GlossyBox Subscription Box Review + Coupon – October 2016
GlossyBox is a monthly beauty subscription box. They have the best packaging in the business, their products are usually deluxe size or full size, and the value is usually good too.
We’ve seen MSA readers mention customer service issues they’ve experienced, so make sure to read comments if you are thinking of subscribing.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
FYI: GlossyBox sends out multiple variations of the box during some months. So, there may be some variation between what I review and what you receive.
The Subscription Box: GLOSSYBOX
The Cost: $21 a month (save more with 6-month or annual subscription)
COUPON: Use coupon code LUXEBRUSH to get a free Luxie Brush with your first box. Or use coupon code SHADOW to get a free Karity Shadow Palette with your first box!
The Products: Deluxe and full-size beauty products.
Check out all of my GlossyBox reviews and the list of the best beauty and makeup subscription boxes!
Ships to: US and Canada
Each box comes with a fold out card detailing the items included:
And! We have a limited edition box coming soon!
Make sure to sign up for GlossyBox News Alerts at the bottom of this post to get an email when we have more info on this Holiday Limited Edition box!
Now, onto the items!
Emite Make Up Lip & Cheek Tint – FULL SIZE! Value $19
This lip stain goes on sheer so you can control how much pigment you want. Here it is swatched:
This looked super bold in the tube but ended up being a very wearable color for me. And it had good staying power, too.
Decleor Hydrating Oil Serum – 5 ml Value $24
I fell in love with this oil serum thanks to the August Beauty Fix subscription box, (I’ve been rationing that sample), so I’m thrilled to have another one. (And good news – this sample is small, but you only need a few drops per application, so it actually lasts a while.)
This serum is made with 100% natural oils, and it feels decadent on my skin, and smells lovely, too. If you haven’t tried it yet, you are in for a treat!
Unani Il-luminate Milk Cleanser – FULL SIZE! Value $18
So many full-size items in this box! I love it! This creamy cleanser produces a lather (without sudsing) and was super gentle on my skin. It wasn’t really drying, but it left my skin super clean and ready for moisturizer! (It has a nice berry scent, too.)
OGX Beauty Strength + Body Bamboo Fiber-Full Thickening Root Booster – FULL SIZE! Value $8
This is my favorite discovery in the box! I love that you can use it on damp or dry hair. I could definitely tell a difference in the volume of my hair after using it, and I still could run my fingers through my hair. (Some volumizers create so much texture on your roots that becomes impossible.)
Masque Bar by Look Beauty Brightening Sheet Mask – Value $3
I liked the scent of this mask and it was easy to apply, too.
If you don’t like the sheet masks that are, for lack of a better word, slimy, you may like this one! It is a soaked cloth, instead of the more gel/liquid masks that come packed between two protective sheets.
The only downside for me about this mask is that you have to wear it for 20-30 minutes, and it is made with parabens.
Verdict: This box has a value of about $72. I’m really impressed with the October GlossyBox. The value is great, and even more importantly, there are lots of full-size items, and I really enjoyed everything in this box.
What do you think of the October 2016 GlossyBox? Which items did you receive?
Written by Liz Cadman
I used the Unani Il-luminate Milk Cleanser and give me a crazy reaction, all the skin around my eyes is red an peeling. Someone else experience a reaction? I’m wondering if was something with my product or is the formula. I never ever have a reaction before 🙁
I’ve been using it at night for a few weeks now and it is not causing me a problem at all.
Thanks for your answer Ragan. I feel jealous, I wish can use it too because smells so goodddd!
Wow that’s scary,I haven’t tried mine yet and now I’m afraid
I’ve been using the cleanser & I love it. I’ve had no reaction to it. I use it either as a morning cleanse or a second cleanse at night. It’s really nice & smells lovely.
