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BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review + Coupon – March 2021

Megan K.
ByMegan K.Apr 6, 2021 | 23 comments

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 to the cost of the box. (If you are a makeup addict – we recommend this box!)

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

About BoxyCharm

The Subscription Box: BoxyCharm

The Cost: $25.00 per month. Save with longer subscriptions.

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

Ships to: The contiguous U.S. for free, Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada for $5.00

BoxyCharm March 2021 Review

Let's see what I received!

 

Lime Crime Venus 3 Eyeshadow Palette - Retail Value $38.00

This might be my first ever Lime Crime item in any of my boxes. The last time I actually think I thought about this brand was way back when it was still owned by the incredibly problematic Doe Deere and the brand was dealing with a security breach, cultural appropriation, and seemingly circling the drain. It looks like she sold it back in 2018 and now it's run by an entirely different team. Seeing it sold at Ulta and even catching sight of it at TJ Maxx and Marshalls makes it feel a little more mainstream and (hopefully) less troubled.

By now most of you likely know that I am kind of a sucker for a very cute pink palette. And I loved these shades at first sight. The packaging feels girly and elaborate in a really fun way and I appreciate the built-in mirror. The shades are a nice mix of pinks, iridescent purples, and subtle shimmers that are surprisingly neutral. The pigment level is good and I found they worked best with a fingertip but still performed nicely with a brush. Some of them seem to really blend into each other on the eye and feel a tiny bit repetitive, but for the most part, I enjoyed these a lot.

Top to bottom: Dreamy, Beam, Heavenly, and Rapture.

Top to bottom: Ecstacy, Paradise, Bliss, and Beloved.

Here is a quick pink look with the shadows. I used Dreamy all over then accented with Beam, Rapture, and Paradise.

 

Too Faced Damn Girl! 24-Hour Mascara, 0.43 oz - Retail Value $26.00

Eh, I wasn't into this mascara. The brush was way too big, there wasn't a ton of payoff in terms of volume or length, and honestly, it stuck around on my lashes way too long. But, Megan, it clearly states 24-hour mascara! Yes, I know. And if you are into that, you are going to enjoy the longevity here, if you can get it to show up on your lashes. Me? I want all makeup washed off after 10 hours. This might be a great option for someone with super long work hours or who might have lashes that work better with this formula.

 

Maven Rose Water Setting Spray, 100 mL - Retail Value $22.00

This was another huge no from me. I don't know the brand and couldn't find much about it online until I realized it is a Fashion Nova brand. Although I have ordered inexpensive clothing from this brand before, Fashion Nova isn't in my top choices for makeup or skincare purchases. Another negative for me is the fact that alcohol denat is the second ingredient in this spray. Alcohol denat wrecks my dry skin. It also has a weirdly artificial sweet scent. Sure, there is some aloe in here, and a dash of vitamin E, but this isn't something I will be using on my face.

 

KAB Cosmetics Hydrating Lip Oil in 'Blue Raspberry' - Listed Value $20.00

This is a celebrity line from Kim, Ariana, and Brielle Biermann of Real Housewives fame. I don't watch any of their shows so their personalities aren't something I am familiar enough with to feel like it influences my feelings on their brand. I have tried one of their lipglosses before and really actually liked it, and I kind of like this lip oil too. It is probably a combination of cute packaging, the blue color, and the scent that smells like a coconut I can enjoy. Sure, I think this is just glorified lipgloss but it wears well and after to the setting spray in this box I feel pretty lucky to not hate this item.

Super shiny.

 

Lavish Beauty Wet Brush Cleaning System - Retail Value $15.00

My final item is a small brush cleaning set containing a thin puck of solid brush cleaner and a stick-on silicone texture pad. You get your brushes wet and rub them on the soap, then massage them on the silicone pad to gently knock makeup off. Then rinse! I like solid brush cleansers like this but found this to be a bit too small to use with my bigger powder brushes. It's a nice option for smaller eye brushes though!

 

Verdict: My BoxyCharm box has an overall value of $121.00 which is great for a $25.00 box, but I really wasn't feeling this month at all. The only items I was really into were the palette and (weirdly) the lip oil. I really disliked the mascara and I have even stronger negative feelings towards the setting spray. The brush cleanser kit was fine. I hope that next month is a little more exciting.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, your first box will be the April box!

