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BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review – May 2018

Marne Orenich
ByMarne OrenichMay 9, 2018 | 52 comments

BoxyCharm box

BoxyCharm
4.3 overall rating
1949 Ratings | 195 Reviews

BoxyCharm is a full-size beauty and makeup subscription box. They always provide a great value compared the cost of the box. (If you are a makeup addict - I HIGHLY recommend this box!)

open BoxyCharm box

This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

contents of BoxyCharm may 2018

The Subscription Box: BoxyCharm

The Cost: $21 a month

The Products: 5-6 beauty items that will include nail care, skin care, makeup, haircare, fragrance and more. (At least 4 of those items will be full-sized).

Ships to: US and Canada

Check out all of our Boxycharm reviews!

Boxy Bash info card

list of included items

Each box comes with a card detailing the items included. This month is a "Boxy Bash"!

PUR Sculptor Palette

PUR Cosmetics Sculptor Palette - Retail Value $30.00

(All subscribers will receive this)

detail of PUR Sculptor Palette

This simple yet necessary palette comes with two shimmery highlighters and two matte contour shades that will help define your face and give you a warm glow. They're quite pigmented so a little goes a long way with these!

mirror in PUR Sculptor Palette

There's a good size mirror as well so you can use it on the go or when you need to get up in there to see what you're doing.

bottom of PUR Sculptor Palette

I can't help but notice that these seem to have a slight chocolate scent to them! Am I losing it? At any rate, it's great to know that they're cruelty-free as well.

Beauty Creations Matte Lip Gloss in Sweet Heart

Beauty Creations Liquid Matte Lip Gloss in Sweet Heart - Retail Value $10.00

(It looks like the lip product will vary. Check out the spoilers here to see the variation.)

open Beauty Creations Matte Lip Gloss in Sweet Heart

When they say "long wear" they really mean it. The formula of this pinkish-mauve matte lipstick goes on really easily and doesn't feel too heavy at all. It also does NOT want to come off.

bottom of Beauty Creations Matte Lip Gloss in Sweet Heart

I love the way this color looks on me as it really just amplifies my already pink pout. It even smells nice and kinda fruity!

CoverFX Blurring Primer

CoverFX Blurring Primer, 1 oz. - Retail Value $38.00

(All subscribers will receive this)

back of CoverFX Blurring Primer

Primer is something I go back and forth about all the time, but I used it this morning so I seem to be on board with it at the moment. Here they've sent a full-size tube that should last a good bit and help minimize those pores to make the rest of your makeup look it's very best. It's really light and soft with a powdery matte finish. I actually swatched it below since it has a very subtle color to it.

Pretty Vulgar ink gel eyeliner

Pretty Vulgar The Ink Gel Eyeliner in Black List, 0.2 oz. - Retail Value $24.00

(All subscribers will receive this)

cap on Pretty Vulgar ink gel eyeliner

First of all this black and gold bottle is really cool!

open Pretty Vulgar ink gel eyeliner

Can you believe I have never used a gel eyeliner before that needs to be applied using a brush? I've always been a liquid eyeliner or cream stick kind of gal. Really excited to try this out and have a lot more control than usual.

bottom of Pretty Vulgar ink gel eyeliner

The pigment is super dark and glides on with ease. Really impressed!

Aesthetica 3 piece Eye Trio and P12 Face Brush

Aesthetica Pro Series 3-Piece Eye and Brow Brush Set - Retail Value $45.00

Aesthetica P12 Face Brush - Retail Value $27.00

(All subscribers will receive these)

close up of Aesthetica 3 piece Eye Trio

Oooh, how perfect for me! A full eye and brow brush set is just what I need since I've been really into perfecting my brows lately. I'm stoked that it includes the eyeliner brush to use with the eyeliner gel since I didn't already have something. I'm also excited to learn that the technical term for the brush on the far right is "spoolie" since it's perhaps my favorite tool! The contour colors in the palette will also happen to make great brow colors for me...

close up of Aesthetica P12 Face Brush

The face brush is universal and can be used for smoothing everything out with your favorite powder.

Swatches on arm

Here is the whole gang swatched on my arm.