I was cleaning out a folder and found all my product cards from when I started Glossybox. Lots of comments about lack of value and lots of variations on this site, and thats everyones right to do so. While those are valid comments I noticed one thing, all of my glossyboxes for the past year have had a retail value of $53 to $79 dollars with an average in the mid $66 range. The only exception was the prestige eye cream and I only gave that a value of $49 based on amazon price, and the limited editIn boxes. For a cost of $21 this box always has double to triple value even with small sizes and variables. I don’t find much to complain about other than if I get a duplicate of something like mascara and black lineror nude colors and I give those to my hair stylist as part of my fee. Or one of my 14 nieces happily claims them. My experience with customer service while slow has always been positive. These boxes are a chance to try something new. If you get tired of it then cancel and move on to the next one, that’s what I do. I will admit I do get box envy at times regardless of which box I get of my multiple subs and even of boxes I can’t afford. I love getting monthly packages. It always feels like a holiday when I get one and there are so many to try. Happy Subscriptions to all.
I agree with you completely. The boxes that I have received have always been more than double the cost. Many of the products are things that I wouldn’t have tried otherwise because of the cost. Customer service has always been polite and helpful. They are a little bit slow getting a replacement out, but they tell you that it will be about two weeks so we won’t expect it to come right away. Most of the complaints that I see are people who are disappointed that someone else got something that they didn’t. I know that it’s hard not to get box envy, but I’m happier when I focus on my box and ignore the value of some others are higher. Many people were angry about the cheap sinful colors nail polish. Before we got those boxes, I read that they were including those in all of the boxes as a bonus. Although I didn’t like the colors or the gritty texture, I didn’t feel cheated because it was an extra. This has been my favorite beauty box if for no other reason but the fact that I don’t get tiny foil packs.
Yes I feel ya… If only we all could be so postive.Refreshing thank you!
I so agree with you. I have had wonderful boxes with GB and haven’t had the issues others have had. Love mostly full sizes, the value, and the nice pink box is great for storage! I’ve enjoyed trying products I don’t see at Nordstrom’s, Sephora and other places I shop. Have three daughters who have been happy to receive my extra mascaras, eyeliners, etc.
Did anyone notice that in the ingredients on the Aromessence Neroli Serum sample there is no mention of Neroli oil? I compared the ingredients of my sample to the ingredients of the full size on other websites and mine are different. I’m wondering if it was just an error, or if our samples are different because they don’t want to spend the money giving out samples. I’ve looked everywhere online and no one has mentioned this and I hope someone here has an answer. Would really like to have a discussion about this.
I was really disappointed with this box. The lip cheek stuff is a runny mess and the face cleaner did nothing IMO. The ogx is $6 at Target and Walmart and I don’t think that something that can be easily and more cheaply purchased at a store like that should be included. As someone else mentioned I believe the mask was 3 years old. I was just not impressed. I was prepared to cancel and get Boxycharm but I am intrigued with next month and so I will wait. For the cost of this sub they need to step up their game. At least for me.
Yeah this was my first box I was a little disappointed with. But I am hoping next months will be a good one!
I like to use the cleaner after I use a scrub. It seems like it calms my face. But yea it’s kind of weird it doesn’t lather and I need to research what benefits milk has for your skin.
Boxycharm is so much better
Anyone else notice the mask was manufactured in 2013???
oh my god the Declaor smells so horrible! I have never had a product that smells so bad and so STRONG! Gross… And such a shame because I really like trying serums.
I got the Chuda sample instead of the OGX, unfortunately. Although it is 150$ for the full size, I have no use of it and for the life of me, I cannot feel/see any difference between that and the 10$ Aquaphore.
Too bad you already tried your Chuda sample because I would swap in a minute for yours! Aquaphore is good for my legs & arms but I can’t use it on my face- too heavy & I get breakouts from it.
I wish someone would do a box for us uber sensitive skin people. Like no fragrance creams and lotions would be nice!
I AGREE!!! I love sub boxes but then I am so sad when I receive this great product that I can’t even use. I would love that!!
This month is a much better box in a while and I am happy. I got the mask in Lemon and other hair product from OGX. Cream cleanser is nice at this time of the year and great to receive a full-size product.
I got the Chuda cream instead of a hair product and I’m happy. I’ve used it before on my sensitive skin and it’s incredible at healing my red and painful dry spots. What’s really great is thru GB you can get $50 off of the full size on Chuda’s website. Count me in!
I really like Decleor products-usually-but the scent of the hydrating oil is too strong for me.