Value Breakdown: At $25.00 for this box, here is what you are paying per item:

  • Palette $7.85
  • Mascara $5.37
  • Setting Spray $4.55
  • Lip Oil $4.13
  • Brush Cleaner $3.10

Alternatively, the average cost of each of the 5 items is $5.00.

Check out all of our BoxyCharm reviews and some of our favorite beauty subscription boxes!

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

What do you think of the March 2021 BoxyCharm Box? Which variants are you getting?

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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.

Megan K.
Megan K.
I love natural/vegan beauty products, Korean skincare, unique jewelry, and weird candies from far away places. When I am not waiting for my next exciting box you can find me painting or taking photographs of interesting people. I never leave home without pug hair somewhere on my shirt and a bold lipstick on my smile.

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23 comments

ReneeH

This was my first Boxy and it was a pretty good one for me, but also a bit of a letdown because 2 products were missing and I still haven’t received the replacements. After reading this, I hope they have run out of the rosewater setting spray and send me something else…it sounds awful! I love the palette and also got the Violet Voss Olive You Forever palette as a sign up bonus. I got the lip oil too (but in pink – Rum Punch) which I love and Glow Recipe Banana Soufflé moisturizer which I adore. The box was worth it for that alone! I’m also missing a clear brow gel, but I have an ABH one now, so not in a rush for a replacement. Hoping April is better.

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Olivia

Are you suppose to get over $125 for the $25 base box and over $175 for premium box. I have been rreally disappointed her lately with the boxes I have been receiving. It took me until a week ago to get my February boxes. After 5 years I have canceled my subscriptions

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Tabathia B

This is my first boxy charm box. I received the Lime crime, glow recipe banana souffle moisture cream, frank body glow mask, kab cosmetcs hydrating lip oil and the eloise get lit metallic eyeshadow. I really wanted the glow recipe and the frank body and my daughter loves the lip oil. I think overall for my first box it was a great purchase esp since I was looking at purchasing the glow recipe and it was more than the box.

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JoJoB

I’m so glad to see I’m not the only one who does not love that mascara. Luckily I had tried it previously as a GWP from Sephora so I knew not to choose it. I keep seeing all this hype around it and reading so many rave reviews I was starting to think maybe I’d gotten a bad one or something. I appreciate your honesty!

Like another commenter stated, I barely remember my box from this month because it was so meh. I chose the banana moisturizer and it was fine although not mind blowing. It was the only thing in my box that was in any way reputable or quality.

Just as Debby stated above, I think it’s time I cut down to just base box and shop the sales. I’ve been receiving all 3 tiers for awhile and have watched the quality decline rapidly. I’d been holding on though since Premium and Luxe received early access to the sales because otherwise there was never anything left to buy. Now that every one gets access at the same time there is literally no reason to have the other boxes for me personally. Especially when the choice items are always available in the sale!

On a side note, I keep waiting on something to happen since they were acquired by IPSY…

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Megan K.

I am also super curious about future changes due to the acqusition. So far, everything seems the same, right?

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Steph

I received the same variation. I like the colors in the palette and I know that eye safe labels are different in the US than other countries, but only 2 shadows in this palette are listed as eye safe. The other 6 are listed as face. Even on Ulta and other sites it’s listed as an eye and face palette. I didn’t have any staining issues with any of the shades, but a couple of the “face” shades irritated my eyes pretty bad. Just an FYI if it bothers anyone else.

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Megan K.

Good catch! I didn’t even see this. I have potato brain this week. 🥴
I didn’t notice any irritation, but thought the pinks were a little harder to remove. I am super pale though, so I never know if its just my skin or something else!

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V

This was my first box and I am not happy. I joined for the 111skin, which I thought I read all new subscribers will get it. I didn’t.

The items I said I rarely wanted in my box, were in my box.

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Susan

I think I got my bottle of 111Skin in my April Allure (second since restarting my sub) box. The top is really hard to unscrew.

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Lori

Boxy, ugh. I’m excited to see what changes, if any, come to Boxy now that Ipsy acquired them. I agree with everyone else that they are such a gamble. Ipsy seems so much better, even the bags that are less than stellar.

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amarante

I think this box must have been uniformly mediocre for everyone. I had forgotten about even receiving it and then remembered there wasn’t even a choice item I actually wanted.

I can’t even remember what I received except for the kitchy plastic brush holder because it was the choice and it was “less worse” than the alternatives.