Verdict: The total retail value of this box is $174.00 which is $153.00 over the cost!! Every item in here was pretty great with a high retail and I even get to try some new things (looking at you, gel eyeliner). I'm super happy that they included the brushes to go along with the makeup items they chose so I didn't have to buy anything special to be able to use them immediately. I'm probably most excited about the brush trio and eyeliner, but I'm glad to have more primer at the ready when I finish the one I'm currently using. It's also so wonderful to get full-size items only!

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes! The Boxycharm waitlist is temporarily lifted!

Value Breakdown: At $21.00 for this box, here’s what you are paying approximately per item:

  • Sculptor Palette: $3.62
  • Lip Gloss: $1.21
  • Primer: $4.59
  • Gel Eyeliner: $2.90
  • Eye Brush Set: $5.43
  • Powder Brush: $3.26

Check out all of my BoxyCharm reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory!

What do you think of the May 2018 Boxycharm Box? Do you have a fave?

Starting at $30.00
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BoxyCharm ($30 per month) is one of the most popular beauty subscription boxes that we review, with lots of loyal customers. They promise 5 full-size beauty products each month from a variety of both indie and... read more.

Marne Orenich
Marne Orenich
Marne is a lipstick connoisseur, record collector, and twice over cat mom. She loves discovering new clean beauty brands and has quite the collection of beautifully packaged serums and moisturizers.

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52 comments

Mandy

Late.. but the Cover FX blurring primer is a HG item for me. Try it if you have this box and haven’t used it yet. I am so happy with the results.

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cupcakes

THIS IS THE BEST BOX EVER!!!!!!! Well except for the brushes, the brushes suck. But the Huda lipgloss I’ve been wearing everyday I love it so much, and I’ve always wanted a couture palette and gel liner, I dont own either so I love this box…youre not going to love every product you get..thats just how it is…but overall this box was awesome

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Jamie

You got a Huda gloss in your Boxycharm?

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Donna

Just wanna day that Boxy is awesome. My box was delivered in a trash bag and soaking wet. It also smelled horrible. I email Boxy and was promptly email back for more info. I sent what was requested and at about 6am this morning, I had an email that said they would replace the box. Awesome customer service!!

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clusby75

Anyone else receive the Han lippie in Nude Rose? This was the lippie in my box, I have variation #1 listed in the bottom corner of the product description card. Wondering about anyone else’s experience with this lip product before I open and use, or I may just swap it

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Lethal CupCakes

I LOVEEEEEE it..like I have seriously been wearing it EVERY SINGLE DAY since I got it. It is the perfect color, perfect feel…ugh I just adore this gloss sooooo much.

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Mel

I wanted that one. I got Kiss Me by Beauty Creations, but I hate matte lip products and won’t use it. If you want to swap, let me know. The color looks pretty, just wish it was gloss.

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steph

hey hey boxy friends this will be my first boxy and my payment went thew yesterday. so when should i expect to get my shipping notice ? and help would be awesome thanks

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Melinda

Website says 5-10 days after u are charged it will ship. I was charged on May 2nd when I signed up and I received my box Friday the 11th. You will get an email with the shipping info when it ships.

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Mel

So my brush trio was missing this month. Customer service was very quick to respond, but said it will be in my NEXT box. So much for using the eyeliner gel, which is the only thing I was dying to try. The Pur palatte and matte lip are going up for swap. I don’t like matte.

So sad.

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lilsismebe

I thought this box was terrible. I started last month and really liked that box but May was just awful. The brushes were so cheap. The trio in no way is worth $45. They are dollar store quality at best and the PUR contour palette is poor quality and way too dark for me. And why another brush as a second item? Pretty unhappy this month and not sure whether to stick it out for another month.

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Th Beauty Creations lip gloss (shown here) is the worst lip gloss I’ve ever encountered. The color was nice. I put it on and it seemed fine until I pressed my lips together and they stuck. Like badly. So I tried to remove it with a wet wipe. Nope. I tried a few more wet wipes. Nope. So I had to use my Lush Lip Scrub a few times to completely remove it. It was like glue.