This is why I enjoy my Glossy Boxes so much! Items that I think I’m gonna love don’t always work out, yet there always seems to be something else that I fall in love with that I thought would be a total miss.
I got Liz’s exact box, and I am very happy with it. This was my last month, and I did the year through Gilt City. I am not sure how I feel. I have only been excited about 2-3 boxes in the past year. July had Sinful polish, as did August, with the super crappy lotion, etc., no Nuxe oil that was supposed to be “in every box”, and a very poor response from Glossybox (not my first negative customer service experience with them). However, September was pretty good, and I thought this one was very good. The facial cleanser is great, and I was in need of a new facial cleanser. The lip stuff looks good, and I am going to try the root thickener when I do my next blowout (I have fine, wavy hair that tends to go limp when I blow it out). Masks are always welcome, and I’m excited to try the oil.
So I don’t know. If there’s another deal where I can get the box for $8-$9/month, I will have a hard time deciding whether or not to subscribe again. I’m also on product overload. I dropped Birchbox and Sephora Play this summer, but I buy Target, Wal-Mart, and Amazon beauty boxes pretty much every time they’re available. I’m not sure if I should keep adding to my ever-growing stash for a full year to only get a couple of really good boxes and so-so customer service.
Also, does anyone know how to redeem Glossydots for a free box? Do I have to have a current sub? Do you just get a random past box? I don’t want to pay $21 for next month just so I can get an extra box.
On the website, when I was doing my monthly reviews, I saw a line that said I was eligible to redeem my 1000 glossydots for the next month free. I did, and I was not charged but did receive the box. I believe this was the September box, so it was recent. Apparently I had been eligible for a while, but just missed seeing it, so I’m halfway to my next free box. If you answer all the questions, I think it comes out to every 10th box free.
i agree. i also did the yr. sub from gilt, great deal, but now that it is over, i cancelled rather than spending more than double the gilt deal. i also had glossy dots to redeem–i called glossybox, and they are sending the november box free for my dots redemption. easy.
hope this helps
I don’t use a dryer on my hair. I towel dry and then I used the thicken and it worked great for me. Mind you I have short hair.
Thanks, all – this did help. To follow up, I e-mailed Glossybox, and they’ll be sending me November’s box and deducted 1000 Glossydots. They said that if I wanted to resub, to wait until after December 2nd to avoid getting two November boxes. It took a few days to hear back, but I wasn’t in a hurry.
this was my last glossy, and it was good, (i received the 3 spoilers the niacin spray and an apricot mask) but i want that limited box. does anyone know when i should sign up and when i should cancel. i only want next month’s box.
You can purchase Limited Edition boxes without a subscription. By doing that it my introduction to Glossybox. But you can get just the box.
Got the same box, only I got a OGX caffeine root simulation treatment (full size) and my mask was an aloe vera treatment. Love that we got three full size items in one box. Also love that the lip product does double duty. I’ve gotten way into moisturizing and cleansing oils, so while I would have liked a larger sampling (mostly because I really like it!), I’ve very happy to have received it.
My Gilt City sub ends next month. While there were times I wish for (and didn’t get) some of the higher end box variations, overall, I’ve been happy with this sub. Would jump at another deal like last year’s without hesitation. For $8-9 per month, this box could not be beat!
I had purchased a 3 month subscription with a deal from August. I’ve loved all the products I’ve received from them. But this month’s box was awesome. I had practically the same box, except the mask wasn’t the brightening one. But I like the cleanser and the Decleor serum (I got one in my Beauty Fix box too). I haven’t tried the OGX product yet, but I will soon. I’m sad that my subscription has ended. However, I have tons of products from all my other boxes at the moment. 🙂 I’ve had no issues with customer service either.
Loved this months glossybox .. can’t
Complain really happy with it and the variations aren’t as significant so yay for that 🙂
I used the black paper filling as part of my Halloween decorations. Totally made it an extra fun box.
I got the same box except instead of OGX, I got Chuda hydrating cream. The container is small, but a little goes a long way. The full size is $150, so I am happy with the $15 sample. I like trying expensive products that I might not buy otherwise.