So this box is memorable as generally there is at least one item that I am happy to try. Probably a toss up with whatever box came with the Faccia Alibaba moisturizer 🙂

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Megan K.

Hey, we can all be happy we dodged another Faccia. That was such a wild ride!

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Marion

It’s likely Doe Deere still has a (minority) stake in Lime Crime, in case anyone was wondering. Lime Crime has refused to come out and say that she does not profit off their company any more, the way KVD has said that Kat Von D no longer has any financial stake in the KVD brand. Doe Deere probably still profits off Lime Crime purchases.

Reddit detectives have found ties to DLS Cosmetics from KAB Cosmetics. It looks likely that even if Emanuela Defalco is not involved in the day-to-day running of KAB, she is involved with Worldwide Imports, at least as a shipping facilitator for KAB.

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echo

I thought I read that somewhere but then saw many people enthusiastically embracing the products, followed by stumbling across the info that this brand is reality star-related. So, is this actually good stuff that happens to be tangentially connected to DLS or is it dollar store crap with extreme markups?

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Marion

99% sure it is really cheap private label stuff you could get on Alibaba for pennies. That’s where DLS/Worldwide Imports enters the picture. Is it good? Possibly; I personally don’t think items are bad just because they’re private labeled or just because they’re made in China. But I have zero trust left with DLS-related companies, so I’m definitely not going to try out the product just in case it’s good.

Lol, if people have to just stumble onto the fact that the brand has celebrity figureheads, then I guess their marketing kinda sucks.

Errmmm

I loved my March box, I got the palette and lip oil too. I’ve loved Boxy since I started it in November – haven’t had a dud yet. Or maybe I’m so psyched to get all they offer for $25 I can’t complain. Sure occasionally a product isn’t up my alley – I’m putting together “gift bags” with makeup, brushes, and other beauty products for the LGBTQ teen center in my city.

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Megan K.

I love that you gift/donate them to a center! It’s a great idea and I know those teens must really appreciate it! ♥️

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Katy

I’m happy I got the palette. The shades are pretty and the formula is good. It’s the best palette I have received in months. I didn’t know the lip oil was reality TV branded. Not something I typically like, however, I am enjoying the gloss. It stays on for awhile and is more moisturizing than most of the ones I have. I got a different flavor. I love rose water sprays so I’m a little disappointed that it’s not a hit. I’ll still try it since my skin has yet to find an ingredient that affects my face adversely. I’ll probably hate the scent too. I like a natural rose fragrance. I don’t know about that brush cleaner. Too be fair though, my foundation brush was really, really dirty. I need to try some smaller brushes to see if I like the thing better. And I chose the banana soufflé. I’ve only used it twice so far. It did leave my face feeling a little greasy but I did put a fairly thick layer over a few other products so I’m not giving up on it just yet. For me, this was the first box I have liked since I resubbed several months ago and I am content with all of my products instead of just 1 or 2.

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Denise

Well if anyone wants to trade the pallette for any kind of wrinkle serum vitamin c or other wrinkly type stuff for aging skin hit me up if not it’s going to go

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Debby

Great review. Boxy can be so hit or miss. I stick around for the sales and if I get a great box, well, that’s just a plus. I used to receive all 3 boxes but now only the base and I pick up what I want/need at the sales.

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Boxy Fox

Box twins! This month felt like a huge dud for me. The spray smells horrible. I asked for the banana souffle not the mascara, and I’m just genuinely not a lip gloss girl though I found it funny it’s marked blue raspberry when it’s blue coconut flavored.

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Chelsea

Another great review Megan. I am so glad you are knowledgeable on so many different brands. I feel like I learned so much from this one review, and that I need to do more research myself on some of these brands.

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Snow

Oof, yeah March seems a bit of a letdown. I remember getting that palette a few years ago as a free gift w/purchase. I forced myself to wear red and pink shadow for awhile but then started feeling like I looked like I had pink eye lol.

I’m hoping the first ingredient in the setting spray is rose water! I’m not sure what alcohol denat is supposed to do (helps with absorption maybe?) but I avoid it like the plague (or coronavirus.)

The blue lip oil seems intriguing but I personally like my lip colors to be bold.

Boxycharm is definitely like playing the lottery. Sometimes you score a great month and other times (like March,) not so much.

Appreciate the great review, Megan!

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