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Sarah

Omg, same. That “gloss” was the first thing from boxy that I’ve swatched on my hand and was like “yeah, I’m not putting that anywhere near my face.” I tried removing the swatch with micellar water (which usually works to at least get the bulk of the product off) and it was literally like I did nothing. I had to resort to my oil cleanser and even that took some work.

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Lexana

I had a similar issue. It is so sticky, and not in the normal lip gloss way (or the huda lippie way) it feels straight up like sticky latex. It is a pretty color and smells nice…but soooo sticky…it started chipping off after a couple hours (legit 2 hours). It is decent if you use a top coat over it, but awful by itself. Yuck.

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RoguesEn3D

Boxy comes through again!! All I wanted was the Pretty Vulgar eyeliner pot. I wasn’t going to think about anything else (mainly because I feared a lip gloss). BUT I just opened my box to see a deep pink/cherry matte lippie. It is the same collab, but I have the Kiss Me color.

I wasn’t crazy about the brushes, but I do appreciate a good eyeliner brush, and now I have two more. I’ve been trying different styles of face brushes, so this batch suits me.

For the record: 0.8lbs 8x5x2in.
My box UPC label code ends in the # 1.
I think the lippie was the only variant this month.

Oh, and for shattered palettes, Boxy has a tutorial on their FB page. They say to crush all of it into a fine dust in the pan, dribble some rubbing alcohol over the pan, and allow it to dry. I did this once with an Anastasia holographic/highlighter palette and it works. I didn’t crush all the color into a powder; I merely crushed any lumps in the broken area and dribbled in the alcohol. When the alcohol evaporated the particles were back to normal. No change in product performance.

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Trixxy

Haven’t gotten mine yet, but possible twins since my box weight and size are the same. It sounds like a good one I’m off to look at what that lip color looks like!

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Nyesha

I’m sorry but this box SUCKS!! The brushes are not worth the retail price they are going for and why are do we need four of them counting as 2 items. I was expecting something better for a birthday themed box. Hopefully next month is better.

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StephKlos

I received my shipment notice on Wednesday and got my box this morning. It appears to have come from a distribution center in Ellenwood GA (that’s the first location in the tracking info), which is about an hour from my house, so it had a short trip to my mailbox. I have to say, I am a liquid eyeliner addict and this PV stuff…WOW. One dab in the adorable pot and I have a perfect result. I am waiting to see how well it lasts, but if it does, I will buy this stuff forever. Even color, easy to apply with the provided angled brush, and it dried quickly. I am by no means an expert in applying makeup and this is foolproof. I am so impressed with this eyeliner (that I wouldn’t have bought on my own) that the rest of the box is just gravy. I can see getting to the point of makeup overload eventually, but this is my third Boxy box and I am in love.

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Marisa

I got my box today and the highlighters in the Pur kit are shattered 🙁 Anyone know if Boxycharm replaces these items? I must have bad luck because a bonzer from a Fab Fit Fun box also came shattered and FFF credited my account.

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Kate

This happened to me with my very first box. There is an email address you have to send a picture to… I think of the broken product and your shipping label on the box. They will send you a replacement in the mail. Super quick and easy.

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Lily

I got the same box. Looks like the matte lipstick is a boxy collab, it has their name on the box. It felt a little bit dry when I was applying it and it still feels tacky after application. Dries fast and no transfer but really sticky. Lets see how hard it will be to take off later. The box felt light even though we got an extra product this month.

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misfitmorgan

So excited t get that Eyeliner and the palette…I’m dying to play with both!!

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couronne.de.roses

I’m so glad she put that it could be used as brow products. I love it for my brows as I’m pale!

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justmissjamey

P.s. wish you would have showed us a look with it, to give us ideas..,

I hope boxy sends us a nice perfume sample, maybe some face hair remover, some good tweezerman tweezers, setting spray, setting powder…some red/berry GOOD lip products.

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justmissjamey

Lip color is like every single other box for the past 2 years…whomp whomp…..not sure how to contour , excited for brushes (not spoolie) and the eyeliner. I’ve never tried this kind and wonder if it’s easy to use, and does it go on smooth??!!

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Cyndi

Loved your review Marne – have fun with that eyeliner!