Unlike many subscribers, I’ve never had problems with their customer service. I’ve had a few problems with products, but I just take a pic of the product, showing the problem, and send it to them with a short explanation of my problem. They’re always polite and take care of the problem quickly. It usually takes about three weeks to receive my replacement product but, luckily, I’m patient.
Being polite will always get you further than getting mad/frustrated 🙂 good on you. I’ve been very happy with my subscription as well!
I agree with the old honey and vinegar adage, but Glossybox messed up big time twice over my year with them, and politeness and patience unfortunately still did not lead to good customer service. The first time, their response was mediocre at best, and only my persistence led to their finally remedying the problem (way too late, IMO); the second time, their response was abysmal. However I believe they were in damage control mode and not properly equipped or staffed to handle everyone’s disappointment. This is one big reason why I truly hesitate even if they do another Gilt City deal.
I love love this month’s box. Awesome?
My last month with glossy box too. I got my free one and now I’m done. I like the seaphora box so much better… including the price!
I noted above you said that some have had problems with Glossybox but I’ve had none. I recall reading similar comments about Julep elsewhere, but, again, my experience has been really good. I’m lucky I guess? Either way, it’s good to get feedback from lots of places as you do here.
Thanks for all you do to keep us all informed!
The lip tint was watery – yuck! This was my last Gilt City box, but if they offer the annual deal again, I’ll take it. Willing to pay $10 a box but no more. Instead of the OGX, I got a Chuda moisturizer worth $15, so I’m pleased with that.
I got the same box I am really happy with glossy box good box this month.
I am done with glossy box. Last promotion I bought two boxes, and received one. No one from customer service will even talk to me. Either through email or phone calls.
This company is a fraud. Avoid.
I got a quick response from their Facebook page.
I agree, Facebook is were to go to get a prompt response. It will take them 10 days to reply to my email, but I got a response in 45 minutes when I contacted them through Facebook.
I agree. The company is a fraud. My subscription was “renewed” even though the website showed that I have no current subscription. Customer service refused to reverse the charge and was extremely rude. I would never deal with this company again, and certainly don’t give them your credit card!
I also am done with Glossybox after this month. Like you, I just wasn’t getting much personal use out of the included products.
I meant to put this under Sara’s post.
I thought the Decleor was a perfume (smells so good) and tried it on my wrist. Then I was all confused- I can’t smell it. Lol… Duh it’s serum! It’s the perfect size for my travel bag.
I’m about at the end of my year sub & will be sad to see it go ( my beauty cabinet is too full, but I’ll be back)! I’ve had a lot of discoveries- usually at least half the box. And the box itself is so pretty/great for wrapping gifts in.
I would totally buy a perfume that smells like Decleor serum! I love the scent! 🙂
So funny in life different strokes for different folks, I gave my first sample from another box away because the scent wasn’t appealing to me at all.This time I think I’ll at least try it on my skin before giving it away
Liz, do all the Decleor products have the same scent.? I like the oil but find the scent a little bothersome. I had been considering the DECLEOR advent calendar but not if all the products have that same scent. Thank you.
I love GB packaging but that’s about it. Even though I don’t receive this box anymore , I always look at the monthly boxes and I just never see anything I like.
Is it too late for me to sign up and receive this box or would I get next month’s?
You would get the October box. 🙂
I thought this was a really nice box,I had cancelled and then resumed with the free boxes.I hope I they keep up the good work
After you cancel, how long do you have to wait before you can sign up again and use a promo code to get free boxes or whatnot? I signed up when they had a buy 1 get 3 promo. Now I want to be able to cancel and use a promo code like that again when they offer it but I don’t know how long I have to wait after I cancel to be able to use a promo code. Thanks.
Sorry but I don’t have a clue as this was the first time I did it.I will say I notice a lot of people doing it on here
Once I cancelled one day and resubscribed with a promo the next. No one asked any questions.
I got the same box. It arrived without any tracking or anything at all, at the beginning of the month too! It was a shocker. This was the last box in my Gilt City deal and I’m happy to say that Glossybox and I are done. Even for the $8/box it was, it wasn’t much of a deal for me. I usually swapped practically the whole box. Though I did LOVE last month’s Korres lipstick, I even swapped for two more of them.
That Korres lipstick was my favorite, too!