbox & Ipsy.
Oh I am SO glad I canceled last month!!! I gave them three chances with one free box and two boxes at $12. I’m sorry but my birchbox and my ipsy are SO much better at $10 a month.
I will say their customer service is fantastic. I requested to cancel and they didn’t get the message until after the next charge went through (it was the weekend) and they reversed the charge for me instantly. If they every come out with better boxes I would consider going back.
I had the opposite experience with their CS. I ordered 1 LE box a few months ago but they billed me for several, on separate days. 2/3 were delivered (charged for 3, at $40/box, all identical, which is to say cheap crap). They ignored me for 10 days then tried to argue with me that I must have “kept ordering the boxes.” Like it was my first time making an online purchase. Great theory except they were made days apart. At one point I was questioning my sanity thinking I had forgotten and reordered. But even I’m not that far gone to do it 3 times. I pushed back and finally, after 4 weeks I got my refund. Not exactly impressive in terms of responsiveness, timeliness or helpfulness in general. It feels like they were bought out by a different company and things went on a steep downhill slide since then. Which is a real shame. Kind of like Social Bliss. Just night and day in the CS difference and product quality and curation.
You’re not being too harsh at all. This is a company that needs to just close its doors and move on to something they can be successful at. I feel bad for every single person who wasted their money on this. 🙁
I, too, was very unimpressed. They need to step it up.
I definitely wasn’t pleased with this box. I received a gold eye light crayon by Nica K in my box instead of the empty bottle that you got. I won’t be getting another BB5 BOX… also when I signed up it was with a previous month free and I have yet to get the October box…
This is the month that made me pull the plug on this sub– an empty 2 oz bottle worth $4.50, floss picks– I agree — not what I want to see in a Beauty Box. My Body Butter was Coconut Lime.
And I forgot the Dove that I’ve already received twice as a free sample…
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. BB5 is such a rip off. I don’t like to bash a company, but it’s pretty ridiculous that they charge $12 for crap. This box looks like it was literally curated from the Dollar Tree.
Also, did those toothpicks come just like that? Not sealed or anything??? That’s pretty messed up if they did. When you buy them from the store, they come wrapped or in a sealed package of two. I buy these for my husband and myself when traveling.
They didn’t come sealed in anyway. :/
I definitely got the Dollar Tree vibe this month. 🙁
That’s just ridiculous.
Definitely dollar tree-ish. This box sucked. I get better samples free from pinchme and target. I bought an annual sub and this still isn’t worth 8 bucks. I hope they read this…it is horrible. I would rather get a walmart or target beauty box any day.