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vicki

I have subscribed for almost two years, I don’t use anything, and keep making baskets for fundraisers

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vicki

great review, omg you r pale! I live in FL 🙂

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Lindsey

That’s my favorite primer, so that makes the box worth it, but the rest is kind of a miss for me. The contours are warm toned so will look orange on fair skin, plus being dark, so I will likely just sell it on makeup exchange. Aesthetica brushes are very poor quality, generally you can find a complete set for under $15 for a reason from them. I haven’t tried the lip brand before, but reviews seem pretty negative. Still, that primer is one of the best I have tried, so very happy overall this month. It is wonderful for pores or areas where foundation sometimes bunches in fine lines by mid day. That and the urban decay optical illusion are really the only ones I have noticed a big difference, though the dr Brandt primer from a couple of months ago is really nice just on its own

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Jamie

Hi! What’s the makeup exchange? Where can I find it? I’m waitlisted for the swap thing here.

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beccajaneee

It’s on Reddit, very active community and they let you include other beauty items (hair & skin care, perfume, etc) as long as you have at least one makeup item in the post. 🙂 There’s also the skincar exchange, asianbeautyexchange, perfumeexchange, & haircarexchange subreddits! Everyone is super nice, whether you’re buying or selling!

justmissjamey

They have places on Facebook groups, as well as I just googled makeup exchange and found a site on Reddit about it…im not sure, but the people here seem to be great people and honest…the other sites I’m not as sure of.

CHANEL DOSS

I feel like these brushes are awful quality. I’m scared to even use the contour bc it looks so dark.

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Ellen

PSA: The lippie gets stickier as it dries. Not happy with that. If I’d have know how sticky it was I would not have even tried it. I got kiss me, which seemed fuchsia in some of the online videos, but on my lips turned into a meh red. It is hard to get off so points for long wearing. Just to dang sticky.

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Jamie

Which brand lippie did you get? I know u got the Kiss Me shade, but was it the Hans or the other one?

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MzBev

Have you tried tapping some HD powder over it? I do that with sticky lip colors and it usually helps a bunch. The unboxing video’s I’ve watched – all said it wasn’t sticky and felt so nice on the lips, so its disappointing to hear it might be sticky.

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Mon

I second putting just a touch of powder on top. It makes it perfect. After doing that, I’d have to say this is probably one of my favorite lip products I’ve received in a subscription in awhile. I love the color, and somehow the color improved with the dab of powder too.

Emily

I just received this today. I was excited to try the lippie since it’s a pretty color (I got kiss me) but it feels awful on my lips. Drying and sticky. I’m so disappointed.

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Tina

I want this box. I wonder if I signed up today would I be able to get it?

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Iggy'sRock

I will be putting all of it up for swap. Just look for my name. I can all be yours!!

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Amy

Yes! Their waitlist is lifted, temporarily. Has been for the last couple boxes i believe. So who knows how much longer it’s lifted for!

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Sara

The lip color looks pretty! I’m not excited for the palette, I’m tired of Pur, I never really like their stuff. I am excited for the primer though, I love primers.

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Jamie

I haven’t liked a single thing I’ve gotten from PUR. I have gotten a few PUR products through boxycharm and was unhappy with all of them and don’t even get me started on the PUR mystery bag from a few months back! Luckily, the customer service folks at PUR were kind enough to respond to my very, very unhappy reaction to that item and refund me the money I spent on it, but still… It was just another product experience with PUR that left me with bad vibes. I would be happy to not see PUR products in my collection ever again, especially not in my sub boxes. The same goes for Juice Beauty. Every product I’ve tried from that company has been an utter fail as well and for the prices they charge it’s ridiculous.

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couronne.de.roses

Odd. I have oily eyelids, and loooove every PUR palette. It doesn’t crease like the Urban Decay palettes on me. I love every single one of them…

Too bad I don ‘t use contour… otherwise i would have loved this palette too in a lighter shade.

Julia

Now I’m really curious about the Pur mystery bag! I’m new in the sub world, and don’t want to get ripped off or anything. Care to share the details?

Julia

I’m feeling the exact same way.

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