Best beauty subscription boxes, ranked by a beauty expert

Beauty boxes have come a long way from the days of mystery sachets and endless thimbles of perfumes. In a world of LED face masks and collagen supplements, the best beauty boxes feel far more polished, offering access to trending launches, hard-to-get brands and must-have products – before they’ve flooded everyone’s TikTok feed. Beauty buffs don’t just want more for their money, but rather a curation that feels worth getting excited about month after month.

There’s also far more variety than there used to be. Whether you’re after the best K-beauty products, luxury skincare, haircare heroes or a one-off seasonal edit packed with viral names like Sol de Janeiro, there’s a subscription tailored to almost every corner of the beauty world. That said, not all boxes are created equal. The difference between a worth-the-spend subscription and an overhyped one often comes down to the details. Specifically, the balance of full-size versus sample products, the quality of the brands included and whether the contents feel wearable rather than destined for the back of a bathroom drawer.

To find the subscriptions you’ll look forward to received, I’ve been testing a mix of monthly services and limited-edition beauty boxes spanning skincare, haircare, body care and make-up. These are my top picks.